Cooper County, Missouri - Chapter 7: From 1815 to 1819, 1919

Chapter 7: From 1815 to 1819

When peace was established with England, and the treaty of peace was finally entered into with the Indians in 1815, a steady and ever increasing stream of immigration poured into the Boonslick country, and continued in an unending flow for many years thereafter.

But even during the war with the Indians, some hardy and brave settlers settled in the Boonslick country, though few ventured to locate except near enough 'to reach the forts at the first approach of the Indians.

Organization of Counties. - When the territory of Missouri was established in 1812, the eastern portion of the state was at once organized into counties, and the territorial law, by means of territorial courts, was extended over them. But the Boonslick country had not been sufficiently settled to justify its organization, and the expense of holding terms of court within its limits.

It will be remembered that from 1804 until Oct. 1, 1812, the territory of Missouri was divided into four districts. At that date, in accordance with an act of Congress, requiring him so to do, Governor Clark issued a proclamation, reorganizing the four districts into the five following counties: St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, and New Ma- drid. In 1813 the county of Washington was created from a part of St. Geneveive. In 1814, the county of Arkansas was formed, and during the winter of 1814, and 1815, the county of Lawrence was organized from the western portion of New Madrid.

Under an act of the General Assembly of the Territory of Missouri, approved Jan. 13, 1816, the county of Howard was created, being the ninth organized county of the territory, and was taken out of the counties of St. Louis and St. Charles. It included among other counties what is now Cooper County. Its territory was more than one-third of the present state of Missouri. It was almost an empire, presenting an area of nearly 23,000 square miles. It was larger than Vermont, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Missouri at that time had not been admitted into the sisterhood of states. From its territory have since been organized the following counties:

Adair, organized Jan. 29, 1841. Called after Gen. John Adair, of Mercer County, Kentucky, who was elected governor of that State in 1820 and died May 19, 1840.

Audrain, organized Dec. 17, 1836. Called for James S. Audrain, who was a representative from St. Charles in the Missouri Legislature in 1830, and who died in St. Charles, Nov. 10, 1831.

Bates (part), organized Jan. 29, 1841. Called for Frederick Bates, second governor of the State, who died Aug. 4, 1825, before the expiration of his term. Lieutenant-Governor W. H. Ashley, having resigned, Abraham J. Williams, of Columbia, president of the Senate, became Governor until the special election in September, same year, when John Miller was elected. Williams died Dec. 30, 1839, and an old fashioned box-shaped limestone monument marks his grave in Columbia Cemetery.

Caldwell, organized Dec. 26, 1836. Called for Capt. Matthew Caldwell, commander of Indian scouts and a hunter of Kentucky. Joseph Doniphan, father of Gen. A. W. Doniphan, belonged to his company. General Doniphan was chiefly instrumental in having the county named in honor of his father's old comrade.

Carroll, organized Jan. 3, 1833. Called for Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Died Nov. 14, 1832.

Cass, organized Sept. 14, 1835. First called Van Buren ; changed to Cass Feb. 19, 1849, in honor of Lewis Cass, United States Senator from Michigan. Died June 17, 1866.

Chariton, organized Nov. 16, 1820. John Chariton was the name of a leader of the French fur-traders who at an early day located on the Missouri River at the mouth of the creek which was ever afterwards called Chariton. Hence the name of the creek and county.

Cooper, organized Dec. 17, 1818. Called for Sarshel Cooper, who was killed by an Indian in Cooper's Fort opposite Arrow Rock and near the present village of Boonsboro, Howard County, on the night of April 14, 1814.

De Kalb, organized Feb. 25, 1845. Called for Baron John De Kalb, a Frenchman of Revolutionary fame, who was killed in the battle of Camden in 1780.

Gentry, organized Feb. 12, 1841. Called for Gen. Richard Gentry, of Columbia, who was killed in the battle of Okeechobee, Fla., Dec. 25, 1837.

Henry, first named Rives in honor of William C. Rives, of Virginia, organized Dec. 13, 1834. Changed to Henry in honor of Patrick Henry, who died June 6, 1799.

