Ogle County, Illinois - Chapter 5, 1859

Tlie first echo of the Revolutionary War had no sooner been heard from the hights of Bunker Hill, than British emissaries filled the West, and by presents, fair promises, stratagems, and whac not, endeavored to persuade the Indians to join them in their unholy cause. At first, the answer they met was:

"Look, the flames of war are kindled between men of the sam* nation. They ar* disputing among themselves for the hunting grounds which they have taken from us. Why should we embrace their quarrels? And what friend, what enemy shall we choose? VVhea the red men carry an war, do ihe white mem come among us to take part with oue or the other? No, they allow our tribes to becema weakened, and one to be destroyed by the other. They wait until the earth, bedewed with our blood, may lose its people, and beceme their inheritance. Let them, in their turn, exhaust their strength, and destroy themselves; we shall then recover, when they shall cease to exist, the forests, the mountains and lakes which belonged to our ancestors."

their project, the tools of Britain persisted, and finally succeeded with the Iroquois, or "six nations," as well as with other tribes of the Northwest. The battle of Fort Stanwix, the rout of Bennington, the sad story Df the almost entire extermination of the "Six Nations," the inhuman butchery of the peaceable Moravians, the murder of Cornstalk and its terrible results, the siege of Fort Henry, in which Captain Ogle rendered his bravery and coolness so conspicuous, when his numerous company fell around him, in the long and bloody conflict; Clark's march across this State, and bis novel mode of reducing Kaskaskia, the capture of Cahokia, the changing fortunes of Fort Vincennes, and many other movements of this nature, connect in their narration the wily intrigues and savage inhumanity of Indian warfare, and examples of the most skillful generalship that the world has ever known, with the self-sacrificing bravery characteristic of the heroes of the Revolution. This bravery was not unrewarded; for on the 19th of April, 178-i, a treaty of peace was concluded, and the red lion sent home to his den beyond the Atlantic. By this treaty, the line of division on the west ran through the center of the Mississippi, from its source to its mouth. Now, that this was effected, immigration began to pour into the country west of the Allegauies at a much more rapid rate than ever before, although single tribes of Indians continued to harass the fron- ' tiers, and every advancement must, as it j^ere, be made in the face of death. After Clark's successful march into the

West, at which time many formerly hostile tribes became voluutarily.the warmest friends, disavowing all connection with the British power, this country was formed into a county by the House of Burgesses of Virginia, and called Illinois, a name derived from a powerful tribe of Indians which inhabited her boundless prairies, October, 1778. A company, consisting of a few families from Virginia, made a settlement near Bellefoataine, in Monroe county, in 1784. This w;is the first settlement made in the conntry by people of the United States. St. Clair County may boast of the next American settlements, two of which were made previous to the year 1800. Speaking of pioneers, it may be pertinent to mention the Pittsburg Gazette, which was published in July 1788, being the first newspaper ever printed in the Northwest, and just eleven months later, the Kentu.ky Gazette -^a^ issued at Lexington. Let posterity remember the name of John Baptiste Tiudeau, the western schoolmaster, who flourished at St. Louis as early as 1800. The honey-bee appeared on the banks,..of the Mississippi as early as 1792. In 1794, all the country east of the Mississippi and south of Canada was ceded by England to the United States. In 1800 Spain re-ceded Louisiana, and all the country on the west bank of the Mississippi, to the French Government, and the Emperor Napoleon, in 1803, disposed of it to the United States for 811,250,000. At the ceding of the Northwestern territory by Virjjin 'a to the United States in 1784, that country was placed under territorial gov-

It is impossible for us to give in detail a liistorj of the depredations of the Indians on the frontier settlements, from the close of the Revolutionary War to the beginning of t e War of 1S12, although it embodies a tale of tragedy and romance, interesting but painful; yet the most prominent of these we propose to notice.

In the year 1804, was made the treaty between the United States and the united tribes of the Sacs and Foxes, and as the memorable Black Hawk War of 1832 was a violation of this treaty, we will give so ye of its conditions.

