The following excerpts weres provided by Catherine Comeau and taken from

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois
and History of Kendall County

Edited by Newton Bateman, LLD and Paul Selby, A.M.

Munsell Publishing Company
Chicago 1914

INDIAN CREEK MASSACRE

About four o'clock in the afternoon of May 20, 1832, while the men were at work in the blacksmith shop, and the women busy with their household affairs, unconscious of danger from their red foe, a dog barked, when Mrs. Davis on looking out at the door, exclaimed: "My God, here are the Indians now," as seventy painted savages entered the door-yard. Mr. Pettigrew, with a child in his arms, attempted to shut the door, but was shot down while doing so, and fell backward on the floor. Part of the Indians now rushed into the house, and with knives, spears and tomahawks commenced killing women and children, while others, with deafening yell; attacked the men at the blacksmith shop. The assault being so sudden, the men were unprepared to make a successful resistance, although their guns were close at hand, and before these could be brought into use they were overpowered and killed. William Hall was shot down instantly. Robert Norris had seized his gun and while in the act of shooting he, too, was killed. William Davis, being a large, resolute man, with remarkable physical power, defended himself for some time, using the breach of his gun (which was a heavy Kentucky rifle) over the heads of the savages, breaking the stock and bending the barrel in the fearful struggle, but at last was overpowered and killed. Blood and hair were found on Davis' gun barrel, and the ground where his remains lay showed marks of a fearful conflict. Near by was a pool of blood where an Indian had laid, supposed to have been killed and is remains carried off by his comrades. Henry George jumped into the millpond, but was shot while swimming across it and his body taken out of the water and scalped. One of Davis' sons, a lad of fourteen years, named William, made his escape by flight. John W. a son of William Hall, ran and jumped off the creek bank as many shots were fired at him. The Indians, supposing him dead, did not pursue, and by keeping close under the high creek bank and out of sight, he succeeded in making his escape.

When the Indians entered Davis' house they with loud yells, commenced killing the inmates. Some were shot down, others dispatched with spears, knives or tomahawks. Mrs. Davis, in her fright, threw her arms around Rachel Hall, and when shot down, the muzzle of the gun was so close as to burn the face of the latter into a blister. Mrs. Pettigrew was found with her infant clasped in her arms, both mother and child having their heads split open by a tomahawk and lying in a bloody gore. An Indian took a small child belonging to Mr. Pettigrew by the feet and knocked out its brains against a stump in the door-yard. The Indian afterward said, in fiendish glee, that the women and children squalled like ducks when the steel entered their vitals. Sylvia and Rachel Hall in trying to escape from the murderers, Jumped on the bed, but were caught by two Indians and dragged into the door-yard. Three young men, Edward and Greenberry Hall and Alexander Davis, were at work in the field, but on seeing the Indians killing their people, unhitched the oxen from the plow and fled in all haste for Ottawa. A short distance from Davis' cabin lived Allen Howard, John, and T. H. Henderson, who had taken their families to Ottawa a few days before and re-turned to work on their claims, as previously stated. On hearing the firing of guns and yells of savages, at Davis' cabin, and knowing the Indians were murdering their friends, they picked up their rifles and ran to their rescue; but on seeing the strength of the attacking party, knew assistance would be useless, and only sacrificing their own lives, therefore they turned about and fled for Ottawa.

After the Indians had completed their work of horror, leaving fifteen dead bodies, scalped, and some of them mutilated in a shocking manner, they returned to the place where they left their ponies. They took with them a number of horses belonging to the murdered families, also cloth-ing, provisions and everything they could use. They shot horses, cattle and hogs; even chickens in the barn-yard did not escape their fury. Two daughters of William Hall, Sylvia, aged seven-teen, and Rachel, fourteen, were taken prisoners and carried off into the Indian country. They also took with them as a prisoner a little son of William Davis, named James, a lad seven years of age, but finding he could not travel as fast as they required, after going about one-half mile, they killed him. The two Indians who had him in charge, one having hold of each hand, made him stand up to be shot. Little Jimmy, as he was called pale as death, stood like a marble statue, without moving a muscle, to receive the fatal shot, and while struggling in the agonies of death the savages took off his scalp, leaving the body where it fell, to be devoured by dogs or wolves.

When the massacre was completed, four warriors took the two Misses Hall, one holding to each arm, and hurried them off as fast as possible through the woods to where their ponies were tied. On arriving here they saw among the crowd of warriors two Indians they knew, To-qua-mee and Co-mee, who had frequently been at their house. When the Indians arrived at the place where their ponies were tied they held a council over the prisoners to decide on their fate. Girty, the leader of the band, was in favor of killing the prisoners; but the will of this cut-throat was overruled by a majority of the warriors, who no doubt had in view the large sum of money which would be paid for their ransom. It was finally agreed that the Sac and Fox warriors should take the prisoners to Black Hawk's camp, about ninety miles distant, while the Pottawatomies continued their scout through the settlements in search of other victims. The girls were mounted on horses, with two Indians riding by their side holding the bridle reins to prevent their escape, and in this position they galloped away.

On the day of the massacre, Captain McFadden, Wilber Walker and a few others were returning from Dixon's Ferry, where they had been to get Governor Reynolds to furnish troops to protect the people at Ottawa. When this party was within three miles of Davis' cabin they heard the report of guns, but did not know what it meant, as all the settlers were thought to have fled from their homes.

