USA > Illinois > Greene County > History of Greene county, Illinois: its past and present > Part 21
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And so, a few years after, the great West was ceded to England, and Greene County became a possession of George III. This region was at this time the scene of much bloodshed. Not only were there frequent turmoils between the Indians and the white settlers, but wars between the various tribes were of almost constant occurrence. The Kickapoos and the Pottawotamies could never live in peace together, and Greene County very probably was the field of many a battle between them.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
As a result of the war of the revolution, this whole land became independent of the English crown. During this struggle, Col. George Rogers Clark was sent by Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia, to secure this portion of the country for the Americans. He dropped down the Ohio and marched up through the State, in 1779, with 150 men, and, with the utmost skill and bravery, gained possession of the region almost without bloodshed. Thus Greene County became part and parcel of the great State of Virginia. In 1782, Virginia ceded the territory, west of the Alleghanies and north of the Ohio, to the United States, and it was then known as Illinois County, Virginia. Five years later, by the famous "compact of 1787," the region, west of the Alle- ghanies and north of the Ohio, was erected into "The Northwest Territory." From this, in 1800, the territory of Ohio was cut off, and, in 1805, the remaining portion, including the present State of Illinois, was named Indiana Territory. Four years later (1809), Congress declared that that portion of Indiana Territory lying west of the Wabash River, including what is now Wisconsin and a part of Minne- sota, should constitute a separate commonwealth to be called Illinois. In 1790 St. Clair County was organized and included all that portion of the present State south of the Little Mackinaw Creek, near Peoria. The county seat was at Cahokia. Five years later Randolph County was taken from St. Clair on the south, and, in 1812, Madison County was organized. At this time Madison County stretched to Chicago on the north, and its sheriff would have found it difficult to have visited every portion of his bailiwick, for the collection of taxes. Greene County was organized in 1821, and included the present counties of Jersey, Macoupin, Greene, Morgan, and Scott.
Thus the territory, now known as Greene County, Illinois, has, in in turn, been one of the haunts of the pre-historic races, the hunting ground of the red man, the possession of the French crown, a part of Louisiana, a dependency of England, a portion of Illinois County, Virginia, a part of the great Northwest Territory. Then it was included in St. Clair County, in the Territory of Indiana, then Madison County, Illinois, and finally Greene County.
EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS.
At the beginning of the war of 1812, the aspect of affairs was far from hopeful to the isolated dwellers in the Territory of Illinois. Immi- gration had expanded the settlements and scattered them over a wide territory, but they were very weak. Along the western border of the Wabash River a few improvements had been made and a number of set- tlements existed in southern Illinois, but the Wood River, near Alton, was the northern frontier. There was a little hamlet at Chicago and a few French villages in the northern part of the State, but altogether the whole Territory contained but twelve thousand people. Under the influence of the alarm occasioned by the prospect of an Indian war, the prices of guns, rifles, and powder had risen wonderfully, so that a good rifle sold for fifty dollars, a sum equal in value to four times that amount
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at the present time. The people were all poor and almost entirely with- out forts or other protection, and under the circumstances, a war with the Indians was dreaded as a terrible calamity. The English had stirred up the Indians to the most bitter hatred against the American settlers, and Tecumseh and the Prophet had sworn to drive every pale face beyond the Ohio River. An earthquake's shock was felt the December previous, and to add to all the direful portents, a comet, which was deemed a cer- tain precursor of disaster, appeared in the sky. The government was petitioned to send a body of soldiers for the defense of the colonists, but in the weak condition of the national resources, the request could not be granted. Compelled to defend themselves, the Rangers, a body of volunteer mounted soldiers, were organized in 1811 in Goshen settlement. General Howard was the commander of the organization and Colonel Judy, of Madison County, was at the head of one of the companies. One of their camps was at Fort Russell, one and a half miles from Edwardsville, Madison County. For several years these brave, determined men rode over the bare and silent prairies for hundreds of miles, now chasing a squad of fleeing savages, now hurrying to the defense of a threatened settlement. They were almost constantly in the saddle, rarely slept under a roof, were independent of civilization for food or comforts, and exercised almost superhuman vigilance in keeping the red men at bay. They were familiar with every feature of Indian warfare, and their deeds of daring and endurance have been made the theme of many a thrilling poem or romantic tale. Among the narratives of the daring and hardi- hood of these men, current among the old settlers of the county, is the following :
In August, 1814, Tom Higgins, a native of Kentucky, was one of a party of twelve men under the command of Lieutenant Journey, who were posted near this region. Early one morning, as the party started out across the prairie, and were crossing a small ridge, which was covered with a hazel thicket, they fell into an ambuscade of the Indians, who rose suddenly around them, to the number of seventy or eighty, and fired. Four of the Rangers were killed, among whom was Lieutenant Journey. One other fell badly wounded, and the rest fled, except Higgins. It was an unusually sultry morning. The day was just dawning. A heavy dew had fallen the preceding night. The air was still and humid, and the smoke from the guns hung in a cloud over the spot. Under the cover of this veil, Higgins' surviving companions had escaped, supposing all who were left were dead, or that, at all events, it would be rashness to attempt to rescue them from so overwhelming a force. Higgins' horse having been shot, he dismounted, but finding the wound had not greatly disabled the animal, he continued to hold the bridle, feeling confident of being able to make his retreat. Seing a small elm tree near, he hurried toward this, intending to shoot from its cover. At this moment the cloud of smoke partially arose, disclosing to his view a number of Indians, one of whom he shot. Still concealed from view, Higgins reloaded his gun and turned to fly, when a low voice near hailed him with, "Tom, you won't leave me ? "
On looking around, he discovered one of his companions named Burgess, who was lying wounded on the ground, and he replied in- stantly, "No, I'll not leave you. Come along, and I'll take care of you."
