USA > Illinois > Pike County > History of Pike County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens > Part 32
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cabin on that hill. I suppose the land had been laid out in town lots.
" In the early settlement of the Military Tract traveling cost but little. The old settlers were always glad of the opportunity of entertaining travelers, and especially the judge and lawyers, from whom they could obtain interesting accounts in relation to what was going on in the world around them. Besides, we often had to encamp in the woods and prairies because no house was within reach at dark, and this was called "lodging at Munn's tavern," be- canse of the large number of quarter sections of land owned by him. I have often fared sumptuously in the log cabins on bread made of grated meal, venison, honey, butter and ınilk and stewed pumpkins, * and slept comfortably and soundly on the puncheon floor. * *
" Feb. 14, 1823, Wm. Ross was elected Judge of the Court of Probate. In 1823 Geo. Cadwell, then of Greene county but after- ward included in Morgan, was elected to the Senate for Greene and Pike, and Archibald Job, who was still living, for the House. Cadwell's term expired in two years, and in 1824 Thos. Carlin, afterward elected governor in 1836, was elected to the Senate. Cadwell was an educated physician, a man of talent and stern in- tegrity: he died in 1824 or 1825.
" At the meeting of the Legislature in 1824 Nicholas Hanson and John Shaw both produced certificates of election to the House. The question which was entitled to the seat was referred to the Speaker, who decided in favor of Hanson. During the ses- sion the question was again brought before the House, and de- cided by a unanimous vote in favor of Hanson. Near the close of the session the question was reconsidered and Shaw admitted, in consideration of which Shaw voted for the resolution for a call. of a convention.
" For several years after I came to the State, deer, wild turkey and wild beasts were plenty, especially on the Illinois and Missis- sippi rivers. But for this fact many of our early settlers would have suffered for provisions, or have been compelled to retreat for supplies.
"In passing from Rushville to Quincy, the Judge, Mr. Caverly and myself slept on the prairie during the night, and the next morning, which was Sunday, we found a house a few miles distant in the barrens; and we could not make the family believe it was not Saturday. The nearest neighbor lived five miles distant. They lived on wild game, grated corn meal and roasted ears, and lived well. We thought at breakfast we could not wish for better fare.
"In passing from Atlas to Gilead in Calhonn county we always made the house of an old gentleman named Munn our stopping- place. He and his wife were always glad to see us and made sumptuous preparations for our comfort.
" If I were at the stand and questioned I could probably answer many questions in regard to matters of interest to the present in- habitants; but as I do not know the points on which they would
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question me, and as I have already extended this letter, considering the hot weather, to what may be considered a reasonable length, I close, hoping that you may have a good day and a good time. " Respectfully your friend, " WILLIAM THOMAS."
This meeting was addressed by many old settlers, who related very interesting experiences. The exercises were interspersed with music and a grand picnic dinner, etc. Letters were read from Edwin Draper and Levi Pettibone, of Louisiana, Mo., besides the one from Judge Thomas, above given. Wm. A. Grimshaw was elected President, James McWilliams, of Griggsville, Vice President, and Geo. W. Jones Assistant Secretary. The following resolution was adopted: " Resolved, That the old settlers of Pike and Calhoun counties be requested to notify the President and Secretary of the Old Settlers' organization, the names of all mem- bers of this Association who shall depart this life during the present year, and that the Secretary be instructed to enter the same npon record."
Among those who addressed the assembly were Hon. Wm. A. Grimshaw, John T. Hodgen, of St. Louis, Calvin Twichell, of Calhoun county, J. T. Long, now of Barry, for many years a resi- dent of Adams county, Wm. Turnbull, of Flint, A. P. Sharpe, of Griggsville, Alvin Wheeler, the oldest living settler of Pike county (came here in 1818), now 75 years of age. Col. D. B. Bush closed the line of history by giving a sketch of Pittsfield. Dr. Worthing- ton claimed Frederick Franklin, of Montezuma, as the oldest living settler of Pike county now living. He was the son of Ebenezer Franklin, the first settler in the county.
In this connection we give the very interesting letter of Mr. Draper:
" LOUISIANA, Mo., Sept. 1, 1873.
