History of Massac County

Chapter XIX. Continued

Pope County Historical Reminiscences

(J. E. Y. Hanna)

Page 138-171

A few miles south of Eddyville, there was a settlement formed about the year 1815, among the members of which were Robert Penny, James A. Whiteside, Lincoln Harper, John Whiteside, and Adam McGhee. The Penny's have all disappeared, but the Whitesides and the Harpers are numerous in that part of the county. James A. Whiteside coming to Illinois Territory, brought quite a number of slaves with him, and when the Territory became a State, with a constitution prohibiting slavery, they were indentured to him for a term of years, and some remained with him until his death at a good old age. Mr. Whiteside was the member from Pope in the Illinois Legislature as often and as long as he wished to be elected. He was a jovial, good-hearted man, good at an anecdote, and enjoyed a joke even when at his own expense. He was very popular with the people.

This settlement was strengthened soon after in 1817 or 1818 by three brothers named Shufflebarger-or as since called S.Barger. The three brothers were named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their cousin Simon S. Barger. The grandfather of the Hon. Simon S. Barger, came from Virginia. They were men of means, industrious and energetic, and as farmers became solid men. They were the first farmers in the county to introduce red clover. They left numerous descendants, who have spread over the north half of the county, with quite an overflow into adjoining counties.

Richard M. Water-the father of Hon. Geo. W. Water-was one of the pioneers of this part of the county, but at a later date he went to the neighborhood of Glendale.

In 1817 or 1818, Richard Fulkerson started a settlement ten or twelve miles north of Golconda, and was soon joined by John Hamilton, some of the Cowsats, and others, who settled near them. The Fulkersons were good citizens, and had an influence for good in that part of the country. Rev. Richard Fulkerson, the well known Regular Baptist preacher, is a son of the old pioneer. The Floyd family, who were allied to the Fulkersons, and the Finneys, also related, came in a little later. All were men of note and became good citizens, and furnished the county with a number of office-holders.

In the north part of the county there was an early settlement which was called "The Morse Settlement," so called from John Morse, who came from South Carolina in 1817, a Baptist minister, who was the most prominent man in the community. He raised a large family, mostly sons, and the Morses are spread all over the north end of the county. With him came Mathew Jenkins, John, Joseph and Jonathan Diarman. This settlement was for a number of years like an oasis in the desert, being surrounded by the unbroken forest, with no other settler for miles in any direction. These are all the prominent settlements which were made prior to the year 1820.

There were some isolated settlers prior to that time, but who did not form a neighborhood, and did not leave their impress on the community. Of those I will name Benjamin Belford, who raised several sons noted for their height, almost a head over their neighbors; Ebenezer Simpson, who settled near where New Liberty was afterward laid out, and who was in his younger days, engaged in running keel-boats on the Ohio river. John Brown, also a keel-boat hand, settled six miles north of Golconda, with his brother, Wm. Brown. Jesse McCool settled in an early day on Lusk's creek, east of Eddyville, but did not remain there long, until he removed to a place near Dixon's Springs.

In the upper portion of Pope county-now Hardin-was the headquarters of a band of men known as the Sturdevants, who with other accomplishments of like honorable(?) character, carried on counterfeiting for a profession. On this and other accounts they became very obnoxious to the honest citizens of the country, and as they could not be convicted of the many offenses of which they were known to be guilty, they always proved everything necessary for their acquittal, it was determined to take steps independent of the courts. A party was raised, and led by Joseph Pryor, Dr. Wm. Sim, Rev. Wm. Bondeau, Hugh McNutty, John Raum, followed by others, made a descent upon the Sturdevant castle-a large two-story log home, but found the inmates prepared, and evidently expecting them. They were gathered in the second story, and with their guns fired through loop-holes at the attacking party, one of whom, Mr. Rondeau, received a charge in his left shoulder. A rush was made for the door by the besiegers, and breaking it down they attempted to ascend the stairs, but found a piece of artillery trained to rake the stairway when a sufficient number of men should be ascending. The assaulting party withdrew and sent for reinforcements, but on their return found no one except females, the men having made their escape in the interval. During the assault one of the Sturdevants appeared at a window to take observations, and his head became a target for a moment, when some one fired at him, he spun round like a top and fell to the floor, but was only stunned, it was thought, as he was not found afterwards.

The Sturdevants finding that the citizens were in earnest, and meant business, felt that some other locality was as safe for them, left the country and never returned. This affair occurred before 1820, exact date not known. Some others who were rather too intimate with this gang, were notified to leave the country, while some were conducted to Hurricane Island, where Judge Lynch at that time held his court, and from whose decisions there was no appeal.

