The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-18

back hundreds of miles to fulfill their engagement
and not unfrcqucntly sacrificed their lives TO Their
devotion to duty. How many here to-day remem-
Der Adam Payne, the Dunkard, with MS unshorl,
locks and streaming beard, his mild'blue eye and
gentle voice, his simple garb and quiet mlen
and vet, while procaming Christ and him cruel
fled, how radiant his countcnapce how impas.
stoned his voice I! how resistless his eloquence
He travelled all over the country on horseback
preaching in every cabin, and the people had
learned to love and respect him.
just about 45 years ago, during the Blaclhawk
war, he started from Ottawa mounted upon his
faithful horse to fill an an engagement in the
eastern part of this county Hazlcton and Bercs-
ford had been murdered, McFadden wounded,
the Hall girls captured, and the whole frontier
now in danger OF their lives yet, trusting in that
God whom he served he took his life in his hand
and started on his last ride In a few hours his
horse came flying back rdcrless, the dumb yet
winged messenger bringing the sad tidings that
his master was no more. His friends started in
search of his body. 1t was found upon the pra-
ric north of Marscillcs, perforated with rifle balls,
scalped and otherwise mutilatcd.
1t was but a sorry excuse and poor consolation
to the friends of the martyr that Blacklawk sta
ted after the foul deed was done, that his braves
did not know ut the time they killed nm that ne
was "a man Of God" "a prophet of the pale
faces"
At this time, his brother Aaron, alsoa preacher
of considerable notoriety for his sound horse
sense and lsping tongue was IN the StraWh orr
in Putnam county with his family, together with
the families Of JeremiaaH, Strawn, ESQ, wno Is
Elsie S. Armstrong, deceased This so-callcd fort
was Il palisade constructed of fence rails set IN Il
trench surrounding the then residence Of Mr.
Strawn with port holes and punchcon door
TO Mrs Strawn, now deceased, and myself, then
$ years of age, was assigned the duty of defend
ing this puncheon door. She, with a fish gig,
with pitchfork, while the men and older boys
were to man the PORTFOLIOS with old fint-lock
-hot.guns, charged With slugs We were for
inidablc rcdoubt to which the Indians gave a
wide berth. They never tried to storm our fort
How vivid are my recOcctions of the scenes
that TRANSFERRED in that little fort on the evening
the news came of the murder of Adam Payne.
A shadow of dark determination flashed across
the countenance Of Aaron as he sprang to his
feet and exclaimed, ~ will avcngc his death"
His wife tried to demonstrate against his leaving
the fort in its weak and defensclcss condition,
filled as 1t was with women and children. Aaron
replied, 1.-The God we serve will protect our little
ones; the voice Of my brothers blood crieth unto
me from the ground; | will avcnge his death or
perish in the attempt. Prepare for me some food
and arrange my clothing while see to my weap-
ons. Tomorrow's rising sun will find me on the
road to the Indians Camp" Finding that remon-
STRANGE was unavaing, every assistance was rem
dered to equip this Rev Knight Errant, and long
ere the dawn Of the succeeding day, mounted
upon his roam mare, armed with flint lock rifle
and II murdcrous blundcrbuss, which he called
BclScN, CONSTRUCTED OF lllc Dutt enu OF an Ola gov
eminent musket, and charged with some 81 slugs
(for buckshot We could not obtain) he started sol
itary and alone on his mission of vengeance.
He struck out for the camp of Gen. Dodge to
whom he reported for duty as Il scout He sought
the part of danger and fought like an Achilles.
In one Of the skirmishcs u treacherous Indian
fired upon him from the boughs of tree with
but too sure an aim. The bali skinned his right
thigh bone and pressed through the body of his
noble Roam, killing her upon the spot. She fell
upon his uninjured LEG, holding him in such n
position that he could not shoot his assailant nor
release himself. The Indian was hastily reload
ing for another shot. Another scout came up at
this moment and taking in the situation at
glance, took aim ut the savage, pulled the trig-
ger, but the gun flashed in the PAM Payne saw
the difficulty and the danger he was in when in
a calm voice, pointing to his blundcrbuss, which
had fallen beyond his reach, said, take Bctscy
she never snaps" Bctscy was taken and the In.
dams trcachcrous carcass tumbled to the ground
riddled with slugs while the scout who pulled
the trigger went spinning in the air, landing on
the Hat of his back from the rebound. Payne
was rescued and recovered, but chafcd and fret
ted because he could not be in the field on duty
until the last OF Blackhawk'S band were slain.
The PIONEER preacher of all this section of the
country was Rev. Jesse Walker, the uncle of Da-
Wa Walker, Esq. of Ottawa. William Royal
now on duty in Oregon, and Stephen Beggs, Of
Plainiicld, Ills, were our pioneer circuit riders
They were McthOdsts. Elder John Sinclair, than
whom God never made Il better man or purcr
Christian, was also among Tie first and was the
first presiding Elder,
These men worked through sunshine and storm
never faltering, never wearying IN welldoing |
They laborcd without money and without price,
taking no heed of what they should eat or where
withal they should be clothed Eliiah-likc, trust
ing in God to be fed by the young Ravens,
their labors were more than crowned with sue
cess.
Churches were built, con gregations formed and
sabbath schools established all over the country
Onr population was too much scattered for
schools. Four Miles was not considered too far for
The children to travel in attending school. Books, eX
cept the book books, the Bible, were very scarce
There were no newspapers then published i'll the
state and If there had have been, we had no means
Of obtaining them, as We had no mails. There
was one copy of that noble work of Bunyan, 'Pil-
grim's Progress in our ncighborhood. 1t was
read by all who could read, and constituted a
kind of circulating library doubt not but my
pious friend Col. Hit peruscd the history of poor
Prospect filled with TAPES and dottLtS, especially
the doubts. The condition Of society ut that date
such to render this locality very unhealthy
for the Mrs Grundys and the Paul Prys.
Even visiting was not popular, not because our
people were unsocial, but because our ncighbors
were too far distant.
Talking societies and curiosity shops did not
flourish. Nor had we any tramps, gipsics, or
strolling organ grinders; sewing machine agents |
would have been shot on the spot We had no
btlNttn nClGuDOTS on account OI
pass committed by the chickens or pigs Of one
upon the premises Of another. The only tres |
passes with which we were then familiar was that
known rs jumping Of claims upon Uncle Sans |
land. These sometimes occurred and when they
did occur field fight generally followcdin which |
whole families took hand; but We never went |
10 law TO establish our claims, although all sonc-
times did seek consolation at law for bruised |
heads and bloody noses received in the struggle |
To protect our claims II was poor country for
office and office holders. All Of our disputes were |
settled 10y arbitration, hence lawsuits were but
little heard of.
Your first term Of Circuit Court was held be-
meath the protecting boughS Of a majestic old |
Elm, standing upon the north side Of the Illinois |
Just below the mouth If the Fox. II was grand |
old hall Of Justice, built up by master mechanic, |
He who built the heavens and the earth Its cell
Ing was the sky; it. walls the boundaries Of the
universe.
This giant Elm, disdainhlg to associate with /
The piginieS f the forest proudly withdrew u
Z no hank pf river " hero -fppl solitary and