History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 45

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

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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).

Among Mr. Lovejoy's old neighbors we found, of course, two classes of people-those who idolized him and those who did not-and after hearing all we could, we concluded there was a grain of truth ou each side. In many respects he was the most extraordinary man this age has produced-both physically and mentally. His physical courage was in its calm, quiet, deep and unruffled flow never surpassed-indeed, we doubt if it was ever equaled. He typified it completely when he deigned to notice the mad-caps and Hotspurs

in Congress, in their frothing and impotent rage, their howls and shrieks and stupid epi- thets that they finng at him, when he said, as quoted above, "You may be as brave as any men, but you do not show it, ‘God feels no anger, because he knows no fear.'"

The closing scenes in this eventful life are thus told by Mr. Washburn, of Illinois, in Congress, in the course of his memorial ad- dress:

" A man of iron constitution, he had always enjoyed the most robust health until a short time before the expiration of the last Con- gress. He was then strickeu down by a sud- den and severe illness, which detained him at the Capital some time after the Congress had expired. Returning to his home, he partially gained his health during the last summer and autumn. Taking his seat in Congress at the commencement of the session, in the hopeful and buoyant feelings of his na- ture he flattered himself with the idea of health recovered and energies regained, but there was something in his altered look which, even to the unpracticed eye, told of disease and death, creating in the minds of his friends the gravest apprehensions. During the holidays, in response to the pressing in- vitation of his friends, he visited Portland, Me., and delivered a public address on the great events which are now challenging the attention of the country and the world. It was his last effort at public speaking, and it was worthy of his name and his fame in his palmiest days, and the news of his death will reach that delighted auditory before the accents of his eloquent utterences will have died away.

"Coming back to Washington after the recess of Congress, he soon had a return of the dis- ease which had prostrated him nearly a year before. After several weeks' confinement to his room and to his bed, he had so far re-

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covered as to believe himself able to partially resume his duties in the House. He attended our sittings a short time for several days, but his eye had lost its brightness, and the un- wonted and ghastly pallor of his cheek told, alas! but too plainly, that death had already marked him as its early victim. Stimulated by the stirring events of the passing hour, the important legislation of Congress, and the claims of a constituency whose interests he had never neglected or betrayed, and whose convictions he had never misrepresent- ed, the effort he made to resume his duty among us was too much for him. A partial relapse was the consequence, and then it was determined he should, for a time, leave the excitement of the Capital and visit a more southern and a more genial climate, in the hope that his shattered and broken health might yet be restored. He left here for New York City some ten days ago, but the trip thither was too hard for him to bear, and he was unable to pursue his journey further. From that time he became rapidly worse un- til he expired at the time stated."

CHAPTER XXX.

BUREAU COUNTY IN THE WAR-THE FIRST NEWS OF THE FIRING UPON FORT SUMTER-VOLUNTEERING-COMPANIES, REGIMENTS, ETC., ETC.

"Now the birds build their nests in the canon's cold lips."

F ROM the dog fight to the long and bloody wars of nations there is a vein of interest to the average man. The details of a bruising prize-fight are widely read, and what can there be in such things to interest men, except the fact that there is a blood- letting to give zest to the really sickening de-

tails. There have been a hundred books writ- ten about war to one about the peaceful pas- toral pursuits that engage the great mass of men, and from whence comes the very bread of life, the wealth of individuals and nations. There is a strange fascination about the story of violent deaths, of maimings, and this even extends to the horrid details of a great de- structive epidemic. What is this so deeply fixed in nearly all men and that has been there always? Among the Indians with whom our forefathers so long warred, it was well understood that the savages delighted to capture a white man alive and unhurt, that they might keep him for a gala day for all their people, especially the women and children, who could dance with wild delight as they were tortured to death. So keenly was this sport relished that they would cun- ningly draw out the pain and at times restore the fainting victim, and then go over and over the sweet delights of witnessing the dying agonies. The story of blood and tor- ture, like the story of fights of men and beasts and of war and its intense horrors, are more or less of kin, or, at least, their origin can not be originally very different. A few years ago white mnen, at least many of them, would periodically delight to fight, frolic, get drunk at elections and bruise and scratch and fairly tear each other's eyes out in having a "good time." At one time not long ago neighborhoods, villages, towns and counties had their "bullies." A "bully " was the champion bruiser, and a class honored and respected these brutes immensely. In the West and Southwest were the murderous des- peradoes - the cowardly beasts who killed their scores of men-men who "got the drop" on a fellow man, and this meant really another cold-blooded, cowardly assas- sination. Sensible men feared these infa- mous wretches, and fools envied and fawned

