History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 180

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

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" The resolutions which the citizens of St. Louis and of the State of Missouri have been pleased to take in my behalf could not but excite the most lively and

deep feelings of gratitude. It has ever been my in- tention to visit the Southern and Western States, and to be a happy witness of the wonders produced by the spirit of republican freedom and virtuous industry in your part of the Union. Obliged as I am not to leave this city before the 24th of February, and to be in Bos- ton for the anniversary day of the battle of Bunker's Hill, where the corner-stone of a monument is to be laid, my journey must be more rapid than I would wish ; but I hope to have it in my power to present the citizens of Missouri, St. Louis, and particularly you, sir, and the gentlemen of the committee, with my affectionate and respectful acknowledgments." Gen. Lafayette, about midnight on April 25, 1825, withdrew from a brilliant ball that was being given in his honor at Natchez by citizens of Mississippi, and departed for St. Louis. On the evening of the 28th the steam- boat " Natchez," with Lafayette on board, arrived at Carondelet, five miles below St. Louis, and remained there overnight. On the following morning, about nine o'clock, the " Natchez" arrived at Market Street with the distinguished visitor on board. In- telligence of Lafayette's arrival at Carondelet having reached the city the night before, almost the entire population, with large numbers of inhabitants from the surrounding country, were congregated on and about the wharf. Lafayette, accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette, Mr. Levasscur, his secretary, and Mr. De Lyon ; Col. Morse, Col. Ducros, Mr. Prieur, recorder of New Orleans, and Mr. Caire, secretary to the Governor of Louisiana, from New Orleans ; Col. Scott, from the State of Mississippi ; and Gen. Gibbs, -Col. Stewart, Maj. Rutledge, and Mr. Balch, from the State of Tennessee, left the steam- boat and was formally received by Mayor William Carr Lane and the citizens' reception committee. After an address of welcome by Mayor Lane, and a response by Lafayette, the visitors were escorted to the mansion of Major Pierre Chouteau, where a public reception was held. Gen. Lafayette was transferred from the steamer in an open barouche drawn by four white horses belonging to Major Thomas Biddle and Judge James H. Peck. Mayor Lane, Stephen Hemp- stead, an old Revolutionary soldier, and Col. Auguste Chouteau occupied the barouche with him. The popu- lace followed on foot and were most enthusiastie, as they were not only at the time of the arrival, but during the period of Lafayette's stay. Capt. Archi- bald Gamble's horse troop was also present at the recep- tion. After greeting those who desired to see him, Gen. Lafayette visited Gen. William Clark, super- intendent of Indian affairs, and inspected his museum of Indian curiosities. Then he was conducted around

1824

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

the city, and visited the lodge of Freemasons, of which he and his son were made honorary members. He was dined at four o'clock in the afternoon. At night a ball was given in his honor, from which he retired about twelve o'clock and returned to the steamer " Natchez," where he slept. The steamer lay at the wharf during the night, and at an early hour the next morning steamed off down the Mississippi for Kaskaskia en route to Nashville. After the visit of Lafayette to St. Louis we are told that there was a " general propensity to bestow his name upon every- thing. There were Lafayette hats and Lafayette dresses, etc. It happened that a couple of men who had been celebrating the occasion undertook in the evening to settle a dispute in a summary way with the fist. It was at once a Lafayette fight."1

1826. May 4th, news received of the loss of a keel boat during a heavy gale a few miles above St. Louis. Lewis Musick and wife and one of the men were drowned.

July 28th. Proclamation by the mayor of St. Louis, W. Carr Lane, announcing the death of ex- Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and calling a public meeting to take action thereon. At this meeting it was decided to honor the deceased by firing minute-guns from twelve to one o'clock P.M. on the following Monday. It was also decided to hold a funeral service "in the new Presbyterian meeting-house" on Sunday, and that the service should be commenced by the Rev. Mr. Horrell, to be followed by a discourse by the Rev. Mr. Giddings, and to be concluded by the Rev. Mr. Monroe. Hon. James H. Peck, Henry S. Geyer, Edward Bates, Edward Tracy, and Joseph C. Laveille were appointed a committee to carry the decisions of the meeting into effect.

