History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois, Part 9

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704

USA > Illinois > Clay County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 9
USA > Illinois > Wayne County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 9

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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

possessions, and that to it, as well as to Amer- ica, but especially to its colonies, were trans- mitted the benefits of this great war; we say, when these things are considered and re- flected upon, in reference to the life of George Washington, then indeed does his grand character and his great purposes begin to dawn upon the imagination of the student of history, and shine ont like the great cen- tral sun, before whose light the other innu- merable heavenly bodies hide away their faces, and bide their time for the God of our universe to go down to his daily rest, before they again glint their glories upon the vision of man. The mass of Americans think of Washington as the "Father of his Country," a great General, who commanded the army of freedom, or more generally as the boy who had a hatchet and could not tell a lie. The real character of the man, his every-day life about home, with his family, and friends, and his servants-going to market with his vegetables to sell and treading with contempt upon that foolish general pride of the F. F. V.'s, and this, too, when he had retired from the first honors of his country and the world, and had put aside the proffered crown. The true picture of this man, a picture pre- senting him in the commonest affairs of every-day life, or one where he acts the grandest part for all mankind ever given to mortal to perform -- a picture that shows him truly as he was, as a man with the common frailties of his kind, wholly human, a man that the common herd of men could approach and feel that he was mortal and as human as themselves, and yet to afterward reflect that they had held familiar intercourse with the man who had performed the greatest acts that have yet been chronicled in the history of the human race. We say, when such a mental picture is presented of the greatest man in the tide of time, it bears a lesson the

world cannot forget, and'that time should never fade.

Wayne County has the distinguished honor of once being the home of a little band of old men who deserve to be immortal, because they had been soldiers under Washington. In 1840, there were here John H. Mills, aged seventy-nine; Thomas Sloan, aged seventy- nine years; James Stuart, seventy-eight: George Clark, aged eighty-four years, and James Gaston, all of whom were at that time pensioners for wounds and disabilities in the war of the Revolution. Immortal men!

James Stuart was born in South Carolina in 1763, and came out at the close barely a grown man. yet he, boy as he was, had then identified himself with an immortal life work. He lies buried in the old fair grounds in the north part of the town of Fairfield. Of his many and worthy descendants living here are Edward and Hugh Stuart and Mrs. John Moffitt.

James Gaston was from South Carolina, and died in 1840. His grave was the first one in Bovee Cemetery, where his bones now rest.

Thomas Sloan was also from Carolina, and died in 1840. He lies buried also in Bovee Cemetery. Of his descendants living, grand and great-grandchildren, are John, Albert and Henry Sloan, and Mrs. Amanda Gaston.

The few who remember these Revolutionary sires will tell you generally that they did not know they had given names, as Stuart and Gaston were universally called "Grandsir," and Sloan was universally known as " Daddy"' Sloan.

Their memories must not be forgotten. It matters[not what else there was in their lives that was not noble, nay, what there was in their careers that may have shown them to be weak, frail or even ignoble, the one grand fact remains that may wash away a mountain

IIISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

of sins, namely, that they obeyed the orders and were a portion of those sublime heroes who liberated the minds and bodies of the human race, and filled the world with nearly all of the freedom and enlightenment that it now enjoys. Their names are enrolled in that band of patriots who were not of any particular age or country, but for every country and for all time.

Then there was Gen. George Rogers Clark, who has been aptly called the "Hannibal of the Northwest." with his little band of ho- roes, who truly, amid flood and field, and blood and carnage, fought off the tyrant and the savage, and rescued all this empire of the West, that is now the happy homes of millions of prosperous people. from their ungodly grasp. Here were grounds trod by a portion of the half armed and almost starved heroes of the Revolution. But of this we refer the readers to the history of Clay County in another part of this work.

Thon in the order were the rangers, the first of whom were organized as early as 1809 in this State. They were called into existence by the law of self protection from the Indians, who, in 1811, commenced their raids and perpetrated many terrible massacres, burning houses, stealing stock and capturing the women and children. The Indians were secretly aided and encouraged in this attack upon the whites by English emmissaries, and they were the first and provoking cause that culminated in the war of 1812-15. Nearly all the first white English settlers were iden - tified with these rangers, and they pursued the murderous midnight marauders, and at times visited upon them summary, terrible, but deserved punishment.