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Siles Battery

مكتـ ــلـ

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upon them. War is fighting, and fighting here means bloodshed and butchery. He who imagines the "blood tub" element has been eliminated from among men can unde- ceive himself by a little observation. Two years ago Mathew Arnold visited this coun- try. He is the strongest thinker and writer among the literary men of Europe. His writings and lectures are full of virile thoughts and the best English. In a lecture of one hour he was able to say something to arrest the attention of every tolerably cult- ured man in the land, and give all such men something to think and talk about. He vis- ited one of our large Western cities and de- livered one of his finest lectures to an audi- ence of less than 200, at $1 each. Nearly simultaneously with his visit and lecture the Boston prize-fighter visited the same city, and 6,000 people rushed into a hall to see his ponderous fists, at $2 each. There were only 6,000 because another could not squeeze into the building. Here were the represent- atives of the two extremes of our civilization -the highest and the lowest-the intellect- ual and brutal. The largest door money ever paid, we believe, was in Boston not long ago upon the occasion of a bruiser's ex- hibition by Boston's home talent. If this is the measure of "Boston the hub" from which radiates all that education, culture and æstheticism of which polite ears are dinned, what, indeed, are we to expect of our less civilized cities and localities. The multiplied schools and churches of the country find the task great of eradicating blood and brutality from the habit of men's thoughts. But even many men who have no patience with these fisti-cuff bruisers, really believe they are not showing any out-cropping of their an- cient barbarous forefathers by feeling the 1 warmest delight in the details of a bloody battle. They never imagine there could be

the remotest connection in the tastes of the one with the other. And poets, preachers, orators and eloquent writers sound the praises of the soldier brave in battle, regardless of the cause in which he dashed on to death. Fair, delicate, pure and noble women have admired and loved the brave heroes of war. Love and admire bravery, contemn and de- spise a coward, is as old a sentiment as is human language. Trace out the lineage of all the above apparently different bents of men's admiration, and they cannot but focus at the same starting point-a bloody-minded and cruel barbarism.

The world has had much war, and the most of it has been simply cruel, unjust and infamous in all its purposes. And he who fights in an unjust war cannot be a hero to respect or admire, no matter how brave his action. And there have been just and holy wars, and these have produced the great and grand heroes. A war against tyrants, to repel invasion, and against the enemies of a good government may be, if it is not always, a just and worthy cause, and one whose bloody battle fields may be sacred grounds. The people have generally had to fight their way out from the bitter enslavement of tyranny to the sunlight of liberty. Every war, every battle that; liberated or tended to liberate mankind was a noble one. These may furnish worthy themes for the most elo- quent tongue or pen, and their details may give men lessons of the most ennobling kind. When Gen. Washington and his compeers unsheathed their swords and appealed to the God of battles, they engaged in a war holy in its purposes and sacred to the dearest righte of all mankind. It was a rebellion against the mother country, but a war for liberty; a rebellion against England that ended in her defeat, but in the end was her good as well as nearly all mankind's good. It was

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the grandest struggle in history for liberty and human rights, made by men who under stood what they were contending for; men who were heroes upon the battle field, and wise and honest in council. In the history of mankind we know of nothing that was a greater permanent blessing to the human race than this war for independence and its results. It freed America, but it freed not only England, too, but the whole world has felt its glorious effects, and let it be hoped they may go on forever. The true lessons of the American Revolution have not yet reached the rising generations. The facts and dates and names, together with the usual Fourth of July spread-eagleism is all that we present to our school-children's minds and eyes, when we tell them the great story of that immortal era, and we leave them with no proper com- prehension of the causes and effects-effects that will continue their immeasurable boon to every civilized people for untold ages and centuries-the great march of advancement that may go on in power, surviving the final destruction of the government these great and good men founded. The marching out' sword in hand, from the sway of the tyrant, by the feeble colonies that were occupying this little speck of a portion of the globe, was but an infinitesimal part of the good and the enduring effects that came to the entire human race from the war of the Revolution. It has loosened the grip of tyrants in every nation in the world, and advanced the whole race grandly up along the ascending plain of civilization. It demonstrated the lesson that can never be lost that man can be largely trusted with his own government; that rulers have no divine rights; that the great mass of mankind are not mere kine who belong to tyrant rulers and may be sent at will to their shambles. Look at our neighbor, Canada. She did not join the colonies in their rebell-

