History of Sangamon 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 3

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon 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 3

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

GEN. CLARK'S EXPLOITS.

The Northwest Territory was now entirely under English rule, and on the breaking out of the Revolutionary war the British held every post of importance in the West. While the colonists of the East were maintaining a fierce struggle with the armies of England, their west- ern frontiers were ravaged by merciless butch- eries of Indian warfare. The jealousy of the savage was aronsed to action by the rapid exten- sion of American settlement westward and the improper influence exerted by a number of mili- tary posts garrisoned by British troops. To prevent indiscriminate slaughter arising from these causes, Illinois became the theater of some of the most daring exploits connected with American history. The hero of the achieve- ments by which this beautiful land was snatched as a gem from the British crown, was George Rogers Clark, of Virginia. He had closely watched the movements of the British through- out the Northwest, and understood their whole

plan; he also knew the Indians were not unani- monsly in accord with the English, and there- fore was convinced that if the British could be defeated and expelled from the Northwest, the natives might be easily awed into neutrality. Having convinced himself that the enterprise against the Illinois settlement might easily sue- ceed, he repaired to the capital of Virginia, arriving November 5, 1777. While he was on his way, fortunately, Burgoyne was defeated (October 17), and the spirits of the colonists were thereby greatly encouraged. Patrick Henry was Governor of Virginia, and at once entered heartily into Clark's plans. After satis- fying the Virginia leaders of the feasibility of his project, he received two sets of instructions, -one secret, the other open. The latter author- ized him to enlist seven companies to go to Kon- tueky, and serve three months after their arrival in the West. The secret order authorized him to arm these troops, to procure his powder and lead of General Hand, at Pittsburg, and to pro- ceed at once to subjugate the country.

With these instructions General Clark repaired to Pittsburg, choosing rather to raise his men west of the mountains, as he well knew all were needed in the colonies for the conflict there. Enlisting his men, he at once proceeded to carry ont his instructions. His plan was to go by water as far as Fort Massac, and thence march direct to Kaskaskia. Here he intended to sur- prise the garrison, and after its capture go to Cahokia, then to Vincennes, and lastly to Detroit. Each of these posts were in turn cap- tured.

The services of Clark proved of essential advantage to his countrymen. They diseon- certed the plans of Hamilton, the Governor of Detroit, who was intending to make a vigorous and concerted attack upon the frontier, and not only saved the western frontier from depreda- tions by the savages, but also greatly cooled the ardor of the Indians for carrying on a contest in which they were not likely to be tlie gainers. Had it not been for this small army, a union of all the tribes from Maine to Georgia against the colonies might have been effected, and the whole current of our history changed.

COUNTY OF ILLINOIS.

In October, 1778, after the snecessful campaign of Colonel Clark, the assembly of Virginia erected the conquered country, embracing all the territory northwest of the Ohio river, into the county of Illinois, which was doubtless the

HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.

largest county in the world, exceeding in its dimensions the whole of Great Britian and Ire- land. To speak more definitely, it contained the territory now embraced in the great States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Mich- igan. On the 12th of December, 1778; John Todd was appointed Lieutenant Commandant of this county by Patrick Henry, then Governor of Virginia, and accordingly, also, the first of Illi- nois county.

NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY.

Illinois continued to form a part of Virginia until March 1, 1784, when that State ceded all the territory north of the Ohio to the United States. Immediately the general government proceeded to establish a form of government for the settlers in the territories thus ceded. This form continued until the passage of the ordi- nance of 1787, for the government of the North- western Territory. No man can study the secret history of this ordinance and not feel that Proy- idence was guiding with sleepless eye the des- tinies of these unborn States. American legis- lation has never achieved anything more admir- able, as an internal government, than this com- prehensive ordinance. Its provisions concern- ing the distribution of property, the principles of' civil and religious liberty which it laid at the foundation of the communities since established, and the efficient and simple organization by which it created the first machinery of civil so- ciety, are worthy of all the praise that has ever been given them.

ORDINANCE OF 1787.

