USA > Illinois > Williamson County > History of Williamson county, Illinois, From the earliest times, down to the present, 1876, with an accurate account of the secession movement, ordinances, raids, etc., 1914 > Part 14
USA > Illinois > Williamson County > History of Williamson county, Illinois, From the earliest times, down to the present, with an accurate account of the secession movement, ordinances, raids, etc., also, a complete history of its "bloody vendetta," including all its recondite causes, results, etc., etc. > Part 14
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
Jesse Bishop, a leading Republican, came into this county during the war, and has since held a high place in our politics. He several times fared roughly at the hands of Democrats, but managed to carry a good many of them with him when he was elected County Judge.
William W. Clemens, a leading Demo- crat, is a man of excellent talent, and, though a man of delicate constitution, has great tenacity of life, and physical endur- ance. He walked into this county in 1862; a poor boy, without money, and commenced the study of law, and has since worked his way up to the highest room in the public estimation. He possesses a boyant and hap- py temperament, lives a pure life, fond of home and the society of his friends. He cares but little for the bitter invectives of crafty demagogues. What he is and what he has, are the legitimate results of persist- ent labor, backed by economy and good sense. His solid legal attainments have won
252
THE HISTORY OF
for him the respect, and placed him in the foremost rank, of the bar in Southern Illi- nois.
John H. Mulkey commenced the prac- tice of law in this county in 1856, and soon removed to Cairo, where he is to-day ac- knowledged to be the most profound and classic lawyer in all of Egypt.
George W. Young, a lawyer and leading Republican, was raised in this county. His early life was rendered unpleasant by pov- erty and frequent hardships. He enlisted in the army when a mere boy, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He belonged to that class of men who would "rather be right than President," and his unobsequious, self- directed attachment to what he 'believes to be honest and right, makes him appear ab- rupt and independent; thereby rendering him unpopular with those who do not share his opinions ; but as a citizen and officer his conduct is emblazoned by the highest mor- ability and integrity.
Jerome B. Calvert, a leading lawyer and Democrat, is a man whose life has been marked 'by the highest integrity, but, owing to his indisposition to ingratiate himself in- to popular favor, by simulating graces and deceptive smiles, he has not reached the
0
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 253 prominence in his party that his ability and honesty entitle him to.
Some of the men whom I have described were the politicians in the great campaign of 1860. Nobody in this county ever dream- ed that Abraham Lincoln would be elected President; and though there were less than one hundred Republicans in the county, yet the excitement ran higher than usual. When Lincoln was elected, many of our people felt it their duty to stand by him. John A. Logan openly declared that he would shoul- der his gun to have him inaugurated. The people commence to change over to the Re- publican party before Lincoln took his seat. They first declared for the Union, then en- dorsed General Scott, and finally Abraham Lincoln. But among the old-liners a strong sympathy for the South was felt. By the first of April, 1861, the parties were nearly equally divided, and excitement was run- ning very high. Our leading men were in trouble, and some were noisy and clamor- ous for Southern Rights. In a few days aft- er the inauguration, Peter Keifer made a speech in the Court House, in which he said, "Our Country Must Be Saved;" but it was understood that "our country" meant the South,, 'by the motion of his hand. Sym- pathy of "our Southern brethren" became
.
254
THE HISTORY OF
stronger and stronger every day. Proposi- tions for organizing the people into com- panies and regiments were made. Secession was openly talked of until the 9th day of April, 1861, when it began to take shape. It was just after the fall of Fort Sumpter; a party of ten or fifteen men got together in a saloon in Marion, and agreed to call a pub- lic meeting to pass ordinances of secession. They appointed a committee on resolutions, who were to report at the public meeting. The call was made for a meeting to be held in the Court House, on Monday, April 15th, 1861, to provide for the "public safety." A large crowd came in, and the meeting was called to order, and James D. Manier elected President. He then appointed G. W. God- dard, James M. Washburn, Henry C. Hoop- er, John M. Cunningham, and Wm. R. Scur- lock, a committee to draft resolution of se- cession. The saloon committee had the reso- lutions already prepared, and they were re- ported and passed with but one dissenting voice, and that was A. T. Benson, and were as follows :
Resolved, That we, the citizens of Wil- liamson county, firmly believing, from the distracted condition of our country, the same being brought about by the elevation to pow- er of a strictly sectional party, the coercive
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 255 policy of which toward the seceded States will drive all the border Slave States from the Federal Union, and cause them to join the Southern Confederacy.