So far as known, this was the first band of Regulators organized in Pope county, and at least one of this band was prominent in another organization at a later date. I allude to Dr. William Sims, one of the best citizens, in every respect, that ever lived in the county. Dr. Sims came from Aberdeen, Scotland, to American, by a mistake, and located at Golconda by an accident, December 31st 1818, and had a long and successful practice in his profession. For a number of years the nearest physicians were at Shawneetown and Jonesborough, Illinois and Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

The only resident attorney in the county at an early date was Charles Dunn, who resided in Golconda for some years, until Wisconsin was organized into a Territory, when Mr. Dunn was appointed Governor of the Territory, and removed there, never coming back. There was no other resident lawyer from the time of Dunn's leaving until near 1840, when Judge Wesley Sloan settled here, remaining until his death. He was a man of more common ability as an attorney at law, but was not blessed with oratorical powers, but he was a hard student as long as he was in practice, and had more than ordinary success. He was never known to go out of court on the papers when he prepared them. He was not quick as some were, but when he gave an opinion, after mature thought, he was uniformly correct.

The attorneys who practiced here were largely from Shawneetown. I will mention Henry Eddy, Jeff Gatewood, S.S. Marshall, John A. McClernand, and Jepthia Hardin. Occasionally, in important cases, an attorney from Princeton or Hopkinsville would appear at the Pope circuit court. There was no judge of the circuit court a resident of the county until Judge Wesley Sloan was raised to the Bench.

The pioneer ministers having been mentioned, we will add nothing further at this place. As before mentioned, Dr. Sim was the only physician in or near Golconda, and he as a result, had a large tract of country to travel over. When Dr. Sims was married, he went to Philadelphia for his bride, going on horseback, and returning, with his bride, in a carriage, to Golconda.

In the thirties, however, Tarlton Dunn-a brother of Charles Dunn-studied medicine with Dr. Sims, and soon after Ebenezer Rondeau-a son of Rev. Wm. Rondeau, and John P. Hodge, and James H. Hanna became his pupils, all of whom were successful practitioners, for a longer or shorter period. All have passed over the river to "that bourne from whence no traveler returns." Dr. Sims died at his post in Golconda; Dr. Dunn died in Equality, Gallatin county; Dr. Rondeau died in Livingston county, Kentucky, and Dr. Hanna died in the present limits of Massac county, below Metropolis. A younger and more numerous crop of doctors have sprung into existence, and now, four or five miles is quite a ride for an M.D. to take in his buggy or road cart, instead of the twenty or thirty miles on horseback of their predecessors.

Perhaps the historian wishing to give his readers a favorable opinion of the times of which he was writing would say little, or nothing, about the early schools, school houses, or teachers of the common schools. Especially would this be the case when writing of the early days of Pope county, but the historian does not make history, he records it.

So far as I can learn the first county school-if not the first school-in Pope county, was taught in the present limits of Hodgeville by George H. Hanna, and the second in a different house, was taught by a Mr. Woolcut, and the third in the same bounds, but in a different house, was taught by a Mr. Wheat. Sometimes two of these schools were in progress at the same time.

James Pittallo, emigrated from Scotland, taught for a number of years, and was-for that time-an excellent teacher. He was raised in affluence, and never taught to do any work. When he was of age he inherited eighty thousand pounds, sterling. He, however, with what assistance he received, soon get of this incumbrance, and was reduced to poverty. He said that the people would have to support him, for he could do no business, but if they would permit him, he would educate their children for them. Generally the best qualification for a school teacher, was his inability, or unfitness for any other occupation. School teachers in that day were mostly cripples. The school house of that date was neither commodious nor elegant; in fact, gave no external evidence of a seminary or college. But boys or girls obtained there the rudiments of an education which made of them men and women who in after years were persons of note and usefulness.

Take a typical house in which school was taught in those days. The house was built of unhewn logs, about eighteen by twenty feet in dimension. When about four feet high another wall was built across one end three or four feet from the outer wall, and this served for a fire place, and a chimney which extended across the entire building. The whole was then daubed with clay to close the space between the logs, and roofed with clapboards.

Trees were cut and split into slabs five or six inches thick and were laid on logs for a floor. Smaller trees were split into halves, auger holes bored in them in which to drive legs, and these, with the flat side up, were the seats on which the pupils sat at their studies. At the end opposite the huge fire place, a log was sawn from the building, and just below this opening, a broad plank was fastened to the wall for a writing desk. Usually this opening for light was entirely open, but sometimes paper which had been oiled to make it translucent, was fastened over the so-called window to keep out the cold. This is a true description of the seminaries in which the children of the pioneers obtained their education.

