A History of Missouri from the Earliest Explorations and Settlements Until the Admission of the state into the union, Volume III, Part 13

Author: Louis Houck
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: R. R. Donnelley & sons company
Number of Pages: 405


USA > Missouri > A History of Missouri from the Earliest Explorations and Settlements Until the Admission of the state into the union, Volume III > Part 13


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Companies of Second Battalion: Ist, James Musick, Captain; Elisha Patterson, Lieutenant; Green Baxter, Ensign. 2d, Hyacinth Dehetre, Cap- tain; J. M. Courtois, Lieutenant; Joseph Aubuchon, Ensign. 3d, John Miller, Captain; John Kinkead, Lieutenant; Gabriel Long, Ensign. 4th, John E. Allen, Captain; Joseph Lard, Lieutenant; Wm. McDowns, Ensign.


Companies of the Third Battalion: Ist, James McCullock, Captain; Jacob Collins, Lieutenant; John Horine, Ensign. 2d, Abner Vansant, Cap-


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HISTORY OF MISSOURI


It was during this war in July, 1812, that the first United States recruiting office west of the Mississippi was opened at Ste. Genevieve by Captain O. Allen of the regular army, and that town made the rendezvous for enlisted men.


In the fall of 1812 after the attack on "Ft. Bellevue" hostile Saukees and Renards from the Rock river band and Winnebagoes


tain; David Brant, Lieutenant; Benj. Johnston, Ensign. 3d, Thos. Williams, Captain; William Ink, Lieutenant; Hardy Ware, Ensign.


Companies of the Fourth Battalion : Ist, Benj. Hatherley, Captain; Samuel Cantley, Lieutenant; Lewis Hall, Ensign. 2d, John Maupin, Captain; Joshua Brock, Lieutenant; John Sappington, Ensign. 3d, Augte Chouteau, Captain; Lieutenant; , Ensign.


Second Regiment, county of Ste. Genevieve, Nathaniel Cook, Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding: Joseph Hertick, Paymaster; Wm. McFarland, Adju- tant; John Donohue, Major Ist Battalion; John Callaway, Major 2d Bat- talion.


Companies of First Battalion: Ist, Thomas Oliver, Captain; John Mc- Arthur, Lieutenant; Jos. Hertick, Ensign. 2d, John B. Bossueur, Captain; James Rigdon, Lieutenant; Jos. Amouroux, Ensign. 3d, Richard Moore, Captain; Thos. Kiney, Lieutenant; Thos. Petterson, Ensign. 4th, Frs. R. Cissell, Captain; Mark Brooks, Lieutenant; Samuel McCall, Ensign.


Companies of Second Battalion: Ist, William Dillon, Captain; William Hines, Lieutenant; Benj. LaChance, Ensign. 2d, Andrew Miller, Captain; Isaac Murphy, Lieutenant; John Burnham, Ensign. 3d, Henry Poston, Cap- tain; Archd. . Huddleston, Lieutenant; Alex. Craighead, Ensign.


Third Regiment, county of St. Charles, Daniel M. Boone, Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding: Henry Hight, Judge Advocate; Jas. Beatty, Adjutant; Stephen Hempstead, Quartermaster; Peter Journey, Major Ist Battalion; Robert Spencer, Major of 2d Battalion; Benj. Cooper, Major 3d Battalion.


Companies of First Battalion: Ist, John McConnell, Captain; Peter Teague, Lieutenant; Joseph Yardley, Ensign. 2d, Isaac Vanbibber, Cap- tain; Anthony Head, Lieutenant; William Cassio, Ensign. 3d, Samuel Gib- son, Captain; Isaac Hostetter, Lieutenant; Robert Gray, Ensign. 4th, Nathl. Simonds, Captain; Roswell Durky, Lieutenant; Wm. Ewing, Ensign. 5th, Elisha Collard, Captain; James Lewis, Lieutenant; Jacob Groshong, Ensign.


Companies of Second Battalion: Ist, William Hart, Captain; Osborn Knott, Lieutenant; Ralph Flaugherty, Ensign. 2d, Henry Hight, Captain; Sylvestre Pattie, Lieutenant; Charles Dennis, Ensign. 3d, Samuel Griffith, Captain; Charles Saucier, Lieutenant; Eben Ayres, Ensign.


