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 5
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SYMPATHY WITH SLAVERY.
With all this timely aid it was, however, a most desperate and protracted struggle to keep the soil of Illinois sacred to freedom. It was the natural battle-field for the irrepressible conflict. In the southern end of the State slavery preceded the compact. It ex- isted among the old French settlers, and was hard to eradicate. That portion was also settled from the slave States, and this popu- lation brought their laws, customs, and institutions with them. A stream of population from the North poured into the northern part of the State. These sections misunderstood and hated each other perfectly. The Southerners regarded the Yankees as a skinning, tricky, penurious race of peddlers, filling the country with tinware, brass clocks, and wooden nutmegs. The Northerner thought of the Southerner as a lean, lank, lazy creature, burrowing in a hnt, and rioting in whisky, dirt, and ignorance. These causes aided in making the struggle long and bitter. So strong was the sympathy with slavery that, in spite of the ordinance of 1787, and in spite of the deed of cession, it was determined to allow the old French set- tlers to retain their slaves. Planters from the slave States might
GEN. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.
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bring their slaves if they would give them an opportunity to choose freedom or years of service and bondage for their children till they should become thirty years of age. If they chose freedom they must leave the State within sixty days, or be sold as fugitives. Servants were whipped for offenses for which white men were fined. Each lash paid forty cents of the fine. A negro ten miles from home without a pass was whipped. These famous laws were im- ported from the slave States, just as the laws for the inspection of flax and wool were imported when there was neither in the State.
ST. CLAIR, GOVERNOR OF NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY.
On October 5, 1787, Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair was, by Congress, elected Governor of this vast territory. St. Clair was born in Scot- land and emigrated to America in 1755. He served in the French and English war, and was major general in the Revolution. In 1786 he was elected to Congress and chosen President of that body.
ILLINOIS TERRITORY.
After the division of the Northwestern Territory Illinois became one of the counties of the Territory of Indiana, from which it was separated by an act of Congress Feb. 3, 1809, forming the Territory of Illinois, with a population estimated at 9,000, and then included the present State of Wisconsin. It was divided, at the time, into two counties,-St. Clair and Randolph. John Boyle, of Ken- tucky, was appointed Governor, by the President, James Madison, but deelining, Ninian Edwards, of the same State, was then appointed and served with distinction; and after the organization of Illinois as a State he served in the same capacity, being its third Governor.
WAR OF 1812. THE OUTBREAK.
For some years previous to the war between the United States and England in 1812, considerable trouble was experienced with the Indians. Marauding bands of savages would attack small settle- ments and inhumanly butcher all the inhabitants, and mutilate their dead bodies. To protect themselves, the settlers organized companies of rangers, and erected block houses and stockades in every settlement. The largest, strongest and best one of these was Fort Russell, near the present village of Edwardsville. This stockade
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was made the main rendezvous for troops and military stores, and Gov. Edwards, who during the perilous times of 1812, when Indian hostilities threatened on every hand, assumed command of the Illi- nois forces, established his headquarters at this place. The Indians were incited to many of these depredations by English emissaries, who for years continued their dastardly work of "setting the red men, like dogs, upon the whites."
In the summer of 1811 a peace convention was held with the Pottawatomies at Peoria, when they promised that peace should prevail; but their promises were soon broken. Tecumseh, the great warrior, and fit successor of Pontiac, started in the spring of 1811, to arouse the Southern Indians to war against the whites. The pur- pose of this chieftain was well known to Gov. Harrison, of Indiana Territory, who determined during Tecumseh's absence to strike and disperse the hostile forces collected at Tippecanoe. This he success- fully did on Nov. 7, winning the sobriquet of " Tippecanoe," by which he was afterwards commonly known. Several peace councils were held, at which the Indians promised good behavior, but only to deceive the whites. Almost all the savages of the Northwest were thoroughly stirred up and did not desire peace. The British agents at various points, in anticipation of a war with the United States, songht to enlist the favor of the savages by distributing to them large supplies of arms, ammunition and other goods.
