History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 17

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Illinois > Fulton County > History of Fulton county, Illinois > Part 17

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).

A Trading Expedition .- Harvey L. Ross in his youthful days was fond of hunting and trading with the Indians. When but seven years of age he had killed wild turkeys, geese and small game of almost every kind, and at twelve thought nothing of killing a deer. He says he also remembers catching twelve wolves in less than a month in steel-traps placed near a dead horse. He relates some incidents of the first trading expedition in which he was en- gaged, which occurred in 1828. He started from Lewistown in company with Edward Plude, a Frenchman and Indian interpreter, and " Bill" Eveland, son of John Eveland spoken of elsewhere in this volume. Eveland was a large, powerful man, well acquainted with the country and familiar with the Indian character. They loaded a two-horse wagon, at Lewistown, with goods and traveled through what is now known as Knox and Peoria counties, where they found a large number of Indians and traded their goods to ad- vantage. They returned home with their wagon loaded with furs and deerskins. They were gone three weeks and had traveled about one hundred and fifty miles, meeting only with two white settlers after leaving the neighborhood of Canton.

Frightened by Indians .- In speaking of Indians Mr. Ross tells us he cannot remember of ever being frightened by the Indians but once. In 1825, when but eight years of age, his father sent him to

205

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

an old shoemaker by the name of Stephen Meeker, living about four miles east of Lewistown, to have some work done. In coming home with a sack of shoes across his horse, and when he had traveled about half the distance along the little path through heavy timber and thick underbrush, he came suddenly upon five or six redskins, who were sitting upon the ground. One of the Indians jumped up and made a grab at his bridle reins, but young Ross turned his horse quickly around ; and giving him a eut with his whip, hurried back to Mecker's and related his story. Meeker at once took down his riffe, loaded it, and cutting a hickory club, went back with him. When the Indians saw Meeker with his rifle and club they com- meneed to apologize, stating that they were not going to hurt the bov. They had been to Lewistown to trade and had been drinking, and probably only desired to see what was in the sack and scare the young traveler.

The early recollections of Mr. Ross are many indeed, and his ex- perience in pioncer life in Fulton county was probably greater than that of any man now living. He remembers partaking of a piece of fat bear, in 1829, killed by Andrew Laswell near the present town of Cuba.

The Battle of Malony's Ferry. - The advance guard of civilization, those fearless persons who boldly strike into the wildness of a new country and open the road for the sturdy settlers, encounter hardships and dangers which can but faintly be pictured in word- painting. Those who first came into this county met the red man in his wigwam or on the chase. Indeed, Indians were numerous for many years after the county was settled, and, although friendly, were often quite troublesome.

In 1828, about the middle of May, John Walters, Norman Scho- field, Edward Stocking, Simon Kelsey, and an old man by the name of Ensign, came up the Illinois on their little river craft to Malony's ferry at the mouth of Spoon river. They brought with them from St. Louis a barrel of whisky for Mr. Malony, the accommodat- ing gentleman who carried the pilgrims over the Illinois at that point. Whisky, it must be remembered, was considered an indis- pensable article for the household and the most desirable and profit- able commodity for tavern-keepers. Then, as now, however, it was a source of no little trouble and many bruised heads. The men landed at the ferry but found no one there. Mr. Malony and his , sons were back in the timber cutting wood. They rolled the barrel of liquor upon the ferryboat, left it and started overland for Lewis- town. After proceeding about a mile and a half from the ferry William Nichols came running after them for help. No sooner had the barrel. of whisky been landed and the little band departed, than twenty-six or 'seven Indians were attracted to it, by its fumes we suppose ; any way, just as Małony appeared upon the scene from the timber he found his barrel of whisky standing on end with two or three stalwart braves making a desperate effort to break in the

