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 Illinois Historical Survey 
 
ILLINOIS KISTORTCAl SURVEY 
 
 Galena* s 
 Old Stockade 
 
 Used as Refuge for Settlers During The 
 Black Hawk War in 1832 
 Galena, Illinois 
 
 BLACK HAWK 
 Great Chief of The Sacs 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 JO DAVIESS COUNTY ORGANIZED 
 
 MINING AND TRADING POSTS 
 
 WINNEBAGO WAR 
 
 BLACK HAWK WAR 
 
 MASSACRE OF FORT DEARBORN 
 
 LOCAL HISTORY 
 
 ETWKft fW Wffl^l^!^^ 
 
USED DURING THE BLACK HAWK WAR-1832 
 
 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT 
 
 OF GALENA AND ITS EARLY SETTLERS, 
 
 TRADERS AND INDIANS 
 
 This Booklet is compiled and published by May Belle Rouse, 
 
 from notes of Miss Gardner's research on History's of 
 
 early days and of some of the people whom she 
 
 knew, who lived in the Year of 
 
 the Black Hawk War. 
 
 The Biography of the Amos Farrar Family was found in 
 the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. 
 
 PRINTED BY 
 
 HARBIN & HARBIN 
 
 GALENA, ILLINOIS 
 
 1956 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 ILLINOIS LIBRARY 
 
 AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
Hi Of 
 
 Dedicated to Miss Margaret F. Gardner 
 
 My mother's sister who was a teacher 
 in Galena's public schools for 41 years 
 and when retired, taught Kindergarten 
 for 15 years in the Old Stockade which 
 was her home since 1884. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/galenasoldstockaOOrous 
 
THE OLD STOCKADE 
 
 (as it stands today) 
 
 Built in 1832 of huge oak logs cut from 
 The nearby virgin Umber 
 
 Used as a refuge for the pioneers during 
 The Black Hawk War-1832 
 
 Being preserved as one of Galena's old landmarks 
 Open the year around to the public 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter I— Early History of Illinois 7 
 
 Chapter II— Mining and Trading Posts „..13 
 
 Chapter III— Trading Post and Settlement „ „ 17 
 
 Chapter IV-Town, Post Office and School Established 20 
 
 Chapter V-Village Named "Galena" - 23 
 
 Chapter Vl-Authentic Letter by Dr. Newhall 24 
 
 Chapter VI l-The Winnebago War 30 
 
 Chapter VI I l-The Black Hawk War „ 35 
 
 Chapter IX— Amos Farrar— American Trader 52 
 
 Chapter X-Black Hawk and The Black Hawk War 54 
 
 Chapter XI— Massacre of Fort Dearborn 57 
 
 Chapter Xll-Local History „ 60 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 The name of this beautiful Prairie State is derived from ILLINI, 
 a Delaware word signifying Superior Men. It has a French term- 
 ination, and is a symbol of how the two races, the French and 
 the Indians, were intermixed during the early history of the 
 country. 
 
 The appellation was no doubt well applied to the primitive 
 inhabitants of the soil whose prowess in savage warfare long 
 withstood the combined attacks of the fierce Iroquois on the one 
 side, and the no less savage and relentless Sacs and Foxes on 
 the other. The Illinois were once a powerful confederacy, occupy- 
 ing the most beautiful and fertile region in the great Valley of 
 the Mississippi, which their enemes coveted and struggled long 
 and hard to wrest from them. By the fortunes of war they were 
 diminished in numbers, and finally destroyed. "Starved Rock" on 
 the Illinois River, according to tradition, commemorates their last 
 tragedy, where, it is said, the entire tribe siarved rather than 
 surrender. 
 
 Illinois, one of the N. Cental Middle Western States of the 
 United States, bounded on the N. by Wisconsin, on the S. by 
 Kentucky and Missouri, on the W. by Missouri and Iowa, and 
 on the E. by Indiana and Lake Michigan. It ranks as the 23rd 
 State of the Union in area, and the 4th in Population. Illinois 
 was the 21st state to enler the Union, having been admitted on 
 December 3, 1818. The State capital is Springfield. The largest 
 city is Chicago. Illinois 7 greatest length is 379 miles from north to 
 south. It's extreme width is 21 1 miles from east 1o west. The area 
 of the State is 56,400 square miles including 453 square miles of 
 inland water surface. 
 
 JO DAVIESS COUNTY 
 
 It is not necessary to trace the various changes of territorial 
 jurisdiction to Illinois, and especially it's northwestern portion, 
 subjected to, until the admission of the state into the Union in 
 
 1818. During that time this part of the country was inhabited 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 JO DAVIESS COUNTY COURT HOUSE — 1839 
 
 only by Indians and this whole region was claimed by them. 
 In 1804 the Sacs and Foxes, then a powerful tribe, by treaty made 
 at St. Louis with Gen. Harrison, then Governor of the Territory 
 of Indiana, ceded 1o the United States all their lands lying east 
 of the Mississippi, but Black Hawk and other chiefs who were 
 not present at St. Louis, refused to be bound by it. All the 
 territory north of the line drawn west from the southern extrem- 
 ity of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi was in the undisputed 
 possession of the native tribes, when the state was erected. In 
 1818, except a tract five leagues square on the Mississippi, of 
 which Fever River was about the center, which, by treaty with 
 various tribes in 1816, the United States Government had reserved 
 ostensibly for a military post, but really to control the lead mines. 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 The Government had had knowledge for many years of the 
 existence of lead mines here, but their location was not known, 
 and it was thought that all would be included within the limits 
 of the reservation. The Government designed to own and hold 
 exclusive control of the mines. 
 
 ADMITTED AS STATE 
 
 In January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature of Illinois, 
 assembled at Kaskaskia, petitioned Congress for the 
 admission of the territory as a sovereign state with 
 a population of 40,000. 
 
 National Pope received the Petition. The bill as drawn, 
 did not embrace the present area of Illinois, and pre- 
 sented to Congress and amendments proposed by Mr. 
 Pope were sent with it. It was supposed that the line 
 drawn through the southern part of Lake Michigan, 
 west to the Mississippi, was to be the northern bound- 
 ary of the new state, but this left the part of Chicago in 
 the Territory of Lake Michigan, west to the Mississippi 
 now embraced within the limits of fourteen rich coun- 
 ties of Illinois. 
 
 A critical examination convinced Mr. Pope that Congress 
 had the power to extend the Northern boundary far be- 
 yond the line provided. This would give a good harbor 
 on Lake Michigan and apply the three per cent fund 
 arising from the sale of public lands for educational 
 purposes instead of making roads. 
 
 These amendments were adopted, and Illinois was 
 declared an Independent State. 
 
 These important changes, "were carried by both Houses of 
 Congress and met the general approval of the people." For many 
 years the northern boundary of the state was not definitely known 
 and settlers did not know, whether they were in Illinois or Mich- 
 igan Territory. October 27, 1827, nine years afterwards, Dr. 
 Horatio Newhall, wrote his brother as follows:— It is uncertain 
 whether I am in Illinois or Michigan, but direct your letters to Fev- 
 er River, Illinois and they will come safely. "We do not agree with 
 
]0 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 the memorialists, petitioning Congress to dispose of the tract of 
 country which has been granted 1o Illinois but we do believe 
 that Congress granted to the State of Illinois a degree and a half 
 of latiiude of the Charted limits if this country. We believe the 
 decision of the United States Court will be final and the Northern 
 boundary of the Stale of Illinois shall commence at the southern- 
 most end of Lake Michigan." 
 
 The petition was in waiting and the Northern line of Illinois 
 remained unchanged but the agilation continued. In 1840 the 
 people of the countries North sent delegates to the Convention 
 held at Rockford and the discussion embraced an effort to make 
 Galena the capital of the territory. The labors of the Convention 
 produced no results. 
 
 Pike county was erected January 31, 1821, and embraced 
 all territory north of Illinois river. This was the First County which 
 included the territory of Jo Daviess County. 
 
 A Gazetter of Illinois and Wisconsin says that the County 
 included lands approprialed by Congress for the payment of 
 Military bounties, on the Mississippi river above Rock river where 
 lead ore is found in abundance. 
 
 The first election of which records exisits of Jo Daviess Coun- 
 ty, in Fever river August 8, 1826. The election was held at the 
 house of James Smith. This was the Trading Post then recently 
 located by Amos Farrar and occupied by Smith. A double log 
 cabin that s:ood on the west bank half way between Perry and 
 Franklin streets in Galena. Water street now passes over it's site. 
 
 Jo Daviess County was organized from Peoria February 17, 
 1827 and bounded as follows, beginning on the Mississippi river 
 to the North line of Military Tract east to the Illinois river, north 
 to the boundary west to the beginning. Galena was named the 
 County Seat. 
 
 The early history of Jo Daviess County with absence of 
 records and the fact that whites who visited this county prior 
 to 1820 have all passed away, it is difficult to know who was 
 the first settler, who sojourned on the banks of Sin-sin-ah-wah 
 (the home of the eagle) and the Mah-cau-bee (the fever of Blis!- 
 
. GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE U 
 
 ers.) Probably the first explorer of ihis region was Le Sueur, 
 a French trader, who, on the 25th of August 1700 while on an 
 expedition to the Sioux on St. Peters Rivers (now Minnesota) dis- 
 covered a small river running from the North and a few miles up 
 the river is a lead mine. Le Sueur was unquestionably the first 
 white man who ever trod the banks of the Fever river. 
 
 The Indian name was Mah-cau-bee which, when translated means 
 "fever," or the "fever of blisters," the Indian term for Small Pox. 
 They gave it this name, because some of the warriors went to 
 their eastern brethern, and on their return they brought with 
 them the disease they called Mah-caw-bee, fever of blisters. 
 The larger one they calld "Moshuch Sepo" big small pox river, the 
 smaller "Cosh-a-neush-sepo" little small pox river. Hundreds of 
 the natives died, and ihe Indians named both streams macaubee, 
 the smaller one is still called Small Pox Creek, but the larger 
 was changed by the whites to Fever. 
 
 The little frontier Hamlet was known as "Fever River Settle- 
 ment", or La Pointe until 1826-27 when the name Galena was 
 substituted. The name "Bean" applied to Fever River in early 
 days by the French traders who were familiar with this locality 
 long before 1820. It is very evident there was a "Traders Village" 
 at the site of Galena in 1822 and more commercially than Chica- 
 go. The Gazetteer confirmed by a letter from Capt. M. Marsden, 
 then Commander at Fort Edwards, to Amos Farrar, Fever River, 
 dated April 12, 1822:- "The Johnstons of Kentucky have leased 
 the Fever River lead mines and are sending a large number of 
 men and some Soldiers will be stationed there, and the Foxes 
 and Trading Establishments must move. Miners throughout all the 
 lead mining districts paid little altention to Congressional enact- 
 ments, leases were not properly supported in their rights, and 
 were constantly involved in their undertakings, which proved ruin- 
 ous to their undertakings, disputes occurred with claimants and 
 trespassers. 
 
 In November, 1821, the General Land Office was transferred 
 to the War department; no more mines were worked under leases, 
 but many were known to be worked without authori:y. 
 
]2 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 Mr. Seymour in his history of "Galena Mines" on authority 
 of Jessie W. Shull stated, "The Sacs and Foxes as Warlike and 
 dangerous tribes, had already killed several traders near the 
 mouth of the Sinsinawa," and that a trader was warned by his 
 wife, a squaw, to leave the country as the Indians intended to 
 take his life, but disregarding her friendly warning, remained 
 and was murdered that night." 
 
 In 1816, by a treaty at St. Louis, various tribes were asked 
 to settle disputes under a treaty by which Sacs and Foxes had 
 ceded to United States all land lying beiween the Illinois and 
 Wisconsin River east of the Mississippi, all lands north of a line 
 running west from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, were 
 relinquished to the Indians except a tract, one league square 
 at the mouth of Wisconsin River, another tract five leagues square 
 on the Mississippi River where Fever River is the center. 
 
 Reservations intended to be sufficient to enclose the lead 
 mines known to be worked by the squaws, presumed to be 
 valuable, their location not known, to the Government. 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 13 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 MINING AND TRADING POSTS 
 
 HUGE ORE LODES 
 
 In 1819, the historic diggings, known as Buck Lead, had 
 taken the largest body of mineral discovered on Fever 
 River; an immense amount of ore taken out by Natives 
 of Galena and sold to traders before it was worked 
 by Johnson, Mr. Farrar estimated several million 
 pounds. Before the arrival of Johnson in 1820-1821. The 
 Indians from this lead mine took the largest Nugget ever 
 raised at the mines and wanted the traders to send it 
 to Washington to the "GreatWhite Father." As it never 
 reached there the traders preferred to purchase the 
 mineral at a rate of a peck of corn for a peck of mineral. 
 
 In 1816, Col. G. Davenport trading with Sacs and Foxes 
 occupied the trading post at Portage on Fever River, later in 1821 
 was occupied by Amos Farrar of the firm of Davenport, Farrar 
 and Farnam of the American Fur Company. This fact is authentic 
 as Wm. H. Snyder Esq. heard it from Davenport himself. 
 
 Col. Johnson, of the United States Army, summoned a Coun- 
 cil of Sacs and Foxes at Prairie Du Chein and informed them that 
 the goods Mr. Shull was about to bring them was sent by their 
 Father, the President of the United States. (It was not considered a 
 sin to tell a lie to the Indians,) and told them they were not to 
 molest Mr. Shull in his business. Having received assurance of 
 protection Mr. Shull came in 1819 and erected a trading post at 
 the foot of Perry street. 
 
