USA > Michigan > St Clair County > St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people; a narrative account of its historical progress and its principal interests, Vol. I > Part 23
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The first boat built in our eounty was owned and commanded by Samuel Ward, called the "St. Clair," which was built in the year 1820, for lake navigation. After the Erie canal was opened Captain Ward freighted his boat at Detroit for New York City, and took on board two horses to tow her through the canal. On arriving at Erie he took down his masts, stowed them snugly on deck, entered and towed safely through the canal; arrived at the Hudson he shipped the masts, bent the sails,
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and soon came to anchorage at the metropolis. Procuring a full freight back, he returned, but was somewhat disappointed upon being required to pay toll. Captain Ward not only calculated on getting through the canal free of toll but expected to receive a premium, as his was the first boat from the lakes. The "St. Clair" was the first boat built at Marine City, which is to-day the most extensive shipbuilding town in the state except Detroit.
The first vessel built at the town of St. Clair was the "Grand Turk," owned by the father of Captain Alex. St. Bernard; she was of about forty tons burden. Barber, the master-builder, was a very ordinary workman, and the vessel, when completed, was a rough looking concern, and, perhaps, "Grand Turk" was the most appropriate name for her. To look at her-
"She seemed to dare the elements to strife!"
but, under a press of sail, did not ---
"Walk the waters like a thing of life!"
However, in her day, she carried many a load of lumber and shingles to Detroit.
The first vessel Clay produced was built by Captain Amos Hinkly and R. Newhall, about the year 1824; she was about fifty tons burden and was called the "Savage," of Detroit. She was used as a trader, and ran to Mackinac and Green Bay. She was the first vessel that en- tered and wintered in St. Joseph's river. Hinkly, on his return to De- troit, represented it as a fit place to build a flourishing town, and, when the site was secured, he claimed an interest in the land, as his possessory right, he having built the first house on the premises. In 1834, he died on his boat and was buried in the sand on the Canada shore. The fol- lowing winter. Mr. William Brown had the body raised and properly interred on the American side of the river. Mr. Brown had a perfect likeness of Captain Hinkly which he carefully preserved, and it is now in the possession of some of his family.
Within the past two decades, a multitude of boats and vessels have been built at Marine City, but the first vessel built on Belle river was the "Pilot," and was owned by Captain Andrew Wesbrook and Captain A. B. Hinkly. The owners disagreed about the management of the ves- sel, and to settle the difficulty the boat was sold to Mr. Newberry, of Detroit. A full history of the shipbuilding of St. Clair river, together with a sketch of the lives of the different commanders, would make a large and interesting book. .
The first time business took me to Black river, where the city of Port Huron now stands, there were but three dwelling houses in the place, one being occupied by a Mr. Petit, and another was used as an Indian trading house. At that time, a mission school was opened at Fort Gra- tiot with one Mr. Hudson as principal, and a Mr. Hart as assistant. Mr. Graveraet assisted in procuring scholars for the mission school, and without his influence scarcely a scholar could be got. He was my step- mother's brother, and uncle to Garret G. Stewart, of Harsen's Island. After a trial of about two years, the mission was moved to the Island
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of Maekinae, where it was assisted by Mr. Graveraet's brother, Henry. The only Indian seholar that I can remember attending the Fort Gratiot school was a brother-in-law of Mr. Jonathan Burtch, who came to Port Huron at an early date, and if I am not mistaken he ereeted the first frame building in which goods were sold.
INCIDENTS OF WAR OF 1812
The first mill for the manufacture of pine lumber erected on Blaek river was built by Mr. Enos Morass, some years before the War of 1812. During the late war with England, our government wanted some large stieks of pine timber, and the contract for furnishing them was given to Mr. Morass, who procured men and teams and went up Black river, selected and eut the timber, passing with it on his trains down Blaek and St. Clair rivers, over Lake St. Clair, and down Detroit river, all the way on the ice, which at that day was considered an extraordinary undertaking.
