USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 15
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 15
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STYLE OF LIVING.
We lived very simply in those days. Coffee was worth 50 cents per pound in St. Louis, and it was seldom we saw either tea or coffee. We had no markets for our produce, so we merely raised enough for our own consumption, our principal products being corn, hogs, cattle,
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and some little wheat, the old-fashioned ox-mills (so-called), being about the only mills in the country. We raised cotton enough for our own use, and with that and the wool which came from our sheep, our women folks made nearly all the clothing worn by either men or women. During
THE WAR OF 1812
I served as a volunteer in my father's company, who was under the command of Gen. Henry Dodge, a great Indian fighter and afterwards United States Senator from Wisconsin. I was detailed as a spy, and was often sent out to look for Indian trails, camps, or fortifications. On one occasion, accompanied by Joseph Stills ( whose two brothers and son-in-law are now residing near Stockton, in this State), we were surrounded by about three hundred Indians. In attempting to charge through them, Stills was shot from his horse and instantly killed. Myself and horse escaped unhurt. At that time I killed the principal " brave " of the Sac nation. It has always been my motto never to run with a loaded gun in my hand.
My father was shot and instantly killed, sitting by his own fire- side, by an Indian, who picked a hole in the wall one dark, stormy night. This was after we had heard that peace had been declared in 1815.
Many incidents occurred in my younger days which it would take a volume to relate. Once, while attending school, an alarm of "Indians !" was given. I threw my book across the room, never stopping to see where it fell, and seized my gun. This was abont the close of the war, and the alarm proceeded from a large party of Indians who were on their way to St. Louis to make a treaty with the United States government.
THE INDIANS
continued to commit depredations occasionally, even after peace had been made. On one occasion they took two negroes who were chopping wood and carried them off. The alarm was given and seventy or eighty men collected together and pursued them. About dark we struck the trail. We were all mounted, and my brother and myself put our horses on a lope. Directly my horse jumped over an Indian fire, from which they had just fled, leaving their meat still roasting over the coals. We heard one of the negroes cry out, but it was so dark we were unable to find him or his captors. A few days after we found his body. The other negro was never heard of.
THE SANTA FE TRADE.
I was one of a party of fifteen who first opened the Santa Fe trade in 1822. In 1823 I went on a second trip to Santa Fe as leader or captain of thirty men. Our stock in trade was principally dry goods, for which we expected to get money in return. All went
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prosperously with us till daybreak on the morning of the first of June, when a party of Indians fired on us, stampeded our horses, and ran off every head, except six, which we saved. Fortunately none of us were killed or wounded, although I managed to kill one Indian. This occurred on the banks of the Little Arkansas. In company with five others I went back to Missouri, bought horses and returned to our company. When we got in sight of the camp, we saw fully fifteen hundred Indians in and around the same. This looked rather squally, and some proposed to back out; I told them they could do as they pleased, but I should go on to our comrades, if no other man went with me. Finally we all went up, and found it to be a party of friendly Kaw Indians on a buffalo hunt - a different tribe from those who had stampeded our horses.
We pursued our journey without any further molestation from Indians, but sometimes suffered severely from want of water. On one occasion eight of our men gave out entirely on that account, and were unable to travel. The rest of the company, with the exception of myself, cut the lash ropes from their packs, scattered the goods upon the ground, took the best horses and scattered off' like crazy men for water, leaving me and the eight men behind. Some of those who were leaving us fell on their knees and plead with me to go with them and save my own life ; urging as a reason that the men were bound to die, and that I could do them no good by staying. I said I would not leave them as long as a breath of life was left in one of them ; that if they found water they should return to us. This was one or two o'clock in the afternoon. When it became dark I built a fire of buffalo chips, and fired guns in the air as a signal to guide them to us. About midnight four of the men returned with water and we were all saved. The others had drank so much water that they were unable to return, and remained by the water hole. We were lost in attempt- ing to reach them, and it was four days before we found them. From this time on to the end of our journey we had no further difficulty.
In 1825 the United States government laid out a road from the borders of Missouri to Santa Fe. I was appointed pilot and captain by the company.
In the Blackhawk war in 1833, I volunteered and acted as a spy and guide under Captain Matsen. After he was called in, I joined the company of Captain Hickman of Boone county, Missouri, in the same capacity, and served till the close of the war.
