USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 42
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Hathaway, Jesse-Died at Newbern, N. C., April 28, 1865, from wounds. Huyler, Simon H .- Killed by railroad accident, Nov. 1, 1864. Hanville, Charles M .- Killed by railroad accident, Nov. 1, 1864. Hardy, James-Died at Nashville, Sept. 8, 1864.
Herman, John-Died at Vienna, Ala., Aug. 11, 1864, from wounds. Herman, Reuben-Died at Vienna, Ala., Aug. 11, 1864, from wounds. Huff, Aaron-Died at home, March 11, 1863. Hicks, George F .- Died at Chattanooga, Tenn., Oct. 7, 1863, of wounds.
Herchelrode, John-Died at Memphis, Aug. 21, 1863. Harriman, John-Died at Memphis, Aug. 21, 1863. Horn, Johu-Died at St. Louis, Oct. 14, 1862.
Hunt, Jesse-Died at Memphis, Oct. 14, 1862.
Hall, George-Died at Vicksburg, in 1864. Ham, John-Died in 1862.
Hunter, Robert-Died at Paducah in 1862.
Johnson, James A .- Died at Carthage, Tenn., March 25, 1863.
James, Joel-Died at Memphis, June 4, 1863. Jones, John L .- Died at Memphis, June 4, 1863.
Jennings, Phineas E. - Died Jan. 8, 1863, from wounds received at Stone River. Keller, David-Died at Savannah, Tenn., April 15, 1862.
. Keifer, Jacob H .- Killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863.
Kelsey, Irwin H .- Died at New Albany, Ind., July 17, 1863. Klink, John D .- Died at Louisville, Jan. 2, 1865.
Kiser, Daniel-Died at Lakeville, Ind., Sept. 2, 1864.
Keazey, Jr.,Joseph -Died at home, Jan. 14, 1864.
Kline, John-Died.
Kizar, Henry-Died in 1862. Kelley, Charles G .- Died of wounds at Corinth, Oct. 10, 1862.
Kitung, Reuben-Died in 1862.
Kembel, Alexander M .- Died in 1862.
Lescobier, Frederick-Died at Cheat Mountain, Oct. 25, 1861.
Landenberger, Michael-Died Jan. 23, 1863, from wounds received at Stone River.
Lucia, Sheffield-Died Jan. 25, 1863, from wounds received at Stone River. Lenegar, Isaac-Killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 19, 1863. Lane, Ephraim T .- Killed at Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862.
Litchtenberger, William-Died at South Bend, Ind., March 26, 1864. Lahman, Henry-Killed at Kingston, N. C., March 10, 1865. Miller, Jesse-Killed at Shiloh, April 7, 1862.
Michael, Solomon-Died at Mishawaka, Ind., July 11, 1862. McDonald, Michael-Killed at Mission Ridge, Nov. 25, 1863.
Markel, Benjamin F .- Killed at Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862. Mangus, Elias-Died at Danville, Va., prison, April 15, 1862.
Mangus, Peter-Died in Florence, South Carolina, prison, Oct. 10, 1864. Mangus, Eli-Died at Tullahoma, Tenn., Sept. 8, 1862.
447
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Mapes, Henry-Died at Andersonville prison, Oct. 6, 1864. Miller, Elias-Killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 19, 1863. Musson, Alonzo-Died at Louisville, April 13, 1862. Mareen, James P .- Died at Corinth, Miss., Jan. 14, 1862. Mountz, Eli-Died at Nashville, April 8, 1862. Mapes, John J .- Died at Louisville, July 17, 1863. Moon, William H .- Killed at Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862. Mangherman, William H .- Died at Louisville, July 23, 1863.