Companies of the Third Battalion: Ist, Sarshall Cooper, Captain; Wm. McMahon, Lieutenant; Benj. Cooper, Ensign. 2d, Jas. Alexander, Captain; John Morrow, Lieutenant; Amos Barnes, Ensign. 3d, William Head, Cap- tain; David McQuitty, Lieutenant; John Berry, Ensign. A company at Côte Sans Dessein: Frs. Coursault, Captain; Jos. Rivard, Lieutenant; Louis Dehetre, Ensign.


Fourth Regiment, county of Cape Girardeau, Stephen Byrd, Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding: Samuel Dinn, Paymaster; Erasmus Ellis, Surgeon; George F. Bollinger, Major Ist Battalion; James Brady, Major 2d Battalion.


Companies of First Battalion : Ist, Abraham Byrd, Captain; Austin Young, Lieutenant; Andrew Byrne, Ensign. 2d, Geo. C. Miller, Captain; H. Bol- linger, (son of Dan), Lieutenant; Daniel Krytz, Ensign. 3d, Wm. Johnson, Cap- tain; John Baker, Lieutenant; Thos. Tyner, Ensign. 4th, Adam Ground, Captain; Adam Shell, Lieutenant; John Ground, Ensign.


Companies of the Second Battalion : Ist, Abbraham. Dougherty, Captain; Jacob Sheperd, Lieutenant; Elijah Dougherty, Ensign. 2d, Jesse Jeffry,


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INDIANS AGGRESSIVE


crossed the Mississippi and attacked the frontier settlers of the terri- tory. Several settlers were killed at different places about thirty miles above the mouth of Salt river. Some distance above the mouth of the Missouri was " Gilbert's Lick " on the western bank of the Mis- sissippi, a noted resort for animals to lick the brackish waters, where a man named Samuel Gilbert had settled two or three years prior to


Captain; Jacob Friend, Lieutenant; John Friend, Ensign. 3d, James Ravenscraft, Captain; Medad Randall, Lieutenant; Elijah Randall, Ensign. 4th, Geo. Jameson, Captain; Charles Logan, Lieutenant; Wm. Ingram, Ensign.


Fifth Regiment, county of New Madrid, John E. Hart, Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding: Richard J. Waters, Judge Advocate; John H. Walker, Adju- tant; Stephen Ross, Major 1st Battalion; Joseph Hunter, Major 2d Battalion; Dr. R. D. Dawson, Surgeon.


Companies in the two Battalions: Elisha Winsor, Captain; Thos. Winsor, Lieutenant; Joseph Shields, Ensign. Edward Matthews, Captain; Jos. Smith, Lieutenant; James Lucas, Ensign. Samuel Cooper, Captain; Robert Boyd, Lieutenant; Alex. LaForge, Ensign. Benj. Myers, Captain; John Walker, Lieutenant; Joseph Westbrook, Ensign. Edward Tanner, Captain; Andrew Robertson, Lieutenant; Daniel Stringer, Ensign. John Hines, Cap- tain; Alex. Willard, Lieutenant; Jacob Gibson, Ensign.


Sixth Regiment, county of Washington, Wm. H. Ashley, Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding: Andrew Henry, Major Ist Battalion; Martin Ruggles, Major 2d Battalion.


Companies of the First Battalion: Ist, Jacob Petit, Captain; William James, Lieutenant; Stephen F. Austin, Ensign. 2d, Jesse Blackwell, Captain; Anthony Wilkinson, Lieutenant; Benj. Horine, Ensign. 3d, Robert L.Brown, Captain; James H. Moutree, Lieutenant; Drury Gooche, Ensign.


Companies of the Second Battalion : Ist, Joshua Morrison, Captain; Zach. Goforth, Lieutenant; Thomas Mclaughlin, Ensign. 2d, Timothy Phelps, Captain; William Reed, Lieutenant; James Gray, Ensign. 3d, Job West- over, Captain; John Baker, Lieutenant; Joseph Wood, Ensign. Seventh Regiment, county of Arkansas, Anthony , Lieutenant- Colonel, commanding: Daniel Mooney, Major Ist Battalion; Blassingham H. McFarland, Major Second Battalion.


Companies of First Battalion: Ist, Alex. Kendrick, Captain; Peter Le- fevre, Lieutenant; Charles Bougy, Ensign. 3d, Samuel Moseley, Captain; Lemuel Currin, Lieutenant; , Ensign.