One of the early teachers in Golconda was a gentleman named Kerr-a law student, who taught for some time and became insane. One night some men were watching with him; he remarked to one of them: "You think I am crazy." "No," was the reply; "we do not think you are crazy." "Well," says Mr. Kerr, "I will prove that you do think me crazy." He then stepped up to the gentleman and gave him a kick, looked him in the face a moment, and repeated the kick. "Now," says he, "every gentlemen present is satisfied that you believe me to be crazy, else you would kick me in return."

In those early schools it was the custom for the pupils, while studying their lessons, to spell, read and prepare all studies for recitation, to use their vocal powers as they chose-or, as it was called-they had a "loud school," and indeed it was sometimes distressingly loud! Where there were a number of strong lungs in full play, each striving to excel the other in vocal volume, it sounded as though pandemonium, or Bedlam, had broken loose.

Another custom was common in those early schools. A pupil, while preparing his orthography lesson, would sometimes meet with a word which he was unable to pronounce, and under these circumstance, would leave his seat, and advance to the teacher, and standing with his book in one hand and the index finger of the other hand at the difficult word, would hold the book before the teacher, who would pronounce the word for him. The pupil would then resume his seat and repeat the word as pronounced for him. On one occasion, in a school taught by one of these qualified teachers-as before mentioned-a boy came to the teacher, book in hand, finger at the word, the teacher looked at the word, but he was in the same condition that his pupil was, and, being unable to give the pronunciation, he told the boy to skip it. The boy returned to his seat, and as was the custom, repeated the pronunciation as given by his teacher, "Skip-it, skipit!"

If, with these opportunities for an education, the pioneer children became ministers, lawyers, doctors, and legislators, to what heights of learning would they have soared, had they enjoyed the facilities of an education which their children and grandchildren have since enjoyed?

While there have been a number of homicides in the then limits of Pope county, and several convictions for murder, yet there has never been but one execution in the county-that of Henry C. Shouse, who was tried here on a change of venue from Gallatin county. Shouse was a member of the James Ford gang, with headquarters at Ford's Ferry, on the Kentucky side of the river; but the act was committed in Illinois. It appeared that one of the gang had more knowledge of the doings of the others then they thought was safe, and perhaps his actions caused them to suspect that he intended to squeal. "As dead men tell no tales," Shouse secured his silence very effectually. He was tried at the spring term of the Pope circuit court, and though ably defended, was convicted, sentenced and executed in June, 1932. He made a confession which was said to implicate in the crime some persons in high positions. His confession was designed for publication, but the expectations of the public were doomed to be disappointed, as it was suppressed; but how it was spirited away and where concealed has never been known to the public. Some responsible persons who were present at the confession as witnesses were asked to make a public statement of the leading facts, but properly declined to do so, as they might by mistake criminate an innocent person.

In those pioneer days the strength of muscle, the powers of endurance, and quickness of movement were of the first importance, and were held in higher esteem than were intellectual or moral qualities, and as nature always makes an effort to supply its own deficiencies, the amusements and sports of the younger men and boys were of a character calculated to develop the qualities which were held in the highest regard. When young men or boys were together and had leisure, their pastime was running foot races, jumping, wrestling, lifting or throwing weights, all of which tended to develop a muscular power. For an example, James Fulkerson, son of Richard Fulkerson, the old pioneer, was a large muscular man, but gave no idea of activity in his form, or figure, which only indicated massive strength. Yet he was never defeated in a foot race. In 1832 he was one of the volunteers who went out in the Black Hawk war. While there a discussion arose between the regiment from southern Illinois and a Wisconsin regiment as to the best jumper. A challege for a jumping match was given and accepted. The match was for three jumps on the level prairie. The Illinois regiment selected for their champion Mr. Fulkerson, while the Wisconsin regiment pitted against him their Colonel, Henry Dodge. The two regiments met on the ground selected, to witness the contest. Mr. Fulkerson jumped first, but was so clumsy and awkward in his movements that quite a laugh was raised by the backers of Colonel Dodge. They said there was danger of him knocking the bottom out of the earth.

Colonel Dodge jumped off so light and springy that he seemed to scarcely touch the ground, going two or three beyond Fulkerson, who then jumped and went three or four feet beyond the point reached by Dodge, who after repeated trials gave up the contest, and acknowledged defeat. In fact, Mr. Fulkerson was never defeated at a standing three jumps, in which he covered thirty-six feet or more on a level.

