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1049333 


m.  u 


^^K 


Oc  977.2  P25t 

Rabb,  Kate  Milner,  1-'-- 

l^^tour  ti-,rou.gh  Indiana  In 
1840 


A  TOUR 

THROUGH  INDIANA 

IN  1840 


JOHN  PARSONJ 
From  a  daguerreotype 


A  TOUR 

THROUGH  INDIANA 

IN  1840 


The  Diary  of  John  Parsons 
of  Petersburg,  Virginia 


Edited  by 

KATE  MILNER  RABB 


NEW  YORK 
ROBERT  M.  McBRIDE  &  CO. 

1920 


.Alien  county  PubVicUbrary 

900  Webster  Street  Copyright,    1920,    by 

PC  Box  2270     ^._^,  9970  Robert    M.    McBride    &    Co. 

Fort  Wayne.  IN  46801-^^'  


Printed       in       the 
United     States     of     America 


Published,    June.     1920 


1049333 

INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 

John  Parsons  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Virginia  in  1839  and  began  the  study  of  the  law. 
Not  finding  the  profession  to  his  taste,  however,  he 
made  a  tour  of  Indiana  in  the  spring  of  1840,  with 
the  intention  of  visiting  a  cousin,  who  had  gone 
there  three  years  before,  and  of  purchasing  land  and 
settling  there  if  he  found  conditions  to  his  liking  in 
*'the  "Wabash  country."  He  was  23  years  old  at 
the  time,  handsome,  intelligent,  a  keen  observer  and 
possessed  of  a  charming  personality. 

The  time  of  his  journey  is  one  of  unusual  interest, 
being  the  year  of  the  Harrison  campaign,  the  be- 
ginning of  our  modern  presidential  campaigns. 
That  it  was  a  time  when  the  traveler  used  the  stage 
coach,  the  canal  boat,  the  steamboat,  the  horse's 
back,  to  say  nothing  of  an  occasional  day's  journey 
on  the  latest  novelty  in  transportation,  the  railroad, 
gives  variety  and  interest  to  his  travels. 

Carrying  some  letters  of  introduction  from  East- 
ern friends,  he  gained  entry  into  what  were  known 
as  ''the  most  respectable  families"  of  the  various 
Indiana  towns  he  visited,  and  his  observations  on 
family  life,  as  well  as  on  the  country,  are  of  suf- 
ficient interest  and  value  to  warrant  their  publica- 
tion. 

Editor. 


Special  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  Lee  Burns  of 
Indianapolis  for  the  selection  and  preparation  of 
the  pictures  in  this  volume,  and  to  the  lyidiana 
State  Library  for  the  use  of  the  Play  Billy  the 
Harrison  campaign  poster  and  for  other  courtesies. 

Editor. 


THE  ILLUSTRATIONS 
John  Parsons    .....: Frontispiece 

Facing 
Page 

A  Stage  Coach  on  the  National  Road     ....  10 

An  Ohio  River  Steamboat 28 

The  River  Front,  Cincinnati,  in  1840     ....  34 

The  Eggleston  Homestead,  Vevay 52 

An  Old  House  at  Madison 60 

Tombstone  of  Jesse  Vawter     .......  70 

The  Tunnel  Mill  at  Vernon       ......  84 

Announcement  of  Tippecanoe  Rally,  1840       .     .  88 

An  Old  House  Near  Centerville 136 

The  Governor's  House,  Indianapolis,  in  1840       .  178 

A  Pioneer's  Cabin  in  1840 .226 

A  ViNCENNES  Play  Bill  of  1839 340 

St.  Francis  Xavier's  Cathedral,  Vincennes     .     .  352 

The  Old  State  Capitol  at  Corydon 358 

View  of  New  Albany  in  1840      .     ,     ,     ,     ,.     ,  364 


CHAPTER  I 

May  9,  1840. 

1WILL  seize  the  opportunity  offered  for  an  hour 
or  so  of  quiet  while  our  steamboat  lies  at  the 
landing  of  the  city  of  Wheeling,  to  chronicle  the 
account  of  my  happenings  since  starting  on  my 
journey,  an  act  impossible  on  the  long  way  by  stage 
coach. 

Having  decided  on  my  trip  to  the  Western  coun- 
try I  made  a  careful  study  of  ''The  Western 
Tourist  or  Emigrant's  Guide  Through  the  States  of 
Ohio,  Michigan,  Indiana  and  Missouri  and  the  Terri- 
tories of  Wisconsin  and  Iowa,"  a  book  published 
only  last  year  by  J.  H.  Colton  of  New  York,  which 
purports  to  give  a  concise  and  accurate  description 
of  each  state  with  principal  stage  routes,  canals, 
railroads,  etc.,  together  with  much  other  informa- 
tion gathered  from  the  letters  of  my  cousin 
Jonathan  Parsons,  who  went  three  years  ago  to  the 
Wabash  country  and  whom  it  is  my  intention  to 
visit. 

I  left  Petersburg,  Virginia,  for  Richmond  by  rail 
the  morning  of  May  3,  1840.  My  father  accom- 
panied me  to  the  railroad  depot  in  the  family  chariot 
driven  by  old  Uncle  Peter  and,  ''wise  and  grave 
man"  that  he  is,  occupied  the  time,  like  the  elder 
Crusoe,  in  giving  me  "serious  and  excellent  coun- 
1 


2     A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

seP'  as  to  tlie  conduct  of  one,  like  Robinson,  of 
"a  wandering  inclination"  though  hitherto  un- 
traveled. 

My  mother,  after  some  tears  shed  when  the  part- 
ing was  imminent,  troubled  herself  over  a  luncheon 
she  would  have  me  pack  in  my  carpet  bag.  This  I 
refused,  however,  having  secretly  determined  to 
dine  in  state  at  the  Powhatan  House  in  Richmond, 
whose  beautiful  situation  on  the  hill  fronting  the 
capitol  I  had  frequently  admired  on  my  visits  to 
that  city. 

Here  I  would  willingly  have  lingered  had  the 
journey  planned  been  a  briefer  one;  as  it  was,  I 
took  the  railroad  again,  and  in  due  time  arrived  in 
Fredericksburg.  This  method  of  traveling,  a  new 
one  to  me,  is  in  the  main  very  pleasant,  but  the 
rumbling,  tremulous  motion  of  the  cars  is  not  very 
agreeable,  and  after  the  novelty  has  worn  off,  the 
pleasure  of  it  is  much  diminished  by  the  fumes  of 
the  oil,  the  hissing  of  the  steam,  and  the  scorching 
of  the  cinders  which  are  falling  all  around  you. 
Neither  is  it  a  very  rapid  method  of  traveling,  for 
I  noted  that  we  did  not  go  beyond  seven  or  eight 
miles  an  hour. 

It  was  therefore  with  a  sensation  of  pleasure  that 
I  left  the  railroad  at  Fredericksburg  to  enter  the 
stage  coach,  which  was  to  take  me  nine  hilly  miles 
to  Potomac  Creek,  where  I  found  the  steamboat. 
This  last  is  a  most  excellent  method  of  travel  when 
the  boat  is,  as  was  this,  spacious,  rapid  and  very 
clean.  This  part  of  my  journey  was  made  by  night, 
and  being  very  weary,  it  seemed  that  I  was  only 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     3 

through  my  first  nap  when  Peter  knocked  at  my 
door  to  announce  that  we  had  arrived  at  Washing- 
ton and  that  it  was  time  to  arise. 

I  tarried  in  this  city  only  long  enough  for  a  meal 
at  that  miserable  caravansary,  Gadsby's,  as  I  had 
viewed  the  city  only  last  autumn,  when  a  guest  at 
the  reception  of  the  lovely  Mrs.  Van  Buren,  wife 
of  the  President's  nephew,  when,  just  home  from 
Europe,  she  assumed  her  place  as  mistress  of  the 
"WHiite  House.  I  had  known  her  as  the  beautiful 
Augusta  Singleton  of  South  Carolina,  and  with  all 
the  sweet  graciousness  of  her  girlhood  and  alto- 
gether unspoiled  by  her  position  as  first  lady  of  the 
land,  she  welcomed  me  to  the  "White  House,  so  ex- 
travagantly refurnished  by  the  President,  an  ex- 
travagance which  I  surmise  will  be  dwelt  on  at 
length  by  our  Whig  orators  in  the  months  to 
come. 

Into  a  wretched,  dirty  omnibus  at  Gadsby's,  with 
my  carpet  bags  tossed  carelessly  about  by  the  hire- 
ling, and  off  again  to  the  railroad  depot,  where  I 
took  the  train  to  Baltimore,  forty  miles  in  two 
hours.  Here  I  stopped  at  Barnum's  Hotel,  a  matter 
for  rejoicing,  for  if  there  is  a  hotel  keeper  in  the 
United  States  who  merits  the  commendation  of  the 
traveler,  it  is  the  host  of  this  tavern.  His  neat 
private  parlors  and  bedrooms,  his  quiet  house,  his 
obliging  attendants  leave  nothing  to  be  desired,  and 
when  I  think  of  his  excellent  table,  the  canvas-back 
ducks,  the  soft  shell  crabs — anticipation  can  never 
come  up  with  the  reality. 

It  is  hard  to  realize  that  100  years  ago  the  land 


4     A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

on  which  this  populous  city  stands  was  covered  with 
wide-spreading  forests.^ 

How  different  a  scene  must  that  have  been  from 
the  one  which  met  my  eye  on  that  never-to-be-for- 
gotten day  of  my  stay  here,  a  scene  well  worth  the 
effort  of  my  journey,  had  it  terminated  here.  For 
this  very  day  had  been  chosen  by  the  young  "Whigs 
for  their  national  convention-  partly  no  doubt  be- 
cause they  hoped  thus  at  the  outset  to  discourage 
the  Democrats  who  were  holding  their  national  con- 
vention in  Baltimore  at  the  same  time. 

From  The  Baltimore  Patriot  I  copy  a  few  lines 
descriptive  of  the  day  and  far  more  eloquent  than 
words  my  pen  could  inscribe. 

Never  before  was  seen  such  an  assemblage  of  the  people, 
in  whose  persons  are  concentrated  the  sovereignty  of  the 
government.  .  .  .  The  excitement,  the  joy,  the  enthusiasm 
which  everywhere  prevailed,  lighting  up  the  countenance 
of  every  man  in  the  procession ;  the  shouts,  the  applause, 
the  cheers  of  those  who  filled  the  sidewalks  and  crowded 
the  windows;  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  by  the  ladies; 
the  responsive  cries  of  the  people ;  the  flaunting  banners ; 
the  martial  music;  the  loud  roar  at  intervals  of  the  deep- 
mouthed  cannon.  ...  In  no  country,  in  no  time,  never  be- 
fore in  the  history  of  man,  was  there  a  spectacle  so  full  of 
natural  glory.  .  .  .  Standing  on  an  eminence  commanding 
a  view  of  the  line  of  the  procession  in  the  whole  extent  of 
Baltimore  Street,  you  beheld  a  moving  mass  of  human  be- 
ings. A  thousand  banners  burnished  by  the  sun,  floating 
on  the  breeze,   10,000  handkerchiefs  waved  by  the   fair 

*The  census  of  1841,  the  year  after  this,  gives  the  population  of 
Baltimore  as  102,313.— Editor. 

'  William  Henry  Harrison  of  Ohio  had  been  nominated  for  Presi- 
dent, and  John  Tyler  for  Vice-President,  at  the  Whig  national  con- 
yention,  held  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  4,  1839. — Editor, 


A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     5 

daughters  of  the  city,  gave  seeming  life  and  motion  to  the 
very  air.  A  hundred  thousand  faces  were  before  you,  age, 
manhood,  youth  and  beauty,  filled  every  place  where  a  foot- 
hold could  be  got  or  any  portion  of  the  procession  be  seen. 
.  .  .  The  free  men  of  the  land  were  there,  the  fiery  son  of 
the  South,  the  substantial  citizen  of  the  East,  the  hardy 
pioneer  of  the  West,  were  all  there.  It  was  the  epitome 
of  a  great  nation. 

It  was  really  a  great  and  inspiring  sight,  with  its 
lines  of  marching  men,  its  log  cabins  drawn  by 
many  horses,  its  banners  predicting  the  fall  of  Little 
Van  and  the  rise  of  the  "Log  Cabin"  candidate.  I 
had  not  guessed  that  so  much  enthusiasm  could 
have  been  aroused  over  a  comparatively  unknown 
candidate,  a  backwoodsman,  as  we  of  the  East  are 
accustomed  to  speak  of  him.  For  my  father  was  a 
follower  of  Henry  Clay,  and  while,  with  a  mag- 
nanimity which  bespoke  the  hero,  this  truly  great 
man  had  pushed  aside  the  kingly  crown,  my  father 
with  many  others  felt  that  he  truly  deserved  and 
should  have  had  the  nomination. 

There  was  much  in  what  was  said  in  the  publica- 
tions of  the  time  anent  the  Democratic  convention ' 
held  on  this  same  day  to  give  a  thoughtful  man 
pause. 

One  party,  the  Whig,  said  they,  on  this  day  cast 
reason  aside.  The  other,  the  Democratic,  a  digni- 
fied, deliberative  body,  regiflarly  formed,  met 
quietly,  and  broadly  and  plainly  stated  its  principles 
and  submitted  them  to  the  consideration  of  the  peo- 

*At  the  Democratic  national  convention  held  in  Baltimore  on 
May  4,  1840,  Martin  Van  Buren  was  nominated  for  President,  and 
Richard  M.  Johnson  for  Vice-President. — Editor. 


6     A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

pie,  made  no  mflammatory  appeals,  held  no  parades 
of  unmeaning  contrivances,  resorted  to  no  clatter  of 
barrels  and  tin  cups.  The  one — ^but  I  anticipate,  for 
a  part  of  this  was  really  in  a  discussion  held  in  the 
stage  coach  which  I  will  transcribe  in  due  season. 

Rejoicing  that  I  found  myself  in  the  city  on  this 
occasion,  but  realizing  that  I  must  push  on,  I  took 
my  seat  that  same  evening  on  the  cars  of  the  B.  &  0. 
and  Patapsco  River  Railroad.  These  cars  were 
drawn  by  horses  for  the  distance  of  one  mile,  the 
jangling  bells  on  their  harness  a  strange  contrast  to 
the  puffing  steam  engine  for  which  they  were  then 
exchanged.  This  railroad  follows  the  winding  bank 
of  the  Patapsco,  a  noble  stream  at  Baltimore,  capa- 
ble of  floating  any  vessels  that  come  to  its  wharves, 
but  before  coming  to  Frederick  it  loses  its  impor- 
tance and  dwindles  to  the  size  of  a  fishing  creek. 
The  river  channel  runs  through  a  narrow  valley 
with  imposing  precipices  along  the  entire  course, 
hence  the  railroad  is  constructed  on  the  banks  to 
avoid  making  deep  cuts  and  in  this  way  increases 
the  distance  between  the  two  towns  from  forty-five 
to  sixty  miles. 

Some  miles  out  from  Baltimore  stands  Ellicott's 
Mills,  a  place  famous  in  a  prosaic  way  for  manufac- 
turing flour,  still  more  famous  for  its  wild  and  pic- 
turesque scenery.  The  bed  of  the  river  is  rocky, 
the  shore  steep  and  wild.  During  the  hot  weather 
this  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the  citizens  of  Baltimore. 

On  an  eminence  overlooking  the  village,  stands 
the  Female  Seminary  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  Phelps.  This 
was  known  to  me  by  reputation,  my  cousin  Lucy 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     7 

having  once  been  a  pupil  here,  so  that  I  had  heard 
of  Mrs.  Phelps's  high  literary  reputation  as  well  as 
her  signal  success  as  a  teacher  of  youth  in  those 
moral  and  domestic  virtues  which  sweeten  and 
purify  life,  and  render  woman  a  blessing  and  an 
ornament  to  society,  and  I  looked  forth  from  the 
car  window  with  some  curiosity.  There  I  beheld  a 
group  of  females  apparently  bidding  farewell  to  one 
of  their  number,  no  doubt  a  pupil  of  the  school,  since 
they  were  accompanied  by  an  elderly  female,  with- 
out doubt  an  instructress  in  the  institute.  The 
young  women  kissed  their  young  companion  and 
wept  profusely,  alternately  wiping  their  eyes  and 
waving  their  hands  as  she  boarded  the  train  and 
took  her  seat,  unfortunately  for  me,  in  the  rear  of 
the  coach,  where  I  had  not  the  opportunity  to 
further  observe  her. 

She  was  soon  forgot,  however,  in  my  observations 
on  the  landscape,  whose  private  and  public  edifices 
alike  showed  no  particular  taste  in  architecture,  be- 
ing marked  by  variety  without  uniformity.  Fred- 
erick, Md.,  our  next  stop,  is  a  rich  and  populous  city, 
second  in  the  state,  but  I  had  little  opportunity  to 
observe  it  while  transferring  myself  and  my  bag- 
gage to  the  stage,  glad  of  the  change  of  vehicle. 

I  was  the  first  of  the  nine  passengers  to  take  my 
seat  in  the  coach.  I  had  heard  much  of  the  splendor 
of  these  coaches  on  the  Cumberland  road,  and  this 
one  did  not  fall  below  my  expectations.  Indeed,  I 
was  afterwards  told  that  chance  had  sent  me  to 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  coaches  of  the  famous 
''Good  Intent'*  line.    It  was  painted  in  brilliant 


8     A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

colors,  its  gilded  panels  ornamented  with  a  picture 
of  the  great  Lafayette,  whose  name  it  bore,  and  the 
interior  was  lined  with  soft  silk  plush.  Both  drivers 
and  line  were  famous.  One  of  these  drivers,  Peter 
Burdine  by  name,  had  once  made  a  rhyme  sung  all 
along  the  pike : 

If  you  take  a  seat  in  Stockton's  line, 

You  are  sure  to  be  passed  by  Pete  Burdine, 

Stockton  being  the  proprietor  of  the  rival  line  of 
coaches  known  as  the  ' '  June  Bug. ' ' 

There  were  three  seats  in  the  vehicle,  each  seat- 
ing three  passengers,  so  the  capacity  of  the  coach 
was  nine,  with  an  extra  seat  beside  the  driver. 

Scarcely  was  I  seated  before  a  second  passenger 
arrived  and  took  her  place  in  the  opposite  corner 
of  the  rear  seat  which  I  had  taken,  a  young  female 
whom  I  instantly  recognized  by  her  mantle,  a  long 
circular  cloak  of  rich  brown  satin  embellished  with 
black  velvet,  completely  enveloping  her  form,  as  the 
pupil  of  Mrs.  Phelps,  who  had  taken  the  railroad 
train  at  Ellicott's  Mills.  She,  too,  was  evidently 
westward  bound.  Her  leghorn  bonnet,  encircled  by 
an  elegant  plume,  shaded  her  face,  and  her  jetty 
eyelashes  veiled  her  dark  blue  eyes,  of  whose  melt- 
ing luster  I  caught  the  most  fleeting  glimpse,  and  lay 
upon  her  cheek,  now  mantling  with  the  blush  of 
modesty  at  the  sight  of  the  stranger  with  whom  she 
must  perforce  sit  alone. 

Not  for  long,  however.  Speedily  our  future 
traveling  companions  gathered,  the  first  evidently  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  denomination,  a  circuit 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     9 

rider  bound  for  the  West,  his  baggage  a  pair  of 
saddlebags,  which  he  threw  carelessly  under  his 
seat;  the  second,  a  rather  handsome  gentleman, 
from  his  manner  a  politician,  and,  like  myself,  from 
the  South;  and  next,  a  man  in  Quaker  dress  and,  to 
judge  from  his  bearing  and  the  authority  of  his 
speech,  one  high  in  their  councils,  and  no  doubt 
bound  on  a  mission  of  importance.  The  others  were 
uninteresting  specimens  of  humanity  for  whom  a 
glance  sufficed,  though  for  these  principals  I  have 
just  named  I  determined  to  learn,  like  the  chroni- 
cler of  the  Canterbury  pilgrimage,  'Svliich  they 
Averen  and  of  what  degre,'*  before  our  ''journey's 
ende." 

The  coach  full,  off  we  started,  going  at  a  great 
rate,  past  the  beautiful  and  fertile  valleys  that  lay 
between  Frederick  and  Hagerstown  and  on  to  Han- 
cock, where  the  country  is  very  broken  and  the  hills 
very  high.  Six  miles  from  Hancock  is  the  base  of 
the  Cumberland  Mountain,  whose  ascent  we  im- 
mediately began  and  which  continued  for  more  than 
three  miles.  It  was  a  stupendous  sight,  as  we 
mounted  higher  and  higher,  the  fleecy  clouds  over 
our  heads  and  far,  far  below  the  little  brook,  now 
only  a  thread.  Each  held  his  breath,  marveling  at 
the  spectacle ;  doubtless  each  mused  on  the  thought 
of  how  frail  the  bond  between  him  and  eternity,  to 
which  a  false  step,  the  stumble  of  a  horse,  the  break- 
ing of  a  trace,  would  consign  us.  The  parson  voiced 
our  thoughts.  "Give  glory  to  God,"  he  ejaculated. 
* '  Give  glory  to  God  for  His  infinite  goodness,  to  Him 
who  has  shown  us  in  this  spot  how  frail  is  man. 


10    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  how  we  are  indeed  held  in  the  hollow  of  His 
hand.    Amen!" 

The  hilltop  reached  without  the  least  slackening 
of  speed,  down,  down  the  next  incline  we  raced,  each 
no  doubt  inwardly  wondering  if  the  bottom  of  the 
hill  would  ever  be  reached  in  safety  though  some- 
what comforted  by  the  thought  that  the  vehicle  was 
equipped  by  a  novel  device  known  as  a  '* brake," 
a  piece  of  iron  running  across  the  bottom  of  the 
stage  and  which  the  driver,  by  the  use  of  a  crank, 
could  throw  against  the  wheel  and  thus  impede  its 
velocity.  And  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill  was  waiting 
the  postilion,  an  unusual  sight,  who  quickly  attached 
the  two  horses  he  was  holding  to  our  four,  to  make 
our  next  ascent  easier. 

From  Hancock  to  Cumberland  the  road  repeated 
itself,  the  forty  miles  stretching  between  the  two 
highest  points  being  filled  in  with  hills  and  valleys ; 
and  then  came  Cumberland,  a  pretty  place  of  3,000 
inhabitants,  where  begins  the  famous  Cumberland 
Road,  commenced  by  the  United  States  government 
thirty  or  thirty-five  years  ago,  and  which  almost 
every  year  has  been  a  subject  of  debate  in  Congress. 
It  has  been  carried  through  Wheeling,  Va.,  on  to 
Terre  Haute,  la.*  It  is  macadamized  and  is  indeed 
one  of  the  finest  roads  in  the  United  States,  al- 
though, from  excessive  use,  it  is  in  many  places  in 
bad  repair,  in  spite  of  the  state  act  which  I  was 
told  was  passed  in  1828,  authorizing  the  erection  of 
toll  gates  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  toll  in  order 
to  make  repairs  on  the  roads. 

*  la.  was  the  old  abbreviation  for  Indiana. 


im 


A  STAGE  COACH  ON  THE  NATIONAL  ROAD 
From  an  old  print 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    11 

"We  halted,  of  course,  at  each  of  these  old  round 
stone  toll  houses,  most  picturesque  features  of  the 
landscape.  One  of  the  toll  gate  keepers,  I  was  told, 
went  by  the  name  of  ' '  Gate  Bob ' '  to  distinguish  him 
from  the  other  Bobs  of  the  locality. 

From  Baltimore  to  Cumberland,  the  road  has  also 
been  finished  in  the  same  style,  but  not  so  perfect, 
by  private  enterprise. 

From  Cumberland  to  a  little  village  called  Frost- 
burg,  from  Frostburg  to  Union,  from  Union  to 
Washington,  Pa.,  runs  the  route,  and  the  account  of 
the  expense,  which  I  will  herewith  set  down  for 
future  reference  was  as  follows : 

STAGE  COACH  PASSAGE 

From  Baltimore  to  Frederick $2.00 

From  Frederick  to  Hagerstown. ......  2.00 

From  Hagerstown  to  Cumberland. .:.. .  5.00 

From  Cumberland  to  Uniontown 4.00 

From  Uniontown  to  Washington. . . . .  .^  2.25 

From  Washington  to  Wheeling. .......  2.00 

Through  fare  to  the  Ohio  River. .  .$17.25 

The  scenes  and  happenings  of  these  two  days  and 
two  nights  of  travel  were  so  varied  and  numerous 
as,  at  the  time,  to  be  confusing,  but  as  I  look  back 
I  see  them  in  a  series  of  pictures  on  my  mind.  The 
broad  white  highway,  winding  ribbonlike  over  moun- 
tain top  and  through  valley,  with  its  many  stately 
stone  bridges,  its  iron  mile  posts  and  its  great  iron 
toll  gates,  and  over  it  the  long  procession  of  stage 
coaches,  like  ours,  going  and  coming,  heralded  by 
the  winding  horn,  with  picturesque  drivers,  who,  at 


12    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

each  appointed  spot,  drew  up  the  horses,  threw  down 
the  reins  and  watched  the  quick  attachment  of  the 
fresh  team,  and  off  again  at  the  same  high  rate  of 
speed;  the  great  Conestoga  wagons  of  which  I  had 
heard  but  never  seen,  long  and  deep,  bending  up- 
ward at  the  bottom  in  front  and  rear,  the  lower 
broadside  painted  blue,  with  a  movable  board  in- 
serted above  painted  red,  the  covering  of  white  can- 
vas, stretched  over  broad  wooden  bows,  and  the 
whole  heralded  by  the  bells  on  the  high  arch  over 
the  horses '  backs ;  the  emigrant  wagon,  whose  occu- 
pants encamped  at  night  by  the  roadside;  an  oc- 
casional young  man  on  horseback  with  a  country  lass 
behind  him,  on  their  way  to  a  frolic;  ''pike  boys,'* 
the  aristocracy,  who  dwelt  beside  the  pike,  and  coun- 
try boys,  and  now  and  again  a  long  line  of  negro 
slaves,  driven  along  in  couples,  fastened  to  a  long 
thick  rope. 

At  this  last,  not,  to  me,  an  unfamiliar  spectacle, 
the  Quaker  gentleman  gave  a  groan.  "How  long, 
O  Lord,  how  long!" 

The  Methodist  parson  scanned  his  face  closely. 
"Brother,  I  have  observed  that  you  wear  the  garb 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  From  your  abhorrence  of 
this  lamentable  sight  I  surmise  that  you  are  also  a 
member  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Society.  It  may  be  that 
we  travel  on  the  same  business,  work  toward  the 
same  goal.     May  I  inquire  your  name?'* 

"Arnold  Buffum,"  the  Quaker  responded. 

"Then,  without  doubt  you  are  that  Arnold  Buf- 
fum,  organizer  of  the  American  Anti-Slavery  Soci- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    13 

ety  on  the  ground  of  immediate  and  unconditional 
emancipation,  bound  to  Ohio  and  the  "West,  so  I 
have  heard  it  rumored,  to  hold  meetings  among  the 
people  and  to  talk  of  the  wrongs  and  sufferings  of 
the  slave." 

^*The  Heavenly  Father  has  called  me  to  plead 
the  cause  of  the  oppressed;  to  speak  for  the  dumb, 
and  to  show  forth  the  cruelty  of  slavery." 

*'My  name  is  Louis  Hicklin,"  said  the  circuit 
rider, ' '  and  on  my  return  to  my  home  near  Madison, 
I,  too,  have  the  intention  of  traveling  over  the  state 
of  Indiana  organizing  anti-slavery  societies.  It 
may  be  that  there  our  paths  will  cross." 

The  Quaker  lapsed  into  silence.  I  scanned  him 
curiously,  for  it  was  my  first  sight  of  one  of  these 
agitators  of  whom  I  had  heard  little  good.  How- 
ever, both  he  and  the  circuit  rider  were  decent  ap- 
pearing men,  and,  the  blacks  having  been  left  be- 
hind, it  seemed  prudent  to  let  the  subject  drop, 
particularly  in  the  presence  of  ladies. 

The  inns  or  taverns  at  which  the  coach  stopped, 
that  we  might  take  our  meals,  impressed  me 
mightily.  There  were  taverns  especially  for  the 
wagoners,  who  patronized  them  in  great  numbers, 
sometimes  as  many  as  thirty  six-horse  teams  being 
stabled  on  one  lot  for  the  night,  and  the  assembly 
room  full  of  jesting,  singing,  dancing,  drinking 
wagoners;  the  other  taverns,  ''stage  houses,"  as 
they  were  called,  were  located  at  intervals  of  about 
twelve  miles  and  were  of  almost  uniform  excellence. 
One  feature  of  the  fare  I  found  a  most  interesting 


14    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

novelty,  a  bread  vulgarly  called  salt- rising,  unknown 
in  the  South,  most  delicious,  and  which,  it  is  said, 
will  cure  dyspepsia. 

One  incident  connected  with  the  tavern  I  shall  not 
forget.  After  waiting  some  moments  in  the  as- 
sembly room  of  a  tavern  not  far  from  Wheeling  we 
were  just  obeying  the  summons  to  table  when  I  ob- 
served that  the  young  female,  who  had  modestly 
withdrawn  to  one  side  of  the  room  on  our  entrance 
and  had  now  passed  into  the  dining  room,  had 
dropped  a  small  volume  she  had  been  perusing.  As 
I  picked  it  up  the  title  page  met  my  eye,  *'The 
Flower  Vase,  Containing  the  Language  of  Flowers 
and  Their  Poetic  Sentiments,"  and  below,  in  deli- 
cate chirography,  **To  Caroline  from  Lucy." 

I  eagerly  followed  her  and  put  the  tiny  book  in 
her  hands.  She  thanked  me  almost  inaudibly  and 
turned  away  to  her  chair,  and  somewhat  chagrined, 
I  was  left  to  talk  to  the  Southern  gentleman  who, 
by  this  time,  I  had  learned  was  the  Hon.  Robert  P. 
Letcher^  of  Kentucky  returning  home  from  a  trip 
to  Washington  to  enter  upon  his  campaign  as  candi- 
date for  Governor  of  Kentucky  for  the  Whig  party. 

He  had  served  in  Congress  several  years  and,  I 
gathered,  was  a  man  of  great  personal  popularity. 
He  was  not  a  gentleman  in  our  sense  of  the  word, 
his  father  having  been  a  brick-layer,  but  he  had 
chanced  to  fall,  while  a  mischievous,  headstrong  boy, 
under  the  influence  of  a  famous  teacher,  a  Mr.  Fry, 
who  had  turned  his  abilities  in  the  right  direction. 

•Robert  Perkins  Letcher,  1788-1861,  Member  of  Congress,  1823- 
1833.  Presidential  elector  for  Harrison  in  1837.  Elected  Governor, 
of  Kentucky  on  Whig  ticket  in  1840. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    15 

I  had  already  found  him  a  most  interesting  conver- 
sationalist. He  dresses  studiously  plain,  wears  his 
hair  long,  falling  about  his  face,  and  his  motions  are 
certainly  not  offsprings  of  the  polished  drawing 
room,  but  under  this  plain  exterior  there  lurks,  if 
I  mistake  not,  an  indomitable  pride  and  a  sense  of 
mental  superiority. 

''The  Whigs,"  he  assured  me,  **are  certain  to  win. 
Van  Buren's  shocking  extravagance  and  misman- 
agement of  financial  affairs  have  turned  the  people 
against  him.'' 

I  ventured  to  take  issue  with  him.  *'I  myself  am 
a  Whig,''  I  assured  him,  ''but  I  have  heard  my 
elders  in  Virginia  question  the  propriety  of  nomi- 
nating a  man  comparatively  unknown  and  whose 
popularity  rests  solely  on  his  military  reputation 
and  to  the  fact  that  he  lives  in  a  log  cabin." 

The  circuit  rider  smiled.  "As  to  the  humble  con- 
dition of  that  log  cabin  you  will  be  able  to  judge 
for  yourself  if  you  take  the  river  route  from  Wheel- 
ing," he  said. 

Mr.  Letcher  continued  the  conversation.  "While 
I  appreciate  to  the  full  the  ability  and  the  merits 
of  my  distinguished  fellow  citizen,  Mr.  Clay,  I  am 
convinced  that  he  could  never  have  been  elected,  had 
he  received  the  nomination.  And  I  surmise  that 
your  elders  have  no  idea  of  the  following  Gen.  Har- 
rison has  in  the  West.  I  predict  a  great  surprise 
for  you  as  you  penetrate  farther  into  the  Wabash 
country.  Here  in  Pennsylvania,  of  course,  Van 
Buren  has  many  followers,"  and  he  proceeded  to 
narrate  with  great  humor  an  incident  of  a  fight  be- 


16    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

tween  Democrats  and  Whigs  in  which  the  Democrats 
were  the  victors,  which  occurred  on  the  Cumberland 
Road  and  which  he  had  witnessed  on  his  journey  to 
"Washington.  An  old  wagoner  had  exhibited  from 
the  front  of  his  wagon  a  petticoat  in  allusion  to  a 
partisan  and  groundless  charge  of  cowardice  made 
against  Gen.  Harrison.  Even  the  young  female, 
Caroline,  whose  surname,  alas,  I  know  not — smiled 
faintly  as  he  narrated  the  incident.  She  has  not 
spoken  to  me,  however,  only  nodded  slightly  in  re- 
sponse to  the  assistance  I  have  occasionally  rendered 
her  in  alighting  from  or  mounting  into  our  vehicle. 
Our  minds  perforce  turned  continually  to  politics, 
for  everywhere,  in  to^vn  and  countryside,  we  ob- 
served the  progress  of  the  campaign.  In  one  town, 
we  would  see  the  log  cabins,  the  barrels  of  hard  cider 
and  hear  the  song. 

Little  Van's  a  used-up  man, 
A  used-up  man,  a  used-up  man, 
A  used-up  man  is  he, 

while  in  the  next  town  'twould  be  all  for  Van  Buren, 
and  the  singers  would  roar  out: 

When  the  Whigs  at  a  table  begin  to  feel  "hip," 

They  roar  out  right  boldly,  * '  Hurrah  for  old  Tip ! ' ' 

When  another  glass  seems  to  indicate  high, 

'Tis  three  lusty  cheers  for  old  Tip  and  old  Ty ! 

Alas,  what  a  mishap  is  easy  acquired — 

In  the  month  of  November  'twill  be  '*Tip-sy  and  Ti-red!" 

It  was  soon  after  this  that  the  circuit  rider,  sitting 
beside  me  at  our  evening  meal,  broached  the  sub- 
ject of  the  continuance  of  my  journey.    *'I  had 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    17 

thought, ' '  I  told  him,  ' '  of  continuing  overland  to  my 
cousin's  home." 

''You  will  find  the  river  voyage  of  much  greater 
interest  and  improvement  to  your  mind,"  he  coun- 
seled me,  ''and  from  my  knowledge  of  our  state  of 
Indiana  you  will  have  enough  and  more  of  journey 
by  land  once  you  are  within  its  borders.  By  the 
river  route  you  will  see  Blennerhassett's  Isle 
de  Beau,  Cincinnati,  the  largest  and  most  flourishing 
city  of  the  West,  the  ''log  cabin"  of  Gen.  Harrison 
at  North  Bend,  and  many  interesting  villages  in 
Indiana  on  to  my  town  of  Madison,  with  whose  most 
respectable  families  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  make 
you  acquainted." 

The  prospect  was  attractive,  but  I  had  heard  much 
of  steamboat  disasters  and  mentioned  the  large 
colored  posters  I  had  seen  in  the  East,  made  to  warn 
travelers  by  showing  vessels  whose  boilers  were  ex- 
ploding, throwing  the  mangled  victims  far  and  wide 
into  the  waters.  Mr.  Letcher,  who  had  heard  our 
conversation,  smiled  at  this. 

' '  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  unduly  frightened, ' ' 
he  said.  "It  is  not  so  frequent  a  happening  as  you 
might  suppose.  Most  frequently  it  is  because  of 
the  ambition  of  the  boat's  master  to  maintain  his 
boat's  reputation  as  the  swiftest  boat  on  the  river. 
Wood  is  heaped  on,  rosin  sprinkled  on  the  fires,  the 
boilers  are  forced  to  the  limit,  and  all  at  once — off 
they  go,  and  the  boat  is  blown  into  kindling  wood. 
There  have  been  some  famous  explosions — the  Ben 
Sherrod,  in  '37,  and  the  Moselle,  in  '38— frightful 
catastrophes,  both  of  them,  but  they  served  as  a 


18    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

warning  to  the  other  masters,  and,  judge  for  your- 
self, our  Methodist  friend  and  myself  have  many 
times  braved  the  perils  of  the  flood  and  still  survive. 
Besides,"  he  continued,  ''on  the  boat  you  will  be 
sure  of  continuing  in  good  company.  Our  friend 
here,  myself,  Mr.  Buffum,  for  I  take  it,  sir,  you  dis- 
embark at  Cincinnati,  and — .'*  His  eyes  sought  our 
fair  traveling  companion  across  the  table,  with 
whom  our  conversation  had  been  limited  throughout 
the  journey  to  the  merest  civilities. 

My  spirits  rose  as  her  jetty  eyelashes  swept  her 
cheek  in  her  nodded  assent.  Suppose  the  boat 
should  blow  up,  suppose  I  were  given  the  chance  to 
play  the  rescuer,  suppose — 

"I  think  I  shall  take  the  river  route,"  I  said 
quietly. 

So  our  journey  progressed,  the  circuit  rider,  who, 
in  spite  of  being  the  most  ungainly,  homely  looking 
man  I  ever  saw,  I  had  soon  found  to  be  possessed 
of  a  very  good  mind  and  very  well  informed,  and 
Mr.  Letcher  passing  the  time  with  conversation  on 
many  subjects,  and  the  Quaker  occasionally  inter- 
jecting a  word  when  appealed  to,  otherwise  he  sat 
silent,  until,  all  too  soon,  we  came  in  sight  of  Wheel- 
ing, in  my  own  state  of  Virginia. 


CHAPTER  II 

Cincinnati,  0.,  May  12,  1840. 

1HAD  hoped  to  write  freely  and  at  length  from 
day  to  day  on  the  boat,  but  the  influence  of  the 
high-pressure  engines  made  the  boat  shake  so 
badly  that  I  could  not  write  legibly  and  so  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  the  idea. 

Having  arrived  in  Wheeling,  we — my  stage  coach 
companions  and  I — ^upon  inquiry  learned  that  the 
steamboat  Pensacola  was  lying  at  the  wharf  ready 
to  go  down  the  next  morning.  We  accordingly 
passed  the  night  at  a  most  excellent  tavern  where 
I  sought  my  couch  early,  being  much  fatigued,  and 
rose  betimes  in  the  morning  that  I  might  view  the 
City  of  Wheeling.  This,  I  found  to  my  astonish- 
ment, a  bustling  city  of  8,000  inhabitants,  being  a 
place  of  embarkation  and  landing  of  goods  for  the 
surrounding  country,  and  the  most  important  town 
on  the  river  between  Pittsburgh  and  Cincinnati.  It 
has  but  one  street  of  any  importance,  however,  be- 
ing shut  in  on  one  side  by  a  mountain  and  on  the 
other  by  the  Ohio  River.  These  two,  however,  are 
the  sources  of  its  prosperity,  the  river  providing 
commerce,  the  mountain  iron  ore  for  its  forges. 

The  steamboat  to  which  I  presently  turned  my 
steps  proved  to  be  a  most  elegant  one.  I  was  told 
of  the  great  improvement  that  had  been  made  in 

19 


20    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

these  vessels  within  the  last  two  years.  "Whereas 
formerly  the  berths  stretched  the  whole  length  of 
the  cabin,  one  part  being  curtained  off  for  the  ladies, 
now  staterooms  have  taken  their  place,  both  elegant 
and  commodious  and  giving  both  privacy  and  com- 
fort. The  salons  are  marvels  of  comfort  and 
beauty,  the  floors  are  carpeted,  the  folding  doors 
into  the  ladies'  cabin  richly  paneled;  indeed,  the 
whole  of  the  noble  vessel  is  fitted  up  with  exquisite 
taste.  The  officers  and  men  are  of  a  much  better 
class  than  formerly,  less  reckless  than  those  com- 
manders who  risked  the  precious  lives  entrusted  to 
their  care  to  keep  up  their  vessel's  record  for  speed. 
Anxious  to  see  the  vessel  on  which  I  was  to  take 
this  journey,  I  arrived  at  the  wharf  before  10,  and, 
acting  upon  Mr.  Letcher's  advice,  chose  one  of  the 
four  rooms  aft  the  wheel,  which  are  considered  safer 
in  blowing  up  or  accidents  of  this  kind.  In  my 
ignorance,  I  had  supposed  we  would  start  at  the 
time  stated,  10  o  'clock.  Instead  we  lay  at  the  wharf 
until  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  taking  on  freight. 
This,  I  learned,  is  the  main  object  of  the  trip,  and 
when  the  boat  is  descending  the  river  a  stop  is  made 
at  every  little  hamlet,  at  many  a  lonely  landing,  to 
leave  freight  or  to  take  it  on.  This  makes  the 
voyage  tedious  in  the  extreme  if  the  traveler  is  im- 
patient. *^You  can  make  no  calculations  on  your 
arrival  anywhere.  You  may  calculate  when  an 
eclipse  will  certainly  happen,  but  you  can  not  ascer- 
tain the  period  when  you  will  go  100  miles  on  a 
steamboat  without  interruption,"  said  my  friend, 
counseling  me  to  patience,  though  in  truth  I  had 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    21 

sliown  no  impatience,  foreseeing,  as  I  did,  much 
pleasure  both  in  the  way  of  sightseeing  and  of  com- 
panionship. 

Some  humorous  stories  were  told  us  by  the  com- 
mander of  our  boat  in  relation  to  these  frequent 
stops.  One  day,  as  a  boat  was  plowing  along  at  a 
rate  of  twelve  miles  an  hour,  it  was  hailed  by  a  man 
on  shore.  With  difficulty  the  boat  stopped  and 
rounded  to,  supposing  he  either  had  freight  to  be 
taken  on,  or  wished  a  passage,  only  to  learn  that 
he  merely  wanted  to  know  whether  they  could  take 
his  hemp  to  New  Orleans  on  their  next  trip.  An- 
other boat  landed  for  a  passenger  who  had  been 
signaling  with  both  hands  only  to  be  informed  that 
he  had  not  been  signaling  at  all,  but  merely  brush- 
ing away  the  mosquitoes  with  both  hands  to  enable 
him  to  read  the  name  of  the  boat. 

In  groups  of  twos  and  threes  the  passengers  came 
on,  men  whose  dress  and  bearing  indicated  wealth 
and  position,  planters  without  doubt  from  the  South 
who  had  been  visiting  in  the  East  and  were  return- 
ing home,  frequently  accompanied  by  their  families 
and  servants;  men  whose  assured  manner  without 
the  leisurely  elegance  of  the  planter  class  clearly  in- 
dicated the  merchant;  roughly-clad  farmers;  an  oc- 
casional smooth-looking  gentleman  whose  shifty  eye 
marked  him  as  a  member  of  the  gambling  fraternity, 
who  I  had  been  told  infest  the  steamboats  and  are 
the  cause  of  many  a  comedy  and  tragedy.  On  and 
on  they  came  until  I  foresaw  that  we  were  to  have 
a  large,  varied,  and  interesting  company  from  whom, 
in    the    freedom    of    intercourse   permitted    in    so 


22    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

leisurely  and  pleasurelike  an  excursion,  I  should 
liave  ample  opportunity  to  learn  much  of  the  West- 
ern country.     Our  own  party  was  already  on  board. 

The  circuit  rider  and  Arnold  Buffum  had  pre- 
ceded me,  for  it  was  with  Mr.  Letcher  that  I  had 
gone  about  the  city  after  breakfast.  The  young 
female  came  later  and  had  evidently  gone  at  once 
to  her  stateroom.  Just  as  the  last  barrel  was  being 
rolled  aboard  and  preparations  being  made  for  lift- 
ing the  gang  plank,  I  perceived  far  up  the  hill,  a 
couple  hurrying  towards  the  wharf,  followed  by  a 
negro  carrying  their  bags.  Something  familiar  in 
the  man's  carriage  caught  my  eye.  I  looked  again, 
and  as  he  set  his  foot  on  the  gang  plank,  recognized 
him  as  Thomas  Buford,  my  class  mate  at  the  Uni- 
versity, whom  I  had  not  seen  since  the  day  of  our 
graduation,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Missis- 
sippi. His  surprise  and  pleasure,  when  I  rose  to 
greet  him,  equaled  mine.  The  reason  for  his  pres- 
ence was  soon  explained.  He  had  returned  to  my 
state  to  marry  the  lady  at  his  side.  Miss  Jane 
Hunter  of  Ohio  County,  Virginia,  and  was  now  tak- 
ing her  back  to  his  home  in  Mississippi,  stopping  for 
a  few  visits  on  the  way. 

Mrs.  Buford  is  a  pretty  creature  of  about  17,  of 
a  figure  full,  yet  delicate.  Her  hair  is  as  black  as 
the  raven's  wing  and  has  its  very  sheen;  her  eyes 
rival  it  in  hue  and  are  as  bright  as  stars.  She  is 
extremely  vivacious,  and  I  speedily  foresaw  that, 
no  matter  how  tedious  our  journey  in  the  matter  of 
time,  we  should  at  no  time  be  lacking  in  entertain- 
ment. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    23 

**We  were  to  meet  my  cousin  here,"  she  said. 
''She  has  been  at  Mrs.  Phelps's  school  at  EUicott's 
Mills  and  we  were  to  accompany  her  on  her  journey 
down  the  river.  She  was  intrusted  to  my  care — in- 
deed, otherwise,  she  would  not  have  been  permitted 
to  go  so  far  alone.  Our  carriage  was  mired  a  few 
miles  out  of  Wheeling,  hence  our  delay.  Have  you, 
sir,  by  any  chance,  observed  her  among  the  pas- 
sengers, a  very  pretty  young  girl,  extremely  shy?" 

''A  young  female  from  the  Patapsco  Institute 
came  out  to  Wheeling  in  the  same  coach  with  our 
party,"  I  informed  her.  ''I  observed  her  come 
aboard  this  vessel  some  hours  ago." 

' '  Oh,  'tis  she ! ' '  she  cried,  and  darted  off,  followed 
by  her  husband,  who  had  not  yet  reserved  their 
stateroom,  and  my  friends  and  I  resumed  our  obser- 
vations of  the  ''deckaneers,"  ^  as  the  men  are  called 
who  handle  the  freight. 

It  was  an  hour  at  least  before  Mr.  Buford,  ac- 
companied by  the  ladies,  came  on  deck  and  sought 
our  group,  the  ladies,  I  surmised,  having  occupied 
the  time  mth  much  important  conversation  on  per- 
sonal matters.  We  were  all  duly  presented  to  Miss 
Caroline  Hunter,  for  such,  I  learned,  was  her  sur- 
name, and  as  I  had  surmised  from  our  journey  in 

*From  1811  to  1830,  the  "deckaneers"  as  they  were  then  called, 
were  native  Americans  whose  manhood  exacted  a  manly  treatment 
from  their  employers.  Between  1830  and  1835,  this  work  was  done 
by  German  immigrants.  From  1835,  through  the  Civil  War  period, 
the  Irish  immigrants  monopolized  the  deck  labor  upon  the  western 
steamboats.  Since  the  Civil  War,  the  whites  have  been  altogether 
supplanted  by  negroes,  and  the  term  deckaneer  has  given  way  to 
that  of  roustabout.  The  individual  condition  and  treatment  of  these 
crews  have  gone  from  bad  to  worse. — Editor. 


24    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

the  stage  coach,  she  is  most  shy  and  modest.  I  had 
now  the  opportunity  to  observe  her  more  particu- 
larly in  the  proximity  afforded  by  the  grouping  of 
our  deck  chairs.  Her  nose  is  the  finest  feature  of 
her  face,  which  is  very  rare.  Her  face  is  one  of 
those  which  require  studying.  When  excited  in  con- 
versation she  is  very  interesting,  her  deep  blue  eyes 
have  depths  that — ^but  enough  of  this — I  am  not  in 
love  yet! 

Mr.  Letcher  and  the  circuit  rider  proved  them- 
selves most  edifying  companions,  as  they  sat  with 
us,  commenting  on  the  constantly  changing  scene 
that  passed  before  our  eyes  as  the  gallant  steamer, 
glorious  champion  over  winds  and  waves,  rode 
with  the  current  of  the  noble  river.  The  Quaker 
said  little,  but  I  noticed  that  he  drew  his  chair  near 
ours  always,  and  seemed  ever  intent  on  the  conver- 
sation. Gradually,  into  our  group  were  drawn 
many  of  the  others.  Some  were  already  known  to 
Buford,  others  to  Mr.  Letcher.  With  some,  we  fell 
to  talking  without  introduction  at  the  table  or  in  the 
smoking  room  or  over  the  cards.  For  I  confess 
that  I  took  a  hand  at  cards  occasionally  and  was  a 
witness  late  one  night  of  a  game  of  faro,  in  which  a 
negro  man  was  staked  and  played  by  Bullock,  a 
negro  trader.    And  lost,  I  should  add,  as  well. 

One  of  the  men,  a  planter  from  Mississippi,  as- 
sured me  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  believe 
the  rapid  changes  in  the  Western  country,  which 
imparts  to  it  the  character  of  a  players '  stage  where 
both  the  actors  and  the  scenery  are  shifted  as  fast 
as    you    can    turn    your    eye.     ''It    is    difficult    to 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    25 

realize,"  said  he,  'Hliat  only  twenty-nine  years  ago 
the  first  steam  craft  ^  navigated  these  Western 
waters  and  that  these  lonely  shores,  which  hitherto 
had  echoed  only  to  the  occasional  ululations  of  the 
boatman's  horn,  were  ever  after  to  be  wakened  by 
the  shrill  yet  often  musical  whistle  of  the  steam- 
boat." 

Not  many  years  ago,  he  informed  us,  these  river 
banks  were  covered  with  the  primeval  forests,  which 
from  time  to  time  were  mowed  down  by  storms. 
Over  the  fallen  trees,  masses  of  vines  and  creepers 
soon  ran,  making  a  passageway  impossible;  trees 
and  wreckage  were  also  brought  by  the  floods,  so 
that  many  times  the  river  traveler  must  go  miles 
and  miles  before  he  could  find  a  landing  place.  In 
the  winter  the  stream  was  frequently  frozen  for 
long  periods,  and  when  the  ice  finally  broke  up 
terrible  ice  gorges  were  formed,  the  blocks  of  ice, 
enormous  in  size,  working  themselves  up  on  the 
mainland. 

Not  only  were  the  banks  thus  terrible  and  forbid- 
ding, but  the  river  bed  itself  was  full  of  terrors, 
seen  and  unseen.  There  were  ** planters,"  logs 
which  were  imbedded  in  the  river  bed  and  stuck  out 
of  the  water,  either  straight  up  or  slanting,  and 
which  were  immovable.  There  were  ** sawyers," 
trunks  or  limbs  of  trees  protruding  from  the  water, 

*The  New  Orleans,  belonging  to  the  Ohio  Steamboat  Navigation 
Company,  incorporated  by  D.  D.  Tompkins,  Robert  R..  Livingston, 
DeWitt  Clinton,  Robert  Fulton,  and  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  December, 

1810,  was  launched  March,   1811,  went  to  New  Orleans  in  October, 

1811,  the  first  steamboat  to  navigate  the  waters  of  the  interior. — • 
Editor. 


26    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

which  were  kept  in  motion  by  the  swinging  tides  of 
the  river.  There  were  bars,  snags,  rocks  and  sunken 
logs,  and  worse  than  all  these,  the  Indian  foe  along 
the  river  bank. 

*'And  some  of  these  dangers  stili  remain,"  Mr. 
Letcher,  who  stood  near  by,  reminded  him.  *'Ten 
thousand  obstructions  were  removed  from  the  Ohio 
in  the  twenties  and  thirties,  but  for  some  reason  the 
work  has  ceased,  though  as  many  more  remain.  It 
requires  great  nerve  and  hardihood  to  pilot  a  mag- 
nificent steamer  like  this  on  a  river  which  has  re- 
ceived so  little  improvement.  Wliether  another  ad- 
ministration— "    He  broke  off  abruptly. 

*'If  you  are  meaning,  sir,  to  cast  any  aspersion 
upon  the  President,  pray  understand  that  as  a  loyal 
Democrat,  I  stand  ready  to  defend  him  against  the 
world,"  cried  my  friend  Buford  hotly. 

I  had  not  forgotten  the  fiery  temper  which  more 
than  once  had  got  my  former  classmate  into  trouble 
at  the  University.  Buford  is  a  handsome  young 
fellow,  with  dark  glossy  hair,  regular  features,  a 
sparkling  eye,  and  with  a  perfection  of  dress  and 
delicacy  of  swagger  that  mark  the  dandy,  though  he 
is  far  from  the  empty-headed  foppishness  of  that 
class.  He  is  in  reality  a  fine-souled  fellow  with  a 
stratum  of  good  common  sense  in  his  composition, 
though  with  an  excessiveness  of  the  fiery  tempera- 
ment usually  attributed  to  the  South.  I  was  re- 
lieved at  the  tactful  manner  with  which  Mr.  Letcher 
relieved  the  situation. 

*'I  trust,  my  young  sir,"  said  he,  ''that  you  will 
recall  the  presence  of  our  young  female  companions, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    27 

and  hasten  to  make  your  apologies  to  them.  As  to 
the  attributing  of  the  failure  to  continue  internal 
improvements  to  any  body  of  men,  that  is  too  large 
a  question  to  enter  upon  now.  Pray  note,  my  dear 
madam,"  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Buford,  *Hhe  resem- 
blance of  yon  hilltop  to  an  ancient  fortification." 

Buford  instantly  collected  himself,  made  his  apolo- 
gies, and,  harmony  restored,  we  sat  in  silence  con- 
templating the  scene  before  us,  whose  beauties, 
silhouetted  against  the  sky  and  mirrored  in  the 
placid  bosom  of  the  river,  to  be  enjoyed  should  ever 
be  viewed  from  the  deck  of  some  quiet  boat. 

The  banks  on  either  side,  approaching  and  reced- 
ing like  all  earthly  joys,  present  a  succession  of  tall 
and  picturesque  cliffs  with  alternate  valleys, 
meadows  and  woodlands  which  nature  seems  to  have 
arrayed  with  more  than  her  customary  regularity; 
while  numerous  islands,  decorated  with  superb 
trees,  complete  a  natural  panorama.  The  deep 
forests  that  cover  the  hillsides  or  lave  their  branches 
in  the  waters  of  the  beautiful  river  are  arousing 
themselves  from  the  slumbers  of  winter,  and  against 
their  green  appear  at  frequent  intervals  the  white 
umbrella  of  the  dogwood,  the  pink  blossoms  of  the 
red  bud,  and  the  pendulous  bloom  of  the  trumpet 
vine.  Small  wonder  that  the  French,  whose  taste 
is  as  correct  as  that  of  the  Greeks,  called  this  the 
Beautiful  River ! 

And  yet  it  is  not,  as  might  be  inferred  from  this 
description,  a  quiet  river.  Craft  of  every  kind  were 
continually  passing  us — steamboats,  large  and 
small,  going  up  and  down  the  river;  flatboats  on  the 


28    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

way  to  New  Orleans  laden  with  corn,  hay,  pork  and 
manufactured  articles  and  smaller  craft  of  great 
variety.  These  flatboat  excursions,  I  was  told,  are 
eagerly  look  3d  forward  to  by  the  farmer  whose  dull 
and  monotonous  round  of  existence  is  enlivened  by 
these  long  journeys  to  the  famous  and  far-away  city 
of  New  Orleans.  The  danger  from  the  river  bed 
itself,  from  the  river  pirates  and  from  the  long, 
tedious  journey  homeward,  for,  as  the  flatboats  can 
not  come  up  stream,  they  are  broken  up  and  sold  in 
New  Orleans  and  the  men  must  walk  home  on  "the 
Tennessee  Path"  or  *'the  Bloody  Way,"  as  the 
perilous  road  is  called,  does  not  deter  them.  Many 
of  these  craft  we  passed  on  our  way,  among  them, 
a  novelty,  a  floating  theater,  concerning  which  I  was 
told  an  amusing  story.  When  moored  one  time  at 
an  Indiana  town,  an  audience  aboard  and  the  play 
in  progress,  the  moorings  were  cut  loose  by  some 
mischievous  boys  and  the  boat,  drifting  down,  could 
not  be  landed  for  some  miles,  from  which  point  the 
audience  was  compelled  to  walk  home. 

Added  to  the  interest  given  our  journey  by  the 
sight  of  this  varied  water  craft,  was  the  excitement 
caused  by  the  steamboat  landing.  Heralded  by  the 
whistle,  blown  several  miles  away,  our  boat  would 
approach  a  town,  turn  with  a  laborious  churning  of 
the  waters  to  make  its  landing  at  the  floating  wharf, 
to  find  a  crowd  gathered  to  meet  it.  It  has  been 
twenty-nine  years  since  the  first  steamboat  journey, 
yet,  'tis  said,  interest  in  the  boat's  arrival  never 
slackens.  The  townspeople  come  aboard  to  see  and 
chat  with  their  friends,  the  officers;  the  loafers 


irr'Tw^' 


mik 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    29 

gather  to  watch  the  deckaneers  unload  the  freight; 
in  short,  the  steamboat's  arrival  is  one  of  the  events 
on  the  town's  calendar. 

I  will  here  and  now  endeavor  to  set  down  my  im- 
pressions of  the  towns  ere  they  slip  completely  from 
my  memory.  Marietta^  the  first  town  of  any  im- 
portance, called,  'tis  said,  from  the  ill-fated  Marie 
Antoinette,  was  the  first  settlement  made  in  Ohio, 
being  settled  by  revolutionary  officers,  soldiers  and 
their  families  of  sturdy  Puritanical  stock  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut,  and  to  them  is  attributed 
its  culture  and  intellectuality. 

The  town  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  majestic  Ohio,  at  the  junction  of  the  clear 
waters  of  the  Muskingum,  and  in  the  midst  of  a 
thickly  wooded  country  whose  hills  furnished  in  un- 
limited abundance  the  oak,  the  pine  and  the  locust 
for  shipbuilding,  which  was  established  here  in  1800. 
By  1805,  'tis  said,  no  less  than  two  ships,  seven 
brigs  and  three  schooners  were  built  and  rigged 
here. 

"0  wouldst  thou  view  fair  Melrose  right, 
Go  visit  it  by  pale  moonlight." 

The  same  might  be  said  of  Isle  de  Beau,  Blenner- 
hassett's  Island,  past  which  we  floated  by  a  moon- 
light which  transformed  the  historic  spot  into  a' 
scene  of  enchantment.  ''This  little  world,  the  pre- 
cious stone  set  in  a  silver  sea,"  this  little  wooded 

'In  1878  Manesseh  Cutler  and  Winthrop  purchased  for  The  Ohio 
Company  of  the  general  government  1,500,000  acres  lying  along  the 
Ohio  River.  The  first  settlement  at  Marietta  was  piade  iu  1788, — ■ 
Editor. 


30    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

island  took  on  another  aspect  as  Mr.  Letcher,  in 
eloquent  phrases,  repeated  the  story  of  the  ill-fated 
Irishman  to  the  two  young  ladies,  re-creating  the 
past  with  an  unbelievable  vividness. 

"  'Twas  here,"  he  said,  'Hhat  this  gentleman  and 
scholar,  a  man  who  could  repeat  from  memory  the 
Iliad  in  the  original  Greek,  came  in  1801  and,  having 
purchased  this  island,  reared  upon  it  a  costly  and 
splendid  edifice  for  his  dwelling  house.  A  consider- 
able part  of  the  island  was  laid  out  into  gardens 
after  the  most  approved  model  of  European  taste, 
and  the  whole  scenery  combined  seemed  like  the 
fabled  fields  of  Elysium." 

He  sketched  for  us  the  picture  of  the  mansion 
forming  half  an  ellipse,  with  circular  porticoes,  one 
wing  with  library,  philosophical  apparatus,  labora- 
tory and  study,  all  furnished  with  luxurious  comfort 
and  elegance — rich  carpets,  splendid  mirrors,  hand- 
some curtains,  costly  silverware;  he  told  us  of  the 
idyllic  happiness  of  the  family,  of  Mrs.  Blennerhas- 
sett,  a  brilliantly  active  girl,  '*a  marvelously  good 
and  sweet  mother,  hostess  and  friend,"  of  the  com- 
ing of  Aaron  Burr  into  this  paradise  like  the  ser- 
pent into  Eden.  He  described  the  scene  of  Blenner- 
hassett's  flight,  the  w^anton  destruction  of  their 
Lares  and  Penates  before  Mrs.  Blennerhassett 's 
eyes,  of  her  departure  from  her  ruined  paradise  and 
of  her  lonely  death  in  a  New  York  garret,  closing 
with  a  burst  of  eloquence  which  indicated  the  power 
he  must  have  over  the  multitude  when  he  chooses  to 
speak. 

**Few  or  no  vestiges  now  remain  of  this  transient 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    31 

splendor  and  magnificence.  The  grandeur  of  this 
rural  spot,  sequestered  from  the  turmoil  of  Euro- 
pean strife,  rose  in  a  few  short  months,  exhibited 
itself  to  our  astonished  view  for  a  little  time,  and 
then,  like  the  evanescent  phantoms  of  the  night  be- 
fore the  morning  sun,  almost  as  suddenly  disap- 
peared, resembling  in  its  progress  and  termination 
the  effect  of  enchantment. ' ' 

As  he  ceased,  all  sat  silent  for  a  moment,  under 
the  spell  of  his  melodious  accents  and  the  spring 
night,  the  air  soft  and  rich  with  the  perfume  from 
the  dogwood  and  the  wild  plum  borne  to  us  on  the 
breeze  as  our  vessel  now  and  then  swept  near  the 
shore. 

Miss  Hunter  had  laid  aside  her  bonnet  and  sat  by 
the  rail,  her  head  propped  on  her  hand,  her  eyes 
fixed  on  the  island,  fast  disappearing  from  view. 
The  moon's  rays  revealed  her  rare  features,  pale  as 
though  cut  in  marble.  I  noted  a  tear  glistening  on 
her  fair  cheek — exquisite  sensibility  in  one  so 
young ! 

At  Gallipolis,  the  third  settlement  made  in  Ohio, 
made  by  French  immigrants,  and  which  contains  a 
meeting  house,  a  court  house,  a  jail  and  an  academy, 
the  commander  of  our  boat  called  our  attention  to 
a  very  large,  semi-globular  mound,  eighteen  or 
twenty  rods  in  circumference  at  the  base,  which 
stands  near  the  academy.  Similar  and  more  elabo- 
rate works  were  viewed  at  Marietta,  the  work,  'tis 
said,  of  long  vanished  aborigines. 

The  aspect  from  the  river  of  Portsmouth  was 
most  pleasing,  mth  its  factories,  large,  substantial 


32    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  handsome  stores,  dwelling  houses  and  churches. 
The  iron  manufactured  in  its  blast  forges  is  now 
worth  $2,000,000  annually. 

Maysville,  Ky.,  formerly  called  Limestone,  though 
settled,  I  was  told,  in  1784,  is  not  the  oldest  settle- 
ment in  the  state.  On  the  24th  and  25th  of  this 
month  there  is  to  be  a  celebration  of  the  first  settle- 
ment at  Boonesborough,  at  which,  no  Providence 
preventing,  Mrs.  French,  a  daughter  of  Col.  Richard 
Calloway,  and  her  female  servant,  who  were  in  the 
fort  during  the  siege  of  1777,  will  be  present. 
Maysville,  they  say,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
towns  on  the  river  between  Wheeling  and  Cincin- 
nati. It  presents  from  the  river  an  unbroken  front 
of  elegant  brick  buildings  and  has  a  good  landing. 
As  a  place  of  business,  it  ranks  second  to  Louis^dlle. 
I  was  astonished  at  the  size  of  the  place,  its  twenty- 
eight  or  more  stores  of  dry  goods,  its  stoneware 
manufactory,  its  paper  mill.  One  of  the  merchants 
from  Louisville  with  whom  I  had  become  ac- 
quainted, a  Mr.  Bulleit,  assured  me  that  the  people 
of  Maysville,  **for  intelligence,  industry  and  ster- 
ling patriotism  are  surpassed  by  none  in  the 
Union."  In  spite  of  this  it  was  not  mentioned  on 
the  maps  I  consulted,  I  informed  him.  * '  I  am  aware 
of  this  fact,"  said  he,  ''and  why  the  authors  of 
maps  have  neglected,  as  so  many  of  them  have,  to 
notice  so  important  a  place  as  this  seems  strange 
indeed." 

Words  fail  me  when  I  attempt  a  description  of 
Cincinnati,  "The  Queen  City  of  the  West,"  as  it  has 
been   called.     This   thronged   city,    with    its    work 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    33 

shops,  its  marts,  its  stores,  its  canals,  its  roads,  its 
churches  and  schools,  its  vine-clad  hills,  the  Corin- 
thian house,  the  distant  cottage,  the  observatory  of 
science,  and  all  that  labor  and  art  of  the  modern 
can  furnish,  has  made  a  deep  impression  on  me.* 

Nothing  I  have  seen  in  the  Eastern  cities  can  com- 
pare with  its  landing,  the  extensive  paved  area  of 
several  acres,  and  the  long  and  elegant  river  front. 
The  situation,  so  far  as  the  encircling  hills  on  which 
stand  many  of  the  buildings,  reminds  me  of  Balti- 
more, as  does  also  the  cleanness  and  neatness  with 
which  it  is  kept,  though  I  am  assured  that  it  was 
laid  out  on  the  model  of  Philadelphia.  The  hills  by 
which  it  is  environed  intersect  each  other  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  form  an  imperfect  square  through 
the  northeast  and  southwest  angles  of  which  the 
Ohio  River  enters  and  passes  out.  The  winters,  I 
was  told,  are  as  cold  as  those  of  northern  France, 
the  summers  as  warm  as  southern  Italy,  yet  it  is  as 
healthy  a  place  as  can  be  found  anywhere. 

As  a  seat  of  commerce,  I  shall  always  remember 
Cincinnati  with  wonder.  Its  whole  water  front  was 
encumbered  with  packages  of  every  description, 
waiting  to  be  loaded  on  the  numerous  steam  vessels 
moored  at  its  floating  wharves,  the  foreign  imports 
or  the  domestic  produce  of  the  Miamis  concentrat- 
ing on  this  point.  The  hurried  arrival  and  depar- 
ture, singly  and  in  squads,  of  a  whole  battalion  of 
drays ;  the  unremitting  labors  of  hands  loading  and 
unloading  the  vessels  in  port ;  the  incessant  ringing 
of  bells  as  signals  to  the  passengers  or  the  crews 

*  The  population  of  Cincinnati  at  this  time  was  36,338. — Editor. 


34    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

of  the  boats;  the  brief  and  abrupt  interchange  of 
business  among  the  clerks  on  board  and  those  be- 
longing to  the  mercantile  houses  of  the  city,  this 
gives  the  stranger  an  idea  of  the  marvelous  busi- 
ness carried  on.  When  I  add  that  thousands  of 
dollars'  worth  of  eggs  are  exported  to  New  Orleans, 
that  as  early  as  1805,  4,457  barrels  of  flour  were  ex- 
ported, and  that  the  pork  packing  which  has  made 
it  famous  was  begun  as  early  as  1812,  and  that  manu- 
facturing is  also  a  feature  of  the  city,  some  idea  of 
its  importance  may  be  gained. 

We  were  told,  anent  the  pork  packing,  that  in 
1827,  cart  loads  upon  cart  loads  of  spare  ribs  from 
these  packing  establishments  were  drawn  to  the 
water's  edge  and  emptied  into  the  Ohio  to  get  rid 
of  them.  The  influx  of  Germans  and  the  rapid  in- 
crease of  inhabitants  gradually  opened  a  market  for 
these  delicacies. 

What  was  my  delight  to  be  informed  by  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  boat  that,  owing  to  some  repairs  it 
had  been  found  necessary  to  make,  we  should  be 
compelled  to  lie  at  the  wharf  over  night.  Buford 
quickly  suggested  that  we  make  up  a  party  for  a 
drive  about  the  city,  a  dinner  at  the  hotel,  and  an 
evening  at  the  theater.  One  of  our  party  was  to 
be  a  Mr.  George  H.  Dunn  of  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  a 
gentleman  to  whom  I  had  been  greatly  attracted  be- 
cause of  his  intelligent  interest  in  the  matter  of 
internal  improvements.  My  attention  had  been 
called  by  Mr.  Bulleit  to  the  Miami  Canal,  the 
earliest  and  most  important  of  the  great  works 
connected   with   Cincinnati,   extending   beyond   the 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    35 

flourishing  town  of  Dayton,  and  which  has,  for  the 
last  two  years,  paid  more  than  the  interest  on  the 
debt  incurred  for  its  construction. 

Mr.  Bulleit  was  most  enthusiastic  over  the  canals. 
**That  sagacious  and  tranquil  people,  the  Chinese," 
he  said,  ''have  been  accumulating  the  fruits  of  a 
hundred  generations  on  the  subject.  Canals  are 
with  them  as  ancient  as  their  history.  Imagine  a 
Chinese  woman  guiding  rapidly  along  a  canal  boat 
of  ten  tons  burden.  She  rows  after  the  fashion  of 
the  country,  with  an  oar  attached  to  each  foot, 
managing  the  sail  with  one  hand.  With  the  other 
she  holds  a  rudder  and  thus  transports  a  load  which, 
when  carried  on  land,  would  have  required  ten  teams 
and  as  many  drivers  to  do  it." 

While  Mr.  Dunn  was  also  heartily  in  favor  of 
canals,  having  in  1836  induced  the  General  As- 
sembly of  his  state  of  which  he  was  a  member  to 
pass  an  act  authorizing  the  building  of  the  White- 
water Canal,  whose  beginning  at  his  city  of  Law- 
renceburg  he  promises  to  show  me,  he  is  most  en- 
thusiastic over  the  railroad,  and  is  most  desirous  to 
see  one  built  between  his  town  and  Indianapolis,  the 
capital  city  of  Indiana.  1049333 

Our  party,  consisting  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Buford, 
Miss  Caroline  Hunter,  Mr.  Dunn,  Mr.  Letcher,  Mr. 
Bulleit  and  myself,  soon  found  ourselves  driving 
about  the  city,  first  through  the  business  portions, 
and  then  the  region  of  dwelling  houses  and  public 
buildings,  from  Broadway  to  Fourth,  a  row  of 
modern  palaces,  bordering  broad,  well  paved  and 
thoroughly    ventilated    streets.    We    admired    the 


36    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

number,  variety  and  beauty  of  the  public  buildings, 
the  taste  and  spirit  which  leaves  spaces  between  the 
private  edifices  for  borders  and  sidewalks,  and 
furnishes  an  avenue  to  behold  the  garden  attractions 
in  the  rear  of  the  houses,  the  verdure  of  the  grass 
plats,  the  fragrance  of  the  shrubbery,  which  deco- 
rates the  front  of  the  house,  and  the  exhibition  of 
flower  vases  in  the  windows  of  those  who  have  no 
space  except  the  rear  of  the  buildings  to  cultivate. 
These  people,  think  I,  have  taste  to  improve  and 
spirit  to  enjoy,  as  well  as  ability  to  acquire. 

Much  impressed  were  we  also  by  the  public  build- 
ings, schools,  museums,  churches,  manufactories,  all 
triumphs  of  art  and  industry.  The  manufactories 
were  amazing,  the  facilities  for  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge  unbelievable.  The  city  contains  a  Medi- 
cal College,  a  Law  School,  a  Mechanics'  Institute, 
many  schools,  both  public  and  private;  pork-pack- 
ing houses,  shipyards,  where  many  steamers  are 
constructed  in  the  course  of  the  year,  and,  of 
especial  interest  to  me,  eight  bell  factories,  turning 
out  bells  to  the  aggregate  value  of  $135,000.  Cin- 
cinnati supplies  the  whole  of  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi valley  with  bells  of  all  sizes  and  every  use, 
making  the  best  in  the  country,  accurately  propor- 
tioned in  ingredients  and  having  a  hanging  and 
mounting  peculiar  to  Cincinnati  and  an  unusual 
beauty  and  melody.  While  they  make  many  church 
bells,  it  is  for  their  steamboat  bells  that  there  is  the 
greatest  demand,  for  it  seems  that  it  is  the  pride  of 
every  steamboat  master  to  have  liis  boat  equipped 
with  a  large,  sweet-sounding  bell, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    37 

Our  tour  of  the  city  completed,  we  dined  at  the 
Shires  House.^ 

The  city  boasts  several  theaters,  but  we  agreed 
upon  Shires'  Theater  because  it  was  adjoining 
the  hotel,  and  thither,  after  our  dinner,  we  repaired. 
Mr.  Bulleit,  a  young  man  of  somewhat  pompous 
manner  and  a  good  deal  of  commercial  knowledge, 
pushed  himself  next  to  Miss  Caroline  as  we  walked 
toward  the  theater,  and  I  am  convinced  would  have 
seated  himself  beside  her  had  Mrs.  Buford  not 
cleverly  intervened,  leaving  the  way  open  to  me. 

This  theater  has  a  commodious  stage,  a  spacious 
pit,  one  tier  of  boxes  for  a  dress  circle  and  an  un- 
commonly large  balcony  or  second  tier.  The  play, 
of  moderate  interest,  was  called  "Tortesa  the 
Usurer."  Miss  Hunter  found  much  entertainment 
in  the  notices  printed  on  the  play  bills,  among  which 
were  the  following:  *'It  is  particularly  requested 
that  dogs  will  not  be  brought  to  the  theater,  as  they 
can  not  be  admitted,"  and,  ''Peanuts  are  pro- 
scribed. '  * 

I  was  up  betimes  in  the  morning,  and  hence  able 
to  observe  the  cities  of  Covington  and  Newport,  op- 
posite Cincinnati,  both  beautiful  and  flourishing. 
The  principal  streets  of  Covington  are  laid  off  so 

■This  was  the  predecessor  of  the  historic  Burnet  House.  When 
Judge  Burnet  transferred  his  property  on  Third  and  Vine  to  the 
Branch  Bank  of  the  United  States  and  removed  to  his  new  building 
at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Elm,  Mr.  Shires  converted  the  old 
building  into  a  restaurant  and  hotel  and  later  built  a  theater  on 
the  remaining  vacant  lot.  Tliis  last  was  a  plain  frame  building 
fifty  by  a  hundred  feet.  It  has  beeil  said  that  "Cincinnati  never 
Baw  better  playing  and  acting  than  on  the  boards  of  Shires'  Theater." 
•r-Editor. 


38    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  prolongation  or 
continuation  of  those  of  Cincinnati.  It  is  separated 
from  Newport  by  the  Licking  River. 

Our  Quaker  friend,  Arnold  Buffum,  had  left  us 
immediately  on  our  arrival  at  Cincinnati,  parting 
from  us,  it  would  seem,  with  some  regret.  To  me 
and  to  the  circuit  rider  he  expressed,  in  bidding  us 
farewell,  the  hope  that  our  paths  might  eventually 
cross  during  my  Indiana  sojourn. 

Soon  after  sunrise,  our  boat  turned  from  the 
wharf  and  began  to  plow  its  way  down  stream. 
Twenty  miles  below  Cincinnati,  I  was  told,  I  would 
see  the  *'Log  Cabin"  of  Gen.  William  Henry 
Harrison. 


CHAPTER  III 

Madison,  May  16,  1840. 

HAVING  just  arrived  in  Madison,  I  shall  pro- 
ceed to  jot  down  the  incidents  of  my  journey 
from  Cincinnati  to  this  town,  before  retiring 
for  the  night. 

I  came  on  deck  early  in  the  morning  after  our 
evening  at  Shires '  Theater  in  order  to  have  one  last 
look  at  the  Queen  City,  and  that  I  might  not  miss 
a  sight  of  North  Bend  and  the  famous  ''Log  Cabin" ; 
and  as  a  reward  for  my  early  rising  was  the  witness 
of  several  amusing  and  interesting  incidents.  Cin- 
cinnati had  faded  from  our  view  and  we  were  again 
gliding  past  wooded  island,  perpendicular  cliffs  and 
happy  valleys,  when  our  steamer  was  hailed  by  two 
fellows  at  a  lonely  landing,  and  turned  in,  as  was 
the  custom,  with  a  great  puffing  and  churning  of  the 
waters.  As  we  rounded  to,  one  of  the  fellows 
shouted  to  the  officer  to  know  if  the  boat  was  bound 
for  Louisville  and  if  he  would  take  any  kind  of 
freight. 

"What  do  you  want  taken?"  asked  the  officer. 

**Not  much,"  replied  the  fellow,  "a  grist  mill,  a 
sawmill,  two  churches  and  a  carriage  and  horses." 

The  officer,  thinking  the  fellow  a  practical  joker, 
became  infuriated,  cursed  him  roundly,  and  ordered 
the  boat  to  back  away  from  the  landing.     Then  the 

39 


40    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

man  explained  that  the  mills  piled  up  on  the  landing 
did  not  weigh  more  than  400  or  500  pounds  apiece, 
and  that  the  two  churches  were  himself  and  his 
brother,  whose  name  was  Church.  At  this,  the 
officer  was  propitiated  and  took  them  and  their  be- 
longings aboard,  for  it  appears  that  a  rough  sort  of 
joking  is  peculiar  to  these  Western  river  men. 

It  was  on  this  morning,  too,  that  we  saw  great 
rafts  of  logs,  which  I  was  assured  come  from  afar 
in  the  interior,  down  small  streams  swollen  by  the 
spring  rains,  and  are  now  on  their  way  to  the  Gulf. 

North  Bend,  the  home  of  Gen.  "William  Henry 
Harrison,  was  founded  by  Judge  Symmes,^  to  whose 
daughter  Harrison  is  married. 

Here  is  a  postoffice  and  a  thriving  circumjacent 
settlement.  Judge  Symmes  is  interred  on  the  sum- 
mit of  a  knoll  which  is  beautifully  conspicuous  to 
miles  of  the  river  and  country  around. 

The  location  of  the  famous  "Log  Cabin"  is  a 
beautiful  one.  It  is  in  reality  a  log  cabin,  but  has 
been  covered  with  boards,  has  large  wings  added  to 
the  original  building,  and  the  whole  structure, 
painted  white,  is  quite  palatial  looking.  It  is  ex- 
tremely neat,  and  stands  in  a  noble  lawn  with  large 
trees  about  it  and  has  a  fine  view  of  the  river. 

The  circuit  rider,  Mr.  Hicklin,  who  knows  Gen. 
Harrison  well,  gave  me  much  information  concern- 

*  Judge  John  Cleves  Symmes  of  New  Jersey  in  1787  purchased  of 
Congress  what  is  known  as  the  Miami  or  Symmes  tract  of  1,000,000 
acres  lying  between  the  Great  and  Little  Miami  Rivers  and  bordering 
on  the  Ohio,  where  he  started  the  second  settlement  made  in  Ohio. 
In  the  great  freshet  of  1789  Symmes  found  that  his  town  site  was 
imder  water  and  in  1790  began  another  settlement  at  North  Bend, 
first  called  Symmes  City. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    41 

ing  him.  It  seems  that  he  is  much  interested  in  the 
Methodist  ministers  and  Mr.  Hicklin  has  in  his  pos- 
session a  letter  from  Gen.  Harrison  to  a  friend 
which  he  permitted  me  to  read  and  from  which  I 
make  a  few  notes. 

^'I  have  been  a  witness,"  he  wrote,  **of  their  con- 
duct [the  circuit  riders]  in  the  Western  country  for 
nearly  forty  years.  They  are  men  whom  no  labor 
tires,  no  scenes  disgust,  no  danger  frightens  in  the 
discharge  of  their  duty.  The  vow  of  poverty  is  not 
taken  by  these  men,  but  their  conduct  is  precisely 
as  it  would  have  been  had  they  taken  one.  Their 
stipulated  pay  is  barely  sufficient  to  enable  them  to 
perform  the  services  assigned  them.'* 

The  circuit  rider  narrated  an  incident  illustrating 
Gen.  Harrison's  kindness.  A  Methodist  minister 
traveling  through  southern  Ohio  had  passed  the 
night  at  his  home.  In  the  morning,  he  was  informed 
that  his  horse  had  died  during  the  night.  Gen. 
Harrison  bade  him  farewell,  expressing  his  con- 
dolence over  the  loss,  and  the  sorrowing  .minister 
left  the  house  to  find  waiting  for  him  at  the  gate, 
one  of  the  general's  own  horses,  a  parting  gift,  ac- 
coutered  with  his  own  saddle  and  bridle.  This  is  but 
one  of  his  many  benevolences.  Small  wonder  that 
he  is  held  in  such  high  esteem! 

Asking  for  details  of  his  life,  for  I  must  confess 
that  we  in  the  East  have  heard  little  and  thought 
less  of  this  Western  Indian  fighter,  I  was  told  that 
he  resigned  his  commission  in  1814,  that  two  years 
after  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  then  in  1824  state 
senator  in  Ohio,  in  1828  had  been  appointed  min- 


42    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ister  to  Colombia,  South  America.  The  fact  that  he 
had  won  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  which  battle  field 
it  is  my  intention  to  visit,  as  well  as  Vincennes,  the 
city  which*  was  the  capital  when  Gen.  Harrison  was 
Territorial  Governor,  increased  my  interest  in  this 
hero  of  the  Western  country. 

On  his  return  from  South  America,  Gen.  Harrison 
retired  to  this  farm,  by  no  means  rich,  having  never 
asked  nor  received  compensation  for  his  services  in 
the  Tippecanoe  expedition,  and  here,  contented  with 
the  honors  acquired  by  years  of  pathetic  devotion 
to  his  country,  he  has  lived,  employing  himself  in 
rural  occupations  and  at  the  same  time  gathering 
from  the  soil  his  support,  which  others,  if  not  more 
selfish,  yet  more  careful  of  their  own  interests,  have 
secured  from  the  emoluments  of  office. 

In  person,  he  is  tall  and  slender ;  his  eye  is  dark 
and  remarkable  for  its  expression,  his  manners, 
plain,  easy  and  undemonstrative. 

I  listened  most  eagerly  to  this  description,  for  I 
had  not  been  unaware  on  my  progress  westward  of 
the  increasing  enthusiasm  over  our  Whig  candidate 
in  every  town  and  village,  an  enthusiasm  which,  I 
am  convinced,  would  astound  both  Democrats  and 
Whigs  in  our  Eastern  states. 

As  we  approached  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  the  home 
of  Mr.  Dunn,"  that  gentleman  suggested  that  I  go 
ashore  with  him  during  the  period  in  which  freight 

'George  H.  Dunn  (1797-1854),  born  in  New  York,  came  to  Dear- 
born  County  in  1817.  Member  of  the  Legislature  in  1828-1832. 
Member  of  Congress,  1837-1839.  State  treasurer  from  1841  to  1844. 
He  and  Governor  Bigger  revised  the  code  of  Indiana  and  later  he 
served  as  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court.— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    43 

was  being  taken  aboard  and  view  the  town  and  the 
Whitewater  Canal,  of  which  the  people  were  so 
justly  proud.  Lawrenceburg,  situated  in  Dearborn 
County,  occupies  a  position  in  a  broad  expanse  of 
most  fertile  bottom  lands,  back  of  which  there  arises 
a  ridge  and  range  of  hills  towering  perhaps  100 
feet  above  the  valley,  from  which  is  presented  a 
picture  most  grand  to  behold,  the  broad  and  ex- 
tended bottoms  coursed  by  the  Great  Miami,  the 
town  with  its  graceful  spires  pointing  heavenward, 
the  majestic  Ohio  flowing  beneath  the  towering  Ken- 
tucky hills.  The  town  was  laid  out  in  1822,  and 
at  one  time  was  the  seat  of  justice  of  Dearborn 
County,  which  honor  was  transferred  in  1836  to 
Wilmington.^ 

The  soil  of  the  county  is  a  rich  loam,  very  produc- 
tive, and  corn  and  pork  are  largely  exported. 

While  the  river,  I  was  told,  frequently  overflows, 
driving  the  inhabitants  out  of  their  houses  or  to  the 
upper  story,  this  period  of  the  flood,  from  ancient 
custom  and  from  the  suspension  of  all  customary 
pursuits,  has  become  a  time  of  carnival.  The  floods, 
instead  of  creating  disease,  wash  the  surface  of  the 
earth  and  are  supposed  to  be  rather  conducive  to 
health  than  otherwise. 

At  the  present  time  the  chief  interest  of  the  town 
is  the  Whitewater  Canal.  In  January,  1836,  when 
the  news  came  that  the  internal  improvement  bill 
had  passed  the  Indiana  General  Assembly,  a  great 

*  Those  who  desired  a  division  of  Dearborn  County  moved  the 
county  seat  in  1836  to  Wilmington.  In  1843  the  county  was  divided 
and  Ohio  County  organized,  and  Lawrenceburg  again  became  the 
county  seat  of  Dearborn  County. — Editor. 


44    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

celebration  was  held  in  Brookville,  between  wbicii 
town  and  Lawrenceburg  tlie  first  construction  was 
to  be  made,  with  speakings,  illuminations,  ringing 
of  bells,  roarings  of  cannon,  bands  of  music;  and 
again  in  September,  when  the  ceremony  of  **  break- 
ing ground"  was  held,  with  a  barbecue  and  a  speech 
by' Governor  Noble.  Mr.  Dunn  spoke  here,  he  in- 
formed me,  and  the  editor  of  a  Richmond  paper 
gave  an  original  verse: 

There  is  not  in  the  wide  world  a  valley  so  sweet 
As  that  vale  where  the  branches  of  Whitewater  meet; 
Oh!     The  last  picayune  shall  depart  from  my  fob 
Ere  the  east  and  the  west  forks  relinquish  the  job.* 

The  first  boat  to  reach  Brookville  and  Lawrence- 
burg was  the  Ben  Franklin,  which  arrived  June  8, 
1839. 

Mr.  Dunn  gave  his  carpet  bag  to  a  negro  boy  and 
together  we  strolled  about  the  streets. 

The  first  brick  house  was  erected  in  the  city  by 
Dr.  Jabez  Percival.  It  is  a  substantial  two-story 
building  with  walls  three  feet  thick.  The  Hunt 
Tavern  was  the  first  three-story  brick  building  in 
the  state,  a  matter  of  pride  with  the  people  of 
Lawrenceburg.  Of  particular  interest  to  me  were 
the  Miami  Mills,  whose  brand  of  flour  has  become 
noted  for  its  excellence,  not  only  in  the  United 
States,  but  in  the  West  Indian  Islands  and  South 
American  ports.  It  is  said  it  will  remain  sweet  for 
months  in  tropical  climates,  while  other  brands  sour. 

Viewing  these  many  interests  and  the  canal  pro- 
viding a  channel  for  business  from  the  interior,  I 

*  John  Finley  in  the  Richmond  Palladium. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    45 

am  convinced,  with  Mr.  Dunn,  that  Lawrenceburg, 
with  its  many  interests  and  advantageous  location, 
is  destined  to  great  commercial  supremacy. 

As  we  passed  along  the  streets,  Mr.  Dunn  fre- 
quently paused  to  greet  his  fellow  citizens  and  to 
present  me  to  them  as  a  stranger  from  the  East 
making  a  tour  of  the  state.  One  of  them,  a  rather 
portly  gentleman,  on  learning  that  I  had  been  in 
Washington,  inquired  at  once  if  I  were  acquainted 
with  John  Quincy  Adams.  ''Those  who  know  us 
both,"  said  he,  ''assure  me  that  for  form,  size, 
features  and  complexion,  I  strongly  resemble  that 
*old  man  eloquent'  and  children  often  call  his  por- 
trait 'Judge  Cotton.'^  Another  resemblance,"  he 
added,  "we  both  poetize  readily  when  aroused  by 
any  particular  emotion,  and  if  similar  circumstances 
had  surrounded  both,  who  knows — ?" 

As  we  passed  on  Mr.  Dunn  informed  me  that 
this  rather  eccentric  old  gentleman  had  the  habit  of 
poetizing  on  religious,  temperance  and  political 
topics,  and  also  on  various  happenings  in  the 
county,  and  when  we  entered  his  office  a  few  mo- 
ments later,  he  showed  me  some  of  these  effusions. 
One  written  on  Andrew  Jackson,  in  1832,  ran: 

The  hero  of  Orleans  has  once  been  elected 

To  preside  o'er  the  Union,  and  more  than  expected — 

Ability  and  skill  he  has  clearly  displayed 

Yes,  even  to  those  who  him  President  made. 

■The  Judge  Cotton  of  this  meeting  published  in  1858  a  collection 
of  these  poems  with  a  short  autobiographical  sketch  and  a  brief 
history  of  the  early  settlements  of  Dearborn  County,  called  "Cotton's 
Keepsake,"  now  much  sought  after  by  those  interested  in  the  state's 
early  history. — Editor. 


46    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Let  Clay  and  the  bank  against  him  conspire, 
They  can't  put  him  down  nor  raise  him  much  higher; 
Let  us  he  independent,  keep  our  money  at  home, 
Re-elect  Andrew  Jackson  and  let  aliens  roam. 

Among  others,  I  met  Mr.  Gregg,  publisher  of  the 
Political  Beacon,  a  most  zealous  AVhig;  Dr.  Robert 
Gillespie,  a  Scotchman,  graduate  of  the  University 
of  Edinburgh  and  a  leading  physician  of  this 
locality;  Ebenezer  Dumont,  a  most  promising  young 
lawyer,  so  Mr.  Dunn  informed  me,  *'an  organizing 
genius,"  said  he,  'Svith  fertility  of  expedient  and 
sleepless  mental  activity."  This  young  man,  learn- 
ing that  I  was  going  to  Vevay,  gave  me  a  letter  to 
his  mother,  Mrs.  Julia  L.  Dumont,  a  well-known  edu- 
cator and  widely  famed  in  the  East  as  a  writer  of 
both  prose  and  verse.  So  many  did  I  meet  that 
of  the  remainder  only  a  few  names  remain  in 
my  memory,  Tousey,  Tait,  Dunn,  Sparks,  Burk- 
ham;  many  of  them  suggesting  Southern  antece- 
dents. 

The  warning  whistle  recalled  me  ere  I  was  nearly 
through  with  my  sightseeing,  and  bidding  a  hasty 
farewell  to  Mr.  Dunn,  whom  I  had  come  to  esteem 
most  highly  during  our  too  brief  acquaintance,  I 
made  haste  to  return  to  the  steamboat. 

There  was  still  the  usual  concourse  of  passengers, 
for  while  some  had  left  the  boat  others  had  come 
on  board,  and  in  clianging  groups  we  chatted  on  the 
various  subjects  of  the  day.  My  attention  was 
called  to  Rising  Sun,  a  village  near  Lawrenceburg 
whose  location,  on  high  bottom  land,  is  particularly 
beautiful,  set  as  it  is  among  primeval  forest  trees — 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    47 

gigantic  sycamores,  wide  spreading  elms,  and  grace- 
ful beeches. 

The  next  small  village  to  which  my  attention  was 
called  was  Patriot,  whose  principal  families  I  was 
assured  by  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church 
whom  I  had  encountered  on  the  boat,  a  follower  of 
Erasmus  Manford,  he  informed  me,  who  at  this 
very  time  was  making  a  tour  of  Indiana,  were  of  the 
liberal  faith,  excellent  people  and  practical  Chris- 
tians. 

They  loved  the  truth,  said  he,  loved  to  talk  about 
it,  and  loved  to  attend  services  at  the  sanctuary. 
That  place,  he  declared,  was  an  oasis  in  the  desert 
— no  controversy,  no  denunciation,  but  peace,  love 
and  harmony  combined. 

Though  reared  strictly  within  the  tenets  of  the 
established  church  I  have  acquired,  I  flatter  myself, 
considerable  broadness  of  view  on  religious  matters 
at  the  University,  stamped  as  it  is  mth  Jefferson's 
broadness  of  view,  so  that  I  listened  at  this  follower 
of  a  new  faith  with  considerable  interest,  realizing, 
however,  with  what  horror  such  expressions  would 
be  heard  by  my  friend  the  circuit  rider. 

A  gentleman  from  this  town  here  left  the  boat 
after  bidding  me  farewell,  a  Mr.  Daniel  H.  Howe.^ 

He  had  been  most  obliging  in  pointing  out  various 
interesting  features  of  the  country  to  me  on  the 
voyage  down,  among  others  mentioning  the  Rising 
Sun  Insurance  Company  for  marine,  fire  and  flat- 
boat  insurance,  which  struck  me  as  an  interesting 
novelty.    He  urged  me  at  parting,  should  I  make  a 

®The  father  of  Judge  Daniel  Wait  Howe  of  Indianapolis. — Editor. 


48    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

return  voyage  up  the  river,  to  stop  off  at  Patriot 
and  during  my  stay  there  make  his  house  my 
iiome. 

As  the  Universalist  turned  away,  I  observed  Mrs. 
Buford  and  Miss  Hunter  sitting  near  the  rail,  Mrs. 
Buford  idle,  as  usual,  and  Miss  Hunter  engaged  in 
a  species  of  handiwork  which,  I  learned,  upon  in- 
quiry, was  a  *'rachel,"  a  convenient  sort  of  head- 
gear made  of  soft  yarn,  very  elastic  and  partaking 
of  the  various  natures  of  cap,  bonnet,  and  hood. 
This  article  was  of  the  shade  of  the  blush  rose  which 
tinted  her  rounded  cheek,  and  will,  I  feel  assured, 
be  most  becoming  to  its  wearer. 

The  moment  seemed  propitious,  since  their  almost 
constant  attendants,  Bulleit,  Letcher  and  Buford, 
;were  absent,  to  announce  my  plans.  Mr.  Hicklin, 
the  circuit  rider,  had  suggested  to  me  that  instead 
of  continuing  on  the  boat  to  Madison,  as  first 
planned,  that  I  leave  it  with  him  at  Vevay,  visit  that 
town,  and  proceed  on  horseback  along  the  river  road 
to  Madison,  which  method  of  travel  would  give  me  a 
better  idea  of  the  country,  the  road  now  winding 
through  forest,  now  emerging  into  the  open  and 
more  cultivated  country,  and  giving  me  my  first 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  manners  and  hearing  the 
idioms  of  the  ignoble  and  vulgar. 

Madison,  he  assured  me,  was  well  worth  a  stay  of 
some  days,  being  an  old  town  and  a  seat  of  culture, 
and  while  there  he  besought  me  to  make  his  house 
my  home. 

''Oh,  then,  sir,"  cried  Mrs.  Buford,  *'if  you  are 
to  leave  us  so  soon,  you  must  write  in  our  albums. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA"  IN  1840    49 

We  spoke  of  it  the  other  day.  I'll  run  to  bring  mine 
and  yours,  Caroline.  Mr.  Letcher  and  Mr.  Bulleit 
inscribed  their  names  this  morning  while  you  were 
viewing  Lawrenceburg. " 

*' Affection's  Gift"  was  the  title  inscribed  on  the 
blue  and  gilt  morocco  covered  volume  which  bore 
Miss  Caroline's  name,  and  ''The  Laurel  Wreath'* 
in  red  and  gilt  was  Mrs.  Buford's  volume. 

