The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-10-16
THE RANGERS CHASE.
A Tale Of Early Life on the Frontier
BY J. T. MCoNNEL.
CHATTER ].
'tCome l,nsts 90 Tho Meddlng."

the boundaries of Illinois. and pStab-
Fishing the First Grade of Territorial
Government. The population OF the
whole territory did not then exceed
twelve thousand; and, with the cx
,ccption of Chicago. and few settle
Inrnts an the Wabash, was confined Ia
Il narrow strip Of uUuatry on the Mis-
sissippi. But upon the organization
lol the new government. (under Gov.
Edwards. the current of emigration
received an imluiscin that direction.
and the fertile prarics, lying nearer to
the center of the State, began to at
+ tract more attention. kaskaskia was
the seat Of territorial authority, as
well rs the nucleus Of population; and
: it was northward along the banks of
the river Of that name. the stream OF
eInigrants naturally took its way.
Il Among those who pushed adventu
rouSI Y Foruard ia that direction. was
a Thomas Fielding, who migrated from
Virginia in the Autumn Of 1871: his
family consisting OF wife. two sons
and one daughter. Passing by the
settlements in st. Clair county, he
pressed on across the praircs, with u
world of fertile acres spread out be
fore him until he reached the bed oi'
Shoal Creek, in the county of Bond
y few miles South west of the point.
where the town of Grcrnville has
since been built. he found tract OF
land which coRliBcd aH the advan-
tages of which he was in search. A
i-fail1c, several miles in width. was
bounded by high and valuable timber
aloRg the creek. and stretched away
toward the North and West, in all the
rich, unbrclicn beauty OF primcval ma
ture. Elevated. but well watcred. un-
Idulatin@. though not rugged: that
portion OF which. With freedom of the
pilderncss, he took Immediate poses
sion. was easil V converted into beau.
Itil'ul and productive farm. Just with
in the skirt cf the timber. protected
hy grove of stately oaks, hc erected
"A spacious, though primitive. man
SION; and here, in the grand 'scl:tutc
OF wood and PLAN, he prepared, with
his family, to spend the remainder of
his life.
1t was chiefly for the welfare of
that family thas l,c had left the older
and more thickly peoplcd State of
Virginia to seek home in the far
West. lie WAS growing old; his sons
were appr@@"lIin% manlmod; and. af-
ter assisting their father in providing
for hi, age, it was natural that they
should l>r selections alolt their own
future. Each. accordingly, with the
concurrence of his father. selected
for himself n sufficient domains: and
such was the energy with which shcy
oircl prosecuted their improvements.
that by the Spring of 1913. there were
;hrce separate farms, s,immcdiately con
tiGuous. under active cultivation.
E5tA thc sens u ere married in the
course Of the following Sammer-for
other emigrants had followed Field
. iug'S "trail. until. ut this time there
were perllHpS twenty families Ril'liH
& OrCrs of ten miles diameter Jane,
the daughter, still remained with her
parents: but the frequent visits of a
certain John Edgar. who lived some
eight miles dovN the river. seemed to
: give rulpGf now rife intbc settlement
! that she was soon 10 exchange hCl
maiden name, for that Of the youna
Ranger Captain.
! And, without implying any liccns,
ID Dispute about tastcs--which, from
time immcmorial, have been consider.
cd out of the pale Of controversy
Edgar's choice was weld justified by
her qualities, both of mind and per.
son. She was considerably above the
medium height, with the free carriage
e which health and elasticity alway,
give. Even new, though forty wear,
have passed, and she has borne anc
Inuturcd 8 0umcroUs family, her bear
'ihg is more erect and graceful than
that of many girl within her teens
: Dark hair and eyes, with Il well arch
ed brow--checks little cmbrownct
by exposure to the wind and sun.
. nose rather acqualine than straight
y n pleasant mouth, With rcd 3ps. whiel
were never known to tremblc, save il
| talking to the Ranger; round, iul
chin, sulmomting. like m Ionic cap
ital, the marble column of her neck
!. and n figure, which united the freedom
of rural life with the elegance of citv
cultivation; these were her attractions
;, Capt.. Edgar was Il lucky fcllow-fo
she loved him with all the fervor o
wilderness; and by nothing in her ed
| ucation had she learned to act as
ASHAMED of her affections.
lie was wei worthy of such bride
l Tall, elegantly formed, active an
, graceful, he was the very type of
- young frontier-man. Gait, carriage
voice and eomtenance, were all i
+, unison with the open, manly spirit c
u his class. Pre- eminently brave anon
n people noted for its courage; able a
Il leader, where, in order to lead, 81
perioritg must be plainly seen an
deeply felt; he was already, thoug
scarcely llve-and dtwenty, the Capital
of compsny of rangers, whose ardr
ous task it was to protect a frontier {
nearly hundred miles from the der
relations efahc Indians. The latte
3, stirred MP MS is universally believe
in this country, by British agent
{ since the opening Of the war, wen
= gathering, in unprecedented numbers
along the lakes aud oh the upper Nil
| lsissinni. and like he,lts fran n thuI