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OENEALCGY COLLECTION

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HISTOixV

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Harry E. Downer

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HISTORY

OF

DAVENPORT

AND

SCOTT COUNTY

IOWA

Harry E. Downer

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME I.

CHICAGO

THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY

1910

1143011 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

>■' THE STORY OF THE ROCKS.

v^

From creation days — Preparation of the earth for the abode of man by gla- ciation and inundation — The pre-glacial topography — The Mississippi of ages gone — The age of the great ice — Scott county's perfect drainage — A wealth of building stone — The carboniferous strata which have brought wealth — Geological section of Scott county 17

CHAPTER II.

THE EARLIEST DWELLERS.

The central attraction in the museum of the Davenport Academy of vSciences The elusive autochthon — The mound builder's claims to interest — His textile skill — Cotton Mather hazards an opinion — Mound pottery of all kinds — Effigy pipes, especially the elephants — The Bureau of Eth- nology and the Academy of Sciences — Prof. Seyffarth's conclusions.. 31

CHAPTER III.

INDIAN OCCUPANCY.

The mini in Scott county in early days — Later the Sacs and Foxes possess the land — Davenport's predecessors, Oshkosh and Morgan — Morgan or Ma-que-pra-um — The great Sac town on Rock river — Music and dramatic art — Black Hawk's narration of Indian customs — The annual hunting trips — Honor as the Indian understood it — The Sioux took home their scalps 47

CHAPTER IV.

THE WHITE MAN COMES.

Pierre Esprit Radisson, maker of paths, philosopher and probable explorer of Iowa — Marquette, Black-Gown, and Joliet the trader — Indian elo- quence— Pewaria's location — Pike, the Intrepid, visits this locality — Captain Many's experience with the British band — It is easy to spell Wapsipinicon — The Harris family compelled to land 61

6 CONTENTS

CHAPTER V.

WARS AND TREATIES.

A battle of the Revolution fought in this vicinity— A polyglot command no loot and great disappointment — First flag in the Mississippi valley — The fight at Campbell's island— The battle of Credit island— Official re- ports—Treaties made in Davenport— Col. J. H. Sullivan writes of In- dian chiefs — Black Hawk war ends Indian claims 69

CHAPTER VL

THE BARROWS HISTORY.

A history written by a pioneer at the request of other pioneers — Re- ceived on its appearance with great commendation — His own estimate of the gravity of his commission — Some incidents which have been noted since the Barrows history was written — Biography of the histo- rian^The history itself without omission, erasure or comment — A mon- umental work 93

CHAPTER VII.

THE ISLAND OF ROCK ISLAND.

The United States acquires the island by treaty — The expedition to estab- lish a fort — A duel by the way — Fort Armstrong, an outpost in the wilderness — Eflforts to secure an army and arsenal — General Rod- man's plans — Items fabricated at the arsenal — Cost of the plant — Gen- eral Crozier's estimate — Squatters' claims 289

CHAPTER VIII.

THREE BRIDGES TO THE ISLAND.

A railroad on each side of the river made a bridge necessary — Charters on injunctions — Acts of congress and court interpretations — The Rock Island road in partnership with the government — The first bridge to be thrown across the Mississippi — River interests aroused — Abraham Lincoln in bridge litigation — Presidential visitors 325

CHAPTER IX.

IOWa's earliest LIVING RESIDENT.

Capt. Warner L. Clark and his varied experiences — Acquainted with many men of prominence — Has remarkable memory — Pioneer customs — Capt. Clark's home town the first to be platted in Scott county — Description of the pioneer cabin — Indian neighbors — Incidents of Indian life — Why buflFalo fell behind in the race 345

CONTENTS 7

CHAPTER X.

TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNS.

History of the townships from the close of the Barrows history — Their record in patriotism during the days of '6i — The prosperity that has come to the farmers of the county — Rural schools and churches — Township officials — The many small settlements that form social cen- ters in the county — Bettendorf — The village of LeClaire 361

CHAPTER XI.

Davenport's first citizen.

Antoine LeClaire, prominently identified with the city, territory and state — The owner of a half-dozen sections of land given him by Indian friends — Generous to all — Marguerite LeClaire, his wife who shared his pleasure in making others happy — A tribute by Pere Pelamourgues — LeClaire and Davenport — Names inseparable 395

CHAPTER XII.

PIONEER LIFE.

The log cabin was the palace of the pioneer— Chinked logs, covered with clapboards — Rifle and spinning wheel — Almost anything was a bed- room— Cooking was primitive for sharp appetites — Welcome for the way- farer— Prairie fires and wolf hunts — Amusements for the frontier peo- ple were not lacking — What unremitting toil has accomplished 407

CHAPTER XIII.

TERRITORIAL DAYS.

William B. Conway made first territorial secretary of Iowa — Comes to Davenport and meets Antoine LeClaire and George Davenport — He is governor of Iowa and Davenport is its capital city — A caustic letter to the state council — The indignant reply of the committee — Conway's un- timely death and burial in this city — A valuable citizen 419

CHAPTER XIV.

THE GREAT RIVER.

The glory and majesty of the father of waters — Description of the keel- boat — An early trip from Cairo to Galena — A list of the early steam craft that breasted the currents of the upper river — Bringing down the logs — The ferries which have brought people into Scott county — The long-awaited Hennepin canal 429

8 ." CONTENTS

CHAPTER XV.

LIFE ON THE FRONTIER.

The reminiscences of the uioneer, Judge John W. Spencer — Life among the Sacs and Foxes — When friendship changed to distrust and enmity — Neighbor Black Hawk — Indian agriculture and hunting trips — ^The wars of 1831-33 — Stillman's defeat and the flag of truce — The merciless Sioux — A neighbor who drew the long bow 447

CHAPTER XVI.

LOOKING BACKWARD.

J. M. D. Burrows, merchant, miller, packer, handler of produce, looks back over his busy life and tells some incidents — Davenport a hamlet of 15 houses — A remarkable career — Hummer and his bell — Rev. John O. Foster tells of boyhood days in Rockingham — The view from the Decker home — A relic of Credit island battle 475

CHAPTER XVII.

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

The pioneer physicians of Scott county — Their hardships and self reliance

— Many of them practical men of great force of character — Reminis- cences of Dr. E. S. Barrows — Scott County Medical Society — Minutes of the bygone meetings — The society has taken advanced ground while conservative in character — Dr. Preston writes 495

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE SCOTT COUNTY BAR.

The bench and bar of Scott county — Early lawyers, many of them men of great ability — The earlier courts — Supreme court sessions in Davenport — The district, circuit and county courts — Members of the bar of 25 years ago — The present bar — Diverting incidents of the legal record since courts were established — Judge Grant's toothpick 517

CHAPTER XIX.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE COUNTY.

The conduct of the county's business affairs — The county commissioners' court and its work of organization — Road districts and voting places — County judges — Board of supervisors — Officials from earliest times to the present — A record for reference — Growth of the county in wealth and population 547

CONTENTS • 9

CHAPTER XX.

CHURCHES AND PARISHES.

Davenport the city of the diocese of Iowa and the diocese of Davenport — The handsome cathedrals and other sanctuaries of the city — Sketches of the bishops who have directed church work from Davenport — Sketches supplemental to those appearing in the Barnes history — Davenport a city of spires 571

CHAPTER XXI.

THE CIVIL WAR.

Dred Scott in Davenport — John Brown and Coppoc the refugee — The call for troops — Iowa's response — Local enthusiasm — Scott county soldiers in many regiments — Proved themselves the bravest of the brave — Iowa drum beat heard in every portion of the south — The honored dead — Unappreciated eloquence — Littler's firemen — Some clothes 619

CHAPTER XXII.

PATRIOTIC DAVENPORT.

Military headquarters — Camps where soldiers were trained — Minnesota Sioux — Many Confederate prisoners at Rock island prison — The routine of prison life — The soldiers' monument — Oration of General J. B. Leake — Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home — First exercises at Oakdale — Company B goes to fight Spain — The roll of honor — Company roster in days of Spanish-American war , 669

CHAPTER XXIII.

CITY OF DAVENPORT.

Always noted for striking beauty of situation — The mayors of the city from

the beginning to the 1910 election — The police and fire departments — A splendid street car service — Water service of equal merit — The parks of the city — What the city owes and owns — A few dollars each way for each man, woman and child 685

CHAPTER XXIV.

A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE.

Every opportunity to grow in culture and usefulness in Davenport — Public buildings provided for all lines of interest — A fine line of helpful institu- tions— Places of instruction and amusement — Hotels, hospitals — Some- where for everybody to stay — A great array of organizations for those who believe in banding together 711

10 CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXV.

THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

Cheap fuel, transmissibility of electrical power and fine shipping facilities have made Davenport a great manufacturing center — The thrift of the people of Scott county have made it a great banking center — The growth of manufacturing interests and the widening of the field supplied — Coun- try banks springing up, everywhere 753

CHAPTER XXVI.

AT THE COURT HOUSE.

The handsome palace of justice — Tablets whereon the Pioneer Settlers' As- sociation have inscribed those coming to Scott county before 1846 — Full list of names — The county jail — -The Scott County Agricultural Society — Description of the first fair — Baseball when the pitcher over- stayed his time in the box and gentlemen caught fly balls 769

CHAPTER XXVn.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES, OLD AND NEW.

In 1839 the citizens moved for a collection of books — Library progress from that date to this has been along a devious path of hardship and discour- agement— Ladies managed the library for years — Mr. Watkins tells of years of devotion to the ideal of a public library — Andrew Carnegie, a life member, sends by Mrs. Maria Purdy Peck, president of the Dav- enport Historical Association, money for a new building 783

CHAPTER XXVHL

SOME OLD HOUSES.

Some remain and others have given way to better ones — The first frame house in Iowa — The first house in Davenport — Dr. John Emerson's brick residence — Many old residences of strong historic interest — Struc- tures that incite reminiscence — A beautifully written sketch of the hospitable homes of other days 801

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE GERMAN IMPRESS.

The influence of German immigrants upon the social, financial, patriotic, commercial and artistic life of the United States — From the general to the particular — What German-Americans have done for the prosperity, material and spiritual, of Davenport and Scott county — A trip cross- country and what it shows — German organizations. By Adolph Pe- tersen, Editor of "Iowa Reform." 813

CONTENTS 11

CHAPTER XXX.

A FORCEFUL INFLUENCE.

The Germans of Davenport and the Chicago Convention of i860 — The part those who opposed knownothingism played in the party preHminaries leading up to the republican nomination of Abraham Lincoln — The Davenport resolutions of March, i860 — German strength recognized throughout the land — With Bates out of the race Abraham Lincoln the strongest Compromise candidate 839

By F. L Herriott. Professor of Economics, Political and Social Science, Drake University.

CHAPTER XXXL

Davenport's baptism.

Could Rock Island be Davenport? — Would Davenport have been Rock Is- land ? — For whom was Davenport named ? — There seems to be no doubt that Colonel George Davenport was so honored — A life which ranks with the heroes of romance in variety and thrilling incident — One of the founders of the city that bears his name — An Indian ceremony. . . . 849

CHAPTER XXXII.

CLIMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

Being an article based upon weather bureau observations covering a period from 1871 to 1909 — The location of office and instruments — A climat- ological summary — Unusual weather phenomena — Warm and cold pe- riods— Length of growing seasons — Unusual amounts of rainfall — Not- able river stages — Remarkable flood stage 877

By J. M. Sherier, Local Forecaster, Weather Bureau.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE PRESS.

The Archimedean lever that moves the world in this part of the world the present press which ably serves Davenport and Scott county — English and German, political and religious — Papers of bygone days which did not fill a wide felt want — The papers of long ago and their news service —The Tri-City Press Club 885

By Ralph W. Cram. President of the Tri-City Press Club.

12 CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE RAILROADS.

Strenuous efforts to build railroads in Scott county's early years — Agitation to the eastward and westward — The first railroad west of the great river — A. C. Fulton, a man ahead of his times — Hiram Price as pro- moter—The M. & M., C. & R. I., D. & St. L., C. R. I. & P., C. B. & Q.. C. M. & St. P., also the I. & L — Fifty years an engineer 899

CHAPTER XXXV.

EDUCATION.

The foundation laid by early statesmen — A look ahead — The beginnings of schools in Iowa — Those who taught school in Davenport in the thirties — Many years of private schools — Arrival of the public school in the fifties — Latter day schools — Magnificent high school — The special branches — Schools of higher education — Biography of J. B. Young . . 919

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE SALAD COURSE.

In this chapter may be found almost everything aside from the item the reader is searching for — There are some things that will prove of in- terest to somebody — Other things that everybody knows — Some inci- dents are unusual and others just so-so — There seemed to be a neces- sity for this sort of chapter 963

CHAPTER XXXVII.

CHRONOLOGY.

This is something of a record of the years in Scott county from 1832 to 1910 — Other things have happened but these appear notable, as the list is scanned for items that look worthy of type — It is a collection of short stories somewhat lacking in description but good what there is of them 979

FOREWORD.

And after the book has gone to the printer, the author, editor, compiler or whatever or whoever he may be, carries in a preface his burden of regret to the pubHc who probably expected nothing better, and in dismal remorse tells how his plans have buckled, his roseate visions turned to leaden hue, his budding hopes chilled and filled with April snows. Not in this book. There is a disposition to acknowledge that prospectus plans covered a scope a trifle wide for the binding of any one book or two books, but there is a belief that there is much in this work that will be new to the reader, and that it merits recognition rather for what it con- tains than for what has been omitted. There are plenty of inconsistencies, no doubt, and misstatements, perhaps. But it is a good deal to expect that the writer of history can arrive at truth in incidents wherein principals and bystand- ers are all dead. It puzzles any one who drops into any court of justice to sort the truth from the conflicting testimony of witnesses who saw the self-same thing happen yesterday. How much more diflicult is the task of the assembler of facts for a local history. In any event there is as much amusement in denying as agreeing, and the reader, gentle or otherswise, gets his money's worth.

If there have been matters passed over without mention that are worthy extended notice in any history, let it be remembered that many things have hap- pened in Scott county since Radisson yearned for the red souls of its inhabitants, and that the comparative estimate of values is the sole pleasure of the writer of history and may be exercised by anybody who can find a publisher.

Some expert who has given the matter thought says no man has a right to pen history unless he has something new to tell or a new way of telling the old. There is a third reason, — the same which impelled the Galena hotel keeper to charge the Prince de Joinville $4.00 for playing one tune on his piano ; the same reason which caused the assistant superintendent of a New Jersey lunch counter to ask $1.00 of Bill Nye for that combination of sliced ham and some baker's absent mindedness known on the road as a boxing glove.

Schleiermacher, the great philosopher, draws a distinction between longitu- dinal and transverse views of any series of historical facts. An attempt has been made in this work to combine both plans, with what success the reader, pugnacious or otherwise, may judge.

The opportunity offered by this foreword is eagerly embraced to acknowledge indebtedness. First of all, credit for the finest portion of this work must go to one who has long been gone, — the fine old pioneer, surveyor, linguist, gentleman, Willard Barrows, and in lesser measure to his son, B. H. Barrows, once of Dav- enport, now of Omaha, who generously gave permission for reprinting Willard Barrows' history in these words, "I not only do not see any objection to your using any of my father's material which you can find, but I should be very glad

14 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

indeed, to see the collection of his historical work in some permanent form," and finally in this connection the writer's personal gratitude is expressed to the pub- lishers of this work for being willing to reprint the Barrows history, complete, unabridged, unchanged, without modification or erasure, an adequate recognition of this masterpiece of local history to which it has been entitled any time these fifty years and which has not been before accorded.

By way of tribute to the memory of another writer gone from earth it should be recorded that had it not been for D. N. Richardson's love for history, his patient untangling of historical problems and his abihty to coordinate seemingly unrelated facts, supplemented by his delightful narration of matters thus ar- ranged, much of Scott county history would have been lost beyond recovery. There are many others, old associates on the Democrat, the Richardsons, B. F. Tillinghast, J. E. Calkins, Ralph W. Cram, whose chapter on the Press is a fea- ture of this work; fellow members of the Press Club, W. A. Meese, of Moline, H. P. Simpson, of the Rock Island Argus, J. E. Hardman and Joe Carmichael, of the Times, Dr. August Richter of Der Demokrat, the most prolific of local historians, Fred B. Sharon, of the Messenger, Adolph Petersen of the Iowa Reform, whose chapter on the German Impress is a notable portion of this his- tory. When this is read, it will be understood by the distant reader why Scott county is sometimes spelled Skat county.

The permission to use any of the copyrighted material in that mine of local history the Half Century Democrat is only an added instance of a generosity which has never failed in an association of twenty-five years.

Thanks are due to Mrs. Maria Purdy Peck for her chapter on the Public Library. Those who know this gifted writer will not fail to identify her with the Mrs. W. F. Peck who took such large part in making library history. Prof. Frank I. Herriott, a resident of Scott county by inheritance, for his father farmed near Durant before the citizens of Iowa called him to be state treasurer, has devel- oped something in regard to the nomination of Abraham Lincoln that has escaped the actual dwellers of Scott county. For this analysis of a hitherto neglected incident in Iowa political history he has our gratitude.

The list of those who have aided in producing this work is long and to every one thanks are due, — to J. B. Young, who patiently collected material for the hitherto unwritten chapter on local education, to J. M. Sherier for his scientific and interesting chapter on climatology, to J. H. Paarmann, curator of the Dav- enport Academy of Sciences and Miss Sarah Foote-Sheldon, corresponding secretary of that institution, to Capt. W. L. Clark, for his interesting interview. Col. F. E. Hobbs, commanding Rock Island Arsenal, Secretary C. A. Steel of the Commercial Club, to city and county officials, the Davenport Board of Park Commissioners, to Miss Grace D. Rose, librarian, Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Le- Claire, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. McCullough, Dr. C. H. Preston, C. E. Harrison, W. C. Mossman, G. E. Hubbell, Prin. J. A. Hornby, to Supt. F. L. Smart and Secre- tary J. D. McCoUister of the Board of Education ; and finally to the good friend whose name has been omitted and whose neglect shall seem perfectly inexcusable when it shall be made apparent by sober second thought.

H. E. Downer.

CHAPTER I. THE STORY OF THE ROCKS.

FROM CREATION DAYS PREPARATION OF THE EARTH FOR THE ABODE OF MAN BY GLA-

CIATION AND INUNDATION THE PRE-GLACIAL TOPOGRAPHY — THE MISSISSIPPI

OF AGES GONE THE AGE OF THE GREAT ICE SCOTT COUNTY^S PERFECT DRAINAGE

A WEALTH OF BUILDING STONE THE CARBONIFEROUS STRATA WHICH HAVE

BROUGHT WEALTH GEOLOGICAL SECTION OF SCOTT COUNTY.

When the six great creative days were fully ended and the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, when the evening of the sixth day brought the achievement of the marvelous work, the Book records that the Creator of the universe rested from his labors, saw everthing that he had made, and be- hold, it was very good. From chaos, formless and void, had come through omnis- cient plan and omnipotent will a beautiful planet, fitted for the home of man, a sphere which swung in ether in perfect poise with jarless revolution and with certain and flawless procession. Upon this world which seemed good to its Creator appeared continents, seas, islands and straits. Had there been a spectator upon a neighboring planet when this earth fresh from the creative process took its place in the firmament, to him the western continent would have appeared but an island circled by the sea, the belt of land which was to be in after years the United States but a patch of greens and grays, the magnificent Mississippi valley a blur of color and the state of Iowa an indistinguished item in the har- monious whole. Surely the abiding place of our love and pride is but a speck in the wide-unfolding map of creation, but to us who live in Iowa there is nothing more sure than this, that no fairer spot exists the world around than this small portion of the splendid work that received the commendation of the great Archi- tect, and to those who live in Scott county there is also the surety that nowhere in Iowa has the Creator more kindly planned for his children or scattered in greater measure the blessings of his good will.

For the story of the preparation of the world to be the abode of man from fire mist to finished planet we must go to the geologists and learn of the ages of evolution and gradual change which stretched through time and into a seeming eternity measured only by the stupendous span of the great creative days of the

18 • HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Almighty. To them it is given to read the book of creation in the everlasting hills, to glean history from eroded valleys and learn in stratifications of the living things which enjoyed life in this region when it was under seas. Under Iowa prairies and by the banks of Iowa streams have been found most illuminating records of the ages when the rocky foundations of Iowa were being laid and of the later ages when this substructure was being covered by glacial drift and lev- eled in prairied sweep from great river to great river. Prof. Samuel Calvin says: "In no part of the world are certain chapters of the Pleistocene record clearer, or fraught with greater interest than in our fair Iowa." This geological eminence Scott county shares with the remainder of the commonwealth, but there is also an especial distinction all our own. Prof. W. H. Norton writes in the report of the Iowa geological survey : "In the diversity and interest of its de- posits of glacial drift, Scott county is hardly surpassed by any area of equal size in the United States. Lost pages of Pleistocene history are here recoverable, and evidence is at hand which may help to solve questions of long dispute in glacial geology."

