USA > Illinois > Jo Daviess County > The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Illinois Constitution of the United States > Part 27
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 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
It was now the turn of the volunteers to retreat, which they did with wonderful celerity, after murdering their two prisoners, without waiting for the onslaught, supposing they were pursued by a thousand savage warriors. The flying rascals rushed through the camp, spreading terror and consterna- tion among their comrades, but late so eager to meet the foe. The wildest panic ensued, there was " mounting in hot haste," and without waiting to see whether there was any thing to run for, every man fled, never stopping until they had reached Dixon's Ferry or some other place of safety, or had been stopped by the tomahawk or bullet. The first inan to reach Dixon was a Kentucky lawyer, not unknown to fame in Jo Daviess County, who, as he strode into Dixon, reported that every man of Stillman's command had been killed except himself. Another man, named Comstock, never stopped until he reached Galena, where he reported that "the men were all drunk, as he was, got scared and made the best time they could out of danger, but that he didn't see a single Indian." All accounts concur in the main facts, however, that the men were drunk, and that the white flag displayed by Black Hawk was fired upon in ntter disregard of all rules of warfare recog- nized, even among the Indians. The whites had commenced the work of murder, and the Indians, losing all hope of negotiation, determined that extermination was a game that both parties could play at. Gen. Whiteside, were in command at Dixon, at once marched for the fatal field, but the enemy gone, the main body having moved northward, and the rest scattered in small bands to avenge the death of their people upon unoffending settlers. Eleven of Stillman's inen were killed, among whom were Captain Adamns and Major Perkins. Their mutilated remains were gathered and buried, and the place is known as "Stillman's Run " to this day. This was the commence- ment of hostilities, and justice compels the impartial historian to record that the whites were the aggressors. Many of the volunteers appreciated . the fact, too. It was not such grand sport to kill Indians when they found
284
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
that Indians might kill them, and especially when war had been wantonly commenced by firing upon and killing the bearers of the flag of peace. They grumbled and demanded to be mustered ont, and were dismissed soon after by Governor Reynolds. Another call was issued, and a new regiment of volunteers was mustered in at Beardstown, with Jacob Fry as Colonel; James D. Henry, Lieutenant Colonel, and John Thomas, Major. The late commanding general, Whiteside, volunteered as a private.
The fatal act of Stillman's men precipitated all the horrors of Indian border warfare upon the white settlements in Jo Daviess County, as it then existed, and in the adjoining portions of Michigan Territory. Nor is it certain that all the outrages were perpetrated by the "British Band." It is certain that young Pottawatomies and Winnebagoes joined Black Hawk, and after the war suddenly closed at Bad Axe, it was ascertained that many of the murders had been committed by these Indians. Among the first results of "Stillman's defeat" was the descent of about seventy Indians upon an unprotected settlement at Indian Creek, where they massacred fif- teen men, women and children of the families of Hall, Davis and Pettigrew, and captured two young women, Sylvia and Rachel Hall. These girls, seventeen and fifteen years old respectively, were afterwards brought in by Winnebagoes to Gratiot Grove, and were ransomed by Major Henry Gratiot, for two thousand dollars in horses, wampum and trinkets, and came to Galena.
May 15, 1832, Capt. James W. Stephenson arrived at Galena with the startling intelligence of Stillman's disastrous defeat and the commencement of bloody hostilities by the Indians, creating intense excitement among the people. The ringing notes of the bugle called the settlers and miners together on the old race course on the bottom near the river, near the foot of Washington Street, Galena, and a company of mounted rangers was organized, with James W. Stephenson for captain. At 3 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, May 19, Sergeant Fred Stahl (now a respected citizen of Galena) and privates William Durley, Vincent Smith, Redding Bennett, and James Smith, started to bear dispatches to Gen. Atkinson at Dixon's Ferry, with John D. Winters, the mail contractor, for guide, but on Sun- day, 20th, Sergeant Stahl returned and added to the alarm of the people by reporting that his party had been ambuscaded by the Indians just on the edge of Buffalo Grove, now in Ogle County, fifty miles from Galena, about 5 o'clock P. M. Saturday afternoon, and that Durley was instantly killed and left on the spot. Stahl received a bullet through his coat collar, and James Smith afterwards found a bullet hole in his hat and became intensely frightened. After the war, the leader of the Indians told Dixon that he could have killed the young fellow (Stahl) as well as not, but he had a fine horse, and in trying to shoot him without injuring the animal, he shot too high, as Stahl suddenly stooped at the same time.
