Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 124

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876

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close it is said that Black Hawk, having repented the abandonment of his people, returned within sight of the battle-ground, but seeing the slaugh- ter in progress which he was powerless to avert, he turned and, with a howl of rage and horror, fled into the forest. About 300 Indians (mostly non- combatants) succeeded in crossing the river in a . condition of exhaustion from hunger and fatigue, but these were set upon by the Sioux under Chief Wabasha, through the suggestion and agency of General Atkinson, and nearly one-half their num- ber exterminated. Of the remainder many died from wounds and exhaustion, while still others perished while attempting to reach Keokuk's band who had refused to join in Black Hawk's desper- ate venture. Of one thousand who crossed to the east side of the river with Black Hawk in April, it is estimated that not more than 150 survived the tragic events of the next four months.

General Scott, having arrived at Prairie du Chien early in August, assumed command and, on August 15, mustered out the volunteers at Dixon, Ill. After witnessing the bloody climax at the Bad Axe of his ill-starred invasion, Black Hawk fled to the dells of the Wisconsin, where he and the Prophet surrendered themselves to the Win. nebagos, by whom they were delivered to the Indian Agent at Prairie du Chien. Having been taken to Fort Armstrong on September 21, he there signed a treaty of peace. Later he was taken to Jefferson Barracks (near St. Louis) in the custody of Jefferson Davis, then a Lieutenant in the regular army, where he was held a captive during the following winter. The connection of Davis with the Black Hawk War, mentioned by many historians, seems to have been confined to this act. In April, 1833, with the Prophet and Neapope, he was taken to Washington and then to Fortress Monroe, where they were detained as prisoners of war until June 4, when they were released. Black Hawk, after being taken to many principal cities in order to impress him with the strength of the American nation, was brought to Fort Armstrong, and there committed to the guardianship of his rival, Keokuk, but survived this humiliation only a few years, dying on a small reservation set apart for him in Davis County, Iowa, October 3, 1838.

Such is the story of the Black Hawk War, the most notable struggle with the aborigines in Illi- nois history. At its beginning both the State and national authorities were grossly misled by an exaggerated estimate of the strength of Black Hawk's force as to numbers and his plans for recovering the site of his old village. while '

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Black Hawk had conceived a low estimate of the numbers and courage of his white enemies, es- pecially after the Stillman defeat. The cost of the war to the State and nation in money has been estimated at $2,000,000, and in sacrifice of life on both sides at not less than 1,200. The loss of life by the troops in irregular skirmishes, and in niassacres of settlers by the Indians, aggregated about 250, while an equal number of regulars perished from a visitation of cholera at the various stations within the district affected by the war, especially at Detroit, Chicago, Fort Armstrong and Galena. Yet it is the judgment of later historians that nearly all this sacrifice of life and treasure might have been avoided, but for a series of blunders due to the blind or un- scrupulous policy of officials or interloping squat- ters upon lands which the Indians had occupied under the treaty of 1804. A conspicious blunder- to call it

by no harsher name - was the violation by Stillman's command of the rules of civilized warfare in the attack made upon Black Hawk's messengers, sent under flag of truce to request a conference to settle terms under which he might return to the west side of the Mississippi-an act which resulted in a humiliating and disgraceful defeat for its authors and proved the first step in actual war. Another misfortune was the failure to understand Neapope's appeal for peace and permission for his people to pass beyond the Mississippi the night after the battle of Wisconsin Heights; and the third and most inexcusable blunder of all, was the refusal of the officer in command of the " Warrior " to respect Black Hawk's flag of truce and request for a conference just before the bloody massacre which has gone into history under the name of the " battle of the Bad Axe." Either of these events, properly availed of, would have prevented much of the butchery of that bloody episode which has left a stain upon the page of history, although this statement implies no disposition to detract from the patriotism and courage of some of the leading actors upon whom the responsibility was placed of protecting the frontier settler from outrage and massacre. One of the features of the war was the bitter jealousy engendered by the unwise policy pursued by General Atkinson towards some of the volun- teers-especially the treatment of General James D. Henry, who, although subjected to repeated slights and insults, is regarded by Governor Ford and others as the real hero of the war. Too brave a soldier to shirk any responsibility and too modest to exploit his own deeds, he felt