Lafayette, first called Lillard and organized Nov. 16, 1820, after James Lillard, an old citizen. Changed to Lafayette, Feb. 16, 1825, who died at Paris, May 20, 1834.

Linn, organized Jan. 7, 1837. Called for Lewis F. Linn, United States Senator from Missouri, 1830-1843, who died at St. Genevieve, Oct. 3, 1843.

Macon, organized Jan. 6, 1837. Named in honor of Nathaniel Macon, of North Carolina, of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Congresses and United States Senator in the Nineteenth and Twentieth. Died June 29, 1837.

Miller (north part), organized Feb. 26, 1837. Called for Gov. John Miller, of Missouri ; was Governor from 1825 to 1832. Died March 18, 1846.

Morgan, organized Jan. 5, 1833. Called for Gen. Daniel Morgan, of the Revolution, who displayed great bravery at the battle of the Cowpens in the defeat of Tarlton and died in 1802.

Pettis, organized Jan. 26, 1833. Called for Spencer Pettis, member of Congress from St. Louis from 1829 to 1831, who was killed in a duel by Maj. Thomas Biddle, Aug. 27, 1831, aged 29 years.

Also the following counties in Iowa: Parts of Taylor and Adams, Union, Ringgold, Clarke, Decatur and Wayne, and probably parts of Lucas, Monroe and Appanoose.

Its boundaries were established as follows: Beginning at the mouth of the Osage River, which is about 10 miles below the city of Jefferson and opposite the village of Barkersville in Callaway county, the boundary uprsued the circuitous course of said stream to the Osage boundary line, meaning thereby the eastern boundary of the Osage Indian Territory, or to the northeast corner of Vernon County, where the Osage River, two miles east of the present town of Shell City, runs near said corner ; thence north (along the western line of St. Clair, Henry, Johnson and Lafayette counties), to the Missouri River, striking that stream west of and very near Napoleon, thence up said river to the mouth of the Kansas River (where Kansas City is now located), thence with the Indian boundary line (as described in. the proclamation of Gov. William Clark issued the 9th day of March, 1815), northwardly along the eastern boundary of the "Platte purchase" 140 miles, or to a point about 36 miles north and within the present county of Adams, in the state of Iowa, near the town of Corning in said county, on the Burlington and Missouri River railroad; thence eastward with the said line to the main dividing ridge of high ground, to the main fork of the river Cedar (which is the line between Boone and Callaway counties in Missouri) ; thence down said river to the Missouri; thence down the river Missouri and in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the mouth of the Great Osage River, the place of beginning.

Howard County was reduced to its present limits by an act of the Legislature approved Feb. 16, 1825. The history of what is now Cooper County is inseparably connected with that of Howard County until the organization of Cooper County in 1819.

Early Courts. - The act under which Howard County was organized located the seat of justice at Hannah Cole's Fort. The first circuit court of Howard County, which was the first Court held in this section of the State, was held at the house of Joseph Jelly in Hannah Cole's Fort, which was situated in what is now East Boonville. The Court opened on the eighth day of July, 1816, and discharged under the territorial laws all

Hon. David Barton was the presiding judge; Nicholas T. Burkhartt, the sheriff; Gray Bynum, the clerk; and John G. Heath, circuit attorney. The attorneys who attended this term of court were Edward Bates, Charles Lucas, Joshua Barton, and Lucius Easton. Few in number, but their names became intimately and prominently associated with the future development of the state of Missouri..

John Munroe was appointed coroner of Howard County, and Benjamin Estil, David Jones, David Kincaid, William Head and Stephen Cole were appointed commissioners to locate the permanent county seat, which was temporarily located by the territorial legislature at Hannah Cole's Fort as above stated.

The first license to operate and run a ferry was issued to Hannah Cole. The charges were fixed by the Court, and will be found in the chapter on "Transportation and Highways."

The first road laid out by the authority of the Court in the county was a route from Cole's Fort on the Missouri River to intersect the road from Potosi, in Washington County, at the Osage River. Stephen Cole, James Cole, and Jumphry Gibson were appointed commissioners to mark out this road.

The first indictments returned by the grand jury were United States vs. Samuel Heirall, and United States vs. James Cockrell, both endorsed a true bill.

