USA > Illinois > Knox County > History of Knox county, Illinois > Part 3
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
EARLY GOVERNORS.
In the year 1822 the term of office of the first governor, Shadrach Bond, expired. Two parties sprung up at this time,-one favorable, the other hostile, to the introduction of slavery, each proposing a candidate of its own for governor. Both parties worked hard to secure the election of their candidate; but the people at large decided, as they ever have been at heart, in favor of a free State. Edward Coles, an anti-slavery man, was elected, although a majority of the Legisla- ture were opposed to him. The subject of principal interest during his administration was to make Illinois a slave State. The greatest effort being made in 1824, the proposition was defeated at the polls by a majority of 1,800. The aggregate vote polled was 11,612, being about 6,000 larger than at the previous State election. African slaves were first introduced into Illinois in 1720 by Renault, a Frenchman.
Senator Duncan, afterwards governor, presented to the Legislature of 1824-5 a bill for the support of schools by a public tax; and William S. Hamilton presented another bill requiring a tax to be used for the purpose of constructing and repairing the roads,-both of which bills passed and became laws. But although these laws con- ferred an incalculable benefit upon the public, the very name of a tax was so odious to the people that, rather than pay a tax of the smallest possible amount, they preferred working as they forinerly did, five days during the year on the roads, and would allow their children to grow up without any instruction at all. Consequently both laws were abolished in 1826.
In the year 1826 the office of governor became again vacant. Ninian Edwards, Adolphus F. Hubbard and Thomas C. Sloe were candidates. Edwards had made himself many enemies by urging strict inquiries to be made into the corruption of the State bank, so 3
34
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
that had it not been for his talents and noble personal appearance lie would most probably not have been elected. Hubbard was a man of but little personal merit. Of him tradition has preserved, among other curious sayings, a speech on a bill granting a bounty on wolf- scalps. This speech, delivered before the Legislature, is as follows: " Mr. Speaker,-I rise before the question is put on this bill, to say a word for my constituents. Mr. Speaker, I have never seen a wolf. 1 cannot say that I am very well acquainted with the nature and habits of wolves. Mr. Speaker, I have said that I had never seen a wolf; but now I remember that once on a time, as Judge Brown and I were riding across the Bonpas prairie, we looked over the prairie about three miles, and Judge Brown said, 'Hubbard, look! there goes a wolf;' and I looked, and I looked, and I looked, and I said, 'Judge, where?' and he said, 'There!' And I looked again, and this time in the edge of a hazel thicket, abont three miles across the prairie, I think I saw the wolf's tail. Mr. Speaker, if I did not see a wolf that time, I think I never saw one; but I have heard much, and read more, about this animal. I have studied his natural history.
"By the bye, history is divided into two parts. There is first the history of the fabulous; and secondly, of the non-fabulous, or un- known age. Mr. Speaker, from all these sources of information, I learn that the wolf is a very noxious animal; that he goes prowling abont, seeking something to devour; that he rises up in the dead and secret hours of night, when all nature reposes in silent oblivion, and then commits the most terrible devastation upon the rising generation of hogs and sheep.
" Mr. Speaker, I have done; and I return my thanks to the honse for their kind attention to my remarks."
The primitive naivete and wonderful ingenuity as displayed in this remarkable speech, show better than anything else the state of civili- zation then existing in Illinois.
The Indians became troublesome in 1827. The Winnebagoes, Sacs and Foxes and other tribes had been at war for more than a hundred years. In the summer of 1827 a war party of the Winnebagoes sur- prised a party of Chippeways, and killed 8 of them. Four of the murderers were arrested and delivered to the Chippeways, by whom they were immediately shot. This was the first irritation of the Win- nebagoes. Red Bird, a chief of this tribe, in order to avenge the execution of the four warriors of his own people, attacked the Chippeways, but was defeated; and being determined to satisfy his thirst for revenge by some means, surprised and killed several white men. Upon receiving intelligence of these murders, the whites who
BOND-CHANDLER.CHI.
PONTIAC, THE OTTAWA CHIEF.
37
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
were working the lead inines in the vicinity of Galena formed a body of volunteers, and, re-inforced by a company of regular United States troops, marched into the country of the Winnebagoes. To save their nation from the miseries of war, Red Bird and six other men of his nation voluntarily surrendered themselves. Some of the number were executed, some of them imprisoned, and destined,like Red Bird, ingloriously to pine away within the narrow confines of a jail, when formerly the vast forests had proven too limited for them.