By Article 1st "the United States receive the Sacs and Fox tribes into their friendship and protection, and the said tribes agree to consider themselv3s under the protection of the United States, and no other power whatever."

By Article 2d, "the general boundary line between the lands of the United States and of the said Indian tribes, shall be as follow.^, viz : Beginning at a point on the Missouri River, opposite to the mouth of the Gasconade River; thence in a direct course, so as to strike the River Jefferson, to the Mississippi; thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ouisconsin River, aitd up the same to a point which shall be thirty-six miles in a direct line from the mouth of said river; thence by a direct line to a point where the Fox River (a branch of the Illinois) leaves the small lake called the Sackaegan; thence down the Fox River to the Mississippi. And the said tribes, for and in consideration of the friendship of the United States, which is now extended to them, of the goods (to the value of two thousand two hundred and thirty-four dollars and fifty cents) which are now delivered, and of the annuity hereinafter stipulated to be paid, do hereby cede and relintiuish forever to the United States all the lands included in the above described boundaries."

By Article 3d, "the United S^ate agree to pay to these tribes ^1,0 v^ yearly in goods suitable to their wants, four hundred of which is to be delivered to the Foxes and six hundred to the Sacs."

By Article 4th, "the United States agrss never to interrupt the said tribes in their peaceable possessions, but to protect them in their enjoyment of the same. In turn, these tribes agree not to sell their lands to any sovereign power but the United States, nor to the citizens or subjects of any sovereign power, nor to the citizens of the United States."

By Article 5th, "it is provided that for misconduct, on the part of individuals, there shall be no retaliation on the part of said iudividuals,but all difficulties shall be referred to the proper authorities, viz , the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, or his Deputy, and the Chiefs of the said tribes, whose duty it shall be to inflict the necessary punishments, for the proper fulfilment of which, the said Superintendent, or Chiefs, were personally responsible."

Article 7th insures the right of the Indians to reside on the lands ceded to the United Stat-es, as long as those lands remain the property of the United States. In Article 8th, the Indians promise not to allow any trader to reside among them -without a license from the Superintendssai; of Indian Affairs, and also from time to time to give account, to the Superintendent or his Deputy, of such traders as may be among them.

By ArtiJe 9th, "the Government promises to establish a trading-house, where the individuals of said tribes may be supplied with goods at a reasonable rate, and thus be secured against the impositions of traders."

In Article 10th, "the Indians promise that a meeting of the representative Chiefs of the Osages and of the Sajs and Foxes shall take place to bury the tomahawk and renew friendly intercourse, and thus to establish peace on a firm and lasting basis between those nations which have so long been at war."

Article 11th provides for the building -of military posts at the mouth of the Mississippi, or on the right bank of the Mississippi, and also secures the right of persons traveling through their country, to do so without molestation or taxation. Article 12th states that this treaty shall be obligatory when ratified by the President and Senate of the United States. Signed at St. Louis, Nov. 3d, 1804, by William Henry Harrison, and the Chiefs -and head men of the said Sac and Fox tribes.

To these there is an "Additional Article," which, reads as follows: "It is agreed that nothing in this treaty contained shall affect the claim of any individual, or individuals, who may have obtained grants of land from the Spanish Government, and who are not included within the general boundary line laid down in this treaty; provided that sucii grants have at any time been made known to the said tribes, and recognized by them."

A temporary peace having thus been secured, the inhabitants of Illinois were little molested until the outbreak of the War of 1812, when the West again becanie the theater of exciting action. Tecumseh, a man far famed in history, seeing the foundation of existence for his countrymen crumbling beneath them, aware of the terrible results to the common foe of united effort, as effected under Pontiac and other renowned chiefs before him, laid the foundation of a scheme, which, if it had been successful in its execution, would have lengthened out the being of that strange race, whose last feeble remnants are fast sinking away upon the borders of the Pacific. His plan was, to unite in one grand compact all those tribes which had any intercourse whatever with the United States; and his object was, by this compact to prevent any sale of lands belonging to these tribes to the United States, and to introduce among the savages the arts of civilized nations, and thus to obtain the security derived from civilization.

