History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 65

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 65
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 65
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 65

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Settlements will never be made again in this country under similar circumstances. Never again will there be so much danger and inconvenience and patient waiting for coming improvements. The modern new settlement is the goddess Minerva, fully armed, leaping from the head of Jupiter, and the Vulcan whose glittering ax opens the head is the machinist's, who builds that won- derful complication men call a locomotive. There is much difference in the condition of things between the Atherton colony (one of the earliest in Pulaski) and the Greeley col- ony as there is between history and fiction.

In speaking of the birds of the early day, Mr. Olmstead says: " The mocking bird of the South made his first visits [here] during

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

the war," etc. This is a mistake evidently. The writer well remembers seeing them in abundance as far north as St. Clair County as early as 1840. Mr. Olmstead is probably misled by the fact that many were brought north by returning soldiers, and many sol- diers made quite an industry of catching them and bringing them to Illinois to sell. The Carolina parrots or paroquets, in the early days, were common and numerous all over Illinois, as far north, at least, as is now the main line of the Ohio & Mississippi Rail- road. Two varieties of birds unknown to the early settlers, the wax, or cherry bird, so called from the wax-like tips on the end of the wings and for their fondness for cher- ries, and the bee bird, is another outcrop of modern life. Mr. Olmstead says: " We welcome the mocking bird as a full compen- sation for our bee bird and cherry bird. He builds his nests in the orchards and around our homes. He is many in one. With a voice as mellow as a flute and as harsh as the call of a guinea fowl, he imitates all the birds of the wood, and is the only songster that gives us nightly ser- enades. We have all the birds common to the Northwest, from the unclean buzzard down to the delicate humming bird; and truly the former bird, though a scaven- ger and unseemly when near at hand, rises in our estimation as he ascends into the heavens. No bird that spreads a wing can lie as he does upon the air without beating it, and we see him sweep in such majestic circles so high above the earth, we could wish he never would return to it again; we would fain forget that he is only snuffing, like a corrupt politician, for a more tainted at- mosphere. The humming bird, when stripped of his feathers, is little larger than a bum- ble bee. Starting from the orange groves of Florida, he pauses at the open portal of every

flower, extracting honey or insects, as his taste inclines. To each degree of latitude as high as the great lakes, and even to Hudson's Bay, he introduces summer; but in all his migrations he never fails to exhibit before our admiring eyes his ruby throat and golden shield."

Of the Black Hawk warriors of Pulaski County, the same authority says: " In 1832, the celebrated Indian chief, Black Hawk, made war on the settlements in the northern part of the State. Promptly a company was raised in our county by Col. Webb, which went to the scene of action. Of that com- pany none are alive but the Captain, Thomas C. Kenedy, John Carnes and Alfred Lackey. " The war with Mexico occurred in 1846. A company was raised immediately by Col. C. H. Webb and William A. Hughes. The former was elected Captain and the latter First Lieutenant. This company consisted of 105 men, the noblest and best of our citi- zens. They were in but one engagement, etc. *

* * By changes and promotions, the company was officered thus on the day of battle (Buena Vista): Captain, William C. Woodward; First Lieutenant, John Bar- tleson; Second Lieutenant, Aaron Atherton; Third Lieutenant, William Price. On that eventful day, Col. Bissell, riding up to where the Pulaski company was posted, said to Lieut. Price: ‘ You are too old to go into this engagement; you will remain in camp.' The old man, nearly eighty years of age, standing proudly erect, said: 'Col. Bissell, I came here to fight. If my time has come, I just want to die for my country on this bat- tle-field.' As the company went into action, Lieut. Atherton, observing that Capt. Wood- ward had only a Sergeant's short sword, gave his to the Captain, saying, ' You can take this; I know better how to use a gun!' The last that Metcalf, afterward Lieutenant, saw