The Galenian of May 23, 1832, says: "The tomahawk and scalping knife have again been drawn on our frontier. Blood of our best citizens has been spilt in great profusion within the borders of Illinois. The Indians must be exterminated or sent off."
In the same paper it is said that "fortifications for the defense of the town are rapidly progressing. On Saturday last (19th) a stockade * was com-
* A stockade was made by first digging a trench and standing upright in it timbers from 6 to 12 inches in diameter, from 10 to 14 feet long, and hewed to a point on the top end. These timbers were placed close together, so that when the trench was filled with
285
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
menced near the centre of the town." On the bluff above (near the corner of Perry and Prospect Streets), on a spot selected by Lieut. J. R. B. Gar- denier, commanding the stockade and a large part of the town, a block- house was erected and a battery planted, manned by an artillery company, of which Lieut. Gardenier was captain. (On the northeast corner of Perry and Main Streets there stood a stone house occupied by Maj. Campbell; a little distance behind it was a well that is still in existence, and above the well, towards Bench Street, was a log house built by Dr. Hancock; a short distance west of Hancock's house was another log cabin that is still stand- ing on the west side of Perry Street, and in the northwest corner of Perry and Bench Streets was another little cabin. The stockade included these houses and the well, extended from near the middle of Bench Street nearly to the rear of Campbell's stone house, and along Bench Street from a point nearly opposite Col. Strode's residence, east about 200 or 250 feet. A blockhouse was built at the northwest corner. Col. Strode lived on the northwest side of Bench Street, a little way west from Perry, and the gate of the stockade was directly opposite his residence.)
On Monday, May 21, *Col. J. M. Strode, commanding the 27th Reg- iment Illinois Militia, proclaimed martial law, and required every able bodied man to work on the stockade from 9 A. M. to 6 P. M. Strode's proclamation also prohibited the sale of spirits "at any of the groceries or taverns in Galena from 8 o'clock A. M. until 7 o'clock P. M.," and all persons were " positively prohibited from firing guns without positive orders, unless while standing guard to give an alarm."
The following is a list of the officers of the different companies then organized, as published in the Galenian, May 23 :
" 1st Mounted Rangers, J. W. Stephenson, Captain; J. K. Hammett, Alex. Kerr, Lieutenants.
2d Artillery, J. R. B. Gardenier, Captain ; W. Campbell, 1st Lieutenant.
Independent Company of "Galena Volunteers Guards," M. M. Maughs, Captain ; Moses Swan and R. Singleton, Lieutenants.
Capt. H. H. Gear's Company consists of 60 men. Capt. Beedle's Company of 40 or 50 men. Capt. Aldenrath's Company from East Fork is also in town.
A block house and stockade are built at Apple River (near Elizabeth) and a company of 46 men organized, commanded by Vance L. Davidson, James Craig and James Temple, Lieutenants.
At White Oak Springs, ten miles from Galena, a stockade was erected, and a company of 70 organized. Benj. W. Clark, Captain; John R. Shultz, J. B. Woodson, Lieutenants.
At the New Diggings, nine miles from Galena, was another company of 69 men under command of L. P. Vosburglı, Captain ; P. Carr and H. Cavener, Lieutenants; and at Vinegar Hill a company of 52 men was commanded by Capt. Jonathan Craig, with Thos. Kilgore and R. C. Bourn, Lieutenants. There was also a large company of nearly 100 men at Gratiot's Grove."
The miners and settlers were thus able to protect themselves within a week after the news of Stillman's disaster reached them.
May 21, Indians fired on a Mr. Goss, near the mouth of Plum River.
earth there would be a solid wooden wall 8 to 10 feet in height. In the inside a platform was built on which the inmates could stand to fire over the top, and the walls were also pierced with loop-holes.
* Col. Strode was said to have been the first man to reach Dixon after Stillman's defeat.
286
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS .COUNTY.
