Vermillion County, Indiana - The whole text, 1888 (part 5 of 15)

Mrs. Malone and her twin sister, Jane, were born August 6, 1812, and were consequently about four years old when their parents nioved with them to this county. It was a remarkable fact that these sisters, as long as the latter was living, - who died in old age, - always resembled each other so closely in their personal appearance that even their children often mistook one for the other. Jane married Thomas Kibby, and died in March, 1880. [It is from Mr. Kibby and Mrs. "Malone that we have learned many fiicts of this early history.]

soldiers at Camp Harrison became engaged in a quarrel one day, and one of them in attempting to shoot the other, carelessly missed his aim and killed an Indian Sqnaw beyond. Thereupon the reds vowed they would kill the first white " squaw " who should cross to this side of the Wabash Eiver. Accordingly they watched their opportunity, and made two attempts to take the life of Mrs. Vannest. On the first occasion her life was saved by the timely interference of a friendly Indian, and the other time by the violent interference of iier relatives and friends. Directly after this her husband took her back to Fort Harrison, where she remained until the "holy ardor" of the fiery savages had died down.

In the first portion of this volume is given a description of the features of pioneer life in this part of the country, of the privations and sicknesses suffered, as well as of dangers from Indian and beast, and of the abundance of wild game.

Wild Game

Several circular " hunts or " drives " have been held in this county; but as tliey have been conducted without the employment of dogs, their success lias not been great. The largest competitive chase ever held in this county was in early day, and lasted three months. Two leaders were chosen; they picked their men and divided the neighborhood in two parties for a compass often miles; they were to bring in the scalps of the slain animals at the end of three months, and the leader who showed the most scalps could demand five gallons of whisky as a treat from the beaten side. A wolf, fox, crow, coon or mink scalp was to be considered equal in value to five other scalps. A squirrel or chipmunk scalp counted one. On the appointed day the opposing forces assembled. The committees began counting early in the morning, and completed theexciting task about three o'clock in the afternoon, when it was ascertained that over 70,000 scalps had been taken ! Thus, by a general rivalry the settlers enjoyed the execution of a plan which proved the means of safety and protection to tlieir crops.

Eaely Navigation

In the settlement of Indiana, before the age of canals, railroads, or even wagon roads, the Wabash Valley was the center of attraction, for it was the only means of transportation of products and supplies. Hence the towns and villages along the river were the centers of trade and civilization. All the adjoining region to the east in Indiana and to tlie west in Illinois were compelled to bring their produce to the Wabash for transportation to New Orleans and other southern markets. At first, flat-boats by hundreds and thousands, forty, fifty, eighty, one-hundred and one-hundred and twenty-five feet long were built, loaded with pork, hogs, beef, cattle, corn, wheat, oats and hay, and sent south. Five hundred of these boats have been sent out of the Big Vermillion from Eugene, Danville and other points on that stream in one year. Scarcely a day in the long April, May and June floods but that from twenty to forty of these boats would pass. They were generally manned by a steersman, - who was also captain, - four oarsmen, with long side sweeps, and one general utility boy, who did the cooking. Supplies of food were taken along; and no boat was considered safely equipped which had less than twenty gallons of whisky.

of joyous festivity; and the wonderful stories which they bronght hack of the dangers and terrors of the navigation of the Mississippi, and tlie strange, mysterious eddies in which yet might ilow for weeks, - especially the "Widow Woman's eddy, tiie Grand Gulf, the i^rick-house Point, the Red Church - were as remarkable as Scylla and C'liaribdis in Roman song and story. Dozens of captains and expert boatmen resided at Clinton, Eugene and Perrysville. The boatmen would sometimes return from the southern markets on foot through the Cherokee nation. The greatest danger to whicii they were exposed, however, was an attack from some of the noted Jlurrell's gang of robbers in Southern Illinois and AVestern Kentucky. "While many from Southern Indiana, Ohio, and Eastern Kentucky were robbed and murdered by these desperadoes, all the "V^ermillion County men fortunately came through safely.

Captain N. H. Adams, who died at Eugene fiom an over-supply of whisky, started in ISll with a loaded boat from the Wabash, and had landed at New Madrid, Missouri, wlien the terrible earthquake occurred, during the night, which was dark and stormy. The trees were shaken and the crash and noise of nature, and the horror of the alarmed people of the doomed town, rendered the scene more terrific than imagination can conceive. And what could have been the feeling of those who witnessed the current of the Mississippi turned furiously up stream for hours! It seemed that the bottom of the river had fallen out. Wlien the cavity made by the "earthquake was filled, the current resumed its natural flow, but the sunken lauds and broken or inclined forest trees showed that over a large adjoining region a terrible earthquake had taken place.

Mercantile and other supplies were wagoned across the Alleghany mountains, were taken down the Ohio in flat-boats, transferred to keelboats and brought up the Wabash by push-poles and cordelling by ropes which were sent out in advance, tied to trees, and wound up on improvised capstans.

The first steamer on the Wabash made its appearance about 1820, an event of signal importance and popular excitement. x\li the people both wondered and rejoiced. The screaming fife, the throbbing drum and the roaring cannon welcomed the new power. Afterward steamers became more common, one or more passing every day. At one time, when Vermillion was at its flood, and the river at Perrysville obstructed by ice, as many as eleven steamers sought harbor at Eugene.

''HE territory comprising Vermillion County was originally a part of Vigo County. In 1821 Vigo County was divided by the organization of Parke County, which comprised Vermillion as a part of it, and Roseville, on the Big Raccoon Creek, was the county seat.

In 1823, by an act of the Legislature of the State, Parke !^t^ Cwinty was divided by the AV abash River, the part west of the river being organized as Vermillion County, and named from the rivers. The Big Vermillion had been for many years tlie boundary between tlie possessions of the Peaukeshaws on the south and the Kickapoos and Pottawatomies on the north, and during the period of ownership by France it was a part of the boundary between Canada and Louisiana.

and after the first day of February next, ail that part of the counties of Parke and Wabash included within the following bounds shall form and constitute a new county, that is to say: Beginning on the west bank of the Wabash River, where the township line dividing townships numbered thirteen ami fourteen north of the base line, of range number niiie west of the second principal meridian crosses the same; thence west to the State line; thence north to the line dividing townships numbered nineteen and twenty north; thence east to the Wabash River; and thence south with the meanders of said river to the place of beginning.

"Section 2. The said new county shall, from and after- the first day of February ne.xt, be known and designated by the name of the county of Vermillion, and it shall enjoy all the rights, privileges and jurisdictions which to a separate and independent county do or may properly belong or appertain: Provided always, That all suits, pleas, plaints, actions and proceedings which may before the first day of Marcli next have been commenced, instituted and jjending within the county of Parke, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and cficct in the same manner as if this act had not been passed: Provided also, That the State and county taxes wliicli are now due within the bounds of the said new county shall lie collected and paid in the same manner and l)y the same otticers as the}' wonld have been if the creation of the said new county had not taken place.

"Section 3. Eobert Sturgus and Samuel Caldwell, of the county of Vigo, Moses Robbins, of Parke County, William Pugh, of Sullivan County, and AVilliam Mcintosh, of tlie county of Putnam, are hereby appointed commissioners, agreeably to the act entitled 'Au act for the fixing of the seats of justice in all new counties hereafter to be laid off.' The commissioners above named, or a majority of them, shall convene at the house of James Blair, in the said new county of Vermillion, on the first Monday of March next, and immediately proceed to discharge the duties assigned them by law. It is hereby made the duty of the sheriff of Parke County to notify the said commissioners either in person or by written notice of their appointment, on or before the first day of February next: and the said sherift" of Parke County shall receive from the said county of Vermillion such compensation therefor as the county commissioners of said new county of Vermillion shall deem just and reasonable; who are hereby authorized to allow the same out of any monies in the treasury of said county, not otherwise appropriated, in the same manner as other allowances are made.

"Sectiox 4. The Circuit Court of the county of Vermillion shall meet at the house of James Blair, in the said new county of Vermillion, until suitable accommodations can be had at the seat of justice; and so soon as the courts of said county are satisfied that suitable accommodations can be had at the county seat, they shall adjourn their courts thereto, after which time the courts of the said county shall be holden at the seat of justice of said county established by law: Provided alwajs, That the Circuit Court shall liave authority to adjourn tiie court from the house of James Blair as aforesaid, to any other place, previous to the completion of the public buildings, should the said court or a majority of them deem it expedient.

"Section 5. The Board of County Commissioners of the said county of Vermillion shall, within six months after the permanent seat of justice of said county shall have been selected, proceed to erect the necessary public buildings thereon.

Section 6. The agent who shall be appointed for the sales of lots at the seat of justice of said new county shall reserve and receive ten per centum out of the proceeds ot all donations made to the said county, and also out of the proceeds of all sales made of lots at the county seat of said county, and pay the same over to such person or persons as may be appointed by law to receive the same, for the use of a county library for the said county of Vermillion, whicii he shall pay over at such time and place as may be directed by law.

" Section 7. The powers, privileges and authorities that are granted to the qualified voters of the county of Dubois and others named in the act entitled 'an act incorporating a county library' in the counties therein named, approved January 28, 1818, to organize, support and conduct a county library, are hereby granted to the qualified voters of the county of Vermillion; and the same powers and authorities therein granted, and the same duties therein required of the several officers and persons elected by the qualified voters of Dubois and other counties therein named, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of the act aforesaid, according to the true intent and meaning thereof, are hereby granted to and required of the otticers and other persons elected by tlie qualified voters of the county of Yerniillion.

" Section 8. The said county of Vermillion shall have both civil and criminal jurisdiction over all the country north of said county, which is or may be included in ranges nine and ten west, to the northern boundary of the State.

