Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 39

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810

USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II > Part 39

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).

was held pursuant to a call issued by Doctor Stephenson at Indianapolis, Ind., November 20, 1866. Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut, of Belvidere, Ill., was honored with election as first com- mander-in-chief. The second encampment was held in Philadelphia, Pa., January 15, 1868, when another distinguished son of Illinois, Gen. John A. Logan, was chosen commander-in-chief.

F. D. HUBBEL POST.

F. D. Hubbel Post No. 403, G. A. R. of Hills- boro was organized February 1, 1884. Those who signed the charter were: Capt. Paul Walter, John L. Card, Henry H. Keithley, George Morris, William Berry, Henry F. Potter, William S. Boone, William Tomlinson, William R. Holliday, Capt. Enoch J. File, Henry Haller, James C. Brown, J. T. Raimey, William R. Truesdale, John V. Risk, George Fink, James McGraw. Of these only three or four have not been summoned by the last roll call. Since the organization practically all the soldiers entitled to be mem- bers living in the vicinity, have been enrolled as members, and the post holds its meetings and celebrates Decoration Day with very attractive services. Its membership at this time is about twenty.

F. D. HUBBEL WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS.

F. D. Hubbel Woman's Relief Corps No. 103, as an auxiliary of the G. A. R. post of that name, was organized March 12, 1883. The charter members were: Mrs. Lucy E. Tyler, Mrs. Minnie M. Walsh, Mrs. Jennie B. Truitt, Mrs. Hattie Haynes, Mrs. Jennie Glenn, Mrs. Mary F. Sammons, Mrs. Mary F. Ralston, Mrs. Addie Armstrong, Mrs. Elizabeth Raimey, Mrs. Mary Boone, Mrs. Ella M. Brown, Mrs. Hannah Truesdale, Mrs. Susan E. Warren, Mrs. Ada Keith, Mrs. Cornelia McGowan, Mrs. Ada B. Haller, Mrs. Clara Winchester, Mrs. Jane Vawters, Mrs. Sarah Adams, Mrs. Sophia W. Frey, Elizabeth Edwards, Mrs. Susan Smith, Mrs. Eva Brandt, Mrs. Minnie Herguth, Mrs. Ida Spangler, Mrs. Camilla Whitten. This organization continue to hold their meetings with apparent regularity, and as they die off have been recruited with those eligible. The members are in evidence whenever public occa- sions demand their services, and their benevo- lence is known and appreciated by all. The following are the last elected officers of this

831

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

corps ; Mrs. Emma Baxter, president ; Mrs. Louise Haag, senior vice president ; Mrs. Arthur Moore, junior vice president; Mrs. John Vawters, treasurer ; Mrs. E. A. Helston, chaplain ; Mrs. Mattie Handshy, conductor ;

Mrs. James Greenlaugh, guard; Mrs. Mary Boone, delegate ; Mrs. Carrie Kortkamp, alternate; and Mrs. George T. Steward musician.

NOKOMIS POST.

Nokomis Post No. 236 was organized early in the spring of the year 1883, with the election of Doctor H. S. Strain as commander and Denis P. Brophy as adjutant with about forty mem- bers. Among those who served the post as com- manders were the following: Smith Den- man, T. J. Pattingale, G. S. Upstorm, G. R. Spannagel, J. M. Henry, Edwin Safford and A. F. Weaver. Since this post was organized, 116 old soldiers have been members of it, but at this time there are only nineteen old veterans left. The rest have fallen by the way side or moved away. The greater portion have answered their last call and are now camping on the "Golden Shore" above.

COTTINGHAM POST.

Cottingham Post, No. 236, of Nokomis was organized in 1883; the number of members at present is twenty-one. The present officers are as follows: A. F. Weaver, commander; W. F. Weber, senior commander; W. F. Chambers, junior commander; William Shoemaker. adju- tant and Antony Callihan, quartermaster. The following have served as commanders of this post since its organization: Dr. H. S. Strain, S. Denman, G. R. Spannagel, T. J. Pattingale, James Henry. George Foster, G. S. Upstorm. During its existence 116 members have been en- rolled in this post.

UNION LEAGUE OF AMERICA.

