THE

CHICAGO MASSACRE OF 1812

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS

BY

JOSEPH KIRKLAND

AUTHOR OF "THE STORY OF CHICAGO," "ZURY, THE MEANEST MAN
IN SPRING COUNTY," "THE MC VEYS, AN EPISODE,"
"THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K," ETC.

CHICAGO

THE DIBBLE PUBLISHING COMPANY

334 DEARBORN STREET

1893

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

History is not a snap-shot. Events happen, and the true record of them follows at a distance. Sometimes the early report is too voluminous, and it takes time to reduce it to truth by a winnowing process that divides chaff from grain. This has been the case regarding every great modern battle. Sometimes, on the other hand, the event was obscure and became important through the rise of other, later conditions; in which case, instead of winnowing, the historian sets himself to gleaning the field and making his grist out of scattered bits of its fruitage. This has been the case regarding the Chicago massacre of 1812.

It was only a skirmish and a slaughter, involving the loss of three-score lives. But those dead men, women and children were the fore-runners of all the dwellers in one of the greatest cities of Christendom, the renowned city of Chicago.

Up to less than twenty years ago it was thought—by the few who gave the matter any thought—that next to nothing could ever be found out concerning the events which took place in and about Fort Dearborn—now Chicago—on August 15, 1812, and the time immediately before and after that day. All that was then known was contained in the artless, non-historic narrative contained in Mrs. Kinzie's amusing and delightful story of her own adventures (1831-1833), into which she wove, as a mere episode, the scattered reminiscences of members of her family who had taken part in the tragedy of twenty years before.

But in 1881, ten years after the Great Fire had wiped out all old Chicago, and all records of older Chicago, the Historical Society happily took up the task of erecting a "massacre memorial tablet" on the ground where Fort Dearborn had stood. William M. Hoyt generously gave the necessary money, and the Hon. John Wentworth ably and devotedly set himself about gathering, from all over the land, every item which could be gleaned to throw light on the dark and dreadful event. How well he succeeded is shown by his book, "Fort Dearborn," published by the Fergus Printing Company as number 16 in its admirable Historical Series; a collection of pamphlets which should form part of every library in the city.

Exhaustive as was Mr. Wentworth's research, yet the last word had not been said. There was—and is—still living, the Hon. Darius Heald, son of the Captain (Nathan) Heald who commanded the whites on the fatal day, and who, with his wife, was sorely wounded in the fray. The son had heard, a hundred times, his parents' story of the massacre; and his repetition of that story taken down in short-hand from his own lips, forms the main part of the strictly new matter I offer in this book.

Much of the contents of the following pages, which has been published before, is not marked as quotation, for the reason that it is my own writing, having been included in my "Story of Chicago," published by the same house which publishes this book. (Many of the illustrations are also taken from this same source.) On the other hand, much that is marked in quotation is also my own work; but as it is part of my contribution to Munsell & Company's large "History of Chicago" which is still in press, credit is invariably given to the last-named work.

All I could find, on this fascinating theme, I have faithfully recorded. If a later gleaner shall find more, no one will be more glad than will I, to welcome it.

Joseph Kirkland.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART I.

Saturday, August Fifteenth, 1812.

Scene at dawn; page 19:—Mothers and children; Captain Wells and his Miamis; his niece, Rebekah Heald; why he blackened his face; the Dead March; the Fort cattle; Indian follies; 20:—Margaret Helm, the authority for Mrs. Kinzie's narrative in Wau-Bun; 21:—Ensign Ronan's insubordination; Rebekah Heald's version as reported by her son, Darius; 22:—Evacuation of the fort; Captain Heald's force; Kinzie family; they take boat; 23:—To-pee-nee-be's warning; line of march; 24:—Pottowatomie "escort;" 25:—Wau-Bun narrative begins; the attack; 27:—Surgeon Van Voorhees; 28:—Black Partridge rescues Mrs. Helm; scene portrayed in bronze group; 29:—John Kinzie reports safety of Lieutenant Helm; Captain Wells's scalp; Indians are kind to Mrs. Helm; she learns details of the struggle; a squaw tortures a wounded soldier; 30:—English blamed for Indian alliance; Mrs. Heald's narrative begins; similar to Mrs. Helm's; the sand-ridges; 31:—Captain Wells orders and leads the charges; the battle thus foolishly lost; signal for surrender; 32:—The twelve militia-men; Captain Heald's wound; 33:—Mrs. Heald's six wounds; particulars of Wells's death; Indians cut out his heart and eat it; 34:—"Epeconier!"; his noble self-sacrifice; relics in the Calumet Club; 35:—Mrs. Heald fights for her blanket; 36:—Stripped of her jewelry; what became of it; articles redeemed and still in existence; 37:—Chandonnais saves the Healds' lives; wounded prisoners tortured to death; 38:—Fatal blot on the Indian race; Mrs. Helm's report goes on at second hand; variance with Captain Heald's; 39:—The latter casts no slurs; 40:—One Indian kills twelve children in the baggage-wagon; Mrs. Helm's incredible account of Wells's death; 41:—True-seeming tale of the Kinzies' escape; doubtful statement about Mrs. Heald; 42:—Kinzies again in the old house; Indians burn the fort; they guard the Kinzies, Wabash hostiles come; 44:—Peril and panic; 45:—Saved by Billy Caldwell, the Sau-ga-nash; 46:—Sukey Corbin's fate, as told by Mrs. Jouett; 48:—Possibility that a narrative by Lieutenant Helm may exist, Indian traits; 49:—What is next to be shown; 50.