" Section 9. The said new county of Vermillion shall be attached to the counties of Pike and Vigo, for the purpose of electing Representatives to Congress, and to the same Senatorial and Eepresentativedistricts to which said counties now belong, for the purpose of electing Senators and Representatives to the General Assembly, and to the first return district for the purpose of returning votes for electors of President and Vice-President of the United States."

For the space of a year Vermillion County thus had jurisdiction over more than a hundred miles of country north and south - to Lake Michigan, but a few miles from the modern city of Chicago. The presidential election referred to in the closing sentence was that at which John Quincy Adams was chosen, and during the administration of President Monroe. It takes us back almost to " ancient " history.

The county is thirty-seven miles long, north and south, by an average of seven miles in width, east and west. It is bounded on the north by Warren County, on the east by the "Wabash River, or Fountain and Parke counties, on the south by Vigo County, and on the west by the State of Illinois, that is, by Edgar and Vermillion counties, that State.

The county seat was located at its present point, in what was then (1824) a wilderness, by Commissioners Robert Sturgis, Samuel M. Caldwell, William Pugh and William Mcintosh, of adjoining counties. A fifth commissioner was probably appointed, but did not act. Tradition gives four reasons wliy the seat of government was fixed at Nepurt: First, the site is nearly central; second, it was convenient to a good big spring, and to a grist and saw mill on the Little Vermillion River; third, those who owned the land were more liberal in their donations to the county than were others who sought the seat of g"\ - ernment elsewhere; and fourth, a few have intimated that the commissioners were bought up by parties in interest; but of course no proof of this lias ever been given; the first three reasons are sufficient. There has never since been a serious effort made to remove the county seat; and, although Dana may outgrow the other towns in the county and some cay bid strong for the honor, the present railroad system of the county constitutes an additional reason, and a more cogent reason than all the others combined, for retaining the seat of county government at its present place. It is more convenient than any other point in the county can be, unless Dana should grow to a city and become a kind of railroad center.

Eaelt Acts Of The Comjiissioneks

The earliest acts of the commissioners of Vermillion County were recorded in a "homemade" book manufactured for the purpose by the clerk. Tiiis record was left in some place e.xposed to the depredations of mice, which mutilated it seriously, and some of the minutes therefore cannot be deciphered. In March, 1882, by order of the commissioners, as much of this mutilated record as was possible was carefully transcribed in a large, well-bound book of modern manufacture. This transcript begins with the minutes of the March session of 1824, the year the county was organized, and therefore but very little of tlie record is really lost. Tliis iirst session was held at the residence of James Blair, situated near the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 16, in township 17 north, of range 9 west. That was on the west side of the old wagon road leading from Eugene to Newport, and about half way heuwecn those two towns. As these earliest acts of the County Legislature gather increasing interest with lapsing years, we p'-int the tirst few pages ot them.

" At a special meeting of the board of commissioners of Vermillion County, begun and held at the house of James Blair, on Tuesday, the 23d day of March, 1824, and the commissioners having their certificates of election, and having taken the necessary oath, took their seats. Commissioners present - John Haines, Thouias Durliam and Isaac Cliambers.

" 1st. Ordered, That William W. Kennedy be and is hereby appointed clerk of the board of commissioners of Vermillion County for this session.

" 3d. Ordered, That all that part of the County of Vermillion contained in the following bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River where the line dividing townships 13 and 14 crosses the same, thence with said line to the line dividing the States of Lidiana and Illinois, thence north to the line dividing townships 14 and 15, thence east with said line to the Wabash River, thence south with said river to the place of beginning, shall constitute the township of Clinton; and that the election in said township be held in said township at the house of John Sargeant, in Clinton.

River where the line between townships 14 and 15 crosses the same, thence west with said line to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north with said line to the center of township 16, thence east with said central line to the Wabash River, thence south with said river to the place of beginning, - shall constitute the township of Ilelt, and that elections for said township be held at the house of John Van Camp.

"5th. Ordered, That all that part of Vermillion County contained in the following bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River at the center of township 16, thence west with said central line to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north with said line until it strikes the Big Vermillion River, thence east with said river until it empties into the Wabash, thence south with said river to the place of beginning, shall constitute the township of Vermillion; and that elections in said township be held at the school-house on section 16 in township 16.

" 6th. Ordered, That all that part of Vermillion County contained in the following bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River at the mouth of the Big Vermillion River, thence west with said river to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north with the said line to the line dividing townships 19 and 20, thence east with said line to the Wabash River, thence south with said river to the place of beginning, shall constitute the township of Highland, and that elections in said township be held at the house of Jacob Andrick."

The next four orders appoint inspectors of the elections first to l>e held in the above described townships - Salmon Luck, for Clinton; William Bales, for Helt; John Gardner, for Vermillion; and Jacob Haines, for Highland.

The next four orders direct that justices of the peace be chosen at these elections, and that the sheriff give due notice of the time, place and purposes of the same.

The succeeding four orders appoint constables for the townships - Cliarles Trowbridge, for Clinton; John Harper, for Ilelt; Jacob Custer, for Yermillion; and George Hansucker, for Highland; upon their giving bond and security.

Clinton and Helt townships remain unchanged to this day; but the other two townships have been made into three, as follows: The line between Vermillion and Eugene townships is the line dividing sections 19 and 30 of surveyed township 17 north and 10 west, running east to the northeast corner of section 21, township 17 north and 9 west, thence north a half mile, and thence east to the river; the line dividing Eugene and

Highland townships is the line divid tions 19 and 30 of township 18 north and 10 west, running east to the river; and from the northern side of Highland Township has been cut off one tier of sections of Congressional township 19 nortli, 9 west, and thrown into Warren County.

On the second day -^ the session the following were appointed grand jurors for the May (1824) term of the Circuit Court: David W. Arnold, Horace Luddington, Rezin Shelby, Andrew Thompson, John Tipton, William Coffin, John Scott, Jesse Higgins, Morgan De Puy, AVilliam Hedges, John Tannest, William Boyles, James Andrews, James Harper, Sr., and James Davis; and tlie following as petit jurors: Joel Dicken, Robert Elliott, James Groenendyke, John Thompson, Simeon Dicken, Isaac Worth, Lewis Zebreskey [or Zabriskie], Benjamin Shaw, Alexander Bailey, William Rice, Harold Hayes,

For some reason, however, the most of those appointed as grand jurors failed to serve, as the Circuit Court record for the May (1824) term opens by giving the following named gentlemen as constituting the grand jury: Simeon Dicken, Ralph Wilson, Joseph Schooling, Obed Blakesley, James Harper, Sr., Carter Hollingsworth, Joshua Skidmore, Amos Reeder, Joel Dicken, Robert Elliott, Jesse Higgins, John Thompson, John Tipton, Joseph Dillow, Ludlow Ludwick, James Davis and William Rice.

This day they also appointed " superintendents " of the school sections - Harold Hughes for Clinton Township, William Bales for Helt, James Davis for Vermillion, William Coflin for that in 17 north, 9 west, in Highland Township, Hoi'ace Luddington in 18 north, and Jacob Andrick in 19 north, also in Highland.

For overseers of the poor, John Vannest was appointed for Clinton Township, James Andrews and Augustus Ford for Helt, Zeno Worth and John Tipton for Vermillion, and John Haines and AVilliatn Gonger for Highland.

John Collett was appointed ''agent for laying out a county seat," and also "for selling such lots as were donated by John Justice and George Miner for the use of tiie county, and such lands as were by them donated as more fully appears by their bonds." Josephus Collett and William Fulton were accepted as security for John Collett.

Governmental

library of the county, and authorized to receive the moneys appropriated for the purpose from the sales of the county seat lots. (There is no " county library " now.)

On the third day of this session the bills of the sheriff and commissioners appointed by the State government to locate the county seat, were audited and ordered paid. William Fulton was allowed §35 " as a sheriff in organizing the county of Vermillion," and also $2.50 for obtaining a copy of the laws

John Collett was authorized to receive a deed of the land for the county seat from John Justice, Josephus Collett and Stephen Collett, the land being " all that part of the west halt of the southwest quarter of section 26, in townsliip number 17 north, of range 9 west, which may be south of the Little Vermillion Creek, should the same contain more or less."

For the May (1824) session the same commissioners first met at the house of James Blair, and, before transacting any business, adjourned to 4 p.m., at the house of Josephus Collett, at Vermillion Mills. At this place Mr. Haines did not appear. The other two commissioners decreed that ferry licenses be $7; " that the clerk list all property liable to taxation for county purposes to the full amount allowed by law; " that tavern licenses be $5; that the seat of justice shall be known as " the town of Newport," and that the lots in said town be laid off according to the following form, viz: Lots sixty-six feet in front, and 1811 feet in depth; the main street to be 100 feet in breadth, all other streets eighty feet; the alleys running north and south to be thirty-three feet, those east and west, sixteen; and that tlie sale of lots take place on the first Monday in June next, at the public square in said town, one-fifth of the purchase money to be paid in hand, the residue in four seini-annnal installments; and one-half of the lots donated to the county only shall be offered at said time."

James Blair was authorized to run a ferry at Perrysville, at the following rates: Wagon and five horses, 75 cents; wagon and four horses, 62^ cents; wagon and three horses, 50 cents; wagon and two horses, 37|- cents; man and horse, 12^ cents; pedestrian, 6J cents; neat cattle, 4 cents a head; hogs and sheep, 2 cents a head.

For the proceedings of the next day the record says that "the grand and petit jurors, being duly selected for the present year, M-ere deposited in a box prepared for that purpose !" No wonder they dreaded to serve !

