History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 37

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 37

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

yet practically it extended from Lake St. Clair on the south to Lake Huron on the north, and west indefinitely, sometimes including Romeo. Into all parts of this territory I was frequently called to attend religious services, especially funerals and marriages. At different times, I had regular appointments at Port Huron, St. Clair, Newport and Algonac. I organized the first churches at each of these places. One year I preached regularly every alternate Sabbath at Romeo. Our labors also extended to the other side of the St. Clair River at Mooretown or Mooreville and Port Sarnia, before they had these names. In those days, there was marrying and giving in marriage, even as now, and we did a sort of loan office business in that line. The laws on the marriage service in Canada were burdensome and expensive. This brought almost all that business over the river, and I had my full share of it. Many of our regular attendants at public worship came from the other side of the river.

The Walk-in-the- Water, the first steamboat afloat on the waters above Niagara Falls, had made her first trip and passed up the river as far as Fort Gratiot. The Argo, whose hull was made of two large logs dug out and put together in the form of a canoe, was on the route in 1831, and was that season superseded by the steamer General Gratiot. The following are the names of the boats which have done a passenger business on the St. Clair to the present time: Argo, Gen. Gratiot, Lady of the Lake, Andrew Jackson, Jack Downing, Gen. Brady, Macomb, Erie, Huron, Red Jacket, Telegraph No. 1, Frank Moore, Telegraph No. 2, Ruby, Pearl, Fash- ion, Forester, Canadian, Forest Queen, Dart, Reindeer, Milton D. Ward, Evening Star, Carrie Blood, George S. Frost and Grace Dormer.

The first Protestant meeting house on the river was built at Point du Chien, near Algonac, and cost some $250. It was a house of respectable dimensions for the time, but it was never finished. Religious meetings were held there until after the village of Algonac was laid out. The building of that house taxed the pecuniary resources of the whole county. There was scarcely a man on the St. Clair River whose name was not on that subscription paper.

The original paper I saw and it is now in the hands of the Smith family at Algonac. It is a novelty, illustrating the uselessness of money. Almost every subscription was to be paid, and was paid, in such things as the subscriber produced or dealt in. Some promised to pay lumber, some shingles, some timber, some work, nails, sash, One woman subscribed the front door, others so many stockings, some gave needlework, etc., etc. But no paint was subscribed and none was used. At the time of building this church there was a Methodist class, whose headquarters were at this church. They gathered into it all persons of that faith on the St. Clair River, and so were able to number a full dozen. Some of them lived at St. Clair, sixteen miles away from the place of meeting. The people in those days made more effort to attend church than they do now. One of the Deacons of my church at St. Clair, Mr. Bancroft, lived twelve miles away; still he was always at church with his whole family, and was generally among the first to put in his appearance on Sabbath morning."

THE PIONEERS OF PORT HURON.

The following paper was prepared by request for the Pioneer Society of Detroit by Mrs. B. C. Farrand: " I find in my own mind," says Mrs. Farrand, "an interest awakened in all that pertains to the history of the Northwest-to the adventures of the early missionaries and traders-more especially to LeCaron, Champlain and LaSalle, with whose names are asso- ciated 'the great inland ocean,' 'the Mer Douce' of Champlain, our own beautiful Lake Huron.

I crave your indulgence for the errors you may observe, and the anachronisms which your more extended research will enable you to correct.

So far as I have been able to learn, the French were the first of the Caucasian race to 'be- hold this beautiful peninsula,' or to set foot upon this portion of its soil. As early as June 6, 1686, M. Du Lhut, who had been in command of Michilimackinac, in obedience to the com- mand of the Governor General of New France, selected the site of the present Fort Gratiot, and erected thereon a fortified trading post, and gave it the name of Fort St. Joseph.

The order was given in these words, among others: " I wish you to establish a post on the Straits, between Lakes Huron and Erie; I desire you to choose an advantageous place to secure

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the passage which may protect our savages who go to the chase, and serve them as an asylum * against their enemies and ours. * *

* * You will take care that each (of the fifty men) provides himself with provisions sufficient for his subsistence at the said post, where I doubt not you may trade for peltries."

Thirteen years after Fort St. Joseph was built, Cadillac established a fort and named it Fort Pontchartrain, at Teuchsagrondie, on the present site of Detroit.

