Yale University Library

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a: CENTURY OF
INDIANA

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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

In Memory of
RUSSELL LORD
Yale 1910 S
from the fund established in 1928
by his mother
MRS. JOHN BRACKETT LORD

A CENTURY OF INDIANA

BY
EDWARD E. MOORE

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
NEW YORK . • CINCINNATI . • . CHICAGO

GOPTKIGHT, 1910
BY
EDWARD E. MOORE

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London
Moore's Indiana

PREFACE

The production of this work is the result of a belief
that there is a field for a new history of Indiana, briefer in
general narrative, though fuller in political and constitutional
history, than other standard works heretofore published.
The word " political" is of course used in its governmental
and not its partisan sense, though every phase of the
state's history is treated according to its relative impor
tance, the activities of the leading political parties not
excepted. Then there are reasons why the present seems a peculiarly
fitting time to bring out such a work. With the approach
of the centennial year of statehood, and the rounding out
of a cycle of Indiana history, there comes to the thoughtful
mind not only a renewed interest in the fascinating story
of the origin, antecedents and growth of our splendid com
monwealth, but a striking realization of the fact that a new
era, not only of material progress, but of social and civic
development, involving many changes from former ideals,
has dawned. The formative period in the state's history
is closed, and the new problems of government, and of
dealing with the varied interests and needs of the people, are
widely different from those of the earlier times.
In the style of presentation of this history, neither partisan
bias nor a purpose to shield the recreant, whether a political
party or other organization or individuals, has been con-
6

6 PREFACE
sciously indulged, and endeavor has been made to avoid
the spirit of mere boastfulness so apt to insinuate itself on
account of state pride or local patriotism. No good pur
pose can be served by an effort to color the facts of history,
and surely there could be no -greater crime in literature than
a deliberate attempt to falsify them. The story of the rise
of the state from the wilderness scarce a hundred years ago,
of the development of its rich resources of mines and soil,
and the evolution of its government; the stirring chapters
of its territorial history, and the various events of war and
peace, of danger, of sacrifice, and of achievement, through
all the wonderful years that have elapsed since La Salle first
skirted our southern shore while on his voyage down the
Ohio in 1669, are such that no fanciful embellishments are
needed -to attract and hold the attention.
In this great panorama of history there pass in review (1)
the Mound Builders, who disappeared so many hundreds
of years ago that there would now remain not even a
memory of the race, were it not for the great mounds and
fortifications of earth which mark the scenes of their ancient
industry; (2) the disdainful Indian, who chose death and
race extinction rather than give up the wild life of the forest
he loved so well; (3) the eager French explorers, traders,
missionaries and adventurers, upon whose restless wander
ings and feeble attempts to found colonies their country
sought to establish a vast empire in central North America,
extending from the Gulf coast to the regions beyond the
northern Lakes; (4) the ever conquering Anglo-Saxon who
destroyed this dream of empire with a stroke of the sword,
and (5) the frank and rugged American who still abides,
and for whom Providence seems to have reserved the price
less heritage of the continent.

PREFACE 7
Not quite two hundred years have elapsed since the first
outpost of European civilization was established on the soil
of what is now Indiana, and for a half-century following the
preliminaries of occupation by the French the white popula
tion of the territory did not exceed four hundred souls.
Dating the first impetus to general settlement from the
adoption of the Ordinance of 1787, it has required the com
munity comprising the state of Indiana a little less than a
century and a quarter to build itself up, conquer the wilder
ness, form and perfect a government, and advance to the
present stage of civilization and prosperity enjoyed by the
people. And that Indiana, still younger in years than some
of her oldest pioneer citizens, should now stand admittedly
in the vanguard of the sisterhood of states in education,
and moral, material and civic progress, is a distinction in
which all worthy citizens may justly pride themselves. I
have sought, however, to avoid the temptation to exaggerate
glorious facts, or suppress disagreeable truths, merely to flatter
such a pride. The lessons of history are of two kinds, and
each should have its voice. The purpose to atone for an error
or correct a wrong, or the contemplation of an example to be
avoided, may prove a motive to well-doing only less valuable
than the desire to emulate that which is commendable and
honorable. Enough of the broader aspects of our national history are
set forth, in their proper connections, to make clear the
related and dependent events in the state's history.
Numerous references to authorities, and sources of in
formation are given, both in the text and in accompanying
footnotes. These will furnish a helpful guide to the stu
dent who may desire to pursue a more exhaustive study of
the subject than is here provided.

8 PREFACE
And to what extent I have succeeded, if at all, in my
effort to make this story of Indiana interesting and read
able, as well as instructive, must now be left to the judg
ment of an enlightened and discriminating public.
EDWARD E. MOORE.
CONNERSVILLB, INDIANA,

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
PAGB
The Geography of Indiana  n
CHAPTER II
Aboriginal Inhabitants  20
CHAPTER III
Early Explorations  27
CHAPTER IV
Early Settlements  33
CHAPTER V
Saxon versus Gaul  45
CHAPTER VI
The War fob Independence  54
CHAPTER VII
Early Jurisdictions and Territorial Government  69
CHAPTER VIII
The Slavery Question  85
CHAPTER IX
Indian Wars  ¦  90
CHAPTER X
The Early Settler  115

10 CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI PAGE
Progress under Statehood  119
CHAPTER XII
Indiana's Part in the Civil War  146
CHAPTER XIII
Era of Modern Development  182
CHAPTER XIV
A Century's Progress  222
CHAPTER XV
Indiana Civics  229
CHAPTER XVI
Educational Development  249
CHAPTER XVII
Recent Events  265
APPENDIX
Socialistic Experiments at New Harmony  i
Geologic Indiana  xxv
Miscellaneous Facts of Interest  xxxiii
Constitution of Indiana  xliii
Index  Ixvii

A CENTURY OF INDIANA

CHAPTER I
THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA
Location, Boundaries, and Political Divisions. Indiana is
included in the north central group of states, and lies be
tween 37° 41' and 41° 46' north latitude, and between 84° 44'
and 86° 6' west longitude. It is bounded on the north by
the parallel which lies ten miles north of the southern
extremity of Lake Michigan, on the east by the meridian
of the mouth of the Great Miami River, on the south by
the Ohio River, and on the west by the Wabash River and
the meridian of Vincennes. The bordering states are Michi
gan on the north, Ohio and Kentucky on the east, Kentucky
on the south, and Illinois on the west. Lake Michigan
forms about a third of the northern boundary.
The state has an extreme length from north to south of
about 250 miles, and an extreme breadth from east to west
of 145 miles. Territorially it ranks thirty-fifth among the
states of the Union, its area being but 36,350 square miles.
Its political divisions consist of 92 counties, and these are
subdivided into 1016 townships. Indianapolis, situated near
the center of the state, is the capital.
Topography and Soils. The unglaciated portion of the
state, covering about one fourth of its area, and lying in the
form of a triangle with its apex in Morgan County and its
base on the Ohio River, possesses a varied and an uneven
11

12 THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA
surface, marked in places by deep narrow- valleys and
rapid running streams. A small area in the southeast,
though showing glacial drift, partakes of the same general
character. None of the hills rise to an altitude approaching
the dignity of mountains. The soil is alluvial and fertile in
the valleys, the valley of the White Water especially being
notable for the productiveness of its farms. And even on
the higher and more uneven land judicious cultivation sel
dom fails to bring fair rewards. The staple crops of corn,
wheat, oats, and potatoes are raised, but fruit culture is fast
becoming a leading industry, being best adapted to the
region. In the northwest, around the head of Lake Michi
gan, there are numerous sand hills and dunes, due partly
to a former extension of the lake, and partly to wind action.
In the basin of the Kankakee, also in the northwest, but south
of the sand hills, there is a vast region of lakes and marshes
and wet prairies. The drainage of this lake and marsh
region is retarded by the flat, level character of the country
and the presence of a complex system of morainic hills and
ridges. In the northeast there is a region of high moraines,
one great ridge of drift being 200 to 500 feet deep and 25
miles wide, and extending from Steuben County to Cass, a
distance of 100 miles. In fact, over nearly all of the northern
three fourths of the state these moraines, or raised ridges
of bowlders and various kinds of drift, are to be seen lying
" like dead waves upon the surface of the ocean." Aside
from the broken and uneven ground in the southern part of
the state comprising the " Ohio Slope," the sand dunes in
the northwest, the morainic hills in the northeast, and the
lake and marsh regions throughout a large portion of the
northern third, especially in the basin of the Kankakee,
the rest of the state is a vast and undulating plain of glacial

THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA 13
drift and accumulations. It possesses a deep mellow soil,
unexcelled anywhere on the continent for fertility and pro
ductiveness. The principal crops grown are corn, wheat,
oats, potatoes, and hay.
Geological Formations and Land Elevations. The rocks
underlying the state are sedimentary, and have never been
violently disturbed by earthquake or volcanic action. Their
position, however, shows that at some comparatively recent
date in geologic history they were " gently lifted into a very
flat arch, the crest of which extends from Union County to
Lake County. From the crest of the arch the strata dip
gently to the northeast and southwest, the slope in the latter
direction being about 20 feet to the mile." '
The average land elevation in Indiana is 700 feet above
tide. The highest point in the state is 1285 feet, and occurs
in southern Randolph County. The lowest, which is in the
extreme southwest, is 313 feet above tide. Only 2850 square
miles have an altitude of 1000 feet or over, and this area is
comprised within the counties of Wayne, Union, Randolph,
Delaware, Henry, Rush, Decatur, Franklin, Ripley, Brown,
Steuben, DeKalb, Noble, and Lagrange. About 4700 square
miles have an elevation of less than 500 feet.^
Drainage System: Rivers and Lakes. The Wabash River,
which with its tributaries furnishes the drainage for more
than two thirds of the state, rises in Mercer County, Ohio,
only a few miles from the Indiana-Ohio state line, enters
Indiana on the boundary between Adams and Jay counties,
flows northwestward through Adams, Wells, Huntington,
and Wabash counties, then turns nearly due west through
Miami and into Cass, whence it turns to the southwestward,
1 C. R. Dryer.
' All figures as to land elevations here given are according to C. R. Dryer.

(14)

The Wabash, near Lafayette

THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA

15

and finally directs its course almost due south to its junction
with the Ohio. The Wabash has a fall of only about eight
een inches to the mile throughout its long course of over
400 miles within the state. Its principal tributaries are the
White River, the Mississinewa, and the Salamonie, joining
from the east and south, and the Little Wabash, the Eel, and
the Tippecanoe from the north or northeast. The Vermilion

White Water River, near Connersville

and the Embarrass rivers are tributaries from the north and
west, the latter being wholly, and the former partly, in the
state of Illinois. The White River constitutes a considerable
system within itself, being formed by the East Fork and the
West Fork, which, with their own tributaries, drain a large
portion of the southern and central regions of the state.
The White Water River, rising in Randolph County, flows
south and southeast through Wayne, Fayette, Franklin, and
Dearborn counties, and forms a junction with the Great

16 THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA
Miami near Harrison, Ohio. This stream has an average fall
of almost seven feet to the mile, and is one of the most
picturesque and beautiful in the state. There is a small area
which drains into Lake Erie through the Maumee River
system. The Maumee is formed at Fort Wayne by the junc
tion of the St. Mary's River, flowing to the northwest from
its source in Ohio, and the St. Joseph, which originates in
Michigan and flows to the southwest through the corner of
Ohio and thence into Indiana. After thus uniting their
waters and forming the Maumee, these two rivers double
back upon their courses and flow to the east and north,
emptying into the lake. The St. Mary's and the St. Joseph
are striking examples of moraine-guided streams.
Then there is a drainage into Lake Michigan through the
St. Joseph of the Lake, which has its origin in Michigan,
makes a long graceful sweep through portions of Elkhart
and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, and flows back north and
westward to the lake. Finally, the Kankakee, which has
its source in St. Joseph County, and furnishes drainage for a
limited area in the northwest, carries its sluggish waters to
the Illinois, and thence to the Mississippi. A number of
small streams in the southern part of the state drain directly
into the Ohio. The general slope of the state is to the south
west, as indicated by the course of the Wabash, and by the
vastly greater amount of drainage in that direction.
Scattered over the northern third of the state there are a
thousand shimmering lakes, many of them covering areas of
several square miles. They lend an aspect of great beauty
to the region, and during the summer months attract
multitudes of health and pleasure seekers to their shores.
Climate and Occupations. The average temperature of
the state ranges from about 25 degrees Fahrenheit in the

THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA 17
north to 33 in the south in January, and from 72 degrees
in the north to 77 in the south in July. The extremes range
from about 103 degrees above zero to 22 below. The record
high temperature for the central portion of the state is 106
degrees, an extreme reached July 22, 1901, while the record
low temperature of 25 degrees below zero occurred Januarj- 5,
1884. There is an abimdant rainfall over all sections, and
considerable snow precipitation in the north.
Agriculture is the principal occupation of the people,
although manufacturing and coal mining are highly impor
tant industries. Indiana ranks about sixth as an agricultural
state, notwithstanding the disparity of area in favor of her
rival commonwealths. She occupie-s the tenth place as a
manufacturing state, and sixth as a coal-producing state.
Before the Woodman Came. Originally Indiana was
heavily timbered, especially in the south, and along the
Wabash and White Water river valleys, with dense forests of
oak, hickory, ash, maple, beech, poplar, sycamore, cotton-
wood, elm, and other deciduous trees. The Catalpa,
now being widelj' cultivated because of its rapid growth,
and the durabilit>', adaptabUity, and workable quaUties
of its wood, is a native of the Wabash valley. Only a
few small areas were covered by evergreen trees. In the
central and eastern and southeastern portions of the
state the Indians had no settlements worth the mention,
largely because of the denseness in those regions of the
forests of great trees. When these trees were removed the
land occupied by them proved to be almost limitless in its
powers of production.
Settlement and Population. The settlement of the state
by white men first began in the southwest and south, and
gradually extended toward the north. The first comers,

T8 THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIANA
after the handful of French about Vincennes and Ouiatenon,
were principally from the southern and central eastern
states. Later there was an influx of immigrants from New
York and the New England states, and these contributed
their numbers mainly toward building up the population
of the northern counties. The total population of Indiana
in 1800 was 5641. In 1900, just a century later, it was
2,516,462, while in 1910 it had grown to 2,700,876.

CHAPTER II
ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
THE MOUND BUILDERS
Relics of a Prehistoric Civilization; a Vanished Race. The
Mound Builders were a prehistoric race of people who
occupied a large portion of North America many hun
dreds, perhaps thousands, of years before the advent of
European civiUzation. Their principal abode appears to
have been in the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, if
we may judge by the greater prevalence there of the
peculiar mounds of earth and military fortifications con
structed by them. There has been much interesting spec
ulation as to who they were, where they came from, how
long they occupied the country, and what became of them,
but authentic history can vouchsafe no certain answer.
These unsolved though fascinating mysteries have furnished
inspiration to many imaginative writers whose works should
have value in the realms of pure speculation only. The form
of romancing indulged by them has clothed the aboriginal
race of Mound Builders, in the minds of many credulous
people, with certain heroic attributes and a nobility of
character which it is very doubtful if they ever possessed.
The notion that they were of gigantic stature is a myth
kept alive, no doubt, by the reports given circulation from
time to time of the finding of buried skeletons of abnormal
size. The progress of the Mound Builders toward civiliza
tion also has been much overestimated. But in spite of all
these things so much of their history as we do know is full
20

ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS 21
of ethnologic and human interest. The real truth of the
matter is, that the Mound Builders were a savage or at
best a semicivilized people, who left no history, and no trace
of a written or printed language. Neither by symbol,
hieroglyphic, or any example of sign or picture writing yet
discovered, can it be shown that they had any method
of convej-ing written or recorded intelligence. All that is
known of them must be gleaned from a few relics of flint,
stone and metal implements, crude though sometimes
highly ornamented potter\-, simple domestic utensils, and
their own decaying bones. Aside from these, the only
enduring monuments to their existence are the curious earth
mounds, and a number of highly interesting military forti
fications built by them.
At the time of the first explorations of this country by
white men, some three centuries ago, trees, estimated to be
eight hundred to a thousand years old, were growing upon
these abandoned mounds and earthworks. The age of these
trees might furnish a fairly plausible clew to the time of
disappearance of the Moimd Builders, but how long they
had occupied the country, where they came from, or what
caused their disappearance, are among the deeper mysteries
of the voiceless past.'
1 Evidence has accumulated during recent years in support of the belief
that this country was inhabited by a primitive race of men before the Glacial
epoch, which terminated, according to the most conservative scientific
estimates, ten thousand to thirty thousand years ago. And as the period
of formation and duration of the enormous ice packs which invaded and
devastated the country is estimated at not less than fifteen thousand to
twenty-five thousand years, man's great antiquity, if he really dwelt here
in preglaclal times, is indicated. The calculation would place the period of
his latest preglacial occupancy at twenty-five thousand to fifty-five thousand
years ago. Some of the important items supporting this belief have been
gleaned in Indiana. Mr. II. T. Cresson, of Philadelphia, in the year 1886,
found at Medora, in Jack-son County, Indiana, deeply imbedded in li glacial
MOOBE, li-u.— 2

22 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
It is probable that the Mound Builders as a race were
akin to the Indians. They may have been a branch or off
shoot of the Toltecs, or their successors the Aztecs, of ancient
Mexico and Central America, though inferior to them in
advancement toward civilization,
Traditional Fate of the Mound Builders; a Numerous
Population Indicated. The Iroquois Indians handed down
a curious tradition which is as likely to be the true explana
tion of the fate of the Mound Builclers as any other. It was
to the effect that when the Lenni Lenapi, common ancestors
of the Iroquois and other tribes, advanced from the North
west to the Mississippi, they found on the eastern side of that
stream a great nation of people, more civilized than the
Indians, living in towns and cultivating the soil. Having
given the Lenni Lenapi permission to pass through to seek
an eastward settlement, this people, inferentially the Mound
Builders, treacherously attacked them while they were
crossing the river. This gave rise to a long and bloody
warfare, which eventually resulted in the subjugation and
extermination of the offending strangers and the occupation
of their country by the conquering Red Men.
That the Mound Builders attained to a numerous popula
tion is evident from the magnitude of the public works in
the nature of mounds and military fortifications which they
constructed. And only by the practice of agriculture could
so large a population have been maintained, although hunt
ing and fishing were also extensively followed. The imple
ments left by them show that their agricultural operations
were carried on by means of shells, or by hand tools of stone
drift, a well-wrought flint implement of human manufacture. Similar
evidences of preglacial habitation have been found in New Jersey, Ohio,
and elsewhere.

ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS 23
or wood, and in building their mounds and military defenses
the earth must have been carried in baskets, doubtless poised
on the heads of the workers. They had neither machinery
of any kind nor domestic animals. Under such circum
stances it is evident that the population constructing the
vast works left bj' this primitive people must have been
subject to conditions of practical slavery.
Mounds and Military Defenses. The r^Iound Builders
may have been valiant in war. That they had enemies to
whom they doubtless succumbed eventually is proved by
the fortifications and defenses heretofore referred to. In
the construction of these works some knowledge of engineer
ing is evidenced by examples of perfect circles, angles, and
squares; and their defenses seem to have been built with
reference to definite plans. A chain of fortifications can b6
traced " reaching from the southern part of New York
diagonally across the country to the Wabash River, and
another chain commencing at a point on the Ohio River,
in Clark County, Indiana, running northward into Madison
County, thence eastward to central Ohio, and thence south
ward through Kentucky to Tennessee." '
Fort Ancient, one of the most noted of these ancient
fortifications, situated on the Little Miami River in Ohio,
inclosed one hundred acres of ground, and would have held
a garrison of sixty thousand men, with their families and
provisions. The surrounding embankments were five to
twenty-five feet in height.
There is every evidence that these strange people made a
Titanic struggle for their continued existence and that their
enemies paid dearly for their victory over them.
Interesting examples of ancient military fortifications in
* Smith's HiHttrry of Indiana.