deeply the studied purpose of his superior to ignore him in the conduct of the campaign-a purpose which, as in the affair at the Bad Axe, was defeated by accident or by General Henry's soldierly sagacity and attention to duty, although he gave out to the public no utterance of com- plaint. Broken in health by the hardships and exposures of the campaign, he went South soon after the war and died of consumption, unknown and almost alone, in the city of New Orleans, less two years later ..

Aside from contemporaneous newspaper ac- counts, monographs, and manuscripts on file in public libraries relating to this epoch in State history, the most comprehensive records of the Black Hawk War are to be found in the " Life of Black Hawk," dictated by himself (1834) ; Wake- field's "History of the War between the United States and the Sac and Fox Nations" (1834); Drake's " Life of Black Hawk" (1854); Ford's "History of Illinois" (1854); Reynolds' "Pio- neer History of Illinois; and "My Own Times"; Davidson & Stuve's and Moses' Histories of Illi- nois; Blanchard's " The North west and Chicago"; Armstrong's "The Sauks and the Black Hawk War," and Reuben G. Thwaite's "Story of the Black Hawk War" (1892.)

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, a village in the southern part of Cook County, twenty-eight miles south of the central part of Chicago, on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern and the Michigan Central Railroads; is located in an agricultural region, but has some manufactures as well as good schools-also has one newspaper. Population (1900), 5,100.

GRANITE, a city of Madison County, located five miles north of St. Louis on the lines of the Burlington; the Chicago & Alton; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis; Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis (Illinois), and the Wabash Railways. It is adjacent to the Merchants' Terminal Bridge across the Mississippi and has considerable manu- facturing and- grain-storage business; has two newspapers. Population (1900), 3,122.

HARLEM, a village of Proviso Township, Cook County, and suburb of Chicago, on the line of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, nine miles west of the terminal station at Chicago. Harlem originally embraced the village of Oak Park, now a part of the city of Chicago, but, in 1884, was set off and incorporated as a village. Considerable manufacturing is done here. Population (1900), 4,085.

HARVEY, a city of Cook County, and an im- portant manufacturing suburb of the city of Chi-

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cago, three miles southwest of the southern city limits. It is on the line of the Illinois Central and the Chicago & Grand Trunk Railways, and has extensive manufactures of harvesting, street and steam railway machinery, gasoline stoves, enameled ware, etc .; also has one newspaper and ample school facilities. Population (1900), 5,395.

IOWA CENTRAL RAILWAY, a railway line having its principal termini at Peoria, Ill., and Manly Junction, nine miles north of Mason City, Iowa, with several lateral branches making con- nections with Centerville, Newton, State Center, Story City, Algona and Northwood in the latter State. The total length of line owned, leased and operated by the Company, officially reported in 1899, was 508.98 miles, of which 89.76 miles- including 3.5 miles trackage facilities on the Peoria & Pekin Union between Iowa Junction and Peoria-were in Illinois. The Illinois divi- sion extends from Keithsburg-where it enters the State at the crossing of the Mississippi-to Peoria .- (HISTORY.) The Iowa Central Railway Company was originally chartered as the Central Railroad Company of Iowa and the road com- pleted in October, 1871. In 1873 it passed into the hands of a receiver and, on June 4, 1879, was reorganized under the name of the Central Iowa Railway Company. In May, 1883, this company purchased the Peoria & Farmington Railroad, which was incorporated into the main line, but defaulted and passed into the hands of a receiver December 1, 1886; the line was sold under fore- closure in 1887 and 1888, to the Iowa Central Railway Company, which had effected a new organization on the basis of $11,000,000 common stock, $6,000,000 preferred stock and $1,379,625 . temporary debt certificates convertible into pre- ferred stock, and $7,500,000 first mortgage bonds. The transaction was completed, the receiver dis- charged and the road turned over to the new company, May 15, 1889 .- (FINANCIAL). The total capitalization of the road in 1899 was $21,337, 558, of which $14,159,180 was in stock, $6,650,095 in bonds and $528,283 in other forms of indebtedness. The total earnings and income of the line in Illi- nois for the same year were $532,568, and the ex- penditures $566, 333.