The Union League of America was a secret political and patriotic order organized during the Civil War for the purpose of sustaining the Union and combating the Knights of the Golden Circle and other similar orders. It was organ- ized at Pekin, Ill .. in June, 1862, the father of Senator Cullom, being one of its founders. The general meetings of this order were held at Bloomington, in September 1862, and by the

latter part of 1862, it was estimated that the order had a membership of 50,000 so rapid was its growth, and by 1864, there were in Illinois over 1300 councils with an estimated member- ship of 175,000 and a membership throughout the northern states of 2,000,000. The order was very effective in stimulating enlistments for the war and in raising supplies for the sick and wounded. Over $25,000, was raised by this order and sent to Vicksburg through General Williams of Springfield, and vast amounts to other points through various channels. After the termination of the Rebellion the order ceased to exist, as its purpose had been accom- plished. It had a strong lodge or local league in Litchfield, one in Hillsboro, one in Walsh- ville, and several others in this county. These local leagues were fully organized and officered and had signs and passwords, all of which were patriotic in character. The pasword for 1862, for instance, was "Eternal Vigilance, the Price of Liberty." In the local bylaws it stated sub- stantially that the object was to promote the cause of the Union and oppose secession and to help the Union boys who went to the front, and to care for the needy women and children who were deprived of this means of support by the volunteering of their men in the Union ranks. In large measure the organization was the anti- pode of the Knights of the Golden Circle which will be briefly described further on. Large quan- tities of clothing, lint for wounds, jellies and other delicacies were sent to the boys at the front, and every act and word possible to en- courage them in their precarious duties were extended to the soldiers of the Union army whether in the regiments of their own boys' com- mands or others. The Grand Army of the Re- public and the Woman's Relief Corps of today are measurably a resuscitation of the Union League of the sixties.

KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE.

The order of The Knights of The Golden Circle was composed of proslavery men of the northern states banded together in a strong and powerful organization with bylaws and grips and passwords indicative of their views of the exciting questions of the day. Many otherwise very good citizens were members of the order. and we do not question the excellent intentions of these people. They defined their purpose as that of home protection, by which is inferred that

832

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

they believed their homes were in danger from the anti-slavery advocates. It was a time of in- tense feeling, and the questions of slavery and secession were so absorbing as to overshadow every other question, and create suspicion and animosity toward everyone who did not agree with the views of those opposed. That many of the acts of outlawry charged to the order may have been done by hotheads and not by authority of the order is but a fair presumption. A strong circle existed in Litchfield, another in Hillsboro. One met at a private residence a mile east of Walshville. The members had arms and met weekly to drill in military tactics. A circle was organized in Van Burensburg. A circle met on the east side of the county, another met over a store in Butler and there are several other places where they were known to have circles. The names of most of the active men in these organizations have been given the writer but out of respect to these men and their descendents we refrain from mentioning them. Many exciting and dramatic incidents trans- pired during this period when the destinies of our Republic seemed to be hanging by a slender cord, that might break at any moment. Much credit is due to such conservative men as Joseph Eccles, who was provost marshal at that time, for the precautions that were extended to con- serve that equilibrium of passion that the wrought up public manifested on every hand. As an instance of these dramatic events, which were numerous, we give this one. We have said that John Isbell was a promotor of the Golden Circle, he was more than that, he was a danger- ous adventurer who had come here from Ken- tucky, and being a brother-in-law to a clergyman, then preaching at Irving, was able to get into the confidence of those who espoused the anti-war cause. After the Knights of the Golden Circle had become an apparent menace to the govern- ment, steps were taken to restrain them in some effective way, and Isbell readily became a trai- tor to his friends, by joining in with the govern- ment officials and tricking the knights into a well planned scheme to curb their activities. He induced a band of about seventy-five men to go to Chicago from the vicinity of Van Burensburg, for the ostensible purpose of liberating some Confederate soldiers that were reported being held there with only a few guards. They took train at Ramsey and when in Chicago were met and taken to a building, soon to find that they were surrounded with guards and to be in-

formed that they were prisoners. Two of the men, who happened to be out when the guards were placed around them, escaped and walked all the way home. Isbell himself did not go with them, promising to come on the next train, but with the booty which he must have gotten for his treacherous conduct, escaped to Texas, where he got into further trouble and served a term in the penitentiary, but long after the war he came back, to Fayette County, and while there stole a horse and buggy and returned to Ken- tucky, and was followed, arrested and again put in the penitentiary. The men were held in Chicago for some time, one or two of them dying in the prison, and eventually after aweing them into a more tractable spirit, they were permitted to return to their homes. The names of these men are withheld, as we think they were without any treacherous intentions, and it is better that the personality of the history be forgotten, As Litchfield was the scene of possibly more inten- sity of feeling, and of the strongest organiza- tions of both the Union League and of the Knights of the Golden Circle than anywhere else in the county, we have asked Samuel W. Kessinger to give us a sketch of some of their activities there during that momentous period, which we are pleased herewith to present.