At the June (182^ session the commissioners ordered a conwact to be let for the building of a court-house of the folloM'ing description: "36 feet in length, and 24 feet in depth; containing two jury rooms, to l)e furnished with a window of fifteen lights, and a door opening from each into the court-room; the latter to have eight feet for a passage between it and the jury room; balance of sixteen feet to be finished, laid off and worked in a semicircular form, in a workmanlike manner; with seats for the judges, bar and jury; with bannisters to separate the said court and jury rooms, eight feet one from the other across said court-house, at the dis- tance of eight feet from said jury rooms, except so much as may be necessary for the admission of persons in and to the Lar and court, which said space is not to exceed three feet; and the said court-room is to be furnished with three windows of fifteen lights eacli, and two good doors. Said building is to be erected on the southeast corner of the public square, of good, substantial frame of a ten-foot story, covered with joint shingles; and said frame is to be settled on a sufficient number of eighteen-inch blocks two feet long."

June 26, 1824, the board of commissioners met and awarded to John Justice the contract for building the above described courthouse, for $345, the structure to be completed by the first of the following November.

Plan Of First' Courthouse

Although the commissioners refused to accept this building when Mr. Justice thought he had it completed, it was used for courts and pnblic meetings of all kinds until another was erected, of brick. The county paid Mr. Justice in part; he sued for the balance, and finally recovered it, the Supreme Court ordering the county to pay the full amount and the cost of the proceedings.

material with whicb to build it. James Skinner, being tlie lowest responsible bidder, was awarded the contract for furnishing the brick, at $3.50 per thousand; and Stephen B. Gardner was promised $2.50 a perch for the stone. Other material was contracted for, and the court-house completed under the immediate supervision of the county commissioners, and was occupied until Januaiy 29, 1844, at half past eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when it was partly burned down. The commissioners called a session immediately and arranged for repairing the building. It WHS fully repaired, and re-occupied during the following summer. This served until 1868, when the present beautiful structure was built.

In June, 1828, the board of commissioners let the contract for the erection of the first jail, which was to be 16 x 28 feet in ground area, two stories high, of hewed timbers, with a partition of twelve feet for debtors' and criminals' room, lower story eight and a half feet in the clear, upper story eight feet, with partition as below, to be built of double timbers 8 x 10 inches thick, or wider if convenient; roof to be of joint shingles, etc., etc. Samuel Hedges was the contractor, who was to receive for the work $369.

In connection with the same building was to be a clerk's office, 16 x 14 feet, one story nine feet in the clear, two fifteen-light windows, one door, etc., etc. For this Mr. Jledges was to receive $116.

Probate Kecoed

''Ordered, That Phebe Miller be and she is hereby appointed guardian of Matilda Miller, of lawful age to choose a guardian, and Eliza Ann, Charlotte, Jothani, Jacob, John, Lucretia and Massey Miller, infant heirs of Joshua Miller, deceased, that she give bond in the sum of §600, and that John Haines and John Gardner be approved as sureties.

"On motion of James Groenendyke, ordered that John Armour, John Tipton and Robert Elliott be and they are hereby appointed coinmissiouers to make a partition of the real estate of John Groenendyke, deceased, among the heirs of- said deceased, and report to the next terra.

''Ordered., That Sarah Lamphier, administrutri.x of the estate of Elijah Lamphier, deceased, be allowed the following credits, she having filed sufficient vouchers to that eflect: [Here follows a list of expenses, footing up 812.]

"Ordered, That Hiram Shepherd, administrator of the estate of William W. Kennedy, deceased, be allowed a credit of $39 on said estate, he having produced sutKcient vouchers for the sum.

First Marbiages

Vigo counties, as the record at Newport opens with certificates at the rate of almost one a week, or forty for the year ending May 1, 1825. The record here begins with the following, in the order here given :

1. Jesse McGee, Minister of the Gospel, married Moorman Hayworth and Elizabeth Mardick, May 30, 1824; and June 2, same year, Hugh Johnson and Polly Tipton.

2. John Porter, Justice of the Peace, May 10, 1824, married Philo Heacock and Diantha Smith; June 10 following, Joshua Dean and Susan Nolan; June 27, Isaac I>. Potter and Semiah Seymour; July 1, Noah Kirkendol and Mary Wallen; and August 12, Ashur Sargent and Delilah Cooper, etc.

The Circuit Court

The first civil suit brought into the Circuit Court was instituted by Mark Hays against Mary Hays for divorce. The case was continued for several terms and ended by Mark having to pay Mary's lawyers' fees, dismissing and pa^'ing costs, and then the twain living together thereafter. " Vermillion County," says M. G. Rhoades, Esq., "has the reputation of settling more lawsuits by compromise than any other county in the State. This effect may be directly traceable to the example set in the case just related."

The fii'st volume of the Circuit Court record opens thus: "May Term, 1824. Pleas begun and held before the Honorable Jacob Call, President of the First Judicial Circuit in the State of Indiana, and Jacob Andrick and Jacob Castleman, Associate Judges for the county of Vermillion, at the house of James Blair, on Thursday, the sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.

Ealpli Wilson." This was for assault and battery, although no memorandum of the fact is entered. Tlien follows the plea of indictment, which is interesting on account of the heavy wording characteristic of that day. Thus:

"The jurors, for and in the name and body of the county of Vermillion, upon their oaths present that Josephus CoUett, late of the township of Vermillion, laboring [laborer?], and Ralph Wilson, late of the same township and county aforesaid, laborer, on the fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, with force and arms, at [in ?] the township aforesaid, in the county aforesaid, did, in a certain public place, to wit, the house yard of James Blair, being a puljlic place, did agree to fight at fisticulis, and then and there actually did fight, and then and there, in a rude, insolent, angry and unlawful manner, did touch, strike, beat, bruise, wound and illtreat each other, to the terror of the citizens of the State of Indiana, then and there being contrary to the force of the statutes of that case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.

Among the tautologies and slips of the pen in the above document, is the old familiar phrase, " with force and amis," connected with a case of simple "fisticufis !" "Arms" were employed, no doubt I - two by each party.

According to tradition, the \^hole court were indictable as accessories to the affray, as, while they had no regular business on hand for the day, they " adjourned to see the fun!"

At the second term of the court Mr. Collett pleaded guilty and was fined §2; but Mr. Wilson continued his case for several terms, and was ultimately fined $10, - -for the use of the county seminary. Judge John R. Porter presided at this term of court. His circuit, by the several changes that were made, extended from the Ohio to Lake Michigan.

Of course it is not necessary for us to follow the criminal records further, or even give any statistics of crime in this county. In reading a modern newspaper one often gets the impression that " this section of tiic country" is awfully addicted to crime, forgetting that it is the province of the paper tn gather and publish all that is sensational, though other things be excluded. In reading the modern newspaper, therefore, one is almost constantly looking at the worst side of society.

The Scaffold

Watson was born in Vermillion County, Indiana, March 20, 1852, and when grown was five feet nine inches in height, weighed about 165 pounds, and had a light complexion and auburn hair. When he M-as fourteen years of age his mother died, a little before which time he joined the Methodist Episcopal church; but in 1876 he joined the Baptist church, and December 25, 1877, married Mary E. Sharp, a memberof the same church. His father kept house but a short time after his mother's death, and he and his brother were consequently left to shift for themselves. He was generally industrious, however, working mostly on a farm, and some as a carpenter; he carried mail four months, and was also engaged in numerous other odd jobs, in various places.

sioiially had a fight, and, according to what he said, was always victorions. The hist light he liad was with a man named Lon Glaric, in Illinois. Tliej snapped revolvers at each other, hut neither of tlie revolvers fired. The ti'ouble began on the qncstion who should go home with a certain girl. After the revolvers failed, the parties clinched, when Watson gained the victory and marched off with the girl.

Watson never made a practice of getting drunk, but would occasionally drink with a friend. He had such a disposition as one would suppose was developed by being teased and tantalized when an infant; was fretful, suspicious, overbearing and ugly; but in jail he was always kind to his fellow prisoners and to the jailor, Spencer H. Dallas.

January 9, 1879, Watson went to Highland and purchased of Ezra Compton 25 cents worth of soap, on credit. The next (\-Ay his brother Florence bought an ax at the same place, and in paying for it he handed Mi-. Compton a $2 bill to change. The latter, not being well acquainted with the brothers, and thinking this was the same who had bought the soap the preceding day, reserved pay for it also, in making the change. Florence asked for an explanation, when Compton said he supposed he desired to pay for the soap also. Then Florence had to explain that it was his brother who obtained the soap, and added that it was all right, and mark that debt cancelled also.

Arriving home, Florence told his brother Walter that he thought it was " a little thin " to buy so small a quantity of soap and having it charged. Walter denied the charge, flew into a terrible rage and declared he would have satisfaction out of Compton. Seizing his brother's revolver I'lom an adjoining room, he sallied forth, despite the entreaties of his wife, and walked to the village, two miles away, bent on revenge. First, he demanded to know of Mr. Compton why he had caused his brother to pay for the soap when he had promised to wait on him till he could get the money. Mr. Compton explained the matter to him, but he was too greatly excited to be reasonable. Even handing back the twenty-five cents by Mr. Compton had no effect in cooling down the boiling caldron. Compton then ordered him out of the store. He withdrew for a moment, but stepping back upon the threshold, he pointed the deadly weapon toward his victim, and exclaimed, " D - n you ! I'll shoot you anyhow," and fired the fatal shot, which passed into Compton's body in the inguinal region and lodged in the spinal column. The poor man died the next day.

Immediately after the shooting, Watson started for home, brandishing his revolver and making terrible threats of what he should do if Compton should attempt to follow him. He told several parties in bravado style tliat he had killed Compton, and had a few more pills left for any of his friends who might sympathize with him. Late that evening he was arrested.

