History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 41

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948

USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 41
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 41
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 41

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).

322

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

and was then published as a weekly, and then again the demands upon its columns were such that its size was increased to a six-column quarto, its present size. The Farmer and Fruit-Grower was, as stated, an experiment in the beginning, and rather a daring venture, but its success has been great, and the good influence it has exerted upon this entire southern part of Illinois has been wide and lasting. Mr. H. C. Bouton has built up the best printing office that was ever in the county, and the circulation of his paper has reached the unparalleled figures of over 1,200 copies. The farmers and fruit- growers all over the country deeply appreciate this as their friend and organ, and all over the State it is already well known and highly valued. The horticultural department is in editorial charge of Dr. "J. H. Sanborn, who renders his department valuable to the horicultural and fruit-growing interest.

Union County News, by Hale, Wilson & Co., was first issued in 1880, a five-column quarto semi-weekly paper, Republican in politics. Messrs. Hale, Wilson & Co. contin- ued the publication for about two years. It was soon changed from a semi-weekly into a five- column folio weekly. It was then sold to the Advocate Printing Company, and changed in- to the Southern Illinois Advocate, A. J. Nis- bet as editor. He was succeeded by D. W. Mil- ler, and Miller by W. C. Ussery. In February, 1882, it was leased for one year to J. H. Gropengieser, who continued its publication until his lease expired, when the office was closed. Mr. Gropengieser left Illinois and is now publishing a paper in Montana. When Mr. Gropengieser retired, Willard Rushing rented the office and ran it as a job office for a short time.

The Talk was started by Mr. W. W. Faris, of Clinton, he having purchased the princi-

pal stock shares of the News Company, and during the spring of this year (1883) started in the old Advocate office his present spicy and vigorous weekly paper, that bids fair to rapidly win its way to general favor. The Talk is independent in politics, but full of life in all that goes to make a good paper, and we predict a long and successful career for it. Mr. Faris is a much better writer than is generally to be found on weekly papers, and we deem the people of Anna most fortunate in securing his location among them.

The Missionary Sentinel, by Rev. S. P. Myers, was published first in 1879, in the in- terests of the German Reformed Church. After being published about one year, it was moved to Dayton, Ohio, and its publication continued.

A parting word of the newspaper men of Union County, with whom we have spent the last few months so pleasantly, and we con- clude this chapter. The publishers of Union County includes the names of H. C. Bou- ton, of the Farmer and Fruit Grower; John Gropengieser, of the Advocate, recently gone to Montana, and Mr. W. W. Faris, of The Talk -all clever and affable gentleman, of whom the good people of Union County need not be ashamed, and not one of whom will ever disgrace or dishonor the responsible positions they fill, and to all and each of whom we return sincere thanks for many and valuable favors and divers and oft-repeated courtesies and great kindness. ' And when the next cen- tennial history of Union County comes to be written, and one and all of us are silent dust, we beg the historian not to forget to perpet- uate the name and fame and good deeds of these gentlemen, and of the Fruit Grower and The Talk we most heartily wish, esto per- petua.

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

323

CHAPTER IX.

MILITARY HISTORY-" WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS"-AND SOME OF THE GENUINE ARTICLE- REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS-MEXICAN WAR-OUR LATE CIVIL STRIFE- UNION COUNTY'S HONORABLE PART IN IT-THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH REGIMENT-ITS VINDICATION IN HISTORY- ETC., ETC.

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" -SHAKESPEARE.

W HEN the learned Hardshell announced that of the "hull lot on 'em," he reckoned that St. Paul was the "most know- ensomest man," but St. Peter was the " most fightensomest man " of all the Scripter men" of that good old time, he was only giving expression to that world-wide love of bullies, prize-fights and bloody battles that is a lin- gering relic of man's barbarism. The men of the new West have more fight in them than their brethren of the older States; not that they are more quarrelsome by nature, but once when war is declared they are first in the field, and in private life, especially the pioneers, when deliberately insulted, they generally are found always with an armful of fights on hand. In the early day here in Illinois, there were more fist fights, especially when the general election day was in August, than we have now, even with the great increase of population. The time was when every county had its "bully," and he always whipped every one who stood up against him, until finally he would force a fight upon some peaceable non-combatant and get thrashed soundly, and then he would be branded Ichabod, and anybody could bluff and abuse him at pleasure and with impunity. Then some other fighting hero would step to the front, generally to wind up with the same ignoble ending. These old-time bullies were great

