History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 39

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1192

USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 39

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

The intrepid and fearless white man added new laurels to his brow by forcibly driving the poor creature from his door with the threat that, if she did not leave he would hang her upon the nearest oak; nor was the valor of this hero diminished as the Indian mother replied, " Hang me up, white man, and then Min-no-wis will not see her children starve."

This circumstance, with others of a like character which trans- pired about the time that the helpless and starving natives were driven by hunger and want from their retreat, were the crowning proofs of their hostile intentions. These incidents were poured into the ears of the settlers by those who participated in them, with such an emphasis and such an enhancement of their details as to arouse a perfect tumult of fear from one end of the settle- ment to the other.

What was to be done in this crisis of danger? The number of the guards were increased, the patrols were strengthened, and a meeting of the entire settlement was demanded to deliberate upon the public safety, and to devise ways and means of securing it against the inevitable attacks of the Nottawa Indians. Already women fancied themselves burning at the stake, while their hus- bands, the brave militia, fancied their names enrolled in the pages of history, surrounded by a halo of living glory among the heroes of the battle-field. A momentous day, fraught with daring deeds, was rapidly approaching, and the book of fame was about to receive an accession of illustrious names to be transmitted to the ceaseless ages of posterity.

The meeting was called, and " there was mounting in hot haste." The strong men of the neighborhood came together. The assembly was held at the house of Captain Powers, who commanded the valiant militia.

The meeting was duly organized and presented a formidable array of citizen soldiers, armed with rusty cavalry swords, shot- guns, rifles and muskets, all of which, from their appearance, had seen service in former wars. There was to be seen, also, soiled and tattered uniforms, crushed and tarnished cpanlettes and dimmed bullion lace.

Elaborate and eloquent addresses were poured forth, replete with invocations and appeals to the patriotism of the lukewarm, and glowing with enthusiastic bursts of encouragement to those who were awake to the dangers which surrounded the neighborhood.

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

After many speeches and the most solemn deliberation, it was determined to erect a strong fortification on the lands of Daniel Hogan, located near the east end of Nottawa Prairie, to be known as Fort Hogan. Andrew McMillan now owns and occupies this farm; the walls of Fort Hogan, which had received the labor of one day and a half from about 40 settlers, have long since been leveled by the plowshare of the husbandman.

At this time a large body of militia, under the command of General Brown, was massed at Niles, in Berrien county, slowly advancing toward Chicago, the rendezvous of the operative military forces under General Atkinson.

Among other decisions, by a vote of this meeting it was deter- mined to send an express messenger to Niles to beg General Brown to send a detachment of his volunteers and militia to Fort Hogan to guard and protect the frontier settlement on Nottawa Prairie. Then arose an important question: Who was to be that messenger? It was improper, unjust, cruel, nay, inhuman, to force, by stern military discipline, one of the citizen soldiers into the imminent danger of the perilous mission, perhaps to return after a thousand hair-breadth escapes; perhaps to leave his bones to bleach in some solitary dell of the wilderness between Centerville and Niles. Where was the man who would volunteer on this all-important mission, pregnant with danger at every step? Who would accept the hazard ?

At this crisis of anxiety Benjamin Sherman (whose name is associated with the early history of this county, and who, as Col. Sherman, has been widely and favorably known until his recent decease) arose in the meeting, in which he had been a silent auditor up to this juncture of emergencies. Every eye rested upon Col. Sherman, and every one sat in breatliless silence as he addressed the meeting.

"Gentlemen," said the speaker, in his sententious style, "I planted the first apple-tree west of the meridian line in Michigan, and I have abundant reason to believe that I have as good a knowl- edge of the disposition of the Nottawa Indians as any one. I do not believe there is the least danger of their disturbing any of us; I believe the poor cusses are more scared than you are. But, to cut a long story short, if you must send an express to Niles, a man can be found to go; 'though its my humble opinion you will send him on a fool's errand. I am always ready to face the music. So make out your dispatches and I'll be off."

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

The welkin rang with huzzas as the Colonel resumed his seat.

" Arm yourself to the teeth, Squire Sherman," said one. " Here, take my horse pistols," said another.

"Shaw, nonsense," said the Colonel, impatiently, at the same time grasping a large hickory cane, "I want no better protection than this. I cut this at Mount Morris in York State, in 1829, and have carried it ever since. I have carried it over a thousand miles. It's the true blue. I wouldn't give it for all your footy pistols, in a hand-to-hand skrimmage."

