USA > Missouri > Cooper County > A history of Cooper County, Missouri, from the first visit by white men in February, 1804, to the fifth day of July, 1876 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
The families of the first settlers south of the Missouri river, were composed of the following members : Hannah Cole and her children Jennie, Mattie, Dikie, Nellie, James, Holburt, Stephen, William and Samuel. Stephen Cole and Phoebe, his wife, and their children James, Rhoda, Mark, Nellie and Polly, making seventeen in all, members of the two families who made the first settlement in what is now Cooper county, but what was then an untrodden wilderness. Here they were surrounded on all sides by savages who
I7
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
pretended to be friendly, but who sought every opportunity to steal horses and commit other depredations upon the settlers.
Only four of these children are still alive ; they are Dikie, Jennie, Mark and Samuel Cole. Dikie Cole, now Mrs. Dikie Dallias, and Mark Cole, lived in this county for some time, then moved to St. Clair county, where they now re- side. Samuel Cole, and Jennie Cole, now Mrs. Jennie Davis, have resided in this county ever since the first settle- ment by their mother. To Samuel Cole we are indebted for a great deal of the early history of this county, for he was here a long time before any other person now living here, except his sister, came to the county.
When Benjamin Cooper and those who were with him came up the river, there was no road nor anything to guide them through the wilderness. They had to take, as the path in which to travel, any opening which they could find in the thickets which would permit the passage of their wagons and animals. When they arrived at the river, where old Franklin now stands, Hannah and Stephen Cole desiring to cross the river with their families, were compelled to use a large canoe, or "perogue," as it was then called, swimming their horses behind them.
Their only neighbors at that time on this side of the Mis- souri river, were the Sauk and Fox Indians. The Sauk Indians, under Quashgami, their chief, lived on the Moni- teau Creek, in the south part of Cooper county. When the settlers first came here, these Indians professed to be friendly to them, but, as is generally the case with all savages, they stole horses and committed other depredations. During the war of 1812, these Indians took sides with the British against the Americans. After the conclusion of the war, the Sauk Indians were ordered off to Grand river, and from thence to Rock river. Their other chiefs during this time were
I8
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
Keokuk and Blundo ; the latter, one-half French, the others full-blooded Indians.
Samuel Cole states that he often hunted with these chiefs, and found them generally kind and obliging. He was also well acquainted with Blackhawk, who was at that time a common Indian warrior, but who afterwards became a noted chief. The whites at that day, although they well knew the treachery of the Indians, were accustomed to hunt and fish with them; also sometimes to visit them at their vil- lages; yet they always kept on their guard against the wiley savages.
When the settlers first came to this county, wild game of all kinds was very abundant, and was so tame as not to be easily frightened at the approach of white men. This game furnished the settlers with all their meat, and in fact, with all the provisions that they used, for most of the time they had little else than meat. There were large numbers of deer, turkeys, elk and other large animals, and to use the expression of an old settler, "they could be killed as easily as sheep are now killed in our pastures." The settlers spent most of their time in hunting and fishing, as it was no use to plant crops to be destroyed by the wild game. Small game, such as squirrels, rabbits, partridges, &c., swarmed around the homes of the frontiersmen in such numbers, that when they did attempt to raise a crop of any kind, in order to save a part of it, they were forced to kill them in large numbers.
But these inoffensive animals were not the only ones which filled the forests. Such terrible and blood-thirsty wild beasts as the bear and the panther could be seen very often lying in wait for any unwary traveler who ventured near their lairs. Near where the present residence of Washing- ton Adams stands, in the City of Boonville, a panther was one day killed by Samuel Cole which measured eleven feet
19
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
from the end of its nose to the tip of its tail, and which was thought to have been one of the largest panthers ever killed in the State of Missouri.
Not only were the settlers and their families thus well provided with food by nature, but also their animals were furnished with everything necessary to their well-being. The range was so good during the whole year that their stock lived without being fed at all by their owners. Even when the ground was covered with snow, the animals, taught by instinct, would in a few minutes paw from under the snow enough grass to last them all day. Their only use of corn, of which they planted very little, was to make bread, and bread made of corn was the only kind they ever had.