men in their day, they received the adula- tions of the ignorant and coarse and vulgar people. The bully of the early day has passed away and the prize-fighter of civiliza- tion has taken his place. And curious as it may be, the rough has as an institution quit- ted the West and taken up his abode in the old States of the East. There is not a gen- uine " fighter for fun " in Southern Illinois, where at one time a fair per cent of the grown men at times indulged in this godless pastime, and esthetic Boston-the land of baked beans-is the proud possessor of the greatest bruiser in the world, and he is ad- mired and worshiped to the extent that his presence in a theater will draw the biggest paying houses of any living man. The nat- ural bull-dog in man clings to his nature with a desperate tenacity. When driven from one place of lodgment, it appears in another, and when extirpated in one form it bobs up serenely in some other. In times of peace, this disposition to fight is not a public good, nor can it be reckoned among the valu- able accomplishments that adorn the race; yet, in times of war, the hour of justifiable war, when the invader is driven away or killed, the belligerent propensities of men may be made to subserve the noblest purposes, and fight the battles of humanity and win victories that make true heroes who deserve to live in immortal epic.

Many of the earliest settlers here were from

324

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

North Carolina, and some of them were of that noble stock who constituted the heroic band of

Revolutionary Soldiers. - Of these we find the names of Elias Moiers, Joseph C. Ed- wards, Christopher Lyerle, Jacob Frick, Peter Meisenheimer and Travers Morris, and there were no doubt others whose names we could not find on the records, who stood shoulder to shoulder in these trying times, with their brothers in arms, and fought, bled and suffered and toiled so hard, so patiently and so well in that immortal battle for the independence and all the blessings of a free government we now enjoy. At the April term, 1828, of the Union County Circuit Court, Elias Moiers filed a petition in open court, making application for a pension as a Revolutionary soldier. The affidavit states he is wholly disabled by reason of his serv- ice in the army, and then says: "I did not apply for a pension sooner because I have heretofore been able to make my own liv- ing," but now, "being wholly unable to so do," he appeals to his country for a small as- sistance, etc. In his affidavit, he enumer- ates his earthly possessions as "one horse, $60; saddle, bridle and saddle bags, $15. Total, $75. He says he volunteered for a term of ten months in the State of South Carolina, under Capt. Williams in the regi- ment of Col. William Polk, and that he served out his term and was discharged on the "High Hills of Santee, S. C." The af- fidavit states that he has no other property in person, trust or otherwise, and is " wholly disabled by age and disease." The applica- tion is long and is very minute in details, and to this there are the corroborating affi- davits of two witnesses and a physician. A transcript of this long record was made by the County Clerk, Winstead Davie, and transmitted to the Secretary of War.

At April term, 1829, of the Union County Circuit Court, Joseph C. Edwards, aged seventy-nine years, filed his sworn declaration and application for a pension as a soldier in the Revolution. He enlisted, he says, for nine months in the year 1776, in Virginia, in Col. Adam Slencar's regiment, served out his term and was discharged at Martins- burg, Va. His property is scheduled as one bed, $3; one ax, $2; one plow, $3; one hoe, $1. Total, $9.

In 1831, Christopher Lyerle, a soldier of the Revolution, filed his declaration for a pension. His age then was sixty-seven years. He enlisted 1780 in North Carolina, in Capt. Lytle's company, Col. McRea's regiment, and served eighteen months, bis full term of en- listment. His property was three horses, $100; cattle, $12; hogs, $10; household fur- niture, $20; farming utensils, $5; wagon, $40; one-quarter section of land, $150. Total, $337.

At the October term of the Circuit Court, 1832, Jacob Frick and Peter Meisenheimer made application for pension for services in the Revolutionary war. And at the April term, 1833, Travers Moiers made his similar application.

The Black Hawk War. - This was the most important of the Indian wars in the West. During Gov. Edwards' administration, as ex- ecutive of the State, the Indians upon the Northwestern frontier began to be very troublesome. The different tribes not only commenced a warfare among themselves, in regard to their respective boundaries, but they extended their hostilities to the white settlements. A treaty of peace, in which the whites acted more as mediators than as a party, had been signed at Prairie du Chien, on the 19th day of August, 1825, by the terms of which the boundaries between the Winne- bagoes and Sioux, Chippewas, Sauks, Foxes

325

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

and other tribes were defined, but it failed to keep them quiet. Their depredations and murders continued frequent, and in the sum- mer of 1827, their conduct, particularly that of the Winnebagoes, became very alarming.

