USA > Illinois > Madison County > History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches > Part 21
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When it began to grow dark uneasiness was felt at the ab- sence of the Moore children, and William Moore came to Abel Moore's, and not finding them there passed on toward Reagan's, while his wife started in a direct line, not follow- ing the road, for the same place. William Moore now came back with the startling information that some one had been killed by the Indians. He had discovered a human body lying on the ground which by reason of the darkness and his haste, he was unable to identify.
The first thought was to find a refuge in the block-house ! Mr. Moore desired his brother's family to go by the road directly to the fort, while he would pass by his own house and take his own family with him, but the night was dark, the road passed through a heavy forest, and the women and children chose to accompany William Moore though the dis- tance to the fort, by the road only one mile, was thereby nearly doubled. The feelings of the party, as they groped their way through the dark woods, may be more easily im- agined than described. Sorrow for the supposed loss of rel- atives and children, was mingled with horror at the manner of their death, and fear for their own safety. Silently they passed on till they came to the dwelling of William Moore, when he exclaimed, as if relieved from some dreadful appre- hension, "Thank God, Polly is not killed!" The horse which his wife had ridden was standing near the house.
As they let down the bars and gained admission to the yard, his wife came running out, exclaiming, " They are killed by the Indians, I expect." The whole party then departed hastily for the block-house, to which place, all the neighbors, to whom warning had been communicated by signals, gathered by daybreak.
It has been mentioned that Mrs. William Moore, as well as her husband, had gone in search of the children. Passing by different routes, they did not meet on the way, nor at the place of the slaughter. Mrs. Moore who was on horseback, carefully noted, as she went, every discernible object till at length she saw a human figure, lying near a log. There was
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
not sufficient light to tell the size, or sex, of the person, and she called over again and again the name of one and another of her children, supposing it to be one of them asleep. At length she alighted, and examined the object more closely. What must have been her sensations as she placed her hand upon the back of a naked corpse, and felt, on further exami- nation, the quivering flesh from which the scalp had recent- ly been torn ? In the gloom of the night she could indis- tinctly see the figure, of the little child of Mrs Reagan's sit- ting so near the body of its mother as to lean its head, first one side, then the other, on the insensible and mangled body, and as she leaned over the little one, it said-" The black man raised his axe and cutted them again." She saw no further, but thrilled with horror and alarm, hastily re- mounted her frightened horse, and quickly hurried home where she heated water, intending by that means, to defend herself from the savage foe.
There was little rest that night at the fort. The women aud children of the neighborhood, with the few meu who were not absent with the Rangers, crowded together, not knowing but that at any minute the Indians might begin their attack. Seven were missing, and the bodies of these lay within a mile, or two, mangled and bleeding in the for- est. At three o'clock in the morning a messenger was dis- patched with the tidings to Fort Russell.
At dawn of day the scene of the tragedy was sought, and the bodies gathered for hurial. They were buried the same day, in three graves, carefully dug, with boards laid beneath, beside, and above the bodies. There were no men to make the coffins.
"The Indians had built a large fire, and also blazed the way to make the whites think that there was a large party. The news soon spread, and it was not long before Gen. Whiteside, with nine others, gave pursuit. Among the number were James Preuitt, Abraham Preuitt, James Stock- den, Wm. Montgomery, Peter Wagoner and others, whose descendants now live in Moro and Wood River. The weather was extremely hot, and some of their horses gave out and fell beneath their riders. Gen. Whiteside gave out entirely. His orders was to keep up the pursuit. It was on the second day in the evening, that they came in sight of the Indians, on the dividing ridge of the Sangamon river. There stood at that time a lone cotton-wood tree on the ridge, and this several of the Indians had climbed to look back. They saw their pursuers, and from that tree they separated and went in different directions, all making for the timber. When the whites came to the spot where the Indians had divided, they concluded to divide and pursue the Indians separately. James Preuitt and Abraham took the trail of one of the Indians. James Preuitt having the fastest and best horse, soon came within sight of his Indian. He rode up to within thirty yards of him and shot him in the thigh. The Indian fell, but managed to get to a tree top that was blown down. Abraham Preuitt soon came up, and they concluded to ride in ou the Indian and fini h him, which they did by Abraham shooting and killing him where he lay. In his shot-pouch was found the scalp of Mrs. Regan. The Indian raised his gun, but was too weak to fire.