The next month he was indicted for murder in the first degree, and tried during that term of court, Thomas F. Davidson, Judge. The attorneys for the prosecution were Prosecutor A. P. Harrell, and Messrs. Jump & Cnshman and K. B. Sears. As Watson was poor and had no means to employ legal talent. Judge Davidson appointed Messrs. Rhoads& Parrett and J. C. Sawyers to defend him. The jury consisted of William Collett, T. J. Stark, Solomon Ilines, M. J. liudy, AVallace Moore, William C. Groves, J. S. Shaner, R. C. Jones, J. R. Gouty, J. R. Dunlap, Alfred Carmack and John Van Duyn, who on the first ballot unanimously found the accused guilty. The usjial steps for a n,ew trial, coin- mutation of sentence, etc., were made, but in vain, and on the 3d of April, between 12 and 1 o'clock, Walter Watson was hanged in the jail yard, in the presence of a few spectators, who were admitted by ticket.

Ezra Compton, the murdered man, was a young gentleman of integrity and high character, and had been married but four weeks. By steady, hard manual labor, protracted for six years, he had managed to save $1,300, which but a few weeks previous to his murder he had invested in general merchandise, and was commencing as a merchant at Highland, lie had not an enemy in the world, except the high-tempered, unreasonable Walter Watson, a few hours before the linal tragedy.

The renuiins of the executed criminal were interred in Kelt's Prairie Cemetery, where his father and others guarded the place for several nights to prevent body-snatching by physicians. Becoming weary of such duty, they buried about six inches of heavy plank over the coffin, making it a tedious task for vandals to " resurrect " the remains.

Many citizens thought that Florence Watson was as much to blame as Walter, if not more, as he, knowing his brother's ungovernable temper, inflamed his passions by intimating that Crompton was afraid to trust him any more, etc., and left the county afterward refusing to help his accused brother.

But there is a sequel to the above tragedy, portrayed in the Indianapolis Herald in terms characteristic of the old-fashioned novel. It describes Mrs. Watson as a remarkable heroine. She was determined to accompany her husband to the scaffold, despite the remonstrance of all around her. One of the attending ministers remarks in gentle accents, " Mrs. Watson, this will never do." As quick as the lightning's flash she turned on him, replying, " 1 should not have expected this from a minister. When I was married I promised a minister that I would cleave to my husband ' for better or for worse,' and 1 am going to keep that promise as far as God will let me."

Mrs. Watson was a small woman, but with a great soul. Her face was a study for an artist, being a blonde of pronounced tyjte, with high and broad forehead, irregular features, but exquisite in their delicacy fi,nd mobility; eyes large and intelligent. At one moment her mouth would indicate great tenderness and sweetness of disposition, but in an instant her lips would compress with a firmness that would fill one with surprise.

She assisted in arranging her husband for the final scene, and even contributed some articles to his wardrobe - a neck-tie and a pair of slippers. The latter, with her own hands, she placed upon his feet, and put the tie around his neck with a care and detail that could not have been out of place had she been decking him out for a mari-iage feast. She then combed his hair, and, after having finished the last loving touch, remarked, " Xow you are ready, Walter, and I will go M'ith you." Holding her husband's hand, the brave little woman accompanied him to the scatfold, amid the stillness that was absolutely painful. They took seats side by side; she, tenderly taking his hand in hers, caressed it, and then, giving away to tears, she fell wailing upon his breast. Thus they sat, while prayers ascended to heaven asking mercy upon the doomed man, she sobbing upon his bosom and he calm, awaiting his fate.

The sheriff' changed the scene, saying, " Stand up, Walter Watson." The wife arose with him. " Good by, Walter," were her parting words as she once more passionately kissed him. Then turning her pale face, full of bitterness and reproach, upon the specta-

After the execution, the body of her dead husband was delivered to her. She had been weeping loud and bitterly, but she heroically dried lier eyes, approached the coffin, looked lovingly upon the dead face, kissed his lips, eyes and brow, arranged the neck-tie with tender hands once again, and quietly said, " JS'ow please close the coffin and let no one yce my Walter again. I cry no more. God have mercy upon me and little baby! ''

Early Justices Of The Peace

The following are the names of all the justices of the peace, with dates of commissions, who were appointed for Vermillion County previous to 1830:

Official Register

Below are given the names of the incumbents of the several county offices, with the dates of their legal assumption of office, from the organization of the county in 1824 to the present yer.r, 1887. The names and dates are strictly correct, being obtained from

Clerks And Reojrders

James Thompson, April 22, 1824 (declined to qualify); William Kennedy, September 8, 1824 (died in office); James T. Pendleton, August 29, 1826; Stephen B. Gardner, August 27, 1827; John W. Push. June 8,1833; Alexander B. Florer, April 22, 1838. Offices separated in the spring of 1852.

Associate Jupges Probate Judges

Asaph Hill, August 14, 1829; John W. Rush, January 8, 1833 (resigned); Rezin Shelby, May 6, 1833; Francis Chenoweth, August 19, 1847. Office abolished by Constitution of 1852.

Early Campaignimg

As a relic of tlie enthusiasm -wliicli existed in the old Whig party at the date mentioned, the following letter will prove interesting. It was signed l>j prominent citizens of Perrysville.

Respected Sir: - Owing to the political excitement of the times, and to the expected visit of Mr. R. W. Thompson to our place on next Friday, with all creation besides, we have been induced to ask you to favor the AVhigs of this place with the loan of your cannon for PMday next. We wish to put a stop to the noise of this little loco-foco pocket piece, with a few rounds from a Whig gun. Yours, etc., Thomas II. Smith, - Parnes, John Kirkpatrick, David Hulick, James Plair, P. H. P.oyd, M. Gookins, C. R. Jewett, R. Haven, W. II. Prown, Joseph Cheadle, AV. P. Moffatt, J. S. Paxter, R. J. Gessie, S. Parnes, A. Hill, C. F. McNeill, Jacob Sherfy, Austin Pishop, J. S. Stephens, P. R. Howe, John R, McNeill, A. Dennis, G. II. McNeill.

'HE greatest difference l)et\\een the Northern and the Southern States of this Union evidently lias always related to the institution of slavery; but thib, in the early history of the republic, engendered other prejudices, especially in the South against the customs of the Yankee, so that, in course of time, and in accordance with that feature of human nature' licli inclines to find other faults than the main one with the opposite party, the Southern people began to hate the Northern more on account of certain " Yankee" customs than on account of abolitionism itself. Like a mass of food in a nauseated stomach, the slavery question would not remain settled, after all the attempts at compromise in 1820, 1850 and 1854, so that, on the approach of the Presidential election of 1860, it became evident, on account of the division of the Democratic party, that the " abolition " party would for the first time elect their nominee for President of the United States. He was elected, and the most hot-headed Southern State immediately led off in a reltellion, other States following during the winter. They mustered their military forces, and by the 12th of April, 1861, concluded they were ready to commence shooting. On that day they opened upon Fort Sumter and comjielled it to surrender.

As to the part taken by the Vermillion County people in suppressing this great insurrection, we give a brief sketch of the respective regiments in which this county wa» represented by volunteers.

Fockteenth Ixfantry

The patriotism of Vermillion County was quick to demonstrate itself, as a company was formed at Clinton within three or four weeks after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the first overt act of rebellion. This was organized as Company I of the Fourteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with Philander E. Owen as Captain, who was during the war promoted Lieutenant Colonel, when John Lindsey was commissioned Captain to sncceed him. Captain Lindsey, who enlisted as First Lieutenant, was mustered out June 24, 1864, on the expiration of his term. Upon his promotion to the position of Captain, William P. Haskell, who had been appointed Second Lieutenant of the organization, was commissioned First Lieutenant to till the vacancy, and was discharged November 25, 1863, for promotion in the Fourth liegimentof United States colored troops. James M. Mitchell was promoted tVom the ottice of Second Lieutenant to that of P''irst Lieutenant. The Colonels of the Fourteenth, in succession, were: Nathan Kimball, of Loogootee, who was promoted Brigadier General; William Harrow, of Vincennes, also promoted, and John Coons, of Vincennes, who was killed in the battle of Spottsylvania - Court-House, Virginia, May 12, 1864.

The Fourteenth Regiment was originally organized at Camp Vigo, near Terre Haute, in May, 1861, as one of the six regiments of State troops accepted for one year. Upon the call for three years troops the regiment volunteered almost unanimously for that service. The new organization was mustered into the United States service at Terre Haute, June 7, 1861, being the lirst three years regiment mustered into service in the whole State of Indiana. On its organization there were 1,134 men and otiicers. They left Indianapolis July 5, fully armed and equipped, for the served on outpost duty until October, when they had their first engagement at Cheat Mountain, with Lee's army, losing three killed, eleven wounded and two prisoners. Their second engagement was vii'tually in the same battle, at Greenbrier, October 3, when they lost live killed and eleven wounded.

Besides a great deal of marching and other duty, they marched 839 miles between May 12 and June 23, a part of which time most of the men were without shoes and short of rations. In July, for some twenty days, they were kept on outpost duty in the Army of the Potomac, coming in contact with the enemy almost night and day. August 17 they participated in the great battle of Antietam, serving in Kimball's brigade of French's division, it being the only portion of the line of battle tliat did not, at some time during the engagement, give waj'. On this account the men received from General French the title of the "Gibraltar Brigade." The Fourteenth was engaged for four hours within sixty yards of the enem3''s line, and, after exhaustiiig sixty rounds of cartridges, they supplied themselves with others from the boxes of their dead and wounded companions. In this fight the men were reduced in number from 320 to 150 ! Soon afterward they were still further reduced at the battle of Fredericksburg.

April 28, 1863, being a little recruited by some of the wounded recovering, they were at the front in the battle of Chancellorsville, and also at the desperate battle of Gettysburg, where they lost heavily, but did splendid work. Even after this they engaged in several severe fights, and some of the men reenlisted, December 24, 1863. This noble regiment - what there was left of it - was finally mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, July 12, 1865.

