USA > Illinois > McLean County > The good old times in McLean County, Illinois : containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk war and descriptions of all matters of interest relating to McLean County > Part 20
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It is very easy in this country for friends and relatives to be scattered about; some of Jonathan's relatives are here and
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others there, some are in South Bend, Indiana, some in Kansas and some in California.
In personal appearance Jonathan Maxson is healthy and good looking. He is strongly built, is about five feet ten inches in height, has broad shoulders, pale blue penetrating eyes set wide apart showing his mechanical skill, his hair is dark and turning gray, and his head is a little bald on the top. In the evening when he reads and writes he wears spectacles. He enjoys the best of health and is a fine specimen of the old pioneers.
DAVID SIMMONS.
David Simmons was born July 15, 1802, in Monroe County, Virginia. His father's name was Ephraim Simmons, and his mother's name before her marriage was Elizabeth Calloway. To the best of his knowledge, his father was an American, and his mother was of English descent. When Mr. Simmons was about twelve years old, the family went to Ohio, then back to Nicholas County, Virginia, and from there to Cabell County, where old Mr. Simmons died. David Simmons was then only eighteen years of age, and had only five dollars and a half in his pocket. He moved the family to Decatur County, Indiana, where he re- mained nearly nine years. When he arrived there he had not five cents in his pocket. His mother was afterwards married, and he was at liberty to work for himself.
On the 11th of November, 1824, he married Elizabeth Jones. He was not worth a hundred dollars. His wife had a cow. a spinning wheel and a bed. They took some of the feathers from their bed and traded them for three knives and three forks.
In the fall of 1830 Mr. Simmons came to Illinois and arrived at the south side of the grove on the 7th of November. He traded his team, two yoke of oxen, his wagon and all of his money, except $2.15, for eighty acres of timber land with a cabin on it. He afterwards sold forty acres of timber for the purpose of entering prairie. But by reason of the Black Hawk war he wasted his money and was obliged to borrow and pay twenty-five per cent. interest in order to enter land.
During the Black Hawk war Mr. Simmons was the third sergeant in Captain Covel's company. They went up to Dixon's Ferry, where the troops were for some days drilling and getting
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themselves in order for fight. On the 13th of May, 1832, the troops started on the famous Stillman's Run expedition. Major (afterward general) Stillman had two hundred and six men with him, all told, according to Mr. Simmons. They went about five miles during the first day, to a little grove, and there camped. The next morning they traveled on until noon, when they stopped for dinner. Then the guard in front discovered mocca- sin tracks, and a false alarm was raised. The men jumped on their horses and ran up to the tracks, which were perhaps two or three miles from the place where they stopped for dinner. They rode very excitedly, and some lost their tin cups and other articles. The tracks were fresh and clear on a sand ridge, but no Indians were found. The men waited there until the baggage wagon came up. The baggage master had great difficulty in crossing sloughs with his heavy load in his little two-horse wagon, and it was therefore determined to lighten the wagon by issuing the ammunition and whisky to the men. The men filled their powder horns, and some of them tied up powder in their handkerchiefs. They filled their canteens and coffee pots and bottles with whisky, but were not able to take it all and left some in the barrel. Then they took up their line of march, and during the afternoon while on the route some of them passed along the line offering whisky out of their coffee pots to who- ever would drink, for it was as free as water and more plenty just then.
