History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 59

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 59
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 59
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 59

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As already intimated, there were only slow accessions to the population from the time of the first settlement of the county until 1840. There was no marked rush at that time, but a visible increase in numbers, if not in quality, of the settlers who then began to come. It was composed of real farmers, speculators, preachers, millers, school teach- ers, doctors, lawyers, merchants and busi- ness men. They were a people desiring to own the land they lived upon, and the most of them, in the rural districts, were intent upon making the little truck patches that were so sparsely dotted about the country, into real farms, where would be raised the farm products to ship to the world's markets. We confess we have been at some loss to tell why this marked increase between 1835 and 1840 occurred; and why it should be propor- tionately greater at that period than between 1850 and 1860 -- in which census decade the great Illinios Central Railroad was built. It is true the building of this railroad did ma- terially affect the growth of the towns and cities of much of Southern Illinois, but it seems to have made little or no impression in the agricultural districts. The railroad affected the price of land, and caused about all of it to be at once taken up, and created a market price for farms as well as unim- proved lands, but there was no correspond- ing increase in the rural population until after the war, when the general accession was again commenced, which has continued to this day. For an account of the railroads entering the county, the reader is referred to the history of Cairo in this volume.

As early as 1819, Dr. Alexander procured an act of the Legislature, to dam the Cache River. As Lincoln said about our gunboats navigating streams " where it was a little

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

damp." the early law-makers had an idea of damming every little gully in the State, and making it a great national highway for navigation, and Dr. Alexander, instead of dredging, commenced damming, and to this day, when it gets either too dry or too full, this profane work is still carried on by some people, a d some good men, in their hearts, have even extended this to the cypress swamps which cover much good land, and occasionally overflow to the low lands adjoin- ing them. At one time, a ditch was dug, to drain a large swamp, but when the Cache River was very full, the ditch, instead of leading the water from the swamp to the river, led the water from the river to the swamp, and these short-sighted engineers turned about to dam the ditch.

The Unity Maufacturing Company was chartered in 1837. The company laid the foundations, but it never grew much above its foundations, for an extensive manufactory, including nearly everything made of hard wood. It was discovered that the shipping facilities were inadequate, and the great pro- ject was abandoned.

The court house and other public property in America were, by act of the Legislature, sold in 1835. When the seat of justice was removed from Unity to Thebes, there was very little, if anything, left at the abandoned town from the flames, except the jail, and this, except for its timbers, was of little or no value.

By special act of 1845, John Hodges and William Clapp were authorized to collect the taxes for 1839. And the taxes of the county,

1844, were, on account of the high water of that year, remitted.

Alexander County is credited with more criminals and penitentiary convicts than any other county in the State, in proportion to the number of inhabitants. This is not from the inhabitants proper, but is the river roughs, the negro roustabouts and the colored population that has rushed into Cairo, and that depend upon theft, robbery and begging for a living. To this extent had the county been taxed by these criminals, that in the year 1869 the Legislature felt jusified in remitting the State tax of the county, and giving this as their reason for so doing.

A complete list of the many once-flourish- ing but now deserted towns in the territory of the counties of Alexander and Pulaski, from their great number and high sounding names, would furnish some curious reading for our people. We have already told of America, Trinity, Upper and Lower Cale- donia, Unity, etc., and now we may add to the lists New Philadelphia, Hazlewood, Sowersville, Poletown, Peru, Saratoga, Old Grand Chain, Grand Chain and still others we cannot now recall, whose memory is not ma- terial to this account of the people. Almost every cross-roads, that had a cabin and a man who could read and write enough to become Postmaster for the monthly pony mail, was at once a New London, Pekin, Liverpool or Shakerag. as the exuberant fancy of the sol- itary inhabitant chanced to suggest. The most of them evidently believed there was something in a name, and the boundless uni- verse was before them to select from.

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

CHAPTER IV.

WAR RECORD-1812-15-BLACK HAWK WAR-SOME ACCOUNT OF IT AND CAPT. WEBB'S COM- PANY-ROSTER OF THE COMPANY-WAR WITH MEXICO-OUR LATE CIVIL WAR- POLITICS-REPRESENTATIVES AND OTHER OFFICIALS-JOHM Q. HARMON-

-STATE SENATORS, ETC .- SOME SLANDERS UPON THE PEOPLE REPELLED. ETC., ETC.

"The best men come not of war or politics."- Anonymous.