As  I  suspected,  Mrs.  Buford's  volume  was  filled 
with  ardent  sentiments,  either  original  or  ''se- 
lected," from  admiring  swains  who  had  evidently 
laid  their  hearts  at  the  feet  of  Miss  Jane  Hunter; 
Miss  Caroline's  with  sentimental  verses  from  young 
females,  her  schoolmates,  though  an  occasional 
Thomas  or  Charles  indicated  the  possession  of  ad- 
mirers, who,  however,  addressed  her  in  a  much  more 
delicate  and  formal  manner  than  did  the  admirers 
of  the  less  reserved  Mrs.  Buford. 

Buford,  who  had  come  on  deck,'  laughed  as  he 
looked  over  my  shoulder. 

"Females  are  naturally  sentimental,"  said  he.  "I 
consider  such  a  request  a  mere  bait  for  flattery." 

"Not  at  all,"  cried  his  wife.  "I  can  not  help  what 
they  write — I  could  not  help  it,  I  mean,  but  what  I 
want  is  just  something  to  remember  them  by,  the 
handwriting,  the  name — " 

"A  mental  daguerreotype,"  said  the  shy  Miss 
Caroline,  blushing  as  she  spoke. 

If  this  was  to  be  my  mental  daguerreotype — I  took 
thought  as  I  sought  the  cabin  of  the  steamer  where 
were  ink  and  pen.  I  too,  though  I  had  not  confessed 
it,  like  the  old  Judge  Cotton,  occasionally  "poetize" 


50    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

under  stress  of  emotion.  If  this  was  to  be  my  men- 
tal image,  what  should  I  reveal?  Slowly  I  dipped 
quill  into  ink  and  wrote. 

CONSTANCY 
(To  Miss  Hunter) 

As  to  the  distant  moon 

The  sea  forever  yearns, 
As  to  the  polar  star 

The  earth  forever  turns; 

So  does  my  constant  heart 

Beat  but  for  thee  alone, 
And  o'er  its  far-off  heaven  of  dreams 

Thine  image  high  enthrone. 

But,  ah !  the  moon  and  sea, 

The  earth  and  star  meet  never ; 
And  space  as  deep  and  dark  and  wide 

Divideth  us  forever. 

I  managed  to  put  the  book  into  her  hands  when 
she  was  alone. 

**One  promise  I  exact,"  I  said;  ''that  you  do  not 
read  my  lines  until  I  have  left  the  boat  at  Vevay. 
You  will?" 

"I  promise,"  she  said,  almost  inaudibly  and, 
blushing  deeply,  slipped  away  toward  her  state- 
room. 

Our  parting  was  commonplace  enough,  taking 
place  as  it  did  in  broad  daylight,  on  deck,  in  the 
midst  of  the  crowd. 

"Our  lines  may  cross  again,"  said  Buford  cheer- 
fully. "We  are  thinking  of  prolonging  our  stay  in 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    51 

the  North  and  making  several  visits.  Our  first 
stop  will  be  with  Caroline  at  her  home  in  New 
Albany. ' ' 

Miss  Hunter  said  nothing.  Her  little  hand  quiv- 
ered as  I  held  it  in  mine  for  a  moment,  but  I  could 
not  see  her  eyes  for  the  long  lashes  resting  on  her 
cheek.     New  Albany!    I  shall  visit  that  town. 

The  village  of  Vevay  is  on  a  beautiful  site.  The 
river  has  a  majestic  curve,  and  the  level  plateau  on 
the  shore  corresponds  to  its  semi-circular  sweep, 
while  around  its  periphery  stand,  like  guardian  sen- 
tinels, a  range  of  noble  hills.  The  object  of  the  col- 
ony was  to  find  a  place  in  the  New  World  for  rais- 
ing the  grape,  and  vineyards  were  soon  set  out  in 
the  wilderness.  The  wine  made  from  these  vines, 
dressed  and  trimmed  according  to  the  Swiss  man- 
ner, is  said  to  be  of  the  very  best,  and  superior  to 
the  claret  of  Bordeaux.  The  names  of  the  inhabi- 
tants indicate  their  Swiss  origin,  Dufour,  More- 
rod,  Thiebaud,  and  the  old  Swiss  customs  are  still 
preserved.  These  people,  I  am  informed,  are  very 
energetic,  and  brought  with  them  a  healthy  disposi- 
tion to  enjoy  life  so  that  their  homes  present  a 
marked  difference  to  those  of  other  river  towns. 
The  houses  are  well  built  of  brick  or  wood  stoutly 
finished,  no  log  cabins  or  slightly  built  wooden 
houses,  they  are  set  in  acre  lots  with  fruit  trees, 
grape  vines  on  ornamental  arbors,  flowering  shrubs, 
beds  of  flowers,  climbing  rose  bushes  and  honey- 
suckles, and  all  displaying  scrupulous  cleanliness 
and  exquisite  neatness.     Some  of  these  homes  I  vis- 


52    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ited,  and  to  another,  altogether  different  and  equally 
interesting  I  went  with  a  letter  given  me  by  Mr. 
Dunn  to  Mr.  Joseph  Gary  Eggleston/ 

This  was  a  two-story  brick  house  in  a  square  of 
ground  about  an  acre  in  extent,  or  perhaps  a  little 
more,  planted  in  fruit  trees,  grape  vines  and  the  like. 
The  office  (Mr.  Eggleston  was  a  lawyer)  was  a  small 
brick  structure  on  the  grounds  a  little  way  from  the 
house.  The  house  had  a  little  porch  and  a  beautiful 
doorway  leading  into  a  hall  whose  graceful  winding 
stairway  at  once  struck  the  eye.  I  found  Mr. 
Eggleston  at  home,  and  his  already  warm  greeting 
increased  in  cordiality  when  he  found  that  I,  like 
himself,  was  a  Virginian.  He  was  the  son  of  an 
old  planter  family,  his  father  a  captain  in  Wash- 
ington's army,  and  he  had  taken  his  degree  in  arts 
at  William  and  Mary  College  and  had  studied  law 
in  Judge  Tucker's  school  at  Winchester.  He  had 
sought  the  West  to  see  what  use  he  could  make  of 
his  natural  and  acquired  gifts  in  a  region  then  the 
promised  land  to  young  men  of  character.  He  has 
a  fine  library,  among  whose  books  I  noted  Gibbon's 
miscellaneous  works.  My  chat  was  a  most  enjoy- 
able one ;  he  told  me  much  of  the  Wabash  country, 
and  at  parting  gave  me  a  letter  to  his  cousin.  Judge 
Miles  Gary  Eggleston  of  Brookville,  said  to  be  the 
most  famous  judge  that  ever  held  court  in  the 
state. 

I  next  turned  my  steps  toward  the  home  of  Mrs. 

'Father  of  Edward  Eggleaton,  author  of  "The  Hoosier  School- 
master etc.  and  of  George  Gary  Eggleston,  author  of  «A  Rebel's 
Recollectiona,"  "Recollections  of  a  Varied  Life,"  etc.-Editor 


THE  EGGLESTON  HOMESTEAD,  VEVAY 
From  a  drawing  by  Wilbur  Briant  Shook 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    53 

Julia  C.  Dumont,^  bearing  the  letter  which  her  son 
Ebenezer  had  given  me. 

I  found  Mrs.  Dumont  at  her  home,  rocking  in  a 
chair,  a  little  cape  around  her  shoulders,  talking 
rapidly  and  enthusiastically  to  the  group  of  pupils 
before  her  on  some  plan  for  a  debating  society.  The 
hour  was  late  and  yet  the  pupils  lingered  without  a 
thought  of  time.  The  affection  and  veneration  in 
which  she  was  held  by  them  was  evident  on  every 
face. 

She  quickly  dismissed  them  on  my  arrival  and, 
smiling  as  she  perused  her  son's  letter,  she  asked 
me  to  tell  her  of  my  journey  from  the  East.  For- 
getful of  the  hour,  we  sat  in  the  gathering  twilight, 
as  she  told  me  of  her  early  experiences  in  the  wil- 
derness, of  the  school  she  had  started  for  the  benefit 
of  her  own  children  and  because  she  loved  to  teach, 
and  of  the  celebrated  litterateurs  who  had  come 
from  Cincinnati,  and  even  Philadelphia,  to  visit 
her. 

Returning  to  the  inn,  I  sought  my  couch  early,  and 
the  next  morning  the  circuit  rider  and  I  were  on 
our  way,  on  horseback,  along  the  river  road  to  Mad- 
ison. 

*  Mrs.  Julia  C.  Dumont,  the  first  Indiana  poet  whose  work  haa 
been  preserved,  was  the  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Martha  D.  Corey 
of  Rhode  Island.  She  was  born  in  1794,  and  her  early  life  was 
spent  in  Greenfield,  N.  Y.  In  1812  she  was  married  to  John  Dumont 
and  removed  with  him  to  Indiana  territory,  where  she  entered  upon 
that  heroic  struggle  in  behalf  of  education  and  culture  that  has 
wedded  her  name  to  the  history  of  the  educational  movement  in 
Indiana.  Mrs.  Dumont  wrote  with  equal  facility  in  prose  and  verse, 
and  Eastern  publishers  were  always  ready  to  pay  her  liberally  for 
her  productions. — Editor. 


54    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Space  is  lacking  to  give  details  of  tlie  journey,  but 
I  do  not  need  to  set  it  down;  it  is  forever  imprinted 
on  the  tablets  of  my  memory.  The  air  was  soft  and 
warm  and  heavy  with  the  perfume  of  the  wild  plum 
and  the  hawthorn.  The  giant  trees,  sycamore,  elm 
and  beech,  interspersed  with  black  walnut,  hickory 
and  sugar  maple,  towered  aloft,  overgrown  with  a 
tangle  of  wild  grape  vines.  Willows  edged  the  banks 
of  the  river  and  the  small  streams  that  often  crossed 
our  path.  Here  and  there  a  group  of  tall  pecans 
reared  their  heads  heavenward.  The  pawpaw  and 
the  persimmon  were  familiar  to  me,  and  the  circuit 
rider,  to  w^hom  the  woods  were  as  an  open  book,  oft 
perused,  enumerated  long  lists  of  plants  and  shrubs 
growing  indigenously  in  the  country,  the  Indian  tur- 
nip, the  trumpet  vine,  Solomon's  seal,  horse  weed, 
blue  flag,  mandrake,  ginseng,  and  many  others.  The 
Avoods  were  full  of  birds,  the  robin,  the  red-headed 
woodpecker,  the  black  bird,  the  blue  jay,  and,  most 
interesting  to  me,  the  paroquet  in  great  numbers,  a 
bird  with  a  most  brilliant  and  beautiful  plumage  but 
a  most  discordant  shrieking  voice.  Wild  turkeys 
and  wild  duck  were  abundant. 

Enchanting  glimpses  of  the  river,  full  to  its  banks 
and  sparkling  in  the  morning  sun,  came  to  us  be- 
tween rifts  in  the  hills  and  breaks  in  the  woods. 
This  road,  so  Mr.  Hicklin  informed  me,  was  first 
surveyed  in  1799  by  Capt.  Ephraim  Kinney,  then 
of  Cincinnati. 

The  horses  which  Mr.  Hicklin  had  hired  were  ex- 
cellent, and  we  rode  briskly,  stopping  for  dinner  at 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    55 

a  cabin,  where  they  gave  us  a  good  dinner  of  fried 
ham  and  eggs,  biscuits  and  coffee.    Everything  be- 
tokened a  good  housewife,  a  well-cooked  meal,  set 
on  a  clean  tablecloth  and  in  order. 
Then  on  again  until  we  came  in  sight  of  Madison. 


CHAPTER  ly 

Madison,  Ia.,  May  21,  1840. 

THE  day  I  was  to  spend  in  Madison  has 
stretched  itself  into  three,  four  and  five,  and 
now  that  my  plans  are  made  for  my  departure 
and  my  bags  are  packed  for  the  morrow's  journey, 
I  regret  most  deeply  that  I  must  leave  this  pleasant 
abiding  place. 

From  many  points  of  view,  Madison  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  towns  I  have  as  yet  viewed,  in  its 
beauty  of  location  and  natural  surroundings,  its 
flourishing  business  conditions,  and  its  prospects  for 
the  future,  to  say  nothing  of  the  wholesouled  hos- 
pitality and  cordiality,  the  culture  and  intelligence 
of  its  citizens. 

This  is  accounted  for,  I  am  told,  by  the  fact  that 
such  a  new  and  growing  town  in  such  a  new  and 
growing  country  is  especially  attractive  to  young 
men,  and  for  this  reason  Madison  has  had  an  influx 
of  men  of  talent  and  ability. 

The  early  Madisonians,  I  was  informed,  were 
men  of  rugged  will,  sturdy  pioneers  whom  hard- 
ship and  danger  never  daunted,  with  whom  to 
conceive    an    enterprise    was    only    esteemed    the 

56 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    57 

preliminary  step  necessary  to  its  accomplishment. 

As  Mr.  Hicklin  still  insisted  that  I  should  consider 
his  house  my  home  while  in  Madison,  and  I  could 
see  that  his  hospitality  was  sincere,  I  accompanied 
him  thither  on  our  arrival  from  Vevay  to  meet  his 
wife,  a  plain  woman,  but  with  beautiful  hair,  a  dark 
glossy  brown,  disposed  in  the  Madonna  style  over 
a  high  and  well-shaped  forehead.  After  her  warm 
hand-clasp  and  a  look  into  her  clear  eyes,  I  felt  no 
atom  of  doubt  as  to  my  welcome,  and  when  I  looked 
about  the  plain  room,  its  rag  carpets,  its  plain  but 
snowy  curtains,  its  homely  furnishings,  the  walls, 
whose  only  adornments  were  the  portrait  of  John 
Wesley  and  the  minister's  framed  certificate  of  or- 
dination, the  few  precious  books,  ''Clark's  Com- 
mentaries," * '  Summerfield 's  Sermons  and  Sketches 
of  Sermons,"  '' Bright 's  Essay,"  "Doddridge's  Rise 
and  Progress,"  I  felt  the  glow  of  that  altar  fire  by 
whose  radiance  every  homely  article  was  trans- 
formed and  given  grace  and  beauty.  In  short  I 
knew  myself  to  be  in  a  home  where  dwelt  goodness 
and  mercy,  and  I  could  now  clearly  understand,  as  I 
had  been  dimly  understanding  ever  since  my  meet- 
ing with  the  minister,  why  Gen.  Harrison,  though 
not  himself  of  that  faith,  could  pay  so  heartfelt 
and  sincere  a  tribute  as  he  had  paid  in  the  letter 
I  had  seen,  to  the  circuit  rider  of  the  western 
woods. 

Another  sect,  I  was  soon  to  learn,  had  also  es- 
tablished itself  here  and  is  making  itself  known  by 
its  good  works,  the  Baptists,  one  of  whose  most 


58    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

prominent  members,  Elder  Jesse  Vawter/  died  here 
just  two  years  ago. 

Another  member  of  this  family,  Col.  John  Vaw- 
ter,  laid  out  the  town  of  Vernon  and  is  a  resident  of 
that  town,  and  pastor  of  the  Vernon  Baptist  Church. 
As  Vernon  is  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  on  which  I 
leave  Madison  to-morrow,  and  my  plan  is  to  remain 
there  for  a  season,  I  have  letters  to  this  gentleman, 
who  will  acquaint  me,  I  doubt  not,  with  much  I  wish 
to  know. 

Madison,  which  is  the  seat  of  justice  of  Jefferson 
County  (the  county  and  town  named  for  two  of  our 
Presidents),  is,  at  this  writing,  the  most  populous  of 
any  other  in  the  state.  It  is  situated  on  the  crown 
of  a  horseshoe  bend,  at  an  elevation  above  the  high- 
est floods.  It  has  about  4,000  inhabitants,  is 
handsomely  laid  out,  the  houses  are  principally  of 
brick  and  substantially  built,  and  the  streets  are 
wide,  straight,  handsomely  graded,  paved  or  mac- 
adamized. It  contains  a  court  house,  jail,  market 
house,  two  Presbyterian  Churches,  one  Baptist,  one 
Episcopal,  one  Methodist  Episcopal,  one  Methodist 
Reformed,  a  banking  house,  a  very  tasty  structure, 
a  savings  institution,  an  insurance  office,  two  iron 
foundries,  a  paper  mill,  and  a  steam  engine  factory, 
an  oil  mill,  a  steam  grist  and  sawmill,  and  a  boat 

*  Elder  Jesse  Vawter  came  to  Indiana  in  1806  and  located  on  a 
hill  overlooking  Madison  from  the  north,  naming  his  home  Mount 
Glad.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  Jeffer- 
Bon  County.  "He  was  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  pious  men  in 
his  day,  and  as  a  doctrinal,  practical  and  experimental  preacher,  his 
qualifications  were  far  above  mediocrity."  From  "History  of  Baptist 
Denomination."  Descendants  of  this  pioneer  family  are  scattered  all 
over  Indiana. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    59 

yard,  at  which  a  number  of  boats  have  been  built, 
about  fifty  stores  and  two  hotels.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  a  range  of  cultivated  hills,  250  feet 
above  the  river,  from  w^hich  there  is  a  beautiful  view 
commanding  the  river  and  the  Kentucky  shore  op- 
posite; but,  beautiful  as  it  is,  I  enjoy  more  looking 
down  upon  the  prospect  of  the  city  spread  before  me, 
the  pattern  of  the  streets,  delightfully  shaded  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  with  umbrageous  trees. 

Of  the  citizens  I  met  through  the  offices  of  Mr. 
Hicklin,  I  must  first  record  the  name  of  Gen.  Milton 
A.  Stapp,^  president  of  the  Madison  Savings  Institu- 
tion, whom  I  found  a  most  interesting  man.  Stapp 
was  a  Kentuckian,  and  an  old  Indian  fighter,  still 
bearing  a  scar  acquired  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames. 
A\Tiile  marching  through  Indiana  in  this  Indian  cam- 
paign, he  w^as  so  much  impressed  with  its  possibili- 
ties that  in  1816,  the  year  in  which  it  became  a  state, 
he  came  to  make  Madison  his  home.  He  told  me 
with  great  pride  of  his  drilling  of  the  Madison 
militia. 

He  is  a  man  of  about  47,  has  served  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  Senate  of  the  state,  and  has  been  Lieuten- 
ant Governor.  He  is  a  fine-looking  man,  easy  of 
access,  an  active  member  of  the  Baptist  organiza- 
tion, in  politics  a  AVhig.  He  is  much  interested  in 
the  new  railroad  and  has  given  me  much  valuable 
information  concerning  it. 

*  Milton  A.  Stapp  (1793-1869)  argued  for  the  building  of  the 
Madison  &  Indianapolis  Railroad  before  several  sessions  of  the  Legis- 
lature, but  without  success  until  the  internal  improvement  act  was 
passed  Jan.  27,  1836,  and  work  on  the  road  was  commenced  by  the 
state  soon  after.  The  road  was  completed  to  Vernon  June  6,  1839, 
just  a  year  before  our  traveler's  visit. — Editor. 


CO    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Because  of  Madison's  location  on  the  river,  lie  told 
me,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  a  terminus  of  various  state 
roads,  commodities  can  easily  be  sent  from  south 
and  east  into  the  interior,  to  the  capital  of  the  state 
and  every  interior  town  in  fact,  much  more  cheaply 
and  easily  than  from  any  other  point  of  supply. 
Then,  all  state  products  will  drift  by  natural  law 
to  Madison  to  be  sent  onward  to  the  various  parts  of 
the  world  by  water,  thus  giving  the  town  a  monopoly 
of  the  transportation  system. 

At  Madison,  it  seems,  are  concentrated  six  im- 
portant roads,  one  of  them  to  Vincennes,  on  the 
Wabash  River,  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  above 
its  mouth;  another,  through  Brownstown  to  Bloom- 
ington,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  is  seated  Indiana 
College,  an  institution  which  does  credit  to  the  state 
by  which  it  was  established ;  this  road  also  continues 
to  Terre  Haute,  at  the  intersection  of  the  Wabash 
with  the  great  National  Road,  distant  from  Indi- 
anapolis seventy-five  miles;  another  road  extends 
to  Columbus,  forty-four  miles,  and  thence  to  Indi- 
anapolis, making  the  total  distance  from  Madison 
eighty-five  miles;  another  extends  to  Versailles, 
the  seat  of  justice  of  the  adjoining  county  of 
Ripley;  another  to  Mt.  Sterling,  besides  the  river 
roads  to  Vevay  and  others  above  and  villages 
below. 

This  being  the  case,  Mr.  Stapp  has  foreseen  what 
the  railroad  penetrating  the  interior  would  mean  to 
a  city  on  that  great  highway,  the  river.  By  its 
means,  Madison,  already  of  commercial  importance, 


AN  OLD  HOUSE  AT  MADISON 
From  a  photograph 


A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    61 

would  become  one  of  the  chief  cities  of  the  west—* 
a  gateway  of  commerce  for  the  state. 

Although  only  twenty-two  miles  have  been  built 
at  this  writing,  it  is  the  intention  to  make  the  other 
point  of  termination  Lafayette,  on  the  Wabash 
Eiver,  seat  of  justice  of  Tippecanoe  County,  thus 
bisecting  the  state  in  a  southeasterly  and  north- 
westerly direction  and  passing  through  Indianapolis. 
It  will  be,  when  completed,  about  146  miles  long, 
and  wdll  traverse  a  country  of  great  resources  or 
susceptible  of  being  made  so. 

The  details  of  the  opening  of  the  railroad  I 
learned  through  Jesse  D.  Bright,  a  young  la^vyer 
near  my  own  age,  whom  I  met  most  pleasantly  on 
the  occasion  of  an  evening  party  given  at  the  home 
of  a  Mr.  Creagh. 

The  residence  of  this  gentleman  was  near  the 
modest  dwelling  of  Mr.  Hicklin,  and  I  had  much 
admired,  in  passing,  the  fine  old  mansion  fronting 
on  a  well-kept  lawn  shaded  by  majestic  trees,  behind 
which  lies  an  extensive  garden,  rich  in  fruits  and 
radiant  with  flowers.  The  charming  atmosphere  of 
the  interior  was  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  two 
daughters,  delightful  girls.  The  elder.  Miss  Nancy, 
has  blue  eyes  and  blonde  hair,  a  face  of  Grecian 
contour,  and  exquisite  fairness;  the  younger.  Miss 
Mary,  is  a  pretty  creature  of  about  16,  with  hazel 
eyes,  a  soft  voice  and  a  light  step.  The  mother, 
Mrs.  Creagh,  I  found,  to  my  delight,  a  highly  edu- 
cated and  accomplished  woman,  whose  conversation 
is  rich  in  anecdotes  of  her  personal  experience.    Sho 


62    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

has  a  clear,  broad  brow,   stamped  with  intellect. 

Miss  Mary,  I  soon  learned,  plays  charmingly,  and 
the  two  sisters  sang  several  duets  for  the  company, 
much  to  our  entertainment.  I  requested  during 
the  evening  an  old  song,  a  very  old  one  but  a 
favorite  with  me,  ''The  Last  Link  Is  Broken,'*  and 
Miss  Mary  sang  this  for  me  deliciously  and  with 
considerable  science.  These  young  ladies  attend  the 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary,^  an  institution  which  had 
been  pointed  out  to  me  the  day  before 

This  school,  I  was  informed,  presented  a  most 
elaborate  course  of  instruction  comprising  Arithme- 
tic, Algebra,  Geometry,  Grammar,  Composition, 
Rhetoric,  Latin,  Greek  and  French,  Natural  Phi- 
losophy, Chemistry,  Astronomy,  Geology,  Physi- 
ology, Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy,  the 
Analogy  of  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,  History, 
Ancient  and  Modern,  Vocal  and  Instrumental  Music, 
and  Painting  by  Theorem.* 

For  the  moment,  on  hearing  the  glib  recital  of  this 
ponderous  curriculum  from  the  rosebud  lips  of 
Mistress  Mary,  ''my  wonder  grew,  that  one  small 
head  should  carry  all  she  knew,"  but  I  was  some- 
what reassured  after  a  glance  at  the  small  volumes 
to  which  she  called  my  attention,  "Mrs.  Lincoln's 
Lectures  on  Botany,"  a  thin  volume  entitled  "Ele- 
ments of  History"  and  others  not  nearly  so  worn 
by  use  as  were  the  domestic  tales  of  T.  S.  Arthur, 

"The    Madison    Young   Ladies'    Seminary   was    built    in    1838 

Editor. 

*  The  figure  or  flower  was  cut  in  stencil  by  the  teacher,  and  traced 
and  colored  by  the  pupil.— Editor, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    63 

the  popular  novelist,  several  volumes  of  whose 
works  I  had  noted  in  the  large  and  well-selected 
library. 

It  was  at  this  party  that  I  met,  as  I  have  said 
before,  Mr.  Jesse  D.  Bright.^ 

He  was  a  tall,  good  looking  young  man  of  im- 
perious manner,  one  destined,  I  was  told  by  some  of 
his  admirers,  t.o  become  a  leader  among  men.  Being 
almost  of  an  age — for  he  is  but  a  few  years  my 
senior — we  have  found  much  in  common,  and  he  has 
been  my  almost  constant  companion  during  my  stay 
here,  and  has  introduced  me  to  many  of  the  most 
agreeable  people,  Mr.  Lanier,*'  John  R.  Cravens,  Mr. 
Marshall,  Michael  Bright,  brother  of  my  friend,  C.  P. 
J.  Arion,  John  King,  James  McMillan,  William  H. ' 
Webb,  E.  J.  Whitney,  John  Sering,  and  many 
others. 

Among  the  many  interesting  events  of  which  he 
told  me,  the  most  interesting  to  me  was  the  story  of 
the  building  of  the  railroad.  When  the  first  seven- 
teen miles  of  the  road  were  completed  to  a  village 
called  Graham,  arrangements  were  made  for  a  great 
celebration  and  an  invitational  ride  for  some  of  the 
grandees  of  the  state,  followed  by  a  banquet.  The 
passengers,  let  me  note,  are  carried  up  from  the 
toAvn  to  the  railroad  in  an  omnibus,  but  an  inclined 

'Jesse  D.  Bright  (1812-1875)  lawyer,  able  Democratic  politician, 
state  senator,  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1843,  and  later,  United  States 
senator. — Editor. 

*  James  F.  D.  Lanier,  founder  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  was  at 
one  time  a  practicing  lawyer  in  Madison  and  later  president  of  the 
Madison  Branch  Bank.  He  went  to  New  York  in  1848  to  start  the 
banking  house  which  bears  his  name.— Editor, 


64    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

plane  ^  is  in  process  of  construction — commenced  in 
1836 — by  which  the  cars  will  be  let  down  the  incline 
by  gravity  and  hauled  back  by  horses. 

A  locomotive  for  this  railroad  had  been  ordered 
from  Baldwin  Company's  works  in  Philadelphia,  but 
unfortunately  it  had  been  shipped  on  a  vessel  around 
by  New  Orleans,  and  during  a  storm  was  thrown 
overboard  with  other  freight  to  save  the  ship.  As 
the  invitations  to  the  grandees  had  already  been  is- 
sued when  this  news  came,  a  locomotive,  the  Elkhorn, 
was  borrowed  from  Louisville,  brought  over  on  a 
boat  used  to  transport  stone  and  dragged  up  the  hill 
by  five  yoke  of  oxen.  The  great  event  was  a  success. 
The  people  gathered  from  far  and  wide  to  view  the 
sight,  the  Governor  and  important  officials  arrived 
in  due  time,  the  trip  was  made,  and  on  the  party's 
return  a  banquet  was  held  in  a  building  down  by  the 
river,  over  which  Mr.  Bright  was  master  of  cere- 
monies. He  showed  me  one  of  the  invitations,  which 
he  is  carefully  preserving,  and  which  reads  as  fol- 
lows : 

"Madison,  Oct.  15,  1838. 

"Sir—The  Common  Council  of  the  city  of  Madison  has 
directed  us  to  invite  you  to  participate  with  them  m  a 
festival  to  be  given  on  the  occasion  of  opening  the  re^^ular 
trips  of  the  cars  on  the  Madison  &  Indianapolis  Railroad. 

'When  the  plane  was  completed  the  cars  were  let  down  the  in- 
toTno/ir'S  ^"^  »^,^"l^<i  b^^k  with  eight  horses  driven  tandem 
Jn^t  •?'  P'^'*'''  "^  ^'^"^"^  ^"  ^'^^SU  and  passenger  cars 

tT  t,^r^^*y  ^^^  r"^"''^  ™*^^  1^80'  ^t  ^hich  time  c!l.  Johu 
Lt  S-'^^^^J'.f^Pe/^^tendent  of  the  Jeffersonville,  Madison  &  In- 
danapohs  Railroad,  issued  orders  requiring  the  hill  engine  to  be 
attached  in  the  rear  of  all  cars  coming  down  and  going  up  the  i^! 
clme.     This  order  is  still  effective—Editor  ^  ^  ^ 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    65 

The  hospitalities  of  the  citizens  of  the  city  will  be  tendered 
to  you  on  Monday  of  the  26th  of  November  next.  On 
Tuesday  the  celebration  will  take  place,  and  on  Wednes- 
day you  will  be  taken  on  the  cars  to  Vernon  on  your  way 
to  Indianapolis.  Arrangements  will  be  made  to  convey 
you  from  Vernon  to  Indianapolis  if  necessary. 

* '  Milton  Stapp,  J.  F.  D,  Lanier,  C.  P.  J.  Arion,  Jesse  D. 
Bright,  John  King,  Committee. ' ' 

Mr.  Bright,  I  soon  learned,  was  an  ardent  Demo- 
crat, and  when  I  heard  his  views  on  the  coming 
election  I  began  to  wonder  if,  after  all.  Gen.  Har- 
rison was  so  likely  to  be  elected  as  I  had  supposed. 
*'True,''  said  he,  *'the  Whigs  are  noisy  and  con- 
spicuous ;  the  tocsin  has  been  sounded  and  they  are 
daily  girding  on  their  armor,  preparing  for  the  con- 
flict, but  they  do  not  realize  the  strength  of  their 
foe."  Taking  up  a  copy  of  the  Madison  Courier  of 
recent  date,  he  read  me  a  long  editorial,  concluding 
with,  "Let  us  leave  the  subject  for  the  present  with 
a  firm  reliance  that  the  people  of  the  State  of  Indi- 
ana and  of  the  Union  at  large  will  never  place  an 
individual  at  the  head  of  the  affairs  of  the  only  re- 
publican government  upon  earth,  that  has  and  still 
entertains  sentiments  so  diametrically  opposed  to 
the  universal  spirit  of  freedom  that  pervades  every 
American  heart." 

As  he  concluded,  most  impressively,  a  sound  at- 
tracted my  attention  (we  were  sitting  in  his  office), 
and  I  turned  to  see  standing  in  the  doorway  a  most 
unusual  man,  over  six  feet  high,  ungainly,  with  a 
large  head  covered  with  a  mop  of  sandy  hair.  He 
was  carelessly  dressed,  his  stock  bow  awry,  his 


66    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

trousers  twisted,  but  there  was  that  in  his  face  and 
bearing  that  bespoke  the  man  of  power.  He  smiled 
rather  scornfully. 

''Faugh,  Bright,  you  know  as  well  as  I  that  Gen. 
Jackson  turned  the  ship  of  state  out  of  her  course 
and  Mr.  Van  Buren  has  kept  on.  He  has  been  ad- 
monished of  danger,  been  told  by  several  good  old 
pilots  that  he  would  run  the  ship  aground  or  drive 
her  on  the  breakers,  where  she  would  be  ship- 
wrecked, but  he  seems  to  fear  no  evil  and  to  listen 
to  no  counsel.  Thus  the  country  suffers.  Business 
is  nearly  suspended,  confidence  is  destroyed,  and 
will  never  be  restored  until  Gen.  Harrison  is  elected. 
But  stay" — he  silenced  Bright  with  a  gesture — ''I 
did  not  come  for  this ;  we  can  talk  politics  any  day. 
I  wish  to  meet  your  young  friend,  of  whom  I  have 
heard  much." 

This  was  Joseph  Glass  Marshall.^ 

For  some  time,  he  sat  and  chatted  with  us  on 
various  subjects.  Among  other  things  he  related  to 
me  the  story  of  Daniel  Webster's  visit  to  Madison 
in  1839,  on  which  occasion  he  made  the  welcoming 
speech.  A  Mr.  George  Robinson,  an  orator,  editor 
and  lawyer,  who  was  present,  after  hearing  the 
speeches,  went  to  his  office,  wrote  both  speeches  out 
from  memory,  and  returning,  laid  them  before  the 
speakers.  Both  pronounced  them  exact,  word  for 
word,  a  most  remarkable  performance. 

On  the  same  evening,  in  company  with  Mr.  Bright, 

"Joseph  G.  Marshall  born  1800,  came  to  Madison  in  1828.  As  a 
lawyer  he  stood  among  the  very  first  in  the  state;  his  ability  to 
present  his^  facts  m  the  strongest  possible  manner  was  excelled  by 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    67 

I  called  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Creagh  and 
together  with  the  young  ladies  we  sallied  forth  to 
Paul's  Spring,  a  pleasure  resort.  This  Col.  Paul,® 
I  was  told,  was  the  founder  of  Madison. 

The  spring  known  as  Paul's  Spring,  to  which  we 
now  bent  our  steps,  is  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  Here, 
in  1812,  a  pleasure  resort  was  established,  with 
rustic  seats  of  he^\Ti  logs  disposed  about  the 
grounds.  Here,  I  was  told,  the  pioneers  indulged  in 
dances  on  the  green  and  wrestling  bouts  with  the 
Indian  braves.  Every  evening,  in  pleasant  weather, 
the  population  of  Madison  gathered  at  Paul's 
Spring. 

The  young  ladies  were  most  charmingly  attired 
for  this  occasion.  Miss  Nancy,  who  walked  with 
Mr.  Bright,  wore  a  gown  of  violet  satin  with  the 
skirt  immensely  full,  trimmed  with  lace,  the  whole 
veiled  by  a  long  lace  mantle.  Miss  Mary's  simple 
frock  was  almost  covered  by  a  pardessus  of  muslin 
lined  with  straw  colored  silk  and  enriched  with  rich 
descriptions  of  laces.  Under  her  bonnet  rim  were 
tucked  clusters  of  violets  and  rosebuds.  I  felt  my- 
self quite  equal  to  the  occasion,  for  I  had  dressed 
myself  with  care  in  my  frock  coat  of  broAvn,  with 
high  rolling  velvet  collar,  and  vest  of  light  buff,  with 
striped  pantaloons. 

"Col.  John  Paul  (1758-1830)  bought  the  site  of  Madison  in  1808; 
founded  Madison  in  1810;  was  a  volunteer  colonel  in  the  War  of 
1812.  His  home,  the  second  brick  house  in  Madison,  is  a  two-story 
house  on  the  second  bank  of  the  river.  Mindful  of  the  difficulty  he 
had  in  making  a  landing,  cutting  liis  way  through  vine-tangled 
thickets  of  willow,  sycamore  and  cottonwood,  he  cleared  the  trees 
from  the  terrace  reaching  from  his  front  door  to  the  river,  making 
a  lawn  400  x  600  feet  before  his  house.  He  piped  water  through 
hollow  logs  to  his  house  from  a  spring  two  miles  distant. — Editor. 


68    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

'Twas  a  beautiful  night,  moon  lighted,  the  breezes 
soft  and  warm,  and  we  sat  for  some  time  on  the 
benches,  watching  the  people  passing  to  and  fro  and 
the  gambols  of  the  children.  We  talked  of  songs 
and  of  books.  Miss  Mary  had,  just  that  day,  she  in- 
formed me,  been  perusing  ''The  Laurel  Wreath,'' 
a  gift  book,  whose  contributors  are  among  our  most 
eminent  writers,  and  which  is  recommended  as  a 
model  of  literary  excellence  as  well  as  moral  instruc- 
tion.   She  plays  the  guitar,  too,  she  confesses. 

Mr.  Bright  was  in  high  spirits,  he  confessed,  as  we 
strolled  homeward,  having  parted  from  the  young 
ladies,  feeling  the  witchery  of  the  moon.  He 
hummed  a  serenade,  then  much  in  vogue — 

Underneath  thy  lattice,  love,  at  even, 
When  the  village  clock  is  tolling  seven, 
And  the  stars  are  gleaming  in  the  heaven, 
Thou  wilt  hear  my  light  guitar. 
Tra-le  ra  le  ra  la  la  la 
Tra-la  le  ra  la  la  la ! 

'Tis  true  she  is  charming,  and  so  are  many  of  the 
others  whom  I  met  at  the  evening  party,  but  I  must 
confess  that  since  meeting  one  all  others,  howe'er 
fair,  seem  insipid.    Ah,  well ! 

Much  impressed  with  the  city,  which  I  learn  is 
soon  to  be  visited  by  Eastern  architects  who  will 
erect  handsome  residences  for  some  of  the  town's 
wealthy  citizens,  I  desired  much  to  view  the  adjacent 
country  and  learn  something  of  the  price  of  farming 
lands.  Since  it  is  my  purpose  eventually  to  pur- 
chase land  in  this  state,  I  intend  making  careful  in- 


A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    69 

quiry  into  prices  and  quality  of  land  and  market 
facilities  in  each  locality  I  visit. 

In  company  with  Mr.  Bright  I  rode  horseback  one 
fine  May  morning  out  to  Wirt,  a  village  a  few  miles 
from  Madison  settled  by  the  "Iron  Jacket"  Bap- 
tists, among  them  John  Burns  and  wife  and  James 
Burns  and  wife,  to  call  on  this  same  Capt.  James 
Burns  ^°  who,  I  was  told,  was  the  owner  of  several 
farms  and  could  give  me  much  of  the  information 
I  desired. 

Wirt  was  named  by  Capt.  Burns  for  William  Wirt 
of  Virginia,  his  native  state,  which  he  left  early  in 
life  to  come  out  to  Kentucky  and  thence  to  Ohio, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  militia  of  Ohio  who  kept 
guard  along  the  river  at  the  time  of  Aaron  Burr's 
flight  to  intercept  and  capture  him.  He  came  down 
to  Madison  on  a  flatboat  in  1814. 

Capt.  Burns 's  home  is  a  large  frame  house  with 
two  front  doors,  pleasantly  situated  on  a  hillside, 
among  forest  trees,  and  was  of  particular  interest  to 
the  entire  countryside  at  that  time  because  in  its 
spacious  kitchen  stood  the  first  iron  cook  stove  in 
the  community.  Capt.  Burns  drove  me  out  through 
the  country,^^  showing  me  the  farms,  giving  prices 
and  regaling  me  with  many  interesting  anecdotes 
from  his  varied  experience. 

Across  the  road  from  Captain  Burns 's  house  was 
a  graveyard  in  which  Mrs.  Burns  told  me  I  would 
find  the  grave  of  her  father.  Elder  Jesse  Vawter, 

"  Grandfather  of  Judge  Harrison  Burns  of  Indianapolis. — Editor. 
"  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  our  diarisfe  neglected  to  record 
the  prices  of  this  farming  land. — Editor. 


70    A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

whom  I  mentioned  early  in  this  diary  as  a  promi- 
nent Baptist  minister.  I  copied  the  inscription  on 
the  stone  for  my  father,  to  prove  that,  after  all, 
Indiana  is  not  so  new  a  country.    The  lines  run, 

"In  Memory  of  Elder  Jesse  Vawter,  who  departed  this 
hfe  March  20,  1838,  aged  82  years,  3  months,  20  days. 
He  lived  in  the  state  of  Indiana  32  years.  He  left  sur- 
viving him  4  sons  and  4  daughters,  71  grand-  and  54 
great-grandchildren. ' ' 

Another  drive  of  interest  which  I  took  in  company 
with  Mr.  Marshall  had  for  its  object  the  college  at 
Hanover,  founded  in  1827  by  the  old-school  Presby- 
terians of  Salem  (la.)  Presbytery.  The  road  to  this 
institution  winds  pleasantly  along  the  river  and  to 
the  college  up  the  face  of  the  river  bluffs  by  gentle 
grades  and  easy  curves,  from  which  elevation  the 
scene  is  of  most  impressive  beauty.  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  the  president,  the  Rev.  Erasmus 
D.  McMaster,  D.  D.,  who  informed  me  that  during 
this  collegiate  year,  which  would  end  in  September, 
the  whole  number  attending  was  105  students,  of 
whom  five  were  candidates  for  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  Mr.  Marshall  told  me  much  of 
the  Union  Literary  Society  and  presented  me  to 
several  of  the  members,  among  whom  I  remember 
most  distinctly  a  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  of  Madi- 
son, a  most  charming  young  fellow,  now  in  his 
junior  year. 

To-day  being  my  last  in  the  city,  I  made  a  visit 
to  the  boat  yard,  one  of  the  flourishing  industries 
ot  Madison,  and  made  note  of  many  points  in  the 
construction  of  the  steam  boat  and  of  its  business. 


TOMBSTONE  OF  JESSE  VAWTER 
At  N)^irt,  a  few  miles  north  of  Madison 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    71 

The  steam  boats  on  the  western  waters,  it  seems, 
are  all  what  is  termed  "high  pressure"  and  are  con- 
structed very  differently  from  those  on  the  Atlantic 
waters,  with  which  I  am  somewhat  familiar.  The 
cylinders  are  generally  in  a  horizontal  position. 
The  lower  deck,  on  which  is  the  engine  and  ma- 
chinery, all  open,  is  appropriated  for  some  freight, 
fuel  and  deck  passengers,  but  the  bulk  of  the  freight 
is  carried  in  the  hold.  On  the  upper  deck,  extend- 
ing nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  boat,  except  a 
small  portion  forward,  is  the  upper  or  dining 
cabin,  but  the  details  of  this  part  of  the  boat  I 
have  set  down  earlier  in  my  diary.  What  inter- 
ested me  here  was  what  I  learned  of  the  life  of  a 
boat.  It  is  not  of  long  duration.  In  three  or  four 
years  it  is  generally  *'used  up."  But  they  are  in- 
dustrious when  afloat,  running  on  an  average  about 
180  days  in  a  year.  Their  consumption  of  fuel 
varies  somewhat  in  proportion  to  their  tonnage ;  be- 
cause some  boats  of  the  same  number  of  tons  con- 
sume more  than  others  for  this  reason,  they  have 
more  boilers.  A  boat  of  100  tons  will  consume 
about  eighteen  cords  of  wood  in  twenty-four  hours. 
The  price  of  this  wood  in  Ohio  is  $2.50  a  ton. 

The  monthly  wages  of  a  captain  or  commander 
are  $150  a  month;  of  a  pilot,  $140;  of  an  engineer, 
$125 ;  of  a  clerk,  $50,  and  of  a  fireman,  $25. 

I  was  informed  that  the  price  of  voyaging  is 
higher  by  at  least  25  per  cent  than  last  year,  in 
consequence,  say  the  parties  interested,  of  the  ad- 
vance of  wages  and  the  high  price  of  provisions,  and 
when  their  tables  do  not  present  as  plentiful  a  sup- 


72    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ply  and  as  great  variety  the  same  reason  is  assigned, 
**tlie  high  price  of  provisions  will  not  permit  it.'* 

The  hour  is  late,  my  candle  burns  low,  and  as  I 
depart  in  the  morning,  and  the  cars  leave  the  depot 
at  9  0  'clock,  I  must  now  seek  my  couch. 


CHAPTER  V 

Vernon,  June  2,  1840. 

1WAS  accompanied  to  the  omnibus  which  carries 
the  passengers  from  the  town  up  to  the  station 
at  the  top  of  the  hill  on  the  morning  of  my  de- 
parture from  Madison  by  Mr.  Hicklin  and  Mr. 
Bright,  who  bade  me  farewell  and  gave  me  into  the 
care  of  John  G.  Sering,  who  was  acting  as  Station 
Agent  in  behalf  of  the  state.  The  duties  of  this 
office  require  him  to  be  on  the  train  each  trip,  and 
see  that  all  the  passengers  and  freight  are  duly 
entered  on  the  Way  Bill  and  a  copy  of  the  same  kept 
on  file  for  the  use  of  the  state.  This  bill,  which  Mr. 
Sering  permitted  me  to  examine,  gives  the  pas- 
senger's name,  the  number  of  seats  occupied  by  him 
and  his  family,  if  so  accompanied,  his  extra  baggage, 
his  home,  his  destination,  and  the  sum  paid  for  his 
fare.  Our  passengers  numbered  twelve  on  this  trip, 
stopping  at  various  stations  on  the  route,  and  the 
sum  collected  from  them  was  $7.75. 

I  previously  had  met  several  of  the  gentlemen  on 
the  train,  among  them  Mr.  Cravens  and  Mr.  Sims, 
who  were  making  the  journey  together,  and  they 
showed  themselves  most  agreeable  in  pointing  out 
to  me  various  localities  of  interest  along  the  line  of 
the  railroad.  A  remark  to  Mr.  Cravens  concerning 
my  journey  to  a  new  country  indicated  that  he  con- 
73 


74    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

sidered  tliis  country  no  longer  new  and  he  talked 
to  me  most  interestingly  of  tlie  classes  of  settlers 
who  sought  it  in  earlier  days. 

"There  are  three  classes  in  the  Western  settle- 
ments," said  he,  "which,  like  the  waves  of  the  ocean, 
have  rolled  in  one  after  the  other.  First  comes  the 
pioneer,  who  makes  a  small  clearing  and  builds  a 
rude  cabin  in  the  primeval  forest.  The  next  class 
comes  in,  purchases  the  land  of  the  pioneer,  who 
pushes  on  to  more  distant  primeval  forests,  and  adds 
field  to  field,  builds  roads,  bridges,  schoolhouses  and 
leads  a  plain,  frugal  but  civilized  life. 

' '  The  next  class  is  composed  of  men  of  capital  and 
enterprise,  under  whose  leadership  the  small  village 
rises  to  a  spacious  town  or  city,  adorned  with  sub- 
stantial edifices  of  brick."  This  third  wave,  he  in- 
formed me  in  conclusion,  is  now  sweeping  over  large 
districts  of  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri. 

In  pleasant  conversation  on  topics  connected  with 
the  country  and  political  affairs,  the  time  passed 
very  rapidly,  and  by  noon  I  found  myself  in  Vernon. 
The  approach  of  this  town  is  most  interesting,  as  the 
county,  named  after  Jonathan  Jennings,  the  state's 
first  Governor,  is  traversed  by  creeks,  whose  borders 
are  broken,  the  hills  interspersed  with  rich  alluvial 
valleys  and  high  tablelands  or  "flats." 

The  north  and  west  forks  of  the  Muscattatuck, 
quite  a  large  and  beautiful  stream,  unite  with  the 
south  fork  here  at  Vernon,  curving  like  an  encircling 
arm  around  the  little  village  and  shutting  it  in  on 
three  sides. 

Having  sought  the  tavern  on  my  arrival  and  there 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    75 

procured,  I  must  confess,  an  indifferent  dinner  of 
the  ham,  eggs,  biscuit  and  coffee,  which  seems  to 
be  the  universal  bill  of  fare  at  country  cabin  and 
village  caravansary  in  the  western  country,  I  walked 
about  over  the  town  on  a  voyage  of  discovery. 

Vernon  is  a  post  town  and  seat  of  justice  and  its 
location  on  the  state  road,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  at 
present  a  post  road,  insures  it  an  increasingly  pros- 
perous future/ 

It  was  court  week,  I  learned  from  the  proprietor 
of  the  tavern,  a  time  when  all  the  people,  old  and 
young,  men  and  women,  assemble  at  the  county 
seat.  The  chairs  before  the  tavern  front  were  all 
occupied  by  men  who,  tilted  back  against  the  wall 
under  the  grateful  shadow  of  the  overhanging  bal- 
cony, exchanged  stories  and  viewed  the  changing 
crowd  in  evident  satisfaction.  To  the  hitching  racks 
around  the  Court  House  lawn  were  tied  the  horses 
of  the  country  people,  whose  women,  in  gay  calicoes 
and  flower-wreathed  bonnets,  often  piloting  a  little 
family,  crowded  the  stores.  Farm  products  were 
being  unloaded,  freight  that  had  been  brought  in  on 
the  train,  carried  away  from  the  depot  to  the  various 
mercantile  stores,  in  short,  the  whole  scene  was  one 
of  extreme  liveliness  and  ceaseless  activity. 

The  population  of  the  town  is  now  350, 1  had  been 
told.  Besides  its  large  and  elegant  brick  Court 
House,  whose  lawn  is  shaded  by  tall  forest  trees',  it 
has  a  jail,  a  stray  pound,  and  a  clerk's  office,  two 
taverns,  two  mercantile  stores,  a  carding  machine, 

*  Our  diarist's  prophecies  are  sadly  incorrect  as  regards  the  future 
of  some  of  our  early  towns. — Editor. 


76    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

two  physicians,  one  lawyer,  a  minister,  and  a  num- 
ber of  craftsmen  of  various  trades. 

As  I  liad  been  given  letters  by  some  of  my  Madi- 
son friends  to  Dr.  Ezra  F.  Peabody,  I  now  sought 
him  out  at  his  office,  which  I  found  to  be  situated  on 
the  ground  floor  of  a  small  building  on  the  public 
square,  a  large  room  with  shelves  on  one  side  of 
which  were  ranged  large  glass  jars  with  gilt  labels 
indicating  their  contents,  a  great  mortar  and  pestle 
for  the  pulverizing  and  compounding  of  drugs,  and 
a  pair  of  scales  in  which,  at  the  moment  of  my  en- 
trance, the  doctor  was  engaged  in  weighing  out  a 
quantity  of  quinine.  He  is  of  a  gaunt  figure,  and 
speaks  low,  as  I  learned  later,  and  w^ith  great  slow- 
ness, but  is  full  of  easy  and  interesting  talk. 

''Enter,  sir,  and  be  seated,"  he  said  courteously, 
and  having  perused  my  letter,  **I  am  now  engaged 
in  the  compounding  of  pills  for  the  cure  of  the  ague, 
the  scourge  of  our  new  country.  While  it  is  now 
not  so  severe  as  it  was  at  the  time  of  the  first  settle- 
ment, when  it  was  often  so  malignant  that  as  many 
as  three  or  four  deaths  of  adults  occurred  in  one 
family  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours,  the  long  and 
severe  chills  followed  by  a  burning  fever  still  are 
common  and  are  frequently  more  than  a  match  for 
our  skill.  The  form  which  afflicts  the  settlers  along 
the  Wabash  is  known  as  the  Wabash  ague,  and  is 
the  most  severe  known."  ^ 

As  he  talked,  he  proceeded  with  deft  fingers  to 
pour  the  quinine  on  an  inverted  plate,  mix  it  with 
a  small  quantity  of  molasses  into  a  thick  dough,  with 
the  aid  of  a  spatula,  cut  portions  of  this  into  bits  and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    77 

roll  them  into  pills,  dusting  tliem,  at  the  last,  with 
flour. 

Among  many  other  things  he  told  me  that  the 
towTi  of  Vernon  was  founded  in  1818  by  Col.  John 
Vawter,^  now  an  elderly  man,  to  whose  home,  near 
by,  he  promised  to  take  me  as  he  started  forth  to 
make  his  call.  When  founded,  the  proprietors  made 
a  donation  for  the  benefit  of  the  county,  which  pro- 
duced upwards  of  $5,000,  by  the  avails  of  which  the 
Court  House,  which  I  had  so  much  admired,  was 
erected,  as  well  as  the  stray  pound,  the  jail,  and  the 
clerk's  office,  in  which,  he  told  me  with  pride,  is  a 
library  room  with  near  200  volumes  of  choice  books. 
After  defraying  all  these  expenses,  the  county  still 
has  about  $500  loaned  out  at  interest. 

Col.  Vawter,  he  told  me,  like  all  the  Vawters,  is 
a  peculiar  character,  very  stubborn,  but  good,  honest 
and  dependable.  He  was  once  subpoenaed  as  a  wit- 
ness in  two  cases  in  which  a  well-known  Irish  lawyer 
was  engaged,  in  one,  on  the  side  in  whose  favor  Col. 
Vawter  was  to  testify ;  in  the  other,  on  the  opposite 
side.  In  summing  up  the  first  case,  in  which  Col. 
Vawter  was  his  witness,  the  lawyer  cried  out: 
''And  who  is  this  Col.  John  Vawter?  He  is  the 
marshal  of  the  territory  of  Indiana,  the  founder  of 
Vernon,  and  the  defender  of  the  oppressed."  In 
the  other  case,  the  la"vvyer  thus  apostrophized  him: 

'Col.  John  Vawter,  born  in  1782,  in  Virginia;  moved  to  Madison 
in  1807;  first  magistrate  of  Madison;  sheriff  of  Jefferson  and  Clark 
Counties  in  1810;  United  States  marshal  in  Indian  campaign,  1811- 
1813;  colonel  of  militia  in  county,  1817;  pastor  of  Baptist  Church 
in  Vernon,  1821-1848;  in  Legislature,  1831-1835;  state  Senate,  1836; 
moved  to  Morgantown  in  1848;  died  in  1862. — Editor. 


78    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

''Who  is  this  old  John  Vawter?  He  is  the  hireling 
of  the  United  States  government,  the  nabob  of 
Vernon,  and  a  secrater  of  nagers!" 

The  pills  compounded  and  put  in  the  pill  box, 
which  found  its  place  in  the  saddle  bags,  Dr.  Pea- 
body  flung  these  over  his  arm  and  walked  with  me 
out  on  to  the  square.  As  we  walked  towards  Col. 
Vawter's  house,  he  told  me  two  other  facts  of  great 
interest.  One  was  that  a  large  brick  meeting  house 
had  been  erected  at  a  common  expense,  in  which  the 
several  churches.  Baptist,  Methodist  and  Presby- 
terian, convene,  each  one  according  to  its  appoint- 
ment, the  oldest  having  the  preference;  the  other, 
the  Jennings  County  Academy,  which  was  organized 
in  1824  by  Dr.  Burt,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Lattimore,  W. 
A.  Bullock,  Alanson  Andrews,  the  Rev.  J.  B.  New 
and  Dr.  Peabody,  and  he  pointed  out  to  me  the  two- 
story  brick  building  with  two  rooms  and  an  outside 
stairway.  A  superior  class,  surely,  these  citizens  of 
Vernon,  so  early  to  provide  for  education  by  means 
of  such  a  school  and  a  library ! 

By  good  fortune,  we  found  Col.  Vawter  at  home, 
and  he  received  me  with  the  utmost  cordiality.  As 
he  was  just  preparing  to  ride  out  to  the  home  of 
his  brother,  a  few  miles  from  Vernon,  he  invited  me 
first  to  take  dinner  with  him,  and  then  to  accompany 
him  on  his  journey. 

''There  are  two  different  kinds  of  timber  land 
in  this  county,"  he  informed  me,  as  we  set  forth 
soon  after  dinner.  ''The  flats,  as  we  denominate 
them,  are  covered  with  large  and  tall  timber,  white 
oak,  beech,  gum,  soft  maple,  burr  oak,  hickory,  and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    79 

some  other  varieties,  with  a  thick  undergrowth  in 
many  sections,  interwoven  with  grapevines.  The 
second  is  the  rolling  land,  where  grow  profusely  the 
white  oak,  the  black  oak,  the  beech,  the  sugar  tree, 
the  linden,  the  ash,  the  black  walnut,  the  white  wal- 
nut, the  cherry  and  the  poplar,  with  an  undergrowth, 
on  the  rich  bottoms,  of  pawpaw  and  an  occasional 
large  sassafras.  On  the  bottom  lands  along  the 
streams,  sycamore,  hackberry,  elm  and  buckeye, 
flourish." 

So  he  talked  as  we  rode,  pointing  out  splendid 
specimens  of  the  forest  growth,  and  the  feathered 
denizens  of  the  wood,  as  well,  whose  sweet  song 
smote  the  ear — this  old  man  to  whom  the  wood  was 
an  open  book,  for,  like  his  father  before  him,  when- 
ever he  learned  of  a  new  settlement  being  founded, 
he  visited  it,  and  held  religious  meetings  there,  some- 
times blazing  trees  and  breaking  down  underbrush 
to  mark  his  way  through  the  wilderness. 

On  May  8,  1833,  he  told  me,  there  was  a  killing 
frost,  still  well  remembered,  because  it  had  done 
such  damage  to  the  timber  in  certain  localities.  On 
the  *'west  flats,"  the  beech  grove  was  almost  en- 
tirely destroyed,  and  in  other  places,  the  tops  of  the 
white  oaks  were  killed.  All  the  fruit  was  killed  that 
year  except  a  few  varieties  of  hardy  apples. 

The  prosperity  of  the  region  was  easily  explained, 
he  said.  In  the  rich  alluvial  bottoms,  corn  grew  in 
abundance,  yielding  ample  harvests;  wheat,  oats, 
buckwheat,  hay  and  potatoes  flourished,  and  there 
was  ample  pasture  for  mules,  horses  and  cattle. 
The  fruit  I  could  judge  for  myself,  for  we  passed 


80    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

orchards  of  apple,  peach  and  cherry  trees,  and  the 
borders  of  the  woods  were  full  of  blackberry  vines, 
these  berries,  he  said,  being  unusually  fine  and 
plentiful  in  this  locality. 

A  few  miles  along  the  pleasant  country  road,  and 
we  came  to  the  200-acre  farm  of  William  Vawter, 
who  was  a  preacher  as  well  as  a  farmer.  The  com- 
fortable house  had  a  pleasant  situation  on  a  hillside 
above  the  road,  and  we  spied  the  proprietor  as  we 
approached,  sitting  on  the  porch.  His  old  horse, 
Farmer,  the  colonel  called  him,  stood  at  the 
hitching  block— they  had  evidently  just  returned 
home. 

He  greeted  me  cordially  and  called  his  wife,  who, 
he  said,  was  engaged  in  making  soap,  and  on  my  ex- 
pressing an  interest  in  the  proceeding,  she  took  me 
around  to  the  back  of  the  house,  where  a  young 
woman  was  watching  a  bubbling  mass  in  a  great  iron 
kettle  over  a  fire  of  chunks  of  wood.  Nearby  was 
set  a  box  of  wood  ashes,  and  she  showed  me  how  the 
water  draining  through  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  this 
box  made  the  lye  which,  combined  with  the  waste 
fat  from  the  kitchen,  made  a  soft  soap  for  house- 
hold use,  and  also  a  fine  hard  soap  of  which  she, had 
great  quantities  improving  with  age,  in  the  garret 
of  the  house.  She  pointed  out  to  me  the  flourishing 
orchards,  the  two  fine  springs  with  which  the  place 
was  blessed,  and  her  old  horse,  Fanny.  She  was  a 
woman  of  great  intelligence,  I  soon  discovered,  and, 
what  I  imagine  is  unusual  among  the  women  of  the 
countryside,  a  great  reader.  I  noted  later  some 
books  on  the  table,  among  them  one  of  the  edifying 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    81 

volumes  of  Mrs.  Sigourney,  as  we  went  into  the 
room  to  our  supper. 

For  to  supper  these  hospitable  people  insisted  that 
we  should  stay,  and  we  did  full  justice  to  the  buck- 
wheat cakes  fried  on  a  griddle  over  the  fireplace,  and 
eaten  swimming  in  fresh  butter  and  sirup  made  that 
same  spring  from  the  sugar  trees  in  their  grove. 

As  we  rode  home  slowly  in  the  gathering  twilight 
Col.  Vawter,  who,  by  the  way,  possesses  a  most  en- 
gaging and  persuasive  personality,  broached  a  new 
idea  to  me. 

*'In  a  few  days,'*  said  he,  *'I  am  going  to  start 
on  a  journey,  and  I  should  like  much  to  have  you  for 
a  traveling  companion."  He  then  proceeded  to  tell 
me  that,  being  a  most  enthusiastic  Whig,  he  had  de- 
termined to  attend  a  monster  Whig  meeting  to  be 
held  at  the  place  known  as  the  Battle  Ground,  the 
scene  of  Gen.  Harrison's  great  victory  over  Te- 
cumseh.  This  is  to  be  a  meeting  of  unbelievable 
numbers  and  enthusiasm,  he  assured  me,  and  it 
would  be  the  greatest  of  misfortunes  for  a  visitor 
from  another  state  to  fail  to  see  it. 

When  I  demurred  at  the  distance,  and  mentioned 
the  fact  that  that  point  was  included  in  my  itinerary 
later,  he  waved  this  aside  with  a  ''Pooh!  What,  sir, 
would  the  vacant  Battle  Ground  amount  to,  com- 
pared with  a  sight  of  it  crowded  with  troops  of  men, 
all  followers  of  our  candidate?"  and  with  some  of 
that  ''stubbornness"  which  Dr.  Peabody  had  as- 
sured me  was  a  characteristic  of  the  Vawters,  pro- 
ceeded to  arrange  our  plans  as  though  I  had  already 
consented. 


82    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

*'Tlie  distance  is  nothing,  sir,"  lie  declared.  **I 
could  ride  it  in  a  day,  but,  an  old  preacher,  you 
know" — and  his  eye  twinkled — ''inclines  to  stop  here 
and  there.  It  may  be  a  wedding  he  is  wanted  for, 
or  a  funeral  to  be  preached,  or  some  old  friends 
met  unexpectedly,  so  it  will  be  well  for  us  to  start  in 
time  and  give  ourselves  two  or  three  days  at  the 
farthest. 

"Horseback  will  be  the  better  way,"  he  replied 
to  my  next  question.  "I  think,  sir,  that  I  am  cor- 
rect in  asserting  that  travelers  through  the  interior 
of  our  state  find  that  the  most  convenient,  sure, 
economical  and  independent  mode  of  travel.  Their 
own  convenience  and  pleasure  as  to  time  and  place 
can  always  be  consulted,  and  were  time  alone  to  be 
considered,  we  should  probably  do  better  on  horse- 
back, for  the  statements  of  stage,  steamboat  and 
canal  boat  agents  are  notoriously  uncertain.  More- 
over, even  this  late  in  the  season,  the  stage  coach  is 
like  to  become  mired,  or  overturned,  and,  finally,  'tis 
a  hopeless  task  to  undertake  to  convince  an  old 
preacher  against  his  will!  And  I  myself  can  and 
will  provide  you,  my  dear  young  sir,  with  a  most 
excellent  beast." 

Col.  Vawter  then  proceeded  to  tell  me  for  how 
long  a  time  he  had  been  a  staunch  Whig  and  follower 
of  Harrison.  When  Gen.  Harrison  was  nominated 
for  the  presidency  in  1835,  Col.  Vawter  called  one  of 
the  very  first  meetings  in  the  interest  of  his  candi- 
dacy at  Vernon.     And  the  reason  for  this  is  worthy 

tL'^'^li  k\Z  ''^^^^'"'^  ^^'^^  '^  ''  ^«t  known  in 
the  East,  that  Clay  never  received  the  support  of 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    83 

the  church  people  of  Indiana,  the  Quakers,  Baptists, 
Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  as  they  all,  and 
especially  the  preachers  of  these  sects,  were  con- 
tinually finding  fault  with  his  drunkenness,  his 
gambling,  his  profanity  and  other  immoralities  with 
which  he  was  charged.  They  charged  that  in  every 
question  that  arose  during  that  quarter  of  a  century, 
Clay  threw  the  weight  of  his  influence  against  good 
morals,  and  from  him  and  such  other  characters  as 
Van  Buren,  Webster  and  Buchanan,  these  church 
folk  turned  to  look  with  hope  to  Gen.  Harrison. 

This,  then,  explained  to  me  this  old  minister's  en- 
thusiasm. At  the  convention  held  in  Indianapolis 
on  Dec.  14,  1835,  he  had  called  the  convention  to 
order,  giving  it  over  then  to  a  Mr.  Clark,  a  relative 
of  the  great  George  Rogers  Clark.^ 

From  that  time,  as  this  convention.  Col.  Vawter 
assured  me,  was  really  a  reunion  of  the  veterans  of 
Tippecanoe,  the  feeling  waxed  warmer  and  warmer, 
several  papers  carrying  from  1835  to  1840  as  a 
motto  the  words,  *' Uncompromising  Hostility  to  the 
Re-election  of  Martin  Van  Buren. ' ' 

By  the  time  we  reached  Vernon  I  had  decided  in 
my  mind  what  he  had  already  taken  for  granted, 
that  I  would  be  his  traveling  companion  on  this 
journey.  I  was,  he  declared,  to  remain  in  the  town 
several  days  as  his  guest,  and  then  go  with  him  to 
Battle  Ground,  leaving  my  baggage  behind  me  at 
his  home.  I  will  confess  that  these  days  were  in- 
finitely delightful.  At  various  times  I  rode  in  the 
country  with  Col.  Vawter,  viewing  the  farm  lands 

^Marston  G.  Clark.— Editor. 


84    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  inquiring  as  to  their  values,  on  one  of  these 
occasions  meeting  Mr.  Allen  Campbell,  who  had  oc- 
cupied a  farm  near  Vernon  since  1817.  In  the  town 
I  made  the  acquaintance,  among  others,  of  Thomas 
J.  Storey,  who  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  who  had 
come  to  Vernon  as  a  house  builder  in  1820;  Mr. 
Smith  Vawter,  owner  of  one  of  the  mercantile  stores, 
a  peculiar  and  most  interesting  character;  John 
Walker,  the  recorder  of  the  county;  Simeon  Robin- 
son, who  was  a  notary  public;  Mr.  Baldwin,  a  mer- 
chant, and  a  most  interesting  young  man,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church,  so  he  told  me;  Hick- 
man New,  a  cabinet  maker,  whose  father,  Jethro 
New,  had  come  here  from  Delaware,  through  Ken- 
tucky, in  1822.  Another  gentleman  of  the  same 
name,  of  whom  I  heard  much,  was  the  Rev.  John  B. 
New,  a  highly  esteemed  minister  of  the  Christian 
Church,  who  had  left  Vernon  only  last  year. 

I  spent  some  time  roaming  over  the  beautiful  hills 
about  the  town  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Mus- 
cattatuck,  whose  most  picturesque  spot  I  found  to 
be  the  Tunnel  Mills,  a  place  of  great  natural  beauty, 
where  the  hill  is  tunneled  through  in  order  to  lead 
water  through  from  the  Muscattatuck  to  provide  mo- 
tive power  for  the  stone  mill  on  the  other  side,  a 
tall  and  most  imposing  structure.  This  and  the 
graveyard,  a  peaceful  spot  on  a  hillside  overlooking 
the  Muscattatuck,  whose  graves,  overrun  with 
myrtle  and  shaded  by  trees,  dark  against  the  west- 
ern sky,  presented  a  picture  on  which  I  was  never 
tired  of  looking.  After  an  excursion  such  as  this, 
.the  words  of  the  poet  Horace  constantly  recurred 


THE  TUNNEL  MILL  AT  VERNON 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    85 

to  me,  when  I  thought  of  the  town  of  Vernon,  "Ule 
terrarum  mihi  praeter  omnes  angulus  ridet."* 

''This  little  corner  of  the  earth  pleases  me  beyond 
all  others." 

In  this  graveyard  I  found  the  graves  of  two 
soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  born  in  Virginia. 

I  shall  take  neither  the  time  nor  the  space  to 
record  in  detail  our  journey  to  Battle  Ground,  for 
some  of  my  steps  I  shall  retrace  later.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  we  passed  through  the  town  of  Shelbyville 
and  Indianapolis,  the  capital  of  the  state,  over  a 
road  known  as  the  Michigan  Road,  on  which  we  con- 
tinued to  travel  for  some  little  time  after  leaving  the 
latter  city.^ 

I  regretted  much  not  being  able  to  see  this  city, 
but,  arriving  there  after  dark,  we  stayed  the  night 
at  a  farm  house  on  the  outskirts  and  left  at  day- 
break the  next  morning.  However,  my  regret  was 
tempered  by  the  thought  that  this  city  was  included 
in  my  itinerary  and  that  I  had  planned  a  stay  there 
of  some  days,  later  on. 

I  found  Col.  Vawter  a  most  entertaining  com- 
panion, a  man  of  great  energy  of  mind,  very  explicit 
in  his  views,  of  much  humor  and  excellent  common 
sense.  As  he  prophesied,  we  did  indeed  tarry  by  the 
wayside  in  the  early  part  of  our  journey,  for  thia 
and  for  that.    We  stopped  at  country  inn  and  cabin, 

*Our  diarist  evidently  had  a  gentleman's  knowledge  of  Latin. — 
Editor. 

*  It  i8  a  matter  of  regret  that  Mr.  Parsons  failed  to  set  down 
this  route.  He  might  have  taken  one  of  several.  It  is  highly 
probable  that  Col.  Vawter  chose  the  more  often  used  road  through 
the  northern  part  of  Boone  County  and  through  Crawfordaville. — 
Editor. 


86    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

sometimes  with  good,  sometimes  with  bad  fare  and 
lodgment,  and  at  the  end  of  our  journey,  my  aged 
companion,  inured  to  the  hardships  of  backwoods' 
travel,  showed,  to  my  shame,  far  less  fatigue  than 
did  I.  As  for  the  rain  which  fell,  almost  continu- 
ously, that  only  gave  him  food  for  exposition  on  the 
greater  safety  in  horseback  travel  over  the  stage 
coach,  in  such  weather. 

His  spirit  was  shared  by  the  multitudes  who 
joined  us  at  Indianapolis  and  farther  along  the  way. 
Thousands  of  them  there  were,  some  on  horseback, 
some  on  foot,  those  from  Indianapolis  carrying  a 
splendid  banner  presented  them,  on  leaving,  by  the 
ladies  of  that  city.  Some  who  joined  us  were  in 
wagons,  in  huge  log  cabins  mounted  on  wheels,  in 
long  canoes  painted  and  decorated  with  party  em- 
blems. One  group  was  preceded  by  a  full  rigged 
ship,  the  Constitution,  drawn  by  six  white  horses. 

Among  the  men,  so  Col.  Vawter  told  me,  were 
revolutionary  soldiers,  heroes  of  Fort  Meigs,  sur- 
vivors of  Tippecanoe.  And  it  was  my  good  fortune 
to  hear  some  of  these  last  named  describe  the  battle 
—the  attack,  in  the  darkness  that  is  greatest  just  be- 
fore the  dawn,  the  heavy  firing,  the  loud  voice  of  the 
Prophet  urging  on  his  men,  the  charge,  the  repulse 
of  the  enemy,  their  flight— the  pursuit  and  the  burn- 
ing of  the  Prophet's  town— as  I  heard  these  stories 
from  the  lips  of  the  heroes,  my  heart  thrilled  and  I, 
too  caught  the  fire  of  enthusiasm  for  their  cherished 
leader ! 

Arriving  finally  at  the  battle  ground,  we  sought 
the  elevated  point  of  woodland  said  to  have  been  the 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    87 

site  of  Gen.  Harrison's  headquarters  twenty-nine 
years  before,  and  discovered  the  whole  woods  and 
the  lower  level  of  the  prairie  for  a  long  distance  to 
be  filled  w^itli  tents,  wagons,  flags,  banners  and 
streamers,  in  the  midst  of  which  lay  the  plat  of 
ground  encircled  by  a  board  fence,  where  rest  the 
bodies  of  those  who  fell  in  the  great  battle. 

Among  the  countless  attractions,  the  barbecue  had 
for  me  the  greatest  interest.  In  one  great  trench 
were  cooking  whole  carcasses  of  shoats,  sheep  and 
oxen,  dressed  and  spitted,  with  carvers  continually 
cutting  and  serving  with  their  long  sharp  knives. 
In  another  trench,  burgoo,  a  rich  and  well-seasoned 
soup  of  many  ingredients,  was  boiling  over  a  slow 
fire.  Three  tables,  each  100  yards  long,  were 
heaped  with  the  food,  and  with  corn  and  wheaten 
rolls,  all  this  bounteous  supply  free  to  all  who 
came,  and,  again  and  again,  the  table  company  was 
changed  and  the  supply  renewed  until  at  last  all 
were  filled. 

Then,  and  not  until  then,  did  my  friend  Col. 
Vawter  mount  the  platform,  and  with  his  great 
voice,  rich  and  full,  call  the  multitude  together  and 
invoke  the  blessings  of  the  Lord  upon  them,  intrust- 
ing the  meeting  then  to  Gen.  Jonathan  McCarthy. 
Col.  Vawter  had  already  told  me  on  our  journey  the 
story  of  Spier  Spencer  and  his  Yellow  Jackets  and 
when  I  saw  the  procession  of  the  heroes  of  Tippe- 
canoe who,  clustered  together,  came  forward  at  this 
moment  to  the  speakers'  stand  under  the  tattered 
banner  of  that  fallen  hero  brought  hither  for  this 
purpose,  the  tears  sprang  to  my  eyes. 


88    A  TOUR  THROUaH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

There  were  many  speeches  at  this  meeting,  and 
much  singing,  but  more  than  the  rounded  periods  of 
Mr.  Brooks  and  the  other  orators  of  the  day,  was 
the  sight  of  the  people,  from  Michigan,  Ohio,  Illinois 
and  Kentucky,  who  had  traveled  through  mud  and 
rain  so  long  a  distance  to  show  their  allegiance  to 
the  hero  of  the  West ! 

As  we  rode  homeward,  more  rapidly  this  time, 
our  talk  was  all  of  the  Whitewater  Valley,  toward 
which  I  would  next  turn  my  steps. 


m  THi  unm  mmm 


Ever  If  mati  to  his  teni!^^ 


TO  THE  ^  BOYS  OF 


Are  lo  meet  upon  tlir  R  \  PTl  L  Uf  f  I)  Ol     J  IPPE(  A^OE  on  tht 

29TH  OF    MAY, 

To  welcome  the  Old  Soldiers  once  more  to  that  scent- of  sflory,  where  everlasting  benefitB 
were  wrouglit  in  blood  for  Indiana? 

■oiin.',  thp  p^r  and  pooror.  (none  can  say  rich  now.)  are  already  providing  Iheir  "br«ad  and 
n.  I     Do  V  ou  knuw   tKst  thai  one  Ihine  «  hich  ftw  havo  in  theie  Snb-Tri-nstiry  liro«.  will  not 


>  will  once  more  eDlist  undtir  thebaaoer  of  bim  who  is  b«'io*cd  br  his  old  no 

■,  became  be  is  lilerallj '  one  of  q»— one  of  the  People— one  who  tills  his  own  land— one  posMiwed  ol  tnw 
-  parting  nitb  (he  brsToliUle  hand  who  fougbt 


»  old  iwldicrs,  and  despised liy  lAe 


^polkd  b."     Socb  is  tbe^an.  such  Ibc  daj  and  occaston  Tor  which  we  meet  to£ 
ll6jttboi»OBlh«tdajT 


rippecanoc  Battk  FwM.     Who 


ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  TIPPECANOE  RALLY,    1840 
From  the  original  in  the  Indiana  State  Library 


CHAPTER  VI 

Brookville,  June  6,  1840. 

1WAS  sufficiently  weary  from  my  long  horseback 
ride  to  welcome  the  information  that  I  could  go 
by  stage  coach  from  Vernon  to  Greensburg  and 
thence  to  Brookville,  even  though,  as  Col.  Vawter 
warned  me,  the  vehicle  was  built  more  for  hard 
usage  than  for  comfort,  and  that  the  roads  were 
frequently  corduroy.  That  term  at  the  time,  hap- 
pily, meant  little  to  me,  for  we  have  few  in  Virginia, 
and  I  have  traveled  over  them  only  on  horseback  in 
this  state.  The  ** corduroy,"  I  knew,  is  the  settler's 
way  of  making  the  mudhole  passable.  Ten-foot 
rails  are  made  of  good  timber,  oak  or  ash,  split  wide 
and  laid  close  together  across  the  grade  with  a  little 
soil  thrown  on  the  rails  to  level  up  and  hold  them  in 
place.  Sometimes  a  full  half  mile  of  swampy  road 
is  corduroyed,  and  I  was  soon  to  learn  the  sensation, 
first  of  rapid  travel  along  a  comparatively  smooth 
stretch  of  level  upland,  a  swift  descent  of  a  steep 
hillside,  then  the  indescribable  bump,  bump,  bump 
of  the  vehicle  as  the  wheels  leap  jarringly  from  one 
log  to  the  next.  Infinitely  better  than  being  mired, 
no  doubt,  but  I  doubted  many  times  on  this  journey, 
whether  it  had  not  been  wiser  to  keep  to  the  horse, 
for  the  roughest  traveler  I  have  ever  bestrode  has 


90    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

never  given  me  such  a  shaking  and  drubbing  as  I 
received  on  this  stage  coach  journey. 

However,  there  is  always  some  good  to  offset  the 
ill,  as  I  long  ago  learned  from  my  favorite  Robinson 
Crusoe,  and  on  the  stage  coach  I  found  several  inter- 
esting companions  and  learned  much  of  the  customs 
of  the  country. 

One  sight  that  greatly  astonished  me,  but  which, 
I  was  assured,  was  not  an  uncommon  one,  was  a 
large  drove  of  hogs  that  was  being  driven  to  the 
Cincinnati  market.  As  I  had  already  seen  these 
great  pork-packing  establishments  in  Cincinnati,  I 
was  doubly  interested  in  this,  and  was  amazed  when, 
in  the  distance,  I  heard  the  sound  of  the  approach- 
ing army  of  porkers.  Later,  as  we  were  drawn  up 
at  an  inn,  I  saw  them  pass  by  along  the  road.  The 
word  '^army"  rightly  describes  them,  for  there  were 
from  two  to  three  thousand  in  a  drove,  and  ten  days 
or  two  weeks  are  required  to  drive  them  from  this 
part  of  the  country  to  Cincinnati,  according  to  the 
conditions  of  the  roads. 

Falling  into  a  conversation  with  a  gentleman  of 
much  dignity  of  carriage  and  intelligence  of  conver- 
sation who  I  learned  presently  was  Mr.  Abram  T* 
Hendricks,^  a  graduate  of  Hanover  College,  whicli 
I  had  so  lately  visited,  and  at  the  present  time  the 
prmcipal  of  the  Greensburg  Academy,  I  was  given 
much  mformation  by  him  concerning  this  "hos 
army." 

The  weighing  of  them  is  a  very  slow  and  tedious 

».  \?^  "fS.^'^""  ^'■-  Hendricks  entered  the  ministry      He  was  a 
brother  of  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  Vice-President  of  the  LitS  S^es 


TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    91 

process.  One  hog  is  caught  at  a  time,  and  put  into 
a  pair  of  harness  breeching,  with  steelyards  hooked 
into  the  big  rings,  and  a  lever  attached  to  the  steel- 
yards to  hoist  the  hog  to  be  weighed.  This  process 
is  so  tedious  that  many  times  whole  droves  are 
''guessed  off"  without  weighing.  A  good  wagon 
and  team  are  always  taken  with  the  drove  to  haul 
such  hogs  as  may  "give  out,"  as  they  say,  on  the 
road.  The  drove,  as  I  observed  for  myself,  extends 
quite  a  distance,  the  best  travelers  in  front,  which 
sometimes  have  to  be  held  back,  and  the  slow  trav- 
elers and  ''heavies,"  as  he  expressed  it,  in  the  rear, 
with  a  man  at  intervals,  to  keep  them  in  bunches. 
Some  of  these  hogs,  he  said,  are  dangerous,  wild 
fellows. 

Much  cider  is  made  in  this  country,  Mr.  Hendricks 
informed  me,  so  there  has  been  no  scarcity  for  the 
"Hard  Cider  Campaign,"  a  campaign  he  inter- 
jected, "in  which  intemperance  has  become  the 
badge  of  a  political  party."  I  had  become  very 
familiar  with  the  barrels ;  now  I  was  to  have  pointed 
out  to  me  the  cider  presses.  Many  of  the  farmers 
have  their  own  crude  presses,  just  as  we  have  in 
Virginia,  a  kind  of  lever  press,  the  apples  being 
pounded  or  crushed  with  a  wooden  pestle  or  maul, 
and  the  cider  pressed  out;  but  at  one  of  our  stop- 
ping places,  a  poor  house,  and  poor  fare  be  it  said, 
was  a  cider  mill  and  press,  to  which  many  farmers 
came  with  their  apples,  themselves  doing  the  work, 
and  paying  the  mill  owner  10  cents  per  barrel  for 
the  use  of  the  mill  and  the  press.  As  cider  is  an 
essential  ingredient  of  the  popular  "apple  butter," 


92    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

as  the  only  vinegar  to  be  procured  is  formed  from 
tlie  hard  cider,  and  as  every  one  drinks  sweet  cider, 
the  cider  mill  is  a  most  important  institution. 

While  we  waited,  I  examined  this  mill  with  some 
curiosity.  It  has  wooden  rollers,  about  twelve  inches 
in  diameter  and  eighteen  inches  long,  with  large 
grooves  cut  in  them  which  fit  into  each  other  like 
big  cog  wheels.  A  crooked  pole  makes  the  * ' sweep," 
the  small  end  of  which  is  fastened  to  the  horse.  A 
hopper  to  put  the  apples  in  is  fastened  on  the  front 
part  of  the  mill,  so  they  fall  into  the  cogs  of  the 
rollers  as  they  turn  around.  A  five  or  six-barrel 
poplar  trough  is  placed  under  the  rollers  to  catch 
the  pomace.  The  heavy  beams  and  posts  are  made 
of  oak,  and  my  attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that 
in  this  mill  there  is  a  great  wooden  screw,  twelve 
feet  long  and  six  inches  in  diameter,  eight  feet  of 
which  has  an  inch  thread  cut  in  it,  made  of  black 
gum,  the  first  ever  made  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

After  the  apples  have  been  ground,  they  are 
placed  in  a  hoop,  lined  with  clean,  dampened  wheat 
straw  and  these  hoops,  like  cheeses,  are  put  in  the 
press,  the  weight  applied  by  means  of  the  screw. 
On  hot  days,  said  Mr.  Hendricks,  bees  and  yellow 
jackets  are  a  terror  to  the  cider  maker,  as  they 
swarm  about  the  press  to  get  the  cider. 

I  was  much  entertained,  as  we  rode,  by  a  queer 
character  who  very  soon  entered  into  conversation 
with  me,  choosing  me,  I  confess,  because  he  sat  fac- 
ing me,  and  conversation  seemed  a  necessity  with 
him.  He  was  a  minister,  I  was  soon  to  learn,  of 
the  Universalist  denomination,  but  of  an  altogether 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    93 

different  type  from  the  gentleman  I  had  met  on 
the  boat,  and  by  whose  conversation  I  had  been  so 
greatly  edified.  This  gentleman  was  stout  and 
slightly  bald ;  his  stock  was  awry ;  his  clothes  in  need 
of  brushing;  he  talked  in  a  loud  complaining  voice, 
his  theme  partly  the  merits  of  a  Brother  Moore 
whom  he  had  recently  heard  discourse,  and' partly 
his  disappointment  over  a  journey  he  had  recently 
taken  into  Illinois.  Brother  Moore,  he  informed  us, 
*4s  one  of  the  brightest  stars  in  the  firmament  of 
our  race,  and  will  soon  throw  the  coruscant  beauties 
of  an  intelligent  mind  upon  the  visions  of  listening 
multitudes.  He  is  about  21  years  old,"  he  continued 
so  persistently  that  any  other  conversation  was  im- 
possible, "of  wealthy  and  highly  respectable  parent- 
age, and  is  now  under  the  educational  care  of  the 
learned,  pious,  and  devoted  E.  S.  Wiley." 

We  had  but  left  the  miserable  dinner  at  a  more 
miserable  inn,  when  this  minister  burst  forth  upon 
the  fondness  of  many  preachers  for  food.  **What 
goeth  into  the  mouths  of  too  many  of  our  preach- 
ers," he  exclaimed,  **are  the  things  which  defile  the 
man;  for  some  are  such  huge  eaters  that  they  are 
continually  laboring  under  dyspepsias  and  other  dis- 
eases of  a  melancholic  and  hypochondriacal  nature. 
If  they  would  add  to  their  faith  a  little  more  temper- 
ance, they  would  become  healthier  men,  better 
preachers  and  be  less  plagued  with  gloom  and  de- 
spondence of  mind.  Show  me  a  man  who  crowds 
into  the  narrow  confines  of  a  small  stomach  a  little 
of  everything  (and  some  are  in  the  habit  of  filling 
themselves  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe), 


94    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

pork,  beef,  fowl,  fish,  potatoes,  milk,  tea,  coffee,  rice, 
etc.,  and  I  will  show  you  one  whose  habits  will  inev- 
itably engender  disease,  becloud  and  obscure  his 
mind,  and  render  him  unfit  for  strong  mental  exer- 
cises. We  seldom  see  hearty  eaters  of  pork  rise  to 
eminence  in  anything  but  muscular  force." 

As  I  had  observed,  at  the  miserable  tavern  at 
which  he  had  just  dined,  that  this  worthy  man  had 
partaken  largely  of  the  fried  pickled  pork,  the  greasy 
potatoes  and  the  wretched  coffee,  I  could  not  forbear 
a  smile,  which  he  failed  to  observe  because  of  his 
self-absorption.  He  continued  to  dwell  on  his  trou- 
bles, no  doubt  enhanced  by  this  time  by  the  weight 
of  the  pork,  and  to  recite  at  length  the  story  of  his 
journey  into  Illinois  to  hold  a  meeting,  which  he  said 
*'was  completely  blotted  out"  by  the  appearance  in 
the  town,  on  that  same  day,  of  one  of  the  candidates 
for  the  United  States  presidency.  *'He,  with  his 
attendants,"  said  he  spitefully,  ''were  so  much  more 
popular  with  the  people  of  Fairfield  than  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  apostles  that  the  latter  did  not  once 
seem  to  be  thought  of  by  either  saint  or  sinner!" 

*'What  manner  of  man  was  he,  brother?"  in- 
quired a  little  man  in  a  corner,  a  new  passenger. 

*'He  was,  indeed,  a  very  genteel  looking  old  gen- 
tleman," admitted  the  minister  reluctantly,  ''appar- 
ently about  three  score  and  ten,  tall  and  slender  and 
plainly  appareled.  I  made  no  inquiry  as  to  his 
name,  but  the  presumption  is  that  it  was  either  Mar- 
tin Van  Buren  or  William  Henry  Harrison. ' ' 

"The  latter,"  said  the  little  man  blandly,  "for 
Martin  Van  Buren,  thinks  I,  can  not  leave  his  golden 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    95 

spoons  and  his  silken  damask  long  enough  to  come 
out  among  us  of  the  West." 

*'Be  that  as  it  may,"  replied  the  preacher.  ''I 
saw  nothing  but  a  man,  and  could  not  divine  why 
so  great  a  stir  was  made  because  a  fellow  man  was 
passing.  My  meeting  was  completely  blotted  out. 
I  had  a  similar  experience  in  Dayton,  where  I  had 
an  appointment  at  candlelight.  Forty  or  fifty  thou- 
sand people  on  the  street,  all  gaping  to  hear  political 
speeches — the  streets  filled  with  an  almost  impass- 
able electioneering  apparatus — I  did  not  even  stop, 
but  returned  home  to  remain  until  this  madness  is 
over. ' ' 

He  lapsed  into  silence,  and  presently  Mr.  Hen- 
dricks called  my  attention  to  some  of  the  scenes  we 
were  passing.  This  county,  he  told  me,  was  named 
for  the  gallant  Commodore  Decatur,  and  was  organ- 
ized in  1821.  There  are  no  barrens  or  prairie  lands 
in  the  county ;  the  face  of  the  country  is  mostly  level 
with  gentle  undulations,  though  on  some  of  the 
streams  it  is  hilly.  The  bottoms  are  rich,  though 
small;  the  soil  of  the  uplands  is  generally  a  rich 
black  loam,  and  the  timber  consists  principally  of 
ash,  poplar,  walnut,  sugar  tree,  oak  and  beech. 

Greensburg,  at  which  I  left  the  coach,  remaining 
there  over  night,  as  the  coach  for  Brookville  was 
not  to  depart  till  the  morrow,  is  a  post  town  and  seat 
of  justice,  situated  on  the  Michigan  Road.  The 
town  is  flourishing,  and  the  inhabitants  of  both  town 
and  country  are  very  industrious;  the  dwelling 
houses,  I  noted,  are  generally  of  brick  and  of  con- 
siderable size. 


96    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

I  spent  some  time  in  walking  about  the  town  with 
Mr.  Hendricks,  who  took  me  first  to  the  scene  of 
his  labors,  the  seminary,  a  large,  square  two-story 
brick  structure  with  a  brick  cupola  and  large  grounds 
surrounding  it.     The  seminary  was  erected  in  1834. 

Mr.  Hendricks  introduced  me  to  several  of  the 
leading  citizens,  among  them  Mr.  Henry  T.  Talbott, 
a  young  Virginian  who  is  filling  the  offices  of  clerk, 
auditor  and  recorder  and  whose  mother-in-law,  Mrs. 
Hendricks,  had  asked  to  have  the  town  named — as 
it  was — after  her  home  in  Pennsylvania ;  Mr.  James 
Morgan,  at  this  time  state  senator  from  this  county ; 
Mr,  Wyatt  Henderson,  the  sheriff,  and  Mr.  Andrew 
Davison,  a  learned  technical  lawyer,  so  says  Mr. 
Hendricks,  who  has  no  superior  at  the  bar  as  a 
pleader.  He  is  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  and  in 
1825,  while  taking  a  horseback  journey  through  the 
Western  country  for  his  health,  he  stopped  at 
Greensburg  perforce  because  his  horse  dropped  dead 
at  this  place,  and  liking  it  well,  he  has  here  remained, 
marrying  the  daughter  of  Judge  Test.  I  also  met 
Mr.  Ezra  Lathrop,  a  very  successful  business  man; 
Dr.  "William  Amington,  a  native  of  New  York,  who 
had  first  located  in  Switzerland  County  and  had  only 
this  year  come  to  Greensburg,  and  many  others 
whose  names  have  slipped  my  memory. 

When  bidding  farewell  to  Mr.  Hendricks,  who 
courteously  accompanied  me  to  the  coach  on  my  de- 
parture, I  discovered  again  my  traveling  companion, 
the  Universalist  minister.  He  was  not  going  on  to 
Brookville,  but  remembering  that  I  had  said  I  was 
to  depart  on  this  day,  he  had  come  to  the  tavern 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    97 

yard  to  tell  me  of  a  great  religious  debate  which  was 
to  be  held  in  a  grove  near  Brookville  the  next  day, 
lasting  two  days,  in  which  one  of  the  speakers  is  to 
be  Brother  Winans,  who,  he  assures  me,  always  ''ut- 
ters a  good  discourse,"  and  ''Jim  Johnson,  a  son 
of  Methodism,"  who,  he  said,  "thinks  that  my  head 
ought  to  be  amputated,"  the  subject  to  be:  "Was 
baptism  preceded  by  faith  and  repentance,  appointed 
by  divine  authority,  in  order  to  obtain  the  remission 
of  sins  and  induction  into  the  Christian  kingdom?" 

The  debate,  he  assured  me,  would  be  well  worth 
hearing,  and  I  agreed  with  him  that  this  was  doubt- 
less true.  I  had  decided,  however,  to  attend,  in- 
stead, a  political  meeting  of  which  Mr.  Hendricks 
had  told  me,  at  which  the  speaker  is  to  be  Robert 
Dale  Owen  of  the  New  Harmony  settlement,  an- 
nounced to  be  one  of  the  best  of  the  Democratic 
speakers. 

We  were  ere  long  over  the  county  line,  I  was  in- 
formed by  my  fellow  travelers,  and  into  the  county 
of  Franklin,  a  county  of  rolling  and  broken  hills 
watered  by  the  beautiful  Whitewater  River,  formed 
at  Brookville  by  the  union  of  the  east  fork  and  the 
west  fork,  this  part  of  the  state  being  known  as  the 
Whitewater  district.  A  gentle  summer  rain  had 
been  descending  since  daybreak,  and  as  we  entered 
the  spurs  of  the  great  hills  among  which,  I  was  told, 
Brookville  is  situated,  I  thought  mine  eyes  had  ne'er 
been  privileged  to  rest  upon  a  more  beautiful  scene. 
Occasionally  we  passed  a  gentle  slope  set  with  the 
graceful  beech;  the  hills,  clad  in  trees  of  varying 
shades  of  green,  towered  high,  their  tops  veiled  in 


98    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

mist.  Between  the  rifts  in  the  hills  gushed  little 
streams;  in  every  hollow  a  pool  rested,  the  hue  of 
emerald  from  the  o'erhanging  trees.  The  whole 
landscape  was  emerald  veiled  in  silvery  mist. 

Then,  toward  noon,  the  clouds  were  swept  away 
by  a  brisk  breeze,  and  the  warm  June  sun  shone 
forth.  Briskly  our  horses  mounted  the  hills,  tow- 
ering more  and  more  grandly  toward  the  skies,  and 
we  came  at  last  upon  serene  Brookville,  surrounded 
by  her  amphitheater  of  hills,  a  little  town  of  won- 
drous charm,  and  beautiful  in  her  robe  of  summer 
green,  plentifully  besprinkled  with  the  pink  of  the 
wild  rose. 

Here  I  have  tarried  for  several  days,  making  my 
headquarters  at  the  Yellow  Tavern,  an  inn  built  in 
early  days  by  James  Knight.  It  is  not,  perhaps, 
the  best  caravansary  in  the  village,  but  I  chose  it, 
I  confess,  for  somewhat  sentimental  reasons.  Here, 
I  am  told,  in  the  early  days,  assembled  such  famous 
men  as  George  Rogers  Clark,  Simon  Kenton,  and 
Daniel  Boone.  Here  has  come,  many  times.  Gen. 
Harrison.  'Twas  within  these  walls,  my  host  as- 
sured me,  that  this  leader  planned  the  Tippecanoe 
campaign.  To-day,  it  is  a  favorite  meeting  place 
for  both  Whigs  and  Democrats,  and  it  is  my  expecta- 
tion to  derive  much  entertainment  from  such  sources 
in  the  few  days  I  tarry  here. 

The  town  of  Brookville,  I  have  learned,  has  in  its 
brief  life  known  both  growth  and  decline.  Founded 
in  1808,  it  experienced  its  most  flourishing  period  in 
1820,  when  the  lands  in  the  interior  as  far  north  as 
the  Wabash  River  were  thrown  open  and  the  Land 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    99 

Office  established  in  this  town.  All  purchasers,  of 
necessity,  visited  the  town  -and  it  consequently  grew 
and  flourished.  The  men  who  were  drawn  there 
made  of  it  a  seat  of  culture,  and  many  of  the  state 's 
prominent  public  men  dwelt  here.  Then  the  Land 
Office  was  moved  to  Indianapolis,  a  town,  it  was  said, 
set  in  the  wilderness  and  *' surrounded  by  a  bound- 
less contiguity  of  shade." 

