While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Among the many hundreds of
troops that came to Yellow Bank--Oquawka--on
their way to the sea of war, Major S. S.
Phelps always spoke in high terms of their
good discipline and gentlemanly conduct,
except in one instance--that of a few
persons in a company from McDonough county,
who came over at a time when old chief Tama
and his wife, who was noted for being the
white man's friend, came over to get
provisions for his little band. On seeing an
Indian some of these soldiers, who had been
using their canteens rather frequently, were
eager to slay him, and not only threatened
him but Major P. also, for harboring him.
The officers seemed to have no control of
these men--and just at a time when their
threats were loudest of what they intended
to do at the close of three minutes, Major
P. and one of his clerks, Mr. Joseph Smart,
were standing with their rifles cocked ready
to make the first shot, a cry came from
outside of the building, by one of the more
peaceable soldiers, "Here comes another
company, Capt. Peter Butler's, from
Monmouth," when these would-be braves
instantly retreated.
We are assured by one of Capt. B.'s company,
Mr. James Ryason, that the foregoing is
literally true, and that Major P. and Mr.
Smart, afterwards, amid the threats of these
same soldiers, escorted Tama and wife to the
river bank to take their canoe to cross the
river, and stood there with their guns,
ready to protect the Indians until they got
out of reach of gunshot--Smart threatening
all the time to put a ball though the first
man that attempted to shoot.
In order to appease the wrath of these
soldiers and prevent some of them being
killed, Capt. B. advised Maj. P. not to give
Tama any provisions; but on the way down,
Mr. Ryason says, Smart (who talked their
language equal to a native born) told them
to meet them at a certain point after night
and they would be supplied; and that for the
purpose of assisting Mr. Smart in taking
supplies to Tama, he got leave of absence
from the Captain until next morning.
Messrs. James Ryason and Gabriel Shot, both
honorable and highly respected Christian
gentlemen, are the only survivors of that
company now residing in this county.
Tama's village, located on South Henderson,
half a mile below the farm of Mr. John T.
Cook, at Gladstone, was always noted as
being the abode of friendly Indians. In the
fall of 1829, some write men came in and
made improvements on the land in the
vicinity, and at the advice of Mr. Phelps,
Tama crossed the river and made a new town
at the mouth of Flint river on the
Mississippi, and at the time of Black Hawk's
raid into Illinois, it was the rendezvous of
many young men who had been persuaded by
Tama not to join Black Hawk. But when the
news reached them of the indignities offered
to their good old chief, they secretly
determined to go upon the war path, and soon
after four young Foxes started to cross the
river and avenge the insult. On going up
Henderson creek they espied Mr. William
Martin while in the act of mowing, at a
point near Little York, whom they shot and
killed, and for fear of detection,
immediately took to the brush. It being late
when they got through the woods, they made a
fire and camped just at the edge of the
prairie.
Some time after the shooting, friends of Mr.
Martin discovered his lifeless body and
after removing it to the home, started on
the trail of his murderers, and followed it
some distance through the underbrush, but
wisely concluded, as it was growing late, to
return and give the alarm. An express was
sent to Capt. Butler during the night, who
started out with his company early in the
morning, and on emerging into the prairie
discovered the camp fire of the Indians, add
followed their trail to a slough in the
Mississippi two miles below Keithsburgh.
Here the Indians embarked in their canoes
and were probably on the other side of the
river by this time. A demand was immediately
made upon Keokuk for the murderers, as they
belonged to his band of Foxes, who
surrendered two men to the commanding
officer at Rock Island.
These Indians soon afterwards made their
escape, and before the time fixed for their
trial, Keokuk delivered four young men to
Maj. Phelps, then sheriff of Warren county,
to be tried for the offence. Maj. P. and his
deputy, Mr. James Ryason, took them to
Monmouth jail, where the following
proceedings were had before the Circuit
Court (for a copy of which we are indebted
to George C. Rankin, Esq., now Circuit
Clerk)
The books presented are for
their historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Autobiography of Black
Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak,
Copyrighted By J. B. Patterson, 1882