24 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
Indiana are to be found in Clark, Jefferson, Madison, Sulli
van, and Randolph counties. " Fort Azatlan " in Sullivan,
near the town of Merom, and a remarkable stone fort at
the mouth of Fourteen Mile Creek, in Clark County, are
especially worthy of mention.
The mounds of earth erected by the Mound Builders,
doubtless at the expense of years of patient toil, have been
variously classified by different authors as burial mounds,
temple mounds, memorial pillars, and mounds of habitation.
That many of them were used as burial mounds or places
of sepulture, there can be no question, and it is very
probable that some, especially the larger ones, served as
temples. While they may have been used as watch-towers
or lookouts in time of war, it is very doubtful if any of
the mounds were used for purposes of habitation. Exca
vations seldom fail to bring to view human bones and other
relics such as have been mentioned. Usually the bones
represent one or a few persons, though sometimes many.
W. H. Smith, in his history, relates that from one mound
which was removed in the town of Spencer, Owen County,
Indiana, there were taken more than twenty wagonloads
of human bones, representing probably five thousand bodies.
These mounds or tumuli, are numerous in Indiana, being
found in nearly all sections of the state, but they are most
abundant in the south. They are common objects marking
the landscape in Knox, Sullivan, Owen, Clark, and many
other counties. Pyramid mound in Knox County, south
of Vincennes, is probably the highest in the state. It was
reported by Professor Collett to be forty-seven feet high,
three hundred feet long, and one hundred fifty feet wide.
On its top there is a level area fifteen by fifty feet. This
mound is a pygmy, however, when compared with examples

ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS 2o
found elsewhere. The Cahokia truncated mound in Illinois
measures seven hundred by five hundred feet at the
base and is ninety feet high. The mounds vary in shape
as well as in size. There are square, circular, conical, trun
cated, and terraced mounds, and mounds built in imitation
of various kinds of animals, including man. The best
examples of this latter class are to be found in Wisconsin,
though there is a remarkable mound in Adams Countj',
Ohio, constructed in imitation of an enormous serpent. It
is twelve hundred feet in length.
THE INDIANS
Indians Make Little Progress toward Civilization; Doubt
less Conquerors of Mound Builders ; Their Probable Origin.
Whether the Indians were the immediate successors of the
Mound Builders in their occupancy of the territory now
comprised within the United States, or whether a period of
time elapsed between the going of the one race and the
coming of the other, none can with certainty tell. It is more
than probable that the succession was not only immediate,
but that the Mound Builders were conquered and destroyed
by the Indians, who then possessed themselves of their lands.
The result could hardly have been based upon the outcome
of a single battle,, but may have been the culmination of a
warfare of years, or hostilities of decades. There is, in
fact, no way to prove that the Indians in their origin are less
ancient than the Mound Builders.
It is therefore just as diflScult to account for the presence
of the Indians on the American continent as to account for
the existence of the Mound Builders. They were here
when European explorers first sailed across the seas; and
beyond the stretch of the memory of those then living, and

26 ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS
a few untrustworthy traditions, nothing is known of their
history previous to that time. They bear a slight resem
blance to the people living in some portions of Japan, and
in remote ages of the past may have emigrated from Japan
or Eastern Asia by crossing Bering Strait to Alaska. Or
they may have come by way of the Aleutian chain of islands
which in earlier geologic times doubtless constituted a much
more extended area of land connecting, or partially connect
ing, the two continents.
The Indians, prior to the time of the intrusion of the
White Man's civilization, had no written language and
preserved no history or records. Beyond a moderately well-
developed spoken language, and a crude system of picture
and sign writing for use in war and the chase, they had
made but little progress toward civilization. Originally
most of the tribes practiced cannibalism, not only feasting
upon the flesh of their enemies killed or captured in war, but
devouring their own kindred in times of food scarcity. The
Miamis clung to the horrible custom longer than any of the
other tribes, keeping it up until after the Revolutionary War.
Indiana Indians Algonquins. Most of the Indian tribes
in Indiana were members of the Algonquin family. A
majority of them, among whom were the Twightwees, Weas,
Piankashaws and Shockneys, were members of the formidable
Miami confederacy. The tribes were frequently at war
with one another, and migrated from place to place.
Aside from the Twightwees or Miamis, the Delawares,
Shawnees, Wyandots and Potawatamis were the strongest
of the tribes in Indiana. Tecumseh and his brother, the
Prophet, were of the fierce Shawnee tribe. Little Turtle,
one of the greatest of Indian warriors, was a Miami.

CHAPTER 111

EARLY EXPLORATIONS
Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle in Indiana; Discovery
of the Ohio River. The exact date when white men first set
foot upon the soil of
what is now Indiana
is not known. That
it was sometime prior
to 1657 has been
claimed, because in
that year an official
"Map of New France"
was published on
which the course of
the Maumee River,
which has its source
in the state, was traced
with reasonable ac
curacy. It is surmised
that intrepid French
hunters from Quebec
and Montreal may
have crossed Lake

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Erie and found their way into Indiana soon after those early
northern settlements were made (1608 and 1642, respectively),
but there is no actual record of any European having invaded
the vast new country south of the Great Lakes before the
voyage of La Salle, in 1669. That missionaries or hunters
27

28 EARLY EXPLORATIONS
may have visited the region prior to that time without leav
ing any account of their adventures is altogether possible,
though the point is not important, except as it is made so
by writers for sentimental or controversial reasons.
Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who was commandant
at Fort Frontenac, now Kingston, on the northern shore of
Lake Ontario, sailed down the Ohio River in 1669, skirting
the southern border of what is now Indiana. He was on a
voyage of discovery, seeking the " Great River " (Missis
sippi), and a passage to Japan and China. There was also
some motive of opening up trade with Mexico, where gold
discoveries of untold richness had been reported.
La Salle started on his voyage from La Chine, near Mon
treal, July 6, 1669, with seven canoes and twenty-four men.
Associated with him were two Sulpician priests, Dollier and
Gallin^e, but these deserted him at the western extremity
of Lake Ontario. At this place the La Salle expedition was
met by Louis Joliet, who was returning from an unsuccessful
search for the' lost copper mines of Lake Superior. It was
upon his report that Dollier and Gallinee withdrew, and
proceeded to the Upper Lake regions to endeavor to convert
the Potawatami Indians.
From the time of the meeting with Joliet and the deser
tion of the two priests the accounts of La Salle's voyage are
obscure, or rather, records are lacking altogether. Some
writers say he crossed the territory now comprised within
the state of Indiana by ascending the Maumee from Lake
Erie, crossing the portage to the Wabash, and descending
that stream to the Ohio, while others maintain, and with a
much better show of probability, that he entered the Ohio
at the present site of Pittsburg, by way of the Allegheny.
The essential fact that he discovered the Ohio, and navigated

EARLY EXPLORATIONS 20
it as far as the Falls at New .\lbany, and perhaps almost to
its mouth, is well established.
In a memorial to the king in 1677, speaking of him.self in
the third person, La Salle .says: " In the year 1667, and those
following, he made divers voyages with much expense, in
which he for the first time explored many countries to the
south of the great lakes, and among others the great river
of Ohio; he followed it to a place where it empties, after a
long course, into vast marshes, at the latitude of 37 degrees,
after having been increased by another river, verj- large,
which comes from the north; and all these waters discharge
themselves, according to all appearances, into the Gulf of
Mexico." This would indicate, if La Salle's calculations as to latitude
are correct (and it is presumed they are, for Henri Joutel
says of him in his journal that he was a man " well enough
learned, and understanding in the Alathematicks "), that
he must have approached ven.- nearly to the mouth of the
Ohio. " He may have arrived there at a time when the
Mississippi was overflowing, in which case the backwater
in the Ohio, the overflowed bottom-lands, and the extensive
canebrakes that then existed on both its banks below the
mouth of the Tennessee, might very naturally have caused
him to believe that it emptied into vast marshes." '- That
other river, " very large, which comes from the north," was
without doubt the Wabash.
It is fairly certain that La Salle also cro.ssed the north
western comer of the state in 1671 or 1672, by waj' of the
St. Joseph of the Lake, and the Kankakee, on his way
to the Illinois. After this there was no further explora
tion of Indiana, so far as any known records show, until
' J. p. Dunn.

30 EARLY EXPLORATIONS
La Salle's memorable expedition of 1679-80. It is reason
ably certain, however, that missionaries and fur traders had
begun to find their way into the region ere this. La Salle
himself was interested in commerce as well as exploration
and discovery, and through trusted emissaries built up an
extensive trade with the Indians, extending it systematically
among the new tribes encountered on his voyages. Game and
fur-bearing animals were very plentiful in portions of Indiana.
La Salle's Later Voyages and his Exploration of the Missis
sippi; Takes Possession for France; His Trade with the
Indians. In 1679 La Salle set out to secure possession of
the Mississippi for France and to open up trade with Mexico.
On the Niagara River, just above the Falls, he constructed
the Griffon, which was the first vessel ever launched on the
waters of the upper Great Lakes. Sailing first to Green
Bay, Wisconsin, he loaded the Griffon with furs and sent
it back to Niagara with orders to obtain a cargo of supplies
and return to him at the mouth of the Chicago River, or
somewhere in the vicinity. The vessel was never again
heard of. It is possible that the records of La Salle's explora
tions of 1669 and the year following were lost with this
vessel, accounting for the dearth of authentic information
concerning his first voyage to the Southwest and his explora
tion of the Ohio. From Green Bay La Salle returned by a
fleet of canoes to the east side of the Lake, and, entering the
St. Joseph River, constructed on the south bank of the stream
a fort which he called Miami. Later, ascending the St.
Joseph and crossing over the portage to the headwaters of
the Kankakee, he descended that stream to the Illinois,
thence sailed down the Illinois to Peoria Lake, where in 1680
he constructed Fort Crevecoeur, — Broken Heart (so named
because of the loss of the Griffon). He spent the winter

EARLY EXPLORATIONS 31
there, waiting the expected arrival of the Griffon, intending
to continue his voyage to the Mississippi. But the vessel
failing to put in its appearance, he was forced to return to
Fort Frontenac, a thousand miles distant. Retracing his
steps later in the year, he found Fort Crevecoeur destroyed
by the Indians, first having been deserted by the small garri
son left in charge, and he was forced to turn back and seek
shelter at Fort Miami, on the St. Joseph.
Late in the season of 1681 La Salle again made his way
to the Illinois River and sailed down that stream to the
Mississippi. Continuing his voyage he reached the Gulf of
Mexico in 1682, and going upon the shore took possession
of the entire cotmtry in the name of Louis XIV. He called
it Louisiana, in honor of his king. The territory comprised
within what is now Indiana was a part of Louisiana.
While La Salle was not the first to discover the Mississippi,
that honor belonging to Joliet and Marquette (1673), he was
nevertheless one of the most intrepid of all the early French
explorers. He died at the hands of assassins in 1687.
Though La Salle carried on an extensive and profitable
trade with the Indians, especially along the Wabash and
Ohio rivers, he established no post or settlement within the
present territorial limits of Indiana. His principal post was
at Fort St. Louis, on the south side of the Illinois River,
opposite the present town of Utica. To this place he in
duced practically all the Indians in Indiana to remove in
1682, and form an alliance for mutual protection against
the Iroquois, who were making war upon the tribes. The
Iroquois were also unfriendly to La Salle, refused to trade
with him, and had threatened him with death. The tribes
forming the alhance straggled back into Indiana between the
years 1702 and 1712.

32 EARLY EXPLORATIONS
Visits of the French Missionaries. Beginning with the
years of La Salle's later explorations, Indiana was visited by
many zealous French missionaries, seeking to convert the
Indians to the Christian religion. Through their fearless
and self-sacrificing activities, and the restless enterprise of
the coureurs de hois (wood rangers), hunters, and trappers,
no part of the country remained long unexplored. The
missionaries AUouez and Dablon, whose principal activities
were around Green Bay, Wisconsin, visited the Indians,
near the southern shores of Lake Michigan, in 1672. Many
others came between that date and 1712. The traders
followed ever in the wake of the missionaries, sometimes
moving in advance of them, and bartered with the Indians
for their furs, and sold them Ijad whisky. This made the
work of the missionaries very difficult, sometimes seeming
to nullify it altogether.'
1 The pious Jesuits held up the cross of Christ and unfolded the mysteries
of the Catholic religion in broken Indian to these astonished savages, while
the speculating traders offered them fire water and other articles of mer
chandise in exchange for their peltries, and the rangers (coureurs de bois),
shaking loose every tie of blood and kindred, identified themselves with the
savages, and sank into utter barbarism. The Jesuit missionaries were
always cordially received by the Miami tribes. These Indians would listen
patiently to the strange story of the Savior and salvation, manifest a willing
belief in all they heard, and then, as if to entertain their visitors in return,
they would tell them the story of their own simple faith in the Manitous,
and stalk away with a groan of dissatisfaction because the missionaries
would not accept their story with equal courtesy. — Goodrich.

CHAPTER IV
EARLY SETTLEMENTS
Miamis, Ouiatenon, and Vincennes. The first adven
turous spirits who invaded the soil of Indiana for the
purposes of trade or commercial pursuits, or for the establish
ment of homes, were not impressed with the importance of
keeping records or dates of their movements, and early
French military records were about as deficient. Hence we
are not able to saj' positively where or when the first military
or permanent trading post was established, or when the first
actual settlement was made.
It is certain that the old Piankashaw village (Chipkawkay),
that stood on the site of the present city of ^'incennes; the
Wea village (Ouiatenon), on the upper Wabash, near the
place where Post Ouiatenon was later constructed; and
the Twightwee, or Miami village (Kekionga), where the city
of Fort Wayne now stands, were visited by missionaries and
traders " at a verj' early period of the eighteenth century —
perhaps as early as 1702." '
The date of the establishment of the pwst at Vincennes,
especially, has long been a subject of controversy. One
writer names the year 1702, and a tablet bearing that date
adorns the front of the Knox County courthouse. It is
almost certainly an error, however, arising, it is thought,
from the similarity of the name of a fort (St. Vincent)
established by M. de Juchereau in 1702 at the mouth of the
Ohio, and the further fact that the early writers and ex-
I Dillon. 33

34 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
plorers frequently confused the names of the Ohio and
Wabash rivers — applying the name Ouabache both to the
Wabash and the lower Ohio.
Other writers and investigators, relying upon different
sources of information and proceeding by various methods
of reasoning, have fixed the establishment of the post in
other years, ranging all the way from 1680 to 1735. The
Indiana Historical Society, taking up the matter within
recent years, was fortunate enough to secure, through the
cooperation of Consul General John K. Gowdy, certain
documents from the French archives at Paris, throwing
important light upon the question. Among the documents
were two letters written, in 1733 by Commandant Sieur de
Vincennes himself, in which he discloses certain information
pointing beyond a reasonable doubt to the establishment of
the post as having taken place in the summer of 1731 . This,
unless new .and more important discoveries of a contra
dictory nature are made, is likely to be accepted as the final
word upon the subject.'
And after a careful sifting of all available evidence, com
petent authorities have adopted the year 1720 as the most
probable date of the establishment of Ouiatenon, and accord
to it the honor of being the oldest outpost of civilization in
the state. Sieur Dubuisson was designated to the command
of Post Ouiatenon late in the year 1719, but the language of
M. de Vaudreuil, Commandant at Detroit, in announcing
the fact, leaves it a little uncertain whether he was sent to
take charge of a post already in existence or was expected
to establish a new one. The view that he established the
post the following year (1720) is generally accepted. No
record of an earlier occupancy can be found.
' Reference: Proceedings Indiana Historical Society, Vol. 3.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 35
The commandant wa*; als^^^i burdened with the duty of
securing, if po.ssible, a removal of the Miami, Ouiatenon, and
other Indian tribes to the vicinity of the St. Joseph River,
where they would be less exposed to British influence. The
superior abilities and great influeiice of .Sieur de \'incennes
were being employed in this task when he died suddenly at
the Miami \Tllage of Kekionga, in 1719. Dubuisson did not
remain long in charge of Ouiatenon, but was succeeded by
Francis Mai^ane. a nephew of Sieur de Vincennes, who
succeeded to his deceased uncle's title, and later acquired a
large measure of his influence.
The date when Post Miamis, at the head of the Maumee,
was established, is more uncertain. It doubtless followed
soon after Ouiatenon, and some say it antedated Ouiatenon.
Authentic information is lacking. This post should not be
confused with Fort Miami, established by La Salle near the
mouth of the St. Joseph of the Lake, in 1679.
Miamis and Ouiatenon were controlled from Canada,
although the Missis.sippi Company, holding the French con
cession for Louisiana, claimed the territory now comprising
Indiana as a part of the District of Illinois. The boundary
line between the two jurisdictions was finally located in the
vicinity of where the city of Terre Haute now stands. The
provincial seat of government for Miamis and Ouiatenon
was at Detroit. Vincennes was controlled from Fort Char-
tres. District of Illinois.' New Orleans was the capital of
' Fort Chartres, the seat of government of the "District of Illinois,"
Province of Louisiana, was founded in 1720. It was partially destroyed
by a flood in the Mississippi in 1772, and abandoned, the garrison being
removed to Fort Gage, near Kaskaskia. This was during the British occu
pancy, the French having ceded the territory in 1763. It ha.s been referred
to as the first capital of Indiana, but the statement is not strictly accurate.
Governmental authority was first exercised over Indiana soil from Detroit,
of the Province of Canada, in 1720, when Po-f Ouiatenon was established.