Among the many terrible massacres was that of Boltinghuse, in what is now known as Boltinghuse Prairie. The Indians that were supposed to have committed this out-

rage, were the Kickapoos. This was in the year 1814. Boltinghuse Prairie is in White County, not far from Albion. The Indians escaped after the Boltinghouse massacre and were not overtaken or punished by the aveng- ing rangers that were put upon their tracks. But a sequel to this bloody story comes to us in such form that we feel justified in giving it a place here. Preacher "Jackey " Jones, who, although the first white child born in what is now Wayne County, is yet hale and hearty and very clear in his recollections, tells what he heard Isaac Harris say about it, in the long years after the Indian had dis- appeared.

There was a party of hunters camping out, four men, Gilham and Isaac Harris and two others, Boltinghouse's relatives, near the mouth of King's Creek, in Wayne County. One morning they heard a bell, and following the sound they came upon the horse grazing, upon which it was. They followed the horses, and were led to an Indian camp, com- posed of five braves and three squaws. They had recognized the horse as one stolen from poor murdered Boltinghouse, and they warily approached the Indian camp. They can- tiously got between the Indians and their guns, and finally asked where they got the horse. One Indian answered that he killed " white man and took horse." He was asked if he did not think that was wrong. "No, them's war and him good heap!" and he chuckled at his prowess. The Indian finally told how the white man begged for his life, but he killed him. When he had told all, he was then made aware that he was talking to a son of the man he had murdered, who answered the Indian's plea for his life that "if that was war then this is war"-as he shot him dead. The two other Indians started to run, but one of them was shot dead, and the dog of the murdered Bolting-

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

house pursued the fleeing Indian and seizing held him until the white men came up and dispatched him. We regret to say, yet put yourself in his place and only then judge, the hot moment of bloody revenge only ended by the violent and swift death of every Indian in the camp. When these hunters looked through the Indian camp they found the vest, clothes and other articles that had belonged to whites who had been massacred by the Indians. Of course the young man, Boltinghouse, took the horse home, and in the family it always went by the name of the "stray filly."

These rangers did much to make this country habitable for the whites. They in- timidated the Indians, and in their marches and pursuit of the fleeing marauders, they were led to view for the first time many por- tions of this beautiful land, and after their return from the service they would call up the pictures here and there where they had camped, and where they longed to make their future homes. In this way, Capt. Willis Har- grave's company of rangers, by camping one night just north of the present town of Fair- field, furnished the first settlers for this por- tion of the county. In his company were some of the Barnhill family, after whom Barnhill Township takes its name, and they remembering the beautiful camp returned and settled here as soon as peace was proclaimed and the Indian was out of the way. The fol- lowing is a list of Capt. Hargrave's company, of whom many names will be recognized by the old settlers as familiar names here among the carly settlers: Captain, Willis Hargrave; First Lieutenant. William McHenry; Second Lieutenant. John Graves; Ensign, Thomas Berry. Enlisted men, James Long, William Maxwell, David Trammell (a spy), James Wil- son. Thomas Mckinney, John Smith, Taylor Manlding, Jeremiah Lisenbee. James Small,

Thomas Trammell, James Hannah, Charles Slocumb, Edward Covington, Nathan Young, Joseph Upton, James Garrison, Robert D. Cates, Dickinson Garratt, Thomas Boatwright, Richard Maulding (a spy), Aaron Williams, John Sommers, Seth Hargrave, James Tram- mel, Lee Maulding, Morris May, David Milch, Henry Wheeler. Joel Berry. David Whoolley, Thomas McAllister, John Love, James Davenport, Thomas Stonery, James Carr, Daniel Boltinghouse, Gilham Harris, Abner Howard, Josiah Dunnell, Eli Stewart, Phillipp Sturn, Needham Stanley, Charles Stewart, John Lawton, Alexander Hamilton (see church history in another column for an account of Mr. Hamilton), David Snodgrass, Phillipp Fleming, John and George Morris, Thomas Upton, Martin Whitford, Joseph Love, John Dover, Samuel Cannon, John Mitchell, James McDaniel, Adam Warkler, Willfam Wheeler, John Bradberry, Micheal Deckers, Thomas Williams, Barnabas Cham- bers, Ephraham Blockford (descendants live in Mount Erie), Rial Potter, Fredrick Buck, Charles Sparks, William McCormick and William Fowler. .