For some years Thomas Jefferson had vainly tried to secure a system of government for the Northwestern Territory. He was an emancipa- tionist and favored the exclusion of slavery from the territory, and in this he was opposed by al- most the entire south. In July, 1787, Manasseh Cutler appeared in New York to lobby on the question of organization of the Northwestern Territory. He was a courtly gentleman of the old style, a man of commanding presence and of in- viting face. He came representing a Massachu- setts company that desired to purchase a tract of land, now included in Ohio, for the purpose of planting a colony. This company, together with certain speculators in New York, enabled him to represent a demand for 5,500,000 acres. The amount thus received from the sale of this land would apply towards redning the National debt, which Jefferson was anxious should be paid as soon as possible.

Massachusetts then owned the territory of Maine, which she was crowding on the market. She was opposed to opening the northwestern region. This fired the zeal of Virginia. The Sonth caught the inspiration, and all exalted Dr. Cutler. The entire South rallied around him. Massachusetts could not vote against him, because many of the constituents of her mem- bers were interested personally in the Western speenlation. Thus Cutler, making friends in the South, and doubtless using all the arts of the lobby, was enabled to command the situation. True to deeper convictions, he dictated one of the most compact and finished documents of wise statesmanship that has ever adorned any human law book. He borrowed from Jefferson the term "Articles of Compact," which, pre- ceding the federal constitution, rose into the most sacred character. He then followed very closely the constitution of Massachusetts, adopted three years before. Its most prominent points were :

[. The exclusion of slavery from the terri- tory forever.

2. Provision for public schools, giving one township for a seminary and every section numbered 16 in each township; that is, one thirty-sixth of all the land for public schools.

3. A provision prohibiting the adoption of any constitution or the enactment of any law that should nullify pre-existing contracts.

Be it forever remembered that this compact declared that "religion, morality, and knowl- edge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall always be encour- aged." Dr. Cutler planted himself on this plat- form and would not yield. Giving his unquali- fied declaration that it was that or nothing,- that unless they could make the land desirable they did not want it,-he took his horse and buggy and started for the constitutional conven- tion at Philadelphia, On July 13, 1787, the bill was put upon its passage, and was unanimously adopted. Thus the great States of Ohio, In- diana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, a vast empire, were consecrated to freedom. intelli- gence, and morality. Thus the great heart of the nation was prepared to save the Union of States, for it was this act that was the salvation of the republic and the destruction of slavery. Soon the South saw their great blunder and tried to have the compact repealed. In 1803 Congress referred it to a committee, of which John Randolph was chairman. He reported that this ordinance was a compact and opposed

HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.

repeal. Thus it stood, a rock in the way of the on-rushing sea of slavery.

Gen. Arthur St. Clair was, by Congress, elected Governor of this vast territory.

ILLINOIS TERRITORY.

After the division of the Northwestern Terri- tory, Ilinois became one of the counties of the Territory of Indiana, from which it was sepa- rated by an act of Congress February 3, 1809. forming the Territory of Illinois, with a popula- tion estimated at 9,000, and then included the present State of Wisconsin. It was divided, at the time, into two counties-St. Clair and Ran- dolph. John Boyle, of Kentucky, was appointed Governor, by the President, JJames Madison, but declining, Ninian Edwards, of the same State, was then appointed and served with dis- tinction ; and after the organization of Illinois as a State he served in the same capacity, being its third Governor.

During Governor Edwards' administration the war of 1812 commenced, and the few whites in the State had to contend against a savage foe incited on to deeds of violence by the British officers sent out for that purpose. The massacre at Fort Dearborn, of helpless prisoners, by the infuriated Indians, forms a black page in the history of Illinois. Several expeditions were put on foot by Governor Edwards against the Indians, and in the various campaigns the Gov- ernor bore an honorable and heroic part. Peace came at last, the Indian depredations ceased, and the Territory of Illinois was again on the road to prosperity.

STATE ORGANIZATION.

In January of 1818 the Territorial Legislature forwarded to Nathaniel Pope, delegate in Con- gress from Illinois, a petition praying for admis- sion into the National Union as a State. On April 18th of the same year Congress passed the enabling act, and December 3, after the State government had been organized and Gov- ernor Bond had signed the Constitution, Con- gress by a resolution declared Ilinois to be "one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects."