Then  evil  days  fell  upon  Brookville,  business 
languished,  houses  fell  vacant,  and  so  it  stood, 
lapsing  into  decay  until  1833,  when  with  the  passing 
of  the  internal  improvement  act,  and  in  1836,  the  act 
providing  for  the  construction  of  the  Whitewater 
Canal,  it  experienced  new  life.  I  have  already 
recorded  Mr.  Dunn's  story  of  the  celebration  at 
Brookville  on  the  day  of  the  letting  of  the  contracts. 
At  this  time,  the  town  being  a  point  of  shipment,  and 
also  a  receiving  place  for  supplies,  it  is  flourishing, 
and  the  people  are  now  looking  forward  to  a  canal 
between  Richmond  and  Brookville,  the  project  hav- 
ing been  under  way  since  1837  and  some  excavations 
for  which  have  already  been  made.^ 

On  my  visit  to  Joseph  Eggleston  at  Vevay  he  had 
given  me  a  letter  to  his  brother.  Judge  Miles  C. 
Eggleston  of  Brookville,  and  as  soon  as  possible 
after  arriving  in  Brookville  I  hastened  to  present  it 
to  that  gentleman,  who  had  been  appointed  presi- 

•  Our  diarist  is  probably  wrong  here.  In  an  article  on  this  canal 
in  the  Indiana  Magazine  of  History  in  1905  James  M.  Miller  says: 
"The  lettings  took  place  as  advertised,  except  Section  52,  near  Brook- 
ville, which,  owing  to  heavy  excavations,  was  not  let.  I  can  not 
learn  of  any  work  done  near  Brookville,  but  on  Section  40,  near 
Fairfield,  the  contractors  excavated  about  one  and  one-half  miles 
of  the  canal  down  the  east  side  of  the  river." — Editor. 


100    A  TOUR  THROUaH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

dent  judge  of  the  Third  Judicial  District  at  the 
organization  of  the  state  government  and  had  held 
the  office  for  over  twenty-one  years.  As  I  have 
said  before,  he  and  his  brother  are  Virginians, 
liberally  educated,  and  I  was  told  that  he  is  most 
eminently  fitted  for  his  position.  I  found  Judge 
Eggleston  a  good-looking  gentleman,  rather  below 
the  middle  size,  with  a  finely  shaped  head,  and  ex- 
ceedingly well  dressed.  He  received  me  with  the 
utmost  cordiality,  and  on  learning  that  my  stay  was 
to  be  brief,  iimnediately  took  me  for  a  stroll  about 
the  toAvn  and  invited  me  to  his  house  that  evening 
for  tea.  I  found  him  excellent  company  and  a  man 
who,  though  of  great  dignity,  enjoys  much  the  telling 
of  a  good  story.  From  him  perhaps  more  than  from 
any  other  did  I  learn  the  story  of  the  growth  of  this 
state. 

One  of  the  first  places  to  which  Judge  Eggleston 
took  me  was  the  brick  Court  House,  a  square  build- 
ing in  the  center  of  which  runs  up  a  cupola,  on  the 
top  of  which  is  a  carved  eagle  with  spreading  wings, 
and  within,  a  triangle,  used  for  a  bell,  by  striking 
on  its  base  with  a  hammer.  The  bar,  on  the  ground 
floor,  is  in  two  parts,  the  inside  for  the  lawyers ;  the 
outside,  paved  with  brick,  for  the  people,  who  come 
to  hear  the  lawyers  plead.  The  judge's  bench  is  on 
the  west  side,  nearly  to  the  ceiling. 

As  we  strolled  about  the  town,  conversing  on 
many  subjects,  for  he  had  many  inquiries  to  make 
about  Virginia,  and  I,  in  turn,  was  anxious  to  know 
many  things  about  this  new  state,  he  pointed  out  to 
me,  in  the  center  of  the  town,  the  home  built  by 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    101 

James  Brown  Ray,  in  1828,  when  he  was  a  candidate 
for  Governor,  a  house  considered  at  that  time  so 
extravagant,  because  of  its  size  and  a  red  and  green 
glass  window,  that  it  was  called  *' Ray's  Folly"  and 
was  undoubtedly  the  cause  of  his  being  elected  by  the 
smallest  plurality  ever  given  a  Governor  in  spite  of 
his  previous  great  popularity.  A  similar  ''folly" 
had  been  committed,  he  said,  by  Governor  Noah 
Noble  in  ornamenting  his  front  porch  with  fluted 
iron  columns — indication  that  the  populace  is  the 
same  the  world  over ! 

As  it  is  possible  that  I  may  hear  this  James  Brown 
Ray^  speak  during  the  campaign,  Judge  Eggleston 
has  told  me  something  of  his  character. 

He  is  very  egotistical,  very  fond  of  display,  very 
fond  of  sensations.  Judge  Eggleston  told  me  a 
most  humorous  story  of  Ray's  riding,  when  he  was 
Governor,  at  top  speed  to  an  execution,  waiting  un- 
til the  young  man  stood  at  the  gallows,  then  saying 
to  him  most  impressively,  ''Young  man,  do  you  know 
in  whose  presence  you  stand?  There  are  but  two 
powers  known  to  the  law  that  can  save  you  from 
hanging  by  the  neck  till  you  are  dead;  one  is  the 
great  God  of  the  Universe,  the  other,  J.  Brown  Ray, 
Governor  of  Indiana.  The  latter  stands  before  you. 
You  are  pardoned." 

Although  he  is  not  an  old  man.  Judge  Eggleston 
says  that  he  has  recently  given  indication  of  a  fail- 
ing mind,  for  he  dwells  continually  on  a  scheme  he 

^  James  Brown  Eay,  boru  in  Kentucky,  1794,  moved  to  Brookville, 
1818,  to  practice  law.  State  senator,  1822;  acting  Governor,  1825; 
Governor,  1828-1831.— Editor. 


102    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

has  concocted  since  liis  residence  in  Indianapolis  of 
railway  concentration  in  that  city.  He  foresees  a 
day  when  railways  will  be  everywhere,  and  it  is  his 
crazy  idea  that  they  should  radiate  like  a  spider's 
web  from  the  center  of  that  city,  with  villages  at 
intervals  of  five  miles,  towns  at  ten  miles,  and  cities 
at  twenty  miles.  'Tis  absurd,  and  laughable,  and 
yet,  'tis  pathetic,  says  Judge  Eggleston,  to  see  a 
noble  mind,  grown  old  before  its  time,  and  its  pos- 
sessor become  a  laughing-stock. 

The  present  Governor  of  Indiana,  David  "Wallace,* 
is  also  a  native  of  Brookville,  having  read  law  in 
Judge  Eggleston 's  office. 

According  to  Judge  Eggleston,  the  state  never  had 
a  better  presiding  officer. 

The  tea  at  Judge  Eggleston 's  I  pass  over 
hurriedly,  though  it  was  a  most  pleasant  occasion, 
with  some  of  the  neighbors  invited  in.  I  walked 
home  with  a  young  lady  fast  verging  into  the  sere 
and  yellow  leaf,  and  our  conversation  was  not  of 
sufficient  interest  to  bear  recording. 

On  the  day  I  walked  about  the  streets  with  Judge 
Eggleston  we  met  a  young  Andrew  Shirk,  to  whom 
he  introduced  me.  He  lives  just  three  miles  from 
the  town,  and  at  Judge  Eggleston 's  suggestion,  he 
promptly  agreed  to  accompany  me  to  the  campaign 
speakmg  on  the  next  day.  Early  the  next  morning, 
therefore,  the  young  man  rode  into  town  after  me, 
leadmg  another  horse  by  the  bridle,  and  we  set  forth 

^  David  Wallace  born  1799  in  Pennsylvania,  admitted  to  the  bar 
llln  ^'^^^^^  "^'''  1828-1829;  Lieutenant  Governor,  1831-1834- 
elected  Governor  in  1837;  Congress,  1841.-Editor 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    103 

together  in  high  spirits.  Mr.  Shirk,  I  learned,  is 
24,  just  a  year  older  than  I;  his  father  was  born  in 
Kentucky  of  parents  who  had  come  out  from 
Pennsylvania  and  had  come  into  Indiana  in  1808. 
His  family  had  assisted  in  founding  the  Little  Cedar 
Baptist  Church,  three  miles  south  of  town  and  ad- 
joining their  farm,  the  oldest  church  hereabouts. 

As  it  was  early  in  the  morning  and  the  weather 
fine,  he  suggested  that  we  might  ride  out  and  view 
it,  and  so  we  did.  It  is  built  of  brick,  quite  substan- 
tial, and  the  clay  for  these  bricks,  the  young  man 
tells  me,  was  tramped  by  oxen.  Once  they  were 
compelled  to  cease  building  for  a  long  season  for 
lack  of  nails,  and  again  to  build  a  blockhouse,  for 
these  first  settlers  were  in  frequent  danger  from  the 
Indians.  .  His  grandf  athei  helped  to  make  the  brick, 
and  was  a  deacon  and  singing  clerk,  he  said. 

It  would  have  been  a  queer  sight,  said  he,  to  see 
these  first  settlers  going  to  church,  many  of  them 
barefoot,  others  wearing  moccasins,  the  men  in  buck- 
skin breeches  and  hunting  shirts  and  caps  fashioned 
of  fox,  possum  or  coon  skin,  with  the  tails  hanging 
down  behind.  As  he  told  me,  we  both  fell  to  laugh- 
ing loudly,  sitting  on  horseback  there  in  front  of  the 
church,  to  think  of  that  procession  through  the 
woods,  and  here  were  we,  to-day,  quite  dandyish 
young  fellows,  in  our  bell-shaped  beavers,  our  tight 
trousers,  our  stocks  tied  a  la  mode !  Then  suddenly 
sobering,  I  looked  within  at  the  stout  seats,  the 
ample  gallery,  the  little  pulpit  high  up  on  the  side 
with  a  tiny  window,  and  then  at  the  gravestones  in 
the  little  graveyard  at  the  side,  the  bees  drowsing 


104    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

lazily  in  the  bushes,  the  gray  stones  showing  among 
the  overrunning  vines,  graves  of  these  men  who 
cleared  the  woods  and  built  this  altar  to  their  God ! 

Mr.  Shirk  I  found  to  be  quite  an  interesting  young 
man,  and  as  we  rode  back  to  the  grove  he  told  me 
many  things  of  interest  and  much  of  the  young  peo- 
ple of  the  town.  When  I  mentioned  that  I  was  to 
stop  in  Greencastle  later,  he  promised  to  give  me  a 
letter  to  a  young  man  from  Brookville,  Thomas  A. 
Goodwin,  who  will  graduate  this  year  from  Asbury 
College  in  that  town,  the  first  out-of-town  student 
at  this  college  from  Brookville. 

The  grove  in  which  the  speaking  was  held  we 
found  almost  filled  when  we  arrived  there,  people 
having  driven  in  wagons  or  come  on  horseback, 
whole  families,  bringing  their  dinners  and  prepared 
for  an  all-day  outing.  Mr.  Shirk  had  told  me  that 
he  is  a  Whig,  but,  like  myself,  willing  to  hear  a 
speech  on  the  opposite  side.  I  confess  I  felt  a  great 
desire  to  see  the  speaker,  Robert  Dale  Owen,  con- 
cerning whose  settlement  I  had  already  heard  much. 
Mr.  Owen,  I  learned,  is  a  man  finely  educated  in 
Europe,  with  a  strong,  comprehensive  and  vigorous 
mind,  highly  improved  by  education  and  reading. 
He  has  been  in  the  Legislature  and  is  considered  one 
of  the  best  of  the  Democratic  campaign  speakers. 

His  arguments  were  the  same  which  I  had  heard 
advanced  in  Baltimore,  that  the  Whig  campaign  was 
not  based  on  reason,  that  it  made  inflammatory  ap- 
peals to  the  people,  that  it  uttered  not  a  word  of 
party  principle,  no  reason  why  Mr.  Van  Buren  J 
should  be  opposed,  but  resorted  continually  to   a    ' 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    105 

clatter  of  barrels  and  tincups.  Mr.  Owen  is  a  man 
small  in  stature,  with  a  large  high  forehead,  light 
hair  and  eyes,  and  prominent  features.  He  looks 
every  inch  a  Scot.  He  speaks  fluently,  and,  I  must 
admit,  with  some  show  of  reason,  and  he  interested 
his  audience,  though  there  were  among  them  some 
boisterous  disturbers  of  the  peace. 

It  was  a  pleasant  day,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling 
of  regret  that  I  parted  from  my  young  companion 
at  the  Yellow  Tavern  that  evening,  expecting  to 
leave  in  the  morning  by  coach  for  Centerville,  on 
my  way  to  Richmond.  What  was  my  delight  to 
hear  from  the  landlord  that  Mr.  Owen  is  stopping  at 
the  Tavern  and  that  he  wiU  be  my  fellow  passenger 
on  the  morrow. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Richmond,  June  11, 1840. 

NO  matter  how  long  my  life  may  be,  I  never 
expect  to  spend  a  more  delightful  period  of 
time,  nor  a  more  edifying  one  than  that  spent 
in  the  coach  on  the  day  I  rode  from  Brookville  to 
Centerville  with  Robert  Dale  Owen.  I  am,  I  con- 
fess, a  hero  worshiper.  The  man  who  achieves,  I 
admire  above  all  others.  Half  the  charm  of  the  uni- 
versity for  me,  in  my  residence  there,  was  the  im- 
pression Mr.  Jefferson  had  left  upon  it  of  his  char- 
acter, his  personality,  and  many  a  pilgrimage  did  I 
make  to  Monticello  to  admire  his  one-time  dwelling 
place  and  to  marvel  over  his  brilliancy  and  many- 
sidedness.  Therefore,  I  rejoiced  from  the  moment 
the  landlord  told  me  that  Mr.  Owen  would  be  my 
fellow  passenger  to  Centerville. 

The  fame  of  his  communistic  settlement  had  long 
since  spread  to  the  East,  not  from  the  place  itself, 
but  by  means  of  the  many  savants  from  Europe  who 
came  to  our  country  solely  to  visit  New  Harmony 
and  the  group  of  notable  men  who  there  cultivated 
the  arts  and  sciences,  remote  from  the  world.  I  had 
also  been  told  that  some  wealthy  families  of  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  had  sent  their  children  out  to 
Harmony  to  attend  the  famous  school  for  the  in- 

106 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    107 

struction  of  young  children  established  there  by  Mr. 
Owen  after  the  plan  devised  by  Pestalozzi. 

Since  I  had  been  in  Indiana  I  had  heard  much  of 
Mr.  Owen,  his  education  and  the  wealth  of  his  ex- 
perience, and  after  having  heard  him  speak,  I  de- 
sired especially  to  converse  with  him.  Fate  was 
kind  to  me,  for  at  first  we  were  the  only  passengers 
in  the  stage,  and  soon  fell  into  conversation,  and  he 
speedily  proved  so  agreeable,  particularly  on  learn- 
ing that  I  was  from  another  state  and  on  a  voyage 
of  discovery,  that  I  ventured  at  last  to  inquire  how 
he  had  chanced  to  enter  into  the  political  arena,  for 
I  had  heard  that  he  had  been  elected  to  the  Leg- 
islature in  1834  and  twice  reelected  since  that 
time. 

**Well,"  said  he,  '*  'Squire  Zach  Wade,  farmer 
and  justice  of  the  peace,  a  tall,  lank,  hardy,  illiterate 
but  shrewd  and  plain-spoken  neighbor,  called  on  me 
one  morning  and  said,  'Mr.  Owen,  the  neighbors 
have  been  talking  matters  over,  and  we've  concluded 
to  ask  you  to  be  our  candidate  for  the  Legislature 
this  season.' 

**  'But  I  am  a  foreigner,'  said  I.  *It  is  not  nine 
years  since  I  left  the  old  country.' 

"  'Anyhow,  you're  an  American  citizen.' 

*'  'Yes,  an  adopted  one.  But  my  birthplace  will 
be  sure  to  be  brought  up  against  me.' 

"  'Well,  it  oughtn't  to  be.  A  man  isn't  a  horse, 
if  he  was  born  in  a  stable. ' 

"I  was  very  proud  of  my  native  country,  Scot- 
land, but  I  knew  he  meant  no  harm,  so  I  promised 
to  consider  it.    I  liked  my  neighbors,  and  I  appre- 


108    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ciated  the  ability  concealed  under  an  uncouth  ex- 
terior. I  don't  know  what  opinion  you  have  formed 
of  our  Westerners,  sir,  in  your  brief  stay,  but  I 
want  to  say  to  you  that  hidden  under  their  eccen- 
tricities are  things  rare  and  valuable.  I  have 
sojourned  among  the  laborers  of  England,  the 
peasantry  of  France,  the  mountaineers  of  Switzer- 
land, but  the  spirit  of  man  was  not  there,  the  spirit 
that  can  lift  up  the  brow  with  a  noble  confidence  and 
feel  that  while  it  is  no  man's  master,  neither  is  it 
any  man's  slave.  You  will  find  it  far  otherwise  in 
the  frontier  West.  It  is  an  equal  you  meet  here, 
an  equal  in  political  rights.  Their  conversation  run- 
ning over  the  great  subjects  of  the  day  assures  you 
of  it.  I  have  heard  in  many  a  backwoods  cabin 
arguments  on  government,  views  of  national  policy, 
judgments*  of  men  and  things,  that,  for  sound  sense 
and  practical  shrewdness,  would  not  disgrace  any 
legislative  body  upon«earth. ' ' 

f     I   remarked  that  I  had   noted  this   interest   in 
political  discussions  during  my  stay  here. 

"Very  true,"  he  replied.  "On  a  hundred  oc- 
casions I  have  addressed  and  heard  others  address 
crowds  of  hardworking  men  grouped  under  the 
forest  shade,  calm,  deliberate  arguments,  lightened 
now  and  then,  it  may  be,  by  a  few  homely  anecdotes 
in  point — arguments  which  were  listened  to  with  In- 
dian quietude  and  courtesy,  and  with  eyes  riveted  on 
the  speaker,  with  sober  applause  or  laughter  now 
and  then,  but  no  sign  of  weariness.  However  much 
such  men  may,  for  the  time,  be  stirred  by  dema- 
gogical sophistry  or  misled  by  falsehood,  they  can 


A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    109 

be  guided  in  the  end  by  a  logical  appeal  to  reason 
and  common  sense. 

**Yes,"  he  concluded  with  emphasis,  **it  is  this 
class,  the  agricultural  masses,  on  whom  we  can  de- 
pend. Theirs  is  the  law-abiding  spirit;  they  have 
the  pride  of  ownership  in  their  country's  institu- 
tions.   It  is  'our  laws,  our  Constitution'  with  them." 

Our  road  had  by  now  taken  us  through  Fairfield, 
a  thriving  little  post  town  of  about  700  inhabitants, 
which  in  addition  to  its  mercantile  stores,  taverns, 
mills  of  various  kinds  and  carding  machine,  pos- 
sessed an  academy  of  learning,  and  on  into  the  ad- 
joining county  of  Union. 

This  is  a  small  county,  and  when  I  expressed  some 
interest  in  the  juxtaposition  of  the  names  of  Union 
for  the  county  and  Liberty  for  the  county  seat  I  was 
told  that  the  county  was  named  from  the  hope  that 
it  would  harmonize  the  difficulties  in  Wayne  and 
Fayette,  and  that  there  was  no  special  reason  so  far 
as  known  for  the  name  of  Liberty.  This  county 
much  resembles  Franklin  on  its  western  side,  along 
which  our  road  lay,  and  the  soil  appears  to  be 
good.  The  little  town  of  Liberty,  of  about  500  in- 
habitants, contains  professors  of  many  religious 
sects,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Friends,  Reformed 
Church,  Universalists,  and  here  for  the  first  time  I 
heard  the  name  of  ''New  Lights."  ^ 

^  "The  Christian  [Disciples]  Church  had  its  origin  in  Indiana 
early  in  the  Nineteenth  Century.  It  was  a  result  of  the  protest 
against  creeds  in  the  church.,  It  gained  its  membership  largely  from 
the  Baptist  and  the  Dunkard  societies,  though  many  Presbyterians 
and  Methodists  became  members.  It  is  impossible  in  many  instances 
to  tell  at  what  point  a  Baptist  church  became  a  'New  Light'  and 
then  a  Disciple  or  Christian."     Esarey. — Editor. 


110    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Liberty  also  contains  a  flourishing  county  semi- 
nary. Brownsville  is  another  post  village  in  this 
county,  and  then  we  came  to  Philomath.  Mr.  Owen 
had  evidently  some  knowledge  of  this  town,  and  bade 
me  take  special  note  of  it  as  we  tarried  here  for  our 
dinner. 

''This  town,"  said  he,  **was  founded  in  1833,  by 
the  Universalists,  under  the  leadership  of  Kidwell, 
and  a  session  of  the  convention  of  the  Univer- 
salists of  the  Western  states  was  held  here.  Kid- 
well  and  Manford,  of  whom  you  have  no  doubt 
heard,  were  violent  opponents,  and  Manford  once 
sneeringly  remarked  that  'it  is  well  known  that 
Philomath  has  been  for  a  long  time  the  city  of 
refuge  for  outcasts  of  the  Universalist  denomina- 
tion.''^ 

"Kidwell  has  established  here  a  little  college  and 
a  press  for  the  dissemination  of  their  sentiments. 
I'll  wager — wait  a  moment." 

He  spoke  to  the  landlord  and  returned  in  a  mo- 
ment smiling,  a  small  volume  in  his  hand. 

"I  thought  it  would  be  safe  to  wager  that  I  would 
find  in  our  good  landlord's  possession  one  of  these 
volumes, ' '  and  he  held  out  to  me  a  small  book  which 
I  examined  curiously  and  one  of  which  I  presently 
purchased  from  Mr.  Kidwell  himself,  going  with  Mr. 
Owen,  before  the  departure  of  the  stage,  to  visit  the 
press   and  see  the   monthly  "Philomath   Encyclo- 

'"The  real  cause  for  the  opposition  was  Kidwell's  position  that 
Christianity  was  not  dependent  upon  certain  portions  of  the  Old 
Testament  nor  upon  the  miracles  of  the  New,  a  position  which 
would  meet  with  little  opposition  to-day,  though  at  that  time  it 
provoked  violent  controversy."     Esarey. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    111 

pedia  and  Circle  of  the  Sciences,"  which  he  prints 
there. 

''Federurbian,  or  U.  S.  Sessions,  Intended  to  Pro- 
mote Learning  and  a  Knowledge  of  Republican 
Principles  in  the  Mind  of  Our  Youth ' '  stands  on  the 
title  page  of  this  curious  volume,  together  with  the 
name  of  the  author,  Henry  Houseworth,  Professor 
of  Languages  and  Science  in  the  Western  Union 
Seminary,  this  being  the  name  of  the  institution  here 
founded  by  Mr.  Kidwell.  It  was  published  only  last 
year,  and  its  contents  cover  a  wide  range  of  subjects, 
being  divided  into  various  departments,  national, 
biographies,  philosophers,  miscellanies  and  ques- 
tions and  answers,  and  containing  articles  on  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  George  Washington, 
the  national  character  of  the  Mexicans,  the  crocodile, 
Mr.  Adams 's  reception  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  re- 
marks concerning  the  savages  of  North  America, 
and  selected  verses.  I  thought  it  well  worth  the 
modest  sum  asked  for  it,  and  shall  enjoy  the  sur- 
prise of  my  Virginia  friends  when  they  see  a  book 
actually  published  in  what  they  consider  so  wild  a 
country. 

Mr.  Owen  spoke  with  some  feeling  of  the  religious 
controversies  now  raging  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try, and  praised  the  early  legislators  of  the  United 
States,  *^the  noble  and  enlightened  spirits,"  he 
called  them,  who  framed  our  Constitution,  who 
recognized  its  sacred  claims  to  free  speech  and 
equal  protection.  ''That  same  let-alone  principle 
in  legislation,"  he  said,  "how  great  and  impor- 
tant are  its  results!    In  three  little  words  how 


112    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

much  wisdom  may  be  contained!  Think  of  the 
legion  of  horrors  that  has  sprung  from  that 
monster  Intolerance!" 

He  had,  I  observed,  a  habit  of  musing  for  a 
season,  and  then  speaking  as  though  to  himself. 
After  a  time,  he  roused  himself;  perhaps  it  was 
when  we  had  passed  through  a  forest  where'  jolting 
through  bogs,  over  stumps,  stones  and  corduroy- 
roads  made  conversation  almost  impossible,  and 
came  into  a  clearing  where  a  few  log  huts  marked 
a  new  settlement,  dead  upright  trees  standing  in  the 
fields,  dense  woods  all  around  shutting  out  the  rays 
of  the  morning  and  evening  sun,  and  upon  my  re- 
marking upon  the  striking  pictures  afforded  by  the 
contrasts  in  these  Western  settlements,  and  the 
difference  between  them  and  the  scenery  of  my  own 
South,  the  groves  of  Georgia  and  Carolina  redolent 
with  the  luscious  perfumes  of  magnolia  blossoms, 
the  glades  of  evergreen  oak  and  the  savannahs 
clothed  with  varied  wild  flowers,  or  the  contrasting 
scene  to  be  found  in  these  same  states  of  brushwood 
copses,  sandy  barrens,  dismal  woods  of  pitch  pine 
and  untenanted  morasses,  he  replied,  with  en- 
thusiasm : 

**Ah,  but  you  should  see  the  autumn  glory  of 
Indiana's  forests,  the  atmosphere  of  the  Indian 
summer,  when  for  weeks  not  a  cloud  appears  on  the 
horizon,  and  the  rays  of  light  are  mellowed  only  by 
that  almost  imperceptible  haze  which,  the  legend 
runs,  comes  from  the  red  men  smoking  their  pipes 
beyond  the  pasture  ground  of  the  buffaloes.  The 
oaks  wear  a  mantle  of  dark  crimson;  the  creeping 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    113 

vines  and  underwood  are  dyed  vermilion;  the 
poplars  dressed  out  in  yellow;  the  beeches  robed  in 
purple ;  a  delicate  flame  color  distinguishes  the  rock 
maple,  while  the  pine  stands  aside  in  its  somber 
green,  and  above,  a  sky  of  brilliant  blue  completes 
the  gorgeous  livery  of  the  scene." 

He  fell  into  silence  again,  and  be  it  noted,  that 
such  was  my  reverence  and  respect  for  him  that  I 
ventured  not  to  intrude  myself  upon  his  reverie,  but 
waited  until  his  musings  again  found  voice.  The 
sight  of  some  women  engaged  in  outdoor  work  in 
one  of  these  clearings,  suggested  his  next  utterance. 

*' Whenever  I  see  women  engaged  in  the  hard 
labor  that  life  in  the  country  places  entails,  I  can  but 
ponder  on  their  hardships  and  the  injustice  done 
them  by  the  laws  of  our  state.  No  successful  settler 
would  ever  have  built  up  his  fortunes  and  made  com- 
fortable his  home  without  the  assistance  of  his  wife, 
she  who  saves  while  he  accumulates,  who  so  faith- 
fully seconds  all  his  exertions  with  her  labors  and 
prudent  economies.  And  yet,  our  iniquitous  laws 
take  from  her,  if  disease  or  accident  deprive  her  of 
his  sustaining  arm,  the  property  which  her  watchful 
care  has  mainly  contributed  to  increasing  and  keep- 
ing together.  May  heaven  speed  the  day  when  these 
unjust  laws  are  changed !  ^ 

'Through  Mr.  Owen's  efforts  there  were  procured  for  the  women 
of  Indiana,  at  a  later  date:  (a)  the  right  to  own  and  control  their 
separate  property  during  marriage;  (b)  the  right  to  their  own 
earnings;  (c)  the  abolishment  of  the  simple  dower  of  the  common 
law  and  the  widow's  absolute  ownership  of  the  deceased  husband's 
property;  (d)  the  modification  of  the  divorce  laws  of  the  state  so 
as  to  enable  a  married  woman  to  secure  relief  from  habitual 
drunkenness  and  cruelty. — Editor. 


114    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

"You  are  going  to  Centerville T '  lie  asked  pres- 
ently, and  I  somewhat  bashfully  confessed  that  I 
had  taken  that  round-about  route  to  Richmond  be- 
cause I  had  heard  he  was  to  speak  there. 

"You  will  find  in  that  part  of  the  state,"  said  he, 
"many  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  no 
doubt  will  encounter  some  discussion  on  the  subject 
of  negro  slavery." 

This,  I  confessed  to  him,  I  had  endeavored  so  far 
to  avoid.  I  am,  I  explained,  by  no  means  a  bigoted 
upholder  of  this  institution,  but,  in  view  of  all  the 
embarrassments  and  obstacles  in  the  way  of  emanci- 
pation interposed  by  the  statutes  of  the  slave-hold- 
ing states,  and  by  the  social  influence  affecting  the 
views  and  conduct  of  those  involved  in  it,  one  should 
not  pronounce  a  judgment  of  general  and  promiscu- 
ous condemnation,  implying  absolute  destitution  of 
Christian  principle  and  feeling  on  the  part  of  the 
slave  owner. 

"No,  of  a  certainty,  no,"  said  Mr.  Owen,  and 
lapsed  into  silence  for  a  season.  Then,  with  a  smile 
I  had  come  to  watch  for,  so  sweet  it  was,  so  indica- 
tive of  the  man's  fineness  and  nobility,  "You  seem 
to  be  a  reasonable  young  gentleman,  and  open  to 
conviction,  so  we  will  not  discuss  the  question  fur- 
ther. You  are  now  traveling  upon  soil  which  the 
Ordinance  of  1787  has  forever  dedicated  to  human 
liberty;  your  feet  are  now  set  toward  two  settle- 
ments made  by  the  Society  whose  upholding  prin- 
ciple is  that  of  individual  freedom.  When  you  min- 
gle with  some  of  these  men,  when  you  have  longer 
breathed  the  free  air  of  our  Western  country,  un- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    115 

tainted  by  any  breath  of  human  ownership  of  fellow 
beings,  I  trust,  I  know,  indeed,  young  sir,  that  the 
scales  will  fall  from  your  eyes. 

"We  were  speaking  of  the  fineness  and  ability  of 
these  Westerners  under  their  shell  of  uncouthness," 
he  resumed  after  a  season.  *^They  have  one  vice 
which  is  greatly  to  be  regretted — one  which  is  in 
reality  responsible  for  many  of  their  crimes  and 
offenses,  the  vice  of  intemperance.  Against  this  the 
Friends  have  labored,  and  have  indeed  started  a 
Temperance  Society.  We  at  New  Harmony*  have 
long  stood  against  strong  drink. 

*'This  claptrap  campaign,  with  its  tin  cups,  its 
barrels  of  hard  cider,  would  indicate  that  we  have 
yet  far  to  go  in  this  reform,"  he  added  with  some 
bitterness. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  county  of  Wayne,  I  am 
informed,  was  made  by  one  David  Hoover,  who  came 
out  from  Ohio,  found  this  garden  spot  and,  return- 
ing, brought  back  his  family  and  others  of  his  faith 
to  find  homes  in  ''The  Twelve  Mile  Purchase," 
made  from  the  Indians  in  1810.  Centerville  is  the 
seat  of  justice,  pleasantly  situated  on  the  National 
Road,  and  I  confess  I  was  much  impressed  with  this 
place  when  I  first  beheld  it  from  the  stage,  and  later 
when  walking  about  its  streets.  The  town  is  level, 
said  to  be  healthy,  and  surrounded  by  fine  farming 
land.  It  contains  mills  and  machinery  of  various 
descriptions,  several  mercantile  stores,  three  taverns, 

*"New  Harmony  in  1826  afforded  the  first  known  American  ex- 
ample of  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  by  administrative  edict." 
Lockwood. — Editor. 


116    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

several  physicians  and  lawyers,  a  printing  office,  a 
seminary  and,  so  I  was  told,  a  large  number  of 
mechanics  of  almost  all  descriptions. 

Arriving  with  Mr.  Owen,  who  most  kindly  intro- 
duced me  to  the  gentlemen  who  received  him,  I  met 
at  once,  I  believe,  most  of  the  intelligent  people  re- 
siding in  the  town  and  was  the  recipient  from  them 
of  many  courtesies.  I  had  been  told  at  Brookville 
of  the  Mansion  House,  kept  by  Henry  Rowan,  a  com- 
modious three-story  brick  structure,  they  said,  with 
accommodations  in  good  style,  but  Mr.  Owen  as- 
sured me  that  the  Lashley  House,  a  homelike,  well- 
ordered,  and  most  excellent  hotel,  was  always  the 
headquarters  for  prominent  lawyers,  and  that  there- 
fore it  had  been  named  as  his  stopping  place.  We 
accordingly  put  up  at  this  inn,  and  here  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  meet,  with  Mr.  Owen,  James 
Rariden,  Judge  Charles  H.  Test,  John  D.  Newman, 
John  B.  Stitt,  Michael  Wilson,  Thomas  Means, 
Jacob  Julian,  and  his  younger  brother,  George  W. 
Julian.^ 

To  this  last  named  young  man,  just  my  own  age, 
I  soon  learned,  I  took  quite  a  fancy,  and  'twas  he 
who,  when  Mr.  Owen  was  surrounded  by  a  group  of 
men,  took  me  for  a  walk  about  the  town  and  talked 
most  entertainingly,  taking  me  also  to  the  home  of  his 
mother,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Julian,  whose  home  is  the 
oldest  house  in  Centerville.    Mrs.  Julian,  it  seems, 

'George  W.  Julian,  born  near  Centerville,  1817;  admitted  to  bar, 
1840;  Whig,  anti-slavery;  elected  to  Congress  as  a  Free  Soiler,  1848; 
Legislature,  1845;  candidate  for  Vice-President  on  Free  Soil  ticket, 
1852;  Congress,  1848-9,  '51,  '61,  '71;  surveyor  general  of  New  Mexico, 
1880-1890;  died  in  Indianapolis,  1899.— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    117 

is  a  remarkable  woman  of  strong  character,  of  whose 
struggles  and  sacrifices  in  lier  widowhood  her  son 
spoke  most  feelingly.  This  young  Mr.  Julian  has 
taught  school  for  a  season,  and  then  engaged  in  the 
study  of  the  law,  and  he  has  just  been  admitted  to 
the  bar.  I  confided  to  him  my  similar  experience  in 
the  law,  and  we  soon  found  much  in  common. 

He  called  my  attention  to  many  of  the  houses,  the 
brick  house  of  Mr.  Rawson  Vaile,  a  teacher;  the 
home  of  Mr.  Dill,  whose  colonial  pillars  reminded  me 
of  my  own  Virginia ;  the  grand  white  brick  house  of 
Mr.  Pritchett  and  many  others. 

All  of  these  men  and  many  more  I  met  the  next 
evening  at  the  Lyceum,  for  Mr.  Julian  promised  me 
that  if  I  would  wait  over  for  the  meeting  of  the 
Lyceum  he  would  ride  with  me  to  Richmond  on  the 
next  day  and  introduce  me  to  some  of  the  most  re- 
spectable families  there,  and,  as  I  had  no  letters  to 
any  one  in  that  town,  I  gladly  availed  myself  of  this 
opportunity. 

That  morning,  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  observing  the  joint  celebration  of  the 
scholars  of  Miss  Sarah  Dickinson  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  Rea,  who  formed  a  procession  at  the  Semi- 
nary at  9  o'clock  and  marched  thence  to  the  Metho- 
dist Church,  where  the  address  was  made  by  John 
B.  Stitt,  whom  I  was  also  to  hear  at  the  Lyceum  that 
night.  The  Centerville  Musical  Institute  provided 
the  music  for  this  occasion,  and  as  one  of  two  ex- 
cellent bands  had  furnished  music  at  Mr.  Owen's 
meeting  the  evening  before,  I  perceived  that  the 
atmosphere  of  Centerville  savored  not  at  all  of  the 


118    A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

backwoods,  and  that  both  literature  and  the  arts 
here  flourished  most  amazingly. 

I  was  the  more  convinced  of  this  after  meeting 
John  Finley,^  the  clerk  of  the  Wayne  County  Court, 
to  whose  home  on  Plum  Street,  I  accompanied  Mr. 
Julian. 

Mr.  Finley  is  a  Virginian,  I  found,  a  man  of  genial 
manners,  and  well  endowed  mentally.  He  has  writ- 
ten, Mr.  Julian  tells  me,  much  verse,  semi-humorous, 
semi-pathetic,  always  on  homely  themes.  The  best 
known  of  this  is  a  poem  entitled  "The  Hoosier's 
Nest."  He  read  us  some  verses  recently  written, 
*'An  Advertisement  for  a  Wife,"  and  at  my  solicita- 
tion presented  me  with  a  copy  in  his  own  chirog- 
raphy.  Mr.  Julian  assured  me  that  Mr.  Finley  is 
not  only  a  poet,  but  has  capabilities  for  business, 
and  is  a  man  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow  citizens. 

The  Lyceum  I  found  of  greater  interest  to  me  than 
any  form  of  entertainment  I  have  as  yet  encountered 
in  the  Western  country — wilderness  I  shall  of  a  cer- 
tainty not  call  it,  for  that  would  be  a  misnomer. 
Seat  of  culture  would  be  a  better  name  for  this  town, 
with  its  academies  and  schools,  and  its  men  and 
women  of  culture  and  refinement.  The  Lyceum 
meets  weekly  in  the  Court  House,  at  6  o  'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  the  public  generally  is  invited  to  attend. 
The  question  for  the  evening  was,  "Would  it  be  con- 
sistent with  the  genius  of  our  institutions  to  add  ad- 
ditional qualifications  other  than  the  present  to  the 

'John  Finley,  born,  1797;  clerk  of  Legislature,  1837;  clerk  of 
Wayne  County  Court  for  seven  years;  author  of  "The  Hoosier's 
Nest."— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    119 

right  of  suffrage  in  this  state?"  Last  week,  I  was 
told,  the  question  was,  ''Has  Congress  the  constitu- 
tional power  to  abolish  slavery  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  if  they  have,  would  it  be  policy  to 
exercise  it?" 

The  meeting  was  largely  attended,  many  females 
being  among  the  listeners,  and  in  addition  to  those 
lawyers  I  had  already  met,  I  here  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Dr.  Richard  H.  Swain,  Dr.  John  Pritchett 
and  Dr.  Israel  Tennis,  Mr.  Lot  Bloomfield,  a  promi- 
nent merchant;  Mr.  Burbank,  another  merchant; 
Mr.  David  Commons  and  a  Mr.  Samuel  Hannah,  a 
man,  I  learned,  of  much  distinction.  Mr.  Hannah 
was  a  pioneer  of  the  county  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends.  He  has  been  sheriff  of  the 
county,  has  served  in  the  Legislature,  was  appointed 
postmaster  by  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  removed  by 
Andrew  Jackson.  He  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  locate  the  Michigan  Road.  I  found  him 
a  most  agreeable  and  intelligent  man,  and  through 
his  offices  I  was  presented  to  others,  among  them 
some  of  the  females  in  the  audience,  wives  and 
daughters  of  the  members. 

The  scene  was  an  interesting  one.  The  western 
window  and  the  early  hour  of  meeting  made  candle- 
light unnecessary  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening, 
and  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  shone  in  upon  the 
intent  faces  of  the  gathering,  some  in  staid  Quaker 
garments,  others  in  worldly  clothing  of  fine  broad- 
cloth with  high  stocks  and  ruffled  shirt  fronts,  and  I 
had  to  admit  to  myself  that  nothing  more  enhances 
female  beauty  than  the  dove-colored  garments  and 


120    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

snowy  kerchief  prescribed  by  the  religion  of  the 
Friend. 

According  to  his  promise,  Mr.  Julian  met  me  be- 
fore the  tavern  the  next  morning  after  the  Lyceum 
meeting,  and  together  we  took  the  stage  for  Rich-, 
mond,  which  lies  six  miles  directly  east  of  Center- 
ville,  on  the  east  fork  of  the  Whitewater.  He  was 
a  personable  young  man,  in  his  broadcloth  garments, 
tall,  with  black  hair,  and  bright  hazel  eyes,  and  while 
I  had  been  at  once  impressed  with  his  dignity  of 
bearing,  I  had  found  him  fun  loving  and  most  com- 
panionable. I  asked  him  at  once  why  he  had  not 
taken  part  in  the  debate  the  evening  before,  at  the 
Lyceum.  He  admitted  that  he  had  longed  to  do  so, 
but,  said  he,  **I  have  a  seemingly  unconquerable 
timidity.  I  fear  to  hear  my  voice  in  public.  Some- 
times I  fear  I  shall  never  overcome  it.  I  have  been 
this  long  time  frequenting  the  courts,  listening  to 
arguments,  trying  to  acquaint  myself  with  the  cus- 
toms of  the  profession  in  the  hope  that  when  the 
time  comes,  I  shall  dare  to  address  the  judge  and 
jury." 

We  talked  on  many  subjects  as  we  rode,  for  I 
found  him  full  of  knowledge  of  many  things,  and  he 
told  me  how  he  had  worked,  because  of  the  priva- 
tions entailed  by  his  mother's  widowhood,  to  obtain 
the  means  for  his  education.  ''I  gathered  nuts  each 
year,  a  large  crop  of  walnuts,  one  fall  as  many  as 
sixteen  bushels,  and  sold  the  hulls  at  Nathan  Bond's 
carding  and  fulling  mills  at  6  cents  a  bushel  for 
money  with  which  to  buy  my  books  and  stationery." 
And  what  books!    I  found  to  my  surprise  that  he 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    121 

was  familiar  with  Plato,  Dante,  Bruno,  Milton,  had 
read  philosophy,  history,  biography,  sermons.  The 
whole  range  of  literature  and  history  was  his !  ,  The 
love  of  the  woods  was  his,  too,  and  as  we  passed  over 
the  fertile  country  and  through  the  great  forests  of 
oak,  beech,  ash,  poplar,  maple  and  walnut,  he  pointed 
out  the  plants,  the  flowers,  the  wildwood  songsters, 
with  all  of  which  he  was  familiar. 

The  soil  of  this  country,  he  told  me,  is  a  rich  loam 
bedded  in  clay,  well  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of 
grains  of  all  kinds ;  it  is  unrivaled  in  the  exuberance 
and  variety  of  its  productions  by  any  county  in  the 
state,  and  without  doubt,  because  of  the  fruitful  soil, 
the  salubrious  climate  and  its  moral  population, 
Richmond  is  rapidly  advancing  to  wealth  and  inde- 
pendence. 

Arrived  at  Richmond,  I  waited  at  the  tavern,  the 
National  Hotel,  while  Mr.  Julian  transacted  some 
business  before  walking  abroad  with  me,  and  im- 
proved the  period  by  perusing  a  paper.  The  Jeffer- 
sonian  and  WorMng man's  Advocate,  its  motto, 
*' A  frequent  recurrence  to  fundamental  principles  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  the  blessings  of 
liberty,"  published,  so  I  observed,  by  a  Mr.  Samuel 
Eliot  Perkins,  who  I  learned  later  was  a  most  able 
lawyer  of  the  town.  The  paper,  I  found  to  be  an 
excellent  one,  and  I  perused  the  foreign  news, 
especially,  with  great  interest,  having  heard  little 
or  nothing  of  it  since  I  left  Petersburg. 

The  Great  Western,  it  seems,  has  recently  arrived 
with  intelligence  from  Europe.  Hostilities  are 
seemingly    threatened    between    England    and    the 


122    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Sicilies  over  tlie  sulphur  trade.  The  belligerent  at- 
titudes assumed  by  England  and  China  are  unmiti- 
gated, the  cause  and  nature  of  the  quarrel,  the 
East  India  Company's  opium  trade.  A  railway  is 
planned  from  London  to  Bristol,  at  a  cost  of  $6,- 
000,000.  From  the  United  States  the  news  is  of  a 
tornado  which  has  nearly  destroyed  the  city  of 
Natchez,  and  the  arrival  in  New  York  of  Fanny ' 
Elssler,  the  most  brilliant,  extraordinary  and  cele' 
brated  opera  dancer  in  the  world. 

As  its  title  would  indicate,  this  is  a  Democratic 
paper,  and  the  first  editorial  proclaimed  the  Demo- 
cratic attitude.  ''The  Fourth  of  July  meeting,"  it 
ran,  ''must  go  on.  We  Democrats,  being  all  hard- 
fisted  workingmen,  have  but  little  time  to  spend  and 
scarcely  any  money  in  making  preparations  for  cele- 
bration, but,  though  poor,  we  are  honest  politicians, 
go  for  principle,  and  want  no  gull-trap  shows, 
parades  and  fandangoes.  It  will  cost  us  Democrats 
nothing  for  ribbons,  silk  stockings  and  gloves,  rufiled 
shirts,  etc.  We  are  all  plain  workingmen  and  want 
things  in  a  plain,  equal,  Jeffersonian,  Democratic 
way.  ..."  I  also  read  with  some  amusement  vari- 
ous flings  at  some  of  the  gentlemen  I  had  just  met 
at  Centerville,  who  I  inferred  are  of  the  Whig  per- 
suasion. 

"Rariden,  Newman  and  Bloomfield  owe  their 
future  to  David  Hoover,  Esq.,  but  now  that  Samuel 
Hannah  has  come  and  is  elected  to  a  clerkship,  they 
cling  to  him. ' ' 

I  had  just  turned  the  page  when  a  shadow  fell  on 
the  paper  and  I  looked  up  to  behold  Mr.  Hicklin  of 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    123 

Madison,  my  circuit  rider  friend,  who,  saddle  bags 
in  hand,  stood  before  me. 

"I  trusted  I  should  meet  you  here,"  said  he,  **and 
now,  we  three  fellow  travelers,  Arnold  Buffum  the 
Friend,  you  and  I  shall  again  sit  in  converse  to- 
gether, for  he  has  even  now  come  into  this  town. 
And  I  have  other  tidings  for  you  as  well,"  he  added. 
*'I  have  but  just  come  from  your  friend  Buford  and 
his  ladies,  and  they  hope  ere  long  to  meet  you 
again." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Indianapolis,  June  15,  1840. 

GREAT  was  my  joy  at  beholding  again  my 
friend,  the  circuit  rider,  and  also  to  hear  that 
he  had  so  recently  seen  Buford  and  his  wife 
—his  ladies,  he  had  said,  but  he  explained  no 
further,  and  my  tongue  was  tied  when  I  undertook 
to  inquire  if  he  had  meant  Mrs.  Buford 's  cousin. 
Buford  had  intimated  to  me  when  we  parted  that 
he  and  his  wife  might  make  some  visits  in  Indiana 
before  setting  off  for  the  South,  so  that  I  had 
cherished  the  hope  of  meeting  them  again  and  with 
them,  the  fair  Miss  Caroline.  Mr.  Hicklin  men- 
tioned several  towns  which  they  contemplated  visit- 
ing, among  them  Vincennes,  returning  thence  to 
New  Albany.  As  both  these  towns  are  included  in 
my  itinerary,  it  is  within  the  range  of  probability 
that  I  may  encounter  them.  Mr.  Hicklin  also  asked 
me  to  go  with  him  on  the  morrow  to  Newport,  a 
small  town  in  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  where  dwells 
a  well-known  and  worthy  friend,  Levi  Coffin  by  name, 
under  whose  roof  Arnold  Buffum  is  domiciled  while 
in  this  region.  I  agreed  to  this,  and  he  bade  me 
farewell  until  the  morrow,  going  on  to  an  appoint- 
ment at  some  neighboring  post  town. 

Mr.  Julian  soon  returned  and  together  we  set  about 
\dewing  the  town,  though,  it  must  be  confessed,  we 

121 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    125 

spent  more  time  and  found  more  interest  in  an  in- 
terchange of  ideas,  happily  finding  so  much  that  is 
congenial  in  our  tastes,  so  many  questions  for  dis- 
cussion, that  time  sped  far  too  swiftly  for  our  liking. 
While  perusing  the  paper,  I  had  noted  the  adver- 
tisement of  a  book  store  which  interested  me  much ; 
a  Mr.  D.  P.  Holloway,  a  bookseller,  had  inserted  a 
notice  in  the  paper  that  he  had  just  received  from 
Philadelphia  a  small  assortment  of  books  in  the 
various  departments  of  literature  and  science.  Mr. 
Julian  readily  acceded  to  my  suggestion  that  we  turn 
our  steps  thither,  and  we  did  so,  finding  there  much 
of  interest.  Among  the  books  I  noted  particularly 
the  works  of  Patrick  Henry,  Collins'  Poems,  "Lock- 
hart's  Burns,"  ''The  Life  of  Wilberf orce, "  ''The 
History  of  the  Jews,"  "The  Pirates'  Own  Book," 
"The  Sentiment  of  Flowers,"  "The  Language  of 
Flowers."  As  I  opened  this  small  volume  with  its 
colored  frontispiece,  a  nosegay  in  a  graceful  vase, 
and  scrutinized  the  page  on  which,  in  a  delicate  com- 
bination of  learning  and  sentiment,  stood  first  the 
popular  name  of  the  flower,  then  its  scientific  name 
and  botanical  description,  its  language,  and  a  verse 
full  of  sentiment,  expressing  the  love,  constancy, 
affliction,  despair,  or  whatsoe  'er  the  meaning  may  be, 
memory  carried  me  back  to  the  day  in  the  inn  when 
I  had  restored  a  similar  volume  to  its  fair  owner, 
and  I  at  once  purchased  the  book  of  Mr.  Holloway. 
Well,  why  not?  The  bookseller  and  Mr.  Julian 
thought  it  a  gift  for  a  sister,  and  I  did  not  unde- 
ceive them.  'Tis  not  beneath  a  man,  is  it,  to  learn 
a  language  in  which  the  fair  sex  is  so  proficient? 


126    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Suppose  he  is  a  faint  heart,  and  fears  to  put  into 
words  the  sentiment  he  feels  for  the  fair  one,  what 
more  fitting  than  that  he  lay  at  her  feet  a  nosegay 
whose  lily,  rose,  and  forget-me-not  will  breathe  in 
perfumed  accents  his  undying  love  and  devotion — 
his  prayer  that  she  be  his? 

Together  with  this  I  purchased  an  album,  richly 
gilt  and  profusely  embellished  with  engravings  from 
the  Scripture,  as  a  gift  for  my  mother,  and  also  for 
myself  a  supply  of  the  gilt-edged  paper  and  quill 
pens  for  the  excellence  of  which,  it  is  said,  Mr.  Hollo- 
way  is  famous.  Mr.  Julian  purchased  ' '  The  Life  of 
Wilberforce,"  and  after  our  having  examined  all  the 
collection  and  commented  upon  each  volume  in  turn, 
we  again  went  forth  on  to  the  streets,  where  Mr. 
Julian  pointed  out  curious  objects  of  interest  to 
me,  as  we  continued  our  conversation,  light,  'tis  true, 
but  with  enough  sense  scattered  through  it  to  keep 
it  from  flying  off  to  the  moon. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Julian  told  me,  he  is  a  Whig,  and 
acknowledged  that  in  the  matter  of  attending  mass 
meetings  and.  singing  Whig  songs,  he  is  playing  a 
considerable  part  in  this  campaign.  When  I  men- 
tioned some  of  the  objections  that  are  made  to 
Harrison  by  the  Democrats,  he  said  that  one  reason 
for  his  support  of  him  is  that  he  is  a  poor  man  and 
will  be  a  better  man  therefore  to  administer  to  the 
poor  people  in  poverty  and  hard  times  than  Van 
Buren,  who  is  an  aristocrat  and  has  high  ambitions 
to  gain  all  control  in  his  hands  by  overthrowing  the 
liberties  of  the  people.  However,  he  admits  that  the 
campaign  has  resolved  itself  into  altogether  too 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    127 

mucli  of  a  frolic,  into — to  use  his  words — "such 
a  jubilant  and  uproarious  expression  of  the  im- 
prisoned mirth  and  fun  of  the  people  that  anything 
like  calmness  of  judgment  and  real  seriousness  of 
purpose  is  out  of  the  question  in  the  Whig  camp." 

As  we  walked  about  the  broad  streets  I  was  intro- 
duced to  members  of  several  of  the  intelligent 
families  of  the  towm.  Among  these  whom  I  met  was 
Mr.  Perkins,  editor  of  The  Jejfersonian,  in  whose 
columns  only  this  morning  I  had  found  so  much  of 
interest  and  entertainment,  and  this  gentleman,  I 
was  told  and  learned  also  from  conversation  with 
him,  is  a  man  of  sound,  discriminating  mind,  untir- 
ing energy,  industry  and  strict  integrity.  Mr. 
Achilles  Williams  I  met  also,  who  has  been  in  the 
Legislature  and  is  now  postmaster,  and  Dr.  John 
Plummer,  who  is  a  friend  and  correspondent  of 
Noah  Webster,  who,  he  tells  me,  is  about  to  publish 
a  new  edition  of  his  great  dictionary.  Dr.  Plummer 
possesses  a  fine  cabinet  of  Natural  History  speci- 
mens over  which  we  spent  a  great  part  of  the  after- 
noon. He  is  a  man,  I  learn,  of  great  benevolence, 
and  high  moral  principles,  and  we  both  delighted  in 
his  conversation. 

Charles  W.  Starr  was  another  citizen  whom  I  met 
at  this  time,  a  Philadelphian  who  came  here  in  1825, 
bought  a  farm  of  more  than  200  acres  and  laid  it 
off  in  lots.  He  also  established  a  cotton  factory. 
We  visited  the  State  Bank,  where  Mr.  Julian  is 
known,  and  here  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  its 
cashier,  Elijah  Coffin,  a  friend  and  patron  of  educa- 
tion and  a  most  estimable  gentleman;  Messrs.  Leeds 


128    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  Jones,  wlio  own  the  paper  mill  and  Jeremiah 
Mansur,  a  substantial  citizen  who  only  last  year  sold 
his  mercantile  business  and  retired  to  his  farm  near 
Richmond. 

From  these  gentlemen  I  learned  of  the  town's 
prosperity  and  prospects  of  growth.  Only  this  year 
it  has  been  incorporated  as  a  city,  its  first  mayor 
having  been  elected  last  month,  and  this  gentleman, 
Mr.  John  Sailor,  I  met  and  from  him  gained  much 
information  concerning  the  city. 

Richmond's  location,  I  have  neglected  to  state,  is 
most  attractive,  standing,  as  it  does,  upon  an  oval 
crest  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Wliitewater,  its  few 
streets  are  wide,  and  its  residences  well  built,  in  the 
main.  Its  population  is  estimated  at  1,130.  While 
I  was  most  favorably  impressed  with  the  flourishing 
business  of  the  town,  its  factories,  mills,  foundries, 
manufactories,  its  many  mercantile  establishments, 
drug  stores,  stores  of  general  merchandise,  silver 
smiths,  and  so  forth,  I  was  still  more  impressed  with 
the  plans  made  for  its  future  expansion,  the  Rich- 
mond and  Brookville  Canal,  which  I  have  already 
mentioned,  the  macadamized  roads  which  are  in  con- 
templation in  various  directions,  the  plans  for  the 
extension  of  the  town  and  the  erection  of  new  and 
more  pretentious  buildings.  Still  more  interesting 
and  worthy  of  note  is  the  attention  accorded  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  arts  and  sciences  in  this  town. 
Its  schools,  both  male  and  female,  are  numerous  and 
well  conducted,  and  the  orthodox  Friends,  I  am  told, 
are  builcmg  m  the  vicinity  of  the  town  a  large  and 
beautiful  seminary.    The  town  also  possesses  "two 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    129 

literary  and  scientific  societies,  one  of  which  has  a 
large  collection  of  minerals,  shells,  and  other 
curiosities. 

The  contrast  between  this  and  other  towns  in  the 
matter  of  social  life  is  more  noticeable  to  the  casual 
visitor,  perhaps,  than  any  other  one  feature ;  this,  of 
course,  being  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  whose  members  compose  the  majority  of 
the  population.  This  I  spoke  of  with  Mr.  Julian, 
whose  mother  is  a  member  of  this  Society,  though 
his  father  was  of  Huguenot  extraction.  Over  the 
town,  said  I,  I  felt  the  mantle  of  quiet,  of  silence, 
and  we  both  agreed  that  to  one  not  of  their  faith, 
and  unaccustomed  to  their  mode  of  thought  or  man- 
ner of  life,  there  seems  to  be  an  ever-present  feel- 
ing of  restraint  and  repression,  both  mental  and 
physical,  a  feeling  sometimes  irksome  and  uncon- 
genial to  a  youth  of  high  spirits. 

There  is  little  social  life  here  as  we  understand  the 
word,  according  to  Mr.  Julian;  no  lectures,  no  con- 
certs ;  even  music  is  frowned  on  as  unbecoming  and 
even  sinful.  When  written  down  it  sounds  far  from 
pleasing — to  a  gay  youth,  at  least — silence  whenever 
possible,  no  ''concord  of  sweet  sounds,"  the  plainest 
of  plain  costumes,  all  as  different  as  possible  from 
the  gay  attire,  the  variety  and  frequency  of  enter- 
tainment which  characterize  my  Southern  home, 
and  yet,  I  am  free  to  confess  at  this  very  moment 
and  to  set  it  down  in  my  diary,  that  even  to  so 
volatile  and  spirited  a  young  person  as  I  admit  my- 
self at  all  times  to  be,  and  one  who  had  been  talking 
most  volubly  throughout  this  long-to-be-remembered 


130    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

day  I  fell  somewliat  under  tlie  spell  of  the  quiet 
dignity,  the  careful  language,  the  long  silences  of 
the  Friends,  and  as  to  the  attire,  well,  it  is  true  that 
the  long  soher  coats  and  the  broad-brimmed  hats  of 
the  men  are  not  so  taking  as  the  blue  and  brown 
broadcloths,  the  gay  vests,  the  patent  leather  shoes, 
and  the  bell-shaped  beavers  of  the  worldly  people, 
but  of  a  certainty,  the  garb  of  the  females,  the 
simple  robe  of  dove  color,  the  plain  bonnet,  the 
sno^\y  kerchief  crossed  demurely,  when  the  costume 
of  one  as  young  and  fair  as  Miss  Lavinia  Cotton,  I 
never  have  seen  in  the  ballroom  a  gown  which  could 
compare  to  it  in  becomingness ! 

Miss  Lavinia,  or  Friend  Lavinia,  I  should  say, 
rode  with  us  to  Newport  the  next  morning  in  the 
stage  which  carried  Mr.  Hicklin,  Robert  Morrison 
and  myself  to  the  home  of  Levi  Coffin.  Mr.  Hicklin 
met  me  at  the  tavern,  accompanied  by  the  Methodist 
minister  then  stationed  at  Richmond,  with  whom 
he  had  spent  the  night,  and  to  whom  he  now  intro- 
duced me.     This  was  Joseph  Tarkington.^ 

He  had  come  here  from  Lawrenceburg  in  1839, 
sending  his  household  goods  to  Brookville  by  canal 
and  from  there  to  Richmond  overland.  I  found  him 
a  most  interesting  and  discursive  gentleman,  who 
told  me  much  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  the  White- 
water country,  in  which  he  had  been  preaching  the 
Gospel  from  the  time  of  his  early  ordainment  into 
the  ministry.  A  few  years  before,  he  had  suffered 
a  breaking  down  of  health  from  hard  work  and  ex- 

^  Father  of  Mr.  John  S.  Tarkington  of  Indianapolis.     See  "Auto- 
l)iography  of  Reverend  Joseph  Tarkington.' V-Editor, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    131 

posure,  and  had  been  ''located,"  as  they  express  it, 
in  Lawrenceburg,  until  his  recovery,  at  which  time 
he  was  sent  to  the  ''Richmond  Station,"  as  it  is  de- 
nominated. He  spoke  of  the  town's  educational  ad- 
vantages and  mentioned  that  three  of  his  children 
are  attending  the  Poe  school  in  the  basement  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  also  mentioned  the  fact  that 
the  Friends  had  not  been  at  the  first  particularly 
friendly  to  the  other  denominations,  but  were  grow- 
ing more  so,  and  he  also  called  my  attention  to  the 
fact  that  their  influence  in  the  matter  of  dress  and 
amusement  consciously  or  unconsciously  has  af- 
fected the  ministers  of  other  denominations  who  de- 
mand a  similar  sobriety  in  dress  and  amusements 
from  their  o^vn  church  members. 

Mr.  Morrison,  who  traveled  with  us,  is  one  of 
Richmond's  foremost  citizens,  who  came  early  to 
this  county,  established  himself  as  a  merchant,  and 
by  his  frugality,  prudence  and  business  talent  has 
accumulated  a  large  estate.  He  is,  I  am  told,  a  de- 
vout member  of  his  Society  and  ever  a  friend  of  the 
poor.  Naturally,  the  conversation  was  carried  on 
principally  by  Mr.  Hicklin,  though  Mr.  Morrison 
broke  through  his  Quaker  silence  occasionally  to  ask 
questions  concerning  the  formation  of  anti-slavery 
societies  in  which  the  circuit  rider  is  engaged.  Miss 
Cotton  said  nothing,  not  even  lifting  her  eyes  after 
the  first  glance,  in  which  I  discovered  them  to  be 
a  most  beautiful  dark  blue  with  eyelashes  bro^vn  to 
match  the  heavy  bands  of  hair  of  which  I  caught  a 
glimpse  under  the  prim  bonnet.  "Permit  me,"  I 
said  once,  on  restoring  her  reticule  which  a  lurch  of 


132    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

the  stage  had  thrown  to  the  floor.  ''I  thank  thee, 
friend,"  she  replied,  and  her  voice  was  as  soft  and 
low  and  sweet  as  her  eyes  had  promised  it  should  be. 

The  day  was  an  interesting  one,  and  I  surprised 
myself  at  the  interest  I  took  in  the  words  of  Arnold 
Buffum,  who  seemed  truly  glad  to  see  my  face  again, 
although  not  given  to  any  expression  of  emotions. 
Mr.  Levi  Coffin,  to  whose  home  we  went,  has  been  en- 
gaged for  some  years  in  the  mercantile  business  in 
this  small  thriving  town  settled  by  Friends,  a  sightly 
town  wiih  many  flowing  wells  which  furnish  an  un- 
failing supply  of  pure  cold  water.  He  is  also  en- 
gaged in  pork  packing,  and  owns  an  oil  mill  for  the 
manufacture  of  linseed  oil. 

The  early  settlers  of  Newport  -  were,  he  told  me, 
of  a  positive,  determined  class ;  believing  in  a  right, 
they  would  maintain  and  defend  it. 

For  two  principles  they  had  stood  from  the  begin- 
ning, temperance  and  anti-slavery.  The  Newport 
Temperance  Society  was  organized  in  1830.  The 
conviction  against  slavery  also  early  found  an  ex- 
pression here,  and  in  1838  Mr.  Coffin  established  an 
Anti-Slavery  Library  Society  for  the  collection  and 
distribution  among  the  people  of  books,  tracts,  and 
other  publications.  ''It  is  not  a  popular  cause, '» 
said  Mr.  Coffin.  ''It  tries  a  man's  soul  to  take  such 
a  stand  m  these  days,  when  brickbats,  stones  and 
rotten  eggs  are  some  of  the  arguments  we  have  to 
meet,  but  our  faces  are  set  in  that  way  and  there 
will  remain." 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    133 

I  ofttimes  thought,  during  that  day,  of  the  amaze- 
ment, the  rage,  that  would  have  found  expression  on 
my  father's  face  could  he  have  seen  his  son  hobnob- 
bing with  these  enemies  of  an  institution  he  sup- 
ports !  I  reflected,  however,  that  I  was  not  alone  in 
my  position ;  the  father  of  my  cousin  Jonathan  who 
has  come  out  to  the  Wabash  country,  freed  his 
slaves  before  his  death,  and  had  besought  his  son  to 
come  to  a  country  free  from  this  curse.  I  reflected 
also  that  I  could  not  listen  to  this  talk  so  calmly 
had  I  not  been  more  influenced  than  I  had  suspected 
by  the  fairmindedness  and  the  friendliness  of 
Arnold  Buffum  and  the  really  warm  affection  which 
Mr.  Hicklin  had  so  early  shown  for  me,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  weight  of  Mr.  Owen's  words  on  this 
subject. 

So  I  sat  through  the  meeting  addressed  by  Arnold 
Buffum,  who  makes  no  attempt  to  organize  societies, 
this  being  the  w^ork  of  Mr.  Hicklin,  listening  some- 
times, though  I  confess  that  my  mind  and  my  eyes 
strayed  frequently  to  the  side  of  the  meeting  house 
in  which  sat  Friend  Lavinia,  who  had  tucked  into 
her  kerchief  a  sprig  of  the  sweetbriar  which  grows 
against  the  church  wall,  another  sprig  of  which  she 
held  in  her  slim  fingers.  A  dove,  a  Quaker  dove  in 
her  soft  silk,  a  rosebud,  rather,  as  yet  tightly  folded. 
What  youth  would  not  wish  to  be  the  wooing  sun 
and  air  to  unfold  this  rose,  to  see,  within,  the  hidden 
heart  of  gold ! 

To  my  great  pleasure,  I  learned  that  Mr.  Hicklin 
was  on  the  morrow  going  on  to  Indianapolis,  and  ac- 
cordingly on  the  next  morning  we  took  the  stage  at 


134    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Richmond  to  travel  together  over  the  National  Road 
to  the  capital  city.  This  would  have  been  my  route 
had  I  continued  on  by  land  from  Baltimore,  across 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  into  Indiana,  through  Rich- 
mond straight  west  to  Indianapolis. 

Here  I  will  note  that  the  road  presents  many  of 
the  features  which  marked  it  in  the  East.  'Tis  true, 
the  country  is  flat,  and  not  so  picturesque  because  of 
this,  though  most  fertile  and  with  many  farmhouses 
and  villages  along  the  entire  route.  'Tis  also  true 
that  the  road  is  still  in  a  somewhat  unfinished  state, 
and  different  in  that  it  is  cut  through  what  is  still 
a  new  country,  but  the  pageant  of  travel  is  much  the 
same  here  as  in  Pennsylvania.  For  some  years 
there  has  been  a  continual  stream  of  movers  from 
the  East,  from  Ohio,  from  different  parts  of  Indiana 
and  from  the  South,  into  the  Wabash  country,  and 
we  passed  continually  these  families,  sometimes  five 
or  ten  in  a  company,  wagons,  men,  women,  children 
and  stock.  The  younger  women  were  often  driving 
the  teams,  the  men  and  boys  walking  by  turns  to 
drive  and  look  after  the  stock.  Sometimes  there 
was  also,  in  the  procession,  a  carriage  built  very 
high  to  go  over  stumps  and  through  streams,  in 
which  were  sitting  the  older  women  and  the  children. 
Sometimes,  too,  one  family  would  have  two  or  more 
of  these  great  wagons,  with  their  household  goods, 
their  farming  implements,  behind  which  came  extra 
horses,  colts,  cattle,  sheep,  and  sometimes  even  hogs. 
There  were  also  little  Southern  carts  drawn  by 
bony  little  Southern  horses,  and  now  and  again  the 
stage  coach,  with  its  bright  paint,  its  fine  teams,  its 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    135 

heralding  bugle.  And  on  tliis  journey  I  had  many 
occasions  on  which  to  reflect  on  the  pleasures  of  this 
method  of  travel,  the  interesting  fellow  travelers, 
the  edifying  conversations,  the  amusing  incidents. 

Our  route  led  us  back  through  Centerville  and  as 
our  stage  halted  before  the  Mansion  House  a  great 
number  gathered  for  the  mail  and  to  catch  sight  of 
travelers  and  visitors,  and  we  spoke  again  of  what 
an  eminent  political  center  this  town  is,  and  to  what 
a  future  it  is  destined. 

I  had  been  told  something  of  the  first  county  seat, 
Salisbury,  a  bit  of  romance,  for,  with  much  opposi- 
tion from  many  in  the  county,  it  was  made  the  first 
seat  of  justice,  and  for  a  season  was  a  flourishing 
town  with  thirty-five  houses,  a  log  Court  House  and 
jail,  taverns,  public  buildings  and  mercantile  stores, 
all  now  vanished  from  the  earth,  since  the  transfer 
of  the  seat  of  justice  to  Centerville. 

'Tis  said  that  the  site  of  Salisbury  was  the  tryst- 
ing  place  of  some  Indian  lovers  who  were  killed  by 
a  band  of  pioneers,  and  that  the  Indian  mother  pro- 
nounced a  curse  upon  the  place,  saying  that  it  should 
not  live,  but  should  disappear  forever  from  the  face 
of  the  earth.  A  second  curse  also  rested  upon  it,  a 
man  hanged  there,  so  he  declared  unjustly,  cursed 
the  town.  By  1826,  'tis  said,  Salisbury  had  only  ten 
families  and  ere  long  these  dwindled  until  now  the 
town  has  completely  disappeared,  leaving,  as  the 
bard  poetically  expressed  it,  ''not  a  rack  behind." 

After  Centerville  our  next  stop  was  Cambridge 
City,  and  here  a  most  interesting  fact  was  related  to 
me  illustrating  the  change  occasioned  by  the  build- 


136    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ing  of  the  National  Road.  In  1824  a  little  village 
called  Vandalia  was  established  near  here  and  gave 
promise  for  some  years  of  a  flourishing  existence. 
When  the  road  was  laid  out,  however,  it  failed  to 
pass  through  Vandalia,  and  the  town  gradually  fell 
into  decay  and  was  abandoned,  the  families  going  to 
the  beautifully  situated  and  flourishing  town  of 
Cambridge  City,  established  on  the  road. 

Here  befell  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the 
many  interesting  events  of  my  journey,  for  *twas 
here  that  a  gentleman  entered  our  stage  coach  who 
we  learned  later  was  the  eminent  Prof.  Samuel  K. 
Hoshour.^ 

'Twas  not  long  till  we  were  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion, and  he  told  us  at  length  of  his  theories  of  edu- 
cation. He  had  come  to  Wayne  County  in  1826,  had 
been  head  of  the  Wayne  County  Seminary  for 
several  years,  and  had  only  last  year  come  to  Cam- 
bridge City,  to  become  the  Principal  of  its  Seminary, 
which  he  described  as  large  and  tastefully  con- 
structed. His  theories  are  new  and,  so  it  appears  to 
me,  excellent.  His  scholars  are  urged  always  "to 
give  or  get  a  reason  for  everything  you  do."  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  the  science  known  as  etymology, 
and  when  the  pupils  seem  to  be  wearying  of  their 
work,  he  suggests  investigation  of  various  words, 
their  original  meaning  and  their  strange  changes  on 
their  journey  down  to  us. 

*  S.  K.  Hoshour,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  1803.  Professor  at  Gettys- 
burg in  1826;  came  to  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  1835;  head  of  Wayne 
County  Seminary,  183G;  teacher  of  sons  of  Governor  Wallace,  Cam- 
bridge City,  1839;  President  Northwestern  Christian  University, 
lft58;  Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  1862.     Died,  1883.— Editor. 


AN  OLD  HOUSE  NEAR  CENTERVILLE 

A  stopping  place  for  emigrants  on  their  way  to  the  West 

Pen  drawing  by  Wilbur  Briant  Shook 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    137 

He  told  us  of  a  book  lie  had  written  in  1837,  called 
''The  Altissonant  Letters,"  which  he  had  composed 
for  the  purpose  of  impressing  upon  the  minds  of  his 
pupils  the  meaning  of  the  unusual  words  of  the 
English  language.  In  this,  as  in  his  other  work,  his 
purpose  was  ' '  to  make  amusement  the  hand-maiden 
of  instruction."  Altissonant  means  high-sounding, 
and  the  hero,  Lorenzo  Altissonant,  details  to  his 
friend  Squire  Pedant,  the  incidents  of  a  pedestrian 
journey  to  the  West  in  words  which  are  only  oc- 
casionally used  at  the  present  day,  their  meaning  for 
that  reason  being  remembered  with  difficulty.  He 
recited  some  examples,  and  we  made  merry  over  our 
lack  of  familiarity  with  some  of  the  words,  "the 
ecclesiastic  who  was  to  colligate  the  parties  in  indis- 
soluble gyves;"  *'he  was  a  sexagenary;"  **the 
gracility  of  his  crural  organs  engaged  all  optics. '  * 

It  was  with  regret  that  we  parted  from  this  inter- 
esting and  learned  gentleman  at  Dublin,  where  he 
was  to  make  an  address  at  the  County  Seminary. 
This  town,  though  quite  small,  is  the  location  of  the 
Dublin  Academy,  in  a  tine  brick  building  erected  two 
years  ago,  and  also  the  Dublin  Female  Seminary, 
expressly  for  young  females,  which  is  conducted  in 
a  frame  building  built  in  1836,  and  which  possessed 
the  first  bell  in  the  county. 

The  landscape  changed  very  little  as  we  passed 
from  Wayne  County  into  the  adjacent  county  of 
Henry,  the  land  being  level  and  uniformly  fertile. 
The  houses  are  frequent  along  the  road,  many  of 
them  of  brick,  and  when  I  expressed  surprise  at  this, 
I  was  informed  that  many  of  the  earliest  houses 


138    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

were  built  of  brick  because  sawmills  were  far  apart 
and  the  use  of  sawed  lumber  meant  a  long  haul, 
while  bricks  could  be  made  at  any  place  where  a 
clay  bank  was  available.  The  architecture  of  these 
houses  followed  that  of  the  state  from  which  the 
settler  came,  so  that  many  of  them  suggest  the 
homes  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia. 
Some  of  them  are  set  among  orchards  and  sur- 
rounded by  gardens,  so  that  the  landscape,  though 
level,  is  pleasing. 

I  was  told,  too,  the  way  in  which  the  towns  grew — < 
first  a  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  for  the  con- 
venience of  travelers  along  the  road,  then  a  tavern 
and  a  general  store,  in  which  the  postoffice  was 
located.  From  this  store  peddlers'  wagons  went 
forth  to  the  more  remote  settlements. 

Raysville,  the  next  settlement  on  our  way,  though! 
small,  is  pretty  and  well  built  and  is  surprisingly 
thriving.  There  are  several  mills  (it  is  situated  on 
the  Blue  River)  and  a  carding  machine  near  the 
town.  The  most  interesting  thing  noted  concerning 
this  town  is  an  excellent  spring  a  short  distance 
from  the  town  whose  waters  are  brought  through  an 
aqueduct  into  the  town,  there  forming  a  fine  fountain 
which  supplies  the  whole  town  with  water.  It  was 
named  after  Governor  Ray,  incidents  in  whose  life 
I  have  elsewhere  recorded.  Two  taverns  are  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  road,  kept  respectively  by 
Elijah  Knight  and  John  Death,  and  'tis  said  by 
travelers  ''Knight  is  on  one  side  of  the  road  and 
Death  on  the  other. ' ' 

And  now  we  came  to  Knightstown  just  across  the 


A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    139 

river,  a  post  town  located  after  the  building  of  the 
road,  which  forms  its  main  street  and  along  which 
most  of  its  houses  are  located.  A  traveler  who 
entered  the  coach  at  this  point  found  fault  with  it 
as  a  village  which  had  received  little  attention  from 
its  citizens.  Its  streets  are  wide,  said  he,  but 
muddy,  unpaved  and  unshaded,  and  many  of  the 
houses  are  unsightly,  though  he  admitted  that  im- 
provement is  already  beginning  to  be  seen,  and  other 
passengers  said  its  prospects  are  promising. 

'Twas  here  we  learned  of  a  most  interesting  de- 
bate held  at  this  place  only  a  few  days  ago  between 
a  young  Methodist  minister,  L.  W.  Berry,  and  a  Uni- 
versalist  minister  named  M'Cuen.  This  M'Cuen,  it 
seems,  is  an  old  theological  pugilist  who  has  held 
thirty-four  debates  with  ministers  of  different  de- 
nominations, and  he  challenged  the  young  Methodist 
to  debate  with  him  on  the  question,  ''Will  all  men 
be  holy  and  happy  in  the  future  state?"  M'Cuen  to 
affirm,  Berry  to  deny. 

Young  Mr.  Berry  had  never  engaged  in  a  debate, 
but  had  spent  most  of  his  time  since  the  age  of  18 
in  traveling  large  circuits  as  an  itinerant  preacher, 
so  his  friends  trembled  at  the  thought  of  his  meeting 
this  ecclesiastical  gladiator.  No  church  would  hold 
the  crowd  that  gathered  to  hear  this  debate,  said 
our  informant,  so  they  were  assembled  in  a  large 
grove  where  for  three  days  the  speakers  discoursed 
alternately.  Dr.  Berry's  discourse,  said  this  man 
w^ho  traveled  with  us,  was  wonderful.  His  soul 
seemed  to  catch  inspiration  from  on  high,  his  lips 
and  tongue  were  touched  anew  with  a  live  coal  from 


140    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

off  God's  altar  and  his  words  burned  as  they  fell 
upon  the  audience.  Small  wonder  that  M'Cuen  and 
his  friends  turned  pale ! 

With  such  discourse  we  passed  the  time  until  we 
came  to  Greenfield,  a  post  town  and  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice of  Hancock  County.  The  town  is  small  but  con- 
tains several  mercantile  stores,  two  taverns,  one 
lawyer,  a  physician  and  craftsmen  of  many  trades. 
The  town  is  supplied  with  water  by  a  very  notable 
spring  within  its  limits,  and  has  the  advantage  of 
mills  at  convenient  distances  and  on  the  streams 
which  pass  through  the  county.  The  most  notable 
point  is  the  rich,  fertile  land  surrounding  this  town, 
which  is  in  a  very  prosperous  and  flourishing  state 
of  improvement.  Much  buckwheat  is  raised  here, 
1,614  bushels  I  learned  and  set  down  as  a  matter  of 
interest;  39,000  pounds  of  maple  sugar  and  much 
hemp  and  flax,  six  and  one-fourth  tons  during  the 
last  year.  Immense  crops  of  flax  are  sown  each 
year  by  the  farmers  because  the  oil  crushers  buy  the 
seed  to  make  oil  and  furnish  it  to  the  farmer,  agree- 
ing to  purchase  the  crop  when  made.  Tobacco  is 
another  important  crop,  10,304  pounds  being  re- 
ported last  year,  and  there  is  one  distillery  in  this 
county,  where  10,000  gallons  of  whisky  were  made 
last  year. 

'Twas  while  talking  with  the  traveler  who  gave 
me  this  agricultural  information  that  I  learned  more 
of  the  disease  called  ''milk  sickness,"  of  which  I 
had  heard  at  intervals  in  this  state.  It  is  contracted, 
said  he,  either  from  eating  beef  or  drinking  milk 
from  a  cow  that  has  the  disease,  but  no  one  has  ever 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    141 

found  out  how  the  cattle  get  this  disease.  When  a 
person  gets  the  milk  sickness  it  is  very  hard  to  get 
rid  of;  some  say  it  will  always  remain  in  the  blood, 
producing  what  is  known  as  'Hhe  tires."  The  per- 
son will  feel  pretty  well,  but  can  stand  very  little 
fatigue;  he  fails  in  strength  and  feels  always  trem- 
ulous. 

After  Greenfield,  our  next  stop  was  in  Cumber- 
land, a  small  village  in  Marion  County,  just  ten  miles 
east  of  Indianapolis,  and  night  had  fallen  when  we 
reached  the  capital.  Our  stage  drew  up  before  the 
tavern  known  as  Washington  Hall,  a  famous  hos- 
telry, so  Mr.  Hicklin  informed  me,  which  has  for 
years  been  the  headquarters  of  the  Whig  party.  We 
found  our  host,  Edward  Browning,  most  agreeable, 
and  I  am  anticipating  the  morrow's  dawning,  when 
I  may  go  forth  to  present  the  many  letters  given 
me  by  friends  in  the  state  and  thus  meet  the  city's 
notables. 


CHAPTER  IX 

Indianapolis,  June  18,  1840. 

I  HAVE  had  a  great  desire  to  view  Indianapolis, 
liaving  heard  so  many  opinions  of  a  different 
nature  concerning  it  from  friends  and  travelers 
during  my  journey  in  the  Western  country.  Some 
assert,  as  Governor  Ray  is  said  to  have  done,  that 
it  is  a  miasmatic  place,  ' '  set  in  a  boundless  contigu- 
ity of  shade."  Others  declare  that  its  location  is  not 
only  beautiful  but  salubrious.  It  would  seem  that  I 
must  view  it  with  my  own  eyes  and  judge  for  myself. 
Then,  too,  there  is  always  much  to  excite  interest  in 
the  capital  of  a  state,  and  I  have  letters  and  oppor- 
tunities for  introduction  to  most  of  the  respectable 
families  residing  here,  so  I  have  been  most  anxious 
for  the  time  to  come  when  I  might  walk  about  its 
streets  and  meet  its  people. 

I  will  set  down  first  my  observations  on  the  city. 
The  population,  I  am  told,  is  2,692,  whereas,  accord- 
ing to  the  ''Emigrant's. Guide,"  which  the  host  of  the 
inn,  Mr.  Browning,  showed  to  me,  there  were  in  1832, 
just  eighteen  years  ago,  only  ninety  families,  an  in- 
dication of  rapid  growth  and,  in  consequence,  pros- 
perity. The  county,  the  Guide  continues,  is  an  ex- 
act square,  a  delightful  tract  of  country,  presenting 
a  level  and  rich  surface.    The  town  is  situated  on  a 

142 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    143 

beautiful,  fertile  and  very  extensive  plain  just  at  the 
confluence  of  Fall  Creek  with  the  White  River, 
and  the  main  street,,  sometimes  called  Washington 
Street,  and  which  is  the  National  Road,  is  120  feet 
wide.  In  1820,  Mr.  Browning  informs  me,  the  whole 
country  for  forty  miles  in  every  direction,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  unimportant  prairies,  was  a  dense 
forest  with  no  settlements  nearer  than  fifty  miles, 
and  it  was  through  these  forests  that  the  first  set- 
tlers had  to  make  their  way.  Naturally  they  made 
their  first  settlements  near  the  river,  where  there 
was  less  underbrush  and  but  a  few  thinly  scattered 
sugar  trees  which  only  required  to  be  deadened  and 
the  land  fenced  in  order  that  it  might  be  cultivated. 

Discovering  my  interest  in  this  settlement,  Mr. 
Browning  himself  pointed  out  to  me  the  historic  spot 
where  the  first  settler,  McCormick — although  I  learn 
that  there  is  a  dispute  as  to  whether  he  or  George 
Pogue  really  came  first  to  this  spot — ^built  his  cabin 
overlooking  White  River  and  not  far  from  where  is 
now  the  long  and  handsome  bridge  which  spans  the 
river  and  affords  entrance  to  the  town  over  the  Na- 
tional Road  from  the  west,  the  road  being  improved 
by  being  graded  and  bridged  as  far  as  the  town  of 
Terre  Haute.  The  first  comers  to  this  spot  came 
because  gf  the  Indian  trails,  a  half  dozen  of  which 
converged  to  the  mouth  of  Fall  Creek,  because  of 
a  sandbar  across  the  river. 

In  my  few  days*  stay  here  I  have  been  several 
times  driven  about  the  city  and  am  charmed  with 
its  plan.  On  mentioning  to  some  friends  that  it  re- 
called to  me  the  city  of  Washington,  I  was  informed 
that  this  was  not  singular,  since  one  of  the  surveyors 


144    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

who  planned  the  city,  Alexander  Ealston,  had  as- 
sisted Major  L 'Enfant  in  the  survey  of  our  national 
capital.  This  young  Ralston  later  came  out  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  then  to  Salem,  la.,  and  thence  to 
Indianapolis  in  1822,  where  he  became  county  sur- 
veyor. He  and  Elias  Fordham,  a  young  English- 
man, an  engineer,  planned  the  city  on  a  very  large 
scale;  their  plat,  it  is  said,  provides  for  a  mile 
square,  the  boundary  streets  being  known  as  North, 
South,  East  and  West,  a  ridiculously  large  plat,  it 
would  seem,  even  to  so  thriving  a  population,  but  it 
may  be,  Mr.  Browning  says,  and  many  others  proph- 
esy, that  it  will  eventually  fill  the  entire  space  in- 
cluded in  these  encircling  streets. 

The  four  central  blocks  of  the  city  are  known  as 
the  Governor's  Square,  and  at  their  very  center  is  a 
circle  known  as  the  Governor's  Circle,  on  which, 
stands  the  house  of  the  Chief  Executive.  From  the 
four  corners  of  the  Governor's  Square  four  diag- 
onal streets  branch  out,  which  run  to  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  plat,  and  all  these  streets  are  ninety  feet 
in  width.  They  are  named  respectively  for  the 
states  of  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Virginia  and  Massa- 
chusetts. The  streets  east  and  west  are  parallel  with 
Washington  (the  National  Road)  and  north  of  it  are 
named  Market,  Ohio,  New  York,  Vermont,  Michigan 
and  North,  and  to  the  south  of  Washington  Street 
they  run  Maryland,  Georgia,  Louisiana  and  the 
bounding  street,  South. 

After  the  first  two  blocks  north  of  and  south  of 
the  main  street,  or  Washington,  the  streets  can 
hardly  be  dignified  by  that  name.    They  bear  much 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    145 

more  resemblance  to  the  country  roads  over  some 
of  which  I  have  fared.  In  the  very  middle  of  some 
of  them  the  forest  trees  are  still  standing ;  in  others, 
stumps  compel  the  wagon  way  to  wander  crookedly 
along,  and  this  same  wagon  way  is  rendered  ex- 
tremely unpleasant  for  travel  by  numerous  mud 
holes.  South  of  Washington,  and  along  the  part  of 
the  plat  traversed  by  the  creek  known  as  Pogue's 
Creek,  the  land  is  extremely  swampy,  and  in  order 
to  reach  some  of  the  houses  of  men  of  prominence 
whom  I  shall  name  later,  it  is  necessary  to  pass 
along  over  corduroyed  thoroughfares  and  skirt 
swampy  pastures  fringed  with  willows.  However, 
this  is  all  incident  to  the  making  of  a  town  on  level 
ground  traversed  by  water  courses. 

These  blocks  which  are  built  upon,  none  of  them 
completely  covered  as  yet  with  buildings,  present  a 
very  pleasing  appearance.  Some  of  the  buildings 
are  surrounded  by  gardens  and  give  evidence  of  the 
presence  of  a  sober,  moral  and  industrious  commu- 
nity. 

Of  the  salubriousness  of  this  town  I  was  soon  to 
hear  varying  opinions.  Some  declare  it  a  most 
health-giving  spot.  Others  say  that  it  is  infested 
with  that  ague  of  which  Dr.  Peabody  of  Vernon  told 
me  so  particularly.  Still  others  declare  that  while 
there  was  much  chills  and  fever  at  the  time  of  the 
city's  settling,  such  is  no  longer  the  case.  So  I  am 
forced  to  dismiss  the  subject,  unsettled,  with  the 
hope  that  I,  myself,  may  not  be  made  the  proof  of 
the  existence  of  this  dread  disease. 

The  first  letter  I  chose  to  present  was  one  from 


146    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Mr.  Dumont  of  Vevay,  to  Mr.  Samuel  Merrill.  My 
reasons  for  this  were  several.  Mr.  Merrill,  I  had 
heen  told  by  Mr.  Dumont,  had  years  ago  come  out 
from  Vermont,  his  birthplace,  to  Vevay,  had  served 
in  the  Legislature,  was  elected  the  state's  first  treas- 
urer, had  assisted  in  the  naming  of  the  capital  city, 
and,  when  the  capital  was  moved  to  the  city  in  the 
wilderness,  as  was  said  at  the  time,  had  brought 
with  him  in  a  wagon  the  state's  moneys,  over  the 
long  and  perilous  wilderness  road.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  office  Mr.  Merrill  had  become 
connected  with  the  State  Bank. 

On  seeking  Mr.  Merrill  at  his  home  on  Washing- 
ton Street,  opposite  the  new  State  House,  of  which 
I  shall  have  more  to  say  later,  I  found  him  all  and 
more  than  Mr.  Dumont  had  assured  me  I  would. 
He  introduced  me  to  his  family,  has  invited  me  to 
his  home  several  times,  has  presented  me  to  several 
of  the  principal  men  of  the  community,  and  it  is  in 
his  company  that  I  have  viewed  much  of  the  city. 
One  of  the  interesting  things  he  has  told  me  is  the 
story  of  his  journey  from  Corydon  to  Indianapolis, 
a  distance  of  160  miles,  requiring  two  weeks,  on 
account  of  the  difficulties  of  travel,  and  on  which 
journey  he  carried  in  wagons  the  state's  silver, 
packed  in  strong  wooden  boxes. 

In  my  several  visits  to  Mr.  Merrill's  home,  I  was 
much  impressed  with  his  library,  one  of  the  three 
best  libraries  in  the  city,  I  am  told,  the  others  being 
those  of  Calvin  Fletcher  and  James  M.  Blake,  Mr. 
Merrill's  being  the  largest.  As  to  his  character,  I 
was  to  hear  from  others  as  well  as  to  observe  for 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    147 

myself,  his  benevolence,  his  generosity,  his  interest 
in  all  good  works. 

Having  served  as  an  official  in  its  beginnings,  Mr. 
Merrill  was  most  excellently  qualified  to  describe  to 
me  the  most  intelligent  people  in  the  community  and 
to  point  out  the  places  of  interest  connected  with 
the  government.  All  center  naturally  about  the 
Governor's  Square,  the  Governor's  Circle  and  the 
Governor's  Mansion.  This  mansion,  he  explained 
to  me,  because  of  the  publicity  of  its  location,  is  not 
and  never  has  been  occupied  as  a  residence,  but  is 
used  for  any  social  gatherings  the  Governor  may 
desire,  and  is  now  occupied  by  the  judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court  and  is  also  the  home  of  the  State 
Library.  He  informs  me  that  at  the  corner  of  Illi- 
nois and  Market  Streets  is  to  be  found  the  home  of 
Governor  Wallace,  to  whom  I  have  letters  from  vari- 
ous acquaintances  in  Brookville,  and  he  has  prom- 
ised himself  to  accompany  me  to  call  on  this  digni- 
tary. 

Mr.  Merrill  has  given  me  the  history  of  the  new 
State  House,  very  recently  completed,  and  on  the 
occasion  of  my  first  visit  to  him  he  took  me  across 
the  street  to  view  it  at  close  hand.  It  is  a  magnifi- 
cent structure,  stuccoed  and  built  in  the  Doric  style.^ 

I  met  at  this  time,  through  the  offices  of  Mr.  Mer- 
rill, James  Blake,  the  commissioner,  a  most  inter- 

*  Our  diarist's  taste  must  be  at  fault  here,  if  we  are  to  credit 
Col.  Holloway,  who  in  his  history  of  Indianapolis  (1870)  declares 
that  the  style  of  architecture  is  unfitted  to  the  level  country,  that 
the  stucco  has  not  withstood  the  extreme  vicissitudes  of  the  climate, 
and  that  "the  incongruous  contemptible  dome  condemns  it  utterly." 
Mr.  Parsons  being  young  and  enthusiastic,  evidently  did  not  think 
for  himself,  but  reflects  the  sentiment  of  the  community. — Editor. 


148    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

esting  man,  whose  conunercial  venture  in  ginseng 
and  later  in  hemp  form  an  interesting  chapter  in 
the  town's  history,  and  also  young  Mr.  T.  A.  Morris, 
an  engineer  who  assisted  in  the  building  of  the  State 
House,  a  West  Point  graduate,  who  a  few  years  ago 
organized  an  excellent  military  company.  This  com- 
pany, in  their  handsome  gray  uniforms  faced  with 
black  velvet,  I  have  several  times  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  drill  and  parade. 

The  Court  House,  also  on  Washington  Street,  and 
two  blocks  east  of  my  tavern,  has  been,  since  its  erec- 
tion soon  after  the  location  of  the  capital,  the  seat 
of  the  town's  business  and  social  interests,  so  Mr. 
Merrill  informs  me.  It  had  originally  a  fine  situa- 
tion among  beautiful  forest  trees,  but  many  of  these 
have  been  cut  away,  others,  left  unprotected,  have 
been  blown  down,  until  now  almost  all  are  gone,  and 
the  grounds  present  a  bare  and  unsightly  appear- 
ance. From  the  years  1825  to  1835  this  rather 
sightly  two-story  building  was  the  only  public  build- 
ing in  the  town,  and  was  used  for  the  meetings  of  the 
Legislature,  the  Federal  and  Supreme  Courts  and 
the  county  board.  Now  that  these  are  passed,  it  is 
still  in  constant  use  for  meetings,  lectures,  preach- 
ings, theatrical  exhibitions,  concerts,  conventions 
and  balls.  To  one  of  these  last  named,  soon  to  be 
given,  I  have  been  invited. 

One  of  Mr.  Merrill's  daughters,  a  most  intelligent 
and  interesting  young  female,  has  been  most  kind 
to  me,  and  has  given  me  much  information  concern- 
ing the  social  side  of  the  city.  The  family  belongs 
to  Mr.  Beecher's  church,  and  she  tells  me  that  two 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    149 

of  the  most  beautiful  young  women  in  the  city  are 
members  of  this  congregation.  There  are  in  this 
city,  she  says,  many  men  of  the  most  polished  man- 
ners, among  them  former  Governor  Noble,  who, 
Mr.  Beecher  asserts,  has  the  finest  manners  of  any 
man  he  has  ever  known.  Dr.  Andrew  Wylie,^  pres- 
ident of  the  State  College  at  Bloomington,  a  town 
at  not  a  great  distance  from  here,  who  has  lectured 
here  recently  before  the  Female  Academy,  Miss  Mer- 
rill professes  to  admire  almost  more  than  any  man 
she  knows. 

"You  should  have  seen  him,'*  she  said,  ''that  hot 
June  day,  walking  along  in  the  street  in  his  brown 
linen  coat,  w^ith  a  Leghorn  hat,  beneath  whose  ample 
brim  a  breath  of  wind  occasionally  stole  to  play  with 
his  silver  locks;  his  large,  well-proportioned  form, 
his  broad,  noble  brow,  the  domain  of  high  thought, 
the  bluff  independence  of  his  look  and  manner.  And 
then  his  address — ^you  should  hear  him  engaged  in 
argument,  and  hear  the  depth  of  his  thought,  the 
elegance  in  which  this  thought  is  clad,  and  his  elo- 
quence also.  Oh,  sir — !"  She  paused,  unable  to 
continue.  It  is  my  hope  that  ere  I  leave  this  state  I 
may  have  the  opportunity  to  meet  this  man,  to  whose 
school  I  have  been  told  Governor  Wise  of  my  own 
Virginia  has  sent  three  of  his  sons,  so  highly  does 
he  value  the  excellence  of  this  great  instructor's 
tutelage. 

It  was  this  same  young  lady  who  informed  me  of 

'Andrew  Wylie,  born  in  1789  in  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania. 
Came  to  Bloomington  in  1829  to  assume  the  presidency  of  the  Uni- 
versity.    Died  1851.— Editor. 


150    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

some  of  the  social  gayeties  of  Indianapolis  to  which, 
through  her  agencies  no  doubt,  I  am  soon  to  be  ad- 
mitted. There  are,  she  says,  parties,  church  sup- 
pers, sewing  societies,  singing  schools,  something 
continually  with  which  to  divert  and  also  to  im- 
prove one's  self. 