UNION LEAGUE OF LITCHFIELD.

"The Civil War is studied in the public schools of America according to the point of view. Northern writers color events to suit their panoramic view of the events which led up to the war, and to the events brought on by the war. Southern writers do the same. We proudly boast that we are a reunited nation, and to all practical purposes we are. But it will be a great many years before an absolutely im- partial narrative of that great struggle will be written. Emotionalists claim that human liberty was the goal sought, but those who believe in sordid facts must acknowledge that National Union was the goal, and that it was opposed by the friends who espoused the rights and priv- ileges of the individual state.

"Every community in this broad land was more or less affected by the Civil War; some, more than others. There were distinctive divi- sions of the states; some were ultra Southern, others ultra Northern, and still others were called border states. Some of the so called border states furnished troops to both sides.

Приева.

833

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Missouri was a splendid example of that kind. Illinois, while classed as a northern state, and while credited with furuishing as mauy soldiers for the Union Cause as any state in the Union, was the dumping ground for the border states. There were few railroads in those days. Litch- field, fifty miles from St. Louis on the St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad, was easy of access to a class of Missouri refugees whose sympathies were entirely with the South, but who dodged service in the southern armies by seeking a refuge here. After taking up their abode in our midst, their chief occupation was to harass the Union, Union soldiers, and Union sympathizers in general. In short, they were guerillas. They lived in bands, or colouies, and professed to earn a livelihood by trading. It was hardly safe, however, to ask where they secured their horses. They visited every part of the county, intimidating and stealing, their victims at all times being Union men. Some of their depredations, which were many, will be narrated later.

"During the second year of the war an organi- zation was perfected which had two objects in view. One was, carry the election of 1864, and the other was, put an end to the criminal acts of the southern sympathizers. It was known as the Uniou League. I have been informed that several councils were formed in Montgomery County, but I am only familiar with the history of Litchfield Council, whose charter bore date of February 11, 1863. The charter members were J. W. Casseday, George M. Raymond, D. Davis, Jr., W. A. Stoddard, A. Almon, Thomas C. Kessinger, William Million, D. C. Amsden, George Hoosier, BInford H. Kessinger, Samuel Graham, Daniel Warner, J. C. Reed, John Lind- say, A. J. Thompson, J. W. Keller, John P. Bay- less, and James Cooper. Bluford H. Kessinger was the last of the charter members, his death occurring at Abilene, Kas., in March, 1916.

"Litchfield Council was affiliated with other councils throughout the country, and every mem- ber was a conductor on the "Underground Rail- road," and aided runaway slaves in their jour- ney towards Canada. It had its headquarters in Empire Hall, which comprised the second story of the brick building at the northeast corner of State and Ryder streets.

The sonthern sympathizers had an organiza- tion, and called themselves 'Knights of the Golden Circle.' They had headquarters in the third story of the 'Gay' wagon shop which

stood at the southeast corner of Madison and Ryder streets, just a block from Empire Hall. Each side threw out its pickets, and also its spies. The members of the Union League had taken the precaution to provide themselves with rifles of the latest pattern, and made no attempt to deny a current rumor that they had 500 rifles, aud a caunon in their lodge room. It is related that on one occasion the Kuights of the Golden Circle placed a spy in a tree, the branches of which could be reached from the windows of Empire Hall. The Union Leaguers either knew that they were being spied upon, or took unusual precautiou ou that occasion. The members en- tered the building by the west stairway, changed coats, descended the south stairway, aud going around the block re-entered by the west stair- way, all of the time talking in tones sufficiently loud to be heard by any nearby spy, of havoc their caunou would create if it should be turned loose up or down State street. These trips were repeated several times, and many years after- wards it was learned that the report of the spy to his comrades had created cousternation in their midst.

