USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Chronography of notable events in the history of the Northwest territory and Wayne County > Part 16
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PORT LAWRENCE, January 9th, 1832.
ESTEEMED FATHER: I wrote you some time ago and have not received an answer as yet. Not knowing whether you have received my letter or not, I may, perhaps, repeat something I have already
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written. I have made two purchases of eighty acre lots each, one about five miles south of the village of Monroe, on the road leading from the turnpike west. I have exchanged this lot for one on the turn- pike, about four and one-half miles south of said village. Thus I have an eighty acre lot for $100, on the turnpike four and one-half miles from the village of Monroe. A daily line of stages passes from Buffalo to Detroit by the south shore of Lake Erie. My other lot is situated on Swan Creek, a few rods below said turnpike and about nine miles north of Monroe, and about twenty-eight south of Detroit on navigable waters for common sized schooners of the lake. I am in hopes that the bay formed by the mouth of the creek will make a smart little town before long. I have been offered very liberal advances from the first cost on said lots already. I am located in this town very pleas- antly and I think this is a good business, besides which, I am assisting in laying out a new town on the north bank of the Maumee river, four or five miles from its junction with Lake Erie. The river to the banks of the town plat, is navigable for the largest vessels of the lake. A Mr. Allen, son of a gentleman of whom I think I have heard you or grandfather, or both, speak by the appellation of Indian Allen, of Allen's Creek, is surveying and laying out the town plat. The Maumee river here is 140 rods wide and navigable for the largest craft of Lake Erie, banks good and convenient for wharfing, and is said to be the best harbor on Lake Erie ; good country, which will naturally make its market here. We have seen that some of the villages in New York have grown up with almost incredible rapidity, and as a number of the most enterprising men of Lockport have already engaged in this place, namely: S. Allen, uncle of L. A. Spalding and negociator of the recent settlement of the water difficulty between him and the Albany folks, Otis Hathaway, William London Favour, Lewis Godard, H. S. Platt, and a number of others expected in the spring. Having not room to dwell, I now give my opinion that this place (on the plat of which there is not at present a single house) will, in the course of ten years, be one of the most important points of Lake Erie. I am well convinced that publick lands, which can now be bought in this neigh- borhood for ten shillings per acre will, in a short time, be worth half as many dollars.
Benjamin F. Stickney, great grand nephew of Dr. Benjamin Franklin (as will be observed by his two first names) is the original proprietor of the land of the town plot, has been Indian agent at Ft. Wayne seven years, etc. Stickney has a number of letters in the original handwriting of Dr. Franklin, among which is the original of the inscription on his father's and mother's tomb.
There is pulling for Detroit, at the land office, for land in this sec- tion. A race occurs frequently. There is no mistake in making good advances on money invested in land in this section. I think it would
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be well worth your while to come out and see the country. The bank of Michigan would cash a draft on them from the Saratoga County Bank, which would be the most convenient way, should you come out, as in that case you could have it arranged to draw a greater or less sum and would not run the risk of losing it. Steamboats having pre- viously passed this place and landed the emigrants to this country, prin- cipally at Detroit, whose interest it is to advise them to settle on the land in its rear, has left this section comparatively uninvested. From this circumstance I think it probable that this part offers advantages as good as any in the territory. There is a grist and saw mill erecting up Swan Creek of Maumee river, about three miles from this place, and good publick land in a few rods of them at present which, no doubt, would be a bargain. The utmost endeavors will be made to induce steamboat proprietors to have steamboats stop at this place. A dock will be in readiness for the convenience of the boats, and should they succeed in getting them to stop, the country around here will be searched and the land will be in demand. Bog ore is found not far distant from this place and it is expected a furnace will be erected next summer, near this place. We have had a severe winter thus far. The inhabitants say more severe than has been known before ; snow about ten inches in depth at present. Henry Watton is out in Cass county, I have heard, but have not seen him. Henry B. Scott and brother, of Waterford, told me, on leaving their place, they should be gone about a month, but I have not heard of them since. Mr. Cramer said he had not any idle capital by him, it having been consumed by his late pur- chase in Texas. He showed deeds or certificates to the amount of 32,000 acres. He says he thought he could get money, without dis- count, in Troy, where they were acquainted with Fisk & Co.