206

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

head. A score of anxious redskins stood around jubilant over the rich booty they had found. Malony could do nothing more than give them all to drink. A band of drunken Indians are the most des- perate and uncontrollable of all beings. The worst was feared and therefore Nichols had been sent to obtain help. The squaws antici- pated trouble and hurriedly secreted all of their guns. The men, five in number, -although Mr. Ensign, who wore spectacles owing to his short-sightedness, was feeble and could do but little, -all started back for the ferry with their canes in their hands ready for an emer- geney. Schofield could speak the Indian language, and on their ar- rival at the ferry told the Indians to leave. This enraged them, and they swore bitterly at the whites and told them to leave. At this Schofield, fearless of consequences, knocked the leading speaker down. This was the signal for the fray to begin, and every man went to knocking right and left with his cane. The Indians were "pretty full," but the effects of the liquor had not fully reached the brain. The whites fought their multiplied foe with great desperation. Some years previous Kelsey had been shot in the knee, and when he would exercise it hard it would give down. He was in great danger and started to run to save himself, but fell, overtaken by two drunken redskins. Walters, who was off some distance, was attracted by the cries of Kelsey. He saw one of the braves with knife in hand ready to thrust his victim through. He was fleet of foot and dashed to- ward the trio, and just as the drunken savage raised his knife for its deadly work he strnek him over the head with his cane, knocking him down and thus saving the life of Kelsey. In doing this, how- over, he placed himself in danger, for in striking the Indian his cane flew from his hands. Seeing this the other Indian took after him. Walters proved the fleetest runner and widened the distance between them. While running up a hill he gathered up a stone which he hurled at his pursner with such force and accuracy as to "fetch his head and knees together." This gave him an opportunity to run back after his cane, which he took advantage of and secured his trusty weapon. The battle was short but fierce, and the whites proved the victors. Mr. Walters tells ns that his brother William, an old and respected settler of this county, who died only recently, wore that very cane for forty years. For years it bore the marks re- ceived when it struck down the brutal savage who was about to end Kelsey's life. This was the kind of a reception these gentlemen received upon their introduction into Fulton county.

Trouble in Settling the Military Tract .- The "Military Tract" com- prises all the land between the Illinois and the Mississippi rivers south of the north line of Bureau and Henry counties. It is so called because much of it was "patented" by Government, in quar- ter sections, to soldiers of the war of 1812. There was scarcely a soldier in that early day who counted his land of much value, and ever thought to occupy it himself; but immigrants came in, entered Government lands and squatted on "patent" or military land, im-

D. K. Menu DECEASED CANTON

LIGIIAHY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS,

209

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

proved it, and thus rendered it valuable. It was seldom that a "patentee" could be found at the time of settlement, and many of the early settlers presumed that the owner never would be known ; but in many instances, after a patent quarter-section was made val- uable by improvement, the original patent would be brought on by some one, who would oust the occupant and take possession, some- times paying him something for his improvements and sometimes not. Many holders of patents had no pity. This condition of af- fairs presented a temptation to merciless "land-sharks," who would come into this section and work up cases, ostensibly for the original patentees, but really for their own pockets. The most notorious of these was one Toliver Craig, who actually made it a business to forge patents and deeds. This he carried on extensively from 1847 to 1854, especially in Knox and Fulton counties. He had 40 bogus deeds put on record in one day at Knoxville. He was arrested in New York State in 1854, by O. M. Boggess of Monmouth, and taken to the jail at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attempted suicide by arsenic ; but at the end of a year he was released on bail.

When the Military Tract was laid off into counties, most of them were named in honor of the military heroes of the nation, mostly of the war of 1812; but Fulton county, the largest one in the Military Tract, was not christened in honor of a soldier-hero. Its name is not a symbol of blood and battle. It is true that our na- tion was born in blood and saved by blood, and the memory of those brave heroes should be commemorated; but there are other illustrious heroes, who knew not war, equally deserving. Among these stand in the front the great inventive genius, Robert Fulton, in honor of whom Fulton county was named. We deem it fitting to give a brief personal sketch of this gentleman, whose name this county wears.

Robert Fulton was born near Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, in 1765. His father, an Irish tailor, came to this country in early life, and soon retired to a farm in Lancaster county. The father of Benjamin West, the celebrated artist, and the father of Robert Fulton were neighbors and warm friends. At the age of twenty-one Rob- ert left home and sailed for England to seek instruction from Benja- min West. He remained with him for several years; but, although an excellent dranghtsman, a good colorist, and a diligent workman, he had not the artist's imagination or temperament. His mind was mechanical; he loved to contrive, to invent, to construct ; and we find him, accordingly, withdrawing from art and busying himself more and more with mechanics, until at length he adopted the profession of civil engineering. Robert Fulton was not the in- ventor of the steam-boat. It is, nevertheless, to his knowledge of mechanics, and to his resolution and perseverance, that the world is indebted for the final triumph of that invention. His attention was called to the subject by the operations of John Fitch, the inventor of the steam-boat, in 1785. Next, fifteen years later, Fulton visit-