FIRST CONSTITUTION.

In July and August of 1818 a convention was held at Kaskaskia for the purpose of drafting a constitution. This constitution was not sub- mitted to a vote of the people for their approval or rejection, it being well known that they would approve it. It was about the first or-

ganie law of any State in the Union to abolish imprisonment for debt. The first election under the constitution was held on the third Thursday and the two succeeding days in September, 1818. Shadrach Bond was elected Governor, and Pierre Menard Lieutenant Governor. Their term of office extended four years. At this time the State was divided into fifteen counties, the pop- ulation being about 40,000. Of this number by far the larger portion were from the Southern States. The salary of the Governor was $1,000, while that of the Treasurer was $500. The legislature re-enacted, verbatim, the Territorial Code, the penalties of which were unnecessarily severe. Whipping, stocks and pillory were used for minor offenses, and for arson, rape, horse stealing, etc., death by hanging was the penalty. These laws, however, were modified in 1821.

The legislature first convened at Kaskaskia, the ancient seat of empire for more than one hundred and fifty years, both for the French and Americans. Provisions were made, how- ever, for the removal of the seat of government by this legislature. A place in the wilderness on the Kaskaskia river was selected and named Vandalia. From Vandalia it was removed to Springfield in the year 1839.

THE WINNEBAGO WAR.

The Indians, who for some years were on peaceful terms with the whites, became trouble- some in 1827. The Winnebagoes, Saes and Foxes and other tribes had been at war more than a hundred years. In the summer of 1827 a war party of the Winnebagoes surprised a party of Chippewas and killed eight of them. Four of the murderers were arrested and delivered to the Chippewas, by whom they were immediately shot. This was the first irritation of the Win- nebagoes. Red Bird, a chief of this tribe, in order to avenge the execution of the four war- riors of his own people, attacked the Chippewas, but was defeated; and being determined to sat- isfy his thirst for revenge by some means sur- prised and killed several white men. Upon re- ceiving intelligence of these murders, the whites who were working the lead mines in the vicinity of Galena formed a body of volunteers, and, re-inforced by a company of United States troops, marched into the country of the Win- nebagoes. To save their nation from the mis- eries of war, Red Bird and six other men of his nation voluntarily surrendered themselves. Some of the number were executed, some of them imprisoned and destined, like Red Bird,

HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.

ingloriously to pine away within the narrow con- fines of a jail, when formerly the vast forests had proven too limited for them.

BLACK HAWK WAR.

In the year of 1804 a treaty was concluded between the United States and the chiefs of the Sac and Fox rations. One old chief of the Sacs, however, called Black Hawk, who had fought with great bravery in the service of Great Britain during the war of 1812, had always taken exceptions to this treaty, pronouncing it void. In 1831 he established himself, with a chosen band of warriors, upon the disputed territory, ordering the whites to leave the country at once. The settlers complaining, Governor Reynolds dispatched General Gaines, with a company of regulars and 1,500 volunteers, to the scene of action. Taking the Indians by surprise, the troops burnt their villages and forced them to conclude a treaty, by which they ceded all lands east of the Mississippi, and agreed to remain on the western side of the river. Necessity forced the proud spirit of Black Hawk into submission, which made him more than ever determined to be avenged upon his enemies. Having rallied around him the warlike braves of the Sac and Fox nations, he crossed the Mississippi in the spring of 1832. Upon learning of this invasion, Governor Reynolds hastily collected a body of 1,800 volunteers, placing them under command of Brigadier General Whiteside. The army marched to the Mississippi, and having reduced to ashes the Indian village known as " Prophet's Town," proceeded several miles up the river to Dixon to join the regular forces under General AAtkinson. They found at Dixon two companies of volunteers, who, sighing for glory, were dis- patched to reconnoitre the enemy. They ad- vanced under command of Major Stillman to a small creek, afterwards known as "Stillman's Run," and while there encamped saw a party of mounted Indians at a distance of a mile. Sev- eral of Stillman's party mounted their horses and charged the Indians, killing three of them, but being attacked by the main body, under Black Hawk, they were routed, and by their precipi- tated flight spread such a panic through the camp that the whole company ran off to Dixon as fast as possible. On their arrival it was found that eleven of their number were killed.