"Tecuniseh entered upon the gre.it work lie liad in contemplation, in the year 1805 or 180G. He was then about thirty-eight years of age. To unite the several Indian tribes, many of were hostile to, and had often been pt with each other, in this great and important undertaking, prejudices were to be overcome, their original customs and manners to be re-established, the use of ardent spirits to be abandoned, and all intercourse with the whites to be suspended. The task was herculean in its character, and beset with difficulties on every side. Here was a field for a display of the highest moral and intellectual powers. He had already gained the reputation of a brave and sagacious warrior, and a cool headed, upright, wise and efficient counselor. He was neither a war nor peace Chief, and yet he wielded the power and influence of both. The time having arrived for action, and knowing I full well that, to win savage attention, some boM and striking movement was necessary, he imparted his plan to his brother, the Pi'cphet. adr(jiily, and without a niomeiit's delay, prepared himself for the part he was appointed to play in the great drama of savage life. Tecumseh well knew that excessive superstit.ion was everywhere a p'-oniiner.it trait in the Indian character, and, therefore, with the skill o) another Cromwell, brought superstition to his aid.

'-Suddenly, hisbrother began todream dreams and see visions ; he became afterwards an iu spired prophet favored with a divine commission from the Great Spirit - the power of life and death was placed in his hands - he was appointed Agent for preserving the property and lands of the Indians, and for restoring them to their original iiappy condition. He thereupon commenced his sacred work. The piiblic mind was aroused, unbelief gradually gave credulity and wild fanaticism began to to spread its circles, widening and deepening, until the fame of the prophet, and the divine character of his mission, had reached the frozen shores, of the lakes, and overrun the broad plains which stretch far beyond the great Father of Waters. Pilgrims from remote tribes sought, fear and trembling, the headquarters of the prophet and the sage. Proselytes nuiltiplied, and his followers increased beyond all former examples. Even Tecumseh became a believer; and seizing upon the golden opportunity, he mingled with the pilgrims, won them by his address, and tn their return, sent a knowledge of his plan of conce/t and union to the most distant tribes. " The bodily and mental labors of Tecumseh now commenced. His persuasive voice one day listened to by the Wyandots, on the plain.s- of Sandusky; on the next, his commands were issued on the banks ef the Wabash. He was anon seen paddling his canoe across the Mississippi; then boldly confronting the Governor of Indiana in the Council House at Vincennes; now carrying his banner of union among the Creeks and Cherokees of the South, and from thence to the cold and inhospitable regiims of the North, neither intoxicated bysuccess nor discouraged by failure."'*^

As the clouds of war again began to gather upon the political horizon of our country, the old measures of Great Britain, which in the dnys of '76 covered her noblest conquests with the foulest stains, began again to be put into operation, tiiid three y«>ars before the opening (if hostilities, British officers were agaiu stirring up to deeds of deep resentment the red men on tlie frontiers, and instiling into their minds the belief that the sovereignty over all the country not ceded in the treaty of Greenville, ought to be theirs. The mind's of Tecumseh and the Prophet were ripe for lessons of this nature, for through them was opening up a seaming foundation to justify the proae-

"Brothers, I am raj'self of the Long Knife fire; as soon as they liear my voice, you will see them pouring forth their swarms of 'hunting shirt men,' as mimerous as the mosquitoes on the shores of tlic Wabush. Brothers, talce care of their sting."

Treaties were eifected and purchases made so that our chiiins to the western territory miglitbe f^-uuded on priociples of equity. Of those from whom laud was bought were the Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawaiouiies, VVyaiidots, Shawnees, Delawares, Miamis, Eel Uiver ludiaus, Weas and Kickapoos.

The first battle, of very great irapcrtance', which occurred as the fruit of the schemes of Tecumseh and the Prophet, was that of Tippecanoe, on the upper waters of the Wabash. The particulars of this disastrous engagement are given at length in almost every American History, so that we need not recapitulate.