ion; nor did she fight for independence, and yet in fact has gained very nearly as much in every respect as did the American colonies. Compare the condition of any existing nation with itself a hundred years ago, and it is easy to trace the advancing steps toward the betterment of the condition of its subjects to our successful war for self- government.

Thus it becomes evident that no human power can curb or circumscribe effects as they flow out from great events. They are a part of the omnipotent and enduring physical law of the universe. Did not England pour out her treasures and blood to subjugate our people, and is it not now a self-evident fact that if she had succeeded, she would have inflicted upon herself the immeasurable evil of her national life ? . And suppose the American war had reached no further in its effects than to include the colonies and Great Britain, that great nation of whom Webster once said "its drum-beat, starting with the morning sun and keeping step with the stars, encircles the globe in one continu- ous strain of martial music." And when we remember that this great empire has since that eloquent description of Webster's added many millions of people to its vast possess- ions, and that to all these-if to no one else -were given many of the good effects of the war, it may be partially seen what some of the transcendant effects were to come of that heroic action of our fathers. It is in this light that the grand character of Washington begins to dawn upon the mind of the student of history. When thus compared with the history of the average great men, especially warriors, his name and fame shine out like the great central sun. Every school child is familiar with the story of Washington and his hatchet, and how many of our full grown people can tell the whole story of his putting

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aside the proffered crown? The first is an idle and rather pointless nursery fable, while the other is one of those great events in his- tory whose vast importance casts its influence across the face of the globe, and in its bless- ings to mankind will go on forever.

When the settlers began to come to this county the soldiers of the Revolution were all getting to be old men-men retiring from the active affairs of life-and the most of the remnant at that time had begun to gather about the family circle among the children of their children, and here, when the ingle burned brightly, they would " shoulder the crutch and show how battles are won " to their delighted child audiences. It is not known that a single Revolutionary soldier came here among the settlers, but the county has had its full share of represent- atives of all other wars of our country since that time. In the war of 1812-15, the Mex- ican war, and many Indian wars of the country-the county has had representatives of all these.

The Rebellion. *- Saturday, April 14, 1861, was an eventful day in Bureau County. The wires that day told the terrible story of the firing upon Fort Sumter. Men met each other with bated breaths; they were stunned by the blow, and in a dazed sort of way the one asked the other meaningless questions, and heard not the answers often, but contin- ued to ask still other questions; and they be- gan to gather in knots and small crowds, and in time began to discuss the terrible news. Then the majority began to doubt the truth of the story-they could not at once believe that the flag of our common country had been fired upon by its own citizens. Every vari- ety and shade of belief and disbelief, nearly as numerous as the individuals constituting the crowd, were entertained and expressed.

Very soon any one who had anything to say, whether his own opinions or fresh news from the seat of war, would quickly command an eager surrounding of earnest men. The day wore away and the long night of painful in- terest came. But few could sleep, and many did not even retire and try to rest. The Sun- day morning dawned, and the early hour found many gathering around the telegraph office at the depot eager for more news. Soon there were great crowds of excited men, women and children, and the intensity of the excitement grew apace. The church bells rang out their usual Sunday call to come and worship God, and yet the staid Deacons and laymen lingered away from pews that had never missed them upon these occasions be- fore. These God-fearing men forgot for the moment the Prince of Peace, and it was still doubted by many that Saturday's news could be true. The news traveled slowly then com- pared to now, and all day long and all night again Sunday night people were in the gravest doubts and fears and faint hopes that the first story would prove a false alarm. In the meantime the public sentiment was fast crystallizing into form; the stun of the first blow was passing off, and a deep-seated anger was rapidly settling in men's souls. But the next day, Monday, confirmed the first reports, giving the complete details of the bombard- ment and surrender of the fort, and the fur- ther news of the call of the President for 75,000 troops, and Gov. Yates' proclamation calling together the State Legislature in ex- traordinary session, to enact such laws and provide such measures as the exigencies de manded. This instantly settled the questions in men's minds. The stars and stripes were flung to the breeze from the court house cupola, the bells were rung, the drum and fife were heard at the head of the people. All business was stopped, and the people en