Another risky and dangerous undertaking which happened during the war, was performed by Mr. William Brown, father of Mr. James Brown, of Cottrellville. The troops at Fort Gratiot were short of pro- visions, and the commissary at Detroit had orders to supply them. A short time previous, a lieutenant of the fort, in passing down the river, was shot by the Indians and killed, but the men who accompanied him escaped, At this time it was considered dangerous for small bodies of men to travel along the northern shore of Lake and River St. Clair, as large numbers of Indians were secreted in the woods. The commissary, in looking for a man who was thoroughly acquainted with the roads and paths through the forest, was recommended to Mr. Brown as a man well posted in the route, also a man of great courage and energy. Mr. Brown was engaged, and the next morning at an early hour he left Detroit with a train of fat cattle and other artieles, arriving at Point aux Trembles that night. The next day he arrived at Fort Gratiot all safe. The supplies were gladly received, the officer in command thank- ing Mr. Brown for his promptness in the delivery.
Another eireumstanee by which Mr. Brown met the approval of the military authorities happened in the fall of 1819. The militia of St. Clair was commanded by Captain Wesbrook and Lieutenant William Brown. While engaged in a training, two of the militia men quarreled and wanted to fight, but were prevented by Lieutenant Brown. Cap- tain Wesbrook said, let them fight if they wish, which remark brought on a quarrel between the captain and the lieutenant. Wesbrook charged Brown with disobeying a superior officer. Brown appeared before the commander-in-chief, who discharged Wesbrook and appointed Brown captain in his place.
FIRST VISITING MINISTER
The first minister of the gospel that visited our county eame to my father's residenee in the winter of 1818. His name was Diekson, and he was eonneeted with the M. E. church. There were but three families
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on the island, all of whom assembled at my father's residence to hear Mr. Dickson's discourse, which was the first sermon preached in St. Clair county by a Protestant minister. Two years after, we had preach- ing once a month by Methodist ministers, their circuit being very large embracing the city of Chatham, Ont., and the country along River St. Clair. They were almost constantly in the saddle to meet their appoint- ments. My father, although a Calvinist Baptist, and strongly opposed to Armenian doctrines, opened his house for these energetic men, and encouraged them until they organized societies able to support their own ministers. The Methodist ministers of that day were poor, humble and devout men, and the members of their societies lived the same prayerful lives. The Methodists of today, I think, have lost the re- ligious simplicity possessed by the ministers of those early days. The Methodist ministers of to-day have more learning, the church has be- come wealthy, they have got hold of the silver spoons, and are standing on their dignity like other sectarian churches.
While I am writing about Methodist ministers, I will relate a little incident that happened about the year 1820. It was about midwinter, the weather being extremely cold; our minister called on us about 4 o'clock, and was seated in the sitting room before a roaring fire. While thus seated, the juvenile part of my father's family spoke to each other in whispers, and walked over the floor on their tip-toes. We were a noisy set usually, but our reverence for a minister of the gospel was such as to place us under restraint. The house in which my father re- sided was of the old French style, and was built soon after the taking of Canada from the French. It had two bedrooms, a sitting room and a large kitchen, with a small bedroom for the boys; consequently we could not lodge many guests. At about 8 o'clock that evening, three men called and asked for lodging for the night. They were three lawyers from Detroit. One was Judge B. F. H. Witherell, who was then a young lawyer. bearing a very youthful appearance. After our lawyers had partaken of their supper, arrangements for bed accommodation were made. Of course the minister must have the best bed and room; as the three lawyers could not sleep in one bed with comfort, it was therefore decided to bring the bed and bedding from the bedroom and place it on the parlor floor before the fireplace, which was large, and was, on that occasion, provided with sufficient wood to keep fire at least ten hours. Our legal guests cheerfully submitted to the arrangements, and as the night was very cold, a pitcher of hot whisky sling was prepared for them before retiring, and a kettle of hot water was left on the hearth in case they required more sling. It appears that the lawyers spent the most of the night in drinking, telling anecdotes, laughing, etc. I learned from our good minister what had been going on in the parlor during the night. He got up about 4 o'clock and asked me to get his horse; he had had but little sleep and intended leaving before breakfast, not wishing any more of their company. I expressed my sorrow, and hoped that the next time he came he would have no Detroit lawyers to disturb him. I don't think there could be found at the present age a minister who would leave bed at 4 o'clock to avoid the company of three young lawyers. I have forgotten the names of the two that were with young Witherell, and have
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not since learned whether or not they repented of their sins. I was afterward informed that Witherell, some years later, joined the Metho- dist Episcopal church at Detroit. He was a good lawyer and afterward became judge of the Wayne county eriminal court.
