mmmmmm mmmm. eiVIAKING MATHER, mmmmmmm Class Book. "^L^ Copyright N"_ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. ST. GAUDEN'S STATUE OF LINCOLN LINCOLN PARK. CHICAGO THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SKETCHES BY IRWIN F. MATHER, A. M A. FLANAGAN COMPANY CHICAGO 7^7 f-/ 3 n Copyright, 1900, BY I. F. MATHER Copyright, 191 i, BY A. FLANAGAN COMPANY Copyright, 1913, BY A. FLANAGAN COMrANY ^.^ ©CI.A:K50i89 PREFACE The history of Illinois, embracing more than two cen- turies of discovery, exploration, settlement and develop- ment, is rich in incident and abounds in valua1)]e lessons. Her soil has been occupied successively by Indian, Frenchman, Englishman and American. The men w^ho planted her foundations were generous, noble and brave. A\^ithin her borders clashed and finally harmonized the principles of Cavalier and Puritan. Her sons have become leaders in the councils of the nation, and, on the field of battle, have led our armies to victory. No less famous than her statesmen and soldiers have been the commercial and industrial leaders nurtured upon her soil. Notwithstanding the fact that there is so much that is honorable and glorious in her steady progress, " from a wilderness of prairies " to a great and populous State, the history of Illinois is unfamiliar to most of her citizens. The youth in her public schools are better acquainted with the early history of Virginia, or Massachusetts, than with the stirring events connected with the establishment of their native State, and we should encourage our boys and girls in the study of the history of their State and strengthen the love for Illinois. The author wishes to thank for helpful suggestion and kindly criticism : ]\Ir. John E. Ferreira, of East Chicago ; Supt. Walter R. Hatfield, of Pittsfield ; Prof. David PREFACE Felmley, of Normal ; Dr. Edward C. Page, of De Kalb ; Dr. W. E. Simonds, of Galesburg, and Gen. P. C. Hays, of Joliet. Many of the illustrations have been obtained through the courtesy of Mr. Charles Evans, Secretary of the Chicago Historical Association. Supt. T. C. Clendennen, of Cairo, furnished the illustra- tion of a " Bird's-eye View of Cairo.' The illustrations of the bronze relief tablets in the chapters on Alarquette and La Salle were obtained from the Marquette building, Chicago. The tablets pertaining to Marquette's journey were designed by the sculptor, ]\Ir. Herman A. McNeil, a faithful student of Indian char- acteristics. The heads of the noted Indian Sachems and early explorers were modeled by ]Mr. Edw^ard Kemeys, the sculptor whose work received wide recognition at the \\'orld's Fair. TABLE OF CONTENTS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTORY I. Illinois 15 Authorities : — The Mississippi Valley Foster Geolofjy of Illinois Northern The West R. B. Porter Illinois Moses fitnte Reports II. The Indian 21 Authorities : — History of the United States McMaster History of the United States Bancroft Last of the Illinois Judge J. D. Caton Illinois and Indiana Tribes H. W. Beckirith Annals of the West Peek American i^late Tapers FRENCH AND BRITISH OCCUPATION. III. JOLLIET AND MaRQUETTE 33 IV. La Salle 48 V. ToNTi 60 CONTENTS VI. La Salle 's Return to Illinols 68 Authorities :■ — yanatire and CrUical Hhtory of America ^yind!ior La HuUc l'<(i hiiifin Ilistunj of Illinois Davidson and IStourc Earhj Wiijuffvs liliea Hifitorival Collect ion of Louisiana French Journal of Father Marquette The Winning of the West Roosevelt VII. Old Kaskaskia and the Early French 78 AlTHORITIES : Catholic Missions Shea and Kii? Early French Voijafjcs Orarier Xew France Charleroijp Early History of Illinois Judge James Breeze Records of the Chicago Historical Hociety Magazine of American History nil. Fort Chartres and the British 86 AlTHORITIES : Illinois in the Eighteenth Century Mason Early Settlements of Xorthirest Territory Dillon Montcalm and Wolfe Parh:man Conquest of Canada Warhurton Settlements on the Missisfiiyyi in 1771 Piftman French Explorations TERRITORIAL TERIOD. IX. Col. George Rogers Clark and the American Occu- pation 97 AlTHORITIES : Pioneer History of Illinois Reynolds Campaign in the Illinois Clark History of Indiana Dillon Vol. IX. of Michigan Pioneer Collections Old Record Book Col. John Todd Conquest of the Xorth West Wm. H. English X. The Ordinance of 1787 112 AlTHORITIES : The St. Clair Papers Charters and Constitutions Poore Laits and Journals of Congress Illinois Moses COXTENTS XI. The Illinois Pioneers 117 Authorities : — Histunj of IniUana DiU»n Pioneer Histonj h'cyiiohls Illinois J/o.sT.s XIL The Illinols Eangeks 123 XIII. The Block Houses and Old Fort Dearborn 129 Authorities : — Field Book of War of 1812 Lossing History of Illinoift Edivards History of Illinois Fi>rd My Own Times Reynolds Fort Dearborn Jolin Wentirorth lUinois Moses History of Illinois Broun XIV. Keel Boats 133 STATE PEETOD. XV. Statehood and the Constitutions 141 Authorities : — Fergus' Historieal Series — Chieago Illinois Moses XVI. The Fight Against Slavery 149 Authorities : — Sketeh of Edward Coles Washburn Memoirs of E. P. Lorejoy Alton liiots XVII. Our State Capitals 157 Authorities : — Illinois Moses History of Illinois Ford Life of Edwards Edwards Report of George Forquier — Senate Journal, Session 183Jrl835 American State Papers, Vols. XX, XXI CONTENTS XVIII. Nauvoo and Mormons , 165 Authorities : — Atlantic Monthly, December, 1869 Julin Ilay History of Mormonism Hoire Ms. of Solomon Spaitldiiuj XIX. Transportation 170 XX. Illinois in the Mexican War 179 Authorities : — History of the American War Mansfield The Other Side, or a Mexican History of the War. Translated hy Alex. C. Ramsey History of the Battle of Buena Vista Cotton XXI. Lincoln in Illinois 185 Authorities : — Abraham Lincoln, a History Nicolay and Hay McClurc's Mayazinc Abraham, Lincoln P. A. Hannford The Pioneer Boy CIVIL WAR PERIOD. XXII. Illinois in the Great War 199 Authorities: — Grant's and Sherman's Memoirs The Story of the Fifty-fifth Illinois Croohcr History of Illinois Daridson and Stourc Century Magazine Illi)iois, Vol. II Moses XXIIT. Chicago 209 XXIV. Our State Institutions 224 XXV. Education in Illinois 229 Authorities : — State Reports Reports of State Supt Pioneer History of Illinois College Catalogues Appendix 237 Names of Our Counties 263 Starved Rock State Park 268 Governors of Illinois and Notable Illinois Dates 272 LIST OF ILLITSTRATIONS PAGE Statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Park Frontispiece The Great Seal of Illinois 14 Material from Whicli Coal Was Arnde 17 Chlc^agou 23 Black Hawk 25 Starved Eock Opposite 26 First Settlement in Chicago Opposite 33 Departure of Marquette •^■1 Jolliet 37 Totem of the Illinois 38 Marquette Oi)posite 3S The Piasa God (from an old drnwing) 40 Death of Marquette 46 Robert Cavelier La Salle 49 La Salle Opposite 52 Tonti 61 Nika 72 Flag of France 77 Fort rhartres (1718) SS A Typical Log House 96 Col. George Rogers Clark OS Gen. Arthur St. Clair 114 View of First Fort Dearborn 132 Lovejoy INIonument (Alton) 140 Ninian Edwards 141 Judge Nathaniel Pope 142 Shadrach Bond 146 Pierre Menard 148 Gov. Edward Coles 149 First Capitol (Kaskaskia) b'j7 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Second Capitol (Vandalia) 159 Third CaiDitol Building, Springfield 161 Fourth State Capital, Spriugfiehl 1G4 Bird's-eye View of Cairo 17-1 Lincoln Monument, Springfield 188 Lincoln's Home, Springfield 191 Great Lincoln Rally, 1860 Opposite 192 Stephen A. Douglas 193 The Chicago Wigwam Opposite 194 Old State House at Kaskaskia (before destruction) . . . 7?': 196 Abraham Lincoln 198 General U. S. Grant 200 View of Chicago in 1821 210 John Kinsey's House 213 New City Hall, Chicago 217 Field Museum, Chicago 219 Art Institute, Chicago 221 U. S. Courthouse and Postoffice, Chicago Opposite 222 Library Building, State University 233 Panorama of the University of Chicago Opposite 236 French Ciinyon, near Starved Eock 269 MAPS Indian Tribes of Illinois Opposite 27 Plan of Villages of Illinois Country 85 Forts and Settlements of the Early French 94 Burnt District, Chicago Fire. 216 Illinois, Showing Counties and Their Population 271 INTRODUCTORY *'By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois, O'er the prairies, verdant growing Illinois, Illinois, Comes an echo on the breeze, Rustling through the leafy trees, And its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois, And its mellow tones are these, Illinois." CHAPTER I. ILLINOIS. The State of Illinois is a gently sloping tableland. Its extreme length is three hundred and eighty-five miles, and its extreme breadth two hundred and ei.^hteen miles. It is larger in area than New England without Maine. If Illinois were laid upon the Atlantic coast, it would stretch from Boston, Mass., to Old Point Comfort in Virginia. With the exception of a broken, hilly ridge of land that crosses the southern portion of the State from west to east, the surface of Illinois is nearly level, and slopes from an altitude of eleven hundred and seventy five feet above the sea on the north, to Cairo, where the altitude is but three hundred and fifty feet. Including the boundary rivers, Illinois possesses many hundreds of miles of navigable waterways. These streams, furnishing a ready means of transportation, were important factors in the early development of the State. A northern tributary to the Illinois River takes its rise in the broad, flat prairies within cannon shot of Lake Michigan. At an early day a canal was constructed, connecting this river with the lake, thus forming a continuous water passage from the Atlantic Ocean, by way of the St. Lawrence, to the Gulf of Mexico. Closely linked to both the Northern and the Southern States by lake and river, Illinois lies wholly within that great temperate belt that has been the birthplace of the most ag- 15 l6 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. gressive peoples of the world. In the heart of the Missis- sippi Valley, a region capable of feeding the human race for ages, Illinois is essentially a farming State, and grows within her borders nearly every staple food product of the world. To illustrate the wealth of her agricultural re- sources, it may be said that the value of all the gold and silver mined in the United States during the year A. D. 1910, was $126,036,973. The value of the farm products of Illinois for the same year was over $290,295,000. While nature bestowed upon Illinois so productive a soil, she also filled the earth beneath with an abundant store of minerals. The geologist tells us that millions of years ago, when the earth was young, upon the bare ribs of rock, were laid great deposits of limestone and sand- stone. The ''Niagara" limestone, appearing here and there throughout the northern portion of the State, is extensively quarried. This stone entered largely into the construction of the Capitol building at Springfield, and the Eads Bridge at St. Louis. Another deposit of lime- stone, which has added to the wealth of Illinois, contains lead and zinc. This ore galinite gave name to the city of Galena because of the mines opened in that region. Above these layers of limestone is found a deposit called "St. Peter's Sandstone." Because of its purity and free- dom from coloring matter, this sandstone is extensively used at Alton, and other places, in the manufacture of glass. Starved Rock, Deer Park and many of the pic- turesc|ue bluffs located within tlie area of LaSalle county and along the Illinois River are of tliis formation. At Joliet ; in the vicinity of Rock Island ; within certain parts of Calhoun county and in other localities may be ILLINOIS. 17 found pronounced formations of the Niagara limestone group. In other sections of the State may be seen the sub-carboniferous and the carboniferous, containinir coal ; MATERIAL FROM WHICH COAL WAS MADE. in fact, these formations are to be found in practically evcr)^ part of the State if borings are sunk deep enough to reach those lying beneath the surface. Above these deposits are found many layers of lime- stone and sandstone containing fossils of various kinds, l8 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. which are records of the earher vegetable and animal life of the globe. These deposits were succeeded by the coal measures. The warm, moist atmosphere of that period rendered vege- tation luxuriant. Great forests covered the slopes and hills, and impenetrable jungles spread over the marshy plains. Pine trees lifted their stately heads side by side with the graceful lepidodendron. Gigantic ferns raised their tufted fronds high in the steamy air. Many other strange growths flourished in these ancient forests. One peculiar tree, the sigillarid, had a large, fluted trunk, which resembled a clustered column. Thirty feet from its base ex- tended immense branches, covered with a grass-like foliage- The bark of such a tree, five feet in diameter, was thirteen inches thick. The wood was in the form of a cylinder and enclosed a ten-inch column of pith. Caterpillars and snails crawled upon the slim.y banks of streams ; within the swamps and seas dwelt many huge creatures 'having forms resembling frogs and lizards ; bright-hued butterflies, beetles and dragonflies arose in brilliant clouds above the tropical foliage. As ages passed, these forests gradually sank with the soil in which they grew and became imbedded in the miry deposits, or were swept by dark rivers into shallow lakes. Through the agency of heat and pressure this embedded vegetation was gradually transformed into coal. Two-thirds of the surface of Illinois is underlaid by these vast coal deposits, every layer of which corresponds to an ancient forest and varies in thickness from a few inches to eleven feet. In some counties these veins of coal are sometimes near the surface; in others, shafts are sunk to ILLINOIS. 19 a depth of several hundred feet. As it requires eight cubic feet of wood to form one cubic foot of coal, these ancient forests must have been growing for ages. England, the greatest coal consuming nation of the world, possesses twelve thousand square miles of coal measures. It is estimated that the coal energy produced by the coal consumed in that country in a single day is ecjual to the power furnished by nineteen servants for each inhabitant, and that at this rate of consumption the coal supply of Great Britain will be exhausted in two hundred and fifty years. At the same rate, the coal measures of Illinois would furnish England with mechanical power and heat for one hundred thousand years. Above the coal are layers of sandstone and limestone. One of these deposits, the "Burlington" limestone, fur- nished the material to build the court house at Monmouth. Erom another, the "Keokuk" limestone, was constructed the Mormon Temple at Nauvoo, the Custom House at Galena, and the Postoffice at Springfield. A fine quality of lime is made from a third deposit, the St. Louis lime- stone. The city of Joliet owes much of its importance to the splendid (juarries of limestone found in its vicinity. As time went on, many strange creatures appeared upon the earth. Great beasts roamed the forests; frightful rep- tiles sported in the rivers and shallow seas. This is called the age of Mammoths. During this period, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico receded from a few miles below the mouth of the Ohio River to their present limits. The peninsula of Elorida was raised above the sea, and the ranges of the Rocky Mountains were uplifted The period of Mammoths was followed by the Ice age; 20 THE MAKING OP" ILLINOIS. tropical heat was succeeded by arctic cold. Great floes of ice and towering bergs, carrying soil and rocks from the distant North, drifted southward. In this manner the surface of the State was covered with a mass of rock and gravel to a depth of two hundred feet at the north. The thickness of this deposit gradually decreases, until, at the southern border, it almost disappears. Upon the disintegrating mass of mineral, vegetation grew luxuriantly, covering the earth with a rich carpet of verdure that, decaying, formed the black soil of the prairies and the deep loam of the bottom lands. By this process there were released from the rocks those mysterious elements which give beauty to the flower, color to the fruit and substance to the grain. The State contains seven distinct drainage basins, each of these being drained respectively by Lake ^Michigan, the Mississippi, Ohio, Embarrass, Kankasia, Big Muddy, Rock, and Illinois Rivers. Many large sections of the State are almost level and thousands of acres were ready to be tilled by the first farmers without the usual necessity of remov- ing trees or stumps. The natural drainage combined with an exceptionally rich soil has, through the industry of the husbandmen, given to Illinois her exalted position as the first agricul- tural State in the Nation. CHArTr:R ii. THE INDIAN. When first explored, Illinois, like other portions of our country, was inhabited by the red men. How many years they had dwelt here or what peoples they displaced, we do not know. There are historians who believe that they were preceded by another race, who built beautiful palaces and large cities which long ago crumbled into dust. Others suppose that mounds, and various evidences of an earlier occupation of the territory, were the works of the ancestors of the Indian. When the Europeans discovered America they found the Indians living in small villages or scattered in roving bands. Indians east of the Mississippi River have been classified in groups, each embracing several tribes more or less con- nected by ties of blood, and these groups placed in three general divisions : the Muskhogees, who lived south of the Tennessee River and comprised the Choctaw, the Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole tribes; the Iroquois, who occupied the territory extending from the Hudson and Delaware Rivers westward to the Great Lakes and north to the St. Lawrence. These warlike people included the famous five Nations of New York, — Mohawk, Oneida, Onandagua, Cayuga and Seneca, and also the Cherokees, Hurons, Erics and the Tuscaroras. And finally the powerful Algonquin family, who occu- pied the remaining territory east of the Mississippi River. 21 22 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. This family embraced the Narragansetts, Pequots and Mohegans of New England; the Powhatans and Dela- wares of Virginia; the Shawnees, who dwelt on the Ohio, and a large number of the tribes living on the shores of the Great Lakes. Everywhere the early voyagers came in contact with these people. The French found them upon the banks of the St. Lawrence. It was an Algonquin who came into the village of the Pilgrim, shouting "Welcome ! English- man !" An Algonquin greeted Roger WiUiams as he landed on the site of the future city of Providence, with the words, "What cheer?" Captain John Smith bought corn from them in Virginia ; William Penn made his treaty with them in the shade of the Pennsylvania elm; the Jesuit missionaries baptized them with the waters of the Mississippi. The Lidian knew nothing of the value of iron or other metals, but fashioned their simple implements or weapons out of stone and bone. Their dress was made from the skin of animals or the fiber of some kinds of bark, and their rude huts were covered with the same materials. Their only musical instrument gave forth discordant sounds. Improvident to the extreme they cultivated the soil but little, and depended almost entirely upon the chase. Hunting and dancing constituted their chief enjoyments. "Their great business in life was to procure food and devour it, to subdue their enemies and scalp them. It is probable that if they had never come in contact with the whites, they would have remained untamed, savage and ignorant." To such a people the "Illinois country," with its rolling THE INDIAN. 23 prairies, the feeding-ground of bufYalo and deer; its for- ests filled with bears and panthers ; its navigable rivers over which their canoes could be propelled with little exer- tion, otTered a congenial home. Seven different nations dwelt in the re- gion, and al- though they all belonged to the Algonquin fam- ily, they were con stantly at war among themselves. In the southeast were adventur- ous Shawnees, who had come from Georgia. This tribe pro- duced the great Tecum s e h. North of them a n d extending to the Lakes, lived the brave and sagacious Miamis, who were always opposed to the white men, and greatly retarded the early settlement of the country. West of the Miamis were the fierce Kickapoos, who occupied the lands along the Vermillion and Sangamon cincA(^M Illinois Chief, Wlm Visits I'rance in 1725. 24 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Rivers. Here they lived for ^i hiiiulred years until they were driven westward by the whites. The Pottawattoniies drifted westward fruni the St. Law- rence River, and divided into three sections, one of which settled upon the headwaters of the Kankakee and Illinois Rivers. The Winnebagos lived to the west, but were driven northward beyond the bounds of the present State, and finally settled near Green Bay. These people distinguished themselves in various wars against the whites. The restless Sacs and Foxes settled upon Rock River, and for a hundred years were a menace to the early settlers of Illinois. Between these various peoples and occupying the fairest lands, dw'elt the Illini or Illinois Indians, a term signifying "real men." The Illinois, a powerful confederation composed of the Kaskaskias, Tamaroas, Cahokias, Peorias and Mitchi- gamies, laid claim to all the lands from the sources of the Illinois River westward to the Mississippi and southward to the Ohio. Their favorite meeting ground was in Central Illinois. Here upon the Illinois River, near the present village of Utica, was located the largest of their seventeen villages, which they called Kaskaskia. Upon Peoria Lake was the chief town of the Peorias, while, nearb opposite the present site of St. Louis, the Cahokias and Tamaroas had established their chief village. One of the French missionaries, Father Membre, speak- ing of these Illinois Indians, states that, while they w'ere ''tail of stature, strong and robust, the swiftest runners in the world and good archers," they were "idle, revengeful, TTTR INDIAN. 25 jealous, cunning, dissolute aud thievish." ()u the fertile uieadows that lined the banks of the rivers the s(]ua\vs and old men eultivated vegetables and Indian eorn, whieh they stored in rude caves for winter use. These Illinois Indians waged constant war with the neighboring tribes, who wanted to possess their splendid hunting grounds. Victory was usually upon their side, for they were brave and sagacious. The 1)lood-thirsty Sioux fre- ([uently made war upon the more peaceful Al- gonquins on the Illinois side, but the most dread- ed foes of the Illinois Indians were the fierce Iroquois, whose home was south of distant Lake Erie. They often made the long journey of more than five hun- dred miles through the forests to slaughter the tribes in the valley of bi.ack hawk. the Illinois, laying waste Chief of the Sacs and Foxes. th'eir fields and leaving their villages in smoking ruins. The early French were kindly received by the Illinois Indians, who> hoped to procure firearms from them, and with their assistance, to subdue the common foe. The friendship and goodwill, which had been so strongly estab- lished between the Frenchmen and the Illinois Indians, 26 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. continued as long as the French pioneers remained in the territory of Ilhnois. Near the close of the seventeenth centur)^ the Iroquois, possibly encouraged by the English, sent six hundred picked warriors against the Illinois. The attack was a sur- prise ; twelve hundred Illinois warriors were killed, and the entire tribe was scattered. After the Iroquois went back to Lake Erie, many Illinois returned to their homes, but their strength was broken. Hemmed in by relentless tribes, their numbers steadily diminished. In 1769 the remnant of the band, pursued by the Pottawattomies, was compelled to take refuge on the site of old Fort St. Louis. Here they could have defended themselves for a long time, as the rock is impregnable and provisions were not lacking. But water could be obtained only from the river far below, by means of a vessel attached to the end of a grape vme. The Pottawattomies, concealed near the base of the cliff, seized the vessels as they were lowered. In vain did the Illinois attempt to get their w^ater supply in the middle of the darkest nights, and at last, famishing with thirst, they slowly starved to death, only one escap- ing to tell the tale of their sufferings. The promonotory on the Illinois River, where this tragic event occurred, re- ceived the name of Starved Rock. Thus miserably perished, hunted to death by their own kindred, the last of that confederation which at one time constituted the most powerful people of the Illinois valley. The Indians were destined to give place to a stronger race. By treaty and conquest, the remaining tribes were finally removed, and Illinois became the possession of the white man. TITK I'.r^AC K TTAWK WAR. 27 TIII^: lU.ACK HAWK WAR. T\\L' I '.lack Hawk War was the ki.st united effort of the Indian tril)es to (h'ive the whites from the soil of lUinois. At the opening of the Nineteenth century the Sacs and Foxes occupied the entire territory included between the Rock River and the Mississippi. On November 3d, 1804, by a treaty made at St. Louis between General Harrison and five chiefs representing the Sacs and Foxes and the Winnebago tribes, these lands were ceded to the United States, with the understanding that the Indians would leave the territory when the lands were required by the whites for "actual settlement." During the war of 1812 some Indians who were opposed to the conditions of this treaty, under the leadership of Black Hawk, sided with the British and were known as ''The British Band." The remaining Sacs and Foxes, with Keo- kuk, the principal chief of the tribe, opposed the policy of aggression against the United States. At the close of the war of 1812 Black Hawk established his village at the confluence of the Rock and the Mississippi Rivers. All went well with the Indians until 1830, when Keokuk, without the knowledge of the rival chief, made a final cession of all lands held by his tribe east of the Missis- sippi River. The treaty further provided that Black Hawk and his band were to give up their villages, corn fields and hunting grounds during the following year. When the veteran warrior heard the news he was thoroughly aroused and declared both treaties to have been obtained through fraud. Without delay he strove to unite all Indians in the common cause of resisting the whites. In the meantime 28 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Keokuk and his band quietly crossed to the west bank of the Mississippi River. When Black Hawk and his Indians returned from their winter hunting trip in the spring of 1831 they discovered that the very ground on which their village stood had been purchased by a fur-trader who was preparing to plant a corn field of seven hundred acres which the Indians had cultivated for years. The indignant chief was for imme- diate war, but temperate counsels prevailed and the field was finally divided between the white man and the chief with the understanding that each was to cultivate his re- spective half. But constant disputes arose and in May eight white men united in a memorial of grievance to Gov- ernor Reynolds. A call for volunteers, to protect settlers, was made without delay. Early in June General Gaines, arrived at Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, prepared to execute the orders of the Governor. Black Hawk and his band were persuaded to cross the Mississippi and the soldiers took possession of the Indian village. Finding that the Indians were not inclined to be hostile, rations were issued to them and the volunteer sol- diers were dismissed. Early in the spring of 1832 Black Hawk and his men re- crossed the Mississippi and marched up the Rock River, declaring that they were going to their friends, the Winne- bagoes, who lived in Wisconsin, for the purpose of plant- ing corn. General Atkinson, in command at Fort Arm- strong, warned him to return, but undeterred, Black Hawk ])ressed on to Dixon's ford, where he pitched his camp.* * Related by a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dixon. THE BLACK HAWK WAR. 29 Mrs. Dixon invited tlic chief and his friends to dine with her and treated him with nuich courtesy. Black Hawk never forgot the kindness shown him by this woman. The news of Black Hawk's return to Illinois cjuickly reached Governor Reynolds, who immediately sent General \\ hiteside with eighteen hundred volunteers to expel the intruder from the State. When General Whiteside reached Dixon he learned that Black Hawk was encamped upon the banks of Sycamore Creek, thirty miles distant. A force of nearly three hundred men, in command of an am- l)itious officer, named vStillman. was sent forward to recon- noiter. Black Hawk was feasting his Winnebago friends at the time and sent six of his warriors, under the protection of a white flag, to meet the approaching party. The undis- ciplined volunteers fired upon the Indians, killing two of their number. Justly aroused. Black Hawk commanded his men to give battle and the volunteer force was driven back in confusion, leaving eleven of their number dead upon the field. These were the first white men killed in the Black Hawk war. The alarm of an Indian war rapidly spread among the exposed settlements and farms. Chiefly through the aid of the noble old Pottawattomie chief, Shebana, the settlers, in the region of Bureau Creek were warned and fled for safety to Ottawa. Those near Plainfield and Naperville found shelter at Fort Dearborn. A few families upon In- dian Creek, who refused to heed the warning, were mur- dered, and two little girls, Sylvia and Rachel Hall, were carried into captivity. General Whiteside immediately marched to the scene of Stillman's defeat, but Black Hawk had moved northward. 30 THE MAKING UF ILLlNUl^^. The soldiers who had vohmteered for Indian service had seen enough of fighting and as their terms of enhstment had expired refused to pursue the chief and his band. Two thousand more men were speedily enlisted, but in the interim Black Hawk and his warriors were preying upon the settlements near Galena. The most notable attack in this region was upon the Apple River fort, where Elizabeth now stands. The Indians besieged the place for an entire day, but the brave garrison defended the fort so gallantly that Black Hawk withdrew and turned his attention to an attacking force approaching under Colonel Dement. These troops came very near falling into an ambuscade, but es- caped in safety to the shelter of buildings at Kellogg's grove, where they were secure from the enemy. A more formidable army was now sent against the In- dians, and Black Haw^k retreated northward intending to save himself by crossing the Mississippi River. At Blue Mounds, upon the banks of the Wisconsin River, he was overtaken by General Henry and a battle ensued on July 2 1st, in which the Indians lost about fifty warriors. The Indians continued their retreat until August 2d, when they were again overtaken near the mouth of Bad Ax River^ Here a fierce battle was fought and almost all in Black Hawk's band were killed or drowned. Broken hearted the veteran warrior fled to a Winnebago village and gave himself up to tw'o chiefs, who delivered him to the Indian agent. General Street, at Prairie du Chien. General Scott, with nine com]^anics of troops, had ar- rived at Fort Dearborn, but his men were stricken with cholera and he took little or no part in the campaign. When his men recovered they were marched to a de- THE ULACK HAWK WAR. 3I SLM'ted Indian village between the present site uf Ueloit and Tuttle Creek, and soon after proceeded to Fort Armstrong. Early in September Black Hawk and his captured war- riors were sent to Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis. The following spring the famous warrior was carried to Wash- ington City and thence sent to Fortress Monroe. After a trial he w^as returned to his own people as nothing but "honorable warfare" could be charged against him. In the cities of the East he attracted much attention and won compliments from every side. He told the legislators that the day Avould come wdien the courts of justice and prisons of the white men would be powerless to protect society from criminals that the wdiite man's civilization fostered and developed."^' "Serious predictions," remarked Wendell Phillips, "and it is a warning worth heeding." Black Hawk was restored to his tribe as a chief subordi- nate to Keokuk, and established his home on the banks of the beautiful Des Moines River. Here he lived in peace and contentment until his death, which occurred on October 3d, 1835. His friends buried him in a sitting posture and erected above the grave a large mound of earth. Black Hawk has been called "the last native defender of the soil of Illinois," and although a brave and fearless man, he was claimed by some to be inferior in talent to Tecumseh or Little Turtle. He fought bravely and some- times victoriously, but did not show^ any very remark- able talents as a leader. That he w^as injured by his oppo- nents cannot be denied ; and that he dis])laye(l the white flag and gave notice of his willingness to surrender with his small band of warriors, and thus avoid useless bloodshed, * Drake. 