At the first election held in the county, the electors voted at Head's Fort, McLean's Fort, Fort Cooper and Cole's Fort. The first civil action was styled Davis Todd vs. Joseph Boggs. The following amusing incident and example of retributive justice happened at this term of court:

Maj. Stephen Cole was fined, by Judge Barton, one dollar, for contempt, for misconduct in the presence of the court. Cole objected to paying the fine, but supposing he would be able to retaliate some time, at last paid it. And his time for retaliation came sooner than he expected. That afternoon, Cole, who was a justice of the peace, organized his court on a log in front of the fort. As Judge Barton was returning from dinner, he stopped in front of Cole and leaned against a tree, watching the proceedings of the justice and smoking his pipe. Cole looked up, and assuming the stern look of insulted dignity, said, "Judge Barton, I fine you one dollar for contempt of my court, for smoking in its presence." Judge Barton smilingly paid his fine, and went to open his own court, acknowledging that he had been beaten at his own game.

"Ordered by the court that the following rates of taxation for county purposes for the year 1816 be established in the county of Howard, to-wit:

I do hereby certify, that on the 27th day of March last, I celebrated the rights of matrominy between Elijah Creason and Elizabeth Lowell, both of the county of Howard and territory of Missouri.

Be it known, to whom it may concern, that on the 26th day of April, 1816, by virtue of the power and authority vested in my by law, a preacher of the Gospel, I joined in the holy state of matrimony Abraham Barnes, and Gracy Jones, of the said territory and county, as man and wife, satisfactory proof having been given of the legal notice as requested by law and parents' consent obtained.

Be it remembered to all whom it may concern, that on the 10th day of May, 1816, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by law a preacher of the Gospel, etc., I joined in the holy state of matrimony Judiah Osmond and Rosella Busby, of the said territory and county, as man and wife. Witness my hand, this 3d day of July, 1816.

William Thorp

I hereby certify, that on the second of June last passed, I celebrated the rights of matrimony between John Cooley and Elizabeth White, both of the county of Howard and territory of Missouri.

The first election held in Cooper County after its organization was on the second day of August, 1819. It was held to elect a delegate to Congress from the territory of Missouri. John Scott and Samuel Hammond were the candidates. The townships which voted at said election were, as heretofore stated, Arrow Rock, Miami, Tebo (sometimes in those early days spelled Tabeaux, and Tabeau), and Lamine. The latter township included the town of Boonville. The votes cast in Tebo township were thrown out because the poll-book of said township did not state for whom the votes were cast, and this poll-book was not put on file with the others; thei'efore the only votes counted were those cast in the other three townships. John Scott received 127 votes, and Samuel Hammond 21 votes, making the total count, 138.

We infer, and on a reasonable hypothesis, that this was nothing like the total vote of the county at that time. The county was sparsely settled and there was then no newspaper published in Cooper County. News of the election, in the main, had to be spread by word of mouth, and it is very probable that many of the voters 'did not know the day of the same; and again by reason of the distance from their voting places, failed to record their votes.

Robert P. Clark, county clerk, called to his aid James Brufee and Benjamin F. Hickox, two justices of the peace, to assist him in counting the votes.

The next election hold in the county was to select delegates to the state convention, called by proclamation of the Governor to frame a con- stitution for the state of Missouri, and was held on the first, second and third days of May, 1820. The following was the result in the county: Robert P. Clark, William Lillard and Robert Wallace were elected. The townships in which this election was held and the votes cast were as follows: Arrow Rock township, 120 votes; Lamine township, 408 votes; Tableaux township, 150 votes ; Moreau township, 101 votes ; Miami township, 40 votes. Total vote of Cooper County, 819.

At the time of this election, Cooper County was bounded on the east and south by the Osage River, on the west by the Indian Territory, and on the north by the Missouri River. Lamine township then included about all within the present limits of Cooper County, and some territory not now included in its limits.