In August, 1830, another gubernatorial election was held. . The candidates were William Kinney, then lieutenant governor, and John Reynolds, formerly an associate justice of the Supreme Court, both Jackson democrats. The opposition brought forward no candidate, as they were in a hopeless minority. Reynolds was the successful can- didate, and under his administration was the famous
BLACK HAWK WAR.
In the year 1804 a treaty was concluded between the United States and the chiefs of the Sac and Fox nations. One old chief of the Sacs, however, called Black Hawk, who had fought with great bravery in the service of Great Britain during the war of 1812, had always taken exceptions to this treaty, pronouncing it void. In 1831 he established himself, with a chosen band of warriors, upon the disputed territory, ordering the whites to leave the country at once. The settlers com- plaining, Governor Reynolds dispatched General Gaines, with a company of regulars and 1,500 volunteers, to the scene of action. Taking the Indians by surprise, the troops burnt their villages, and forced them to conclude a treaty, by which they ceded all lands east of the Mississippi, and agreed to remain on the western side of the river. Necessity had compelled the proud spirit of Black Hawk into submission, which made him inore than ever determined to be avenged upon his enemies. Having rallied around him the warlike braves of the Sac and Fox nations, he crossed the Mississippi in the spring of 1832. Upon hearing of the invasion, Governor Reynolds liastily collected a body of 1,800 volunteers, placing them under the command of Brig .- Gen. Samuel Whiteside.
The army marched to the Mississippi, and having reduced to ashes the Indian village known as " Prophet's Town," proceeded for several miles up the river to Dixon, to join the regular forces under General Atkinson. They found at Dixon two companies of volunteers, who, sighing for glory, were dispatched to reconnoiter the enemy. They advanced under command of Major Stillman, to a creek afterwards called "Stillman's run;" and while encamping there, saw a party of
38
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
mounted Indians at the distance of a mile. Several of Stillman's party mounted their horses and charged the Indians, killing three of them; but, attacked by the main body under Black Hawk, they were ronted, and by their precipitate flight spread such a panic through the camp that the whole company ran off to Dixon as fast as their legs could carry them. On their arrival it was found that there had been eleven killed. A regiment sent to spy out the country between Galena and Rock Island, was surprised by a party of seventy Indians, and was on the point of being thrown into disorder when General Whiteside, then serving as a private, shouted out that he would shoot the first inan who should turn his back to the enemy. Order being restored, the battle began. At its very outset General Whiteside shot the leader of the Indians, who thereupon commenced a hasty retreat.
In June, 1832, Black Hawk, with a band of 150 warriors, attacked the Apple River Fort, near Galena, defended by 25 men. This fort, a mere palisade of logs, was erected to afford protection to the miners. For 15 consecutive hours the garrison had to sustain the assault of the savage enemy; but knowing very well that no quarter would be given them, they fought with such fury and desper- ation that the Indians, after losing many of their best warriors, were compelled to retreat.
Another party of 11 Indians murdered two men near Fort Ham- ilton. They were afterwards overtaken by a company of twenty men and every one of them was killed.
A new regiment, under the command of General Atkinson, assem- bled on the banks of the Illinois in the latter part of June. Major Dement, with a small party, was sent out to reconnoiter the mnove- inents of a large body of Indians, whose endeavors to surround him made it advisable for him to retire. Upon hearing of this engage- ment, General Atkinson sent a detachment to intercept the Indians, while he, with the main body of his army, moved north to meet the Indians under Black Hawk. They moved slowly and cantiously through the country; and having passed through Turtle village, marched up along Rock river. On their arrival news was brought of the discov- ery of the main trail of the Indians. Considerable search was made, but they were unable to discover any vestige of Indians save two who had shot two soldiers the day previous.
Hearing that Black Hawk was encamped on Rock river, at the Mani- tou village, they resolved at once to advance upon the enemy; but in the execution of their design they met with opposition on the part of their officers and men. The officers of General Henry handed to him a written protest; but he, a man equal to any emergency, ordered the
39
· HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
officers to be arrested and escorted to General Atkinson. Within a few minutes after the stern order was given, the officers all collected around the General's quarters, many of them with tears in their eyes, pledging themselves that if forgiven they would return to duty and never do the like again. The General rescinded the order, and they at once resumed duty.