In 1837 Governor Boggs, of Missouri, appointed Col. Boone, Major Berrecroft and myself commissioners to locate and mark out the northern boundary of Missouri, which we did. President Van Buren appointed me Indian agent for the Pottawatomie, Ottawa and Chippewa tribes of Indians - headquarters Council Bluffs. The ap- pointment was unasked for, and I retained it until removed by Presi- dent Tyler for political reasons. In 1844 I was elected to the legislature of Missouri from Holt county. I remember at one time
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during the session making the remark that I expected to live to see the Mississippi river and the Pacific ocean connected by a railroad, which caused a great deal of laughter.
CALIFORNIA.
In the summer of 1845, I was induced by several letters received from Colonel Benton, stating that my services would be needed, to accompany Colonel Fremont on his expedition to California. I went with him as far as Bent's fort, on the Arkansas, where I informed him I could go no further with him. There the company divided, Colonel Fremont with his party pursuing his original plan, whilst I went south through a part of Texas, returning home that winter. I have omitted to mention that I was married in 1824. We have had six children - four daughters and two sons-all of whom, with their mother, are still living. I have also sixteen grandchildren.
In the spring of 1846, I set out with my entire family for Califor- nia, and was captain of the train, composed of several families, and numbering twenty-eight wagons. Nothing unusual occurred to ns till we struck the Humboldt. One day after we reached the river I was riding ahead of the train, when I met a man who halloed "Hurrah for California !" He was so excited that it was with difficulty I could stop him. At last I succeeded aud asked him what the news was. He said the American flag was flying over California. This was the first we knew of the Mexican war. When we reached the train one wild hurrah was heard from one end to the other, in which men, women and children all joined.
We struck the Sacramento valley on the 5th of October, 1846. That winter I stopped at Yount's ranche in Napa valley-a man who, in my opinion, did more for the early emigrants of California than all the Sutters ever did.
On the night of the 22d of February, 1847, I presided over the first political meeting ever held by Americans in California, in a little village then called Yerba Buena, now known as San Francisco. The object was to co-operate with Fremont in forming a council to frame laws for our future government. He selected seven men - two Eng- lishmen, two Mexicans, or Californians, and three Americans - old residents of the country ; but General Kearney superseding Fremont about this time, the council soon ceased to exist.
On the 4th of July, 1847, George Yount and myself gave the first public 4th of July dinner ever given in California. We had a large turn out, and everything passed off pleasantly ; I still have the flag improvised for the occasion. It has the stripes of our na- tional flag, with a lone star, and the inscription, " California is ours as long as the stars remain. "
In the fall of 1847 I removed to Benicia, where I was appointed alcalde by Governor Mason, and was afterwards elected alcalde and judge of the first instance, for the country north of the bay of San Francisco and west of the Sacramento river. In the fall of 1854 I
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removed to Colusa, where I have since resided. I was soon afterward elected justice of the peace, and re-elected several terms, holding that office for twelve successive years.
I voted three times for Jackson, and also cast my vote for Van Buren, Polk, Pierce, Breckinridge, Mcclellan, Seymour, Tilden and Hancock.
CHAPTER VII. FRANKLIN TOWNSIIIP.
Boundary - Physical Features- Early Settlers - Mary Jones' Recollection of Early Days - Kit Carson - Hardeman's Garden - Franklin - Its early History and Business Men - Its Talented and Distinguished Citizens - Santa Fe Trade - Lawyers, News- papers and Churches - Travel-County Seat changed to Fayette - A Letter - Post- masters of Old Franklin - New Franklin - Early Business Men - Lottery - Town Incorporated - Population and Present Business - Secret Orders - Estill - Incidents of the Highwater of 1844.
BOUNDARY.
Franklin township stands as it did when erected by the county court, in 1821. In area, it is about 50 miles square. It is bounded on the north by Richmond and Boone's Lick townships ; on the east by Monitean township ; on the south by Cooper county, from which it is separated by the Missouri river ; and on the west by Boone's Lick township.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Portions of this township are quite hilly ; much of the high land, however, is undulating. The soil is generally good, and is highly productive. The bottom land on the Missouri river, is of a superior quality and produces bountiful erops, especially of corn. The hill- lands grow excellent wheat, which is quite extensively raised in the township. This township is fairly drained, the chief water courses being Bonne Femme and Sulphur ereeks. The Bonne Femme and its affinents flow nearly south through the township and empty into the Missouri river. Sulphur Creek passes also south, a little west of the centre of the township, thence east through sections 32, 33, and unites with the Bonne Femme.