The English continued their insults to our flag upon the high seas, and their government refusing to relinquish its offensive course, all hopes of peace and safe commercial relations were abandoned, and Congress, on the 19th of June, 1812, formally declared war against Great Britain. In Illinois the threatened Indian troubles had already caused a more thorough organization of the militia and greater protection by the erection of forts. As intimated, the In- dians took the war-path long before the declaration of hostilities between the two civilized nations, committing great depredations, the most atrocious of which was the
MASSACRE AT FORT DEARBORN.
During the war of 1812 between the United States and England, the greatest, as well as the most revolting, massacre of whites that ever occurred in Illinois, was perpetrated by the Pottawatomie In- dians, at Fort Dearborn. This fort was built by the Government, in 1804, on the south side of the Chicago river, and was garrisoned
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by 54 men under command of Capt. Nathan Heald, assisted by Lieutenant Helm and Ensign Ronan; Dr. Voorhees, surgeon. The residents at the post at that time were the wives of officers Heald and Helm and a few of the soldiers, Mr. Kinzie and his family, and a few Canadians. The soldiers and Mr. Kinzie were on the most friendly terms with the Pottawatomies and Winnebagoes, the prin- cipal tribes around them.
On the 7th of August, 1812, arrived the order from Gen. Hull, at Detroit, to evacuate Fort Dearborn, and distributeall United States property to the Indians. Chicago was so deep in the wilderness
OLD FORT DEARBORN.
that this was the first intimation the garrison received of the dec- laration of war made on the 19th of June. The Indian chief who brought the dispatch advised Capt. Heald not to evacuate, and that if he should decide to do so, it be done immediately, and by forced marches elude the concentration of the savages before the ' news could be circulated among them. To this most excellent ad- vice the Captain gave no heed, but on the 12th held a council with
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the Indians, apprising them of the orders received, and offering a liberal reward for an escort of Pottawatomies to Fort Wayne. The Indians, with many professions of friendship, assented to all he proposed, and promised all he required. The remaining officers re- fused to join in the council, for they had been informed that treach- ery was designed,-that the Indians intended to murder those in the council, and then destroy those in the fort. The port holes were open, displaying cannons pointing directly upon the council. This action, it is supposed, prevented a massacre at that time.
Mr. Kinzie, who knew the Indians well, begged Capt. Heald not to confide in their promises, or distribute the arms and ammu- nitions among them, for it would only put power in their hands to destroy the whites. This argument, true and excellent in itself, was now certainly inopportune, and would only incense the treach- erous foe. But the Captain resolved to follow it, and accordingly on the night of the 13th, after the distribution of the other property, the arms were broken, and the barrels of whisky, of which there was a large quantity, were rolled quietly through the sally-port, their heads knocked in and their contents emptied into the river. On that night the lurking red-skins crept near the fort and discovered the destruction of the promised booty going on within. The next morn- ing the powder was seen floating on the surface of the river, and the Indians asserted that such an abundance of "fire-water" had been emptied into the river as to make it taste " groggy." Many of them drank of it freely.
On the 14th the desponding garrison was somewhat cheered by the arrival of Capt. Wells, with 15 friendly Miamis. Capt. Wells heard at Fort Wayne of the order to evacuate Fort Dearborn, and knowing the hostile intentions of the Indians, made a rapid march through the wilderness to protect, if possible, his niece, Mrs. Heald, and the officers and the garrison from certain destruction. But he came too late. Every means for its defense had been destroyed the night before, and arrangements were made for leaving the fort on the following morning.
The fatal morning of the 16th at length dawned brightly on the world. The sun shone in unclouded splendor upon the glassy waters of Lake Michigan. At 9 A. M., the party moved out of the south- ern gate of the fort, in military array. The band, feeling the solem- nity of the occasion, struck up the Dead March in Saul. Capt.