A combination was formed by the different tribes of Indians under Red Bird, a chief of the Sioux, to kill or drive off all the whites above Rock River. They commenced opera- tions by a massacre, on the 24th of July, 1827, of two white men near Prairie du Chien, and on the 30th of the same month they attacked two keel boats on their way to Fort Snelling, killing two of the crew and wounding four others. Gov. Edwards sent an expedition against them which punished the sav- ages and captured Chiefs Red Bird and Black Hawk. The tribe was apparently humbled, and a peace was declared, the Indians agree- ing to move west of the Mississippi and give up the Rock River country to the whites. But they did not go, and in 1830 there was another outbreak. Black Hawk had assumed command of the combined tribes, and he ordered the whites to leave the country, and in April, 1831, he re-crossed the river at the head of a force variously estimated at from three to five hundred braves of his own tribe, and two hundred allies of the Pottawato- mies and Kickapoos, to regain the possession, as he declared, of the ancient hunting grounds and the villages of his tribe. He commenced first to destroy the property of the whites and order them away. Gov. Reynolds was Governor when he learned of the state of affairs ; issued a call for volunteers (May 27, 1831), and the whole northwestern part of the State at once resounded with the hasty preparations of war. No county south of St. Clair, nor east of Sangamon was included in the call, which was limited to seven hun- dred men, who were to report in fifteen days' time, mounted and equipped, at the place of

rendezvous, which was fixed at Beardstown, on the Illinois River. More than twice the number called for responded, and the Gov- ernor concluded to accept the whole sixteen hundred men. June 15, 1831, they took up their march, and arrived at Rock River June 25. There were six companies of regulars sent up from Jefferson Barracks, under com- mand of Gen. Gaines. This met the volun- teer forces on the Mississippi River, and the forces were combined under Gen. Gaines. But the wiley Black Hawk, when he found this force approaching him, deserted his vil- lage and re-crossed the river, and the soldiers took possession of the deserted village and burned it. Gov. Ford says: " Thus perished this ancient village, which had been the de- lightful home of 6,000 or 7,000 Indians, where generation after generation had been born, had died and been buried." Gen. Gaines sent word to Black Hawk to come in and treat for peace, and on June 30, 1831, Black Hawk met Gen. Gaines and Gov. Rey- nolds in full council, in which the Indians agreed that in future no Indian should cross to the east side of the Mississippi without permission. The troops were then disbanded. Thus ended without bloodshed the first cam- paign of the Black Hawk war.

Notwithstanding the treaty, the trouble was not yet ended. In the spring of 1832, Black Hawk recrossed the Mississippi (April 6) with 500 braves on horseback. When Gov. Reynolds heard of this, he called for 1,000 volunteers from the central and south- ern portions of the State, to rendezvous at Beardstown, but this call was soon extended to the whole of the State. Eighteen hundred men met at Beardstown, and an election for field officers was held. Col. John Thomas was elected to the first regiment, Col. Jacob Fry to the second, Col. Abram B. De Witt to the third regiment, Col. Samuel L.

326

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Thompson to the fourth. Maj. James D. Henry was elected to command the Spy Bat- talion, and Maj. Thomas James to command the " Odd " Battalion, and there were eight companies not attached to any regiment. Gov. Reynolds accompanied the expedition, and he placed Brig. Gen. Whiteside in im- mediate command.

On the 29th of April, 1832, the army left camp near Beardstown and marched to the Mississippi River, near where is the present town of Oquawka. ' From here they marched up Rock River, where they were all received into the United States service, and 400 regu- lars and an armament of cannon was joined to the force.

In May, 1832, was fought the battle of " Stillman's Run," in which the Indians were victorious against Gen. Stillman's de- tachment.

During the night after this battle, Gov. Reynolds made a requisition for 2,000 addi- tional men, to be in readiness for future operations, while the utmost consternation spread throughout the State and nation.

Gen. Scott, with 1,000 troops, was immedi- ately ordered to the Northwest, to superin- tend the future operations of the campaign. Black Hawk and his forces retreated up the river. On the 6th of June, Black Hawk at- tacked Apple River Fort with 150 warriors. There were only twenty-five men in the fort. The fort held out bravely, and was finally relieved by the army marching to the relief of the besieged, when Black Hawk retreated and his forces scattered. Our army was put in pursuit, and on the 2d of August overtook the Indians on the banks of the Mississippi as they were preparing to cross, and the bat- tle of Bad Axe was fought and the Indians completely vanquished. Their loss was over 150 killed, besides a large number drowned and many more wounded. A large number

of women and children lost their lives, owing to the fact that it was impossible to distin- guish them from the men. The American loss was seventeen. Black Hawk was soon after captured and sent to Fortress Monroe. In September, 1832, a treaty was made which ended the Indian troubles in this State.

