The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-25
THE RANGERS CHASE.
A Western Story OF the War of 1872.
BY j. l.. M'CONNEL. AUTHOR OF "TALBO1
AND VERNON" ETC.
CHAPTER l.
"Comc, haste to the wedding


On the Sd of February, 1909, an act orCon-
grcss was passed. defining the boundaries of
Illinois, and establishing the "First Grade"
Of Territorial Government. The popula-
tion Of the whole territory did not then cx-
ceed twelve thousand and, with the cxccp-
ton Of Chicago, and few settlements on
the Wabash, was confined to Il narrow strip
OF country along the Mississippi. But, up
on the organization Of the new government.
(undcr Governor Edwards,) the current of
emigration received an impulse in this di-
rectlon and the fertile prairics, lying near
cr to the centre of the state, began to at
tract mo.c attention. kaskaSkia was the
seat Of territorial authority, as well as the
nucleus of population and it was north
ward, along the banks Of the river Of that
name, that the stream of cmigranis natural
ly took its way.
Among those who pushed advcnturously
forward i'll that direction, was a certain
Thomas Fielding, who migrated from Vir-
Ginia in the autumn of 1911 his family
consisting 0! wife, two sons and one
daughter. Passing by the settlements in
ST. Clair county, he pressed on across the
prairlcs, with world Of fertile acres spread
before him, until he reached the banks of
Shoal Creek, i'll the county Of Bond. \
few miles southwest Of the point where the
town OF Grccnvillc has since been built, he
found a tract Of land which combined al,
the advantages Of which he was in search
y prairie, several miles in width, was boun-
dcd by high and valuable timber along the
creek, and stretched away toward the mort
and west, in all the rich, unbrokcn beauty
OF primcval nature. Elevated, but well
watcrcd, unlulating, though not rugged
that portion Of which, with the freedom OF
the wilderness, lie took immediate posses
sion, was easily converted into beautiful
and productive iarm. just within the skr,
Of the timber, protected by grove of state
ly oaks. he erected a spacious, though prm
tive mansion and here, in the grand sol
itude of wood and plain. he prepared, Will
his family, to spend the remainder of hi
life.
1t was chiefly with view to the welfare
of that family that he had left the older ano
more thickIy y.pcoplcd state Of Virginia, t.
seek u home in the Far West. lie wa
growing old; his sons were approaching
manhood and, after assisting their fathcl
in providing for his age, it Was natural tha
they should be solicitous about their owl
future. Each, accordingly, with the coli
currcncc Of the father, selected for himself
sdtlicicnt domain ; and such was the cner
gy with which they prosecuted their "im
provcmcnts," that, by the spring OF 1913,
there were three separate farms, Immediately
contiguous, uudcr active cultivation.
Both the sons were married in the course
Of the following summcr-tor other emi
grants had followed Ficlding's trail" until,
at this time, there were, perhaps, twenty
families within circle Of ten miles diane
ter Jane, the daughter, still remained with
her parents; but the frequent visits of a
certain John Edgar, who lived some eight
miles down the river, seemed to give color
to the rumor, now rite in the scttl l,mcnt,
that she was soon to exchange her maiden
name, Tor that Of the young Ranger Cap,
tain.