Captain Powers delivered to Col. Sherman his dispatch [to General Brown, and just as the sun sunk in the west the Colonel mounted his pony and departed on his mission.

On the day following this memorable meeting the work com- menced upon Fort Hogan. Plows, scrapers and ox teams were in requisition. Manual labor was lustily applied until sunset, and the northeast angle of Fort Hogan had arisen in an earth work of black prairie soil about two feet in height, extending west most three rods, and south some two rods.

There were those among the settlers who unequivocally refused to contribute by labor or otherwise to the erection of this fortifi- cation, and who persisted in the opinion that no danger threatened the neighborhood from the inoffensive Nottawa Indians. Cyrus Schellhons was one of these. Mr. Schellhous was then an active young man whose nature was strongly imbued with a vein of wag- gish humor. Since then Mr. Schellhous' name has been inter- woven with the history of St. Joseph county. He was a man of enterprising habits of life, generous impulses and humanc instincts. He filled many honorable positions in the official responsibilities of the county, and died at Constantine but a few years since, honored for his integrity and usefulness as a citizen.

While the labor was progressing at Fort Hogan, Cyrus Schell- hous stole away to the Indian village on the reservation. He found the Indians almost destitute, and laboring under a false apprehen- sion that their white neighbors, taking advantage of the Black Hawk excitement, meditated an attack upon their village with the purpose of driving them from their reservation and appropriating it to their use. He could not prevail upon them to send some of their leading men with him to the settlers to assure them of their . peaceable intentions, and to receive assurances from their white neighbors that their intentions were misapprehended by the Indians. After a brief council of the Indians, in which the partisans of Cush-

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

ec-wes and San-an-quett united, it was determined that if they were invited to an interview with the settlers by Captain Powers they would send a deputation to such an interview.

It was with difficulty that Mr. Schellhous could sufficiently coun- teract the excitement that prevailed among the settlers to take a rational view of the situation and accept the proposition of a truce and an interview between the belligerents. But this measure was finally adopted at noon of the second day's labor on Fort Hogan. The interview was appointed to take place at the cabin of Captain Powers.

At 10 o'clock in the forenoon of the day following a large gath- ering of the settlers had assembled at the place appointed in anticipation of the interview.

The redoubtable Captain paced back and forth in front of his cabin with a quick and nervous step; his plume nodded on the air as he suddenly turned his head from side to side in anxious ex- pectation of the approach of the Indian deputation with which he was to confer. This worthy officer suddenly halted as his eyes were fixed upon a distant object upon the level prairie. He seized his sword scabbard with his left hand, and, grasping the hilt with his right, after several Insty efforts that were sufficient to start a sapling from its hold in the earth, the war-worn and trusty weapon leaped from its scabbard with a military flourish.

All eyes at once turned in the direction of the Captain's gaze, when was observed the approach of the expected deputation, con- sisting of Cush-ee-wes, with two others of his tribe and an inter- preter, under the escort and protection of Cyrus Schellhous.

Thus these humbled and depressed representatives of a once nu- merons and proud people met the descendants of those who had driven them from their homes and run the iron plowshare over the graves of their fathers.

While there was a marked humanity mingled with suspicion in the countenances of those Indians as they approached, there was firmness in their step, and pride and dignity in their bearing.

Cush-ee-wes was below the middle stature, but of strong and heavy mold. He was a man of great equanimity and indomitable firmness. He was above the middle age. In his habits he had not been so incorrigibly addicted to inebriation as were a majority of his tribe, and preserved in his personal manners and appearance traces of that native grace and dignity which, in their intercourse with civilized man, appears to be a national characteristic of the

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

untutored red man. Whatever may have been the habits of Cush- ee-wes, or those of his people, the non-intercourse between them and their white neighbors, which had now continned for several days, had interdicted the use of strong drink among the Indians; consequently they were all sober, for the reason that the poor In- dians were dependent upon their friendly relations with their civilized neighbors for the means of their most brutal degradation.

