Chapter 15 part 1 CHAPTER XV LIFE ON THE FRONTIER THE REMINISCENCES OF THE PIONEER, JUDGE JOHN W. SPENCER - LIFE AMONG THE SACS AND FOXES - WHEN FRIENDSHIP CHANGED TO DISTRUST AND ENMITY - NEIGHBOR BLACK HAWK - INDIAN AGRICULTURE AND HUNTING TRIPS - THE WARS OF 1831-33 - STILLMAN'S DEFEAT AND THE FLAG OF TRUCE - THE MERCILESS SIOUX - A NEIGHBOR WHO DREW THE LONG BOW (One picture of the Entrance To Fejervary Park is included with this chapter) The following article was published in book form by Judge Spencer in 1872, not for general distribution, but for the members of his family and members of the Old Settlers' association.  It was, however, first presented at an Old Settlers' meeting in Rock Island county and subsequently appeared in the Union. Judge Spencer's long residence in Rock Island and extended acquaintance in Davenport and Scott county made him a familiar figure here and his experiences as a pioneer of this section, although his residence was across the river, will assuredly be of interest to readers of this history and for that reason "The Reminiscences of Pioneer Life in the Mississippi Valley" is here reproduced in toto. Judge John W. Spencer came to Rock Island, Illinois, in 1826, and died there February 20, 1878.  He was the first judge of the Rock Island county court and performed the first marriage ceremony in that county.  In connection with others he built the first dam at Moline in 1841, and in 1852, at the death of his father-in-law, Captain Wilson, succeeded to a controlling interest in the Rock Island and Davenport ferry from which his estate still derives a considerable revenue. ********************************** I was born in Vergennes, Addison county, Vermont, on the 25th of July, 1801, and after spending the early years of my life there started, on the 4th of September, 1820, for Illinois, driving a two-horse team for a gentleman by the name of Brush.  Having an uncle in St. Louis county, Missouri, I went there, crossing the Mississippi river on the 25th of October, at St. Louis.  This place had about 5,000 inhabitants at that time.  My uncle and many more of the early settlers were about leaving where they had settled, on account of Missouri becoming a slave state.  He and several of his neighbors had, early in the fall of this year, visited the Illinois river country and made some selections for farms, about thirty miles from the mouth of the river, at a settlment now called Bluffdale.  In order to hold the lands they had selected they were obliged to make some improvement on them which, having done, they returned to Missouri. About the 1st of December, in company with my cousin, who was five or six years my senior, with his wife and two children, we started for the Illinois river where my uncle and his party had made their claims the fall before.  On arriving there we found on one of the claims a log cabin, about fourteen feet square, about half built; it lacked a roof, a floor and a door, which we soon added.  Our horses we fed, and for lack of a stable turned loose at night.  In hunting for them one morning I found them about two miles from home, and as were turned on our way homeward I discovered a large bear on the bluff, headed for the river.  When he got on the prairie bottom I rode after him; the country being very smooth I found I could drive him, so concluded to try and drive him home.  Our cabin, at that time, was without a door, and for a substitute they had hung up a blanket.  The day being very windy, they had set a chest upon the blanket to keep it in place.  This chest was a very considerable part of the furniture of the cabin, being used as a work table, dining table, and a place for putting away our most valuable things.  My cousin's wife was busy getting our breakfast and had rolled out a short-cake upon the chest; he was at work outside the cabin, making a rude bedstead.  On approaching the house I hallooed as loud as I could.  The cabin stood in the timber and my cousin did not discover the bear until he was within fifty yards of him.  He ran in for his gun as soon as possible, and, by stepping on the chest at the door and putting his gun over the blanket, he gave the bear a mortal wound the first fire.  He then reloaded his gun and, going nearer him, fired a second shot, killing him.  But this is not all; when his wife looked for her short-cake, she found that he had put his foot in it. My neighbors in Green county, some of whom accompanied Major Campbell, when he started from St. Louis, in the war of 1812, for the relief of the garrison of Prairie du Chien, gave me the particulars of this trip, which I do not think are familiar to our old settlers generally.  We all know that there is an island near here named Campbell's island, but few know why it bears this name.  In 1812 Major Campbell, with three keel boats, well manned, and loaded with provisions for the relief of the garrison of Prairie du Chien, left St. Louis and came along without being distrubed by Indians until, at last, they reached Rock island.  They described the country here as being beautiful, finer than anything they had seen and they landed on a prairie, at the foot of Rock island, on the Illinois shore.  The Indians came to the boats and seemed friendly, trading some with them.  The next morning, while sailing on the right side of Campbell's island, the major concluded to land for breakfast, against the wishes of his command.  He landed his boat and tied to the shore, the other two boats anchoring out in the storm. As soon as the  major's boat was made fast the Indians, who were concealed, commenced firing on them.  These boats were so constructed that while the men were inside they were comparatively safe, but to cut their cable so as to leave the shore, somebody must expose themselves.  They sent out one after another to accomplish this purpose until two or three had been shot down.  Finding it so hazardous to extricate themselves in this way they changed their plan and by swinging the stern of the shore boat out and that of the nearest boat at anchor in, they managed to get from the boat which was made fast to the shore into the other boats, some bing killed, others wounded.  Among the wounded was Major Campbell, severely in the shoulder.  They now abandoned the boat at the shore and the Indians, after plundering it, burned it.  I have heard some of our first settlers say that in low water the wreck of this boat could be seen.  Major Campbell was now forced to give up the trip and returned to St. Louis with the remaining boats.  By the failure of this expedition the garrison at Prairie du Chien was forced, for lack of provisions, to capitulate to the English, and the island near where these brave men were killed and others wounded was called Campbell's island.  The Indians call a steamboat a fire-boat.  At a dance of the Indians, on Rock Island, I heard Black Hawk, in making a little speech, allude to this boat; he said when this boat was burned it made a real "fire-boat."  While living in this part of the state Alton was our postoffice, being forty miles from our settlement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L