As to his strength in lifting heavy weights, a single instance will suffice. At a gathering of some thirty or forty men at a log-rolling, there was a heavy cast-iron wheel, and it was proposed to test the strength of the men by lifting that wheel. Upon lifting at the wheel only three men could raise it from the ground, to-wit: James F. Fulkerson, Richard Fulkerson-his brother- and John Blanchard. Blanchard lifted the wheel with Richard Fulkerson on it; Richard Fulkerson raised it with Blanchard on it, and James Fulkerson raised it with both Richard Fulkerson and Blanchard on it, both being heavy men. These three men were raised to pioneer life, and had cultivated muscle from childhood.

So far this sketch has been limited to the time preceding the year 1820, but now will give a statement of the origin, and acts of the Regulators so far as Pope county was concerned. In the year 1842 a man named Henry Sides came to the country from Tennessee and located a few miles southwest of Eddyville. He was what was called a "Carolina Dutchman," was honest and simple, and had no fear of the dishonesty of others. He owned sixteen or eighteen slave, and thinking that he ought not to leave them in slavery at his death, having no children, he knew, in that case, they would be scattered, and families broken up, so he resolved to manumit them during his life.

As the laws of Tennessee forbade the act of manumission there, he came to Illinois, where he could carry out his philanthropic plan. As some of his slaves had married others, owned by other persons, he, before leaving Tennessee, purchased such as had husbands or wives owned by him, so as not to disturb the family relation then existing, and brought them with him, and liberated them on the same terms that he did those that he owned before. This shows the principles by which he was governed. Mr. Sides entered land, built him a home, and houses for this colored wards, gave them their freedom, and gave bonds according to the then existing laws on the subject, and all lived on the same farm, he managing for them, and working as hard according to ability as they. A year or two later, a Mr. Dobb of Tennessee, having a number of slaves, and no family, brought his slaves out to Pope county, Illinois, and manumitted them according to law, purchased land for them and settled them on it, supplied their immediate wants, and left them under the care of Mr. Sides. Mr. Dobbs, soon after died in Tennessee, and when his will was probated, it was found that he left all his estate to his ex-slaves, and appointed Mr. Sides executor of his last will. On the settlement of the estate of Dobbs there were two thousand dollars in the hands of the executor for the use of the legatees.

This amount was forwarded to Mr. Sides in silver half dollars, in two boxes of one thousand dollars each. There was no bank in Golconda at that time, and Mr. Sides not thinking that this sum would be a temptation to persons less honest than himself, hauled the boxes to his home and hoisted them up on the loft until he could make distribution.

This sum of money, so carelessly stowed away, excited the cupidity of certain persons, who thought that what "a nigger" (sic) owned, a white man had the right to take and possess, and they formed the plan to possess themselves of the treasure. Accordingly several men, headed by the notorious Hiram - or Hite - Green, organized for that purpose. After having made some thefts of less importance to test the ability of that neighborhood to trace a thief, they in July 1841, went at night to the house of Mr. Sides, where he and his wife, each about seventy years of age, lived alone, except a young woman, who was lame, and with clubs knocked the old couple on the head, causing insensibility, and partially stunning the younger woman, took the boxes of treasure, bursted them open, put the silver in pillow cases and left. The younger woman was able to note their actions, as well as their numbers, but in their disguise did not recognize any one, and indeed would not have done so had they not been disguised. The only clue left, was a large knife in a scabbard, which had been attached to its owner's clothing by a button, which coming off, the knife was laid on a box and was forgotten in the hurry of departure, and was left behind as a witness against them.

The marauders, after dividing a portion of their booty, sank the remainder in one of the ponds, of which there are many in the bottom bordering Big Bay creek, and dispersing kept themselves "shady" for a time.

The old pair were so injured that their recovery seemed more than doubtful, and Mr. Sides carried the scar on this head to his grave, while Mrs. Sides suffered the loss of an eye from the blows received. This outrage, as was to be expected, roused the whole community to hunt down the perpetrators, not so much on account of the theft, as for the brutal assault on Mr. and Mrs. Sides, who were highly repected by all who knew them.

The knife, which was the only clue left, was examined by many, and among others, by Jesse Davidson, a blacksmith, who recognized it as his own make, and he knew for whom he made it. Within the next few hours, Ned Hazel, the owner, was in jail. But he proving to the satisfaction of the authorities, that he had sold the knife to Dan Hazel, was held to be innocent, but still retained in custody to prevent him telling the others the true owner of the knife and thus give them opportunity to escape. During the next night Dan Hazel was lodged in jail.

