The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-12

| WdruSNlllt, anu inc 'liChS, l. DAtS or MUS
auakies, and others, claimed the reoion
| farther north.
Tradition tells lis of many a hard-fought
battle between the original owners of the
conntry and these intruders Battle
ground creek is well known. Oh the road
from kaskaskia to Shawneetown, twenty
five miles from the former place, where
the kaskaikias and their allies were dread
fully slaughtered by the united forces of
the kickapoos and Potawatomies.
OF these Indians, the Kickapoos were
the most formidable and most dangerous
neighbors to the whites, and for num-
Der of years kept the American settle
ments in continual alarm. At first they
appeared friendly; but from 1856 to 1896,
a period of ten years, the settlements were
in a continual state of alarm and distress
from these and other Indians.
The first settlement formed of emisrants
from the United States, was made near
Bellefontaine, Monroe county, in 1871,
by James Moore, whose numerous de-
scendants now reside in the sarge settle.
ment. Mr. Moore was native of Mary
land, but came 10 Illinois from Western
Virginia, with his family, in company
with James Garrison, Robert Kidd, Shad.
rach Bond, sen. and I.arkin Rutherford.
They passed through the wilderness to the
Ohio river, where they took water, came
down that river, and up the Mississippi
to Kaskaskia. Mr.. Moore, and portion
of his party, planted themselves OH the
hills near Bellefoniaine, and Garrison.
Bond, and the rest, settled in the Ameri-
can bottom, near Jacksonville. This sta
ton became afterwards known by the
nars of the Blockhouse Fort
Nothing deserving of special notice oc-
Cured amongst this little band Of pioneers,
till 1885, when they were joined by Jo-
seph Ogle, Joseph Morley, and James
Andrews, with large families, from Vir-
gnia. In 1886, the settlements were
strengthened by the arrival of James Lee
man, George Atcherson, and David Wad-
die, with their families, and several 9TH
ers. The same year, the Kickapoo In
dams commenced their course of predato-
ry warfare. A single murder, that of
James Fiannery, had been committed in
1888, while on hunting excursion, but
it was not regarded as an act of war.
But in 1886, they attacked the settle
ment, killed James Andrews, his wife
and daughter, James White and Samuel
Mcclure, and took two girls, daughters
Of Andrews, prisoners. One of these
died with the Indians, the other was ran
somed by the French traders. She is
alive, the mother Of large family, and
resides in st. Clair county. The Indians
had previously threatened the settlement,
and the people had built and entered
block-house; but this family was out and
defenceless. 'on
1887. Early in this year, five families
near Bellefontaine, united and built
surrounded it with palisades,
in which their families resided While
aboring in the corn-feld, they were oblig
ed to carry their rifles, and often at night
had to keep guard. Under these embar-
and in daily alarm, they cult
waited their corn-iields.
1888. This year the war assumed a
more threatening aspect. Early in the
spring, William Biggs was taken prisoner.
While himself, John Wallis, and Joseph
and Benjamin Ogle, were passing from
the station on the hills to the block-house
Fort in the bottom, they were attacked by
the Indians. Biggs and Wallis were a
few yards in advance of the party. Wallis
was killed, and Biggs taken prisoner.
The others escaped unhurt. Biggs was
taken through the prairies to the Kicka-
poo towns on the Wabash, from whence
he was finally liberated, by means of the
French traders. The Indians treated him
well, offered him the daughter of brave
for wife, and proposed 70 adopt him in
to their tribe. lie afterwards became
resident of st. Clair county, was men,
Der of the territorial Legislature, Judge of
the county court, and wrote and publish
ed narrative Of his captivity among the
Indians.
On the 10th of December in the same
year, James Garrison and Benjamin Ogle,
while hauling hay from the bottom, were
attacked by two Indians; Ogle was shot
in the shoulder, where the ball remains;
Garrison sprang from the load and escaped
into the woods. The horses taking fright,
carried Dole safe 10 the settlement In