In June, 1832, Black Hawk, with a band of one hundred and fifty warriors, attacked Apple River Fort, near Galena, defended by twenty- five men. This fort, a mere palisade of logs, was erected to afford protection to the miners. 4 --

For fifteen consecutive hours the garrison had to sustain the assault of the savage enemy; but knowing very well that no quarter would be given them, they fought with such fury and des- peration that the Indians, after losing many of their best warriors, were compelled to retreat.

New forces being sworn into the service, Gen- erals Atkinson and Henry determined to pursue the retreating for. They followed them into Wisconsin, and hearing that Black Hawk was encamped at Rock river, at the Manitou village, Iissued orders to continue the pursuit. The offi- cers of GeneralHenry handed to him a written protest; but he, a man equal to any emergency. ordered the officers to be arrested and escorted to General Atkinson. Within a few minutes after the order was given the officers all collect- ed around the General's quarter pledged them- selves that if forgiven they would return to duty and never do the like again.

The battle of Bad Axe immediately followed, resulting in a loss to the Indians of three hun- dred, besides fifty prisoners. The whites had but seventeen killed and twelve wounded. Black Hawk, with twenty of his braves, es- caped, retreating up the Wisconsin river. The Winnebagoes, desiring to secure the friendship of the whites, went in pursuit and captured and delivered them to General Street, the United States Indian Agent. Among the prisoners were the son of Black Hawk and the prophet of the tribe. These, with Black Hawk, were taken to Washington, D. C., and were soon confined as prisoners at Fortress Monroe. Thus ended the Black Hawk war

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

At the general election in 1834 Joseph Duncan was chosen Governor by a handsome majority. A reckless and uncontrollable desire for internal : public improvements seized the minds of the people. In his message to the legislature, in 1835, Governor Duncan said: "When we look abroad and see the extensive lines of inter-com- munication penetrating almost every section of our sister States; when we see the canal-boat and the locomotive bearing with seeming triumph the rich productions of the interior to the rivers, lakes and ocean, almost annihilating time, burthen and space, what patriotic bosom does not beat high with a laudable ambition to give Illinois her full share of those advantages which are adorning her sister States, and which a magnificent Providence seems to invite by a wonderful adaptation of our whole country to such improvements?"

HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.

STUPENDOUS SYSTEM OF IMPROVEMENTS INAUGU- RATED).

The legislature responded to the ardent words of the Governor, and enacted a system of inter- mal improvements without a parallel in the gran- deur of its conception. They ordered the con- struction of 1,300 miles of railroad, crossing the State in all directions. This was surpassed by the river and canal improvements. There were a few connties not touched by the railroad, river or canal, and they were to be comforted and compensated by the free distribution of $200,000 among them. To inflate this balloon beyond credence, it was ordered that work should commence on both ends of each of these railroads and rivers, and at each river crossing, all at the same time. This provision, which has been called the crowning folly of the entire sys- tom, was the result of those jealous combina- tions emanating from the fear that advantages might acerue to one section over another in the commencement and completion of the works. We can appreciate better, perhaps, the magni- tudo of this grand system by reviewing a few figures. The debt authorized for these improve- ments in the first instance was $10,230,000. But this, as it was soon found, was based upon esti- mates at least too low by half. This, as we readily see, committed the State to a liability of over $20,000,000, equivalent to $200,000,000 at the present time, with over ten times the popu- lation and more than ten times the wealth.

Such stupendous undertakings by the State naturally engendered the fever of speculation among individuals. That particular form known as the town-lot fever assumed the malignant type at first in Chicago, from whence it spread over the entire State and adjoining States. It was an epidemic. It out up men's farms with- ont regard to locality, and ent up the purses of the purchasers without regard to consequences. It was estimated that building lots enough were sold in Indiana alone to accommodate every citizen then in the United States.