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" I can't come," replied Burgess, "my leg is smashed all to pieces."
Higgins sprang from his saddle, and, picking up his friend, whose ankle bone was broken, lifted him on the horse, telling him to fly. But the horse, taking fright, at this instant, darted off, leaving Higgins with his wounded comrade, on foot. Still the cool bravery of the former was sufficient for every emergency, and, placing Burgess down gently, he told him, "Now, my good fellow, you must hop off on three legs, while I stay between you and the Indians," instructing him at the same time to get into the highest grass, and crawl as close to the ground as possible. Instead of following himself in the same direction, the gallant Higgins took another direction, in order to withdraw the attention of the enemy from the wounded man. As he left the thicket, he observed a large Indian near him, and two others, on the other side, between him and the fort. Tom coolly surveyed his foes and saw it was necessary to act the general. Having an enemy on each flank, he determined to separate them and fight them singly. He bounded toward a ravine not far off, the largest Indian following him closely. Higgins turned several times to fire, but the red man danced about so wildly that it was impossible to get a sure aim. The other two were closing upon him and he found that unless he could dispose of the first he would be overpowered. He, therefore, halted, resolved to receive a fire. The Indian, a few paces distant, raised his rifle. Higgins watched his adversary's eye and, just as he thought his finger pressed the trigger, he suddenly jumped to one side. He received the ball in his thigh and fell, but rose again and ran. The largest Indian, sure of his prey, loaded again, and with the two others pursued. They soon came upon Higgins and fired, three balls taking effect in his body. He now fell and rose several times, and the Indians, throwing away their guns, advanced upon him with spears and knives. He kept them at bay with his gun, and finally shot one of them dead.
With four bullets in his body and an empty gun, two Indians before him, and a whole tribe but a few rods off, almost any other man would have despaired. Not so with Higgins. He readily saw that the two surviving Indians lacked courage and, facing them, began to load his rifle. They raised a whoop and rushed upon him. A fierce and bloody conflict ensued. The Indians stabbed Higgins in many places, but it happened, fortunately, that the shafts of their spears were thin poles, rigged hastily for the occasion, which bent whenever the point struck a rib or encountered one of Higgins' tough muscles. From this cause, and by reason of his great agility, he received no deep wounds, although his whole front was covered with gashes. At last one of them threw his tomahawk so that it sunk deep in Higgins' cheek, severed his ear, laid bare his skull to the back of his head, and stretched him on the ground. The Indians rushed on, but Tom kept them off with his feet and hands, until he managed to regain his feet. Then, clubbing his rifle, he rushed upon his nearest foe, dashed his brains out, and broke the stock of his gun. The other Indian now came manfully to the fight. Uttering a fearful yell, he rushed on, determined to stab his enemy. The Indian, unwounded, was by far the most powerful man, but the moral courage of our hero prevailed, and the savage, unable to bear the fierce glance of his untamed eye, began to retreat slowly toward the place where he
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had dropped his rifle. Tom knew that if the Indian recovered his gun, his own case was hopeless, and, throwing away his rifle barrel, he drew his hunting knife and rushed in upon him. A desperate strife ensued, and several deep gashes were inflicted, but the Indian succeeded in casting Higgins from him and ran to the spot where he had thrown down his gun, while Tom searched for the rifle of the other savage. Thus the two, both bleeding and out of breath, were searching for arms with which to renew the conflict.
