USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois > Part 23
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In all the official positions held by Gov. An- derson, he discharged his duties with unswery- ing fidelity. A man of the most exalted integ- rity-the very soul of honor-he scorned a mean or dishonorable act as he scorned the dirt beneath his feet. Ile was free and open in his speech, and would readily say before a man's
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
face what he thought behind his back, but was just and generous, and willfully wronged no man. In his family, he was a devoted husband, a kind and indulgent father, and liberal in the edneatiou of his children. Although of no re- ligions belief particularly, yet he contributed freely of his means to the support of the churches and the Gospel, and his heart was tender, yielding in sympathy and relief to dis- tress wherever he found it.
Gov. Anderson died in September, 1857, deeply regretted and mourned alike by the country which he had so faithfully served, and the people who knew him so well.
The political history of Jefferson County for years was embellished with the finger marks of the two statesmen whose sketches we have above given. Although of the same political faith-good Democrats-yet, to say that at all times they were in full party harmony, would be in direct conflict with the true political his- tory of the county. Not infrequently was it the case, that in exciting and important cam- paigns there were found to be two Richmonds in the field, and who always proved foemen worthy of each other's steel. For years it has been another " war of the roses," and without the bloodshed aud carnage which charactarized the political differences of the houses of York and Lancaster, it yet crops ont occasionally be- tween the descendants of the two great leaders. It is not material to the subject of this chapter that we cuter into the details of this political feud-the party brouillerie, which had for its prime cause the fact that the county was too small for these two master spirits, a fact that lcd them to often cross swords upon the points of political power and aggrandizement. It never culminated in open rupture or party dismemberment, but has been more good-nat- ured than otherwise. It only shows in local contests, wherein more than oue aspirant for official position can charge his defeat to a men- ber of the rival faction. These little local dif-
ferences, however, cut no figure upon national questions or in national coutests. In these, all stand shoulder to shoulder, and pour in their fire where it is most needed, and where it will do the most good. And, indeed, this is but another peculiarity of the political history of the county. It matters not how much wran- gling there may be upon local issues, or how much scramble for local offices, when it comes to a general fight with the common enemy all petty differences are forgotten, all county squabbles are laid aside, and a larger majority than ever piled up for Gen. Jacksou. For proof of the truth of this portion of political history the reader is referred to Gen. Anderson, George Haynes, Judge Casey, Bob Wilbanks, and other young politicians of the day, now in the zenith of their glory, and whose " lives and times" will be more fully written up in the next centennial history of Jefferson County.
Noah Johnston. Another of the represen- tative men of the county and who has eon- tributed largely to its high rank, politically, is Maj. Johnston. The following excellent sketch of him was furnished us by Mr. George M. Haynes:
For more than fifty years Maj. Noah Johnston has lived in this county. He has become, as it were, one of the fixtures, one of the land-marks known by every person, and knowing as many of the old settlers and the men who first cut out the roads through this part of the State as perhaps any one now living. He is in his eighty-fourth year, and as he passes along our streets we and he well know that in the order of things he must soon "cross the river;" that but a few years at most, and his familiar face will no longer be seen. But will he die? No; such men rarely die; they continue to live long after their bodies have moldered into dust. For generations, at least, after his flesh and bones have returned to the earth from
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whence they came, he will live in history and in memory. And as we see him day by day, we can but be impressed with the thought that he is of that class that leads us baek to other days. His life has been long and eventful; it began just two days before the close of the last century, and along the line of march he has not been idle: he has gathered and stored knowledge. Possessed of an active and intelligent mind, he has suffered few things of importance to escape him, and one cannot converse with him for any length of time without feeling that he has learned something from him of the men and manners of former times that he did not before know. He stands forth, as it were, a friendly guide-board, ready to point out to the traveler the rocks and snares on the road of life-a gentleman of the old school in every sense of the word, made so by nature.
Maj. Johnston was born on the 29th of December. 1799, in Hardy County, Va., on the waters of the South Branch of the i Potomac, the oldest but one of ten as healthy children as could then be found in the " Old Dominion." His father, George Johnston, moved from Hardy County to Woodford County, Ky., in 1812, and settled near old Lexington. The summer after, his family were taken with bilious fever, a disease in that day not understood by the physicians. and before its ravages ceased four of the same healthy children of the year before were buried and one crippled for life. His father, George Johnston, died in Adams County, this State, in his eighty-fourth year. The Major is now the only surviving member of that family, who in the early days of the republic started West to secure to themselves the homes which were not so accessible in the older States.