32 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. and was met and answered by the rifle instead, is also true. Black Hawk was conscious of the inferior strength of his body of men, when compared to that of his foes, and from the beginning of hostilities had nothing to gain and every- thing to lose by engaging in battle with the Americans. He fought bravely against superior numbers and without the assistance of allies, although he had been promised help from them. The other Indian tribes having avoided the unequal contest, he was left to depend solely upon his own resources. In a closing address to his defeated warriors he is (juoted as saving: "Farewell! Black Hawk tried to serve you and avenge your wrongs. He drank the blood of some of the whites. His plans, however, are stopped ; he can do noth- ing further. He is near his end. His sun is setting and he will rise no more, k^arcwell to r)lack Hawk." There can be no doubt that tlic character of r)lack Hawk is l^eyond reproach as a man of honor, full of noble and generous aspirations. A^ictor Hugo, basing his o])ini(ni of him on the reports of his enemies alone, in his Jersey s])eech, de- clared him the peer of "any patriot, and as nuich above Alexander, Scipio, Napoleon and such barbarians, as the moon in its zenith is above the earth." FRENCH AND BRITISH OCCUPATION w H CHAPTER III. *J0LL1ET AND MARQUETTE. The St. Lawrence River, flowing eastward, empties the waters of the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean, directly opposite the continent of Europe. This noble stream was discovered in 1534 by Jacques Cartier, who took possession of the entire country drained by it, for the King of France. By the middle of the seventeenth century, the French were making extensive plans to occupy this territory and estab- lish a great empire. Treaties were made with the Indians, and a thriving trade in furs was carried on with the remote tribes dwelling on the distant shores of the Great Lakes. A chain of trading and military posts was established which served to overawe the savage, and for many years prevented the advance of the Englis'h. The strongly fortified cities of Quebec and Montreal became centers of mihtary power and commercial operations in the New World. Among the bold spirits who laid the foundations of New France in America, none are more worthy of honor and admiration than the early Catholic missionaries. These men, actuated by a religious enthusiasm, boldly explored the trackless wilderness and planted their humble missions among remote and savage tribes. * This spelling is given in an autograph leUer now in the pos- session of the Chicago Historical Society. Marquette also uses it in his Journal. 33 The illustrious Jacques Mar- quette was among the most zealous of these devoted men. Born of an hon- orable French family he early consecrated him- self to the service of the Church, and in 1666, was sent by the Jesuit Order to the In- dian missions up- on the St. Law- rence River. A store - house and cluster of log cab- ins constituted a trading post at the mouth of the Saguenay River. Here the young priest was sta- tioned and de- voted himself so zealously to the study of the In- dian language, that in two years he had mastered JOLLIF.T AND M ARQUF.TTF.. 35 six of the dialects. Burning with a desire to labor among more remote tribes, Marquette obtained per- mission to preach to the Indians of the Upper Lake region. With none but Indian guides lie ascended the Ottawa River, threaded his way through the forests, crossed Lake Nippissing, and penetrated as far west as Point St. Esprit on Lake Superior. Everywhere he won the friendship of the simple red men by the gentleness of his manner and the purity of his life. At length he was placed in charge of the mission of St. Ignace, which had been established by Father Allouez, at Mackinac. From wandering bands of savages who came under the sway of his influence, Father Marquette heard of a mighty river to the west, and became filled with a desire to preach the gospel to the tribes that dwelt upon its banks. The Court in far-away France was also anxious to dis- cover this mysterious river. On June4, i672,the French min- ister wrote to the Governor of New France that there was "nothing more important for the colony than the discovery of a passage to the South Sea. His majesty wishes you to give it your attention." Thus urged, Frontcnac entered upon the task with much enthusiasm. In November of the same year he instructed Sieur Louis Jolliet, a Quebec fur-trader and "a man of great experience in this kind of exploration," to "discover the South Sea by the Moskou- ten's country and the great river Mississippi, wdiich is be- lieved to empty into the California Sea." It now became necessary to select a missionary to accom- pany the expedition and the choice fell upon Alarquette, who received a letter bidding him j^rejiare for the long and 36 TTIE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. tedious journey to the Illinois country, where he had longed for years to spread the gospel. The message was delivered upon the festival of the Immaculate Conception, and so great was the missionary's joy that he resolved to name the first church he should establish in the unexplored region 'The Mission of the Immaculate Conception." On the seventeenth of May, 1673; Jolliet and Marquette, in two birch canoes, driven by the strong arms of five French boatmen, proceeded along the western shore of Green Bay to the mission station of St. Xavier. From this point they paddled up the shallow waters of the Fox River ; the boatmen were equally skillful with the axe, rifle and paddle. At evening the canoes were drawn upon the pebbly shores and a hut of boughs was speedily made, before which a cheerful camp-fire chased back the darkness of the night. The forest supplied game, and the streams fish in abund- ance. The difficult task of dragging their boats over the tumultuous rapids was finally accomplished, and at length they crossed Winnebago Lake and entered the quiet waters of the upper Fox River. The stream threaded its way amid rice swamps, the feeding ground of large flocks of water fowl. On the seventh day of June they reached an Indian village which the good Father describes as, ''standing on the crown of a hill, while all around, the prairie stretched beyond the sight, interspersed with groves and belts of tall forests." Marquette was deHghted to find in the center of the village a large cross, erected by a former missionary, decor- ated with rude offerings of skins, belts, bows and arrows. JOLLIET AND MARQUETTE. 37 The simple red men were greatly surprised that these seven voyagers were desirous of exploring an unknown wilderness beset by countless dangers. When at length the strangers were ready to depart, the people of the village accom- panied them to the water's edge, and pro- vided guides to conduct them through the windings of the stream. Arriv- ing at the por- tage, the frail canoes, lifted to the shoulders of the men, were carried through marsh and for- est to the head waters of the Wisconsin River. Here the friendly Indians left them. Launching their boats, the travelers floated down the turbulent waters amidst scenes of imposing beauty. On the seventeenth day of June, 1673, they were filled with joy on beholding the majestic flood of JOLLIET, 38 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. the Mississippi rolling before them. Its strong current bore them rapidly into solitudes never before vis- ited by white men. Tall crags lifted their heads hundreds of feet into the air. Bluffs of stupendous size jutted into the river. Prairies dotted with groves and gemmed with flowers swept aw^ay from them on either side like emerald seas. Herds of deer and buffalo were continually in sight. Again, the river rolled between primeval forests, the homes of wolves, bears and panthers. At the end of two weeks they discovered a broad trail which led westward into the interior of the country. Leaving the five men to guard the boats, Jolliet and Mar- quette followed the path for a dis- tance of six miles, and suddenly came upon a large Indian village. Great was the consternation of the natives at the unexpected ar- rival of the white men. When the first comtnotion had subsided, four chiefs, bearing aloft peace pipes, advanced to meet the strangers. "To what nation do you belong?" asked Marquette. ''We are Illinois," one of the chiefs replied. "In token of peace, we have brought you our pipes to smoke. We invite you to our village." At the door of the large wigwam, a chief stood to receive TOTEM OF THE ILLINOIS. JACQUE MARQUETTE [The painting from which the picture was made was discovered by chance at Montreal, a few years ago, and has strong claims to probahility.— TiiwAiTES: "Father Marquette."] JOLLIET AND MARQUETTE. 39 them. Raising his hands to the sun, he exclaimed : "How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when you come to visit us. All our people welcome you." Conducted into the presence of the great chief of the Illinois, whose lodge was not far distant, they were received with every mark of respect, and after kind words and pres- ents had been exchanged, the chief gave to Marquette a calumet or peace pipe, the bowl of polished redstone, the stem decorated with feathers. 'This is the sacred calumet," said the old man. *'It sig- nifies that wherever you bear it, you are the messenger of peace. All our tribes will respect it, and it will protect you from harm. I beg of you in behalf of the whole nation," continued the chief, "not to go any farther down the river, for your lives will be in the greatest peril." At the close of the council a great feast was served in their honor, consisting of four courses. The first course was a pudding of pounded corn. With a horn spoon one of the chiefs deftly fed the Frenchmen from a wooden dish. The second course consisted of broiled fish. The same Indian carefully removed the bones and placed the meat, bit by bit, in the mouths of the guests, much as a bird might feed its young. The third course of broiled dog, considered a delicacy by the Indians, was not relished by the white men. But the last course, of choice and tender bufifalo meat, was much more to their liking. After the feast, the guests were led into each one of the hundred wigwams, where they were kindly treated, and given many presents. The next morning, six hundred of their entertainers accompanied Jolliet and Marquette to the canoes. It is 40 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. THE PIASA GOD. From an old drawing. JOLLIET AND MARQUETTE. 4I probable that this meeting occurred near the month of the Des Moines River. Resuming their journey, the voyagers floated out upon the current t)f the stream. Passing the mouth of the IlHnois River, they ghded beneath the picturesque Piasa bhiffs and, wi^h astonishment, discovered upon the smooth surface of the chff the hideous figures of two Indian gods, painted in gorgeous colors. Marquette relates that, *'Each of these frightful figures had the face of a man, the horns of a deer, the beard of a tiger, and the tail of a fish, so long that it passed around the head and between the legs. It was an object of Indian worship, and greatly impressed me with the need of sub- stituting for this monstrous idolatry the worship of the true God." "As we discoursed of them," continues Marquette, "sail- ing down beautifully clear water, we heard the noise of a rapid on which we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more frightful. A mass of large trees, entire, with branches, came floating from the mouth of the river, so impetuously that we could not, without great danger, expose ourselves to pass across. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy and could not get clear." This stream was the Missouri, which rushes down from its distant source in the mountains, and renders turbid the waters of the Mississippi for the rest of its course. In a few days they reached the mouth of the Ohio, whose clear waters were a striking contrast to the murky flood of the Missouri. As the voyagers proceeded southward, the banks of the Mississippi became low and marshy, and were covered 42 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. by dense fields of cane, from which arose clouds of mos- quitoes to attack the travelers. One morning upon the eastern bank of the stream they beheld a band of Indians, armed with guns. When the peace pipe was held aloft, the savages invited the strangers to the land and prepared for them a feast of white plums, buffalo meat and bear's oil. Bidding adieu to these simple people, the travelers re- sumed their journey through stretches of forest and swamp. A few miles above the mouth of the Arkansas they sud- denly came in sight of a large Indian village, situated a few feet above the level of the water. These Indians had probably been mistreated by the Spaniards, for on per- ceiving the white men, they approached with fierce war whoops and uplifted weapons. Some leaped into canoes and pushed out from the shore, others fitted arrows to their bows and rushed to the at- tack. While vainly waving his peace pipe. Father Mar- quette narrowly escaped a war club, which a warrior furiously hurled. At length the older chiefs, who had arrived and discovered the peaceable intentions of the strangers, called off the warriors and invited the French- men to land. Trembling, they obeyed, not knowing what was in store for them. An old Indian chief was found who could speak the Illinois dialect, and after friendly relations were established, the Indians prepared a feast for their guests. The next morning the whites were escorted down the river to a large village opposite the mouth of the Arkansas River, where dwelt the head chief of the tribe. He received the strangers before his lodge, beneath a scaf- folding of poles. The floors had been covered with rush JULLIICT AND MAROUETTli. 43 mats and skins. Upon these the. Frenchmen were placed, while the warriors, according to rank, were seated around them to the number of several hundred. A young Indian, who had an excellent knowledge of the Illinois tongue, acted as interpreter. "Through him," writes Marquette, "I first spoke to the assembly by the ordinary presence. They admired what I told them of God, and showed a great desire to keep me with them." The Indians told the strangers that they could reach the mouth of the river in ten days, but that along the banks they Avould meet warlike tribes, who had been furnished with guns by the Spaniards. They themselves dared not, as formerly, go to that region to hunt the buffalo, but were compelled to live mainly upon Indian corn. The conference lasted the entire day, and was only interrupted by the vil- lagers, who constantly brought in dishes of food, consisting of mush, boiled corn, and dog flesh. These Indians were skillful in the manufacture of Hylatters, earthen pots and other articles. They were also provided with knives, hatchets and beads, which had been obtained from those tribes that traded with the Spaniards or French. From information gathered thus far, the Frenchmen had definitely ascertained that the Mississippi emptied into the Gulf of Mexico, and believing that the object of their voy- age had l)een attained, they held a council as to what course thev should take and wisely determined to return to tlieir lieadc|uarters at the mission of Green Bay. On the seventeenth of July they turned their canoes up stream and began the homeward voyage. It was difficult to force their way against the swift current. Day by day 44 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. they toiled under a summer sun, and by night slept amidst the fogs and vapors of the marshes. Exhausted by the heat and exposure of the voyage, Mar- quette became ill, and for weeks lay in the bottom of the canoe scarcely able to raise his head. Reaching the mouth of the Illinois River, they determined to continue their journey up that stream, having been informed that its source was within a few miles of Lake Michigan. Father Marquette gives a glowing account of this region. "We have seen nothing like this river for the fertility of the land, its prairies, woods, wild cattle, bustards, swans, ducks, parrots and even beavers. It has many little lakes and tributary rivers." After paddling a number of days, they came to a large village of Illinois Indians, consisting of seventy-four lodges. This village, called by the dwellers Kaskaskia, was located near the present site of Ottawa. Friendly relations were established with this people, and a company of young warriors gladly guided them to the shores of Lake Michigan. From this point they proceeded to Green Bay Mission, where they arrived at the close of September, after an absence of four months, having traversed in their birch canoes a distance of two thousand five hundred miles. Marquette remained at the mission to recover from his illness, but Jolliet pushed on to Canada to make his report to the Governor. When near Montreal his canoe was over- turned, his papers lost, and he himself narrowly escaped drowning. This unfortunate occurrence robbed the daring fur-trader of the laurels justly due him. As the journal of Father Mar- quette was the only source of information left, to this mis- JOLLIET AND MARQUETTE. 45 sionary was given the honor of the exploration. JolHct was the official leader of the expedition, while Marquette was in the capacity of a subordinate; popular sentiment nevertheless has reversed the positions of the two men, and the honor due the fur-trader is bestowed upon the missionary. On the 25th of October, 1674, Marquette s health being somewhat restored, he set out with two faithful boatmen, Pierre and Jacques, to fulfill his promise to establish a mission at Kaskaskia, the chief town of the Illinois In- dians. A band of Pottawattomies and another of Illinois Indians accompanied the missionary. The party, filling ten canoes, paddled along the shores of Green Bay and made the difficult portage to Lake Michigan. Ascending the Chicago River a short distance, Leather Marquette was taken with bleeding of the lungs, and was unable to proceed any farther. So, his companions made a rude sledge and, aided by some friendly Pottawattomies, drew him slowly over the ice to a place about five miles from the shore of Lake Michigan, where the devoted Pierre and Jacques built for him a cabin of logs and roofed it over with bark. A hole served for a window and a mat upon the dirt floor was his only bed. Here, upon the very site of Chicago — somewhere on the west branch of our river — this great and noble man and his faithful compan- ions remained during the long and severe winter of 1674-5, far from home and without even the rudest conveniences of life. When spring arrived the health of Marcjuette had become better and they were able to continue their journey and finally reached their destination. The Indians received Marquette, we are told, "as an angel 46 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. from heaven," and listened to his eloquent words with reverence and joy. A chapel was erected for the good man, who remained a while among them, preaching and visiting from wigwam to wigwam ; also establishing in theif midst the mission of the Immaculate Conception. When failing strength warned him that he must return to his friends in Canada, he summoned his beloved Indians to a grand council, held "on the great meadow which lies be- DEATH or MARQUETTE. tween the river and the present village of Utica. Father Marquette took his place in the center of the assemblage. About him, seated in a circle, were five hundred chiefs and warriors ; beyond them were fifteen hundred young men and behind these a thousand women and children. Tlien the missionary preached to them his farewell sermon and gave them his advice and blessing. They begged him to remain among them, but he kne^v he must depart, for his life was JOLLIKT AND marquf:tt1':. 47 fast ebbing- away. He promised tbeni, bowcver, that he would return or send another to finish the work he had begun. Such is the story of the estabHshing of the first mission among the lUinois Indians. (ireatly enfeebled, Marcjuette set out upon the return journey. A band of devoted Indians acconi])anied him as far as Lake Michigan. Tenderly did these men of the forest care for the dying missionary. At night they made him a shelter, cooked his food, and spread his couch of leaves and furs. Having reached the lake, they placed him in a canoe with the faithful Pierre and Jacques, bade him an affectionate farewell, and returned to their forest home. Father Marquette continued to grow weaker, and knowing that death was near, requested the boatmen to land on a pleasant slope near the mouth of the St. Joseph River. This they did on the nineteenth day of May, and, erecting a small hut, kindled a fire, and spread a couch for the dying man. He thanked them for their kindness to him, asked forgiveness for any wrong, gave minute directions for his burial, and praised God that he was permitted to die in the wilderness as a missionary of the Holy Faith. During the night he was constantly in prayer until his spirit peacefully took its flight. His weeping companions buried the body as directed, and sadly made their way to the Mission at Mackinac. The next winter a hunting party of Indians, v^ho had loved the missionary, took up the bones, and in accord- ance with their custom, carefully washed them, and bore them in a funeral procession to the Mission of St. Ignace at Mackinac, where they were buried beneath the altar of the little chapel. CHAPTER IV. LA SALLE. Robert Cavelier, knight of La Salle, was born of a rich burgher family in the City of Rouen, France. In 1666, at the age of twenty-three, he landed at Montreal and ob- tained a grant of land eight miles above the town where the St. Lawrence widens into the Lake of St. Louis. Here he built a village, surrounded it with pahsades, and sold out the adjacent land to settlers, who were to pay him in small annual payments. The place was dangerous because of hostile Indians, but was favorably located for trading in furs. While developing his possessions. La Salle ap- plied himself to the study of the Indian language, and within two years was master of the Iroquois tongue and a number of other dialects. From friendly Indians who stayed with him during the winter, he first heard of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, lying far to the south and west. Believing that by these rivers lay the route to the Indies he resolved to explore them. With four canoes and four- teen men, La Salle paddled down a tributary to the Ohio, discovered that stream and descended as far as the Falls of the Ohio, now Louisville. He returned to Canada, and in 1673, in company with Frontenac, proceeded to the head of Lake Ontario. Here they held a grand council of the Indian chiefs, made a treaty with them and built a log fort near the present site of Kingston, which they called Fort Frontenac. 48 LA SALLE. 49 Tidings of the discovery of the INIississippi havin.2: reached them, La Salle sailed for l^-ance to lay before the King a vast scheme for building a chain of ff^rts from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. Armed with letters from Governor b>ontenac his recep- tion at the court was most cordial. He was honored with the title o f Chevalier ; w a s made governor of Fort b^rontenac, and invest- ed with the ownership of the adjacent lands. ^^'ealthy relatives sup- plied him with much money, and he return- ed to Canada to en- gage in fur trading, llie wooden fort was supplanted by a large one of stone, containing barracks for the sol- diers, a mill and bake oven, a blacksmith's shop and a separate house for the officers. Nine cannon were Robert cavelier la salle. mounted and served to protect the little village that was springing up in the shadow of the fort. The ambitions of La Salle and Frontenac to monopo- 50 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. lizc the fur trade in this rei^ioii aiul colonize I he West had, by this time, however, made them many bitter enemies. All the traders of this part of the country were becoming unfriendly and the Jesuits also gave them considerable trouble for having usurped most of the power in Canada that had formerly been possessed by the Jesuits. In 1677, La Salle made a second visit to France, and re- ceived new honors and more extended privileges. Upon his return he brought with him an Itahan gentleman named Henri de Tonti. This man served as his assistant, and, during the succeeding years, proved a faithful follower and devoted servant. In November, 1679, La Salle, with a company of men including Tonti and Father Hennepin, a priest, proceeded westward along the shore of Lake Ontario. At the mouth of the Niagara River, after obtain- ing reluctant permission from the Seneca Indians, they built a warehouse, which served as winter quarters for the men. La Salle had conceived the idea of building a vessel above Niagara Falls, to be used in navigating the Upper Lakes. Toiling through the deep snows of midwinter, the men, under the leadership of Tonti, reached a spot six miles above the falls, where a rude shipyard was cleared upon the banks of a small stream. Two Indian hunters, who had come with them, constructed large wigwams in which they were to live. While the Indian hunters sup- plied them with game, the men felled trees, hewed timbers and soon had the keel and ribs laid. The Seneca Indians, upon whose hunting grounds the men were working, were greatly displeased when they saw the timbers assume the proportions of a ship, and attempted to burn it. The carpenters, too, became discontented, and LA SALLE. 51 the successful completion of the boat was threatened. ThroujT^h the persevering efforts of the brave Tonti, the dissatisfied carpenters continued their work, and at the opening of spring the little vessel of forty-five tons' burden was completed and ready for launching. "The friar pro- nounced his blessings on her ; the assembled company sang a Te Deum, cannon were fired, and French and Indians alike, warmed by a generous gift of brandy, shouted and yelped in chorus as she glided into the Niagara. Her builders towed her out and anchored her in the stream, safe at last from incendiary hands ; and then, swinging their hammocks under her deck, beyond reach of the tomahawk, slept in peace. The Indians gazed on her with amaze- ment. Five small cannon looked out from her portholes; and on her prow was carved the image of a dreadful monster, the Griffin, whose name she bore, in honor of the armorial bearings of Frontenac." While the Griffin was building, La Salle had dispatched his French traders in canoes, paddled by Indians and laden with merchandise, to purchase furs from the Indians liv- ing on the shores of the Upper Lakes. It was a great event for an Indian village when the white trader arrived with hatchets, knives, beads and cloth. Furs worth many dollars in Paris were gladly bartered for a hatchet which had cost but a few francs. The Indian was satisfied with the exchange, for with the hatchet of steel he could quickly cut down the tree or hew the log. The bow was skillfully shaved with the blade of a knife for which the red man had gladly exchanged his wares. Rival traders and companies attracted by the enormous profit of the business, tried to injure La Salle l)y spreading false reports among the 52 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. tribes, and "Canada became for him a nest of hornets, buz- zing in wrath, and watching for the moment to sting." When the commander returned from Fort Frontenac, whither he had gone in the depth of winter, the company, thirty-four in number, embarked upon the vessel. The canvas was spread, a salute was fired from the five cannon, and the "Griffin" sped upon her memorable voyage across Lake Erie, while the crowd of silent Indians gazed in astonishment and awe from the shore. Upon the third day they entered a strait, which La Salle named Detroit. Here was such abundance of game that the men, leaping upon the bank, soon returned laden with deer, bear, turkey, grapes and plums, with which the deck was speedily strewn. Continuing their course, they crossed a small lake, which La Salle named St. Clair, and upon the following day Lake Huron opened magnificently before them. While crossing this lake they encountered a furious tempest that threatened to send them all to the bottom, and caused the stoutest among them to fall upon his knees, but the storm quieted and they finally reached the little Mission Station of St. Ignace at Mackinac and dropped anchor in the quiet bay. The rival traders and priests of the little mission openly extended a welcome to La Salle, while they secretly har- bored jealousy. After a salute had been fired. La Salle, wearing a rich robe of scarlet and gold and attended by his men, was row^ed to the shore, and all marched in pro- cession to the little chapel. At this station the commander arrested four of his white traders, who had played him false and squandered his goods. Tonti was sent to St. Mary's to arrest two others for the same offense. Upon LA SALLE [The above portrait is said by Winsor, " Narrative and Critical History," to be based on an engraving preserved in the library of Rouen, entitled " Cavilli de la Salle Francois," and is the only picture of La Salle, except one, a sni.all vignette, published by Gravier, which shows the face of a slighter man than is here indicated and one of more spiritual cast of countenance than the above.] T.A SAU.K. 53 Tonti's return with his prisoners La Salle sailed throuirh the straits and across Lake Alichij^an to Green I^ay, where others of his traders more faithful than those found at Mackinac, delivered to him a lari;e cargo of furs. Here he made a lasting friend of a Pottawattomie Chief, who en- tertained him with hospitality. La Salle resolved to send back the "Griffin" with the cargo of furs collected here and at other points along the journey. This cargo was of such value that if it arrived in Canada his creditors would all be paid and he would be a rich man. Accordingly the "Griffin," richly freighted, was dispatched with orders to unload at Niagara and return with all speed to the head of Lake Michigan. La Salle continued the voyage in four large canoes con- taining a blacksmith's forge, mechanic's tools, arms and ammunition. His party consisted of thirteen men and a skilfuU ^lohegan hunter and guide. In the voyage along the western shore they encountered violent storms and sufifered much from hardshij) and hunger. i\s they ap- ])roached the southern shore, game became plentiful and the weather was more pleasant. Paddling up the eastern shore they entered the mouth of the St. Joseph River. Here they were to await Tonti, who, with a company of twenty men, was approaching from ^fackinac. Tonti did not arrive, and La Salle's men clamored to be led into the country of the Illinois, where they knew an abundance of corn for the winter was stored. But the commander re- fused to desert his faithful lieutenant, and set his discon- tented men to building a fort. At the end of twenty days Tonti arrived, but brought no tidings from tlie "Griffin." It was now more than two months since the ship had set 54 THE MAKINCx OF ILLINOIS. sail from Green Bay, and they were fearful that she had gone down with La Salle's entire fortune. He was deeply in debt to the Canadian merchants, and if the vessel were lost he would be a hopeless bankrupt. Amidst this gloom and uncertainty the fort was finished and called Fort Miami, because of the presence of a tribe of Indians bear- ing that name. With anxious eye La Salle scanned the dreary horizon. But as day after day passed and no sail appeared, he sent two men to Mackinac to guide the vessel, if it should ever appear, to Fort Miami. The company sadly completed their preparations for ascending the river, "whose weedy edges were already glossed with thin flakes of ice." On the third of December, 1679, no tidings having been re- ceived from the ''Grii^n," the party began the voyage up the St. Joseph River. In four days they arrived at the present site of the city of South Bend. Here they expected to find an Indian trail leading to the headwaters of the Kankakee. In the absence of the Mohegan hunter, who was search- ing for game. La Salle tried to find the path and became lost in the tangled woods and blinding snow. The men scoured the region to find him, and fired their guns to direct him to camp. Late the next afternoon he appeared carrying, dangling from his belt, two opossums, which he had killed with a club as they were hanging from a bough of a tree. After losing his way. La Salle had been com- pelled to skirt a large swamp, and did not again reach the bank of the river until late at night. He fired his gun to signal his companions, and after wandering far, espied in the distance a camp fire. Making his way to it he found LA SAT.LE. 55 no one, but near it a soft bed of leaves and twigs, from which some one had hastily retreated at his appearance. He vainly called to the invisil)le person in every Indian tongne known to him. Finding that the owner would not return, he crept into it himself and slept soundly until morning. With the return of the Mohegan the trail was found, the canoes and freight were lifted upon the shoulders of the men and carried across the marshy, snow-covered plain that separates the sources of the Kankakee River from the St. Joseph. The canoes were placed upon the current of the narrow stream, which wound its sluggish course through a marshy morass whitened with snow and edged with gray elder bushes and withered rushes. Game be- came so scarce that the discontented men threatened to desert and join the Indians. As the voyagers proceeded the stream widened and the miry waste gave way to un- dulating prairies, in summer the feeding ground of count- less herds of buffalo and deer. Occasionally tliey could see, upon the distant horizon, Indians in pursuit of game, while at night blazing camp fires twinkled like great eyes. The hunger of the party was unexpectedly appeased when they found a huge buffalo bull mired near the bank of the stream. After he had been killed a rope was passed around his body, and, by the united efforts of twelve men. he was dragged to the shore. At length the party, with revived spirits, floated into the more majestic Illinois River. Upon either side were wooded hills, from whose summits the voyagers could see the prairies of green stretching away into the distance. The stream threaded its way amidst islands covered with stately 56 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. woods. On the right of the travelers was Buffalo Rock, for many years a favorite gathering place for the Indians, ^nd a few miles below, upon the left, they beheld a lofty cliff, crowned with forest trees. This cliff was afterwards famous as Starved Rock. Upon the right bank, the undu- lating meadows swept back to the distant hills. Upon this plain, near the present village of Utica, was situated the chief town of the Illinois Indians. Silence was everywhere, for the wigwams were deserted and no living thing was to be found. The Indians were on their southern hunting trip at this season of the year. The pits in which they stored their corn were found, and La Salle moved fifty bushels to his canoes, with the intention of repaying the owners when he should meet them on the river below. Proceeding upon their way, they entered the expansion of the Illinois River known as Peoria Lake, a sheet of water twenty miles in length and three in breadth. As they pro- ceeded many columns of smoke ascending from wig^vam fires warned them that they were approaching an Indian village. The lake again narrowed to the width of a river, and as they turned a sudden bend, eighty lodges came in view, pitched on either side of the stream. La Salle immediately arranged the eight canoes abreast, himself upon the left, and Tonti upon the right. The men exchanged their pad- dles for their guns as the swift current bore them into the midst of the astonished Indians. A scene of wild con- fusion followed. The warriors, howling and whooping, rushed for their weapons, while the women and children sought the protection of their wigwams. In the midst of the hub-bub. La Salle and his little band leaped upon shore, and with i>uns raised awaited the combat. The Indians, LA SALLE. 