or food to nourish their bodies, they sank into sleep on the wet ground, their clothing covered with the mud of the morass. The dread warrior did not appear. Our army returned home with all convenient speed," writes Governor Reynolds, who in the campaign earned the soubriquet of "Old Ranger," and to whose account we are largely indebted for this.

On the morrow, a detachment in charge of Lieutenant Peyton, was again sent over to Peoria with a message to Captain Craig in charge of the provision boats, to return as speedily as possible. This party on their way burnt a Miami village within a half-mile of Peoria.

The force of Captain Craig, in charge of the provision boats for the armies of Hopkins and Edwards, and under instruction from his Excellency to proceed to Peoria "and take prisoners those persons who were there for the purpose of assisting the savages to murder the frontier settlers," was not idle. His armed boat, by force of a gale having broken its cable and drifted ashore, it was in the night time fired upon by ten Indians, who immediately fled. Discovering at daylight their tracks leading up into the town, Captain Craig inquired of the French their whereabouts. These denying all knowledge of them, said "they had heard or seen nothing," but he took the whole of them prisoners, burned and destroyed Peoria, and bore the captured inhabitants away on his boats to a point below the present Alton, where he landed and left them in the woods-men women and children-in the inclement month of November, without shelter, and without food other than the slender stores they had themselves hurriedly gath ered up before their departure. They found their way to St. Louis it is said, in almost a starving condition. They numbered perhaps 75, the names of the heads of families given exceeding a dozen.* Thomas Forsythe, the government Indian agent stationed at Peoria, was included among the number. This was owing to his true relation to the government not being disclosed to the Indians or others, that he might have more influence with them in releas ing or ransoming the prisoners captured in the recent Chicago massacre. From his long residence among the Indians, he was very popular with them. The burning of Peoria and taking prisoners its inhabitants, upon the mere suspicion that they sympa thized with the Indians, was generally regarded as a needless, if not wanton, act of military power.t

After an absence of 13 days the gallant army of Governor Edwards returned to Camp Russell without loss. It was received with the honors of war, amidst the booming of the old but royal cannon which had done duty for many years at Fort Chartres, and the rattle of small arms. The troops were mostly discharged; the governor, in a letter to the secretary of bespeaks for them a speedy payment as "the reward due to their

*See life of Governor Edwards, by his son.

war,

+After the building of Fort Crevecœur, in 1680, Peoria lake was ever familiar to western travel and history; but there is no authentic account of a permanent European settlement there until 1778, when Laville de Meillet, named after its founder, was started. On account of the quality of the water and its greater salubrity, the location was changed further down the lake to the present site of Peoria, and by 1796, the old had been entirely abandoned for the new village. After its destruction, in 1812, it was not settled again until 1819, and then by American pioneers, though in 1813, Fort Clark was built there, which gave a name to the place for several years. In 1818, the fort was destroyed by fire. In 1825, the county of Peoria was established and the county Beat located.

services." In his address, to the St. Clair county militia, the gov ernor said: "Your bravery has enabled me to repel hostile invasion and to wage war upon the enemy in their own country. Your intrepidity and patriotism have been equally honorable to yourselves, and useful to your country." Not to be outdone in such flattering testimonials, the militia, through their officers, replied in as felicitous a vein, that his Excellency had "greatly increased his claims upon the gratitude of the country for his wise measures," and that they had "witnessed his coolness, deliberation and promptitude in the hour of peril." It seems, however, that his Excellency was not without rivals for the laurels of this campaign. With much concern, he writes, under date of December 25th, 1812: "I discover that some pitiful attempts are making to deprive me of the credit I am entitled to, by giving it to Colonel Russell, who happened to join me (about three days before I commenced my march) with 50 rangers. The injustice of this is known and attested by the whole of my little army," etc.*

1813.-Early in this year, the country was put in such state of defense against the hostile Indians as its sparse population admitted of. Block house stations and stockade forts were repaired and strengthened along the entire frontier, and the remote settlers and feeble garrisons were removed to the denser settlements. New ranging companies were formed and so stationed as to easily range through the settlements. From the present Alton to Kaskaskia, twenty-two family forts were scattered along. In spite of these precautions, the extent of the frontier was so great that no diligence in ranging afforded entire immunity from savage attacks. Numerous depredations and murders were committed by marauding bands of the red foe. Of these, only a few will be mentioned.