In its long preparation for human habitation, its endowment with a climate of pleasing and healthful variety, soil of unexcelled richness and water in abun- dance, this favored corner of the earth has passed through a most remarkable ex- perience. It has been under the ice not once but four times. It has been under the sea no one knows how many times. It has been traversed by great rivers. It has been covered by strange tropical forests and through its savannas have roamed animals of strange form and uncouth appearance. As a possible human habitat it is very old.

STRANGE CLIMATIC CHANGES.

Wise as are the geologists and much as they can read in the rocks and run- ning brooks they cannot tell us what changed the climate of Iowa from the warmth and grateful fruitfulness of the Carboniferous period to the frigidity of glacial days which chilled and killed all life, the stricken land with its vernal crown of grass and woods finding burial under ice of such thickness that material brought from the north by the slowly creeping ice sheet was deposited as soil many yards in depth upon the rocks beneath. What disarrangement of ocean currents, of polar winds or aberration of axis inclination or orbit was responsible we do not know, but there is told in the rocks and soil of Scott county the story of fearful storms of ice and snow lasting thousands of years which piled the ice in mountain semblance in a grinding glacier sheet that made soil in tremendous fashion from the material frozen in the stream of ice and the material that lay beneath. And this cycle of growth and destruction was repeated time and again. The creative plan seems to have contemplated the devastating forces of storm, glaciation and inundation in the preparation of the richest soils and most beautiful arrangement of land and water forms in this region most fit for the abode of man.

Scott county long ago attracted the attention of Scientific men through the interest and importance of is geologic phenomena. Within its narrow borders outcrop the stratifications of three great geological series — the Silurian, the De-

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 19

vonian and the Carboniferous. These formations have contributed greatly to the county's wealth and population through the economic value of the industries arising therefrom, mines of coal and clay, quarries of stone for lime, for building-, for road making and for concrete construction. Even as here within the county appear these three great geological systems, there are also here the borders of the drift of three of the continental glaciers which invaded Iowa. Here are plains o£ alluvium and glacial drift untouched by crumbling erosion. Here are other plains scored and roughened by the action of water, rocky gorges chiseled by rivers in their geologic youth with much rough work ahead, rolling stretches of frontal loess moraines, — all contours which lend variety to the landscape and in- terest to the searcher after the story of the rocks. Here in our county the great Mississippi and its tributary, the Wapsipinicon, aided by the smaller streams which flow to them have dissected the covering of the underlying rocks mak- ing easy the examination of the indurated formations thus exposed and also af- fording opportunity to study the Pleistocene deposits. The opportunities which nature has furnished in gorge and scarp and hillside ledge have been added to by mines and wells and quarries, by railway cuts and the grading of city streets.

In 1852 David Dale Owen told of the geologic richness of this county in pub- lishing the results of his surveys of the Mississippi valley, paying especial at- tention to the fossils of Davenport and Buffalo. A few years later Hall and Whitney gave great space to the peculiar features of Scott county in the published account of their survey. Out of thirty-three species of Devonian fossils listed in their search eighteen were credited to Scott county and six to contiguous Illinois territory. The Academy of Sciences at Davenport has a great collection of the fossils of the county, notable contributors being A. S. Tiffany and Rev. Dr. W. H. Barris. The rich fauna of the submerged era has been described by Barris, Worthen, Meek and Lindahl. Much has been written of the glacial deposits of the county by McGee, McWhorter, Pratt, Calvin, Bain, Leverett and Udden. and of the older formations by Barris, Tiffany, Calvin, Norton, Udden and Keyes.

CONSTRUCTIVE AND EROSIVE FORCES.

The variation in the topography of Scott county, even as elsewhere, is the result of two differing forces, the constructive and erosive. To the former be- long aggraded stream valleys, the uneroded remnants of drift plains and the hills of the lowan frontier or border, of one of the great glaciers which reached no farther south than the northern boundary of Scott county. All other relief forms are due to the action of nmning water, to rain wash or the composite action Icnown as weathering. The lowan frontier separates two essentially different topographies. To the north the surface is modeled, to the south it is carved. It has been decided by geologists that the pre-glacial surface of the county was not dissimilar to its present condition in this respect, that most of the valleys of the streams were cut before the soft yellow loam which everywhere covers the sur- face was laid down, as it descends the hill-sides like a mantle well down to the creek bottoms. In this degree the topography is constructive only, modified by erosive influence where the loess has been dissected by a water course of minor

20 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

importance. Where this loess is of sufficient thickness the dissection is most intricate.

There have been discriminated in Scott county three topographic areas of different ages, the lowan area, the IlHnoian plain and Kansan upland. The lowan area is one of extreme geological youth. The Illinoian plain is but slightly older, the original plain persisting even to the master streams, its edge being merely nibbled by erosion. From an inland view-point, the channel of the Mis- sissippi disappears from vision and the eye sweeps a level range that takes in the corresponding plain in Illinois as a part of an undivided whole. According to the map of the United States geological survey one may travel from the Green Tree tavern north and west fourteen miles to Walcott and not have changed his elevation above sea level more than twenty feet in traversing the distance. The Kansan upland is of greater age and shows more deeply the effects of erosion, the streams having wider valleys and the hills the rounded summits which tell of age and the wear of the elements.

The fourth glacial invasion, which was called the lowan, reached the northern boundary of Scott county and the topography of the northern portion of the county was caused by this glaciation, the southern extension of the lowan drift plain and its frontier in the northern row of townships being marked by the charac- teristic formation known to geologists as paha. These are boat shaped hills composed of water-laid sand and silt and in part of glacial deposit, the whole molded into characteristic shape by the ice, the longer axis trending northwest- southeast. Sometimes the paha assume the form of long, low swells ; sometimes they are individuated into separate hills several of which may be strung along a common axis. As the composition changes from loess to sand the form changes to the irregular hills of Butler township, and the long sandy ridge of the Wapsi- pinicon plain in Princeton township. Below this region of the paha the county may be considered as at one time c(!)vered by an approximately level plain of glacial deposit which was deeply eroded in places and still later covered by the fairly uniform mantle of yellow loess or loam of which mention has already been made.

The report of the Iowa geological survey for this county, written by Prof. W. H. Norton, has a paragraph telling of the appearance of things in the far-distant days before the coming of the first glacier : "A very slight investigation suffices to show that the pre-glacial topography was widely differ- ent from that which meets the eye today. Rivers ran hundreds of feet below the present surface. Hills relatively high stood where the level prairie now stretches to the horizon. Were the cover of drift removed from the underlying rocks, their surface would be found rugged and hilly, deeply scored with manifold ra- vines, and trenched by river valleys deeper than that of the Mississippi, and as wide. But it is scarcely practicable to draw the details of that ancient sur- face. For the most part we must rely on the records of the wells which have been sunk in the past few years. It is a familiar fact that the well driller finds the distance to rock far from equal even from the same level. In one section the drill grinds on the native rock within fifty feet from the surface ; a mile or so away, rock is only found within 300 feet from about an equal eleva- tion. These deep depressions, now plastered over with glacial mud, were cut

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 23

by running water. They are not local discontinuous pits. They join and form continuous valleys cut out by ancient rivers. Accordingly the deepest drift wells are not found in clusters but in lines."

AN ANCIENT PRE-GLACIAL RIVER.

Perhaps the most interesting statement in Professor Norton's paragraph has to do with the ancient, pre-glacial river bed larger than that of the Mississippi as we know it. The credit of the discovery' of this long choked water way has been given to two scientists who approached it from different quarters and traced it with comparative corroboration — Udden and Leverett. This stream seems to have left the present bed of the Mississippi at the mouth of the Maquoketa river, to have come past Goose lake and Brophy's creek to the valley of the Wapsi- pinicon, thence across Scott county in broad and generous fashion by Durant and Wilton, on through Muscatine county and to the Mississippi channel again near the present location of Fort Madison. The magnificent valley of this noble pre- glacial stream is occupied by an unambitious affluent of the Wapsipinicon called Mud creek, a stream of a few rods width at its mouth and having a depth of a few feet. This broad and spacious valley is bordered by hills with the gentle slope, indicating age. They are loess covered, as is the flood plain. Near Durant the ancient watercourse occupied a valley from two to three miles in width and the town is located on an island where the river divided. Three miles from Du- rant is found the almost imperceptible divide which separates the territory now drained by Mud creek from the valley of Elkhorn creek a tributary of the Cedar river. To the observer who follows the course of this ancient river it becomes easily certain that the two creeks which occupy this river valley never created it.

Some have surmised that in this channel there once flowed the river which in bygone ages was the forerunner of the Mississippi. At one time the Illinoian glacier encroached upon the present soil of Iowa and this river may have been pushed over from its former bed which at that time lay to the eastward of the Mississippi channel as we know it. Later the lowan glacier crowded the stream back to the eastward and the Cleona channel, as geologists call it, was filled by glacial deposits from this later invasion. This supposition lacks entire confirmation, as the records of deep wells which have been sunk in that region furnish proof that the ancient river bed antedates the Illinoian glacier by a great length of time. It is to this deep channel of this ancient river that Scott county owes its richness in Pleistocene history, for it is in such deep valleys where glaciers must deposit and where they can least erode that the record of glacial days has been laid down. Perhaps it will be well to take from scientific sources the sequence of events in Iowa during the age of the Great Ice.

WHEN THE GLACIERS CAME.

First. — An invasion by glacial ice from the north, perhaps an extension of the Kewatin ice sheet whose center of dispersion lay west of Hudson bay. Little is known of the till deposited by this invasion, and it is termed for the present the Pre-Kansan drift sheet.

24 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Second. — A stage of deglaciation, the Aftonian, during which the glaciers re- treated, probably beyond the limits of the state.

Third. — A second and more formidable invasion by the Kewatin glacier which pushed the ice front south to the Missouri river. This stage and the drift sheet then deposited are known as the Kansan.

Fourth. — A second stage of deglaciation, the Yarmouth, during which the land left bare by the retreat of the ice far to the south weathered into rich soils of prairie and forest.

Fifth. — A third ice invasion, the Illinoian, entering Iowa from the east and occupying a narrow strip of country along the Mississippi extending from the Wapsipinicon south nearly to the Des Moines.

Sixth. — A third stage of deglaciation, the Sangamon, during which the drift sheet left by the retreat of the Illinoian ice weathered into soil and was covered with peat swamps, savannas and forests.

Seventh. — A fourth ice invasion, the lowan, coming from the north and extend- ing on its eastern margin as far south as Scott county. Southward from the front of the lowan ice was laid down in some manner, at present undetermined, a silt called the lowan loess.

Eighth. — A fourth stage of deglaciation and soil formation, the Peorian.

Ninth. — A fifth ice invasion, the Wisconsin, confined in Iowa to the central portions of the state, and extending as far south as Des Moines.

Of the nine stages just enumerated records of all are believed to exist in Scott county with the exception of the last two, the Wisconsin and the Peorian.

From the deep wells which have been sunk in the Cleona channel came the dense, f^aky bluish-black till which is characteristic of the Pre-Kansan. Overlying this and under the drift of the Kansan are heavy layers of sand and gravel. The Kansan till which overlies the gravel in these wells comes to the surface as the Kansan upland in the northeastern part of the county. It is a mixture of boulders, cobbles, pebbles, sand, rockmeal and clay, the grist of the glacial mill. This dumping of glacial freight is a thorough mixture. In a cut on the line of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern road west of Davenport. Professor Norton counted these "erratics," and found fifty-one per cent granitoids, thirty- seven per cent carboniferous sandstone and limestone, ten per cent greenstones and two per cent quartzites. In Liberty township nuggets of native copper have been discovered in this glacial drift. Inasmuch as the rate of progress of modern glaciers confined to narrow channels is but a few inches a year the time it must have taken the diffused Kansan ice sheet to bring this consignment of copper from its Lake Superior home to Scott county is a matter to wonder upon.

When this great Kewatin ice sheet retreated from Iowa, Scott county was neglected in the distribution of its largess of gravel. For the making of Scott county roads it has been necessary to go over county lines and import the Kansan gravels in which other portions of the state are rich. The Kansan glacier left to Scott county its fine-ground grist of blue clay which in time bore savannas of grass and forests of trees. These buried soils with their vegetation have been noted by glaciologists at various localities in the county, overlying the blue clay of the Kansan drift and under the yellow clay of the Illinoian.

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 25

It was only a narrow strip of Iowa which was comphmented by a visit from the IlHnoian glacier. This narrow belt stretches along the Mississippi from the Wapsipinicon to Fort Madison. This invasion from the east left its record in a peculiar and characteristic till which has been brought to light by excavations at Sixth and Harrison streets, at Eighth and Marquette streets in Davenport and in ravines two miles south of Blue Grass.

The latest glacier to visit Scott county hesitated upon the northern thresh- old, giving to the northern tier of townships their peculiar topography and to the whole county the inexhaustible mantle of fine silico-argillaceous silt known as the lowan loess. Near the lowan margin it attains a depth of forty or fifty feet. Along the Mississippi its thickness is perhaps twenty-five to thirty feet and in the interior of the county fifteen to twenty feet. This is the soil which has ranked in fertility with the alluvium of the bottom lands and has constantly produced wealth for its owners. It was laid down in glacial waters in a manner not yet understood.

The drainage of Scott county may be considered perfect, as no portion within county borders is more than eleven miles from one of the master streams, the Mississippi and its tributary the Wapsipinicon. Something more than one- half of the territory is drained by the affluents of the Wapsie, as this river is locally known. Geologists have found much to interest them in tracing the channels of the mighty Mississippi. The one known as the Cleona channel has already been mentioned. Nearly cotemporary with this channel they place the present channel from Sabula to Clinton. The channel now known as the Marais D'Ogee, or Meredosia and the Rock river valley is so recent in occupa- tion that the great river still sends a portion bf its water by that route at time of highest flood. A slight disturbance of present conditions would be sufficient to send the great stream back to the bed which it so lately deserted, speaking in geological phrase.

THE ROCKY SUBSTRUCTURE.

Students of geology have found no tr^ce of the rocks of the Azoic age in Scott county. The deepest wells that have been drilled have ended in the strata of sandstone which formed the bed of the ocean at some bygone time. The only specimens of the igneous formations are the boulders and cobbles brought in as freight by some predatory glacier. None of the stratification of the Lower Silurian has here been found and only the Niagara limestone of the Upper Si- lurian system of the Palaeozoic group. The Devonian system is represented by the Dielasma beds, the Spirifer Parryanus beds, the Upper Davenport, Lower Davenport, Independence and Otis. The Carboniferous outcrops in the upper coal measures. The Pleistocene system of the Cenozoic group is in evidence in the glacial drift of the recurring ice invasions.

The great w^ealth of building stone in the county belongs to the upper or Gower stage of the Niagara limestones, the lower or Delaware stage not hav- ing been found locally. In Scott county there are two distinct types of the Gower stone, the pure, hard crystalline dolomite, known as LeClaire stone, which is free from chert and admirably adapted to the manufacture of lime and the light buflF granular dolomite, evenly bedded in a stratified formation lending it-

26 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

self readily to building purposes, the latter known as Anamosa stone. The LeClaire limestone is chemically a double carbonate of lime and magnesia, a pure dolomite, free from the ordinary argillaceous, ferrous and siHcious impuri- ties. Its normal color is a light bluish-gray, varying to almost white and also to darker shades. While not well adapted for building, it is unsurpassed in the whole geologic category for the manufacture of lime. This formation nowhere in Scott county reaches the thickness of the Linn county beds where it has been observed ninety feet thick.

Very valuable to the resident of the county have been the deposits of the soft granular Anamosa stone. It lies in even, horizontal layers and is ready for laying into wall with a minimum of work in quarrying. This formation is at its best in this county in the region about LeClaire where the stone differs little from the typical quarries near Anamosa except in less frequent lamination and a deeper shade of buflf.

The Otis limestone, the rarest of the Devonian system, non-magnesian, dense, of the finest grain, and yielding a fair quaUty of lithographic material, is found in Scott county, but not in great quantities. The Independence shale, a rough brown iron stained limestone, crops out in Pleasant Valley township in layers from two to four inches thick and carrying nodules of flint.

It is in the Lower Davenport beds of the Devonian that the quarries at Bettendorf and near Camp McClellan have been operating. It is through the Lower Davenport beds that Duck creek cut the romantic gorge at Devil's Glen. This same formation is also found at the West Davenport quarries where it is overlaid by the upper Davenport beds. The workmen can tell by the ring of the steel when they have reached the end of one formation and are beginning upon the other. The beds of the upper Davenport are rich in coral fossils while the other beds are non-fossil-bearing. The upper Davenport is highly fossilifer- ous, certain layers being a coquina of brachiopod shells so firmly cemented that fossils are disengaged with difficulty and rarely in good condition. The entire thickness of the beds is perhaps fifteen feet. The fossil fauna of these beds have been collected with great pains and have been studied for many years by members of the Davenport Academy of Sciences. In its publications appear lists of species with descriptions of those most characteristic of this locality. There have been more than thirty species, Molluscan, Crustacean and Crinoidean noted and classified by the scientists of the academy,

ROCKS CROWDED WITH FOSSILS.

Along the river road near Buffalo may be found culverts built of rock which is fairly crowded with fossils. This rock comes from the Cedar Valley lime- stone strata which has made the region about Bufifalo classic ground for the paleontologist. Large collections have been made from these beds including the type specimens of a number of species. There is a fairly well defined basal bed some thirty feet in thickness consisting of lime stones more or less argil- laceous, and calcareous shales normally blue in color, but deeply weathered to buff and brown. The layers which have attracted the most attention are largely made up of fragments of crinoid stems. This stone is capable of high polish

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 27

and slabs so finished have been called Buffalo marble by those not over particu- lar in geologic niceties.

The carboniferous strata of Scott county are separated from the great coal fields of Illinois of which they really form a part by the narrow trench of the Mississippi river which is a late comer into these regions in comparison with the coal measures which were laid down by the sea in the long gone ages of creation. The richest deposits lie in Buffalo township, although there are val- uable outliers in other portions of the county, largely undeveloped and only awaiting the necessity through the failure of other sources of supply for being worked. Carboniferous deposits have been found in so many wells and quar- ries that it is not difficult to theorize that practically the whole county once lay beneath the Carboniferous sea and was covered with a continuous veneer of its offshore silts. In his report Prof. Norton tells of the uneven surface upon which the carboniferous muds and sands were laid, of channels and caverns cut by running water in the Niagara limestone more than 200 feet deep. "Since the coal measure outliers in the northern part of the county rest immediately and unconformably on Silurian strata, we may infer that the rocks of that area had formed a land area during Devonian times and had been sculptured by running water with a maximum relief of about 200 feet. With the coming in of the Des Moines stage of the Carboniferous a progressive depression of the land from the south northward brought in the Carboniferous sea, at least into the deeper valleys, if not over the entire surface." Evidently when nature writes her book, she is in no hurry to turn a page. Here is the record of one incident, the preparation of the surface for the carboniferous transformation which included the gathering together of soil, the growth of tremendous for- ests, their inundation and burial beneath immense weight of sand, clay and gravel, where pressure and heat brought forth coal. This one incident com- prises the carving out of a channel by running water in limestone strata 200 feet deep. This is an unimportant incident to the geologist. Verily the crea- tions of the imagination are as nothing to the eternal verities of the student of earth structure.

The carboniferous deposits of the county consist chiefly of shales with some sandstone, fire clay and iron stone, argillaceous, bituminous limestones and dis- continuous seams of coal.

SOME DEEP WELLS.

Davenport has been for years the artesian city of the state, through the num- ber of deep wells which have been bored. These range in depth from the most shallow, the well at Witt's bottling works, 780 feet, to those of more than 2,100 feet at the plant of the Corn Products company. These deep borings have given great opportunity to study the portion of the earth's crust upon which we live. Prof. J. A. Udden, of Augustana college, Rock Island, has collected and collated a vast amount of information from the records of fourteen wells dug in the three cities of Davenport. Rock Island and Moline, and has constructed from the data a geological section which must so nearly approximate the truth that there is no room for doubt.

28 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Formation Thickness Kiev. A. T.

14 Devonian 55 5^0

13 Niagara 340 160

12 Maquoketa 223 —63

II Galena 244 —307

10 Trenton lOO —40? ■ •

9 Shale 41 —443

8 Sandstone 7^ —524

7 Shale 66 —590

6 Lower Magnesian 80a — 1,390

5 Sandy Shale 35 —1427

4 Arenaceous Limestone 27 — 1,452

3 Sandstone ••••• I45 — 1>597

2 Calcareous Shale 75 —1,672

I Sandstone 97 —1,769

Numbers 1-5 are referred by Professor Udden to the Potsdam, and numbers 7-9 are included in the St. Peter.

The sinking of so many deep wells in Davenport has seemed a curious feature of municipal growth to strangers, inasmuch as there tiows before the doors of the city an inexhaustible supply of pure, sweet, soft water, which is furnished to Davenport citizens by a pumping plant of great excellence and in a condition of sparkling limpidity after being treated in a filter of such quality and completeness that it is known the world around. It is simply that large consumers have found it economical to sink the wells rather than to pay the water rates made necessary by the expense of transforming river water into the product marketed.