After the first settlement of what is now Cooper county, the settlers remained here nearly two years without any neighbors nearer than the opposite side of the Missouri river. For nearly two years they encountered alone the dangers of the forest, and lived in peace and quietness, although they at times feared an attack from the Indians who lived south and west of them.
But in the latter part of the year 1811 some more adven- turous spirits moved to this side of the river, and began to settle around and near the present site of Boonville. They settled near one another, so that in time of danger they could readily gather at one place. This timely arrival revived the spirits of the settlers, for already could be heard the dim mutterings in the distance, which foreshadowed a long and bloody conflict with the Indians who had been in- duced by the emissaries of the British government to take sides with that country against the United States of America.
HISTORY OF BOONE'S LICK COUNTRY
CHAPTER II.
Peaceable condition of the "Boone's Lick Country" previous to 1812 .- Arrivals in 1811 and 12 .- First Fort Built .- Savage Killed .- Removal of the Settlers to Kincaid's Fort .- Killing of Jonathan Todd and Thomas Smith .- Samuel Cole et. al. pursued by Indians .-- Killing of Samuel Campbell.
Hitherto the life of the settler had been passed in com- parative peace and quiet. Supplied by nature with all that he wished to eat or to drink, he had nothing to induce him to labor, except to provide a shelter to cover his family. This completed, he could spend his time in hunting and fishing, and by his pleasant pastime he could provide all the necessaries for those dependent upon him. He had no care about his stock, for in winter, as well as in summer, they were bountifully fed by the grass and other things which grew luxuriantly on every side. And except an occasional encounter with some wild animal, such as a bear or panther, the life of the pioneer was one devoid of incident or excitement.
During the winter of ISII and the spring of 1812, several families of adventurous frontiersmen came into what is now Cooper county, and settled near the present site of Boon- ville. The names of those who arrived previous to the commencement of the Indian war, were as follows :
Joseph Jolly, Joseph Yarnell, Gilliard Rupe, Muke Box, Delany Bolin, William Savage, John Savage, James Sav- age, Walter Burress and David Burress ; and these, together with Captain Stephen Cole and Mrs. Hannah Cole,
2I
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
included all who had moved into the "Boone's Lick Country," south of the Missouri River, and west of the Osage river previous to the summer of 1812.
At this time the settlers became satisfied from reports which reached them from time to time, that the Indians were making preparations to attack the settlements along the Missouri river, and they determined to be ready to re- ceive them properly when they did appear. So they soon commenced the building of a fort.
The first fort in the present limits of Cooper county was built by Stephen Cole, his neighbors assisting, in the year 1812, and was called "Cole's" fort. It was situated in the north part of what is now known as the "old fort field," about one and one-half miles east of the City of Boonville, north of the road from Boonville to Rocheport. As soon as it was completed, all the families living around, gathered at the fort for protection from the savages. As their meat consisted entirely of the wild game which they killed, they had to send out parties from day to day to kill it. And it happened that a couple of parties were out hunting when the Indians attacked the fort.
A few months after the fort was built, a band of about four hundred Indians suddenly made their appearance in the neighborhood. When they appeared before the fort, there were two parties out hunting, in one of which were two men by the name of Smith and Savage, who, on their return to the fort, were pursued by the Indians. The sav- ages shot at them several times ; in the first fire, Smith was severely wounded, but staggered on to within fifty yards of the fort, where the Indians shot him again, two balls taking effect and hurling him to the ground. As soon as Savage saw him fall, he turned to assist him ; but Smith handed him his gun, and told him to save himself, as he knew he was mortally wounded. As the Indians were in close pur-
22
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
suit of them, Savage was forced to leave his unfortunate companion and attempt to make his escape. He reached the fort unhurt, although he had been shot at some twenty- five times. The Indians after having scalped Smith, and barbarously multilated his body, withdrew to the adjacent woods, and laid siege to the fort.