In 1824, the family removed to Clark Coun- ty, Ind., and after a few years' residence re-
moved to Parke County, same State, where Maj. Johnston's mother died and was buried. The Major continued to live at home and work on the farm with his father until he was thirty years of age, when he left his family in Parke County and returned to Clark and married a Miss Mary Bullock. his present wife, who has since been the sharer of his triumphs and of his reverses; together have they trod life's journey, sometimes in rain, sometimes in sunshine. Through life there are many dark sides and many bright sides, but they have been met and almost passed by this venerable couple, he in his eighty-fourth, she in her eightieth year. They are going-and soon; their work is almost done; their trials and tribulations about over, and right well are they prepared for this earthly ending.
Soon after his marriage, Maj. Johnston moved to this county and began farming. He was a man of more than an average edu- cation for that day, although he never at- tended school more than three or four months, yet his father was a good English seholar and devoted a good deal of his per- sonal attention to the education of his chil- dren. After farming for a short time in this county. the Major engaged in mercantile pursuits, which, with some surety invest- ment, did not succeed, and he soon found himself heavily in debt and forced out of business with no property or means to pay with, and thus [his little craft went down beneath the financial crash. After his fail- ure, and, in fact, awhile before, he began to give some attention to politics, and was soon elected one of the County Commissioners, and afterward was elected County Clerk.
But perhaps it would not be out of place to here relate a little incident of his family. A brother of his father left home in Virgin- ia and went to Mississippi and located near
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Natchez. He never married and accumulated considerable property, consisting largely of negroes and lands. While the Major's father lived in Kentucky, this brother died, and another brother, the only remaining one, came from Virginia to Kentucky, and the two brothers went on horseback to Missis- sippi to look after the estate. While they were not abolitionists, they were opposed to slavery and were followers of Henry Clay's doctrine of gradual emancipation. On their arrival at Mississippi, they simply took what money there was, and being unable to give a bond for the good behavior of the negroes, as the law then required, they were unable to free them, and they returned home and left the slaves and lands there and never af- terward returned.
In 1838, Maj. Johnston was elected to the State Senate from this and Hamilton Coun- ty, serving four years. During his term of office, there were two regular and two special sessions; in fact, it was a period of much legislative interest. The first session of 1838 was the last held at Vandalia, and there was considerable excitement over the proposition to remove the capital to Springfield. The Sangamon County delegation, with Abraham Lincoln as its leader, consisted of A. G. Herndon, E. D. Baker (afterward killed at Ball's Bluff, Va.), John Calhoun, John Daw- son, Ninian W. Edwards, William F. Elkins, Andrew McCormick and Thomas J. Nance. In the excitement of the occasion, the dele- gation was termed by some gentlemen of the opposition as the "Long Nine." Lincoln in reply said, "Yes, we are the ' long nine ' and I am the longest of the nine," and as such they have passed into history. They suc- ceeded and the capital was removed to Springfield, where it has since been retained. In this session was to be found many who afterward gained renown and became a part
of the permanent history of the State. One gained the Presidency, many seats in Con- gress, and some renown upon the battle-field. Marshall was there and Baker, and Ficklin, and DuBois, and Logan, father of the pres- ent Senator, and many others. For some years after the capital was removed, the Legislature met in a church in Springfield.
At the first session after the removal the Bank of Illinois suspended payment and the suspension was legalized by the Legisla- ture until the end of the next session. In November, 1840, following, the Legislature met in special session; the time for the, reg- ular session by law was December 7, 1840. There was considerable agitation over the bank suspension. The Democrats were de- termined that the bank should resume and the Whigs that they should not before the end of the regular session, and to carry their point attempted to run the special session into the regular session, and thereby prevent an adjournment. The time was drawing near when the matter had to; be settled one way or the other. The Democrats being in the majority, the Whigs resorted to every means known to parliamentary rules to delay and prevent a vote upon the question of adjournment. For days the battle was waged; the " Long Nine " were there, with Lincoln at their head. At last, when all their tactics had been exhausted and it was evident the Democrats would carry the ad- journment unless something was done, Lin- coln asked that the roll be called; it was called and found that there was one less than a quorum. The Speaker at once ordered the doors closed and instructed the doorkeeper to go out and bring in another member. Lin- coln, seeing that his chances were getting no better, quietly raised the window and jumped outside and left, which left the House two members short. But when the
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doorkeeper returned he had two members instead of one. The vote on adjournment was then put and carried, and the Legisla- ture adjourned on the 5th of December, just two days before the regular session convened. On the same evening of the adjournment the officers of the bank called a meeting of the Directors, and at once resumed specie pay- ment.