At Linwood near Buffalo one of the features of a beautiful picnic park upon the shore of the Mississippi is an artesian well, one of the pioneers of the state. It has been running forty years from a depth of 800 feet. The water is strongly sulphurated and in the past attracted to a sanitarium there located many health seekers. The vein of water was struck while drilling for oil.

MOUND POTTERY Collection of Davenport Academy of Sciences

CHAPTER 11. THE EARLIEST DWELLERS.

THE CENTRAL ATTRACTION IN THE MUSEUM OF THE DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCI- ENCES THE ELUSIVE AUTOCHTHON THE MOUND BUILDER's CLAIMS TO INTER- EST HIS TEXTILE SKILL COTTON MATHER HAZARDS AN OPINION MOUND POT- TERY OF ALL KINDS ^EFFIGY PIPES, ESPECIALLY THE ELEPHANTS THE BUREAU

OF ETHNOLOGY AND THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES PROF. SEYFFARTH's CON- CLUSIONS.

Occupying the place of honor in the center of the semicircular hall of the Academy of Sciences at Davenport are relics and remains of a departed race who may be considered the earliest inhabitants of Scott county. For lack of better name we call them Mound Builders. Long years ago they selected this beautiful location as their home, erected their habitations and means of de- fense, practiced their religion, developed their civilization, lived their lives and departed. No one knows their coming and no man can tell their going. Their racial unity is a matter of conjecture and the title by which they called them- selves is a mystery. Mound Builder will do as well as any other until their hieroglyphics can be unriddled by some future archaeologist. Do we not call the Deutsch, Germans, and the Cymri, Welsh? The Mound Builder has no cause for quarrel. There is no written history to teach us better, not even tradition to guide to definiteness. The archaeologist or anthropologist who would learn of primitive Iowa races, their origin and affiHations, has so little to guide him that serious conclusions are impossible. Where he finds an early people, there is sure to be an indication that these have been preceded by others of greater antiquity.

So it has been the world around. This historian in his search for the earliest inhabitant is constantly finding evidence of racial occupation antedating the epoch of which he feels he has some knowledge. The Israelites wandering from their native land found each country people by an older race. The Aryans swarming from the ancient hive in central Asia discovered unknown peoples everywhere. The ancient Hellenes who wore the golden grasshopper as a badge of autochthons or those who sprang from the soil knew of the deception

32 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

they sought to practise, for they were vigorous invaders who had displaced the Pelasgians of still more ancient days. The Latin race called itself aboriginal, and yet the Etruscans coming to the delectable peninsula fought and displaced the Pelasgians who there abode. Before the Babylonians were the Assyrians ; before the Assyrians the Chaldeans.

It will probably never be known who were the first settlers of Scott county or how many waves of immigration rolled across these hills and valleys. The richest of soils laid down by glaciation and inundation invited to occupancy. Scientists tell us that subsequent to the glacial epoch man followed in the wake of the ice as it receded to the northward. If so, the historic period in the his- tory of the human race is even as the last three months in the life span of the man of three score years and ten when compared with the period of conjec- ture which precedes it.

THE CHALLENGE OF THE MOUNDS.

Of this little migrant of Eskimoid type we know nothing. The succeeding Mound Builder left for us monuments which have enabled us to learn some things and conjecture much. Here in Scott county he left objects of utility and art, also written tablets which fairly challenge this later civilization. Here we find nearly all types of those earthen works which are found the length and breadth of the Mississippi valley, defensive embankments, sacred enclosures, temples, sacrificial mounds, sepulchral mounds, efiigy mounds. From the de- fences which crown the bluffs it is easy to argue war forced upon them by other migrants who in their final triumph swept these early dwellers from this rich territory to other less desirable locations.

From the testimony of the mounds it seems most probable that this first settler in Scott county was an agriculturist, a dweller iiot a nomad, a mem- ber of a government which could plan and execute public works of great ex- tent, a trader, for in the same mound appear copper from Lake Superior, mica from the Alleghanies, obsidian from Mexico, pearls and shells from the ocean shore. He was a potter and a cunning artificer in stone and ivory. He could fashion metals and express his artistic instincts in no mean manner. He met the necessity for clothing in this climate by preparing the skins of animals and weaving into cloth the textile fibres which were ready to his hand. Dr. R. J. Farquharson, a Davenport physician who studied this early inhabitant in conjunction with other members of the Academy of Sciences noted the lumsual number of perfect sets of teeth found in the mounds examined. In a paper published in the Proceedings he says: "These teeth are invariably without any sign of decay, of almost flinty hardness, and very much worn away, apparently from the attrition of very hard particles in the food, probably the silicious outer coats of some kind of grain or seed." This same gentleman made exhaustive research in the literature of archaeology and gave it as his opinion that the copper axes of which there are more than a score in the Academy museum are not properly instruments but treasures or insignia of rank. Around these axes are the most perfect speciments of the ancient weaving known to moderns. These pieces of cloth which adhere to the metal have been preserved by the

MOUND POTTERY

Collertion of Davenport Academy of Sciences

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 35

antiseptic action of the carbonate of copper by which they are dyed a bright green and rendered incorruptible. It is noted in Dr. Farquharson's paper as a curious circumstance and one perhaps possessing value that the woven fabrics have the identical texture of similar fabrics taken from the lake dwellings of Robenhausen, thus connecting two prehistoric peoples, the Mound Builders and the Lake Dwellers of Switzerland. One of the Davenport specimens of ancient cloth shows a great advance in the textile art. The warp is composed of four cords, that is, of two double and twisted cords, while the woof is composed of one such doubled and twisted cord, which passes between the two parts of the warp, the latter being twisted at each change, allowing the cords to be brought close tosrether so as to cover the woof almost entirely.

1143011

HAD TIME TO BE SICK.

Dr. Farquharson examined the bones exhumed from local mounds with a professional eye and found evidence that these ancient inhabitants had some of the diseases enjoyed by present dwellers in Davenport and a few which have passed their vogue and been displaced. From the osseous record of ancient dis- ease he reasoned that these prehistoric Davenporters were people of such ad- vanced civilization that invalidism was possible, with a sufficient food supply to maintain the sick and those upon whom it fell to nurse them back to health. There must have been leisure to combat the type of diseases shown by these spinal processes, leisure and dwellings warm and finely habitable. Otherwise there could not have been the recovery and subsequent approach to old age which these bones show.

These deductions lead away from the theory held by many scientists that the race which constructed the mounds of the Mississippi valley were the ancestors of the latter day Indians. Locally there seems to be no evidence in this direction. The Sacs and Foxes who lived in this region, when questioned by the pioneers among the white settlers, could give no hint as to the people who created the mounds of earth. They had no traditions concerning them.

In other portions of the United States, Indians have attempted to connect these mounds with their ancestry and their contention cannot be easily disproved. There was variety enough to the dwellers upon this continent before the white man came. As Marquis de Nadaillac says : "There is nothing in common except the name given by Europeans between the nomad Indians who ranged over immense tracts in search of game and the Indians who tilled the soil and cut canals with remarkable skill making cultivation possible under these burning climes, between the builders of Yucatan whose architectural talent is evidenced in the ruins they left behind them, and the Peruvians, wdiose heavy, massive monu- ments belong to a different family ; between the Mound Builders whose knowl- edge of building methods was limited to mounds and retrenchments of earth, and the Cliff Dwellers who built their houses like birds' nests at inaccessible heights, or the people who lived in a veritable communism in the pueblos, those hives which strike the explorer with astonishment ; between the nomads we have men- tioned, whose knowledge of signs was confined to souvenirs of war or the chase rudely sculptured on stone or cut on wood or to simple marks, and the Mexicans

36 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

who possessed a complete hieroglyphic and ideographic writing." There was racial range enough to allow for almost any sort of progeny, even the aboriginal yankees of whom quaint Cotton Mather wrote: "The natives of the country now possessed by the New Englanders have been forlorn and wretched heathen ever since they first herded here, and though we know not how or why these Indians first became inhabitants of this mighty continent yet we may guess that probably the devil decoyed these miserable savages hither in hopes that the gospel would never come here to disturb his absolute empire over them." The Indian estimate of Mather and his friends has not been preserved, but it was doubtless not a whit less pungent. The Puritan was a vindictive friend and an implacable neighbor.

LOCAL AMATEUR SCIENTISTS.

Members of the Davenport Academy of Sciences have studied the remains of the earliest inhabitants of this section indefatigably and to good purpose. Exca- vations were made in local mounds and some at greater distance. Splendid work was done by Capt. W. P. Hall, who devoted many years to research for the benefit of the academy. He traversed the Mississippi and its tributaries in a row boat, earning his way as he went, devoting his life to archaeology and sending all material acquired to the academy. The mounds near Cook's point, some of them within the corporation limits of the city of Davenport, yielded most unique and interesting relics. Other mounds at Albany, Illinois, and Toolesboro, Iowa, yielded a rich harvest of information. Year after year members of the academy pursued this line of research in the true scientific spirit of inquiry, and the cam- paign added greatly to the world's knowledge of a primitive people.

In the x\cademy museum has been brought together the most valuable and important collection of Mound Builders' relics in the world. Some of the items are those common to all collections ; others are unique and of surpassing interest. There is an extensive array of ancient pottery, and a wealth of stone imple- ments. There are more than a score of copper axes, there are fourteen copper awls and 300 copper beads. There are thirty-two pipes, a large portion being effig}' pipes of the ordinary types. These are made of green stone, the red ]\Iinnesota stone called Catlinite and softer sandstones or marls. Some of the sculptured bird pipes are decorated with eyes of copper and of pearl. That the small pearls utilized were drilled with delicacy and skill in manipulation before being set, speaks volumes for these lapidaries of ancient Davenport.

Two of these efifigy pipes, sculptured to the similitude of an elephant by some pre-historic craftsman, heirlooms of the ancient citizens of this region, brought great fame to the academy some twenty-five years ago. The government bureau of ethnology at that time championed the theory that the race which constructed the mounds of the Mississippi valley were the ancestors of the latter day Indians, while another school of archaeologists contended that the Mound Builders en- joyed a civilization so much higher than the Indians with whom we are acquainted that the hypothesis of the government scientists was impossible. The latter school endeavored to trace the Mound Builders to a Mexican origin or at least a common ancestry. Into this arena, with no theory to maintain, came the Daven-

MOUND BUILDERS' PIPE

CARVED PIPES

MOUND BUILDERS' PIPE

Collection of Davenport Academy of Sciences

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 39

port amateur scientists with their elephant pipes and inscribed tablets bearing the figure of the elephant, relics whose authenticity would lend strong corrobo- rative evidence that man and the mastodon were contemporaneous on the Amer- ican continent, and the Mound Builders a race anterior to the forbears of the American Indian, of higher type and more advanced civilization.

PIPES AND TABLETS DISCREDITED.

Zealous in the defense of its theory, the bureau of ethnology cast reflections upon the genuineness of these pipes and tablets and in the succeeding investiga- tion and discussion by scientific bodies, the Davenport academy and its archaeo- logical treasures became known around the world.

It was fortunate that at this time the academy had for its president a gentle- man of scientific scholarship, of literary abiUty and trained by his profession in the collection of evidence and its application,— Chas. E. Putnam. His rejoinder as to the authenticity of pipes and tablets and the honesty of the people who composed the Davenport Academy of Sciences attracted world-wide attention and forever fixed the character of research entered upon by the Davenport citi- zens who formed this group of enthusiastic amateurs in science.

One of the elephant pipes was discovered in a mound in Louisa county by Rev. A. Blumer, a Lutheran clergyman, and by him donated to the academy. The other pipe was obtained by Rev. J. Gass, another Lutheran clergyman, from a farmer whose brother had plowed it up in Louisa county and who, unaware of its archaeologic value, had used it for his after dinner smoke for some years.

Sharing with the elephant pipes the focal warmth in this round-the-world discussion of a quarter of a century ago, were four inscribed tablets, also in the Academy museum. Three of them were discovered January lo, 1877, i" a- mound on the Cook farm near the Mississippi river and adjoining the city of Davenport, the leader of the expedition being Rev. J. Gass, the Lutheran clergyman above mentioned, at that time in charge of a Davenport congregation.

The two larger tablets were originally the two sides of the same slab of slate, but when found the stone was separated into two parts on the plane of cleavage. This double tablet and a smaller one were covered when taken from the mound by a coating of clay, and it was only on removal of this protective covering that the inscriptions were discovered. This larger double tablet was somewhat in- jured by a stroke from an excavating spade. It is an irregular quadrilateral, twelve inches long on the unbroken edge and from eight to ten inches wide. The smaller tablet is in shape an imperfect square about seven inches on each side and with two holes bored near the upper corners, apparently for the purpose of suspension. It is also of slate.

The upper inscribed one-half of the larger slab is called Tablet I, in the Pro- ceedings of the academy; the lower half. Tablet II, and the smaller one uncov- ered in the same mound Tablet III. Tablet I bears the depiction of a sacrificial or cremation scene, the sketch being accompanied by hieroglyphics to the num- ber of ninety-eight. Upon Tablet II appears a scene historical or mythical, in which appear some thirty individuals of the animal kingdom — man, bison, deer, birds, hares. Rocky mountain goat, fish, prairie wolf and some figures variously

40 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

interpreted as she-moose, tapirs and mastodons. Tablet III is a calendar stone whereon are depicted four concentric circles, the smallest of an inch diameter, the space separating- the others being- approximately three-fourths of an inch.

The fourth inscribed stone, called Tablet IV, was also found in a mound on the Cook farm by Charles E. Harrison, Rev. J. Gass and John Hume. At the base of a stone pillar of rough limestone, the top of which was only a few inches below the surface of the ground, and occupying a small chamber prepared for its preservation was found an inscribed tablet something over a foot long, seven inches wide, and an inch and a half thick. A beautiful quartz crystal was found lying upon the center of the tablet and four flint arrows geometrically arranged were upon its surface. Upon this tablet appears an uncouth hiiman figure seated upon or astride a circle with radial lines extending from it, apparently intended to represent the sun.

PROBABLE ACQUAINTANCE OF MAN AND MASTODON.

These important additions to the inscribed rocks of America naturally aroused great interest in the scientific world. The pictures engraved thereon have been held to indicate that these ancient Davenporters or their ancestors were on terms of acquaintance here or elsewhere with the mastodon who roamed the earth when it was much younger and frolicked over Iowa in the Aftonian interim between the two periods of glaciation from the Kewatin ice sheet. The hiero- glyphics which these tablets bear are doubtless of much greater value and their interpretation would advance greatly the world's knowledge of these ancient peoples. So far no one has arisen to perform this great service, but it is but a few years since they were brought to light. Other discoveries will be made which will furnish the clue to the mystery. The world waited long for the ex- planation of the hieroglyphs of Eg}'pt ; the cuneiform characters were long un- solved and patience must wait upon the finding of the Rosetta stone which shall make the Davenport tablets legible.

Of the comment from archaeologists, one citation will suffice. In the third volume of the Academy Proceedings appears a paper by Prof. G. SeyfTarth, Ph. D., Th. D., in which these inscribed tablets are called, "the first discovered pho- netic and astronomic monuments of the primitive inhabitants of the country, which, sooner or later will cast unexpected light upon the origin, the history, the religion, the language, the science and intellectual faculties of our ancient Indians." It will be noted that Prof. SeyfTarth uses the word "Indian" in a gen- eral sense as applying to all former inhabitants of this continent.

This learned Prof. SeyflFarth, author of numerous accepted works of archaeol- ogy, concluded that among the nearly 200 characters which appear upon the four tablets were indications of syllable writing among the Mound Builders. He found evidence that this people were of Asiatic origin. In the picture of Tablet I he saw a scene of sacrifice to the sun, moon and twelve great gods of the starry firmament. The second tablet the professor considers to be a memorial of the Noachian deluge, "and a commentary to all other traditions confirming the latter. It makes no difference whether this slab was engraved in America or in that

TABLETS I, II AXD III, FRO,AI DAVEXPORT MOUXD

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 4a

country from which the first Indians emigrated, whether it was the work of that man in whose grave it was discovered, or was a sacred relic preserved from generation to generation."

Tablet III Prof. Seyffarth styles "the most interesting and the most important tablet ever discovered in North America, for it represents a planetary configura- tion, the twelve signs of the Zodiac, known to all nations of old, and the seven planets conjoined with six different signs."

Tablet IV the savant considers to be the record of a great eclipse of the sun, the figure to be that of Mars, god of war, and the smaller figures etched on the upper edge of the tablet to be an eagle and a wolf.

At the close of his extended and profound article. Prof. Seyffarth sums up the "reliable results obtained by the unparalleled Davenport antiquities, of which the following are the most important ones :

PROF. SEYFFARTH's RELIABLE RESULTS.

"i. The primitive inhabitants of North America were no preadamites, noi offsprings of the monkeys, but Noachites.

"2. They belonged to the same nation by which Mexico and South America were populated after the dispersion of the nations in 2780, B. C.

"3. The literature of the American Indians evidences that they emigrated from Japan, or Corea, or proper China.

"4. They must have come over prior to the year 1579, B. C.

"5. Our Indians, as well as those of Mexico and South America knew the history of the deluge, especially that Noah's family then consisted of eight persons.

"6. The primitive inhabitants of America were much more civilized than our present Indian tribes.

"7. The former understood the art of writing, and used a great many of syllabic characters, based upon the Noachian alphabet, and wrote from the left to the right hand, like the Chinese.

"8. They were acquainted with the seven planets and the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and they referred the same stars to the same constellations as did the Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc.

"9. They had solar years and solar months, even twelve hours of the day. They knew the cardinal points of the Zodiac and the cardinal days of the year.

"10. Their religion agreed with that of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, etc., because they worshipped the planets and the twelve gods of the Zodiac by sacrifices. Compare Isaiah H, 7: 'Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand that made all the earth drunken ; the nations have been drunken of her wine ; therefore the nations are mad.' Plu- tarch, De Is., p. ^yy : 'There are no different deities to be found among the Greeks and the barbarian nations, either in the northern or southern countries.' Quite the same is reported by Cicero, Aristotle, Diodorus, Tacitus and other ancient authors."

Another find of remarkable stones with ancient engravings was made by the energetic preacher archaeologist. Rev. J. Gass, in a creek bed in Cleona town-

44 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

ship, Scott county, and a description appears in tlie Academy Proceedings for 1877. Two of the stones were brought to the academy and placed in the museum. The other relics were too cumbersome for the enthusiastic divine's dredging facilities.

COPPER AXE AXU CLOTTf From a INlound

REPLICA IX LIMESTOXE

CEDAR POST Erected at Col. George Davenport's grave

by his Indian friends, soon after his

murder, July 4, 1845.

A XEARER VIEW OF REPLICA AT COL. DAVEXPORT'S GRAVE

CHAPTER III. INDIAN OCCUPANCY.

THE ILLINI IN SCOTT COUNTY IN EARLY DAYS LATER THE SACS AND FOXES POSSESS

THE LAND ^DAVENPORT's PREDECESSORS, OSKOSH AND MORGAN MORGAN OR

MA-QUE-PRA-UM THE GREAT SAC TOWN ON ROCK RIVER MUSIC AND DRAMATIC

ART BLACK HAWK's NARRATION OF INDIAN CUSTOMS THE ANNUAL HUNT- ING TRIPS HONOR AS THE INDIAN UNDERSTOOD IT THE SIOUX TOOK HOME

THEIR SCALPS.

It is altogether probable that the invading foe against whom the Mound Builder threw up the fortifications which crowned the bluffs of Davenport was the American Indian and that his occupancy of this region stretched from the disappearance of the first inhabitant until the coming of the all-conquering white man. Here the red man had his home and enjoyed all the blessings of soil, climate, healthfulness and nearness to transportation that made this region at- tractive to the race that dispossessed him. His chapter in local annals is iden- tical with that of his brethren in other portions of the continent. He made futile protest and fell back. He opposed standards of right and wrong he considered unjust to the weaker. He fought in unavailing sort for his home and the graves of his ancestors. The story has been told a thousand times in words of eloquent sympathy. It needs neither paraphrase nor added incident.

The first Indians seen upon Iowa soil were the Illini. This tribe was scat- tered after having almost suffered extermination by the allied tribes whicH fol- lowed Pontiac. chief among these the Sacs and Foxes. These Indians, origin- ally tribally distinct became practically one through an offensive and defensive alliance, through similar customs and intermarriage. The traditions of the Sacs or Sauks and of the Foxes or Reynards, as they were called by the French explorers, point to the land between Quebec and Montreal bordering the St. Lawrence river as the early home of these Indians. Ou-sakis. the first designa- tion of the Sacs means yellow earth, and Musquakie, the original name of the Foxes means red earth.

Of these two tribes the Foxes first came west and settled on the banks of the Wisconsin river which bears their name. The Sacs driven from Canada

48 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

by the warring Iroquois settled near Lake Michigan in the Green bay countr\^ near the Foxes. Their name persists in near-by river, bay and city — Saginaw. The time of this migration from Canada has not been determined, but was probably in the hrst half of the seventeenth century. Marquette's map of 1673 locates the Foxes on the Fox river and about this date Father Claude AUouez commenced his work among them, in this location.