210

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

ted a steam-boat in Scotland. He then fell in with Chancellor Liv- ingston, American minister to Franee, and constructed a boat and propelled it by steam upon the Seine in France. This was not a success. He then returned to New York and built the famous Clermont. On Monday, Sept. 10, 1807, he left New York for Al- bany on his famous trial trip. He was laughed at and jeered, but at one o'clock the Clermont moved from the dock, vomiting smoke and sparks from her pine-wood fires. She reached Albany Wednes- day at five o'clock. Returning immediately to New York, she made the trip in thirty hours,-exactly five miles an hour. Fulton devot- ed the rest of his life to the improvement of the steam-boat, and lived to see his labors universally recognized, and acquired a consid- erable fortune. He died Feb. 24, 1815, aged fifty years, and his remains were consigned to Trinity Church yard in the city of New York.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY SETTLEMENT .- CONTINUED.

Early Preachers .- Jesse Williams and Peter Cartwright were among the earliest preachers of the county. John M. Ellis was, however, not much if at all behind them in paying attention to this field. There were in the vicinity of Canton a good many Regular Baptists, who organized a church in the Eveland neighborhood at quite an early day, probably before, certainly not later than, 1825. We take the following from Canton History :

"James Tatum, one of their pioneer preachers, used to edify his congregation by relating his call to preach, in the words and figures that follow, to wit :

"'My dearly beloved brethering-ah and sisters-ah, my blessed master-ah has called me to dispense his everlasting gospel-ah. For one night-ah, in a vision, in a vision of the night-ah, I dreamed-ah that I had swallowed a stiff-tongued four-horse wagon -ah, and me thought-ah that the tongue of the wagon-ah was a stickin' out of my mouth-ah, and the chains were hanging down beside my chin-ah, and the chains were a rattlin'-ah, and the tongue was a waggin'-ah; and my beloved brethering-ah and sis- ters-ah, I knowed that God had called me to preach his everlasting gospel-ah ; and I'm a-goin' to preach it-ah until the day that I die-ah.

" The same preacher exemplified the doctrine of 'once in grace, always in grace', in this wise :

"'My dear brethering and sisters-ah, when a soul is once con- verted-ah, it allers stays converted-ah. Its just like me the other day-ah. I was going to Canton-ah, and as I rid past old Mr. Eggers-ah, old sister Eggers ran out-ah, and she hollered, 'Broth- er Tatum-ah, won't you take a coon-skin to town-ah, and sell it and buy me a plug of smokin' terbacker-ah ?' And I said, 'Sartin, sister Eggers-ah;' and I took the coon-skin-ah, and when I got to town I tried to sell it to Joel Wright-ah, but he said coon- skius wern't of much account now-ah, and he wouldn't buy it-ah ; so I took it to Mr. Stillman-ah, and he wouldn't buy it neither-ah ; then I tried to give it to Mr. Stillman-ah, and he wouldn't have it -ah, and then I took it back to Joel Wright-ah, and tried to give it to him-ah, but he wouldn't have it neither-ah. So I bought

212

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

sister Eggers a plug of terbacker-ah, and tied the coon-skin to my saddle-ah, a thinkin' for to lose it-ah, and I started for to go back -ah, and when I got most back to sister Eggers-ah, I heard some- body behind me a hollerin', "Mr. Tatum-ah, Mr. Tatum-ah ;" and my brethering and sisters-ah, when I looked back-ah, I seed a man a comin'-ah with that very coon-skin in his hand-ah, a hollerin' " Mr. Tatum-ah, you've lost your coon-skin-ah." And so my brethering and sisters-ah, it is with religion; you can't sell it- ah, you can't give it away-ah, and you can't lose it .? "

Training Day .- The following graphic account of the first train- ing Harrison P. Fellows witnessed in Illinois is but a picture of others, and will illustrate the scenes of training day much better than we could describe them. We take the story, as furnished by Mr. Fellows, from the Canton History.