In 1852, Maj. Johnston, together with Abraham Lincoln and Judge Dickey, of Chicago (not the present Judge of the Su- preme Court), were appointed a commission to take and report the evidence on claims filed against the State on account of the con- struction of the Illinois Canal. The Com- missioners opened an office in Ottawa, Chi- cago and Springfield. In 1845, he was En- rolling and Engrossing Clerk of the Senate, and under his inspection passed the entire revision of 1845, which is claimed by many prominent lawyers to be the best the State has ever had. In 1846, he was elected as a "floater " to the Fifteenth General Assem- bly from the counties of Hamilton, Franklin and Jefferson. During this session the prop- osition to issue State bonds for the payment of the State indebtedness was presented and carried. The Major was presented by his friends as a candidate for Speaker, and but for the action of the Cook County delega- tion, which then, as now, had an ax or two to grind, would have been elected. They sent for the Major to meet them, which he did at the old American House. When he arrived the Chairman of the delegation in- formed him that they had decided to vote for him, provided he would make certain promises in reference to the appointment of the com- mittee on canals, which then, as now, was an important question to Cook County. The Ma- jor replied that there were certain fixed rules which had been observed in the formation of
the committees of the House which he thought fair and just, and that if elected Speaker he could not and would not depart from them. This answer was not satisfac- tory, and they supported Mr. Newton Cloud, the member from Morgan County, who was elected by a very small majority, and it is not improper to here say that he was a good man and made an excellent presiding officer.
Shortly after Maj. Johnston's return home in March, 1847, he received the appointment of Paymaster in the United States Army, with the rank of Major of dragoons, and ordered to report at St. Louis for duty. Gov. Anderson, then United States Marshal, brought him the news of his appointment one night after he had retired. At that time the Major was running a small "sueing shop" as Justice of the Peace, and had an office on the west side of the public square, about where the Thorn building now stands. He took the appointment, together with the bond sent out for execution, which was for $20,000, to his office, and after due consider- ation became satisfied he could never fill it, and prepared a letter to the President, Mr. Polk, declining the appointment, had it all ready to mail, when some of his friends came in and asked him when he was going to the war to pay the boys off. He informed them that he had decided to decline the honor, and had just so written the President, giving as his reason that he could not fill the required bond. It will be understood that up to this time he had not asked a sin - gle person to sign the bond with him. His friends who had called prevailed on him to sign the bond, which he reluctantly did, and it was at once taken out by his friend, who in a short time had it all complete and ready with ample sureties to present to the depart- ment. The Major then destroyed the letter he had written declining the appointment,
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at once proceeded with his preparations to leave, and soon was on his way to Alton to present the bond for approval, which was done by the proper officer on presentation, and he at once reported at St. Louis for duty He continued to receive and disburse the money of the Government to its soldiers until the war closed, receiving and taking charge at times of as much as $200,000 in specie. On one occasion the went to Fort Leavenworth with $200,000 to pay Gen. Price's men, but upon his arrival he found Maj. Bryant a ranking officer already there, and the Major transferred his money to Bry- ant and returned to St. Louis. In the spring of 1848, he crossed the plains with $100,000. He traveled between 25,000 and 30,000 miles, received and paid out over $2.000,000 and never lost a five-cent piece. When Congress called upon the Paymaster General for an account of losses to the reve- nue through his thirty-six different Paymas- ters, his reply was "not one dime." The handling of so much money on $20,000 bonds would not be productive of such results at this day.
While Paymaster, the Major, by economy and prudence, saved enough from his salary to enable him to relieve himself from his fi- nancial embarrassments, which had continued to abide with him since his failure before mentioned.
