USA > Illinois > A history of southern Illinois; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 93
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On the 25th of November, his birthday, General Smith was wounded at Missionary Ridge. He recovered sufficiently to rejoin his regiment at Big Shanty, Georgia, and took part in the remainder of the famous Atlanta campaign. He fought on the 22nd of July there and partici- pated in another memorable engagement on the 28th, under General Logan, being again wounded. This injury prevented his going on to the sea with General Sherman's army and he returned to Nashville. whence he was sent back to Illinois and soon discharged. After eighteen months of service. Mr. Smith was commissioned second lieutenant of his company and was discharged with that rank.
After the close of the war General Smith resumed farming, fol- lowing that occupation without interruption, together with the stock business as a feeder, shipper and dealer, for many years. He was also a merchant in Clay City a few years. He was induced to enter politics by Major Hogan, who appointed him a deputy collector in the internal revenue service, where he served for a period of four years.
In 1897 he was appointed Assistant Adjutant General of Illinois by Governor Tanner and was reappointed by Governor Yates in 1901. In 1902 he was commissioned by the Governor as Adjutant General of the State. He was connected with the National Guard service until his appointment as Warden of the Southern Illinois Penitentiary July 1st. 1903, by Governor Yates, and reappointed in 1907 by Governor Deneen. Ilis various appointments by Republican officials indicate plainly the polities of the General, although his family before him were of the rabid Democratic type.
At the August meeting of the penitentiary board of 1903, Warden Smith made a request to be permitted to grade the convicts of the prison, as follows: Blue clothes with brass buttons, first grade; grey and black buttons, second grade ; and stripes for the third grade. The request was granted and the results in the morale of the men since have proved that it was a wise move. The change took place September 4, 1904, when the lockstep was also discontinued, and the beneficial effects are dis- tinetly apparent in the conduct of the men. Under his management the prison has reached as near the ideal as possible with the appropria- tions available and is equal to any prison in the United States. The Southern Ilinois Penitentiary was the first penal institution in this country to adopt the grade system and discontinue the loekstep. At the time this was done, the same was very unpopular with all prison officials, but, at this date. many prisons are adopting the grade system.
September 6, 1860. General Smith was married near Clay City. Illinois, to Miss Anna Quertermous, who died in 1885. the mother of Byron S .. Elliott P., George P., Emma C., Charles F., and Mina C. All are deceased but Emma C., who is Mrs. S. L. Bowman.
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General Smith married his second wife February, 1856. She was Mrs. Sarah J. Diekson, a daughter of Jacob Myers and a native of Michigan. There were no children born to this union.
General Smith's success with his prison charge makes him ever a busy man. When he feels like taking a vacation he reaches over and gets hold of a new "batch of stuff" and the change of subject seems to reinvigorate him and carry him on from day to day and from month to month. He is a Master Mason and has been an Odd Fellow since 1868. His physique is a strikingly large one-about six feet tall and built broad proportionately. IIis weight is 299 pounds, his complexion fresh and ruddy as that of a man in middle life and despite his ad- vaneed years, he still retains in much of their pristine vigor and splen- did mental and physical qualities of his prime.
MISS EMMA REBMAN. In this day when the capacities of woman are recognized in their infinite variety; when the industrial and the pro- fessional spheres have been added to the domestic in the feminine uni- verse ; when the pedagogical world, particularly, is elaiming the talents of exceptionally able women not only for its obscure but its prominent fields of activity-in such an era it is with great satisfaction that the historian can point to such intellectual leaders as the superintendents of the Chicago and Cineinnati schools and the present incumbent of John- son county and to many others.