57 recovering from their first fright, and desirous of making peace, a"dvanced with the cahnnet, and the hostile demon- trations upon both sides ended in expressions of friendship. A feast was prepared, and, according to the Indian code of hospitaHty, the food was placed in the mouths of the Frenchmen by the savages. At the close of the feast, La Salle explained to the Indians his reason for taking the corn from the deserted village, and amply repaid them for it. He then told them that he wished to build a fort in their midst to protect them from the Iroquois. If, how^- ever, they did not look upon his plans with favor he would pass on to the Osage Indians and give them the benefit of his protection and trade. Anxious to retain the friendship of the French, and jealous of the other tribes, the Illinois readily consented and promised all that was asked. The remainder of the day was spent in dancing and feasting. La Salle's enemies continued to follow him. During the night an Indian named I\Ionso, a chief of the Mascoutins, in the employ of rival Frenchmen, arrived at the Indian camp. He gathered the chiefs in a secret council and warned them not to trust La Salle because he was vovaeine below to stir up other tribes against the Illinois, and was in truth a spy of the Iroquois. He hoped to check the advance of the party or to induce the men to de- sert their leader, who w^as secretly informed of Monso's intrigues by a friendly chief. At a feast held the next day an old chief arose and warned them against the dangers of the Alississippi. He pictured the hostile tribes, the de- vouring monsters and the raging whirlpools. While the leader was in no way discouraged by the speech, its eflfect n])nn his men was perceptible. La Salle thanked the chief 58 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. for the warning-, but replied that if there were great dangers to be encountered there would be all the greater glory if their juurney were successful. But had they not been deceived by lies? Continuing, he said, "We were not asleep, my brother, when Monso came to tell you under cover of night, that we were spies of the Iroquois. Look at what we have brought you. It is not weapons to destroy you, but merchandise and tools for your g'ood. If you still harbor evil thoughts of us, be frank, as we are, and speak boldly." The chief said nothing, but made a sign for the feast to proceed. The next morning La Salle was cut to the heart by discovering that six of his men had deserted. Calling the others together he told them that any man who w.^shed to return in the spring should have free leave to go safely and without dishonor. As ai.< attempt was made to take his life 1)y placing poison in the pot in which their food was cooking. La Salle re- solved to leave the Indian village immediately and build a fortified camp for himself. A strong position was selected on a low hill two miles below the village on the southern bank of the river. An embankment was thrown up on every side, and a palisade twenty-five feet high was also placed around the entire fort. Lodgings for the men, built of bullet proof timber, were located at two angles of the enclosure. A priest's chapel occupied a third angle, the magazine and forge a fourth. The tents of La Salle and Tonti were placed within. Such was the first civilized occupation of the region which now forms the State of Illinois. La Salle christened his new fortification Fort Crevecoeur (Heart break). The name tells of disaster and suffering, LA SALLE. 59 but does no justice to the iron-hcartcd constancy of the sufferer. He planned to build a ship, load it with buffalo hides, descend the Mississippi and cross the Atlantic. The iron and rigging of such a vessel had been placed in the hold of the "Griffin." But all hope of again seeing that vessel had been abandoned. Never faltering, this man of indomitable energy resolved to make the journey on foot to Fort Frontenac, a distance of twelve hundred miles, and bring back the materials necessary for building and equipping such a vessel. Leaving Tonti in command of the fort, La Salle started, with five companions, upon the return to Fort Frontenac. This wonderful journey across bleak plains, through storm.s of snow and ice, was accomplished in seventy days. CHAPTER V, TONTI. Tonti, with four trusty men and a dozen unscrupulous fellows, was left in command of Fort Crevecoeur, when La Salle set out for distant Canada. The season of the year was the worst possible for such a journey. The Illinois River was filled with floating ice, which retarded the prog- ress of the party, but they pushed their way up the stream to the deserted town of the Illinois, where they had bor- rowed corn on their downw^ard trip. While camped here La Salle visited Starved Rock. Impressed with its nat- ural advantages as a fortress, he sent word for Tonti to examine the place, and if an outbreak of Indians occurred, to fortify it. The party continued its journey up the river to the pres- ent site of Joliet, where the heavy ice rendered further progress by water impossible. Concealing their canoes, they began that remarkable journey overland. As they neared the lakes the country became a dreary waste of melting snow and half-frozen mud, intersected by swollen streams, which were waded or crossed upon rudely con- structed rafts. On the 23d of March they reached the mouth of the Calumet River and on the 24th arrived at Fort Miami — at the mouth of the St. Joseph — where La Salle found the two men who had been sent to search for the missing ''Griffin." All hope of finding the vessel had been given up, and he ordered the men to report to Tonti at Fort Crevecoeur. 60 TONTI. 6i La Salle and his party then pnshed on to Canada. The hardships of the party increased with every step of the journey. Sometimes they were compelled to sleep for several nights in succession upon the bare ground without any means of building a fire with which to keep warm. Their clothes, wet with rain and snow, if taken off for the night, froze stiff' so that they could not put them on in the morn- ing. Lacerated by thorns, plunging to their waists in half- frozen swamps, chilled to the bone by icy streams, tracked by bands of savages, they finally overcame all diffi- culties and arrived at Fort Frontenac on the sixth of May. Had La Salle not possessed an iron constitution and an invincible deter- mination, he never could have performed such a journey. Nature and man seem to have conspired to wreck his fortunes. The "Grif- fin" had disappeared, and the valuable cargo of furs, after safely passing the great lakes, had been swallowed up in the rapids of the St. Lawrence. His enemies were attempt- ing to work his overthrow with the government, and ruin him with his creditors. But La Salle did TONTI. 62 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. not despair. Hastening to Montreal he appeared before his astounded enemies, satisfied his clamorous creditors and obtained the necessary supplies for his fort upon the dis- tant Illinois and material for the ship, which was then upon the stocks. Then he returned to Fort Frontenac to prepare a new expedition. Born to command. La Salle lacked those qualities by which men are won and held. To his companions he was stern, cold and incomprehensible. Scarcely was his iron hand removed from the fort upon the Illinois before the garrison began to talk of revolt. His large schemes had no attraction for them, and they showed their discontent and dishke in a hundred ways. When the men from Fort Miami arrived with the tidings that the "GrifiBn" was wrecked and La Salle a hopeless bankrupt, unable to pay them their wages, they became openly rebellious. In accordance with La Salle's instructions, Tonti, with a few men, had gone up the river to examine the Rock of the Illinois. No sooner had he departed than the gar- rison arose in rebellion, destroyed the fort, seized the ammunition and fled. Two of their number who remained true hastened to Tonti, who was now left in the midst of treacherous savages with but five men, two of whom were the good friars Membre and Ribourde. Returning to the dismantled fort, Tonti collected the tools and stores that had not been destroyed by the mutineers. These he re- moved to the great town of the Illinois, near Starved Rock, hoping by this display of confidence to banish the distrust that had been planted in the minds of the Indians by La Salle's enemies. In this Indian town, which consisted of 5,000 to 8,000 TONTI. 63 people, Tonti and his five companions would have remained unmolested but for the fact that a new engine of destruc- tion was about to be hurled upon them. The terrible Iroquois, who dwelt on the shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie, were preparing to sweep down upon the unsuspecting Illinois. They had already destroyed or scattered the Hurons and Eries, and were now turning their attention to the Indians who lived in the West. At the moment when Tonti and his men were dwelling among the Illinois, five hundred of the Iroquois warriors were swiftly traversing the forests and prairies that sepa- rated them from their enemies. The Miamis had also been induced to join in the attack upon their neighbors and kindred. Swiftly the wild bands advanced upon the doomed village. The alarm was first given by a Shawnee Indian, who discovered the approaching foe. The news spread rapidly from wigwam to wigwam, and all became excite- ment and confusion. The squaws, with frantic screams, snatched their children and sought protection in the un- derbrush, or trusted to the speed of their canoes, while the warriors, seizing their weapons, began to prepare for the coming battle. Tonti and his men were soon surrounded by an angry crowd, who accused them of being in league with the Iroquois. In their rage the savages seized the forge and tools brought from the fort and threw them into the river. The women and children were hastily embarked in canoes and sent down the stream, where they were pro- tected by sixty braves. The remaining warriors, four hun- dred in number, spent the day in preparing for battle. As evening approached they built huge fires that cast a glare for miles, illumining the village, river and forest with the 64 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. brightness of day. About these fires, their bodies be- smeared with war paint and decked with feathers, the braves of the IlHnois danced, howled and brandished their weapons in an attempt to screw up their courage to meet the dreaded foe. At dawn the Ilhnois scouts returned, and mistaking an Iroquois decked in a French uniform for La Salle, re- ported that the Frenchman was with the enemy. At this the infuriated warriors rushed upon Tonti and his men with the determination of despatching them for their ap- parent treachery. The Frenchmen were only saved by a promise that they would join them in fighting the Iroquois. As the Illinois hurried across the river and reached the op- posite bank, the Iroquois emerged from the woods that skirted the Vermillion River. Both bands, now face to face, began to leap, to dodge behind every available cover and to fire their guns. Tonti saw at a glance that the foe, who out- numbered the Illinois, were armed with superior weapons, and would doubtless be victorious. Presuming upon the treaty of peace between the French and Iroquois, at the imminent peril of his life, he seized a belt of wampum, which he waved above his head and advanced to meet the approaching savages. His swarthy Italian complexion and half-savage dress was nearly the cause of his death, for the Iroquois, mistaking him for one of the Indian warriors, rushed upon him, and one young brave plunged his scalp- ing knife into his body. Fortunately the blade was deflected from a vital part by striking one of his ribs, but the blood _c:ushed from the wound. A chief, who perceived his true character, now attempted to staunch the wound, and others helped to stay the approaching battle. A conference of the lro(jui)is was held. Some were fur putting Tonti to TONTI. 65 death at o!icc, and one warrior stood with his scalpin,«j^ knife ready to strike, while others, who (hxaded the ven.- i^eancc of the I'^rcnch, demanded that he should be set at lil)erty. At lenj^th Tonti deeided the tide of the angry controversy by declaring that 1,200 Illinois and sixty I'renchmen were being held in reserve. The half-believing Iroquois thereupon sent him back with a peace belt, and a battle was prevented for a time. The Illinois, believing that safety now lay in flight, set fire to their lodges, and under the cover of the smoke and flame, fled in their canoes down the river and rejoined their women and children. The Iroquois, crossing the river, destroyed everything of value, and encamped amid the burning wigwams. Tonti and his men had taken up their abode at the fort. The next day the Iroquois, believing the number of the enemy to be very great, sent Tonti with a hostage to make peace with the Illinois, who were delighted with the prospect, and in return sent a young Indian brave as a hostage to the camp of their foes. This young Indian came near proving the destruction of them all by betraying the weakness of their tribe to the crafty Indians. With loud cries the Iroquois rushed upon Tonti, charging him with having deceived them, and it required all his tact and courage to extricate himself and his companions from this new difficulty. Perceiving that he could no longer be of service to the Illinois, Tonti with his five companions embarked in a leaky canoe and set out upon the journey to tlie French mission at Mackinac, where they intended to remain until their leader, La Salle, put in his appearance. The Iroquois, no longer restrained by the presence of the French, started in pursuit of the fleeing Illinois. Day 66 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. after day the savage foes fought each other as pursuer and pursued continued down the stream. When near the mouth of the Ilhnois the fleeing tribes separated; some crossed the Mississippi, others continued down the stream. The tribe of the Tamaroas, beheving that pursuit was over, tarried near the river, and were sud- denly attacked by overwhelming numbers. The warriors fled in terror, leaving their women and children to fall into the hands of their ferocious foes. Burnings and tortures followed. At length the savages, whose greed for slaughter had been satisfied for the time, returned to their homes, taking with them the women and children, who had been spared. Meanwhile Tonti and his men paddled their dilapidated canoe northward until they were compelled to land to re- pair it. While the men were engaged in this work, Father Ribourde, charmed by the beauty of the scenery, wandered to a distant grove. Here, while engaged in prayer, he was killed by a band of Kickapoo Indians who were hovering near. 'Thus, in the sixty -fifth year of his age, the only heir of a wealthy Burgundian house perished under the war clubs of the savages, for whose salvation he had renounced ease and affluence.'*' The saddened party continued the journey up the river until, compelled to abandon the canoe, they proceeded to- ward Lake Michigan on foot. Their provisions became exhausted, and they subsisted as best they could upon acorns, roots and wild onions. One of them became lost while hunting for game, and did not return to camp for several days. Tonti, weakened by his wound, and the many privations of the journey, fell sick. Their destination was TONTI. 67 the village of the Pottawattoniie Indians, upon the shores of Green Bay, where they felt sure of shelter and food for the winter. The cold increased as they proceeded north- ward. But for a few ears of corn and some frozen pump- kins found in a deserted Indian village the entire party nnist have perished. At leng-th, near the end of November, they fell in with a hunting party of Pottawattomie Indians, who greeted them warmly and fed them bountifully. The exhausted Frenchmen were placed in canoes and carried to the village two leagues away, where their famine was ''turned to abundance." The chief of the village was an ardent admirer of La Salle, whom he had befriended the year before, and was accustomed to say that "he knew but three captains in the w^orld, Frontenac, La Salle and himself." With the opening of spring, Tonti and Father Membre paddled across to Mackinac, and in June were overjoyed by the arrival of La Salle upon his return from Fort Frontenac. CHAPTER VI. . LA Salle's return to Illinois. Ignorant of Tonti's whereabouts, La Salle was hasten- ing from Fort Frontenac to the Valley of the Illinois, with a party of twenty-five men and abundant snppHes, when, arriving at the St. Joseph River, he left a portion of his stores at the ruined fort and pushed on to the Valley of the Illinois. Everywhere was desolation, silence and death. He found the great town of the Illinois a mass of ruins. The plain about was strewn with wrecks of Indian homes, and even the ruined fort was ornamented with ghastly heads and skulls. The work of destruction had been completed by trampling down the growing corn around the site of the destroyed village. La Salle carefully searched the ruins for remains of Tonti and his men, but none were to be found. His fort was destroyed, and only the keel and ribs of his vessel remained upon the stocks. Tonti and his men had dis- appeared, and the peaceful valley had become a scene of desolation. But La Salle was not to be overcome by mis- fortune. He descended to the mouth of the Illinois, look- ing anxiously for traces of his friend, and everywhere were the evidences of the deadly work of the savages. On the edge of a prairie, near the mouth of the Illinois, they came upon the charred and mutilated bodies of the unfortunate Tamaroas, but no evidence of the missing men was to be found. The party sadly returned at the beginning of win- 68 LA SALLF/S RETURN TO ILLTNOTS. 69 ter to Fort Miami. As La Salle passed through the coun- try devastated by the Iroquois, he resolved to form a league of the western tribes, and to colonize them upon the plain about the rock of St. Louis. Here, protected by a garrison of Frenchmen, the Indians would be secure from the in- cursions of their terrible foe. He would be able also to monopolize the fur trade of all the Indian tribes dwelling in the Mississippi Valley. La Salle devoted the winter to forming this Indian Confederation. The remnants of the Mohegan and several other eastern tribes, dwelling near Fort Miami, were ready to cast in their lot with the great white chief. If he could reconcile the Miamis and the Illinois, who were gradually returning to their desolated homes, the confederation would be accomplished. At a village of the Miamis which he visited, a number of Iroquois were behaving with great insolence, boasting of their bravery and prowess. La Salle rebuked them so sternly for their many wicked acts, that during the night they quietly slunk away. The astonishment of the Miami tribes was great, and La Salle's influence was increased by the act. The Illinois Indians readily consented to join the confederation. Having united these western tribes La Salle returned to Canada in the spring to obtain needed supplies and make terms with his creditors. On his way thither he was overjoyed to meet Tonti at Mackinac Mission, and to have him for a companion during his return journey. A prosperous voyage repaid him for his many hardships, and in the fall he again started for Fort Miami, which he reached late in the season, with renewed hopes. During the month of December La Salle set out upon another expedi- tion, although the streams were sheeted with ice and the 70 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. ground was covered with snow. The object of this, the greatest of all his undertakings, was to open the way for reaching France and Europe by means of the great rivers flowing to the gulf, and thus, avoiding the hardships of over- land transportation and the menace of warring Indian tribes, to place on a sure basis the commercial relations of the French colonies with the mother country. The baggage and canoes were placed upon sledges and drawn by the French and Indians from the present site of Chicago to the sources of the Illinois, and thence down that frozen stream. Arriving at Fort Crevecoeur, they found the river open, and, embarking in their canoes, the party reached the great river on the sixth of February. The stream was filled with floating ice and they were com- pelled to camp and await open water. As soon as they were able they launched their canoes and started on their voyage to the sea. Passing the mouths of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, they camped at Chickasaw Bluffs, on the 24th of February. Here one of their number, Pierre Prudehomme, was lost while hunting, and as the others had seen fresh tracks of Indians, La Salle feared that he had been killed. Some of his followers built a small stockade fort on a high bluf¥ by the river, while others ranged the woods in search of the missing hunter. At length the man was found and brought to the camp, where he enjoyed a hearty meal, for he was half dead from starvation. To commemorate the restora- tion of the hunter. La Salle called the stockade Fort Prude- homme. As the party continued its journey down the river, the climate became more springlike. Trees were buddin-^-, and LA Salle's rrturn to illtnots. 71 flowers opened their petals to the warm air and sunshine. The river wonnd its eoiU"se through wastes, swamps, and stretches of cane brake. One day, near the middle of March, they became enveloped in a fog so thick that they could see neither shore. While thus floating, the booming of an Indian drum sounded upon their ears. Crossing to the opposite bank, the men landed and threw up rude breastworks of fallen trees and branches. When the fog lifted, the astonished Indians upon the farther shore dis- covered the strangers at work. Advancing to the water's edge. La Salle made signs of peace and beckoned the Indians to come over. When their canoe approached within gunshot one of the Frenchmen paddled out to meet them, and upon being well received, the entire party pro- ceeded to the Indian village. It proved to be a town be- longing to the Arkansas Indians, who dwelt near the mouth of the river now bearing their name. The Frenchmen were provided with every comfort possessed by their friendly entertainers. Separate lodges were given them, and an abundance of feasting followed. La Salle took possession of the entire country in the name of King Louis of France, and with much ceremony erected a cross in the center of the village. At the end of three days the Frenchmen, ac- companied l)y two Indian guides, continued their journey down the mighty river. Three hundred miles below, their guides showed them a path which led to the town of Taensas. Father Membre and Tonti decided to visit it. Shouldering their canoe, the men carried it through the swamp to a lake which was once the bed of the river. When they reached the town the Frenchmen gazed upon the well-constructed houses 72 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. with astonishment. Tonti writes that he had "seen nothing hke it in America ; dwelhngs large and square, buiU of sun- baked mortar, mixed with straw, surmounted by dome-shaped roofs of thatched cane. Two IniiUhngs larger than the others attracted the attention of the visitors. The one set apart for the chiefs was f. Ttx feet square and contained but a single room. The chief sat K^:i^r» ~^^ upon his throne to re- ceive his visitors. His three wives sat near him and howled an ac- companiment to his speech. About him stood sixty grave men, clad in white robes made from the i n n e r bark of the mulberry." The other building- was the temple of the sun, where were kept the bones of departed chiefs, supposed to have been children of the Sun god. A fire was kept constantly burning upon the altar by three old men appointed to that service. The temple was surrounded by a wall decorated with the skulls of victims whc^se lives had been given as sacrifices to the Sun god. These Indians were the Natchez, a tril)e who later played a ])rominent part in the Indian history of the Southwest, and by many were supposed to have been the remainder of : .at- oB? «sa»a, ?iS >^i& ^ -j?. NIK A. La Salle's Faithful Indian Hunter. LA SALT,r.'S KI'.TURN T(^ HJ.TNOIS. 73 the ancient AEound 1)uil(lers. They were sun worshippers, and their villages and peculiar customs were unusually in- teresting-. On the sixth of April, 1682, the voyagers were glad- dened by the salt breeze blowing fresh from the Gulf, and soon its broad bosom, tossing restlessly, burst upon their sight. The intrepid La Salle had triumphed over every obstacle, and at last the mystery of the great river was revealed. At a distance above the mouth of the Mississippi the party landed. While the Indians looked on in amaze- ment. La Salle planted a column inscribed with the arms of France, and took possession of the territory drained by the mighty river and its tributaries in the name of his sovereign. A leaden plate, bearing a Latin inscription, was buried near the column, and above it was planted the cross. Then with hymns and volleys of musketry ended the ceremony that gave to King Louis XIV. of France the vast basin of the Mississippi. The boats were now turned up stream and the toilsome return journey began. At times the voyagers were with- out food, at others they lived upon the flesh of alligators. When the party reached Fort Prudehomme, La Salle was taken with a burning fever, and had to remain there for more than a month ; but, desiring to proclaim the wonderful discovery, he sent the faithful Tonti on before him. As soon as La Salle became strong enough he pushed on to Mack- inac, where he was joined by Tonti, and together they formed plans to establish the confederacy of the Western Indians. Tonti was sent to Starved Rock, or the Rock of St. Louis, as La Salle named it, to begin the work of clear- ing the summit on which to build a fort for the protection 74 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. of the i)ioncers and the Illinois Indians against their com- mon foe, the Iroquois. Tlie Rock of St. Louis is deserving of more than passing mention. It is a steep blufif upon the south side of the Illinois River, not far from the present city of La Salle, and opposite the village of Utica. It ''rises steep on three sides as a castle wall, to the height of a hundred and twenty-five feet above the river. In front it overhangs the waters that wash its base; its western brow looks down on the tops of forest trees, and on the east lies a wide gorge, or ravine, choked with the mingled foliage of oaks, walnuts and elms, while in its rocky depths a little brook creeps down to mingle with the river. From the trunk of the stunted cedar that leans from the summit you may drop a plummet into the river below, where the catfish and turtle may plainly be seen ghding over the wrinkled sands. The cliff is accessible only from behind, where a man may climb up, not without difficulty, by a steep and narrow passage."* This description is not accurate now. The rock may be entirely gone in the year 3000. In the month of December La Salle and Tonti began the work on the fort. Dwellings and storehouses built with timbers dragged up the rugged path, soon crowned the summit of the rock. The whole was surrounded by a strong palisade. The fortress was named by La Salle Fort St. Louis, in honor of the King of France. The scattered tribes of Indians, who looked upon La Salle as their cham- pion against the dreaded Iroquois, reared their wig*wams and lodges in the valley below. From this fortress, in- * Parkman. 75 accessible as an eagle's nest, La Salle looked down upon the homes of twenty thousand Indians, from whom he could muster four thousand warriors. His singular plan for forming a colony had been marvelously successful. La Salle now left Tonti in command of Fort St. Louis, and hastened to France, by the way of Quebec, to ask King Louis to aid in planting another colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. If this were done, he could take his furs, purchased from the Indians, down the river and sail through the Gulf of Mexico. The long and dangerous voyage through the Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence would thus be avoided. At this time France was at war with Spain, who claimed the sole right to sail vessels in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. King Louis was greatly pleased with the idea of establishing such a colony and driving Spain from the Gulf. He gladly gave La Salle four vessels, abundant sui)plies and a hundred soldiers. With their numbers increased by the addition of six priests, six gentlemen and a number of mechanics and lal^orers with their families, the expedition set sail on the 24th day of July, 1684. But misfortunes came upon them thick and fast. One vessel was captured by Spanish buccaneers, the others, fail- ing to find the mouth of the Mississippi, sailed along the low marshy coast in vain search for it, and, landing upon the shores of Matagorda Bay, erected a fort. Soon after one of the remaining vessels was wrecked, losing many supplies, and at length the last ship, while exploring the coast, was lost and her crew drowned. Gloom and despair settled over the little band huddled about the solitary fort upon the desolate Texas shore. La Salle w^as blamed for the overwhelming disasters. Lack of good food and water 76 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. caused many to fall sick, while others were killed by In- dians. The rising discontent of the unfortunate people was fanned to a flame by evil-minded persons, who hated their leader and desired his death. La Salle led an ex- pedition in search of the great river, and unfortunately these men were permitted to be of the number. A hunting party of which they formed a part was absent so long that La Salle sent his nephew and a companion to search for them. The nephew was a hot-headed, unreasonable fellow, who, when he came up with them, not only rebuked them severely, but took the best portions of their game for himself. The men became very angry, and that night killed the nephew, his companion, and a faithful Lidian guide who had accompanied La Salle in his long journey from Fort St. Louis. The next day La Salle, accompanied only by Father Douay, sought to learn the cause of the delay, and was shot from ambush by the coward!