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Wells, with his face blackened after the manner of the Indians, led the advance guard at the head of his friendly Miamis, the garrison with loaded arms, the baggage wagons with the sick, and the women and children following, while the Pottawatomie Indians, about 500 in number, who had pledged their honor to escort the whites in safety to Fort Wayne, brought up the rear. The party took the road along the lake shore. On reaching the range of sand-hills separating the beach from the prairie, about one mile and a half- from the fort, the Indians defiled to the right into the prairie, bring ing the sand-hills between them and the whites. This divergence was scarcely effected when Capt. Wells, who had kept in advance with his Indians, rode furiously back and exclaimed, "They are about to attack us. Form instantly and charge upon them!" These words were scarcely uttered before a volley of balls from Indian muskets was poured in upon them. The troops were hastily formed into line, and charged up the bank. One veteran of 70 fell as they ascended. The Indians were driven back to the prairie, and then the battle was waged by 54 soldiers, 12 civilians, and three or four women-the cowardly Miamis having fled at the outset- against 500 Indian warriors. The whites behaved gallantly, and sold their lives dearly. They fought desperately until two-thirds of their number. were slain; the remaining 27 surrendered. And now the most sickening and heart-rending butchery of this calam- itous day was committed by a young savage, who assailed one of the baggage wagons containing 12 children, every one of which fell beneath his murderous tomahawk. When Capt. Wells, who with the others had become prisoner, beheld this scene at a distance, he exclaimed in a tone loud enough to be heard by the savages, "If this be your game, I can kill too;" and turning his horse, started for the place where the Indians had left their squaws and children. The Indians hotly pursued, but he avoided their deadly bullets for a time. Soon his horse was killed and he severely wounded. With a yell the young braves rushed to make him their prisoner and re- serve him for torture. But an enraged warrior stabbed him in the back, and he fell dead. His heart was afterwards taken out, cut in pieces and distributed among the tribes. Billy Caldwell, a half- breed Wyandot, well-known in Chicago long afterward, buried his remains the next day. Wells street in Chicago, perpetuates his memory.
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In this fearful combat women bore a conspicuous part. A wife of one of the soldiers, who had frequently heard that the Indians subjected their prisoners to tortures worse than death, resolved not to be taken alive, and continued fighting until she was literally cut to pieces. Mrs. Heald was an excellent equestrian, and an expert in the use of the rifle. She fought bravely, receiving several wounds. Though faint from loss of blood, she managed to keep in her saddle. A savage raised his tomahawk to kill her, when she looked him full in the face, and with a sweet smile and gentle voice said, in his own language, " Surely you will not kill a squaw." The arm of of the savage fell, and the life of this heroic woman was saved. Mrs. Helm had an encounter with a stalwart Indian, who attempted to tomahawk her. Springing to one side, she received the glancing blow on her shoulder, and at the same time she seized the savage round the neck and endeavored to get his scalping-knife which hung in a sheath at his breast. While she was thus struggling, she was dragged from his grasp by another and an older Indian. The latter bore her, struggling and resisting, to the lake and plunged her in. She soon perceived it was not his intention to drown her, because he held her in such a position as to keep her head out of the water. She recognized him to be a celebrated chief called Black Partridge. When the firing ceased she was conducted up the sand-bank.
SLAUGHTER OF PRISONERS.
The prisoners were taken back to the Indian camp, when a new scene of horror was enacted. The wounded not being included in the terms of the surrender, as it was interpreted by the Indians, and the British general, Proctor, having offered a liberal bounty for American scalps, nearly all the wounded were killed and scalped, and the price of the trophies was afterwards paid by the British general. In the stipulation of surrender, Capt. Heald had not particularly mentioned the wounded. These helpless sufferers, on reaching the Indian camp, were therefore regarded by the brutal savages as fit subjects upon which to display their cruelty and satisfy their desire for blood. Referring to the terrible butchery of the prisoners, in an account given by Mrs. Helm, she says: " An old squaw, infuriated by the loss of friends or excited by the sanguin- ary scenes around her, seemed possessed of demoniac fury. She seized a stable-fork and assaulted one miserable victim, who lay
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groaning and writhing in the agonies of his wounds, aggravated by the scorching beams of the sun. With a delicacy of feeling, scarcely to have been expected under such circumstances, Wan-bee-nee-wan stretched a mat across two poles, between me and this dreadful scene. I was thus spared, in some degree, a view of its horrors, although I could not entirely close my ears to the cries of the sufferer. The following night five more of the wounded prisoners were toma- hawked."
KINZIE FAMILY SAVED.
