"The History of Randolph County, Illinois, Including Old Kaskaskia
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LI B R.AR.Y OF THE UNIVEHSITY Of ILLINOIS 977.392 H76h 1970 — Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/thehistoryofrandOOmont "THE HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS, INCLUDING OLD KASKASKIA ISLAND" By /; I. J. MONTAGUE 1859 Copiod by Eltonboth Pinkorton Leigh ty Sparta, Illinois 1948 Reproduced by DUOPAGE PROCESS in the U.S. of America Micro Photo Division Bell & Howell Company Cleveland, Ohio 44112 DP4 119** j ^ o ZAfi£2 5Z fiflfiXEHIfi I I1JTRQDUCTION AND MAP Elisabeth Pinkerton Leighty II HISTORIAN E. J. MONTAGUE'S i "A DIRECTORY, BUSINESS IIIRRGR, « HISTORICAL SKETCHES, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WITH BRIEF NOTES OF THE PIONEER SETTI2- lENTS", published in 1859 Pages 1-134- Copied by Elisabeth Pinkerton Leighty P III ZEBEDIAH BARKER III, MINUTE MAN Pages 13 5-13 5a Sketch by Mrs. Lilian Bratney Gordon r do IV REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS BURIED IN * RANDOLPH COUNTY, ILLINOIS Pages 137-142 5? According to records of Harriet J # tfalker tf <?i CLASSIFIED PRECINCT DIRECTORIES (Namos not repeated in Index) Chester 7A~ 78 Liberty 97- 98 Coulterville 109-111 Pr. du Rocher 94- 95 Eden 83- 89 Preston 116-118 Evan3ville 100-101 Shiloh Hill 119-120 Florence (Ellis Grove) 112 -113 Sparta 82- 86 Kaskaskia Island 68- 70 Steeleville 104-107 VI INDEX Pages H3-158 Compiled by Lirs# Eliza Keys Pinlcerton 9 <* J. s SKETCHES OF KASKASKIA Indians For many years before Kaskaskia was knov/n to the white man, it was an Indian village, around v/hich the crude natives hunted and fished, boiled their corn and venison, smoked the calumet, and danced to the guttural notes of discordant music, without a reference, therefore, to the Indian tribe from which Kaskaskia has taken its name, a sketch of the place, however complete in other particulars, would yet be imperfect. At the time when the first white adventurers extended th. .r explorations into Illinois, a confederation embracing five trx^es the Kaskaskias, the Cahokias, the Tsrrarais (or Tamaroas,) the Peorias and the Mitchigammies—were found inhabiting the lllinoj country, and were called the "Illinois Confederacy". The Kaskaskias occupied the country around the village which bears their name, and claimed for their hunting grounds the district which now embraces the counties of Randolph, Jack- son, Perry, Washington, and portions of St. Clair and Monroe. The Cahokias inhabited the region around cahokia—-another Indi- an village —v/hose history commences and runs along with that of Kaskaskia— situated on the eastern bank of the Mississippi river, in St. Clair county, a little below a point opposite the city of St. Louis. The Tammarais have left no traces of their locality, except that the Twelve Mile prairie, in St. Clair Co., was formerly called "Prairie Tammarais", which gives founda- tion to the opinion that that was the place of their residence. It was an Indian tradition that this tribe was nearly exterminat- ed in a battle with the Shawnees, fought on Six Mile prairie, in Perry county. The bones of the slain, and other evidences of the battle were to be seen there not many years ago. sometime afterward, this tribe lost its national identity and united with the Cahokias. The Peorias ranged along the Illinois river in the region of the now flourishing city of Peoria, and left the evidences of their battles with other tribes in that country, which are yet visible. The Mitchigammies were first found along the shores of Lake Michigan. But they removed in a few years afterwards, and settled about Fort Chartres and Prairie du Rocher (Illinois). Soon afterward they ceased to exist as a distinct tribe, and the remnants blended with the Kaskaskias. These tribes were once numerous and powerful in war, and. successfully defended their claims to the country around the southern borders of Lake Michigan; but a series of disastrous conflicts with the doubly savage pottowatomies—a powerful exercised branch of the great Chippeway nation, who claimed and hunting and fishing dominion over that vast extent of country embraces the State-, of Wisconsin, Micnigan, Indiana which now numbers and the northern portions of Illinois-so reduced their their that they were forced southward in search of relief from P s SKETCHES OF KASKASKIA Indians For many years before Kaskaskia was known to the white man, it was an Indian village, around whi'.ch the crude natives hunted and fished, boiled their corn and venison, smoked the calumet, and danced to the guttural notes of discordant music. Without a reference, therefore, to the Indian tribe from which Kaskaskia has taken its name, a sketch of the place, however complete in other particulars, would yet be imperfect. At the time when the first white adventurers extended thj .r explorations