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Full text of "Records of the olden time; or, Fifty years on the prairies. Embracing sketches of the discovery, exploration and settlement of the country, the organization of the counties of Putnam and Marshall, incidents and reminiscences connected therewith, biographies of citizens, portraits and illustrations"

University of California Berkeley 

THE PETER AND ROSELL HARVEY 

MEMORIAL FUND 



, ,,.; 

m 





RECORDS 



OF 














OR, 



FIFTY YEARS ON THE PRAIRIES. 



EMBRACING 



SKETCHES OF THE DISCOVERY, EXPLORATION AND 
SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTRY, 



THE 



ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTIES OF PUTNAM AND MARSHALL, 
INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES CONNECTED THERE- 
WITH, BIOGRAPHIES OF CITIZENS, POR- 
TRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



LACON, ILL. 

HOME JOURNAL STEAM PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT. 

MDCCCLXXX. 



PREFACE. 



In the following pages we have endeavored to trace the early settle- 
ment of that portion of our State embraced in the counties of Putnam 
and Marshall, gathering up the forgotten records of each township and 
neighborhood, and telling for the benefit of their descendants the story of 
the brave men and women who wrested their homes from the savage, and 
turned a desert into the fairest land that beams beneath the sun. 

It is not a "history," and does not claim to be, nor should it be judged 
as such, but in its pages we have sought to tell in plain, simple language, 
the story of our ancestors' lives, and string together for the amusement 
and instruction of their descendants 1he incidents and happenings- 
solemn, grotesque or ludicrous as they were that made up the warp and 
woof of their daily existence. * 

The old settlers are fast passing away. Many prominent actors in 
the scenes here depicted have paid the debt of nature, and the story 
of their lives is well nigh forgotten. But a few years more, and we 
shall see the last of that noble band carried to their final home. Much 
that is valuable has already passed into oblivion, and to rescue what 
remains has been our study. The faithfulness with which it has been per- 
formed can best be judged by the public. 

At the outset of our task it was found that to reconcile dates and 
even statements of the same occurrence was impossible. Our sole depend- 
ence was restricted to the uncertain memory of a few feeble men and 
women, who had reached the stage of life when the "grasshopper is a bur- 
den," and forgetf ulness is courted rather than deprecated. Human nature 
is weak, and forty years of slowly revolving time dims the brightest 
images graven on the tablets of the mind. At first we strove to reconcile 
these conflicting variations and strike a balance of probabilities, but the 
task was so "hopeless that it was abandoned, and the plan adopted of giv- 
ing each statement as received and allowing it to pass for what it was 

be. 



worth. Circumstances have compelled a more hurried preparation of the 
literary portion of the work than was intended or desirable, but such as 
it is we send it forth. 

Success in life is not the effect of accident or of chance; it is the result 
of the intelligent application of certain fixed principles to the affairs of 
every day. Each man must make this application according to the circum- 
stances by which he is surrounded, and he can derive no better assistance 
or encouragement in his struggles than from the example of those whose 
advantages were meagre and worthless compared with ours. He who 
peruses the records of those early pioneers will surely find principles which 
he can safely carry into his own life and use for his own advancement. 

In these latter days, when every acre nearly is appropriated by the 
husbandman or covered with thriving towns and cities, it seems strange 
to read of the trials of those who first broke the soil and opened the way 
for them that followed. It seems so far back when these incidents oc- 
curred that one can hardly imagine it was only the fathers of the people 
of to-day of whom we write. 

With every comfort the mind of man can devise, with every want 
supplied by the creations of these later years, we look back upon the 
lives of our nearest ancestors as tales of an olden time, coeval almost with 
the days when "Adam delved and Eve span." But those deeds of hero- 
ism, those days of toil, those nights of danger were all experienced, were 
all accomplished by the sires whose descendants we are. 

There lives to-day but a remnant of that pioneer band, fast drifting on 
to the confines of time, where they shall leave behind forever the recol- 
lections of those early days, and pass beyond into the glorious rewards of 
their trials and sorrows. But their good deeds will live after them ; they 
will not be "interred with their bones." The record of their lives is the 
property of their descendants, and in the pages of this volume we shall 
endeavor to tell their stoiy so that "he who runs may read," and take 
some useful lessons from the experience of those gone before. 

In conclusion we desire to thank all who have aided in furnishing the 
information desired. Everywhere we met nothing but kindness, and 
gladly would we name them, were it not that it would involve another 
volume to contain them all. Individually they are due, and we desire to 
thank J. G. Armstrong, who industriously assisted in collecting and col- 
lating our information ; the Revs. J. G. Evans, Price and Bruce ; John 



Bettis, of Truckee, Cal.; Jas. G. Allen, of Omaha; Thomas Judd, of 
Evans; Nathaniel Smith, of Nineveh, N. Y.; and the Hon. G. L. Fort; 
also Frank B. Hazleton, of Chicago, overseer of the mechanical part, who 
has patiently and faithfully performed his work; and finally the com- 
positors, one and all, who assisted in its preparation. We desire likewise 
to express our indebtedness to Henry A. Ford's "History of Marshall and 
Putnam Counties," "Ford's History of Illinois," N. M. Matson's "Reminis- 
cences of Bureau County," Baldwin's "History of La Salle County," and 
A. N. Ford for access to his newspaper files. 

As regards the literary value of the work we have nothing to say, and 
do not now expect to see it appreciated ; but there will assuredly come 
a time when the information laboriously sought and perhaps clumsily 
gi^en will be valued, and then our labors, will be appreciated. 

THE AUTHOR. 




xi. 



CONTENTS. 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. PAGES. 

CHAPTER [.Christopher Columbus His Theory, Plans and Difficulties First and Second Voyage*, and 
Discovers' of the West Indies Other Expldrtie Thiid Vojage of Columbus Anoericus Vespucci 

Honor to whom honor is due 17 19 

CHAPTER II. Evidences of Former Discovery Icelandic Explorations from A. D. 986 to 1437 - Her julf son, 

Lief Erickson, I horwald Erickson, Thortin Karlsef ne ttelics of Icelandic Occupancy 20 21 

THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

CHAPTER III. The Garden Spot of the World The Father of Waters Discovered by the Spaniards Ex- 
plorations of Ponce de Leon, Narvaez and De Soto Other Spanish Expeditions 22 26 

SETTLEMENT OF CANADA. 

CHAP PER IV. French Fishermen in Newfoundland French'Explorations Cortereal, Cartier, Le Jeune, 
Marquette, Nicolet Discovery ol the St. Lawrence Founding Catholic Missions Voyage down the 
Mississippi and np the Illinois 27 35 

CH VPTER V. Cavalier de La Salle and his explorations Hospitality of the Natives Dangers and Hard- 

hhips Encountered Father Hennepin, his Religious Zaal and Intrepid Courage. .. . . 35 42 

CHAPTER VI. Further Explorations of La Salle Down the Mississippi to ite mouth A mid-winter trip 

through Illinois Starved Rock fortified 4348 

PRE-HISTORIC RACES. 
CHAPTER VI t. The Mound Builders Evidences of their Civilization, Occupations and Characteristics 

Mounds and Earthworks in Putnam and Marshall Counties 49 61 

ABORIGINES AND EARLY SETTLERS. 

CHAPTER VIII.' The Indians Their Habite, Customs, Characteristics, Religion and Superstitions In- 
dians of Putnam and Marshall Counties 62 58 

CHAPTER IX. First Permanent settlement of lllionis-Early French Settlers-Kaskaskia in 1763-The 

County of Illinois Mikes and Jakes Peoria in 1778 69 65 

CHAPTER X. The Massacre at Fort Dearborn Gen. Hull orders the Fort evacuated Implacable Hostility 

of the Indians Heroism of the Women Murder of the wounded after the surrender 66 70 

CHAPTER XL Destruction of i'eoria Isolated condition of the People Dastardly Conduct of Capt. 

Craig and his " Troops" Hospitality of the Indian Chief Gomo 71- 73 

CHAPTER XII.- Extermination of ihe Buffalo Frozen by thousands and Suffocated iu Droves Father 

Bnche's Description of a Buffalo Hunt and his Narrow Ewipe from Death 7475 

ILLINOIS BECOMES A STATE. 

CHAPTER Xlll' The Compact of Freedom Indian Territory and the ''Vinsain Legislater" The Territory 
of Illinois First Legislature and First Governor Admission as a State The Randolph County Cove- 
nantersThe first Wedding 7678 

PUTNAM COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XIV. Earliest Settlers First Houses Boundaries of the County Location of the County Seat 
First Election County Offices and Incumbents Court House and Jail Ferry and Ferry Rates- 
Revenues, Surveys, etc., Division of the County Early Records 79 97 



THE BLACK HAWK WAR. p AOEg> 

CHAPTER XV. The Treaty of 1804 Character of Black Hawk Beginning of Hostilities Fruitless Cam- 

paigu of General Gainea \ Brief Peace and Renewal of Hostilities 98104 

CHAPTER XV I. -Disastrous Defeat of Major Stillman Narrative of E. S. Jones Particpante iu the Still- 
nrnn Campaign since Famous Incidents of the Defeat Shaubena's Friendly Warning Savage Cru- 
elty of the Indiana, and Shameless Indignities upon the bodies of murdered Females 106-112 

CHiPTER XVII. -The Captivity of Sylvia and Rachel Hall Their Treatment by the Indians, and Final 

Hansom -Other Fiendish Murders and Outrages by the Indians 115 120 

CHAPTER XVIII. The Militia called out- Muster Rolls of Putiam County Volunteers Measures taken 

for Local Defense -The Mur.ier of Elijah Phillips Death of Adam Payne 121127 

CHAPTER XIX. Continuation of the Campaign -Murder of 8. Vrain Attack by Black Hawk upon Apple 
River Fort, and its vigorous and successful defense by the brave little garrison Battle of Pecatonica 
Instances of Individual Heroism 128 138 

CH VPTER XX. Captain Stephenson's Desperate Skirmish . . A Spirited Campaign Inaugurated Black Hawk 
Driven Northwest Burnt Village ! he Bad Lands of Wisconsin Improvidence of the Volunteers- 
Operations Suspended to Procure Supplies 137142 

CHAPIER XXI. A New Disposition of Forces Insubordination at the Outset Treacherous Guides V 
Forced March Rapid ht-treat of the In iians, and a Vigorous Pursuit Brought to Bay and Badly- 
Whipped Indians Retreat by Night across the Wisconsin River Pursuit, and Battle of Bad Axe- 
Treaty of Peace Signed- Death of Black Hawk 143-^54 

IIENNEPIN TOWNSHIP. 
CH \PTER XXII. Topography -The City of Hennephi -Old Time Records- Pioneers The Ferry Stage 

Lines Religous Organizitions--8cnools Benevolent Societies Buel Institute Mills 155 176 

CH VP TER XXIII. Incidents and Anec iotea Great Snow.s Oid Characters A Negro sold under the Vag- 
rant Act Hard for Bachelors A Preacher Answirtd-Out of Mtat A Wolf Story A Still Hunt A 
Starved Recruit Jail Burned A Pioneer Express Indian* Outwitted Fastidious Travelers The 
Indian's Ride 177191 

CHAPTER XXIV. A Noted Rurglary Discovery, Pursuit and Capture of the Burglars Brazen Conduct 

ot Molly Holbrook Escape and Re-capture of the Prisoners 19219? 

CHAPTER XXV.- Union Grove- First Settleis-Schools-An Early Bible Society A Pioneer's Story The 

First Church The Village of Florid Fort Cribs- Newspapers of Putnam County 198208 

MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP. 
CHAPTER XXVI.-General Description Railroads The Earliest Settlers The Village of Magnolia The 

Society of Friends The Old School House- Jeremiah Strawn's Fort 207217 

CHAPTER XXVII. The Good Old Times Joys and Sorrows of Pioneer Life-Social Customs and Domes- 
tic Economy Wages and Cost of Living Strawn's Prairie Robbery of Jerimiah Strawn Birch's Con- 
fession Aaron Payne -Pioneer Plows Recollections of Mrs. Geo. Hiltabrand 218231 

CHAPTER XXVIII. -Benjamin Lundy. Philanthropist and Abolitionist Efforts in Behalf of Universal 
Emancipation Old Time "Shivarees" Stealing a Squaw Indian Neighbors An Indian Sign of 
Peace A Girl who wanted to Marry 232245 

CHAPTER XXIX. Ox Bow Prairie Early Settlers Dnvid Boyle's Primitive Cabin- Hard Times Indian 

Alarms Game Wolf Hunts The Devil Turned Informer Misplaced Confidence 246 251 

CHAPTCR XXX O] d Mills of Magmlia and Vicinity The First Orchard The Great Snow Incidents of 
the Sudden Freeze An Underground Railway Station Hunting Stories Home-made Cloth The 
Village of Mt. Palatine Churches Accidenfakand Incident* An Immense Pigeon Roost 252265 

SENACHWINE TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XXXI.- Topography and General Description Early Settlers- First Religions Services Senach- 
wine's Indian Village Indians at Senacbwine's Grave How a Woman Shot a Deer Senachwine 
Branch U. G. Railway-The Murder of McKee Sickness- Old Time Surgery 266275 

GBANVILLE TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XXXI I. -Topography- First Settlers-The Village of Granville Churches Labors in behalf of 
Education Oranville Academy-Old School Honses-An Obliging Tramp The Hopkin's Tragedy 
The Kamsay Tragedy Lynching of "Joe Smith "-Murder of Dowhower-Lost on the Prairie Anec- 
dotes. Incidents, Etc 276304 

xiv. 



MARSHALL COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXXIIt. Organ ization of the County Selecting a County Seat- - Topography of the County- 
Election ot County Officers County Commissioners'' Court Attempt to Impeach County Clerk Shan- 
non Revenue from Taxes Organization of Townships Early Records- Court Houses and Jails 807 319 

CHAPTER XXXIV. The V\ estern Air Line Railroad -Miserable Failure of a Grand and Meritorious Pro- 
ject Liberal Local Investments in the Capital Stock President Schenck's Mission in Europe The 
Enterprise Ruinea by the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion 820321 

LACON TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XXXV. Topography and General Description The City of Lacon, its Location and Surround- 
ingsBusiness Beginnings Early Settlers Flouring Mill Built Ferry Established Pork Packing- 
Educational Interests Lacon Woolen Mill The Ferry 822344 

i 

CHAPTER XXXVI. rganization of the Presbyterian Church in Lacon, and List of Original Members 
M, E. Church Organized Successive Pastors of Lacon Circuit and Lacon Station The Baptist Church 
of Lucon Catholic Cnurch Congregational Church Episcopal Church Benevolent Societies* News- 
papers The Bai Lacon in the War 345356 

CHAPTER XXXVII. Crow Cree^ and Vicinity- -First Settlers Crow Creek Mills Crow Creek Council 
" Free State '' \n Old Pioneer in Incident of the Black Hawk War Wild Hogs Aii Indian Riot 
Frozen to Death Cy Bowles and Big Bill Hoover 357-370 

HENRY TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII.- General Description Pioneers of the Township The Town of Henry Early Im- 
provementsReligious Organizations of Henry Educatioual Institutions Benevolent Societies 
Newspapers of Henry Crow Meadow Prairie Dorchester Webster Hooper Warren Incidents and 
Items 371-390 

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP. 

CHAtTER XXXIX.- Geneial Description Pioneer Settlers The First School House Saw and Grist Mills 
An Old-time Preacher Fritrdly Neighbors Mrs. White's Long Tramp Game. Incidents and Mis- 
cellaneous Items 393402 

ROBERTS TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XL. Topography Shipping Facilities Early Settlers- Varna Churches of Varna Lyons- 
Jesse T. Roberts James Hoyt Shaw's Point Chicago as a Grain Market in '29 Pioneer Fruit Cul- 
ture Forts Frozen to Death Tliefts and Robberies ADen of Wolves A Night of Terror Snakes- 
Ague Incidents 403421 

BELLE PLAIN TOWNSHIP. 

CH VPTER XLI. Description and Origin of the Name Old Settlers The First Schools La Rose Pattons- 
burg Churches of Pattonsburg Births, Deaths and Marriages Indians A Horse plays Detective- 
Hydrophobia Horse Stealing Accidents and Incidents 422433 

BENNINGTON TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XLII. Organizatioa and Topography Rutland \ntioch Church Geological Puzzles V Tor- 
nado A Deer Hunt During the Deep Snow of 1854 Losing a Midwife 434-439 

EVANS TOWNSHIP. 

CHAP1ER XLIII. General Description Pioneers Snrvev of Lands Other Settlers Valuable Improve- 
ments 1'horoughbred Cattle and Blooded Horses Sandy Precinct Politics Churches Schools 
Wenona Schools of Wenona Benevolent Societies Churches of Wenona Wenona Union Fair- 
Evans Station Incidents and Items Newspapers 440463 

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XLIV. Topography Round Prairie First Settlers Col. John Strawn Bell's Tavern- Early 
Schools Phelps Chapel The Barnes and Dever Fort John Wier The Murder of McNeil First 
Funeral in Marshall County Rapid Growth of Timber Nathan Owen's Grave Yard Anecdote* and 
Inciden's 464-490 

LA PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XLV. Description The Banner Township How Named First Settlers Schools-Edwin S. 
Jones Churches of the Township The Town Hall Stages Lawn Ridge Chambersburg Troy Oity 
Lost and Frozen in the Snow Mystery of Mike Wyle.\ Sad Death of Widow Evans Mysterious 
Disappearance of Willis Wolf Hunting The U. G. R. R. A Scotchman's Apostacy Patriotic Citi- 
zensAccidents and Incidents 491516 



SARATOGA TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XL VI. Topography and General Description Saratoga Lake First Settlers War Record of 

Saratoga Township A Mirage on the Prairie Centreville 517621 

WHITEFIELD TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XLVII. General Description Fir>t Settler* Religious Societies Schools Reeves, the Outlaw, 
and bis Qang Their Expulsion and 8ubseqent History The Murder of Jams Shine Incidents and 
Miscellaneous Items 522538 

STEUBEN TOWNSHIP. 

CHAPTER XLYIIL How Named Description of the Township Early Settlers The Old Schools Relig- 
ious Items Indians of Sparland aim Vicinitj Scalped by Indians Doc. Allen Anecdotes and In- 
t-idents 639-564 

THi: UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 

CHAPTER XL1X. Slavery in the Colonies Early Efforts to Extinguish the System -Rapid growth of Pub- 
lic: Sentiment Pioneers in the Cause of Emancipation Anecdotes and Incidents The "Agents" of 
the Road 665-573 

THE INDIANS. 

CHAPTER L.- Black Partridge Illinois Indiana in the War of 1812-The Hunter Hermit of Crow Creek 

Shick Shack and bis Tribe Indians making Sugar 574-584 

THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 

CHAPTER L.T.- Early Steamboating Terror with which the first Steamboat Inspired the Indians Keel 

and Platboating 585587 

THE GRAVES TRAGEDY. 

CHAPTER I. II. The Reed and Donner Party Overwhelmed in a Snow Storm in the Sierra Nevada Moun- 
tainsDeath of John Snyder Ocher Deaths from Starvation and Exposure A Forlorn Hope 588601 

CHAPTER LIII. -Con tin nation of the Narrative of the Graves Tragedy Horrible Suffering at Starved 

Camp A Relief Party organized for the Rescue of the Survivors 602610 

CHAPTER LIV. The Narrative of the Graves Tragedy continued A Mother at Starved Camp 611-618 

CHAPTER LV. Continuation of the Narrative of the Graves Tragedy The Rescue Arrival of Capt. Fal- 
lon's Relief Party The Awful Spectacle which met their sight Kesebarg's Statement The Sur- 
vivors 619632 

BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT. 

Hennepin Township. Putnam County 635663 

Maunolia " " " 664-682 

Granville " ' " 663-670 

Senachwine " " " 671680 

Lacon " Marshall " 681-696 

Henry " " 696-707 

Evans " " " 708-728 

Hopewell " " " 729-733 

Roberta " " " 734-737 

BellePlain " " 738789 

bennineton " " " 740741 

Richland " " 742-743 

La Prairie " " 744750 

Hteuben " " " 751766 

Saratoga " " " 767768 

Wbitefield " " " 759-763 

Al'I'KNDIX.-Sandy Creek O. 8. Baptist Church-Clear Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Chnroh-Eman- 
uel Church of Granville - Mt. Palatine Congregational Church First Baptist Church of Lacon Cum- 
berland Presbyterian Church of Evans Township -Bethel Church, Stenben Sparland -Additional 
Biographies 766-771 

ERRATA 772 

XTi. 




-OB,- 

ON THE 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. 




CHAPTER I. 

VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS. 

L N the 14th of October, 1492, Christopher Columbus, a Genoese 
mariner in the service of the King of Spain, while sailing 
westward in search of a new route to the Indies, discovered 
the island of San Salvador, then believed to be a new con- 
tinent. This voyage of Columbus, in its results of so vast 
importance to the civilized world, was inspired by a firm 
belief in the theory of the earth's rotundity, and an enthusi- 
astic desire to demonstrate its correctness; for though in 
the year 1356, one hundred and thirty-six years before, Sir John Mande- 
ville, in the first English book ever written, had advanced this idea, and 
clearly proved its correctness by astronomical observations and deductions 
of remarkable accuracy; and though others had vaguely entertained a 
similar belief, none possessed the hardihood to attempt its practical demon- 
stration. For ten years Columbus, an enthusiast upon the subject, aban- 
doning his profession, had traveled from court to court throughout Europe, 
seeking a patron of intelligence, enterprise and means, and finally succeeded 
in securing for his plans the earnest sympathy and approval of the noble 
Isabella, Queen of Castile, and her husband Ferdinand, King of Spain, 
through whose material aid he was enabled to test the correctness of his 
views. 

Immediately upon the result of this wonderful expedition becoming 
known, different nations vied^with each other in endeavors to advance 
their knowledge of this strange land, and each sought to secure to itself 



18 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIMK. 

. 

the greatest possible advantages to be derived from conquering, subduing 
and colonizing the new world. To Columbus was due the honor of 
finding, if not the lost and long sought Atlantis, what was of greater 
consequence, vast countries, destined in time to contain half the popula- 
tion of the whole earth. While he discovered San Salvador, Cuba, Hayti 
and Jamaica the rich West Indies he merely got a glimpse of South 
America, at the mouth of the Orinoco, and never saw any portion of the 
northern half of the continent, the future seat of empire of the new world. 
Though he was the actual discoverer of the Western Hemisphere, to which 
his name should have been given, he was denied that honor. He first 
landed upon San Salvador, after which he visited Conception, Cuba and 
Hayti. On the shores of the Bay of Caracola, in the last-named island, 
was erected out of the timbers of one of his vessels a fort,, the first struc- 
ture built by white men in the new world. 

While correct in his opinions regarding the figure of the earth, Colum- 
bus made a great mistake in his estimate of its size, believing it to be not 
more than ten or twelve thousand miles in circumference; and upon this 
assumption he was confident that by this route he could reach, if, in- 
deed, he had not already reached China and the East Indies. Encour- 
aged by his partial successful September of 1493 he sailed on a second 
voyage, which resulted in the discovery of the Windward group of islands. 
On this voyage, also, he established a colony in Hayti, appointing his 
brother Governor. 

After an absence of three years, he returned to Spain, to find himself 
the victim of jealousies and suspicions, but so far overcame them as to 
organize another expedition. On this third voyage he discovered Trinidad 
and the main land of South America at the mouth of the Orinoco. Sailing 
thence to Hayti, he found his colony in disorder, his brother deposed, and 
was liimself seized by Bobadilla, the usurping Governor, and sent to Spain 
in irons. A disgraceful imprisonment followed, but through the influence 
of friends he was liberated and sent on his fourth and last voyage. He 
coasted along the main shore of South America for some time, but disap- 
pointed in the object of his search a route to the East Indies he re- 
turned to Spain, and soon after died, a broken-hearted old man. 

After Columbus, the work of disco veiy was prosecuted with untiring 
energy. One of his captains was Americus Vespucci, who in 1499 visited 
the main land and coasted along its shores for several leagues ; but beyond 
demonstrating that the land to the west of the Windward group of islands 



NAMING THE NEW WORLD. 19 

was not connected with them or with the Bahamas, he accomplished very 
little. He was a pompous man, with a plausible way of expressing himself, 
and on his return gave glowing accounts of his achievements, in which he 
adroitly omitted all reference to Columbus, and took the credit to himself 
of having discovered the new continent, likewise ignoring the fact that it 
was the genius of Columbus which had organized the first expedition, his 
courage that sustained the enterprise, brought the voyage to so successful 
a termination, and rendered further discoveries an easy matter. Jt was 
Columbus who demonstrated that the earth was round, and that islands, 
and even continents yes, a hemisphere, was to be found in the world of 
waters toward the setting sun. The wily Spaniard undermined the worthy 
# Genoese, and won the honor due alone to him. The New World was 
named America, but the great, the lasting fame of its disco veiy remains 
with him whose prow first ploughed the Western seas. 

While the adventurous of all nations participated in the exploration of 
the New World during the succeeding century, the Spaniards, disappointed 
in their thirst for gold and plunder among the natives of North America, 
their rapacity inflamed by glowing accounts of the wealth of the Incas, 
and doubtless also influenced by the more congenial climate, directed 
their attention almost wholly to Mexico and South America, inflicting 
upon those countries to this day the enervating heritage of their own 
indolent, lawless and revolutionary propensities. Important discoveries 
within the territory now embraced by the United States were made by 
Spanish explorers, of which brief mention will be made in their proper 
connection, but the colonization and development of North America was 
fortunately left almost wholly to hardy pioneers from the more northerly 
European countries. 




20 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER II. 

ANCIENT EXPLORERS. 

'HILE to Spain is accorded the honor of having discovered 
the new world, there is a strong probability that the little 
sea-girt, ice-bound island in mid-ocean between Greenland 
and Norway, appropriately named Iceland, may justly 
dispute this distinguished claim. Away back as far as 
A. D. 986, an Icelandic navigator named Herjulfson, who 
had made a few voyages for trading purposes between his 
country and Greenland, while heading toward the land of 
the Esquimaux, was caught in a storm and driven on the coast of Lab- 
rador. He saw there a low outline of rocky and wooded shore, far 
different from that of Greenland. Although sufficiently near, a heavy 
sea prevented him from landing, and he coasted along until a favorable 
wind bore him homeward to tell to incredulous ears the wonderful story. 

Fourteen years afterward Lief Erickson, another Icelander, inspired by 
the story of Herjulfson, determined to test its truth, and gathering a crew 
of hardy Norse sailors, embarked, and in the spring of 1001 touched the 
coast of Maine, and thence drifted southward. Here he saw wonderful 
woods and flowers and wild game such as he had never before beheld, be- 
sides strange red men, wholly unlike the Esquimaux. This to him was a 
tropical clime, a region of enchanting loveliness, and his crew were loth 
to leave it. 

His brother Thorwald came in the following season, and died near 
Fall River, Massachusetts. Afterward others followed, including Thorfin 
Karlsefne, who, with a crew of 150 men, explored the entire coast of the 
New England States, entered New York Harbor, and established friendly 
relations with the Indians, giving the region the name of Vinland. 

From time to time as late as 1437, Icelandic explorers visited the 
north-eastern shores of this continent, but failed to establish permanent 
commercial relations with the Indians, having little to exchange, and small 
demand for what the aborigines had to barter. The gradually increasing 



ICELANDIC EXPLORATIONS. 21 

severity of the arctic climate finally caused all Icelandic voyages hither to 
cease; but the story of their adventures and discovers exists in legend 
and history, and the claim that they first discovered America has a sub- 
stantial basis of fact to rest upon. 

Subsequently, in various places along the New England coast have 
been found relics of a strange race, such as spears and shields, helmets, 
lances, battle axes, and other weapons of war such as the Northmen used 
in the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth centuries. Culinary utensils have like- 
wise been found of the exact pattern of those of ancient Norway. 

The people of Iceland, unlike the Esquimaux, are clearly Europeans, 
in form, habits, religion and color, and their resemblance to their neighbors 
of Norway, six hundred miles eastward, is unmistakable. Between Iceland 
and the northernmost point of Scotland the distance is about five hundred 
miles, with the Faroe Isles intervening midway. But there seems little 
question of the Norwegian descent of the Icelanders. They connect them- 
selves by their chronicles with the f ormer countiy, which they left in open 
boats ages ago. They have old legends, religious beliefs and superstitions 
and ancient traditions in common with the mother country, and trace 
themselves to European ancestry. Their chronicles of the discovery of 
America are equally clear and credible. That they could have crossed 
from Norway 500 or 600 miles of sea, in open boats, with island resting 
places between shores, is no longer doubtful, since only recently the broad 
Atlantic was crossed in a frail craft navigated by a single daring mariner 
and his adventurous wife. 

A few years ago, beneath a rock near the coast was found the skeleton 
of a man encased in armor; and an ancient paper among the archives of 
Iceland tells how a sailor was killed in a skirmish with the natives, and 
his remains buried where he fell, at the foot of a precipice. 




22 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 




CHAPTER III. 

THE GARDEN SPOT OF THE WORLD. 

'HE discovery of America was an event of great consequence 
to Europe. It not only marked out a new career for many 
of her people, but changed the destinies of whole nations. 
The safety of a tyrant lies in the ignorance and supersti- 
tion of his subjects. Knowledge is not only power, but 
freedom itself. The people were becoming enlightened, 
and in proportion as they advanced in wisdom, so the 
chains of political servitude became more galling, and far-off 
America, with her grassy plains, broad savannahs, leafy woods and 
crystal streams, loomed up before the' oppressed as a land of promise. 
Monarchy was in danger when the spirit of freedom was aroused, and it 
became a question of Revolution or Emigration ; and both the people and 
their rulers saw in the latter the surer, safer course. 

The people who first settled here found a wonderful contrast between 
the sterile soil of the old world, where the farmer forced a scanty subsis- 
tence from land not his own, and the broad forest regions of New England 
or the mountainous declivities of Virginia or North Carolina; for the land, 
though hilly, was rich virgin soil; and above all, it was free. Whatever 
the fanner raised was his own beyond the reach of rapacious tithes-gath- 
erers. To fell and clear these vast forests and remove from the sunny 
hillsides the stone was joyful work, since it was to make free homes for 
free men and their children forever. This labor of love would cause the 
wilderness to blossom as the rose. 

Luckily, the hardy pioneers who cleared the bleak hills of New Eng- 
land little dreamed of the far-off Eden of the West, made by nature ready 
for the plow, the richest, freest soil under the sun. For thousands of 
years, ever since man began to till the soil to get from it his bread, it had 
lain unturned, waiting the \vliitc man's coming. No soil had heretofore been 
found so rich as to require no dressing. No farm was believed possible 
until some one cut down the trees and removed the stumps and roots, or 



THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 23 

dug up and ' carried away or sunk out of sight and reach of the plow the 
larger stones that cumbered the surface. To tell the Puritans of a land 
still more perfect than their own was to insult their judgment with a 
fictitious impossibility ! 

And yet here lay this broad, beautiful, unsurpassably rich garden spot 
of the world. Here, extending from the copper mines and along the 
southern shore of the largest fresh water lake in the world Lake Su- 
perior, stretching around to the base of the Rocky Mountains, and Alienee 
eastward to the Alleghanies and south to the Gulf of Mexico, enclosing 
the mightiest lakes and the longest livers of the world the peerless 
Mississippi, the turbulent but even larger Missouri, the Platte, the Ohio, 
Illinois, Wisconsin, Arkansas, .Tennessee, and many others, forming 
together a perfect system of drainage and fertilization, lay this grand 
country, the great Mississippi Valley, the richest agricultural region under 
the sun, so far as human knowledge goes. 

A great discovery was that of this grand central plain, once the basin 
of a vast inland sea long ages ago, when hideous monsters of the coal 
period disported themselves among the luxuriant weeds that grew as trees, 
and gigantic saurians hid beneath their branches or lazily wallowed in the 
oozy marsh. Long cycles of time have passed since this great inter-conti- 
nental ocean between the rising hills of the East and the frowning moun- 
tains of the West subsided its flood and slowly, by degrees marked by 
centuries, the finished world emerged from its' chaotic beginning. During 
that vast intermediate space what mighty throes of nature has it witnessed, 
what Titanic convulsions has it experienced? Then came great floods of 
water arid intense heat, followed by the glacial or cold period, when for 
centuries fields of ice hundreds of feet in depth ploughed up the surface 
and harrowed down the hills till, after eons of ages, came man not 
historic man", with his progressive faculties, but the pre-historic first attempt 
of nature toward the genus homo, the dweller in caves, possessing an abun- 
dance of low cunning, and fighting his way with sticks and stones among 
the swarming monsters of earth and sea. Then came the mound-builders 
and what is known as the Stone Age, supplemented by what are termed 
the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Whether these periods resulted from 
gradual progress, or 'were rudely broken off by long intervals of time, is 
not certain. History tells that after the fall of Greece and Rome came 
the Dark Ages, and man seemed to have degenerated thousands of years. 
So between the strongly marked characteristics of pre-historic races there 



24 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

may have been wide gaps of time, and nations rose and fell unnoted and 
unknown. 

The Indians whom our ancestors found here, in arts and sciences were-~ 
far behind the ancient people who once inhabited this country. They did 
not have the sagacity to provide for inclement weather or old age. Each 
day was for itself; and so their lives ran, either a feast or a famine. They 
had no traditions of former races, and knew nothing of their own previous 
histoiy. The numerous mounds that covered the countiy excited neither 
interest nor enthusiasm, and the red man is best described by Pope in the 
following lines : 

" To be, contents his natural desire ; 
He asks no angel's wing nor seraph's fire, 
But thinks, admitted to that equal sky, 
His faithful dog shall bear him company." 



THE FATHER OF WATERS. 



The Mississippi River was first discovered by the Spaniards, in the year 
1541, at a point near its entrance into the Gulf of Mexico. Two years 
later Father Hennepin voyaged down the Illinois River to its confluence 
with the Mississippi, and launching his craft upon its rapid current, jour- 
neyed to the falls of St. Anthony, and returning, went as far southward as 
the thirty- third parallel, near the mouth of the Arkansas. These long 
voyages were prompted by Utopian dreams, the Spaniards seeking the 
fabled fountain of eternal youth, and the French a shorter route to China. 

In 1512, Juan Ponce de Leon, Spanish Governor of Porto Rico, one of 
the West India Islands, rich and avaricious, but growing old, fitted out a 
fleet and sailed in search of the fabled spring. On ths 27th of March, he 
came upon the coast of a wonderful land, abounding in limpid springs and 
wood-crowned hills, gay with gorgeous flowers, and tenanted by gaudy 
plumaged birds. He named this enchanting country Florida, "the land of 
flowers." Landing near the site of what is now the city of St. Augustine, 
the oldest town built by white men on this continent, and claiming the 
country for the King of Spain, he promptly organized and vigorously prose- 
cuted his search for the fabulous fountain. After many weeks of fruitless 
exploration among the everglades and flower-laden groves, he turned 
southward, discovered and named the Tortugas, doubled Cape Florida, and 
returned to Porto Rico. The king, to compensate him for the discovery, 



NARVAEZ DE SOTO PONCE DE LEON. 25 

made him Governor of Florida, and sent him to establish a colony. He re- 
turned in 1521, to find the natives intensely hostile, instead of friendly and 
hospitable as before, and had scarcely landed ere they fell upon him in 
overwhelming numbers and drove his men to their ships, Ponce de Leon 
himself being so severely wounded that he died soon after reaching Cuba, 
for which point his expedition sailed in precipitate haste. 

In A. D. 1528, Narvaez was appointed Governor of Florida by the King 
of Spain, and sailed for that province with a force of two hundred and 
sixty footmen and forty horsemen. He landed at Tampa Bay in April, 
and went northward in search of gold and conquest; but where he hoped 
to find ancient cities and vast empires abounding in wealth, he discovered 
only morasses, lagoons and savages. After weeks of peril arid hardship 
they reached the coast, built light barges, and put to sea, but were driven 
by storms again upon the shore. Here Narvaez died. His lieutenant, 
De Vaca, at length reached the Spanish settlements in Mexico with a 
handful of men, having, as some historians allege, discovered the Mississippi 
on his way. As he seems not to have claimed that honor, however, and 
failed to formally take possession of it in the name of the King of Spain, 
as other Spanish discoverers were wont to do, his government never accred- 
ited him with that achievement. 

In 1537, Ferdinand de Soto, a distinguished cavalier of Spain and bosom 
friend of Pizarro, who as conqueror of Peru had just returned loaded with 
the wealth of the Incas, was made Governor of Florida, and came with six 
hundred men to conquer and subdue the country, expecting to find it a 
second Peru in wealth. His men were representatives of the nobility of 
Spain, clad in knightly armor, and they came with all the pomp and cir- 
cumstance of conquerors, bringing shackles for slaves, bloodhounds for 
hunting, and priests to conduct their religious exercises. In June, 1539, 
they first caught sight of land, but instead of the wondrous beauty deline- 
ated in Ponce de Leon's painting, they beheld but a silent beach of marshy 
waste and gloomy morass. Some of the men deserted and returned to 
Cuba. Landing with the remainder of his force, De Sato marched north- 
ward, wading swamps, swimming rivers, and fighting the Indians who 
hovered about his line of march, harrassing his column and seeking to im- 
pede his progress. They wintered in the country of the Apalachians, on 
the left bank of Flint River, and in the spring of 1540 resumed their 
tedious journey, wandering through the interminable wilderness until about 
April or May of 1541, when they reached the lower Chickasaw Bluff, a 



26 EECOBDS- OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

little north of the thirty-fourth parallel, where they discovered the Missis- 
sippi River. After crossing the " Father of Waters," a tedious process, 
requiring several weeks' time, they journeyed to the north- west through 
Arkansas to the southern limits of > Missouri, in the vicinity of New Mad- 
rid, thence w r est about two hundred miles, then south to the Hot Springs, 
where they arrived in the winter of 1541-2. They were guilty of many 
cruelties to the Indians, who were superstitious, and became easy victims 
to the duplicity of the gaudily attired Spaniards. Disappointed in muling 
wealth and spoils, they destroyed Indian towns and villages on their 
route, and cruelly mutilated their captives or burned them alive in pun- 
ishment for real, imaginary or pretended offences. But in the mean- 
time De Soto 'and his followers suffered terribly, sickness and death rapidly 
decimating their ranks. At length they turned eastward and again reached 
the Mississippi River, where De Soto, broken in health and spirits, gave 
way to melancholy, succumbed to the malarial fever incident to the climate 
and country, and finally died. His body was taken to the middle of the 
stream by his sorrowing companions, a requiem was chanted, and in a rustic 
coffin enclosing them, the remains of Ferdinand De Soto were buried be- 
neath the rolling waters of that mighty river w r hose discovery w f as the only 
important result of all his weary wanderings. His companions, after many 
months of further desultory travel over Texas, again reached the Missis- 
sippi, near the mouth of Red River, w r here they built seven brigan tines. 
In these they floated down the river to its mouth, whence they steered 
southwesterly across the Gulf of Mexico, and after fifty-five days' buffeting 
the terrible coast waves, three hundred and eleven survivors of this ill-fated 
expedition reached a Spanish settlement at the mouth of the'River of Palms. 
Other Spanish expeditions, notably those of Lucas Vasquez de Ayllori, 
Pamphilo de Xarvaez and Pedro Melendez, visited portions "of North 
America now comprised within the limits of the United States, mainly in- 
stigated by greed 'and characterized by atrocious cruelties, but devoid of 
important results. Spain retained possession of Louisiana, Florida and ' 
Texas, the former until the' year 1800, when it was ceded to France and in 
turn purchased by the United States; Florida until Feb. ~2'2, 1KU), when it 
was likewise purchased by the United States; and of Texas until lH:M,when 
it passed into the nominal possession' of Mexico, only, however, to raise 
the standard of insurrection, achieve speedy independence and sue for ad- 
mission to the glorious sisterhood Of States when the galling hand of des- 
potism bore too heavily upon the rights and liberties 'of her people. 



FRENCH EXPLORATtQNS. 27 



SETTLEMENT OF CANADA. 




CHAPTER IV. 

EXPLORATIONS OF THE FRENCH. 

iS EARLY as 15 04, fishermen from the north of France sought 
the shores of New Foundland to ply their trade. A well 
executed map made in 150fi, and found among the archives 
of the nation, defines the outlines of the Gulf of St. Law- 
rence and the fishing grounds veiy accurately. In 1508 
two Indians picked up at sea were carried to France and edu- 
cated, afterward becoming very serviceable as interpreters. 
In 1501 Gaspar Cortereal, a Portuguese seaman, sailed 
on a voyage of discovery, and striking the continent somewhere near the 
latitude of Maine, coasted northward a distance of seven hundred miles, 
until near the fiftieth parallel, when floating ice stopped further progress. 
Returning, he captured about fifty Indian fishermen, and took them to 
Portugal, where they were sold as slaves. 

In 1523' an expedition was fitted out in France, consisting of four small 
vessels, three of which were wrecked in a storm before leaving the coast, 
but the fourth, the Dolphin, reached the coast of North Carolina, from 
whence the commander sailed northward as far as New Foundland, where 
he landed and took possession of the country in the name of the king, his 
master, and named it New France. 

In 1534 France sent a new and successful explorer to further view her 
new possessions here, in the person of James Cartier, who, after cruising 
about Nova Scotia and New Foundland, went north and westward, enter- 
ing the estuary of a broad river, which he named, in honor of his patron, 
St. Lawrence. He sailed up this great river past the island of Orleans, 
and extending his journey, reached a beautiful village at the foot of a hill 
in the middle of an island, the location of which had been described -to 'him 
by captive Indians. Ascending the hill and discovering the surroundings 
fully confirmative of what had been described by his Indian guides, he 
named the place Mont Real, and with the usual ceremony took possession 
in the name of the King of France. 



28 RECORD^ OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

In 1541, about the date of De Soto's disco veiy of the Mississippi River, 
Cartier organized a new expedition from France. The fabulous stones of 
great wealth to be had without labor in the new world were now exploded, 
and the spirit of adventure was dying out; volunteers were slow to offer 
their services, and the king being appealed to, opened the prisons, filled 
with vermin from all parts of Europe, and proclaimed a free pardon for 
all who enlisted, excepting only such as were under sentence for coun- 
terfeiting or treason. By this means Carder's complement was speedily 
made up,' and with a crew of thieves, robbers and cut-throats, the future 
founders of a western empire, he reached the present site of Quebec, where 
he passed the winter. 

For the next fifty years the French seem to have made no effort to 
colonize New France, or to explore its territory. In 1603 De Monts was 
appointed Governor of the country from the latitude of Philadelphia to 
one degree north of Montreal. In 1604 he arrived, and after some reverses 
of fortune, in 1605 founded a permanent settlement on the northwest coast 
of Nova Scotia, and the whole country and surrounding islands, with the 
mainland as far south as the St. Croix River, was named Acadia. 

In 1608 Champlain, discoverer of the lake which bears his name, fore- 
seeing in the fur trade of that region a profitable business, susceptible of 
unlimited expansion, established trading posts for the advancement of that 
industry, and founded Quebec. He vigorously prosecuted this industry, 
the new world's contribution to commerce, yearly extending it up the 
river until 1624, when Fort St. Louis was completed, securing the French 
in their permanent occupancy of the St. Lawrence Valley. 

During this period the Jesuits of France were turning their attention 
to the far-off region of the then Northwest in America, with a view to 
planting the cross of the Catholic Church and converting to its tenets the 
inhabitants of this benighted wilderness. While priests had accompanied 
every expedition here, none had come as missionaries; but in 1632 Paul 
La Jeune, De Noue, and a lay brother named Gilbert sailed from Rouen 
for "that miserable country," as they called it, arriving at Quebec in the 
month of July. 

Le Jeune's first missionary effort was made while seated on a log, an 
Indian boy on one side, and a little negro, an attache of the garrison, on 
the other. As neither understood the language of the others, their pro- 
gress in spiritual matters must have been small. 

After learning the Indian language, he was better satisfied with his 



MARQTJETTE PRIEST AND EXPLORER. 29 

labors. Others joined him, ambitious young missionaries from the mother 
country, and sometimes folowing, more often preceding the fur traders up 
to and around the chain of the great lakes, they founded posts and missions 
throughout the far North-west to the southern shores of Lake Superior. 
Brave, resolute and self-sacrificing men were those pioneer missionaries. 
Voluntarily forsaking home, friends and country, they went out into the 
far-off wilderness before untrodden save by savage feet, devoting their 
lives to the propagation of their religious faith. Sublime faith, indeed, 
which prompted these heroic apostles of Christianity to place their' lives in 
momentary jeopardy, with death in its most temble form a continual 
menace. The death of Jean De Brebeuf, the founder of the Huron Mis- 
sion in Canada, together with his companion, Lalemont, was horrible be- 
yond description, and has never been exceeded in brutal ferocity or 
intensity of suffering. Savage ingenuity in torture could no farther go 
than in the horrible maiming, flaying alive and burning of these martyr 
pioneers. 

In 1632, four years before the missions were formed among the lake 
tribes, a grand council of Indian tribes was held at the falls of St. Mary, 
at the outlet of Lake Superior. In 1660 Mesnard established a station 
near the lake, but perished in the woods soon after. In 1668 Claude 
Dablon and James or Jacques Marquette, afterward a leading character in 
the history of Western exploration, established the mission of Sault Ste. 
Marie, and two years later Nicholas Perrot, agent for M. Talon, Governor 
General of Canada, explored Lake Michigan (then Lake Illinois) to its 
southern limits, or near the present site of Chicago. Marquette also 
founded a mission at Point Saint Ignace, across the Strait of Mackinaw. 

During Marquette' s residence in that region he learned of the existence 
of a great sea or river away to the west, the Indian descriptions of which 
varied greatly; also, that great tribes of Indians inhabited this far off 
region, among them the Winnebagoes, or sea tribe, who had never seen 
the face of white man, nor heard of the Gospel. 

In 1634 Jean Nicolet, a Frenchman who had come to Canada in 1618, 
was sent to the Green Bay country to visit the Winnebagoes. He was the 
first white man they had ever seen. To produce the greatest possible 
effect, "when he approached their town he sent some of his Indian at- 
tendants to announce his coming, put on a robe of damask, and firing 
his pistols, advanced to meet the expectant crowd. The squaws and 
children fled, screaming that it was a manitou [god] or spirit, armed with 



feECOKDS OF THE OLBEK TIM K. 

thunder and lightning; but the chiefs and warriors regaled him with so 
bountiful a hospitality that a hundred and twenty beavers were devoured 
at a single feast." 

Paul Le Jeune in 1640 also wrote of the sea tribe, or Winnebagoes, 
and their mighty water, or sea. 

Nicolet undertook to visit this far away region. Ascending Fox River, 
he crossed the portage to the Wisconsin, and thence floated down to 
where his guides assured him he was "within three days of the great 
water," which he mistook for the sea; but he returned without visiting it. 

About this time the Governor of New France, excited by vague reports 
of a great unknown river in the far West, and believing it might empty 
into the Pacific or the South Sea, set on foot an expedition to solve the 
question and open up new territories for his sovereign. He cast about for 
some one qualified to undertake this expedition, and settled upon Louis 
Joliet, a daring fur trader of Quebec and a native Canadian, educated by 
the Jesuits for the priesthood ; and to accompany him as priest, the equally 
venturesome and brave Marquette was chosen. Their outfit was synple, 
consisting of two birch-bark canoes and a supply of smoked meat and 
Indian corn. On the 17th of May, 1673, they set out from Mackinaw 
with five French Canadians as assistants, and passing the straits, and along 
the .northern shores of Lake Michigan, reached Green Bay and sailed 
up Fox River to a village of the Miamis and Kickapoos. Here Marquette 
was delighted to find a beautiful cross in the middle of the town, orna- 
mented with white skins and bows and arrows, offerings of the heathen to 
their Manitou, or god. The pioneers were regaled with mineral waters, 
and instructed in the secrets of a root which cured the bite of the rat- 
tlesnake. Marquette assembled the chiefs and pointed out Joliet to them 
as. an envoy of France, while he introduced himself as an embassador of 
God to enlighten them with the Gospel. Two guides were furnished to 
conduct them to the Wisconsin River. The guides led them across the 
portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, and left them to launch 
their barques on its unknown waters and float to regions where white men 
had never yet ventured. As they started on that strange voyage, they 
remembered the warnings received at an Indian village a few days before, 
on Fox River, where they tarried. The chiefs advised them "to go no 
further; that the banks of the great river were inhabited by ferocious 
tribes, who put all strangers to death; that the river was full of frightful 
monsters, some of which were large enough to swallow a canoe with all its 



DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 31 

contents; that at a high cliff by the river side lived a demon, whose roar 
was so loud as to shake the earth and destroy all boats passing up or 
down the stream; and, that the great liver was full of cataracts and whirl- 
pools which would surely engulf and destroy them." 

But Father Marquette had before starting put all his trust in the 
"Blessed Virgin," and made a solemn vow that if he discovered the great 
river he would give it the name of "The Conception," in her honor. So 
the, voyagers floated on, and were not afraid. After, four days of rapid 
sailing, they. reached the mouth of the river, and on their right lay the ter- 
raced plain afterward the site of the fort and city of Prairie duChien. A 
couple of days they tarried, and then launched their frail barques on the 
broad bosom of the "Father of Waters," "with a joy that could not be 
expressed." 

..Turning southward, they paddled down the rapid stream, their voyage 
unrelieved by the faintest trace of , civilized life, but encountering at inter- 
vals and viewing with wonder great herds of buffalo. Marquette describes 
the fierce yet stupid and bewildered look, the mixture of fear and defiance 
of the old bulls of the herds who stood staring at the intruders through 
the tangled manes of their bushy heads as the canoes floated past. 

They proceeded with extreme caution, not knowing what moment the 
savage war-whoop might startle their ears, the prelude to their capture 
or speedy death; landing at night to cook their meals, and hiding their 
retreat as well as they could, or anchored in the stream, always keeping a 
sentinel on watch. , , 

Thus they journeyed a fortnight without meeting a human being, when 
on the 25th of June they saw foot-prints of men in the mud on the west 
branch of a stream. Joliet and Marquette followed the trail at a hazard- 
ous venture across a prairie two leagues, when they discovered an Indian 
village on the lbanks,of, a river, probably near the present site of Burling- 
ton, Iowa. Here they found a tribe of Illinois Indians, and were welcomed 
in the fashion of these people. "An extensive feast of .four courses was 
set. First came a wooden bowl of Indian meal, boiled with grease, the 
master of ceremonies feeding his guests like infants, with a spoon; next a 
platter of fish, the same functionary carefully removing the bones with his 
fingers and blowing on the morsels to cool them before placing them in the 
strangers' mouths. A large dog, killed for the occasion, furnished the next 
course; but not relishing this, a dish of fat buffalo meat ended the feast," 



32 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Next morning, escorted by six hundred of the people, the Frenchmen re- 
turned to the river and resumed their journey. 

They passed the mouth of the Illinois, discovering "The Ruined 
Castles," as they named the fantastic markings of the rocks at that point, 
produced by the action of the elements. The superstitious fears of the 
Canadian attendants were here aroused by the sight on the face of the rock 
of a pair of painted monsters, "with horns like a deer, red eyes,,and a beard 
like a tiger ; the face resembled that of a man, the body was covered with 
scales, and the tail was so long that it passed entirely around the body, 
over the head and between the legs, ending like that of a fish." This rock 
.was near the ; site of the present city of Alton, and represented the Indian 
manitou, or god. 

Soon after passing these monsters they encountered another terror, a 
toiTent of yellow mud, rushing across the current of the clear, blue Missis- 
sippi, boiling, surging, and sweeping in its course logs, branches, and 
uprooted trees. "This was the great Missouri River, where that savage 
stream, descending in its mad career through a vast unknown region of 
barbarism, poured its turbid floods into the bosom of its gentle sister." 
Their light canoes were whirled on the surface of the muddy vortex like 
dry leaves in the eddies of an angry brook. 

They passed the lonely forest which covered the site of the future city 
of St. Louis, passed the mouth of the river upon which the Indians be- 
stowed the well-deserved name of "Ohio," meaning "Beautiful River," 
and still floating onward, reached the region of perpetual summer, the 
reedy, marsh-lined shores buried in dense forests of cane, with its tall, 
straight stems and feathery foliage, the land of cotton and sugar. 

Above the mouth of the Arkansas they found a tribe of Indians who 
had evidently been in communication with Europeans, for they were armed 
with guns, knives and hatchets, wore gannents of cloth, and carried their 
gunpowder in bottles of thick glass. Here they were cheered by the in- 
telligence that they were only ten days from the mouth of the great river, 
when in fact more than one thousand miles remained to be traversed ere 
its waters found an outlet and mingled with those of the Gulf of Mexico. 

Floating down the stream day after day, past marsh-lined shores 
covered with evergreens, from which depended long streamers of funereal 
moss, the dreary monotony and awful stillness almost frightened them, 
and they grew strangely superstitious. Near the mouth of the Arkansas 
River they landed at an Indian village, and found the inhabitants intensely 



MARQUETTE^S RETURN UP THE ILLINOIS. 33 

hostile, threatening extermination; but a little strategy saved them. A 
few days later they encountered another tribe of naked savages, who 
proved as hospitable as the others were hostile. They were feasted pro- 
fusely, and in return Marquette made them some simple presents and set 
up a large cross on shore. 

By this time they were convinced the Mississippi neither flowed into 
the Pacific Ocean nor the Gulf of California, and disheartened by reports 
of savage tribes below, and wearied with their long voyage, Marquette 
determined on returning, and on the 17th of June the voyagers turned 
their prows up the stream. The fierce rays of the sun beat upon their 
unprotected heads, and Marquette was prostrated with dysentery, which 
came near ending his life ; but his strong constitution carried him through 
until a healthier climate was reached, when he rapidly recovered. 



VOYAGE UP THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 

These intrepid travelers had discovered the Mississippi, and rode upon 
its broad bosom from the Wisconsin to within a few hundred miles of its 
mouth, passing successively, at the confluence of each with the majestic 
stream upon which they journeyed, the Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas 
and other mighty rivers, and were now about to extend their discoveries 
by a voyage up the Illinois, whose limpid waters and wood-crowned hills 
no white man had ever yet beheld. They entered its mouth probably in 
August, 1673, and followed its course, "charmed as they went with its 
placid waters, its shady forests, and rich plains grazed by the bison' and 
the deer." 

The beauty of the river was highly extolled by Marquette. He says : 
"Nowhere on this journey have I seen a more pleasant country than on 
the banks of that river. The meadows are covered with wild oxen, stags, 
wild goats, and the rivers and lakes with bustards, swans, ducks and 
beavers. We saw, also, an abundance of parrots. Several small rivers 
fall into this, which is deep and broad for sixty-five leagues, and therefore 
navigable all the year long." 

On the way they stopped at a place ever afterward famous in the 
annals of western discovery, the great Illinois Town (near Utica, in 



34 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

LaSalle County), called "Kaskaskia," a name afterward transferred to a 
French village in another part of Illinois. Here a young chief with a 
band of warriors offered to guide the explorers to Lake Illinois (now Lake 
Michigan), whither they went, and coasting its shores, reached Green 
Bay at the end of September, having, in an absence of about four months, 
paddled in their canoes a distance of over two thousand five hundred 
miles, traversed the Wisconsin, the Illinois and Lake Michigan, discov- 
ered the Mississippi, and explored the great valley for two-thirds of its 
entire length from north to south. 

Marquette rested awhile from the severe strain to his mental and 
physical organization resulting from his long and perilous expedition, and 
then resumed his labors among the Indians. He visited the Illinois 
tribes again, established "missions" at several places in the Northwest, and 
finally, when, old and worn out, as he was traversing the southern shore of 
Lake Michigan, death overtook him. Retiring to pray, as was his wont, and 
being absent longer than usual, his attendants sought his retreat and found 
him dead upon his knees. His faithful Indians placed the remains in a mde 
bark coffin and bore him upon their shoulders for sixty miles, to his friends, 
where he was accorded Christian burial. Afterward the little chapel be- 
neath which he was interred was burned down, the mission was moved 
elsewhere, and for many years the site of his grave was lost, until acci- 
dent revealed it. Nearly two hundred years later a project was set on 
foot to erect a monument to his memoiy, but which has not at this writ- 
ing been carried into effect. 