Resolved, That, in that event, the inter- est of the citizens of Southern Illinois im- peratively demands at their hands a division of the State. We hereby pledge ourselves to use all means in our power to effect the same, and attach ourselves to the Southern Confederacy.
Resolved, That, in our opinion, it is the duty of the present administration to with- draw all the troops of the Federal Govern- ment that may be stationed in Southern forts, and acknowledge the independence of the Southern Confederacy, believing that such a course would be calculated to restore peace and harmony to our distracted coun- try.
Resolved, That in view of the fact that it is probable that the present Governor of the State of Illinois will call upon the citi- zens of the same to take up arms for the purpose of subjugating the people of the South, we hereby enter our protest against such a course, and, as loyal citizens, will re- fuse, frown down and forever oppose the same.
256
THE HISTORY OF
These resolutions were written by Henry C. Hooper. The Republicans of this county used to accuse the Hon. W. J. Allen of draft- ing them, on account of the peculiar phrase- ology; but in this they were wrong. The news of this meeting spread rapidly, and by the next morning it had reached Carbondale, and had been telegraphed to Gen. Prentiss, at Cairo. The people of Carbondale, seeing the trouble our people were bringing on themselves, sent J. M. Campbell up to Ma- rion on. the 16th of April, to tell the people to revoke the resolutions. He said they must be repealed, or war would be brought on our soil and at our own doors. The peo- ple were exicted badly. A meeting was call- ed to repeal the resolutions, and to meet in- stanter, 'but not by the same men who were in the meeting of the 15th. W. J. Allen was called in to address the meeting, which he did at some length. He said he was for re- pealing the resolutions, and that others could do as they pleased, but as for him and his house, they would stand still and see the sal- vation of the Lord.
The resolutions were repealed, and A. T. Benson appointed a committee of one to convey a copy of the proceeding to Gen. Prentiss. When he arrived at Cairo he found Gen. Prentiss reading the resolutions.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 257 He gave him a copy of the proceedings of the meeting of the 16th, and Prentiss said, "1 am glad to see them. The resolutions of se- cession would have caused your folks trouble; but I hope all will be right."
John A. Logan was not in the county when these meetings were held, and had not been for several days. This is a fact well known in this county. But it was charged against Gen. Logan in 1866, that he was present at, and aided in, the meeting of the 15th, and endorsed the resolutions. This charge was made by some unprincipled man outside of Williamson county. No such charge was ever made in this county, neither by Democrats nor Republicans; but, on the contrary, when the charge was made against Gen. Logan, nine of his polit- ical enemies, all prominent men, who were conspicuous at that meeting, volunteered their testimony against the truth of the charge; and one of them was James D. Ma- nier, the President. The Democrats of this county knew that the charge against him was false, and they went to his rescue, and published to the world the evidence of its falsity. These men did not want to break Gen. Logan down by withholding truth or circulating falsehoods on him. It would not be an exhibition of merit in them, or hon-
-F 17
258
THE HISTORY OF
orable action. Those men who held the meeting of the 15th, contended that the meeting of the 16th had no right to repeal the resolutions, and that they were not re- pealed, and that the people must organize. So, a meeting was called to meet on the 27th of April, pursuant to the one of the 15th. The meeting was called to order, and a motion made to "seize the money in the hands of the Sheriff to defray the expenses of arming and equipping soldiers for the Southern Army." The fever for organizing into military companies had cooled off, so that this motion was lost, and the meeting broke up in a row. John A. Logan, who had come home, told the participants in these meetings that "the resolutions were treason, and they would all be hung," and they got scared and sent men out in the country to tear down the "Notices to Or- ganize," which had been stuck up. But ex- citement continued to increase, and party feeling to deepen, and leading Democrats be- gan to look upon Logan with suspicion, and accuse him of being a "turn-coat." In de- fense of himself he said that he would suf- fer his tongue to cleave to the roof of his mouth, and his right arm to wither and fall palsied by his side, before he would take up arms against his Southern brethren, unless
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 259
it was to sustain the Government; and that if the war was prosecuted solely for the pur- pose of freeing negroes, he would not ground his arms, but would turn and shoot them North. Logan at this time was against the Abolitionists, but this opposition was lost in his terrible opposition to treason and trai- tors.