into Illinois, a confederation embracing five tr^oes the Kaskaskias, the Cahokias, the Tarrarais (or Tamaroas,) the Peorias and the Mitchigamraies--were found inhabiting the Illinod country, and were called the "Illinois Confederacy". The Kaskaskias occupied the country around the village which bears their name, and claimed for their hunting grounds the district which now embraces the counties of Randolph, Jack- son, Perry, Washington, and portions of St. Clair and Monroe. The Cahokias inhabited the region around cahokia—another Indi- an village —whose history commences and runs along with that of Kaskaskia — situated on the eastern bank of the Mississippi river, in St. Clair county, a little below a point opposite the city of St. Louis. The Tammarais have left no traces of their locality, except that the Twelve Mile Prairie, in St. Clair Co., was formerly called "Prairie Tammarais", which gives founda- tion to the opinion that that was the place of their residence. It was an Indian tradition that this tribe was nearly exterminat- ed in a battle with the shawnees, fought on Six Mile Prairie, in Perry county. The bones of the slain, and other evidences of the battle were to be seen there not many years ago. sometime afterward, this tribe lost its national identity and united with Q the Cahokias. The Peorias ranged along the Illinois river in the region of the now flourishing city of peoria, and left the evidences of their battles with other tribes in that country, which are yet visible. The Mitchigammies were first found along the shores of Lake Michigan. But they removed in a few years afterwards, and settled about Fort Chartres and Prairie du Rocher (Illinois). Soon afterward they ceased to exist as a distinct tribe, and the remnants blended with the Kaskaskias. These tribes were once numerous and powerful in war, and successfully defended their claims to the country around the southern borders of Lake Michigan; but a series of disastrous conflicts with the doubly savage Pottowatomies —a powerful branch of the great Chippeway nation, who claimed and exercised hunting and fishing dominion over that v ast extent of country which now embraces the States of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and the northern portions of Illinois — so reduced their numbers that they were forced southward in search of relief from their cruel adversaries. But even here they were not secure from their savage kinsmen. Predatory bands of Kickapoos and Shawnees occasionally engaged them in war, and reduced them in numbers. One by one these tribes ceased to exist, and united with another, until finally, in the year 1830, the whole Confederacy was merged into the Kaskaskia tribe, and known only as the "Kaskaskia Indians." Thus banded together, and having only about one hundred and fifty warriors, they were in a condition to love peace rather than war, of which they had had more than sufficient to satiate the ferocity of their savage natures. They hailed the advent of the whites among them with joy, and cultivated their friendship as a source of protection against the attacks of their Indian enemies. For this reason, they became the friend .3 of the whites, and often rendered valuable services in the capacity of spies and guides. It was the boast of Ducoagne, or Ducogne, their last chief, that his tribe had never saea the blood of the white man. They cultivated some corn in the American Bottom, which, with the game they obtained by hunting, furnished them a sub- sistence. They exchanged their furs v/ith the French traders for such articles of apparel as their habits of life and tastes demanded. Leading a listless, indolent life, v/ith no higher aim or ambition than obtaining sufficient food and raiment to supply the wants of nature, they became lazy, drunken, de- graded and debauched, and lost that noble spirit of dignity and independence which pulses in the veins of the true Indian. In the year 1833, finding their hunting grounds occupied by the industrious white man, and not fitted to enjoy the privi- leges of encroaching civilization, they bade farewell to the land which had been the lifetime home of themselves and their fathers, and Joined that stubborn tide of emigration which has borne away towards the Pacific Ocean all that wild race of men, who once held undisputed possession of the continent, vrith tearful eyes and bitter lamentations, they turned their backs upon scenes familiar and dear, and sought new hunting grounds • towards the sotting sun. The tribe is now extinct, but a few of the descendants still live with other tribes of the west. The common fate of the Indian race is a source of saddening re- flection; but the contributions to Christianity, to science, to industrial enterprise, and the world is material wealth, and to the political elevation of mankind, which have followed in their retreating wake, sufficiently vindicate the usurpation.