Farmers' Map, and Gazeteer accompanying it, of Michigan, is the best work of this country extant, the sections and ranges being all laid out on it of the surveyed part of the territory. It will come at two dollars.
As I said to you in my last letter, the pine timber on Black and Pine rivers, in the neighborhood of Lake Huron, no doubt could be purchased to advantage. Lumber brings as much in Detroit as in Albany, and I don't believe it is appended with half the expense.
A new steamboat is building here in Detroit this winter. Grain of every description, is high ; wheat worth ten or twelve shillings in some parts of the territory. Great numbers of hogs are driven from Ohio to Detroit, there killed, and taken into Canada. Our neighbors kill wild hogs daily. Wild turkey and deer are numerous.
I wish you would write me immediately whether you have any notion of coming out or not. If you have, the sooner the better. My expense was not great in coming out, being thirteen dollars from the
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time I left home until I arrived in Detroit. I have since explored the country from Lake Huron to the Maumee river.
I am now to tell you I took a lot of goods, to the amount of about three thousand dollars, to this place to sell for Lewis Godard, a whole- sale merchant at Detroit, he being at half the expense of sale, divide the profit equally at the end of four months, when he takes such goods as are not sold. I hope this will not scare you. Godard, as I said before, has engaged himself in this new town, and is coming on, in the spring, with a heavy stock of goods. Business is going on very lively, wharf- ing, getting timber, clearing away brush, surveying, etc., and I assure you I think it is a good business for me. Godard has arranged with other town builders that large drafts are made on the store, thus mak- ing the interest of the whole to turn off as many goods as possible.
You will direct your letter to Port Lawrence, Monroe county, Michigan Territory. I am your affectionate son,
GILES B. SLOCUM.
Port Lawrence is the present Toledo.
He came back to Michigan in 1833 and spent the winter and fol- lowing year in the stave business at the head of Swan Creek, now Newport, in Monroe county, and succeeded in getting the steamers "Jack Downing," "Jackson " and "General Brady" to come up Swan Creek, to Newport, from Lake Erie. In 1834 he paddled a canoe down Grand River from Jackson to Grand Rapids. He also in that year, established the first store at Truaxton, now Trenton.
In 1837 he sold his old homestead in New York and became a western man. Among other purchases were three miles of Detroit river front, where for the following fifteen years he turned his atten- tion to wool growing, and became one of the largest in Michigan. He was also engaged in building docks at Detroit, Windsor, Trenton and Sandwich.
In 1848 he, with Mr. Mears, of Chicago, purchased large tracts of pine on White river, and laid out the present village of Whitehall. About the same time he took a contract to build two bridges across the River Rouge, for which he took wild lands in payment. These lands he located on Crockery Creek, in Muskegon county, where he built mills and called it Slocum's Grove.
In 1838 Mr. Slocum married Sophia Maria Brigham Truax, daughter of Col. Abraham C. Truax, of the village of Trenton. Three children were born to them. Elliott T. and a daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols, survive.
He took an active part with the Hon. Jacob M. Howard in the organization of the Republican party at Jackson in 1854, and was ever after an influential supporter of the party. In 1856 he took an active interest in constructing the Detroit, Monroe and Toledo railroad, and
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was one of its first directors, as his son, Elliott T., was of the Chicago and Canada Southern. In 1861 Mr. Slocum was an earnest supporter of the government and did much to raise money and men to put regi- ments in the field. He was one of the trustees of the Saratoga Monu- ment Association, of which Horatio Seymour was president. His son, Elliott T., succeeded him as such and is now one of the trustees.
Mr. Slocum was a self-dependent man. During all the financial disasters of 1837, and since, he met all his engagements, which were many, and the fortune he accumulated was the result of numerous ventures, which were conducted with care and clear business judgment. He was frank and bold in defending and maintaining his opinions, but never sought to force them on others. His honesty was never ques- tioned, and he created in others unbounded faith and trust. None of the early pioneers of this section were more widely known throughout the State, nor more sincerely respected and esteemed.
He died at Slocum's Island, January 26, 1884, leaving a wife and two children to mourn, and a large circle of friends to regret his loss. He was buried, January 29, in Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit.
GEN. A. S. WILLIAMS.