By this time the smoke that lay between the combatants and the main body of the Indians had passed away, and a number of the latter, having passed the hazel thicket, were in full view. It seemed, therefore, as if nothing could save our heroic ranger. But relief was at hand. The little garrison at the station, six or seven in number, had witnessed the whole of this unparalleled combat and, at last, jumping upon their horses, rushed at full gallop toward the scene of the conflict. The Indians in the thicket had just discovered Tom, and were rushing down toward him with savage yells. His friends were spurring their horses to reach him first. Higgins exhausted from loss of blood had fallen and fainted, while his adversary, too intent on his prey to observe anything else, was looking for a rifle. The rangers reached the battle-ground first. One of them tendered Tom a rifle, but he was past shooting. His friends lifted him up, threw him across a horse, before one of the party, and turned to retreat just as the Indians came up. They made good their escape, and the Indians retired.
After being carried into the station he remained insensible for some days, and his life was preserved with difficulty by his friends. They extracted all the bullets but two, which remained in his thigh. One of these gave him a great deal of pain, although the flesh was healed. At length he heard that a physician had settled within a day's ride of him, whom he went to see. The surgeon was willing to extract the ball but asked the sum of fifty dollars for the operation. This Tom flatly refused to give, as it was more than half a year's pension. As he rode home, he turned the matter over in his mind, and determined upon a cheaper plan. The exercise of riding had so chafed the part that when he arrived home, the ball, which could not usually be felt, was plainly perceptible. With the assistance of his wife, he deliberately laid open his thigh with a razor, until the edge of the blade touched the bullet. Then, thrusting in his finger, " flirted it out," as he termed it, " without costing a cent."
Although rough, warlike men, these Rangers did not fight from the love of bloodshed, or from a distaste for the quiet of a settled life. As they rushed over the State, they kept their eyes open for eligible points for making new settlements. The attractions of Greene County, the beauty and richness of its prairies, the extent of its wooded lands, the clearness of its streams were first brought to the attention of those at a distance through the agency of these men. Among the members of the band who were so pleased with the soil and topographical features of this country as to make it their home in later years, were John W. Huitt, Samuel Thomas, Orman Beeman, Thomas McDow, Hiram Huitt, John Greene, William Greene, Thomas Carlin, Jacob Linder, John Johnson, Martin Wood, Young Wood, Davis Carter and Wiley Greene. They reported to others the attractions of the region near the Ma-
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coupin and Apple Creeks, and, soon after the close of the war, settlers be- gan to come in quite rapidly. Of all the Illinois Rangers, only the ven- erable John W. Huitt, of this county, remains. Alexander Mills, of Morgan County, and Orman Beeman and Thomas McDow, of this county, were among the last to pass away.
For many years this portion of the State of Illinois communicated with the outer world almost entirely by means of the older settlements in the south. Until after the close of the war of 1812, Wood River was the northern frontier, and no settlers had ventured to build cabins so far north as the region whose history we are considering. On this account we naturally look to the southern part of the county for the earliest set- tlements. The first pioneers who left the Wood River neighborhood, with the daring purpose of making a home farther north, halted and built their cabins at the first point they found conveniently near to wood and water. In choosing the spot for a home the pioneer sought first water, second timber, and lastly deemed it desirable that he be situated on the edge of a prairie that he might be spared as much as possible the labor of clearing. The two first mentioned features were essential, the last desir- able. The magnificent prairie now embraced in Jersey County, and thickly dotted with palatial farm residences, tempted no immigrant, and even twenty years later it was the universal opinion that prairie land, not immediately in the shadow of a forest, could never be inhabited. Hence it was that the earliest settlements in this region were made south of the Macoupin, near the wooded lands which skirt that stream.
The date of the first permanent settlement within the present con- fines of Greene County it is almost impossible to learn, nor is it less difficult to ascertain who was the leader of the advance guard of civilization. The fact that as early as 1815 or 1816, a number of families had established themselves immediately south of the Macoupin, has been repeatedly stated but it has heretofore been supposed that they all returned to the older settlements south, at the request of Governor Edwards, just previous to the treaty of Edwardsville, in 1818. It has been supposed and stated that no permanent settlement was made in the county before the Autumn of 1818, but this the writer has reason to believe is incorrect.