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

of Atherton, he was defending his prostrate friend, Price. As he had often swung his cradle, so his heavy rifle went in circles, wielded by his powerful arm, and many a Mexican went down before him. The sword of Atherton, so faithfully used by Capt. Woodward, and gashed on Mexican lances, is in the possession of the Atherton family. Of the 105 men who went so gayly to Mex- ico, only forty-two returned. Sixteen were killed in the battle of Buena Vista, includ- ing every officer, from the Captain down to the Second Sergeant, and of the forty-two, fourteen only now remain (1876). Among these are Joseph Evans, E. A. Philips, Lieut. William Pate, Capt. A. P. Corder, A. C. Bartleson, Edward Bartleson, James H. Metcalf, R. J. Johnson, G. P. Garner, Reu- ben Vaughan and John Abbott. Among those who fell on the field were Capt. Wood- ward, First Lient. John Bartleson, Second Lieut. Aaron Atherton, Third Lieut. William Price, Orderly Sergeant William J. Fayssoux, private J. W. Kiger, H. Dirk, George Crippen and Joseph Emmerson. On their return in 1847, these men were welcomed with demonstrations of joy at a public gath- ering, when speeches were made and a poem read by J. Y. Clemson, of which we extract a couple of stanzas, showing that while we had brave men, we had poets to sing their praises :

" We lost some noble men that day- Men that were stamped in nature's mould; For fame and country those they fell, Not for the sordid love of gold.

"Conspicuous on that fatal day Was a small band from Illinois, Foremost they were in all the fray, The gallant, brave Pulaski boys."

The occasion and the home-like sentiment and truth the poet expresses are a sufficient apology for any seeming tripping there may

chance to be in the verse, that at that time found a hearty response in every heart.

In the Adjutant General's office at Spring- field, we find the following very imperfect roster of this company. Like nearly all the rolls of the Mexican war soldiers, it is not only wretchedly imperfect, but the company is credited as the " place of enrollment, Al- ton, Ill.," because there was where they were mustered, and no residence of the companies are given. This is an outrage by the State upon the memories of those brave sons of Illi- nois, and the State should by all means remedy the records, at least to that extent that it could be done now by those who yet survive. If neglected a few years, the wrong will be irreparable, and the very chil- dren of these men will remain in ignorance of their illustrious sires. The writer has had occasion to write the war record of several different companies that were in the Mexi- can war, and invariably in talking with thes? old veterans in regard to their company, he has found the Adjutant's books almost wholly unreliable. For the State to longer neglect this would be a flagrant injustice to the whole people.

Col. Foreman, the only surviving Illinois Colonel of that war, is now an old man, re- siding in Vandalia, Ill. It would be a labor of love-and he .is eminently fitted for the work-to go into each county that sent a company or companies to that war, and per- fect the roster of each company, give the correct residence of each man, and fill out a complete history of every man that Illinois sent to that war. The band of surviving Mexican war soldiers have not been any too handsomely remembered by their country. No pension steals have gone into their pock- ets, and we know of no more appropriate act the State Legislature could do than to com- mission Col. Forman to do this work.

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

From the records in the Adjutant Gener- al's office we give the following as all that appears of Company B, Second Regiment Illinois Volunteers:

Captain, Anderson P. Corder; First Lieu- tenant, John W. Rigby; Second Lieutenant, William W. Tate and James M. Gaunt; Sergeants, Watho F. Hargus, Abraham S. Latta, Calvin Brown and John Delaney; Cor- porals. John L. Barber, Robert E. Hall, James Cuppin. and James H. Gorrell, Mu- sicians, Andrew I. Ring; Privates, John Abbott, William C. Anglin, Edwin Bartle- son. Augustus Bartleson, Abner Baccus, Wel- bourn Boren, John Barnett, Henry Burk- hart, William Crippin, Robert Cole, Jiles MI. Cole, John Curry, Marion M. Davis, Henry Doebaker, Joseph Evans, iller Echols, Daniel Emerick, Charles Goodall, John Goodwin, Joseph B. Hornback, Will . iam Hughes, James M. Hale, Reason I. John- son, William Johnson, Elisha Ladd, James L. London, Thomas E. Loudon, Pleasant Lefler, Patrick H. McGee, James H. Metcalf, Enos A. Phillips, George Purdy, Framnel Parker, John B. Russell, Pinkney Russell, John Russell, David Renfrew, Jonathan Story, Columbus C. Smith, Calvin L. Scott, Jackson Summerville, Elijah Shepherd, Cy- rus Stephens, James Thorp, Andrew J. Tiner, William E. Tiner, Isham L. Tiner, Thomas Thompson, Reuben Vaugh, John White, William Whitaker, H. A. Young, died: Alfred Bakston, March 21, at Saltillo; Thomas James, March 4, at same place; Enoch Kelso, at Loracco. time not known. Dis- charged, Private John Kitchell, on Sur- geon's certificate, March 20; Abraham S. Latta, on detached service, hospital, Septem- ber 29; James H. Gorrell. absent, sick at Laracco, from August 11; William C. Ang- lin, taken prisoner at Buena Vista; also at same time and place John Curry and Jos-

eph Evans. Wounded in this battle, Charles Goodall, absent, 'sick at Loracco, from Au- gust 11; Calvin L. Scott, Elijah Shepherd, and William Whitaker. Taken prisoner at Buena Vista, James Thorp.