In November, 1854, Finny D. Preston, then Clerk of the Supreme Court, for the First Grand Division, resigned. and Maj. Johnson was appointed to succeed him by the Supreme Court. In June, 1855, he was elected as his own successor, and was re- elected in June, 1861, serving altogether, by appointment and election, about thirteen years. In November, 1866, he was again elected as Representative to the Legislature from this and Franklin Counties; this was
the last public office held by him. In about 1853 or 1854, the Legislature made an ap- propriation of $6,000 for the purpose of building a Supreme Court House at this place. The Governor appointed as Com- missioners to superintend the construction of the building Zadok Casey, T. B. Tanner, Dr. J. N. Johnson, W. J. Stephenson, and Noah Johnston. Upon the organization of the Commission, Maj. Johnston was made the General Superintendent and thus, under his immediate supervision, the building was constructed.
During his residence in this county he has held the office of Justice of the Peace for twelve years, and for many years was Post- master, although he permitted Daniel Kin. ney to attend to the office and receive all the emoluments. He was Deputy United States Marshal for four years under Gov. Anderson. It will be noticed that for more than two- thirds of his life in this county he has occu- pied important public positions in one ca- pacity or another, in all of which he has proven himself faithful and capable. The Major was never an orator, and although the greater part of his life has been spent in politics, yet to unflinching integrity and competency, rather than to oratory, does he owe his success. In no place, in no position. public or private, can, nor has there, lodged the least stain upon his character; straight- forward, plain, frank and honest has been his conduct, and as such he is to-day.
He is in some respects a remarkable man; he has lived to see this now great State of Illinois develop from the beginning as it were to its present grandeur. He has, in fact, done his part in the progression that has been so marked. A man of no surplus words, a wise and honest counselor, he en- joyed the most friendly and personal rela- tions of many men of distinction, among
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whom were Lincoln, Douglas and Breeze, the three really great men produced by this State, and of whom we shall never cease to be justly proud. There are few men now living so rieh in personal reminiseences of the men of the earlier days of the State. The vitality and elearness of his mind is indeed wonderful; although near the elose of his eighty fourth year. he converses readily and with much more freshness than many mueh younger men. He has witnessed every ma- terial improvement and advancement made both by county and State, and in many has contributed largely. He is now the Presi- dent of the Mount Vernon National Bank, giving it his daily personal attention.
He has always been a partisan Democrat, never, we believe, departing one single time from that faith. Born just at the elose of power by the old Federal party, the early enemy of Demoeraey, and just as Jefferson was establishing so firmly his more liberal and democratie ideas, the Major early be- eame a student of that politieal school which had Jefferson for its founder, and " the most liberty for the most people" its beacon light. Although earnest and zealous in his politics. yet he always enjoyed the confidenee of his political enemies.
In religion, he has belonged to no ehureh, although a constant and attentive attendant and a firm believer in the Christian religion. His faith has been, to judge from his life, "to do right in all things, be just and honest to all men," and a just God will make all things well.
A more appropriate conelusion to this ehap- ter on the county's political history could not be given than a list of the faithful who have served the people-many of them faith- fully and well. The list of Senators and Representatives, and others, which follow will reeall names of men who were once well
known, but some of whom are now almost forgotten by the mass of the people.
State Senators .- The following are the State Senators representing Jefferson County since its organization : 1822-24, Thomas Sloo, Jr .; 1824-26, Thomas Sloo, Jr .; 1826-28, Zadok Casey ; 1828-30, Zadok Casey ; 1830-32, En- nis Maulding ; 1832-34, Eunis Maulding ; 1834 -36, Levin Lane ; 1836-38, Levin Lane ; 1838 -40, Noah Johnston ; 1840-42, Noah Johnston ; 1842-44, Robert A. D. Wilbanks; 1844-46, Robert A. D. Wilbanks ; 1846-48, William J. Stephenson ; 1848-50, J. B. Hardy * ; 1850-52, J. B. Hardy ; 1852-54, Silas L. Bryan ; 1854- 56, Silas L. Bryant ; 1856-58, Silas L. Bryan ; 1858-60, Silas L. Bryan ; 1860-62, Zadok Ca- sey ; 1862-64, Israel Blanchard #; 1864-66, Daniel Reilly ; 1866-68, Daniel Reilly ; 1868- 70, Samuel K. Casey ; 1870-72, Samuel K. Ca- sey 2 ; 1872-74, Thomas S. Casey T; 1874-76, Thomas S. Casey ; 1876-78, Charles E. Me- Dowell || ; 1878-80, Charles E. MeDowell ; 1880 -82, John C. Edwards ** ; 1882-84, Thomas M. Merritt.