General Henry marched on the 13th of July in pursuit of the Indians, reaching Rock river after three days' journey, where he learned Black Hawk was encamped further up the river. On July 19th the troops were ordered to commence their march. After having made 50 miles, they were overtaken by a terrible thunder-storm, which lasted all night. Nothing cooled, however, in their courage and zeal, they marched again 50 miles the next day, encamping near the place where the Indians had encamped the night before. Hurry- ing along as fast as they could, the infantry keeping up an equal pace with the mounted force, the troops on the morning of the 21st crossed the river connecting two of the four lakes, by which the Indians had been endeavoring to escape. Finding, on their way, the ground strewn with kettles and articles of baggage, which the hurry of their retreat had obliged the Indians to throw away, the troops, inspired with new ardor, advanced so rapidly that at noon they fell in with the rear guard of the Indians. The troops, who closely pursued them, were saluted with a sudden fire of musketry by a body of Indians, who had concealed themselves in the high grass of the prairie. A most desperate charge was made upon the Indians, who, unable to resist, retreated obliquely, in order to out-flank the volunteers on the right; but the latter charged the Indians in their ambush, and expell- ing them from their thickets at the point of the bayonet, dispersed them. Night set in and the battle ended, having cost the Indians 68 of their bravest men, while the loss of the Illinoisans amounted to but one killed and 8 wounded.
Soon after this battle Generals Atkinson and Henry joined their forces and pursued the Indians. General Henry, having struck the main trail, left his horses behind, and formed an advance guard of eiglit men, he marched forward upon their trail. When these eigh men had come within sight of the river, they were suddenly fired upon and five of them killed, the remaining three maintaining their ground till General Henry came up, when the Indians, charged upon with the bayonet, fell back upon their main force. The battle now became general; the Indians fonght with desperate valor, but were furiously assailed by the volunteers with their bayonets. cutting many of the Indians to pieces and driving the rest into the river. Those
.
40
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS ..
who escaped from being drowned took refuge on an island. On hearing the frequent discharge of musketry, indicating a general engagement, General Atkinson abandored the pursuit of the 20 Indians under Black Hawk himself, and hurried to the scene of action, where he arrived too late to take part in the battle. He immediately forded the river with his troops, the water reaching up to their necks, and landed on the island where the Indians had secreted themselves. The soldiers rushed upon the Indians, killing several of them, taking others prisoners, and chasing the rest into the river, where they were either drowned or shot before reaching the opposite shore. Thus ended the battle, the Indians losing 300, besides 50 prisoners; the whites but 17 killed and 12 wounded.
Black Hawk, with his twenty men, retreated np the Wisconsin river The Winnebagoes, desirous of securing the friendship of the whites, went in pursuit and captured and delivered them to General Street, the United States Indian Agent. Among the prisoners were the son of Black Hawk and the prophet of the tribe. These, with Black Hawk, were taken to Washington, D. C. By order of the President, they were set free on the 4th day of June, 1833. Black Hawk died on the 3d of October, 1840, at the age of 80 years, and was buried on the bank of the Mississippi, where he had spent his life which had been so dear to him.
MARTYR FOR LIBERTY.
At the general election of 1834 Joseph Duncan was elected gov- ernor. His principal appointment was ex-Lieutenant Governor Kin- ney. Duncan was elected by a handsome majority. The year 1837, under Duncan's administration, is memorable for the death of the first martyr for liberty in the State. Elijah P. Lovejoy was shot by a mob in 'Alton, on the night of the 7th of November of that year. He was at the time editor of the Alton Observer, and advocated anti-slavery principles in its columns. For this practice three of his presses had been destroyed, and it was in connection with the arrival of a fourtli that the tragedy occurred which cost him his life. In anticipation of its arrival, a series of meetings were held in which the friends both of freedom and of slavery were represented. The object was to effect a compromise, but it was one in which liberty was to make concessions to oppression. In a speech made at one of tliese meetings Lovejoy said: "I plant myself down on my un- questionable rights, and the question to be decided is, whether I shall be protected in those rights. You may hang me, as the mob hung the individuals at Vicksburg; you may burn me at the stake, as they
·
BOUC-CHANDLER. COM.
BLACK HAWK, THE SAC CHIEF.