PART II.

HOW THE FORT AND CITY WERE BEGUN AND WHO WERE THE BEGINNERS

Chapter I. The Dark Before the Dawn.—The French period reluctantly passed over; Chicago reappears in 1778, after 100 years of oblivion; J. B. Pointe de Saible; 53:—Various spellings of Chicago; meaning of the word; 54:—Treaty of 1795; building of the "Old Kinzie House" in 1778; 55:—Who was here then? Astor fortunes; 56:—50,000 square miles of solitude; Gurdon Hubbard's observations in 1816; Ouillemette, now Wilmette; Gen. Dearborn orders the fort built; 57:—John Whistler's company of the First Infantry comes in 1804 and builds it; John Whistler; 58:—The schooner Tracy arrives, the "big canoe with wings;" the account given, in 1875, by Mrs. Whistler; the pioneer, John Kinzie, arrives in 1804; 60:—State of things for the next eight years; 61:—Charles Jouett; 62:—Joe Battles and Alexander Robinson; the Indians and Indian traders; whisky; Munsell's History of Chicago; 63.

Chapter II. Building of the First Fort Dearborn.—William Wells is here in 1803; 65:—Signs an Indian trader's license as Governor Harrison's agent; Captain Anderson comes down from "Mill-wack-ie" in 1804; what the fort was like; 66:—Agency House; 67:—How the Chicagoans passed their time; War Department records of Fort Dearborn, furnished in 1881 by Secretary-of-War Lincoln to John Wentworth; 68:—In 1811 Captain Nathan Heald marries Rebekah Wells; wild wedding journey; 69: —Gay winter for the bride; John Kinzie kills John Lalime in self-defence; 70:—Double murder by Indians at Lee's place (Hardscrabble), on the South Branch; 71:—Graphic narrative in Wau-Bun; 72:—Man and boy escape and spread the alarm; 74:—Captain Heald tells the story; Indian traits; 75.

Chapter III. English and Indian Savages.—Capt. Heald is inclined to charge the Hardscrabble massacre to the Winnebagoes; British alliance with Indians characterized; 77:—Its unsoldierly results; ruin of brave General Hull; 78:—Shame to Lord Liverpool's government; "Suppose Russia should instigate a Sepoy rebellion;" wild alarm follows the Lee murders, 79:—Munsell's history of it; war declared; 80:—Hull sends Winnemeg with orders to Heald to evacuate Fort Dearborn and fall back on Detroit, Mackinaw had already been taken; wording of Hull's order differently given by Captain Heald and Mrs. Helm; 81:—The latter finds fault with the former; alleges want of harmony in the fort; 82: —Mrs. Heald denies this, alleging that Ronan thought highly of his captain; the stammering soldier; 83:—comparative authenticity of the two narratives; how the Heald story comes to be told now for the first time; 84.

Chapter IV. A Long Farewell.—Departure not favored by sub-officers; soldier suggests "jerked beef;" 85:—Heald's letter of Nov. 7, 1812, regarding the withdrawal; Wau-Bun to the contrary; alleged disorder; 86:—Captain Heald's traits; 87:—Heald and Kinzie have a pow-wow with the Indians; consult between themselves; agree to distribute goods, but destroy arms and whisky; Kinzie's liquors; plan carried out; 88:—William Wells to the rescue; scene of his arrival; 89:—Baseless hopes aroused; Black Partridge gives up his medal; 90:—This meant war; then what should have been done? 92:—Mrs. Heald's story of the preparations; 93: —Surroundings then and now; 94-96:—Saturday having been already described, the story skips from Friday to Sunday; 96.

