USA > Iowa > Des Moines County > Burlington > The semi-centennial of Iowa. A record of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Iowa held at Burlington, June 1, 1883 > Part 8
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SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF IOWA.
I am tempted to retaliate some of his complimentary references to me by telling you how as our Representative to the Court of Spain, he was spoken of by Lord Howden, Her Britanic Majesty's Envoy to the same Court, in letters to Secretary Cass as the man above all others, whom he, Howden, would select as his counsellor and adviser on account of firmness, intelligence and thorough understanding of his duties. Our illustrious countryman Wm. Cullen Bryant, who vis- ited Madrid during General Dodge's residence there, thus also spoke and wrote of him. Not long anterior to his death, I met ex-Presi- dent Pierce at the Astor House in New York City, where in a long conversation with me he mentioned that of all the foreign appointments made during his administration he believed that of Gen. Dodge, as Minister to Spain, to have been the best.
Ladies and gentlemen, pray pardon the rambling and desultory character of my remarks. This is a time of "jubilee" and hilarity, an- swering if you please, to the saturnalian days of Old Rome, when the privilege was allowed even to the veriest slave, to speak as he pleased to his master. I have done so. Though once your servant, and hon- ored in being such, we now meet on terms of equality, except that I am largely your debtor for unrequited favors and particularly for this delightful entertainment, and the opportunity it affords of meeting dear old friends and acquaintances. Your celebration is a great suc- cess, and reflects lasting honor on Burlington. It is grander and more imposing than the Le Clede Centennial celebration, which I witnessed in St. Louis years ago.
In conclusion, I beg to express the deep gratitude I feel to you, especially the pioneer fathers for the unmerited honors so often con- ferred upon me. I have ever felt proud and thankful for that almost unanimous vote given to me at this precinct in Oct. 1835. (All save six voted for me.) Of the overwhelming majority you accorded me on the loth day of October, 1836, and for the unanimity with which your representatives in the Legislature voted to elect me one of the first Senators from Iowa, to the Congress of the U. S., on the 7th day of December, 1848.
Your presiding officer, my life long and devoted friend, Gen. Au- gustus C. Dodge, was the unanimous choice of our party for Senator. Not so with me. I had to beat some ten or eleven of the ablest and best men of the State. I hope they have forgiven me as cordially as I do them. I shall not repeat the offence.
With the earnest hope that God may bless and prosper you, your city, our State and Nation, I bid you good-bye.
It was impossible to obtain a full list of Old Settlers who were present upon the different platforms in addition to those whose names appear in the proceedings. The following is an imperfect list: Hon. Alfred Hebard, of Red Oak, member of the 3d and 4th and 6th Legislaivte Assembly of the Territory of Iowa, and of the Ist General Assembly of the State.
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SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF IOWA.
Hon. George Chandler, of Union Township, Des Moines county, member of the 7th Legislative Assembly of the Territory.
Hon. Timothy Day, of Van Buren county, member of the 3d Con- stitutional Convention, 1857.
Hon. James D. Borne, first sheriff of Clinton Co., and member of the 2nd General Assembly of the state.
Hon. W. H. M. Pusey, M. C., of present Congress, of Council Bluffs, also formerly member of the 7th and 8th General Assembly of the State.
Hon. Jerre H. Murphy, of Davenport, present M. C.
Alexander Cruikshank, of Lee county.
Wm. Brownell, of Keokuk.
Charles Hendrie, of Council Bluffs.
Prof. Nathan R. Leonard, of Iowa City.
Prof. Milton L. Comstock of Galesburg, Ill.
Mrs. Erastus Woodward, of Union township, Des Moines county. Hon. Charles Baldwin, of Van Buren county.
Mrs. S. B. Maxwell, of Des Moines, State Librarian.
Mrs. Major Jeremiah Smith, Jur., oldest pioneer lady.
Wm. Garrett, of Burlington.
Mrs. Martha Garrett, Burlington, daughter of Judge Rorer.
Mrs. A. T. Hay, daughter of Jeremiah Smith, Jur.
Mrs. Charlotte Ryan, Burlington.
John Burkholder, of Benton township, Des Moines county.
N. Littler, President Old Settlers' Association, Washington Co.
Wm. Moore, Washington county.
Mrs. Basil Williams, Washington county.
Hon. S. A. Russell, Washington county.
J. L S. Levy, Washington Co.
J. H. Wilson, Washington county.
Isaac Edwards, Washington county.
Joseph Griffith, Washington county.
J. W. Neal, Washington county. Hon. George D. Rand, Keokuk.
Hon. Wm. Morrison, Iowa City.