Companies of Second Battalion: Ist, Edward Hogan, Captain; John Payette, Lieutenant; Joseph Duchassin, Ensign. 2d, John C. Newell, Cap- tain; Benj. Murphy, Lieutenant; Geo. Rankin, Ensign. 3d, William Berney, Captain; Isaac Cates, Lieutenant; Samuel Gates, Ensign.


Volunteer companies : Captain; John Scott, Ist Lieutenant; E. A. Elliott, 2d Lieutenant; Jas. C. Young, Cornet; Wm. James, Purser. Captain; Ist Lieutenant; Joshua Dodson, 2d Lieutenant; John B. Stone, Cornet; Jonah Riggs, Purser. John W. Thomp- son, Captain; Alexander Lucas, Ist Lieutenant; Absalom Link, 2d Lieu- tenant.


Mounted Riflemen : James Rankin, Captain; John McGeiger, Lieutenant; Joseph Andrews, Ensign; Jos. Hanks, Purser. Morris Young, Captain; Thos. Wyley, Lieutenant; James Patterson, Ensign; Thos. McWilliams, Purser. John Hughes, Captain; William Strother, Lieutenant; Thos. Reed, Ensign; Timothy Phelps, Purser. Samuel Philips, Captain; Philip Ross, Lieutenant; Robert Trotter, Ensign. Jacob Petit, Lieutenant, and Jesse Blackwell, Ensign, of a company from Ste. Genevieve.


Infantry : Joseph Conway, Captain; Richard Caulk, Lieutenant; Thomas


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HISTORY OF MISSOURI


the spring of 1812. In that neighborhood, and particularly below him, the Jordans, the Watsons, Templetons, Turners and a number of others had settled at what was then called "Buffalo Lick." Here in the previous May a party of from twelve to fifteen hostile Indians coming down the river in canoes surprised the scattered cabins of the settlers in the night, killing a dozen or more people, among them the Neil family as already stated, and when pursued got into their canoes and disappeared.14 This massacre caused great consterna- tion, and people actively began "forting." Seven or eight such stockade forts were erected near the Mississippi, because the people were more exposed to Indian depredations near the river than else- where. The largest of these forts, and one in which twenty or thirty families could be safely lodged, was named Fort Howard in honor of the Governor, Benjamin Howard, and erected near where is now the village of Monroe in Lincoln county.


Supplied with new British rifles the Indians became very ag- gressive along the river. Coming south as far as Portage des Sioux they crossed the river and killed a man and his wife, stole ten horses and some beef cattle, returning to the east side of the Mississippi after this raid. Lieutenant John McNair of the Rangers, a resident of St. Charles county and nephew of Colonel Alexander McNair, after- ward the first Governor of Missouri, followed this band with a small force, and according to Colonel John Shaw, was permitted to take the command, at his own urgent request, selecting twelve men for the


Caulk, Ensign. Joseph Millard, Captain; Stephen Martin, Lieutenant; Anthony Bridger, Ensign. Manuel Lisa, Captain; Barthelemi Berthold, Lieutenant; Francis Guyol, Ensign.


Militia appointments, by the Governor of the Territory of Missouri, from April Ist until September 30, 1814: Daniel Mooney, Major, Ist Battalion, 7th Regiment; Blassingham H. McFarland, Major 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, July 23, Daniel M. Boone, Lieutenant Colonel Commanding, 3rd Regiment; July 26, George Tompkins, Ensign and Company, Ist Battalion, Ist Regiment; July 28, John W. Thompson, Adjutant, Ist Regiment; John Miller, Captain 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion, Ist Regiment; Aug. 13, Benj. Cooper, Major 3rd Battalion, 3rd Regiment; Edward Hempstead, Captain of a Company of militia.


Artillery: Charles Lucas, Captain; John McKnight, Ist. Lieut .; Joseph Henderson, 2nd. Lieut.


14 "Wisconsin Historical Collection, vol. 1, p. 204. In the "History of Pike County," Robert Jordan and his son James are also named as having been scalped by the Saukee and Fox Indians. It is stated in Draper's Notes, vol. 24, pp. 151 to 204, inclusive, on the authority of Samuel Conway, that Captain Jordan and his son, who was Lieutenant of a company com- manded by Jordan, were waylaid and killed in a field they were cultivating, and that after this news was sent to the Governor, he sent up a company from St. Louis commanded by Capt. Joseph Conway.