It is said that for many years after the death of Marquette, French 
sailors on the lakes kept his picture nailed to the masthead of their ves- 
sels,^ a guardian angel, and when overtaken by storms, would pray to 
him, beseeching him to calm the winds and still the troubled waters, that 
they might reach port in safety. 

Joliet, on leaving Marquette at Green Bay, at the conclusion of their 
eventful voyage, started to Quebec to make his official report to Governor 
Frontenac; but at the foot of the rapids of La Chine his canoe was over- 
turned, two of his men drowned and all his papers lost, himself narrowly 
escaping. In his letter to Count Frontenac, he says : " I have escaj>ed 
every peril from Indians, I have passed forty-two rapids, and was on the 
point of disembarking, full of joy at the final completion of so long and 
difficult an enterprise, when my canoe capsi/ed, and I lost two men and 



THE DEATH OF JOLIET. 



35 



my box of papers within sight of the French settlements which I had left 
two years before." 

After a long and useful life in the employ of his government, he died 
in 1699 or 1700, and was buried on one of the Islands of Mignon. 




36 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER V. 

CAVELIER DE LA SALLE. 

1643 was born at Rouen, France, Robert Cavelier, known as 
La Salle. He had wealthy parents, and was well educated. 
A Catholic, his training was conducted by the Jesuits, but he 
seems not to have been over-zealous in his religion. He had 
an older brother in Canada, and to him he sailed to view the 
new country and carve out a career for himself. Soon after 
his arrival his genius began to manifest itself. The priests 
of St. Surplice, of which order his brother was a member, 
desired to establish a line of posts along the great lakes to 
the farthest limits of French discovery, to secure the fur trade and control 
the Indians. Young La Salle was chosen to lead this enterprise. He did 
his work well, and in the meantime mastered the Iroquois and seven or 
eight other Indian languages and dialects. He had heard of a river which 
the Indians called the Ohio, which he was told by them rose in their 
countiy, flowing into the sea, but its mouth was eight or nine months' 
journey from them. He concluded that the Ohio and Mississippi merged 
into one, and, thus united, flowed into the " Vermillion Sea" or Gulf of 
California, and must be the long-sought route to China. After many de- 
lays, he succeeded in fitting out an expedition, descended the Ohio to the 
falls at Louisville, and returned. During the years 1669-70 and '71, La- 
Salle's whereabouts seem to have been an enigma to all historians. He 
has left records which establish a possibility that he discovered the Illi- 
nois and even the Mississippi Rivers, before Joliet and Marquette, but 
there is nothing positive to assure it. It is agreed that he seceded from 
an expedition of Jesuits organized at Fort St. Louis, Sept. 30, 1669, near 
the head of Lake Ontario, and, receiving the blessings of the priests, left 
them, ostensibly to return to Montreal. It seems that he busied himself 
in active explorations, kept a journal, and made maps, which were in ex- 
istence in the hands of his neice, Madeline Cavelier, as late as 1756, and 
then disappeared. It is claimed that among these papers was a statement 
showing that after leaving the priests he went from Lake Erie down the 



THE EXPLORATIONS OF LA SALLE. 37 

Ohio, and thence followed the Mississippi to the thirty-third parallel ; 
also, another statement that in the winter of 1669-70 he embarked on Lake 
Erie, passed around to Lake Michigan, crossed over to a river flowing- 
westward (the Illinois), and following it down, entered a larger one flow- 
ing south (the Mississippi), and descended it to the thirty-sixth degree of 
latitude, where he stopped, assured that it discharged itself, not into the 
Gulf of California, but that of Mexico. As he and the priests had 
started on the same mission, that of discovering the great river, it may be 
that this report was manufactured so as to take the glory of this flrst dis- 
covery away from them ; but La Salle was a man of a far higher order of 
integrity and character than this supposition would imply. That he dis- 
covered the Ohio is certain, but whether he saw the Illinois before Joliet 
and Marquette is doubtful, and the alleged voyage by him to the Missis- 
sippi is still more so. 

In 1678 La Salle seemed to have determined upon achieving what 
Champlain had vainly attempted the opening of a passage across the 
continent to India and China, to occupy the Great West, develop its re- 
sources, and anticipate the English and Spanish in its possession; and 
now that he was convinced that the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of 
Mexico, he would establish a fortified post at its mouth, thus securing the 
outlet for the trade of the interior, and check the progress of the Span- 
iards, the enemies of his king. Spain already laid claim to the mouth of 
the Mississippi and what afterward came to be known as Louisiana, by 
virtue of discovery, and the ambitious Count Frontenac, Governor Gen- 
eral of Canada, determined to prevent an extension of their territory, 
worked out the plan before referred to, and selected La Salle as the right 
man to execute it. 

He chose his men for the voyage, but when all was in readiness Fron- 
tenac had not the necessary means, and La Salle was obliged to seek aid 
in France. There, also, he received nothing better than the privilege of 
doing anything he could for the glory of France, at his own expense ! 
Not only that, he was limited in the accomplishment of his mighty 
schemes to five years' time. His relatives, who were rich, finally helped 
him to money, and he sailed to Canada with thirty men, sailors, carpenters 
and laborers, among whom was the afterward famous Hemy de Tonti, an 
Italian officer, one of whose hands had been blown off in the Sicilian 
wars, and he wore a substitute of iron. 

La Salle needed a priest for his exploring party, and Father Louis 



38 RECOBDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Hennepin was secured for that sei-vice. When arrayed for his journey 
the priest wore a coarse gray capote with peaked hood, sandals on his 
feet, the cord of St. Francis about his waist, and a rosary and crucifix 
hanging at his side. He carried a sort of portable altar with him, whicli 
he could strap on his back like a knapsack. The party rendezvous was at 
Fort Frontenac, where Kingston now stands. La Salle at once dispatched 
fifteen men in canoes to Lake Michigan, to open a trade with the Indians 
and collect provisions, while La Motte and Hennepin, with a crew of men 
in a small vessel, were sent up the Niagara River, and after many hard- 
ships disco vered the Great Falls. In the meantime La Salle, sailing with 
the Tinto to bring supplies to the advance party at Niagara, had suffered 
the loss of his ^vessel, which was wrecked, and he reached the rendezvous 
at Niagara on foot. But not discouraged, he set about the construction 
of a fort and palisade, and also a new vessel, the Griffin. Leaving his 
men at work, he made his way back to Frontenac, a distance of two hun- 
dred and fifty miles, through snow and over ice, for fresh supplies. He 
returned in July, the Griffin was launched, and they sailed away Au- 
gust 7, 1G79, in all thirty-four men. He made his voyage around the 
lakes to Green Bay, and loading the Griffin with furs, sent her back to 
appease his clamorous creditors. She foundered on the way, and was 
never more heard of. 

La Salle, with fourteen men in four canoes, now started southward on 
Lake Michigan, and after escaping perils by storm and suffering from 
hunger and cold, reached St. Joseph, on the southern shore of the 
lake, in safety. Here Tonti was to have joined him with twenty men, but 
did not arrive until twenty days afterward; bringing a sad tale of disaster 
to his men and loss of supplies. 

On the 8th of December, 1679, La Salle, with a party of thirty-three 
persons, ascended the St. Joseph until the well-known portage was reached, 
where they dragged their canoes a distance of five miles to the waters of 
the Kankakee, a confluent of the Illinois, down which they paddled. 
While looking for the crossing La Salle was lost in a snow storm, remain- 
ing out one day and a night before reaching camp. 

"The stream, which at its source is narrow and fed by exudations from 
a spongy soil, widens quickly into a river, down which they floated through 
a lifeless solitude of dreary, barren oak openings. At night they built fires 
on the ground, made firm by frost, and bivouacked among the rushes. A 
few days brought them to the prevailing characteristic scenery of the 



THE EXPLOBATIONS OF LA SALLE. 39 

Illinois. On the right and left stretched boundless prairies, dotted with 
leafless groves and bordered by gray forests, scorched by the fires kindled 
in the dried grass by Indian hunters, and strewn with the bleached skulls 
and bones of innumerable buffalo. At night the horizon glowed with 
distant fires, and by day the savage hunters could be descried roaming on 
the verge of the prairies." 

This soon changed to woody hills, which from their summits disclosed 
a rolling se?t of dull gray prairie, recently swept by fire, and everywhere, 
as far as the eye could reach, a boundless pasture for vast herds of rumi- 
nant animals. 

They passed the mouth of Fox River, the future site of Ottawa, saw 
Buffalo Rock towering isolated in the valley, and below it the far-famed 
Starved Rock, a lofty cliff, crested with trees that overhung the rippling 
current, while before them spread the broad valley of the river, along 
whose right bank was the " Great Illinois Town," or chief village of the 
Illinois Indians, containing, according to Hennepin, four hundred and 
sixty lodges. The town was deserted. The people had gone away on 
their annual fall hunt, but La Salle supplied himself with corn from their 
caches, and pursued his voyage to perhaps near the mouth of what is now 
Bureau Creek, where he landed, and sent out a party to hunt buffalo a 
herd being seen a short distance from the river. Two animals were killed, 
when the hunters returned to camp. The following day being New 
Year's, Jan. 1st, 1680, the voyageurs went on shore at a point thought 
by some writers to have been in the vicinity of Hennepin, where they 
set up an altar and celebrated mass. 

Re-embarking, the party passed down the river, through what are now 
Marshall and Putnam counties, on the 1st, 2d and 3d days of January, 
1680, two hundred years ago, and on January 4th entered Lake Pimiboni, 
"a place where there are many fat beasts," or Peoria Lake, and thence 
down to the lower end, where La Salle proposed to erect a fort. The na- 
tives who met him were kind, but told of adjoining tribes who were 
hostile. 

Continuing their journey, and passing through a somewhat narrow 
passage, they rounded a point, and beheld about eighty wigwams along 
the bank of the river. The Indians crowded the shore at the unwonted 
sight, while La Salle marshalled his men, and with the canoes abreast 
and every man armed, pulled into the bank and leaped ashore. The In- 
dians were disposed to resent the strange intrusion, but La Salle held 



40 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

aloft the calumet, the Indian sign of peace, and the amicable token was 
accepted, and a feast of welcome was spread for the weary voyagers. 

The Indians, as a token of highest courtesy, conveyed the food to 
the mouths of their guests, and rubbed their feet with bear's grease. 
When these somewhat extravagant courtesies were over, and all had eaten 
to repletion, La Salle told whence he came and whither he was going ; 
spoke of the great king, his master, who owned all the country, and gra- 
ciously promised them protection provided they remained his friends ; to 
all of which they assented. 

La Salle had left behind him in Canada some bitter and relentless ene- 
mies, who had followed him even to this remote region in the West. 
During his first night here, an emissary from them, a Mascoutin chief, arid 
four or five Miamis, came bringing knives, hatchets and kettles to the Illi- 
nois, and while La Salle was in his camp, after leaving the tribe who had 
been feasting him, and whose friendship he thought he had secured, these 
intriguers assembled the chiefs in secret conclave and denounced La Salle 
as a spy from the Iroquois, the deadly foe of the Illinois. 

Hennepin, in his work printed in 1724, charges the Jesuits with being 
at the bottom of this work, naming Allouez, a prominent member of that 
order, and La Salle's enemy, as one of the prime movers. 

In the morning, La Salle saw a change in the countenances and be- 
havior of his hosts. They looked at him askance and sullen. At length 
one of them, whom the day before he had more completely won over than 
the rest, by liberal presents, came and gave him the secret. La Salle saw 
in this the device of his enemies, and his suspicions were confirmed at a 
feast given in the afternoon. The chief told the Frenchmen, before eat- 
ing, that they had been invited there to refresh their bodies and cure their 
minds of the dangerous purpose of descending the Mississippi. Its shores 
were not only beset by savage tribes in fearful numbers, against whom 
their courage would avail nothing, but its waters were infested by ser- 
pents, alligators and unnatural monsters, while hidden rocks, whirlpools 
and other dangers awaited them. La Salle, however, cared not for these; 
he feared more the secret machinations of his enemies. He astonished 
them by a knowledge of the secret council of the previous night, and 
charged that the presents given by his enemies were at the very moment 
of his speech hidden under the floor where they sat. He demanded the 
presence of the spies and liars who had come in the night to traduce him, 



LA 8ALLE HENNEPIN. 41 

and dare not meet him to his face, in the light of day. This speech qui- 
eted the chiefs, and the feast went on. 

Next morning LaSalle found that six of his men, two of his best car- 
penters, had deserted and left him. This loss, together with the lurking, 
half mutinous discontent of others, cut him to the heart. Not only this, 
but an attempt was actually made to poison him. Tonti informs us, "that 
poison was placed in the pot in which the food was cooked, but LaSalle 

was saved by a timely antidote. 

. .... . v 

Feeling insecure in his position he determined to leave, the Indian 

camp and erect a fort, where he could be better able to protect himself. 
He set out in a canoe with Hennepin to visit the site for this projected 
fort. It was half a league below on the southern bank of the river, or 
lake, and was intended to be a very secure place. On either side was a 
deep ravine, and in front a low ground, which overflowed in high water. 
It was completely isolated by the ravine and ditches, and surrounded by 
lofty embankments, guarded by a chevaux de frise, while a palisade 
twenty-five feet high surrounded the whole. This fort he called Creve 
Coeur (broken heart). The many disasters he had encountered the toil, suf- 
fering and treachery, coupled with the attempt to take his life, were quite 
enough to suggest the idea of a broken heart. After a time he took courage, 
and not having abandoned his grand scheme of going down to the sea, 
collected and organized such scanty means as he had and began to build 
another ship. While engaged upon this work, he concluded that he might 
get more valuable service out of Hennepin as a voyageur than as a preach- 
er, and much to that priest's surprise, remonstrance and regret, put him in 
a canoe, provided him with two men as companions, gave him food and 
presents for the Indians, and instructed him to explore the Illinois River 
to its mouth. Hennepin wrote, "Anybody but me would have been very 
much frightened at the dangers of such a journey, and, in fact, if I had 
not placed all my trust in God, I should not have been the dupe of La- 
Salle, who exposed my life rashly." 



HENNEPIN 8 EXPLORATIONS. 



This intrepid explorer was inspired by extreme religious fervor, and 
possessed a courage almost superhuman. He left an extensive account of 
his experience in the wilderness, but historians are compelled to recognize 



42 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

in him habits of exaggeration especially commendatory of his own lofty 
achievements, far above his merit. His vicious attempts to malign his 
commander, LaSalle, and defraud him of laurels justly won, have materi- 
ally detracted from an otherwise glorious record. 

He published a book soon after his return, and while LaSalle was still 
alive, in which he says he went down to the mouth of the Illinois River, 
and thence followed the Mississippi to the mouth of the Wisconsin, where 
he was captured by Indians. Fourteen years later, and after LaSalle was 
dead, he issued a new edition in which he makes a new and surprising 
revelation, claiming to have explored the whole course of the Mississippi 
to the sea, and returning went up the Wisconsin, where he was captured. 
He gives as a reason for not divulging this before, that "his personal 
safety required him to keep silent while LaSalle lived, who wished to re- 
tain all the glory and honor of the discovery. But the two statements 
conflict so materially as to dates and in other circumstances, and especially 
improbable is the time given for the accomplishment of his southern voy- 
age and return, that he is veiy justly disbelieved. Enough, however, of 
both stories has been gathered and corroborated by other testimony to 
make it certain that the party of .three men, of whom Accau, or Ako was 
the leader (and not Hennepin, as he pompously pretends), did proceed 
down the Illinois in the spring of 1G80, to its mouth, and thence to the 
Wisconsin, where on the llth or 12th of April, as they stopped one after- 
noon to repair their canoe, a war party of Sioux swept down and earned 
them off. The prisoners, after innumerable hardships, were taken up the 
Mississippi two hundred miles north-west of the falls of St. Anthony, 
and after two years, were released by a small party of fur traders under 
Greylson du Thut, or (Du Luth), who obtained their freedom, and Hen- 
nepin went to Canada, and thence to France, where he died at an ad- 
vanced age. 

LA SALLE RETURNS TO CANADA. 

On the 2d of March, 1G80, LaSalle, leaving Fort Creve Coeur in com- 
mand of Tonti, with five men embarked for Canada. They reached Peoria 
Lake and found it sheeted with ice, and had to drag their canoes up the 
bank and through the forest lining its shores. 

They constructed two rude sledges, placed the canvas and baggage 
upon them, and dragged them four leagues through the woods, till they 



LA SALLE'S RETURN TO CANADA. 43 

reached an open current above the lake. Launching their frail barks they 
paddled on until masses of ice too heavy to be broken stopped further pro- 
gress, again they loaded their canoes and hauled them two leagues over 
a frozen marsh, where they encamped in a rain storm in an old Indian 
hut. On he morning of the 3d of March they pursued their way on land 
a league and a half further, then launched them and breaking the ice with 
hatchets, forced their way up stream. Thus on land and^ice and in the 
water they plodded their weary way until at length they reached the 
great Illinois town, still without inhabitants. On the following day bhas- 
sagoac, the principal chief of the town, and two followers, returned from 
their hunt, and a friendly acquaintance was made, the chief promising to 
send fresh meat to Tonti at Creve Coeur. 

Here LaSalle first observed the remarkable and afterwards historic cliff 
since called "Starved Rock," and determined to erect a fort thereon, sending 
word to Tonti of his intention, and instructing him to make it his strong- 
hold in time of need. On the 15th he continued his journey. The trip 
was a repetition of their experience below. On the 18th they reached a 
point near the present site of Joliet, where they hid their canoes and 
struck across the country for Lake Michigan. This part of their route 
was even more laborious and difficult than what had been passed. For 
many miles the country was a vast morass covered with melting snow and 
ice. A river (the Calumet) and innumerable swollen streams had to be 
crossed ere they reached the shores of Lake Michigan, around which they 
passed, and traversing the peninsula of Michigan, arrived at Detroit, and 
finally on Easter Monday reached Niagara, after sixty-five days of severe 
toil. He had in the meantime received disastrous news from Tonti, whose 
men, described as "two faithful persons and twelve knaves," had revolted. 
"The knaves," after destroying Fort Creve Coaur, had followed LaSalle, 
and having gained recruits now numbering twenty men had plundered 
the magazine at Niagara, and were on the road to waylay and murder 
LaSalle. Hastily gathering a few brave men, he went back to give them 
battle. Taking position where neither himself nor men could be seen, he 
watched the enemy slowly approach, their canoes widely separated. At- 
tacking them in detail, he killed two men and took the restprisoners, 
sending them to Fort Frontenac for trial. 

LA SALLE'S SECOND VOYAGE. 
With characteristic energy, La Salle prepared for another voyage of 



44 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

discoveiy. With the aid of friends, he appeased his creditors and raised 
the means to equip an expedition; and with twenty-five men, on the 
1 Oth of August, he set out, taking his f omier course around the lakes 
and down the Kankakee, arriving at Starved Rock, Dec. 1, 1680, to 
find the great Indian town at its base in utter ruin and desolation. 
The Iroquois had, only a few days before, swept down upon its people 
and massacre^them, men, women and children, leaving their charred re- 
mains and ghastly skeletons only, to tell the awful tale. Six posts painted 
red, on each of which was drawn in black the figure of a man with eyes 
bandaged, led him to infer that these represented Tonti and his party, as 
prisoners. 

He pushed on down to Fort Creve Cceur, which he found demolished, 
though the vessel which he had built was entire, save the nails and iron 
spikes, which had been drawn. Leaving this, he continued his voyage, 
until he reached the mouth of the Mississippi, the great object of his 
dreams and ambition. 

Leaving a sign and a letter for Tonti, he returned the same way, to 
Canada. 



LA SALLE'S THIRD VOYAGE. 



Although failure and disaster had attended all previous efforts to 
carry out his grand scheme, the intrepid explorer determined on another 
effort. Much time was spent in organizing a new expedition. He had 
heard of Tonti's safe arrival among the Pottawatomies, near Green Bay, 
and sent for him. He next journeyed to the Miami Village, at the head 
of the Kankakee, made a speech to the Indians thwe assembled in grand 
council, and set forth some of his plans, going thence to Michilimacinac, 
where he found Tonti and his followers, and returned again to Fort 
Frontenac. 

Some time was spent in organizing another expedition, but in the fall 
of 1681 his party, consisting of twenty-three Frenchmen, ten women, 
three children, and eighteen Indians who had fought with King Philip 
against the Puritans of New England - - in all fifty-four persons - - em- 
barked, and reached the present site of Chicago December 21. 

The nvers were tightly frozen up, and constructing sledges, they 
loaded up their canoes and hauled them over the ice and snow to Peoria. 
Dwellers along the river can appreciate the hardships of transporting a 



FURTHER EXPLORATIONS OF LA SALLE. 45 

party of fifty-four persons, with clothing, baggage and provisions, a dis- 
tance of two hundred miles, in mid- winter. 

On the 6th of February, 1682, LaSalle and his party entered the Missis- 
sippi, and sailed down to its mouth. They found a different reception 
from what was experienced upon former expeditions, and occasionally had 
to fight their way ; but on the 6th of April they gained the sea, where 
La Salle erected a column bearing the arms of France, and in a formal 
proclamation took possession of the country of Louisiana in the naine of 
the king, from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Ohio, and from the 
River of Palms (the Rio Grande) on the west, and all nations, peoples, 
provinces, etc., to the frozen northernmost limits. The Louisiana of La 
Salle stretched from the Alleghanies to the Rocky Mountains, and from 
the Gulf of Mexico to British America the great Mississippi Valley. 

Here he rested until his recovery from a severe illness, and then re- 
turned to the Straits of Michilimacinac, where, hearing the Iroquois were 
about to renew their attacks on his friends the Illinois, he ordered Tonti 
to fortify Starved Rock, where he joined him in December, 1682. The 
work was named Fort St. Louis, and consisted of earthworks, with 
strong palisades in the rear, while wary sentinels mounted guard at the 
only practicable approach. The remains of these works are still visible, 
after a lapse of two hundred years. 

La Salle proposed founding a colony and a trading depot for the West, 
where he should rule and reign like some great feudal lord, and thus con- 
trol the entire country. The Illinois Indians were delighted at seeing 
such a redoubtable warrior begin to fortify here, not only to defend him- 
self, but to protect them, as he had promised. They returned to their 
ruined city, and began to rebuild it on a larger scale than ever. Other 
tribes also came to join in a confederacy of peace and unity, and make the 
Indian town their capital. But La Salle was becoming the victim of new 
and complicated difficulties. 

La Barre, the new Governor, a most despicable character, became his 
enemy, and began to undermine and traduce the great explorer to the 
king. La Salle was thus compelled to return to France, and lay the his- 
tory of his many adventures before His Majesty. His character was fully 
vindicated, new honors were heaped upon him, and he was sent to the 
Gulf of Mexico to conquer the Spanish, then at war with France. 

He sailed with four ships, two hundred and fifty men, and a good sup- 
ply of provisions and materials with which to start a colony. Associated 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



with him in command was a man named Beaujeau, who proved the evil 
genius of the expedition. He quarrelled with La Salle, and did all in his 
power to thwart him. 

One of the ships was lost on the way, another was taken by the 
Spaniards, and Beaujeau deserted with one ship and returned. La Salle 
was wrecked on the coast, and endured all maimer of hardships while 
wandering in the interior of what is now Texas. 

At length, while making his way overland to Canada, at a point sup- 
posed to be somewhere near Arkansas Post, he was assassinated by one of 
his followers, March 19, 1687. 

Thus perished, at the age of 43, one of the most remarkable of men, 
whose history is embalmed in the imperishable records of the New World. 




MILITARY OPERATIONS INDIAN WARS. 



47 




CHAPTER IV. 

FROM MONARCHY TO REPUBLICANISM. 

death of LaSalle practically ended the era of discovery on 
this continent. The great lakes had been located and the 
lines of the principal rivers marked out, and what remained 
to be done was hereafter to be accomplished by private en- 
terprise. The English colonized New England and laid the 
basis of the great Republic, and the French settled Canada, 
establishing a series of military and trading posts in the 
Northwest, to control the fur trade and hold possession of 
the country. The English colonists pushed across the Alleghanies, and in 
the deep forests of the Ohio encountered the French, and sharp contests 
ensued that were duly reported at the Court of St. James and at Versailles. 
Great events were rapidly ripening, and the French and Indian war of 
1754-63, ending in the discomfiture of the French, and the transfer of the 
country to the English, was the result. In this contest, the few colonists 
in the Mississippi Valley, took little part or interest. The Northern In- 
dian nations sympathised with the French, and parties from the prairies 
joined them in incursions against 1 the New England colonists, but when 
peace came they returned to their homes, and the belligerent tribes sub- 
mitted to the "long knives." 

For ten years or more psaca reigned, and the few settlers pursued their 
avocations unmolested. A few remote frontier posts in the northwest 
were held by the English, and a plan was set on foot by Capt. Clark to 
surprise and capture them. Gathering his forces at what is now Louis- 
vile, he embarked his men and sailed down to the mouth of the Ohio, and 
thence up the Mississippi to Kaskaskia, which surrendered without a blow. 
Without delay he marched to surprise Vincennes, a fortified post on the 
Wabash, which also fell into his hands, arid the influence of the British 
over the tribes of the prairies, was ended. They were not wholly paci- 
fied, however, and numbers of Illinois Indians fought Gen. Harmar and 
aided in defeating him near Fort Wayne, in 1789, and also Gen. St. 



48 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



Clair, on the St. Mary, a tributary of the Maumee, where the latter lost 
six Jiundred men. 

In 1794 "Mad Anthony" Wayne signally defeated them at the Kapids 
of the Maumee, and compelled them to sue for peace. In that battle, 
Black Partridge, Gomo, Black Hawk, Shaubena, Senachwine, and most of 
the Illinois Indians participated and lost heavily. Peace followed, and 
continued until British emissaries incited them to fresh massacres in the 
war of 1812. 




THE MOUND BUILDERS. 49 



PREHISTORIC RACES. 




CHAPTEE VII. 

THE MOUND BUILDERS. 

OME notice, though a brief one, is due the mysterious people 
, that inhabited the valleys of the Great West previous to the 
advent of the red man. From the shores of Hudson's Bay 
to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Alleghanies to the Pacific, 
are evidences of an extinct race, a mysterious people, far su- 
perior to those whom the first explorers found in possession 
of the country. They have passed away and left no records 
from which the historian can gather the story of their lives, 
except such as are disclosed in the singular mounds found along the great 
rivers and water courses of the West. Although their works are every- 
where about us, whence they came, the age in which they flourished, and 
the time of their decay and fall are all buried in the unknown past. No 
poet has chanted their story; no adventurous Layard has unveiled their 
secrets. The cities they built have vanished; the temples they reared are- 
overthrown, their names are forgotten, their records obliterated, and 
their very existence doubted! 

This much is known, or rather conjectured. They were below the aver- 
age stature of to-day were a purely agricultural people, industrious, pa- 
tient, easily governed, in strict subjection to their rulers, and dwelt in 
large communities. They possessed a knowledge of metals, and were 
probably the artisans who long ago toiled in the mines of Lake Superior, 
and left behind evidences of their work. They were peaceful and un- 
warlike, and to their incapacity for defence is probably due their over- 
throw. 

When Peru was overran by the Spaniards, they found there a civiliza- 
tion as far advanced as their own. There were houses built of stone and 
wood, and great temples and public works. Excellent roads extended 
into eveiy part of the empire ; yet the people who. reared these structures 



50 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

were strangers to the soil, whom tradition said came from the far North, 
whence they were driven by a fiercely warlike'people to found new homes 
in more propitious climes, and the theory is not difficult to maintain that 
the mound-builders of North America and the race inhabiting Mexico 
when Cortez invaded it are identical. 

There is reason for the belief that after their exodus from the Missis- 
sippi Valley, their homes were for centuries in Central America, where 
they built the great cities of Uxmal, Palenque and Copan, and reared the 
vast temples whose remains rival even Thebes in extent and magnificence. 
A portion, meanwhile, settled in Arizona, and built the "Seven Cities" 
described by Major Powell and others, where, in their rocky fastnesses, 
dwell the Moquis to-day, supposed descendants of the ancient mound- 
builders. 

Numerous remains of this exiled race are found in the counties of 
Marshall and Putnam, but extensive explorations fail to discover in them 
aught more valuable than a few implements and ornaments of stone, with 
an occasional jar of clay, of rude manufacture. 

Beneath the mounds are usually found one or more skeletons, with 
ashes, coals, and other evidence going to show the bodies were first burned. 
Prof. Gifford, who has given the subject careful study, finds, upon micro- 
scopical examination, blood crystals mixed in large quantities with the 
earth, and cites it to prove the mounds were for sacrifice as well as sepul- 
ture. The skulls found show low and receding foreheads, long from front 
to back, narrow at the top and wide toward the base, indicating a patient 
people, with some intelligence, but wholly different from the crania of 
modern Indians. 

These remains indicate that this whole country was once populated 
with a race as old as those who built the pyramids of Egypt. While in 
some places a single mound is observable, in others they are in groups and 
series, in which some trace a resemblance to serpents, animals, etc., and 
term them mounds of worship; but such conclusions are at best fanciful, 
and rest solely on a basis of conjecture. 

Some of these structures are of considerable extent, as witness the 
large mound north of Chillicothe, and the long line which crown the 
bluff s in the rear of ' Squire Taliaferro's, in Senachawine Township, in one 
of which the old chief of that name was buried. 

In the immediate vicinity of Lacon are still to be seen these evidences 
of a remote ancestiy, while on the bluffs of Sparland, extensive and well- 



LOCAL EVIDENCES OF FORMER RACES. 51 

defined mounds are found, which have never been disturbed; and in the 
lower part of Lacon -township, and across the line in Woodford county, 
near what is called "Low Grap," they are specially numerous. 

The builders, it is supposed, used these works for the combined pur- 
poses of military defence, religious sacrifices and ceremonies, and burial 
places for the dead. The sites were carefully selected with reference to 
their surroundings of country, and generally near some large stream, 
though not always, for they crown the highest hills often, and when so 
found are called " mounds of observation," from which signals of danger 
were flashed in times of war. 

In a few localities, groups of mounds are found, covering a large space 
of ground and laid out with some sort of system, as at Htitsonville, 
111., Fort Aztalan, Ind., and at different places in Indiana, Wisconsin and 
Ohio. In some localities are found articles of finer manufacture, showing 
greater skill and proficiency, such as specimens of pottery, drinking cups, 
ornaments, pipes, etc., etc. 

From all the data that can be gathered, the people of whom we have 
written were overcome and driven from the country by a more warlike 
race, at a period many hundreds of years before the advent of the white 
man. Their conquerers were the supposed ancestors of the Indians found 
in possession, and probably belonged to some Eastern tribe, crossing in 
their boats from the Asiatic shore, though evidence is not wanting that 
the continents were once united, and passage by land easily effected. But 
their triumph was not forever. The "pale faces" came, with engines of 
fire, and the red man, with his bow and arrows, contended in vain against 
the superior Intelligence of the new foe. Backward, step by step, he was 
driven towards the great sea, and the time is not distant when the last 
Indian and the buffalo shall disappear together. 




52 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



THE ABORIGINES AND EARLY SETTLERS. 




CHAPTER VIII. 

THE INDIANS. 

red men whom the first discoverers found inhabiting this 
continent possessed neither records nor written language, 
and all themselves knew concerning their history was 
veiled in tradition. Some tribes made a slight approach to 
"picture writing," embraced in rough and stupidly devised 
hieroglyphics, at best vague and uncertain to those for whom 
they were intended, and quite as liable to mislead as to con- 
vey correct information. Their language, though rough and 
uncouth to educated ears, is said to have possessed singular beauty, flexibility 
and adaptability. It had a general plan of formation, and its similes were 
derived from nature, partaking of the flowery prairies, the winds of autumn, 
the blackened plains of spring, the towering cliff, the craggy bluff, and the 
great river. The deer was the representative of fleetness, the eagle of 
vision, the wolf of ferocity, the fox of cunning, the bear of endurance, the 
bison of usefulness. The passions were symbolized in tlfe animals and 
birds around them. The elements fire, water and air were mysterious 
agents for their use; the thunder the voice of their terrible Manitou, or 
God, and the lightning His avenging spear! 

While the different tribes, in habits, customs, and even dispositions, 
were marked by great contrasts, in their general characters they were alike. 
Some were more advanced toward civilization than others. Some were in- 
clined to the pursuit of agriculture as a means of obtaining food, others re- 
jected it totally, and relied upon the spear, or the bow and arrow for food. 
The Indians of Maine lived wholly upon the products of the waters ; those 
who dwelt about St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario were all hunters. The 
Algonquins, though ordinarily hunters, often subsisted for weeks upon 
roots, barks, the buds of trees, and the foulest offal. Even cannibalism 



HURONS IROQUOIS. 53 

was not unknown, but all historians agree it was never resorted to except 
upon occasions of dire necessity. 

The Hurons, a numerous tribe that once peopled a part of Canada, built 
houses of bark and lived on corn, smoked fish, etc. Among them was 
individual ownership of land, each family having exclusive right to so 
much as it saw fit to cultivate. The clearing process was a toilsome one, 
for Indians, like the first settlers in the West, preferred a field in the tim- 
ber or oak and hazel barrens, rather than one cleared by nature. , The 
clearing was done by cutting off branches, piling them together with 
brushwood around the foot of standing trunks, and setting fire to them. 
The squaws worked with hoes of wood and bone, raised corn, beans, 
pumpkins, tobacco, sunflowers, etc. At intervals of from ten to thirty 
years the soil was exhausted, and firewood difficult to obtain, so the village 
was abandoned and fresh soil and timber found. They pounded their corn 
in mortars of wood hollowed out by alternate burnings and scrapings. 
They had stone axes, spears and arrow heads, and bone fish hooks. They 
had birch bark canoes, masterpieces of ingenuity, and showed considera- 
ble skill in making a variety of articles. 

Wampum, the money of all Indian tribes, likewise an ornament and 
evidence of value, consisted of elongated white and purple beads made 
from the inner part of certain shells. It is not easy to conceive how, with 
their rude and dull implements, they contrived to shape and perforate this 
intractable and fragile material. The New England Puritans beat the 
inventors in making wampum, and flooded the Indian markets with a 
counterfeit, which, however, was far more beautiful and valuable in the 
eye of the Indian than the best he could make. The bogus article soon 
drove the genuine out of existence! 

The dress of these Indians was chiefly made from skins, cured with 
smoke. The women were modest in their dress, but condemned at an 
early age to a life of license or drudgery. 

The Iroquois, who drove out the Illinois, were a warlike, cunning 
race. Each clan bore the name of some animal, as bear, deer, wolf, hawk, 
etc., and it was forbidden for any two persons of the same clan to inter- 
many. A Hawk might many a Wolf, or Deer, or Tortoise, but not a 
Hawk. Each clan had what was called its totem, or emblem. The child 
belonged to the clan not of the father, but of the mother, on the ground 
that "only a wise child knoweth its own father, but any fool can tell 
who his mother is!" All titles and rank came through the mother, and not 



54 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

the father, and a chief's son was no better than the son of the humblest in 
the tribe. He could neither inherit title nor property from his father, not 
even so much as a tobacco pipe. All possessions passed of right to the 
brothers of the chief, or to the sons of his sister, since all were sprung from 
a common mother. This rule of transmission of property and titles ap- 
pears to have been universal among all Indians. The Iroquois were 
divided into eight clans, and claimed to trace 'their descent to a common 
mother. Their chiefs were called sachems, and numbered from eight to 
fourteen in each of their five nations, making about fifty in all, which 
body when met constituted their government. 

This great tribe of Indians, which once ruled the greater part of the 
Mississippi Valley, had a form of government closely allied to republican- 
ism. They had various bodies between the people and the High Council, 
or Cabinet, and a completely organized system of ruling on a demo- 
cratic plan. Their deliberations in the Congress of Sachems would shame 
our American Congress in dignity, decorum, and often, we fear, in good 
sense ! Here were some of their rules : "No haste in debate. No heat in 
arguing questions. No speaker shall interrupt another. Each gave his 
opinion in turn, supporting it with what reason or rhetoric he could com- 
mand, first stating the subject of discussion in full, to show that he un- 
derstood it. 

Thus says Lafitau, an eminent writer : " The result of their deliber- 
ations was a thorough sifting of the matter in hand, while the practical 
astuteness of these savage politicians was a marvel to their civilized con- 
temporaries, and by their subtle policy they were enabled to take com- 
plete ascendency over all other Indian nations." 



RELIGION AND SUPERSTITIONS. 

"The religious belief of the North American Indians," says Foster, 
' was anomalous and contradictory, yet they conceived the existence of 
one all-ruling Deity, a thought too vast for Socrates and Plato ! To the 
Indian, all the material world was intelligent, and influenced human des- 
tiny and had ears for human suffering, and all inanimate objects had the 
power to answer prayer ! Lakes, livers, waterfalls and caves were the 
dwelling-places of living spirits. Men and animals were of close kin. 
Each species of animals had its progenitor or king somewhere, prodigious 



SUPERSTITIONS AND TRADITIONS. 55 

in size, and of shape and nature like its subjects. A hunter was anxious 
to propitiate the animals he sought to kill, and would address a wounded 
bear in a long harangue of apology ! The beaver's bones were treated 
with especial tenderness, and carefully kept from the dogs, lest its spirit 
or its surviving brethren should take offense. The Hurons had a custom 
of propitiating their fishing-nets, and to persuade them to do their duty 
and catch many fish, they annually married them to two young girls of the 
tribe, with great ceremony! The fish, too, were addressed each evening 
by some one appointed to that office, who exhorted them to take coilrage 
and be caught, assuring them that the utmost respect should be shown 
their bones. They were harrassed by innumerable and spiteful evil spir- 
its, which took the form of snakes, beasts or birds to hinder them in 
hunting or fishing, or in love or war. 

Each Indian had a personal guardian or manitou, to whom he looked 
for counsel, aid and protection. At the age of fourteen the Indian boy 
blackened his face, retired to some solitary place and remained without food 
for days, until the future manitou appeared in his dreams, in the form of 
beast, or bird, or reptile, to point out his destiny. A bear or eagle would 
indicate that he must be a warrior; a wolf, a hunter; a serpent, a medicine 
man; and the young man procured some portion of the supposed animal 
seen in his vision, and always wore it about his person. 

All Indian tribes trace themselves back to one mighty pair, Irk e the 
sun and moon, a flood, and some shadowy outline of creation similar to 
that of all other nations of the earth. 

Indian history rests on tradition alone, and they do not trace them- 
selves back beyond a generation or two. The Iroquois were the first In- 
dians in this country that white men could establish with any certainty. 
The Algonquins came next. They embraced all the known tribes, inclu- 
ding the Illinois, Pottawatomies, Sacs and Foxes, Kickapoos, etc. The 
Dakotas occupied the Great West, and claimed sovereignty from the Alle- 
ghanies to the Rocky Mountains. 

The Illinois occupied the region now comprised in this State, the name 
meaning "superior men." They were a confederation of several Indian 
tribes, who built arbor-like cabins covered with waterproof mats, with 
generally four or five fires to a cabin, and two families to a fire. 

After an eventful career, they were nearly all exterminated or driven 
from the State. They gave place to the Sacs, Foxes and Pottawatomies. 
The latter, in about 1600, were numerous about the Southern Peninsula 



56 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

of Michigan. The Iroquois drove them to Green Bay, whence they 
spread over Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. They lived in this region 
until expelled by the whites, at the close of the disastrous Black Hawk 
war. 



INDIANS OF MARSHALL A.MD PUTNAM COUNTIES. 

After Tonti's garrison was dispersed, about 1718, the Pottawatomies 
and a few remnants of other tribes continued to inhabit the region of 
country between Peoria and Ottawa. They dwelt mainly at the places 
named, while Indian Town, now Tiskilwa, was always a favorite resort. 
Hennepin, Lacon, Sparland, Senachwine and other localities along the 
river were the homes of certain members of the clan. They raised small 
fields of corn, trapped for muskrats and beavers, hunted wild game, 
and sold honey to the settlers in exchange for such " necessaries " as 
beads, whisky, brass jewelry, tobacco, and the like. They were true to 
all their superstitious beliefs and customs, notwithstanding the teachings 
of the missionaries and the example of the whites around them. They 
seemed attached to their hunting and fishing grounds, but chiefly because the 
river afforded plenty of fish and the country an abundance of game. Here 
were their sugar-camps, and in the bottoms their kindred were buried, and 
many years after their departure small parties were in the habit of re- 
turning and looking upon the graves of their departed friends. The set- 
tlers plowed over the burial grounds and destroyed the landmarks around 
them, so that now the locality of most of these is lost. They had a great 
veneration for their dead, and buried them with great ceremony. 

In the winter of 1831-2, Hemy K. Cassell, an old settler of Lacon, 
witnessed a curious performance by the Indians of this region. They hud 
received word from Lieut. Governor Menard that they must leave their 
homes along the Illinois River, and prepared at once to obey, as by treaty 
they were compelled to do. Their first movement was to collect the dead 
upon the frozen river, packed in wooden troughs. When this was done, 
all hands joined, and with a mighty push they were moved across the 
channel. The white men were asked to assist, but it looked to them very 
much like robbing a grave-yard, and they declined. 

The Indians found here were Pottawatomies, with a mixture of Winne- 
liugoes, Kickapoos, Sacs and Foxes. The leading chiefs were Senachwine, 
whose principal village was on the creek that commemorates his name, one 



SENACHWINE - SHAUBEN A SHICK-SIIACK. 5 7 

mile north of Chillicothe; and Shaubena, whose village was above 
Ottawa, on the Illinois River. Senachwine was a fine-looking Indian, 
and education would have made him a leader in any community. In early 
life he joined the British, and was with Tecumseh when the latter lost his 
life. When peace was declared, he returned to his people, and was always 
after the fast friend of the white man. 

About 1828-9, there came where Rome now stands a settler named 
Taliaferro, the first to rear his cabin upon the site of the "eternal qity." 
His nearest neighbors were four miles away, and when sickness came, and 
neither doctor nor nurse were to be had, he felt that he was indeed a 
stranger in a strange land. 

Old settlers say the "ague never kills;" but it was wonderfully annoy- 
ing, and when the emigrant saw his wife tossing in the delirium of fever 
and no arm to help or assist, he realized how poor, and helpless, and im- 
potent is man, cut off from his fellows. 

One sultry afternoon, while fanning the fevered brow and bathing the 
burning temples of his wife, there dismounted at his door a band of twenty 
or more Indians, at the head of whom was Senachwine. The old chief, 
who was not unknown to the white man, entered unceremoniously, and 
with a gutteral "How," took his seat at the bedside. For some time he 
gazed upon the sufferer, and knowing that woman's aid was most needed, 
asked why he did not go for white squaw to help take care of her. Mr. 
T. replied that he could not leave her alone, when the Indian proposed to 
take his place and tend the patient until his return. The offer was ac- 
cepted, and the chief, first forbidding his people to enter the cabin, sat 
down and fanned her brow and bathed her temples as gently and tenderly 
as could her husband, until the latter's return. 

Senachwine died somewhere about 1830, and was buried upon a high 
mound half a mile north of Putnam Station, in Putnam County. His 
name is given to the township in which he is buried. 

Shaubena was another chief of prominence and influence among the 
Indians of this neighborhood. He was a friend to the whites, and was well 
known to the old settlers. He followed his people to the West, but re- 
turned with his family, -and died about 1859. Another well-known In- 
dian chief had a village at the mouth of Clear Creek, in Putnam County. 
This was Shick-Shack, who was converted and became an earnest preacher 
of the Gospel. He was an ardent temperance reformer, and his code of 
morals would rival the Draconian code of ancient Sparta. 



58 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

On the site of Chillicothe was an Indian village ruled over by a chief 
named Gomo. He was sent as a hostage to St. Louis, to insure the per- 
formance of certain treaty stipulations entered into by his tribe. 

Across the river, in Woodford County, at what has long been known 
as the Big Spring, was the village of the noted chief, Black Partridge. 
He was long a friend of the whites, but in revenge for the wanton de- 
struction of his village became their relentless enemy, and during the 
years 1813-14 raided the settlements in the southern part of the State. 
He died peacefully at home. 

Where Lacon stands a band of Indians had their village, led by a 
chief named Mark whet. Their winters were passed in the bottoms west 
of the house of the late Benjamin Babb. They were removed west of 
the Mississippi after the Black Hawk war. There was also a village at 
Sparland, but the name of the chief is not now known. It was probably 
governed by one of those previously named. 




FIRST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. 



59 




CHAPTER IX. 

EARLY FRENCH SETTLEMENTS. 

"HE first permanent settlement in the State was begun in 1698, 
when Father Gravier established a mission at Kaska'skia. 
Here came a portion of the dwellers at Starved Rock, where 
LaSalle in 1682 built a fort, which he named St. Louis, and 
founded a colony. . It had a somewhat precarious existence 
until 1718, when the site was abandoned, and its occupants 
joined their friends in the southern part of the (future) State. 
Cahokia was settled in 1702, by Father Pinet. In after 
years it became a town of considerable importance, but its glory long since 
departed. 

In 1699, D' Iberville, a distinguished Canadian officer, was appointed 
Governor of Louisiana, by which name the French possessions in the 
North and West were known ; and after his death the King of France 
granted it to M. Antoine Crozat, a wealthy nabob, who, failing to .real- 
ize as hoped for, abandoned it in 1717, and the notorious John Law, 
an enterprising but visionary Scotchman, became its owner under cer- 
tain conditions. He was the original "Colonel Sellers," and organizer 
of a scheme for acquiring sudden wealth, since known as the famous 
"Mississippi Bubble." He made Louisiana the principal field of his op- 
erations, where gold and silver mines abounded( ! ), out of which the share- 
holders in the "greatest gift enterprise of the day" were to become mil- 
lionaires* 

His schemes all failing, in 1732 the charter was surrendered to the 
king and the territory divided into nine cantons, of which Illinois formed 
one. 

After, the destruction of Fort St. Louis by the Indians, and the expul- 
sion of Tonti's garrison, a few white men continued in the vicinity until 
about 1720, when all left, and the country reverted to the possession of 
its original inhabitants. In 1718 New Orleans was settled, and trading 
posts established at different points along the Mississippi River and its 
tributaries. As early as 1690 some Canadian Frenchmen had located 



GO RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

themselves at a few points, primarily as attaches of tradesmen, and later 
as regular settlers. 

In the summer of 1711, Father Marest, a Jesuit priest from Can- 
ada, preached at Cahokia and made a convert of an Indian chief named 
Kolet, who persuaded Father Marest to go with him to Peoria and preach 
to the heathen there. The proposition was accepted, and in November of 
that year, with two wariiors, the missionary started in a bark canoe. The 
season was late, and alter progressing about five leagues, the ice became 
so film they had to abandon their canoes, and after twelve days wading 
through snow and water, crossing big prairies and subsisting on wild 
grapes with a little game, they reached the Indian village of Opa, a half a 
mile above the lower end or outlet of the lake, and were hospitably re- 
ceived by the natives. 

In the following spring some French traders began a trading post here, 
and a number of families came from Canada and established themselves, 
living at peace with the Indians and generally intei marrying with them. 

Until 1750 but little was known of the various French villages or set- 
tlements in the State. In that year a French missionary, named Vevier, 
writes from "Aux Illinois," six leagues from Fort Chartres, June 8 : " We 
have here whites, negroes and Indians, to say nothing of cross-breeds. 
There are five French villages and three villages of the natives within a 
space of twenty-one leagues between the Mississippi and Karkadiad 
(Kaskaskia) Rivers. In them all there are perhaps eleven hundred peo- 
ple, three hundred whites and sixty red slaves, or savages. Most of the 
French till the soil. They raise wheat, cattle, pigs and horses, and live 
like princes. Three times as much is produced as can be consumed, and 
great quantities of grain and flour are shipped to New Orleans." 

In 1750 the French had stations at Detroit, Michilimacinac, Green 
Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, and were the only possessors, save the Indians, 
of the great valley east of the Mississippi River. 

In 1761, Robert Maillet built a dwelling one and a half miles lower 
down, and moved his family there. This was called. the "New Town," 
in contradistinction from "Old" or "Upper Town." The new place was 
known as La ville de Maillet (Maillet's Village). For fifty years the sole 
settlers of the town were Frenchmen and Indians. 

So far back as 1750, the English began to assert their claims to the 
country west of the Alleghanies, and adventurous explorers sailed down 
its rivers and explored the great lakes. English traders penetrated the 



"THE COUNTY OF ILLINOIS." 61 

forest, and competed for the fur trade with their ancient enemies. Collis- 
ions were frequent, and in the deep woods were fought sanguinary battles 
between adherents of the rival nations. A long and bloody war followed, 
ending in the final discomfiture of the French and the transfer of sover- 
ereignty over the northern part of the continent to England. 

In 1763, Canada and all of Louisiana north of the Iberville River 
and east of the Mississippi were ceded to England. The British flag was 
hoisted over old Fort Chartres, in what is now Monroe County, 111., in 1765. 
At that time, it is computed, there were about three thousand white people 
residing along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The oldest town Kas- 
kaskia contained about one hundred, and Cahokia about fifty persons. 

After the capture of these posts by Gen. Clark, as before stated, he 
sent three men to Peoria to notify the inhabitants of the change of sover- 
eignty, and require their allegiance. One of these messengers was Nich- 
olas Smith, a Kentuckian by birth, whose son Joseph, under the nickname 
of "Dad Joe," became in after years a noted border character, and the 
place where he once lived ten miles from Princeton still bears the 
name of "Dad Joe's Grove." 

In that year the County of Illinois was established, "in the State of 
Virginia," which was to include within its boundaries as citizens "all who 
are already settled or may;" which leads to the belief that the then mem- 
bers of the House of Burgesses of Virginia had a very crude idea of the 
country over which by the right of conquest they assumed sovereignty. 

With peace came the establishment of various colonies in the West, 
and in 1773 the "Illinois Land Company" obtained a grant from the Indians 
by treaty and purchase of a tract embracing all the territory "east of the 
Mississippi and south of the Illinois River." 

In like manner the Wabash Company obtained a grant for thirty- 
seven millions of acres. After the Revolution, eff orts were made in Con- 
gress to obtain governmental sanction to these enormous land grabs, but 
fortunately without avail. 

In 1781, a cqlony from Virginia settled in what is now Monroe County, 
but the hostility of the Kickaj>oos, a fierce and warlike tribe of Indians, 
compelled them to live in forts and block-houses, and their improvements 
were limited. 

MIKES AND JAKES. 

During the devastating border wars that preceeded the final breaking 



62 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

of the Indians' strength by "Mad Anthony" Wayne, the infant settle- 
ments suffered severely, but with peace came a new impetus to emigration, 
and adventurous hunters, trappers, boatmen arid land surveyors invaded 
the quiet French towns of Illinois. The former were termed "Mikes," 
from a noted flat-boatman named Mike Fink, while the surveyors and land- 
hunters were styled "Jakes," from Jacob staff, a surveyor's implement. 
They were a lawless, turbulent race, given to whisky and broils, but in a 
certain way open-hearted, and generous to a fault. Their advent among 
the quiet, simple-minded French was neither conducive to the happiness 
or good morals of the latter, who are thus described by Gov. Ford, from 
whom we quote: "No genuine Frenchmen in those days ever wore a 
hat, cap or coat. The heads of both men and women were covered with 
Madras cotton handkerchiefs, tied around in the fashion of nightcaps. 
For an upper covering of the body, the men wore a blanket garment, 
called a 'capote' (pronounced cappo), with a cap to it at the back 
of the neck, to be drawn over the head for protection in cold weather, 
or in warm weather to be thrown back upon the shoulders in the fashion 
of a cape. Notwithstanding this people had been so long separated by an 
immense wilderness from civilized society, they still retained all the suav- 
ity and politeness of their race, and it is a remarkable fact that the rough- 
est hunter and boatman amongst them could at any time appear in a ball- 
room, or other polite and gay assembly, with the carriage and beha- 
vior of a well-bred gentleman. The French women were noticeable for 
the sprightliness of their conversation and the grace and elegance of their 
manners. The whole population lived lives of alternate toil, pleasure, in- 
nocent amusement and gaiety. 

"Their horses and cattle, for want of proper care and food for genera- 
tions, had degenerated in size, but had acquired additional vigor and 
toughness, so that a French pony was a proverb for strength and endur- 
ance. These ponies were made to draw, sometimes one alone, sometimes 
two together one hitched before the other, to the plow, or to carts made 
entirely of wood, the bodies of which held about the contents of the body 
of a wheelbarrow. The oxen were yoked by the horns instead of the 
neck, and in this mode draw the cart and plow. Nothing like reins were 
used in driving; the whip of the driver, with the handle about two feet 
and a lash two yards long, stopped or guided the horse as ^effectually as 
tlie strongest lines. 

"Their houses were built of hewn timber, set upright in the 



CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY SETTLERS. Oft 

ground or upon plates laid upon a wall, the intervals between the uprights 
being filled with stone and mortar. Scarcely any of them were more than 
one story high, with a porch on one or two sides, and sometimes all around, 
with low roofs extending, with slopes of different steepness, from the 
comb in the center to the lowest part of the porch. They were surrounded 
by gardens filled with fruits, flowers and vegetables, and if in town, the 
lots were large and the houses neatly whitewashed. 

"Each village had its Catholic churc]^ and priest. The church wals the 
great place of resort on Sundays arid holidays, and the priest the adviser, 
director and companion of all his flock."* 

Prior to 1818 the immigration was chiefly from Kentucky, Virginia and 
Pennsylvania. Some of the emigrants had served under Gen. Clark in 
1778, and the beauty and fertility of the country induced them to make 
their homes here. 

In 1816, the American Fur Company, with headquarters at Hudson's 
Bay, established trading-posts throughout this region, one being located 
near Hennepin, and another about three miles below Peoria, with a dozen 
or so at interior points between the Illinois and Wabash Rivers. 

Gurden S. Hubbard, for many years a resident of Chicago, a Vermonter. 
by birth, when sixteen years of age was in the service of the company, in 
1818, going from post to post, distributing supplies and collecting furs. 

In the autumn of 1821, Joel Hodgson came to this region from Clin- 
ton County, Ohio, in behalf of a number of families, to seek a location. 
He traveled on horseback, stopping wherever night overtook him, and 
sleeping in his blanket. 

He crossed the State of Indiana to where Danville now stands, and 
then, with his compass for a guide, traveled northward until he struck the 
Illinois at the mouth of Fox River, wlianca he journeyed southward. He 
crossed the river several times, exploring both sides thoroughly, as well 
as its tributaries, and continued until he reached Dillon's Grove, in Taze- 
well County, when he turned homeward, reporting that he found no suita- 
ble place for the proposed colony. 

The prairies were supposed to be bleak, cold and inhospitable, and 
covered with a rank grass of no value, while the streams were lined with 
thickets, the homes of fierce beasts and deadly reptiles. It was a paradise 
for Indians, but a poor place for white men. But when he saw the coun- 
try rapidly filling up, and the new settlers growing rich, comfortable and 

* Ford's History of Illinois. 



G4 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

happy, lie changed his opinion, and coming West, settled in Tazewell 
County in 1828. 

When the State was admitted, the Government ordered a survey of 
the country bordering the Illinois, and its division into townships. The 
work was performed by Stephen, Stycia, and Charles Rector, in the years 
1819-20. It was further divided into sections by Nelson Piper, George 
Thomas and J. F. McCollum, and air of the northern part of the State 
named Sangamon County. 



PEORIA IN 1778. 