They went into camp in the evening on the north side of Old.Man's Creek, and hobbled their horses, and the advanced guard came in. Just then about ten or a dozen Indians ap- peared on a high hill about a quarter or a half a mile distant. The officers and men were inquiring what they were, and some thought it was the advanced guard. David Simmons said to Stillman : "No, the advanced guard came in a while ago. General, it's Indians." Then the men commenced catching their horses, and some started without putting on the saddles, and went at full speed to where the little squad of Indians appeared. All the Indians retreated except two, who claimed to be Potta- wotamies. Covel then turned to Stillman and said : "It's all nonsense, they are friendly Indians," and said that enough of the boys had gone to take the others, as they were pursued by
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twenty or thirty'men ; the two were then brought into camp, While the Indian prisoners were coming into camp they said : " Me good Pottawotamie," but pointed over the hill and said : " Heap of Sac." The Indians then offered to trade for a gun belonging to David Alexander, from Pekin, who was commis- sary. Then David Simmons brought out his double-barrel gun for the Indians to look at, and while they were poking their fingers first into one barrel and then into another, a man came running back at full speed, calling, " Parade, parade." Then the officers had their men formed into companies. David Sim- mons was ordered to guard the prisoners, but George Wylie took his place. The men moved forward leaving the prisoners guarded in the rear. Before going far they met a few men com- ing in with an Indian prisoner. The twenty or thirty men had pursued the Indians and killed one and captured another. The captured Indian had fought hard, and Mr. Hackleton had been speared in the hands. The whites moved on, after sending the Indian prisoner to the rear. They went to where twenty or thirty whites were stationed, near a big slough, and there were told of an Indian who came out and offered his hand in friend- ship, and that McCullough extended his hand and snatched the Indian's gun. Mr. Simmons saw the gun, but did not see Me- Cullough snatch it. MeCullough snapped at the Indian, and Vandolah shot but missed. The officer halted and said that if the Indians did not want to fight they would not rush on them, but would see what the Indians did want. The officers then went on across the slough to the top of a bluff beyond. Then Gridley came back with orders to march across the slough, and the men started, and the officers came dashing back. Captain Eades of Peoria came riding up, and said he was not easily fooled, and that there were not less than a thousand of the In- dians. The officers ordered the men to countermarch, and fall back across the slough. The front of the line obeyed orders, but the rear broke back ahead of those in front and made con- fusion. They went back across the slough to high ground, and there the officers tried to form a line, but the men were in poor order and in bunches, so that they could not shoot without hit- ting some one in front of them.
The Indians then began to pour out of the timber, and Mr. Simmons said it reminded him of the pigeons in Indiana flying
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over one another and picking up mast. The Indians began firing and the flashes of their guns could be seen, as it was just be- coming dusky in the evening. The whites fired in return, but were so mixed up that some fired in the air, as they could not shoot ahead without hitting some of their own number. They were then ordered to retreat to their camp ground and there form a line. They went back on a gallop. Simmons and Coffey and Murphy agreed to go for Dixon's Ferry, when they arrived at the creek, Captain Covel tried to form the men on the north side of the creek; but an order was given to shoot the prisoners and go back across the creek and form a line on the other side. Mr. Simmons started for the lower crossing and met Jim Paul putting on his saddle and said to him: "What are you about ?" He replied with an oath that he would have his saddle. When Mr. Simmons crossed the creek the whites were shooting at the Indians and the latter were shooting at the whites. Simmons went a little above the ford after crossing and stopped when a bullet whistled close to his ear. There was then the greatest confusion and yelling. Some were calling "halt and fight," some said "don't leave us," and some called "murder." But in a mo- ment or two an order was given to retreat to Dixon, and that order was obeyed. They took the trail back at the top of their speed. Some Indians came in on the left and tried to outflank the party, but the whites went too fast, and did not stop until they came to Dixon. The next day the greater part of the army went up to Stillman's Run and buried the dead. On their re- turn horsemen were sent down to meet the boats coming up with provisions, and their baggage wagons came up in a few days. The governor then started up the river with troops to fight the Indians, and left a part of the army to guard the families at Dixon. During that evening an express came from Ottawa asking for men. This express was sent on after the Governor, and he sent back an order for Colonel Johnson to take several companies and go on to Ottawa and build a fort, which was done. Covel and MeClure's companies were among those that went to Ottawa. They started and camped within three or four miles of where the three families were murdered on Indian Creek, but knew nothing of the matter at the time. They went on to Ottawa next day and saw a little squad of whites. Each
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party supposed that the other were Indians, and stopped and formed lines, but discovered their mistake. The party was a squad of men going out to bury the dead at Indian Creek. They went on to Ottawa, where a great many families were gathered for protection. They built a fort there. Mr. Sim- mons and some thirteen others then came home, as they heard that the Kickapoos in the rear were going to make trouble, and that the people were going into the forts for safety. A few days after this the troops, who had been called out for thirty days, were all discharged, Mr. Simmons among the rest. At Bloomington they had talked of forting, but had not done so, but at Pekin a fort was built. A company of rangers was form- ed for sixty days, to traverse the frontier of McLean County.
