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 15
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 15
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
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Political poison permeated nearly every mind and place. It got into the Church, and even raised its head in the sacred Tem- ple of Justice.
At the June term of our Circuit Court, 1862, out of forty-seven jurors, only two were Republicans, and about the proportion in 1863-4. And when the Republicans car- ried the county, in 1865, this feeling was carried as far on the other side. Again, in 1869, when the Democrats carried the coun- ty, this feeling had not entirely died out, although all honest men had long been dis- gusted with it, and ashamed of it. Since 1870, no lawyer asks what a juror's politics are.
On or about the 14th day of August, 1862, A. D. Duff, W. J. Allen, A. P. Corder, John Clemison and A. C. Nelson were all arrested by United States officers, and taken to Cairo, where they were kept about three weeks and then taken to Washington, and kept in the Old Capitol prison for nearly three months, and then turned loose without trial. These parties were charged with making rebel speeches; with belonging to the Knights of the Golden Circle, and stirring up sedition and treason. They claimed that they had committed no overt act against the Government, or any other crime, and
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 273 that while they thought the Knights of the Golden Circle was a good and loyal society, they did not 'belong to it. They denied mak- ing rebel speeches, but insisted that they were for peace. They were arrested on af- fidavits filed in the Provost Marshal's of- fices, in Cairo, charging them with these of- fenses, and the writ of habeas corpus being suspended by the President, of course they could not get a trial, although they repeated- ly demanded one. After their release, Judge Duff published on the 15th day of Decem- ber, 1862, an address to the people of South Illinois, "Relative to his arrest by the Abo- lition Despotism." It was a caustic and scathing letter. A regular diabolical slayer of marshals, detectives, police, etc. He claimed that they were arrested in order that the Republicans could carry the fall election. Their arrests had 'but little effect on the county. The people grew more tur- bulent, and personal difficulties became more frequent. At this time the Golden Circle was in the most flourishing condition. The design was formed in this Order of. raising a regiment for the Union Army, for the purpose of repelling the imputation of disloyalty laid on some of its members.
R. M. Hundley and James D. Pully went to work, in August and September 1862, and
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raised the One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Regiment Illinois Volunteers. There were some doubts whether the Governor would re- ceive the regiment or not, and I. M. Lewis and G. L. Owen, Republicans, and A. T. Ben- son, Democrat, were sent to Springfield. At DuQuoin, they fell in with Dr. Burges, who went with them. He talked principally with Owen, and Benson became suspicious that Owen was not in good faith. Burges told Benson that the proposed officers for that regiment ought to be hung, and he ought to be arrested, and he did not know but what it would be done. Benson got scared at this, and wanted Lewis to return. Lewis said ne was in good faith, and intended to go on. At Springfield, Lewis and Benson went to Harmon G. Reynolds, secretary of the Grand Lodge of Masons, and got a recom- mendation from him to the Governor. It was three days before they could get an au- dience with him. When they did get a hear- ing, Owen wanted Burges to do the talking, but Benson passed up his recommendations, and Yates asked him what they wanted. Benson stated the object of their visit, and their request was granted, and they dis- missed. Benson said, "They were treated kindly by the finest-looking man on earth." After the regiment was raised, they went
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into quarters for a few days at the Fair Grounds; from here they went to Spring- field, where they organized, with R. M. Hundley as Colonel, and James D. Pully as Lieutenant-Colonel. They remained there about a month before they drew clothing, and it was very cold, and they half naked. The Republican press abused them without mercy, and the officers were looked upon with suspicion and contempt, and given no chance to exhibit their loyalty. They were called the "Whang Doodle Regiment." The men became dissatisfied, and soon began to desert; but after they drew clothes, half of them were furloughed home. The remain- der escorted General McClelland to Cairo. Those who had been furloughed home never reported back. A few of the remaining pri .. vates were transferred to other regiments, and the others discharged. While at Cairo George Aikin, the Quartermaster of this regiment, went over to Jeff. Thompson's army, and proposed to assist them in cap- turing Cairo. He agreed that this regiment should all understand it, and not fire on them. He made two trips for this purpose, and had a gentleman with him one time. The last trip, a lieutenant from Thompson's army came with him to view the situation. The intention was for Aikin and his confed-
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erate to post all the soldiers, and for Thompson to send soldiers over and capture the city. Aikin commenced his insidious works of informing the 'boys of his plot. About the first man he told it to was Dr. J. Clemison. Clemison went immediately and told Colonel Hundley all about the in- famous plot, and Hundley indignantly vetoed the whole thing. This regiment was com- posed of as good material as any in the ser- vice, but they were badly treated. The Chaplain said: "That there were men in this regiment that would have turned their guns against the Government I have no doubt, but the majority of them would have made as good soldiers as lived, under favora- ble circumstances.
