The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 26

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884

USA > Illinois > Livingston County > The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 26

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" The precise date at which James Stout came into the county, I can- not say, but to him and Dr. Hinman, this county owes more than to all others combined for redemption from pro-slavery rule. Courageous to a fault, never thoroughly happy except when miserable-like the typical Englishman ; never sparing his dearest friend, if he thought he caught him in a mean trick, bellig- erently honest to his convictions, he secured both the enmity and sincere regard of a vast proportion of the inhabitants of the county. * Though not then a resident of the county, I had the honor to be the anti-slavery candi- date for the Legislature. I remember making a speech in the old Court House, to perhaps an audience of fifteen persons. S. C. Ladd was of the num- ber, who thoroughly agreed with me in all propositions, except the voting part."

In addition it must be said that Owen Lovejoy, who, as a candidate for Congress, spoke here, did much to arouse the latent anti-slavery sentiment. He was probably the most effective political speaker ever heard in this vicinity. Thoroughly at heart believing every word he spoke, clear, positive and convine- ing, he never had his superior on the stump in this State. The remarkable unanimity with which the people of this county accept the ideas which were so unpopular a quarter of a century since, the slow growth of those ideas through the previous quarter, and until the passage of the "Nebraska bill," that Pandora's box of the propagandism, illustrates one of those wise sayings of an unlearned but very sensible negro, to a friend whose want of information he was lament- ing, "Ignorance is a mighty thing, sah ! and comes without study."

NAMES OF THE TOWNSHIPS.

The curious may want to know who named and why the townships came to be named as they are. There is almost always a reason for any name. An investigator once discovered, by close study, how there came to be so mary Smiths in the world. He said, after the Lord had thought of all conceivable names to give the different families, He decided to call the remainder Smith.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

The investigator has been among the townships. Reading was so named from the little village in its borders, which received its name from old Reading, in Pennsylvania. Newtown was but a slight change from New Michigan, a little hamlet in that township, named so in consequence of its being settled by Michigan folks. Sunbury, from the post office of that name in the township, kept by Wm. K. Brown. Nevada, from the prominence just then given to the present Western State of that name, just then drawing attention. Dwight, from the village of Dwight, which was named by Col. R. P. Morgan, Jr .. an engineer on the Chicago & Mississippi Railroad, in honor of his friend, Henry Dwight, the builder of the road. Round Grove, from a small grove in its bor- ders. Long Point, from the stream and point of timber in it. Esmen was named by Judge Babcock. It is the first person plural of the Greek verb to be, and means " we are the chaps," or words to that effect. Odell was named by S. S. Morgan, after W. H. Odell, of Wilmington. Broughton, from and by Wm. Broughton, the first settler there. Nebraska, by Reuben Macey, from the then prominence of " Nebraska Bill," who proved to be a very important per- sonage in the affairs of this county. Rook's Creek, from the stream, named in honor of Frederick Rook, the pioneer. Pontiac, by Jesse W. Fell, from Pontiac, Mich., where the first settlers had moved from. Saunemin is a mystery ; the only man living who ever knew how it derived its name, and what it means. has forgotten. Sullivan, an abbreviation for Sullivant, who, at the time it was named, owned half the town.

Waldo, by Parker Jewett, who named it from

his old home, Waldo, Maine. Eppard's Point, from the point of timber land in it. Indian Grove, from the grove in that township. Forrest was first named Forestville by the railroad men, who there encountered, in building, the only piece of timber land for fifty miles on their road. Frost, the President of the com- pany, came along, one day, and said it should be changed to Forrest, the name of his New York partner, and railroad Presidents were a power in those days. Chatsworth, by the officers of the railroad company, from the country seat of the Duke of Devonshire. Germantown, by the German settlement in that township.

MILITARY RECORD.

No history of the county would be complete without at least brief mention of the part taken by her patriotic citizens in the struggle to mintain the unity and the honor of the Government.