Public interest in the subject of this article makes desirable a genea- logieal as well as biographical review of Miss Rebman's history. In her paternal line she is of German ancestry, two of her great-uneles having won distinetion as Prussian soldiers in the Napoleonic wars and later having helped to guard the ill-starred Bonaparte until his death on the Island of St. Helena. The founder of the Rebman family in America was John Frederick Rebman, who came from Germany in 1817 and settled first near Mocksville, North Carolina. He was a man of superior education and a member of the Lutheran church. His vocational pursuits combined farming and cabinet-making, in the latter of which he was particularly skilled. in 1836 John Frederick Rebman removed with his family to Montgomery county in Illinois, later ehang- ing his location to Union county and finally to Johnson county, the sub- sequent home of the family. His wife, who in her girlhood was Miss Margaret Setzer of near Mocksville, North Carolina, was also a descend- ant of a German line. Their children were John. Elizabeth, Frederick Augustus, Jacob and Andrew Rebman. The last two were volunteers of Company I of the 120th Illinois Infantry in the Civil war, Andrew Rebman giving his life for his country at Memphis, Tennessee, May 14, 1863.
The birthplace of Frederick Augustus Rebman, the father of Miss Rebman, was in the environs of Mocksville, North Carolina. Ile was born December 27, 1833, and was educated in the public schools dur. ing his early years and supplemented this education by a course in the Hillsboro Academy. In 1858 he was married to Miss Louisa Slack. whose birthplace was in the vicinity of Vienna, Illinois, her natal day being March 10, 1840. Her death occurred at her home near Vienna on April 7, 1877. Frederick A. Rebman died March 29, 1-79. To this union seven children were given, all of whom have grown to maturity except Lily, the youngest, who was born November 25, 1576, and died January 9, 1877. Flora Isabel, the eldest, who is Mrs Thomas D. Carlton, resides in Johnson county ; Milford Young Rebman is a sie. eessful agriculturist ; Emma, the superintendent of the Johnson county Vol. III-40
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schools, is the subject of this biography, the details of her career being given fuller consideration below : William Augustus who served in the Spanish-American war, is now a farmer, Louise is assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Vienna, Illinois; Thomas Frederick Rebman is a well-known teacher and is deputy county superintendent of schools.
In the rural schools of Johnson county, Emma Rebman-who was born on the parental farm three and one-half miles from Vienna-began those intellectual pursuits for which she has become notable. She sought further educational development in the Illinois Normal Univer- sity at Normal, Illinois. Later she was graduated from the Valparaiso University.
From her earliest professional years Miss Rebman showed marked ability as an instructor and as an administrator of public school affairs. This was evident first in her rural school teaching, from which she was called to the more prominent though not more arduous duties of the village schools. Her executive ability presently brought her the appoint- ment to the principalship of the Grammar Department of the city schools of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. When it became necessary that she accompany her younger brother on a western tonr demanded by the state of his health, her reputation in the pedagogical world was of such a superior quality that her services were soon called into requisition in the city schools of Phoenix, Arizona, where she taught for several years and while there she took a very active part in the educational interests of the southwest, delivering some of the principal addresses before the Annual Arizona Teachers' Association.
While in the west, Miss Rebman took frequent opportunities for traveling and made numerous extensive tours through the west and southwest. Some of the interesting and valuable information thus gained was incorporated in magazine articles written by Miss Rebman.
On her return to Illinois in the spring of 1910, Miss Rebman's large circle of acquaintances were glad to take advantage of the opportunity of offering her an important office of public trust. She was elected superintendent of Johnson County schools, by the largest majority any nominee of the county had ever received. The heavy duties of her office have been discharged with exceptional efficiency and a rare quality of discrimination which is the result of her wide experiences, keen peda- gogical instinct and her logically practical mind.
Miss Rebman's distinguished personality is one that is appreciated not only in affairs pertaining particularly to the school but also in other organizations. She is an intelligent student and critic of public affairs, though by no means one of masculine affectations or one who is a militant seeker of votes for women. Her economic theories are those of the Re- publican party. In addition to her distinctly public relations and duties, she finds time to lend attention to lend attention to both church and club interests, being a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and the Woman's Club of Vienna. She is also a prominent member of the Rebekah lodge. In addition to these non-professional organizations, she holds active membership in the National Educational Association.