}' mur- derers. In this miserable manner, at the early age of forty-three, perished the most remarkable explorer of the new world. Like his own Rock of St. Louis, he had stood unmoved in the storms and disasters that swept around him. His murderers were soon after killed in a quarrel with their companions. La vSalle's brother and a few men who were left, after enduring many hardships, made their way to Fort St. Louis upon the Illinois. Here they were kindly treated by Tonti, who was kept in ignorance of his com- mander's death. In the spring these men forged a draft in the dead lead- er's name, which was generously honored, and with the money thus secured they returned to iM-ance. A few LA SALU: S RI':TURN to ILLINOIS. 17 months after their departure Tonti learned from a band of Indians of the unliappy fate of La Salle. He deserved a title of nobility and i;reat wealth from his eountry ; in- stead, after his death at the hands of villaincus assassins, he was denied even a yrave beside the murky river in the dreary wilderness. FLAG OF FRANCE. CHAPTER VII. OLD KASKASKIA AND THE EARLY FRENCH. The good Father Marquette estabhshed the earhest mis- sion among the lUinois Indians, at their chief town, which he named 'Tvaskaskia." He felt that his hfe was ebbing away and he must depart, but he promised to send other missionaries to carry on the work he had begun. With sorrowful eyes did the Indians watch his canoe disappear in the distance, for they had learned to love this man, whose pure life and gentle words taught them peace and good will. Other missionaries held services in the little cross- crowned chapel that stood near the village and ministered to the sick and dying. At about the close of the seventeenth century, probably as early as 1695, fear of the ferocious Iroquois impelled the Illinois tribes to abandon their village and remove to the southward. The mission station under the charge of the Catholic fathers was moved with them. A beautiful valley about six miles in width is formed by the confluence of the river which is now called Kaskaskia with the Mississippi. Between these two streams but six miles above their junction, where the waters of the Kas- kaskia curl beneath the bluffs of the eastern bank, a new site was chosen for the village. Row upon row of Indian lodges soon covered the plain. A log chapel and a house for the Jesuit Fathers was built above the village and en- closed with a neat stockade. With the help of the Indians 7S OLD KASKASKIA AND THE EARLY FRENCH, 79 the land adjoining the mission was cuUivated. Cattle, hogs and other domestic animals were introduced. About this time, probably in 1700, a mission station had been established by Father Pinet among the Tamaroa Indians at Cahokia, four miles south of the present site of East St. Louis. The following year a number of French- men settled there. Houses were erected, and each settler was given a piece of ground 300 feet square. Cahokia became a village of considerable importance, and in 1795 was made the county seat of St. Clair County. This honor w^as wrested from it in 18 14 by the thriving town of Belleville. Damaged by the floods of 1844, Cahokia fell into decay, and at the present time is only a hamlet. The early French immigrants were attracted from Can- ada by the reports of mild climate and fertile soil. After New Orleans and other French colonies were planted in Louisiana, numbers of settlers came to the Illinois country by the less laborious route of the Mississippi River. Be- fore many years had passed a regular trade was established between the settlements of Upper and Lower Louisiana. Cargoes of flour, tallow, bacon, hides and leather were floated down to New Orleans, where they were shipped to the West Indies and France. The boatmen brought back sugar, rice, indigo and articles manufactured in Europe. By the middle of the eighteenth century sev- eral thousand Frenchmen and their descendants were living upon the banks of the Mississippi and its tribu- taries. Kaskaskia was now the metropolis of Northern Louis- iana. The log chapel had been replaced by a larger building of stone. In the midst of many acres of cultivated 8o THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS land was situated a house for the Fathers and a Jesuii: College. Beyond lay the village, its rows of white houses fronting the street upon which were located the store- houses of the fur-traders and me chants. Across the river to the east arose the high bluffs of "Garrison Hill/' crowned by a fort built to repel a threatened attack of the Chicka- saw Indians. The houses were quaint in appearance and peculiar in construction. The w^alls were formed by planting, deep in the ground, a framework of posts held together by cross strips. The whole was strongly braced at the corners, and resembled many ladders placed one above the other. This framework was then filled in neatly with straw and mortar. The carefully trimmed walls were given many coats of whitewash v^ithin and without. The roof of thatch was quite steep, and often projected over the broad porch which extended round the entire building. The floors w^ere made of slabs hew^n from logs. These dw^ellings, of uniform size and appearance, gave to the village an air of peace and con- tentment, in keeping with the simple lives of the people. Longfellow has given us a description of such a town in Evangeline : — ''Strongly built were the houses, with frames of oak and of hemlock, Such as the peasants of Normandy built in the reign of the Henrys. Thatched were the roofs, with dormer windows, while gables projecting Over the basement below% protected and shaded the door- way :" The dress of these people was simple and quaint. Coarse blue shirts were covered with vests and pantaloons of OLD KASKASKIA AND THE EARLY FRENCH. 8l homespun. A long blue coat with pointed hood was a common outdoor garment. Upon hunting expeditions and in winter, coonskin caps and pantaloons of deerskin were worn. The dress of the women was of blue cotton or Spanish cloth, made with a short waist and full skirt. A blue handkerchief was a common head covering for both sexes. Both men and women wore deerskin moccasins, decorated with shells and beads. With primitive wooden plows drawn by oxen yoked by the horns instead of the necks, these people cultivated thousands of acres of land, and raised bountiful crops of tobacco, hops, oats and wheat. Corn was raised to feed the hogs or to make hominy, for the early French did not use corn bread. The horses, driven tandem, were attached by a neat harness of rawhide to rude carts having wheels of solid wood. Spinning wheels and looms were unknown to these people ; butter was made by beating the cream with a spoon or shaking it in a bottle. The cultivated lands were held by the village in common, and portions dealt out to the heads of the families in proportion to their numbers. If the land was neglected or went uncultivated, it was taken again by the village. A pasture and woodland, many acres in extent, was also used in common for the herds and flocks of the simple people. As the numbers of families increased by marriage or the arrival of immigrants, portions of land w^ould be taken from the common pasture and added to the cultivated fields. The affairs of the village, even the planting and gathering of the crops, were regulated by a council of the elder men. Their homely tasks were interspersed with amusements, 82 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. festivals and holidays, for these French were a merry people. Middle-aged and young alike enjoyed dancing, while the old men and priests looked on with beaming eyes. Even the Indians and the slaves joined in this simple revelry. On the last night of the old year it was the custom for the young to dress in unusual garb and, entering the houses of the village, engage the inmates in merry making. The FlyAT BOATS. entire community then gathered at a common meeting place, where with dancing and feasting the new year was ushered in. Another festal season was the sixth of January. Four kings had been selected at the gathering the year before by distributing to the men a cake in which four beans had been hidden. The lucky finders of the beans each selected a queen to assist in arranging a king ball. At the close of the first dance the queens selected new kings, whom they formally saluted with a kiss. These kings OLD KASKASKIA AND THE EARLY FRENCH. 83 in their turn selected other queens, and thus the mirth and merriment continued for the week preceding Lent. As agriculture was the only occupation of the village, many of the young men entered the employ of the fur companies, or on their own account went on long trading expeditions among the Indians who dwelt upon the Missis- sippi or Missouri Rivers. Upon their return in the fall, laden with furs, the entire community united to do them honor. Flatboats, in which furs and farm products were floated down to New Orleans, gave employment to others. The voyage required months for its completion, and was at- tended by many dangers. As the boats floated with the current they were propelled by mammoth oars called sweeps. On the return voyage the boatmen were assisted by large sails. When the wind failed the men were com- pelled to walk along the shore and pull the boat by means of a long rope ; or the boat was ''cordelled" by means of a rope carried ahead and tied to an overhanging tree or projecting rock, while the crew pulled hand over hand. The relations of these French settlers with the Indians by whom they were surrounded were always friendly. Their tact and fairness caused them to escape the wars which frequently engaged the colonists upon the Atlantic coast. Together they explored rivers and traversed the forest in search of game ; together they received the sacrament from the priests and stood with bowed heads around the altar. Thus for nearly a century did the white man and the native owner of the soil dwell in a peace that was rudely broken by the advent of the blunt and inconsiderate Eng- lish explorers. 84 THE MAKTNG OF ILLINOIS. The relations between the French and the Indians is well illustrated by an incident which occurred soon after Kaskaskia came into possession of the Americans. For a murder that had been committed in a broil, three young Indians were given up by the Illinois Chiefs to the newly instituted authority. The sympathy of the Kaskaskia peo- ple, especially the women, was entirely with the Indians, and they desired that they should be received into the true church and publicly baptized before their execution. Ac- cordingly each of the young men was adopted by a woman, who gave him a Christian name and was to stand as his god-mother during the ceremony. The entire female popu- lation of the town was busily engaged for a number of days in preparing for the occasion. Needles were plied incessantly, and finally the preparations were completed. The evening before the execution the Indians escaped, as some believed through the assistance of their fair sympa- thizers. When the danger blew over the young men re- turned and were permitted to remain unmolested. Kaskaskia rapidly increased in numbers, and in 1725 became an incorporated town, with special privileges from King Louis XV. CHAPTER VIII. FORT CHARTRES AND THE BRITISH. Twenty miles above the ancient village of Kaskaskia, a long, irregular mound of earth marks all that remains of the once formidable Fort Chartres ; yet this fortress was erected on a scale of magnificence unequaled by any other fortification of France in the new world. In 1 718, young Pierre Duque Boisbriant, the newly- appointed Commandant of French military affairs in Illi- nois, arrived at Kaskaskia with instructions to erect a fort in the Mississippi Valley. Midway between Kaskaskia and Cahokia a site was chosen on the valley lands a mile from the great river, and here the soldiers of France cleared away the virgin forest, hewed out the timbers for the walls, and with much toil brought the stone for the foundation from the bluffs four miles away. After more than two years of labor and at a cost of one million crowns, the fort was completed, and named in honor of the Due de Chartres, son of the regent of France. It immediately became the seat of French military power. Large warehouses and factories of the trading companies were erected, and under the protecting shadow of the fortress the village of New Chartres sprang into life. The fort, as will be found hereafter, was re- modeled and enlarged in 1750. To the fort came Philip Renault, Secretary of the French Trading Company, bringing with him mechanics, slaves. FORT CHARTRES AND THE BRITISH. 87 settlers, and miners, for the French expected to find precious ore in the bluffs that lined the Mississippi River. The valley lands between Kaskaskia and Cahokia were cleared and planted to corn, wheat, tobacco and cotton. The French villages of St. Philip and Prairie du Rocher were founded and grew into thriving settlements. The people of the fort and village led a merry lif-e. Lordly processions of gentlemen and richly dressed ladies marched into the chapel to hear mass. Gay hunting parties issued from the gates of the fort and returned at night full laden with spoils of the chase. Stately receptions were given, where officers in uniforms covered wdth gold lace danced with ladies robed in velvets and satins. The fashions of Paris were reproduced in this military station on the distant Mississippi. The fame of Fort Chartres spread to every settlement in the new world. It became a common saying oi the early days, ''All roads lead to Fort Chartres." From the great warehouses of the Commercial Com- pany, parties of traders went out to barter with the Indians and returned laden with furs and hides which were shipped in batteaux to New Orleans. When France and Spain were at war in Europe, an attack upon the fort was planned by the Spaniards of distant Santa Fe. The soldiers of Spain marched across the plains of Colorado and Kansas intending to secure as allies the Osages and next to fall upon the Missouri Indians, — who were friendly to the French. By mistake the guides led them to a village of the Missouri Indians, wdiose chiefs listened gravely while the Spaniards revealed their plans of attack. That night the Spaniards, sleeping among the FORT CTTARTRRS AND TTTF. r.RITrSTT. 89 supposed Osagcs, were murdered to a man, with the ex- ception of one fat priest who was permitted to escape because of the crucifix he carried. In 1736 the dashing- Pierre D'Artaguiette led the soldiers of Fort Chartres against the distant Chickasaws. His fleet of canoes and batteaux, filled with officers, soldiers and Indians, made an imposing appearance as it floated out upon the current of the river. Fierce was the battle and terrible the defeat of the French. The captured officers, including the commander and Vincennes, who had come from the fort on the Wabash, were burned at the stake by the infuriated victors. When the sad tidings reached Fort Chartres the bells were tolled and the people walked in sorrowful procession to the chapel of Sainte Anne. In 1750 a new commandant, the Chevalier Makarty was sent to Fort Chartres with orders to reconstruct the fort of stone. Accordingly the wooden walls were torn down and at an incredible expenditure of labor and treasure the new fort was erected. Wlien completed it was the strongest and most preten- tious fortress in the new world. We can hardly realize the difficulties that attended the building of so great a structure in the heart cf a western forest. The iron that entered into its structure and the skilled workmen had to be brought from France. Wagon roads had to be built over which rude ox-carts hauled stones prepared at distant quarries. The walls of the fort were eighteen feet high and enclosed four acres of land. The four bastions of masonry each contained eight embrasures, forty-eight loop holes, and a sentry box. Above the arched gateway, fifteen feet 90 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. in height, was a platform of cut stone reached by a stair- way of nineteen stone steps. Within the walls stood the great stone storehouse, ninety feet long by thirty feet wide, and a guard- house with chapel and rooms for the priests on the second floor. The government house was eighty-four feet by thirty-two feet, with a great stone porch running across the front, and the coach house and pigeon loft near by. The two rows of barracks measured each one hundred and thirty-five feet long by thirty-six in breadth. In one angle of the fort was situated a bake house containing two ovens, with a well near by. Apart from the other buildings was located the magazine, a building of stone thirty feet square and thirteen feet high, the roof and door- way being also of stone. This magazine is the only building that still remains. The stone from this fort has furnished material for the walls and chimneys of many farm houses in the vicinity. Under the brave commandant Makarty the soldiers of Fort Chartres issued forth to take part in the wars with the English, and fought upon many battlefields in the French and Indian war. To the soldiers of Fort Chartres Washington surrendered at Fort Necessity, and they were present at the overthrow of General Braddock. When Canada was won for the English by General Wolfe, in the famous battle beneath the walls of old Quebec, it was thought that the territory controlled by Fort Chartres might be retained for the French. But, by the treaty of 1763 all the French territory of the New World east of the Mississippi was ceded to England. By FORT CIIARTRES AND TllK I'.RITISII. 9I a secret treaty at about the same time, the territory west of the Mississippi was i;iven to Spain. The aged St. Ange kept possession of the fort until the arrival of the English, and in October, 1765, formally delivered it to the new commander, Captain Thomas Stirling. French soldiers and even Indian warriors w^ept when the lilies of France were hauled down from above the walls and the hated cross of St. George was flaunted to the breeze. St. Ange and his little garrison, believing that they would be upon French soil, w^ithdrew to St. Louis. Here he continued to rule for a number of years until displaced by a Spanish governor. A large number of French inhabitants, unwilling to dwell in a country ruled by men of a different race and creed, whom they had been taught to hate for generations, sold their possessions and left the country. The greater number withdrew to the settlements of St. Genevieve and St. Louis. Others embarked upon the Mississippi and removed to Natchez, Baton Rouge or New Orleans. The English immediately established civil courts and introduced the jury system of trial. The French did not take kindly to the English courts. They had been content to submit all disputes and difficulties to the priests. In the spring of 1772, the great river, as if to avenge the defeat of the French, overflowed its banks and swept in a mighty flood across the bottom lands. The western wall of the fort crumbled into the raging waters and the place had to be abandoned. The British removed their military stores to the fort opposite Kaskaskia, which was named in honor of the British commander in America, Fort Gage. 92 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Kaskaskia continued to be the center of British power and influence until the entire territory was given over to the Americans. The policy of the Enghsh Government was to prevent colonists from setthng in the newly acquired territory. They desired to turn the vast region into a hunting ground where only British agents could purchase the quantities of furs that were annually sold by the Indians. In a proc- lamation dated October 7th, 1763, King George forbade "making any purchases or settlements whatever, or taking possession of any lands beyond the sources of any rivers which fall into the Atlantic Ocean from the north or northwest." This policy would have made a perpetual wilderness of a vast region unsurpassed for fertility. In violation of the king's proclamation the British gov- ernors permitted companies to purchase lands from the Indians. The Illinois Land Company, composed of Eng- lish traders and merchants, obtained two vast tracts of land from an Indian council, representing the Kaskaskias, Peorias and Cahokias, held at Kaskaskia on July 5th, 1773. The deed, signed by ten chiefs, each making his mark, gave the white men an immense tract of land embracing many counties of Illinois. The consideration for this princely domain was, "two hundred fifty blankets, two hundred sixty strouds, three hundred fifty skirts, one hundred fifty pairs of stroud and half thick stockings, one hundred fifty breech cloths, five hundred pounds of gun- powder, one thousand pounds of lead, one gross knives, thirty pounds vermillion, two thousand gun flints, two hundred pounds brass kettles, two thousand pounds to- FOirj- CllARTKES AND Till-: BRITISH. 93 bacco, three dozen gilt looking-glasses, one gross gun- worms, two gross awls, one gross fire steels, sixteen dozen of gartering, ten thousand pounds of flour, five hundred bushels of Indian corn, twelve horses, twelve horned cattle, twenty bushels salt, twenty guns, and five shillings in money." This deed was recorded in the office of a notary public at Kaskaskia, September 2, 1773. This is one of many such deeds made at this time, and but for the establishing of an independent government by the colonists, the titles might have been sustained by the British Government. Colonel Wilkins, the British commander at Kaskaskia, made many grants of Indian lands to his friends. One of these grants, consisting of thirty thousand acres, came into the possession of John Edgar, a British officer who came to Kaskaskia and established a store. This British grant was afterwards confirmed by Congress, and made Mrc Edgar the richest land owner in Illinois, TERRITORIAL PERIOD CHAPTER IX. COLONEL C.KOKGE ROGERS CLARK AND THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION. The annals of the Revokition contain no achievement more brilHant or daring than the winning of lUinois for the Americans by George Rogers Claris. The colonists on the Atlantic coast were struggling heroically with the British foe within their own borders, and gave little heed to the western country beyond the Alleghany mountains. With the exception of a few French settlements in the Valley of the Wabash, on the Mississippi, and a fringe of settlements in Kentucky planted by adventurous Virginians and North Carolinians, the entire territory was a wilder- ness. The strong military posts at Detroit, Vincennes and Kaskaskia were occupied by the British, who had won over the Indian tribes with offers of gold for the scalps of men, women and children. George Rogers Clark had gained renown in Kentucky by successfully leading companies of men against the Indians in those conflicts that gained for the region the name of the "Dark and Bloody Ground." Perceiving that the attacks of the savages had been instigated by the liritish agents, who furnished them with arms and ammunition, Clark resolved to capture and win the entire territory for the cause of the colonists. Full of his project, he hastened back tu \'irginia and laid the plans l)efure tlie Governor, 97 98 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Patrick Henry. The idea of subduing the British strong- holds in the west was pleasing to the Governor, who gave to Clark "$6,ooo in paper currency and an order on the commander at Fort Pitt for boats and necessary stores." He was also authorized to enlist seven companies of fifty men each, with a promise to every man of three hun- dred acres of land should the expedition prove successful. En- listing a few men at Pittsburg, Clark floated down the Ohio River as far as Kentucky, where others to the number of one hundred and fifty were added to his com- mand. Continuing h i s journey to the Falls of the Ohio with his force, which now aggregated about two hundred men, COL. GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. hc built a fort ou Corn Island, opposite the present site of Louisville, and stored his supplies. After hearing the complaints of some of his party, none of whom knew upon what errand they were bound, Clark now for the first time revealed his plans to the men, and announced the real destination of the expedi- tion. This announcement was received with expressions of disapproval by some of his men; but the majority favored the invasion. COLONEL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 99 Some of his tollowers, dismayed by the daring of the enter- prise, deserted during the night and waded to the Kentucky shore. The remainder of the soldiers, accustomed to hard- ships and danger, were enthusiastic in their approval ol the project. On the 24th of June, 1778, he embarked his little army of one hundred and fifty men, plunged through the rapids, and continued down the Ohio to the mouth of the Ten- nessee, where his forces landed upon an island. Here they met a party of hunters returning from Kaskaskia, wdio informed them that the soldiers of the fort were numerous, and that sentinels were stationed on the blufifs of the Mis- sissippi. They stated further that the discipline was not strict, because no one supposed an attack was contem- plated. Clark determined to march across the country, a distance of one hundred and seventy miles, and take the fort from an unexpected quarter. The hunters eagerly joined the party in the capacity of guides. As the utmost secrecy was necessary to the success of the undertaking, scouts were sent ahead to kill game and capture any wan- dering bands of French or Indians. Threading tangled forests and marshy swamps, the sol- diers at length emerged upon the open prairies. Once the guide, John Saunders, lost the way and the men, becom- ing suspicious, determined to kill him. But at length the trail was found, and he led them with little loss of time to within three miles of Kaskaskia, where they arrived upon the afternoon of July 4. Thus far their advance had been unobserved and, to make the surprise more complete, Clark led his little army through the thickets above the town and kept them con- lOO TTIR MAKINC. OF ILLINOIS. cealed until nightfall. Crossing the Kaskaskia River, they captured the inmates of the ferry-house, from whom they learned that none of the villagers supposed a foe to be near and that the soldiers of the fort were entirely off their guard. Taking these people with him as guides, Colonel Clark separated his little army into two divisions. One band surrounded the town ; the other, led by the com- mander, proceeded to capture the fort occupied by the unsuspecting British. When Fort Gage was burned in 1766, it is probable that the British removed their stores and supplies across the river to Kaskaskia and took possession of the old Mansion House built by the Jesuits. This building, which was in the southern portion of the town, was fortified and doubt- less proved sufficiently strong for their needs. The soldiers in the mansion far outnumbered the attack- ing party, but Colonel Clark trusted for success to the suddenness and boldness of the attack. The officers of the fort, it is said, were giving a ball to which the young men and maidens of the village had been invited. As the little army approached the postern gate, lights streamed through the windows, and the sound of music and merriment could be heard from within. Posting his men near the entrance, Clark boldly marched in and stood with folded arms, an interested spectator. As the lights from the flickering torches shone upon his face, an Indian, who had been re- clining upon the giound, recognized him and sprang to his feet with a fierce war whoop. The dancers stopped aghast, while the soldiers ran toward their quarters. But Clark, with grim humor, invited them to continue their merriment, announcing, however, that they were now danc- COLONEL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. lOI ing under the flag of Virginia instead of that of England. At a signal, his men rushed in and captured all the officers and men. The band, concealed near the village, hearing the shouts of victory, rushed into the town with hideous cries, and drove the terrified people into their homes. The panic-stricken inhabitants delivered up their arms, and the capture of the British stronghold in Illinois was accomplished without the shedding of a drop of blood. The affrighted people passed a sleepless night. Dreadful stories had been told by the British agents of the harshness and cruelty of the Kentuckians, or "Long Knives." If their lives were spared, the French expected nothing less than that they would be driven from their homes and their property confiscated, as had happened to the Acadians a few years before. Clark, on the other hand, had no thought of doing them harm, but was anxious to win their friend- ship. The next morning he called together the chief men of the village and assured them that he had penetrated the wilderness to protect the people rather than do them injury. Continuing, he said, *'We do not war against Frenchmen. The king of France, your former ruler, is the ally of the colonies ; his fleet and his arms are fighting our battles, and the war must shortly terminate. Go and inform the inhabitants that they can dismiss their fears." When the French heard the message, their terror was turned to wild- est joy. The young men and maidens with songs and shouts danced through the streets bearing garlands of flowers and the older men sought in every way to honor their deliverers. Captain Bowman, with a company of men and a num- 102 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. ber of French militia, was now sent against Cahokia, a French settlement, fifty miles north of Kaskaskia, on the Mississippi River. These people accepted the change with- out resistance and took the oath of allegiance to the colonies. The forts had been captured and the French won over to the cause of liberty, yet there remained the more difficult task of winning or subduing the Indian tribes. These tribes were allies of the British. Colonel Clark felt that his work would not be completed until their strongholds were cap- tured. His army w^as very small, and could with difficulty sustain itself surrounded by so many enemies. Many of his men had enlisted for only three months and that time had expired. He persuaded a hundred of them to re-enlist and, with the addition of seventy French volunteers, re- solved to march upon Vincennes at once. When the French heard of his determination, they begged him to give up the attempt as many of the residents at Vincennes wxre their friends and relatives. Father Gibault, the village priest, grateful to the soldiers for not molesting his church or people, volunteered to go to Vincennes and persuade the people there to transfer their allegiance to the Americans. As Father Gibault was a man of influence, his request was readily granted. With but two companions the priest set out upon his mission. He easily persuaded his people to throw of¥ the yoke of the British, and marching to the fort, which con- tained but few soldiers, the citizens pulled down the British flag and hoisted that of America. When the good news reached Kaskaskia, Colonel Clark "Bt Captain Helm and a company of French volunteers to COLONEL CEORHE ROGERS CLARK. IO3 take formal possession of the fort. This officer's bravery and knowledge of Indian character admirably fitted him for the trying position of commander. Below V^incennes, upon the banks of the Wabash, lived a powerful chief, who was styled the "Grand Door of the Wabash." Captain Helm skilfully won this chief to the American cause, and the submission of the other Indians living in the valley speedily followed. Colonel Clark now took upon himself the greater task of dealing with the horde of savages, representing nearly every western tribe, who had come to Illinois to learn just what had happened, and to hear for themselves all tlxat the "Long Knives" had to say. A meeting was called at Cahokia, and the streets of the little village swarmed with savages. Colonel Clark had studied the Indian char- acter so carefully that he knew how best to treat them. Instead of appearing anxious to gain their friendship, he addressed them in a long speech and carefully explained the reasons for war between the colonists and Great Britain. In conclusion, he said, "As I am convinced that you never heard the truth before, I do not wish you to answer me until you have taken time for consideration. We shall therefore part this evening, and when the Great Spirit shall bring us together again, let us speak and think as men with but one heart and one tongue." The next day the chiefs, having concluded to turn from the British and accept the Americans, gathered to the council. One chief, their spokesman, thus addressed Colonel Clark : "We will take the belt of peace and cast down the bloody belt of war; our warriors shall be called home ; the tomahawk shall be thrown into the river, where I04 TTTK ATAKTNCl OF TLLTNOTS. it can never be found, and we will carefnlly smooth the road for your brothers whenever they wish to come and see yon." The peace pipe was again lighted, and after it was passed around the council ended. Colonel Clark's character and tact are well illustrated by an incident that occurred at this meeting. The Meadow Indians had been offered a large reward to kill the Ameri- can commander and, attending the council for that purpose, camped near the American headquarters. But Colonel Clark, ever watchful and alert, was not