USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 40
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
At the Abolition convention held in Ottawa, May, 1853, twelve citizens of Chicago were appointed as a state board to advance the interests of the Abolition party in Illinois. As a matter of fact the passage of the negro bill, so-called, by the Legislature in 1852-3, was important because it led to the reorganization of the Abolition party in Illinois. From 1848 to 1852 the party had remained compara- tively quiet in this state, but the act of the Legislature prohibiting free colored people from settling in Illinois again roused that party into action. The Western Citizen was the state organ of the Aboli- tionists; it was issued in this city. Late in 1853 a large convention of the colored people of the state was held here. One John Jones of Chicago presided. They adopted resolutions denouncing slavery, criticising clergymen who did not work against it, asserted that the fugitive slave law was an outrage, and that the "black law" of Illinois was unbearable. Letters from Horace Mann, Cassius M. Clay, William H. Seward, Horace Greeley, David P. Brown and Charles Durkie were read. Speeches by A. H. Richardson, White of Galena and Rev. Byrd Parker, colored, of Chicago were made. On the sec- ond day of the convention Fred Douglas addressed the assemblage at Warner's hall. Later he stumped the state in the interests of the Abolition party.
In September, 1854, Henry Dwight of New Haven, Connecticut,
414
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
representing the Kansas Emigrant society, came here for the pur- pose of forming a branch organization. The Democratic Press said: "There is but one feeling we believe among the people, and that is that in spite of the machination of corrupt politicians this territory consecrated by our fathers to freedom shall be free." He referred to Kansas and Nebraska. In July, 1854, Cassius M. Clay lectured before the Young Men's association. He declared that Mrs. Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was a "fair and equitable demon- stration of slavery as it exists." He further said, "in Kentucky in the Green river country I have seen a man surrounded by a gang of dogs, trained and kept to track and run down a fugitive slave. But recently a gentleman from Georgia informed me that a pack of dogs which had been trained to follow runaway slaves had been sold in his state for $1,100." In December, 1854, there were in the hands of the United States Marshal, Col. Harry Wilton, warrants for the arrest of four fugitive slaves. Anticipating trouble, he had suc- ceeded in having ordered out two militia companies, the Light Guards under Lieutenant Harding and Company A, National Guards under Captain Shirley. Soon the city was astir. Judge Rucker announced that the United States marshal had no power to order out the state militia, whereupon the two companies dis- persed. The marshal made no attempt thereafter to execute the warrants. However, the runaway slaves taking alarm started for Canada. The Democratic Press of December 9 said: "We have known of many attempts being made to take fugitives away from Chicago, but we have yet to learn the first instance in which the thing has been done." "Dr. Dyer at this time was a very active Abolitionist. He assisted many runaways to reach Canada. On one occasion a Kentuckian expressing himself too pointedly in favor of slavery was publicly caned by the pugilistic doctor. For this act he was widely congratulated and was presented with a gold- headed cane suitably inscribed. At this time the St. Louis and other Southern newspapers declared that the fugitive slave law was wholly inoperative in Chicago. Southern men were advised not to come here with their slaves.
It was true that many here who denounced Abolitionism and Abolitionists were also opposed actively to slave hunting and slave catching. They opposed the fugitive slave law, opposed the exten- sion of slave territory, but objected to any interference with slavery where it already existed. The Democratic Press asked: "Would the editor of the St. Louis Republican engage in the business of slave catching? Would ninety-nine hundredths of the readers of that print do so? No, they would shrink from it as they would shrink from a leper. So do the great mass of the citizens of Chicago. No earthly power can make slave catchers of our people. Ten thousand fugitive slave laws cannot do it. Such is the general sentiment here." In March, 1855, a Kansas Aid society was organized in
1
415
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
this city, Messrs. Goodman, Chapman, High, Slater and Sloat were appointed a committee to set the organization in operation. In April, 1855, the Kansas Scotch Free Settlement society was organ- ized in this city with George Leslie as secretary. The object of these societies was to raise men who were willing to become settlers of Kansas. Early in 1856 public meetings denouncing the decision in the Dred Scott case were held in this county. At this time it was dis- covered that several policemen were guilty of slave catching. One of them attempted to arrest a colored man passing through Chicago to Canada, but soon learned that he could not do it owing to the sentiment of the people and open opposition to any such step. In March the Democratic Press said: "Hundreds are now passing through this city every week for Kansas to be on the ground in the territory at the opening of spring. In 1856 Chicago people contrib- uted about half the money to purchase Aunt Sally, a slave held in Alabama, the mother of Rev. Williams, a colored pastor of a church in Detroit. In January, 1857, at the State Colonization society convention held in Springfield, Shelby M. Cullom and Abraham Lincoln represented their respective counties. J. L. Scripps of Chicago was one of the vice-presidents. In July, 1857, in a suit by a colored man for assault and battery, the court overruled the plea of the non-citizenship of the defense. In August, 1857, several negro catchers arrived here and applied for help to the lieutenant of police but were refused. One of them asked: "Shan't I want some help to get the two boys away from the city?" The officer answered, "Well, I rather guess you will." The negroes remained in Chicago.