A LEXANDER COUNTY was sufficient- ly warlike for all practicable purposes, for a peaceful, free country. A number of the old pioneers were Revolutionary soldiers, and a large proportion of the others were the sons and daughters of those conspicuous in the great war for independence.

War of 1812 .- There were very few people in what are now Alexander and Pulaski Counties at the time of this war. In 1811, was the massacre of Cache, and here seven of the settlers were murdered by the Indians, and Phillip Shaver, who died in Alexander County a few years ago, was the only survivor of the bloody episode, which was one of the first movements that finally resulted in war. Some of the few people then in the county, in consequence of this cruel act, fled in ter- ror to the settlements north of this, and the wilderness was left almost wholly to the In- dians and wild beasts. It is said David Sowers, Robert Hight and Nathan M. Thompson were in the war of 1812-15. There may have been others, but if so they were prob- ably men who had gone into the army from other places, and after coming out of the service came to the county.

Black Hawk War. - Alexander County furnished Capt. Henry L. Webb's company of Mounted Volunteers, which was called into the service of the United States by

order of the Governor of the State May 15, 1832, to serve until August 3, 1832, when they were mustered out by order of Maj. Gen. Scott, commanding Northwestern army. This company numbered, officers and privates, fifty-two men. The following is a complete roster of the company:

Captain, Henry L. Webb; First Lieuten- ant, Richard H. Price (lost his rifle swim- ming Rock River after Indians "); Second Lieutenants, David H. Moore (promoted to Quartermaster of the Spy Brigade. June 16), and James D. Morris (was promoted from Corporal June 16, where he commanded a corps from 19th of May until promoted). Sergeants-Owen Willis, First; Quinton Ellis, Second; Aaron Atherton, Jr., Third; Samuel Atherton Neal, Fourth. Corporals- Merrit Howell, Aaron Anglin, William Dickey, Giles Whitaker. Privates-William Anglin, James Anglin, Cader Bunch, Harden Burks, Berry Brown, Benjamin Brooks, John Caines, Tillman Camron, Jeremiah Dexter, Solomon Daniels, Benjamin Eckols, Henry H. Harrison, Loudy Harvill, Resin Hargis, Franklin Hughs, Turner Hurgis, John E. Jeffers, Henry K. Johnson, Thomas Keneda, Alexander Keneda, Alfred Lackey, Cyrus L. Lynch (lost his rifle in swimming Rock River after Indians), George McCool, Benja- min McCool, William Meshaw, Roderick Mc- Cloud, John Murphy. George C. Neale, Mar- cus Post, James Phillips, Samuel F. Rice,

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

William E. Powell, Alanson Powell (pro- moted Quartermaster Sergeant Spy Battal- ion, Third Brigade, June 16), Robert Rus- sell, Enoch Smith, James M. Taylor, Nathan M. Thompson, James W. Townsend, John Townsend and Samuel White.

In Capt. Webb's diary we find the follow- ing reference to his company: " The Black Hawk war broke out on Rock River. I being in command of the militia, was ordered and did raise a company of Mounted Rifle Rangers, and marched them to the frontier where we joined the army under Gen. Atkin- son, on the Illinois River. From there, my company escorted the General from this place to Rock River. Gen. Atkinson selected my company from the whole volunteer force, as being the best mounted, armed, equipped and disciplined."

We cannot find any records of where this company was ever attached, or made a part of the four Illinois regiments in that war. It most probably served out its time, as one of the independent or spy companies.

An account, in brief, of the Black Hawk war will be found in the war chapter of Union County, in this volume.

A curious scrap of history, concerning this war, is furnished by a memorandum kept by Maj. William Carpenter, Paymaster of the Fourth Regiment, on this expedition. It is an account of the distances and camps in the march of his command, as follows:

To Beardstown, fifty miles; first camp, over Illinois River, nine miles; second camp, Rushville, three miles; third camp, Crooked Creek, twenty-five miles; fourth camp, Crooked Creek, twenty miles; fifth camp. Yellow Banks, eighteen; sixth camp, Camp Creek. thirty: seventh camp, Rock River, twenty; eighth camp, cut bee tree. twenty- six; ninth camp, timber scarce, man shot himself, thirty; tenth camp, Dixon, twenty-

tive; eleventh camp, battle ground (Still. man's defeat), twenty-five; twelfth camp, re- turn to Dixon's, twenty-five; thirteenth camp, express came to us about the murder, twelve; fourteenth camp, Rock River, Capt. Gooden arrested, four; fifteenth camp, one mile to good spring traveled, sixteen; sixteenth camp, Tishwakee, ten; seventeenth camp, Sycamore, here the scalps were trimmed, twelve; eighteenth camp, Fox River timber, twenty; nineteenth camp, six, miles from Paw-paw, twenty; twentieth camp, two miles from the mouth of the river, twenty.