It was early in the eighteenth century that the Sacs and Foxes were driven from Wisconsin by the allied iSIenominees, Ottawas and Chippewas, aided by the French whose ill will the Sacs and Foxes had gained by exacting tribute from them. While the French attacked the village from covered boats upon the river the Indian allies closed in simultaneously from the surrounding woods, and those who escaped slaughter were glad to flee to the banks of the Mis- sissippi. This was about 1722. In this new location the Sacs and Foxes con- tinued to war upon other tribes, the Chippewas, the Sioux, Pawnees, Winneba- goes and Mascoutins. So successful were they in their forays that they won rank among the most fierce and w^arlike of the tribes. The territory claimed by them was indeterminate in boundary but large in extent, and was upon both sides of the Mississippi, the Sacs generally occupying the territory east of the great river and the Foxes that to the westw-ard.

TOWNS OF THE SACS AND FOXES.

The largest town of the dual tribe was the Sac settlement on the north bank of the Rock river about two miles from its mouth. It was settled about 1730, and grew in population until it was probably the largest Indian community on the western continent. Its population has been given as 8,000 by some writers. It had probably less than half that number, but an Indian town of 3,000 is in a class by itself. Late writers have given it the name of Sau-ke-nuk, but to the pioneers it was known as the Sac village or Black Hawk's village.

On the site of Princeton, in Scott county, was one of the three principal villages of the Fox nation, noted in the journal of Zebulon M. Pike. On the ground where Davenport now stands there was another Fox village of con- siderable size. Here tradition locates a large and populous village from the be- ginning of Indian occupation. When the first white trappers visited this point, they were told by the Indians that this had been a favorite abiding place for the Indians since their ancestors had journeyed from the eastward. At one time the Indian Davenport was known as Oskosh. Later it was called Morgan.

The head warrior of the Fox village when it was called Morgan was Ma- que-pra-um and the principal chief Poweshiek. This splendid aboriginal Daven- port mayor was a native of Iowa, born in 1797, of fine stature, weighed 250 pounds and was altogether a striking specimen of his race. His name meant Roused Bear. Those who knew him call him a man of great energy, a wise counselor and the soul of honor. He remembered a kindness, and his word could be relied upon. .At the close of the Black Hawk war he was made head chief of the Fox trilje. ranking in importance and influence both Appanoose

^^#
Wi
M	1
w	1

BLACK HAA'STv

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 51

and Wapello, in 1837 he had his village near the present site of Iowa City. The next year he accompanied the Indian agent, Gen. Joseph M. Street to select a location for a Sac and Fox agency upon the Des Moines river. When his tribe moved west, Poweshiek made his home near the present location of Des Moines. From there he went south to Grand river and later with reluctance accompanied his tribe to the distant Kansas reservation, whence some years later a dissatisfied remnant returned to their old Iowa home and purchased an abiding place in Tama county where they now live, known as the Musquakies.

AGRICULTURAL INDIANS.

Down to the time of the Black Hawk war which put an end to Indian oc- cupancy of this region the Sacs and Foxes lived for the most part by agricul- ture, having approximately 1,000 acres in cultivation in this immediate vicinity. They made annual hunting trips and journeys to secure sugar and lead, but for the greater part of the year they resided in this choice spot upon the Feather of Waters where they found life so pleasant. In 1805 when Pike made his trip up the Mississippi river he estimated the Sac population altogether at 2,850, the Fox population, 1,750. Twenty years later the secretary of war made an estimate of 4,600 for both tribes. In 1831, just before the Black Hawk war there were 5,000, this number including those of the tribe living in Missouri.

In 1829 a commission appointed by President Jackson ascended the Mis- sissippi river from St. Louis to treat with the Indians of the upper Mississippi valley for a transfer of mineral lands. This commission consisted of Gen. McNeil of the army, Col. Menard whose home was Kaskaskia, and Caleb At- water, a resident of Circleville, Ohio, a literary man of note and a close ob- server. After reaching civilization Mr. Atwater wrote the history of the ex- pedition under title, "Remarks Made on a Tour to Prairie du Chien, Thence to Washington City, in 1829." He visited Quasquawma's village of Fox Indians while making a stay at Keokuk which he called the half-breed capital, and told of the construction and arrangements of the Fox wigwams which he afterwards found were typical of such dwellings among the Indians of this region.

"Landing from our canoes," writes Mr. Atwater, "we went to Quasquaw- ma's wigwam and found him and several of his wives and children at home. These Indians had joined the United States during the late war. The wigwam we visited was a fair sample of all we saw afterwards in the Indian country, and was covered with white elm bark, fastened on the outside of upright posts fixed in the ground, by ropes made of barks passed through the covering and tied on the inside around the posts.

quasquawma's MANSION.

"I should suppose that this dwelling was forty feet long and twenty wide, that six feet on each of the sides within doors was occupied by the place where the family slept. Their beds consisted of a platform raised four feet from the earth, resting on poles, tied at that height to posts standing upright in the ground opposite each other and touching the roof. On these poles so fastened to the posts

52 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

were laid barks of trees and upon these barks were laid blankets and the skins of deer, bear, bison, etc. These were tlie beds. Between these beds was an open space perhaps six or eight feet in width running the whole length of the wig- wam. In this space fires were kindled in cold and wet weather and here at such times the cooking was carried on and the family warmed themselves, ate their food, etc. There was no chimney, and the smoke either passed through the roof or out at the doors at the end of the wigwam. On all the upper waters of the Mississippi no better dwelling is to be found among the Indians. Quasquawma was reposing himself on his bed of state when we went into his palace and the only person at work was one of his wives at tJie door dressing a deer-skin. He appeared to be about sixty-five years of age ; perhaps even older."

At another place in this quaintly worded narrative Mr. Atwater has these paragraphs : "The Sauks and Foxes were so useful to us as auxiliaries that I feel grateful to them and make a few remarks on their principal men who were with us.

"Keokuk the principal warrior of the Sauks is a shrewd, politic man, as well as a brave one and possesses great weight of character in their national coun- cils. He is a high-minded, honorable man and never begs of the whites. While ascending the Mississippi to join us at the head of his brave troops he met, arrested and brought along with him to Fort Crawford two United States soldiers who were deserting from the garrison when he met them. I informed him that for this act he was entitled to a bounty in money ; to which he proudly re- plied that he acted from motives of friendship toward the United States and would accept no money for it.

"Morgan is the principal warrior of the Foxes and resides at Dubuque's mine on the western bank of the Mississippi. Though less versatility of talent belongs to him than Keokuk possesses, yet he is a brave man and fond of war. More than a year before we were in that country this Indian general had gone to the Sioux country and killed a woman and three children of that nation, which act produced the war then raging between the two nations. This act has since been dreadfully avenged by a large party on some twenty individuals of the Foxes."

Inasmuch as it was this warrior who gave his name to the Indian village upon the site of Davenport prior to the Black Hawk war it would have been pleasant if Mr. Atwater could have brought us some braver deeds than the scurvy r>ne he mentions. Later Morgan represented the Fox nation at the treaty ground and Mr. Atwater lias many compliments for his oratory. This chief was later called Ma-que-pra-um although the name of his Scotch father Morgan was given to the Indian Village.

ATWOOD FOUND ARTISTIC QUALITIES.

In his stay among the Sacs and Foxes Commissioner Atwood noted some qualities that escaped other travelers and historians, namely the ability in narra- tive chant anrl song, also the dramatic instinct and talent possessed by these former citizens. Let him tell of these:

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 53

"The Sauks and Foxes who have resided near Rock Island where the French located themselves seventy years since have tunes evidently of French origin and love song-s of considerable length. These Indians have among them what answers to the Italian improvisatori who make songs for particular occasions, and one of them makes it his business to take off with great effect the warriors when they boast of their exploits in the intervals in the music and dancing at the war dances. He is a great wag, and dresses himself in a manner as grotesque as possible. On his head on such occasions he fixes two horns of the antelope and nearly covers his face with bison hair dyed red.

"The tune he usually sings his song in contains only three or at most five notes, but is as good a song, probably, and the music quite equal to the poetry and music used by Thespis in the infancy of tragedy among the Greeks. Whether these improvisatori are of Indian or European origin I cannot certainly say, though from the circumstance of their existence among most of the Indian tribes nearly or quite all the way to the Rocky mountains and high on the Mis- souri river 1 am induced to believe those improvisatori derive their profession, as they have their origin, from the natives of the country.

"That the Sauks and Foxes have a considerable number of .songs suited to a great many occasions in their own language, I know, and have heard them sung frequently, and regret that my avocations prevented my taking them down in writing at the time they were sung. When no farther advanced in the civilized life than these tribes are I doubt much whether the Greeks and Romans had more jxDetry or better than the aboriginals have at this moment. As to music, the Romans were inferior in the days of Augustus to the Sauks and Foxes of the upper Mississippi.

"Among the Indians of the upper Mississippi, the Sauks and Foxes are decidedly the best actors, and have the greatest varieties of plays among them. Their war dances may be viewed as tragedies in the rudest state, and those dances wherein both sexes appear are truly comedies of no mean cast, consider- ing their origin and authors. Each person who acts is painted and dressed in a manner entirely proper for the part to be personated by the actor or actress. To see a play acted of a ludicrous cast of character I have seen a thousand Indians present who were highly delighted with the acting. Thunders of applause fol- lowed some antic prank, while a visible displeasure would sometimes punish a failure to act well. To raise up a company of good players among them, they only need a settled state of society, fixed habitations and an acquaintance with the use of letters. To accomplish for them individuals or society must do it. not the United States government whose vast advances of money, goods, etc.. never reach their object in a way to be of much service to them.

"As to the tunes of most of the Indians, it is scarcely necessar}' to add that they are dull and monotonous, because with only from three to five musical notes they must necessarily be so. Yet even such tunes stmg by some soft, clear, melodious voices both of males, and especially of females, the music in them is quite agreeable and even enchanting."

The annual hunting trip of the Sacs and Foxes, which lasted through the winter months, was made necessary by the scarcity of large game in this region

54 HISTORY OF SCOTT COLXTV

during the later Indian occupancy. Bailey Davenport gives 1816 as the latest date when buffalo were seen here in any numbers. In July of that year he is quoted as saying, "large herds were driven into the Mississippi river from the Davenport side, and large numbers of them killed, so that jerked buffalo meat was plenty, the Indians trading it to all who wanted it. The same year a drove of cattle, 500. was driven in from Kentucky, and reached the island after swimming the Rock and Illinois rivers."

BL.VCK H.\WK TELLS OF I.\DL\.V CUSTOMS.

In a most interesting autobiog^-aphy of Ma-ka-tai-she-kia-kiak, the Black Sparrow Hawk, the chief, commonly known as Black Hawk, dictated to Antoine LeClaire and edited by J. B. Patterson this noted warrior relates graphically the manners and customs of his people. A few extracts are not out of place :

"Marriages. — Our women plant the corn, and as soon as they get done we make a feast and dance the crane dance in which they join us, dressed in their best and decorated with feathers. At this feast the young braves select the young woman they wish to have for their wife. He then informs his mother, who calls on the mother of the girl, when the arrangement is made and the time appointed for him to come. He goes to the lodge when all are asleep (or pretend to be), lights his matches, which have been provided for the purpose, and soon finds where his intended sleeps. He then awakens her. and holds the light to her face, that she may know him — after which he places the light close to her. If she blows it out, the ceremony is ended, and he appears in the lodge the next morning as one of the family. If she does not blow out the light, but leaves it to bum out. he retires from the lodge. The next day he places himself in full view of it and plays his flute. The young women go out. one by one. to see whom he is playing for. The tune changes, to let them know that he is not playing for them. When his intended makes her appearance at the door, he continues his courting tune until she returns to the lodge. He then gives over playing and makes an- other trial at night, which generally turns out favorable. During the first year they ascertain whether they can agree with each other, and can be happy — if not, they part, and each looks out again. If we were to live together and disagree, we should be as foolish as the whites. Xo indiscretion can banish a woman from her parental lodge — no difference how many children she may bring home, she is always welcome — the kettle is over the fire to feed them.

■'Dances. — The crane dance often lasts two or three days. Wlien this is over. we feast again, and have our national dance. The large square in the village is swept and prepared for the purpose. The chiefs and old warriors take seats on mats which have been spread at the upper end of the square — the drummers and singers come next, and the braves and women form the sides leaving a large space in the middle. The drums beat and the singers commence. A warrior enters the square, keeping time with the music. He shows the manner lie started on a war party — how he approached the enemy — he strikes, and describes the way he killed him. All join in applause. He then leaves the square and another enters and takes his place. Such of our young men as have not been out in war parties and killed an enemy stand back ashamed — not being able to enter the square. I remember that I was ashamed to look

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 55

where our young- women stood before I could take my stand in the square as a warrior.

"What pleasure it is to an old warrior to see his son come forward and relate his exploits — it makes him feel young and induces him to enter the square and 'fight his battles o'er again.'

"This national dance makes our warriors. When I was traveling last summer on a steamboat on a large river, going from New York to Albany, I was shown the place where the Americans dance their national dance, (West Point) where the old warriors recount to their young men what they have done, to stimulate them to go and do likewise. This surprised me. as I did not think the whites understood our way of making braves.

"Labors, Wars, Feasts, etc. — When our national dance is over, our corn fields hoed, and every weed dug up, and our com about knee high, all our young men would start in a direction toward sundown, to hunt deer and buffalo — being prepared, also to kill Sioux, if any are found on our hunting grounds, a part of our old men and women to the lead mines to make lead, and the remainder of our people start to fish and get mat stuflf. Every one leaves the village and remains about forty days. They then return, the hunting party bringing in dried buffalo and deer meat, and sometimes Sioux scalps, when they are found trespassing upon our hunting grounds. At other times they are met by a party of Sioux too strong for them and are driven in. If the Sioux have killed the Sacs last, they expect to be retaliated upon, and will fly before them, and vice versa. Each party knows that the other has a right to retaliate, which induces those who have killed last to give way before their enemy, as neither wish to strike except to avenge the death of their relatives. All our wars are predicated by the relatives of those killed, or by aggressions upon our hunting grounds.

"The party from the lead mines bring lead, and the others dried fish and mats for our winter lodges. Presents are now made by each party ; the first giving to the others dried buffalo and deer, and they in exchange presenting them with lead, dried fish and mats. This is a happy season of the year — having plenty of provisions, such as beans, squashes and other produce with our dried meat and fish, we continue to make feasts and visit each other until our com is ripe. Some lodge in the village makes a feast daily to the Great Spirit. I cannot explain this so that the white people would comprehend me, as we have no regular stand- ard among us. Ever)' one makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit who has the care of all beings created. Others believe in two Spirits, one good and one bad, and make feasts for the Bad Spirit, to keep him quiet. If they can make peace with him, the Bad Spirit will not hurt them. For my part, I am of opinion, that so far as we have reason we have a right to use it in determining what is right and wrong, and should pursue that path which we believe to be right, believing that 'whatever is is right.' If the Great and Good Spirit wished us to believe and do as the whites, he could easily change our opinions, so that we would see and think and act as they do. We are nothing compared to His power, and we feel and know it. We have men among us like the w^hites who pretend to know the right path, but will not consent to show it without pay. I have no faith in their paths, but believe that every man must make his own path."

54

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUXTY

during the later Indian occupancy. Bailey Davenport gives 1816 as the latest date when buffalo were seen here in any numbers. In July of that year he is quoted as saying, "large herds were driven into the Mississippi river from the Davenport side, and large numl>ers of them killed, so that jerked buffalo meat was plenty, the Indians trading it to all who wanted it. The same year a drove of cattle, 500. was driven in from Kentucky, and reached the island after swimming the Rock and Illinois rivers."

nL.\CK H.\WK TELLS OF INDLW CUSTOMS.

In a most interesting autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-she-kia-kiak, the Black Sparrow Hawk, the chief, commonly known as Black Hawk, dictated to Antoine LeGaire and edited by J. B. Patterson this noted warrior relates graphically the manners and customs of his people. A few extracts are not out of place:

"Marriages. — Our women plant the corn, and as soon as they get done we make a feast and dance the crane dance in which they join us, dressed in their best and decorated with feathers. At this feast the young braves select the young woman they wish to have for their wife. He then informs his mother, who calls on the mother of the girl, when the arrangement is made and the time appointed for him to come. He goes to the lodge when all are asleep (or pretend to be), lights his matches, which have been provided for the purpose, and soon finds where his intended sleeps. He then awakens her, and holds the light to her face, that she may know him — after which he places the light close to her. If she blows it out, the ceremony is ended, and he appears in the lodge the next morning as one of the family. If she does not blow out the light, but leaves it to bum out. he retires from the lodge. The next day he places himself in full view of it and plays his flute. The young women go out. one by one, to see whom he is playing for. The tune changes, to let them know that he is not playing for them. When his intended makes her appearance at the door, he continues his courting tune until she returns to the lodge. He then gives over playing and makes an- other trial at night, which generally turns out favorable. During the first year they ascertain whether they can agree with each other, and can be happy — if not, they part, and each looks out again. If we were to live together and disagree, we should l>e as foolish as the whites. Xo indiscretion can banish a woman from her parental lodge — no difference how many children she may bring home, she is always welcome — the kettle is over the fire to feed them.

■'Dances. — The crane dance often lasts two or three days. When this is over, we feast again, and have our national dance. The large square in the village is swept and prepared for the purpose. The chiefs and old warriors take seats on mats which have been spread at the upper end of the square — the drummers and singers come next, and the braves and women form the sides leaving a large space in the middle. The drums beat and the singers commence. A warrior enters the square, keeping time with the music. He shows the manner he started on a war party — how he approached the enemy — he strikes, and describes the way he killed him. All join in applause. He then leaves the square and another enters and takes his place. Such of our young men as have not been out in war parties and killed an enemy stand back ashamed — not being able to enter the square. I remember that I was ashamed to look

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

55

where our young- women stood before I could take my stand in the square as a warrior.

"What pleasure it is to an old warrior to see his son come forward and relate his exploits — it makes him feel young and induces him to enter the square and 'fight his battles o'er again.'

"This national dance makes our warriors. When I was traveling last summer on a steamboat on a large river, going from New York to Albany, I was shown the place where the Americans dance their national dance, (West Point) where the old warriors recount to their young men what they have done, to stimulate them to g-o and do likewise. This surprised me, as I did not think the whites understood our way of making braves.

"Labors, Wars, Feasts, etc. — When our national dance is over, our corn fields hoed, and every weed dug up, and our com about knee high, all our young men would start in a direction toward sundown, to hunt deer and bufifalo — being prepared, also to kill Sioux, if any are found on our hunting grounds, a part of our old men and women to the lead mines to make lead, and the remainder of our people start to fish and get mat stulT. Every one leaves the village and remains about forty days. They then return, the hunting party bringing in dried buflfalo and deer meat, and sometimes Sioux scalps, when they are found trespassing upon our hunting grounds. At other times they are met by a party of Sioux too strong for them and are driven in. If the Sioux have killed the Sacs last, they expect to be retaliated upon, and will fly before them, and vice versa. Each party knows that the other has a right to retaliate, which induces those who have killed last to give way before their enemy, as neither wish to strike except to avenge the death of their relatives. All our wars are predicated by the relatives of those killed, or by aggressions upon our hunting grounds.

"The party from the lead mines bring lead, and the others dried fish and mats for our winter lodges. Presents are now made by each party ; the first giving to the others dried bufifalo and deer, and they in exchange presenting them with lead, dried fish and mats. This is a happy season of the year — having plenty of provisions, such as beans, squashes and other produce with our dried meat and fish, we continue to make feasts and visit each other until our corn is ripe. Some lodge in the village makes a feast daily to the Great Spirit. I cannot explain this so that the white people would comprehend me, as we have no regular stand- ard among us. Every one makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit who has the care of all beings created. Others believe in two Spirits, one good and one bad, and make feasts for the Bad Spirit, to keep him quiet. If they can make peace with him, the Bad Spirit will not hurt them. For my part, I am of opinion, that so far as we have reason we have a right to use it in determining what is right and wrong, and should pursue that path which we believe to be right, believing that 'whatever is is right.' If the Great and Good Spirit wished us to believe and do as the whites, he could easily change our opinions, so that we would see and think and act as they do. We are nothing compared to His power, and we feel and know it. We have men among us like the whites who pretend to know the right path, but will not consent to show it without pay. I have no faith in their paths, but believe that every man must make his own path."

r\

56 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

FINE SENSE OF HONOR.

In this same autobiography Black Hawk relates an incident which gives an insight into Indian character and discloses a nobility and integrity not often cred- ited to the red man : "Our nation now had some difficulty with the lowas. Our young men had repeatedly killed some of them, and the breaches had always been made up by giving presents to the relations of those killed. But the last council we had with them we promised that in case any more of their people were killed by ours, instead of presents we would give up the person or persons who had done the injury. We made this determination known to our people, but, not- withstanding this, one of our young men killed an Iowa the following winter.

