USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. I > Part 44
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
Account of the Winnebago Scare.
Wells street now crosses the river, in plain sight from where we stood, was a light birch bark canoe, manned with thirteen men, rapidly approaching, the men keep- ing time with their paddles to one of the Canadian boat songs; it proved to be Governor Cass and his secretary, Robert Forsyth, and they landed and soon joined us. From them we first learned of the breaking out of the Winnebago war, and the massacre on the upper Mis- sissippi. Governor Cass was at Green Bay by appoint- ment, to hold a treaty with the Winnebagoes and Me- nomonee tribes, who, however, did not appear to meet him in council. News of hostilities reaching the governor there, he immediately procured a light birch bark canoe, purposely made for speed, manned it with twelve men at the paddles and a steersman, and started up the river, making a portage into the Wisconsin, then down it and the Mississippi to Jefferson Barracks, be- low St. Louis.
"Here he persuaded the commanding officer to char- ter a steamer, and embarking troops on it, ascended the Mississippi in search of the hostile Indians, and to give aid to the troops at Fort Snelling. On reaching the mouth of the Illinois river, the governor (with his men and canoe), having been brought so far on the steamer), here left it, and ascending that stream and the Desplaines, passed through Mud lake into the south branch of the Chicago river, and reached Chicago. This trip from Green Bay round, was performed in about thirteen days, the Governor's party sleeping only five to seven hours, and averaging sixty to seventy miles' travel each day. On the Wisconsin river they passed Winnebago encampments without molestation. They did not stop to parley, passing rapidly by, singing their boat songs; the Indians were so taken by surprise that, before they recovered from their astonishment, the canoe was out of danger. Governor Cass remained at Chicago but a few hours, coasting Lake Michigan back to Green Bay. As soon as he left, the inhabitants of Chicago assembled for consultation. Big Foot was suspected of acting in concert with the Winnebagoes,
5II
Shab-o-nee as a Spy.
as he was known to be friendly to them, and many of his band had intermarried with that tribe.
"Shab-o-nee was not here at the payment, his money having been drawn for him by his friend, Billy Cald- well. The evening before Governor Cass' visit, how- ever, he was in Chicago, and then the guest of Cald- well. At my suggestion, he and Caldwell were en- gaged to visit Big Foot's village (Geneva Lake), and get what information they could of the plans of the Winnebagoes; and also learn what action Big Foot's band intended taking. They left immediately, and on nearing Geneva Lake, arranged that Shab-o-nee should enter the village alone, Caldwell remaining hidden.
" Upon entering the village, Shab-o-nee was made a prisoner, and accused of being a friend of the Ameri- cans, and a spy. He affected great indignation at these charges and said to Big Foot: 'I was not at the payment, but was told by my braves that you desired us to join the Winnebagoes and make war on the Americans. I think the Winnebagoes have been fool- ish; alone they cannot succeed. So I have come to counsel with you, hear what you have to say, when I will return to my people and report all you tell me; if they shall then say, We will join you, I will consent.' After talking nearly all night they agreed to let him go, provided he was accompanied by one of their own num- ber; to this proposal Shab-o-nee readily consented, though it placed him in a dangerous position. His friend Caldwell was waiting for him in the outskirts of the village, and his presence must not be known, as it would endanger both of their lives. Shab-o-nee was equal to the emergency. After leaving, in company with one of Big Foot's braves, as the place of Cald- well's concealment was neared, he commenced com- plaining in a loud voice of being suspected and made a prisoner, and when quite near, said, ' We must have no one with us in going to Chicago. Should we meet any one of your band or any one else, we must tell them to go away; we must go by ourselves, and get to Chi- cago by noon to-morrow. Kinzie will give us some- thing to eat, and we can go on next day.
, 512
The Night Journey.
"Caldwell heard and understood the meaning of this, and started alone by another route. Strategy was still to be used, as Shab-o-nee desired to report; so on nearing Chicago, he said to his companion, ' If Kinzie sees you, he will ask why your band did not assist in putting out the fire. Maybe he has heard news of the war and is angry with Big Foot; let us camp here, for our horses are very tired.' This they did, and after a little, the Big Foot brave suggested that Shab-o-nee should go to the fort for food and information. This was what he wanted to do, and he lost no time in reporting the result of his expedition, and procuring food returned to his camp. Starting the next morning with his companion for his own village, on reaching it he called a council of his Indians, who were addressed by Big Foot's emissary; but they declined to take part with the Winnebagoes, advising Big Foot to remain neutral.