The  weather  has  become  quite  warm,  the  heat  most 
oppressive,  indeed,  within  the  last  few  days,  and 
while  passing  along  the  main  street  yesterday  in 
company  with  Mr.  Hicklin,  who  was  bound  to  a  camp 
meeting  in  the  military  reservation,  a  large  ground 
in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  I  stopped  at  a  store 
whose  advertisement  I  had  noted  in  the  newspaper 
at  the  tavern,  to  purchase  some  clothing  better 
adapted  to  the  exigencies  of  the  weather  than  that 
with  which  I  am  provided.  The  store  is  known  as 
The  Indianapolis  Clothing-  Store,  and  is  situated  on 
Washington  Street,  the  first  door  east  of  the  Man- 
sion House,  and  the  notice  in  the  paper  advised  that 
its  proprietor  had  just  received  from  Baltimore  an 
extra  supply  of  summer  clothing,  white  and  brown 
grass  coats,  also  drab  and  white  linen,  Holland  and 
gingham  coats,  together  with  a  splendid  assortment 
of  muslin,  linen  and  gingham  shirts,  plain  and  fig- 
ured satin  vests,  and  also  those  of  marseilles,  Va- 
lencia, silk,  merino  and  toilonet.  I  found  an  assort- 
ment quite  to  my  liking,  and  a  most  genteel  propri- 
etor, Mr.  Orr,  most  solicitous  as  to  pleasing,  and 
soon  made  a  selection  of  appropriate  garments  with 
which  to  attire  myself  for  the  days  I  intend  to  linger 
in  this  city,  whose  social  life  is  far  more  extensive 
than  I  had  imagined. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    151 

I  soon  met,  and  this  too  through  Mr.  Merrill, 
whose  kindness  was  unceasing,  Mr.  Calvin  Fletcher, 
who  showed  me  the  greatest  courtesy,  and  on  learn- 
ing that  I  was  a  stranger  come  from  Virginia  to 
inspect  farming  land  in  the  Western  country,  as- 
sisted me  in  every  way  in  acquiring  information  and 
viewing  the  environing  country.  He  informed  me 
that  in  1835  this  county  contained  1,300  farms,  and 
produced  1,300,000  bushels  of  wheat  and  the  same 
of  corn. 

As  we  drove  about,  Mr.  Fletcher  told  me  much  of 
the  surrounding  country  and  of  the  citizens  of  the 
capital.  Born  in  Vermont,  he  had  lived  in  Ohio  for 
a  season,  acting  there  as  tutor  in  a  family,  and  from 
there  went  to  Richmond,  Va.,  to  engage  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law.  His  love  for  freedom  and  the  rights 
of  man  soon  caused  him  to  feel  the  atmosphere  of 
this  state  uncongenial,  and  he  returned  to  the  north, 
eventually  settling  in  Indianapolis  in  1821,  where  he 
was  the  first  lawyer  to  come  to  the  city.  From  oth- 
ers I  learned  of  his  success  in  the  practice  of  the  law, 
of  his  serving  as  State  Senator,  and  as  District  At- 
torney. He  is  at  present  sinking  fund  commissioner 
for  the  State  Bank,  which  he  assisted  to  organize. 

My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Fletcher  I  found  most 
delightful,  the  congeniality  of  our  tastes  completely 
bridging  over  the  difference  in  our  years.  Like  Mr. 
Merrill,  he  possesses  an  extremely  fine  and  well  se- 
lected library,  and  when  I  visit  him  I  find  the  great- 
est delight  in  perusing  the  titles  of  the  books,  among 
them  some  volumes  of  Audubon's  ''Birds  of  Amer- 
ica'*   with    beautiful     hand-colored     plates.     Mr. 


152    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Fletcher  is  a  great  lover  of  nature  and  is  especially 
fond  of  ornithology,  and  he  has  told  me  much  of 
Audubon  and  of  his  "Western  residence  in  Hender- 
son, Ky. 

When  he  told  me  something  of  the  round  of  his 
daily  life,  I  was  not  so  greatly  astonished  at  the  ex- 
tent of  his  accomplishment.  He  rises,  so  he  tells 
me,  at  4  in  the  morning  and  attends  to  his  corre- 
spondence until  breakfast.  He  next  rides  out  to  his 
farm  of  600  acres,  two  miles  from  the  city,  and  then 
returns  to  take  up  his  duties  at  the  banl?:.  He  is  in- 
terested in  every  good  work,  is  a  man  of  remark- 
able temperance  in  all  his  habits,  and  of  a  most  re- 
markable energy.  He  is  something  under  six  feet 
in  height,  strongly  and  compactly  built,  and  has  an 
extremely  penetrating  gray  eye.  He  tells  me  he  is 
keeping  a  diary  in  which  he  records  everything  of 
importance  which  takes  place  under  his  notice.  I 
have  met  him  at  some  of  the  gatherings  of  lawyers 
of  which  I  shall  have  more  to  say  presently,  and  I 
note  that  while  he  indulges  in  none  of  the  convivial- 
ity which  is  a  feature  of  these  meetings,  he  is  as  fond 
of  a  joke  as  the  best  of  them,  and  I  am  told  has  a 
considerable  reputation  for  his  quizzing  and  prac- 
tical jokes  among  the  members  of  his  profession. 

On  my  confiding  to  Mr.  Fletcher  my  impressions 
of  the  city,  he  informed  me  that  I  am  correct  in  con- 
cluding that  the  citizens  are  unusual  in  the  degree 
of  their  enlightenment.  He  has  had  ample  opportu- 
nity for  observation  during  his  residence  in  Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  he  assures  me 
that  in  the  new  towns  in  Virginia,  the  old  towns  of 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    153 

Pennsylvania,  and  in  Urbana,  Columbus,  Dayton 
and  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  there  is  not  the  enlighten- 
ment that  he  has  found  among  the  citizens  of  In- 
dianapolis. There  is  in  this  place,  said  he,  both  a 
certain  intellectual  activity  and  a  strong  moral  bent . 
which  is  a  characteristic  of  all.  There  are  many 
political  meetings,  but  these  are  not  all.  These  men 
are  continually  engaged  in  town  meetings  to  promote 
civil  affairs,  in  debating  societies,  in  Bible  classes, 
and  the  union  Sunday  School  under  the  leadership 
of  Dr.  Coe  is  flourishing  beyond  belief.  **I  am  con- 
vinced," he  concluded,  ''that  there  is  not  a  settle- 
ment in  the  West  which  has  a  more  church-going 
population  than  has  ours.  As  for  our  schools,  you 
will,  I  am  sure,  find  them  most  interesting  and  flour- 
ishing." 

With  this  I  was  ready  to  agree,  for  I  had  already 
viewed  the  Indianapolis  Female  Institute,  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Misses  Axtell,  to  which  I  am  in- 
vited to  attend  an  exhibition  given  soon  by  the  young 
females  who  attend  it.  I  had  also  seen  the  Franklin 
Institute  of  which  Nathan  B.  Palmer  is  president, 
and  on  University  Square,  between  the  streets  of 
New  York  and  Vermont,  and  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Meridian  Street,  a  square  held  now  by  the  city  on 
consent  of  the  Legislature,  but  given  originally  to 
help  endow  a  state  university,  the  County  Seminary, 
the  best  educational  establishment,  I  am  told,  in  the 
city.  This  building  was  erected  six  years  ago  and 
stands  on  the  southwest  corner  of  this  square. 

It  is  two  stories  high  with  projecting  lobbies  at 
each  end,  has  two  rooms  below  and  a  lecture  room 


154    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  a  teachers'  private  room  above.  Besides  its 
use  as  a  school,  it  is  much  used  as  a  lecture  room 
and  for  church  services,  this  being  the  place  in  which 
Mr.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  holds  his  church  services 
until  the  completion  of  his  new  church  in  the  Circle, 
even  now  in  process  of  erection.  The  principal  of 
this  school,  the  Rev.  James  Kemper,  it  has  been  my 
good  fortune  to  meet,  and  I  find  him  not  only  a 
remarkable  scholar,  but  a  man  of  fine  personality 
and  highly  esteemed  in  the  community. 

While  I  had  brought  letters  and  had  several  means 
of  introduction  to  citizens  of  Indianapolis,  some  of 
my  introductions  were  brought  about  quite  by  acci- 
dent. One  of  these  incidents  I  shall  narrate  be- 
cause of  its  amusingness  and  unexpectedness. 

I  have  neglected  to  say  that  the  time  of  my  visit 
finds  this  city,  as  it  has  many  others,  filled  with 
excitement  over  the  political  campaign,  although  I 
am  surprised  to  be  informed  that  General  Harrison 
is  not  so  well  known  here  as  I  had  imagined  to  find 
him.  It  is  natural  that  he  should  not  be  known  out- 
side the  Northwest  Territory,  but  even  here,  it  seems 
that  since  the  days  of  his  active  participation  in  af- 
fairs and  his  return  to  Ohio,  his  name  has  become 
unfamiliar  to  a  generation  that  has  grown  up  since 
the  days  of  Tippecanoe  and  Tecumseh.  However, 
the  Whig  population  seems  to  be  in  the  majority,  or 
perhaps  possessed  of  better  lungs,  and  the  hurray- 
ing and  jollifying  has  been  going  on  ever  since  my 
arrival.  'Twas  during  a  Whig  procession  preceding 
a  stump  speaking  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town  that 
I  unexpectedly  made  an  acquaintance  which  I  had 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    155 

expected  to  make  later  on  through  other  and  more 
formal  channels. 

At  the  corner  of  Illinois  and  Washington  Streets 
a  cabin  of  buckeye  logs  had  been  erected.  "Buck- 
eye" being  the  name  applied,  I  am  told,  to  the  state 
of  Ohio,  and  this,  then  in  compliment  to  General 
Harrison,  and  whenever  a  Whig  meeting  is  in  prog- 
ress, as  was  the  case  on  the  day  of  which  I  am 
speaking,  barrels  of  cider  are  kept  constantly  run- 
ning before  it.  This  procession  was  in  nature  like 
all  I  have  seen  since  coming  to  the  state — wagons 
with  log  cabins,  with  coons,  with  barrels  of  cider, 
*'dug  out"  canoes  filled  with  young  females  singing 
the  popular  Whig  song: 

"What  has  caused  this  great  commotion,  motion,  motion, 
The  country  through? 

It  is  the  ball  a-rolling  on  for  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too, 
And  with  them  we  '11  beat  little  Van  ! ' ' 

I  was  standing  on  this  particular  day  on  the  oppo- 
site corner  from  the  cabin,  where  the  new  inn,  which 
is  to  be  called  the  Palmer  House,  is  in  the  process 
of  erection,  when  two  gentlemen  stopped  near  me 
to  watch  the  procession  and  to  engage  in  conversa- 
tion. The  one,  a  tall,  striking  looking  man,  I  soon 
gathered  from  his  conversation  to  be  a  minister  of 
the  Campbellite  Church,  and  who,  I  learned  later,  is 
named  O'Kane,  and  is  a  distinguished  controver- 
sialist, who  has  debated  long  and  successfully  on 
religious  topics,  his  most  noted  debate  being  held 
recently  with  none  other  than  my  recent  acquaint- 
ance, the  Universalist  Kidwell.  The  other  man,  to 
whom  I  felt  at  once  attracted  by  a  certain  charm  of 


156    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

manner  and  an  exceeding  richness  and  melodious- 
ness of  voice,  was  a  man  below  medium  size,  with 
prominent  eyes,  large  forehead  and  fine  features. 
They  talked  first  of  politics  and  then  spoke  of  reli- 
gion, and  finally  on  the  last-named  subject,  the  tall 
man  said: 

*' Suppose  we  debate  on  it,  Beecher." 

**No,  no,"  replied  the  other  man,  laughing.  **You 
would  soon  use  me  up,  O'Kane,  and  I  can't  afford 
to  be  demolished  so  young!" 

*'Beecher!"  So  this  was  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
who  had  preached  only  the  last  year  at  Lawrence- 
burg  and  to  whom  my  friend,  Mr.  Dunn,  had  given 
me  a  letter.  Since  coming  to  Indianapolis  I  had 
learned,  both  through  Mr.  Merrill  and  Mr.  Fletcher, 
of  his  success  as  a  minister.  I  have  had  pointed 
out  to  me  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  established 
here  very  soon  after  the  founding  of  the  city,  and 
have  been  told  of  the  separation  in  1837  into  the 
Old  School  and  the  New  School,  at  which  time  fif- 
teen males  and  females  left  this  church  and  founded 
the  church  known  as  the  Second,  to  which  Mr. 
Beecher  came  from  Lawrenceburg  only  last  year. 
As  Mr.  O'Kane  passed  on  and  Mr.  Beecher  re- 
mained, looking  at  the  procession,  I  ventured  to  step 
forward,  introduce  myself,  and  explain  that  I  had  at 
the  tavern  a  letter  to  him  from  Mr.  Dunn. 

His  greeting  was  hearty  and  sincere.  I  knew  he 
meant  his  welcome  and  the  invitation  he  extended 
to  me  to  his  church  and  his  home.  The  latter,  a 
neat,  one-story  cottage,  in  Market  Street,  near 
New  Jersey,  I  soon  visited,  meeting  his  wife,   a 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    157 

rather  discontented  woman,  complaining  constantly 
of  the  chills  and  the  unhealthy  nature  of  the 
to^vTi.  I  also  met  here  a  Mr.  W.  S.  Hubbard,  a 
young  man  of  the  congregation  who  was  boarding 
with  them,  for  it  appears  that  the  ministers '  salaries 
in  these  new  places  are  insufficient  to  support  their 
families  Avithout  additions  from  other  sources. 

Mr.  Hubbard  accompanied  Mr.  Beecher  and  my- 
self in  a  stroll  about  the  garden  in  which  the  minis- 
ter is  extremely  interested,  and  which  is  greatly  pro- 
ductive of  vegetables,  fruits  and  flowers.  I  soon 
found  that  one  of  Mr.  Beecher 's  great  interests  is 
horticulture,  and  that  he  contemplates  establishing 
here  a  horticultural  society  and  eventually  publish- 
ing a  paper  devoted  to  its  interests.^ 

On  the  subject  of  horticulture  in  Indiana,  Mr. 
Beecher  talked  at  length. 

"There  is,"  said  he,  "no  better  soil  and  climate 
for  the  perfection  of  small  fruits.  Our  variable 
springs  are  their  only  obstacle.  The  long  summers, 
the  brilliantly  clear  atmosphere,  the  great  warmth 
and  dryness  during  the  fall  ripening  months  give 
our  fruit  great  size,  color  and  flavor.  There  are 
very  few  gardens  in  Massachusetts  except  near  large 
cities  which  can  compare  with  ten  or  twenty  in  this 
town. ' ' 

He  then  went  on  to  speak  of  the  interest  the  peo- 
ple in  Indianapolis  take  in  gardening.  ' '  I  hope  you 
have  noticed,  sir,  as  you  walked  about  our  city,  the 

^He  did  both.  In  August,  1840,  he  established  the  Indianapolis 
Horticultural  Society,  and  a  few  years  later  published  the  Western 
Farmer  and  Gardener. — Editor. 


158    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

many  beautiful  little  flower  gardens,  the  cleaned 
walks,  the  trimmed  borders,  this,  too,  when,  from  the 
rear,  one  can  almost  throw  a  stone  into  the  primeval 
forest.  In  some  places  you  will  find  only  an  acre  of 
ground,  but  this  covered  with  fruits  and  vegetables 
of  every  kind.  Ah,  when  I  see,  as  I  have  seen,  such 
a  little  garden,  the  personal  labor  of  one  man,  and 
that  man  poor  and  advanced  in  years,  I  do  believe, 
sir,  that  this  sight  has  delighted  me  more  than  would 
the  grounds  of  the  London  Horticultural  Society!'' 

Mrs.  Beecher,  in  our  brief  conversation,  confided 
to  me  that  whenever  Mr.  Beecher  goes  to  see  one 
of  his  parishioners  or  some  poor  person  in  whom  he 
is  interested,  it  is  his  wont  to  carry  in  his  hand  some 
choice  specimen  from  his  garden,  to  present  it  to 
the  person  visited,  telling  him  something  of  inter- 
est concerning  it  and  its  growth,  and  then  offering 
him  a  plant  of  it  from  his  garden.  And  almost 
always,  she  said,  he  arouses  sufficient  interest  for 
the  person  to  accept  his  offer  and  to  ask  for  the 
plant,  and  ere  long  he,  too,  is  the  proud  possessor 
of  a  garden. 

Mr.  Beecher  deplored  the  cutting  down  of  the  trees 
from  the  Court  House  grounds  and  the  Circle,  and 
declared  his  intention  of  inducing  public-spirited 
gentlemen  to  assist  in  planting  the  streets  with  spec- 
imens of  all  our  best  forest  trees. 

At  Mr.  Beecher 's  request,  I  remained  to  tea  with 
them  on  this  evening,  and  accompanied  him  to 
prayer  meeting  in  the  room  in  the  Seminary,  which, 
as  I  have  said,  he  is  using  until  the  completion  of 
the  church.    As  we  went  forth  to  prayer  meeting, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    159 

accompanied  by  Mr.  Hubbard,  two  gentlemen  came 
out  of  a  house  directly  opposite,  a  plain  two-story 
brick  structure,  and  turned  their  steps  our  way. 
These  gentlemen  were  presented  as  Daniel  Yandes 
and  his  son,  Simon.  Daniel  Yandes  is  a  pioneer, 
and  a  man  who  has  hewn  a  fortune  out  of  the  wil- 
derness by  his  own  efforts,  I  am  told,  and  he  is  a 
most  devout  member  of  the  church  and  most  liberal 
in  his  benevolences.  The  son  Simon  is  extremely 
tall  and  thin,  with  light  hair  and  gray  eyes.  He  is, 
as  I  soon  perceived,  not  given  to  conversation,  but 
as  we  walked  together  and  he  learned  that  I  was  a 
stranger  and  observed  my  interest  in  Mr.  Beecher, 
he  told  me  much  of  him.  He  is,  says  Mr.  Yandes, 
a  man  admirably  adapted  to  Western  life.  From 
the  moment  he  came  to  town,  he  entered  with  the 
greatest  enthusiasm  into  all  the  social  life  and  en- 
gagements ;  he  has  a  talent  for  conversation,  is  full 
of  wit  and  fun,  and  already  knows  everybody  in 
the  town. 

I  was  ready  to  agree  with  this,  and  when  I  heard 
him  preach,  as  I  did  later,  I  subscribed  immediately 
to  the  words  of  praise  from  other  sources — that  as 
a  preacher  he  is  a  landscape  painter  of  Christianity ; 
that  he  has  no  model,  is  off-hand  and  original ;  that 
his  great  power  over  his  congregation  consists 
mainly  in  the  clearness  of  his  mental  vision,  the 
range  of  his  thoughts,  the  deep  interest  he  imparts 
to  whatever  he  teaches. 

Before  the  evening  was  over  I  had  reason  to  thank 
the  chance  which  led  me  to  Mr.  Beecher  and  had 
brought  about  my  invitation  to  the  prayer  meeting. 


160    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     , 

for  here  I  met  among  others,  Mr.  Lawrence  M. 
Vance,  a  young  man  near  my  own  age,  a  member  of 
the  choir  (Mr.  Beecher  is  said  to  have  introduced 
choirs  into  this  city),  and  to  Mr.  Vance  I  owe  much 
of  the  special  pleasure  I  have  enjoyed  during  my 
stay  in  the  city.  I  also  met  here  some  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  church,  Mr.  John  L.  Ketcham,  Mr.  Joseph 
F.  Holt  and  wife,  Mr.  Sidney  Bates,  Mr.  Alexander 
Davidson  and  many  others,  whom  I  have  encoun- 
tered again  at  other  gatherings  and  all  of  whom 
have  showed  me  attention. 

Time  presses  and  I  must  bring  this  installment 
of  my  diary  to  a  close.  In  my  next  I  shall  chronicle 
the  next  incidents  of  days  in  this  city,  the  ball,  the 
tea  at  Mrs.  Sarah  Bolton's,  a  poetess  of  the  "West- 
ern wilderness,  my  meeting  with  a  company  of  law- 
yers, an  evening  at  the  home  of  Governor  Wallace, 
and  my  trip  to  a  ** pleasure  garden"  with  a  most 
beautiful  and  accomplished  young  lady. 


CHAPTER  X 

Indianapolis,  June  21,  1840.     . 

I  ALREADY  have  mentioned  young  Mr.  T.  A. 
Morris,  a  West  Point  graduate  and  an  engi- 
neer who  superintended  the  work  of  construc- 
tion on  the  State  House,  and  who  has  for  some  years 
been  captain  of  a  company  of  volunteer  militia.  It 
was  my  good  fortune  to  see  this  militia  in  action 
one  day  of  this  week.  This  company,  the  "Marion 
Guards,"  I  was  informed  by  my  companion  at  the 
time,  was  organized  in  1837  by  Col.  Russell,  who  was 
later  succeeded  in  the  captaincy  and  the  work  of 
drilling  by  Mr.  Morris.  Their  uniform  is  of  gray 
cloth,  black-faced,  with  high  shakos  of  black  shiny 
leather,  with  black  cockades.  Col.  Russell,  'tis  said, 
drilled  them  well  in  the  beginning,  and  after  Mr. 
Morris  took  them  in  hand  they  became  quite  pro- 
ficient in  their  evolutions,  which  afforded  great  en- 
tertainment to  the  town.  There  is  another  company 
also,  incorporated  just  two  years  ago,  known  as  the 
''Marion  Rifles,"  under  Capt.  Thomas  McBaker,  and 
these  men  wear  an  altogether  different  uniform — 
a  blue-fringed  hunting  shirt  with  blue  pantaloons 
and  caps,  not  nearly  so  soldierly,  but  after  all  more 
attractive,  in  my  eyes  at  least,  because  of  this  very 
suggestion  of  the  frontier. 
Sometimes,  I  hear,  the  Guards  are  called  "Gray 

161 


162    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Backs"  because  of  their  gray  uniform,  and  the  other 
company,  perhaps  because  of  their  less  disciplined 
appearance  and  their  method  of  warfare,  unlike  the 
European,  or  Prussian,  I  should  say,  in  which  the 
Guards  are  so  well  drilled,  are  called  ''The  Arabs." 

On  this  day  of  which  I  speak  the  two  companies, 
by  agreement,  as  I  learned  later,  met  for  a  sham 
battle  along  Washington  Street,  and  soon  all  who 
were  on  the  street  or  in  the  stores  and  various  build- 
ings were  lined  along  the  sidewalks  watching  the 
performance.  Down  the  street  came  the  Guards, 
marching  and  firing  in  platoons,  most  stately  and 
imposing  in  their  tall  shakos,  when  suddenly  up- 
started the  Arabs,  and  went  through  their  skirmish 
drill,  lying  down  in  the  dust,  firing,  loading  again, 
rising,  retreating  in  a  run,  dropping  down  again 
and  going  through  the  same  maneuvers,  much  to  the 
delight  of  the  spectators.  It  was  a  most  interest- 
ing spectacle,  and  I  was  much  pleased  to  have  this 
opportunity  of  observing  the  efiiciency  of  the  militia 
and  the  interest  of  the  lookers-on. 

Young  Mr.  Morris  or  Capt.  Morris,  I  should  say, 
who  is  just  29  years  old,  is  a  young  gentleman  of 
fine  presence  and  most  agreeable  manners,  and  he 
has  been  most  gracious  to  me  on  the  occasion  of 
our  several  meetings  and  has  related  to  me  many 
most  entertaining  anecdotes  of  his  experiences.  He 
was,  he  informs  me,  at  Tippecanoe,  at  the  great 
meeting  which  I  attended  in  company  with  Col. 
Vawter,  and  he  has  presented  me  to  several  of  the 
gentlemen  who  were  his  companions  on  this  occa- 
sion.   The  delegation  which  went  from  this  city  was 


'  A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840'   163 

of  most  imposing  proportions  and  importance,  and 
was  given  the  name  of  ''The  Wild  Oats  of  Indian- 
apolis," and  several  of  these  gentlemen,  among 
whom  I  remember  most  distinctly  Elliott  Patterson, 
Charles  Cady,  John  D.  Morris,  James  R.  Nowland, 
Andrew  Byrne,  Hugh  0  'Neal,  George  Bruce,  George 
Drum  and  Vance  Noel,  have  told  me  many  amusing 
stories  of  this  long  journey  through  the  rain  and 
mud  to  one  of  the  greatest  political  demonstrations 
they  had  ever  witnessed. 

This  Mr.  Noel,  or  Vance,  as  he  is  familiarly  ad- 
dressed by  many  of  his  townsmen,  is  a  Virginian  by 
birth,  who  came  here  in  1825  with  his  parents  and 
has  been  in  the  office  of  the  Indiana  Journal,  a  paper 
which  was  first  published  under  the  name  of  the 
Western  Censor  and  Emigrant's  Guide,  established 
by  Harvey  Gregg  and  Douglass  Maguire,  most  es- 
timable gentlemen,  whom  I  have  met  several  times. 
My  friend,  Mr.  Merrill,  I  learn,  was  an  editor  of 
this  paper  for  a  season,  and  five  years  ago  it  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  Douglass  and  Mr.  Noel.  The  lat- 
ter tells  me  that  he  has  learned  the  entire  business 
in  this  office,  beginning  as  an  apprentice  and  serving 
later  as  journeyman,  foreman,  and  now  proprietor. 

A  most  amusing  incident  narrated  to  me  by  Mr. 
Noel,  and  one  which  explains  jesting- remarks  I  have 
heard  exchanged  frequently  among  various  gentle- 
men on  the  occasion  of  their  meetings,  concerns,  an 
event  known  as  **the  Black  Hawk  War."  Early  in 
1832,  I  am  told,  a  Sac  Indian  chief,  by  name  Black 
Hawk,  by  his  hostile  acts  a.roused  much  fear  among 
the  northern  frontier  settlements  of  Illinois   and 


164    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

northwestern  Indiana,  and  in  order  to  reassure  the 
settlers  and  to  provide  for  the  permanence  of  the 
settlements  Governor  Noble-  sent  two  detachments 
of  militia  to  the  northern  frontiers  of  the  state,  or- 
dering small  detachments  of  mounted  riflemen  to 
be  stationed  at  different  points  from  the  skirts  of 
the  settlements  beyond  the  Wabash  and  the  lake. 

This  same  Col.  Russell  who  organized  the  Marion 
Guards,  was  commissioned  by  the  Governor  to  raise 
the  300  volunteer  militia,  and  the  prestige  of  this 
gallant  gentleman  whose  greatest  delight,  'tis  said, 
is  to  ride  dashingly  along  by  his  line  of  men,  sword 
flashing,  plume  flying  in  the  breeze,  shouting  his  or- 
ders, induced  a  great  number  to  join  the  body.  In 
a  very  few  days  the  companies  made  up  of  citizens 
of  this  and  adjoining  counties  were  full,  at  some 
expense,  too,  for  all  were  expected  to  arm  and  equip 
themselves  with  horses,  rifles  and  camp,  equipage, 
and  were  settled  in  the  camp  on  the  high  ground 
just  beyond  West  Street  and  north  of  Washington, 
where  they  employed  themselves  while  waiting  in 
molding  bullets  and  throwing  tomahawks  at  a  mark. 

*'I  shall  never  forget  the  day  of  our  departure,'* 
said  Mr.  Noel,  as  he  related  to  me  the  story.  **It 
was  a  Sunday  morning,  and  this  long  line  of  300 
mounted  men  marched  along  Washington  Street, 
which  was  lined  with  onlookers,  mothers,  fathers, 
friends,  many  of  them  weeping  as  they  thought  of 
the  possibility  of  their  heroes  never  returning.  The 
dreariness  of  this  occasion  was  enhanced  by  the  dol- 
orous notes  of  a  great  tin  horn  which  heralded  our 
movements,  and  each  onslaught  on  which  brought 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    165 

a  fresh  deluge  of  tears  from  the  spectators  who 
thought  never  to  look  on  us  again.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  like  that  ancient  King  of  Spain,  we  all  marched 
out  and  then  marched  back  again.  We  were  gone 
just  three  weeks,  all  told,  the  greater  part  of  this 
time  consumed  in  going  and  coming,  for  when, 
guided  by  William  Conner,  we  arrived  at  Fort  Dear- 
born, we  found  that  the  war  was  over  and  Black 
Hawk  a  prisoner.  We  marched  around  the  lake  to 
South  Bend  on  our  homeward  way,  a  most  unfortu- 
nate proceeding,  by  the  way,  for  the  editor  of  the 
paper  in  that  town,  John  B.  Defrees,  enormously 
amused  by  our  very  warlike  appearance  and  our  late 
arrival  on  the  field  of  combat,  gave  us  the  name  of 
'The  Bloody  Three  Hundred.' 

''The  name  did  not  reach  Indianapolis  for  a  sea- 
son. We  arrived  at  home  on  the  3d  of  July  and 
were  given  a  dinner  at  Washington  Hall  on  the 
Fourth  by  our  grateful  fellow  citizens,  who  wel- 
comed us  as  returned  heroes  who  had  undoubt- 
edly prevented  their  wholesale  massacre.  However, 
'twas  not  long  till  the  story  crept  out  of  our  blood- 
less and  uneventful  journey,  and  then  Mr.  Defrees 's 
happy  epithet,  the  Bloody  Three  Hundred!  'Twas 
too  apt  a  title  to  be  forgotten,  and  though  eight 
years  have  elapsed  since  then,  we  are  still  twitted 
with  it." 

•  Later  I  encountered  some  of  the  leading  men  who 
were  members  of  this  company,  and  to  all  of  them 
was  presented  by  Mr.  Noel — Stoughton  A.  Fletcher, 
Gen.  James  P.  Drake,  Capt.  John  Wishard,  Gen. 
Robert  Hanna,  Capt.  Alex  Wiley — all  of  whom,  I 


166    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

observed,  still  found  pleasure  in  recounting  the  in- 
cidents of  this  expedition.  Col.  Russell  himself  I 
have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting;  he  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  inn,  Washington  Hall,  whose  impor- 
tance as  a  center  of  Whig  activities  I  am  beginning 
more  and  more  to  realize  as  the  excitement  incident 
to  the  prosecution  of  the  campaign  progresses,  and 
I  have  found  him  a  man  of  most  ardent  and  enthu- 
siastic temperament  and  one  most  kind  and  devoted 
to  his  friends. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  I  saw  the  mili- 
tia maneuvers,  I  went,  according  to  arrangement, 
to  Mr.  Merrill's  house  that  he  might  accompany  me 
to  call  on  Governor  Wallace.  I  have  noted  before 
that  the  house  known  as  the  Governor's  Mansion, 
situated  in  the  Circle,  has  never  been  used  for  a  res- 
idence, the  situation  being  too  public,  and  during 
the  incumbency  of  Governor  Wallace,  a  house  has 
been  purchased  by  the  state  which  was  built  by  Dr. 
John  Sanders,  and  which  is  said  to  be  the  finest 
house  in  the  town.  It  stands  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Market  and  Illinois  Streets,  and  at  not  a  great 
distance  from  Mr.  Merrill's  home. 

'Twas  not  yet  sunset,  as  I  strolled  along  Wash- 
ington Street  toward  Mr.  Merrill's,  and  frequently 
I  encountered  the  urchins  of  the  town  driving  home 
the  cows.  From  the  south  they  came,  from  the  place 
known  as  Sheets'  pasture.^ 

This  place  Mr.  Fletcher  in  driving  out  has  pointed 
out  to  me.     They  came  down  Illinois  Street,  a  cow 

^  Two  blocks  between  Georgia  and  South  Streets  and  Tennessee  and 
Mississippi  Streets.      {Holloivay,  1870.)— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    167 

or  more  for  every  family,  it  would  seem,  from  their 
number,  sometimes  pausing  to  graze,  anon  lashed  to 
a  gallop  by  their  young  drivers  who  were  shouting, 
fighting,  singing,  indulging  in  the  thousand  and  one 
pranks  common  to  youth  the  world  over.  These 
same  urchins  I  had  observed  but  the  day  before 
while  walking  abroad  with  Mr.  Vance,  flocking  to 
Noble's  Hole,-  their  favorite  swimming  place,  he 
said,  because  of  the  blue  clay  in  the  bank  which, 
sloping  steeply,  gives  them  a  fine  slide  into  the 
water,  and  also  affords  paint  with  which  they  streak 
and  spot  their  naked  bodies  hideously  for  an  Indian 
play  about  the  meadow. 

Judge  Miles  C.  Eggleston  of  Brookville,  who  was 
so  kind  to  me  during  my  stay  there,  had  given  me 
a  letter  to  Governor  Wallace,  who  studied  law  in 
his  office.  He  is  very  fond  of  his  former  protege, 
and  declared  him  one  of  the  finest  lawyers  of  the 
Whitewater  Valley.  He  told  me,  too,  of  the  death 
of  Governor  Wallace's  first  wife,  a  daughter  of 
Judge  Test,  and  of  his  union  four  years  ago  with 
Miss  Zerelda  Sanders,  a  beautiful  and  accomplished 
young  female,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Sanders,  the 
same  whose  handsome  house  has  been  purchased  for 
the  Governor's  residence. 

I  soon  found  that  so  far  as  the  cordiality  of  my 
reception  was  concerned,  the  letter  was  all  unnec- 

*  "Noble's  Hole,"  where  Market  Street  bridge  is,  "Morris's  Hole," 
where  the  creek  passes  out  of  the  culvert  under  the  Union  Depot, 
and  another  deep  "elbow"  near  the  gas  works  and  the  foot  of  Wash- 
ington Street  at  the  old  ferry  landing,  were  favorite  swimming  places 
for  Indianapolis  boys  in  the  forties  and  fifties.  (Holloway,  1870.) 
— Editor. 


168    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

essary.  While  Governor  Wallace  professed  him- 
self delighted  to  hear  thus  from  his  old  preceptor, 
he  would,  I  am  assured,  have  been  equally  gracious 
to  any  stranger,  unintroduced,  within  his  gates,  for 
he  is  the  happy  possessor  of  most  charming  and  dis- 
tinguished manners. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  happy  family  scene  into 
which  Mr.  Merrill  and  I  were  welcomed — the  spa- 
cious house  with  its  plain,  but  handsome  furnish- 
ings, the  mahogany  secretary,  the  tall  and  massive 
bookcase,  the  central  table  with  its  brass  candle- 
sticks, the  vases  of  flowers,  the  little  ornamental 
articles  of  feminine  construction,  the  knitted  mats 
and  anti-macassars,  the  worked  covers  of  the  foot- 
stools and  fire  screen,  and,  illumined  by  the  soft 
candle  light,  the  family  circle,  the  handsome  head 
of  the  house,  his  beautiful  young  wife,  now  only  23 ; 
the  young  sons  of  the  household,  William,  15  years 
old,  and  Lewis,  a  handsome  and  lively  lad  of  13.* 
Nor  must  I  forget  the  charming  Miss  Mary,  sister 
of  our  hostess,  a  pretty  creature,  whom  I  am  sure 
a  nearer  acquaintance  will  prove  delightful,  who  sat 
throughout  the  evening  engaged  in  her  needlework, 
but  blushingly  regardful  of  our  conversation. 

Governor  Wallace  I  found  a  man  of  a  character 
that  at  once  attracts  and  holds.  He  is  handsome, 
with  black  hair  ajid  piercing  blue  eyes.  His  voice 
is  beautiful  and  finely  modulated,  and  I  can  well 
believe  what  Mr.  Merrill  told  me  on  our  way  thither, 
that  with  this  modulated  voice,  a  countenance  and 

Later  to  become  General  Lewis  Wallace  and  author  of  "Ben-Hur." 
—Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    169 

person  remarkable  for  beauty  and  symmetry,  a  style 
of  composition  chaste,  finished,  flowing  and  beauti- 
ful, and  a  style  of  delivery  impressive,  graceful,  and 
at  times  impassioned,  he  has,  as  an  orator,  few 
equals  in  the  nation.     , 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  our  talk  turned  on 
Robert  Dale  Owen,  and  I  was  informed  that  his  play, 
''Pocahontas,"  was  presented  during  the  last  winter 
by  a  group  of  young  actors  known  as  '  *  The  Indiana- 
polis Thespian  Corps"  and  that  the  part  of  Poca- 
hontas, the  princess,  was  taken  by  the  young  Wil- 
liam Wallace.* 

I  had  noted  on  entering.  Governor  Wallace  *s  li- 
brary, among  which  were  prominent  Gibbons  *s  ' '  Mis- 
cellaneous AVorks"  and  Goldsmith's  "Citizen  of  the 
World"  and  ''Animated  Nature,"  and  our  conver- 
sation soon  turned  upon  this  topic  of  reading.  Mrs. 
Wallace  joined  in  the  talk  at  intervals,  and  'twas 
not  long  ere  I  perceived  that  she  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  all  matters  of  public  weal  and  of  education 
in  particular,  displaying  therein  a  taste  rare  in  a 
female,  so  that  our  talk  proved  most  edifying.  We 
spoke  of  the  writings  of  our  American  authors,  and 
Governor  Wallace  declared  that  he  considers  Mr. 
John  Quincy  Adams's  eulogy  on  the  "Life  and  Serv- 
ices of  Lafayette,"  the  best  memoirs  on  this  cele- 
brated  character   published   in   this   country.    He 

*  During  the  winter  of  1839-40,  an  old  foundry  building  called  the 
"hay  press"  was  fitted  up  with  stage  and  scenery  and  used  by  the 
Indianapolis  Thespian  Corps  to  present  Robert  Dale  Owen's  play  of 
"Pocahontas."  The  leading  actors  were  James  G.  Jordan  as  Capt. 
John  Smith;  James  McCready  as  Powhatan;  William  Wallace  as 
Pocahontas;  John  T.  Morrison,  Davis  Miller  and  Jamea  McVey  in 
other  characters.     (Holloway,  1870.) — Editor. 


170    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

spoke,  too,  of  ''The  Pioneers,"  by  Mr.  J.  Fenimore 
Cooper,  a  historical  novel  of  our  country  of  which 
I  have  heard  but  have  not  as  yet  perused,  and  also 
he  commended  highly  the  writings  of  Mr.  Washing- 
ton Irving,  whose  ''Sketch  Book"  he  asserts  with 
some  warmth  to  be,  to  his  mind,  as  good,  if 
not  superior  to  the  "Sir  Roger  DeCoverley 
Papers." 

"Pray,  Mary,  hand  jne  that  volume  on  the  table 
beside  you, ' '  he  requested,  and  turning  to  me,  asked 
if  I  were  familiar  with  the  effusions  of  that  gifted 
poetess,  Mrs.  Lydia  Huntley  Sigourney. 

"These  poems,"  said  he,  indicating  the  red  and 
gilt  volume,  "are  remarkable  for  their  correct  versi- 
fication, their  harmony,  and  their  true  poetry,  as 
well  as  for  their  straightforward  common  sense, 
their  pure  and  unobtrusive  religion,  and  their  vein 
of  natural  tenderness." 

"That  may  be  true,"  responded  Mrs.  Wallace, 
"but  I  confess  that  my  idol  is  still  Mrs.  Hemans, 
the  English  Sappho,  as  she  has  been  styled." 

Her  husband  shook  his  head.  "Mrs.  Hemans  is 
the  high-souled  and  delicately  proud  poetess  of  an 
old  dominion ;  her  lays  are  full  of  the  noble  chivalry 
of  a  state  whose  associations  are  of  aristocracy ;  she 
is  the  asserter  of  hereditary  nobility,  the  nobility  of 
thought,  of  action  and  of  soul,  'tis  true,  no  less  than 
of  broad  lands  and  of  ancient  titles.  Mrs.  Sigour- 
ney is  the  Hemans  of  a  republic;  and  if  she  rather 
delights  to  dwell  in  the  hamlet,  to  muse  over  the 
birth  of  the  rustic  infant,  or  the  death  of  the  vil- 
lage mother,  it  is  that  such  is  the  genius  of  her 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    171 

country,  that  the  boasted  associations  of  her  land 
are  simplicity  and  freedom,  and  as  befits  the  muse 
of  such  a  land,  her  meditations  are  fain  to  celebrate 
the  virtues  of  her  country's  children.  If,  as  you  say, 
young  sir,  you  are  not  familiar  with  this  poetess, 
permit  me  to  read  you  a  few  lines — see  if  you  do  not 
agree  with  me  as  to  her  merits." 
And,  opening  the  book,  he  read. 

Death  found  strange  beauty  on  that  polished  brow, 
And  dashed  it  out.     There  was  a  tint  of  rose 
On  cheek  and  Hp,     He  touched  the  veins  with  ice, 
And  the  rose  faded.     Forth  from  those  blue  eyes 
There  spake  a  wistful  tenderness,  a  doubt 
"Whether  to  grieve  or  sleep,  which  innocence 
Alone  may  wear.    With  ruthless  haste  he  bound 
The  silken  fringes  of  those  curtaining  lids 
Forever.     There  had  been  a  murmuring  sound 
"With  which  the  babe  would  claim  its  mother's  ear, 
Charming  her  even  to  tears.     The  Spoiler  set 
His  seal  of  silence.     But  there  beamed  a  smile 
So  fixed,  so  holy,  from  that  cherub  brow 
Death  gazed,  and  left  it  there.     He  dared  not  steal 
The  signet  ring  of  heaven. 

We  all  sat  in  silence  for  a  moment,  and  I  noted 
a  tear  on  Miss  Mary's  pink  cheek.  I  wondered  not, 
for,  recited  as  it  was,  the  poem  was  most  affecting. 
I  had  already  heard  how  our  host  delights  in  read- 
ing aloud,  and  that  he  frequently  is  persuaded  to 
read  for  company,  and  I  was  most  pleased  to  have 
this  opportunity  to  hear  him.  Mrs.  Wallace  broke 
the  silence,  addressing  me. 

*'0h,  sir,"  said  she,  *4f  you  are  interested  in 
poetry,  you  must  be  informed,  if  indeed,  you  do  not 


172    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

already  know  it,  that  young  as  is  our  state,  we  have 
already  poetry  writers  of  our  own.'* 

"And  that  I  do  know,"  I  replied,  and  told  her  of 
my  meeting  with  Mrs.  Dumont  of  Vevay  and  John 
Finley  of  Centerville,  each  of  whom  had  favored 
me  with  autograph  verses. 

''And  they  do  not  surpass  us,  for  we  have  one 
here,"  she  replied.  ''Mrs.  Sarah  T.  Bolton,  and  if 
it  is  to  your  taste,  you  shall  go  to  her  home  with  us 
to-morrow  evening  to  an  evening  party." 

The  name  fell  on  my  ears  strangely  familiar,  and 
then  presently  it  came  to  me  that  it  was  of  this  lady 
that  my  friend  Jesse  Bright  of  Madison  had  told 
me,  and  of  how  that  they  were  schoolmates  in  Madi- 
son, she  heing  then  Sarah  Barrett. 

We  went  the  next  evening  to  the  farm,  Mt.  Jack- 
son,°  named  by  Mr.  Bolton's  stepfather  in  honor  of 
Gen.  Andrew  Jackson. 

The  party  consisted  of  Governor  and  Mrs.  Wal- 
lace and  myself  with  Miss  Mary  and  a  young  gentle- 
man who,  from  his  attentive  conduct,  I  judge  is  pay- 
ing her  his  addresses,  a  Mr.  Robert  B.  Duncan.  I 
was  told  something  of  this  interesting  family.  Mr. 
Bolton,  they  say,  was  for  a  time  the  editor  of  the 
Indianapolis  Gazette,  and  having  met  with  financial 
reverses,  he  and  his  wife  removed  to  this  farm  a  few 
years  ago,  in  the  endeavor  to  restore  their  fortunes 
and  to  retain  possession  of  this  piece  of  property. 
The  hardships  induced  by  the  financial  stringency 

'On  Jan.  13,  1845,  Dr.  John  Evans,  Dr.  L.  Dunlap  and  Jame3 
Blake  were  appointed  commissioners  to  obtain  a  site  not  exceeding 
200  acres  for  an  insane  hospital.  They  selected  Mt.  Jackson,  then 
the  home  of  Nathaniel  Bolton. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    173 

of  the  last  years,  the  scarcity,  nay,  the  utter  absence 
of  money,  have  been  greatly  felt  by  them.  They 
have  transformed  their  home  into  a  tavern  and  much 
of  the  heaviest  work  of  the  household,  cooking,  clean- 
ing, milking  many  cows,  making  butter  and  cheese, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  necessary  spinning,  weaving 
and  sewing,  have  been  done  by  this  gifted,  cour- 
ageous and  high-spirited  woman,  who,  they  say,  with 
all  this,  finds  time  for  much  social  intercourse — she 
and  her  husband  are  most  popular — and  for  some 
literary  labors. 

I  was  most  pleasantly  impressed  by  the  atmos- 
phere of  this  simple  home.  True,  the  furnishings 
were  of  the  plainest,  but  the  hospitable  spirit,  the 
evident  delight  in  the  society  of  her  guests,  furnished 
an  irresistible  attraction,  and  I  could  easily  under- 
stand why  Mrs.  Bolton's  parties  are  so  popular  and 
why  she  is  in  such  demand;  her  companions  being, 
so  Mrs.  Wallace  tells  me,  the  best  in  the  state.  I 
found  Mr.  Bolton  a  man  of  fine  character,  of  ex- 
ceptional conversational  powers,  and  'tis  said,  too, 
that  he  is  a  ready  writer. 

AVhen  I  beheld  Mrs.  Bolton  I  perceived  at  once 
that  the  reports  of  her  charm  were  not  exaggerated. 
Slightly  built,  of  low  stature,  with  a  face  at  once 
interesting  and  intellectual,  expressive  eyes  and 
abundant  and  beautiful  bro^vn  hair,  she  possesses 
also  the  charm  of  vivacity,  her  every  movement 
speaks  of  youth  and  joy. 

Her  manner  is  graciousness  itself,  and  she  told 
me  in  a  most  humorous  fashion  of  her  infancy  in 
Jennings  County,  of  her  father's  moving  to  Madi- 


174    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

son  in  order  that  she  might  attend  school,  and  of 
her  wedding  there  and  her  journey  through  the 
woods  to  this  town,  her  trousseau  in  half  a  pair  of 
saddle  bags.  I  was  emboldened  presently  to  ask  her 
if  she  would  inscribe  a  few  lines  in  the  album  I  am 
taking  to  my  mother,  adding  that  the  autograph  of 
one  so  gifted  would  greatly  enhance  its  value. 

''You  flatter  me,  young  sir,"  she  replied,  making 
me  a  sweeping  courtesy.  ''Trust  a  son  of  the  Old 
Dominion  to  understand  the  arts  and  graces  of  po- 
lite intercourse  with  the  fair  sex !  And  for  that,  if 
you  will  but  bring  your  book  to  Mrs.  Wallace's 
house  to-morrow,  when  I  shall  ride  into  town,  I'll 
promise  to  indite  a  poem  for  your  mother  and  one 
on  our  state,  at  that." 

And  so  she  did,  in  her  delicate  chirography,  and 
this  poem,  "Indiana,"  she  tells  me  was  first  printed 
some  years  ago  in  the  Indiana  Democrat  at  the  time 
her  husband  was  its  editor. 

"Home  of  my  heart,  thy  shining  sand, 

Thy  forests  and  thy  streams, 
Are  beautiful  as  fairyland 

Displayed  in  fancy's  dreams. 

Home  of  a  thousand  happy  hearts, 

Gem  of  the  far  wild  West, 
Ere  long  thy  sciences  and  arts 

Will  gild  the  Union's  crest. 

Thy  skies  are  bright,  thy  airs  are  bland, 

Thy  bosom  broad  and  free ; 
We  need  not  wave  a  magic  wand 

To  know  thy  destiny. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    175 

Great  spirits  bled,  and  dying  gave 

Thy  stars  and  stripes  to  thee ; 
Thy  sons  would  die  that  trust  to  save 

In  pristine  purity." 

As  I  parted  from  Governor  and  Mrs.  "Wallace  on 
our  return  from  Mount  Jackson,  Mr.  Duncan,  who 
had  in  the  meantime  been  bidding  farewell  to  his 
pretty  companion,  volunteered  to  walk  with  me  to- 
wards my  inn.  He  is  the  clerk  of  the  county,  he 
told  me,  having  held  this  office  for  six  years,  and  as 
we  parted  he  invited  me  to  accompany  him,  Miss 
Mary,  and  several  other  young  people  of  the  town 
on  the  evening  of  to-morrow  to  the  **  pleasure 
garden.'* 


CHAPTER  XI 

Indianapolis,  June  22,  1840. 

I  WILL  inscribe  a  few  lines  in  my  diary  while 
waiting  for  ttie  stage  which  is  to  carry  me  from 
Indianapolis  for — I  was  about  to  write,  for- 
ever, but  why  should  11  Should  I  decide  to  remain 
in  the  Western  country,  should  I  cast  my  lines  in 
these  places  which  have  proved  themselves  so  pleas- 
ant, I  shall  not  be  so  remote  from  this  city  that  I 
can  not  visit  it  again,  and  again  meet  these  new 
friends  who  already  seem  like  old  ones,  so  warm- 
hearted, so  generous  in  their  hospitality  have  they 
proved  themselves  to  be. 

It  would  seem  that  most  of  my  acquaintances  have 
been  among  the  lawyers,  this  not  altogether  be- 
cause of  my  own  studies  in  the  law,  but  in  part  from 
accident.  First  I  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr. 
Dunn  of  Lawrenceburg  on  the  steamboat,  and 
through  letters  from  him  made  the  acquaintance  of 
other  members  of  his  profession  in  other  places,  and 
so  on,  one  leading  to  another.  This  experience  has 
been  repeated  in  Indianapolis  through  letters  from 
Mr.  Bright  at  Madison  and  Judge  Eggleston  at 
Brookville  and  also  the  kind  offices  of  Mr.  Fletcher, 
who  has  introduced  me  to  many  of  his  profession 
in  this  city.    It  was  through  him  that  I  came  to 

176 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    177 

know  Judge  Blackford/  concerning  whom,  his  abil- 
ity and  his  hermit-like  life  in  his  room  in  the  Gov- 
ernor's Mansion  I  had  heard  so  many  stories  that 
I  formed  a  great  desire  to  meet  him. 

It  was  with  considerable  curiosity  that  I  ap- 
proached the  ** Mansion,"  which  until  now  I  had 
viewed  only  from  afar.  This  location  in  the  center 
of  the  Circle  was  chosen,  I  was  told,  because  it  is 
central,  and  lies  away  from  the  main  business  street 
with  its  disturbing  uproar  and  constant  crowd  of 
passengers.  The  Circle  is  inclosed  in  a  neat  rail 
fence ;  the  house  is  large  and  square,  two  full  stories 
high,  with  a  low,  slightly  inclined  roof  covering  an 
attic  story,  lighted  by  a  dormer  window  on  each  of 
the  four  sides.  On  the  roof  is  a  ''flat"  about  twelve 
feet  square,  surrounded  by  a  low  balustrade,  in- 
tended for  a  resort  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  and 
it  is,  indeed,  a  pleasant  place  to  overlook  the  town, 
since  the  Circle  is  the  highest  point  in  the  plat  of 
the  city.  The  floor  of  the  first  story  is  raised  some 
four  feet  or  so  above  the  ground,  and  is  reached  by 
a  broad  flight  of  steps  at  each  side.  It  is  divided 
off  from  north  to  south  and  east  to  west  by  two 
wide  halls  crossing  at  right  angles,  making  a  large 
room  in  each  of  the  four  corners,  and  the  partitions 

^  Isaac  Blackford,  born  in  New  Jersey,  1786;  graduate  of  Princeton 
University;  came  to  Indiana  in  1813;  clerk  of  territorial  Legis- 
lature; resigned  to  become  judge  of  the  First  Judicial  Circuit;  first 
located  in  Salem,  moved  later  to  Vincennes.  Appointed  by  Governor 
Jennings  as  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  which  position  he  held  for 
thirty-five  years.  In  1855  appointed  by  President  Pierce  as  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Claims  at  Washington,  where  he  died  in  1859.  "His 
reputation  was  at  that  time  and  still  is,  world  wide."  {Turpie.)  — 
Editor. 


178    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

on  this  floor  are  made  with  sliding  panels,  so  that 
they  can  be  thrown  into  one  room  on  the  occasion 
of  a  ball  or  levee. 

The  State  Library,  as  yet  very  small,  has  its  home 
here,  and  Mr.  Fletcher  informed  me  that  the  Sec- 
retary of  State  is  the  librarian  and  keeps  the  library 
in  his  office  in  this  building.  When  he  told  me  the 
small  sum  allowed  by  the  Legislature  each  year  for 
the  purchase  of  books,  I  did  not  so  much  wonder  at 
its  size.  In  1825,  said  Mr.  Fletcher,  when  an  act  of 
Legislature  made  the  Secretary  of  State  the  State 
Librarian,  $50  was  appropriated  for  the  purchase  of 
books  and  a  continuing  appropriation  of  $30  a  year. 
I  noted  the  beginnings  of  an  excellent  library — the 
Federalist,  Hume's  ''History  of  England,'*  John- 
son's ''Lives  of  the  Poets"  and  some  few  others. 

The  Supreme  Court  occupies  the  upper  rooms  as 
chambers,  and  it  was  to  this  upper  floor  that  we 
turned  our  steps  to  meet  this  judge  who,  Mr. 
Fletcher  and  Mr.  Merrill  both  declared  to  me,  is  a 
man  who  has  attained  great  eminence  in  judicature 
both  by  natural  talents  and  unceasing  industry. 

"We  found  the  little  room — the  upper  rooms  in 
the  Mansion  are  much  smaller  than  those  on  the 
floor  below — plainly  but  comfortably  furnished.  I 
scarcely  noticed  the.  furniture,  however,  nothing  par- 
ticularly except  the  tables  laden  with  books  and  mag- 
azines, and  the  desk  piled  with  papers,  for  my  at- 
tention was  at  once  absorbed  by  the  man  himself. 

Judge  Blackford  is  not  six  feet  tall,  but  carries 
himself  so  erect  that  he  seems  taller;  his  head  is 
shapely,  his  face  indicative  both  of  intellectuality 


THE  GOVERNOR'/  HOUSE,  INDIANAPOLIS,  IN   1840 
Pen  drawing  by  Willard  Osier 


A  TOUE  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    179 

and  refinement.  His  movements  are  rapid  and 
graceful.  He  took  some  papers  from  the  chairs, 
urged  us  to  seat  ourselves,  and  when  Mr.  Fletcher 
explained  the  object  of  our  visit,  that  I  was  a 
stranger  from  another  state,  and  particularly  when 
my  legal  studies  and  my  acquaintance  with  Judge 
Eggleston  were  mentioned,  he  made  minute  inquiries 
into  my  journey  to  the  Western  country  and  gave 
me  much  information  concerning  my  future  prog- 
ress. When  I  assured  him,  in  answer  to  his  query, 
that  I  am  going  on  to  the  Wabash  country,  he  im- 
mediately insisted  on  writing  some  letters  to  friends 
at  Vincennes,  his  home,  for  though  a  sojourner  in 
the  capital,  he  still  considers  that  place  his  actual 
home. 

''Every  year  since  coming  to  Indianapolis,"  said 
he,  ''I  have  spent  a  part  of  my  time  in  that  town, 
a  town  you  must  see,  sir;  a  town  most  intimately 
connected  with  the  beginnings  of  our  state.'* 

With  that,  he  turned  to  his  desk,  and  began  writ- 
ing the  letters,  most  painstakingly  and  carefully. 
Mr.  Fletcher  told  me  afterward  of  this  peculiarity 
of  Judge  Blackford — that  he  is  prudish  in  the  man- 
ner of  writing  his  opinions.  The  orthography  must 
be  perfect  and  the  punctuation  faultless  before  the 
matter  leaves  his  hand.  'Tis  said  he  pays  as  much 
attention  to  a  comma  as  to  a  thought.  He  has  been 
known  to  stop  the  press  to  correct  the  most  trivial 
error,  one  that  few  would  notice.  Once  some  one, 
wishing  to  delay  an  opinion,  asked  him  the  correct 
spelling  of  a  word  he  knew  would  be  in  the  opinion. 
The  Judge  answered,  giving  the  usual  orthography. 


180    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

The  other  took  issue  with  him,  and  argued  that  the 
spelling  wa«  not  correct.  The  Judge  at  once  com- 
menced an  examination  of  the  word,  dug  out  its 
roots  and  carefully  weighed  all  the  authorities  he 
could  find.  He  spent  two  days  at  this  work,  and 
before  he  got  through,  the  court  had  adjourned  and 
the  case  went  over  to  the  next  term. 

It  was  not  surprising  then  that  we  waited  some 
time  while  his  quill  was  trimmed,  the  paper  ad- 
justed, the  letters  composed,  sanded,  folded  and  ad- 
dressed in  his  neat,  careful  and  interesting  chirog- 
raphy.  Then  we  lingered  a  little  for  conversation 
on  books,  on  politics,  on  many  subjects.  It  seems 
that  Judge  Blackford  was  originally  a  Whig,  but 
supporting  Van  Buren  in  1836,  has  remained  a 
Democrat. 

Judge  Blackford  told  me  a  story  of  an  accident 
which  happened  to  him  on  one  of  his  journeys  to 
Vincennes,  in  which  he  came  very  near  to  losing  his 
life.  On  horseback,  equipped  with  overcoat,  leg- 
gings and  saddlebags  full  of  law  books,  he  under- 
took to  ford  "White  River  near  Martinsville  while 
the  river  was  very  much  swollen  by  a  freshet.  He 
and  his  horse  were  swept  down  the  stream  a  great 
distance,  but  eventually  they  landed  on  an  island. 
The  judge  was  wet  and  cold  and  it  was  several  hours 
before  he  reached  the  mainland,  being  at  last  res- 
cued by  a  farmer,  who  had  heard  his  outcries.  He 
spent  a  couple  of  days  in  drying  his  law  books  and 
clothing  and  in  waiting  for  the  waters  to  fall  low 
enough  for  him  to  cross  the  river  with  safety,  and 
then  proceeded  with  his  journey. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    181 

Similar  experience  I  had  heard  from  other  law- 
yers, from  Judge  Eggleston  at  Brookville,  and  at  a 
gathering  which  I  attended  at  the  office  of  a  lawyer 
one  evening  during  my  stay  here.  I  had  heard  much 
of  the  meetings  of  the  lawyers  of  this  new  state,  and 
the  good  fellowship  that  exists  among  them,  and  it 
was  no  other  than  the  shy  and  quiet  Mr.  Yandes 
whom  I  had  met  the  evening  I  went  to  prayer  meet- 
ing with  Mr.  Beecher  and  with  whom,  despite  his 
reserve,  I  have  formed  a  friendship  based  upon  our 
youth  and  similarity  of  tastes,  who  invited  me  to  go 
with  him  to  the  gathering.  Mr.  Yandes  began  the 
practice  of  the  law  with  Mr.  Fletcher,  who  declares 
him  to  be  remarkably  equipped,  being  a  young  man 
of  fine  mind  and  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  in 
Massachusetts.  We  have  indeed  spent  some  time 
in  discussing  the  similarities  and  differences  be- 
tween this  and  the  University,  as  we  Virginians  al- 
ways call  Mr.  Jefferson's  great  school. 

This  meeting  to  which  Mr.  Yandes  took  me  was 
held  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Lucian  Barbour.^ 

Mr.  Barbour's  office,  it  turns  out,  is  directly  across 
the  street  from  my  tavern,  Washington  Hall,  and 
here  the  lawyers  of  the  city  are  wont  to  congregate, 
exchange  jests,  sometimes  very  cutting  ones  at  each 
other's  expense,  play  practical  jokes  on  one  another, 
play  cards, — this  custom  is  frowned  upon  in  this 
community,  but  none  the  less   'tis  whispered  that 

*  Sulgrove  in  his  history  of  Indianapolis  expresses  a  doubt  as  to 
the  time  of  Mr.  Barbour's  coming  to  Indianapolis,  but  the  Indian- 
apolis papers  for  June,  1840,  print  his  legal  advertisement  and  this, 
together  with  Mr.  Parsons's  entry,  verify  the  statement  that  he  was 
in  the  city  at  this  time. — Editor. 


182    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

some  of  these  men  are  inveterate  gamblers, — and 
as  often  engage  in  most  serious  and  edifying  dis- 
cussions. 

On  this  same  evening,  I  met  at  the  inn  another 
one  of  the  Supreme  Court  judges.  Judge  Dewey, 
whose  home  is  at  Charlestown,  in  Clark  County,  near 
the  Ohio  River,  who  was  appointed  a  judge  of  this 
court  four  years  ago.  When  Mr.  Yandes  came  for 
me  this  gentleman  was  sitting  on  the  recessed  portico 
of  the  inn,  and  when  Mr.  Yandes  presented  me  to 
him,  he  remarked  that  he,  too,  was  going  to  the 
office  of  Mr.  Barbour,  and  would  accompany  us. 
He  is,  I  observed,  large  and  commanding  in  per- 
son, at  least  six  feet  tall,  with  black  hair,  dark  com- 
plexion, high  forehead,  and  very  expressive  mouth. 
I  should  pronounce  him  extremely  handsome  were 
it  not  that  his  nose  and  chin  are  too  long  to  be  sym- 
metrical, but  this  is  more  than  overbalanced  by  the 
intelligence  and  dignity  of  his  expression.  I  found 
him  excellently  educated, — he  is  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  a  graduate  of  Williams  College, — and 
a  great  reader.  He  is  very  fond  of  novels,  being 
conversant  with  those  of  Fielding,  Sterne  and  Smol- 
lett, I  learned  from  our  conversation,  this  too,  in 
a  region  where  novel  reading  is  frowned  upon  by 
the  churches,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  is  him- 
self a  devout  member  of  the  church  known  as  the 
Disciples  or  Christian. 

He  is  also,  I  was  soon  to  learn,  extremely  fond 
of  joking  and  very  quick  at  repartee.  In  this  he  is 
no  whit  excelled  by  Oliver  H.  Smith,  whom  I  met 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    183 

this  same  evening,  much  to  my  satisfaction,  as  I  had 
heard  of  him  through  Judge  Eggleston,  under  whom 
he  was  licensed  to  practice  law  and  with  whom  he 
came  frequently  in  contact  during  his  residence  in 
Connersville,  where  he  followed  the  practice  until 
last  year,  when  he  removed  to  Indianapolis.  He 
has  served  in  the  Legislature,  and  as  circuit  prose- 
cuting attorney  and  United  States  senator.  His 
most  striking  feature  is  his  dark  hair,  which  stands 
straight  up  from  his  forehead.  He  told  me  an  amus- 
ing incident  concerning  his  election  to  the  Senate, 
in  which  his  competitors  were  Noah  Noble,  William 
Hendricks  and  Ratliff  Boon.  On  the  first  ballot  he 
fell  behind  both  Governor  Noble  and  Governor 
Hendricks,  but  on  the  eighth  took  the  lead,  and  on 
the  ninth  was  elected.  On  his  return  home,  after 
election,  he  started  to  Cincinnati  with  a  drove  of 
hogs. 

*'Late  in  the  evening,"  said  he,  **I  reached 
Henrie  's  Mansion  House  in  Cincinnati,  covered  with 
mud.  There  were  many  inquiries  about  the  result 
of  our  senatorial  election;  I  was  asked  if  there  had 
been  an  election. 

* '  '  Wliich  is  elected,  Hendricks  or  Noble  ? ' 

"  *  Neither.' 

"'Who,  then,  can  it  be  r 

**  *I  am  elected.* 

"  'You!  What  is  your  name?  Oliver  H.  Smith! 
You  elected  a  United  States  senator?  I  never  heard 
of  you  before!*  '* 

Mr.  Smith  is  an  irrepressible  talker,  jovial    and 


184    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

apparently  possessed  of  a  most  happy  disposition, 
and,  I  noted,  of  great  popularity  among  his  asso- 
ciates at  the  bar. 

Among  others  I  met  on  this  evening,  were  Wil- 
liam Quarles,  an  excellent  criminal  lawyer,  I  am 
told;  Ovid  Butler,  a  gentleman  with  whom  I  was 
much  impressed,  a  fine  lawyer,  so  they  say,  in  man- 
ner plain,  quiet,  modest  and  gentlemanly,  and  a 
young  Hugh  O'Neal,  who  is  a  native  of  this  county 
and  who  has  been  educated  at  the  State  College  as 
one  of  the  two  students  to  which  each  county  is 
entitled,  and  who  has  just  been  admitted  to  the  bar. 
He  is  already  something  of  an  orator,  and  is  a  Whig 
in  politics.  He  is  well-known  among  the  young  peo- 
ple, and  I  have  met  him  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

Noting  the  pleasure  these  gentlemen  found  in  each 
other's  company,  though  of  various  tastes,  some,  as 
Mr.  Fletcher,  for  instance,  being  most  abstemious, 
others,  I  was  told,  being  addicted  to  both  drinking 
and  gambling,  I  was  led  to  marvel  over  what  drew 
and  kept  them  together,  and  was  told  that  in  the 
first  place  all  were  alike  in  being  men  of  fine  natural 
endowment,  liberal  acquirement,  sedulous  occupa- 
tion, integrity,  dignity,  courtesy,  and  learning,  and 
being  thus  endowed,  find  each  other's  society  most 
congenial. 

Moreover,  their  method  of  life  in  itself  has  tended 
to  draw  them  together.  Their  riding  the  circuit  is 
as  laborious  as  that  of  the  minister,  who  I  now  learn 
is  not  the  only  circuit  rider.  A  Mr.  Hiram  Brown, 
a  lawyer  whom  I  had  met  on  a  previous  occasion, 
and  who  came  to  this  city  in  1823,  a  man  unlike  most 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    185 

of  these  others,  it  would  seem,  in  that  he  was  born 
in  the  West  with,  therefore,  poorer  educational  op- 
portunities, and  who  has  acquired,  all  say,  a  most 
excellent  command  of  English  because  of  his  con- 
stant reading,  this  Mr.  Bro^vn,  a  man  now  48  years 
old,  told  me  something  of  the  hardships  of  circuit 
riding,  something  of  which  I  had  already  heard  from 
Judge  Eggleston.  The  judicial  circuits  are  large 
ones,  and  the  roads  lead  through  the  wilderness  in 
many  cases,  particularly  near  the  capital  city.  It 
involves  weeks  of  absence  from  home,  swimming 
swollen  rivers,  sleeping  in  the  woods.  It  is  at  all 
times  tedious  and  laborious,  and  in  some  seasons 
difficult. 

These  lawyers,  meeting  together  at  the  trial 
court,  make  the  most  of  their  stay  at  the  country 
taverns,  spending  their  leisure  time  in  discussions 
of  legal  questions,  in  which  they  display  the  keen- 
est zest  and  philosophic  foresight.  "When  the  ses- 
sion is  ended,  all  wait  to  accompany  the  judge  on 
the  journey  to  his  next  appointment  and  the  end  of 
the  session  is  celebrated  in  a  session  of  another  kind, 
at  the  tavern.  Then  they  may  indeed  be  called  a 
convivial  fraternity — for  those  who  drink,  drink; 
cards  are  played  by  those  who  do  not  share  the  re- 
ligious convictions  of  the  church-going,  and  the  walls 
ring  with  songs,  old  ballads,  comic  songs,  while  those 
who  abstain  from  such  exercises  as  these,  bandy 
jokes,  for  almost  all  are  veteran  jokers,  I  am  told, 
and  even  able  to  enjoy  jokes  on  themselves — and  my 
informant  concluded  with  the  statement  that  while 
there  are  many  hardships  to  be  endured  in  riding 


186    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

the  circuit,  after  all  they  can  be  endured  while  the 
circuit  riders  continue  to  have  good  appetites,  and 
to  find  cheerful  landlords  and  good-natured  land- 
ladies, and  while  all  are  banded  together  like 
brothers. 

Lest  it  should  slip  my  mind,  I  must  jot  down  in 
this  entry  the  names  of  several  whom  I  would  not 
forget,  and  yet  have  not  time  to  write  of  in  detail — 
Morris  Morris,  father  of  my  friend,  Capt.  T.  A.  Mor- 
ris, at  whose  home  I  met  two  Methodist  ministers  of 
note,  the  Rev.  Allen  Wiley,  and  the  venerable  man 
known  as  Father  Havens;  Mr.  Nicholas  McCarty, 
one  of  the  town's  best  business  men,  a  man  of  re- 
markable shrewdness  and  sagacity,  and  withal  one 
of  the  friendliest,  kindest,  most  generous  citizens 
of  the  town ;  W.  H.  Morrison,  through  whose  activity 
and  generous  assistance  Christ  Church,  the  Epis- 
copal meeting  house  on  the  Circle,  was  built,  a 
frame  edifice  with  a  spire,  said  to  be  the  most  beau- 
tiful house  of  worship  in  the  state.  And  I  must  not 
forget  William  Sheets,  who  was  Secretary  of  State 
in  1836,  and  at  whose  house,  a  beautiful  brick  cot- 
tage at  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  Streets,  I  called,  on 
learning  that  Mrs.  Sheets  is  a  Randolph,  and  a 
cousin  of  my  mother's  several  times  removed.  I 
found  her,  I  will  add,  both  accomplished  and  charm- 
ing, and  she  played  for  me  on  her  piano,  one  of  the 
few  of  these  instruments  in  the  city. 

I  had  not  forgotten  Mr.  Duncan's  mention  to  me 
of  the  evening  at  the  pleasure  garden,  to  which  I 
have  been  looking  forward  since  it  was  first  men- 
tioned, and  particularly  after  my  disappointment  as 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    187 

to  the  ball.  Mr.  Vance  had  suggested  to  me  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  ball  during  my  stay  in  the  city,  but  he 
was  forced  to  tell  me  later  that  the  sentiment  of  the 
church  people  against  this  manner  of  entertainment 
is  so  strong  that  the  young  people  who  had  thought 
to  make  my  presence  an  excuse  for  holding  it  were 
forced  to  give  up  the  plan.  It  seems  that  in  1823, 
when  Washington  Hall  was  first  opened,  a  ball  was 
given  in  celebration  of  the  event,  of  which  my  friend 
Mr.  Fletcher  was  one  of  the  managers;  and  that  a 
few  years  later  a  ball  was  given  at  the  Governor's 
Mansion  whose  managers  included  Judge  Blackford, 
Judge  Wick,  Dr.  John  S.  Bobbs,  Capt.  T.  A.  Morris 
and  others,  but  the  opposition  to  this  or  any  other 
form  of  light  amusement  by  the  churches  was  pres- 
ent even  then,  and  has  increased  more  and  more  with 
each  year,  so  that  dancing  now  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered. Even  the  performance  of  plays  is  frowned 
upon,  and  the  only  amusements  tolerated  are  church 
parties,  evening  parties,  such  as  I  had  attended  at 
Mrs.  Bolton's,  invited  receptions  at  which  standing 
suppers  are  served,  and  the  levees  occasionally  held 
by  the  Governor,  at  which  no  refreshments  are 
served  and  all  the  world  is  invited. 

I  was  the  more  delighted  with  the  prospect  of 
the  evening  excursion  to  the  pleasure  garden,  be- 
cause of  an  unexpected  and  most  delightful  meeting 
with  one  of  the  most  beautiful  young  females  I 
have  ever  seen. 

I  first  discovered  her  on  the  portico  of  the  inn, 
one  morning.  This  inn  is  an  imposing  three-story 
brick  structure,  with  a  large  and  beautiful  recessed 


188    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

portico,  most  suitable  for  promenading,  and  it  lias 
been  my  custom  each  morning,  on  rising,  to  descend 
for  a  turn  or  two  in  the  fresh  air  before  partaking  of 
my  breakfast.  Here  she  sat,  bent  low  over  some 
needle  work  on  which  she  was  engaged,  and  I  could 
but  note  how  much  of  expression  was  centered  in 
the  delicate  arch  of  her  brow,  which  spanned  eyes 
whose  hue  I  could  not  guess.  She  seemed  not  to 
observe  my  intrusion  on  her  solitude,  but  when  pres- 
ently Mr.  Browning  emerged  from  the  hall  and  pre- 
sented me  to  his  daughter,  but  just  returned  from  a 
visit  to  some  neighboring  hamlet,  I  was  allowed  to 
observe  for  a  moment  how  soft  was  the  melting 
luster  of  her  dark  blue  eyes,  how  surpassingly  en- 
ticing the  sweetness  of  her  smile.  Later,  I  learned 
from  the  young  gentlemen,  what  I  should  have 
guessed  without  this  information,  that  this  young 
Miss  Elizabeth  is  one  of  the  belles  of  the  city. 

With  this  same  Miss  Elizabeth  'twas  arranged 
that  I  was  to  go  to  the  pleasure  garden,^  and  thither 
accordingly,  on  the  evening  of  this  same  day,  we  took 
our  way,  in  company  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vance,  who 
had  been  visiting  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Vance's  father, 
Mr.  Hervey  Bates,  the  residence  being  not  very  far 
away,  on  New  Jersey  Street.  Mr.  Bates,  whom  I 
have  met,  is  a  successful  business  man,  was  the  first 
sheriff  of  the  county,  and  is  a  very  warm  friend  of 
Mr.  Beecher,  of  whose  church  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vance  drove  past  for  us,  and  as  we 
passed  along  Washington  Street  and  down  Illinois, 

•The  ''pleasure  garden "  was  at  the  corner  of  Tennessee  and 
Georgia  Streets,  the  corner  now  occupied  by  St.  John 's.— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    189 

they  pointed  out  various  objects  of  interest  to  me, 
among  them  the  store  of  Mr.  Pope,  a  ''steam  doc- 
tor" recently  come  here  from  Baltimore,  who  not 
only  practices  this  system  of  medication,  but  keeps 
a  store  stocked  with  vegetable  remedies,  prickly  ash, 
lobelia,  pocoon,  cohosh,  May  Apple  root,  and  prep- 
arations which  go  by  the  names  of  "liquid  flames,'* 
''bread  of  heaven,"  and  others,  over  which  names 
we  made  merry,  as  indeed  it  was  easy  to  do,  in  such 
pleasant  weather,  with  such  lively  young  company. 
I  had  put  on  my  best  blue  broadcloth,  with  the  plated 
gold  buttons,  a  buff  vest,  and  a  high  hat,  and  Mr. 
Vance  was  similarly  attired.  Mrs.  Vance  wore  a 
blue  striped  silk  with  a  lace  mantle,  and  Miss  Eliza- 
beth 's  frock  was  pure  white  with  green  crepe  shawl. 
Beneath  the  rim  of  her  bonnet,  half-hidden,  moss 
rose  buds  were  peeping,  symbol  of  maiden  mod- 
esty I 

The  pleasure  garden,  while  within  the  plat  of  the 
city,  is  so  remote  as  to  be  really  in  the  country,  and 
when  we  at  last  came  to  it  I  was  amazed  at  its  beauty 
and  the  taste  with  which  it  is  laid  out. 

The  proprietor  is  an  Englishman,  by  name  John 
Hodgkins,  and  'tis  said  'tis  marvelous  what  a  trans- 
formation he  has  worked  here.  The  acre  on  which 
it  stands  contains  an  ice  house,  where  he  stores  ice 
for  the  freezing  of  his  creams,  and  the  confectionery 
where  he  manufactures  his  wares,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  grounds  is  covered  with  an  orchard  of  apples 
and  other  fruit  trees  under  which  are  arranged 
rustic  seats.  Flower  beds  dot  the  plat,  and  wind- 
ing graveled  paths  lead  to  vine-clad  bowers   and 


190    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

summer  houses;  altogether  a  more  charming  place 
and  a  more  delightful  company  was  never  looked 
upon. 

Here  came  together  most  of  the  young  people  I 
have  met  during  my  stay  in  the  city — the  fair  Miss 
Mary  Sanders,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Duncan,  the  two 
pretty  Miss  Browns,  and  a  number  of  other  young 
females  whose  names  I  have  already  forgotten,  Mr. 
Hugh  O'Neal,  Mr.  Vance  Noel,  Mr.  Nat  and  Mr. 
John  Cook,  both  accomplished  Thespians,  and  Mr. 
Ned  Tyler,  member  of  the  brass  band  and  most  ac- 
complished Thespian  of  them  all. 

Never,  surely,  have  I  passed  a  more  enchanting 
evening  than  this  one  in  the  pleasure  garden,  nor 
one  with  more  variety  of  entertainment;  the  back- 
ground of  green  and  flowers  setting  oft'  the  delicate 
costumes  of  the  young  females,  the  handsome  young 
men,  the  flushed  cheek,  the  bright  eye,  the  whispered 
compliment.  We  walked  in  couples  about  the  grav- 
eled paths,  we  sat  in  the  summer  houses,  we  gath- 
ered together  over  our  creams  and  confections,  and 
then,  our  conversation.  ''Ah,  the  dalliance  and  the 
wit,''  as  Shakespeare  puts  it.  'Twas  then,  as  we 
lingered,  with  twilight  falling,  and  the  stars  hang- 
ing low  over  us,  that  Mr.  Tyler,  at  our  solicitation, 
sang — a  new  song  and  one  most  beautiful  and  touch- 
ing. 'Tis  called, ' '  Isle  of  Beauty,  Fare  Thee  Well. ' ' 
I  had  already  perused  it,  but  was  not  prepared  for 
its  excessive  beauty  and  its  sadness,  when  sung  in 
such  a  voice,  and  with  such  surroundings.  The  last 
verse— I  shall  not  soon  forget  it— I  will  here  tran- 
scribe ; 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    191 

' '  When  the  waves  are  round  me  breaking, 

As  I  pace  the  deck  alone, 
And  my  eye  in  vain  is  seeking 

Some  green  leaf  to  rest  upon; 
What  would  I  not  give  to  wander 

Where  my  OAvn  companions  dwell  ? 
Absence  makes  the  heart  grow  fonder, 

Isle  of  Beauty,  fare  thee  well ! ' ' 

My  heart  was  seized  with  a  strange  foreboding. 
This,  this  was  the  Isle  of  Beauty,  this  little  city 
where  I  have  been  made  so  welcome,  and  I — I  am 
the  one  who  is  leaving  these  companions  of  a  few 
days.  Will  they  forget  me?  We  left  the  tables 
soon  after  the  song,  for  another  perambulating  of 
the  graveled  walks  preparatory  to  our  leave-taking, 
for  twilight  was  now  falling  and  we  must  return  to 
the  city.  I  still  remained  with  Miss  Elizabeth,  whom 
I  had  discovered  in  our  conversation  to  be  a  young 
lady  of  singular  accomplishments  and  charms,  and 
we  wandered  silently  about,  past  the  vine-draped 
arbors,  the  little  bowers,  until  summoned  by  the 
others. 

I  spoke  little  until  our  arrival  at  the  inn,  then, 
having  bade  farewell  to  the  others  with  a  forced 
gayety,  I  asked  her,  as  she  lingered  on  the  portico, 
for  a  flower  she  had  plucked  in  the  garden  and  still 
held  in  her  slender  fingers.  She  gave  it  to  me,  blush- 
ing, but  laughing,  too,  at  my  melancholy  face. 

*'If  'twill  but  make  you  smile,  sir,"  she  said. 
**Be  not  so  melancholy!  No  one  is  dead,  nor  likely 
to  be,  and  you  will  find  it  just  as  merry,  I'll  venture 
to  say,  the  next  place  you  go!" 

Her  light  laugh  followed  me  up  the  stairway. 


192    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

The  stage  on  which  I  am  to  journey  northward 
to.Logansport  makes  two  trips  a  week,  and  belongs 
to  the  line  of  a  Mr.  Vigus  of  Logansport.  The 
stage  line  is  a  new  one,  having  been  in  operation  only 
two  years,  and  the  stages,  which  I  have  already  ob- 
served during  my  stay  here,  are  fine,  new  and  shin- 
ing, drawn  by  four  horses,  and  carrying  the  United 
States  mails.  I  am  told  that  they  cost  $600  a  piece, 
and  that  they  are  a  matter  of  great  pride  to  the 
settlers  along  the  road.  The  Michigan  Road  on 
which  they  run  is  -a  great  thoroughfare  during  eight 
months  of  the  year,  I  am  told,  and  affords  an  open 
passable  highway  to  a  new  and  very  attractive  coun- 
try, but  during  the  winter  'tis  an  endless  stream  of 
black  mud,  almost  impassable. 

I  shall  close  my  diary  now  until  my  arrival  at 
Logansport,  as  some  of  my  young  friends  are  com- 
ing to  bid  me'Grodspeed  on  my  journey.  My  clothes 
are  packed,  my  carpet  bags  locked,  I  shall  soon  be 
embarked  for  the  Wabash  country ! 


CHAPTER  XII 

LoGANSpoRT,  June  26,  1840. 

IT  was  a  cool,  pleasant  June  morning  when  I  took 
my  seat  in  the  Vigus  line  coach,  having  bade 
farewell  to  my  young  friends  who  had  gathered 
to  see  me  go.  The  coach  was  not  crowded,  as  fre- 
quently happens,  and  I  found  myself  seated  -next 
to  a  gentleman  of  most  pleasing  appearance — aJittle 
below  the  medium  height,  compactly  built,  with 
ruddy  complexion,  blue  eyes,  and  light  bro^vn  hair. 
It  was  not  long  until  we  fell  into  conversation,  for 
I  had  many  questions  to  ask,  and  I  presently  learned 
that  he  was  Mr.  Edward  A.  Hannegan  ^  of  Coving- 
ton, of  whom  I  had  already  heard  as  Democratic 
candidate  for  Congress  against  Mr.  Henry  S.  Lane 
of  Crawfordsville. 

It  appeared,  in  the  course  of  our  conversation, 
that  Mr.  Hannegan  loves  the  Wabash  country 
greatly,  and  when  he  learned  that  I  was  from  Vir- 
ginia and  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  he  gave  me 
many  most  interesting  details  concerning  the  coun- 
try and  its  settlement,  in  which  he  was  joined  by 
other  gentlemen  passengers,   so  that  I  found  my 

^E.  A.  Hannegan,  born  in  Ohio,  studied  law  in  Kentucky,  located 
at  Covington,  Ind.  Entered  politics.  State  Legislature,  1833.  Con- 
gress, 1835.  Defeated  for  Congress,  1840.  United  States  Senate, 
1845.  Minister  to  Prussia,  1849.  Recalled,  Died  in  St.  Louis, 
1859.— Editor. 

193 


194    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

journey,  while  much  slower  than  I  had  expected, 
occupying,  as  it  did,  over  two  days,  very  instructive 
and  edifying. 

Mr.  Hannegan  informed  me  that  he  could  never 
endure  to  remain  long  away  from  the  **  lovely  val- 
ley of  the  Wabash,"  and  that  while  in  Washington 
he  longed  for  it  continually.  He  dwelt  at  length 
upon  its  beauty  and  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  on  the 
alternating  prairies  and  hills,  and  then,  of  the  stream 
itself,  extending  from  the  northern  part  of  the  state 
to  its  southernmost  tip,  and  forming  part  of  its  west- 
ern boundary.  Its  whole  length  exceeds  500  miles, 
and  there  is  but  a  very  small  distance  that  does  not 
present  an  inviting  soil  to  the  agriculturist.  The 
name  of  this  stream  in  French  was  Ouabache,  and 
it  appears  to  have  been  discovered  before  the  Ohio, 
and  is  found  on  maps  before  the  year  1730 ;  the  Ohio 
at  its  mouth  was  called  the  Ouabache.  Settlements 
were  made  at  a  very  early  period  at  Vincennes  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Wea  or  Ouiatenon,  where  the 
Jesuits  had  their  missions  and  schools,  and  the  bark 
canoes  of  the  Indians  and  French,  these  gentlemen 
declared  to  me,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  passed 
from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Mississippi,  by  way  of  the 
Maumee,  a  short  portage  to  Little  River  and  the 
Wabash. 

From  Mr.  Hannegan  and  my  other  companions, 
I  learned  much  of  great  tides  of  immigration  that 
some  years  ago  had  set  toward  this  part  of  the  state. 
'Twas  said  that  in  1834,  the  streets  of  Indianapolis 
were  one  moving  mass  of  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, carriages,  wagons,  cattle,  horses,  hogs   and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    195 

slieep,  all  joyously  wending  their  way  to  their  new 
habitations  in  the  Wabash  country.  As  many  as 
twenty  to^vns,  'tis  said,  were  laid  out  in  this  re- 
gion from  1827  to  1834 ;  in  1827  'twas  reported  that 
200  families  passed  through  Centerville  bound  for 
the  Wabash  country  in  the  months  of  September  and 
October.  This  statement  was  made  by  one  of  the 
passengers,  a  young  gentleman  residing  in  Carroll 
County,  so  he  said,  who  was  a  boy  at  the  time,  and 
remembered  that  as  his  family  passed  through  Rich- 
mond and  Centerville  they  were  annoyed  continually 
by  the  croaking  predictions  of  ill  luck  uttered  on  all 
sides.  *'You  will  never  get  through,"  said  one. 
*'You  will  die  if  you  go  to  the  Wabash;  every  one 
that  goes  there  dies  in  less  than  a  year,"  said  an- 
other. This,  I  presume,  from  the  ** Wabash  ague" 
of  which  my  friend,  Dr.  Peabody  of  Vernon,  had 
told  me,  which  is  so  much  more  dangerous  to  life 
than  the  ordinary  *' chills  and  fever"  of  the  other 
settlements. 

My  fellow  travelers  explained  to  me  that  these 
settlers  all  poured  along  the  roads  that  centered  in 
Indianapolis,  taking  from  there  the  Crawfordsville 
or  Terre  Haute  trails.  When  the  building  of  the 
canals  began  in  1827  the  crowd  swelled  still  more, 
for  speculators  held  out  great  inducements  to 
city  builders  and  to  settlers  along  the  canal 
routes. 

This  Michigan  Road  over  which  we  were  travel- 
ing begins,  it  seems,  at  Lake  Michigan  and  runs 
south  to  Indianapolis,  then  south  again  to  Madison, 
its  purpose  being  altogether  similar  to  that  of  the 


196    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Cumberland  or  National  Road.  Until  its  construc- 
tion some  years  ago,  there  was  no  way  for  travelers 
to  reach  the  northern  part  of  the  state  save  by  In- 
dian trails.  However,  this  road,  agreed  the  passen- 
gers, is  no  easy  or  comfortable  route.  I  marveled 
at  this,  for  to  me  the  travel  seemed  easy  enough, 
save  for  an  occasional  jolting  over  the  corduroys. 
However,  my  companions  reminded  me  that  there 
had  been  no  rain  for  some  time.  Had  there  been, 
summer  though  it  is,  they  informed  me,  we  would 
be  finding  ourselves  jolting  from  one  bog  to  another, 
at  one  moment  on  an  almost  floating  bridge  of  cor- 
duroys ;  at  another  mired  in  a  mudhole  and  all  alight- 
ing to  lend  assistance  in  dragging  and  pushing  the 
coach  out  again. 

I  rejoiced,  therefore,  at  my  good  fortune  at  find- 
ing such  fair  weather  and  looked  forth  with  some 
curiosity  on  the  landscape,  interrogating  my  com- 
panions at  frequent  intervals. 

Passing  through  the  county  of  Marion  and  a  cor- 
ner of  Hamilton  County,  we  came  into  Boone,  the 
first  stop  being  Eagle  Village,  a  pleasant  town  of 
about  thirty  houses. 

This  county  was  named,  I  am  told,  after  the  cele- 
brated Daniel  Boone,  whose  love  of  forest  life,  enter- 
prise, and  disinterestedness  were  prototypes  of 
much  that  is  admirable  in  Western  manners.  The 
country  is  level  or  agreeably  undulating,  and  the 
soU  is  very  fertile,  and  in  no  part  of  the  state,  they 
say,  is  the  timber  heavier  or  of  better  quality.  One 
of  my  informants,  the  young  gentleman  from  Car- 
roll County,  declared  that  it  is  not  uncommou  to 


A  TOUE  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    197 

see  on  a  single  acre  100  oak  trees  averaging  four 
inches  in  diameter,  and  from  eighty  to  100  feet  in 
height.  The  principal  products,  he  informed  me, 
are  wheat,  corn,  beef,  pork,  honey,  etc.,  and  cattle, 
hogs,  horses  and  mules  are  driven  to  market. 

This  conversation  suggested  a  most  amusing  in- 
cident to  an  elderly  gentleman  who  had  heretofore 
remained  silent. 

"You  must  understand,  young  sir,"  said  he,  ad- 
dressing me,  ''that  in  the  thirteen  or  more  years 
that  have  elapsed  since  the  settling  of  this  county, 
great  changes  have  occurred.  The  heavy  timber, 
level  surface,  and  porous  soil  of  Boone  were  not  very 
attractive  to  the  agriculturist  at  the  first  settlement 
and  accordingly  the  pursuit  of  game  and  the  col- 
lection of  skins,  furs  and  wild  honey  were  reckoned 
far  more  important  than  any  kind  of  farming.  The 
only  real  necessaries  for  a  family  at  that  time  were 
two  rifles,  powder  and  lead,  a  barrel  of  salt,  a  camp 
kettle,  and  a  couple  of  dogs.  At  this  time,  the  only 
currency  was  the  skins  of  deer,  raccoons,  mink  and 
wild  honey,  and  even  now,  though  we  have  a  con- 
siderable number  of  farmers,  a  large  amount  of 
money  is  made  by  these  hunters  and  trappers,  some 
even  acquiring  as  much  as  five  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

*'In  these  early  days,"  he  continued,  **  'tis  said 
that  a  traveler  from  Cincinnati  came  hither  in  com- 
pany with  a  resident  of  the  county  and  encountered 
on  the  road  a  man  whose  horse  was  so  covered  with 
the  skins  of  'varmints'  as  almost  to  hide  both  horse 
and  rider,  and  the  only  information  he  could  get  was 


198    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

that  this  was  the  collector  of  the  county  seat  with 
the  'funds'  from  one  of  the  townships." 

When  asked  if  this  were  true,  he  replied  with  a 
laugh:  ''Well,  at  any  rate,  the  story  found  its  way 
into  the  newspapers,  and  those  who  gave  full  credit 
to  the  statement  must  have  supposed  the  collector 
of  Boone  had  an  odd  set  of  customers  to  collect  his 
poll  tax  from.  The  coon  skins,  it  was  said,  were 
for  the  state,  the  deer  for  county  revenue  and  the 
mink  for  change." 

When  we  laughed  over  this,  he  told  another  story 
to  illustrate  to  me  the  rudeness  of  pioneer  life.  In 
those  early  days  one  of  the  judges,  who,  for  want 
of  other  accommodations,  had  taken  his  luncheon  to 
court,  was  supposed  at  a  distance  to  be  reading  a 
newspaper,  when,  on  nearer  approach,  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  he  was  eating  a  large  buckwheat  pan- 
cake! 

Noting  the  considerable  difference  in  vegetation 
in  this  and  the  lands  contiguous  to  the  Ohio  River, 
I  made  inquiries  concerning  both  fauna  and  flora, 
and  set  them  down  in  order  in  my  book,  as  they  were 
enumerated  to  me.  I  did  this  at  a  tavern  where  the 
mail  was  being  sorted.  The  mail  pouch  is  carried 
under  the  driver's  seat,  and  as  the  pouches  are 
scarce  in  this  new  country,  the  stage  is  compelled  to 
stand  at  the  small  towns  along  the  line  while  the 
postmaster  opens  the  pouch  and  makes  up  the  out- 
going mail. 

As  to  the  quadrupeds,  I  was  informed  that  the 
buffalo  long  ago  disappeared,  but  their  bones  are 
found  about  the  "salt  licks,"  and  their  paths  known 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    199 

as  ''traces"  were  frequently  used  as  trails  by  the 
first  settlers.  The  bear,  panther,  wild  cat,  beaver 
and  others  are  now  but  seldom  met  with  except  in 
the  unsettled  parts  of  the  state.  Wolves  are  more 
numerous.  But  the  deer,  opossum,  raccoon,  and 
several  species  of  squirrels  are  sometimes  more  nu- 
merous than  when  the  country  was  first  settled. 
When  nuts  and  other  food  they  are  fond  of  in  the 
forest  fail,  they  migrate  to  the  vicinity  of  the  culti- 
vated fields  and  supply  themselves  there,  and  their 
numbers  are  sometimes  immense.  Besides  these, 
the  fox,  porcupine,  polecat,  ground  hog,  rabbit,  mink, 
muskrat,  weasel,  mole,  mouse  and  gopher  are  found 
in  particular  localities,  but  not  usually  in  great  num- 
bers. In  place  of  the  animals  that  have  left,  others 
have  been  gained  by  migration.  Rats  are  not  yet 
found  in  new  parts  of  the  state,  but  they  are  be- 
coming very  numerous  in  other  parts. 

Singing  birds  were  rare  a  few  years  since,  but  a 
variety  has  rapidly  followed  the  increase  of  civili- 
zation. Not  being  carnivorous,  they  are  not  usually 
found  except  where  fields  of  grain  are  cultivated. 
Of  birds  originally  found  in  this  country,  the  most 
common  are  the  wild  turkey,  prairie  fowl,  partridge 
or  quail,  pigeons,  geese,  ducks  and  cranes.  Pheas- 
ants, paroquets,  woodpeckers,  Baltimore  birds,  red 
birds,  mocking  birds,  humming  birds,  indeed,  most 
of  the  birds  of  the  Eastern  states  are  found  here, 
but  not  usually  in  large  numbers.  Of  carnivorous 
birds,  the  eagle,  the  buzzard,  the  hawk,  the  crow 
or  raven,  the  owl,  etc.,  are  occasionally  found. 

Two  most  interesting  facts  concerning  these  birds : 


200    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

There  are  here  great  numbers  of  wild  pigeons,  so 
vast  indeed  that  sometimes  in  flight  they  obscure  the 
sun.  They  sometimes  resort  to  roosts  in  such  large 
numbers  that  for  miles  nearly  all  the  small  branches 
of  a  thick  forest  are  broken  off  by  them.  The  sec- 
ond concerns  the  cranes.  On  the  large  prairies  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  state  it  is  not  uncommon, 
I  was  assured,  to  pass  in  a  single  hour  thousands  of 
sand  hill  cranes  who  stand  quietly  and  gaze  at  the 
traveler  from  a  distance  of  but  a  few  rods. 

Reptiles  abound,  the  most  formidable  being  the 
copperhead  and  the  rattlesnake,  and  many  a  pioneer 
has  had  a  gruesome  story  to  tell  of  encounters  with 
these  formidable  foes,  whose  bite  is  so  poisonous  as 
to  occasion  death.  However,  the  fires  on  the  prai- 
ries destroy  them  and  the  hogs  running  at  large  are 
their  inveterate  enemies. 

One  gentleman,  who  seemed  inclined  to  an  interest 
in  scientific  matters,  informed  me  that  Dr.  Richard 
Dale  Owen  reports  that  none  of  the  precious  metals 
will  ever  be  found  in  Indiana,  unless  in  minute  por- 
tions in  bowlders  or  in  small  quantities  in  combina- 
tion with  other  metals.  This  Dr.  Owen,  I  learned  to 
my  great  pleasure,  is  a  brother  of  Robert  Dale  Owen, 
and  a  scientist  of  great  repute,  and  when  State  Geol- 
ogist made  exploratory  tours  of  the  state  and  pub- 
lished the  result  of  this  in  a  volume  entitled  **  Re- 
port of  a  Geological  Reconnaissance  of  the  State  of 
Indiana." 

We  had  by  this  time  come  into  Clinton  County 
and  approached  the  village  of  Kirklin,  named  after 
its  proprietor,  Nathan  Kirk,  this  and  Michigantown 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    201 

being  the  only  towns  in  this  county  on  the  Michigan 
Road.  Thence  we  passed  into  Cass  County,  of  which 
Logansport  is  the  seat  of  justice  and  the  objective 
point  of  my  journey. 