Had Fort St. Joseph existed seven years before, it might have welcomed the adventurous voyager LaSalle, as his wooden bark-the Griffin-first specimen of American naval architect- ure, sailed up the rapid current of the St. Clair, the banks of which almost embrace each oth- er. We seem to hear the report of the five arquebuses as her griffined prow looked forth upon the opening ocean, and her keel first parted its deep blue waters, while naught but the stately pine trees wave an answering salute.

Until 1790, the Indian maintained his original proprietorship, and enjoyed this place of wondrous beauty all undisturbed (for Fort St. Joseph was abandoned after two years). His hunting grounds-the great forests-remained all unknown, their vast treasures as yet tempted not the cupidity of the white man, and the rapids at all seasons of the year furnished an un- limited supply of all kinds of fish. So attractive was this place, that 3,000 Indians have been encamped here at one time, within the memory of those now living here; wigwam touching wigwam, and extending far above the present Military street on both sides of Black River.

During the summer of 1790, just mentioned, seven Frenchmen, with their wives and fam- ilies, arrived at this spot. They came up the river in canoes, and erected shanties for the pur- pose of forming a settlement. They brought with them no means. Enterprise and health con- stituted their capital. For many years they lived amicably with the Indians, who permitted them to appropriate portions of the soil for their gardens, and to fell trees with which to erect their cabins of logs.

These Indians had a tradition of a great council held at Pe-tag-wa-no (now Point Edward, in Sarnia) at the beginning of the Revolutionary war. The great question was, Which should they help, the Americans or the British ? They had been in council six days, and could not agree, and then sent for the great prophet and chief of the Huron tribe, We-me-ke-uns. This chief had a grotesque appearance. Besides being very large and powerful, he had three noses -a smaller one on each side of the face. He stepped forward into the council and said: 'My Brothers-the Great Spirit tells me that we poor Indians had best keep silence, for the Ke-she- mo-co-mon (meaning the Big Knife, or the Americans) will drive us away beyond the Rocky Mountains. These beautiful forests will not be our home. It may be, you and I will be gone to the happy hunting-grounds of our fathers, but these things will surely come. The Ameri- cans fight for themselves, and the English for their king The Americans are few, but they have a great advantage; they will drive the English back over the great waters, and will fight to the last. So there is no hope for us. Remain in peace. The Great Spirit hath spoken.'

This chief lived one hundred and twenty-five years before he went to the happy hunting grounds of his fathers. His wife preceded him four years; was one hundred and one years of age, and left fifteen children to mourn her early departure.

The names of the French settlers were Anselm Petit, Francois Lerviere, Baptiste Levais, Duchien, Jarvais, Coarneais and Moreaux.

M. Jarvais erected a saw-mill on what is now known as Indian Creek, but was then called la Riviere Jarvais. Three miles up Black River was Quotsboron, the site now of Harrington's mill. Black River was then called by the more euphonious name of la Riviere Delude, al- though the association was no more pleasant, from the fact that a man by the name of Delude had found his grave in its dark waters.

The settlement, though called Desmond for a few years,' was more frequently called la Riviere Delude, until the platting of a village, in 1835, by the Hon. Daniel B. Harrington, to which he gave the present name, Port Huron.

The Indians had several acres of land under cultivation on the lowlands of Big Marsh, just above the present crossing of the Grand Trunk Railroad over Black River, up to the time of

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the great land speculations of 1836-37. The second saw-mill was built by M. Petit, under contract, for Park & Meldrum, of Detroit. Park & Meldrum were slaveholders, and employed slave labor. One of their employes served seven years to obtain one of their slaves for a wife; and the descendants of this woman are now living on the banks of the St. Clair River, in the county of St. Clair. It is to be hoped that this slave-wife was truly a free woman after her marriage.

At the breaking-out of the war of 1812, disturbances seemed to threaten the settlers. The Indians were not as friendly as heretofore, and in the summer of 1813, during the holding of an Indian council, the settlers were warned by a squaw, to whom some unusual kindness had been shown, that their death or capture had been determined upon, and that they should at once remove. Accordingly the next morning they started for Detroit in boats. On their route they met Mr. King, one of the settlers on the Canada side, on his return from a trip down the river, and told him of the troubles and fears at la Riviere Delude. He was unable to appre- ciate the situation, and said he had few fears and should proceed home and take the risk. The next day he was killed, and also a man with him by the name of Rodd. Their wives and chil- dren were taken as captives to the head of Lake Huron. Some of the children of King are now living in the vicinity of Saginaw, and the widow of Rodd is the same Old Mother Rodd who was so well known in this locality, and who died a year since, aged one hundred and fifteen years. A son of hers now resides on the Indian reservation opposite this place.