In September the jail was broken open by the pris- oners, and among the number who escaped was John Brewer, who was to have been hanged the day follow- ing for perjury. He was never recaptured.

In 1826 an act was passed by Congress for the erection of an arsenal somewhere near St. Louis. Some time in the following year it was commenced, but it was many years after before the buildings con- nected with it were completed in South St. Louis, where it still stands.

In 1830 a bridge was crected across Mill Creek, at the intersection of Fourth and Fifth Streets, and

St. Louis at that time gave indications of rapid ad- vancement.

1832. In July, 1832, on the reception of the news that President Jackson had vetoed the bill pro- viding for the recharter of the Bank of the United States, there was an indignation meeting of the citi- zens of the county and city of St. Louis held at the court-house. Dr. William Carr Lane presided, and James L. Murray was secretary. Resolutions were drafted strongly expressive of indignation by a committee consisting of Messrs. Edward Bates, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., George Collier, Thornton Grimsley, Henry S. Geyer, and Nathan Ranney. Dr. George W. Call and Messrs. Frederick Hyatt, Matthew Kerr, Asa Wilgus, Thomas Cohen, and R. H. McGill also took an active part in the meeting.

1835. In this year the citizens opened an active cam- paign on the gamblers, idlers, and other characters whose influence was pernicious to society. An ordi- nance was secured from the City Council, and several of the leading offenders were imprisoned. This proved effectual, and the city was soon freed of the dissolute class.

In the same year a meeting of the citizens was called, in pursuance of a proclamation by John F. Darby, the mayor, for the purpose of memorializing Congress to let the Great National road, which was then being built, cross the Mississippi at St. Louis in its extension to Jefferson City. The mayor pre- sided, and George K. McGunnegle was secretary. A committee was appointed to draft the memorial.

Immediately following the railroad convention in 1835 a murder was committed in St. Louis which aroused the citizens to such a degree that the offender was burned at the stake. The murderer was a power- ful mulatto named McIntosh, who had been arrested for interference with officers while in the discharge of their duty. On the way to the jail, in charge of Deputy Sheriff George Hammond and Deputy Con- stable William Mull, the negro released himself, and drawing a long knife, stabbed Mull; Hammond, on attempting to assist his brother-officer, was also at- tacked by the prisoner, who at a single blow cut the officer's throat, killing him instantly. McIntosh then fled, pursued by Mull, and citizens joining in the chase he was soon recaptured and imprisoned. The news of the murder spread throughout the city and created intense excitement and indignation, which was increased by the wailings of the wife and children of the murdered man, who gathered about his corpse as it lay in the street. Citizens to the number of a thousand soon collected and proceeded to the jail for the purpose of hanging the murderer, but deeming

1 At the time of Lafayette's visit to St. Louis there was an old Frenchman living there named Alexander Bellisime, who had been a soldier under Lafayette in the Revolutionary war. Bel- lisime made himself known to his old commander, who em- braced him with much feeling, and the scene which ensued is described as very affecting.

1825

PROMINENT EVENTS.

that the crime justified a greater requital, the senti- ment changed in favor of burning. The negro was accordingly dragged to the bank of the river, where he was tied to a tree, and a pile of dry, resinous wood was arranged about him. This was ignited, and thus the negro expiated his atrocious crime by being burned alive. The place where the negro was burned is now Tenth and Market Streets, then a common.

1833. June 27th, a destructive storm passed over the city about 8.30 P.M. Houses were blown down and unroofed, walls demolished, trees uprooted, etc. The damage was confined to the Middle and North Wards. The cupola of the Episcopal Church was blown off, and the North Ward market-house was leveled with the ground. A portion of the Methodist Church was also carried away. One colored woman was killed by lightning and several persons were injured.

1837. August 9th, J. Sylvester's jewelry store was robbed of from fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars' worth of jewelry while the proprietor was ab- sent at dinner.