Hicks, in his "History of Kendall County," presents the facts regarding the war as affecting our early settlers as given by them, as the present writer often heard them. He says: "Just as young Pyps rode up to George B. Hollenback's his wife was getting supper, and he had washed and was wiping on the towel when the Indian said, without dismounting: 'The Sacs are coming!' Mr. H. made some light reply, but the other added: 'My friend, I am in earnest; go at once if you will save your lives.' His wife and step-daughter took the alarm at once, and dropping their work, hurried over to Clark Hollenback's with the warning. Clark himself had gone to Ottawa to get a plow sharpened and do some other business; and here, too, the women were frightened, and to keep close to the truth, the boys were slightly nervous as well. Thomas, mounting an unbroken colt, started to alarm his uncle George, and one of the others ran over to Cunningham's. The women, with what articles they could carry, were mounted on the horses, the men on foot, and so they left for the fort at Ottawa. The prairie grass was green, and wild flowers were growing where Newark now stands, but the fugitives had not heart or time to admire beauty, save the beauty of seeing, as they now and then looked behind, that they were getting farther away and no Indians in sight. Reaching the point of the Mission timber by dark, they turned the horses out to graze, and hid themselves in the thicket. But it soon commenced to rain, and they decided to move on, most of them this time on foot, as they were unable to catch but one of the horses. The journey was a slow and tedious one, and they reached Ottawa the next evening.

"Meanwhile, Thomas, on his frightened colt, made double-quick time over the Pavilion road between Newark and William Hollenback's, his uncle, when he arrived, was tying the horses out to grass, after their day's work, but on hearing the alarm immediately brought them up again, and left the boys to harness them while he hurried over to arouse the other families. Mr. Harris' team had strayed away, and himself and two older boys were absent searching for them. To add to their dismay, Mrs. Harris' father- old Mr. Coombs-was so sick with inflammatory rheumatism as to be unable to be moved. There appeared to be no alternative but to leave him if they would save their lives, and to this he urged them. 'Leave me to my fate,' he said, 'mind save yourselves; I am an old man and can live but a little while at best.' Taking what articles they could, with tearful farewells, they left him and hurried away on foot. Mr. Ackley had no wagon, and he mounted his wife and one child on one horse, while he and the remaining child rode the other. By the time they reached Mr. Hollenback's the sun had set and it was growing dark; but the boys had the team and wagon all ready, so that they started at once, taking an easterly direction over the prairie towards Plainfieid. Before sunset the Indians were on the move, eager for scalps and spoil. They struck Harris' cabin first, and Mr. Coombs gave himself up for dead, but having satisfied themselves that he was sick, they did not molest him. Passing on to the two other cabins, they found no one at home; but the supper tables were spread, and they helped themselves to what they pleased. 'Shabona did this,' they said one to another in their Indian guttural, and they laid up a score against him. They had been but a few minutes at Hollenback's when, the wagon having mired in a slough about a mile out, Mr. Hollenback returned to get a chain that lay on a shaving horse in his yard. As he approached the fence, through the brush, he saw a light through the cracks, between the basswood puncheons of which the door was made. Indians do not usually make lights while on their raids, but these were undoubtedly on a savage spree, and believing their victims had received warning and fled, were off their guard. In a moment the door opened, and one came out bearing a torch; at that instant the dry twigs snapped under Mr. Hollenback's feet as he ran away, pursued by two Indians. His line of flight was parallel with the present Pavilion road for about a mile, when his strength gave out, and he fell, rolling into a ditch at the foot of the hill south of Dr. Cook's. Fortunately, his pursuers ran past him, and soon gave up the chase. The moon was nearly at the full, but every few minutes it would cloud over and be dark, and Mr. Hollenback being thus unable to keep to the wagon track even after he found it, became lost, and rambled about all night. Mr. Harris and his two sons, while after the horses, became lost, but in the morning, strangely enough, came on their family encamped on the prairie. They had passed the slough by unloading the wagon. Although not at that time professing Christianity, they always regarded that meeting as a special interposition of God's providence; for had they returned to the house, or taken any other route than the one they did, they probably would never have met again.

"In the morning the company separated, Mr. and Mrs. Ackley turning off to arouse the Aments. Coming to the door Mrs. Ackley said to them who were up: 'Call Edward; the Sacs and Foxes are upon us, and he must leave just as quick as he can; and while she continued talking Edward was called and preparations for flight begun. 1n a few minutes they were on the road, Mr. Morton, a man who lived with Ament, being with them,. With the other party was Peter Bollinger, a single man who worked for Hollenback. Crossing the wide prairie they came soon after sunrise to the claims of Selvey and Dougherty, where two new-corners, Keeler Clark and his brother William, were breaking sod. The latter was afterwards well known as a Mormon preacher. They put part of their breaking team on the wagon in place of Mr. Hollenback's jaded horses; thus strengthened, the party continued their journey with less fear of attack. At this point, too, they were joined by Mr. Hollenback, who was received as one from the dead. At Clark Hollenback's the Indians found more to hold them, for there were groceries and tobacco and whiskey in the store, and they spent the remainder of the night there in wild carousel. It was a fortunate spree for the Holderman Grove settlers. They had been warned the night before, but the war had been so long talked of they did not believe there was any immediate danger. The possessions that must be left behind doubtless caused some of the hesitation, for Mr. Holderman had but just returned from Ohio with a load of provisions. Two other families had moved in, Mr. Cummins and Wyatt Cook, making again the original number at the Grove. Mr. Kellogg was away, and was not expected home for a day or two, but he would not have hastened matters if be had been present. Mr. Vermet, however, sent his hired man over to warn Mr. Booth and Mr. Litsey, but, perhaps through fear, he did not do his errand.