Miller, Isaac-Died at Marietta, Georgia, Aug. 7, 1864. Mangus, Caleb-Died at New Albany, Ind., May 1, 1864. McKnabb, Horton-Died at Vienna, Ala., Aug. 11, 1864, from wounds. Maxwell, Richard-Died at Fort Gaines, Ala., May 1, 1865. Martin, Jacob-Died at Vienna, Ala., Aug. 11, 1864, from wounds. Metz, Frederick D .- Died at Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 27, 1864. Miller, Martin M .- Died at Nashville, March 10, 1863. Murphy, Benjamin-Died at Columbia, Tenn., July 1, 1864. Miller, Miles H .- Killed at Iuka, Miss., Sept. 19, 1862. Martin, John-Died from wounds, at Memphis, Jan. 6, 1863. Miller, Moses -- Died at Paducah in 1862.
Myers, David-Died at Louisville, July 26, 1862.
Moon, John R .- Died at Camp Nevin, Nov. 12, 1861.
Mountz, Andrew-Died at Louisville, Oct. 12, 1862.
Moffit, Ephraim- Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Jan. 18, 1863. Norman, James-Died at Clarksville, Va., July 8, 1861. Owens, John-Died at Nashville, Sept. 3, 1863. Odell, Jonas-Died at Gallatin, Teun., Dec. 13, 1862. Oliver, Alonzo-Died at Kingston, Ga., July 5, 1864. Potts, John-Died at Andersonville, Feb. 2, 1865. Packard, Leverene-Died at Corinth, June 18, 1862. Pickett, Selah-Died at Madison, Ind., Dec. 1, 1863.
Pressey, Charles O .- Died at Bowling Green, Ky., Dec. 2, 1862.
Pratt, William-Died at Andersonville prison, Sept. 13. 1864. Parrish, William T .- Died at Louisville, Dec. 10, 1862. Paul, George-Died Jan. 2, 1863, from wounds.
Pearson, Hiram-Died at Danville, Ky., Nov. 9, 1862. Palmer, Jesse-Died Feb. 15, 1865
Parker, Thomas-Died at Murfreesboro, Aug. 1, 1863. Quigley, John V .- Died at. Harrodsburg, Ky., Nov. 9, 1862. Rodgers, Joseph-Died at Huntsville, Ala.
Rockwell, Evi .- Died near Corinth, Miss., May 26, 1862. Ritter, Benjamin-Died in Andersonville prison, Aug. 21, 1864.
Robinson, Joseph-Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Nov. 25, 1862. Ramsberger, John-Died at Nashville, Dec. 8, 1864.
Robinson, Martin G .- Died at Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 15, 1864. Ritter, Jacob-Died at Paducah, Ky., Nov. 20, 1862. Ross, Benjamin H .- Died.
Roberts, Thomas B -Died July 4, 1862.
Rockhill, Jasper N .- Died at Corinth, Oct. 7, 1862, from wounds.
Rockwell, Willard-Died at Paducah, March 6, 1862. Robbins, Levi-Died at Louisville, July 13, 1865. Stiner, Daniel B .- Drowned in 1863.
Shepley, Samuel M .- Killed at Iuka, Miss., Sept. 19, 1862. Sipes, Jacob-Died at Vicksburg, Aug. 8, 1863.
Shelmadine, John-Died at Jackson, Tenn., Sept. 11, 1862. Shields, Patrick-Died at Paducah, Feb. 28, 1862.
Shearer, Harrison-Died in Andersonville prison. Snure, Levi P .- Killed at Chickamauga, Sept. 19, 1863. Schutt, Joseph-Drowned at Bowling Green, March 3, 1862. Schenck, Daniel C .- Died Dec. 3. 1863, from wounds received at Mission Ridge. Schultz, Abraham S .- Killed at Chickamauga, Dec. 19, 1863. Steiner, Frederick-Died at Andersonville prison, Nov. 13, 1864. Streable, William J .- Died at Savannah, Tenn., April 15, 1862.
· Seybold, Benjamin F .- Died at Louisville, June 1, 1862. Steiner, Benjamin F .- Died at Camp Nevin, Dec. 10, 1861.
