USA > Illinois > Christian County > Past and present of Christian County, Illinois > Part 11
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in the fields were held fast by the 'slush' freezing about their feet, and it was neces- sary to cut away the ice to liberate them. Ducks and geese were imprisoned in the same way. It was scarcely ten minutes after the cold wave swept over the place until the water and melting snow was hard enough to bear up a man on horseback."
THE RAINY SEASON.
During the years of 1876 and 1877 Chris- tian county was confronted with two of the rainiest seasons that had ever been known in the history of this locality. Prior to this time and since, people have witnessed many freshets and heavy rain-falls, but they were of short duration, and the waters fall- ing soon moved away and left the farms in fair condition for the raising of their crops, but during the years 1876 and 1877 very early in the spring and until very late in the season, the rains were continuous, the streams were all swollen and the farms all flooded. In most localities the farmers were unable to plant their land to corn, except on the high patches ; all the low lands that were planted were never cultivated, and the crops never matured. As a farmer remarked to mne this morning, in many instances they would not be able to get ten bushels of corn off of eighty acres of land that had been planted, and this succession of bad crops had a terribly depressing influence upon the farming interests of Christian county, so much so that tenants by the hundred moved from off their farms, leaving the whole of their crops to the landlord to pay the rent, and out of the whole of it he ob- tained but a scanty rent. Many of the owners of land who mortgaged them prior to the rainy season, owing to the want of crops, were unable to meet their payment. and as a result, mortgages were foreclosed
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upon hundreds of farms in the county, and many good and valuable homes sacrificed. Lands that, prior to this, had been worth from $35 to $40 an acre dropped in value from $15 to $25 per acre, and much of the land that could have been purchased at that price is now worth $100 to $125 per acre.
After the railroads were installed in this county it looked as if the time had come when the farmers and those interested in agricultural pursuits would reap a rich harvest and lands did, in fact, rapidly ad- vance in value, but the county lacked drain- age : even open drains were very few; tile drains absolutely none, so that when the rains of these wonderful seasons of '76 and '77 came farmers were unable to get the water from their lands and as a result the crops were wholly destroyed.
Drainage was one of the absolute neces- sities for Christian county, and its improve- ment and the thorough drainage system which has since been adopted in several townships in the county and treated of in another chapter, will in all probability avert another calamity like that of '76 and '77.
Those who were able to withstand the struggle and hold on to their homes were well rewarded, for during the year 1878 and 1879, such wonderful wheat crops and other crops as were grown in this county had never been seen, and lands in a short time almost doubled in value.
Men who had bought farms during the time of depression realized enough off of one wheat crop in many instances to pay for the farm, and much of this money was utilized in the drainage of the lands and placing them beyond the probability of hav- ing their entire crops destroyed in conse- quence of a rainy season.
Christian county at that time looked al- most solely to her agricultural products for
its income, and as a result the depression felt in these years was not confined to the farmer, but was visited upon the merchant and laborer as well. Many people who had before this time supposed themselves to be in a position that would enable them to battle with and survive any ordinary dis- aster, were horrified and amazed at the de- pressing influence of these years upon the community. It is said that everything works together for the common good of all, and perhaps it is well that these scourges are inflicted upon us at times to remind us of our weakness and of the necessity of economy and thrift in more prosperous times. Every young man and woman should learn from these lessons that "in times of peace they should prepare for war"-that in times of thrift they should so economize and husband their resources that they may be able to bear their burdens in times of adversity and want of prosperity that happi- ness, independence and manhood are not ac- quired by the wasting of the whole of their earnings ; while no criticism can be offered in any endeavor to make life comfortable and happy, it is at all times to be praised, yet a squandering and wasting of the pro- ducts of our labor is at all times to be con- demned.
In the journey of life we are almost cer- tain to meet with disappointment and mis- fortune through natural causes, or other- wise, that call upon us for the preservation of our health and an economy in the man- agement of our affairs in life to be able to withstand these misfortunes when they be- fall us, ever remembering that old adage "that a wilful waste inakes a woeful want."