"Before breakfast, in the morning of the memorable and beautiful sixteenth of May, Mr. Holderman took a piece of bread and butter in his hand, mounted his horse, and, in company with Ezra Kellogg and Mr. Cummins, rode over to Newark to see if Clark Hollenback credited the report. Mr. Cummins wore an overcoat carried a rifle; the others were unarmed. Going first to Pat Cunningham's, they found no one at home; then passing up towards Hollenback's, their suspicions were aroused. They did not like the appearance of things and stopped. Between them and the house a new sod fence had been made, and an Indian now appeared on the fence and beckoned with his hand for them to come on. It was enough. Instead of going on, they turned their horses and fled, and were instantly shot at and pursued by a large party of Indians, who were secreted in the fence ditch. They had been drinking and were all excited, otherwise it would seem impossible that the men could have escaped with their lives. As it was, the only bullet that took effect cut the neck of Mr. Cummin's horse, below the mane. The little valley south of Earl Adams' homestead used to be a sunny spot. The hill each side was a great den for wolves and badgers. There the Indians ponies had strayed, seeking the green grass, and the Indians were consequently obliged to follow the white men on foot, which they did with all their speed, and with furious yells. But on the Adams' hill Holderman swung his hat and shouted to imaginary reinforcements, and the device was successful. The Indians stopped, and after a short parley retreated. When they reached Kellogg's, Mr. Holderman shouted over the slough to his family, 'Gear up, gear up!' and leaving their breakfast untasted they hastened to obey the warning call. They did not know but the Indians, catching their ponies, would be upon them within a few minutes, so they made ready with the utmost speed, and were soon far on the road to Ottawa. The Indians, however, did not leave Hollenback's until the following night, detained either by love of their good fare or by the hope that other settlers might visit them. The last, undoubtedly was the stronger motive, as the store was tolerably well known though the surrounding settlements, and was frequently visited. It is illustrative of Indian nature that from first to last these robbers skulked in thickets and groves in the daytime, and did their traveling mostly In the night."

ANSEL REED'S STORY

Eleven families were now on their way out of the county, and but three more remained. Mr. Booth had as yet received no warning, and how it came may be best told in Ansel Reed's own words:

"It was a pleasant morning and soon after daylight I was up, went down a little piece from the house, to rive shingle bolts. While at work I heard three reports of guns, close together, from the direction of Newark, and soon after saw three men horseback galloping over a rise of ground toward Holderman's. I supposed then that those three men had fired the guns and thought little more of it. There had been a talk of war for years, but we did not know as it would ever come. There was a pond a little out from the edge of the grove-a quarter of a mile from the house. Mr. Booth wished to plant a patch of potatoes by it, and after breakfast I went out to drive up the oxen to do the plowing. While looking for the cattle, Booth came out, too, and crossed the fresh horse tracks. They were made by large horses that were shod, and he knew they were not Indians. Yet, in thinking about it, I remembered that the Indians had appeared unusually busy that spring. Their trail ran along by the grove, about on the line of the Newark and Lisbon road. There were three or four trails side by side. In some places, where the rain had washed them out, they were three feet deep. Indians passed along these every day, sometime riding at the top of their speed. Booth's oxen were a fine, large, spotted pair, well known because of their strength and color, and the pride he took in them. He plowed the ground, while I spent the forenoon chopping for sod corn with a wooden axe. There were seventeen acres in the field; the pond was in the same enclosure. We worked on so all the forenoon, not knowing we were left nearly alone in Kendall County and that the savages were so near us. They had set Clark Hollenback's cabin on fire, and I saw smoke all the afternoon. Mr. Booth saw it too, but thought it was burning brush. If the Indians had come then, they certainly would have killed us all, but they probably supposed we had fled. In going to work in the afternoon I met two Frenchmen, half breeds, riding each a mare with a colt following. They said they lived in Kankakee and were going north for seed corn, and asked if I could not get them some dinner. I directed them to the house, but they would not go unless I went too; I knew if I went back without permission Mr. Booth would not like it, so I declined. They talked a little while longer, and passed on toward Newark. The trail did not run through the present site of Newark, but left it a little to the right, and about there it was crossed by the Chicago trail. Mr. Booth came out and had made two or three turns in furrowing out the potato land, and when the Frenchmen returned in a great fright and told Mr. Booth what they had seen. He sent them on to alarm Anthony Litsey, and beckoned to me to hurry, saying, as I came near, 'I don't know but we shall all be killed.' We had heard Litsey calling to his oxen during the forenoon. He had joined teams with William Parcell, a bachelor who lived at Cherry's Grove, and they were breaking ground together. Parcell had a two-wheeled cart. which was the only vehicle on the place, as Litsey had none. Booth's wagon had a rack on it but no box. It had solid wheels, a sapling for a tongue, and was wholly of wood-not even a nail about it. We put on some maple sugar and a loaf of bread, and then I was sent to drive up the cows, but we could not find them. I ran around to the prairie, but they were nowhere in sight. In coming back I met Mrs. Booth, carrying the youngest child. She looked frightened and said, as she passed, 'Where is Mr. Booth?' The road that led up to the house was the same that leads to it now, and when I came up Mr. Booth said, 'Let down the bars and get your shoes and coat and come on.' I did so, and then ran on after him, he had fastened the door by planting a heavy stick against it on the inside. When we had gone a little way he saw his steers and let me drive while he went back to the house to yoke them up. But in a moment he said, 'I don't think it's safe to go back.' and turning, ran on after his wife. They walked a mile and a half to the northwest corner of Collins's Grove then called Duck Grove, because there was a large pond in it and wild ducks were plenty there. The thicket was very dense, and Booth hid his wife where the wagon would pass, while he ran to alarm Kellogg and the other families. It was about three-quarters of a mile farther. Mr. Kellogg had built a better house of hewed logs, a few rods from William Stephens' residence. I reached Mrs. Booth and took her on board, and soon Booth came running down, hat in hand, tired out and frightened, and reported that the Kellogg's had gone leaving their breakfast table set and the coffee poured out in the cups. We were afraid now to go on, and hoping to keep hid until dark, we went farther into the thicket, over logs and fallen limbs, and then I unhitched the cattle and took them down to the duck pond, where there was a good bite of grass. I remember that the ring in the yoke staple made such a horrible noise, as the oxen walked, that I believed the Indians must surely hear it. In the meantime. Litsey and Parcell had started, and Booth went up to hail them as they passed. On his way he saw a number of Indians entering Big Grove, north of his house, as if intending to enter it by the rear; we left, therefore, none too soon. Mr. Litsey did not think it best to wait until dark so Mr. Booth returned and brought his wagon out of the almost impenetrable timber. Parcell's cart wheels were making a terrible squeaking and they greased them with some pork Booth had with him. The sun was now about an hour high. Litsey had two horses, and rode one while Booth rode the other, and Parcell and I drove the teams. He had three yoke of oxen in his team, but in the slough this side of Holdermans' my wagon mired, and he had to pull me out, and after that we drove two yoke each. From Holderman's, where we found the breakfast table still spread, we struck across the prairie toward Marseilles-Booth and Litsey riding ahead, Parcell following, and I in the rear. The night was cloudy, and about midnight there came a very heavy thunder shower, which compelled us to stop and take off the cattle and cover the women and children with quilts."