In September, 1857, a Southerner from Alabama attempted to carry off a colored boy, but was roughly handled by the colored peo- ple who set the boy free. A mass meeting of the colored citizens held on November 18, 1857, denounced in the severest terms the course of Senator Douglas on the slavery question. In the fall of 1857, while a negro congregation were baptizing some of their would-be members at the Illinois Central basin on the lake front, a crowd of roughs broke up the meeting amid great confusion. About this time a colored woman who was being taken from Canada to St. Louis was stopped in this city and freed, greatly to the indigna- tion of her owner.
Late in August, 1859, seven colored fugitives, two women and five men, who were being rapidly pursued by their owners, were assisted through Chicago on their way to Canada. About three weeks before two colored men from near New Orleans had also passed through Chicago, bound for Detroit. In the southern part of Illinois were organized bands of slave catchers. They attempted to invade Chicago, but were warned with emphasis to stay away. In October, 1859, the Northwestern Christian Anti-Slavery con- vention, one of the largest assemblages of its kind in the West, was
.
416
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
convened here. The resolutions which were adopted covered every phase of the slavery question and were pronounced in opposition to any extension of that institution and to the execution of the fugi- tive slave law. At this convention a large sum was raised to pur- chase the freedom of a certain colored person. The Press and Trib- une of November 19, 1859, said :
"The Underground Railway in Operation .- On Thursday night the Underground Railroad train arrived here with thirty passen- gers, five from the vicinity of Richmond, Virginia, twelve from Kentucky, and thirteen from Missouri. The thirteen from Mis- souri were sold to go down the river the very day they started. They are now all safe in Canada. A stalwart six-footer and a Sharp's rifle were the only guards."
It should be stated in this connection that the municipal court records of Chicago at that date are full of cases of small crimes committed by the colored population. In proportion to numbers the crimes thus committed by them seem greatly to outnumber those committed by white offenders. It is difficult to ascertain why this state of affairs existed. Perhaps the colored people were so discrim- inated against in labor circles that they were forced to steal in order to live.
In December, 1859, eight citizens of Ottawa were indicted by the United States Grand Jury for violating the fugitive slave law in rescuing Jim Gray from Southern claimants. Four of the princi- pals, John Hossack, James Stout, Dr. Joseph Stout and Claudius B. King were brought to Chicago and put in jail. The Abolitionists proceeded to make martyrs of these men. The best lawyers of Chi- cago volunteered to defend them. In January, 1860, these men ad- dressed the following letter to the editors of the Ottawa Republican: "We wish through the medium of your paper to inform the citizens of Ottawa that as humiliating and formidable as this prison life would seem under any other circumstances, to us it is rendered quite tolerable by the sympathy expressed by the liberty-loving people of Chicago. We wish to bear testimony to you of the capacious souls -first of our custodians, then of sheriff John Gray and the jailor, John Haskins; next of the bar; next of the editors; then of the citizens ; and last but not least of the ladies. To our wives and chil- dren we would say, be of good cheer-the day is not far distant when we hope we shall be released from these bonds. Chicago is a large place, and could it be otherwise, where such big hearts abide." The Press and Tribune of January 4 sympathetically said: "Let our citizens remember that prominent citizens of a sister city are in our jail charged with interfering with the return of the fugitive slave "Jim" to his master. We have need to utter no suggestions." At the trial which was largely attended Hossack was sentenced to ten days imprisonment and a fine of $100, Joseph Stout to ten days imprisonment and a fine of $50 and Claudius B. King to one day's
·
-
417
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
imprisonment and $10 fine. The total expenses to the defendants were about $1,600. Every dollar of this was raised by subscription in Ottawa and Chicago. In 1859 and 1860 negro catchers were par- ticularly active in this locality. The Press and Tribune said: "The goodly number of fine fat chattels most provokingly free about this vicinity, and their market value down the river, are two circum- stances that are constantly inviting the scant moral sense of the 'nigger stealers.' Almost every week attempts are made in the direction of the ultimatum-the conversion of these chattels into cash."