As the Indians who were in pursuit of Savage came in full view of the fort, several, of them could have been killed. Indeed, Samuel Cole, who was in the fort at the time, begged his mother to let him shoot an Indian. But she re- fused, telling him that as the Indians had as yet shown no disposition to fire upon the fort, the inmates did not wish to arouse their anger by killing any of them ; hoping that be- fore they did attack, those settlers, who were out hunting, would arrive, and they perhaps get a chance to escape. During the following night the remaining settlers, who were outside of the fort, returned.
The next day the settlers captured a French boat which came up the river loaded with powder and balls, to trade with the Indians at Council Bluffs. They crossed their families and all their stock, furniture, &c., over the river in this boat, to Kincaid Fort, or Fort Hempstead, which was located in what is now Howard county, about one mile from the north end of the great iron bridge over the Missouri river at Boonville. It will be seen from this, that these settlers were not only brave men, but fit to lead an army in time of danger, as when they made this retreat, the fort was sur- rounded by the Indians on all sides except that protected by the river. And yet in the face of all this they saved everything from the fort.
After they had crossed their families, &c., in the cap- tured boat, and taken possession of the twenty-five kegs of powder and five hundred pounds of balls which the boat contained, the settlers let the Frenchmen return down the
23
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
river with their boat with the admonition, that if they ever came up the river again with supplies for the Indians, they would hang them, as they could not permit their enemies to thus obtain supplies.
Previous to the capture of this boat and the ammunition with which it was loaded, which was sufficient to last the settlers a long time, Joseph Jolly had supplied them with powder, manufacturing it himself, saltpetre being found in a cave near Rocheport.
The first white men killed by the Indians in the "Boone's Lick Country" were Jonathan Todd and Thomas Smith, who, early in the spring of 1812, had started down the river to pick out a piece of land on which to settle. The Indians attacked them not far from the present line between Howard and Boone counties, and after a long struggle in which several Indians were killed, Todd and Smith were slain. The savages after killing them, cut off their heads and cut out their hearts and placed them by the side of the road on poles.
As soon as the news of the killing of Todd and Smith was brought to the fort, a party of men started out to get their bodies. After they had gone several miles, they cap- tured an Indian warrior who seemed to be watching their movements, and started to take him to the fort alive, in order to get information from him. As they returned after finding the bodies of the settlers, when they arrived within two miles of the fort, the Indian prisoner suddenly broke away from them and attempted to escape. The settlers pursued him about one-half of a mile, when they finding that they could not overtake him and capture him alive, they shot him, killing him instantly.
Immediately after the killing of Todd and Smith, the settlers living on both sides of the Missouri river, being desirous of finding out the true state of affairs, sent out
24
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
James Cole and James Davis on a scouting expedition to see whether or not the Indians were really upon the war path. After looking around for some time, and not being able to hear anything of the plans of the savages, they were preparing to return to the fort, when they discovered a large band of Indians in pursuit of them, and directly between them and the fort, in which were their families and friends, unconscious of their danger.
As retreat to the fort was cut off, and they could not with- stand the attack of the large body of Indians in the open woods, they started for what was then called Johnson's Fac- tory ; a trading post kept by a man named Johnson ; it was situated on the Moniteau Creek in what is now Moniteau county, about 200 yards from the Missouri river. They reached the Factory that afternoon and the Indians imme- diately surrounded the place. As Cole and Davis knew that their friends, at the different forts, would fall an easy prey to the savages, if not warned of their danger in time to prepare for the attack which they seemed certain to make upon the fort, the hardy rangers determined at all hazards to escape and bear the tidings to them. But here the main diffi- culty presented itself. As long as they remained at the trading post they were safe from the shots of the enemy ; but as soon as they left that protection they knew they would be slain.