That evening, about sundown, a council of chiefs was held to decide the fate of the prisoners, and it was agreed to deliver them
OLD. KINZIE HOUSE.
to the British commander at Detroit. After dark, many warriors from a distance came into camp, who were thirsting for blood, and were determined to murder the prisoners regardless of the terms of surrender. Black Partridge, with a few of his friends, surrounded Kinzie's house to protect the inmates from the tomahawks of the bloodthirsty savages. Soon a band of hostile warriors rushed by them into the house, and stood with tomahawks and scalping-knives, awaiting the signal from their chief to commence the work of death.
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Black Partridge said to Mrs. Kinzie: "We are doing everything in our power to save you, but all is now lost; you and your friends, together with all the prisoners of the camp, will now be slain." At that moment a canoe was heard approaching the shore, when Black Partridge ran down to the river, trying in the darkness to make out the new comers, and at the same time shouted, " Who are you?" In the bow of the approaching canoe stood a tall, manly personage, with a rifle in his hand. He jumped ashore exclaiming, " I am San-ga-nash." "Then make all speed to the house; our friends are in danger, and you only can save them." It was Billy Caldwell, the half-breed Wyandot. He hurried forward, entered the house with a resolute step, deliberately removed his accouterments, placed his rifle behind the door, and saluted the Indians: "How now, my friends! a good day to you. I was told there were enemies here, but am glad to find only friends." Diverted by the coolness of his manner, they were ashamed to avow their murderons purpose, and simply asked for some cotton goods to wrap their dead, for burial. And thus, by his presence of mind, Caldwell averted the murder of the Kinzie family and the prisoners. The latter, with their wives and children, were dispersed among the Pottawatomie tribes along the Illinois, Rock and Wabash rivers, and some to Milwaukee. The most of them were ransomed at Detroit the following spring. A part of them, however, remained in captivity another year,
EXPEDITION AGAINST THE INDIANS.
By the middle of August, through the disgraceful surrender of Gen. Hull, at Detroit, and the evacuation of Fort Dearborn and massacre of its garrison, the British and Indians were in possession of the whole Northwest. The savages, emboldened by their successes, penetrated deeper into the settlements, committing great depre- dations. The activity and success of the enemy aroused the people to a realization of the great danger their homes and families were in. Gov. Edwards collected a force of 350 men at Camp Russell, and Capt. Russell came from Vincennes with about 50 more. Being officered and equipped, they proceeded about the middle of October on horseback, carrying with them 20 days' rations, to Peoria. Capt. Craig was sent with two boats up the Illinois, with provisions and tools to build a fort. The little army proceeded to Peoria Lake, where was located a Pottawatomie village. They arrived late
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at night, within a few miles of the village, without their presence being known to the Indians. Four men were sent out that night to reconnoiter the position of the village. The four brave men who volunteered for this perilous service were Thomas Carlin (after- ward Governor), and Robert, Stephen and Davis Whiteside. They proceeded to the village, and explored it and the approaches to it thoroughly, without starting an Indian or provoking the bark of a dog. The low lands between the Indian village and the troops were covered with a rank growth of tall grass, so high and dense as to readily conceal an Indian on horseback, until within a few feet of him. The ground had become still more yielding by recent rains, rendering it almost impassable by mounted men. To prevent de- tection, the soldiers had camped without lighting the usual camp- fires. The men lay down in their cold and cheerless camp, with many misgivings. They well remembered how the skulking sav- ages fell upon Harrison's men at Tippecanoe during the night. To add to their fears, a gun in the hands of a soldier was carelessly discharged, raising great consternation in the camp.
AN INDIAN KILLED.
Through a dense fog which prevailed the following morning, the army took up its line of march for the Indian town, Capt. Judy with his corps of spies in advance. In the tall grass they came up with an Indian and his squaw, both mounted. The Indian wanted to surrender, but Judy observed that he "did not leave home to take prisoners," and instantly shot one of them. With the blood streaming from his mouth and nose, and in his agony "singing the death song," the dying Indian raised his gun, shot and mortally wounded a Mr. Wright, and in a few minutes expired. Many guns were immediately discharged at the other Indian, not then known to be a squaw, all of which missed her. Badly scared, and her hus- band killed by her side, the agonizing wails of the squaw were heart-rending. She was taken prisoner, and afterwards restored to her nation.
TOWN BURNED.