448
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Steiner, Henry-Drowned in Tenn. river, Dec. 12, 1864. Streets, James B .- Died at Scottsville, Ky., Nov. 6, 1862. Swank, Conrad-Died at Louisville, Dec. 11, 1862. Schmidt, Benjamin-Died Nov. 7, 1863, from wounds. Sumstine, John-Died Jan. 14, 1864, from wounds. Smith, John I .- Died in St. Joseph county, Ind., May 5, 1865. Shearer, Daniel-Died at Chattanooga, Aug. 1, 1864. Shinewa, Joseph-Killed at Columbia, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1864. Sauls, Francis-Died at Indianapolis, May 6, 1865. Smith, David H .- Died in Andersonville prison, Feb. 3, 1865. Swathwood, Jonathan-Died in 1862.
Somsley, Elias-Died at Terre Haute, Ind., June 28, 1862. Tener, Henry-Died at Camp Nevin, Nov. 27, 1861.
Tener, Samuel-Died at Camp Nevin, Feb. 9, 1862. Trueblood, William-Died at Nashville, Dec. 16, 1862. Teel, Moses-Died Jan. 19, 1863, from wounds received at Stonc River.
Thompson, John M .- Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1862. Tarbell, Ami H .- Died at home, Sept. 8, 1864.
Tuttle, Francis D .- Died at Memphis, Feb. 20, 1864.
Ungry, Daniel B .- Killed at Shiloh, April 17, 1862.
Vanriper, John-Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Jan. 22, 1963.
Varney, William C .- Killed at Mission Ridge, Nov. 25, 1863.
Valentine, Michael-Died.
Watkins, Regin-Died at Chattanooga, July 4, 1864.
Westfall, George-Died near Nashville, Dec. 5, 1862.
Whitman, Daniel E .- Died at Camp Nevin, Nov. 14, 1861.
Williams, Alhion A .- Died at Louisville, Nov: 21, 1861.
Weir, John-Died at Knoxville, Tenn .. July 14, 1864.
Wilson, Ira A .- Died from accident at Washington, June 3, 1865.
Wedgeworth, Jonas R .- Died at Columbia, South Carolina, Feb. 15, 1865.
Wilson, William H .- Died March 3, 1865.
Wells, Ozias-Died July 2, 1863.
Wykoff, George-Died in 1863.
Wells, William H .- Died in 1862.
Woollett, Michael-Died at Evansville, Aug. 7, 1862.
Wiggins, John-Died at Evansville in 1863.
Wagoner, Prosper-Died at home, Jan. 29, 1864.
Woolman, Henry-Died at Louisville, Feb. 25, 1863.
Woodbury, Emerson-Died at Murfreesboro, Dec. 20, 1864, from wounds.
Young, Silas-Died at Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 2, 1864.
Zeigler, James-Killed at Iuka, Sept. 19,-1862.
THE FIRST MARTYR.
John Auten, a member of Co. I, Ninth Regiment Indiana Vol- unteers, was killed in a scouting expedition the afternoon of July 10, 1861, being the first man from St. Joseph county killed by the enemy. He was a son of Abram Auten, of Portage township, and was in the 22d year of his age. His energy, patriotism and bravery were evinced in that he was not detailed to go with the expedition, but of his own accord joined the scouting party, who were taken from another company. He could not brook the idea of being inactive when there was work to be done, or an enemy to fight. His death was well avenged, and his friends and relatives, in their anguish at his loss, had at least the consolation of knowing that he fell bravely fighting in the sacred cause of his country, " with his feet to the field, and his face to the foe." He was loved and respected by all who knew him, and his deathi was deeply mourned by all the citizens. His body was sent home for interinent, and his funeral at South
449
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Bend, on Friday, Aug. 2, 1861, was attended by at least 5,000 people, testifying their respect for the deceased, and their sympathy for the noble cause in which he had sacrificed his life. The services were held in the court-house, and an eloquent and appropriate sermon was preached by Rev. J. C. Reed. The coffin was enveloped in the national flag, and was tastily ornamented with evergreen. Upon the top of the coffin were laid the revolvers captured by the deceased from a rebel officer. His body was escorted to the grave by a large number of his brother soldiers, marching with arms reversed and to the sound of military music. Three rounds of eight guns were fired over his grave by the military squad under command of Lieutenant Blowney, and the vast assemblage then retired.