King was an Englishman, Rodd a half-breed. Of the Indians engaged in this massacre were 'Old Salt,' 'Black Foot,' 'Wapoose' the medicine man, and ' Old Wawenash,' the old Chippewa chief who died in Sarnia only a few years ago. Wawenash shot King.

After the close of the war, the settlers returned to their homes and Fort Gratiot was built, the settlers assisting. The fort was garrisoned by a company under command of Col. McNeill, Maj. Burbank and Capt. Whistler.

A re-enforcement of French settlers arrived in 1815-Mr. Peter Brandemoor, M. Causley, M. Duprey, and the two brothers Burnham-so that there began to be the appearance of a set- tled community, and a good deal of confidence and security experienced.

In 1819, Mr. Jeremiah Harrington, the father of Mr. Daniel B. Harrington, arrived from the State of New York and " found the place used mostly by the Indians as a hunting ground and fishery.'

In 1820. the county of St. Clair was organized, and its records for several years thereafter placed in a cigar box for safety.

In 1828, the houses for the Indians on the Sarnia side were built, just as they now are, by the British Government. A contract for some of the building materials was taken by Mr. Jona- than Burtch of this place; the shingles were furnished from the American side of the river.

The first village plat was made by Mr. Edward Petit, son of one of the original settlers, and was named Peru. Twelve acres were platted on what is now known as "the Flats."

No church edifice existed for many years, either Protestant or Catholic. Early Protestant religious services were conducted by Dr. Norman Nash, then on his way to the Green Bay Mis- sion. He preached at Fort Gratiot and baptized several children.

Occasionally a Catholic Priest made a visit here and administered baptism. Old Father Bada was the first who visited this place. Pere Richard came as far as Cottrellville.

The records of the town and of St. Clair County, as well as those of Fort Gratiot, are easily accessible, and as they embrace a period of little more than fifty years are not very voluminous.

As a means of acquainting you more perfectly with the early days of this region, and also of rescuing from oblivion awaiting them, unless speedily saved, I have recorded some incidents in the life of a native of this city, who, so far as we can learn, was the first white child born within the limits of what is now known as Port Huron."

Mrs. Farrand concluded this contribution to Michigan's history with a biographical sketch of Mr. Petit, which is given in the personal history of the city.

ST. CLAIR MILITIA, 1805-11.

In 1805, Gen. Hull was appointed Governor of Michigan Territory by President Jefferson.

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Shortly after he entered upon the duties of his office. On September 10, 1805, he, as Com- mander-in-Chief, issued the following orders for military organization : 1st. A regiment of in- fantry of eight companies from all parts of the Territory except the district of Erie, to be known as the First Regiment. (The Erie district embraced the territory all south of Huron River, Monroe County ) 2d. A regiment in the Erie district to consist of seven companies of infantry, and one of cavalry -- the cavalry company to be by voluntary enrollment, and to con- sist of thirty-two rank and file; this regiment to be known as the Second Regiment. 3d. A legionary corps to be made up by voluntary enrollment from any part of the Territory except the Erie district, and to consist of one company of cavalry, one company of artillery, one com- pany of light infantry and one company of riflemen, the corps to be commanded by one Lieu- tenant Colonel, commandant, and one Major. Under date of October 1, 1805, the following appointments were made : James May, Adjutant General, with rank of Colonel; Matthew Ernest, Quartermaster General, with Colonel's rank; Francois Chabert de Joncaire, First Aid-de- camp to Commander-in-Chief, with rank of Colonel; George McDougall, Second Aid-de-camp to Commander-in-Chief, with rank of Lieutenant Colonel; Solomon Sibley, Third Aid-de-camp to Commander-in-Chief, with rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The officers of the First Regiment were A. B. Woodward, Colonel; Antoine Beaubien, Lieutenant Colonel; Gabriel Godfroy, Major; William McCoskry, Surgeon; Rev. Gabriel Richard, Chaplain; Chris. Tuttle, Adjutant; Charles Stewart, Quartermaster. The Captains were Jacob Visger, D. Duncan, George Cottrell, Louis Campeau, James Henry, Louis St. Ber- nard, Joseph Cerre dit St. Jean, Joseph Campeau, Jean Cissne. The Lieutenants were Samuel Abbot, John Meldrum, Whittmore Knaggs, Jean Marie Beaubien, Christian Clemens, James Campeau, Thomas Tremble, Francois Chovin, Joseph Wilkinson. The Ensigns were Allen C. Wilmot, George Cottrell, J. B. Cicott, James Connor, John Dix, F. Rivard, F. Tremble, Jean Ruland and John Burnett.