36 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
the province. There was thus a rivalry, and some jealousy,
between the two French jurisdictions. The directors of the
Mississippi Company, by offering him superior inducements,
persuaded Sieur de Vincennes to resign the command of
Post Ouiatenon and transfer his allegiance to the Province of
Louisiana. There was an urgent call for the establishment
of a post farther down on the Ouabache (Wabash), to hold
the trade with the Indians, and protect French sovereignty
against the encroachments of the English, which every day
grew more menacing. So about the year 1731, as stated,
Vincennes proceeded to build a little palisade fort at the
Piankashaw town of Chippecoke, or Chipkawkay. He as
sumed command, and remained in charge until 1736, when
he was killed in a battle with the Indians.
This post was not known by the name of Vincennes until
about the year 1752. Before that it was simply " The Post,"
" OM Post " {au post) or " Opost," as it later came to be
called by the Americans.
Death of " Indiana's First Ruler." The battle in which
Vincennes lost his life was one waged against the Chickasaw
Indians, at the mouth of the Ohio. D'Artaguiette, com
mandant at Fort Chartres, was in charge of the campaign.
Vincennes came to his assistance with the little garrison he
had at his disposal at Post Vincennes. The French made an
attack on the Chickasaw village, not knowing that a large
body of braves, and a few Englishmen, were in hiding a short
distance away. These delivered their counter attack sud-
Fort Chartres was founded the same year, and Indiana was later divided
between the jurisdictions of Louisiana and Canada, but Vincennes, the
first and only Indiana settlement under the Louisiana jurisdiction, was not
established until 1731. So Detroit may easily claim a division of honors
with Fort Chartres as Indiana's first capital, if indeed it is not entitled to
distinct priority.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 37
denly, and the French were overwhelmed with dreadful
slaughter. Lieutenant St. Ange, of Fort Chartres, fell an
early victim and Vincennes soon followed. D'Artaguiette
and a number of others were captured and burned at the
stake. " Charlevoix tells us that ' Vincennes ceased not
imtil his last breath to exhort the men to behave worthj- of
their religion and their country.' Be that his epitaph; and
be it a matter of pride to Indiana that her first ruler was so
brave a man and so true." '
End of French Sovereignty; Britain's Brief Sway. Vin
cennes was succeeded in the command of Post Vincennes by
Louis St. Ange, a brother of Lieutenant St. Ange, who lost
his life in the battle just narrated. His occupancy con
tinued from 1736 until he was transferred to Fort Chartres
in 1764, the next j'ear after the conclusion of a treaty ceding
the territory to England.
Although the posts had been surrendered to them and were
at their disposal, the English were unable to take possession,
largely on account of the hostile attitude of the Indians,
preventing the approach of the English ofl&cers. The French
were thus left in charge. N. de ^'illiers, commandant at
Fort Chartres, voluntarily quit that post in the spring of
1764, and it was to relieve him that St. Ange left Post "\'in-
cennes. Before going, he transferred his authority at Vin
cennes to M. Deroit de Richardville, and Sieur le Caindre.
There is no record, however, that these gentlemen ever
exercised the authority conferred, or that government of
any kind existed at Vincennes from the departure of St.
Ange in 1764 until Lieutenant Governor Abbott came from
Detroit to take charge in 1777 — unless we except the
ministrations of M. Nicholas, who was " employed as Justice
> J. P. Dunn.
MOORK, ISD.— 3

38 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
of the Peace there, by some authority from the commanding
officer at the lUinois." '
Indiana nominally passed under British control October
10, 1765, on which date Louis St. Ange surrendered Fort
Chartres, capital of the District of Illinois, Province of
Louisiana, to Captain Sterling, of the British Army.
In 1774, or nine years later, the territory northwest of
the Ohio became a part of the Province of Quebec, and
arrangement was made that the Lieutenant Governor of
Detroit should be " Superintendent of Vincennes." Accord
ingly Lieutenant Governor Abbott arrived to take charge in
May, 1777.2 He was recalled early the next year and suc
ceeded by Lieutenant Governor Hamilton, who in turn
found it expedient shortly afterwards to relinquish his official
responsibilities to George Rogers Clark, a Virginian.
Character and Value of Trade at the French Posts; the
Centennial Census. Posts Miamis and Ouiatenon early
became important trading centers, and in time a number of
white families made their homes about them, but the growth
> In addition to the exercise of the duties of Justice of the Peace by
M. Nicholas, the records show that there were a few concessions of land from
1770 to 1773, signed by Ste. Marie, and two in 1768, one signed byChaparlee
and the other by Chapard, apparently the same person.
2 In his report to Governor Carleton, Lieutenant Governor Abbott wrote
of the condition of affairs at Vincennes: " Since the conquest of Canada no
person bearing his majesty's commission has been to take possession; from
this your excellancy may easily imagine what anarchy reigns. I must do
the inhabitants justice tor the respectful reception I met with, and for their
readiness in obeying the orders I thought necessary to issue. The Wabache
is perhaps one of the finest rivers in the world ; on its banks are several Indian
towns; the most considerable is the Oujii OYea.), where, it is said, there are
one thousand men capable to bear arms. I found them so numerous and
needy I could not pass without great expense. The presents, though very
large, were in a manner despised, saying their Ancient Fathers (the French)
never spoke to them without a barn full of goods; having no troops and only
a handful of French, obliged me to acquiesce in part of their exorbitant
demands."

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 39
of Vincennes was more rapid, and for many reasons it leads
the other two settlements in historic interest.
Although under the jurisdiction of New Orleans, the trade
of Vincennes was principally with Canada. It consisted
almost wholly in peltries bought of the Indians or gathered
by white hunters from the settlement. These were trans
ported by canoe or pirogue up the Wabash and Little Wabash
rivers, thence carried across the portage to the ^laumee,
where they were again loaded into boats and taken down the
^laumee and across Lake Erie to Canada, there to be sold
or exchanged. Detroit was the principal point of distribu
tion. Later, products raised by the settlers on the land
donated to the post by the Indians were placed in boats
and floated down the Wabash to the Ohio, thence to the
^lississippi and to New Orleans.'
The value of the fur trade at Vincennes for the year 1778
was estimated at five thousand pounds sterling, or over
-824,000, and at Ouiatenon, eight thousand pounds sterling,
or nearly .S39,000. According to the records of the custom
house at Quebec, the value of furs and peltries exported from
Canada during the year 1786 was 225,977 pounds sterling,
a sum equal to -SI, 098,248. The great value of the fur traffic
in those early years is thus apparent.
In 1769, curioush- enough just one hundred j-ears after
La Salle first cast his eyes upon our territory, a census was
taken of the French settlements. It showed a French
population at Vincennes of two hundred sixt}'-six, consist-
' The grant referred to was made by the Piankashaw Indians in 1742,
and consisted of twenty-four leagues square of land. It was intended, and
generally treated, as a grant for the benefit of the people of the post, in
common, but the early commandants assumed the power of making con
cessions from it to individuals. The usage was continued until the time of
the American occupation, when the action of the first organized court was
repudiated by Congress, and the practice broken up.

40 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
ing of sixty-six heads of families, fifty women and one
hundred fifty children. At Ouiatenon there were twelve
families, and at Fort Miamis, nine. So the total French
population of the territory a century after its discovery did
not exceed three hundred and fifty souls. Nor was there
a:ny appreciable growth for the next two decades, for the
white population of what is now Indiana was estimated to
be only about four hundred at the time of the adoption of
the Ordinance of 1787.
In Vincennes a majority of the people were supported by
agriculture; at Ouiatenon and Miamis, by trading in peltries
and furs.
Glimpses at Early Vincennes. C. F. Volney, a distin
guished French traveler who visited Vincennes in 1796,
reflected in an interesting way the estimation in which the
French inhabitants were held by the later arrivals from the
English colonies to the east: " We must allow, say they, that
they are a kind, hospitable, sociable sect; but then for idle
ness and ignorance they beat the Indians themselves. They
know nothing at all of our civil or domestic affairs. Their
women neither sew, nor spin, nor make butter. The men
take to nothing but hunting, fishing, roaming through the
woods and loitering in the sun. They do not lay up, as we
do, for winter, or provide for a rainy day. They do not cure
pork or venison, make sauerkraut or spruce beer, or distill
spirits from apples or rye — all needful arts to the
farmer." At this time the town contained about fifty dwelling
houses, each " surrounded by a garden fenced with poles.
Peach trees, and inferior kinds of apple trees grew in many
of the inclosures. Many different kinds of garden vegetables
were cultivated by the inhabitants, and corn, tobacco,

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 41
wheat, ¦ barley, and even cotton grew in the fields around
the village."
" The social condition of the early French settlers on the
borders of the river Wabash," observes John B. Dillon, the
premier historian of early Indiana, " was formed in some
measure by the influence of the manners and customs which
prevailed among the Indian tribes with whom they main
tained a friendlj' intercourse. While the barbarism of the
Indians was, in some degree, softened by this intercourse,
the morals of the French were not improved. The pioneer
Frenchmen readily adopted the business of the traders,
boatmen, and hunters; but they made no efforts to become
either learned in letters, or skillful in agricultural pursuits,
or ingenious in the practice of mechanic arts. Dancing,
running footraces, jumping, wrestling, and shooting at
marks, were among their favorite amusements. Their mode
of observing religious duties did not impose on them any
heavy burdens. Their manners and customs carried them
above a condition of barbarism, but left them below a state
of true civilization."
The only school maintained for the benefit of the children
of the early French inhabitants was that opened in 1793
by M. Rivet, a " polite, well-educated and liberal-minded
missionary, banished hither by the French Revolution."
Students could attend this school only upon payment of
tuition, and its facilities accordingly were open to but few.
It was the first school in Indiana.
The first permanent mission, or church in Indiana, was
that opened at ^'incennes in 1749 by the missionary Sebast.
Lud. Meurin, and it is said to have remained the only church
in the state for a half-century. William H. Smith, in his
History of Indiana, relates that the first Protestant sermon

42 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
preached in Indiana was at Vincennes in the year 1810, by
the Rev. William Winans, a young minister of the Methodist
denomination.' His audience consisted of General William
Henry Harrison, then Governor of the Territory, and a
young army lieutenant. General Harrison held the solitary
candle provided for the occasion, while the minister read his
scripture lesson and his hymns.
Nicholas's Conspiracy and Early Indian Troubles ; Destruc
tion of Pickawillany. The French settlers as a rule got on
amicably with the Indians, and until 1747 there was but
one episode that promised serious consequences. In 1733
an affray occurred ' between some drunken young Ouiatenons
and two or three French voyageurs, in an affair of trade,"
and steps were taken to launch a military expedition against
the offending Indians. The matter was adjusted, however,
before any blows were exchanged.
In 1747 Fort Miamis was captured and burned by a
company of Huron Indians from Ohio, aided by members
of the Miami, Ottawa, and Potawatami tribes of Indiana
and Michigan. This act of hostility was a result of the
" Nicholas Conspiracy," formed by Chief Nicholas, or
Sandoskit, of the Hurons, living in the vicinity of Sandusky
Bay, in what is now the state of Ohio. The object of the
conspiracy was to exterminate the French settlers in America,
and the British were charged with having a hand in its
instigation. It was discovered in its early stages, and
1 Note. Early records show that both the Methodists and Baptists had
begun the work of forming organizations, and promulgating the Christian .
religion from the pulpit as early as 1797. Rude log churches were built in
Dearborn and Franklin counties in 1805, and in 1807 periodic services
were inaugurated by the Methodists, on a, " circuit " embracing territory
now comprised within the counties of Dearborn, Franklin, Fayette, Union,
and Wayne. F. C. Holliday, in his History of Methodism, states that
Rev. Peter Cartwright began his work in Indiana in 1804.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 43
thwarted, largely through the efforts of Commandant
Longueuil, of Detroit. Eight men were captured when
Fort Miamis was taken, but they were soon afterwards
released, and the Indians, or most of them, agreed to terms
of peace. The fort was rebuilt by Sieur Dubuisson shortly
after its destruction.
The Miami Chief, La Demoselle, however, and a few
other Indians, were unreconciled. They held aloof from the
French, and during the year 1748 entered into an alliance
with the British. The disaffection spread gradually among the
Ouiatenons and Piankashaws, the British putting forth their
best efforts to promote it. The rivalry between the French
and English in the fur trade had by this time grown very keen.
It is related that Cavalier Celoron de Bienville, returning
from his celebrated mission in 1749 of staking off the French
claim to the Ohio valley, by means of leaden plates buried
at the mouths of streams, and tin plates nailed on trees, held
a conference with La Demoselle, and secured a promise
from him to return to his old village of Kishkakon, and five
at peace with his French brothers as of old. He afterwards
met Chief Coldfoot, and, in exuberant spirit, recounted to
bun the results of the interview, which he regarded as a happy
termination of the Indian troubles. Coldfoot, who was both
sagacious and loyal, replied: " I would that I were deceived,
but I am sufficiently attached to the French to tell them that
La Demoselle lies. :\Iy sole regret is to be the only one
who loves you, and to see all the tribes to the south drawn
away from the French." Subsequent events fully vindicated
Coldfoot's judgment. Instead of returning to the French
La Demoselle continued to fraternize with the English, and
in 1750 gave them permission to build a fort at the town of
Pickawillany, on the Big 2^Iiami River.

44 EARLY SETTLEMENTS
In the fall of 1751 the Indians under the influence of La
Demoselle, and the British, who now made their headquarters
at Pickawillany, killed four Frenchmen and a couple of
slaves. Later in the year five more Frenchmen were killed,
while a number of friendly Indians also fell victims to the
savage hatred of their dusky kinsmen.
No longer hoping for a reconciliation with the disaffected
Indians, and being thoroughly aroused by these outrages,
the French at Vincennes and on the Maumee determined
to attack and destroy the Indian town of Pickawillany.
Accordingly a surprise was planned, and on the twenty-
first of June, 1752, a force of two hundred and forty French
and friendly Indians marched against the place. Upon
their approach the inhabitants took refuge in the fort, to
which siege was laid, after the village had been destroyed.
The fort not being provisioned, or otherwise prepared to
withstand a siege, the proposition of the attacking force to
withdraw without further damage if the English in the fort
were surrendered to them was acceded to. Accordingly the
English were surrendered, with the exception of two, who
were kept concealed. One of the prisoners was slain in
sight of the fort, and the Indians of the party further
indulged their savage instincts by roasting and eating an old
Piankashaw chief taken with the English, who had been so
notoriously friendly to them as to be known as " Old
Britain." This act of vengeance against Pickawillany put an end to
Indian depredations for the time being, but even at that the
sky was far from cloudless, for the shadow of the approach
ing conflict between the French and the English for mastery
grew darker day by day.

CHAPTER V
SAXON VERSUS GAUL
The French and Indian War; Influences Leading to the
Conflict. While the interesting events just narrated were
taking place in the territory northwest of the Ohio, broader
influences were at work here and elsewhere, which were to
decide the fate of the continent. The English had settled
the Atlantic coast, and a growing population was straining
at the barriers for expansion westward bej'ond the motm-
tains. The English settlements consisted of the thirteen
colonies, which later fought for and won their political inde
pendence and became the original thirteen states of the
American Union. The colonists were essentially home
seekers and home builders. They settled in communities,
acquired property interests, and became a homogeneous
population, capable of acting together for a common or
public interest. In this they enjoyed an overwhelming
advantage over the French in the struggle for the great
country both so ardentlj' coveted. The French were less
successful as colonizers, and less inclined to come in numbers
from the mother country. IMany of those who did come had
little idea of forming permanent settlements and making
their homes in the new world. They were hunters, traders,
adventurers, and missionaries. They made friends with
the Indians, partaking of their modes of life and even marry
ing among them. This explains the fact that in the strifes
between the English and the French the latter generally had
the help of the Indians. 45

46 SAXON VERSUS GAUL
The French in Canada and in the Mississippi Valley.
While the English held the Atlantic coast from Florida to
Maine, the French, since about the year 1605, were in undis
puted control of Canada. And from Canada their traders
and missionaries had entered what is now the western and
middle United States. Marquette and Joliet in 1673, and
La Salle in 1682, explored the upper Mississippi River,
and La Salle explored the Ohio in 1669. Beginning about
the year 1700 settlements were made at the mouth of the
Mississippi and on the Gulf coast, and New Orleans was
founded in 1718. The French design plainly was to fortify
their claim to sovereignty in all the vast country known as
the Mississippi valley, and confine the English settlements
forever to the narrow strip of coast country bounded on the
west by the Appalachian Mountains. They established a
system of well-placed forts throughout the territory reach
ing southward from Quebec to New Orleans. Their plans
were ingenious and comprehensive, but lack of a homo
geneous French population to meet the united English
settlements in trade competition and in the wilderness
battles to follow was their fatal weakness. The English
population at the beginning of the French and Indian
War was not far from a million and a quarter of souls,
while the population of all New France did not exceed
one hundred thousand. Less than ten thousand of these
were in the Mississippi valley. The white population
of the territory northwest of the Ohio did not exceed two
thousand. England's first permanent settlement in America was at
Jamestown, in 1607. France planted her first small colony
at Port Royal, in 1605. Quebec was founded in 1608.
From this time until 1763, or more than a century and a

SAXON 'VERSUS GAUL 47
half, England and France fought out their New World
rivalries for territory and commerce and trade.
It was in furtherance of their plan to hold the Mississippi
valley against the English, and incidentally to protect the
trade being built up between Canada and Louisiana, follow
ing the route by way of the Maumee, Wabash, Ohio, and
Mississippi rivers, that the posts at Ouiatenon, Vincennes,
and Miamis, in the territory now comprised within the state
of Indiana, were established.
In their claim to sovereignty over the Ohio valley the
French laid particular stress upon the discovery and explora
tion of the Ohio River by La Salle in 1669, and. the later
explorations of the Mississippi by La Salle and others.
The English based their claim principally upon the explora
tion of the Kanawha in 1671 and a treaty of session by the
Iroquois Indians in 1744. The Iroquois claimed all the
great region north of the Ohio River, and westward, by reason
of alleged conquests over the other Indian tribes.
The War Begins; its Principal Events. The French and
Indian War, which was the fourth struggle fought out
between England and France and their colonists in America,
was formally declared in 1756, although hostilities really
began in 1754.' In that year the French drove away the
English workmen who were building a fort on the site where
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now stands, completing the fort
themselves and calling it Fort Duquesne. In an attempt
to retake this fort, George Washington, then a mere youth,
leading a little band of four hundred men, was forced to
surrender (July 4, 1754). Regular troops were shipped from
1 The three wars preceding the French and Indian War were; King
William's War, 1689-1697; Queen Anne's War, 1702-1713; King George's
War, 1744-1748.

