USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 26
USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
There has been but one private school institution built in the county. That is the old brick structure that is still standing on the hill in the south-eastern part of the city of Sullivan. It was built by James S. Frceland in 1851. Mr. Freeland conducted a very successful academic school in this building until his death, which occurred in 1856. Some years afterward it fell into the hands of Elder N. S. Bastion. After some active effort on the part of Mr .- Bastion, the school again revived, and had a successful season of about five years, when its old walls again relapsed into silence. It still stands as a monument of the efforts of one who labored hard to benefit his race.
From the foregoing, it will be seen with what disadvantages the early settlers of this part of the country had to contend; and, to show the progress that has been made within a few years, I will ap- pend a synopsis of a report of the condition of the common schools that was made to the State superintendent in the year 1860, and
also tlie statistics of the same items made in 1880. I would like to go further back than 1860, but there is no report on file in the office of tlic county superintendent, which reaches farther back than the one above mentioned.
For the ycar ending October 1st, 1860, the following report is made :
Whole number of schools in the county, 33
" pupils attending.
1;383
under 21 yrs. of age, 3,506
Number of frame school-houses in eounty,
25
44
" briek
none
" log
5
Average monthly wages paid male teacher's,
$27.72
66
female “ $19.75
The following is gleaned from the School Superintendent's Report made for the school year ending June 30th, 1880 :
Whole number of schools in the county, 82
" pupils attending, 3,942
under 21 yrs. of age,
7,439
Number of frame school-houses in county,
77
Whole number of briek school-houses in county,
4
66
" log
1
Average monthly wages paid male teachers,.
$37.78
" female
$34.33
From this showing, it may be readily seen with what rapid strides the county has increased in population, and has progressed in its edu cational interests. In two decades, it has more than doubled in population, and nearly trebled its number of school-houses. Nearly all of our school-houses are now supplied with the latest and most approved furniture. In the above report for 1880, it will be seen that one log house was mentioned in the report ; but at this writing, the old log structure has been replaced by a neat frame building that does credit to the patrons of the district ; so that to-day, Moul- trie county is left without a relic of the good old days of log cabins and puncheon floors.
The manner of teaching has kept pace with the school-houses, and other school belongings ; and I believe it can be truthfully said, that at this writing, Moultrie county has as wide-awake and as competent a corps of teachers as the Mississippi valley affords.
The first normal Institute, held in the county, was conducted by D. F. Stearns in the summer of 1872. It was held in the old brick school-house in the eastern part of the township of Sullivan; and continued for six weeks, with an attendance of 32 members ; since which time there has been, with but one or two exceptions, an an- nual normal institute held in the county. Prominent among the educators have been Profs. Boltwood, of Princeton, and Wilkison of Buda. The former conducted the session of 1876, and the latter of 1877. This was under the administration of Superintendent J. K. P. Rose. These sessions were well attended, and there was much good done in the county. The present county superintendent has conducted the institutes for the last three years. The last year, 1880, he was ably aided by Prof. Cokenower, the principal of the Sullivan graded schools. These terms were well represented by the teachers of the county, nearly three-fourths of those teaching in the county being in attendance.
The following are the examination questions in arithmetic, his- tory, geography, and grammar that were used at the close of the normal institute which closed September 3d, 1880 :
ARITHMETIC.
1. Bought a section of government land for $1.25 an acre. I sold the north } of the north-east } for $2.00 an acre; the north- west } of the south-east } at $2.50 an acre; the west } of the
13
.
93
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
south-west } at $1.50 an acre; the south-east } of the south-west } at $2.75 an acre ; the south-east } of the north-west } at $3 00 an aere. I afterward sold the remainder of the seetion at $1.00 an
aere. What is my gain or loss ?
2. A field in the form of a right-angle triangle contains 60 aeres. The perpendicular side is 100 rods in length. What is the length of the hypothenuse ?
3. Define a concrete number ; an abstract number ; a multiple of a number ; a deeinal seale. What denomination must the pro- duet of two factors be ?
4. In a building there are 200 joists 10x3 inches. There are 12,000 board feet in them. What is the length of a joist ?
5. Reduce to its simplest form : % of 5
6. A barrel of flour eost $9.90. When made into bread the bread weighed 25 per cent. more than the flour. If the bread be sold at 7 eents a pound, what per cent. profit is made ?
7. A note for $2.40, drawing 8 per cent. interest, dated April 20, 1879, payable in six months from date, was discounted in bank August 25, 1879, at 1 per cent. a month. What were the procceds ?