The next and third election was held on the 28th day of August, 1820, to elect a member of Congress, and State and county officers. The following townships voting at this election, and the votes cast, were as follows: Arrow Rock township, 57 votes; Lamine township, 503 votes; Jefferson township, 110 votes; Osage township, 78 votes; Miami township, 28 votes; Moreau township, 71 votes; Tableaux township, 125 votes. The vote of Cooper County, 972. Thomas Rogers, Thomas Smiley and William Lillard were elected representatives ; William H. Curtis, sheriff ; and Bryant Saunders, coroner.

Immigration. - In writing of the immigration at this period, Dr. John Mason Peck has this to say: "The 'new-comers,' like a mountain torrent, poured into the country faster than it was possible to provide corn for breadstuff's. Some families came in the spring of 1815. But in the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 1816, they came like an avalanche. It seemed as though Kentucky and Tennessee were breaking up and moving to the "Far West." Caravan after caravan passed over the prairies of Illinois, crossing the 'gi^eat river' at St. Louis, all bound to the Boonslick. The stream of immigration had not lessened in 1817. Many families came from Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, and not a few from the Middle States, while a sprinkling found their way to the extreme West from Yankeedom and Yorkdom. Following in the wake of this exodus to the middle section of Missouri was a terrific excitement about land."

Land Speculation. - This was a period of some wild and hazardous land speculations ; not only by reason of the large immigration into the Boonslick section, or rather into Howard County, but because of the earthquake in New Madrid in the years 1811 and 1812.

ferers from the earthquake. The land owners were permitted to give up their present holdings and to locate with the certificates received for their New Madrid possessions on other public land. This opened a wide door for fraud, speculation and litigation. The actual sufferers were in nearly every instance defrauded. Before they had knowledge of the passing of the act of Congress, the New Madrid country was filled with speculators from St. Louis, who purchased their property at a rate of from $40 to $60 per claim, a claim sometimes embracing as much as 640 acres. After acquiring the rights to the injured land, certificates of dislocation were issued by the St. Louis land office to the purchasers of these injured properties. The owners of these certificates, of course, hunted around for the most valuable property and located their certificates on it. The demand for certificates became very great, the more unscrupulous and dishonest New Madrid settlers would sell their claims several times to new speculators anxious to buy. All this led to endless litigation. Under New Madrid certificates so issued much valuable property was located in the Boonslick country.

Sale of Public Lands. - Dec. 6, 1816, marked the setting for the first time of the Jacob Staff, to survey the public lands of this state, preparatory to placing the lands on the market for sale for home-makers. Prior to that time, nothing had been surveyed by legal authority, except those lands known as the old French and Spanish claims. The survey, however, progressed slowly and intermittently, and it was not until Aug. 3, 1918, when by order of the President's proclamation the land sale was held at St. Louis. The President also issued a proclamation that the land sales at Franklin. Howard County, would begin Sept. 7, 1818, but there was quite a spirited controversy about the legality of offering the lands for sale, as they were thought yet to be within the boundary lines of the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation, and one officer to conduct the sale resigned. The sales, in consequence thereof, were continud to Nov. 2, 1818. at which day the land sales began, Gen. Thomas A. Smith being receiver, and Charles Carrol, register. The crowd in attendance upon these sales was said to have numbered thousands of well-dressed and intelligent men from all parts of the east and south. At the first public sales, there seems to have been quite a spirit of competition among the bidders, but this was evidently caused by those from a distance, for the settlers had a tacit understanding not to bid against each other for the land they wanted, and in after years there seems to have been no competition for the lands at public sales.

Preemption Claims. - At this time there arose the very interesting question of preemption claims. The settlers in the Franklin, or Howard land district, had given notice to the officers of the land office of the preemptions. So universal was the preemption right claimed, that the settlers there were called "preemptioners." This disputed question was of such deep interest and import to the settlers and was so much discussed, that it became the all-absorbing question, to the exclusion of every other.

On March 3, 1819, Congress passed an act confirming the right of preemption, to the people of this district. It is said that many of the most illustrious men of our state were among the preemptioners, and they in after years became potent factors in the evolution and progress of our great state.