In addition to this company of Hargrave's, that was composed of men from this portion of the State, there was Capt. Daniel Bolting- house's company, which is remarkable for the fact that it was the last body of enlisted men in the State for the war of 1812. This com- pany entered the service September 8, and served to December 8, 1814. It was a large company. There were none in this company that went from Wayne County, but many of them, influenced as were some of Hargrave's men, remembered this beautiful land, and when peace came they returned and fixed their homes here. Of these were Daniel Mc Henry, who was long a respected preacher here, and of whom the reader will find a com- plete account in the chapter on church his-

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

tory. Hugh Collins, James and Charles Hencely, Jesse Kirkendall, Needham Stanley, Jonathan Stewart, Jarrard Trammell and others.

Up to this time the rangers had been dis- banded, and the contest with the savages had been forever settled in this part of Illinois, Wayne County had not yet come in existence, and hence of all the soldiers above spoken of, it only refers to those men who, after the wars mentioned above, had become matters of history that they came to Wayne County, not as armed warriers, but as peaceful pio- neers, leading the little band of early settlers who were destined to build these splendid homes of peace and plenty that now decorate the fair face of the land.

The Black Hawk War .- In the order of events, next came this Indian war. But, by way of explanation, we may mention that preceding the Black Hawk war was the Winnebago war in 1827, in which the Gov- ernor marched 600 troops to Rock River, but the miners at Galena had organized for self- protection, and had captured Red Bird and also the then unknown Black Hawk. and ended this war inside of thirty days, the time for which these soldiers had been called into service. Red Bird died in captivity, and other chiefs were tried and some executed and others acquitted. Among those turned loose, it seems, unfortunately, was Black Hawk.

The rolls furnished from the War Depart- ment show that Illinois furnished, from first to last, 174 companies of volunteer rangers and spies, which were mustered into the serv- ice for the Black Hawk war.

The Indians had agreed to abandon the country north of Rock River. About this time (1829), the President issued his procla- mation, according to law, and all that coun- try above the mouth of Rock River (the an-

cient seat of the Sauk nation) was sold to American families, and in the year follow- ing it was taken possession of by them. Another treaty was formed with the Sacs and Foxes on the 15th of July, 1830, by the pro- visions of which the Indians were to peace- fully remove from the Illinois country. A portion of the Sacs with their chief, Keokuk, quietly retired across the Mississippi. Black Hawk, however, a restless and uneasy spirit, who had ceased to recognize Keokuk as chief, and who was known to be in the British pay, emphatically refused to either remove from the lands or 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 num- ber of the warriors 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 gigan. tic scheme, as appeared by his own admissions, of uniting all the Indians, from the Rock River to the Gulf of Mexico, in a war against the United States, and he made use of every pretext for gaining accessions to his party.

In the meantime, Gov. Reynolds, the "old ranger," had been elected Governor. Black Hawk notified the whites to depart, and they refusing to comply he commenced to destroy their property. The settlers petitioned the Governor, setting forth their grievances, and he at once called for volunteers, and at once the whole Northwest resounded to the elamor of war; 1,600 men were accepted, and June 15, 1831, the army took up their march for the seat of war, and went into camp at Fort Armstrong, Gen. Gaines and Gen. Duncan, commanding. Measures of attack were soon concerted, but the wily Black Hawk, no

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

doubt well apprised of the numbers of the force, concluded not to risk a fight, and he quietly recrossed the river. The soldiers then were so chagrined at his escape that they destroyed the Indian village. From this retreat he was finally compelled to open negotiations with Gen. Gaines and Gov. Rey- nolds, and, accompanied by thirty " braves " and chiefs, he returned and entered into a new treaty. Among other things agreeing "no one or more shall ever be permitted to recross said river to the several places of res- idence, nor any part of their hunting grounds east of the Mississippi, without permission of the President of the United States or the Governor of the State of Illinois." The troops were then disbanded, and thus, with- out bloodshed, ended the first campaign of the Black Hawk war.

In the spring of 1832, Black Hawk, in the face of this treaty, recrossed the Missis- sippi River (April 6), with 500 warriors, and commenced his march up Rock River Valley, while his women and children went up the river in canoes.

April 16, Gov. Reynolds called for 1,000 volunteers, to rendezvous at Beardstown on the 22d of the same month. Eighteen hun- dred men, in answer to the call, met at Beardstown and were organized into a bri- gade of four regiments, and an aid and a spy battalion. On the 10th of May the forces reached Dixon. Maj. Stillman's command was ordered by Gov. Reynolds to proceed to Old Man's Creek, and on May the 14th oc- curred the battle of Stillman's Run, where his forces had been drawn from their camp and into an ambush by Black Hawk. and a panic among the soldiers ensued, and eleven were killed before they could reach Fort Dixon. This defeat alarmed the whole country, and the night following, Gov. Rey- nolds called for 2,000 more troops. Gen.