In the spring of 1863, one company of the Thirty-Fifth Iowa were stationed here for a short time. They were paroled pris- oners off military duty, said to be, and were here to assist the enrollment officer, but the county was not enrolled.
In July and August, 1863, Major Biers, with the third battalion of the Sixteenth Illinois Cavalry, was camped in the old Fair Ground. He was sent here to arrest desert- ers, suppress sedition, and enroll the county. He put the town under martial law,, with Capt. Wilcot as Provost-Marshal, who sta-
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 277
tioned guards on all the principal streets. They required some persons to take the oath before leaving town. W. J. Allen was asked to take the oath of allegiance, or remain in town inside the lines. He remained in town, and part of the time with a guard around his residence. He said he had taken the oath in Congress and was willing to do so again, but that to be forced to would be construed in the light that he was acting so as to make it necessary. The Republicans charged that he refused to swear allegiance to his county because he was for the South. Col Hundley refused to take the oath for a while, but he lived outside of the lines, and was forced to as a matter of convenience.
The Provost-Marshal issued an order that no man should sell whisky to the sol- diers. One day one of them got drunk, and a man by the name of McDaniel was caught running the guard line with a jug. When captured, he said he got the whisky at Lowe's saloon. Wilcot ordered all Lowe's whisky to be thrown into the streets, and several barrels of that popular article were wasted. At the August Term, 1863, of the Circuit Court, George Aikin, then foreman of the Grand Jury, swore before that 'body that Biers and some of his men came to his house in the day-time, took him out and whipped
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him, and then tied his hands behind him to a long pole, and then left him in a grove of thick saplings. Upon this evidence Biers was indicted, and a bench warrant issued for his arrest, and placed in the hands of Sheriff Spencer, who executed it by his deputy, Alex. Manier, without any resistance. But Biers' men soon heard of his arrest, and they formed on the Square, and told the Sheriff that he must release Biers. Spencer said he could not do that, as he had a warrant, but that he could not fight a regiment. Biers then walked out. The soldiers had just started to leave the county, when the Grand Jury adjourned. Biers arrested Aikin, who, when he started off, halloed out to the people, "Now you see where your liberty has gone to." They took him to Springfield, where he remained about a month, then came home and got a good start, and ran away. He was a very mean man. I have elsewhere spoken of the "Aiken gang," of which he was the leader. Aiken might have got whipped but that United States soldiers did it is preposterous. While Wilcot was in town he made an order that no man 'but a soldiers should wear brass buttons on their clothes. This was a tag at the soldiers of the One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth, who were still wearing their uniforms. They cut
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WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
the buttons off some of their coats. A good many soldiers from this county went into the Ninth, Sixtieth, one Hundred and Ten- th Illinois Infantry, and a company was raised to guard Muddy Bridge, which serv- ed three months in 1862; and in 1863 a com- pany of hundred days' men were raised in this county.
From first to last, this county furnish- ed about two thousand soldiers, a larger per cent than any other county in the state.