Chapter V. Fate of the Fugitives.—Every word treasured; 97: —Heald's escape while wounded are being tortured; incidents of canoe-travel; omission of record of halt on the St. Joseph's; kindness of commandant at Mackinaw; 98;—Push on to Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburg, and so on home, to Louisville, meeting with Mrs. Heald's father; unfortunate loss of her written story; 99: —Wau-Bun story; Sergeant Griffith and To-pee-nee-be; Kinzies are taken to Chief Robinson at St Joseph's, and later to Detroit; John Kinzie tries to save his property; 100:—Friendly Indians helped by Thomas Forsyth to rescue Lieut. Helm and send him to Detroit; sent on as prisoners to Fort George, Niagara; incivility atoned for by Col. Sheaffe; the Helms reach their home and friends; 102:—Mrs. Helm's remarks about Captain Heald; prisoners and citizens, scattered among the Indians, are alleged to be generally ransomed; 103:—Fate of Mrs. Burns and baby; child seen in after years by Mrs. Kinzie; fate of the Lee family; Black Partridge wants to marry the widow; the young raccoon; 104:—Madame du Pin; Nau-non-gee and Sergeant Hays kill each other; 106.

Chapter VI. John Kinzie's Captivity.—America never a mititary nation; gloomy opening of 1813; early losses and later gains; 107:—Prisoners ransomed in Detroit; Kinzies try to help the helpless; 108:—John Kinzie suspected of spying; repeatedly arrested by the English and released by the Indians; ironed and imprisoned; 109:—Catches a glimpse of Perry's victory on Lake Erie; sent on to Quebec; 110:—Strange release; returns to Detroit, where, with Kee-po-tah, he welcomes Gen. Harrison; 112.

Chapter VII. Contemporaneous Reports.—Progress of the press since 1812; Niles' Weekly Register our main authority; 113: —First published statement of the massacre; the schooner Queen Charlotte; 114:—Absurd story regarding Mrs. Helm; 115: —Still more absurd story, signed Walter Jordan; 116:—Possible leaven of truth; 117:—Nine survivors reported arrived at Plattsburgh from Quebec; 118:—Familiar names; harrowing tales they told; 119:—Pitiable fate of Mrs. Neads and her child, Kinzie family return to Chicago, where the bones of the massacre victims are buried by the soldiers sent to build the new fort; 120:—Letter from Fernando Jones; 121:—Solution of the Indian problem treated; 122:—Present condition of the Pottowatomies; 123:—Wonderful progress in five generations; speculations concerning the renewed interest in these old tales; 124:—Sculptured mementoes of the past slowly being provided by public-spirited citizens; Lambert Tree, Martin Ryerson and EH Bates; George M. Pullman's splendid bronze group of the massacre; 126:—Eugene Hall's verses at the unveiling of the Block-house Tablet in 1881.

APPENDIX

A. Pointe De Saible.—First settler, 100 years after Marquette etc.; 133:—Col. de Peyster mentions him in 1778 in his "Miscellanies," Burns's verses to De Peyster; 134:—De P. also mentions George Rogers Clark, 135:—De P's verses; 136:—His foot-notes, naming Chicago; what is known about De Saible; 137: —E. G. Mason's remarks about him and Shaubena; 138:—Perish Grignon (Wis. Hist. Soc. Collection) on the same subject; 139: —Guesses as to the character and fortunes of De Saible; 140: —"Point de Sable," no sand.

B. Fort Dearborn Records at Washington.—Probable reason why records are scanty; 143:—Letter from Gen. Dearborn, Secretary of War; statement compiled from the adjutant-general's records; memorandum of the destruction; order for rebuilding; successive commanders; evacuation of 1823; 144:—Re-occupation in 1828; Major Whistler ordered to Fort Dearborn; final evacuation in 1836; 145:—Demolition of fort in 1856; old paper found, dating from first fort; familiar names; 146:—One building survived until the great fire of 1871; the Waubansa stone; 147:—Daniel Webster speaks from its summit; its later vicissitudes; 148: —Who were the victims of Aug. 15, 1812? Oblivion the usual fate of martyrs; 149:—Muster and pay-roll of 1810, the last now existing; 150.