EARLY SETTLERS.
We have already ( elsewhere in this book ), given the name of one of the earliest settlers in Franklin township. This was an Indian trader, by the name of Prewitt, who was here prior to 1804. The next pioneers, who were possibly the first permanent settlers, of
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whom we have any knowledge, who came to the township, were Wm. Monroe and wife, who settled in the township in the spring or summer of 1808; it is, however, not known precisely, where he first pitched his tent. They went to Kentucky the same year in company with others, and returned and settled in the same township in 1811. Andrew Smith and Amos Barnes were early set- ilers, coming in 1809, the former arriving on the 3d of July. James Alcorn, Price and John Arnold, Joseph and David Boggs, Robert and William Samnel, Townsend Brown, Christopher and Nicholas T. Burckhartt, Lindsay Carson and sons, " Kit," Andrew and Moses ; Charles and William Canole, Isaac Clark, Joseph, James and Perrin Cooley, James Cockrell, James, John, Peter and William Gleason, James Douglas, Daniel Durben, John Elliott, father of Col. N. G. Elliott ; Hiram, Reuben, Sarshall and Simeon Fugate, Reuben Gentry, Abner, John and Wm. Grooms, Alfred and Moses Head, Robert Hinkson, who moved to Boone county, Noah Katon, Joseph, William and Ewing MeLain, Joseph Moody, Mrs. Susan Mullins, Thompson Mullins, Win. Pipes, Christopher, JJames, Jesse and Silas Richardson, John Rupe, Thomas Smith, John and James Sneathan, Joseph Still, John Stinson, Solomon, David and John Tetlers, Isaac and John Thornton, Jonathan Davis, Elisha and Levi Todd, James Phillips, Jesse Turner, Thomas Vaughan, Robert Wilds, Win. Watkins, James Whitley. Rev. David, Joseph, William and Ewing MeLain were also some of the first settlers in the township, and were connected with Fort Kincaid during the war of 1812.
Connected with Fort Hempstead, which was also located in Franklin township, were Amos, Jesse and Otto Allbright, Aquilla, Abraham, James, John and Shadrach Barnes, Robert Barclay, Camp- bell and Delaney Bolan, David and Henry Burris, Prior Duncan, Stephen and John Field, John Hines, Usebines Hubbard, Asaph and Daniel Hubbard, Joseph Jolly, since of Jolly's bottom, Cooper county ; John, David and Matthew Kincaid, Adam McCord, Daniel and John Monroe, John Mathews, Wm. Nash, Gilead Rupe, Enoch, Isaac and Wm. Taylor, Enoch Turner, Giles and Britton Williams, Frank Wood, and Henry Weeden. The above settlers all came prior to 1812.
MRS. MARY JONES' RECOLLECTION OF EARLY DAYS.
The only person now living in Franklin Township, who was old enough while living in Fort Hempstead to take cognizance of what was then passing, is Mary Jones, or, as she is familiarly called, " Aunt
-
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Polly Jones," formerly " Polly Snoddy." She is the daughter of Andrew Smith and Sarah Scribner, and was born in Pulaski county, Kentucky, in 1801. Her father emigrated to Missouri, St. Charles county, in 1807, and stopped for several weeks with his family at the hospitable cabin of Daniel Boone, the distinguished hunter and pio- neer, who had come from Kentucky to St. Charles county, in 1795. After remaining in that county until 1809, Smith came up the Missouri river, accompanied by his family and bringing all his worldly goods. These he transported on one of Daniel Boone's boats - a kind of keel boat which had been used by the latter when sending salt, peltries, etc., to St. Louis. The propelling power of this water-craft consisted of a very simple piece of machinery, to-wit :- a long pole, made gen- erally of some light wood, with an iron hook fixed in one end of it. One end of the pole was thrust down into the water, until it rested on the ground, and the other was adjusted to the arm. Against this the party or parties in the boat would push -- walking the entire length of the boat and then repeat.