PRIOR W. SUTHERLAND was born in Indiana ten miles from Rock- ville on the twenty-second day of October, 1843. For sixteen years he lived in this same county, with the brief interlude of two years spent in the northern portion of the state of Illinois. In 1859 he came with his parents to southern Illinois where they settled on a farm in Lukin township. At this time the war cloud loomed dark on the horizon. When it burst Mr. Prior was bnt seventeen years of age. Having lived
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much in the open, and being sturdy of stature, he looked much older so that he was admitted to the service of his country. He enlisted in the Twenty-fourth Indiana regiment, company six, known as the regiment of A. P. Hovey, a high private of the rear rank. During three years the young soldier saw much active service. At the close of hostilities, he returned to Lukin township and learned the father's trade, that of the plasterer. On July the sixteenth, 1865, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Vandamant, a resident of Lawrence county. Nine children were born to them, of whom two boys and three girls are all that remain. The daughters are Amazetta, Ella and Delia. The sons, H. C. Sutherland and Sherman Sutherland have been of much assistance to their father in his agricultural interests. On the third day of April, 1883, the wife and mother was called from her earthly duties. Mrs. Sutherland was a woman devout in her religious beliefs, a member of the Christian church as is her husband. Mr. Sutherland is quite well known locally as a lecturer on religious subjects, sometimes himself filling the pulpit. Ile frequently holds protracted meeting in various parts of the country.
He is a man of strong convietions with decided views in politics as well as in religion. Ile is a stalwart Republican of the old school. a supporter of the administration, a "stand patter who stands pat."
On the thirtieth of Jannary, 1887, Mr. Sutherland again assumed the responsibilities of matrimony, The second Mrs. Sutherland was Emma J Rigall of Lawrence county. She is now the mother of four children : Rosamond, Bessie, Leona and Trissie. Mr. Sutherland has been able to amply provide for his large family having besides a large and growing business, a farm of proportions worthy to be called a ranch, and this in the southwestern part of Lawrence county.
His father, Asa Sutherland was born near Frankfort, Kentucky, in February of 1812. When twelve years of age, with his brother's family he located in Park county. Indiana. Here he grew to manhood and learned the plasterers trade. On New Years day of 1535, he won in marriage Mary E. Harlan, whose father came to Indiana from South Carolina. The Harlan family had lived in the south for several gener- ations, having come to America from Ireland before the Revolution. Mr. and Mrs. Asa Sutherland were the parents of nine children of whom Prior W., the subject of this sketch is the fourth in line. In 1-59 they left Indiana for southern Illinois where they spent the remainder of their lives. At the beginning of the late war. Mr. Sutherland answered the third call for volunteers, but was refused on account of his years. being then something more than fifty years of age. Quite contentedly, he plied his trade and tilled a bit of land until his death in February of 1881. Mrs. Sutherland lived until her seventy-fifth year, passing away in 1889. Both were followers of the Christian church in which faith they reared their family.
The Sutherland family are direct descendants of the Scottish Duke of Sutherland. Three sons of the Duke, so goes the tradition, came to the Colonies in an early day and from them sprang the Sutherlands of the new world, stronger and sturdier, in many respects than was the old stock. P. W. Sutherland is therefore of Scotch-Irish parentage; a further fact of a rather unusual nature is that all the Sutherlands in America trace back to that landing of the brothers at Charleston. S C. before the Revolutionary war, and the same history applies to the Harlan family landing pre-Revolutionary, and all of the name belong to the one family of Harlans.
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JOSEPH PICQUET. The spirit of daring and the love of adventure, in combination with a remarkable zeal for the spread of their religion, brought, during the period of exploration in America, a greater terri- tory under the dominion of France than either England or Spain were able to claim. From the days of Marquette and Joliet the great North- west was the scene of remarkable activity on the part of the French, and in particular were the Jesuit priests zealous in converting the In- dians and establishing little centers of civilization throughout this great stretch of country. It, therefore, seems especially fitting that when Joseph Picquet decided to establish a Catholic settlement, he should have chosen a site in this territory. It is a rare thing now when a town can point to a man and say. "He is our founder," but this is so in the case of Saint Marie and Joseph Picquet. When he first rode through this country on horseback there was not a house between Newton and Olney. With the spirit of the old French explorers burning within him, the young pioneer established the little Catholic colony, and then pro- ceeded to build it up into a town. He built a sawmill, a flour mill, founded a general merchandise business, secured a postoffice, and later persuaded the railroad to run its line through the rapidly growing town. Therefore he was not only the founder, but the builder of Saint Marie, and the thriving city owes everything to the courage and energy, wisdom and foresight of this wonderful man.