In the Autumn of 1815, Daniel Allen, with his three sons, Daniel, Jr., John and James, and James and Paul Harriford, brothers, all from Tennessee, came north of the Wood River settlement and built cabins on the south bank of the Macoupin Creek, opposite the mouth of Taylor's Creek. Their improvements were made within the original confines of Greene County, but just south of the present Greene County line. So far as can be discovered, they were the pioneers of this whole region. The nearest neighbors were more than twenty miles south of them, and north of their humble home the unoccupied prairie stretched for scores of miles away. The war with England had come to an end but the year before, and the country which they had invaded was still in the possession of the Kickapoos. During 1816 these earliest settlers raised a crop of corn and were quite happy in their new home. During the latter part of this year Daniel Allen, Sr., with his sons Daniel and James, moved about six miles west and established themselves on the land in township 9, range 12, south of the residence of General Jacob Fry, now occupied by
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
his grandson, E. W. Allen. His son, John Allen, at the same time, made the improvements in township 9, range 11, which he afterward sold to William L. Greene. The Allens thus became, so far as we can learn, the first settlers within the present limits of Greene County. The Harrifords removed to Chariton County, Mo., but the Allens settled here per- manently. These facts have come to the knowledge of the writer from the lips of Hon. John W. Huitt, who, two years later, married Miss Rosanna Harriford, the daughter of James Harriford, above referred to. Mr. Huitt, although more than four score years of age, is a gentleman of exceptionally clear head and accurate, retentive memory, and his state- ment of the facts would seem to be indisputable.
But the Allens did not long remain alone. The same year that they removed to their second location, Thomas Daniels, of Georgia, built a cabin on the farm now owned by Freeman Means. The next year, 1817, Mr. Daniels' son, Walker Daniels, also came into the county, and chose for his home the land now owned by Rowland Huitt, a short distance east of the Allen improvements. In the " Atlas Map of Greene County," it is recorded that, in June 1817, James H. Whiteside and David Stock- ton came into the county and established themselves south of the creek, but no confirmation of this statement has been found. The following conclusions can hence be safely arrived at :
1. Permanent settlements were made south of the Macoupin Creek, within the original limits of Greene County, as early as 1815; the first settlers, of whom we have any knowledge, being Daniel Allen, Daniel Allen, Jr., John Allen, James Allen, James Harriford and Paul Harriford.
2. Improvements were made within the present boundaries of Greene County as early as 1816, and the pioneers, so far as is now known, were Daniel Allen and his sons, above mentioned.
3. The dates here given can be relied upon as accurate, but we have no proof that the county did not contain white inhabitants at an earlier day.
I have been thus careful to state these facts clearly and positively because they have been doubted in the past, and very little light has heretofore been shed on the question : Who first settled Greene County ?
All this region of country was, at that time, in the possession of the Indians, and the real tide of immigration did not commence to flow until after the treaty of Edwardsville, which was signed July 30, 1818 (author- ities differ as to the date). At this time, " Auguste Chouteau and Ben- jamin Stephenson, on the part of the United States, bought, of the Kickapoo Indians, ten million acres of land lying between the Illinois River, on the north-west, the Kaskaskia, on the south-east, the Kankakee, on the north-east, and the Mississippi River on the south-west. This purchase comprised the whole of Central Illinois, and threw that land open to settlement and survey." Almost immediately immigrants began to pour in, and the fertile acres were soon taken possession of by the representatives of civilization. Among those who came into the county, at this time, was John W. Huitt, who still lives at Carrollton, and is believed to be the last of the Rangers. Mr. Huitt was born in Georgia, Nov. 15, 1793. When he was eleven years old his parents removed to Illinois, and settled, in 1804, in the Goshen settlement. At the beginning of the war of 1812, Mr. Huitt enlisted in Captain Judy's company of
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Rangers, and proved himself one of the most skillful and daring Indian fighters in the command. June 13, 1818, he was married to Miss Rosanna Harriford, of Chariton County, Mo., and in the August following, in company with his brother, Hiram Huitt, Thomas Carlin and Samuel Thomas, made an exploring tour over the country north of the Wood River settlement, to choose a new home. All of the party were very much pleased with the country about the Macoupin. Messrs. Carlin and Thomas selected sites north of the creek, but the Huitts chose a location south of the stream, near the mouth of Phil's Creek, which was for a number of years included in Greene County, although it is now a part of Jersey County. The consideration which led them to prefer land south of the Macoupin, was the fact that that stream was almost always very high, and it was impossible to cross, except by the aid of a canoe. This inconvenient barrier they were unwilling to place between them- selves and the " Old settlement." Mr. Huitt returned for his bride, and, in October of that year, he established his home on the land he had selected. Here he remained for five years, removing in 1823 to the farm east of Carrollton still owned by him. Mr. Huitt states, that when he arrived, Philemon Higgins, from whom Phil's Creek was named, resided on the bank of that stream.