"On receiving Shab-o-nee's report, the inhabitants of Chicago were greatly excited; fearing an attack, we as- sembled for consultation, when I suggested sending to the Wabash for assistance, and tendered my services as messenger. This was at first objected to, on the ground that a majority of the men at the fort were in my employ, and in case of an attack, no one could manage them or enforce their aid but myself. It was, however, decided that I should go, as I knew the route and all the settlers. An attack would probably not be made until Big Foot's ambassador had returned with his report; this would give at least two weeks' security, and in that time I could, if successful, make the trip and return. I started between four and five P. M., reaching my trading house on the Iroquois river by midnight, where I changed my horse and went on. It was a dark, rainy night. On reaching Sugar creek, I found the stream swollen out of its banks, and my horse refusing to cross, I was obliged to wait till day- light, when I discovered that a large tree had fallen across the trail, making the ford impassable. I swam the stream and went on, reaching my friend Mr. Spen- cer's house at noon, tired out. Mr. Spencer started
513
Beckwith's Narrative.
immediately to give the alarm, asking for volunteers to meet at Danville the next evening, with five days' rations. By the day following at the hour appointed, 100 men were organized into a company, and appoint- ing a Mr. Morgan, an old frontier fighter, as their cap- tain, we immediately started for Chicago, camping that night on the north fork of the. Vermillion river. It rained continually, the trail was very muddy, and we were obliged to swim most of the streams and many of the large sloughs, but we still pushed on, reaching Fort Dearborn the seventh day after my departure, to the great joy of the waiting people."
The following particulars relating to Mr. Hubbard's perils in reaching Chicago with his volunteers, and his reception there, are taken from Mr. Cunningham's ac- count; edited by H. W. Beckwith, of Danville, Ill .*:
" We arrived at the Vermillion river about noon on Sunday, the day after assembling at Butler's Point. The river was up, running, bank full, about a hundred yards wide, with a strong current. Our men and sad- dles were taken over in a canoe. We undertook to swim our horses, and as they were driven into the wa- ter the current would strike them and they would swim in a circle and return to the shore a few rods below. Mr. Hubbard, provoked at this delay, threw off his coat and said, 'Give me 'old Charley,' meaning a large, steady-going horse, owned by James Butler and loaned to Jacob Heater. Mr. Hubbard, mounting this horse, boldly dashed into the stream, and the other horses were quickly crowded after him. The water was so swift that 'old Charley' became unmanageable, when Mr. Hubbard dismounted on the upper side and seized the horse by the mane, near the animal's head, and swimming with his left arm guided the horse in the direction of the opposite shore. We were afraid he would be washed under the horse or struck by his feet and be drowned; but he got over without damage, ex- cept the wetting of his broadcloth pants and moccasins.
* Mr. Cunningham is at this time (1881) an esteemed citizen of Dan- ville. He was among the volunteers under Mr. Hubbard to go to the rescue of Chicago, and has related some circumstances omitted by him.
514
Beckwith's Narrative.
These he had to dry on his person as we pursued our journey.
"We reached Chicago about four o'clock on the evening of the fourth day, in the midst of one of the most severe rainstorms I ever experienced, accompanied by thunder and vicious lightning The rain we did not mind; we were without tents and were used to wetting. The water we took within us hurt us more than that which fell upon us, as drinking it made many of us sick.
" The people of Chicago were very glad to see us. They were expecting an attack every hour since Colonel Hubbard had left them, and as we approached they did not know whether we were enemies or friends, and when they learned that we were friends they gave us a shout of welcome.
"They had organized a company of thirty or fifty men, composed mostly of Canadian half breeds, inter- spersed with a few Americans, all under command of Captain Beaubien; the Americans seeing that we were a better looking crowd, wanted to leave their associates and join our company. This feeling caused quite a row, and the officers finally restored harmony and the discontented men went back to their old command.
"The town of Chicago was composed at this time of six or seven American families, a number of half breeds and a lot of idle, vagabond Indians loitering about. I made the acquaintance of Robert and James Kinzie, and their father, John Kinzie.
"We kept guard day and night for some eight or ten days, when a runner came in-I think from Green Bay · -- bringing word that General Cass had concluded a treaty with the Winnebagoes, and that we might now disband and go home.
" The citizens were overjoyed at the news; and in their gladness they turned out one barrel of gin, one barrel of brandy, one barrel of whisky, knocking the heads of the barrels in. Everybody was invited to take a free drink, and, to tell the plain truth, everybody did drink.