General Alpheus Starkey Williams was born at Saybrook, Conn., September 20, 1810. His father was one of the earliest manufacturers. His paternal grandfather shaped his early education, his father having died when the General was but eight years of age. His grandmother Williams, nee Irene Pratt, was a woman of remarkable energy and strength of character, being a descendant of Captain John Pratt, who was famous in the Pequot war.
General Williams entered Yale College in September, 1827, and graduated in 1831; then attended the law school under the charge of Judge Daggett; went to Europe in 1834, on his return came to Detroit in 1837. The practice of law was always distasteful to him. In 1839 was elected Judge of Probate ; in 1843 was chosen Alderman ; in 1844 was defeated for Mayor, but chosen Recorder by the Council. He purchased the " Detroit Advertiser " in 1843, and sold it in 1847, to go to the Mexican war. In 1849 was appointed postmaster at Detroit by President Taylor. In November 1874 he began his military career as a private in the Brady guards. He became captain, and commanded the company during the Patriot war of 1838 to 1839. The subsequent military history of General Williams, chronologically, is as follows : 1847, Lieutenant-Colonel Michigan Volunteer Infantry for the Mexican War: 1861, President of the State Military Board, and Commander of the Camp of Instruction at Fort Wayne for the officers of the 5th, 6th
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and 7th Michigan Infantry regiments. While acting in this capacity, was on the 17th day of April, 1861, appointed by the President Briga- dier General of Volunteers. Reported to General Banks and assigned command of the third brigade of his division. In January, 1862, ordered to Hancock, Maryland, with his brigade. In the spring of this year, reinforced Sedgwick at Harper's Ferry, and entered upon the Shenan- doah campaign. Was placed in command of Bank's division March 20, 1862. September 7, 1862, was assigned to the Twelfth Corps, Army of the Potomac; was relieved by General Mansfield September 15, and returned to his old division, which he commanded in the battle of Chancellorsville, May 3rd, and that of Gettysburg, July Ist, and the same day General Slocum turned the command of the First Corps to General Williams, which he retained during the subsequent days of the battle. September 24, 1863, General Williams, with his old division, was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland. In the spring of 1864, his division, strengthened by a new brigade, became the First Division of the Twentieth Army Corps, General Hooker commanding. . On the 6th of May, General Williams entered upon the campaign end- ing in the capture of Atlanta, or the campaign of one hundred days under fire. July 28, General Hooker was relieved at his own request of command of the Twentieth Corps, and by order of General Thomas, General Williams assumed command. August 28, he was relieved by General Slocum, and returned to his old division. Early in November he was again placed in command of the Twentieth Army Corps, and commenced, under Sherman, the " March to the Sea." At Savannah, Ga., General Williams was breveted Major-General. The last battle of the Twentieth Corps was at Goldsbro, and the left wing of the Army was reorganized into the Army of Georgia, which left a vacancy in the permanent commandership of the Twentieth Corps, which, by order of the President, was assigned to General Moran, and General Williams, at the request of his old comrades, resumed command of his first division. He was subsequently sent in command of a division of Western troops to Louisville. When in July the troops were mustered out, he was ordered to report to General Sherman at St. Louis, and by him was placed in command of a military district in Arkansas. In January, 1866, he received his honorable discharge. He was appointed by President Johnson one of the commissioners to examine the military claims in Missouri in the summer of 1866, and in the autumn appointed Minister resident at Salvador, Central America. He returned to Detroit December, 1869. He was elected a Member of Congress from the First District in 1874, and again in 1876. Was Chairman of the Com- mittee on the District of Columbia. He was twice married. In Janu- ary, 1838, to Jane, daughter of General Charles Larned. By this marriage he had three children, who survive him, Charles Larned Williams, Mrs. F. W. Farquhar, and Mrs. W. I. Chittenden, all resi-
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dents of Detroit. His second wife was Mrs. Martha C. Tillman, whom he married in September, 1873, and who is still living. He died at Washington December 21, 1878, near the close of his second term as Member of Congress.
The following from General A. T. McReynolds may be of interest, and is herewith inserted :
GRAND RAPIDS, January 20, 1890.