 Dr. Muir was a Physician and Surgeon in the United States 
 Army; The post where he was stationed was visited by a beauti- 
 ful Indian maiden, whose name has not been preserved, who, in 
 her dreams, had seen a white brave unmoor her canoe, paddle 
 across the river directly to her lodge. She knew, according to her 
 belief of her race, she had seen her future husband, and came 
 to the Fort to find him. Meeting Dr. Muir, she instantly recognized 
 him as her hero, which with childlike simplicity, she related to 
 
T_4 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 him. Charmed with Sophia's beauty, innocence and devotion, the 
 Dr. honorably married her, but the sneers of his brother officers 
 made him ashamed of his dark skinned wife, so when his reg- 
 iment was ordered down the river to Bell-Fontaine, he embraced 
 the opportunity to get rid of her, thinking she would never find 
 him, but, with her infant child the intrepid wife and mother start- 
 ed alone in her canoe, after days of weary labor reached him, 
 worn and emaciated after a journey of nine hundred miles. The 
 Doctor, touched by this devolion, took her to his bosom, and un- 
 til death treated her with respect. She always presided at his 
 table, and was respected by all who knew her, but she never 
 abandoned her native dress. 
 
 Dr. Muir threw up his commission in the Spring of 1820, and 
 moved to Keokuk, Iowa, and erected the first cabin by a white 
 man, but leased his claim to friends from St. Louis, and in the 
 same year came to La Pointe to practice his profession and was 
 the first Physician known located in Northern Illinois. He remained 
 in practice about ten years, and lived on the East side of Bench 
 •Street, near the corner of Hill. He had four children; Dr. Muir died 
 suddenly, left his property in such a condition, that his brave and 
 faithful wife was left penniless and friendless, so with her 
 children disappeared and returned to her people on the upper 
 Missouri. 
 
 Mr. J. G. Soulard on his way to Fort Snelling found Fran- 
 cois Bouthillier here as an Indian trader and had been, here from 
 1819-1821. Captain Harris remembers distinctly when Bouthillier 
 built his trading post at or near the Pointe. Among the first to 
 work the mines was James Johnston, of Kentucky, brother of Col. 
 R. M. Johnson, of historic renown as the slayer of Tecumseh. As 
 near as can be ascertained they arrived in the early spring of 18- 
 22, at the time was working under purchased permission from 
 the Indians. Apparently the Government exercised no jurisdiction 
 as the general land office had control of the land until 1821. He 
 also did smelting of mineral purchased from the Indians. 
 
 In September, 1821, Amos Farrar was managing a 
 trading post on Fever River and Agent for the American 
 Fur Trading Company and with his family, a Fox wife 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 1 5 
 
 and three children were living here, this fact is establish- 
 ed as certain by a letter addressed to him at the "Lead 
 Mines, Fever River," from Major Burbank, commander 
 at Fort Armstrong, dated October 14, 1821, "by favor 
 of Mr. Music," presenting Mr. Farrar with "My old black 
 horse, if he will be of service to you." A letter dated Fort 
 Armstrong November 21, 1821, signed by J. R. Stubbs, 
 a blacksmith, addressed to Amos Farrar, Fever River 
 introducing Mr. B. Symes with Mr. Connor and Mr. 
 David Bates who were considered the earliest settlers 
 in the mining region. 
 
 In Stubbs letter to Farrar, the name of Mr. Bates was men- 
 tioned and Mr. Ferguson thinks he was here as early as 1816, 
 on a trading voyage but no records were left to fix the time of 
 arrival. 
 
 Thomas January was another early Pioneer. He is said to 
 come from Pittsburg, Pa., with a keelboat on a trading voyage and 
 visited this locality in 1821. His vessel and the boatmen was as 
 then of heavy burthens on the upper Mississippi "half horse 
 and half alligator." The Merry French arriving at Pilot Knob 
 commenced hunting for Fever River and a search of three days, 
 found the mouth, on the 13th of November, pushing through rice 
 lakes and high grass, as well as J. B. Shull and A. P. Vanmetre 
 who had taken themselves wives from the daughters of the 
 land and were traders with their brethren. 
 
 It seems probable from all data at hand that Thomas Jan- 
 uary located on the point since known by his name, erected a log 
 cabin and warehouse there about 1821 or earlier. He was there 
 in June 1823 when Captain Harris arrived, and had been there 
 a year or two. 
 
 On April 12, 1822, Captain Marsden of Fort Edwards, wrote 
 Mr. Farrar at Fever River, Lead Mines, that "The Johnstons of 
 Kentucky have leased the Fever River Lead Mines and are sending 
 a large number of men," and later James Johnston, and D. L. 
 Ward came from Kentucky each with a large number of negro 
 slaves and several young men. 
 
]6 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 During 1822 Dr. Moses Meeker and others visited this re- 
 gion as the fame of rich deposits of Mineral reached older settle- 
 ments. About this time Major John Anderson, of the Topograph- 
 ical Engineers was stationed at Anderson's Slough (now Harris 
 Slough) two and one half miles from Galena. The testimony of 
 Captain Harris and Hiram B. Hunt in 1823 and 1824 renders it less 
 arduous and more satisfactory. The actual settlement of this re- 
 gion may be said to have started at that time. 
 
 In April 1823 the keelboat, "Col. Bumfort", built like a mod- 
 ern barge only its hull was lower. These boats were 50-80 feet 
 long, 10-15 foot beam, 2 to 7Vi foot hold on the deck was a cargo 
 box extended within ten feet of either end, about 2 feet on each. 
 The keelboat was propelled by sails, by rowing, poling, bush- 
 wacking, cordelling, and warping. When water was higher and 
 boat was running close to shore, the crew would grasp bushes 
 growing on the bank and pull the boat along, this was known 
 as Bushwwacking. Some times a long line or rope would be attach- 
 ed to the mast, the crew walking, towed the craft up stream. This 
 was "cordelling." The "Col. Bumford" arrived on Sunday June 2, 
 1 823, run up the little creek known as Meeker's Branch, and made 
 landing on the South Bank. 
 
m GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 17 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 TRADING POST AND SETTLEMENT 
 
 James Harris and Dr. Meeker arrived at the mining district, 
 gave impetus and growth to remote settlement, where scarcely 
 more than an Indian trading post, almost unknown except for rov- 
 ing traders and frontiers men, and the American Fur Company, of 
 Davenport, Farrar and Fanman. It required enthusiasm, energy, 
 bravery, and perseverance, patient endurance of toil and priva- 
 tions, not known in later years, to venture into the heart of Indian 
 country, and make permanent settlement in the midst of an Indian 
 village. These two men put their energy and knowledge to this 
 new settlement and its rapid growth and only six years after, a 
 town was laid off, by United States Authorities. 
 
 Dr. Meeker built a cabin on the east side of Main street 
 called Meeker's Bench, now Broadway, a short distance from 
 Whittam Row; Bensan Hunt's cabin was north of it, near Duer's 
 flour mill, directly across the road, a well was sunk. This well call- 
 ed Meeker's Well, still remains. North of the well Benson Hunt 
 built a log Blacksmith shop, the first blacksmith shop in Jo Dav- 
 iess County to have lifted a hammer. At this time there was a ford 
 across the Fever river, at the foot of Franklin street, used in low 
 water. There were no bridges then. Below the ford there was 
 a depth of 1 5 feet of water, "Dead Low Water," in fact the water 
 in Fever river was some three feet deeper, than the main channel 
 of the "Great River." In after years large boats steamed up Fever 
 River some distance above the town, up Meeker's Branch, which is 
 now only a rivulet. 
 
 When Dr. Meeker and B. Hunt arrived, June, 1823, they 
 only found less than 100 men mining and trading with 
 the Indians, among them were Dr. S. C. Muir, Thomas 
 H. January, Amos Farrar, Jesse Shull, F. Bouthillier, 
 A. P. VanMatre, D. G. Bates, John Coney, John Ray, 
 J. Johnson, N. Bates, J. Connor, B. Symmes, E. Rutter, 
 J. Hardy, R. Burton, Stephen Howard, Israel Mitchel, J. 
 and C. Armstrong and others. 
 
13 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 Amos Farrar had a trading pos', a double log cabin on 
 the bank of the river, between Perry and Franklin, in 
 the middle of Water street, a little Bayou opening out of 
 the river, running up behind Farrar's Post. Nearby was 
 a cabin built by Farrar, to accomodate his Indian cus- 
 tomers. Thomas January had a double log cabin and 
 warehouse on the point bearing his name. These few 
 log cabins were all the dwellings and places of business 
 of the entire white populations, but the river bottoms, 
 hillsides and ravines were thickly dotted with wigwams 
 of Sacs and Foxes, who numbered about 2000. 
 
 They were peaceable and treated the whites kindly. They 
 spent their time in hunting and fishing and supplied the whites 
 with large portions of meats, consisting of Venison, game, fish, 
 and other foods. 
 
 The squaws and old men too old to hunt raised most of the 
 mineral; which supplied the furnaces. They felt quite safe among 
 the Indians. The Winnebagoes and Menominees came here to 
 trade, their home was in the North, in Michigan territory. The 
 Menominees were kind and friendly, while the Winnebagoes 
 were insolent, irascible and turbulent. 
 
 At this time a large pond existed near the De Soto House at 
 the corner of Green and Main streets, and extended east on 
 Main street. Here the boys, white and Indian, fished for years 
 afterwards. During high water in 1828 a catfish weighing 106 
 pounds was caught at the present site of the De Soto House. 
 
 In the fall of 1823 Israel Garre'son and Maria Bunce 
 were married at the cabin of Dr. Meeker, by an Army 
 Officer, (possibly Major John Anderson, a government 
 agent) as there was neither Minister or Magistrate here. 
 Miss Rutherford and William Hines were married at the 
 same time. These were the first marriages solemnized 
 in this part of the country. 
 
 About the same time General Schimerman died on Fever 
 River and was buried on Prospect street, a short distance from 
 Spring. This was the first death of the immigrants. 
 
, GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE V? 
 
 August 18, 1824, Lieut. Martin Thomas was appointed sup- 
 erintendent of the Lead Mines, of Upper Mississippi authorized to 
 grant leases and permits to smelters and miners, and farmers 
 provided they did not interfere with the mines 
 
 Oct. 1824 a son was born to Bensen Hunt, "James Smith 
 Hunt was born 15 minutes past one o'clock P. M. on the 
 9th of Oct. 1824, soon after Mary S. Miller, a daughter 
 of John S. Miller was born." These children were born 
 in Galena limits of the City of Galena, and so far as 
 is known, were the first white children born in Jo Dav- 
 iess County. 
 
 In 1825, the immigration of the mines was so large only a 
 few can be mentioned. John Foley was the first sheriff of the 
 County, Captain James Craig, surveyor and a prominent man. 
 Captain Wm. Henry came this year. Craig's wife was a grand- 
 daughter of Daniel Boone. He worked in Hanover at "Craig's 
 Mills." 
 
 In 1826, among those prominent in history of this region, 
 were Charles Gear, his son William, and Sophia, his sister. Sophia 
 Gear, his sister, opened the first school taught by a woman in 
 1827, and married Amos Farrar in 1830. 
 
 John Tourney, a lawyer, said to be the first limb of the law 
 to settle here. The Galena Mining Co., was formed, and located 
 at Ottawa (now Burton's), 11^ miles from January's Point on The 
 east side of the river, a place of importance. Steamboats ran up 
 there, loaded with supplies, and to load with lead. The principal 
 business was smelting lead ore on an extensive scale. They used 
 what is called "log furnaces." They had a building filled with 
 miners supplies which they sold to miners, and took lead in 
 exchange. 
 
20 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 TOWN, POSTOFFICE AND SCHOOL ESTABLISHED 
 
 On June 4, 1826, the first Post Office was established in 
 the mining district. It was called "Fever River/' Crawford County, 
 Illinois. Ezekial Lockwood was appointed Postmaster. The office 
 was located at the corner of Perry and Main streets, and was 
 supplied from Vandalia, the mails being transported on horse- 
 back once in two weeks. On December 17, 1829, the name of 
 the Post Office was changed to Galena, Illinois, Jo Daviess County. 
 The building today 1956, is being used as a Rexall drug store, 
 and operated by Roderick Robertson. 
 
 July 1826 was ihe first mention of the town being surveyed 
 by Israel Mitshel, and James Craig, and called the town of Galena. 
 August 7, 1826, the first election was held in the mining district. 
 The poll book contained 202 names. Sept. 1826, a school was 
 opened in a log building, on the south side of Franklin and was 
 taught by Dr. John O. Hancock, who was employed by Mr. Meek- 
 er on salary for a year, but sickness in his family called him east. 
 Samuel S. Lawrence took his place in the school. On his return 
 Hancock threw up his contract and went to his medical profession 
 and John G. Hughlett took the school in April 1827 and taughl 
 for some years. 
 
 In 1826, Thomas January had a smelter at Buncombe, and 
 his diggings was known as "January's Patch Diggings," which 
 covered most of Vinegar Hill. George Jackson had covered the 
 area and smelted lead. At the close of 1826 there were 15 log 
 cabins in the City of Galena, but in the spring of 1828, one 
 hundred and ninety-five dwelling houses, warehouse shops, and 
 forty-six buildings were commenced, but not finished. The num- 
 ber of inhabitants at the village was 669. 
 
