Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-01
BY WILLIAM A. MEEsE.

citation with this locality. We hear he
was at Fort Armstrong in 1882 during
the Black Hawk war; that there and
during this time he associated with
Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis and
other United States army officers, also.
with state officials and other celebri-
ties who took part in that Indian mas
sacre. This is not true. Neither / nor
any other person can disprove such a
statement, nor is there any proof to
the contrary All we have upon which
to base our judgment is Lincoln's life,
the then conditions and his environ
ment.
In the spring of 1882, at the time Of
the so-called Sac invasion, Abraham
Lincoln was young man % years old.
He had been a resident of this state
but two years, living during that time
near Decatur, where he worked on his
fathers farm, and from there came to
New Salem, near Springfield, where
he was engaged as a clerk in store
and as storekeeper. He was unknown
save in the locality where he lived,
and although his election to the cap
taincy of the company organized at
his home to take part in the Black
Hawk war is an indication of local
popularity, still no one claims that
Lincoln's acquaintance was anything
but local. Up to this time he had
taken no part in state politics.
Never Crossed River.
Lncoln's company started from
Beardstown and marched to the Rock
river, making several stops on the way.
At the mouth of Rock river, near where
Milan now is, Lincoln's company was
mustered into the service Of the United
States. There is nothing in the his
tory of this invasion that proves that
any of the Illinois militia ever crossed
the Rock river. T-ney marched up the
south and east bank of the river to
Prophetstown, and when Lincoln was.
mustered out of the service after serv
ing three enlistments, 80 days out of
the los days that the war lasted, he
went to his home by way of the ILL
nois river; therefore, Abraham Lin
coins connection at this time with
Rock Island county was confined TO
his two days camping at or near Milan.
This incident will be appropriately
commemorated the coming summer by
the erection at Milan of a monument,
bearing a bronze tablet describing Lin
coins sojourn at this point. In after
years his name appears as the sur
veyor' who laid out the towns Of New
Boston and Albany, and it is possible
that in going to Albany he may have
come up the Mississippi river on a
boat and stopped at Rock Island, but
none of his biographers mention this,
nor is there any mention in the news
papers of this time.
River Men Opposed Bridge.
In 1857 there was tried in the United
States court at Chicago case entitled
Hurd ct al. VS.. the Rail Road Bridge
company. This case grew out of the
building of the first bridge across the
Mississippi river between Davenport
and Rock Island. A part of the stone
embankment still rests on the north
shore of the island of Rock Island.
AT the time this bridge was built, the
steamboat men were very much op.
posed to it's construction, claiming
that>it would seriously impair naviga-
ton. st. Louis was then contending
for commercial supremacy with Chi
cago, and was the center of the river
trade, was very much opposed to the
bridge, and did all that IL could to stop
it's construction. Its Board of Trade
passed resolutions against the con-
struction OF this bridge, and it was
claimed at the time that the st. Louis
people were responsible for the Incl
dent which afterwards happened and
which was the burning of the steamer
Fife Alton. The Effie Alton Vas max
ing trip up the river and owing TO
storm it remained a couple of days
at Rock Island, and on the afternoon
of the 9th day Of May. 1857, started
up the river. II had just passed
through the draw, and as fits captain
claimed, the current forced it against
the draw pier where II took fire and
burned. also setting fire to the draw
span which was consumed The At
toms owners brought suit in the United
States court at Chicago against the
bridge company. and in the trial of
this case Abraham Lincoln was one
of the counsel for the bridge company
Associated with him were Norman b.
Judd of Chicago, attorney for the rail-
road company, and Joseph Knox. then
a prominent attorney in the city of
Rock Island. A great many Witnesses
were called into this case. From Rock
Island came DR.. Patrick Gregg. then
mayor; Quincy Mcneil, circuit clerk;