" It was in the summer of 1830, we had just moved to the coun- try, and my father, Hiram Fellows, had rented part of Captain Haacke's house. I soon found out in some way that Haacke was a captain of a militia company ; and as I had some knowledge of militia captains in New York, where we came from, I was filled with an intense awe of the Captain. One day I mustered up cour- age to ask him if I might see them muster some time, and received a kind and cordial invitation to accompany him to the next training. I was in ecstasies, and looked forward with great anxiety to the ex- pected dav. It came at last, and the Captain notified me to be ready by the time he was. I ran into our part of the house, and, I tell you, it was but a short job for me to wash, change my shirt, comb my hair, and make my appearance in the front yard to await the coming of the Captain and his regimentals. I did not venture to go into Haacke's part of the house, but timidly peeped through a crack in the door. to get a sight at the gorgeous trappings with which, I had no doubt, he would be arraving himself. It is said that great men never appear well at their toilet, and I must have verified the observation, as I remember going back to mother tell- ing her I guess Captain Haacke was not much of a captain after all ; any how he did not dress up like one.

" In due time the Captain presented himself in readiness for the parade-ground. Let me try to describe his dress. On his head he wore a hat of home-braided wheat straw, the braid was notched and the crown round. There was a band around it of red calico, with loose ends several inches in length floating in the breeze. His coat was made of homespun blue jeans, out long in the skirts,-so long, indeed, I fancied that he was in danger of throwing himself, by stepping on his own coat-tail. This coat was closely buttoned be- fore with old-fashioned brass buttons, placed at intervals of perhaps two inches apart. The collar was short, stiff and standing, the up- per end resting under his broad hearty jaws, thus keeping his head proudly erect. His pantaloons were of the same homespum mate- rial, cut very wide in the legs, and correspondingly short. He wore

213

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

no socks, and I noticed that his pantaloons and 'stogas' did not break joints by about six inches. The 'stogas' aforesaid were his crowning glory. They were built of cowhide, very wide in the heels, very broad in the toes, and of considerable length. They were tied with buckskin whangs, while the huge counters were sewed to the quarters with other whangs, perhaps from the same de- funct deer. It had rained the day previous, and the shoes had be- come covered to a considerable depth with clay ; they had then been dried in the sun, until their deep wrinkles were hard as bone. Mrs. Haacke had that morning undertaken the task of cleaning and greasing them. I cannot say that her efforts had been entirely suc- cessful, as partieles of yellow clay were interspersed with unmelted hog's lard, over their broad surface.

" The Captain held in his hand a formidable-looking sword, en- cased in a leathern scabbard. I noticed hair on the hilt, and, as at that time I was not so familiar with natural history as I have since become, I could not tell whether it was human hair or hog bristles. The discovery filled me with a due appreciation of the Captain's ferocity ; so much so, indeed, that I followed him with some misgiv- ings, and at a respectful distance; when he would look back over his shoulder to see if I was keeping up, I would stop and tremble, until his face was turned in a forward direction again.

"On our arrival at Holcomb's, we found the company waiting for the Captain. He strode into the house with all the pomp and circumstance of glorious warfare, and I could see that by his bear- ing he was making an impression upon his subordinates that must be conducive to good discipline. I ventured to peep into the cabin, to get a glimpse of Captain Haacke's staff, and noticed that he was the best dressed, and by no means the worst-looking of the party.

"The Captain now ordered Orderly-Sergeant Seth Hilton to mus- ter the company and call the roll. This order was obeyed with due formality, and so reported, when the Captain made his appearance before his men. I noticed at the time that he had buckled on his sword. His sword belt was a strip of raw calf-skin, perhaps two inches in width, with the hair on, hair-side out. The buckle was of iron, of the width of the strap, and had, I had no doubt, been taken off some cow-bell strap; to this belt the sword was attached by a buckskin whang. The scabbard hung loose, and, to prevent its get- ting tangled among his legs, he had grasped its lower third in his left hand, while the right held the hilt. The Captain stood for one moment in front of the company in dignified silence; looking up and down the living line, he raised his voice to a tone of command and shouted, ' Company, halt !' This order was obeyed. The next or- der was given in a lower tone to the Orderly, and was: 'Seth, I reckon the boys are a gittin' dry ; you come in with me an we'll see what can be done.' The Captain now disappeared into the house, followed by Hilton. They soon re-appeared, Hilton bearing in his hands an old-fashioned wooden-handled 'piggin,' which held per-

214

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

haps a gallon and a half of Holeomb's whisky. Hilton was ordered to commence at the head of the line and pass the 'piggin,' which contained, in addition to the 'fluid courage,' three small gourds as drinking cups. ' Officers, don't you drink out of the 'piggin,"' shouted Haacke. 'You come this way. I'll 'tend to you.' The officers seemed to manifest no disposition toward insubordination, but followed their commander to the rear of the corn-erib, when he proceeded to unbutton his coat and draw from an inside pocket a gourd that would hold perhaps a quart. This gourd was bottle- shaped, with the end of the neck cut off smooth, and a corn-eob stop- per. 'Here, boys, don't you see I've got a little something nice for us officers ? Oh, my stomach !' said the Captain, as he handed it around to the evident satisfaction of the heroie band who sur- rounded him.