By the year 1819 the little settlement south of the Macoupin had become quite populous. Mrs. Matilda Greene, mother of Esquire William L. Greene, came to the settlement during that year. Among those who preceded her, she mentions, beside those whose names have already been given, Benjamin Allen, Wm. Costley, and Robert Means, of Georgia ; John Greene, Wiley Greene, Davis Carter and Joseph Piggott, of Kentucky. A settlement was made, considerably further south, on the Piasa in 1819, and, about the same time, John G. Lofton, John D. Gillham, Joseph White, Orman Beeman, Alfred Hinton, John R. Black, settled in the southern part of the county. Mrs. Matilda Greene was born in Ten- nessee, in 1800, and was married to William Greene, in 1817. Mr. Greene was a very prominent man in the early history of the county, both on account of his physical prowess and by reason of his natural abilities.
Probably the first dwelling house north of the Macoupin Creek, was built by Samuel Thomas, in August, 1818, on the farm south-west of Carrollton, now occupied by his sons.
Mr. Thomas was born in South Carolina in 1794. His father was a sturdy, rugged farmer, and the young man was educated in all the arts of pioneer life. His parents removed to Kentucky in 1802, and in 1813, his father having in the meantime died, Mr. Thomas with two brothers-in- law came to Illinois, and settled in the forks of the Wood River, in Madison County. The trip was made on horseback, the company camp- ing at night with the sky for a roof over their heads. They crossed the Ohio River at Golconda, and found that nearly all the cabins between that place and Turkey Hill settlement had been vacated by their owners from fear of the Indians, who were then waging a war of extermination against the whites. The party from Kentucky were not to be frightened at trifles, but pushed vigorously forward toward their destination. When he set out on the journey, Mr. Thomas had but one dollar and six and a quarter cents in money, but, as soon as he arrived at the settlement, he purchased on credit from his brother-in-law a rifle, in order that he might
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equip himself for joining the Rangers. As a member of this body of vigilant cavalry-men Mr. Thomas did efficient service. He was by nature a brave man, and delighted in an adventurous life. He was very fond of a hunt, whether the, prey was a deer or a red man. In the early part of the year 1814, he joined Captain Judy's company, and afterward became a member of Captain Whitesides' famous band of Rangers. He served through the war and was present at the treaty at Portage du Sioux, when Governor Clark presented a flag to each of the Indian chiefs. During his service as a Ranger, Mr. Thomas had frequent opportunities to observe the fertility of the soil and the beauty of the landscape near the Macoupin. Afterward, with a few others, he passed over this country again, going as a guard, with four hundred cattle, which were being taken to the regular troops stationed near the present site of Warsaw, not far from Quincy, in this State. On the return trip they met the first party of government surveyors, who were crossing the Mississippi River near the mouth of the Illinois. The Indians destroyed the stakes driven by the sur- veyors, and Mr. Thomas was one of a company of soldiers called upon by the Governor to drive the Indians away. During these trips Mr. Thomas passed repeatedly over the ground where Jacksonville is now situated. In July, 1814, occurred the Wood River massacre, when one of Mr. Thomas's sisters and six children were cruelly tomahawked by the savages. On his return to the Wood River settlement from the Indian warfare, Mr. Thomas planted a crop of corn, and soon after, in 1816, married Miss Elizabeth Isley. It was during this year that Mr. Thomas first visited Greene County, with a view to making it his home. He cut and stacked a quantity of hay on the land on which he subsequently settled, and made other preparations for residence there. He then returned to his family in the Wood River settlement, and, during his absence, the Indians destroyed all the results of his labor north of the Macoupin. For two years the young couple lived in the cabin which Mr. Thomas had built, and, at the end of that time, he had seventeen acres cleared and under cultivation. During these years Mr. Thomas turned his natural mechanical genius to a good account in making looms for the people of that region. The beauty and richness of the lands beyond the Macoupin were constantly in his mind, and his earnings, in this way, were carefully saved and devoted to purchasing the first eighty acres of land Mr. Thomas ever owned in this county. At last, his earnest desire to push still further forward in the vanguard of civilization, could be no longer restrained, and, in the Summer of 1818, he sold his cabin and improvements for one hundred dollars, and prepared to emigrate to the new lands, from which the Indians had just been driven. With him came Thomas Carlin and John W. Huitt, each in search of a suitable tract of land on which to settle. These three men all became prominent citizens of Greene County, and occupy an important place in its history. They are spoken of elsewhere.
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