48 SAXON VERSUS GAUL
the mother countries to prosecute the war, and the French,
as in other contests, had the Indians for allies.
Important incidents in the war were Braddock's defeat in
1755 while trying to take Fort Duquesne; the capture of
this fort in 1758 by the English and the colonists, and its
rechristening as Fort Pitt; the capture by the English of
Ticonderoga in 1759, completing the practical expulsion of
the French from what is now the United States; the famous
victory in 1759 of Wolfe over Montcalm, on the Plains of
Abraham, resulting in the capture of Quebec by the English.
This completed the conquest of Canada, and the dream of
a great French empire in America was shattered. Spain
having joined the French as an ally, the English, aided by
the colonists, now captured Havana, Cuba.
The Treaty of Paris ; France and Spain Give Up Dominions
in America. The treaty of peace signed at Paris in 1763
restored Havana to 'Spain in exchange for Florida, which
then became English. France retired from North America,
ceding all her claims west of the Mississippi and a small
portion of territory east of the river, which surrounds New
Orleans, to Spain; and to England she surrendered all the
remainder of the continent east of the Mississippi River.
Subsequent History of Louisiana Territory. The cession
of Louisiana Territory had, in reality, taken place in 1762,
as the result of a secret treaty between France and Spain.
Spain continued in possession until 1801, when she was com
pelled to cede it back to France. France, in turn, in the
year 1803, ceded it to the United States for a considera
tion of $15,000,000. At the beginning of negotiations the
United States had little thought of taking over the whole
territory, but through her commissioners to Napoleon, who
was then in charge of the destinies of France, was prepared

S.IA'O.V VERSUS GAUL 40
to offer as much as .'S10,000,000 for New Orleans alone, since
possession of that city by any country meant control of the
navigation of the Mississippi. Napoleon expressed a willing
ness to sell the whole territory, and, strict constructionist
though he was, President Thomas Jefferson could not see his
way clear to let so great a bargain pass. The territory con
tained approximately 1,172,000 square miles, and by its
acquisition our national domain was doubled.
English Take Possession of Forts in Indiana. The Eng
lish took possession of forts Miamis and Ouiatenon in 1761,
soon after the conquest of Canada. Vincennes, being under
the jurisdiction of New Orlfeans, did not become subject to
British control until after the treaty of Paris in 1763, and
actual possession was not assumed until 1777, a year after
the Declaration of Independence. And the British occupa
tion was of brief duration, for in August, 1778, while Lieu
tenant Governor Hamilton, who had succeeded Abbott, was
away from the post, it was captured by Captain Leonard
Helm, who had been sent on a mission for that purpose
by General George Rogers Clark. Helm was compelled to
surrender it again to the British in December of the same
year, but Clark retook it in the following February, and the
post, along with the vast country it defended, was lost
to England and to monarchical government forever. The
dramatic events attending the conquest are related fully in
the next chapter.
Settlers at Vincennes threatened with Expulsion. The
colonial policy adopted by Great Britain following the French
and Indian War was openly designed to prevent the ex
tension of white settlements into the region west of the
Appalachians, and reflected the haunting fear, even at that
time, of the upbuilding in the West of a great new country

50 SAXON VERSUS GAUL
imbued with the spirit of independence. The king issued a
proclamation prohibiting his subjects from " making any
purchases or settlements whatever or taking possession of
any of the lands beyond the source of any of the rivers which
fall into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or northwest."
And in 1772 General Gage, the British commandant in
America, issued a proclamation declaring that many persons,
contrary to the orders of the king, had undertaken to make
settlements beyond the boundaries fixed by the treaties made
with the Indian nations, and that a great number of persons
had established themselves, "particularly on the Ouabache
(Wabash), where they lead a wandering life, without govern
ment and without laws, interrupting the free course of trade,
destroying the game, and causing infinite disturbance in the
country." Orders were therefore given in the name of the
king to all of those who had established themselves on lands
upon the Ouabache, " whether at St. Vincent (Vincennes)
or elsewhere, to quit those countries instantly and without
delay." To this the inhabitants of Vincennes replied,
setting forth that they held their possessions by " sacred
titles " granted by his Most Christian Majesty, and that the
French settlement at Vincennes was of " seventy years
standing." General Gage made rejoinder demanding the
proof of their titles, which few could give, as deeds or records
had not been kept, but no further steps were taken looking
to their ejectment. The matter was dropped as the result
of a new policy adopted in England, designed to enlist the
sympathies of the French settlers with the Mother Country
as against the English colonists, in the struggle for inde
pendence, which was now close at hand.
Pontiac's Conspiracy and Other Indian Troubles; Causes
for Indian Resentment. The wholesale transfer of their

.S.4.Y0-V VERSUS GAUL 51
lands from one European power to another without so much
as saying by your leave, was looked upon with suspicion and
resentment by the Indians. Besides, they especially disliked
the English, for their methods of clearing up the land and
extending settlements, crowding the Indians back stage by
stage in front of their ever advancing frontiers, were well
known to the Indians, and were contrasted unfavorably by
them with the habits of the French in refraining from such
encroachments. The French did very little in the way of
extending their settlements, and they traded and otherwise
associated with the Indians on much more equal and familiar
terms than the English ever did. Then the French, not being
themselves overburdened with love for the English, because
of commercial and political rivalries in which they usually
got the worst of it, cultivated the Indians' mistrust and general
spirit of hostility toward the English in every way possible.
The Fated Nine. These deep-seated prejudices, aided by
the incitement of the French, made it comparatively easy
for Pontiac, the celebrated Ottawa chief, to form the great
Indian uprising of 1763, known as Pontiac's conspiracy.
The plot was conceived in 1762, and carefully and cunningly
planned for a year in advance.' Pontiac succeeded in imit-
1 Following the fall of Quebec in 1759, the French agreed to surrender
all of Canada to the British. Accordingly, Major Robert Rogers was dis
patched the next year with a small body of men to take pos.session of Detroit.
Being apprised of Rogers' advance, Pontiac met him on the way and de
manded to know of him how he dared invade that country without first
securing his (Pontiac's) permission. Rogers assured him in reply that no
hostile intentions were treasured against the Indians; that the purpose of
the expedition, in fact, was merely to remove the French who had prevented
the Indians and the English from being good friends. Pontiac accepted
the presents tendered with this polite speech, but added laconically, *' I shall
stand till morning in the path you are walking." The English well under
stood the warning, and discreetly awaited the great chief's permission before
proceeding further. The next day another conference was held, as a result

52 SAXON VERSUS GAUL
ing in the conspiracy practically all the tribes of the great
Algonquian family and the Senecas and Wyandots, and
others. The aim was to capture and destroy all the English
forts west of the Appalachians, eleven in number; and so
near to complete success did they come that only two escaped.
These were forts Pitt and Detroit. Ouiatenon and Miamis
were the only two posts in Indiana held by the English at that
time, and they were both taken, the former on June 1,
1763, and the latter a short time afterwards. Each was
taken by stratagem. No lives were lost at Ouiatenon, the
garrison being made prisoners of war, but Ensign Holmes and
a Sergeant ^ere slain at Miamis, and the rest of the garrison
made prisoners. Those captured in either instance were
fortunate to escape massacre, for at other places little mercy
was shown. The forts taken were referred to afterward as
the " fated nine."
The war lasted until late in the year 1764, when the Indians
were compelled to make peace, and the English again took
possession of the posts that had been captured.
LaBalme Raids Fort and is Massacred. In 1780 a French
man named LaBalme organized a small company of followers
at Kaskaskia and Vincennes and, marching upon Fort Miamis,
then held by the British, surprised and captured it. After
destroying considerable property and committing depreda
tions against the traders around the post, he moved out a
short distance and went into camp. That night the Indians
attacked the camp, killing LaBalme and several of his men.
of which the English were not only allowed to proceed with « promise of
protection, but Pontiac himself accompanied them. But he seems to have
forgotten his professions of friendship soon afterwards.
Pontiac died the victim of assassination in 1767, and Louis St. Ange,
who had been French Commandant at Vincennes and at Fort Chartres
successively, buried him near the fort at St. Louis with the honors of war.

SAXON VERSUS GAUL 53
Death of Colonel Loughrey. In 17sl Colonel Archibald
Loughrey (or Lochry), in command of a company of about
one hundred Pennsylvania volunteers, on his way down
the Ohio to join General George Rogers Clark in his proposed
expedition against Detroit, was surprised by the Indians
at the mouth of what is now known as Loughrey Creek, in
Dearborn County, and about half of his men were killed.
He himself was taken prisoner, and was killed and scalped
shortly afterwards.

Mr»ORE, Ind,-

CHAPTER VI
THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Tyranny Leads to Resistance by the Colonies; Opening and
Closing Events. The French and Indian War is looked upon
by historians as a sort of prelude to the war of the American
Revolution. In the former contest the English colonists
fought side by side with the British regulars, and the ex
perience and military training acquired by them were used
to excellent advantage in their struggle for independence so
soon to follow. They possessed a greater skill in the kind
of warfare practiced by the French and Indians than did
their proud British cousins, who disdained to listen to their
advice or suggestions, and more than once came to grief
because of their arrogance. Naturally confidence in their
own ability to cope with British arms rose with their ripening
contempt for British stupidity and bumptiousness.
A persistent policy of tyranny upon the part of the British
crown led to armed resistance by the colonists, and finally
to the Declaration of Independence, which was proclaimed
July 4, 1776. The war in reality began April 19, 1775,
with the battles of Lexington and Concord.
The struggle was a long and bitter one, culminating in
victory for the colonists, and the establishment of the gov
ernment of which we are so proud to own citizenship. The
end of the war came with the surrender of Lord Cornwallis
at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, and a treaty of
peace acknowledging American independence was concluded
September 3, 1783. 54

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

55

Far-reaching Importance of Clark's Capture of Vincennes.
One of the heroic deeds of this war was performed in what is
now Indiana, and the
consequences were of
far - reaching import
ance. We refer to the
capture of Mncennes
by General George
Rogers Clark and his
small but intrepid
band of followers. By
virtue of this capture,
and that at Kaskaskia,
the United States was
enabled to make suc
cessful claim to all that
vast territory northwest
of the Ohio River from
the Appalachian ^loun-
tains to the Mississippi.
What this meant by
way of added wealth and power and prestige, to the
American government and its institutions, was probably
beyond the realization of the people of that time. Out
of the territory thus wrested from England the states of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan were formed,
and by the removal of the barrier of a strip of alien territory
between the government and the IMississippi, the way was
paved for the subsequent purchase of Louisiana Territory
from France, and the acquisitions from Mexico, which ex
tended our national domain to the Pacific Ocean.
^ General Clark conceived the idea of capturing Vincennes,

General Clabk

56 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Kaskaskia, and Detroit principally as a means of putting a
stop to Indian depredations into Kentucky, not realizing
himself the great significance of the task he was about to
undertake. The Indian outrages were being incited by
British officers at the posts north of the Ohio to harass
Virginia, of which state Kentucky was a part. Clark visited
Governor Patrick Henry at Williamsburg, Virginia, and laid
his plans before him, with the result that he was given a
commission to raise seven companies of volunteers of fifty-
nine men each, with which to capture the British posts
named. His real mission was not made public, however, and
when raising his little army of volunteers it was given out
that their services were to be employed against the Indians
only. The "Army" Moves Forward; Kaskaskia Taken; Captain
Helm at Vincennes. Of the men finally enlisted only two
hundred appeared at the rendezvous at Corn Island, which
is an island in the Ohio River opposite where the city of
Louisville now stands, and about a fourth of these refused
to proceed farther when the real object of the expedition was
made known to them. It was in truth a perilous expedition,
into an unknown country, against an enemy of unknown
power. But Clark was undaunted, and having succeeded
in arousing the enthusiasm of the one hundred and fifty-
three brave fellows who remained, he set out with his
" army " by boats on June 24, 1778. The start was made
" at the very moment of the sun being in a great eclipse,
which caused various conjectures among the superstitious."
Four days down the Ohio brought them to the mouth of
the Tennessee, where they disembarked and began their
march of one hundred and twenty miles through wilderness
and swamps to Kaskaskia. Arriving opposite Fort Gage on

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENfE ¦'>'
the night of July 4, they .secured Ixiat-. (roused over, took
the place by surprise, and captured it.' The French settlers.
who at first were greatly excited, were quickly reassured.
and induced to subscribe xo an oath of alliance to
Virginia. Father Gibault, a Catholic priest, volunteered
to go to ^'incennes with a view of inducing the French
settlers there to espouse the American cause. The mission
of course was undertaken upon the suggestion of General
Clark, who desired to leam the real conditions at the
Wabash settlement. L'pon his arrival Gibault found
the British absent and no garrison at the fort. Becoming
active among the settlers, he induced them to swear alle
giance, and by teUing the Indians that their great French
Father, who had always been so kind to them, was now a
friend of the Americans, persuaded them also to smoke the
pipe of peace. Receiving this good news. General Clark
sent Captain Leonard Helm, about the middle of August,
1778, to take possession of the fort and make treaties of
friendship and alliance with the Indians, particularly the
Piankashaws, Uving at and around the post. The head
chief of the Piankashaws was named Tabac. His father
had borne the same name, and he was therefore known as
Yoimg Tabac, or " Tobacco's .Son." His tribe lived nearest
the mouth of the Wabash, and commanded its na^ngation.
Hence the chief bore the additional title of the Grand Door
of the Wabash. After several dajs of ceremonious negotia
tion and a thorough explanation of the causes of war between
the British and the Americans, Tabac announced his belief
' It is related that a dance wa-s in progress at the fort when General
Clark entered it unannounced. As soon as his presence became known an
alarm was given, and the dancers prepared to disperse. *' Keep on with
your merriment," Clark is said to have shouted reassuringly, " but remember
that you now dance under the authority of Virginia and not Great Britain."

58 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
that the latter were in the right, and that he would thence
forth ally himself with the " Big Knives " and become one
of them. Other tribes followed his example; some of the
chiefs traveling as far as five hundred miles to conclude
treaties with General Clark. This splendid success in secur
ing the friendship of the Indians was not only a monument
to the diplomacy of Clark and Helm, but it proved of ines
timable value to the American cause generally.
Captain Helm Caught by the British and Vincennes Re
taken. Colonel Henry Hamilton, lieutenant governor of
Detroit, being apprised of these acts of American audacity,
raised a force of five hundred militia and Indians and started
out with the purpose not only of retaking Vincennes but of
capturing General Clark and his force at Kaskaskia. He
arrived almost within sight of Vincennes in December, 1778,
before his approach was discovered. But when Captain
Helm became aware of his proximity he immediately garri
soned the fort, his entire command consisting of one brave-
hearted, able-bodied American. Together Helm and his man
loaded up the cannon and waited for the battle to begin.
Hamilton demanded an immediate surrender, but Helm
replied that he must know the terms first, and until they were
announced no man should approach the fort on pain of being
riddled with shot. Thinking such brave words could come
only from a man well able to back them up with deeds,
Hamilton offered him the honors of war. Thereupon Helm
surrendered, and the British flag was once more hoisted over
the fort. Hamilton is said to have felt very foolish when he
saw the size of the garrison that had been able to exact from
him such favorable terms of capitulation.
Capture and Release of Francis Vigo and How He Kept
His Oath. The next day after Vincennes had fallen into

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 59
the hands of the British, Francis Vigo arrived, having come
from Kaskaskia at the request of General Clark to supply
Captain Hehn with pro\Tsions. Knowing nothing of the
events of the previous day, he fell into the hands of the
British and was captured. Vigo was a wealth\- merchant
of St. Louis, and a native of Sardinia, but he had served in
the Spanish army. His trip to Vincennes was at his own ex
pense, he being prompted by his interest in the daring enter
prise of General Clark and his handful of brave Kentucky and
Virginia backwoodsmen, as well as by his hatred of the British.
He demanded to be released, claiming Spanish citizenship,
but Hamilton only replied by threatening to put him in
irons. Finally Father Gibault, at the head of a large dele
gation of the settlers, waited on Hamilton and threatened to
withhold any further suppUes from the garrison if Vigo were
not released. So, exacting of Vigo an oath " that while on
his way to St. Louis he would do no act of hostility to the
British," Hamilton let him go. In company with two com
panions Vigo started at once by canoe ^na the Wabash, the
Ohio, and the Mississippi rivers for his home at St. Louis.
Arriving at that city he stayed long enough to change his
clothing, and immediately reembarked for Kaskaskia to
report events to General Clark. He had kept the strict
letter of his oath to do no act of hostilitj' against the British
" while on his way " to St. Louis.
Clark's Dilemma; the March upon Vincennes. General
Clark was now face to face with a desperate dilemma. It
was the dead of winter, and th^ term of erdistment of his
men would soon expire. He was cut off from all means of
communication with the government, and from hope of
succor from any source. To secure reenforcements was
impossible, and if he should wait until spring Governor

60 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Hamilton very likely would not only be in a position too
strong to be assailed, but might lead a successful expedition
against him at Kaskaskia. On the other hand, he shrewdly
reasoned, Hamilton would hardly expect the Americans to
make a campaign in the winter time, and would be less vigi
lant. So a decision was quickly formed; the men, or most of
them, were persuaded to reenlist for eight months longer,
under the stimulus of glowing promises. The places of
those who declined to reenlist were filled by recruits from
the French settlers at Kaskaskia, and in a very brief period
of time one of the most remarkable military campaigns in
history was under way. The distance to Vincennes by the
route which must be traveled was more than one hundred
and sixty miles. But nothing daunted, General Clark and
his little band of one hundred and seventy heroes made their
start February 5, 1779. The country was low and flat, and
overflowed for much of the distance. The men often waded
for weary miles in water knee-deep, waist-deep, and some
times shoulder-deep, holding their guns high above their
heads to keep them dry. Frequently they were unable even
to find a dry spot for a camping place at night, and part of
the time it was so cold that the water was sheeted over with
ice. To make matters still worse provisions ran low, and
famine stared the little army in the face. A part of the
force had been sent ahead by boat (the " Willing ") with
provisions, and they were to be waiting for the main army
on the Wabash just below Vincennes; but when the weary,
hungry, half-drowned, half-famished marchers arrived, the
provisions had not, and they managed to keep themselves
alive only through their good fortune in being able to kill
one wild deer and by robbing an Indian family of the rem
nants of another one. After their arrival at the post, and

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 61
before the battle, the friendly settlers brought them provi
sions. The supplies sent by boat arrived safely and in good
condition two days after the battle was over and the fort
taken. Arriving at the Wabash, it was necessary to build boats
with which to transport the army across, but a safe passage
was effected on the 21st of February, and on the 23d the
army came in sight of the town. That afternoon the sun
came out and showed his welcome face for the first time in
twenty days. Human endurance was never more severely
taxed than in this perilous expedition, and only men of iron
constitutions and determined purpose could have survived it.
The Battle; Surrender of Fort Sackville. General Clark
addressed a letter to the people of Vincennes apprising them
of his intended attack, and requesting them for their own
safety, and in the interests of good order, to remain in their
homes.' He was aware of the fact that most if not all of
them were friendly to the Americans. And it is said that
while every inhabitant of the town knew the contents of the
letter in a very short time, not an intimation of Clark's
presence was carried to the British commander.
Firing upon the fort (which was called Fort Sackville)
> This letter was addressed "To the inhabitants of Post Vincennes,"
and read in part: "Gentlemen: Being now within two miles of your village
with my army, determined to take your fort this night, and not being willing
to surprise you, I take this method to rec|uest such of you as are true citizens,
and willing to enjoy the liberty I bring you, to remain still in your houses — ¦
and those, it any there be, that are friends to the King will instantly retire
to the fort and join the hair-buying General and fight like men. . . Those
who arc true friends of liberty may depend on being well treated; and I once
more request them to keep out of the streets. For every one I find in arms
on my arrival, I shall treat him as an enemy."
By his epithet of "hair-buying General" Clark had reference to the fact
that bounties were being paid by the British for the scalps of American
citizens.

62 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
began at dark on the 23d day of February, 1779, and was
kept up until about nine o'clock the next morning, when
General Clark sent Lieutenant Governor Hamilton a brief
note which read: "Sir: In order to save yourself from the
impending storm that now threatens you, I order you im
mediately to surrender yourself, with all your garrison,
stores, etc. For if I am obliged to storm, you may depend
upon the treatment justly due a murderer. Beware of
destroying stores of any kind, or any papers or letters that
are in your possession, or hurting one house in town, for by
heaven, if you do, there shall be no mercy shown you."
At first there was a refusal to surrender, later a parley,
and a request for terms, and finally a conference between
the commanders. Clark at first refused to accept any terms
other than surrender at discretion, but later modified his
answer slightly. Hamilton finally acquiesced to such terms
as Clark was willing to grant. Meanwhile firing upon the
fort had been resumed with desperate fury. The Ameri
cans were in high spirits and eager to storm the fort.
Their marksmanship was so deadly that the British garri
son could not serve their guns. To open a porthole was
to invite a shower of bullets so true to aim that exposure to
view by a man in the fort was equivalent to suicide. The
British soldiers were dispirited and disheartened and wel
comed the order of capitulation.
As the Stars and Stripes were set afloat over the old fort
at Vincennes, the horizon of the greatest republic of history
was broadened by the addition of an empire to its domain.'
The day following the capture General Clark sent Captain
Leonard Helm up the Wabash with a detachment of sixty
' The fort was rechristened Fort Patrick Henry, in honor of the governor
of Virginia who had granted Clark his commission.