Mr. Simmons has lived in Bloomington township ever since his first settlement here, living sometimes in town and some- times in the country. He still owns one hundred and eighty acres of land in the county. He also owns some city property. He was for a while supervisor of Bloomington township.
Mr. Simmons has had ten children, of whom six are living. They are :
Levi Simmons lives on a part of the old farm.
Annie, wife of Isaac Lash, lives in Hudson township.
Margaret, wife of James Dozier, lives in Blue Mound town- ship.
Benjamin Simmons lives in Missouri.
David Simmons, jr., lives on the old homestead.
Mary, wife of William H. Fielder, lives at Funk's Grove.
Mr. Simmons is about five feet and ten inches in height, has a strong constitution, a sanguine complexion and light blue eyes. He is very muscular and one of the hardest of workers. His clear statement of the fight at Stillman's Run is perhaps the best ever given of that celebrated affair, and its correctness may be seen at a glance.
HON. JOHN MOORE.
John Moore was born on the eighth of September, 1793, at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. He received but little edu- cation at school. Up to his fourteenth year he attended the common school, and all his subsequent education was obtained
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by study without a teacher. He often studied while at work at his trade as a wheelwright, keeping his open book on his beneh. His parents, who were not well to do in the world, died when Mr. Moore was quite young, and he was left to take care of him- self. At an early age he moved to Sibsey (England) and was apprenticed to a Mr. Teesdale to learn the trade of wheelwright. The Spalding Free Press (English paper) says of him: "There are some now living in that village who well remember John Moore as an apprentice, and who can bear witness to his sterling good qualities as a young man at that time."
In 1817 John Moore concluded to try his fortune in a new country. He came to America in a sailing vessel as our pilgrim fathers did a great many years before. He was three months on the way, but at last the vessel came into port. He settled first in Virginia but remained there only a short time when he removed to Harrison, Hamilton County, Ohio. Here he began to work at his trade as a wheelwright on his own account.
On the ninth of March, 1820, he married a widow, Mrs. Misner. She was a Kentucky lady and had one child, a daugh- ter, with her at the time of her marriage with Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore has had a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, and of these three sons and one daughter are now living.
In October, 1830, Mr. Moore came to MeLean County, Illi- nois, and settled on a farm at Randolph Grove. There he en- tered forty acres of land and did some farming and worked at his trade. He often bought land but never owned any large tracts. He was always ready to sell, especially to his old friends who came with him from Ohio. In 1831 William Lindley, one of the old settlers, proposed that Mr. Moore should be elected justice of the peace because he had made himself already quite popular. This was the first office Mr. Moore held. In 1835 he was elected to the legislature, which then held its sessions at Vandalia. In 1839 he was elected to the senate of the State and in 1840 was chosen lieutenant governor of Illinois. This office he held up to 1846 when the Mexican war broke out. As he had strongly favored the war he enlisted as a private in the fourth regiment of Illinois volunteers. He was almost immedi- ately chosen lieutenant colonel, and when the army took the
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field he participated with it in several engagements. He was at Rio Grande, Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. When he returned from the Mexican war the State of Illinois presented him with a sword to show its appreciation of his distinguished services. This sword is now in the possession of his son Enoch J. Moore, and of course is prized very highly. This sword bears the fol- lowing inscription :
" Presented to Lieutenant Colonel John Moore by the State of Illinois for his services during the late war with Mexico and especially for his gallantry at the battle of Cerro Gordo."