 Population at the mines was estimated at 10,000. Vari- 
 ous numbers of people came up in spring and returned 
 in the fall. Missourians were dubbed "Pukes". Southern 
 Illinois were compared to fish; were called "Suckers" 
 thus the Sucker State. Kentuckians were called "corn- 
 crackers," Indianians, "Hoosiers", Ohioans, "Buckeyes," 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 21 
 
 Upright logs make up structure of the Old Stockade 
 
 ONE OF THE SEVEN CUT-AWAYS IN THE OLD STOCKADE 
 
 DEPICTING THE FRENCH STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE EARLY 
 
 1800'S SHOWING THE STRUCTURE OF UPRIGHT LOGS, CUT 
 
 AND HEWED FROM THE VIRGIN TIMBER 125 YEARS AGO 
 
 Among those prominent in history of Jo Daviess were Dr. 
 Horatio Newhall, Capt. H. H. Gear, John G. Hughlett, and many 
 others with whose names we are familiar but space forbids me to 
 mention all. 
 
 Dr. Newhall arrived March 31, 1827, 26 days from St. Louis 
 to Galena, and engaged in mining and smelting, but returned to 
 his profession the next year, Jan. 27, 1830. He married Elizabeth 
 Bates by whom he had 6 children, three sons and three daughters. 
 In the fall he became a surgeon in the U. S. Army, and was sta- 
 tioned at Fort Winnebago, but retired and returned to Galena in 
 1832. When Black Hawk War broke out, he volunteered his 
 services, by order of Gen. Scott, established a Military Hospital 
 
22 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 at Galena, of which he had sole control until the end of the war, 
 and was complimenled by Gen. Scott for its good arrangement. 
 
 Captain H. H. Gear arrived April 1827, a powerful influence 
 in this new country. His brother Charles located a mining tract, 
 near the village of Old Council Hill and called his place "Tower 
 Hill," from a large rock, in the form of a tower. Captain Gear's 
 daughter married Captain George W. Girden. She relates how her 
 father built his cabin of logs he cut from the bluff, rolled them 
 down to the river, and towed them one by one, up stream, half 
 a mile to the site he selected, by tying one end of the rope to the 
 log and the other end around his body and walking up, some- 
 times in water and sometimes on the bank. When he had suffic- 
 ient, the miners in the vicinity helped him raise his cabin. The 
 roof was thatched with long grass and sods. The floor was native 
 earth. The roof was not water tight, so the situation can be imag- 
 ined. Next year Captain Gear was obliged to saw planks with a 
 whip saw and laid a floor, and later provided a better roof and 
 the Gear family was better housed, and Mrs. Girden, then a 
 Miss of ten years said, "I never expect to be so happy again, this 
 side of heaven." Such was pioneer life in the mining district of 
 Jo Daviess county in 1827. 
 
 Just after the close of Blackhawk war, Mr. Gear discovered 
 an immense deposit of mineral. Shortly before his death he 
 raised and sold nearly 26,000,000 pounds of lead ore, from 
 that mine. He became one of the most wealthy men of the North- 
 west, perhaps more engaged in mining and smelting than any 
 other person. In connection with Godfrey, Gilman and Co., of 
 Alton, and backed by the old State Bank of Illinois, he controlled 
 the business of lead mining by advancing in purchase of Mineral. 
 It is said in traveling over the country he carried his money in his 
 hat, ready to advance it to miners who had a reasonable "show" 
 of mineral. In 1847 Capt. Gear was a member of State Senate, 
 was one of original projectors of Illinois Central Railroad; ana of 
 the Pacific. He gave Galena the lots on which to build the public 
 school and established the Episcopal church in Galena, and was 
 a part of the history of Jo Daviess County. 
 
GALEN A'S OLD STOCKADE 23 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 VILLAGE NAMED "GALENA" 
 
 In 1827 the name of the village of Fever River was changed 
 to Galena. Dr. Samuel Muir gave it the name. A public meeting 
 was held in the winter of 1826-1827, to select a name. Richard 
 W. Chandler suggested the name Galena, and it was adopted. 
 
 The first public religious services were held at the mines 
 in 1827, by Rev. Rives Cormac, a Chaplain of the Hudson Bay 
 Company, who passing through was weather bound, and preach- 
 ed on Sunday in a log cabin opposite the De Soto House. 
 
 The first feed mill, in this section of the country, carried by 
 water power was a corn cracker, erected on Spring St., near the 
 northern limits of the city. The hopper held a peck of corn and was 
 sheltered by a dry goods box. It was put in operation by Hiram 
 Imus in 1828. It was the corn cracker of the pioneers, a cast Iron 
 Mill, like a huge coffee mill, run by hand, but Ismus ran his by 
 water. In the winter of 1 826-27 occurred a famous dispute, graph- 
 ically described in Lorrain's "Centennial/' In the summer or fall, 
 two boys discovered a rich lead. Complying with all regulations 
 to secure their claim, they concluded to attend Mr. Lawrence's 
 school. While doing this an adventurer, who had lost his "bottom 
 dollar" came across their diggings, "jumped" and applied to the 
 agent for a permit. Mr. McKnight discovered the boys had made 
 prior claim, appointed J. Duncan and James Higley, arbitrators in 
 the case, who decided in favor of the boys; Lorain says; "The de- 
 feated party, a large fellow, declared he would not stand for the 
 decision, but would take the law in his own hands. Early the 
 next morning the two lads, instead of going to school, armed 
 themselves and went to the claim. On their arrival their opponent 
 soon appeared fully armed, the boys ordered him to stand and 
 try to case his code. He scanned their countenances, and then left, 
 never disturbing them again. Both of those are living of this date 
 1878, in the names of Capt. D. S. Harris and his brother, R. S. 
 Harris of Dubuque, Iowa. 
 
24 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 AUTHENTIC LETTER BY DR. NEW HALL-VERBATIM 
 
 November 27, 1827, better than any history of after years 
 trying to remember the events of years ago of early settlers of 
 Galena a synopsis, Dr. E. G. Newhall has given a let>er written by 
 his father, Dr. Horatio Newhall, to his brother Isaac Newhall, Esq., 
 of Salem, Massachusetts. The information it conveys will be val- 
 uable for those trying to learn of the history of the earliest days 
 in Galena. 
 
 "Dear Brother; By the last mail brought by steamboat "Jo- 
 sephine" a newspaper stating "Write a full account of Fever River." 
 This would puzzle me or any other person, on the river. It is 
 such a place as no one can conceive of, without seeing it. Strang- 
 ers hate it, and residents like it. There is no civil law here, nor has 
 the Gospel been yet introduced, or "neither law or Gospel can 
 pass the rapids of the Mississippi." It is hilly country and abound- 
 ding with lead ore, of the mineralogists "Galena" whence it 
 derived the name of the town. The lead mines are under the Sec- 
 retary of War. Lieutenant Thomas is superintendent, and resided 
 at St. Louis; a sub-agent resides at this place. Anyone wishing to 
 dig gets a permit to do so by signing certain regulations, stating 
 that he will sell lead to no one but a licensed smelter. He has all 
 the mineral he can raise, and sells for $17.50 a thousand pounds 
 delivered at the furnaces, any person who gets a permit stakes 
 off two hundred yards square. This is his so long as he works it 
 and no one can interfere with any person, who will give bond to 
 Government for $5000, can have half a mile square, on condition 
 he employs 20 laborers, and pays the government 10 per cent 
 of lead raised on his survey, or sells to a public smelter. The 
 public smelters of which I am one, give bond for $20,000 to pay 
 government one tenth of lead manufactured, and are the men 
 of the country. H. Newhall and Co., had his furnace in operation 
 September 1, 1827 and made 20 tons of lead by the 15th. I have 
 a store of goods in Galena, for the supply of those with whom \ 
 have dealings, and never sell for less than 50 per cent. There was 
 manufactured here five million, seven hundred and forty pounds 
 
, GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 25 
 
 of lead. The population consists of American, Irish and French. 
 An Indian is outlawed, by their own custom in one year, but 
 on the goods sold to Indians there is a profit of two or three 
 hundred per cent made, and a profit on furs received in payment. 
 
 SLAVE LABOR IN MINES 
 
 Negro slavery existed at the mines. Mine owners were 
 from slave states and brought fhem with them. When 
 Captain Harris arrived in 1823 there were 150 negroes 
 here. Under the ordinance of 1787, slavery was prohib- 
 ited in Northwest Territory, but Illinois evaded this 
 law by "registered servants/ 1 as they were known as 
 black laws. March 10, 1829, Commissioners of Jo Dav- 
 iess County levied a tax of ly 2 % on "town lots, slaves, 
 and registered servants." At this time, there was a ven- 
 erable old colored man living in Galena, his name 
 was Swanzy Adams, born a slave in Virginia in April 
 1796, moved to Kentucky in April 1827, came to Fever 
 River as the slave of James A. Duncan on the steamer 
 "Shamrock." He was hired to Captain Comstock and 
 worked as a miner. He subsequently bought himself 
 for $1500 (he quaintly said, "In Kentucky, good boys 
 like me could be bought for $350". He discovered 
 lead on the next Sunday that paid it, but was com- 
 pelled to serve five years longer as a slave. Old Swanzy 
 is the sole survivor of the slaves held under the Black 
 Laws of Illinois. Swanzy, since he owned himself, had 
 secured a home and cared for himself in his declining 
 years. 
 
 For many years the only money current at the mines was 
 british sovereigns and french 5-franc pieces as late as 1856-57 
 In 1832, just before the BlacK Hawk War, the whole mining dis- 
 trict was in prosperous condition. In 1829-30, the price of lead 
 went down. 
 
 The Miners Journal of which the first number was issued 
 July 8, 1828, by James Jones, under the supervision of Dr. New- 
 hall. The first printing in the first printing office established at 
 Galena, by Jones, was an invitation to a Ball and Excursion; as 
 
26 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 follows/'The pleasure of your company is respectfully solicited 
 to a party on board the steamboat Indiana, on Friday, the 4th 
 day of July, at 8 o'clock A. M. 
 
 During the past winter although they were isolated from the 
 rest of the word they among themselves were merry makers and 
 had socials and gatherings. During the winter they had twelve 
 Balls, the last one on the 22nd of February. At noon a salute was 
 fired from the cannon. In the evening a ball was given at the 
 Cottage Hotel, (the name applied by Dr. Newhall to a log tavern 
 on the west side of Main street, corner of Green in a hall building 
 60 feet in length, ornamented with evergreens. There were sixty 
 ladies and ninety gentlemen, all elegantly dressed. Had I suddenly 
 been transported into the Ball Room, I should have imagined 
 myself in an eastern city. 
 
 Miners Journal of May 9, 1832. "The miner, smelter, mer- 
 chant, and farmer were all prosperous. Mills were built on every 
 stream. Machines were rolling out lead, for the manufacture of 
 leaden pipes. Laborers received $15, to $20 per month and their 
 board. 
 
 There were 3 churches in Galena; A Catholic, Methodist and 
 Presbyterian. A temperance society of seventy-five members, a 
 juvenile temperance society of forty-five members. Education 
 promoted, and justice administered. Crimes common in oider 
 settlements are here unknown. Persons sleep with unbarred doors 
 in safety. A jail was finished three years and during that time 
 had not been occupied. People of Galena were well dressed, polite 
 and sociable, where respectable strangers find hospitality at the 
 upper Mississippi. 
 
 A shot tower to be built at January's Point was not finished. 
 Foundations were commenced and the location was called "Shot 
 Tower Hill." Sheet lead was manufactured by Parker for a short 
 time. One hundred and two steamboats, and seventy-two Keel 
 boats arrived in a single year. The annual product of lead had 
 increased to 13,343,150 pounds. 
 
 It was nothing to see twenty large Mississippi steamboats 
 in the river at one time, and Captain Harris in sufficient authority 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 27 
 
 "JANUARY'S POINT" — FIRST LOCATION OF THE TOWN OF GALENA 
 
 for the statement that steamboats have arrived and departed in 
 every month of the year. 
 
 Mr. Charles Smith was the sub agent residing here, and came 
 with Lieutenant Thomas who lived at St. Louis and visited Fever 
 River occasionally. Miners could sell mineral only to licensed 
 smelters for which the government collected one-tenth for rent 
 and paid them for smelting it. Miners were only paid for nine 
 tenths of the mineral they delivered. All disputes between miners 
 were settled by the U. S. Agent. There were no lawyers to compli- 
 cate matters and Mr. Charles Smiih, acting sub-agent, would see to 
 it that this settlement was carried inio effect, and dated May 21, 
 1825., Lieutenant U. S. Army. 
 
 The first Commissioners of Jo Daviess County were R. W. 
 Chandler, James Harris and Jonalhan Browder. Other leading 
 settlers were interested in a document when people can own their 
 own land. All people were tenants at will, of the Uniled States, 
 liable to be ejected at any time. The people at the mines petition- 
 
28 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 ed Congress for permanent titles, but no attention was paid to this 
 request. The following are some of the names, attached to this 
 register, headed by the Commissioners of Jo Daviess County; 
 James Foley, Sam Lawrence , Geo. W. Britten, T. H. January, 
 Thomas Ray, Wm. H. Johnson, N. Bates, Thomas Hymer, J. B. 
 Gratiot, Sam C. Muir, A. P. Van AAatre, Amos Farrar, J. W. Shull, 
 F. Debt, B. Gibson, James Jones, Elijah Furguson, Isaic Swan, 
 David M. Robindon, E. F. Townsend, H. H. Gear, and R. H. Cham- 
 pion. They are among the signers of this unique document. Charles 
 Smilh reported he had staked off the lots 50 feet, 41 in number. 
 The dead and the living both, conspire to cause me a great deal 
 of trouble. Mr. Smith's allusion to the dead is explained, by the 
 fact that in earlier days the people buried their dead in various 
 places along the bench, where Bench street is now. These remains 
 had to be removed when the town was laid out, and caused the 
 good natured Smith considerable trouble. 
 
