USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II > Part 24
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
when he entered, he was therefore born in 1759. Some time after the close of the Revolutionary War, and after he had married and had a fam- ily, he came to Illinois and settled in a log cabin which he built on what was afterwards known as the Edward Mclain farm now owned by Frank McDavid. The cabin was at the foot hills, near the creek, and was torn down by Mr. McLain after he came into possession of the land. Her father, Samuel Penter, lived in the cabin for awhile before building on the farm in section one, township 7-5, and was the last to live in the cabin. And that after applying for the pension, and before receiving it, he died, while living in the aforementioned cabin, and his body was buried in the Clear Springs ceme- tery, and she thinks he was probably the first one to be buried in that cemetery. It is not likely that anyone now can point out his grave, but that his remains were buried there, there is no question."
Capt. Reuben Sibley was born in Sutton, Mass., February 20, 1743, and died March 3, 1810. Captain Sibley was chosen captain of the Second Sntton Company, Colonel Thomas' Fifth Regiment, and was ordered in conncil June 28, 1776, that said officers be commissioned. He is reported commissioned June 28, 1776. Captain Sibley was in service at Dobbs' Ferry, Tarrytown, and North Castle, N. Y., in 1776. He also served in Col. Josiah Whitney's Regi- ment. Roll was made up for service in Rhode Island in August and September, 1778, and he was also in Col. Jacob Davis' Regiment July 30, 1780.
George Mclain was born in Lincoln Connty, N. C., October 14, 1760, and while residing in said county he volunteered in July, 1779, and served in the American Revolntion as a private under Capt. Samuel Martin and Col. John Bar- ber for three months, when he volunteered in April, 1780. under Capt. John Mattocks and Col. William Graham and served three months. In the autmun of 1780 he volunteered under Capt. Samuel Martin and Col. John Barber, and was in a skirmish near King's Mountain the day before the battle. He served six months. Im- mediately after this he served three months under Capt. John Walker and Frank Ury and Col. John Barber, and then went out for three months under Capt. John Walker, Maj. Joseph Dixon and Col. William Graham. He next vol- unteered under Capt. Robert White and Col.
Robert Smith and was in engagements with Tories at the Raft Swamp and the Brick House, near Wilmington, N. C., and in this tour he served three months. Immediately after he served one month under Captain Null and was in a skirmish with the British at the Brick House. He was allowed a pension on an appli- cation executed November 7, 1832, while he was a resident of Bedford County, Tenn. He was married in Mecklenburg County, N. C., July 25 or 26, 1789, to Rebecca Alexander, who was born September 18, 1769. He died in Bedford County, Tenn., November 30. 1834. She was allowed pension on an application executed March 4, 1844, while a resident of Bond County, Ill. There were eight children, a son, Josiah Thomas, who signed Mclain, was forty-six years old in 1844, and lived in Bond Connty, Ill., at that date. Names of other children not stated. The last named never lived in the county, but his descendents have since a very early day lived in Montgomery County, and his record is here given as information relating to this locality.
Joseph McAdams was born in York County, Pa., in 1759. He enlisted in the war of the Revolution from Hawfield, Orange County, N .. C., serving under Colonel Armstrong, William O'Neal and Robert Melone, and was also with Captain Carrington and Captain Hodges. He was also a pilot under Colonel Lee and was in the battles of Stone, Hillsborough and Holt's Race Paths. Joseph McAdams came to Illinois with his brother, William McAdams. who be- came a resident of Madison County, and who was also a Revolutionary soldier. After a resi- dence in Montgomery Connty for many years, in his old age he moved to Bond County, where lie died and was buried.
Moses Owen. Reports from the government's records show that Moses Owen drew a pension from Montgomery County, but so far we have no data as to his history.
John Canaday applied for a pension in 183S from Montgomery County but we have no further record of him. There were Canadays in this county and some living in Macoupin County not far from the Montgomery County line, and according to the recollection of D. M. Starr, there was one or more named John, but we do not know which one made the application, nor where he was buried.
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
OLD TIME MILITIA.