The messenger sent by General Clark found a large town built along 
the margin of the lake, with narrow streets and wooden houses. Back 
of the town were gardens, yards for stock, barns, etc., and among these 
was a wine-press, with a large cellar or underground vault for storing 
wine. There was a church, with a large wooden cross, an unoccupied fort 
on the bank of the lake, and a wind-mill for grinding grain. The town 
contained six stores, filled with goods suitable for the Indian trade. The 
inhabitants were French Creoles, Indians and half-breeds, not one of whom 
could speak a word of English. Many of them had interman-ied with 
the natives, and their posterity to this day show certain characteristics of 
their Indian ancestry. They were a peaceable, quiet people, ignorant and 
superstitious. They had no public schools, and but few of them, except 
priests and traders, could read or write. In after years there was consid- 
erable trouble abqjjt conflicting titles, growing out of certain " French 
grants," and out of eighteen litigants but three could sign their names." 
Some of their merchants made annual trips in canoes to Canada, carrying 
peltries and furs, and returning with goods for the Indian market. 

"They were a gay, joyous people, having many social parties, wine 
suppers and balls, and lived in harmony with the Indians, who were their 
neighbors, relatives and friends. Real estate was held by the title of pos- 
session, and each settler had a garden adjoining his residence. They had 
likewise extensive farms west of town, enclosed in one field, though the 
lines of each separate owner were well defined. When a young man was 
married, a village lot or tract of land in the common field was assigned 
him, and if he had no house the people turned out and built him one. 
They had fine vineyards, and yearly made large quantities of wine, which 
the Indians eagerly sought in' exchange for furs." 



INDIANS THREATEN TO BURN TIlE CITY. 



G5 



The pioneer French were said to have domesticated the buffalo, and 
crossed him with their domestic cattle, producing a tough, hardy breed 
which could winter in the river bottoms without feed. Indian ponies were 
the only horses known here, or anywhere in the North-west, until about 
1760, when some were brought from Canada. Hogs and cattle were in- 
troduced by the Spaniards, and through them by the French, about 
A. D. 1700. 

In 1781 a Frenchman killed an Indian, and for a time the white peo- 
ple of Peoria were threatened with destruction by the excited savages, 
who surrounded the place and demanded the murderer, supposing him to 
be hidden in the town. They gave the French three days in which to sur- 
render the culprit, failing in which they threatened to burn the town. A 
great panic prevailed ; some of the people fled to Cahokia ; others took 
refuge in the fort. But at length the solemn protestations of the whites 
that the murderer was not secreted in the village quieted the Indians, 
who made pledges of friendship and departed. 




66 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER X. 

MASSACRE AT FORT DEARBORN. 

(ESIDES the usual and expected horrors, eveiy war furnishes 
exceptional scenes of wholesale slaughter or merciless cruelty 
that stand out in bold relief and commemorate themselves 
in history as specially infamous. Among the occurrences of 
the war of 1812, the massacre of Fort Dearborn, at Chicago, 
was one of unusual ferocity, and worthy of record in our 
brief historical resume. 

The garrison consisted of fifty-four men, under Capt. 
Heald. The resident families at the post were those of Capt. Heald, 
Lieut. Helm, a Mr. Kenzie, and several French voyageurs with their 
wives and children were there. 

One evening in April, 1812, Mr. Kenzie sat playing on his violin, to 
the music of which the children were dancing, when Mrs. Kenzie came 
rushing into the house, pale with terror and anguish, exclaiming: "The 
Indians! The Indians are up at Lee's, killing and scalping!" The fright- 
ened woman had been attending Mrs. Barnes (just confined), living not 
far off. Mr. Kenzie and his family at once crossed the river to the fort, 
to which Mrs. Barnes and her infant were speedily transferred, and where 
soon all the settlers and their families took refuge. The alarm was caused 
by a scalping party of Winnebagoes, who, after hovering about the neigh- 
borhood several days, disappeared. 

On the 7th of August, 1812, Gen. Hull, of infamous memory, sent 
orders from Detroit to Capt. Heald to evacuate Fort Dearborn and distrib- 
ute all the United States property among the Indians ! The Pottawatomie 
chief who brought the dispatch, foreseeing the fearful effects of such a 
base, cowardly and treacherous order, advised Capt. Heald not to obey, 
as the fort contained among its supplies several barrels of whisky, and 
knowing its effects upon the infuriated savages, burning with hatred of 
the whites and full of revenge, he foresaw that an indiscriminate massa- 
cre of all who were incapable of defense would inevitably follow. He 



PREPARING TO EVACUATE THE FORT. 67 

said, "Leave the fort and stores as they are, and while the Indians are 
making the distribution, the white people may escape to Fort Wayne." 

Capt. Heald called a council with the Indians on the afternoon of the 
12th, in which his officers refused to join, as they had reason to fear 
treachery. A cannon pointed at the place of council, however, had its 
intended effect, and the suspected plot was frustrated. 

Mr. Kenzie, well knowing the character of the foe, influenced Captain 
Heald to withhold the distribution of the powder, and on the night of 
the 13th, after the property and stores had been given out to the shriek- 
ing mob of savages, the liquors and ammunition were thrown into the 
river, and the muskets broken up and rendered useless. Black Partridge, 
an influential chief and true friend of the whites, came that afternoon to 
Captain Heald, and said : " The linden birds have been singing in my 
ears all day ; be careful on the march you take." 

The Indians had watched the fort all night, and took note of the pre- 
parations for its abandonment, and the next morning, when they saw the 
powder floating upon the surface of the river, were exasperated beyond 
bounds. 

After the fort had been dismantled and the dejected inmates were 
on the point of starting, a band of friendly Miamis, under Captain 
Wells, appeared on the lake shore, and inspired the garrison with new 
hope. But alas ! their arrival was too late to avert the threatened 
calamity. Wells was an uncle of Mrs. Heald, and bore among the Indi- 
ans the name of "Little Turtle." Learning the ignominious and fatal 
order to Captain Heald, he had secretly left Petroit with his warriors, 
hoping to reach Chicago in time to avert the catastrophe he knew was in- 
evitable; but it was too late. 

On the morning of the 15th, the little garrison matched out of the 
fort at its southern gate, in solemn procession. Captain Wells, who 
had blackened his face with gunpowder, in token of his fate, took the 
lead with his Miamis, followe^d by Captain Heald, with his wife by his 
side, on horseback. Mr. Kenzie hoped by his personal influence over the 
savages to save his friends, and accompanied the retreating garrison, 
leaving his family in a boat in charge of a friendly Indian. 

The procession moved slowly along the lake shore till they reached 
the sand-hills between the prairie and the beach, when the Pottawatomies, 
commanded by Blackbird, flled in front. Wells, who, with his Miamis 
had been in the advance, finding the enemy Hbef ore him, returnee^ giving 



08 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

word that the foe were about to make an attack. Scarcely had the words 
been uttered ere a storm of bullets confirmed the stoiy. The Indians, 
though ten warriors to one of the whites, in accordance with their charac- 
teristic cowardly mode of fighting were ambushed among the sand-hills, 
which the white troops charged, and drove them out upon the prairie. 
The cowardly Miamis fled at the outset, and the brave little band defended 
themselves heroically against five hundred savages, resolved to sell their 
lives as dearly as possible. 

Capt. Wells, who was by the side of his niece, Mrs. Heald, when the 
conflict began, said to her, "We have not the slightest chance for life. 
We must part to meet no more in this world. God bless you," and dashed 
forward. Seeing a young wamor, painted like a demon, climb into a 
wagon in which were twelve children, and tomahawk them all, he cried 
out, unmindful of his personal danger, " If that is your game, butchering 
women and children, I will kill too. 1 ' He spurred his horse toward the 
Indian camp, where they had left their squaws and pappooses, hotly pur- 
sued by swift-footed young warriors, rapidly firing. One of these killed 
his horse and wounded him severely in the leg. He was killed and 
scalped, and his heart cut out and eaten while yet warm and bloody. Mrs. 
Heald, who knew well how to load and fire, engaged bravely in the fray. 
She was several times wounded, and when, weak from loss of blood, a 
brawny savage was about to tomahawk her, she looked him in the eye, 
and in his own language exclaimed, "Surely you will not kill a squaw!" 
Ashamed, his arm fell and he slunk away. 

Mrs. Helm, Mr. Kinzie's step-daughter, also had her full share of the 
bloody work. A stout Indian tried to strike her with a tomahawk, but she 
sprang aside and the weapon glanced upon her shoulder as she grasped 
the foe around tfce neck with her arms, trying at the same time to seize 
the scalping knife in his belt; but while struggling with the desperation 
of despair she was seized by a powerful Indian, who bore her to the lake 
and plunged her into the water. To her astonishment, she was so held 
that she could not drown, nor be seen by any of the Indians, and soon dis- 
covered that he who was thus shielding her was the friendly chief, Black 
Partridge, who thus saved her life. 

The wife of Sergeant Holt displayed amazing courage and prowess. 
She was a veiy strong woman, and was mounted on a high-spirited horse. 
The Indians coveted the animal, and tried in vain to dismount or kill her, 
but she warded off the blowsjby which they strove to beat her down, and 



MASSACRE OF THE WOUNDED INCIDENTS. 69 

defended herself bravely, with her husband's sword. She escaped from 
her enemies and dashed across the prairie, the admiring Indians shouting, 
"Brave squaw! brave squaw! No hrt her!" but was overtaken by 
an Indian who pulled her from her horse by the hair, and made "her cap- 
tive. She was kept prisoner for several years, and forced to marry among 
them. When nearly two-thirds of the little band were killed or wounded, 
the Indians drew off. Numbers of their warriors had been killed, and 
they proposed a parley. The whites, upon promise of good treatment, 
agreed to surrender. Mrs. Helm had been taken, bleeding and suffering, 
to the fort by Black Partridge, where she found her step-father and 
learned that her husband was safe. 

The soldiers gave up their arms to Blackbird, and the survivors became 
prisoners of war, to be exchanged or ransomed. With this understanding, 
they were marched to the Indian camp near the fort. Here a new horror 
was enacted, for the Indians claimed the wounded were not included in the 
surrender, and they were mercilessly slaughtered, their scalps being taken 
to the infamous British General Proctor, at Maiden, Canada, who had 
offered the Indians large rewards for the scalp of every soldier brought 
to him. 

In connection with the massacre of Fort Dearborn, Matson, in his 
work upon the Indians of the Illinois, gives the following incident whicli 
he professes to have learned from one of the survivors : "A Mrs. Bee- 
son, whose maiden name was Mary Lee, was a little girl at the time, but 
well remembers the frightful event. Her father's dwelling stood on the 
beach of the lake, near the fort, and back of it was a small garden where 
he raised vegetables for the garrison, at a good profit. His family at the 
time of the massacre consisted of his wife, an infant two months old, a 
son, a daughter Lillie, two little boys, and Mary. When the troops left 
for Fort Wayne, Mr. Lee's family accompanied them, the mother and in- 
fant and two younger children in a covered wagon, and the two girls on 
horseback. Little Lillie, ten years old, was a very handsome child, a 
great pet among the soldiers and citizens, but she never appeared more 
beautiful than on that fatal morning. She was mounted on a large gray 
horse, and to prevent her from falling off, was securely tied to the 
saddle. She wore a white ruffled dress, trimmed with pink ribbon, and a 
black jockey hat with a white plume on the side. As the horse pranced 
and champed its bits at the sound of martial music, little Lillie in a 
queenly manner sat in her saddle, chatting gaily -with her sister, uncon- 



70 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

scious of the awful fate so near. When the Indians opened fire, Lillie 
was badly wounded and lost her seat, but was restrained from falling off 
the horse by the cord with which she was bound. Her horse ran back 
and forth until caught by an Indian named Waupekee, who knew her 
well, and at her father's cabin had often held her on his knee. In relat- 
ing it afterward, he said it grieved him to see the little girl suffer so, and 
out of kindness he split open her head with his tomahawk and ended her 
misery. He used to say l it was the hardest thing he ever did.' ' 

Mr. Lee and his three sons were killed in the battle, but Mrs. Lee and 
infant and Mary were taken prisoners by Waupekee, who had a village on 
the Des Plains River. This chief was kind to them, and wanted to marry 
the mother, notwithstanding the trifling impediment of having three other 
wives on hand at the time ! But she declined the honor. During her 
stay with him her child became very ill, and both Indian skill and en- 
chantment and her own knowledge failed to restore it to health. She 
consented to let Waupekee take it to Chicago, where lived a French trader 
named DuPin, in high reputation among the Indians as a "medicine man." 
One cold day in the latter part of the winter succeeding the massacre, 
Waupekee wrapped the baby in blankets, and mounting his pony, travel* M! 
across the bleak prairie twenty miles, and arriving at Du Pin's dwelling, 
laid his package upon the floor. " What have you there ? " queried the 
surprised trader. " I have brought you a young raccoon as a present," 
replied the chief, unwrapping the blankets and disclosing the nearly 
smothered child. Du Pin cured the child, and afterward not only ran- 
somed the widow, but married her. 

Maiy, who relates this affair, says she was carried & prisoner to an In- 
dian village after the battle referred to, thence to St. Louis, and ransomed 
by General Clark, where she married a French Creole, and never after the 
fatal day met her mother, but supposed her to have been killed. 




RUDE AWAKENING FROM PASTORAL LIFE. 



71 




CHAPTER XI. 

THE DESTRUCTION OF PEORIA. 

the wars of the Federal Government against the Incjians, 
and the war with England, in 1812, the French people of 
Peoria remained neutral, and, as is now known, neither aided 
nor abetted either party. They were two hundred miles 
froni the nearest American settlement, in the midst of a wil- 
derness. They knew no laws of a*ny king or country save their 
own. They lived so far away from the world, that revolutions 
came, kings were overthrown and new governments erected, 
while they neither knew of nor interested themselves in the changes. A 
peaceful and happy people they were, living to themselves, making and ex- 
ecuting their own laws, paying no taxes, and acknowledging no sovereignty 
or ruler, simply because no one came to claim their allegiance. They had 
lived thirty-four years within, the jurisdiction of the United States Govern- 
ment before called upon to cast a ballot. They had a Representative in 
Congress who never knew them. They had been subjects of France, then 
of England, and finally of the Federal Union, and only learned the changes 
of sovereignty through accident. They were a people "unto themselves," 
speaking a language of their own, and fearing only God, their priests, and 
the hostile Indians. 

The massacre at Fort Dearborn excited widespread horror and ani- 
mosity, not only against the Indians, but all who were believed to be 
friendly with them. Reports had got abroad that their supplies of am- 
munition came through Peoria traders, and that here were incited and set 
on foot raids and expeditions against the defenceless settlers along the 
borders. 

It was charged that they were cattle thieves, and that Captain John 
Baptiste Maillette, the chief military man of their village, had an organ- 
ized band of thieves, and made forays upon the settlements on Wood 
River, in Madison County, driving off flocks and herds, which found 
their way to the common enemy. These reports were believed, and Gov- 



72 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

ernor Edwards called for volunteers to rendezvous at Shawneetown, under 
the command of Captain Craig. Four keel-boats were prepared, with 
rifle-ball proof planking, and mounted with cannon. Two hundred sol- 
diers were taken on board, and on the 5th of November, 1812, the "fleet v 
appeared before Peor'.;>. 

The people, wholly unconscious of danger, were at church; and the 
priest celebrating mass for it was Sunday, - when suddenly they were 
startled by the booming of cannon. Fear and curiosity brought them to 
the beach, when four boats loaded with armed men met their astonished 
gaze. Capt. Craig landed and took position, with guns loaded and bayonets 
fixed, ready for any emergency. 

Father Racine went to meet and welcome the strangers, but neither 
could understand the other, until an interpreter was found in the person 
of Thomas Forsythe. No explanation was vouchsafed, but meat and veg- 
etables were demanded, and promptly furnished. The soldiers dispersed 
about town and committed various outrages, such as breaking into Felix 
La Fontaine's store and taking from it two casks of wine. Numbeis 
got drunk, and entering houses, helped themselves to whatever ple;:sl 
them. It was after dark before Captain Craig succeeded in getting tin in 
on board the boats and pushed the boats from shore to prevent further 
outrages upon the citizens. 

During the night a high wind arose, and to escape the waves the boats 
raised their anchors and dropped down into "the narrows," a half milt- 
below, where they remained till morning. About daylight several guns 
were fired in quick succession in the adjoining tember. Captain Craig, 
thinking it the signal for an attack by the Indians, ordered the boaN 
pushed farther from shore and cannon trained to sweep the woods. 

A council of war was held on board, and it was determined to burn 
the town and make the men prisoners of war, as a punishment for incit- 
ing the Indians to attack the boats. The Frenchmen afterward claimed 
the firing was done by hunters, and as no attack was made and no enemy 
appeared, the statement is doubtless correct. 

Capt. Craig next ] aided his troops, and taking all able-bodied men 
prisoners, set fire to their houses and burned them down, while the women 
and children looked on in terror from a vacant lot where they had congre- 
gated, in the rear of their burning church. The church, with its sacred 
vestments and furniture, was destroyed. The wind-mill on the bank of 
the lake, filled with grain, the stables, corn bins, and everything about the 



GOMO'S HOSPITALITY TO THE HOMELESS. 73 

town of any value were reduced to ashes ! The stores of La Fontaine, La 
Croix, Des Champs, and Forsyth, full of valuable goods, shared the same 
fate. An old man named Benit, a former trader, who had amassed some 
money, rushed through the flames to rescue it, and perished, -his charred 
remains being found the following spring. Mrs. La Croix, a lady of 
refinement and great personal attraction, who afterward became the wife 
of Governor Reynolds, being alone with three small children, appealed in 
vain to the soldiers to save the clothes of herself and little ones. , 

Thomas Forsythe, a short time previous, had been appointed a Govern- 
ment agent here, and on exhibiting his commission to Captain Craig, he 
pronounced it a forgery! 

When the destruction was complete, the boats returned down the 
liver with their prisoners. Two miles below^the present site of Alton, 
they were set ashore in the thick timber, without blankets, tents or pro- 
visions, and told they might return to their homes ! Meantime, the women 
and children, left without food or shelter, were in a pitiful condition. 
Some of them had been left without sufficient clothing, and suffered 
greatly. It was growing cold, and the nights were freezing. Snow fell, 
sharp frosts came, and the roaring wind lashed the troubled waters 
or moaned in the leafless oaks. Could any situation have been more 
desolate? The hungry mothers could only weep and pray, and draw the 
forms of their little ones to their bosoms ! 

While thus brooding over their despair, an Indian chief named Gomo 
made his appearance. He lived in a village of his tribe, where Chill i- 
cothe now stands. On the approach of Captain Craig's forces, his people 
fled and secreted themselves in the grove of timber at Kickapoo Creek, 
and now the invaders were gone, he had come to render such aid as it was 
in his power to give. Provisions were supplied, temporary huts erected 
for all who desired to remain, and homes in his village given to the older 
women and the children. Afterward, the women (fearing a return of the 
soldiers, and crazed with anxiety to know the fate of those they loved,) 
prevailed upon Gomo to furnish them with canoes and rowers to go down 
the river, hoping their presence might mitigate the fate of their captive 
kindred. After several days of hardship, camping each night on the 
banks, suffering from fatigue, cold and storm, they reached Cahokia, where 
they were provided for by their countrymen, and afterward joined by 
their husbands.* 

*Matson's "French and Indians." 



74 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER XII. 

EXTERMINATION OF THE BUFFALO. 

m 

> AE-L Y travelers assert that the Illinois Valley was the favor- 
ite resort of the American buffalo, or bison, and though 
they had disappeared years before, the first settlers found 
the ground strewn with countless thousands of bones, re- 
mains of the great herds that had been destroyed. Their 
range was., confined to no particular locality, except in 
winter, when they resorted to groves and river bottoms 
for shelter and greater supplies of food. It does not 
appear that the white man had much to do with their 
final disappearance. The French were the only settlers, and they so few 
in number that the buffalo slaughtered by them and the Indians were 
insignificant as compared with their annual increase. 

About ninety years ago, according to Indian tradition, there came an 
Arctic winter, which for depth of snow and severity never had a parallel 
in Indian tradition. Nearly all living animals perished. The intense cold 
drove them to the ravines for shelter, where thousands were overwhelmed 
and suffocated. According to the statements of the Indians, they huddled 
together for warmth, and died in countless droves; and not the buffalo 
alone, but the deer likewise; and when the first settlers crossed the big 
prairie this side of the Wabash River, the ground was strewn with ant- 
lers, skulls and the larger bones of both deer and buffalo. The statement 
that the survivors voluntarily left the country after the cold winter is not 
borne out by the evidence, and the writer who drew the fanciful picture 
which follows must have relied largely upon his imagination for facts. 

"Next spring a few buffalo, poor and haggard in appearance, were seen 
going westward, and as they approached the carcasses of their dead com- 
panions, which were lying on the prairies in great numbers, they would 
stop, commence pawing and bellowing, and then start off again on a lope 
for the west."* 

Father Buche, a missionary about Peoria in 1770, in a manuscript left 
*Matson's 'Trench and Indians." 



NARROW ESCAPE OF FATHER BUCIIE. 75 

by him, describes a buffalo hunt. He says he accompanied thirty-eight of 
his countrymen and about three hundred Indians when they killed so 
many buffalo that only their hides could be taken away, their carcasses 
being left for the wolves. Three leagues west of the great bend in the 
Illinois River they discovered a herd of many thousand buffalo, feeding on 
a small prairie surrounded on three sides by timber (now probably known 
as Princeton prairie). It being about sundown, the hunters encamped for 
the night in a grove near by, with the intention of attacking them, the 
next day. Next morning before it was light, the Indians, divested of 
clothing, mounted on ponies, and armed with guns, bows, arrows, spears, 
etc., anxiously awaited the command of their chief to commence the 
sport. They formed on three sides, secreting themselves in the timber, 
while the French occupied a line across the prairie. At a given 
signal the advance began, when as soon as the animals scented the ap- 
proaching enemy, they arose and fled in great confusion. On approaching 
the line the Indians fired, at the same time yelling at the top of their 
voices. The frightened creatures turned and fled in an opposite direction, 
where they were met by the hunters and foiled in like manner. Thus they 
continued to run back and forth, while the slaughter went on. As they 
approached the line, the Indians would pierce them with spears or bring 
them down with the more deadly rifle. The line continue^ to close in, 
and the frightened buffalo, snorting and with flashing eyes, charged the 
guards, broke through the line, overthrowing horses and riders, and made 
their escape. 

Father Buche continues: "By the wild surging herd my pony was 
knocked down, and I lay prostrated by his side, while the friglitened 
buffalo jumped over me in their flight, and it was only by the interposi- 
tion of the Holy Virgin that I was saved from instant death." 




7(> RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



ILLINOIS BECOMES A STATE. 




CHAPTER XIII. 

THE COMPACT OF FREEDOM. 

FTER the War of the Revolution and the recognition of 
American Independence, the Western Territories were 
claimed by Virginia, New York, and other States. After 
much discussion, the claimants agreed to transfer their sev- 
eral interests to the General Government, and in pursu- 
ance of the arrangement, Virginia, in 1 784, ceded the ter- 
ritory that now constitutes the States of Indiana, Wiscon- 
sin, Ohio and Michigan, to the Federal Government, with 
the stipulation that when divided into States they were to 
be guaranteed a republican form of government, "with the same sover- 
eignty, freecfim and independence as the other States." The celebrated 
"Compact of 1 7H7" followed. It was the triumph of Thomas Jefferson's 
foresight and unceasing labors in the cause of freedom. He was ably as- 
sisted by Dr. Cutler, of Massachusetts, and to them jointly is mainly due 
the credit that "slavery was forever excluded from this great territory." 
Yet slaves were held in Southern Illinois for years, having been brought 
thither by the early French settlers, and it was not until 1850 that the 
last bondsmen disappeared from the census. 

On the 13th of July, 1787, Congress established the Northwest Ter- 
ritory, and General St. Clair was appointed Governor. He came to Kas- 
kaskia in 1790, and organized the county of St. Clair, the first in tin- 
State. 

The population of Illinois was then about 2,000, and it took ten years 
to add another 1,000. 

May 7, 1800, Indiana Territory including our State was set apart, 
Gen. William Hemy Harrison appointed Governor, and Vincennes made 
the capital. The first Legislature assembled in 1805, but its doings were 
not popular with the Illinoisans, who termed it the " Vinsain Legislate! 1 ." 



THE RANDOLPH COUNTY COVENANTERS. 77 

In that year the population numbered about 5,000, which in 1810 <>ad in- 
n-rased to 12,282. 

In 1809 the State was severed from its "Hoosier" connection, and 
permitted to set up a territorial government of its own, with Ninian Ed- 
wards for its first Governor. 

In 1812, a Legislature was chosen, consisting of five Councillors and 
seven Representatives, which met at Kaskaskia, November 25. War with 
Great Britain was raging at the time, and much anxiety was felt as to the 
Indians, who, bought over with liberal promises, had generally arrayed 
tin -nisei ves with the enemy. In 1815 peace was restored, and a great im- 
petus given to immigration. 

In January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature of Illinois petitioned 
Congress for admission into the Union as a State. A bill was introduced 
at once, but was not acted on till April, when it became a law. 

As first intended, the northern boundary of the State was to beirin 
at the southern shore of Lake Michigan, running westward, but as this 
would have left Chicago in what is now Wisconsin, the Delegate in Con- 
gress sought and obtained a change to the line that now exists, thus secur- 
ing to the State fourteen additional counties in the fairest portions of the 
West, 

Wisconsin afterward claimed the territory, denying that Congress had 
a right to alter the petition of the Illinois Territorial Legislature, but the 
question quieted down, and the disputed territory is now GUI'S as much 
as any other portion of the State. A Convention was called to frame a 
constitution in the summer of 1818, and assembled in Kaskaskia. During 
the session, the Rev. Mr. Wiley and his congregation, a sect of so-called 
"Covenanters," in Randolph County, sent a petition asking the members 
to declare in the instrument they were preparing, that "Jesus Christ was 
the head of all governments, and that the Holy Scriptures were the only 
rule of faith and pfactice." The Convention not only failed to embody 
this doctrine in the Constitution, but treated the petition with no especial 
courtesy beyond its mere reception. Therefore, as Gov. Ford states, "The 
Covenanters refused to sanction the State Government, and have been con- 
strained to regard it as an heathen and unbaptized government, which de- 
nies Christ, for which reason they have constantly refused to work on the 
roads, serve on jiiries, hold any office, or do any act whereby they are sup- 
posed to recognize the Government." They steadily refused to vote until 
1824, when the subject of admitting slavery was submitted to the popular 



78 UECOKDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

vote. Their suffrages were unanimously cast for freedom and a free State. 

Shadrach Bond was elected the first Governor, in October, 1818. Nin- 
ian Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas were chosen Senators, and John Mc- 
Lean, Representative in Congress. Joseph Phillips was chosen Chief Jus- 
tice, and Thomas C. Brown, John Reynolds and William B. Foster, Asso- 
ciate Justices of the Supreme Court. Gov. Ford, who afterward wrote a 
history of the State, did not speak in flattering terms of some of these 
men, and was particularly severe on Foster, whom he styled a "great 
rascal." He was a polished gentleman, and drew his salary with commend- 
able regularity, but never sat upon the bench, and after one year resigned 
and left the State. 

The first Legislature assembled at Kaskaskia in 1818, from whence the 
seat of government was changed the succeeding year to Vandalia. 

In 1823, Peoria County was formed, with Peoria as the county-seat. 
In 1826 the Commissioners of that county fixed the boundaries of Fox 
River Precinct, which extended from Senachwine Creek to the River La- 
Page (Du Page), or from Chillicothe northward, including the counties of 
Putnam, Marshall, Bureau and La Salle, and the territory west to the 
Mississippi River. 

Gideon Hawley and James Beersford were Justices of the Peace, with 
jurisdiction equal with the territory. The voting place was at David 
Walker's house, at the mouth of Fox River (Ottawa). 

Marriages were solemnized only at Peoria, and the first on record 
within the jurisdiction was as follows : 

STATE or ILLINOIS, PEORIA Co., July 29, 1829. 

This is to certify that Willard Scott and Caroline Hawley were this day united in mar- 
riage by me. ISAAC SCABKETT, Missionary. 

The ceremony, if short, was binding, and we may believe the parties 
enjoyed quite as much happiness as follows the elabcfrate nuptials of to- 
day, supplemented with cards, cake, bridesmaids, an expensive trousseau, 
a trip to Europe, and winding up, as is too often the case, with a sensa- 
tional suit for divorce. 




ORGANIZATION OF PUTNAM COUNTY. 79 



PUTNAM COUNTY. 




CHAPTER XIV. 

GURDEN S. HUBBARD. 

earliest know white settlers who came to what is now 
Putnam County were certain fur traders, who located at the 
most eligible points for their business along the Illinois 
River. The first of these represented the American Fur 
Company. Antoine Des Champs, a Canadian Frenchman, 
was the general agent. He established himself at Pe~ 
oria in 1816, and in 1817 was succeeded by Gurden S. 
Hubbard, now (1880) of Chicago, who will introduce him- 
self in the letter below, addressed to the Hon. A. T. Purviance, County 
Clerk of Putnam County: 

CHICAGO, April 8th, 1867. 
A. T. PURVIANCK : 

Dear Sir : Yours of the 4th received. The trading house occupied by Thomas Hart- 
zell was erected in 1817, and occupied by Beaubien, in the employment of the American Fur 
Company. The following year I was with him as his clerk, for he could not read or write ; 
besides, was old, and passed most of his time sick in bed. I was then sixteen years old, and 
the had entered the employment of American Fur Company in May of that year. Hartzell was 
at that time trading on the river below, in opposition to the American Company. Some years 
after, I think about 1824 or 5, he succeeded Beaubien in the employment of the American 
Fur Company. There -was a house just below, across the ravine, built by Antoine Bourbon- 
ais, also an opposition trader, who, like Hartzell, went into the employ of the American Fur 
Company under a yearly salary. My trading post, after leaving Beaubien, was at the 
mouth of Crooked Creek till 1826, when I located on the Iroquois river, still in the employ of 
the American Fur Company, and so continued till 1830, when I bought them out. * * * 

The last time that I visited the old spot where the trading house stood, the chimney was 
all that remained. This was made with clay and sticks. Four stakes were driven firmly in 
the ground, then small saplings withed across about two feet apart. Clay mortar tempered 
with ashes laid on long hay cut from the low lands, kneaded and made into strips about 
three feet long and three thick, laying the center over the first round of saplings, twisting 
them in below, until the top was reached, when the chimney inside and out was daubed 
with the clay and mortar smoothed off with the hand. The hearth of dry clay, pounded. It 
was our custom to keep rousing fires, and this soon baked and hardened the chimney, which 
gave it durability. The roof was made of puncheons, I think ; that is, split boards, the cracks 



80 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

well daubed with cl;vy, and then long grass put on top, held down by logs of small size to 
keep the grass in its place. The sides of the house consisted of logs, laid one on top of the 
other, about seven feet high. The ends of these logs were kept in place by posts in the 
ground.' The ends were sapling logs set in the ground, upright to the roof, pinned to a beam 
laid across from the top of the logs, comprising the upper sides of the building. A rough 
door at one end, and a window at the other, composed of one sheet of foolscap paper, well 
greased. It was a warm, comfortable building, where many an Indian was hospitably enter- 
tained, and all were jolly and happy. There I first knew Shaubena. His winter lodge was 
on Bureau lliver, at the bluffs. I became very much attached to him, and he to me. I never 
knew a more honest man, and up to the time of his death our friendship did not seem 
diminished. Yours, etc., 

G. S. HUBBAUD. 

We copy the above because it is reliable and valuable as historical 
fact, and for the reason that it describes the first house ever built by a 
white man in this section of country. 

At these trading houses pelts and furs were obtained from the Indians 
in exchange for powder, balls, tobacco, knives, and beads and other trink- 
ets, and shipped in boats called latteatix to the headquarters of the Fur 
Company, or to the larger independent traders at New Orleans or in 
Canada. 

In 1821, two cabins were built near that of the Fur Company, one of 
which was occupied by Bourbonais, or " Bulbona," as he was called, and 
the other by Rix Robinson, a Connecticut Yankee. Both had married 
squaws, and were raising half-breed children. The Frenchman went to 
what became known as Bulbona's Grove, and established a trading post, 
which he occupied for many years. 

At this time there were few white people north of Springfield, and 
the entire northern part of the State was a wilderness, inhabited by In- 
dians and wolves. Hubbard affimied that in passing from his trading post 
at Hennepin he found no white settlers until within eighteen miles of 
St. Louis. 

In 1825, says Pectfs Gazetteer: "In Northern Illinois there was not 
an organized county, a post-road or a considerable settlement. Chicago 
was little more than a village in Pike County, situated on Lake Michigan, 
at the mouth of Chicago Creek, containing twelve or fifteen houses and 
about sixty or seventy inhabitants. Peoria was a small settlement in 
Pike County, situated on the west bank of the Illinois River about two 
hundred miles above its junction with the Mississippi. A few lead miners 
had clustered about the lead mines at Galena, but a road through the wil- 
derness was not made until late this year, when * Kellogg's Trail ' pointed 



PIKE, PEORIA AND PUTNAM COUNTIES. 81 

the devious way from Peoria to Galena. Not a white man's habitation 
nor a ferry was to be seen along its entire route." 

The Military Bounty Land Tract was the first to be settlecf by Ameri- 
can emigrants. It was surveyed by the Government, in 1815 and 1816, 
and the greater part subsequently appropriated in bounties to soldiers of 
the war of 1812. It extended from the junction of the Illinois and Mis- 
sissippi Rivers, running north 169 miles to a line drawn from the great 
bend of the river above Peru to the Mississippi, containing 5,360,000 
acres. 

Pike County was laid off in 1821, and was immense in its boundaries. 
It included all that part of the State north and west of the Illinois River, 
from its junction with the Kankakee to the Mississippi River, and east of 
the Kankakee to the Indiana line, and running north to Wisconsin ! In 
1823 it had seven or eight hundred inhabitants. 

January 13, 1825, among other counties, Putnam was created. It em- 
braced a territory extending from the present northern limit of Peoria 
County, along the Illinois and Kankakee Rivers to the Indiana line, and 
thence north to Wisconsin, and west to a point thirty-five miles from 
the Mississippi ; thence due south 105 miles, and east to beginning, com- 
prising 11,000 square miles! In 1830, Putnam and Peoria Counties 
united contained 1,310 whites, Putnam alone about 700. But this county 
was never organized, however. Its judicial business appears to have been 
transacted at Peoria, when there was any. 

In 1829, '30 and '31, settlers had begun to come in and locate along 
the margins of the timber and at the edges of the larger groves. But still 
they were few and far between. There being no ferries, goods were taken 
across the river in canoes, while horses were made to swim. 

In 1831 Thomas Hartzell established a ferry at Hennepin, the first on 
the river above Peoria. 

In 1831 Putnam County was again created, with new boundaries, and 
in the spring of that year organized in accordance with the act of the 
Legislature of the January previous. 

Chicago had not then a municipal existence, but was a lively village 
of 250 inhabitants, including the garrison of Fort Dearborn. The Indian 
title to most of the land in Northern Illinois had not been extinguished, 
and no land outside of the military tract was for sale. But a single 
steamer had yet troubled the waters of the Illinois River above Peoria. 
There were a few settlers in the vicinity of Lacon and Hennepin, and on 



82 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Round and Half Moon Prairies, in what is Marshall County now, as well 
as on the Ox Bow Prairie, and at Union Grove, in Putnam County. 

The new county, as created in 1831, comprised thirty-eight full and 
thirteen fractional townships, and included nearly the whole of what is 
now Bureau, Putnam, Marshall and Stark Counties a greater territory 
than the entire State of Rhode Island. Commissioners to locate a county 
seat were appointed, consisting of John Hamlin, of Peoria; Isaac Perkins, 
of Tazewell, and Joel Wright of Canton. The act of incorporation pro- 
vided it should be located on the Illinois River, "as near as practicable in 
the center of the county, with a just regard to its present and future sus- 
ceptibility of population, and to be named Hennepin." 

The Commissioners accordingly met early in May, and after examina- 
tion of the various sites along the river, were about deciding to locate the 
county seat where Henry, in Marshall County, now stands, when the 
inhabitants of the Spoon River region interposed a plea that its location 
there would delay them in the formation of a new county, which they 
desired to have set off as soon as population would justify. The Commis- 
sion gave due attention to this plea, and resolved upon another site. As 
an understanding had already gone abroad that the location would IK; 
made at Henry, a chalked board was set up at that point, giving notice 
that another locality had been chosen. On the 6th of June, a report 
was made to the County Commissioners' Court, then sitting near Henne- 
pin, that "they have selected, designated, and permanently located the 
said seat of justice" where it now is. Provision was made in the organic 
act for its location upon Congress lands, if deemed advisable.* 

The boundaries of the new county, as fixed by the act of January 1 ">, 
1831, were defined as "commencing at the south- west corner of Town \'2 
north, Range 6 east, running east to the Illinois River; thence down the 
middle of said river to the south line of Town 29 north; thence east with 
said line to the third principal meridian; thence north with said meridian 
line forty- two miles; thence west to a point six miles due north of the 
north- west corner of Town 17 north, Range 6 east; thence south in a 
right line to the place of beginning." 

The first election under the law was to choose county officers, and was 
held at the house of Wm. Hawes, on the first Monday of March, 1831. 
The judges of election were Thomas Hartzell and Thomas Gallaher, 
while James W. Willis performed the duties of clerk. 

*Ford's " History of Marshall and Putnam Counties." 



FIRST PUTNAM COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. 83 

The day was cold and dreaiy; roads were unknown save here and 
there a bridle-path ; there were no bridges, and not a great deal of en- 
thusiasm was manifested. 

But twenty-four votes were cast, and as there was but one set of can- 
didates, they were declared elected. They were: Thomas Gallaher, 
George Ish and John M. Gay for County Commissioners, Ira Ladd for 
Sheriff, and Aaron Cole for Coroner. 

Hooper Warren was Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, 
County Clerk, and also, when he had nothing else to do, was Justice of 
the Peace. 

Putnam was assigned to the Fifth Judicial Circuit, comprising fifteen 
counties, of which Hon. Richard M. Young was Judge and Hon. Thomas 
Ford (afterward Governor) District Attorney. 

The new county seat was named in honor of Father Hennepin, the 
well-known explorer, and the first white man who is supposed to have 
set foot on the shores of the Illinois at this locality. The name was fixed 
by the law creating the county, so that all the different places seeking the 
location of the seat of justice, and failing, thus escaped the honor' of bear- 
ing the name of Hennepin. 



CIRCUIT COURT. 

The first Circuit Court in Putnam County was held on the first Mon- 
day of May, 1831. In accordance with law, the County Commissioners' 
Court had selected the house of Thomas Gallaher, Esq., on the bank of 
the Illinois River, about one-fourth of a mile above Thcjmas Hartzell's 
trading house, as a suitable place for holding court. 

Accordingly, on the day named the Court met, and there being no 
Clerk as yet provided, the Judge appointed Hooper Warren to the posi- 
tion, and fixed his official bond at $2,000. John Dixon and Henry 
Thomas became his sureties. The Sheriff made due proclamation, and the 
Circuit Court of Putnam was declared in session. 

The Grand Jurors for the term were : Daniel Dimmick, Elijah Epper- 
son, Henry Thomas, Leonard Roth, Jesse Williams, Israel Archer, James 
Warnock, John L. Ramsey, William Hawes, John Strawn, Samuel 
Laughlin (foreman), David Boyle, Stephen Willis, Jeremiah Strawn, 
Abraham Stratten, and Nelson Shepherd, 



84 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Summoned, but did not appear : Thomas Wafer, George B. Willis, 
John Knox, - - Humphrey, Jesse Roberts, and Lemuel Gaylord, Sr. 

The Petit Jurors were: Wm. Boyd, Hugh Warnock, Win. H. Ham, 
Lewis Knox, Samuel Patterson, Joseph Ash, Christopher Wagner, Joseph 
Wallace, John Whittaker, Wm. Cowan, Wm. Wright, Ashael Hannum, 
Anthony Turk, John Burrow, John Myers, Ezekiel Thomas, Mason Wil- 
son, Smiley Shepherd, Justin Ament, and William Moms. 

The Grand Jury held its sessions on a log under the shade of the 
trees. The only work done was the finding of an indictment against a 
man named Resin Hall and a woman named Martha Wright. He had a 
cabin in the woods, where he openly lived with two wives, to the great 
disgust of his bachelor neighbors, who thought where women were so few 
there should be a more equal distribution. Before the setting of the next 
court, Mr. Hall and his two wives folded their tents and disappeared. 

There was no further business before this court, which lasted but one 
day and adjourned. At the next term, September, 1831, James M. Strode, 
Esq., was appointed Prosecuting Attorney, pro tern, in the absence of State's 
Attorney Thomas Ford, and Clark Hollenback indicted for malfeasance 
in office as Magistrate. 

Court was afterward held at the house of Geo. B. Willis, and where- 
ever it could find room for a year or two, until more permanent quarters 
could be had. 

At the May term, 1832, John Combs, summoned as a juror, failed to 
appear. The Court sent an officer, armed with an attachment, after the 
delinquent, brought him in a prisoner, and fined him $5.00 and costs. 

David Jones, of rather tempestuous fame, was recognized to keep the 
peace,. and ga^e bonds in the sum of $50.00, with Roswell Blanchard and 
Elijah Epperson as his sureties that he would be peaceful to all the 
world, and especially as to George Ish. 

In May, 1832, Clark Hollenback's case came up, but for some unknown 
reason the State's Attorney quashed it. He had been indicted for some 
crookedness as Justice of the Peace, but the affair never came to trial. 



COURT HOUSES AND JAILS. 

A new Court House and jail had been contemplated, and October 8th, 
1831, the County Commissioners "ordered that a new Court House be 
built on plans furnished by John M. Gay, Esq., by May, 1832." 



CONSTRUCTION OF COURT HOUSES AND JAILS. 85 

December 9th, 1831, a jail was ordered to be built. It was to be seven 
feet in the clear, the upper and under floors to be made of hewn timber, 
one foot square, the roof "raved clapboard," three feet long. "The 
door to be made of inch boards doubled, nailed together with hammered 
nails six inches apart, to be hung with iron hinges, the hooks one inch 
square, six inches long, boarded, the hasp of the lock to go two- thirds of 
the way across the door, the window to be a foot square, with two bars 
of iron each way. To be twelve feet square, and cost eighty dollars." 

This costly structure was erected according to specifications, and ac- 
cepted; and it is* on record that one of its first prisoners, with a little out- 
side help, pried out a log and escaped. 

August 14th, 1832, "Notice was ordered given in The Sangamon 
Journal (Springfield), that three several jobs of building a court house 
will be sold the third Monday of September, 1832. 

".1st. The foundation to be of stone, fifty feet on the ground each 
way, out to out; wall three feet high, two feet thick, one foot six inches 
under ground. 

" 2d. Brick wall to be equal in extent to foundation, twenty-two feet 
high, first story twelve feet, two and a half brick thick; second story ten 
feet high, two brick thick. 

" 3d. Carpenter work all to be done in good style, and the whole to 
be finished by September, 1833." 

Until 1833, the Circuit Court had no regular place for holding its ses- 
sions, and among bills audited were several for payment of rent of room 
used, the usual price charged being two dollars for the term, which if in 
winter included the firewood used. 

In March, 1833, Ira Ladd was employed to build a new jail, of the 
following dimensions : 

"Lower floor to be double, of hewn timber white or burr oak, one foot 
square sixteen feet square; the lower tier of timber to be laid close side 
by side ; second tier to be of same material and size laid crosswise, so as to 
make both solid making it two feet thick, sixteen inches square, and 
sunk in the ground to a level with the top of the floor, four to eight 
inches above the ground. The outer wall to be sixteen feet from out to 
out, and each way sixteen feet high, of square timber hewn or four-sided ; 
walls one foot thick, logs to be close, the corners plumb, notched dove- 
tail, corners cut down true and smooth, iron spikes in each log at the cor- 
ners, of three-quarter inch iron, to be driven in .in presence of wit- 



86 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

nesses; the lower seven feet to be of white or burr oak. Inner wall 
twelve feet square, one foot thick, seven feet high, corners notched; 
one foot of space between inner and outer wall, to be filled with good 
hard timber, except walnut or ash. Space to be filled with one foot 
square timber seven feet long, set on end. Second floor of timber one foot 
square, sixteen feet long; upper story nine feet nine inches high. One 
window, one foot square, in lower story between the fourth and fifth logs, 
grated double, with one and one-quarter inch iron rods, and a door and 
window in upper story, securely made. A hatchway connected the upper 
and lower stories. The cost of this model log fortress was fixed at $334 ! 

The next important record is found January 7, 1836, when it was 
"ordered that $14,000 be appropriated for a court house," and Wm. M. 
Stewart was appointed to make out the plans. The contract was to be 
let March 3, 1836, and an advertisement was ordered inserted in the 
Chicago Democrat and Sangamon Journal to that effect. 

Gorham & Durley obtained the contract for Wm. C. Flagg, a promi- 
nent contractor and builder of the Bloomington, Ottawa, and other court 
houses. The building cost $14,000. 

The temporary court house ordered constructed September 2, 1833, 
was not completed and occupied until December, 1835, and in the June 
following it was formally accepted in behalf of the county, by James G. 
Patterson, Commissioner. The new building being now well under way, 
the temporary one was offered for sale almost immediately upon its 
completion. 

THE RECORDS OF DEEDS. 

In early times deeds were not as promptly recorded as now. The fact 
that a man had given a warranty deed to a tract of land was accepted as 
conclusive evidence of his right to do so. The title was still in the United 
States Government for the great body of land in the country, and the con- 
veyances from one individual to another were few. When a settler had ac- 
quired his " patent " he felt safe enough, and was content to exhibit this 
UIK questionable proof of his ownership, the veiy highest title known. 
The precious document was safer with the proprietor of the land it de- 
scribed than elsewhere, and these "patents" were seldom placed upon 
record, not one in fifty ever finding its way to the Recorder's office, at 
least for years after. There was little danger of the Government issuing 



TRANSFERS OF REAL ESTATE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 87 

two patents for the same land, and the man in possession had the " nine 
points" of the law. 

Until possible cities began to be thought of, there was but little chang- 
ing of titles among the people. The pioneer having made his claim 
through much hardship and toil, regarded it as his future homestead, and 
was loth to part with it. 

The first conveyance on record in Putnam County is a deed from 
Robert Bird and wife to John Strawn, for a piece of the north end of the 
north-east fractional quarter of Section 35, Town 30, Range 3 west, in 
Columbia (Lacon), August 15, 1831, for $38.00, acknowledged before 
Colby F. Stevenson, Notary Public. This was followed by other convey- 
ances of town lots here and there, and now and then a certificate of entiy, 
for its better preservation, for its loss was a serioiis obstacle to getting the 
coveted "patent." About 1834, Eastern capitalists were attracted to 
the West as affording new and profitable fields for speculation, and 
occasionally a deed turned up for a township or so of land, bought 
" unsight unseen." July 30, 1834, we find a deed for forty-six quarter 
sections of land, from Southwick Shaw to Dr. Benjamin Shurtliff , of Bos- 
ton, for $4,500, 7,360 acres. Also, another from Humphrey Rowland 
to Arthur Mott, for sixty-four quarter sections, or 10,240 acres, for $8,320. 
Another from John Tillson, Jr., to Walter Bicker, of 18,040 acres, for 
$8,000. One dated October 7, 1834, from John Tillson, Jr., to Walter 
Mead, for 30,360 acres, and another to Mead for 57,910 acres, June 30, 
1835. The largest deed, however, is dated December 7, 1835, from 
Stephen B. Munn and wife to Charles F. Moulton, for $220,000, and 
conveys several counties of land. The descriptions in this deed occupy 
twenty-three pages of the record. 



COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT. 

The old financial court of the county, the simple and inexpensive sys- 
tem of county government, which for the sole reason of its economy, has 
many advocates as against the cumbrous, half legislative body called the 
"Board of Supervisors," first met "in special session" at Hennepin, April 
2d, 1831. Present "The Hon. Thomas Gallaher," Judge of the Pro- 
bate Court, and George Ish and John M. Gay, "Associate Justices of the 
Peace," for such were the high sounding titles of those gentlemen of that 
day. Hooper Warren was appointed Clerk. . 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Ira Ladd had been elected Sheriff of the new county, but his commis- 
sion not having arrived to give him such power as the court could confer, 
"he was appointed to discharge the duties of the office of Sheriff of said 
county till said commission should come"! He was also requested to 
designate the place of holding this honorable court, which he did by 
selecting a place in the woods on the river bank! He was likewise re- 
quired to furnish a table, benches, and stationery for the court ! 

On the 6th of June the Commissioners' met, and heard the report 
of Joel Wright, John Hamlin, and Isaac Perkins, Commissioners to lo- 
cate the seat of justice of Putnam County, which was ordered filed. It 
fixed the honor upon the south-west fractional quarter of Section 9, Town 
32, Range 2 west. 

The Court having examined said report, find that the Commissioners 
have made a mistake in the quarter section, and directed the County Sur- 
veyor to examine the levies of said quarter section and report. 

Thornton Wilson, Geo. Hildebrand and John Whittaker were ap- 
pointed the first School Trustees in the county, for the school section in 
their neighborhood Section 16, Town 31, Range 1 west. 

Also, on the petition of Wm. Smith and nineteen others, John B. 
Dodge, Charles Boyd and Sylvanus Moore were appointed Commissioners 
to locate a road from Hennepin to Smith's Ford, on Spoon River, and 
required to meet and begin their labors July 4th, 1831. 

June 17th, 1831, the Court, on the petition of Christopher Hannum 
and seventeen others, appointed Ashael Hannum, John Strawn and Iru 
Ladd to locate a road from Hennepin to the county line between Taze- 
well and Putnam Counties. 

The first tax levied in the county was fixed by the Commissioners' 
Court at one-half of one per cent on personal property only, for county 
purposes. 

James W. Willis was appinted the first County Treasurer, and his 
bond required to be one thousand dollars. Thomas Wafer, Samuel D. 
Laughlin and Stephen D. Willis became sureties, and the bond accepted. 

The county was at this term divided into four election precincts, viz: 

Sandy Including all the county south uf the south branch of Clear 
Creek to the Illinois River. 

Hennepin All the county south-east of the Illinois River, and north 
of the above mentioned line. 

Spoon River To include all of the county south of the direct line 



TIIE FIRST ELECTION IN PUTNAM COUNTY. 89 

from the head of Crow Prairie to Six Mile Grover, thence north-west to the 
county line. 

Bureau All of the county north-east of the above and northwest of 
the Illinois River. 



THE FIRST ELECTION. 

The first election after the organization of the county was held 
August 1st, 1834, and the officers to be elected were, a Member of Con- 
gress, a Justice of the Peace or Magistrate, as they were known, and a 
Constable for each precinct. The vote was small, and was ta^en by each 
elector calling the name of the party for w T hom he desired to cast his bal- 
lot, which the clerk reported, and, along with his name, inscribed in the 
poll book. This is what is termed voting "viva voce." We give for the 
benefit of their descendants a list of persons who voted at that election : 

SANDY PRECINCT. 

Judges Wm. Cowan, Ashael Hannum and John Strawn. Election 
held at the houses of Jesse Roberts, John H. Shaw and Abner Boyle. 
The voters were : Ashael Hannum, Wm. Cowan, John Strawn, George 
H. Shaw, Abner Boyle, Lemuel Gaylord, William Hart, Lemuel Horrarn, 
Robert Bird, Wm. Hendrick, John Knox, James Finley, George Hilde- 
brand, Hiram Allen, Daniel Gunn, Zion Shugart, Jesse Roberts, Isaac 
Hildebrand, John S. Hunt, William Eads, Wm. H. Hart, John Hart, 
Ephraini Smith, Peter Hart, Obed Graves, Hartwell Hawley, William 
Graves, Wm. Lathrop, Jesse Berge, Ezekiel Stacey, Litel Kneal, William 
Hawes, Wm. Knox, Marcus D. Stacey, J. C. Wright, Thos. Gunn, John 
Bird, Samuel Glenn, Elias Thompson, Robert Barnes, James Adams and 
John G. Griffith 42. 

HENNEPIN PRECINCT. 

The Judges of Election were: Thornton Wilson, Aaron Payne and 
George B. Willis; Smiley Shepherd and John Short, Clerks. Election at 
the ferry house, opposite the mouta of Bureau Creek. 

The voters were : James W. Willis, Ira Ladd, Hooper Wan-en, Chris- 
topher Wagner, David Boyle, James C. Stephenson, Samuel McNamara, 
Alexander Wilson, John McDonald, Wm. H. Hamrn, John Griffin, James 
G. Dunlavy, Colby T. Stephenson, James A. Wai-nock, John E. Warnock, 



90 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Jeremiah Strawn, Aaron Whittaker, Aaron Thomasson, Aaron Payne, Jos. 
Warnock, Stephen D. Willis, Madison Stndyvin, Samuel D.- Laughlin, 
Hugh Warnock, Anthony Turck, Jonathan Wilson, Joseph Wallace, 
James Garven, Geoiye Ish, Joseph D. Warnock, Robert W. Moore, James 
G. Ross, James Hayes, John L. Ramsey, Williamson Durley, Thos. D. 
Hayless, Thornton Wilson, John Short, George B. Wilson, Smiley Shep- 
herd, James S. Simpson 41. 

SPOON RIVER DISTRICT. 

Judges Win. Smith, Greenleaf Smith and Wm. B. Essex; John C. 
Owing and Benj. Smith, Clerks. Election at the house of Benj. Smith. 

The voters were: W. D. Garrett, Sewell Smith, John B. Dodge, Syl- 
vanus Moore, Benj. Essex, Thomas Essex, Thomas Essex, Jr., David 
Cooper, Harris W. Miner, Isaac B. Essex, -- Greenleaf, B. Smith, Win. 
Smith, Benj. Smith, John C. Owings 14. 

BUREAU PRECINCT. 

Judges Henry Thomas, Elijah Epperson, and Leonard Roth, at tin- 
bouse of E. Epperson. 

The voters were : Henry Thomas, Elijah Epperson, Leonard Roth, 
John M. Gay, Mason Dimmick, Samuel Gleason, Curtis Williams, Justice 
Ament, John Ament, John W. Hall, Henry M. Harrison, Abner Strut- 
ton, Elijah Thomas, Hezekiah Epperson, Edward W. Hall, Adam Tay- 
lor, Daniel Dunnic, Thomas Washburn and Anthony Epperson. 

In all the precincts there were but one hundred and sixteen votes 
cast. 

SOURCES OF REVENUE, SURVEYS, ETC. 

By order of the County Court, all business men were required to take- 
out licenses, for which fees were charged according to their supposed 
profits. Peddlers were looked on with suspicion, and a fee was exacted 
double that reraiired of the merchant, who could secure one while court 
was in session for eight dollars, but in vacation the Clerk was directed to 
assess sixteen. This we suppose was to make men respect the Court's 
dignity. 

The county being hard up, George Ish and Thomas Gallaher were au- 
thorized to boiTow $200 on its credit, to purchase the land of the United 



SALE OF LOTS AT PUBLIC AUCTION. 91 

States Government upon which the State had located the seat of justice, 
but here a new difficulty arose ; for County Surveyor Stevenson having, 
in accordance with the request of the Court, surveyed the fractional quar- 
ter section upon which the Commissioners had located the new county- 
seat, and found it to contain only twelve acres far too little for the 
future great metropolis, the Court appointed John M. Gay to proceed 
to the residence of any two of said Commissioners and get them to alter 
their report so as to include the south-east quarter, or else to inake 
a new location. They were easily persuaded to amend it in accord- 
ance with the merits of the case; so they designated the south-east 
fractional quarter of Section 9, Town 32, Range 2 west as the future seat 
of justice, and George Ish was sent to Springfield to enter the same at the 
Government Land Office, for the benefit of the County of Putnam. 

September 5, 1831, John B. Dodge, Thomas Gunn, William Smith 
and Thomas G. Ross, having been elected Constables in August, pre- 
sented their bonds, and the same were approved. 

September 6, Dunlavy & Stewart took out a license to sell merchand- 
ise from August 1, 1831; also a like legal authority to sell goods was 
granted to J. & W. Durley, from August 11, 1831. 

September 7, 1831, twelve blocks of the future town of Hennepin 
were ordered to be surveyed, and Ira Ladd allowed eighteen and three- 
fourths cents per lot for surveying. 