THE CYCLONE OF 1880.
Near the hour of sunset of Saturday, April 24, 1880, the western part of Chris-
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tian county was visited with a terrible cy- clone, which swept everything in its path and was very destructive of life and prop- erty.
The storm entered Christian county about four or five miles northwest from Morri- sonville and traveled in a northeasterly di- rection, crossing the south fork of the San- gamon river at Willowford bridge, and thence passing about two miles west of Tay- lorville to a point about five miles north of Taylorville, where it apparently lifted up and passed away.
In its course it passed over and destroyed many comfortable homes and much valu- able property.
News of the storm was received at Tay- lorville, shortly afterward, and the excite- ment that prevailed among the inhabitants was simply wonderful. There was a great demand for horses and rigs of every kind and character to visit the scene and care for those who were injured, but owing to the darkness of the night and the downpour of rain, it was almost impossible to obtain any definite results until daylight on Sunday morning.
As soon as it was possible, the wounded and dead were cared for, and the scene of destruction was visited on Sunday by thou- sands of people, and with one accord it was acknowledged by all to be by far the great- est and most destructive storm that ever visited this section of the country.
The unsightly waste and evidences of the power of the cyclone made the stoutest hearts quail and wonder at the power of the destructive forces of nature.
After the storm reached the prairie, the cloud became more visible to those in and near its path than while in the heavy tim- ber.
The writer has learned from Mr. E. A.
Miller, who was in the path of the storm and watched it for some distance before it reached his place, many important facts ob- served by him with reference to this cyclone. He says he observed it first at a distance of two or three miles moving in a direct line of his premises; that it appeared to be a cloud of funnel shape and of the density of the darkest coal smoke. relieved by streaks of light which were taken to be electricity ; it had a rotary motion as well as a forward motion, and while the rotary motion must have been exceedingly rapid. the forward motion did not exceed perhaps 30 miles an hour, and it apparently traveled in a straight course. There accompanied it a rumbling sound resembling somewhat that of a heavy train passing over a wooden bridge. As it reached Mr. Miller's place it passed to the west of his residence and over a tenant house that was occupied by Mr. Andrew Oyler.
The rotary motion seemed to have cov- ered the space of about 14 of a mile, and the cyclone moved from right to left, or from east to west, through-the north, the eastern side of the cyclone drawing the prop- erty and trees and human beings forward and towards the centre, the west side of the cyclone drawing the property backward and toward the centre. The house occupied by Andrew Oyler was on the west of- the cen- tre of the storm. was entirely destroyed. but a portion of the roof and the chimney of the house were carried backward the dis- tance of about seventy-five yards, and there dropped in a pile in the wake of the storm as if they had been dumped from a wagon. AAt a hedge fence running east and west north of Mr. Miller's residence in the track of the storm on the east side of the centre of the storm, the debris was deposited on the south side of the hedge and on the west side of the storm centre, the debris was depos-
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ited on the north side of the hedge, and the exact centre of the storm could be observed as it passed over fields by a light line of lit- ter of husks, corn shucks and things of that character of the width of about three feet.
Mr. Miller had a beautiful maple grove through which the storm passed, and on the east side of the centre of the storm the trees were blown down and turned to the north and northwest, while on the west side of the centre the trees were blown down and twisted and turned to the south and south- east.
The well at the tenant house of Mr. Miller was curbed in two sections, the upper section being of the length of about 10 feet ; this section was drawn from the well by the storm and utterly demolished.
There were standing in the barn at this tenant house occupied by Mr. Oyler, two horses ; one was tied to the manger and the other to a post that was set in the ground ; the barn was entirely destroyed and every vestige of it swept away, except the one post at which the horse was tied. The horse tied at the manger was picked up by the storm and carried the distance of about 30 rods northeast and badly crippled while the horse tied to the post remained there and was not injured. In the wake of the storm Mr. Miller found chickens, rattlesnakes, to- gether with many other objects of interest, and he says.the feathers were picked from the chickens as close as though they had been prepared for market, but it was a mys- tery where the rattlesnakes came from, evi- dently carried there from the timber.