May 23, Felix St. Vrain, Agent for the Sacs and Foxes, bearer of dis- patches, left Gen. Atkinson's headquarters, on Rock River, accompanied by John Fowler, Thos. Kenney, Wm. Hale, Aquilla Floyd, Aaron Hawley, and Alexander Higginbotham. At Buffalo Grove they found the body of the lamented Durley, and buried it a rod from the spot where they found it. The next day (24th) they were attacked by a party of thirty Indians, near Kellogg's "old place." St. Vrain, Fowler, Hale and Hawley were killed. The other three escaped and arrived at Galena on the morning of the 26th.
From the time the first volunteers were mustered out by Gov. Rey- nolds on the 26th or 27th of May, until the new levies were organized on the 15th of June, numerous murders were committed by the Indians, and the only protection the people had were their own brave hearts and strong arms. The atrocities perpetrated by the Indians upon the bodies of their victims, aroused the vengeance of the settlers and miners, many of whom had previously felt that the Indians were not so much in fault, and liad been needlessly provoked to bloodshed.
On the 30th day of May, 1832, a meeting of the citizens of Galena and vicinity, called by Col. Strode, to consider the perilous situation of the mining district and devise measures for security and protection, was held at the house of M. & A. C. Swan (standing then on the corner of Main and Green Streets, opposite De Soto House). William Smith, Esq., was called to the chair, and Capt. James Craig appointed Secretary.
On motion of Dr. Meeker, a committee of nine, consisting of Moses Meeker, William Hempstead, Michael Byrne, Robert Graham, Mr. Shears, James Craig, D. R. Davis, Mr. Thomas and David McNair, were appointed to deliberate and propose such measures as they may think best calculated to secure the object in view. This committee subsequently reported a series of resolutions, that the picketing and block houses be finished; that a garrison of 100 to 150 men be detailed, one third to be quartered in the garrison, and the others to be equally divided in the two extremities of the town, independent of the artillery and horse companies; that not less than 15 men belonging to the artillery company lodge in the block house every night; recommending that two companies be made of Capt. Stephenson's com- pany and that they and Capt. Craig's company elect a major to command the squadron; that these companies shall be stationed in the vicinity of Galena, and shall keep out a sufficient number of spies or scouts to form a circuit of from 10 to 25 miles around Galena, and report every evening; that all persons subject to military duty be immediately enrolled, held in readiness for active service, and to parade with their arms and equipments every evening at four o'clock; that at least ten days provisions for one thousand men, with fifty barrels of water, be kept constantly in the stockade; that there must be unity of action between the forces under Gen. Dodge and the mounted men of this place, and that Dr. A. T. Crow, William Smith, Esq., and James Craig should prepare an address to the citizens of the min- ing district, in order to remove some existing misunderstanding * between the people of the town and country.
* The people of the country coming to Galena for safety were not provided for as they thought they ought to be. The people of the town were all excited, had their own business (the little that remained) to manage, and probably left their country neighbors to take care of themselves. Numbers of them were encamped on the bottom near the river for some time, no provision for them having been made within the stockade. Miners refused to come into town for this reason. They said, " We may as well remain at home as to go to the Point, where no arrangements have been madefor us." A feeling of jealousy or bit- terness sprang up in consequence, and to this the committee had reference.
287
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
The gentlemen named prepared and published the following:
ADDRESS.
To the Citizens of the Mining District, embracing the County of Jo Daviess in the State of Illinois, and the Western parts of the Territory of Michigan on the Upper Mississippi:
Inhabiting, as we do, a country isolated from our brethren both of the State and of the Union, to which we belong, surrounded by a savage and hostile enemy, who have raised both the tomahawk and sealping knife, alike on the defenseless inhabitants, as the soldier going forth to battle. Already have we witnessed the fall of a Durley, a St. Vrain, a Hale, a Fowler, and a Hawley on this side of Rock River, while the sealping knife is still reeking in the blood of our fellow-citizens between Roek River and Peoria, and two of our sisters (Sylvia and Rachael Hall) are groaning in captivity amongst a savage enemy-our eommu- nieation eut off by land from the south and east. Prevented by Indian hostility from cultivating our farms and gardens, receiving but little succor from the State to which we belong, or from the General . Government, receiving but seanty supplies by way of the Mississippi, which must every day become more precarious. Thrown as we are upon our defensive means and resources, let us rally to the standard of our country, and husband with the utmost eare the means we can command for our preservation and protection. Our supplies of every kind are principally in this place; already are our means of security advaneing rapidly to a completion, and here will be a place of security for our women and children ; here also will be food and raiment for them. It is but too true that some of our citizens have been too remiss in their duty; the flame of patriotism does not burn alike in every bosom; and the soldier will look with pity and not with contempt at his less gifted neighbor. But when common danger threatens, let brethren unite the more closely, and while our enterprising men shall contend with an enemy in the open field, let those who remain at home do their duty in procuring and preparing all the means of defense and preservation in their power.