BRITON VS. YANKEE
But few, at this day, are aware of the hatred manifested by the old British settlers of the territory, toward the Yankee, a name given by them to all American citizens of the United States. It was not so with the French people; they were glad to have the Bostonians come among them; but the most hatred was manifested by the old Indian traders. They feared the settlement of the state would injure their trade. In the neighborhood where my father lived there was an Indian trader; he was at home but a few months in the year; most of his time was oc- cupied abroad with the Indians. He had a particular hatred for the d-d Yankee, as he generally called all persons from the states. He had manifested his spleen toward my father, who was informed of it through friendly parties. Early in the spring of 1816, he called ap- parently in great haste. He said that the Black Chief had called a coun- eil of the Indians, and that they were determined that no American should reside on the island; that the first settlers on the island were in general council adopted with their children into their tribes and could remain, but they would foree all others to leave. He said he had called to give timely notice that my father could be put on his guard; and he feared he would have trouble with the Black Chief. This message was delivered in a hasty manner and our informant left. In a few days an Indian called at my father's somewhat intoxicated. He made some statements which led my father to believe that he had been stuffed by the Indian trader. At this time, a neighbor stepped in and the Indian pieked a quarrel with him and was knocked down. My father believing that the trader's whisky and counsel was the cause of the Indian's in- solence and threats, seized his ax and hastened to the trader's house and when there walked deliberately in, knoeked in the head of his barrel of whisky and turned it on the floor. The next day he manned his canoe and went to Detroit and stated his case to Governor Cass. He informed the governor that he had on one side a loyal British subject who dis- puted his right to reside on the island, and on the other hand, an Indian trader whom, he had good reason to believe, was instigating the Indians to annoy and molest him. On this representation the governor told my father to return and if he should be further molested, to give him notice, and he would send troops to protect him. This affair ended all further trouble; the Indians became my father's best friends, and for many years supplied his table with venison and all kinds of wild game.
ANOTHER INDIAN STORY
I have one more Indian story to relate, which happened in the spring of 1816, when Colonel MeNeil commanded Fort Gratiot. Among the numerous families of Indians that resided on Black river was that of
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an old Indian by the name of Black Snake. He had a numerous family and was related to John Riley, a half Indian, who selected lands and resided in the township of Riley, St. Clair county. The town at its first organization was called Riley, in memory of the old Indian residents. The father of John Riley was a resident of Albany, N. Y., where his son John was educated when a boy. John considered himself a citizen of the United States, and the band of Indians to which he belonged were, through his influence, recognized as belonging to and under the protection of the American government. Among this band of Indians there was a strong built Indian by the name of Black Duck. He had for a wife a daughter of Black Snake and was strongly attached to the American government. The Black Duck was an invited guest at a great Indian feast held at or near the mouth of Black river. At this feast much whisky was drunk and many speeches made. The Indians from Canada took part, one of whom boasted of his power and bravery as a warrior, and related how many Americans he had killed and scalped during the past war. As soon as the Indian finished this speech, Black Duck jumped to his feet, and seizing a tomahawk, approached the speaker and said: "You are a great brave; you have killed many Americans; you have taken their scalps. The Americans you have killed were my friends, and you will kill no more!" Black Duck buried his tomahawk in the boastful speaker's head and here the pleasures of the feast ended. The Black Duck knew that the avengers of blood would be upon him, for with the Indians it was, as it has been in olden times, "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;" he therefore hastened to lay his case before Governor Cass, and seek his protection. He was placed in the fort for safety. The governor was well acquainted with John Riley, who had rendered valuable service to our government dur- ing the war. Through Riley, a proposition was made to have the matter settled by paying the Indians for their dead relative. On this proposi- tion a council was held before the governor, at which the avengers of blood agreed to take pay for their dead relative according to their valua- tion, besides a selection of goods from the public store in Detroit. They demanded forty quarts of whisky, which they considered necessary in order to soften their hearts and cause the tears to flow more easily over their dead relative. The governor's secretary drew an order on my father for the forty quarts of whisky. I was present and wondered that Indians with such dark skins should paint their faces black with char- coal, but I was told that they were mourning for the dead.