" HON. WM. A. GRIMSHAW AND OTHERS: Gentlemen,-Through the politeness of some friend of your county-seat I am indebted for an invitation to attend the meeting of old settlers of your county at Pittsfield, on the 3d inst .; for this invitation I presume I am in- debted for the fact of being nearly connected by marriage with Levi Pettibone, Esq., an old settler and perhaps the oldest man in Pike county, Mo., and perhaps with few exceptions the oldest man in Missouri, he being now nearing the completion of his 93d year. But from whatever canse, I esteem it a compliment altogether un- deserved to myself, but which nevertheless I should take the great- est pleasure, if circumstances permitted, of meeting with the old settlers of your county, among whom I am proud to recognize, not only the many distingished public men, but many old and long esteemed personal friends, some of whom have long been settlers of Pike county Ill., and not a few of them old settlers of Pike and Lincoln counties, Mo., who, not content with aiding to break up the wilds of Missouri and bring them into the paths and fields of civilization, have largely colonized Pike county Ill., where they have
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been long enough to earn the appellation of 'old settlers,' where they are realizing the rich fruits of their industry in land flowing with milk and honey, and as I lament to know, many of them are resting beneath the sods that are no respecters of persons in the final winding up of human affairs. The memory of many of these persons, both living and dead, carry me far back into the history of the past, in the early history of Missouri, of whose soil I have been an occupant since the year 1815, before either your State or Mis- souri had a State Government. Though then quite young (but eight years old) I was old enough to remember everything I saw, and everybody I knew,-much more so than persons and facts of later years; but to attempt to recount or name any considerable number of them would be to inflict a bore upon you that I dare not presume upon; but as I presume that a part of the exercises of the occasion would be to recur to the early history of the West, including your State and ours, I cannot resist the temptation to jot down a few facts and names, even at the risk of being laid upon the table as a bore.
" The date 1815 shows that the early settlers, among whom was my father, were crowding into Missouri even before the forts were all vacated, whither the old settlers had fled for the purpose of pro- tection from hostile savages, who had but recently had almost undisputed possession of a large part of our State. To get into Missouri, then largely considered as the promised land, we had to cross the Mississippi river, the Father of Waters. I don't know how much of a father he was at that time, but I have been acquainted with him since that time, and I don't know much difference in his size between then and now, except occasionally, as in 1851, he got into a terrible rage and had uncontrolled possession from Lou- isiana to Atlas, and rolled on, whether vexed or unvexed, in solemn majesty to the Gulf of Mexico.
" But to continue. He had to be 'crossed ' to get into Missouri. In 1815, as history shows, no steam-boats were known on our rivers, and the only modes, or rather mode, of crossing the river at St. Louis was by means of a small keel-boat or barge without any deck or covering, propelled by poles; and our wagons were crossed by placing two planks or slabs across the keel, running the wagons by hand upon these slabs across the boats and 'scotching' the wheels with billets of wood, filling in the inner parts of the boat with horses, children, etc. Yet we conquered the old gentleman and rode across in triumph, but not, however, until after waiting two days on the eastern bank for the wind to lie, which had so ruffled the surface and temper of the ' father' that he could not, safely at least, be mounted by an insignificant keel-boat until the cause of his irritation had ceased.
"Safely on the Missouri shore, the first night was passed in the city of St. Louis, then containing about 1,200 inhabitants and very few brick houses : I did not count them, however. No railroads then were even thought of in the West, so far as I remember, but now-well, you can tell the tale yourselves. St. Louis has now
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450,000 inhabitants, and would likely have a million but for Chi- cago and the railroads, which have revolutionized the course of nature and the natural rights of St. Louis, which depended on the navigation of the great rivers to work for her ; and while her great land-owner slept a quarter of a century Chicago and the railroads were surging ahead of her.
" Excuse this digression, which I could not help while reflecting on the immense change all over the West since I first crossed the great river.