Hon. E. W. Lucas, (son of Gov. Lucas.)
Capt. J. Watts Griffith and Lady, of Des Moines.
Dr. Craig, of Rock Island.
THE REGATTA.
The high wind that prevailed all the afternoon, whipped the water, and when the hour of starting arrived, the course was so rough that it seemed almost impossible for the light and fragile crafts to keep up- right. However, there was to be no disappointment, whatever the interferences, and without endeavoring to pull for the speed, the pro- gram was carried out, and proved quite interesting to thousands who had never seen a contest of this kind. The result of the races is sum- marized as follows:
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SIX OARED BARGE-"Bob Burdette"-F. Copp, C. Mauro, H. W. Schramm, H. Rand, G. B. Salter, C. I. Millard, A. Churchill, cox- swain; "Burlington"-H. Hansen, F. Millard, W. Mc Farland, H. Mathes, Geo. H. Tousey, B. F. Pollock, E. S. Phelps, coxswain. The race was one half mile straight away, and was won by the "Bur- lington" crew.
FOUR OARED SHELLS-"Minnetonka"-E. Marshall, W. O. Ran- som, S. B. Harrington, Win. Carson. "Forbes"-C. H. Wyman, J. J. Ohrt, W. Eaton, C. H. Fowler, won by the "Forbes".
PLEASURE BOALS-"Sappho"-H. Mathes, F. Millard. "Lorley" -WV. H. Mauro Jr., W. M. Mc Farland; won by the "Sappho."
SINGLE SHELLS-For St. Jacobs Oil Badge-W. Schramm, C. H. Wyman, was the last race and was won by Schramm.
Cal Follett, the submarine diver, anchored his boat at the foot of Valley street, and clad in his armor, gave an interesting exhibition of diving.
THE EVENING.
With the coming of the twilight the illumination of the city began. Thousands of Chinese lanterns swayed in festoons along the princi- pal streets, and embellished the fronts of many business houses from the first to the fourth story. The arches on Jefferson street at the in . tersection of Third and Fourth streets were brilliantly illuminated. As night settled upon the scene, a display of Fire Works was made from two large flatboats anchored in the river. It consisted of plain and parachute rockets, geysers of colored fires that shot into the air and burst in brilliant showers of green, red, blue and gold; enormous wheels that spun out their changing circles of beauty, terminating with appropriate mottoes, outlined in various colors; rows of burning fires reflected their colors upon the water and covered the River with the beautiful iridescence The principal piece represented George Washington on horseback, and loud applause followed the develop- ment of the more appropriate one which blazed forth in brilliant col- ors "Flint Hills, 1833,"-Burlington, 1883."
BOAT CLUB RECEPTION.
At the conclusion of the fireworks display the floor of the beautiful hall of the boat house was occupied by the dancers. At ten o'clock the house was uncomfortably filled, but by II o'clock enough had withdrawn to make it decidedly agreeable for the gay good-humored ones who remained.
The handsome fresco decorations of the room scarcely needed addi- tional ornamentation, but to enhance the brilliancy and suggestive- ness of the scene, numerous miniature banners of the republic were clustered about the chandeliers and along the walls, while over clos- ed doorways were crossed oars, and depending gracefully from the arched roof was a handsome single shell. The lofty gallery was oc-
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cupied by Professor Miller's orchestra, which rained down on the dancers the choicest music. It was not understood that the affair would be a full dress one, but still there were many elegant toilets and all were in good taste, and beauty and chivalry made an animat- ed and brilliant spectacle whilst moving in the intricacies of the dance.
The gentlemen of the club and their lady friends were untiring in their efforts to make the night a memorable one to their guests, and it was evident they were successful. It was impossible to get the names of all from abroad, and a list of names obtainable is given.
Hon. J. H. Murphy, of 'Davenport, who was as young as any one in the room, and ex-Senator George W. Jones, of Dubuque, albeit seventy-nine years of age, were dancing like young men of twenty. And the ex-Senator remained until after twelve o'clock.
Hon. Wesley C. Hobbs, of St. Louis; ex-Mayor W A. Morrison, and Ira J. Alder, of Iowa City; Charles and George Lauman, sons of the distinguished and lamented General - Lauman, of our city ; Abe Mitchel and wife, of Chicago; Hon. Geo. D. Temple, of Fairfield, Burney Temple; Mr. and Mrs. Smith of Fort Madison; Mrs. Lambert, Mrs. Geise, Mrs. Dickerhoff, Mrs. Wade, and Mrs. Lewis, of Muscatine; Miss Dolly Mc Cormick, Omaha, Nebraska: Miss Mary Newcomb, Quincy, Illinois; Miss Muser, Muscatine; Miss Lily Rog- ers, Portland, Oregon; Miss Annie Martin, Monmouth Ill .; Miss Car- rie Shaffer, Fairfield; Miss Lucia Wright, Des Moines; Miss Julia Derby, Batavia, Ill., were among those preseut.