 The future city of Galena was laid off and named in 1826, 
 as records show, but the United States still retained ownership. 
 Permits of the superintendent were the only titles people could 
 have to their lots and homes and they must vacate on thirty days 
 notice. 
 
 Historians have given as the cause of the "Winnebago War" 
 of 1827: The Indians were dissatisfied because miners were on 
 their territory on the north side of the "Ridge," the boundary of 
 the "five leagues square." Mr. McKnight succeeded Charles 
 Smith as sub-agent, and remained until Lieutenant Thomas suc- 
 ceeded Captain Legate in 1829. Charles Smith died at Galena, 
 March 3, 1829. 
 
 It is doubtful whether you are within the limits of your coun- 
 try, which the United States agreed with the Poltawattomies, have 
 a right to explore for mining purposes. Should you prefer to 
 remain, you are at liberty to do so with express understanding, 
 however, that should that county be decided to belong to the 
 Winnebagoes, you remove when notified from this office, signed 
 M. Thomas, Lieutenant superintendent of Lead Mines. Mr. Mc- 
 Knight left no records of the Lead Mines or Agency, unless they 
 are preserved in the war department at Washington. The super- 
 
- GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 29 
 
 intendent of the United States Mines had no authority to grant per- 
 mits on Indian territory. He could forbid trespassing, but it would 
 require military force to prevent mining provided the diggers 
 obtained consent of the native owners, the government could only 
 collect of those who obtained mineral within the limits of "Five 
 Leagues Square." The agent could not justly demand any of the 
 lead obtained beyond the reservation and this lead to difficulty. 
 It was unjust to pay rent to the Indians and pay again to the Unit- 
 ed States and again they obtained from Indian lands and were 
 not protected by the Government. The miners were defrauded 
 and their rights disregarded. Smelters paid no rent, and they 
 were free from governmental supervision. 
 
30 
 
 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE WINNEBAGO WAR 
 
 The year 1827, is memorable in the history of the Jo Daviess 
 County as the first serious trouble with the Indian neighbors, 
 experienced by the settlers, and given a ti.le of the "Winnebago 
 War." The territory north of the ordinance line of 1787 was in 
 undisputed possession of the Indians, except the reservations 
 north of the Wisconsin and on Fever river, the mining district of 
 Jo Daviess, and Michigan territory was occupied largely by the 
 Winnebagoes. Early in 1827, miners, iraders, and adventurers 
 flocked hither in great numbers, and inevitably extended their 
 explorations, beyond the "Ridge" recognized as the line of the 
 "Five League Square," although it seems as though the reservation 
 was not accurately determined. Many rich leads were discovered 
 on Indian lands, and miners persisted in digging in direc. dis- 
 obedience of the United States Lead Mine orders. In some cases 
 the right io mine was purchased from the Indians. Frequent dis- 
 putes occurred as the lands belonged to the Winnebagoes and 
 did no more than the whites would have done to protect their 
 rights and property. 
 
 BURTON'S LEAD SMELTER — 1830 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 31 
 
 About this time, two Keel boats, belonging to the contractor 
 to furnish supplies at Fort Snelling, stopped on their way up the 
 river not far above Prairie du Chein; where were encamped a 
 large number of Winnebago Indians. The Indians were peaceable 
 and friendly with the settlers there until provoked beyond en- 
 durance. Reynolds says/ 7 after stopping at the Winnebago camp 
 the boatman made the Indians drunk, as they were themselves 
 and then captured a number of their squaws, who were also 
 drunk. The squaws were forced into the boats for corrupt and 
 brutal purposes. Not satisfied with this outrage, the boatmen took 
 the squaws with them in the boats to Ft. Snelling." The boatmen 
 and the Indians had a drunken frolic; several squaws were kept 
 on the boats all night and put ashore next morning before the 
 tribe recovered from the "spree," and the boats continued up the 
 river. These accounts agree that a gross outrage was committed 
 and provoked attack. When the injured Winnebagoes had slept 
 off their drinking and become sober, they realized "the outrage 
 done to their women and the insult to them in this delicate 
 point," they resolved to wash out the stains with blood. Most 
 White people would have done the same. Runners were sent out 
 summoning warriors to the scene of action for an attack on the 
 boats as they returned. Captain Harris states that a war party of 
 twenty Indians stopped at his fathers house and were very inso- 
 lent as was expected by that tribe. "Old Curley", a friendly Indian, 
 notified the family, and the other members took refuge in a corn 
 field leaving Smith and Scribe in the house with their mother. 
 They offered no personal injury, for Scribe and I stood by with 
 our guns. They attempted to take some of our goods, but were 
 told to let things alone or we would shoot and they knew we 
 meant it. They left and went north and murdered a family at 
 Prairie du Chein 
 
 Four Winnebago chiefs called on the Gratiots, to inform them 
 because of the action of whites, they would be unable to restrain 
 their young men from declaring war, but careful inquiry failed to 
 develop any outrages by the Indians in the mining distrct, either 
 before or after the insults of the drunken Keel boatmen, when the 
 Indians intended to avenge upon the guihy party themselves. 
 The boatmen anticipated an attack on their return. The Indians 
 
32 
 
 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 
 
 
 -$)-"■' 
 
 THE OLD STOCKADE — OLD UNDERGROUND REFUGE 1832 
 
 were peacabie at the mines while they had reason to complain 
 of the encroachments of the whites on their territory, they did 
 nothing but drive off ihe trespassers. The keel boatmen expected 
 an attack on their return for they knew they deserved it, and after 
 a lapse of half a century, judgment of humanity, concurs the 
 same opinion. Expecting trouble the keel boatmen on their return 
 attempted to run by the Winnebago village in the night. The 
 watchful, vengeful Winnebagoes were not to be eluded. The 
 boats were forced to approach the shore in the narrow channel 
 of the river at this point, and there the infuriated savages assailed 
 one boat and let the other pass down unmolesed. They knew the 
 boat with the offenders, who they wished to punish. The account 
 Df the fight is as follows: The boatmen were not entirely prepared 
 for the attack, they had some arms and were alert for the Indians 
 who laid down in their canoes, and tried to paddle them to the 
 boat, but the whites seeing this, fired their muskets on them in 
 
, GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 33 
 
 their canoes. A desperate and furious fight occurred for a few 
 minutes. One sailor by profession during the war of 1812 saved 
 the boat and a number of the crew who were not killed. This 
 man was large and strong and possessed the courage of an Afri- 
 can lion. He seized ihe part of the setting pole of the boat, about 
 four feet long with a piece of iron on the end, which made the 
 pole weighty and a powerful weapon in the hands of powerful 
 "Saucy Jack," as he was called. When the Indians attempted to 
 board the boat, Jack would knock them back in the river as fast 
 as they came. The boat got fast to the ground, and the whites 
 seemed doomed, but with courage, exertion and hard fighting, 
 the Indians were repelled (Jack, unmindful of the shower of 
 bullets, seized a pole, pushed the boat into the current and it 
 floated on down the river out of danger of the angry savages." 
 Several white men killed and many were wounded, leaving 
 barely enough to navigate the boat. Thus commenced and ended 
 the Winnebago war. No white man or Indian was killed before 
 or after this one battle on the river at night. It is said that General 
 Louis Cass received word that the Winnebagoes were making 
 warlike prepartions but his sudden and unexpected appearance 
 among them in a large birch canoe, larger than used by traders, 
 filled with armed men, with the U. S. Flag flying, led ihe Indians 
 to suspect that they were a superior force. His movements may be 
 attributed to his safety, and the men under his command, a single 
 birch bark canoe, armed with enough men under his command 
 to overcome, ihousands of hostile savages hundreds of miles, 
 must be worth seeing. 
 
 On his way down General Cass stopped at Galena where 
 General Whiteside had raised a company of volunteers ready to 
 march into action. An eye wi.ness of his arrival says, "Amidst the 
 alarm prevailing the excited people heard singing, and thought 
 the Indians were coming, but they saw gliding gracefully up the 
 river, around ihe point, below the village, a large canoe, flying 
 the United States Flag and containing an American officer and six 
 Canadians dressed in blue jackets and red sashes with bright fea- 
 thers in their hats, who were singing the "Canadian Boat Song" 
 as they bent their oars and sent the canoe into the bank, where 
 General Cass stepped ashore amid cheers of the assembled popula- 
 tion." Armed men were very few in that boat, but ihe Indians 
 
34 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 quieted down after they had punished the keel boatmen, who 
 had so grossly insulted them. 
 
 Captain D. S. Harris of the Galena Volunteer Company 
 commanded by General Dodge says, "We marched to Fort Winne- 
 bago where Red Wing was brought in prisoner, and that was 
 the end of it. The Winnebagoes surrendered Red Wing and We- 
 Kaw, the two chiefs who lead the attack on the keel boats when 
 General Atkinson made the military display in "The heart of their 
 country." Red Wing was imprisoned at Prairie du Chein, but his 
 proud spirit was broken by confinement that he felt was unjust 
 and he soon died. Thus ended the Winnebago War, which was 
 only an attack on some keel boatmen, who provoked the Indians, 
 by the outrage of some boatmen themselves, under the influence 
 of liquor. After this disgraceful affair a treaty was made with the 
 Winnebagoes, for twenty thousand dollars paid in goods and 
 trinkets at fabulous prices. They were satisfied for damages sus- 
 tained of the trespassers on their land and relinquished a large 
 tract of land to the miners. 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 35 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE BLACK HAWK WAR 
 
 The year of 1832 has its own records to relate to readers in 
 the event of the Black Hawk War. Most people who study history 
 are familiar wi.h this general history of the war, but some inci- 
 dents connected with it and some phases familiar to the survivors 
 of the sturdy rank and file that took part in it, had and still have 
 their opinions relating to its causes and conduct, differs from 
 most published accounis, that should be recorded. The war was 
 commenced and most of the blood was spilt, in what was then 
 Jo Daviess County. In the causes of this war like the Winnebago 
 war, as received from ihe survivors, the white man was not entire- 
 ly guiltless. 
 
 BLACK HAWK 
 
 In 1831 Black Hawk and his friends of Sac Indians cross- 
 ed to their old homes on Rock River, but had signed a 
 treaty, so returned to the west side of the Mississippi, 
 receiving liberal gifts of goods and provisions from 
 
36 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 the government, and promised never to return without 
 the consent of the President of the United States, or the 
 Governor of Illinois 
 
 On the 6th of April, 1832, he recrossed the Mississippi 
 with his entire band of men, women and children. 
 The Galenian edited by Dr. A. P. Philleo of May 1832, 
 says "Black Hawk was invited by the Prophet, and had 
 taken possession of a tract of land forty miles up Rock 
 River/' Black Hawk and his band had no hostile inten*, 
 but to accept an invitation from Pittawak, a friendly 
 chief, to come over and spend the summer with his 
 people on the Rock River. There seems to be no question 
 of the fact, that he came in consequence of an invitation 
 from Phtawak, or the Prophet as he was called, as his 
 people were in a starving condition. 
 
 Others agree that Black Hawk did not come to fight, he had 
 retired to the west side of the Mississippi under treaty, receiving 
 a large quantity of corn and provisions. There is still another 
 explanation to understand why Black Hawk returned in 1832. 
 Nearly all the treaties ever made with the Indians, the Indian trad- 
 ers dictaled the terms for their allies and customers and received 
 a large share of the annuities in payments for debts. Each tribe 
 had traders who supplied them. George Davenport had a trading 
 post at Fort Armstrong. His customers were Sacs and Fox Indians, 
 with whom he was held in high esteem, in fact, his word was law. 
 Black Hawk's band became indebted to him for a large amount 
 and were unable to pay. If they had not good hunting during the 
 winter he was likely to lose. If Black Hawk could be induced to 
 come on this side of the river again, the people could be alarmed, 
 so that a Military force could be sent in pursuit of him, another 
 treaty could be made, he might insist in making terms and get 
 his pay out of the payments the government would make, all 
 would be well. 
 
 Mr. Amos Farrar, who was Davenport's partner, and who 
 died in Galena during the war, declared while on his death-bed, 
 that the "Indians were not to blame, if they had been left alone, 
 no trouble would have occurred; that the band were owing Mr. 
 
- GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 37 
 
 Davenport and he wanted to get his pay." In a letter to General 
 Atkinson (dated April 13, 1832, Davenport said, "I have been 
 informed that the Sac Indians are prepared to make War on the 
 settlers and traders of the frontier." Black Hawk understood the 
 game. He was leisurely pursuing his way up Rock river, as Iraders 
 wanted an answer, waiting for the Military to display the white 
 Flag, as he had done the year before. Black Hawk's movement 
 across the Mississippi on the 6th of April was construed into a 
 hostile demonstration. Davenport cultivated the idea, as he was 
 accompanied by old men, women and children. No Indian warr- 
 iors ever went to war encumbered in this way. It does not appear, 
 from the 6th day of April until the 12th of May when Stillmans 
 drunken soldiers fired on the flag of truce, that a single sett- 
 ler was murdered, or suffered an injury at the hands of Black 
 Hawk. Hon. H. S. Townsend, of Warren states that at least when 
 they took corn from a settler, they paid for it. Captain W. B. Green 
 writes, "No one ever heard of Black Hawk's band, while passing 
 up the Rock River, committing any depredation or even a petty 
 theft." Frederick Stall esq., of Galena, states that John Dixon told 
 him when Black Hawk's band had passed his post, it was before 
 the arrival of the troops and Ne-oo Pope had the young braves 
 well in hand, and informed him they intended to commit no 
 depredations, and should not fight unless they were attacked." 
 It was natural of an Indian to want to make a new trade with the 
 "Great White Father." The Sacs under Black Hawk intended no 
 trouble nor wanted any until Slillman's men arrived, certain it is 
 that the people of Galena and surrounding mining district wanted 
 no trouble and no preparations were made for war until Captain 
 Stevenson's rout on the 15th of May. Some United States troups 
 arrived in Galena from Prairie du Chein on May 1st, the same 
 time Black Hawk commenced his march from Prophet's village, but 
 no serious alarm among the settlers of Jo Daviess county, so the 
 troups went to Rock Island (Ft. Armstrong) on the 7th. About that 
 time J. W. Stephenson, J. Foley, and Mr. Atchison, returned and 
 reported the "Indians were quiet and joined the neighboring 
 tribes." 
 
 The Galenian of May 16th printed before the tidings of 
 Stillman's fiasco reached Galena said; "It is already proved that 
 
38 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 they did not attempt to fight as many supposed. On Saturday May 
 12, Governor Reynolds was at Dixen Ferry, with two thousand 
 mounted riflemen, awaiting General Atkinson's forces at Fort 
 Armstrong. A few days before Major Isaiah Stillman, with four 
 hundred well mounted volunteers, commenced his march with a 
 fixed determination to wage war of extermination where ever 
 he might find a hostile band. 
 
 The night before, on the 12th of May, 1832, Stillman's forces 
 encamped at White Rock Grove, about 35 miles from Dixon. He 
 was quite close to Black Hawk's camp but did not know it. Black 
 Hawk at that minute was getting ready to propose a "treaty of 
 peace," Stillman's men were well supplied wih whiskey, it was 
 reported that they had a barrel of "fire water" and many were 
 drunk. Extermination was their motto although ihe game they 
 hunted had committed no depredations. Becoming aware of the 
 immediate presence of an armed force, Black Hawk sent a small 
 party of his braves to Stillman's camp with a flag of 1ruce. They 
 were discovered as they approached, and without reporting to 
 their commander, and without orders, hastily moun'ed and dash- 
 ed upon the Indians killing two and capturing two and the others 
 escaped, still pursued by the volunteers. 
 
 When Black Hawk and his war chief, Ne-O-Pope saw them 
 coming toward their camp, their flag of truce disregarded, they 
 raised a terrible war whoop and prepared for the fray. The vol- 
 unteers retreated which they did with wonderful celerily, after 
 murdering the two prisoners without waiting for the onslaught, 
 supposing they were being pursued by a thousand savage warr- 
 iors. The flying rascals rushed through the camp, spreading terror 
 and consternation among their comrades, but late so eager to meet 
 the foe. The wildest panic ensued. "Mounting in hot haste", with- 
 out waiting to see if there was anything to run for, every man 
 fled, never stopping till they reached Dixon's Ferry, or had been 
 slopped by a bullet or a tomahawk. 
 
 The first man to reach Dixon was a Kenlucky lawyer not 
 unknown to fame in Jo Daviess County, who, as he strode into 
 Dixon reported every man in Stillman's command had been killed 
 except himself. Another man named Comstock, never stopped 
 
. GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 39 
 
 till he reached Galena, reported "the men were all drunk, as he 
 was, got scared and made the best time to get out of danger 
 but he didn't see a single Indian." 
 
 The main facts were that the men were drunk, and 
 that the white flag displayed by Black Hawk was fired 
 upon in utter disregard of all rules of warfare recog- 
 nized, even among Indians. The Whites had commenced 
 the work of murder, the Indians losing all hope of 
 negotiation, determined that extermination was a game 
 that both parties could play at. General Whiteside, at 
 once marched for the fatal field, the enemy was gone, 
 the main body moved north, the rest scattered in small 
 bands, to avenge the death of their people upon un- 
 offending settlers. Eleven of Stillman's men were killed, 
 of whom were Capt. Adams and Major Perkins. Their 
 mutilated remains were gathered and buried. The place 
 was known as "Stillman's Run" to this day. This was the 
 commencement of hostilities, and justice compels 
 this impartial historian to record that the whites were the 
 aggressors. 
 
 The Volunteers appreciated the fact, too it was not such 
 grand sport to kill Indians when they found that Indians might 
 kill them when war had commenced by firing upon and killing 
 the bearers of the flag of peace. Afte this defeat the men that 
 remained asked to be mustered out, and were dismissed by 
 Governor Reynolds. Another call was issued, and a regiment 
 of Volunteers was mustered in at Beardstown, with Jacob Fry 
 as Colonel, James D. Henry, Lieut. Colonel, John Thomas, Major. 
 The Commanding General Whiteside volunteered as a private. 
 
 All the horrors of Indian Warfare upon the white settle- 
 ments in Jo Daviess's County, was caused by the fatel Act of 
 StillmanV men as it existed. The young Pottawatomies and 
 Winnebagoes joined Black Hawk, after the war closed at Bad Axe, 
 many of the murders had been committed by these Indians. The 
 first results of "Stillmans' defeat" was the descent of 70 Indians 
 on an unprotected settlement at Indian Creek, where they mass- 
 acred 15 men, women and children, of the Hall, Davis and 
 
40 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 Pettigrew families and captured two young women, Sylvia and 
 Rachel Hall. These girls 15 and 17 years old were ransomed 
 by Major Henry Gratiot, for two thousand Dollars, in horses, 
 Wampum and trinkets and came to Galena. May 15, 1832 Capt. 
 J. W. Stephenson reached Galena and related the results of 
 Stillman's defeat of Bloody hostilities by the Indians, creating 
 intense excitement, among the people. Ringing notes sounded 
 the Bugle, calling the people and settlers, also miners together 
 on the race track on the bottom near the river about Washington 
 Street, Galena. A company of Mounted Rangers was organized 
 with James W. Stephenson as Captain. At three o'clock, on the 
 morning of May 19, a group of these men went to Dixon's Ferry 
 with John D. Winters, the mail contractor, as guide, but on 
 Sunday, May 20, Sergeant Stall added to the alarm, that the 
 party had been ambushed by the Indians fifty miles from Galena, 
 one man was killed instantly, and Stall received a bullet through 
 his coat collar. After the war the Indians told Dixon he could have 
 killed Stall, but he had a fine horse, and he was trying to shoot 
 without injuring the animal. 
 
 FORTIFICATIONS-'THE STOCKADE" 
 
 The Galenian of May 23, 1832 says; "The Tomahawk and 
 scalping knife again was seen on our frontier. Some of our best 
 citizens have had blood spilt in great profusion on the borders of 
 Illinois. The Indians must be exterminated. In the same paper it 
 said that, 
 
 "Fortifications for the defense of the town are rapidly 
 progressing. May the 19th a stockade was commenced 
 near the center of the town" The stockade was made 
 by digging a trench, and standing upright in it timbers 
 10 to 12 inches in diameter, and 14 feet long, hewed 
 to a point on the top end. Timbers were placed together, 
 so that when the trench was filled with earth, there 
 would be a solid wooden structure ten feet in height. 
 In the inside a platform was built on which the inmates 
 could stand and fire over the top. The walls were also 
 pierced with loop-holes. On the bluff above near the 
 corner of Perry and Prospect Street, a spot selected by 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 41 
 
 "** 
 
 THE OLD STOCKADE REFUGE FOR SETTLERS DURING BLACKHAWK WAR 
 
 Lieut. J. B. Gardenier, a Block-house was erected and 
 a battery planted, manned by an Artillery Company, 
 of which Lt. Gardenier was Captain. On the Northwest 
 corner of Perry Street there stood a stone house 
 occupied, by Major Cambell; a little distance behind it, 
 a well, and above the well toward Bench Street, was a 
 log house built by Dr. Hancock, a short distance west 
 of Hancock's house was another log cabin on the west 
 side of Perry Street and Bench and in the Northwest 
 corner there was another cabin. The Stockade included 
 these houses and the well and extended from the 
 middle of Bench Street to Cambell's stone house, along 
 Bench Street from a point opposite Col. Strode's res- 
 idence, East about 250 feet or more. A Blockhouse was 
 built in the Northwest corner. Col. Strode lived on the 
 Northwest side of Bench Street, West of Perry, and the 
 gate of the Stockade grounds was directly opposite his 
 residence." 
 
42 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 On May 21, Col. J. AA. Strode, commanding the 27th Reg- 
 iment Illinois Militia and the first man to reach Dixon after Still- 
 man's defeat; proclaimed martial law and required every able 
 bodied man to work on the Stockade from 9 A. M. to 6 P. M. 
 Strode's proclamation also prohibited the sale of Spirits at any 
 of the grocers or taverns in Galena from 8 o'clock A. M. until 
 7 o'clock P. M., everyone prohibited to fire a gun without orders, 
 unless while standing guard. A block house and stockade were 
 built at Apple River near Elizabeth. At White Springs, ten miles 
 from Galena a stockade was built. At New Diggings, nine miles 
 from Galena another was built and at these places a large 
 Company of men were organized. Miners and seitlers were able 
 to protect themselves within a week after the news of Stiilman's 
 defeat. May 21, the Indians fired on Mr. Goss, near Plum River. 
 May 23, Felix Ct. Vrain, Agent for the Sacs and Foxes bearer 
 of dispatches, left Gen. Atkinson's headquarters, on Rock River 
 accompanied with six men. At Buffalo Grove, they found the 
 body of the lamented Durley, and buried it a rod from the spot, 
 where they found it. May 24, they were attacked by a party 
 of thirty Indians, at Kellogg's Old Place,, four of the men killed, 
 the other three escaped, and arrived at Galena on the morning of 
 the 26th. 
 
 From the time the first Companys were mustered out, by 
 Gov. Reynolds, on the 26th of May till new levies were organ- 
 ized on June 15, many murders were committed by the Indians, 
 the only protection the people had were their own brave hearts 
 and strong arms. Many of the murders committed by Indians, the 
 bodies of such were shamefully mutilated and it aroused the 
 miners and settlers of whom had previously felt the Indians were 
 not at fault. The citizens of Galena on May 30, 1832 were called 
 by Col. Strode, to consider conditions of the mining district and 
 to take necessary measures for the security of the vicinity. The 
 meeting was held at the house of M. and A. C. Swan, (then 
 situated on the corner of Green and Main Streets, opposite the 
 DeSoto House.) A committee of nine men with Dr. Meeker in 
 charge were appointed to propose such measures as to secure, 
 the object in view. The committee reported a series of resolutions, 
 that picketing and block houses be finished; and have men 
 
■ GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 43 
 
 stationed about the town, one third to be quartered at ihe Gar- 
 rison, and others divided in oiher parts of the town, independent 
 of the Artillery and Horse Companies; that two companies be 
 made of Capt. Stephenson's Company and Capt. Craig's Company; 
 elect a Major to command the Squadron; and keep out sufficient 
 number of spies or scouts to form ten to twenty-five miles around 
 Galena and every evening give a detailed account of the day; 
 and all persons, subject to Military duty be enrolled, ready for 
 active service, to parade and drill every evening at four o'clock; 
 That provisions for one thousand men, with fifty barrels of water, 
 be kept within ihe Stockade grounds; that there must be unity 
 of action between the forces and that those men who were 
 appointed as leaders to address the citizens of ihe mining district, 
 so as to remove any misunderstanding existing between the town 
 and country. Col. Amos Farrar had all arrangements of the act- 
 ivities of the Old Stockade and of the supplies and the housing 
 situation. The people of the country coming to Galena were not 
 provided for. The people of the town were all excited, had their 
 business, (what little remained) and left their country neighbors 
 to care for themselves. Many of them were encamped on the 
 River bottom, no provision was made for them. They said "We 
 may as well stay at home as go to the point," where no arrange- 
 ments have been made for them. Jealous feelings sprang up, and 
 to this the committee had reference. 
 
 An address was prepared and published, to the citizens of 
 the mining country of Jo Daviess County, Illinois and Western 
 parts of the Territory of Michigan on the Mississippi. 
 
 Inhabitaling a country isolated from our brethen both of 
 the State, and the Union, surrounded by a savage and hostile 
 enemy, who has raised the Tomahawk and scalping knife still 
 reeking in the Blood of our citizens between Rock River and 
 Peoria, two of our sisters (Sylvia and Rachel Hall) in captivity 
 among the savage enemy— our communication cut off by land 
 from the South and East. Prevented by Indians of cultivating our 
 farms and gardens, receiving little help from the state, to which 
 we belong or the general Government, receiving scanty supplies 
 by way of Mississippi, let us rally to the standard of our country 
 and command our preservation and protection. The flame of 
 
44 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 patriotism does not burn alike in every bosom; the soldier will 
 look with pity and not with contempt at his less gifted neighbors, 
 so let us unite more closely, when those at home do their duty 
 preparing all means of defense in their power. 
 