On rearing the towu a general charge was made, the Indians fleeing to the interior wilderness. Some of their warriors made a stand, when a sharp engagement occurred, but the Indians were routed. In their flight they left behind all their winter's store of
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provisions, which was taken, and their town burned. Some Indian children were found who had been left in the hurried flight, also some disabled adults, one of whom was in a starving condition and with a voracious appetite partook of the bread given him. Ile is said to have been killed by a cowardly trooper straggling behind, after the main army had resumed its retrograde march, who wanted to be able to boast that he had killed an Indian.
About the time Gov. Edwards started with his little band against the Indians, Gen. Hopkins, with 2,000 Kentucky riflemen, left Vincennes to cross the prairies of Illinois and destroy the Indian villages along the Illinois river. Edwards, with his rangers, ex- pected to act in concert with Gen. Hopkins' riflemen. After marching 80 or 90 miles into the enemy's country, Gen. Hopkins' men became dissatisfied, and on Oct. 20 the entire army turned and retreated homeward before even a foe had been met. After the victory of the Illinois rangers they heard nothing of Gen. Hopkins and his 2,000 mounted Kentucky riflemen; and apprehensive that a large force of warriors would be speedily collected, it was deemed prudent not to protract their stay, and accordingly the retrograde march was commenced the very day of the attack.
PEORIA BURNED.
The force of Capt. Craig, in charge of the provision boats, was not idle during this time. They proceeded to Peoria, where they were fired on by ten Indians during the night, who immediately fled. Capt. Craig discovered, at daylight, their tracks leading up into the French town. He inquired of the French their where- abouts, who denied all knowledge of them, and said they " had heard or seen nothing; " but he took the entire number prisoners, burned and destroyed Peoria, and bore the captured inhabitants away on his boats to a point below the present city of Alton, where he landed and left them in the woods,-men, women, and children,- in the inclement month of November, without shelter, and without food other than the slender stores they had themselves gathered up before their departure. They found their way to St. Louis in an almost starving condition. The burning of Peoria and taking its inhabitants prisoners, on the mere suspicion that they sympathized with the Indians, was generally regarded as a needless, if not wanton, act of military power.
BOND-CHANDLER.CHI.
PONTIAC, THE OTTAWA CHIEF.
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HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
SECOND EXPEDITION AGAINST THE INDIANS.
In the early part of 1813, the country was put in as good defense as the sparse population admitted. In spite of the precaution taken, numerous depredations and murders were committed by the In- dians, which again aroused the whites, and another expedition was sent against the foe, who had collected in large numbers in and around Peoria. This army was composed of about 900 men, collect- ed from both Illinois and Missouri, and under command of Gen. Howard. They marched across the broad prairies of Illinois to Peoria, where there was a small stockade in charge of United States troops. Two days previously the Indians made an attack on the fort, but were repulsed. Being in the enemy's country, knowing their stealthy habits, and the troops at no time observing a high de- gree of discipline, many unnecessary night alarms occurred, yet the enemy 'were far away. The army marched up the lake to Chili- cothe, burning on its way two deserted villages. At the present site of Peoria the troops remained in camp several weeks. While there they built a fort, which they named in honor of Gen. George Rogers Clark, who with his brave Virginians wrested Illinois from the English during the Revolutionary struggle. This fort was de- stroyed by fire in 1818. It gave a name to Peoria which it wore for several years. After the building of Fort Crevecœur, in 1680, Peo- ria lake was very familiar to Western travel and history; but there is no authentic account of a permanent European settlement there until 1778, when Laville de Meillet, named after its founder, was started. Owing to the quality of the water and its greater salu- brity, the location was changed to the present site of Peoria, and by 1796 the old had been entirely abandoned for the new village. After its destruction in 1812 it was not settled again until 1819, and then by American pioneers, though in 1813 Fort Clark was built there.
EXPEDITION UP THE MISSISSIPPI.
The second campaign against the Indians at Peoria closed with- out an engagement, or even a sight of the enemy, yet great was the benefit derived from it. It showed to the Indians the power and resources of his white foe. Still the calendar of the horrible deeds of butchery of the following year is long and bloody. A joint ex- pedition again inoved against the Indians in 1814, under Gov.
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