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 63
men to intercept a number of British boats from Detroit
laden with provisions and goods. The expedition was com
pletely successful. The boats, seven in number, with cargoes
worth almost one hundred thousand dollars, were surprised
and captured without a shot being fired. The prisoners
taken numbered about forty.
Clark Takes Possession; "County of Illinois." General
Clark took possession of the whole country in the name of
Virginia. The Virginia Assembly in October, 1778, however,
following the first American occupation under Captain Helm,
and the capture of Kaskaskia by General Clark, had passed a
law organizing the vast territory northwest of the Ohio River
into the County of Illinois. Colonel John Todd was ap
pointed County Lieutenant of Illinois, taking charge in May,
1779, and holding the position until 1782, when he lost his
life in the battle of Blue Licks, in Kentucky. The organi
zation of the County of Illinois expired by limitation in 1781,
but the officers, including the county judges, continued to
hold on until they were peremptorily dismissed by General
Harmar in 1787.
Indians Grant Land to Clark. After the capture of Vin
cennes the Piankashaw Indians made a grant of one hundred
and fifty thousand acres of land to General Clark, which he
accepted and parceled out to the men forming his command.
He retained eight thousand and forty-nine acres for himself,
and apportioned the rest to his officers and men according
to rank. The land was in what is now Floyd, Scott, and
Clark counties, and is still known as " Clark's Grant."
Clark's Subsequent Career Signalized by Failures; a Vic
tim of Ingratitude. Lacking a sufficient force, and equip
ment and supplies, General Clark was unable to complete
his principal program, which now called for the capture of

64 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Detroit. Instead he returned to Kentucky, and later
organized and led a successful expedition against hostile
Indians who were committing depredations around Fort
Miamis. But an attempt upon his return to organize an
expedition against Detroit failed. He had contracted habits
of dissipation that lost him the support and confidence both
of fellow citizens and officials. But Indian depredations
breaking out afresh, the state authorized the raising of a
force of one thousand men to proceed against them, and
Clark was chosen to command it. He set out with this
army for Vincennes in September, 1785, but everything
seemed to go wrong. The provisions were delayed and
spoiled on the way, and there were constant murmurings
and complaints among the men. After passing Vincennes
on their way to the Vermilion River, the soldiers mutinied,
and three hundred of them deserted in a body. Clark
returned to Vincennes (1786) with the remainder of the
force and placed a garrison in charge of Fort Patrick Henry,
as a measure of protection to the people of Kentucky against
the Indians.
He was compelled to procure supplies for the garrison by
impressment, and for some reason neither Virginia nor the
government of the United States would ever pay for them,
and the merchants afterwards sued Clark personally and
secured judgments against him. These judgments consumed
much of the land remaining to him from the Indian grants,
and he lived the rest of his life m retirement and comparative
poverty. He was much embittered because of the ungener
ous treatment accorded him by the state and national
governments, being unable to perceive in their methods
any evidences of gratitude for what he had accomplished.
The story is told that Virginia presented him with a sword

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 65
as a testimonial to his services in having " wrested so great
and valuable a territory out of the hands of the British
enemy," and that he took the sword from the hand of the
officer making the presentation, snapped the blade in two,
and, throwing the hilt aside, exclaimed, " 1 asked Virginia for
bread and she gave me a sword."
He died in comparative obscurity in 1818.
Gibault and Vigo also Suffer from Government Neglect or
Ingratitude. Father Gibault, the parish priest who ex
tended such valuable aid to General Clark, both at Kaskaskia
and Vincennes, and was deprived of his pastorate, and some
say excommunicated, for doing it, and who in a memorial to
Governor St. Clair asking for reimbursements for expenses
incurred by him, represented in quaint language that he
" had parted with his titles and his beasts " through devotion
to the cause of patriot Americans, and now needed reim
bursement in his old age, also had some cause to doubt the
gratitude of republics — and states. He was given a small
lot in Vincennes, and a little tract of land beside, a mere
trifle as compared to his sacrifices, and even this came in
his old age, just about the time he was getting ready to die.
Drafts on Virginia given by Clark to Francis Vigo were not
paid until ninety-five years afterwards. Vigo was rich when
he advanced means to aid Clark in his campaign against
Vincennes, but through misfortunes he afterwards became
poor. He tried to wait for his promised reimbursement,
but finally gave it up, and died, at the age of ninety-six
years. The claim was eventually paid to his heirs by the
United States government. Vigo County was so named in
honor of this remarkable man. A monument to his memory,
erected by patriotic .societies, was unveiled at Terre Haute
in October, 1909.

66 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Vincennes after the Conquest. We are told that from
1779 to 1790 the inhabitants of Vincennes, although living
nominally within the jurisdiction of the United States, had
very little understanding of the nature of the government
and were subjected to but few legal restraints. " It seems,"
writes historian John B. Dillon, " that they wished to live
according to the old French colonial system, under the
arbitrary control- of those who were regarded as the com
mandants of the respective posts or villages. Colonel George
Rogers Clark appointed ' commandants ' when he sub
jugated the British authorities at those places, and when
Colonel John Todd, acting under the authority of the general
assembly of Virginia, visited Vincennes and Kaskaskia early
in the summer of 1779, he appointed ' commandants ' and
several magistrates who were authorized to organize courts
of civil and criminal jurisdiction."
The First Court in Indiana; a Reign of Lawlessness at
Vincennes. The first court in Indiana, formed under this
authorization, though the magistrates doubtless were elected
and not appointed, opened in Vincennes in June, 1779. It
seems to have concerned itself principally with making
grants of the lands given to the post in 1742 by the Pianka
shaw Indians. Eventually the members grew tired of giving
the land away to others and decided to divide the residue
among themselves, " each member absenting himself from.
the court on the day that the order was to be made in his
favor, so that it might appear to be the act of his fellows
only." Happily the action of the court in reference to
these lands was repudiated by Congress.
In 1783 complaint was made in an official report to the
Virginia Commissioners of Public Accounts that at Kas
kaskia and Vincennes the people were " wholly without law

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 67
or government; that their magistrates, from indolence or
sinister views, having for some time been relax in the execu
tion of their offices, are now altogether without authority;
that crimes of the greatest enormity may be committed with
impunity, and a man may be murdered in his own house and
no person regards it; and, to crown the general confusion,
that many people have made large purchases of three or four
hundred leagues, and are endeavoring to have themselves
established lords of the soil as some have done in Canada."
A better state of affairs was caused to prevail at Vincennes
after the visit of Colonel Josiah Harmar in July, 1787.
Major John F. Hamtramck, of Colonel Harmar's regiment,
was stationed at Fort Knox as commandant, and from that
time forward the old lawless days were practically over.^
Reprisals against the Spaniards; Conquest of the Lower
Mississippi Planned. In the latter part of 1786 a number of
adventurous spirits in the upper Mississippi and Ohio river
valleys were on the verge of starting a movement that if
countenanced would have precipitated a war between the
new government of the United States and Spain. After
the failure of General George Rogers Clark's Wabash expedi
tion in October, 1786, it was decided, as previously related,
to establish a garrison at Post Vincennes as a measure of
protection to the people of Kentucky against the Indians.
To supply this garrison it became necessary to resort to
impressment, and while levying on the goods of merchants
under the stern rule of military necessity, some Spanish
merchants were ruthlessly plundered. Such of their goods
as could not be used by the military were sold at auction.
There existed at the time a great deal of ill will toward the
' The name of the fort had again been changed. Fort Knox, however,
was in reality a new structure, erected in 1788.

68 THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Spaniards anyway, as their government was in control of
the mouth of the Mississippi and was maintaining certain
restrictions against navigation and trade upon that stream.
One merchant, attempting to make his way to New Orleans,
was arrested and his cargo confiscated. As New Orleans
was the principal and almost only market accessible to this
region of country, and navigation of the Mississippi the
only means of reaching it, the seriousness of the situation
.may be judged. Then, to make matters worse, the settlers
in Kentucky, and the western country generally, were led
to believe, on account of certain diplomatic correspondence
becoming public, that a treaty had been concluded with
Spain whereby the Mississippi was to continue closed to
American trade for a period of years, and perhaps permanently.
Hence the retaliatory slogan that if Spaniards would not
permit trade down the river they should not be suffered to
trade up the river. This spirit was largely responsible for
the treatment the Spanish merchants received at Vincennes,
and as a more serious manifestation of it steps were taken to
organize a military expedition to expel the Spaniards from
Natchez and the lower Mississippi and make conquest of
their country. General George Rogers Clark was looked to
as the military leader to execute the dangerous project. Both
the legislature of Virginia and the Congress of the United
States made emphatic disavowal of the whole matter when
they learned of it, and took steps to prevent the carrying out
of the hostile plans. Then it was made known that the sup
posed restrictive treaty had not been, and would not be,
entered into, and the agitation gradually subsided.

CHAPTER VII
EARLY JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
Jurisdictions of France, England, Virginia, and the United
States; the First Election. The few white people under
their jurisdiction during the time the French were in control
of the territory now comprised within the state of Indiana
(1669-1763) were governed by laws dictated by the home
government and administered largely through the com
mandants of the posts. Subordinate offices under the com
mandant were few, and relatively unimportant.
The real occupancy of the British was of such brief dura
tion that no opportunity was given to characterize their
control. Nominally British control dated from 1763, but
actual possession was not accomphshed until 1777, and
permanent expulsion by the Americans followed two years
later. The common law of England was supposed to be
in force in a limited way, but the government, in reality,
was a mere personal one by the British commandant, or
"superintendent," stationed at Vincennes. In an attempt
to win the sympathy of the French settlers as against the
Americans during the War for Independence, most of the
laws and regidations of the old French jurisdiction were
revived by the British government and the rights of the
former French subjects guaranteed under them.
Following the capture of Kaskaskia by General George
Rogers Clark in 1778, and the occupancy of Mncennes by
Captain Leonard Helm, both citizens of Virginia, that state
claimed sovereignty by right of conquest over all the North-
MOOBE, Ind. — 5 69

70 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
west Territory.^ Her claim was made good by the final
conquest of Vincennes in 1779 by General Clark. She
organized the territory under the name of the County of
Illinois, and appointed Colonel John Todd to govern it under
the title of County Lieutenant. This vast region comprised
all the territory later incorporated into the states of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and the greater
portion of that part of Minnesota which lies on the eastern
side of the Mississippi.
It is not true, as has sometimes been stated, that Virginia
extended her laws to govern and control the newly acquired
territory. What she did do was to declare in the act or
ganizing the " County of Illinois " that " all civil officers
to which the said inhabitants have been accustomed, neces
sary for the preservation of peace and the administration
of justice, shall be chosen by a majority of the citizens in their
respective districts . . . which said civil officers, after taking
the oath (of allegiance) . . . shall exercise their several
jurisdictions, and conduct themselves agreeable to the laws
which the present settlers are now accustomed to."
This was literally a revival and continuation of the French
system of laws and administration, except that the officers
were made elective. And the election which took place in
accordance with the act, soon after its promulgation, was
the first popular election ever held in Indiana. No provision
was made in the act for government beyond the year 1781,
1 Virginia also claimed the Northwest Territory as a part of her original
charter domain, granted by the king to the London Company in 1609.
Under this grant Virginia was made to extend two hundred miles north, and
the same distance south, of Point Comfort, and "west and northwest from
sea to sea." By the treaty with France in 1703 Great Britain gave up her
claim to the territory west of the Mississippi, but Virginia held her title to be
good to the limit of British sovereignty, which was the eastern bank of the
Mississippi.

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 71
but the officers elected and commissioned continued to hold
on until they were dismissed by General Harmar in 1787.
In 1784 Virginia signed a deed of session of the Northwest
Territory to the government of the United States.' From
the date of this session to the passage by Congress of the
Ordinance of 1787 there was no authorized or legal control
of any kind over the territory.
Ordinance of 1787 ; Machinery of Territorial Government.
The Ordinance of 1787, the great charter of the states of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconstu, and Michigan, was an act
of Congress providing for the government of the Northwest
Territory,^ It provided for the appointment by Congress
of a governor, whose term of office should be three years;
of a secretary, whose term should be four years, and of a
court, to consist of three judges with common-law jurisdic
tion and tenure of office lasting during good behavior.
The governor and judges, or a majority of them, were
empowered to adopt and publish " such laws of the original
states, criminal and civil, as may be necessary and best
suited to the circumstances of the district " until the organi
zation of a general assembly, to which would then belong the
law-making power. A general assembly was authorized
when the number of free male inhabitants in the district
should reach five thousand. There was to be one repre
sentative elected for every five hundred free male inhabitants,
until the population should so increase as to bring the num-
• The deed of session was signed by Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Hardy,
Arthur Lee, and James Monroe, acting as delegates for the Commonwealth
of Virginia. It will be noted that two of these, Jefferson and Monroe, after
wards attained to the honor of the presidency.
2 This ordinance has appropriately been called the "Magna Charta of
the West." Daniel A\'ebster said of it: " I doubt whether one single law
of any lawgiver, ancient or modern, has produced effect^j of more distinct,
marked, and lasting character than the Ordinance of 1787."

72 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
ber of representatives up to twenty-five. After that the
number and proportion of representatives were to be regu
lated by the legislature. The term of office fixed for a repre
sentative was two years.
A legislative council, consisting of five members, to be
appointed by Congress, with a five-year tenure of office, was
provided for. The five members of the council were to be
chosen from a list of ten names to be submitted to Congress
by the governor and house of representatives, after the
election of that body. The governor, the legislative coimcil,
and the house of representatives were then to compose the
general assembly, or territorial legislature. The legisla
tive council and house of representatives, acting together
in joint assembly, were empowered to elect a delegate to
Congress. It will be noted that only members of the house of repre
sentatives were elective by the people. A man to be entitled
to vote for a representative was required, in addition to the
possession of citizenship and residence qualifications, to own
a freehold in fifty acres of land. Only freeholders were
eligible to election or appointment to any of the offices
under the territorial government.
Articles of Compact. The ordinance further contained
six articles of compact between the original states and the
people and states in the new territory, the preamble to which
reads: " And for extending the fundamental principles of
civil and religious liberty, which form the basis whereon these
republics, their laws and constitutions are erected; to fix
and establish those principles as the basis of all laws, con
stitutions and governments, which forever hereafter shall
be formed in the said territory; to provide also for the estab
lishment of states, and permanent government therein, and

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 73
for their admission to a share in the federal councils on an
equal footing with the original states, at as early periods as
may be consistent with the general interest: It is hereby
ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, that the
following articles shall be considered as articles of compact
between the original states and the people and states in the
said territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless, by
common consent."
Article I of this compact guarantees religious liberty;
Article II is the bill or, guarantee of civil rights; Article 111
reads in part: " Religion, morality and knowledge being
necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind,
schools, and the means of education shall forever be en
couraged." The rest of this article is a guarantee of good
faith and fair treatment toward the Indians. Article IV
deals with the obligations of the states toward the Con
federacy or Union, as to its perpetuity, inviolability, support
by taxation, etc., and provides that all navigable waters
shall be common highways and forever free. Article V
provides for the formation of not less than three and no more
than five states from the territory covered by the ordinance,
and their eventual admission into the Union. Article VI
ranks with Article III in its illustration of the wise and far-
seeing statesmanship which produced the ordinance. It
reads in part: " There shall be neither slavery nor involun
tary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the
punishment of crime, whereof the parties shall have been
duly convicted."
Arthur St. Clair Made Governor of Northwest Territory
(1787-1800). On the 5th of October, 1787, Major General
Arthur St. Clair was appointed by Congress to be governor
of the Northwest Territory, and Winthrop Sargeant was

74 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
made secretary. Marietta, Ohio, became the seat of gov
ernment, and the first sessions of the territorial court were
held there in 1788. The judges comprising the court were
Samuel H. Parsons, James M. Varnum, and John Cleves
Symmes. Under the terms of the ordinance. Governor St.
Clair was president of the court. A session of this court
was held at Vincennes in 1790, and by an act of the legis
lature of that year, regulating the same, a sitting of the
court was designated for Vincennes annually thereafter.
Meanwhile immigration to the territory had begun to
grow rapidly, settlers flocking in from Virginia, Kentucky,
the Carolinas, and the New England states, and in 1798 the
population having grown to the required five thousand, the
second step in the perfecting of the territorial government
was taken. An election was held on the third Monday in
December of that year for members of the house of repre
sentatives for the" first general assembly. The members
so elected, and the governor, met at Cincinnati on the 22d of
January, 1799 (the seat of government having been removed
to Cincinnati from Marietta), and forwarded to Congress a
list of names of ten citizens from which to select the five
members of the first legislative council. The appointments
being made, the first territorial legislature, or general
assembly, was complete, and it held its first session at
Cincinnati in September, 1799.
Among the important measures enacted by this first
legislature were laws to prevent drunkenness, profane
swearing, Sabbath breaking, dueling, cock fighting, running
horses on public highways, gambling, etc. The whipping
post and pillory as methods of punishment were estabhshed.
It fell to the duty of this legislature to elect a delegate
to Congress, and the members found themselves called upon.

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 75

to decide a very spirited contest for the honor between
Arthur St. Clair, Jr., a son of Governor St. Clair, and Captain
William Henry Harrison, then secretary of the territory.
Harrison had been appointed to succeed Winthrop Sargeant,
Sargeant having resigned to become Governor of Mississippi.
Harrison was the victor, winning by the narrow margin of
one vote.
Division of the Northwest Territory; William Henry
Harrison First Governor of Indiana Territory (1800-1812).
The political existence
of the Northwest
Territory as a whole
was comparatively
short (1787-1800).
On the 7th of Maj-,
1800, the President
approved an act of
Congress dividing the
territory into two
parts, the division be
ing on the boundary
line now dividing
Ohio and Indiana.
All that portion of the
original territory west
of the said line was
constituted into a
separate territory to
be designated as
Indiana Territory. This made it neces.sary for the people of
Indiana Territory to begin all over again in the formation
of a new government under the Ordinance of 1787. Accord-

WiLLiAM Henry Harbison

76 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
ingly, William Henry Harrison was appointed governor
(May 13, 1800), and John Gibson of Pennsylvania, secretary.^
The seat of government was fixed at Vincennes. The first
territorial judges appointed for Indiana were William Clark,
Henry Vanderburg, and John Griffin. They opened the
first general court at Vincennes on the 3d of March,
1801. The judges and the governor had held a meeting
in the January preceding for the purpose of publishing such
laws " of the original states " as were deemed necessary
until a legislature should be formed.
At this time the white population of Indiana Territory was
estimated at four thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
In March, 1804, Congress enlarged the area of Indiana
by attaching to it all that part of Louisiana Territory situ
ated west of the Mississippi and north of the thirty-third
degree, north latitude, under the name of the " District of
Louisiana." The following year, however, it was detached
and made a separate territory.,
Election of Legislature; Indiana Territory Reduced to
Present Size of the State by Detachment and Organization
of Michigan and Illinois. On January 3, 1805, an election
was held upon the call of Governor Harrison to elect mem
bers of the house of representatives, a determination having
been reached (September 11, 1804, by a majority of 138)
to enter upon the second stage of territorial civil government.
The members elected met with the governor at Vincennes
on the 1st of February, and on the 7th selected ten names
' General Gibson performed the duties of governor from the date of
his appointment. May 14, 1800, until January 10, 1801, Governor Harrison
not arriving in the territory until that time. Again, in 1812 and 1813 he
was called upon to serve as acting governor, his chief being in charge of the
western armies of the United States. It was General Gibson to whom Chief
Logan made his celebrated speech in 1774,