SPARTA, a city of Randolph County, situated on the Centralia & Chester and the Mobile & Ohio Railroads, twenty miles northwest of Ches- ter and fifty miles southeast of St. Louis. It has

a number of manufacturing establishments, in- cluding plow factories, a woolen mill, a cannery and creameries; also has natural gas. The first settler was James McClurken, from South Caro- lina, who settled here in 1818. He was joined by James Armour a few years later, who bought land of McClurken, and together they laid out a village, which first received the name of Co- lumbus. About the same time Robert G. Shan- non, who had been conducting a mercantile busi- ness in the vicinity, located in the town and became the first Postmaster. In 1839 the name of the town was changed to Sparta. Mr. McClur- ken, its earliest settler, appears to have been a man of considerable enterprise, as he is credited with having built the first cotton gin in this vi- cinity, besides still later, erecting saw and flour mills and a woolen mill. Sparta was incorporated as a village in 1837 and in 1859 as a city. A col- ony of members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenanters or "Seceders") established at Eden, a beautiful site about a mile from Sparta, about 1822, cut an important figure in the history of the latter place, as it became the means of attracting here an industrious and thriving population. At a later period it became one of the most important stations of the "Under- ground Railroad" (so called) in Illinois (which see). The population of Sparta (1890) was 1,979; (1900), 2,041.

TOLUCA, a city of Marshall County situated on the line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad, 18 miles sonthwest of Streator. It is in the center of a rich agricultural district; has the usual church and educational facilities of cities of its rank, and two newspapers. Population (1900), 2,629.

WEST HAMMOND, a village situated in the northeast corner of Thornton Township, Cook County, adjacent to Hammond, Ind., from which it is separated by the Indiana State line. It is on the Michigan Central Railroad, one mile south of the Chicago City limits, and has convenient ac- cess to several other lines, including the Chicago & Erie; New York, Chicago & St. Louis, and Western Indiana Railroads. Like its Indiana neighbor, it is a manufacturing center of much importance, was incorporated as a village in 1892, and has grown rapidly within the last few years, having a population, according to the cen- sus of 1900, of 2,935.

EDGAR COUNTY.

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF THIS WORK-GENEALOGY OF EDGAR COUNTY-INDIAN OCCUPANTS AND CHAR- ACTER OF THEIR CLAIM TO THE SOIL-CLAIMS OF OLDER STATES TO TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO-VIRGINIA CLAIM BASED ON THE CLARK EXPEDITION-CESSIONS MADE TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT-ORDINANCE OF 1787- "TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE RIVER OHIO" ORGANIZED-FIRST DECLARATION IN FAVOR OF FREE SCHOOLS AND FIRST DEDICATION OF TER- RITORY TO FREEDOM-RIGHT OF SECESSION DE- NIED-POLITICAL CHANGES THROUGH WHICH ILLINOIS HAS PASSED.

The motives prompting the preparation of this history of Edgar County were stated, as I believe, with reasonable clearness in the cir- cular letter issued to the citizens of the county when the work was undertaken. This was stated to be, not only in the belief that such a work was needed, but that, while regretting that its preparation could not have been under- taken while the chief actors in the early history of the county were still living, it could not longer be deferred in justice to a generation interested in both the past and the present, and which owed an obligation to the future at the beginning of this new century, that should

not be forgotten or lost sight of. With this object in view the work was undertaken, with the request that any interesting facts pertain- ing to our local history in possession of any citizen be communicated to the writer; and, to those who have thus aided in the completion of the task I have had in hand, I desire to ten- der my sincere thanks.

