History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 13

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Illinois > Bureau County > History of Bureau County, Illinois > Part 13

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"But before I proceed further with my story allow me to tell how, in one instance, the old chief came near falling into the hands of the enemy whose bloody purposes he was seeking to avert, and narrowly escaped with his life while on his errand of mercy. Not knowing

where the blow would first be struck, he had made the circuit about the Bureau timber and up on Indian Creek to the Hall settle- ment, and then made directly for Fox River to warn away a family of Hollanbacks, then residing there. He approached their cabin about sundown (this was about the 1st of June, 1832,); his jaded and almost famished pony was reeking with sweat and foam; he hastily warned the family of their danger, telling them to flee that very night, as he thought he had discovered signs of a war party in the vicinity. This duty performed, Shabbona retired to a secluded spot half a mile away from the cabin, to rest and refresh himself and his pony, and yet in a position to keep an eye on the dwelling and its sur- roundings. In the meantime the family, quickened by the impulse of fear, hastily gathered such articles of food and clothing as would favor them in their flight, and im- mediately fled, with nothing to hide them from the face of their enemies but the impending darkness which by this time had gathered thick about them. Having proceeded from a quarter to half a mile, Mr. Hollanback sud- denly bethought himself of some valuables which he desired to save, and which in the hurry and flurry of their flight they had for. gotten. He determined to return alone to the house to secure them. He carefully ap- proached the cabin and listened at every step as he neared the premises, and just as he was about to enter the door from whence he and his family had but a few moments before es- caped, he heard the voices and rummagings of savages within as they were busily engaged in gathering the remnants of such plunder as the humble dwelling afforded. Softly but speedily Mr. Hollanback retraced his steps, joined his family, and renewed his flight. A moment later and they beheld the flames of their burning cabin leaping upward higher

HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

and higher into the darkness above, warning them that their abiding place, which they had honored with the sacred name of home, had been immolated upon the sacrificial altar, and made desolate by the torch of the savage. Old Shabbona in his concealment witnessed all-the fleeing family, the stealthy approach of the marauders on their bloody mission, the flames of the burning cabin-and noted the retiring foe as they took to the trail and dis- appeared under cover of the night. The old veteran, thankful to the Great Spirit for the safety of himself and the fleeing family whose lives he had helped to save, resumed his journey in the late watches of the night and reached his home in safety. The Hollan- backs made good their escape during that ter- rible night of agony and fear. Some twenty- five years after this event, Old Shabbona, then upward of eighty years of age, visited among the old settlers here for the last time, and for the last time related to us this story, and as he sat by the fireside and partook of the bounties and hospitalities of those he had known and befriended in early days, and saw that their huts and cabins had given place to cheerful, happy homes and comfortable dwellings, and marked the change which a few short years had brought about, the old man gave utterance to sentiments of heartfelt gratitude and joy, as though we were all his children, and that our prosperity was his chiefest pleasure, and expressed himself abun- dantly rewarded for his sleepless viligance and care over the infant settlements about him in the times of their greatest need. The old man remembered and related every inci- dent connected with the plot to exterminate the whites, and his heroic endeavors to avert the terrible blow; and in his narration of these exciting scenes evinced a pride and satisfaction for the part he had acted, and a sensibility commendable even to minds of cult-

ure and refinement. It is gratifying to us to know that the Government made the old man a very handsome and suitable donation in his old age, as a reward for his enduring friendship toward the early settlers, and the assistance rendered by him in the settlement of some Indian difficulties, and as a compen- sation for the many sacrifices which he made during the turbulent times of the Black Hawk war. The old hero died a few years ago on land purchased at Government expense, near Ottawa, and we may truthfully say over his grave that the instances and examples are ex- ceedingly rare, even in civilized life, where Men have exhibited more fidelity, more con- stant and enduring friendship, or made great- er personal sacrifices, or exhibited more gen- erosity and benevolence toward a race with whom they claimed no kindred, than did this venerable old Pottawattomie chief. I now re- turn to my story.