BLACK HAWK WAR. By Judge Thomas S. Stanfield.
The great event in this locality in 1832 was the Black Hawk war. One morning John Defrees came into our house and told us that the Indians had broken out into open hostility against the frontier people way beyond us. This was the first we had heard of it. It was not long, however, before fugitives from the west came dashing through pell-mell, as if they expected every instant to hear the dread war-whoop of Black Hawk behind them. Many of them were so frightened they hardly took time to take up their women and children before starting, and went sailing through Sonth Bend without stopping to inform us of our danger. Others had come so far and fast they were compelled to stop and feed and rest their horses, and while so employed embraced the opportunity to circu- late the most frightful stories of savage brutality perpetrated by Black Hawk and his followers upon the unoffending and unpro- tected inhabitants just beyond where the fugitives came from. The continuance of this flight and its increase in volume, together with the enlarged area of Indian hostilities, and the apprehension that the Pottawatomies, who then more than equaled the white popula- tion of this county, might be in sympathy with the warring tribes under Black Hawk, began to alarm a great many people in our locality, especially people not familiar with frontier life.
Different localities immediately organized, drilled military com- panies, and built forts for their protection. The people on Portage Prairie and vicinity were among the first to build a block honse. It was situated on old Daniel Miller's farm. It was understood here (South Bend) to be occupied by a military force, and was regarded as an advance guard that would have to be overcome before the enemy would reach us. It was understood there was a night picket guard kept np around the block house, so that we need not apprehend a night surprise from the enemy. Many people reposed in confident slumbers, believing that the lives of themselves and little ones were protected by the watchful diligence of the night gnard. On one occasion when the excitement was
450
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
up to the highest pitch, the guard was set at proper distance and duly cautioned as to their responsibilities, and what their country expected of them. Among the rest was an old fellow who had lived on the frontier all his life, and knew about what reliance was to be placed in such rumors; and having no fear of the Indians, and believing the whole thing so far as there being any danger to the people of this part of the country a childish fear of the Indians, with such feelings he took his station as a watchman for the night. After the night began to wear away he got sleepy, and entertaining the opinion he did of the folly of the whole performance, it was an easy matter to give way to his drowsy feelings, so he stood his gun up against a tree, and quietly laid himself down and went to sleep, and was soon oblivious to all danger from the tomahawk and scalping-knife of the red-skins. At the proper time an officer in charge of the picket-guard passed around to see that all were in the strict discharge of their duty, when to his great astonishment and utter disgust he found this man not only asleep on his post, but actually snoring away as unconscious of danger as if Black Hawk and his followers were in a similar condition in the bottom of Lake Michigan. This was a fearful breach of military law; a reckless disregard of human life; a capital offense. Such a willful disregard of duty could not be overlooked. It must be punished, or all military subordination would be at an end. Without enforc- ing strict military discipline no efficient defense could be expected, and all would be inevitably lost. With all these thoughts flighting through the mind of the officer, he indignantly and in no gentle manner aronsed the unconscious sleeper into a realizing sense of the enormity of his crime, and in an unceremonions manner marched him off to the guard-house, duly admonishing him of his impending fate. It is easier to imagine than to describe what must have been the feelings of this poor, thoughtless soldier while waiting in the guard-house to hear his doom announced.
