History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens, Part 13

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Illinois > McDonough County > History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens > Part 13

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I have an old flint-lock rifle, one traded for when I first came to the county. It was then an old gun and had done much service, but still to-day it is in as good order as it ever was, and as true as the modern breech-loader. As I roamed the wild forest, often this gun was my only companion, and it was always faithful. Many are the exciting incidents that could be related in connection with it; A short time ago one of my little grand- sons desired to see me shoot it. T please the boy, I took the faithful old gun from its hook on the wall, and, as was my custom nearly a half century ago, threw it across my shoulder and started forth for game. We soon spied a squirrel in a tall oak. Took aim and fired. Though my hand was not so steady or my eye so keen as it used to be, I brought the little animal to the ground.

I well remember quite an exciting

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

fight I had with a lynx, one winter. During the day a good sized calf had died, and that night it snowed. While out doing chores the next morning, no- ticed some tracks near the carcass of the calf which I supposed were made by a panther, knowing it must be somewhere near by, I called my dogs that they they might trace it, but when they came they refused to go near it. Then went over to Vances for a couple of hounds which were glad enough for a fight, and soon had the animal treed; it was as large as a gray wolf and resembled one. Got my old flint-lock and determined to have a fight. I shot its paw a time or two but it would not jump from the tree. Then shot it in the head knocking it down. The dogs would run up to it and each time would have great pieces of flesh torn from their bodies by the savage animal. I thought I would help the dogs, so got a club and waded in, when the lynx, dogs and myself had a lively battle, but we were too much for it, and at last killed it. For many years we kept the skin of this fierce lynx that had fought so hard for its life.

Accommodations in Macomb in those early days were not so great as they are now. Wm. Shannon and myself were once summoned to attend court as wit- nesses, and when we arrived, the houses were all full and we could get no place to stop. We were compelled to go out of town a short distance, and crawl under a hay stack to sleep during the night.

I used to raise large fields of cotton and we made all the cotton goods we used. Also raised flax, which we spun and wove and made into goods. We didn't buy many " store goods" then.

Have on my place a log house built in 1829, now fifty-six years old, but we have out-grown it, and live in more modern style.

Was born in Jackson county, Tennes- see, November 2, 1806.

REMINISCENCES OF R. L. DARK.

I first came to McDonough county in 1829 and with my family camped upon Camp creek. The Indians were then still numerous in the county and often came to our cabin. My wife could not rid herself of a natural fear of the red man, and desired to return to Schuyler . county, from which we removed. To this I objected. Twice, while I was away, she packed up all our household goods, preparatory to starting, but I re- turned just in time to stop all such pro- ceedings. Business again called me away, and had no sooner left than she again packed up, and loading the goods on the wagon, with our two little ones. she started for the vicinity of Rushville. Met them a short distance from the Schuyler county line and tried to pre- vail on her to return, but this time with- out avail. No amount of coaxing could make her change her mind. As "the mountain would not go to Mahomet, Ma- homet would have to go to the mountain," so went with her, and we settled near Rushville, where we lived about four years, and as a considerable settlement had been made near the present town of Industry, again prevailed on my wife to go with me to McDonough county, where we settled on the farm on which we now live, on section 30, Industry township. We have never regretted so

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

doing, notwithstanding we have seen hard times, yet we believe "all is for the best."

MARTHA RUSSELL'S REMINISCENCES.

My father, William Pringle, moved to this county in 1830, when I was a very young girl; but remember the occur- rences of that day very distinctly. The "big snow" of that year comes to my mind just as vividly as if it was but yes- terday. Was a terrible winter, indeed. For three long months we could hardly stir out of our house.

My father settled west of Macomb, near the old cemetery; for a barn he used his wagon, and sheltered his horses un- der the broad canopy of heaven, allow- ing them to graze around upon the prai- ries, they going out in the morning and home at night. Among the horses he had one we called "Old Bill," who was as white as the driven snow. One day, while the horses were out, the prairie was discovered on fire, and soon all re- turned in great fear but old Bill. The fire swept by, and old Bill came in, but now his color was entirely changed, he being as black as a coal, the fire having singed off every bit of his hair. By care-

ful treatment he was saved, but ever after this, when the smell of fire was in the air, he would scamper home in a hurry.

About 1830, a man named Thomas Morgan married a widow lady with a lit- tle girl about three years old. The little one had the chills and probably gave some annoyance to the man. One day he took her with him to the woods to gather blackberries, and, as he said, car- ried along some coals to make a fire in case a chill should come on the girl. When he returned home the little one was noticed by its mother all stained with blackberries. Examining her body she found the inhuman wretch, her hus- band, had with coals of fire, burned her body in a terrible manner, afterwards staining it with berries to hide the mark. Peter Hale took the little one to his house where she lingered about three days, when she died and was the third person to be buried in the old grave yard. The wretch was arrested, and there being no jail at Macomb, he was taken to Rushville for safe keeping, from which he escaped and was never after- wards heard from. Thus the gallows was cheated out of a deserved victim.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

CHAPTER VII.

THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

The causes that led to this war reach away back to and beyond the Winne- bago or Sauk war, in 1827. Prior even to that date the Indians upon the north- ern border of Illinois, not only com- menced hostilities upon one another, but, in 1825, extended their warfare toward the white settlements. A treaty of peace between the Winnebagoes, Sioux, Chippewas, Sauk and Foxes de- fining the boundaries of the possessions of each, was entered into at Prairie du Chien, on the 19th of August, 1825, brought about mainly by the mediation of the whites in that neighborhood. But, in spite of the treaty, depredations and murders still continued frequent, and in 1827, their conduct, especially that of the Winnebagoes grew worse. It would seem, however, that the whites, who earnestly desired the removal of their red neighbors, used every means to ex- asperate the Indians, and then exagger- ated the amount of depredations com- mitted.

A combination was formed by the different tribes of Indians, under Red Bird, a chief of the Sioux, to extermi- nate the white invaders above Rock river. This league commenced operations by killing two white men near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, June 24, 1827, and on the 30th of the same month they attacked

two keel boats that were returning to Fort Snelling from Fort Crawford, where they had conveyed military stores, and killed two of the crew and wounded four others, before they were repulsed. Gov- ernor Edwards anticipating trouble, had issued orders on the 14th of July, to the commandants in General Hanson's brig- ade, located on the east side of the Illi- nois river, to detach one-fourth of their respective regiments, and hold them- selves in readiness to meet any attack of the Indians. He, also, on the same day, issued orders for the acceptance of six hundred volunteers. Under this call, one company of cavalry and four of in- fantry were recruited and marched to Galena, but before their arrival, Red Bird and six of his principal chiefs had surrendered and the campaign came to an end. While these troops were being recruited and proceeding to the scene of operation, the settlers were not idle. A committee of safety had been formed and agreeably to the orders of Governor Edwards, the miners in that part of the country were enrolled in companies and equipped, and temporary defenses thrown up. These hastily formed militia were placed under the command of General Henry Dodge, and formed an auxiliary force to the 600 regulars then under command of General Henry

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

Atkinson, U. S. A. These forces pro- ceeded against Red Bird and his war- riors, but that chief came voluntarily into the camp with six others, among whom was Black Hawk, and surren- dered. These Indians were detained several months, Red Bird dying while in captivity, and some of them having been tried and convicted of complicity in the murder of white settlers were executed, December, 26,1827. Black Hawk,against whom there could be nothing proven, was acquitted, although he afterwards boasted of his connection with the mur- ders for which he was tried. This was the end of the Winnebago war, and fear- ful of another outbreak, the whites im- portuned the general government for the removal of the Indians across the Mis- sissippi. But through the system of red tape that characterises the action of the war department, this was not immedi- ately done.

As to the subsequent history that finally led to this outbreak, Edwards says:

"About this time (1829) the president issued his proclamation, according to law, and in pursuance thereof all the country above Rock river, the ancient seat of the Sauk nation, was sold to American families, and in the year fol- lowing it was taken possession of by them. To avoid difficulty with the tribes, another treaty, confirming pre- vious ones, was made with the Sacs and Foxes, on the 15th of July, 1830, by the provisions of which they were to remove peaceably from the Illinois country. A portion of the Sacs, with their principal chief, Keokuk, at their head, quietly retired across the Mississippi. With

those who remained in the village, at the mouth of Rock river, an arrange- ment was made by the Americans who had purchased the land, by which they were to live together as neighbors, the Indians still cultivating their old fields as formerly. Black Hawk, however, a restless and uneasy spirit, who had ceased to recognize Keokuk as a chief, and who was known to be still under the pay of the British, emphatically refused either to remove from the lands or to respect the rights of the Ameri- cans to them. He insisted that Keokuk had no authority for making such a treaty, and he proceeded to gather around him a large number of the war- riors and young men of the tribe, who were anxious to distinguish themselves as 'braves,' and, placing himself at their head, he determined to dispute with the whites the possession of the ancient seat of his nation. He had conceived the gigantic scheme, as appears by his own admissions, of uniting all the In- dians, from the Rock river to the Gulf of Mexico, in a war against the United States, and he made use of every pre- text for gaining accessions to his party."

Having rallied around him the war- like braves of the Sac and Fox nations, he recrossed the Mississippi in the spring of 1832. Upon hearing of the invasion, Governor Reynolds hastily collected a body of 1,800 volunteers, placing them under command of Brig- adier-General Samuel Whiteside.