 The time is not too distant if we defend our position, we 
 may look for help which the State and General Government are 
 bound to give us. Let us do the duty assigned to each of us, and 
 forget our bickering and jealousies, and finish our S:ockading 
 and Block-houses. Let us watch the approach and movements of 
 any hostile party; meet and chastise them, if we can, so when 
 peace shall gladden our ears, wrongs will be righted should any 
 remain." On June 6th the Galenian says, "The Stockade is almost 
 done, those in the country about complete", but from ihe lecture 
 given, the commander felt the people did not rally to the work 
 as though there was danger, and tended to their business as 
 usual. In order to show the necessity of completing the defenses 
 by attending to duty as well as give some practice in case the 
 Indians made a night attack, officers, including Col. Strode, 
 planned to have a false alarm, by firing the cannon ot Midnight, 
 the Monday night following the meeting. The date and results of 
 the "Scare," are given in a letter from Dr. Newhall to his brother 
 dated Galena, June 8, 1832 was as follows, "The Indian War has 
 assumed an alarming character. On Monday night the 4th of 
 June an alarm was given that the town was attacked. The scene 
 was horrid beyond description; men women and children flying 
 from all directions to the Stockade. I calculated seven hundred 
 women and children were there within fifteen minutes after the 
 cannon was fired. Some with dresses and some with none; some 
 with shoes and others barefoot; sick persons were transported 
 on others shoulders; women and children screaming from one 
 end of town to the other. It was a false alarm. Had there been an 
 attack, I believe the people would have fought well." Many 
 incidents occured during the "Big Scare", afterwards when all 
 thought the Indians were after them. Among these was the Post-] 
 master who didn't stop to put on his trousers, rushed into the 
 Stockade wrapped in a sheet calling wildly to bring him a pair of 
 pants. A Mrs. Bennet, who was making cartridges as the Post- 
 master came in, handed him a Musket and cooly said, "take this 
 gun and don't be scared to death." 
 
. GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 45 
 
 When people learned how cruelly their fears were played 
 upon their indignation knew no bounds, Business was suspended, 
 Colonel Strode left town. A meeting of the town people was 
 called at Swan's Tavern to investigate, of which Rivers Cormack, 
 the old Methodist Minister, was appointed as chairman. In a few 
 days the Indignation subsided and Colonel Strode returned. His 
 motive was good, but the means he adopted did not meet the 
 approval of the citizens, so the experiment was not repeated. 
 
 Dr. Newhall's letter of June 8, 1832 quoted, "The Indians 
 have taken forty scalps and news reached us that another man 
 had been killed and scalped near Blue Mound." Capt. Stephenson's 
 company of Mounted Rangers found the bodies of St. Vain, 
 Hale, Fowler and Hawley four miles south of Kellogg's Grove, 
 and buried them. Col. Wm. H. Hamilton arrived in Galena the 
 10th with two hundred thirty Indians, mostly Sioux, some Men- 
 ominess and Winnebagoes, on the 8th. These Indians led to 
 Galena on the 10th to join Gen. Atkinson at Dixon's Ferry, all 
 anxious to obtain Sac scalps.. Black Hawk's band was reported 
 coming North. The night of June8, the Indians stole fourteen 
 horses just outside the Stockade at Apple River, near Elizabeth. 
 On the night of the 17th ten more were stolen. The next morning 
 Stephenson started after them with twelve men and nine from 
 the Fort at Apple River, and pursued the red thieves and overtook 
 them Northeast of Waddam's Grove in Stephenson County. The 
 Indians took refuse in a dense thicket. Stephenson's men dis- 
 mounted, and detailing a guard for the horses, led his men in a 
 gallant charge on the concealed foe, received their fire and 
 returned it coming out in the open prairie to load. Three times the 
 men charged upon the thicket, losing a man each time. Only one 
 Indian was killed. He was killed by Private Hood with a Bayonette. 
 Stephenson lost three men and he himself was wounded, so they 
 retreated, leaving the dead where they fell, returned to Galena 
 on the 18th. Governor Ford says, "This attack may have been 
 imprudent, but it equalled anything in modern warfare in the 
 daring and courage." June 14, five men at work in a cornfield 
 five miles below Fort Hamilton, on Spaffort Creek, were killed 
 within half a mile of the fort. Gen. Dodge with 29 men pursued 
 them and discovered eleven in number in open ground, but were 
 
46 
 
 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 not overtaken until they crossed the East Pick-e-ton-e-ka, and 
 entered the swamp, at Horse Shoe Bend. Dodge orderer the men 
 to dismount to prevent the escape of the savages. The Indians 
 opened fire and three men fell severely wounded and Gen. 
 Dodge instantly ordered a charge. The Indians were found lying 
 under the band of the Slough and were not seen until the soldiers 
 were within eight feet of them, when ihey fired. The whole 
 party were killed and scalped in two minutes. In this battle four 
 of our Soldiers were mortally wounded but this was their first 
 victory over the Sacs, and there was grear rejoicing in the settle- 
 ments. On the 20th Stephenson's and Craig's Company, under 
 command of Col. Strode, went to Waddams Grove to bury the 
 three men who were killed, Howard, Eames and Lowell, but left 
 the dead Indian above ground, and returned to Galena in safety. 
 Afterwards Capt. Green learned that a large party of Sacs were 
 within half hours march of us, "when we left the graves of our 
 comrades." The party numbered 150, left the main body of Sacs 
 on Rock River after following Col. Strode's command, were un- 
 doubtly the same that made the furious attack on the Stockade at 
 Apple River, on the night of the 24th, F. Dixen, E. Welsh, G. W. 
 Herclerode and Kirkpatrick, started to carry dispatches to Gen. 
 Atkinson. They passed Apple River Fort when they were fired 
 
 MARKER AT SITE OF THE OLD BLOCK HOUSE — HORSE SHOE MOUND IN THE DISTANCE 
 
• GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 47 
 
 upon by Indians, Welsh was badly wounded. His companions told 
 him to retreat to the Fort, so as to give him time, turned upon the 
 foe, and gave a yell, and temporarily checked them. Welsh 
 reached the Fort and gave the alarm, Their stratagem succeeded, 
 Dixen dashed through the savages and escaped to Galena. Kirk- 
 patrick and Herclerode gained the Fort, the gate was closed and 
 for three quarters of an hour the battle raged. Women and girls 
 made cartridges and loaded muskets. Herclerode was killed later 
 by an Indian, and later the Indians withdrew, stealing a large 
 number of cattle and destroying property. On the 29th of June, 
 three men at work at Sinsinawa Mound were attacked and two 
 of them were killed. Major Stephenson with thirty men started 
 to bury the murdered and pursued the murderers. The bodies were 
 both scalped and one of them had his heart cut out. 
 
 On the 30th of June all north of Galena on the Mississippi, 
 this side of Cassville came to Galena for safety. It was not con- 
 sidered safe to go a mile out of town without a guard. Capt. 
 Harrison, in command of Fort Hamilton tried to get a cannon, 
 and went to Col. Hamilton's Furnace and cast several lead pieces, 
 intenders for two pounders, which were properly mounted at 
 the Stockade, and answered every purpose. 
 
 June 20th, 1832, the Ladies of Galena, presented a stand 
 of Colors to Capr. James Stephenson, a flag to our War Chief, Gen. 
 Henry Dodge, and a stand of colors to Capt. Bazil B. Craig's 
 Company and to Capt. Alex M. Jenkins, a special stand of colors. 
 Black Hawk's forces kept on the march up Rock River, intending 
 to return 1o the west side of the Mississippi river as General 
 Atkinson below prevented their return, they believed no flag 
 of truce or peace proposal would be received by the whites. 
 Indian signs were discovered along the Mississippi. July 6, Lieut. 
 Orrin Smith was sent to Jordans farm with twenty men opposite 
 the Dubuque mines to scour the county there. July 9th, Indians 
 at Roundtree's Fort, (Platteville), held a war dance around the 
 scalp of a woman. 
 
 July 10th the Galenian says; "To-day we learn, the trail 
 of the Indians come from the west of the Mississippi. 
 These facts indicate that Black Hawk and his band were 
 
48 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 not responsible for the outrages committed in the mining 
 district, but attributed to Indians from the west and from 
 young Winnebagoes. July 14, Gov. Reynolds, Col. Field 
 (Secretary of State) Judges Smith and Brown, Col. 
 Hickman, Grant Breese, and Gatewood Capt. Jeffers and 
 others arrived in Galena from the Army. They reported 
 that the Indians were destitute of provisions, were 
 endeavoring to reach the Mississippi and re-cross. July 
 15th, an express arrived in Galena, s'ated, Capt. Harney 
 of the U. S. A. found and pursued the Indian trails for 
 thirty miles, passing four encampments in that distance, 
 and found many signs of want and hunger from lack 
 of provisions, "where they had butchered horses, dug 
 roots and scraped the trees of bark/ 1 so it became 
 evident to the military, that Black Hawk was trying to 
 reach the west side of the Mississippi. Troops were 
 stationed on the banks of the River to prevent the 
 Indians from crossing until the brigade from Gen. 
 Atkinson, could come up with them/ 7 Indian outrages 
 had ceased in Jo Daviess County, and a brief sketch of 
 the troops movements from Dixen's Ferry to Bad Axe 
 will close this part of the History. 
 
 June 15, 1832 volunteers in camp at Dixen's Ferry in three 
 Brigades. First by Gen. Alex Posey, Gen. James D. Henry com- 
 manded the second with Gen. Milton R. Alexander the third. 
 June 17, Adam W. Snyder of Col. Fry's Regiment were sent 
 maneuvering about the county between Rock River and Galena 
 encamped at Burr Oak Grove, Township of Erin, Stephenson 
 County, was fired upon by Indians. He started after them, caught 
 and killed them losing one man and mortally wounded another. 
 Returning he was attacked by 70 Indians. Gen. Whiteside then 
 a private, shot and killed the leader and they retreated so were 
 not pursued. Snyder lost two and one was wounded. June 25, 
 Gen. Posey's Brigade, commanded by Major Dement, lost five 
 men and twenty horses killed. The Indians left nine of their 
 number stretched on the field. Gen. Posey hastened to Major 
 Dement. The Indians had retreated two hours before he arrived. 
 He returned to Kellogg's Grove to wait for his baggage wagons, 
 
- GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 49 
 
 to arrive, then march to Fort Hamilton, M. T., June 25, Gen. 
 Atkinson started a slow and deliberate march up the river and 
 finally arrived at Lake Kushkanong, and was joined by Gen. 
 Alexander's Brigade, continued his march up to White River and 
 there was joined by Posey brigade and Galena's Battalian under 
 Major Dodge. Gen. Alexander, Gen. Henry, Major Dodge went to 
 Fort Winnebago for supplies. They heard that Black Hawk, was 
 trying to reach Wisconsin River, and then disobeying orders Gen. 
 Henry and Gen. Dodge started in pursuit (Gen. Alexander and his 
 brigade returning to Gen. Atkinson) and to say the least its 
 saddest part struck the broad fresh trail of the Indians with many 
 of the old men, women and children, who could not keep up 
 and were left to their fate by the flying Indians; some were killed. 
 One old man left to die at foot of an old Oak tree so was shot 
 and scalped by a surgeon, that kept his scalp as a trophy of his 
 valor. Black Hawk was taken at Wisconsin Dells, and his braves 
 offered battle to let the women and children cross the river. A 
 battle at Wisconsin Heights at which the Indians were badly 
 beaten by our troops and "Worse whipped by starvation," says 
 Mr. Townsend, was fought July 22, 1832. It began a little after 
 noon, but the worst seige was sunset. The first Indian killed was 
 walking along ahead of the troops, with a pack of meat on his 
 back. A soldier fired but missed him, he turned and threw down 
 his gun, but was bayonetted after his surrender, by Sam Journey. 
 At 10 P. M. the fighting ceased. The men bivouwacked their arms 
 for rest. 
 
 About daybreak, Capt. D. S. Harris, then a Lieut, in 
 Stephenson's Company said, "the Camp was alarmed by 
 the Clarion Voice of the Prophet sounded a mile away 
 on a high hill, sounded like an alarm, but it was a tired 
 call for peace, from the Prophet. He was far distant but 
 the sound came clear and could be heard distinctly every 
 word. Every one knew they wanted Peace. The inter- 
 preter repeated they had their squaws and families 
 with them, but also they were starving that they would 
 do no more harm and would fight no more, if they could 
 be permitted to cross the Mississippi in "Peace". Mr. 
 Pilcher of Elizabeth says they were awakened by the 
 
50 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 shrill voice of the Chief, which they plainly understood, 
 "Pe-Com-Pe-e-1-o-o-o Friends we fight no more." Mr. 
 Pilcher told Gen. Henry what the Prophet said, but Gen. 
 Henry answered, "pay no attention to him, and form 
 in line of battle." The Winnebagoes in camp were told 
 of the Prophet's message so they went to the spot 
 where the Indian Messenger had stood, and found 
 buried the Tomahawk, where he proclaimed peace, 
 which was an emphatic declaration that with Black 
 Hawk and his band, the hostilities of war was ended. 
 
 No attempt was paid to these expressions to negotiate peace. 
 They had no interpreter to know what the Prophet said until the 
 war closed. They gave this excuse to Mr. Harris and Mr. Pilcher, 
 that the starved and dying Indians must be exterminated. The 
 next day not an Indian remained on the east side of Wisconsin. 
 
 The Whites pushed back for supplies and the battle of Bad 
 Axe was fought Aug. 2, 1832. Many squaws were killed as well 
 as children. One squaw had been shot and fallen on her face, a 
 child strapped to her back, the shot broke the child's arm, in spite 
 of this the child was sitting on the parent's back gnawing in 
 ravenous hunger the raw flesh from a horse bone. 
 