"The Forrestall party, seven in number, all young, bold, enterprising men, and tolera- bly well armed, having no women and chil- dren to protect, although apprised by Shab- bona of the plot arranged for their assassin- ation, felt nevertheless a determination to remain at their post-keep together and watch for something to transpire before seek- ing a place of greater safety. They had heard of the massacre of the Hall, Davis and Pettigrew families, and some of their party had visited the scene immediately after its occurrence. But no hostile demonstrations having been made against themselves, they still remained and watched the signs of the times, occupying together the cabin then owned by John Ament uutil the morning of the 18th of June, 1832. The party, all un- suspecting, arose as usual, little dreaming that within forty steps of their log-cabin lay concealed some thirty or forty Indians with muskets and rifles pointing toward their cabin

HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

door. Elijah Phillips, having purchased of Justus Ament the other cabin, some half a mile distant, had occasion to go there and started before sunrise, and had proceeded some thirty-five steps directly toward the concealed and ambushed foe, when the sud- den and startling report of two rifles revealed the fact that the dreaded attack had indeed been made, and that old Shabbona's warnings were indeed prophetic. Phillips staggered and fell forward upon the ground within five steps of his assailants. On the instant the infuriated Indians made a rush for the open door of the cabin, accompanied with terrific yells, such as savages alone can utter. The inmates of the cabin, keenly sensible of the terrible danger of the moment, slammed the door in the face of their besiegers and barred it instantly. Another terrific yell, and every

savage was again in concealinent. The chinkings between the logs of the cabin were quickly removed in places on the wall side next to the besiegers, and the muzzles of half a dozen guns were run out, and their little cabin for once became a fort, and every gun- ner was eager for the sight of a red skin on whom to avenge the fall of their bleeding comrade, who lay prostrate and dying in sight of them all, but yet where no aid could be safely afforded him. He was pierced by two bullets, and at the time of the rush toward the cabin the savages, in passing over the bleeding form of their victim, gave him a blow with a tomahawk on his brows, and thrust a scalping knife into his neck. Not a cry or a groan escaped the lips of Phil- lips, although life was observed to linger some minutes after his fall, and after his assailants had rushed back into their hiding

places. Here lay the besiegers in ambush awaiting some fresh opportunity to renew the siege without wasting their fire against the impenetrable walls of the cabin. Here

also were the party besieged in armed occupa- tion of their little fort awaiting some new development of the besiegers. At last a counsel of war was held in the cabin. Dim- ick, a lad only seventeen years old, was anx- ious to leave the cabin and make for Henne- pin across the country as best they could, and take their chances of escape in that manner. In this he was overruled by all the others. At this juncture of affairs a mare owned by one of the party, and which had been spanceled and turned loose to feed about the premises, and which, by the way, was always exceedingly shy about being caught, and even hobbled as she was, universally gave the owner much trouble in catching her. On this occasion, to the great joy and surprise of the besieged occupants of the cabin, the mare, unbidden, had made her way directly up and into an open porch on one side of the cabin, as if she too desired the protection which its walls afforded. Young Dimick seized the opportunity of making his escape, and at the same time of bringing assistance to the besieged. Rushing out of the cabin with a handkerchief tied over his head in- stead of wearing a hat, he seized the mare by the mane, a bridle was handed him from the cabin, and with one slash with a knife he cut the spancles which hampered the limbs of the animal and with a bound was upon her back, and directing his course toward Henne- pin dashed off at a fearful rate. Dimick reached Hennepin in safety. and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day a company of well armed men arrived and relieved the little garrison of their imprisonment. When the rescuing party had arrived within two miles of the cabin the Indians were discov- ered to be in motion; occasional glimpses of the crouching form of an Indian here and there dodging, skulking and retreating could be discerned from the cabin, until they

Richard Edwards

HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

wholly disappeared some minutes before as- sistance arrived."

The body of Phillips was taken to Henne- pin and buried-the first grave dug and the tirst burial in the Hennepin cemetery-in June, 1832.

In the history of Putnam County, by the Rev. H. Vallette Warren, we find the follow- ing reference to this tragedy:

" A party of men going from Hennepin to Dover, sixteen miles distant, to secure their cattle, were followed and watched all night by Indians, and in the morning a man named Phillips was shot as he came out of the cabin in which they had passed the night. The Indians then fled. A boy named Dimmick rode to Hennepin and gave the alarm. It was the day of the disbanding of the rangers, many of whom were there. About thirty of them, as many as could be gotten over the river in time, responded and hastened to Dover, where they found the body of Phillips lying as he fell and his companions still in the cabin. The Indians were fol- lowed but not overtaken. The company re- turned to Hennepin, bearing the remains of the unfortunate man, and Thomas Hartzell, J. S. Simpson, H. K. Zenor and Williamson Durley, selected a burying-place and assisted in burying the only man who fell by the hands of the Indians within the limits of Putnam County, and the first to fill a grave in the burying ground of Hennepin."