Then was the organization called the "Regulators" formed, with the avowed object of bringing the culprits to justice under the laws of the land, and through the legally constituted courts of justice. Judge Lynch's authority was not invoked, nor was unnecessary violence inflicted on any one. But the sheriff was instructed to take no bonds for the appearance of any one in custody charged with the Sides' affair. The management, or directory was composed of such men as Dr. Wm. Sim, Judge Wesley Sloan and William Finney-the then sheriff-James McCoy, Thomas Campbell, with others, assisting and guards as occasion demanded. The plans were known only to the management until the culprits were in custody.

Dan Hazel on examination professed entire ignorance of the whole matter, and knew nothing of the knife, and as a matter of course could not tell who were the perpetrators of the outrage. The management felt assured that Hazel was guilty, and could name his accomplices if he would. He was promised immunity from prosecution, and safety to his person on condition that he would name his accomplices, and testify in the court of their guilt. He was threatened with Lynch law in case of his refusal, but all to no effect. He still denied any knowledge of the Sides tragedy, and persisted in his denial.

Still satisfied of the guilt of Dan Hazel, other measures were resorted to. There were in custody several other persons who had been arrested on suspicion, and who were kept separate from Dan, and from each other. One of them would be taken out with Dan under guard at night, and taken off out of sight-but not out of hearing-and some hickories being prepared, a tree would be whipped unmercifully, while some one would beg piteously for mercy-apparently in vain. The supposed victim would then be removed and Dan conducted to the place, where he could see the worn switches and plenty of fresh ones, with the men prepared to use them, and be tied to the tree, all ready for punishment. But all in vain-Dan remained stubbornly silent so far as the Sides robbery was concerned. After all these measures proved futile, the directors held a meeting for consultation. They despaired of obtaining a confession from the prisoner and what next to do was the question to be determined. It was finally resolved to take him, at night, out of the jurisdiction of the State, and give him all the punishment he could bear without taking his life, and then warn him to never return to the country afterward.

But the work of the Regulators was not yet done. The prisoners were to be kept in jail with a guard. The sheriff was to be sustained in his refusal to take bail for the prisoners. Unless the culprits could be brought into court for trial all their work had been in vain. It was agreed by the prisoners that if a special term of court was held for their benefit, that they would put in a plea of guilty to an indictment for the offense, and thus save them from lying in jail during the heat of the summer, and save the county the expense of keeping them. A term of court was appointed at as early a day as could be done. Juries were impaneled and Dan Hazel brought before the grand jury to give evidence as he had agreed to do, but a change had come over him, and he told the jury that he knew nothing of the matter whatever.

He was taken back to jail and put into the dungeon with the others-he had been kept separate from the others and in better quarters. Ahab Farmer, a young man of nineteen or twenty years, whose father and brothers were respectable and honest citizens, was taken out and gladly accepted the terms which had been given to Hazel. He testified before the grand jury, a true bill of indictment was returned into court, and the next day set for a hearing of the cause.

Upon being arraigned the prisoners, one and all, plead "Not guilty," and filed an affidavit for change of venue, and the court ordered the case to Johnson county. As the Johnson county court did not meet until late in September, and there being no special term asked for, the prisoners had to be kept over. They thought that they would be immediately removed to Vienna for safe-keeping, and hoped to escape from the jail there, and were disappointed when informed that they would remain in jail at Golconda. Then came a long term of guarding the jail, as it was not very secure, being made of logs.

The work of the Regulators thus far had been of the nature of a "posse comitatus" more than that of an irresponsible body of citizens, but now they were necessarily to assume a more independent position, and to assume the character that in some respects was outside of the law of the land. It became necessary to maintain a strong guard around the jail, especially at night, and the expense of such a guard being too great for the finances of the county, volunteers were received and organized. Five or six men would become responsible for a guard for one night each week, and others for each other night of the week, and each guard knew his own night for duty, and only that guard would report. Sometimes as many as thirty men would be on guard at one time.

During the interval between the special term of Pope circuit court-some two months-and the Johnson county court, a plan was laid by the friends of the prisoners for their release. The town was to be fired, and during the confussion that would ensue, the jail was to be broken, and the prisoners set at liberty. Spies were sent to town at night to know the strength and watchfulness of the guard. On the west side of the county it was know just who were on guard on a given night, and on one occasion it was known what they took for their midnight lunch. The emissaries who were riding and notifying the parties, made the mistake of notifying the wrong man, who dissembled until he had as much information as he wanted, and the emissary gone, mounted his horse, and by pathways hurried to Golconda, and gave notice of the game. Not many hours elapsed until that particular agent was in Golconda under a guard.

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