to be taken off his guard. At midnight the s vages attempted to break into the house in which he was supposed to be sleeping. In- stantly they were seized by the French militia and bound hand and foot. The people of the town, alarmed at the uproar, seized their arms and rushed to the assistance of the commander and his men. The crest-fallen warriors begged to be released, but Clark turned from them indif- ferently. He even refused to see the friendly chiefs who came to intercede for their guilty kinsmen. Next morning, calling all the tribes to a grand council, he released the captive chiefs that he might speak to them in the presence of their friends and allies. "After the ceremony of Indian etiquette had been fin- ished, Clark stood up in the ring of squatted warriors, while his riflemen, in travel-worn hunting^ shirts, clustered behind him. Taking the bloody war belt of wampum, he handed it to the chiefs whom he had taken captive, telling the assembled tribes he cared neither for their treachery nor enmity. He had a right to put them to death, instead he would escort them outside the camp, and after three days begin war upon them." The humbled warriors l)egged COLONEL GKORGK ROGERS CLARK. IO5 earnestly for peace, but the commander turned a deaf ear to their entreaties. At this point, two young warriors came forward and offering themselves as a sacrifice, silently awaited the expected tomahawk. Advancing, Colonel Clark ordered them to uncover their heads, and thus addressed them : "I am rejoiced to find men among all nations. These two young warriors who have offered themselves as a sacrifice are at least proof for their own countrymen. Such men are worthy to be chiefs, and with such I like to treat." Taking them by the hand he introduced them to the assem- bly as men worthy to be chiefs of their tribe and, because of their courage, freely forgave the crime of all. These two men were ever after held in high esteem by their fellows. An alliance was formed with these Meadow Indians that was never broken, and the renown of Clark spread to every tribe. As he never did a dishonorable act, his influence over them became very great. Peace was made with the Indians, but a still greater diffi- culty confronted him. The commander at Detroit, Gen- eral Hamilton, having learned the strength of Clark's forces, prepared to lead an expedition against the forts and retake the country. "Throughout September, every soul in Detroit was busy from morning till night mending boats, baking biscuits, packing provisions in kegs and bags ; collecting artillery stores, and in every way preparing for the expedition. Fifteen large boats were procured, each able to carry from i,8oo to 3,000 pounds. These were to be loaded with ammunition, food, clothing, tents, and espe- cially with presents for the Indians. Cattle and vehicles were sent ahead to the most important portages on the route. I06 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. When all things were in readiness Hamilton had a grand council of chiefs, and made them a great feast, at which oven were roasted whole." The next day, October 7, 1778, the army, numbering five hundred men, French, English and Indians, started across Lake Erie to the mouth of the Maumee River. Pull- ing their boats up the river to^ the portages, they placed them upon cart wheels and rolled them through the woods to the sources of the Wabash. Embarking his forces upon this river, Hamilton slowly proceeded, stopping at every Indian village to hold a conference and give presents to the chiefs. Upon the morning of December 15, 1778, the British army appeared before Vincennes. The French immediately deserted Captain Helm, who was left with but one American, named Henry. The two men placed a loaded cannon in the open doorway, and when the Brit- ish advanced, Captain Helm, standing with lighted match in hand, commanded them to halt. Hamilton, ignorant of the strength of the garrison, halted his men and de- manded the surrender of the fort. ''No man shall enter here," exclaimed Captain H^lm, "until I know the terms." The British officer replied, "You shall have the honors of war." Accordingly the entire garrison, consisting of one officer and one soldier, marched out and laid down its arms. The news of the fall of Vincennes did not reach Kaskaskia until six weeks after the capture of the fort. Through a French trader who lived at St. Louis, Clark learned that Hamilton had reduced his force to eighty men; that he was well supplied with ammunition and provisions, and that he in- COLONEL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. IO7 tended with the opening of spring to obtain re-enforcemenis from Detroit and recapture all the posts in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. Colonel Clark immediately decided to advance, with his little army, and attack Vincennes before the opening of spring. Captain John Rogers and forty men were at once sent out in a boat containing provisions, ammunition and several small cannon, with instructions to proceed by water to the mouth of the White River and there await the land expedition. On the 7th of February, Colonel Clark, with one hun- dred and seventy men, began the march to Vincennes, a distance of two hundred and forty miles. Fortunately the weather was not cold, but as the plains were under water the march was difficult and fatiguing. The commander devoted himself ceaselessly to keeping up the spirits of his men. He and his officers shared every hardship and were foremost in every labor. The men were divided into com- panies. Each company in turn was permitted to hunt by day and invite the entire army to a feast at night. Tents there were none, but blazing campfires were built, and around these they spent their evenings in singing, dancing and feasting upon bufifalo hump, elk saddle, venison and wild turkeys. The pleasures of the night caused them to forget the toils of the coming day, and thus, without murmur or complaint, they reached the ''drowned lands" of the little Wabash. "The channels of these two branches were a league apart, but the flood was now so high that they formed one great river, five miles wide," the over- flow of water being three feet deep in the shallowest part of the plains between and near the main channels. I08 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Without delay the commander hewed a boat from the trunk of a large tree. Then, crossing- over the first channel, a scaffold was placed on the edge of the flooded plain. The men and baggage were ferried over and placed upon the scaffold ; the pack horses were brought across and reloaded as they stood in the water. The second channel was crossed in the same manner. Thus they traveled mile after mile in the icy swamps, oftentimes waist deep, until they stood upon the main channel of the Wabash, ten miles from Vincennes. Their provisions were exhausted, and the boat commanded by Captain Rogers had not arrived. Parties were sent in different directions to search for food and boats, but succeeded in finding nothing but a small canoe. A party of Frenchmen in a boat were hailed and came to land. They informed Clark that the British did not know of the presence of the army and that the inhabitants of the village were friendly to him. This was cheering news to the little army, and as one man killed a deer that day all had something to eat. The next day was consumed by the soldiers in crossing the deepest channels in canoes, and on the following day they traveled but three miles, much of the time in water up to their necks. Coming to a small elevation called "Sugar Camp," they stopped and were compelled to stay for another day in a drenching rain without food. Four miles of water still lay between them and the highlands. The next morn- ing dawned more clear, and Colonel Clark addressed a speech to the men, informing them that when they had crossed the plain and reached the woods beyond, there would be an end to their fatigue, and the prize would be before them. COLONEL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. IO9 The men responded with a shout and followed their leader as he stepped into the stream. Then followed the most thrilling of all their experiences. The water was so deep in places that Colonel Clark feared many of the weak- est would be drowned, but by the help of the strong, all reached the woods, shouting and cheering encouragingly. Here, however, the water was as deep as on the plains, but those who were short and weak, by floating upon logs and clinging to branches, managed to struggle on for several miles farther until they reached a dry spot of ground, ten acres in extent. Here fires were made, but the weak were so exhausted it was necessary for two strong men to take one between them and march up and down. Fortunately an Indian canoe, containing some squaws and children on their way to Vincennes, was captured. In the boat, to their delight, they found a "quarter of buffalo, corn, tallow and kettles." Broth was immediately made and served to the famishing soldiers. With fine weather their spirits revived and, marching a little way to the edge of the timber, they came into full view of Vincennes, not two miles distant. "Every man now feasted his eyes and forgot that he had suffered anything, saying that all that had passed was owing to good policy, and nothing but what a man could bear." A number of horsemen who were shooting ducks in the ponds were decoyed to camp and captured. By one of these men. Colonel Clark sent the following letter to the people of the village : "To the Inhabitants of Vincennes: Gentlemen : Being now within two miles of your village with my army, determined to take your fort this night, and not being willing to surprise you, I take this opportunity no THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. to request such of you as are true citizens, and willing to enjoy the liberty which I bring you, to remain still in your houses, and those, if any there be, who are friends of the King, let them instantly repair to the fort, and join the hair- buyer general, and fight like men. And if any of the latter do not go to the fort, and shall be discovered afterwards, they may depend upon severe punishment. On the con- trary, those who are true friends to liberty, may depend upon being well treated ; and I once more request them to keep out of the streets, for every one I find in arms on my arrival shall be treated as an enemy ! Respectfully yours, George Rogers Clark." Soon after sunset Clark, with his little army, entered and took possession of the town. Hamilton knew nothing of the presence of the Americans until the firing began upon the fort and one of his men was shot down. Then the drums called the garrison to arms, but the fort was completely surrounded, and when a porthole was opened to thrust otit a cannon, a dozen bullets from the unerring rifles of the woodsmen found an entrance. Thus the attack continued during the night. Protected by houses, palings, ditches and banks, the riflemen poured in a deadly fire, whenever a form appeared or a window opened. At nine o'clock the next morning. Colonel Clark de- manded the surrender of the fort. While Hamilton was deliberating, the men cooked and ate the first regular meal they had tasted since their entrance into the drowned lands. Upon Hamilton's refusal to surrender, the firing began again. Clark found it difficult to keep his men from ex- posing themselves by rushing from cover to storm the fort, in such contempt did they hold the marksmanship and skill of the British soldiers. It was sport for these men, COLONEL GEOKGL KUGKKS CLARK. Ill who could shoot the head from a turkey at one hundred yards, to fire through the loop-holes and send their bullets into every crack and crevice. In the afternoon Hamilton, seeing that it was useless to continue the defence longer, agreed to surrender, and the fort was turned over to Clark and his followers. The next day Colonel Clark took possession of the fort, changed its name to Fort Patrick Henry, ran up the Ameri- can flag and fired a salute to celebrate the important event. The prisoners were permitted to return to Detroit, except Hamilton and a few officers, who were sent to Virginia. The Indian tribes of the region hastened to make peace with one who had conquered their allies with so little difficulty. Two important advantages were gained by the capture of this territory : the Indian tribes were subdued, and the colonies were able to claim the Northwest Territory, with the Mississippi for its western boundary. The Virginia Assembly controlled all the captured country, which they called the Territory of Illinois. Colonel Clark served as a soldier during the remainder of the Revolution, and at its close he enhsted under the flag of France and fought the Spanish on the lower Mississippi River. The latter years of his life were spent near Louisville fighting disease and poverty. Near the close of his life the State of Virginia offered him a sword. To the committee which presented it, he exclaimed : ''When Virginia needed a sword I gave her one. She sends me now a toy. I want bread." With these words he thrust the blade into the ground and snapped it with a blow from his crutch. CHAPTER X. THE ORDINANCE OF 1 787. At the close of the Revolution the States of Massachu- setts, Connecticut and Virginia, by virtue of their original charters, laid claim to all the territory between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes westward to the Mississippi. These colonies, with great reluctance, finally ceded their claims to the newly established national government, and the country was called "The territory of the United States, northwest of the Ohio River." In this manner did our Government come into possession of the vast domain from which were carved the States of Ohio, Indiana, lUinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Settlers began to enter the region, and it became neces- sary for Congress to provide a form of government which might insure peace and security to the people. Accord- ingly, on July 13, 1787, the ''Continental Congress" framed a law which is known in history as the ''Ordinance of 1787." As this instrument has become so famous it may be well to notice some of its wise provisions which were helpful in promoting the happiness and prosperity of the people. In England many had been put to death because they refused to worship in the manner prescribed by the King. Even in the colonies there were those who believed that every man should follow a form of worship established by the Government. The "Ordinance of 1787" provided that "no person of peaceable demeanor was to be molested on 112 THE ORDINANCE OF I/S/. II3 account of his mode of worship or rchgious sentiments." The kings of England had often thrown men into prison and kept them there for many years, without allowing them a form of trial. Sir Walter Raleigh was thus confined in the Tower of London for twelve years. Unjust imprison- ment has ever been a weapon used by tyrants to close the mouths of men wdiom they feared. To provide against this abuse, it was enacted in the ordinance that : "No man shall be deprived of his liberty or his property, but by the judgment of his peers (equals), or the law of the land : and should it be necessary for the common preservation to take any person's property, or to demand his particular services, full compensation shall be made for the same." In England only a few had the means of procuring an education, but the colonists in America at an early day established schools for their children. The framers of the ''Ordinance of 1787," with wise forethought, organized a system of free schools to be supported by taxation and by money derived from the sale of public lands, some of the lands being also set aside for the support of a university in each State. At the close of the eighteenth century slavery existed in many countries. In America it flourished in several States. Statesmen were beginning to see the evil of the con- tinuance of such a system. Others believed slavery to be wicked and contrary to the laws of God. Honest toil is honorable. Wherever slavery exists the people look upon w^ork as degrading. The framers of the ''Ordinance of 1787" were providing a home for honest, self-respecting people. They therefore enacted that slavery and involun- 114 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. tary servitude, except as punishment for crimes, should be prohibited forever in the Northwest Territory. Furthermore, the territory was to be divided into not less than three, nor more than five States. If it seemed best, Congress might "form one or two (more) States in that part which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan.'' (However, when Illi- nois became a State in 1818, the northern boundary was fixed, not by running a line west from the extreme southern end of the lake, as prescribed in the Ordinance, but by a parallel sixty-one miles farther north. This was done for the purpose of securing lake frontage to the State.) Civil authority was vesting in a governor who was to be commander-in-chief of the militia, with power, until a general assembly was organized, to appoint all civil officers of each county. A court consisting of three judges was also appointed. These judges, with the governor, were to adopt such of the laws of the thirteen original States as were deemed best for the territory. GEN. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR. TTTF. ORDTNANfF. OF T7R7. II5 Whenever there were five thousand free male inhabitants of legal age within the limits of the territory, the i)eople were to elect a general assembly, consisting of one repre- sentative for every five hnndred voters. The assembly was to choose ten men, and Congress was to select five of these to act as a Council ov Upper House. Such was the government provided by the '^Ordinance of 1787," and with slight changes it has proven adequate to the needs of territorial government up to the present day. Whenever the population of a Territory numbered 60,- 000, it might take the necessary steps to become a State. The wise provisions of this ordinance respecting per- sonal liberty, education and slavery have more or less in- fluenced the destinies of all States formed from the public domain. President Washington appointed as the first governor General Arthur St. Clair, and the little village of Marietta on the Ohio River became the seat of territorial govern- ment. In 1788 Governor St. Clair and his three judges entered upon the duties of their offices. October 6, 1790, President Washington wrote to the governor requesting him to carry out "the wishes of the late Congress relating to the inhabitants at Vincennes, Kaskaskia, and the other villages upon the Mississippi." Continuing he writes, 'Tt is a circumstance of some importance that the said inhabitants should, as soon as possible, possess the lands to which they are entitled by some known and fixed principle." Governor St. Clair immediately set about carrying out President Washington's commands, and arrived at Kaskaskia in February, 179T, de- termined to adjust matters in an impartial manner. Il6 THE MAKINC, OF ILLINOIS. The country as far north as the Little Mackinaw Creek on the IlHnois River was or^^anized into a county and named St. Clair, with Cahokia as the county seat. This, the "mother county" of Illinois, was divided into three judicial districts. A court of common pleas was established and three judges appointed: John Edgar, of Kaskaskia, John C. Moulin, of Cahokia, and John Baptiste Barbeau, of Prairie du Rocher. William St. Clair, brother to the governor, became the first recorder of deeds, and William Biggs the first sheriff. The first lawyer to locate in Illinois was John Rice Jones, a highly educated Welshman, who came to Kaskaskia in 1790. It is said he possessed much ability and had a practice extending from Kaskaskia to the Ohio River. Lawsuits were as expensive and inconvenient in those days as at the present time. In a certain suit brought in Cahokia to recover the value of a cow, the damages were assessed at $16.00. The defendants, who lived at Prairie du Chien, appealed the case. The sheriff, with his summons and subpoenas in his pocket, fitted out a boat with goods suitable to trade with Indians, and started on his journey of four hundred miles to carry out the instructions of the court. Having served his subpoenas and his summons, he returned in the same manner. His charges for mileage and service, together with other expenses, carried the costs of the suit to more than $900. CHAPTER XL THE ILLINOIS PIONEERS. The soldiers of Colonel George Rogers Clark were the first Americans to enter the Illinois country. Some of these men probably remained here, while others, after their term of enlistment had expired, returned to Kentucky and Vir- ginia, spreading abroad glowing reports of the wonderful richness and fertility of this region. In the spring of 1781, a company of people from Mary- land, composed largely of Colonel Clark's veterans under the leadership of James Moore, crossed the Alleghany Mountains and prepared to descend the Ohio River. A number of flat boats, at that time called "arks," were built for this purpose. These boats were from thirty to forty feet in length and ten or twelve feet in breadth, a large craft for those days. The entire boat was decked with a rude, strong roof, which had much the appearance of a farmyard, for it was covered with wagons, carts and plows, spinning wheels, hay, coops of chickens, bags of seed and feed for the cattle. Beneath the roof were crowded together the men, women and children, with the horses, sheep, hogs and cattle. At length when all was prepared, the little fleet of boats loaded with people and animals glided out upon the current of the Ohio and began the long voyage to the ''Illinois country." Many were the dangers encountered. Sometimes the voyagers were at- tacked by Indians; then it was necessary for the women 117 Il8 TTTE AfAKTNr. OF TTJJNOTS. and children to crouch low while the men beat back the savages by firing through the "port holes" with which the sides of the "arks" were provided. Often at night they dared not light a fire for fear that the blaze might attract the lurking foe. After a journey of many days the boats reached the mouth of the Ohio and, stemming the current of the Mis- sissippi, arrived in safety at Kaskaskia. The little company settled on the broad valley west of the village; and the lo- cality, from the fact that they were the only American set- tlers, received the name of "American Bottom." But the majority of the immigrants to the new country came in great covered wagons drawn by oxen or horses. These brave pioneers, unmindful of the dangers around them, pushed their way through the dark and tangled for- ests. If the streams which intercepted the route were too deep to be forded a raft would be constructed on which the family, the cattle and the wagons were ferried to the opposite bank. Occasionally the cattle would stray from the camp during the night and be lost for days. At all times the hunters of the party watched for the approach of prowling Indians. At night, as they gathered about the blazing camp fire and engaged in songs and merriment, one of the number would be detailed to stand guard. The steaks of buffalo, bear or deer, which were cooked every- night, were supplied by the rifles of the hun- ters. A Johnny cake, baked before the fire on a "journey board," from which was derived the name, completed the abundant supper. When the horses were turned loose to feed upon the rich grass of the open glade, a tinkling bell was attached TTTF. ILTJNOTS PTONF.F.T^S. IIQ to the neck of the leader. Its noise served to guide the owner to the spot where the horses had strayed during the night. The women and children slept in the wagons, but the men and boys, wrapped in their blankets, lay down about the camp fire. The journey usually occupied many months. At last the family or colony, having arrived on the banks of a river whose beauty pleased their fancy, resolved to make a permanent home. Rude cabins were erected, and the work of clearing away the forests and planting a crop in the virgin soil was begun without delay. The early immi- grants disliked to settle upon the beautiful prairies on ac- count of the distance from water, the absence of shade and on account of green-headed flies which swarmed there. In 1782, the settlement of New Design was estabhshed on the beautiful elevated lands overlooking the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers. Another colony of one hundred and fifty-four people from Virginia arrived in 1797, under the leadership of Rev. David Bagley. They had been subjected to much exposure and suffered many hardships. The season was unusually wet, and more than half the colonists died from the effects of a malignant fever. "Fever and ague" and "milk-sick," a peculiar disorder, caused by drinking the milk of cattle diseased from eating the rank herbage or a peculiar weed, attacked many new comers. The many cases of sickness gave rise to the report that Illinois was an unhealthy country, and this, for a time, checked the tide of immigration. The habits and manners of these early pioneers were I20 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. plain and simple. Accustomed to life in the forest, they knew little of the ways of more thickly settled communities. The deer, bear, buffalo, elk and fox provided material from which were made hunting shirts, caps and moccasins. Skilful with ax, drawing-knife and auger, each settler made, not only his humble cabin, but the necessary furniture as well. Oiled paper supplied the place of window glass. The beams of the floor and the weight poles of the roof were held in place by wooden pegs. The door swung upon wooden hinges and was fastened by a wooden latch, which was lifted from without by a deer thong run through a hole. Any person was at liberty to enter a home if "the latch string was out." Often the rude cradle was made from the half of a hollow log. Rich indeed was the housewife who could display upon her broad mantel shelf a few pewter dishes and spoons which had been brought from the old home ''back East." In those early days one could travel the entire length of a stream without finding a bridge, and a single water mill ground wheat and corn for the entire settlement. Sometimes the spring floods caught the settler unprepared and prevented him from going to mill. At such a time, when his meal had ''run out," he resorted to the "gritter." This was made by perforating a sheet of tin, obtained from some cast-ofif vessel. Inverted, it was nailed to a board and looked much like a large nutmeg grater. Putting one end of the board in a tray made from a hollow log, the settler, grasping an ear of soaked corn with both hands, proceeded to rub it over the roughened surface. In this primitive way did our fathers often obtain the meal for fheir corn bread. *'Lye hominy" was also THE ILLINOIS PIONEERS. 121 a staple article of food and, with the pork to be found in every household, gave rise to the expression *'hog and hominy." As fear of the Indians decreased, farms became larger, and settlements grew into little villages. Cotton and flax were raised, and herds of sheep were pastured in the woods. Gradually clothing made from cotton, flax and wool took the place of that made from the skins of wild beasts. These pioneers had many "merry makings" to enliven the arduous labor of clearing land, splitting rails and plant- ing crops. If misfortune overtook a settler the entire neighborhood turned out to help gather the harvest or plow the land. While the men worked in the field their wives, who had accompanied them, spread a bountiful repast upon tables made of wagon boards. After dinner the men gath- ered in groups and talked politics or engaged in wrestling and foot racing. Often, however, a horse race enlivened the day's pleasure, for these early settlers were passionately fond of this sport. They were good story tellers, too, and at such a gathering some veteran of the Revolution related the story of the capture of Burgoyne,or extolled the bravery of Morgan at the battle of Cowpens. Others, famous in Indian wars, told and retold of hairbreadth escapes from the savage foe. "Log rolhngs" and "husking bees" were also popular gatherings. And after the work was finished, to the music of a squeaking fiddle, the merry makers, old and young, danced until the early morning hours. Then the horses were "hooked up," and with much noise and laughter the company separated. Living remote from settlements, each man played the part of carpenter, blacksmith, or harness-maker, as neces- 122 THE MAKING OF TLLTNOTS. sity required. James Lemon, a pioneer minister and farmer of Monroe County, was one day engaged in plowing a field upon which the stubble was so heavy that his son was compelled to use a pitch-fork to keep the plow from "clogging." When the team was turned out for dinner the father, as was his habit, left the harness upon the plow beam. The boy, having tired of the work, remained behind long enough to hide one of the home-made collars, ex- pecting to have a ''playing-spell" while his father was em- ployed in making a new one. On returning from dinner the farmer missed the collar, and after reflecting a few moments, promptly took off his leather breeches. These the boy was compelled to stufif with straw and stubble. They were then straddled across the neck of the horse and served as a collar. The father, bare-legged, followed the plow and kept the roguish son busily at work during the long after- noon. Many of these early pioneers were men of great force of character, and afterwards rose to positions of prominence in the State and nation. Shadrach Bond, the first governor of the State, was a member of the first colony that settled in the "Illinois country." CHAPTER XII. THE ILLINOIS RANGERS. The frequent outbreaks of the Indians at the opening of the War of 1812 made it necessary to provide for the protection of the settlers. Accordingly Congress organized ten companies of mounted rangers and assigned to four of them the task of guarding the Illinois frontiers. Each man provided his own horse, gun and provisions, and was paid one dollar for every day of service. These hardy rangers, accustomed to the life of the fron- tier, were a most valuable aid in repelling the attacks of the Indians. One of the most daring of these men was Tom Higgins, a member of Captain Toumey's company. Tom was strong and muscular, absolutely without fear, and possessed of good judgment in time of danger. One morning when stationed at Hills Fort, near the present site of Greenville, a band of Indians was discovered, and the Rangers started in pursuit of them. The wily savages, knowing, they were being followed, ambushed their pursuers, and killed several of them. Al- though the Rangers fought bravely, they were greatly out- numbered, and finally retreated to the fort. Tom Higgins, however, waited behind the others to have another pull at them, and taking careful aim, shot down a savage. Just as he was mounting his horse, which had been wounded, a voice from the tall grass saluted him with the 123 124 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. words 'Tm wounded, Tom, you won't leave me?" Higgins replied, ''Come on, Burgess, and I will put you on my horse." As Tom attempted to lift the wounded man the terrified animal jerked the bridle from his owner's arm and ran away. Keeping the murderous savages at a safe distance with his leveled rifle, Higgins calmly directed Bur- gess to crawl through the long prairie grass to the fort, which was standing only a short distance away. As soon as the unfortunate man was well on his way to a place of safety Tom plunged into a dense thicket and, closely followed by the Indians, ran for the fort, when sud- denly he was confronted by other savages. To avoid them he leaped into a deep ravine and continued his desperate flight. As he ran he perceived for the first time that he had been shot, and looking over his shoulder, saw that he was being closely pursued by three savages. At this instant the foremost Indian fired and Tom fell, wounded the second time; as he arose the other two fired, and he fell again, pierced by two more bullets. Then the three savages, with uplifted tomahawks, rushed forward to complete their work, but the brave fellow arose the third time, and by presenting his rifle first at one and then at another kept them at bay for a time. The largest, thinking that the rifle must be empty, sprang forward, only to fall dead with a bullet in his brain. The other warriors, with a shout, rushed forward to avenge the death of their comrade, and a terrific hand to hand conflict began. The wounded man defended himself with a long knife until he was again hurled to the ground by a blow from a toma- hawk, which was thrown with such unerring aim that it cut off his ear. As Tom lay upon the ground the two THE ILLINOIS RANGERS. 