Gen. Prentiss had dropped off a com- pany of men at Big Muddy bridge as he was going to Cairo; this was intolerable to our people; the whole country was in a flame. Thorndike Brooks and Harvey Hays raised the whoop in Marion; runners were sent out all over the county to tell the people to come into town next morning with their guns. Next morning a great many people came into town with guns, anxious to know what was wanted with them, when they were told that "the men at the bridge must be whipped away." Most of them turned and went home. Some objected, and said they had no guns, and that the soldiers had good guns, but some few went on to Carbondale, and others tried to get them not to go. At Carbondale, they found a noisy crowd as- sembled for the same purpose. Soon after they met they sent Isaiah Harris up to the bridge, which was four miles north of Car- bondale, to spy around. When he got in
260
THE HISTORY OF
sight of the soldiers he saw a cannon, and returned and told them that they could not whip the soldiers. News of these proceed- ings having reached Gen. Prentiss at Cairo, an hour before, he sent up another company, with more cannon. The train stopped at Carbondale, when the crowd was at its high- est and most clamorous condition. After staying there awhile, she pulled on up to the bridge. At this crisis, Gov. Dougherty, W. Hecker, of Cairo and Gen. I. N. Hannie made speeches to the people, and told them to stand by the Union. Gov. Dougherty said, "that the speeches and guns persuaded the people not to attack the 'bridge." The people of Marion were standing listening for a bloody battle, but they were disappoint- ed. A few straggling crowds came back from Carbondale, cursing and frothing like wild men. Wm. Crain swore he could have taken his boys and cleaned out the soldiers, and Brooks and Wheeler called the people cowards and slaves.
In two or three days after the Muddy bridge raid, which was about the 30th of April, John A. Logan, George W. Goddard, John H. White and John M. Cunningham, neither of whom was in the raid, met in se- cret caucus in White's office, and they sol- emnly pledged each other their honor that
261
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
they would stand by the Union. They agreed that Logan should go on to Congress, and after he returned home they would raise a regiment of Union soldiers, of which he was to be Colonel, John H. White, Lieutenant Colonel, and Goddard was to be Captain; and White the County Clerk, were both to appoint Cunningham deputy to run the of- fices, and he was to be for the Union. This agreement was faithfully carried out 'by all parties concerned ; but Cunningham continu- ed to sympathize strongly with the South.
In a few days after the meeting, some one reported having seen eighteen soldiers in the tall grass near town. They raised a general uproar. Nobody knew what to do to save the town. Finally John H. White told the people that there was but one sal- vation, and that was to hoist the flag. In a few minutes the Star-Spangled Banner was seen waving against the sky. After Stephen A. Douglas made his Union speech, his liberty pole was cut to the ground in Ma- rion, with some ceremony; and this was the first time a flag had been displayed. As
soon as the excitement subsided, the flag was taken down. There never was but one rebel flag displayed publicly in this county, and that was about the first of June, 1861,
262
THE HISTORY OF
at one of Charley Goodall's barbecues, four miles east of Marion.
On the 24th day of May, 1861, Colonel Brooks and Harvey Hayes, despairing of raising an army here, or organizing the county, formed the design of raising a com- pany and going South. They sent a man to Carbondale to recruit, and they commenced at home. By the next evening they had about thirty names on their list, and had given orders for them to rendezvous at the "Delaware Crossing," on the Saline, six miles south of Marion. They all got to the place about two hours by sun, on the 25th of May, 1861, and the few that came from Carbondale swelled the number to thirty- five men, mostly under the age of twenty- three years. They started on to Paducah on foot, and walked all night; and next day in the afternoon Robert Kelly went on to Linn's Hotel to have supper prepared for the boys. The number had now increased to about forty men. Their feet became sore, and all of them lagged behind but six, who went on to get supper, where they were surrounded by 135 home-guards and taken prisoners. A friend to the boys got on his horse, knowing that they were coming into the same trap, and went up the road to let them know. The home-guards left a guard
263
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
with the six boys and came on up the road to meet the others from Marion, but when they came to the forks of the road, north of Linn's Hotel, supposing the boys had taken the one leading to Brooklyn, started down to the river. The boys went on until they came to the forks of the road, and seeing by the tracks, that the guards had gone the left hand, they went on rapidly to Linn's Hotel, where they re-captured their six compan- ions, and went on to the river opposite Pa- ducah. Here Kelly had prepared a ferry- boat for them, but it had laid there twenty- four hours, and the boilers had cooled off. They were in a critical condition; but just then saw a steamboat, the "Old Kentucky," rounding up to Paducah out of the mouth of the Tennessee, and pretty soon they saw her heading across the Ohio. They boarded her, and crossed the river. They went to May- field, Kentucky, and joined Company "G," One Hundred and Fifthteenth Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers, and were in General Cheatham's command.