"The ladies at Fort Dearborn treated us especially well. I say this without disparaging the good and
515
Illinois and Michigan Canal Located.
cordial conduct of the men toward us. The ladies gave us all manner of good things to eat. They loaded us with provisions and gave us all those delicate atten- tions that the kindness of woman's heart would suggest. Some of them-three ladies whom I understood were recently from New York-distributed tracts and other reading matter among our company, and interested themselves zealously in our spiritual as well as tem- poral welfare."
In 1829, on January 22, the legislature appointed Dr. Jayne, of Springfield, Edmund Roberts, of Kaskaskia, and Charles Dunn, to locate the canal, lay out towns and sell lots, and apply the proceeds to building the canal. James Thompson, a surveyor of St. Louis, was employed by them to lay out Chicago in lots as already stated. The map which he made of the place was en- graved on stone in St. Louis, and bears the date of August 4, 1830. It was duly recorded on the county records at Peoria, it being the county seat of the county in which Chicago then was. Many lots were sold at auction the same year, and brought from $10 to $200 each. *
Chicago was now reinforced by many speculators and adventurers by the official action taken as to the canal, it being looked upon as an incipient city, though of uncertain destiny, yet a venture worth taking chances for; and while the villagers of the town were watching the progress of the canal which was to connect their lonesome place to the world of progress to which they could as yet only get occasional glimpses, the forms of local government began to be instituted as a fitting preparation for the sphere to which they aimed. Their progress in this undertaking has been well told by Hon. John Wentworth, in a historical lecture which was pub- lished by Mr. Fergus, 1876, and runs as follows:
"From St. Clair county what is now Cook county was set off in the new county of Madison; thence in the new county of Crawford; in 1819 in the new county
* Those who wish fuller details of the action of the Illinois legisla- ture as to the building of the canal, will find them in Bross' History of Chicago, published by Jansen, McClurg & Co.
516
Pioneer Civil History.
of Clark; and so little was then known of the northern country that the act creating Clark county extended it to the Canada line. In 1821 we were set off in the new county of Pike; in 1823, in the new county of Ful- ton; and in 1825 in the new county of Peoria. I have not only caused the county records of these counties to be examined, but have also corresponded with their earliest settlers, and I can find no official recognition of Chicago until we reach Fulton county. The clerk of that county writes me, that the earliest mention of Chi- cago in the records is the order of an election at the term of the Fulton county commissioners' court, Sep- tember 2, 1823, to choose one major and company officers, polls at Chicago to be opened at the house of John Kinzie. The returns of this election cannot be found, if they were ever made. As the county was or- ganized in 1823, this, of course, was the first election under the organization of the county. The same court ordered, April 27, 1824, that the sheriff, Abner Eads, be released from paying the money tax collected at Chicago by Rousser. In those days the sheriffs were ex-officio collectors of taxes. The name indicates that our tax collector was then a Frenchman, or a mixed breed French and Indian. It seems that they had de- faulters in those days as well as now.
"The clerk of Peoria county writes me me that his earliest records commence March 8, 1825. From these records I learn that John Kinzie was commissioned jus- tice of the peace July 28, 1825. He was the first jus- tice of the peace resident at Chicago. Alexander Wol- cott, his son-in-law, and John B. Beaubien were com- missioned September 10, of the same year.
" I have also the assessment roll of John L. Bogar- dus, assessor of Peoria county, for the year 1825, dated July 25, which is as follows:
Tax Payers' Names.
Valuation.
Tax. $10.00
1 Beaubien, John B
$1,000
2 Clybourne, Jonas
625
6.25
3 Clark, John K.
250
2.50
4 Crafts, John.
5,000
50.00
5
Clermont, Jeremy.
100
1.00
6 Coutra, Louis.
50
.50
7 Kinzie, John
500
5.00
8 Laframboise, Claude.
100
1.00
517
Pioneer Civil History.
Tax Payers' Names.
Valuation.
Tax.
9 Laframboise, Joseph.
3 50
$ .50
10
McKee, David.
100
1.00
11 Piche, Peter.
100
1.00
12 Robinson, Alexander
200
2.00
13 Wolcott, Alexander ..
572
5.72
14 Wilemet [Ouilmette], Antoine.
400
4.00
"The entire valuation, land then being not taxable, of all the property in Chicago was $9,047, and the rate was I per cent. But the property of the American Fur Co. was assessed to John Crafts, its agent, at $5,000. He was a bachelor, and died the next year, and Mr. Kinzie was appointed in his place. Deducting the American Fur Co.'s assessment, we have only $4,047 as the personal property of Chicago, in 1825, $40. 47 as the tax, and thirteen as the number of tax payers.