There must be many melancholy reflections to cloud the memory of the white man as he looks back to the past relations between him and the red man. In view of the logic of philosophy, the ethics of civil government and equities of humanity, he can find no sophism of civilization to serve as a sufficient apology for making the red man what he is: degraded and grovelling in drunkenness, shorn of his honor, robbed of his heritage, and driven forth a pitiable men- dicant. No genial reminiscences arise in this picture of reflections to soften and palliate its stern and severe inhumanity.

It is difficult to say what the Indian might not have been had his feeble efforts to conciliate the white man and to cultivate his friendship been requited and met by efforts in kind on the part of the white man, instead of cruelty and repeated acts of injustice. It is difficult to say whether civilized man could have played the sav- age more aptly had their lessons of barbarity been taught in the wild-wood forest by lawless heathen chieftains, instead of the philos- ophy of peace on earth and good will among mnen, as taught them in Christian sanctuaries by surpliced priests.

The small party of Indians advanced to within a few paces of the spot occupied by the Captain of the militia. Cush-ee-wes ap- proached that officer and presented his hand in token of friendship, then retired a pace or two with easy grace, and thrusting his thumbs between his person and his belt of wampum, stood facing the bold commander with an ease and unaffected dignity which contrasted strangely with the fidgety manner of the Captain. Thus he stood several minutes, motionless and silent, awaiting the an- nouncement of the wishes of his white neighbors, though the Cap- tain was as silent as the Indians.

" At length, Cush-ee-wes, through the interpreter, said: " What does the white man want ! He has sent for his red brother. Let the pale-face speak."

"We want to know," returned the Captain, " what we have done to induce you to set about cutting onr throats and scalping our women and children."

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

" The pale-face," returned Cush-ee-wes, " does not speak the words of wisdom, or he would not ask the red man what the pale- face has done. The red man could say, that when the pale-face came to the hunting grounds of the red man, our hunters showed him the haunt of the wild deer, and the place where the honey-bee made comb. He showed him the otter's slide and the places where the wild fowls built their nests. The white man killed many of our deer, and drove many from our hunting grounds; he followed the bee from his cornfield to its home in the forest tree and carried away our honey; he traeed the otter to its burrow and robbed ns of his fur; he scared the wild fowl from our waters and the red man had nothing to eat; his squaws and children were starving in the wigwam. Then the red man asked the pale-face for bread, and the white man poured fire-water down the throats of our warriors, and our strong men became squaws and trembled. The white man wanted our little reservation of land; and when our warriors were few and hungry; when they were weak with drinking the fire- water of the white man ; when they had no strength in their limbs, no bravery in their hearts; when they had no arms to shoot with, no voice to shout the war-whoop, no breath to shriek the battle-ery, then the pale face struck the war-path; he beat his drum and called all his strong warriors together to drive the Pottawatonie from his little reservation and take it for himself. The red man did not wish to disturb the pale-face. The red man was weak, the white inan was strong. The red man few, the pale-face many. The pale-face speaks not the words of wisdom. What has the pale-face to say ? Why does he want the red man's land? Why does he call his warriors together to drive the red man from his wigwam and the graves of his fathers? Let the white man speak."

The redoubtable commander was brought to a dead stand. For the first he learned that the Indians had misinterpreted his patriotic operations for the defense of the settlement into the preliminaries of an offensive attack upon the Indian village, with the intention of driving them away and seizing their reservation. He knew not what to reply to the touching appeal of Cash-ee-wes.

" Did yon not receive messengers from Black Hawk?" inquired Captain Powers, " and did yon not arm yourselves in order to aid the Sacs, intending to murder all the settlers?"

" The pale-face speaks not the words of wisdom," replied Cush-ee- wes, and continued: " We are weak, yon are strong. The weak are not fools to dare the strong. The Sac is the enemy of the Pottawato-

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IIISTORY OF ELKIIART COUNTY.

mie. There never was friendship between our nations. There were never good words between our people and the Sac nation. We had many wars, and the tomahawk was never buried between us. The Pottawatomie hates the Sac as the eagle hates the filthy crow. The pale-face speaks not the words of wisdom. We wish the pale- face to take many scalps of our old enemy, the cunning Sac. The few young warriors of our tribe who could still follow the war-path and not make a crooked trail, went with the white chief, Captain Hatch, to fight with our white brothers against our old enemies, the lying Saes. We thought that if the Sac would come to Nottawa- sippi to sound the war cry among our wigwams, our pale-face brother would be our friend, and that together we would go on the war-path against him. We were weak, you were strong. We were not wise, for when the pale-face saw that our few, strong young war- riors had gone with the white chief, Captain Hatch, to fight the Sac, then our white neighbors made war upon us. Then we feared the Sac, far away, and the pale-face near our own wigwams. Our men fled to the woods and our women and children hungered for food. The pale-face speaks not the words of wisdom. The red man would be the friend of the white man, and would fly to his cabin for shelter when danger comes, but the white man would not let us come; he raised the tomahawk against us. What has the pale-face to say? Let our white brother speak."