At the close of the war, about half of them returned home. Brooks got to be a Lieutenant-Colonel, and is now a wealthy merchant in Baltimore, Maryland. It has been repeatedly charged on John A. Logan, that he assisted in raising the Company of
264
THE HISTORY OF
men to go South. This is not true. He was not in the county at the time, and neither he, nor W. J. Allen had anything to do with their going South. They were neither of them consulted, or gave any encouragement to the enterprise. In fact, no leading man in the county knew anything about it until they were gone.
In 1866, a man by the name of John Wheatley filed an affidavit in Cairo, in which he said that he was personally advised to join this company by John A. Logan, and that he left Williamson county with the com- pany, and that John A. Logan went with them as far as Paducah, and left them, promising to return to them. And that the next time he saw Logan was at Belmont, where he chased him so closely that Logan dismounted, and he got his horse. This man Wheatley simply swore falsely. He was not a citizen of this county, and never has been, and he is unknown to our people. There is not a soldier of that company in this county but will state that Wheatley swore fasely in every respect concerning Logan.
W. M. Davis, one of the soldiers in this company, and one who was badly wounded at Shiloh, also filed an affidavit that he joined this company under the (advice) in- fluence of John A. Logan. Mr. Davis has
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 265
been a citizen of this county for twenty-one years, and is now the City Marshal of the city of Marion. When he made this affi- davit he lived in Equality, Illinois. He says he did not think of going into the Confed- erate Army until a few days before he start- ed. Logan was not here at that time, and of course could not advise him to go. William M. Davis is thirty-five years old and a very sober, honest, and respectable, and in every way an exemplary and trustworthy citizen. He is now at this moment sitting 'by my side and dictating to me what to write, and every word concerning his affidavit in this book is written by his consent and dictation. He
says that they got his affidavit wrong, in this, that they put into it the word "advice." He says that he did not swear nor mean that John A. Logan ever advised him, or any other man, to go into the Southern Army, and he says that Logan never did speak to him on that subject in his life, or to any oth- er man in his presence or hearing. He says that what he meant was this, that Logan being a man of great influence in this coun- ty, and he 'believed that his sympathy was with the South, and in this way Logan in- fluenced him to go South. Or, in other words, he 'believed so strongly at that time that Logan's sympathy was with the South
266
THE HISTORY OF
that the supposed political position thus at- tributed to him by this belief, caused Logan's influence to effect him in such a manner that in going South to fight, he felt that he had, as a warrant to back his actions, the connivance and friendship of Logan, and that this is all he knows about Logan's dis- loyalty. Mr. Davis says that Wheatley got with the company at Mayfield, Kentucky, and was not from this county, and that he swore falsely in every particular concerning Logan. He is a strong Democrat, but a man of discretion and firmness, and stands up for what he believes to be right in principle and conduct.
Col. Brooks wrote a letter to Gen. Logan in which he said that Logan had nothing to do with the recruiting or sending off of any of his men. Hibert B. Cunningham, after- ward captain of the company, A. H. Morgan, W. R. Tinker and Joshua Lowe, all soldiers in that company in 1866, certified that Lo- gan had nothing to do directly or indirectly with any of the men going South. Also
John M. Cunningham, R. J. Pully, G. C. Campbell, George W. Lowe, B. F. Lowe, William Cook and D. L. Pully, all at that time prominent citizens of Marion, certified that they were cognizant of all the circum- stances attending the recruiting and sending
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 267
of the soldiers south to join the Confederate Army, and that Logan had nothing to do with it, or had any knowledge of it.
James D. Pully and M. C. Campbell went to Paducah the day before the soldiers left here, and it was charged that they were on the "Old Kentucky" when she crossed the Ohio. This charge got circulated, and when Col. Pully, near a month afterwards, started to Springfield as a grand juror, he was ar- rested at Carbondale on this charge and taken to Springfield. Capt. A. P. Cordor, who then lived at Carbondale, became alarm- ed, and came up to Marion, where he ar- rived late in the afternoon. He told the people about Pully's arrest and insinuated that a company was coming up from Muddy Bridge that night after Logan and Allen. This produced the greatest excitement; the people trembled at the dreadful crisis; they commenced getting drunk, and by a half hour by sun there were enough drunks to make a considerable crowd. Logan took command, and ordered them to report on the square at dark.