General A. C. Dodge, his wife, and many of the old settlers of the city looked on awhile during the forepart of the night.
At the Union depot, long lines of trains were filled with the multitudes returning to their homes, the word "Welcome" that had greeted them in the decorations of the morning were exchanged for an illuminated scroll with the words "GOOD-BYE".
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SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF IOWA.
CENTENNIAL PRAISE SERVICE. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, BURLINGTON: JUNE 3, 1883-7:30 P. M.
A spacious plain, outstretched in circuit wide, Lay pleasant : from his side two rivers flowed, The one winding, the other straight, and left between Fair champaign, with less rivers interveined, Then meeting joined their tribute to the sea. Fertile of corn the glebe, of oil, and wine; With herds the pastures thronged, with flocks the hills; Huge cities and high towered, that well might seem The seats of mightiest monarchs.
The prospect was.
So large
MILTON.
I .- Organ Prelude.
2 .- Psalm LXVII.
3 .- Prayer by Rev. John G. Rankin.
4 .- Oh be joyful in the Lord all ye lands: Serve the Lord with gladness, And come before His presence with a song.
5 .- Almighty, hear us while we raise Our hymn of thankfulness and praise. That Thou hast given the human race So bright, so fair a dwelling place.
That when this orb of sea and land Was moulded in Thy forming hand, Thy calm benignant smile imprest A beam of Heaven upon its breast.
Then stretched the plain to where the sky Stoops and shuts in the exploring eye, And fountains gushed, and rivers flowed, And fruits came forth, and blossoms glowed.
Oh, let us then with joy record The truth and goodness of the Lord; How great his works, how kind his ways! Let every tongue pronounce his praise. Tune, Uxbridge.
6 .- Home, Sweet Home.
'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Still be it ever so humble there's no place like home. A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, Which, go through the world, you'll not meet elsewhere. An exile from home, pleasure dazzles in vain, Ah! give me my lowly thatched cottage again; The birds singing sweetly that come to my call, Give me then that peace of mind dearer than all.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF IOWA.
7 .- Address by Honorable A. C. Dodge.
Ladies' and Gentlemen :- Seldom have I spoken to an audience under more embarrassment than I feel to-night, in addressing you.
Though rejoiced to be with you on this occasion, the time, place and surroundings are novel to me and so different from the "Park" or the "Hustings", that I would decline to speak here but that I can- not refuse any reasonable service your worthy Pastor may ask of me.
In common with all "Hawkeyes" I realize that these are our "Semi- Centennial Days", "Iowa's Jubilee" and a fit time for rejoicing every where; especially within the churches it is proper to "Praise" and "Thank" Providence for having crowned our Nation, State, and people with its richest blessings,
Entering to-night this grand and imposing edifice of stone, fit tem- ple for the worship of God, my memory turning in a Semi-Centenni- al direction, reverts to scenes and incidents connected with its two humble predecessors-one of wood, the other brick. From the form- er occupying this very spot, (the property of Amos Ladd), near the hour of midnight, Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, 1838) my wife escaped from under the blazing beams and rafters, through a window, bare- footed and in her night clothes, carrying in her arms our first born, to the hospitable abode of my lamented friend, Wm. H. Starr. He came to my assistance, but our joint efforts against the devouring flames were vain. Mr. Ladd lost his house, there was no insur- ance then, and we lost all of our furniture, and nearly every article of wearing apparel, thankful that we escaped unhurt. This picture though sombre is relieved by the recollection of the unbounded kind- ness extended to us by all our neighbors. They not only gave us shelter, but the ladies, when informed of my wife's destitute condi- tion, came, needle in hand to Mrs. Dodge's relief, and rendered most acceptable service, I assure you, for Mantau Makers' at that day were very scarce.
Neighbors for nearly forty years-some very happy ones, oth- ers were years of severe trial,-Dr. Salter must pardon the freedom with which I shall speak of him to-night, for I will refer to the servi- ces he has rendered to this community in general, and to my relations and family in particular.