8. Find the value of x in the following :
7.5: 18 :: @ oz. : 78 OZ.
9. What is the depth of a cubical eistern that holds two hun- dred barrels of water ?
10. How many board feet in a piece of timber 30 feet long, the greater end being 15 inches square, and that of the less 12 inches ?
HISTORY.
1. What was the length of the following wars : French and Indian ; Revolution ; Second war with England ; War with Mexi- co ; Great Civil War ?
2. State causes of each of the above wars.
3. Give a brief sketch of the life of President Lineoln.
4. What are the three great compromises of the constitution of the United States ?
5. Give a brief history of the state of Illinois.
6. Name three powers prohibited to Congress. How are United States Senators eleeted ?
7. What was the "Omnibus Bill," or compromise measures of 1850 ?
8. Give the names of the celebrated foreigners who fought for the United States.
9. How was Washington's first cabinet organized ?
10. State five leading events in United States history sinee the assassination of Lineoln.
GEOGRAPHY.
1. Name and define the different departments into which geo- graphy is divided.
2. Define delta, estuary, avalanche, glaeier, plateau.
3. Name five proofs that the earth is round.
4. Draw an outline map of the State of Illinois. Locate princi- pal rivers and five leading eities.
5. What is the theory of the origin of mountains? What evi- denees have we of the heated interior of the earth ?
6. Name five of the chief exports and imports of the United States. Give in their order five of its chief seaports.
7. Which countries of Europe are empires ? Which are repub- lies ? Which are kingdoms ?
8. Trace the fortieth parallel of north latitude around the world.
9. Name the countries of Asia and the capitals of each.
10. From what parts of the United States does the most wheat come ? Maize ? Cotton? Tobaces? Provisions ? Petroleum ? Coal? Copper ? Silver? Lead ?
GRAMMAR.
1. Define a primitive, derivative, and a compound word. Write an example of each, and place the index of accent over the proper syllable.
2. Correct the following verse in every particular, and tell what measure it is :
No eye beheld when william plunged young edmund into the stream no human car but williams herd young edmunds drowning screem.
3. Write the plural of the following nouns: Chimney, salmon, cheese, stratum, eupful. (a) Write possessive, singular, and plural of lady, it, one, deer, thief.
4. Tabulate the noun.
5. Compare round, well, narrow, beautiful. Write principal parts of done, set, ought, lain.
6. Write synopsis of the verb sit.
7. Write a sentence containing an adverbial clause of the third class ; one containing a subjeet elause ; one containing a relative elause. Underseore said clauses.
8. How are sentences contracted ; what is the objeet of contraction ?
9. Write a simple sentence, then expand it without changing its meaning. to complex, thenee to compound.
10. Analyze the following sentence and parse the words in small eapitals : " Wheat Is two DOLLARS a BUSHEL."
At the elose of this examination, over 75 per cent. of those in at- tendanee passed the required per centum, viz. : eighty per cent. The above is only a part of the examination required. Those desiring first-grade certificates, of course, had also to pass a rigid examina- tion in the seienees, and the theory and art of teaching.
A Teachers' Association is conducted monthly, and is productive of mueh good to the educational interests of the county.
Most of the school land was sold prior to eounty organization, and for years there have been but forty acres unsold. This land was situated in township 13, range 6. On the 29th of September, 1880, this remaining vestige of sehool land was sold by the county superintendent to B. H. Jackson for the sum of $9.00 per aere.
The first county school commissioners (as they were then ealled) were appointed by the county commissioners' eourt.
The following is a list of the names of school commissioners and county superintendents in the order of their election :
John Perryman, John A. Freeland, S W. Moulton, Dr. Hen- drieks, Arnold Thomason, Frank Porter, John Y. Hytt, A. L. Kellar, P. B. Knight, David Patterson, T. Y. Lewis, D. F. Stearns, J. K. P. Rose, D. F. Stearns, present incumbent.
The following are the present township treasurers in the county : Skelton Birkett, township 13, range 4.
G. W. Walker, "
14,
4.
T. E. Mayes, 15,
4.
L. S. Baldwin, 66
12, 5.
Wm. Elder, 66
13, 66
5. 5.
Ezekiel Hull, =
14, 66
Julius Bieknell, 15, 16
5.
S. L. Warden, 66
12, 60
6.
Wm. Kliver,
13, 66
6.
John L. Powell, =
14,
6.
Kasper Bolinger, 15,
6.
I have thus briefly sketched the school history of Moultrie eoun- ty. Its progress is almost unprecedented in any record the State ean produce. It is fervently to be hoped that the county will take no backward step in the cause of free schools, and that they will ever be fostered and encouraged by the people to the last generation.