Fred. Carlisle, Esq., Sec'y, etc .:
MY DEAR SIR,-In reply to your favor of the IIth instant, in which you ask me to give you "a statement of the circumstances which made the late General A. S. Williams Colonel of the First Michigan Regiment in the Mexican War," I beg to say that I had been Colonel of the Detroit Militia Regiment of Michigan for several years, and when it was proposed to organize the Volunteer Regiment for the Mexican War, the officers of all the Detroit volunteer com- . panies, five in number, viz .: The Brady, the Lafayette, the Scott, and Montgomery Guards, and Major Rueley's Battery of Artillery, recom- mended me to Governor Felch for appointment as Colonel of the contemplated regiment. Governor Felch, however, designated General Brown, of Tecumseh, as Colonel, and proferred me the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel, which, under the circumstances, I promptly de- clined. I was then a Member of the State Senate. Wm. L. Greenly was Lieutenant-Governor and ex officio President of the Senate. Governor Felch was elected United States Senator, whereby Lieuten- ant-Governor Greenly became Governor. The office of Lieutenant- Colonel of the regiment for Mexico was still vacant, and one of the first acts of Governor Greenly, on assuming the office of Governor, he being familiar with my reasons for declining it when first offered, was to insist upon my accepting, stating that General Brown was about to receive a railroad appointment that would require him to remove to Toledo, thus creating a vacancy of the colonelcy of the regiment. I promptly accepted the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel. The next day, however, I received a communication from the Secretary of War, Willliam L. Marcy, informing me that President Polk had sent my name to the War Department, to fill a vacant Captaincy of Dragoons in the Regular Army, with immediate service, and as there was no appli- cation on file for my appointment, requesting an immediate acceptance or rejection. In view of the uncertainty and delay in organizing the regiment for Mexico, and preferring dragoon service to that of infantry, I accepted, thus leaving the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the regiment for Mexico vacant. I at once informed Governor Greenly of my conclu- sion, at the same time stating that I would esteem it a great favor to me if he would allow me to designate my successor, to which he replied, in his usual blunt and frank manner : " Name your man." To
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which I replied : " Major A. S. Williams, Commander of the Detroit Battalion, who I esteem as one of the most accomplished military men in the State, and a gentleman whose appointment would not only be received with great favor but would reflect credit upon the appoint- ing power." The Governor knew General Williams intimately and favorably, but said : "Would the Democratic party approve of the appointment of not only a Whig, but the editor and proprietor of the ' Detroit Advertiser,' the leading organ of the Whig party of the State ?" To which I replied: "In such matters we shall know no party, and I am confident his appointment would not only meet with general approval, irrespective of party, but would be one of the most popular appointments you could make ; and to fortify you, I will agree to get the names of every officer of the five military organizations of Detroit (who have expressed their desire to be incorporated into the regiment) in favor of his appointment." To which the Governor promptly replied : " Do that, and I will appoint him." During that afternoon and evening I secured every name, and handed the document to the Governor, who said : " You may tell Adjutant-General Schwartz from me, to make out the commission for my signature," which I did promptly and to willing ears. The first intimation Major Williams had of his appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel was when I called at his office to inform him of the fact. My first salutation was: " How are you, Col- onel?" to which he replied with characteristic modesty : " Only Major, if you please." The Colonel gratefully accepted the appointment. As stated herein before, General Brown moved to Toledo, leaving the Colonelcy vacant, which was filled by the appointment of Colonel T. B. W. Stockton, of Flint, who was a West Point graduate and retired regu- lar army officer. How such appointment was brought about I am unable to state, as it occurred while I was absent, serving under my regular army appointment. I have sketched in detail the circumstances that led to General Williams' appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel, not Colonel, as you seem to be impressed with; leaving you to glean from it such points as you may deem appropriate to your purpose.
Sincerely yours, etc.,
ANDREW T. MCREYNOLDS.
REV. O. C. THOMPSON.
