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

DaCk HuIluTcus OF miles 10 1uIll tcli cIiSuscicht
and not unfrequcntly sacrificed their lives to theiI
devotion to duty How many here to-day remem
Der Adam Payne, the Dunkard, with his unshoril
locks and streaming beard, his mild blue eye and
gentle voice, his simple garb and quiet men
and yet while proclaiming Christ and him cruel
fled, how radiant his countenapce how impas
stoned his voice how resistless his eoquence
He travelled all over the country on horseback
preaching in every cabin, and the people had
learned to love and respect him.
Just about Is years ago, during the BlaCkhawk
war, he started from Ottawa mounted upon his
faithful horse to fill an an engagement in the
eastern part of this county. Hazcton and Bcres-
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 few hours his
horse came flying back riderlcss, the dumb yet
winged messenger bringing the sad tidings that
his master was no more. HIS friends started in
search of his body. II was found upon the prai-
RE north OF Marscilles, perforated with rifle balls,
scaped and otherwise mutilatcd.
1t was but sorry excuse and poor consolation
to the friends of the martyr that Blackhawk sta
ted after the foul deed was done, that his braves
did not know at the time they killed him that he
was "a man of God" ga prophet OF the pale
faces"
At this time, his brother Aaron, also preacher
of considerable notorcty for his sound horse
sense and lisping tongue, was in the Strawn r. orr
in Putnam county with his family, together with
the families of jeremiah Strawn, Esq, twho Is
with us today, Aaron Whitaker ana my motier,
Elsie s. Armstrong deceased. This so-callcd fort
was palisade constructed of fence rails set In Il
trench surrounding the then residence of Mr..
Strawn, with port holes and n puncheon door.
TO Mrs Strawn, now deceased, and myself, then
wears of age, was assigned the duty OF defend
ing this p,inchcon door She with n fish gig |
with pitchfork, while the men and older boys
were to man the portfolios with old tlint-lock
shot guns, charged with slugs. We were for
midablc redoubt to which the Indians gave Il
wide berth. They never tried to storm our fort.
How vivid are my recollcctions of the scenes
that transpired in that little fort on the evening
the news came of the murder of Adam Payne.
a shadow of dark determination flashed across
the countenancc Of Aaron as he sprang to his
feet and exclaimed, ~ will avcnge his death"
His wife tried to demonstrate against his leaving
the fort in its weak and dcfensclcss 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 creth unto
me from the ground; / will aycnge his death or
perish in the attempt. Prepare for Inc some food
and arrange my clothing while see to my wcap-
ons. Tomorrow rising sun will find me on the
road to the Indians Camp" Finding that rcmon-
STRANGE was unavailing, 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 a flint lock rifle
and a murderous blundcrbuss, which he called
Betsey, constructed of the butt end of an old gov
eminent muskct, 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 rs Il scout. He sought
the part Of danger and fought like an Achilles
In one Of the skirmshcs u trcacherous Indian
fired upon him from the boughs of tree with
but too sure an aim. The ball 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
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 IA
glance, took aim at the savage, pulled the trig
ger, but the gun flashed in the pan! 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 tumblcd 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 chafed 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
Plainficld, Ills, were our pioneer circuit riders.
They were McthOdists EldcrJohn Sinclair than
whom God never made better man or purcr
first presiding Elder,
These men worked through sunshine and storm,
never 1nltering, never wcaryng In well-doing.-
They laborcd without money and without price,
taking no heed of what they should eat or where
witha they should be clothed. Elijah like, trust
ing in God to be fed by the young Ravens,
their labors were more than crowned with sue
cess.
Churches were built, congregations formed and
sabbath schools established all over the country.
manhattan n1lph
schools. -Four Miles not considered toofa for
The children to traveln attending school. Books, cN
cept the book books, the Bible very scarce.
There were no newspapers then published in 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 ncghborhood It was
read by all who could read, and constituted a
kind of circulating library. doubt not but my
pious friend Col Hit perlscd the history of poor
Prospect, filled with hopcS and do,btS, especially
the doubts. The condition of society mt that date
was such As 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
strUlling organ grinders; sewing machine agents
would have been shot on the spot. we had no
difficulties between ncighbors on account Of tres
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 thcy
did occur field fight generally followed in which
whole families took hand; but We never went
10 law TO establish our claims, although all SOME
times did seek consolation at law for bruised
heads and bloody noses received in the struggle
10 protect our claims. II was a poor country for
office and office holders. All Of our disputes were
settled by arbitration, hence lawsuits were but
little heard of.
Your first term Of Circuit Court was held be-
meath the protecting boughs Of majestic old
Elm, standing upon the north side Of the IllinOi,
just below the mouth Of the Fox II was Il 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 pignies If the forest, proudly withdrew 10