" I have alluded to the fact of your county being largely colon- ized from Pike and Lincoln counties, Mo. It would be impossible for me to enumerate all of them, even if I knew them all ; but among the names I remember well those of the Gibsons, the Sit- tons, Buchanan, Yokems, Galloway, Uncle Jake Williamson, the Cannons, Collard, Wellses, Kerrs, Noyes, Metz, Johnsons, McCon- nells, Andersons, etc., etc., all of whom went from Pike or Lin- coln. All of them were good citizens, while some of them held high and honorable positions in public office. Your former valued Sheriff, Ephraim Cannon, was for a while a school-mate of mine, larger and older than I, but still a school-mate. The only special recollection I have of our school-boys' life was that the teacher once asked him, when nearly time to close school, 'How high is the sun ?' He replied he had no means of measuring the height, but ' from appearance it was about a rod high.'
"John. J. Collard, Esq., a former Clerk of one of your Courts, was the son of an old settler of Lincoln county, dating before the war of 1812, if my memory is not at fault. I have attended your Courts when held at the old county-seat, Atlas, and since its location at your beautiful town Pittsfield. The old settlers at Atlas, as well as of Pittsfield, were the Rosses, most of whom I knew personally, and had a slight acquaintance with the ' Bashaw' of Hamburg, Mr. Shaw. Old Father Burnett and his boys John and Frank belonged to both Pikes, in Illinois and Missouri. The sons wore out their lives in trying to sustain a ferry between the two Pikes.
"But I must forbear, fearing that I have already bored you, a thing I feared at the start. I could write a half quire of recollec- tions of Pike in Missouri, and some of Pike in Illinois, if there were any market for them. But I must close with my best wishes for your people, both old and young.
" EDWIN DRAPER."
THIRD MEETING.
At the Old Settlers' meeting, Sept. 2, 1874, Hon. Wm. A. Grim- shaw delivered an address of welcome, and interesting speeches were made by Col. Benj. Barney, Rev. J. P. Dimmitt, Dr. Hodgen, Mr. Turnbull, Judge Grigsby and others. Dr. P. E. Parker was elected Secretary in place of G. W. Jones, resigned. A motion was adopted changing the time of membership from 1840 to 1850; also a motion to establish a portfolio and gallery of likenesses of old set-
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tlers; and members and others were invited to send pictures. A social reception of old settlers was given in the evening at Bush's Hall.
FOURTH MEETING.
At the 4th annual meeting of the old settlers at Perry, Aug. 19, 1875, old-time customs were commemorated by the erection of a cabin complete in all its details. It looked as if a family had been living in it for years. Cooking utensils hanging around the wall, suspended on a string were slices of pumpkin and dried ap- ples, corn hung from the posts, suspended by the husks, the rifle hung on the wooden hook over the door, the spinning wheel, the reel and the hand-cards occupied prominent positions; the main- moth gourd for a water bucket and the lesser one as a dipper at- tracted considerable attention. On the outside walls the skins of different fur-bearing animals were stretched; climbing vines were turned up to the roof, and the sunflower in all its magnificence nodded here and there close to the house, and last, but not least, the latch-string hung on the outside. The cabin was presided over during the early part of the day by Mr. Wmn. Grotts, who enter- tained his visitors with his " fiddle," playing Arkansas traveler, Money Musk, Old Rosin the Bow," etc. Mr. Grotts was born in this State in 1802, in Madison county. His father was killed by Indians in Bond county in 1814.
FIFTH MEETING.
During the Old Settlers' meeting at Griggsville, Aug. 30, 1876, they formed a procession in front of the M. E. Church, headed by an old truck wagon drawn by oxen, containing a band, the people being dressed in the Sunday attire of pioneer times, girls and boys riding double on horseback withont saddles, showing how they went to church in olden times. This was one of the most attractive features of the procession, the young ladies especially conducting themselves with becoming grace, and appeared as if they were in- spired with the spirit of their grandmothers. An old dilapidated wagon drawn by oxen was loaded with the old-fashioned loom, spinning wheel, flax wheel and reel, and an old plow was followed by most of our modern machinery in the shape of reapers, mowers, harrows, etc. After these a man dressed in Indian costume on his pony, ladies and gentlemen in modern style in buggies and carriages, the fire engine drawn by members of the base-ball clubs in uniform, and a modern child-wagon with children was drawn by a very small donkey.
CHAPTER XIV. THE REBELLION.
FIRST INDICATIONS OF THE WAR.