There is quite a fascination in this extra- ordinary record, and the brief, descriptive remarks on events as they happened are bare facts, in the fewest words, that were written down by the camp fire. with no thought of their ever being again read; and the entry " timber scarce, here a man shot himself." or at another camp, where he says, " battle ground (Stillman's defeat)," or another, "ex- press came to us about the murder," is every word he says about the battle of Stillman's Run: or "one mile to a good spring traveled;" or this, "Sycamore, here the scalps were trimmed." These were the Major's daily memoranda of the successive camps, in which he carefully noted each day's travel in iniles; and where he makes the entry " express came to us about the murder," no doubt tells his entire comment on the stirring news of the battle of Stillman's run. But when he says "Sycamore, here the scalps were trimmed," we are left at a loss what to think.

As some of the men concerned in the first victory of the Black Hawk war were well known in Alexander and Pulaski Counties, we give an account of this interesting event. On the 17th day of June, Col. Dement, with his spy battalion of 150 men, was ordered to report himself to Col. Taylor (President

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

Taylor), at Dixon, while the main army was to follow. On his arrival at Dixon, he was ordered to take position in Kellogg's Grove, were, on the 25th day of June, he was visited by Mr. Funk, of McLean County, who, while on his way from the lead mines the night be- fore, reported that a trail of about three hundred Indians, leading northward, had been seen that day. A council of war, held that night, determined that Col. Dement and fifty picked men should reconnoiter the sur- rounding country the next day. At daylight the party sallied forth, and when within 300 yards of the fort, discovered several Indian spies. Regardless of the cries of Col. De- ment and Lieut. Gov. Casey, who accom- panied him, and without waiting for direc- tions, these undrilled and undisciplined men immediately charged on the foes, and reckless- ly followed them despite all efforts of Col. De- ment to check them. They were led into am- bush, and suddenly were confronted by 300 howling, naked savages, under the command of Black Hawk in person. The sudden appear- ance of the savages created a panic among the whites, and each man struck out for him- self in the direction of the fort, with a speed which equaled, if it did not excel, the alac- rity with which they left it in the morning.

In the confused retreat which followed, five of the whites, who were without horses, were killed, while the remainder reached the fort, and, dismounting, entered it, closely pursued by the enemy. The fort was vigor- ously assailed for over an hour by the savages, who were repulsed and forced to re- tire, leaving nine of their number behind them dead on the field, besides several others carried away wounded. No one in the fort was killed, but several wounded. Col. Dement received three shots through his clothing, but fortunately escaped unhurt. At 8 o'clock in the morning, messengers were

sent fifty miles, to Gen. Posey, for assist- ance, and toward sundown, that General and his brigade made their appearance, and no further attack was made on the fort by the savages. Gen. Posey started out in search of the enemy the next day, but the trail showed they had pursued their favorite tactics of scattering their forces, and the pursuit was abandoned. The army continued its march up Rock River, near the source of which they expected to find the enemy. As provisions were scarce, and difficult to convey for any distance, the command of Gen. Alex- ander, with a detachment under Gen. Henry and Maj. Dodge, was sent to Fort Winnebago, between Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, to ob- tain supplies. Learning that Black Hawk was encamped on the Whitewater, Gen. Henry and Maj. Dodge started in pursuit, leaving Gen. Alexander with his command in charge of the provisions to return to Gen. Atkinson. After several days' hard marches, and much suffering from exposure and lack of food, on the 21st day of July the enemy were overtaken on the bluffs of the Wiscon- sin, and a decisive battle fought, in which Gen. Henry commanded the American forces, which consisted of Maj. Dodge's battalion on the right, Col. Jones' regiment in the center and Col. Collins' on the left, with Maj. Ew- ings' battalion in the front and Col. Fry's regiment in the rear, as a reserve force. In this order, they charged the enemy, and drove him from position after position, with great loss, till the sun went down, leaving them victors in the first important advantage gained over Black Hawk during the war.