and had also lost his flint, or perhaps he might have killed one of the pursuers. The rifle is supposed to be in the hands of the Prenitt family yet. It was somewhere near where Virden now stands that the party came upon them. The Indians hid in the timber and in a drift in the creek. Night coming on is all that saved them. It was ascertained at the treaty afterwards at Galeua that only Indians escaped, and that was the chief. The Indiaus bled themselves on account of the heat to prevent them from fainting. Solomon Preuitt, who was not in the pursuit, assisted in the burial of Mrs. Reagan and the children. He hauled them in a little one- horse sled to the old burial ground south of Bethalto, where a simple stone marks their last resting place. There is also buried in the same burying ground au Indian girl who was captured by Abraham Preuitt during one of the campaigns in the war of 1812. The Indians had been pursued into the Winnebago Swamps, and Abraham Preuitt hearing firing in a distant part of the swamp concluded to go and see what was the matter. On nearing the spot he found Davis Car- ter and one other firing at the little Indian child who was mired and could not get out. He called them cowards and ordered them to cease firing at a helpless child. Preuitt went into the swamp and rescued the child and brought it home with him. She lived to the age of fifteen, being about six years old at the time of capture. She was always of a wild nature." *
CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY IN 1815.
A " list of persons subject to road labor," preserved in the county records, gives, doubtless, the names of the great portion of the adult male residents of the county at that time.t
On the "public road leading from Edwardsville by Thomas Good's to Samuel Judy's." These lived south of Edwardsville in the present Edwardsville township :- William Sherone, John Robertson, sr., John Robertson, jr , James Robertson,¿ Andrew Black, Charles Gillham, Francis Kirkpatrick, William Gillham, Thomas Good, James Good, Ezekiel Good, William Tilford, Josias Randle, James Wat- son, Richard Wright, Joshua Dean, William Courtney (17).
On the "public road, leading from the New Bridge on Cahokia creek near Edwardsville to where the said road crosses Indian creek." These lived north-west of Edwards- ville : -- Thomas Kirkpatrick, John Kirkpatrick, Johu New- man, John Stout, Upton Smith, Richard Standford, Josiah Vaughan, William Montgomery, James Gillham, Andrew Dunagan, Ryderus Gillham, Ephraim Davidson, Joseph White, John Hewitt, John Springer, John Fullmore, Silas Beasley, Field Bradshaw, Jonas Brad haw, Obadiah Brad- shaw, William Lawless, Rowland Heritt, Michael Dodd. 1
Ou the "public road leading from Edwardsville to Isom Gillham's bridge on Cahokia creek," James Kirkpatrick overseer :- Benjamin Stedmans, Beniah Roberson,# John Mckinney, Henry Bonner, John W. Wright, James
* From an article furnished by E. K. Preuitt.
t The spelling is given as found in the record, much of it obviously incorrect.
# Properly spelled Robinson.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Wright, James Greenwood, Thomas Randle, Temple Nix, Thornton Scepler, Robert Gillaspy,* Isom Gillham, Micajah Cox, John Barnett, James Suggs, sr., Alexander V. Bonner, James Kirkpatrick, George Coventry, Joshua Delaplane, Samuel Delaplane, John Delaplane, sr., Bejamin Dela- plane, jr., William Ottwell, William Lawless, Jesse Bell, George Davidson, Samuel Davidson (27).
Oa the "pablic road lea ling from Cahokia to the Indian Ford on C.hokia creek." These resided in the American Bottom in the southeastern part of the county :- Uel Whiteside, William B. Whiteside, James Reynolds, Robert Reynolds, jr, Thomas Reynolds, Joshua Vaughan, Elisha Alexander, Joseph Wallace, Henry Cook, Hiram Arthur, Cornelius Folly, Ambrose Nix, William Cox, John Craw- ford, Samuel Judy, Jacob Judy, Robert Folly, Thomas Smith, Francis Cohne, Johu Cook, Philip Hewson, Peter Hubbard, George Belsha, (23).
On the public road beginning at David Moore's old place (on Cahokia and Indian Ford road) and ending at the bridge on Cantine creek :- David Lloyd, Thomas Moore, Michael Squire, William Winkfield, George Saller, John Sadler, Stephen Sadler, William Robb sr, Andrew Robb, William Robb, jr., Joseph Newman, - Halcy, John Waggoner. (13).