The army marched to the Mississippi, and, having reduced to ashes the Indian village known as "Prophet's Town," proceeded several miles up Rock river, to Dixon, to join the regular forces

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

under General Atkinson. They formed, at Dixon, two companies of volunteers, who, sighing for glory, were dispatched to reconnoiter the enemy. They ad- vanced, under command of Major Still- man, to a creek afterwards called "Still- man's run," and, while encamping there, saw a party of mounted Indians at a distance of a mile. Several of Still- man's party mounted their horses and charged the Indians, killing three of them; but attacked by the main body, under Black Hawk, they were routed, 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. The party came straggling into camp all night long, four or five at a time, each squad positive that all who were left behind were mas- sacred.

For a long time afterward Major Still- man and his men were subjects of ridi- cule and merriment, which was as unde- serving as their expedition was disas- trous. Stillman's defeat spread conster- nation throughout the state and nation. The number of Indians was greatly exaggerated, and the name of Black Hawk carried with it great military talent, savage cunning and cruelty.

A regiment sent to spy out the coun- try between Galena and Rock Island, was surprised by a party of 70 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 man who turned his back on 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 one hundred and fifty warriors, attacked the Apple River fort, near Ga- lena, defended by twenty-five men. This fort, a mere palisade of logs, was erected to afford protectiou to the min- ers. For fifteen consecutive hours the garrison had to sustain the asault of the savage enemy; but knowing very well that no quarter would be giren them, they fought with such fury and despera- tion that the Indians, after losing many of their warriors, were compelled to re- treat.

Another party of eleven Indians mur- dered two men near Fort Hamilton. They were afterward overtaken by a company of twenty men, and every one of them killed.

A new regiment, under the command of General Atkinson, assembled on the banks of the Illinois, in the latter part of June. Major Dement with a small party, was sent out to reconnoiter the movements of a large body of Indians, whose endeavors to surround him made it advisable for him to retire. Upon hearing of this engagement, 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 cautiously through the country, passed through Turtle Vil- lage, and marched up along Rock river. On their arrival news was brought of the discovery of the main trail of the Indians. Considerable search was made but they were unable to discover any

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

vestige of Indians save two, who had shot two soldiers the day previous.

Hearing that Black Hawk was en- camped on Rock river, at the Manitou village, they resolved at once to advance upon the enemy, but in the execution of their design they met with opposition from their officers and men. The offi- cers of General Henry handed to him a written protest; but he, a man equal to any emergency, ordered the officers to be arrested and escorted to General Atkin- son. 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 15th 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 19, the troops were ordered to com- mence their march. After having made 50 miles, they were overtaken by a ter- rible 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 en- camped the night before. Hurrying along as fast as they could, the infantry keeping up an equal pace with the mounted force, the troops, on the morn- ing of the 21st, crossed the river con- necting two of the four lakes, by which the Indians had been endeavoring to es- cape. They found, on their way, the

ground strewn with kettles and articles of baggage, which, in the haste of re- treat, the Indians were obliged 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. Those who closely pursued them were saluted by a sudden fire of musketry from 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 outflank the voulunteers on the right; but the latter charged the In- dians in their ambush and expelled them from their thickets at the point of the bayonet, and dispersed them. Night set in and the battle ended, having cost the Indians sixty-eiglit of their bravest men, while the loss of the Illinoisans amounted to but one killed and eight wounded.

Soon after this battle, Generals At- kinson and Henry joined their forces and pursued the Indians. General Henry struck the main trail, left his horses behind, formed an advance guard of eight men, and marched forward upon their trail. When these eight men came in sight of the river, they were suddenly fired upon, and five of them killed, the remaining three main- taining their ground till General Henry came up. Then the Indians charged upon with the bayonet, fell back upon their main force; the battle now became general; the Indians fought with des- perate valor, but were furiously assailed by the volunteers with their bayonets, cutting many of the Indians to pieces and driving the rest into the rfver.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

Those who escaped from being drowned found refuge on an island. On hearing the frequent discharge of musketry, in- dicating a general engagement, General Atkinson abandoned the pursuit of the twenty Indians under Black Hawk him- self, 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, killed several of them, took the others prisoners, and chased the rest into the river, where they were either drowned or shot before reaching the op- posite shore. Thus ended the battle, the Indians losing three hundred, be- sides fifty prisoners; the whites, but seventeen killed and twelve wounded.

Black Hawk, with his twenty braves, retreated up the Wisconsin river. The Winnebagos, desirous of securing the friendship of the whites, went in pursuit and captured and delivered them to Gen. 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., and soon consigned as prisoners at Fortress Monroe.

By order of the president, Black Hawk and his companions, who were in confine- ment at Fortress Monroe, were set free on the 4th day of June, 1833.