125 sprang upon him, but he managed to seize a spear from one and thrust it through the body of the other. The unequal combat had occurred in full view of the fort, but beyond the range of the rifles held by men, who believed that it was all a ruse to draw them out into another ambuscade. Finally Mrs. Pursley, a brave woman who had watched the battle, mounted a fleet horse and started to the rescue, declaring that she ''would not see so brave a man killed." The men, not to be outdone by a woman, hastened after her, and at their approach the remaining Indian fled. Tom, fainting from loss of blood, was carried to the fort, where his wounds were dressed and the balls extracted from his body. For many days he lingered between life and death, but eventually recovered and lived to receive a pension for his bravery. Later in his life he was made the doorkeeper of the State General Assembly at Vandalia. During this period there was incessant war between the red man and the white, each watching for every opportunity to overcome the other. It happened that as Captain Short and his Rangers were encamped near the present site of Covington, in Washington County, they discovered 'Tndian signs," and immediately started in pursuit of the savages, who were driving off a number of stolen horses. Captain Short knew from the signs that the band was large, and dispatched a trusty scout for reinforcements. The Rangers overtook the savages and a battle ensued, in which the white men were worsted and beat a hasty retreat. Moses Short escaped being killed because of a thick twist of to- bacco in his pouch, which received the bullet that otherwise would have entered his body. 126 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. The next clay reinforceinents arrived, and the Rangers again took up the trail of the Indians, who, tlushed with victory, had grown careless. When approaching the forks of the Little Wabash River the report of a rifle warned the Rangers that they were near the foe, and, by a cautious advance, the savages were surrounded before they were aware of the white men's presence. When the Indians discovered that there was no hope of escape they chanted their death song and fought desperately until the last warrior was killed. By such bloody conflicts was the soil of Illinois wrested from the red men. During the War of 1812, the Indians, reinforced by num- bers of British, often gained the advantage over the Rangers who dared to penetrate into the "Indian Country," as Northern Illinois and Iowa were called. In the spring of 1814 Governor Clark of Missouri sent a force of two hundred men up the Mississippi to attack IVairie du Chien, which was held by the British and In- dians. The attack was successful, but in the summer the fort was retaken by the enemy. General Howard, ignorant of this unfortunate occurrence, determined to send reinforcements to the remote post, and fitted out a force of one hundred and eight men, who were placed in charge of Lieutenant Campbell. Sixty-six of these men were Illinois Rangers, and, commanded by Cap- tains Riggs and Rector, occupied two of the three keel- boats in which the expedition embarked. The Indians were not ignorant of the destination of the soldiers, and resolved to give them battle at the Rapids near Rock Island. When the boats reached this point the wily savages approached with every profession of friend- THE ILLINOIS RANGKRS. 12/ ship, but (juietly iirg'ed the French boatmen, ai^ainst whom tliey cherished no ill will, to return to their homes. lUit for this event Lieutenant Campbell and his men might have been taken olT their guard. As the boats proceeded up the rapids the barge contain- mg Lieutenant Campbell, \vhich was in the rear, was blown by the strong wdnd upon a small island near the Illinois shore. W^ith the approach of evening the boat was tied up, the necessary sentinels stationed, and the men were ordered to prepare fires upon which to cook their suppers. This was the opportunity for which the Lidians had waited. Under the command of Black Hawk they poured across the narrow channel and rushed upon the troops, who quickly sought the shelter of their boat. From behind logs and trees the Indians poured in a storm of bullets upon the soldiers, who defended themselves as best they could. In the midst of the battle the boat took fire, and every man w^ould have been destroyed but for the timely arrival of the Illinois Rangers who, at the first sound of firing, had turned their boats, and in the teeth of a howling gale, hastened to the rescue. Captain Rigg's boat became stranded upon the jutting rocks of the rapids, but Captain Rector with his brave men, in plain view of the hundreds of savages who lined the shore, coolly guided his vessel to the windward of the burning craft, while his Rangers poured volley after volley into the savages. The h^xnch boatmen leaped into the water and, protected by the side of tlie boat, skilfully guided it to the burning barge. The soldiers and wounded men were quickly transferred to the rescuing boat, which glided safely out into the midst of the stream and began 128 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. the retreat to St. Louis. The island where this attack oc- curred is still called Campbell's Island. The Rangers in Captain Rigg's boat had their hands full to keep at bay the savages by whom they were surrounded. In the night, after the fierce wind had subsided, they suc- ceeded in getting their boat off the rocks, and followed the others to St. Louis, which they reached without further losses. The next year another body of troops, commanded by Major Zachary Taylor, attempted to penetrate the Indian country, with the purpose of burning villages and destroy- ing cornfields. But the expedition was no more successful than the previous one, and the savages compelled them to retire with a serious loss. With the beginning of winter gloom and fear settled down upon the frontier of Illinois, but the treaty of Ghent between America and England closed the war, and the Indian depredations ceased for a number of years. CHAPTER XIII. THE BLOCK HOUSES AND OLD FORT DEARBORN. As an additional protection against the savages, many block houses were erected. These extended from the Illi- nois River to the Kaskaskia, thence to the Salt Springs near the present town of Equality, thence up the Ohio and Wabash Rivers. These forts furnished a refuge for nearly all settlers of the frontier. They were built of hewn logs, carefully put together, so as to afford no crevice for hand or foot of an Indian foe. The doors were made of thick puncheons, held in place by strong wooden beams. Port-holes on every side, above the height of one's head, gave opportunity to repel an attack. The second story projected over the first and, in this pro- jecting floor, holes were made through which rifles could be fired at any Indian who might try to force an entrance. Sometimes these block houses were located on the edge of a prairie, but, if situated in the timber, the ground was cleared for a distance on every side, that no protection might be given to the lurking foe. Stockade forts were made by building four block houses at the corners of a square, and connecting them with a stockade twelve or fifteen feet in height. This fence was made of huge posts placed side by side, and planted firmly in the ground. If there was no spring within the enclosure, a well was dug, and sometimes huts were erected. Port- holes seven or eight feet above the ground were reached from raised platforms. Two heavy entrance gates, securely 189 130 TlIK MAKING OF ILl.INOIS. barred, were made large enough to admit wagons and cat- tle. In times of danger the families of the entire neighbor- hood would flee to such a fort, bringing their stock with them. By day the cattle were permitted to graze in the clearing and woods, but at night they were usually driven within the enclosure. Often, when the gates were opened in the morning, the savages concealed in the woods beyond the clearing would fire upon the inmates of the fort. Camp Russell, the largest and strongest of these stock- ades, was built by Governor Edwards at Edwardsville. The ancient cannon of old Fort Chartres were removed thither and placed upon the walls, where they served to over- awe the savages. This fort became the center of military operations during the War of 181 2, and was made a store- house for supplies. Within this stockade, defended by stout hearts and strong arms, the people of the territory often sought shelter and protection. Twenty-two block houses were erected between Kas- kaskia and the present city of Alton, but, in spite of these precautions, the settlers were frequently attacked within the fortifications themselves. One evening three men, venturing out from Jourdan's fort to gather firewood, were attacked by Indians and only one succeeded in making his escape. At another time a band of savages, wandering through the woods, came into the vicinity of Hill's block house. Stealthily approaching, they picked the nuid from a crevice in the chinmey and saw a soldier sitting near the fire. A rifle was inserted and the man was shot. The report of the gun caused the soldiers to rush to their posts. Now it happened that a man named Lindley had gone out of the stockade to carry THE BLOCK HOUSES. !31 feed to tlic slock and had left the large gate open. The Indians made a rush for the entrance, but the men within hastily closed and barred it, leaving poor Lindley on the outside, in the midst of the terrified cattle. The baffled Indians turned their attention to the soldier who had souglit refuge among the herd. Every creature stood with dilated nostril and uplifted tail, glaring at them. As the savages with raised weapons and blood-curdling yells rushed forward, the cattle, bellowing loudly, turned and fled. Lindley, who was a powerful man, on the in- stant contrived a plan of escape. Leaping astride a steer as it passed him, he coiled his long arms around the aston- ished creature's neck and slipped beneath its huge body. The arrows of the Indians only served to quicken the speed of the herd, and Lindley was quickly carried out of danger. The savages returned to the attack of the fort, but at length were repulsed and driven away, taking their dead and wounded with them. That night Lindley returned to the fort and in a few days the scattered herd was recovered. The most pretentious defense against the Indians of Northern Illinois was old Fort Dearborn, which was erected at the mouth of the Chicago River in 1804, and named in honor of General Dearborn. At the breaking out of the War of 181 2 it was garrisoned l)y fifty soldiers under the command of Captain Heald. By the direction of General Hull this garrison evacuated Fort Dearborn and attempted to reach Fort Wayne. Upon entering the broken sand-hill country to the southeast, they were treacherously attacked and twenty-three of t]ie garrison murdered. tn,:^ether with many women and children who accompanied them. Is c • s OJ3 CO m . , r- — C 3*i >i O c .rr t^ w Y m 3*- .2 •- 6 o.S' O CwS^CD o m;3 S «- a, 2 w oj-o 3 3*^J= 3333333 S3 CHAPTER XIV. KEEL BOATS. During the early settlement of the Illinois country the rivers formed the great highways of travel. Goods were hrought in flat boats and barges from Pittsburgh and New. Orleans. The wheat and produce of the country were floated down to Louisiana in boats manned by the settlers themselves, but as the voyage was full of danger and re- quired many months, a class of men called keel-boatmen gradually arose, who made this work their sole business. Their boats were built very large and symmetrical, with a cabin for passengers as well as a space set apart for freight and stock. A long oar, sometimes thirty feet in length, with a blade like the fin of a fish, was used for steering the craft, while four large oars at the bow furnished the propelling power. A speed of five or six miles an hour could be obtained when glidingi down the stream ; but it was no easy task for such a boat to stem the current of a river, especially the Missis- sippi. A large sail was used when the wind favored, but often the crew walked many weary miles along the shore, and pulled the boat after them by means of a long rope. Sometimes the rope was carried ahead of the boat and attached to a rock or over-hanging tree, and then the crew stood upon the deck and pulled "hand over hand." The dangers of river navigation were increased by the large number of pirates and savages that infested the banks 133 134 THE MAKING OF TLTJNOIS. of the Mississippi River. These desperadoes would sally forth from their hiding places at the mouth of a convenient river or from the steep bluf¥s near Grand Tower, and fall upon solitary keel boats, seizing the cargo and murdering the crew and passengers. At length the pirates became so bold that keel boats were compelled to travel together for protection. In 1797 Spain placed on the Mississippi a large fleet of armed boats, which speedily cleared the river of these out- laws. At Reausoleil Island, in the year 1787, river pirates boarded a richly-laden keel boat bound from New C^rleans to St. Louis, capturing the owner and the entire crew. Their rescue was effected by the courage and daring of a young negro servant named Cacassotte, who shrewdly planned it. By laughter and good humor he gained the confidence of the robbers and persuaded them that he was delighted thus to gain his freedom. Cacassotte, who acted as cook, resolved to attempt the execution of his plan at the dinner hour after the pirates had imbibed freely. When the desperadoes had seated themselves at the bow and stern the negro and his two colored comrades went among them distributing food and drink. As he appeared before the leader, who, armed to the teeth, was standing at the bow, Cacassotte gave the signal, and instantly three robbers were struggling in the deep water. With the swiftness of lightning, they rushed upon three more of the men, who straightway joined their companions in the river. Before the remainder of the robbers could recover their presence of mind they too were pushed overboard. Then, KEFX ROATS. 1 35 seizing the rifles which were scattered upon the deck, the negroes shot the drunken fellows as they struggled in the stream. These keel-boatmen were fearless and hardy men. Their peculiar occupation developed herculean strength in many, and made desperate characters of not a few. Naked to the waist, they propelled their boats with their strong arms, amidst many dangers. At the close of the day they partook of a strong pull at the whiskey bottle before eating their hearty supper of hominy and pork. To the music of a sprightly fiddle or the rippling of the waters, these men were then lulled to sleep, to be awakened the next morning by the steersman's horn, which called them to another pull at the bottle and an early breakfast before their day's work begun. The keel-boatmen greatly enjoyed rude sports. Some were excellent shots with the rifle. All were fond of fight- ing, and often waged battle with the crews of rafts and flat boats, whom they cordially hated. The most notorious character among these keel-boatmen was Mike Fink, who acted in the capacity of spy, scout and boatman in the war of 1812. Born at Pittsburg, from early boyhood Mike followed the life of keel-boatman. He was a man of great strength, skillful with axe and oar, and noted as the best rifle shot in the Mississippi Valley. As his keel boat, the *'Lightfoot," glided down the river Fink would amuse himself by shooting the tails from the pigs upon the shore. Seeing a negro upon the wharf with his foot elevated, the reckless fellow shot ofif his heel. The poor darkey fell to the ground howHng with pain. At the trial which followed, the jury refused to listen to Mike's ex- 136 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. planation, which was that he wished "to correct the defect- ive foot and prepare it for a genteel boot." Fink had a boon companion named Carpenter, who was also expert with the rifle. The two friends frequently amused themselves and entertained the crowd of boatmen by shooting tin cups full of whiskey from each other's heads. One day, while under the influence of liquor, Fink and Carpenter quarreled, and after apparently making up de- cided to indulge in their favorite pastime. Carpenter was the first to place the cup on his own head. Mike walked away the required distance, turned, took care- ful aim and fired; Carpenter fell dead. Fink tearfully claimed that it was an accident, and the spectators believed this to be true. A few months after, however, the drunken fellow boasted that he had killed Carpenter intentionally. Thereupon a friend of the murdered man shot him upon the spot. Thus ended the life of one of the most notable and desperate of these early characters. A gentleman who took a trip on one of these boats in company with his cousin, who was going to New Orleans, has left an interesting, account of a disaster which befell them a few miles above the mouth of the Ohio River. **One dark rainy night our boat drifted rapidly down stream with the current. We usually 'tied up along the shore' on very dark nights, but our captain, who was also pilot, declared he could steer in the darkest night that ever came. "Most of the passengers had retired to their cabins and were asleep, when suddenly there came a crash, which sent me out of my berth onto the floor. I sprang to my feet KEEL BOATS. 137 and my first thought was of Nancy (the lady under my charg-c). 1 ran to her cabin and found her up and dressed, and not nearly so badly frightened as I had feared she would be. " 'What has happened?' she asked. *' The boat has struck a snag and may sink. Stay right here until I come for you.' "Then I went on deck, where all was confusion. There were twelve or fifteen passengers there, running about like mad people. 'The most excited of all were five men from St. Louis. They had dragged their trunk and carpet bags to the deck, and were calling for a skifif or yawl to take them to shore. All the captain or mate could do or say to (juiet them was in vain. Three or four lanterns were lighted, and served to increase the terror of all by revealing the black, turbid waters into which we were gradually sinking to what ap- peared to be certain death. 'The men who had brought their trunk on deck seized one of the yawls, leaped in with their baggage, before any one could prevent them, and pulled to shore, which the flashes of lightning showed was not more than thirty yards away. "About the time they landed with their baggage, I ob- served that the boat began to rock just like a basin sinking in shallow water. The captain noticed this also, and shouted : " 'You are all safe. The boat is on a sand bar and can't sink.' 'Tn fact one of the crew had cast the lead line a moment before, and discovered that we were in only about five feet 138 THE MAKING OF TLLTNOIS. of water. I went back to Nancy, who was anxiously await- ing my return. " 'What shall we do?' she asked. " 'Go to bed and sleep until morning,' I answered. "She did so. It rained all night. It was one of those cold, disagreeable rains that makes one shiver, and one's bones ache. Next morning we saw five or six wet, mis- erable wretches sitting on the bank, shivering and begging the captain to take them on board. 'They were the selfish cowards who would have escaped with their luggage and left the remainder of us to drown. Their haste to get to land was so great that they forgot to moor the yawl in which they went ashore, and it had floated away. "Though the captain had another, he would not send for them, and left them all night in the rain. But soon after daylight he brought them all aboard. "Our boat had struck a snag which knocked a hole in the bottom; but fortunately, after striking, we came imme- diately to such shallow water that we could not sink. "We lived in this grounded boat for over a week before another keel boat came and took us down the river to our journey's end." With the advent of steam both flat and keel boats grad- ually disappeared, and with them departed the race of brave and hardy men who played so important a part in the devel- opment and settlement of Illinois. STATE PERIOD IvOVEjOY MONUMENT — AI.TON. CHAPTER XV. STATEHOOD AND THE CONSTITUTION. In 1809 the Territory of Illinois was separated from that of Indiana, a territorial government was organized and Ninian Edwards, of Kentucky, was appointed governor. Partly on account of peace with the Indians, which fol- lowed the War of 18 12, and partly owing to an act of Congress in 181 3, which gave set- tlers the right to ''pre- empt" the public lands, the tide of immigration began to roll in upon the new region. (It might be ,well to ex- plain here that the law of pre-emption provid- ed that when a settler had made improve- ments upon a piece of government land, he could not be supplanted by another purchaser ninian Edwards until he had been afforded an opportunity to buy the land from the government.) The pioneer had used deer skins, coon skins and various other pelts as a medium of ex- change, but the payment of the soldiers and the arrival of 141 142 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. immigrants caused money to become more abundant. The population increased rapidly from 1812 to 18 18. JNIany of the soldiers from the States of Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky were so well pleased with the country that they sent for their families and established permanent homes. Before 1818 ten new counties had been formed, making a total of fif- teen, and the popula- tion of the State had increased to almost for- ty thousand. "The Bank of Illinois'' was established ?t Shawneetown in 18 16, and the following year other banks were locat- ed at Kankasia and E d w a r d s V i 1 1 e . Although the popula- tion had not reached 60,000, the number re- quired for statehood by the "Ordinance o f 1787," the people, ener- getic and restless, clam- ored to 1)C admitted to the Union. Congress passed an ''enabling act" reducing the rc(juircmenls to 40,000, and a (luestionable census reported the necessar}^ number. The territorial delegate to Congress was Judge Nathanial Pope, who thoroughly understood the needs of the Illinois coun- try. Deep and lastin JUDGE NATHANIEL POPE. should be our gratitude to this STATEHOOD THE CONSTITUTIONS. I43 great man for his wise forethought in placing important amendments to the bill which admitted Illinois as a State. One of these amendments provided that three-fifths of the 5 per cent fund from the sale of public lands should be devoted to ''the encouragement of education" and that one-sixth of this sum was to be used exclusively for the establishing and maintenance of a university or college. To-day the State is reaping the fruits of this wise legislation. Another amendment, which has proven of inestimable value to Illinois, provided that the northern boundary should be extended to the parallel of forty-two degrees and nine minutes north latitude. This was fifty-one miles north of the line indicated by the ''Ordinance of 1787." But Judge Pope contended that it would be of great advantage to Illinois and the nation to have the new State embrace a part of Lake Michigan. In his plea upon the floor of Congress he used these elo- quent words : "If her commerce is to be confined to that great artery of communication, the Mississippi, which washes her entire western border, and to its chief tributary on the south, the Ohio, there is a possibility that her commercial relations with the South may become so closely connected that in the event of an attempted dismemberment of the Union, Illinois will cast her lot with the Southern States. On the other hand, to fix the northern boundary of Illinois upon such a parallel of latitude as would give to the State terri- torial jurisdiction over the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, would be to unite the incipient commonwealth to the States of Indiana, Ohio, Penns>lvania and New York in a bond of common interest well nigh indissoluble. 144 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. By the adoption of such a Hne Ilhnois may become at some future time the keystone to the perpetuity of the Union." Judge Pope, with all his wisdom, probably "builded bet- ter than he knew." Had the original boundary prevailed Chicago would have been situated in Wisconsin instead of Illinois. It is a question whether in that case the city would have become so great, for the Illinois and Michigan canal, and the Illinois Central R. R., which contributed so largely to her early growth, were due wholly to the enterprise of the State and would not have been built to any city in an adjoining territory. In 1856, the votes of the fourteen counties formed from this strip made Illinois a RepubHcan State and assured the candidacy of Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency. This change in boundary gave to Illinois the city of Galena, the home of U. S. Grant. These are some of the reasons why the change of our northern boundary through the wisdom of Judge Pope was of very great importance to Illinois and the nation. In July, 18 18, thirty-three delegates gathered in Kaskas- kia to draft a constitution for the future State. The greater number of them were farmers, men of limited education, but possessed of much natural ability and experience in public affairs. The constitution framed by them was a brief document, copied largely from the constitutions of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. In a series of eight articles it defined the duties and powers of the executive, judicial and legislative departments of the new State. STATEHOOD — THE CONSTITUTIONS. I45 A curious provision of this constitution placed the veto power with a ''Council of Revision," consisting of the governor and the judges of the Supreme bench. No salaries were fixed, but it provided that the Governor should not receive to exceed $1,000 annually, and the Secretary of State not more than $600. As if doubting the wisdom of placing too much power directly with the people, the Constitution provided that the only officers to be elected should be Governor, Lieutenant- Governor, Sheriff, Coroner and County Commissioners. Other officers were to be appointed by the Governor or the General Assembly. Their labors ended, the members of the Convention adjourned on August 26, and on December 3, of the same year, Illinois was admitted to the Union as the eighth new State. Few public documents stand, unaltered, the test of time and experience. The ready-made Constitution was poorly suited to the needs of the people of Illinois. Upon it was heaped the blame for the many misfortunes that befell the State in its early years. At length, in 1848, a new Constitution, which corrected many of the defects of the old, was adopted by the people. But as this Constitution was framed when the people were heavily in debt and before the natural resources of the country were known, it failed to provide for the expansion of the young- State. In December, 1869, a convention of the people gathered at Springfield 'To alter, revise or amend the Constitution" for a third time. This Convention, numbering eighty-five delegates, was the ablest body that had ever gathered in 146 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. the State. It was composed of men of ripe experience, sound judgment and profound learning, who had gained distinction in their various professions as lawyers, farmers, merchants, bankers, physicians and editors. Such a body of men, inspired by high and patriotic motives, could not fail to produce a docu- ment suited to the needs of the people. The result of their deliberations was the present Consti- tution, which many stu- dents o f politics c o n - sider wiser and better than that possessed by any other State in the Union. The State, however, in its rapid de- velopment has o u t - grown many of its pro- visions, and a consider- able number of amend- ments have been added from time to time so that the instrument may continue to serve the purpose Jor which it was originally intended. One of the new and commendable articles of the Constitution provides for the establishment and maintenance of an efficient pub- lic school system. Another very important clause of the instrument distinctly prohibits any city, town or county of the State from becoming a subscriber to the capital stock SHADRACH BOND. STATEHOOD THE CONSTITUTIONS. 147 of any railroad or corporation. It further provides for the estabHshing of a minority representation in the State legis- lature. This principle permits every voter to cast as many ballots for one candidate to the legislature as there are representatives to be chosen in his district, or he may divide his votes among the various candidates as he wishes. Thus the minority party in any district in the State may mass its votes upon a single candidate. This, the third Constitution, was adopted by the people in 1870. The first governor of Illinois was Shadrach Bond, who, . like many men who have contributed to the greatness and honor of the State, was born beyond its limits. He came to the Illinois country from Maryland in 1794, when but twenty-one years of age. Compelled to w^ork upon a farm in the American Bottoms, he obtained little schooling, but by diligent use of his time he acquired a store of knowledge which made him a power among men of that early day. With jet black hair and eyes, tall and erect, com- manding in appearance and dignified in bearing, he won the esteem and respect of all men. A captain in the War of 1 81 2, he was elected as the first territorial delegate to Congress. Appointed as the receiver of public moneys, he removed in 1814 to Kaskaskia, and erected there a spacious brick house, which he occupied until his death. The first lieutenant-governor of the State, Pierre Menard, was born near Montreal, Canada, in 1766. When but a lad he came to Vincennes and hired out to a French mer- chant. About the year 1790 he removed to Kaskaskia and set up a business for himself. He was short of stature, impulsive in his nature, bright and alert, and possessed of a kind heart that won him many friends. T48 TITE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. The soul of honor, Pierre Menard treated red men and white with equal consideration. Over the Indians, who had impHcit confidence in him, he possessed an influence jrreater than that of anv other man in the territory. At his spacious home he dispensed a boundless hospitality to rich and poor alike. In those days salt was expensive and difficult to obtain. At one time Pierre Me- nard held the only sup- ply to be found outside of St. Louis. In great distress, the people of the region came to buy. He ranged those who declared they had mon- ey with which to pur- chase upon one 'side of his store and those who confessed they had nothing on the other. Then he addressed them in his broken English: **Your men who got de PIERRE MENARD. money can to St. Louis for your salt. Dese poor men who got no money shall have my salt, by gar." At the expiration of his term of office he retired from public service and lived upon his large estate at Kaskaskia, where he died in 1844. The State, in recognition of his services, named a county for him. Charles Pierre Choteau of St. Louis, erected at the east front of the capitol at Springfield a monument to his memory. CHAPTER XVI. THE FKiPlT AGAINST SLAVERY. The first negro slaves were brought to the American colonies in 1619 by a Dutch trader and sold to the \'irginia planters. A century later, in 1721, Philip Renault pur- chased 500 ne- groes at San Domingo and brought them to Fort dar- tres to work in the gold and silver m i n e s which the Commer- cial Company expected to open. But no mine s were discovered and the slaves were sold to the French set- tlers. All the hVench slaves of Illinois were descended from gov. Edward coles. 149 ^F^ ^^H|ii'''i^ ^H ■^ ^^^^^^^Hl i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^k 7^^!