A  part  of  this  county,  I  was  informed,  is  level  and 
consists  of  prairie  land;  the  other,  either  bottom 
land,  along  the  rivers,  or  high  bluff  land.  The 
Wabash  and  the  Eel  Rivers  run  swiftly  through  this 
county;  they  have  high  banks  and  solid  rock  bot- 
toms, and  afford  an  immense  amount  of  water  power. 

A  gentleman,  a  fellow  passenger,  who  later  gave 
me  interesting  information  concerning  the  Indians, 
informed  me  that  in  a  prairie  southeast  of  Logans- 
port  there  is  a  spring  that  boils  up  from  the  center 
of  the  mound,  six  feet  above  the  level  surface  of  the 
prairie.  Three  miles  below  Logansport  is  a  stream 
that  turns  a  saw  mill  on  the  top  of  a  bluff  150  feet 
high,  and  then  pitches  down  the  whole  distance  with 
but  few  interruptions.  This  stream  has  its  source 
only  a  mile  and  a  half  in  the  rear  of  the  bluff. 

Two  points  clearly  mark  the  difference  between 
this  and  the  earlier  parts  of  my  journey.  This  part 
of  the  country  being  so  much  more  recently  settled 
is  much  less  advanced — the  life  is  much  more  that 
of  the  pioneer  than  in  the  other  localities  visited. 
Also,  there  is  much  that  is  interesting  connected  with 
the  aborigines.  Frequently,  on  the  road  hither,  the 
sites  of  villages  were  pointed  out  to  me  that  were 
very  recently  entirely  inhabited  by  Indians  and  a 
few  French  traders.  The  country  about  Logansport 
was  inhabited,  I  am  told,  by  the  Pottawotamies  and 
the  Miamis,  the  former  being  the  OAvners  and  pro- 


202    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

prietors  of  tlie  lands  north  of  tlie  Wabash,  and  the 
Miamis,  south,  and  both  dwelling  along  the  Eel. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in 
connection  with  the  story  of  the  ''Bloody  Three  Hun- 
dred" in  Indianapolis.  It  was  this  war  that  caused 
the  settlers  to  be  continually  uneasy  over  their  In- 
dian neighbors ;  undoubtedly,  too,  these  settlers  cast 
covetous  eyes  on  the  Indian  lands.  There  was  con- 
tinual trouble  between  them,  and  various  treaties 
and  purchases  made  until  finally  the  Pottawotamies 
were  removed  to  a  reservation  in  the  West.^ 

'  "The  best  illustration  of  the  attitude  which  the  Indiana  settlers 
bore  toward  the  Indians  is  their  treatment  of  the  Pottawotamies, 
whom  they  forcibly  expelled  from  the  state  in  1838.  The  Potta- 
wotamies originally  hunted  over  the  region  south  of  Lake  Michigan, 
north  of  the  Wabash  and  west  of  the  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Mary's  Rivers. 
As  early  as  1817,  in  a  treaty  at  Fort  Meigs,  the  government  adopted 
the  unfortunate  policy  of  making  special  reservations  for  Indian 
chiefs  who  refused  to  join  the  tribe  in  selling  land.  As  a  result  of 
this  policy,  several  bands  of  Pottawotamies  had  special  reservations 
in  Marshall  and  adjoining  counties.  Tlie  treaty  of  1832  took  from 
the  tribe  its  tribal  lands,  leaving  the  chief  Menominee  a  reservation 
around  Twin  Lakes.  ...  In  fact,  the  Indians  claimed  and  occupied 
the  whole  county  except  a  strip  of  land  which  they  had  given  the 
state  for  the  Michigan  Road.  ...  In  1834  a  commission  tried  to  buy 
the  land.  .  .  .  Col.  Abel  C.  Pepper,  Indian  agent,  finally  succeeded 
in  buying  the  Indians  out  at  $1  an  acre,  and  giving  them  the 
privilege  of  remaining  two  years  on  the  land.  The  Indians  asserted 
that  this  cession  was  obtained  by  unfair  means.  Anticipating  the 
sale  which  was  to  take  place  when  the  Indian  lease  expired,  Aug.  5, 
1838,  the  squatters  began  to  enter  the  country  and  settle  on  Indian 
land.  .  .  .  The  Indians  began  to  show  resentment  as  the  time  for 
their  forced  migration  approached.  .  .  .  Tliey  made  no  excuses  for 
their  outbreaks  and  refused  to  leave  their  homes.  .  .  .  Squads  of 
soldiers  patrolled  the  country  in  all  directions  looking  for  the  In- 
dians and  driving  them  in.  .  .  .  All  the  Indian  cabins  and  wigwams 
were  destroyed.  .  .  .  Early  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  4,  Tipton  com- 
menced to  load  the  thirteen  army  wagons  in  which  their  goods  was 
to  be  removed  (their  destination  was  the  Osage  River,  Kansas). 
The  journey  required  about  two  months  and  cost  the  lives  of  one- 
fifth  of  the  tribe."      {Esarey.) — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    203 

Two  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  coach  told  me  some- 
thing of  the  incident  of  the  removal.  One  of  them, 
a  Mr.  Sluyter,  said,  '^I  lived  near  the  Menominee 
village  at  that  time,  just  north  of  Twin  Lakes,  and 
was  present  when  the  Indians  were  congregating 
there  in  September  to  be  removed  to  the  new  reser- 
vation. Their  village  was  composed  of  seventy-five 
or  a  hundred  log  huts  and  wigwams  of  poles  covered 
with  bark  or  matting,  erected  without  any  system. 
The  soldiers  disarmed  the  Indians,  taking  from  them 
their  guns,  tomahawks,  axes,  bows  and  arrows, 
knives,  etc.,  and  placed  them  in  wagons  for  trans- 
portation. They  marched  off  in  single  file,  a  soldier 
at  the  head  of  about  every  forty  or  fifty.  It  was 
indeed  a  sad  sight  to  see  them  leaving  their  homes 
and  hunting  grounds,  where  many  of  them  had  lived 
all  their  lives,  and  going  to  a  strange  land  concern- 
ing which  they  knew  nothing.  Over  800  started  on 
that  September  morning.  After  they  left  the  wig- 
wams were  torn  down  and  burned." 

A  younger  man,  not  over  22  I  should  judge,  said 
that  he  went  with  the  caravan  to  Kansas  as  a  team- 
ster, driving  a  four-horse  team.  The  Indians,  he 
said,  were  afraid  of  the  wagons  and  could  not  be 
induced  to  ride  in  them  unless  so  feeble  that  walk- 
ing was  impossible.  He  told  of  their  sufferings 
from  hunger,  thirst  and  fatigue. 

It  was  with  considerable  curiosity  that  I  ap- 
proached Logansport,  named,  I  was  told,  for  the  In- 
dian chief  of  that  name,  and  I  was  not  disappointed 
in  my  anticipations.  It  lies  in  the  center  of  the 
county,  and  has  a  most  beautiful  situation  in  the 


204    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

valleys  of  the  Wabash  and  the  Eel,  occupying  ground 
between  the  two  rivers  at  their  junction,  with  the 
hills  rising  to  a  height  of  150  feet  to  the  north  and 
south.  The  town  thus  lying  in  the  valley  with  two 
rivers  flowing  through  it  and  uniting  their  waters 
at  its  very  heart,  presents  a  most  picturesque 
aspect. 

The  interest  and  importance  of  the  town  are  en- 
hanced moreover  by  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal, 
which  is  to  extend  from  the  northeast  to  the  south- 
west corners  of  the  state,  from  the  city  of  Fort 
Wayne  to  Evansville  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  a  part 
of  which  is  already  completed.  Of  this  canal  I  ex- 
pect soon  to  know  more,  as  the  next  stage  of  my  . 
journey  is  to  be  made  on  its  waters. 

I  stopped  at  the  Mansion  House,  kept  by  a  Mr. 
Douglass,  which  I  found  an  agreeable  resting  place, 
and  fitted  up  in  good  style.  As  my  stay  in  this  city 
was  to  be  very  brief,  I  hastened  at  once  to  seek  out 
Mr.  D.  D.  Pratt,^  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Calvin  Fletcher,  in  whose  office  Mr.  Pratt  had  once 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  law.  I  observed  the 
town  with  much  interest  as  I  passed  along;  it  has 
less  than  1,000  inhabitants,  I  judge,  but  because  of 
its  location  on  rivers  and  canal  and  its  plentiful 
water  power,  gives  promise  of  flourishing  growth. 
I  noted  its  bridge,  a  handsome  covered  structure 

'Hon.  D.  D.  Pratt,  born  in  Maine,  1813;  died  in  Logansport,  1877. 
Graduate  of  Hamilton  College,  1831.  For  twenty- five  years  he  was 
without  a  rival  in  northern  Indiana  before  a  jury.  Presidential 
elector,  1848;  Legislature,  1851-3;  secretary  of  national  convention 
at  Chicago,  which  nominated  Lincoln,  1860;  Congress,  1868;  Senate, 
1869.  "Pratt  is  the  most  absolutely  honest  man  I  ever  knew," 
said  Wendell  Phillips. — Editor. 


.   A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    205 

over  the  Wabash,  its  Market  House,  a  roof  on  brick 
pillars,  much  frequented  by  farmers  I  am  told,  its 
library,  a  substantial  log  building,  and  a  brick  edi- 
fice which  I  later  learned  is  the  Seminary. 

Mr.  Pratt,  whom  I  found  to  be  but  a  few  years 
older  than  myself,  is  a  most  interesting  young  man. 
He  is  tall  in  stature,  something  over  six  feet,  and 
well  proportioned,  possessing  unusual  conversational 
powers,  and  having  a  fluent  command  of  the  most 
classic  English. 

Mr.  Fletcher,  who  has  taken  the  greatest  interest 
in  him,  had  told  me  much  concerning  his  life.  He 
was  born  in  Maine  and  passed  his  early  life  in  New 
England,  in  adverse  circumstances,  but  his  father, 
early  perceiving  his  mental  powers,  gave  him  an  ex- 
cellent education.  He  taught,  studied  law,  and  came 
out  to  Ohio,  journeying  part  of  the  way  on  foot, 
taught  at  Rising  Sun,  Indiana,  and  in  1836  arrived 
in  Indianapolis,  where  he  went  into  Mr.  Fletcher's 
office.  Later,  he  located  in  Cass  County  and  as  Mr. 
Fletcher,  together  with  many  other  attorneys,  prac- 
tice in  this  court,  he  has  been  able  to  continue  their 
friendship.  Mr.  Fletcher,  so  Mr.  Pratt  informs  me, 
was  one  of  the  first  practitioners  in  the  courts  of 
this  county,  and  ranks  as  high  here  as  he  does  in 
his  own  home.  Here  also  came  James  Rariden  of 
Wayne  County,  whom  I  met  during  my  stay  there, 
and  many  other  of  the  la\^^ers,  of  whose  long  and 
tedious  journeys  I  have  spoken  before. 

Like  the  other  residents  of  the  Wabash  country, 
Mr.  Pratt  loves  it,  and  has  great  hope  of  its  future. 
He  told  me  with  much  enthusiasm  of  the  town  and 


206    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

its  people,  and  dwelt  at  length  on  one  of  its  pioneers, 
Gen.  Jolin  Tipton.* 

This  Gen.  Tipton,  it  appears,  who  conferred  honor 
on  the  city  by  his  residence  here  and  had  much  to  do 
with  the  state's  early  history,  died  here  only  last 
year.  Coming  to  Indiana  in  early  days,  he  first  set- 
tled on  the  Ohio  River  and  joined  the  ^'Yellow  Jack- 
ets, ' '  a  military  company  which  played  an  important 
part  at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  where,  because  of 
so  many  being  killed,  'tis  said,  he  rose  in  one  day 
from  the  rank  of  ensign  to  that  of  captain.  Later, 
serving  in  the  Legislature,  he  was  one  of  those 
chosen  to  select  the  site  of  the  state's  capital,  and  in 
1823  was  made  Indian  agent.  At  this  time  he  re- 
moved to  Fort  Wayne,  the  seat  of  the  agency,  and 
a  little  later  at  his  instance  this  agency  was  removed 
to  Logansport.  After  this  he  served  as  United 
States  Senator  for  some  years. 

His  political  and  military  careers,  it  can  be  seen 
from  this,  were  of  sufficient  importance,  but  the  citi- 
zens of  Logansport  think  even  more  of  his  life  as  a 
civilian  and  a  citizen.  He  loved  the  city  of  his  adop- 
tion, a  mere  village  at  the  time  of  his  coming,  and 
did  all  in  his  power  throughout  the  term  of  his  life 
to  make  it  better,  to  secure  for  it  the  advantages  in- 
cident to  cultivated  society  and  the  development  of 
its  natural  resources.  I  have  already  mentioned 
the  building  pointed  out  as  the  Seminary.  It  seems 
that  one  of  Gen.  Tipton's  first  steps  on  reaching 

Jol?Sn.*^V''"''''  ^^  ^r*^^^"^'  ^^^  ^'^  ^  g^^^der  work  than 
and  J  £r       f  r'  I  f'^^  "^^°  ^"  ^^«  ^^'^"^il  ^"d  in  the  field. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    207 

Logansport  was  to  organize  the  Eel  River  Seminary 
Society,  to  erect  a  suitable  building  for  school  pur- 
poses, and  to  employ  and  support  teachers.  This 
was  accomplished  in  the  winter  of  1828  and  1829; 
he  used  his  means  and  never  allowed  his  cares  to 
detract  from  his  interest  in  it.  Both  courts  and 
church  were  held  in  this  building  until  suitable  edi- 
fices could  be  erected  for  their  occupancy. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  Mr.  Pratt  nar- 
rated to  me  concerning  Gen.  Tipton,  however,  was 
the  statement  that  he  presented  to  the  state  the  bat- 
tle ground  of  Tippecanoe,  that  it  might  be  preserved 
as  a  monument  to  the  victory  over  their  savage  foes. 

It  was  interesting,  too,  to  hear  that  Gen.  Tipton 
was  a  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 
Lodges  of  this  fraternity,  I  am  told,  were  established 
at  an  early  date  in  what  was  then  Indiana  Territory; 
Gen.  Tipton  was  a  member  when  residing  at  Cory- 
don,  and  on  coming  to  Cass  County,  he  established 
a  lodge  at  Logansport  when  this  to^vn  was  only  two 
months  old.  The  town  has  already  a  Lodge  Hall, 
which  was  dedicated  four  years  ago.  When  Gen. 
Tipton  died  last  spring,  most  impressive  funeral 
services,  said  Mr.  Pratt,  were  conducted  by  his 
brother  Masons.  This  is  my  first  encounter  with 
members  of  this  fraternity  in  this  state. 

Through  Mr.  Pratt  I  met  some  other  la"«^^ers  of 
the  town,  G.  W.  Blakemore,  S.  S.  Tipton,  William- 
son Wright,  and  his  partner,  William  Z.  Stuart,  and 
Mr.  Palmer,  Mr.  Pratt's  partner.  I  met  also  a  most 
interesting  physician,  Dr.  Graham  N.  Fitch.  Dr. 
Fitch  is  a  man  of  about  thirty  years,  who  has  al- 


208    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ready  attained  a  Mgli  standing  in  Ms  profession, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  men  I  have  met. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  politics,  and  has  read  and 
thought  much  upon  the  constitutional  principles  of 
our  government,  and  has  formed  his  opinions  of  the 
proper  mode  of  their  development  by  legislation. 
He  is  deeply  read  in  the  writings  of  Mr.  Jefferson, 
so  I  found  to  my  delight,  and  the  hour  I  spent  in 
his  society  I  consider  one  of  the  most  pleasant  of 
the  many  hours  I  have  spent  in  the  Western  country. 
With  all  this,  I  found  that  Dr.  Fitch  cares  most  of 
all  for  his  profession,  and  when  I  considered  his 
hardships,  for  even  more  than  the  lawyer  or  the  cir- 
cuit rider,  the  country  medical  practitioner  suffers 
from  bad  roads  and  bad  weather,  I  marveled  at 
once  over  his  endurance  and  his  enthusiasm. 

With  an  account  of  an  interesting  meeting  with 
three  other  gentlemen  of  Logansport,  I  must  close 
this  entry  in  my  diary.  These  gentlemen  were  Mr. 
Horace  Biddle,  whom  I  met  through  the  kind  offices 
of  Mr.  Pratt,  and  Mr.  John  B.  Dillon  and  Mr.  George 
Winter,  whom  I  encountered  in  Mr.  Biddle 's  office. 

Mr.  Biddle  is  a  young  lawyer,  admitted  to  the  bar 
only  last  year,  and  only  last  fall  come  to  this  city. 
He  too  loves  the  Wabash  country,  and  spoke  most 
poetically  of  the  gentle  hills  that  surround  the  city, 
and  of  the  meeting  of  the  waters  in  the  valley.  "I 
was  pleased  with  it  when  I  first  saw  it,  and  its  charm 
is  on  me  yet,"  he  said.  Mr.  Pratt  told  me  that  he 
is  a  young  man  of  brilliancy  and  attainments,  and 
has  literary  tastes  as  well,  having  already  contrib- 
uted both  prose  and  poetic  efforts  to  magazines  and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    209 

papers.  He  is  a  great  friend  of  a  most  interesting 
young  man,  Mr.  Jolm  B.  Dillon,^  editor,  with  Mr. 
Hyacinth  Lasselle,  of  The  Logansport  Telegraph. 

Mr.  Dillon,  I  was  told  before  meeting  him,  is  a 
man  of  fine  literary  tastes,  which  has  no  doubt  ce- 
mented the  friendship  between  him  and  Mr.  Biddle. 
Before  coming  to  Logansport  Mr.  Dillon  resided  in 
Cincinnati,  and  while  there  was  connected  with  the 
Cincinnati  Mirror,  a  literary  paper  of  high  excel- 
lence. As  we  chatted  together  Mr.  Biddle  talked  at 
length  and  with  enthusiasm  of  this  friend. 

*'He  cares  nothing  for  the  law,"  said  he,  *'but  he 
is  an  attentive  reader  and  is  well  acquainted  with 
the  general  principles  of  jurisprudence.  He  has, 
however,  no  adaptability  to  the  business  affairs  of 
life;  all  he  desires  is  to  think  and  to  know;  he  has 
no  disposition  to  do  and  to  have.  He  delights  in 
original  composition  and  in  belles  lettres," 

As  he  spoke  Mr.  Dillon  entered  in  company  with 
Mr.  Winter.  In  person,  I  found  him  peculiar.  He 
is  of  medium  height,  with  a  fine  athletic  figure,  yet 
his  hands  and  feet  are  clumsy  and  quite  ungainly. 
His  head  is  large,  his  hair  dark,  and,  perhaps  be- 
cause of  some  affection  of  the  eyes,  he  wears  spec- 
tacles with  large,  dark  sideglasses,  which  effectually 
conceal  his  eyes.  His  manner  is  most  .serious  and 
he  seems  very  shy,  though  Mr.  Biddle  assured  me 
that  with  his  familiar  friends  over  a  game  of  chess, 
or  at  a  feast  of  anecdotes,  or  in  athletic  exercises, 

'John  B.  Dillon,  born  in  Virginia,  1808;  Logansport,  1834,  studied 
law  and  admitted  to  bar;  editor  Logansport  Telegraph,  1839-43; 
later  went  to  Indianapolis;  author  "History  of  Indiana,"  two 
volumes. — Editor. 


210    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

he  is  often  mirthful  and  sometimes  even  uproarious. 

We  talked  at  some  length  together,  and  soon,  feel- 
ing the  comradeship  of  ambitious  youth,  spoke  of  our 
hopes  and  our  dreams.  Mr.  Biddle  yearns  for  fame 
in  his  chosen  calling,  but  he  intends  ne'er  to  desert 
the  muse.  Mr.  Dillon's  ambition  is  to  preserve  for- 
ever the  facts  of  our  early  history  for  the  great  and 
wise  and  good  of  all  coming  generations  in  a  history 
of  merit.  He  does  not  care  for  popular  applause,  he 
says,  but  desires  to  be  read  by  scholars,  by  states- 
men, by  historians,  by  students  of  the  past.  To  such 
ends,  he  devotes  all  his  spare  time  to  the  general 
reading  of  English  literature  and  the  special  in- 
vestigation of  the  history  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory and  the  states  formed  from  it,  in  connection 
with  the  history  of  Indiana. 

The  other  young  gentleman,  is,  I  learned  later, 
about  30  years  old,  and  is  an  Englishman  and  an 
artist.  Wlien  he  found  that  I  was  a  stranger  in 
the  state  and  much  interested  in  its  history,  he  gave 
me  much  information  concerning  his  work  and  the 
country. 

It  seems  that  he  was  born  and  educated  in  Eng- 
land, and  then  came  to  New  York.  Later,  he  came 
out  to  Cincinnati  on  account  of  his  interest  in  the 
Indians  and  their  proposed  migration,  and  at  the 
council  held  by  Col.  Pepper  concerning  the  Potta- 
wotamies  of  which  I  have  already  written,  he  found 
excellent  material  for  his  sketches.  His  painting, 
*'The  Treaty  of  Kuwa-nay,"  so  pleased  Col.  Pep- 
per that  Mr.  Winter  presented  it  to  him.  He  has 
continued  to  paint  Indians,  and  the  reason  for  his 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    211 

residence  in  Logansport  was  its  nearness  to  the 
reservations.  He  told  me  at  length  of  his  visit  to 
''Dead  Man's  Village"  only  last  year,  at  the  request 
of  the  Slocum  family  to  sketch  the  likeness  of 
Frances,  the  ''lost  sister,"  a  little  girl  who  was 
stolen  from  her  Quaker  parents  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa., 
and  was  not  discovered  until  she  was  an  old  woman 
and  had  become  the  wife  of  She-buck-oo-wah,  an 
Indian  chief. 

He  also  confided  to  me  that  he  had  been  painting 
views  of  the  Tippecanoe  battle  field  in  the  hope  that 
they  would  find  a  sale  because  of  the  great  interest 
in  the  election.  One  of  these  views  was  hanging 
in  Mr.  Biddle's  office  at  this  time,  and  I  immediately 
purchased,  it  as  a  gift  for  my  father,  who  has  a 
taste  for  historic  happenings.  I  judge  him  a  young 
man  of  great  talent,  no  doubt  destined  to  acquire 
name  and  fame  in  this  new  country. 

I  found  him  most  genial  and  witty,  and  before  we 
parted  we  all  three  became  on  such  intimate  terms 
that  they  told  me  of  a  practical  joke  they  played  on 
the  town  this  very  spring. 

"We  were  sitting  together  here,"  said  Mr.  Bid- 
die,  and  I  guessed  that  they  sat  much  together,  these 
three  young  men,  with  their  interest  in  art  and  belles 
lettres  so  out  of  keeping,  one  might  think,  with  a 
rude  pioneer  settlement,  "when  all  at  once  Mr.  Dil- 
lon said  (the  day  was  April  1) : 

"  'Let  us  fool  somebody!' 

"We  all  agreed,  and  he  took  a  pen  and  a  narrow 
strip  of  paper  and  wrote :  '  There  will  be  exhibited 
at  the  Court  House  this  evening  a  living  manthrop, 


212    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

from  8  to  10  o'clock.  Sir  Roger  DeCoverley,  man- 
ager. ' 

''He  took  a  couple  of  wafers,  and  wlien  we  went 
to  the  hotel  where  we  all  three  board,  he  managed 
to  stick  up  the-  notice  on  a  small  billboard  without 
being  observed. 

''Much  to  our  amusement,  there  was  a  great  dis- 
cussion at  dinner  about  the  strange  animal.  Dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  young  gentlemen  of  the  town  who 
prided  themselves  on  their  learning,  several  of  the 
clergymen,  and  some  of  the  lawyers,  were  busy 
studying  the  encyclopedia,  natural  histories,  all  the 
books  they  could  find,  to  ascertain  what  the  new 
creature  was.  The  word  manthrop,  as  you  no  doubt 
know,  sir,  is  really  a  compound  of  two  Anglo-Saxon 
words  meaning  'the  man  of  the  village,'  and  as  Sir 
Roger  DeCoverley  is  Addison's  amiable  character, 
Mr.  Dillon  had  no  expectation  of  the  success  of  the 
joke,  indeed  he  was  mortified  at  the  result.  For  a 
long  time,  Dillon's  April  fool  was  talked  about 
through  the  town." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

June  30,  1840. 

A  FEW  more  interesting  items  concerning  my 
stay  in  Logansport  are  to  be  noted  before 
leaving  the  subject. 

In  the  office  of  Mr.  Pratt  I  met  a  most  agreeable 
young  gentleman,  Charles  B.  Lasselle,^  who  is  just 
21  years  old. 

Mr.  Lasselle  received  his  early  education  at  the 
*' Seminary,"  which  I  have  already  mentioned  as 
founded  by  General  Tipton,  and  then  went  to  the 
State  College,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  until 
last  year,  when  he  entered  Mr.  Pratt's  office  to  en- 
gage in  the  study  of  the  law.  His  grandfather.  Col. 
James  Lasselle,  descendant  of  French  emigrants  to 
Montreal,  was  Indian  agent  near  the  village  of  Fort 
Wayne  and  his  father,  Gen.  Hyacinth  Lasselle,  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  that  locality.  His 
mother  is  also  of  French  parentage  and  her  father 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  General  and  Mrs. 
Lasselle  came  to  Logansport  in  1833,  first  settling 
on  a  farm  and  later  moving  into  the  towTi,  where 

*  Charles  B.  Lasselle,  born  in  Vincennes,  1819;  admitted  to  bar, 
1842;  prosecuting  attorney,  1847;  assistant  editor  Logansport  Tele- 
graph; Legislature,  1862;  State  Senate,  1868-9-70;  took  much  inter- 
est in  Wabash  Valley  history;  part  of  his  collection  in  State  Library. 
—Editor. 

213 


214    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

one  of  the  sons  is  proprietor  of  The  Telegraph,  of 
which  Mr.  Dillon  is  editor. 

Young  Mr.  Charles  and  I  found  much  in  common 
in  our  brief  conversation,  and  on  learning  that  my 
last  evening  in  the  town  was  unoccupied,  he  invited 
me  to  supper  at  his  father's  home,  where  I  enjoyed 
a  most  delightful  visit  with  this  charming  family  and 
learned  much  of  the  French  occupants  of  the  Wa- 
bash, besides  being  given  letters  by  them  to  some  9f 
the  most  respectable  families  in  Vincennes,  which 
city  is  included  in  my  itinerary. 

In  the  home  of  the  Lasselles  I  found,  together  with 
relics  of  the  aborigines  collected  by  the  grandfather, 
many  indications  of  culture  in  books,  pictures  and 
furniture.  The  only  piano  in  the  town  is  in  this 
home,  and  General  Lasselle  told  me  a  most  amusing 
story  of  its  coming  to  Logansport.  It  was  pur- 
chased, it  seems,  in  Philadelphia  and  shipped  thence 
by  water  to  New  Orleans.  From  there,  it  was  sent 
up  the  Mississippi  on  a  steamboat,  and  from  there 
by  the  same  means  up  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash, 
reaching  the  Logansport  wharf  in  safety.  But  from 
carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  deckhands,  when  it 
was  undertook  to  carry  it  ashore,  it  fell  into  the 
river  and  must  needs  lie  there  until  the  waters  sub- 
sided, when  it  was  lifted  out. 

I  discovered  that  young  Mr.  Lasselle  is  most  in- 
terested in  history  and  belles  lettres.  We  talked 
much  of  books  and  he  presently  brought  forth  for 
my  perusal  a  publication  now  being  issued  at  Bloom- 
ington  at  the  State  College,  a  periodical  entitled 
The  Extra  Equator,  devoted,  so  it  was  stated  on 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    215 

the  cover,  '^to  the  interests  of  science  and  literature 
in  the  West." 

I  examined  this  periodical  with  great  interest. 
The  opening  article  is  a  translation  of  one  of  the 
dialogues  of  Plato,  especially  addressed,  says  the 
editor,  ''to  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  thinking 
accurately  and  deeply  on  every  subject  within  their 
mental  grasp.  To  those  who  do  not  cultivate  this 
faculty  it  is  not  addressed ;  for  upon  such  its  opera- 
tion would  be  most  unwelcome  and  even  painful. 

''Readers  of  a  more  serious  turn,"  he  goes  on  to 
say,  "may  be  pleased  with  the  'Notes  of  Sunday 
School  Instruction,'  all  the  lovers  of  our  civil  insti- 
tutions will  admire  the  humor  and  spirit  of  the 
'Fourth  of  July  Address,'  and  the  candor  and  fair- 
ness of  the  review  department.  The  'studious  of 
change  and  pleased  with  novelty'  will  be  amused 
and  instructed  by  the  'Rambles  in  Vacation,'  and 
sundry  descriptive  and  poetic  pieces  interspersed 
throughout  the  work." 

The  editor  seemed  somewhat  uncertain,  appar- 
ently, as  to  the  acceptance  of  his  Greek  translation, 
for  he  continues  to  insist  that  it  is  worth  the  read- 
ing for  the  improvement  such  reading  will  give. 
"The  stiffness  and  pomp  of  our  style,  I  have  often 
thought,"  he  says,  "might  be  corrected  by  a  more 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  manner  of  the  an- 
cients. It  should  be  published  moreover,  because 
it  is  edifying  to  furnish  a  specimen  of  the  method 
of  instruction  pursued  by  Socrates,  the  most  cele- 
brated teacher  of  ancient  times." 

The  Fourth  of  July  Address,  I  noted,  is  one  given 


216    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

the  preceding  year  by  Dr.  Andrew  Wylie,  Presi- 
dent of  the  College,  he  whom  Miss  Merrill  had  so 
highly  praised  to  me,  and  one  of  the  poetic  selec- 
tions noted  in  the  table  of  contents  is  an  extract 
from  a  poem  delivered  ''At  the  Departure  of  the 
Senior  Class  of  Yale  College  in  1836/' 

All  this  was  most  interesting  and,  with  Mr.  Las- 
selle's  permission,  I  made  note  of  this  publication 
and  its  contents  in  my  pocketbook.  The  most  in- 
teresting article  to  me,  however,  in  the  entire  book 
concerned  a  volume  published  in  Louisville,  Ky., 
whose  second  edition  has  just  appeared.  This  work, 
it  would  seem,  is  entitled  ''Tannehill's  History  of 
Literature,"  published  by  subscription.  The  first 
edition  was  published  some  years  ago.  The  notice 
I  will  quote : 

''This  volume  was  published  in  the  "West  and  lit- 
tle or  no  pains  were  taken  to  make  it  known  or  to 
give  it  circulation  in  other  sections  of  the  Union. 
The  few  copies,  however,  which  were  sent  to  the 
Northern  and  Eastern  states  were  well  received,  and 
it  was  pronounced  a  work  of  great  research  and 
merit ;  and  the  New  York  Review  seems  utterly  sur- 
prised that  a  volume  requiring  so  much  and  so  ex- 
tensive reading  could  have  been  produced  in  the 
backwoods  of  the  West.  The  work  is  a  succinct  com- 
pendium of  the  history  of  literature  from  the  earliest 
period  to  the  revival  of  letters  in  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury. It  is  written  in  a  neat  and  chaste  style  and 
while  it  can  be  perused  with  interest  and  profit  to 
the  general  reader,  by  literary  men  it  will  be  hailed 
with  delight  as  an  invaluable  companion.    We  can 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    217 

not  help  thinking  what  a  God-send  such  a  volume 
would  have  been  in  our  college  days  when  themes 
and  compositions  weekly  stared  us  in  the  face.  With 
this  ample  magazine  at  our  elbow,  how  learnedly 
could  we  have  descanted  on  the  literature  of  Greece 
and  Rome,  those  fruitful  themes  for  the  sophomore's 
pen — while  in  Egypt  or  Russia,  or  China  or  India,  or 
Arabia  or  Spain,  we  should  have  been  as  much  at 
home  as  Sir  William  Jones  or  the  learned  black- 
smith of  Massachusetts." 

I  have  made  a  note  of  this  valuable  volume,  the 
title  and  publisher  with  the  intent  to  purchase  it 
Avhen  next  in  a  bookseller's  shop. 

The  discussion  of  books  led  to  the  subject  of  pub- 
lic libraries,  and  a  regret  that  there  was  not  more 
money  available  for  the  purchase  of  books  for  the 
Logansport  Library,  A  gentleman,  a  Mr.  Taber, 
who  had  come  in  to  spend  the  evening,  at  once 
entered  into  an  argument  over  the  means  of  rais- 
ing funds  for  the  purchase  of  books  for  the 
Library. 

''Every  citizen,"  said  he,  ''will  readily  acknowl- 
edge the  importance  of  public  libraries  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  general  education.  Well,  then,  let  a 
library  company  be  founded  and  incorporated  and 
let  the  company  obtain  from  the  Legislature  a 
charter  for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  library  fund, 
say  $50,000  by  lottery."  He  admitted  that  this  was 
not  an  original  idea  with  him,  but  that  he  believed 
it  a  most  feasible  one.  "By  this  means,"  he  went 
on  to  say,  "the  town  and  country  might  become  pos- 
sessed of  one  of  the  best  libraries  in  the  Western 


218    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

country.  The  plan,  if  properly  managed,  can  not 
fail  to  prove  successful." 

Another  member  of  the  company  objected  at  once, 
declaring  that  the  influence  of  the  lottery  is  most 
pernicious. 

**Not  at  all,"  declared  its  first  advocate.  ''The 
case  is  altogether  different  when  the  lotteries  are 
used  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation and  other  useful  interests.  In  almost  every 
state,  lotteries  have  been  authorized  by  law  to  aid 
in  building  colleges,  academies,  hospitals,  asylums, 
etc.  They  have  also  been  authorized  by  law  for 
purposes  of  public  improvement,  such  as  tha  mak- 
ing of  roads,  the  building  of  bridges,  the  improve- 
ment of  the  navigation  of  rivers,  the  draining  of 
large  tracts  of  wet  land." 

He  appealed  to  me  to  know  if  this  were  not  true, 
and  I  was  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  this  means 
of  raising  money  for  educational  and  other  worthy 
purposes  was  no  novelty  in  many  of  the  Eastern 
states.  The  gentleman  concluded  by  stating  that  he 
was  going  this  very  week  to  issue  a  call  for  a  meet- 
ing to  consider  this  subject,  at  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  candlelight  on  Friday  night. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  these  friends  gave 
me  much  other  interesting  information  concerning 
their  city  and  the  Western  country  in  general.  It 
would  seem  that  much  ginseng  grew  in  the  woods 
and  was  an  early  source  of  income  to  the  first  set- 
tlers. James  Blake,  whom  I  had  known  in  Indian- 
apolis, had  soon  perceived  the  value  of  this  product 
of  the  woods  and  had  established  in  several  places. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    219 

among  them  Logansport,  factories  in  which  the  root 
was  prepared  and  dried  for  shipment  to  China, 
where  it  is  highly  valued  as  a  medicine.  As  civiliza- 
tion advances  and  the  country  is  cleared,  'tis  said 
the  ginseng  gradually  disappears,  and  one  of  the 
''first  wave"  pioneers,  those  who  make  the  first 
clearings  and  then  move  on  to  the  wilder  places,  said 
that  he  followed  the  wild  turkey  which,  when  there 
are  no  more  ''sang"  berries  (the  pioneer  calls  the 
ginseng  "sang")  to  eat  in  the  forest,  leaves  it  for 
wilder  and  more  remote  places. 

These  gentlemen,  perceiving  my  interest  in  the 
town's  social  affairs  as  well  as  its  business  develop- 
ment, told  me  something  of  their  musical  societies 
and  of  the  Thespian  Society,  in  which  all  are  most 
interested  and  wiiich  has  been  in  existence  for  sev- 
eral years  and  has  given  several  notable  perform- 
ances. Among  these,  they  mentioned  the  play  of 
"Douglas,"  acted  together  with  the  farce,  "Tom 
Noddy's  Secret,"  and  Kotzebue's  "The  Stranger," 
with  the  farce  ' '  The  Mummy. ' '  Another  all  remem- 
bered with  the  greatest  pleasure,  was  the  "Tragedy 
of  Bertram, ' '  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mathurin,  pronounced 
universally  one  of  the  best  and  most  beautiful  pro- 
ductions in  the  language,  to  do  justice  to  which  en- 
tirely new  scenery  was  executed  by  an  artist,  which 
would  have  been  creditable,  they  declared,  to  any 
theater,  and  which,  together  with  the  costumes  made 
for  the  occasion,  won  universal  admiration  and 
wonderment. 

My  father  having  suggested  that  I  occasionally 
note  prices  of  various  commodities  in  order  to  com- 


220    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

pare  them  with  similar  commodities  in  the  East,  I 
will  here  set  down  prices  as  copied  from  a  number 
of  the  Logansport  Herald  for  the  month  of  June, 
1840,  as  read  out  to  me  by  Mr.  Lasselle  on  this 
evening. 

Beef,  3  cents  a  pound ;  pork,  2  cents ;  lard,  5  cents ; 
butter,  8  cents ;  cheese,  10  cents ;  ham,  6  cents ;  shoul- 
der, 5  cents;  flour,  $3  a  barrel;  wheat,  56  cents 
per  bushel ;  oats,  12  cents  per  bushel ;  coffee,  25  cents 
a  pound;  whisky,  19  cents  a  gallon. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  my  departure  from 
this  town,  and  with  it  a  slight  change  in  my  plans. 
As  noted  before,  my  cousin,  Jonathan  Parsons,  had 
come  out  to  the  Wabash  country  and  it  was  my  in- 
tention to  pass  through  Covington  and  pay  him  a 
visit.  On  my  inquiring  of  Mr.  Hannegan,  however, 
on  learning  that  this  town  was  his  home,  I  was  in- 
formed that  my  cousin  had  left  this  country  some 
months  ago,  having  suffered  greatly  from  the  ague, 
with  the  intention  of  going  to  Ohio.  We  have 
cousins  there  from  Maryland  and  it  is  possible  that 
he  has  sought  them  out  with  the  idea  of  settling 
there.  As  Covington  is  a  new  settlement  and  not 
unlike  these  other  towns  of  the  Wabash  country,  I 
shall  not  now  visit  it,  but  shall  continue  my  journey 
to  Lafayette  and  thence  to  Crawfordsville. 

I  have  learned,  much  to  my  chagrin,  that  the  Wa- 
bash and  Erie  Canal,  on  which  I  had  hoped  to  make 
part  of  my  journey,  is  not  yet  completed.  Adver- 
tisements in  the  Logansport  papers  had  led  me  to 
believe  that  the  canal  was  open  for  some  distance, 
but  it  seems  that  it  is  only  open  to  Georgetown, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    221 

seven  miles  from  Logansport,  although  work  is  be- 
ing done  at  several  points  along  the  line.  This  be- 
ing the  case,  I  engaged  passage  on  the  stage  for 
Lafayette. 

The  beginning  of  my  journey  was  not  altogether 
propitious.  The  stage  was  a  dingy  lumbering  ve- 
hicle, altogether  unlike  the  trim  Vigus  coaches ;  the 
driver,  rough  and  profane.  We  started  off  well 
enough,  however,  and  as  usual,  I  gathered  much  in- 
formation concerning  the  country  from  my  fellow 
travelers  with  whom  I  was  soon  engaged  in  conver- 
sation. The  county  of  Carroll,  in  which  we  found 
ourselves  after  driving  a  considerable  distance  and 
crossing  the  river,  which  runs  diagonally  through 
Cass  County,  Carroll  and  Tippecanoe,  southwest  of 
Carroll,  was  named  after  the  venerable  Charles  Car- 
roll, at  the  time  of  its  organization,  the  sole  survivor 
of  those  noted  men  who  signed  the  Declaration. 
The  surface  of  this  county  is  not  unlike  that  I  had 
just  quitted.  The  road  could  be  called  so  only  by 
courtesy, — 'twas  simply  a  way  made  by  felling  the 
trees,  many  of  whose  stumps  remained  in  the  road- 
way, together  with  some  of  the  logs.  I  scarcely  no- 
ticed the  miserable  jolting,  however,  so  impressed 
was  I  with  the  marvelous  beauty  of  the  country  we 
were  traversing. 

Sometimes  the  road  ran  through  the  forest,  where 
the  trees  rose  nearly  100  feet  in  height,  standing  on 
either  side  of  the  road  like  a  protecting  wall.  Again 
we  passed  over  level  plains,  or  again,  through  the 
river  bottoms  and  this  last  was  a  most  beautiful  and 
novel  sight  to  me,  indicating  clearly  why  men  werQ 


222    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

willing  to  endure  fever  and  ague  and  other  ills  to 
abide  in  the  Wabash  country.  The  river  rolled  its 
silver  current  along  the  edge  of  the  plain,  which  was 
besprinkled  with  wild  flowers  of  every  rich  and 
varied  tint,  intermingled  with  tall  grass  that  nodded 
in  the  passing  breeze.  The  hawthorn,  wild  plum 
and  crabapple  bushes  were  overspread  with  a  tangle 
of  vines,  grape,  wild  hops,  honeysuckle,  and  clam- 
bering sweet  brier,  fantastically  wreathed  together, 
all  growing  in  clusters  along  the  river  bank  as  if 
in  love  with  its  placid  smiling  waters. 

The  forest  rang  continually  with  the  songs  of  the 
birds  and  among  them  I  noted  particularly,  because 
of  their  strangeness,  the  crane  and  the  parroquet. 
These  sand-hill  cranes  are  quite  different  from  the 
common  blue  cranes,  being  much  larger  and  of  a 
sandy  gray  color.  They  go  in  flocks,  I  am  told,  like 
wild  geese,  but  fly  much  higher  and  their  croaking 
can  be  heard  distinctly  when  they  are  so  high  in 
the  air  that  they  can  not  be  seen.  The  parroquets 
are  beautiful  birds,  as  I  have  already  noted  in  writ- 
ing of  my  ride  along  the  Ohio  River.  In  size  they 
are  a  little  larger  than  the  common  quail  and  re- 
semble small  parrots.  When  full  gro^vn,  a  gentle- 
man informed  me,  their  plumage  is  green,  except 
the  neck,  which  is  yellow,  and  the  head  is  red.  The 
heads  of  the  young  continue  yellow  until  they  are 
a  year  old.  Waen  flying,  this  bird  utters  a  shrill 
but  cheerful  and  pleasant  note  and  the  flash  of  its 
golden  and  green  plumage  in  the  sunlight  is  inde- 
scribably beautiful  in  its  tropical  suggestion. 

The  gentleman  who  gave  me  much  of  this  infor- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    223 

mation  and  who,  he  confessed,  is  much  interested 
in  natural  history  and  has  many  times  perused  Gold- 
smith's  ''Animated  Nature,"  said  most  poetically, 
that  on  seeing  these  brilliant  birds  in  the  sunlight, 
he  "deemed  for  the  moment  that  he  was  on  the 
verge  of  a  brighter  sphere,  where  the  birds  wear 
richer  plumage  and  utter  a  sweeter  song." 

We  had  left  Logansport  at  noon,  and  time  sped 
rapidly  enough  in  gazing  at  the  varied  and  delight- 
ful landscape  and  in  conversation  of  a  sort  which 
ever  proves  edifying.  Evening  was  coming  on 
when,  after  a  crash  as  of  the  wheel  striking  a 
log  or  obstruction  of  some  sort,  the  stage  gave 
a  tremendous  lurch  and  precipitated  us  one  against 
the  other  as  it  came  to  a  full  stop,  half  over- 
turned. 

Having  scrambled  out  as  best  we  could,  we  were 
informed  surlily  by  the  driver  that  we  would  have 
to  find  lodging  in  a  cabin  in  a  clearing  nearby  the 
place  where  our  accident  had  fortunately  occurred, 
as  it  would  be  impossible  to  repair  the  damages  done 
to  the  stage  before  morning. 

Looking  about  bewildered,  we  discovered  near  the 
roadside,  in  a  clearing  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
acres,  a  single  cabin  built  of  logs  to  which  our  driver 
was  already  leading  his  horses,  which  he  had  speed- 
ily unhitched  from  the  stage.  My  fellow  passengers 
and  I  walked  toward  the  door  of  the  cabin,  where 
we  were  met  by  a  half  grown  girl,  rudely  attired 
in  a  coarse  garment  of  dull  blue,  'tis  true,  but  pos- 
sessed of  delicate  features  and  fresh  color.  All 
romance  was  dispelled  when  she  spoke,  however ! 


224    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

' '  May  we  stay  here  for  the  night,  my  girl  1 ' '  asked 
one  of  the  gentlemen. 

*'I  ain't  your  girl  that  I  knows  of,"  she  drawled, 
"but  we  sometimes  keeps  strangers,  and  I  reckon 
you  kin  stay  here  if  you  like." 

At  that  we  entered  the  cabin,  which  consisted  of 
a  single  room  with  a  large  fireplace  at  one  end. 
The  walls  had  been  whitewashed,  and  from  pegs 
here  and  there  was  suspended  the  family's  extra 
wearing  apparel.  Two  large  beds  occupied  the  sides 
of  the  room,  with  trundle  beds  beneath ;  some  splint- 
bottomed  chairs  and  an  old  bureau  completed  the 
furniture.  The  kitchen  was  in  a  *' lean-to"  at  the 
back  of  the  house. 

The  father  came  in  presently,  a  tall,  raw-boned 
man,  with  a  face  bronzed  by  exposure,  and  shook 
hands  with  us  warmly  and  made  us  welcome.  Soon 
the  children,  healthy  and  sunburned,  came  strag- 
gling in,  and  last  the  mother,  she  alas!  the  true 
pioneer  wife,  broken  by  many  hardships.  How 
many  of  these  poor  women  have  I  already  encoun- 
tered on  this  Western  journey,  prematurely  old  and 
broken  from  hard  work  and  many  privations ! 

She  was  kind,  too,  and  welcomed  us  shyly,  and 
presently  we  sat  down  to  a  meal  of  fried  pork,  corn 
dodgers  and  tea.  Later,  I  talked  with  her  concern- 
ing a  beautiful  hand-woven  coverlet  which  spread 
its  gorgeous  colors  on  the  rude  high  bed,  and  which 
for  the  moment  I  had  the  thought  of  attempting  to 
purchase  for  my  mother.  She  said  she  did  not 
weave  it,  though  the  other  was  her  handiwork,  point- 
ing to  the  other  bed  on  which  one  of  plainer  design 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    225 

was  spread.  Perceiving  that  my  interest  was  gen- 
uine, she  forgot  herself  and  grew  eloquent  over  the 
subject  of  designs.  Her  *' mammy"  had  woven 
many  of  them,  she  said.  In  that  old  **chist"  she 
had  the  ''Sunrise,"  the  ''Pine  Bloom"  and  the 
"Dogwood  Blossoms"  folded  away,  all  brought 
from  "Kyarliny,"  and  she  had  a  loom  in  the  shed, 
and  some  of  "mammy's"  patterns.  But  this  one 
which  I  admired  was  a  "double  kiver,"  the  art  of 
making  which  is  known  only  to  the  professional 
weavers.  The  soft,  fine  wool  for  this,  to  whose  ex- 
quisite quality  she  called  my  attention,  she  herself 
had  prepared,  carding,  spinning,  dyeing,  and  her 
sister,  who  lived  over  in  Fountain  County,  had  taken 
it  to  be  woven  to  a  woman,  French,  she  reckoned, 
whose  name  was  Lattaratt.  (After  a  Avhile  I  trans- 
lated her  barbarous  pronunciation  into  LaTourette.^) 

"Frenchman's  Fancy,"  was  its  name,  and  she 
reckoned  "it  was  the  prettiest  kiver  in  this  part  of 
the  kentry."  When  I  saw  her  hungry  eyes  feast 
themselves  upon  this  one  beautiful  object  in  the 
dreary  cabin,  I  said  no  word  concerning  its  pur- 
chase. 

As  we  sat  and  talked  after  supper,  the  farmer  told 
us  something  of  his  history.  He  had  come  with  his 
wife  from  North  Carolina  to  Ohio,  and  thence  to 
Indiana.  He  owned  now  eighty  acres  of  land, 
twenty  of  them  cleared,  a  yoke  of  oxen,  a  mule,  a 
cart  and  some  farming  tools.  He  was  getting  rest- 
less, though;  it  was  becoming  too  thickly  settled 

^The  LaTourettes  of  Fountain  County  were  famous  weavera  of 
fine  coverlets, — Editor, 


226    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

about  here,  and  he  might  yet  be  moving  on  to  a 
wilder  country. 

Ere  long  bed  time  was  announced,  the  trundle 
beds  were  brought  forth,  pallets  made  on  the  floor, 
each  one's  couch  assigned  him,  and  soon  we  all  were 
sound  asleep. 

Next  morning  we  performed  our  ablutions  in  a  tin 
basin  set  on  a  rough  bench  beside  the  door.  The 
water  was  from  a  spring  near  by,  clear  and  cold, 
and  a  clean  towel  hung  from  a  nail  by  the  door 
casing. 

After  breakfast,  a  good  one,  of  fried  ham,  eggs 
and  coffee,  our  host  informed  us  that  a  little  fur- 
ther down  the  road  a  wedding  was  to  be  celebrated 
that  day,  and  suggested  that  as  he  and  his  family 
were  going,  we  join  them  and  remain  there  until  the 
driver  had  finished  his  repairs  on  the  coach  and 
came  to  pick  us  up. 

Being  assured  that  we  would  be  welcome,  and 
having  agreed  among  ourselves  to  make  up  a  purse 
as  a  gift  for  the  bride,  we  accordingly  joined  the 
family  procession  to  the  next  clearing. 

This  house  proved  a  much  more  pretentious  dwell- 
ing than  that  of  our  host  of  the  preceding  night. 
This  was  a  ''double  cabin,"  one  room  of  which  was 
very  large,  the  other  of  ordinary  size,  about  eighteen 
by  twenty  feet,  I  fancy.  In  the  smaller  room,  the 
floor  was  of  dirt,  and  here  were  most  ingeniously 
constructed  tables  for  the  day,  made  by  forked 
sticks  driven  into  the  floor  at  regular  intervals,  upon 
which  were  laid  other  sticks,  and  on  these  ranged 
puncheons,  upon  which  the  cloths  were  spread. 


A  PIONEER'/  CABIN  IN   1840 
From  a  drawing  ty  Caar  "^'illiams 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    227 

It  was  about  9  o  'clock  when  we  reached  the  cabin, 
and  many  of  the  guests  were  already  assembled. 
The  elder  ones  came,  I  was  informed,  to  assist  in 
the  preparation  of  the  dinner;  the  younger,  to  en- 
gage in  dancing,  as  soon  as  the  ceremony  was  per- 
formed, so  popular  is  this  amusement  in  these  settle- 
ments. As  the  two  rooms  were  already  occupied, 
the  bride  had  to  make  her  toilet  in  the  ''lean-to," 
where  she,  with  the  friends  who  "stood  up"  with 
her,  received  the  bridegroom  and  his  attendants  on 
their  arrival.  All  this,  we  witnessed,  as  also  the 
coming  of  the  squire  who  was  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony. 

This  ceremony  was  performed  in  a  most  back- 
woods fashion  in  the  larger  cabin,  and  immediately 
afterward  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  together  with 
the  older  guests,  and  ourselves — we  were  treated, 
I  have  failed  to  note,  with  great  respect — were  in- 
vited to  the  dining  table.  I  perceived  the  necessity 
now  of  the  strong  structure  I  had  observed  this 
morning,  for  an  enormous  feast  now  stood  upon  the 
coarse  white  cloths  that  hid  the  rude  puncheons. 
Wild  turkey,  roasted  and  steaming  hot ;  a  saddle  of 
venison,  various  vegetables,  pies  of  all  sorts,  dishes 
of  wild  honey,  and  a  great  pot  of  coffee,  with  the 
"fixin's,"  as  they  called  it,  of  rich  cream  and  a  great 
pan  of  maple  sugar,  stood  before  us,  but  only  for  a 
season,  for  this  Brobdingnagian  feast  vanished  all 
too  quickly. 

"When  we  returned  to  the  first  cabin  we  found  the 
young  people  already  dancing,  having  induced  the 
old  fiddler  to  take  his  station  in  one  corner,  where 


228    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

he  played  in  a  most  lugubrious  fashion  the  old  tune 
of  ''Leather  Breeches." 

We  tarried  for  a  season  watching  them,  and  then, 
our  driver  appearing  with  the  coach,  we  presented 
our  gift  to  the  buxom  bride,  thanked  our  hosts  for 
their  hospitality,  and,  I'll  confess  it,  since  she  was 
a  comely  girl  with  sparkling,  black  eyes  and  a  fine 
color,  availed  ourselves  of  the  permitted  ''salute'* 
on  the  bride's  rosy  cheek !  Then,  assuming  our  seats 
in  the  coach,  we  were  soon  bowling  rapidly  along 
over  the  road  to  Delphi. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Laeayette,  July  2,  1840. 

NOTHING  of  particular  interest  occurred  to 
mark  our  journey  from  the  settler's  cabin 
where  we  beheld  the  marriage  ceremony,  un- 
til we  came  to  the  village  of  Delphi.  The  prospect 
was  much  the  same,  alternating  woodland  and 
prairie,  and  I  occupied  my  time  in  gazing  upon  the 
scenery,  whose  natural  beauty  had  not  yet  palled 
upon  me,  and  in  conversation  with  my  fellow 
travelers. 

One  elderly  gentleman — ^I  learned  later  that  his 
name  was  Odell — who  took  the  stage  for  Delphi  at  a 
hamlet  at  which  we  stopped  on  the  morning  of  the 
wedding,  proved  to  be  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Carroll 
County  and  told  me  much  that  was  interesting  con- 
cerning the  newness  of  these  settlements  and  the 
hardships  of  the  first  settlers.  Looking  upon  the 
small  but  thriving  villages  and  the  cultivated  fields 
separated  from  each  other  though  they  are  by  dense 
woodlands,  I  found  it  difficult  to  comprehend  that 
only  fourteen  years  ago  when  the  people  in  the 
locality  that  is  now  Delphi,  came  together  to  assist 
in  raising  a  saw  mill,  there  were  only  twenty-eight 
present  and  those  twenty-eight  were  all  of  the  resi- 
dents, as  he  put  it  oddly  enough,  "from  Wild  Cat  to 


230    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Rock  Creek"  within  the  limits  of  what  two  years 
later  became  Carroll  County,  and  that  now  there  are 
in  these  same  limits  several  hundred  people.  These 
first  settlers,  he  said,  suffered  many  privations  that 
first  winter.  Their  stock  of  provisions,  tea,  coffee, 
and  flour  which  they  had  brought  with  them  was 
soon  exhausted  and  they  were  forced  to  subsist  on 
what  substitutes  were  to  be  had— potatoes  and 
squash  for  bread  stuffs  and  a  brew  made  from  spice- 
wood  to  take  the  place  of  tea  and  coffee. 

The  mail  in  these  early  days,  he  told  me,  was  first 
carried  on  horseback,  later  in  what  were  called 
' '  mud  wagons, ' '  and  still  later  in  '  *  hacks. ' '  Indian 
trails  and  deer  paths  were  the  roads,  and  he  declared 
that  a  settler  who  came  into  the  country  in  1824  said 
that  the  face  of  the  country  was  then  covered  with  a 
growth  of  nettles  as  thick  as  a  crop  of  flax  and 
about  as  high,  and  in  the  river  bottom  as  high  as 
a  man's  head  when  he  was  on  horseback. 

There  were  many  frogs  and  snakes,  he  said.  In  - 
deed,  every  one  with  whom  I  have  talked  has  an 
experience  with  these  reptiles  to  relate,  for  the 
rattlesnakes  abounded  here  in  such  numbers  that 
the  settlers  frequently  formed  companies  to  go 
forth  and  attack  their  dens.  In  one  place,  near 
Deer  Creek,  ninety-five  were  once  killed  in  one 
day. 

The  wolves,  too,  were  plentiful  in  the  early  days, 
and  after  telling  me  several  stories  of  these  huge 
gray  wolves,  the  old  gentleman  recited  a  poem  he 
had  composed  last  winter  on  a  bill  introduced  into 
the  Legislature  asking  for  a  bounty  on  wolf  scalps; 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    231 

"The  wolf,  the  enemy  of  sheep, 

Prowls  about  when  we're  asleep, 

And  in  despite  of  faithful  dogs, 

They  kill  our  sheep  and  junior  hogs, 

And  rob  us  of  our  wool  and  bacon. 

One  by  one,  the  imps  of  Satan. 

Hence,  I  pray  the  Legislature 

To  pass  a  law  to  kill  the  creature; 

And  by  a  unanimous  vote. 

Make  the  scalp  a  treasury  note." 

A  Methodist  minister,  who  was  also  a  passenger 
and  who  until  now  had  taken  little  part  in  the  con- 
versation, perceiving  my  interest  in  these  stories 
relating  to  the  wildness  of  the  country,  informed 
me  that  only  last  year,  when  going  to  Conference 
with  some  of  his  fellow  circuit  riders,  one  of  them 
feeling  ill,  they  all  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  farm 
house  somewhere  between  Greencastle  and  Craw- 
fordsville.  During  the  night  they  were  aroused  by 
a  great  commotion  in  the  yard,  the  barking  of  the 
dog  and  the  voice  of  the  farmer,  but  presently  when 
all  became  quiet  again,  they  fell  asleep  and  were 
surprised  in  the  morning  to  hear  from  the  farmer 
that  a  bear  had  climbed  into  his  yard  and  en- 
deavored to  get  away  with  one  of  his  pigs.  The 
bear  was  compelled  to  surrender  his  prey  but  man- 
aged to  make  his  escape.  The  ministers  were 
chagrined  that  they  had  not  arisen  and  assisted  in 
the  capture  of  the  bear  on  their  way  to  Conference — • 
it  would  have  made  such  a  good  story ! 

I  learned  more,  too,  on  the  stage  of  my  friend 
James  Blake  of  Indianapolis,  of  whom  I  have 
written  several  times  before,  and  whose  activities 


232    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

in  this  part  of  tlie  state  in  the  early  days  of  the 
settlement  are  still  remembered. 

In  Indianapolis  I  had  heard  Mr.  Blake's  praises 
sung  on  all  sides  as  one  of  the  most  useful,  energetic 
and  public-spirited  of  its  citizens,  always  first  to 
help  in  any  improvement  that  was  to  be  made,  al- 
ways heading  the  list  in  every  benevolent  enterprise, 
a  man  most  noble  and  unselfish,  to  whom  was  due 
much  of  the  prosperity  of  the  city  in  which  he  made 
his  home.  It  was  therefore  most  interesting  to  come 
upon  a  chapter  of  his  early  life  in  this  country. 

'Tis  said  that  he  lived  several  months  of  every 
year  in  Carroll  County  at  its  beginning  and  estab- 
lished a  ginseng  factory  on  Gen.  Milroy's  farm,  pur- 
chasing large  quantities  of  this  root  from  the 
settlers,  from  which  source  alone  many  of  them  ac- 
quired sufficient  funds  for  the  purchase  of  their  land 
from  the  government. 

He  attended  the  first  sale  of  lots  in  Delphi  and 
was  leader  of  the  subscription  for  the  erection  of  the 
school  house.  He  at  once  organized  a  Sunday 
School,  and  as  long  as  he  remained  a  resident  of 
the  county  kept  it  under  his  supervision.  In  short, 
it  was  evident  that  Mr.  Blake  did  not  become  a  resi- 
dent of  the  town  for  purely  selfish  reasons.  He  be- 
came a  citizen  not  only  to  better  himself  but  to  better 
the  town.  He  set  a  standard  of  religion,  morality 
and  virtue,  and  made  it  easier  for  other  good  men 
to  stand  for  these  principles.  In  brief,  every  town 
in  which  he  has  lived  felt  the  influence  of  his  resi- 
dence there  long  after  he  had  departed.  To  use  Mr. 
Odell's  words,  **He  gave  the  young  community  a 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    233 

start  in  the  right  direction,  and  that  influence  is 
still  felt." 

As  the  old  gentleman  concluded  his  speech,  I  sat 
in  silence  for  a  period,  meditating  on  what  he  had 
told  me  and  on  the  influence  for  good  a  man  may- 
have  in  a  community.  Here,  thought  I,  is  this  man 
who  came  out  to  the  Western  country,  just  as  I 
have  now  come,  to  carve  out  his  fortune  and  to  make 
a  place  for  himself.  By  his  own  efforts,  he  has  not 
only  succeeded  in  one  but  in  both.  Here  and  in 
Indianapolis,  his  present  home,  I  have  heard  only 
words  of  praise  when  his  name  is  mentioned.  And 
here  am  I,  come  likewise  to  find  a  place  for  myself 
in  this  new  country.  Twelve,  fourteen  years  from 
now,  will  some  young  man,  such  as  I  am  now,  riding 
through  the  country  on  a  similar  voyage  of  dis- 
covery, hear  my  name  spoken  in  such  terms  of  grati- 
tude and  praise?  What  a  happy  destiny  could  such 
a  thing  be ! 

We  had  by  this  time  approached  Delphi  where  I 
had  planned  to  remain  over  night.  I  accordingly 
took  lodgings  at  the  Delphi  House.  This  hotel,  I  am 
informed,  was  established  in  1835  and  stands  at  the 
foot  of  Main  Street.  I  was  most  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  find  so  large  and  handsome  a  tavern-stand 
in  so  new  a  town.  The  building  is  of  frame,  con- 
tains forty-five  rooms  and  a  cellar  and  also  pos- 
sesses a  most  commodious  stable.  Its  situation  is  a 
fine  one  as  it  commands  a  view  of  the  river,  the 
canal  and  the  town. 

Unfortunately,  the  town  only  last  year  suffered 
from  a  most  disastrous  fire,  in  which  an  entire  block 


234    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

of  buildings  was  consumed,  and  has  not  yet^  re- 
covered from  this  catastrophe.  However,  it  is  a 
pleasant  looking  village,  and,  while  small,  it  is  hard 
to  believe  that  so  few  years  ago  its  site  was  an  open 
woods  of  oak,  walnut,  elm,  plum  bushes  and  hazel, 
as  I  am  told.  The  surrounding  country  is  beautiful 
beyond  description,  the  river,  the  creeks,  the  bot- 
toms overgrown  with  flowers,  the  forests,  altogether 
forming  a  scene  to  cast  a  spell  over  any  one  pos- 
sessed of  imagination. 

The  editor  of  the  paper,  The  Express,  R.  C. 
Green,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  from  one  of  my 
Logansport  friends  which  I  speedily  presented,  gave 
me  to  understand  that  in  spite  of  this  calamity,  Del- 
phi will  rally  and  that  the  day  is  not  distant  when 
it  will  be  the  largest  town  on  the  Wabash  River. 
Mr.  Green  has  been,  until  last  year,  the  editor  of  the 
first  paper  started  in  Delphi,  but  recently  gave  this 
up  to  become  editor  of  The  Express,  which  is  a 
Harrison  paper.  He  and  a  gentleman  whom  I 
found  in  his  office,  a  Dr.  Blanchard,  talked  much  of 
the  resources  of  the  town  and  most  bitterly  regretted 
that  the  Michigan  Road  did  not  pass  through  it,  this, 
they  declared,  being  due  to  carelessness  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  citizens  who  did  not  take  time  to  ex- 
plain the  advantages  of  such  a  route  to  the  com- 
missioners, who  therefore  went  into  Cass  County, 
where  they  found  men  who  were  willing  to  spend 
the  time  and  gain  this  important  thoroughfare. 

They  talked  much  of  the  natural  advantages  of 
Carroll  County,  its  fertility  of  soil  and  facilities 
for  water  power,  and  pointed  out  to  me  the  fact  that 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    235 

it  is  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Wa- 
bash, because  any  time  that  steamboats  can  come  to 
Lafayette  they  can  come  to  Delphi. 

Similar  enthusiasm  over  the  county  *s  resources  I 
found  in  General  Samuel  Milroy,^  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers. 

Gen.  Milroy  was  most  agreeable  to  me  and 
narrated  the  circumstances  of  the  naming  of  Delphi. 
He  had  in  mind  of  course  the  ancient  shrine  of 
Apollo,  the  seat  of  the  famous  oracle,  and  by  a 
pretty  fancy  the  first  newspaper  established  was 
named  The  Del  phi  Oracle. 

Gen.  Milroy  assured  me,  as  others  have  done,  that 
the  first  settlers  of  this  county  possessed  more  in- 
telligence and  piety  than  is  usual  in  new  settlements, 
early  establishing  churches  and  schools,  and  the 
moral  tone  of  their  influence  and  example  has  left  its 
impress  on  the  present  inhabitants. 

It  was  this  gentleman  in  his  talk  on  internal  im- 
provements who  called  to  my  mind  again  tlie  Madi- 
son and  Lafayette  Railroad,  on  which  I  had  traveled 
from  Madison  to  Vernon,  its  terminus  at  that  time, 
and  which  if  ever  completed  will  connect  the  north 

^Samuel  Milroy,  born,  1780,  in  Pennsylvania;  lineal  descendant 
of  Robert  Bruce;  came  to  Middle  West  when  a  young  man;  to 
Indiana  in  1814;  delegate  to  constitutional  convention,  1816;  mem- 
ber of  first  Legislature;  Brigadier  General,  commissioned  by  Gov. 
Jennings,  1819;  in  Legislature  for  nine  years  in  succession;  moved 
to  what  is  now  Carroll  County  in  1826;  petitioned  Legislature  to 
form  county;  drafted  bill  for  same,  located  county  seat  and  sug- 
gested name;  appointed  by  J.  Q.  Adams  to  inspect  Illinois  land 
oflaces;  same  year  made  register  of  land  offices  at  Crawfordsville ; 
delegate  to  first  Democratic  national  convention  at  Baltimore,  1832; 
opposed  internal  improvement  system,  1839;  agent  for  Miami  and 
Pottawotamie  Indiana;  died,  1845. — fiditor. 


236    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

part  of  the  state  with  the  south  in  a  way  now  almost 
unbelievable.  He  told  me  that  he  had  aroused  much 
enmity  in  the  Legislature  by  opposing  the  building 
of  a  steamboat  lock  at  Delphi,  but  he  stood  firm  be- 
cause he  was  determined  that  time  and  materials 
should  not  be  taken  from  the  citizens  of  Carroll 
County  to  construct  something  which  he  considered 
as  absolutely  useless.  I  discovered  in  the  course  of 
our  conversation  that  he  is  an  ardent  Democrat  and 
a  great  admirer  of  Robert  Dale  Owen.  On  learn- 
ing of  my  admiration  for  him,  although  I  am  a 
Wliig,  he  presented  me  with  a  printed  pamphlet  of 
an  address  which  Mr.  Owen  delivered  before  a  meet- 
ing last  year,  which  he  considers  a  most  noble  effort. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiry  as  to  whether  the  town 
is  sickly,  he  assured  me  that  other  settlements  jeal- 
ous of  Delphi  have  circulated  the  report  that  it  is 
sickly,  whereas,  to  the  contrary,  in  four  years  only 
one  adult  person  has  died  in  the  town. 

During  my  stay  in  Delphi  I  met  several  of  the 
physicians  in  addition  to  Dr.  Blanchard,  among 
them  Dr.  Ewing  and  Dr.  Webber  and  Dr.  James 
Stewart,  also  Judge  Grantham,  the  probate  judge; 
John  Armitage  and  several  attorneys,  including  L. 
B.  Sims  and  a  Mr.  Graham.  In  company  with  these 
friends  I  viewed  the  little  city,  saw  the  substantial 
Court  House,  a  brick  building  with  a  bell  and  cupola 
which  cost  $1,351, 1  am  told,  and  the  octagonal  school 
house  erected  several  years  ago. 

I  was  told  by  these  gentlemen  of  the  Moot  Legis- 
lature, an  organization  that  existed  at  Delphi  for  a 
season.    It  consisted  of  a  body  of  men  supposed  to 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    237 

represent  a  legislative  body  with  officers  consisting 
of  a  governor  or  speaker,  a  clerk,  a  treasurer  and 
a  doorkeeper.  This  Dr.  Stewart,  whom  I  found 
much  interested  in  all  the  county  affairs,  was  my  in- 
formant, and  he  was  the  first  clerk  to  be  elected  for 
this  body.  The  length  of  the  session  was  four  weeks 
and  the  Governor  delivered  a  message  at  its  begin- 
ning. 

It  was  most  interesting,  he  said,  and  nothing  ever 
created  more  interest  in  the  community  than  did 
this  organization. 

Again  on  the  stage  and  bound  now  for  Lafayette, 
the  seat  of  justice  of  Tippecanoe  County,  which 
county  I  had  visited  once  before  on  my  journey  to 
Battle  Ground  with  Col.  Vawter. 

The  first  town  on  our  course  was  in  Tippecanoe 
County,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash  River,  a  vil- 
lage called  Americus,  and  as  our  stage  stopped  there 
for  some  time  for  the  exchange  of  mail  I  stepped  off 
to  view  the  town.  I  became  so  impressed  with  the 
possibilities  of  this  town  in  the  wilderness  that  I 
ordered  my  carpet  bags  set  off  and  remained  at  the 
tavern  until  the  coming  of  the  next  coach,  two  days 
later.  There  is  no  haste  in  my  journey  and  as  the 
object  of  my  visit  is  not  so  much  recreation  as 
search  for  an  abode,  or  an  investment  in  lands  which 
may  later  prove  valuable,  it  seems  important,  since 
I  have  decided  that  the  Wabash  country  is  the  most 
promising  I  have  yet  discovered,  to  take  time  in  the 
investigation  of  the  possibilities  of  these  various 
locations. 

Americus  is  a  new  town  and  a  small  one,  laid  out. 


238    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

I  have  learned,  in  1832  by  William  Digby,  who  also 
ceded  the  land  for  the  original  plat  of  Lafayette. 
At  this  time,  it  is  said,  it  was  considered  as  the  loca- 
tion for  the  seat  of  justice  for  its  position  as  the 
terminus  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal,  where  the 
Tippecanoe  River  empties  into  the  Wabash,  was  of 
great  importance.  Because  of  this,  lots  sold  at  very 
high  prices  and  it  gave  promise  of  becoming  the 
foremost  to^\Ti  in  the  county.  However,  it  was  de- 
cided to  extend  the  canal  to  Lafayette,  which  was 
made  the  seat  of  justice,  and  the  price  of  the  lots  in 
Americus  therefore  declined.  However,  this  does 
not  indicate  to  me  the  end  of  Americus.  On  the 
contrary,  I  am  convinced  that  it  has  a  great  future ; 
it  has  the  canal,  the  Wabash  River,  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Tippecanoe  River,  the  advantages  of 
water  power  of  various  sorts.  The  township  in 
which  it  is  located  is  in  the  extreme  northern  part 
of  Tippecanoe  County.  The  surface  of  the  town- 
ship is  low  and  level  along  the  river  banks,  the  soil 
being  of  the  richest  formation  and  produces  corn 
and  wheat  in  great  abundance.  From  north  to 
southwest  the  surface  is  characterized  by  hills  that 
slope  gently  toward  the  center  of  the  township, 
forming  beautiful  farming  lands. 

Americus  is  the  only  town  in  this  township  and 
with  such  advantages  of  location  and  resources  I 
see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  soon  become  a  great 
commercial  town,  outstripping  Logansport,  Delphi 
and  Lafayette.  Having  drawn  these  conclusions 
after  a  study  of  the  land  and  the  town  during  my 
two  days'  stay,  I  have  written  at  length  to  my  father 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    239 

of  the  advisability  of  making  investments  here. 
'Twill  seem  strange  to  him  no  doubt,  yet  I  have 
heard  so  much  since  coming  into  the  Wabash  coun- 
try of  these  towns  of  mushroom  growth  that  I  am 
no  longer  astonished,  but  only  desire  to  find  the 
proper  one  and  there  to  invest  my  money  with  the 
hope  of  profit  in  the  future.^ 

On  my  way  to  Lafayette  I  found  much  to  interest 
me  in  Tippecanoe  County  and  learned  much  of  its 
configuration  from  fellow  travelers.  On  my  way  to 
Crawfordsville  I  shall  pass,  I  am  told,  over  the 
beautiful  Wea  Plains  and  there  make  my  first  ac- 
quaintance with  prairies.  This  county  is  not  ex- 
celled in  beauty  and  fertility  by  many  lands  in  the 
Western  country ;  it  is  generally  level  or  gently  un- 
dulating, and  consists  of  prairies,  barrens  and  forest 
lands,  one-half  prairie,  one-eighth  barrens  and  the 
remainder  heavy  forests. 

I  have  for  two  days  now  been  taking  my  ease  in 
Lafayette,  a  town  picturesquely  situated  upon  a  de- 
clivity which  affords  a  beautiful  view  of  the  Wa- 
bash, three  miles  above  and  two  below  the  town.  It 
is  sufficiently  elevated  to  prevent  inundation  and 

"Mr.  Parsons,  like  others  of  his  time,  was  no  prophet  on  this 
subject.  The  collapse  of  the  canal  system,  the  "hard  times,"  the 
building  of  railroads,  combined  with  other  circumstances  caused  the 
growth  and  duration  of  Americus,  to  quote  S.  C.  Cox,  "to  be  much 
after  the  fashion  of  Jonah's  Gourd."  The  Indiana  Gazetteer  of  1849 
describes  Americus  as  "a  small  town  on  the  Wabash  River  in  Tippe- 
canoe County,  ten  miles  from  Lafayette,  containing  one  dry  goods 
store,  two  groceries  and  about  fifty  frame  dwelling  houses."  In 
1887,  it  had  forty  inhabitants. 

Unfortunately  the  diary  does  not  disclose  whether  Mr.  Parsons 
made  investments  here,  if  so  to  what  extent,  or  whether  this  course 
was  opposed  by  his  father. — Editor. 


240    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

low  enough  to  make  access  to  the  river  quite  con- 
venient. The  ground  ascends  gradually  for  the  dis- 
tance of  about  300  yards  from  the  river;  it  then  de- 
scends a  little  and  again  swells  into  a  handsome 
eminence  on  the  east  side  of  the  town  on  which  fancy 
may  place  in  anticipation  the  habitation  of  future 
wealth  and  luxury.  It  contains  about  400  houses 
and  between  1,900  and  2,000  inhabitants,  and  al- 
ready possesses  a  Court  House,  churches  and  a 
school. 

If  I  am  pleased  with  the  town,  what  shall  I  say 
of  its  citizens?  The  letters  I  have  carried  with 
me  have  given  me  a  welcome  into  several  inter- 
esting circles  and  I  already  number  among  my 
acquaintances  some  of  the  most  respectable  at- 
torneys, business  men  and  men  of  letters  of  the 
town. 

Having  been  informed  that  there  is  an  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  city  and  having  seldom  been  able  to 
worship  with  my  own  denomination,  their  churches 
being  few  in  the  Western  country,  and  the  next  day 
being  Sunday,  I  betook  myself  to  St.  John's  Church, 
and  met  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  S.  R.  Johnson,  with 
whom  I  speedily  formed  a  warm  friendship.  He 
came  out  to  the  Western  country  from  New  York 
State  as  a  missionary  some  years  ago,  and,  making 
his  home  in  this  town,  gave  the  lot  on  which  the 
church  is  built,  and  has  refused  during  these  years 
of  his  pastorate  to  accept  any  salary  for  his  services. 
He  is  a  most  excellent  man  and  one  whose  compan- 
ionship I  have  found  most  delightful.  I  have  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  to  his  house  for  the  morrow  and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    241 

I  anticipate  a  most  delightful  evening,  which  I  shall 
record  later. 

The  church  I  found  a  most  handsome  structure  of 
frame,  erected  at  a  cost,  I  am  told,  of  $3,500.  In  the 
high  pulpit,  the  reading  desk,  the  communion  table, 
all  painted  white,  and  the  square-topped  pews  with 
doors,  I  found  a  sufficient  suggestion  of  home,  bar- 
ring the  antiquity  of  our  buildings  of  worship,  to 
put  me  at  my  ease.  I  went  again  at  candle  light 
and  found  the  nmsic  most  pleasing,  the  voices  of  the 
choir  being  augmented  most  pleasingly  by  the  flute, 
violin  and  bass  viol.  Mr.  Johnson  detained  me 
after  the  service  that  I  might  meet  the  choir,  Ezekiel 
Timmons,  Mr.  Bansemer  and  Mr.  Rhein  playing  the 
instruments,  and  the  singers  being  David  Turpie 
and  the  Misses  Mary  Turpie,  Ma-ry  Hatcher  and 
Hannah  Wilstach.  The  ** parson,"  as  he  is  com- 
monly called,  is  fond  of  music  and  has  in  his  home 
the  first  piano  brought  to  Lafayette.  In  fact,  the 
entertainment  to  which  I  am  invited  at  his  home  is 
to  be  a  musical  entertainment. 

The  next  acquaintance  I  made,  and  this  through  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Green  of  Delphi,  was  Henry  Wil- 
liam Ellsworth,'  on  whom  I  called  on  Monday  and 
in  whose  company  I  have  already  spent  some  de- 
lightful hours.  Mr.  Ellsworth  is  a  son  of  Oliver 
Ellsworth^  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
U.S. 

Mr.  Ellsworth  has  told  me  much  of  the  society  of 

*  William  Henry  Ellsworth,  born  in  Connecticut,  1814;  graduated 
at  Yale,  1835;  came  at  once  to  Lafayette;  author  of  some  poems  and 
of  a  book  entitled,  "Valley  of  the  Upper  Wabash,  Indiana,"  published 
in  New  York  in  1838.— Editor. 


242    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Lafayette  and  has  introduced  me  to  many  gentle- 
men. He  pointed  out  to  me  many  of  the  public 
buildings,  the  Presbyterian  Church  among  others,  to 
show  to  me  the  early  interest  of  the  community  in 
education,  for,  said  he,  those  who  contributed  to  its 
erection  stipulated  that  a  room  should  be  set  off  on 
the  west  end  for  a  schoolhouse  until  such  time  as  it 
was  possible  to  erect  a  proper  school  building. 

He  told  me  something  of  the  social  life  of  the  city. 
''The  rules  for  good  society  are  now  well  estab- 
lished," said  he,  "embracing,  we  may  hope,  every 
honest  man  and  woman.  True,  there  are  some  who, 
through  perverted  minds,  consider  themselves  in- 
dividually too  high  above  the  masses  to  be  agreeable. 
This  class  is  to  be  pitied.  Maturer  years  may  teach 
them  better." 

Accidentally  mentioning  my  interest  in  the  Wa- 
bash country  as  a  field  for  agricultural  experiment, 
I  found  to  my  delight  that  this  is  a  subject  on  which 
Mr.  Ellsworth  may  be  said  to  be  an  authority.  He 
co-nfessed  that  in  the  five  years  of  his  residence  here 
he  has  made  a  study  of  this  subject  and  is  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  the  superiority  of  the  Wabash 
Valley  as  a  home  for  the  enterprising  settler  because 
of  its  position,  the  extraordinary  productiveness  of 
its  soil,  its  delightful  climate,  and  its  means  of  com- 
munication with  the  markets  of  the  Northern  and 
Southern  states.  Two  years  ago  he  published  a  book 
entitled  "Valley  of  the  Upper  Wabash,  with  Hints 
of  Its  Agricultural  Advancement,  the  Plan  of  a 
Dwelling,  Estimates  of  Cultivation  and  Notices  of 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    243 

Labor-Saving  Machines."  He  showed  me  a  copy 
of  this  work,  and  I  perused  with  interest  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  geographical  position  of  the  Wabash 
Valley,  the  railroads  which  it  is  hoped  ere  long  will 
be  constructed,  the  discussion  of  the  soil  and  its 
products  and  the  products  that  can  be  grown  on 
these  fertile  fields  are  hay  for  the  New  Orleans  mar- 
ket; flax,  from  whose  seed  quantities  of  oil  can  be 
extracted;  beet  sugar,  hemp,  sunflower,  etc.  He 
gives  also,  with  a  plan  for  a  neat  and  convenient 
dwelling  for  the  settler,  a  minute  description  of  a 
mowing  and  reaping  machine  recently  invented  by  a 
Mr.  Hussey  of  Cambridge,  Md.,  which  is  especially 
adapted  for  use  on  a  large  prairie  farm,  and  also  of 
a  ditching  and  banking  machine. 

The  book  is  written  in  a  most  interesting  style  and 
closes  with  an  eloquent  chapter  on  the  effects  re- 
sulting from  the  rapid  means  of  intercourse 
between  distant  nations  and  an  impassioned  ap- 
peal to  all  true  Americans  to  preserve  their 
country — the  abode  of  liberty — at  any  cost,  from 
disruption. 

"And  above  all,  let  us  guard  against  contentions, 
schisms,  and  disunions.  Pluck  not  a  single  plume, 
cripple  not  one  pinion  of  the  heaven-daring  bird  we 
have  chosen  as  our  symbol.  Let  his  flight  be  still  as 
far,  as  strong  and  as  fearless.  Let  him  soar  amid 
the  full  effulgence  of  a  noon-day  sun  and  that  the 
sun  of  liberty !  Pluck  not  out  one  star  from  the  rich 
group  that  sparkles  in  our  country's  banner!  Let 
them  shine  in  all  the  brightness  of  untarnished 


244    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

lustre  as  a  beacon  to  the  storm-tost  nations  of  the 
earth,  of  the  home  which  they  adorn.  Let  them 
shine,  outshone  by  none  save  those  brighter  constel- 
lations of  a  world  above."  * 

*In  the  light  of  future  events  in  their  country's  history,  it  is 
interesting  to  think  of  this  ardent  young  Southerner  reading  with 
Buch  delight  this  appeal  for  loyalty  written  by  a  New  Englander. — 
Editor. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Crawfordsville,  July  6, 1840. 

THREE  events  of  my  visit  in  Lafayette  stand 
out  above  all  others,  never  to  be  forgotten — a 
political  speaking,  an  evening  party  at  the 
home  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  and  a  Fourth  of  July 
celebration. 

My  subsequent  journey  over  the  Wea  Plains,  a 
scene  of  enchanting  beauty,  and  my  arrival  in  this 
delightful  town  have  served  to  strengthen  rather 
than  to  efface  the  impressions  made  by  that  visit. 
When  I  recall  that  galaxy  of  brilliant  men,  that  com- 
pany of  elegant  and  beautiful  women  and  when  clos- 
ing my  eyes  the  vision  of  the  lovely  Julia  again  rises 
before  me,  then — ah,  then,  I  know  that  I  have  graven 
it  deep  upon  the  tablets  of  my  memory,  never  to  be 
effaced ! 

Mr.  Ellsworth  had  most  genteelly  accompanied  me 
to  the  office  of  Rufus  A.  Lockwood  to  whom  I  had  a 
letter  given  me  by  Mr.  Biddle  of  Logansport,  and 
it  was  through  his  offices  that  I  found  myself  at  the 
political  speaking. 

I  had  already  been  informed  that  Mr.  Lockwood 
is  a  gentleman  of  marked  eccentricities  but  of  great 
intellectual  powers.  Mr.  Ellsworth  told  me  that  he 
has  again  and  again  heard  him  plead  in  court,  and 
that  he  is  each  time  more  deeply  impressed  with  the 

245 


24(5    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

superbness  of  liis  diction,  his  style  and  his  deliver^/. 
Mr.  Hannegan  had  mentioned  him  on  our  stage 
coach  journey.  When  I  informed  him  that  my 
itinerary  included  Lafayette,  he  remarked  that  as 
an  orator,  Mr.  Lockwood  is  not  unlike  Joseph  Glass 
Marshall  of  Madison,  both  of  whom  he  had  heard 
speak  in  a  certain  trial. 

''However,"  said  he,  "Mr.  MarshalPs  argu- 
ment was  from  first  to  last,  a  splendid  conflagration; 
Mr.  Lockwood 's,  a  slower  more  consuming  fire." 

The  speaking  to  which  Mr.  Lockwood  himself  con- 
ducted me  was  held  outdoors  in  a  grove  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town. 

The  speaker,  he  informed  me,  is  a  senator  at  this 
time,  the  Hon.  Albert  S.  White.^  I  subsequently 
met  Mr.  White  at  the  inn,  where,  as  he  is  a  bachelor, 
he  makes  his  residence,  having  an  office  in  another 
part  of  the  city.  The  day  was  fine,  not  too  warm, 
and  the  attendance  was  quite  large,  a  number,  so  Mr. 
Lockwood  informed  me,  having  come  in  from  the 
country,  for  this  town  is  surrounded  by  fine  farms, 
and  its  farming  class  is  intelligent  and  prosperous. 

A  wagon  had  been  driven  underneath  a  giant 
beech  tree,  the  horses  unhitched,  and  in  the  back  of 
the  wagon,  Mr.  White  took  his  stand.  It  was  a  most 
interesting  scene.  Here  were  gathered  people  from 
town  and  country,  men  in  broadcloth  and  beaver 
hats,  others  in  the  rude  garments  of  the  pioneer 
farmer.     There    were    graybeards    leaning    upon 

'  Mr.  Parsons  fails  to  mention  it,  but  Mr.  Lockwood  was  the 
partner  of  the  speaker  of  the  day,  the  Hon.  Albert  S.  White.  Mr. 
Wliite  was  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  popular  lawyers  in  the  state, 
and  Mr.  Lockwood  soon  proved  himself  his  equal. — Editor. 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    247 

canes;  there  were  young  boys  who  had  left  their 
games  of  marbles  and  mumble-peg  to  come  to  the 
meeting;  all  gathered  together  eagerly  listening  to 
this  small,  narrow-chested  young  man,  who  with  his 
thin  face  and  Eoman  nose  could  not  be  called  hand- 
some. His  voice  is  fine,  however,  his  manner  most 
pleasing,  and  in  a  little  while  I  perceived  that  he  is 
a  most  strong  and  convincing  speaker. 

He  held  a  document  in  his  hand,  to  which  he  oc- 
casionally referred  for  items  and  facts,  and  he  be- 
gan his  address  with  an  attack  on  the  extravagance 
of  the  Van  Buren  administration,  charging  it  with 
lavish  and  unnecessary  expenditure  of  public  money 
in  furnishing  the  White  House  and  beautifying 
its  gardens  and  grounds.  For  all  this,  he  de- 
clared, Mr.  Van  Buren  is  responsible,  this  man  who 
eats  from  gold  spoons,  also  purchased  with  the 
public  money,  and  this  at  a  time  when  most  of  the 
people  of  the  United  States  are  still  using  spoons 
made  of  horn  and  wood.  He  read  from  the  paper 
the  account  of  the  purchase  of  a  large  number  of 
young  trees  of  the  "morus  multicaulis. " 

*'My  Latin  is  a  little  rusty,"  he  explained,  **but  I 
understand  this  to  mean  the  many-leaved  mulberry, 
whose  foliage  is  fed  upon  by  the  silkworm.  The 
President  is  evidently  going  into  the  mulberry  trade 
in  order  .to  procure,  I  presume,  silk  napkins,  table- 
cloths and  towels  to  match  the  golden  spoons.  But 
let  me  say,  gentlemen,  that  there  is  another  tree 
which  would  have  been  far  more  appropriate  to 
adorn  the  lawns  and  gardens  of  the  executive 
mansion  than  the  morus  multicaulis ;  that  tree  is  the 


248    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

ulmus  lubrica,  rendered  into  English,  the  slippery 
elm!" 

At  this  there  was  loud  applause  and  much 
laughter,  with  shouts  of  ''Down  with  the  Kinder- 
hook  Wizard"  and  ''Little  Van's  a  used-up  man!" 

When  the  crowd  again  became  quiet,  Mr.  White 
dropped  into  a  more  serious  vein  and  described  the 
great  Whig  national  convention  at  which  he  was 
present;  he  detailed  Gen.  Harrison's  government  of 
Indiana  Territory ;  told  of  the  faithful  and  long  con- 
tinued safe-guarding  of  white  settlers  on  the  fron- 
tier; his  treaties  with  the  Indian  tribes;  his  defeat 
of  the  Prophet  at  Tippecanoe  and  the  subsequent 
overthrow  and  death  of  Tecumseh  at  the  Thames, 
closing  with  an  appeal  full  of  force  and  feeling  to 
the  old  soldiers  and  settlers  of  Indiana  to  stand  by 
their  former  friend  and  commander. 

I  thought  the  applause  would  never  cease  when  he 
had  concluded.  Men  threw  their  hats  in  the  air, 
clapped  their  hands,  shouted  and  huzzaed.  It  was 
evident  that  Mr.  White  is  a  man  of  great  popularity 
as  well  as  ability. 

As  I  approached  with  Mr.  Lockwood  to  be  pre- 
sented to  him,  I  observed  part  of  the  secret  of  his 
popularity.  He  is  extremely  affable,  and  I  noted 
again  as  we  walked  into  the  town  in  his  company 
that  his  greetings  to  the  young  boys  whom  we  met 
and  to  whom  he  always  touched  his  hat,  was  ever  as 
agreeable  as  it  was  to  his  elders. 
^  I  learned  in  the  course  of  our  pleasant  conversa- 
tion that  he  is  a  graduate  of  Union  College  and  came 
to  Lafayette  eleven  years  ago.    I  had  already  dis- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    249 

covered  that  he  is  a  ripe  scholar,  his  speech  was  full 
of  classical  allusions,  his  references  and  quotations 
from  the  most  noted  thinkers  and  writers  disclosed 
the  wideness  and  depth  of  his  learning. 

'Twas  on  the  evening  of  this  same  day  that  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  had  invited  me  to  a  small  com- 
pany at  his  home,  and  I  must  confess  that  my  mind 
had  dwelt  continually  on  this  event  with  the  greatest 
anticipations  of  pleasure.  Much  as  I  have  enjoyed 
my  experiences  in  the  wilds,  the  crude  life,  the  ad- 
venture, yet  the  thought  of  again  mingling  with 
those  of  my  own  kind  and  my  own  age  in  social  inter- 
course was  irresistibly  attractive. 

I  found  the  little  company  assembled  when  I  ar- 
rived at  the  house,  for  I  had  spent  some  time  at  my 
toilet,  arraying  myself  in  my  bro^vn  broadcloth  coat 
with  the  velvet  collar,  drab  pantaloons  and  Monroe 
shoes  with  brass  buckles.  My  host  I  found  as 
charming  as  he  had  been  on  the  day  of  our  first  meet- 
ing; his  manners  are  marked  by  a  childlike  sim- 
plicity, and  his  countenance  wears  the  pale  cast  of 
thought.  It  was  evident  that  these  young  people 
whom  he  has  gathered  around  him  are  bound  to  him 
by  the  ties  of  love  and  affection  as  well  as  of  simi- 
larity of  taste. 

I  learned  here,  on  commenting  to  a  young  gentle- 
man on  the  excellence  of  the  music  I  had  heard  at 
the  church  on  Sunday,  that  this  music  is  widely 
known  and  that  the  special  music  given  by  the  choir 
at  Easter  and  Christmas  brings  large  crowds  to  the 
church  from  the  town,  the  country,  and  even  from 
other  towns. 


250    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

In  my  occasional  visits  to  the  capital  of  my  state 
and  to  Washington  I  have  been  a  guest  at  various 
parties  where  there  has  been  a  vast  amount  of  grace- 
ful pantomime  and  pretty  conversation,  sometimes 
sparkling,  mostly,  I  must  confess,  silly;  where  there 
have  been  Italian  music  and  American  dancing; 
pyramids  of  ice  cream  and  piles  of  confectionery 
and  mountains  of  cakes;  where  the  guests  talked 
about  the  last  opera  and  quoted  long  Italian  names, 
and  criticized  the  new  theater  and  the  star  actresses, 
or  indulged  in  little  side  eddies  of  gossip.  At  the 
time,  I  thought  it  all  most  enchanting  and  edifying, 
but  I  must  confess,  no  social  gathering  I  have  ever 
attended,  has  had  for  me  the  interest,  the  charm,  of 
this  at  Mr.  Johnson's.  The  simple  rooms,  candle 
lit,  with  their  plain  mahogany  furniture,  the  wild- 
wood  flowers  disposed  with  such  taste,  the  handsome 
young  gentlemen  in  their  broadcloth  and  ruffled 
shirts,  the  beautiful  young  females  in  gowns  of  silk 
or  of  cambric,  the  music,  the  sweet  voices,  the  light 
laughter,  the  edifying  and  intellectual  conversation, 
I  shall  probably  never  again,  take  it  for  all  in  all, 
experience  another  such  evening. 

'Tis  impossible  to  transcribe  all  the  events  of  this 
evening.  When  I  write  of  the  episode  of  Julia  'tis 
not  that  I  need  to  do  so  to  fix  her  image  in  my  mind. 
Far  from  it — 'tis  ineffaceably  graven  on  my 
memory,  on,  alas,  my  heart!  Julia,  in  white  book 
muslin  with  blue  sash,  her  bright  brown  hair  looped 
in  smooth  bands  over  her  ears,  most  timid  and 
maidenly,  until  she  lifted  those  white  lids,  and  one 
perceived  gazing  forth  from  those  glorious  dark 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    251 

orbs,  the  spirit  of  proud,  impassioned  youth  I  And 
when  she  sang,  and  when  she  talked,  such  charm, 
such  grace,  such  cleverness  in  conversation  I  have 
never  before  heard  from  the  lips  of  a  young  female. 

Mr.  Johnson  had  recently  been  sent  by  a  friend  in 
the  East,  the  autographs  of  some  famous  English 
writers,  and  these  he  now  exhibited  to  us.  The  first 
was  the  autograph  of  the  Honorable  Mrs.  Caroline 
Norton.  "Poor  lady,"  he  said,  "I  sympathize  with 
her  in  her  domestic  sufferings." 

* '  What  ? ' '  exclaimed  his  wife.  * '  I  thought  you  al- 
ways blamed  her  for  leaving  her  husband's  protec- 
tion." 

'*I  no  longer  blame  her  for  leaving  her  husband 
since  I  have  had  the  opportunity  of  learning  the 
abuse  she  has  suffered."  • 

"No  good  wife  ever  left  a  good  husband,"  replied 
his  wife,  "and  it  is  very  doubtful  to  me  whether  a 
wife  ever  improved  her  own  happiness  by  leaving  a 
bad  husband." 

"Her  conduct  since  her  separation  has  been  above 
reproach,"  the  minister  responded  warmly,  "and 
her  genius  has  been,  as  it  were,  endowed  with  new 
life ;  for  genius  often  seems  to  require  crushed  affec- 
tions for  its  sacrifice." 

"I  have  heard,"  remarked  one  of  the  young 
gentlemen,  "that  some  of  the  English  reviewers 
have  styled  her  *  the  female  Byron.  *  ' ' 

"For  that  I  am  sorry,"  said  Miss  Julia,  who,  it 
seems,  is  something  of  a  blue,  "for  it  seems  to  imply 
more  of  passions  than  affections  and  the  last  are 
so   much   more   the   province   of   woman's   poetry 


252    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

that  I  tMnk  the  critic  paid  her  a  poor  compliment." 
**  Critics  often  consider  more  the  effect  than  the 
truth  of  these  comparisons,"  replied  Dr.  Johnson. 
**It  is  a  very  pretty  turn  of  expression,  this  *  female 
Byron/  and  Mrs.  Norton  may  have  fallen  a  little 
too  much  into  his  hahit  of  dwelling  too  much  on  his 
own  sorrows;  but  there  the  similarity  ceases.  She 
is  tender  and  devotional  in  her  sorrows  and  wrongs ; 
Byron,  terrible  and  misanthropical  in  his  injuries 
and  resentments." 