The company was dischar ged from service .at Camargo June 18, 1847.

In the late unfortunate civil war, Pulaski County, like all the counties of Southern Illinois, was the first to enlist and the first and foremost in the battles of the country.

Capt. William M. Boren raised Company K, of the One Hundred and Ninth Regiment of which we have given the account in the Union County history in this volume. Capt Rigby's company was attached to the Thirty- first Regiment. This was John A. Logan's regiment, and it was formed entirely of Southern Illinois men. There were many other enlistments in the county in various regiments and in the naval service.

But of the three counties, Union, Alexan- der and Pulaski, the first, in the matter of turning out fighters in the late war, was in the lead. In fact, Union County is entitled to be considered the banner county of the State, either in war or in voting for General Jackson straight at every election.

In the biographical department of this work will be found an extended sketch of the life of J. Y. Clemson, whose fruit farm, near Caledonia, deserves especial mention. This is the finest fruit farm on the Ohio River and it produces pears, strawberries, peaches and small berries of all kinds that we much question if in either of these it can be equaled in the world. The fame of the fruits grown upon Mr. Clemson's farm is now all over the West and South, both for the size of the fruit and the exquisite delicacy of flavor. This farm is protected from the frosts by the river and the hills, as is much of Pulaski County, and a failure of crops

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

has never occurred since the settlement of this part of the county in 1817. Mr. Clem- son has demonstrated that much of Pulaski County possesses great advantages over al- most any other spot on the globe for horti- cultural purposes. That the yield per acre is extraordinary, the quality and flavor per-' fect, and there never occurs a failure of crops. In fact, at times when a killing frost had visited nearly all portions of the coun-

try, this locality in the county has escaped untouched. It is only of very late years that this has become to be known of those heretofore despised lands of Pulaski County -the barrens. They were supposed to be nearly worthless, whereas the truth is they are by far the most valuable lands in the State, and it is the opinion of competent judges that in a few years they will develop wonders in both agriculture and horticulture.

CHAPTER IV .*

AGRICULTURE-EARLY MODE OF FARMING IN PULASKI COUNTY-INCIDENTS-STOCK-RAISING -PRESENT IMPROVEMENTS-HORTICULTURE-FIRST ATTEMPTS AT FRUIT-GROW- ING-APPLES-TREE PEDDLERS-STRAWBERRIES-PEACHES-GRAPES AND WINE-OTHER FRUITS-VEGETABLES, ETC., ETC.

"THE agricultural history of this county could be nothing more nor less than a repetition of the history of almost every other county in Southern Illinois. But per- haps a short sketch of the subject may fill a niche in the mind of some reader that will be a lasting benefit to him. The area of this county is about one hundred and eighty- three square miles (one of the smallest coun- ties in the State), nine-tenths of which is susceptible of cultivation, and in a state of nature was one vast forest of the finest tim- ber in America. No prairies were here to welcome the husbandman; if any crops were grown, the timber must first be removed, which, in itself, was a herculean task, and the stumps and roots were still to contend with. What wonder is it that most of the county lay so long without improvement or cultivation ? For the first forty years of settlement in the county, there could be no

incentive to grow crops which there was no market for. Each settler raised corn and potatoes and garden "sass " enough for his own use and no more. The implements of agriculture consisted of a small bull- tongue plow and a hoe made by the black- smith.

The early mode of agriculture of this county consisted in beginning about the 1st of March to clear up three or four acres of land for corn. This, with the other small crops, would be planted as soon as the ground could be prepared, and it was then cultivated until it was ready to be "laid by," when there was nothing more to do on the farm until time to gather the corn and pumpkins in the fall. During this interval, the more industrious and enterprising men would go to some wood yard on the river and chop cord wood, while those not so disposed would hunt in the woods and loaf around among the neighbors. The " womanfolks" would

* By George W. Endicott.