 The battle of Bad Axe terminated the war and Black Hawk's 
 surrender, his visit to Washington and return to his people in 
 Iowa, are familiar to all readers. Nearly a century and one half 
 have passed since these stirring events narrated, occurred, and 
 the Indians have long since disappeared although there is an 
 Indian village at the Wisconsin Dells where there is a delightful 
 tourist camp, and a resortful place to rest. 
 
 Black Hawk was captured at Wisconsin Dells but ihe truth 
 must be recorded. Passion and prejudice have passed away, but 
 when the scalping knife and tomahawk were drawn in 1832, 
 the whites had commenced this unrestrained flow of blood, by 
 firing on the flag of truce at "Stillman's Run. ' The murder of wo- 
 men and children after the Prophet had informed them in person 
 that his people were starving and wanted peace, cannot be justi- 
 fied. 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 51 
 
 It was as savage an act, as the savages themselves had 
 committed. Black Hawk, then an old man, lost all control of his 
 young braves led by Ne-oo-Pope. The fatal act of Stillman's drunk- 
 en soldiers, and acts of savage barbarity by both whites and In- 
 dians would have remained undone. Fire water was the direct 
 cause of the Black Hawk war as well as the Winnebago. 
 
 Tuesday night, July 24, 1832, a fire broke out in Dr. 
 Crow's stable in the Stockade. Two horses were burned 
 and provisions were lost, during the fire. There was 
 powder stored in the stable, and then there was another 
 scare, but this time the stampede was from the Stock- 
 ade. Amos Farrar died in his house the same night. 
 Captain G. W. Girdon of Galena, one of the oldest 
 steamboat captains on the Mississippi gathered together 
 all the papers of Colonel Amos Farrar pertaining to 
 his work and establishment in Galena, and placed them 
 kept for future reference as one of the earliest settlers 
 at the disposal of the historians, that they would be 
 in the vicinity of Galena. Records state Amos Farrar was 
 living here with his Fox wife, as early as 1819. They 
 had three children, who with his wife all contracted 
 that dreadful disease Small-Pox, and they all died at 
 that time, no actual date given. 
 
52 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 AMOS FARRAR-AAAERICAN FUR TRADER 
 
 Amos Farrar came here as an American fur trader in the 
 sevice of Louis Devotion, located at Fort Armstrong, bringing 
 supplies via Green Bay from Canada. In 1821 he left the service 
 of Louis Devotion. In 1823 he came up Fever River, and had a 
 trading post on the bank of the river, what is now Commerce 
 street, between Perry and Franklin street. On June 1, 1825 Mr. 
 Farrar received a permit signed Charles Smith, acting Sub-Agent, 
 U. S. Mines, permitting him to occupy five acres of United States 
 land for cutivation, and to build a cabin thereon. He must comply 
 with all regulations concerning cutting timber. About two years 
 before his death he married Miss Sophia Gear, a sister of Captain 
 H. H. Gear. He died at his residence within the Stockade grounds 
 July 24, 1832, beloved and respected by all who knew him. 
 The following copy of a printed notice to the inhabitants show 
 the esteem and regard in which he was held: "Yourself and 
 family are invited to attend the funeral of Colonel Amos Farrar 
 this morning at ten o'clock, from his late residence within the 
 Stockade, Galena July 26, 1832." That house is still standing on 
 the southeast side of Perry street near the corner of Bench. The 
 name Farrar is derived from Latin and French word, signifying 
 Iron, and doubtless first used to designate a locality where metal 
 was found. England; a Norman name of distinction attached to 
 Wm. Duke of Normandy before the invasion of 1066. 
 
 FARRAR COAT OF ARMS 
 
 Thomas Farrar, Fifth genation, came to Lynn, Massachusettes in 
 1610. Farmer. Sixth Generation; Father Jacob born February 
 15, 1750, died March 8, 1820. Mother, Elizabeth Haywood 
 
 Farrar, Died 1796. They lived at Concord, Massachusetts. 
 
 Seventh generation, children of Jacob and Elizabeth, Jacob, 
 
 John, Betsy, Daniel and Amos. 
 
 Amos, born March 5, 1796, died at Galena, Illinois July 24, 1832. 
 
 Amos Farrar as the writer understands, the establishment of 
 his position, through my aunt, Miss Margaret Gardner, who 
 
■ GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 53 
 
 knew Mrs. Amos Farrar and took music lessons fom her, and 
 heard from the lips of Mrs. Farrar that he, Amos Farrar was always 
 called Colonel, and that he had charge of the fortifications of the 
 Stockade ground, and for the most part built the Old Stockade, 
 which was to shelter the women and children and elder men 
 who were not physically able to fight, if they were attacked, and 
 in general to look after the supplies for all who would be sheltered 
 within the Stockade grounds, their horses and cattle, also the log 
 cabins for Military officers. Construction of the fence around the 
 entire Stockade ground; after the death of Colonel Farrar, Colonel 
 Henry Gratiot was appointed to take care of the Stockade. 
 
54 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 BLACK HAWK AND THE BLACK HAWK WAR 
 
 This conflict, though confined to Illinois, is a very important 
 epoch in the Northwestern history as the last war with the Indians 
 in the United States. Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiah, or Black Hawk, 
 was born in the principal Sac village about three miles from the 
 junction of the Rock river with the Mississippi, in the year 1767. 
 His father's name was Py-e-sa-Pahacs; his grandfaiher's Na-na-ma- 
 kee, or the Thunderer. Black Hawk, at the age of fifteen distin- 
 guished himself as a warrior and was ranked among the braves. 
 The year 1783 he went on an expedition against ihe Osages, 
 one of whom he killed and scalped and for that Indian bravery 
 was permitted to join in the scalp dance and allowed to pain and 
 wear Indian war dress. After this at the head of two hundred 
 braves, they went against the Osages, to avenge the deaths of 
 some women and children belonging to his own tribe. He then 
 attacked the Cherokees for the same cause. In a fierce battle with 
 them, near the city of St. Louis, his faher was slain, and Black 
 Hawk taking possession of the "Medicine Bag" immediately placed 
 himself as the chief of the Sac Nation. About 1800, as head of the 
 Sac and Fox Nation he conquered the Osages and Cherokees, and 
 with 500 Sacs and Foxes and 100 lowas successfully conquered 
 the other Indian tribes in this part of the country. 
 
 Black Hawk was not at any time friendly with Americans. He 
 declared as a reason, "he did not want two fathers." In 1804 a 
 treaty was signed at St. Louis. The U. S. Government erected a 
 Fort near the head of the Des Moines Rapids called Fort Edwards. 
 Black Hawk was enraged and at once was determined to capture 
 Fort Madison, on the west side of the Mississippi. Fifty men were 
 garrisoned there. Black Hawk was defeated. 
 
 The Government extended Aid to the Western Indians, giving 
 them Arms and inducing them to remain hostile to the Americans. 
 August 1812, Black Hawk, at the head of five hundred braves, 
 joined British Forces at Detroit. On his way he passed by Fort 
 Dearborn. A massacre had occurred. Little is known of Black 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 55 
 
 Hawk and the British Government. He descended the Mississippi 
 in 1813 with his little band, attacking some U. S. troops at Fort 
 Howard and was defeated. He then recognized the validity of 
 the treaty at St. Louis and from 1816 to 1832 he remained quiet 
 and with his band followed the pursuits of Indian life. Ten years 
 before the war, ihe Sac and Fox Indians were requested to join 
 <he lowas on the west bank of the Father of Waters All agreed 
 except Black Hack. He wanted to retain this native village now 
 bccupied by the whites. The war followed. His actions were mis- 
 understood and as a result much blood shed would have been 
 prevented. Black Hawk was chief of the Sac and Fox nations, 
 and was a noted warrior. 
 
 September 21, 1832 a treaty was signed with the Winnebag- 
 oes, Sacs and Foxes. A vast tract of land was ceded by the United 
 States and they agreed to remain peaceable with the whites. The 
 faithful performance of this treaty on the part of the Indians was 
 stipulated that Black Hawk, his two sons, the prophet Wabokie- 
 shiek and six other chiefs of the hostile bands should be retained 
 as hostages during the pleasure of the President. At Fort Barracks 
 they were put in irons. By order of the Secretary the next spring, 
 they were taken to Washington then sent to Fortress Monroe "there 
 to remain until the conduct of their nation was such to justify 
 their being set at libery." 
 
 On June 4th ihe authorities directed them to be taken to the 
 principal cities that they might see the folly of opposing the white 
 people. By the middle of August, they reached Fort Armstrong on 
 Rock Island where Black Hawk was released to his country men. 
 As he passed the site of his birthplace he was deeply moved, and 
 now the home of the white people. His village where he was 
 born and lived happily, and had hoped to die, and now, he was 
 only a wanderer. The day after his relese, he went to his lodge and 
 his people. His wife was yet living and with her he passed the 
 remainder of his days. To his credit, Black Hawk remained true 
 to his wife, and served her with devotion uncommon among In- 
 dians. Black Hawk now passed his time hunting and fishing. 
 When he visited the whites he was received with marked atten- 
 tion and was an honored guest at the Old Settlers reunion in Lee 
 County, Illinois, and received many tokens of esteem. 
 
56 GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 
 
 In September 1838 on his way to Rock Island to receive his 
 annuity from the Government he contracted a cold and developed 
 into bilious fever from which he did not recover. He died October 
 3, 1838. His faithful wife mourned deeply. He was dressed in a 
 new uniform, presented to him by the President while in Washing- 
 ton. He was buried in a grave six feet deep situated upon a beau- 
 tiful eminence. "His body was placed in a sitting position in the 
 middle of the grave, upon a seat constructed for that purpose; on 
 his left side the cane given him by Henry Clay, was placed upright, 
 with right hand resting on it. Many of his trophies were placed 
 in the grave with him, some Indian garments together with his 
 favorite weapons." 
 
• GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 57 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 MASSACRE AT FORT DEARBORN 
 
 The writer begs the readers time for a few moments, that 
 I may review a few incidents of the Massacre of Fort Dearborn. 
 During the war of 1812/ Fort Dearborn became the theater of 
 stirring events. Fifty-four men were garrisoned here under com- 
 mand of Captain Nathan Heald and Lieutenant Helm and Ensign 
 Ronan. Dr. Voorhees was surgeon. The only residents at the Post 
 were the officers wives and a few soldiers. Mr. Kinzie and family 
 and a few Canadian voyagers and families. Mr. Kinzie and the 
 soldiers were most friendly with the Pottawattamies and Winn- 
 ebagoes, but they could not win them from their connection with 
 the British. 
 
 One evening Mr. Kinzie and family were having a social 
 gathering with music and dancing, when Mrs. Kinzie came running 
 in exclaiming, "The Indians, the Indians, were up to Lee's, killing 
 and scalping." The frightened mother, who when the alarm was 
 given, was attending a neighbor who was sick. Mr. Kinzie and 
 family crossed the river and took refuge at the Fort, with the rest 
 of the inhabitants. A scalping party of Winnebagoes hovered sev- 
 eral days, then disappeared. August 12, 1812, General Hull, at 
 Detroit, sent orders to Captain Heald to evacuate Fort Dearborn, 
 and distribute all U. S. property to the Indians, in the neighbor- 
 hood, (a most insane order.) The Pottawattamie chief, who brought 
 the dispatch, had more wisdom than the General. He advised the 
 Captain not to make the distribution. Said he, "Leave the Fort 
 and stores as they are, let the Indians make distribution them- 
 selves; while ihey are engaged the white people may escape 
 to Fort Wayne." Captain Hald held council with the Indians. His 
 officers would not join him, as they were informed that the 
 Indians intended to murder the white people in the council, and 
 then destroy all at the fort. Captain Heald took precaution to open 
 a port hole displaying a cannon and by that means saved his life. 
 Black Partridge, a friendly chief, came to Captain Heald, and said, 
 "Be careful on the march you are going to take." On that dark 
 night Indians crept near the fort and discovered the destruction of 
 
58 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 their promised booty. The next morning the powder was seen 
 floating on the river. The savages were exasperated and made 
 threats. Captain Wells, an uncle of Mrs. Heald was seen upon 
 the Indian trail among the sand hills, on the border of the lake 
 with a band of mounted AAiamis, of whose tribe he was chief. 
 He had been adopted by the famous warrior, Little Turtle. He had 
 started with his force to assist Captain Heald in defending Fort 
 Dearborn. He was too late. Every means of defense had been 
 destroyed, and indicalions were positive that the savages intended 
 to murder the white people when they moved out of the southern 
 gate of the fort. The march was like a funeral procession. The 
 band, feeling the solemnity of the occasion, struck up the dead 
 march of Saul. Captain Wells blackened his face with gun powder 
 in token of his fate, and led his band of AAiamis, followed by Cap- 
 tain Heald, with his wife by his side on horseback. AAr. Kinzie ass- 
 ompanied them leaving his family in charge of a friendly Indian, 
 to be taken to Niles, Michigan, in event of his death. The process- 
 ion moved slowly, when the Pottawattomie escort under Black- 
 bird filed to the right, but Wells with his Miamis, kept in his ad- 
 vance, suddenly coming back exclaiming, "They are about to attack 
 us, form instantly." The white troops charged upon the Indians, 
 drove them back to the Prairie,, and then the battle waged be- 
 tween fifty-four soldiers, twelve civilians and four women, (the 
 Miamis fled at the onset) against 500 Indian warriors. Ensign 
 Ronan fought desperately, even after falling on his knees with 
 loss of blood. Captain Wells, by the side of his niece Mrs. Heald, 
 said to her, "We have not the slightest chance of life, we part 
 to meet no more in this world. God bless you." Captain Wells, 
 seeing a young warrior climb into a wagon, in which were twelve 
 children, and tomahawk them all, cried out, "If that is your game 
 butchering women and children, I will kill you," he spurred 
 his horse toward the Indian camp, hotly pursued by Indian War- 
 riors. One of these killed his horse, and wounded him severely. 
 With a yell the braves rushed to make him their prisoner and 
 torture him. He resolved not to be made a captive, and by the 
 use of the most provoking epithets tried to induce them to kill 
 him. He called a fiery young chief a squaw, and the enraged 
 warrior killed Wells instantly with his tomahawk, jumped on his 
 
- GALENAS OLD STOCKADE 59 
 
 body, cut out his heart, and ate a portion of the warm morsel with 
 savage delight! 
 