A road leading from Hennepin west to the State road from Peoria to 
Galena, was ordered to be surveyed ; also a road to Smith's Ford, on Spoon 
River, to be re-surveyed and marked, and another to be laid out from 
Hennepin to Holland's settlement in Tazewell County (now Washington) ; 
another was laid out from the county seat to the McComas place. 

The first sale of lots in Hennepin was ordered to be made, at public 
auction, on the third Monday of September, 1831, half the purchase money 
to be paid down, and the balance in two payments, in six and twelve 
months. A general sale was ordered to take place on the first Monday of 
December, 1831, on similar terms, to be advertised in the newspapers at 
Springfield and Galena, Illinois, and Terre Haute, Indiana, the then most 
considerable papers in the west. 

The first Commissioner of School Lands was Nathaniel Chamberlain, 
who was appointed September 26, 1831. 

The ground where the new town was located was heavily timbered, if 
we may credit the following notice "from the Court," which "Ordered, 



92 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN ^TIME. 

that notice be given to all persons cutting timber on the streets of Hem ic- 
pin, to clear tlie whole tree they cut down from the street even with the 
ground, and all who infringe upon this rule will be prosecuted." 

Ira Ladd was next called upon to survey eight additional blocks, and 
he complied by laying out eighteen, for which he was paid $3.50. Sam- 
uel Patterson was auctioneer at this sale, and was allowed the surprising 
sum of one dollar for " crying " them. 

December 8, 1831, George H. Shaw, Thomas Wafer, Elijah Smith and 
Benjamin Smith were appointed Overseers of the Poor the first in this 
county. The same day the Court confirmed a permit issued in vacation 
to James S. Simpson, to sell goods; and also tranferred a license from Ira 
Ladd to Thomas Hartzell, for merchandizing. 

March 6, 1832, James W. Willis was appointed Treasurer, and filed 
his bond at the same time. 

Up to March 7, 1832, all efforts had failed to acquire title to the land 
set apart as the seat of justice, and a new endeavor was made. 

The taxes of 1832 were fixed at one and a half per centum on all per- 
sonal property. 

At this session of the Court, Erastus Wright and Win. Porter, who 
were running a ferry at the mouth of Sandy Creek, were taxed $5.00 for 
the privilege. This was March 16, 1832, and was probably the first ferry 
established at Heniy. 

July 2, 1832, the Precinct of Columbia was created out of Sandy Pre- 
cinct, and embracing "all the country east of the Illinois River, south and 
south-west of Geo. H. Thompson's. Robert Bird, James Dever and Rob- 
ert Barnes were appointed judges, and the first election was ordered to be 
held at the house of John Strawn. 

No title to the land where Hennepin stands had yet been acquired, 
although Hooper Warren had specially visited Springfield for the pur- 
pose, and at the July session James G. Dunlavy was dispatched to St. 
Louis upon the same errand. 

Elisha Swan was granted a license to sell goods at Columbia, Septem- 
ber 3, 1832. 

James W. Willis, for assessing the entire property of the county, was 
allowed $25.00. 

September 3, 1832, Thomas Gallaher, Jr., for selling goods without a 
license, was brought before Hooper Warren, a Justice of the Peace, and 
fined $10.00. 



FERRY RATES PUBLIC SCHOOLS ROADS. 93 

September 10, 1832, Aaron Whittaker was employed to build a "stray 
pen, according to law." 

John Lloyd, John Myers, and Bradstreet M. Hays were appointed to 
locate a road from Hennepin to Ottawa, and a former survey on that 
route was ordered to be vacated. 

The Commissioners of Peoria County having granted a license, De- 
cember 3, 1830, to Thompson & Wright to keep a ferry at the mouth of 
Sandy Greet (Henry), the Commissioners of Putnam, October (I, 1*832, 
.ordered the same continued in the name of E. Wright and Wm. Porter, 
who seem to have in some way succeeded the former owners. 

The new ferrymen were required to pay to the county $2.00, and give 
bonds in the sum of $100 that they would run the ferry according to law 
and the following ferry rates : 

Foot passengers, each 6 j cents. 

Man and horse 12J " 

Dearborn, or one-horse wagon 25 " 

Sulky, gig, pleasure carriage with springs, chaise or other wheel car- 
riage drawn by one horse 50 " 

Same, or wagon or cart drawn by two horses or beasts 37 " 

Same, by four horses or beasts 75 " 

Each additional horse 6 " 

Each head of cattle 6} " 

Hog, sheep o r goat, each 3 " 

Goods, per 100 pounds Q\ " 

When the water is out of its banks, double the above rates. 

Ira Ladd was authorized to keep the Hennepin ferry. 
October 6, 1832, it was ordered that a lot be donated in Hennepin for 
the benefit of the public schools, and lot 17 of block 7 having been se- 
lected, the same was deeded to the school district. 

October 6, 1832, a road was ordered surveyed from Columbia (Lacon) 
past Strawn's and Dever's places, south to the county line of Putnam 
and Tazewell. John Robinson, Anthony Turck, and B. M. Hays, Com- 
missioners. 

October 6, 1832, "Lemuel Gaylord came before the Court and made 
affidavit that he was aged sixty-seven years ; that he entered the service 
of the United States Government for one Ithurial Hart, of the Quarter- 
master's Department, under command of Captain Tuttle, in June, 1 780 ; 
continued till December, 1780; re-enlisted in April, 1781; drove team till 
December 27, following; was with the expedition to Yorktuwn, and after 
the taking of Cornwallis, hauled a piece of artillery to Newburg, and 



94 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

baggage back. In April, 1782, enlisted again; went to headquarters at 
New burg, remained under the command of Major Skidmore till December 
20, following, and believe myself entitled to a pension," etc. 

This affidavit bears the signature of Edward Hale' and Peter Ellis, 
ministers of the Gospel, who certify to Gaylord's good character and 
truthfulness. 

In further explanation, it should be stated that Gaylord was a minor 
at the time, and his father was entitled to the pension, but the latter hav- 
ing been killed by the Indians at the massacre of Wyoming, it had never 
been allowed. Mr. Gaylord was fortunate in securing what he was so 
justly entitled to, and spent his remaining days at his home on Sandy. 
He was universally respected, and after living to an advanced age, Avas 
gathered to his fathers, and sleeps in an honored grave in Cumberland 
Cemetery. 

December 25, 1832, Roswell Blanchard surrendered his license to sell 
goods, and in its stead applied for one to keep a tavern at Hennepin, 
which was granted for a fee of fifty cents, and bonds required in the 
amount of $200 that he would, among the duties of landlord, strictly live 
up to the following rates of charges : Horse one night, 2 5c.; one feed, 
12ic. ; one horse twenty-four hours, 37^c. ; man, one meal, 18fc; night's 
lodging, 6c. ; whisky one gill 6c., half-pint 12^c., one pint 18|c. ; 
brandy, rum, gin and wine, one gill 12^c; half -pint 25c., pint 50c. 

December 20, 1832, Captain Brown's Rangers, a body of militia organ- 
ized to protect the white people of the frontier against the Indians, were 
quartered near Hennepin, and occasionally had to use the ferry. The 
Court made the following special order: "Captain Brown's companv of 
Hangers are granted the use of the ferry to cross at Hennepin, for $2.00 
over and back, or $2.00 per week, as Captain Brown may choose. 

March 6, 1833, Hooper Warren, Justice, reported that he had fined 
Roswell ,,Blan chard $3.00 for an assault upon Leonard Roth. Also, George 
Wilmarth seems to have perpetrated an assault and battery upon the de- 
voted person of David Jones, somewhat noted as a pugilist. George hav- 
ing apparently got the best of this encounter, the Justice fined him $5.00 
and costs. 

The entire taxes collected in 1832, in the County of Putnam, amounted 
to cash,. $88. 19, and county orders, $104.62.1. 

A road from the mouth of Crow Creek, up the Illinois River, under 
the bluffs, through Columbia, and along the bottom to the mouth of 



DIVISION OF PUTNAM INTO THREE COUNTIES. 95 

Sandy (opposite Henry), was ordered to be laid out, and Jesse Sawyer 
and the County Surveyor were appointed Commissioners to perform the 
labor, June 3, 1833. 

Peter Earnhardt, paymaster of the Fourth Illinois Militia, filed his 
bond in $200, as by law required, and the same was approved. 

September 2, 1833, J. "W. Willis was sent to Springfield to get patents 
for the land occupied by Hennepin and the county buildings. All previ- 
ous efforts in this direction had regularly failed. The county had been 
selling and conveying property to which it had as yet no title, and ner- 
vous purchasers and tax-payers who feared that some audacious claim- 
jumper might steal the county property, or that which had been claimed 
for court house and jail purposes, kept the Honorable Commissioners' 
Court in the warmest of hot water, and every previous attempt to get titles 
having so wretchedly miscarried, they were becoming desperate. 

December 16, it was ordered that the Commissioners' Clerk and Sheriff 
relinquish their fees for this term of Court. No explanation is vouch- 
safed, and we are left in the dark as to whether the county was unable to 
pay its public servants, or the Treasurer had grown so weak he could not 
draw the necessary orders. 

FERRY LICENSES. 

September 1, 1834, Alex. Tompkins was granted a license to run a 
ferry at the mouth of Negro Creek, at the house of John Cole. 

Elisha Swan was allowed a ferry license at Columbia, March 2, 1835, 
and was taxed $15.00; and at the same time was granted a merchant's 
license. 

March 2, a license was given Wm. Hammett to run a ferry at the 
mouth of Crow Creek. 



FORMATION OF MARSHALL COUNTY. 

By 1835 Putnam had 3,948 whites and eight negroes, of whom two 
were registered servants, or more plainly, slaves. 

The county was growing rapidly, and the location of the county seat 
being found inconvenient for many, the project for a new county was agi- 
tated, and the result was the formation of the magnificent county of Bu- 
reau, with Princeton for its county seat. 



96 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

This was followed by another division, and Marshall County 
formed. Thus from being the largest county in the State and leading all 
others in population, wealth and political influence, Putnam was shorn 
of its fair proportions, and made the very smallest. The student of his- 
tory as he reads this will wonder why this wrong was permitted, and ask 
if there were none in the Legislature to plead for and protect her just 
rights. We cannot answer. 

In the "Bribery Act" of 1837, whereby millions of money was voted 
to railroads never constructed, the consent or silent approval of counties 
not benefitted was secured by loans of money, and under its provisions 
Putnam was entitled to and received $10,000 as her portion of the "steal." 
But " ill gotten gains are treacherous friends," the proverb hath it, and 
so it turned out, for the Treasurer, Ammon Moon, loaned it out so se- 
curely that it has never been recovered. 

The last act of the Commissoners was to divide the county into town- 
ships in accordance with an act of the Legislature and vote of the people, 
and this duty was assigned to Guy W. Pool and Jeremiah Strawn. 

The labors of the old County Commissioners 1 Court ceased April Hi, 
1856, when the new County Supervisors met at Hennepin and took upon 
themselves the dignity of office. The first Board consisted of Townsend 
G. Fyffe, of Magnolia, who was elected chairman, and James S. Simpson 
of Hennepin, Benjamin F. Carpenter of Senachwine, and Joel W. Hopkins 
of Granville. 



RECORDS OF THE PROBATE COURT. 

Colby F. Stevenson was the first Probate Judge of Putnam County, 
and pel-formed its duties in addition to those of Surveyor. 

The first case for adjudication was the estate of Daniel Bland, of Round 
Prairie, who died on the 8th day of February, 1831. The circumstances 
of his death will be more particularly referred to hereafter. His widow, 
Nancy Bland, was appointed administratrix, under bonds of $1,250. Rob- 
ert Bird became her surety. 

John P. Blake was the next Judge, and his first official act was admin- 
istering upon the estate of Zion Shugart, who died February 13, 1833. 
His widow was appointed administratrix, arid Samuel Glenn became her 
surety. Dr. Condee, of Columbia (Lacon), appears to have been physician 
to deceased, since his bill is allowed. 



DEATH NOTICES OF EAKLY SETTLERS. 97 

Aaron Payne, the missionary, "presents a bill of $11.25 for officiating at 
the inquest of Daniel Gunn, who hanged himself on Oxbow Prairie, and 
the same was allowed. 

December 8, 1831, James Reynolds died, and Jane M. Reynolds was 
made executrix. 

Another record is the indenture of Caleb Stark to Elias Isaacs, who 
agrees "for three years' service" to instruct his apprentice in tne "art, 
trade or mystery of currying." After one year's service the contract was 
abrogated. 

September 7, 1831, Wm. Wauhob, Sr., died on JRound Prairie. January 
5, 1835, Robert, his son, comes to the County Court and complains that 
his brother William has appropriated the entire estate of their father, 
and wants an account rendered and a division. After a long contest over 
the matter, the parties got into court and settled. 

James Dever died in December, 1834, and his will was proven in Jan- 
uary, 1835. 

We close- our records with the following death notices of settlers whom 
many will remember: Thornton Wilson died March 9, 1835; Jos. Babb, 
April 7 ; Oliver Johnson, August 6 ; Alexander Wilson, July 22 ; William 
Britt, June 25; and Naomi Ware, October 3, of that year. The last named 
left by will a considerable portion of her estate to the New School Pres- 
byterian Church of Hennepin. 




98 



THE BLACK HAWK WAR. 




CHAPTEK XV. 

THE TREATY OF 1804. 

>H1S important episode in the history of Marshall and Putnam 
Counties demands extended notice, and for what follows we 
are mainly indebted to Ex-Governor Thomas Ford, who 
was a personal actor therein, and probably the veiy best 
man that could be found to tell the story. In order to a 
full and complete understanding of the causes that led to it, 
it will be necessary to refer to a treaty made by General 
Harrison, at St. Louis, in 1804, with the chief of the Sac 
and Fox nations of Indians, by which those Indians ceded to the United 
States all their lands on Rock River, and much more elsewhere. 

" This grant was confirmed by a part of the tribe in a treaty with 
Governor Edwards and Auguste Chouteau, in September, 1815, and by 
another part in a treaty with the same Commissioners in May, 1816. The 
United States had caused some of these lands, situate at the mouth of 
Rock River, to be surveyed and sold. They included the great town of 
the nation, near the mouth of the river. The purchasers from the Gov- 
ernment moved on their lands, built houses, made fences and fields, and 
thus took possession of the ancient metropolis of the Indian nation. It 
consisted of about two or three hundred lodges made of small poles set 
upright in the ground, upon which other poles were tied transversely 
with bark at the top, so as to hold a covering of bark peeled from the 
neighboring trees, and secured with other strips sewed to the transverse 
poles. The sides of the lodges were secured in the same manner. The 
principal part of these Indians had long since moved from their town to 
the west of the Mississippi. 

"But there was one old chief of the Sacs, called Mucata Muhicatah, 
or Black Hawk, who always denied the validity of these treaties. Black 
Hawk was now an old man. He had been a warrior from his youth. He 
had led many a war party on the trail of an enemy, and had never been 



CHARACTER OF BLACK HAWK. 99 

defeated. He had been in the service of England in the war of 1812, and 
had been aid-de-camp to the great Tecumseh. He was distinguished for 
courage and for clemency to the vanquished. He was an Indian patriot, 
a kind husband and father, and was noted for his integrity in all his deal- 
ings with his tribe and with the Indian traders. He was firmly attached 
to the British, and cordially hated the Americans. At the close of the 
war of 1812 he did not join in making peace with the United States, 
but himself and band kept up their connection with Canada, and , were 
ever ready for a war with our people. He was in his personal deport- 
ment grave and melancholy, with a disposition to cherish and brood over 
the wrongs he supposed he had received from the Americans. He was 
thirsting for revenge upon his enemies, and at the same time his piety con- 
strained him to devote one day in the year to visit the grave of a favorite 
daughter buried on the Mississippi Biver, not far from Oquawka. Here he 
came on his yearly visit, and spent a day by the grave, lamenting and be- 
wailing the death of one who had been the pride of his family and of his 
Indian home. With these feelings was mingled the certain and melan- 
choly prospect of the extinction of his tribe, and the transfer of his coun- 
try, with its many silvery rivers, rolling and green prairies, and dark 
forests, the haunts of his youth, to the possession of a hated enemy; 
while he and his people were to be driven, as he supposed, into a strange 
country, far from the graves of his fathers and his children. 

" Black Hawk's own account of the treaty of 1804 is as follows. He 
says that some Indians of the tribe were arrested and imprisoned in St. 
Louis for murder; that some of the chiefs were sent down to provide for 
their defence ; that while there, and without the consent of the nation, 
they were induced to sell the Indian country ; that when they came home, 
it appeared that they had been drunk most of the time they were absent, 
and could give no account of what they had done, except that they had 
sold some land to the white people, and had come home loaded with 
presents and Indian finery. This was all the nation ever heard or knew 
about the treaty of 1804. 

" Under the pretence that this treaty was void, he resisted the order 
of the Government for the removal of his tribe west of the Mississippi. 
In the spring of 1831 he re-crossed the river, with his women and children 
and three hundred warriors of the British band, together with some allies 
from the Pottawatomie and Kickapoo nations, to establish himself upon 
his ancient hunting-grounds and in the principal village of his nation. He 



100 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

ordered the white settlers away, threw down their fences, unroofed their 
houses, cut up their grain, drove off and killed their cattle, and threat- 
ened the people with death if they remained. The settlers made their 
complaints to Governor Reynolds. These acts of the Indians were con- 
sidered by the Governor to be an invasion of the State. He immediately 
addressed letters to General Gaines, of the United States army, and to 
General Clark, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, calling upon them to 
use the influence of the Government to procure the peaceful removal of 
the Indians, if possible ; at all events, to defend arid protect the American 
citizens who had purchased those lands from the United States, and were 
now about to be ejected by the Indians. General Gaines repaired to Rock 
Island with a few companies of regular soldiers, and soon ascertained 
that the Indians were bent upon war. He immediately called upon Gov- 
ernor Reynolds for seven hundred mounted volunteers. The Governor 
obeyed the requisition. A call was made upon some of the northern and 
central counties, in obedience to which fifteen hundred volunteers rushed 
to his standard at Beardstown, and about the 10th of June were organ- 
ized and ready to march to the seat of war. The whole force was divided 
into two regiments, an odd battalion and a spy battalion. The first regi- 
ment was commanded by Col. James D. Henry, the second by Col. Daniel 
Lieb, the odd battalion by Maj. Nathaniel Buckmaster, and the spy bat- 
talion by Maj. Samuel Whiteside. The whole brigade was put under the 
command of Maj. Gen. Joseph Duncan, of the State Militia. This was 
the largest military force of Illinoisans which had ever been assembled in 
the State, and made an imposing appearance as it traversed the then un- 
broken wilderness of prairie. 

The army proceeded in four days to the Mississippi, at a place now 
called Rockport, about eight miles below the mouth of Rock River, where 
it met General Gaines in a steamboat, with a supply of provisions. Here 
it encamped for the night, and the two Generals concerted a plan of 
operations. General Gaines had been in the vicinity of the Indian town 
for about a month, during which time it might be supposed that he had 
made himself thoroughly acquainted with the localities and topography of 
the country. The next morning the volunteers marched forward, with an 
old regular soldier for a guide. The steamboat with General Gaines 
ascended the river. A battle was expected to be fought that day on Van- 
druff's Island, opposite the Indian town. The plan was for the volun- 
teers to cross the slough on to this island, give battle to the enemy if 



GENERAL GAINES' FRUITLESS CAMPAIGN. 101 

found there, and then to ford the main river into the town, where they 
were to be met by the regular force coming down from the fort. The 
island was covered with bushes and vines, so as to be impenetrable to the 
sight at the distance of twenty feet. General Gaines ran his steamboat 
up to the point of the island, and fired several rounds of grape and can- 
ister shot into it to test the presence of an enemy. The spy battalion 
formed in line of battle and swept the island; but it was soon ascertained 
that the ground rose so high within a short distance of the bank} that 
General Gaines's shot could not have taken effect one hundred yards from 
the shore. The main body of the volunteers, in three columns, came fol- 
lowing the spies; but before they had got to the northern side of the 
island, they were so jammed up and mixed together, officers and men, 
that no man knew his own company or regiment, or scarcely himself. 
General Gaines had ordered the artillery of the regular army to be sta- 
tioned on a high bluff which looked down upon the contemplated battle- 
field a half mile distant, from whence, in case of battle with the Indians 
in the tangled thickets of the island, their shot were likely to kill more of 
their friends than their enemies. It would have been impossible for the 
artillerists to distinguish one from the other. And when the army arrived 
at the main river, they found it a bold, deep stream, not fordable for a 
half mile or more above by horses, and no means of transportation was 
then ready to ferry them over. Here ^they were in sight of the Indian 
town, with a narrow, deep river running between, and here the princi- 
pal part of them remained until scows could be brought to ferry them 
across it. 

" When the volunteers reached the town they found no enemy there. 
The Indians had quietly departed the same morning in their canoes for 
the western side of the Mississippi. Whilst in camp twelve miles below, 
the evening before, a canoe load of Indians came down with a white flag 
to tell the General that they were peaceable Indians, that they expected a 
great battle to come off the next day, that they desired to remain neutral, 
and wanted to retire with their families to some place of safety, and they 
asked to know where that was to be. General Gaines answered them 
very abruptly, and told thelfn to be off and go to the other side of the 
Mississippi. That night they returned to their town, and the next morn- 
ing early the whole band of hostile Indians re-crossed the river, and thus 
entitled themselves to protection." 

Says Governor Ford: "It has been stated to me by Judge William 



102 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

* 

Thomas, of Jacksonville, who acted as Quartermaster of the brigade of 
volunteers, that Gaines and Duncan had reason to believe, before the 
commencement of the march from the camp on the Mississippi, that the 
Indians had departed from their village, that measures had been taken to 
ascertain the fact before the volunteers crossed to Vandruff 's Island, that 
General Duncan, in company with the advanced guard, following the spies, 
preceded the main body in crossing, and that this will account for the con- 
fusion and want of order in the march of the troops. 

"I was myself in company with the spies, arriving at the river a mile 
in advance of the army. I saw General Gaines ascend with his boat to 
the point of the island; was within one hundred yards of him when he 
fired into the island to test the presence of the Indians; I marched ahead 
with the spies across the island, saw with my own eyes the elevation of 
the land near the shore, which would have prevented cannon shot from 
taking effect more than one hundred yards. I also knew the condition of 
the island as to bushes and vines, and saw the artillery firing from the fort 
stationed on the high bluff on the opposite side of the river. I was on 
the bank of the main river when General Duncan came up, followed soon 
after by his brigade in the utmost confusion, and heard him reprimand 
John S. Miller, a substantial and worthy citizen of Rock Island, for not 
letting him know that the main river was on the north side of the island; 
and I heard Miller curse him to his face at the head of his troops for re- 
fusing his services as guide when offered the evening before, and then cen- 
suring him for not giving information which he had refused to receive. I 
give the facts as I personally know them to be true, and leave it to others to 
judge whether the two Generals, knowing of the departure of the Indians, 
had taken proper measures to ascertain the presence of an enemy, or had 
made the- best disposition for a battle if the Indians had been found either 
at their village or on the island. Much credit is undoubtedly due to Gov- 
ernor Reynolds and General Duncan for the unprecedented quickness with 
which the brigade was called out, organized, and marched to the seat 
of war, and neither of them are justly responsible for what was arranged 
for them by General Gaines. 

"The enemy having escaped, the volunteers were determined to be 
avenged upon something. The rain descended in torrents, and the Indian 
wigwams would have furnished a comfortable shelter; but notwithstand- 
ing the rain, the whole town was soon wrapped in flames, and thus per- 
ished an ancient village which had once been the delightful home of six or 



A BRIEF PEACE RENEWAL OF HOSTILITIES. 103 

seven thousand Indians ; where generation after generation had been born, 
had died, and been buried ; where the old men had taught wisdom to the 
young ; whence the Indian youth had often gone out in parties to hunt or 
to war, and returned in triumph to dance around the spoils of the forest, 
or the scalps of their enemies ; and where the dark-eyed Indian maidens, 
by their presence and charms, had made it a scene of delightful enchant- 
ment to many an admiring warrior. 

"The volunteers marched to Rock Island next morning, and here they 
encamped for several days, precisely where the town of Rock Island is 
now situated. It was then in a complete state of nature, a romantic wil- 
derness. Fort Armstrong was built upon a rocky cliff on the lower point 
of an island near the center of the river, a little way above; the shores 
on each side, formed of gentle slopes of prairie extending back to bluffs 
of considerable height, made it one of the most picturesque scenes in the 
Western country. The river here is a beautiful sheet of clear, swift-run- 
ning water, about three-quarters of a mile wide; its banks on both sides 
were uninhabited except by Indians, from the lower rapids to the fort, 
and the voyager up stream, after several days' solitary progress through a 
wilderness country on its borders, came suddenly in sight of the white- 
washed walls and towers of the fort, perched upon a rock surrounded by 
the grandeur and beauty of nature, which at a distance gave it the ap- 
pearance of one of those enchanted castles in an uninhabited desert so 
well described in the Arabian Nights Entertainment. 

General Gaines threatened to pursue the Indians across the river, 
which brought Black Hawk and the chiefs and braves of the hostile 
band to the fort to sue for peace. A treaty was formed with them, by 
which they agreed to remain forever after on the west side of the river, 
and never to recross it without the permission of the President or the 
Governor of the State. And thus these Indians at last ratified the treaty 
of 1804, by which their lands were sold to the white people, and they 
agreed to live in peace with the Government. 

"But notwithstanding this treaty, early in the spring of 1832, Black 
Hawk and the disaffected Indians prepared to reassert their right to the 
disputed territory. 

"The united Sac and Fox nations were divided into two parties. 
Black Hawk commanded the warlike band, and Keokuk, another chief, 
headed the band which was in favor of peace. Keokuk was a bold, sa- 
gacious leader of his people, was gifted with a wild and stirring eloquence 



104 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

rarely to be found even among Indians, by means of which he retained 
the greater part of his people in amity with the white people. But nearly 
all the bold, turbulent spirits, who delighted in mischief, arranged them- 
selves under the banners of his rival. Black Hawk had with him the 
chivalry of his nation, with which he re-crossed the Mississippi in the 
spring of 1832. He directed his march to the Rock River country, and 
this time aimed, by marching up the river into the territory of the Potta- 
watomies and Winnebagoes, to make them his allies. Governor Reynolds, 
upon being informed of the facts, made another call for volunteers. In a 
few days eighteen hundred men rallied under his banner at Beardstown. 
This force was organized into four regiments and a spy battalion. Colonel 
Dewitt commanded the First Regiment, Colonel Fry the Second, Colonel 
Thomas the Third, Colonel Thompson the Fourth, and Col. James D. 
Henry commanded the spy battalion. The whole brigade was put under 
the command of Brigadier General Samuel Whiteside, of the State 
militia, who had commanded the spy battalion in the first campaign. 




STILLMAN'S DEFEAT. 



105 




CHAPTER XVI. 

DEFEAT OF MAJOE STILLMAN. 

the 27th of April, General Whiteside, accompanied by Gov- 
ernor Reynolds, took up his line of march. The army pro- 
ceeded by way of Oquawka, on the Mississippi, to the mouth 
of Rock River, and here it was agreed between General 
Whiteside and General Atkinson, of the regulars, that the 
volunteers should march up Rock River about fifty miles, 
to the Prophet's town, and there encamp to feed and rest 
their horses, and a\\,-dt the arrival of the regular troops in 
keel boats, with provisions. 

Judge Thomas, who again acted as quartermaster to the volunteers, 
made an estimate of the amount of provisions required until the boats 
could arrive, which was supplied, and then General Whiteside took up 
his line of march. But when he arrived at the Prophet's town, instead 
of remaining there, his men set fire to the village, which was entirely con- 
sumed, and the brigade marched on in the direction of Dixon, forty miles 
higher up the river. When the volunteers had arrived within a short 
distance of Dixon, orders were given to leave the baggage wagons behind, 
so as to reach there by a forced march. And for the relief of the horses, 
the men left large quantities of provisions behind with the wagons. At 
Dixon, General Whiteside came to a halt, to await a junction with Gen- 
eral Atkinson, with provisions and the regular forces; and from here par- 
ties were sent out to reconnoitre the enemy and ascertain his position. 
The army here found upon its arrival two battalions of mounted volun- 
teers, consisting of 275 men, from tne counties of McLean, Tazewell, 
Peoria, and Fulton, under the command of Majors Stillman and Bailey. 
The officers of this force begged to be put forward upon some dangerous 
service, in which they could distinguish themselves. To gratify them, they 
were ordered up Rock River to spy out the Indians. Major Stillman be- 
gan his march on the 12th of May, and pursuing his way on the south- 
east side, he came to "Old Man's" Creek, since called "Stillman's Run," 
a small stream which rises in White Rock Grove, in Ogle County, and 



106 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

falls into the liver near filoomingville. Here he encamped just before 
night, and in a short time a party of Indians on horseback were discov- 
ered on a rising ground about one mile distant from the encampment. A 
party of Stillman's men mounted their horses without orders or com- 
mander, and were soon followed by others, stringing along for a quarter 
of a mile, to pursue the Indians and attack them. The Indians retreated 
after displaying a red flag, the emblem of defiance and war, but were over- 
taken and three of them slain. Here IV^aj. Samuel Hackelton, being dis- 
mounted in the engagement, distinguished himself by a combat with one 
of the Indians, in which the Indian was killed, and Major Hackelton after- 
ward made his way on foot to the camp of General Whiteside. Black 
Hawk was near by with his main force, and being prompt to repel an 
assault, soon rallied his men, amounting then to about seven hundred 
warriors, and moved down upon Major Stillman's camp, driving the dis- 
orderly rabble, the recent pursuers, before him. These valorous gentle- 
men, lately so hot in pursuit when the enemy were few, were no less 
hasty in their retreat when coming in contact with superior numbers. 
They came with horses on a full run, and in this manner broke through 
the camp of Major Stillman, spreading dismay and terror among the rest 
of his men, who immediately began to join in the flight, so that no eff ort 
to rally them could possibly have succeeded. Major Stillman, now too 
late to remedy the evils of insubordination and disorder in his command, 
did all that was practicable, by ordering his men to fall back in order, and 
form on higher ground; but as the prairie rose behind them for more than 
a mile, the ground for a rally was never discovered; and besides this, when 
the men once got their backs to the enemy, they commenced a retreat 
without one thought of making a further stand. A retreat of undisci- 
plined militia from the attack of a superior force is apt to be a disorderly 
and inglorious flight. And so it was here; each man sought his individual 
safety, and in the twinkling of an eye the whole detachment was in utter 
confusion. They were pursued in their flight by thirty or forty Indians 
for ten or twelve miles, the fugitives in the rear keeping up a flying fire 
as they ran, until the Indians ceased pursuing. 

" But there were some good soldiers and brave men in Stillman's de- 
tachment, whose individual efforts succeeded in checking the career of the 
Indians, whereby many escaped that night who would otherwise have 
been the easy victims of the enemy. Among these were Major Perkins 
and Captain Adams, who fell in the rear, bravely fighting to cover the 



WHAT A BARBEL OF WHISKY DID. 107 

retreat of their fugitive friends. But Major Stillman and his men pur- 
sued their flight without looking to the right or the left, until they were 
safely landed at Dixon. The party came straggling into camp all night 
long, four or five at a time, each new comer being confident that all who 
had been left behind had been massacred by the Indians. The enemy was 
stated to be just behind in full pursuit, and their arrival was looked for 
eveiy moment. Eleven of Stillman's men were killed, and it is only 
astonishing that the number was so few. 



NARRATIVE OF EDWIN 8. JONES. 



As this is mainly a local history, we give the individual recollections 
of Edwin S. Jones of this affair, now and for many years past a respected 
citizen of La Prairie. He was an Orderly Sergeant in Captain Eads' com- 
pany, and enlisted at Peoria, where they were several days in camp pre- 
vious to setting out. They were equipped with the old-fashioned musket 
of that day, and decidedly averse to discipline, each individual considering 
himself a free American citizen, able singly to subdue and capture a half 
dozen Indians. At Boyd's Grove, where they camped for the night, they 
were joined by Captain Barnes and his company, and at Bureau by Cap- 
tain Baughman and twenty-eight men, when they received orders to push 
on to Dixon, where the Indians stole many of their horses. While here 
they were joined by a detachment of the regular army under Col. Zack 
Taylor, and Lieuts. Jeff. Davis and Sidney Johnson. Between the volun- 
teets and regulars jealousy and ill feeling at once sprung up, the former 
looking upon the soldiers as "stuck up" and supercilious, while the reg- 
ulars frowned with contempt upon the "greenhorn farmers," fresh from 
the plow and hoe. The volunteers, burning with impatience to pounce 
upon the foe and capture them, and fearing lest that honor might in any 
way be divided with the regulars, could hardly be held within bounds, 
and when their commander, Major Stillman, received orders to reconnoitre 
the enemy's position, the men hailed it as a permission to attack the 
Indians if found. 

On the 10th;of May, 1832, they started up Rock River in the midst of 
a pelting storm, the volunteers, being without tents or shelter. They 
marched several miles and went into camp, cold, wet and cheerless, re- 
maining until Monday, when they moved forward to Rock River, where 



108 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Major Stillman took charge of the detachment to which the writer be- 
longed, known as the "odd battalion." A portion of the command came 
from Tazewell County, and were an unusually "hard lot." They had 
brought with them a barrel of whisky, of which the men had partaken 
freely, and Major Stillman, fearing its demoralizing effects, ordered it 
taken in charge by Mr. Jones, which duty he performed until relieved, 
when he proceeded to join his company. As he was mounting his horse 
an order came to "Forward," but the Tazewell troops refused to go until 
they had got their "bitters." They smashed in the head of the barrel and 
filled their coffee pots, besides drinking freely; then joined in the march. 
Arriving at what has since been known as "Stillman's Run," then called 
"Old Man's Creek," they found a region of swamps and morasses, into 
which they plunged, and found considerable difficulty in getting through, 
after which the command went into camp. While preparing their dinners 
a party of mounted Indians approached and fired from a distance, which set 
the horses to rearing, and created something of a panic. The ciy of " In- 
dians! Indians!" was raised, when the drunken soldiers mounted their 
horses and went galloping forward, yelling like maniacs. The warriors 
came on in good style and began firing, by which several of our men fell, 
when, with scarcely a return shot, the cowardly rabble turned and ran 
for dear life, throwing away guns, hats and coats. They were frightened 
out of their wits, and their cowardly fear communicated to the whole 
camp, which broke up in wild disorder. But all were not cowards, and 
a few resolute men rode out and met the savages, giving them a blizzard 
which emptied a few saddles and sent them to the right about. Another 
party now appeared, and news came that the Indians had surrounded The 
men who had pursued them, and we pushed on to their relief. On the 
way several dead Indians were found, and three were taken prisoners. The 
captives said they came to make peace and not to fight. We rode on a 
hard canter for five miles, until a wide swamp was reached, beyond which 
the retreating Indians were seen. Orders came to plunge in, and in we 
went. Horses were mired and the men too, and when we had got well 
into the trap for trap it was we were surrounded by the painted devils, 
who came whooping and yelling and pouring the contents of their muskets 
right in our faces. No man who has ever heard an Indian yell will won- 
der that men who had never been under fire became panic-stricken. An 
officer in the rear shouted "Halt!" and then came the word to retreat 
to solid ground. We did so, but the Indians were shooting wickedly, 



PARTICIPANTS SINCE FAMOUS IN HISTORY. 109 

and it was impossible to form a line. As fast as one was formed, the 
demoralized mob behind, covered with mud arid mire, would break through 
and "streak it" as fast as their legs permitted. Captain Barnes came 
up and did his best to rally the men, but in vain. We arrived in camp at 
dark, the Indians in hot pursuit, yelling and firing upon us. A detach- 
ment of the savages got in our front, which filled our men with greater 
terror than ever. All order was now lost, each man being chiefly inter- 
ested in getting off with his scalp. Mr. Jones and a man named Miner 
struck up the creek and, in crossing, Miner's horse fell, but both got over 
safely and joined Captain Eads, who had formed some of his men, and hay- 
ing reloaded their muskets, felt better. The Indians were everywhere, 
and several times deluded the whites by crying "Help!" in good English, 
and shooting at any one who responded. The whites .dare not shoot in 
the dark for fear of killing more friends than foes, and so the rout con- 
tinued until Dixon was reached, thirty-five miles away, the Indians dog- 
ging the retreating army at a distance, and watching for stragglers. 

Jones reached Dixon the morning after the inglorious action, about day- 
light, and shared the same blanket with Stillnian, who remarked: "Well, 
Sergeant, the war has begun, and the Lord knows how it will end!" 

Jones credits Stillman with being a brave man and a thoroughly 
skilled tactician, but unable to manage recruits unused to niilitary re- 
straint, and who would not submit to discipline. But the chief cause of 
this shameful defeat and flight and the demoralization of the entire force, 
was that barrel of whisky. 

Our soldiers captured three Indians, whom they shot on the retreat 
while prisoners, an act of barbarity wholly without excuse or apology. 

While breakfasting at Dixon, Mr. Jones met at the same table a num- 
ber of men, some of whom in after years became famous, and others infa- 
mous in the history of the country. They were : Zach. Taylor, afterward 
President of the United States ; Jeff. Davis, Chief of the Southern Confed- 
eracy ; Gen. Sidney Johnson, one of his ablest Generals ; General Atkinson, 
then a man of deserved fame as a good soldier, and Major Stillman, the 
hero of the inglorious defeat mentioned in this chapter. 



INCIDENTS OF STILLMAN's DEFEAT. 



The baggage train of Stillman's army consisted of six wagons, drawn 



110 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

by oxen and guarded by fifty mounted Rangers, commanded by Captain 
Hacldeton. Among his recruits was a tall, raw-boned lad, said to be the 
homeliest man in the company, and answering to the cognomen of "Abe." 
He was the wag of the command, and the best story-teller in the service. 
When the march was over they gathered about him in crowds, and list- 
ened to his wonderful yarns with an interest that never slacked. In after 
years it was his fortune to command all the armies of the United States, 
and meet his death at the hands of an assassin. With such spirit of 
mischief embodied in one person as he possessed, fun was life in the 
company, and Capt. Hackleton to test the courage of his command, man- 
ufactured an Indian scare. Having made his plans known to the guards, 
with. a few trusty fellows he repaired to the brush and raised a terrific 
war-whoop, while the pickets fired off their guns. 

The whole command was aroused, and the men, fearing Indian warriors 
had attacked them, and would in a few moments be in their midst, cutting, 
slashing and scalping, rushed pell-mell, swearing, praying, and nearly 
frightened out of their wits, to the rear, where a guard with fixed bayonets 
stopped their retreat, explaining the joke. The surgeon of the company 
mounted his horse, but forgot to untie him from the tree. Under the spur 
the animal sprang forward the length of the rope, and then back again, 
striking the Doctor's head against the limb of a tree. Believing himself 
struck by an Indian, the frightened surgeon, at the top of his voice, in sup- 
plicating tones exclaimed : " Mr. Injun ! I surrender. Spare my life ! " This 
became the by-word of the camp, and was the standing joke among the 
heroes of the Black Hawk war for years. 

"In the night, after their arrival at Dixon, the trumpet sounded a sig- 
nal for the officers to assemble at the tent of General Whiteside. A 
council of war was held, in which it was agreed to march early the next 
morning to the fatal field of that evening's disaster. In consequence of 
the ill-advised and misjudged march from the Prophet's town, the waste- 
fulness of the volunteers, and leaving the baggage wagons behind to make 
a forced march without motive or necessity, there were no provisions in 
the camp, except in the messes of the most careful and experienced men. 
The majority had been living upon parched corn and coffee for two or 
three days. But Quartermaster Thomas, anticipating the result of the 
council, went out in search of cattle and hogs, which were obtained of 
Mr. John Dixon, then the only white inhabitant on Rock River, above its 
mouth. By this means, before daylight the next morning the army was 



SHAUBENA^S TIMELY WARNING UNHEEDED. Ill 

supplied with fresh beef, which they ate without bread; and now they 
began their march for the scene of the disaster of the night before. 
When the volunteers arrived there the Indians were gone. They had 
scattered out all over the country, some of them further up Rock River, 
and.other toward the nearest settlements of white people. 

Soon as Black Hawk was relieved of the presence in his front of the 
volunteers, he determined on a general slaughter of all the whites north 
and west of the Illinois River, in what now constitutes parts of Marshall, 
Putnam, Bureau and La Salle Counties. Shaubena, learning that such fate 
was in store for all the settlers, hastened to give them warning, riding 
night and day, and calling at every man's cabin. He performed his often 
thankless work of mercy so promptly and thoroughly that all might have 
escaped had they heeded his advice and urgent appeals. He appeared at 
Indian Creek on the 15th of May, and told them of Black Hawk's pur- 
pose. Mr. J. W. Hall started for Ottawa with his family, but at the 
cabin of a Mr. Davis, a Kentuckian, a large, powerful and resolute man, 
he was persuaded to remain. Here were also gathered the families of 
Davis and Pettigrew. Davis had fled to the block-house fort at Ottawa 
the year before, when the Indian scare occurred, and been taunted with a 
want of courage when it was found to have been only a false alarm. 
Rather than be again subject to a suspicion of cowardice, he resolved to 
stay and fight the Indians, should they come. 

In the afternoon of May 20, seventy or eighty redskins appeared and 
began an attack upon these almost defenseless people, killing fifteen per- 
sons and taking prisoners two girls, Rachel Hall, aged fifteen, and Sylvia 
Hall, aged seventeen, the details of whose captivity given in the next 
chapter are mainly taken from Matson's " Reminiscences of Bureau County." 
"The Indians immediately retreated into the Winnebago country, 
^p Rock River, carrying the scalps of the slain and their prisoners 
with them. Indian wars are the wars of a past age. . They have al- 
ways been characterized by the same ferocity and cruelty on the part of 
the Indians. To describe this massacre is only to repeat what has been 
written a hundred times ; but the history of this war would be imperfect 
without some account of it. The Indians approached the house in which 
the three families were assembled, in the day-time. They entered it sud- 
denly, with but little notice. Some of the inmates were immediately shot 
down with rifles, others were pierced with spears or despatched with the 
tomahawk. The Indians afterward related with infernal glee how the 



112 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



women squeaked like geese when they were run through the bodv 
with spears, or felt the sharp tomahawk entering their heads. All the 
victims were carefully scalped; their bodies were mutilated and mangled; 
the little children were chopped to pieces with axes; and the women were 
tied up by the heels to the walls of the house ; their clothes falling pver 
their heads, left their naked persons exposed to the public gaze. 





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THE STORY OF THE CAPTIVE GIRLS. 115 




CHAPTER XVII. 

CAPTIVITY OF SYLVIA AND RACHEL HALL. 

story of the captured girls, which fitly follows, is taken 
from Matson's " Reminiscences of Bureau County," and is 
mainly the personal narrative of Rachel, the elder of the 
two sisters: 

"After being placed on horseback and guarded by two 
Indians, who rode by our side, holding on to the reins of 
the bridles, we commenced our long, tedious journey. We 
rode most of the time on a canter, and the Indians fre- 
quently looked back, as though they were afraid of being followed by 
the rangers, who were at that time roaming through the country. We 
continued to travel at a rapid rate until near midnight, when we halted to 
rest our horses. After waiting about two hours, we continued our jour- 
ney, traveling all night and next day until noon, when we again halted. 
Here our captors turned out their horses to graze, built a fire, scalded 
some beans, and roasted some acorns, of which they offered us some to 
eat, but we declined tasting. We remained in camp a few hours ; during 
that time the Indians were engaged in dressing the scalps, by stretching 
them on small willow hoops. Among these scalps I recognized my 
mother's, by the bright color of her hair. The sight of this produced in 
me a faintness, and I fell to the ground in a swoon, from which I was 
soon after aroused, in order to continue our journey. After leaving the 
camp we traveled more leisurely than before, until about nine o'clock at 
night we reached the camp of Black Hawk, after having rode near ninety 
miles in twenty-eight hours. 

" We found the Indian camp on the bank of a creek, surrounded by 
marshy ground, over which were scattered burr oak trees, being, as we 
afterward learned, near the Four Lakes, (now Madison City, Wisconsin). 
" On our arrival in camp, a number of squaws came to our assistance, 
taking us from our horses, and conducting us into a wigwam. These 
squaws were very kind to us, and gave us some parched corn and maple 
sugar to eat, it being the first food that we had tasted since our captivity. 



116 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

" Our arrival in camp caused great rejoicing among the Indians. A 
large body of warriors collected around us, beating on drums, dancing, and 
yelling at the top of their voices. Next morning our fear of massacre or 
torture had somewhat subsided, and we were presented with beans and 
maple sugar for breakfast. They also offered us coffee to eat, which had 
been taken from Davis's house, not knowing that it required to be ground 
and boiled before being used. About ten o'clock, the camp was broken 
up, and we moved five or six miles, crossing a creek, and encamped on 
high ground, which was covered with timber. We were provided with 
horses to ride, and behind us was packed camp equipage, which consisted 
of tents, kettles, provisions, etc. On arriving at our new camp, a white 
birch pole was stuck into the ground, on which were hung the scalps of 
our murdered friends, being exhibited here as trophies of war. About 
fifty warriors, who were divested of clothing and their faces painted red, 
danced around this pole to the music of drums and rattling gourds. Eveiy 
day during our stay with the Indians, this pole containing the scalps was 
erected, and the dance repeated. 

" One morning a party of warriors came to our lodge and took us out, 
placing in our hands small red flags, and made us march around the en- 
campment with them, stopping and waving the flags at the door of each 
wigwam. After this we were taken to the dance-ground, by the side of 
the white pole containing the scalps, and by the side of which a blanket 
was spread. After painting our faces, one half red and the other black, 
we were inade to lie down on the blanket, with our faces to the ground. 
The warriors then commenced dancing around us, flourishing their toma- 
hawks and war clubs over our heads, and yelling like demons. We now 
thought our time had come, and quietly awaited our fate, expecting 
every moment to be our last. When the dance was over, we were taken 
away by two squaws, who we understood to be the wives of Black Hawk. 
By these squaws we were adopted as their children ; although separated, 
we were allowed to visit each other frequently. Each day our camp was 
moved a few miles, always traveling in a circular route. Along the trail, 
at short intervals, the Indians would erect poles, with tufts of grass tied 
on one side, showing to the hunters in what direction the camp could be 
found. Our fears of massacre had entirely disappeared, being adopted 
into the families of these squaws, not being required to do any work, but 
watched closely to prevent our escape. 

" Some days after our arrival in Black Hawk's camp, we were told that 



THEIE TREATMENT BY THE INDIANS. 117 

we must go with two Winnebago chiefs, who had come for us. The 
squaws with whom we lived were greatly distressed at the thought of 
parting with us. The Winnebago chiefs tried to make us understand that 
they were about to take us to white people, but we did not believe them. 
Thinking they intended to take us farther , from home and friends, we 
clung to the squaws, and refused to go. 

"Contrary to our wish, we were placed on horses, behind each of the 
chiefs, and with us they galloped away, traveling twenty miles thaf same 
night. The chiefs said that they were afraid of being followed by some 
of the Sacs and Foxes, who were displeased at our departure. Every few 
moments the chiefs would look back to see if they were pursued, and then 
whip their ponies again into a gallop. 

"Some time after dark we arrived at the Winnebago camp, where we re- 
mained over night. Early next morning we continued our journey, trav- 
eling all day, when we arrived at an encampment on the Wisconsin River, 
where there were about one hundred warriors. During next day a party 
of Sac Indians, dressed in the clothes of murdered white men, came into 
camp. These Indians commenced talking to us, but the Winnebago chiefs 
told us to turn away from them, and not listen to what they said, which 
we did." 

It was afterward ascertained that a petty chief who had captured the 
girls, was off on a hunt at the time they were given up to the Winnebago 
chiefs, and not receiving his portion of the ransom, immediately started 
with a party of warriors to retake them, or kill them in the attempt. 
These warriors did not overtake the girls until they arrived safe at the 
Winnebago camp. 

"White Crow asked if we thought the whites would hang them if they 
took us to the fort. We gave them to understand that they would not. 
White Crow then collected his horses, and with Whirling Thunder and 
about twenty of the Winnebagoes, we crossed the river and pursued our 
journey, my sister and myself each on a separate horse. We encamped 
about dark, rose early next morning, and after a hasty meal of pork and 
potatoes (the first we had seen since our captivity), of which we ate 
heartily, we traveled on until we reached the fort, near Blue Mounds, Wis- 
consin Territory. 

"Before our arrival there, we had become satisfied that our protectors 
were taking us to our friends, and that we had formerly done them injus- 
tice. About three miles from the fort we stopped, and the Indians 



118 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

cooked some venison, after which they took a white handkerchief which I 
had, and tying it to a long pole, three Indians proceeded with it to the 
fort. About a quarter of a mile from there, we were met by a French- 
man. The Indians formed a ring, and the Frenchman rode into it, and 
had a talk with our protectors. The latter expressed an unwillingness to 
give us up until they could see Mr. Gratiot, the agent. Being informed 
by the Frenchman that we should be well treated, and that they should 
see us daily until Mr. Gratiot's arrival, they delivered us into the French- 
man's care. 

"We repaired immediately to the fort, where the ladies of the garrison 
(who in the mean time had assembled) received us with the utmost ten- 
derness. We were thereupon attired once more in the costume of our own 
country, and next day started for Galena. 

" On reaching a little fort at White Oak Springs, we were met by our 
eldest brother, who, together with a younger one, was at work in a field 
near the house when we were captured, and when the massacre began, 
fled, and arrived in safety at Dixon's Ferry. On leaving Galena, we went 
on board the steamboat "Winnebago," for St. Louis, which place we 
reached in five days, and were kindly received by its citizens and hospita- 
bly entertained by Governor Clark. Previous to our leaving Galena, we 
had received an affectionate letter from the Rev. Mr. Horn, of Morgan 
County, Illinois, inviting us to make his house our future home. We ac- 
cepted the invitation, and left St. Louis in the steamboat "Caroline," for 
Beardstown, on the Illinois River, where we arrived on the third day 
thereafter. On landing, we were kindly received by the citizens, and in 
a few hours reached the residence of Mr. Horn, five miles distant, in the 
latter part of July, 1832, when our troubles ended." 

The Misses Hall's brother having married and settled in Putnam 
County, Illinois, about this time, he invited his sisters to come and reside 
with him. They did so in the fore part of August, 1832. The elder 
Miss Hall afterward, in March, 1833, married Mr. William Munson, and 
settled in La Salle County, about twelve miles north of Ottawa. The 
younger sister, in May, 1833, married Mr. William Horn, a son of the 
clergyman who had so kindly offered them a home in his family, removed 
to Morgan County, Illinois, and afterward to Nebraska. 

The Misses Hall were captured May 21, 1832. According to the 
foregoing account, they were three days in traveling with their captors, 
and continued five days with the Sacs at their camp. This would bring 



FURTHER OUTRAGES BY THE SAVAGES. 119 

the time up to May 29. They were five days more in traveling with the 
Winnebagoes to the Blue Mounds, which comports with all the reliable 
statements of the time of their being delivered up to the whites, which 
was June 3, 1832. 

William Munson, who became the husband of Rachel Hall, a few 
years ago erected a beautiful marble monument at the grave where the 
fifteen victims were buried. It is in view of the public road leading from 
north to south in Freedom Township, near .the banks of Indian Creek and 
the scene of the massacre. The inscriptions are: First "Wm. Hall, 
aged 45; Mary J. Hall, aged 45; Elizabeth Hall, aged 8." Second - 
"Wm. Pettigrew, wife and two children, - - Davis, wife and five 

children, and Emery George." At the bottom, "Killed May 20, 1832." 

Mrs. Munson (Rachel Hall) died May 1, 1870. 



OTHER FIENDISH MURDERS. 

For some days after the massacre at Indian Creek the terrified settlers 
remained close around the Forts at Ottawa and Peru. As no Indians 
were seen, the whites took courage and sent out scouts here and there. 
Those who had hurriedly left their homes were becoming anxious to look 
after their stock and other property the savages had spared. For this 
purpose an expedition, accompanied by a few soldiers, left Ottawa for 
Holderman's Grove and Fox River. A Mr. Schemerhorn and his son-in- 
law, Hazleton, went up to Dayton, on Fox River, four miles north of 
Ottawa, and crossing there to join the expedition referred to, discovered 
on the Dunnovan farm a party of Indians, and turned and fled. A sol- 
dier who had lagged behind his comrades saw them, and also retreated, 
pursued by a dozen savages. The Indians, forbear of alarming the sol- 
diers, did not fire their guns, but threw their spears at him. He escaped 
to Ottawa, and getting help, returned to find Schemerhorn and Hazleton 
both killed and scalped. A small scalp was taken from Hazleton 's head, 
but Schemerhorn being nearly bald, was flayed to the neck. On the same 
day, Capt. James McFadden, commander of a company of home guards in 
Ottawa, James Baresford, and Ezekiel and Daniel Warren were picking 
strawberries south of Indian Creek. They had been thus engaged for 
some time, when one of the Warren's remarked that they were too near 
the bushes, for Indians might be concealed there, -and mounting his horse, 



120 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



rode off. The others remained a short time, when a shot was fired from 
the timber, and a dozen Indians were seen. Baresford was killed and Mc- 
Fadden shot through the ankle, the bullet passing through the body of 
his horse, but the faithful animal carried his wounded master beyond the 
reach of Indians before it fell. The Warrens came to the assistance of 
the wounded man, and one of them dismounted and gave McFadden his 
horse, with the singular agreement that if the Indians pursued and were 
likely to overtake the man on . foot, McFadden was to dismount and yield 
his scalp . to the foe ! But the Indians did not pursue, and the three 
escaped. 




THE MILITIA CALLED OUT. 



121 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS. 

jY order of Governor Reynolds, a call was made for two thou- 
sand additional volunteers, a part of whom were directed to 
rendezvous at Hennepin, and a part at Beardstown. The 
year previous the Adjutant General of the State had com- 
missioned John Strawn, of Putnam, a Colonel of Militia, 
and he was now ordered to assemble his command, desig- 
nated as the Fortieth Regiment of Mounted Volunteers, 
and rendezvouz at Hennepin for further orders. Word was 
swiftly sent among the settlers asking their immediate at- 
tendance, and in obedience to the request, nearly every able-bodied man 
presented himself for enrollment. Four companies were quickly organ- 
ized, commanded by Captain Barnes, Captain Willis, Captain Hawes, 
and Captain Stewart the last three named at Hennepin, and the first at 
Columbia. Captain Thompson, of Putnam, also commanded a company. 
Sunday morning, May 20, 1832, the day appointed for the rendezvous, 
the settlers of the infant colony gathered on the site of the future city of 
Lacon, then without a single inhabitant. From the south came Babb and 
Cassell and Easter, and from the north the Sawyers, the Forbes, etc., 
while from the immediate vicinity came John Wier, the Bullmans, Wau- 
hobs, Reeders, Buckinghams, Iliff, Swan, and others; but Round Prairie 
sent the greater number, with Robert Barnes, then in the prime of life, as 
a leader. They met on the ground where the Eagle Mill stands, and 
Colonel Strawn, dressed in full regimentals, with military chapeau, nod- 
ding plume and golden epaulets, formed them in line, and assuming a 
warlike attitude, addressed them as follows: 

"Ye sons of thunder ! Our country is in danger, and the call is 'to 
arms ! ' The great chief Black Hawk, with ten thousand warriors at his 
back, has invaded our State, defeated our armies, and slain our citizens ! 
Not a soldier can be spared for the defence of our frontier, and the safety 
of our homes and our firesides, our wives and little ones, depends upon 
ourselves. Our country calls for volunteers. As many of you as are 



122 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

willing to enroll yourselves among her defenders will step three 
forward. Halt ! The next thing is to choose your officers, and ' all who 
wish to present themselves as candidates for Captain will step forward. 
All those who wish Robert Barnes to be their Captain will step to his side, 
and those who wish - - to lead them will join him." 