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

raise a patch of cotton and spin, weave, and make their own and their family's clothes.

The main point in farming, in those days, was to have a herd of wild hogs in the woods, corn enough for bread and to feed the pony, and a few ears to toll the hogs up to mark them.

When spring came, the crop time was a rather hard 'life to live, and about the only revenue that could be counted on was hens' eggs to buy the small luxuries, such as coffee, sugar, salt or anything in that line; and if the hens failed to come to time on the " lay," the old man and children would strike out to the woods to dig " ginseng." A large sack of this then staple could be dug in a few days, and, when dried, would bring in $3 or $4-a sum that would help out the family finances in a good shape. There was but little provision made for the cattle, as they could live all winter on the " cane " which grew in the woods. But very little wheat was grown here then, as there were no mills to grind it, and no market for the sur- plus. Indeed, the first settlers were at great inconvenience to get their corn ground; there were nothing but horse mills, and very few of them. There are many good stories told of these early mills. One patron said he always took his corn to mill in the ear, as he could shell it faster than the mill could grind it, and then he had the cobs to throw at the rats to keep them from eating the corn all up as it ran down from the hopper. Another story is told on the first water mill that was built on Cache River. The owner of the mill put the grist in the hopper and let on the water, and about the time he had the mill going nicely he heard a turkey " call" in the woods, so he took his gun and went to look for the turkey. While he was gone, a blue jay alighted on the hoop around the buhrs, and as fast as a grain of corn

would shake down from the hopper he would eat it. When the miller returned, the jay had eaten all the corn, and the millstones were worn out.

But all this is changed now. Our mills are first-class in every respect. A great change has come to the county since the ad- vent of the railroads. Saw mills have cut the timber off, to a great extent, and much of our lands have been cleared up and put under cultivation. Some of our 100-acre fields of wheat are now cut with self-binders, and an average of fifty harvesting machines are sold annually in the county. Our hay crop is of great importance, as the river offers cheap transportation to the South, where the market is always good. All the low lands are well adapted to timothy, and the hill lands grow as fine clover and or- chard grass as can be produced in the State; while the Kentucky blue grass takes to our pastures without any seeding, and with judicious management sheep could be pas- tured here all winter, except when the ground might be covered with snow, which is but seldom.

The county has, practically, no sheep. but over three thousand worthless dogs; and where that number of dogs reign supreme sheep do not flourish. The stock of cattle is being graded up with short-horn and Jersey blood, which will prove a lasting benefit to the county. Our progressive farmers have abandoned the " elm peeler " or "hazel splitter " hogs, for a breed that is not all " snout " and " bristles," and the results are every way satisfactory.

To sum up the whole matter of agriculture and horticulture, after taking the quality and quantity of our products into consider- ation, the small area of our county, and that only one-half improved, we feel like we have no reason to be discouraged at the results.

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

Horticulture. - A history of Pulaski County that fails to accord it the first place on the list as a horticultural county, would fail to do justice to the capabilities of its soil and climate. While some counties grow more apples, some more grapes and some more tomatoes, yet there is not a county in the State where every one of the following list of fruits and vegetables can be grown to so great perfection: Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, strawberries, red raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, melons, sweet potatoes, wax beans, early cabbage, pie plant, asparagus, and every variety of garden vegetable that can be grown in the temperate zone. All of the above-named fruits and vegetables can be grown on any single acre of good land in the county that is above high water mark, and good watermelons and tomatoes have been produced on a pile of earth taken from a well sixty feet deep, and that without any special fertilizers or care, except to supply water in a severe drought. This would prove that our soil is not ex- hausted as soon as the top is cultivated a few years.