E. S. Phelps, Jr., delivered a memorial tribute to the memory of Ebenezer Strong Phelps, who was born in Northampton, Mass., September 3, 1788. June, 1803, he appren- ticed to the jewelry business. February 12, 1812, married Anna Wright, with whom he lived over sixty years. When married he commenced business in his trade and followed this till 1851. In 1816 he was elected Dea- con in the church. At the organization of

the Hampshire Church, Princeton, in 1831, he was chosen Deacon. In 1828 he proposed getting up a colony to come to Illinois, and succeeded in organizing one in 1831, and on May 4, 1831, the colony, in company with Phelps' two sons, started for Illinois, Mr. Phelps with the remainder of his family fol- lowed June 13, and arrived at Springfield, Ill., where he went to work at his trade, where he remained until 1838. He was elected Elder in the Springfield Presbyterian Church, and was again elected Deacon of the Hampshire Colony Church on coming to Princeton, which position he held until his strength deserted him. He was Treasurer of the church many years; for some time a Justice of the Peace; School Treasurer for township about twenty-five years; an active worker in the Sunday-school, he was Sunday-school Superintendent both in Springfield and Princeton : an active anti-slavery man, and an earnest temperance advocate from 1828 till the day of his death. February 24, 1862, his golden wedding was celebrated. On his eightieth birthday he had a family re-union and then and there arranged for his fu- neral; his sons E. H., E. S. and J. R., and his son-in-law J. S. Bubach, were to be the pall bearers, and L. J. Colton was to take charge of the funeral. In February his health began to rapidly fail and on March 19, 1872, "his spirit went to sing with the glorified ones."

Anna (Wright) Phelps died in Princeton, July 6, 1873.

Deacon Caleb Cook, one of the early set- tlers and from the day of his coming until his death a prominent and influential citizen of the county, died of gastric fever, March 27, 1876, age, sixty-eight years.

He came to the county in 1834, and was at one time President of the Bureau County Old Settlers' Society. When Mr. Cook was

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elected President he returned thanks in a few appropriate remarks, briefly alluding to his trip on horseback in 1835, from Montgomery County to the hotel of Elijah Smith in the vicinity of Princeton, and said that after a night spent with Smith he mounted again and started in search of Cornelius Corss, who had a claim to sell. On the road he came across a young man building a fence around a hay stack; he intimated that this then young man was in the audience and he was asked to come forward.

John M. Gay .- This brought John M. Gay to his feet. He was nearly eighty years of age, and he said that old as he was, he was nearly as diffident as the Chairman (Cook). He stated that he came to West Bureau, 1830; was driven off twice by the Indians, but re- turned, located the place afterwards sold to Mr. Tucker. He was the first Justice of the Peace on this side the river, and by virtue of this office married several of the early settlers; among those he remembered Mr. Munson, who married a daughter of William Hall, who was killed by the Indians, and Mrs. Mun- son was one of the captive "Hall Girls." Mr. Gay said he remembered officiating at the wedding of Abram Strattan and George Hinsdale. He said he vividly remembered the Hinsdale marriage, because a man named Timothy Perkins had requested his services. Gay's horse was in the pasture and he started to catch him aud it turned out to be an all day job; when he did get him he started in haste to the place; he soon met the wedding party coming to meet him, and as this meeting was close by a deserted cabin, the party dis- mounted, entered the cabin, and on the dirt floor, without doors or windows, and amid these royal surroundings the happy and joyful wedding took place, and all mounted (two on a horse) and returned as they came. Was this not a jolly wedding trip ?

At the close of Mr. Gay's remarks, Mrs. Gay rose up and stood by the side of her husband, to the great delight of the audi- ence.