When, in 1861, the war was forced upon the country, the people were quietly pursuing the even tenor of their ways, doing whatever their hands found to do,-working the mines, making farms, or cultivating those already made, establishing homes, founding cities and towns, building shops and manufactories; in short, the country was alive with industry and hopes for the future. The people were just recovering from the depression and losses incident to the finan- cial panic of 1857. The future looked bright and promising, and the industrious and patriotic sons and daughters of the North were buoyant with hope, looking forward to the perfecting of new plans for comfort and competence in their declining years. They little heeded the mutterings and threatenings wafted from the South. They never dreamed that there was one so base as to attempt the destruction of the Union their fathers had purchased for them with their life-blood. While thus surrounded with peace and tranquillity they paid but little attention to the rumored plots and plans of those who lived and grew rich from the sweat and toil, blood and flesh, of others.
The war clouds grew darker and still darker, the thunders of treason grew louder and louder until April 12, 1861, when the fear- ful storm burst upon the country and convulsed a continent with its attendant horrors.
On that day the rebels, who for weeks had been erecting their batteries upon the shore, after demanding of Major Anderson a surrender, opened fire upon Fort Sumter. For hours an incessant cannonading was continued; the fort was being damaged severely; provisions were almost gone, and Major Anderson was compelled to haul down the stars and stripes,-that dear old flag which had seldom been lowered to a foreign foc; by rebel hands it was now trailed in the dust. How the blood of patriotic men of the North boiled when on the following day the news was flashed along the telegraph wires that Major Anderson had been forced to surrender! And nowhere was greater indignation manifested than in Pike county.
B. L. Matthews
PERRY
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
THE FIRST CALL FOR TROOPS.
Immediately upon the surrender of Fort Sumter, Abraham Lin- coln, America's martyr President-who but a few short weeks be- fore had taken the oath of office as the nation's chief executive- issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteers for three months. The last word of that proclamation had scarcely been taken from the electric wires before. the call was filled, and men and money were counted out by hundreds and thousands. The people who loved their whole government could not give enough. Patriotism thrilled and vibrated and pulsated through every heart. The farın, the workshop, the office, the pulpit, the bar, the bench, the college, the school-house,-every calling offered its best men, their lives and fortunes, in defense of the Government's honor and unity. Bitter words spoken in moments of political heat were forgotten and forgiven, and, joining hands in a common cause, they repeated the oath of America's soldier statesman, " By the Great Eternal, the Union must and shall be preserved."
Call the young men in the prime of their life; Call them from mother, from sister, from wife; Blessed if they live, revered if they fall,- They who respond unto Liberty's call.
Seventy-five thousand men were not enough to subdue the Rebel- lion; nor were ten times the number. The war went on, and call followed call, until it began to look as if there would not be men enough in all the Free States to crush out and subdue the monstrous war traitors had inaugurated. But to every call for either men or money there was a willing and ready response; and it is a boast of the people that, had the supply of men fallen short, there were women brave enough, daring enough, patriotic enough, to offer themselves as a sacrifice on their country's altar. Such were the impulses, motives and actions of the patriotic men of the North, among whom the sons of Pike made a conspicuous and praiseworthy ecord.
VARIOUS MEETING ; HELD IN TIIE COUNTY.
The tocsin of war was sounded, meetings were held in every township, village and city, at which stirring and spirited addresses were made, and resolutions adopted admitting of but one interpre- tation,-that of unconditional allegiance and undying devotion to their country and their country's flag; that, at whatever cost of blood or treasure, the stars and stripes, wherever floating, must be honored; and the supremacy of the law of the National Union sus- tained.
A Union meeting was held in Pittsfield April 20, 1861, the Chair- men of which were David A. Stanton, Wm. R. Wills and D. D. Hicks, and the Secretaries F. C. Brown and A. C. Matthews. The Committee on Resolutions were Wm. A. Grimshaw, C. L. Higbee, J. W. Mackintosh, D. B. Bush, jr., Nathan Kelly and Wm. Steers.
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
L. H. Waters, of Macomb, delivered the principal speech, which was a very eloquent one, and Hon. Scott Wike. Messrs. D. II. Gil- mer and S. M. Hayes made short speeches. A series of resolutions were adopted setting forth the inauguration of the war by the firing on Fort Sumter and the necessity of rallying to the support of the Government.