My  friend  Mr.  Ellsworth  launched  into  a  eu- 
logium  of  Eliza  Cook,  whose  autograph  he  had 
found  and  whom  he  declared  deserved  the  laurel, 
displaying  as  she  does  more  native  poetical  talent 
than  any  female  writer  now  living  in  Great  Britain. 
''She  displays  such  originality,"  he  persisted. 
"Listen  to  this: 

"  'Hold  up  your  heads,  ye  sylvan  lords, 

"Wave  proudly  in  the  breeze ; 
Our  cradle  bands  and  coffin  boards 

Must  come  from  the  forest  trees.' 

"The  idea- in  the  third  line  was  never  probably 
expressed  before,"  he  continued.  "It  strikes  the 
reader  at  once  as  original,  bold  and  true.  Such 
new  thoughts,  vivid  as  a  flash  from  a  dark  cloud,  and 
strong  enough  to  paint  the  rush  of  the  cataract,  are 
not  infrequent  in  her  productions.  She  wants  a 
little  sweetness,  a  little  grace  at  times,  but  she  will 
gain  these  by  and  by,  when  she  marries." 

"La!  la!"  cried  Miss  Julia,  tossing  her  pretty 
head. 

"I  mean  it,"  said  Mr.  Ellsworth  earnestly.    "She 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    253 

only  needs  to  become  a  wife  and  mother  to  know  the 
real  tenderness  of  the  heart,  and  then  her  lyre  will 
assume  all  the  softness  it  needs  to  make  its  tones 
perfect;  it  is  now,  at  times,  harsh.'^^ 

'Twas  soon  after  this  most  learned  and  edifying 
conversation  that  music  was  called  for.  The  violin 
was  played  by  the  gentleman  of  the  choir;  there 
were  some  instrumental  selections  and  then  Miss 
Julia  sang.  'Twas  a  little  song,  the  words  by  Mrs. 
Hemans,  entitled  **The  Stranger's  Heart,"  and 
when  it  was  received  with  much  applause  she  was 
besought  again  to  favor  us.  She  refused  at  first, 
but  when  I,  standing  close  to  the  piano,  besought  her, 
telling  her  in  low  tones  that  this  was  the  first  music 
I  had  heard  on  my  journey,  and  that,  after  another 
day,  I  should  again  set  forth  into  the  wilderness,  she 
turned  the  stool  and  sang  a  gay  little  melody,  the 
music  by  Miss  Augusta  Browne,  Professor  of  the 
Logierian  system  of  music,  and  the  piece,  I  noted 
that  I  might  purchase  it,  is  to  be  had  at  Osbourn's 
Music  Saloon  in  Philadelphia.  The  words  I  jotted 
down  with  her  permission : 

"Dost  thou  idly  ask  to  hear 

At  what  gentle  seasons 
Nymphs  relent  when  lovers  near, 

Press  the  tenderest  passions? 
Ah !  they  join  their  faith  too  oft 

To  the  careless  wooer; 
Maidens'  hearts  are  always  soft; 

Would  that  men  were  truer! 

'It  is  fortunate  for  us  that  Mr.  Parsons'  admiration  for  Misa 
Julia  led  him  to  record  this  conversation  which  gives  so  illuminating 
a  glimpse  into  the  literary  tastes  and  standards  of  the  time. — Editor. 


254    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

"Woo  the  fair  one  when  around, 

Early  birds  are  singing. 
When  o'er  all  the  fragrant  ground 

Early  herbs  are  springing; 
When  the  brook  side,  bank  and  grove, 

All  with  blossoms  laden, 
Shine  with  beauty,  breathe  of  love, 

Woo  the  timid  maiden. 

"Woo  her  when  with  rosy  blush 

Summer  eve  is  sinking; 
When  o'er  rills  that  softly  gush 

Stars  are  softly  winking; 
When  through  boughs  that  weave  the  bower 

Moonlight  gleams  are  stealing; 
Woo  her  till  the  gentle  hour 

Wakes  a  gentler  feeling." 

We  were  served  after  this  with  a  most  delicious 
repast  of  floating  island  and  pound  cake  made  by 
Mrs.  Johnson  from  her  tried  New  England  recipe, 
and  the  party  was  then  over  much  too  soon.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  escorting  the  fair  Miss  Julia  to  her 
home,  or,  to  speak  more  correctly,  half  the  pleasure, 
for  on  the  other  side  of  her  strutted  a  pert  young 
coxcomb  in  blue  broadcloth  and  white  beaver  hat, 
by  name  Jones,  who  monopolized  the  conversation 
and  had  the  impertinence  at  the  gate  to  ask  for  one 
of  the  pink  roses  from  her  garland.  She  suffered 
his  impertinence,  not  well  being  able  to  help  it,  but 
as  we  parted  I  felt  the  slight  pressure  of  her  fingers 
returning  that  of  mine,  and  I,  too,  received  one  of 
the  pink  roses,  which  even  now  reposes  over  my 
heart. 

The  next  day  was  the  Fourth  of  July  and  I  was 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    255 

invited  as  a  special  guest  to  be  present  at  a  great 
celebration  and  dinner  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 

I  have  attended  many  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tions, but  never  one  planned  on  lines  of  such  magni- 
tude and  carried  out  with  such  perfection  of  detail. 
On  this  occasion  I  met  some  of  the  notable  men  of 
the  town,  of  whom  there  is  a  surprising  number, 
Mr.  Sandford  C.  Cox,  Dr.  Elizur  Deming,  a  phy- 
sician of  prominence;  Mr.  Martin  L.  Pierce,  who  is 
the  present  sheriff — these  gentlemen  all  from  the 
East,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  B.  Stockton,  a  Virginian 
like  myself,  who  has  resided  here  for  sixteen  years 
and  was  the  county's  first  surveyor.  He  drove  me 
out  to  his  house  that  evening,  a  palatial  residence 
erected  five  years  ago  and  said  to  be  the  largest  and 
finest  in  the  county.  I  also  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  Henry  T.  Sample,  who  came  here  from  Ohio, 
and  of  Mr.  Moses  Fowler,  a  young  man  near  my  own 
age,  who  came  here  only  last  year  and  has  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business.  He  talked  to  me  at  some 
length  of  the  importance  of  this  city  and  the  busi- 
ness opportunities  in  the  way  of  importing  goods 
from  Southern  ports.  It  seems  that  he  and  his 
partners  have  five  or  six  steamers  chartered  for  this 
purpose,  so  were  I  minded  to  enter  the  business 
world  instead  of  engaging  in  the  pi-actice  of  the  law, 
I  should  be  inclined  to  choose  this  city  as  my  loca- 
tion. 

Among  the  lawyers  who  here  as  elsewhere  I  found 
banded  together  like  brothers,  I  remember  most  dis- 
tinctly in  addition  to  Mr.  TVHiite,  Mr.  John  Pettit, 
who  came  here  from  New  York.    Mr.  Pettit  has 


256    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

served  in  the  Legislature  and  was  last  year  ap- 
pointed United  States  district  attorney  by  President 
Van  Buren.  He  is,  I  am  told,  no  scholar,  but  has  a 
mind  of  great  force  and  an  intellect  which  grasps 
successfully  great  and  mighty  questions. 

With  him  was  his  protege,  a  young  man  just  my 
own  age  whom  at  first  sight  I  fancied  mightily,  a  Mr. 
Godlove  S.  Orth.  I  do  not  flatter  myself  that  I  dis- 
played any  great  intuition,  however,  for  I  am  told 
that  when  he  came  to  this  state  from  Pennsylvania 
where  he  was  reared  on  a  farm  among  the  yeo- 
manry, and  educated  at  Gettysburg  College,  he  met 
Mr.  Pettit  at  Delphi  and  that  this  gentleman  was  at 
once  so  impressed  with  him  that  he  gave  him  the 
keys  to  his  law  office  at  Lafayette  and  told  him  to  go 
on  and  take  possession  as  his  partner.  Mr.  Orth 
is  a  tall  young  man,  already  inclined  to  corpulency, 
and  extremely  complaisant  in  manner. 

This  Fourth  of  July  celebration  began  at  daylight 
with  the  hoisting  of  a  superb  national  flag  and  after 
this  was  unfurled  to  the  breeze,  a  salute  was  fired 
from  some  pieces  of  artillery.  The  morning  was 
spent  in  mingling  with  friends  and  acquaintances  on 
the  streets,  and  at  12  o'clock  a  procession  was 
formed  in  front  of  the  hotel  of  the  highly  respectable 
citizens  of  the  town  and  county  and  a  few  of  the 
venerable  worthies  of  the  Revolution  yet  surviving. 
This  procession  moved  to  a  grove  in  which  a  plat- 
form had  been  erected  under  a  giant  tree,  and  here 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read  by  Mr. 
Orth,  and  an  eloquent  and  highly  appropriate  ad- 
dress was  given  by  no  less  a  personage  than  Mr. 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    257 

Tilghman  A.  Howard,^  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
Governor. 

I  was  most  pleased  to  have  the  opportunity  to 
hear  this  eloquent  speaker  of  whom  I  had  heard  so 
much  during  my  travels  in  the  state.  He  presents 
a  most  dignified  appearance,  and  it  is  said  is  ex- 
tremely sober,  seldom  indulging  in  levity.  In  ap- 
pearance, he  is  most  striking,  being  very  tall,  of 
symmetrical  form,  with  coal  black  hair  and  eyes, 
large  and  most  expressive  features.  Every  gesture, 
every  expression  of  his  face  betokens  intellect  of  the 
highest  order. 

After  paying  tribute  to  the  veterans  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, *Hhe  men  who  in  the  dark  and  portentous  era 
of  '76  promptly  stepped  forth,  the  avengers  of  their 
country's  wrongs,  and  freely  offered  themselves  a 
willing  sacrifice  at  the  shrine  of  patriotism,"  he 
made  a  most  stirring  appeal  for  the  support  of  a 
representative  democracy.  He  quoted  in  conclusion 
with  most  telling  effect : 

"Where  barbarous  hordes  on  Scythian  mountains  roam, 
Truth,  mercy,  freedom,  yet  shall  find  a  home. 
Where'er  degraded  nature  bleeds  and  pines, 
From  Guinea's  coast  to  Siber's  dreary  mines, 
Truth  shall  pervade  the  unfathomed  darkness  there 
And  light  the  dreadful  features  of  despair. 
Hark!  the  stern  captive  spurns  his  heavy  load 
And  asks  the  image  back  that  Heaven  bestowed. 
Fierce  in  his  eye  the  fire  of  valor  burns, 
And  as  the  slave  departs,  the  man  returns!" 

'Tilghman  A.  Howard,  born  in  South  Carolina  in  1797;  district 
attorney  for  Indiana,  1832;  Congress,  1839.  Candidate  for  Governor, 
1840.— Editor. 


258    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

After  the  address  the  procession  again  formed 
and  returned  to  the  hotel,  and  at  2:30  o'clock  we 
sat  down  to  an  elegant  repast  at  which  the  utmost 
harmony  prevailed.  Upon  the  removal  of  the  cloth 
the  folloudng  toasts  were  drunk  with  great  una- 
nimity, amid  the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  cheerings 
of  grateful  and  happy  hearts.  These  I  have  copied 
from  the  newspaper,  a  number  of  which  I  secured 
before  leaving  the  city :  ( 1 )  ' '  The  day  we  celebrate 
—the  sixty-fourth  anniversary  of  our  country's 
freedom";  (2)  ''the  memory  of  those  illustrious 
patriots  who  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  '76,  mutually 
pledged  to  each  other  their  lives,  their  fortunes  and 
their  sacred  honor";  (3)  ''the  memory  of  George 
Washington";  (4)  "the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution — death  has  thinned  their  ranks,  but  their 
fame  is  defended  by  the  shield  of  immortality";  (5) 
"the  President  of  the  United  States ";( 6 )" the  Vice- 
President  and  heads  of  the  departments";  (7)  "the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States — ^like  a  root  in  the 
rifted  rock,  it  will  withstand  the  storms  of  faction 
and  the  tempests  of  party";  (8)  "the  People — en- 
lightened they  can  never  be  slaves;  ignorant,  they 
can  never  be  free";  (9)  "our  Flag— may  its  stars 
ever  shine  resplendent  in  glory  until  the  lights  of 
heaven  cease  to  burn";  (10)  "the  American  fair." 

"Oh,  woman,  woman,  thou  wast  made, 
Like  Heaven's  own  pure  and  lovely  light, 

To  cheer  life's  dark  and  desert  shade 

And  guide  man's  erring  footsteps  right." 

These  toasts  were  followed  by  volunteer  toasts, 
for  the  first  of  which  I  was  called  upon.    I  proposed 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    259 

that  we  drink  *'To  the  Sovereignty  of  the  People — 
let  it  pervade  the  globe. ' '  The  others  that  followed 
were:  ''Our  Farmers  and  Mechanics — the  nerves 
and  sinews  of  the  commonwealth";  "The  Militia  of 
Indiana — when  again  called  into  the  field  of  battle 
may  they  imitate  the  valor  of  their  countrymen  at 
Tippecanoe";  "Wisdom,  Strength  and  Beauty — our 
executive,  legislative  and  judicial  departments  pos- 
sess the  first,  our  army  and  navy  the  second,  and  our 
fair  countryAvomen  the  third";  "Gen.  Lafayette,  the 
Companion  of  Washington — ^may  his  virtues  be  ever 
engraven  on  the  hearts  of  Americans";  "The  Love 
of  Country — ^may  it  always  prevail  over  personal 
and  party  considerations  " ;  "  The  People 's  Servants 
— may  they  never  succeed  in  becoming  the  people's 
masters.  May  a  generous  and  enlightened  competi- 
tion induce  them  to  look  solely  to  the  common  pros- 
perity." 

With  these  toasts,  the  celebration  ended,  and  the 
next  day  I  set  forth  to  the  town  of  Crawfordsville 
from  which  I  am  now  writing,  directly  south  of 
Lafayette  and  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Mont- 
gomery. The  road  runs  over  the  beautiful  Wea 
Plains,  called,  'tis  said,  for  the  Wea  or  Ouiatenon 
Indians,  a  branch  of  the  Miamis.  These  prairies, 
gently  rolling  and  absolutely  treeless  as  far  as  eye 
can  see,  gemmed  with  flowers  of  all  varieties,  the 
brilliancy  of  whose  coloring  baffles  all  description, 
are  a  most  entrancing  sight  to  the  traveler.  At  this 
season,  the  wild  rose  is  in  predominance  and  fre- 
quently the  entire  surface  of  the  plain  appears  to  be 
carpeted  with  these  blossoms  of  ravishing  beauty. 


260    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

These  prairies  are  sparsely  settled,  I  am  told,  and 
the  solitary  traveler  may  ride  for  hours  without 
meeting  or  seeing  any  one,  directing  his  course  by 
the  distant  groves  which  look  like  islands  in  the  sea 
of  grassy  plains. 

The  most  notable  plant  is  the  bluejoint  grass,  so 
called  from  the  color  of  its  stalk  and  leaves,  which  is 
dark  green  with  a  bluish  tint  near  the  ground.  It 
is  indigenous  to  the  prairie  and  grows  to  the  height 
of  a  man's  shoulder,  sometimes  even  high  enough 
to  conceal"  a  man  on  horseback.  Cattle,  sheep  and 
horses  are  all  fond  of  it  and  it  is  said  to  remain 
juicy  and  tender  until  late  in  the  fall,  and  is  an  excel- 
lent food  when  cut  and  dried  as  hay. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Crawfoedsville,  July  8,  1840. 

1  FAILED  to  record  in  my  last  entry  in  which  I 
told  of  my  closing  days  in  Lafayette,  the  man- 
ner of  my  journey  to  Crawfordsville.  I  started 
off,  commonplace  enough,  in  the  stage  coach,  a  man- 
ner of  traveling  of  which  I  had  by  now  grown  suf- 
ficiently weary,  when  a  young  gentleman  from 
Lafayette,  the  same  coxcomb  Jones  who  had  aroused 
my  indignation  by  his  attentions  to  the  beautiful 
Julia,  proposed  that  we  vary  the  monotony  of  the 
journey  by  changing  our  method  of  travel.  We 
would  shortly,  he  said,  come  to  the  village  of  Con- 
cord, and  he  proposed  that  here  we  should  leave  the 
coach,  send  our  baggage  on  by  this  means,  and  make 
the  remainder  of  the  journey  on  horseback.  In  that 
way  we  could  get  a  much  better  view  of  the  beauti- 
ful country,  we  could  travel  as  leisurely  or  as 
rapidly  as  we  pleased,  and  altogether  we  would  find 
this  manner  of  travel  most  pleasant.  A  fellow  pas- 
senger reminded  him  of  a  story  he  had  from  Judge 
Law  of  Vincennes  of  a  time  in  1828  when  he  and 
Gov.  James  B.  Ray,  who  was  at  that  time  a  candi- 
date for  re-election,  were  traveling  over  the  Wea 
Plains,  lost  their  way  and  lay  out  all  night  without 
shelter  or  supper.  My  companion  responded  that 
that  was  twelve  years  ago,  when  there  were  far 

261 


262    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

fewer  settlements,  and  that  to  such  men  as  our- 
selves, the  matter  of  going  without  food  or  lodging 
was  a  matter  of  indifference,  anyway. 

I  hailed  his  proposal  with  delight,  and  in  a  short 
time  we  were  cantering  along  over  the  plain,  "the 
prettiest  place  this  side  of  Heaven,"  he  declared, 
which  I  found  most  entrancing  in  its  summer  gar- 
ment of  green,  scarlet  and  pink.  Occasionally  we 
could  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  silvery  river,  along 
which  grew  clusters  of  hawthorn  and  wild  plum 
trees  overgro^m  with  honeysuckle.  When  night 
fell,  it  was  still  more  entrancing,  for  the  moon  was 
at  its  full,  and  poured  its  silver  light  over  a  scene 
which  would  have  delighted  the  heart  of  a  painter. 

'Twas  on  this  same  night  that  we  overtook  the 
''movers"  encamped  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

'Twas  an  interesting  sight,  as  we  approached 
them — the  two  great  wagons  filled  with  household 
furniture  and  farm  implements,  standing  at  one  side 
of  the  road,  the  horses  unhitched  and  tethered  near 
by.  Here  also  were  the  cow,  the  colts  and  a  few 
sheep. 

They  had  kindled  a  fire  and  were  cooking  their 
supper  over  it,  the  mother  and  two  half -grown  girls, 
pretty,  though  shy  creatures,  while  the  father  and 
his  sons  were  busying  themselves  about  feeding  the 
cattle  and  disposing  of  them  for  the  night.  We 
drew  rein  as  we  approached,  and  asked  some  ques- 
tions. The  family,  it  seems,  had  come  two  years 
ago  from  North  Carolina  and  had  settled  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county.  Two  months  ago,  the 
man  had  taken  up  land  in  the  southern  part  of  this 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    263 

county,  and  after  building  liis  cabin  and  clearing  a 
piece  of  land,  had  returned  for  liis  family  and  Ms 
household  goods,  and  they  were  now  all  on  their  way 
to  their  new  home.  On  learning  of  our  destination, 
they  invited  us  to  share  their  evening  meal,  and  sug- 
gested that  we  pass  the  night  at  their  camp.  We  ac- 
cepted their  invitation  with  undisguised  eagerness. 
I  could  see  that  my  friend,  for  all  his  braggadocio 
on  the  stage,  had  some  fear,  after  all,  of  sharing 
Governor  Ray's  fate  and  lying  out  all  night  without 
shelter  or  food,  and  from  the  manner  in  which  he 
devoured  the  ham,  eggs  and  Johnny  cakes  which  the 
girls  shyly  brought  us,  and  drank  the  scalding  hot 
coffee,  I  perceived  that  food  was  not  such  a  matter 
of  indifference  after  all,  as  he  had  feigned. 

After  supper,  our  new  friends  again  insisted  that 
we  spend  the  night  near  their  camp  fire  where  we 
would  be  safer  from  snakes  or  any  prowling  animals. 

*'  'Tis  not  a  Wabash  bedstead,"  said  our  host, 
"but  it  will  answer  the  purpose,  and  we  can  lend  you 
all  a  Kyarliny  kiver.  It  gits  right  cold  out  in  the 
open." 

''And  what,  pray,  is  a  Wabash  bedstead?"  I 
asked,  and  was  told  that  the  settlers  who  had  no 
beds  were  wont  to  construct  them  by  driving  a  piece 
of  a  huge  sapling  upright  in  the  floor  for  one  leg  of 
the  bed,  and  with  smaller  saplings  fitted  into  holes 
bored  in  the  wall  making  side  pieces  and  supports 
for  puncheons  upon  which  were  placed  the  ticks  of 
straw  and  feathers,  the  whole  forming  a  very  sub- 
stantial and  comfortable  bed. 

A  long  time  we  sat  in  the  moonlight  around  the 


264    A  TOUB  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

dying  fire,  talking  of  the  fertile  prairies,  now 
covered  with  blackberries  and  raspberries,  and  of 
the  great  range  they  afforded  for  cattle  and  horses ; 
of  the  game  and  fish  in  the  streams,  plenty  and 
plenty  for  these  men's  sons  and  their  sons  after 
them/ 

The  talk  of  danger  from  wild  animals  suggested 
stories  of  the  wolf  hunts  which  the  early  settlers 
often  found  necessary,  in  which  the  inhabitants  of 
several  neighborhoods,  and  sometimes  of  a  whole 
county,  took  part.  The  territory  to  be  hunted  over 
was  circumscribed  by  four  lines  sufficiently  distant 
from  each  other  to  inclose  the  proper  area.  To  each 
line  was  assigned  a  captain,  with  his  subaltern 
officers,  whose  duty  it  was  to  properly  station  his 
men  along  the  line  and  at  the  hour  agreed  upon  to 
cause  them  to  advance  in  order  toward  the  center 
of  the  arena.  The  lines  all  charged  simultaneously 
toward  the  center  on  horseback,  with  dogs,  guns 
and  clubs,  thus  completely  investing  whatever  game 
was  within  the  lines  and  scaring  it  from  the  advanc- 
ing lines  toward  the  center,  where  the  excitement 
of  the  chase  was  greatly  heightened  and  the  greatest 
carnage  ensued.  Often  from  two  to  ten  wolves  and 
as  many  deer  were  taken  in  a  day  at  these  hunts.,  and 
wildcats,  foxes  and  catamounts  in  abundance. 
Horses  and  dogs  soon  became  fond  of  the  sport  and 

1  Short  visioned  settlers.  In  1860  Mr.  Sandford  Cox  wrote  of 
tliese  "boundless  plains:"  "For  more  than  fifteen  years  past  these 
plains  have  been  like  so  many  cultivated  gardens,  and  as  for  venison, 
wild  turkeys  and  fish,  they  are  now  mostly  brought  from  the 
Kankakeea  and  the  lake."— Editor. 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    265 

seemed  to  enter  into  it  with  a  zest  surpassing  that 
of  their  masters. 

With  this  man  was  his  brother-in-law,  a  tall, 
gaunt  young  man  who,  up  to  this  time,  had  kept 
silence.  Now  he  was  moved  to  tell  an  adventure  of 
his  o^\Ti  mth  the  wild  hogs,  which,  'tis  said,  roam 
through  the  woods  in  some  places  and  are  most 
dangerous  if  encountered  when  in  any  way  enraged. 
This  young  man — his  name,  I  think,  was  Tucker, 
and  he,  too,  had  lived  for  a  season  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  county,  said  that  he  had  had  a 
most  exciting  adventure  some  years  ago.  He  had,  it 
seems,  been  the  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  the 
county,  having  come  from  Carolina  into  Kentucky, 
and  now  he  had  sold  his  farm  and  was  accompany- 
ing his  brother-in-law  to  his  new  location. 

'Twas  just  such  a  night  as  this,  he  said,  bright 
moonlight,  and  he  had  rambled  out  before  going  to 
bed  into  a  little  valley,  near  his  cabin.  He  is  a  shy 
youth  of  few  words,  but  I  fancy  he  is  at  heart 
poetical  and  that  he  wandered  farther  than  he 
thought  under  the  spell  of  the  moonlight  and  the 
beauty  of  the  landscape.  He  had  climbed  one  of  the 
wooded  hills  that  edged  the  valley,  he  said,  and  stood 
gazing  over  the  beautiful  valley  and  the  silvery  river 
in  the  distance,  when  all  at  once,  a  fox  darted  past 
him,  barking  as  it  ran.  Back  it  came  in  a  few 
minutes,  followed  by  a  gang  of  wild  hogs  which  it 
had  aroused,  and  which  came  in  pursuit  with  a 
cracking  of  bushes,  rattling  of  stones,  and  gnashing 
of  teeth.     For  a  moment  his  heart  stood  still.    He 


266    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

could  not  climb  the  liuge  tree  near  wliicli  he  stood,  he 
had  only  time  to  snatch  a  fallen  limb  with  which  to 
beat  them  off.  His  only  hope  lay  in  keeping  them 
off  until  his  calls  could  be  heard  at  the  cabin,  if  they 
could  be  heard.  He  stood  fighting  the  furious  gang, 
shouting  desperately,  foreseeing  himself  devoured 
alive,  when,  presently,  his  calls  heard,  his  friends 
came  to  the  rescue.  It  was  a  narrow  escape,  and  he 
wiped  his  brow  as  he  spoke,  as  though  even  yet  the 
very  thought  caused  him  to  break  into  a  perspira- 
tion. 

Presently  our  talk  turned  into  lighter  channels — 
we  told  jokes,  we  sang.  The  young  man  who  told 
the  wolf  story  had  a  fiddle  which,  after  some  per- 
suasion, he  was  prevailed  upon  to  bring  from  the 
wagon,  where  it  hung  safely  up  in  the  bows,  with  the 
guns,  and  to  its  accompaniment  we  sang  homely 
songs,  ''Old  Virginny  Never  Tire"  and  "Old  Dan 
Tucker,"  songs  which  I  have  heard  from  my  cradle 
up,  in  the  darky  cabins  on  my  father's  plantation. 
I  was  pleasantly  surprised  to  learn  that  these 
settlers  knew  some  of  the  old  ballads,  too,  and  we 
sang  together  ''Barbara  Allen"  and  others.  The 
young  girls  spoke  never  a  word,  though  they  listened 
most  attentively  to  our  conversation  in  which,  it 
must  be  confessed,  I  took  a  part,  for  I  was  im- 
portuned to  relate  the  story  of  my  journey  from 
Virginia  to  this  remote  part  of  the  country,  and  I 
felt  in  the  gaze  of  their  deep  dark  eyes  and  the  in- 
terest expressed  on  their  innocent  faces  something 
of  the  stimulus  Othello  must  have  felt  when  he  re- 
cited to  Desdemona  his  adventures  in  field  and  flood. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    267 

At  last  we  lay  ourselves  down  under  our  home- 
spun "Kyarliny  kiver"  and  slept  soundly  until 
dawn,  when  we  again  gathered  round  the  fire  and 
partook  of  an  excellent  breakfast,  corn  bread  baked 
in  a  covered  skillet  piled  over  with  hot  coals,  a  most 
delicious  concoction,  with  the  added  relish  of  fresh 
berries  which  the  young  girls,  risen  early,  had 
picked,  and  then,  mounting  our  horses,  we  galloped 
on,  after  bidding  farewell  and  Godspeed  to  these 
good  people  who  had  shown  us  such  genuine  hos- 
pitality. 

I  have  neglected  to  state  that  this  young  gentle- 
man, my  companion,  is  a  student  of  the  law  in  the 
office  of  Mr.  Lockwood  at  Lafayette,  and  only  last 
year  graduated  from  a  college  at  Crawfordsville 
known  as  the  Wabash  College,  although  its  title  was 
originally  ' '  The  Wabash  Manual  Labor  College  and 
Teachers'  Seminary."  He  is,  I  judge  from  his 
attire  and  his  manner,  in  affluent  circumstances,  and 
he  is  going  for  a  visit  to  his  Alma  Mater  and  to  at- 
tend the  Commencement  at  which  a  young  friend  is 
to  graduate.  He  is  22,  of  good  form  and  feature, 
and  of  a  gay  and  lively  disposition,  and  in  pleasant 
desultory  conversation  the  time  has  passed  most 
rapidly. 

After  we  left  the  ''movers"  and  entered  the 
county  of  Montgomery  of  which  Crawfordsville  is 
the  seat  of  justice,  he  gave  me  much  information 
concerning  the  county  and  town,  for,  'tis  clearly  to 
be  discerned,  he  has  habits  of  observation,  and  is 
well  fitted  by  nature  as  well  as  education  for  what- 
ever career  he  chooses  to  embark  in. 


268    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

The  county,  wMch  was  organized  seventeen  years 
ago,  was  named  for  Col.  Richard  Montgomery. 
'Tis  marvelous,  he  says,  in  the  way  of  natural 
beauty  and  fertility  of  soil.  The  northern  part  of 
the  county  is  prairie,  interspersed  with  groves  of 
timber,  oak,  hickory,  elm  and  ash;  its  soil  is  rich 
black  loam,  mixed  with  sand.  The  middle  is  chiefly 
forest  land,  watered  by  Sugar  Creek  and  its  tribu- 
taries. The  southern  part  is  gently  rolling  and 
covered  with  timber,  chiefly  walnut,  and  sugar  tree, 
with  a  rich  loamy  soil,  and  is  watered  by  a  creek 
called  Big  Raccoon.  This  land,  he  assures  me,  is  so 
fertile  that  the  owners  grow  rich  almost  without 
labor,  for  it  has  been  said  that  at  the  time  of  the 
first  settlement  a  settler  no  sooner  put  up  a  cabin, 
deadened  fifty  or  a  hundred  acres,  fenced  in  fifteen  or 
twenty,  sufficiently  cleared  to  raise  a  corn  crop,  than 
he  asked  $800  or  $1,000  for  his  improvements,  and 
what  is  still  more  astonishing,  no  sooner  offered  to 
sell  than  he  realized  the  amount  in  cash.  During  his 
stay  at  the  college  he  had  explored  much  of  the 
county,  being  of  an  investigating  mind,  and  he  told 
me  of  a  most  beautiful  spot  some  miles  away  from 
the  town  where  two  small  streams  run  together  and 
where  the  scenery  is  of  stupendous  grandeur,  with 
towering  cliffs,  deep  ravines,  waterfalls — altogether 
a  most  marvelous  and  indeed  terrifying  scene. 

Our  ride  through  the  northern  part  of  the  county 
was  uneventful  though  the  landscape  was  ever  of 
interest  to  me.  Before  entering  the  town  we  forded 
Sugar  Creek,  a  large  stream  running  diagonally 
through  the  county,  and  soon  came  into  the  town  of 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    269 

Crawfordsville,  named,  my  companion  informed 
me,  for  Col.  William  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  at  the  time  it  was  laid  off.  The  site  was 
chosen  no  doubt  because  of  its  proximity  to  a  great 
Indian  trail  that,  crossing  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
gave  passage  through  the  wilderness  to  the  tide  of 
immigration  from  the  East.  These  settlers  were  no 
doubt  also  influenced  by  the  neighborhood  of  several 
large  springs  of  pure  and  medicinal  qualities  of 
water.  The  growth  of  the  town,  he  told  me,  was  as- 
sured from  the  first,  by  the  location  of  the  land 
office  which  was  moved  there  from  Terre  Haute,  and 
of  which  Judge  Williamson  Dunn  of  Hanover  was 
the  first  Register. 

I  can  not  now  disentangle  the  sensations  of  my 
first  view  of  this  little  town  and  my  later  impres- 
sions; suffice  it  to  say  that  I  have  found  it,  small 
as  it  is,  most  pleasant  to  look  upon,  with  its  broad 
streets  and  its  forest  shade.  Its  material  pros- 
perity is  shown  in  its  new  Court  House,  a  two-story 
brick  building,  forty  by  fifty  feet,  with  a  cupola, 
which  stands  upon  the  public  square,  and  which  was 
erected,  I  am  told,  at  a  cost  of  $3,420.  I  was  shown, 
too,  the  Baptist  church,  the  first  church  erected  in 
Crawfordsville,  on  a  lot  given  by  Major  Whitlock, 
of  whom  I  shall  have  more  to  say  later,  a  building 
of  brick,  used  exclusively  for  church  services,  and 
which  was  used  by  all  sects  until  they  were  able  to 
erect  edifices  of  their  oa\ti.  The  Presbyterian 
Church  was  established  in  1824,  and  a  building  soon 
after  erected.  As  in  the  other  places  I  have  visited, 
there  has  been  the  separation  into  old  school  and 


270    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

new  school,  and  the  new  school  has  only  this  year 
erected  a  large  frame  structure.  There  are  here 
taverns,  merchandise  stores,  in  short  the  town  is  in 
all  respects  most  thriving. 

Something  of  its  growth  and  prosperity  I  learned 
from  Mr.  Henry  S.  Lane  ^  upon  whom  I  soon  called 
in  company  with  Mr.  Jones,  and  to  whom  I  had  been 
given  a  letter  by  Mr.  Lockwood. 

Mr.  Lane  is  an  ardent  Whig,  has  served  in  the 
state  Legislature  and  is  now  a  candidate  for  Con- 
gress, and  as  he  is  a  popular  speaker,  he  is  engaged 
in  the  campaign  almost  constantly,  so  that  we  were 
fortunate  to  find  him  in  his  office.  Mr.  Jones  has 
heard  him  frequently,  and  informs  me  that  he  has  a 
most  winning  address,  that  he  abounds  in  anecdotes, 
is  very  felicitous  in  illustrations  and  happy  in  his 
applications  of  them,  speaks  most  fluently,  and  has 
such  charm  of  manner  that  he  is  irresistible. 

He  welcomed  us  to  his  office,  and  on  learning  who 
I  was  and  the  object  of  my  visit  from  Mr.  Lock- 
wood's  letter,  made  himself  most  agreeable.  He  is 
a  tall,  slender  young  gentleman,  just  29  years  of  age, 
with  light  hair  and  gray  eyes ;  his  expression  is  most 
kindly,  and  never  have  I  heard  a  voice  of  such 
peculiar  sweetness.  From  his  voice,  his  charm  of 
manner,  from  his  every  movement  and  gesture,  I 
could  comprehend  his  power  over  an  audience. 

="  Henry  S.  Lane,  born  in  Kentucky  in  1811;  studied  law  at  18; 
settled  in  Crawfordsville  in  1835;  popular  and  successful  criminal 
lawyer;  state  Legislature,  1837;  Congress  in  1840;  worlced  for 
Mexican  War  and  in  this  war  was  commissioned  Captain  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel; became  Republican  on  formation  of  that  party; 
elected  Governor  in  1861,  served  two  days  and  became  United  States 
senator;  died  1881.    "A  gentleman,  a  patriot,  a  Christian."— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    271 

He  at  once  began  to  tell  me  of  the  town  in  which 
he  had  cast  his  lines,  as  he  expressed  it,  and  cast 
them,  he  added,  in  such  pleasant  places.  The  site, 
he  said,  is  an  excellent  one,  surrounded  as  it  is  with 
such  fertile  fields,  and  already  the  township  in  which 
Crawfordsville  is  located  is  well  settled,  was  so  in- 
deed in  1828.  The  location  of  the  land  office  at  once 
added  to  its  growth  and  prosperity,  and  now,  he  de- 
clares, the  town  is  a  center  of  trade,  of  enterprise, 
and  of  education,  leading  in  politics,  social  life  and 
general  progress. 

He  inquired  as  to  the  method  of  my  travel  from 
the  East,  and  when  I  replied  that  it  was  by  the  rail- 
road, the  stage,  the  canal  boat,  horseback,  and 
steamboat,  he  told  me  of  the  growing  interest  in 
railroads  throughout  the  state.  Eight  years  ago,  he 
said,  books  were  opened  at  the  clerk's  office  for  sub- 
scription to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Ohio  &  Lafayette 
Railroad,^  which  is  to  extend  from  New  Albany  to 
Lafayette. 

Shares  were  sold  at  $50  each.  A  gentleman  from 
Salem,  Mr.  Booth,  was  the  president,  and  two  gentle- 
men, to  whom  he  introduced  me  later,  Dr.  Israel 
Canby  and  John  Wilson,  were  agents  to  solicit  the 
subscriptions.  He  has  hopes  yet  that  when  the  elec- 
tions are  over  and  the  Whigs  in  power  (he  spoke  as 
though  there  was  no  manner  of  doubt  as  to  the  elec- 
tion), the  country  might  come  out  from  under  this 
cloud  of  depression  and  become  sufficiently  pros- 
perous to  undertake  this  new  enterprise. 

^The  present  Monon  line — Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago. — 
Editor. 


272    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

-  Mr.  Jones  remarked  that  he  had  heard  that  Mont- 
gomery County  was  for  Van  Buren. 

Mr.  Lane  smiled.  ''Most  amusing!  A  super- 
latively ridiculous  idea!  Never  will  Montgomery 
swerve  from  her  political  faith  to  bow  the  knee  to 
the  Baal  of  Van  Burenism.  If  there  be  a  county  in 
the  state  which  will  adliere  to  the  correct  principles 
for  which  it  has  been  so  long  distinguished,  it  is  the 
county  of  Montgomery.  That  she  will  carry  the 
whole  Harrison  ticket  triumphantly  next  month, 
there  can  be  no  question. ' ' 

Mr.  Jones  informed  him  that  we  had  heard  Gen. 
Howard  pronounce  the  Fourth  of  July  address  at 
Lafayette. 

''Yes,  and  I  have  heard  him  pronounce  political 
addresses  here  and  elsewhere  and  heard  reports  of 
these  speeches,"  said  Mr.  Lane  contemptuously. 
"He  says  but  very  little  of  Gen.  Harrison,  less  about 
Mr.  Van  Buren.  The  burden  of  his  speeches  is 
system,  system,  Whig  mismanagement,  Bank  of  the 
United  States,  soft  sawder,  democracy — ^bah!  But 
enough  of  politics !  This  young  gentleman,  I  fancy, 
would  fain  know  more  of  our  town.  You  will  find 
it  agreeable,  I  am  sure,"  he  continued,  turning  to 
me  again  with  a  smile.  "While  our  citizens  are  in 
the  main  of  a  most  polished  and  intellectual  cast, 
their  hospitality  is  of  the  genuine  backwoods,  log- 
cabin  kind,  free  from  the  affected  cant  and  polished 
deception  of  conventional  life.  Come,  and  I  will 
introduce  you  to  some  of  our  citizens." 

With  that,  he  led  us  out  upon  the  streets,  into  the 
taverns,  the  stores  of  general  merchandise,  where  he 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    273 

presented  me  to  many  of  the  most  respectable 
citizens — David  Vance,  the  sheriff;  John  B.  Austin, 
George  Miller,  Frederick  Moore,  Robert  McAfferty, 
James  Gregory — these  last-named  gentlemen  all 
commissioners  of  the  county,  who  told  me  something 
of  the  labors  of  the  early  citizens,  who  rolled  logs, 
burned  brush,  blazed  out  paths  from  one  neighbor's 
cabin  to  another,  and  from  one  settlement  to  another, 
made  and  used  hand  mills  and  hominy  mortars, 
hunted  deer,  turkeys,  otter  and  raccoons,  caught  fish, 
dug  ginseng,  in  short,  did  everything  necessary  to 
the  making  of  a  settlement,  and  now  were  reaping 
the  reward  of  their  labors,  taking  their  ease  in  this 
pleasant  and  prosperous  community. 

I  met  also  Maj.  Henry  Ristine,  who  had  come  here 
in  1825  and  had  opened  the  first  tavern;  his  son, 
Benjamin  Ristine,  just  my  own  age;  Maj.  Isaac 
Elston,  proprietor  of  one  of  the  merchandise  stores 
and  one  of  the  early  settlers;  Mr.  Nicholson,  who 
o^vns  the  tanyard  and  who  told  me  of  his  voyage 
here  in  a  pirogue  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Wabash 
to  Sugar  Creek;  Maj.  Randolph  Davis,  Jeremiah 
Stillwell,  James  Herron,  Samuel  Gilliland,  Dr. 
Israel  Canby,  Mr.  Burbridge,  the  merchant,  a  most 
interesting  man;  Maj.  A^Tiitlock,  who  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1767,  assisted  in  the  erection  of  Fort 
Washington  at  Cincinnati,  engaged  in  Indian  war- 
fare at  various  times,  and,  under  Mr.  Jefferson,  was 
made  paymaster,  Avith  the  rank  of  major,  in  the 
United  States  Army.  Later  he  was  made  receiver 
of  public  moneys  at  the  Land  Office,  which,  by  direc- 
tion of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  he  located  in. 


274    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

this  town.  He  gave  me  much  information  of  a 
valuable  nature  and  I  found  him  most  affable  and 
pleasing. 

I  now  come  to  the  most  pleasant  experience  of 
my  many  pleasant  experiences  in  Crawfordsville, 
which  I  have  left  to  the  last  of  my  record,  my  visit 
to  Wabash  College. 

Young  Mr.  Jones  had  told  me  something  of  the 
founding  of  the  college  but  I  was  to  hear  it  again 
from  another  and  a  greater,  on  the  evening  on  which 
he  took  me  to  call  at  the  home  of  the  president.  Dr. 
Elihu  Baldwin,  who  had  been  pastor  of  the  Seventh 
Presbyterian  Church  of  New  York  City  before  be- 
coming President  of  the  College.  It  appears  that  on 
this  evening  Dr.  Baldwin  was  holding  a  reception  at 
his  home  to  which  Mr.  Jones  was  invited  and  he 
had  asked  the  privilege  of  bringing  me.  When  I 
recalled  that  I  had  met  in  Indianapolis  a  daughter  * 
of  Dr.  Baldwin,  who  had  urged  me  when  I  told  her 
that  I  would  probably  include  Crawfordsville  in  my 
itinerary,  to  pay  my  respects  to  her  father,  he  was 
even  more  agreeable,  and  I  had  marked  him  at  once 
as  a  man  of  great  urbanity  as  well  as  of  kindness 
of  heart. 

'Twas  Dr.  Baldwin  who  introduced  me  to  Dr. 
Hovey,  professor  of  chemistry  and  natural  science, 
and  Dr.  Hovey  told  me  the  story  of  the  founding 
of  the  college  in  the  wilderness,  how  he  and  four 
other  young  men,  all  home  missionaries  to  the  Wa- 

*  Either  from  haste  or  from  failure  of  memory,  Mr.  Parsons  has 
omitted  the  name  of  this  daughter  of  Dr.  Baldwin  who  lived  in 
Indianapolis. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    275 

basil  country  and  all  very  poor,  finding  the  fields 
ripe  for  the  harvest  and  the  laborers  few,  realized 
that  somewhere  in  this  country  a  college  must  be 
founded  in  which  young  ministers  could  be  trained 
for  the  service.  Simply  and  modestly  he  told  the 
story  of  their  labors,  how  Judge  Dunn  had  given  the 
land;  how  they  had  organized  the  college  seven 
years  ago,  planning  at  first  only  a  classical  and  Eng- 
lish High  School  to  rise  into  a  college  as  soon  as  it 
was  demanded.  He  told  the  story  of  their  early 
struggle  to  secure  funds,  of  the  coming  of  Dr.  Bald- 
win and  their  help  from  the  East,  of  their  building, 
and  then  of  the  disastrous  fire  two  years  ago ;  and  of 
their  determination  not  to  be  thus  thwarted,  and  of 
the  new  building  now  completed  and  occupied. 
Simply  he  told  the  story,  but  it  was  as  though  his  lips 
had  been  touched  with  coals  from  the  altar,  and  as 
he  spoke  I  pictured  the  scene  he  described  so  vividly, 
the  earnest  young  men  going  to  the  spot  in  the 
primeval  forest  selected  for  their  building,  and 
kneeling  there  in  the  snow  dedicating  the  grounds 
to  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  for  a 
Christian  college. 

The  same  evening  will  ever  remain  a  memorable 
one  to  me  for  'twas  then  I  met  for  the  first  time  a 
man  whom  I  regard  as  one  of  the  greatest  men  I 
have  met  in  the  Western  country,  Caleb  Mills,'^  Pro- 
fessor of  Languages  in  the  College. 

Professor  Mills  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire 

■^Indiana's  debt  to  Caleb  Mills  for  its  present  school  system  is 
too  well  known  to  make  further  note  necessary.  Its  history  is 
given  in  "Caleb  Mills  and  the  Indiana  School  System,"  by  Charles 
W.  Moores,  published  by  the  Indiana  Historical  Society. — Editor. 


276    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College  and  of  the 
Andover  Theological  Seminary. 

He  came  out  to  the  Wabash  country  in  1833,  a 
young  man  who  had  just  married.  We  at  once  en- 
tered into  conversation,  for  he  expressed  interest 
in  my  journey  and  told  me  of  his  early  visits  in 
southern  Indiana  and  Kentucky  in  the  interests  of 
schools,  and  how  much  he  had  desired  to  have  a 
college  founded  here  in  the  wilderness.  ^'Two 
things,"  said  he,  "are  most  important  in  this  coun- 
try, the  common  schools  and  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel,  and  I  hold  one  as  important  as  the  other.'* 
He  told  me  how  in  his  travels  through  the  country 
he  had  come  to  realize  that  the  children  of  men  who 
had  come  out  to  the  Western  country,  themselves 
college  graduates,  were  to  be  deprived  of  the  com- 
monest education  because  of  the  lack  of  schools  and 
of  suitable  teachers  and  he  saw  that  the  population 
would  speedily  sink  lower  and  lower  unless  the 
condition  was  soon  remedied.  It  was  necessary 
that  the  people  should  be  made  to  see  that  they  must 
have  schools,  and  that  in  order  to  have  schools  and 
to  keep  churches  going,  they  must  have  a  college 
in  which  the  young  teachers  and  preachers  could  be 
trained.  His  desire  most  of  all  was  to  establish  a 
classical  school  to  train  competent  teachers  to 
spread  over  the  country  to  teach  the  children  of 
these  rapidly  populating  districts;  to  change  public 
sentiment  in  regard  to  free  schools,  to  awaken  it  to 
the  need  of  carrying  the  means  of  education  to 
every  door. 
I  was  not  slow  to  perceive  as  he  talked,  how  fine 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    277 

a  scholar  lie  is,  liow  modest,  how  courteous,  how 
conscientious.  And  as  I  looked  into  his  face,  and 
met  the  kindly  glance  of  his  fine  eyes,  I  thought, 
here  now  is  a  man  who  has  come  into  a  community 
without  a  thought  of  self,  who  is  willing  to  give  all 
his  strength,  all  his  wisdom,  for  the  betterment  of 
his  kind.  He  more  than  any  man  I  have  met  in  this 
country,  has  looked  forward,  has  had  a  vision  of  the 
days  to  come.  He  has  been  able  to  see  the  future 
of  this  loved  "Wabash  country,  when  its  forests  will 
be  leveled,  its  fields  all  tilled,  its  population  doubled, 
yea,  trebled,  and  he  is  even  now  engaged  in  forging 
the  weapons  by  which  its  insidious  enemy.  Ignor- 
ance, shall  be  laid  low.  Noble  man!  To  hear  him 
was  to  forget  all  thought  of  self,  to  yearn  to  do 
something,  as  he  is  doing,  for  the  betterment  of 
one's  kind.  Long  may  it  be  before  I  forget  that 
kindly  countenance! 

Professor  Mills  lent  me  a  catalogue  of  the  College 
from  which  I  might  copy  some'  of  the  items,  for  I 
was  interested  to  note  how  it  compares  with  my  own 
University,  and  also  with  other  institutions  of  learn- 
ing in  the  state  which  it  is  my  purpose  to-  visit.  The 
faculty  consists  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  who  is  President 
and  Professor  of  Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy; 
Mr.  Hovey,  M.  A.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Nat- 
ural Science;  Mr.  John  S.  Thomson,  M.  A.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Philosophy; 
Professor  Mills,  Professor  of  Languages;  and  Mr. 
Thomas  S.  Milliga.n,  B.  A.,  Tutor.  The  courses  are 
divided  into  four  departments,  the  Classical,  the 
Physical,  the  Rhetorical  and  the  Department  of  In- 


278    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

tellectual  and  Moral  Philosopliy.  In  Greek,  Homer, 
Xenophon,  and  Demosthenes  are  studied;  in  Latin, 
Cicero  and  Horace  with  exercises  in  the  composition 
of  Greek  and  Latin.  In  Physics,  Algebra,  Geome- 
try, Trigonometry,  Analytics,  Mechanics,  Optics, 
Astronomy,  Chemistry,  these  last  two  in  lectures. 
Mineralogy  and  Geology.  In  the  Rhetorical  depart- 
ment. Rhetoric,  Criticism,  original  declamation  and 
forensic  discussions  occupy  the  year,  and  in  the  de- 
partment of  .Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy,  the 
texts  include  Paley's  ''Natural  Theology,"  Butler's 
** Analogy,"  "Moral  Philosophy,"  ''Evidences  of 
Christianity,"  and  "Political  Economy." 

I  made  note  also  of  the  fact  that  the  tuition  is  $7 
a  term,  there  being  three  terms  a  year,  extending 
from  Sept.  17  to  the  last  Wednesday  in  July,  the 
room  rent,  $3  a.  term,  the  board  in  private  families, 
$1.50  a  week.  For  indigent  students  there  is  a  text 
book  library  from  which  books  may  be  procured,  and 
these  same  indigent  young  men  have  an  opportunity 
to  earn  their  expenses  by  cutting  wood,  being  paid 
311/4  cents  a  cord  for  their  labor. 

The  senior  class  of  this  year  numbers  six,  the 
sophomore,  five;  the  freshman,  thirteen;  the  pre- 
paratory, seventy-six,  making  a  total  of  100. 

Mr.  Jones  desired  that  I  meet  some  of  his  young 
friends,  and  'tis  but  an  indication  of  the  frivolity 
of  youth,  I  suppose,  that  I  should  turn  so  readily 
from  the  conversation  of  these  great  men  and  good 
to  the  chatter  of  the  young  gentlemen  by  whom  the 
popular  and  vivacious  Jones  was  surrounded. 

Among  them  were  all  the  members  of  the  senior 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    279 

class,  Smitli  Fry,  George  Miller  and  Ebenezer 
Palmer  of  Crawfordsville,  Alex  Lemon  of  Tippe- 
canoe County,  Jones 's  friend,  whom  he  had  come  to 
see  graduate ;  Mr.  Newbury  of  Harrison  County  and 
Franklin  Robb  of  Princeton.  Among  the  sopho- 
mores I  remember  particularly  Dr.  Canby's  son, 
Charles;  Maj.  Elston's  son,  James;  Henry  Ristine, 
Jr.,  and  young  John  Maxwell  Cowan,  just  19,  he 
told  me,  whose  father  is  a  Virginian. 

As  I  turned  to  meet  them,  they  were  in  a  circle 
about  Jones,  who  was  taking  on  some  airs,  I  per- 
ceived, as  a  graduate  and  a  student  of  the  law,  and 
I  fancied  as  I  approached  that  he  had  been  boasting 
of  his  conquests.  ''And  have  you  yet  seen  the  fair 
Susan?"  asked  one.  "Of  course  that  is  why  you 
have  returned — you  say  it  is  Alex's  commencement, 
but  we  know  it  is  Susan. ' ' 

As  Jones  blushed  and  turned  the  subject,  my  heart 
lightened.  He  had  referred  to  Julia  several  times 
on  our  journey  without  a  blush  or  an  indication  of 
embarrassment.  It  must  be  Susan,  then.  My  heart 
warmed  to  him  as  I  watched  him  in  conversation 
with  his  comrades.  A  fine  fellow,  Jones,  a  young 
gentleman  of  parts ! 


CHAPTER    XVII 

PUTNAMVILLE,  JuLY  26,  1840. 

THE  road  from  Crawfordsville  runs  directly 
soutli  through  Montgomery  and  Putnam 
Counties  into  Greencastle,  the  seat  of  justice, 
with  but  few  stops  at  insignificant  villages.  The 
county,  so  far  as  I  was  able  to  observe,  is,  in  the 
northern  part,  either  level  or  slightly  undulating ;  in 
the  center,  and  Greencastle  is  situated  in  exactly  the 
center  of  the  county,  it  is  more  rolling,  and  quite 
hilly  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  streams.  The 
timber  is  the  usual  beech,  sugar,  walnut,  ash,  oak, 
and  poplar,  and  the  soil,  so  far  as  I  could  observe, 
a  rich  black  loam,  excellently  adapted,  I  was  in- 
formed, to  the  production  of  wheat,  corn,  grass, 
hemp  and  fruit. 

The  town  of  Greencastle,  into  which  I  came  by 
stage  in  the  evening,  is  very  small  and  unpre- 
tentious. The  houses  are  mostly  of  logs,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian 
Churches,  which  are  one-story  brick  edifices,  and  the 
streets  are  so-called  only  by  courtesy.  Locomotion 
is  at  all  times  difficult  but,  as  one  of  the  citizens 
pointed  out  to  me,  jestingly,  in  muddy  weather  it  is 
necessary  to  exercise  great  precautions  in  crossing 
the  ravines  on  the  logs  which  are  used  as  foot- 
bridges.   I   have   already   learned,    however,    that 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    281 

these  pioneer  settlements  are  not  to  be  judged  by 
their  outward  appearance,  and  that  in  the  most  un- 
prepossessing surroundings  I  am  likely  to  find 
citizens  of  great  business  ability  and  men  of  educa- 
tion and  refinement,  so  that  time  only  is  necessary  to 
change  the  pioneer  settlement  into  a  thriving  towTi. 

I  betook  myself  at  once  to  the  tavern  of  which  I 
had  been  told  by  friends  in  Crawfordsville,  Wash- 
ington Hall,  kept  by  Col.  John  Lynch,  which  I  dis- 
covered to  be  an  inn  of  some  pretensions.  Mine 
host,  I  soon  learned,  is  a  great  admirer  of  Andrew 
Jackson,  whom  he  in  some  measure  resembles,  and, 
I  noted,  takes  great  pride  in  the  resemblance.  On 
learning  the  nature  of  my  journey,  he  immediately 
made  me  most  pleasantly  at  home,  and  introduced 
me  to  a  number  of  the  respectable  gentlemen  of  the 
community,  who  were  gathered  in  the  cool  of  the 
evening  in  the  front  of  the  tavern,  engaged  in  con- 
versation. 

In  the  course  of  my  travels,  I  have  learned  to 
value  the  inn  where,  winter  and  summer,  are 
gathered  the  men  of  the  community  and  the 
travelers,  the  la^vyers,  and  judges,  where  all  public 
questions  are  discussed,  arguments  engaged  in, 
sallies  of  wit  exchanged.  Certainly  no  better  place 
can  be  found  for  the  traveler  who  would  learn  the 
nature  and  temper  of  the  community  in  which  he 
stops  for  the  moment. 

I  was  especially  fortunate  this  evening,  for  here 
I  found  gathered  a  number  of  the  citizens,  among 
them  Judge  Joseph  Farley,  the  first  Probate  judge, 
I  am  told,  associated  in  the  publication  of  the  first 


282    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

paper,  and  a  man  who  took  part  while  still  a  resi- 
dent of  Kentucky  in  the  expedition  against  the  In- 
dians who  committed  the  great  Pigeon  Roost  mas- 
sacre, of  which  I  have  heard  much  since  coming  into 
the  state.  Here  were  also  several  of  the  county 
officers— David  Rudisill,  the  sheriff;  William  E.  Tal- 
bott,  the  recorder  of  deeds ;  William  H.  Shields,  the 
surveyor,  and  the  county  clerk,  Arthur  McGaughey. 
This  last-named  gentleman  I  met  again,  for  upon  his 
invitation  I  stopped  at  his  farm,  three  miles  south 
of  Greencastle,  on  my  way  to  Putnamville,  where  I 
found  great  pleasure  in  meeting  his  family,  par- 
ticularly his  wife,  a  woman  of  unusual  strength  of 
character  and  remarkable  energy,-  of  which  last- 
named  quality  she  showed  me  an  unusual  product. 
On  a  large  and  flourishing  mulberry  tree  on  their 
place  she  has  cultivated  silk  worms,  prepared  the 
thread,  and  from  it  knitted  a  pair  of  gloves  for 
her  son  Edward,  a  young  gentleman  of  my  own 
age. 

Mr.  McGaughey  is  somewhat  past  50,  I  should 
judge,  and  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  has 
lived  here  several  years,  his  daughter,  Mary  Jane, 
being  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  county.  He 
told  me  something  of  the  character  of  the  settlers, 
of  whom  he  is  able  to  speak  with  authority,  by 
reason  of  his  long  residence  here.  The  early 
settlers,  he  informs  me,  came  mostly  from  Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  many  of  them 
because  of  the  growing  disapproval  of  slavery,  and 
they  are  of  high  moral  character,  are  honest,  in- 
dustrious, charitable  toward  their  neighbors,   and 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    283 

amply  imbued  with  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion. 

At  the  tavern  I  met  also  the  proprietor  of  a  farm 
north  of  the  town,  Colonel  Alexander  Farrow,  who 
informed  me  that  he  had  brought  blue  grass  seed 
from  Kentucky  and  sowed  it  successfully  in  his 
fields.  He  is  a  most  interesting  gentleman  who 
gave  me  much  information  concerning  the  Western 
country,  and  was,  so  he  told  me,  appointed  a  colonel 
of  the  fifty-sixth  regiment  of  militia  by  Governor 
Noble.  There  was  present  also  a  la^vyer,  a  Mr. 
Henry  Secrist,  whom  I  found  a  most  genial  and  in- 
teresting gentleman,  and  who,  I  was  told  later,  is 
a  brilliant  la"\\yer,  a  fine  speaker,  and  a  young  man 
of  keen  wit.  To  my  great  delight,  I  learned  that 
several  of  these  gentlemen  are  trustees  of  the  col- 
lege, Mr.  James  Talbott,  who  is  also  the  postmaster, 
Mr.  Rees  Hardesty,  a  cabinet  maker,  a  sturdy  citizen 
of  great  worth,  and  president  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees, Capt.  W.  H.  Thornburgh,  the  most  enterprising 
business  man  of  the  town  and  a  man  of  taste,  as  I 
soon  discovered  in  our  conversation,  and  Dr.  A.  C. 
Stevenson. 

Dr.  Stevenson,  who  is  a  tall,  dignified  gentleman 
is,  I  learned  later  from  Col.  Lynch,  a  physician  of 
prominence  and  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  sought 
this  state  because  of  his  opposition  to  slavery.  He 
conversed  with  me  most  entertainingly  on  the  sub- 
ject of  education  in  the  West,  in  which  because,  per- 
haps, of  my  acquaintance  with  Professor  Caleb 
Mills,  I  take  greater  interest  than  heretofore.  Dr. 
Stevenson  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  Asbury  College 


284    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  is,  as  is  Professor  Mills,  an  advocate  of  the 
establishment  of  free  schools,  in  which,  he  insists,  in 
addition  to  the  regular  curriculum,  training  should 
be  given  in  agriculture  and  the  mechanical  arts.  I 
learned,  too,  that  he  has  served  in  the  Legislature 
and  is  a  follower  and  great  admirer  of  Henry  Clay. 

Here  to  my  great  delight  I  heard  again  the  name 
of  Calvin  Fletcher,  who,  I  am  told,  is  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  College. 

From  these  gentlemen  I  learned  something  of  the 
establishment  of  the  College,  which  is  named  for  the 
celebrated  pioneer  bishop,  Francis  Asbury.  An- 
other bishop,  Bishop  Roberts,  has  been  most  active 
in  its  founding,  and  most  deeply  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  sacrifice,  since,  'tis  said,  he  gave  out  of  his 
salary  of  $200  a  year  $100  to  the  new  institution. 

It  has  been  many  weeks  since  I  left  my  friend, 
Louis  Hicklin,  the  circuit  rider,  whose  society  I  had 
enjoyed  so  greatly  in  the  early  part  of  my  journey 
and  from  whom  I  had  learned  so  much  of  the  spirit 
of  these  circuit  riders,  one  of  whom  was  described 
to  me  as  ''a  man  of  iron  frame  who  traveled  the 
district  from  Bloomington  to  Crawfordsville,  who 
could  swim  rivers  and  climb  mountains  to  reach  his 
appointment,  and  who  died  as  he  lived,  full  of  faith 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  now  again  I  was  come 
among  them  and  was  to  hear  the  story  of  their 
carrying  the  tidings  of  this  new  school  far  and  wide 
among  the  people  of  their  appointments. 

These  men  had  felt,  as  did  the  young  Presbyterian 
missionaries  in  Montgomery  County,  the  need  of  a 
higher  institution  of  learning  in  the  Western  coun- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    285 

try,  and  accordingly  three  of  their  ministers,  Calvin 
Ruter,  Allen  Wiley,  of  whom  I  had  heard  much  in 
Indianapolis,  and  James  Armstrong,  were  requested, 
in  1832,  to  report  at  the  Conference  on  the  advisa- 
bility of  establishing  a  higher  school  of  learning  to 
furnish  its  people  with  both  intellectual  training  and 
the  means  for  spiritual  growth. 

When  the  establishment  of  such  an  institution 
was  agreed  upon,  several  towns  were  competitors 
for  the  site,  Putnamville,  Rockville,  Madison,  In- 
dianapolis, Lafayette  and  Greencastle,  and  a  very 
large  subscription  was  offered  by  Putnamville  in 
particular,  but  Greencastle  having  presented  the 
largest  subscription,  was  the  site  selected.  At  this 
time,  the  population  of  the  town  numbered  but  500. 
The  College,  these  gentlemen  informed  me,  was 
opened  at  first  on  a  very  small  scale,  in  an  old  school 
building,  but  last  September  the  first  regular  faculty 
entered  upon  the  duty  of  teaching  in  the  new  build- 
ing, with  eleven  students  enrolled. 

I  bade  good  night  to  these  new-found  friends  who, 
in  our  few  hours '  intercourse  had  shown  me  such 
courtesy  that  I  consider  myself  justified  in  calling 
them  friends,  and  sought  my  bed,  but  I  could  not 
sleep.  All  the  while  these  gentlemen  were  talking 
of  the  College  I  had  been  trying  to  remember  some- 
thing which  had  some  connection  with  this  school, 
and  which  I  should  remember.  And  all  at  once  it 
came  back  to  me. 

On  the  day  in  Brookville  which  I  spent  with  young 
Mr.  Shirk,  one  of  the  most  delightful  days  of  my 
entire  experience,  he  had  told  me  of  a  young  friend 


286    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

of  his  who  was  in  Greencastle  attending  Asbury  Col- 
lege, one  Tom  Goodwin,  he  had  called  him,  who 
would  graduate  in  September,  and  he  had  urged  me 
to  seek  him  out  if  by  chance  I  should  visit  Green- 
castle. Goodwin !  The  name  recalled,  I  determined 
to  seek  him  out  early  in  the  morning. 

The  next  day  chanced  to  be  Saturday,  and  on  in- 
quiring of  Col.  Lynch,  I  was  directed  to  the  house 
at  which  the  young  gentleman  is  boarding.  I  found 
him,  and,  moreover,  found,  him  all  that  my  friend, 
Mr.  Shirk,  had  described  him  to  be.  He  is  just  22, 
a  year  younger  than  I;  born  in  Brookville,  but  of 
Virginia  descent;  he  is  tall,  slender,  with  very  keen 
eyes,  and  a  manner  which  I  have  learned  char- 
acterizes the  Hoosiers,  as  they  sometimes  call  them- 
selves, of  high  degree;  a  free  and  easy  manner, 
though  with  no  tincture  of  familiarity;  a  most  en- 
gaging warm-heartedness  and  interest  in  all  whom 
they  encounter;  a  natural  independence  of  manner 
and  thought — most  admirable  in  all  its  manifesta- 
tions. All  of  these  Mr.  Goodwin  possesses,  and  on 
hearing  my  story  and  of  my  visit  to  Brookville  and 
of  my  friendship  with  Mr.  Shirk,  he  again  shook  my 
hand  and  offered  himself  as  my  cicerone. 

Off  we  set  toward  the  College,  for  it  was  a  sight 
of  it  that  I  most  wished  for  at  this  moment,  Mr. 
Goodwin  enlivening  our  walk  by  congratulating  me 
on  making  my  journey  in  warm  and  dry  weather. 
''Better  be  glad  that  this  is  not  a  rainy  day,"  he 
said.  ' '  Do  you  see  that  gully  ?  It  looks  bad  enough 
now,  but  when  it  has  been  raining  for  a  week  or 
more,  and  the  water  is  rushing  along,  digging  it 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    287 

deeper  and  deeper,  and  you  have  to  balance  your- 
self along  this  bridge,  if  it  is  not  broken  down,  or  if 
it  is,  on  a  log  or  two  that  some  kind-hearted  person 
has  laid  across,  and  if  your  boots  are  so  heavy  with 
the  mud  gathered  up  on  the  streets  that  you  can't 
calculate  how  and  where  to  set  them  down,  and  may 
slip,  for  as  the  old  janitor  says,  *  hit's  powerful 
slippery  mud,'  then  you  can  imagine  that  going  to 
college  or  at  least  going  to  the  college  building,  is 
pursuing  learning  under  difficulties. 

''Speaking  of  mud,"  ho  continued,  "would  you 
like  to  hear  of  my  first  journey  to  this  institution!" 
And  when  I  assented,  he  continued:  "An  agent  of 
the  college  came  to  Brookville  and  induced  my 
father  to  buy  a  scholarship,  so  in  November,  three 
years  ago,  I  set  out  by  stage  from  Brookville  to 
Greencastle.  You  haven't  seen  our  roads  in  winter 
and  w^et  weather,  so  you  can  have  no  idea  what  they 
are  like. 

"I  left  Brookville  Wednesday  at  noon,  expecting 
to  reach  Greencastle  by  Friday  night.^ 

"We  should  have  known  better,  for  it  had  been 
raining  for  two  weeks.  However,  with  high  hopes, 
I  left  home  in  a  two-horse  coach  in  which  my  fellow 
passenger  and  I  traveled  for  seventeen  miles.  It 
took  us  several  hours  to  travel  this  distance,  and  at 
that  point  we  learned  that  the  stage  to  Indianapolis 
had  been  taken  off  on  account  of  the  roads,  and  that 
we  must  transfer  ourselves  to  a  two-horse  wagon 
without  cover  or  springs. 

^Tlie  distance  to  be  traveled  was  one  hundred  and  ten  miles, — 
Editor. 


288    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

*' Fifty-three  miles  stretched  between  us  and  In- 
dianapolis, but  as  we  started  before  daylight  Thurs- 
day morning,  the  driver  assured  me  that  we  would 
reach  there  by  ten  that  night— in  time  for  me  to 
catch  the  stage  to  Putnamville. 

*'It  rained  all  day,  and  the  roads  grew  worse  and 
worse.  The  corduroy  was  floating  like  a  bridge. 
Creeks  and  rivers  were  bank  full,  and  no  bridges. 
Night  came  on,  dark  as  pitch,  and  we  with  no  man- 
ner of  light,  and  at  last — our  wagon  broke  down, 
stuck  in  a  mud  hole. 

''The  driver  finally  decided  that  he  would  ride 
one  horse,  carrying  my  trunk  before  him,  while  the 
other  passenger,  who  was  the  agent  of  the  stage 
line,  would  ride  the  other,  with  the  mail  pouch  be- 
fore him  and  me  behind.  In  this  manner,  we 
reached  Indianapolis  at  11  o'clock  Thursday,  too 
late  for  the  coach,  which  meant  chat  I  must  spend 
all  the  next  day  and  till  10  o'clock  at  night,  in 
Indianapolis. 

"We  started  for  Putnamville  the  next  night,  to 
find  the  mud  even  worse  than  before.  In  fact,  there 
was  more  water  than  mud  from  Brookville  to  In- 
dianapolis, while  this  was  mud  deep  and  stiff,  and 
in  a  little  while,  at  midnight,  in  fact,  we — the  eleven 
passengers,  two  of  them  females,  found  ourselves 
stuck  in  a  mudhole.  Out  we  got — the  men  I  mean — 
and  pried  the  coach  out  of  the  mud,  then  on  again, 
repeating  this  process  many  times.  One  took  rails 
from  a  fence  and  constructed  a  corduroy,  and  the 
driver,  pleased  with  our  inventiveness,  suggested 
that  we  take  more  rails  and  carry  them  on  two  hun- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    289 

dred  yards  and  more  to  another  mudhole  which  was 
worse  than  this.  At  this,  one  of  our  passengers,  a 
merchant  who  had  been  East  for  goods,  and  who  had 
led  the  rescue  party,  informed  the  driver  in  profane 
language  that  while  he  did  not  mind  paying  his 
passage  and  Avalking,  he'd  see  him  hanged  before 
he  would  carry  rails  and  walk. 

*'In  spite  of  all  this,  we  finally  came  to  Putnam- 
ville,  which,  you  may  have  learned,  is  on  the  Na- 
tional Road.  What?  No?"  He  made  a  gesture 
of  mock  surprise.  ''Oh,  yes,  you  haven't  yet  been 
to  Putnamville.  "When  you  pass  through  that  settle- 
ment, if  you  stop  long  enough,  you  mil  hear  just 
such  laments  as  I  did  over  the  stupidity  of  the  peo- 
ple who  would  locate  a  seat  of  justice  and  a  college 
in  a  towTi  that  is  not  on  the  National  Road.  My 
inn-keeper  informed  me  that  there  was  no  stage  to 
Greencastle,  and  that  my  only  way  of  getting  there 
would  be  to  wait  till  Sunday,  when,  for  the  sum  of 
$2,  he  would  convey  me  and  my  trunk  thither  in  his 
two-horse  wood  wagon,  and  wait  I  did.  And  while 
I  waited,  I  heard  again  and  again  the  lament  over 
the  stupidity  of  people  who  would  locate  a  college 
off  the  National  Road,  in  such  an  out-of-the-way 
town  as  Greencastle,  which  would  never  amount  to 
anything  anyway,  being  off  the  National  Road, 
whereas  Putnamville  has  all  the  advantages  of  loca- 
tion and  business.  And  so  on,  until  I  reached 
Greencastle  and  stilled  his  laments  with  my  $2." 

I  had  not  laughed  so  much  since  the  day  that  Mr. 
Shirk  and  I  sat  on  our  horses  outside  the  country 
church  and  conjured  up  a  vision  of  the  early  set- 


290    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

tiers.  There  is  something  most  humorous  about 
this  Goodwin,  and  anything  he  tells  he  knows  how 
to  invest  with  interest.  He  has,  too,  a  most  con- 
vincing manner. 

We  had  by  now  come  within  the  high  board  fence 
which  incloses  the  college  grounds,  and  beheld  the 
campus,  on  which  there  is  little  shrubbery,  only  a 
few  locusts  and  other  forest  trees.  The  building  I 
viewed  with  much  interest.  It  is  constructed  of 
brick,  with  a  hall  through  the  middle,  recitation 
rooms  on  either  side,  and  a  chapel  in  the  rear,  with 
an  elevated  platform.  Recitation  rooms  are  on  the 
second  floor ;  on  the  third,  museums,  the  library  and 
the  meeting  rooms  for  the  two  literary  societies, 
concerning  which  I  inquired  with  some  interest. 
They  are  called,  he  informed  me.  The  Platonian  and 
The  Philological,  and  their  purpose  is  to  improve 
the  young  men  in  public  speaking,  and  also  to 
familiarize  them  with  the  forms  of  transactions  of 
most  deliberative  assemblies.  An  attic  occupies  the 
fourth  floor,  and  there  is  a  cupola,  but,  as  yet,  no 
bell. 

''This  is  not  the  building  I  saw  the  day  after  my 
arrival,"  said  Mr.  Goodwin,  ''and  I  wasn't  even 
sure  I  would  find  any  building,  after  what  the  tavern 
keeper  said  to  me.  When  I  asked  where  the  college 
was  he  replied,  'I  don't  know  for  certain.  It  was, 
last  summer,  at  the  district  school  house,  but  I  have 
hearn  that  they  have  moved  it  to  the  County 
Seminary.  Be  you  come  to  go  to  it?  You'll  not 
find  it  much  of  a  university,  I  reckon. ' 

"However,  I  went  to  church  the  next  morning,  in 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    291 

my  Sunday  suit  of  blue  jeans,  and  sunnnoning  cour- 
age to  introduce  myself  to  the  minister,  afterwards, 
I  received  a  warm  reception,  for  I  was  the  first  stu- 
dent who  had  come  from  outside  the  to^vn. 
Reverend  James  Thompson  was  the  preacher,  and 
he  called  out,  'Hold!  Stop,  brothers!  Here, 
Brother  Dangerfield,  Brother  Thornburgh,  Brother 
Cooper,  Brother  Hardesty,  Brother  Nutt,  here  is 
Brother  Tommy  Goodwin  come  all  the  way  from 
Brookville  to  attend  the  institution!'  And  then, 
sir ;  you  ought  to  have  seen  the  handshaking  I  got. ' ' 

Having  expressed  a  desire  to  examine  the  College 
Catalogue,  and  make  some  notations  in  my  book,  as 
I  did  of  the  Wabash  College,  Mr.  Goodwin  procured 
me  one,  from  which  I  have  set  down  the  following : 

The  course  of  study  for  the  Freshman  year  is 
Sallust  and  Roman  Antiquities ;  Graeca  Minora  and 
Algebra,  continuing  into  the  second  session  with 
Cicero  and  Horace,  Graeca  Majora  and  Legendre's 
Geometry. 

The  Sophomore  year  embraces  Horace,  Tacitus 
and  Juvenal,  Graeca  Majora,  Trigonometry  and 
x\nalytical  Geometry,  continuing  in  the  Junior  year 
into  Calculus,  Ancient  and  Modern  History,  Chemis- 
try, Rhetoric  and  Logic. 

In  the  Senior  year,  Natural  Philosophy  is  con- 
tinued from  the  second  session  of  the  Junior  year, 
Geology  is  taken  up.  Mental  Philosophy,  Political 
Economy,  the  Law  of  Nations,  Paley's  Theology, 
Moral  Science  and  Evidences  of  Christianity.  Par- 
ticular attention  is  paid,  I  noted,  to  composition  and 
declamation,  and  the  seniors  are  regularly  exercised 


292    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

in  f orensics.  I  noted,  as  of  particular  interest,  that 
instruction  will  be  furnished,  if  desired,  in  the 
Hebrew,  French  and  German  languages,  ''when 
either  the  inclination  of  the  student  or  his  peculiar 
destination  may  render  them  desirable." 

The  collegiate  year  embraces  two  sessions  or 
terms  of  twenty-one  weeks  each,  the  winter  session 
commencing  the  first  Monday  in  November,  after  a 
vacation  of  six  weeks,  the  commencement  exercises 
being  held  in  September.  The  tuition  per  term  is 
$12,  $7  more  than  the  tuition  at  the  Wabash  College, 
the  boarding  in  private  families  the  same — $1.50  a 
week.  The  discipline  is  announced  as  mild  but  firm, 
and  parents  and  guardians  are  requested  not  to 
furnish  funds  to  the  students,  but  to  place  the  money 
in  the  hands  of  some  member  of  the  faculty  or  some 
other  citizen,  giving  specific  directions  as  to  what 
amount  shall  be  furnished  except  for  necessary  ex- 
penses— a  quarterly  exhibit  to  be  sent  to  parents 
containing  items  of  the  accounts.  There  are  about 
120  students,  all  told,  in  the  college  at  this  time. 

The  other  members  of  the  senior  class  I  met 
through  Mr.  Goodwin.  One  of  them,  Mr.  John 
Wheeler,  is  an  Englishman,  a  young  gentleman  of 
25,  with  all  the  English  characteristics.  Mr. 
Madden,  the  other  member,  is  a  Kentuckian,  just 
Mr.  Goodwin's  age,  and  possessed  of  the  ardent 
temperament  of  the  Southerner.  Mr.  Goodwin  I' 
have  already  described,  and  the  three  present  a  most 
interesting  contrast. 

To  Mr.  Goodwin  I  owe  also  my  acquaintance  with 
some  members  of  the  faculty.     The  next  day  was 


>    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    293 

Sunday,  and  he  informed  me  that  Dr.  Simpson,^  the 
President  of  the  College,  was  to  preach  on  that  day, 
at  the  Methodist  Church,  and  that  it  would  be  well 
worth  my  while  to  accompany  him  thither.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  went  with  him  to  the  little  one-story 
brick  church  with  its  one  coat  of  plastering  and  its 
rude  benches,  where,  in  primitive  fashion,  the  men 
sat  on  one  side  of  the  room,  the  women  on  the  other. 

Perhaps  I  was  a  little  more  affected  than  I  wish 
to  admit  by  the  pioneer  aspect  of  my  surroundings ; 
the  rough  church,  the  simple  and,  in  many  cases, 
poorly  dressed  congregation;  and  when  I  saw  Dr. 
Simpson  enter  the  pulpit,  this  very  young-looking 
man,  stooped,  with  a  shock  of  brown  hair  growing 
very  near  his  eyebrows,  clad  in  the  blue  jeans  of  the 
men  of  his  congregation  instead  of  the  clerical  black 
to  which  I  am  accustomed,  I  felt  great  disappoint- 
ment and  even  a  wonder  that  my  friend  should  have 
brought  me  here.  He  evidently  guessed  my  feeling, 
for,  catching  my  eye,  he  smiled  and  whispered, 
''Just  wait." 

The  hymn  was  sung,  a  hymn  in  which  all  joined, 
untutored  voices,  'tis  true,  but  so  full  of  faith  and 
hope  and  love  that  ere  I  knew  it,  my  eyes  were  moist, 
and  I  had  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  meeting. 
The  minister  made  the  prayer  and  read  the  lesson, 
and  then  Dr.  Simpson  stood  forth,  read  the  text, 
and  began  his  sermon.  And  had  I  thought  him  un- 
gainly and  rough  and  unprepossessing?  Had  I  pre- 
sumed to  sit  in  judg-ment  upon  this  god  among  men? 
Scarcely  had  he  begun  to  speak  than  he  took  on  a 

^  Later  to  become  the  celebrated  Bishop  Simpson. — Editor. 


294    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

new  expression,  his  eyes  burned,  his  face  wore  a 
look  of  unearthly  beauty.  And  his  voice ;  I  kept  no 
record  of  the  sermon,  even  the  text  has  slipped  my 
memory,  but  it  now  seems  to  me  that  whatever 
words  he  may  have  spoken,  had  they  been  in  Greek 
and  Hebrew  they  w^ould  have  had  the  same  effect,  it 
was  the  voice,  the  manner,  that  swayed  his  audience. 
For  swayed  the  audience  was  by  this  pathos,  this 
power.  One  moment,  a  hush  like  death  rested  over 
them,  the  next  moment  their  shouted  '' Amens'*  rose 
to  the  heavens.  Never,  never  have  I  seen  such  a 
sight. 

And  this  young  man,  so  Mr.  Goodwin  told  me 
later,  has  ever  this  effect.  Always  at  first,  the  dis- 
appointment over  his  youth,  his  shyness,  his  home- 
liness, always  the  triumph  of  his  spoken  word. 

Dr.  Simpson,  I  learned  later,  is  a  native  of  Cadiz, 
0.,  and  is  just  29  years  old.  He  came  here  last  year 
from  Allegheny  College,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching.  His  motto,  inscribed  in  all  his  books,  is 
''Read  and  know.     Think  and  be  wise." 

It  was  with  great  regret  that  I  parted  from 
young  Mr.  Goodwin,  but  I  wished  to  spend  a  day 
in  Putnamville,  which  from  all  accounts  is  one  of  the 
most  flourishing  towns  in  this  region,  with  a  beauti- 
ful situation  on  the  National  Road.  I  was  directed 
by  friends  to  the  tavern  kept  by  James  Townsend, 
and  never  was  a  more  happy  direction  given  a 
traveler. 

Mr.  Townsend  is  known  as  the  proprietor  of 
Putnamville,  for  he  it  was  who  laid  out  this  thriving 
town.     Having  inclinations  toward   civil   engineer- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    295 

ing,  he  had  already  laid  out  the  town  of  Morganfield, 
Ky.,  to  which  he  had  gone  from  his  native  Mary- 
land, before  coming  here.  In  his  society,  I  found 
myself  quite  at  home,  and  yet,  his  attitude  toward 
some  of  the  questions  of  the  hour  gave  me  food  for 
thought.  Mr.  TowTisend  is  a  man  of  50.  He  lived, 
as  I  have  said,  in  Maryland  and  left  it  for  Kentucky, 
leaving  Kentucky  for  this  state  because  of  his  feel- 
ing against  slavery.  He  owned  a  large  number  of 
slaves,  so  he  told  me,  and  on  preparing  to  leave  Ken- 
tucky, he  freed  them  all,  and  offered  to  bring  them 
North  with  him.  To  each  of  those  who  wished  to 
remain  behind,  he  made  a  present  of  $50  in  money; 
for  those  who  accompanied  him,  he  has  built  cabins, 
giving  each  a  home.  There  are  seven  of  these 
former  slaves,  and  when,  in  his  company,  I  visited 
them,  old  Grandmother  Sibley,  whom  he  had 
brought  out  from  Maryland;  Aunt  Hetty,  Uncle 
Tom,  it  turned  my  thoughts  toward  home.  And  yet, 
when  I  reflect  on  my  attitude  toward  this  question 
at  the  time  I  left  my  home  and  my  attitude  now, 
for  I  must  note  do^\Ti  here  that,  little  by  little,  the 
strong  convictions  of  Arnold  Buffum  and  Louis 
Hicklin  and  the  many  other  wise  and  honorable 
gentlemen  I  have  encountered  during  my  journey 
through  this  state  have  unconsciously  changed  my 
feeling  on  the  subject  of  slavery;  I  do  not  believe 
that  I  could  ^\dllingly  again  become  the  owner  of 
human  flesh  and  blood;  and  I  am  convinced  that 
this,  more  than  any  other  one  thing,  has  made  me 
wish  to  cast  my  lot  in  the  new  country. 

Mr.  Townsend's  wife  is  also  a  Southern  woman, 


296    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

and  we  found  many  subjects  for  conversation,  for 
she  has  visited  widely  and  knows  many  of  my 
mother's  friends.  I  learned  that  she  is  a  cousin  of 
Jefferson  Davis,  whom  I  had  met  while  on  a  visit 
only  last  year. 

Putnamville  is,  I  believe,  one  of  the  most  flourish- 
ing towns  it  has  been  my  fortune  to  visit,  and 
through  the  kind  offices  of  Mr.  Townsend  I  have  met 
many  of  the  respectable  citizens  and  have  seen  most 
of  its  industries,  remarkable  in  number  and  variety, 
it  would  seem,  for  a  town  only  nine  years  old.  The 
National  Road,  here  in  a  very  good  condition,  is  a 
most  interesting  spectacle,  with  its  red  stage 
coaches,  passing  frequently ;  its  barns,  for  the  horses 
are  always  changed  here,  the  wagons  pushing  on  to 
the  West;  the  ^'movers,"  the  merchants  with  their 
goods,  a  continual  stream  of  travel  from  sunrise  to 
sunset.  All  this  activity  brings  business  to  the 
town,  so  its  many  industries  are,  after  all,  not  such 
a  matter  for  surprise,  but  I  continue  to  wonder 
at  the  aggregation  of  men  of  fine  education  and 
excellent  family  who  have  gathered  into  this 
place. 

In  company  with  Mr.  Townsend  I  met  Worthing- 
ton  B.  Williams,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College, 
who  came  here  from  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  to  look 
after  lands  bought  by  his  father  and  who  owns  a 
store  of  general  merchandise  and  is  a  man  highly 
respected  in  the  community;  John  Hendrix,  who 
came  here  from  Kentucky  to  set  up  a  sawmill  and 
gristmill;  John  S.  Perry  and  Amos  Welker,  each 
the  proprietor  of  a  pottery;  William  Eaglesfield,  a 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    297 

keeper  of  a  tavern  at  Deer  Creek ;  Dan  Hepler,  who 
owns  a  flourisliing  distillery;  Jack  Clark,  a  carpen- 
ter and  owTier  of  a  store  of  merchandise;  Mr. 
Smock,  a  merchant  of  prominence;  Mr.  Griggsby, 
a  very  intelligent  man,  the  proprietor  of  a  harness 
and  saddlery  shop,  one  of  the  most  important  call- 
ings here,  'tis  said,  on  account  of  the  large  amount 
of  travel  along  the  road  and  necessary  repairs  to 
harness,  etc. ;  Wesley  Nance,  a  stock  dealer  and  large 
farmer;  the  proprietors  of  two  tanneries,  whose 
names  I  failed  to  set  down  in  my  commonplace  book 
and  hence  can  not  reproduce  here ;  Gilmore  Connelly 
and  Flower  Swift,  both  of  whom  are  proprietors  of 
large  holdings  along  the  National  Road  and  citizens 
of  importance;  Mr.  Chapin;  Benjamin  Parks,  a 
Baptist  minister  and  farmer  from  North  Carolina; 
and  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  founded 
in  Mr.  Townsend's  home,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ransom 
Hawley,  who,  with  his  wife,  came  out  from  Con- 
necticut, where  they  had  been  prominent  edu- 
cators. 

I  met  also  the  proprietor  of  another  store  and  a 
tailor  shop,  Albert  Layman,  a  most  interesting 
gentleman,  whose  wife  I  found  a  charming  female 
from  the  East,  a  graduate,  she  tells  me,  of  a  female 
college  recently  founded  there  by  Miss  Mary  Lyon. 
Her  father,  I  learn,  is  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  New  York.^ 

Ever  to  live  in  my  memory  are  the  hours  I  spent 
in  company  with  Mr.  ToAvnsend's  son-in-law.  Dr.  D. 

'Judge  Estea  Howe.  The  college  referred  to  was  !Mount  Holyoke. 
—Editor. 


298    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

W.  Layman,*  wliose  society  I  found  most  congenial 
and  wliose  story,  lie  told  me  as  we  sat  pleasantly 
together  on  his  porcli  in  the  evening. 

The  sun  had  set  behind  the  forest  trees  on  the 
horizon,  and  the  twilight  was  gathering  around  us, 
and  from  the  parlor  came  the  tinkling  notes  of  the 
spinet  which  Mrs.  Layman's  father  had  purchased 
from  her  French  teacher  in  Kentucky  and  had 
brought  with  him  to  Putnamville.  The  atmosphere 
breathed  romance,  and  as  I  listened  to  this  story  of 
the  National  Road,  and  of  the  accidents  by  which 
love  comes,  told  in  his  gentle  voice,  with  the  notes  of 
the  spinet  struck  at  intervals,  almost  as  an  accom- 
paniment, I  was  moved  to  wonder  if  I,  too,  was 
destined  in  my  wanderings  to  some  such  happy  fate ! 

''I  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,"  said  he,  **and  be- 
ing early  left  an  orphan  was  reared  by  relatives  in 
Augusta  County,  Virginia.  At  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  I  received  my  education,  I  formed 
a  warm  friendship  with  a  young  gentleman  who 
came  out  to  Terre  Haute,  and  who  wrote  repeatedly, 
urging  me  to  come  to  him  as  soon  as  I  had  completed 
my  medical  course. 

"Accordingly,  one  day,  driving  my  faithful  horse 
and  carrying  all  my  worldly  possessions,  I  set  out 
over  the  National  Road  for  Terre  Haute. 

''My  first  unusual  experience  was  at  Zanesville, 
0.,  where  I  encountered  an  epidemic  of  typhoid 
fever,  and  remained  for  a  week  to  assist  in  the  care 

*  Father  of  Mr.  James  T.  Layman  of  Indianapolis.  After  a  long 
and  most  successful  career  in  Putnamville,  Dr.  Layman  died  in 
Indianapolis  in  1887  and  is  buried  at  Crown  Hill.— Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    299 

of  the  stricken.  Tliey  besought  me  to  remain 
permanently,  and  'tis  tnie,  the  location  offered 
many  inducements,  but  something  pushed  me  on.  I 
refused  their  pleadings,  and  turned  my  face  toward 
the  West. 

*'It  was  nightfall  when  I  came  through  Putnam- 
ville,  and  just  as  I  reached  Mr.  Townsend's  inn  my 
horse  fell  lame  and  I  must  perforce  dismount  fix)m 
my  vehicle  and  remain  until  he  had  recovered.  'Tis 
a  matter  of  nine  years  now,  and  from  a  lad  of  your 
age  I  have  come  to  be  thirty-two — the  horse  is  long 
since  over  his  lameness,  and  I  am  still  here ! 

''The  reason!  Mr.  Townsend  had  a  daughter  just 
seventeen,  and  the  next  morning  after  my  arrival 
I  beheld  her  for  the  first  time.  She  was  pressing 
grapes,  all  unconscious  of  my  scrutiny,  and  when  I 
saw  her  lovely,  serene  face,  her  air  of  gentle  dignity, 
I  resolved  that  if  the  fates  were  kind,  she  should  be 
mine,  and  I  would  remain  in  Putnamville ! " 

He  paused,  and  we  sat  in  silence  for  a  season, 
pondering  over  who  knows  what — life,  youth,  love  I 

From  him  and  from  others  I  have  learned  much 
of  the  life  and  the  work  of  this  admirable  man.  His 
only  ambition  is  in  the  line  of  his  profession,  for 
he  puts  his  work  above  all  else,  and  such  is  his  popu- 
larity that  no  other  physician  can  gain  a  footing  in 
this  locality.  His  calls  are  so  many  that  he  keeps 
four  horses  always  in  his  stable,  dri^ang  them  in  the 
summer  and  riding  horseback  in  the  winter  when  the 
mud  makes  the  roads  impassable  for  vehicles.  He 
could  have  won  political  preferment.  I  am  told  he 
was  urged  to  accept  the  nomination  for  Congress 


300    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

four  years  ago,  but  refused  to  sacrifice  his  pro- 
fession to  politics.  He  is  interested  in  politics,  how- 
ever, for  we  liave  discussed  the  campaign  fre- 
quently, and  he  has  told  me  that  he  was  once  a 
Democrat,  but  because  of  his  dislike  for  Andrew 
Jackson  has  become  an  ardent  Whig,  and  that  he 
particularly  admires  Gen.  Harrison. 

Mrs.  Layman  I  found  as  lovely  as  he  had  pictured 
her,  a  convent-bred  girl  of  intelligence  and  charm. 
It  is  with  deep  regret  that  I  part  from  these 
friends,  who  recall  so  vividly  the  atmosphere  of 
my  home,  and  set  my  face  toward  Terre  Haute. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Teree  Haute,  July  16,  1840. 

LEAVING  Putnamville,  charged  by  Dr.  Layman 
with  many  messages  for  his  friend  in  Terre 
Haute,  and  thanking  the  providence  that  had 
guided  my  footsteps  among  such  delightful  ac- 
quaintances, I  found  myself  in  the  stage  coach,  again 
on  the  National  Road,  on  which  I  had  not  been  since 
arriving  in  Indianapolis.  This  last  stretch  of  road 
toward  the  state 's  western  boundary  was  under  con- 
struction during  last  year  and  the  year  before,  and 
is  in  fairly  good  condition.  There  are  some  excel- 
lent bridges  with  stone  abutments  across  small 
streams,  and  a  notably  long  one,  the  yellow  bridge, 
just  before  one  arrives  in  Terre  Haute.  There  are 
many  inns  along  the  way,  in  Clay  County,  Ken- 
nedy's, and,  in  a  delightful  situation,  upon  a  hill, 
Cunningham  Tavern,  which  last  named  is  fixed  in 
my  memory  because  it  stands  just  opposite  a  most 
beautiful  homestead  erected  by  a  Mr.  Usher  just  two 
years  ago,  I  was  informed,  and  which  is  considered 
the  finest  dwelling  house  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

I  had  not  been  long  in  the  stage  coach  before 
noting  the  physiognomy  of  the  gentleman  who  was 
my  vis-a-vis.  There  was  something  strangely 
familiar  in  that  noble  face,  the  finely  curved  mouth, 
the  strong  chin,  whose  squareness  was  but  empha- 

301 


302    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

sized  by  its  cleaving  dimple.  When  he  smiled  and 
spoke,  I  recognized  his  voice  at  once;  he  was  a 
clerical  gentleman,  a  Methodist  minister,  whom  I 
had  met  briefly  in  Indianapolis,  at  the  home  of 
Morris  Morris,  the  Rev.  Allen  Wylie. 

Mr.  Wylie  had  recognized  me  immediately,  he 
said,  and  had  been  waiting  to  see  if  I  would  remem- 
ber him.  We  talked  most  pleasantly  of  Indian- 
apolis, and  of  our  friends,  and  then  he  disclosed  to 
me  that  he  was  going  on  to  attend  the  closing  days 
of  a  camp  meeting,  and  suggested  that  if  I  had  no 
great  reason  for  haste,  I  would  find  it  well  worth  my 
while  to  bear  him  company  thither. 

Needless  to  say  that  I  accepted  his  invitation  at 
once.  I  had  heard  much  of  these  camp  meetings, 
for  this  was  the  season  in  which  they  are  held.  I 
was  aware  that  this  peculiar  style  of  worship  be- 
longs to  the  Methodists,  and  I  felt  considerable 
curiosity  concerning  them  and  was  well  aware  how 
pleasant  it  would  be  to  visit  one  in  company  with  a 
man  of  the  prominence  of  Mr.  Wylie.  As  we  rode 
forward,  he  gave  me  much  information  concerning 
the  church  and  its  practices. 

This  state,  it  seems,  is  divided  into  districts  called 
Conferences.  At  intervals,  gatherings  known  as 
Conferences  are  held  quarterly.  The  camp  meetings 
are  always  held  in  the  summer,  and  take  the  place 
of  the  Conference  for  that  quarter.  They  are 
largely  attended,  many  eloquent  divines  are  present, 
and  Mr.  Wylie  assures  me  that  they  are  occasions  of 
great  spiritual  outpouring,  and  conducive  to  great 
moral   and   spiritual  good.    Unlike   the   other   re- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    303 

ligious  gatherings  I  have  heard  of  or  beheld  in  this 
state,  the  debates  between  those  of  opposite  sects, 
for  example,  there  are  here*  no  controversies,  only 
exhortations  to  repentance,  a  continuous  effort  to 
bring  the  sheep  into  the  fold.  There  is,  Mr.  AVylie 
declares,  a  great  need  of  such  meetings,  because 
there  is,  in  this  state,  a  class  of  well-disposed  peo- 
ple who  have  grown  up  witho-ut  much  religious  in- 
struction, and  children  of  families  who  have  run 
wild  in  pursuit  of  pleasures  of  the  world,  and  toward 
these  their  efforts  are  mainly  directed.  Then,  the 
occasion  is  one  to  strengthen  the  faith  of  those  al- 
ready w^ithin  the  fold,  a  time  when,  undistracted  by 
either  duties  or  pleasures,  they  may  give  themselves 
altogether  to  worship,  and  renew  their  spiritual 
strength  from  the  Eternal  Fountain. 