^^^^^^^^^^h| HIHIB 150 THE MxVKING OF ILLINOIS. these San Domingo negroes. At this time the countries of Europe permitted slavery in their various colonies. The laws of F'rance regulating the practice -were humane and merciful. They provided that slaves were to be instructed in the Roman Catholic religion. The Sabbath also was to be observed by them. Marriages between whites and blacks could not be solemnized. Masters wxre commanded to deal kindly with their slaves, and to care for those rendered useless by infirmity or old age. Negro families were not to be separated by sale, nor could a negro over forty years of age be sold from the land on which he lived. Slavery never flourished in Illinois. In 1810 there were but 168 slaves within the borders of the Territory, and in 1820, with all the increase in population, only 917. But many of the settlers came from States where slavery flour- ished and were desirous of continuing the system. When the ''Ordinance of 1787," prohibiting slavery in the North- west Territory, was passed, many people believed that the institution would disappear from the South as it had from the North. But the invention of the cotton gin and the steam engine greatly increased the demand for cotton. The States bordering upon the Gulf became vast cotton fields, cultivated by slave labor. In New England and Great Britain millions of spindles were whirling and shut- tles were flying to supply the waiting world with clothing. Instead of dying out, slavery became firmly fastened upon the nation. Those who were benefited by its existence began to do all in their power to make it a permanent institution. While Illinois was still a Territory, several attempts were made to repeal that clause of the "Ordinance of 1787," THE FIGHT AGAINST SLAVERY. I5I prohibiting- slavery. These attempts upon Congress might have proved successful but for the influence of James Madison. Illinois was admitted as a free State in 1818, only after the most serious objection from the slave-holding element. To satisfy those who had been defeated, the first general assembly, whose members had been largely reared in slave- holding communities, enacted a series of *'black laws" which w^ere as severe as those of any slave State. Since this iniquitous institution has passed away, it may be interesting to examine these laws which did not entirely disappear from our statute books until 1848. "Any one who freed his slaves within the State was compelled to give a bond for $1,000, a guarantee that those liberated should not become public charges. Every free negro was required to obtain a certificate of freedom certified to under seal of a court of record. This certificate was recorded in the county in which his family settled. Every negro not holding such a certificate was adjudged a runaway slave. He was to be arrested, and if he was not claimed within six weeks or his freedom established, he was to be sold for a period of one year. At the end of this time if no one claimed him a certificate might be granted him. Any person employing a negro who did not hold such a certificate was liable to a fine of $1.50 for each day the negro was employed. To harbor a slave or hinder the owner from retaking him was declared a felony, punishable by a fine of two fold the value of the slave and whipping not to exceed thirty stripes. No person could sell to, buy from, or trade with any slave, without consent of his master, under penalty of forfeiting 152 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS to the owner four times the amount of the transaction. Any slave found ten miles from home without a permit was liable to arrest and to receive thirty-five stripes, on the order of a justice of the peace. A lazy or disorderly slave or bond servant was to be corrected with stripes, and for every day he refused to work he was to serve two. Riots or unlawful assemblies of slaves were punishable with stripes not to exceed thirty-nine. In all cases where white citizens were punishable by fines, slaves were punished by whipping at the rate of twenty stripes for every $8.00 fine. But the punishment was not to exceed forty stripes at any one time." After the admission of Illinois, the entire nation soon became engaged in an angry contest over the question of admitting Missouri as a free or slave State. The excite- ment had not subsided at the time of the second general election in Illinois in 1822. Although the subject of slavery was not mentioned, yet every one felt that '*the question was in the air." To the surprise of the people, Edward Coles, a native of Virginia and a strong anti-slavery man, was elected governor. The smouldering embers were fanned into a flame by his eloquent message to the general assembly. It strongly recommended that the Black laws be repealed, and that the slaves of the French settlers be no longer held in bondage. The friends of slavery attempted to make a slave State of Illinois. This could be done only by amending the Constitution. Accordingly the legislature, which contained a majority of members who favored slavery, adopted a resolution submitting the question to a vote of the people at the next election. The passage of this measure was THE FKUTT AC.AINST SLAVERY. 153 considered a great victory for the friends of slavery, who indulged in many triumphal celebrations. But the opponents of slaver}- did not lose heart. There were still eighteen months before the election, and each party put forth every effort to gain adherents. Such an exciting canvass had never before been witnessed. Every one became engaged in the party strife. Fami- lies were divided; neighborhoods surrendered to the bitter warfare; personal combats were frequent. Every newspaper of the new State was ranged upon one side or the other. Papers were established during the campaign to which the ablest writers of their respective parties con- tributed. Pamphlets were distributed containing statistics for or against slavery. The "friends of freedom" organized "anti-slavery societies." Governor Coles contributed his entire salary, $4,000, as a campaign fund. On election day each party turned out in full force. The lame, the halt, the blind, the aged, were assisted to the polls by their friends. When the votes were counted it was found that slavery had been defeated by 1,800 majority. This was the most exciting and important election ever held in early Illinois. FeeUng in the matter speedily subsided. Six months after, it was difficult to find a politician who would admit that he favored the introduction of slavery into Illinois. Outside the State, the contest over slavery raged fiercely. Slave-holders believed that discussion of the subject from the platform or in the newspaper should be prohibited. This was denying the right of free discussion and liberty of speech. These are two principles that have always been dear to the Saxon. 154 THE MAKING OF TLLTNOIS. Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, a Presbyterian minister, was editing a religious paper in St. Louis. In the columns of the Observer, he fearlessly attacked the institution of slavery. A mob entered his office, broke his press to pieces, threw his type into the river, and compelled him to leave the city. Determined to remove to a free State, he went to Alton, purposing to re-establish his paper. Two other presses were destroyed by mobs, but his friends, now fully aroused, collected money with which to purchase a fourth press. The press arrived on the night of November 7, 1837, and was stored in the stone warehouse of Godfrey, Gilman & Co. The next night, news of its arrival having been circulated, a drunken mob, armed with guns, brick- bats and stones, assembled and demanded the press. Mr. Lovejoy and a few friends, who had also armed themselves, were gathered in the building. "It is my determination to defend my property," exclaimed Mr. Lovejoy. ''Shoot the Abolitionists ! Tear down the house !" shouted the mob, and, suiting the action to the word, they began to break the windows and fire upon the building. The men within returned the fire, killing one and wound- ing others of the mob. ''Burn the building," shouted the drunken ruffians. Ladders were raised and a man quickly ran up and applied a torch to the roof. Mr. Lovejoy, with a rifle in his hands, appeared and was shot down, pierced by five bullets. Thus died the first martyr to the cause of slavery in the State of Illinois. Widespread excitement was caused by this tragic death. Papers came out in mourning. Public meetings were held «i many places. Orators declared that Lovejoy had found THE FIGHT AGAINST SLAVERY. I55 a grave in a free State ; that the martyrdom of this repre- sentative of justice, Hberty and free speech would kindle a flame, which years would fail to extinguish. An institution known as the ''underground railroad" existed in many of the Northern States. The engi- neers and conductors were people who believed slavery to be wrong. The road had its beginning on the banks of the Ohio River and its terminus in Canada. The passen- gers were escaped negroes who were conducted by night from one friendly family to another, where they were con- cealed during the day. Who the operators of this mys- terious system were no one knew. But in nearly every community there lived some farmer or business man whose house was a refuge for these unfortunate beings. Levi Coffin was the most prominent of all the men who were en- gaged in assisting runaway negroes to Canada. He was born in North Carolina, but early developed such a hatred for the institution of slavery that he determined to live in a free State, and removed to Indiana. It is said that he sheltered more than a hundred fugitives every year. The slave-holders began to complain that they were being systematically robbed, and that they should be pro- tected. Accordingly Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law which made it a crime to assist a runaway slave. But instead of benefiting the slave-owner, the passage of this law raised a storm of opposition. Thus the struggle against slavery continued. In Kansas civil war broke out. Preston S. Brookes, a member of Congress from South Carolina, became enraged at Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, for offensive insinuations con- tained in a speech delivered against slavery. He attacked 156 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. Senator Sumner on the floor of the Senate chamber, and beat him into insensibihty with a heavy cane. While few people expected to see slavery abolished, there were some, both among Whigs and Democrats, who believed that it should not be permitted to spread to new- States and Territories. Dissatisfied members from all parties united to form the Republican party, which was pledged to prevent the spread of slavery. Abraham Lincoln had become noted because of a series of debates which he had held with Senator Stephen A. Douglas upon the political questions of the day. In an address before the people of Springfield, he used these words : "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this Government cannot endure half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union will be dissolved, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other." The election of Abraham Lincoln, the candidate of the Republican party in i860, was followed by the great Civil War. CHAPTER XVII. OUR STATE CAPITALS. When the Territory of IlHnois was separated from Indiana by Congress in 1809, Kaskaskia, the most important com- mercial center of the region, was chosen as the seat of government. The Territorial legislature held its sessions in a large rough building of uncut limestone, located in the center of the square. This venerable structure had been the head- quarters of the military commander during the time of French occupancy. The lower floor of the cheerless struc- ture was fitted up for the use of the House. The members of the council occupied a small chamber above where they per- formed their la- bors, gathered about a circular FIRST CAPITOL. table. The vil- lage of Kaskaskia continued to flourish as the capital of the Territory. It was the chief town of the region. Easily accessible to steamboats and post-roads, the large com- mercial firms had here their headquarters. It became the home of many statesmen and public men. 157 158 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. But when the members of the convention gatheied to frame the first State Constitution, they provided in this instrument that "the seat of government should remain at Kaskaskia until the General Assembly should other- wise direct." They also provided that this body should "petition Congress for a grant to the State of four sections of land for the seat of government," and if the prayer was granted that a town should be laid out thereon, which should remain the capital of the State for twenty years. The land was to be situated upon the Kaskaskia River, and east of the Third Principal Meridian. The only reason for a change of location at this time was "a. mania for speculation" and the hope that fortunes might be made by building a new town. Carlyle, which had been laid out on the Kaskaskia River by two gentlemen from Virginia, was competing for the honor of location with a site higher up the river known as "Pope's Bluff." While the contest was raging, a hunter, named Reeves, appeared before the convention and de- clared that "Pope's Bluff and Carlyle wasn't a primin' to his bluff." His cabin was located still higher up the river at a point where the Third Meridian crossed the stream. The location was indeed beautiful. Under the shade of the gigantic trees, "former lords of the forest might have held grave council." The site was so commanding that the commissioners fixed upon the hunter's home as the location for the future capital. Tradition relates that a wag who was present suggested to the commissioners that, since the Vandals were a power- ful tribe of Indians, who formerly occupied this region, the name Vandalia would preserve the name of the extinct OUR STATE CAPITALS. 159 SECOND CAPITOL, VANDAWA. Three different State houses were built at Vandalia. The first, a two-story frame building, was burned December 9, 1823. The sec- ond, a commodious brick structure, erected at a cost of $12,381.50 — toward which the citizens contributed the sum of $3,000 — was de- molished in 1836 to make place for the present building, which the people of Vandalia erected to prevent the removal of the capital to Springfield. But the capital remained in Vandalia only a few months, however, or until 1837, when the legislature passed a bill ordering its removal to Springfield. This was inmiediately done and the State refunded to Vandalia the $16,000 her residents had expended in constructing the building. The brick columns of this building were replaced by iron pillars September 18, 1889. l6o THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. race and also make an excellent name for the new capital. Accordingly the town site was called Vandalia. A temporary State House of two stories was speedily erected upon a foundation of rough stone. Two men were paid $25 to transfer the State records to the new capital. In December, 1820, they shouldered their axes and cut a road through the forest for the small wagon containing the valuable freight. A little village sprang up, and when the new State House was burned in 1823 the citizens speedily raised $3,000 with which to assist in erecting a new building. In the center of the square, a commodious brick structure was erected, which answered well the needs of our early legislators. This building, in 1836, gave place to a more beautiful structure, which still adorns the city of Vandalia, and is used for the Court House for Fayette County. Immigration was pouring into the rich farming lands in the central and northern portions of the new State. Long before the limit of twenty years had expired, agitation be- gan for the removal of the capital from Vandalia, which had grown to be a beautiful little city. In that early day before the introduction of railroads, when all travel was by stage or by horseback, the location of the capital at a more central point was of greater importance than it would be at the present time. After much discussion the legislature passed an act re- quiring that the two houses meet on the 28th of February. 1837, at 10 o'clock, to select a suitable place for the per- manent location of the seat of government, after the er.- Diration of the Constitutional term at Vandalia. OUR STATE CAPITALS. i6i Twenty-nine towns were rivals for the honor. The six whose chances seemed good were Ilhopohs, Peoria, Jack- sonville, Alton, Vandalia and Springfield. On the fourth ballot seventy-three votes made Springfield the choice of the convention. The success of Springfield was due largely to the able delegation, consisting of two senators and seven THIKU CAI'ITOU I3UIUDIN(;, SI'RINGFlEUD l62 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. representatives sent to the legislature from Sangamon county. The delegation was known as the "long nine," because the combined height of its members was fifty-four feet. Abraham Lincoln and Ninian Edwards were mem- bers of this famous delegation. These men, able, per- sistent and talented, went to Vandalia with the express determination of obtaining the location of the capital at Springfield. With this end in view they pulled together and voted as a unit on every question. At this time almost every section of the State desired appropriations to improve rivers, construct railroads and lay out canals or public roads. 'The long nine" took advantage of the situation. All axes could be sharpened upon their grindstone if in return delegates would vote for the removal of the capital to Springfield. The *iog rolling" of the "long nine" continued throughout the winter, and resulted in final victory. At this time Springfield was an ambitious village of 1,500 people, second in population only to Jacksonville. Its frame houses were poorly constructed ; sidewalks were lacking, and the streets were often rendered impassable by the deep mud. President Lincoln enjoyed telling this story of the town of which he was so fond : Thompson Campbell, Secretary of State, one day re- ceived an application from a meek looking man, with a white necktie, for the use of the assembly chamber to de- liver a course of lectures. "May I ask," said the Secretary, "what is to be the sub- ject of your lectures?" "Certainly," was the reply, with a very solemn expres- OUR STATE CAPITALS. 163 sion of countenance, "it is on the second coming of our Lord." "It is no use," said Campbell, '*if you will take my advice you will not waste your time in this city. It is my private opinion that if the Lord had been in Springfield once, he would not come the second time." The corner-stone of the new State House, which was to be built in the center of the village, was laid with much ceremony July 4, 1837. The building, which cost $200,000, was greatly admired for its beauty, and was considered large enough to meet the needs of the State for many years. The advancement and prosperity of a State may be read in its pubHc buildings. Before twenty-five years had passed, our State had outgrown its third capitol building, which is now the Court House for Sangamon County. Again did rival towns, especially Peoria and Decatur, bid for the tempting prize. Finally the citizens of Springfield donated "the Mather lot," a beautiful tract of seven acres, to which four acres more have been added. Upon this the State has reared a pile of architecture so rich and ornate in design, so ample in proportion, and so costly in struc- ture, that the question of capital removal will probably never again be discussed. The corner-stone was laid in October, 1868, and the entire structure was completed at a cost of $4,260,000. The opening of vast coal fields, the centering of railroads in the city, the establishing of manufactures, the energy and thrift of her citizens, has caused Springfield to grow from an inconsiderable village to an attractive and beautiful city, a fit home for our capitol, a fit capital for our State. CHAPTER XVIII. NAUVOO AND THE MORMONS. In the little village of Sharon, Vermont, was born on December 2^, 1805, a child named Joseph Smith, who was destined to wield a wide influence and establish an addi- tional religious sect. When Joseph was but a lad his father removed to Palmyra, New York. At about the age of fifteen young Joseph Smith attended one of the great revival meetings which were being held in the State and was deeply afTected. He relates that retiring to a wood for prayer and meditation he beheld a wonderful vision. Two persons appeared to him in a pillar of light. One of these heavenly visitors commanded him to unite with no established church. He further states that he was again visited by an angel, who revealed to him the location of certain gold plates hidden in the earth, that contained a vecord of the former inhabitants of America. In a few years these were obtained and translated by him and pub- lished as "The Book of Mormon." About this time there appeared an itinerant preacher named Sidney Rigdon, who had one time worked in a print- ing office in Pittsburg. To this office one Solomon Spauld- ing had sent a writing styled "The Manuscript Found,"* a romance of the origin of the North American Indians. Cer- tain people claim that this manuscript obtained by Sidney Rigdon is the basis of "The Book of Mormon." A com- *This manuscript is in the possession of The Oberlin (Ohio) College Library. 1G5 l66 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. parison of the two books, however, necessitates an aban- donment of this theory. There is no common incident or name, in fact, no resemblance whatever between 'The Manuscript Found" and 'The Book of Mormon," The Mormons, moreover, claim that Joseph Smith made this translation several years before he became acquainted with Sidney Rigdon, who joined the sect November 14, 1830. The "Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints" was organ- ized at Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830. The little band, at this time numbering but six members, chose Jo- seph Smith to be the presiding officer. The church grew rapidly and in 1836 dedicated its first temple at Kirtland, Ohio. This structure still stands and is a remarkable monument of Mormon industry and zeal Through a revelation it was declared that Independence, Mo., was to be the future "City of Zion." To this religion many of the faithful gathered. But there was much strife between them and the people of Missouri concerning relig- ion and the question of slavery, for the Mormons did not hold slaves. The newly organized county of Caldwell was given them for their exclusive use. Here they gathered in great numbers and established the city of "Far West." To this place Joseph Smith and other leading Mormons from Kirtland, Ohio, came in the year 1838. But the persecu- tions did not cease and in the winter of 1838-39 they were driven from the State and sought shelter in Illinois, pur- chasing a large body of land in Hancock County. In the midst of this tract, upon the banks of the Mississippi, they established Nauvoo, "the Holy City of the Saints." A special charter was secured for this new city and John C. Bennett was elected mayor. Each of the two great NAUVOO AND THE MORMONS. 167 political parties— the Whigs and the Democrats— desired to secure the support of the Mormons. Thus it happened that when Dr. Bennett went to Spring- field to secure a charter for the new city he was aided by the politicians of both parties. A Nauvoo Legion was established which, in addition to the regular powers of the Militia of the State,, was to be "at the disposal of the Mayor in executing the laws and ordinances of the City Corporation." The Governor of Missouri made a demand upon Gov- ernor Carlin of Illinois for Joseph Smith, who had fled from the State while under arrest. A warrant was issued for him and he was brought before Judge Douglas, who found the warrant defective and released the prisoner. Because of constant persecutions and fearful that their leader might be taken from them, it is said the Mormon Council enacted a law 'That no writ issued at any other place except Nauvoo for the arrest of any person in the city should be executed without approval endorsed thereon by the mayor." The result of this law was soon apparent. Any man who committed a crime would now endeavor to hide in the city of Nauvoo, and it is certain that the Mormons were blamed for many crimes committed by others. The Mormons now became unpopular everywhere. After the release of Smith by Judge Douglas his followers had returned to the Democratic party. The Whigs, realizing that they were lost to their party, began to attack them through the columns of their papers. The Legion had been furnished by the State with 250 l68 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. stands of arms and three pieces of cannon. These the papers magnified into many thousands of arms. The j)eoplc, now inflamed, prepared to make war upon the Mormons, and the Governor called out the troops. Before his arrival upon the scene, the entire militia of McDonough and Schuyler Counties had assembled at Carthage and Warsaw. The Governor, fearful that the Mormon leaders would be sacrificed to the fury of the peo- ple, obtained from the officers a promise that they w^ould keep within the limit of the law in the discharge of their duties. Knowing that warrants had been issued, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum w'ent to Carthage and gave them- selves up to the sheriff. But on June 27, 1844, they were assassinated at the hands of a mob. In summing up the character of Joseph Smith one wn'iter states : "But whether knave or lunatic, w^h ether a liar or a true man, it cannot be denied that he was one of the most extraordinary persons of his time, a man of rude genius, who accomplished a much greater w^ork than he knew ; and whose name, whatever he may have been wdiilst living, will take its place among the notabilities of the world." * As organized, the church consisted of three presidents and twelve apostles, who were abroad preaching Mormon- ism. Two of the presidents — Joseph and Hyrum Smith — were dead. The third, Sidney Rigdon, proposed to seize the power, but becoming unpopular a fierce dispute arose between him and the twelve apostles who had returned at the news of their leaders' death. *Smucker's History of Mormons, page 183. NAUVOO AND THE MORMONS. l6i} The apostles with Brighani Young at their head gained control and sent missionaries everywhere preaching Mor- monism and the martyred Joseph Smith. ]\lany flocked into the church and the sect grew rapidly. At the death of the Prophet the church numbered about two hundred thousand, '*a number equal, perhaps, to the number of Christians when the Christian church was of the same age."^ Aleanw'hile the State had revoked the charter of Nauvoo and the Saints prepared for the journey to the promised land, W'here they hoped to live undisturbed. In the spring of 1846 the great company began to depart, and after enduring many hardships arrived upon the shores of Salt Lake. Of this region their industry soon made a garden. Here were laid the foundations of a mammoth Temple, which has been completed after many years of labor and the expenditure of great treasure. The city of Salt Lake grew up around it, and with pass- ing years the church of the "Latter Day Saints" has grown in w^ealth and in the number of its people. But many Mormons refused to follow Brigham Young to Utah, nor would they accept the doctrine of polygamy announced by him in 1852. These people, many of whom lived in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, began a movement to reorganize the church. This was finally accomplished and in i860 Joseph Smith, a son of the founder, was chosen t.) be the presiding officer. This branch of the Mormon church, the "Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," has its head- quarters at Lamoni, Iowa. *Fori N ' STATU TtOXBT. »»(»*« ittnt. GREAT LINCOLN RALLY - SPRINGFIELD, AUGUST 8, i860. Reproduced from the Daily State Journal of August 9, :;,^6°- ™\;^^^|;;i: greatest rally of the campaign. ^Ir. Lincoln was present and spoke bnetl> hL only campaign speech of that year. The newspaper account says: "\t the conclusion of these remarks, Mr. Lincoln descended from the plat- form and wiHdfficulty made his way through the vast throng who eagerly m-essed around to take him hv the hand. T.y an adroit movement he escaped on horseback, while the crowd were besieging the carnage to which it was expected he would return." LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS. 193 other of this great question, and a new party, the Repub- Hcan, was formed by the men who beheved that slavery should be extended no farther. Mr. Lincoln believed that slavery should not be brought into the new territory. His wonder- f u 1 speeches on this subject were listened to or read by many people, and made him more famous than ever. In company with Senator S t e - phen A. Doug- las, who was a Democrat, Mr. Lincoln made a tour of the State, holding joint debates at a number of places. Ev- erywhere thou- sands of peo- ple turned out to hear the briUiant orators discussing the subjects of "slavery" and ''State Rights," and these ques- tions became more prominent than ever before. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. 194 'i'HE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. The Republican party was becoming stronger every year, and when its delegates met at Chicago, in i860, to select a candidate for President, Abraham Lincoln of Illi- nois was chosen. During the convention some men carried to the platform a number of rails that he had split when a young man, and the delegates cheered themselves hoarse at the sight. From this time forward Abraham Lincoln becomes a great character in our nation's history. His election to the Presidency precipitated the Civil War, with its four years of bloodshed and sorrow. During those trying times President Lincoln managed the affairs of the nation with consummate wisdom. On the eve of taking up the work of his office for a second term he uttered these noble words : *'With malice toward none ; with charity for all ; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in ; to bind up the nation's wounds ; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." With one stroke of his pen he gave the slaves their free- dom, and when our great armies had brought victory to the North and peace to the nation, it seemed that the great work of Abraham Lincoln had been accomplished. And so it proved, for five days after the surrender of the Con- federate army, on the evening of April 14th, as the great war President sat in Ford's Theatre, he was shot by John Wilkes Booth, the actor. An entire nation — North and South— bowed in grief, and LTN^ror.N IN ITJ.INOTS I95 from every part of the world poured in messages of sorrow. The hiinihic "rail-s])Htter of Ihinois" had taken his place amone the j:;-reat and honored dead of the world. LINCOLN'S F.VREWELL TO THE CITIZENS OF STRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS Address Dklivrrkd February ii, t86i. AIy Friends : No one not in my situation can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young man to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one Is buried. I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon AVashington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trust- ing in Him who can go with me and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell. PHOTOGRAPH OF THE OLD GTATE HOUSE AT KASKASKIA TAKEN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS SWALLOWED UP BY THE RIVER o CIVIL WAR PERIOD "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in." — ABRAHAM UNCOLN. CHAPTER XXII. ILLINOIS IN THE GREAT WAR. Our prolonged struggle for the preservation of the Union has taken its place in history among the great wars of the world. For the numbers engaged, the valor displayed by the soldiers of both North and South, the issues involved and the length of time the conflict lasted, it has proven the most remarkable war of modern times. Volumes have been written upon the part taken in this great civil duel by the soldiers from Illinois. In all, our State furnished 260,000 men for the conflict. This places Illinois in the fourth rank, for, the States of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio excepted, she furnished more troops than any other. But in i860 each of these States had many more inhabitants, and in proportion to her population then, Illinois furnished a greater number of soldiers than any other State except Kansas. One is almost tempted to claim that the war could not have been won without the aid of the brave men from Illinois, but this would be unfair to other loyal States. It required the united efforts of all, and every State deserves praise and honor. Illinois was peculiarly fortunate in furnishing many illustrious leaders. First of all we must place our President, Abraham Lin- coln, the one man of the nation to guide the country dur- ing its dark hour of conflict. 199 GENERAL U. S. GRANT. ILLINOIS IN THE GREAT WAR. 201 Next to him stands General U. S. Grant, the greatest captain of his time. After these great men come a long Hst of iUustrious generals, such as General Hovey, who resigned the presidency of the State Normal School to command a regiment of volunteers; Generals John A. Lo- gan, John A. McLernard, Richard Oglesby, John M. Pal- mer, John A. Rawlins, John Pope, and a host of others, who added to the luster of Illinois by their valor and courage displayed on the battlefield. But these great leaders, of whom we are justly proud, would have been powerless but for the rank and file of patriotic men who left their harvests ungathered, their tools upon the work bench, their ledgers upon the desks, and marched southward to the inspiring music of war. At Belmont, November 7, 1861, the Illinois troops under command of General Grant fought the first battle of im- portance. From here they marched against Forts Henry and Donelson. The taking of Fort Donelson was the first great victory for the North, and throughout the country a shout of thanksgiving went up. Some of the Illinois regiments were nearly cut to pieces in this engagement, and the loss of officers was very great. It was at this battle that General Grant gained the name of Unconditional Surrender Grant, by dictating the follow- ing message to the Confederate commander. General Buckner : ''No terms but unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." In recognition of the valor displayed by the Illinois troops in this battle, a New England author wrote the fol- lowing poem, which was published in the Atlantic Monthly: 202 . THE MAKING OF TLLTNOTS. "Oh, gales that clash the Atlantic's swell Along our rocky shores, Whose thunders diapason swell New England's glad hurrahs, "Bear, to the prairies of the West, The echoes of our joy ; The prayer that springs in every breast^ God bless thee, Illinois. ■^'Oh, a\vful hours when grape and shell Tore through the unflinching line ; 'Stand firm, remove the men who fell, Close up, and wait the sign.' "It came at last ; now, lads, the steel ! The rushing hosts deploy ; Charge, boys, the broken traitors reel, Huzza! for Illinois. 'Tn vain thy rampart, Donelson, The living torrent bars ; It leaps the wall, the fort is won, Up go the stripes and stars! 