99
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER XIII. PATRIOTISM OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES.
N relating a few of the ineidents of the Black Hawk War, and before entering into detail of the eauses and results of it, we give our readers a brief sketch of the celebrated warrior, who figured so conspicuously in those sanguinary campaigns. Maeuta Mahictah, is the Indian name for Black Hawk. He was born in the Sauk village in the year 1767, and was an In- dian of considerable talent and sagaeity, shrewd, and eloquent in council ; he, however, deported himself in that demure, grave and formal manner ineident to almost all Indians. It is said he possessed a mind of more than ordinary strength, but slow and plodding in its operations. In comparison he could not be elassed with the great Indian characters, such as Philip, Brant, Logan, Tecumseh, and such illustrious men. By the portraits of him now extant, the reader of character will readily observe in his large, high forehead and the lines worn by eare in his face, massive jaws and compressed lips, a character indicative of more than ordinary ability. His ambition was to distinguish himself as a great warrior; yet he was mereiful to the weak, the women and children. The only road for an Indian to distinguish himself and become a great man, is in war. So soon as he kills an enemy he may paint on his blanket a bloody hand, which will en- title him to a seat in the eouneils. In 1810 and 1811 Blaek-Hawk and comrades were " nursing their wrath to keep it warm," against the whites. A party of Saes, by invitation, went to see the prophet at. Tippecanoe. They returned more angry against the Americans. A party of Winnebagoes had massacred some whites, which exeited for murder the Sae band headed by Black-Hawk. A part of his band and some Winnebagoes attacked Fort Madison in 1811, but were repulsed. Blaek-Hawk headed the Saes in this attack.
In 1812 emissaries from the British arrived at Rock Island with goods, and seeured Blaek-Hawk with five hundred warriors to go with Col. Dixon to Canada. When they reached Green Bay there were assembled there bands of the Ottowas, Pottawatomies, Win- nebagoes and Kiekapoos, under the command of Col. Dixon. Blaek-Hawk and band participated in the battles of River Raisin, the Lower Sandusky, and other places, but getting dissatisfied with the hard fighting and small amount of spoils, he, and twenty com- rades, left for the Sauk village at Roek Island, where he remained for many years at peace, with the exception of a small battle on the Quiver River settlement in Missouri, in the present limits of St. Charles county, where one white man and an Indian were killed.
The principal cause of the Indian troubles in 1831-'32, better known as the Black-Hawk war, was the determination of Blaek- Hawk and his band to remain in their aneient village, located on Roek River, not far from its junetion with the Mississippi. The government having some time previously, by various treaties, pur- chased the village and the whole country from the Sae and Fox tribe of Indians, had some of these lands surveyed, and in 1828 some of the lands in and around the ancient village were sold ; the collision between the two races for the possession of the property produeed the first disturbanee between the Indians and the govern- ment. Seeing that war was inevitable, the Governor of Illinois made a call on the militia of the state for seven hundred men on the 26th of May, 1831, and appointed Beardstown, on the Illinois river, as the place of rendezvous. The eall was responded to with
that promptness characteristic of the early pioneers of the state. Their habits of life were such that all were familiar with the rifle. After marehing eight days, the mounted militia reached a point a few miles below the Sae village on the Mississippi, where they joined the United States forees under Gen. Gaines, and encamped in the evening. The next morning the forees marched up to an Indian town prepared to give the enemy battle; but in the night the Indians had eseaped and crossed the Mississippi. This ended Blaek-Hawk's bravado and his determination to die in his aneient village. The number of warriors under his command was estimated · at from four to six hundred men. Blaek-Hawk and his band landed on the west side of the Mississippi, a few miles below Roek Island and there eamped. "Gen. Gaines sent a peremptory order - to him and his warriors that if he and his men did not come to Roek Island and make a treaty of peace, he would mareli his troops and give him battle at onec. In a few days Blaek-Hawk and the chiefs and head men to the number of twenty-eight, appeared in Fort Armstrong, and on the 30th of June, 1831, in full eouneil with Gen. Gaines and Governor John Reynolds, signed a treaty of peaee."
THE BLACK-HAWK WAR IN 1832.