In this way the officers were elected, and in the afternoon of the same 
day the men were mustered in^at Hennepin. The force thus organized 
was divided into detachments, and detailed for scout duty. A close 
watch was kept at the various fords, all canoes were removed from the 
river, and a vigilant, active search for Indians kept up for weeks. They 
at one time went as far north as the Winnebago Swamp, but as a general 
thing service was confined to guarding the liver from the mouth of Crow 
Creek to the mouth of the Vermilion. After the defeat of Stillman the 
Indians went northward, and the war was transferred to other fields. 
There being no longer any enemies to contend with, there was no necessity 
for keeping the men in the field, and they were paid off and mustered out 
of service on the 18th day of June. For their one month of soldiering, 
each volunteer, and all who could "ring in," received at the hands of the 
Government a title to 160 acres of land. The Putnam County volun- 
teers were also discharged. 

The muster rolls of a portion of Captain Barnes' and Captain Hawes' 
companies are hereby given, copied from the returns in the War Depart- 
ment, and are correct: 

Muster Roll of the Fiel4 and Staff Officers of the Fortieth Regiment of 
Mounted Volunteers, employed in the service of the United States, by 
order of the Governor and Commander-in-chief of the Militia of the 
State of Illinois, from the 20th day of May, 1832, to the 18th day of 
June, 1832, the day of disbandment: 



1. John Strawn, Colonel. 

2. William Cowen, Lieut. Colonel. 

3. Elias Thompson, Major. 



5. Jeremiah Strawn, Qr. Master. 
(5. Peter Barnhart, Paymaster. 
7. B. M. Hayse, Surgeon. 



Henry K. Cassell, Adjutant. 

NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. 



8. Roland Mosley, Q. M. Sergeant. 

9. Richard Hunt, Surgeon's Mate. 
10. William Myers, Sergt. Major. 



11. Ward Graves, Drum Major. 

12. Michael Reeder, Fife Major. 



MUSTER ROLLS OF VOLUNTEERS. 



123 



Muster Roll of Captain Robert Barnes' Company of Mounted Volunteers, 
belonging to the Fortieth Regiment, Fourth Brigade, and First Division 
of Illinois Militia, called out by the Governor and Commander-in- 
chief; was mustered into the service of the United States by Colonel 
John Strawn, at Columbia, on the 20th day of May, 1832, and mus- 
tered out of service at Hennepin, Putnam County, Illinois, by the said 
Colonel John Strawn, on the 18th day of June, 1832: 



COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 

Robert Barnes, Captain. | Wm. McNeal, 1st Lieut. | John Wier, 2d Lieut. 

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 



1. James Dever, Sergeant. 

2. James Hall, " 

3. James N. Reeder, Sergeant. 

4. Nathan Owen, " 



1. Belisha Griffith, Corporal. 

2. Wm. Gallaher, " 

3. James Harris, 

4. H. Buckingham, " 



PRIVATES. 



1. John Kemp. 

2. Joseph Burt. 

3. Joseph Phillips. 

4. Howell Doddy. 

5. Milton Davis. 

6. William A. Hendricks. 

7. John G. Hendricks. 

8. Samuel Hawkins. 

9. John Darnell. 

10. William Burt. 

11. William Davis. 

12. W. W. Davis. 

13. John Bird. 

14. Elmore Keys. 

15. Robert Bird. 

16. William Byrnes. 

17. David Hamilton. 



18. Hiram Barnhart. 

19. William Forbes. 

20. Jordan Sawyer. 

21. Philip McGuyre. 

22. Samuel Russell. 

23. George Easter. 

24. Benjamin Babb. 

25. Peter Barnhart. 

26. Jacob Smally. 

27. Joshua Bullman. 

28. Robert Ileff . 

29. Elisha Swan. 

30. John Johnson. 

31. David Stateler. 

32. George H. Shaw. 

33. Johnson Edwards. 

34. Henry K. Cassell. 



124 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



Muster Roll of Captain William Hawes' Company of Mounted Volun- 
teers, belonging to the Fortieth Regiment, Fourth Brigade and First 
Division of Illinois Militia, commanded by Colonel John Strain, 
called into service by the Governor of Illinois, and mustered out of 
the service of the United States at Hennepin, on the Illinois River, 
in the State of Illinois, on the 18th day of June, 1832 : 

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 



Win. Hawes, Captain. | Jas. Garvin, 1st Lieut. | Win. M. Hart, 2d Lieut. 

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 



1. Thomas Gunn, Sergeant. 

2. George Hiltebrand, Sergeant. 

3. Jacob Green wald, Sergeant. 

4. John Hunt, Sergeant. 



1. John Hant, Corporal. 

2. William Kincaid, Corporal. 
3* William Knod, Corporal. 
4. William Lathrop, Corporal. 



PRIVATES. 



1. Hiram Allen. 

2. Julius Stacey. 

3. Thomas Glenn. 

4. Asel Hannum. 

5. Obed Graves. 

6. Samuel Glenn. 

7. Reuben Ash. 

8. Abner Boyle. 

9. George Dent. 
10. Joseph Ash. 



11. William Hart. 

12. John Loyd. 

13. Christopher Winters. 

14. Hart well Healey. 

15. Little Neal. 

16. Aaron Whitaker. 

17. Elias Isaacs. 

18. Garrison Wilson. 

19. Hosea Stout. 

20. George Martin. 



LOCAL DEFENCES. 

Soon as the call was made for troops the settlers began building block- 
houses, or forts, which willbe referred to more in detail hereafter. *The 
southernmost of these in the county was situated on the farm of James 
Dever, at the lower edge of Round Prairie, seven and a half miles from 
Columbia. It was about eighty feet in length from east to west, and seventy 

*Ford's History of Marshall and Putnam Counties. 



MEASURES TAKEN FOB LOCAL DEFENCE. 125 

in width ; and was built by strongly fastening pickets of some twelve feet 
height in the ground, with square bastions at the corners, pierced with 
port-holes and so placed as to rake the sides of the fort, in case of attack. 
The cabin of Mr. Dever was inside, and tents were pitched within to 
accommodate the numbers who fled there during the season of alarm. 

About twelve miles north-east of the Dever Fort, and four miles south 
of Magnolia, was a similar protection around the dwelling of Jesse Rob- 
erts, Esq., where seven or eight families gathered for safety 5 and 
five miles east, on the farm of Mr. Darnell, near the "head of Sandy," 
was another, the outpost in that direction. Several forts were constructed 
on the Ox Bow Prairie one on the land of Ashael Hannum, where Cale- 
donia now stands ; another in the woods within a few miles, at Mr. Boyle's; 
and a third around a large barn belonging t James W. Willis, near the 
site of Florid, where twenty-two families (including a hundred small chil- 
dren, one having been born there) and a number of rangers were "forted" 
at one time. This station was called Foil Cribs x from the number of 
corn-cribs in and about the building, and was generally in command of 
Captain Stewart. A portion is still standing. 

A good-sized block-house, well adapted to resist a siege, was erected 
on Front street, in Hennepin, chiefly of the timbers of Hartzell's old 
trading-house; and a smaller one at a little distance from Granville, on 
the farm of Joseph Warnock. Still farther north was the outermost fort 
toward the scene of warfare a mere picket around the dwelling of Mr. 
John Leeper. There were no defenses of the kind west of the river in 
Putnam County, that region being quite or nearly deserted. 

In that part of the county which was thus defended, hostile Indians 
were very rarely seen; and it is believed that attacks were prevented 
solely by the completeness of the arrangements for protection and the vig- 
ilance of the rangers. Black Hawk's spies were occasionally skulking 
about. Two were noticed in the edge of the woods near Fort Warnock, 
and their trail followed to the river. Others in one instance a consider- 
able company were seen near Hennepin; but the savages made no hos- 
tile demonstrations on the east side of the river. 



THE MURDER OF PHILLIPS. 



On the 17th of June, Elijah Phillips was murdered at the Ament 
cabin, sixteen miles north-west of Hennepin. Along with J. Hodges, 



126 EECOEDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Sylvester Brigham, John S. Ament, Aaron Gunn, James G. Foristal and 
Zeba Dimiuick, a lad of sixteen, he left Hennepin in the morning to 
look after their cattle, now running at large on the prairie. Arriving at 
Ament's cabin, in the edge of the timber, a mile and a half north of the 
present town of Dover, they prepared and ate their dinners, designing to 
return to Hennepin. Soon after it began to rain, and as no Indian signs 
had been seen, it was deemed perfectly safe, and the conclusion was 
reached to remain all night. 

The windows and doors were barricaded with puncheons, and the men 
with loaded rifles by their sides, extinguished the lights and lay down to 
sleep. Adjoining Ament's cabin was an extensive sugar camp, which for 
nearly fifty years a band of Indians had run, and every spring made sugar 
on the premises. The place was sacred to them, and when the white man 
came and opened a farm, it created bitter feelings of resentment. When 
Phillips and his company arrived at the cabin, a party of Indians from 
Black Hawk's camp were hiding in the woods. Cautiously they ap- 
proached to reconnoitre, with the intention of attacking the party as they 
came out of doors, but the rain continued to fall, and the party deciding to 
remain all night, no disturbance came, and at daylight Phillips rose 
first, and was going to the spring, when the Indians fired, and he fell 
pierced with two bullets. The savages, with deafening yells, rushed from 
their hiding places, tomahawked the victim, and surrounded the cabin. 
The inmates closed the door and made ready to fire, when the Indians re- 
treated, and as subsequently learned, went northward. 

After remaining on the watch for several hours, with Phillips' bloody 
corpse at the door, the settlers took courage and canvassed how best to 
extricate themselves. Young Dimmick volunteered to carry the news to 
Hennepin. It was a desperate undertaking, for the Indians were sup- 
posed to be still in the vicinity, but calling a horse to the window he bri- 
dled .and mounted it, and was off with the speed of the whirlwind. 
Eager eyes watched his departure, and they listened with beating hearts 
for the expected crack of the rifle that should tell of his death. But 
when he disappeared in the distance, still safe, they took hope again. 

At Hennepin was a company of Rangers being mustered out of ser- 
vice. None dreamed of danger, and when the messenger, hatless and 
coatless, 

" Bloody with spurring, 
Fiery red with speed," 



A PREACHER MURDERED AND MUTILATED. 127 

rode into town with the fateful news, it created an excitement those 
present never forgot. As usual, a variety of counsel prevailed, and some 
were so base as to propose leaving them to their fate. But volunteers be- 
ing called for, thirty brave men responded, and were quickly ferried across 
the river to their rescue. A gallop of fifteen miles brought them into the 
vicinity, when a slower pace was struck to give the now well blown horses 
a breathing spell, preparatory to the expected sharp work ahead. Belts 
were tightened, primings looked to, and every preparation for deadly con- 
flict made, when they saw a white flag rise above the cabin, and knew 
the inmates were safe. The body of Phillips lay where it fell. One bul- 
let had pierced his heart, and another his stomach. Several strokes of 
the tomahawk were visible, but the villains had not taken his scalp, and 
the remains were taken to Hennepin and buried. His body was prepared 
for sepulture at the house of Hooper Wan-en, and he was the second per- 
son interred in the Hennepin cemetery. 

The Rangers followed the trail of the enemy a short distance and then 
returned. It afterward transpired that they remained in the vicinity 
until the next day, and then went north. 



DEATH OF ADAM PAYNE. 



Adam Payne, a Dunkard preacher, who had for many years been a 
missionary among the Indians, became a victim to savage barbarity during 
the fall of 1832. He had long been a preacher among the Indians, was a 
man of fervent piety, and guileless as a cuild. When told of the risks he 
ran and warned to beware, he gave no heed, believing they would never 
harm one who had so often proven himself their friend. His long black 
beard reaching nearly to his waist gave him a venerable appearance, and 
every settler was his warm friend. He was murdered near Holderman's 
Grove, and when found his head had been cut off and stuck on a pole, 
where the red fiends had held a dance of jubilee around it. 




128 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

CONTINUATION OF THE CAMPAIGN. 

now take up the general histoiy of the campaign. While 
the new levies were teing raised, a volunteer force was 
made up for temporary service, and placed under the 
command of Colonel Fry. 

The different companies of this regiment were so dis- 
posed as to guard all the frontiers. Captain AdamW. 
Snider was sent to range through the couritiy between 
Rock River and Galena; and while he was encamped 
not far distant from Burr Oak Grove, on the night of the 17th of 
June, his company was fired upon by the Indians; the next morning 
he pursued them, four in number, and drove them into a sink-hole in the 
ground, where his company charged on them and killed the whole of 
the Indians, with the loss of one man mortally wounded. As he returned 
to his camp, bearing the wounded soldier, the men suffered much from 
thirst, and scattered in search of water, when they were sharply attacked by 
about seventy Indians, who had been secretly watching their motions and 
awaiting a good opportunity. His men, as usual in such cases, were taken 
by surprise, and some of them commenced a hasty retreat. Captain Sny- 
der called upon General Whiteside, then a private in his company, to as- 
sist him in forming his men. The General proclaimed in a loud voice 
that he would shoot the first man who attempted to run. The men were 
soon formed into rank. Both parties took positions behind trees. Here 
General Whiteside, an old Indian fighter and a capital marksman with a 
rifle, shot the commander of the Indians, and they from that moment be- 
gan to retreat. As they were not pursued, the Indian loss was never as- 
certained; but the other side lost two men killed and one wounded. Cap- 
tain Snyder, General Whiteside and Colonel ( now General ) Semple are 
particularly mentioned as having behaved in the most honorable and 
courageous manner in both these little actions. 

On the 15th of June, the new levies had arrived at the places of ren- 
dezvous, and were formed into three brigades; General Alexander Posey 



THE MURDER OF ST. VRAItf. 129 

commanded the First, General Milton K. Alexander the Second, and Gen- 
eral James D. Henry commanded the Third. On the march, each brigade 
was preceded by a battalion of spies, commanded by a major. 

The whole volunteer force at this time amounted to three thousand 
two hundred men, besides three companies of rangers, under command of 
Major Bogart, left behind to guard the frontier settlements. The object 
in calling out so large a force was to overawe the Pottawatomie and Win- 
nebago Indians, who were hostile in their feelings to the whites, and much 
disposed to join Black Hawk's party. 

But before the new army could be brought into the field, the Indians 
had committed several murders. One man was killed on Bureau Creek, 
some seven or eight miles above Princeton ; another in Buffalo Grove ; 
another between Fox River and the Illinois ; and two more on the east 
side of Fox River, on the Chicago road, about six miles north-east of 
Ottawa. 

On the 22d of May, General Atkinson had dispatched Mr. St. Vrain, 
the Indian agent for the Sacs and Foxes at Rock Island, with a few men, 
as an express to Fort Armstrong. On their way thither, they fell in 
with a party of Indians led by a chief well known to the agent. This 
chief was called "The Little Bear." He had been a particular friend of 
the agent, and had adopted him as a brother. Mr. St. Vrain felt no fear 
of one who was his friend, one who had been an inmate of his house, and 
had adopted him as a brother, and approached the Indians with the great- 
est confidence of security. But the treacherous Indian, untrue in war to 
the claims of friendship and brotherhood, no sooner got him in his 
power than he murdered and scalped him and all his party, with as little 
compassion as if he had never known him or professed to be his friend. 

Not long after the new forces were organized on the Illinois River, 
Black Hawk, with a hundred and fifty warriors, made an attack on Ap- 
ple River Fort, situate about three-quarters of a mile north of the present 
village of Elizabeth, within twelve miles of Galena, and defended by 
twenty-five men, under the command of Captain Stone. This fort was a 
stockade of logs stuck in the ground, with block houses at the corners of 
the square, by way of towers and bastions. It was made for the protec- 
tion of a scattering village of miners, who lived in their houses in the 
vicinity during the day, and retired into the fort for protection at night. 
The women and children, as usual in the daytime, were abroad in the vil- 
lage, when three men on an express from Galena to Dixon, were fired on 



130 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

by the Indians lurking in ambush within a half mile of the village, and 
retreated into the fort. One of them was wounded ; his companions stood 
by him nobly, retreating behind him, and keeping the Indians at bay by 
pointing their guns first at one and then at another of those who were 
readiest to advance. The alarm was heard at the fort in time to rally the 
scattered inhabitants; the Indians soon came up within filing distance; 
and now commenced a fearful struggle between the small party of twen- 
ty-five men in the fort, against six times their number of the enemy. The 
Indians took possession of the log houses, knocked holes in the walls, 
through which to fire at the fort with greater security to themselves, and 
while some were firing at the fort, others broke the furniture, destroyed 
the provisions, and cut open the beds and scattered the feathers found in 
the houses. The men in the fort were excited to the highest pitch of des- 
peration ; they believed that they were contending with an enemy who 
never made prisoners, and that the result of the contest must be victory 
or death, and a horrid death, too, to them and their families ; the women 
and children molded the bullets and loaded the guns for their husbands, 
fathers, and brothers, and the men fired and fought with a fuiy inspired 
by desperation itself. In this manner the battle was kept up about fif- 
teen hours, when the Indians retreated. The number of their killed and 
wounded, supposed to be considerable, was never ascertained, as they 
were carried away in the retreat. The loss in the fort was one man 
killed and one wounded. One of the men who first retreated to the fort 
immediately passed on to Galena, and there gave the alarm. Colonel 
Strode, of the militia, who commanded in Galena, lost no time in march- 
ing to the assistance of the fort, but before his arrival the Indians had 
raised the siege and departed. Galena itself had been in imminent danger 
of attack ; at that time it was a village of four hundred inhabitants, sur- 
rounded on all sides by the enemy. Colonel Strode, like a brave and pru- 
dent commander, took every possible measure for its defence. 

Even here, in this extremity of danger, a number of the inhabitants 
yielded their assistance unwillingly and grudgingly. . There were a num- 
ber of aspirants for office and command, and quite a number refused obedi- 
ence to the militia commander of the regiment; but Colonel Strode took 
the most effectual mode of putting down these discontents. He immedi- 
ately declared martial law; the town was converted into a camp; men 
were forced into the ranks at the point of the bayonet; and a press war- 
rant from the Colonel, in the hands of armed men, procured all necessary 



THE BATTLE OF PEC ATONIC A. 133 

supplies ; .preparations for defence were kept up night and day ; and the 
Indian spies seeing no favorable opportunity for attack, no considerable 
body of Indians ever came nearer the town than Apple River Fort. 

About this time a band of Indians visited Fort Hamilton, near what 
is now Wiota, where they killed three men. Fortunately General Dodge 
arrived at this place a few hours later, and hastily gathering what forces 
he could twenty-one men in all, pursued the savages, who hastily 
retreated. What follows is best told by Chas. Bracken, one of the 
actors, and if he still lives, a resident of Mineral Point, Wis. 

"The Indians re-crossed the branch at a point where it turned abruptly 
to the north, and ascended the hill; the General and those with him 
crossed after them, and bore to the right, toward some timber, as if to cut 
them off from it. Seeing this movement, I halted, and was at the same 
time joined by Fitch, Higgenbotham, and Deva. I said to tfiem, 'That 
movement of the General will turn the Indians to the left; if you will 
follow me, we will get the first scalps.' They agreed to do so; turning 
up a hollow to the left, we ascended it to the ridge overlooking the East 
Pecatonica; turning then to the right, and looking down a hollow parallel 
to that which we had ascended, my surmise proved to be correct. There 
were the Indians approaching us; they were moving at what might be 
called common time. Their chief, a gray-headed warrior, was walking 
backward, and appeared to be earnestly addressing his young men. After 
observing them for a few moments, we fired, but I think without effect. 
My comrades, after discharging their guns, retreated down the hollow 
which we had ascended, and I turned westwardly up the ridge overlook- 
ing the East Pecatonica, keeping out of gun-shot, but watching the enemy 
closely. They descended the hill to the creek, turned up it a short dis- 
tance, and commenced crossing at some willows, a short distance below 
where the bridge now stands. 

"At this movement I advanced within gun-shot; with the report of my 
gun, I sent forth a shout that told the General and my comrades yet in 
the rear that I had secured the first scalp; at the same time I received 
the fire of the Indians without injury. 

"The General and the principal part of our men having come up by the 
time the Indians had fairly crossed the creek, a running fight took place, 
the enemy being on one side of the creek and we on the other, until they 
reached the thicket in the bend of the creek. Having effected a crossing 
at the old Indian ford, which is near Williams 1 Mill, and marching thence 



134 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

up the stream, we formed on the open ground to the north-east of the 
thicket, so as to have the enemy in the bend of the creek. Parties were 
then, by order of the General, thrown out on the hills to give the alarm 
if the Indians should attempt to escape from the thicket when we en- 
tered it. 

We were then ordered to renew our flints, re-prime our guns, unbutton 
our shirt-collars, and tighten our belts. All being ready, the General ad- 
dressed us: he said, "Within that thicket are the foe, whose hands are yet 
reeking with the blood of our murdered friends! That it was his inten- 
tion to enter it, and in doing so, some of us must fall ; that it might be his 
fate, but that his mind was made up to whip the enemy or die in the 
attempt ! If any feared to follow him, he wanted them to fall back then, 
and not when they encountered the Indians." The word was then given 
to advanc* and in that little band no one was found who did not fear dis- 
honor; more than death ! No one faltered or wavered, as with a coolness 
becoming veterans they followed the footsteps of their gallant leader, 
resolved with him to conquer or die. 

After advancing some distance into the thicket, the trail of the enemy 
was found; here the detachment was- joined by Daniel M. Parkinson, who 
was on horseback. The center was ordered to keep the trail ; we then 
continued our advance slowly but firmly toward our hidden foe. The 
Indians had selected a most advantageous position for defense, had we 
fought them at long shot. It was the bank of a pond, once the bed of a 
creek ; on the edge of the bank was a natural breastwork nearly three feet 
high, formed by one of those tumuli so numerous in our prairies ; under 
this they awaited our approach. 

When they fired on us, our positions represented two sides of a triangle, 
they forming the base, and we the hypothenuse ; although we were close 
upon them, so dense was the thicket that we could not see the smoke of 
their guns. The General, who was on the right of the centre, and in 
front of their line, exclaimed, "Where are the Indians?" He was an- 
swered from the left, "This way." The order was then promptly given, 
" Charge 'em boys, damn them, charge 'em!" My position was on the ex- 
treme right; in the charge we obliqued considerably to the left; when I 
got to the pond I found no enemy before me, and at the same moment I 
heard the General, who was a little to my left, say, "There 's an Indian, 
kill him!" I turned toward him and heard a shot; as I came up, the Gen- 



INSTANCES OF INDIVIDUAL HEROISM. 135 

eral said, "There, by God, I Ve killed him myself!" This was the Indian 
commander. 

" Passing on to the left, I mounted the natural embankment, and found 
myself in the midst of the Indians ; after discharging my gun, I turned the 
breech and struck at a warrior I saw lying under the bank before me, but 
seeing another very industriously snapping his piece at me, I fell back to 
reload. As soon as my gun was charged I advanced, with the brave but 
unfortunate Wells on my left, and William Cams, of Dodgeville, 'on my 
right. On coming hand to hand with the Indians, Wells fell mortally 
wounded ; Cams first shot and then bayoneted the warrior that killed 
Wells, and I put another in a condition to take his scalp. At the same 
time the only surviving Indian attempted to save himself by flight; he 
plunged into the pond, and was shot as he got out of the water on the 
opposite side. 

" Thus ended the battle. The enemy were completely exterminated ; not 
one was left to tell Black Hawk, his chief, and warriors, how "Old Hairy- 
face" (the Indian name for General Dodge) and his warriors fought. Our 
trophies were seventeen scalps; our loss three men, Black, Wells and 
Morris mortally, and Thomas Jenkins severely wounded. 

"The annals of border warfare furnish no parallel to this battle ; never 
before was an entire war party exterminated with so small a loss on the 
part of the whites, when the numbers engaged were so nearly equal. Al- 
though on our advance into the thicket we outnumbered the Indians some 
five men, yet the advantage of their position, and our having to receive 
their fire, equalized our numbers. 

"None of us, from the General down, had ever heard a hostile gun, or 
burned powder at a foe ; the men had been promiscuously assembled, and 
were untrained soldiers ; they proved, however, by their gallant conduct, 
that American volunteers, when individually brave, will collectively fol- 
low to their death a brave and determined leader in whom they have con- 
fidence. 

"There were individual acts of devotion and desperate bravery per- 
formed, which ought to have immortalized the actors. Our surgeon, Dr. 
Allen Hill, fell into the line, and did duty as a private soldier. When 
the sections were told off, his lot fell number four, a horse-holder; num- 
ber five in the same section was a sickly-looking youth named Townsend, 
about seventeen years of age. The doctor exchanged places with him, re- 



136 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

marking that he thought he was better able to perform a soldier's duty in 
the coming fight than he was. 

"In the charge, Levin Leach encountered a warrior armed with a spear. 
Parrying the thrust of the Indian with his bayonet, he dropped his gun, 
sprang on him, wrenched his spear from him, and with it, ran him through 
the body." 

About the beginning of the fight each man took a tree Indian style. 
Thos. Jenkins, who was rather portly, got behind a small one, and when 
he saw an Indian aiming in his direction, drew himself up sideways as 
straight as possible. But the tree was too small to protect all parts of 
his body, and the Indian's bullet hit him in that portion of his anatomy 
where honor is supposed to abide. The slightest reference to being shot 
in the rear was always after sure to provoke his ire. 

One of those who afterward died was struck in the head, inflict- 
ing a severe scalp wound, but by no means dangerous. There was no 
surgeon in the fort, and a long-legged, tow-headed young man, who had 
been studying medicine, took the case in hand, prescribing a strong poul- 
tice of white oak bark. He did not improve under 'the treatment, and 
Dr. Philleo was sent for from Galena, but when he came the man was 
past surgery. The Doctor said that any old woman could have cured him 
with a poultice of bread and milk, but the bark had completely tanned 
the patient's head. The new doctor afterward became a noted physician, 
but it is not probable he again prescribed white oak bark for a scalp 
wound. 




CAPTAIN STEPIIENSON'S DESPERATE SKIRMISH. 137 




CHAPTEK XX. 

A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN INAUGURATED. 

BOUT this time Capt. James W. Stephenson, of (ralena, 
with a part of his company, pursued a party of Indians 
into a small, dense thicket in the prairie. He commenced 
a severe fire upon them at random, within firing distance 
of the thicket, but the Indians having every advantage, 
succeeded in killing a few of his men, and he ordered a 
retreat. Neither he nor the men were willing to give up 
the fight, and they came to the desperate resolution of re- 
turning and charging into the thicket upon the Indians. The command 
to charge was given; the men obeyed with ardor and alacrity; the Captain 
himself led the way, but before they had penetrated into the thicket twenty 
steps, the Indians fired from their covert ; the fire was instantly returned. 
The charge was made a second and third time, each time giving and receiv- 
ing the fire of the enemy, until three more of his men lay dead on the 
ground, and he himself was severely wounded. It now became necessary 
to retreat, as he had from the first but a small part of his company along 
with him. This attack of Captain Stephenson was unsuccessful, and may 
have been imprudent; but it equalled anything in modern warfare in dar- 
ing and desperate courage. 

The Indians had now shown themselves to be a courageous, active and 
enterprising enemy. They had scattered their war parties all over the 
North, from Chicago to Galena, and from the Illinois River into the Ter- 
ritory of Wisconsin ; they occupied every grove, waylaid every road, 
hung around every settlement, and attacked every party of white men 
that attempted to penetrate the country. But their supremacy in the 
field was of short duration; for, on the 20th, 21st and 22d of June the 
new forces assembled on the Illinois River were put in motion by General 
Atkinson, of the regular army, who now assumed the command over the 
whole. 

Major John Dement, with a battalion of spies attached to the First 
brigade, was sent forward in advance, while the main army was to follow 



138 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

and concentrate at Dixon. Major Dement pushed forward across Rock 
River, and took position at Kellogg's Grove, in the heart of the Indian 
country. 

Major Dement, hearing by express, on the 25th of June, that the trail 
of about five hundred Indians leading to the south, had been seen within 
five miles the day before, ordered his command to saddle their hors-- 
and remain in readiness, while he himself, with twenty men, started 
at daylight next morning to gain intelligence of their movements. His 
paily had advanced about three hundred yards when they discovered 
seven Indian spies; some of his men immediately made pursuit, but their 
commander, fearing an ambuscade, endeavored to call them back. In 
this manner he had proceeded about a mile; and being followed soon 
after by a number of his men from the camp, he formed about twenty- 
five of them into line on the prairie, to protect the retreat of those yet in 
pursuit. He had scarcely done this before he discovered three hundred 
Indians issuing from the grove to attack him. The Indians came up 
firing, hallooing and yelling to make themselves more terrific, after the 
Indian fashion; and the Major, seeing himself in great danger of being 
suiTOunded by a superior force, slowly retired to his camp, closely pur- 
sued by the Indians. 

Here his party took possession of some log houses, which answered 
for a foil, and were vigorously attacked by the Indians for nearly an 
hour. There were brave soldiers in this battalion, among whom were 
Major Dement himself and Lieutenant Governor Casey, a private in 
the ranks, who kept up such an active fire upon their assailants, and 
with such good aim, that the Indians retreated with the certain loss 
of nine men left dead on the field, and probably five others carried away. 
The loss on the side of the whites was five killed and three wounded. 
Major Dement had previously sent an express to General Pose}', who 
marched with his whole brigade at once to his relief, but did not arrive 
until two hours after the retreat of the Indians. General Posey removed 
next day a little to the north in search of the Indians, then marched back 
to Kellogg's Grove to await the arrival of his baggage- wagons ; and then 
to Fort Hamilton, ori the Pecatonica. 

When the news of the battle at Kellogg's Grove reached Dixon, 
where all the volunteers and the regular forces were then assembled un- 
der command of General Atkinson, Alexander's brigade was ordered in 
the direction of Plum River, a short stream with numerous branches, 



BLACK HAWK PURSUED NORTHWARD. 139 

falling into the Mississippi thirty-five miles below Galena, to intercept 
the Indians if they attempted in that direction to escape by re-crossing 
the river. General Atkinson remained with the infantry at Dixon two 
days, and then marched, accompanied by the brigade of General Henry, 
toward the country of the Four Lakes, farther up Rock River. Colonel 
Jacob Fiy, with his regiment, was dispatched in advance by General 
Henry, to meet some friendly Indians of the Pottawatomie tribe, com- 
manded by Caldwell, a half-breed, and Shauberia, the war-cnief of 
the nation. 

General Atkinson having heard that Black Hawk had concentrated 
his forces at the Four Lakes and fortified his position, with the intention 
of deciding the fate of the war by a general battle, marched with as much 
haste as prudence would warrant when invading a hostile and wilderness 
country with undisciplined forces, where there was no means of procuring 
intelligence of the number or whereabouts of the enemy. 

On the 30th of June he passed through the Turtle village, a consider- 
able town of the Winnebagoes, then deserted by its inhabitants, and en- 
camped one mile above it, in the open prairie near Rock River. He 
believed that the hostile Indians were in that immediate neighborhood, 
and prepared to resist their attack, if one should be made. That night 
the Indians were prowling about the encampment till morning. Con- 
tinual alarms were given by the sentinels, and the whole command was 
frequently paraded in order of battle. The march was continued next 
day, and nothing occurred until the army arrived at Lake Kuskanong, 
except the discovery of trails and Indian signs, the occasional sight of an 
Indian spy, and the usual abundance of false alarms amongst men but 
little accustomed to war. Here the army was joined by General Alexan- 
der's brigade; and after Major Ewing and Colonel Fry, with a battalion 
of the one and the regiment of the other, had thoroughly examined the 
whole country round about, and had ascertained that no enemy was near, 
the whole force again marched up Rock River on the east side, to the 
Burnt Village, another considerable town of the Winnebagoes, on the 
White Water River, where it was joined by the brigade of General Posey 
and a battalion of a hundred men from Wisconsin, commanded by Major 
(now General) Dodge. 

During the march to this place the scouts had captured an old blind 
Indian of the hostile band, nearly famished with hunger, who had been 
left behind by his friends (for want of ability to -travel), to fall into the 



140 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

hands of his enemies or to perish by famine. Being, as he said, old, Mind 
and helpless, he was never consulted or advised with by the Indians, and 
could give no account of the movements of his party except that they 
had gone further up the river. One historian of the war says that tin- 
army magnanimously concluded not to kill him, but to give him plenty to 
eat, and leave him behind to end his life in a pleasant way by eating him- 
self to death. The old man, however, was denied this melancholy satis- 
faction; for falling in the way of Posey's men as they were marching to 
the camp, he was quickly despatched, even before he had satisfied liis 
natural hunger. This barbarous action is an indelible stain upon the men 
of that brigade. At this place, also, Captain Dunn, at present a Judge 
in Wisconsin, acting as officer of the day of one of the regiments, was shot 
by a sentinel, and dangerously wounded. 

Up to the time of reaching the Burnt Village, the progress of the com- 
mand had been slow and uncertain. The country was comparatively an 
unexplored wilderness of forest and prairie. None in the command had 
ever been through it. A few, who professed to know something of it, 
volunteered to act as guides, and succeeded in electing themselves to be 
military advisers to the commanding General. The members of the hos- 
tile party were unknown; and a few Winnebagoes who followed the 
camp, and whose fidelity was of a very doubtful character, were from 
necessity much listened to, but the intelligence received from them was 
always delusive. Short marches, frequent stoppages, and explorations 
always unsatisfactory, were the result, giving the enemy time to elude the 
pursuing forces, and every opportunity of ascertaining their probable 
movements and intentions. 

The evening the arniy arrived at the Burnt Village, Captain Early, 
with his company of spies, returned from a scout and reported the main 
trail of the Indians, not two hours old, to be three miles beyond. It was 
determined to pursue rapidly next morning. At an early hour next day, 
before the troops were ready to march, two regular soldiers, fishing in the 
river one hundred and fifty yards from camp, were fired upon by two 
Indians from the opposite shore, and one of them dangerously wounded. 
A part of the volunteers were immediately marched up the river in the 
direction indicated by Captain Early, and Colonel Fiy's regiment, with 
the regulars, were left behind to construct bridges and cross to the point 
from which the Indians had shot the regular soldier. A march of fifteen 
miles up and across the river (fordable above), proved Captain Early's 



THE BAD LANDS OF WISCONSIN. 141 

report to be incoiTect. No trail was discoverable. On crossing the liver, 
the troops entered upon the trembling lands, which are immense flats of 
turf, extending for miles in eveiy direction, from six inches to a foot in 
thickness, resting upon water and beds of quicksand. A troop, or even a 
single horseman passing over, produced an undulating and quivering mo- 
tion of the land, from which it gets its name. Although the surface is 
quite dry, yet there is no difficulty in procuring plenty of water by cut- 
ting an opening through the stratum of turf. The horses would' some- 
times, on the thinner portions, force a foot through, and fall to the shoulder 
or ham; yet so great is the tenacity of the upper surface, that in no in- 
stance was there any trouble in getting them out. In some places the 
weight of the earth forces a stream of water upward, which caiTying with 
it and depositing large quantities of sand, forms a mound. The mound, 
increasing in weight as it enlarges, increases the pressure upon the water 
below, presenting the novel sight of a fountain in the prairie pouring 
its stream down the side of a mound, then to be absorbed by the sand and 
returned to the waters beneath. 

Discovering no sign of an enemy in this direction, the detachment fell 
back to the Burnt Village, and the bridges not being yet completed, it was 
determined to throw over a small force on rafts the next day. The AVin- 
nebagoes had assured the General that the shore beyond was a large 
island, and that the whole of Black Hawk's forces were fortified on it. In 
consequence of this information, Captain Early's company were crossed 
on rafts, followed and supported by two companies of regulars, under 
Captain Noel of the army, which last were formed in order across the 
island, while Captain Early proceeded to scour it, reporting afterward at 
headquarters that he had found the trail of a large body of Indians ; but 
Col. William S. Hamilton, having crossed the main river three miles below 
with a party of Menominies, reported the trail of the whole tribe on the 
main west shore, about ten days old, proceeding northward ; and it was 
afterward ascertained that no sign had been seen upon the island but that 
of the two Indians who had fired upon the regular soldiers. 

Eight weeks had now been wasted in fruitless search for the enemy, 
and the commanding General seemed further from the attainment of his 
object than when the second requisition of troops was organized. At that 
time Posey and Alexander commanded each a thousand men, Henry took 
the field with twelve hundred and sixty-two, and the regular force under 
Colonel Taylor, now Major General, amounted to four hundred and fifty 



142 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

more. By this time the volunteer force was reduced nearly one-half. 
Many had entered the service for mere pastime, and a desire to partici- 
pate in the excellent fun of an Indian campaign, looked upon as a frolic ; 
and certainly but few volunteered with well-defined notions of the 
fatigues, delays and hardships of an Indian war in an unsettled and un- 
known country. The tedious marches, exposure to the weather, loss of 
horses, sickness, forced submission to command, and disgust at the unex- 
pected hardships and privations of a soldier's life, produced rapid reduc- 
tions in the numbers of every regiment. The great distance from the 
base of operations ; the difficulties of transportation, either by water or 
land, making it impossible at any time to have more than twelve days' 
provisions beforehand, still further curtailed the power of the command- 
ing General. Such was the wastefulness of the volunteers, that they 
were frequently one or two days short of provisions before new supplies 
could be furnished. 

At this time there were not more than four days' rations in the hands 
of the commissary ; the enemy might be weeks in advance ; the volun- 
teers were fast melting away, but the regular infantry had not lost a man. 
To counteract these difficulties, General Atkinson found it necessary to 
disperse his command, for the purpose of procuring supplies. 




A NEW DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES. 



143 




CHAPTER XXI. 

THE CAMPAIGN RESUMED. 

CCORDING to previous arrangements, the several brigades 
took up their lines of march on the 1 Oth of July, for their 
respective destinations. Colonel Swing's regiment was 
sent back to Dixon as an escort for Captain Dunn, who was 
supposed to be mortally wounded ; General Posey marched 
to Fort Hamilton, on the Pecatonica, as a guard to the 
frontier country. Henry, Alexander and Dodge, with their 
commands, were sent to Fort Winnebago, situate at the 
Portage between the Fox and the Wisconsin Rivers; while General Atkin- 
son himself fell back with the regular forces near to Lake Koshkonong, 
and erected a fort, which he called by the name of the lake. There he 
was to remain until the volunteer Generals could return with supplies. 
Henry and Alexander made Fort Winnebago in three days, Major Dodge 
having preceded them a few hours by a forced march, which so fatigued 
and crippled his horses that many of them were unable to continue the 
campaign. Their route had been in a direct line, a distance of eighty miles, 
through a country which was remarkably swampy and difficult. On the 
night of the 12th of July a stampede occurred among the horses. This is 
a general wild alarm, the whole body of them breaking loose from their 
fastenings, and coursing over the prairie at full speed. By this means a 
hundred or more of them were lost or destroyed in the swamps, or on a 
log causeway three miles in length, near the fort. 

Two days were occupied at the fort in getting provisions ; on the last 
of which the Winnebago chiefs there reported that Black Hawk and his 
forces were encamped at the Manitou village, thirty-five miles above Gen- 
eral Atkinson, on Rock River. In a council held between Alexander, 
Henry and Dodge, it was determined to violate orders by marching 
directly to the enemy, with the hope of taking him by surprise, or at 
least putting him between them and General Atkinson, tlms cutting off 
his further retreat to the north. Twelve o'clock on the 15th was ap- 
pointed as the hour to march. General Hemy proceeded at once to reor- 



144 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

ganize his brigade, with a view to disencumber himself of his sick and 
dismounted men, that as little as possible might impede the celerity of 
his march. General Alexander soon announced that his inen were un- 
willing, and had refused to follow ; and Major Dodge reported his horses 
so much disabled by their late march that Jhe could not muster a force 
worth taking along. General Henry was justly indignant at the insubor- 
dination and defection of his companions in arms, and announced his pur- 
pose to march in pursuit of the enemy alone, if he could prevail upon but 
fifty men to follow him. But directly after this a company of mount* <! 
volunteers, under the command of Captain Craig, from Apple River and 
Galena, in Illinois, with fresh horses, arrived at Fort Winnebago to join 
Major Dodge's battalion, which now made his force of men and horses fit 
for service one hundred and twenty in the whole. General Henry's brig- 
ade, exclusive of Dodge's battalion, amounted to between five and six 
hundred men, but not more than four hundred and fifty had horses fit for 
service. 

From this place General Henry took up his line of march on the 1 5th 
of July, accompanied by Poquette., a half-breed, and the "White Pawnee," 
a Winnebago chief, as guides, in quest in the Indians. On the route to 
the head waters of Rock River he was frequently thrown from a direct 
line by intervening swamps extending for miles. Many of them were 
crossed, but never without difficulty and loss of horses. After three days' 
hard marching, his forces encamped upon thte beautiful stream of Rock 
River. This river is not exceeded by any other in natural beauty. Its 
waters are clear; its bottom and banks rocky or pebbly. The country on 
each side is either rolling, rich prairie, or hills crowned with forests free 
from undergrowth, and its current sweeps to the Mississippi, deep and 
bold. Here three Winnebagoes gave intelligence that Black Hawk was 
encamped at Cranberry Lake, further up the river. Relying upon this 
information, it was settled by General Henry to make a forced march in 
that direction the next morning. Doctor Merryman, of Springfield, and 
W. W. Woodbiidge, of Wisconsin, were despatched as expresses to Gen- 
eral Atkinson. They were accompanied by a chief called Little Thunder, 
us o-ifide; ami having started about dark, and proceeded on their perilous 
route about eight miles to the south-west, they came upon the fresh main 
trail of the enemy, endeavoring to escape by way of the Four Lakes across 
the Wisconsin River. 

At the sight of the trail the Indian guide was struck with terror, and 



TREACHEROUS GUIDES A FORCED MARCH. 145 

without permission retreated back to the camp. Merriman and Wood- 
bridge returned also, but not until Little Thunder had announced his dis- 
covery in the Indian tongue to his countrymen, who were in the veiy act 
of making their escape when they were stopped by Maj. Murray McCon- 
nell, and taken to the tent of General Hemy, to whom they confessed 
that they had come into camp only to give false information, and favor 
the retreat of the Indians ; and then, to make amends for their perfidy, 
and perhaps, as they were led to believe, to avoid immediate death,/ they 
disclosed all they knew of Black Hawk's movements. General Hemy 
prudently kept the treachery of these Indians a secret from his men, for 
it would have taken all his influence and that of all his officers to save 
their lives if their perfidious conduct had been known throughout the 
camp. 

The next morning (July 19) by daylight, everything was ready for a 
forced march, but first another express was despatched to General Atkin- 
son. All cumbrous baggage was thrown away. The tents and most of 
the camp equipage were left in a pile in the wilderness. Many of the 
men left their blankets and all their clothes except the suit they wore, 
and this was the case in eveiy instance with those who had been so un- 
fortunate as to lose their horses. Such as these took their guns, ammuni- 
tion and provisions upon their backs, and traveled over mountain and 
plain, through swamp and thicket, and kept up with the men on horse- 
back. All the men now marched with a better spirit than usual. The 
sight of the broad, fresh trail inspired every one with a lively hope of 
bringing the war to a speedy end ; and even the horses seemed to share 
somewhat in the general ardor. There was no murmuring, there was no 
excuse or complaining, and none on the sick report. The first day, in the 
afternoon, they were overtaken by one of those storms common on the 
prairies, black and terrific, accompanied by torrents of rain and the most 
fearful lightning and thunder; but the men dashed on through thickets 
almost impenetrable and swamps almost impassable, and that day marched 
upwards of fifty miles. During this day's march, General Hemy, Major 
McConnell and others of the General's staff often dismounted and 
marched on foot, giving their horses to tiie footmen. 

That night the storm raged till two o'clock in the morning. The 
men, exhausted with fatigue, threw themselves supperless upon the muddy 
earth, covered with water, for a little rest. The rain made it impossible 
to kindle a fire or to cook, so that both officers and men contented them- 



146 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

selves with eating some raw meat and some of the wet flour which they 
earned in their sacks, and which was converted into a soft dough by the 
drenching rains. A similar repast- served them next morning for break- 
fast. The horses had fared but little better than the men. The Govern- 
ment furnished nothing for them to eat, and they were obliged to subsist 
that night upon a scanty grazing, confined within the limits of the camp. 

Next morning (July 20) the storm had abated, and all were on the 
march by daylight, and after a march as hard as that on the day before, 
the amiy encamped at night upon the banks of one of the four lakes form- 
ing the source of the Catfish River in Wisconsin, and near the place where 
the Indians had encamped the previous night. At this place the men 
were able to make fires and cook their suppers, and this they did with a 
hearty good will, having traveled about one hundred miles without tast- 
ing anything but raw food, and without having seen a spark of fire. That 
night they again laid upon the ground, many of them with nothing but 
the sky for a covering, and slept soundly and sweetly, like men upon their 
beds at home. All were in fine spirits and high expectation of overtak- 
ing the Indians next day, and putting an end to the war by a general 1 tat- 
tle. The night did not pass, however, without an alarm. One of the 
sentinels posted near the bank of the lake fired upon an Indian gliding in 
his canoe slyly and steathily to the shore. Every man was aroused and 
under aims in an instant, but nothing followed to continue the alarm. A 
small black speck could be seen by aid of the star-light on the surface of 
the lake, but no enemy was visible. 

This day's march was still harder than any which preceded it. The 
men on foot were forced into a run to keep up with the advancing horse- 
men. The men on horseback carried their arms and baggage for them by 
turns. 

Major William Lee D. Ewing (since a Major General) commanded the 
spy battalion, and with him was joined the battalion of Major Dodge, of 
Wisconsin. These two officers, with their commands, were in the ad- 
vance ; but with all their ardor they were never able to get out of sight of 
the main body. General Henry, who remained with the main body, dis- 
patched Major McConnell with the advance guard, so as to get the earliest 
intelligence of any unusual occurrence in front. About noon of this day 
the advance guard was close upon the rear guard of the retreating enemy. 

It is to be regretted that we have no account of the management, the 
perils, and hair-breadth escapes of the Indians in conducting their retreat. 



A RAPID RETREAT AND VIGOROUS PURSUIT. 147 

All that we know is that for many miles before they were overtaken their 
broad trail was strewn with camp kettles and baggage of various kinds, 
which they had thrown away in the hurry of their flight. The sight of 
these articles encouraged Henry's men to press forward, hoping soon to 
put an end to this vexatious border war which had so much disturbed the 
peace of our Northern settlements. About noon, also, the scouts ahead 
came suddenly upon two Indians, and as they were attempting to escape 
one of them was killed and left dead on the field. Dr. Addison PJiilleo 
coming along shortly afterj scalped this Indian, and for a long time after- 
ward exhibited this scalp as evidence of his valor. Shortly after this the 
rear guard of the Indians began to make feint stands, as if to bring on a 
battle. In doing so, their design was merely to gain time for the main 
body to secure a more advantageous position. A few shots would be ex- 
changed, and the Indians would then push ahead, while the pursuing 
force would halt to form in the order of battle. In this way the Indians 
were able to reach the broken ground on the bluffs of the Wisconsin 
River by four o'clock in the afternoon, before they were overtaken. 

About this time, while the advanced guard was passing over some 
uneven ground, through the high grass and low timber, they were sud- 
denly fired upon by a body of Indians who had here secreted themselves. 
In an instant Major Ewing's battalion dismounted and were formed in 
front, their horses being removed to the rear. The Indians kept up a 
fire from behind fallen trees, and none of them could be discovered except 
by the flash and report of their guns. In a few minutes General Henry 
amved with the main body, when the order of battle was formed. 

Colonel Jones' regiment was placed on the right, Colonel Collins' on 
the left, and Colonel Fry's in the rear to act as a reserve. Major Ewing's 
battalion was placed in front of the line, and Major Dodge's on the ex- 
treme right. In this order General Henry's forces marched into battle. 
An order was given to charge upon the enemy, which was handsomely 
obeyed by Ewing ? s battalion and Jones' and Collins' regiments. 

The Indians retreated before this charge pbliquely to the right, and 
concentrated their main force in front of Dodge's battalion, showing a 
design to turn his flank. General Hemy sent an order by Major McCon- 
nell to Major Dodge, to advance to the charge; but this officer being of 
the opinion that the foe was too strong for him, requested a reinforce- 
ment. Colonel Fry's regiment was ordered to his aid, and formed on his 



148 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

right. And now a vigorous charge was made from one end of the line to 
the other. 

Colonel Fry's regiment made a* charge into the bush and high grass 
where the Indians were concealed, and received the fire of their whole 
body. The fire was briskly returned by Fry and Dodge and their men, 
who continued to advance, the Indians standing their ground until the 
men came within bayonet reach of them, then fell back to the west, along 
the high, broken bluffs of the Wisconsin, only to take a new position 
among the thick timber and tall grass in the head of a hollow leading 
to the Wisconsin River bottom. Here it seemed they were determined 
to make a firm stand; but being charged upon in their new position by 
Ewing's battalion and Collins' and Jones' regiments, they were driven 
out of it, some of them being pursued down the hollow, and others again 
to the west, along the Wisconsin heights, until they descended the bluffs 
to the Wisconsin bottom, which was here about a mile wide and very 
swampy, covered with thick, tall grass, above the heads of men on horse- 
back. It being now dark, further pursuit was stopped, and General 
Henry and his forces lay upon the field of battle. That night Heniy's 
camp was disturbed by the voice of an Indian loudly soundmg from a 
distant hill, as if giving orders or desiring a conference. It afterward 
appeared that this was the voice of an Indian chief, speaking in the Win- 
nebago language, stating that the Indians had their squaws and families 
with them, that they were starving for provisions, and were not able to 
fight the white people, and that if they were permitted to pass peaceably 
over the Mississippi, they would do no more mischief. He spoke this in 
the Winnebago tongue, in hopes that some of that people were with Gen- 
eral Henry and would act as his interpreter. No Winnebagoes were 
present, they having run at the commencement of the fight, and so his 
language was never explained until after the close of the war. 

Next morning early General Henry advanced to the Wisconsin River, 
and ascertained that the Indians had all crossed it, and made their escape 
into the mountains between that and the Mississippi. It was ascertained 
after the battle that the Indian loss amounted to sixty-eight left dead on 
the field, and a large number of wounded, of whom twenty-five were 
afterward found dead along the Indian trail leading to the Mississippi. 
General Henry lost one man killed and eight wounded. It appeared that 
the Indians, knowing they were to fight a mounted force, had been trained 
to aim high, but as General Henry had dismounted his forces and sent his 







f 



CAPTAIN THBOCKMOKTON SALUTES A WHITE FLAG. 151 

horses to the rear, the Indians shot over them. This will account for 
so few of Henry's men being killed or wounded. 

After spending two days in preparation at the Blue Mounds, the whole 
force, now under the direction of General Atkinson, was again on the 
march in pursuit of the Indians. The Wisconsin River was crossed at 
Helena, and the trail of the Indians struck in the mountains on the 
other side. Day after day the whole force toiled in climbing and descend- 
ing mountains covered with dense forests, and passing through swamps of 
deep, black mud lying in the intervening valleys. But the march was 
slow compared with that preceding the battle of the Wisconsin. In this 
march were found, all along the route, the melancholy evidences of the 
execution done in the battle. The path of the retreating Indians was 
strewn with the wounded who had died on the march, more from neglect 
and want of skill in dressing their wounds than from the mortal nature of 
the wounds themselves. Five of them were found dead in one place 
where the band had encamped for the night. 

About ten o'clock in the morning of the fourth day after crossing the 
Wisconsin, General Atkinson's advance reached the bluffs on the east side 
of the Mississippi. The Indians had reached the bank of the river some 
time before. Some had crossed, and others were making preparations to 
cross it. The steamboat " Warrior," commanded by Captain Throckmor- 
ton, descended to that place the day before. As the steamboat neared the 
camp of the Indians, they raised the white flag ; but Captain Throckmor- 
ton, believing this to be treacherously intended, ordered them to send a 
boat on board, which they declined doing. In the flippant language of 
the Captain, after allowing them fifteen minutes to remove their squaws 
and children, he let slip a six-pounder at them, loaded with canister shot, 
followed by a severe fire of musketry ; " and if ever you saw straight 
blankets, you would have seen them there." According to the Captain's 
account, the " fight " continued for an hour, and cost the lives of twenty, 
three Indians, and a number wounded. The boat then fell down the 
river to Prairie du Chien, and before it could return the next morning, 
the land forces under General Atkinson had come up and commenced a 
general battle. 

It appears that the Indians were encamped on the bank of the Missis- 
sippi, some distance below the mouth of the Bad Axe River. They were 
aware that General Atkinson was in close pursuit ; and to gain time for 
crossing into the Indian country west of the Mississippi, they sent back 



152 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

about twenty men to meet General Atkinson, within three or four miles 
of their camp. This party of Indians were instructed to commence an 
attack, and then to retreat to the river three miles above their camp. 
Accordingly, when General Atkinson (the order of march being as before), 
came within three or four miles of the river, he was suddenly fired upon 
from behind trees and logs, the very tall grass aiding the concealment of 
the attacking party. General Atkinson rode immediately to the scene of 
action, and in person formed his lines and directed the charge. The In- 
dians gave way, and were pursued by General Atkinson with all the 
army except Henry's brigade, which was in the rear, and in the hurry of 
pursuit was left without orders. When Henry came up to the place where 
the attack had been made, he saw clearly that the wily stratagem of the 
untutored savage had triumphed over the science of a veteran General. 
The main trail of the Indians was plain to be seen leading to the river 
lower down. He called a hasty council of his principal officers, and by 
their advice marched right forward upon the main trail. At the foot of 
the high bluff bordering the river valley, on the edge of a swamp densely 
covered with timber, drift-wood and underbrush, through which the trail 
led fresh and broad, he halted his command and left his horses. The men 
were formed on foot, and thus advanced to the attack. They were pre- 
ceded by an advanced guard of eight men, who were sent forward as a 
forlorn hope, and were intended to draw the first fire of the Indians, and 
to disclose thereby to the main body where the enemy was to be found, 
preparatory to a general charge. These eight men advanced boldly some 
distance, until they came within sight of the river, where they were fired 
upon by about fifty Indians, and five of the eight instantly fell, wounded 
or dead. The other three, protected behind trees, stood their ground 
until the arrival of the main body under General Henry, which deployed 
to the right and left from the centre. Immediately the bugle sounded a 
charge, every man rushed forward, and the battle became general along 
the whole line. These fifty Indians had retreated upon the main body, 
amounting to about three hundred warriors, a force equal if not superior 
to that now confronting them. It soon became apparent that they had 
been taken by surprise. They fought bravely and desperately, but seem- 
ingly without any plan or concert of action. The bugle again sounded the 
inspiring music of a charge. The Indians were driven from tree to tree, 
and from one hiding-place to another. In this manner they receded step 
by step, driven by the advancing foe, until they reached the bank of the 



A TREATY OF PEACE SIGNED. 153 

liver. Here a desperate struggle ensued, but it was of short duration. 
The bloody bayonet, in the hands of excited and daring men, pursued and 
drove them forward into the waters of the river. Some of them tried to 
swim the river ; others sought shelter on a small willow island near the 
shore. 

After the Indians had retreated to the island in the river, Henry dis- 
patched Major McConnell to give intelligence of his movements to his 
commander, who, while pursuing the twenty Indians in another direction, 
had heard the firing where Henry was engaged. General Atkinson had 
left the pursuit of the twenty Indians, and hastened to share in the en- 
gagement. He was met by Henry's messenger near the scene of action, 
in passing through which the dead and dying Indians lying around bore 
frightful evidence of the stern work which had been done before his 
arrival. He, however, lost no time in forming his regulars and Dodge's 
battalion for a descent upon the island. These forces, together with Ew- 
ing's battalion and Fry's regiment, made a charge through the water up 
to their armpits to the island, where most of the Indians had taken their 
last refuge. All the Indians who attempted to swim the river were 
picked off with rifles or found a watery grave before they reached the op- 
posite shore. 