"A party of our young people were about starting for the Iowa village to give the young man up, and I agreed to accompany them. When we were ready to start, I called at the lodge for the young man to go with us. He was sick, but willing to go, but his brother, however, prevented him, and insisted on going to die in his place as he was unable to travel. We started, and on the seventh day arrived in sight of the Iowa village, and within a short distance of it we halted and dismounted. We all bid farewell to our young brave who entered the vil- lage singing his death song and sat down in the square in the middle of the vil- lage. One of the Iowa chiefs came out to meet us. We told him that we had fulfilled our promise, that we had brought the brother of the young man who had killed one of his people — that he had volunteered to come in his place, in conse- quence of his brother l^eing unable to travel, from sickness.

"We had no further conversation, but mounted our horses and rode off. As we started, I cast my eye toward the village, and observed the lowas coming out of their lodges with spears and war clubs. We took the backward trail and traveled until dark — then encamped and made a fire. We had not been there long before we heard the sound of horses coming toward us. We seized our arms, but instead of an enemy it was our young brave with two horses. He told me that after we had left him they menaced him with death for some time — then gave him something to eat. smoked the pipe with him, and made him a present of the two horses and some goods and started him after us. When we arrived at our village, our people were much pleased, and for their noble and generous conduct on this occasion not one of the Iowa people has been killed since by our nation."

So in simple words and without comment, an Indian narrates this local inci- dent, which is so ethically admirable that it is worthy an epic setting. There is no finer subject in literature.

AX INDIAN Dl'KI. OF IX1NC, AC.O.

Many stories of Indian days are told by early residents of Scott county and by local historians, I)arrows, Wilkie and others. In his history, "Davenport, Past and Present." published in 1858. Franc B. Wilkie relates the story of a duel fought in the spring of 1837 on Willow island, now within the limits of the city of Davenport, between two Winnebago Indians, one armed with a shot gun. the other with a rifle. The quarrel which led to the aflfair took place upon the Illinois

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 57

shore, but the combatants and friends, for some reason or no reason, repaired to this side of the river to settle the afTair in an aboriginal adaptation of the code duello.

When the duelists had been disposed and the word given, the knight of the scatter gun made hasty entrance into the happy hunting grounds while the rifle- man made good his escape to his Rock river home. From this place of safety he voluntarily returned to certain death, impelled by recognition of the claims of retributive justice demanded by the kinsman of the brave who fell on Willow island. Down Rock river he came in a canoe paddled by his own sister, and, rounding the point, proceeded to Rock island, singing his death song as he came. As he kneeled upon the edge of a shallow grave already dug for him avenging knives found his heart and stilled his song of farewell.

ANTOiNE LE Claire's indian friends.

During the latter years of Antoine LeClaire's life, large parties of Indians were wont to come to Davenport and camp near his handsome home which crowns the central blufif and commands the finest panoramic view in all Daven- port. Here they would stay and make him a visit somewhat longer than would be sanctioned by prevailing notions of etiquette, but never too long for this best and most hospitable friend of the red man. When the news of the murder of Col. Davenport reached the Sacs and Foxes in their western home, these Indians, alarmed for the safety of Mr. LeClaire, sent a large party to Davenport, and these friends, encamping near, guarded the LeClaire home day and night with deep solicitude and unremitting care that no evil might befall this family so much beloved by them.

In 1837 the small settlement of Davenport had the disquieting news of an impending descent by a war party of hostile Sioux. It was at the time when a party of the Sacs and Foxes had gathered here to receive an annuity from the government. When the Sacs and Foxes learned that their ancient enemies, the Sioux, were camped in the timber where Oakdale cemetery is now located, war paint was hastily streaked upon enraged countenances and every warrior saddled his pony and started after Sioux scalps. But alas for those Davenporters who followed hurriedly to enjoy a bit of genuine frontier warfare, the Sioux had taken alarm and had departed with their scalps still serving to enhance their own peculiar beauty.

IMKK KIVER DAM

CHAPTER IV. THE WHITE MAN COMES.

PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON, MAKER OF PATHS, PHILOSOPHER AND PROBAHLE EXPLORER OF IOWA MARQUETTE, BLACK-GOWN, AND JOLIET THE TRADER — INDIAN ELO- QUENCE PEWARIA's LOCATION — PIKE, THE INTREPID, VISITS THIS LOCALITY

CAPTAIN MANY's EXPERIENCE WITH THE BRITISH BAND — IT IS EASY TO SPELL WAPSIPINICON THE HARRIS FAMILY COMPELLED TO LAND.

Into this earthly paradise where the red man tilled the soil, hunted the bison and fished in the sparkling waters of the rapidly flowing- rivers, came a discordant element, the dominant race, the white man from the Atlantic shore and from over-seas. It is uncertain what first white man saw Iowa, "the beautiful land." This honor has been freely given to the priest and the trader, Marquette and Joliet, but it seems altogether probable that the pioneer of the pioneers, the ex- plorer of the unexplored, was the intrepid Pierre Esprit Radisson, who came to the new world in 1651, a youth of sixteen, was captured the following year by the Iroquois, adopted into the Mohawk tribe, escaped and returned to Europe in 1652. Again he came to New France in 1654 and with his brother-in- law, Medart Chouart Groseilliers, accompanied some trading Algonquins to the country beyond Lake Superior. By his prowess at the head of an Algonquin war party, he won Algonquin adoption and an invitation to make his home with them. But Radisson planned otherwise. "But our mind was not to stay here," writes he, "but to know the remotest peoples, and because we had been willing to die in their defense these Indians consented to conduct us."

This band of explorers crossed the Wisconsin and came to the Mississippi, described by Radisson as "a mighty river, great, rushing, profound, and compar- able to the St. Lawrence." This imaginative Frenchman was greatly impressed by the beauty of this portion of the Mississippi valley. To quote him, "The country was so pleasant, so beautiful and so fruitful, that it grieved me to see that the world could not discover such enticing countries to live in. This I say, because the Europeans fight for a rock in the sea against one another, or for a sterile land, where the people by a changement of air engender sickness and die. Con- trariwise, these kingdoms are so delicious and under so temperate a climate.

62 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

plentiful of all thing's, and the earth brings forth its fruit twice a year, that the people live long and lusty and wise in their way. What a conquest would this be, and at little or no cost. What pleasure should people have instead of misery and poverty. Why should not men reap of the love of God here ? Surely, more is to be gained converting souls here than in differences of creed when wrongs are committed under pretense of religion. It is true, I confess, that success here is difficult, but nothing- is gained without labor and pains."

So fared forth this peregrinating philosopher, traversing the great northwest ten years before Marquette and joliet, twenty years before La Salle. He visited the prairie tribes of the Mississippi. He traveled far to southward and westward, reaching regions where the sun was hot and the reaping twice a year, where the Indians told of other white men who had knives like the French and wore beards. His party was near the Spanish of the south. Then they came back to Three Rivers by the Dakotas and Canada.

Did Radisson cross Iowa in his wanderings ? Perhaps he did. There is no one to say. His career of adventure was so marred by shifting political alle- giance and religious apostasism that no one seems called upon to defend his claim to priority or do him honor in any way.

M.XROUETTE AND JOLIET.

The story of the voyage of Marquette and Joliet has been told so many times that but brief reference to it will be made. These explorers left the mission of St. Ignatius at Michimillimackinac May 4, 1673. reached the village of the Mascoutins June 7th and after portage to the Wisconsin river proceeded down that stream, reaching the Mississippi and a view of Iowa June 17th. On June the 25th occurred the incident which intimately connects these explorers with this state.

(^n that day they discovered a footpath leading to a village of the lUini In- dians, and following it received a welcome hospitable in intent and eloquent in expression. Said the head man of the village, advancing to meet them, "How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when thou comest to visit us. All our town awaits thee, and thou shalt enter all our cabins in peace." After smoking the calumet in ceremonial greeting, Marquette and Joliet were conducted to the village of the g-reat sachem of the lUini where great honor was shown them in a feast, addresses, more smoking of the calumet, invitations to remain, and, in default of their acceptance, a farewell by some 600 of the tribe, who accompanied them to the river bank and bade them a safe and pleasant journey.

There have been many who have endeavored to locate this occurrence at the site of Davenport, and this contention has received the approval of a number of historians. Indeed, there is much to lend probability to this theory. Upon the fac-simile of the original Marquette map preserved at St. Mary's college, Mon- treal, the town of Peouarea, or Pewaria. where this welcome occurred, was shown about midway of the southwest bend of the river on the eastern border of Iowa. This corresponds fairly well with the location of Davenport.

Much as it would please to add this incident to the rich history of this loca- tion, there seems to be ample proof that Peouarea was farther down the river. In fact, this geographical point seems to have been definitely settled by Prof.

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Laenas Gifford Weld, of the State University of Iowa, in an article in the Iowa Journal of History and Politics, issue of January i, 1903, wherein he discusses the location of this opening incident in the history of our commonwealth with scientific thoroughness, differing with the writers who place Peouarea at Daven- port or near Keokuk, and settling upon the mouth of the Iowa river as the place where the feet of these white men first pressed Iowa soil.

The latitude of Peouarea, as given on Marquette's map, would fix its location in Lee county, but Professor Weld shows that the latitudes of all the important points, such as the mouths of large rivers, marked on this maps are uniformly wrong, except one, the mouth of the Arkansas river, also, that the error is uni- formly one degree and that this constant error must have resulted from some defect in the instruments with which the observations were taken. The Mar- quette map was wonderfully well drawn, probably by Joliet, who was an experi- enced cartographer, and for some years chief hydrographic officer of New France. A comparison with modern maps, shows its marvelous accuracy.

IDEAL ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

It is hard to surrender the theory that Peouarea is ancient Davenport. In his address of welcome, the Illini sachem set a mark of eloquence and sincerity in greeting not often reached by more recent Iowa burgomasters. Read it again for its beauty and poetry :

"I thank thee, Blackgown, and thee, Frenchman," addressing M. Jollyet, "for taking so much pains to come and visit us. Never has the earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright as today. Never has our river been so calm, so free from rocks which your canoes have removed as they passed. Never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it today. Here is my son that I give thee that thou may'st know my heart. I pray thee to take pity on me and all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit who hast made us all; thou speakest to him and hearest his word; ask him to give me life and health, and come and dwell with us, that we may know him."

Pretty smooth diction that for a savage, if anyone should care to notice such things. Perhaps savagery lies, sometimes, in the point of view.

After the visit of Marquette and Joliet, there is nothing of historical incident on record until almost the close of the eighteenth century, when a detachment of Colonial soldiers, coming to chastise the ever-troublesome British Indians, located near the mouth of Rock river, fought an almost unknown battle of the Revolutionary war. In this interim of many years the only white visitors were the French, eager to offer Christianity to the Indian and utilize him as a hunter. Under the persuasions of the French, and through the temptation of the proffered barter, local Indians neglected their natural means of livelihood and turned away from agriculture to bring in skins and furs for the traders who made journeys among them.

After the transfer of the Louisiana purchase to the United States, expeditions were organized for the exploration of the Mississippi valley and the northwest that the government might be definitely informed as to the new territory conveyed so readily by Napoleon. Lewis and Clarke made their historic journey through the

64 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

northwest to the Pacitic ocean. The exploring party given the duty of learning of the Mississippi river and adjoining territory was placed in charge of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike of the regular army. To him was delegated many duties, and a journal noting the fulfillment of his assignment tells how he noted sites for inland forts, smoked the peace pipe with the tribes along the river, moved for peace be- tween the warring Sioux and Ojibways, and kept close watch of the operations of the British traders who did not cease their exploits on this side the border until after the second war with England.

riKES VISIT TO D.WENPORT.

This expedition left St. Louis in 1805 and August 27th of that year he camped at Davenport. His journal for that day reads : "Embarked early ; cold north wind ; mercury ten degrees ; the wind so hard ahead that we were obliged to row the boat all day. Passed one peroque of Indians, also the Riviere du Roche (Rock river) late in the day. Some Indians who were encamped there embarked in their canoes and ascended the river before us. The wind was so very strong that although it was down the stream they were near sinking. Encamped about four miles above the Riviere du Roche on the west shore. This day passed a pole on the prairie on which five dogs were hanging. Distance twenty-two miles."

Elsewhere in this book reference is made to this custom of the Indians, this utilization of dogs for votive ofiferings, a rancid custom at best, and one which did greatly ofifend the exploring Saxon nose. The days of the rapids pilots had not yet arrived, — Wash Hight, the Lancasters and Colemans were not at hand and Pike entered upon rocky navigation when he negotiated the rapids. He tells the story. "August 28. About an hour after we had em- barked we arrived at the camp of James Aird a Scotch gentleman of Michi- millimackinac. He had encamped with some goods on the beach and was re- pairing his boat, which had been injured in crossing (descending) the rapids of the Riviere du Roche, at the foot of which we now were. He had sent three boats back for the goods left behind. Breakfasted with him and obtained con- siderable information. Commenced ascending the rapids. Carried away our rudder in the first rapid, but after getting it repaired the wind raised and we hoisted sail. Although entire strangers we sailed through them with a per- fect gale blowing. Had we struck a rock in all probability we would have bilged and sunk. But we were so fortunate as to pass without touching. Met Mr. Aird's boats, which had pilots, fast on the rocks. Those shoals are a continued chain of rocks extending in some places from shore to shore about eighteen miles in length. They afiford more water than those of the river De Aloyen but are much more rapid."

CAMPED ON ROCK I.SLAND.

Mr. Aird probably served Lieut. Pike's breakfast at Stubbs' eddy that morn- ing. What a perfect instance of greenhorn's luck that ascent of the rapids was. With all the confidence born of ignorance Pike did a trick that no experienced

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 65

voyageur would have dared to attempt. After wintering in the north the ex- pedition returned. The journal noted his approach to this vicinity:

"April 25. Obliged to unship our mast to prevent its rolUng overboard with the swell. Passed the first Reynard village (near the head of Rock river rapids on the lowan side) at 12 o'clock; counted eighteen lodges. Stopped at the prairie in descending on the left about the middle of the rapids where there is a beautiful cove or harbor (Watertown, Rock Island county, Ills.). There were three lodges of Indians here, but none of them came near us. Shortly after we had left this observed a barge under sail with the United States flag, which upon our being seen put to shore upon the Big (now Rock) island, about three miles above Stony (Rock) river, where I also landed. It proved to be Capt. Many of the Artillerists who was in search of some Osage prisoners among the Sacs and Reynards. He informed me that at the (large Sac) village of Stony Point (near the mouth of Rock river) the Indians evinced a strong disposition to commit hostilities ; that he was met at the mouth of the river by an old In- dian who said that all the inhabitants of the village were in a state of intoxica- tion, and advised him to go up alone. This advice, however he had rejected. That when they arrived there they were saluted by the appellation of the bloody Americans who had killed such a person's father, such a person's mother, brother,' etc. The women carried off the guns and other arms and concealed them. That he then crossed the river opposite the village and was followed by a num- ber of Indians with pistols under their blankets. That they would listen to no conference whatever relating to the delivery of the prisoners but demanded in- solently why he wore a plume on his hat, declared that they looked on it as a mark of war, and immediately decorated themselves with their raven's feathers, worn only in cases of hostility. We regretted that our orders did not permit of our punishing the scoundrels, as by a coup-de-main we might easily have carried the village. Gave Capt. Many a note of introduction to Messrs. Camp- bell, Fisher, Wilmot and Dubuque, and every information in my power. We sat up late conversing."

It is easy to imagine that these two brother soldiers had much to talk about in their bivouac in the wilderness. They doubtless would have enjoyed a brush with the annoying British band of Indians on Rock river who had not forgotten the burning of their town by American soldiers twenty-five years before, who rec- ognized no treaty of peace ending the colonial war for independence, who dug up the tomahawk in the War of 1812 at the battles of Credit Island and Campbell's Island and who consistently refused to be friendly tmtil they were almost an- nihilated in the Black Hawk war.

THE WHITE POTATO RIVER.

In the notes to the record of Pike's expedition, the editor. Dr. Elliott Coues, has a smile over the river which forms the northern boundar}- of Scott county. To quote him: "At 4 p. m.. Pike passed on the left or Iowa side a river whose name is perhaps the most remarkable thing about it — Wabisapenicun, Pike's map; Wabisipinekan, Pike's text farther on; Wabisapincim. Lewis and Clarke's map of 1814; Wapisipinicon, Long's; Wabezipinkan, Nicollet's; Wabesapinica,

64 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

northwest to the Pacihc ocean. The exploring party given the duty of learning of the Mississippi river and adjoining territory was placed in charge of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike of the regular army. To him was delegated many duties, and a journal noting the fulfillment of his assignment tells how he noted sites for inland forts, smoked the peace pipe with the tribes along the river, moved for peace be- tween the warring Sioux and Ojibways, and kept close watch of the operations of the British traders who did not cease their exploits on this side the border until after the second war with England.

pike's visit to davenport.

This expedition left St. Louis in 1805 and August 27th of that year he camped at Davenport. His journal for that day reads : "Embarked early ; cold north wind ; mercury ten degrees; the wind so hard ahead that we were obliged to row the boat all day. Passed one peroque of Indians, also the Riviere du Roche (Rock river) late in the day. Some Indians who were encamped there embarked in their canoes and ascended the river before us. The wind was so very strong that although it was down the stream they were near sinking. Encamped about four miles above the Riviere du Roche on the west shore. This day passed a pole on the prairie on which five dogs were hanging. Distance twenty-two miles."

Elsewhere in this book reference is made to this custom of the Indians, tliis utilization of dogs for votive offerings, a rancid custom at best, and one which did greatly offend the exploring Saxon nose. The days of the rapids pilots had not yet arrived. — Wash Hight, the Lancasters and Colemans were not at hand and Pike entered upon rocky navigation when he negotiated the rai)i(ls. He tells the story. "August 28. About an hour after we had em- barked we arrived at the camp of Jatnes Aird a Scotch gentleman of Michi- millimackinac. He had encamped with some goods on the beach and was re- pairing his boat, which had been injured in crossing (descending) the rapids of the Riviere du Roche, at the foot of which we now were. He had sent three boats back for the goods left behind. Breakfasted with him and obtained con- siderable information. Commenced ascending the rapids. Carried away our rudder in the first rapid, but after getting it repaired the wind raised and we hoisted sail. Although entire strangers we sailed through them with a per- fect gale blowing. Had we struck a rock in all probability we would have bilged anfl sunk. But wc were so fortunate as to pass without touching. Met Mr. .Aird's boats, which had pilots, fast on the rocks. Those shoals are a continued chain of rocks extending in some places from shore to shore about eighteen miles in length. They afiford more water than those of the river De Moyen but are much more rapid."

CAMPED ON ROCK ISEAND.

Mr. Aird probably served Lieut. Pike's breakfast at Stubbs' eddy that morn- ing. What a perfect instance of greenhorn's luck that ascent of the rapids was. With all the confidence born of ignorance Pike did a trick that no experienced

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 65

voyageur would liave dared to attempt. After wintering in the north the ex- pedition returned. The journal noted his approach to this vicinity:

"April 25. Obliged to unship our mast to prevent its rolling overboard with the swell. Passed the first Reynard village (near the head of Rock river rapids on the lovvan side) at 12 o'clock; counted eighteen lodges. Stopped at the prairie in descending on the left about the middle of the rapids where there is a beautiful cove or harbor (Watertown, Rock Island county, Ills.). There were three lodges of Indians here, but none of them came near us. Shortly after we had left this observed a barge under sail with the United States flag, which upon our being seen put to shore upon the Big (now Rock) island, about three miles above Stony (Rock) river, where I also landed. It proved to be Capt. Many of the Artillerists who was in search of some Osage prisoners among the Sacs and Reynards. He informed me that at the (large Sac) village of Stony Point (near the mouth of Rock river) the Indians evinced a strong disposition to commit hostilities ; that he was met at the mouth of the river by an old In- dian w'ho said that all the inhabitants of the village were in a state of intoxica- tion, and advised him to go up alone. This advice, however he had rejected. That when they arrived there they were saluted by the appellation of the bloody Americans who had killed such a person's father, such a person's mother, brother,' etc. The women carried off the guns and other arms and concealed them. That he then crossed the river opposite the village and was followed by a num- ber of Indians with pistols under their blankets. That they would listen to no conference whatever relating to the delivery of the prisoners but demanded in- solently why he wore a plume on his hat, declared that they looked on it as a mark of war, and immediately decorated themselves with their raven's feathers, worn only in cases of hostility. We regretted that our orders did not permit of our punishing the scoundrels, as by a coup-de-m.ain we might easily have carried the village. Gave Capt. Many a note of introduction to Messrs. Camp- bell, Fisher, Wilmot and Dubuque, and every information in my power. We sat up late conversing."

It is easy to imagine that these two brother soldiers had much to talk about in their bivouac in the wilderness. They doubtless would have enjoyed a brush with the annoying British band of Indians on Rock river who had not forgotten the burning of their town by American soldiers twenty-five years before, who rec- ognized no treaty of peace ending the colonial war for independence, who dug up the tomahawk in the War of 1812 at the battles of Credit Island and Campbell's Island and who consistently refused to be friendly imtil they were almost an- nihilated in the Black Hawk war.