When the officers assembled in the block house in the morning, his case was reported in all its naked deformity. They all felt it was a grievous thing to inflict the extreme penalty of the law, but duty was their imperative master, and they were not the inen to shirk duty. So with one voice it was declared that the delinquent should be shot. It was a painful duty, but it must be done. Before this resolution could be carried out, it occurred to some of them that it was unlawful to put a man to death without a trial-that there must be a judgment or sentence pronounced by a competent court, or the taking off would be murder. Then they were all in a quandary. Who was to compose such a court? How was it to be organized? Did it have a jury? Were they to be selected from soldiers or citizens? Was the criminal entitled to be present by himself and counsel? Was the trial to be public or secret? All these questions were discussed. They searched the revised statutes and consulted ex-justice of the peace, but no light was thrown upon the vexed question. It had never been revealed to them that there
451
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
was such a thing as a written military code, and they were all left in the dark and perplexed as to what they should do, and in that condition of mind coneluded it would be better to let the poor cul- prit go than to run the risk of putting a man to death without due process of law. So the victim was permitted to enjoy a whole hide for many years afterward, and died a natural death. I will not swear this story is all true, but it is in substance as it was reported at the time, and as it took place so long ago I do not believe it can be disproved, and therefore I have recorded it as veritable history. My own personal observations were more strictly confined to South Bend and its immediate neighborhood. It could hardly be expected that one could note and remember all the military opera- tions in a distant field like around the block honse on Portage Prairie, and remember them after the lapse of 49 years.
Col. Hiram Dayton was quite a noted man of that period. He lived where Adam Baker now resides. He was not only willing to sacrifice all his wife's relations upon the altar of his country, but was willing to sacrifice himself. In our present peril he volunteered to lead a company against the enemy. He beat up for volunteers, and the fighting men soon flocked to his standard. A company was immediately organized. The Captain drilled his men until he was satisfied with their proficiency, and then dis- missed them with his compliments to meet again at one minute's call. Hence they were called minute men. Allow nie to whisper in your ear that I was one of that Spartan Band. Still the people were not satisfied that all had been done for their protection that ought to be done. No one doubted the courage or skill of Captain Dayton and his company, but not long could such a short wall of flesh stand against the concentrated forces of the enemy under Black Hawk. It was a question of too much importance to be postponed or trifled with. A large majority insisted on building a fort. They said other exposed places were protecting themselves in this way, and we must also. So it was agreed on all hands that a fort should be built. At first there was some difficulty about its location. But after consulting the best military experience it was concluded to ocenpy that triangular piece of ground bounded by Jefferson street on the south, St. Joseph on the west, and Pearl on the northeast. Some objected to this location because they said the Indians might conceal themselves in the brush under the hill just above where Menssel's old brewery now stands, and slip up at night and cut off the picket guard, but their criticisms were disregarded, and we went on with the construction of the fort in good earnest on the location described. The ground was to be enclosed by a wall of timbers made of split logs or puncheons, to be set in the ground three feet deep and rising above nine or ten feet. This wall was to be pierced at proper places with port-holes to fire from. I cannot for the life of me recall the name of the military engineer who designed the fort. I have no recollection of seeing Captain Dayton there. It was before Lathrop M. Taylor had been elevated
452
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
to the Colonelcy of the 79th Regiment, or Francis R. Tutt to the Lieut .- Colonelcy of the same; nor had Dr. Hardman yet become Major of that regiment, and it is very doubtful whether that regi- ment had been organized, and it is certain that neither Taylor, Tutt, nor Hardman had then risen above the rank of a private; so that there is no certainty that the plan of the fort sprang from the fertile brain of either of them. It is feared that the name of the designer of this fort will forever be lost to the history of South Bend.
The people of the town went to work earnestly to build the fort, according to the plans and specifications. The excitement was then up to fever heat. The county was full of the wildest and most improbable stories of Indian atrocities, and yet a great many peeple would believe them and insist that the Pottawatomies were secretly hostile and only waiting a favorable opportunity to break out into open warfare. As an illustration of the feeling thien exist- ing, I remember while we were at work on the fort, a Pottawatomie came sauntering along by us, looking through the cracks between the puncheons, and as soon as it was noticed, it was earnestly asserted by many that he was a spy, and ought to be arrested and shot at once. One man was particularly fierce on the subject. After awhile the work on the fort began to lag. People were com- ing to their senses and regarded the danger as much farther off than at first supposed, and besides, the United States Government was now earnestly engaged in suppressing Black Hawk and his hostile tribes. Still there was a lurking fear in the minds of some, and it was thought best to send out a party of our own people to make a reconnoisance sixty or seventy miles west. These inen went out on the expedition. I think it was made up of Jonathan A, Liston, Elisha Egbert and Dr. Stoddard; but I am not certain as to the persons, though I saw them on their horses as they started off.
