Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-31
BATTLE OF SOUTH CHICAGO
Revolutionary Conflict Said to Have
Occurred on City's Site.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
| Was one of the battles of the revolu-
! ton fought within the city limits of Chi
cago?
This question is naturally of great in
| terest to every good American, and espe-
cially to every loyal Chicagoan. For Chi
| cago itself was not on the map-except
/ as the portage between the Chicago and
Desplaines rivers made famous by the
| travels of Joliet and Marquette and
other early French explorers-in the
days when the colonies along the sea-
board were struggling for independence.
And anything that links US more closely
| with that glorious struggle is we'll worth
having.
| To be sure the illinois country bulks
| large in the result of that struggle. Had
not George Rogers Clark captured Has
kaskia and thence marched across ILL
nois to the undoing of Hamilton. the
hair buyer at Vincennes, the British
would have been in control of this part
| of the United States when hostilities
ceased. Then when the treaty of peace
| was arranged Great Britain would have
hung on here-for John Bull never lets
go except by force Of arms-and the
1 western boundary OF the territory be-
longing to the colonies would have been
fixed at the Alleghenies instead Of at the
i Mississippi
Nor is Chicago entirely without asso-
| Citations with the revolutionary strug-
| gle. Clark street reminds-or should re-
mfnd-us of George Rogers Clarks i'm
mortal and momentOus exploit. And In
Lincoln Park is the grave of David Ken
| niston, one of the members of the Dos
ton tea party, who fought all through
the revolution, again served his country
| in the war of 1912. and was a resident of
Chicago from 1912 until his death in
1852 at the age Of lie years.
Nevertheless, if battle of the revo-
luton was actually fought on land
now within the city limits of Chicago
! tify the spot and raise a memorial
worth having.
The story of this battle is rescued
from oblivion by J. Seymour Currey. in
| his new Chicago: Its History and It's
| Builders. He calls 1T the Battle of
South Chicago" He retells the story
from accounts in Borgess. Settle
ment of Illinois" and in Volume XVIII
| of the wisconsin Historical ColIec-
/ tons"
| Apparently the Battle of South
1 Chicago" was not one of the decisive
battles of the world The American
Jean Baptiste Hamelin. "a half IN
diam" was in command. and Thomas
| Brady, native of Pennsylvania was
| his lieutenant The army started from
Cahokia. Ill, and was presumably made
up of French residents Of that place.
The purpose was to capture the fort
| at the mouth Of the st. Joseph river
1St Joe. Mich. then held by the
| British with twenty one regulars. The
| time was the fall of 1880
| The fort was surprised and Captured
! The victors began their return march
heeding for the Chicago portage The
| British commander at ST. Joseph. Lieut.
| Dagneau de Quindre, had escaped can
| ture He gathered a force of Indians
and pursued. He overlook the victors
killed four Of them, including Hamelin'
and captured all but three, incIudjn Q
Brady. The prisoners were sent to De.
| troit. but Brady escaped, to become
| sherin OF ST. Clair county in 1880 and
IAN honest correct citizen" of Cahokia
| for many years.