Removal of Indians

A few Pottawatomies under Shabona and Waubansle remained in the vicinity until 1836, when nearly all of the natives were removed beyond the Mississippi. A few were awarded reservations. To Ma-hwa-wa (found on our map as Mo-ah-way) was set aside a small tract in Section 31, Town of Oswego, and to Waish-ke-sbaw one considerably larger, mostly located in the northwest corner of the Town of Na-au-say, on the north branch of the Sac and Fox trail. One of the last few councils, as related by the late Abraham Darnell, was held beneath a beautiful large oak tree, often seen by the writer, at Pike's log cabin, but little more than a pistol shot south of the foot of Maramech Hill, where the passage way from the Fox stockade had descended to the smaller creek then washing it's base. This was, no doubt, the precise place that, quoting from a military report, "The troops of St. Ange constructed a small fort at two lengths of a pistol shot, which was to cut them (the Foxes) off from communication with the river." The abundance of arrow heads and implements found in Pike's garden indicated that a part of the French Indian allies had also been located there. At this last council were several branches of the Pottawatomie tribe who from there were taken by contractors far westward, their wigwam poles standing for more than three years. Here, again, passed the Sac and Fox trail over which Black Hawk and his British band journeyed to Malden, Canada, to treat with and receive presents from the British. By the early settlers many places were named after and events attributed to Black Hawk. The murmurs of some forgotten event located the council of the Sac and Shabona and Waubansie upon Maramech Hill. The cavity reaching into, the cliff of Galena limestone opposite the great mounds over a mile below was called Black Hawk's cave. The rocky eminencies were some-times referred to as Black hawk's mounds.

For some time before and soon after the war a few Pottawatomies remained along Fox River. A single cabin was in the "Big Woods" on the south side of the river not far from the many springs that flow from the bluff at the northeast corner of Fox Township, and here the trail forded the river. The occupant, here found, aided John Kinzie on his way to Chicago in March, 1831. The hunter, supplied by him with ammunition, brought ducks from the ponds, and the squaw prepared a soup from Indian potatoes, pronounced delicious by Mrs. Kinzie. After a frightful night amidst falling trees, slain by a March blast, this native, starting early with them, led the way to Pechie's cabin, where they arrived at nine o'clock, only to learn that further needed supplies could not be found, Pechie being away.

In the early fifties an aged Indian yet straight as an arrow with a one-horse wagon and squaw of width to almost fill it when seated, crept northward over the road that, when a mere trail, had been traveled by the French in going by land from Fort St. Louis to Chicago. He turned there-from to follow up the "Little River," as called in the early French military reports. This last representative of our local-tribes was Shabona with his squaw. The road cleft in the side of the hill that skirts the stream had not yet been made. The old Kishwaukee trail over the hill, not prepared for wheeled vehicles. so wound among the trees and dropped so abruptly to the north that he was forced to take a newer road, made by the whites. Hence it was only across the swamp that he saw the hill so fatal to the Foxes. He passed within a stones throw of the site of DeVillers' little fort and onward to the new village of Plano, where he exchanged furs for necessities. For a time he camped near the head of the principal branch, still called Battle Creek, the cool stream that, miles below, bathes the foot of Maramech Hill. Since then the eyes of no red man has rested upon the scenes of alternate storm and calm.

CHAPTER III

A STORY OF THE INDIAN OUTBREAK OF 1832

A PREPARED CLUB PAPER-Mrs. BOYD'S THRILLING STORY-INDIANS ARRIVE-ESCAPES BY RUNNING-LOST IN THE DARKNESS-ARE FIRED UPON- BUILD BLOCK HOUSE-ADDITIONAL DATA BY MR. HOLLENBACK

(By George M. Hollenback.)

To the Ladies of the 19th Century Club of Oswego:

A Committee of your club has extended an invitation to me to appear before you this evening, and give you a talk on the early history of Oswego; if not able to give you something in regard to your town, to say something in regard to the early history of Kendall County, and if not able to be personally present, to prepare a paper in regard to early events, to be read on this occasion. Inasmuch as my health has been an uncertain quantity for some months, as the weather is somewhat of an uncertain quantity, at this season of the year, I have concluded to send you a paper to be read on the Indian outbreak of May, 1832. A number of published accounts are so wide of the actual occurrences connected therewith-some of them wholly false-I have thought best to introduce one who was present and passed through some of the scenes that came under her observation as a competent witness.

