"Forting Up"
in Knox County.

By
Greg Carter

© February, 2004 by Greg Carter
and the Old Lead Region Historical Society.

All rights reserved.



Indian Troubles.

In April 1832, word of Black Hawk’s band crossing the Mississippi River with his armed band of warriors spread quickly from settlement to settlement. Panic was gripping settlers across Illinois and the Michigan Territory. The residents of settlements across the state began “forting up” and banding together for defense against Indian depredations and for offense, to go after the British Band and expel it from the state or destroy it. Forts were erected from around Chicago to Rock Island and from Galena to St. Louis. Given that Black Hawk’s band crossed the river near the “Yellow Banks”, below present-day Oquawka, Illinois, the settlers along the Henderson River in present-day Knox County became particularly nervous. After all, their settlements at Ruthsbury and Henderson Grove were alone in the wilderness and unprotected, 2-days ride from the nearest fort or large town. They also stood directly in the path of the British Band. (1)

The two principal settlements in Knox County were the communities of Ruthsbury (2) and Henderson Grove. Today, they are known as Oquawka and Soperville (3). Ruthsbury sat at the mouth of the Henderson River at the Mississippi, and Henderson Grove sat along Henderson Creek above present-day Galesburg. Cabins and claims of various sizes spread around these two settlements. These included the claims of Mr. John B. Gum, the first permanent resident of the county, and Mr. William McMurtry and his family.

Hints of Indian troubles were heard in the Henderson Grove settlement as early as 1829 when the McMurtry families arrived. They took up residence in Knox Township on Middle Creek, several miles below Henderson Grove. On their property they built a fort for the common defense (4) as soon as they finished their homes. They would later sell this land to a Mr. William Meeks (5) and move to Iowa. This was the first fort erected in Knox County. A nearby neighbor, Mr. John Gum, would also fortify his cabin. (6) This cabin would later become Knox County’s first courthouse and post office. (7) After being moved to a nearby park for preservation, this cabin was burned by an arsonist in 1952. (8) The Old Courthouse museum occupies the site today. (9)

Forting Up.

On the 18th of April 1832, a delegation from Henderson Grove reached Fort Armstrong on Rock Island. Thomas McKee, James McMurtry and Fantelroy Freeman (10) had ridden to the fort with a desperate request for arms. While the delegation was at Fort Armstrong, the remaining settlers of Henderson Grove wasted no time erecting four additional forts for their protection. Under the industrious supervision of William Lewis (11), two forts were erected in Henderson Township, one in Rio Township, and one below Knoxville. Modern view of the presumptive site of McMurtry's Fort.
(Picture credit: Greg Carter, 2003.)The small fort located 3 ˝ miles southeast of Knoxville may have been located near present-day Gilson, IL. (12) The exact location is presently under investigation. According to one source, this fort was never used. (13). Fort Aggie, the fort in Rio Township, stood on section 27. The first fort in Henderson Township was called “Henderson Fort”. Fort Aggie, Henderson Fort, McMurty’s Fort and the fort below Knoxville appear to have been similar in size to Apple River fort, being small stockades of wooden pickets surrounding a house or other dwelling. (14)

The principle fort for defense in Knox County was Fort Lewis, named for its builder. It is also the only Knox County fort that is described in any detail. The fort stood on section 33 of Henderson Township, just above the grove of timber above Lake Storey. The Volunteer Rangers erected Fort Lewis in four weeks in April-May 1832. The Fort was 210 feet square, built of oak timber pickets with sharpened points. The inner wall of the fort was then lined with 4-inch thick pieces of sod cut from the ground. Every four feet along the walls a loophole was cut out. Two corners were fitted with blockhouses, each measuring 16x20 feet square. The tops of the blockhouses were several feet above ground and projected out beyond the walls to “enable the guard to prevent the approach of incendiaries”. Each blockhouse was covered in clapboards. The fort was finished with one 12-foot door (gate) made of heavy puncheons. That was the sole point of entry and exit. Only one building graced the inside of the fort, a small shed. (15) The Volunteer Rangers used this fort to hold additional the firearms, supplies and provender that they were supplied with by the US Army.