 Women fought side by side in this terrible Massacre and 
 were experts in the use of the rifle. In this conflict two-thirds of 
 the white people were slain, all of the horses, baggage and pro- 
 visions were lost. They gave up. Captain Heald met Blackbird on 
 open prairie where terms of surrender were agreed upon, if the 
 white people would give up their arms to Blackbird, and survivors 
 became prisoners of war. 
 
 A new scene of horror now opened at the Indian camp. The 
 prisoners and wounded were not included in the terms of surrend- 
 er, as it was interpreted by the Indians and the British. General 
 Proctor paid bounty for American scalps, and nearly all the wound- 
 ed men were killed and scalped. Afterward were paid by the 
 British Government a good royalty. 
 
60 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 LOCAL HISTORY 
 
 An Act Establishing Jo Daviess County 
 
 Seel ion 1— Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, 
 represented in the General Assembly, all that tract of country, 
 within the boundaries, to wit:— Beginning in the northwest corner 
 of the State, down the Mississippi Rver to ihe Northern line of the 
 Military tract, East with said line to the Illinois river, north to the 
 northern boundary of the state, west with said boundary line, 
 to place of beginning, shall constitute a county, and perpetuate 
 the memory of Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daviess, who in the battle 
 of Tippecanoe, charging upon the enemy as head of his Corps, 
 ihe county shall be called Jo Daviess. 
 
 Origin of the name:— The name of Jo Daviess was not given 
 by its citizens, Ludlow was incorporated in the original bill, and 
 was intended to honor the memory of a Naval Hero of that name. 
 The bill was under consideration in the House of Representatives, 
 and a member moved to strike out Ludlow and insert Daviess, in 
 honor of Colonel Jo Daviess, a Kentuckian. Another a member 
 to amend the amendment by inserting before Daviess, the word 
 Jo, giving as reason there was a member of the House by the 
 name of Daviess, and people might think the honor intended for 
 him, and it would be indelicate for the House by direct act, to 
 transmit their names to posterity. This motion made by jest was 
 carried by a large majority, and the name of Jo Daviess was in- 
 corporated in the bill, with ihe expectation that the name "Jo" 
 would be struck out by the Senate but the Senate passed ihe 
 Bill without amendment, and the name by common use has be- 
 come as pleasant to the ear as the ordinary names of counties. 
 
 In accordance with the law an election was held on the 1st 
 Monday in June 1827, for officers named in this section. There 
 are no records to be found in the archives of the county to show 
 the number of voters at that time in the county, a lamentable fact 
 established that no records were kept in any of the counties, and 
 early history writers were handicapped as early officials did not 
 
- GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 61_ 
 
 keep record of iheir work as appointed officials of the county in 
 office by vote. The poll book of June 1827, bears the names of 
 202 voters. No territory could be organized as a county with less 
 than 350 qualified voters. There may have been more in Fever Riv- 
 er Precinct, at the time of the first election for county officers 
 for Jo Daviess county. 
 
 Certain it is there was but one precinct, in the territory, now 
 so densely populated. 
 
 GRAND JURY SELECTED 
 
 On July 24, 1827 the first grand jury was selected to serve: 
 P. Hogan, David Bates, John Foley, Bensen Hunt, James Craig, 
 Richard Chandler, Amos Farrar, Michael Murphy, Charles Gear, 
 Frederick Holman, James Foley, Mitchell Coe, Thomas McCraney, 
 Jesse Shull, Michael Finley, James Lynch, Stan Heald, John Ewins, 
 John W. McClintock, William Morrison, H. Dodge, Owen Riley. 
 As no circuit court was held that year, these men did not serve 
 for which they were selected. 
 
 LIQUOR LICENSES ISSUED 
 
 The first license granted for the sale of liquors in July 1827, 
 and standard of charges fixed by County Commissioners court was 
 as follows: 
 
 Foreign liquors, Z7Vi c. per pint 
 
 All foreign liquors, 17% c. per pint 
 
 Whiskey, 12y2C. per pint 
 
 Each meal, 37V2 c. 
 
 Horse, per night, 50 c. 
 
 Cider or Port, 25 c. 
 
 Small beer, 12V2C. 
 
 JUDICIAL BRANCH SESSIONED 
 
 The court presided over by a judge commenced May 2, 1829, 
 and was presided over by Hon. Richard Young. Within the 
 year from the time the county machinery was put in motion (June 
 5, 1827) many immigrants had arrived and June session (1828) 
 of the county commissioners court, three additional voting pre- 
 cincts were ready to accomodate voters. 
 
62 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 Early in the spring of 1828, a building on Bench street near 
 the old mansion house, was used for a jail, in which a man was 
 imprisoned on a charge of shooting another man in Vinegar Hill, 
 but he managed to escape and fled the country before trial. 
 There was not much need of prisons in those days as there was 
 some time later because there were so few evil doers. Merchants 
 would leave their store doors open and unguarded at night. 
 
 The jail was completed in 1830, and in Sept. 1836 he right 
 of claiments to lots held under permit, the general government 
 passed upon by a commission appointed Congress was the subject 
 of the following episode. 
 
 The commission was provided with a plat, and met as a 
 court of adjurication, the clerk starled with lot No. 1, and asked, 
 "Who claims lot No. 1," the claimant responded, "I claim that 
 lot," when no one objected, his lot was considered valid, and 
 lot No. 1 and so on were accepted. Lot No. 2 was disposed of 
 in the same way, but when they came to the lot the jail was 
 on, there was no response although the couniy authorities asked 
 who owned it. Still no answer, and finally the silence was broken 
 by George Madeira who said, "I claim that lot, I am the first man 
 that occupied it as a residence, and according to the rules that 
 govern, I am entitled to possession." It flashed across ihe minds 
 of the commission and the crowd burst in a roar of laughter that 
 shook the building to its very foundation. Madeira had occupied 
 ihe jail on an indictment for some criminal offense, but the facts 
 were presented to the Government and he ordered the attorey for 
 the people to release him from imprisonment. Mr. Madeira emi- 
 grated to California, where he became a wealthy citizen. 
 
 In 1832 when the war broke out, this jail was seized by ,he 
 government, torn down, re-erected as a block house at the corner 
 of Elk and Prospect by the twenty-seventh regiment of Illinois 
 volunteers. September 8, 1832, after the ciose of the war the Com- 
 missioners met. Their first business caused the following entry to 
 be made: Ordered that the clerk make out an account agains: the 
 United States for the price of the jail of Jo Daviess County, which 
 was taken for public use, together with damages the county sus- 
 tained by reason of the jail being taken, and lay the same before 
 
_• GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 63 
 
 the proper tribunal for an adjustment. March 9, 1833, the 
 account had been adjusted, the clerk had submitted to the com- 
 missioners court, and ordered to be entered on record: Cost of 
 jail, $381.00, Damages for want of jail, $265.00, Total $646.00 
 A copy was sent to the proper U. S. Authorities, subsequent 
 order entered March 12, ordered, whatever money the Govern- 
 ment may allow for jail and damages, be paid. H. Newhall, county 
 treasurer, be retained for the purpose of suitable buildings for 
 the county. 
 
 The Government passed the above orders but no records 
 were found showing what amount was received. Old settlers 
 say the matter was referred to Congress, a member of .his district, 
 but nothing ever came of it. 
 
 As late as 1839, perhaps 1840-41, taxes were assessed 
 against slaves and apprentices. Authoritie ordering the assess- 
 ment of taxes, meant negro slaves. The subterfuge of "Indentured 
 apprentices", did not remove the fact, slaves here were ihe same 
 as in the south and was recognized in man. Two in the city of 
 Galena (Swanzy Adams and wife) representatives of this class, 
 (what a whipping of the devil around the stump), against whom 
 taxes were levied as upon so many cattle, from whose earnings 
 and industry the assessment was collected. At last however, the 
 foul blot and stain upon our boasted freedom was washed out, 
 and negro slavery exists no more. Among other business of that 
 court, an order was entered allowing Dr. Newhall fifiy cents for 
 each visit to the poor and diseased, Dr. Newhall to furnish his 
 own medicine. 
 
 The other business was ferries, of which there were four. 
 One was at Dixon, one at Rock river, one at Rock Island and 
 at Galena and Jordans. Daniel Wann who arrived in Galena in 
 1828, was engaged in trade and river navigation, but for the 
 past years had been surveyor at the port at Galena. 
 
 Mr. Kent organized the First Presbyterian church, October 
 23, 1831. The subjugation of the Indians, in 1932, removed all 
 apprehension of Indian dangers and people settled down to real 
 hard work. 
 
64 GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 
 
 In 1833, six years after the County machinery had been in 
 motion, the necessity of permanent quarters for county offices 
 were considered by the commissioners. On ihe 22nd of March 
 of that year they ordered: That the clerk of the court be authorized 
 to contract with Charles Peck, for his house, if it can be obtained. 
 The Peck house referred to was a large frame structure, which 
 stood on the ground now occupied by the Comstock store house, 
 was the largest in Galena. 
 
 On December 1834 a plan was submitted an estimate for a 
 jail, which was satisfactory to the court. A public notice to be 
 given in the Galenien and North Western Gazette, inviting 
 sealed proposals, throughout the office of county clerk. The site 
 for the proposed jail was on the southwest corner of public 
 grounds between Main and Bench streets on the late residence 
 grounds of Amos Farrar. 
 
 The building of the jail as contemplated by the order was 
 never commenced. Some difficulty was experienced in the 
 purchase of the necessary lot on which to build it, and it was not 
 until the ground on which the County buildings were subsequent- 
 ly erected, were secured, that a jail was completed. The court 
 agreed to take under advisement in regard to certain grounds 
 for public buildings until next term, June 13, 1835, when it was 
 ordered, that a writ of injunction be applied to stop proceedings 
 of the commissioners appointed to set off the dowry of Mrs. Amos 
 Farrar, known as the Connelly lot in the town of Galena. 
 
 On September 8, 1838 John W. Foster was appointed to 
 take possession of the lot then in possession of Mrs. Sophia 
 Farrar, and on the 8th of December, 1838, a quit claim deed was 
 directed to be made to Mrs. Sophia Farrar to lot No. 52 on Bench 
 street. While these proceedings were going through the courts, the 
 citizens were busy maturing plans for th erection of the jail and 
 court house. After Colonel Strode seized, tore down and moved 
 the jail erected in 1830, and re-erected it as a block house at the 
 beginning of the Black Hawk war in 1832, there was no place 
 for safe keeping of the prisoners until the erection of the present 
 brick jail on lot 17, block No. 24 in 1838. 
 
 From the block house on the hill above the Stockade, where 
 a marker now stands, the country for miles around could be seen. 
 
GALENA'S OLD STOCKADE 65 
 
 Mrs. Sophia Farrar lived on in the Stockade until July 16, 
 1883, when she departed this life, leaving no will and testament 
 and her neice Charlotte AA. Girden applied to the court a petition 
 for letters of administration, having taken care of her aunt, the 
 late Mrs. Sophia Farrar, and having secured the proper authority 
 to dispose of the property of the late Mrs. Farrar and pay any 
 debts that may have been incurred. 
 
 On the 5th day of February A. D. 1884, at two o'clock in 
 the afternoon at the front door of the court house in the city of 
 Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, that Mrs. Mary Gardner was 
 the highest bidder of the lot in which the Stockade stood. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Gardner and her daughter, Miss Margaret Gard- 
 ner moved into the Stockade or old Fort on February 22, 1884. 
 Much repair was required to make the place liveable, as the late 
 Mrs. Farrar, through illness, and lack of means to do with. 
 
 Mrs. Gardner repaired and put the Fort in good condition. 
 Mrs. Gardner died February 13, 1913, and Miss Margaret Gard- 
 ner after being retired from school, having taught for years, 
 turned her attention to the Stockade and started research of ihe 
 early days of Galena and the Black Hawk war. She did much to 
 awaken the minds of people interested in history, and with the 
 help of the D. A. R. the school board and the towns people in 
 general, on Flag day June 14, 1932, they celebrated the hundrdth 
 anniversary of the Old Stockade, and at that time the first 
 logs of the building were exposed to show the construction of the 
 building. A Flag pole was erected and a most beautiful all wool 
 Flag was presented to Miss Gardner. She did much to bring the 
 knowledge of the Stockade to the public. 
 
 Miss Margaret Gardner died on May 26, 1941, and left a will, 
 appointing her niece May Belle Rouse, as executor of her last will 
 and testament, and as property was very low, her brother the 
 late James M. Rouse, bought the property in order to settle the 
 estate. On September 17, 1948, James M. Rouse passed away and 
 the family while here for the funeral, deeded the property to 
 his sister with whom he lived, and who is the writer of this book. 
 
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