The history of horticulture is in intimate relation with the progress of civilization. An acute observer has justly remarked that the esteem in which gardening is held among nations is an unfailing index of the advance they have made in other forms of human progress. But it is not until society is im- proved, commerce extended and the human mind expanded, that horticulture takes its place among the arts, flourishing wherever there is wealth to encourage or taste to ap- preciate its charms and excellences. Hor- ticulture has advanced with civilization, and blended with all that adorns, refines and sus- tains the structure of a solid as well as an elegant society. The cultivation of fruit is the most perfect union of the useful and beautiful

that the world has ever known. Trees, covered in spring time with their green and glossy foliage, blended with fragrant flowers of white to crimson and gold, that are suc- ceeded by the ripened fruit, melting and grateful through all the fervid heat of sum- mer, is indeed a tempting prospect to every land-holder in our favored region. It is natural to suppose that a people so richly endowed by nature as ours have given marked attention to an art that supplies so many of the amenities of life, and around which clus- ter so many memories that appeal to the finer instincts of our nature. In a region favored with a climate bright, sunny and free from extreme changes, and with a soil that, in varying composition, in fertility and depth becomes suited to all the fruits common to the temperate zone, horticulture is naturally held in that high esteem that becomes so im- portant a factor in our welfare.

The introduction of fruit into this county is almost coeval with its first settlement. Sprouts from the old apple trees and seeds from the favorite old peach trees of the old home in the South or East were a part of the pioneer's outfit, and were cared for with as much patience as the children or favorite cow. While the varieties thus grown would not be considered of any great value now, yet they served a good purpose by creating a landmark, as it were, to which the youth who waited for the fruit to ripen can look back with pleasure, and, while his head may be " silvered o'er with the frosts of man ywin- ters," a thought, perhaps, steals through his mind that the days spent under the old apple trees were the happiest of his life.

Horticulture, as an art, received but little attention in the early settlement of this coun- ty. The fruits adapted to the soil and cli- mate had not been introduced; even the na- ture of the soil was not well understood.

Isso W. Endicall

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HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.

There were no means at hand for the rapid diffusion of such knowledge. There were no horticultural societies and associations, to gather individual experience and present it in available form for the use of the masses, and at best there was not much time, in the struggle for the necessaries of life in a prim- itive country, for the obtaining of its amen- ities.

Horticulture at this time, even in the older settled States, was but in its infancy, and the first effort of the pioneer was to repro- duce the fruit in cultivation at the time, and in the locality whence he had emigrated. Many of the old trees planted by the early settlers show some traits that have not been rivalled by the later and more improved varieties planted long since. Their hardi- ness and good bearing qualities are phenom- inal and that, too, without any of the scienti- fic pruning and care advocated by the horti- culturists of the present day.

Improved horticulture in this county- that is, the planting of fruits for commercial benefits-dates back to about the year 1858- 59. Judge A. M. Brown (now deceased), a prominent jurist and newspaper man of Kentucky, became infatuated with our hills and valleys, and located at Villa Ridge. He was the first man to plant largely of budded peaches, pears and apples for market. He was joined, almost immediately, by Dr. Brown, of Kentucky, and Dr. J. H. Crain, of Ohio, both very enthusiastic pomologists. They planted largely of apples, their first impulse being to grow apples for the New Orleans market, as the river offered a good outlet for that kind of fruit. But, like every other new enterprise, conceived by strangers to the soil and climate, they made some mis- takes in the selection of varieties; and while the trees were growing many of our old citizens caught the fever, and new men camne

in from the North and East, and all became more or less affected with the horticultural " itch."

About this time, a new class of men came on the scene. These were denominated " tree peddlers," and to say that they gathered in a rich harvest would be a mild expression. They sold trees to all they could induce to buy, at high figures, mostly on time, and any man who had land enough cleared was flat- tered and cajoled by the fine pictures and preserved specimens, to plant from ten to forty acres, mostly in apples. Many of the trees were true to name, but the varieties were unsuited to this climate. The early varieties were all right, but Spys, Spitzen- bergs, Baldwins and many excellent East- ern winter apples are a failure here, as they ripen in August and September; while many of the orders thus taken were filled from the same pile, and labeled to suit the buyer. While this fraud was being pushed exten- sively, there was another class of men, who were more conservative, and thought that apples to suit our soil and climate should come from the highlands of Southern Vir- ginia and North Carolina. Among this class, and at the head, ought to be placed "old Uncle Tom " McClelland (deceased), who spent time and money to try all the better varieties of his old North Carolina home, and with a fair share of success. Without any records on the subject, he is conceded to have been the first man in this county to graft or bud the apple tree. Many of the farms in this county attest his work, by their "Carolina Red June," " Abram," "Nickajack," " Limbertwig," "Buckingham " and many other apples of that class, suited to our soil and climate. While our experience has been a bitter one, it has inculcated many valuable lessons. One is, we are south of the latitude in which the apple attains its best

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 65

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