On the public road from Isom Gillham's ferry on the Mississippi to Indian creek, where the public road crosses said creek leading to Edwardsville :- Isaac Gillham, Samuel Gillham, Harry Gillham, David Gillham, Jacob C. Gillham, Samuel Brown, Samuel Stockton, John Finley, John Powell, Joseph LeHouse, Gherson Patterson, Ethan Meacham, Willeritt Meacham, Bart Meacham, Joseph McFaggin, William Ryon, Thomas Cox, Hezekiah Crozby, Joseph Meacham, Daniel Stockton, (20).
What is known as the upper road running from Elwards- ville to Alton was laid out in 1817. and the following are the names of persons then living within two miles of the road, who assisted in its opening. The names begin with those residing near Edwardsville, the eastern terminus: William Jones, John Newman, Zaloc Newman, Joseph Newman, David Robinson, John Green, William Robinson, Samuel Delaplane, Joshua Delaplane, John Delaplane, Sr., John Delaplane, jr., William Ottwell, Jesse Bell, George Davidson, William Lawless, William Sharone, Thomas White, Henry Brown, - Brown, - Hunter, - Hun- ter, Joseph Vaughan, John Hewitt, jr., Hiram Pruitt, Ben. Wood, Christopher Stout, John Stout, Christopher Stubbins, James Mc Peak, Upton Smith, John Drum, James McFad- den, William Ryon, John Vickory, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Whitlock, William Vaughan, Thomas Carlin, Mr. Coop- er, Mr. Scott, John Rose, Richard Rotan,t William Mont- gomery, William Cox, Isaac Cox, Charles Gillham, John Gillham, R. Gillham, James Gillham, Thomas Cox, James Tunnel, Silas Bobsell, Jacob Linder, Low Jackson, Field Bradshaw, Jonas Bradshaw, Obediah Bradshaw, Arman Beeman, John Springer, Walter Sealy, Daniel Dunsmore, R. Langworth, Joel Meacham, Ethan Meacham, old Mr. Hodge, David Hodge, old Mr. Morris, Job Day, Isham
+ Rattan.
Shockley, James Swinerton, A. Patton, old Mr. Beeman, S. Beeman, John Finley, Hezekiah Crosby, Mr. Huff, Thomas Johnson, Mr. Tongate, K. Carter, James Prewitt, A Prewitt, James Stogdon, John Danley, William Rowden, Patrick Mofall and Robert Sellers This road was viewed and lo- cated by Thomas G Davidson, John Wallace and Abraham Prickett.
SUBSEQUENT SETTLEMENTS.
After the war of 1812-14 was ended, the settlements in the county rapidly increased. A treaty of peace with the Indian tribes of the Northwest was concluded in October 1815. Emigrants from older States, who had been deterred from coming to Illinois by reason of the Indian hostilities, now poured into the country, and soon took possession of the hitherto unsettled parts of the county.
In the year 1813, Major Isaac H. Ferguson built the first house ever erected on the Marine prairie, but after building it, did not dare to live there for some time on account of the hostile Indians. Major Ferguson is spoken of by an old resident as the noblest pioneer of Madison county, a man of fine native talent, and as brave as Julius Caesar. He fought the Indian race in Illinois, and ended his life fighting under Gen. Scott, as an officer in the United States army in Mexico.
Permanent settlements in the Marine prairie were made in 1813 and 1814 by John Warwick, John Woods, George Newcome, Isaac Ferguson, Joseph Furguson, Absolom Ferguson, Aquilla Dolahide, Abraham Howard and Joshua Dean. In 1815, the settlements were increased by the arrival of Chester Pain, Thomas Breeze, Richard Winsor, John Campbell and John Giger ; and in the following year came Henry Scott, John Lord, James Simmons, Henry Peck, Andrew Matthews, Sr., and Andrew Matthews, Jr , Lefford, French, James French, and Abram Carlock. In 1817, there were no new settlements, but in 1818 and succeeding years the arrivals were very numerous.