The Representatives in the Lower House of the Legislature are as follows : 1822-24, Zadok Casey ; 1824-26, Zadok Casey ; 1826-28, Nich- olas Wren ; 1828-30, Israel Jennings ; 1830- 32, William Marshall ; 1832-34, Stinson Il. Anderson ; 1834-36, Stinson II. Anderson ; 1836-38, Harvey T. Paee ; 1838-40, Harvey T. Paee ; 1840-42, Stephen G. Hicks ; 1842- 44, Stephen G. Hieks ; 1844-46, Stephen G. Hieks ; 1846-48, Lewis F. Casey ; 1848-50, Zadok Casey (the county is now in the Sixth District) ; 1850-52, Zadok Casey ; 1852-54, John Wilbanks ; 1854-56, T. B. Tanner (Jef- ferson is now in the Eighth District) ; 1856-58, William B. Anderson ; 1858-60, William B.
* of Hamilton County, and Jefferson is in the Third District.
+ of Marion County, and Jefferson is in the Twentieth District.
t of Jackson County, and Jefferson is in the Third District.
¿ Casey died, and William B. Anderson was elected to fill out his unexpired term.
{ Jefferson is now a part of the Forty-sixth District. " of White County.
** of Hamilton County.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Anderson ; 1860-62, -; 1862-64, Henry M. Williams (the county is now in the Fifth District) ; 1864-66, Johu Ward ; 1866-68, No- ah Johnston ; 1868-70, C. C. M. V. B. Payne ; (whose name is Christopher Columbus Martin Van Buren Payne) 1870-72, Thomas S. Casey (Jefferson is now in the Eighteenth District) ; 1872-74, ----- 1874-76, Amos B. Barrett (the county is now in the Forty-sixth District); 1876-78, Thomas J. Williams; 1878-80, Alfred
M. Green and John R. Moss ; 1880-82, R. A. D. Wilbauks ; 1882-84, George H. Varnell.
Additional to the Representatives in the Gen- eral Assembly of the State, the county has furnished two Lieutenant Governors, viz., Za- dok Casey and Stinson H. Anderson ; one At- torney General, Walter B. Scates ; and two Congressmen, viz., Zadok Casey and William B. Anderson.
CHAPTER VIII .*
SOMETHING MORE ABOUT THE PIONEERS-THOSE WHO CAME IN LATER-THEIR SETTLEMENT- GAME AND WILD ANIMALS-PIONEER INCIDENTS-MRS. ROBINSON AND THE PANTHER- SOME RATTLING SNAKE STORIES-FEMALE FASHION AND DRESS-WOMAN'S LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS-HARD TIMES, FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES, ETC.
" The cry of the beast from his unknown den They haunted the lonesome wood Only to deepen its solitude."
THE pioneers, the men who skirt the outer confines of civilization on this continent, have entirely changed in their characteristics since the memorable days of '49, when the discovery of gold on the Pacific slope set all the world in a blaze of excitement. They are now, perhaps, the most cosmopolitau people in the world, and we incline to the belief that the old Californians were and are the best practically educated people, for they were suddenly gathered togther in large numbers, representing every civilized people of the globe, many of the half civilized, and even some of the totally barbarous This heterogenous gathering of such varieties of people resulted in the world's wonder of a public school. It rapidly educated men as they never had before been taught. It was not perfect in its moral symmetry, but it was
wholly powerful in its rough strength, vigor and swiftness. It taught not of books but of the mental and physical laws-of com- merce, of cunning craft; it was iron to the nerves and a sleepless energy to the resolu- tion. This was its field of labor, its free university. Here every people, every nation- al prejudice, all the marked characteristics of men, met its opposite where there was no law to restrain or govern either, except that public judgment that was crystallized into a resistless force in this witches' caldron. This wonderful alembic, where were fused normal and abnormal humanities, thoughts, false education, prejudicies and pagan fol- lies, into a molten stream that glowed and scorched ignorance along its way, as the vol- canic eruption does the debris in its path- way. It was the untrammeled school of at- trition of every variety of mind with miud, the rough diamond that gleams and dazzles with beauty only when rubbed with diamond dust. The best school in the world for a
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