'Thy proudest mother's eyelids fill. As dares her gallant boy. And Plymouth Rock and lUmker Hill, Yearn to thee, Illinois." One of the most daring deeds of the war was performed by General Benjamin H. Grierson and his Illinois cavalry, during the siege of Vicksburg. Starting from La Grange, Tennessee, he swept through the entire State of Mississippi and part of Louisiana, burning bridges, destroying rail- ILLINOIS IN THE GREAT WAR. 203 roads, striking Confederate outposts and damaging much property. He reached the Union hues in safety, having ridden a distance of 800 miles in sixteen days. The last thirty hours his men rode without eating or resting. So exhausted were the soldiers that they went to sleep in their saddles, and were only aroused by the sound of musketry. After a skirmish they would again relapse into sleep. A record of Ilhnois troops in the war would recount weary marches and fierce battles in Arkansas, Texas, Ten- nessee, Mississippi, Georgia and other Southern States. Illinois troops withstood the shock of the rebel hosts upon the bloody field of Shiloh ; Illinois troops fought at PerryviUe and Corinth ; Illinois troops contended at Chicka- mauga and climbed the heights of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain ; Illinois troops waited weary weeks in the trenches around Vicksburg, and shouted for joy when the city finally surrendered; Illinois troops fired the first shot at the battle of Gettysburg; Illinois troops marched with Sherman "from Atlanta to the sea," and took their place in the last grand review. On the banks of the Mississippi, and where the Tennessee ripples over its rocky bed; in the valleys of the Southern mountains, and by the waters of the Gulf, along the track of the marching hosts, may be found the resting places of thousands of Illinois soldiers who went forth to battle but never returned. STAY AT HOMES. While the great mass of men at the North were loyal to the Union, there were others to l)e found in nearly every community who secretly sympathized with the South. Be- 204 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. lieving in the system of slavery, they would have "preferred the triumph of the South to the restoration of the Union with slavery aboHshed." These men interfered in many ways with the work of the war. Desertion was encouraged, resistance to the draft was advised, and some of them acted as spies for the enemy. A secret association was formed, known as the ''Knights of the Golden Circle." Members of this order, aided by officers of the South, even went so far as to plan the liberation of the Confederate prisoners held at Chicago and Rock Island. The scheme also in- cluded the burning of Chicago. But the authorities were warned in time and the attempt was frustrated. To counteract the work of this organization, the loyal men formed a secret political society known as the "Union League of America." Organized first in Tazewell County in 1862, this order rapidly spread from State to State, and before the close of the war it had reached a membership of 175,000. This organization, a mighty influence for good, materially assisted the Union cause. The work of the soldiers in the field was nobly assisted by the "stay-at-homes." Without patriotic men to carry on manufactures and railroads, harvest crops, till fields and provide for the women and children, the success of the North would have been impossible. These men with their aid and sympathy, freely giving of their time and money, kept the flame of patriotism burning brightly, and made possible our glorious success. When news reached Illinois of the bloody and glorious victory of Fort Donelson, Governor Yates, often called "the soldier's friend," accompanied by his staff, hastened to the field of battle to assist in caring for the sick and wounded. ILLINOIS IN THE GREAT WAR. 205 A sanitary commission was established. Medical sup- plies and provisions were collected and distributed among the wounded in camp and hospital. The State also estab- lished hospitals at Peoria, Quincy and Springfield, to which many wounded were conveyed. Immediately after the battle of Shiloh, the governor chartered a steamboat, and with nurses, physicians and supplies, hastened to the scene of conflict. His coming was hailed with joy by the suffer- ing soldiers, many of whom had lain upon the ground for a week with their wounds unattended. The boat, loaded with those most severely injured, hastened to the Northern hospitals and returned with all speed for others. In this way thousands of our wounded soldiers were brought back to the State, where they were cared for by their relatives and friends. Governor Yates remarked, "We must not let our brave boys think they have been forgotten, but follow them in their weary marches, with such things as they need for their comfort, which the Government cannot supply, and with messages of love and encouragement from home, wherever they go and at whatever cost." Auxiliary associations, aid societies and soldiers' homes were established everywhere. Through these agencies thousands of dollars in money and large quantities of pro- visions were collected and distributed, the whole amounting to more than a million dollars. THE WOMEN OF ILLINOIS. The mothers and sisters of Illinois were foremost in every effort to lend aid, and give comfort. Scarcely had the smoke of battle cleared away when they presented them- 2o6 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. selves to nurse the wotmded. At home they organized societies to knit stockings, pick lint for the wounded, and prepare delicacies and reading matter for their sons and brothers at the front. The efficiency of the home organiza- tions was due largely to our heroic women. The patriotic women of Galena, unable to enlist, deter- mined to make uniforms for the first company that their town sent into the field. Accordingly they purchased the necessary cloth, employed tailors to cut the garments, and made them up themselves. The ladies of many communities made the flags that were borne aloft as the companies marched to the war. WAR SONGS. Among the factors that contributed to the success of the Union cause scarcely any was more important than the many inspiring and thrilling songs that were composed and sung at that time, some of the best of which were written by citizens of Illinois. George F. Root of Chicago was one of the most gifted composers of war music. His songs, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching," ''Just Before the Battle, Mother," and "The Battle Cry of Free- dom" were sung on every battlefield, and around every camp fire. When the "emancipation proclamation" was issued by President Lincoln many officers took oflfense, and some were upon the point of resigning their commands. At about that time a glee club from Chicago came into the camp singing a new song, "The Battle Cry of Freedom." "The Union forever, hurrah ! boys, hurrah ! Down with the traitor, up with the stars. ILLINOIS IN THE GREAT WAR. 20/ While we rally round the ilag, boys, rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom." The effect was wonderful. The words ran through ^.be camps like wild fire. Every one took up the refrain. "The Union forever, hurrah ! boys, hurrah !" From tent to tent sounded the harmony. All thoughts of resigning were thrown to the winds while the great army united in the mighty chorus. The inspiring songs, ''Brave Boys are They," ''Kingdom Coming" and "Marching Through Georgia," were written by Henry Clay Work of Illinois. From the pine woods of Arkansas, the swamps of Vir- ginia, the mountain tops of Georgia and the bayous of Louisiana, ascended a chorus of song whose music thrilled the patriotic soul, and whose words recalled again and again the principles for which the boys in blue were risking their lives. These songs, simple in language and sweet in melody, touched the heart beyond the power of argu- ment, recalling again the words of Andrew Fletcher, uttered two hundreds years ago, "Give me the making of the ballads, and I care not who makes the laws of a nation." One Confederate commander remarked, 'T shall never for- get the first time I heard 'Rally Round the Flag.' It was a nasty night, during the Seven-days fight ; I was on picket, when just before taps, some fellow on the other side struck up that song and others joined in the chorus. Tom B. sung out: 'Good heavens, Cap, what are those fellows made of ? Here we've licked them six days running, and now on the eve of the seventh they're singing "Rally Round 208 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. the Flag." ' I tell you that song sounded to me like the death knell of doom, and my heart went down into my boots, and it has been an up hill fight with me ever since that night." A few days after the surrender of Lee, another Confed- erate commander who heard these songs sung by a Union quartette, exclaimed: "Gentlemen, if we'd had your songs we'd have licked you out of your boots. Who couldn't have marched or fought with such songs?" And so these stirring army songs, breathing a spirit of patriotism and loyalty, played their part in winning the war for the Union. CHAPTER XXIII. CHICAGO. Fort Dearborn, which had been destroyed by the Indians in 1812, was rebuilt in 1816, and the settlers began to gather about it again. The Indian trader, John Kinzie, with his family, was the first to return, but until 1827 the number of families did not exceed eight. In 1829 the survey of the canal, which was to unite the waters of Lake Michigan with the Illinois River, and the arrival of commissioners to lay out a town, mark the beginning of the great metropolis. Then followed the oflficial act of organization, authoriz- ing the platting and surveying of the original town site. This embraced the territory which now lies between Madi- son and State, and Kinzie and Halsted streets. The map of the town, drawn by the first city surveyor, James Thomp- son, bears the date, August 4, 1830. Chicago River, one and a half miles in length, is formed by the union of two small streams, which flow the one from the northwest and the other from the southwest. This peculiar feature naturally divided the town site into three parts, North, South and West. The cabins of the early settlers were reared upon the west side — known as Wolfe's Point. On the north side was built the Miller House, and on the south side was located a pretentious tavern, partly log and partly frame, kept by Mr. Elijah Wentworth. 209 CHICAGO. 211 The prospect of obtaining work upon the canal attracted people to the new town, and in the following year Cook County, named for Daniel P. Cook, representative in Con- gress, was organized, and included, aside from its present territory, five other counties. In 1830 Stephen Van R. Forbes taught the first school in a log cabin standing near wdiat is now the corner of Randolph street and Michigan avenue. The first church service was held in 1832. In 1833 Chicago was honored with a weekly mail and post office. During this year an election was held to determine whether it should become an incorporated town. Twenty-eight men, the entire male population, were present at the polls. In the following year the levy for city taxes amounted to $48.90, and a loan of $60 for public improvements was negotiated. In 1836, although the town had increased to more than two hundred voters, the State Bank refused it a loan of $25,000. The Legislature incorporated "the city of Chicago" in 1837, and on the first Tuesday in May the Hon. William B. Ogden was elected mayor. The census now showed a population of 4,179, and the people began to think seriously of making permanent pub- lic improvements. The altitude of the city was only a few feet above the level of the lake. Consequently there was no drainage, and after a heavy rain the entire surface was covered with water. Accordingly the city raised the grade of the streets several feet above the ground floors of the dwellings, filling in with clay dredged from the harbor on the lake front, and the houses were raised to conform to the new level. 212 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. The enterprise and energy of the Httlc city was shown by the method it pursued to obtain its water supply. In 1839 a company erected a reservoir at the corner of Michigan avenue and Water street, and with a pump, pro- pelled by a twenty-five horse-power engine, drew water from the lake and distributed it to the city through pipes, made of logs, bored to carry a stream from three to five inches in diameter. But the little city soon outgrew this primitive system, and in 185 1 another plan was devised. A new company made a crib of wood 20x40 feet, and sunk it in the lake six hundred feet from shore. From this crib the water was conducted to the lake front, where it was collected in a well twenty-five feet deep. Here a pump with a two hundred horse-power engine forced the water through the distributing pipes. Three stone reservoirs in different portions of the city were used for storing purposes, and a large tower at the engine house served the double purpose of chimney and reservoir. In 1862 one hundred and five miles of water pipe had been laid. As early as i860 Chicago was beginning to be a railroad center, and the commerce of lake and river was increasing immensely. The growing population, at this time, numbering more than 100,000, required a better system of drainage. The sewerage of the city, the refuse of packing houses situated along the banks of the river, were all poured into the stream. As the current was always sluggish the Chicago River gradually became a dreadful nuisance. Complaint was also m.ade that when the wind was in certain quarters filth was carried out to the crib, to be redistributed by the waterworks through the mains. 214 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. The water supply was purified in 1863 by the construc- tion of a tunnel beneath the lake, through which pure water could be drawn. The new tunnel necessitated a monster crib, a powerful engine, and a stone tower one hundred and thirty feet high. These extensive improvements cost the city a million of dollars. So successful had the city been in forcing a tunnel be- neath the lake bed that the people resolved to tunnel the river for the purpose of facilitating business traffic, which was often impeded by the opening of pivot bridges which spanned the stream. In 1869 a tunnel, with a double driveway and foot path for pedestrians, was built under the river on the line of Washington street, connecting the South and West Sides. Two years after, a larger and better tunnel was forced under the main stream on the fine of La Salle street, connecting the North and South Sides.* Pure drinking water was abundant, but the Chicago River was becoming more and more polluted. At length the city obtained permission from the Legislature to estab- lish a continuous flow of water from the lake to the Illinois Canal by way of the Chicago River. At first it seemed absurd to think of making \vater flow up stream, but after many miles of solid rock had been excavated and the ob- structing barriers torn away, the murky flood of the river began to move into the new channel, which henceforth was to serve as its outlet. * THE GREAT FIRE. Chicago had grown to be a populous city of 300,000 people, and was the great distributing center for the Mis- *Thi3e tunnels liave since been rebuilt. CHICAGO. 215 sissippi Valley and the lake region. Its many large trunk railroad lines reached out their hundred arms to gather in the wealth uf Southern and Western States. The products of forest, mine and fertile soil were brought to her wharves by a thousand vessels. From her great warehouses and factories articles of commerce were sent to every land. The fame of her enterprising merchants and sagacious business men had become world wide. Her rapid growth had made her the marvel of the world. While her substantial business blocks were constructed of stone and brick, her many miles of outlying streets were lined with thousands of wooden dwellings. Suddenly she was overtaken by the most awful fire that ever devastated a community — a calamity so severe that it almost completely \y\pQ(\ the thriving metropolis from the map. In the southwestern part of the city, amidst rude and inferior buildings, hved Mrs. O'Leary. Report has it that on the night of October 8th, 1871, she went out to milk her cow and carried to the shed a lighted lamp. The unruly beast, irritated by its mistress, kicked over the lamp, which exploded, and the ignited oil was scattered upon the straw and refuse. In an instant the shed was in a blaze, and the adjacent dwellings, dry as tinder, speedily caught fire. The flames spread to other buildings, and before the inhab- itants realized the seriousness of the situation, the fire was beyond control. Fanned by a strong gale that was blow- ing from the southwest, the flames swept toward the center of the doomed city. Gathering in volume as it advanced, the fire fiend marched toward the Chicago River. Billows of flame and smoke rolled heavenward, casting showers of brands and sparks far in advance. The stately and sub- 2l6 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. stantial iron and stone structures in the business portion of the city crumbled and melted away like wax before its heated breath. The river proved a feeble barrier to the onward sweep of the flames. The court house, built of great BURNT DISTRICT OF THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE. blocks of stone, although standing apart, succumbed to the destroying monster. Hope of staying the fiery flood was abandoned. The crackling wood, the crash of falling build- ings, the explosions of combustibles, the roaring of flames and the shouts of the people intermingled in an awful chorus that unnerved the stoutest hearts and brought terror to the more timid ones. An eye witness says : "For miles around w^as a circle of red light. The brute creation was crazed. The people were mad. They crowded upon frail points of vantage, on high CHICAGO. 217 sidewalks, which fell beneath their wei.G:ht and hurled them bruised and bleedin"" in the debris. Seized with wild panic, they surged together, cursing, threatening, imploring, fight- ing to get free. Litjuor flowed like water, for the saloons were broken open and men and women were to l)e seen on all sides frenzied with drink. Amid this terrible chaos, Illil! iTlTl «. *j « ^ , _ ^,,,^„^ NEW CITY HALL BUILDING, CHICAGO. hundreds of lost children also rushed around crying and screaming for their parents." The desolation of the people was complete. A hundred thousand, rendered homeless by the flames, huddled to- gether upon the bleak prairies or gathered in o]:)en spaces upon the lake beach. Here young and old, sick and strong, vile and virtuous, millionaire and beggar, were drenched by the downpour of rain that followed the fire. Seventeen thousand five hundred buildings, covering 2,124 acres and 2l8 THE MAKING OF ILLINOIS. valued at $150,000,000, had been swept away by the flames. When news of the dire calamity spread abroad, the civil- ized world responded generously. Donations of food, cloth- ing and money began to flow in upon the stricken city. Bureaus of distribution were organized, and contributions in money to the extent of $7,000,000 were sent in. A special session of the Legislature reimbursed to the city the $3,000,- 000 it had expended upon deepening the canal. But the city, though in ashes, was not dead. The cour- age, self-reliance and ability of her citizens remained. With characteristic energy they began to rebuild their homes and engage in business. Massive business blocks, larger and more stately than those destroyed, lifted their heads above the waters of the lake. The destruction of the city by the flames did not astonish the world more than its later prosperity. The new Chicago grew more rapidly than the old, and in a few years it had become the second com- mercial center of the nation. THE WORLD'S FAIR. i When a site was to be selected for holding a great fair in honor of the four hundredth anniversary of America's discovery, the choice very properly fell to Chicago. Colum- bus landed upon the new world in 1492, but the prepara- tions for the Exposition were upon so vast a scale that it was not formally opened imtil May ist of the year follow- ing the anniversary. Under the skilful management of an able and patriotic committee, Jackson Park, fronting upon Lake Michigan, was transformed Into an enchanted land. Beautiful build- ings arose upon every hand. Stately and appropriate CHICAGO. 219 edifices were erected hy the nations ui the world and be- came headquarters for the foreigners who thronged the Fair. Congress appropriated ten milHons of dollars to be used in various ways, and every state erected l)uildings in which were grouped the products of mine, forest, cultivated field and workshop. Treasures of art and science were gathered from every (juartei- of — Capital changed to Vandalia. 182 = i — La Fayette visits Illinois by in- vitation of Gov. Coles. 1826 $35,400 State expenses . . 21 304 Cash in Treasury. . .$14,096 1832— Black Hawk War. 1832 — Chicago Population 396. 1834 — State Bank Capital, $2,000 000. 1838 — Illinois and Michigan Canal construction pushed. 1839 — Capital changed to Springfield and the second session of the 11th General Assembly con- vened there Dec. 9. 1840 — Nauvoo and Mormons. 1848 — Second Constitutional Conven- tion at Springfield, June 7. 1847. Constitution adopted, March. 1850 — Abolition Party in Illinois. 1858 — Great Political Debate between Lincoln and Douglas. 1871 — Chicago Fire. 1893 — World's Fair in Chicago . 1900 — Drainage Canal completed, (begun, 1893) 1910 — Chicago Population, 2,185.283. 1910 — Illinois Population, 5,638,591. 1912— Republican, Progressive Conven- tions — Chicago INDEX Abolitionists, 154. Age of Ice, 19. Age of Mammoth, 19. Agricultural Worth, 16. Algonquin, 21. Allouez, Father, 35. Alton, 16, 130. Ampudia, General, 182. Angels of Buena Vista, 182. Apple River Fort, 30. Arkansas River, 42. Armstrong, Fort, 28, 31. Asylums for Insane, 225, 226. Atkinson, Gen., 28. Bacon, S., 226. Bagley, Rev. David, 119. Bank, Edwardsville, 142. Bank, Kaskaskia, 142. Bank of Illinois, 142. Barbeau, 116. Barracks, Jefferson, 31. Barter with Indians, 51. Beausoleil Island, 134. Bissell, Colonel, 179. Black-Hawk, 27-32. Black-Hawk War, 27, 190. Blind, Institutions for the, 226. Block Houses, 129. Bond, Shadrach, 122, 146, 147. Booth, J. W., 194. Boundary, Illinois, 144. Bowman, Captain, 101. Buena Vista, 180-184. Burgess, 124. Burgoyne, 121. Burlington Limestone, 19. Cacassotte, 134. Cahokia, 79, 86, 87, 102, 103, 116. Cahokias. 24, 92. Cairo. 173, 174, 176. Campbell, Lieutenant, 126, 127. Campbell, Thompson, 162. Canals, 176. 177, 178. Capitals, Our State. 157. Carlin, Gov. Thomas, 167. Carlyle, 158. Carpenter, 136. Cartier, Jacques, 33. Catholic Missionaries, 33. Chartres, Fort, 86, 89, 91, 130, 149. Cherokees. 21. Chicago, 209 to 223. Chicago Fire, 214. Chicago River, 45, 131, 178, 209. Chickasaws, 89. Chickasaw Tribe, 21. Choctaws, 21. Choteau. 148. Civil War, 199. Civil War Period. 197. Clark, Geo. Rogers, 97-111. Clark, Gov., 126. Clark and the Indians, 105. Clark's Advance, 99. Coalfields. 18, 19. Coles, Gov. Ed., 152. Colleges, Denominational, 231. Connecticut. 112. Constitution. 1870, 147. Constitution and Government, 261. 273 274 Constitutions, 145. Convention, Const., 145, 146. Council of Revision, 145. Council of Utica, 46. Counties, Names of Our. 263. Course of Mississippi, 43. Covington, 125. Cowpens, 121. Creek Indians, 21. Creve Coeur, Fort, 58. Davis, Col. Jefferson, 182. Dates, Notable Illinois, 272. Deaf and Dumb, 225. Dearborn, Fort, 29, 131, 132, 209. Decatur, 163. Delawares. 22. Dement, Col, 30. Democrats, 167. Denominational Colleges, 231. Des Moines River, 31, 41. Detroit Straits, 52. Distribution of Indians, 27), 24, 25. Dix, D., 225. Dixon, Mrs., 29. Donelson, Fort, 201. Douay, Father, 76. Douglas, Judge, 167. Douglas, Stephen A., 156, 193. Drainage Canal, 220. Due de Chartres, 86. Duncan, Governor, 171. Fads, Bridge, 16. Farly Fauna, 18. Farly Forests, 18. Farlv Vegetation, 18. Edgar, John, 93, 116. Education in Illinois, 229. Educational Institutions, 229- 236. Edwards, Governor, 130. Edwards, Ninian, 141, 162. INDEX Edwardsville, 130. Election, State Officers, 1818, 145. England, 19. English Gov't. Policy, 92. Equality, 129. Fries, 21. P'ayette County, 160. Fayette, N. Y., 166. Feasts, Indian, 39, 43, 57. Fink, Mike, 135. First Railroad, 171. First Sight of Aliss., 2)1. Five Nations, 21. Flat Boats, 83. Florida, 19. Fort Building, 74. Fort Creve Coeur, 58. Fort Chartres, 86, 89, 91, ^30, 149. Fort Dearborn, 30, 129, 131, 209. Fort Frontenac, 48, 68. Fort Frontenac Rebuilt, 49. Fort Patrick Henrv, 111. Fort Hills, 123. Fort St. Louis, 26, 74, 75. Forts, Stockade, 129. French and British Occupation. French Trading Co., 86. Frontenac, 35, 48, 49. Gaines, General, 28. Galena, 16, 30. Galenite, 16. Gallatin, Albert, 177. General Assemblv, 125. Ghent, Treaty of, 128. Gibault, Father, 102. Governors, 272. Grand Tower, 1,34. Grant, U. S., 144, 201. TNDF.X Great Northern Cross, The, 171. Green Ray, 43, 45. Greenville, 123. Griffin, The, 51. Griffin, Loss of The, 54. Griffin, Vovage of, 52. Gulf of Mexico, 19, 43. Hall, 29. tlanks, John, 186. Hardin, Col. J. J.. 179. Harrison, Gen., 27. Heald, Capt., 131. Helm, Capt., 102, 103, 106. Henry, Gen., 30. Henry, Patrick, 98. Higgins, Tom, 123. Hills, Fort, 123. Hog and Hominy, 121. Howard, Gen., 126. Hugo, Victor, 32. Hull, Gen., 131. Hurons, 21. Illinois, 15. Illinois After Revolutionary War, 112. Illinois, Bank of, 142. Illinois Central R. R., 172-175. Illinois Country, 22. Illinois Indians, 24, 26, 45. Illinois Pioneers, 117. Illinois Rangers, 123. Illinois River, 41, 44. Illinois River Reached, 55. Illiopolis, 161. immaculate Conception Mis- sion, 36, 46. Independence, Mo., 166, Indian, The, 21. Indiana, 112, 141. Indian Characteristics, 22, 23. Indian Country, 126. Indian Feast, 39, 43, 57. Indian Lands Sold, 92, 93. Indians. Fear of, 121. Indian Trihes, 21. Insane Hospitals, 225, 226. Institution for Deaf and Dumb, 225. Institutions for the Blind, 226. Institutions, State, 224. Internal Improvements P)ill, 171. Iowa, 126. Iroquois, 21, 26, 63. Jacksonville, 161, 225. 226. Johnny Cake and Johnny Bread, 118. Joliet, 16, 19. Jolliet and Marquette, 33. Jones, Rice John, 116. Jourdan's Fort, 130. Kaskaskia, 44, 7S>, 86, 11 5, 116, 129, 144, 157. Kaskaskias, 24. Keelboats, 133. Keokuk Indian Chief. 28, 31. Keokuk Limestone, 19. Kickapoos, 23. Kirtland, Ohio, 166. Knights of the Golden Circle, 204. Lake Michigan, 44. Lamoni, Iowa, 169. La Salle, 48. La Salle, Character of, 62. La Salle, Death of, 76. La Salle and Miamis, 69. La Salle's Fnemies, 57. La Salle's Return, 68. La Salle Visits France, 50. Latter Dav Saints 1st Church, 166, 168,' 169. Laws, Slavery, 150, 151. Lemon, James, 122. 2']6 INDEX Lightfoot, 135. Limestone, 19. Lincoln, 156, 162, 184-195. Lindley, 130. Log Rolling, 121. "Long Knives," 101. Louis XV, 84. Lovejoy, Rev. E. P., 154. Lye Hominy, 120. Mackinac Mission, 35, 47. Mackinaw, Little, 116. Makarty, 89. Mammoths, Age of, 19. Marquette, 45. Marquette and Jolliet, 7)1. Marquette, Death of, 47. Marietta, 115. Massachusetts, 112. Mather-lot, 163. McKee, Col., 183. Membre, Father, 24. Membre and Ribourde. 62. Menard, Pierre, 147, 148. Meredosia Railroad, 172. Mexican War, 178-184. Miamis, 23. Miamis and La Salle, 69. Michigan, State, 112. Milk-Sick, 119. Miller, Mrs., 186. Missionaries, Jesuit, 22. Mission, First, 47. Mississippi River, 38. Miss. Vallev, a French Colony, Missouri River. 41. Mitchigamies, 24. Mohegans, 22. Monroe, Fortress, 31. Montreal, ZZ. i Moore, James, 117. Mormon, Book of, 165, 166. Mormons, 165-169. Moulin, John C, 116. Muskhogees, 21. Names of Our Counties, 263. Naperville, 29. Narragansetts, 22. Nauvoo and the Mormons, 165, 166, 167. New Design, 119. New France, 33. New Orleans, 133. Niagara Limestone, 16. Nippissing Lake, 35. Normal Schools, 234. O'Brien, 181. Offutt, 186, 188. Oglesby, Gov., 201. Ohio, 112. Ohio River, 41. O'Leary, Mrs., 215. Old Kaskaskia, 78. Ordinance of 1787, 112, 143. Ottawa, 44, 177.^ Ottawa River, 35. Palmvra, 165. Palo Alto, 179. Paper Currency, 98. Paris, 87. Patrick Henry, 98. Peoria, 161. Peoria Lake, 24, 56. Peorias, 24. Penn, Wm., 22. Pequots, 22. Piasa Bluffs, 41. Pierre and Jacques, 45. Pittsburgh, 133. Plainiield, 29. Polk, President, 179. Pope, Nathaniel, 142. Pope's Bluff. 158. Pottawattomies, 24, 26, 45. Powhatans, 22. Prairie du Chien, 30, 116, 126. INDEX ^77 Prairie du Rocher. 87. Proclamation bv Clark, 109. Pursley, :\Irs., 125. Quebec, ZZ. Railroads. 171-175. Raleigh, Sir Walter, 113. Rangers, Illinois, 123. Rapids, 126. Rector, Capt., 126. Reform School, State, 228. Renault, Philip, 86, 149. Revision, Council, 145. Remolds, Gov., 28. 29. Rigdon. Sidnev. 165. 166, 168. Riggs, Capt., 126, 128. Riots, Slave, 152. Rock Island, 28. 126. Rock of St. Louis, The, 74 Rock River. 28. Rocky IMountains, 19. Roger Williams, 22. Rogers, Capt., 107. Route to Indies, 48. Russell, Camp, 130. Sacs and Foxes, 24. 27. Saguenay River, 34. St. Clair Countv, 116. St. Clair, Gen., 115. St. Clair, Wm., 116. St. Esprit Pt.. 35. St. Ignace, 35. St. Lawrence, 2>2). St. Louis, 91, 128. St. Peter's Sandstone, 16, St. Philip, 87. Salaries. 145. Salt Springs, 129. San Domingo. 150. Sangamon, 170, 185. Santa Anna, 180. Scott, Gen.. 30. Seminoles, 21. Sharon, Vt., 165. Shawnees, 22, 23. Shebana, Chief. 29. Shipbuilding, 50. Short, Capt., 125. Slavery, 113, 149, 156. Smith, Capt. John, 22. Smith, Hyrum, 168. Smith, Joseph, 165-168. Soldiers' and Sailors' H., 228. Songs, War, 206. Spain, Zl, 134. Spain on the Miss., 134. Spanish Troops, 87. Spaulding, Solomon, 165. Springfield, 161. Starved Rock, 16, 26, 60, 74. Starved Rock State Park, 268. State Capitals, Our. 157. State Plouse, 163. State Institutions, 224. State Period, 139. State Rights, 193. State Superintendent. First. 234. State University, 235. Statehood and the Constitu- tion, 141. Stay at Homes, 203. Stillman, 29. Stockades, 129. Taensas, Indian Town, 71, 72. Tamaroas, 24. Taylor, Zachary, 128, 179, 181, 183. Territorial Period, 95. Thornton, Canal Boat, 178 Tonti, 50, 60. Tonti in Trouble, (i}>. Tonti Wounded, 66. Toumey, Capt., 123. Transportation, 170. Tuscaroras, 21. Underground Railroad, 155. 2^^ INDEX Union League of America, 204. University, Chicago, 236. University, State, 235. Utica, 24.' Vandalia, 125, 158, 192. Vandals, 158. Vincennes, 102, 103, 106, 107, 111. 115. Virginia, 112, 158. Wabash, Grand Door of, 103. Wabash River, 103, 129. War, 109. 179. 190, 197. War Songs. 206. Washington, 115. See also Appendix (pages 237 of the State. Washington's Surrender, 90. Wendell PhilHps. 31. "What Cheer," 22. Whigs, 167. Whiteside, Gen.. 29. Wilbur, Chas. T., 227. Winnebagos, 24, 28. Wisconsin River, Z7. Wisconsin State. 112. YA). Women of Illinois, 205. World's Fair, 218. Xavier, St., 26. Young, Brighani, 168. Zion, City of, 166, to 272) for summary of the History ANNOUNCEMENTS STARVED ROCK A Chapter of Colonial History By EATON G. OSMAN The purchase of Starved Rock by the State of Illinois, makes this history of the famous site peculiarly timely. This volume, now revised and enlarged, is the only continuous narrative of the history of the "Rock of St. Louis" and the most important period of western colonial history. The story is complete in all essential details and particulars, but condensed into readable compass, making it particularly suitable for school reading on the early Illinois history. It is also of interest to the general reader who wants to know why Starved Rock really is a great historical site worthy of preservation by the State of Illinois. For the student there are ample notes as a guide to more detailed reading; there are pictures of local scenery and of specially notabl-e localities; reproductions of old maps and rare engravings; portraits of Marquette and La Salle; signatures of actors in the story; as well as a map of the West during the period covered by the narrative and one of the present environs of the Rock. 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FLANAGAN COMPANY CHICAGO LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES LEGEND =0F= SLEEPY HOLLOW This series of books for supplementary read- ing comprises selections from the world's best authors and poets, together with stories from history, literature, biography and nature. Arranged for use in schools, with introductory and explanatory notes, biographical sketches, portraits and illustrations. Characteristic Features: Large, clear type, good paper. Convenient form. Excellent illustrations, biographical sketches, etc. Neat and durable covers. Books carefully graded and well edited. Five Cent Editions Price, per copy, 6 cents; five or more 5 cents each, postpaid. 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FLANAGAN COMPANY, LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES This series of books for supplementary read- ing comprises selections from the world's best authors and poets, together with stories from history, literature, biography and nature. Arranged for use in schools, with introductory and explanatory notes, biographical sketches, portraits and illustrations. Characteristic Features: Large, clear type, good paper. Convenient form. Excellent illustrations, biographical sketches, etc. Neat and durable covers. Books carefully graded and well edited. Ten Cent Editions Price, per copy, 10 cents, postpaid. 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