Mention has been made of trouble with the Indians and the pioneers in Montgomery County had great reason to fear so dangerous and wily a toe. The settler felt, especially after the murder of the Cox family near Greenville, men- tion of which will be found in another chapter, that in some measure he took his life, and that of every member of his family, in his hands when he came to this county to carve out a home, alone and unprotected by any law. Hence, when this feeling had grown sufficiently strong and a call was made to organize an armed state body for defense, every settler responded. The first meeting of the county commissioners was held April 7, 1821, with John Beck, John Mc- Adams and John Seward as the court, and Hiram Rountree as the clerk and legal head. Sixteen days later the commissioners held an- other meeting, in accordance with a then new law in the state, for the purpose of dividing the county into militia districts and organizing for mutual protection under state control. The county was divided into three militia or com- pany districts, known as battalions. The first district included all that portion of the county west of Shoal Creek and the Middle Fork, and the place of meeting was at the residence of William M. Crisp. The second district joined the first district line and the third district in- cluded all the county east of the second district line and the assembling place was the residence of Joseph Wright. According to the statute of the state, all mnales of legal age in the county were required to be enlisted as members of the state militia and to be enrolled in one of these three battalions. These companies were em- powered and enjoined to hold an election for officers, these to include one captain, one lieu- tenant and one ensign, and such other officers as was found necessary for each district. That these companies or battalions met, organized and· drilled, and maintained their organization during the crucial period of the county's pioneer days is certain. It reflects great credit on the good judgment and foresight of our pioneers and many were the occasions when this military force was able to protect the rights and lives of the lonely settlers. Not always were they able to reach the widely separated cabins in time and hence occurred massacres which make a dark page in the county's history, and not always were they able to at first successfully
cope with the cunning of the treacherous foe, but there were evidences that their presence re- duced the number of border tragedies and sub- dued the craftiest of the Indian leaders.
WAR OF 1812.
Prior to 1812 the British in America incited the Pottawattomies and other Indian tribes to acts of violence toward the American settlers to force submission to the English rule. This was before the organization of this county, but several of those who enlisted in the war after- wards became settlers in this county, hence this mention. There was a fort near Edwardsville known as Fort Russell and Governor Edwards became apprehensive of an attack on that fort as forts in other places had been attacked. This caused many who lived near this county to enter the war and subdue the recalcitrant Indians and when this was accomplished, later as stated, many settled in this county. A list of these we have not at hand.
BLACK HAWK WAR.
From 1825 to 1832 the Indians were very troublesome, claiming lands and privileges not in keeping with prior treaties, or civilized rights. The Sioux, the Winnebagoes and Potta- wattomies joining with the Sacs and Fox In- dians under the leadership of Chiefs Red Bird and Black Hawk were the principal tribes caus- ing the trouble. After some ineffectual efforts to settle the differences with them, during which time the whites sustained alarming attacks, Governor Reynolds called for volunteers to stop their rebellious attitude and quiet them till matters could be settled by treaty. The place of rendezvous for the volunteers was at Peru in LaSalle County. It will be remembered that our county was then less than twelve years old, and the state but a few years older. Every man going into that conflict left a family need- ing his services more than at any subsequent time in the history of the county, but the homes that they had sacrificed so much for to support and establish were threatened, and taking their lives in their hands, as well as subjecting the lives of those they left behind to danger, they volunteered as true patriots. The first company to organize from this county was that of Capt. Levi D. Boone. This company was sworn in April 20, 1832. The second one to organize
HENRY HOLDERREAD AND FAMILY
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
was that of Capt. Hiram Rountree. These com- panies were composed of the persons named below.
Black Hawk's Indian name was Ma-ka-tan- me-she-kia-kiah. He was born on the site of the present city of Rock Island, in 1767. Upon the close of the Black Hawk War a treaty was negotiated with General Scott by which the land lying east of the Mississippi River in Illi- nois and elsewhere was accepted by the Indians as neutral ground, and the Indians reluctantly withdrew from that part of the country.
CAPTAIN BOONE'S COMPANY.
Captain, Levi D. Boone; first lieutenant, James G. Hinman, second lieutenant, Absolem Cress ; sergeants, C. G. Blockburger, Mikael H. Walker, Israel Fogelman, Wm. McDavid; cor- porals, John Prater, Alex T. Williams, C. S. Coffey, Newton Street ; privates, James Brown, Samuel L. Briggs, Harrison Brown, Cobbert Blair, H. C. Bennett (quartermaster), Peter Cress, G. W. Canins, John Crabtree, George E. Duff, Michael Fanin, Wm. Griffith, James Gris- ham, Johnson IIampton, James Hawkins, Ben- jamin Halbrock, Joshua Hunt, Sam Ishmael, Wm. Jordan, A. H. Knapp, Eph. Killpatrick, Stephen Kilingworth, Geo. E. Ludwick, Robert A. Long, John K. McWilliams, Thomas J. Mans- field, Wm. Mayfield, Barnabus Michael, Samuel Peacock, Eli Rabb, James M. Rutledge, Wm. Roberts, Wm. D. Sherley, Daniel Steel, Curtis Schrivener, Thomas J. Toedd, McKensie Turner, James B. Williams, Easton Whitten, Ben R. Williams, James Young.