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 77
from which the President, under authority of Congress,
chose the five members of a legislative council. The general
assembly thus completed convened at ^'incennes on the
29th of July, 1805. Benjamin Parke, lately emigrated from
Virginia, was elected the first delegate to Congress. He was
later appointed by the President to a territorial judgeship,
and Jesse B. Thomas was chosen by the legislature (1808)
to succeed him in Congress.
On the 11th of January, 1805, only a few days after the
election to choose members of the legislature, Congress
passed an act dividing the territory again, detaching and
organizing the territory of ^lichigan. The act became
effective June 30, 1805. The next change in boundaries
took place on the 1st of ISIay, 1809, when all that portion
remaining of Indiana Territory lying west of what is now the
Indianar-Illinois state line, was detached and organized into
the territory of Illinois. (Act of Congress, February 3,
1809.) With this division, which was the last. Indiana was
reduced to its present size.
Election Tangle; Legislature Declared Illegal. In the
same act by which Congress reduced the size of Indiana by
organizing Illinois Territory', it authorized the redistricting
of Indiana for legislative purposes, and provided that the
house of representatives should consist of not less than
nine members. Prior to this action Governor Harrison had
already called an election for representatives, fixing eight
as the number to be chosen. The date of the election was
May 22. When the legislature so elected convened in
October, a question of its legality at once aro.se, and after
several days of wrangling, Congress was finally memorialized
by the legislature to straighten out the tangle. That body
declared the election illegal, and directed the governor to

78 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
apportion the territory for nine representatives and order a
new election, which he did.
Extendmg the Franchise; the Furst Census. In 1809
Congress passed laws making members of the legislative
council and the delegate to Congress elective by the quali
fied voters of the territory. Jonathan Jennings, running
on an antislavery platform, was the first delegate chosen
by the new method. Thomas Randolph, on a proslavery
platform, was the unsuccessful candidate against him.
In 1811 the property qualifications for voters were
abolished, and the right to vote was extended to every free
white male person twenty-one years old or over who had
paid a county or territorial tax and had been a resident a
year. In 1814 the voting privilege was further extended to
every free white male having a freehold in the territory and
being a resident thereof.
In 1810 the first complete census of Indiana Territory was
taken, and it showed the population to be 24,520. Statistics
of manufactures gathered at the same time showed that
there were in the territory thirty-three gristmills, fourteen
sawmills, three horse mills, eighteen tanneries, twenty-eight
distilleries, three powder mills, one thousand two hundred
fifty-six looms and one thousand three hundred fifty spin
ning wheels. Total value of manufactures, as reported to
the United States Treasury Department, $196,532.
Thomas Posey Becomes Second and Last Territorial
Governor (1813-1816) ; Seat of Government Changed from
Vincennes to Corydon; New State House. In 1813 the
President appointed Thomas Posey governor of the territory,
to succeed Governor Harrison, who had been made com
mander-in-chief of the federal forces in the west. Mr.
Posey was serving as a senator from Louisiana at the time

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 79
of his appointment. He was a native of Mrginia, and had
won distinction as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He
continued to serve as governor until the territory was ad
mitted into the Union as a state in 1816.
In the year 1811 it was determined to change the capital
of the territory from Mncennes to Corydon, in Harrison
County, and the construction of a new State House was
immediately begun. The first session of the legislature to
convene therein was that of 1813, although the structure
was not entirely completed until two years later.
The material entering into the construction of the new
Statehouse was native blue limestone taken from the
neighboring hills. The building still stands. It is two
stories high and forty feet square. The lower story was
used as the hall of the house of representatives, while the
legislative coimcil, and later the senate, held its sessions
in one of the two rooms of the second story.
Preparations for Statehood; Adoption of Constitution of
1816; First State Officers Elected. On the 14th of Decem
ber, 1813, the territorial legislature adopted a resolution
memorializing Congress to admit Indiana into the Union as
a state. And as there had been considerable agitation up
to that time in favor of the abrogation or suspension of the
sixth article of the compact in the Ordinance of 1787
prohibiting slavery, the legislature incorporated the follow
ing in its memorial: " And whereas, the inhabitants of this
territory are principally composed of immigrants from every
part of the Union, and as various in their customs and
sentiments as in their persons, we think it prudent at this
time to express to the general government our attachment
to the fundamental principles of legislation prescribed by
Congress in their Ordinance for the government of this

80 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
territory, particularly as respects freedom and involuntary
servitude, and hope they may be continued as the basis of
the constitution."
In 1815 a census was taken by order of the legislature, and
it showed a voting population in the territory of 12,112, and
a total population of 63,897, indicating an increase of 39,377,
equal to 161 per cent, in five years.
On the 19th of April, 1816, Congress passed an enabling
act authorizing the calling of an election to choose delegates
to a convention to frame a state constitution. The election
was held on the 13th of May, and the convention met at
Corydon, and began its deliberations on the 10th of June,
1816. The delegates numbered forty-two. Jonathan Jen
nings was chosen president of the convention, and William
Hendricks, secretary.
Most of the sessions of the convention were held under
the wide-spreading branches of a large elm tree which
stands near the Corydon Statehouse. It is known as
Constitutional Elm, and is an object of patriotic interest
and curiosity to many hundreds of visitors annually.
The members of the convention proved themselves an
exceptionally able and businesslike body of men. They
were in session but nineteen days, during which time they
framed for the new state a constitution, clear and concise
in language, and wise in its provisions, which " was not
inferior to any of the state constitutions v/hich were in exist
ence at that time." ^ It met with the approval of Congress,
» The spread of branches of Constitutional Elm is 146 feet. It is
60 feet high, and its truiik measures 8 feet in diameter a foot above ground.
A retaining wall has been built to prevent the washing of the soil from its
roots, and patriotic and highly praiseworthy efforts are being put forth by
citizens of Corydon to protect and preserve the lite of this historic old tree
as long as possible.
« Dillon.

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 81
and Indiana was admitted into the great family of states on
the 11th of December, 1816.
Although the state was not formally admitted until
December 11, 1816, the first election under the new con
stitution was held on the first Monday of the August pre
ceding. It resulted in the choice of Jonathan Jennings
for governor, Christopher Harrison, lieutenant governor,
and William Hendricks, member of Congress. Jennings

CONSTITOTIONAL ElM

was the delegate in Congress at the time of his election
to the governorship. His opponent in the race for governor
was Thomas Posey, then territorial governor. The vote
stood 5211 for Jennings and 3934 for Posey. By the con
stitution, as adopted, the other state officers were elective by
the legislature.
Fkst Session of State Legislature; Additional State
Officers Chosen. The first session of the legislature of

82 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
Indiana as a full-fledged state convened at Corydon on the
4th of November, 1816. Isaac Blackford was elected speaker
of the house of representatives, Christopher Harrison being
president of the senate by virtue of his office as lieutenant
governor. The governor and lieutenant governor were
inaugurated on the 7th. During the session the following
additional officers were chosen, completing the new state
government: Robert A. New, secretary of state; William H.
Lilly, auditor of public accounts; Daniel G. Lane, treasurer
of state. James Noble and Waller Taylor were elected to
represent the new state in the United States Senate.
Under the constitution of 1816 the terms of office of the
different state officers and members of the legislature were:
governor and lieutenant governor, three years; secretary
of state, auditor of public accounts, and treasurer of state,
four years; state senators, three years; and representatives,
one year. Sessions of the legislature were held annually.
In earnest devotion to the interests of the new common
wealth, and of the people, and in the conscientious and
prompt performance of their official duties, the members of
the constitutional convention, and of this first legislature,
set an example worthy of the emulation of their successors
in much later times, called upon to adminster to the needs of
a state grown vastly greater and grander, and largely so
because of the correct foundation principles implanted in its
first constitution, and in its early laws.
Early Taxation; Progress of the New State. During the
first several years of statehood, state revenues were raised
by a graduated land tax. This tax in 1817, based on the
one hundred acres, was one dollar on first-rate land, eighty-
seven and one half cents on second-rate land, and fifty cents
on third-rate land. An additional tax was also imposed

JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT 83
for county purix)ses, so the burden on landowners was not
light. Other objects of local taxation were live stock,
carriages, watches, clocks, etc., and then there was a poll
tax, and a licen.se tax on venders of merchandise. Naturally
complaints because of tax burdens were not unknown. In
fact, the successive steps in territorial government, and
finally the exaltation of the territory to statehood, were
confronted with opposition by some on the grounds that
taxation would be increased. In Augast, 1807, a number
of the French inhabitants of the territory, which more than
two years before had been raised to the second grade of
government, met and resolved that they " would withdraw
their confidence and support forever from tho.se men who
advocated, or in any manner promoted, the second grade of
government." But with the development of the almost
inexhaustible natural resources of the state, and the multi
plication and increase in value of the objects of taxation,
the burdens became relatively lighter.
From the very first, progress of the new state along all
lines was highly satisfactory. The population grew rapidly,
forests were cleared, swamps were drained, roads built,
homes established, industries founded, commerce extended,
schools opened, churches built, towns and cities laid out, and
local government extended and perfected.
The Thirteen Original Counties. As the responsibilities
of a national government were first assumed by the thirteen
original states, so the responsibilities of Indiana's state
government were assumed by the " thirteen original coun
ties " — that being the number of organized counties par
ticipating in the framing and adoption of the constitution
of 1816. All were southern counties, mainly bordering the
Ohio and lower Wabash rivers. They were: Knox, Posey,

84 JURISDICTIONS AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
Gibson, Warrick, Perry, Washington, Harrison, Clark, Jeffer
son, Switzerland, Dearborn, Franklin, Wayne, — Wayne
being the most northerly. There were but four organized
counties in 1809 when the first popular election for delegate
to Congress was held. These were Knox, Harrison, Clark,
and Dearborn.
More than three fourths of the territory of the state was
still held by the Indians at the time of the adoption of the
constitution.

CH.\PTER VIII
THE SLAVERY QUESTION
Curious Contradictions in Ordinance of 1787. Mr. J. P.
Dunn, in his admirable treatise on the subject, " A Re
demption frorn Slavery, " makes it clear that the slavery
question was the " paramount political influence in Indiana
up to the time of the organization of the state government."
Nor did it by anj^ means disappear from the arena of politics
then. For more than three quarters of a century following
the formation of the American Union slavery was a domi
nating influence affecting or deciding the alignment of
political parties. A mere local adjustment, or nominal
settlement, could by no means remove the question from
discussion in Indiana; it was alive here as long as it was in
politics, and when the war came no state in the North, or
even on the border, was more violently torn by the clash of
ideas so long fostered.
At the time of the adoption of the Ordinance of 1787
approximately two hundred persons were being held to
bondage in what is now Indiana. As slavery was prohibited
by the ordinance, many of these were taken out of the
territory by their owners, who emigrated to the Spanish
possessions, or other places where slaveholding was not
illegal. Others remained, and continued to hold their
human chattels, claiming a legal right to do so on grounds
that were more than plausible. First, in the deed of cession
by which Virginia conveyed the Northwest Territory to the
United States, there was a provision "that the French and
Moore, Isd. — 6 ^¦'

86 THE SLAVERY QUESTION
Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers . . . who have
professed themselves citizens of Virginia, shall have their
possessions and titles confirmed to them, and be protected
in the enjoyment of their rights and liberties." Negro
slavery was an essential part of the " possessions and titles "
here reserved to the settlers by Virginia, and guaranteed to
them by the United States in its acceptance of the grant.
Then the Ordinance of 1787, in the endeavor to keep faith
with Virginia, and at the same time prohibit slavery in the
Northwest Territory, was rendered contradictory in its
terms. The sixth article of the compact reads: " There
shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the
said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crime,
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted: provided
always, that any person escaping into the same, from whom
labor or service is lawfully claimed in any of the original
states, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and con
veyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as
aforesaid." This would indicate an absolute prohibition of slavery in
the Northwest Territory, with a proviso for the recovery of
fugitive slaves by owners from outside the territory. But
among the provisions for conveyance of property there was
inserted the saving clause " to the French and Canadian
inhabitants, and other settlers of the Kaskaskia, St. Vincent
and the neighboring villages who have heretofore professed
themselves citizens of Virginia, their laws and customs now
in force among them relative to the descent and conveyance
of property." Then suffrage was restricted to "free male
inhabitants," and in estimating or counting population for
governmental purposes, only " free male inhabitants " were
permitted. Certainly it would be hard to imagine a broader

THE SLAVERY QUESTION 87
impHcation of an existing and continuing distinction as to
free men and slaves.
So it is plain enough that those whose interests inclined
them to favor slavery were not wanting in arguments up
holding its technical legality. Curiously enough no case
ever reached the higher courts of the United States fairly
testing the legality of slaveholding in the Northwest Territory
after the passage of the Ordinance of 1787. Of course there
could be no doubt of the abrogation in the Constitution of
Indiana, adopted in 1816, of an}- right of the French or other
settlers to hold slaves in the state, if such right really was
saved to them by the ordinance.
About the most that was claimed, however, was the limited
right to hold slaves already in bondage at the time the ordi
nance was passed. The abrogation of the restricting clause
was desired in order that the importation of additional slaves
might be permitted. And under certain laws of indenture
pas.sed by the territorial legislature some slaves were im
ported, and a modified form of slavery legalized and openly
practiced. Under this legislation negroes might be imported
and held in absolute slavery for sixty dajs, and thereafter
in limited slavery for a term of years, or for life.
Agitation for Slavery. In 1802 a convention was held at
Vincennes, at which a lengthy set of resolutions was pre
pared and forwarded to Congress asking that the sixth
article of the compact in the ordinance be suspended for
ten years, on the groimds that the slaves were needed to
develop the new cotmtry, and American citizens who could
ill be spared were being driven to the Spanish dominions
because of their slave holdings. This convention was com
posed of delegates regularly apportioned among the counties,
and Governor Harrison presided over its sessions.

88 THE SLAVERY QUESTION
The territorial legislature of 1805 requested the repeal of
the restricting clause, or at any rate a memorial signed by
three members of the legislative council, and by the speaker
and three members of the house of representatives, was
forwarded, to Congress. The legislature of 1807 also
memorialized Congress in the interests of slavery.
Congress took no action in the matter, although the agita
tion compelled attention and many members were sym
pathetic. A timely counter agitation was started in 1807,
however, when a number of citizens opposed to slavery met
at Springville, on the 10th of October, and framed and for
warded a memorial vigorously protesting against the exten
sion of slavery, or any violation of the compact in the
Ordinance of 1787.
The contest for the election of a delegate to Congress in
1809 also proved a valuable aid in staying the tide of the
proslavery crusade, as it indicated a small preponderance of
public sentiment against it. The fight was between Jona
than Jennings, avowedly antislavery, and Thomas Ran
dolph, proslavery. Jennings won, and was reelected on
the same platform in three subsequent biennial elections.
Still, hope was not abandoned, and the advocates of slavery
carried the contest to the constitutional convention of 1816,
where they met their final defeat through the adoption of
the clause in the constitution: "There shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude in this state otherwise
than for the punishment of crime, whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted, nor shall any indenture of any
negro or mulatto hereafter made and executed out of the
bounds of this state be of any validity within the state."
But slaves continued to be held, it is said, until 1843,
when the last one died. According to the returns of the

THE SLAVERY QUESTION 89
L'nited States census there were one hundred and ninety-
slaves in the state in 1S20, and three in 1S40. Of the three
still held in 1840 two were in Rush County and one in Putnam.
Question of Recapture of Fugitive Slaves; Undergroimd
Railroads. The question of the arrest and return of slaves
escaping from other states and .seeking refuge in Indiana
was a source of special irritation for many years, both to
those citizens of the state who did not believe in slavers- and
preferred to assist the fugitives to hberty, and to the owners
of the slaves who claimed the right to pureue and recover
their " property." So common did the practice become
of assisting runaway slaves across the state from the Ohio
River to Canada, that regular routes were established, and
known as " Underground Railroads." These undergroimd
railroads had regular stations, principally at the homes of
men who abominated slavery. Here the fugitives were con
cealed and fed. Conveyances also, in many instances, were
furnished between the stations, travel being mostly by night.
Many hundreds of slaves were thas piloted across the state
to the British pos.sessions and freedom.
The strong sympathy for the institution of slavery evinced
by a considerable element of the population, both in early
times and up to and during the war for the Union, is ac
counted for by the fact that Indiana was largely peopled by
immigrants from the southern or slaveholding states. But
not all of these southern immigrants were proslavery, as
many of them came for the purpose of finding homes and
rearing families in " free territory," and to them great credit
is due for the fact that the antislavery sentiment predomi
nated when the crisis came, and threw the great weight of
Indiana's material help and moral influence upon the side
of liberty and the Union.

CHAPTER IX
INDIAN WARS
MIAMI conspiracy; the prophet's war; INDIANS AND
BRITISH IN WAR OF 1812
Motives for Indian Hostility; Real Fact which Condemns
the Red Man. The Indian, generally, has been given credit
for a natural inclination to treachery and cruelty, though it
cannot be said that his deeds were always lacking in rational
or even patriotic motive. Time and experience had brought
him to a bitter realization of the fact that gradually he was
being dispossessed of his lands. Sometimes they were sold
by chiefs, or members of his tribe who had no particular
right to sell; sometimes they went by treaty that he knew
nothing about and could not understand, and sometimes
they were taken by violence. He saw the game driven from
the forests, and his hunting grounds transformed into culti
vated fields that to him were no better than deserts, while
he and his race were pushed farther and farther westward
toward the setting sun. When civilized men fight for homes
and native land, they are patriots. And though the Indian
fought for the same sacred entities, he, in his ignorance,
employed methods which not only precluded sympathy, but
armed the greedy white man with pretexts for employing
even more heartless severity toward him. Grievous, though
differing in kind, were the wrongs he suffered. If accounts
were fairly balanced, we doubt if the white man would find
that he has any wide margin of cause to remember the past
with malice toward his red brother. 90

INDIAN WARS 91
The most telling indictment that can be brought against
the Indian in justification of his banishment is that he failed
to make adequate use of the priceless gifts s\-ith which the
Great Spirit had endowed him. With his mode of living
it required, on an average, something like fifty thousand
acres of land for the support of each individual of his race.
The fertile lands of the American Continent now furnish
homes for scores of millions of enlightened, progressive, and
happy people, as against the few thousands of miserable,
half-clad, feather-bedecked and roving savages who formerly
occupied them. The fittest must survive. Left to himself
under primitive conditions, the Indian seemed proof against
progress. Should he then, after all, have been spared, and
allowed to stand forever a barrier against civilization in
the western world ? On the theory of the greatest good to
the greatest number the answer inevitably must be in the
negative. Yet it is sad to contemplate. The events nar
rated in this chapter are merely dramatic incidents in the
process of reduction, impoverishment, and banishment of a
once proud and haughty race.
Indians Jealous of Their Kentucky Hunting Grounds.
A number of expeditions dating from the Revolutionary War
period and earlier, and repeated from time to time until after
the organization of the Northwest Territory, were made by
armed forces from Kentucky into the wildernesses of Indiana
and Ohio to punish hostile Indians for murderous raids upon
Kentucky settlers. Some of them were successful, and some
came to grief. The Indians regarded Kentucky as a kind
of common hunting ground, and they resolutely resisted its
occupation by the whites. They guarded the Ohio River
almost night and day, and many outrages were committed
upon immigrants or tradesmen on the bosom of that stream,
and upon the settlers near its shores.