Almost every device conceivable was resorted to by the catchers to effect their object. On one occasion a hackman was offered $50 if he would convey four passengers (colored) to a railway station thirty miles from Chicago. The plan was to drug the negroes. The hackman refused. On another occasion a negro named Bill was loaded into a wagon and carried off a considerable distance before he recovered and escaped. It was shown that he had been overpowered with chloroform purchased at Buck & Rayner's drug store. A contract agreeing to pay $500 when Bill and his two chil- dren Andrew and Martha were delivered in St. Louis was found
upon the person of one of the abductors. The colored people of Chicago on August 1, 1860, celebrated Emancipation Day of the West Indies. In November, 1860, Stephen F. Nucholls of Ne- braska came here to re-capture his slave Eliza Grayson. He called upon Deputy Sheriff George Anderson to assist him, but that officer refused and assisted the woman to escape. Nucholls thereupon de- manded $800 payment from Anderson for the loss of the slave. The Tribune of December 20, 1860, said, "Look out for him-a long, shabby fellow, a large operator in running off niggers is in town. He has come to save the Union probably by pocketing the profits of a kidnapping job. If what we hear is true, no man in the state has operated more successfully in this way. A party from Texas accompanies him and their sublime mission may be imagina- ble."
In January, 1860, two colored men and three colored women from a plantation near Jackson, Mississippi, were passed through Chicago in charge of the Underground Railroad bound for Canada. In May, 1860, a colored man, James Mann, raised a balance of $220 here to free his son then in slavery in Virginia. Previous to this he had paid $2,400 for himself, wife and two other children. In 1860 the colored people established a circulating library and asked for a colored school.
In the case of Eliza Grayson the grand jury indicted white resi- dents of Chicago for participating in her escape. Among them were Deputy Sheriff Anderson, Justice Calvin DeWolf, Chancellor L. Jenks and J. H. Williams. All gave bail in the sum of $2,500 each. In the end they received but a nominal punishment.
418
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
In July, 1859, it was remarked that a colored man named William Turner had come back to Chicago as the agent of Southern owners to assist in identifying and recapturing their runaway slaves. The colored people made such hostile demonstrations toward him that at his own request he was placed in jail. About this time it trans- pired that white detectives of Chicago were really kidnappers of colored people. Among them were Charles Noyes and Charles W. Smith. They succeeded in decoying three colored men to a car which had been chartered from the Illinois Central Railway com- pany and were conveyed to St. Louis and delivered to their owner. It was afterward learned that they were beaten nearly to death and that Noyes and his associates had been paid more than $1,000 for their services. Noyes managed to escape, but afterward committed a crime in New York for which he was punished. Upon the out- break of the Rebellion Southern men who had lost slaves made desperate efforts to recapture them before the progress of the war should prevent. Chicago was visited late in 1860 and early in 1861 by more than a dozen agents of owners from the South. The Tribune of April, 1861, said: "There was a general stampede yesterday among the fugitive slaves harbored and residing in this city, and within a day or two, hundreds of them will have left for Canada, a course we advise to all who cannot make up their minds to save their country by going back to their masters." "The city is overrun with slave owners and manhunters. The most ex- traordinary excitement prevails among our colored people and within the past few days hundreds of fugitives, some of them long residents here, have found safety in the British dominions. Some of these have left their homes here under circumstances of peculiar hardship, but the hunter of human flesh was upon them. In some cases most narrowly was capture evaded. On Thursday a mother and her young children were concealed under a heap of manure in the rear of a barn on Buffalo street in this city, when the master of the mother was turning over the hay in the hope of finding them there. . . We object to a Federal office-holder under Abraham Lincoln surpassing in zealous manhunting all his prede- cessors in office. There is a distinction between doing one's pain- ful duty under the law and making that duty a delight, and yet the latter has been chosen by Mr. Jones."