THE WHITE POTATO RIVER.

In the notes to the record of Pike's expedition, the editor. Dr. Elliott Coues, has a smile over the river which forms the northern boundary of Scott county. To quote him : "At 4 p. m., Pike passed on the left or Iowa side a river whose name is perhaps the most remarkable thing about it — Wabisapenicun. Pike's map; Wabisipinekan, Pike's text farther on; Wabisapincun, Lewis and Clarke's map of 1814; Wapisipinicon. Long's; Wabezipinkan. Nicollet's; Wabesapinica,

66 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Feather.stonhaugh's; Wapsipinicon. Owens' and United States engineers'; Wap- sipinecon. G. L. O. Xo two original authors agree and when one tries to copy another he is hable to be foiled by his printer." And with all of Dr. Coues' orthographical pinwheeling he does not come within a mile of the spelling our own historian Barrows derived from the Indian words.

D.WENPORT IN 1 824.

Xot long after came the troops wlio built Fort Armstrong and under the guns of the fort a small settlement sprang up on the eastern side of the river. It was much later when Antoine LeClaire and his French retainers came to the Iowa side and threw together a shanty in the Indian village of Morgan upon the site of Davenport.

In the summer of 1882 Capt. R. S. Harris of Dubuque paid a visit to Dav- enport and told of roaming through the pleasant upland where now the business portion of Davenport is located in the spring of 1824. His father had gone to Galena, then the metropolis of Illinois, the preceding year and being well set- tled had sent for his family. Mrs. Harris and the children were on their way up the river in a keelboat to join him. The wind favoring they were making a fine dash for the rapids but when the boat was just even with Fort Armstrong the travelers were alarmed by a cannon shot which whistled in their direction, A second shot closely following the first dispelled any idea the keelboat com- pany might have had that the first shot was an accident. Running up a flag of truce the keelboat made for the Davenport shore and there moored, a deputation putting out for the fort in a rowboat to assure the garrison that they were no trespassers but law-abiding citizens in search of the remainder of the family. The Harris family and their keelboat stayed at this shore a day and a half dur- ing which time the boys ransacked the thickets and undergrowth which covered the site of Scott county's metropolis searching for anything edible or portable. Four years after this incident Capt. Harris shipped on the steamer "Galena" as engineer. In 1830 he took command as captain and was on the river for thirty vears thereafter.

ad hit

WlJpr/.

An,,

CHAPTER V. j

WARS AND TREATIES.

A BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION FOUGHT IN THIS VICINITY A POLYGLOT COMMAND

— NO LOOT AND GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT FIRST FLAG IN THE MISSISSIPPI VAL- LEY THE FIGHT AT CAMPBELL's ISLAND THE BATTLE OF CREDIT ISLAND

— OFFICIAL REPORTS TREATIES MADE IN DAVENPORT COL. J. H. SULLIVAN

WRITES OF INDIAN CHIEFS BLACK HAWK WAR ENDS INDIAN CLAIMS.

From the time when the Sacs and Foxes established themselves in this vicinity about 1730, the Sacs on Rock river near its mouth and the Foxes later on the site of Davenport, until the American war for independence, there is little or nothing of incident to note. In the war of the Revolution these Indians became the allies of Great Britain through their friendship for the traders and the Sacs and Foxes formed a part of the expedition which took part in a general attack upon the Spanish and American country about St. Louis. Spain had declared war upon England in 1779, so it was possible for every man in the Mississippi valley to be considered an enemy of the British crown. The expedition joined by the Sacs and Foxes had Pencour (St. Louis) as its objective point and was commanded by a British trader named Hesse, formerly of the Sixtieth regiment. Dropping down the river from Prairie du Chien this organization of soldiers, traders, servants and Indians was joined here by the Sacs and Foxes and upon May 26, 1780, the settlement of Pencour was attacked, but a stubborn resistance prevented its capture. Crossing the river an unsuccessful attack was made upon Cahokia. There the British and Indian foray into the enemy's country came to an end and the invaders returned to the northern country in disorganized detachments.

AN IRISHMAN FULL OF FIGHT.

At Cahokia and in command of the Illinois country was Lieut. Col. John Montgomery, whom early historians have called "an Irishman full of fight." His official title was "commander-in-chief of the Virginia troops in the county of Illinois." In response to a call for reinforcements Col. George Rogers Qark

70 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

came across country from Fort Jefferson on the Ohio, arriving the day before the attack upon St. Louis. Before returning to Fort Jefferson, Col. Clark gave Montgomery orders to follow the enemy up the Illinois to Lake Peoria and then striking across the country to attack and destroy the villages of the Sacs and Foxes in this vicinity. Thus was brought about this local engagement of the war of tlie Revolution, the most northern in the Mississippi valley.

With ardor Col. Montgomery, the fighting Irishman of the historians, gath- ered together a motley force and pursued. His command was made up of Span- iards from St. Louis and vicinity, two companies of fifty men each, two com- panies from the French settlements in Illinois and the remainder American soldiers, — in all 350 men. There was very little of the pomp and circumstance of war about this expedition and very little glory, either, for the battle of Rock River is not mentioned in any history and were it not for the tireless search of William A. Meese. the Tri-cities' premier historian, the whole matter would be even now buried in the archives of Virginia. It was there he unearthed the correspondence which j^ives to this locality connection with the war for American independence.

KR.WE EVEN IN ORTHOGRAPHY.

Capt. Montgomery had but slight acquaintance with the spelling book, but he had other information more necessary in war times and a spirit of patri- otism above question. Back in 1779 we find him writing to George Rogers Clark, "I can't tell what to do in regard of clothing for the soldiers, as the goods you sent me is gone, and I would be glad that if it is in your power to send a relefe to me for the soldiers, if it is onley as much as will make them a little jump jacote and a pear of overalls I think they mite scufifle threw." There's a fine spirit of determination for you. There was more than one Valley Forge in the Revolutionary war. One year later these same troops were given a chance to "scuffle threw" greater difficulties. Patrick Henry, governor of Vir- ginia, wrote to Col. Clark that it would be well to withdraw his troops from the Illinois villages as he "need expect no help or supplies from the state." Yet in spite of his distance from any base of supplies and the precarious nature of his maintenance Capt. Montgomery remained in command of his district and gave a good account of himself.

In a letter, under date of February 22, 1783, to the Honorable Board of Com- missioners for the -Settlement of Western Accounts Montgomery writes: "In the spring of 1780 we were threatened with an invasion. Gen. Clark being informed of it hurried his departure with a small body of troops to the falls of the Ohio, when receiving other expresses from the Spanish commandants and myself luckily joined me at Cohos (Cahokia) time enough to save the country from impending ruin, as the enimy appeared in great force within twenty- four hours after his arrival. Finding that they were likely to be disappointed in their design they retired after doing some mischief on the Spanish shore, which would have prevented if unfortunately the high wind had not prevented the sig- nals being heard. In a few days a number of prisoners and disarters left the enimy. confirming the report that a body of near thousand English and In-

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 71

dian troops ware on their march to the Kentucky country with a train of artillery and the general, knowing the situation of that country, appeared to be alarmed, and resolved to attempt to get there previous to their arrival. At the same time he thought it necessary that they enimy was retreating up the Illinois river should be pursued so as to attack their towns about the time they might have been disbanded, distress them, convince them that we would retaliate and perhaps prevent their joining the British emisarys again. Previous to my knowledge of the above resolution I had informed General Clark of my desire of leave of absence for some time, in order to return to my family. It was then that he informed me of his resolution ; and that the public interest would not permit of my request being granted, that I must take command of the ex- pedition to Rock river, while he would attempt to interrupt the army marching to Kentucky, and if they got there before him, except they weakened the coun- try too much he would raise an army and attempt to play them the same game in the Miamai country, as he hoped I would go towards Miskelemachnor, and if we should be tolerably sucksessful and the business properly arranged I might absent myself for four or five months in the fall or winter.

PROCEEDED TO THE BUSINESS.

'"After giving me instructions, he left Kohos the 4th of June with a small escort for the mouth of the Ohio on his rout to Kentucky. I immediately pro- ceeded to the business I was ordered and marched 350 men to the lake opening on the Illinois river, and from thence to the Rock river, destroying the towns and crops proposed, the enimy not dareing to fight me, as they had so lately been dis- banded, and they could not raise a sufficient force."

Col. Montgomery makes no mention of the Rock river engagement, probably considering it only one incident in the campaign, but James Aird, the trader, who dealt with the Indians at Credit island, told Lieut. Pike that the Sacs rallied an army of 700 warriors in defense of the Black Hawk village and if there was not something of a fight it is a strange circumstance, for the Indians outnumbered the attacking party two to one and the Sac was a fighting man whatever the odds either way. In any event, the raid as against the Black Hawk village was suc- cessful, as Mr. Aird spoke of the discomfiture of the Indian defenders and the burning of the village.

The French, who composed a portion of this expedition of retaliation, ex- pected much loot and were grievously disappointed. A letter from one of the Cahokians to M. Mottin de la Balme, pensioner of the King of France, French colonel, etc., indicates their disgruntled attitude :

"Oh, Colonel Clark, aflfecting always to desire our public welfare and under pretext of avenging us. soon formed with us and conjointly with the Spaniards a party of more than 300 men to go and attack in their own village the savages who had come to our homes to harass us, and after substituting Colonel Mont- gomery to command in his place, he soon left us. It is then well to explain to you. sir. that the Virginians, who never employed any principle of economy, have been the cause, by their lack of management and bad conduct, of the non-success of the expedition, and that our glorious projects have failed through their fault;

72 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

for the savages abandoned their nearest villag-es where we have been, and we were forced to stop and not push further, since we had almost no more provisions, powder and balls, which the Virc^inians had undertaken to furnish us."

In a letter written by Capt. John Rogers, who commanded one of the com- panies in this expedition, he speaks of reaching- the "river de la Rouze," which is a new variant on the name of Rock river. Here, he says, "we burn the towns of Saux and Reynards." H the Foxes shared in this castigation, it is possible that the town on the site of Davenport shared in the hostilities. But of this there is no record, or, at least, none has been discovered.

THE FIRST OF MANY TRE.\TIES.

Soon after the events narrated, the Sacs and Foxes made their first treaty with the United States at Fort Harmar on the Muskingum river in Ohio. Bounda- ries were agreed upon and protection and friendship extended by the United States to these tribes.

In 1804 the treaty, given in full elsewhere, was made at St. Louis. Four years later adventurers began to enter the Indian country, led by reports of their richness in minerals. A fort was built in Iowa on Indian soil, a clear violation of the treaty of St. Louis, and this was resented by the Sacs and Foxes. Black Hawk led a war party which made an unsuccessful attack upon this fort.

Black Hawk was consistent in his allegiance to Great Britain, in his refusal to recognize the treaty which closed the war of the Revolution or the treaty of St. Louis. In his autobiography he tells of his parley with Pike in 1805. "Some time afterward a lx)at came up the river with a young American chief, at that time Lieutenant, and afterward General Pike, and a small party of soldiers aboard. The boat at length arrived at Rock river and the young chief came on shore with his interpreter. He made us a speech and gave us some presents, in return for which we gave him meat and such other provisions as we could spare. We were well pleased with the speech of the young chief. He gave us good ad- vice, and said our American father would treat us well. He presented us an American flag which we hoisted. He then requested us to lower the British colors, which were waving in the air, and to give him our British medals, prom- ising to send us others on his return to St. Louis. This we declined to do, as we wished to have two fathers."

THE FIRST FLAG.

Here we have the record of the first United States flag in the upper Missis- sippi valley, the first flinging to the breeze of the stars and stripes in all this re- gion. How long Black Hawk and his braves lived under the starry banner or how much they respected it, owing to their divided allegiance, no one knows. Any love that Pike inspired for the "American father" was dissipated at the out- break of hostilities l>etween this country and Great Britain, known as the war of 1812. and the Sacs and Foxes lined up with the enemy.

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 73

WAR OF l8l2.

Throughout this war a portion of the Fox and Sac tribes at Rock island re- mained hostile to the United States. The first incident of the war which af- fected the region in the vicinity of Rock island was Governor Clark's expedition to Prairie du Chien. The following account of this expedition is taken from "Western Annals," by James H. Perkins:

About the first of May Governor Clark fitted out five barges, with fifty regular troops and 140 volunteers, and left St. Louis on an expedition to Prairie du Chien. On the 13th of June, Governor Clark, with several gentlemen who accompanied him, returned with one of the barges, hav- ing left the officers and troops to erect a fort and maintain the position. No Indians molested the party till they reached Rock river, where they had a skir- mish with some hostile Sauks. The Foxes resided at Dubuque and professed to be peaceable and promised to fight on the American side. Twenty days before the expedition reached Prairie du Chien the British trader Dixon left that place for ^lackinac with eighty Winnebagoes, 120 Follsavoine, and 100 Sioux, probably as recruits for the British army along the lake country. He had gained infor- mation of the expedition of Governor Clark from his Indian spies, and had left Captain Deace with a body of Mackinac fencibles with orders to protect the place. The Sioux and Renards (Foxes) having refused to fight the Americans, Deace and his soldiers fled. The inhabitants, also fled into the country but re- turned as soon as they learned they were not to be injured. A temporary defense was immediately erected. Lieutenant Perkins, with sixty rank and file from Major Z. Taylor's company of the Seventh regiment, took possession of the house occupied by the Mackinac Fur Company, in which they found nine or ten trunks of Dixon's property, with his papers and correspondence. A writer in the "Gazette" says :

FORT SHELBY IS BUILT.

"The farms of Prairie du Chien are in high cultivation. Between two and three hundred barrels of flour may be manufactured there this season, besides a vast quantity of corn. Two of the largest boats were left in command of Aide- de-Camp Kennerly and Captains Sullivan and Yeizer, whose united forces amount to 135 men. The regulars, under command of Lieutenant Perkins, are stationed on shore and are assisted by the volunteers in building the new fort."

This was called Fort Shelby. On his return the people of St. Louis gave the governor a public dinner and expressed their hearty gratulations for the success of the enterprise.

About the last of June Captain John Sullivan, with his company of militia and some volunteers whose term of service had expired, returned from Prairie du Chien and reported that the fort was finished, the boats well manned and barricaded ; that the Indians were hovering around and had taken prisoner a Frenchman while hunting his horses. The boats employed carried a six-pounder on their main deck and several howitzers on the quarters and gangway. The men were protected by a musket-proof barricade. On the 6th of August, the

74 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Gazette (our authority in these details) states: "Just as we had put our paper to press Lieutenant Perkins, with the troops which composed the garrison at Prai- rie du Chien, arrived here. Lieutenant Perkins fought the combined force of British and Indians three days and nights until they approached the pickets by mining. Provisions, ammunition and water expended, when he capitulated; the ofificers to keep their private property and the whole not to serve until duly ex- changed. Five of our troops were wounded during the siege."

In a letter from Captain Yeizer to Governor Clark, dated St. Louis, July 28, 1814, we find the following facts: Captain Yeizer commanded one of the gunboats a keelboat fitted up in the manner heretofore described. On the 17th of July, at I 130 o'clock, from 1,200 to 1.500 British and Indians marched up in full view of the fort and the town and demanded a surrender, "which demand was posi- tively refused." They attacked Mr. Yeizer's boat at 3 o'clock, at long-shot distance. He returned the compliment by firing round-shot from his six-pounder, which made them change their position to a small mound nearer the boat. At the same time the Indians were firing from behind the houses and pickets. The boat then moved up the river to head of the village, keeping up a constant discharge of firearms and artillery, which was answered by the enemy from the shore. The enemy's boats then crossed the river below to attack the Americans from the opposite side of the river. A galling fire from opposite points was now kept up by the enemy on this boat, until the only alternative was left for Captain Yeizer lo run the boat through the enemy's lines to a point five miles below, keeping up a brisk fire. In the meantime another gun-boat that lay on shore was fired on until it took fire and was burnt. In Captain Yeizer's boat two ofificers and four privates were wounded and one private killed. The British and Indians were com- manded by Colonel McCay, (Mackey) who came in boats from Mackinac, by Green bay and the Wisconsin, with artillery. Their report gives from 160 to 200 regulars and "Michigan fencibles," and about 800 Indians. They landed their artillery below the town and fort and formed a battery, atacking rhe forts and the boats at the same time. After Captain Yeizer's boat had been driven from its anchorage sappers and miners began operations in the bank, 150 yards from the fort. Lieutenant Perkins held out while hope lasted. In the fort were George and James Kennerly, the former an aid to Governor Clark, the latter a lieutenant in the militia.

BATTLE OF Campbell's island.

At this time General Benjamin Howard was in command of the military district extending from the interior of Indiana to the frontier of Mexico. After the return of Governor Clark from Prairie du Chien, and, as it appears, prior to the receipt of news of the engagement at that place. General Howard fitted out an expedition, under the command of Captain John Campbell, First United States infantry, to proceed to Prairie du Chien and strengthen the garrison at that place. The expedition consisted of forty-two regulars, sixty-six rangers and about twenty-one other persons, including boatmen, women and the sutler's es- tablishment. This expedition left St. Louis early in July, 1814, and proceeded up the river in three keel-boats as far as Rock island, near which place it was

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 77

attacked by the Indians and nearly destroyed. The following account- of this expedition is taken from Governor Reynolds' "Life and Times."

Lieutenant Campbell commanded the boat with the regulars, and Captain Stephen Rector and Lieutenant Riggs the other two barges, manned by the rangers. The expedition reached Rock island in peace, but the Sac and Fox Indians, in great numbers, swarmed around the boats but still professed peace. The barge commanded by Rector was navigated mostly by the French of Ca- hokia, and were both good sailors and soldiers ; and the same may be said of the company under Lieutenant Riggs, except as to the knowledge of naviga- tion. The boats lay still all night at or near the Sac and Fox villages at Rock island, and the Indians were all night making hollow professions of friendship. Many of the French, after the battle, informed me that they knew the Indians would attack the boats, and accordingly they informed Lieutenant Campbell, but he disbelieved them. The French said that the Indians wanted them to leave the Americans and go home. They would squeeze the hands of the French and pull their hands down the river, indicating to leave. The Indians disliked to fight their old friends the French.

The fleet all set sail in the morning and above Rock island the wind blew so hard that Campbell's boat was forced on a lee shore and lodged on a small island near the mainland, known from this circumstance as "Campbell's Island." The Indians, commanded by Black Hawk, when the wind drifted the boat on shore, commenced an attack on it. The boats of Rector and Riggs were ahead and could see the smoke of the fire arms, -but could not hear the report of the gims. They returned to assist Campbell but the wind was so high that their barges were almost unmanageable. They anchored near Campbell but could not reach him, the storm raged so severely. When Campbell's boat was driven ashore by the wind he placed out sentinels and the men commenced cooking their breakfast ; but the enemy in hundreds rushed on them, killing many on the spot, and the rest took refuge in the boat. Hundreds and hundreds of the warriors were on and around the boat and at last set it on fire. Campbell's boat was burning and the bottom covered with the dead, the wounded and blood. They had almost ceased firing when Rector and his brave men most nobly came to the rescue. Campbell him- self lay wounded on his back in the bottom of his boat and many of his men dead and dying around him. Riggs' boat was well fortified but his men were inexperienced sailors. Rector and company could not remain inactive spectators of the destruction of Campbell and men, but in a tempest of wind raised their anchor in the face of almost a thousand Indians and periled their lives in the rescue of Campbell. No act of noble daring and bravery surpassed the rescue of Campbell during the war in the west. The rangers under Rector were mostly Frenchmen and were well acquainted with the management of a boat in such a crisis. Rector and his men were governed by th6 high and ennobling principles of chivalry and patriotism. Rector's boat was lightened by casting overboard quantities of provisions and then many of the crew actually got out of the boat into the water, leaving the vessel between them and the fire of the enemy and pushed their boat against the fire of the warriors to Campbell's boat, which was in possession of tlie Indians. This was a most hazardous exploit for forty men,

78 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

forcing their barge to a burning boat in possession of the enemy, nearly a thousand strong, and taking from it the wounded and living soldiers, together with their commander.

WOUNDED MEN ARE RESCUED.

A salt-water sailor by the name of Hoadley did gallant service in this daring enterprise by his superior knowledge of the management of a vessel. Rector took all of the live men from Campbell's boat into his ; and his men, in the water, hauled their own boat out into the stream. The Indians feasted on the aban- doned boat of Campbell. Rector had his boat crowded with thie wounded and dying but rowed night and day until they reached St. Louis. It was supposed the boat of Riggs was captured by the enemy; but the vessel was strongly for- tified so that it lay, as it were, in the hands of the Indians for several hours ; the enemy having possession of the outside and the whites of the inside ; but the wind in the evening subsided and Riggs got his boat ofT without losing many men. It was a general jubilee and rejoicing when Riggs arrived at St. Louis ; the hearts of the people swelled with patriotic joy to know that the lives of so many brave soldiers were saved by the courage and energies of Rector, Riggs and their troops. I saw the soldiers on their return to St. Louis and the sight was distressing. Those who were not wounded were worn down to skeletons by labor and fatigue.