By the census of 1840, the county had a population of 759, which had increased in 1860 to 12,000. Out of this number, scarce 1800 were subject to military duty ; yet Livingston County sent over 1,500 soldiers to the field. Fields of ripened grain were left to be harvested by women and children. Pastors of churches exhorted their parishioners to take up arms, and set them an example by placing their own names on the muster-roll ; clerks threw down the yard-stick to shoulder the musket, and, in several instances, even those hold-

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

ing public offices resigned their positions and went forward with their constitu- ents to battle for the right. A number went singly and in twos and threes, and enlisted in various batteries and regiments, which cannot find separate men- tion ; but, in addition to these, Livingston sent the following companies to the field :

January, 1861, Company D, Twentieth Illinois Volunteers, 85 men ; of this number, 30 re-enlisted as veterans.

August, 1861, Company F, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteers, 40 men; 14 re-enlisted as veterans.

Angust and September, 1861, Company C, Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers. 88 men, of whom 30 re-enlisted as veterans. Six Livingston County men also- enlisted in the regimental band of this regiment ; and 8 men served in Com- pany D.

In July, 1861, Company C, Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, 38 men ; 8 re-enlisted as veterans ; also 5 men from this county mustered in Company B of this regiment.

January, 1862, Company G, Fifty-third Illinois Volunteers, 42 men, of whom 10 re-enlisted as veterans.

In August, 1862, when the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Illinois Volun- teers was formed, the county furnished the following Companies :

Company A, 100 men : Company B, 62 men; Company C, 94 men; Com- pany E, 90 men ; Company G. 101 men ; Company K, 21 men ; officers and non-commissioned officers, 28. Total, 496.

January, 1864, Company E. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Illinois Vol- unteers, 13 men. April, 1864, Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, 57 men. February, 1864, Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, 6 men. February, 1864. Company G, One- Hundred and Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteers, 9 men. August, 1864, Company A, Third Illinois Cavalry, 20 men. August, 1864, Company D, Third Illinois Cavalry, 20 men ; August, 1864, Company K, Third Illinois Cavalry. 118 men ; and in various other companies, 14 men.

The Twentieth Regiment contained many Livingston County men, among whom are such well remembered names as John A. Hoskins, John A. Fellows and Joshua Whitmore. Hoskins, who was a soldier in the Mexican war, was Captain of Company D. but was afterward promoted Major.

Fellows and Whitmore entered the service as First and Second Lieutenants of Company D. This regiment first engaged the enemy under Jeff. Thompson, at Fredericktown, Oct. 20, 1861, and in the battle there fought, gave proof of the splendid material of which it was composed. On the 2d day of February, 1862, it marched into Fort Henry, and on the 11th, it was before Donelson, and did excellent service in the famous three days' battle, which caused the surrender of that important post, together with 20,000 rebel troops. Livingston claims her full share in this important victory, which sent a thrill of joy to every loyal

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

heart, and revived the fainting hope of the nation. It was here that Grant uttered his "Nothing but unconditional surrender," and the nation took it up as a battle cry, and it rang through the land, until the last foe laid down his arms. Four men of Company D were killed in this battle, and many were wounded. April 6th and 7th, this regiment fought at Shiloh, and remained in the service during the war. The troops were mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 16, 1865.

About one-half of Company F of the Thirty-third Illinois Volunteers were from this county, and enlisted from the northwestern townships. The regiment had an eventful, perilous and toilsome service. It marched through Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, and did good service at Vicksburg, Port Gib- son and Mobile.

Company C, of the Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers was raised in this county, in August, 1861. It was enlisted from the central townships, and was composed of the very best material. This celebrated regiment was better known by the name of the " Yates Phalanx," so named after the patriotic Gov- ernor of the State. It was not filled up in time to be accepted under the first call for troops, but it kept up its organization and drill, and after the battle of Bull Run it found no difficulty in entering the service. The regiment was marched to the Potomac, and was engaged in the various battles, marches and counter-marches on that historic ground. It afterward joined Gen. Foster's command, at Newberne, N. C., and was marched from there to Hilton Head .. S. C. It formed the advance of the brigade in command of Col. Mann, in the siege of Fort Wagner, and marched into one end of that stronghold while the enemy were marching out at the other. This regiment re-enlisted in March, 1864, and again started for the front. In May, it was under Gen. Butler, at Drury's Bluffs, and participated in all the battles that followed, meeting with loss after loss, until the 13th of October, when it was reviewed and found to contain only two hundred men, and the highest officer left was Lieut. James Hannum, who was promoted to Captain, and who is still living, and resides near Cayuga, in Esmen Township. These gallant men were engaged in the storming of Fort Gregg, where they made a daring charge and planted the Union colors on the heights of the parapet, and placed their name forever on the pages of national history. For their heroic conduct they were presented with an eagle by Gen. Gibbon. They fought in every battle in which their command was engaged, and were present at the final surrender, and were mustered out Dec. 6, 1865, a mere handful of battle-scarred veterans.