'But knowing the imminent danger of their families and friends, they resolved to make a desperate effort to reach them. So at 12 o'clock that night, they took up a plank from the floor of the "Factory," reached the creek, and find- ing a canoe, floated down to the river. But just as they reached the river, an unlucky stroke of the paddle against the side of the canoe discovered them to the Indians, who started in pursuit of them in canoes. They pursued the settlers to "Big Lick," now in Cooper county, where, being
25
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
closely pressed, Cole and Davis turned and each killed an Indian. The Indians then left off pursuit, and the two men reached Cole's Fort in safety, to announce to the set- tlers, that they were indeed, on the verge of a long and bloody war. From there the melancholy tidings were con- veyed to the other forts, and filled the hearts of the settlers with dismay, as they considered how few of them there were, to withstand the attacks of the whole of the Indian nations living around them.
In the summer of 1812, while all the settlers living on the south side of the Missouri river, were at Kincaid's Fort, Samuel Cole, Stephen Cole, and Muke Box, started from the fort on a hunting expedition, crossed the river where Boonville now stands, and penetrated the forest to the Petite Saline Creek. After they had hunted and fished for two days, they were preparing to return upon the third, when they heard firing in the direction of the river, where they had left their canoe. They immediately started to- ward the river, knowing that the shots were fired by Indians as there was not at that time any white persons except themselves, south of the Missouri river. When they arriv- ed at the residence of Delany Bolin, at or near where the present residence of Mrs. Maria Muir stands, they discover- ed that a band of Indians was in pursuit of them ; and the settlers not knowing their number, but supposing them to be very numerous, immediately separated and took to the woods to meet at the place where they had left their canoe.
When they met there they found the canoe gone, the In- dians having stole it. As the Indians were still in hot pur- suit of them, they lashed three cottonwood logs together, placed their guns, clothing, &c., upon this raft, swam over, pushing it before them and landed in Howard County, about two and one half miles below the City of Boonville.
That evening they reached the fort in safety, and report-
1
26
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
ed their adventure with the Indians, at the same time ad- vising the inmates of the fort to be prepared for an attack at any time.
Next morning the settlers discovered tracks of the Indians near the fort, and found it had been reconnoitered during the night by a band of eight Indians. They immediately sent to Cooper's &McLean's forts for reinforcements, as there were at that time very few men in the fort, and they supposed that this band of eight was but the scouting party of a large band of Indians. Reinforcements, to the number of 42, soon arrived from the other forts, and they, together with the men belonging to Kincaid's Fort started in pursuit of the Indians, whom they had by this time discovered to be but a small band.
After pursuing them some distance they surrounded them in a hollow, near Monroe's farm, about four miles west of the present site of New Franklin. The Indians concealed themselves in the brush and thickets and behind the timber, and not being able to see them the firing of the settlers was a great deal at random. The fight continued for a long time ; four Indians were killed and the remaining four, though badly wounded escaped. None of the settlers were killed and only one, named Adam Woods, was severely wounded, but he afterwards recovered.
Night coming on they were forced to defer the pursuit of the surviving Indians. The next day not satisfied with their work the day before, the rangers started on the trail of the Indians, which was plainly marked with blood.
They followed it to theriver and there found the canoe which the savages two days before had stolen from Samuel Cole and his companions. The sides of the canoe were covered with blood, showing that the Indians had attempted to push it into the river, but, on account of being weakened by loss of blood, could not. After hunting them for some time in vain, the party returned tothe fort.
27
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
In July 1812 some Quapa Indians disguised as Sauks and Foxes, killed a man named Campbell-commonly call- ed "Potter," from his trade, about five miles north-west of Boonville, in Howard county, under the following circum- stances : He and a man named Adam McCord, went from Kincaid's Fort to Campbell's home, at the above mentioned place, to tie some flax, which they had been forced to leave longer than they wished, through fear of an attack by the Indians. While they were at work they discovered moc- casin tracks around the farm, as though a party of Indians were watching them and seeking a favorable opportunity to slay them. So they started around in order to see whether they had injured anything or not. While they were search- ing for them, the savages who were concealed in some underbrush, fired upon the party and shot Campbell through the body, killing him almost instantly, but he ran about one hundred yards, climbed a fence, and pitched into the top of a tree which had blown down, and the Indians, though they hunted for his body, never succeeded in finding it. Adam McCord escaped without injury, and going to the fort, re- ported the death of Campbell, and the circumstances under which he was killed.