Scott with 1,000 United States Troops was sent immediately to the Northwest. The new levies were to meet on the 3d of June at Beardstown. On the 19th of May the whole army marched up the river, and, pursuing the trails, found the Indians had left and divided their forces; the troops returned to the month of Rock River where they were discharged; and thus ended the second campaign of 1832.

On the 6th of June, Black Hawk made an attack on Apple River Fort, situated a quar- ter of a mile north of the present town of Elizabeth, and twelve miles from Galena. This garrison was only defended by twenty- five men, and there were 150 Indians attack. ing.

The new levies met as provided at Beards- town, but were ordered to Peru. A promis- cuous multitude of several thousand people was gathered there.

On the 17th day of June, Col. Dement, with his spy battalion of 150 men, was or- dered to report himself to Col. Taylor (Pres- ident afterward) at Dixon, while the main army was to follow. On his arrival at Dixon, he was ordered to take position in Kellogg's Grove, where he received reports that there 300 warriors had been seen northward that day. At daylight the next morning he sal- lied forth, and soon discovered spies of the enemy, when his men, regardless of his and Lieut. Gov. Casey's endeavors to the con- trary, his undrilled and undisciplined men charged on the foes, and recklessly followed them into an ambush Black Hawk had planned, where they were suddenly con- fronted by 300 howling, naked savages. A panic seized upon the soldiers, and each one struck out for himself in the direction of the fort.

In the confused retreat, five of the whites were slain, while those who reached the fort were hotly pursued by the savages, who vig-

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

orously assailed the fort, and a furions fight for over an hour followed, in which the Indi- ans retired, leaving nine of their number dead on the field. Col. Dement and Lieut. Gov. Casey displayed signal coolness and conrage here, and to them was due the fact that a general massacre of the helpless fugi- tives did not occur. At 8 o'clock in the morning, messengers were sent fifty miles to Gen. Posey for assistance. and toward sun- down the same day, that General and his brigade made their appearance. The next day Gen. Posey started in pursuit of the savages, but the trail soon showed they had pursued their usual tactics of scattering their forces. The army continued its march up Rock River, expecting to find the enemy near its source. Gens. Henry and Alexander were sent to Fort Winnebago, between Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. Here learning that Black Hawk was encamped on the White Water, Gen. Henry and Maj. Dodge started in pur- suit. After several days' hard marching, and much suffering for food and exposure, on the 21st day of July the enemy was overtaken on the bluffs of the Wisconsin, and a decisive battle fought in which Gen. Henry com- manded the American forces, which consisted of Maj. Dodge's battalion on the right, Col. Jones regiment in the center, and Col. Col- lins on the left, with Maj. Ewing's battalion in the front and Col. Fry's regiment in the rear as a reserve. In this order they charged the enemy and drove him from every position, inflicting great loss, and when the sun went down they were victors everywhere.

In the morning it was discovered the Indi- ans had fled, leaving 160 dead on the field, and of their wounded taken with them, twenty-five were found dead the next day on their trail, while Gen. Henry lost only one man killed and eight wounded.

On the 25th, the whole army was put in

motion-Gen. Atkinson's forces having ar- rived, making now the entire force 1,200 strong-and on the 2d of August reached the bluff's of the Mississippi River. The Indians had reached the river and were preparing as fast as they could to eross. A portion had got over, when Capt. Throckmorton, who was on the steamer Warrior, attacked and killed a great many, he refusing to recognize a white flag they displayed. When Gen. At. kinson fell upon the savages at the mouth of Bad Ax Creek, in which the Indians were routed and 150 more slain, besides many that were drowned. The American loss was only seventeen killed.

This battle virtually ended the war. On the 7th of August, Gen. Winfield Seott ar. rived and assumed command.

Wayne County furnished two companies - Capt. James N. Clark's and Capt. Berryman G. Wells', for the Black Hawk war. These Wayne County companies were in the Third Regiment, First Brigade, Illinois Mounted Volunteers, on the requisition of Gen. Atkin- son, by the Governor's proclamation, dated May 15. 1832, and were mustered out Angust 15, 1832.