" The clerk sent me a copy of two poll books used at Chicago-one at an election held August 7, 1826, con- taining thirty-five names; the other at an election held August 2, 1830, containing thirty-two names; thus showing a decrease of three voters in four years. I will . read you the names of our voters in 1826, and you will · see that only ten of the fourteen tax payers in 1825 then voted :
1 Augustin Banny [Bannot?] 19 John Baptiste Lafortune.
2 Henry Kelley.
20 John Baptiste Malast.
3 Daniel Bourassea. 21 Joseph Pothier.
4 Cole Weeks.
22 Alexander Robinson, 1825
5 Antoine Ouilmette, 1825
23 John K. Clark, 1825
6 John Baptiste Secor.
24 David McKee,
1825
7 Joseph Catie.
25 Joseph Anderson.
8 Benjamin Russell. 36 Joseph Pepot.
9 Basile Displattes.
27
John Baptiste Beaubien, 1825
John Kinzie, 1825
12 Joseph Laframboise, 1825
13 Alexander Larant.
14 Francis Laducier.
32 Paul Jamboe.
33 Jonas Clybourne,
1825
16 Claude Laframboise, 1825
34 Edward Ament.
17 Jer. Clairmore [Clermont?] '25 35 Samuel Johnson.
18 Peter Junio.
"I will now read you the names of our voters in 1830, showing that only three of the fourteen tax payers of 1825 then voted:
1 Stephen J. Scott.
2 John B. Beaubien, 1825, 1826 7 John Baptiste Chavellea.
3 Leon Bourassea.
4 B. H. Laughton.
5 Jesse Walker.
6 Medard B. Beaubien.
S James Kinzie.
9 Russell E. Heacock.
10 James Brown.
10 Francis Laframboise, Sr. 28
11 Francis Laframboise, Jr.
29 Archibald Clybourn.
30 Billy Caldwell.
31 Martin Vansicle.
15 Peter Chavellie.
518
Death of John Kinzie.
11 Jos. Laframboise,
1825, 1826" 22 Billy Caldwell,* 1826
12 John L. Davis.
23 Joseph Thibeaut.
13 William See.
24 Peter Frique.
14 John Van Horn.
25 Mark Beaubien.
15 John Mann.
26 Laurant Martin.
16 David Van Eaton.
27 John Baptiste Secor, 1826
17 Stephen Mack.
28 Joseph Bauskey.
18 Jonathan A. Bailey. 29 Michael Welch.
19 Alexander McDollo [McDole?]
30 Francis Laducier,
20 John S. C. Hogan.
31 Lewis Ganday.
1826
21 David Mckee, 1825, 1826 32 Peresh Leclerc.
" It is a remarkable commentary upon the fickleness of our population, that only six of the men who voted in 1826 voted in 1830; and these six were half breeds or government employes. Father John Kinzie, how- ever, died between the two elections, upon the 6th of January, 1828, aged sixty-five.+ But there were some not voting at the second election, such as the late Archibald Clybourne, his father, Jonas, and half brother,
*Says Hon. John Wentworth: "Billy Caldwell owed allegiance to three distinct nations at one and the same time. He was captain of the Indian department of Great Britain in 1816, and never renounced the British allegiance. He was justice of the peace in Chicago in 1826; and he was Indian chief all this time, and died a British American Indian subject."
The following obituary notice of his death was published in the Chi- cago Tribune of October 28, 1841:
." Died, at Council Bluffs, on the 28th of September last (1841), Sauga- nash (Billy Caldwell), the principal chief of the united nations of Ot- tawa, Chippewa and Pottawattamie Indians, in the sixtieth year of his age. He was well and favorably known to the old residents of Chicago and the northern frontier of Illinois, as an old and efficient friend dur- ing the Sac and Fox trouble of 1832. Among those of the whites who knew him well he was esteemed an honorable, high minded, intelligent gentleman; generous to a fault, but attentively devoted to the interest and welfare of his people, who had unanimously called him to the chief- tainship of their nation."
¿The following account of Mr. Kinzie's death has been learned from Mr. Gurdon S. Hubbard. He remained in the full vigor of health in both body and mind till he had a slight attack of apoplexy, after which his health continued to decline till his death, which took place in a few months, at the residence of his son-in-law, Dr. Wolcott, who then lived in the brick building formerly used as the officers' quarters in the fort. Here while on a brief visit to Mrs. Wolcott, he was suddenly attacked with apoplexy severer than ever before. Mr. Hubbard was then living in Mr. Kinzie's family, and was sent for. He immediately obeyed the summons, and on coming into the room of the dying man, he found him in convulsions, lying on the floor in the parlor, his head supported by his daughter. Mr. Hubbard raised him into a sitting po- sition, and thus supported him till he drew his last breath, about fifteen minutes afterward. The funeral service had place at the fort, and the last honors due this old pioneer were paid with impressive respect by the few inhabitants of the place. He was buried at the military grounds south of the fort, from which place his remains were removed ultimately to Graceland cemetery, where they now lie .- AUTHOR.