Rev. Oren C. Thompson was born at Stockbridge, Mass., 1806. He graduated at the Western Reserve College in 1830. Afterwards spent a year at Princeton College. Took an agency of the American Tract Society for Michigan the winter of 1831. Married Miss Alice L. Thompson of Hudson, Penn., and returned to Michigan in the fall of 1832, and opened a school at Ann Arbor, which was the only institu-
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tion higher than a district school in Michigan. In 1834 removed to St. Clair and installed as pastor of the church. During this period he was the only minister in the county. His field of labor extended from Lake St. Clair to Lake Huron. He organized the first church in Port Huron and was moderator of the convention which organized the first Con- gregational church in Detroit. In 1849 he returned to Detroit and became treasurer of E. B. & S. Ward's line of steamers. He then engaged in banking until 1860. In 1864 he entered the service of the U. S. Christian Commission for the Relief of Soldiers. Still lives on Woodward Avenue.
WILLIAM WOODBRIDGE.
Was born at Norwich, Conn., August 20, 1780, and died at Detroit, 1861. He graduated at the law school of Litchfield, Conn., 1806. In June, 1806, married at Hartford, Conn., Julian, daughter of John Trumbull, who died in 1860. In 1807, Mr. Woodbridge was chosen a member of the Ohio Assembly, and 1809 was elected to the State Senate. Was appointed Secretary of the Territory in 1814, which office also involved the duties of Collector of Customs at Detroit, as well as Superintendent of Indian affairs. In 1819 he represented the Territory in Congress. In 1835 was a member of the convention to form a constitution. In 1837 a member of the State Senate. Was elected Governor in 1839 and inaugurated January Ist, 1840. Was elected to the Senate in the winter of 1841, and served full term of six years, which ended his political life.
COL. JOHN WINDER.
" If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have walked with God."-Geo. Macdonald.
Such would seem to be the sentiment demonstrated by Col. John Winder. For sixty-five years his genial manner, his kind words and warm greetings, as he has met nearly three generations of the people of Detroit, must have left the impress that he, too, has sought to make them happy.
Colonel John Winder was born at Uniontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1804. He is descended on the paternal side from an ancient Virginian family, James Winder, his father, being a native of that State. His mother, Mary Van Houten, was a native of Hunterdon county, New Jersey, whose family were prominently associated with the history of that State.
Colonel Winder left his native town at the age of nineteen to take
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employment with Major Thomas Rowland, in reference to whom the late Hon. C. C. Trowbridge says: "Was marshal of the United States, pension agent, clerk of the County Court, secretary to the County Commissioners, Justice of the Peace and trustee of the city."
In 1826 he was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court of the Terri- tory of Michigan, which position he held until 1840, and was clerk of the United States Circuit Court from 1837 to 1848, when he resigned the clerkship of the district, retaining that of clerk of the Circuit Court until 1878, when he retired. From 1832 to 1836 he was city clerk. He was aide-de-camp to the Governor and was one of the original members of the Brady Guards. In all the various and responsible positions he discharged the duties they imposed, with honor to himself and fidelity to the public.
The first wife of Col. Winder was Elizabeth Cornelia, the eldest daughter of General Jno. R. Williams, who died in 1854. His present wife was Miss M. C. Strong, daughter of Judge E. B. Strong, of Rochester, N. Y. They have one son, J. Elisha, who married the daughter of Mr. Timothy Jerome, of Saginaw.
The Colonel as he walks the streets to-day, extends to his acquaintances kind and hearty greeting, as in earlier days.
JOHN R. WILLIAMS.
John R. Williams was the son of Thomas Williams, who was born at Albany, N. Y., about 1750, and came west before reaching his majority, first stopping for a time at Prairie du Chien, then at Macki- nac, and in 1780 took up his abode in Detroit. He married a sister of Joseph Campau and thus became connected with some of the oldest and most prominent of the French families. He was contemporary in business with William and Alexander Macomb, Messrs. Schieffeir & Smith, James May, James Abbot, Sr., John Hackenwelder, the founder of the Moravian settlement on the Thames, and the celebrated Indian chief, Captain John Brant, who were conspicuous, exerting much influence in this section at that time. Detroit was then under British rule. Thomas Williams died in 1785, leaving a large property, which was, however, entirely absorbed in the settlement of his estate.
John R. Williams, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Detroit May 6th, 1782. His father's death left him, at the age of three years, an orphan, exposed to the vicissitudes which children deprived of paternal care and protection are subjected to. He, however, was fortunate in finding a friend in his uncle, Joseph Campau, who took him in charge and gave him all the opportunities which Detroit afforded for acquiring that education which was the foundation of his subsequent use-
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