*From notes furnished by S. G. Paddock.

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masse rushed into the streets. Men cheered the flag as they had never cheered it before; it looked very different to them to what it ever had; it had been fired upon by rebels; it had been hauled down and trailed in the dust by treason, and there was a vitriolic ring of re- venge in the tone of the yells that now greeted the glorious emblem of the country. The ex- citement of the forty-eight hours was a pent up Utica that now burst forth in greatest fury. Without waiting the action of the Governor, the people began to enlist and get ready to go to war. Then the intensity of the excite- ment increased and spread. Women and children sent up their shouts and their wails when their fathers, husbands, sons and broth- ers began to buckle on their armor. The call was for 75,000 troops to serve ninety days, but this did not relieve the minds of women and children that war was bloodshed and death, and the contentions in woman's gen- tle bosom between patriotism and love and fear-the insulted flag and the cruel war and its attendant horrors came to their minds, and they laughed and cried and wept and prayed. Men were grim and serious, women were noisy and hysterical.

Tuesday evening-so rapidly were affairs forming themselves-the cry went out "to the court house," where the people at once assembled, a meeting was organized, and ringing speeches were made amid the wild- est enthusiam. Before the meeting was over S. A. Paddock and F. B. Ferris each com- menced raising a company, and men began to enroll their names in real soldier organi- zations. Of Mr. Paddock we are informed that for nearly two years previous to this time he had foreseen that the end would be war, and he commenced in due time to pre- pare himself for it. He had procured and studied the army regulations and the tactics, and, it is said, was ready at a moment's notice

to take command of a company and drill and organize it into true soldiers. During the week the details of the Governor's message calling for 6,000 troops from Illinois became known. Thursday, the 18th, a large meeting was held at the court house, which was called to order by R. F. Winslow, Chairman, and John H. Bryant, J. W. Harris, C. L. Kelsey, S. M. Knox, E. G. Jester, F. Moseley, H. C. Field, N. B. Page, and John Long were Vice-Presidents, and J. G. Hewitt and W. H. Mesenkop, Secretaries. Milo Kendall, Charles Baldwin and C. J. Peckham were appointed a committee on resolutions.

Judge G. W. Stipp, J. I. Taylor, Milo Kendall, Owen Lovejoy, J. S. Eckels, S. A. Paddock, G. G. Gibons, Justus Stevens, J. Robbins, Jr., and S. M. Knox each made stirring and patriotic speeches. Ringing resolutions, with no uncertain sound about them, were passed with one wild, long shout. The following Sunday witnessed the whole people to the remotest corners of the county in the wildest possible state of ex- citement, to which each hour was adding fuel to the already consuming flames. At Lamoille the squad of recruits enlisted at that place and intended for the Princeton companies, met on Sunday, the 21st, and a speech was made them by Elder Collins, when they started for Princeton, escorted by many wagon loads of people, with drums and fifes and flags flying. They arrived at Princeton about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. That evening the volunteers and the great and excited crowds of people assembled in front of the American House, and listened to a grand patriotic sermon by the Rev. Hag- gerty, of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Monday, the 22d, was the day for the departure of Capt. S. A. Paddock's company, the first company to start to the war or any war from Bureau County. The North

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Prairie quota came in a body as early as 8 A. M., and others were continually arriving, all accompanied by their wives, mothers, sis- ters, sweethearts and friends of every kind. The noisy part of the crowd's patriotism had now spent itself, and a grim silence, much more significant, had taken its place. The occasional sob of a woman or child was the only outward expression of the moving feel- ings. At 10 o'clock a dinner was served the volunteers at the American and Prairie Hotels, and at 11 o'clock the men were formed into line and marched to the depot, and at 12:30 the company was on the train on its way to Springfield.