October 12th, Mrs. Hamilton, widow of Alexander Hamilton, arrived in St. Louis on her way East from a visit to her son, Col. William S. Hamilton, of Wis- consin.

1838. February 22d, subscriptions asked for a dinner to be given to Gen. Gaines at the City Hotel on the following day. The committee of arrange- ments were William Glasgow, Col. William Chambers, Aug. Kennerly, F. W. Risque, J. C. Dennis, T. L. Fontaine, Jolin R. Scott, Henry Smith, J. W. Folger, Col. J. W. Johnson, Col. J. C. Laveille, G. K. Mc- Gunnegle, S. W. Wilson. At the dinner, which is described as having been a brilliant affair, Mayor William Carr Lane presided, assisted by Gen. John O'Fallon. Gen. Gaines responded to a toast in his honor.

October 12th, a ball was given by the citizens of St. Louis at the City Hotel in honor of Governor Boggs.

1838. In the summer of 1838, Judge Thomas M. Dougherty, of the County Court, accompanied by Linton Sappington, was coming to St. Louis, but the latter stopped at the grocery store of Mr. Bus- sel, immediately upon the road. A few moments later, when Mr. Sappington rode onward, about a quarter of a mile from the store, he discovered Judge Dougherty weltering in his blood a little distance from the roadside. He was breathing heavily, and died before he could be removed. There was much excitement regarding the murder, and althoughi a thousand dollars was offered for the discovery and

conviction of the murderer, he was never appre- hended.

1840. In this year, Andrew J. Davis, proprietor of the Argus, was assaulted with an iron cane by Wil- liam P. Darnes, in consequence of a personal attack made on the latter in the columns of the paper. Mr. Davis died from the effects of these wounds. Mr. Darnes was tried, convicted of manslaughter in the fourth degree, and was fined five hundred dollars.

1841. August 14th, Mr. Hobart ascended in "a balloon of mammoth dimensions" from an inclosure in the upper portion of the city.

November 8th, a meeting of " the friends of Ire- land" was held at the court-house for the purpose of organizing an association. Hon. Luke E. Lawless presided. The following officers were elected : Col. John O'Fallon, president; L. E. Lawless, James Clemens, Jr., vice-presidents ; Julius D. Jolinston, corresponding secretary ; John P. McNeal, recording secretary ; Edward Walsh, treasurer.

A constitution and by-laws were adopted, and the following committee to solicit subscriptions was ap- pointed : First Ward, D. Carton, John Corcoran ; Second Ward, J. G. Barry, P. M. Dillon; Third Ward, William Tighe, Michael Kelly; Fourth Ward, John Donald, John Rice ; Fifth Ward, Hugh O'Brien, Mathew Hogan.

In November of this year the Prince de Join- ville and suite arrived in the city from the upper Mississippi, and left five days later on board tlie steam- boat " Boston" for Louisville and Pittsburgh. During his short sojourn he was waited upon by many of the citizens, especially the French.

1842. In June ex-President Martin Van Buren visited St. Louis and was accorded a public recep- tion, incident to which there was a civic and military parade.

1843. March 29th, a meeting held at Concert Hall to explain and defend the doctrines of Millerism was broken up by a riotous assemblage, which pelted the speaker with eggs. June 3d, Dr. Lardner, the scientist, arrived in St. Louis.

On the 8th of May, Col. R. M. Johnson, the popular Kentucky veteran, reached St. Louis and was received with a popular demonstration, in which the military were most conspicuous. Col. Johnson remained until the 12th, and was fêted constantly · during his stay. The committee on reception were Messrs. N. Ranney, C. Mullikin, T. H. Holt, A. Wet- more, William Palin, John O'Fallon, William Mil- burn, John M. Wimer, J. B. Col, J. C. Lawless, Hardage Lane, O. D. Filley, J. B. Bowlin, F. Ken- nett, John M. Krum. In May other distinguished

1826

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

visitors were in the city, among the number Hon. John J. Crittenden, senator, and William J. Graves, member of Congress from Kentucky, the Hon. J. Philips Phoenix, member of Congress elect for the city of New York, Professor Silliman, the eminent scientist, Josiah Quincy, Jr., and Charles F. Adams, of Massachusetts.