Those on the island kept up a severe fire from behind logs and drift- 
wood upon the men as they advanced to the charge ; and here a number 
of regulars and volunteers under Dodge were killed and wounded. But 
most of the Indians secreted there were either killed, captured, or driven 
into the water, where they perished miserably, either by drowning or by 
the still more fatal rifle. During these engagements a number of squaws 
were killed. They were dressed so much like the male Indians that, con- 
cealed as they were in the high grass, it was impossible to distinguish 
them. It is estimated that the Indian loss here amounted to one hundred 
and fifty killed, arid as many more who were drowned in the river. Fifty 
prisoners were taken, mostly squaws and children. The residue of the 
Indians had escaped across the river before the commencement of the 
action. The twenty men who first commenced the attack, led by Black 
Hawk in person, escaped up the river. The American loss amounted to 
seventeen killed, one of them a captain of Dodge's battalion and one a 
lieutenant of Fry's regiment, and twelve wounded. 

September 21, 1832, General Scott and Governor Reynolds concluded 
a treaty of peace with the Winnebagoes, Sacs and. Foxes, by which these 



154 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

tribes ceded to the United States vast regions of country, and agreed to 
remain at peace with the whites; and for the faithful performance of 
this promise, they surrendered Black Hawk and his two sons, "The 
Prophet," and six other leaders or chiefs of the hostile bands, to be re- 
tained as hostages during the pleasure of the President. These Indians 
were afterward taken to Washington, and shown around the cities of the 
east, our navy and army, and our general arrangements for war, offen- 
sive and defensive. When presented to President Jackson, Black Hawk 
said: 

"I am a man and you are another. We did not expect to conquer the 
white people. I took up the hatchet to revenge injuries which could no 
longer be borne. Had I borne them any longer my people would have 
said, 'Black Hawk is a squaw; he is too old to be a chief. He is no Sac.' 
This caused me to raise the war-whoop. I say no more of it. All is 
known to you. Keokuk was once here. You took him by the hand, and 
when he wanted to return, you sent him back to his nation. Black Hawk 
expects that like Keokuk, he will be permitted to return too." 

The President told him that when he was satisfied that all things 
would remain quiet, Black Hawk might return. 

Black Hawk died October 3, 1840, and was buried with considerable 
pomp, on the banks of the Mississippi River, near the scenes of his boy- 
hood. 




DESCRIPTION OF HENNEPIN TOWNSHIP. 



155 



HENNEPIN TOWNSHIP. 




CHAPTER XXII. 

TOPOGRAPHICAL. 

ENNEPIN commemorates the name of the great discoverer 
and explorer supposed to have been one of the first white 
men who set foot within its limits. It embraces about 
forty-five sections of land within its boundaries, or 29,800 
acres, in round numbers, as indicated by a recent county 
map. The Illinois River washes its borders for twelve 
miles or more, and its surface is made up of wide-extended, 
fertile bottoms, wooded hills and productive prairies. 
Running through the Township is Coffee Creek, a considerable stream 
which rises in Section 18, thence runs in devious windings through Sec- 
tions 11, 12, 15 and 16, to the Illinois River below the city of Hennepin. 
South of Florid, in the edge of a small prairie united to Grand 
Prairie on the east, rises the stream known as "Nelson's Run," which 
leads southwest through Section 2 to the river. 

Further south Cedar Creek flows through a broken, timbered country, 
and in the northern part of the Township, Allfork Creek, an extremely 
tortuous stream rising in the prairie south of Greenville, makes a detour 
into Hennepin Township, in Section 36, and running west a mile and 
north another, enters the Illinois. 

East of the city is a fine prairie, covered with fertile and highly culti- 
vated farms. The southern portion is broken and diversified with deep 
ravines, wide valleys, rugged hills, " hog-back^," and small patches of bar- 
rens, or little sections of openings and prairies which industrous Germans 
have long since transformed into fine farms, thrifty orchards and large 
meadows. 

There is, or rather was, an abundance of excellent timber in this section 
of the County, but in many localities it has been cut down and the ground 



156 HECORDS Ol THE OLDEN TIME. 

become cultivated fields. Saw mills put up here and there have been for 
years transforming the monarchs of the forest into lumber. 

There are small prairies here and there, one to the east of Hennepin, 
another at Union Grove and Florid. Here the first settlers built their 
houses, and a few still remain on farms taken up before the red man had 
ceased to be the sole possessor. The soil is fertile and adapted to raising 
grain, live stock or fruits, in all of which the township excels. 



THE CITY OF HENNEPIN. 

Hennepin, or rather the -prairie on which the town stands, was an- 
ciently called Prairie de Prue, iii honor of a French voyageur and trapper 
who once had a cabin there. The circumstances which called the town 
into being have been narrated elsewhere, and it need only be stated that 
under an act of the Legislature a committee was sent to examine vari- 
ous localities with a view to the location of a county seat, and select the 
one most appropriate and best fulfilling the required conditions. 

At this time a heavy belt of timber ran along its front, extending back 
to the Court House and beyond, so densely filled with underbrush as to 
shut out all view of the river, the bank of which in front of the town rose 
abruptly forty or fifty feet high, but has since been graded down to suit the 
demands of commerce. Properly the town should date back to 1817, 
when Beaubien, a Frenchmen in the employ of the American Fur Com- 
pany, built a trading house one mile above the town, on land now owned 
by A. T. Purviance. Thomas Hartzell at this time was trading at some 
point below in opposition to the American Fur Company, but in 1824-5 
he became their agent and removed here. Beside the old building first 
referred to he had erected a substantial store of hewn logs, which he con- 
tinued to occupy until the location of Hennepin, when he removed there. 
Across the ravine south of Hartzell a Frenchman named Antoine Bour- 
bonais had a cabin built somewhere about 1820. 

The town was surveyed in 1831 by Ira Ladd, Sr., on Congress land. 
Twelve blocks were laid off at first, and eight afterward, to which several 
additions have since been made. Lots were extensively advertised, and 
the first sales were made at prices ranging from $11.68 to $87.86 each. 
(Ford's History). The first lot was sold to J. and W. Durley, at that 
time trading with the Indians in a cabin built by James Willis, opposite 



THE SETTLEMENT OF HENNEPIN. 157 

the mouth of Bureau Creek, one mile above Hennepin. They proceeded 
at once to build on this lot, now the site of the Town Hall, corner of 
Front and Court streets, and when finished, removed their stock there. 

Dunlavy & Stewart built a trading house at the same time, preceding 
the Durleys a few days in commencing business. 

J. S. Simpson and a man named Gleason each built log cabins that 
fall, and Ira Ladd, first Sheriff of the county. 

In the spring of 1832, the first hotel was built. It was a double log 
cabin, built by James S. Simpson, and run by John H. Simpson. About 
this time Hartzell built a store and removed here his stock of goods. 

The old trading house deserves more special notice. Its foundations 
are still seen adjoining the pleasant residence of A. T. Purviance, and 
are a pleasing reminder of the days when the red man held sway over this 
territory, and neither steamboats nor commerce, in the modern acceptation 
of the term, existed on the river. 

In 183 i came the Black Hawk war, and Hennepin was made the head- 
quarters and rallying point of the rangers. When news of the outbreak 
arrived, there was great consternation. Few of the settlers were armed, 
and no means of defense were available. 

In this predicament, Thomas Hartzell came forward and offered to 
donate his log store for a block house. It was a noble act, and bespeaks 
his character. Every man and team in the settlement was set at work, 
and in two days the building was A taken down, the logs hauled to the vil- 
lage, and a commodious block house, with embrasures for riflemen and an 
upper story, constructed, in which the families of settlers took refuge until 
the scare was over. It stood on Front street, and for a dozen years was 
one of the landmarks of the town until the authorities ordered its re- 
moval. 

When the old building was torn down to be reconstructed into a fort, 
th chimney was left standing. A Frenchman with a half-breed wife oc- 
cupied the Beaubein cabin, and she often repaired to the old chimney to 
do her cooking. One day while thus engaged a high wind blew it down, 
killing her instantly. 

The first election in the new County was held at the house of William 
Hawes, near Magnolia, and beside the Judges of Election, but one voter 
appeared (Warner). Of course there were no "split tickets," and Thomas 
Gallaher, George Ish and John M. Gay were declared elected as County 
Commissioners, Ira Ladd as Sheriff, and Aaron Paine as Coroner. James 



158 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

W. Willis was subsequently appointed Treasurer. Hooper Warren filled 
the offices of Recorder, Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts, and 
Justice of the Peace. 

Among the members of the bar who attended Court here were : Sen- 
ator David Davis, who came from Bloomington on horseback, and Judge 
John B. Caton, who came down from Chicago, riding an Indian pony.* 

The first death in the Counties of Bureau, Putnam or Marshall was 
in the family of Aaron Mitchell, who lost a child in August or Septem- 
ber, 1829. There being no lumber in the country, a puncheon coffin was 
made by N. and S. Shepherd, and the child was interred near Captain 
Price's. 

The first corpse buried in Hennepin Cemetery was that of Phillips, 
shot by the Indians, June 4, 1831. No memorial stone marks the place, 
and his grave is unknown. 



OLD TIME RECORDS. 

Most of the early settlers were young men, and in those days a woman 
or a baby was as much of a novelty and excited as lively an interest as 
ever they did in "Roaring Camp." Some of the men, however, brought 
their wives," and with them came their "sisters, their cousins and their 
aunts," who speedily found husbands; and we find among the early 
records the following marriages: 

John Shepherd to Tennessee McComas, July 5, 1831; by George Ish, 
County Judge. 

Elisha Swan, of Lacon, was married to Zilpha Dent, Februaiy 25, 
1832; by Rev. Zadok Hall. 

Livingston Roberts to Margaret Dent, January 24, 1843; by Hooper 
Warren, Justice of the Peace. 

Lemuel Russell to Sarah Ann Edwards, February 23, 1823 ; by Rev. 
Edward Hale. 

Wm. Munson to Rachel Hall, March 7, 1833, by John M. Gay, Jus- 
tice of the Peace. 

Wm. S. Horn to Sylvia Hall, May 5, 1833 ; by Rev. R. Horn. 

The ladies whose names appear in the last two notices were the Hall 
girls, whose thrilling experience with the Indians is given elsewhere. 

* Warren. 



LIST OF THE EARLY SETTLERS OF HENlTEPHSr. 159 

The early ministers of the township were Revs. John McDonald, 
Elijah Epperson, Wm. Heath and Joel Arlington. 

The first farm opened in the township was that of James Willis, at 
Union Grove, in 1828, and his was the first dwelling house outside of the 
village of Hennepin. 

Elizabeth Shepherd was one of the first white women in this locality, 
coming in 1829. 

Austin Hannum is claimed as the first white child born in the county. 
His parents lived in Magnolia. 

Isabel Patterson, since Mrs. R. W. Bowman, was born in 1832, and 
Augustus Shepherd in 1830. 



THE PIONEERS. 

In the Court House at Hennepin hangs a large frame with the por- 
traits and names of many old settlers, and the date of their coming to the 
County. It will better preface what follows than aught else we can give : 

1817 Thomas Hartzell. 

1827 Thos. Gallaher, Jas. W. Willis. 

1828 Stephen D. Willis, Smiley Shepherd. 

1829 James G. Ross, Nelson Shepherd, Elizabeth Shepherd. 

1830 Harvey Leeper, Flora Zenor, Augustus Shepherd, Wm. Pat- 
terson, L. E. Skeel, David Richey, Lucy Dick, Olive Skeel, Wm. M. Ham, 
Anthony Turk. Samuel D. Laughlin, Catherine Shepherd. 

1831 Alvira Zenor, Lewis Durley, Lucy Durley, Mary Stewart, 
Mary Shepherd, George Dent, Comfort Dent, Williamson Durley, H. K. 
Zenor, Emeline Durley, E. G. Powers, Louisa Nash, John Gallaher, Aaron 
Gunn. 

1832 John G. Ross (born here), Stephen W. Stewart, Nancy Skeel, 
Sarah Stewart, John W. Stewart, B. F. Whittaker, J. W. Leech, Mary* 
Leech, Robert Leech, Mary A. Templeton, S. G. Leech, Sarah Brumfield, 
Thomas Brumfield, Mary Ann Noys, John Brumfield, Aaron Barlow, 
John N. Laughlin. 

1833 Bayliss Culter, Wm. H. Zenor, Elizabeth Durley, Joseph Fair- 
field, Wm. E. Fail-field, Joseph Cassell, Augustus Cassell, Thomas Cole- 
man, Chas. Coleman, Oaks Turner, Wilson Everett, Jeremiah Everett, 
Alex. Ross, Milton Robinson. 



160 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

1834 Cyrus Shepherd, William Baxendale, Thomas W. Shepherd, 
Guy W. Pool, Thomas Atwater (the first lawyer), H. J. White, Wash- 
ington Webb. 

1836 Lyle Shepherd, Samuel Holmes, Sr., Alfred Turner, David 
Cryder. 

SMILEY SHEPHERD, the oldest living person of Hennepin, visited 
this country in August, 1828, on a prospecting tour. He bought a claim 
from James Willis, at Magnolia, but sold it and selected the well-known 
farm east of Hennepin, where he has ever since lived. Returning to Ohio 
in December, 1828, he married, and in June, 1829, settled permanently at 
Hennepin. 

When he came to Hennepin in 1828, Hartzell, the Indian trader, was 
doing a prosperous business. He was operating in his own name, and 
had several Indians, squaws and half breeds around him. He was assisted 
by a young man named Benny, who had charge of the business, buying 
and preparing the furs for market, and supplying hunters and traders in 
other localities, shipping his furs to Montreal. 

The American Fur Company had three stations at and near the mouth 
of Bureau Creek, under the management of Gurden S. Hubbard, who gen- 
erally made his headquarters at Chicago, but was often here to look after 
the interests of the company. 

WILLIAMSON DURLEY came to Hennepin August 8, 1831, and opened 
a store along with his uncle, John Durley. They bought their goods at 
St. Louis, brought them up on a boat to Pekin, and hauled them "by 
land" to their new store in the village, which had been laid out in Sep- 
tember, the goods reaching here in October, 1831. 

Mr. Durley first visited this locality in 1828, stopping on the way at 
Bailey's Point, La Salle County, where himself and friends found shelter, 
with pel-mission to "board themselves" in the cornfield. The corn was 
but partially ripe, and had to be planed off the ears and then boiled. 
They found this fare and the hospitality of the people so agreeable that 
they remained two days on these terms. During their stay they explored 
the country thereabouts, returning to their host each night, who on their 
departure refused to take pay for their keeping, saying, "as he had freely 
given them the best he had, and didn't want to be insulted." 

At Covel Creek they found an Indian burial ground, in which the de- 
parted were placed in a sitting posture, back to back, between white oak 



EARLY SETTLERS OF HEtftfEPlN TOWNSHEP. 161 

poles fixed in the ground. Mr. Durley likewise remembers one two miles 
south of Hennepin, where the corpses were similarly arranged. 

The mails in early days were irregular. A line extended from Peoria 
to Galena, and a route was established about 1831 running from Henne- 
pin to Boyd's Grove. A few years later a stage line between Chicago 
and Peoria was established, with a cross line to Hennepin, connecting at 
Robert's Point. The next change was from Ottawa via Peru, Hennepin 
and Lacon to Peoria, making three trips a week each way. , 

Mr. Durley's recollections of the old pioneers are valuable. He re- 
members Thomas Hartzell as a man of generous disposition, open-hearted 
and easily duped. He believed all men honest like himself, and lost his 
property by going security for others. About this time a wealthy rela- 
tive in Pennsylvania died and opportunely left him a considerable sum, 
which went in like manner. Again he inherited property, and not long 
after removed to Waukegan, where he died. 

DANIEL DIMMICK The Township of Dimmick, in La Salle County, 
takes its name from an early settler who formerly lived in this vicinity. 
He came to Peoria in 1828, to Princeton in 1829 or '30, and not long 
after to Putnam County, building a cabin in the timber near Hartzell's 
trading house. He is said to have made the first claim and broken the 
first prairie in Putnam County, and sold his " betterments " to George 
Mills. They are now a part of the farm of William Ham. Dimmick lived 
in great seclusion, avoiding society and companionship, and was chiefly in- 
tent on making money. It is said he never had a floor to his cabin, and 
never washed. His single tow shirt sufficed so long as it held together. 
He slept on a bundle of straw in the corner, and his coat was patched 
with an old saddle blanket. In 1833 he sent his son Elijah to Dixon to 
learn if it was safe to venture to the north side of the Illinois River, and 
if the Indians were really at peace with the whites, and the war over. 
On getting satisfactory answers, he packed up his household goods and 
moved over to the prairies and began his new and permanent home, where 
he built a fine residence in after years, and died much respected. 

THE GALLAHER FAMILY played an important part in the early history of 
Putnam, and deserves a more extended notice. The first representative, 
Thomas Gallaher, Sr., came here in September, 1827, and settled on the 
south-east quarter of Section 30, Town 32, Range 1 west, 3d principal 



162 EECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

meridian, four miles south-east of Hennepin. He was accompanied here 
by his wife and eight children, viz : 

Thomas, Jr. Born March 17, 1810; afterward moved to Henry, and 
died August 17, 1854. 

Eliza Born November 13, 1811; now Mrs. Ladd, wife of Ira Ladd, 
first Sheriff of Putnam County. She is now a resident of New Orleans. 

Mary Born March 17, 1814; married B. Willis, and afterward went 
to Hannibal, Mo. 

James Born April 13, 1816; lives at Sioux City, Iowa. 

William Born July 19, 1818; moved to Henry in 1851, where he 
now resides. 

Nancy J. Born February 8, 1821; married Mr. Heath; died in Sep- 
tember, 1848. 

Samuel Born April 18, 1823; died in August, 1879. 

Margaret H. Born August 6, 1825; died May 27, 1874. 

After arriving here, there were born : 

Robert K. May 20, 1828, the "first white child , born in Putnam 
County." Died March 4, 1845. 

John McDonald October 6, 1830; living on the old farm. 

Nathaniel C. August 12, 1833; died of wounds received at Fort 
Donelson. 

Elizabeth, Margaret and Robert, born subsequently, remained on the 
old homestead until their death. 

Thomas Gallaher, Sr., was born April 22, 1782, and died of cholera, 
while on his way to Pennsylvania, June 5, 1852, aged 70 years. 

His wife (Elizabeth Kelly) was born March 17, 1792, and died April 
23, 1878, aged 86 years. 

Mr. Gallaher, after arriving here put up a cabin in the fall of 1827, 
and in 1828 broke prairie for eighty acres of corn and wheat. 

The cabin was eighteen feet square, with a "shake" roof, and a fire- 
place so big that logs were hauled through the room by oxen to feed its 
capacious mouth. His first crop was exceeding fine, and Major Elias 
Thompson and Wm. Studyvin helped cut the wheat in 1829 ; wages, 
twenty-five cents per day. 

In 1828 he built a hewn log cabin, fifteen feet square, the first of the 
kind in this region of country. 

These were the first houses in this neighborhood of any description, 
and their ruins may yet be seen on the old historic ground. 



AVERAGE WAGES OF FARM HANDS. 163 

In the fall of 1827, after Gallaher had put up his log dwelling, James 
Willis built a house on ground afterward enclosed within the village 
plat of Florid. He left his family on this claim during the winter of 
1827-8, and went to Bond County, 111., to close up some business 
affairs. He had in his employ a likely colored boy who was a fugi- 
tive from slavery, whom he left in charge. The boy worked faithfully 
all winter, but when spring came and he found himself in debt, he con- 
cluded there was not so much difference between freedom and slavery 
as he had supposed. 

During the winter of 1827, there were no settlers south of Gallaher's, 
none at Magnolia, Roberts' Point, Lacon, or Crow Creek; no one at all 
nearer than the Dillon settlement, on Mackinaw River. 

In those days farm laborers were not numerous, yet the prices for work 
were not extravagantly high, as three bushels of meal, equal to three 
"bits," was considered a just equivalent for cutting and splitting one hun- 
dred 11 -feet fence rails, and eight dollars per month and board and wash- 
ing were the wages for farm hands. 



THE HENNEPIN FERRY. 

Prior to 1831, when Putnam was set apart as a county, with a tangi- 
ble boundary and a real organization, the ferry at Hennepin, or rather at 
and above Hartzell's trading house, had been a private enterprise, and was 
generally "run" by whomsoever came along, white, red, or mixed: The 
Indian traders claimed to own the boats, and every one used them, such 
as they were. At the first term of the County Commissioners' Court, that 
wise body took the subject in hand and " Ordered that public notice be 
given of the letting of the building of a ferry boat." Alexander Wilson 
put in the lowest bid and got the job, for a sum not stated, to build the 
first boat capable of carrying loaded wagons. 

September 8, 1831, Ira Ladd, the Sheriff, was appointed to take charge 
of the ferry boat when finished. 

August 14, 1832, James Laughlin was appointed to take charge of the 
ferry boat till next term; also to procure a skiff for the same. 

September 3, 1832, J. S. Simpson was allowed $11.00 for keeping the 
ferry. 

B. M. Hays was appointed to run the Hennepin ferry from December 



164 KECOEDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

17, 1832, one year. A committee was appointed to watch him, see that 
he did his whole duty, and say when the boat should or should not run 
in the season of ice, high water and other dangers. This committee were 
R. Blanchard, John H. Simpson, Geo. B. Willis, Williamson Durley and 
Nathan Skeel. 

In March, 1833, John H. Simpson, then ferryman, was instructed by 
the Court to allow footmen to go free; and citizens upon horseback on 
muster, election and court days, were not to be charged for themselves or 
their beasts. 

The ferry boat having been carried away by ice, Jonathan Wilson fol- 
lowed it down to the island below Henry, captured and returned it, and 
the Court, March 3, 1836, allowed him $6.00 for that service. 

/ / 7 T 

The ferry, instead of proving a blessing to the County of Putnam, was 
a constant source of annoyance, and though its income some years was con- 
siderable, by reason of accidents and the large proportion of patrons who 
managed to shirk payment, it rarely made any profit for its managers. An 
embankment a mile or two in length was needed on the west side, be- 
sides, expensive bridges. This territory was in Bureau County, beyond 
the jurisdiction of the Commissioners of Putnam County, and the people 
of Princeton could see no advantage in improving a road or building em- 
bankments and bridges for the convenience of a rival market at Hennepin. 
Things wore on for years until a goodly settlement of tax-paying people 
had gathered in the bottom and prairies beyond, who demanded a road to 
the river "as an outlet for their products, and at length the Commissioners 
of Bureau County consented to meet with their equally exalted brethren 
of Putnam County, and jointly take action in the all-important question 
of improving the bottoms and making a road and suitable bridges across 
Bureau Creek and other water courses toward Hennepin. 

Accordingly these august bodies met at Hennepin, September 8, 
1845, and after much deliberation leased the ferry for a term of eleven 
years to one Hugh Feeny, who, at his own expense, was to make all 
necessaiy improvements in the roadway, and in addition to the rents 
and profits of the ferry was to have the sum of $275 in cash paid him, one- 
half of said sum by each of the counties. 

This arrangement lasted a couple of years, when Feeny failed to keep 
his contract. We find the two high joint powers at Hennepin again in 
session, declaring that Feeny had forfeited the contract, and legal proceed- 
ings in the nature a quo warranto were instituted to make him surrender 



TRIBULATIONS OF FRONTIER TRAVELERS. 165 

the ferry. After tedious litigation, lasting until February, 1850, Feeny 
voluntarily abandoned the fight, and the ferry was placed in charge of Wil- 
liam Ray. 

Subsequently an act of the State Legislature was passed giving the 
entire ferry and rights of way in Bureau and Putnam Counties to the ex- 
clusive control of the corporation of Hennepin, where they now rest. 



FRINK AND WALKER. 

This enterprising firm were the pioneer stage propiietors of Central 
Illinois. They controlled and operated most of the lines, with general 
headquarters in Chicago. Their monopoly of the business covered a per- 
iod of about thirteen years, from 1838 or 1839, during which their head- 
quarters in Hennepin were with John Lyons, an old hotel keeper. At 
first they ran from Peru to Magnolia, and on to Peoria, but afterward 
took in Hennepin on the route, passing thence through Lacon and down 
the river. 

One night in the winter of 1839 the stage coach was lost upon the 
Hennepin Prairie. There were two passengers inside, and the driver vain- 
ly sought to find his destination. Afterward it was found he had traveled 
in a circle most of the time. 

Mr. Nicholls related how an old English " milord " was once his guest, 
and the trouble the great man experienced. The hotel was a good-sized 
log cabin, and had but a single sleeping room for the accommodation of 
guests, who were expected to be reasonable and share their beds with 
strangers. As nine o'clock came the traveler signified a desire to retire, 
and asked to be lighted to his quarters. Nicholls showed him up, and 
stated that one-half the bed would be occupied by another party. " Do 
you expect me to sleep in this room with other men?" said "milord," al- 
most gasping for breath. Nicholls said he could either do that or sit up, 
as he preferred; arid the old fellow sat in his chair all night, groaning over 
his aches and cursing the "blarsted country." 



RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. 

The early settlers were pre-eminently a religious people, and one of 
the first things provided for was the preaching of the Gospel. There was 



166 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

no lack of earnest, devoted, self-sacrificing ministers, and in the absence of 
suitable places of worship, services were held at private houses or in the 
groves. These services were invariably well attended, and received 
earnest, respectful attention. The good these men did was not interred 
with their bones for most of them have gone to their reward, but it 
lives after them, and bears fruit to this day. 

THE M. E. CHURCH OF HENNEPIN. 

This society is an old one, dating back to 1833, when the first class 
was formed. The record of the first proceedings, if any was made, has 
been lost, and such history as can be gathered of the organization thereof 
depends upon the recollection of one or two persons who helped at its 
inception. In July or August of the year named, a few of the earnest 
Methodists of Hennepin and vicinity bethought them that as their num- 
bers were nearly large enough to form a church society, it would be well 
to take initiative steps in that direction. After some preliminary conver- 
sation a small meeting was held at the house of Dr. Ritchie, in the vil- 
lage, and the first class was enrolled, consisting of the following members : 
Hiram P. White and wife, Dr. David Ritchie and wife, Miss Betsey Car- 
penter, afterward Mrs. Hays, Mrs. Sarah Bloomfield, and perhaps one or 
two other persons whose names have been forgotten. Another meeting 
was held at the same place in November, 1833, and further steps taken 
toward forwarding the work. About this time Linas B. Skeel was added 
to the list as the first convert, and Mrs. Olive Skeel and Mrs. Emeline 
Durley also added their names to the membership. 

For some time after they had no meeting house nor any convenient 
place of worship, and met from time to time at the dwellings of the 
brothers. 

In 1834, Rev. Zadok Hall, the first minister, on February 16, at Dr. 
Ritchie's, preached a srmon, taking his text from Matt, ix., 12. Rev. 
Wm. Arlington came the same season at a later date, and also Rev. John 
St. Clair, as Presiding Elder. 

Rev. Father Walker, from Ottawa, occasionally came here to look after 
the infant flock, as also did Rev. Jesse Hale and Wm. Royal, all Indian 
missionary preachers. 

During the year 1834 there was a revival of considerable strength, 
and many new converts were made and the Society largely increased in 
numbers and influence. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 167 

In 1835, Rev. A. E. Phelps officiated, and Rev. Asa McMurtry in 

1836. Mr. Phelps contributed his personal efforts largely toward build- 
ing the old church. The latter part of 1836, Hennepin and Pekin circuits 
were divided and changed to Hennepin and Washington circuits. In 

1837, Rev. Win. CondifF was the preacher, and died at the close of the 
year, at Caledonia. 

In 1838, Rev. Zadok Hall and Rev. Mr. Moffit were sent here to the 
work, and were aided by Rev. S. W. D. Chase, of Bloomington, who 
with them made excellent progress in procuring new members. 

Among the other reverend gentlemen who appeared at Hennepin from 
time to time from 1829 to 1835, was Rev. Mr. Cook, a Presbyterian, father 
of Hon. B. C. Cook, formerly of Ottawa, now of Chicago. Rev. Mr. 
Hays was a local preacher of Hennepin and vicinity for many years, and 
among the first who came to this locality. He put up the first frame 
house on Henry prairie, and one of the first frame houses in the village. 

In 1839, Rev. John Morris came and officiated occasionally, and Rev. 
John appeared and took charge of the Church about 1840. 

The first records commence in the Trustees' book, June 14, 1836. 

Efforts had been made to raise money to build a meeting house, but 
with ill success, and we find them in 1837 adopting an order to refund 
the small sums of money which had been raised for that purpose. 

At a meeting of the Lacon and Hennepin Conference, February 25, 
1839, Joseph Caterlin, David Markley, Thomas Forney, Jacob Gr. Forney, 
Hiram P. White, Linus B. Skeel and J. P. Hays were appointed Trus- 
tees of the Hennepin Church, the first Board regularly chosen for this 
Society. 

March 2, 1839, the Trustees "met at Hennepin for the purpose of 
attempting to build a church." They figured out a plan for a modest 
frame meeting house, twenty-six by thirty-six feet. A subscription paper 
was circulated and the cash returns were such as to warrant the immedi- 
ate prosecution of the work. The house was accordingly built and occu- 
pied the same fall and for years after, and now stands, used as a private 
dwelling, a few rods to the rear of the larger and more pretentious struc- 
ture. The old house, however, was for some time under a cloud of debt, 
which for a long time the young and struggling pioneer church could not 
lift. At length they succeeded in removing this incubus, and on the 1 3th 
of August, 1842, the Trustees met and adopted a resolution, "That all 



108 RECORDS OIF THE OLDEN TIME. 

persons having claims against the Church present the same forthwith, by 
Saturday following, for full settlement." This seems to have been done, 
and the church dedicated on the next Sabbath, by Elder A. E. Phelps. 

In 1858, the congregation having outgrown the capacity of the old 
building, proceeded to erect the present church edifice, a handsome struc- 
ture of two stories, forty feet by sixty, divided below into lecture and 
class rooms, and above a finely decorated, finished and furnished church 
room, which bids fair to afford ample accommodations for the people for 
many years to come. It cost $10,000, has two good organs, and is well 
seated, having comfortable pews for 450 to 500 persons. It was dedicated 
November 29, 1866, by Rev. Joseph Cummings, of Lacon. Before being 
finished the basement was completed, and services held therein by Rev. A. 
C. Price. 

A neat parsonage stands near by in the same lot with the church, cost- 
ing about $600. 

In 1879, the Presiding Elder was J. D. Smith; Pastor, J. M. Murphy; 
Recording Steward, L. E. Skeel. 

The Society numbers about seventy-five in good standing, and the 
chui'ch and parsonage are free from debt. 

HENNEPIN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 

As early as 1845 the Catholic people of Hennepin and vicinity began 
to hold public religious exercises, and the Brothers of the Lazarus So- 
ciety of La Salle sent different priests there to minister to the spiritual 
wants of the communicants of the Church. The first remembered priest 
who visited this place was an Italian, Rev. Father - , who also 

occasionally conducted services in Henry. 

Among the other earlier missionaries of this faith were Rev. Fathers 
Gregory and Anthony, the latter in 1848, both coming at intervals de- 
pending upon circumstances, such as deaths or the sickness of some Cath- 
olic who desired the last sacrament. When here upon such occasions, the 
people would be notified, an altar improvised in some one of the more 
commodious dwellings, and mass duly celebrated; and now and then a 
priest would come from Peoria, or even St. Louis, to minister to the spir- 
itual wants of the faithful and look after the temporal affairs of the Church. 

There was no successful attempt to have regular services oftener than 
once a month, until about June, 1852, when sufficient money was raised 



A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH ORGANIZED. 169 

for the erection of a church building. It was a plain frame structure, 
twenty-four by forty feet. This furnished ample room for the congrega- 
tion till about 1866, when an addition was put up, making the building 
twenty-four by sixty feet, with fifteen feet ceiling. The cost of both was 
about $2,500, and the organ, altars, seats and lamps about $1,000 more. 
About seventy-five families now constitute its regular membership. 

Those who next to the priests took the lead of the Church were An- 
thony Failing, Chas. Trerweiler, Henry Reavey and Peter Feltes/ The 
first resident priest was Rev. Father Deif en brock, who came about 1867. 

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 

In September, 1874, Miss Ella DeVoe, of Hennepin, wrote to Rev. 
Wm. E. Catlin, detailing the needs of a church at this place, and set forth 
the prospects of effecting an organization in such an eloquent manner as 
to induce that gentleman to come and co-operate in the movement. He 
arrived October 17, and on the following Sabbath preached by invitation 
in the M. E. Church, and at the Court House on Sunday, October 25. 

At a meeting for consultation immediately after the Sabbath morning 
service, it was decided to not then take any steps toward the form- 
ation of a society, but a prayer-meeting was appointed for the next Wed- 
nesday evening, and the following paper presented : 

We, the undersigned, believing that another Evangelical Church in this community 
would be for its spiritual and temporal good, have thought it best for the present to asso- 
ciate ourselves together for the purpose of holding public and social worship at such times 
and places as shall appear best, hoping in that way, with God's blessing, to develop such an 
interest as may in time warrant a more perfect organization. To this endeavor we pledge 
ourselves, and invite the hearty co-operation of all who are like-minded. 

This was circulated, but did not receive a single signature ! 

Weekly prayer-meetings were kept up and well attended, but Mr. 
Catlin, discouraged with the propect, finally left the place. The next 
appeal was to John E. Roy, a Home Missionary, who came December 12, 
began and pursued his labors with great industry, and soon accomplished 
the desired end. 

The numbers increased from two to fifteen, when the Church was or- 
ganized with the following membership : Aug. Shepherd, Mrs. Ellen Shep- 
herd, David Field, James Adams, Miss R. Ellis and Mrs. Lucy Ham by 
letters from the Congregational Church, Granville; Martin Nash, letter 



170 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

from the Presbyterian Church of Granville ; Miss Ella DeVoe, letter from 
the Congregational Church of Forrest; T. J. Nicholl, certificate from Epis- 
copal Church; Mrs. Ellen Nicholl, same; Chas. M. Shepherd, letter from 
the Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Term. ; Miss Clara Lamm, Miss Emma 
Connelly, Mrs. Elizabeth Durley and P. B. Durley, on profession. 

The officers chosen were : David Field and James Field, Deacons ; Wil- 
liamson Durley, Aug. Shepherd and T. J. Nicholl, Trustees; Miss Ella 
DeVoe, Clerk; P. B. Durley, Treasurer. 

A council was called, and the Church organized December 22, 1874. 
Rev. A. J. Bailey was at once called as pastor, and began his labors Jan- 
uary 24, 1875, the Church in the meantime having been supplied by Rev. 
F. Bascom. Services were held in a room at the public school building, 
the exclusive use of which was offered the Society by the School Board. 

A Sunday School class was organized December 27, 1874. April 5, 
1875, a business meeting was called for the purpose of considering the 
building of a church edifice. A building committee was appointed, and 
by the united efforts of the Society ground was broken May 16, 1875, and 
liberal aid obtained from the citizens generally. The Congregational 
Union contributed $450 in aid of the building, which was completed and 
dedicated December 22, 1875, just one year from the date of the organi- 
zation. The building and site cost $4,317.90. In 1878, a 1,050 pound 
bell was hung, at a total expense of $330.53. 

Forty persons had united with the Church up to April, 1878, in addi- 
tion to the original fifteen, but a few deaths and dismissals had made the 
membership forty-six persons. 

This religious Society, called the "Congregational Church of Christ of 
Hennepin," is organized on the "Declaration of Faith" adopted by the 
National Council of the Congregational Churches held at Boston in June, 
1865, on the spot where the first meeting-house of the Pilgrims stood. 

This Church, in a series of resolutions adopted soon after its organiza- 
tion, and circulated in a histoiy of the Society published in pamphlet 
form, declared that, 

WHEREAS, There is a tendency to the desecration of the Lord's day, by turning it from 
its proper use to a day of social visiting, a time for unusual feasting, for walking the streets 
and driving for pleasure, and in many other ways destroying its sacredness and hindering its 
usefulness for religious edification ; therefore, 

Resolved, That we do earnestly protest against this prevailing sin, and call on Christians 
and all others to honor the Lord by a proper observance of His day ; and we do earnestly en- 



EARLY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. 171 

treat all to " Remember the Sabbath day" by reading the Scriptures, by appropriate religious 
exercises at home, by meditation and prayer, by attending the ordinances of God's house, and 
by observing the day in every way as the Scriptures direct. ' ? 

Another resolution recommends daily family worship, another de- 
nounces intemperance, and a fourth is as follows : 

Resolved, That any deviation in business, society or politics, from the strict principles of 
integrity, as taught in the Scriptures, we deem a sufficient cause for censure. 



THE SCHOOLS. 

The first school in Hennepin was taught by Thomas Gallaher in 1833, 
in a log house almost diagonally opposite the present flouring mill site, 
on the lot now occupied by the public Hall. 

In 1835, school was kept in the old Simpson Tavern, in the room used 
sometimes as a hall. 

In 1836 there was a school in the old Presbyterian meeting house. In 
1837 another was held in the old Court House. 

Calvin Dickey in 1842 conducted a private school in a log cabin near 
where Mrs. Reed now lives. 

In 1843 a frame school house was erected on High street, and soon 
after moved further up to near and east of the present public school build- 
ing, where a school was taught until the new house was completed. 

All these schools were run on the subscription plan. The free public 
schools began in 1845, in the building put up by subscription as an acad- 
emy, that scheme having been abandoned and the property turned over to 
the district. 

School houses were poorly constructed, and the rooms were shared by 
others than those seeking to climb the hill of science. One person tells us 
of finding a huge rattlesnake coiled beneath the benches, and occasionally 
a skunk would get under the floor and make it decidedly "warm" for the 
inmates while he remained. Mice were frequent visitors, and one of 
the pupils, now a staid and dignified business man, remembers how 
he and a chum used to place a boy's cap on the floor, with a stick to 
hold one edge up and a string to pull the stick out when the unsuspect- 
ing mouse went under to eat a bit of bread temptingly displayed, and how 



172 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

they caught the mouse and then a wholesome flogging at the hands of the 
irate pedagogue. 



BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 

MASONS. 

October 3, 1849, the Masons of Hennepin obtained a charter and or- 
ganized Lodge No. 70. The first members, as named in that instrument, 
were John Pulsifer, Thomas Hartzell, Ben. R. Wardlaw, Wm. D. Mann, 
Nathaniel Applegate, John Folger, John Hall, Abram Phillips, Brown 
Searls and E. Mott. The officers were : Abram Phillips, M. ; John Searls, 
S. W.; John Pulsifer, J. W. 

The first lodge rooms were in Hartenbower's house, north-west of the 
Court House. They now occupy rooms in Mrs. Flora Zenor's building. 
A Chapter is connected with this Lodge, organized in 1879. 

The fraternity are in a good financial condition, and keep their So- 
ciety in an active and sound state, numbering among its members many of 
the leading citizens of the community. 

HENNEPIN ODD FELLOWS. 

Hennepin Lodge No. 118, I. O. O. F., was installed March 24, 1853. 
The charter members were : Oakes Turner, Thomas H. Bradway, N. Pick- 
ering, John S. Margison and Wm. H. Smith. The first officers of the 
Lodge were : O. Turner, N. G. ; J. S. Margison, V. G. ; Wm. Eddy, Sec- 
retary; N. G. Pickering, Treasurer. 

The persons initiated the evening of the installation of the Lodge 
were: A. H. Turner, L. E. Skeel, Wm. Allen, Wm. Eddy, S. B. Wharton 
and Willard White. 

The Society is in a prosperous condition, and numbers among its mem- 
bers many of the prominent citizens of the town. 



THE BUEL INSTITUTE. 

This is not only the oldest Agricultural Society in Central Illinois, 
but the first formed in the entire West. The initiatory steps were taken 
to organize it, February 23, 1846, at Lowell, LaSalle County. J. S. Bui- 



FIRST AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY IN THE WEST. 173 

lock was Chairman of the meeting, and Elmer Baldwin, Secretary. After 
some general debate and informal talk among the four or five farmers 
assembled, a resolution was adopted "To form a society out of the friends 
of the movement living in that part of La Salle County south of the Illi- 
nois River, and so much of the counties of Putnam and Marshall as may 
choose to unite." 

Elmer Baldwin, R. C. Elliot and L. L. Bullock, of La Salle, Ralph 
Ware, of Putnam, and Wm. M. Clarkson, of Marshall, were appointed a 
committee to draft a constitution and report. 

March 18 another meeting was had at the same place, where a consti- 
tution was reported by the committee, and adopted. The first officers 
were then elected, and were: Elmer Baldwin, President; Ralph Ware, 
Wm. M. Clarkson and John T. Little, Vice Presidents; Dr. J. S. Bullock, 
Treasurer; Oakes Turner, Corresponding Secretary; L. L. Bullock, Re- 
cording Secretary. 

They adjourned to meet at Granville the first Tuesday of June, when 
Mr. Baldwin was appointed to deliver an address. At this meeting and 
subsequent 6nes within a short time, one hundred and seventy persons 
were induced to sign the Constitution and pay into the treasury fifty 
cents, which constituted the membership fee. At this meeting arrange- 
ments were made for discussing important topics connected with fanning, 
stock-raising, fruit-growing and the like, the question to be agreed upon 
at the previous meeting. 

These meetings were to be held every three months, at some place easy 
of access within the boundaries of the Society. 

At the first meeting at Granville the subject was, -"The best mode of 
cultivating corn." At this meeting also an annual fair was decided upon, 
to be held at Lowell, on the first Tuesday of October. 

These discussions took a wide range as to subjects, bringing within 
their scope everything relative to the farming interest, and at an early 
day, almost from the first meeting, people attended from a distance, com- 
ing on horseback many miles at inclement seasons of the year ; and the 
ladies, too, became regular attendants at these gatherings, looking forward 
to their recurrence with pleasing anticipation. They were really profita- 
ble to the thinking fanner, and should be a feature of every agricultural 
society. 

The meetings for debates were fixed for the first Tuesdays of Decem- 
ber, March, June and September each year, the place to be chosen at the 



174 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

previous quarterly meeting; also, every member was requested to keep -,\ 
memorandum of each crop planted, how tended, harvested, and the re- 
sults, and report. 

The Fair of 1846 was abandoned, in consequence of the great amount 
of sickness then prevailing throughout the country. The quarterly meet- 
ings, however, were regularly held at Lowell, Caledonia, Point Republic, 
Cedar Point, Granville and Magnolia in turn, and leading members deliv- 
ered addresses and read essays, while oral discussions were freely in- 
dulged in. 

Though the general Fair was not held, a local exhibition was gotten 
up at the farm of Wm. Groom, October 3, 1847, and held under the aus- 
pices of the Society, but the record makes no mention of any premiums 
having been awarded. 

The second regular Fair was appointed to be held at Granville, Octo- 
ber 6, 1848, and premiums were offered, probably badges and honorable 
mention, as no amount of premiums is stated. 

At the Third Annual Fair, which was held at Lowell, one hundred 
dollars was voted for prizes, and "two solicitors " were chose\i to circulate 
among the people to raise the funds therefor. "The Executive Commit- 
tee were also notified that they place on their show bills a request that 
there be no horse racing in or near the show ground " ! 

All future fairs were to last two days; evidence that the last fair had 
been too extensive to be satisfactorily viewed in one day. 

Grauville was honored with the Fourth Fair. Upon this occasion 
the Society adopted a resolution as follows: 

Resolved, That this meeting recommend that all male animals be not allowed to run at 
large. 

They also considered it wise to advertise the coming exhibition, and to 
this end directed the committee to procure one hundred show bills and 
one hundred premium cards, and the committee were directed if possible 
to procure a "derometer " / 

The membership fee in 1-850 was raised to $1.50 per annum, and the 
next fair appointed at Hennepin. 

The Fifth Annual Fair, the first at Hennepin, was duly held, and was 
rather more expensive than any of its predecessors, but seems to have 
been proportionately successful. The musicians cost $5.00, and the door- 



MB. GALLAHER'S "NIGGER -HEAD" GRIST-MILL. 175 

keeper $2. The exhibitors of fruits donated their samples to the Society, 
which goods being sold at auction, netted as follows: 

C. R. & N. Overman, Canton, Fulton County, $1.50. 

Arthur Bryant, Bureau, 60 cents. 

Underbill & Co., LaSalle, 65 cents. 

A. R. Whiting, Lee County, $1.10. 

Cyrus Bryant, Bureau, 65 cents. 

McWhorter <fe Co., Mercer County, $1.22. , 

L. P. Pennington, Whiteside County, $ 1.20. 

H. N. Shooler, Putnam County, 70 cents. 

This indicates that the Fair was widely known and well patronized. 

The Treasurer's' report for 1851 exhibited: Admissions $74.00. Ex- 
penses music $5.00; printer $22.25; premiums in full, $15.50; and cash 
above all expenses, $144.80. 

This Society is entitled to the credit of first suggesting to the Govern- 
ment a Bureau or Department of Agriculture. In June, 1851, the sub- 
ject came up and was fully discussed by the Institute, and the result of 
this debate was a petition, signed by the leading farmers of Putnam, Mar- 
shall and La Salle Counties, which was forwarded to our Representatives 
at Washington, in which was set forth the importance to the country of 
agriculture, the basis of all pursuits, and urging upon Congress to protect, 
foster and encourage it. Thus the matter came before that body from a 
respectable source, and was not only heard, but acted upon, and resulted 
in forming the Department of Agriculture, as stated. 

The Fairs were held at Peru one or two years, but the disadvantage 
of moving about without permanent buildings or grounds ; the growth of 
the Society, and the importance and increasing size of its annual exhibi- 
tions made a permanent location necessary, and the Society settled upon 
Hennepin as central and sufficiently accessible from all directions for the 
purpose. 

Fairs are held here every year, but of late years the exhibitions of this 
veteran Society are overshadowed by the greater magnitude of the neigh- 
boring fairs at Princeton, Wenona and Ottawa. 



*THE GALLAHER AND OTHER MILLS. 

The pioneer mill for grinding any kind of grain in all this region of 
country was put up by Thos. Gallaher, Sr., in the fall of 1828. The 



176 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

burrs were "nigger-heads," or dark granite boulders found upon the 
prairies, such as geologists tell us belong to the "drift" period, and were 
brought here from high northern latitudes some hundreds of centu- 
ries ago. Mr. Gallaher dressed these firm-grained rocks himself, drilled 
holes in them and wrought upon them at odd spells for a long time, ex- 
hausting a large stock of patience upon their stubborn and ragged outlines 
before he could reduce them to a fit shape and finish for his purpose. The 
mill was built on a hill or slight elevation in Section 30, one mile south 
of Florid. The building was of logs, sixteen feet square. A shaft was 
set up outside, and holes mortised in it for arms. A raw-hide band was 
stretched around, connecting the shaft with the upper stone, and with two 
or four horses was made to revolve, and thus turned the stones. In this 
primitive manner a couple of bushels of corn could be ground in an hour. 
One of tdese old burrs was sold to a Mr. Trusten, who removed it to 
Sandy Creek, where it was used for a time, and afterward fell into the 
hands of Mr. Bowers, and now is a step in front of Merrill's store in the 
village of Magnolia. At first the corn-meal, bran and all were delivered 
to the customer, but a year or so after a sieve was added, when he also 
began to make wheat flour, improvising some sort of bolting apparatus. 

Two years thereafter Mr. Gallaher employed Mr. Shugart to make 
cog-wheel gearing, which greatly accelerated the speed, and a bolt was 
also put in. With four horses two on each sweep, he could now 
grind and bolt about three bushels per hour. At this time there was no 
flouring mill nearer than Salt Creek, Sangamon County, eighty miles 
away. 

About 1832, Hollenback built a mill near Magnolia, the second in the 
County, greatly relieving the pressure on the Gallaher mill, which up to 
that time had done all the grinding for the settlers for many miles around. 

Gallaher's mill continued to run until about 1836. 

In 1831, Simeon Crozier erected a water power mill on Cedar Creek, 
which attracted some little custom from the north-eastern corner of Gran- 
ville Township. 

A mill located at Vermilionville ground much of the wheat for the 
farmers of this region, and sometimes they patronized John Green's mills, 
at Dayton, four miles above Ottawa, on Fox Kiver. 



INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF PIONEER LIFE. 



177 




CHAPTER XXIII. 

GREAT SNOWS. 

OR several years, beginning with 1828, heavy falls of/ snow 
were experienced, of which the early settlers have vivid 
remembrances. In that year Thomas Gallaher, Sr., brought 
up from Dillon's settlement 150 head of cattle, eighty sheep, 
and 100 hogs, known as the Shaker breed, having been 
brought from Ohio. He had secured a crop of hay, but it 
was beneath the deep snow that everywhere covered the 

around, and could not be reached. There was an abund- 

& 

ance of "mast" that season, and his hogs took to the woods, 
and rooting beneath the snow, fared well. Many of them escaped to the 
bottoms and became in a measure wild. His cattle and sheep fared 
worse, many of them dying. 

Seeing the necessity of procuring feed for his stock, Mr. Gallaher sent 
his son Thomas, Jr., and a young man named Kelly to Crozier's, in La- 
Salle County, where it was reported feed could be had. They had a sin- 
gle horse between them, which they alternately rode. They did not suc- 
ceed in finding corn, and were returning by Bailey's Point, when they 
struck a swampy place north and east of Granville, where Kelly got wet 
and froze both his feet. The locality was long after known as Frozen 
Point. \ 

Mr. Gallaher's stock became so weakened toward spring, by reason 
of scanty feed, that he feared their entire loss unless more nutritious food 
could be had, and the nearest or most feasible place where it cotild be 
procured was some distance below Peoria. 

He and Mr. Kelly went to Hennepin, (the young man's feet still much 
swollen, the result of the freezing), where they hoped to get boats from 
the Indian traders, but none were to be had. He next visited Shick- 
Shack's camp, hoping to obtain canoes, but the chief and his men had 
gone to "Coch-a-Mink," as the Indians called Fort Clark, with his boats 
loaded with furs. Although unsuccessful in both these attempts, Mr. Gal- 
laher was not a man to be discouraged. His cattle and sheep were 



178 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

not only on short allowance, but his family were " out of meat," and he 
felt that something must be done at once; so he determined to push on 
to the probable land of corn. Young Kelly, though suffering severely, 
insisted on accompanying him, and together they started on foot. The 
river was high, and the streams emptying into it were swollen by the 
melting shows. They had neither guides nor assistance, but reached their 
destination safely. 

They found there plenty of corn and meal, but no boats. Here again 
Mr. Gallaher's grit was put to the test, and getting a couple of axes, he 
and his man went into the woods, and cutting down a suitable tree, made 
and launched a large dug-out. Purchasing one hundred bushels of corn, 
fifty bushels of corn-meal, a barrel of salt and some groceries, they started 
for home, and after many days of hard work, they reached the head of 
what is now the Sister Islands, and landed. This was about the second 
week of April. Grass had begun to grow, but as yet there was but little 
feeding for stock. Having no way to haul his grain to the farm through 
the woods, he drove his cattle to the boat, and there fed such of them as 
could get to the river, and others were assisted until all were able to sus- 
tain themselves. 

But the great snow was in 1829-30, according to some, and in 1830- 
31 according to others, though it is possible both seasons were noted in 
this respect, and each statement is correct. It made the prairies one 
uniform level, over the frozen surface of which footman easily trav- 
eled ; but the sharp hoofs of the deer cut through and made their capture 
easy. Stock was kept in groves convenient to the cabins, and subsisted 
on the tender tops of trees cut down to "browse" upon. There was mudi 
suffering among the few settlers in the vicinity. A man traveling on horse- 
back was reported lost in the snow, and his remains were found the fol- 
lowing spring, south of Peru. According to Mr. Smiley Shepherd's recol- 
lection, it came between Christmas and New Year, falling constantly and 
drifting for three days, and then crusted over so that the Indians were 
enabled to run upon the surface. It lasted until February If), the day 
of the total eclipse of the sun. The next day the weather turned warm, 
and the snow melted and disappeared four days thereafter. 

A man traveling in a wagon, near Florid, was caught in the snow 
and had to abandon his vehicle, where it remained till spring. An- 
other person named Swainford, in attempting to cross from Granville 
to Florid, had to abandon his horse. Returning next day he found it had 



THE PIONEER LASS WHO " OUT -RUN DAD." 179 

been killed by the wolves. Another man started with a hog in a sled to 
go from Gallaher's to Hennepin, and got fast in the drift. He went to 
a neighbor's, and on his return the hog had loosened the cords that bound 
her and stmck out for itself. He cut eif its tail as a mark, and let her 
go, and the next season found her and a litter of nice young pigs doing 
well. She had managed for herself in a creditable manner. 

The summer of 1836 was exceedingly cold and backward. Corn in 
the neighborhood of Hennepin, and especially on the bottoms and low 
places, was cut down when from eight to ten inches high, on the 16th of 
June, but as the stalks had not yet jointed, they grew again. The weather 
continued cold until fall, which came early, with freezing spells, and but 
little of it matured. The following spring the farmers had much difficulty 
in procuring seed corn, and many sent to the southern part of the State 
for supplies. 

ODD CHAEACTERS. 

The settlement of a country is usually preceded by a lawless, ungov- 
ernable, uncivilized race, that hang on the verge of civilization and seem 
to think their free and easy existence the acme of enjoyment. As a rule 
they are open-hearted, brave and generous, and their vices all "lean to 
virtue's side." They have a weakness for poor whisky, a contempt for 
danger, are prompt to resent an insult, and ready at all times for a fight. 
Usually they are honest, but being tempted, are liable to fall, and often 
become bandits and robbers. 

A representative man of this class was Dave Jones, of unenviable no- 
toriety. He was brave and fearless, and when news came of the massacre 
of the Hall family, and all were paralyzed with fear, he saddled a horse 
and rode alone to the scene of murder. He once ran a foot race with an 
Irishman for a sum of money. They were to go to a certain point and 
return, and the Irishman started off at his best, while Dave walked leis- 
urely down the track until meeting his opponent on the return, he knocked 
him down, came in first and claimed the stakes. The Irishman deter- 
mined to get even with him, and when Dave was drunk, beat him so 
badly that, believing the man would die, he fled the place. But Dave 
recovered, and lived for many a day after. For years there was not a 
session of court in which he did not figure as defendant in cases where the 
people were plaintiffs. He was the first occupant of the Hennepin jail, 
and its frequent tenant afterward. For several years he lived in the tim- 



180 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

ber west of Granville, where he raised a family as wild and untamed as 
himself. He had a stout, healthy daughter, a dozen or more years old, 
whom he undertook to send to school, but with the perverseness of her 
sire, she refused, telling him flatly^he would n't go. She was fleet of foot, 
and when Dave essayed the persuasive virtues of a healthy-sized whip, 
she ran away, with her irate sire in hot pursuit. Not far from the house 
was a pond of water with a substratum of deep mud, round which she 
skipped, but Dave, hoping to cut her off on the opposite side, dashed 
through. The depth was greater than expected, and he emerged covered 
with mud and half drowned, though he continued the race to the school 
house, where pupils and teacher set up a laugh at his plight, in which 
Dave too joined, his hopeful daughter shaking her sides with mirthful- 
ness, and exclaiming, "Golly! I out-run dad." 

" In the spring of 1832 a dead Indian was found in the creek, near the 
present site of the Bureau Valley Mills, with a bullet hole in his back, 
showing that he came to his death from a rifle shot. The corpse was 
taken out of the water by Indians, buried in the sand near by, and the 
affair was soon forgotten. Jones said while hunting deer in the creek 
bottom, he saw this Indian setting on a log over the water, fishing, when 
all of a sudden he jumped up as though he was about to draw out a big 
fish, and pitched headlong into the water, and was drowned when he canie 
up to him. Two other Indians disappeared mysteriously about the same 
time, who were supposed to have been murdered, and on that account it 
is said the Indians contemplated taking revenge on the settlers. 

" One warm afternoon Jones, with a jug in one hand, came cantering 
his old mare up to the Hennepin ferry, saying that his wife was very sick, 
and would certainly die if she did not get some whisky soon. In great 
haste Jones was taken across the river, and on landing on the Hennepin 
side he put his old mare on a gallop up the bluff to Durley's store, where 
he filled his jug with whisky. Meeting with some old chums, he soon be- 
came intoxicated, forgot about his wife's sickness, and spent the afternoon 
and evening in wrestling, dancing ' Jim Crow,' and fighting with some of 
his friends. 