Other commissions were bestowed in the case of the Second Infantry Regiment, and in that of the Legionary Corps, between October 1 and 3, 1805. An order of October 9, directed the militia of the St. Clair River to be detached from the First Regiment and to be formed into a battalion of four companies, to be commanded by one Lieutenant Colonel and a Major. This battalion with the Second Regiment and Lieut. Col. Duncan's Corps, formed one brigade, known as the Second Brigade. Capt. George Cottrell. of the District of Huron, was promoted Lieutenant Colonel of the St. Clair Battalion, and Capt. Louis Campeau, of the District of Huron, promoted Major of the command. Similar appointments were made in the other com- mands, and military organization completed in 1805.

Military affairs are unnoticed in the Michigan records until April 22, 1811, when the fol- lowing general orders were issued : "The Commander-in-Chief has thought proper to estab- lish the following limits to the four companies of militia comprising the battalion on the Rivers Huron (ncw Clinton) and St. Clair, viz. : 1st. On the River St. Clair, the company com- manded by Capt. Francois Bonhomme, to commence at the lower end of Lake Huron and de- scend on the River St. Clair to the mouth of Belle River; Lieut. George Minie and Ensign J. B. Racine are attached to this company. 2d. The company lately commanded by Capt. George Cottrell, Jr., to commence at the mouth of Belle River and extend to the mouth of the River St. Clair, including the most southern and western inhabitants in that vicinity. 3d. Pierre Minie to be Captain of the company lately commanded by Capt. George Cottrell, Jr., vice Cot- trell resigned. Samuel Gravel to be Lieutenant of said company, vice Pierre Minie promoted; and Henry Cottrell to be Ensign, vice Robert McNeff resigned." The remaining articles dealt with military affairs in the district of Huron. At this period George McDougall was Adjutant General of the Territorial Militia. In June, 1811, Lieut. Col. Christian Clemens reviewed the militia of the Huron district at Mount Clemens. One of the St. Clair companies was not present.

WHEELER'S REMINISCENCES.

There is nothing which deserves more attention and diligence on the part of every Amer- ican citizen than to seek to obtain and preserve records of the "exploits and adventures" of the first settlers of the country and to make careful researches in reference to the history of our

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villages, towns and counties, thus helping to furnish incidents for the full history of each State and of the nation at large. No doubt in many instances, important and interesting facts have been lost by neglecting to gather up and record the local events of particular neighborhoods, and reminiscences of those who fought the battles of their country and who have been the pion eers of Western civilization. The last name on the once long catalogue of our Revolutionary fathers has dropped from the pension list, while but a few of the worthies who were in the second war of independence when the nation fought for "the freedom of the seas," still remain. Some of these reside in the county of St. Clair, one of whom at least was among the first settlers, namely, Barzillai Wheeler, of the town of Kimball. Judging that a sketch of his life, especially some historical facts touching the early settlement of St. Clair County, of which he was cognizant, might prove a source of interest, a newspaper correspondent visited the old gen- tleman in 1882, and obtained from him the particulars penned in the following narrative:

"I, Barzillai Wheeler, was born in the town of Keene, N. H., in the year 1793. When eighteen years of age, in the month that war was declared by the United States against England, I enlisted under Lieutenant Recruiting Officer Butterfield, in the regular army of the United States. Wages for a common soldier at that time were only $5 a month, but afterward they were raised to $8. I served as a common soldier till about the middle of the war, and then was advanced to the rank of Orderly Sergeant for Gen. Macomb. My salary as Orderly was $12. I first went to Boston, and from there to Marblehead Fort, about twelve miles distant, where I remained till the ensuing spring; then was ordered to Dorches- ter Point to join the army under Gen. Hampton. He was soon ordered from there to join the army of the line at Burlington, Vt. I was left sick at Charleston, and after recovering, went into the rendezvous for drilling recruits, and stayed there until the next winter, when Col. Ranney came to me and inquired if I knew the route to Burlington. He said he would send me there with a span of horses and about $1,000 worth of baggage, and let his colored servant boy go with me; that he would take the southern route, and I might take the northern, and meet him there on an appointed day. I started according to orders, and though stopping on the way three days to visit my friends, and breaking down within six miles of Burlington, nevertheless arrived at the time fixed.