Sixteenth Infantry

Hackleman, of Eusliville, wasthe first Colonel, and, on his promotion- to the brigadiergeneralship, Thomas J. Lucas, of Lawrencebnrg, was placed as Colonel. Horace S. Crane, of Clinton, this county, was mustered in as Second Lieutenant of Company I, and mustered out w-ith the regiment as Sergeant. May 27, 1862, this was re-organized for three years service, but was not mustered in until the nineteenth of August. On the 30tli of this month it took part in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, losing 200 men killed and wounded and 600 prisoners! After the defeat the prisoners were paroled and sent to Indianapolis, and were exchanged November 1. The regiment afterward participated in the Vicksburg campaign, and did great duty in Texas and at Arkansas Post, where it was the first to plant the Union colors within the fort. Its loss was seventy-seven men, killed and wounded. In April it participated in a successful engagement at Port Gibson, and during the ensuing several mouths it was engaged in the siege of Vicksburg, in which it lost sixty men, killed and wounded. Subsequently it had several skirmishes with the enemy in Louisiana, and, in the expedition np the Red River, sixteen engagements. The regiment was mustered out at New Orleans, June 30, 1865.

Eighteenth Infantkv

Company C, of this regiment, was wholly made up of Yermillion's noble sons, and all its officers in the roster are credited to Newport. John C. Jcnks was promoted from Captain to Major; James A. Bell, from First Lieutenant to Captain; Josiah Campbell and William B. Hood, from private to Captain; Harvey D. Crane and Oscar B. Lowroy, from Sergeants to First Lieutenants; William II. Burtut was promoted from private to First Lieutenant; AVilliam M, Mitchell, from private to Second Lieutenant; William W.Zener, from First Sergeant to Second Lieutenant, and then to Adjutant; Jasper Nebeker was Second Lieutenant, and died in the service; Robert H. Nixon and John Anderson wer eSergeants; the Corporals were Samuel B. Davis, soon disabled by disease, and now editor of the Iloosier State; John F. Stewart, James O. Boggs, Alonzo Hostetter, Aaron Ilise, James Henry, Charles Gerrish and John A. Henry. John F. Leighton, of the recruits, was promoted from the ranks to the position of Corporal. Hugh H. Conley, another recruit, has since become a prominent citizen of the county.

Thomas Pattison, of Aurora, was the first Colonel of the Eighteenth, and on his resignation, June 3, 1862, Henry D. Washburn, of Newport, succeeded him. The latter was brevetted Brigadier General December 15, 1864, and mustered out July 15, 1865.

The first service rendered b}' this regiment - which was mustered in August 16, 1861 - was in Fremont's march to Springfield, Missouri. Soon afterward at Black Water, it participated in capturing a large number of prisoners. In March, 1862, it was engaged in the fierce contest at Pea Ridge, where its brigade saved from capture another brigade, and the Eighteenth recaptured the guns of the Peoria Artillery. After several minor engagements in Arkansas it returned to Southeastern Missouri, where it was on duty during the ensuing winter. The following spring it was transferred to Grant's army, and, as part of the divis'ion commanded by General Carr, participated in the flanking of the enemy's position at Grand Gulf, and May 1, in the battle at Port Gilison, capturing a stand of colors and some artillery; also, on the 15th, at Champion Hills, and on the ITtli, at Black River Bridge. From the lUtli until July 4, it was employed in the fanmus

After tlie capitulation of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, the regiment moved to New Orleans, and during the fall participated in the campaign up the Teche River, and in the operations in that part of Louisiana. November 12, it embarked for Texas, wliere, on tlie 17tli, it was engaged in the capture of a fort on Mustang Island, and also in the successful attack on Fort Esperanza, on the 26th. After a furlough, in the winter and spring of 1864, it joined General Butler's forces at Bermuda Hundred, in July, where it had several severe skirmishes. August 19, it joined General Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. In the campaign that followed, the regiment participated in t-he battle of Opequan, losing fifty-four, killed and wounded; also, in the pursuit and defeat of Early, seven killed and wounded; and in the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, losing fifty-one, killed and wounded, besides thirty-five prisoners.

From the middle of January, 1805, for three months, the Eighteenth was assisting in building fortifications at Savannah. May 3, it was the first to raise the stars and stripes at Augusta, Georgia. "Was mustered out August 28, 1865.

Thikty-Fikst Infantry

This regiment, in which were a number of volunteers from Vermillion Count}-, was organized at Terre Haute, September 15, 1861, for three years' service. The colonels were, in order, Charles Cruft, of Terre Haute, John Osborn, of Bowling Green, John T. Smith, of Bloomfield, and James E. Hallowell, of Bellmore. It participated in the decisive battle of Fort Donelson; in the battle of Shiloh, where it lost twenty-two killed, 110 wounded and ten missing; in the siege of

Corinth; was stationed at various places in Tennessee; engaged in the battle of Stone Iviver and Chattanooga, of the Atlanta campaign, Nashville, etc., and was on duty in the Southwest until late in the fall of 1865, many months after the termination of the war.

Foety-Third Infantry

Company I, of this regiment, was from Vermillion County. Samuel J. Hall was Captain from the date of muster, October 9, 1861, to January 7, 1865, the close of his term of enlistment; and then Robert B. Sears was Captain until the regiment was mustered out. He was promoted from the position of Corporal to that of First Lieutenant, and finally to that of Captain. David A. Ranger, of Toronto, was First Lieutenant. William L. Martin, of Newport, was first the Second and then the First Lieutenant. George W. Shewmaker was Second Lieutenant for the first seven and a half months. John Lovelace was first a private and then Second Lieutenant.

George K. Steele, of Rockville, was Colonel of the regiment until January 16, 1862; William E. McLean, of Terre Haute, until May 17, 1865, and John C. Major from that time till the regiment was mustered out.

The first engagement this regiment had was the sieges of New Madrid and Island No. 10. Next it was attached to Commodore Foote's gunboat fleet in the reduction of Fort Pillow, serving sixty-nine days in that campaign. It was the first Union regiment to land in the city of Memphis, and, with the Forty-sixth Indiana, constituted the entire garrison, holding that place for two weeks, until reinforced. In July, 1862, the Forty-third was ordered up AVhite River, Arkansas, and subsequently to Helena. At the l)attle at this place a year afterward, the regiment was especially distinguished, alone supporting a battery that was three times charged by the enemy, repulsing each attack, and linally capturing a full rebel regiment larger in point of numbers than its own strength.

It aided in the capture of Little Kock. At this place, January 1, 1864, the regiment reenlisted, numbering aboiit 400. Next it was in the battles of Elkins' Ford, Jenkins' Ferry, Camden and Marks' Mills, near Saline River. At the latter place, April 30, the brigade to which it was attached, while guarding a train of 400 wagons returning from Camden to Pine Bluffs, was furiously attacked by about 6,000 of Marmaduke's cavalry. The Forty-third lost nearly 200 in killed, woiinded and missing in this engagement. Among the captured were 104 of the re-enlisted veterans.

The regiment next came home on veteran furlough, but while enjoying this vacation they volunteered to go to Frankfort, Kentucky, which was threatened by Morgan's cavalry, and where they remained until the rebel forces left Central Kentucky. For the ensuing year it guarded the rebel prisoners at Camp Morton, near Indianapolis. After the war was over it was among the first regiments mustered out, being mustered oxit at Indianapolis, June 14, 1865. Of the 164 men captured from this regiment in Arkansas and taken to the rebel prison at Tyler, Texas, ten or twelve died.

Seventy-First Infantry, Subsequently The Sixth Cavalry

Company A of this regiment was exclusively from Yermillion County. Andrew J. Dowdy, of Clinton, was Ca])tain; Robert Bales, of Clinton, First Lieutenant; William O. Norris, of the same place. Second Lieutenant, killed at the battle of Richmond,

Kentucky; Joseph Hasty, from Newport, succeeded him as Second Lieutenant; First Sergeant, William O. Washburn, of Clinton; Sergeants - Francis D. Weber, of Newport, Johnson Malone, Alexander M. Staats and George W. Scott, of Clinton; Corporals - Joseph Brannan, Richard M. Rucker, Lewis H. Beckman, Larkin Craig, Daniel Buntin, Reuben H. Glearwaters, John L. Harris and Charles Blanford; Musicians, George W. Harbison and James Simpson. Most of these were credited to Clinton, though some of them, as well as many of the privates, which were accredited to Clinton, and some to Newport, were from Helt Township.

The Seventy-first was first organized as infantry, at Terre Haute, in July and August, 1862. Its first duty was to repel the invasion of Kirby Smith in Kentucky. August 30 it was engaged in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, with a loss of 215 killed and wounded, and 847 prisoners. After the latter were exchanged, 400 men and ofiicers of the regiment were sent to Mnldraugh's Hill to guard trestle work; and on the following day they were attacked by a force of 4,000 rebels under command of General John H. Morgan, and after an engagement of an hour and a half were surrounded and captured. The remainder of the regiment then returned to Indianapolis, where they remained until August 26, 1863.

During the ensuing autumn, with two additional companies, L and M, they were organized as a cavalry regiment, and were sent into Eastern Tennessee, where they engaged in the siege of Knoxville and in the operations against General Longstreet, on the IIolston and Clinch rivers, losing many men in killed and wounded. ISfay 11, 1S04, they joined General Sherman's ai-my in front of

Tse Civil War

Dal ton, Georgia, wlierc it was assigned to the cavalry corps of the Army of the Ohio, commanded by General Stonenian. They engaged in the battles of Resaca, Cassville, Kenesaw Monntain, etc., aided in the capture of Alatoona Pass, and was the first to take possession of and raise the flag upon Lost Monntain. In Stoneinan's raid to Macon, Georgia, tlie Sixth Cavalry lost 166 men.

Returning to Nashville for another equipment, it aided General Rousseau in defeating Forrest at Pulaski, Tennessee, September 27, and pursued him into Alabama. In the engagement at Pnlaski the regiment lost twentythree men. December 15 and 16 it participated in the battle at Nashville, and, after the repulse of Hood's army, followed it some distance. In June, 1865, a portion of the men were mustered out of the service. The remainder were consolidated with the residual fraction of the Fifth Cavalry, constituting the Sixth Cavalry, ami they were mustered out in September following.