The family reached Howard county, Franklin township, on the morning of July 3d, 1809, and landed near a cabin which had been erected by Amos Barnes. After their arrival and settlement, they found that they were truly in a wild country, and that their neighbors were very few. Among these Mrs. Jones remembers John Berry, David MeLain, and William Brown.
The family built a cabin and cleared a piece of ground, where they raised three small crops. In February, 1813, they went into Fort Hempstead, rather than return to St. Charles county, or Loutre island. The Indian war had commenced the spring before, and all the settlers were compelled to enter one of the forts, or seek another location, which would be out of danger. Sixteen persons left the fort for St. Charles county, but Andrew Smith determined to remain, and was made first corporal in Captain Sarshall Cooper's company. The two first settlers killed by the Indians (Todd and Smith ), were kins- men of Mrs. Jones, the former a cousin and the latter her uncle.
One among the first rumors of Indian outrages that occurred, Mrs. Jones says, happened in Cooper county ( then a part of Howard ). A pioneer by the name of Wm. Ramsey, after having erected a cabin, had occasion to leave home, going only two or three miles, leaving his wife and three children. While he was gone, a few of the Miami Indians went to the cabin where they found Mrs. Ramsey in bed, sick. Hav- ing had the erysipelas in her head, her hair was cut short like a man's, and the Indians, believing her to be a man, killed her in bed. After-
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wards, discovering that she was a woman ( hearing her children cry- ing and calling her mother), they took hor body and roasted it on a fire which they made near the cabin, and burned her children after killing them with theirtomahawks. Among the early preachers in the fort, was Wm. Thorp, who was a Baptist. She spoke of another Baptist minister, Elder David MeLain, who was the first man to pro- claim the " Gospel of Peace" to the settlers of the Boone's Lick country.
Dr. James M. Peck, in his memoirs, speaks of Elder David McLain as follows : -
The only one that remains to be noticed is Elder David McLain. He was the first Baptist minister that came from Central Kentucky to the Boone's Lick country with the first colony in 1810. Early in March, 1813, he started on horseback to Kentucky in company with a man named Young. They travelled without molestation till they reached Hill's ferry, on the Kaskaskia river, the old trace from St. Lonis to Vincennes, via Carlyle, the seat of justice of Clinton county, Illinois. Three families that resided here, being alarmed by Indian signs, had left the ferry for one of the settlements in St. Clair county. The ferry-boat being fastened to the west bank, the two travellers crossed with their horses, and had not proceeded more than half a mile before they were fired on by Indians. Mr. Young was shot, and fell from his horse. Mr. MeLain's horse was shot through the body, and fell, but the rider extricated himself, threw his saddle-bags into the bush, and ran for his life, with several Indians in chase. Soon after, all the Indians fell back but one stout, athletic fellow, that seemed deter- mined not to lose his prey. Elder MeLain was encumbered with a thick overcoat, with wrappers on his legs, and boots and spurs on his feet. The Indian fired and missed him, which gave him the chance to throw off his overcoat, in hopes the prize would attract the atten- tion of his pursuer. The other Indians having fallen back, Mr. MeLain made signs of surrender as this one approached him, having loaded his gun. In this way he deceived his foe till he got within a few feet, when he assumed an attitude of defiance, watched his mo- tions, and, at the instant he fired, dodged the ball, and then, with all the energy he could command, ran for his life. The contest con- tinned more than one hour, during which his foe fired at him seven times. In one instance, as he threw his breast forward, unfortunately, he threw his elbow back and received the ball in his arm. During the chase he contrived to throw off his boots and spurs. They had run three or four miles in the timber bottom down the river, and at a bend came near the bank. Elder MeLain found himself nearly ex- hausted, and it seemed to him his last chance of escape was to swim the river. Ile plunged in, making the utmost effort of his remaining strength, and yet he had to keep an eye constantly fixed on his wily foe, who had loaded his gun for the eighth time, and from the bank brought
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it to a poise, and fired a second time after McLain dove in deep water. By swimming diagonally down the stream he had gained on his pur- suer, who, with the savage yell peculiar on such occasions, gave up the chase and returned to his band. Doubtless his report to the braves was that he had followed a " Great Medicine," who was so charmed that his musket balls could not hurt him.