April 22 a meeting was held in the court-house for the purposelof forming a company of home guards. The company organized, elect- ing S. M. Hayes Captain. M. J. Noyes presided at this meeting. About this time the " Pike County Union Guards " were also organ- ized, with John Mc Williams for Captain. In July Jas. S. Barnard was elected Captain of the latter company and P. G. Athey Captain of a cavalry company of 130 men, all from Pike county.
During this summer also Wmn. W. Taylor, a Breckenridge Demo- crat of Perry, was suspected of disloyalty and made in an informal manner to take the oath of allegiance by some soldiers of Col. Grant's regiment.
Ang. 5, 1861, a company called the " Henderson Home Guards " was organized in Pittsfield, numbering 130 men, with Daniel D. Hicks as Captain, each member to arm and equip himself; it was also called the " Henderson Union Guards."
BOUNTY.
The subject of bounty for soldiers was one that engaged the un- divided attention of the law-making power of this county during these trying times. That the reader may know what was done by the county officials we give a very full account of the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors whenever the bounty subject was being considered by that honorable body.
At a special meeting of the Board of Supervisors held Aug. 4, 1862, for the purpose of considering the feasibility or propriety of offering bounty to soldiers, Supervisor Smith moved that the Chair appoint a committee of five to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. Thereupon the Chair appointed Messrs. Smith, Westlake, Wallace, McWilliams and Adams.
Mr. Wallace presented a petition from the citizens of Barry, asking an appropriation by the Board of $16,000.
The Committee on Resolutions submitted the following report the next day :
WHEREAS, Several Southern States of this Union in convention assembled have absolved themselves by resolution from allegiance to the United States of America and formed themselves into a so-called "confederacy," thereby disclaiming any right, benefit or protection from or under the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Said confederacy have organized, armed and equipped hostile armies and did fire upon, reduce and take into their possession Fort Sumter with all its defenses, and unlawfully seize and take into possession other forts, arsenals and other property belonging to the United States, thereby bidding defiance to the Constitution and the laws of the same; and
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WHEREAS, It still exists and unsubdued, and our present army is insufficient in numbers to put down the rebellion; and
WHEREAS, The President of the United States has recently made a call upon the several States of this Union to raise 300,000 men in addition to the present army ;
Therefore we, the representatives of the several townships of the county of Pike and State of Illinois have here assembled for the purpose of considering the pro- priety of offering encouragememt to the volunteers who will immediately enter into the service of the United States: therefore be it
Resolved, That the sum of $3,000 be paid to the first three companies that are raised or organized in the county of Pike under said call, provided said companies are organized on or before the 20th inst .; and that the Clerk of this Court be au- thorized to issue orders on the Treasury for the said sums of money whenever said volunteers are accepted and mustered into service;
Resolved, That $1,000 be appropriated to the families of those who have here- tofore volunteered in the service of the United States, and we recommend that each township shall through their Supervisor call a meeting to provide for the future wants of all families of volunteers; that the Supervisor of each town- ship shall be a committee to distribute all appropriations made by the county or town;
Resolved, That the Supervisors of each township shall report at the September meeting the number of families of volunteers in their townships, and their names.
By invitation Judge Higbee addressed the Board briefly, after which Cols. Ross and Bush made short addresses.
Mr. Dennis moved to amend the report by striking out " $3,000" and inserting " $50 to cach volunteer private who may enlist under the present call." Mr. Westlake moved to amend the amendment of Mr. Dennis by striking out "$50" and inserting " $25;" which motion was lost. The amendment offered by Mr. Dennis was also defeated.
Mr. Landrum offered the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the proposition of the appropriation by the county of $6,000 to be submitted to the people for their vote for or against levying a tax to meet said appropriation, at an election to be held at the usual places of holding elections in the several towns, on Tuesday, the 13th inst .; said fund, if so voted, to be appro- priated to aid in raising volunteers.
Resolved, That a proposition be also submitted at the same time for or against appropriating $2,000 as a fund for the necessitous families of volunteers as have heretofore or may hereafter be mustered into the service of the United States.
Mr. Wallace moved to strike out that portion of Mr. Landrum's resolution referring to the submission to the people, and that the Board appropriate the amount specified in said resolution; which motion was carried.
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