Under the auspices of the Munsell Publishing Company of Chicago, this history of Edgar County has been prepared, and is now pub- lished as a special edition under the title, "His- torical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Edgar County." The scope of my work is limited to this county, and while it cannot be expected to embrace all the minor facts con- cerning events occurring within the county, it will be found to contain the more interesting and important facts and incidents in the life- time of the county since its organization as one of the municipal corporations of the State of Illinois. Nothing in the way of romance has been attempted, or would be allowed, except as actual facts sometimes assume the air of romance.

What may be called the genealogy, or pedi- gree of the county-if a municipality can be said to have a pedigree is given in general terms, the more important facts being presented in more ample detail in State and National histories. This form of treatment would scarcely be considered practicable, nor would it be entirely pertinent, in a work of this char- acter.

It is worth while to say, however, in the beginning, that "Old Virginia," with its early

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

colonial history, is the great-grandmother of Edgar County through its parentage of the Northwest Territory, which became the mother of Illinois and from which has grown a family of one hundred and two counties, of which Edgar is one of the early-born after the period of statehood. The Indians occupied-or rather roamed over-the lands which constituted the Northwest Territory, as far in the past as any absolute knowledge is now attainable; but they held no title except, or higher than, that held by the buffalo and other animals which pre- ceded or accompanied them as occupants of the soil; i. e., the right to exist upon it.

When the United States became an inde- pendent Nation as the result of the War of the Revolution, the States of New York, Massa- chusetts and Connecticut-by virtue of certain provisions of the Articles of Confederation which then constituted the organic law of the Federal Union-claimed parts of the region, which later became known as the "Northwest Territory." Virginia claimed most of this vast tract, because she had furnished the men and the means by which, through the far-sighted and timely expedition of Col. George Rogers Clark, this grand domain had been wrested from British power and the Indian occupants had been brought under control. After several years of negotiation between representatives of the States claiming jurisdiction over territory northwest of the Ohio River and the General Government, deeds of cession of such terri- tory were granted by these several States, in- dividually, which were accepted by the Govern- ment. A notable circumstance connected with the grant made by Virginia was the fact that it bore the names of Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe both of whom afterwards be- came Presidents of the United States-as mem- bers of the committee appointed by the Vir- ginia House of Delegates to negotiate the trans- fer, the two other members of the committee being Samuel Hardy and Arthur Lee. Certain conditions insisted upon by Virginia included indemnification for the cost of the Clark ex- pedition and of the maintaining of forts and garrisons; protection of the property-rights and liberties of the French inhabitants and other settlers in the Kaskaskia region; and the grant- ing of lands to Col. Rogers Clark and the sol- diers who accompanied him in his expedition to Kaskaskia in 1778. These were appro- priately granted by the General Government,

since but for the enterprise and foresight mani- fested in the carrying out of the Clark ex- pedition, and the men and means supplied by Virginia in making it possible, the acquisition of the region northwest of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi would have been delayed in- definitely and, probably, only accomplished through a later war with Great Britain.

As a result of the acquisition of this territory came the adoption, by the Federal Congress, on July 13, 1787, of the famous "Ordinance" of that year, establishing a form of government for the "Territory Northwest of the River Ohio," out of which have since been carved the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wis- consin, besides a part of Minnesota. Two of the prominent features of this ordinance con- sisted in the declaration (Article III.), that "Religion, morality and knowledge being neces- sary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and means of education shall forever be encouraged," and (Article VI.), that "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said Territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted" -- the first being the earliest declaration by the General Govern- ment in favor of the establishment and main- tenance of free schools, and the second the permanent dedication of territory of the United States to freedom. The latter has been char- acterized as the "Magna Charta" of American liberty, protecting the States northwest of the Ohio from contamination by slavery, which brought forth from Daniel Webster the lauda- tory comment: "I doubt whether one single law, ancient or modern, has produced effects of more distinct, marked and lasting character than the Ordinance of 1787."