In 1848, on his return from Mexico, Mr. Moore was appoint- ed treasurer of the State of Illinois by Governor French to fill the vacancy caused by the death of IIon. Milton Carpenter. At the expiration of the term in 1850 Mr. Moore was elected to hold the same office and was re-elected in 1852. In 1854 he was again a candidate but was beaten by James Miller on account of an absurd prejudice, which was felt at that time by many against foreigners. Being an Englishman by birth Mr. Moore was obliged to suffer. It is a matter of pride to his friends to know that his reputation for ability and honesty was as high as ever. In 1853 Mr. Moore was appointed by Governor Matteson to in- vestigate and settle the difficulty between the firm of Thompson & Foreman and the State of Illinois, growing out of a contract by which the English firm was to deliver to Illinois a certain amount of railroad iron. This difficulty was arranged by Mr. Moore to the entire satisfaction of all parties. He was one of the trustees of the Illinois Central Railroad up to the time of his death which occurred on the twenty-third of September, 1866. His death was occasioned by a surgical operation performed upon his eyes for cataract. The operation gave such a shock to his system as to cause his death.
Some queer incidents are related of Mr. Moore when he was beginning his public life. When he was first proposed as a candidate for justice of the peace Mr. William Lindley said of him that he was a "pretty piert fellow and guessed he'd do." When Mr. Moore was a candidate for the legislature his oppo- nent was Judge Davis. At one time Davis was asked what his chances for election were. He answered that he expected to be defeated because Mr. Moore could adapt himself to the different
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classes of the people. If he met some Methodists he could pray with them, and if anyone in the neighborhood became sick and died Mr. Moore could make a coffin for him !
During the winter of the deep snow, which was the first of Mr. Moore's settlement in Illinois, he went every day to Mr. Randolph's house and obtained corn which he pounded into hominy on shares (one-half). He endured the privations of the early settlers and was as cheerful as the bravest among them. The first elegant team which he drove to town was a yoke of oxen, but when he attended the legislature he had become wealthy enough to go on horseback !
Mr. Moore was about five feet and ten inches in height and was heavily built; a few years previous to his death he weighed about two hundred and thirty-eight pounds. His shoulders were broad and his carriage erect. His hair was orange color and was turned a little gray; his nose was aquiline and his com- plexion was fresh and healthy. His health was remarkably good which no doubt contributed to his cheerful, happy disposition. A lady friend thus describes him : " He was a large, fleshy man, very refined in his feelings, and especially so in the society of ladies. He was too large to be graceful, but he was above all things a good man." An old friend speaks of him thus : "He was a man of naturally great force of character. He was an honest man, and the State of Illinois never had a more faithful guardian of her interests. His ability to remember and his powers of conversation were wonderful. Although his educa- tion at school had been neglected he read a great deal and could tell what he had read in a pleasant way. He was a fine presid- ing officer and the chair of the senate has never been tilled by a more accomplished parliamentarian."
Governor Moore made no pretensions to great oratory, never- theless he was an effective public speaker when occasion called him out. At his death his remains were brought from Boston to the old burying-ground at Randolph's Grove. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Ballard and were attended by Judge Davis, General Gridley and many other old citizens.
AMASA C. WASHBURN.
Amasa C. Washburn was born May 25, 1807, on a farm, in Putney township, Vermont, His ancestors came from England.
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He was the only son, but he was by no means at a loss for play- mates, as he had four sisters. He was educated in Putney, that is, he attended a common school there until he was eighteen years of age. At that time he started on his career as a school- master, and taught school in various districts in Vermont for twelve dollars a month and boarded around.