The Volunteer Rangers.

Along with the numerous forts in the neighborhood, the men in the Henderson Grove area formed into a ranging company of mounted militia for protection. These men would become “the Volunteer Rangers” and range the length of the Henderson River for 60 days. (16) William McMurtry commanded 64 men during the first enlistment from April to June 3, 1832. (17) James Ferguson commanded 53 men during the second enlistment from June 3rd to July 4th, 1832. (18)

The first problem confronting the Rangers was that of arming the company. In a petition drafted on 17 April 1832, Fifty-six settlers had affixed their names to a petition for arms, stating that “not more than one fifth of the Inhabitants have arms." (This suggests that only 12-14 men were in possession of firearms!) They further requested 150 such arms for the common defense. (19) The delegation shipped the arms down river to Ruthsbury, then carried them overland by wagon to Henderson Grove and distributed them to the men there. The men were initially issued 100 arms. These arms were likely P.1795 muskets, and/or 1803 rifles left over from the War of 1812, along with accouterments. These were most likely P.1808 accouterments with either 1812-surplus black cross-belts or P.1819 white cross-belts. (20) The company “did not wear uniforms, but continued in citizen’s dress.” (21) All of the men were mounted. Their appearance was not likely to have been much different than that of the militia in the Michigan Territory. Upon receiving arms, the men of the company signed for lead, flints, bullet molds, screwdrivers, wipers, gunpowder, a spring-vise and powder flasks. (22) The Volunteer Rangers were mustered out of service on July 4th, 1832. For their trouble, each man was paid eighty-six cents per day of service and rewarded a bounty of 80 acres of land. (23)

In addition to arms and accouterments, General Henry Atkinson ordered a large quantity of provisions, including barrels of flour, pork, corn, gunpowder, lead, rice, sugar, coffee, rum and other such articles to the mouth of the Henderson River. (24) These may have been for the extended use of the Volunteer Rangers or of the companies heading north from southern Illinois who were to rendezvous at Yellow Banks and proceed north from that point. (25)

The Rangers did not engage in combat with the "British Band" at any time, nor were any of the Knox County forts ever attacked.


Notes.

1. Wakefield’s History of the Black Hawk War, p. 34.
2. Illinois State Library.
3. DeLorme ™ Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer, 1996, p. 31.
4. Annals of Knox County, p.108.
5. Land sale records of Knox County, 1850-1880, Knox County courthouse.
6. Letter to Galesburg Post from granddaughter of John B. Gum, recounting her mother’s recollection of the Gum Cabin, written before her death in 1959.
7. History of Knox County, Illinois, frontspiece.
8. Galesburg Post, Thursday, July 28th, 1977, p. 10.
9. Knox County Historical Society.
10. History of Knox County, Illinois, p.151.
11. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
12. DeLorme ™ Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer, 1996, p. 39.
13. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
14. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
15. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152-153.
16. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
17. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol I, p. 460-461.
18. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol I, P. 112-113.
19. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol. II, Part I, p. 269-270.
20. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 151.
21. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
22. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 151.
23. History of Knox County, Illinois, p. 152.
24. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol. II, Part I, p. 308-309.
25. Wakefield’s History of the Black Hawk War, p. 41.

Bibliography.

STEVENS, FRANK E. Wakefield’s History of the Black Hawk War.Madison: Roger Hunt, 1976.

WHITNEY, ELLEN. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol. I: Illinois Volunteers, Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1970.

WHITNEY, ELLEN. The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Vol. II: Letters and Papers. Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1970.

CHAS. C. CHAPMAN & CO. History of Knox County, Illinois. Chicago: Blakely, Brown & Marsh, Printers, 1878.

ANDREAS, LYTLE & CO. Atlas & Map of Knox County. Davenport: Andreas, Lytle & Co., 1870.

KNOX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. Annals of Knox County. Galesburg: Knox County Genealogical Society, 1921.

DELORME PUBLISHING CO. Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer ™, 2nd Ed. Yarmouth: DeLorme Publishing, Inc., 1996.