Pgs 412-686 - Illinois Ancestors

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EL\[ IRA 'liolVP;SNTP.
,Jollii Gicrs, s. TV. clr., scc. 35: Fcl). 4, 1SlI. 1-1. Plvouty, 80: Eli blis, SO, on s. w. qr.
Seeward \\'alters, s. e. yr., see. 3.;; Fcb. -1, ISIS. Abrunl Loudenburg on s. e. qr.
C'onri~cl Sarr, n. e. qr., see. 36; Dec. 15, 181'7. E. 31. Funk, 40. D. Phenix, SO: D.
FIIIB, 40, on n. e. clr.
71Tiliinu~ Jears, jr , n. TV. cyr., see. 36: lkc. 15, 1817. C. L. Gerard, n. w. qr.
8. Edwarcls, s. w. cjr., see. 36, 1lp1.il 7, 18 IS. James Ciunia~non, s. IV. qr.
Jizilles Joyce, s. c. qr., sec. 36: .Tune 3, ISIS. Sanl'l Nontootli, 88%; B. G.
no\~Yll, 71:g.
Iri'12st Settleir~e~~ t.-Tlle settlellient of the tomnslrip is graphica,lly
it,nd colarectly given h \~ Nrs. Sl~nllenl)eigela, as follo~vs : In December,
IS35. i~ n~umber of resolute Inell 11ad 1,uslled thair froin Peo~ia
to \v11;1t has since been called Osceola Grove. ~rnoh~ them were
.J:111les Eus\vell, Isaac Sprucer. Tllorn;\s Wt~tts, Giles C. Dana, Peter
P~:att and 111.. I'l~att. Tliey calue out untler the auspices of Major
1iol)ei.t. fi[ooiae, ~vllo lind ol)tlainetl a inn]) of the lands in township fo~urtee11
iiortll, rnlige six east, designating the patent ;mcl unenterecl lands;
nl~tl 11e no\v encoui.;igecl e~~ligr;~ tlion l~lt~llela, w it11 a r ie~v to builcling up
:L to\~~~i, ~vllieh he lla tl surregetl and ct~llecl Osceol;~. Major Moore was
an ill tell igent, active business illan, e17er tbei~dy to take ntlmntnge of
cii*cun~stances mld fond of atlventu~*e. IIe subsequentlv went to Oreowon,
\\.it11 one of the first palaties t1ii1.t ever crossed the monntains
h
\\.hi tlleia his -family lollowecl l~ii~l some years after, lri th the exceptio~i
of liis ~~oungest son, rtobert blooiae, Escl., who is at tllis date a. resident
of ~o;lloil. I3r1t, at the time of \vllicll this nn~bri~tice treats, Major
3Ioore o\r~~ed ;I -feriy that crossetl tlie 1.i \.el3 at Peoria, anc1 to this lle
gaw his pet~sonill supeiavision ; and, ns emigrants crossetl, whicll they
tlitl frequently, lie ~rould t-:~ke the op1)ortunit-y to recolnnle~~tl the
Osceol:~ coLintl*y to tliem. 111 this uraj probably originatetl the coi11-
pan9 lle led tliere in 1835. Quoting Cliffo~~d's l~istory in regard to
this entelprise. ‘Tile parties above named were all fiaonl Verinont -
~vhicll Saxe says is :I goorl state to conre fi~n~rs, but a poor one to
go to - esce j)t Moore, \vho was from one of the southe~*n states,
i~iltl I)~I.J IVI~O IY a s froin hlassacl~usetts. \Vllen these persons reaclretl
t411e Gwre there was no one living. there except I-Ienry Seeley, who
the11 11:ltl n cabin near ~rl~ere he lives now, and. I,e\\-is Sturms. h
~~)rt~ioil of the paiaty stolq)etl the first night at St,uiillls', :~ncl were 110spital~ly
entertaineti. It was a (lark, dreary, laainy night,; they all slept
011 the floor in the slzlall cabin, ;~ntl f~on1 the dn.y's fatigue, having
come on foot fiaoln P~aince's Grove, they soon fell asleep, to be clistu14)etl
soon after by ;L loud liallooing ooutsiile occasioned by the
:~rriral of tll e s tnrnls fa~nil~ l)rolley, t1lw nu~~lber of ~vllom our inforinant
was unable to state, furtller than tlrer filletl the little cttl~in 'clluck
1 Tlrey were nl;~tle up of men, ~~oil~en ancl chilclren, wet, worn,
f;~tignecl antl hung1*y. 016 jnfolamant says one of the women came on
llorsehacl< \vitlr tirills in her arms, and in n sonby plight from 1ra.ring
been 'pitcl~etl off' her Ilo~se in slouglls ant1 gullies concealed by the
tl;~~*krless of the night. So~rlch of the l)inatg were taken oieia to Seeley's
~vliile the i*enr(zintler fillet1 the fioox*. The nest (la\' the balil~lce 01 tlie
f eoria party c;rme in flaoiu Covd's Gruve. llai-ing iost their reckonings
:~nd strt~yed out of their directidn. The whole party then moved west
for the purpose of su~areying antl nln1;ing tlreiia clnin~s. For one week
s