Black Hawk War
Veterans
Excerpt from the History of Knox County by Albert Perry, published in 1912, pages 241-242
"Knox county, with its present boundaries, was organized in 1825. The jurisdiction of the Knox County commissioners extended as far north as the Rock river and the actual scene of hostilities. As early as 1831 the few families of the county sent Thomas McKee, Thomas Maxwell, Joseph Rowe, and Robert Greenwell to consult with General Gaines, commander of the military post on Rock Island, about means of defense. This party came upon a large band of mounted Indians, who followed them for some distance, but were assured by Major McKee, who was able to speak their language, that they were on their way to trade with Davenport, who was well and favorably known by the Indians, and they were allowed to proceed. On arriving at the fort they were assured by the general that there was no immediate danger and returned with this news, after many adventures.
The following spring, 1832, Black Hawk recrossed the Mississippi. Major McKee, together with James McMurtry and Fontleroy Freeman, again made the perilous journey to Rock Island, where they secured one hundred guns with accoutrements. These were sent down to river to Oquawka, and from there brought in wagons to this county, where they were distributed among seventy-two men living in Knox and Warren counties, comprising nearly the entire male population.
Another party commanded by Mr. St. Vrain, which was sent by General Atkinson to Rock Island about the same time was massacred. With the arms thus secured a military organization called the "Volunteer Rangers" was organized, consisting of the following men and officers:
Captain: William McMurtry
1st Lieutenant: George G. Lattimore
2nd Lieutenant: Turner R. Roundtree
Sergeant: Edward Martin
Sergeant: Benjamin Brown
Sergeant: Josiah Vaughn
Sergeant: James McMurtry
Corporal: Edward Fuqua
Corporal: James H. Roundtree
Corporal: Thomas Maxwell, Jr.
Corporal: Obadiah Fuqua
Privates: Edmund Adcock
Thomas Maxwell, Sr.
Jesse Adkins
James Maxwell
Frankin B. Barber
Thomas C. McCallister
Henry Bell
________ McCallister
Peter Bell
James McGehee
Alfred Brown
Thomas W. McKee
George Brown
John McMurtry
James Brown
Daniel Miles
Joshua Brown
Elisha Miles
Wilson Brown
John Miles
William Corban
James Nevitt
Ebur Criswell
John Norton
James McM. Criswell
Andrew Osbourn
Solomon Davis
Stephen Osbourn
James Ferguson
Parnach Owen
John Fraker
Simeon
Pennington
Alexander
Frakes
Jonathan Rice
Daniel Fuqua
Alexander Robertson
Luster T. Gillett
John P. Robinson
James Goff
John D. Roundtree
Robert K. Hendricks
Joseph Row
William Hilton
Josiah Stillings
Joseph Holiday
John Vaughn
Zachias Hunt
Joseph Wallace
Berryman Jennings
Samuel S. White
Theodore Jennings
Calvin Williams
Reese Jones
William Williams
William Lewis
The command was mounted, each man furnished his own horse. They ranged over the country from this county to the Mississippi river in the neighborhood of Oquawka. They were out about sixty days, but were in no engagements with the enemy.
For further protection three log forts were constructed, two in Henderson township, one on section ten and the other on section thirty-three, and one in Rio township in section twenty-two. Each fort consisted of a stockade about 200 feet square, built of oak timbers 12 feet in length, forming a fence about 8 or 9 feet high, lined with sod. On two of the corners were erected block houses by which each of the four sides of the fort could be protected. These were 16 by 20 feet and the second story projected beyond the walls, thus enabling the guard to prevent the approach of incendiaries.
Several times during the Black Hawk War the settlers left their homes in the county and fled to these forts for protection on rumors that the Indians were coming. It is probable that but for the efforts of Shabbona, a Pottawatomie chief, who had great influence with the Indians of this part of the state, and who prevented his people from taking part with the Sacs and Foxes, that the frontier settlements would have been devastated even south of the Illinois river. Shabbona was a great chief, and often visited this county, where he had many friends among the whites. He and his warriors fought in the War of 1812. Tecumseh was killed by his side in the Battle of the Thames. Afterwards he befriended the whites, and when Black Hawk was taken prisoner he said had it not been for Shabbona the whole Pottawatomie nation would have joined him, and he could have continued the war for years. After the surrender of Black Hawk in August, 1832, hostilities ceased. In 1833 rumors were rife that the Indians were dissatisifed with the treaty they had made and would again cross the Mississippi resolved upon another war, but these reports proved to be unfounded, and that was the last of Indian warfare in Knox County.
The only survivor of the Black Hawk War now living, as far as known, is Mr. Avery Dalton of Elmwood. Mr. Dalton is upwards of a hundred years old and formerly lived in Knox County. He was a member of Captain David W. Barnes' company, from Fulton county. This company was in the Battle of Stillman's Run and several of its members were killed or wounded. A few years ago the writer of this article had an interesting visit with Mr. Dalton at his home in Elmwood, in which the old gentleman narrated his personal experiences as a soldier in the Black Hawk War and as a hunter in the pioneer days."
NOTE: There were two men on the Adjutant General's Report (ninth volume) that were missing from the above article. They were: Erbin Coy, who was a private in William McMurtry's company and Mortin McCarver who was a private in W. Elkin's company. Also Abraham Davis Swarts who founded Abingdon, Ill. in 1836 was not listed.
Excerpt from the History of Knox County, published by the S. J. Clarke Company in
1912, pages 462-467. This article, written about Dr. James Champion McMurtry,
mentions his father and mother, William and Ruth (Champion) McMurtry, both natives of
Kentucky.
"On November 1, 1829, the year in which Dr. [James] McMurtry was born, his father removed his family to Knox county, Illinois. Before this they had resided in Indiana, where William McMurtry was active in politics besides carrying on agricultural pursuits. He served as lieutenant governor under Governor French in Illinois. He was state senator for many years. Mr. McMurtry descended of French Huguenot origin, was a man of superior mental qualities possessing an excellent education and made many friends through his genial manner and magnetic personality. He was an intimate friend of Stephen A. Douglas and occupied a prominent position in the democratic party in Illinois when the political battle was growing in intensity before the final triumph of President Lincoln and the newborn republican party. Dr. McMurtry's father was a captain in the Sixty-seventh Regular Militia of Illinois and a colonel of the One Hundred and Second Volunteer Infantry of Illinois. In 1846, he was made a member of the Henderson Lodge, F. & A. M."
Colonel William McMurtry is buried at the Rice-Blue Cemetery in Henderson Township.
Col. William McMurtry
Feb. 20 , 1801 - Aug. 10, 1875
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