"Sometime during the year 1817, William Gibson, now living a short distance east of the city of Boonville, was appointed by the Territorial Court, constable of that part of Howard County lying south of the Missouri River. His jurisdiction extended from the Missouri, on the north, to the Osage River on the south. Soon after his appointment, there being some trouble down on the Osage, he was sent there with a warrant for the arrest of the man who had caused the trouble. The distance was between 60 and 70 miles. After arresting the man, he returned to Boonville with his prisoner. As he was on his journey back, having an execution against- a man who lived on the road, he stopped at his house and proceeded to levy on the feather beds, as nothing in those days was exempt from levy under execution. But, as soon as he made his purpose known, four women, who were the only persons at home, threatened to give him a thrashing, so he was forced to retire as fast as he could, and return the execution unsatisfied. To add to this, the court only allowed him, for his journey of 140 miles, which occupied four days, the magnificent sum of 25 cents. Mr. Gibson thinking the office not quite lucrative enough to justify him in devoting his whole time to its duties, arid not wishing to risk his life at the hands of angry women, quietly sent in his resignation, thus establishing the precedent that officers should resign when not paid a living wage.

"While Samuel Cole was living at his mother's fort in East Boonville, in the year 1817, there was a dance at William Bartlett's boarding house, on the flat near the ferry landing, at the mouth of Rupe's Branch. Although Samuel wished very much to attend, his mother refused to permit him, as his wardrobe at that time, was entirely too limited to permit him to associate with the "elite." He had no pants, his sole garment consisting of a long tow shirt, which reached entirely to his heels. But Samuel, though always, from his own statement, an obedient son, was not to be deprived of so great a pleasure, by this, to him, a very trivial excuse. So he determined to attend that dance, and then make the best arrangement he could to meet the "wrath to come." Not having any horse, he bridled a tame bull, which was at the fort, and thus mounted, rode up to the door of the house in which they were dancing. After looking in for some time, and by his strange looking steed and attire, attracting a large crowd about him, he drove his bull down to the river, and riding in, he slid back over its haunches, and caught hold of its tail. In this way they swam down the river to Hannah Cole's fort, when he and his strange companion came out of the water and sought their homes. This story has often been published, but never correctly, as all former accounts represented him as swimming the river to attend a wedding, but our version is correct, as it was obtained directly from Samuel Cole himself.

"About the 15th day of November, 1817, Joseph Stephens, with his large family and several friends, crossed the river to where Boonville now stands, and camped near the foot of Main street. The next day after they crossed Samuel Cole, who was then a boy of sixteen years of age, appeared at their camp and asked Mrs. Stephens if she would like to have some venison. Upon her replying that she would, as she was nearly out of meat, Samuel shouldered his gun and marched off into the woods, telling her to wait a few minutes and he would kill her some. Samuel Cole, at that time, although there was a slight snow on the ground, was barefooted and bare-headed, his breeches reached only to his knees, the collar of his shirt was open, and he carried an old flint lock rifle. About fifteen minutes after he left the camp, Stephens and his family heard two shots in the direction in which he had gone. Pretty soon Samuel appeared, and told them that he had killed two deer, that they must go out and bring them to the camp, as he could not by himself bring in even one of them. So they started out and found the two deer lying on the side of the hill just north of the present residence of William H. Trigg. After they had skinned them and cut them up, the party brought them to the camp and presented them to Mrs. Stevens. This shows what little exertion was necessary at that day to obtain meat.

the farm which he had bought about one-quarter of a mile north of the present site of Bunceton. About Christmas, in the same year, Samuel Cole rode up to Joseph Stephen's camp, and Mrs. Stephens asked him to alight and take dinner. He asked her whether she had any honey, and she told him she had not. He said he could not eat without honey. And although she insisted that he remain, he still refused. In the meantime, Larry and Joseph, two of her sons, and a negro named Basil, who had been cutting wood, came up to the camp carrying their axes. Samuel turned to them, and told them to go with him and get some honey for dinner. They at first, supposing him to be joking, refused to go. But as he still insisted, they consented. After going some two hundred yards east of the camp, Samuel suddenly stopped, and pointing to a tree, told them to cut it down. The others not seeing anything about the tree that would induce anyone to think that it contained honey, yet willing to accommodate company, cut it down, and it was found to be filled with nice honey. While they were cutting down this tree, Samuel found another a short distance away, and having cut down this one also, they returned home with six buckets of fine honey, having taken nothing but the clear part. Before he left, Samuel taught them the way in which he found the trees. He told them, that if they would examine the ground around the tree, they would find small pieces of bee-bread, and occasionally a dead bee. This was an infallible sign of a bee tree. Then afterwards, following his direction, they searched and found, in a small space, thirteen trees which were filled with honey; and as they had no sugar, this was a great help to them. They sometimes had as much as four hundred pounds of honey on hand at one time."