Immediately upon his arrival, Col. Benjamin Cooper and Gen. Dodge with a company of about five hundred men, composed of frontiersmen and regular soldiers, started in pursuit of the Indians who numbered one hundred and eighty. The Indians not being able to recross the river, threw up breastworks in order to repel the attack of the soldiers. When Cooper and Dodge appeared before the intrenchments, the Indians after some parley, surrendered themselves as prisoners of war.
After the Indians had surrendered, Col. Cooper and Gen. Dodge had their memorable quarrel in regard to the dis- posal of the prisoners. Col. Cooper insisted that although
-
28
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
they had surrendered as prisoners of war, they, as the mur- derers of Campbell, were not entitled to protection as such prisoners, and that in accordance with a long established custom of the western country, they should all be hung. But Gen. Dodge insisted that as they had surrendered to him, he being the superior officer, they were entitled to his protection. So fiercely did they quarrel, that at one time the two forces, for Cooper commanded the frontiersmen and Dodge the regulars, came very near having a fight in order to settle the controversy. Finally a peaceful disposition of the matter was made, by Gen. Dodge being permitted to take the prisoners to St. Louis.
HISTORY OF BOONE'S LICK COUNTRY.
- CHAPTER III.
Return of the Settlers from the North Side of the River .- Situation of the Settlers for the following Two or Three Years .- Killing of Braxton Cooper, jr., Joseph Still, Wm. McLane, Sarshell Cooper, Samuel McMahan and a Negro Man .- Building of Hannah Cole's Fort. First School Taught in Cooper County .- Fashions, &c., when First Settle- ment was made .- Territorial Laws extended over the "Boone's Lick Country."
IN the spring of 1813, not having seen any signs of In- dians for about three months, and being desirous of raising crops during that year, as they had failed the year before, all of the settlers who had gone to Kincaid's Fort the previous spring, returned to their homes south of the Missouri river. As soon as they arrived they put in their crops of corn, but in order to be advised of the approach of an enemy, they stationed a guard at each corner of the field in which they were at work.
During the following two or three years the settlers were kept continually on the watch against the savages, for every month or two some small band of Indians would suddenly attack and slay some unsuspecting settler who had for the moment forgotten his usual caution, or who feeling secure from attack because the Indians had not appeared for some time, suffered this severe penalty for his negligence. The Indians never after this marched a large band against these settlements, but came in small scouting parties, the members of which had only sufficient courage to shoot down some unsuspecting man, or murder unprotected women and chil- dren. They never, except in overwhelming numbers, and
30
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
then very seldom, made an open attack upon even a lone farmhouse, but stealing up in the darkness of the night they would set fire to the house and slay the inmates as they rushed from their burning dwelling; or as in the case of the killing of Sarshell Cooper, shoot the dreaded enemy of their race, as he sat in the midst of his family.
Is it any wonder, in view of these facts, that when an Indian was captured, 'twas not many minutes before his lifeless body would be hanging from the nearest bough? After all their treachery, woe to the savage who fell into the vengeful hands of the settlers, for they would make short work of him; and they knew they were justified in doing this, for they acted only in self-defense.
During the two or three years following the return of the settlers from Kincaid's Fort, several men were killed by the Indians in the "Boone's Lick Country." The following are the names of all of them of which there is any record ; no doubt there may have been some killed whose tragic death has never had a place on the page of history, and which will never be known :
Braxton Cooper, Jr., was killed two miles north-east of the present site of New Franklin, in September, 1813. The Indians attacked him as he was cutting logs to build a house. As he was well armed and a very courageous man, they had a long struggle before the Indians succeeded in killing him. The broken bushes and marks upon the ground showed that the struggle had been very fierce. The settlers who first arrived to take away the body of Cooper, found an Indian's shirt which had two bullet holes in the breast of it, but whether the Indian died or not they never knew. They followed the trail of the Indians for a short distance, but soon lost it, and were forced to abandon the pursuit.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.