1845. December 22d, the two hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the landing of the Pil- grims at Plymouth Rock was celebrated at the Sec- ond Presbyterian Church.

1847. In 1847 a meeting of " the friends of Ire- land" was called, at which Col. John O'Fallon pre- sided and Christopher Garvey was 'secretary. The meeting was for the relief of the sufferers in Ireland, and to carry out its object the following were chosen as committee : Col. J. O'Fallon, Col. Joshua B. Brant, George Collier, Judge Bryan Mullanphy, Capt. John Simonds, Edward Walsh, John Finney, Col. Robert Campbell, Eugene Kelley, William Lindsay, Col. T. Grimsley, H. Von Phul, R. M. Rennick, A. Elliott, George Buchanan, George K. McGunnegle, A. Vin- ton, J. E. Yeatman, A. Piggott, P. Slevin, and Capt. William Rowe.

There were meetings held also of Scotch citizens and those of Scotch descent to relieve the destitution of that country. Taking the lead for the relief of Scotland was Kenneth Mackenzie, Col. A. D. Stuart, H. Ogden, T. M. Taylor, T. S. Rutherfurd, Thomas Webster, John S. Thompson, W. B. Barber, James Moffat, Thomas Primrose, N. E. Janney, William Strachan, Judge Ferguson, and D. A. Marshall.

Anniversary Celebration of the Founding of St. Louis .- On the evening of 22d of January, 1847, a large meeting of citizens was held at the Planters' House to consider the expediency of celebrating the anniversary of the founding of St. Louis, Feb. 15, 1764. On motion of L. V. Bogy, Archibald Gamble was appointed chairman, and Judge A. W. Manning secretary. Col. Bogy explained the object in view, and the following resolution was adopted :

" Resolved, That we will celebrate the approaching anniver- sary of the founding of St. Louis, on the 15th of February, by a public oration, dinner, and ball."

On motion of Col. T. Grimsley, the following committee of arrangements was appointed : Col. Thornton Grimsley, Hon. B. Pratte, Ed. Walsh, Ed. Tracy, P. M. Dillon, Archibald E. Orme, Martin Thomas, Asa Wilgus, Samuel Treat, Robert Campbell, William Risley, Peter Ferguson, Sullivan Blood, James J. Purdy, John F. Darby, John Finney, Louis A. Lebeaume, HI. F. Christy, Wilson Primm, D. B. Hill, Pascal Cerré, George Collier, Henry Von Phul, John B. Sarpy, Thomas Andrews, Charles Keemle, J. M. Field, A. B. Chambers, L. V. Bogy, David Tatum, Henry S. Geyer, John Shade, Edward Bates, James Clemeus, Jr., Nathan Ranney, Edward Charless, John O'Fallon, Fred. R.

Conway, Capt. Gregory Byrne, C. C. Cady, J. D. Learned, William C. Lane, P. G. Camden, Ferdinand Kennett.

A committee was also appointed to wait on the venerable Pierre Choutcau, Sr., brother of Auguste Chouteau, who assisted Laclede in laying out the town, and invite him to participate in the celebration. The committee consisted of John O'Fallon, William C. Carr, and William Milburn. A motion was adopted that the city newspapers be requested to publish the proceedings of the meeting. At a meeting of the committee appointed to take charge of the necessary preparations, held at the Planters' House, subsequent to the meeting above mentioned, Col. Thornton Grims- ley in the chair, and J. M. Field acting as secretary, it was " Resolved, That a meeting of the committee be held at the Planters' House the following evening, to take action on the subjects confided to their charge." At a meeting of the same committee, held several days later, definitive action was taken on all the propositions submitted except the dinner, and consideration of that subject was postponed. The an- nouncement was made that Wilson Primm, a descend- ant of one of the founders of St. Louis, and him- self a distinguished lawyer, had accepted the appoint- ment of orator of the day, and it was determined that there should be a procession through the prin- cipal streets to the rotunda of the court-house, where the oration was to be ' delivered. Col. Thornton Grimsley was appointed chief marshal, and it was agreed that there should be a ball in the evening at the Planters' House.