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McNAIR


service, together with Shaw as pilot. Shaw says he strongly recom- mended a larger number, but that the Lieutenant was headstrong and rejected his advice. There were only a couple of small canoes or dugouts with which to cross the river, and it required three trips to convey this small party of fourteen over the Mississippi. This detachment immediately pushed forward, Shaw taking the lead as pilot, and soon came in sight of the Indian encampment. Then Shaw says, "Each party discovered the other about the same moment, we having crossed a rise of ground which brought us within about forty rods of the Indians, who when they espied us seized their arms and rushed forward toward us, seeing that they outnumbered us four or five to one. We instantly retraced our steps toward Cape au Gris rock, a distance of some four or five miles. It was a hot chase, the Indians rather gaining upon us, and as soon as we arrived at the water's edge of the river, about midday, we turned and fired upon the Indians, who were now within a few rods of us. They were momentarily checked, and in turn fired upon us, killing McNair and eleven of the men instantly, while the twelfth ranger, one Weber, dressed in a yellow hunting shirt, jumped into the river, evidently intending to swim over to the fort, but was soon arrested by a ball and his lifeless body dragged to the shore." Shaw escaped, crossing the river on a raft of dry sticks fastened together with a grape vine, landing about twenty miles below Cape au Gris, and on the morning of the third day after the massacre reached Fort Howard.14


The country along the Mississippi at this time, according to Dr. Farrar, who was both a surgeon and a soldier, literally swarmed with Indian savages. In October a body of four hundred Indians, sup- posed to be under the command of a British officer, came down the Illinois river to a point within twenty-five miles of the mouth of this stream where they stopped and crossed over to the Mississippi, but did not make an attack because they found that the settlements were well and vigilantly protected. Major Henry Dodge with two hun- dred men was dispatched to a point higher up on the Mississippi to intercept these savages on their return, but they escaped.


In 1813 Fort Madison, or "Ft. Bellevue," which Black Hawk's band of Saukees, Renards and Winnebagos had attempted to cap- ture by surprise in the previous year, was closely besieged by the Indians and finally abandoned and burned by the garrison, the starved garrison escaping by strategy by digging a trench to the river thus


16 Wisconsin Historical Collection, vol. I, p. 211.


IIO


HISTORY OF MISSOURI


reaching the boats on which to descend the river. Among the offi - cers of the fort was A. F. Baronet Vasquez, who accompanied Pike to the Rocky mountains as interpreter, and was called "Baroney" by him.16


In 1813 Clark wrote Sibley that undoubtedly all the Indians on the Mississippi are secretly hostile to the Americans, and seeking to get a foothold on the Missouri, and that he is anxious to check the intimacy between the Mississippi and Missouri tribes. The Indian depredations everywhere now became more serious. Some of the people of St. Louis even thought that the town ought to be fortified, and so resolved in a meeting that year. The people of St. Charles were also very apprehensive owing to several Indian attacks made on settlers near the town. Thus Joseph Mackay, and his nephew James Mackay on the way from Clark's fort, located in what is now Lincoln county, to Sulphur Lick to watch a deer-lick, on the north side of Cuivre, finding no deer, returning on the way home were pursued by several Indians. James Mackay was wounded in the hip by a shot, and told his uncle to escape and save his own life, that he was unable to escape, so Joseph Mackay escaped, but James was killed. The Indians also came to the house of one Wm. Burgalow who lived near the Mississippi Bluff ten miles above St. Charles, and finding the door was open and Mrs. Burgalow sitting at the fire shot her through the leg just below the knee, and escaped.


On the 20th of March, 1813, the volunteer companies commanded by Captains Dodge, McNair, Callaway, Ashley, Young, Hughes, Millard, Ramsay 17 and Rankin were mustered into service. The