CAPTAIN ROUNTREE'S COMPANY.
Captain Rountree's company of the Second Regiment of the Third Brigade, was organized May 21, 1832, and mustered out August 16, of the same year. They were mostly from Hills- boro and the surrounding communities, as fol- lows: Captain, Hiram Rountree; first lieuten- ant, John Kirkpatrick ; second lieutenant, Thom- as Phillips; sergeants Andrew K. Gray, John Stone, Samuel Jackson, David B. Starr; cor- porals, Spartan Grisham, Malachi Smith, Thom- as McAdams, Thomas Edwards ; privates, Clem- ent C. Aydelott, John Brown, John Briggs, Jo- seph Burke, James M. Berry, Levi W. Booer, Cleveland Coffey, David Copeland, John Carlew,
James Cardwell, John Duncan, Thomas Early, Thomas Evans, Ammon Forehand, Wm. Griffith, Thomas Gray, Alexander R. Gray, John Hart, George Harkey, John M. Holmes, William Har- key, Thomas W. Heady, Thomas C. Hughes, John Hannah, Alfred Johnson, William Jones, Jesse Johnson, Thomas Johnson, James Locker- man, John K. Long, John McCurry, Malcolm McPhail, David T. McCullock, Horace Mans- field, Axrin McCullock, Robert McCullock, John M. McWilliams, Wm. McDavid, Samuel Paisley, Thomas Potter, James Potter, Jacob Rhodes, Willis Rose, Luke Sea Steel, Thomas Sturtevant, Zebedee Shriley, John Slater, William M. Ten- nis, James Wilson, David M. Williams, Wm. S. Williams, Joseph W. Wilson, Thomas Wood, Thomas Williford, William Young.
A. H. H. Rountree, a son of Capt. Hiram Rountree, in an article published in the Hills- boro Democrat, April 23, 1873, says of the Mont- gomery County soldiers in the Black Hawk War :
"Among the first to go was Dr. L. D. Boone, who formed a company and marched to the de- fense of his country. After his three months' campaign, Governor Reynolds called for more troops, and Hiram Rountree raised a company, and was elected captain, with John Kirkpatrick as first lieutenant ; Thomas Phillips, second lieu- tenant ; A. K. Gray, sergeant ; John Stone, sec- ond sergeant ; Samuel Jackson. third lieutenant ; Spartan Grisham, first corporal : Malachi Smith, second corporal; Thomas McAdams, third cor- poral ; Thomas Edwards, fourth corporal ; D. B. Starr, fourth sergeant and privates as above listed. These men furnished themselves with arms, accoutrements, horses, as far as in their power, and marched to Peru, where we find them June 20, 1832, as the following letter shows :
" 'HEAD QUARTERS, June 20th, 1832. "'HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR REYNOLDS :
"'In obedience to your order of May 20, my company has repaired to headquarters for the defense of the country, with the expectation of enjoying what others are enjoying, and what wisdom of the United States intended they should enjoy in such emergencies-the arms pro- vided by the United States for the benefit of Illinois. This has been denied us. The men at a distance of 200 miles from home are with- out provision and none in the immediate coun- try had they the means of buying.
" 'This note is drafted to know of your Excel-
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
lency, and that immediately, what the men are to depend on. With great respect,
" 'Your obedient servant,
" 'HIRAM ROUNTREE.
" 'P. S .- As regards myself I shall never com- plain, but tbe condition in which the company is placed demands speedy attention. Their crops are lost, and they in debt for their preparation to defend their country-H. Rountree.'
"However much this note inay have seemed impudent to General Atkinson, when backed by Governor Reynolds himself, who was in full sympathy with the volunteer soldiery, most of whom were his personal friends, the arms were furnished to those who were in need, and pro- visions likewise on the following day. This com- pany continued in the service and engaged in at least two of the battles and were discharged after Black Hawk had been destroyed and him- self made a prisoner. Of the individual men some are still living, but death has sadly 'thinned the ranks, though none were killed in battle."
After Black Hawk was subdued and peace re- stored, he and many of his braves were held as prisoners of war for awhile, and on September 10, 1832, the Indian prisoners were taken to Jefferson Barracks below St. Louis. From there Black Hawk was sent to Washington where he was presented to President Andrew Jackson, and on April 26, 1833, he was sent to Fortress Monroe, where he remained until the 4th of June, when he was permitted to return to his people. Upon his return he was restored to his tribe as a chief, subordinate to Keokuk. Black Hawk died Oct. 30, 1838, at the age of seventy-one years. He was dressed for burial in a uniform presented him when in Washington by the president. The body was placed in the middle of the grave in a sitting posture on a seat constructed for the purpose. On his left side a cane given him by Henry Clay, was placed upright with his right hand resting on it. Many of the old warrior's trophies were placed in tbe grave.
