Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-10-28
A siiS.auriP Pionees- Capt Goe-
dins oi ..Randoiph DO


llu rs Ah EnuA NNAAAhs A"N"-N ~
eDtiroly recovered irCm the effects
ola Kick By a vicious colt some
three weeks ago. We had the pleas
ure Of a few minutes' conversation
with Capt, g., and il was truly q
voice ii0m tho lar past that We lis
toned t0-thal Il man 0G eNlraorii-
nary Intelligence, good memory and
excellent communicative powers
with aE experience extending back
moro than u half century OF time
spent in Randolph county. Capt,
Gooding is ~ years old. lie was
born in Sovicr county, Tenn In
1871 and moved with his father To
Wayne county, Kya at three years
Of age. lie was a soldier in the
war of lSl2, and was in the battle OF
New Orleans, where he helped Old
Hickory TO lick Paokcnham on tho
Slh of January, 1878, more than
three months after the ratification
of the treaty ofpeaco with England
In those days thero were no tcle-
graphs 10 flash the news all over
the world in q few minutes Of time,
and the tidings did not reach New
Orleans till tho 18th of February,
nearly six weeks after the battle,
Capt. Gooding was in the city when
the intelligence reached there, and
witnessed the illumination and re-
ioicing consequent on learning the
favorable terms of the treaty. llc
served in tho 18th Kentucky mill.
tia, commanded by Col. Gabriel
Slaughter, who was afterwards clec'
tod governor of Kentucky. 49,,
Capt. Gooding came to'Missouri
the ncxt,ycar, and gradually
his way 10 Randolph county, which
was then in reality n bowling vii.
dcrncss, ,pcoplcd' with bears and
wolves, deer, elk buffalo and other
animals, with now and tho hunt
ing party of indians, though Capt,
G.. seems to have escaped all expert.
once of dcpradations by savage
tribes. The heSettlamcnts, however, OK.
tended but short distance from the
forts, which were located on or near
the Missouri river, the earlier set
tiers having had much trouble with
the redskins. Capt. Gooding built
his first house erected north Of Su.
gar creek, on the farm where he
now resides, four miles northwest
of Huntsville, in 1923. Then there
was not ascttlement between him
and tho Iowa line. and his own
ncighbors were indeed few and ia;
between. The Sac.and-Fox Indians
were then located in Illinois near
the present site Of Quincy. They
went in tho fall on hunting eXcur-
sions to tho southwest, returning
in the spring and I;otten passing
through Randolph; but they appear
to have given the settlers no troub-
70. The only Indian fight spoken
of by Capt. &. was one which took
place in Adair county near where
Kirksvillc now stands, in which
two Indiana and two whites wcSe
killed. ThsIndians were passing
through thatipart of the country,
and some of the settlers reporting
that depradatiops had been commit
ted on their stock, n company was
raised and tho Indians attacked,
with the result above stated. 1t
was afterwards ascertained that
the whites were as much in fault rs
the savageS.
In 1892, after the Indians under
Blackhawk had been, whipped at
Rock Island and driven from Hi
nois, it was reported chat the band
had struck out for the southwest
in a direction that would, if follow
ed, bring them through Randolph
and nei eigkboring counties. Great
excitement cnsued in the sottlc-
ments. Couriers were dispatched
in every direction to alarm thcpco-
pie, and under orders from thegov-
ernment, two companies of Rang
crs were raised for the protection
of the inhabitants-Dne in Ram
dolph the other in Ray. The Ran
dolph company was under com
mapd, of Capt. Gooding, and that of
Ray under Capt. John Sconcc. The
two companies joinodreach other at
the mouth of Yellow creek on Grand
river, Hearing that ,Biackhawk's
course was further north than first
reported, the littleI army OF frontiers
men ranged towards the northwest
portion of the State, Their move
ments were cautious and necessari
" slow, as they were at any mo-
ment liable to be attacked by an
ovcrpowcring band of. Blacllhawk 3,
warriors. They went as far as
Kirksville, scouting the contiguous
country; and after being out some
two months, were relieved by two
companies from Howard, command
ed by Gen. Clark and Gen. Owens,
who took the. field for winter
compaign. No active hostilities,
however, resulted from the eXpedi
ton. IA Blackhawk did not pass in
to Missouri at all.