Though now the honored and beloved Pastor of this magnificent church, peerless in our city, and surrounded by a large and apprecia -. tive Congregation, he is the same affable obliging and courteous gen -. tleman as when long years ago, he preached in the humble brick, that rose phoenix-like from the ashes of Mr. Ladd's building. It was the next house to the one in which my lamented brother-in-law, James Clark, last Territorial Governor, resided and in which I subsequently " lived many years.
When in 1850 that most frightful of all human scourges, the Asiatic spasmodic cholera appeared in Burlington, dooming to sudden and violent death a hecatomb of victims, Wm. Salter had the courage when others fled, to remain at the post of duty and of danger. He
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faced the "Grim Visaged Monster" going as readily to the call of the sick and dying who were not of his own flock as to those who be. longed to it. A Congregationalist good and true he nevertheless possesses liberal and enlarged sentiments of Christian charity, such as make him the friend of mankind, ever ready to assist with his min- istrations, all, regardless of sect or denomination.
Among the victims upon the sad and memorable occasion to which I refer, were those near and very dear to me. As with the besom of destruction a beloved sister, her husband (Gov, James Clark), their son of tender years, (little James), and a valued friend, Mrs. Wise, (a visitor at their house), were all swept away, as it were in a day. The ordeal of death came suddenly and unexpectedly to Mrs. Clark, and when none of her relations were near. Her parents, my family and myself were at Washington City; but her thoughts like those of a true woman, were turned upon her three children, destined soon to suffer the irreparable loss of their mother. It was at that painful time when speedy dissolution was inevitable, that Dr. Salter and his ami- able lady, unawed by the fear of contagion, visited my dying sister, and caught from her lips the aspirations she breathed to Heaven for the welfare and proper rearing of her children. These wishes he communicated in a characteristic letter, indited and forwarded to my sister, (Mrs. Bequette), in Wisconsin, to whom little Fanny, Hen- ry and Kittie were taken by their uncle William, all under ten years of age, and Kittie less than twenty months old. Years afterwards he buried from my house, Henry Dodge Clark, only surviving son of Governor Clark, who died young of diseases contracted South, dur- ing his four years service in the Union Army. He must pardon me for saying that the funeral discourse then pronounced, was one of the most beautiful to which I ever listened-especially his allusion to the sudden and calamitous death of poor Henry's parents.
Dr. Salter is the Nestor of Burlington Preachers, and during his long Ministerial career, has imparted unspeakable consolation and happiness to heart stricken wives, daughters, and sons, whose rela- tions, dying without the pale of the church, would have been denied christian burial, but for him.
I seize this opportunity to express my heart-felt acknowledgment to your Chesterfieldian Pastor for his many acts of civility and kindness to mine and me.
Especially do I thank him for the well deserved attentions he has bestowed upon my venerable impoverished, but most meritorious friends. Dr. Wm. R. Ross and his estimable lady. They are types of the hardy, enterprising men and women who came here half a century ago, most of whom have disappeared, forever from our midst. In looking down the dark vista of time, we soon behold the last one of those fathers' and mothers' whose feet first pressed the soil of Iowa. The few survivors are fast falling like ripened grain before the reap- er. They have passed the long lane through which in hardship and and suffering, many of them, for more than three score years and ten, have journeyed. The sun of their existence is fast setting, and to them,
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hidden below the horizon of life. Already it has grown late and sur- rounded by silence and darkness, they are seen by the dim light of their expiring tapers to be laying down their weary bodies to sleep the sleep of death. The last of the "Old Settlers" are nodding to the tomb, and must soon be laid along side of their companions. Peace be to their manes. They leave behind the glory of the well fought battle, which has reclaimed an immense wilderness from the occu pancy of savages and beasts of prey, converting it into productive flelds; thus facilitating the onward march of improvement, and dis- pensing comfort and happiness to civilized man.
Extending our view beyond the Semi-Centennial one year to 1832, and six to 1827, we embrace two Indian Wars in the Territory of which Iowa recently constituted a part. In those times, all the inhabitants of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, lived for many months in stockade forts, block houses, as we called them. One of these, the fort at Ap- ple River, twelve miles only, from Galena, Ills., was beleaugued for two days, by Black Hawk, in 1832. Fathers were frequently called upon to defend their own thresholds, and mothers and sisters mould- ed bullets, and carried water, filling barrels in order to have a supply during the anticipated siege. My mother and sisters have done both. ยท Families were sometimes awakened from sleep in the midst of con- flagration and slaughter in some localities. The cows were milked and God worshipped under the surveillance of armed men, and vir- gins carried off into captivity by savage monsters.