The time can not be distant when our situation must be known to our brethren abroad, and if we can defend our position but a short time, we may reasonably look for the succor which both the State and General Government are bound to give us. Let us do with alacrity the duty assigned to each of us, and forget our little biekerings and jealousies. Let us finish our stoekading and block houses. Let us examine the country, watching the approach and movements of any hostile party that may be in our borders; meet and chastise them if we can; and when peace shall again gladden our ears, we will then settle our misunder- standing if any should then remain.
Signed on behalf of the meeting by
GALENA, May 30, 1832.
A. T. CROW, WM. SMITH, JAMES CRAIG.
On the 6th of June the Galenian says : "The stockade in Galena is nearly done, and those in the country are in a tolerable state of completion." But it is evident from the above address and from concurrent testimony that the people did not all rally to the work as earnestly as the com- mander wished. Perhaps they did not realize that they were in any immediate danger, and they had to attend to. their own business affairs. To show them the importance of completing their defenses and of attending to duty as well as to give the citizens some practice in case the Indians should really make a night attack, some of the officers, including Col. Strode planned to have a false alarm, by firing the cannon by midnight the Mon- day night following the meeting. The date and results of the "scare " are given in a letter from Dr. Newhall to his brother, dated Galena, June 8, 1832, as follows :
" The Indian war has assumed an alarming eharaeter. On Monday night last (4th) we had an aların that the town was attacked. The seene was horrid beyond description; men, women and children flying to the stockade. I calculated seven hundred women and children were there within fifteen minutes after the alarm gun was fired-some with dresses on and some with none; some with shoes and some barefoot; siek persons were transported on other's shoulders; women and children screaming from one end of the town to the other. It was a false alarm. Had there been an Indian attack, I believe the people would have fought well."
Many ludicrous incidents are related of this "big scare," ludicrous afterwards and now, but not then, when all save a few in the secret fully
288
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
believed the Indians were upon them. Among these, it is said that the worthy postmaster didn't stop to put on his trousers, and rushed into tlie stockade wrapped in a sheet, calling wildly for somebody to bring him a pair of pants. A Mrs. Bennett was already there making cartridges, and as the P. M. was rushing about for some clothes, she handed him a musket, with the cool remark, "Here, take this gun, and don't be scared to death."
The next day, when the people learned how cruelly their fears had been played upon, their indignation knew no bounds. All business was suspended, Colonel Strode and his associates fled the town, an impromptu indignation meeting was held at Swan's tavern, at which strong denuncia- tory resolutions were passed and a committee appointed to investigate the matter, of which Rivers Cormack, the old Methodist minister, was chairman. After a few days, popular indignation subsided, and Colonel Strode returned. His motive was good, but the means adopted did not quite ineet the approval of the citizens, and the experiment was not repeated .*
İn Dr. Newhall's letter of June 8, quoted above, occurs the fol- lowing :
The Indians ha ve already taken about forty scalps in the whole. News has this day arrived of one more man (Mr. Auberry) having been killed and scalped, near Blue Mound.t
June 8, Captain Stephenson's company of mounted rangers found the bodies of St. Vrain, Hale, Fowler and Hawley four miles south of Kellogg's Grove, and buried them.
Colonel Wm. S. Hamilton arrived in Galena with two hundred and thirty Indians, mostly Sioux, with some Menominees and Winnebagoes, on the 8th. These Indians left Galena on the 10th, to join General Atkinson at Dixon's Ferry, all anxious to obtain Sac scalps. Black Hawk's band reported moving slowly northward.