After several days' absence they returned and reported to the people in front of Jolinsou's tavern. £ Among other things they said they had been sixty or seventy miles west and had made dili- gent inquiries as to the whereabouts of Black Hawk and his warriors, and they felt perfectly sure there was not a hostile Indian within one hundred and fifty miles of us, and that no apprehension need be felt of any danger from the Pottawatomies; that the chief, Po Kagon, was undoubtedly friendly, and as evidence of it he kept the American flag flying over his cabin, and that if any of his tribes were unfriendly they would remain neutral. At the announcement of this word neutral Joe Hanby, an erratic kind of a Pennsylvania Dutchman, cried out, "Tam old Neutral; he is mit Black Hawk now!" The fears of the people were well quieted by this time, and they raised a great laugh at Joe's blunder. This was the end of the Black Hawk excitement in this part of the country; but there was a little breeze sprung up in South Bend a short time after- ward growing ont of it. The Governor of this State had called out a battalion of three hundred cavalry, and started them under
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
command of Col. Rupel to the front. They never got nearer than one hundred miles of the place where their services were needed, and while they were dallying along between Lafayette and Chicago, John Defrees, without expecting them to return by way of South Bend, had the temerity to say in his paper, "That it was not to be expected that this holiday battalion would ever be found within a hundred miles of a hostile Indian," and other hostile things not very complimentary to their bravery or efficiency. In a short time afterward these fellows lit down on us suddenly as if they had dropped out of the sky. They were going to make mince-meat of John Defrees right off. I saw a company overhaul and surround him as he was passing along the street. Judging from the threaten- ing language and manner of his captors, I expected to see him depart life in about three seconds, but some of the prominent officers rushed in and kept the furious ones at bay. Notwith- standing his perilous situation, Mr. Defrees stood up manfully before them and insisted upon his right as an editor of a newspaper to criticise the conduct of this battalion. But the men swore if they were not permitted to lynch him, his press and type should go into the river. The printing office was in the second story of a hewed- log house, accessible only by an outside stairway. A squad started for it, but in the meantime Capt. Anthony Defrees had collected around him, in the printing office, five or six men all well armed. As soon as one of the squad put his foot on the stairway, the Cap- tain warned him that if he came any further it would be at the peril of his life; then he would back out, and another would come as if he intended to go right up, but as soon as he saw five or six guns leveled at him, he would suddenly conclude that it would not be a healthy undertaking and would back out. The squad would leave and another would come more determined and threatening than their predecessors, but as soon as the old Captain and his men would level their guns on them, their courage would ooze out and they would retire in good order. And so they kept coming and going for three or four hours. They had swords and pistols, but no guns, and they knew some one would get hurt before they could get Captain Defrees and his men out of that hewed log-house, and considering discretion the better part of valor, marched off without exterminating John D. Defrees or his printing office, and were always afterward recognized and known as "the bloody three hundred."
This closes the history of our connection with the Black Hawk war. The unrequited services of that valiant corps under Captain Dayton is but another instance of the ingratitude of a republic.
CHAPTER VIII.
RAILROADS .- TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT .- THE TELEGRAPH .-- FERRIES.
RAILROADS.
The citizens of this county early took an interest in railroad mat- ters, and were determined at the earliest practical moment the iron horse should speed over the prairies and through the timber of the beautiful St. Joseph valley. Notwithstanding a large number were favorable to a railroad enterprise, there were yet those that opposed it and favored the less expensive canal. The same argu- ment offered by farmers and breeders of horses throughout the country, was made here: the building of a railroad would destroy this industry, and horses, which then commanded a good price, would be worthiless in the markets.
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