" The muffled drumn's sad roll has beat The soldier's last tattoo ; No more on life's parade shall meet The brave and daring few."

About half of Company C, Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, was raised in Read- ing Township, and served in the Missouri campaign, "mit Siegel." It was in

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

the engagement at Corinth, and at Stone River nearly half of the regiment was lost ; it fought at Chattanooga, re-enlisted and again returned to the front in time to take part in the Atlanta campaign. It was in nearly all the battles which resulted from the bold attempt of Hood to overrun Tennessee and Kentucky.

In January, 1862, the old hero, Capt. Morgan L. Payne, recruited a com- pany of men at Pontiac, which entered the service as Company G, of the Fifty- third Illinois Volunteers. Payne had served his country through the Black Hawk war, was in many a hard fought field in the Mexican war, and on the breaking out of the rebellion he closed his business engagements as soon as pos- sible, and again took the field. In March, this regiment was ordered to Savannah, Tenn., and arrived at Shiloh just in time to take an active part in that engagement ; it was engaged in the siege of Vicksburg, and in the battle of Jackson fully one-half of the regiment was lost. The regiment re-enlisted and again reached the front in time to participate in the battle of Atlanta, and marched on to Savannah, and was engaged in the campaign in North and South Carolina. From thence it marched to Washington, D. C., and took part in the grand review after the surrender of the enemy.

The One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Illinois Volunteers was organized at Pontiac, and for some time camped on the old Fair Grounds, just south of the city. Five full companies were raised in this county, four in Scott, and one in Moline, Rock Island County. Half of its regimental officers were from Livingston County, and when the regiment entered the service it was officered as follows : Colonel, George P. Smith, of Dwight; Major, A. J. Cropsey, of Fairbury ; Adjutant, Philip D. Platenburg, of Pontiac: Sergeant Major, H. H. McDowell, of Fairbury ; Surgeon, Dr. Darius Johnson, of Pontiac; Steward, J. A. Fel- lows, of Pontiac ; Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Cotton, of Pontiac. The Pastor and every male member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Pontiac, save two, en- listed in this regiment. This church contained many leading men who believed in muscular Christianity, and in "the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon; " and strange to say, after fighting innumerable battles, and undergoing all kinds of hardships, every member of this church returned alive. This regiment num- bered among its company officers such men as J. F. Culver, J. W. Smith, J. F. Blackburn, H. B. Reed, C. W. Baird, B. F. Fitch and John B. Perry, and made for itself a name that shall last as long as the history of the war shall be preserved.

The One Hundred and Thirty-fourth and One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Regiments contained many men from this county ; they were 100-day men, and did service in Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, under the command of Col. J. W. Goodwin, of Pontiac.

The One Hundred and Fifty-fourth and One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Reg- iments were one year troops, and fought bushwhackers in Tennessee and Kentucky.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Company K, of the Third Cavalry, was raised in the vicinity of Fairbury, and was officered by Aaron Weider, John Zimmerman and Byron Phelps. This dashing company served during the entire war, and saw as much hard fighting as any 118 men in the service. Their regiment was better known as the Carr Regiment, and was officered as follows, by the Carr brothers : Eugene A. Carr, of the regular army, Colonel; Horace M., Chaplain, and Byron Carr. Quartermaster.

Livingston County also gave twenty men to Companies A and D, of the Seventeenth Cavalry, thirty-seven to Coggwell's Battery, and eight to Battery M, First Light Artillery.

The county may well be proud of her war record. The great majority who went from Livingston County were men of intelligence and thought, who were willing to lay down their lives for the preservation of a principle that was dearer to them than life itself; and to such men the word "failure" was unknown.

PONTIAC TOWNSHIP.