After a few inquiries of the interpreter and other French settlers who had mingled with the assembly, it was ascertained to a cer- tainty that a few of the Pottawatomies of the reservation had volunteered, with Capt. Hatch, a trader among them, and several days before had gone to join the war forces at Chicago, under Gen. Atkinson.

Here, then, was a denouement which at once stripped the war with the Nottawa Indians of all its impending dangers, and its valiant and redoubtable heroes of their transient honors.

This denouement was hailed by the crowd with a lond shout of relief, in which no small degree of ridicule was manifested in deri- sive hisses. The assembly dispersed, and the memorable occasion was one to impress upon the mind of the illustrious Captain of the Nottawa militia a deep sense of the evanescent brilliancy of mili- tary honors, and the vanity of martial renown. Crest-fallen and disappointed in his ambitious aspirations, he retired to his quiet cabin, doffed his military plume and martial habit, and hung his trusty sword upon the wall, there to rest forever; for, as the assem -

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

bly dispersed, Col. Sherman returned from Niles with the welcome news of the capture of Black Hawk and the termination of the Sac war.

Those who now occupy and enjoy the highly cultivated and pro- ductive farms of St. Joseph county, and especially the broad acres of Nottawa Prairie, embracing the reservation alluded to in this article, may not readily realize that their own quiet homesteads were so recently the scenes of the stirring incidents here related. Indeed, the contrast is great. Industry and enterprise, by the tonch of their magic wand, have developed the richest resources of agricultural wealth and luxury. The once unbroken prairie has changed into fertile fields laden with cereal products. The wig- wams of the savage have changed into tasteful mansions, crowned with peace and plenty. Where the council-fire of the red man was kindled rears the district school-house, and where the smoke from the midst of the war-dance ascended, now points up the white spire of the village church. The war-whoop is heard no more, and the midnight orgies and savage wails of the red man have ceased forever.

The beautiful and enterprising village of Mendon, with its sumptuous hotels, its factories, stores and workshops, stands where the Pottawatomie was wont to chase the wild deer. But where is the Pottawatomie now, that once claimed this spot as his heritage? Like a storm-rifted pine, he has sunk to decay. Like the withered leaf of autumn, he has been swept by the winds of desolation into the abyss of the past. The landmarks of civilization have been erected on the ruins of his sacred places.

Doel Eellis

CHAPTER VII.

A COLLECTION OF FACTS.

Through what variety of untried being, Through what new scenes and changes must we pass?

We have already reviewed many men and events connected with the county, and still more remain to be noticed. At a period when Goshen was comparatively settled the Pottawatomies occupied their reserves where the progressive city of Elkhart now stands. The Beardsleys, with a few other white men, established their claims to the adjacent lands; but the sight of Chief Moran's court was so beautiful, that the pioneer Doctor saw only to admire it, and con- sequently a desire to be its owner possessed him. The statute dealing with Indian Reservations placed many difficulties in the way of carrying out his desire, as not only should the Indians be thoroughly content to part with their lands, but also the deeds and other legal documents connected with the transfer should have the full approbation of the President. The delays and troubles attend- ant on such a purchase were conquered by Dr. Beardsley, the Indians bade adieu to their old home, and soon the leader of the new race entered on a career of great results by establishing the nucleus of a village, which, in the course of a few years merged into a town, and later into a prosperous city. It is unnecessary to review the formalities of important dealings with the Indians. There was always many " pow-wows " held and much consideration given to any matter which suggested a radical change in the loca- tion of a capital village, or the sale of one of their reservations; but as the deed and Presidential letter of its approval are historical, it is well to submit them:

PIERRE MORAN, OR

PEERISHI, A POTTAWATOMIE CHIEF, TO HAVILAH BEARDSLEY.

DEED.