Joseph Picquet was born in Hagineau, Alsace-Lorraine, on the 17th of March, 1816, the province being at that time a part of France. He was the son of James Picquet, also a native of Hagineau, his birth hav- ing occurred in 1791. He was a merchant in the little French city but the wave of immigration that swept the province in the early thirties caused him to turn his eyes toward America. He came to this country and reached Saint Marie. The mother of Joseph Picquet was Cleophe Schifferstine, and she was married to James Picquet in 1812. Twelve children were born to this couple, of whom Joseph was the second child.
It might be of interest to quote from an old history a few words in regard to the Picquet family :
"The American Revolution, followed by that in France, the Na- poleonic regime, the Bourbon return and the establishment of the first Republic served to direct the attention of the French people to Amer- ica. The feeling was strong in Alsace and many from the province im- migrated to America. Among others who shared this feeling was James Picquet, Sr., and brothers Schifferstine and Huffman. The families were well to do, but, desiring a freer air, determined to send some one to spy ont the land. Joseph Picquet, then a lad of nineteen, was chosen. In September, 1835, he landed in New York. Ignorant of the language, he worked nine months in a Philadelphia husiness house to gain this preliminary education. In the early part of the following year he set out on horseback in quest of the promised land. In 1836 he returned to France and in July, 1837, came back with a colony of four families and twelve young people, about twenty-five persons in all. Mr. Picquet started the first store in 1838. In 1839 he erected a sawmill and later a grist mill was added. This being the only one in the section it had a patronage from a radius of forty miles. The settlement was known as the 'Colonie des Freres,' or the Colony of Brothers."
Joseph Picquet received a good education in his native land. He first studied in the public schools of France and was then sent to the Jesuit College, at Fribourg, Switzerland, where he remained from 1828 until 1833. As has been told above, he came to America in 1835, and his trip out into the wilds of the west was taken the following year. On this first trip he was in the little town on the shores of Lake Michigan
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which has since grown into the great commercial center of the country, Chicago. From there he rode on horseback all alone through the great wilderness until he had located the spot that he thought most favorable for his colony. The original land grant that he entered was in the name of his brothers and called for eleven thousand acres of land. When the little colony of French people first gazed upon the place that was to be their future home, on that hot summer day, they were filled with mingled joy and fear. The beauty and richness of the virgin country won from them extravagant expressions of delight ; but, the strangeness, the vastness, the loneliness of it smote them with an unreasonable ter- ror. The young Picquet had a difficult task before him but his enthu- siasm and courage in the face of all difficulties carried the day, and they were soon as ardent in their devotion to the new country as he was. The first thing was to build homes, so Joseph Piequet's first building was a lumber mill, then the flour mill was erected, and this mill was in operation until 1860. Just as his grist mill was the social center for miles around, so his store was the center of the life of the colony, and when in 1838, he was successful in having a postoffice established every weighty matter was first taken up in conclave held around the tire in the combined postoffice and store. Here it was that it was decided to change the name of the settlement from Colonie des Freres to Piequetteville, and here also the plans were laid for an interesting event that took place on the 28th of October, 1837, when Mr. Piequet and sev- eral others took their "guns in hand" and going to a little knoll near the home of Mr. Piegnet dedicated the place to the Virgin Mary and sinee that time the town has been known as Saint Marie.
Mr. Piequet is a devout Catholie and he was instrumental in estab- lishing the Catholic faith in all this section. The first masses were said in his house, and in 1841, the first church was built. This was a small frame strueture, known as the Church of the Assumption. Now the parish consists of one hundred and thirty-five families, and in addition to their beautiful church have a fine school, under the charge of the Ursuline Sisters of Alton. The priest, Father Virnich, in the many good works that he has been able to accomplish has always looked upon Mr. Piequet as his main dependence, and even now goes to him for advice and assistance in straightening ont the affairs of his people.