519
Early Voting.
John K. Clark, who ended their days with us. The half breeds and French who did not vote may have been away on a hunting and trading expedition. The voters in 1826 seem to have understood their true inter- est, being dependents upon the fort, as every one of them voted the administration ticket, John Quincy Adams then being president. If there were ever three men in the United States who electrified the whole country with their fiery denunciations of the military power, they were President John Quincy Adams, his vice-president, John C. Calhoun, and his secretary of
state, Henry Clay. Neither of the three ever forgot
General Jackson. It would have seemed malicious, and yet quite pertinent, on the part of the Chicago member of congress, to have asked either of these gentlemen whether it was not a singular fact that, while Mr. Adams was president the people of Chicago unani- mously voted with the fort! Ninian Edwards for gov- ernor, Samuel H. Edwards for lieutenant-governor, Daniel P. Cook for congressman, the administration candidates, each received thirty-five votes, being all there were. The much complained of military power of the present day has never secured a greater unanim- ity in the colored vote of the south. But four years later, in 1830, when Andrew Jackson was president, there was a material change in the politics of the place. John Reynolds, the Jackson candidate for governor, received twenty-two out of the thirty-two votes cast. * Of the six who voted at both elections, and who voted for the Adams candidate in 1826, five voted for the Jackson candidate in 1830; showing their consistency by each time voting with the administration, or more properly with the fort. Billy Caldwell, the Sauganash, the nephew of Tecumseh, voted the Jackson ticket, while Joseph Laframboise, a noted Indian chief, stood out and voted against it. Up to 1848 we had the viva voce system of voting in the state of Illinois. Each man went up to the polls, with or without a ticket in his hands, and told whom he wanted to vote for, and the
* His popularity was due to his frankness, whatever administrative pressure was used to elect him .- AUTHOR.
520
Early Voting.
judges so recorded it. But in those days the masses knew as little whom they were voting for as they do now; for the judges often read off the names of the candidates from the tickets, and the voter would nod his head. There was no chance, however, for stuffing the ballot box under the viva voce system. It may account for the falling off of the vote between 1826 and 1830, that some persons would not vote the Jackson ticket, and yet disliked to vote against the fort. There were four of the Laframboise family voting in 1826, and only one in 1830. The names of voters in 1826 indicate that full three-fourths of them were French and half breeds. The judges in 1826 were Father John Kinzie, the late Gen. John B. Beaubien and Billy Cald- well. The clerks were the late Archibald Clybourn and his half brother John K. Clark. The election was held at the agency house, in Chicago precinct, Peoria county. The agency house was on the North Side, and was the second house built in Chicago, Mr. Kinzie's being the first. The Indian agent was Dr. Alexander Wolcott, who died in 1830, son-in-law of Mr. Kinzie.
" The election of 1830 was held in the house of James Kinzie, Chicago precinct,'Peoria county. This house was on the West Side, near the forks of the river. The South Side had no status at that time, there being nothing then on that side except the fort and the light- house building, and the log houses of the two Beaubien brothers-one residing at the lake shore, and one near the forks of the river, with such a marsh between that much of the time their most convenient way of visiting each other was in boats in the river.
"The judges at the election of 1830 were Russell E. Heacock, the first lawyer to settle in Chicago ; Gen. John B. Beaubien, one of the judges in 1826, and James Kinzie. The clerks were Medard B. Beaubien, well known in this city, now principal agent of the Pottawat- tamie tribe of Indians at Silver lake, Shawnee county, Kansas, and Jesse Walker."
The following, from Hon. Wm. Bross' History of Early Chicago, continues the subject of civil records, etc., from the foregoing extracts from Mr. Wentworth's
52I
Pioneer Citizens.
lecture, and is here inserted to give the reader the benefit of his notes fresh from the lips of his personal friends, as well as from his own observation:
" Our oldest permanent resident in this city is Col. R. J. Hamilton. In this view of the case, he is cer- tainly entitled to the honor of being the 'oldest inhabi- tant.' He came here April 9, 1831, and this has been his home ever since. G. W. Dole, Esq., came here May 4, 1831, and P. F. W. Peck, Esq., July 15, of the same year. But though not living in the city limits, A. Clybourn, Esq., has been identified with it, or rather with the place that became Chicago, since August 5, 1823.
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.