St. Clair County, Illinois - Chapter 10: Civil History, 1881 (part 2 of 2)

The public sale-bills, mentioned hereinbefore, give further evidence in the premises, and we are sorry to say, that the trade did not confine itself to the negro alone, as Indians were also bought and sold. An Indian woman was sold at auction in February, 1794, by the administrator of the estate of Michael Girardiu, for 327 francs, about $65.00.

Forty Dollars Reward

Ran away from the subscriber, living near Six Mile Prairie, Illinois territory, on the 27th of June, a negro man, named George, about 40 years old, six feet or upwards high, coarse features, large beard and whiskers, speaks plain and with assurance, has a large vacancy between his front teeth, but not with the loss of a tooth ; yellow complexion, sorrily clothed, having none but those on him, viz : a big coat of plain dyed brown, the under part of the sleeves of a drab color. The public are hereby cautioned against dealing or harboring him at their peril. The above reward will be paid to any person who shall deliver the said negro to me, near the Six Mile Prairie, Illinois territory. June 27, 1811.

The slavery question, however, caused a violent agitation of the people of this state about the years 1822 '23 and '24. The Anti- Slavery men, headed by J. M. Peek, held a meeting in St. Clair county, organized their forces in fourteen other counties, adopted a constitution, and established their head-quarters at Belleville. Dan P. Cook, Gov. Edwards, and others took sides with Peek, while Gov. Bond, Judge Phillips, A. P. Field and others took sides with the pro-slavery party. Gov. Rsynolds says : The "Anties " were victorious in St. Clair county, and Kinney, Moore and myself were beaten on the question. 1824.