WAR WITH MEXICO.
More than once in the history of the United States "trouble with Mexico" has presented seri- ous problems for the government to solve and what is termed the Mexican War, 1845-7, settled some questions of great importance and at tbe same time brought into the limelight men wbo
subsequently attained great distinction in this country. This war with Mexico grew out of the annexation of Texas, formerly a possession of Mexico, to the United States. Many settlers in this territory desired a stable government rather than the guerilla warfare that was rep- resentative of Mexico's attempt to sustain laws of any kind, and they appealed, after Texas had revolted from Mexico at the battle of San Jacinto, to be admitted as a state in the Union. This proposition was favorably looked on by the Democratic party in the United States but was strongly opposed by the Whigs. The annex- ation of Texas was made one of the chief issues in the presidential campaign of 1844, when James K. Polk, tbe Democratic candidate, was elected. This was taken as sufficient endorse- ment of the will of the people, and admission of Texas to the Union followed early in 1845. At once Mexico broke off all diplomatic relations with the United States and war soon was de- clared.
One company of ninety-six men was this county's quota out of four regiments that were sent from Illinois. The four regiments from Illinois were commanded as follows: one at Jacksonville, commanded by Colonel Hardin, who was killed at Buena Vista in a charge made on the enemy; one from Murphysboro, com- manded by Colonel Bissell ; one from Cairo, com- manded by Colonel Baker; and one from Van- dalia, commanded by Colonel Foreman. The last named regiment, being the one nearest us, the company from this county was a part of that command. Seventeen of these men died while under enlistment, and the most of the remaining came back to tbis county, and, among their names, will be found the ancestors of many of the prominent families in the country today. It is always with a proper sense of pride when mention is made of these old people, to say that they were in the Mexican War. Indeed such is the feeling when speaking of a soldier in any of the past wars; not that all approve of war, but because these soldiers answered the call of their country and served in its defense.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY SOLDIERS OF THE WAR WITH MEXICO.
Company C, Third Regiment : Captain, James C. McAdams, died at Matamoros January 4, 1847; first lieutenant, Thomas Rose, in com- mand after McAdams' death; second lieuten-
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
ants, John Burk, John Corlew ; sergeants, James M. Williford, promoted to sergeant; Miles Mor- ris, Jep J. McDavid ; corporals, William Stephen- son, Benjamin Blockburger, Charles H. Rutlege ; musicians, Joseph Mapes, left sick at Mata- moros; James F. Witherspoon; privates, Cla- born Acres, Jas. B. Anderson, William R. Boyd, - John Bodkin, John Q. A. Bennett, Nelson Ben- nett, Benson Card, Ransom Corlew, John Craig, La Fayette Cardwell, Robert W. Davis, Wm. A. Edwards, Mark W. Edwards, Johnson A. Frost, John Fuller, Jackson Finney, James B. Garner, Daniel Graff, Thomas Gunter, Higgason B. Grubbs, Stephen Harman, Achilles Harman, Wil- born Isaacs, Benjamin R. Ishmael, Wm. King- ston, John Knoots, Jacoh Lyerla, John T. Loomis, John M. Lyngle, Thomas McWilliams, Joseph Penter, John Pruett, Major Pruett, George W. Rose, Abraham B. Starr, Wiley B. Smith, James M. Scott, John Turrentine, Alanson B. Thomas, Wm. H. Varner, Joseph G. Wright, Thomas F. Wright, James S. Williams, Jarrett Wright, Joseph C. Wilson.
The following were discharged or died: ser- geants, J. B. McDavid, James M. Quellman ; pri- vates, Isaac J. Bishop, William D. Colyar, Mar- tin A. Cress, Joel N. Fogleman, Edwin R. Grubbs, Samuel F. King, Isaac Lewey, William B. McCaslin, Thomas A. Norman, Eli Peacock, William Seymour, James Walker, were all dis- charged on surgeon's certificate ; first sergeant, Robert Williamson, died at Camargo, 1846; cor- poral, Elijah Isaacs, died at Point Isabel, 1847 ; privates, William H. Barrett, Moses Barringer, Wm. C. Burke, George Bryants, died at Mata- moros, 1846; Levi Card died at Jalapa, 1846; John J. Colman died at Matamoros, 1846; John C. Gaston died at Matamoros, 1847; Henry Hill died at Matamoros, 1846; Wm. S. Halford died at Camp Patterson, 1846; Ezra P. Knight died at Matamoros, 1847; Razin G. Lazenby died at Camargo, 1847; Chas. W. Lynch died at Mata- moros, 1846; Alex W. Pearson died at Camp Patterson, 1846; Franklin Roper died at Ca- margo, 1846; John A. Williams died at Mata- moros, 1846. This company was discharged at New Orleans, La., May 21, 1847.