16 This Vasquez was born in St. Louis in 1783, and in 1808 appointed Ensign in the Second Infantry, transferred to the First Infantry October 31, 1810, commissioned Second Lieutenant March 4, 1811, First Lieutenant July 30, 1813, and resigned October 1, 1814. He was a son of Benito Vas- quez and Julia Papin, married Nov. 27, 1774. "Baroney" Vasquez married Emily Faustine Parent. In a letter to General Wilkinson, Aug. 16, 1806, Pike says he "sends some trifles to 'Baroney,' whom I have found to be one of the finest young men I ever knew in his situation;" and further says, that "he seems to have entirely renounced his St. Louis connections and is as firm an American as if born one; he, of course, is entirely discarded by the people of St. Louis, but I hope he will not suffer for his fidelity."- Pike's Expedition, p. 580, Cous' Ed. In another letter he says of "Baroney": "He proved a notable fellow in his line, and I beg to recommend him to some appointment near the Kans."- Pike's Expedition, p. 834, Cous' Ed. After- ward, likely this letter, led to his appointment as Ensign in the 2d Infantry by the President, who, we can rest assured, carefully examined Pike's report. In 1823 he was employed as interpreter among the Indians by Gov. Wm. Clark, and acted also as subagent.


17 The first company raised in Southeast Missouri was raised by Andrew


III


CAPTAIN RAMSAY KILLED


order says, so that the "citizen soldier may not be ignorant of the manner in which the law requires him to be equipped, he is reminded that it is his duty to provide himself with a good musket, with bayo- net and belt, or fusil, two spare flints and a knapsack and pouch, with a box thereon to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges; or a good rifle, knapsack, powder horn and pouch, with twenty balls and one quarter of a pound of powder."18 In order to intimidate the Indians somne of these companies marched through the district threatened by them. In July "on the frontier of St. Charles near Ft. Mason on the Mississippi river, Captain Allen Ramsay, John Duff, Levi Tansey, Davis Whitesides, John Matthews, Stephen Han- cock, Jr., and others had an engagement with some Winnebago Indians. They were in hot pursuit of the Indians and on the 4th of July reached an Indian camp just as the Indians were painting them- selves; fired upon them, killed and wounded some of them, but the Indians rallied and returned the fire and both parties sought the pro- tection of trees. Tansey behind a small tree had a number of holes shot through his hunting shirt and was wounded across the wrist. Matthews was shot through the leg and had his horse killed; Cap- tain Allen Ramsay was killed; Whiteside and Duff were both mortally wounded and died. Duff was buried with military honors after- wards at St. Louis. Captain Ramsay was from Cape Girardeau, a son of Andrew Ramsay and a brother-in-law of Captain Peter Craig, subsequently killed at the battle of the Sink-hole, John Matthews, also, was from Cape Girardeau.19


Ramsay, junior, in the spring of 1813. Of this company he was selected Captain; James Morrison, Ist Lieutenant; Peter Craig, 2d Lieutenant; Drakeford Gray, Lieutenant; William Ramsay, Ensign; William Able, Edward Spear, John Giles, John Gray and John Ramsay, Sergeants; and Dan. Herkelrod, George Simpson, Willis Flannagan, Michael Ault, Alex- ander Scott, Edward Tanner, Corporals, and Solomon Fossett, Trumpeter.


18 See Territorial Laws.


" Of this action John Matthews, who seems to have had poetical pro- clivities, made a song as follows :


"July fourth, one morning fair, From Cap au Gris we started. Sixty-four our number was, We being valiant hearted, Traveled on to Buffalo, And there we separated, Some went on, others returned To the fort evacuated. The Indians lay cor.cealed, Of the Winnebago nation.


II2


HISTORY OF MISSOURI


In August Nathan Boone with a party of seventeen men was sent to reconnoiter and select a route for the army to march against the Indian towns near Peoria. Boone and his men started from Cap au Gris below Ft. Mason, crossed the river and encamped on the second day after going out between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. They had seen no signs of Indians, but near midnight, the sentinels discovered that Indians were about, and soon ascertained that they were endeavoring to surround the camp which was situated in the woods on a small branch. Boone doubled the sentinels and ordered all the men from the fire, and to take to the trees around the camp a little distance from the fire, not knowing where the attack would be made. Then one of the sentinels named White, and an Indian, close to each other, fired the same instant. White was wounded in NATHAN BOONE both hands and lost both thumbs. Whether White's shot took effect was not known, but the attack immediately became general. An- other man was slightly wounded in the shoulder. The Indians rushed upon the campfire and the whites got away to the opposite side where Boone was, who ordered the men to retreat, and himself wheeled and ran from the tree behind which he had been posted, but on the first or second jump one of his feet went into a sink-hole in the ground, causing him to fall and at the instant he fell a platoon of guns from the Indians at the fire was fired at him, but his fall doubt- less saved him. He recovered and ran some 60 steps, "treed " and ordered his men to rally and take to the trees at that point, and all promptly did so, except two or three. The Indians continued' to fire several guns from the camp, and the alarm having caused the horses to run off Boone ordered a pursuit of the horses, but only se- cured about half of them. He then returned to the station Cap au


The first to yield upon the field Were Duff and Allen Ramsay, No sons of Mars e'er fought more brave Than did our Levi Tansey."