"There has been an immense state of excitement among the colored people generally, as a class our most quiet citizens, and the actual presence of numerous slave hunters in town and the knowledge that several writs were in the officers' hands has created a perfect stampede among the numerous fugitives resident here. Within the week ending with Sunday last nearly three hundred colored people from this city have sought refuge in Canada. We give the above figures on the best authority as the outside limit for the reason that the number is greatly exaggerated by rumors
419
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY ,
and accounts rife about town. All through last week they left in parties of from four to twelve or fifteen, quietly and without attract- ing attention. They went by the regular trains and generally at second-class fares. There was, however, a large share of those for whom an early departure was deemed prudent who were still in town when the week closed.
"A party of thirty were concealed for several days in the hold of a schooner whose destination was the other side of the lake. Sunday came and found upwards of one hundred pressing and anxious to go, for whose transportation late in the week prepara- tions were made in the contract with the Michigan Southern rail- road to take them through to Detroit in freight caboose cars at an average of $2 apiece. Sunday was made memorable by such an exodus as no city in the United States ever saw before. While the church bells were calling our congregations to praise and prayer, the same was a signal for a great gathering at the Baptist church on the corner of Buffalo street near Edina place, most remarkable in its character. The house, a neat structure erected by our colored residents, was densely packed. The services were impressive and deeply affecting. The occasion was to be the farewell of one hun- dred and fifteen who were to leave by the train for Canada."
L. C. P. Freer, who was very active in assisting the slaves to escape, issued the following notice in April, 1861: "To the late Liberty Guard: The new United States marshal is inaugurating a reign of terror among our colored population. Do you wish to take any steps in the matter? If you do, you are invited to meet at my office, 51 Clark street, at half past 7 o'clock this evening. No ones but live men are invited."
It was declared by the newspapers at this time that secession sympathizers were arranging to arrest a fugitive slave with the expectation that a rescue would be effected. The object was to so kindle the wrath of slave owners of the border slave states that they would join the secession movement. J. R. Jones was United States marshal in the spring of 1861. He arrested a colored man named Harris and delivered him in St. Louis before the people here were aware of the occurrence. He also arrested a colored man, wife and three children and delivered them to their owner in Missouri. He was so active that a mass meeting of the citizens demanded his removal and passed vigorous resolutions in opposi- tion to his course. Among the most active in opposing him were L. C. P. Freer, Philo Carpenter, John Jones, J. F. Temple, Watson V. Coe, Chancellor L. Jenks and Dr. W. H. Kennicot. It was dis- closed that the colored man Harris who had been conveyed to St. Louis by Marshal Jones had been betrayed by another colored man named Hayes, who when the facts became known was obliged to flee the city in order to save his life. The Tribune investigated the Harris case and announced that Harris was really a free man
420
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
and had been abducted. A number of colored men in this city who had assisted the colored man Hayes were fined in small sums. They appealed and Chancellor L. Jenks signed their bonds. In April, 1861, the Baptists of Chicago held an immense anti-slavery meeting. During 1860 and 1861 the colored people of Chicago were guilty of many offenses against the city ordinances. They had established gambling houses and in open defiance of the law continued to conduct the same in spite of the officials. After 1861 all further attempts to recapture runaway slaves were abandoned by Southern owners. The progress of the war prevented the Southerners from recovering their property. The abolition of slav- ery in the District of Columbia in 1862 met the warm approbation of the colored people here. In June, 1862, there were polled in this county 994 votes against Section 1 of the negro act, 9,875 votes for Section 2 of the negro act, 9,620 votes for Section 3 of the negro act of the new constitution. When the announcement was received that Lincoln had declared the Emancipation Proclama- tion should take effect on January 1, 1863, the colored people held a jubilee of a week's duration. The principal services were at Quinn's chapel on Jackson street, on which occasion sixteen colored men enlisted in the Union Army. On January 1, 1863, when the Proclamation went into effect, they likewise held continued and · elaborate services to celebrate the important event. In 1862 the colored people started a school of their race, with a white teacher, Theodore J. Ellmore. The first winter the term was six weeks, but during the second winter it lasted six months. It was located at 640 West Lake street. A colored evening school also was con- ducted. The repeal of the infamous black laws of Illinois in Feb- ruary, 1865, received the plaudits of the colored people here. This was a step for which they had prayed for more than a score of years. The act probably was passed largely in response to an elaborate petition which had been circulated here and uniformly signed by both black and white residents. The petition was taken to the Legislature by John Jones, colored, of this city. After the war the colored people had nothing to prevent their advancement in education, morals and general prosperity.