Eighty-Fiftu Infantkv

Company D, of this regiment, was made up from the southern portion of Vermillion County. William Reeder, of Rockville, was Captain until June 10, 1863, and thenceforward Caleb Bales, of Toronto, was Captain, being promoted from the rank of Second Lieutenant. The vacancy thus made was fllled by Elisha Pierce, of Clinton, who was promoted from the position of First Sergeant. The Sergeants were James W. Taylor, of Toronto, William A. Richai'dson, John A. C. Norris and David Mitchell, of Clinton; and the Corporals were Brazier E. Henderson, Ben White, Samuel Craig, James Andrews, Valentine Foos, Harrison Pierce, Joseph Foos n;id Wesley A. Brown. Musicians, Andrew -I. Owen and John A. Curry.

This regiment was organized at Terre Haute, September 2, 1862. Its first engagement was with Forrest, with Colonel John Coburn's brigade, March 5, 1863, when the whole brigade was captured. The men Avere marched to Tullahoma, and then transported to Libby Prison at Richmond, amid much suffering, many dying along the route. Twenty-six days after their incarceration the men were exchanged, and stationed at Franklin, Tennessee, where they fought in skirmishes until Bragg's army fell back. The following summer, fall and winter the Eightyfifth remained in the vicinity of Murfreesboro, guarding the railroad from Nashville to Chattanooga. It participated in every important engagement in the Atlanta campaign, being in the terrible charge upon Resaca, and in the battles at Cassville, Dallas Woods, Golgotha Church, Gulp's Farm and Peach Tree Creek. At the last mentioned place it did deadly work among the rebels.

This brave regiment then followed Sherman in his grand march to the sea, and back through the Carolinas, engaging in several battles. At Averysboro it was the directing regiment, charging the rebel works through an open fleld, but suffered greatly. It destroyed a half mile of railroad in forty minutes, corduroyed many miles of wagon road, and after a twenty-mile march one day it worked hard all night making a road up a steep, muddy bluff, for which they were highly complimented by Generals Siierman and Slocum, M'ho had given directions for the work and were eye witnesses to its execution. After several other important movements, it had the pleasure of looking as proud victors upon Libby Prison, where so many of them had suffered in captivity in 1802. Marching to Washington, it was mustered out of service, June 12, 1865. The remaining recruits were transferred to the Thirty-third Indiana, who were mustered out July 21, at Louisville, Kentucky.

The One Humdred And

WENTV-NINTH INcontaiiiing Company K from Vermillion County, was recruited from the Tenth Congressional District during the winter of 18G3-'64, rendezvoused at Michigan City, and was mustered into service March 1, 1864, with Charles Case, of Fort Wayne, as Colonel, and Charles A. Zollinger, of the san:e city, as Lieutenant Colonel. Of Company K, John Q. Washburn, of Newport, was Captain; Joseph Simpson, of Highland, First Lieutenant, and the Second Lieutenants in succession were Thomas C. Swan, of Clinton, Joseph Simpson, of Highland, William F. Eddy, of Warsaw, and James Roberts, of Clinton. Henrj' J. Howard, of Toronto, was Sergeant. Corporals - Jasper Hollingsworth, Granville Gideon and John A¥. Nixon, of this county, besides others from other counties.

After marching a great deal, the first battle in which the One Hundred and Twentyninth regiment engaged was the severe contest at Resaca, opening the celebrated campaign of Atlanta. This was a great victory for the Union troops. Tiie next battle was that at New Hope Church. Before and after this, however, there was almost constant skirmishin very rainy weather. July 19, 1864, near Decatur, Georgia, where they lost heavily. Soon afterward they were in the fight at Strawberry Run, where they lost twentyfive men, but enabled General Hascall toturn a position whicli our forces, a brigade of General Schofield's corps, had failed to turn the day before.

Thence, until mid-winter, tlie regiment were kept busy guai'ding and engaging in skirmishes. November 29 occurred the battle of Franklin, where the enemy were repulsed with great loss. During the latter portion of the winter they were marching and skirmisliing around near the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, and engaged in the battle of Wise's Forks, where the enemy met with signal disaster. The regiment was engaged in provost duty about Raleigh during the summer of 1865, and August 29 was miistered out of the service.

Conclusion

The foregoing is of course but a meager outline of what the brave patriots of Vermillion County did for their country during the last war; and those who did not go to the battle-field did their duty also, in giving moral support to the Government and laboring with heart and hand in raising materia! supplies and comforts for these in the field. Soldiers' aid societies, county and township levies, etc., were forthcoming in due time, and tlie people of this division of the commonwealth were not behind in those noble and terribly self-sacrificing offices which a gigantic insurrection devolves upon them.

It would be a pleasure were we able to print here a list of the soldier dead of Vermillion County in glowing colors; but a list only of those in Vermillion Township has been compiled, and we concluded that unless we could get all we had better not print any. It is to be hoped that the Grand Army of the Republic in this county will be able in the course of time to complete the list.

Miscellaneous

lIOUGir railroad lines running cast and west t li ro VI g li Vermillion County were projected as long ago as 1847, the north and south line was first conited, is the most important in county, and will therefore be first topic under this head. The division from Evansville to re Haute was built as early as )3-'54:; but the link tlirough s county, connecting Terre Haute with Danville was not completed until it was taken up by Josephus Collett, Jr., in 1868-'69. This wealthy and enterprising gentleman, with the assistance of O. P. Davis, Nathan Harvey, William E. Livengood, Joseph B. Cheadle and others, held rousing mass meetings throughout the county, when they explained the advantages of the road and the feasibility of building it with a very light tax. But little opposition or indifference was manifested. All tlie townships in the county, in 1869, voted for a two per cent tax - the limit of the law - or, rather, one per cent, in addition to the one per cent, voted b}' the county, provided it should be needed.

sibly to build a road fror County, to a point on the State line near the road-bed of the old " Indiana & Illinois Central liailroad Company," passing through Clay, Parke and Vermillion counties; but it was generally supposed by the citizens here that that was merely a ruse, just prior to the vote to be taken on the north and south line, to defeat the latter. Additional discouragement was also derived from other projected east and west lines, notably the narrow-gauge route through Eugene Township, in which the people along the line felt much interest.

The ensuing election, however, gave a decided majority for aiding the nortli and south line, then called the "Evansville, Terre Haute & Chicago Eailroad." This, under the management of Mr. Collett was completed, in 1870, to the great joy of the peo- pie of Vermillion County, but not " to the joy " of most of tlie villages along the route; for, strange to say, it seemed to be the object of those in power to work in the interests of Terre Hante and Dauville, and accordingly located the road a mile or so distant from all the villages on and near the M-est bank of the Wabash except Clinton. This location of the road has had the desired effect, iu building up Terre Haute and Danville. To prove the advantages of railroad communication, even Clinton has been set forward of all the other towns in the county.

Mr. Collett was made president of this section of the road, which position he held until May 1, 1880, when the link was leased to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Company, the present operators. The subsequent year efforts were made for leasing the whole line to the Louisville & Nashville, and were nearly successful. The present lessee pays the proprietors $75,000 a year rental, besides all taxes and expeuses for repairs. The road has a funded debt of $1,100,000, the interest on which is six per cent.

On this line there are 34^ miles of main track, which in 1880 was assessed at $17,000 per mile; seven miles of side-track, assessed at $2,500 per mile, and rolling stock at $1,300.

The stations arc, in order commencing at the south - Clinton, Summit Grove, Hillsdale, Opeedce, Newport, Walnut Grove, Cayuga (or Eugene), Perrysville, Gessie, Riley sburg and perhaps two or three ]ioints of less importance.

The first railroad proposed through Vermillion County was an cast and west line, through the northern portion, projected as early as 1847, and known in short as the Wabash route, to run from Toledo, Ohio, to Springtield, Illinois.

Stock was subscribed in this county, and a route surveyed. The first eifort was to build the road to Paris and then to St. Louis; and after considerable grading was done, the enterprise was placed under anew management, who located the road through La Fayette, Attica, Danville and Springfield to St. Louis, and completed it in 1851-'52, without touching any part of this county. After the final location of the road in this jnanner the people of Vermillion, of course, lost all interest iu it. This road has had various names: at present it is known as the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific. The most active men here to work for the location of this road through Vermillion County were James Blair, J. F. Smith, J. N. Jones, of Perrysville, and Joseph Moore and Robert A. Barnett, of Eugene.

After struggling and waiting for many tedious years, a company was finally formed which was accommodating enough to'give \gymillion County two and one-fifth miles of track and a flag station, completing it in 1871-'72. This has long been known as the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railway Company, but we understand they have recently been merged into another, comprising an extendeii system of railways. In 1880 their track in this county was assessed at $6,700 per mile.

In this road the citizens of Eugene Township were more interested than any other section of the county. They took subscriptions and voted a tax, but the original company failed to come to time and did not realize subscriptions, stock or tax. The link here was then known as the Frankfort & State Line Road. The Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad Company constructed the road, of a narrow gauge, in 1882, but, like the other company, left the village of Eugene a mile and a half to one side, crossing the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Road at Cayuga. About two years ago the company was reorganized under the name given in our heading, and proceeded immediately to enlarge the track to the standard width, put on firstclass rolling stock and made the road in all respects as good as the best.

The longest bridge on its route is across tiie Wabash opposite Eugene, having five spans of 160 feet each. Of this line there are eight and a half miles of main track in his county, assessed in 1880 at $12,000 per mile, and one mile of side track, assessed at $(100.