Listen to the recital of one of these atrocities which occurred in May, 1832. It is from the pen of Governor Thomas Ford, and will be found in Ford's History of Illinois, published in 1854. On page I22 he says:
"Within fifteen miles of Ottawa (La Salle Co.,) Ills., the Indians massacred fifteen persons, men, women, and children of the families of Messrs. Hall, Davis, and Pettigrew, and took two young women prisoners. These were Silvia and Rachel Hall, the one about seventeen, and the other about fif- teen years old. Some of the inmates were immediately shot down with rifles; others were pierced through with spears, or dispatched with the tomahawk. All the victims were carefully scalped, their bodies mutilated and mangled; the little children were chopped to pieces with axes; the women were tied up by the heels to the walls of the house; their clothes falling over their heads left their naked persons exposed to the public gaze."
Fortunately through the diplomatic services of a delegation of the : Winnebago tribe, employed and sent on a mission to Black Hawk's ; camp, the Misses Hall were rescued, alive, and delivered to my fath- er at the "Blue Mound," a frontier station, near Madison, Wis .; the price of their ransom being two thousand dollars, in horses, wampum and trinkets. Weather beaten, ragged and starved they were pitable objects indeed when after long weeks of imprisonment among blood: thirsty savages, they were again restored to civilization.
But if human agency could render compensation for calamities such as those young women suffered, it was afforded to them. Their condition attracted universal sympathy. They were safely returned
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to kindred and friends laden with presents of money and goods, the outpouring of generous-hearted frontier women and men.
Death loves a shining mark, and surely the murderous Sac selected such a one when he slew the lamented Felix St. Vrain, broke the heart of his accomplished wife, and made orphans of their helpless little children. Mr. St. Vrain was a brother-in-law of ex-Senator Jones of this state; the trustworthy and meritorious U. S. Agent for the confederate tribe of Sacs and Foxes, including Black Hawk's Band. He was distinguished for intelligence, integrity, and for the deep interest he had ever manifested in the welfare of all the Indians confided to his charge. He spoke their language, and they accord- ing to their custom had formally adopted him, not only as a friend, but a brother.
Notwithstanding all this when the parties confronted each other on that fatal 22d day of May, 1832, he, in the act of extending the hand of friendship and addressing words of imploration to the Chief "Little Bear" and his accomplices, not to spare his life, but, to de- sist from war against the whites, St Vrain with his associates, was shot down by those whom he had fed and sheltered and with whom he was as intimate as a brother. The bodies of himself and compan- ions were mangled in the most shocking manner.
From the first landing of our forefathers on this Continent, down to and including the bloody events of the present day, truly does history repeat itself. The recent shocking murders which through a series of years have been committed along our extended frontier, the cam- paigns of Custer, Crook and many others, the late horrid killing of the Mc Comms' family and the capture of children, is but a repeti- tion of scenes such as mark the early history of nearly every Western State. In many of which not alone did women and children perish, but whole armies like those led by Harmar, St. Clair, Dudley, Dade 'and others were not only defeated, but literally cut to pieces, barely a sufficient number escaping to relate the melancholy fate of their companions.
In the settlement of Kentucky, five of my father's uncles fell under the Indian hatchet. Among the incidents of his very earliest recol- lection was to have seen the dead and bleeding body of one of those uncles borne in the arms of another on horseback to the stockade Fort in which they lived.
My own brother, Henry La Fayette Dodge, U. S. Indian Agent in New Mexico, by appointment of President Pierce, was captured by the Appaches in 1857, and burned to death at the stake. Before his sad fate became known, as it did through friendly Indians, large re- wards of every kind were offered in vain, for his ransom. Besides the tender of money; he might have successfully pleaded, (for he could speak ten different dialects), before any tribunal, other than the in- furiated Appache, the preservation of the lives of two of their race, an Indian woman and her child, snatched by his own hands, from the jaws of death in the heat of battle at Bad Axe, exposed as he was to the fire of friends and foes when he accomplished the deed.
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Or if hereditary acts of mercy and favor of older date and greater magnitude could have availed aught to stay the slow consuming fire of the stake and its agonies, my brother might have pointed the demo- niacal Apaches to the lives of five hundred men, women and children of the Miami tribe, not only spared by his father after they had be- come his prisoners, but protected from almost instant death by Col. Dodge, who threw himself between the Miami's and the muzzles of a hundred and ten cocked rifles in the hands of Capt. Sarshall Cooper's Company, aimed at the Indians by brave but enraged Missourians, who had given way to the ignoble passion of revenge-the Indians having a short time before murdered a number of their kindred and friends.
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