After their release from prison they were conducted in charge of Major Gar- land, through some of the principal cities, that they might witness the power of the United States and learn their in- ability to cope with them in war. Great

multitudes flocked to see them wherever they were taken, and the attention paid them rendered their progress through the country a triumphal procession, in- stead of the transportation of prisoners by an officer. At Rock Island the pris- oners were given their liberty amid great and impressive ceremony.

After this, all times when Black Hawk visited the whites he was received with marked attention. He was an honored guest at the old settlers' reunion in Lee county, Illinois, at some of their meet- ings, and received marked tokens of es- teem. In September, 1838, while on his way to Rock Island to receive his annu- ity from the government, he contracted a severe cold, which resulted in a severe attack of bilious fever, and terminated his life October 3. After his death he was dressed in the uniform presented to him by the president while in Washing- ton. He was buried in a grave six feet in depth, situated upon a beautiful em- inence. The body was placed in the middle of the grave, in a sitting position upon a seat constructed for the purpose. On his left side the cane given him by Henry Clay was placed upright, with his right hand resting upon it. His re- mains were afterwards stolen and car- ried away, but they were recovered by the governor of Iowa, and placed in the museum of the historical society at Bur- lington, where they were finally destroyed by fire.

During this war, in June, 1832, a bat- talion of men was raised in this and War- ren counties, under a proclamation of the governor, dated May 20, 1832. This was a company or battalion of mounted rang- ers, the battalion under the command

HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

119

of Major Samuel Bogart. The detach- ment moved from Macomb, where it was organized, to Oquawka where they were stationed for the purpose of guarding the frontier. The battalion was mounted, each man furnishing his own horse. They never saw any special service, but, were out some eighty-six days, at the ex- piration of which time they returned to Macomb and were discharged. They received eighty-six cents per day for man and horse, besides rations and for- age, and subsequently received from the government a bounty of eighty acres of land. The following is a roster of those from this county who were in this body of defenders, taken from the official record, supplemented by the memories of some of the survivors:

Second Lieutenant: John Wilson.

Sergeants :

Abraham Dover, Asa Cook.

Corporal :

Lewis F. Temple.

Privates :

Moses Booth,

Orsemus Ferington, -

J. M. Campbell,

Nicholas Campbell,

John Hardesty,

Peter Hays,

Nathaniel Hays,

J. C. Head, Shadrach Goens,

John Jackson, Lace Jones,

Daniel Campbell,

Berry Jones, -

Zachariah Kirkland, - John Lathrop,

John Jones, v

Iraby Job,

Isaac Morris,

Solomon Osborne,

S. P. Lewis,

-Langley,

P. H. Smith, -Shannon,

William Southward, David Tetherow,

George Tetherow, « James Tętherow.

William Tetherow,

F. C. Tomberlin. v

CHAPTER VIII.

THE MORMONS AND THE MORMON WAR.

In the years 1839-40, several families of that very peculiar people, the Mor- mons, settled in McDonough county. They came as refugees from Missouri, being driven from that state by the in- furiated people whom they had persist- ently robbed and despoiled. Claiming that they were persecuted on account of

their religion, they appealed to the sym- pathies of the people, and were received with favor. These peculiar religious en- thusiasts, called themselves "the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," and are a sect formed on a basis of re- ligion founded by Joseph Smith, at Manchester, New York, in 1830. This

David Clarke, v Jacob Coffman, Isaac Cranshaw, - Thomas Carter, Andrew Calhoun, Uriah Cook,

Larkin Osborn, v John McFadden, Jeff. Pennington, John L. Russell, William Sacket, -

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

man was a native of Sharon, Windsor county, Vermont, and was born Decem- ber 23, 1805. His parents being quite poor he received little or no education. When he was ten years old his parents removed to Palmyra, Wayne county, New York. Here his extreme 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. 3 He, and his father before him, were what are called ‘water witches,' always ready to point out the ground where wells might be dug and water found, and many are the anecdotes of his early life, giving bright promise of future profligacy. Such was Joe Smith when he was found by Sidney Rigdon, who was a man of considerable talent and information.

The distinguishing peculiarities of the sect founded by Smith are, in religious aspects, the belief in a continual divine revelation through the inspired medium of the prophet at the head of the church; in moral respects, the practice of poly- gamy; and in social respects a complete hierarchical organization. The govern- ment of the Mormons, is a pure theoc- racy; its officers form a complete priest- hood. The supreme power, spiritual and temporal, rests with the first president, elected by the whole body of the church, and two coadjutors, the council of the twelve apostles, and of the seventy disci- ples; then the order of high priests, bishops, elders, priests, teachers and dea- cons. Of all these one alone is head, the prophet-the seer-and he alone has the right of working miracles, and receiving

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History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens, Part 13

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150