Evening journal., 1897-08-24
CHICAGO INVADED.
Spain's Armies Nndo o Raid on
the City.
a CastIiian Horde Campcd on the
Banks of the DesDIaines and
Calumet Rivers
Long Ago.


A Spanish army came to Chicago in
the long ago. The minor detail Of it
and the finer statecraft reasons of it
are hidden in the catacombs of the |
Escurial, along with tons of other doc
uments that will never see the light |
gain But we know that those men
OF war marched over the Illinois prai- |
ries and that they were sent to increase |
the dominions of their sovereign.
BY the treaty of Paris signed in 1868 !
France ceded to Spain all of that vast |
territory known as Louisiana, which |
stretched from the mouth Of the Mis-
sissippi to the Canadian line. In 1881
Great Britain was at war with the
United States. Spain, Holland and
France. St. Louis, Mo-, was a Spanish
town and English officers attacked it
at the head of 800 Indians. They were
| defeated with little trouble and re-
/ treated.
In revenge the Spanish commander
at St. Louis, which his people called
"san Luis de Illinois," planned a raid
against the British post Of st. Joseph.
1t was a fort or outpost located at n
point two miles from the present city
of Benton Harbor, Mich, and 60 miles
northeast of Chicago across the lake.
The force began its long, difficult and
dangerous journey on January 2. 1871.
They estimated the distance at 22O
leagues, or eco miles, and subsequent
surveys have proved that they were re-
1harkably good guessers. 1t was Of
. | Dftrra
manding, and Lieut.. Carlos Tayon. The
Interpreter was Luis Chevalier. Chiefs
Eleeturno and Nequigen led the co In
dians OF the Fox and Pottawatomic
tribes. There were 65 Spanish volun-
teers-in all 13O men selected with
special reference 10 their ability to
withstand the arduous journey.
They marched up the Mississippi
river to the mouth of the Illinois and
, thence along the track of the French eX-
plorers and voyageurs. This route took
3 them up the Illinois river past Fort
Creve Occur (Peoria) to old Fort St.
Louis (Starved Rock). Here they
planted the blood-stained banner of
, Aragon and CASTLE. A century before
from that rocky eminence La Sale had
unfurled the fleur de lis of France. Sub
sequently the British flag had waved
over it, Now "Old Glory" waves there
, in peace and beauty.
: Purre's forces toiled in snow and ice
D TO the junction of the Kankakee and
Desplaines rivers They followed the
a Desplaines TO q point west Of what is
now South Chicago, and came 10 the
Z lake at its southern edge. They found
d it desolate region of swamps and sand
. dunes Thence they marched to their
! destination.
The small garrison of Fort Joseph
r fed TO Detroit at the news of their ap-
/, proach, and all of the stores fell into
s the hands of the invaders They pro-
/. claimed the sovereignty OF Spain over
d this section and divided the stores
After resting some days they began
their return march over the former
q route. They reached St. Louis in safety
! after midwinter march Of nearly ,4OC
al miles through a hostile country. They
Ie had few casualties and gathered much
II plunder.
le The assertion of Spanish sovereignt.
g at Fort Joseph is evidence that Spair
lie intended to claim dominion over ter
ritory that would give her an entry tC
ie the great lakes. Her war with Grea'
u y, Britain, however, was unsuccessful. an'
10 marked the beginning of here decline
m from a frst-class power. How near thi
rs section came to remaining unde
a Spanish dominance for time, at least
ie is proved by the fact that it required
the combined Offices of France, Ergan'
IN and the United States to defeat tn
to Spanish proposals to allow question
pc OF territory to remain in allegiance dur
y, ing a truce that was to last a quartz
~ OF a century. She continued to chec
10 the developmtnt of the west so far a
lay in her power, even going so far q
TO close the mouth Of the MississipI
river. cutting off utterly this sectio
IL from connection with the sea. II wa
in reopened only by the threat of the Ter
lg nesseeans TO storm New Orleans.
re If the expedition to the capture c
go Fort Joseph produced no lasting resu
and brought no great glory to the Spar
ish arms they are of interest as mari
ing the only period when the banner
ay CASTLE reached the valley of the 5
~ Lawrence. Itwas Spain's farthest ste
ie to the northwest at a time when he
n southern outpost was on the lower eds
of Chill. The expedition was inspire
indirectly from Havana. To-day, aft'
the lapse of more han century. th'
which may be inspired from Havar
may mark the end Of Spanish rule in Il
10 New World. The lominion of the dc
~ over the valleys Of the Calumet, Il
S Chicago. the Illinois and the st. JOSEF
Elected like n vision. He looked fro
nv the crags of Starved rock out over th
'' wild. beautiful. silent landscape, whii
the flight of time has so little marr
er that could he return 10 it to-morro
81 he would scarcely observe a varian
from what he saw 115 years ago. al
dreamed that he had conquered an ei
leo pire for his nation. He left it never
return. His ownership ceased with
nd departure. When he lowered his e
ew sion on the morning he began his hon