92 INDIAN WARS
THE MIAMI CONSPIRACY
Causes for Friction. From the time of General George
Rogers Clark's last expedition to the Wabash country
against the Indians in 1786 it was apparent that serious
trouble was brewing. A persistent agitation was carried on
among the Indians, and British influences were exerted
to the utmost to fan the disaffection into angry flames of
war. The efforts of Congress to extinguish the claims of
the Indians to the lands northwest of the Ohio River added
to the causes for distrust and friction, and the situation was
daily aggravated by the encroachments of white settlers on
the lands belonging to, or claimed by, the Indians.
Harmar's Expedition Fails; Hardin Twice Defeated. By
1790 the situation had become such that decisive action on
the part of the government seemed imperative. Accordingly
General Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Terri
tory, was ordered to prepare a large force and send it to the
Indian country. Soon afterwards General Josiah Harmar, with
a force consisting of about 400 regulars and 1050 militia, was
dispatched directly to the Indian village of Kekionga, near
where the city of Fort Wayne now stands, but found it had
been deserted. This was October 15, 1790. On the 16th
he sent out a force under Colonel John Hardin, consisting
of thirty regulars and about two hundred militia. On the
19th this force was attacked by a large body of Miami
Indians under Chief Little Turtle and utterly routed. The
battle occurred near the Eel River, about eleven miles from
the present site of Fort Wayne. Hardin's loss was twenty
regulars and six mihtiamen killed, and many others wounded.
He rejoined General Harmar and a retreat was begun toward
Fort Washington on the 21st.

INDIAN WARS 93
Chagrined by his defeat and anxious to regain his reputa
tion as an Indian fighter, Colonel Hardin persuaded General
Harmar to permit him to try again. So at the head of sixty
regulars and three hundred and forty militia, though made
subordinate in command to ]\Iajor Wyllys, he defiantly
marched back to the scene of his defeat. The little army
reached the Maumee near Kekionga early on the morning
of the 22d. As on the former expedition, the grave error of
dividing the force was committed, and the militia were sent
to pursue a party of Indians, apparently in retreat. The
militia were thus drawn into an ambush, and assailed by
superior numbers. Meanwhile Little Turtle furiously at
tacked the regulars. The loss this time was several officers,
including ]\lajor Wyllys, and over a hundred and fifty
men killed. Colonel Hardin again led the retreat. The
Indians suffered an equal loss with their antagonists in this
engagement, however, and did not offer pursuit.
Gathering together the remaining fragments of the army,
General Harmar took up the march for Fort Washington (on
the site of the present city of Cincinnati) October 23,
arriving November 4. The total loss of the army in the
expedition was one hundred and eighty-three men killed and
thirty-one wounded.
Minor Operations. While these events were taking place
on the Maumee, Major Hamtramck, commandant of the
post at Vincennes, led a small force against the Indians on
the Vermilion River and destroyed several villages, but
encountered no serious opposition.
A force of about eight hundred men, under command of
Brigadier General Scott, crossed the Ohio from Kentucky in
May, 1791, and advancing to the Wabash destroyed Ouiate
non and surrounding Indian villages.

94 INDIAN WARS
Brigadier General Wilkinson, sent out by Governor^ St.
Clair in July, 1791, with about five hundred men, won some
successes against the Indians on the upper Wabash. The
chief town of the Ouiatenon nation on the Eel River and a
Kickapoo village were destroyed.
General St. Clau: Takes the Field; His Disastrous De
feat. The Indians were jubilant over their victories on the
Maumee, and the war spirit grew. Depredations became
more frequent, and the seriousness of the situation was fully
realized by the government. Accordingly a force consisting
of about three thousand troops was raised and Governor
St. Clair ordered to take the field in person. His principal
instruction was to establish a strong and permanent military
post at the Miami village (Kekionga) on the Maumee, and
garrison it with an adequate force.
Meanwhile the Potawatamis, Kickapoos. Delawares,
Ottawas, Wyandotts, and Shawnees had joined their for
tunes with the Miamis in their coming great struggle for the
expulsion of the whites. They had about fourteen hundred
warriors. General St. Clair, leading a force of about fifteen hundred
men, reached the headwaters of the Wabash at the point
where Fort Recovery was later erected, on the 3d of Novem
ber, 1791. On the morning of the 4th, just before day, the
Indians attacked him. It seems that so prompt an accept
ance of the challenge implied by his presence in the Indian
country was not expected by St. Clair. In other words, it
merely proved another version of the oft-repeated story of
Indian surprises. The troops tried to form and resist the
attack, and finally did push their assailants back by a bayo
net charge, but one assault was promptly followed by another
until the troops were completely overwhelmed. A retreat

INDIAN WARS 95
was begun, which quickly degenerated into a rout. Almost
half the army had fallen, and the rest was in hopeless panic.
This demoralized remnant reached Fort Jefferson, thirty
miles to the south, late that day, and another disaster was
completed, and ready to be written in the record. St. Clair's
loss was thirty-nine officers and five hundred and ninety-
three men killed and missing, and half as many more wounded.
More than one hundred women, being wives of the officers
and men, had accompanied the expedition, and very few of
them escaped the dreadful carnage of the battle and the
retreat.' The battle occurred in the southwestern comer of what
is now ^Mercer County, Ohio, close by the Indiana line.
Little Turtle was in chief command of the Indians, but he
had able assistance from such celebrated chiefs as Tecumseh
and Blue-Jacket, Shawnees, and Buck-ong-a-helas, of the
Delawares. Tecumseh had personal charge of the Indian
scouts, and no movement of his pale-faced antagonists was
ever allowed to escape his sleepless vigilance.
The most appalling acts of brutality and cruelty were
perpetrated by the Indians after this battle. Reproaching
them with the charge that they sought land only, they
crammed clay and sand down the throats of the dying and
the dead.
General Wayne Assumes Command; a Fruitless Peace
Commission; Battle of Fallen Timbers. A force of five
thousand men was now assigned to the duty of accomplish
ing the mission which Harmar and St. Clair had failed to
perform, and General Anthony Wayne was summoned to
• Congress enacted a law in May, 1910, appropriating -52.5,000 for the
erection, at Fort Recovery, of a suitable monument to the memory of
the soldiers who lost their IWes in this cruel struggle.

96 INDIAN WARS
the command. There was some delay in launching the
expedition, because of a fruitless attempt to treat with the
Indians through a peace commission consisting of Benjamin
Lincoln, Beverly Randolph, and Timothy Pickering. They
found the Indians flushed with their victories and intent
upon further resistance. They were met with the contention
that all the land lying northwest of the Ohio River belonged
exclusively to the Indians, and that in case they chose to
dispose of it, they had a right to sell to whom they pleased,
regardless of whether the purchasers were Americans, Brit
ish, or of other nationalities. Of course such claims could not
be countenanced, and the negotiations came to an end.
The attitude of the Indians was due very largely to mali
cious interference on the part of the British, who continued
to maintain garrisons at Niagara, Detroit, Michilimacinac,
and other places on American soil in contravention of the
terms of the treaty of 1783.^ They not only persisted in
inciting the Indians to warfare against the Americans, but
supplied them with means to carry on hostilities. Many
British soldiers fought side by side with the Indians, es
pecially at Fallen Timbers.
At the head of three thousand soldiers, two thousand of
whom were regulars. General Wayne moved out from Fort
Washington early in October, 1793. Arriving at the scene
of St. Clair's defeat, he erected a fort and called it Fort
Recovery. Here .he was attacked on the 30th of June,
1 The fourth article in the treaty of 1783, by which the Revolutionary
War was terminated, provided that " No lawful impediments " to the collec
tion of debts should be met with by creditors on either side. The British
government charged that this article was not being fairly observed by many
American debtors to British subjects, and that some of the states, soon after
the conclusion of the treaty, had passed laws openly designed to impede the
collection of such debts. The garrisons were not withdrawn until a new
treaty was signed in 1796.

INDIAN WARS 97
1794, by" about fifteen hundred Indians and a few British
and Canadians, but they were easily repulsed. In July,
General Wayne was reenforced by sixteen hundred mounted
volunteers under Major General Scott. On the 4th of August
he moved out with his main force and, marching to the con
fluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, where Defiance,
Ohio, now stands, erected Fort Defiance. All of this time
the Indians had sought in vain an opportunity to make a
surprise attack, but were baffled by the vigilant watchful
ness of their new adversaries. Little Turtle referred to
General Wayne as the " Man-who-never-sleeps," and realiz
ing that Indian successes were at an end, counseled peace.
Unfortunately for the Indians he was overruled by the other
chiefs and braves.
Finally, despairing of an opportunity to surprise the
Americans under such a leader, the Indians, on the 20th of
August, launched their attack. The battle occurred at a
place called Fallen Timbers, near the rapids of the Maumee,
and almost under the guns of the British fort at that place.
The engagement was fierce though decisive, the Indians and
their British allies being defeated with frightful loss. The
number of Americans actually engaged was somewhat less
than a thousand, while the enemy numbered close to two
thousand. With this defeat the power of the Indians was
effectually broken.
Proceeding thence to the head of the Maumee, General
Wayne began the erection of the fort which had been the
main object of St. Clair's expedition as well as his own.
The fort was completed November 22, 1794, and garrisoned
by a strong detachment of infantry and artillery under
command of Major John F. Hamtramck, who called it
Fort Wayne.

98 INDIAN WARS
Treaty of Greenville; Indians Still Own Nearly All of
Indiana; Immigration. The Indians met General Wayne
at Greenville, Ohio, to arrange terms of peace. The con
vention lasted from June 16 to August 3, 1795, when a
treaty was formally signed. This treaty gave to the Indians
all the land within the present limits of Indiana, with the
following exceptions: (1) One tract of land six miles square
at the confluence of the rivers St. Mary and St. Joseph,
where the city of Fort Wayne now stands; (2) one tract
two miles square on the Wabash River near the head of the
Maumee, about eight miles westward from Fort Wayne;
(3) a tract six miles square at Ouiatenon, on the Wabash;
(4) a tract of one hundred and fifty thousand acres near
the Falls of the Ohio, being the lands granted to General
George Rogers Clark by the Indians soon after the conquest
of Vincennes; (5) the site of Vincennes and the lands adja
cent, to which Indian titles had been extinguished, and all
similar lands at other places in possession of white settlers;
(6) the strip of land lying east of a line running directly
from the site of Fort Recovery so as to intersect with the
Ohio River at a point opposite to the mouth of the Kentucky
River. Following the treaty of Greenville, a heavy -tide of immi
gration to the Northwest Territory set in from the eastern
states, and the impetus to growth in population was not
again checked until the new Indian outbreaks immediately
preceding the War of 1812.
THE prophet's WAR
Causes Leading to Conflict; Tecumseh and Pemsquatawah.
The next serious trouble was fomented by Tecumseh, the
celebrated chief of the Shawnees, and his brother. Perns-

INDIAN WARS 99
quatawah, also a chief of much renown. Pemsquatawah
was known as the " Prophet," because of religious preten
sions made by him to his people.
Agitation among the Indians began as early as 1805-06,
and the white settlers were advised to take precautions for
their safety. Meanwhile General William Henry Harrison,
then territorial governor of Indiana, put forth everj-
endeavor to preserve the peace. A number of Indian depre
dations were committed, and several unprovoked outrages,
on the other hand, were practiced against the Indians by
white men. The Indians complained bitterly of encroach
ments by white settlers on lands reserved for them. Finally,
a demand was made for the retrocession of a large tract of
land southeast of the Wabash, which had been ceded to the
government by a treaty made at Fort Wayne in 1809. The
claim was put forward that the lands were owned in common
by all the tribes, and no one of them individually had a
right to sell; that the consent and concurrence of all
should be procured to make any cession valid. This was
preached with great ingenuity by the Prophet, along with
the employment by him of other arguments to inflame his
people. Tecumseh devoted his efforts mainly to the broader
enterprise of forming a confederacy of the tribes. All the
while both disclaimed any hostile purpo.ses whatever, and
made a great point of promoting reforms among the Indians.
They especially inveighed agamst the use of intoxicating
liquors by the people of the tribes.
Meanwhile a crisis in the relations between the United
States and Great Britain was approaching. By the latter
part of the year 1810 the certainty of war was generally
recognized, and the British agents in Canada began making
uniLSual efforts to cultivate the friendship of the Indians,

100 INDIAN WARS
and at the same time stir their hatred of the Americans.
Governor Harrison put forth every reasonable endeavor to
avert trouble with the Indians, by holding conferences with
them, sending commissioners to treat with them, and by
personal interviews and correspondence with both Tecumseh
and the Prophet.
Governor Harrison and Tecumseh Hold Conferences;
Remarkable Speeches of the Latter. A memorable confer
ence took place between Governor Harrison and Tecumseh
at Vincennes in August, 1810. It began on the 12th of the
month and lasted ten days. Tecumseh came in almost
royal state, supported by seventy-five of his warriors.
General Harrison was surrounded by his official staff, and
attended by a guard of twelve men. General Gibson,
secretary of the territory, was also present. The principal
matter under consideration was the cession by treaty at
Fort Wayne (1809) of certain large tracts of land, aggre
gating almost three million acres, lying principally south
east of the Wabash River. Tecumseh and the Prophet had
repudiated the sale, arguing that those who sold the land
had no right to do so; that no sale could be valid unless
all the tribes concurred, on the principle that the lands were
owned by them in common, and in equal interest.
The Indians were always lovers of grave ceremonial, and
fond of conventions and tribal gatherings. Upon this
occasion, as upon others, the time of the conference was
largely taken up by Indian oratory. In one of his addresses
Tecumseh used the language: "Brother, do not believe we
came here to get presents from you.' If you offer any, we
will not take them; by taking goods from you, you will
1 It had long been customary to give the Indians belts or other orna
ments, and presents of substantial value, when meeting them in conference.

INDIAN WARS 101
hereafter say that with them you purchased another piece
of land from us. . . . How can we have confidence in the
white people? When Jesus Christ came upon the earth you
killed him, and nailed him on a cross. You thought he was
dead, but you were mistaken. You have Shakers among
you and you laugh and make light of their worship. . . . The
Great Spirit has inspired me, and I speak nothing but the
truth to you. . . . Brother, I hope you will confess that
you ought not to have listened to those bad birds who bring
you bad news." '
Later in his speech Tecumseh said naively: " If you think
proper to give us any presents, and we can be convinced that
they are given through friendship alone, we will accept them.
As we intend to hold our council at the Huron village, that
is near the British, we may probably make them a visit.
Should they offer us any presents of goods, we will not take
them; but should they offer us powder and the tomahawk,
we will take the powder and refuse the tomahawk."
The governor delivered a short talk, in which he main
tained that the government of the United States had treated
the Indians with uniform justice, not varying this policy
even when dealing with the weakest and most insignificant
of the tribes. In the midst of his speech he was interrupted
by Tecumseh, who directed a flow of words in his direction,
accompanied by violent gesticulations. In his angry speech
Tecumseh denounced the governor's statements as false,
declaring that the United States had " cheated and imposed
upon the Indians." The assembled warriors also rose, armed
with clubs, spears, and tomahawks, and stood in a threaten
ing attitude. Governor Harrison did not understand the
' Referring to those who had reported to General Harrison the hostile
purposes of Tecumseh and the Prophet.
MooBE, Ind, — 7

102 INDIAN WARS
significance of the demonstration until Tecumseh's words
had been interpreted to him. Meanwhile the governor's
little guard had been called into position at the instance of
General Gibson, who understood the Indian language, and
when quiet was restored Tecumseh was told that the council
fire was quenched, and the governor would no longer have
any communication with him.
The next morning, however, Tecumseh sent in his apolo
gies, and declared that he meant no harm; that he wished
everything amicably settled; and the conference was finally
resumed, the great chief's attitude and speech thereafter
being more respectful. Governor Harrison asked him if
white men would be left unmolested if they should come to
survey the land purchased at the treaty of Fort Wayne, and
whether the Kickapoos would or would not receive their
annuities, they having previously refused them. Tecumseh
replied: "Brother, when you speak of annuities to me, I
look at the land and pity the women and children. I am
authorized to say that they will not receive them. Brother,
we want to save that piece of land. ... It is small enough
for our purpose. If you do take it, you must blame yourself
as the cause of trouble between us and the tribes who sold
it to you."
The next day the governor told Tecumseh frankly that
his pretensions would not be countenanced by the President
of the United States. Tecumseh replied: "Well, as the
great chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great
Spirit will put sense enough into his head to induce him to
direct you to give up this land. It is true, he is so far off
he will not be injured by the war. He may sit still in his
town, and drink his wine, while you and I will have to fight
it out."

INDIAN WARS 103
Still another conference was held in July, 1811. This
time Tecumseh came with three hundred attendants, twenty
or thirty of them being women and children. The presence
of so large a body of Indians created great alarm at Vincennes.
It is not probable, however, that an attack upon the governor
or the city was contemplated, but there is some reason to
beheve that Tecumseh entertained a purpose to execute, in
the presence of the governor and the white people assembled
with him, some of the chiefs and warriors who had participated
in the land sale complained of. As a matter of precaution,
and to impress the Indians with the military power of the
territorial government, without at the same time giving
them open cause for offense, the governor made a pretext
of reviewing the militia in their presence, the force consisting
of seven hundred and fifty men.
At the close of this conference Tecumseh, accompanied
by about twenty warriors, started on his journey southward
to perfect his program of forming a great Indian Confederacy.
Harrison saw that further efforts to win back the Indians
were in vain, and began preparations for war. He deter
mined to erect a new fort on the Wabash, and break up
the hostile camp at Prophetstown near the mouth of the
Tippecanoe, where a large body of Indians had been
brought together through the efforts of the Prophet.
Erection of Fort Harrison; Battle of Tippecanoe. In
September, 1811, General Harrison placed himself at the
head of a small army of .something over seven hundred men,
and marching from Vincennes to a spot not far from where
the city of Terre Haute now stands, erected a fort which
was called Fort Harrison. It was completed on the 28th
of October. Leaving a small garrison in charge, General
Harrison resumed his march, and arrived within sight of

104 INDIAN WARS
Prophetstown on the 6th of November. Meanwhile he had
received reenforcements sufficient to bring his command up
to a strength of nine hundred and ten men, two hundred and
fifty of whom were regulars. Of the remainder about six
hundred were Indiana mihtia, and the balance volunteers
from Kentucky.
Refraining- from an attack on the town that evening, as
the Indians met him with loud protestations of their peace
able intentions, General Harrison marched his men a short
distance beyond and went into camp for the night, arrang
ing to have a conference with the Prophet the next morning.
Unfortunately the camping site chosen was not an ideal
one for defense. It was on high ground, fringed with trees
and dense undergrowth, affording excellent facilities for the
stealthy approach and treacherous attack of the lurking
Indians of Prophetstown. The men were instructed to
sleep with their clothes and accoutrements on, and with bay
onets fixed and firearms loaded. These precautions proved
most timely, for on the morning of the 7th, before it was day,
the Indians attacked the camp. The onslaught was sudden
and fierce, the main attack being shrewdly directed against
that part of the camp occupied by the militia, and for a time
consternation and confusion reigned, the guard breaking
at the first fire. The troops were gradually formed into line,
and the battle raged angrily in the darkness. The Ameri
cans defended themselves in their positions until it became
light enough to see, when they charged with such spirit and
gallantry that their assailants were sent flying from the
field. The victory was decisive and complete, and of the
greatest importance in its moral effect upon the Indians.
The loss to the Americans was thirty-seven killed and one
hundred and fifty-two wounded, of whom twenty-five after-

(105)

Tippecanoe Battle Grodnd

106 INDIAN WARS
wards died of their injuries. The Indians suffered an equal
loss. Their strength in the battle was variously estimated at
five hundred to seven hundred and fifty warriors. . Proph
etstown was destroyed the next day, with all its stores.
The battle took place about seven miles from where the city
of Lafayette now stands, and is known to history as the
Battle of Tippecanoe.^ As a result of it the Indians were
completely dispirited, and offered no further trouble until
the breaking out of the War of 1812. *
Tippecanoe Battle Ground Owned by State; Monument
Erected. General John Tipton, who participated in the
battle of Tippecanoe as an ensign in one of the companies,
afterwards bought the tract of land on which 'it occurred
and donated it to the state. And the state, in the year 1908,
almost a century after the battle was fought, erected on the
site an appropriate monument to commemorate the heroic
deeds of her early citizen soldiery.
The Prophet Discredited. Tecumseh was not present at
the battle of Tippecanoe, being in the South at the time,
trying to organize a great Indian confederacy. It is said
that he rebuked his brother, the Prophet, for the untimeli-
ness of his attack. The Prophet's power over the people of
the tribes, fortunately, was completely broken. He had told
the braves, when urging them to battle, that the bullets of the
white men would not pierce their bodies or hurt or wound
them, for the Great Spirit had so declared to him. They
never forgave the deception or trusted the Prophet again.
1 " It was on the return march from the battle of Tippecanoe that the
soldiers from Kentucky gathered the seed of the blue grass which they found
growing in Indiana, and carried it home with them, thinking it was a superior
variety, because it satisfied the hunger of their horses so that they would
not eat their corn. It flourished so well on the limestone soil of central
Kentucky that it made the state famous." — Julia Henderson Levering, in
Historic Indiana.