Union County had one full independent company that had been called into service and mustered July 13, 1832, and mustered for discharge August 10, 1832. The men were enrolled June 19, 1832. The following is a complete roster of the company : Cap- tain, B. B. Craig; First Lieutenant, Will- iam Craig; Second Lieutenant, John Newton; Sergeants, Samuel Moland, Solomon David, Hezekiah Hodges, John Rendleman; Cor- porals, Joel Barker, Adam Cauble, Martin Uri, Jeremiah Irvine; Privates, Aaron Bar- ringer, John Barringer, John Corgan, Mathew Cheser, Daniel Ellis, William Farmer. Thomas Farmer, Moses Fisher, Abraham Goodin, William G. Gavin, Hiram Grammer, William Grammer, Lot W. Hancock, Daniel P. Hill, Jackson Hunsaker, Peter Lense, John Langley, Moses Lively, A. W. Lingle, John Murphy, P. W. McCall, John Morris, Nimrod McIntosh, John A. Mackintosh, Solomon Miller, Thomas McElhany, James Morgan, Washington McLean, Elijah Mc- Graw, John Penrod, John Parmer, John Quillman, W. H. Rumsey, Elijah Shepherd, Daniel Salmons, Preston I. Staten, John Vincent, and Jessee Wright.

The Mexican War .- This war made Illi- nois the first military State in the Union.

On the 11th day of May, 1846, Congress passed an act declaring that " By the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that Government and the United States." At the same time that body made an appropriation of $10,000,000 to carry on the

327

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

war, and authorized the President to accept 50,000 volunteers.

Illinois was called on for three regiments of infantry or riflemen. Gov. Ford issued a call for thirty full companies of volunteers, of a maximum of eighty men, to serve for twelve months, and with the privilege of elect- ing their own company and regimental officers The response to the call was enthusiastic and overwhelming. Within ten days thirty-five full companies had organized and reported. By the time the place of rendezvous had been selected, there had been seventy-five com- panies recruited, each furious to go, of which the Governor was compelled to select thirty, and leave the remainder to stay at home. Three regiments were formed: First, Col. John J. Hardin; Second, Col. W. H. Bissell, and the third, Col. Ferris Foreman. These three regiments were mustered into the service at Alton, on the 2d of July, 1846.

Hon. E. D. Baker prevailed on the Govern- ment to accept another regiment, and on the 18th of July the Fourth Regiment was mus- tered into the service.

Union County furnished Company F of the Second Regiment, Capt. John S. Hacker. The Second Regiment was transported down the Mississippi River and across the Gulf, and went into quarters at Camp Erwin, near the old town of Victoria, on Wenloop River, marching from thence to San Antonio, Tex., and there joined Gen. Wool's army of the center. They left that city on the 26th day of September. On the 24th of October, they entered Santa Rosa. Thence they marched to Monclova, thence to Parras, where the original idea of the march-the capture of Chihuahua-was abandoned.

They remained here twelve days, and started to intercept, if possible, Santa Anna's attack on Monterey, and on the 21st of De- cember occupied Agua Neuva, thus complet-

ing in six weeks' march about 1,000 miles, which had been barren of results. On the 22d day of February, 1847, was begun the battle of Buena Vista, which ended on the 23d, and resulted in a complete victory for the American forces, and in which the Second Regiment, Company F included, covered itself with glory.

The roll of Company F, when mustered out of the service, was as follows: Captain, John S. Hacker; First Lieutenant, Sidney S. Condon; Second Lieutenants, John Roberts and Joseph Masten; Third Lieutenant, Al- phonso Grammer; Sergeants, John C. Hun saker, Alex J. Nimmo, Abram Hargrave and John Grammer; Corporals, Adam Creese; Wright C. Pender, Henderson Brown, Abram Cover; Musicians, Jacob Greer and George H. Lemley; Privates, Talbot Brown, John Bevins, John Brown, Charles Barringer, John Z. Burgess, Peter Cripps, Peter H. Casper, Elijah Coffman, Scipio A. B. Davie, John Davie, Daniel Dougherty, Simeon Fisher, Charles A. Finley, James Fike, Jesse Gray, Franklin Geargus, James Grammer, Henry Flaugh, William N. Hamby, William Henry, Samuel Hess, Benjamin F. Hayward, Henry C. Hacker, Fielding A. Jones, Silas Jones, John Kerr, Frederick King, Adam Lingle, Phillip Lewis, John Lingle, Daniel W: Lyerle, An- drew J. Lemons, Daniel Lingle, Chesterfield Langley, John Menees, Harrison McCoy, Jefferson Menees, William Miller, John H. Millikin, John Moland, Samuel Martin, Washington L. McIntosh, John McGinnis, James M. Phelan, Samuel Parker, Garrett Resink, John W. Regan, Franklin Sprey, Amalphus W. Simonds, James A. Springs, Azel Thornton, Le Roy Thomas, James I. Toler, Thomas F. Thurman, Reuben Vick and James Walker.