A colony, among which were Rowland P. Allen, Elijah Ellison, and their families, arrived at Edwardsville in December, 1817, and in 1818, Allen and Ellison came to the Marine settlement. Among the arrivals in 1819 were Capt. George C. Allen, Capt. Curtis Blakeman, Capt. James Breath, Capt. De Selhorst, Capt. David Mcad and their families. These men had seen years of service on the ocean, and had come to the West to engage in agricul- ture, and rear their families. They came from New Eng- land, New York and New Jersey. The circumstances of their settling here gave to the prairie, and the village when it was founded, the name of Marine. The Judd family also settled here in 1819, as did James Sacket, a native of Con- necticut. Capt. Curtis Blakeman was one of the leading men of this colony. He came with considerable wealth while the others from the east had been mostly driven to Illinois either by poverty, or a desire to retrieve a fortune lost by commercial reverses. He was a candidate for county commissioner in 1820 and was elected to represent the county in the legislature in 1822. For a number of years be filled the office of justice of the peace. His son, Curtis Blake- man, was a prominent citizen of the county, and was elected a representative in the legislature in 1842. The wife of
$ Gillespie.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
John L. Ferguson was the daughter of Curtis Blakeman, Sr. Major Ferguson, and the older settlers, coming as they did, from the heavily timbered counties of Kentucky and Ten- nessee, all made clearings in the edges of the forest, and there bui't and lived. Rowland P. Allen was one of the first to build in the prairie, and was laughed at for his willingness to haul building material, fencing, and fire wood so far, a dis- tance of half a mile. But in a few years the older pioneers realized the advantages of a residence on the prairie, and began themselves to leave the gloom of the woods, and come out into the sunshine.
Mrs. Elizabeth Randle with a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, the youngest of whom was Irwin B. Randle, now a resident of Edwardsville, removed from Stewart county, Tennessee, to this county in the fall of 1814, and the next year settled a couple of miles southeast from Edwardsville.
Among the early settlers in the neighborhood of Troy were William F. Purviance, John Jarvis, and Robert Mc- Mahan. Purviance was born in North Carolina, came to Illinois in 1809. After coming to this county he lived in the neighborhood of Troy, till his death in 1820. He was the last surviving member of the first grand jury ever con- vened in Madison county. Robert McMahan was born in Virginia, and at an early day emigrated to Lexington, Ken- tucky. He came to Illinois, and settled in the New Design, in the present county of Monroe. His wife and four children 'were killed by the Indians, and he and a daughter taken prisoner. He died ncar Troy in 1822.
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NOTE .- Several accounts have been published of the murder of the members of McMahan's family and his capture by the Indians, but the following, from the pen of George Churchill, a neighbor of Me- Mahan in Ridge Prarie, is the most correct :
" The settlers being apprehensive of attacks from straggling parties of Indians, Mr. McMahan, in 1794, resided in a house of Mr. James Lemen, Sr., near the station in Monroe county. In the sime vicin- ity resided Mr. Peter Casterline and Mr. Benjamin Ogle. But desir- ing to improve the land which he had selected for his farm, and hoping to escape an attack, or to repel it if made, he afterwards re- moved to his improvement in the prairie, about three miles from the station, and out of sight of any house.
" Ife made preparations to defend himself and family against an at- tack. He had a rifle, and only a week before the tragedy, he run two hundred riffe balls. He also had a blunderbuss charged with six charges of powder and nine balls. " When you hear the report of any blunderbuss !' said he to his friends at the station, " you may be certain that I am attacked." The door of his honse was so constructed that it might be strongly barred, and first holes were made in the walls through which he might shoot any who should attempt to ascend to the roof. On the fatal twenty-sixth of January, 1795, Mr. Mc- Mahan went out to hunt for his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. Ile cast his eye over the prarie in every direction, but saw no enemy."
" A lone hickory tree, one hundred and fifty yards from his house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus affording a convenient hiding place for an attacking party : but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convenient covert."