Another provision of this famous Ordinance (Article IV.), contained the declaration: "The said Territory, and the States which may be formed therein, shall forever remain a part of this Confederacy of the United States of Amer- ica, subject to the Articles of Confederation, and to such alterations therein as shall be con- stitutionally made; and to all the acts and or- dinances of the United States in Congress as- sembled, conformable thereto." This amounted to an emphatic declaration against the right of secession, three-quarters of a century before the attempt made to destroy the Union through the medium of the. pro-slavery rebellion.

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

The successive political organizations through which Illinois passed, after it became a part of the Northwest Territory, were: First, as the County of Illinois; second, the Territory of Illinois; third, the State of Illinois.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY HISTORY.

ILLINOIS PART OF NEW FRANCE AND LATER OF THE FRENCH TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA-INDIAN OC- CUPANTS-THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND NA- TURE OF THEIR TITLE TO THE SOIL -LAND MADE SUBJECT TO ENTRY, AND FIRST SETTLERS BEGIN TO ARRIVE-SOME OF THE EARLY ARRIVALS.

The French explorers, Marquette, Joliet and LaSalle, were the first white men to invade the region now known as Illinois. These great, loyal Frenchmen claimed the country for their beloved France in the seventeenth century, which for a time, was part of "New France," but later was attached to Louisiana until the British acquired it by treaty in 1763. It was

then known as the country of the Illinois In- . to be done in their savage lives, except to hunt

dians, a powerful tribal combine-if not a na- tion-of aborigines, individually and collective- ly superior to many of the primitive peoples of North America. The particular tribe, or tribes, which used to roam as hunters over what is now Edgar County, were the Piankashaws and Kickapoos. The Indians never had any title to Edgar County land. Indian title to any land is an absurdity; and, as a matter of law, never had any existence except of a technical and inferential character. Such title could only be proven by the Government becoming the pur- chaser and grantee in treaty transactions, and thus admitting the title of the Indians. It is supposable that, as each individual Indian came into the world unwittingly, and lived somewhat in accord with his environment, he had some right to be where he found himself; but from the standpoint of civilization, he had to move from the region which is now embraced in Edgar County, to some point where he would be less in the way of his white brother-if he were a brother, or, indeed, any kinsman at all.

When the first white settlers came here, there were now and then, bands of Indians encamped in the woods and sometimes wintering here. There was no permanent occupation of any part of the county by Indians. The only authori- tative account obtainable, at this time, is to the effect that a band of Kickapoos had a winter encampment, in 1822, on Sugar Creek, on land recently owned by O'Neal Morris. There were not more than a hundred of them-men, women and children; and while they were friendly (in fact too friendly), they were as rude and barbarous in their ways of living, as the typical Indian is wont to be. Only one Indian was ever killed by a white man in the county; and he was not a warrior killed in battle, but was slain, wantonly, where his remains lie buried at the roadside on the hill just north of Mar- ley.

The county does not abound in mounds or other evidences of ancient human life; but few stone-axes and other implements are found, and even arrow-heads are scarce. Nothing of that kind is ever found in the prairie, showing that the red men preferred the woodland. This was due somewhat, perhaps, to the tender re- gard the red men had for their wives, whose duty it was to prepare the camp, gather the fuel, build the fires, feed and care for the chil- dren, and perform all the other labor that was

game, wild and otherwise-quadruped or biped, red or white, whether killed to eat or to scalp -and do the loafing around camp, which last was the principal business of the noble son of the forest, and took up most of his time. Work he would not and did not; he would starve be- fore he would work. Yet he had some ambition of a felonious sort, and would steal before he would starve. The hunger, however, had to be personal to impel him to action. The early settlers here never saw the best Indians, how- ever, they being all dead long prior to the first settlement of Edgar County.

Whatever in the way of title the Indians had to the lands within Edgar County, was extin- guished by the Government in two treaties. By the first, negotiated by General William Henry Harrison at Vincennes in 1805, and commonly known as "Harrison's purchase," the Govern- ment acquired from the Piankashaws over two and a half million acres of land, mostly in Indiana but including all the land in Edgar County lying east of the "Boundary Line,"

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 124

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Number of Pages: 876

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876