The roster of Capt. Clark's Company is as follows: James N. Clark. Captain; David Roy, First Lieutenant; Jesse Laid, Second Lieutenant; Daniel Sumpter, William A. Howard, Henry Ooley and Isaac Street, Ser- geants; Joseph Walker, John A. MeWhirter, Lewis Watkins and Nathan E. Roberts, Cor. porals; Privates-Harris Austin, James B. Austin, David Alexander, Robert Bain, Green- up Bradshaw (died recently near Edwards- ville), Asa Bultard, Joseph M. Campbell (now living near Springfield, III.), James Clark, William Clark, Younger H. Dickinson, George Dalton, Andrew C. Dalton, George Farleigh, John F. Fitzgerald (died here seven years ago), Joseph L. Garrison, James Garrison,

HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.

William Graham, Jeremiah Hargrave, Will- iam Harland, Alfred Haws, Benjamin Haws, John Hanson, Samuel James, Peter Kenche- low, David Martin, Andrew Mays, James Mays, William McCullum, Joseplı Morris, Chesley Ray, Asa Ray, Jacob Raster, Fenton Saunders, Richard Sissions, David D. Slo- cumb (brother of Rigdon B. Slocumb), David Smith, James Trotter, Johalem Tyler, George Walker, Greenbury Walker, Jefferson War- rick, James B. Womack, John G. Widdus, Hugh L. White and Arthur Bradshaw (now living near Decatur, Methodist Episcopal preacher).

Wells' Company was -- Captain, Benjamin G. Wells; First Lientenant, John Brown; Second Lieutenant, James B. Carter; Ser- geants, Hugh Stewart, James G. Brawner, Leon Harrys and Riley T. Serratt; Corporals, Robert S. Harris, Ransom Harris, Albert Butler and Elijah Harris; Drummer, Nathan Franklin; Trumpeter, Jonathan Wolsey; Pri- vates, John Bird, Justis Beach, John Brown- ing, John Berry, Robert D. Cates, Howlet H. Cook, Isaac Carter, William Carter, Job Downing (went to Missouri, elected Sheriff and died), Robert H. Gaston, Jacob Hall, Isaiah Hodge, Isham Hodge, Isham Hodge, James D. Harlan, Moses Hart, Joseph Harris, William Irvin, Samuel Lock, Jonathan Mc- Cracken, Nathan Martin, Samnel Neel, An- drew Neel, Henry Neel, Thomas Phelps, Nich- olas Smith, John G. Shoemaker, Job Ste. phens (died in 1880), John W. Snider, Wesley Staton, Feilding C. Turner (was in the war of 1812, in Black Hawk war, and in Mexican war, and was quite awhile an Illinois ranger), James Turner, William White (now living a few miles east of Fairfield), M. C. Wells and Clement C. Young.

This constitutes a complete and corrected list of the Black Hawk soldiers who went from Wayne County, together with explana-

tory notes, so far as we could at this late day ascertain them. It will be noticed that Jacob Hall and William White are the only sur- vivors who are now left who now reside in Wayne County. Mr. White lives a few miles east of Fairfield, is now over seventy years of age, and is one of our most widely respected citizens. He is a thrifty farmer, genial and social in his habits, and his home and pleas- ant family is a favorite resort for his numer- ous admirers and old-time friends. For his complete biography, see the biographical de- partment in this work.

Jacob Hall lives in the town of Fairfield, a cheery, hale and active old man, as sprightly as any of our young men. A green and cheerful old age is his, and the frequent re- currence of his name in all parts of this work is a good demonstration of the great value he has been in the labors of building up this county to its present large proportions. A good citizen, an elegant man in all respects, with a wide circle of friends and acquaint- ances, not only in Illinois but throughout the West

The following account is almost word for word as they were given to us by Mr. Hall, of his recollections of going a soldiering. He was only a little over eighteen years old at the time: They were mustered into the serv- ice at La Salle June 15, and at once went into an election for officers. Samnel Leech was elected Colonel. Three days after the election, was marched to Dixon, where they remained one night, and then moved on to Fort Hamilton; then made a forced march to Kellogg's Grove, in order to relieve Dement's command at that point. This is the march spoken of above, when couriers started to Fort Hamilton, a distance of fifty miles, at 8 o'clock in the morning, and before dark the succoring army appeared at Kellogg's Grove; the men marched the fifty miles in a little

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History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois, Part 9

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 704

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704