A neighbor living north of him had cattle pastures upon the south side of a large hedge fence; some of these cattle were picked up and actually carried over the top of this hedge fence, a distance of many rods,
and dropped upon the other side, many of them being killed, some badly injured.
Smith Oyler's residence was completely torn down, and carried away; yet a cone shaped wood-pile cut into stove lengths and being within the same distance of the storm centre as the house was not disturbed. A new wagon upon the place of Mr. Miller was utterly demolished, the wagon spokes separated from the hub of one wheel, while the tire of this wheel was found wrapped around a tree further along in the line of the storm.
In the track of the storm for some distance upon each side of the centre the ground was in most places swept perfectly clean, in places had the appearance of a swept street ; where it passed through the wheat field of Andrew Oyler, the wheat which was about eight inches high was cut and cleaned up so that you could scarcely observe that any- thing had ever been planted there.
At the home of Mr. T. J. Langley, who resided near the timber, the family sought protection by running to the orchard, lying down upon the ground and taking hold of trees; one of his sons, a boy of the age of about seven years, was picked up by the storm and carried out over the trees the dis- tance of about 200 feet, and there dropped in a wheat field: the boy was crippled, but not killed, and he says that as he was being carried away he observed by the streaks of light in the storm cloud the trees below him as he passed along ; the mother of the boy, Mrs. Langley, was killed, and Mr. Langley and the other son were badly crippled, and Mr. T. W. Brents, our present sheriff, was there at the time and was also injured. His head was badly cut and hand broken.
Mr. Langley says they were all of them literally covered and plastered with mud, so much so that they could scarcely open their
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eyes after the storm had passed by, and Mr. Brents and Mr. Langley both describe the storm passing over them as if there was a terrible weight resting upon them.
At Mr. Cutler's, two children were killed, and Mrs. Cutler badly crippled ; at Frank Peters', the family took refuge under a manger in a log stable, and the storm blew down this log stable even with the top of the manger and the family miraculously es- caped. The storm swept over and destroyed the home of Mr. Thomas Smith by lifting his house from the foundation and partially turning it around ; the home of Mr. S. W. Hawkins, a little further north in the course of the storm, was badly wrecked and al- most entirely demolished, but the family, having gathered in a southeast room, mirac- ulously escaped injury.
The home of the widow Carlton was not disturbed, except the roof was blown away. It seems that as the storm passed along it would raise and lower at places.
The residence of Mr. Edward Leigh was entirely swept away, together with much property, but the family escaped by seeking refuge in the cellar; likewise the house of Mr. John Gessner, but the family was pre- served by having gone to the cellar for safe- ty. The home, barn, orchard and every- thing surrounding the home of Mr. T. J. Langley were totally destroyed, and the family injured as above described.
It is said that Mr. A. Elliot had several ribs broken, and that Mrs. Elliot, with a mother's devotion, sought to shield her off- spring from harm by clasping the children under each arm, and with another in her lap waited the onset : that the children were unhurt, and that Mrs. Elliot was severely wounded.
The escape of Rinaldo Carlton and his wife, was simply miraculous ; they attempt-
ed to hold the door from being blown open by the storm, but being unable to do so, rushed out into the storm and the house was entirely destroyed. Fortunately they re- ceived only slight injuries.
The Willowford bridge was totally wrecked and many of the heavy timbers caught up and carried a distance of a mile. At the residence of Mr. J. J. Williams he and his family sought refuge in a cave and avoided injury, but the house and buildings were entirely destroyed.
Mr. J. J. Cutler lived a quarter of a mile north of Mr. Williams, and at the time of the approach of the storm attempted to reach his home, but was overtaken by the hurricane, and found himself amidst flying rails, boards and timbers, and on nearing his home he saw the tornado lift the house from the ground, and the form of his little daugh- ter carried away high above the tree tops. The body was found the next morning quite a distance from the house in a brush pile with the upper part of the head gone and the skull crushed, and his little son was found a short distance from the house hor- ribly mutilated and dead.