"Quite a colony of these refugees settled about two miles southeast of this city, on the road leading to the settlement known as the flats. Barney McShane, who still resides in Litch- field, conducted a wayside inn in that locality on the south road to Hillsboro. His chief stock in trade, besides the spirits which exuberate and inebriate, was composed of cove oysters and crackers. Abont fifty families lived in a small radius of the inu, some in log cabins, and others in tents. Doctor R. F. Bennett relates that he was making a call in that neighborhood one afternoon, and that as he was passing McShane's inn, several men appeared in the road and stopped him. One burly fellow grabbed the bits of the horse he was riding, aud the Doctor was invited to dismount and have a drink, or to eat and drink with them as he saw fit. He told them that he had been called on an important mission, and that he really did not have the time to partake of their hospitality. They were in- sisting in a manner which led him to believe that he would be taken from his horse when Cose Bost, a local character, appeared, and spoke a few words which might have been in the Hebrew language for all the Doctor knew, and his tormentors desisted. Bost told them then in plain Anglo-Saxon that whenever the Doctor passed, he was not to be molested ; that he was

834

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

to come and go at his pleasure. And, he did. He was called many times after that to treat the families of the colony, and was always paid before he departed.

"William H. Barton, a wagon maker, was a Union Leaguer, and had in some manner in- curred the special enmity of the refugees. One of them offered an insult one day which Barton's fiery nature could not stand, and covering the refugee with his old army Colt, he forced him to march time from Empire Hall, north to the City Park, and back again several times until Ahart Pierce, one of the original residents of the town site persuaded him to desist. Barton was bound over to await the action of the grand jury for that escapade, but his friend Pierce, who was a strong Democrat, extricated him by persuading the refugee to return to Missouri, providing Barton paid all expenses. The ex- penses were paid.

"John H. Roberts, a Union man, resided on a farm about six miles north-east of Litchfield, near the present hamlet of Honey Bend. He had ordered a pair of boots made by a convivial shoe- maker in Litchfield. He called for them one evening, and after trying on one of them, paid for the pair, and went home. When he at- tempted to dress up for some festal occasion in his neighborhood, he discovered that both boots were for the left foot. A few nights later, the marauders visited his home, and relieved him of his cash, the family silverware, and his new boots. Roberts reported his loss in Litchfield the following morning. William H. Barton, the same Barton referred to above, had his wagon shop at the south-west corner of State and West Union avenue, just across from the City Park. He saw a horse standing at the hitch rack. From the saddle horn there hung a pair of boots. His curiosity was aroused to such an extent that he walked across the street to investigate. The boots told the story; there were both for the left foot. He retraced his steps to his shop, secured his old army Colt, and awaited results. It was not long until the owner of the horse put in his appearance; Barton commanded him to throw up his hands, but instead he quickly swung into his saddle and started east on Union avenue. Barton borrowed a horse from the rack without the formality of asking its owner, and followed the fleeing refugee. He overtook him in the break east of town, and brought him back and turned him over to an officer.

"William G. Porter, afterwards a well known resident of Litchfield, lived on a farm a few miles north of town. Banks were few in those days, and every man had peculiar ideas as to how to take care of his money. Porter had sold his wheat, which brought a fancy price in those days, and had taken his money home with him. The refugees saw an opportunity to acquire sud- den wealth, and visited Mr. Porter that night. Two of them had gained admission to his house, and had demanded to know the whereabouts of the cash. Porter told them he would have to dress before he could show them. As he pulled on his boots he suddenly surprised the bandits covering them with a brace of loaded pistols. The robbers fled without securing the money, or learning its hiding place.

"Albert Burnett, a pioneer resident of the Pitman prairie, some fifteen of sixteen miles due north of Litchfield, was one of the intended vic- tims of the Knights of the Golden Circle. He too had threshed, and had a snug sum of money upon his premises. The Knights reached his house about 10 o'clock at night, and boisterously demanded admission. Their answer was a charge of heavy shot through the panel of the door. A sharp cry, and hurried scrambling of feet were heard; the bandits quickly mounted their horses and disappeared. For several weeks a half dozen or more men were observed in Litchfield, each carrying an arm in a sling.