During the night. the ;Indians fled in the direction of the Mississippi River, leaving 168 dead on the field, and of their wounded, taken with them, twenty-five were found dead the next day on their trail; while Gen. Henry lost only one man killed and eight wounded.

John Draven

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

The few survivors of the Black Hawk war will recognize this battle, and read the details of it, as we have given them above, with much interest.

The Mexican War .- So far as the military records at Springfield show, there was no complete and organized company from either Alexander or Pulaski Counties in this war. There were, doubtless, men from each of these counties in that service, but they must have entered the service as individuals, or in small squads, and volunteering at some point outside their county, were credited to the place of enlistment.

The Civil War .- About all that we care to say of Alexander County in this war, is given in the history of the city of Cairo, in this volume, to which the reader is referred.

January 16. 1865, Gen. Isham N. Haynie was made Adjutant General of the State. He died during his term of office.

Politics .- Among the early settlers, a large proportion were at first Jeffersonian Demo- crats, and when Jackson took his prominent position in the political history of the coun- try, they were Jackson Democrats, and the descendants of these people mostly have been true to the political faith of their fathers. The county was constantly Democratic at all national elections, until the large negro ele- ment, which had lodged in Cairo, was per- mitted to vote, when the Republicans succeeded in, we believe, electing a majority of the county officers on their ticket, but the Democrats soon regained the local offices again, al- though, on the national or Congressional tickets, the county has steadily voted the Re- publican ticket. In 1880, the vote cast was for Garfield 1,597; Hancock, 1,353; Weaver, 46. In 1876, the vote was Hayes (Repub- lican), 1,219; Tilden (Democrat), 1,280. In 1882, the vote cast for State Treasurer, Smith (Republican), 1,182; Orendorf (Demo-

crat), 1,149. The Greenbackers, Grangers, Prohibitionists and other side issues in the politics of the country have not received much consideration in Alexander County.

In the Constitutional Convention which convened at Springfield, June 7, 1847. Alex, ander and Pulaski formed a district, and Martin Atherton as the delegate in the con- vention.

In the Constitutional Convention which assembled at Springfield January 7, 1862, Alexander, Pulaski and Union formed one district, and W. A. Hacker was elected dele- gate. He was President of the convention. The constitution framed and submitted to the people by this convention was rejected by the voters at the election on June 17, 1862.

The last State Convention, which framed the present constitution, convened at Spring- field December 13, 1869, and adjourned May 13, 1870. It was composed of eighty-five delegates, and Alexander, Pulaski and Union again composed the district. William J. Allen was elected delegate. The constitu- tion was ratified by the people July 2, 1870, and was in force August 8, 1870.

John Q. Harmon, of Alexander, was the Secretary of this body. He had long been a county officer-Master in Chancery, Circuit and County Clerk, and Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in Cairo. He was elected Clerk of the Appelate Court, and during his term of office, in the year 1882, died of Bright's disease, at Eureka Springs, where he had gone in the vain hope of regaining his health.

He was one of the best known and most popular men that ever lived in the county. Of an impulsive, warm and generous heart, his whole nature was as genial as sunshine. Of blood pure and gentle, his companionship was an unmixed pleasure to all his large ac- quaintance, which extended throughout the en- tire State. His warm heart went out in

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

sympathy to the afflicted, and his purse- string was never tied when the appeal of charity came. His integrity stood every test of life, and was never questioned. Brave, chivalric and impulsive, he would resent in- stantaneously any real or fancied reflection upon his own or his friends' integrity, but his pure soul never harbored malice, hate or revenge a moment, and he was as ready to forgive and forget as he had been to feel and resent the wrong. His ideal of moral integ- rity was placed in the highest niche, and yet his whole life was marked by no deviation from the high standard he had placed before him when a boy. His life was pure and cleanly-both morally and socially. He was a loving and affectionate husband and father, and when the cruel and irreparable loss came to his loved household, with its great and incur- able affliction, the sympathy and condolence- sincere and heartfelt-of all his wide circle of friends went out to them in their hour of severe trial. At the head of his grave, the sons and daughters of posterity may stand and truly say the world is brighter and better that he lived. His memory will be cherished, and his good deeds not forgotten.