Frank Peters and his family were saved by taking refuge in a log stable. The home was entirely destroyed.
At the home of Jolin Hayes the house was lifted from over the heads of himself and family, leaving them on the floor; no one was seriously injured, except Mr. Hayes, who received a fracture of the skull ; also at the home of William Welsh the roof was taken off the house, but the family was uninjured.
Mr. and Mrs. George Higgins were found a few hours after the storm had subsided, a quarter of a mile away from where their house had stood, locked in each other's arms,
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covered with mud, insensible, bleeding and horribly mutilated.
James Watts and wife were both seri- ously injured, and their home and effects entirely destroyed ; the home of Mrs. Holf- ner was also destroyed, and she, with her five children, were caught in the falling building : Mrs. Holfner and two of the chil- dren were seriously injured.
At Frank Harket's, one end of the house was blown out and the roof lifted, leaving the other end of the house and the occu- pants uninjured.
Buildings were also destroyed and the farms of Mr. Miller, Mr. Oyler, Mr. Jonas Kemmerer and Mr. Perkins: also the school house known as the Perkins' school house was completely demolished, and here near the Perkins home is where the storm seems to have lifted up and sailed away, and so far as the writer has been able to ascertain, no other damage was inflicted by this storm.
The writer will not attempt to make any deductions from this great and wonderful phenomena of nature, but has sought to give in detail, as best he could, the peculiar- ities of this wonderful cloud, with its move- ments and effects, and such incidents as ap- pear strange or peculiar, so that every one who reads this article may study and deter- mine for himself, if he can, how or why nature moves in such wondrous ways.
The writer has not attempted to give a description of the entire amount of prop- erty that was destroyed, but it is sufficient to say that in this county hundreds of valu- able animals and much valuable property. amounting in all to probably hundreds of thousands of dollars, were destroyed by this wonderful cyclone.
The impressions made by this storm upon the minds of the inhabitants residing in this vicinity perhaps never will be eradicated ;
the people prepared caves and regulated their cellars for protection, and for years afterwards, upon the approach of almost every storm, the people sought refuge in these caves and cellars, and it is well, for there seems to be no protection from them except by taking refuge in a cave or cellar.
CHRISTIAN COUNTY'S HEROES IN WAR.
The people of this locality, before and after the county was organized, have al- ways shown themselves to be loyal, brave and true to the interests of their county, and have at all times been ready and willing to make all necessary sacrifices for the good of the country. She has furnished her quota of soldiers for the Black Hawk war of 1832, the Mexican war, the Civil war and the Spanish war, and no history of the county would be complete without giving a detailed history of those of its citizens who engaged in these recent wars. While it is true, it is to some extent a matter merely of statistics, yet these are very dear to the hearts of many of the people of our county, and should be recorded, even though lengthy.
These statistics have been collected by a former historian of this county, for all of the wars except the Spanish-American war, and will be given as therein designated with the addition of the soldiers of the Spanish war.
Before entering into detail of the causes and results of the Black Hawk war, we give our readers a brief sketch of the celebrated warrior who figured so conspicuously in those sanguinary campaigns. Macuta Ma- hicatah is the Indian name for Black Hawk. He was born in the Sauk village in the year 1767. and was an Indian of considerable tal- ent and sagacity, shrewd and eloquent in council : he, however, deported himself in
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that demure, grave and formal manner in- other places, but, getting dissatisfied with cident to almost all Indians. It is said he the hard fighting and small amount of spoils, he and twenty comrades left for the Sauk village at Rock Island, where he re- mained for many years at peace, with the exception of a small battle on the Quiver river settlement in Missouri, in the present limits of St. Charles county, where one white man and an Indian were killed. possessed a mind of more than ordinary strength, but slow and plodding in its op- erations. In comparison he could not be classed with the great Indian characters, such as Philip. Brant, Logan, Tecumseh and such illustrious men. By the portraits of him now extant, the reader of character will readily observe in his large, high fore- head and the lines worn by care in his face, massive jaw and compressed lips, a charac- ter indicative of more than ordinary ability. His ambition was to distinguish himself as a great warrior ; yet he was merciful to the weak, the women and children. The only road for an Indian to distinguish himself and become a great man is in war. So soon as he kills an enemy he may paint on his blanket a blood hand, which will entitle him to a seat in the councils. In 1810 and 18II Black Hawk and comrades were "nursing their wrath to keep it warm" against the whites. A\ party of Sacs, by invitation, went to see the prophet of Tippecanoe. They re- turned more angry against the Americans. A party of Winnebagoes had massacred some whites, which excited for murder the Sac band headed by Black Hawk. A part of his band and some Winnebagoes attacked Fort Madison in 18ur, but were repulsed. Black Hawk headed the Sacs in this at- tack.