C. The Whistler Family.—Gardner's Military Dictionary gives items of old John Whistler, the Burgoyne soldier; suggestion that in Heald's place he might have avoided the disaster; his descendants; Mrs. William Whistler and her daughter, Gwenthlean Whistler Kinzie; Mrs. General Sheridan; 153:—Mrs. Whistler's visit to Chicago in 1875, 154:—Her reminiscences; 155:—Whistler descendants in the army; 156.

D. The Kinzie Family.—John Kinzie's origin and youth; 157: —The Forsyths, Blanchard's story of the McKenzie girls; 158: —Margaret, mother of some Kinzies and some Halls; Elizabeth, mother of some Clarks and some Clybourns; 160:—The bend sinister; John marries Eleanor (Lytle) McKillip and comes to Chicago; 161:—Extent of his trade; his continued relations with Detroit; 162;—His daughter-in-law, Juliette (Magill) Kinzie, writer of Wau-Bun, return after the massacre; 163:—His losses; pathetic letter to his son, John Harris Kinzie; 164:—His papers burned in 1871; 165:—Inestimable services as treaty-maker; their partial recognition in treaty of 1838; 165:—His hospitality; 166:—Visit of Gov. Cass; 167:—Winnebago scare; 168:—End of the old pioneer; Hubbard's narrative of his closing moments; 169:—Disappearance of the ancient mansion; 170:—Mrs. Nellie Kinzie Gordon; 171: —Heroic death in battle of John Harris Kinzie, Jr.; 172.

E. The Wells and the Heald Families.—William Wells's captivity among the Indians; Wa-nan-ga-peth, daughter of Me-che-kan-nah-quah, and her Wells descendants; 173:—William fighting on the Indians' side; Rebekah (Wells) Heald's story of her reclamation of her "Indian uncle;" 174:—His parting with his red father-in-law; later history of Me-che-kan-nah-quah, or Little Turtle; his presentation to Washington; 175:—Rebekah meets Nathan Heald at Fort Wayne; 176:—A. H. Edwards's anecdotes about Captain Wells; 177:—Family feeling of Wells's descendants; the Heald massacre relics shown; 179:—Masonic record of Nathan Heald; his letter of Oct. 13, 1813, reporting the massacre; 180: —Letter on official business, May 18, 1812; 181:—Remarks thereon; 182:—Death of his niece, Mrs. Edwards, while this book is printing; 183.

F. John Lalime.—Portents of the massacre; rivalry between government and civilian traders; 185:—Factions in the garrison; traits of John Lalime; 186:—His letters; retort of Main Poc; Miss Noke-no-qua; 187:—Lalime's attack on John Kinzie; Gurdon Hubbard's letter about it; Victoire (Mirandeau) Porthier's story; 189: —Garrison acquits Kinzie but buries Lalime in sight of the old house; 190:—Discovery of a skeleton in 1891; 191:—Reasons for thinking it that of Lalime; 193:—Facts learned from Fernando Jones, Judge Blodgett, Hon. John C. Haines and others; St. James' church-yard; 193:—Letters from Fernando Jones, Hon. John C. Haines and Doctors Hosmer and Freer; 194-195.

G. Reminiscences of A. H. Edwards.—Letter to John Wentworth; story of a girl who was one of the scalped children; bare spot on her head; 197:—She the daughter of John Cooper who is named in the muster-roll; 198:—Married a Detroiter named Farnum; 199.

H. Billy Caldwell, the Sauganash.—His traits, good and bad; 201:—He and Shabonee write a letter about General Harrison; 202.

I. Farewell War-Dance of the Indians.—Treaty of 1833; Latrobe's impressions of Chicago; 203:—Ex-Chief-Justice Caton describes the war dance; 205:—"Farewell Indians!" 206.

K. The Bronze Memorial Group.—Where the massacre occurred; cumulative testimony identifying the spot; letters from Mrs. Henry W. King, Isaac N. Arnold, A. J. Galloway, Mrs. Mary Clark Williams, and Robert G. Clarke; 207-210:—The design of the group, and the designer, Carl Rohl-Smith: lucky chance gives two savages, "Kicking Bear" and "Short Bull," to serve as models for the figures; characteristic bearing of the savage models; bas-reliefs for pedestal, the fort interior, the evacuation, the fight, death of Captain Wells; dedicatory inscription; 211:—Memorial fit to stand for centuries; 212.

List of Illustrations; 15.

Alphabetical Index; 213.

ILLUSTRATIONS.