43
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
did old McIntosh at St. Louis; or, you may tar and feather me, or throw me into the Mississippi as you have threatened to do; but you cannot disgrace me. I, and I alone can disgrace myself, and the deepest of all disgrace would be at a time like this to deny my Maker by forsaking his cause. He died for me, and I were most unworthy to bear his name should I refuse, if need be, to die for him." Im- mediately after, Mr. Lovejoy was shot; his brother Owen, being pres- ent on the occasion, kneeled down on the spot beside the corpse, and sent up to God, in the hearing of that very mob, one of the most eloquent prayers ever listened to by mortal ear. He was bold enough to pray God to take signal vengeance on the infernal institution of slavery, and he then and there dedicated himself to the work of over- throwing it, and hoped to see the day when slavery existed no more in this nation. He died, March 24, 1864, nearly three months after the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln took effect. Thus he lived to see his most earnest and devont prayer answered. But few men in the nation rendered better service in overthrowing the institution of slavery than Elijah P. and Owen Lovejoy.
Thomas Carlin, democrat, was elected governor in 1838, over Cyrus Edwards, whig. In 1842 Adam W. Snyder was nominated for governor on the democratic ticket, but died before election. Thomas Ford was placed in nomination, and was elected, ex-Gov- ernor Duncan being his opponent. During Ford's administration occurred the
MORMON WAR.
In April, 1840, the " Latter-Day Saints;" or Mormons, came in large numbers to Illinois and purchased a tract of land on the Missis- sippi river. Here they commenced building the city of Nauvoo. A more picturesque or eligible site for a city could not have been selected.
The origin, rapid development and prosperity of this religions sect are the most remarkable and instructive historical events of the pres- ent century. That an obscure individual, without money, education, or respectability, should persuade hundreds of thousands of people to believe him inspired of God, and cause a book, contemptible as a lit- erary production, to be received as a continuation of the sacred reve- lation, appears almost incredible; yet in less than half a century, the disciples of this obscure individual have increased to hundreds of thou- sands ; have founded a State in the distant wilderness, and compelled the government of the United States practically to recognize them as an independent people.
-
44
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
The founder of Mormonism was Joseph Smith, a native of Vermont, who emigrated while quite young with his father's family to western New York. Here his youth was spent in idle, vagabond life, roaming the woods, dreaming of buried treasures, and exerting himself to learn the art of finding them by the twisting of a forked stick in his hands, or by looking through enchanted stones. Both he and his father be- came famous as "water wizards," always ready to point out the spot where wells might be dug and water found. Such was the character of the young profligate when he made the acquaintance of Sidney Rigdon, a person of considerable talent and information, who had conceived the design of founding a new religion. A religious romance written by a Presbyterian preacher of Ohio, then dead, sug- gested the idea, and finding in Smith the requisite duplicity and cun- ning to reduce it to practice, it was agreed that he should act as prophet; and the two devised a story that gold plates had been found buried in the earth containing a record inscribed on them in unknown characters, which, when deciphered by the power of inspiration, gave the history of the ten lost tribes of Israel.
After their settlement in Hancock county, great depredations were committed by them on the "Gentiles." The Mormons had been re- ceived from Missouri with great kindness by the people of this State, and every possible aid was granted them. The depredations com- mitted, however, soon made them odious, when the question of get- ting rid of them was agitated. In the fall of 1841 the governor of Missouri made a demand on Governor Carlin for the arrest and deliv- ery of Joe Smith as a fugitive from justice. An executive warrant, issued for that purpose was placed in the hands of an agent to be executed, but was returned without being complied with. Soon after- ward the governor handed the same writ to his agent, who this time succeeded in arresting Joe Smith. He was however discharged by Judge Douglas, upon the grounds that the writ upon which he had been arrested had been once returned before it had been executed, and was functus officio. In 1842 Governor Carlin again issued his writ, Joe Smith was arrested again, and again escaped. Thus it will be seen it was impossible to reach and punish the leader of this people, who had b ce driven from Missouri because of their stealing, mur- dering and unjust dealing, and came to Illinois but to continue their depredations. Emboldened by success, the Mormons became more arrogant and overbearing. Many people began to believe that they were.about to set up a separate government for themselves in defiance of the laws of the State. Owners of property stolen in other counties made pursuit into Nauvoo, and were fined by the Mormon courts for
45
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
daring to seek their property in the holy city. But that which made it more certain than anything else that the Mormons contemplated a separate government was, that about this time they petitioned Con- gress to establish a territorial government for them in Nauvoo.