"There were quite a number of Golden Circle sympathizers in 'Greasy Neck,' a strip of land along the North fork of Shoal Creek from South and West of the present village of Raymond almost to the then prosperous village of Zanes- ville. Those men were known in Litchfield, and usually acted as civilized beings when in town. But Mr. Strange, in his article under the caption of 'The Clingman Raid' has mentioned their activities, and especially those of their most active leader, Green Costley. The latter resided in and near the village of Raymond until the early eighties, and was regarded as a 'bad actor' in any serap, and there were many of them in that village during those days.

"This article is written as impartially as the time which has clapsed will permit. As I said in the beginning, it will probably be a great many years before an absolutely impartial narrative can be penned."

The above account of the Union League, and of the Knights of the Golden Circle in Litchfield,

835

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

during that exciting period, was the experience of every other community in the county, though not quite so near to open warfare as in Litch- field. The Green Costley referred to by Mr. Kessinger, was a resideut of Raymond Town- ship, where the Knights of the Golden Circle were strong, and he was also a member of the Clingman gang, desperadoes in part, and in part misguided citizens who volunteered with them not knowing their real character. When Mr. Guthrie living near Butler, had a horse stolen by these desperadoes, the horse was tracked to the vicinity of their camp in Fillmore Township, and B. C. Hill and Mr. Guthrie went there and by deception as to their intentions, managed to get into the camp and request the return of Mr. Clingman's horse. It was the man Costley who tried to have Mr. Hill put to death. The horse was not obtained, though they afterwards learned that he was being held, and was then iu a pasture near by, and both Mr. Hill and Mr. Guthrie were glad to get out with their lives.

We here append a history of the Clingman raid, which we published in the proceedings of the Montgomery County Historical Society, which we think is about as near correct as can now be obtained. We necessarily abbreviate the account as originally written, and leave out some things not important as history.

HISTORY OF THE CLINGMAN RAID.

In the issue of The Montgomery News of September S, 1905. the following article was published, which, so far as I know is the ouly account published of that exciting event.

"In the spring of 1864 Capt. Clingman, who claimed to come from Missouri, came into Fill- more Township with a company of armed men, claiming that their object was to resist the draft. They had their camp north of Van Burensburg in the timber of Dry Fork. They staid there nearly all summer committing depre- dations, stealing horse feed, killing cattle and robbing citizens.

"Ou the night of July 22, 1864, a party of three or four men went to the house of Jefferson Lyun, better known as Josie Lynn, a wealthy farmer living three miles west of Van Burens- burg, and robbed him, taking $350 in money and all the clothes in the house worth taking. The robbers each had a revolver aud a bowie knife and they forced Mr. Lynn to give up his money, threatening to take his life. They

wanted gold aud because they couldn't find any in the house they struck Mr. Lynn several times over the head with their revolvers and even threatened to hang him.

"They eutered the house by batteriug down the door with a rail. They claimed that Mr. Lynn had some deserters in his house from the Uniou Army, who he was keeping as prisoners, and that they were there to rescue them, but evidently their sole purpose was robbery. A pocket book with a considerable sum of money was takeu. The next morning an empty pocket- book with the uame of a man who lived in the neighborhood, was found, also a bill rendered to Captain Clingman for some buttons. The rob- bers told Mr. Lynn that he had some good horses which they would get later. The rob- bery occurred about eleven o'clock and they told Mr. Lynn that if any of them left the house before morning they would kill them.

"The same night the house of Bryce Prater, living in the Jett Prairie in Bond County, was robbed and they got about $500 from him. These robberies aud outrages aroused the whole coun- try, aud about two weeks afterward companies were organized in Hillsboro and Greenville to run the robbers out of the country. Col. Paul Walter, of Hillsboro, was iu command, and sev- eral hundred men collected and surrounded the Clingman camp, but Clingman and his band had left.

"On that raid William Witherspoon, of Hills- boro, was accidentally shot in the arm, and the arm had to be amputated at the shoulder, Mr. Witherspoon was the father of Mrs. Wil- liam Miller, Mrs. Josiah Bixler aud Mrs. J. J. Frey of this city. John Ferguson and Mr. Jeffery, both of Litchfield, were in the party, and were shot from ambush while riding along the road that runs north from Van Burens- burg. Ferguson was shot in the thigh and Mr. Jeffery received a load of buckshot in the back, but ueither was seriously wounded.

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.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 39

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 810

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810