" It was long after dark when Jones started for home, but on arriving at 
the ferry he found the boat locked up, and the ferryman in bed. Jones 
rapped at the door of the ferryman's house, swearing if he did not get up 
and take him across he would pull the house down, and whip him besides. 
But all his threats were in vain ; the ferryman could not be moved. Jones 



THE ADVENTTTRES OF "DAVE" JONES. 181 

went down to the river, took off the bridle reins, with which he tied the 
jug of whisky on his back, then drove his old mare into the river, and 
holding on to her tail, was ferried across the river, as he afterward ex- 
pressed it, ' without costing him a cent.' 

" One afternoon, while Dave Jones was engaged in cutting out a road 
from Hennepin ferry through the bottom timber, his coat, which lay by 
the wayside, was stolen. Although the value of the old coat did not ex- 
ceed two dollars, it was all the one Jones had, and he searched / for it 
throughout the settlement. At last Jones found his coat on the back of 
the thief, whom he arrested and took to Hennepin for trial. The thief 
was at work in Mr. Hays' field, immediately west of Princeton, when 
Jones presented his rifle at his breast, ordering him to take up his line of 
march for Hennepin, and if he deviated from the direct course, he would 
blow his brains out. The culprit, shaking in his boots, started on his 
journey, while Jones, with his rifle on his shoulder, walked about three 
paces behind. On arriving at Hennepin, the thief plead guilty, being 
more afraid of Jones than the penalties of the law, and was therefore put 
in jail. After Jones had delivered up his prisoner, he got drunk, was en- 
gaged in several fights, and he too was arrested and put in jail. At that 
time the Hennepin jail consisted of only one room, being a log structure, 
twelve feet square, and Jones being put in with the thief, commenced 
beating him. Seeing that they could not live together, the thief was libe- 
rated and Jones retained. At this turn of affairs, Jones became penitent, 
agreeing to go home and behave himself if they would let him out. Ac- 
cordingly, the Sheriff took him across the river and set him at liberty; 
but Jones swore he would not go home until he had whipped eveiy person 
in Hennepin, so he returned to carry out his threats, but was again arrested 
and put in jail. 

"A short time after the Hennepin ferry was established, Dave Jones 
was on the Hennepin side of the river with a wild yoke of cattle, and 
wished to cross over, but was unwilling to pay the ferriage. He swore 
before he would pay the ferryman's extravagant price he would swim the 
river, saying that he had frequently done it, and could do it again. Jones 
wore a long-tailed Jackson overcoat, which reached to his heels, and a coon- 
skin cap, with the tail hanging down over his shoulders, the weather at 
the time being quite cool. He drove his oxen into the river, taking the 
tail of one of them in his mouth, when they started for the opposite shore. 
Away went the steers, and so went Dave Jones, his long hair and long- 



182 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

tailed overcoat floating on the water, his teeth tightly fastened to the 
steer's tail, while with his hands and feet he paddled with all his might. 
Everything went on swimmingly until they came near the middle of the 
river, where the waters from each side of the island come together; here 
the current was too strong for the steers, they turned down stream, and 
put back for the Hennepin side. Jones could not open his mouth to say 
gee or haw, without losing his hold on the steer's tail, and was therefore 
obliged to go where the steers led him, but all were safely landed some 
distance below the starting place. Jones was in a terrible rage at his fail- 
ure to cross the river beat his cattle, and cursed the bystanders for 
laughing at his misfortune. After taking a big dram of whisky, he tried 
it again but with no better success. Three different times Jones tried 
this experiment, each time whipping his cattle and taking a fresh dram of 
whisky. At last he was obliged to give it up as a bad job, and submit to 
paying the ferryman the exorbitant price of twenty-five cents to be ferried 
over."* 

The influx of settlers and the establishment of law and order made it 
too sultry for Jones, who returned to Indiana, where he was hung by a 
party of regulators for his numerous crimes. He died as he vowed he 
would, "with his boots on." 

Another family of semi-outlaws were the Harts, living in the bottoms 
below Henry, between whom and the Bakers, living on Ox Bow Prairie, 
desperate war waged with varied success. They were of the class known 
in the South as poor white trash, and were idle, vicious and pugnacious, 
quick to take offense and prompt to resent an insult. The question of 
supremacy was never fairly settled, victory inclining first to one faction 
and then to another. At one time a Baker challenged a Hart, and the 
fight was arranged to come off on a certain day. Hart perhaps feared the 
result and was inclined to back down, but when his wife heard of it she 
declared with an oath, if he did not fight Baker and whip him too he 
should not live with her another day. Like most borderers, he wore his hair 
very long, and in preparation for the contest she sheared it close to his 
head, divested him of everything but his pants, smeared his body all over 
with soft soap, and sent him forth to battle. Baker came on the ground 
stripped likewise to the buff, with a handkerchief "girt about his loins," 
and in the expressive language of the ring, " just spoiling for a fight," and 

* Reminiscences of Bureau County. 

\ 




HENNEPIN, 



PUTNAM Co. 



A NEGRO SOLD UNDER THE VAGRANT ACT. 185 



' 



vowing he could whip any two Harts on the ground. The latter was ar- 
rayed in a long camlet cloak that completely hid his warlike preparations, 
and when asked if he was ready, said "He guessed not; he had no quar- 
rel with Mr. Baker, and did n't think he could whip him." This still more 
.excited the latter, who pranced round like a mad bull, saying Hart was a 
coward and dare not fight him. At last the preliminaries were arranged 
and a ring formed, into which the men stepped ; and Hart, throwing off 
his cloak, displayed his gladiatorial form and careful preparations. Baker's 
tactics were to grasp his antagonist, hold him fast and bite or gouge, as 
circumstances warranted; but the latter was slippery as an eel, and 
pounded his antagonist severely, easily winning the fight. 

NEGRO SOLD IN HENNEPIN. 

About 1835, a negro was sold in Hennepin under the operation of the 
infamous black laws of the State. He was a refugee from below, and 
probably reached here on board one of the many steamers plying on 
the Illinois. He possessed "no visible means of support," and either 
cared not to work or could not get the opportunity, and at the instigation 
of interested parties was arrested under the provisions of the vagrant act, 
and advertised for sale for his keeping and costs. There was an active 
Abolition element at Granville and elsewhere in the County, and on the 
day of sale the members were present, but finding there was no claimant 
present for his person, nor any arranged plan to return him to slavery, 
they allowed the sale to go on, and he brought, we believe, one dollar and 
costs. William M. Stewart, of Florid, became the purchaser, who put 
him in the harvest field and paid him regular wages. The "man and 
brother " earned a suit of clothes besides his freedom, and some money to 
take him on the road to Canada. 

A slave was brought to Union Grove in 1830 by Saml. D. Laughlin, 
and remained some time. He was taken to Chicago by Thomas Hartzell, 
and sent on his way. 

HARD FOR BACHELORS. 

In 1833 there were eleven families, all told, in Hennepin, half -a 
dozen marriageable females, and about forty eligible bachelors and wid- 
owers. Of course the former were in good demand among the young set- 
tlers wanting wives, but the widowers had the inside track and carried off 
the best ones. 



186 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

In those days an extensive outfit and wedding trip were not thought 
of, for both parties " meant business," and proceeded in a business way. 
The groom prepared his cabin for its new occupant, and she, dressed in a 
clean calico gown, with hair nicely combed, was ready for the ceremony. 
Next the services of a minister were invoked, a few friends called in, and 
a bountiful supper of venison and johnny-cake concluded the festivities, 
after which the bride was conducted to her future home, and their new 
life began. For ten years there was a marked scarcity of marriageable 
women, and the first indictment in the County (as stated elsewhere) was 
found against a man for having two wives. The culprit, a man named 
Hall, lived in the vicinity of Hennepin, in a small cabin, and claimed to 
have been lawfully married to the two women with whom he lived, and 
that his religious views justified his conduct. 

The jurymen, mo,st of whom were bachelors, thought it smacked too 
much of monopoly, and some favored hanging as an example for the future, 
but their advice was not taken. 

What was strange about it was that the women seemed satisfied, and 
on hearing what had been done by the grand jury, voluntarily followed 
their much married husband elsewhere. 

A PREACHER ANSWERED. 

Somewhere about 1831, a minister named Jesse Hale came to Henne- 
pin to establish a mission among the Indians. He was a man of simple 
faith and very earnest, believing himself able to convert and civilize them 
if only a hearing could be obtained. 

Old Louis Bailey was sent for as an interpreter, and the Indians came 
from far and near. Hale mounted a stump in the woods below Henne- 
pin, and harangued his dusky audience for an hour. When the intrepre- 
ter had translated the last sentence into the Pottawatomie dialect, old 
Shaubena came forward, and motioning silence, made reply: "To what 
white preacher say, I say may be so ! Are all white men good ? I say may 
be so ! Do white men cheat Indian ? I say may be so. Governor Cole 
gave me, Shaubena, hunting grounds, and told me to hunt. Your big 
White-sides (General Whiteside) come along and tell Shaubena jwck a cJiee 
(clear out)." Here the angry chief exhibited his papers, bearing the sig- 
nature of the Governor and the great seal of the State, and throwing them 
upon the ground, stamped them under his feet. Hale tried to pacify the 






JERKED VENISON WOLVES THE MILITIA. 187 

indignant chief by saying that "Whiteside is a bad white man;" where- 
upon Shaubena retorted, "If white man steal Indian's land, hang him!" 
Hale thought this meant himself, and he fled through the bushes for town, 
nor ever sought to convert an Indian again. 

A PARSON OUT OF MEAT. 

During the year 1830 the Gallaher boys caught a fawn, which was 
easily domesticated, and became quite a pet. They tied a strip of red 
flannel about its neck, and turned it out to roam the woods at will. It 
grew rapidly, and the neighbors soon got to know it as the "Gallaher 
deer." It rambled through the woods, and even the Indians, though con- 
stantly hunting, never molested it. But one afternoon it ventured too 
near the smoke-house of a certain parson living near Union Grove, and 
was never after seen alive. It was not best to insinuate the minister after- 
ward lived on venison, but his influence with the Gallaher boys was gone 
from that day. 

A WOLF STORY. 

As previously stated, Mr. Gallaher's sheep did not suffer so much from 
scanty feeding as the cattle, and "came through," though in a very lean 
condition. Their worst foe was the gaunt and hungry wolves, which re- 
quired continual watching. One day the boys on whom devolved this 
duty allowed them to range beyond their sight, and stray over the hill 
into the woods beyond. At night they failed to appear as usual. Search 
was made, and soon the cause was apparent, as scattered along the course 
were the dead and mangled carcasses, but no living sheep. Several days 
later they came upon a ewe alive and unhurt, several miles from home. 
How she had escaped the fangs of the destroyer was a mystery. She was 
taken home and a bell put around her neck, and for several seasons she ran 
with the cattle, unmolested by dog or wolf, as if possessed of a charmed 
life. She was the only survivor of the flock of eighty originally brought 
to the country by Mr. Gallaher. 

A STILL HUNT. 

When the news of the Indian outbreak, the massacre of the whites on 
Indian Creek, and the killing of Phillips in Bureau had been promul- 
gated, the white settlers, with very few exceptions ? turned out promptly to 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

fight the savages. They had no arms save fowling pieces and squirrel 
guns, but hastily arming themselves with these, they hurried to the front. 

Mr. Gallaher relates how he met about sixty 6f these brave defenders 
under Captain Hawes. They had no uniforms, each soldier coming out in 
such clothing as he had, and consequently no two were dressed alike. 
They came singing and shouting, yelling and cat-calling, like so many 
boys on a jamboree, and altogether presented a sight that would have in- 
spired unlimited mirthfulness instead of fear, even in a savage. 

This manner of marching became all the more ridiculous when it is 
remembered that they had started out on a "still hunt," to surprise a foe 
the most cunning and cat-like known to history. 

A STARVED RECRUIT. 

One evening during the Indian war excitement, while the rangers were 
searching the woods near the mouth of Bureau Creek, they were hailed in 
a weak, piping voice, and found a poor, emaciated fellow in soldier's uni- 
form, barely able to walk, who told his pitiful story with much difficulty. 
He was at Stillman's defeat, on Rock River, and had been hiding in the 
woods, with very little food, ever since, and was nearly starved. He be- 
lieved himself the only survivor, and thinking the country in the posses- 
sion of the Indians, had not dared to venture in the vicinity of the white 
settlements. He was taken to town and well cared for until he recovered 
and joined his company. 

JAIL BURNED. 

The Hennepin Jail was set on fire and burned down September 27, 
1842. A fellow named Frederick was confined in it for burglary, having 
broken open the store of Pulsifer & Co. and stolen valuable goods, for 
which he was under indictment. It was built of brick at a cost of $3,000, 
was lined with heavy timbers, and supposed to be burglar proof. While 
burning the prisoner was placed in the Court House for safety, but gave 
his guard the slip and escaped. The enraged tax-payers however turned 
out and hunted him down, keeping him safely until his trial. 

A PIONEER EXPRESS. 

Before the introduction of steamboats upon the Illinois, business was 
carried on by keel-boats or pirogues, manned by adventurous boatmen, 



WAR AVERTED AND VICTORY SECURED BY STRATEGY. 189 

who made regular trips to St. Louis, stopping at intervening points and 
transacting such business as was required. For many years a couple of 
half-breeds ran a light batteau on the river, taking furs and light pro- 
duce to market and filling orders with scrupulous fidelity. When they 
first began the trade they were but boys, and they continued until the 
more rapid steamboat drove them from the river. 

In the absence of banks of exchange, they were sometimes entrusted 
with heavy sums and commissioned to make valuable purchases, /which 
they did with entire satisfaction, accounting for every dollar. 

INDIANS OUTWITTED. 

Oiir of the first merchants of Hennepin was John.Durley, and the fol- 
lowing incident in which he was an actor, though occurring elsewhere, is 
told by his descendants. Previous to his removal/ to Putnam County, he 
resided in Madison County in this State, where in 1824 they were greatly 
annoyed by a band of thievish, impudent Indians, encamped in the vicin- 
ity. Having previously sold their lands to the Government, and consented 
to emigrate beyond the Mississippi, application was made to the Indian 
Agent, who sent a company of soldiers to order their removal. The for- 
mer were few in number, while the Indians were well armed and supplied 
with ammunition, and the advantages, if force were resorted to, would be 
all on their side. In this predicament a ruse suggested by Mr. Durley 
was tried, and proved entirely successful. Accompanied by his son 
Janies, now of Hennepin, he rode over to the Indian village, with the 
chief of which he was on friendly terms, and told him the purposes of the 
Great Father, who had sent a thousand warriors with orders to kill all 
Indians who had riot left the country as agreed in their treaty, adding 
that in half an hour they would pass in front of Sugar-loaf Hill, a small 
conical eminence a mile from the Indian village, and near which they were 
to camp. He advised the chief to leave, or, doubting his word, to hide 
among the trees and count the soldiers. 

Soon after the troops appeared, marching slowly in front of the hill, 
and running at full speed on the opposite side, so as to keep the show in 
front continuous. In this way the duped chief was deluded into counting 
thirty or forty men over and over until they numbered a thousand or 
more, when he broke for the camp, hastily packed the ponies, and left 
helter-skelter for the Mississippi River, followed by the soldiers at a safe 



190 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

distance all night. While crossing the Illinois River, the Indians were 
fired upon by the troops and several killed. A pony on which was 
strapped seven little children, while swimming the stream, was shot, and 
its load of helpless infants all drowned. 

FASTIDIOUS TRAVELERS. 

Hotel accommodations in 1834-5 were not what they are at present. 
There was plenty to eat, such it was, but French cooks had not been im- 
ported, and cook-books were unknown to our grandmothers. Hog and 
hominy, coffee and molasses were the staples, and the traveler who could 
not appreciate them after a six hours jolt in Frink <fe Walker's "mud 
wagons" was set down as' "too nice for anything." For lodgings, a 
blanket, buffalo robe, or a sheepskin was provided, and the traveler told 
to select the softest plank he could find. As landlords grew in wealth 
they increased their accommodations, and a single large room was devoted 
to sleeping purposes, filled with beds, upon which was a " shake down " 
filled with prairie hay, and a blanket. Sheets were a decided luxury, and 
it was not every "hotel " that afforded them. The traveler was expected 
to share his bed with others, and this "custom of the country" was ac- 
cepted as a matter of course, though occasionally some fine-haired individ- 
uals objected. 

Captain Hawes, of Magnolia, once entertained a choleric fellow who 
claimed to be "a gentleman," said he never in all his life slept with any 
one but his wife, and rather than do it, sat up all night. At intervals he 
would groan and wish himself out of the barbarous country, to which the 
unfeeling lodgers would respond with a hearty "Amen!" 



THE INDIAN'S RIDE. 



Indian boys affiliated readily with the whites of their own age, and 
joined heartily in the sports common to both. They were athletic and 
"springy," but usually under size, and could not cope in a fair rough and 
tumble with the pale faces. They did not easily take offense, but wlu-n 
once angered, their wrath was fearful. Mr. William Gallaher tells an 
amusing story of one who was his frequent playmate. Mr. G.'s busi- 
ness was hauling logs with a yoke of oxen, one of which, a very quietly 
disposed brute, he used to ride, while his mate was wild and vicious. The 
Indian one day wished to ride, and G., in a spirit of mischief, put him on 



A YOUNG INDIAN S PERILOUS RIDE. 



191 



the wild animal, at the same time releasing him from the yoke. The ox 
has an instinctive fear of an Indian, and unused to such treatment, started 
off at a desperate pace, setting up a bellow that infected every animal on the 
place with a like frenzy, and away they started in pursuit. The Indian was 
good rider and held on like grim death, while the ox tore through the 
fields, brush and briers until he reached the larger timber, when a project- 
ing limb brushed his rider off unhurt. But the Indian never forgave this 
too practical joke, and sought to kill young Gallaher, who was qareful 
ever after to keep out of his way. 




192 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER XXIV. 



A NOTED BURGLARY. 



'URING the summer of 1869, the hitherto exceedingly quiet 
city of Hennepin became the scene of a most intense and 
long continued excitement, owing to the stirring events 
here narrated. 

About the 10th of June a rather suspicious person 
made his appearance in town, and wandered about from 
day to day, with no apparent object other than to ask a good 
many questions, look into alleys and by-ways, and make the 
acquaintance of the roughs and idlers of the place. On one 
occasion he went into Leech & Bros', office, where they kept their safe and 
funds, ostensibly to get a $10.00 bill changed, but in fact to note the lay 
of things in the office, the fastenings upon the safe, its lock, and the posi- 
tion of the windows. This fellow also went to Hartenbower's warehouse 
for the same purpose, and asked of a young man whom he had made a 
"chum" of, "Where these grain dealers kept their money?" and "Where 
they lived?" He disappeared the morning before the attempted robbery. 
Another fellow had appeared upon the scene a tall, lank, illy dressed, 
gray-whiskered chap, who was seen in several places, apparently drunk, 
the day before the attempt on the safe was made, and was found next 
morning in a corn-crib near the scene, where it was thought he h.-id 
been "telegraphing" his pals when in the warehouse, but when dis- 
covered was too drunk, or simulated it so perfectly as to completely de- 
ceive his captors, who could make nothing out of him and turned him 
loose. He was either too drunk for a sober man or too sober for a drunken 
one. In three minutes after, when the enraged citizens had begun to con- 
nect him with the gang, he was not to be found ! 

About one o'clock of the morning of June 23, 1869, Mr. John B. 
Gowdey, a respectable tradesman of Hennepin, had occasion to get a 
drink of water. After rising he concluded to go down to his shoe- 
shop for a smoke, when he was astonished to hear the sound of iron 
striking iron close in his neighborhood. Going out softly, he heard 



DISCOVERY AND PURSUIT OF THE BURGLARS. 193 

the noise more distinctly, and followed it up cautiously, till reaching 
a window of Leech Bros', warehouse, he saw three men one hold- 
ing a dark lantern, one a cold-chisel, and the third a sledge-hammer, 
which tools are now to be seen in the County Clerk's office at Hennepin. 
Mr. Gowdey's first impulse was to ''yell" at them to drive them off, but 
as they had not got in the safe, and didn't seem likely to for a few min- 
utes more, he crept away and ran softly to wake up the citizens nearest 
the scene, and secure the burglars if possible. He aroused J. W. Leech, 
Mr. Small and Frank Sunderland. These men and a few others gathered 
around the warehouse as soon as possible. Mr. Leech stationed Mr. Sun- 
derland near the window, going himself to the door toward the river, 
rightly judging that the robbers had come across in a canoe or skiff, and 
would head that way on being alarmed. Some one, in coming down the 
hill near the warehouse, tripped upon a loose stone, and thus prema- 
turely alarmed the villians, who immediately rushed out of the building 
through a drive- way toward their skiff, yelling to the citizens to "stand 
back or get hurt," and the former, with only one gun that was avail- 
able, and not being able in the dark to distinguish friend from foe, could 
not safely fire. The robbers returned to their boat. They were ordered to 
halt, and answered with a shot from a revolver, which fortunately hit 
no one. A lad named Everett had no gun, and began throwing stones 
at the retreating party, whereupon they returned several shots with 
their revolvers. As the boat emerged from the deep shadow of the 
buildings, they opened quite a lively fire upon the crowd which had by 
this time assembled upon the shore. Frank Sunderland took the shot-gun 
and replied with better luck, for the oarsman in the departing boat was 
numerously peppered, one shot lodging in his face under the eye and in 
dangerous proximity to that organ. He fell forward, or rather dropped 
his face between his hands and quit rowing, while his companion seized 
the oars and exerting his full strength; one of them broke, and he was 
obliged to paddle toward the shore with the other as best he could. 

The country opposite town is low and flat, with a single narrow cause- 
way leading to the main land. At all times it is little better than a 
morass, and now the river, swelled by the spring rains, was high, and the 
whole territory, with the single exception of the causeway alluded to, was 
more or less submerged. At the point dwelt two men engaged upon the 
ferry, named Barmore and Thornton, who, hearing the alarm and under- 
standing the situation, came down to the river prepared to give the rob- 



194 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

bers the warmest possible reception. Had it not been for the broken oar, 
and knowing the locality well, they would doubtless have gone direct to 
the landing and fought their way out, or at least attempted to; but tin it 
changed all their plans, and the current carried them down stream, where 
they landed in the half submerged timber, seeking what safety they could. 

As soon as it was sufficiently light and skiffs could be procured, the 
people, now thoroughly aroused, turned out, armed with eveiy available 
weapon, and the river bottoms were effectually scoured for the .skulking 
vagabonds. Early in the morning the fellow who had been wounded was 
caught. He maintained a degree of innocence of the attempted crime and 
"knowledge of the whereabouts of his pals that was refreshing! "He had 
been out hunting, and had scratched his face with a thorn," but at a later 
period confessed that he had been shot as above stated, and had fallen be- 
hind his comrades while endeavoring to allay the pain and stop the flow 
of blood from the wound on his face, and while bathing his eye the oth- 
ers had left him, and he dare not call them for fear of attracting their 
pursuers. About eight or nine o'clock in the morning the remaining bur- 
glars were found lying by a log in the edge of a swamp or slough. Mr. 
Thornton, who discovered the culprits, made signs to Holland, Cook and 
others to come to him. The signals were speedily passed along the line, 
and each man, with weapon in hand ready for use, advanced. The leader, 
seeing the situation and knowing his retreat was cut off and resistance 
useless, held up both hands, exclaiming, "Don't shoot; I give up." His 
companion also surrendered. They were searched, and no weapons found, 
but afterward revolvers were found hidden deep in the mud near the 
place of arrest. Seeing themselves surrounded by so many persons all in 
citizens' attire, they feared violence, and begged not to be mobbed. One 
of them was escorted by I. H. Cook, but he pretended entire ignorance of 
what had transpired. He was a poor trapper looking after his traps, and 
could not understand why he should be arrested by armed men. As they 
neared the shore, where a large crowd waited their arrival, he thought of 
the possible lynching that might follow, and forgetting the trapper ><>/< 
enquired "what they did with the other fellow they caught;" to which 
the reply was made that they "hung him before breakfast." 

The prisoners were escorted up town through a dense crowd of excited, 
scowling citizens, only waiting a leader to take the law into their own 
hands and give the villains the justice they richly deserved at the end of 
a rope. An examination was had before a Justice of the Peace, and the 



PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT BURGLARY IN HENNEPIN. 195 

prisoners placed under heavy bonds to wait the action of the Grand Jury, 
which they not being able to give, were escorted to the jail and a special 
guard put over them. 

Subsequent events proved this to have been a deep laid scheme, c"oolly 
planned by the leading cracksman of Chicago, the notorious Buck Hoi- 
brook, well known to the police and dreaded by them as a desperate scoun- 
drel of herculean strength, cool courage and utterly devoid of fear. Hen- 
nepin had no bank for the safe keeping of valuables, it was an impprtant 
grain market, and they rightly considered if the haul was made it would 
be a rich one. 

Two previous attemps had been made, both failures. In one of them 
they stole a couple of horses and hitched them to a sled, loading the safe 
(a small one) upon it with the intention of hauling it away; but in their 
ignorance they had harnessed an unbroken colt which refused to pull, and 
their plans were frustrated. 

Another was upon the safe of a Mr. Atkins, which they tried with all 
the improvements known to burglars; but the noise alarmed a servant girl, 
'who frightened the robbers off. Various reasons conspired to invite an 
attempt of the kind. The place had no trained police, no watchmen; the 
town stands on the high bluff of a deep river, with its business houses 
near the stream; across the river a wilderness of swamps, lakes, tangled 
weeds, trees, underbrush etc., all afforded splendid hiding places for the 
thieves and their plunder. 

The capture of Holbrook and his pals deeply excited his friends in 
Chicago, who sent messages of condolence and friends to visit the unlucky 
trio in the Hennepin jail. Among the latter came a richly attired female 
claiming to be Holbrook's wife. She was known as Mollie Holbrook, the 

o 

keeper of a noted bagnio, and wore upon her person a profusion of laces 
and diamonds of " purest ray serene." Her will was law among her asso- 
ciates, among whom she ruled like a queen, and it was hinted a golden key 
she carried had unlocked dungeons ere now and set her friends at liberty. 
She played the role of an injured and innocent female, whose husband, a 
perfect paragon of honesty, needed no other vindication of character than 
her word. He was the victim of conspiracy, and should be liber- 
ated without a question. Failing in this mode of attack, she grew in- 
dignant and threatened to burn the town and murder the citizens. She 
obtained permission to visit her husband, and it is believed handed him a 
ten dollar bill in which was hidden some diminutive tools for breaking jail. 



196 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

The citizens were prepared. They had observed strange faces about 
the vicinity of the jail, and a class of comers and goers far different in 
their dress, manners and looks from their own people. The Sheriff, if not 
on terms of social intercourse with these suspected persons, was too con- 
fiding in their word of honor, too indulgent to them, so people argued, 
and they recommended a special police force to help guard the jail. The 
Sheriff became angry at this, and intimated that he would attehd to his 
own business, and the citizens, unknown to that officer, guarded not only 
the jail, but the town, a precaution which, though expensive and arduous, 
was rewarded most amply, as will be seen. 

On the night of Saturday, June 28, 1869, a guard of two citizens who 
had been recently placed on duty in a barn near the jail, heard a singular 
noise, like a cat "whetting its claws" upon a tree or fence, as the saying 
is. They watched intently, and became convinced it was near or under 
the jail. Between one and two o'clock of Sunday morning this sound 
ceased, and presently from a hole at the side of the jail emerged the form 
of a man, which proved to be that of Buck Holbrook. Standing a mo- 
ment, he looked cautiously around, and exclaimed in a low voice, ""Boys, 
the coast is clear." In a few moments one, and then the other of his 
companions came forth, when Buck said, "Now for Chicago!" At that 
instant the guard fired, and he fell, his person from the top of the head 
to the lower part of the stomach riddled with shot, eighty-four having 
been counted afterward. He never spoke or groaned, but seemed to have 
fallen dead. The other two men fled ; one around the building, and es- 
'caped, and the other ran to the kitchen door of the jail, and begged to be 
admitted. The former ran across two lots, into Mr. Un thank's barn, crept 
in the hay-mow, and lay hid all that night and next day until evening. 
In the meantime the excited citizens were alert everywhere. They never 
thought of looking for their escaped bird so close to his cage, but sur- 
rounded the town, posted watchmen, and sent trusty men to guard the 
avenues of escape. As the bells were calling people to church in the 
evening, the culprit came forth and joined a throng of people on their 
way to the house of worship. He slipped past and struck out for Peru, 
and at about eleven o'clock P. M., while crossing a bridge, fell into the 
hands of a policeman stationed to intercept him. He was returned here, 
and himself and his "pal," under the names of Watson and Norton respec- 
tively, on the 26th of October, 1869, were tried and sent to the peniten- 
tiary for five years. 



DELEGATES FROM THE CANAILLE OF CHICAGO. 107 

The morning of the shooting of Holbrook, his reputed wife was 
notified of the fatal affair, and at once came down, accompanied by a 
repulsive looking fellow, with "villain" in every feature. They 
proceeded to the Court House, where the dead body of the burglar lay. 
As they entered the room, which was crowded with people, she uttered a 
wail like the scream of an enraged tigress, and he, looking upon the 
corpse, exclaimed, while a scowl of brigand-like ferocity gleamed from 
his hideous face, " Eighty-four buckshot, by - ! " Just then A^atch- 
man Cassell's gun was heard to "click, click," as he raised the hammer, 
ready for any emergency, which the heavy villain interpreted to "mean 
business," and quietly left with his howling charge, making a quick 
departure out of the city. She caused his remains to be expeditiously 
boxed up and shipped to Chicago, where the demi monde, roughs and 
lower order of thieves of the city turned out to honor the memory of 
their fallen chief with a pompous funeral procession. 

The frail and furious Mollie not only shook off the dust of her shoes 
as a testimony against Hennepin when she left it, but, between groan- 
ing and moaning and screaming at the top of her voice, she put in some 
very bitter curses and frightful denunciations against it and all who had 
been concerned in the death of her friend. 

Since then Mollie has served a term in the penitentiary, and Hennepin, 
instead of suffering from the fearful imprecations which the consort of 
Holbrook invoked upon it, has grown and prospered, and there is not 
a town in the State to-day of its size where better order reigns, and none 
which burglars, robbers, thieves and persons of that ilk seem as by gen- 
eral consent so willing to avoid. 




198 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTER XXV. 

UNION GROVE. 

BOUT five miles east of Hennepin, on the line of Gran- 
ville Township, is Union Grove, the name given to a 
fine body of timber that dots the great prairie extending 
eastward almost to the Wabash. It early attracted the 
attention of settlers, and increased more rapidly in popu- 
lation than any other portion of the County. 

The first settler was Stephen D. Willis, who in 1829 
built the first cabin, opened the first farm and planted the 
first orchard. He was followed a few months later by James G. Ross, a 
brother-in-law. His cabin had neither doors nor windows when he moved 
in, and fires were kept up at night to scare away wild animals that 
prowled about. 

John L. Ramsey located at the south side of the Grove in 1828 or '29; 
James G. Dunlavy at the west end in 1830. 

Hugh Warnock made a claim on what is now a portion of John P. 
Blake's farm, in 1828. 

John McDonald, the first Presbyterian preacher, located where Dun- 
lavy afterward lived, in 1829, and planted the second orchard in the 
township. 

Mr. Ash settled on the prairie between Union Grove and Granville in 
1828. 

Rev. James H. Dickey lived in a small log house near Mr. Blake's, on 
the south edge of the Grove, in 1830, and occasionally preached for the 
people at the old log church. 

Mr. Willis was a most industrious hunter, and earned his gun wher- 
ever he went. He used to say he " could raise sixty bushels of corn to 
the acre and never plow or tend it, and hunt all the time!" 

For many years the only post office at all available for the people of 
Union Grove, and in fact the whole country around, was at Thomas's, on 
West Bureau Creek, twenty miles away and across the Illinois River. 
The first temperance society was organized at Union Grove in 1832, and 



CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, SOCIETIES, ETC. 199 

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Strawn rode together on horseback to sign the 

o o 

pledge. Meetings were held at Nelson Shepherd's cabin also, and many 
joined. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first school at Union Grove was taught by Mrs: Ramsey, in a 
blacksmith shop, in the summer of 1831. The building stood about half 
a mile east of the brick church at the west eiid of the Grove. 

In the fall of 1831, John P. Blake was engaged to take charge of the 
school, and remained until 1833. Mr. Blake's school was taught in a 
log cabin which had been erected by the Presbyterian Church Society in 
1830. It was a tolerably good room, eighteen feet square, with the logs 
hewn inside. The first school under this gentleman's management was 
attended by the children of James W. and Stephen D. Willis, Hugh 
Warnock, J. L. Ramsey, Thos. Gallaher, Mr. Leech, Isaac Stewart, Wm. 
M. Stewart and Torrarice Stewart. Among the other pupils were two 
colored people, a young man aged 22 and a girl aged 20 years, runaway 
slaves. They lived with James W. Willis. 

AN EARLY BIBLE SOCIETY. 

January 12, 1829, the first Bible Society in this part of the State was 
formed at Union Grove Church, under control of the Presbyterian society. 
The officers were James A. Warnock, President; Christopher Wagner, 
Vice President; James W. Willis, Corresponding Secretary; James B. 
Willis, Recording Secretary; Hugh Warnock, Treasurer. 

James W. Willis was Chairman and Geo. B. Willis Secretaiy of this 
preliminary meeting. 

The boundaries of the territory over which this Society had jurisdic- 
tion were co-extensive with those of Putnam County, extending east to 
the Vermilion River, south to Tazewell County, west to the Illinois and 
north to the same river. 



A PIONEER'S STORY. 



Among the prominent early settlers about the Grove was John Pierce 
Blake, who made his way thither from near Detroit, Mich., in the spring 
of 1831. He had heard much of Illinois, and being impatient to begin 
for himself, joined a company of emigrants from North Hampton, Mass., 
engaging to drive team. There were few roads, and great hardships were 



200 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

encountered, and when they reached the present site of South Bend, Ind., 
their teams were so badly used up that by the advice of some old Indian 
traders they concluded to make for the portage on the Kankakee, and en- 
gaging boats, float down to their destination. They built dug-outs, and 
loading their freight and getting aboard, started on their way May 1st, 
1831. Their first night out was marked with an attack of mosquitoes, 
larger, more numerous and voracious than they had ever seen or heard 
before. 

The stream was very narrow, and as they had lashed their boats to- 
gether in pairs, it was found that the narrowness and tortuous windings of 
the current would not always permit a passage thus, so they were separ- 
ated. 

But new difficulties awaited them. Their meat all spoiled and had to 
be thrown overboard, and their meal, wet from the rains, also became 
worthless. There was plenty of game ducks, geese, and even deer, but 
they could not get within shooting distance of any bird or animal. They 
had been out of foo:l two days and nights, save a few spoonfuls of flour 
to each, and were nearly famished, when a chance shot at a long distance 
procured them a deer, which, though old, tough and poor, was the most 
welcome food they had ever tasted. This, however, flid not last long, and 
they were soon as destitute as ever. 

After two days and nights travel they reached Antoine Peltier's trad- 
kig house at Dresden, as since called, where they rested and took in a 
plentiful supply of provisions, and moved on. An accident caused their 
boat to upset, by which their provisions were lost again. On short ra- 
tions, they reached the mouth of Mazon Creek, at Morris, and saw a 
log house in the distance. The owner had gone to Mackinaw to mill, and 
was expected to return that evening. The woman and a couple of child- 
ren were alone, their stock of provisions being a peck of corn meal and 
some pork, which she gave the travelers, thus affording them a comfort- 
able meal. They tried hunting that evening and luckily killed a fat deer 
and several ducks, which they divided with their hospitable hostess, and also 
pounded out a considerable quantity of corn, of which they left a portion 
with her. She told them that Walker's trading house was only twenty- 
three miles below, and Crozier's but nine miles farther, where they could 
supply all their needs, but forgot to mention the rapids at Marseilles, 
above Ottawa, where they were shipwrecked and some of them well nigh 
drowned. At length, reaching Walker's, and buying flour and meal, they 



THE FIRST CHURCH IN PUTNAM COUNTY. 203 

floated on to where Utica now stands, and there left their boats to ex- 
plore the country and select the site for their colony, sending some men in 
a "dug out" to Peoria for groceries for summer use. 

On the 9th of June Mr. Blake left his companions and walked to 
Bailey's Point, where he planted and raised ten acres of corn. 

In the fall, having* disposed of his crop, and having heard of Union 
Grove as a desirable point for new settlers, he started across the prairie to 
explore this region, stopping on the way at a Mr. Williams', in La 'Salle 
County, who pointed out the way. He found an old Indian trail and fol- 
lowed it across the wide extant of unbroken prairie. On the way he saw 
an object approaching that excited all his curiosity, and coming nearer, 
his fear; for it proved to be an Indian dressed in hideous war paint and 
feathers, armed with gun and knife. 

Mr. Blake stepped aside and bade him "howd'y," but the savage never 
inclined his head or moved a muscle, and passed on in lofty scorn of the 
pale face, who felt relieved as between them time and distance, hill and 
valley crept in and widened into a respectable space. 

On leaving the Vermilion country Blake had been directed to a lone 
tree, which for many years stood a mile east of Union Grove. Keeping 
this in sight, he reached the Grove toward evening, and found entertain- 
ment at the house of Mr. Willis. Here he selected his claim at the east- 
ern limits of the timber, which became his future home. 

THE FIRST CHURCH. 

[One of the oldest churches of Putnam County is located at Union 
Grove, but its history we have been unable to secure, and all we can say 
upon the subject is copied from Henry A. Ford's History of Marshall and 
Putnam Counties.] 

The first church erected in Putnam County was put up in the Grove 
in 1830 a little, rude log building in the wilderness, whither the pio- 
neers and their families for many miles around repaired for the worship of 
God. Here in the season of Indian difficulties there was an appearance 
of the warlike mingled with the devotional, as many settlers earned their 
guns to meeting, to guard against surprise from the savage foe. A strong 
religious sentiment pervaded the entire community, and the settlement 
was named Union Grove in token of the peace and harmony which 



204 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

reigned there, and which it was hoped would abide forever within its 
borders. 



THE VILLAGE OF FLORID. 

Florid is the name of a one time flourishing country village, three and 
a half miles north from Hennepin, laid out in 1836 by Thos. W. Stewart 
:md Aaron Thompson. It attained its greatest growth soon after, having 
.i store, steam mill, church, school house and a couple of dozen houses. 
The place has since gone to decay. 

This locality seems to have attracted some of the earliest settlers of 
Putnam County. In 1827, Thomas Gallaher, Sr., made his claim north of, 
and James W. Willis put up the first cabin in the town of Florid. Thomas 
Gallaher, Jr., built a cabin near it, and returned for his family, who came 
here in the spring of 1828. Njlson Shepherd came and located a mile 
south of Florid in 1828. Janus G. Ross and Wm. M. Stewart arrived 
in 1832. 

Another settler worthy of special notice was Samuel D. Laughlin, who 
made his claim adjoining that of Nelson Shepherd, soutti of! Florid, in the 
spring of 1827. Stephen D. Willis put up a cabin for Mr. Laughlin, and 
the latter broke about ten acres of ground that season. He remained 
here until 1830, when he brought his family, consisting of himself and 
wife, and John W., James G. arid his wife, and Mrs. Dr. Davis, all living 
in Mt. Palatine; Maiy, wife of H. P. Leeper, of Princeton; Wm. M., at 
Granville; Sarah A., now Mrs. Wm. McCord, of Onarga; Addison, born 
in Putnam County, April 11, 1832, now living in Wisconsin, and Caroline, 
born here, but now dead. 

It is worthy of mention that during this long journey Miss Mary 
Laughlin, afterward Mrs. Babbitt, rode on horseback all the way, and 
helped drive the cattle and sheep. 

During Mr. Laughlin's a! sence after his family, a claim-jumper named 
Ely undertook to "jump 1 ' his improvements, but the neighbors, at the 
head of whom was Jeremiah Strawn, sat down on him so effectually that 
lie never showed himself again. 

Samuel D. Laughlin remained upon his farm until his death in Febru- 
ary, 1849. His wife, formerly Miss Rebecca Dunlavy, died three days 



FORT CRIBS " RAMSEY S INJUNS." 205 

before him, and both lie together in the Union Grove Cemetery, which 
encloses the remains of Mrs. Geo. Ish, Mrs. McComas and Mrs. Hugh 
Warnock, the latter probably the first of the old settlers who was buried 
here. 

FORT CRIBS. 

Here in 1832 was erected one of those border forts or block houses for 
defense against the Indians, known as Fort Cribs, for the reason that a 
number of corn-cribs were in the enclosure. It was resorted to by all the 
settlers in the vicinity for safety, as many as ninety-eight being here at 
one time. 

A memorable event was the birth while in this fort of Milton Shep- 
herd, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Shepherd. 

Wm. Stewart, called "Big Billy," commanded the fort. No attack 
was made upon it, though an Indian was seen lurking about in the timber, 
probably a spy. 

Among those quartered here during the scare, in addition to the fami- 
lies of Willis and Shepherd, was James G. Ross, Hugh Warnock, S. D. 
Willis, Wm. M. Stewart, William Stewart, Rev. Mr. McDonald, James 
Harper, Mr. Rexford, George Ramsey, William Ham, Mr. Wagner and 
Geo. B. Willis and their families, besides some unmarried men. 

While the citizens were forted up, the school that had been carried on 
at the "Grove" was removed to Mr. Willis' barn, near the fort, as a place 
of greater safety, where some forty pupils were in attendance. One day 
some little girls playing in the edge of the timber imagined they saw an 
' Indian, and ran screaming to the fort. Mrs. Willis, with motherly in- 
stinct, thought of the unprotected little ones in school, and at the sup- 
posed risk of her life ran to the barn, crying at the top of her voice, "The 
Indians are coming; run for your lives." Tho school room was emptied 
in a twinkling, and all were got safe inside and the heavy do^rs closed. 
The alarm proved false, but it was a terrible shock to the women and 
children in the stockade. 

Another time the fort was thrown into the wildest alaim by Mr. Ram- 
sey, who was on guard, declaring he saw a whole row of Indians march- 
ing right towards the fort. The men got out their arms, but no enemy 
appearing, some over-bold volunteers investigated the matter and found 
his row of Indians was a row of poplars which the shadows gave a dis- 



206 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

torted appearance, and his fears did the rest. The poplars were after- 
ward known as "Ramsey's Injuns." 



PUTNAM COUNTY NEWSPAPERS. 

The first newspaper in Putnam County was the Hennepin Journal, es- 
tablished in 1837 by Dr. Wilson Everett. The countiy was sparsely set- 
tled, the value of advertising but little appreciated by business men, and 
it led a sickly existence until December, 1838, when it gave up the ghost. 
The Genius of Universal Emancipation was established in 1845, but op- 
position to its teachings was so great that it was removed to Lowell, near 
Ottawa, where a more friendly population welcomed it. In 1845 Philip 
Lynch started the Hennepin Herald, and ran it from 1845 to 1848. v After 
this came the Hennepin Tribune, by Birney & Duncan, in 1856, and ex- 
isted for three years. The Putnam County Standard was established by 
J. F. Grable, with Thomas Stan ton editor, in 1860. In 1861 it was run 
by W. H. G. Birney, and in 1863 by J. S. Grable. In 1868 I. H. Cook 
began the publication of the Putnam Record, which still exists. It 
is a neatly printed seven-column paper, very industriously edited, and 
is well supported. The office is supplied with suitable presses, and a full 
outfit for all ordinary printing. 

"Besides these home enterprises, the plan that finally resulted in 
starting at Chicago The Herald of the Prairie, afterward Prairie Herald, 
later and better known as the Western Citizen, was first discussed and set- 
tled by Zabina Eastman, Hooper Warren, and James G. Dunlavy, in 
the log cabin of the latter at Union Grove. This was before 1844. It 
appears from the facts here gathered that from 1837 to 1876 inclusive a 
paper has been sustained eighteen out of thirty-nine years. "* 

* Warren. 




MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP GENERAL, HISTORY AND PRODUCTS. 



207 



MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP. 




CHAPTER XXVI. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

'HE Township of Magnolia contains nearly forty-three sec- 
tions or square miles of land, or 27,520 acres, made up of 
prairie and timber, its southern and western portions broken 
with ravines and seamed with ridges. It is drained by 
Clear Creek and Sandy, with their numerous branches, 
both flowing into the Illinois. It is agreeably diversified 
with prairie and woodland, its surface dotted with small 
groves resembling an extensive park platted by the hand of 
nature, and much of it under the highest possible cultivation. The south- 
ern and western portions are rough, and until recent years unoccupied ; 
but a large colony of thrifty Germans have taken possession, and the 
rough hills and deep ravines are being cleared and made into pleasant, 
inviting farms. This land was for many years held by speculators at high 
prices, under the impression that the necessities of those living on the 
prairies would compel its purchase. In time it was demonstrated that 
the farmer required very little timber, and the speculators, after waiting 
vainly for purchasers, concluded to accept what it was worth. 

The products are mainly agricultural, and much attention is devoted 
to the raising of farm stock, particularly cattle. Formerly large quanti- 
ties of grain, principally corn, were sent to market, but most that is raised 
here is now consumed at home. 

The town has always been foremost in religious and educational inter- 
ests, and a more orderly, intelligent and thinking community cannot be 
found than here exists. 



RAILROADS. 
The County of Putnam is wholly destitute of railroads, and this want 



208 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

of the means of transit lias led to several expensive schemes, thus far 
without any result; prominent of which is the building of a line from 
Bureau Junction through the Counties of Putnam, La Salle, Grundy,Will 
and Kaukakee. It was agitated in 1868-9, and meetings were held at dif- 
ferent points along the line in the spring and summer. Putnam County 
voted to subscribe $125,-000; Granville added $10,000; Eound Grove, 
$15,000; Dwight $30,000, Tonica $50,000. La Salle and Livingstone to- 
gether gave $205,000, Bureau $10,000, Kankakee $165,000, making a 
grand total of half a million dollars. In Putnam County the first vote of 
$75,000 had been nearly unanimous for the stock, but when the company 
demanded an increase of $50,000 more, the people were not quite so eager. 
The question was submitted to the voters February 8, 1870, and the re- 
sult was: For the additional sum, 475 votes; against it, 350. February 
26, 1870, the road made an assessment of three per cent, upon its capital 
stock, a sum that though small, was not as cheerfully paid. 

Magnolia had been deeply moved for and against the project, and 
much bitterness of feeling resulted. Finally they voted to subscribe, 
provided the company would build eight miles of the road in this township, 
the work to be completed to the eastern terminus before the bonds should 
be issued. This well guarded provision proved their safety. The road 
was graded in many places in Putnam County, and large sums of money 
expended in the work, but the company failed in making expected loans, 
and it was never finished, its history being that of many other railways 
in the West, where people subscribed bonds in advance of the completion 
of the enterprise. The County, though deeply swindled, is paying her 
obligations in full, thereby setting an example that wealthier corporations 
might copy with profit. 



THE EARLIEST SETTLER. 

Capt. Wm. Hawes was the first permanent white settler not only on 
this prairie, but, with the exception of Thomas Hartzell, the first in Put- 
nam or Marshall Counties. He visited this section in the spring of 1821, 
while on his way from Sangamon County to Galena. He was so pleased 
with the general appearance of what is now Putnam County, its fertility 
of soil, fine timber, pure water, high and dry elevation, and general ad- 
vantageous surroundings, that he resolved to mark the spot for his future 



THE EARLIEST SETTLERS IN THE TOWNSHIP. 209 

home, and hitching his horse tc n tree, he cut his name thereon and slept 
beneath its friendly branch es. He went to Galena and remained until 
November, 1826, wl.en he more formally took possession of his claim and 
built an exceedingly primitive house, sixteen feet square, of round poles. 
He split puncheons for the floor and door, and carried rocks from the 
creek near by, on !.is back, for the chimney. There was not a nail used 
in its construction, and like the building of Solomon's temple, no sound 
of a hammer was heard, for he had none. He lived there all winter 1 , keep- 
ing " bach," subsisting mainly upon the results of his skill as a hunter 
and some corn which he had brought with him from the South, which 
he pounded into meal upon a stump and baked with fat from venison and 
a little salt pork from his meagre larder. This cabin or pole-shed stood 
near the afterward northern limits of Magnolia, in the edge of the tim- 
ber near the creek, upon the farm he still owns and occupies. 

In the following spring he put up another and more substantial cabin 
near the first, and the latter furnished him and his family a comfortable 
home for many years. 

In the spring of 1827 he cleared away a small patch of ground from 
underbrush, and broke it up for a crop, using an old-fashioned barshire 
plow, stocked by himself. He raised a good crop of winter wheat, which 
yielded twenty to thirty bushels per acre, threshed it out by tramp- 
ing, and cleaned it in nature's fanning mill the wind. He. also obtained 
a fair return of corn by cultivation, which found a ready sale among the 
new-comers at twenty to twenty-five cents per bushel. 

He had no stock worth mentioning then, merely a cow and calf and 
two yokes of oxen, but as soon as he was able, added horses and hogs to 
his possessions, bringing them up from his old neighborhood near Spring- 
field. 

During the first few years cows were worth $10.00 to $15.00 each, 
and pork from three to ten per cwt., depending upon the wants of the 
settlers ; but after awhile hogs got wild and bred in the timber, and when 
any one wanted pork, he simply shouldered his gun and went hunting, 
and pork ceased to have any particular value until killed and dressed. 

The settlers also soon stocked up with shsep, and made their own 
clothing. 

John Knox came up with Captain Hawes in 1826, but did not remain 
here. Hawes sent the latter back to look afler affairs at home, with 
two yokes of oxen and a wagon to bring up household goods. 



210 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

James W. and Stephen D. Willis and their families came in the spring 
of 1827, and broke ground on the "Parsons" place, where they put up a 
cabin, and each raised a crop of corn. 

John Knox returned in the spring of 1827, and put up a cabin where 
Magnolia stands, and then with Captain Hawes and Stephen Willis re- 
turned for their families. James Willis remained here to attend the 
farms and stock during their absence. They returned early in the fall, 
when Knox took possession of his new home, and Mrs. Hawes and Mrs. 
Willis respectively found their future residences. Lewis Knox came here 
with his father this fall, and made a beginning on what has since been 
known as the Price farm, but afterward sold it to a Mr. Hammett, and 
left for Rock River, and then went to California. 

In the fall of 1827, the Willises sold their claim to Smiley Shepherd, 
and went further north James W. to where Florid is located, and 
Stephen D. to the north-western limits of Union Grove, and were followed 
by Shepherd, who sold to Cornelius Hunt, and established himself on his 
well known farm east of Hennepin. 

In 1827, George H. Shaw visited Magnolia and made a claim on Clear 
Creek; he spent the winter of 1827-8, at Washington, Tazewell County, 
but returned in the spring, and with his brother-in-law, C. S. Edwards, 
settled in what afterward became Marshall County. E. B. Wilson also 
came in 1827 or '28, and made a claim. 

In 1827 there was trouble expected with the Winnebagoes, but it 
blew over. The country was full of Indians, and there was a feeling of 
feverish unrest until General Cass came West and met them in council at 
the mouth of Crow Creek, when a lasting treaty of peace was concluded. 

A few settlers came in during the year 1828, but none permanently 
except Hartwell Haley, who made a claim near the west end of Ox Bow 
Prairie. Louis Knox made a claim on Clear Creek, but afterward sold 
it and went to California. 

In 1829 came George Hildebrant, Isaac Hildebrant, Asahel H annum, 
David Boyle, William Graves, Major Elias Thompson, George Hollen- 
beck, and Aaron Payne, an eccentric preacher, who located at Payne's 
Point, and after the Indian war went to Oregon. Dr. Fyffe located on 
Ox Bow, near Boyles; Christopher Wagner, near Magnolia; Hiram 
Allen, east of Loyds', on the creek; Wm. Kincaid, on Ox Bow, west of 
Haley's; Cornelius Hunt, south-east of Magnolia, toward Sandy Creek; 
Isaac Springer also made some improvements near the village this year. 



SOAP AND WATER ON A CLAY HEARTH. 211 

In 1830 Lyman Horrom settled near Caledonia; Joseph Ash, near 
Payne's Point; Reuben Ash in the same locality; John Wilson, Aaron 
Whittaker, John Whittaker and Jonathan Wilson settled in the same 
neighborhood; Joseph Funk, north of Caledonia; Aaron Bascomb, north 
of Ox Bow, on the south bluff of the creek. 

In th^same year came also John E. and George Dent and made claims 
on Ox Bow; likewise Ephraim Smith and Lewis J. Beck, who settled near 
the Quaker meeting house. Mr. Smith is the sole survivor of those named, 
and still resides upon the place he entered. 

In 1831 James S. Hunt came to Ox Bow and remained until 
December, 1832, when he moved with his family to Sandy Creek, near 
the Cumberland Church. 

In 1832, few settlers came to the country, and many who were here, 
alarmed at the prospect, abandoned their claims and never -returned. 
After the war was over, a few came in, among them Enoch Dent, and 
settled on Ox Bow Prairie, two miles south-east of Magnolia; also Isaac D. 

O ' 

Glenn, Henry Hartenbower, L. T. and Henry Studyvin arid John German. 

In 1833 James Shields settled on Ox Bow and began his improve- 
ments, buying the claim of Elias Thompson, who moved to Henry. Isaac 
Ash came also, and George Griffith, Robert Dugan, Isaac Parsons and 
William and Joseph Hoyle. The latter moved into a cabin built by a 
Mr. Gunn, who afterward moved to La Salle. It was quite primitive in 
character, and having been built during the Indian war excitement, had 
port holes in the sides for defense. It was sixteen feet square, had a 
"shake" roof and the old fashioned chimney, with dried clay hearth. 
Mrs. Hoyle was a Quakeress, and, like her "friends" noted for extreme 
neatness and tidy surroundings; so about the first thing she undertook was 
to polish up with soap and water that clay hearth, not doubting but she 
could make it clean and white, until it assumed the consistency of a sort 
of mortar bed, when she perceived her error and abandoned the job with 
disgust. 

In 1834 came John Goddard, D. P. Fyffe and Thomas Patterson, the 
latter buying the Knox claim and laying out the village of Magnolia. 

In 1835 came John Lewis, somewhat noted for his energetic devotion 
to the cause of the negro, and settled north of Captain Hawes' farm. 
John Hall settled in Magnolia the same year, and built here one of the 
first houses in the village. Alexander Bowman also came this same 
season. 



212 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

In 1835 Dr. J. B. Ashley, George W. Ditman, Amos Harvey and Janus 
and William Ramage came to Magnolia. William Lewis, the noted 
Abolitionist, removed from his farm near Hennepin and settled near his 
brother, John Lewis. Sarah Baker settled this year on Ox Bow Prairie. 

In 1837 William and Sarah Wireman, and the family of Benjamin 
Lundy, followed by himself three years afterwards, were added to the 
"Quaker settlement," now gaining rapidly in numbers and influence. 

In 1838 came Joel Hawes, who lived a while on the farm of his 
brother, Captain Hawes, and subsequently bought a claim from Elisha 
Swan, north of and near Magnolia, w r here he has ever since resided. 
William Dixon settled on what is known as the Thomas Filson place, 
which was sold to the latter in 1848. 

In 1840 came William Swaney, and settled north of Clear Creek, on 
his present farm, and Joseph Mills located on the prairie to the eastward, 
in the center of the "Quaker settlement." 

[NOTE. We have given the above names and dates as nearly as could be ascertained, 
though it is not claimed they are correct. Most of the parties named have either moved else- 
where or paid the debt of nature, and dates of their arrival and settlement can only be ap- 
proximated. ED.] 



THE VILLAGE or MAGNOLIA. 

Magnolia is situated in the extreme south-east corner of the County, 
thirteen miles from Hennepin. It is the oldest settled town in Putnam. 
In the fall of 182G, claims were made within a mile north of the site, by 
Capt. Wm. Hawes, James W. Willis and Stephen D. Willis, who are be- 
lieved to have been the first to penetrate that part of the wilderness with 
the intention of settling. The next year John Knox arrived, and located 
upon the site of Magnolia. 