THE HARSENS AGAIN
I have stated that Mr. Jacob Harsen was the first purchaser of Har- sen's Island. He had a family of seven children, five sons and two daugh- ters. His eldest daughter was the wife of Mr. Graveraet, who settled with him on the island. Immediately after the purchase of the island from the Indians, Mr. Graveraet died, leaving a family of four children, who, with their mother, made their home principally with their grand- father, until grown up and sufficiently old to take care of themselves. In the two families, thus united, there were several serious accidents
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causing the death of some of its members and loss of limb to others. It appears that Mr. Harsen was brought up in the faith and discipline of the Lutheran church, and he endeavored to train his children in accord- anee with the rules of that church. Although in a wilderness where wild game was abundant, he forbade the use of fire arms on the Sabbath. But one Sabbath morning while all was quiet and the members of the family were all in the house, a large floek of ducks lit on the shore near the house. The sight of the dueks was so tempting to the eldest son that he seized his gun and attempted to fire at the ducks, but the powder flashed in the pan; he ran into the house to re-prime his gun. When entering, the butt of the gun struek the door, which caused an explosion, the whole charge entering Miss Graveraet's arm, then a girl of seven years. It was so frightfully mangled that she was immediately taken to Detroit to have it amputated. Miss Graveraet spent most of the days of her childhood in the family of Judge May, of Detroit, where she learned to sew, and became so expert with the needle that few could ex- eel her at various kinds of needlework. She became my father's second wife in 1814, and was the mother of Captain Albert Stewart, of Detroit, and Garret G. Stewart, Esq., of Harsen's Island. . The next serious aeei- dent that happened in the Harsen family was in 1800. At this time old Mr. Harsen was dead, and his son Barnard became head of the family. It appears that a keg of powder had been placed in the parlor chimney, and on Saturday evening several pounds had been weighed out to men that had been at work in the harvest field during the week, and some had been spilt on the hearth; by some means fire had been communi- cated to the powder, and the whole keg of twenty pounds exploded, blowing the house into fragments, and instantly killing Mr. Barnard Harsen and Mrs. Graveraet ; a large pewter platter, which was lying on the head of the keg, was driven with such force as to almost cut Mrs. Graveraet in two; other members of the family were badly burned and wounded, but recovered. At the time of this explosion, there was stop- ping with Mr. Harsen a Moravian minister by the name of Denkey, who was a great smoker, and it was surmised that he had emptied his pipe on the chimney, which set fire to some paper and thus communicated with the powder. Denkey was not in the house at the time of the ex- plosion, and the conjecture that he was the cause, may have been wrong. He wrote out a full statement of the accident and had it placed in my step-mother's Bible, and when a boy I read the account as he gave it, but the record is lost and I am writing from memory. At this explo- sion, a looking glass of my step-mother's was blown nearly a mile, and was found in the south channel of River St. Clair; the frame and quick- silver were gone; it was put in a frame again and kept by my step- mother as a relie of the accident.
About ten years after the blowing up of the house eausing the death of two of the members of the Harsen family, Mr. James Harsen went over to Big Bear creek on the Canadian side to trade with the Indians. At this time John Riley was there on a spree, and as Mr. Harsen was stooping to enter his eabin, he (Riley) fired off his rifle, the ball enter- ing Mr. H.'s eye and passing out behind his ear. From this wound
Vol. I-12
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Mr. Harsen lingered in great misery for about six months, and died at his home on Harsen's Island.