The savages fell upon the family of Mr. Lively, four miles southeast of Covington, in the present Washington county, and four were slain. The bodies of two women were shockingly mangled; a little boy of seven years was borne away from the house, his head severed from his body, his entrails torn out, and both carried away, it was thought, for purposes of cannibalism. Mr. Lively's body was indecently mutilated. A son and a stranger stopping there, were out in quest of their horses, and from a distance saw the house attacked. These in their retreat to the settlements, bivouaced in a grove 6 miles southeast of Fayetteville on the Kaskaskia river, which perpetuates the name of the murdered family. The Indians, supposed to be Kickapoos, were pursued by Captain Boon's company, but having 4 days the start, made good their escape. That a pursuing force should be 4 days behind, shows how incautiously remote from the denser settlements some families must have located. On the banks of Kaskaskia, near the present Carlyle, a Mr. Young and a minister by the name of McLean, had a desparate struggle with a party of savages. The former having been killed, as also both horses, a single but powerful savage pursued McLean, who was unarmed and on foot. McLean would come to a stand at times and in a menacing manner defy the savage to approach with his tomahawk. The Indian seeking the advantage, would hestitate. At such times, McLean would divest himself of a portion of his surplus

*Edwards' Life of Edwards.

clothing, and finally, the attention of the Indian having been arrested by his cast off garments, McLean plunged into the river, swam to the further shore, and effected his escape.* Some murders were also committed on Cache river in the present Alexander county. On the Wabash, 30 miles above Vincennes, near Fort Lamotte, the wife of a Mr. Houston and four children were killed. In a small prairie 2 or 3 miles from the present Albion, in Edwards county, a farmer by the name of Boltenhouse was killed; the prairie perpetuates his name.

Considering the frequent murders and the fact that the general government had made no provision to sustain the militia and volunteers, which caused those of Illinois to be discharged from the service on the 8th of June, by the governor, it may be said that the year 1813 presented but a gloomy prospect for the exposed settlements in the west.

Second Expedition to Peoria.-Large numbers of hostile Indians were known to have collected among the Potawattomies and Kickapoos on Lake Peoria, whence marauding parties, which harrassed the frontiers of both Illinois and Missouri, were sent out. It became again an object therefore to penetrate their country with a military force, disperse them from their convenient location, and drive them far into the interior. In the latter part of the summer a joint expedition from Illinois and Missouri, was projected for this purpose. An army of some 900 men was collected and Gen. Howard, who had resigned the office of Governor of Missouri to accept a Brigader General's commission in the United States Army, was placed in command. The Illinois troops were ordered to rendezvous at Camp Russell; one company was ordered to the Mississippi at a point called the Piasa, opposite the Portage des Sioux, where it remained several weeks and became quite sickly. The Illinois troops were formed into the second regiment, and Benjamin Stephenson, of Randolph county, was appointed colonel; W. B. Whitesides and John Moredock were majors; and Joseph Phillips, Samuel Judy, Nathaniel Journey, and Samuel Whitesides, captains. There was some delay on account of the Missourians, who were being collected at St. Louis.

Finally the order for a forward movement arrived, and the Illinoisans marched up the Mississippi by companies to the Illinois, which was crossed 2 or 3 miles above its mouth. The movement was slow; in Calhoun County, where the bee-trees were very numerous, a few rangers, who rambled from the main body, got into a skirmish with some Indians, but no loss was sustained except that a gun-stock was shivered by an Indian bullet. The Missourians marched 100 miles north, on the west side of the Mississippi to Fort Mason, where they swam the river, mounted naked on their horses, while their garments were crossed on a platform, borne up by 2 canoes, and joined the Illinoisans. They were commanded by Col. McNair, afterward governor of Missouri. The whole force was re-organized into a brigade, of which General Howard was in chief command. The march was continued up the Mississippi. On the present site of Quincy they passed a recently deserted camp and village, supposed to have contained 1,000 Sac warriors. Ata point called the "Two rivers," they struck out eastward and across the high prairies to the Illinois, which was reached

*Missouri Gazette, March 1813.

near the mouth of Spoon river. Here their provision boats arrived and took on board the sick. The march was continued up the Illinois to Peoria, where there was a small stockade in charge of Captain Nicholas of the U. S. Army. Two days before, the Indians had made an attack on the fort, but were repulsed. On the line of march from the Mississippi, numerous fresh trails indicated that the Indians, gaining knowledge of the invading force, were fleeing northward.

Being in the enemy's country, knowing his stealthy habits and the troops at no time observing a high degree of discipline, many unnecessary night alarms occurred; they were paraded, frequently ordered to arms, and under the general excitement incident to a constant dread of momentary attack, guns were incautiously fired, and one fine young Kentucky trooper, was shot dead by a fear smitten sentinel. All this time the dread savages were far away. The army was marched up the lake to Gomo's village, the present site of Chilicothe, and finding that the enemy had ascended the Illinois, two deserted villages were demolished under the shock of its onset, and burned, when it took up its retrograde march. At the outlet of the lake, the present site of Peoria, the troops remained in camp several weeks, building Fort Clark, named in memory of Gen. George Rogers Clark. Major Christy, in the meantime, was dispatched with a force in charge of two fortified keel-boats up the river to the foot of the rapids, to chastise and rout such of the enemy as might have lodged in that region. Major Boone was sent with a force to scour the Spoon river country, towards Rock river. Both expeditions returned without other discoveries than signs of alarm on the part of the enemy, and his retreat into the interior. The army returned by a direct route to Camp Russell, where the volunteers and militia were disbanded, October 22d, 1813.