At Wyanet, Sheffield, Buda, Neponset, Malden and other parts of the county similar action was being had among the people, and at many of these points speeches were made by most of the speakers who spoke at the Princeton meeting. In Tiskilwa Capt. W. T. Swain, J. W. Harris, S. E. Morris, J. H. More, L. D. Whiting, T. Gordon and J. Cook were the active movers and organizers.

Col. R. F. Winslow and Milo Kendall at once commenced to form companies for home service. They posted up bills calling on the people to organize, and among other things they " proposed to have an armory in Prince- ton, and all having guns are requested to bring them to town Saturday next, where a competent person will take charge of them, and who will see they are kept in proper order for any emergency. If the war con- tinues with success on the part of the rebels Illinois will be the great battle ground, and it behooves us to be ready for the worst." This may sound a little amusing now-it did not then. Illinois was not part of "the great battle ground " in the war, but she was fully represented upon every skirmish and battle field of the four years of bloody war. Illinois too furnished the General of the

army and the President of the United States during the war.

Thus, and by her 256,000 soldiers in line, the State did have a great and conspicuous place in the war.

Thursday, April 25, the company of Capt. F. B. Ferris, G. L. Paddock First Lieuten- ant and G. G. Gibons Second, and Capt. Barry's company from Wyanet, left on the train for Mendota. Monday following Capt. W. T. Swain's company from Tiskilwa, and the next day (Tuesday) Capt. Page's com- pany from Malden left.

Col. Taylor had now formed a squadron of cavalry.

Saturday, the 27th of April, a large mass convention of the people, where were 5,000 or 6,000 people, was held in Princeton. The President of this meeting was William M. Whipple, and E. Lumry, D. Robinson, Jr., Dr. Woodruff, Tracy Reeve, J. V. Thompson, R. T. Templeton, Vice-Presidents. During this week large meetings of a similar kind were held in Lamoille, Malden, Wyanet, Tiskilwa, Neponset and many other places in the county, all breathing the same spirit of patriotism and determination.

Swain's and Ferris' companies joined the Twelfth Regiment, Col. McArthur's.

About May 9, a company of horse was formed in Center Prairie, commanded by Capt. C. L. V. Parker, " for home protection and to keep strict watch over all strangers seen prowling about the country, and to act in conjunction with other companies that may be formed to repel invasion."

Capt. Barry's and Capt. Page's companies were solicited to go into Col. Scates' thirty- day regiment, that was organizing in Spring- field, but refused.

Toward the last of May Capt. J. W. Mer. rill organized a company in Neponset.

From the beginning the county and town

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authorities gave every encouragement to en- listments, by providing for families left be- hind, and by bounties, gradually increasing the latter as circumstances seemed to require.

At first the county orders issued for these purposes had currency, and every one was willing to take them in trade, but as the vol- ume increased and it became apparent that they could not all be absorbed by taxes, they became uncurrent and soon began to depre- ciate from face value. There was no legal manner of issuing interest-bearing obliga- tions, and without bearing interest or having a definite point of maturity, the value became more uncertain. The difficulty reached its climax when the bounties offered in 1862, at the time of the organization of the Ninety- third Regiment, became payable, the men had been mustered in and there was no money for them. The Committee of the Board of Su- pervisors, consisting of Messrs. S. Edwards, J. Stevens, C. L. Kelsey, J. T. Thomson and S. G. Paddock, becoming convinced that no money could be had in the county, met in Chicago, and after several days of persistent effort succeeded in placing $30,000, 10 per cent bonds, at a small discount. That winter the Legislature by suitable enactments legal- ized what other counties as well had been compelled to do, and made provision for fu- ture emergencies. That was the only war loan for which it was necessary to go out of the county, and all other of the nearly $700- 000 that was expended for bounties, relief of families, and other expenses growing out of the war, was provided by our own people, and rapidly paid off by taxes, so that within a very few years after the close of the war the whole expense, so far as the county was concerned, was a thing of the past.

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 45

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