To crown the whole folly of the Mormons, in the spring of 1844 Joe Smith announced himself as a candidate for President of the United States, and many of his followers were confident he would be elected.
Smith soon began to play the tyrant over his people. The first act of this sort was an attempt to take the wife of William Law, one of his most talented disciples, and make her his spiritual wife. He established, without authority, a recorder's office, and an office to issue marriage licenses. He proclaimed that none conld deal in real estate or sell liquor but himself. He ordered a printing office demolished, and in many ways controlled the freedom and business of the Mor- mons.
Joe Smith, and Hiram, his brother, were arrested on the charge of treason, and taken to Carthage, Hancock county, and confined in the jail there. The citizens assembled from Hancock, Schuyler and McDonongli counties, armed and ready to avenge the outrages that had been committed by the Mormons. Great excitement prevailed at Carthage. The force assembled at that place amounted to 1,200 men, and about 500 assembled at Warsaw. Nearly all were anxious to march into Nauvoo. This measure was supposed to be necessary to search for counterfeit money and the apparatus to make it, and also to strike a salutary terror into the Mormon people by an exhibition of the force of the State, and thereby prevent future outrages, murders, robberies, burnings, and the like. The 27th of June was appointed for the march; but Governor Ford, who at the time was in Carthage, apprehended trouble if the militia should attempt to invade Nauvoo, and disbanded the troops, retaining only a guard to the jail.
Governor Ford went to Nauvoo on the 27th. The same morning about 200 men from Warsaw, many being disguised, hastened to Carthage. On learning that one of the companies left as a guard had disbanded, and the other stationed 150 yards from the jail, while eight men were left to guard the prisoners, a communication was soon estab- lished between the Warsaw troops and the guard; and it was arranged that the guard should have their guns charged with blank cartridges and fire at the assailants when they attempted to enter the jail. The conspirators came up, jumped the fence around the jail, were fired upon by the guard, which, according to arrangement, was over- powered, and the assailants entered the prison, to the door of the room
46
HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
where the two prisoners were confined. An attempt was made to break open the door; but Joe Smith, being armed with a pistol, fired several times as the door was bursted open, and three of the assailants were wounded. At the same time several shots were fired into the room, by some of which John Taylor, a friend of the Smiths, received four wounds, and Hiram Smithi was instantly killed. Joe Smith, at- tempting to escape by jumping out of a second-story window, was so stunned by the fall that he was unable to rise. In this position he was despatched by balls shot through his body. Thus fell Joe Smith, the most successful impostor of modern times. Totally ignorant of almost every fact in science, as well as in law, he made up in construc- tiveness and natural cunning whatever in him was wanting of instruc- tion.
After the holy prophet had thus met his untimely fate, the govern- ment of the church was confided to the twelve apostles, with Brigham Young at their head. In the spring of. 1846 the leaders, satisfied that it would not do for the Mormons to remain any longer in the State, began to prepare for removal. By the middle of May about 16,000 Mormons crossed the Mississippi on their march to Utah, having made 12,000 wagons the previous winter for this purpose. Shortly after, almost the entire Mormon population was driven from the State.
MEXICAN WAR.
During the month of May, 1846, the President called four regi- ments of volunteers from Illinois for the Mexican war. This was no sooner known in the State than nine regiments, numbering 8,370 men, answered the call, though only four of them, amounting to 3,720 men, could be taken. These regiments, as well as their officers, were every- where foremost in the American ranks, and distinguished themselves by their matchless valor in the bloodiest battles fought throughout the campaign. General Hardin, at the battle of Buena Vista, attacked and routed a body of Mexican infantry and lancers five times the num- ber of his own, deciding by his gallant charge the victory for the Americans, which was won at the expense of his own life and that of many of his bravest men. At the same battle Lieutenant Colonel Weatherford, with his men, during the whole day stood the fire of the Mexican artillery without being allowed to advance near enough to return it. Warren, Trail, Bissell and Morrison distinguished them- selves by their intrepid valor at the same battle; Shields, Baker, Har- ris and Coffey are illustrious names indissolubly connected with the glorious capture of Vera Cruz, and the not less famous storming of Cerro Gordo. In this latter action, when, after the valiant General
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.