After having taught for five years in Vermont and New York he determined to come West. He went to Albany, New York, where he met a company of about thirty persons, bound for the West, and joined with them. On the fifth of May, 1831, the party went aboard of a canal boat for Buffalo, and Mr. Wash- burn was fairly started on his way to the Great West. The journey was interesting and full of adventures. Mr. Washburn's trials began at the start. There was very little room on the canal boat for the party to lie down at night, so they took turns in sleeping. They arrived at Buffalo on the fifteenth and the next day started for Detroit in a steamboat. The steamboat was crowded. Mr. Washburn slept during the first night on some trunks, and the second night on deck on buffalo skins, with some others of the party. About two o'clock in the morning it began to rain, and the party were drowned out. That night they came to Cleveland and the next day started out for Detroit but put back on account of high wind. A second time they started, although the wind blew violently. The boat rolled fear- fully and the women and children on board were sea-sick. They arrived at Detroit on the nineteenth. Here a part of the com- pany, among whom was Mr. Washburn, hired three wagons and teamsters and eight horses to carry them to Chicago, but after they had been for some time on their journey they changed their minds and went down the St. Joseph River. They started on the twenty-fourth of May. During their journey they fared very hard and their horses fared harder. On the second night the poor brutes ate up a part of the side-board of one of the wagons. The party had many difficulties in passing through sloughs, swamps and creeks, and sometimes they were obliged to lift the wagons out of the mud. When they came to the St. Joseph River, near Montville, they dismissed their teams, bought two log canoes, lashed them together, put their baggage aboard and started down stream. They went down sixty miles
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and then had their canoes and baggage transported by land six miles across to the Kankakee River. This stream was small, crooked and narrow, and after one day's sailing down it they were almost in sight of their starting point. The country was desolate and marshy, and when they touched the banks with their poles they were usually saluted with rattlesnakes. During the evening of the third of June they came to where the river widened into a lake, and as darkness approached they were lost, and clouds of mosquitoes surrounded them, and it seemed as if their troubles all came at once. But they built a fire and drove off the insects, and were made to feel that they had at least some company, for the croaking of bullfrogs on every side was varied by the squealing of wild geese. At last they found where the lake became narrow and the river flowed on. But they could not land because the banks were lined by thick grass, which prevented them from coming near the shore. Soon after- wards the wind arose and the waves rolled high. In the morn- ing the wind became more violent and drove them on with fearful velocity, and it required all their skill to save themselves from upsetting. About noon they were soaked through and through by a thunder storm. Towards night they entered a lake and became lost a second time. The lake was full of trees that grew up out of the water. But after some difficulty they found their way out and came to where the stream was narrow and rapid. Here they ran against breakers (trees in the water) but happily found a shore where they could land. On shore they were saluted by the howling of wolves in all directions, which did not make them at all cheerful. On the sixth of June they killed a deer, and felt very much encouraged. In the after- noon they saw half a dozen Indians, the first they had encoun- tered during their journey. They sailed nearly all night being aided by an extraordinary light which appeared in the West. Mr. Washburn said it made him think of the pillar of fire which guided the children of Israel. On the eighth of June they came very near being shipwrecked by the high winds and the large waves. At night they tied up to some small bushes by the shore and made their supper of slippery-elm bark, as their provisions were now almost gone. On the next day they mixed a little wheat flour (the last they had) in water and divided it among the party.
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This they ate at three different times. In addition to this they had only a few roots and some shoots of grapevines and briers. That day they passed several rapids and many dangerous shoals, sand-bars and rocks. At one time they ran against a rock in rapid water and were pressed against it sideways; they became free from the rock, but had only time to turn their craft straight with the current when they went over some falls a few rods farther down. Soon after this they came to what appeared an inclined plane. The water ran swiftly, and after descending for about a hundred rods, the stream united with the Desplaines River, and formed the Illinois River. In the evening they spread out their buffaloes and tried to get some sleep. But they were wet through again and again by successive showers, and could do nothing but stand around the fire. In the morning they started on and came in sight of some Indian wigwams. They learned from the Indians that there was a white settler five or six miles below and they joyfully started on. About eight o'clock they "heard the lowing of cattle and the crowing of roosters." At a log hut they obtained some milk and hasty pudding. They passed the dangerous rapids of the Illinois River, and came in the evening to a house where they received hospitable enter- tainment. On the tenth of June they passed the Fox River and went to the head of steamboat navigation, a little below the mouth of the Vermilion River. From there they went to Bai- ley's Grove where the company wished to settle.
On the eleventh Mr. Washburn started in a wagon for Fort Clark (Peoria), where he arrived on the evening of the twelfth. The next day was Sunday, and there being no church to attend, Mr. Washburn listened to the preaching of a man called Live Forever. This old gentleman had made appointments to preach five hundred years in the future. He said it was not God's in- tention that man should die, but, if they would exercise faith in Christ, they might live on the earth during all eternity.
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