The campaign, though no battle was fought or enemy seen, was still fraught with great benefit in affording the frontiers immunity from the murderous incursions of the savages for the entire succeeding winter. To the foe was unfolded the power and resources he had to contend with, and shaking his head he muttered, "pale faces like the leaves in the forest-like the grass on the prairiesthey grow everywhere!"

1814. The year 1814, was, however, also prolific with horrible deeds of savage butchery. Those fiends, with a natural aptitude for such work, received additional incentives from their British allies. Our naval victories on Lake Erie, the recovery of Detroit, and the defeat of the British at the battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh fell, which was fought before the close of 1813, had the effect to cause the savages to retreat from Canada, and concentrate in great numbers on the banks of the upper Mississippi; and marauding bands again visited the settlements of Illinois and Missouri, committing many depredations and murders. We do not pretend to cite all.

In July, a band of Indians raiding in the Wood river settlement, 6 miles east of the present Alton, massacred a Mrs. Reagan and her 6 children. The husband and father, absent at the time, was the first to discover the dreadful slaughter. On arriving home after night-fall, and opening the door of his cabin, he

'Annals of the West-Appendix.

stepped into the gore of his loved family, and beheld their stark and mangled remains. Captain Samuel Whitesides with his company of rangers pursued the savages to the Sangamon, where, in a thicket, all escaped except the leader of the band, who was shot out of a tree-top. In his belt he had dangling the scalp of Mrs. Reagan.

In the western part of Clinton county, near the crossing of the present O. & M. R. R. over a stream, Jesse Bailes and wife were looking for their hogs on a Sunday evening in the creek bottom, and the dogs baying at a thicket, it was supposed they were found; but on approaching the thicket, the Indians, concealed within, fired upon both, the lady only being hit. She was taken to her father's house, Mr. Bradley, and died in a short time.

In August, while a company of Captain Short's rangers were encamped at the Lively cabins, a trail was discovered which led directly to the starting of 7 Indians with 14 stolen horses. When overtaken a skirmish ensued, in which the rangers were rather worsted; one was wounded, a horse killed, and another, Moses Short, received a bullet which lodged in a twist of tobacco in his pocket. William Stout, with great speed, went to camp for reinforcements. Captain Short with 30 men now followed the trail all night, and next morning overtook the marauders on a fork of the Little Wabash. A lagging Indian here shot a turkey, and the report of his gun apprised the pursuers of their proximity. On discovering the whites, the rear Indian ran in great haste forward, and all prepared for battle, in ignorance probably of the number of the pursuing force, and assured doubtless by their previous success, for they might have easily made their escape. They were directly surrounded, and when they realized their situation, sang the death song, shouted defiance, and fought bravely to the last. All were killed. The pursuers lost one man, William O'Neal, who, while taking deliberate aim, met an adversary quicker than himself, and was shot.

[NOTE. The most desparate single-handed combat with Indians, ever fought on the soil of Illinois, was that of Tom Higgins, August 21, 1814. Higgins was 25 years old, of a muscular and compact build, not tall, but strong and active. In danger he possessed a quick and discerning judgment, and was without fear. He was a member of Journey's rangers, consisting of 11 men, stationed at Hills Fort, 8 miles southwest of the present Greenville. Discovering Indian signs near the fort, the company early the following morning started on the trail. They had not gone far before they were in an ambuscade of a larger party. At the first fire, their commander Journey and 3 men fell. Six retreated to the fort in flight, but Higgins stopped "to have another pull at the red skins," and taking deliberate aim at a straggling savage, shot him down. Higgin's horse had been wounded at the first fire, as he supposed, mortally, but coming to, he was about to effect his escape, when the familiar voice of Burgess hailed him from the long grass, "Tom don't leave me." Higgins told him to come along, but Burgess replied that his leg was smashed. Higgins attempted to raise him on his horse, but the animal took 1right and ran away. Higgins then directed Burgess to limp off as best he could, and by crawling through the grass he reached the fort, while the former loaded his gun and remained behind to protect him against the pursuing enemy. When Burgess was well out of the way, to throw any wandering enemy off the trail, Higgins took another route which led by a small thicket. Here he was unexpectedly confronted by 3 savages approaching. He ran to a little ravine near at hand for shelter, but in the effort discovered for the first time that he was badly wounded in the leg. He was closely pressed by the largest, a powerful Indian, who lodged a ball in his thigh. He fell, but instantly rose again, only to draw the fire of the other two and again fell wounded. The Indians now advanced upon him with their tomahawks and scalping knives, but as he presented his gun first at one, then at another, from his place in the ravine, each wavered in his purpose. Neither party had time to load, and the large Indian, suppos ing finally that Higgins' gun was empty, rushed forward with uplifted tomahawk and a yell, but as he came near enough, was shot down. At this, the others raised the warwhoop and rushed upon the wounded Higgins, and now a hand to hand conflict ensued. They darted at him with their knifes time and again, inflicting many ghastly flesh wounds which bled profusely, One of the assailents threw his tomahawk at him with such precision as to sever his ear and lay bare his skull, knocking him down. They now rushed in on him, but he kicked them off, and grasping one of their spears thrust at