The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-19

the vicinity OF Cahokia. from that time,
the very name of Whitesidc struck terror
amongst the Kickapoos.
Hazardous and daring as this expedition
was, 1t met with great disapprobation from
many of the settlers. Some alleged, that
Old Pecan was decidedly friendly TO the
whites; that another party had stolen the
horses; that the attack upon his camp was
clandestine and wanton; and that it was
the cause of much subsequent mischief.
These nice points of casuistry are difficult
to be ssttled at this period. 1t has long
been known, that one portion OF nation
or tribe will be on the war-path, while
another party will pretend to be peacea-
bic. Hence it has been found necessary
TO hold the tribe responsible for the con-
duet of its party.
1894. The Indians, in revenge for the
attack just narrated, shot Thomas White
side, young man, near the station,
tomahawked a son of William Whiteside,
so that he died, and wounded another son
that lived, all in revenge for the death of
Old Pecan's son. in February, of the
same year, the Indians killed Mr.. IIough,
one of the early settlers, while on his way
to Kaskaskia.
1895. Two men at one time, and some
French negroes at another time, were kill
ed on the American bottom, and some
prisoners were taken. The same year
the family of Mr.. McMahan was killed
and himselfand daughters taken prisoners.
This man lived III the outskirts of the set
clement. -Four Indians attacked his house
in daylight, killed his wife and four chill
dren before his eyes, laid their bodies in
a row on the floor of the cabin, took him
and his daughter, and marched fol their
towns. On the second night, Mr.. Me-
Nlahan, finding the Indians asleep, put on
their moccasns and made his escape. He
arrived in the settlement Just after his
noighbors had buried his family. They
had enclosed their bodies in rude collins,
ard covered them with earth as he came
in sight. He looked upon the newly
formed hIllock, and raising his eyes to
heaven, in pious resignation, said, they
were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
and in their death they were not divided.
His daughter, now Mrs. GaskiIl, OF Ridge
prairie, was afterwards ransomed by the
charitable contributions of the people.
Not far from this period, the White
sides and others, to the number Of four
teen persons, made an attack upon an en-
campment of Indians, of superior force, at
the foot of the bluffs west of Bellevile.
Only one Indian ever returned to his ma
ton to tell the story of their defeat. The
graves of the rest are now to be seen, in
the border of thicket on the battle-ground. |
In this skrmish, Captain William White
side was wounded, as he thought, mortal
ly, having received shot in his side. As
he fell, he exhorted his sons to fight val
iantly, not to yield an inch of ground, nor
let the Indians touch his body. Uel
Whiteside, who was shot in the arm, and
found the ball had glanced along the ribs
and lodged against the spine. With that
presence of mind, which is sometimes
characteristic Of our backwoods hunters,
whipped out his knife, gashed the skin,
extracted the ball, and holding it up, ex-
uliingly exclaimed, Father, you are not
dead!' The old man instantly jumped on
his feet, and renewed the fight, exclaim-
ing, Come on, boys, can fight yeti
Such instances of desperate inirepidity
and martial energy Of character, disrin-
guished the men who defended the from
tiers of Illinois in those days of peril.
The subiugation of the Indians in the
Miami country, by General Wayne, in
1894, and the treaty that grew out of it
the following year, brought peace to the
borders of Illinois, and the settlers renal
ned unmolesed from these daily alarms.
A few horses were stolen from time to
time, and in 1902, Joseph Vanmeter and
Alexander Dennis were killed on the
American bottom, but no attack was made
upon the settlements. Families again
took NY their abodes in the borders of the
prairies; emigrants from the states cluster
ed around them, and the cultivation of the
soil was pursued without fear or Interrupt
ton.
During most of the period we have gone
over, these people lived under the juris-
dction of the Northwestern Territory.
The administration of civil government
was conducted in It's most simple form;
the morals of the people were pure, and
much Of rnrnl simnliritN and hnsnitnliiy