About thirty-five reported, and when in- quiries were made about "Josh," (Hon. W. J. Allen,) Logan said, "I guess he is at home under the bed. Go and bring him out. .. . " Josh came out, and they took up their line
268
THE HISTORY OF
of march to the old Fair Grounds, a half mile west of town, taking jugs and bottles, in place of powder and guns. When they arrived there, Logan gave Capt. G. W. God- dard his pistol (the only firearm in the crowd,) and detailed him to stand guard at the mile tree, and report the approach of the enemy. He was to fire and fall back by the 'best route, firing all the while. About ten o'clock their whisky gave out, and the main body had to fall back to town for supplies. After replenishing their depleted quarter- master, they struck up a line of march for the Goodall bridge, one and a half miles southeast of Marion, a locality conspicuous at that time for other reasons.
About eleven o'clock the citizens in town sent John H. White to Carbondale for a "compromise." About the same hour, J. M. Campbell and J. M. Prickett started from Carbondale to come to Marion, to let the people know that there was no danger. They met on the road, but not recognizing each other, did not speak. Campbell and Prickett ran into the picket line about twelve o'clock, and were halted and arrest- ed by Goddard, who, when he saw who it was, started on to town with them. Just before this, the idea got into the heads of
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 269
the men at the 'bridge that they had not re- lieved Goddard. So, R. M. Allen was detain- ed as a courier-on account of the acute- ness of his hearing-to go and call in the pickets. He was on horseback, going on the jump, when he saw Goddard and his friends in the road. Thinking that it was the enemy, he went back to the bridge under the lash, and reported the enemy nearby. A scene of wildest consternation prevailed. By this time they had got two old shot-guns. Logan made a desperate effort to rally his men. Josh commanded one wing, and rallied two. All that were sober enough fell into line, and the rest would have done so if they could. It commenced raining about dark that night, and rained all night a steady rain. Logan formed his line, composed of about sixty men, and Josh formed his pa- rallel, composed of about sixty men, armed with clubs. The rest of the men were lying around by logs and stumps, unable to muster Logan told Josh not to form his men parel- lel to his, as they would shoot into each other that way; but Josh insisted that his line was formed right. A dispute came up, and ended in a regular pow-wow, and almost a great battle. Josh withdrew his forces and struck camp across the creek; but no enemy came. The storm-cloud was piling its temples of
270
THE HISTORY OF
blackness over the dark hill. The pelting of the rain kept step with the music of the rip- pling stream in the glen below. The men were lying around, fast asleep, covered with mud, on beds of water. In this condition they were found by R. J. Pully, who was sent down by Goddard to let them know that no enemy was coming. Josh and his command left the field and went home. Logan re- treated in good order to Marion with his squad. The rear was brought up next morn- ing by Clemison, who went to old Negro Sam's and got breakfast. Thus was this splendid army cut to pieces and routed with- out the loss of a single man. Next day, oth- ers heard this tale of luxury, decided to have another meeting that night, which they did. About one hundred of them met on the creek, south of town, 'but there were too many smart men in the crowd, and they broke up in a row.
In a few days Logan went to Benton, and the county was again thrown into excite- ment by John A. McClernand sending a dis- patch to John M. Cunningham, asking as- sistance in raising a brigade of soldiers. This was the first time that our folks knew that they would be called upon for troops. Cunningham consulted with his friends, and decided to not assist.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 271
The first troops that were ever in this county were those of Col. Hobb's Third Illi- nois regiment of cavalry. They passed through the county from Bloomington, on their way to Paducah. They were a fine- looking set of men, and conducted them- selves very gentlemanly. They camped at the Delaware Crossing. Gen. Logan was called to meet at Congress on the 4th of July, 1861, and after the great battle of Bull's Run, in which he took part, returned home in the latter part of August, and on the 3rd day of September, made his first speech in this county in raising his regiment; and on the 13th day of September the Thirty-first Illinois Volunteers was organized. Men kept going from this county into the regiment, and party feelings kept getting stronger, un- til a few words was sufficient to create dis- turbances. Republicans were very coolly received here in the latter part of 1861. P. H. Lang, the postmaster of Marion, anu a Republican, was threatened, and he had to move the post-office to Bainbridge, where he kept it a'bout six weeks. This was so in- convenient to the people of Marion that they offered protection to Lang if he would bring the office back. He did so, and the promise was always faithfully kept.
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.