On the night of June 8, the Indians stole fourteen horses just outside the stockade on Apple River (Elizabeth), and on the night of the 17th ten more were stolen. The next morning, Captain J. W. Stephenson. witli twelve of his men and nine from Apple River fort, started on the trail of the red thieves, and overtook them about twelve miles east of Kellogg's Grove, southeast of Waddam's Grove, and pursued them several miles, until a little northeast of Waddam's (in Stephenson County), the Indians (seven in numn- ber, says Captain Green,) took refuge in a dense thicket and awaited the attack. Stephenson dismounted his men, and, detailing a guard for the horses, led his men in a gallant charge upon the concealed foe, received their fire and returned it, returning to the open prairie to load. Three times the brave boys charged upon this fatal thicket, losing a man each time. Only one Indian was known to be killed. He was bayonetted by private Hood, and stabbed in the neck by Thomas Sublett. This Indian was scalped several times, and a piece of his scalp-lock is now (1878) in the possession of Wm. H. Snyder, Esq., of Galena. The three men killed were Stephen P. Howard, George Eames and Michael Lovell. Stephenson him- self was wounded. After the third charge, Stephenson retreated, leaving
* Tuesday night, July 24, a fire broke out in Dr. Crow's stable in the stockade, and two horses were burned. It was said that there was powder stored in the stable, and there was another scare, but this time the stampede was from the stockade. Amos Farrar died at his house in the stockade the same night.
+ At the close of the war it was discovered that Mr. Auberry was murdered by some Winnebago Indians.
.
COLLINSVILLE MADISON COUNTY.
THE LIUBARY
291
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
his dead where they fell, and returned to Galena, arriving on the 19th. Of this desperate battle, Governor Ford says : "This attack of Captain Stephenson was unsuccessful, and may have been imprudent; but it equalled any thing in modern warfare in daring and desperate courage."
On the evening of June 14, five men, at work in a cornfield at Spaf- ford's farm, five miles below Fort Hamilton, on Spafford's Creek, and on the morning of the 16th Henry Apple, a German, were killed within half a mile of the fort. Gen. Dodge, with twenty-nine men, at once pursued them about three miles, when they were discovered, eleven in number, in open ground, but were not overtaken until they crossed the East Pick-e-ton- e-ka, and entered an almost impenetrable swamp, at Horse Shoe Bend. At the edge of the swamp, Dodge ordered his men to dismount and link horses. Four men were left in charge of the horses, four were posted around the swamp to prevent the escape of the savages, and the remainder, twenty-one in number, advanced into the swamp about half a mile, where they received fire of the Indians, and three men fell severely wounded. Gen. Dodge instantly ordered a charge. The Indians were found lying under the bank of a slough, and were not seen until the soldiers were within six or eight feet of them, when they fired. The whole hostile party were killed and scalped in one or two minutes, except one who swam the slough in an attempt to escape, and was shot down on the opposite bank. In this battle F. M. Morris and Samuel Wells were mortally, and Samuel Black and Thomas Jenkins severely, wounded. This was the first victory achieved over the murderous Sacs, and occasioned great rejoicing in the settlenients.
On the 20th Stephenson's and Craig's companies, under command of Col. Strode, went to Waddam's Grove to bury the remains of Howard, Eames and Lovell, which they did, but left the dead Indian above ground. On their return they heard some suspicious sounds, but pushed on in the night to Imus's (in Rush Township) and returned to Galena in safety. Afterwards, says Capt. Green, who was with Stephenson's company, we learned that " a large party of Sacs were within a half-hour's march of us, when we left the graves of our dead comrades."
This party, which numbered about 150, had left the main body of Sacs on the Rock River, and, after following Strode's command, were, undoubt- edly, the same who made a furious attack on the stockade at Apple River, on the night of the 24th, under the following circumstances: F. Dixon, Edmund Welsh, G. W. Herclerode and - Kirkpatrick started to carry dispatches to Gen. Atkinson. They had passed Apple River Fort when they were fired upon by Indians, and Welsh was badly wounded. His companions told him to retreat to the fort, and to give him time, turned upon tlie foe and raised a yell. This temporarily checked them; Welsh reached the fort and gave the alarm. Their stratagem succeeded. Dixon dashed through the savages, and escaped to Galena. Kirkpatrick and Her- clerode gained the fort; the gate was shut, and for three quarters of an hour the battle raged. The women and girls made cartridges and loaded the muskets. Herclerode was killed while taking deliberate aim at an Indian over the top of the pickets. The number of Indians killed was not known, but they were supposed to have lost several, and finally withdrew, after stealing a large number of cattle, and destroying considerable property.
On the 29th of June, three men at work in a cornfield at Sinsinawa Mound (Jones' Mound), ten miles from Galena, were attacked by a small
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.