On June 28, 1893, Mr. Edward Welles, a relative, spent the day with my sister, the late Mrs. Sarah A. Boyd, at her home in Bristol; at that visit Mr. Welles requested her to give her recollections of the outbreak of the Indians belonging to Black Hawk's band, in 1832, by which all the early settlers were driven from their homes. Mr. Welles took pretty full notes of her statement and last summer sent them to me, with the request that I edit them, and make corrections if necessary. This statement is substantially as follows:

MRS. BOYD'S STORY

"I am the third child of George Hollenback and Sophia Sidle, born in Muskingum County. Ohio, April 27, 1822. Moved with the family to Indiana in 1829 when in my eighth year; were six weeks and three days on the road to Gopher Hill, Indiana; left there in April, 1830, and lived a year in LaSalle County, across the Illinois River from Peru; moved to Hollenback's Grove now Kendall County, in April, 1831. Father entered a section of land there. Early in April we saw Indians pass over the hills to the south. In the spring of 1832, two strange Indians came to the house and saw the twin babies in the cradle and seemed very much pleased. We could not understand what they said about the "papooses", and we did not apprehend any danger. Early in the spring we saw some strange Indians crossing to the Northeast; saw the shining of the sun on their guns, thought they were going to Canada for their blankets and annuities; we afterward thought they were Black Hawk Indians.

"We now come to the date of the outbreak, May 16. 1832. On that day Shabona, very truly called 'the friend of the white man' started a member of his family to inform my father's family that an Indian outbreak was to occur that night, soon after dark. He missed the way, and struck my uncle Clark Hollenback's house, four miles to the southwest, getting there a little while before sun set. Happily uncle was away from home; had he been at home he would not have believed the story, and would not have taken any means of escaping. His son, Thomas, a young man of seventeen or eighteen years of age procured a pony of a half-breed Frenchman named "Wash" Baubien,, and rode Immediately to our house. He arrived just about the going down of the sun;; his first salutation was, 'If you don't all get out of this immediately you will be killed tonight by the Indians.'

'Father was out, not far away, burning log heaps, preparing to set out an orchard; supper was just ready on the table. A young man named Pete Bolinger was living with us. We did not, stop to eat. Father and Bolinger, with mother's help, got a box on the wagon, and he ordered a bed and other necessary articles to be placed therein, then the family to get in and to drive out east over the ridge, or rise of ground out of sight of the house, while he would go and alarm the families of Ezra Ackley and William Harris, our near neighbors, the farthest not over a half mile away, and then he would join us in a few minutes. He said in starting: 'Be sure and throw the bars down and let the cows and calves together, and be careful and put out every spark of fire,' and then we were to drive along the fence and up the hill, over the rise of ground, and then northeast over the prairie.

"Father went to Ackley's first and in about twenty minutes they were in the wagon. Ackley and his wife and two young daughters. Then he went on to Mr. Harris' whose horses had strayed and were somewhere at large on the prairie; he and two of his sons were absent in quest of them, and it was uncertain as to their return. The women, Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Harris' old mother and the younger children of the family, and Mr. Harris' father, he found in the house. The old gentleman, Mr. Combs, was bedridden, suffering from an attack of inflammatory rheumatism, unable to move. They were all greatly distressed by the news of the expected outbreak, and began to shed tears and wring their hands, and could hardly be prevailed upon to do anything. There was no time to argue the matter with them, so father snatched up the little girl, Mary Margaret Harris, and said: 'If you want your scalps taken, I will save this little girl.' They immediately acted upon his suggestion, old Mrs. Combs, Mrs. Harris and her children followed his lead, leaving old Mr. Combs to his fate, as it was impossible to move him. He immediately consented to his abandonment, saying he only had a short time to live anyway, and that he would not embarrass others who were fleeing for their lives, and endanger their chances of escaping.

INDIANS ARRIVE

"A very short time 'after my father and the women and children of Mr. Harris' family left the house, the Indians arrived. They did no violence to Mr. Combs, they furnished him with food and water for some days, until a few nights later, Peter Bolinger, a Mr. Cooper and a young man from Hickory Creek, whose name is not remembered visited Mr. Harris' cabin, and bore the old man in safety to Walker's settlement, joining Mr. Harris and family. When father and Mr. Harris' women and children reached the wagon, which they soon did, It was found that the load and wagon were too heavy for one span of horses. Father suggested that he would go back to the house and secure a 'stretcher,' a kind of chain, that was lying on a shaving horse, just over the fence in the yard a few rods from the house, the object of securing this implement was to hitch a third horse to the tongue of the heavy loaded wagon. He informed us, if he encountered any Indians he would return to us by a different route, and would helloo to us so that we might be informed of his peril, and that then we must take the shortest route toward Walker's settlement (now Plainfield.) He had left us only a few moments, when we saw a light in the direction of the house and wondered if father had to have a light to find 'the stretcher;' The light grew larger and soon we heard a call; mother said, 'That's George;' then we all started to the northeast, the children, brother David, the twin babies, old Mrs. Combs, little brother Philip, mother, Mrs. Harris, and her grown-up daughter, Mary Margaret, and myself were in the wagon, while brothers, John and Clark, well grown up boys, and Mrs. Harris' younger son followed the wagon on foot, the man, Peter Bolinger, driving the wagon; about two and a half miles from home the wagon got mired down into a slough, which made it necessary to remain right there until morning. A little after daylight we most unexpectedly encountered Mr. Harris and his two sons, Hiram and Blexton. They had slept all night on the prairie wholly unconscious that the remainder of the family were fugitives trying to escape from the savages. It was a providential meeting for the Harris family, who lost everything but the clothing upon their bodies, and but for the accidental meeting that lonely morning, Mr. Harris and his sons would in all probability have been murdered in a few hours. Mr. Harris saved a valuable rifle he happened to be carrying with him.