During the winter of '31-'32 rumors were rife that Blaek-Hawk and his band were dissatisfied, restless, and preparing for misehief. A chief of the Winnebago Indians who. had a village on Rock river, some thirty iniles above its confluence with the Mississippi, joined Black-Hawk, who was located on the west bank of the Father of Waters. The chief had great influenee with Blaek-Hawk and his band. He made them believe that all the tribes on Roek river would join them, and that together they could bid defiance to the whites. By this unwise counsel Blaek-Hawk resolved to re- eross the river, which he did in the winter of 1832. That move proved to be their destruction. Through his influence and zeal Blaek-Hawk encouraged many of the Saes and Foxes to join hin at the head of his determined warriors. He first assembled them at old Fort Madison on the Mississippi; subsequently, marched them up the river to the Yellow Banks, where he pitehed his tent April 6th, 1832. This armed array of savages soon alarmed the settlers, and a general panic spread through the whole frontier, from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan. Many settlers in terror abandoned their homes and farms, and the Governor deeided, on the 16th of April, to eall out a large number of volunteers to operate in eonjunetion with Gen. Atkinson, who was in command of the regular forees at Roek Island. The Governor ordered the troops to rendezvous at Beardstown on the 22d of April.
Among those who enlisted from Shelby county in Captain Daniel Price's and Captain Peter Warren's companies were the following persons : William Priee, Elijah Biggs, John Coehran, jr., Green Frazier, John Perdew, Nathan Curry, A. G. Frazer, Abner Poe, David Elliott, John Simpson, Samuel Parks, Samuel Rankin, Levi Casey, John Green, Charles Weleh, Thomas Hall, Jordan Ball, Thomas Scribner, Joseph McClain, John Hall, William Green, James Whosong, William Templeton, William Sherrell, L. Mose- ly. Capt. Daniel Priee was one of the early settlers of Ash Grove township; and Captain Peter Warren was a resident of the Sand Creek settlement-he was better known as Colonel Warren, having been a eolonel of militia prior to his becoming a citizen of Shelby eounty ; he was also subsequently a brigadier-general of militia. The soldiers from Shelby eounty did good service in the campaigns against Black-Hawk.
The following are the names of those who have lived in Moultrie county, that served in the Black-Hawk war: William Snyder,
100
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Wesley W. Smith, John Hill, Edward Woolen, James O. Ward, Andrew Scott, and James M. Greer.
The force marched to the mouth of Rock river, where General Atkinson received the volunteers into the United States service and assumed command. Black-Hawk and his warriors were still up on the Rock river.
The army under Atkinson commenced its march up the river on the 9th of May. Gov. Reynolds, the gallant "Old Ranger," re- mained with the army, and the President recognized liim as a Ma- jor-General, and he was paid accordingly. His presence did much toward harmonizing and conciliating those jealousies which gene- rally exist between volunteers and regular troops. Major John A. Wakefield and Col. Ewing acted as spies for a time in the cam- paign of '32, to discover the location of the enemy, if possible. A Mr. Kinney acted as guide for them ; he understood the Sac dia- lect. On the 14th May, 1832, Major Stillman's command had a sort of running battle with the Indians at or near what is now known as Stillman's Run, a small sluggish stream ; in the engage- ment eleven white men and eight Indians were killed. Black- Hawk and his warriors fought with the spirit born of desperation. Black-Hawk says in his book that he tried at Stillman's Run to call back his warriors, as he thought the whites were making a sham retreat in order to draw him into an ambuscade of the whole army under Gen. Whiteside. The hasty retreat and rout of Still- man and his army was in a measure demoralizing to the entire force; undoubtedly the cause of the defeat was a lack of discipline. When Gov. Reynolds learned of the disaster of Major Stillman, he at once ordered out two thousand additional volunteers. With that promptitude characteristic of the old "War Governor," he wrote out by candlelight, on the evening of Stillman's defeat, the order for the additional troops, and by daylight despatched John Ewing, Robert Blackwell and John A. Wakefield to distribute the order to the various counties. The volunteers again promptly responded. On the 10th of July the army disbanded for want of provisions. Gen. Scott arrived soon after with a large force at the post of Chi- cago, to effect if possible a treaty with the Indians. Small detach- ments of Black-Hawk's warriors would persistently hang on the outskirts of the main body of the army, thieve and plunder, and pounce upon and kill the lonely sentinel or straggling soldier. On the 15th of July the soldiers were reviewed, and those incapable of duty were discharged and returned home. Poquette, a half-breed, and a Winnebago elief, the " White Pawnee," were selected for guides to the camp of Black-Hawk and band. Several battles and skirmishes occurred with the enemy, the principal of which was on the banks of the Mississippi, where the warriors fought with great desperation ; over one hundred and fifty were killed in the engage- ment, and large numbers drowned in attempting to swim the river. After the battle the volunteers were marched to Dixon, where they were discharged. This ended the campaign and the Black-Hawk war. At the battle of the Bad Axe, Black-Hawk and some of his warriors escaped the Americans, and went up the Wisconsin river, but he subsequently surrendered himself. Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, was the place appointed where a treaty would be made with the Indians, but before it was effected that dreadful scourge, the cholera of '32, visited not only the regular army, depleting its ranks far more rapidly than the balls of the Indians had done, but it also sought out its many victims in the dusky bands of the Black- Hawk tribe.