The city and township of Pontiac, as is supposed by many, must have been, in some way, associated directly with the noted Indian Chief whose name they bear. It has been asserted by some that the site of the present city was an ancient Indian burying place, and that the bones of Pontiac lie in its soil. By others, it has been said that, at one time, the old chief, when deserted by his followers, retired to this place and made it his temporary home; and by still others, more ignorant of the life of this famous brave, it has been inferred that he actually resided in this vicinity at the time that the earliest settlements were made by the whites.

It seems a pity to spoil these pretty little romances, and one could wish that they were not fiction ; but truth compels a different interpretation of the name of the city.

Pontiac was, indeed, a great Indian Chief, and that the town was named in honor of him is equally true ; but that he ever even passed through this part of Illinois is not probable. That he was buried in the neighborhood is still more improbable ; and that he still resided here when the whites first settled is out of the question, as he had then been dead more than half a century.

Pontiac, as has already been mentioned on page 42, was the chief of the Ottawas, and lived with his tribe, near Detroit, Mich., and, during the trouble between France and England, otherwise known in this country as the " French and Indian war," was a strong ally of the French, neither bribes nor threats being sufficient to induce him to espouse the English cause. Even after the French had treated with the English and had transferred all of Pontiac's pos- sessions to the English, he remained stubborn and spurned their proffers of friendship. On one occasion, after many of his followers and some whole tribes had given in their allegiance to the English, Pontiac answered a proposi-

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

tion to take up arms against the French by saying, " When the French came among us, they took us by the hand. They lived with us in peace. They made us brothers. When the English came, they brought hornets. They destroyed our houses. They called us dogs. The French have been true to us. We will be true to them. The English are our enemies, and we can never be friends."

However, one by one the followers of Pontiac were alienated, and joined the British cause, until he was left almost alone. Disappointed and disgusted, he abandoned his home and came to Illinois. But here he was not permitted to be at peace, for an Indian spy was commissioned by British authority to accompany him in all of his movements. He had partially assented to neutrality, but was still suspected of favoring the French. In 1772, some time after settling near Kaskaskia, he was invited to a party, given by members of a neighboring tribe; and, though warned to go well protected and well prepared for trouble, he pre- ferred to go unaccompanied. On this occasion he made a violent speech against the English. when the spy, who sat near, sprang to his feet and buried his hatchet in Pontiac's brain.

The town of Pontiac, like several others in the West, owes its name to this great chief; but the true version is, doubtless, that the original proprietors of the town, having lived for some years at Pontiac, Mich., fancied the name, and bestowed it on their new enterprise.

At the date when the history of this township begins, the county of Livings- ton had not been organized ; indeed, the number of residents in the county was not sufficient to warrant a separate county government.

In Avoca, Indian Grove. Rook's Creek, Amity, Reading and Oliver's Grove a few hardy pioneers had built cabins and cultivated little patches of ground, but the balance of what is now embraced within the limits of the county was all a desolate waste, literally a " howling wilderness." The tall, rank grass. the few stunted oaks. the thick and briery underbrush and the marshy soil of the banks of the Vermilion at this point must have presented but few attractions as a location for a town, or, indeed, for the opening of a farm, as, both up and down the river, settlements had been made before this point was selected by any one. Perhaps the shallow water at this point in the river, known as the " Ford." had something to do with attracting to the place Henry Weed and the two Youngs; but if their settlement was made with a view of establishing a county, with this as the central point, their vision must have been prophetic, as but few points presented scantier natural advantages. Be that as it may, in 1837 the county was formed, and the Commissioners to locate the "Seat of Justice," in consideration of donations consisting of the Public Square and Jail lot, $3,000 to build a Court House, and the construc- tion of a bridge across the Vermilion at this point, located the county seat on the land which had been pre-empted by them.

d.a. Hoyt FORREST.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

On the 26th of July, 1837, forty-one years prior to the present writing, n accordance with this arrangement, the town of Pontiac was surveyed and platted by Isaac Whicher, County Surveyor of Livingston County, for " Henry Weed, Lucius W. Young and Seth M. Young, from the southeast quarter of Section 22 and part of the northeast quarter of the same."