This indenture made this twenty-first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, between Pierre Moran, or Peerish, a Pottawatomic chief, of the first part, 29

(457)

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

and Havilah Beardsley, of the Connty of Elkhart and State of Indi- ana, of the second part. Witnesseth that whereas by the provis- ions of the 3rd article of a treaty made and concluded between commissioners of the United States and the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawatomies, at Chicago, on the 29th day of August. A. D. 1821, one section of land to be located under the direction of the President of the United States, was granted to the said Pierre Moran, or Peerish, at the mouth of the Elkhart river, which land was not to be sold or conveyed without the consent of the Presi- dent, and by the direction of the President section No. 5 in town- ship 37 northi, of range 5 east of the 2d principal meridian of the State of Indiana, was selected for, and has this day been sold by Pierre Moran, or Peerish, to the above named Havilah Beardsley, for the sum of fifteen hundred dollars lawful money of the United States, to him in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowl- edged :

This, indenture therefore witnesseth, that in consideration of the payment aforesaid and in conformity with the foregoing stipula- tions and approbation, the said Pierre Moran, or Peerish, has given, granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell nnto the said Havilah Beardsley, party of the second part, the above described tract of land, to have and to hold the same with all his rights, privileges and immunities there- unto belonging, to the said Havilah Beardsley, his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of

PER. MORRAN. [SEAL.]

J. B. DURET, F. R. KINTNER,

STEPHEN DOWNING, JUN'R.

The Presidential approbation of this transaction, and of the deed, arrived at Elkhart the following year. The letter of approval was dated at Washington, Jan. 13, 1832, and ran as follows:

I hereby approve and sanction the within deed of conveyance from Pierre Moran, or Peerish, to Havilah Beardsley, and that before the same shall be delivered to the purchaser, the Indian agent cause to be paid out of the purchase money. to Richard God- froy, the sum of $112, the amount of him received by said Moran, and that the balance of the purchase money the said agent cause to be seenred by a valid mortgage on the property herein conveyed.

ANDREW JACKSON.

To ALEXANDER WOLCOTT, Indian Agent.

The receipt of the letter resulted in the complete transfer of the lands of an aboriginal chief of one race to the pioneer of another; bnt for some reason a little formality was neglected, and the work

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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.

of the recorder exposed to question, a question which was after- ward settled in the Supreme Courts of the United States.

REMINISCENCES OF ELKHART.

A pioneer who saw Elkhart for the first time, seven years after the deed of Moran conveyed the reservation to Dr. Beardsley, says: In April, 1838, he had his first view of the town of Elkhart, and determined therein to make his domicile. It was perhaps the most nnpromising period in its history. The proprietor of the place, the much esteemed Dr. Havilah Beardsley, held possession, but by a disputed title, long afterward settled in the Supreme Court of the United States in his favor. The only manufactory was a small flouring mill, with perhaps a saw-mill on the Christiana creek, near its mouth.

THE PRINCIPAL CITIZENS

were Doctor Beardsley, his nephew, Elijah Beardsley, Geo. Craw- ford, Geo. N. Martin, Samuel P. Beebe, V. F. Broderick, Col. Downing, John Davenport, Hiram Morgan, James Defrees, Dr. P. S. Kenyon, Lorenzo Scoville, Wmn. Beaumont, Gen. W. B. Mitchell, Jacob Frush, John Compton, Dr. Wm. R. Ellis and Henry Cramp- ton. The only hotel was kept by Col. Downing (who died that year) ,on the present site of the Clifton. He was a good man; but from the hungry look of the eagle on his sign, was dubbed by Judge Beebe as "Col. Buzzard." The Judge resided on the old Beebe corner, northwest from the hotel, a very humble frame dwell- ing, embowered in a shady grove, while a rough pole fence sur- rounded his lot. Morgan and Defrees kept the red store, and Davenport and Broderick had a store farther south. Elijah Beards- ley dispensed justice to the people, as did also onr venerable friend N. F. Broderiek. The constables were Iliram Morgan and Joseph Dome. Gen. Mitchell was engaged as chief engineer in the survey of the Northern canal, and completed his labors about that period. Geo. Crawford was serving his county in the State Senate, and was interested in one of the mercantile establishments. Real estate was at a low ebb; lots ranging from $50 to $300.

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History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 39

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 1192

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, C. C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1192