Chicago, which in 1830 was a small trading- post, had within a few years grown into a city. This was the starting point of the wonderful and marvelous career of that city. Improve- ments, unsurpassed by individual efforts in the annals of the world, were then begun and have been maintained to this day. Though visited by the terrible fire fiend and the accumulation of years swept away in a night, yet she has arisen, and to-day is the best built city in the world. Reports of the rapid advance of property in

Chicago spread to the east, and thousands poured into her borders, bringing money, enterprise and industry. Every ship that left her port car- ried with it maps of splendidly situated towns and additions, and every vessel that returned was laden with immigrants. It was said at the time that the staple articles of Ilinois export were town plats, and that there was danger of crowding the State with towns to the exclusion of land for agriculture.

ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL.

The Illinois and Michigan canal again re- ceived attention. This enterprise is one of the most important in the early development of Illinois, on account of its magnitude and cost, and forming as it does the connecting link be- tween the great chain of lakes and the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Governor Bond, the first Governor. recommended in his first mes- sage the building of the canal. In 1821 the legislature appropriated $10,000 for surveying the route. This work was performed by two young men, who estimated the cost at $600,000 or $700,000. It cost, however, when completed, $8,000,000. In 1825 a law was passed to incor- porate the Canal . Company, but no stock was sold. In 1826, upon the solicitation of Daniel P. Cook, Congressman from this State, Congress gave 800,000 acres of land on the line of the work.# In 1828 commissioners were appointed, and work commenced with a new survey and new estimates. In 1831-5 the work was again pushed forward, and continued until 1848, when it was completed.

PANIC-REPUDIATION ADVOCATED.

Bonds of the State were recklessly disposed of both in the East and in Europe. Work was commenced on various lines of railroad, but none Were ever completed. On the Northern Cross Railroad, from Moredosia cast eight miles. the first locomotive that ever turned a wheel in the great valley of the Mississippi was run The date of this remarkable event was Novem- ber 8, 1838, Large sums of money were being expended with no assurance of a revenne, and consequently, in 1840, the legislature repealed the improvement laws passed three years pro- viously, not, however, until the State had accu- mulated a debt of nearly $15,000,000. Thus fell the most stupendous, extravagant and almost ruinous folly of a grand system of internal im- provements that any civil community, perhaps, ever engaged in. The State banks failed, specie was scarce, an enormous debt was accumulated,

HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.

the interest of which could not be paid, people were disappointed in the accumulation of wealth, and real estate was worthless. All this had a tendency to create a desire to throw off the heavy burden of State debt by repudiation. This was boldly advocated by some leading men. The fair fame and name, however, of the State was not tarnished by repudiation. Men, true, honest and able, were placed at the head of affairs; and though the hours were dark and gloomy, and the times most trying, yet our grand State was brought through and prospered, until to-day, after the expenditure of millions for public improvements and for carrying on the late war, it has, at present, no public debt whatever.

MORMON WAR.

In April, 1840, the "Latter-Day Saints," or Mormons, came in large numbers to Illinois, and purchased a tract of land on the east side of the Mississippi river, abont ten miles above Keokuk. Here they commenced building the city of Nauvoo. A more picturesque or eligi- ble site for a city could not have been selected.

The origin, rapid development, and prosper- ity of this religious sect are the most remark- able and instructive historical events of the present century. That an obscure individual, without money, education, or respectability, should persuade hundreds of thousands of peo- ple to believe him inspired of God, and cause a book, contemptible as a literary production, to be received as a continuation of the sacred rey- elation, appears almost incredible ; vet in less than half a century, the disciples of this ob- seure individual have increased to hundreds of thousands; have founded a State in the distant wilderness, and compelled the government of the United States to practically recognize them as an independent people.

The founder of Mormonism was Joseph Smith, a native of Vermont, who emigrated while quite young with his father's family to Western New York. Here his youth was spent in idle, vagabond life, roaming the woods, dreaming of buried treasures, and in endeavor- ing to learn the art of finding them by the twisting of a forked stick in his hands or by looking through enchanted stones. Both he and his father became famous as "water wiz- ards," always ready to point out the spot where wells might be dug and water found. Such was the character of the young profligate when he made the acquaintance of Sidney Rigdon, a per- son of considerable talent and information, who

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Sangamon 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 3

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084