Early Churches. - It has been stated with authority, that on the 8th day of April, 1812, Mount Pleasant Church was organized in a log house, doubtless at Kincaid's Fort, situated a short distance from Old Franklin in Howard County. In the year 1817, there came renewed activity of church-building. Of the five churches in central Missouri: Mount Pleasant, Bethel, Concord, Mount Zion and Salem, all Baptist, which in 1818 united to form the Mount Pleasant Baptist Association, three had organized the previous year.

The Concord Church was organized in 1817 by Elders William Thorpe, Edward Turner and David McLain, and was located in the settlement south of Boonville. In 1823, the church gave its name to the Concord Baptist Association. Elder Luke Williams was chosen pastor, at the second meet- ing of the church in 1817, and continued in this capacity until his death six years later. The second pastor was Elder Kemp Scott, who moved to the little settlement a year or two after the death of Elder Williams.

Among the pioneers who helped to organize the church and who constituted its first membership, were: Luke Williams, Polly Williams, William Savage, Mary Savage, Delaney Bolen, Judith Williams, Absalom Huff, Susanna Savage, Joseph Baze, Lydia Turner, Charles Williams, Patsey Bolen, Sally Baze and Elizabeth Williams.

Judge Phillips, of imperishable memory, gives the following vivid description of the old Bethel Church, typical of the church of the period, as he recalled it, after a lapse of more than seventy years:

"Built of heavy, flawless ash logs, it did, indeed, stand 'four cornei'ed to every wind that blew.' Measured by the conception of its architects it was quite capacious, but in fact it was not over 24x34 feet. It had one door and two small windows in front, one window in each end, and a two pane window back of the pulpit.

"That pulpit when the door of ingress and egress was shut, made the preacher look as if he were forted against assault from without; and it might be aptly termed a ministerial sweat-box. The men and women were entirely separated as they sat in church, the men on one side and the owmen on the other side of the single aisle. * * * It never occurred to the church committee in charge that to enable the occupants of the rear seats to see the speaker in front, the floor should be constructed on a rising scale. Instead they made the pews on an ascending scale, so that the rearmost pew was about four feet from the floor, and the occupants had to vault or climb into them like getting into the upper berth of a Pullman sleeper without a step ladder.

"The pastor of Bethel Church during the greater part of his attendance there, known as 'Father Jimmie Barnes,' was recalled by Judge Philips as a man 'powerful in exposition and fervid in delineation.' He seldom spoke less than an hour and it seemed to me that the hotter the day the longer the sermon. The seasons have their time to change and the leaves their time to fall, but Father Barnes never changed his garb of home made blue jeans, autumn, winter, spring or summer. He wore invariably the conventional high, stiff black stock, over which timidly peeped a fringe of shirt collar.

"About one hundred yards to the northwest of the church was the camp ground. I can see the log huts, with bed quilts for partitions and straw for beds, covered with sheets and quilts. I can almost catch the aroma of roasting beef, chickens and sweet potatoes in the barbecue ditches. There was one figure about that camp ground indelibly fixed in my memory. It was 'Uncle Billie Street', the leader of revival songs. He was a mountain of flesh, weighing, when in good singing condition, about three hundred pounds. He had a voice that out-bellowed the bulls of Bashan, and when sinners were to be called to the mourner's bench, the very air vibrated with his Olympian verberation. I do not exaggerate in saying that I heard him one day from a pasture three quarters of a mile away singing his favorite revival song with the refrain, 'When this world is all on fire, glory Hallelujah.' "

One hundred years ago a gentleman by the name of A. Fuller, who had been in the Boonslick country a few months wrote to his chum the following descriptive letter, which will doubtless be read with interest.