1
THE MEXICAN WAR 1846-1848
-
A SIDE from the companies raised in Cook county for the Black Hawk war and the early militia companies, nothing of a warlike nature occurred until the war with Mexico in 1846- 48. In May, 1832, the militia of this vicinity were mustered and Gholson Kercheval served as captain and George W. Dole and John S. C. Hogan as first and second lieutenants. This company did not enter the service, but was supposed to be in readiness for emergencies. During the Black Hawk war Robert Kinzie com- manded a company of Pottawatomie scouts. Capt. J. B. Beaubien also commanded a company of militia and a few Indians.
Under the law of 1829 the militia of Illinois was organized. Another law of 1833 provided for the organization of the militia of Cook county. It was provided that they should organize them- selves into one regiment of two battalions. Under this law J. B. Beaubien and John Mann were candidates for colonel of the Cook county regiment. At the election held on the Des Plaines river on June 7, 1834, Beaubien was elected colonel "by an almost unan- imous vote." The two battalions of this regiment were located as follows: All of Cook county from the Des Plaines river to the Oak Woods and northward was to constitute the first battalion, and all southward of that line was to constitute the second bat- talion. At that time, of course, Cook county embraced a portion or all of the present Will, Du Page, Lake and McHenry counties. The above election was held at Laughton's tavern, distant about twelve miles from Chicago and near the present Riverside on the Des Plaines. The Cook county regiment came to be called the Sixtieth and later the companies organized at Chicago were usually attached to the same. However, a number of companies organized here acted independently. In 1847 Colonel Beaubien became briga- dier general of the Second brigade, Sixth division, Illinois militia, and J. B. F. Russell became colonel. Among the independent companies was the Chicago City Guards, organized in 1839, also the Dragoons, which had been organized before 1839. There was another company called the Washington Guards, organized as early as 1842. The Chicago Cavalry was organized in the spring of 1842. The Montgomery Guards were organized about the same time.
A short time previous to the outbreak of the war with Mexico a public meeting of the citizens, to be held at the courthouse, was called early in January, 1846, by Mayor Garrett. The object was
421
1
1
422
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
"to take into consideration the best method of defending our city in case of war." While war with Mexico had been talked of, the real reason for this call was fear that some trouble with Great Britain might arise in the near future whereby the safety of Chi- cago might be jeopardized. Upon the outbreak of the war with Mexico and the call of the governor for volunteers immediate steps to raise two companies under Capt. Lyman Mower and Capt. Elisha E. Wells were taken and the companies were ordered to rendezvous at Alton. Another company was promptly raised in Lake precinct of Cook county under the command of William H. Davis, captain. Both of the companies of Captains Mower and Wells were mus- tered into the service late in June. Mower's company was assigned to the First regiment under Colonel Hardin, and Wells' company was assigned to the Second regiment under Colonel Bissell. Both of these regiments were promptly sent to the relief of General Taylor and participated in the battle of Buena Vista and others. Other calls for volunteers spurred Chicago to raise additional com- panies. One was recruited by Capt. C. C. Sibley and another by Capt. E. B. Bill, both of which joined General Scott and partici- pated in the battles of his campaign. Early in 1847 another com- pany was raised by Capt. T. B. Kenny and another by Capt. Wil- liam Rogers, and a little later companies were raised by Capts. George W. Cole and James R. Hugunin. Captain Kenny's com- pany was accepted May 8. Captain Roberts with his company tried to join the regiment under Colonel Hays, but arrived too late and was forced to go independently. The Democrat of July 2, 1847, said: "We have raised nine companies and are ready for the tenth. The United States recruiting officers should be here at the Harbor and River convention if soldiers are wanted for Mex- ico." Previous to this date three or four companies which had been raised in Cook county were compelled to disband and join miscellaneous commands because their services could not be ac- cepted. The company of Captain Rogers was begun in February, 1847, but the enlistment was so slow that it was not ready until June. It was claimed that the slowness in raising volunteers was owing to the "inexpediency, injustice and inhumanity of the war with Mexico." Generally the Democrats favored the war and the Whigs opposed it. The opposition of the latter was based upon the fact that the territory to be acquired as a result of the war would be devoted to slavery; thus the South as well as the Northern Democracy favored the war and all who opposed an extension of slavery opposed also the war. The company commanded by Cap- tain Kenny was called the Chicago cavalry. Late in 1847 the company raised by James R. Hugunin took the field. Companies by Captains R. K. Swift and Harvey were raised in 1847. The company under George W. Cole was named the Shields Cadets. Col. R. J. Hamilton was very active in raising recruits for the war.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.