Probably no man had a better knowledge of the Southern Illinois country in its primitive days than had Mr. Pieqnet, for he was con- tinnally making trips through the wilds to interest the people in one projeet or another. On one of his journeys he carried a money-helt containing thirty thousand dollars, but with a good horse under him and a gun over his shoulder he felt equal to defying any one. Many n long ride did he take in his endeavor to interest the people of the ser- tion in the proposed railway. The task required all of his native French eloquence and enthusiasm and many a night did he spend with a stuh- born farmer, trying to show him the tremendous advantage that would averne to the country if a railroad should be out through. At Inst he saw his desire fulfilled and the rails were laid for the Danville, Olney and Ohio River Railway, which has since become the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton.
In 1860, after giving up the milling business, he still kept up a flourishing business in real estate and mortgages, and the responsibilities of the fortune that had come to him through the years took up much of his time. It was natural that after the days he had spent in tu half of the railroad he should have become one of its first directors He re tired from active business two years ago, but he is still, having reached the remarkable age of ninety-seven many times stronger and more active
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than men twenty years his junior. He is a Democrat in his political affili- ations, but has never held any politieal offices, except that of postmaster. He was the first postmaster, when Saint Marie was a little village, his first year of official service being 1838.
In April of 1844 Mr. Picquet was married to Rosine Mueller, of Boersch, Alsace, but his young bride only lived five months after her marriage. On the 20th of August, 1850, Mr. Piequet was married for the second time, his wife being Caroline Mneller, a sister of his first wife, who was likewise born in Boerseh, Alsace, when it was a part of France. Eight children, two of whom are living, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Piequet. Louise is now Mrs. Reitz, of Evansville, Indiana, and Marie, who is unmarried. The death of Mrs. Piequet occurred on the 22d of February, 1900.
This is the story of a most unusual life, even though its subjeet lived in the times when men had to be heroes through force of eireum- stances. One must remember that Mr. Piequet was little more than a lad when he first brought his friends to this new country, yet they all looked up to him and leaned on his strong arm, both figuratively and literally. As the village grew he saw what should be the next step that onght to be taken in the direction of progress. When hard times came, he was ever ready with a smile and a cheery bit of optimism. Is it any wonder that the people who gathered about him almost worshipped him. What an opportunity he had to become rich at the expense of others, but such a thought never crept into his mind. ITis great ambition was to see the town he had founded become prosperous, and to see his beloved Mother Church inerease in strength and numbers. As it was in the days when his home was a little log shanty, so now when he lives in the most beautiful residence in the city, where every luxury of our highly de- veloped modern civilization is at hand, he is still the center of the life of the community. All of the citizens of Saint Marie know that here they are welcome, and young and old, rich and poor, they come to seek the sympathy and counsel of the "Father of Saint Marie," who is now in his ninety-seventh year.
GEORGE WASHINGTON SMITH, A. M., dean of men and head of the Department of History and Civies in the Southern Illinois State Normal University, and author of the History of Southern IlInois as published in this work, is a native Illinoisan. He was born near Greenfield, Greene eonnty, November 13, 1855.
Daniel Smith. a Virginian, of Patriek county, was born about 1740. He was the oldest of these brothers, namely: Daniel, John, Peter and Flemon. These brothers were all engaged in the battle of Cowpens, fought January 17, 1781.
During the earlier years of the Revolutionary war Daniel married Miss Reeves and from this marriage there were six children, as follows: Charles, Mollie, Peter, Elizabeth, James and John M. The last named son, John, was the grandfather of Prof. Smith. John M. Smith was born in Henry county, Virginia, April 23, 1781. He married Rachel Packwood in Patrick county, Virginia, about the year 1800, or 1802. The Paekwoods were a numerous people in Virginia and helped to subdue the savages and the wilderness. Rachel Packwood's grandfather was captured by the Indians on Greenbrier river, a branch of the Great Kanawha, in 1710, taken to Chillicothe, Ohio, and there burned at the stake by the Chillieothe Indians in the presence of relatives and neighbors.
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