Considerable opposition to the proposed ball was developed, and it found expression in a meeting called " to consider the propriety of striking out that part of the programme (relating to the dinner and ball) and adding such other measures as will give all an oppor- tunity of participating." In pursuance of this call, a meeting was held at the Planters' House on the 28th of January, George Knapp presiding, and A. P. Ladew acting as secretary. Resolutions were adopted to the effect that the programme as originally agreed upon, embracing an ovation, a public dinner, and a ball, was " the most appropriate and fitting for the occasion." It was also agreed that those present should use every means in their power to render the festival worthy of the occasion and the city. This seems to have finally disposed of the objections raised, as we hear of no further opposition. In order to pro- vide against the contingency of unfavorable weather, it was decided that should the day prove inclement the place for the delivery of the oration should be changed from the rotunda of the court-house to the theatre. The precaution, however, proved unnecessary,

1827

PROMINENT EVENTS.

as the day of the celebration, according to eontem- porary chronielers, was mild and elear.1

At eight o'clock, Col. Thornton Grimsley, grand marshal, aeeompanied by the aids and assistant mar- shals, all on horseback, the volunteer artillery com- pany, Lieut. Holzseheiter commanding ; a portion of the Phoenix Fire Company, under the direction of Henry Pilkington and bearing the banner of the com- pany, on which was a representation of the landing of Laelede ; the Washington Brass Band, directed by Mr. Barkley, and a fife and drum corps, under the eom- mand of Drum-Major Roques, assembled on Water Strcet, about midway of the block between Market and Chestnut, on the spot where Laclede landed on his return from Fort de Chartres in 1764. At the same hour a national salute of twenty-nine guns was fired, and was followed by salutes in honor of Laelede, Thomas Jefferson (two guns), and the cession of Louisiana to the United States (three guns). These salutes were responded to by salvos fron the boat- yards in the upper part of the eity. After the national salute the Washington Band played the "St. Louis Imperial March," composed for the ocea- sion. About nine o'eloek the following offieers of the celebration had assembled at the Planters' House :

Committee of Arrangements .- Col. T. Grimsley, B. Pratte, Edward Walsh, Edward Traey, P. M. Dillon, A. E. Orme, Mar- tin Thomas, Asa Wilgus, S. Treat, Col. R. Campbell, William Risley, P. Ferguson, S. Blood, J. J. Purdy, J. F. Darby, J. Finney, L. A. Lebeaume, Edward Charless, H. F. Christy, W. Primm, D. B. Hill, Pascal Cerré, George Collier, Henry Von Phul, John B. Sarpy, Thomas Andrews, Charles Keemle, J. M. Field, A. B. Chambers, L. V. Bogy, D. Tatum, Henry S. Geyer, John Shade, Edward Bates, James Clemens, Jr., Nathan Ran- ney, John O'Fallon, Fred. R. Conway, Capt. Gregory Byrne, C. C. Cady, Gen. J. D. Learned, Dr. William C. Lane, P. G. Camden, Ferdinand Kennett, J. A. Sire.