Then a couplet is devoted to Jordan Whitesides, who was mortally wounded. Tansey who was shot across the wrist, returning by swimming over streams, his wound became irritated, inflamed and mortified, and he had his arm amputated three times, the third time at the shoulder joint, but finally died from its effects, greatly lamented .- Draper's Notes, vol. 24, pp. 151 to 204, inclusive.


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GENERAL HOWARD DIES


Gris. The Indians proved to be from 60 to 80 Saukees and Renards, and it was afterward ascertained, followed Boone's party some 30 to 40 miles, before attacking them in camp.20 Among Boone's men in this affair was Captain James Callaway, one of the sons of Flanders Callaway, and grandson of Daniel Boone, and who in the following year also fell in this Indian war.


In September General Howard with a force of 1,400 men started from Portage des Sioux on an expedition against the Indians of Il- linois. At Fort Mason the Missouri troops all swam the river and joined the Illinois forces. The army then moved up the Mississippi bottoms to a point above Quincy and thence across the country to Peoria, and camped near the lake there for several weeks. On this expedition General Howard burned several of the Indian towns and captured their caches of corn, perhaps for them the most serious loss. Here he detached Boone with 100 men to go to the Rock river in search of Indians, and Major Christy was ordered with a detachment up the Illinois, but the Indians had all fled. While at Peoria lake General Howard erected Ft. Clark. This campaign, although not remarkable for events, did much to check the aggressions of the Indians.21 Shortly after his return from this expedition General Howard, after an illness of two days, died in St. Louis.22


Predatory hostilities were begun on the Missouri river by the Indians soon after the declaration of war. The settlers here also erected forts for their protection, and in these forts the few families then living in that section gathered for safety. For subsistence the people depended entirely upon the wild game they killed from day to day.


About this time these settlers captured a boat in charge of Cap- tain Coursault belonging to French traders of St. Louis loaded with Indian goods, twenty-five kegs of powder and 500 pound of balls, go- ing up the river. When the boat first came up Ben Cooper and others admonished Coursault of the impropriety of supplying the Indians


" Draper's Notes, vol. 6, Trip of 1851.


" Reynolds' Pioneer History of Illinois, p. 343.


22 General Benjamin Howard was born in Lexington, Ky .; entered public life early; a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1800; Governor of the Indiana Territory; member of Congress from Clay's district in Kentucky; then Governor of the Missouri Territory, resigning the position to become a Brigadier-General. He was the son of John Howard, who was one of the first settlers of Boonesborough; a soldier of the Revolution; fought at Guil- ford Courthouse; wounded in a charge by one of Tarleton's troopers and left for dead on the field, but survived and attained the age of 104 years.


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HISTORY OF MISSOURI


with ammunition under existing conditions, and he seemed to see and appreciate the danger of this and promised to return down the river. But it was doubted from his reluctance whether he would descend and hence a guard was stationed on the river and as was suspected, a night or two afterward about 2 o'clock in the morning Coursault was intercepted attempting to go up the river, he and his men having muffled the oars of the boats. When ordered to run ashore he did not stop and Colonel Cooper fired, but Captain Sar- shall Cooper knocked the gun up thus saving Coursault's life. The settlers confiscated the ammunition, Coursault himself was detained for a short time, but finally allowed to return home with his goods except the ammunition and a large keg of whiskey. Coursault was at Côte sans Dessein when attacked by the Indians and during the war loyally aided in the defense of the country against the attacks of the Indians, and was Captain of the Cote sans Dessein company. After the capture of this boat the people on the south side of the river abandoned their fort, crossed over the river to Fort Kinkead or Fort Hempstead, located in the present county of Howard within about a mile from where the railroad bridge at Boonville now spans the river. It is said that prior to the time when this supply of powder was taken from Coursault's boat one Joseph Jolly manufactured powder from saltpeter found in a cave near Rocheport, which, if true, is a fact also to be noted.23 .




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