Escapes by Running

"Thomas Hollenback who kept with us all night, trying as best he could to render much needed assistance, now concluded to try and search for his family, whose home was near where the village of Newark is situated; his venture in trying to do so will be mentioned further on. We will now return to father. After leaving the wagon and his arrival in the vicinity of the cabin, he felt provoked, as he afterwards said, to think that his order to put out the fire in the house had not been complied with, for through cracks in the puncheon door he saw a bright light in the house; as he approached nearer he heard movements as of cattle walking, and at this moment was about within reach of the much needed 'stretcher.' Just at this juncture the door of the cabin was opened and two Indians came out, one carrying a lighted torch, and to his astonishment could see twenty or thirty Indians in the house yard, some of them almost within reaching distance of him. It was either instant and successful flight for him or death, and he started at the top of his speed. He was in the very prime of his life, and once had had the reputation of being foremost in all athletic exercises requiring activity, skill and strength; two Indians pursued him; they tried his 'bottom' as a sportsman would express it, to its utmost, and were almost within reach of him a number of times. Father thought as they neared the small stream dividing the farm of the late Thomas Atherton, if his pursuers were strangers he could clear the stream at a bound, while they, being unacquainted, would run into it, which would give him a slight advantage. As he conjectured, he cleared the water with ease that surprised him, while they floundered through it, and for the first time found himself gaining ground. He had yet the best part of a mile before him and the outcome of the race was still in doubt. His shoes were coarse and heavy and his physical forces were fast ebbing away. He kept on, and his pursuers were not far behind. In hurrying down a steep place to a slight ravine on the Highland farm, years afterwards owned by that late Dr. J. A. Cook, he tripped and fell into the ditch at the bottom of the ravine. The view of his person at the moment of his falling was evidently lost to his pursuers. He said himself, that in his mind, he had now given up the race as lost but his dark clothing and the darker ditch had saved him. His pursuers ran by him, near enough for him to have touched them, had he been disposed to do so; they passed him by some rods giving him a much needed opportunity to move on his hands and knees up the ditch, and out of sight of his pursuers, and had the satisfaction of seeing them double on the track by which they had pursued him for more than a mile and a half.

Lost in the Darkness

"He rested for some little time in order to collect his thoughts and get his breath, for he was well nigh exhausted. If he had known the fact, he was much less than a mile from his team, and family. The almost super-human exertions he had just made must have told fearfully on his physical, as well as on his mental condition, else he could have joined his family and friends in a few minutes but it was not to be-he was lost and tramped much of what remained of the night in order to find them. Sometime after midnight' he found himself among trees thickly standing, being very tired, he sat down under one low and bushy tree, and soon fell asleep, and on awakening it was broad day light of another day. A low hanging fog soon lifted, then he climbed into the tree under which he slept to take his bearings-found that he was at the northwest edge of "Big Grove" and within sight of his own cabin, three or four miles away, as well as in plain view of his brother, Clark Hollenback's cabin, less than two miles off. He immediately 'concluded to reconnoiter the situation in the vicinity of his brother's house, a very dangerous proposition indeed-and instantly proceeded cautiously in that direction. He approached the cabin from the southeast, looking behind him toward the south, he saw three men approaching on horseback moving towards the house. It occurred to him he would lie down and see the outcome of their visit. He did lie down, and they passed within a few rods of him. He knew them all very well proving to be Holderman, Kellogg and a man by the name of Cummings. They had heard some rumors of the intended outbreak among the Indians, and had ridden over to find out about it,-in a few moments they found out all about it! When they had passed by nearly to the cabin one of the men on horseback called out loudly, "Hello," which was answered by some one from the cabin, or in its direction, with a like salutation. There was an immediate discharge of many rifles, fifty or more, at the men at very short range, from the trees, house and from a new "sod fence" surrounding it, and running in an easterly direction from it. Strange as it may appear, only one of the many shots had any effect, that in the neck of Mr. Cummings horse just under the mane and not at all to the injury of the animal. The injured horse jumped to one side and came near throwing its rider, who rode for some time nearly on the side of the animal, he soon recovered his seat on the saddle and all three made good their escape. The Indians left their coverts and pursued the horsemen for some distance, a portion of them keeping pretty well up with the horses, expecting no doubt, to see either Mr. Cummings or his horse fall. The Indians to the number of twenty-five or thirty stopped pretty near where father was lying. Again his dark clothing was his salvation, for the present at any rate. The prairie grass had lately been burned off leaving the ground very black. The Indians seemed very much interested in the race, too much to look in father's direction. Hardly twenty-five steps, as it seemed to him. They loaded their empty guns, after which they gave a little war whoop and ran back to the house. If he had been standing, father would have been plainly seen from the house, but he lay low and rolled on the ground and when he could stand erect and be out of view from the house, he hurried in the direction of Walker's settlement as fast as his weary limbs would carry him.

Are Fired Upon

We turn for a little time to cousin Thomas Hollenback. As stated above, he started to visit his father's house to see if the family had effected their escape In safety-as he approached the house he saw the approach of the three men already referred to and they are reported by him as the ones who called out "Hello," as is also reported. Tommy came back in hot haste and reported that the Indians had fired at him as well as at Holderman, Kellogg and Cummings The Frenchman's gray pony was hard to get away and it took all the boy's urging together with the vigorous use of the ramrod of his gun to get him started on the back track which he did after losing his rifle and hat; when he rode up to the wagon he was white as a sheet. He called out in a loud voice to my mother: "Aunt, all the folks are killed. Uncle George too, but I am bullet proof,"-adding to his exclamation considerable profanity. He seemed highly elated at his providential escape-it did not appear that he had been gone from us much over an hour-we were in the slough when he left us and we were still in that condition on his return. On making his report we all got out of the wagon and the men pushed and lifted at the wagon and with the driver urging the horses got it out of the mire.