Charles A. Finley was on detached service in Quartermaster's Department December 30.

328

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Henry C. Hacker was Hospital Steward from July 25 to October 5, and from December 17 to January 20. Pless Martin was discharged on Surgeon's certificate, at Saltillo, March 21.

Died: Felix G. Anderson, in hospital, Saltillo, April 9; Alexander Davie, San An- tonia, Tex., date not known; Joseph Ledger- wood, in hospital at Saltillo, March 21.

The company was discharged June 18, 1847. at Comargo, Mexico.

The Civil War .- The history of all civil war -the butchery of brother by brother-should be written upon the water, or at least the horrid record should be made only by that kindly angel who recorded Uncle Toby's oath, and when the entry was made " dropped a tear up- on it that blotted it out forever." A family quarrel is about the meanest thing a human being can engage in, and there are few con- ceivable sights more pitiful or disgusting than to hear one member of a family boast- ing that he had whipped his little brother, sister, father or mother. To any well-reg- ulated mind, it is inconceivable how such deg- radation can come and root out every elevating impulse, and all essence of self-respect, as to glory in a family fight or butchery. A victory in a civil war may be a good thing, but a dire necessity, but it is in fact but as the chas- tisement inflicted by a kind father upon his wayward child. He whips his child, in- flicts the lash with a bleeding heart, and do you suppose that a natural father could cherish and boast over his victory, and the cries of pain that he extorted from his poor erring child ? A nation is but a large family of brothers and sisters. and that individual is badly made up who has trained his heart to maltreat without an irresistible cause any portion of that great family. War at best is bad and brutalizing in its very essence, and enough of bloody victories will in the end bring only woe and desolation to the victors.

There is but one kind of war that can be ex- cused, or that is not a high crime against God, and that is a war to repel invasion -- to drive out the armed enemy that invades a country for conquest and to destroy the liberties of the people. Here are the fields of glory to the ambitious soldier. Here alone may be gained laurels that may be ever kept green, and the battle-scarred veterans merit the love and respect of the sons and daughters of those to whom they gave liberty and national glory.

The action of the people of Union County in the late war is a demonstration that the early people here and their descendants, had kept brightly burning the fires of patriotism upon the altars of their country, and were ever ready upon the call of their country, to respond to that call and take their position in the "red gaps of war" and peril their lives with unequaled heroism in the defense of the integrity of their country. The patriotic bravery and warlike spirit is manifested by the simple statement that Union County, under all the heavy calls of the Government for men, was one of the few counties in Illinois that was never sub- jected to the draft in order to fill up their quota, she always having in the field more than her share of men, and this was true after furnishing substitutes for the busy brokers all the way from Massachusetts to Chicago, and nearly every other regiment from Illinois, and even some for Missouri and Kentucky reg- iments. From the Adjutant General's Reports, it is impossible to find any account of those men from the county who went as squads or as individuals and volunteers in companies and regiments that were credited to other locali- ties. From the best information we can gather, there is no doubt that Union County, from first to last, gave 3.000 men to the army; Illinois altogether 256,000 men.

329

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

There are 102 counties in the State, an av- erage of 2,500 men to the county, and but few counties but that a portion of these were forced into the service by the draft. These figures are a severe rebuke to the slanders upon Southern Illinois from those sections that raked the country for negro substitutes to fill their ranks and the demands of the " lottery of death," the draft wheel. Locali- ties that were so loud with their patriotism, so loyal in their votes, and so brave in sup- plying sutlers, cotton speculators and camp followers, and who so tenderly cared for the war widows, and made millionaires of them- selves, and with their mouths put down the rebellion, and waxed fat and great at the public crib, and volunteered in the Home Guards, and hunted down their unarmed neighbors and arrested them, because they were " off " in their politics, and sent them to the bastile or mobbed and killed them, and by their cant and hypocrisy made the name " loyalty " a by-word and a synonym of all that is detestable in human nature.

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.

History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 41

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 948

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948