First Child Born. - The President, Caleb Cook, then introduced to the old settlers Mrs. Jacob Sells, as "the first white child born this side the Illinois River." We presume this officially and authoritatively settles the al- ways greatly vexed question as to who was the really "first child born," out of always the numerous claimants. Mrs. Jacob Sells was the second daughter of Henry Thomas.

In a conversation with Mr. Kitterman the matter of the first birth was brought up. He remarked that he was present when the ques- tion came up before the old settlers and with- out saying a word he heard it settled as above stated, but nevertheless he then be- lieved and still believes that his third child, Ann, was really the first child born in what is now Bureau County. There are circum- stances strongly pointing to Mr. Kitterman's recollection as being the truth of the matter. Mrs. Sells was born "this side of the river," but it is told by some that she was really born in Peoria, where Mrs. Thomas had gone in anticipation of the event. Let us crown them both "the first born," as the county is large enough to honor the two forever.

Aquilla Triplett, Sr., was born in Culpep- per County, Va., August 6, 1807. At the age of 16, with his parents, he removed to Mus- kingum County, Ohio, where he married Miss Elizabeth Wilson, August 20, 1829. The family came to Bureau County in 1834. For a long time Mr. Triplett was personally acquainted with every sonl in the county and was universally respected for his industry and integrity. He reared a large family. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and in all his walks of life was an exemplary and consistent Christian. His nature was wholly

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sunshiny and genial, and his descendants are worthy and excellent people.

At the Old Settlers' meeting, September 6, 1877, under the signature of "S," was written a stirring "Greeting Song," to the tune of the "Morning Light is Breaking." One couplet runs:

" We talk of days now olden, Yet to us never new: Where mem'rie's sky is golden With bright and varied hue; And like the hill-tops glowing With beauty, distance gives, The days and in years going, Gave joys that ever live."

The officers chosen at this meeting for the ensuing year were: President, Elder John Cole; Vice-Presidents, Simon Elliott and William Hoblet; Secretary and Treasurer, E. S. Phelps: Directors, H. C. Field, C. W. Combs and Martin Tompkins.

Mr. Arthur Bryant said: "I came to this State in 1830 and settled in Jacksonville. Came to Bureau in the spring of 1833. The people here were all of that class which the land speculators called squatters. We could not buy the land at that time for it was not in the market. I camped eight weeks in a wagon while I was putting up a cabin. In 1835 the land in this district was offered for sale. All of what is Bureau and Marshall Counties was in Putuam County. We went up to Galena to bid our land off in July, 1835. The Township of Princeton was nearly all bought at that sale. I bid off the land for nearly all my neighbors. I have been try- ing lately to think who were voters in 1835. I can now think of but seven." [ Unfortunately he did not name them. ]

A poem written in 1831, by Arthur Bryant, was then read. It was entitled “Emigra- tion." The opening lines are a touching apostrophe to the old home, saying:

"Come, 'ere we quit our native home, Afar in an unknown land to roam,

Let us rove the meadow and woodland o'er, And look on the scenes we may see no more.

* * *

All, all are lovely; but loveliest to-day,

For we know that to-morrow we leave them for aye. * * * *

Farewell to the forests, to hill and dell,

To the home of our fathers a long farewell !

Farewell forever our native land

By the breath of the mountain breezes fanned;

O'er the boundless lakes that glitter afar,

We track the beams of the Western Star;

We hasten away to a distant elime,

To a soil untilled since the morning of time, Where never arose the cottage smoke Nor share of the plowman that greensward broke,

Where the grassy plains were never shorn, Save the rushing flames by the fierce winds borne;

And countless ages their shadows cast

On the scenes of its unrecorded past."

And then the poet proceeds to tell us what his eyes beheld as he trudged along to the "distant West" And here in beautiful words are painted that other side of the story of the cruel hardships, the dreary loneliness of the travelers in the wide wastes.

"But desert lies the beauteous land

As fresh as it came from its Maker's hand."

As the sun comes up from a sea of gold

And the mists from the face of the morning are rolled,

Lo! the verdant wastes in the brightening ray, O'er swell and o'er hollow stretch far away,

And the sounds, we listen, the objeets we view To the ear and the eye are pleasant and new. The thiekets that skirt the untrodden way

With the crab and the wild plum are fragrant and gay.