" Ile entered his house, but had not been there more than two or three minutes, when four Indians, frightfully painted black and red, entered the house, two by two, saying ' Bon jour ! bon jour ! ( good day ! good day) !' They stood motionless a few seconds, when one of
them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook, and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss; but his wife took hold of it, and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared, if they submitted peaceably, but otherwise they would be killed. The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Every one then made for the door. Mrs. McMahan run half way round the house, when she was shot in the left breast, and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, thrown on the floor, and his hands pinioned close behind him, with deer sinews. Sally McMahan, his eldest daughter, then less than nine years old, remained in the house and saw one of the In- dians knock her brother and two of her sisters in the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow, only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female infant, only one month ohl, when Sally ran out of the house, and once around it when she was also seized by him. "
"The Indian who committed the murder was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other three were Pu-taw-wahs as they call them- selves, or as they are commonly called by the whites, Pottowatomies. "
" Three of the children were scalped. It was said that the infant was not scalped, but my informant stated that the Indians displayed five scalps when they camped at night, and they supposed they took two scalps from the head of one of the murdered children, and left the infant unscalped, It has also been stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation; but my informant learned from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek. "
" The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of them npon Mr. McMahan, one of whose hands was untied, so that he might carry his load: and with their captives, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated an escape, but did not make known his intention to his daughter. The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his sho.s and hat and part of his clothes. But during the second night, he quietly slipped off the cords from his limbs and body, and was about to rise when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape, after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes. In the dead of winter, without shoes, without food, and with scanty clothing, he left his daughter with her captors, and endeavored to make his way to the New Design. Ile lay out one cold night, making his bed of leaves under a large fallen tree, which was held up from the ground by its branches. He was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey. Ile now had the pleasure of meeting a friend in the person of Col. Samuel Judy, who gave him the necessary directions, which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave exclaiming, ' They were lovely in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided !
The massacre took place on Monday, and the burial on the succeed- ing Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemen, sen., and endeavored, by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's families. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message. One authority says not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies, and reported the fact at the station. "
" Let us now r. turn to the Indians and their remaining captive. They pursued their course, and reached the home of the Putawwahs southwest of Lake Michigan. Sally McMahan was here transferred to an Ottawa Indian, who had become a chief of the Putawwahs and whose wife was a sister of the three Putawwahs who had been concerned in the massacre. The name of this chief was Sukkonok, which being translated means Blackbird ; but among the whites he went by the name of Leturneau. Here the Indian women cultivated their gardens and " trnek patches, " with a neatness worthy of com- mendation and imitation, not permitting a solitary weed to grow the rein. "
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S5
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
John Jarvis was a Virginian by birth. He came to Illinois at an carly date, and from 1800 to 1813 lived at Turkey Hill, the first American settlement formed within the present county of St. Clair. He came to Madison county in 1813, and there ended his life of usefulness. Many of his descendants still live in that part of the county. In the diary of Rowland P. Allen, occurs the following passage, written in 1817, on his journey to Illinois : " On Monday, December 22d, to our astonishment, drove seventeen and a half miles this day. Put up at night at Troy with a Mr. Jarvis, a very fine man, where we saw the first real marks of civilization since we left Shawneetown. Previous to retiring for the night, Mr Jarvis gathered his family and the stran- gers around the family altar, read a chapter from the Bible, sang a hymn, and offered up to AAlmighty God, a most feeling, excellent, and appropriate prayer." Mr. Jarvis, in 1816, built a band mill, which was a great convenience to the people of that part of the county. His memory is per- petuated in the name of Jarvis township.
Jesse Renfro, who is still living in the vicinity of Troy, is one of the oldest residents of the southern part of the county. He was born in Kentucky in 1796, and his father James Renfro, removed with the family to Illinois in 1810. In the spring of 1811 his father settled in township three, range eight, and died in 1814 while on a visit to Kentucky.
+
" In 1795, General Anthony Wayne, sometimes called 'Mad An- thony,' obtained a great victory over the Indians in Ohio. This was followed by the Treaty of Greeneville, by which the Indians engaged to bring into the white settlements all the captives in their possession. In accordance with the stipulation, in April, 1796, Snkkonok took Sally McMahan down the Illinois and Mississippi, in a canoe, and landed at Cahokia, and delivered her to the white people. It being court time a great many people were present. Sukkonok made a speech to them in which he said that he had no hand in the massacre, had paid a considerable sum for the captive. and had brought her a great di -- tance into the white settlements. lle therefore appealed to the liber- ality and sense of justice of the white people to make him just com- pensation. A subscription paper was drawn up, and circulated, and one hundred and sixty-four dollars subscribed, and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by Mr. Arundel, a merchant of Ca- hokia.
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