TO DAVENPORT FOR DISTRIJ5UTI0N.

Writing of this engagement Black Hawk, in his autobiography, tells of the disposition of the spoils of war. He first emptied the cargo of whiskey, "bad medicine," several barrels, in the river ; next, to quote him, "I found a box full of small bottles and packages which appeared to be bad medicine also, such as the white medicine men kill the white people with when they get sick, this I threw into the river." The ammunition intended for Fort Shelby fell into Black Hawk's hands, also boat loads of guns, clothing and provisions which were brought to the Fox village on the site of Davenport for distribution. The same day of the Campbell's island fight. Fort Shelby, at Prairie du Chien, surrendered to an overwhelming force of British and Indians, the name changed to Fort Mc- Kay and the command given to Captain Thomas G. Anderson.

The National Intelligencer of August, 1814, states the number of killed and wounded in this engagement to have been thirty-six. Capt. Campbell and Dr. Abram Stewart, surgeon's mate, were also wounded, the former seriously. After this disaster and the return of the survivors to St. Louis, another and larger expedition was fitted out, the object of which was to punish the Indians at Rock island and to establish and maintain a fort at or near that place. The detach- ment was under the command of Brevet Major Zachary Taylor, Seventh United States infantry, afterward president of the United States, and consisted of 334 oflficers and men (regulars, militia and rangers). There were only forty of the regular troops and it is presumed that these belonged to the Seventh United States infantry.

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 79

BATTLE OF CREDIT ISLAND.

August 2 1 St the British were informed by the Fox Indians that another expe- dition, larger than the preceding ones, had left St. Louis for the upper river. Six days later, Captain Anderson sent Lieutenant Duncan Graham to meet this new force with a command of thirty British soldiers, a brass three-pounder and two swivels, with instructions to harass the Americans and if possible compel a return to St. Louis. Thus was brought about an engagement within the corporate limits of the city of Davenport and known as the battle of Credit Island. The unwieldly nature of the keel boats, the inadequate means of propulsion or maneuver, brought disaster to the American arms. These were not battle ships but rather transports and of the most primitive sort. The issue of the conflict brought no reproach to the ofificer in command, Major Taylor, later the hero of the Mexican war and president of the United States.

ST. LOUIS TREATY REAFFIRMED.

Under date of Fort Madison, September 6, 1841, Mayor Taylor reports to Gen. Howard :

Sir: In obedience to your orders i left Fort Independence on the 2d ult., and reached Rock river, our place of destination, on the evening of the 4th inst., with- out meeting a single Indian or any occurrence worthy of relation. On my arrival at the mouth of Rock river the Indians began to make their appearance in con- siderable numbers ; running up the Mississippi to the upper village and crossing the river below us. After passing Rock river, which is very small at the mouth, from an attentive and careful examination as I proceeded up the Mississippi I was confident it was impossible for us to enter its mouth with our large boats. Immediately opposite its mouth a large island commences, which, together with the western shore of the Mississippi, was covered with a considerable number of horses ; which were doubtless placed in those situations in order to draw small detachments on shore. But in this they were disappointed and I determined to alter the plan which you have suggested — which was to pass the different villages as if the object of the expedition was Prairie du Chien — for several reasons: first, t-hat I might have an opportunity of viewing the situation of the ground to enable me to select such a landing as would bring our artillery to bear on the villages with the greatest advantage. I was likewise in hopes a party would ap- proach us with a flag, from which I expected to learn the situation of aflfairs at the Prairie, and ascertain in some measure their numbers and perhaps bring them to a council, when I should have been able to have retaliated on them for their repeated acts of treachery ; or, if they were determined to attack us, I was in hopes to draw them some distance from their towns toward the rapids, ran down in the night and destroy them before they could return to their defense. But in this I was disappointed — the wind which had been in our favor, began to shift about at the time we passed the. mouth of Rock river; and by the time we reached the head of the island, which is about a mile and a half long, it blew a perfect hurricane, quarterly down the river, and it was with difficulty we made land at a small island containing six or eight acres covered with willows, near the middle

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8u HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

of the river, and about sixty yards from the upper end of the island. In this situation 1 determined to remain during the night, if the storm continued; as I knew the anchors of several of the lx>ats in that event would not hold them and there was a great probability of their being drifted on sand-bars, of which the river is full in this place, which would have exposed the men very much in getting them off. even if they could have prevented their filling with water. It was about 4 o'clock in the evening when we were compelled to land, and large parties of Indians were on each side of the river, as well as crossing in different directions in canoes, but not a gim w^as fired from either side. The wind continued to blow the whole night with violence, accompanied with some rain, which induced nie to order the sentinels to be brought in and placed in the bow of each boat. .\bout daylight Captain Whitesides' boat was fired on at the distance of about fif- teen paces and a corporal who was on the outside of the boat was mortally wounded. My orders w^ere if a boat was fired on to return it, but not a man to leave the boat without positive orders from myself. So soon as it got perfectly light, as the enemy continued about the boat, I determined to drum them from the island, let their numbers be what they might — provided we were able to do so. I then assigned to each boat a proper guard, formed the troops for action, and pushed through the willows to the opposite shore; but those fellows who had the lx)ldness to fire on the boats, cleared themselves as soon as the troops were formed, by wading from the island we were encamped on to the one just below us. Cap- tain Whitesides, who was on the left, was able to give them a warm fire as they reached the island they had retreated to. They returned the fire for a few moments when they retreated. In this affair we had two men badly wounded. When Captain Whitesides commenced the fire, I ordered Captain Rector to drop down with his boat to ground and to rake the island below with artillery, and to fire on every canoe he should discover passing from one shore to the other which should come within reach. In this situation he remained about one hour, and no Indians making their appearance, he determined to drop down the island about sixty yards and destroy several canoes that were laying to shore. This he effected, and just on setting his men on board the British commenced a fire on our boats with a six, a four and two swivels, from behind a knoll that completely covered them. The boats were entirely exposed to the artil- lery, which was distant about 350 paces from us. So soon as the first gim fired I ordered a six-pounder to be brought out and placed, but, on recollect- ing a moment, I found the boat would be sunk before any impression could be made on them by our cannon, as they were completely under cover, and had al- ready brought their gims to bear on our boats — for the round-shot from their six passed through Lieutenant Hempstead's boat and shattered her considerably. 1 then ordered the boats to drop down which was done in order and conducted with the .i,'-reatest coolness by every officer, although exposed to a constant fire from their artillery for more than half a mile. So soon as they commenced firing from their artillery the Indians raised the yell and commenced firing on us in every direction, whether they were able to do us any damage or not. from each side of the river. Captain Rector, who was laying to the shore of the island, was attacked the instant the first gun was fired, by a very large party, and in a close and well-contested contest of about fifteen minutes they drove them, after giving three

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 81

rounds of grape from his three-pounder. Captain Whitesides, who was near- est to Captain Rector, dropped down and anchored nigh him, and gave the enemy several fires with his swivel; but the wind was so hard down stream as to drift his anchor. Captain Rector at that moment got his boat off, and we were then exposed to the fire of the Indians for two miles, which we returned with interest from our small arms and small pieces of artillery, whenever we could get them to bear. I was compelled to drop down about three miles before a proper place presented itself for landing, as but few of the boats had anchors sufficient to stop them in the river. Here I halted for the purpose of having the wounded attended and some of the boats repaired, as some of them had been injured by the enemy's artillery. They followed us in their lx>ats until we halted on a small prairie and prepared for action, when they returned in as great a hurry as they followed us.

I then collected the officers together and put the following questions to them : Are we able, 334 effective men — offi'cers, non-commissioned officers and privates — to fight the enemy with any prospect of success and effect, which is to destroy their villages and corn ? They were of opinion the enemy was at least three men to one, and that it was not practicable to effect either ob- ject. I then determined to drop down the river to the Lemoine without delay, as some of the ranging officers informed me their men were short of provisions, and execute the principal object of the expedition in erecting a fort to command the river. This shall be effected as soon as practicable with the means in my power, and should the enemy attempt to descend the river in force before the fort can be completed every foot of the way from the fort to the settlements shall be contested.

In the affair at Rock river I had eleven men badly wounded, three mortally, of whom one has since died. I am much indebted to the officers for their prompt obedience to orders, nor do I believe a braver set of men could have been col- lected than those who composed this detachment. But, sir, I conceive it would have been madness in me, as well as a direct violation of my orders, to have risked the detachment without a prospect of success. I believe I should have been fully able to have accomplished your views, if the enemy had not been supplied with artillery, and so advantageously posted as to render it impossible for us to have dislodged him without imminent danger of the loss of the whole detachment. Za. Taylor, Brevet Major, Commanding Detachment.

CREDIT ISLAND.

The larger of the two islands referred to in the above communication by Gen. Zachary Taylor, a short time after the battle referred to by him had at- tached to it the name of "Credit" island, which name has subsequently been often changed to suit the whims or fancies of its several owners.

Just below Davenport this beautiful island is situated and contains some 200 acres, once well wooded and now partially farmed. It is a very creditable sort of island, indeed well known all the country around. It's a queer sort of name for an island, yet nothing discreditable as to name or condition. It came honestly enough by it and this is how :

82 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

In the early days of this section, as far back as 1815 to 1830, the Great Amer- ican Fur Company did a thrifty business in this locality, selling goods to the In- dians and taking pay in peltries. It was the custom of the Indians to go on ''tick." They were good pay masters, it is said, but giving cash down was no part of their commercial training. As a matter of fact, it is a good deal so with people of today who are not purely savage. It was the custom of the noble redman, as soon as his delicate wives had gotten the com. beans, and papooses gathered in the fall, to put out on their annual winter hunt after furred animals, but they had no am- munition at that time of year, having used it all the previous season. Besides, their personal wardrobe was out of repair and their squaws and daughters de- sired something stunning for the winter gaieties. Cnder the circumstances what could an Indian or even a white savage do but to "run his face?" What would you do yourself? You would use your credit, if you had any; so did the Indian.

It was the custom of the traders to appear along in September, and for the better protection of their goods and chattels and horses from unforeseen stamped- ing invasion, they almost invariably betook themselves to the island in question. There they were visited in canoes by the Indians, who swarmed hither from all the country round about to trade. The traders would erect temporary stores in which were exposed for sale or barter vast quantities of goods of every descrip- tion— dry, hard and liquid — that were considered useful or ornamental in the proud savage's home. The average Indian's word was considered gilt-edged, and on four and six months' promises, generally bought all the powder, lead, guns, traps and dry goods desired, conditioned upon paying a rousing good price in peltries. So the business was all done on credit and from the long duration of the custom here recited the beautiful island below Davenport gained the well known name of Credit island.

THE BRITISH ACCOUNT.

After this digression, by way of description of the battle ground mentioned in Gen. Taylor's letter, we will hark back to the aforesaid "battle of Credit Island," and give the other side of the story as related in a letter to his superior officer. Captain Thomas G. Anderson, in which Lieutenant Duncan Graham, at the head of the P.ritish contingent, had the following to say :

Rock River, September 7, 1814. Capt. Thomas G. Anderson :

Sir: — I mentioned to you in my letter of the 4th inst., by the information I had from the Indians, that the enemy were within thirty leagues of this place on their way up. As soon as I found out their strength I concluded the place of their destination must be La Prairie du Chien. The rapids was the only place where we could attack such a force to any advantage. On the 5th inst.. we moved to the west side of the island, and took our position at the narrowest part of the chan- nel, the only place where they could pass at tliat point. We were determined to dispute the road with them, inch by inch.

They appeared in sight at 4:00 o'clock, p. m., with a strong fair wind. There were eight large boats, four of which were equal in size to the one that made her

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 85

escape from the Prairie. The largest of them had a large white tlag flying at her mast head. When they came to the head of Credit islanrl, about two miles from us. a storm of rain, thunder and lightning came on. and the wind shifted to the opposite point of the compass, which compelled them to pass the remainder of the day and that night here. All the women and children were sent to the island. I took all the Sioux with us to cover the guns in case of being obliged to retreat, as they promised they would rather be killed to the last man than give up the guns.

I told the Sauks in case the enemy should attempt to land at their village to retreat to the island and then we would return and attack them. The 6th. at break of day. some of the Sauks came to us and requested that we should attack them immediately, as the wind was against them and some of their boats were aground. We crossed to the mainland at the Foxes' village. There we left our boats and went as quickly as possible through the prairie unperceived by the enemy until we were on the beach opposite to them. Here we had a close view of them. I had no idea of the enormous size of their boats before. They lay with their broad sides close to a low, sandy beach. The largest of them had six port-holes open on the side next to us. The channel was about 600 yards broad.

We were on an elevated spot but no covering. I requested the Indians not to waste their ammunition firing at the boats, and save it in case the enemy should attempt to land. They did so. Finding they could not make up matters with the Sauks. as they had killed one of their sentinels in the night, they took down the white flag and put up the bloody in its place, which I believe to be a signal of no quarters. It was then 7 :oo o'clock in the morning. Everything being ready, we opened a brisk fire from the three-pounder and two swivels on our boats. In about three-quarters of an hour the largest of their boats, which was ahead of the others, after having about fifteen shots through her, began to push off and dropped astern of the rest, and made the best of her way down the current. The others soon followed her. We kept firing at them along the bank, as far as the ground would permit us to drag the guns, but they soon got out of our reach. They went on about a league and put to shore. I thought they might intend to throw up some breastworks and make a stand at that place. I sent immediately for the boats to go with all the Indians to endeavor to dislodge them from there. By the time we were ready to embark some of the Indians that followed returned and informed us that it appeared to them that the Americans had committed the bodies of some of their men to a watery grave, well knowing if they buried them on shore they would be torn to pieces. They then got up their sails, the wind be- ing fair, and made the best of their way off. As the enemy landed at that place the Indians say there were about a thousand men. I think their number to be between six and eight hundred.

If we had had a larger supply of ammunition and provisions we might have harassed them as far as the rapids of the river Des Moines, but having only a scanty supply of the one and entirely destitute of the other, we were obliged to give up pursuing them any further. Although we have not been able to capture any of their boats they have been completely repulsed and, I have every reason to believe, with a considerable loss, as out of fifty-four shots that we fired at them, there were only three or four that did not go through their boats. The action lasted

86 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

about an hour. One of the swivels was served by Lieut. Brisbois, and the other by Colin Campbell, which they executed with credit to themselves; and all at- tached to the expedition behaved themselves in a manner worthy of veteran troops, for they seemed to vie with each other who would be the foremost, notwithstand- ing they were entirely exposed to the enemy's shot, and I am happy to say that not a man was hurt. It is to the skill and courage of Sergeant Keating, on whom everythinjj depended, that we owe our success, and no praise of mine can bestow on him what he deserves. .As the Indians had no communication with the enemy I have not been able to find out who commanded the American expedition.

(iOVKRNOR RKVNOLDS' XARR.ATION.

In his "Life and Times" Governor Reynolds gives a spirited account of this battle which was fought in the suburbs of Davenport ; a battle which it is hoped will be duly commemorated by the people of Iowa even as the site of the en- gagement on Campbell's island has been marked by the people of Illinois. Gov- ernor Reynolds had a brother in the Credit island fight and doubtless received from him details of the narration. It is interesting to note in what particulars the three accounts agree and in what points there are disagreements. The Cap- tain Rector. Governor Reynolds mentions, was a cousin of the hero of the Camp- bell's island fight. Verily. "The Rector family never knew what fear was." This is the account :

"Nothing uncommon occurred until they reached Rock island, where they met British soldiers cannon and swarms of Indians. The English had captured our garrison at Prairie du Chien and had the whole country in possession north of the settlements near the present city of Alton.

"Our white enemy was at Rock island with many regulars, six pieces of can- non and hordes of Indian warriors. Major Taylor, with his usual sound judg- ment anchored his fleet out in the Mississippi about one half mile above the mouth of Rock river and not far from Three Willow islands. It was supposed that the English had ordered the Indians to occupy these islands in great numbers in the night, as they swarmed with the red warriors at daylight. The English had in the night planted cannon in battery at the edge of the water so as to destroy our boats in the morning. It was the English calculation that the cannon would de- stroy our boats and the men would have to swim to the islands where the Indians would kill them. It is almost impossible to circumvent the Americans. Taylor ordered all his forces except twenty men on each boat to proceed to the islands and destroy the Indian warriors on them. This order was executed with great vigor and efficiency and the Indians were either killed or drove to the lower island ; but in the meantime the British cannon opened a tremendous fire on our boats that cau-^ed the soldiers to rush back to the boats to save them from the cannon balls which were piecing them in every direction. British officers were moimted on horseback giving commands to the cannonades and many regu- lars and hundreds of Indians obeying. The boats were unable to resist the cannon and almost every shot told on them. In the battle some Indian canoes were seen on the lower island and Captain Rector was ordered with some men to scour the island. He did so and drove the Indians back into the willows;

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 87

but the enemy reinforced and in turn drove Rector back to the sand beach again. In this sortie from his boat Rector was elegantly dressed in military costume with a towering feather in his cap and a sword drawn, leading his men to the charge. In this exposed situation with hundreds of gims fired at him he moved on un- daunted as if he were in his mess-room with his comrades. The Rector family never knew what fear was. The boats under Taylor were ordered to retreat down the river; but just as Rector's boat got under way it grounded and stuck fast. The Indians surrounded it and it was with the utmost hard fighting they were kept out. All the boats had left except Captain Samuel Whitesides. who saw the imminent danger of Rector and with true courage and kindness of heart re- turned to save his brother soldiers. If Whitesides had not returned, Rector and all his men were doomed to destruction. Rector's boat being saved all descended the river until they were out of reach of the cannon, when Major Taylor called a council of his officers.

"It was ascertained that there were more than i,ooo Indians at and near Rock island and a detachment of British regulars with six field pieces ; and the eflFective American soldiers were only 334 in number. This showed the force of the enemy to be more than three to one over the Americans.

"Under all circumstances it was considered imprudent and improper to at- tach such superior forces and the whole fleet descended the river to the site where Warsaw now stands. At this point Fort Edwards was built and Fort Johnson a few miles above was burned. After the erection of Fort Edwards the troops remained three or four weeks, but the major part of them descended the river to St. Louis and were discharged the i8th of October, 1814.

"Thus ended this expedition which pretty much closed the war in the West. Scarcely any further Indian depredations were committed and the troops were generally disbanded. On the 24th of December, 1814, peace was concluded at Ghent in Europe; but the act was not known for some months thereafter.

"I saw in the harbor of St. Louis the boats that were in Taylor's battle at Rock island and they were riddled with the cannon balls. I think the balls were made of lead ; at any rate they pierced the boats considerably."

ST. LOUIS TREATY REAFFIRMED.

At the close of the war of 1812, Sept. 13, 1815, at Portage des Sioux, a treaty was made between the United States and the Sacs, which reaffirmed the St. Louis treaty of 1804 and those of the Sac tribe at this treaty represented agreed to keep entirely separate from the Sacs of Rock river, the British band who, under Black Hawk, had joined the British in the war just ended. The following day, the Foxes entered into a similar agreement. May 13th the Rock river Sacs also entered into treaty with the government at St. Louis, affirming the treaty of 1804 and this time Black Hawk "touched the goose-quill."

In a treaty held at Washington, August 4, 1824. the Sacs and Foxes relin- quished all title to lands in Missouri, and the southeast corner of Iowa, known as the "half-breed tract," was reserved for the use of the half-breeds of the Sacs and Foxes, they holding title in the same manner as Indians.

88 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

August 19, 1825, a treaty was held at Prairie du Chien in which the boundary line between the Sioux and Sacs and Foxes was determined. In 1830 these tribes conveyed a strip of twenty miles on each side of the boundary line to the United States as a neutral strip in the interest of peace between these ancient enemies, the Sioux, Sacs and Foxes.

THE BLACK HAWK PURCHASE.

In 1832. September 21st. General Winfield Scott and Governor Reynolds nego- tiated with the Sacs and Foxes and Winnebagoes for the purchase of 6,000,000 acres of land on the west bank of the Mississippi known as' the "Black Hawk Purchase." This treaty was held near Farnam and Fifth streets. This incom- parable domain was purchased at an expense computed to be 9 cents an acre. At this treaty, 400 acres on the Iowa river, including Keokuk's village, was not transferred and was afterward known as "Keokuk's Reserve."

In 1836 Governor Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin territory, negotiated a treaty by which this reserve passed into the hands of the United States and the Sacs and Foxes moved to a reservation on the Des Moines river, where an agency was established for them. This site is now occupied by the town of Agency City, in Wapello county. Here Keokuk, Appanoose and Wapello, chiefs of the united tribes, had large farms under cultivation.