Wiley B. Smith, a private of Company C of Third Regiment of the Mexican War Volunteers, who lived in the Baxter House, a mile north of Walshville, in his "Diary of a Soldier in Mex- ico," recently published in the Hillsboro Jour- nal, throws much light on the experiences of those who went there in defense of the Texans.
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The dates, routes of travel, the experiences, difficulties and dangers are faithfully stated, together with much descriptive of the country, its development and inhabitants. He also gives some very lurid descriptions of some of the en- gagements that our boys were in. For instance, we quote this from him of an engagement under date of February 15, 1848 :
"When we came to the river we met General Worth's division that had camped here over night, and had moved on about four miles, where we were fired on by the enemy, and the General was forced to join his old camp until his strength was increased. General Shields and General Pillow's brigades came up the same day and General Patterson came up the next day, General Twiggs being in command until General Patterson came. He was not able to take command on account of a fall he had re- ceived from his horse, and he gave the command up to Twiggs. A charge on the enemy was or- dered at four o'clock in the morning of the fourteenth, but General Patterson did not think it a good plan, and ordered Twiggs to wait until the commander-in-chief came, or until further orders from himself. That stopped all and saved many lives. Scouts were sent out to find out the position of the enemy.
"On the 15, General Scott came in, and on this night a counsel of war was held, as the scouting parties had discovered a way that might be made possible, to get around behind the enemy. General Twiggs was ordered to clear the way around so that cannon could be taken around and planted. This was done on the 16. In doing this we were attacked by the Mexicans and we had a desperate battle and along in the evening retreated to a fort that was nearby.
"Twiggs thought it good time to get possession of that fort and made a heavy charge on it, but the Mexicans rallied and fought desperately. After contending some time Twiggs was forced to retreat and he was pursued some distance by the enemy. But night came on and the battle ceased. General Shields was ordered to aid in planting battery. We worked all night in the rain and darkness of night, pulling cannon up a desperate high mountain. It required 500 men to move a cannon, while some of the others were engaged in collecting the wounded from among the weeds. This they were able to do by hearing them groan. They could not tell the Mexicans from our men so they brought all
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
together. Our doctors treated all alike. The ground was strewn thick with the dead of both sides. In passing over the mountain I would first stumble over a rock and then over a dead man. After much labor we got one cannon, a thirty-six pounder on the summit of the moun- tain in view of the enemy and within about 500 yards of their battery. They found us out and all at once they began to pour the grapeshot and cannister among us, like a heavy shower of hail. But they had to throw their missiles by guess and did not do much damage. In the course of the night we got two other pieces planted on the top of the hill. These twenty- two pounders were howitzers.
"On April the 18, the sun rose clear and pleas- ant. Many were the soldiers who saw it rise but never saw it set. Many brave hearts throbbed dread and desire. The plan of attack was altered over night and agreed upon. The attack was to be made at three points and pre- cisely at nine o'clock. On these fronts, Gen- eral Pillow and two Tennessee regiments were to stand on the left and two Pennsylvania regi- ments and General Twiggs, commanding the reg- ulars, was to attack on the right while General Shields, commanding the Third and Fourth Reg- iments of Illinois Vounteer Infantry and one New York Regiment, was to attack on the rear and cut off their retreat. In doing this he found a front that was unexpected. As the sun rose and cannons roared and threw such a heavy fire on our battery that it was very destructive.
"They were well prepared with breastworks, but the shots did not stop at the battery for they fell among us like a heavy hail storm, wounding men and horses at every shot, but we were rather far from them for their shot to kill many. A charge was ordered sooner than the appointed time on account of the enemy's heavy fire. Soon the roaring of muskets spoke like one voice and carried death with them. Our bri- gade had to run three miles under a heavy fire from the enemy's guns and a great part of the time under a cross fire and at last we found our- selves in a few yards of the unexpected battery. The woods appeared to be alive with Mexicans from their guns and clouds of smoke that as- cended, but they appeared that they did not want close quarters and soon we reached the road. There were many Mexicans trying to get off their wounded officers but their mules were shot down before their wagons and soon they fell with them. The battery was soon charged.
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