On the 15th September, 1832, a treaty was made with the Win- nebago Indians. They sold out all their lands in Illinois and all south of the Wisconsin river and west of Green Bay, and the gov- ernment gave them a large district of country west of the Missis-
sippi and ten thousand dollars a year for seven years, besides pro- viding free schools for their children for twenty years, oxen, agri- cultural implements, etc., etc.
September 21st, 1832, a treaty was made with the Sac and Fox tribes, on which they ceded to the United States the tract of coun- try out of which, a few years afterwards, the State of Iowa was formed. In consideration of the above cession of lands, the govern- ment gave them an annuity of twenty thousand dollars for thirty years, forty kegs of tobacco, and forty barrels of salt, more gun- smiths, blacksmith shop, etc., etc., six thousand bushels of corn for immediate support, mostly intended for the Black-Hawk band.
The treaties above mentioned terminated favorably, and the se- curity resulting therefrom gave a new and rapid impetus to the de- velopment of the state, and now enterprising towns and villages, and beautiful farms adorn the rich and alluvial prairies that be- fore were only desecrated by the wild bands who inhabited them
THE MEXICAN WAR.
In the war with Mexico in 1846-47, Illinois furnished six regi- ments of men as follows : First regiment, commanded by Col. John J. Hardin ; Second regiment, commanded by Col. William II. Bis- sell ; Third regiment, commanded by Col. Ferris Forman ; Fourth regiment, commanded by Col. Edward D. Baker; Fifth regiment, commanded by Col. James Collins ; Sixtli regiment, commanded by Col. Edward W. Newby.
As the records have not yet been transcribed from the War De- partment at Washington, we have had to rely solely on the facts furnished by those now living in the counties of Shelby and Moul- trie who served in the war.
Shelby county furnished company B, under command of Capt. James Freeman. This company formed a part of the third regi- ment under Col. Forman. We subjoin the roster of the officers and men from this county: James Freeman, captain ; W. L. Mc- Neil, second lieutenant; David Evey, third lieutenant; John Casey, first sergeant ; N. Corley, third sergeant; Orville Robertson, fourth sergeant ; William Price, first corporal; Michael Halbrook, second corporal (died in the service); L. F. Doyle, third corporal.
Privates. - Arthur Bankson, Benton Beck, James Chatham, Franklin Chatham, Jones Clair, Granville W. Delap, William Griffith, Abraham Gorden, Claybourn Hooper, Joseph Hooper, E. Lang, Samuel Matney, Jackson Massey, George W. Mckenzie, Henry Phelps, John Row (wounded at battle of Cerro Gordo), Josiah O. Riley, Hardin Smith, Benjamin Walden, Laben Warren, William Smith, Lewis Scribner, David Vanwinckle, Adolphus Banning, William H. Jackson, Washington Fanning, David Tru- itt, Nelson Farlow, Aaron Barker, James Brannon, John Barnes, Jesse I. Reed, Abel Jackson, Stephen Ring, B. T. Webb, John Corbin, Howell Smith. The following members of company "B" died while in the service : Michael Halbrook, John Cook, Solomon Pierce, John Myers, James Goodwin, Elijah Conner, Andrew Hen- derson, William Killam, Washington Moore, John Jayne, Alexan- der Dixon, James Curry, Calvin Williams, and Fred. Closson. Members of Company B, who have died sinee their return from the war as remembered, by the old settlers, are as follows : Lemuel A. Rankin, second sergeant; Enoch Vanwinkle, fourth corporal ; James Freeman, captain ; Eli Hooper, first lieutenant. Joseph Armstrong, William Renfro, Benjamin Gorden, John Mosley, Leonard Matney, Walter Matney, Quaintin Henderson, Hezekiah Massey, Samuel Bolajack, B. F. Chew, James B. Storey, John Daniel, Joseph G. Harris, Josiah Phelps, Solomon Norman, W. H. Tetrick, Jesse Mulligan, Lawson Dixon, James Wade, Levi Wheat, George W. Templeton, Martin Couch, Clark Banning, Henry J.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.