Tecumseh and his friends united with the British in the War of 1812; and fought and died with the bravery of desperation, for with the memorable defeat of his army at the battle of Tippecanoe, his hope of success in his magnificent enterprise seemed to have died within him, and we have good reason to believe that the sequel would have proved far more disastrous to the whites,had he been present in person to superintend the events of that period.

That country lying to the west of Indiana, and known by the name of Illinois, was in 1809 formed into the "IllinoisTerritory,"and Hon. Niuian Edwards, then Chief Justice of Kentucky, was appointed Governor, and Nathaniel Pope, Esq. of Kaskaskia, Secretary of the Territory.

The history of the government of Illinois, up to 1809, runs as follows : Originally, and under French control, Illinois was a portion of ancient New-France. About the year 1715 or 1720, it was made a part of the colony of Louisiana. By the treaty of 17(i3, in connection with Canada, this country was ceded to British authority. By authority of this power. Captain S erling established the Provisional Government at Fort Chartres, in 1765. The following year, by virtue of the Quebec Bill, Illinois, and the whole Northwestern territory, was placed under the local supervision of Canada. Thus it remained two years, when the conquest of the country, by General Clark, placed it under the jurisdiction of Virginia, which, in October, 1778, organized the county of Illinois. The country was ceded to the Continental Congress in 1784, but the ordinance providing for a Territorial Government was not passed until 1787, and its provisions were not acted upon until 1788; and in 1789 Governor St. Clair organized the county that now bears his name. This had been a part of Indiana Territory from 1800, at which time the government was of two grades; the first constituting the law making power, and consisting of the Governor and Judges; the second grade was the Territorial L-'gislature, consisting of a House of Representatives elected hj the people, and a Council appointed by

The year ISll is distinguished as the one in which was built the New- Orleans, the first steamboat ever built beyond the Alleganies. In 1817 the General PUce was built. This steamboat, which was the first to navigate the upper waters of the Mississippi, arrived at St. Louis in the year above mentioned; and in 1819 the Independence was built to ply on the Missouri, and ascended a,'5 far as Franklin and Chariton.

On the 28th of April, 1809, Nathaniel Pope, actinj; Governor, issued his proclamation dividing the Territory of lllin(jis into two counties - llandolph and St. Clair. These were the only counties in the Territory for the three years preceding 1812.

On the 14th of February, 1812, Governor Edwards ordered an election to be held in each county, on the second Monday of April, that the people might decile whether they would enter upon the second grade cf government. It was in the power of the Gij^'ernor to advance the territory to the second degree, but he chose to be guided by the popular will. The people, by a very large majority, decided the question in the affirmative.

In September of the same year, the Governor organized the counties of Madison, Gallatin, Pope and Johnson; and at the same time authorized an election to be held on the 8th, 9th and 10th day-, of October, to elect members of the Council and House of Representatives*

Pursuant to the Governoi's proclamation, the first Territorial Legislature assembled at Kaskaskia on the 25th of November, 1812. Benjamin Talbot of Gallatin county, William Bigas of St. Clair cou,nty, Samuel Judah of Madison county, and Pierre Menard of Randolph county, took their seats as members of the Council. The following gentlemen took their seats as members of the House: George Fisher, llandolph county; Philip Trommel and Alexander Wilson, Gallatin county; John Grammor, Johnson county; Joshua Oglesby and Jacob Short, St. ^lair county, and William Jones of Madison county.

