Griggs courier., 1897-08-06
SPANISH RAID ON CHICAGO.
Castillan Armies Once Canped OF
the Desplalnes.

Cooe1l1o@ Armies once C0Dpe0 ON
the Desplaines.
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
again. 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 Spanish
town and English officers attacked it
at the head of 1900 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 raid
against the British post of st. Joseph.
1t was fort or outpost located at a
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, 1881.
They estimated the distance at 22O
leagues, or 600 miles, and subsequent
surveys have proved that they were re-
markably good guessers. 1t was Of
ficered by Capt. Eugenio Pure, COM
1nanding, and Lieut.. Carlos Tayon. The
interpreter was Luis Chevalier. Chiefs
Electurno and Nequigen led the 60 In
dians of the Fox and Pottawatomic
tribes. There were 65 Spanish volun-
teers-in all 100 men selected with
special reference to 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
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 feur de lis of France. SUBJ
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
to the junction of the Kankakee and
Desplaines rivers. They followed the
Desplaines to point west of what is
now South Chicago, and came to the
lake at its southern edge. They found
it desolate region of swamps and sand
dunes. Thence they marched to their
destination.
The small garrison of Fort Joseph
fed to Detroit at the news of their APP
proach, and all of the stores fell into
the hands of the invaders. They pro-
claimed the sovereignty of Spain over
this section and divided the stores.
After resting some days they began
their return march over the former
route. They reached st. Louis in safety
after midwinter march of nearly 400
miles through hostile country. They
had few casualties and gathered much
plunder.
The assertion of Spanish sovereignty
at Fort Joseph is evidence that Spain
intended to claim dominion over ter
ritory that would give her an entry to
the great lakes. Her war with Great
Britain, however, was unsuccessful, and
marked the beginning of here decline
from frst-class power. How near this
section came to remaining under
Spanish dominance for time, at least,
is proved by the fact that it required
the combined offices of France, England
and the United States to defeat the
Spanish proposals to allow questions
of territory to remain in allegiance dur
ing truce that was to last quarter
of century. She continued to check
the developmtnt of the west so far as
lay in her power, even going so far as
to close the mouth of the Mississippi
river, cutting off utterly this section
from connection with the. sea. Itwas
reopened only by the threat of the Ten
nesseeans to storm New Orleans.
If the expedition to the capture of
Fort Joseph produced no lasting result
and brought no great glory to the Span
ish arms they are of interest as mark
ing the only period when the banner of
CASTLE reached the valley of the St.
Lawrence. 1t was Spain's farthest step
to the northwest at time when her
southern outpost was on the lower edge
of Chilli. The expedition was inspired
indirectly from Havana. To-day, after
the lapse of more than century, that
which may be inspired from Havana
may mark the end of Spanish rule in the
New World. The dominion of the don
over the valleys of the Calumet, the
Chicago, the Illinois and the St. Joseph
f1eeted like n vision. He looked from
the crags of Starved rock out over that
wild, beautiful, silent landscape, which
the fight of time has so little marred
that could he return to it tomorrow
he would scarcely observe variance
from what he saw 115 years ago. and
dreamed that he had conquered an en-
pire for his nation. He left it never to
return. His ownership ceased with his
| departure. When he lowered his en-
sign on the morning he began his home-