You need not scold; I have had too much to do to write to you fellows that live in civilized society. Here I am, on the extreme frontier of the settlements of our country, but would not exchange places with you for all your boasted luxuries. I can, within a mile or so, kill as many prairie chickens as I choose, and all other game of the season.

The settlers of the country moved out of the forts last spring, and are about as happy a set as you can find on the earth to think that the Indians are to let them alone hereafter. I have become acquainted with most of the citizens of the town. The Hon. Judge Todd and family arrived here last summer, one of the most agreeable families that I have ever met. He is too liberal and kind for his own good; also Dr. Hutchinson, Dr. Lowry and General Smith. I do not think that you can understand the nobleness of such minds, as it is only here in the extreme west, where all have been accustomed to facing dangers every day, that they can be appreciated. We have three stores in this thriving place, an old gentleman, Mr. Gaw; Stanley and Ludlow; and Sanganette & Bright, all doing fair business. We had two arrivals of steamboats during the summer, one a government boat. Western Engineer, on an exploring expedition. In place of a bowsprit, she has carved a great serpent, and as the steam escaped out of its mouth, it runs out a long tongue, to the pei-fect consternation of all Indians that see her. They say, "White man bad man, keep a great spirit chained and build fire under it to make it work a boat." The other was a boat loaded with government supplies, for the troops in the forts above here, also two hundred thousand dollars in specie. A large portion of her cargo was Monongahela whiskey. It looks like a dispensation of Providence that she should be sunk soon after leaving. The officers and visitors were desecrating the Sabbath by card playing and drinking. She left here and ran up to the head of the first island above here when she struck a snag and sank immediately, without the crew being able to save anything out of her. There she lies with all her silver and freight on her. There are in the neighborhood several forts, that were used by the people during the Indian difficulties. Fort Hempstead, about three miles back from the river; Cooper's Fort, ten miles above here, where were many of the hairbreath escapes of the wild west. At one time, when it was besieged by a large body of Indians, and they needed to communicate with the fort here, not having men to spare, a daughter of Colonel Cooper ventured to run the gauntlet, and mounting a fleet horse dashed through the Indians, reached the fort here, got the assistance needed, and was back in time to relieve her friends. Is there one of your city belles who could accomplish a similar feat? I guess not. I tell you, Tom, there is an independence and nobleness in the bearing of the young folks here, dressed in their home-made clothing, - the ease of gait and carriage, - that puts affectation and fine dresses in the shade. I am not carried away entirely by the nobleness of the wild frontier people, but there is a frank generosity with them that you in the east know nothing of, therefore you cannot appreciate it. There is also a fort across, the river from here called Cole's Fort, that had its share of trouble ; also one above the La Mine River. One of them, Mr. McMahan, from there, was coming down to Cole's Fort on business, when about two miles above here he was fired upon and killed by the Indians. One of the young Coles and one of the Roups were cutting a bee-tree in the woods near the path, and it is thought the Indians were crawling upon them, when Mr. McMahan, passing, was fired upon and killed. The men, Cole and Roup, hurried back to their fort for aid, and went to see what mischief the redskins had' been doing. Mr. McMahan was shot through the body. He ran his horse toward the river for about a quarter of a mile when he fell dead. The Indians, it is thought, saw the two men running for the fort and thought it safest to leave, which they did without following the flying men. I believe I could have set till this time, hearing of the hairbreadth escapes of the early settlers. They have laid out a town opposite here on the river, called Boonville, which they expect to eclipse this place, but the traders think Franklin will eclipse any town out west. I think likely it will if the river will let it alone. I went over the river last summer to attend the first sale of lots, intending to purchase some to build on, but they were run up to a fabulous price, away beyond my reach. There were some of the voters who appeared to be affected by patriotism acquired at the only (what was termed) tavern in the place, kept by a hard looking old fellow named Reames, who bowed politely to all who came in and asked for something to drink, and I was told the whiskey had actually not had time to cool before it was dealt out to the customers, having been brought all the way from a Mr. Houxe's where there is a horse mill and distillery ; so the people of Boonville, cannot only have liquor, but can have their corn ground ready for sifting. The mill and distillery are about a mile from the town. Adieu."