The first public school house was put up in a field used as a brick 
yard, and was a small log structure, ertcted in 183(i, and Andrew Burns, 
brother of Judge Burns, was the first teacher. Thomas Patcerson, the 
founder of the town, which he hoped to see grow into a populous city, 
built this humble edifice, and dedicated it to science. Though it never 
btcame the initiative of a Yale or Dartmouth College, it grew to be a 
large public school, graded and improved as the times progressed, and now 
affords the rising generation all tlic advantages of a general education. 

The first public house was kept by John Knox, though every house 



THE FOUNDERS OF THE QUAKER SETTLEMENT. 213 

those days entertained travelers, for the rules of hospitality forbade to 
turn a stranger from the door. " Knox's Tavern " (a double log house) 
was afterward the stopping place for Frink & Walker's stages, and be- 
came famous along the line for its comforts and conveniences. 

John McKisson and Thomas Patterson were the first merchants, and 
the yard-stick owned by the latter is still in the possession of Captain 
Hawes, who preserves it as a memento of old times. Elisha Swan also 
was a trader here for a time. ' 

For some years after Magnolia was settled the post office was at Rob- 
ert's Point, and Geo. Ditman had to go thither for his mail as late as 1836. 

The first preacher was old Jesse Walker, who visited the future vil- 
lage in 1828. He had a trading post at Ottawa, and obtained goods at 
St. Louis, which he brought up in a keel boat. He preached occasionally 
here and at Hollenback's, as well as other places in this section. He was 
a curious, bluff old man, and rather shrewd in business. His favorite by- 
word or heavy anathema was " I snum!" 

At one time the town gave promise of large future growth, but the 
building up of other centres of business attracted people elsewhere, and 
much of its glory has departed. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 

The pioneers of the "Society of Friends," or Quakers, who settled in 
Putnam County, were the brothers Joseph and William Hoyle, English- 
men by birth, who made claims and built their humble cabins near the 
head of Clear Creek, in the spring of 1833. They were accompanied by 
George Griffith, an old neighbor in Eastern Ohio. These three families 
made their homes near together, and formed the nucleus of the " Quaker 
settlement," now an important portion of the community of the Township. 
Jehu Lewis and his family moved to the neighborhood in 1836, from 
Tazewell County. 

In 1837 Sarah or "Grandmother"- Wireman and her two daughters, 
with her son William and his family, came from Eastern Pennsylvania. 
William Lewis and his family, and Elijah Kirk and family had previously 
arrived and made themselves homes. 

In 1839 Joseph Mills visited this locality on a prospecting tour, and 
was so well pleased with the surroundings that he bought a small tract of 



214 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

land, determined to make it his future home. His report was so favorable 
that his son Henry was induced to emigrate in the fall of that year. In 
the spring of 1840, Joseph Mills and his family, including Joshua his son, 
now a resident of the settlement, returned to their new home, accompanied 
by Eli Haley and his daughter Elizabeth. 

The first "open meeting" \vas held at the cabin of Grandmother 
Wireman, soon after it was built, in the fall of 1837, where the settlers 
met to worship. This meeting was followed by others at long intervals, 
until their increasing numbers made the narrow limits of the cabin too 
small and in 1840 they changed to a. small log school house standing on 
the north branch of Clear Creek. This was built in 1838, though first 
used in 1840. 

In 1840 William Swaney came, with the intention of making this his 
future home. 

The first death among the members was that of Edith, wife of Win. 
Hoyle, in 1840. 

The first marriage in the Friends' settlement was that of Isaac Griffith 
anl Eliza Luiidy, daughter of Benjamin Lundy, in March, 1841. The 
wedding ceremony was performed at the house of Mr. Joseph Hoyle. 
Marriages among the members of the Society of " Friends " are conducted 
in a peculiar manner. The groom in the presence of the congregation 
promises to "love, cherish, and protect," and the bride to "love, honor, 
and obey." The parties then sign a paper attesting the fact, to which 
those present attach their signatures as witnesses, which is deposited among 
the archives, and the ceremony is finished. No parade or display is allowed, 
and wedding presents are not encouraged. It is a plain, solemn perform- 
ance and when finished, the couple go about their business. 

The new Society was not recognized by the general organization of the 
"Friends" until November 4, 1841, when A. Knight and others cam*' 
from Indiana as a committee, and called a formal meeting for worship 
and preparation, and commenced their monthly meetings. Wm. Lewis 
was chosen the first clerk of the Society. 

They had in the meantime begun the erection of a brick church, or 
meeting house, but it was not finished and occupied until the spring of 
1842. 

The old log school house, where the Society met and worshipped pre- 
vious to this, has long since passed away, but our illustration represents 
it very correctly. 



THE PROSPERITY OF THE SOCIETY. 215 

During those years the country was rapidly filling up, the members 
were prosperous, and numerous additions were made to the Society. 

Up to this date they had no regular leader Miss Rebecca Fell had a 
certificate as minister according to the rules of the sect, but she lived some 
distance away and could not attend. Joseph Mills was felt to be entirely 
competent to fill the place, but had never been " recommended," as it is 
termed. 

In 1843, in "the lirst month," as they term it (Jannary), Wm. 'M. 
Price was married to Miss Sarah Wireman, according to the customs of 
the Society, but the ceremony was so much at variance with the customs 
of other religious denominations that some proposed to prosecute the couple 
for living together in unlawful wedlock. So prone are some people to 
mind business not their own! These over-zealous law-abiding citizens 
consulted lawyers and read the statutes in vain, for the laws duly scanned 
declared that a public notice to the world in a public meeting, five weeks 
prior to the day of the intended marriage, constituted a suffi- 
cient notification to make the marriage binding. 

In the year 1845, Joseph Edwards and Ann, his wife, came to the set- 
tlement, she being the second "recorded minister" for this Society; i. e.: 
One whose qualifications have been duly approved by the Socie- 
ty, and therefore allowed to act in the capacity of a minister. She was 
very eloquent and justly appreciated, but her failing health compelled her 
to desist after a short season of labor, and not long after she died. 

The organization, though still not numerous in members, continued to 
grow and prosper, while laboring under many disadvantages, being pe- 
culiarly organized. It was constituted a branch of the Blue River, (Ind.) 
quarterly meeting, to which it was required to report eveiy three months. 
This parent body met alternately at Terre Haute and at New Albany, in 
Indiana, 300 miles away. The distance was so great that these reports 
could not be sent oftener than once or twice a year. 

In the course of time other meetings sprung up within a radius of from 
sixty to one hundred and ten miles, and the Society here applied for per- 
mission to have their quarterly extended to yearly meetings, to be held at 
the brick church on Clear Creek, which was granted, and much advantage 
was derived from the change. 

In the course of time the "Friends" in the West were so strengthened 
in numbers as to enable them to have two general quarterly meetings 
two in Indiana and two in Illinois. This continued until 1874, when the 



216 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Putnam Society embraced all the "Friends" in both States, with Clear 
Creek Church as the central point. A body of Friends in Iowa also 
united with this Society, giving it an extensive scope of territory, forming 
as united, "The Illinois Yearly Meeting of Friends, " a general gathering 
of which was held here in the "ninth month" (September) 1875, and 
worked under the auspices of the Baltimore and Indiana yearly meetings, 
the Illinois section and the Indiana and Iowa Friends all constituting a 
branch of the Baltimore yearly meetings. The assemblage above referred 
to was largely attended, and at its yearly convocations are seen represen- 
tatives from all the societies in the West. 

In 18G9 they built a large and convenient meeting house on the prairie 
northeast of Magnolia, for the yearly assemblies, costing $5,500. The 
total membership of the yearly meetings, composed of a few Friends in 
Indiana and those of Illinois and Iowa, numbers thirteen hundred people. 

In 1878 they adopted a new discipline for the government of the 
Church, which has become vastly popular among the members everywhere. 
"It looks upon Christ as the rock and foundation stone, upon which all 
who worship the Father in Spirit and truth may stand. To Him all can 
come and partake of the waters of life freely, 'without money and without 
price." 

The local Society in 1880 numbered 187 persons, and is in a prosper- 
ous condition. The Friends comprise the best citizens of the County, and 
are noted for their industry, good order, honesty and hospitality. Clean- 
liness is recognized as next to Godliness, and in their persons and habits 
and about their dwellings this excellent virtue is a notable, unvarying 
and unexceptional rule. They are clean in person and pure in lan- 
guage. As a community, they are law-abiding, honest and peaceful, and 
cherish sentiments of love and charity toward every animate object. 



THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE. 

The oldest school house in the Township, if not in the County, was 
built in the fall and winter of 1830, and stood on Clear Creek, about one 
mile above the Camp Ground. 

It was of hewn logs, sixteen feet square, with a hole for a window, 
made by sawing out a log. Its roof was covered with sticks, and C. S. 
Edwards, the pioneer pedagogue, opened school therein Januaiy Gth, 



STR AWN^S FORT THE HOME GUARDS. 217 

1831, and taught till February, 1832. When he began his labors the 
school house was unfinished, and there was neither a floor nor a perma- 
nent door. The school, during Mr. Edwards' connection and for many 
years after, was supported on the "pay" or subscription plan. The pat- 
rons of this first school, or perhaps during the year between the dates 
given, were: Aaron Whittaker, Thornton Wilson, - Studdyvin, 

Aaron Payne, David Boyle, Hartwell Haley, George Hiltabrant, Wm. 
Graves and Ashael Hannuni. The average attendance at this very primi- 
tive school was about fifteen to twenty in winter, and from ten to twelve 
in summer. 



JEREMIAH STRAWN'S FORT. 

During the war Jeremiah Strawn protected his cabins by a strong 
stockade, in which dwelt his own family, Mrs. E. Armstrong's family, 
Aaron Payne and Andrew Whittaker and their families. It made quite 
a little community, and all the available space in the cabin was occupied 
at night, the floors being covered with sleeping humanity, large and 
small. During the day the men worked outside, with guns ready for use. 

One Saturday afternoon some malicious person rode past the fort and 
screamed, "Indians! Indians!" The women were nearly frantic by the 
time the men returned, and Mr. Strawn and Mr. Payne rode back to Mag- 
nolia and thence to Hennepin, finding no Indians. 

The news of impending war was brought to" the settlement by Elisha 
Swan, who advised the settlers to volunteer for public defense or they 
would be drafted. Some did neither, but left for the southward some 
to return after the war, and others to remain permanently away. But the 
majority at once shouldered their guns and reported ready for duty. 

They armed themselves, and each man had a uniform peculiar to his 
own notions of war. Some wore coon-skin caps, others wore straw hats 
of home manufacture, while a few boasted no rim at all. Guns were of 
various sizes and different lengths, generally however, much longer than 
the modern style. These home guards were on duty about six weeks, 
and but few, if any of them, saw an Indian during the entire campaign, 
though each received a land warrant from the Government for his services. 



218 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 




CHAPTEK XXVII. 

THE GOOD OLD TIMES. 

COUNTRY'S HISTORY is made up mainly of indi- 
vidual incidents in the lives of its citizens, and if our 
"Records" largely abound in such, it is that the picture 
may be true to nature. But few remain of those who 
saw this fair land as it came from the hand of the Maker, 
and if we devote unusual space to them the reason is 
apparent. 

There was very little money, and business was con- 
ducted on the exchange or barter system. The farmer raised what food 
was required, also wool for winter and flax for summer clothing. The 
latter was dressed by the men and boys in winter and spun and wove, 
dyed and made into clothing by the females of the household. It made 
dresses for the ladies and shirts and pants for the men. In the winter 
the former wore linsey woolsey, and the latter substantial suits made of 
Kentucky jeans, hand woven in the family loom, and colored with "store 
dyes," or oftener in the "blue dye tub," without which no well regulated 
household was complete. 

For Sunday afternoons, meetings and christenings, a neat calico 
was worn, and their granddaughters of to-day, arrayed in costly silks 
and flounces, never look so pretty as did their rosy-cheeked mothers 
and grandmothers in tlbse days. Their wants were few and their "store 
bills" light. If extravagance was visible in any one thing, it was in the 
intemperate use of coffee. 

Salt was a necessity, likewise tobacco, "ague medicine" and whisky. 
The children went barefoot in summer, and often the men also, but in the 
fall the thrifty farmer procured a couple sides of leather, and the ever 
welcome cobbler came with his kit of tools and regularly shod the whole 
family. It was good and substantial work, too, and lasted a whole year. 
The women, like the men, wore good, honest cowhide, and bade defiance 
to the snows and rains of winter, and neuralgia andthe thousand and 
one ailments that women are now subject to were unknown. 



DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE PIONEERS. 221 

For lights, a supply of resinous pine knots, gathered along the bluffs 
of the river, furnished a good substitute, and next to this was a dish of 
grease, into which a lighted rag for a wick was placed, called a "slut." 
Then came tallow candles, and it was the duty of the housewife to pre- 
pare in the fall the yearly supply. She also laid in ample stores of dried 
pumpkins, blackberries and corn, and gathered medicinal herbs for sick- 
ness. Every mother was a doctor. Medicine was less relied on than 
nursing, and the simple remedies prescribed were found as successful in 
practice as the more elaborate and costly medicaments of later days. 

The midwife in those days was an important personage, with whom it 
was well to be on good terms. Her will was law, her advice was regarded, 
and her name commemorated in the families of her customers. One of the 
most noted of these was Mrs. John Strawn, who, it is claimed, attended 
to over four hundred cases without an accident. Many gray-haired men 
and women of to-day obtained their first "start" in the world at her 
hands. 

As before stated, when sickness came, reliance was mainly upon nurs- 
ing, and every neighborhood had its good motherly woman ready to go 
without money and without price, whenever called upon, and many an old 
settler can attest the tender soothing care with which they smoothed the 
ailing brow, or administered the cooling draught. 

Those dear old hands are folded in death, those loving, benevolent 
faces, so full of tender, solicitude, have gone from our gaze forever, the 
eyes of love have lost their brightness, and their voices are hushed 
forever. 

True and faithful were those tender watchers at fevered bedsides, and 
may we not hope " they too have their reward." 

The latch-string always "hung outside," which meant that visitors 
were welcome, and strangers were not turned away. Hospitality was 
universal, and he who did not practice it would have been shunned. In 
those halcyon days, neighbors were neighbors, and distance was never 
taken into account. Farmers stocked their own plows a clumsey, heavy, 
awkward implement with a wooden mould-board. They tilled corn with 
a sort of shovel plow, which covered corn as well as weeds, and left 
ready for a fresh start as many weeds as it killed. 

Each cabin had a rough pine table, and if the occupant was "well to 
do," three or four splint-bottom chairs; but these were regarded as luxu- 
ries, and most settlers were content with good stout puncheon slabs 



222 RECORDS OF THE OLDEK TIME. 

mounted on legs and christened a stool. The bedsteads were made by 
setting up posts and extending transverse poles into the wall, which sup- 
ported a "tick" filled with prairie grass, and on this, if the occupant came 
from the east, was often laid a good feather bed the sole bridal dower 
of the woman of the house. A few plates and dishes of what was termed 
"delf ware" or in their absence, plain tin or pewter plates, an iron spoon 
or two, half a dozen knives and forks, an iron pot for boiling, a tea-kettle, 
an iron baking kettle and cover, on which live coals were placed, and the 
swinging crane or "trammel" on which to suspend the kettles for boiling 
constituted about all the cabins afforded. Outside was a capacious stone 
oven, where once a week the family bread was baked, and when it could 
be afforded, a "tin baker" added much to the housekeeper's comfort ; but 
this was a piece of luxury that did not come until after years. 

The family cradle which must not be forgotten was made from 
the section of a hollow tree split in halves, and rockers added. 

The average farm laborer received from ten to fifteen dollars per 
month and his board. The price allowed for making rails was fifty cents 
per hundred. Female help cost one dollar a week. 

It may be remarked that the cost of living has not materially changed 
between then and now. Though wages have increased, grain can 
be raised as cheaply, now as then, owing to our improved machinery, 
consequently the farmer ought to accumulate wealth as rapidly. 

The plows of those days were clumsy contrivances, merely pushing the 
dirt to one side. They never "scoured," and various were the plans 
adopted to make them. A dweller upon the Illinois River used to stretch 
over the mould board the smooth skin of the gar, a fish allied to the 
shark family, which answered the purpose while it lasted. 

Notwithstanding these disadvantages, they raised corn averaging forty 
to fifty bushels per acre, for which they got about twenty to twenty-five 
cents a bushel. They also raised excellent crops of wheat, which were 
hardly ever known to fail, and yielded twenty to thirty bushels per acre, 
bringing about fifty cents a bushel. They threshed it out with horses. 

In those days labor was plenty and tramps unknown. Book agents or 
canvassers, lightning rod men and insurance agents had not made their 
appearance, and a person who attempted to swindle his neighbor, or spec- 
ulate upon one's misfortune, would have been driven from the settlement. 

The prices for cows was $10.00 to $15.00 per head. A lot of fat 
steers, which a venturesome settler drove to St. Louis, netted him six dol- 



VALUE OF FARM PRODUCTS COST OF LIVING. 223 

per head. He became disgusted with it as a market, and never 
visited that city again ! Hogs were easily raised, as they got their feed 
in the timber, and pork sold for $3.00 per hundred pounds ; but in 1833, 
owing to a sudden rush of immigration, it went up to $10.00 per cwt. 

The farmers raised sheep enough to make their own clothes, and their 
wives and daughters spun and wove the wool by hand, until they found 
it was more profitable to exchange it for cloth and woolen yarn, which 
was knitted at home. They hauled their wool fifty miles to get it 
carded, and many went as far as the Sangamon Mills near Springfield. 

A dinner in those days cost a "bit" and supper, lodging and breakfast 
three bits. The food was abundant and wholesome. 

From 1826 to 1832, Indians were numerous and peacable, bringing 
the settlers little delicacies which they did not possess such as honey, 
maple sugar, game and fish. 



JEREMIAH STRAWN'S PRAIRIE. 

This fertile region north of Magnolia, in Putnam County, was settled 
by white people over fifty years ago. The first comer was Jeremiah 
Strawn, who traveled on horseback from the Wabash River to Spring- 
field, and thence north to his future home, arrriving there in September, 
1828; and in the spring of 1829, assisted by George Hollenback, Jr., he 
put up a log house on his claim. The logs were too large for two men to 
handle, so they were split in two. Strawn's nearest neighbor was a Mr. 
Payne, on Clear Creek, about two and a half miles away. While himself 
and hired man were building the house they lived on " pork and pone," 
the latter made of corn pounded on a stump, and saturated with hogs fat 
and baked on hot stones laid in ashes. 

Mr. Strawn returned for his family as soon as his cabin was com- 
pleted, and started on his return trip August 19, 1839. He had two 
teams, one a large Ohio wagon, drawn by four horses and the other by 
three. They found no settlers between the Wabash River and Spring- 
field, save one, in a log house, near the head of Sangamo River, as it was 
then called. 

The first birth on this prairie was that of Zelpha, daughter of Jere- 
miah Strawn, in 1832, and the first death was December, 1831, a son of 
Mr. Basone, one of Mr. Strawn's tenants. 



224 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

The first wedding was that of Mr. Abner Boyle and Miss Wilson, in 
1831, and the next, a few weeks later, in December, 1831, was the mar- 
riage of James Harper to Miss Ash. 

Rev. Mr. Royal was a circuit preacher then. His circuit was of im- 
mense extent. It reached from Mackinaw, Ills,, to Galena; thence to 
Chicago, arid down the river to Joliet, Morris, Ottawa and Strawn^s, and 
it required four weeks for him to "get around!" He traveled it for a 
couple of years, beginning in 1831. 

The first school house was a log building, put up by Strawn and 
Whittaker in 1833. It was superseded by a frame house in 1836, a 
few weeks after Strawn had finished his own new house, the first frame 
structure in the settlement. He built a fine church and donated it to the 
Methodists in 1856. 

ROBBERY OF JEREMIAH STRAWN. 

From 1840 to 1846 the Mississippi Valley was infested by a gang of 
robbers known as the "Banditti of the Prairies." They were a regularly 
organized band of villians, ready to steal a purse, rob a house, or cut a 
throat to further their ends. They had rendezvous at different places all 
over the country hiding places for themselves and plunder. Generally 
the keepers of these resorts were quiet, well appearing men, who were 
reasonably free from suspicion in the community in which they lived. 
Whenever it could be done they contrived to get members of their gang 
appointed or elected to office, and especially the, to them, important posi- 
tions of sheriff, jailor and constables, and even now and then a justice of 
the peace. They conducted their business secretly and systematically. 
A horse stolen in one neighborhood was promptly sent to some remote 
settlement for sale or trade. Up to 1845 they had confined their opera- 
tions principally to stealing horses, but this year they concluded to ad- 
vance into the more hazardous and, when successful, more remunerative 
department of house breaking and robbery. 

On the first week of June, 1844, a man made his appearance at the 
residence of Jeremiah Strawn, in Putnam County, pretending to be a ped- 
dler of oil-cloths. He exhibited them to the women, and remained awhile 
as if to rest, but really to take a survey of the premises. On seeing Mr. 
Strawn approach he hastily left, and Strawn did not see his face. This 
was Birch, captain of the robbers. 



AN OLD -TIME GANG OF THIEVES AND BURGLARS. 225 

On Sunday soon after, a very sanctimonious young man appeared 
and "wanted accommodations all, during the holy Sabbath ah, for 
himself and beast ah, as he never traveled on the Lord's day ah!" 
They kept this pious individual, who spent most of his time in reading 
the Bible, and showed very little inclination to carry on conversation. This 
was Long, the business man of the gang. The horse he -rode he had 
stolen a few nights before from Mr. Lewis. 

Long had with him a pair of old saddle-bags, which Strawn judged to 
be empty, but from the fellow's appearance, supposed him to be some poor 
preacher, and thought no more of it. The fellow said his name was Allen, 
and he wanted to buy a small farm. On leaving he pulled out a five dol- 
lar gold piece to pay for his keeping. Strawn was not disposed to charge 
anything, since he was likely to be a prospective neighbor, but the Rev. 
Allen was very anxious to get the money changed, the object being to 
find where Strawn kept his valuables. 

In a few days there came another confederate, a little old man ar- 
rayed in a suit of clothing a tramp would scarce be seen in. His coat 
would have fitted a giant, but on his diminutive form the waist came little 
above the knees, the skirts were cut down to suit his form, the sleeves 
also being served in like manner. He was barefoot and lame, and had 
straggling gray hair and whiskers. This was Fox, rigged out for the 
occasion, and Fox, as his name indicates, was one of the cunningest men 
in the band. Mrs. Strawn gave him some food and fifty cents in silver. 

O */ 

On the day succeeding Fox's visit came a slick-looking young man, 
who sold types and ink for marking linen. He was extremely voluble, 
arid seemed to be quite a wide-awake and, withal, agreeable youth. This 
was Luther, no relation to the celebrated Christian of that name, 
but a bold villain. All except Long had evaded Strawn, for the reason 
that they did not wish him to recognize them afterward. 

On the night of June 17, 1845, toward twelve o'clock, four ro\> 
bers came to Strawn's house, and Long entered by a window, the occu- 
pants, having no reason to expect such visitors, seldom fastening either 
windows or doors. 

Long was armed with an ax, to be used in an emergency, but especially 
to break open the chest supposed to contain valuables. He at\once un- 
bolted the door and let in his confederates, provided with candles, and 
while some helped themselves to eatables, otli.rs made their way to 
Strawn's room, who was awakened by a man startling over him with a 



226 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

cocked pistol in hand, and ordered to lie still and cover up his head, 
which was done. 

What money Strawn possessed was in a chest under the bed where 
the children slept, in another room. He told the robbers where the money 
would be found, but begged them not to scare the girls. They did not 
frighten the young ladies more than they had already, as by this 
time they were nearly scared to death. The chest was made to yield up 
its contents, and the robbers returned in high passion. They had ex- 
pected to find $8,000 or $10,000, and instead had discovered only about 
one hundred and twenty dollars. They were greatly disgusted, and 
threatened to burn down the house unless more was forthcoming, swear- 
ing it did not pay for the cost and trouble incurred. Next they asked 
who slept up stairs, arid were told it was a preacher, which seemed to 
please them, and they visited his room. The poor minister, a Mr. Burr, 
trembled with fear while they were taking his watch and nine dollars in 
cash, all he had. They debated about killing him, one fellow heartlessly 
remarking there would be little or no harm, as he was a preacher and 
bound to go to heaven anyhow. Once he attempted to look out, where- 
upon a man brandished an ax and told him to lie still or he would split 
his head open. 

They pretended to have a gang of twenty men outside, all armed to 
the teeth, and threatened to kill Strawn if he dared follow or give any 
alarm. 

They tried to find more money, and asked for the keys of a bureau, 
which was locked. Mrs. Strawn told them where the keys were. They 
got them, and on failing to unlock it they were about to slash it to pieces 
when Mrs. S. told them the particular key to use. They searched all 
the drawers in vain, and at length departed, failing to extort a promise 
from Straws not to follow them. 

They obtained one hundred and twenty dollars in silver and a watch, 
and from Rev. Mr. Burr, nine dollars and a watch. There was an old 
black bag which hung in plain sight, which they did not think of open- 
ing. It contained fifteen dollars. 

As soon as they had left Strawn got up and lighted candles. After 
some exertion he managed to get the preacher out of bed, still nearly pet- 
rified with fear. He wanted to have all go back to bed and remain there 
until toward noon, by which time he thought the gentlemen of the road 
would be too far away to molest them ! 



CONFESSION OF ONE OF THE BURGLARS. 227 

Strawn engaged detectives and officers in various directions, and at 
length found two of the robbers at Rock Island, in jail for the murder of 
Col. Davenport, a tragedy which greatly excited people all over the 
country, and resulted in arresting the ringleaders and bringing some of 
them to the scaffold. 

After killing Davenport they went down to St. Louis, and thence up 
the Missouri River, where they remained in hiding a few days with Reeves, 
an old acquaintance, banished the preceding season from Marshall County. 
Fearing to remain here, they descended the river and went to Ohio, tracked 
with the fidelity of a, bloodhound by an able detective named Bonney, 
who effected their arrest at Sandusky. 

Birch told Strawn that Fox shot Colonel Davenport by accident, as he 
only meant to frighten him and get his money, but the pistol went off 
unexpectedly. 

Two Long brothers and Young were hung at Rock Island. Fox 
managed to escape from an officer in Indiana in some mysterious and unex- 
plained way, and was never heard of after. 

Birch was in prison some time at Knoxville, on a change of venue, and 
finally through the help of two confederates broke jail, and a story after- 
ward got abroad that his accomplices, fearing he would turn State's evi- 
dence and reveal the names of the gang, got him out of jail, and it is sup- 
posed drowned him in the Mississippi River. 



BIRCH'S CONFESSION. 



The following confession was taken down from Birch's own lips by the 
Sheriff of Knox County, and afterward read to and signed by Birch : 

"On or about the 17th of June last (1845), Wm. Fox, John Long and 
Wm. Luther [lie leaves out himself, though he admitted being present], 
robbed Jeremiah Strawn of about $100 cash, $100 in scrip, two watches, 
and one horse pistol, which said pistol they flung away in the yard. They 
also got one bogus dollar. One watch was silver case, thick square stem, 
compass, square and some Masonic fixings inside. John Long kept it 
until it was flung into Lake Michigan by Birch, on the way to Rock 
Island. The other watch John Long left with his father, Owen Long, 
who lived near Galena. Fox had the $100 scrip, and gave it to Baxter 
toward his share of the money taken in the robbery of Messrs. Knox <fe 
Dewey's office in June last, and Baxter afterward sold it to Negus, of 



228 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Rock Island. The $100 cash was divided between the boys about the 
first of June. I saw all the above men, and they then infonned me that 
they intended to make the above robbery, to- wit : Intended to rob Strawn; 
and I saw them all again in Nauvoo, 111., between the 10th and 20th of 
June, and they informed me that they had committed the robbery as 
above stated. 

"Fox is twenty-eight years old, low, heavy set, weighs 180 pounds, 
light complexion, large blue eyes, light hair, slow spoken, and talks 
through his nose a little. 

"Lewis, of Peru, who formerly kept tavern there I think his name 
is Jonathan and kept the National, got up the show, and was to have 
a share in the plunder. About the last week in May I saw Lewis in 
Peru. John Long was present. Lewis told us that Fox had been wait- 
ing for us, and became alarmed about a horse that he had stolen and sold 
in Chicago; and then lie had advised Fox to leave and go to Nauvoo, and 
there wait for Birch and Long, and then make arrangements to come up 
and burst Strawn. We then went directly to Nauvoo, and found Fox 
and Luther there. The arrangements were all made, and Long, Fox and 
Luther went up to the neighborhood of Strawn's; and Long went and staid 
one night with him to ascertain the situation of his house, and in a few 
nights afterward they robbed him as before stated, and Luther immedi- 
ately left for Nauvoo, and Fox and Long headed toward Rock Island, but 
all met at Nauvoo. 

"Shortly afterward Lewis stated that Strawn had a large pile of 
money; said that a man who bought hogs of Strawn told him that he paid 
him $200, and that Strawn had more money than he had ever seen out 
of a bank, and also that he (Lewis) knew that he had a large amount. 
"(Signed) R. H. BIRCH. 

"Bock Island, November 15, 1845." 



AARON PAYNE. 

As stated elsewhere, the family of Aaron Payne, during the Black 
Hawk troubles, found protection in the stockade of Jeremiah Strawn. 
Although a minister and a man of peace, he felt it his duty to avenge his 
murdered brother's death, and when volunteers were called for he became 
a soldier until they were disbanded, and then followed the army in pursuit 



AARON PAYNE PIONEER PLOWS. 229 

of Black Hawk. While pursuing the retreating Indians, he passed a 
squaw and a small Indian boy crouched behind a fallen tree, but thinking 
the party harmless, passed on without molesting them. After the rangers 
had passed the boy raised his gun and shot Payne from his horse, and in 
return they were riddled with bullets. Two balls entered Payne's shoul- 
der, lodging near the spine, and he was thought to be mortally wounded, 
but was carried to the hospital at Fort Crawford, where the wounds 
healed, but he could not walk upright thereafter. ' 

About three months after this event, Payne, pale and emaciated, rode 
up to his cabin door, and was hailed by his family and friends as one risen 
from the dead. 

The following sketch relating to this event is taken from General 
Scott's autobiography, a book published many years ago : 

"While inspecting the hospital at Fort Crawford, I was struck with 
the remarkably fine head of a tall volunteer lying on his side and seeking 
relief in a book. To my question, 'What have you here, my friend?' the 
wounded man pointed to the title page of 'Young's Night Thoughts.' I 
sat down on the edge of the bunk, already interested in the reader, to 
learn more of his history. 

"The wounded volunteer said his brother, Rev. Adam Payne, fell an 
early victim to Black Hawk's band, and he (riot in the spirit of revenge, 
but to protect the frontier settlements) volunteered as a private soldier. 
While riding into the battle-field of Bad Axe he passed a small Indian 
boy, whom he might have killed, but thought him a harmless child. 
'After passing, the boy fired, lodging two balls near my spine, when I fell 
from my horse.' The noble volunteer, although suffering great pain from 
his wound, said he preferred his condition to the remorse he should hava 
felt if he had killed the boy, believing him to be harmless." 

Payne lived many years at his home on Clear Creek, greatly respected 
by all. He was an earnest preacher of the Gospel, and equally noted as a 
bee hunter. 

Afterward he emigrated to Oregon, where he still lives, a hale and 
hearty old man. He has filled several public offices, and served one term 
in the State Legislature. 

PIONEER PLOWS. 
From the crooked stick of the Egyptians to the old-fashioned bull 



230 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

plow of our forefathers, with its rough handle and wooden mould-board, 
was a long stride of progress. Then came a two-handled "calamity," with 
cast point and land side, which answered tolerably well in certain soils, 
but on our .rich, "mucky" prairies only stirred it to some extent, without 
turning it over. It required a strong propelling power, and must be 
cleaned every few rods to work at all. These were the plows of the early 
settlers for many a year, and with them the soil of this country was first 
broken. 

In 1836 George W. Ditman brought to Magnolia two wrought iron 
self-scouring plows, from Philadelphia, but they were not adapted to our 
soil, and failed to do the work required. 

In 1841 or 2, James Ramage, of Magnolia, worked out an idea which 
had found life in his brain that a plow could be made that would scour. 
After one or two experiments he produced the celebrated "Diamond 
Plow," forerunner of all self-cleaning implements of the plow kind. It 
worked well, turning the soil smoothly and neatly, covering up the weeds 
and leaving the soil in the best possible condition. Farmers pronounced 
it a success, and for several years he carried on the business until others 
with better facilities for manufacturing took away his trade. 

Besides the plow manufacture, another enterprise was carried on here 
for many years, and one of vast consequence to the people. This was 
making reaping machines. Mr. Wm. E. Parret came to Putnam County 
in March, 1841, and settled in Magnolia. He claims to have invented the 
scallop-sickle in 1847, and built reaping machines, commencing in 1849, 
putting up the first reaper probably ever built in the State of Illinois. 
They were not the perfect machine of the present day, but the man who 
first invented the sickle-bar, and the place where first made, deserves 
recognition. It was the basis of success of all the machines of to-day, and 
if Mr. Parret can substantiate his claims, he deserves to rank among the 
public benefactors of the age. 



MRS. HlLTAURAND. 

Of those who helped redeem the prairie from a state of nature, few re- 
main lingering on the confines of that bourne from whence no traveler 
ever returned. Among these is Mrs. George Hiltabrand, who with her 
husband came to Ox Bow in March, 1829. He was gathered to his fath- 



RECOLLECTIONS OF MRS. IIILTABRAND. 231 

ers ten years ago, while she lives in the possession of all her faculties, and 
at seventy-six her memory is distinct, her eye bright, and her face in- 
voluntarily lightens at the recollection and mention of those old time 
scenes, in which she was an actor. To her we are indebted for many 
sketches connected with ye olden time on Ox Bow Prairie. 

The Indian war excitement caused the settlers to band themselves for 
protection, and they hastily constructed a log stockade where Caledonia now 
stands. The room inside the fort for exercise was reasonably large, but 
the eating and sleeping quarters were sadly crowded. The families that 
here sought safety were those of Messrs. Hiltabrand, Hannum, Hunt, Hart, 
Graves, Gunn, Allen, Loyd and Lotripp. They remained here about six 
weeks, which seemed an age to the inmates, and when the day came for 
their release there was a grand jubliee. 

The first school in the vicinity was at Caledonia, taught in 1832 by 
Hosea Smith. It was broken up or suspended during the war troubles. 

The first child born on Ox Bow Prairie was a son to Mr. and Mrs. 
Louis Knox, in August, 1829. Austin Hannum was the second, and the 
third born was Mary J., a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hiltabrand, whose 
birth was October 28, 1829. 

Mrs. Hiltabrand is the only person of the original old settlers who 
brought a family to Ox Bow Prairie. 

Another estimable lady still living is Mrs. Anne Shields, who, along 
with her husband, came to Ox Bow from Tennesse, in 1833. He died 
May 16, 1871. 

Mrs. Sarah Glenn is another venerable lady, relict of Isaac D. Glenn, 
who with her husband came here in 1832. Mr. Glepn died in 1850. She 
is remarkably well and active, and is eighty-three years old. 

The first preacher on the circuit remembered by Mrs. Hiltabrand was 
the Rev. Mr. Young, a Campbellite, who held religious services at the 
cabin of Isaac D. Glenn, in the winter of 1832-3. In that winter a school 
was taught on the farm of Mr. Carter, by a Mr. Hatfield. 

The first settled physician was Dr. Fetter, who came in 1834. 
Among the early marriages remembered by her was Obadiah Graves 
and Mary Fletcher, in October, 1830; Abner Boyle and Matilda Wilson, 
by the Rev. McDonald, November, 1831. 



232 



RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME, 




CHAPTER XXVIII. 

BENJAMIN LUNDY. 

HIS distinguished philanthropist and Abolitionist ended his 
days near the borders of Putnam County, and was buried 
within its limits, on Clear Creek, his remains being en- 
tombed by his family and friends or the Quaker fraternity 
of Magnolia. He achieved a glorious reputation as the 
"father of the party of freedom," and it is fit that some 
account of his life and labors should be given in this work. 
In an autobiography, prepared by himself and published 
shortly after his death, he states that he was born on the fourth day of the 
first month (January), 1789, at Handwich, Essex County, N. J. His mother 
died when he was only five years old, and he was her only child. He 
had but very limited means and opportunities of schooling, but manauvd 
to learn to read and write when eight years of age, and began the study 
of arithmetic at eighteen. His physical frame being delicate, he was sent 
to travel for his health a year later, and after a tini3 arrived at Wheeling, 
West Virginia, where he served four years at the trade of a saddler. 

It was while here that he was made acquainted with the enormities of 
the trade in human flesh; it was here he saw the barbarities of slavery. 
"It was here," he wrote, "that I saw the traffickers in human souls and 
bodies pass by with their iron-chained chattels. My heart was deeply 
grieved at the gross abomination; I heard the* wail of the captive; I felt 
the pangs of their distress, and the iron entered my soul." It was here 
he IK came a firm, determined and thorough Abolitionist, and resolved to 
d vote his life to the cause of freeing the negro. 

On leaving Wheeling he went to Mount Pleasant, Ohio, where he be- 
came acquainted with William Lewis ;m<l his sisters, one of whom 
eventually became Benjamin Lundy's wife. 

He started business for himself at St. Clairsville, Virginia, and in four 
years had earned three thousand dollars worth of property. Here, while 
industriously pursuing his usual business, he was not idle in the great 



THE FATllEfc OF THE PAKTY OF FREEDOM. 233 

cause which lay so close to his heart, arid in 1815, through his active ef- 
forts, Union Humane Societies were formed. 

About that time Charles Osborne started a newspaper at Mount 
Pleasant, called the Philanthropist, and soon after Lundy took a position 
upon it as assistant editor. He was invited to become joint owner of that 
paper with Osborn, but having a stock of goods on hand to dispose of, 
and the best market being in the far West, he packed up his wares, put 
them in a boat, and floated down the Ohio, the three apprentices he 
had with him working at their trade, while he steered the boat. Ar- 
riving in the Mississippi River, they rowed up that stream to St. Louis. 
While in that city, in 1819, the famous Missouri Compromise question 
was before the people that of admitting Missouri as a slave State. On 
this question he took an active part, in the negative, of course, writing ar- 
ticles for such of the few newspapers as would publish them. Congress 
having decided against his views, he left, not discouraged, but determined 
to watch, labor and wait. In the meantime he had lost several thousand 
dollars, his speculation proving to be a bad one, and he returned on foot 
to his old home at St. Clairsville, a distance of seven hundred miles! 

During his absence Osborne had sold the newspaper on which he had 
previously been employed, and the new publishers had decidedly lowered 
its standard, so Lundy determined to start a paper of his own. A news- 
paper in which he had been promised an interest, at Mount Pleasant, had 
been removed to Jonesboro, Tennessee, leaving the field at Mount Pleas- 
ant open to him. Accordingly he removed there, and in January, 1821, 
he commenced the publication of The Genius of Universal Emancipation. 
Not then having a press of his own, he was compelled to hire his press- 
work done at Steubenville, Ohio, a distance of twenty miles, to which 
place he went to and fro on foot, carrying his printed papers on his 
back. 

After having issued eight monthly numbers of the Genius, the owner 
of the former paper which had been removed from Mount Pleasant to 
Jonesboro, Tennessee, died at the latter place, and his paper ceased to be 
published. His friends and the friends of the cause urged him to go to 
that place and, if possible, obtain possession of the press and fixtures of 
the printing office. To this he assented, and at once started to Tennessee, 
a distance of eight hundred miles, about one-half of which distance he ac- 
complished on foot, and the remainder by boat. 

He rented the printing office at Jonesboro, and at once went to work 



234 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

to learn the practical or mechanical part of the business of running a 
newspaper, and in a brief time issued his paper from his new location in a 
monthly and weekly form, retaining for it the old but expressive name. 
While thus engaged, in the very heart of the slave-holding region, he was 
threatened with all sorts of violence. In the first place his coming there 
was considered an insult to the slaveocracy, and in the next, his merciless 
denunciation of their peculiar institution of slavery was unbearable. On 
one occasion two ruffians came a distance of thirty miles to demand the 
retraction of an article which had been published in the Genius. They 
invited Lundy into a private room, shut and locked the door, and flourish- 
ing their knives and pistols, undertook to enforce their insolent demand. 
But they were mistaken in the grit and firmness of their man. High 
words resulted, which attracted the attention of^ the owner of the house, 
who came to the assistance of the spunky editor. 

Finding his business prosperous, he sent for his family, who joined him 
there, and there he lived for three years, doing yeoman service, constantly 
provoking the wrath of his enemies, repeatedly subjected to personal 
abuse of the vilest character, both in his office and upon the streets, and 
sometimes personal attacks ; yet bravely fighting for his principles, his 
rights of speech and the freedom of the press, continually pouring red hot 
shot into the foe. 

He was the first delegate who ever attended an abolition convention 
from any portion of the country as far south as Tennessee. He made a 
trip on horseback, at his own expense, a distance of six hundred miles, to 
attend a meeting of the enemies of slavery at Philadelphia, in 1832. 

The Genius of Universal Emancipation had by this time obtained an 
extensive circulation and a wide fame all over the country, and as it was 
the only anti-slavery newspaper in the United States at that time, he con- 
cluded to transfer the publication of it to one of the Atlantic cities, hoping 
thereby to greatly increase its circulation and widen its influence. 

In pursuance of this plan he shouldered his knapsack and set out on 
foot for Baltimore, in the summer of 1824, on his way delivering his first 
public lecture on the subject of Slavery, at Deep Creek, North Carolina. 
So well were the people pleased with this, the first lecture they had ever 
heard on this topic (many of the community happening to be Quakers), 
that they appointed a second meeting, where he again spoke, crowning his 
eff orts tjiere by the formation of an anti-slavery society. 

At another place he went to a house raising and lectured to the per- 



REMOVAL OF THE " GENIUS " TO BALTIMORE. 235 

sons there assembled, and at another place managed to get an audience 
at a militia muster, the captain of the day being very liberal in his views 
on the subject of slavery, and some of his hearers belonging to the Society 
of Friends. Here too an anti-slavery society was formed, the militia cap- 
tain being chosen its first president. 

During this trip through North Carolina he organized no fewer than 
twelve or fourteen anti-slavery societies. 

Leaving North Carolina, he passed through Virginia, in which State he 
formed several anti-slavery societies also. 

Mr. Lundy reached Baltimore in due time, and promptly began prepa- 
rations for issuing his paper there, and in October, 1824, the first number 
of the Genius was issued in that city. He brought his family on from 
Tennessee very soon after. 

During his journey to Baltimore he converted a slave-holder, who gave 
up to Lundy eleven slaves, on condition that he would take them to where 
they could enjoy equal rights, and he had them sent to Hayti. 

In 1825 he went to that island to look after his proteges, and while 
there he received the sad intelligence of the death of his wife. On his 
return to the United States he resumed his work of pushing forward the 
circulation of his paper, meeting with considerable success. 

In 1828 he journeyed through the Middle and Eastern States to ex- 
tend the circulation of his newspaper, lecture, and make acquaintances. 
It was during this expedition he met Arthur Tappan, of New York, 
and William Lloyd Garrison, of Boston, neither of whom had at that 
time acquired any of the fame which afterward became so world- wide, 
nor in fact had they even then become publicly known at their own homes 
as abolitionists. After many endeavors he succeeded in getting up a 
meeting in Boston, where the first anti-slavery society was formed. 

He also lectured on the anti-slavery question at Hartford, New 
Haven, Newport, Providence, Nantucket, Portland, and many other 
towns, with varying success. 

In November, 1828, he visited New England a second time, and re- 
quested William Lloyd Garrison to assist him on the Genius; but that 
gentleman was then conducting an anti-slavery paper of his own, in Ver- 
mont. 

Mr. Lundy's mode of conducting the Genius provoked the deadly ire 
of a man named Austin Woolfolk, a Baltimore slave trader, who in 1829 
assaulted and nearly killed him. The judge before whom the case was 



236 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

tried, the assailant having been arrested, said from the bench that " Lundy 
got no more than he deserved," and sent a copy of his paper before the 
grand jury, pointing out to them several passages which he said were 
libelous; but that body failed to find a bill against him. 

In 1829 he went to Hayti a second time, with twelve slaves given to 
him this time by a slave-holder in Maryland, under circumstances similar 
to those herein before related. 

After his return he was joined by Win. Lloyd Garrison in the editor- 
ship of the Genius, and Mr. Lundy made another tour, during which Mr. 
Garrison, less guarded than his chief, or failing to enjoy that warm per- 
sonal friendship which it was the peculiar good fortune of Lundy to secure 
everywhere he went, was arrested and thrown into jail because of his out- 
spoken denunciations of slavery, but was finally released on payment of a 
fine, when he left the city. The paper then fell to Lundy's exclusive 
management, and not being able to secure a competent and suitable assist- 
ant, ilt was changed from a weekly to a monthly publication. The hatred 
which had achieved a victory over Garrison was started in pursuit of 
Lundy, and half a dozen indictments were procured against him in the 
courts, arid he too was imprisoned. On being released, he abandoned 
Baltimore and removed to Washington City. 

In 1830 he traveled extensively in Canada, and awakened the anti- 
slavery sentiment there with a view to secure an asylum in that country 
for fugitive slaves from the United States. He also went to Texas to see 
what could be done toward establishing a grand free labor project there, 
and afterward to Mexico for the same purpose, and until 1836 he spent 
nearly his whole time in making many arduous journeys and fruitless 
efforts to transfer his colony of free negroes in Hayti to Texas or Mexico. 

During the absence of Lundy in the South-west and in the land 
of the Montezumas, the Genius was conducted by different persons. 
Under the management of Evan Lewis, in Jamiary, 1834, its place of pub- 
lication was removed to Philadelphia, at which place Mr. Lewis died in 
the same year. It was then taken charge of by Rev. Dr. Atlee, and under 
his management it was suspended for want of adequate support. At that 
time Mr. Lundy had been absent about three years, occasionally writing 
letters and communications for it, but otherwise unable to furnish that 
fire, vim and spirit which had for so many years characterized that staunth 
champion of human rights. It died more for the lack of the brains and 
energy of its founder than anything else. 



RECOGNITION OF MR. , LUNDY's VALUABLE SERVICES. 237 

In November, 1835, Mr. Lundy returned from Mexico, and issued one 
number uf the Genius, brim full of its old time fire and fury against 
slavery, and in August of the following year began the issue of 
another weekly anti-slavery newspaper at Philadelphia, called The Na- 
tional Enquirer, and in the same month re-commenced the publication of 
the Genius. 

January 31, 1837, a large and enthusiastic convention of the people 
was held at Harrisburg, Pa., which formed a State society. Among other 
proceedings it adopted a resolution complimenting the veteran agitator, as 
follows : 

WHEREAS, By the self-denying zeal and untiring efforts of Benjamin Lundy, he sus- 
tained the " Genius of Universal Emancipation" for eight years of general apathy on the sub- 
ject of slavery, when no pecuniary embarrassment, no privations of society, no cold neglect 
or indifference to his warning voice could dissuade him from his fixed principles of duty, he 
finally drew and fixed the attention of many who were abused by it throughout the land ; 
therefore, 

Resolved, That Benjamin Lundy receive the thanks of this Convention. 

On the 9th of May, 1838, Lundy retired from the charge of the En- 
quirer, and was succeeded by the Quaker poet, John Or. Whittier. 

The Abolitionists of Philadelphia had built and dedicated to the cause 
of freedom a splendid public hall, which cost $30,000. On the night of 
the 17th of May, 1838, a mob broke into and fired the building, which 
was burnt down. In it were all Lundy's private papers, together with 
all his personal effects, which had been stored in a room of the hall, 
awaiting his journey to the West. He wrote concerning the event: "My 
papers, books, clothes everything of value, except my journal in Mex- 
ico, are all all gone, a total sacrifice on the altar of Universal Eman- 
cipation. They have not yet got my conscience, they have not taken my 
heart, and until they rob me of these they cannot prevent me from plead- 
ing the cause of the suffering slave. 

" The tyrant (may even) hold the body bound, 
But knows not what a range the spirit takes. 

" I am not disheartened, though everything of earthly value (in the 
shape of property) is lost. Let us persevere in the cause. We shall as- 
suredly triumph yet" 

In July, 1838, Lundy left Philadelphia for Putnam County, 111., to 
which place his children removed. On his way he formed the acquaint- 
ance of a young woman of Pennsylvania, a member of the Society of 



238 RECORDS OF THE OLDEN TIME. 

Friends, with whom he contracted a matrimonial engagement. While on 
this journey, he wrote to his friends that his health was excellent, and 
that he felt happy in being clear of the crowded city. Reaching his des- 
tination, which was the Quaker settlement near Magnolia, on September 
19, he wrote: "lam here at last among my children. This is emphati- 
cally one of the best and most beautiful countries that I have ever seen." 
He afterward on the same day attended an anti-slavery convention at 
Hennepin, composed of intelligent men and women. It passed a unani- 
mous resolution to encourage the circulation of the Genius, and a large 
number of subscriptions were immediately obtained. 

Having been disappointed in several attempts to purchase a press and 
outfit at Hennepin, where he desired to settle, he received a proposition 
from some of the inhabitants of Lowell, LaSalle County, to establish his 
paper there, and accepting their proposition, he went there in the winter 
of 1838-9, accompanied by his son Charles, his other children following 
in the spring. 

In a letter dated February 3, 1839, he says: "I have purchased a 
printing office, and established it at a new town called Lowell ; but we 
have no post office yet, and the Or. U. E. will be published a while at Hen- 
nepin. I have found great difficulty in getting my printing done, but am 
now prepared to go on regularly as soon as I receive paper, for which I 
have sent to St. Louis." Lundy built a house and printing office at 
Lowell, and in the spring purchased a tract of land about four miles dis- 
tant. His paper was irregularly printed for want of funds and help, he 
having, for a portion of the time, no other assistants than his two sons, 
one of whom attended to the farm. Early in August he was attacked by 
a fever of a kind then prevalent in that region, but rallied, and tried to 
work a few days, when he was compelled to seek his bed again, though 
not thought to be dangerously affected. On the morning of the 21st he was 
again in his office, and wrote a note to one of his children, stating that he 
had been quite unwell, but was now better. In the afternoon of the same 
day he was seized with severe pains, and retired to the house of his friend, 
Wm. Seeley. The next day he continued to grow worse, and suffered 
much pain until ten o'clock in the evening, when he grew easier and more 
comfortable. Being told by a physician that his end was probably ap- 
proaching, he replied that he " felt much better he felt as if he were in 
paradise." At 11 o'clock on the evening of the 21st of February, 1839, 
Benjamin Lundy passed peacefully away, without a groan or a struggle. 



DEATH OF BENJAMIN LUNDY "SHIVAREES." 239 



His remains, attended by a large concourse of relatives and friends, were 
removed to the house of his son-in-law, Isaac Griffith, near Magnolia, 
whence, on the following day they were removed, and interred in the 
Friends burying ground on Clear Creek. 

Thus terminated the earthly career of one of the most self-sacrificing 
and indefatigable reformers this country has ever produced. Having re- 
solved, twenty-three years before his decease, to devote his life and ener- 
gies to the relief of the suffering slave and the freedom of the colored 
people from bondage, he nobly and heroically kept that pledge, and so far 
as was in his power, redeemed this promise, persevering to the end, un- 
discouraged by difficulties, not dismayed by obstacles nor appalled at 
the magnitude of the herculean task before him. 

In stature he was rather under the average size, of slender form and 
slightly built. His complexion was of the nervous - sanguine order, with 
a cheerful disposition ; always polite and agreeable in conversation ; never 
gloomy or despondent. He was afflicted with a difficulty of hearing from 
an early age, a circumstance which was of great inconvenience and disad- 
vantage to him. He was positive but courteous in defending his opinions, 
and never neglected any opportunity to assert and maintain his views. 



OLD TIME "SHIVAREES." 

The boys of the present day who think they discount their Ancestors 
in the charivari business are mistaken. When those old fellows under- 
took a thing of the kind it was carried through regardless of time or con- 
sequences. We knew an incident of the kind in early times which was 
kept up continuously every night for three weeks, because the groom 
would not come down with the whisky. It finally became such a nui- 
sance to the occupants of a hotel near by that Wm. S. Hamilton, a Col- 
onel in the Black Hawk war, and the man who surveyed Peoria, treated 
the crowd, and then presented his bill for the same to the groom. He 
refused to pay and was sued, in which the Colonel got beaten. 

Two noted charivaris are mentioned as having occurred at Magnolia, 
which were conducted by the "boys," and as several of those who partici- 
pated are yet living, sedate and gray-haired old men, the mention of them 
here is relevant. 

There was a wedding in the neighborhood, and after the festivities 



240 KECOfcD'S OF tfHE OLDEN 

usual on such occasions, the lights in the house where the newly married 
couple were, were extinguished and all was quietness and repose. But 
this was not to be of long continuance. John Dent, Joseph Hall and 
Thomas Patterson, as leaders, with a number of other young fellows, all 
bent on having lots of fun, who had concluded to give the young couple a 
charivari and had laid their plans accordingly, having kept their move- 
ments from the knowledge of all who were not to be concerned with them, 
assembled at the quiet hour of midnight and started for a grocery kept by 
a man known as "old Patterson." The keeper of this establishment was 
aware of what was going on, and when the crowd came to his place 
they were supplied with a stimulus which inflamed and incited them 
to excesses which it is probable they otherwise would not have been 
guilty of. Being thus prepared the party started for the house where 
the happy and unsuspecting couple reposed, and as they approached 
they broke forth with a hullabaloo and racket that was simply infernal. 
Beating on tin pans, blowing horns, ringing bells, the barking and 
howling of dogs, lowing and bleating of cattle, and snorting and clattering 
of horses were all exceeded by the shouting, hurrahing, screeching, 
screaming and every other possible noise which could be made by half- 
crazy human beings. 

This pandemonium was kept up around the house unceasingly. No 
persuasion on the part of the groom or the gentleman at whose house he 
was availed anything. They were impelled by a spirit of malicious mis- 
chief to commit an outrage upon decency, and they gave full vent to it. 
From time to time detachments from the party would return to old Pat- 
terson's, fill up anew with whisky, and return to continue their disagree- 
able proceedings, and it was not until after daylight the next morning 
that they became exhausted and retired to their homes. 

The noises and uproar they made caused a stampede among such 
cattle, horses and swine as could get out of their enclosures. About ten 
horses and the same number of cattle belonging to Captain Hawes ran 
off toward the timber, and it was three or four days afterward before 
their owner found them. They had strayed more than fifteen miles from 

home. An individual known as old Billy R , who had proposed 

taking a hand in the fun, became so intoxicated at Patterson's groggery 
that he was unable to go with the "boys," and brought himself to anchor 
upon a stump a fourth of a mile from the scene of action, and con- 
tributed his quota of music by continually howling and ringing a cow 



OF THREE NIGHTS' DURATION. 241 

hell. The maliciousness of some of the participants led them to shave 
the hair from the tail of tin groom's horse, and to take a wheel from his 
buggy and hide it some distance away among the bushes. The wheel 
was not forthcoming until a week afterward, and then it required the 
payment of a fee cf five dollars to secure it. During the melee John 
Dent opened the window of the room occupied by the newly married 
couple, and in true and faultless Indian style gave a prolonged war-whoop. 

The ringleaders of this disgraceful aff air were arrested on a charge of 
disturbing the peace, and taken before a magistrate for trial. The 
offenders employed to defend them a young lawyer who, for the sum of 
twenty dollars cash to him in hand paid, promised to secure their discharge. 
This young man was T. L. Dickey, now one of the Justices of the Supreme 
Court of Illinois. 

The ill-feeling caused by the affair slowly subsided, and in a few 
months' time all the parties were on friendly terms again. 

It was not long before John Dent discovered his affinity, and the sub- 
ject of his approaching marriage was the talk of the whole neighborhood. 
Captain Hawes, who had felt personally offended at the previous affair, 
determined that Dent, who was the foremost spirit and instigator of it, 
and who had given that blood-curdling war-whoop, should himself enjoy 
the pleasure of a charivari on his wedding night. He organized