" After this performance had concluded, the serious work of drill commeneed, and I soon saw that Captain Haacke was quite pro- fieient in tacties. At one time during the day the Captain's shoes began to hurt his feet, and he ordered the company to ' Hold on, boys, till I get off these cussed shoes.'

" During the day Captain Saunders brought his company on the ground from his house, several miles further down the Lewistown road. He said they had run out of whisky at his house, and hear- ing Holcomb had a barrel, had coneluded it would be best 'just to march the boys up, you see. Oh, my stomach !'"

A FEW FIRST THINGS,

First Election. - The first election held in Fulton county, which embraced all of the northern part of the State at that time ( 1823), was a very exciting one. It was a contest between North and South Fulton. Ossian M. Ross and William Eads were candidates for for the office of Sheriff. The latter lived at Ft. Clark ( now Peoria ), and represented North Fulton. The only settlements within the boundary of the county at that time were one near the present town of Rushville, at Lewistown, Canton, Ft. Clark and Chicago. Lew- istown was the county-seat and the largest town in the county, and the only place where elections were held. The voters at that time came from Ft. Clark down the Illinois river, a distance of fifty miles, in canoes ; then up Spoon river ten miles ; then on foot through the woods six miles to Lewistown, to deposit their ballots, bringing their whisky with them, without which it was thought impossible to trav- el or properly exercise the rights of American citizens. Many of those from the south part of the county came a distance of thirty miles.

At this election there were thirty-five votes cast. There were on- ly thirty-three legitimate voters who visited the polls ; but Eads, as he came down the Illinois with his sixteen voters from North Ful- ton, met two bachelors at "Town Site" ( now Pekin, Tazewell county, then in Sangamon county ) and "colonized " them, thus giv- -

215

HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

ing him a majority over Ross. Every available man was mustered by Ross, even the hermit, Dr. Davison, yet he lacked two votes in order to beat Eads. The following year, however, Ross found no dif- ficulty in being elected to this position over Mr. Eads.

First Officials. - The first County Commissioners were David W. Barnes, Joseph Moffatt and Thomas R. Covell.

The first Sheriff was William Eads.

The first County and Circuit Clerk was Hugh R. Colter.

The first County Treasurer was Thomas L. Ross. John Eveland was appointed first, but deelined the office when Mr. Ross was ap- pointed.

The first Surveyor was John N. Ross.

The first Coroner was William Clark.

The first Postmaster in the county was Ossian M. Ross.

The first Assessor was Thomas L. Ross.

First Fourth-of-July Celebration. - The first celebration of our national independence in Fulton county was held in 1823. The celebration was held in Lewistown on the knoll north of the Metho- dist Church edifice ; Ossian M. Ross was the orator of the occasion, Captain David W. Barnes was marshal of the day ; John, Jacob and Enos Jewell furnished the musie. The two former played the drums and the latter the fife. They did not have the stars and stripes to display, but they nevertheless had a liberty pole. For this they secured a tall hickory tree, trimmed it and peeled the ba k, and left it standing in its original place. For a flag to display from its top a hat of Mr. Ross' was substituted. This was a showy hat, being surmounted by two large plumes, and a coekade upon it. Mr. Ross wore this hat when a Major under General Seott in the war of 1812. It was placed upon the top of the pole by William Ennis, and all joined in cheering the glorious Fourth and drinking egg-nog. Logs were felled for seats and there were about thirty men, women and children in attendance, many of whom were bare- foot. The whites had their celebration during the day, and seem- ingly ignored the Indians, who were not to be denied a glorious time. In the evening the Pottawatomies to the number of a hun- dred or more assembled at the same place and had a grand war dance. Thus elosed the first Fourth-of-July celebration of Ful- ton county.

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.

History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 17

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096