The Court House Square, the Jail lot, six acres reserved for mill purposes, with all the streets as they now appear, were all designated. This, then, was he nucleus, the germ, the foundation of the first town in the county, and whose existence is co-eval with that of the county itself; and, though outranked in antiquity as a settlement, is the point from which, in a measure, has emanated und grown all of its institutions. Settlements have been made, roads and other public improvements have been established, and locations have been selected, with regard to their connection with the county seat.

By the time of which we speak, about a half dozen families had settled in what are now the bounds of Pontiac Township.

Henry Weed and the Youngs were from New York, and, as stated, settled at this place in 1833. Weed was brother-in-law to the Youngs, having married their sister. They built the first cabin in the township, in which all, including an unmarried sister of the Youngs, lived. A few years after their settlement, occurred in this family what proved to be the first marriage and the first death in the township. The wife of Weed died a year or two after coming to the place, and he soon after married the younger sister. Mrs. Weed was buried near their cabin, which stood adjacent to the spot on which C. J. Beattie erected his brick dwelling, a few years ago. Her coffin consisted of walnut slabs, hewed with an ax to a proper thickness. Her remains, with those of a few others, still lie there, but no stone or other indication marks their resting place.

The two Young boys died soon after the establishment of the town, in 1837. They were interred in a burying-place near Charles Knight's residence. These, with several others who were buried there, still lie in the place selected by themselves as a resting place for the dead.

Weed continued to reside here for some years. Though his county seat scheme turned out according to agreement, it did not seem to be as great a financial success as he had evidently hoped. Soon after its location, he made a sale of lots, and a few were disposed of to James Weed ; but they were afterward bought by Henry Stephens for $5.00 each. Even as late as 1850, the whole block on which now stands the McGregor House, the Filkins' houses and sev- eral more, sold for $20; and the block on which stands the American Hotel, Dr. Darius Johnson's residence and others sold for $10.

· In 1839, Weed entered the land on which stood his town, and, soon after, went away from the county to assist in the survey and construction of a rail- road. While engaged in this business, he was attacked with pneumonia and bleeding of the lungs, from which he died at Binghamton, N. Y., in 1842.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Isaac Whicher, whose name has already been mentioned in connection with the laying out of the town, came to the place in 1834. He was employed by Weed, at $50 per month, to assist in surveying. He was the first County Surveyor, being elected to that office over C. W. Reynolds, by a vote of 47 to 35, May 8th, 1837 ; and when Weed left to engage in his railroad enterprise, resigned his office to continue in his employ.

Nathan Popejoy was from Ohio. He came to the township, and settled about two miles east of town, and opened the farm now occupied by Philip Rollings. The date of his coming is not quite certain, but was probably in 1834. He did not buy the land on which he settled, but turned over his claim to other parties and removed to Avoca Township.

Truman Rutherford and his son Erastus, with their families, emigrated from Vermont to this place in 1835. The elder Rutherford built a cabin near the place where Samuel C. Ladd's residence now stands. Erastus lived in a cabin which stood on the lot now occupied by the Baptist Church.

Although it might admit of a very reasonable doubt whether a Methodist preacher could properly be called a settler, yet John Holman, who was of that faith and of the profession named, came to the township and resided for a time, about the years 1835 and 1836. Holman preached at dwelling houses and in the grove, as the season and the occasion seemed to indicate. Holman's daughter married Isaac Whicher, who was also a Methodist, as were all who made professions of religion.

Truman Rutherford was, in the early times of the county, a man of more than ordinary character. At the first county election, held May 8, 1837, he was candidate for Recorder; and though he received but twenty-one votes in the whole county, it was not considered an indication of his unpopularity, as his opponent was elected by the small majority of forty-four. Mr. Rutherford was a man of strong religious principles, though somewhat liberal in his views. He was a Methodist, but about this time, Wm. Miller began to preach the "early coming of Christ," and Rutherford embraced the doctrine, and became so firm a believer that, in 1843, at the time set for the "appearing of the Lord," and the " end of the world," he bid his neighbors all good-bye, and arrayed himself preparatory to taking his flight in the air. He, however, continued to reside here until 1845, when he died. His wife died three years later.

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The History of Livingston County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., Part 26

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron Number of Pages: 884

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Chicago : W. Le Baron
Number of Pages: 884