After writing the above memoirs, I visited my brother, G. G. Stewart, of Harsen's Island, and while there I asked to examine my father's pa- pers, among which I found the appointment of Harvey Stewart as county commissioner, in and for the county of St. Clair. The commission had the seal of the territory, signed by Lewis Cass, governor, and William Woodbridge, secretary of state, and was dated the 22d day of May, 1822. Following the above appointment is the commission of Governor Cass appointing my father master in chancery in and for the territory of Michigan, and dated April 20, 1827.
CHAPTER XII
MILITARY
TERRITORIAL MILITIA-THREATENED INDIAN OUTBREAK-PORT HURON GUARDS (STATE ORGANIZATION ) -MEXICAN WAR TROOPS-THE CIVIL WAR-PORT HURON GUARDS REVIVED-SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR- MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD-COMPANY F (OLD PORT HURON GUARDS)
The American nation came into being as a result of a long and wearisome war, prosecuted at times with vigor and ability, followed by periods of quiet, and inactivity. The people in general were not ac- customed to the discipline and restrictions which were customary in Europe, and it was much more difficult on that account to maintain an army in fighting trim. The successful result of the War of the Revo- lution was in many ways due not so much to the fighting ability and military leadership of the Americans as the weakness of their opponents in those qualities, and the complications which prevented England from turning her full strength against her colonies.
When the United States became independent and the west passed under their jurisdiction, this region was inhabited mainly by those of French descent, with a few English and Scotch, and it was some years before Americans began to come in any number. All the inhabitants of that time were accustomed to bear arms, partly for defense, and partly because hunting formed a considerable part of the means of liv- ing. Although disliking strict discipline, the men were in general glad to belong to some militia organization, which did not call for much loss of time and afforded the opportunity to create officers with gay uni- forms, and for an occasional outing and jollification. It was also gen- erally believed that a well organized militia was necessary as the nucleus of an army, and such an arrangement was far preferable to a standing army.
TERRITORIAL MILITIA
The new territory of Michigan began business on July 1, 1805, with Governor Hull in charge, who became by virtue of that office, com- mander-in-chief of the militia of Michigan. Governor Hull had borne and apparently deserved an excellent reputation for his military serv- ices during the War of the Revolution, but this reputation he lost in Michigan.
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September 10, 1805, the governor directed the organization of two regiments of infantry, one to be formed from the territory outside the district of Erie, which was to be called the first regiment, and one from that district, and made a number of military appointments. Among them was George McDougall, who subsequently became the first keeper of the Fort Gratiot lighthouse, whom he made second aid-de-camp, with rank of lieutenant-colonel.
On the 17th of the same month, he established companies in the first regiment, the district of Huron from Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, to constitute one company, with George Cottrell, captain; Jean Marie Beaubien, lieutenant, and George Cottrell, Jr., ensign. This was done by a general order, which also contains an address, which is full of high sounding words and appeals to their patriotismn.
"The commander-in-chief in the strongest language invites his fel- low citizens of the militia to render themselves worthy by their conduct, the elevated station to which they are destined. Instead of frivolous amusements employ your leisure hours in the manly exercise of arms. * *
* You are unworthy the blessings the God of nature has granted to you if you do not possess the spirit to protect and defend them. It is degrading to freemen to rest their safety on any other arm than their own. It is by your conduct alone you will be able to prove yourselves worthy the honorable appellation of defenders of your country."
A few days later, on the 27th, the commander-in-chief issued direc- tions for the uniforms of officers and soldiers of the militia, and the following is the regalia in which the private soldiers were to be adorned : "Long blue coats, white plain buttons, white underclothes in summer and white vests and blue pantaloons in winter, half boots or gaiters, round black hats, black feathers tipped with red. cartridge belt and bayonet belt, black." To expect the hardy frontiersman, subduing nature with difficulty, and obtaining little more than subsistence, to array himself like a bird of paradise, was too much for human nature. The order was a dead letter.
October 9, 1805, another general order was issued detaching the com- pany commanded by George Cottrell from the First Regiment, and dividing this and another company into four companies, which were formed into a battalion under the command of George Cottrell as lieu- tenant-colonel.
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