All  this  is  altogether  new  and  unlike  anything  to 
which  I  have  been  accustomed,  and  yet  I  am  aware 
that  a  new  life  and  new  conditions  may  perhaps 
demand  a  new  form  of  worship  and,-  while  anything 
so  far  from  the  conventions  among  which  I  have 
been  reared  was,  I  will  admit,  on  my  first  coming 
hither,  somewhat  repugnant  to  me,  I  have  now 
breathed  sufficiently  the  Western  air,  acquired  suf- 
ficiently the  Western  habit  of  thought,  to  be  fain  to 
see  somew^hat  of  truth  in  what  he  told  me.  Mayhap, 
too,  I  was  the  more  readily  become  a  convert  be- 
cause of  his  eloquence,  for  he  spoke  the  most 
quaintly  and  yet  withal  most  wisely  and  convinc- 
ingly. I  had  already  \\4tnessed  it,  and  I  was  again 
to  observe  at  this  camp  meeting,  that,  while  these 
circuit  riders  are  not,  in  the  main,  educated  men, 


304    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

yet  they  have  studied  the  Scriptures  so  thoroughly, 
that  their  speech,  even  their  common  conversation, 
is  almost  altogether  that  of  the  Word — simple,  most 
convincing,  often  poetical  beyond  belief.  Yea,  I 
have  heard  prayers — ^but  I  anticipate. 

We  left  the  stage  at  some  wayside  tavern,  sending 
on  my  bags  to  Terre  Haute,  and  rode  some  distance 
on  horseback,  penetrating  deeper  and  deeper  as  we 
rode  into  the  primeval  forest.  I  thought,  as  I  rode 
under  these  noble  trees,  centuries  old,  erect  as 
marble  columns,  their  heavy  branches  arching  over 
us,  and  came  at  last  into  the-  oijening  chosen  for  the 
**camp  grounds,"  as  they  are  called,  that  I  had 
never  seen  a  more  beautiful  spot  nor  one  more  ap- 
propriate for  such  worship.  The  camp  was  pitched 
on  a  gentle  declivity  covered  with  a  large  growth 
of  trees,  but  no-  underbrush,  and  from  a  neighboring 
spring  a  little  stream  rippled,  providing  water  in 
plenty  for  all  purposes  of  the  encampment. 

In  this  spot,  a  hollow  square  wa^  laid  out,  the 
inner  side  of  which  formed  the  front  row  of  tents. 
About  midway  on  the  lower  side  of  this  square,  a 
little  in  front  of  the  line  of  tents,  was  erected  the 
preacher's  stand  or  pulpit,  in  the  rear  of  which  was 
a  tent  which  served  as  a  sort  of  vestry  room  for  the 
ministers.  From  this  point  tents  were  put  up  in 
the  form  of  lines  fronting  together,  the  rows  being 
left  with  proper  entrance  openings  at  the  corners 
of  the  main  avenues.  The  cooking,  I  learned  later, 
was  done  in  the  rear  of  the  tents,  where  also  the 
meals  were  eaten.  In  front  of  the  preaching  stand 
were  log  seats  for  the  congregation. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIAN^  IN  1840    305 

By  day  one  was  impressed  by  the  forest  depth  and 
stillness,  the  arches  of  the  great  trees,  the  slanting 
rays  of  sunlight  on  the  thick  turf;  by  night,  in  the 
light  of  the  candles  thrust  into  bolts  driven  in  the 
trees  and  of  beacons  kindled  on  mounds  built  up,  not 
unlike  altars,  at  frequent  intervals  without  and 
within  the  grounds,  the  heavy  shadows  throwing 
into  strong  relief  the  rapt  faces  of  the  congregation, 
one  could  but  long  for  the  brush  of  the  artist,  since 
words  alone  could  ne'er  depict  the  scene.  I  be- 
thought me  of  the  lines  of  our  native  American  poet, 
"William  Cullen  Bryant,  which  I  had  read  many 
times  with  pleasure,  but  which  I  now  recalled  with 
true  appreciation.  He  must  have  witnessed  some 
such  scene  as  this,  or  he  could  ne'er  have  written 
so  feelingly  of  ''God's  First  Temples,"  these  groves 
where — 

" — in  the  darkling  wood, 
Amid  the  cool  and  silence,  he  knelt  down 
And  offered  to  the  Mightiest,  solemn  thanks 
And  supplication.     For  his  simple  heart 
Might  not  resist  the  sacred  influence — " 

These  backwoods  ministers  are  right  when  they 
choose  such  spots  as  this — among  these  **  venerable 
columns,"  ''this  verdant  roof,"  these  "dim  vaults," 
"these  winding  aisles,"  "fit  shrine  for  humble  wor- 
shiper to  hold  communion  with  his  Maker," 

There  was,  I  soon  learned,  a  rigid  program  for 
the  day,  which  is  strictly  followed  out.  I  was 
aroused  very  early,  our  first  morning,  by  a  loud 
voice,  the  voice  of  some  Brobdingnagian,  it  would 
seem,  for  surely  from  no  ordinary  mortal  throat 


306    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

could  such  a  voice  proceed,  and  obeying  Mr.  Wylie's 
beckoning  forefinger,  I  peered  tlirougb  the  tent  en- 
trance to  see,  in  the  preacher's  stand,  a  man  of 
ordinary  stature,  rather  uncouth  in  appearance,  clad 
in  blue  liomespun,  the  skirted  coat  enormously  long, 
reaching  indeed  almost  to  his  heels.  His  face  was 
upturned,  his  eyes  closed,  and  he  was  bellowing 
forth  a  song  which,  later,  with  Mr.  Wylie's  aid,  I 
recalled  sufficiently  to  inscribe  two  stanzas  in  my 
commonplace  book.  * '  Fishing  Peter ' '  was  its  name, 
and  the  stanzas  ran : 

"When  Christ  the  Lord  was  here  below, 

About  the  work  he  came  to  do, 

Before  He  left  His  little  band 

He  said  to  Peter,  'Feed  My  lambs.' 

*'But  Thomas  was  of  doubtful  mind, 
Yet  Jesus  left  him  not  behind. 
'Thomas,'  He  cried,  'behold  My  hands!' 
To  Simon  Peter,  'Feed  My  Iambs.'  " ' 

'Twas  fortunate  for  me  that  Mr.  Wylie,  although 
most  devout,  was  also  most  full  of  fun  and  life,  for 
he  therefore  has  told  me  the  amusing  sides  of  camp 
life  as  well  as  the  serious.  'Tis  usual,  he  says,  at 
the  meeting,  to  call  the  people  together,  to  indicate 
the  time  for  prayers,  for  meals,  for  all  down  sittings 
and  uprisings;  in  fact,  by  means  of  a  horn  hung 
in  the  speakers'  stand.  This  man,  he  said,  is  old 
Father  Bennett,  known  as  an  ''exhorter;"  that  is, 
not  a  licensed  preacher,  but  one  who  speaks  God's 
word  and  calls  the  sinners  to  repentance  at  various 

'  A  song  of  innumerable  stanzas  much  in  vogue  in  southern  Indiana 
in  the  forties  and  fifties. — Editor. 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    307 

religious  meetings.  He  possesses,  moreover,  this 
tremendous  voice,  and  'tis  his  pleasure,  when  he  at- 
tends a  camp  meeting,  to  sing  this  song,  a  favorite 
of  his,  Avith,  says  Mr.  Wylie,  innumerable  verses,  to 
call  the  people  together,  and  from  my  own  observa- 
tion 'twas  an  undoubted  success,  for  I  give  my  word 
'twas  heard  from  one  end  of  the  township  to  the 
other. 

Mr.  Wylie  told  me  many  other  things  which  I  have 
not  space  to  record — some  of  the  humors  of  the 
meeting — for  when  these  simple  people  are  over- 
come with  emotion  they  are  wont  sometimes  to  ex- 
press themselves  in  most  amusing  fashion,  and  to 
express  their  conversion  in  most  amazing  terms. 
One  young  man,  Mr.  Wylie  told  me,  insisted  that  no 
one  was  converted  until  he  could  smell  fire  and 
brimstone,  and  that  he  himself  smelt  it.  AVlien  the 
minister  assured  him  that  this  was  imagination,  and 
tried  to  turn  his  mind  toward  Christ,  he  declared 
that  he  did  and  that  no  one  could  be  truly  converted 
until  he  smelt  the  terrible  pit.  At  another  time,  a 
woman,  overcome  with  emotion,  kept  up  her  shout- 
ing throughout  the  night,  keeping  all  the  camp 
awake.  When  one  of  the  ministers  at  last  remon- 
strated with  her,  urging  her  to  save  herself  for  the 
morrow  and  be  quiet,  she  called  out,  ** Quiet? 
Quiet?  Ah,  brother,  if  I  were  to  keep  quiet  the 
very  stones  would  cry  out ! ' ' 

Many  amusing  and  many  serious  stories  he  told 
me,  and  explained  at  length  the  program  of  the 
camp  meeting. 

These  meetings,  he  explained,  usually  begin  on 


308    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  .1840 

Thursday,  this  being  the  day  of  pitching  the  tents, 
gathering  the  supply  of  wood,  arranging  the  lights, 
settling  the  families ;  by  night,  all  being  in  order,  a 
special  opening  service  is  held,  the  first  sermon 
preached  and  the  evening  concluded  with  a  brief 
prayer  meeting.  The  following  Tuesday  is  the  last 
day,  because,  he  explained,  ''the  true  time  to  ad- 
journ is  while  the  spirit  of  the  meeting  is  yet  in  its 
strength. ' ' 

No  liquor  is  allowed  on  the  grounds,  and  a  volun- 
teer police  of  young  men  of  good  family  and 
friendly  to  the  church  but  not  religiously  affected 
by  the  worship,  keep  guard  against  the  rowdies  who 
delight  in  disturbing  such  meetings  by  trying  to  pass 
within  the  lines,  untethering  horses,  pulling  down 
fences,  making  an  uproar  and  mimicking  sounds. 

In  the  morning,  the  horn  is  sounded  at  sunrise — 
or  in  this  case  Father  Bennett  sang — at  which  time 
all  are  to  rise;  half  an  hour  later  it  is  blown  for 
family  worship,  which  must  be  observed  in  every 
tent;  breakfast  next,  and  at  eight  or  nine  the  horn 
announces  prayer  meeting  in  tents. 

At  ten,  preaching  is  held,  then  prayers  at  the 
stand  and  call  for  ''mourners,"  this  meaning,  it 
seems,  an  invitation  to  such  as  desire  the  prayers  of 
those  present  from  a  conviction  that  they  are 
sinners,  ^fter  this,  there  is  a  recess  for  the  mid- 
day meal ;  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  preaching ;  again 
prayers  at  the  stand  and  a  call  for  mourners.  A 
stop  at  the  setting  of  the  sun  for  the  evening  meal, 
through  which  the  mourners  commonly  fast,  then, 
the  fires  are  lighted,  making  the  beautiful  scene  I 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    309 

have  described,  the  heavy  foliage  brought  out  by  the 
light,  the  rapt  faces  before  the  pulpit;  at  seven,  the 
preaching,  the  hymns,  the  call  for  mourners ;  at  nine, 
the  horn,  the  signal  for  family  worship  in  tents,  and 
then,  to  bed. 

Mr.  Wylie  explained  to  me  that  the  preaching  is 
regarded  as  a  subordinate  matter;  the  sermons,  to 
be  successful,  should  be  brief  and  telling;  that  the 
desirable  thing  is  exhortations  to  repentance,  a  serv- 
ice which  will  convict  the  sinner  of  his  sins  and 
bring  those  seeking  repentance  into  the  fold. 

I  have  not  yet  spoken  of  the  singing,  of  the  plain- 
tive voices  joining  in  songs  of  exhortation,  of  invi- 
tation to  the  sinner,  yet  'tis  the  most  agreeable  and 
striking  feature  of  the  meeting : 

"Come,  ye  sinners,  poor  and  needy, 
Weak  and  wounded,  sick  and  sore ; 
Jesus  ready  stands  to  save  you, 
Full  of  pity,  love  and  power ! 
He  is  able, 
He  is  willing ;  doubt  no  more. ' ' 

And  of  the  one  with  which  those  who  have  found 
light,  who  have  become  converted  are  greeted,  the 
Hymn  of  Rejoicing  in  Communion  with  God. 

"Come,  thou  Fount  of  every  blessing, 

Tune  my  heart  to  sing  thy  grace ; 
Streams  of  mercy,  never  ceasing. 

Call  for  songs  of  loudest  praise. 
Teach  me  some  melodious  sonnet, 

Sung  by  flaming  tongues  above ; 
Praise  the  Mount,  I'm  fixed  upon  it, 

Mount  of  thy  redeeming  love ! ' ' 


310    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

I  can  not  describe  the  effect  on  me  of  this  hymn, 
carried  by  the  high  treble  voices,  rising  in  the  sum- 
mer night.  Ah,  who  can  say  that  this  homage  in 
His  woodland  temple  is  not  pleasing  to  the  Great 
Jehovah,  and  that  He  does  not  incline  His  ear,  hear, 
and  grant  these  prayers? 

I  must  haste,  without  further  detail,  to  describe 
the  breaking  of  the  camp  which  I  remained  to  see 
and  which  I  deemed  most  impressive. 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  tents  were  struck.  The 
congregation  then  assembled,  the  exhortation  was 
given,  hymns  were  sung,  prayers  were  made.  Then 
the  fareAvell  procession  was  formed,  led  by  the 
ministers,  followed  by  the  congregation,  and  all 
marched  around  the  outside  row  of  tents.  On  ap- 
proaching the  stand,  the  ministers  stopped,  and  as 
the  line  passed  by,  they  took  the  hand  of  each  one 
in  solemn  farewell.  'Twas  a  most  moving  sight, 
one  I  shall  ne'er  forget,  and  which  left  me  most 
solemn  long  after  the  woods  had  closed  behind  me 
and  my  face  was  again  turned  toward  Terre  Haute. 

The  journey  to  Terre  Haute  was  accomplished 
without  incident  worthy  of  note,  across  the  county 
of  Clay  and  into  that  of  Vigo.  I  was  so  fortunate, 
however,  as  to  meet  on  the  stage  coach,  which,  as 
I  have  noted  before,  is,  like  the  inn,  the  great  meet- 
ing ground,  and  whose  enforced  intimacy  one  may 
say  almost  compels  conversation,  a  Mr.  Chapman, 
who  told  me  presently  that  he  is  the  editor  of  the 
Wabash  Enquirer,  a  newspaper  published  at  Terre 
Haute,  and  who,  on  learning  of  my  tour  of  the  coun- 
try, volunteered  much  information  to  me. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    311 

The  county  of  Vigo,  I  learned  from  liim,  is  named 
for  Col.  Francis  Vigo,  a  companion  and  friend  of 
Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark,  a  most  gallant  gentle- 
man, who,  after  the  war,  cast  his  fortunes  in  the 
new  country  and  settled  at  Vincennes.  Touched  by 
the  compliment  of  conferring  his  name  upon  the 
county.  Col.  Vigo  left  a  bequest  -  to  Terre  Haute  for 
the  purchase  of  a  bell  for  the  Court  House  cupola, 
which  will  be  purchased  if  e'er  the  estate  is  settled. 

The  surface  of  this  country  is  either  level  or 
gently  undulating,  its  fine  timbered  lands  inter- 
spersed with  beautiful  prairies,  and  the  land  is  uni- 
formly rich,  giving  large  crops  of  wheat,  corn  and 
oats.  The  town,  Mr.  Chapman  informs  me,  is 
beautifully  situated  on  a  high  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
indicated  by  the  name,  Terre  Haute  (high  land), 
and  the  views,  as  I  was  soon  to  learn,  of  prairie, 
river  and  bottom  land,  most  enchanting,  the  banks 
along  the  river  being  especially  beautiful  with  grass, 
flowers  and  large  trees.  This  town  has  the  distinc- 
tion of  having  come  into  being  the  same  year  that 
the  state  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  1816,  so  it  is 
now  twenty-four  years  old,  and  has  about  2,000  in- 
habitants. As  are  many  of  these  towns,  it  is  built 
about  a  public  square  on  which  the  court  house 

="1116  money  mentioned  in  the  bequest  was  to  come  from  Vigo's 
claim  against  the  United  States  government  for  money  loimed  the 
government  by  which  Gen.  George  Rogers  Chirk  was  abh'  to  provide 
rations  for  his  soldiers  in  their  mareli  for  the  recapturing  of  Vin- 
cennes in  1779.  Tlie  original  amount  loaned  was  $11,387.40.  When 
it  was  at  last  allowed,  the  principal  and  interest  amounted  to  $i>0,- 
000.  The  claim  was  paid  in  lS7(i,  forty  years  after  his  deatli. 
Vigo's  bequest  was  used  as  the  nucleus  in  tlie  purdiase  of  u  bell  und 
a  clock  for  the  new  Court  House  erect. 'd  in   1884— Editor. 


312    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

stands,  and  when  this  was  reserved,  two  quarter 
blocks  were  also  reserved,  one  for  a  Seminary  and 
one  for  a  cliurcli,  located  at  an  equal  distance  from 
the  public  square.  The  town,  said  Mr.  Chapman, 
was  laid  off  and  platted  by  the  Terre  Haute  Com- 
pany, and  when  he  recited  the  names,  I  found  to  my 
great  pleasure  that  I  knew  one  of  the  gentlemen  and 
was  familiar  with  the  names  of  the  others.  The 
Bullitts  of  Kentucky  were  known  to  me  by  reputa- 
tion, some  members  of  the  family  having  attended 
the  University  while  I  was  there,  and  the  other 
familiar  name  was  that  of  Hyacinthe  Lasselle. 
Other  members  of  the  company  were  Jonathan 
Lindley  of  Orange  County,  Indiana,  and  Abraham 
Markle  of  Fort  Harrison,  whose  sons  I  was  soon  to 
meet. 

Mr.  Chapman  waxed  most  enthusiastic  over  the 
past  and  future  of  this  city. 

"Who,"  said  he,  *' would  have  expected  such 
rapid  growth  of  a  settlement  in  this  situation?  A 
thousand  miles  from  the  sea  coast,  with  no  highway 
of  intercourse,  no  approach  even,  excepting  the  back 
door  of  Vincennes,  by  way  of  Cincinnati,  in  a  region 
subject  to  incursions  of  the  Indians,  yet  what  hap- 
pened! In  1815,  a  settled  peace  was  concluded  with 
the  Indians,  permanent  settlers  began  pouring  into 
the  state ;  later,  the  National  Road  was  planned  and 
constructed,  and  now,  in  a  location  geographically 
on  the  direct  line  of  travel  from  East  to  the  far  un- 
explored West,  with  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  on 
the  way  toward  completion,  and  with  citizens  of  in- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    313 

telligence  and  gentility,  the  town  has  gro\vn  beyond 
belief,  and  has  a  radiant  future." 

On  perceiving  my  interest  and  my  desire  to  note 
facts  in  my  commonplace  book,  he  drew  forth  from 
his  pocket  a  copy  of  the  Bloomington  paper,  The 
Extra  Equator  ^  a  number  of  which  I  had  seen  be- 
fore and  made  note  in  this  diary,  and  read  me  the 
following  selection : 

''There  are  some  towns,  however,  and  irrespec- 
tive of  the  aid  they  receive  from  this  source  (the 
public  works)  have  sprung  into  life  as  if  by  magic. 
Among  these  and  at  the  head,  stands  the  town,  al- 
most city,  of  Terre  Haute.  Here,  where  a  few  years 
since,  all  w-as  in  its  native  wilderness,  now  is  the 
show  of  life  and  business.  Farms  cover  the  rich 
prairie  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  By  what  town 
is  it  surpassed,  by  what  place  is  it  equaled  in  beauty, 
elegance,  and  health!  Surrounded  by  the  large  and 
rich  farming  communities  of  Parke,  Clay  and  Sulli- 
van, the  products  of  which  may  easily  be  launched 
on  the  bosom  of  the  Wabash,  which  rolls  at  her  base, 
and  thus  quickly  be  deposited  at  any  of  the  Southern 
ports,  her  commercial  advantages  are  by  no  means 
of  minor  importance.  Neither  are  her  means  of 
communicating  less  than  those  of  any  other  place 
in  our  state.  From  every  direction,  stages  are  run- 
ning—the proprietor  of  one  of  which  resides  in  our 
town— and  in  favor  of  whose  enterprise  and  accom- 
modations too  much  can  not  be  said.  To  what,  then, 
can  this  growing  superiority  of  Terre  Haute  be  at- 

'The  Extra  Equator,  Bloomington,  Ind.,  Nov.  8,  1839.— Editor. 


314    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

tributed?  Next  to  her  local  advantages  may  be 
mentioned  the  enterprise  and  industry  of  her  citi- 
zens. By  her  salubrious  soil  and  beautiful  situation 
she  has  invited  the  stranger  of  intelligence  and 
capital  to  reside  here.  "When  here,  they  have  evi- 
dently taken  a  pleasure  in  expending  their  industry 
and  capital  in  benefiting  and  launching  the  town. 
In  a  word,  as  the  prints  of  a  town  are  generally 
considered  as  the  representatives  of  its  prosperity 
and  generosity,  if  judging  from  this  infallible  proof 
in  this  case  we  read  the  interesting,  racy  and 
spirited  columns  of  the  Courier  and  Enquirer,  we 
should  say  that  Terre  Haute  is  unequaled." 

''By  far  too  complimentary  to  the  editors,"  ob- 
served Mr.  Chapman  modestly,  "but  most  true  of 
the  town. ' ' 

I  learned  from  this  same  source  that  I  was  now 
approaching  a  place  of  genuine  historical  interest, 
a  place  that  has  a  part  in  the  history  of  the  north- 
west territory,  Fort  Harrison,  erected  by  Gen.  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison  in  October,  1811.  The  old 
log  fort,  now  sadly  fallen  into  decay,  I  have  looked 
upon  with  the  greatest  interest.  The  inclosure  is 
150  feet  square,  a  stockade  of  heavy  timbers,  with 
block  houses  at  the  corners  and  two-story  bastions, 
a  typical  Western  fort,  even  in  its  decay  calculated 
to  fire  the  imagination  and  to  recall  the  day  when 
from  beneath  the  high  bluff  came  the  war  cry  of  the 
savage  in  his  canoe  echoing  the  shout  of  his  brother 
lurking  above  in  the  forest  fastness ! 

For  some  time  after  1816,  'tis  said,  the  fort  was 
used  as  a  refuge,  for  although  the  Indian  was  said 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    315 

to  be  friendly,  he  was  still  regarded  with  suspicion. 
The  fort,  too,  was  the  landing  place  for  all  who  came 
up  the  Wabash  to  the  new  settlement,  and  many  of 
the  first  prospectors  boarded  at  the  fort  on  their 
arrival,  among  them,  Chauncey  Rose,''  Abraham 
Markle  and  Curtis  Gilbert. 

I  was  quite  ready,  therefore,  to  be  pleasantly  im- 
pressed with  Terre  Haute,  at  which  we  arrived  near 
nightfall.  I  had  been  advised  by  Dr.  Layman  to  go 
to  "The  Eagle  and  Lion,"  one  of  the  oldest  and 
best  taverns  in  the  town,  but  Mr.  Chapman  advised 
me  of  a  new  inn  which  I  should  by  all  means  seek 
out.  This  inn,  he  says,  has  but  recently  been  built 
by  Mr.  Rose,  and  is  kept  by  a  Mr.  Barnum.  This 
Mr.  Rose,  he  says,  I  must  by  all  means  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of. 

Mr.  Rose  is  a  gentleman  of  about  47,  who  came 
out  to  Terre  Haute  from  Connecticut  in  1817.  He 
has,  during  his  residence  here,  .engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits,  purchased  vast  tracts  of  land,  built 
houses,  and,  said  Mr.  Chapman,  if  I  am  interested 
in  investments  in  the  new  country  he  is  the  man 
above  all  others  with  whom  I  should  liold  consulta- 
tion. He  furthermore  promised  himself  to  intro- 
duce me  to  Mr.  Rose. 

I  found  the  inn,  Avhile  some  distance  removed 
from  the  rest  of  the  town,  all  and  more  tlian  Mr. 

■•Chauncey  Rose,  born  in  Connecticut,  1793;  went  to  Terre  Haute, 
1817;  died,  1877.  "Tlie  list  of  liis  benefactions  is  a  Ion-;  one,  includ- 
ing the  Rose  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  the  Rose  Polyteclinic  Seliool.  the 
Rose  Orphans'  Home,  the  Rose  Dispensary."  Tlie  inn  referred  to  is 
the  famous  Prairie  House,  whose  name  Mr.  Parsons  neglects  to  give. 
It  is  described  at  length  in  Beate's  "The  Wabash"  ( 18r)n.— Editor. 


316    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Chapman  had  declared  it  to  be.  His  statement  that 
it  is  the  largest  and  best  appointed  inn  in  this  state, 
if  not  in  the  West,  is  true  without  doubt,  and  I  found 
my  apartment  both  commodious  and  comfortable, 
and  my  meals  all  and  more  than  I  could  have  de- 
manded. It  was  in  a  most  excellent  humor,  there- 
fore, that,  the  next  morning,  having  changed  the 
garments  in  which  I  had  traveled  for  the  more 
modish  attire  of  broadcloth,  fresh  ruffled  shirt,  and 
my  best  beaver  hat,  I  set  forth  to  find  Dr.  Layman's 
friend,^  and  to  view  the  city. 

Through  this  friend,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  the  town's  most  prominent 
physicians,  of  whom  there  is  an  unusual  number. 
Most  capable  and  interesting  men  I  found  them.  It 
is  a  matter  of  interest  and  worthy  of  note,  I  think, 
that  among  the  pioneers,  the  professional  men — the 
preachers,  the  doctors,  the  lawyers,  who  endure 
great  hardships  in  the  practice  of  their  professions 
— have  been  formed  by  this  hard  school  of  experi- 
ence into  men  of  mark.  To  change  the  figure,  those 
of  baser  metal  do  not  survive  the  fire,  and  those  who 
do  survive  are  all  men  of  exceeding  ability.  How- 
ever it  be,  I  have  found  this  uniformly  the  case  in 
each  community  I  have  visited. 

A  most  striking  and  interesting  figure  is  that  of 
Dr.  Modesitt,  pioneer  physician,  a  typical  Virginia 
gentleman,  unchanged  by  his  residence  in  a  pioneer 
settlement.  He  can  truly  be  called  a  pioneer,  for 
he  built  the  first  log  house  in  Terre  Haute,  and 
proved  himself  a  man  of  affairs,  setting  up  a  mortar 

°  strangely,  at  no  time  does  he  give  this  friend's  name. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    317 

for  corn,  when  there  was  no  mill,  and  establishing  a 
ferry  across  the  Wabash,  at  the  same  time  laying 
the  foundation  for  his  reputation  as  a  most  excellent 
physician  and  surgeon.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Prince 
William  College,  and  resided  in  Cincinnati  for  a 
season  before  coming  to  this  place.  He  is  a  hand- 
some gentleman,  somewhat  past  50,  with  snow-white 
hair,  an  erect  figure,  an  imposing  presence  and 
most  courtly  manners,  reminding  me  much  of  my 
father. 

Among  the  younger  physicians,  I  found  most  con- 
genial Dr.  Reed,  a  young  gentleman  of  29.  In  his 
office  on  the  public  square,  he  has  collected  a  library 
of  considerable  size  and  merit,  and  I  found  much 
amusement  and  edification  in  poring  over  these 
volumes  while  waiting  for  him  to  measure  out 
nostrums  for  the  patients  who  had  gathered  in  his 
office.  He  showed  me  the  latest  tale  of  our  South- 
ern novelist,  William  Gilmore  Simms,  **Playo,  a 
Tale  of  the  Goth,"  purchased,  he  says,  at  the  Pliila- 
delphia  Book  Store,  kept  by  a  Mr.  Flint,  a  rather 
good  emporium.  ''Simms,"  he  remarked,  ''will 
add  a  new  chaplet  to  his  wreath  of  literary  honors 
with  this  volume,  and  do  great  credit  to  his  fame. 
It  is  an  exciting  story  of  the  old  time,  as  its  name 
imports,  and  richly  rewards  a  perusal." 

Here,  too,  I  found  a  book  of  graceful  letters, 
"L'Abri,  or  the  Tent  Pitch 'd,"  by  N.  P.  Willis, 
Esq.,  a  young  writer  coming  more  and  more  into 
favor;  a  most  excruciatingly  funny  book  entitled 
"John  Smith's  Letters  with  'Picters'  to  Match," 
from  the  graphic  pen  of  the  veritable  and  original 


318    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Jack  Downing;^  ''The  Private  Journal  of  Aaron 
Burr"  in  two  volumes,  which  I  longed  for  the  time 
to  read,  and  a  year 's  numbers  of  a  magazine  printed 
in  Cincinnati  called  The  Family  Magazine,  a  veri- 
table treasure  trove  of  information  which  does 
credit  to  the  West. 

Through  Dr.  Reed  I  met  many  of  the  physicians 
— Dr.  Ball,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  a  gentleman 
highly  esteemed  in  the  community,  and  whose  wife's 
family,  the  Richardsons,  were  among  the  first  set- 
tlers of  the  town,  she  a  most  delightful  female,  I 
will  add ;  Dr.  Patrick,  brusque  and  most  intelligent ; 
Dr.  Richard  Blake,  a  Southerner  from  Maryland; 
Dr.  Daniels,  and  next — a  surprise  sufficient  yet  to 
make  my  heart  beat  faster  as  I  write — Dr.  Thomas 
Parsons ! 

I  remember  that  Dr.  Reed  had  repeated  my  name 
when  first  he  heard  it,  as  though  'twere  not  un- 
familiar, but  he  said  naught  until  he  brought  me 
face  to  face  with  him.  I  knew  that  my  father  had 
cousins  residing  in  Maryland,  who  long  ago  had 
gone  out  to  Kentucky.  We  knew  not  their  where- 
abouts, but  my  father  had  urged  me  to  make  in- 
quiries. This  Dr.  Parsons,  it  seems,  was  but  a  boy 
when  the  family  moved  to  Kentucky,  and  he  came 
to  Indiana  in  1819,  being  now  a  man  about  36  years 
old,  and  as  yet  utimarried.  He  was  as  rejoiced, 
apparently,  to  see  me,  as  I  to  see  him,  and  he  in- 
sisted at  once  on  my  coming  with  him  that  I  might 
relate  to  him  everything  I  could  remember  of  his 

*An  extremely  popular  humorist  of  the  time,  Maj.  Jack  Downing, 
now  forgotten. — Editor, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    319 

relatives  in  Virginia,  promising,  in  return,  to  see 
that  I  view  everything  of  note,  and  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  every  notable  before  leaving  his 
adopted  city.  To-morrow  I  shall  record  my  meet- 
ing with  Mr.  Rose  and  my  various  social  experiences 
in  his  company. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

On  Board  Steamer  Indian,  July  20,  1840. 

I  AM  beyond  doubt  deeply  indebted  to  Mr.  Chap- 
man for  recommending  that  I  take  up  my  abode 
at  the  Prairie  House  while  in  Terre  Haute. 
While  'tis  true  that  it  is  literally  ''out  on  the 
prairies,"  the  walk  into  the  town  is  not  a  long  one, 
and  the  tavern  itself  is  so  palatial  in  every  way  and 
the  guests  so  agreeable  that  I  can  of  a  truth  say 
that  nowhere  on  my  journey  have  I  been  so  pleas- 
antly entertained. 

I  rose  betimes,  the  morning  after  my  meeting  with 
Dr.  Parsons,  my  new-found  cousin  several  times  re- 
moved, for  a  cool  breeze  was  blowing  over  the 
prairie,  the  birds  were  singing,  and  all  nature  was 
calling  me  to  come  out.  After  an  excellent  repast 
I  wandered  into  the  office  room  and  taking  up  a 
number  of  Mr.  Chapman's  paper  was  soon  lost  to 
my  surroundings  in  a  perusal  of  events  of  import- 
ance. News  from  the  outside  world  has  now  the 
spice  of  novelty  to  me,  for  it  haps  sometimes  that 
I  am  so  situated  that  I  do  not  see  a  news  sheet  for 
several  weeks  together. 

I  therefore  perused  with  much  interest  the  account 
of  a  United  States  exploring  expedition.  Letters 
have    been    received    from    Lieut.    Wilkes    dated 

320 


^  A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    321 

Sydney,  New  South  Wales,  which  establish  beyond 
question  the  existence  of  a  great  continent  in  the 
Antarctic  seas,  this  discovery  made  Jan.  19,  1840, 
and  just  now  reaching  our  public  prints.  Full  de- 
tails are  said  to  be  given  in  the  Sydney  papers. 

Queen  Victoria  held  a  drawing  room  last 
month,  and  her  costume  is  described  at  length,  a 
dress  of  white  tulle  over  white  satin,  body  and 
sleeves  richly  ornamented  with  diamonds  and 
blonde;  skirt  elegantly  trimmed  with  a  rich  blonde 
flounce ;  train  of  pink  Irish  poplin  richly  brocaded  in 
silver  and  lined  with  white  satin,  with  a  head-dress 
of  feathers  and  diamonds,  necklaces  and  rings  en 
suite.  The  details  of  fashion  have  a  special 
piquancy,  after  our  backwoods  experiences. 

An  item  of  especial  interest  to  the  traveler  be- 
cause it  reveals  the  dangers  only  too  recently  from 
the  Indians,  was  copied  from  a  Peru,  Indiana, 
paper:  *'Mr.  John  Parrett,  Jr.,  residing  in  AVhitley 
County  about  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  east  of  this 
place,  visiting  the  residence  of  some  Indians,  found 
in  their  company  a  white  male  child  supposed  to  be 
6  years  old,  black  eyes  and  fair  hair,  large  for  his 
age,  and  has  a  long,  broad,  full  face.  The  cliild  is 
thought  to  have  been  taken  from  its  parents  by  the 
Indians  and  carried  to  where  it  was  found.  Mr. 
Parrett  purchased  the  boy  of  his  adopted  parents 
for  $2.50,  and  took  him  to  his  house,  where  his 
parents,  if  living  and  chance  to  see  this  notice,  may 
find  him." 

According  to  my  custom,  I  noted  tlie  market  price 
of  various  commodities,  flour,  $3.75  a  barrel ;  meal, 


322    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

* 

12  and  15  cents  a  bushel ;  wheat,  50  cents  a  bushel ; 
potatoes  10  and  12  cents  a  bushel;  butter,  5  and  6 
cents  a  pound ;  eggs,  3  and  6  cents  a  dozen ;  whisky, 
14  cents  a  gallon. 

The  greater  part  of  the  paper  was  devoted  to 
political  items,  a  long  letter  from  Mr.  Robert  Dale 
Owen  covering  the  entire  front  page.  These  polit- 
ical items  I  read  always  with  the  greatest  interest, 
because  each  party  seems  to  me  to  be  very  strong, 
and  espousers  of  either  side  each  assure  me  that  his 
party  can  not  fail  to  win.  From  a  perusal  of  this 
paper,  for  instance,  one  would  be  convinced  that  the 
followers  of  Gen.  Harrison  stand  no  chance  what- 
ever in  the  coming  elections.  The  editor  writes  that 
he  thinks  it  an  evidence  of  insanity  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Lane,  Whig  nominee  for  Congress  in  the 
Seventh  District,  that  he  should  run  against  Mr. 
Hannegan.  In  another  column  the  accusation  is 
made  that  Mr.  George  H.  Profhtt,  a  Congressman,  I 
was  to  learn  later  from  Vincennes,  and  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  men  in  the  state,  *'is  literally  flooding 
the  state  with  electioneering  documents.  Not  con- 
tent with  practicing  on  the  unsuspecting  of  his  own 
district,  he  must  stick  his  finger  into  every  other. 
We  have  a  letter  before  us  from  Clay  County,  stat- 
ing that  at  one  small  postoffice  no  less  than  three 
pounds  of  'Lives  of  Harrison'  printed  at  the  Madi- 
sonian  office,  came  in  one  mail,  franked  by  G.  H.  P. 
as  public  documents.  These  are  the  men  who  cry 
so  loud  about  abuse  of  official  power!  Democrats, 
you  must  be   stirring!    Every   scheme  which  in- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    323 

genuity  can  invent  will  be  put  into  operation  to  de- 
feat you.  Be  watchful,  then!  Be  prudent!  Be 
firm !    And  above  all,  be  united ! " 

It  is  probable  that  my  face  betrayed  my  thoughts, 
for  a  gentleman  sitting  near  me,  having  evidently 
perceived  what  I  was  reading,  said,  with  a  smile, 
''Most  convincing,  no  doubt,  until  you  read  the  other 
side !  Pray  listen  to  this. ' '  Drawing  a  paper  from 
his  pocket,  a  Whig  sheet  with  the  title  The  Spirit  of 
Seventy-Six,  which  I  learned  later  is  printed  at  the 
capital,  Indianapolis,  he  showed  me  column  after 
column  of  statements  entirely  as  positive  that  the 
"V^Tiigs  would  be  victorious  in  the  state  elections. 
He  told  me  the  story  of  how  some  leader  had 
written  to  the  editor.  Chapman,  telling  him  that  he 
must  put  on  a  bold  front  and  seem  to  be  positive 
that  the  Democrats  would  win.  "Tell  Chapman  he 
must  crow,"  he  said,  and  that  this  story  has  got  out, 
to  the  discomfiture  of  the  Democrats  and  the  enor- 
mous delight  of  the  Whigs,  and  that  every  Whig 
paper  has  in  black  letters,  "Crow,  Chapman, 
Crow."  He  read  me  from  this  paper  a  bit  of 
doggerel  entitled  "Song  of  Jim  Crow." 

"Let  all  de  British  Tory 

Who  feel  so  very  low, 
Keep  stiff  de  upper  lip 

And  give  a  loud  Crow. 
Brag  about  and  bet  about 

And  grin  just  so, 
And  every  time  you  meet  a  Whig 

Give  a  loud  Crow, 


324    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

"Massa  Van  he  frightened, 

Everybody  know. 
Still  he  scold  at  Amos 

Cause  he  doesn't  crow, 
Brag  about  and  bet  about. 

And  grin  just  so; 
And  never  lose  de  spirits, 

But  give  a  loud  crow. ' ' ' 

''Now  as  for  Mr.  Proffitt,"  continued  my  com- 
panion, ''  'tis  all  a  base  and  scurrilous  slander. 
Mr.  Proffitt  is  one  of  the  finest  gentlemen  in  the 
state,  and  the  greatest  public  speaker  in  the  West. 
Let  me  tell  you  something  in  confidence,"  he  said, 
lowering  his  voice.  ''The  Whig  citizens  of  this 
county  have  so  high  a  regard  for  Mr.  Proffitt  and 
esteem  so  greatly  his  services  in  this  campaign,  that 
they  intend  in  September  to  give  a  great  barbecue 
in  his  honor.  We  have  the  form  of  our  invitation 
already  prepared,  which  I  will  show  you,  strictly  in 
confidence,  sir,  we  do  not  want  our  enemies  as  yet 
to  get  wind  of  it.  It  will  be  engraved  in  due  season 
and  sent  out  to  the  respectable  citizens  of  this  and 
other  counties,"  he  added. 

I  unfolded  the  memorandum  he  handed  to  me 
with  great  interest.  It  ran  as  follows:  "Sir: 
The  Wliig  citizens  of  the  County  of  Vigo  will  give 
a  barbecue  to  the  Hon.  George  H.  Proffitt  on  the 
third  of  October  next  in  a  grove  south  of  this  town 
for  his  vigilant,  bold,  and  energetic  course  as  a 
Representative  in  Congress,  and  for  his  general  zeal 

*One  could  wish  that  Mr.  Parsons  had  gone  into  more  detail  be- 
cause this  incident  is  said  to  be  the  origin  of  the  adoption  of  the 
rooster  as  the  symbol  of  the  Democratic  party. — Editor, 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    325 

in  sustaining  and  advancing  the  Whig  cause.  You 
are  respectfully  invited  to  dttend  with  the  assur- 
ance that  it  will  afford  the  citizens  of  Vigo  great 
satisfaction  to  have  the  honor  of  your  company  on 
the  occasion.  With  high  regard,  Your  obedient  serv- 
ants, Thomas  H.  Blake,  James  Farrington,  T.  A. 
Madison,  A.  L.  Chamberlain,  John  Dowling,  Rufus 
Minor,  Henry  Ross,  Charles  T.  Noble,  Lucius  Scott, 
Committee. ' ' 

''There,  sir,  the  cream  of  the  community,  on  that 
committee,  present  company  always  excepted!"  he 
added,  with  a  whimsical  smile. 

I  was  sufficiently  impressed,  for  this  seemed  to  me 
a  great  tribute,  and  presently  my  new  acquaintance 
explained  to  me  that  he  was  the  A.  L.  Chamberlain 
of  the  committee  and  we  fell  into  an  interesting 
conversation. 

Learning  of  my  intended  profession,  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain straightway  presented  me  to  a  gentleman 
who  sat  near  us,  a  Mr.  Griswold,  who  is  a  young 
man  come  here  recently  and  who  for  a  season  was 
the  instructor  in  a  school,  but  who  has  now  formed 
a  partnership  for  the  practice  of  the  law  with  an- 
other young  gentleman,  a  Mr.  Usher,-  who  came 
here  from  New  York  state  driving  all  the  way  in  an 
open  buggy. 

"We  met  here  in  this  tavern,"  said  Mr.  Griswold. 
*'0n  a  frosty  morning  in  the  fall,  as  I  left  the  break- 
fast table,  I  was  followed  by  a  strange  young  guest, 
and  meeting  face  to  face  before  the  fireplace,  we  fell 

"  John  P.  Usher,  who  later  became  a  member  of  Lincoln's  Cabinet 
and  died  in  1889.— Editor. 


326    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

into  conversation.  From  exchanging  experiences, 
we  came  to  confidences,  and  it  was  not  long  until 
we  had  agreed  to  enter  into  a  partnership.  This 
was  only  last  year, ' '  he  explained,  ' '  and  our  firm  is 
Usher  and  Griswold,  and  our  office  is  on  Cherry 
Street,  where  I  hope  to  have  the  honor  of  your  pres- 
ence for  a  call. 

''This  inn,"  continued  Mr.  Griswold,  **I  regard 
as  a  paradise.  'Tis  not  alone  its  comforts,  though 
there  is  much  to  be  said  for  them,  'tis  the  company 
that  gathers  here  and  the  free  and  easy  intercourse 
— ah,  sir,  it  has  something  about  it  I  can  scarcely 
define,  but  which  you  must  even  now  perceive!" 

I  admitted  that  already  I  had  felt  something  of 
this  charm  in  the  hospitality  and  the  pleasant  com- 
panionship afforded  in  its  ample  rooms,  and  we  were 
conversing  in  a  most  lively  fashion  when  who  should 
arrive  but  Dr.  Parsons,  who  naturally  knew  them 
both  well,  and  we  accordingly  sauntered  forth  to- 
gether toward  the  town,  talking  gayly,  as  is  the  cus- 
tom with  young  folk,  together,  in  pleasant  weather 
and  beset  by  no  carping  care. 

All  of  the  young  gentlemen  are  members  of  the 
fire  company,  it  seems,  and  there  was  no  little  jest- 
ing on  the  subject  as  we  walked  along,  and  they  told 
me  something  of  the  formation  of  the  company.  In 
spite  of  their  jests  I  noted  that  they  felt  consider- 
able pride  in  the  company  and  in  the  engine — "Old 
Hoosier"— bought  some  years  back.  Their  Council, 
they  said,  had  but  recently  appropriated  $300  for 
the  construction  of  a  cistern  in  each  ward.  Many 
funny  tales  had  they  to  tell  of  fires  and  fire  fighting. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    327 

Spirited  young  men,  all  tliree  of  them,  in  their  sev- 
eral ways. 

Our  next  burst  of  laughter  was  at  the  sight  of  a 
drove  of  hogs  coming  down  the  street.  I  have  al- 
ready described  the  appearance  of  a  drove  of  hogs 
on  a  country  road  on  their  way  to  Cincinnati. 

"Behold,  Mr.  Parsons,"  said  Mr.  Griswold,  in 
tones  of  mock  solemnity,  ''behold  a  vision  of  Pork- 
opolis.  Mayhap  you  have  not  heard  that  in  spite  of 
our  culture,  our  schools,  our  professions,  the  real 
source  of  our  prosperity  lies  in  our  pork-packing 
establishments,  of  which  we  have  so  many.  Can  it 
be  that  none  has  as  yet  vouchsafed  you  a  view  of 
those  elegant  edifices,  those  slaughter  houses,  our 
pride,  that  cluster  on  the  river's  brink?  Mayhap  it 
has  been  whispered  to  you,  young  sir,  that  our  great 
fear,  at  least  the  fear  of  those  of  us  who  o^\^l  no 
porkers,  and  no  packing  house,  but  who  breathe  the 
refined  air  of  the  heights  of  culture,  that  our 
adopted  city  may  yet  receive  the  name  of  Pork- 
opolis!  Perish  the  thought!  Rather  may  our 
boasted  prosperity  vanish!" 

As  he  burlesqued  tragedy  in  his  tone,  we  stood  at 
attention  on  the  sidewalk,  watching  the  surging 
mass  of  porkers  go  by,  a  sight  well  worth  the  see- 
ing. First  went  a  man  on  horseback,  scattering 
corn  and  uttering  at  intervals  in  a  minor  key  the  cry 
*'Pig-oo-ee!  Pig-oo-ee!"  All  along  the  sidewalk, 
at  street  crossings  and  at  alley  ways  helpers  were 
stationed  to  keep  in  line  the  pigs  that  were  driven 
forward  from  the  rear  by  drovers  with  long  sticks. 
The  rear  was  brought  up  by  the  very  fat  porkers 


328    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

who  had  to  have  special  attendants,  and  a  wagon  fol- 
lowed for  those  who  became  too  tired  to  walk. 
'Twas  an  interesting  sight,  and  we  stood  until  they 
had  entirely  passed. 

*' Joke  as  you  will,  Grriswold,"  said  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain, *' these  are  indeed  amazingly  the  source  of  our 
prosperity.  And  whence,  pray  tell  me,  would  your 
much  needed  fees  come  were  it  not  for  these  de- 
spised hogs?  You  must  understand,  Mr.  Parsons," 
he  said  to  me,  "that  corn  grows  on  our  fertile 
prairies  for  the  planting,  and  that  it  is  the  food 
of  all  others  for  fattening  these  hogs.  'Tis  then  but 
a  matter  of  killing  them  and  sending  the  meat  to 
New  Orleans  on  flat  boats.  Let  us  show  him,"  he 
proposed  to  the  others.  ''Let  us  walk  over  to  the 
river. ' ' 

I  confess  that  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  the 
immensity  of  the  river  traffic,  and  that  I  hastened 
to  jot  down  the  information  that  these  three  ac- 
corded me,  between  jokes,  as  we  stood  on  the  river 
bluff  and  looked  down  at  the  beautiful  river  at 
whose  wharf  lay  several  steamers. 

The  use  of  the  river  for  shipping  is  almost  un- 
believable, they  informed  me.  In  1836,  as  many  as 
800  steamboats  came  here,  steamboats  from  New 
Orleans,  St.  Louis,  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Pitts- 
burg, being  daily  visitors  during  the  boating  season.^ 

This  year  more  than  200  boats  are  carrying  on 
a  regular  traffic  between  these  Wabash  towns  and 
ports  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.     However,  the 

"The  almost  complete  passing  of  the  steamboat  traffic  on  both 
Wabash  and  Ohio  makes  the  statement  almost  as  unbelievable  to  ua 
as  it  was  to  Mr.  Parsons. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    329 

flat  boats  are  the  most  astonishing  sight  to  me. 
This  Wabash  River,  it  seems,  is  a  thoroughfare  for 
all  the  country  to  the  north  by  which  the  farmers 
may  ship  their  produce,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  made 
excellent  use  of.  In  less  than  a  month  and  a  half, 
in  the  fall,  they  told  me,  1,000  flat  boats  will  pass 
down  the  river,  the  majority  of  them  loaded  with 
flour,  pork,  etc.,  in  this  proportion:  one-tenth  with 
pork,  300  barrels  to  the  boat;  one-tenth,  lard, 
cattle,  horses,  oats,  corn  meal,  etc.,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  load  consisting  of  corn  on  the  ear. 
However,  as  a  proof  that  this  is  not  always  the  load, 
they  told  me  of  a  flat  boat  setting  out  from  Jackson 
County  at  one  time,  going  do^vn  White  River,  carry- 
ing a  load  of  hickory  nuts,  walnuts  and  venison 
hams.  The  value  of  the  produce  and  stock  on  flat 
boats  is  $1,000,000  annually. 

I  had  already  seen  flat  boats  on  the  Ohio  River, 
but  had  received  no  particular  information  concern- 
ing them.  Mr.  Chamberlain,  who  seems  a  most 
practical  gentleman,  explained  to  me  their  value,  as 
besides  having  great  carrying  capacity,  they  are  of 
light  draft,  and  hence  adapted  to  small  streams,  and 
in  times  of  flood,  the  countryman  living  on  a  small 
stream  in  the  interior  can  construct  his  flat  boat, 
load  it  and  float  it  to  the  Wabash  and  thence  to  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi.  The  matter  of  construction 
is  easy  and  not  expensive.  He  called  my  attention 
to  the  great  tulip  poplars  which  abound  in  this 
locality.  ''These,"  said  he,  ''are  easily  worked 
with  the  ax,  and  afford  slabs  long  and  broad 
enoudi  for  the  sides.     All  that  remains  to  bo  done, 


330    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

then,  is  simply  to  attach  planks  to  these  for  the 
bottom  and  ends,  and  the  boat  is  completed." 

He  told  me  what  I  had  already  heard,  that  these 
flat  boats  can  not  come  up  stream.  The  flat  boat 
man  disposes  of  his  produce  in  New  Orleans,  sells 
his  boat  to  be  broken  up  for  lumber,  and  returns  on 
the  steamboat,  though  in  the  early  days  it  was  neces- 
sary that  he  should  walk  home  over  the  long  road 
known  as  the  Tennessee  Path,  though  it  was  fre- 
quently called  The  ^loody  Path  because  of  the  high- 
waymen that  infested  it. 

I  will  note  here  that  through  the  kind  offices  of 
Mr.  Griswold  and  Mr.  Usher,  whom  I  found  most 
congenial  companions,  I  met  many  of  the  members 
of  the  bar  of  this  city  for  whom  there  is  but  space 
to  record  their  names  that  I  may  be  enabled  al- 
y^ajs  to  recall  them.  It  seems  to  me,  as  I  recount 
them,  that  the  number  is  unusual  for  the  size  of 
the  city  and  that  their  ability  is  also  remarkable. 
There  is  Judge  Demas  Deming,  vastly  rich,  a  man 
of  ability  and  of  remarkable  poise;  the  President 
Judge,  Elisha  Huntington,  a  man  of  vast  popu- 
larity; Judge  Jenckes,  Judge  Gookins,  the  firm  is 
Kinney,  AVright  and  Gookins,  and  I  found  them  all 
men  of  most  agreeable  manners.  Judge  Kinney  and 
Judge  Gookins  being  most  interested  in  the  good  of 
their  fellow  men.  This  last  named  gentleman  re- 
lated to  me  the  interesting  fact  that  with  his  mother 
and  brother,  he  was  the  first  to  come  into  the  settle- 
ment by  the  northern  route,  they  having  come  out 
from  New  York,  and  the  journey  occupying  six 
weeks  and  two  days.    Another  attorney-at-law  was 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    331 

Mr,  Barbour,  a  young  gentleman  who  graduated 
from  Indiana  College  at  Bloomington  and  in  whom 
I  was  particularly  interested  when  he  informed  me 
that  he  had  read  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Isaac 
Blackford  in  Indianapolis. 

Through  Judge  Kinney,  I  made  the  acquaintance 
of  a  most  interesting  man,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jewett,* 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

While  I  have  found  many  sects  in  the  Western 
country,  Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Chris- 
tian, Catholic  and  Universalist,  this  is  my  first  en- 
counter with  the  Congregational  Church,  whose 
stronghold,  I  learn,  is  New  England.  Mr.  Jewett,  I 
was  informed,  was  making  a  tour  of  the  West  as  a 
missionary,  and  passing  through  Terre  Haute,  de- 
termined to  remain  over  the  Sabbath.  On  hearing 
that  he  was  a  minister,  the  people  invited  him  to 
preach  at  the  court  house,  and  so  much  impressed 
were  those  who  heard  him  by  his  beautiful  character 
and  his  interesting  discourses  that  he  was  urged  by 
all  classes  to  establish  a  church  here  and  return  East 
for  his  family.  Mr.  Jewett,  'tis  easily  to  be  seen, 
is  a  man  of  strong  sympathy  and  broad  catliolicity 
of  spirit  and  superior  talent,  and  I  marveled  not 
at  all  at  his  popularity  when  I  had  heard  him  preach 
and  engaged  in  conversation  with  him.  'Tis  no 
wonder  that  his  church  is  so  thriving  and  embraces 
such  admirable  citizens  among  its  members. 

Among  the  merchants  of  the  city  whom  I  remem- 
ber best,  perhaps,  is  Mr.  Chauncey  Warren,  at  one 

♦  It  is  a  matter  of  interest  that  the  successor  of  Dr.  Jewett  in  this 
church  was  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott  who  remained  there  from  18C0  to  1860. 
—Editor. 


332    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

time  a  partner  of  Mr.  Rose.  Him  I  met  through 
Dr.  Modesitt,  his  father-in-law,  and  I  found  him  a 
man  of  great  liveliness,  an  excellent  raconteur  and 
in  manner  most  kind  and  agreeable.  A  gentleman 
of  the  Quaker  faith,  a  man  of  refinement  and  most 
gentle  manners  was  a  Mr.  Ball  who^  came  to  this 
city  some  years  ago  and  was  engaged  as  the  chief 
engineer  in  the  building  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie 
Canal.  I  met,  too,  the  sons  of  Maj.  Markle,  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  city,  and  builder  of  its  first  mill, 
a  man,  'tis  said,  of  unusual  charm  and  ability,  and 
these  sons  I  found  most  agreeable  young  gentlemen. 
I  must  record  the  name,  too,  of  Mr.  Curtis  Gilbert, 
one  of  the  early  citizens,  for^a  long  time  postmaster 
and  conspicuous  in  all  public  movements,  a  most 
estimable  and  agreeable  gentleman,  who  told  me, 
among  interesting  narrations  of  the  town's  early 
history,  of  the  visit  here,  in  1831  of  Mr.  Clay.  This 
great  man,  he  said,  was  entertained  at  the  Eagle 
and  Lion,  the  first  tavern  in  the  village,  and  a  most 
noted  resort,  which  I  have  seen  with  its  quaint  sign 
of  the  American  bird  pecking  out  the  eyes  of  the 
British  Lion.  In  the  early  days,  it  was  frequented 
by  chance  travelers  and  by  the  traveling  la\\'yers, 
and  it  was  the  central  place  of  meeting  for  the 
townspeople  and  moreover  possesses  an  enormous 
stable  for  the  acconmiodation  of  the  stage  and 
wagon  horses. 

Senator  Clay,  said  Mr.  Gilbert,  was  met  several 
miles  from  the  village  by  a  large  number  of  citizens 
and  escorted  into  the  town,  his  approach  being  an- 
nounced by  the  roar  of  artillery.     Addresses  were 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    333 

made  by  citizens  of  prominence  and  liis  eloquent 
reply  is  still  quoted  by  his  admirers  of  whom  I  find 
many,  a  matter  which  will  delight  my  father,  and  of 
which  I  must  not  fail  to  inform  him. 

Space  is  lacking  for  more  than  a  brief  mention 
of  one  item  that  has  impressed  me  much,  the  multi- 
plicity of  businesses  and  occupations  I  have  found  in 
this  small  city — more,  I  believe,  than  in  any  other  I 
have  yet  viewed.  I  have  already  mentioned  the 
pork-packing,  a  great  industry  in  itself,  the  stores 
of  general  merchandise,  a  most  excellent  market. 
There  are  also  a  w^agon  yard,  a  brick  yard,  shoe- 
making  is  carried  on,  coopering,  and  hat-making 
and  there  are  several  mills. 

In  the  matter  of  schools,  this,  for  a  town  of  its 
size,  does  not  compare,  it  seems  to  me,  with  others 
I  have  viewed,  though  I  am  told  there  are  several 
private  schools,  in  one  of  which  Mr.  Oris  wold,  as  ho 
told  me,  taught  when  he  first  came  to  Terre  Haute." 

'Twas  in  this  same  assembling  room  of  the  tavern 
in  w^hich  more  and  more  from  day  to  day  as  I  lingered 
I  was  to  perceive  the  charm  of  which  ^Ir.  Griswold 
had  spoken  so  poetically,  that  I  finally  met  Mr. 
Chauncey  Rose.  Dr.  Parsons  had  been  call(>d  away 
but  he  told  me  that  he  had  spoken  to  liim  concern- 
ing me,  and  one  morning  as  I  entered  the  ofTicc?  room 
after  breakfast,  I  saw  a  serious-faced,  though  kindly 
gentleman  approaching  me,  who  inquired  if  I  were 

•Mr.  Parsons  could  not  know  of  course  that  in  October  of  this  samo 
year  (1840)  tlie  famous  school  of  St.  Mary's  in  the  Woods  was  to  1)p 
founded,  nor  could  he  foresee  the  Rose  I'olytecliiiic,  tlie  State  Ndrmnl 
and  other  schools  which  were  soon  to  flourish  in  Torre  Haute.— 
Editor. 


-6-S4:    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Mr.  Parsons  of  Virginia  and  informed  me  that  lie 
was  Chauncey  Rose. 

I  found  him  pleasing  at  our  first  meeting,  for 
though  a  man  of  reticent  nature,  he  is  in  reality 
full  of  enthusiasm  over  his  various  enterprises,  and 
when  he  perceives  interest  in  one  with  whom  he  con- 
verses he  talks  rapidly  and  enough. 

He  told  me  at  once  of  his  coming  here  when  there 
were  but  two  houses  in  the  town,  one  occupied  by 
Dr.  Modesitt  whom  I  have  already  met,  and  that  he 
boarded  at  the  Old  Fort.  He  was  only  25  then, — he 
is  now  47,  he  says,  but  he  soon  perceived  the  value 
of  the  prairie  land  and  soon  made  large  purchases, 
— in  1830,  640  acres  in  one  vast  tract.  He  was  for  a 
time  in  the  business  of  general  merchandise  with  Mr. 
Warren.  He  asked  me  many  questions  concerning  my 
legal  studies,  the  purpose  of  my  journey,  and  made 
me  some  wise  suggestions  concerning  investments. 

**I  am  myself  but  now  considering  entering  into 
a  company,"  said  lie,  ''which  you  may  find  of  inter- 
est, something  altogether  new  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  In  Greene  County,  not  far  distant  and  in 
a  southerly  direction,  a  gentleman,  Downing  by 
name,  has  discovered  vast  quantities  of  iron  ore, 
some  under  the  surface,  some  scattered  over  the  top 
of  the  ground,  due  no  doubt  to  some  convulsion  of 
nature  in  past  ages.  He  has  started  there  a  blast 
furnace  for  the  purpose  of  making  pig  iron,  casting 
stoves,  etc.,  about  a  mile  from  Bloomfield,  the  seat 
of  justice,  calling  it  the  Richland  Furnace."    ' 

''And  is  this  town,"  I  inquired,  "on  a  body  of 
water,  or  what  are  the  means  of  transportation?" 


A  TOUR  TtlROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    335 

He  seemed  pleased  with  my  question.  ''True," 
said  he,  "it  would  seem  strange  that  one  would  go 
into  such  a  business  so  far  from  the  ordinary  means 
of  transportation  for  such  heavy  freight.  Much  of 
this  iron  is  hauled  with  horse  teams  to  Louisville,  a 
distance  of  100  miles,  and  for  this  the  teamsters  re- 
ceive five  dollars  a  ton.  Later,  some  gentlemen 
went  into  the  business  with  Mr.  Do\vning  and  pur- 
chased a  steamboat  which  they  called  The  Richland, 
and  which  could  occasionally  come  up  White  River 
and  take  off  the  iron.  These  gentlemen  have  left 
the  company  and  I  am  contemplating  entering  it 
and  increasing  the  capital  so  that  the  business  can  be 
carried  on  on  a  large  scale.  I  have  great  expecta- 
tions of  success  from  this  enterprise. ' '  ° 

Space  is  lacking  and  time  is  too  pressing  to  do 
more  than  record  most  briefly  the  remaining  events 
of  my  stay  in  this  city.  Through  my  friend,  Dr. 
Parsons,  I  was  taken  to  the  palatial  mansion  of  the 
Blakes,  built  by  a  merchant  now  deceased,  a  Mr. 
Linton,  situated  some  distance  from  the  town. 
Here,  eight  years  ago,  Mrs.  Blake  brouglit  the  first 
piano  of  the  town.  'Twas  such  a  curiosity,  she  said, 
that  for  a  season  passersby  among  the  uneducated 
would  stop  and  ask  her  "to  play  on  tlie  critter." 
Another  fine  mansion  is  that  of  Dr.  Ball,  whom  I 
have  already  mentioned,  his  wife  being  the  daughter 
of  Joseph  Richardson,  one  of  the  early  settlers  at 

«The  original  members  of  this  enterprise  besides  :Mr.  Downing  were 
M.  H.  Shryer,  William  Evelcigh,  William  Mason,  E.  J.  Pfck  and  A.  L. 
Voorhees.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  Mr.  Parsons  leaves  tlie  anb- 
ject  with  such  abruptness  and  does  not  tell  us  more  of  this  enterprise, 
the  existence  of  whicli  must  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  many  resi- 
dents of  Indiana. — Editor. 


336    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Fort  Harrison,  and  a  most  excellent  female.  Dr. 
Parsons  being  young  and  unmarried,  'twas  but  nat- 
ural that  I  should  meet  in  his  company  several  of 
the  young  females,  and  while  I  have  not  time  to 
record  these  facts,  I  must  jot  down  the  incident  of 
our  sunset  walk  to  the  old  Indian  orchard.^ 

This  spot  is  so  called,  I  was  informed,  from  an 
old  Indian  legend,  and  'tis  indeed  a  place  of  sur- 
passing beauty.  Three  couples  walked  out  together, 
Mr.  Usher,  Dr.  Parsons  and  myself,  in  the  company 
of  the  young  females.  Miss  Eliza  was  my  partner, 
a  pink-cheeked  damsel,  whose  face,  though  pretty, 
is  lacking  in  intellectuality.  She  is  a  chatterer, 
however,  and  she  told  me  the  story  of  the  Indian 
lovers  most  engagingly  and  I  fancy  that  she  is  a  sad 
coquette.  Ah  well,  were  it  not  for  the  thought  of 
Julia,  I  might  have  been  a  readier  victim,  for  the 
spot  is  one  to  be  dedicated  to  love  on  a  summer  eve ! 
We  stood  among  the  gnarled  apple  trees — said  to 
have  been  planted  by  the  Indian  maiden,  on  the  high 
bluff  looking  out  over  forest,  prairie,  bluff  and  river. 
The  river  makes  a  sweeping  serpentine  curve  here, 
and  can  be  seen,  'tis  said,  for  a  distance  of  two  miles. 
The  scene  at  sunset  is  one  of  surpassing  loveliness, 
the  place  a  rural  paradise. 

'Twas  from  such  scenes  as  this  and  such  congenial 
companionship  as  I  have  described  that  I  was  at 
length  forced  to  tear  myself  away  and  embark  on 
the  steamer  Indian  for  my  next  stopping  place, 
Vincennes. 

'  Used  as  a  burying  ground  for  many  years  until  the  opening  of 
the  City  Cemetery  about  1839.— Editor. 


CHAPTER  XX 

ViNCENNEs,  July  24,  1840. 

IN  spite  of  the  announcement  of  the  Indian's 
owners  that  **The  public  can  rely  on  the  boat 
making  her  trips  on  time,  being  the  fastest  boat 
ever  in  this  trade, ' '  I  fear  I  should  have  thought  the 
journey  a  slow  one  had  it  not  been  for  the  congenial 
companionship  of  a  gentleman  who  introduced  him- 
self to  me  as  Capt.  Willis  Fellows,  recently  ap- 
pointed inspector  of  steamboats  for  the  Port  of 
Vincennes.  Him  I  found  exceedingly  well  informed, 
and  while  sitting  on  deck  gazing  upon  the  ever 
beautiful  and  ever  changing  scene,  I  was  continually 
engaged  in  asking  questions  and  jotting  do^\'n  the 
information  thus  accorded  me. 

Ample  as  it  w^as,  it  did  not  in  the  least  temper  my 
amazement  over  the  beauty,  the  antiquity,  the  inter- 
est of  this  town.  Its  situation  is  of  great  loveliness, 
being  on  what  the  early  writers  term  a  ''savannali" 
of  irregular  size,  some  miles  in  extent,  with  the 
dense  woods  behind  it  and  the  placid  river  at  its 
feet.  Along  its  streets,  small  century  old  houses 
alternate  with  more  recently  erected  magnificent 
mansions.  Its  inhabitants,  I  have  learned,  are  ex- 
traordinarily interesting,  high-bred  people  among 
whom  I  have  spent  some  of  the  most  enjoyable  days 
of  all  my  enjoyable  journey. 

337 


338    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

I  must  confess  to  myself,  although  I  endeavor  to 
keep  the  knowledge  from  others,  that  I  am  of  a  most 
romantic  temperament,  and  ne'er  have  I  found  a 
spot,  it  seems  to  me,  so  full  of  charm  as  is  this  town 
of  Vincennes,  a  charm  that  I  find  it  impossible  to  de- 
scribe. Some  of  my  newfound  acquaintances  have 
told  me  much  of  the  beauty  of  Indian  summer  in  this 
state,  of  the  colors  of  the  trees  and  of  the  opalescent 
haze  that  hangs  o'er  woods  and  prairie  and  me- 
thinks  the  charm  is  not  unlike  this  haze.  It  is  a 
charm  that  comes  from  the  age  of  the  place  and  its 
romantic  history.  The  first  French  inhabitants 
were,  'tis  said,  so  good  natured,  warm  hearted,  and 
gentle  mannered  that  'twas  impossible  not  to  love 
them,  and  from  what  I  can  learn,  their  successors, 
the  English  settlers,  were  people  of  refinement  and 
culture.  From  the  beginning,  there  has  always  been 
hospitality  here;  the  place  has  been  sought  by 
visitors  from  the  old  world,  and  these  palatial  home- 
steads have  been  the  scene  of  lavish  entertainment. 
When  I  close  my  eyes  I  can  see,  against  the  back- 
ground of  forest,  the  picturesque  figures,  the 
painted  Indian,  the  Jesuit  father,  the  French 
coureur-du-bois,  the  English  soldier,  the  titled 
visitors,  the  backwoodsman  with  his  rifle — ah,  small 
wonder  mj  pen  fails  me  when  I  attempt  to  write  of 
Vincennes!  I  shall  merely  set  down,  therefore, 
some  few  of  the  incidents  which  I  find  most  worthy 
of  recording. 

First  of  all  I  sought  out,  on  Captain  Fellows'  rec- 
ommendation, the  American  Tavern  kept  by  Mr. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    339 

John  C.  Clark,  a  most  affable  gentleman.  This  inn 
is  in  a  most  desirable  situation,  close  by  the  Old 
Fort,  and  commanding  the  Main  Street  ferry  land- 
ing on  the  river.  It  is  situated  on  a  corner,  with 
elevated  porches  on  two  sides  from  which  one  can 
view  the  happenings  in  the  streets,  notably  the  mili- 
tia musters.  It  is  a  meeting  place  for  all  promi- 
nent citizens  to  transact  business  of  a  public  char- 
acter, and  is  moreover  the  headquarters  for  mer- 
chants and  traders  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

On  the  occasion  of  my  memorable  call  on  Judge 
Blackford  in  Indianapolis  in  his  room  in  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  he  told  me  that  he  still  considers 
Vincennes  his  home,  coming  here  every  year,  and 
gave  me  the  names  of  several  of  its  respectable  citi- 
zens whose  acquaintance  I  should  make,  and  with 
them,  a  letter  to  Mr.  Samuel  Judah  of  the  firm  of 
Judah  and  Gibson.  I  accordingly  set  out  to  find  Mr. 
Judah,  who  received  me  most  warmly  and  whom  I 
found  a  most  extraordinarily  interesting  gentleman 
of  a  little  past  forty,  perhaps,  with  remarkably  fine, 
piercing  black  eyes.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  came  out  to  Vincennes  some  years  ago.  He  is, 
I  soon  perceived,  a  profound  scholar,  and  a  gentle- 
man most  interested  in  young  men  of  ambition.  He 
is  most  proficient  in  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages 
and  possesses  an  interesting  library  whose  contents 
I  took  pleasure  in  noting.  Having  learned  the  pur- 
pose of  my  visit,  he  was  even  more  gracious  and 
affable,  if  such  were  possible,  and  invited  me  to  re- 
main to  a  meeting  to  be  held  that  same  afternoon  at 


340    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

four  o'clock,  in  liis  office,  of  the  Historical  and  Anti- 
quarian Society/ 

This  society,  of  which  Judge  Blackford  was  one 
of  the  original  members,  was  organized  in  the  year 
1808  to  investigate  authentic  evidence  concerning 
the  early  history  of  the  place,  over  which  there  is 
some  dispute,  I  learn,  and  it  has  already  accumu- 
lated a  considerable  library  and  museum. 

At  their  last  meeting  the  officers  for.  the  coming 
year  were  elected:  Mr.  Nathaniel  Ewing,  Presi- 
dent; Mr.  S.  Hill,  Vice-President;  Mr.  G.  R.  Gibson, 
Treasurer;  Mr.  A.  T.  Ellis,  Secretary,  all  of  whom 
I  met  on  this  occasion  and  who  showed  themselves 
most  cordial  to  me. 

At  this  meeting  several  objects  of  interest  were 
presented  to  the  society  which  I,  with  their  permis- 
sion, noted  down — By  the  Honorable  John  Law,  a 
discourse  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society 
by  William  B.  Reed;  by  the  Kentucky  Historical 
Society,  a  large  collection  of  books  and  pamphlets; 
by  the  Honorable  Albert  S.  White,  whom  I  had  met 
at  Lafayette,  a  memoir,  historical  and  political  of 
the  northwest  coast  of  North  America,  by  Rob- 
ert Greenhow,  translator  and  librarian  to  the  De- 
partment of  State ;  by  the  Honorable  John  W.  Da- 
vis, documents  No.  206,  26  Con.  I  Sess.  House  Rep- 

^"It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  regret  that  the  Vincennes  Historical 
and  Antiquarian  Society  was  permitted  to  perish  for  want  of  appre- 
ciation and  support.  The  valuable  collection  of  important  physical 
specimens  contained  in  its  museum  and  its  documents  and  records 
were  suffered  to  be  carried  oflT  and  scattered,  and  are  not  now,  for  the 
greater  part,  in  existence,  or  at  least  are  not  accessible  to  the  pub- 
lic."—  (Cauthorn.)  The  society  has  in  recent  years  been  revived. — 
Editor. 


THEATRE. 


The  "Vmcennfs  Literary  Drnmntir  Sodety'  will  give  llicir  first  pcrform- 
ance  ou  Satarday  the  2nd  of  Ftlirunrj,  1839.  in  tlic  romu  fornieih  occupied 
as  the  Poet  Office,  on  Waltr  Slrecli  where  »vill  be  prcbcntid  llie'ller.  B.  C. 
Matrum'fl  Traged/  of 

BERTRAM. 

OB 

THE  CASTLE  OF  ST  ALDOBRAND 


COMIC  SOJVO. 


e  uitA  tk  UvifVii^andimirh  aima^jvruti 


The  Apprentice. 


The  members  of  this  Socirt^  deem  it  a  d«t/  dcTOlvinK  apnn  Iheniselrcs  to 
make  this  public  decU'ration  of  their  inlcnlions,  h:'  publishing,  to  Uio  clli- 
zens  of  Vincennes,  the  (Irst  resolution  of  thair  "By-Laici.'" 

"Jlesolved,  That  the  surplus  of  this  Societjr  shall  be  presented  to  the  (  oun- 
eil  of  the  Borough  of  Vincennes,  to  be  b/  Ucm,  opplied  in  the  purchase  of  a 

'Tnie"o'om  is  wellfltted  up,  and  proper  oBlceri  will  be  in  attendance  to  en- 
force  ord«r.  JVo  tmokhig  alhiced.  Front  s-ats  reserred  for  the  ladles.— 
Doore  open  at  6.     Curtain  will  posilivel;'  riie  JS  minutes  before  7. 

Tickets  of  ndni  ssion,  60  cenU.  Childrei  oter  10  jears  of  age  will  6e 
charged  fnll  price  No  money  received  at  Ifae  door.  „  TiekeU  to  be  had  at 
Clark's  Hotel,  and  at  the  stores  of  Messrs.  Hurlch  ^i"  n.nn.h,  0.  Crulk- 
thank  ^  Co.  and  tke  Coffee-nouses.  Good  muBlc  will  attend  the  performance. 


A  VINCENNEJ  PLAY  BILL  OF   I839 
From  the  original  in  the  Indiana  State  Library 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    341 

resentatives,  entitled  ''National  Defense  and  Na- 
tional Boundaries;"  by  tlie  Honorable  George  W. 
Bathbone,  two  skeins  of  sewing  silk,  one  black  and 
one  white,  gro\^^l  and  manufactured  in  Vincennes 
in  1839 ;  by  H.  D.  Wheeler,  a  specimen  of  ore  from 
Iron  Mountain,  Missouri;  by  George  Frederick,  a 
calculus  from  a  hog's  bladder;  by  D.  Stahl,  a  geo- 
logical report  of  the  state  of  Michigan;  by  H.  Bert- 
rand,  Esq.,  a  manuscript  volume  of  240  pages,  in 
French,  dated  1790,  a  most  beautiful  specimen  of 
chirography. 

Mr.  Ewing,  the  President,  I  found  most  agreeable. 
In  conversation,  after  the  meeting,  having  inquired 
concerning  my  journey,  he  informed  me  that  he  had 
first  come  to  this  place  as  a  boy  from  Pennsylvania 
on  a  trading  trip  in  a  pirognie  laden  with  apples 
and  salt,  later  ha\dng  come  to  settle  permanently. 
He  has  been  Register  of  the  Land  Office,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  first  bank  here,  and  has  retired,  being 
now  near  to  70,  to  his  country  place,  Mont  Clair, 
east  of  the  city,  to  which  estate  he  has  invited  me, 
showing  himself  especially  agreeable  after  I  men- 
tioned meeting  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Farrington  of 
Terre  Haute.  He  also  presented  me  to  his  son-iu- 
law.  Judge  Law,-  to  whom  I  at  once  gave  Judge 
Blackford's  letter  of  introduction. 

Judge  Law  is  a  man  eminently  handsome  and  ele- 
gant in  appearance,  portly,  with  aquiline  nose  and 

*John  Law,  born  in  Connecticut,  1796.  died  at  Evansville,  Ind., 
1873.  Graduated  at  Yale.  Came  to  Corydon.  1817:  later  to  Vin- 
cennes. 1825,  prosecuting  attorney;  18:^0.  legislative  judge.  Klect.d 
to  Congress.  '^A  fluent  and  graceful  writer,  wlio  gained  a  national 
reputation  for  his  contributions  to  the  Colonial  History  of  Indiana." 
!  v-Editor. 


342    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

penetrating  eyes.  He  is  most  urbane  and  at  once 
invited  me  to  his  home,  to  which  I  went  on  that  same 
evening,  my  stay  here  being  limited.  I  noted  with 
pleasure  the  beautiful  home,  the  books  and  papers 
— like  Judge  Blackford  he  is  an  inveterate  reader. 
The  spirit  of  hospitality  was  evident,  and  the  affec- 
tion in  which  he  holds  his  family.  Later,  we  sat 
in  the  garden  under  the  beautiful  trees,  and  among 
the  flowers  and  fruits  in  whose  cultivation  he  de- 
lights, and  he  quoted  Marvell. 

"What  wondrous  life  is  this  I  lead! 
Eipe  apples  drop  about  my  head; 
The  luscious  chisters  of  the  vine 
Upon  my  mouth  do  crush  their  wine; 
The  nectarine  and  curious  peach 
Into  my  hands  themselves  do  reach; 
Stumbling  on  melons  as  I  pass, 
Ensnared  with  flowers,  I  fall  on  grass. 

''Here  at  the  fountain's  sliding  foot. 
Or  at  some  fruit  tree's  mossy  root, 
Casting  the  body 's  vest  aside 
My  soul  into  the  boughs  does  glide ; 
There,  like  a  bird,  it  sits  and  sings, 
Then  whets  and  claps  its  silver  wings, 
And,  till  prepared  for  longer  flight. 
Waves  in  its  plumes  the  various  light." 

His  love  for  these  surroundings  was,  I  could  per- 
ceive, no  idle  fancy. 

He  is  44  years  of  age,  he  informed  me ;  from  Con- 
necticut, from  which  state  his  grandfather  was  a 
member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  he  him- 
self graduated  from  Yale  at  the  age  of  18.  The 
pride  of  birth  is  there,  it  speaks  in  the  stateliness 


A  TOUB  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    343 

of  his  bearing,  but  much  else,  a  courtliness  of  man- 
ner, a  brilliancy  of  intellect,  a  wit  and  humor  that 
make  his  conversation  most  delectable,  in  short,  I 
never  have  looked  upon  a  man  who,  I  deem,  unites 
in  himself  more  of  the  gifts  men  pray  the  gods  for. 

On  learning  of  my  interest  in  the  history  of  the 
Western  country  and  also  my  surprise  over  finding 
such  a  body  as  the  Antiquarian  Society  here,  he 
told  me  much  concerning  the  object  of  the  society 
and  its  work  and  confessed  that  only  last  year  he 
had  delivered  an  address  ^  before  the  society  on 
the  date  of  the  first  settlement  of  Vincennes. 

When  I  ventured  to  express  to  him  my  feeling 
over  finding  a  city  of  such  age  and  of  such  historical 
interest  in  what  we  in  the  East  are  wont,  I  fear,  to 
consider  a  wilderness,  he  burst  forth: 

''Think,  sir,  you  are  in  a  town  which  is  one  of 
the  oldest  on  the  continent,  one  for  the  possession 
of  which  the  greatest  nations  of  the  earth  have  con- 
tended— France,  England,  the  United  States.  Think, 
sir,  of  this  river,  the  Ouabache,  they  called  it,  a 
river  known  and  noted  on  the  maps  of  the  West 
long  before  the  Ohio  was  known  in  the  geography 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley, — a  river  which  for  nearly 
a  century  bore  upon  its  waters  the  bateaux  of  the 
three  great  powers  above  mentioned,  bringing  their 
armed  warriors  to  occupy  and  if  possible,  to  pre- 
serve it.  One  which  had  seen  mthin  its  garrison 
the  Mousquetaire  of  Louis  XV,  the  grenadier  of 
George  III,  the  rifleman  of  Clark,  and  the  regular 

^This  address  was  delivered  on  Feb.  22,  1839,  and  printed  in  1858 
under  the  title  "Tlie  Colonial  History  of  Vincennes  under  French, 
British  and  American  Government." — Editor. 


344    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

troops  of  Harmar,  St.  Clair  and  Harrison,— one 
above  which  has  floated  the  Fleur-de-Lys,  the  Cross 
of  St.  George,  and  our  own  glorious  Stars  and 
Stripes!" 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  continued: 
**I  came  here  at  twenty-one, — in  1817 — it  has 
changed  much  since  then;  it  had  changed  greatly 
since  1800,  I  was  told.  Fancy,  sir,  what  those  first 
English  speaking  settlers  must  have  seen  when  they 
came  here, — this  little  foreign  village,  the  low-ceil- 
inged,  straw-thatched  cottages,  vine-wreathed,  set  in 
blossoming  fruit  trees, — the  old  church,  which  you 
must  see  without  fail,  the  Old  Fort,— no  French- 
man's tongue  calls  it  aught  else,  'twas  only  the  Eng- 
lish who  said  Fort  Sackville, — the  Indians,  the 
priests,  ah,  'twas  a  picture  to  stimulate  a  man's  im- 
agination to  make  a  poet  of  him — " 

I  ventured  to  say  that  the  spell  still  hangs  over 
it  for  me,  and  'twas  perhaps  this  appreciation  of  a 
place  he  loved  so  well  that  caused  his  continuous 
and  untiring  kindness  to  me  throughout  my  visit. 
'Twas  upon  this  occasion  that  Judge  Law  told  me 
of  those  men  who  have  given  what  I  may  call  his- 
toric interest  to  the  town — the  Sieur  de  Vincenne, 
from  whom  it  takes  its  name :  Father  Gibault,  a  most 
celebrated  priest  who,  when  he  heard  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution,  called  a  public  meeting  of  the 
French  of  Vincennes,  explained  to  them  the  nature 
of  the  struggle  and  administered  to  them  the  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  American  cause;  Gen.  George 
Rogers  Clark,  over  whose  exploits  I  have  marveled 
much;  Col.  Francis  Vigo  of  whom  I  had  already 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    345 

heard  at  Terre  Haute,  and  above  all,  of  Gen.  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  who  came  here  as  first  Ter- 
ritorial Governor  of  Indiana  to  find  a  French  vil- 
lage, few  in  the  place  speaking  or  understanding 
aught  but  the  French  language,  and  who  devoted 
himself  while  here  to  the  promotion  of  learning  and 
education. 

Besides  these  whom  we  may  call  public  charac- 
ters and  historic,  are  men  of  prominence  now  living 
here  or  but  lately  passed  away,  who  are  a  part  of 
the  history  of  the  place.  Among  these  is  Bishop 
Brute,  the  first  Roman  Catholic  bishop  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Vincennes,  born  and  educated  in  France, 
who  came  to  this  city  in  1834,  at  which  time  the 
church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  partly  erected. 
Bishop  Bmte  left,  so  Judge  Law  tells  me,  a  mar- 
velous library  of  6,000  or  7,000  volumes,  priceless 
manuscripts,  many  of  them,  some  dating  back  to 
1476.  Another  gentleman  is  Elihu  Stout,  who 
founded  the  first  newspaper  in  the  state,  the  Vin- 
cemies  Sun,  the  first  number  of  which  was  issued  in 
1804.  Mr.  Stout  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Historical  Society,  where  I  met  him  and  enjoyed  his 
conversation,  although,  as  he  was  an  ardent  Dem- 
ocrat, I  found  his  opinions  of  the  election  altogether 
at  variance  with  the  opinions  of  the  many  Whigs  I 
have  encountered. 

I  found  the  opinions  of  another  gentleman,  Mr. 
Caddington,  who  edits  the  Yinccnncs  Gazette,  much 
more  to  my  liking,  and  it  was  tliis  gentleman  who, 
when  I  questioned  him  concerning  Gen.  Harrison's 
following  in  this  place  and  the  strength  of  the  Wliig 


346    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

party,  invited  me  to  accompany  Mm  to  a  great  mass 
meeting  and  barbecue  to  be  given  in  the  walnut 
grove  before  the  Harrison  mansion,  of  wMch  last 
named  I  shall  write  at  length  later  on. 

The  scene  was  one  of  indescribable  interest.  Two 
speakers  had  been  provided,  so  Mr.  Caddington  in- 
formed me,  but  the  crowd  was  so  enormous,  so  far 
exceeding  all  expectations,  that  it  was  necessary  to 
provide  two  others  that  all  the  crowd  might  be  ac- 
commodated at  once.  The  two  speakers  first  pro- 
vided were  the  Mr.  George  Proffitt,^  concerning 
whom  I  had  heard  so  much  in  Terre  Haute,  and  a 
Mr.  George  G.  Dunn  of  Bedford;  the  two  others 
hastily  invited,  were  Mr.  Richard  W.  Thompson, 
who  chanced  to  be  in  the  city  at  this  time,  and  Mr. 
John  Ewing  of  Vincennes,  whom  I  had  already  met. 
With  my  new  friend,  Mr.  Caddington,  as  cicerone, 
I  penetrated  the  vast  crowd,  stood  on  the  trench  in 
which  the  great  bullocks  were  roasting,  when  the 
time  came,  ate  my  share  with,  I  must  confess,  a  most 
unsuspectedly  voracious  appetite,  washed  it  down 
with  dippersful  of  campaign  cider,  heard  with  great 
delight  campaign  songs  shouted  forth  by  lusty 
voices,  and  listened  with  the  greatest  curiosity  and 
interest  to  each  of  the  speakers. 

Of  Mr.  Proffitt  I  had  heard  so  much,  including  the 

*  George  H.  Proffitt,  educated  in  England  and  France ;  belonged  to 
one  of  the  leading  families  in  Louisiana,  where  his  grandfather  held 
the  office  of  surveyor  general  under  the  French  government.  Came  to 
i'ike  County  in  1826,  a  very  young  man  and  engaged  in  merchandise 
business.  Legislature,  1828,  and  elected  to  same  position  five  times 
in  succession;  two  terms  in  Congress;  minister  to  Brazil  under 
Tyler;  died  in  Louisville,  1847.  Man  of  extraordinary  popularity; 
had  high  standing  in  the  East. — Editor. 


,     A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IX  1840    347 

encomiums  of  my  Terre  Haute  friend  who  had  told 
me  of  the  barbecue  planned  in  his  honor  next  month, 
that  I  had  the  greatest  curiosity  to  see  him  and 
was  no  ways  disappointed  in  my  expectations.  Mr. 
Proffitt  is  a  handsome  young  man,  below  the  medium 
size,  slim  and  spare,  with  a  good  mouth,  a  high 
forehead,  dark  eyes  and  light  brown  hair.  He  had 
spoken  but  a  few  moments  when  I  perceived  the  se- 
cret of  his  power  and  marveled  not  when  Mr.  (\ul- 
dington  informed  me  that  he  has  already  a  high 
reputation  for  oratory  in  the  East  and  South.  Hi.s 
voice  is  remarkably  loud  and  clear,  having  that  qual- 
ity knowm  as  ''silvern,"  so  here  he  has  an  advan- 
tage over  many  of  his  adversaries;  his  elocution  is 
of  the  most  fluent,  his  imagination  most  fertile,  he  is 
ever  quick  and  ready.  'Twas  easy  to  see  how  he 
swayed  the  multitude — I  have  never  heard  a  more 
persuasive  speaker.  Mr.  Caddington  related  to  me 
an  incident  revealing  this  power.  It  seems  that  for 
some  reason,  some  years  ago,  about  the  time  of  an 
election,  he  had  become  unpopular  witli  tlie  people 
of  his  town,  w^hether  through  the  defamation  of  his 
rivals  or  some  fancied  wrongs,  is  unknown.  Hav- 
ing in  some  w^ay  become  aware  of  this  displeasure, 
Mr.  Profiitt  notified  the  voters  by  placards  at  the 
polling  place,  that  he  wished  to  address  them  once 
more  before  they  voted,  and  such  was  his  ])ower, 
popular  or  unpopular,  that  a  large  crowd  gatiiered 
to  hear  him.  He  spoke  for  an  hour,  says  Mr.  Cad- 
dington, and  so  strong  was  his  logic,  so  overpow- 
ering his  eloquence,  that  he  secured  every  vote  in 
the  town,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  his  scheming  op- 


348    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840     , 

ponents.  '  *  He  is  a  true  Southerner, ' '  concluded  Mr. 
Caddington,  apparently  forgetful  of  my  origin,  of 
which  I  did  not  remind  him,  fearing  his  embarrass- 
ment, ''and  cares  far  more  for  hunting,  fishing  and 
horse  racing  than  for  his  business.  I  have  heard 
that  he  never  scruples  to  close  his  store  any  day 
in  the  week  to  pursue  these  pleasures.'* 

A  most  striking  man  is  Mr.  Richard  W.  Thomp- 
son, whom  I  had  also  heard  spoken  of  at  Terre 
Haute,  very  erect,  with  fine  black  hair  and  eyes. 
His  face  is  not  regularly  handsome — ^his  features 
are  too  prominent  for  that,  but  in  person  he  is  a 
man  of  mark,  and  his  voice,  while  not  equaling  that 
of  Mr.  Proffitt  in  sweetness,  is  of  great  volume;  his 
manner  is  strong,  clear,  emphatic,  even  vehement. 
"He  has  few,  if  any  superiors  as  a  speaker  in  the 
West,'*  said  Mr.  Caddington,  and  I  was  fain  to 
agree  with  him. 

Then  my  friend  led  me  to  the  part  of  the  grove 
in  which  Mr.  Dunn  ^  was  speaking. 

He  informed  me  that  I  was  now  to  hear  not  only 
a  great  orator,  but  one  of  the  finest  lawyers  of  the 
state.  "When  he  takes  a  case,"  said  my  friend, 
"he  inspires  oth-ers  with  such  confidence  in  his 
strength  that  the  case  is  considered  as  decided  in 
his  favor  beforehand.  He  is  argumentative,  im- 
pressive, his  w^ill  is  invincible,  and  he  is  a  master 
of  ridicule  and  invective.  The  Democrats  fear  his 
sarcasm  more  than  that  of  any  other  of  our  speak- 

"  George  G.  Dunn  of  Bedford,  born  in  Kentucky  in  1812;  settled 
in  Monroe  County,  Indiana,  and  then  located  in  Bedford  in  1833. 
Mr.  Caddington 's  statement  is  borne  out  by  his  biographers. — 
Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    349 

ers.  You  will  see  for  yourself,  sir,  that  as  some  one 
has  said  of  him,  he  embodies  wit,  droUeiy,  invec- 
tive, sarcasm,  eloquence,  in  one  symmetrical  whole." 

Mr.  Dunn  was  indeed  one  of  the  most  impressive 
of  the  speakers.  In  person,  he  is  most  pleasing, 
being  tall  and  commanding,  with  fair  complexion, 
light  hair,  and  blue  eyes.  I  perceived  at  once  that 
Mr.  Caddington  spoke  the  truth  and  that  he  indeed 
possesses  all  the  qualities  that  gentleman  attributes 
to  him.  Indeed,  I  should  much  prefer  having  him 
my.  advocate  than  my  opponent.  His  voice  is  rich 
and  full,  and  he  possesses  great  personal  magnet- 
ism, no  doubt  in  part  the  secret  of  his  power,  for 
no  one  could  listen  to  his  mellow  voice  without  at 
once  being  persuaded  of  the  justice  of  liis  cause. 
I  was  moved  beyond  belief  at  his  marvelous  decla- 
mation of  the  lines,  ''Now  is  the  winter  of  our  dis- 
content made  glorious  summer  by  the  sun  of  York." 

The  fourth  speaker  was  a  Mr.  John  Ewing,  of 
whom  Mr.  Caddington  spoke  with  enthusiasm.  He 
is  an  Irishman,  it  seems,  a  gentleman  of  wealtli,  who 
has  become  interested  in  politics,  and  having  been 
suddenly  discovered  to  be  a  fluent  and  versatile 
speaker,  has  been  in  constant  demand  this  campaign. 
He  speaks  a  rich  brogue,  and  this  with  his  Irish 
wit,  his  agreeable  manner,  his  keen  sarcasm,  his 
hail-fellow-well-met  attitude  toward  all  tlie  people 
make  him  a  most  popular  speaker.  At  the  inoment 
we  approached  the  stump  from  whicli  he  spoke  ho 
was  reading  a  list  of  reasons  from  some  Democratic 
print  of  why  the  writer  was  going  to  vote  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket.     Taking  up  each  one,  as  "I  intend  to 


350    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

vote  for  Martin  Van  Buren  because,"  etc.,  lie 
quickly  explained  why  the  statement  was  untrue, 
and  this  with  so  much  wit  that  the  audience  was 
continually  in  a  roar. 

I  have  made  some  inquiries  concerning  the  state 
of  education  in  this  city  and  have  been  informed 
that  in  1808  a  university  was  established,  from 
which,  by  reason  of  some  injustice,  'tis  claimed,  of 
legislation,  the  state's  support  was  withdrawn,  but 
which  has  recently  been  reestablished,  and  for 
which  is  hoped  a  flourishing  future.  There  is  a 
most  interesting  Catholic  institution,  St.  Gabriel's 
College,  which  offers  a  large  and  interesting  curricu- 
lum, providing  greater  instruction  in  languages  than 
any  other  institution  in  the  state.  Instruction  is 
given,  it  is  announced,  in  both  ancient  and  modern 
languages,  to-wit :  Hebrew,  Latin  and  Greek,  Italian, 
Portuguese  and  Spanish,  English,  French  and  Ger- 
man, the  last  three  of  which  are  taught  by  pro- 
fessors to  whom  they  are  vernacular. 

Besides  all  these  branches,  mathematics,  philoso- 
phy and  the  sciences,  instruction  is  offered  in  draw- 
ing, painting  and  vocal  and  instrumental  music  upon 
the  piano,  violin,  flute,  guitar  and  clarinet.*  The  in- 
stitution, 'tis  said,  is  provided  with  a  splendid  phil- 
osophical apparatus,  an  extensive  library  and  ele- 
gant specimens  for  the  study  of  anatomy.  There  is 
also  in  preparation  a  botanical  garden  designed  to 
contain  the  greatest  possible  variety  of  plants.  The 
scholastic  year  consists  of  two  sessions  of  twenty- 
two  weeks  each,  and  the  terms,  including  boarding, 
washing,  mending,  bed  and  bedding,  medical  attend- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    1^51 

ance,  paper,  quills,  ink  and  books  per  session,  is  $70. 
Music  and  drawing  are  extra  as  are  also  modern 
languages. 

There  is  in  the  city  also  a  most  excoHont  scliool 
for  females,  St.  Mary's  Academy,  whicli  is  dosigiird 
"to  promote  the  cause  and  enhance  tlie  value  of 
learning  and  virtue,  and  exert  itself  in  accordance 
with  the  character,  necessities  and  increasing  pros- 
perity of  the  country." 

The  system  of  education  in  tliis  Academy  embraces 
the  English  and  French  languages,  Ortlio^raphy, 
Reading,  AVriting,  Grammar,  Practical  and  Kational 
Arithmetic,  Geography  and  the  Delineation  of  Mai)s, 
American  and  Modern  History,  Rhetoric  and  B»'lk^s 
Lettres,  Natural  Philosophy  and  Chemistry,  music 
on  piano,  vocal  music,  drawing  and  painting  in  water 
colors,  plain  sewing,  tapestry,  embroidering,  bead 
and  lace  work,  in  short  all  branches  usually  tauglit 
in  female  academies.  Board  and  tuition,  bed  and 
bedding,  washing,  are  $100  a  year,  and  tlie  use  of 
pens,  ink,  reading  books  and  patterns  for  work  are 
621/^  cents  for  the  season.  Music  and  the  use  of  the 
piano  are  $7  per  quarter.  I  note  these  to  compare 
with  the  cost  in  other  institutions  and  also  because 
my  father  and  mother  will  be  much  interested  in 
these  details. 

As  to  religion,  because  of  the  age  of  this  settl^o- 
ment,  there  are  several  flourisliing  clmrclies,  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  the  oldest,  founded  in  1702,  and  also 
the  congregations  of  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and 
Christian.  A  most  interesting  story  was  told  me 
that  the  first  Protestant  service  in  the  to\Mi  was  liold 


352    A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

by  a  circuit  rider  who  came  through  the  place,  whose 
sole  congregation  was  President  Harrison,  who,  as 
there  was  no  table,  held  the  candle  while  the  minister 
read  the  Scripture  lesson. 