The painted cup flaunts its leaves of red Like a sheet of flame on the prairie spread. The violet springs on the sunny swells, The lungwort hangs forth its azure bells, The red-bud blooms on the forest bowers, The paw-paw opens its dusky flowers, On the green savannas spreading far Shows the varied phlox its brilliant star, The crane's harsh note is heard on high

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

As he floats like a speek on the azure sky, The trumpet voice of the wild swan sounds, O'er the bush and hillock the wild deer bounds, From the new-leaved branches that sway above Comes the plaintive coo of the turtle dove,

The prairie bird in his amorous play,

Hails with boom and with song the dawn of day; And the southwest wind, with its warm caress,

Breathes joy through the blossoming wilderness. We hail the land of the distant West."

Then the poet turns in his imagination to the future of this smiling land, where he says sometime:

"On elods that shelter the red man's grave

Shall the tall maize spring and the green wheat wave;

The forests that rang with the Indian's yell,

Shall echo the sound of the Sabbath bell;

Where the gaunt wolf howled and the panther strayed,

And the grim hear stalked in the woodland shade, The schoolboy's shout, and the drowsy lium Of traffic and toil on the ear shall come."

* "Away to the distant West, away!"

The very soul of the young brave pioneer is here given out in sweetest song. It is the window to the inward real man, and in his immortal verse he has left us an unmistak- able index to himself, his age, and the times and men who turned their faces toward the "distant West," and wrought here the finest jewel in our sisterhood of States.

E. Strong Phelps' Address :- At this meet- ing, the principal address was made by Mr. Phelps. He commences by saying that he only claims to represent that class of our old settlers who were expected "to be seen, not heard." Those whose "hair would persist in coming through their hats; who waited for the second table and slept under the eaves in the loft." He proceeds to apologize for at. tempting to speak in that character to "tell of the recollections of children" and "fear such may not very interesting." The truth is that just here he was striking out in a new

and most interesting path of observation- something that its very novelty would have made it remarkable, even if the substance was not a splendid treat. He insists that as chil- dren of the old settlers, they filled their places tolerably full and in happy content. He then bears willing testimony to the fact that even at the second table they found plenty to eat and that they slept as sonudly in their "bunks under the eaves, as did other children in grander rooms and softer beds." He then comments on the change in the face of the country since first he looked upon it, as fol- lows: "What was known as the big slough, between Princeton and Dover, where we went miles to find a crossing place, is now a mere ditch with but little water running in it; where the grass was so tall that it came up to the horses' sides as we passed along, are now corn - fields and growing orchards. I have seen the water deep enough, after heavy rains, to nav- igate a good-sized steamboat, in a slough near my father's house, that is now perfectly dry; and on the site of the pond, where we, as boys, shot ducks and went swimming, the American House and business houses on the east side of Main Street (Princeton), now stand.

He thinks his father was the first to erect a house at a distance from the timber; the family came in 1836, and made an improve. ment one mile northeast of the Princeton depot. He says: "My first impressions were we lived a great way off from anywhere; that we were in imminent danger of freezing to death in the winter; that we were Yankees and very peculiar people anyway, as we lived in a frame house away out on the prairie, instead of living in a fashionable log-house in the timber. I think some of our neigh- bors looked upon us much the same way the citizens of Chicago would look upon one who should go and voluntarily make his home at

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the lake crib, instead of settling in the resi- dent part of the city. It seemed sneh an unlikely place to live. Our little improve- ment, seemed like some little crib in mid- water, and the winds were continually send- ing the grassy waves of the great prairie lake against it, threatening utterly to destroy it. I have stood on the banks of Long Island Sound when the tide was coming in, and they recalled vividly to my mind the old home of my childhood days upon the western prairie. But when, as was often the case, the prairie fires were started and came upon us with their flame and smoke, then indeed we were in great danger, and many a hard hour's work have we performed, to save our little all from its devouring fury. I remem- ber that my father. before he knew how deceiving the fires were to the eye at night, set out a back fire to protect us from one that seemed coming over the ridge of prairie not a quarter of a mile from us, and that caused much alarm and some danger to persons at some distance north of us-when it was afterward found that the fire was on the Providence Prairie, eight or ten miles from us.

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 13

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company Number of Pages: 776

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776