On the night of the 16th of December, 1811, commenced. a series of earthquakes, which continued until the following February. In these, the town of New-Madrid was almost entirely destroyed; the banks of the Mississippi, in Kuany places, gave way in large masses and fell into the river, while the waters changed to a reddish hue, became thick with mud thrown up from the bottom, and the surface, lashed violently by the agitation of the earth beneath, was covered with foam, which gathered into masses and floated along on the trembling surface. Its vibrations were felt all over the valley of the Ohio, as far up as Pitts-

In the year 1712^occurred the massacre of Chicago. A small trading post had been established at this point by the French, but no village had been formed. Ry the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, the Indians had relinquished a piece of land six miles square, at the mouth of Cliicago river. lu 1804, a small fort was erected here by the Uoited States Government,and called Fort Dearborn. Li 1812, the fort was occupied by a small garrison, few of the men being effective. John H. Kiuzie and his family were residing at the fort, as well as a few Canadians and their wives and children.

On the 17th of April, a band of Wiiuebagoes attacked Mr. Lee's settlement at Hardscrabble, about four miles from Chicago, and killed a Mr. White and a Frenchman in his employ. There were signs of hostile Indians for some days after this, but the whole passed off in quietness until all alarm had disappeared.

On the 17th of August, Winnemeg, a J*' . trusty Pottawatomie chief, arri»'ed at the fort, with dispatches from General ilull, the Commander-in-chief in the Nortliwe."!. From these dispatches Captain Heald, commander of the fort, learned that war had been declared between England and the United States j that General tlull, at the head of the army in the Northwest, was on his way from Fort VV^ayne to Detroit; and that tlie IJritisli troops had taken Mackinac. General HuU'b orders to Captain Heald were, "r.j evacuate the post, it practicable, and in that event, to distribute the property beiouging to the United States, and in the fort, and in the factory or agency, to the Indiana in the neighborhood."

After having delivered his dispatches, Winnemeg privately informed Mr. Kinaie that he knew their contents, and strongly advised that the post should not be vacated. If it was to be dune, however, he advised that it be done immediately, as the Indians were ignorant of his mission, and a forced march might be made through their country. Captain Heald, however, disregarded this advice, and resolved to carry out the order.? he had received. By this means the Indians were informed of their intentions, and prepared to massacre them.

On the morning of the 15th of x^ugust, tiie party set out, accompanied by live hundred Pottawatomics, w:io had pledged their honor to escort tliem safely. Oil reaching a range of sand hills within the present limits of Chicago, the Pottawatomics de&led to the right, so as to bring the sand hills between them and the Americans. Thi'y had marched a mile and a half from the furt, when Captain Wells, who, with his xMiamis, was in advance, rude b ;ck and exclaimed, "'i'liey are about to attack us; form in.stantlj and charge upon them." He had scarcely finished speaking when a vol ey of b.ills was shuwwred upon tliem '1 he troops charged up the bank, and the battle became general. The Miamis lied at the first outset, tlumgh Captain Wells used every endeavor to make them stand their ground. Overpowered by nun.bers, tlie whites surrendered after the loss of two-thirds of their force, stipulating for the preservation of their liv s and those of the remaining women and children, and for their delivery at some of the British posts, anless ransomed by traders in the Indian country. Notwithstanding these stipuhitions, the wounded weri horribly mutilated and inhumanly killed, and the children, twelve of whom were placed together in a baggage wagon, were butchered by the merciless savages. The next morning the fort was burned by the Indians. The prisoners were afterwards liberated.

In the Territorial Legislature of 1814, the Committee on Revenue reported thiat from January 1st, 1811, to November 8th, 1814, the revenue from taxes received was $4,875.45; of which there had been paid into the Treasury §2,516.89, and remained in the hands of delinquent Sheriffs, §2,378.47. As a matter for comparison, we may statf here that the total amount collected fur the various revenue purposes, in the State of Illinois, for the year 1858, was $4,867,792.90!

On the 18th of x\pril, 1818, the people of Illinois were authorized by Congress to foritt a State Constitution, a id 42 deg. and 30 iiiin. north latitude wa> fixed up')n as the Northern boundary. Fortius purpose a convention assembled in July following, at Kaskaskia, where fifteen counties were represented, viz: Johnson, Edwards, St. Clair, Randolph, Madison, Gallatin, White, Monroe, Pope, Jackson, Crawford, Bond, Union, Washington and FranJiliQ,