In 1812 emissaries from the British ar- rived at Rock Island with goods and se- cured Black Hawk with five hundred war- riors to go with Col. Dixon to Canada. When they reached Green Bay there were assembled there bands of the Ottowas, Pot- tawatomies, "Winnebagoes and Kickapoos, under the command of Col. Dixon. Black Hawkand band participated in the battle of River Raisin, the Lower Sandusky and
The principal cause of the Indian trou- bles in '31-'32, better known as the Black Hawk war, was the determination of Black Hawk and his band to remain in their an- cient village, located on Rock river, not far from its junction with the Mississippi. The government, having some time previ- ously, by various treaties, purchased the vil- lage and the whole country from the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians, had some of these lands surveyed, and in 1828 some of the lands in and around the ancient village were sold : the collision between the two races for the possession of the property produced the first disturbance between the Indians and the government. Seeing that war was in- evitable, the Governor of Illinois made a call on the militia of the state for seven hundred men on the 26th of May, 1831, and appointed Beardstown, on the Illinois river, as the place of rendezvous. The call was responded to with that promptness charac- teristic of the early pioneers of this state. Their habits of life were such that all were familiar with the rifle. After marching eight days, the mounted militia reached a point a few miles below the Sac village on the Mississippi, where they joined the United States forces under Gen. Gaines and encamped in the evening. The next morn- ing the forces marched up to an Indian town prepared to give the enemy battle, but in the night the Indians had escaped and crossed the Mississippi. This ended Black
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Hawk's bravado and his determination to his tent April 6, 1832. This armed array die in his ancient village. The number of of savages soon alarmed the settlers, and a general panic spread through the whole frontier from the Mississippi to Lake Mich- igan. Many settlers in terror abandoned their homes and farms, and the Governor decided, on the 16th of April, to call out a large number of volunteers to operate in conjunction with Gen. Atkinson, who was in command of the regular forces at Rock Island. The Governor ordered the troops to rendezvous at Beardstown on the 22d of April. warriors under his command was estimated at from four to six hundred men. Black Hawk and his band landed on the west side of the Mississippi, a few miles below Rock Island, and there camped. Gen. Gaines sent a peremptory order to him and his war- riors that if he and his men did not come to Rock Island and make a treaty of peace he would march his troops and give him battle at once. * In a few days Black Hawk and the chiefs and head men to the number of twenty-eight appeared in Fort Armstrong, and on the 30th of June, 1831, in full council with Gen. Gaines and Governor John Reynolds, signed a treaty of peace.
THE BLACK HAWK WAR IN 1832.
During the winter of '31 and '32 rumors were rife that Black Hawk and his band were dissatisfied, restless and preparing for mischief. A chief of the Winnebago In- dians, who had a village on Rock river, some thirty miles above its confluence with the Mississippi, joined Black Hawk, who was located on the west bank of the Father of Waters. The chief had great influence with Black Hawk and his band. He made them believe that all the tribes on Rock river would join them, and that together they could bid defiance to the whites. By this unwise counsel Black Hawk resolved to re-cross the river, which he did in the winter of 1832. That move proved to be their destruction. Through his influence and zeal, Black Hawk encouraged many of the Sacs and Foxes to join him at the head of his determined warriors. He first assem- bled them at old Fort Madison on the Mis- sissippi ; subsequently marched them up the river to the Yellow Banks, where he pitched
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