In 1837 a treaty was held at Washington in which the Sacs and Foxes con- veyed to the government a tract of 1,250,000 acres, lying west of the Black Hawk purchase and adjoining it. This piece of land had a breadth of twenty-five miles in the center and ran off to a point at both ends. At this treaty the Sacs and Foxes relinquished all title to any lands in Iowa, and in 1842, at a final treaty held at Agency City, John Chambers, acting for the United States, the Sacs and Foxes closed accounts with the government by relinquishing title to all lands west of the Mississippi. .\11 the lands east of the great river they had parted with in earlier treaties.

JOWA RESERVF^. PURCHASED.

The treaty of 1836 was held at Davenport. The site is in doubt. Some of the older citizens place it on East River street, on the height between Bridge and Mississippi avenues : others say where Prospect park is located. Dr. E. S. Bar- rows, who was present at the treaty, gave the former location. He used to say that Black Hawk's camp was on the hills later known as Camp McClellan and now McClellan Heights. At that time the water in the river was so low that the Indians in passing to the trading point on the island waded the river except for a rod or two in the channel where their ponies swam.

Col. J. H. Sullivan, well known as the mayor of Rockingham, was also present at the signing of this treaty, and wrote to Ohio relatives of the occurrence. A copy of a Zanesville paper preserves his graphic description. The extract :

"We have been permitted to make the following extract from a letter for publication from our talented and enterprising friend Col. John H. Sullivan, of Rockingham. Wisconsin territory, to his father of this place, dated Oct. 2, 1836,

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 89

after visiting the treaty ground where the Sac and Fox chiefs with a few hundred of their braves and principal men were assembled on the west side of the Mississippi opposite Ft. Armstrong on Rock island for the purpose of selling to the U. S. government the whole of the reserve on the Iowa, containing 250- 000 acres, and which were disposed of at the rate of 75 cents an acre. The two bands of Foxes under Poweshiek and Wapello were encamped on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, opposite and about half way up Rock island. The en- campment was on a slope of the bluff and at a little distance looked quite pic- turesque, as the Indians flitted about the bulrush and bark tents, arrayed in their showy green or red blankets, looking for all the world when you gave a glance at their horses browsing on the bluff tops, like a picture of an Arab encampment, glowing with the bright and gorgeous colors of orientalism ; but when you came nearer, all the glory vanished. Your eye would go to scrutinizing the tents with all the dirty paraphemaHa of skinning, jerking meat and general cooking opera- tions.

"About a half a mile above this encampment lay the far more neatly arranged tents of the Sacs — which was Black Hawk's band but is no more. It is called his, but alas, poor old man, the scepter has departed from Judah, has no voice in council — no authority in the tribe. This encampment was made immediately on the bank of the river, on a kind of promontory, and the tents were arranged around in the form of a crescent. Above them and fronting the hollow of the crescent was erected the council lodge. At one end was placed Gov. Dodge, Capt. Boone and Lieut. Lea — the commissioners — together with General Street, the Indian agent ; and the Indian traders fronting them — and on each side of the council house were arranged the tawny warriors, decked out in the most impos- ing finery. The mass of the warriors and braves were standing ; the chiefs and headmen sitting in front of the standing phalanxes, all listening with dignified attention to the propositions of the governor and as each sentence was inter- preted to them, signifying their approbation by the interjectional 'Heigh.'

DISTINGUISHED RED MEN.

"Who is that sitting in front upon the ground with an air of a good deal of nonchalance, but who is not forgetful of propriety and of the proper mode of commanding respect, amid all this apparent indifference ? That is Wapello Powe- shiek, the chief of the most numerous but of the poorest band of all. He has not management enough to keep his band in as thrifty a state as the rest. Who is that blear eyed young looking fellow, to whom Keokuk is looking as if he were watching his emotions ? That is Appanoose, a very talented but dissipated chief. What fellow is that with uncombed and unshorn hair— his naturally fierce coun- tenance rendered hideous by his smearing it fantastically with black and black only ? That is Pashi-pa-ho, or the stabbing chief, so named from the many assas- sinations he has committed. He is of the purest princely blood of any Uving chief in the two nations. I need not ask who that next one is. That nobiUty of countenance, fine contour and talented expression only belong to Keokuk. See, he rises. He is going to speak. x\s he steps out from the other Indians, you see still more strikingly the difference between him and the ordinary Indians. His

90 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

form is of the largest class— tall without seeming to be so — full and portly with- out the slightest tendency to corpulency. His chest and shoulders and right arm were bare save the necklace of bear's claws, and the large snake that was en- circling and pendent from his right arm. His left arm, passing through the folds of his blanket, brought that article of dress close to his form, without checking the freedom of sinister limb. In the left hand he sported a fine pongee silk hand- kerchief. The large snake skin, which was lined with some rich material and had attached to it a number of little bells that gave forth a tinkling sound at every gesture, added no little grace and impressiveness to elocution. He advanced with stately step— the massy trappings of his white buckskin leggins half concealing, half disclosing, set off his finely formed and comparatively small foot to consid- erable advantage. He advanced to the governor's stand and shook hands with him preparatory to opening his address. He then retreated half a dozen steps and fixing his keen eyes on the governor commenced. As he advanced with the subject, his broad and massive chest swelled with the force of thought and feel- ing, and his voice rang clear as a trumpet. He was fluent in words, energetic and graceful in action.

"The result was the sale, as I have stated, of the entire Iowa reservation."

WHITE PEOPLE IN UNDISTURBED POSSESSION.

An account of the Black Hawk war which marked the end of the red man's claim to local territory would naturally close this chapter, but anything which could here be written is told in succeeding chapters. When the treaties which fol- lowed the Black Hawk war had been signed the white people were left in undis- turbed possession. As to the merits of bargain and sale, conquest and dispos- session the perspective of time will make all things clear.

KMKAM K '1(J (lAKDAIJ-: ( K.MK'l'KKV

riMriM Ill, I

; \i. \ ii;\\ (ii- DANKXi'oirr KiioM tiik kock [slaxd siioki

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CHAPTER VI. THE BARROWS HISTORY.

A HISTORY WRITTEN BY A PIONEER AT THE REQUEST OF OTHER PIONEERS RECEIVED

ON ITS APPEARANCE WITH GREAT COMMENDATION HIS OWN ESTIMATE OF THE

GRAVITY OF HIS COMMISSION SOME INCIDENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN NOTED

SINCE THE BARROWS HISTORY WAS WRITTEN BIOGRAPHY OF THE HISTORIAN

THE HISTORY ITSELF WITHOUT OMISSION, ERASURE OR COMMENT — A MONU- MENTAL WORK.

Of all the counties of Iowa, Scott county is peculiarly fortunate in that its early history was written down while yet the incidents were fresh in the memories of those who had made that history by one who brought to that task every quali- fication necessary to the work, — Willard Barrows. This gifted gentleman came to this region as a government surveyor, camped among the Indians and learned their language and traditions, entered into comradeship with the hardy pioneers in this outpost of civilization, here made his home and became one of Davenport's most beloved and honored citizens. After the town had existed long enough to have "old settlers" an organization was formed among them and Willard Barrows, the scholarly pioneer, student, linguist and finished gentleman was re- quested to prepare a history of the county. The work was to his taste and he entered thereon with enthusiasm. The authentic, delightful and circumstantial record of pioneer days which is reproduced entire in this work was the result.

Barrows' History of Scott County appeared serially in the Davenport Ga- zette, beginning in the issue of June 30, 1859 and ending March i, i860. The history was reprinted in the Annals of Iowa, the official organ of the Iowa State Historical society, the first installment appearing in the issue of January, 1863. Other portions appear in subsequent issues of 1863 and 1864. The author brought to date in this second publishing almost all paragraphs in which such editing was necessary.

VERIFICATION AND CORRECTION.

In the interim between these two printings of the history suggestions as to corrections of fact were invited by the author and all criticisms were investi-

94 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

gfated and correction made where necessary. Owing to these circumstances this record of early days became well nigh perfect in narration, and was hailed with delight by all those interested in Scott county and in Iowa history. The Gazette commented as follows in the issue of March i, i860. "As a local history these sketches cannot be too highly estimated. A great many interesting and even im- portant facts which were fast passing into oblivion have been placed on imper- ishable record. The first tracings of civilization here have been mapped. The early trials and struggles of the pioneers — the gradual gathering of strong hearts and vigorous forms from far distant places — the redeeming of prairie and wilderness — the opening of farms and the founding of, villages — and the process of development from the home of the Indian to the home of a population of 26,000 people surrounded by all the elements, of plenty, wealth, civilization and Christianity are well depicted in this history of Scott county. Our com- munity owes a debt of gratitude to the author for his earnest and assiduous labors, opposed as they were at times by most perplexing obstacles in gathering the material for this book and presenting them to the public in so pleasant a form. He does not claim perfection for the result, but we claim for him that he has done his duty well and faithfully and that he is probably the only competent man in the county who could or would have devoted so much time and labor, and without pecuniary reward to an enterprise in which he has no more personal or selfish interest than many other citizens. His sketches have been read with great interest by old and new settlers, and at home and abroad."

OTHER COMMENTS.

A writer at Grinnell voiced an appreciation of Mr. Barrows as the historian of Scott county through his long residence, personal participation in many of the scenes and incidents and intimate acquaintance with all old settlers, the sources from which his information was taken. This writer also notes Mr. Barrows' habits of close observation, peculiar taste for conducting researches, extending, to the far past, and his ability to tell the results of his observation and investigation.

A Muscatine paper of later date speaks of Mr. Barrows as: "One of Scott county's citizens, an old settler of whom the state is justly proud, who furnished the first and best county history." The Iowa Religious News-Letter, Ehibuque, 1863, the only religious journal in the state at the time, adds its word, "Fortunate would it be for the state if every county could find so faithful and painstaking a historian."

HIS OWN ESTIMATE.

Light is thrown on Willard Barrows' estimate of the importance of his mis- sion as historian and his devotion to this work which he considered a duty laid upon him by his fellow citizens by his response at the third annual festival of the Pioneer Settlers' association, February 22, i860, to a toast, "The historian of Scott county, — his indefatigable research in the gathering of facts, statistics and incidents, and his untiring industry in combining them in the indelible record of types have created a living memory of the pioneer history of Scott

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 95

county with which the name of the historian must ever be connected." In re- sponding Mr. Barrows said, in part: "The crude and imperfect material which has been compiled may be of service to the future historian when the great valley of the Mississippi shall have put on her strength and beauty, when her vast plains shall be dotted over with the habitations of man, and the commerce of a great people be seen floating upon the bosom of our noble river. It will be then, sir, that the living memories of the pioneers of Scott county will stand forth amid the splendor of coming ages and receive their just meed of praise.

"To this glorious result we have all here tonight contributed. Alike have we borne the heat and burden of a pioneer life. It was you, pioneer fathers and mothers of Scott county, — it was you that first planted the seeds of this his- tory. It is you that make up this history. It was you that covered up the last footprints of the Indian upon the soil of Scott county, and reared the altars of civilization upon the ruins of barbarism. As I look around me here, tonight, and behold the familiar faces of old and tried friends, how well do I remember the trials and conflicts of our early history.

"The material, sir, for the future historian of Iowa will be rich and abundant, and although we cannot point to a Mt. Nebo, a Lebanon or a Zion, or to rivers made sacred by the presence of patriarchs and prophets, yet we have our own lovely plains with their Eden-like beauty, and the deep rolling Mississippi for our Ganges, our Euphrates and our Nile. We have no Plymouth Rock made memorable by the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, no battlefields upon which the proud monument rears its lofty head. But we can stand upon our own native bluffs and contemplate with wonder and admiration the never tiring waves of that mighty river whose tributaries drain a country greater in extent than the empire of Alexander, and which bears upon its bosom a commerce greater than that of all the rivers tributary to Imperial Rome.

THE GLORY OF THE WEST.

"Think you, sir, that the 'rock-bound coast' of New England should become more memorable by the footprints of the Pilgrims than the landing of Marquette and Joliet, i86 years ago upon the soil of Scott county? Were the scenes enacted in Plymouth harbor more thrilling or important in their results than the discovery of the Mississippi valley ? Should the rock that was immortalized by having been pressed by the Pilgrims' feet have cast around it a greater halo of glory than the presence of these pioneers upon the very ground upon which we this night celebrate? For we believe it was here that the village of Pewaria stood when Marquette and Joliet first landed among the tribes of the Illini.

"Yes, Mr. President, Scott county has a history, a varied and a thrilling one, and for me to feel that I have aided even by my feeble efforts in handing its records down to posterity is requital enough for all the labor bestowed by me."

Across the gulf of fifty years the thoughts of the present dwellers in Scott county may well go back in grateful appreciation to this fine old writer of an early day who made certain the record of events of pioneer times and laid the foundations for the love of Scott county and pride in Scott county, imperishable in all who know its splendid history.

96 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

It is remarkable that in only one particular has the verity of the Barrows his- tory been seriously called in question. In his admirable history of Davis county Captain Hosea B. Horn speaks of Mr. Barrows locating the grave of Black Hawk in Wapello county as an error, claiming that it was over the line in Davis county and citing proof from those living near — proof that seems indisputable. This historian gives the name of the doctor who took Black Hawk's bones from -his grave as Turner and his residence as Lexington, Van Buren county.

Since the printing of the Barrows history many items of early days have come to the surface. It is probable that he knew of many of these but felt the limitations put upon him by his publishers. He resisted the temptation to go too far aheld and widen the scope of his work into a state history. He makes men- tion of the neighboring county of Muscatine because the early settlers of Musca- tine county had much to do with those of Scott county. Montpelier, at the mouth of Pine creek, was the first postoffice in that county and letters were di- rected to Iowa postoffice. Black Hawk purchase, Wisconsin territory. Benjamin Nye landed at the "Mouth of Pine" in 1834, had a store and owned the town with Major Gordon. Muscatine had a variety of early names, Kasey, Newburg, Bloom- ington and then Musquitine, the spelling given by Stephen Whicher who wrote the petition upon which Judge Grant made the change of name. Fairport was originally called Salem, and was laid out in 1836 by Alfred Lyon & Co.

The William Gordon who is mentioned as one of the proprietors of Iowa, the town also known as JMouth of Pine, was one of the incorporators of Daven- port. He left St. Louis in 1843 on an expedition up the Mississippi river and nothing definite was afterwards learned of him. There were rumors that he had been seen in California. Gordon was a Tenneseean, son of Capt. Gordon who commanded a company of scouts under General Jackson in the Creek war. He was liberally educated and had represented the American Fur Company in the Rocky mountains. He was about fifty years of age when he disappeared. Gordon was an elegant and engaging conversationalist, spicy, original and humorous. He lived in a house near the present site of the Lorenzen building. The dash of ec- centricity in his makeup was shown in his never sleeping in a bed, but lay even when ill on buffalo robes spread on the floor with his feet to the fire. His love for women in general brought him into difficulties. Once he was knocked down with a club and stabbed by an irate husband and did not recover for months.

A FUTURE STATE CAPITAL.

This town of Iowa caught the fancy of Lieutenant Albert M. Lea, who in- vestigated the Black Hawk purchase for the government and published a map with notes in 1836 the date that Davenport was incorporated. He must have made investments there for early issues of Andrew Logan's Iowa Sun show display advertising of Albert Lea, offering lots in this coming metropolis of the West. In his map Lieutenant Lea extols in extravagant phrase the prospects of this small settlement : "This will be the point of deposit for the trade of the country included between the Iowa, Wabesapineca and Mississippi, and for the disembarkation of emigrants for that reason. Should the seat of the future gov- ernment of Iowa be located on the Mississippi, it will probably be fixed at Iowa,

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owing- to the central position and commercial advantage of the place, and if it be located in the interior, it must be near the Iowa river, as the weight of popu- lation will be there, and then the town of Iowa will be the nearest port on the Mississippi to the capital of the state." The prophetic lieutenant liked Buffalo and Clark's ferry, and allowed that with a better bank for landing a ferry boat Buffalo would run a great race with Iowa for the location of the metropolis.

Lieutenant Lea cast a jaundiced horoscope for Davenport, just struggling for a place on the map. He calls it a town "just laid out on a reserve belonging to Antoine LeClaire. It is nearly opposite to the lower end of Rock Island, about 350 miles from St. Louis by river, and situated on high ground with a beautiful range of sloping hills running in the rear of it. The town of Stephen- son, the mouth of Rock river, the picturesque w^orks on Rock Island and Le- Claire's house and plantation are all within full view of this point. Its situation is certainly delightful, as far as beauty and health are concerned; but there is doubt as to convenience in landing. Its position near the foot of the rapids where navigation is much obstructed will cause it to be resorted to as a place of ship- ment both for persons and freight. Water power, building stone and bitumin- ous coal are convenient and abundance of excellent timber is to be found on the hills and creeks of the vicinity.

"The town has been laid out on a liberal scale with a view to its becoming a large city. Three public squares have been reserved from sale, one of which it is supposed by the proprietors will be occupied by the public buildings of the future state of Iowa ; for they confidently predict that the seat of government of this forthcoming commonwealth will be no other than the city of Davenport itself. Nous verrons."

If Albert Lea kept his eye on Davenport for a few years he saw this city the capital of the territory of Iowa, at least when Governor Conway came to town. But that is another story to be taken up in a later chapter.

This same traveler, Lieutenant Lea, made sage opinion that all Parkhurst needed was people and houses to be quite a town. There were neither there when he saw the location of the handsome settlement at the upper end of the rapids now called LeClaire.

SUEL FOSTER^S PEDESTRIAN TRIP.

Suel Foster, for many years an honored resident of Muscatine wrote this story of early days when every acre of Iowa soil fronting- on the Mississippi was considered by somebody an appropriate and probable site for the state capitol. "In April, 1836, I was living at Rock Island, Illinois. In May the town of Daven- port was laid out on government land, joining on the west of LeClaire's reserve. In June of that year I took a short journey in the Black Hawk purchase, as it was then called. I do not think the name of Iowa had been given to it then, for it was the new western wild district of Michigan territory. I passed thirty miles down the west bank of the Mississippi river, a beautiful, flat limestone shore most of the way, and I have never found any part of the West so prolific of town sites. I had to pick my way along among town lot stakes much of the wav.

98 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

"The first town was Davenport; the second, four miles, Rockingham; the third, one mile, Monte Video ; the fourth, five miles, New Buffalo ; the fifth, six miles, Iowa. This town was laid out by Captain Robert E. Lee and William Gor- don, (the same Lee afterwards the great Rebel general). The sixth, one mile was Montpelier; the seventh, four miles, Salem; the eighth, one mile, Wyoming; the ninth, four miles, Geneva; the tenth, three miles, Bloomington ; the eleventh, half a mile, Newburgh. At that time Stephen T. Mason was governor of our Michigan territory. We had no counties.

"I recollect the names of several of the mayors of these cities — Antoine LeClaire. of Davenix)rt ; John H. Sullivan, of Rockingham; Capt. Benjamin Clark of New Buffalo; Capt. Robert E. Lee, of Iowa. He was absent at that time, surveying the route of the great river, United States engineer, which river has flowed ever since in the old channel which Lee marked out. The mayor of Montpelier was Benjamin Nye; Salem, James and William Chambers; Wyoming, Samuel Collier ; Geneva, Dr. Eli Reynolds ; Bloomington, now Muscatine, John Vanater; Newburgh, G. W. Kasey. All the intermediate cities between Daven- port and Muscatine are now (1885) in the suburbs of these two cities."

Mr. Foster purchased a claim in Muscatine and the deed showed the style of description necessary in transferring realty before government surveys were made. John Vanater's cabin was made the point of departure and measure in describing the 160-acre claim purchased.

THE NAMING OF DAVENPORT.

To Mr. Barrows' statement that the city of Davenport was named for Col. George Davenport is added the testimony of Rev. Elnathan Gavit, who preached the first sermon in this city back in 1837, it having come to Mr. Gavit's notice that in the New York campaign of 1885, the candidate for governor, Ira L. Davenport was spoken of in the eastern press as the son of Ira Davenport who "had invested in Iowa lands when that state was in its infancy, and the town of Davenport owed its name to this fact," a letter was written covering the subject. Mr. Gavit says: "As a minister of the Methodist church and a member of the Ohio conference and as a missionary to the Northwestern territory I landed with my family and in company with Captain Stanton Sholes and his family upon Rock island in the spring of 1835, and by the kindness of Colonel George Davenport we secured a log house in which we lived until we were enabled to provide a home of our own. Mr. Sholes. my brother-in-law, having purchased an interest in the town of Davenport, in company with myself, we erected the first frame house in that place, which is still standing (1885) not far from the margin of the river. In this house I preached the first sermon, formed the first class, and established the first Sabbath school, and married the first couple in what is now the beautiful and flourishing city of Davenport, and have some knowledge of the early com- mencement of this place, and for whom it was named. I have no misgivings in stating that the town of Davenport in the state of Iowa was named for Colonel George Davenport, of Rock Island, and for no other person or family by the name of Davenport, east or west, north or south, living or dead, politically, relig- iously or otherwise. I not only have this testimony in person from Colonel

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George Davenport himself but also from Mr. A. LeClaire, the earliest proprietor of this villag-e, and that he himself suggested the name in honor of his personal friend, Colonel Davenport, and that his influence and popularity at home and abroad, and especially in St. Louis, would contribute