"We started at once, about north and came to Edward Aments about four miles from the slough. We stopped there long enough for him to hitch his own horses ahead of our team; our wagon was one of the old Pennsylvania kind, with enough iron and wood in its construction for several modern wagons. Mr. Aments' family was himself and wife, his mother and sister and little brother.. They were a newly married couple. We then went to the home of two old bachelors, a Frenchman and a Yankee, Peter Specie, so called by the early settlers, but his real name was Basil Lamsett. The other man was Stephen Sweet; they took off our horses hitched four yoke of oxen to our wagon-some of our company rode the horses. About half way between our last stopping place and Walker's settlement, we saw five fires. The Indians had set fire to the settlers' cabins. The houses from which we saw the smoke were my uncle Clark Hollenback's, his son George's, Patrick Cunningham's, the Rev. Mr. Payne's, also Mr. Ackley's. In a little while after that we saw a man coming, running, our party stopped, but the newcomer motioned for us to go on. I said: "I ,believe that is father !" Mother said. "Yes that is George " We still kept going on. It was about ten o'clock in the forenoon when he reached us.

Build Block House

"We reached Walker's settlement about two o'clock in the afternoon. The men went to work and tore down a log house, smoke house, and a corn crib, and made a pretty good block house or fort with a good well inside; brought in all the provisions in the settlement and toward night we had something to eat, the first we had eaten since the day before at noon. Here we stayed about two weeks and then went to Chicago. Captain Joe Naper's company came out and guarded us to our home in Fort Dearborn, where we stayed until about the middle of July when General Scott came with his army from down the lakes, bringing the cholera we feared as much as we did the Indians; we then went back to the Fort at Walker's settlement to be in a safe place from the cholera. Not long after the war ended."

This substantially ends Mrs. Boyd's narrative. I thought it might be interesting to add a short resume or sequel to her story as follows:

Immediately after completing the temporary stockade a military company was organized with Chester Smith as captain and George Hollenback as lieutenant, with guard mounting in regular military usage. Upon the removal of the people to Fort Dearborn later the company was re-organized with James Walker as captain, Chester Smith and George Hollenback as lieutenants. The re-organized company was mustered into the United States service June 25, 1832, as a Cook County company, and did good service according to Steven's history of the Black Hawk War, and was mustered out of the service August 12, 1832. A copy of the roster of this company lies before me while I write these lines containing the names of twenty-five men, officers and privates thereof. Less than half a dozen of the names of these persons are now known to the living residents of this locality.

Descendants of John George Hollenback

1 John George Hollenback Born: 1748 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Died: June 28, 1824 in Zanesville, Ohio

+Hannah Barton m: 1772 Died: 1844 in Kendall County, Illinois

2 Eleanor Hollenbeck Born: 1773 in Martinsburg, Virginia Died: 1860

+Osborn Hilleary Born: September 1782 Died: February 04, 1837 in Vermillion County, Illinois

3 William Hilleary Died: 1862

3 Clark Hilleary Born: 1805 Died: 1878

3 Eledor Hilleary Born: 1806 Died: 1841

+Deamude

3 Hannah Hilleary Born: 1807 Died: 1880

3 George Hilleary Born: 1811 Died: 1876

3 Henry Hilleary Born: 1812 Died: 1854

3 Drusilla Hilleary Born: 1815 Died: 1866

3 John W. Hilleary Born: 1817 in Ohio Died: 1892 in Oregon

+Katherine Howard

3 Maria J. Hilleary Born: 1822 Died: 1864

2 John Hollenback Born: November 14, 1775 in Martinsburg, West Virginia Died: March 13, 1867 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

+Rebecca Dougherty Born: May 20, 1782 m: January 15, 1803 in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania Died: June 05, 1817 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

3 Eleanor J. Hollenback Born: October 14, 1804 Died: January 06, 1825

+Thomas Richardson m: 1823

3 George W. Hollenback Born: August 25, 1806 in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania Died: December 30, 1878 in Owego, New York

+Jane Birney Gordon Born: May 23, 1808 in Standing Stone, Bradford County, Pennsylvania m: January 22, 1833 in Standing Stone, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: April 14, 1881 in Owego, New York

3 Nelson B. Hollenback Born: January 07, 1809 Died: May 23, 1885

3 Harry Augustus Hollenback Born: June 26, 1811 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: August 17, 1888 in Barton, Tioga County, New York

+Rachel Birney Gordon Born: April 29, 1811 in Standing Stone, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: October 12, 1872 in Barton, Tioga County, New York

*2nd Wife of Harry Augustus Hollenback:

+Olive A. Turrell Born: October 29, 1813 in New Milford, Connecticut m: July 14, 1835 Died: February 08, 1851

3 John Gordon Hollenback Born: May 11, 1813 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: September 25, 1877 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

+Bertha Davis

3 Edward Dougherty Hollenback Born: July 16, 1815

*2nd Wife of John Hollenback:

+Rebekah Birney Born: May 02, 1799 m: April 24, 1818 in Terrytown, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: December 25, 1884 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

3 Eleanor Hollenback

3 William Hollenback

3 Sarah Hollenback

3 Rebecca Hollenback Born: January 02, 1819 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: April 19, 1871 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

+Samuel Mills

3 Clark B. Hollenback Born: June 11, 1820 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: 1902 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

+Jane Lawless Born: 1841 m: 1862 Died: 1911

3 Charles Hollenback Born: April 13, 1833 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: January 15, 1911 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

3 Jackson Hollenback Born: February 14, 1835 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: January 11, 1916 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