Indianapolis, Kecatur ,V Springfield

This railway was completed about 1874, without much ado in raising stock, or subscriptions or tax in this county. Many years ago, about 1852-'5-4, - during the great period of railroad projects every where, - the "Indiana & Illinois Central Railway Company" nearly completed the grading on this route. The road is now leased from the old Indianapolis, Bloom ington & Western Railway Company. It has nine and a half miles of main track in this county, assessed in 1880 at $5,000 per mile, and the rolling stock at $1,700. It has two stations in Vermillion County, namely - Hillsdale, where it crosses the Chicago & Eastern Illinois track, and Dana, an enterprising town two and a half miles east of the State line.

Agricultural

Every acre of Yermillion County is good farming land. About one-fourth the area was originally prairie, and most of this prairie is of the common black-soil variety. Nearly all the rest of the county is second bottom. All this area, Ijping easily and well drained, is available for profitable cultivation. The lower bottom lands are rich, much of it being subject to inundations, which leave a sediment equal to the best compost, and are therefore the best for corn, except that the floods and frosts are often untimely. As high as si.xtyfive bushels of wheat to the acre, and 110 bushels of corn, have been raised in Yermillion County.

In pioneer times hemp, flax and cotton were raised here to a considerable extent. The flax and cotton were "home-made" into clothing. Every cabin was a factory, on a small scale. The machinery for the manufacture of flax consisted of a brake, a wooden knife to swingle out shives witli, and a hackle to remove the tow and straighten out the lint. They also used the small spinning-wheel ("jenny") to twist it into thread. For cotton, a hand gin was used, and hand cai-ds were employed to make it into rolls, which were spun into thread upon a large spinningwheel. A day's work for a woman was to card and spin from six to eight cuts. Readymade clothing was not then known. Nearly every man was his own shoemaker. Some of the settlers employed an itinerant cobbler, who went from house to house in the fall and winter seasons with hiskit of tools, which was quite limited, and boarded with the family where he worked until they were shod all around, or until the leather was all used up. If there was not enough to go round the youngest had to go barefoot all winter, which was frequently the case.

At first the settlers could not enter less than 160 acres of land, M'hich at the Congress price, $2 an acre, amounted to more than most of the settlers could pay. This hardship, however, was soon recognized by Congress, who reduced the amount that might be entered to forty acres, and the price to $1.25, so that any one who could raise $50 could obtain a respectable home.

Agricultural history strictly involves more statistics than the average reader has the patience to study, or even refer to, and we must therefore omit at least the details, contenting ourselves with only a few general results.

Of oats, during those years, from 54,000 to 104,000 bushels was raised; of barley, from none to 1,760 bushels; of rye, from 100 to 6,180 bushels; Irish potatoes, 18,000 to 37,000 bushels; sweet potatoes, 48 to 840 bushels; buckwheat, 160 bushels (only the crop for 1883 is reported); tobacco, from 200 to 3,000 pounds; timothy seed saved, 200 to 800 bushels.

The diminution of certain crops does not indicate actual decline of the agricultural interest generalh', as more ground is devoted to pasturage certain periods than others.

A county agricultural society was organized in 1866, the tirst year after the termination of the war, and a successful fair held. That society continued to bold annual -exliibitions on their grounds northeast of Newport until 1879, when, apparently on account of the railroad running through the grounds and becoming more and more a nuisance, public interest so declined that they practically disbanded. In 1880 a joint stock company was orgaTiized, but they failed to do anything. Last year, liowever, two agricultural associations were organized in this county, namely, the Vermillion County Fair Association, liaving its headquartei-s at Eugene, and the Vermillion County Joint Stock Societ}', with ]iead(]uarters at Newport. Both held fairs last year, the latter with success, but the former with a red need aggregate of receipts on account of rainy weather. Tiiey will try it again this year. At the Newport fair, which was held the first week of October, the total receipts were over $2,200. Every premium was paid in full. Two hundred and fifty stalls were occupied by horses and cattle, steam water-works and reservoirs. No drunkenness nor gambling on the ground, and everything passed otf (quietly.

The data for tlie above figures are somewhat characterized by discrepancy, but for practical purposes they are sufhciently exact. The real estate is estimated at about §6,000,- 000 for the county. The total wealth of tlie county may now be given in round numbers at about $12,000,000.

There were, in 1880, forty-seven manufacturing establishments, with an invested capital of $127,700, employing 105 hands, to whom were paid in wages that year (ending May 31, 1880), $22,025; value of materials, $166,732; of products, $222,946.

residents of the respective villages are given in the township histories on succeeding pages. The school enumeration, being about one-tliird of the total population, gives corroboration of the estimates adopted.

It has often been a subject of remark that there is something aT)out Vermillion County that is very favorable to longevity. In 1877 it was ascertained that there were ninety-six voters in the county between seventy and eighty years of age, nineteen between eighty and ninety, and two over ninet3-. At that time Jesse Richmond was the oldest man in the county, being ninety-five years of age, and his wife, who was then still living, was ninety-four years old.

In addition to the account we have given of the railroads, we should note the advance made over the rest of the territory. At first the Wabash River constituted the only outlet for the exports of the county, and hence fiatboating was a prominent pursuit, many of the old settlers having made twenty to fifty trips to I^ew Orleans. James L. Wishard once made the return trip on foot, but generally the voyagers returned by steamboat. "William Swan and "Wesley Southard each made about sixty trips to New Orleans.

In the fall season goods were brought from Evansville and Cincinnati by wagon. The men often went in companies for mutual protection and assistance, with five or six horse teams. One of the lead horses always wore a set of bells. If a team got stuck in a mudhole or on a hill, it was the custom for any teamster with the same number of horses to make an efi'ort to ])ull the wagon out. In case of success the bells changed ownership. In this way the bells were constantly changing from one to another. In a few years the

The surface of Vermillion County is naturally far more favorable for wagoning than most counties in the State. In addition to this, the enterprise of the citizens has added the following well-finished turnpikes: One from Newport to Walnut Grove and Eugene; Newport to Quaker Point; from a point on the latter to Dana; from Dana to Clinton; from Clinton to the State line, on the Paris road; Clinton to the county line, on the road to Terre Haute; from Perrysville southwest about eighty miles.

Vermillion County is confessedly ahead of most others in this latitude in the character of her public schools. As the people " take pride " in this institution, so do the teachers. Institutes and normals have been faithfully attended and zealously and profitably conducted.

Helt, Eugene and Highland townships have graded schools, while Vermillion Township united until recently with Newport in sustaining a graded school, and the town of Clinton has an excellent graded school, to which the pupils of the township are sometimes admitted.

Arrangements have been made by the school board for a uniform length of school session throughout the county. The per cent, of enrollment was raised from 78 in 1882- '83, to 85 in -1883-'84, and the per cent, of attendance correspondingly increased. In 1874 it was reported that 418 children who had attended school could not read. The number has been growing smaller each year until none are so reported by the last enumeration, although there are probably a few.

Estimated value of school-houses and lots, $59,000; of school apparatus, globes, maps, etc., about S4,000. Number of teachers employed in the county, about eighty-five. The enumeration of school children (six to twentyone years of age) for September, 1886, was 4,291, and the enrollment 8.467, or about eighty per cent.

The county seminary at Newport was built in early days, under the general law appropriating a fund for the purpose. The same building, with an addition, constitutes the present "public-school " house.

The earnestness of the teachers in seeking professional knowledge is shown by their large attendance at the various normal schools of the State, their general habit of reading educational journals, and the wide-spread interest taken in institutes and associations. The townships principals appointed to preside over and superintend the township institutes are expected to organize and direct the work of the " Teachers' Eeading Circle."

A Pedagogical Poem

Some men will be your foes, sir. Yes, some old fogies can not digest the solid kernel of truth; they hanker after husks and chaff And small potatoes and soft corn ; I've met with such as those, sir.

County Societies

Veniiilllon County Medical Societij. - In July, 1869, a meeting was held at Newport, comprising James McMeen and William C. Eichelbarger, of Eugene; Hiram and Lewis Shepherd, of Quaker Point; Henry C. Eaton, of Brouillet's Creek, and M. L. Hall and C. Leavitt, of Newijort, - for the purpose of organizing a county medical society. They a<ljourned to meet again a week or two afterward, but we tind no account of further meetings until 1873, when they organized, electing I3r. I. B. Hedges, of Clinton, president. The membership subsequently attained twenty-two in number, but the association was permitted to " run down " in the course of about four years.

Western Indiana Scientific Association. - The scientific spirit of AVilliam Gibson, then of Newport but previously of Perrysville, led him during the summer of 1875 to call a meeting of the friends of science with the view of organizing for efficient work. In August, tliat year, a preliminary meeting was held at Newport, comprising, among others. Professor !>. E. Rhoads, William Gibson, M. L. Hall, William L. Little, Jesse Houchin. P. Z. Anderson and Samuel Groenendyke, - the last two, however, sending letters of regj-et for tlieir absence.

and Scientific Association," with a constitution and by-laws, " for the purpose of promoting discovery in geology, archaeology and other kindred sciences; for our mutual improvement therein, and for securing a cabinet of natural history and a collection of minerals and fossils as will illustrate the resources and wealth of Vermillion and adjoining counties in these respects." The constitution was signed by John Collett, William L. Little, William Gibson, H. H. Conley, M. L. Hall,S. E. Davis, M. G. Ehoads, Jesse Houchin, W. C. Eichelberger, Samuel Groenendyke, B. E. lihoads and P. Z. Anderson. Mr. Collett was elected President, M. G. Rhoads, Vice-President; AVilliam L. Little, Treasurer; H. II. Conley, Corresponding Secretary; M. L. Hall, Recording Secretary, and AVilliam Gibson Librarian and Curator.

But the association, like most others of the kind, forgot to provide (or perhaps could not) for longevity by finding successors for the most active man. Mr. Gibson, the moving spirit, after fitting up and filling a neat little building with specimens, moved away: the soul gone, the organism was ot course dead.