A majority of our people were true to the Government, true to her traditions, and taught the world that they were liberal of their blood when the flag of their country was assailed. The campaign of 1865 was the hottest one ever known in this county. The soldiers had returned and swelled the strength of the Republican party up to a majority. The city, which had witnessed all the horrors of 1863-4, was now again the constant scenes of fights, riots and routs. The Republican politicians walked all over the county and the Democrats walked with equal vigor. It was during this canvass that Capt. Cunningham is reported to have said to a friend, "Come up and help me, they are trying to take my office away from me." The election came off, and the Republicans were successful. They attributed their success to
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the return of the soldiery, and the Demo- crats attributed their defeat to the "boiling of sorghum." For two or three days after the election, the Republicans made themselves scarce on the streets. One was seen run- ing through the field and when accosted by a friend, told him not to go up town, for the whole Democratic party were on a drunk. It was the first time that the county had ever gone Republican, and the Democrats were concerned about it. Some of them said it was ruined; others threatened to leave it, while one insisted that they had just as well turn the paupers out to feed on wild grapes.
The commissions of the new County Court were mislaid, somehow, so that they were in danger of not getting them in time. They charged the Democrats of suppressing them in the post office, so that the old Court would get to meet once more, and fix the sal- aries. Jesse Bishop went to Springfield to get the commissions, and he was told that the commissions had been sent long ago. He got certified copies and returned. On the day that Court was to meet, in stepped the new members with their certified copies, and demanded the offices. They were giv- en up without a word, and the original com- missions soon produced. With the exception
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WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 281
of this, there has been but one charge of fraud in the elections of this county. That was in 1864. The Republicans accused the Democrats of stuffing the ballot box in Lake Creek Precinct; but I know nothing of the truth of the charge. At the June Term of the County Court, 1864, R. M. Hundley and Arthur Boyle contracted to build the jail for the sum of $9,000, which they 'built, and Lodge and Spencer painted it, in 1865, for $350.
The campaign of 1868 was carried on grandly in this county, by both parties. Reason was taking the place of violence, and the politicians got down to hard work. The county again went Republican Since then it has been very near evenly divided. Peo- ple have laid aside their prejudices to a great extent, and the elections have been con- ducted as becomes freemen. No man has been whipped for opinion's sake. Sympa- thetic feelings have sprung up among our people. There is no social or religious os- tracism on account of politics, 'but all work together harmoniously for the common good.
The campaign of 1876, in this county, was one of a vast scene of peace and friend- ship. The election, though strongly contest- ed passed off without a single ripple of discord to ruffle the political sea.
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The defaulters in this county have been as follows :
The first one was R. R. Hendrickson, Sheriff, in 1862, to the amount of $1,643.85; he paid most of it himself, and the rest was collected on his bond. In 1864, W. R. Scur- lock, County Superintendent, defaulted in the sum of $750, which was paid by his bondsmen. James Cheneworth, County Treasurer in 1863, was a defaulter to a less amount, which was collected by suit on his bond. In 1875, J. D. F. Jennings was de- faulter, as State's Attorney, of about $900. Suit is now pending on his bond. These were Democrats. In 1872, A. N. Owen, Sheriff, and a Republican, was defaulter in the sum of $5,000. All the county and school part he paid up, but suit is now pending on his bond for the State tax, or part of it.
The county has never adopted township organization, but has twice voted on the question. Once on the petition of G. W. Young in 1873, and once on the petition of James M. Duncan, in 1874. That is an im- provement in county government that our people have not yet learned, but the day is not far distant when it will be adopted.
The county has several times funded her non-interest bearing debt.
In 1874 it was funded in fifty-dollar
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 283
bonds, running for five years, and there was $8,482.40 funded at that time. For the year ending September 1876, the total expendi- tures of the county were $31,366.79, but this was on account of the criminal trials. The taxes collected for that year were about $17,000. The county ought to be run £ on $8,000 a year in peaceable times, exclusive of the interest on railroad bonds; but it oft- ener reaches $10,000 or $12,000.
With this I close the volume, hoping that, that impartiality and correctness with which I have tried to write it, may be accorded to me as a defense against the displeasure of those who find defects and omissions in it. And if it serves to assist any of the peo- ple of this great state in forming a correct estimate of the character of our people, and interests the companions of my youthful days, I shall 'be satisfied.
THE END.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
977.3993ER9H1914 C001 HISTORY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS,
3 0112 025400513
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