Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-02
TALKED OF TITLE.
Fort Armstrong Chapter Pays
Tribute TO Its Namesake.
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS xEErIH q

>eDAS
Iasersssi.G Historical Pager By llrs. 8. q.
Gsysr-rhs Othsr Exsrclsss-An Exceed
issiy Interesting and Instructive Oooa.
ssoa 1t Ars. Curtis Home.
Fort Armstrong chapter. Daugh-
ters Of the American Revolution, At
its meeting Saturday afternoon at
the home Of Mrs. Col. Henry Curtis,
on Second avenue. devoted itself to
the topic which embraces the title of
the chapter. .'Fort Armstrong. :"
The regent of the chapter, Mrs. j.
4. Kimball. presided. and Mrs. s. s.
Guyer Was the leader. her subject
being "The History of Fort Arm
strong" Her paper is appended in
full:
my topic today is the history of
Fort Armstrong from its acquire.
ment by the government to the com.
mencement Of the Civil war. The
United States acquired its title to
the island OF Rock Island through q
treaty made BY William Henry Har-
rison, governor Of Indian affairs.
with the Sac and Fox tribe OF Indians
at st. Louis, Mo-, in November, 1904.
This treaty was signed by a number
Of chiefs. but not by Black Hawk.
His account Of the treaty was that
. white man WAS killed by one of his
tribe and when the murderer was put
in prison in st. Louis, four members
Of his tribe were sent to procure his
release. They took with them horses
to try to satisfy the government, as
that was the way they settled their
own difficulties with the different
tribes Of Indians. Black Hawk
claimed that these men were made
drunk and induced to sign the treaty.
Other facts in history show that this
was not true. The United States
troops we're first landed on the isl
and May 10. 1916, and at once set
about building store houses. The
west end of the island was covered
with timber. They proceeded to build
the Fort and named it Fort Arm
strong in honor Of the secretary of
war. The interior of the fort was
400 feet square. The lower half was
built of stone and upper of hewn
timbers. The materials were pro-
cured on the island. Block houses
were built at three of the angles and
were provided with cannon. One
side Of the square was occupied with
barracks and other buildings. The
fort was placed on the extreme north
west angle Of the island. Its north
west corner was about two hundred
feet from the present location OF the
island end of the bridge. Gov. Ford.
in his history of Illinois, gives the
following description:
Built ON . Rocky CHI
80 Fort Armstrong was built upon
a rocky cliff at the lower point of an
island, near the center Of the Missis.
sippi river. Here is o beautiful
sheet Of clear running water about
two thirds Of q mile wide, the banks
are uninhabited except by Indians
from the lower rapids to the fort
and the voyagers up stream after
several days solitary progress
through wilderness comes suddenly
upon the whitcwashed walls and
towers of the fort, perched upon q
rock surrounded by the grandeur
and beauty of nature, which at that
distance gave it the appearance Of
one Of those enchanted castles in an
uninhabited desert described in the
Arabian Knights entertainments.
Tradition Of the Indians is that q
good spirit had care of the island,
who lived in q cave in the rocks i'm.
mediately under where the fort stood
and the spirit had often been seen by
their people. He was white with
large wings like a swan, but 10 times
rs large. They were particular moi
to make noise in that part of the
island for fear of disturbing him.
The noise of the fort has since driven
him away and no doubt bad spirit
has taken his place.
LAT the point of the island there ID
quite large cave. In high water it
could be entered by boat. The en-.
trance is now closed by the abutment
of the bridge. AT tks completion Of
Fort Armstrong nothing Of import
ance occurred until the breaking out
OF the Black Hawk war in 1881. An
incident related by Judge Spencer
portrays the extreme isolation oil
Fort Armstrong. At this time, 1928,
there was only an occasional mail.
The officers at the fort were anxious
to know who had been elected prcsi.
dent in November, it being now the
Goth Of December. 1t was arranged
that Judge Spencer should go on
foot to Galena, about one hundred
miles, in the dead of winter; he car.
ried the mail and brought bach
the news Of Gen. Jackson's election,
for which journey Mr.. Spencer re
ceived Is.
Black HAWKS Attempt TO Capture.
During the month Of April. 1882,
Black Hawk made bold attempt L
capture the fort, but . terrible SNOW
storm prevented the attack. And
Gen. Atkinson and troops srriva
before morning undoubtedly pre-
vented the garrison from q massacre,
After the close Of the Black Hawl
war there is NO record of further
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