The Patrons'' Mutual Aid Society, or Vermillion County Fire Insurance Company, was organized in the summer of 1879, by the Patrons of Husbandry, and is still flourishing.

The County Bible Society, with auxiliary societies in the respected townships, and the County Sunday -school Association, similarly organized, are still at work, the latter quite vigorously. These, especially the former, are old institutions.

A county temperance organization, as a result of the '- blue-ribbon movement, " was eflected February 16, 1882, at Newport. The meeting was called to order by Capt. R. B. Sears, of Newport, a member of the State organization. i)r. E. T. Spotswood, of Perrysvillcj was chosen temporary chairman, and E:

H. Hayes, of Clinton, 'secretary. The permanent officers elected were, William Gibson, President; Thomas Cushman, Secretary; 0. S. Davis, Ti-easurer. Vice presidents were appointed for the various townships, and an executive committee. Mrs. Emma Molloy, a noted temperance lecturer, was invited to make a canvass of the county. The constitution of the grand council was adopted. The members adopted resolutions to vote for none but temperance men for offices, and favoring a prohibitory liquor law for the State. Not being a religious or a secret society, of course it died.

The farm, about two miles south of Newport, near the Clinton road, and comprising a quarter section of land, Avas first entered by Wilbur and Davis from the Government; subsequently Peter Smith became the owner, and upon it as security he borrowed a sum of money from the county; failing to pay, the land became the property of the county, and many years ago was made a resort for the helpless poor. The land is valued at $35 an acre. The buildings hitherto used being almost valueless, the county this year (1887) is having erected a magnificent brick building, to cost 815,750. It includes a department for the ins^ane. The plan for this structure was drafted by Mr. Buntin, an architect of Indianapolis. The building is two stories high, with basement under the whole ground area, which is 40 x 108 feet. Can be heated with either steam or hot air. There are thirty-two rooms for inmates, six of which are iinished for occupation by the insane. Five rooms are set apart for the superintendent and his family. The contract for the erection of this building was let March 30, 1887, to Moore & McCoy, of Danville, Illinois. The present superintendent is Joseph Conrad, who has had the office since the spring of 1881. His salary is $600. Average number of inmates, about twenty.

Xotable Meteorological Events

The winter of 18I8-'19 was so mild that but one light snow fell, which was on the night of February 18. Livestock of all kinds wintered well without being fed.

County Wall Map

A good wall map, 3x6 feet, of Vermillion County was published in 1870-'72, by James Tarrance, County Auditor, who afterward moved to Terre Haute and then to Texas.

Early Settlers

OIIN VANNEST, tlie first settler of Vermillion Comity, located on section 9 of this townsliip, in 1816. See a previous chapter for particulars. The second settler in the county, John Beard, also located in this township, building the first house in the town of Clinton, and in 1819 or 1820 the first mill in the county, afterward known as Patton's Mill, three and a half miles southwest of C'linton. lie was also the first justice of the peace in the county.

William Hamilton came in March, 1818. His son John is the oldest living resident of the county, and very frail. William, another son, died about 1878.

The same year Daniel McCulloch, who was born in the State of New York in 1797, settled in Clinton Township, upon a farm five miles southwest of Clinton, where he died a number of years ago. W. B., his sun, who was born in 1830, is still a resident here.

John Wright, Sr., now an undertaker at Clinton, was born in New York State in 1818, and in 1820 his parents brought him, in emigration, to this county. George Wright came in 1832, and died many j'ears ago. His wife Mary, who was born November 13, 1805, in New York, came to Indiana in 1S17. settling near Terre Haute, and in 1832 came

Major Chunn, an officer in the regular array, came here from Terre Haute some time previous to 1820, and was an efficient soldier in driving away the Indians; was also a participant in the battle of Tippecanoe. He was a justice of the peace here for many years. His son Thomas is still a resident of this township.

Henry and Eli Shew, natives of Xorth Carolina, were boys when they became residents of Clinton Township. The former was born in 1815 and came in 1825, and the latter, born in 1819, was brought here in 1823.

Captain AVilliam Swan was born in Pennsylvania in 1802, settled in Clinton Township in 1823, was a member of the first jury in tlie county, followed the river, making over sixty trips to New Orleans on both rafts and flats, was a Universalist in his religious belief, and a Freemason, and died January 29, 1887, at Clinton.

Washington Potter, still living, was about eight years old when, in 1823, he was brought to this township. He is a native of Ohio, and a carpenter by trade.

1819, died February 24, 1883, and was buried in Clinton Cemetery. He was a respectable, well known physician, of many years' standing in his native county.

This year also came James Clark, Sr., from Ohio, where he was born in 1798, became a farmer a mile and a half west of Clinton, and is now deceased.

Samuel Davidson, also deceased, was born in Ohio in 1817, and settled in this township in 1830. Martin M. Davidson, born in Ohio in 1829, was brought here in 1832, lived here many years, and is now a resident of Terre Haute.

Benjamin K. Whitcomb, born in Vermont in 1798, and his cousin and business partner, John Whitcomb, came in 1828, .settling in the village of Clinton, where they were among the first merchants, pork packers, etc. John died August 29, 1830, aged forty-one years. Benjamin H. died April 23, 18G1, and his wife, Anna S., died May 21, 1800, at the age of fifty-five and a half years. John R. Whitcoinb, another merchant, born in Ohio in 1804, first settled in Edgar County, Illinois, in 1832, and in the village of Clinton in 1834. He died in March, 1873, leaving a widow (third wife), who is living a half mile west of town. His first wife, Eunice, died May 15, 1832, aged only twentythree years.

Scott Malone, who married Miss Sarah, one of the twin daughters of John Vannest, came from Ohio, and resided here until his death a few years ago.

Simeon Taylor, horn in Indiana in 1818, settled in this county in 1831, and died a few years ago. His brother, John F., born in Ohio, in 1816, came in 1833, and is yet living.

In 1832 there settled in Clinton Township, Thomas G. Wilson, born in Yirginiain 1804; William J. Noblitt, born in Tennessee in 1825, and still living here; Benjamin Harrison, born in Virginia in 1805, was justice of the peace many years, and is still living: his M'ife died this year (1887); their son Robert, born in the " Old Dominion" in 1831, is still a resident of this township.

Huram B. Cole, John Ferral and John Marks were early merchants of Clinton. The latter went South. Ferral- died February 25, 1832, at the age of thirty-six years.

In 1836 came William Payton and Philo Harkness, who are still living here. Payton was born in Kentucky in 1814, and Harkness in New York in 181G.

located in Clinton Township in 1837. lie was a man of liberal views, a good citizen and a kind neighbor. He died February 10, 1880, after a long period of illness. II i.-^ widow died in January, 1881, an exempl:;iv member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

D. F. Fawcett came from Virginia in 1833, settling near Goshen, Vigo County, and then, in 1837, in this county, near the southwest corner. He died in 1845, in Jasper County. Illinois. Mrs. Fawcett died in 1837, in this township.

Many others we could mention who came in pioneer times, resided liere many years, becoming prominent citizens, and died in honored old age, or are still living.

Miscellaneous Items

The opening of the iron mines and building of the " Indiana Furnace," in section 27, township 14, range 10, Clinton Township, commenced in 1837. In 1839 the furnace was in full blast. Stephen P. Uncles was the chief owner and superintendent. Associated with him were Hugh Stuart and Chester Clark, the firm name being. Uncles & Co. Years later, the lands and works passed into the hands of Stuart & Sprague, and still later to E. M. Bruce & Co., the Co. being David Sinton.

In 1859, George B. Sparks, now a resident of Clinton, bought a controlling interest, and under the firm name of G. B. Sparks (N: Co., the business was continued until 1864. Captain John Lindsey, who still resides near the site of the old Furnace, was many yeais its superintendent. He relates that of the hundreds of men employed then, all but one, a pattern-maker, voted regularly the Democratic ticket, and jokingly says, no others could get eniploymeat. The company's office and large general supply store, and a score or two of cabins of more or less pretensions, made quite a village. Castings of nearly all kinds, largely stoves, were turned out. Pig iron in large quantities were also produced.

The works were among tlie early enterprises of the Wabash Valley, and distributed a large amount of money among the early settlers as well as furnishing employment to all comers - of the right political ftvith (according to Captain Lindsey)! The 1,700 acres of land connected with the plant is now owned by George B. Sparks, and devoted to agricultural purposes, and all that remains to indicate the site of the old " Indiana Furnace" is here and there debris of rotting and rusting machinery, and one or two log cabins.

The " Norton Creek Coal Mines " are located on the line between Clinton and Helt townships, on section 5 of Clinton Township, and section 32 of Helt Township. Their development commenced in December, 1884. F. A. Bowen was the proprietor, and Charles P. Walker, of Clinton, the superintendent and manager. In the spring of 1885, under the general laws of Wisconsin the " Norton Creek Coal Mining Company," was organized, with a paid up capital of $40,000, with its general office at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. II. M. Benjamin, of that city, is the president of the company, and Charles P. Walker, of Clinton, superintendent and treasurer, and general agent for Indiana. Connected with the property are 255 acres of land. The mines are about two and one-half miles west of the " Eastern Illinois Railroad," and connected by a spur track. The company also own the old " Briar Hill " mines, on section 'J, Clinton Township, but they are not now operated.

located the company's large mercantile establishment and local office, which, with twentyseven tenement houses, constitutes quite a village, called "Geneva," named in honor of a daughter of Superintendent Walker. The sales of coal in 1886 reached $160,000, and and the mei'cantile establishment $42,000. Near the mines are several tenement houses, and at the Briar Hill mines eleven houses. All are occupied by employes of the company. The business is increasing, owing to the excellent quality of coal produced. Commencing with the winter of 1887-'88 an average working force of 300 men are employed.