Only  last  year  the  Episcopal  Church  was  founded 
here.  The  meetings,  I  am  told,  are  held  in  the  town 
hall,  and  the  females  of  the  congregation  have  re- 
cently raised  the  sum  of  $117.21  for  the  fitting  up  of 
the  hall  for  the  services.  The  rector,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Killikelly,®  I  have  found  a  most  intelligent  and 
agreeable  gentleman. 

What  I  see  most  clearly,  in  my  mind's  eye,  when 
I  think  of  Vincennes  is  first,  its  old  French  houses, 
quaint  and  low,  which  Judge  Law  had  described  so 
eloquently,  in  one  of  which  I  took  tea  one  never-to- 
be-forgotten  afternoon  with  a  Mrs.  Wolverton,  most 
charming  young  matron,  and  next  its  many  mag- 
nificent mansions,  first  among  them  that  of  Gen. 
Harrison,  whose  plantation,  ''Grouseland,"  is  quite 
near  the  home  of  Judge  Law,  who  took  me  to  call 
upon  Mr.  Drake,  its  present  tenant,  that  I  might 
view  the  mansion.'^ 

I  was  charmed  by  the  approach  to  the  house.  The 
plantation  is  a  large  one,  the  grove  of  trees  magnifi- 
cent. I  have  not  yet,  I  fear,  dwelt  sufficiently  on  the 
trees  of  this  Wabash  country,  the  giant  tulip  pop- 

'  'The  next  year,  1841,  Mr.  Killikelly  went  East  and  to  Europe  to 
raise  funds  for  this  church,  and  it  is  said  that  among  the  subscribers 
were  Queen  Adelaide,  widow  of  William  IV,  the  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land, the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  of  London,  and  others  whose 
names  are  equally  illustrious. — Editor. 

'  Tliis  historic  house  was  saved  from  destruction  by  the  Francis 
Vigo  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  which  purchased  it  in  December,  1916, — 
Editor. 


ST.  FRANCE  XAVIER'J-  CATHEDRAL,  VINCENNE/ 

Begun  in  1826 

Pen  drawing  by  WillarJ  Osier 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    .353 

lars,  some  190  feet  high;  the  sycamores,  the  walnut, 
white  oak,  sweet  buckeye,  sweet  gum,  ehns,  catalpas, 
all  enormously  tall  and  of  great  circumference.  Be- 
sides this,  there  is  the  vineyard  and  a  garden  of  ex- 
quisite loveliness,  with  plants,  shrubs  and  vines  of 
great  variety,  rivaling  the  garden  of  Judge  Law. 

The  house  has  a  magnificent  situation  ovcrhmking 
the  river,  and  on  this  side  it  is  oval,  the  other  throe 
walls  square.  The  mansion  itself  is  constructed  of 
brick,  the  first  brick  house  in  the  county,  if  not  in  the 
territory,  and  erected  at  a  cost  of  $20,000. 

The  main  stairway  is  most  beautiful,  rising  from 
a  commodious  hallway,  from  the  left  of  whicli  opens 
a  stately  room,  30x22  feet,  I  was  told,  tlie  ceiling 
13  feet  high,  the  west  wall  of  which,  facing  the  river, 
is  oval.  ''This  room,"  said  Mr.  Drake,  *'has  been 
the  scene  of  many  a  gay  and  splendid  gathering,  for 
here  Gen.  Harrison  entertained  many  dignitaries 
from  the  Old  World,  as  well  as  from  the  East,  in 
royal  style.  After  his  departure  his  son  Cleves 
Harrison  and  his  gay  young  wife  dwelt  here  for  a 
season  and  made  the  house  an  assembly  place  for 
youth,  beauty,  wealth,  rank  and  title."  There  are 
many  chambers  with  beautiful  woodwork,  handsome 
mantelpieces,  entrancing  views  from  the  windows, 
and  two  verandas,  one  attached  to  the  house  on  the 
east  side,  the  other  on  the  front.  There  are  heavy 
walnut  shutters  to  all  the  windows,  and  Mr.  Drake 
called  my  attention  to  a  bullet  hole  in  one,  the  re- 
sult of  a  ball  fired  from  a  gun  one  night  by  an  Indian 
with  the  intention  of  assassinating  the  Governor, 
while  he  was  walking  the  floor  with  his  little  son  in 


354    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

liis  arms.     He  pointed  out  to  me,  also,  a  crack  in 
the  wall  caused  by  the  great  earthquake  of  1811. 

Of  great  interest  to  me,  also,  was  the  one-time 
mansion  of  Col.  Vigo,  a  most  elegant  residence,  with 
a  veranda,  the  whole  painted  white,  with  blinds  of 
purest  green.  Its  floors,  'tis  said — for  I  did  not 
view  the  interior — are  inlaid  with  diamond-shaped 
blocks  of  black  walnut  and  white  oak,  highly 
polished.  The  story  is  told  that  Col.  Vigo  offered 
the  builder  twenty  guineas  reward  if  he  would 
hasten  its  construction  that  he  might  offer  the  house 
to  Governor  Harrison  on  his  first  coming  to  Vin-' 
cennes.  On  its  walls,  at  that  time,  says  Judge  Law, 
hung  a  handsome  oil  painting  of  Thomas  Jefferson. 

I  can  but  name  the  other  palatial  dwellings,  the 
Bonner  mansion — Mr.  Bonner  is  owner  of  the  great 
cotton  factory — a  three-story  house  with  the  great 
columned  portico  our  Virginia  builders  delight  in, 
in  a  magnificent  situation;  Bellevue,  the  country 
residence  erected  years  ago  by  Judge  Vanderburg, 
now  dead,  and  the  home  of  John  Wise,  a  most  re- 
spectable citizen  and  merchant,  once  the  residence  of 
Judge  Benjamin  Parke,  an  early  notable  of  the 
state,  and  which  stands  overlooking  the  river  near 
the  Harrison  mansion. 

To  Nathaniel  Ewing's  beautiful  country  home, 
Mont  Clair,  I  went  one  evening  together  with  a  com- 
pany of  young  people,  and  never  have  I  seen  a  more 
beautiful  and  restful  spot.  We  supped  together  on 
the  green  sward  in  front  of  the  house,  while  the  sun 
gave  us  a  magnificent  pageant  at  his  setting,  going 
to  rest  right  regally,  with  a  mass  of  cloud  drapery 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    355 

all  crimson  and  gold  floating  about  his  couch,  an.l 
the  full  moon  rose  from  the  horizon  like  a  giant 
shield  of  copper,  and  finally,  growing  smaller  and 
more  silvery,  rode  the  heavens  above  us.  And  of 
what  did  we  talk,  of  what  sing? 

I  have  always  loved  the  guitar.  Some  decry  it 
as  an  unimportant  instrument,  not  realizing  Uw  rich 
and  mellow  harp  tones  obtained  by  an  accomplished 
performer.  'Tis  indeed  an  orchestra  in  liltlo,  and 
the  great  Paganini  himself  said  of  it,  '*I  esteem  it  as 
a  conductor  of  thoughts;  I  love  it  for  its  hannony; 
it  is  my  constant  companion  in  all  my  travels." 

'Tis  not  in  the  hands  of  a  Paganini,  however,  tliat 
I  wish  to  see  this  instrument,  but  rather  to  see  it 
clasped  by  some  fair  damsel,  its  blue  ribbon  encir- 
cling her  neck,  its  strings  touched  by  lier  tapering 
ivory  fingers.  And  **on  such  a  night  as  this"  'twas 
just  a  lovely  young  female,  Aimee  her  name,  from 
which  I  guessed  a  French  ancestress,  wlio  toucliod 
the  guitar  and  sang.  She  was  a  blonde  of  tlie  most 
delicate  description,  the  seeming  embodiment  of  all 
most  exquisitely  ethereal  and  spiritual,  endowed 
with  the  voice  of  an  angel,  and  this  is  the  sad  melody 
she  sang: 

*'0  there  are  tones  of  voices  prone, 

That  breathed  from  lips  now  cold  and  mute 
The  echoes  of  a  once-loved  soup, 

The  murmurs  of  a  broken  lute ; 
That  waken  tears — warm,  prushinp  tears — 

The  blighted  hopes  of  bri']jhtcr  hours, 
And  win  us  back  to  parted  years 

To  weep  aloud  our  withered  flowers. 


356    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

' '  And  gentle  locks  that  once  were  bright, 

And  smiles  that  lips  we  loved  adorned, 
Now  fall  with  cold  and  faded  light 

Around  the  heart  they  once  have  warmed; 
And  mem  'ry  round  her  ruin  rears 

Her  ivy  mantled,  broken  urn, 
And  feeds  with  sighs  and  softer  tears 

The  fires  which  round  her  altar  burn. ' ' 

For  a  season  we  all  sat  silent,  more  moved  than 
we  wished  to  reveal  by  the  haunting  sadness  of  the 
melody,  the  moon,  the  summer  night.  And  to  what 
did  the  song  carry  me  back!  Again  I  was  sitting  on 
the  deck  of  the  steamboat,  gliding  down  the  Beauti- 
ful River,  again  the  moon  was  smiling  down  upon 
the  lovely  face,  the  deep  blue  eyes  of  Miss  Caroline 
Hunter.  Had  I  so  soon  forgotten  her?  Could  I 
ever  forget  her?  Did  I  realize  that  I  might  soon 
see  her?  My  next  stop  is  New  Albany,  and  'tis  in 
New  Albany  that  Buford  had  informed  me  she 
dwells,  and  intimated  that  I  might  even  find  him  and 
his  wife  there  on  my  arrival.  'Tis  not  unlikely, 
for  he  will  no  doubt  choose  to  remain  in  the  north 
through  the  extreme  heat  of  the  summer.  New  Al- 
bany! Caroline!  Of  a  sudden,  I  forgot  the  music 
and  the  summer  eve,  I  forgot  my  companions,  and 
starting  up  in  feverish  haste,,  most  ungallantly  de- 
clared that  the  hour  was  late,  and  that  I  must  seek 
my  inn,  since  in  the  morning  I  was  to  take  the  stage 
early  for  my  journey's  end! 


CHAPTER  XXI 

New  Albany,  July  30,  1840. 

TRULY  fortune  hath  favored  me  beyond  belief 
in  ending  my  journey  in  tliis  phice,  so  n'd- 
olent  of  the  perfume  of  youth,  romance  and 
beauty. 

The  trail  from  Vincennes  to  New  Albany  is  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  state,  having  been  used  by  the 
Indians  in  their  journeys  from  Kentucky  across  the 
Falls  of  the  Ohio  to  Vincennes,  one  of  the  oldest 
towns  in  the  country.  For  a  long  time  the  stage 
route  followed  exactly  the  old  Indian  trail,  but  in 
1832  a  new  road  was  opened  up,  macadamized,  ami 
made  a  toll  road,  the  section  over  the  Knobs  alone, 
I  am  told,  costing  $100,000.  It  is  in  this  old  part 
of  the  state  quite  near  New  Albany  that  Corj'don, 
the  state's  first  capital,  is  situated  and  greatly  I  re- 
gret that  lack  of  time  prevents  my  visiting  it.  'Tia 
a  quaint  town,  they  say,  and  the  old  stone  capitol 
building  quite  pretentious. 

Space  will  not  permit  my  entering  upon  a  descrip- 
tion of  this  beautiful  country,  and  I  have  in  pre- 
vious entries  dwelt  upon  the  giant  trees,  the  in- 
credible number  of  wild  grapevines  festooning  them, 
the  wonderfully  luxuriant  vegetation,  the  feathered 
songsters  of  brilliant  hues,  tlic  flowers,  all  uniting 
to  form  a  picture  of  indescribable  loveliness.     The 

357 


358    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

only  point  I  will  note  is  that  as  we  progressed 
farther  south  the  vegetation  increased  in  luxuriance, 
and  the  canebrake,  so  familiar  to  the  dweller  in  the 
land  of  the  cotton  and  the  cane,  was  frequently  to 
be  observed. 

The  first  town  of  any  size  at  which  our  stage 
stopped  was  Washington,  the  seat  of  justice  of 
Daviess  County,  a  flourishing  town  whose  houses  are 
constructed  in  a  genteel  style.  Mount  Pleasant  in 
Martin  County,  on  an  elevated  site,  with  fine  springs, 
came  next,  and  then,  Hindostan,  a  village  with  a 
most  interesting  history,  and  to  whose  name  the  in- 
habitants give  a  most  rude  and  barbarous  pro- 
nunciation which  I  succeeded  in  understanding  only 
after  frequent  repetitions,  Hindawson. 

A  gentleman  on  the  stage  coach,  perceiving  my 
interest,  gave  me  something  of  the  history  of  this 
town,  now  fallen  into  ruin  and  decay.  A  trail  from 
Clarksville  (of  which  more  anon)  to  Vincennes, 
crossed  the  river  at  this  point,  and  early  settlers, 
considering  the  situation  an  advantageous  one,  en- 
tered land  here  prior  to  1812,  the  first  land,  he  as- 
serted, entered  from  the  United  States  in  this  coun- 
try. A  ferry  was  established,  many  settlers  came 
in,  and  for  a  season,  the  town  promised  to  be  one  of 
the  most  flourishing  settlements  in  the  state.  An 
early  traveler,  said  he,  wrote  of  it  as  ''an  infant 
ville,  Hindostan,  on  the  falls  of  the  White  River,  a 
broad  crystal  stream,  running  navigable  to  the  Ohio, 
over  a  bed  of  sand  and  stone,  smooth  and  white  as 
a  floor  of  marble,  a  pleasant,  healthy  place,  the  land 
rich  and  inviting."    This  state  of  affairs  continued 


THE  OLD  STATE  CAPITOL  AT  CORYDON 
Pen  drawing  by  Wilbur  Driant  Shook 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    359 

untU  1820,  mills  and  business  houses  flourishing  tli.' 
place  far  m  advance  of  any  settlement  outsidi.  of 
Vmcennes  and  New  Albany,  wlien,  in  1827,  a  mys- 
terious malady  swept  over  the  community,  like  one 
of  the  ancient  plagues,  and,  in  a  ni-lit,  the  dead  out- 
numbered the  living.  The  curse  remained  after  tlie 
plague  passed  on,  and  never  again  was  it  possible  to 
recall  the  first  prosperity.  The  next  year,  the  seat 
of  justice  was  removed  to  another  to\\-n,  the  living 
departed  one  by  one,  and  now  all  that  is  left  of 
Hindostan  is  a  few  crumbling  houses  by  tlie  river, 
which  ripples  on  as  gayly  as  ever,  over  its  marbh'- 
w^hite  bed  of  sand  and  stone.  A  village  fallen  to 
decay  is  always  a  melancholy  sight,  but  how  much 
more  melancholy  in  these  Western  woods,  where  all 
else  is  young  and  flourishing,  and  where  age  and 
decay  would  seem  to  have  no  part. 

Characteristic  of  this  part  of  the  state  are  tho 
many  swift  and  beautiful  streams,  one  of  which, 
Lick  Creek,  runs  through  the  settlement  of  Paoli,  a 
flourishing  post  town  and  seat  of  justice  of  the 
county  of  Orange.  This  town  has  six  stores  of 
general  merchandise,  three  taverns,  two  oil  mills, 
a  cotton  factory,  a  county  seminary,  and  the  land 
surrounding  it  is,  I  am  informed,  good  farming  land, 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  the  farms  an* 
abounding  wdth  the  comforts  and  necessaries  of  life. 

It  was  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  me  that  here  I 
had  not  the  time  to  go  to  view  a  great  natural 
curiosity  nine  miles  west  of  this  town.  The  place  is 
knoAvn  as  the  French  Lick,  a  spring  of  mineral  water 
which  contains,  said  my  informant,  a  large  portion 


360    A  TOUR  THEOUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

of  some  other  substance  than  salt,  though  it  has  not 
yet  been  sufficiently  analyzed  to  determine  precisely 
the  ingredients.  It  is  of  a  bluish  color  and  emits 
a  very  strong,  offensive  odor,  and  is  exceedingly 
loathsome/ 

Our  road,  always  beautiful,  dropped  farther  and 
farther  to  the  south  and  we  passed  through  Fred- 
ericksburg, on  the  west  bank  of  Blue  Eiver,  and  then 
Greenville,  twelve  miles  northwest  of  New  Albany, 
'tis  said.  When  the  location  of  the  county  seat  was 
in  question  Greenville  was  one  of  the  contestants 
and  offered  a  considerable  subscription.  New  Al- 
bany's subscription  was  a  few  dollars  larger,  and  to 
it  was  added  the  donation  of  a  bell  for  the  Court 
House,  and  this  won  the  victory. 

The  range  of  hills  known  at  New  Albany  as  the 
Knobs,  and  called  by  the  Indians  Silver  Hills,  hence 
the  legend  that  somewhere  within  this  range  lies  a 
silver  mine  known  only  to  the  Indians,  is  said  by 
my  informant  to  run  along  the  northern  bank  of  the 
Ohio  from  the  western  part  of  the  state  to  New 
Albany,  at  which  place  it  turns,  circling  the  city  and 
runs  through  the  county  from  south  to  north,  mak- 
ing a  wide  circuit  from  the  river  and  returning  to  it 
at  Madison.  Hills  is  a  modest  term  for  these  giant 
and  beautiful  elevations,  thickly  covered  with  trees 
and  undergrowth,  from  whose  tops  one  commands 
an  entrancing  view  of  the  surrounding  country.    To 

*The  Gazetteer  of  1849  states  that  this  land  was  donated  by  the 
state  to  Congress  on  tlie  supposition  that  the  salt  might  be  in  suflB- 
cient  quantity  to  make  its  possession  valuable  to  the  government, 
but  as  the  plan  was  not  practicable,  the  lands  were  sold.  The 
Gazetteer  goes  on  to  state  that  "it  has  been  learned  that  the  waters 
are  valuable  for  their  medical  properties." — Editor. 


A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    3G1 

tlie  top  of  one  of  these,  Bald  Knob,  a  gentleman  of 
New  Albany  led  me,  one  day,  up  the  old  Indian  trail, 
and  ne'er  shall  I  forget  the  view  spread  before  my 
eyes.  The  wide  expanse  of  country,  the  sparkling 
''Belle  Riviere"  visible  in  its  turns  above  and  below 
the  city,  the  Falls  with  their  never  ceasing,  musical 
roar;  the  fields,  covered  with  bountiful  harvests;  the 
range  of  Silver  Hills,  stretching  to  the  horizon, 
towering  from  400  to  600  feet  in  grandeur  and 
beauty;  in  one  direction  Jeffersonville,  named  for 
the  great  Virginian  and  laid  out  according  to  his 
plan;  on  the  other,  New  Albany,  most  charming 
city,  with  its  spacious  streets,  Water,  High,  Market 
and  Spring,  running  parallel  to  the  river,  its  public 
squares  and  market  houses,  its  beautiful  and  com- 
modious harbor — surely  'twas  with  no  more  en- 
rapturing vision  than  this  that  Satan  tempted  the 
Master  from  the  mountain  top. 

Some  such  view,  though  not  so  grand  and  far- 
reaching,  because  it  was  from  a  lower  knob,  did  I 
see  the  time  we  paused  at  the  Rising  Sun  Tavern 
on  the  last  hill  top  to  be  crossed  before  descending 
to  the  level  and  New  Albany.  This  hilltop  inn  was 
built,  I  was  told,  by  Caleb  Dayton,  who  came  hero 
from  Connecticut  in  1826.  The  inn  is  of  logs  but 
was  weatherboarded  a  few  years  ago,  and  is  a  hand- 
some, substantial  structure,  with  high  gal)led  roof, 
and  great  main  room  on  one  side  of  tlie  hall,  with  a 
deep  closet  with  glass  doors,  and  a  monstrous  fire- 
place. The  house  has  many  windows,  set-in  porches 
and  large  wagon  yards  and  a  stable  to  accommodato 
both  stages   and  emigrants,  and  the  sign  painted 


362    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

with  the  rising  sun  hangs  on  an  iron  arm  affixed  to 
a  wooden  post  in  front  of  the  house  that  all  may 
see. 

'Tis  frequently  quite  merry  here,  my  host  in- 
formed me,  for  great  hunting  parties  come  over 
from  Louisville  to  remain  for  a  week,  wearing  their 
fringed  buckskin  hunting  suits,  and  with  their  mus- 
kets and  their  hounds,  and  there  is  always  the  stage 
both  ways  each  day,  to  say  nothing  of  parties  of 
emigrants  pushing  into  the  Wabash  country.  Mr. 
Dayton  also  made  known  to  me  that  this  road  was 
known  as  the  Daniel  Boone  Trace,  because  'twas 
said  that  the  Indians  once  stole  Daniel  Boone's 
daughter  in  Kentucky  and  that  the  mighty  hunter 
pursued  them  over  this  road,  overtook  them,  rescued 
the  girl  and  wreaked  his  vengeance  upon  her 
captors. 

Again  under  way,  and  down  the  steep  hillside  past 
the  famous  big  Raeger  Spring,  at  which  the  horses 
are  always  watered,  and  then,  on  and  on,  bits  champ- 
ing, harness  rattling,  till  we  are  come  into  New 
Albany ! 

I  had  known  when  I  stood  on  the  Dayton  knob 
and  looked  over  the  enchanted  and  enchanting  coun- 
try that  I  should  love  New  Albany;  even  there 
I  felt  its  charm;  how  much  more,  as  we  drove 
over  its  broad  streets  and  drew  up  with  great  noise 
and  ceremony  before  the  long,  low,  many-gabled, 
many-windowed  house  on  High  Street,  which  bore 
the  name  of  High  Street  or  Hale's  Tavern,  one  of 
the  best  taverns,  the  driver  had  already  informed 
me,  west  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  and  one  fre- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    363 

quented,  so  he  says,  by  the  beauty  and  fashion  of 
the  South,  who  flee  hither  up  the  Mississippi  and 
Ohio  in  the  summer  season  to  avoid  the  dread 
scourge  of  the  yellow  fever.  Mr.  Daniel  Webster, 
he  informed  me,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  Mr.  Henry  Clay 
and  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  have  been  among 
its  distinguished  guests,  to  say  nothing  of  a  long 
array  of  less  widely-kno^^Tl  but  most  excellent 
gentlemen.  And  this,  it  was  explained  to  me  later, 
is  not  at  all  remarkable,  for  New  Albany  is  the 
head  of  navigation  of  the  Ohio,  and  tavern  head- 
quarters for  all  steamboat  men.  Naturally,  it  is,  in 
the  season,  the  scene  of  much  festivity  and  many 
social  gatherings. 

When  I  entered  the  low-ceilinged  cozy  office  room 
I  felt  at  once  this  atmosphere  of  hospitality  and  of 
the  charm  given  a  house  whose  walls  have  witnessed 
much  merry  making.  And  when  I  met  mine  host  I 
was  still  more  pleased,  for  Dr.  Hale  is  a  true  gentle- 
man, his  ruffled  shirt  white  as  the  driven  snow,  his 
broadcloth  of  the  finest  and  blackest,  and  his  dignity 
of  the  sort  that  would  do  credit  to  a  Virginia  states- 
man, tempered  as  it  is  with  the  proper  courtesy  to 
the  stranger.  I  could  see  at  once  why  notables, 
beauties  and  fashionables,  once  come  to  this  inn, 
would  return  again  and  again. 

'Twas  Dr.  Hale  gave  me  my  first  historical  in- 
formation regarding  New  Albany.  'Twas  founded, 
he  said,  by  three  brothers,  Joel,  Abner  and  Na- 
thaniel Scribner,  who,  attracted  by  the  site  n(»ar  the 
Falls  of  the  river,  bought  it  in  181.'^,  convlncil  tliat 
''the   world  would   one   dav   revolve   around   New 


364    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Albany. '^  This  city,  says  he,  now  numbering  4,226 
inhabitants,  and  only  last  year  incorporated  as  a 
city,  with  its  matchless  situation  at  the  head  of 
navigation,  will  in  time  become  the  largest  interior 
city  on  the  continent.  Its  founders  were  all  public- 
spirited  men,  foremost  in  all  benevolent  and  liberal 
enterprises  for  building  up  and  bettering  the  com- 
munity, and  said  he,  ''The  enterprise,  industry, 
morality  and  public  spirit  which  have  heretofore 
contributed  so  much  to  its  growth  will  not  fail  to 
carry  it  on  hereafter.'' 

Quickly  perceiving  my  interest  in  the  city  and  its 
activities.  Dr.  Hale  told  me  much  of  its  business,  its 
printing  offices,  its  stores  of  general  merchandise, 
liquor  stores,  foundries,  mills,  one  in  particular,  pro- 
pelled by  steam  power,  in  which  100  barrels  of  flour 
are  manufactured  in  twenty-four  hours ;  its  schools, 
of  which  more  anon ;  its  churches,  and  above  all,  its 
ship  yards,  for  he  said,  ''While  this  country  is  not 
excelled  in  the  state  in  the  variety  and  extent  of  its 
business,  its  average  income  from  the  river  business 
alone  is  more  than  $75,000  each  year." 

From  1830  to  1835,  he  informed  me,  seventeen 
boats  were  built  here,  of  the  value  of  $377,642. 
From  1835  to  this  year,  thirty-three  vessels  of  the 
value  of  $714,942,  and  the  output  is  expected  to  rise 
in  the  next  year  or  two  to  thirty-eight  boats  each 
year.  It  is  this  building  and  the  fact  that  the  city 
is  a  headquarters  for  river  men  that  give  it  so  dif- 
ferent an  atmosphere  from  other  cities  I  have 
visited, — for  there  is  a  constant  stream  of  visitors 
and  of  merchandise  from  New  Orleans  and  in  many 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    365 

respects  its  atmosphere  is  tliat  of  a  Southern  city. 

^^'The  society  of  this  citj^"  says  Dr.  Hale,  "you 
will  soon  perceive,  is  most  delightful.  'Twas  be- 
cause of  these  founders  and  the  men  wlio  have  suc- 
ceeded them.  They  first  shaped  the  city  in  its  tastes, 
its  refinement  and  geniality  and  with  tlie  crowning 
glories  of  religion,  and  the  highest  morals  to  bless 
it,  it  has  so  continued  ever  since.  The  excellent  so- 
ciety at  New  Albany  will  always  be  its  chief  attrac- 
tion." 

'Twas  Dr.  Hale  introduced  me  to  the  mayor  of  the 
city,  Mr.  Shepard  Whitman,  a  most  estimable 
gentleman,  who  at  once  invited  me  to  a  meeting  of 
the  Lyceum  to  be  held  that  same  evening  at  6  o'clock. 
This  Lyceum,  it  seems,  was  established  some  years 
ago,  and  has  already  a  number  of  members  and  a 
library  of  several  hundred  valuable  books  and 
the  necessary  apparatus  for  illustrating  different 
sciences. 

I  found  the  meeting  of  special  interest  l)ecauso 
'twas  well  attended,  giving  me  thus  the  opjtortunity 
to  meet  at  once  the  to^^^l's  most  respectable  citizens, 
and  as  the  constitution  and  by-laws  were  read  by 
the  secretary,  Mr.  Alexander  McClelland,  I  learned 
the  object  and  aims  of  the  society.  The  object  of 
this— a  called  meeting— was  to  rouse  the  interest  of 
the  members,  which,  I  gathered,  had  been  somewhat 
lagging,  and  on  motion  of  Mr.  Whitman,  it  was  "re- 
solved that  we  make  all  exertion  possible  to  sustain 
this  institution,  inasmuch  as  we  regard  it  as  the  most 
inestimable  means  for  the  advancement  of  tlie  youth 
of  both  sexes  as  well  in  morals  as  in  education,  and 


366    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

that  the  better  to  effect  this  object,  Mr.  T.  J.  Barnett 
be  requested  to  deliver  an  introductory  address  at 
the  next  meeting  and  that  the  public  generally  be  in- 
vited to  attend  and  unite  with  us."  This  Mr. 
Barnett,  I  was  to  learn  later,  is  both  an  editor  and  a 
lawyer,  a  man  of  splendid  attainments,  a  superior 
scholar  and  a  fine  speaker,  one  of  the  finest,  indeed, 
in  the  city. 

The  members  present  were  Dr.  Clapp,  Mr.  John 
Evans,  Mr.  D.  M.  Hooper,  my  host,  Mr.  AVhitman, 
Mr.  H.  B.  Shields,  Mr.  Charles  Woodruff,  Mr.  David 
Hedden,  Mr.  T.  J.  Barnett,  Mr.  Andrew  Thickstun, 
Mr.  James  Brocks  and  Mr.  Alexander  McClelland. 
Of  these.  Dr.  Clapp  is  the  president,  Mr.  Hooper, 
the  vice-president  of  the  Lyceum,  Mr.  Shields,  the 
treasurer,  Mr.  Thickstun,  the  librarian,  Mr.  Hedden, 
one  of  the  curators.  Mr.  Bollman,  the  correspond- 
ing secretary,  was  not  present,  and  neither  was  Mr. 
Dwyer,  the  other  curator. 

In  chatting  with  these  gentlemen  after  the  meet- 
ing, for  all  proved  themselves  most  agreeable  and 
tarried  to  converse  with  me,  I  learned  that  Mr. 
Hedden  is  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  and  that  the 
name  Shields  is  one  indissolubly  connected  with  the 
settling  of  New  Albany.  Mr.  Patrick  Shields,  whom 
I  was  later  to  meet, 'being  one  of  its  most  distin- 
guished citizens,  an  associate  of  Gen.  Harrison,  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  the  first 
circuit  judge  of  Harrison  County,  an  associate  judge 
of  this  county,  and  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  Clement 
Nance,  a  Huguenot,  she  said  to  be  the  first  white 
woman  to  cross  the  Knobs. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN   1840    367 

Dr.  Clapp  I  found  to  bo  a  most  aj;r(>oablc  K<'iitl('- 
man.  He,  too,  came  here  nearly  thirty  years  ago 
and  married  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  town.  He  is  a  most  prominent,  influential  and 
respected  citizen  and  a  most  successful  practitioner, 
and  through  his  kindness  I  mot  many  of  tlie  physi- 
cians of  the  city.  Dr.  P.  S.  Shields,  Dr.  Leonard,  Dr. 
Cooper,  Dr.  Stewart,  Dr.  Hoover  and  Dr.  Dowling, 
also  a  Dr.  John  Sloan,  who  had  but  recently  gradu- 
ated from  BoAvdoin  College  and  come  here  to  engage 
in  the  practice  of  medicine. 

I  made  also  the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the 
lawyers,  this  through  a  letter  to  John  S.  Davis,  a 
gentleman  of  prominence  both  in  the  law  and  in 
politics,  and  who  is  in  partnership  with  ^laj.  Henry 
P.  Thornton,  who  introduced  mo  to  his  brothers  at 
the  bar.  Especially  congenial  I  found  Randall 
Crawford,  who  is  a  fine  student  and  scholar  and 
who,  with  James  C.  Collins,  has,  'tis  said,  three- 
fourths  of  the  law  business  of  the  city. 

Other  names  I  will  sot  down  that  I  may  not  for- 
get them,  some  merchants,  some  city  ollioials,  all 
men  of  prominence:  Peter  Stoy,  a  pioneer;  Mr. 
Paxton  and  Mr.  Eastburn,  Jamos  R.  Sliields.  cashier 
of  the  bank,  a  most  imposing  structure  with  great 
columns  at  the  front;  Uv.  Fitch,  Mr.  Warren,  Mr. 
Pattison,  Preston  F.  Tuley  and  Mr.  Pennington,  the 
merchant.  I  was  soon  to  learn  that  a  meetinir  with 
any  one  of  these  gontlomon  meant,  through  liis  kind 
offices,  a  meeting  witli  another  and  another,  so  that, 
in  an  incredibly  short  time  T  hnd  shaken  tin*  hand 
of  nearly  every  respectable  citizen  of  the  place  and 


368    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

had  received  more  invitations  to  various  gatherings 
than  I  had  the  time  to  accept. 

'Twas  on  my  way  to  some  meeting  to  which  I  had 
been  invited,  stopping  along  High  Street  to  gaze 
into  the  window  of  Mr.  Pattison,  where  was  to  be 
seen  a  most  ravishing  display  of  hats,  black  beavers, 
gray  and  white,  also  black  and  drab  satin  beavers, 
and  gentlemen's  leghorn  hats,  which  display  minded 
me,  that  as  the  weather  here  was  become  of  such 
extreme  warmth,  I  should  mayhap  purchase  me  one 
of  these  leghorns  and  don  my  linen  suit.  Suddenly, 
I  felt  a  touch  on  my  arm,  and  looked  around  to  be- 
hold my  old  friend,  Louis  Hicklin. 

Time  permits  not  that  I  should  inscribe  all  the 
words  that  passed  between  us,  for  I  was  truly  at- 
tached to  this  good  man,  and  I  could  see  that  time 
and  absence  had  not  diminished  the  affection  he  had 
so  clearly  demonstrated  that  he  felt  for  me.  His 
welcome  was  a  warm  one.  He  has  but  just  come  to 
this  part  of  the  country  to  preach  at  some  camp 
meetings,  and  as  he  was  at  this  moment  at  leisure, 
he  insisted  that  I  stroll  with  him  about  the  streets 
and  pass  the  time  in  conversation  over  my  travels 
and  experiences  since  we  parted.  We  did  so,  and 
he  at  the  same  time  told  me  something  of  the  his- 
tory of  his  church  in  New  Albany.  Being  an  old 
town,  the  church  was  founded  early,  and  is  now 
strong  and  flourishing,  there  having  been  held  last 
year  at  the  Wesley  Chapel  a  most  extensive  and 
powerful  revival  of  religion.  My  friend  the  Rev. 
Allen  Wiley,  who  took  me  to  the  camp  meeting,  was 
stationed  here  a  few  years  ago,  and  was  most  popu- 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    369 

lar,  a  statement  I  did  not  in  the  least  question.  Mr. 
Hicklin  bethought  himself  to  tell  me  a  most  excellent 
story  of  a  recent  conference  here,  a  year  or  two  ago, 
perhaps.^ 

Most  of  the  preachers  from  the  eastern  part  of 
the  state,  among  them  Mr.  Hicklin,  wlio  was  then 
stationed  at  Vevay,  came  on  the  river  and  on  their 
return  forty  or  fifty  of  them,  among  them  Bishop 
Soule,  took  passage  on  the  General  Pike,  a  steam- 
boat running  between  Louisville  and  Cincinnati. 
There  was  a  large  company  of  gamblers  on  board, 
said  Mr.  Hicklin,  returning  from  the  Louisville 
races,  which  had  just  closed.  These  men  took  pos- 
session of  the  gentleman's  cabin  and  in  a  short  time 
were  engaged  in  gambling  at  cards  and  in  consum- 
ing vast  quantities  of  liquor.  Bishop  Soulo,  a  re- 
markable person,  tall,  muscular  and  athletic,  viewed 
this  scene  with  the  utmost  abhorrence,  and,  pres- 
ently calling  the  ministers  together,  he  began  to 
sing,  joined  at  once  by  his  companions : 
"Jesus,  the  name  high  over  all, 

In  hell  or  earth  or  sky ; 
Angels  and  men  before  it  fall, 

And  devils  fear  and  fly." 

It  did  not  take  many  such  h>Tnns,  shouted  forth  in 
such  stentorian  tones,  said  Mr.  Hicklin,  to  cause 
these  ' '  devils ' '  to  fly.  Very  shortly  they  a])andoned 
the  cabin  and  fled  either  to  the  deck  or  to  their  state- 
rooms, and  the  rest  of  the  voyage  was  passed  in 
decent  quiet. 

^This  conference  to  which  Mr.  Parsonn  rrf.-rs  waB  hM  in  N'rw 
Albany  in  1837.— Editor. 


370    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

Mr.  Hicklin  pointed  out  to  me  in  the  course  of 
our  stroll  the  New  Albany  Seminary,^  a  flourishing 
institution  under  the  protection  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  with  about  200  scholars,  male  and  female. 

When  on  my  return  to  the  inn,  after  an  appoint- 
ment with  Mr.  Hicklin  for  the  morrow,  I  spoke  with 
Mrs.  Hale  of  the  flourishing  condition  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  she  at  once  declared  that  the  Presby- 
terian, the  church  of  the  Scribner  family,  was  in  an 
equally  flourishing  condition,  having  held  its  first 
meeting  in  1817  in  the  old  Scribner  home.  She  also 
told  me  of  the  female  prayer  meeting  organized  in 
1823,  at  her  home,  the  tavern,  by  herself,  Mrs. 
Ayres,  Mrs.  Robinson  and  Mrs.  Shields,  and  of  the 
organization,  the  next  year,  of  the  Female  Bible  So- 
ciety at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Phoebe  Scribner,  at  which 
Mrs.  Robinson,  Mrs.  Ayres,  Mrs.  Jones,  Mrs.  Abner 
and  Mrs.  Joel  Scribner  became  members,  together 
with  fifty-eight  other  ladies,  and  the  organization  is 
still  flourishing.  The  Baptist  and  Campbellite 
Churches  were  also  founded  here  at  a  somewhat 
later  date  and  all  have  flourished,  so  that  Dr.  Hale 
is  without  doubt  correct  when  he  attributes  much 
of  the  city's  flourishing  condition  to  ''the  crowning 
glories  of  religion  and  the  highest  morals. ' ' 

I  was  told,  too,  a  most  interesting  story  of  a 
French  settlement  (there  are  two  near  by),  whose 

"This  institution,  founded  in  1835  and  continuing  for  ten  years, 
was  the  predecessor  of  the  famous  DePauw  Female  College  at  New 
Albany.  "Although  the  seminary  was  discontinued  as  a  conference 
institution,  and  ceased,  it  nevertheless  accomplished  great  good  in  its 
day  and  showed  that  the  Methodist  was  then,  as  now,  the  real  friend 
of  Christian  education."  E.  C.  Holliday's  "Indiana  Methodism," — 
Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    371 

brick  clmrch,  St.  Mary's-of-tlio-Knobs,  was  built  but 
a  few  years  ago  and  wliosc  priest,  a  most  interest- 
ing character,  Father  Neyron,  was  a  soldier  under 
Napoleon,  a  surgeon  of  great  ability,  Miio  came  to 
America  and  became  a  priest.* 

My  appointment  for  the  morrow  with  Mr.  Hicklin 
promised  the  greatest  interest.  He  was  going  over 
into  the  adjoining  county  of  Clark,  in  wliich  lies 
Jeffersonville,  to  a  camp  meeting,  and  he  proposed 
that  I  ride  over  to  that  city  in  his  company,  view 
the  surrounding  country  and  city,  and  thence  return 
to  New  Albany,  while  he  continued  on  the  way  to  his 
appointment.  As  he  has  trod  tliese  paths  so  many 
times  and  is  so  familiar  with  the  country  and  its 
history,  I  hailed  the  opportunity  with  delight,  find- 
ing, moreover,  much  pleasure  in  his  company. 

On  the  morrow^  therefore,  we  set  forth  early,  each 
on  horseback,  he  having  his  horse  and  I  hiring  one, 
a  good  animal,  with  the  help  of  Dr.  Hale,  ever  most 
obliging. 

Leaving  New  Albany  behind  and  pusliing  on  over 
the  level  country  wliich  lies  between  it  and  .T(^(Tcr- 
sonville,  we  rode  rapidly,  the  roads  licing  in  good 
condition,  and  Mr.  Hicklin  passing  the  time  most 
pleasantly  in  relating  to  me  the  story  of  Clark's 
grant.  For  a  long  time  this  county  was  spoken  of, 
he  says,  as  "the  Grant,"  for  in  1783,  Virginia  gave 
to  George  Rogers  Clark,  his  officers  and  sol(li«'rs  in 

*  It  is  most  unfortunate  that  ^fr.  Parsons  did  not  visit  th.-w  tt- 
tlements  and  give  us  more  information  ronccrninp  tliom.  Tlioro  wrr© 
two,  one  near  Mooresville,  tlie  other  on  tlie  Riidd  R.md.  U.th  nt  nni» 
time  very  flourishing.  At  the  first  named,  a  frnat  ,-...-i..Tai:.-  ».iii»in.'M 
was  carried  on  for  a  time.  Both  settlements  and  truditions  are  now 
Almost  vanished. — Editor. 


372    A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

the  Revolution  the  149,000  acres  of  land  here,  to- 
gether with  1,000  acres  on  which  was  to  be  located 
the  town  of  Clarksville,  and  this  land  is  still  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  Virginia.^ 

He  pointed  out  to  me  the  town  of  Clarksville  and 
the  two-story  log  house  erected  by  Gen.  Clark,  in 
which  he  lived  for  a  season,  beautifully  situated 
upon  General's  Point,  giving  a  delightful  view  of 
the  Falls,  and  told  the  sad  story  of  his  life  and  death 
which  I  had  already  heard  at  Vincennes.  In  this 
county  is  the  town  of  Charlestown,  he  informed  me, 
in  which  lived  the  state's  first  Governor,  Jonathan 
Jennings,  and  Judge  Dewey,  whom  I  had  met  at 
Indianapolis.  Governor  Posey,  he  says,  once  lived 
at  Jeff ersonville. 

The  situation  of  JefPersonville  is  a  beautiful  one, 
on  a  terrace  a  mile  above  the  Falls,  beside  a  deep 
eddy  where  boats  of  the  largest  size  can  approach 
within  a  cable  length  of  the  shore  at  all  stages  of 
the  water,  and  with  an  enchanting  view  of  Louis- 
ville and  Corn  Island,  a  historic  spot  on  which  Mr. 
Hicklin  told  me.  Gen.  Clark's  army  encamped  in 
May,  1778,  on  their  way  to  Kaskaskia.^ 

*This  "Grant"  was  originally  controlled  by  a  charter  given  by 
Virginia.  In  1852  the  General  Assembly  of  Indiana  annulled  this 
charter  and  gave  Clarksville  a  charter  under  the  laws  of  the  state. 
The  old  patent  dated  1786  and  signed  by  Edmund  Randolph  of  Vir- 
ginia is  still  preserved  at  Clarksville. — Editor. 

®Tliis  historic  spot  was  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  land  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  in  length,  reaching  from  what  is  now  Fourth  Street 
to  Fourteenth  Street  in  Louisville,  and  very  near  the  south  side  of 
the  river.  By  1840  much  of  the  heavy  timber  in  which  the  early  set- 
tlers had  found  refuge  from  the  Indians  had  been  cut  away  and  the 
island  had  washed  away  to  about  seventy  acres.  It  has  now  en- 
tirely disappeared,  and  even  its  location  is  a  subject  of  dispute.: — 
Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    373 

In  1825,  said  Mr.  Hicklin,  wlicn  Gen.  Lafayette 
paid  Ms  visit  to  this  country,  making  a  tour  under 
the  supervision  of  the  Federal  government,  he  was 
entertained  most  sumptuously  at  JefTcrsonville. 
As  he  was  brought  over  to  Jeffersonville  on  the 
General  Pike  a  salute  of  thrice  twenty-four  ,mins  was 
fired  from  cannon  stationed  on  the  river  bank,  where 
had  been  erected  three  flag  staffs  twenty  feet  high 
with  appropriate  flags.  A  reception  was  tendered 
him,  and  afterward,  a  great  dinner,  the  table  spread 
under  an  arbor  woven  of  beech  boughs,  in  u  wood 
just  above  the  Posey  mansion.  At  the  head  of  the 
table  was  placed  a  transparency  bearing  the  words, 
^'Indiana  welcomes  Lafayette,  the  champion  of 
liberty  in  both  hemispheres,"  and  at  the  foot,  an- 
other bearing  the  words, '' Indiana,  in  1770,  a  wilder- 
ness; in  1825,  a  civilized  community!  Thanks  to 
Lafayette  and  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution." 

The  welcome  address  was  made  by  Governor 
James  Brown  Ray,  concerning  whom  I  have  written 
in  previous  entries.  There  were  a  vast  number  of 
guests  present,  among  them  many  from  Kentucky, 
fine  music  by  a  band,  a  splendid  military  escort,  a 
great  number  of  most  eloquent  toasts,  altogetlier, 
'tis  said  to  be  the  greatest  occasion  e'er  witnessed 
on  Indiana  soil.  Mr.  Hicklin  made  merrj'  over  my 
stopping  him  on  horseback  tliat  I  might  note  those 
items  in  my  commonplace  book,  but  I  assured  him 
that  if  I  did  not  have  it  all  set  down  witli  exactness, 
time,  place  and  names,  it  would  not  be  credited  by 
my  family  and  friends,  ^vho  have  no  idea  of  tlie  ad- 
vance of  civilization  in  the  Western  country. 


374    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

We  parted  in  Jeffersonville,  and  this  time  some- 
what sadly,  for  I  am  soon  to  take  my  way  home- 
ward, and  we  each  felt  that  we  might  never  meet 
again.  Having  given  me  his  blessing,  the  good  man, 
spurring  his  horse,  turned  his  face  toward  the  camp 
grounds,  and  I  mine  toward  the  tavern  to  which  he 
had  directed  me. 

'Tis  well  that  I  have  kept  so  exact  a  diary ;  other- 
wise, I  myself  might  find  it  difficult  to  believe  all 
the  experiences  I  have  had,  all  the  novelties  I  have 
found  in  the  western  country.  How  was  I  to  know 
that  here  in  Jeffersonville  I  was  to  find  a  resort  of 
beauty  and  fashion  unexcelled  in  any  spot  I  have 
ever  seen? 

Years  ago,  'twas  discovered  that  in  the  outskirts 
of  Jeffersonville  were  several  valuable  springs 
mineralized  by  sulphur  and  iron,  a  powerful  natural 
chalybeate  water,  and  the  proprietor,  a  Swiss,  by 
name  Fischli,  realizing  their  value  and  possible 
profit  to  himself,  erected  a  large  and  commodious 
building  for  the  reception  of  those  who  sought  re- 
lief either  from  physical  indisposition,  their  own 
thoughts,  or  the  disagreeable  atmosphere  of  the 
cities  during  the  summer  months,  and  laid  off  the 
surrounding  grounds  most  beautifully  and  attrac- 
tively in  walks,  bath  houses,  bowling  alleys,  foun- 
tains, and  puzzle  gardens.  The  fame  of  the  place 
spread  rapidly  by  the  river  route,  and  it  soon  be- 
came a  mecca  for  visitors  from  the  South  with  their 
families,  who  hastened  here  to  enjoy  a  brilliant  and 
attractive  society  during  the  summer  months.  So 
popular  did  the  place  become  that  two  years  ago  the 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    375 

owners— Mr.  Fischli  is  now  dead— erected  a  spa- 
cious and  palatial  tavern  on  the  river  bank,  tlie  finest 
of  its  kind,  'tis  said,  in  Indiana  or  Kentucky,  aii.l 
graded  tlie  street  leading  out  to  the  springs,  Broad- 
way, which  soon  proved,  I  am  told,  a  highway  for 
the  equipage  of  fashion  and  wealth. 

'Twas  toward  this  caravansary  that,  following  the 
direction  of  Mr.  Hicklin,  I  turned  my  steps,  and  who 
can  refuse  to  believe  in  fate?  Tliere,  upon  one  of 
the  porticoes — the  sight  of  them,  filled  as  they  were 
with  fashionably-clad  women  and  men,  made  my 
heart  beat  faster — whom  should  I  descry  but  my 
friend  Buf ord  and  his  lovely  wife ! 

The  recognition  was  instant,  and  the  upshot  of 
our  meeting  was  that  I  dispatched  a  servant  to  New 
Albany  for  some  of  my  baggage,  and  spent  several 
days  in  their  company.  I  have  not  time  nor  space  to 
set  it  down,  our  rides,  our  drives,  our  entertainment 
by  Capt.  Fitzgerald, — an  old  sea  captain,  who  dwells 
in  a  magnificent  mansion  built  in  the  Soutliern  styh' 
with  a  great  columned  porch — presided  over,  he  be- 
ing a  bachelor,  by  his  sister,  Mrs.  Duanc,  at  a  lavish 
repast,  with  rounds  of  beef,  elegant  desserts,  tle- 
licious  wines,  all  served  in  a  most  elegant  fasliion, 
and  many  others.  '*0,  the  dalliance  and  the  wit,  the 
flattery  and  the  strife!"  Quickly  the  days  sped  by 
in  this  charmed  circle,  and  all  at  once  I  realized  that 
the  time  had  come  to  say  good-by  to  this  merry- 
making and  turn  my  steps  homeward.  I  comnuini 
cated  my  thoughts  to  Buford,  sitting  one  ni«;ht  on 
the  portico  in  the  moonlight. 

''To-morrow,  come  wliat  may,"  said  I  firmly,  "I 


376    A  TOUE  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

must  set  my  face  toward  home.  Early  in  the 
morning  I  will  return  to  New  Albany  for  my 
baggage  and  take  my  passage  on  the  boat  for  Cin- 
cinnati. '  * 

**And  are  you  going  to  leave  us  and  New  Albany 
without  once  inquiring  about  Caroline?"  he  in- 
quired. "My  wife  and  I  have  waited  and  won- 
dered, but  she  has  refused,  so  far,  to  let  me 
speak.  She  said  that  you  perhaps  had  forgotten 
her.'' 

I  confessed  then  that  my  stubborn  tongue  had  re- 
fused to  ask  the  question.  I  had  watched  and 
waited  in  New  Albany,  hoping  that  I  might  en- 
counter her  on  the  street,  that  somewhere  I  might 
hear  her  name  mentioned.  Again  and  again  I  had 
tried  to  question  him,  but  for  some  reason  I  could 
not. 

"  'Twas  no  wonder  you  did  not  hear  her  name; 
her  father  was  a  steamboat  captain  and  is  long  since 
dead.  She  and  her  mother  live  very  quietly  in  the 
old  house.  You  will  have  no  trouble  to  find  it ;  they 
are  well  known — the  house  is  a  handsome  old  dwel- 
ling. Go,  and — "  he  laughed  as  he  rose  and  ex- 
tended his  hand  in  farewell,  '^I  may  not  see  you  in 
the  morning  if  you  are  to  depart  so  early — go,  and 
God  be  with  you ! ' ' 

'Twas  a  laughing  adieu,  but  still  I  .felt,  at  heart, 
a  sincere  wish  for  my  welfare  and  happiness.  And 
so  to  bed  and  on  the  morrow  I  was  on  my  way  back 
to  New  Albany — New  Albany  and  journey's  end. 
And  what  was  the  couplet  that  ran  through  my  head 
and  would  not  out,  but  repeated  itself  again  and 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    377 

again  such  as  such  foolish  things  have  a  habit  of 
^oing? 

"Trip  no  farther,  pretty  sweeting, 
Journeys  end  in  lovers'  meeting?, 
Every  wise  man's  son  doth  know." 

By  judicious  inquiry  and  a  little  direction,  I  soon 
found  the  house.  'Twas  one  of  those  old  mansions 
which  give  the  place  its  character,  situated  on  the 
high  bank  of  the  river,  with  its  terraced  .i^Mrden  sloj)- 
ing  down  to  the  water,  its  three-storied  lattic»*d 
porches  facing  the  stream.  The  grounds,  to  which 
entrance  was  given  through  a  great  iron  gate,  were 
handsomely  laid  off  in  a  formal  garden,  with  latticed 
arbors  and  sununer  house,  the  winding  walks  set 
with  little  box^vood  trees  between  two  rows  of  conch 
shells,  two  huge  pink  shells  on  either  side  of  the 
front  door,  a  sure  sign,  I  had  been  told,  of  tlie  river 
man's  home.  The  door,  with  its  side  lights  and 
beautiful  fan  light,  recalled  my  o^vn  home,  as  did  the 
black  girl  Avho  opened  the  door  to  me. 

''Miss  Caroline?  She  done  gone  to  the  summer 
house  with  her  w^ork.    You  want  me  to  call  her!" 

No,  I  would  seek  her  out,  and  turning,  I  walked 
slowly,  with  fast  beating  heart,  toward  the  distant 
summer  house,  whose  doorway,  I  surmised,  faced 
the  river,  so  that  I  could  come  upon  her  unaware. 
Slowly  I  went  down  the  graveled  path,  gazing 
at  the  bordering  plants,  wondering  wliat  I  should 
say  first.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  a  thought— and 
hurriedly,  I  stooped  and  plucked  the  flowers,  mak- 
ing my  selection  most  carefully,  toucli-me-not,  blue- 
bell,   columbine,    heliotrope,    honeysuckle,    myrtle, 


378    A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840 

pansy  and  rosebud — a  most  creditable  nosegay/ 
The  summer  house,  vine  covered,  faced  the  river, 
and  there,  seated  in  a  low  chair,  her  needlework 
fallen  on  her  lap,  the  shining  bands  of  her  hair 
drooping  over  her  flushed  cheek,  sat  the  lovely 
Caroline,  her  deep  blue  eyes  full  of  dreams.  My 
heart  leaped  up  as  I  looked  at  her — modest  as  the 
dove,  beautiful  as  an  angel — lovelier,  far  lovelier 
was  she  than  I  had  dreamed  her.  I  paused  a  mo- 
ment, unseen,  to  gaze  upon  the  vision;  then,  the 
sound  of  the  gravel  under  my  foot  aroused  her  from 
her  reverie  and,  turning,  her  eyes  met  mine! 

I  pressed  the  nosegay  into  her  hands.  **Read, 
read,"  I  murmured.  And,  reading,  she  turned  those 
glorious  eyes  upon  me,  then  let  the  jetty  lashes 
sweep  her  blushing  cheek ! 

"Journeys  end  in  lovers'  meeting, 
Every  wise  man's  son  doth  know." 

'The  reader  must  remember  that  Mr.  Parsons  had  purchased  in 
Richmond  a  copy  of  "The  Flower  Vase,"  the  book  which  Miss  Caro- 
line had  carried  on  her  journey,  and  had  therefrom  learned  the  lan- 
guage of  flowers,  a  language  with  which  every  young  lady  of  that 
day  was  conversant.  Hence,  his  nosegay  expressed,  in  the  order  in 
which  he  has  named  the  flowers,  impatience,  constancy,  I  can  not 
give  thee  up,  true  love,  devotion,  fidelity,  love  in  absence,  tender  and 
pleasant  thoughts,  and  confession  of  love. — Editor. 


A  TOUR  THROUGH  INDIANA  IN  1840    379 


NOTE 

On-  his  way  home  from  New  Albany,  happy  in  his 
engagement  to  Miss  Caroline  Hunter,  Mr.  Parsons 
left  the  boat  at  Cincinnati  and  went  to  Oxford,  Ohio, 
to  visit  some  relatives  from  Maryland,  who,  he 
heard,  had  gone  there  soon  after  the  War  of  1812, 
the  same  relatives  whom  his  cousin  Jonathan  had 
joined  after  leaving  the  Wabash  country.  While 
here,  he  suddenly  sickened  and  died,  whether  from 
some  epidemic  disease  or  from  some  physical  weak- 
ness aggravated  by  the  hardships  of  his  long  journey 
is  not  known.  Had  he  lived,  his  education,  his  na- 
tive brilliancy,  his  charming  personality,  would  cer- 
tainly have  insured  him  success  and  position.  The 
Diary,  recently  brought  to  light,  is  all  that  remains 
of  his  papers. 

Editor. 


INDEX 


Academy,  Jennings  Co.,  78. 
Adams,  John  Quincy,  45. 
"Affection's  Gift,"  49. 
Ague,  145;   Wabash,  76. 
Album,  49. 
"Altissonant   Letters,  The," 

137. 
American  Tavern,  The,  338. 
Americus,  237,  238. 
Amington,  Dr.  William,  96. 
Andrews,  Alanson,  78. 
Anti-Slavery  Society,  12,  132. 
"Arabs,  The,"  62. 
Arion,  C.  P.,  63. 
Armitage,  John,  236. 
Asbury,  Bishop  F.,  284. 
Asburv  College,  104,  285,  294. 
Austin,  John  B.,  273. 
Axtell,  Misses,  153. 
Ayres,  Mrs.,  370. 

Baldwin,  Mr,,  84. 

Baldwin,  Dr.  Elihu,  274. 

Ball,  Dr.,  318. 

Ball,  Mr.,  332. 

Baltimore,  3,  33. 

Baltimore    &    Ohio   &   Patapsco 

Eiver  R.  R.,  6. 
"Baltimore  Patriot,  The,"  4. 
Bansemer,  Mr.,  241. 
Baptists,  57,  69,  103. 
Barbecue,  87,  346,  347. 
Barbour,  Lucian,  181,  182. 
Barbour,  Mr.,  331. 
Barnett,  Mr.  T.  J.,  366. 
Barnum's  Hotel,  3. 
Bates,  Hervey,  188. 
Bates,  Sidney,  160. 
Battle  Ground  (Tippecanoe),  82, 

86,  87. 
Beecher,  Rev.  Henry  Ward,  149, 

154,  156.  ,    ,^, 

Beecher,  Mrs.  Henry  Ward,  157. 
381 


Bell  Factory,  36. 

"Bellevue,"  354. 

"Ben  Franklin,  The."  44. 

"Ben  Sherrod,  The,"  17. 

Bennett,  Father,  356. 

Berrv,  Rev.  L.  W..  139. 

Biddle,  Horace,  208. 

Big  Raccoon  Creek,  268. 

Birds,  52,  222. 

Blackford,  Judge  Isaac,  177,  178, 

179,  180,  187,  339. 
Black  Hawk  War,  The,  163,  202. 
Blake,  James,  146,  147,  218,  231, 

232. 
Blake,  Dr.  Richard,  318. 
Blake,  Thomas  H.,  325, 
Blakemore,  G.  W.,  207. 
Blanchard,  Dr.,  234. 
Blast  furnace.  334. 
Blennerhassett,  17,  29,  30. 
"Bloodv  Three  Hundred,  The," 

165,  202. 
Bloodv  Wav,  The,  28. 
Bloom'field.'Mr.  Lot,  119,  122. 
Bloomington,  60. 
Blue  grass,  283. 
Blue  River,  1.30. 
Bobbs,  Dr.  John  8.,  187, 
Bollman,  Mr.,  366. 
Bolton,  Nathaniel,  172. 
Bolton,  Sarah  T.,  160,  172,  17.1. 
Bonner.  Mr..  354. 
Boone  County,  196,  198,  199. 
Boone,  Daniel,  98,  196. 
Boonesborough,  32. 
Bond.  Nathan,  120. 
Booth,  Mr.,  271. 
Brake,  10. 
Bright 's  Essay.  57. 
Bright.  Jesse  D..  61,  63,  65,  66. 

69,  73,  172. 
Bright,  Michael,  63. 
Brooks,  Mr.,  88. 


382 


INDEX 


Brooks,  Mr.  James,  366. 
Brookville,  44,  53,  89,  96,  97, 105. 
Brown,  Hiram,  184. 
Browne,  Miss  Augusta,  253. 
Browning,  Edward,  141,  188. 
Browning,  Miss  Elizabeth,  188. 
Brownstown,  60. 
Brownsville,  110. 
Bruce,  George,  163. 
Buckeye,  155. 

Buford,   Thomas,  21,  23,  24,  26, 
27,  50,  122,  124,  132,  133,  375. 
Buffum,  Arnold,  12,  18,  21,  38. 
Bulleit,  Mr.,  32,  34,  35,  37. 
Bullock,  Mr.,  24,  40. 
Bullock,  W.  A.,  78. 
Burbank,  Mr.,  119. 
Burbridge,  Mr.,  273. 
Burdine,  Peter,  8. 
Burkham,  Mr.,  46. 
Burns,  Harrison  (note),  69. 
Burns,  James,  69. 
Burns,  John,  69. 
Burr,  Aaron,  30,  69. 
Butler,  Ovid,  183. 
Burt,  Dr.,  78. 
Byrne,  Andrew,  163. 

Cabin,  pioneer,  224. 
Caddington,  Mr.,  345. 
Calloway,  Col.  Eichard,  32. 
Cambridge  City,  135,  136. 
Cambridge  City  Seminary,  136. 
Camp  meeting,  302-310. 
Campaign  songs,  16. 
Campbell,  Allen,  84. 
Canals,  34,  35,  128. 
Canbv,  Dr.  Israel,  271-273. 
Carroll    County,    195,    221,    230, 

234. 
Cass  County,  201. 
Centerville,   105,    114,    115,    135, 

195. 
Centerville     Musical     Institute, 

117. 
Chamberlain,  Mr.,  325. 
Chapiu,  Mr.,  297. 
Chapman,  Mr.,  310,  311,  323. 
Charlestown,  182,  372. 
Chinese,  35. 
Christ  Church,  186. 
Cider  presses,  91,  92. 


Cincinnati,  18,  19,  32-36. 

Circle,  The  Governor's,  144. 

Circuit  Eider,  The,  8,  13,  15,  16, 
18,  21,  24,  40,  48,  122. 

Circuit  riders,  41,  284,  352. 

Clay,  Henry,  5,  15,  284,  332,  333, 
363. 

Clapp,  Dr.,  366,  367. 

Clarke's  Commentaries,  57. 

Clarke  County,  370. 

Clark,  George  Eogers,  83,  98. 

Clark's  Grant,  371,  372. 

Clark,  Jack,,  297. 

Clark,  John  C,  339. 

Clark,  Mr.,  83. 

Clarksville,  358,  372. 

Clinton  County,  200. 

Coach,  7. 

Coe,  Dr.  Isaac,  153. 

Coffin,  Elijah,  127. 

Coffin,  Levi,  124,  130,  132. 

Colleges,  Hanover,  70 ;  State  Col- 
lege, 60,  149,  184;  Asbury, 
104,  290,  292;  Wabash,  268- 
278. 

Collins,  James  C,  367. 

Colton,  J.  H.,  1. 

Commons,  Mr.  David,  119. 

Conestoga  wagons,  12. 

Congregational  Church,  331. 

Connecticut,  28. 
Connolly,  Gilmore,  297. 
"Constancy"   (verse),  50. 
"Constitution,"  86. 
Conventions,  Democratic,  5; 

Young  Whig,  5,  6. 
Cook,  Eliza,  252. 
Cook,  John  and  Nat,  190. 
Cooper,  Dr.,  367. 
Corduroy  roads,  89. 
Corn  Island,  372. 
Corydon,  357. 
Cotton,  Judge,  45,  46. 
"Cotton's  Keepsake,"  45. 
Cotton,   Miss  Lavinia,  130,  131, 

132. 
County  Seminary,  153. 
Country  wedding,  226-228. 
Court  House,  Indianapolis,  148. 
Coverlets,  224,  225. 
Covington,  Ind.,  220. 
Covington,  Ky.,  37. 


INDEX 


Cowan,  John  Maxwell,  279. 
Cox,  Sandford  C,  255. 
Cravens,  John  R.,  63,  73. 
Crawford,  Col.  William,  269. 
Crawford,  Randall,  367. 
Crawfordsville,  269, 
Creagh,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  61. 
Creagh,  Misses  Mary  and  Nancy, 

61,  62. 
"Crow,  Chapman,  Crow,"  323. 
Crusoe,  Robinson,  1,  90. 
Cumberland,  10,  11. 
Cumberland  Mountain,  9. 
Cumberland  Road,  7,  10,  16. 
Cunningham  Tavern,  301. 

Daniels,  Dr.,  318. 
Dayton,  Caleb,  361. 
Dayton  Knob,  362. 
Dayton,  Ohio,  35,  95. 
Davis,  John  S.,  367. 
Davis,  Major  Randolph,  273. 
Davidson,  Mr.  Alexander,  160. 
Davidson,  Mr.  Andrew,  96. 
Dearborn  Countv,  43. 
Death,  John,  138. 
Debates  (religious),  97. 
Decatur  Countv,  95. 
Deckaneers,  23,  29. 
Defrees,  John  D.,  165. 
Delphi,  229,  233,  236. 
Delphi  House,  233. 
Deming,  Judge  Demas,  330. 
Deming,  Dr.  Elizur,  255. 
Democratic  speakers,  97. 
Democrats,  98,  122. 
Dewey,  Judge  Charles,  182,  372. 
Dickinson,  Miss  Sarah,  117. 
Digby,  William,  238. 
Dill,  Mr.,  117. 

Dillon,  John  B.,  208,  209,  210. 
Doddridge's    "Rise    and    Prog- 
ress," 57. 
Douglass,  Mr.,  204. 
Dowling,  Dr.,  36. 
Dowling,  John,  325. 
Drake,  Gen.  James  P.,  165. 
Drake,  Mr.,  352,  353. 
Drum,  George,  183. 
Dublin  Academy,  137. 
Dublin  Female  Seminary,  137. 
Dublin,  Ind.,  137. 


Dufour,  Mr.,  51. 
Dumont,  Ebenezer,  46,  53,  148. 
Dumont,  Julia  L.,  46,  53,  172. 
Duncan,  Robert  B.,  172,  17r),  18fi, 

190. 
Dunn,  George  G.,  346,  348. 
Dunn,  George  IT.,  34,  35,  42,  44, 

46,  52,  99,  156. 
Dunn,  Judge  Williamson,  269. 
Dwyer,  Mr.,  366. 

"Eagle  and  the  Lion,  The,"  315. 
Eaglc?field.  William,  296. 
Eagle  Village,  196. 
Eastburn,  Mr.,  367. 
Eel  River,  201,  204. 
Eel  River  Seminar>'  Society,  207. 
Egglcston,  Edward,  52. 
Eggleston,  George  Cary,  52. 
Egglcston,  Joseph  Carv,  52,  99. 
Egglcston,    Miles   Carv,   52,   99, 

1(57,  183. 
"Elkhorn,  The,"  64. 
Ellicott  's  Mills,  6,  8,  23. 
Ellis,  Mr.  A.  T.,  340. 
Ellsworth,  Henry  W.,  241,  242. 
Elston,  Maj.  Isaac.  273. 
Episcopal  Church,  186. 
Evans,  John,  366. 
Ewing,  Dr.,  236. 
Ewing,  John,  349,  350,  354. 
Ewing,  Nathaniel.  340. 
"Express,  The,"  234. 
"Extra  Equator,  The,"  214,215, 

313. 

Fairfield.  108. 

Fall  Creek,  143. 

Falls,  372. 

"Fannv, "  Mrs.  Vawter*!*  hor«<<, 

80. 
Farlcv,  Judge  Joseph.  2S1. 
"Farmer,"   William   Vawter'« 

horse,  80. 
Faro,  24. 

Farrington,  James,  32.'>. 
Farrington,  Mrs.,  341. 
Farrow,  Col.  Alexander,  283. 
Fayette,  109. 
"Federurl>ian,"  111. 
Fellows,  Capt.  Willis,  337. 
Female  Bible  Society,  370. 


384 


INDEX 


Female  Prayer  Meeting,  370. 

Finley,  John,  44,  118,  172. 

First  Presbyterian  Church  (In- 
dianapolis), 156. 

Fischli's  Springs,  374. 

"Fishing  Peter,"  306. 

Fitch,  Dr.  Graham,  207,  208. 

Fitch,  Mr.,  367. 

Fitzgerald,  Capt.,  375. 

Flatboats,  27,  28,  239'. 

Fletcher,  Calvin,  146,  151,  152, 
176,  177,  178,  204,  284. 

Fletcher,  Stoughton  A.,  165. 

"Flower  Vase,  The,"  14,  378. 

Floods,  43. 

Fordham,  Elias,  144. 

Fort  Harrison,  314. 

Fourth  of  July  Celebration,  245, 
246,  247. 

Fowler,  Mr.  Moses,  255, 

Franklin  County,  97. 

Franklin  Institute,  153. 

Frederick,  Md.,  7,  9. 

Fredericksburg,  Ind.,  360. 

Fredericksburg,  Va.,  2. 

French  immigrants,  31. 

French  Lick,  359,  360. 

French,  Mrs.,  32. 

Friends,  Society  of,  12,  114. 

Frostburg,  11. 

Fry,  Mr.,  14. 

Fry,  Mr.  Smith,  279. 

Gadsby's,  3. 

Gamblers,  21. 

Gallipolis,  31. 

"Gate  Bob,"  11. 

General  Pike,  369. 

General 's  Point,  372. 

Georgetown,  220. 

Gibbons'    Miscellaneous   "Works, 

53. 
Gillespie,  Dr.  Eobert,  46. 
Gibson,  Mr.  S.  R.,  340. 
Gilbert,  Curtis,  315,  332. 
Gilliland,  Samuel,  273. 
"Good  Intent"  Line,  7. 
Goodwin,  Thomas  A,,   104,  286- 

291. 
Gookins,  Judge,  330. 
"Governor's  Circle,  The,"  144, 

177. 


*  *  Governor 's     Mansion,     The, ' ' 

147,  177,  178,  187. 
"Governor's  Square,  The,"  144. 
Graham,  Mr.,  236. 
Grahamtown,  63. 
Grantham,  Judge,  236. 
"Gray  Backs,"  161. 
Green,  R.  C,  234. 
Greencastle,  104,  280-294. 
Greene  County,  334. 
Greensburg,  96,  97. 
Greensburg  Seminary,  96. 
Greenfield,  140. 
Greenville,  360. 
Gregg,  Harvey,  163. 
Gregg,  Mr.,  46. 
Gregory,  James,  273. 
Griswold,  Mr.,  325. 
"Grouseland,"  352-3. 
Guitar,  68,  365. 

Hagerstown,  Md.,  9. 
Hale's  Tavern,  362. 
Hall,  Washington,  141,  166. 
Hamilton  County,  19'6. 
Hanna,  Gen.  Eobert,  165. 
Hannah,  Mr.  Samuel,  116,  122. 
Hancock,  9. 
Hancock  County,  140. 
Hannegan,  Edward  A.,  193. 
Hanover  College,  70. 
Hard  Cider  Campaign,  91. 
Hardesty,  Mr.  Rees,  283. 
Harrison,  Cleves,  353. 
Harrison,  William  Henry,  4,  15, 

16,  17,  38,  41,  42,  57,  66,  82, 

94,  98,  126,  154,  248. 
Harrison    Mass    Meeting,     341, 

347-349. 
Harvard  College,  182. 
Hatcher,  Mary,  241. 
Havens,  Father,  186. 
Hawley,  Rev.  Ransom,  297. 
Hedden,  Mr.  David,  366. 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  253. 
Henry  County,  137. 
Henderson,  Mr.  "Wyatt,  96. 
Hendricks,  Abram  T.,  91. 
Hendricks,  John,  296. 
Hendricks,  Mrs.  A.,  70. 
Hepler,  Dan,  297. 
Herron,  James,  273. 


INDEX 


385 


Hicklin,  Louis,  13,  40,  4],  48, 
54,  57,  59,  61,  73,  122,  130, 
131,  133,  368,  371. 

Hicklin,  Mrs.,  57. 

Hill,  Mr.  S.,  340. 

Hindostan,  358. 

Historical  and  Antiquarian  So- 
ciety of  Vincennes,  340. 

Hodgkins,  John,  189. 

Hogs,  90,  91. 

Holloway,  D.  P.,  125. 

Holt,  Joseph  F.,  160. 

Hooper,  Mr.  D.  M.,  366. 

"Hoosier's  Nest,  The,"  118. 

Hoover,  David,  115,  122. 

Hoover,  Dr.,  367. 

Horseback  travel,  advantages  of, 
81. 

Horticultural  Society,  Indian- 
apolis, 157. 

Hashour,  Prof.  S.  K.,  136. 

Houseworth,  Henry,  111. 

Howe,  Daniel  H.,  47. 

Howe,  Daniel  Waite,  47  (note). 

Hovey,  Dr.,  274. 

Howard,  Tilghman  A.,  257. 

Hubbard,  w:  S.,  157. 

Hunter,  Miss  Caroline,  14,  16, 
23,  24,  31,  37,  55,  356,  376, 
377. 

Hunt  Tavern,  44. 

"Indian  Orchard,"  336. 

"Indian"  (steamboat),  336,337. 

Indian  Summer,  338. 

Indiana,  17. 

"Indiana"  (poem),  174. 

Indiana  College,  60,  149. 

Indiana  Insane  Hospital,  172 
(note). 

"Indiana  Journal,  The,"  163. 

Indianapolis,  35,  85,  102,  134- 
142. 

Indianapolis  Court  House,  148. 

Indianapolis  Female  Institute, 
153. 

"Indianapolis  Gazette,"  172. 

Indianapolis  Horticultural  So- 
ciety, 157. 

Indianapolis  Thespian  Corps, 
169. 

Indigenous  plants,  54. 


Immigration,  Tides  of.  194. 
Inns,  13,  37,  44,  75,  93,  94. 
Internal   Improvements,  27    40 
99.  »       I       . 

Isle  de  Beau,  16,  29. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  45,  65. 

Jeiferson  County,  ."i8,  79. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  47,  106,  2ns, 
354. 

"JefFersonian  and  Working- 
man's  Advocate,  The,"  121. 

Jeffersonville.  361,  371,  374. 

Jenckes,  Judge,  330. 

Jennings  County  Academy,  78. 

Jennings,  Jonathan,  74,  372. 

Jewett,  Rev.  Mr.,  331. 

"Jim  Crow,"  323. 

Johnson,  Jim,  "Son  of  Metho- 
dism," 97. 

Johnson,  Rev.  S.  B.,  240,  249, 
250. 

Jones,  Mr.,  254,  261,  267,  278, 
279. 

Jones,  Mrs.,  376. 

Judah,  Samuel,  339. 

"Julia,"  250,  251,  253,  254. 

Julian,  George  W.,  116,  120,  121, 
124,  126,  129. 

Julian,  Jacob,  116. 

Julian,  Mrs.  Rebecca,  116,  117. 

"June  Bug  Line,"  8. 

Kemper,  Rev,  James,  154. 

Kenton,  Simon,  98. 

Kentucky,  14. 

Ketcham,  John  L.,  160. 

Kidwell,  110. 

Killikelly,  Rev.  Mr.,  352. 

King,  John,  63. 

Kinney,  Capt.  Ephraim,  54. 

Kinnev,  Judge,  330. 

Kirk,  Nathan,  200. 

Kirklin,  200. 

Knight,  Elijah,  1.38. 

Knightstown,  13S,  139. 

Knobs,  The,  361. 

"Kyarliny  Kiver,  A,"  225,  2«.1. 

Lafavetto    (city),   60,   237,   239, 

259. 
Lafayette,  General,  8,  373. 


386 


INDEX 


Lane,  Henry  S.,  270,  322. 
"Language   of   Mowers,   The," 

14,  125. 
Lanier,  J.  F.  D.,  63. 
Lashley  House,  116. 
Lasselle,  Charles,  213,  214. 
Lasselle,  Hyacinth,  209,  213,  312. 
Lathrop,  Mr.  Ezra,  9'6. 
Lattimore,  Eev.  David,  78. 
LaTourette,  225. 
''Laurel  Wreath,  The,"  49. 
Lawrenceburg,  34,  35,  42,  44,  49, 

131. 
Law,  Judge  John,  341,  342,  343. 
Lawyers     (Indiana),    181,     182, 

185. 
Layman,  Albert,  297. 
Layman,  Dr.  D.  W.,  298,  299. 
Leeds  &  Jones  Paper  Mill,  128. 
Lemon,  Alex,  279. 
Leonard,  Dr.,   367. 
Letcher,  Hon.  Eobert  P.,  14,  15, 

17,  18,  20,  21,  24,  26,  30,  35. 
Liberty,   109. 
Library,  State,  147. 
Lick  Creek,  359. 
Licking  Kiver,  38. 
Limestone,  Ky.  (Maysville),  32. 
Lindley,  Jonathan,  312. 
Linton,   Mr.,   335. 
Little     Cedar    Baptist     Church, 

103. 
Lockwood,   Eufus   A.,   245,   246, 

247,  248. 
Log  Cabin,  15,  16,  38,  39. 
Log  Cabin  Candidate,  5. 
Logansport,  192-204. 
Logansport  Seminary,  206. 
"Logansport   Telegraph,   The," 

209. 
Lotteries,  217,  218. 
Louisville,  Ky.,  32. 
Lucy,   14. 
Lyceum,  117,  118. 
Lynch,  Col.  John,  281. 

Madden,  Mr.,  292. 

Madison,  13,  17,  39,  48,  53,  55, 
72. 

"Madison  Courier,  The,"  65. 

Madison  and  Indianapolis  Rail- 
road, 59  (note). 


Madison,  T.  A.,  325. 
Maguire,  Douglass,  190. 
Mail,  carrying  of,  230. 
Manford,  Erasmus,  47,  110. 
Mansion  House,   The,   116,   135, 

204. 
Mansion,   The  Governor's,  147. 
Mansur,  Jeremiah,  128. 
Maple  sugar,  81. 
Marietta,  29. 
Marion  County,  141,  196. 
Marion     County     Court     House, 

148. 
Marion    County    Seminary,    153, 

158. 
Marion  Guards,  161. 
Marion  Eifles,  161. 
Markle,  Abraham,  312,  315,  332. 
Marshall,  Joseph  Glass,  63,  65, 

66,  70. 
Masons,  207. 
Massachusetts,   29. 
McAfferty,  Mr.,  273. 
McBaker,  Col.  Thomas,  161. 
McCarthy,  Gen.  Jonathan,  87. 
McCarty,  Nicholas,  186. 
McClelland,  Alexander,  365. 
McCormiek,  John,  143. 
McCuen,  Eev.,  139. 
McGaughey,  Arthur,  282. 
McMaster,  Eev.  B.  D.,  70. 
McMillan,  Mr.,  63. 
Means,  Thomas,  116. 
Menominee  Village,  203. 
Merrill,  Miss,  148,  149. 
Merrill,  Samuel,  146,  151,  166. 
Methodists,  8,  12,  232. 
Miami   Mills,   44. 
Miami  Eiver,  33,  34,  40,  43. 
Michigantown,   200. 
Michigan  Eoad,  85,  119,  192,  195, 

196,  201,  234. 
Mile  Square,  The,  144. 
Military  Eeservation,  The,  150. 
Miller,  George,  273. 
Milligan,  Thomas,  277. 
Milk  sickness,  140,  141. 
Mills,  Caleb,  275,  276,  277. 
Mill,  The  Tunnel,  84. 
Milroy,  Gen.  Samuel,  235. 
Minister,    the    Universalist,    93, 

94,  96. 


INDEX 


387 


Minor,  Rufus,  325. 
Mississippi,   22,   24. 
Modesitt,  Dr.,  316,  317. 
Montgomery,   Col.  Richard,  268 
Montgomery  County,  268. 
Monticello,  Va.,  106. 
Mont  Clair,  341,  354,  355. 
Moore,  Frederick,  273. 
Moot  Legislature,  The,  236. 
Morerod,  Mr.,  51. 
Morgan,   Mr.  James,  96. 
Morris,  John  D.,  163. 
Morris,   Morris,   186. 
Morris,  T.  A.,  148,  161,  162,  187. 
Morrison,  Roljert,  51. 
Morrison,  W.  H.,  186. 
Moselle,  17. 
Mounds,  Indian,  31. 
Mount  Jackson,  172. 
Mount   Pleasant,   358. 
"Movers,"  262,  263,  264,  265. 
Muscattatuck,  74,  84. 
Muskingum,  29, 

Nance,  Clement,  366. 

Nance,  Weslev,  297. 

National    Road,    The,    115,   134, 

143,  196,  296,  301,  312. 
New  Albany,  51,  361,  370. 
New  Albany  Seminary,  370. 
Newbury,   Mr.,  279. 
New  Harmony,  97,  106,  107,  114. 
New,  Hickman,  84. 
New,   Jethro,   84. 
New,  Rev.  John  B.,  78,  84. 
"New  Lights,"  109. 
Newman,  John  D.,  116,  122. 
New  Orleans,  21,  25,  28,  34. 
Newport,  Ind.,  124,  132. 
Newport,  Ky.,  37. 
Newport     Temperance     Society, 

132. 
Nevron,  Father,  371. 
Nicholson,  Mr.,  273. 
Noble,  Charles  T.,  325. 
Noble's  Hole,  167. 
Noble,  Noah,  44,  101,  149,  183. 
Noel^  Vance,  163,  190. 
North  Bend,  17,  39,  40. 
Norton,  Hon.  Caroline,  251,  252. 
Nowland,  James  B.,  163. 


Ohio  Company,  The,  29  (note). 

Ohio  County,  Va.,  22. 

Ohio  River,  The,  19,  25.  27    43 

361.  ' 

Old    Trail,    The    (Vinrennc«    to 

New  Albany),  357. 
O'Kane,  Rev.',  155. 
O'Neal,  Hugh,  163,  184,  190. 
Ordinance  of  1787,  The,  114. 
Orr,  Mr.,  150. 
Orth,   Godlove   S.,  256. 
Owen,  Richard  Dale,  200. 
Owen,  Robert  Dale,  97,  104,  105, 

106,    107,    113,    114,    116,    133. 

169,  322. 

Palmer,  Ebcnezer,  279. 

Palmer  House,  155. 

Palmer,  Nathan,  153. 

Palmer,  Mr,,  207. 

Paoli,  359. 

Parke,    Judge     Benjamin,    297, 

354. 
Parroquet,  54,  224,    ' 
Parsons,      John;      Introduction, 

Note  on,  378. 
Parsons,  Jonathan,  1,  133,  220. 
Parsons,   Dr.   Thomas,  318,  326. 
Patapsco  River,  6, 
Patterson,   Elliott,   163. 
Pattison,  Mr.,  36,  37,  368. 
Patriot,  47,  48. 
Paul,  Colonel,  67  (note). 
Paul's  Spring,  67. 
Pa.xton,  Mr.,'  367. 
Peabody,  Dr.  Ezra.  76,  78, 
Pennington,  Mr.,  367. 
"Pcnsacola,  The,"   19. 
Pepper,  Col.  .Xbol.  210. 
Percival,  Dr.  .lahoz,  44. 
Perkins,  S.  E..  121.  127. 
Perry,  John  S.,  296. 
Pestalozzi,   107. 
Petersburg,  Va.,  1. 
Pettitt,  Mr.  John,  2.'>.'>,  256. 
Phelps,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  6,  8,  2.1. 
Philadelphia.  :i3. 
Philomath,  110. 
Philomatli  Kn.'yrlo|)C(liii.  111. 
Pierce,  Mr.  .Martin  L.,  255. 
Pigeon  Roost  Mnj-wicre,  282. 
"Pike   boya,"    12. 


INDEX 


Pioneer  cabin,  224. 
Pioneer  women,  224. 
Pioneers,  Labors  of,  273. 
1    Pittsburg,   19. 

Planters,   21,   24,   25. 
♦'Pleasure    Garden,    The,"    160, 

175,  186,  189,  190. 
Plummer,   Dr.  John,  127. 
"Pocahontas,"  a  play,  169'. 
Poe  School,  The,  131. 
Pogue's  Creek,  145. 
Pogue,  George,  143. 
Pork  packing,  34,  327. 
"Porkopolis,"   327. 
Political   Beacon,    The,   46. 
Pope,  Mr.,  Steam  Doctor,   189. 
Portsmouth,   O.,  31. 
Postillion,   10. 
Potomac  Creek,  2. 
Pottawotamies,    202. 
Powhatan  House,  The,  2. 
Prairie  House,  The,  315,  316. 
Prairies,  239,  259. 
Pratt,  Mr.  D.  D.,  204,  205. 
Presbyterians,   70,    149,    154. 
Prices    of    commodities,    in    Lo- 

gansport,  220;  in  Terre  Haute, 

321,  322. 
Pritchett,  Dr.  John,  117,  119. 
Proflfitt,    George    H.,    322,    324, 

346,  347. 
Prophet,  The,  86. 
Putnamsville,  289,  294,  296. 

Quaker  gentleman,  12,  18,  24. 
Quarles,  William,  184. 

"Eachel,  A,"  48. 
Eaeger  Spring,  362. 
Eailroad,   2,   63,   271. 
Ealston,  Alexander,  144. 
Eariden,  James,  116,  122,  205. 
Eay,    James    Brown,    100,    101, 

102,   142,   373. 
Eaysville,   138. 

Eea,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George,  117. 
Eeed,  Dr.,  317. 
Eeligious  Debate,  97. 
"Eeport  of  a  Geological  Eecon- 

naissance  of  Indiana,"  200. 
Eevolutionary  soldiers  buried  at 

Vernon,  85. 


Ehein,  Mr.,  241. 

Eichards,  Joseph,  335,  336. 

Eichland  Furnace,  334. 

"Eichland,  The,"  334. 

Eichmond,  Va.,  1. 

Eichmond  and  Brookville  Canal, 

128. 
Eichmond,    Ind.,    99,    105,    106, 

114,  120,  130. 
Eichmond  Station,  131. 
Eights  of  Women,  113. 
Eising  Sun,  46. 
Eising  Sun  Insurance  Company, 

47. 
Eising  Sun  Tavern,  361. 
Eistine,  Maj.  Henry,  273. 
Eistine,  Jr.,  Henry,  279. 
Eoad,    The    National,    115,    134, 

143,  196,  296,  301,  312. 
Eoads,  60. 

Eobb,  Franklin,   279. 
Eoberts,  Bishop,  284. 
Eobinson,  Mr.  George,  66. 
Eobinson,  Mrs.,  370. 
Eobinson,  Simeon,  84. 
Eose,  Chauncey,  315,  333,  334. 
Eoss,  Henry,  325. 
Eowan,  Henry,  116. 
Eudisill,  David,   282. 
Eussell,     Alexander,     161,     164, 

165. 
Enter,  Calvin,  285. 

Sailor,  Mr.  John,  128. 

Saint    Francis    Xavier    Church, 

345,  352. 
Saint  John's  Church,  240,  241. 
Saint  Mary's  Academy,  351. 
Saint  Mary 's  of  the  Knobs,  371. 
Salem,  70. 
Salisbury,  135. 
"Salt  rising,"  14. 
Sample,  Henry  T.,  255. 
Sanders,  Dr.  John,  167. 
Sanders,  Miss  Mary,  167. 
Sanders,     Miss     Zerelda     (Mrs. 

David  Wallace),  168,  190. 
"Sawyers,"  25. 
Schools,  276. 
Scott,  Lucius,  323. 
Scribner,  Abner,  363. 
Scribner,  Joel,  363. 


INDEX 


Scribner,  Nathaniel,  363. 
,  Scribner,  Mrs.  Abner,  370. 
Scribner,  Mrs.  Joel,   370. 
Scribner,  Mrs.  Phoebe,  370. 
Secrist,  Mr.  Henry,  283. 
Seminary,       Female,       (Mrs. 

Phelps'),  6,  22. 
Seminary,  Greensburg,  96. 
Seminary,  Logansport,  206. 
Serenade,   68. 
Sering,  John  S.,  63,  73. 
Sheets'  pasture,  166. 
Sheets,   William,   186. 
Shelbyville,  85. 
Shields,  Mr.  H.  B.,  366. 
Shields,  James,  367. 
Shields,  Patrick,  366. 
Shields,  Dr.  P.  S.,  367. 
Shields,  William  H.,  282. 
Shields,  Mrs.,    370. 
Shipbuilding  on  Ohio,  29*. 
Shires   House,   37    (note). 
Shirk,   Andrew,  102,  103. 
Sigourney,  Mrs.,  69,  81,  170. 
Silver  HiUs,  361. 
Simpson,  Dr.,  293,  294. 
Sims,  Madison,  173. 
Singleton,  Augusta,  3. 
Slavery,  Negro,  12,  114,  295. 
Sloan,  Dr.   John,  367. 
Sluyter,    Mr.,   203. 
Smith,   Oliver  H.,  182,  183. 
Smock,   Mr.,   297. 
Snakes,   230. 
Soap  making,  80. 
Soule,   Bishop,   369. 
Society  of  Friends,  12,  114,  129, 

130,  131. 
"Song  of  Jim  Crow,"  323. 
Sparks,  46. 
Spencer  Spiers,  87. 
"Spirit   of   Seventy-Six,   The," 

323. 
Square,  The  Governor's,  144. 
Stage    Coach   passage,   11,   287, 

288. 
Stapp,  Milton  A.,  59. 
State  College,  60,  149. 
State  House,  147. 
State  Library,  147,  178 
Starr,  Charles  W.,  127. 


Steamboats,  2,  17   19   20   "5   "8 
29,  39,  71,  72,  328,  329!      '  "  ' 
Steveuaon,  Dr.  A.  C,  283 
Stewart,  Dr.,   367. 
Stewart,  Dr.  James,  236,  237. 
Stillwcll,   Jeremiah,    273. 
Stitt,  John  B.,  116,  117. 
Stockton,  Lawrence  B.,  255. 
Stockton's  Line,  8. 
Storey,   Thomas  J.,  84. 
Stoy,' Peter,  367. 
Stuart,  William  Z.,  207. 
Sugar    Creek,   268. 
Summerfield's  Sermons,  57. 
Swain,  Dr.  Ricliard  IL,  119. 
Swift,  Flower,  297. 
Swiss  settlers,  51. 
Symmes,  Judge,  40. 

Taber,  Mr.,  217. 

Tait,  Mr.,  46. 

Talbott,  Henry  T.,  96. 

Talbott,  James,  283. 

Talbott,  William  E.,  282. 

Taniiehill's  History  of  Litera- 
ture, 216. 

Tarkington,  John  S.,  130  (note). 

Tarkington,  Rev.  Joseph,  130. 

Taverns,   13,  98. 

Temperance   Society,    115,    132. 

Tennessee  Path,  28. 

Tennis,  Dr.  Israel,  119. 

Terre  Haute,  18,  311-330. 

Test,  Judge,  96,  116,  117. 

Theater,  28,  34,  37. 

Thespian  Society  of  Logansport, 
219. 

Thibaud,  Mr.,  51. 

Thickstun,  Andrew,  :\M. 

Thompson,  Rev.  Jamen,  L'HL 

Thompson,   Richard    W.,  340. 

Thomson,   Mr.  John   M..   277. 

Thornburgh.   Cnpf.    W.    H.,   2S3. 

Thornton,  Major  Henry  P.,  307. 

Tides  of  immij^rntion,   IIM. 

Timber    (Jennings  County),  7». 

Timmons,  Ezekiel,  241. 

Tippecanoe,  42. 

Tippecanoe  Battleground,  82,  86, 
87,  162,  207. 

Tippecanoe  County,  00,  239. 

Tippecanoe   River,  238. 


390 


INDEX 


Tipton,  Gen.  John,  206,  207. 

Tipton,  Mr.  S.  S.,  207. 

"Tortesa  the  Usurer,"  37. 

Tousey,  Mr,,  46. 

Townsend,  James,  294,  295,  296. 

Tucker,  Judge,  53. 

Tuley,  Preston  F.,  367. 

Tunnel  Mill,  84. 

Turpie,  David,  241. 

Turpie,  Mary,  241. 

"Twelve  Mile  Purchase,  The," 

115. 
Tyler,  Mr.  Ned  and  Mr.  Jack, 


Union,  11. 

Union  County,  109. 

Universalist  Church,  47,  110. 

Universalist,  The,  48,  139. 

University  Square  (Indianapo- 
lis), 153. 

University,  The  (Virginia),  22, 
47,  182,  298. 

Usher,  Mr.,  301,  325,  326. 

Vaile,  Mr.  Eawson,  117. 

Van  Buren,  3,  5,  15,  16,  26,  66, 

83,  94,  105,  126,  247,  272,  363. 
Vance,  David,  273. 
Vance,  Lawrence  M.,  160,  188. 
Vandalia,  136. 
"Valley  of  the  Upper  Wabash, 

The"  (Ellsworth),  240. 
Vawter,  Elder  Jesse,  58,  69,  70. 
Vawter,   Col.   John,   58,    77,   81, 

85,  87. 
Vawter,   Smith,  84. 
Vawter,  William,  80. 
Vawter,  Mrs.  William,  80. 
Vernon,  58,  74,  85. 
Vevay,  46,  48,  50,  51. 
Vigo,  Col.,  311,  354. 
Vigo  County,  311. 
Vigus  (stage  line),  192,  193. 
Vincennes,  42,  60,  179,  337,  356. 
"Vincennes  Gazette,  The,"  345. 
Virginia,  18. 

Wabash  Ague,  76,  195. 
Wabash  bedstead,  A,  263. 
Wabash  College,  268-278. 


Wabash  Country,  1,  15,  179,  193, 
194,   205,  208,  222,  352,  353. 

Wabash  &  Erie  Canal,  The,  204, 
220,  238. 

Wabash  Eiver,  60,  61,  201,  204, 
329. 

Wabash  Valley,  242,  243. 

Wagoners,  13,' 16. 

Walker,  John,   84. 

Wallace,  Gov.  David,  102,  147, 
160,  166,  167,  168. 

Wallace,  Lewis,  168. 

Wallace,  William,  168,  169. 

War,  The  Black  Hawk,  163. 

Warren,  Chauncey,  331,  332. 

Warren,  Mr.,  367. 

Washington,  D.   C,  3. 

Washington  Hall,  141,  166,  187, 
188,  281. 

Washington,  Ind.,  358. 

Washington,  Pa.,  11. 

Washington  Street,  143. 

Way  Bill,  A,  73. 

Wayne   County,   115. 

Wayne  County  Seminary,  128, 
136. 

Wea  Plains,  239,  259',  261,  262. 

Webb,   William   H.,   63. 

Webber,  Dr.,  236. 

Webster,  Daniel,  66,  363. 

Wedding,  Country,  226,  228, 

Western  settlements,  classes  in, 
74;    contrasts  in,  112. 

Western  Union  Seminary,  111. 

Welker,  Amos,  296. 

Wesley,  John,  57. 

"Western  Censor  and  Emi- 
grant's Guide,  The,"  163. 

"Western  Tourist  or  Emi- 
grant's Guide,  The,"  1. 

Wheeler,  Mr.  John,  292. 

Wheeling,  1,  10,  14,  18,  19,  23, 
32 

Whigs,  4,  15,  16,  18,  30,  65,  83, 
98,  104,  141,  154,  323. 

White,  Albert  S.,  246,  247. 

White  House,  3. 

White  Eiver,  143. 

Whitewater  Canal,  35,  43,  99. 

Whitewater   Eiver,   97. 

Whitewater  Valley,  88,  130. 


INDEX 


391 


Whitloek,  Major,  273. 

Whitman,  Shepard,  365. 

Whitney,  E.  J.,  63. 

Wick,  Judge  W.  W.,  187. 

Wild  hogs,  265. 

"Wild     Oats     of    Indianapolis, 

The,"  163. 
* '  Wilberf  orce,    The    Life    of," 

126. 
Wiley,  Capt.  Alexander,  165. 
Wiley,  E.  S.,  93. 
Wiley,  Rev.  Allen,  186,  285,  302, 

368,  369. 
William  and  Mary  College,  53. 
Williams,  Achilles,  127. 
Williams,  Worthington,  13,  296. 
Wilmington,  Ind.,  -iS. 
Wilson,  John,  271. 
Wilson,  Michael,  116. 
Wilstach,  Hannah,  241. 
Winans,  Brother,  97. 
Winchester,  53. 


Winter,    George    H.,    208,    U'ni* 

210,  211. 
Wirt,  69. 

Wishard,  Capt.  John,  165. 
Wise,  John,  354, 
Wise,  of  Virginia,  Gov.,  149. 
Wolverton,  Mrs.,  362. 
Wolves,    230,    231;    wolf    hunt, 

264. 
Woodruff,  Charles,  366. 
Wright,  Williamson,  207. 
Wylie,  Dr.  Andrew,  149,  216. 

Xavier  Church,  St.  Francii,  345, 
352. 

Yandes,  Daniel,  159. 
Yandes,  Simon,  159,  181. 
"Yellow  Jackets,"  87,  206. 
Yellow  Tavern,  98,  105. 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary  (Mad- 
ison), 62,  63.