On reaching the shore, Mr. McLain was so exhausted that it was with the utmost difficulty he could crawl up the bank, for he was in a profuse perspiration when he plunged into the cold water. He was wet, chilled through, badly wounded, and could not stand until he had rolled himself on the ground, and rubbed his limbs to bring the blood into circulation. It was thirty-five miles to the Badgley settle- ment, where Elder Daniel Badgley and several Baptist families lived, which Mr. MeLain, after incredible effort and suffering, reached the next morning. There, with his wounded arm and a burning fever, he lay several weeks, till some of his friends came from the Boone's Liek settlements and took him to his family. A party of volunteers went over the Kaskaskia river, buried Mr. Young, found MeLain's saddle-bags, with the contents safe, but saw no Indians.
Mrs. Jones says, while in the fort, if any man went to sleep on his watch, while acting as sentinel, the penalty imposed for his contre- temps, was the grinding of as many peeks of corn with a hand-mill, as there were widows in the fort ( Hempstead). There were seven widows in the fort and each became the recipient of a peck of meal, whenever the sentinel slept on duty. James Barnes taught school in Fort Kincaid. Among the first blacksmiths in and out of the forts, were Wm. Canole, Charles Canole and a man named Whitley.
The first school teacher outside of the forts, in the township, was Grey Bynum, who was also the first circuit court clerk. Mr. Bynum was a South Carolinian by birth, and came to Howard county among the first emigrants. His school was taught in a cabin which stood near the present Hickman grave yard, and about one mile south of the present residence of Christopher Burekhartt.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL HOUSE.
As the building in which this original school of the country was taught would be regarded in this day and age as something of an architectural wonder, we will describe it : -
It was erected by the people of the neighborhood ; was built of round logs, the space between them chinked and then daubed with mud. About five feet from the west wall, on the inside, and about five feet high, another log was placed, running clear across the build- ing. Puncheons were fixed on this log and in the west wall on which
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the chimney was built. Fuel could then be used of any length not greater than the width of the building, and when it was burned through in the middle, the ends were crowded together ; in this man- ner was avoided the necessity of so much wood chopping. There was no danger of burning the floor, as it was made of dirt. The seats were made of stools or benches, constructed by splitting a log, and hewing off the splinters from the dat side and then putting four pegs into it from the round side, for legs. The door was made of clapboards ; no windows. Wooden pins were driven into a log run- ning lengthwise, upon which was laid a board, and this constituted the writing desk.
Although not a professional teacher, Mr. Bynum esteemed it a
Delightful task, to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot,
and achieved for himself such a reputation in the community that his patrons said --
He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one.
Attending this pioneer school, were the children of the neighbor- hood, within a radius of five miles. Among these, was Mrs. Jones, Matthew Kincaid, Dorcas Kincaid, the Alcorn children, the Hubbards and others. Mrs. Jones has in her possession two of the school books that she then studied. These are very old and faded in appearance. They are " Kentucky Preceptor" and " Lessons in Elocution," and were published about the year 1800. The date of publication of each was torn out, but we ascertained about the time they were issued by reading some of their contents, treating of events which took place about the period mentioned. These books, were purchased by Daniel Boone, in St. Louis, between 1810 and 1812, whither he had gone with a load of skins and furs. A few of the neighbors in Franklin township, from whom he purchased peltries, requested him to bring them some text-books, and these were two of the selections made by him.
Judge Abiel Leonard, also taught a school soon after his arrival in 1819, in the same township, near Old Franklin. Being an obscure and humble pedagogne, he afterwards reached the most honorable and exalted judicial position in his adopted State, - being appointed judge of the Supreme court, - which position he filled with marked ability, until he was compelled to resign on account of ill health.
The first marriage that occurred in Franklin township, and prob-
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ably the first in Howard county, was that of Robert Cooper and Elizabeth Carson, in the spring of 1810. The ceremony took place at the residence (log cabin) of the bride's father, Lindsay Carson, who was the father of " Kit" Carson, the great scout. The invited guests were numerous, embracing the entire neighborhood. Mr. Carson sought to make the occasion one of business as well as pleasure, for after the marriage had been solemnized, the male por- tion of the guests, assisted him in raising a house, the groom being one of the most active workmen present.
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