Grand Marshal, Aids, and Assistants .- Col. Thornton Grims- ley, grand marshal; Aids, Col. Charles Keemle, Hon. David Chambers ; Assistant Marshals, First Ward, B. A. Soulard, Alli- son Merrill, E. W. Paul, D. B. Hill, John Fulton, Henry C. Lynch, F. W. Beekwith, Samuel H. Pilkington, John Dunn; Second Ward, G. G. Presbury, M. L. Cerré, Henry Almsted, A. Lemp, Adolphe Paul, Wm. Cozzens, Richard Dowling, C. A. Schnabel, Fred. Kretehsmar, Dr. John Shore; Third Ward, Thomas Campbell, Daniel Finch, John Hanson, Thomas Gray, C. L. Hunt, John J. Anderson, A. Brewster, V. Staley, George A. Colton ; Fourth Ward, Dr. B. B. Brown, H. J. Clayton, David Tatum, Robert Barthı, Nathaniel Coleman, J. B. Gerard, Wm. A. Lynch, Charles Walton, Charles H. Peck, William C. Essex ; Fifth Ward, James M. Allen, H. M. Snyder, J. G. Shands, A. H. Glasby, Charles E. Loring, Daniel R. Garrison, J. E. D. Cozens, Charles P. Pond, George A. Gannett, Wm. O. Shands;

Sixth Ward, R. B. Austin, S. V. Farnsworth, W. G. Clark, C. W. Lightner, N. Aldrich, Peter Brooks, C. W. Schaumburg, C. R. Anderson, Gregory Byrne, John R. Hammond.

In addition to the above were the following invited guests, men who were residents of St. Louis or the surrounding country at a very early day, some of them before the transfer of the Territory to the United States :

Pierre Chouteau, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., Paul L. Chouteau, Simon Sanguinet, R. Dufrene, Vincent Guion, H. Sappington, J. Baptiste Hortiz, G. S. Choutcau, J. Baptiste Belcour, John Perry, Antoine Schmidt, L. S. Martin, Louis Lemonde.

A number of other gentlemen, ineluding the Gov- ernor, State offieers, and judges of the Supreme Court, were unable, owing to ill health and other eauses, to be present. The various organizations which were to take part in the procession appeared at the points of formation at an early hour, and the spectacle, as they marehed through the streets, was very enlivening. Flags and festoons were suspended from the windows of many buildings, and the decorations along the route of the proeession were especially handsome and pro- fuse. Business was almost entirely suspended, and the streets were thronged with interested speetators. The assemblage in front of the court-house, where the oration was delivered, was immense. The formation of the line eommeneed at ten o'clock, and the proces- sion moved half an hour later in the following order :

The Chief Marshal and his Aids. The Washington Brass Band. The military as follows : St. Louis Grays, under command of Capt. West.

N. A. Rangers, under command of Lieut. Barnes. Fusileers, under command of Capt. Wagener. Jaegers, under command of Capt. Korponay. Artillery, under command of Lieut. Holzscheiter. Dragoons, under command of Lieut. Steitz.

The whole of the military under the immediate command of Lieut .- Col. Kennett, of the St. Louis Legion.

Following the military eame the Apprentices' Li- brary Association, Joseph F. Schiefer, marshal. This association carried the banner of the committee of ar- rangements. In the front of the line it bore the national flag with a streamer, on which was the name of the association, and in the rear the banner presented to the committee of arrangements by the ladies of St. Louis, through S. Rimmer. This banner was of satin, with the name " Laelede" embroidered on one side, and the words "Our City" on the other. Next in order after the Apprentiees eame the committee of arrangements, two and two, wearing red badges, and following them the invited guests. In an open ear- riage was seated the aged Pierre Chouteau, president of the day. Mr. Chouteau was then considerably over ninety years of age. He was accompanied by

1 " The morning," says the St. Louis Republican of February 17th, "opened mild, with a hazy and dense atmosphere, not unlike a morning in Indian summer, and the streets generally were dry and the walking pleasant. Nature seemed to have given just such a day as suited the occasion."

1828

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

his sons, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and Paul Ligueste Chouteau, and by Gabriel S. Chouteau. Four In- dians mounted on horses acted as a guard of honor to Mr. Chouteau. In the next carriage were the Hon. William C. Carr, Col. J. O'Fallon, and Gen. William Milburn, the committee of invitation to Mr. Chouteau. Then followed in another carriage other invited guests. The next feature of the procession was a representation of the " General Pike," the first steamboat that arrived at St. Louis.1

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 180

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358