Thence we crossed Lake Champlain, to Plattsburgh, and joined Gen. Izard's army, remaining till spring. Gen. Wilkinson then took command and led us to Cold Mill, situated on the lake shore in Lower Canada. The mill was a stone structure, answering for a fort, and there were 500 British soldiers in it, while we numbered 1,700. Here a battle took place. We, kneeling down, decoyed out a column of the enemy, and then rising, fired upon them, killing all but one; we then retreated southward.

In the following July, Gen. Wilkinson being relieved, Gen. Izard received command. Government then issued an order for the Commanding General to take 5,000 of his best troops and repair to Sackett's Harbor. On arriving there, we were shipped for Black Rock, and thence crossing the river above the falls, we joined the army of Gen. Brown, and the united armies went down to Chippewa Plains; this was in the fall.

Here we remained in the presence of the British forces for several months, the armies in the meantime bombarding each other.

At last we were ordered to retreat to Black Rock, the British likewise retreating to Fort George. The army then divided, Gen. Brown taking his division back to Sackett's Harbor, while a part of Izard's was set to work tearing down Fort Niagara, the other division cross- ing the river, built barracks for the winter near Black Rock, and there we stayed till peace was declared, when we returned to Sackett's Harbor, where, during-the-war men were discharged; but the five years men were consolidated into new regiments, and then shipped for Buffalo, and from thence to Detroit. There we built barracks, and the next spring, in the month of May, 1816. the great Indian treaty was held at Spring Wells. There were present, President Mon- roe, Gens. Harrison and Cass, Gov. Woodbridge, and many others of the distinguished men of the nation, and also about 5,000 Northwestern Indians. During the progress of the treaty, we were stationed as a guard around them, in case they should prove treacherous, and raise the war cry. I served out my time at Detroit, obtaining my discharge from the com-

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mand of Gen. Macomb in May, 1817. I received $100, which was then due me from the Government, invested it in a horse and cart, and in crossing the River Rouge, lost my horse, while I barely escaped drowning.

In May, 1818, I became acquainted with Mr. James Fulton, who, in connection with a Mr. Brooks, who had been an officer in the army, was proposing to go into a new section to start a village. I and another man hired out to the firm. It may be well to say that Mr. Brooks soou sold out his interest in the enterprise. We were sent with two yoke of oxen and a cow, destined for Pine River, the site of the present village of St. Clair. We drove them up the lake shore and were four days reaching the place of destination. Mr. Fulton sent up a boat with my wife and provisions and implements, my wife being the only woman who was there for a year.

There had been no previous improvements; a slashing only had been made, and that was grown over with large brush. The only signs of a building were the dilapidated walls of a brick house, standing on the opposite side of the river, which was said to have been once the residence of Gov. Sinclair.

Mr. Fulton employed eighteen men, who were set at work clearing and putting up buildings. A piece of corn was got in down at the point, where were a few apple trees which had been planted by the Indians. We broke up three acres of ground on the south side of Pine River the following autumn, sowing it with about three bushels of wheat, from which we. har- vested seventy-five bushels. We cleaned if with an Indian sieve, and then took it down to a wind mill near the mouth of the Clinton River to get it ground.

There being no business in the country, manufactured articles being high, cotton cloth three-quarters of a yard wide being worth 50 cents a yard, Mr. Fulton soon became reduced in circumstances. his financial enterprise proving a failure. I then removed to the town of Cottrellville, where I resided for a few years. Afterward I returned to St. Clair, and from thence, in December, 1835, I came to Pine River, where I now reside.

If I live till September next, I shall be eighty-four years old. I am now living with my third wife, who is seventy-seven years of age. I have raised a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. For the past five years my health has not been very good. I have been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and have endeavored as well as I was able to serve my God, my country, my generation, and the church. And now having passed the boundary of man's life, as declared by the inspired penman, I expect it will not be long before I shall receive my discharge bere in the Christian army to go up and enjoy the victor's reward in the heavenly country."

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History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 37

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818