By the constitution of 1848, this Senatorial District consisted of the counties of Alex- ander, Union, Pulaski, Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin; and the Representative District of Alexander, Pulaski and Union. By the apportionment of 1854, the Senatorial District was Alexander, Union, Johnson, Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Hardin and Gallatin; the Representative District was not changed. By the apportionment act of 1861, the Sena- torial District was constituted of Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Gallatin and Saline; and again the

Representative District was not changed. Under the apportionment act of 1870, the Senatorial District remained the same, and Alexander was made a Representative Dis- trict, entitled to one member.

By the act of March 1, 1872, the State was divided into Senatorial Districts, as pro- vided by the constitution, each district being entitled to one Senator and three Represen- tatives, and Alexander, Jackson and Union were made the Fiftieth Senatorial and Re- presentative District.

The first member of the Legislature ever sent from Alexander County was William M. Alexander, to the General Assembly of 1822- 1824. He was elected Speaker of the house. Henry L. Webb represented the county in the next session of 1824-26. Wilson Able was a member of the session of 1832-34, and he was re-elected in 1834-36, and again 1836-38, and again in 1838-40, and again 1840-42. In the Assembly of 1842-44, John Cochran was in the House. In the Assembly of 1846-48, John Hodges, Sr., was a member from Alexander in the House. In 1854-56, F. M. Rawlings was a member of the House from Alexander. In the General Assembly of 1860-62, David T. Linegar, of Cairo, Third Assistant Clerk. In the Assembly 1864-66, William H. Green, of Cairo, was a Senator, and H. W. Webb was a member of the House. Webb was again elected in 1870. John H. Oberly was his successor in 1872. In 1874, Claiborne Winston was elected. In 1876, A. H. Irvin. He resigned Febru- ary 12, 1878. Thomas W. Halliday was a member of the House in the Assembly of 1878-80. The present member of the House from Alexander County is D. T. Linegar.

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HISTORY OF ALEXANDER COUNTY.

CHAPTER V.

BENCH AND BAR OF ALEXANDER COUNTY-STATE JUDICIARY AND EARLY LAWS CONCERNING IT -JUDICIAL COURTS, HOW FORMED-FIRST JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT-WHO

CAME AND PRACTICED LAW-JUDGES MULKEY, BAKER, I. N. HAYNIE, ALLEN,

GREEN, WALL, YOCUM, LINEGAR, AND LANSDEN-LOCAL LAWYERS, ETC.

" The ethics of the Bar comprehends the duties of each of its members to himself."

THE first constitution of the State de- clared that the judicial power of the State of Illinois should be vested in one Supreme Court and such inferior courts as the General Assembly should, from time to time, ordain and establish.

The Supreme Court was vested with ap- pellate jurisdiction, and, except in cases re- lating to the revenue, in cases of manda- mus, and such cases of impeachment as might be required to be tried before it. It consisted of a Chief Justice and three Asso- ciates, though the number of Justices might be increased by the General Assembly after the year 1824.

The Justices of the Supreme Court and the Judges of the inferior courts were ap- pointed by joint ballot of both branches of the General Assembly, and commissioned by the Governor and held their offices during good behavior until the end of the first ses- sion of the General Assembly, which was begun and held after the 1st day of January in the year 1824, at which time their com- missions expired, and until that time the Jus- tices of the Supreme Court were required to hold the Circuit Courts in the several coun- ties in such manner and at such times, and were to have and exercise such jurisdiction as the General Assembly should by law pre- scribe.

But after the period mentioned, the Jus- tices of the Supreme Court and the Judges of the inferior courts held their offices dur- ing good behavior; and the Justices of the Supreme Court were no longer compelled to hold the Circuit Courts unless required by law. The State was accordingly divided into four judicial circuits, within which the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court were assigned to perform circuit duties, which they continued to do until the year 1824.

On the 29th of December, 1824, an act was passed declaring that, in addition to the Justices of the Supreme Court, there should be appointed by the General Assembly five Circuit Judges, who should continue in office during good behavior, and by the same act the State was 'divided into five judicial circuits. Thus, for the first time, the Jus- tices of the Supreme Court were relieved from the performance of circuit duties, which now devolved upon the five Circuit Judges.

The Circuit Judges, however, were per- mitted to remain in office only about two years as, by the act of the 12th of January, 1827, those sections of the act of 1824 which provided for the appointment of five Cir- cuit Judges, and dividing the State into five judicial circuits, were repealed, and the State was again divided into four judicial circuits, in which the Chief Justice and three Asso-

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 59

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