3 Chester Hollenback Born: 1842 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Died: 1926 in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania

+Adelea F. Keeler

2 Clark Hollenback Born: 1777 Died: 1842

+Ann Blizzard m: February 03, 1807 in Muskingum County, Ohio Died: 1856

3 Thomas Hollenback Born: March 08, 1814 in Muskingum County, Ohio Died: October 05, 1875 in Atchison County, Kansas

+Susan Darnell Born: February 25, 1811 in Wilkes County, North Carolina m: August 15, 1833 in Fort Sandy, LaSalle County, Illinois Died: February 27, 1896

2 Matthias Hollenback Born: Abt. 1783

2 Mary Ann Hollenbeck Born: January 01, 1784 in Monongalia, West Virginia Died: February 29, 1836 in Shelby County, Indiana

+John Haymond Born: April 07, 1773 in Monongalia, West Virginia m: December 18, 1806 Died: August 21, 1831 in Shelby County, Indiana

3 Milly Haymond

3 Hannah B. Haymond

3 Harriett Haymond

3 Casander Haymond

3 James C. Haymond

3 Sarah Jane Haymond

3 Alfred H. Haymond

3 Roanna Haymond

3 John Haymond, Jr. Born: September 12, 1807 in Virginia Died: April 09, 1840 in Shelby County, Indiana

+Margaret Cummins Born: in Miamitown, Ohio Died: in Shelby County, Indiana

3 Calder Haymond Born: October 16, 1808 Died: January 17, 1848

2 Sarah Hollenback Born: 1786 Died: 1873

2 Jane Hollenback Born: 1788 Died: 1873

2 Elizabeth Susan Hollenback Born: October 25, 1791 in Fairmont, Virginia Died: August 31, 1879 in State Center, Marshall County, Iowa

+Thomas Griswold Mendenhall Born: May 09, 1797 in Jefferson, Virginia m: January 31, 1821 in Muskingum County, Ohio Died: October 21, 1878 in State Center, Marshall County, Iowa

3 Hannah Mendenhall Born: November 03, 1822 in Frazeysburg, OH Died: August 18, 1823 in Frazeysburg, OH

3 Martha Jane Mendenhall Born: July 28, 1824 in Muskingum Co., OH

+John Voorhis VanPelt Born: Abt. 1824 m: April 19, 1840 in Shelby Co., IN

3 James Mendenhall Born: December 25, 1826 in Frazeysburg, OH

+Geraldine Parsons Born: July 27, 1836 in Parsons Co., VA m: November 22, 1855 Died: October 1898

3 Newton H. Mendenhall Born: March 03, 1828 in Frazeysburg, OH Died: July 15, 1850 in Natchez, MS

3 Cyrus B. Mendenhall Born: July 28, 1830 in Frazeysburg, OH Died: November 11, 1921 in Livingston, MT

+Emeline Dean Born: February 18, 1839 in Ohio m: April 18, 1859 in Story Co., IA Died: August 1879 in Laramie City, WY

3 Elizabeth S. Mendenhall Born: April 15, 1833 in Middletown, Henry county, Indiana Died: December 08, 1923 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois

+Stephen Curry Gillette Born: January 31, 1826 in Grahamsville, Sullivan County, New York m: July 12, 1854 in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois Died: September 03, 1903 in Aurora, Kane, IL

2 George Hollenback Born: May 04, 1792 in Monongalia, West Virginia Died: 1863

+Sophia Sidle Born: April 18, 1799 in New Jersey m: June 05, 1817 in Muskingum County, Ohio

3 Clark B. Hollenback Born: 1822 in Fox Township, Kendall County, Illinois

+Elleanor M. Clark Born: 1826 in Fox Township, Kendall County, Illinois m: September 23, 1847 in Kendall County, Illinois

3 David Hollenback Born: Abt. 1824

3 George M. Hollenback Born: 1831 Died: 1915

+Julia Ann Woodworth m: May 05, 1859 in Kendall County, Illinois

3 William A. Hollenback Born: November 09, 1834 in Hollenback Grove, La Salle, Illinois

3 Nelson Knickerbocker Hollenback Born: March 20, 1839 in Hollenback Grove, LaSalle County, Illinois

+Melissa L. Campbell m: December 12, 1861 in Fox Township, Kendall County, Illinois

2 Isaac Hollenback Born: May 04, 1793 Died: July 08, 1879 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia

+Susanna Johnson Born: July 06, 1787 m: June 05, 1817 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: June 09, 1843 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia

3 Charity Hollenback Born: June 22, 1819 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: September 24, 1900 in Reese's Mill

+Elijah Rinehart Born: May 21, 1811 in Hampshire County, Virginia m: May 26, 1841 in Hampshire County, Virginia Died: December 20, 1896 in Mineral County, West Virginia

3 Margaret Hollenbeck Born: June 22, 1822 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: May 18, 1907 in Reese's Mill

+John Mack Reese m: June 25, 1846 in Hampshire County, West Virginia

3 Elizabeth Hollenbeck Born: June 20, 1824 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: January 18, 1899 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia

+Taylor

*2nd Husband of Elizabeth Hollenbeck:

+Amos Adams

3 Amos Hollenback Born: April 05, 1834 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia

3 Catherine Hollenbeck Born: December 31, 1836 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: 1910 in Mineral County, West Virginia

+Sam Umstot m: August 23, 1860 in Hampshire County, West Virginia Died: in Mineral County, West Virginia

3 Sarah Hollenback Born: November 12, 1838 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia Died: August 22, 1887 in Ft. Ashby, Hampshire County, Virginia

+Samuel S. Flanagan

2 Ann Hollenback Born: 1795

2 Hannah Hollenback Born: 1795

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