INDIAN WARS 107
WAR OF 1812, AND ITS EFFECT OX INDIAN EELATIOXS
IN INDIAN.^
Indians under Influence of the British; Pigeon Roost
Massacre and Attacks on Forts. Upon the breaking out of
actual war between the United States and Great Britain
in 1812, the Indians once more began to indulge in acts of
hostility, being either in alliance with the British or incited
by them. ^Slany incursions were made upon the settlers
in Indiana, and massacres and isolated murders com
mitted. On September 3, 1812, a massacre occurred at Pigeon
Roost, in Scott County, wherein a whole settlement was
practically wiped out. Twenty-four persons were killed.
On the same day an attack was made on Fort Harrison
and a siege maintained until the .5th of September. Captain
Zachary Taylor, who afterwards became President of the
United States, was in charge of the garrison at the fort, and
successfully fought the Indians away imtil relief arrived,
although one of the blockhouses was partially burned, and
there was imminent danger from wholesale destruction by
fire, as well as from ma.ssacre by the Indians.
In the same month an unsuccessful attempt was made to
take Fort Wayne by stratagem, and a siege followed. Gen
eral Harrison came to the rescue, arriving with an adequate
force on September 12, when the Indians were put to
flight. General Hopkins made two expeditions against the Indians
in September, 1812. On the first his troops mutinied, and
nothing was accomplished. On the second he destroyed an
Indian village or so, but lost a score of men. These expedi
tions started from Vincennes.

108 INDIAN WARS
Battle of Mississinewa. Colonel John B. Campbell, of
the regular army, entering the state from Ohio, dashed
into the hostile Miami country with a force of six hundred
mounted men, in December, 1812, and inflicted severe
punishment. He destroyed an important town on the
Mississinewa, and killed and captured a number of braves.
Other Indian towns were also given a taste of his vengeance.
The campaign took place at a time when it was bitterly
cold, and snow lay deep upon the frozen earth. On the
18th of December, as Colonel Campbell was making prepa
rations to return to Dayton, to avoid meeting Tecumseh
with a greatly superior force, he was suddenly attacked by
a large body of Indians. He repulsed them after a hard-
fought battle, inflicting and suffering severe losses. The
encounter took place on the Mississinewa, near the site of
the present town of Jalapa, in Grant County, and is known
as the battle of the Mississinewa.
Colonel John Tipton, Colonel Joseph Bartholomew, and
Colonel William Russell led small bodies of men against the
Indians in different parts of the state during the year
1813. General Harrison and the Battle of the Thames; Death of
Tecumseh. In September, 1813, the British were compelled
to leave Detroit by the approach of General Harrison, and
on the 5th of October that intrepid leader, at the head of a
brave little army of Americans, defeated the British and
Indians at the celebrated battle of the Thames. It was in
this battle that Tecumseh, one of the greatest of all Indian
warriors and statesmen, was killed. He had been in the
British military service throughout the war. His twm
brother, the " Prophet," who made his home in Canada for
a time, but later returned to the Indian country west of the

INDIAN WARS 109
Mississippi, drew a pension from the British government
until his death in 1834.
The forgoing events practically put an end to Indian
warfare in Indiana, although there were a few incursions in
1814, and occasional outbreaks of an unimportant nature
for two or three years following.
Extinguishing Indian Titles; Early Land Values. Grad
ually their titles to lands in Indiana were extinguished, and
the Indians forced to remove beyond the borders of the state.
Following the treaties of 1809, however, there were no more
concessions of special importance until 1816 to 1818.
Land valuations in the early times were very low as com
pared with the present, and considerations received by the
Indians for the various large tracts relinquished by them
would seem woefully inadequate if set forth here. The
United States government endeavored to treat the Indians
with reasonable justice in the matter of fixing standards of
compensation. True, the Indians were practically forced
to sell, as all hope of their adopting civilized modes of life,
or living at peace with the whites in the same communitj-,
had long since been abandoned. It was when dealing with
private individuals or greedy land corporations that the
Indian was mercilessly swindled. The purchase bj' the
" Wabash Land Company," in 1775, of approximately
thirty-seven and a half million acres of fertile lands lying
on both sides of the Wabash, in what are now southwestern
Indiana and southeastern Illinois, is a fair example. The
price paid consisted of four hundred blankets, two hundred
and fifty shirts, a quantity of garterings, a few pieces of
ribbon, seventy-five dozen knives of different kinds, five
hundred pounds of brass kettles, six hundred pounds of
gunpowder, two thousand pounds of lead, four hundred

110 INDIAN WARS
pounds of tobacco, forty bushels of salt, three thousand
pounds of flour, three horses, a number of silver arm bands,
wristbands, crosses, ear wheels, and earbobs, and a few other
articles altogether worth a few hundred dollars. Governor
Dunmore of Virginia was one of the stockholders in this
thrifty land company.
Stories of Indian Captivity; Abduction of Frances Slocum;
the Recollection of a Song. The history of the Indian wars,
and the contending civilizations of the red man and the
white, abounds in stories of adventure, of deceit and du
plicity, of cruelty, and of bereavement. But the people of
the present generation are so far removed from those days
and nights of alarm, and the many perils of frontier life,
that interest in the subject has diminished almost to the
'vanishing ooint.
Furthermore, so much history of a different kind has
been made since the Indian disappeared from the scene,
that the very sense of proportion in preparing a modern
history must assign to him a much more limited space.
But there are a few Indian stories that will live, and will
bear frequent retelling, not out of malice toward a vanished
race, but because of their human interest.
One of these is the story of Frances Slocum, who was
stolen from her home in Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, when a
child of six or seven years, by a band of Indians. This was
in 1777. We may imagine the anxiety and distress of the
parents and brothers and sisters of little Frances Slocum,
when her capture became known. They sent out mes
sengers, offered rewards, searched the forests, but all in
vain. Weeks, months, years rolled by, and no tidings came.
Despair followed hope, as fancy pictured the dreadful fate
which often befell captives by the Indians. And life among

INDIAN WARS 111
the cruel hordes of homeless, unci\'ilized wanderers, even if
the child were permitted to live, would be almost as horrible
as the death her loved ones feared would be her portion.
The sorrowing parents grew gray-haired and feeble and
old, and finally died, as time wore on. The brothers and
sisters of the missing babe grew to manhood and woman
hood, and age and sorrow also laid hand upon them, and
wrinkled their brows and silvered their hair before they
heard tidings of the lost one. A brother and a sister were
present, but escaped, when Frances was stolen.
Just sixty years from the date of the disappearance a clew
came to hand through a newspaper publication by George
W. Ewing, a United States agent among the ]Miami Indians,
in northern Indiana. The article had been addressed two
years earlier by ^Ir. Ewing, to " Any Newspaper in Lan
caster, Pennsylvania," in the hope that its publication would
fall under the notice of some surviving relative or friend
of the long missing captive. But there was no newspaper
published at Lancaster at that time, and so the faithful
postmaster held the letter two years until one was started,
when he delivered it to the editor. The editor, John W.
Forney, published the letter, and sure enough Isaac Slocum,
a brother of Frances, saw a reproduction of the article in
another paper, and read it. He was then almost eighty years
of age, but immediately sought out his aged sister, who with
him in the long ago had scampered away to safety when
the Indians caught Frances, and together they started for
the wilds of Indiana to find her. They crossed the moun-
tauis, forded streams, labored over unimproved roads, and
traversed the forests with only narrow bridle paths to guide
them, until they came to the IMiami village on the Mississin
ewa, not far from where the present city of Peru now stands.

112 INDIAN W.iRS
And they found there the precious object of their quest.
But the passing years had dealt with her as with them. She
was no longer a child, but an aged woman. The Indians
had adopted her at the time of her capture. She grew up
among them, acquired their habits and speech, and married
a brave, who shortly afterwards fell in battle and left her
a widow. Later she was wedded to Sha-pah-can-nah, a
Delaware chief, and it was" as his wife that her brother and
sister found her. A more pathetic situation than that
attendant upon the meeting could scarcely be pictured. It
was not a joyful, tearful, impulsive reunion, such as one
would expect to see under the circumstances. There was
not even recognition. Identification was made certain only
by a scar on one finger of the right hand of the now grown and
aged Frances, made there by an accidental blow from a ham
mer in the hands of her octogenarian brother, when they
played together as children on the banks of the Susquehanna.
She could speak no English, having forgotten the childish
knowledge she once possessed of the language, and was able
to converse with her brother and sister only through the
aid of an interpreter.
And when it came time for the brother and sister to return
to their home in Pennsylvania, they went alone, for Frances
knew only the wild free life of the forests, and shrank from
a return to the civilization from which she had been so rudely
torn in babyhood. She loved her Indian husband, and
would not consent to go away from him. She had become
an Indian in habits, in taste, in the red people's peculiar
taciturnity and indifference, — an Indian in all respects
save blood and color. . Thus it happened that though
alive and found, she was not reclaimed.
In the celebrated expedition of Colonel Boquet against

INDIAN WARS 113
the Shawnees and other hostile tribe.-, more than two hun
dred white prisoners were released and restored to civiliza
tion. Many of them had been in capti\-itj- for long periods
of time. They were brought into camp for identification
by relatives and friends, and among the prisoners " husbands
found their wives and parents their children, from whom
they had been separated for many years." We quote the
following brief description of scenes that ensued, and the
story of the child recalled to recollection of her grandmother
by a song, from Colonel Robert S. Robertson's History of
the Upper Maumee Valley:
" Women, frantic with hope and fear, were running hither
and thither, looking piercingly into the face of everj- child.
Some of the little captives shrank from their forgotten
mothers, and hid in terror in the blankets of the squaws
that had adopted them. Some that had been taken away
young, had grown up and married Indian husbands or
Indian wives, and now stood utterly bewildered with con
flicting emotions.
" An old woman had lost her granddaughter in the French
war nine years before. Searching with trembUng eagerness
in each face, she at last recognized the altered features of
her child. But the girl had forgotten her native tongue,
and returned no aaswer and made no sign. The old woman
complained bitterly that the daughter she had so often sung
to sleep on her knee had forgotten her in her old age. Sol
diers and officers were alike overcome. ' Sing,' said Boquet,
to the old lady, ' sing the song you used to sing.' As the
low, trembling tones began to ascend, the wild girl seemed
startled, then listening for a moment longer, she burst into
a flood of tears. She was indeed the lost child, but all else
had been effa<;ed from her meraorj- sa\-e the recollection of

114 INDIAN WARS
that sweet cradle song. The tender sensibilities were
foreign, as a rule, to the Indian heart; indeed, they held
such emotions in contempt; but when the song of the
old lady was seen by them to touch the captive's heart and
bring her again to a mother's arms, they were overcome
with sympathy."

CHAPTER X
THE EARLY SETTLER
The Typical Pioneer and His Surroundings. The early
settlers of Indiana were a brave and hardy race of pioneers,
who came to establish homes, and to conquer a wilderness
known to be infested with savage Indians, wild beasts, and
deadly fevers. They probably did not realize then that
while planting their rude cabins in the clearings they were
at the same time laying, broad and deep, the foundations
of a great commonwealth. They builded better than they
knew. The typical pioneer of those early days was hard-working
and industrious. He may have been unpolished in manners
and rude in speech, but beneath his rough exterior there
beat a kindly heart. He never refused the hospitality of his
home to a stranger or denied response to an appeal for aid.
His log house, sometimes without a window in it, was heated
by means of an open fireplace and lighted by a tallow dip.
The household furniture was plain and scanty, and home
made. He manufactured most of his own farm tools and
implements, and did the necessary repairing. As a ride, he
made and cobbled his own shoes, and those of his family,
and he was dressed up as much as he wanted to be when
arrayed in his buckskin trousers, hunting shirt, and coon-
skin cap. His neighbors helped him build up the log walls
of his own cabin, and to prove his gratitude he assisted at
every other house raising in the neighborhood as long as he
lived. 116

116

THE EARLY SETTLER

He planted and harvested his crops of corn, wheat, pota
toes, and flax in the summer time, and extended his "clear
ings " in the winter. He was an autocrat in the family,
and exacted from his children as long as they remained under
the parental roof that degree of deference which he con
sidered his rightful due.

The Coming op the Immigrants. (From an old print.)

The pioneer women were equally brave and self-sacrific
ing. They became so used to being in peril of their lives
from the Indians and wild beasts, that a sense of security
would almost have made them lonesome. They not only
performed their own household work, but spun the wool
and the flax, wove the cloth, and did the family tailoring,
sewing, and knitting. Linsey-woolsey constituted the prm-
cipal material of their own fine raiment.

THE EARLY SETTLER 117
There was an abundance of game in tlie country then,
and the streams were alive with fish. The early settler had
no trouble keeping up the meat supply for his family by an
occasional stroll through the woods with his rifle. There
were buffalo, deer, bear, wild pigeons, geese and ducks, and
other game birds and animals. The pigeons were so plenti
ful that at times they would almost darken the sun with
their overhead ffight.
Forms of Recreation ; Pioneer Schools and Churches. Log
rollings, house raisings, wood choppings, com shuckings,
spelUng bees, singing schools, dances, qtultings, shooting
matches, and horse racing were the prevailing forms of
recreation, and provided occasions for the principal social
gatherings. The early schoolmaster and the " circuit rider "
preacher were personages of great social importance in those
days. The schools and the churches constituted a very rude
beginning as compared to the present state of educational and
religious progress and vastly improved facihties, but the
open minds and hearts of those early founders of our insti
tutions were within themselves a sufficient compensation
for the absence of luxuries and aesthetic finish to them un
known and unsuispected. A liberal pohcy in the matter of
educational facilities early developed, and the mud-chinked
schoolhouse on the knoll was as well patronized as the
exigencies of " making a living " would permit. The help
of sons and daughters old enough to work was usually
needed on the farm and at the home until the " fall work "
was done. But the backwoods school and the primitive
church, with all their crudeness, were potential in forming
character, and they provided the fountainhead of uispu-ation
for many a splendid career.
MOOBE, ISD.  8

118 THE EARLY SETTLER
Glancing Back to the Good Old Days. The latter day
farmer, with his riding plows, mowing machines, self binders,
steam separators, hay loaders, corn and wheat drills, tele
phones, turnpike roads, trolley lines, rural free-delivery
routes, daily newspapers, and likely as not an automobile,
would hardly recognize himself as a member of the fraternity
if he could be carried back for a peep into those good old
days of the beginnings of things in Indiana.
The early settlers suffered much from malarial troubles
and fever and ague. For a time the state bore the reputa
tion of being unhealthful, but deserved it no more than any
other unimproved level forest country. With the forests
cleared away, the swamps drained, and the lands reduced
to cultivation, these early causes for complaint disappeared,
and Indiana long has been one of the most healthful states
in all the Union.
The pioneer settlers in Indiana came principally from
Kentucky, Virginia, the Carolinas, and the New England
states. Many of the early French settlers also remained.
In later years New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio furnished
many immigrants.
All found a hearty welcome, and to their industry, devo
tion, and patriotic enterprise, succeeding generations, in
heriting the fruits of their toil and sacrifice, owe a debt of
gratitude impossible of repayment otherwise than by leading
lives of good citizenship and practicing a like devotion to the
government and institutions which they founded.

CHAPTER XI

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
JONATHAN JEXXIXGS THE FIRST G0\T;RN"0K (1816-1822)
Governor Resigns to Accept Election to Congress. Jona
than Jennings, who had the honor of being the first governor
of the state of Indiana,
assumed office in De
cember, 1816. He was
reelected in 1819 for a
second term, and served
until September 18,
1822, when he resigned
to accept election to
Congress at the hands
of the voters of the
second district. Jen
nings's example thus
early presented of re
signing the chief execu
tive's office to accept
congressional or sena
torial honors was fol
lowed by four other
governors, the last
beuig Ohver P. Morton. Ratliff Boon, who was chosen
Ueutenant governor at the election of 1819, assumed the
governor's duties for the few remaming days of Jennings's
unexpired term, 119

Jonathan Jexnings

120 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
The First Legislature; Territorial Laws Continued in
Force. The first legislature under the new constitution
convened at Corydon in November, 1816. The old terri
torial laws were temporarily continued in force and a few
new measures enacted. It is interesting to note that accord
ing to the latest revision of the territorial statutes, which
took place in 1807, there were four capital offenses, that is,
offenses punishable by death, to wit : treason, murder, arson,
and horse stealing. Other penalties provided for crimes of
lower grades and for misdemeanors, included imprisonment,
fines, whipping, standing in the pillory, disfranchisement,
and binding out to labor for a term of years.
The First State Bank. In 1817 the bank at Vincennes was
made the state bank, and authorized to estabhsh a number
of branches. This first state bank was short-lived, however,
its charter being revoked in 1821 because of mismanagement
and reckless financiering.
Question of Fugitive Slaves. In 1817 Governor Jennings
received a communication from the governor of Kentucky
complaining that Kentucky owners of fugitive slaves escap
ing into Indiana were unable to recover them because they
were concealed and protected by Indiana officers and citi
zens. The communication was referred to the legislature,
which investigated through a committee, and reported by
resolution that, in their opinion, the governor and legisla
ture of Kentucky were being imposed upon by complaints of
unscrupulous persons who had been thwarted in attempts at
man-stealing — that is, claiming negroes in Indiana and
attempting to carry them away as fugitive slaves when they
were free, and owed no servitude to anybody. The answer
was perhaps a just one, and based largely upon truth, yet
there are ample evidences that the underground railroads

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 121
in Indiana began doing business at a xery early period
in the state's hi.stor} .
Lieutenant Seeks to Supplant the Governor. In 1818 the
President appointed Governor Jennings to membership on a
commission to negotiate with the Indians, and while he was
absent in the performance of this duty, Lieutenant Governor
Harrison attempted to oust him from the governorship. He
rehed upon the constitutional provision that no person hold
ing office under the United States should be eligible to hold
the office of governor. The legislature at first recognized
Harrison, and it looked as if his usurpation might succeed,
but after an investigation the case was decided against him.
He thereupon resigned his office as lieutenant governor, and
in 1819 became a candidate against Jennings for reelection,
but was overwhelmingly defeated.
Commission to Locate a Permanent Capital. In 1820
the legislature appointed a commission to select a location
for a permanent state capital. On the 7th of June the
commission reached an agreement, and the " city of In
dianapolis " was planned to be built upon a spot chosen near
the geographical center of the state.' And notwithstanding
the fact that the nearest store was at Connersville, on the
WTiite Water, nearly sixty miles away, the dream of the city
in the wilderness came true, as modem Indianapolis will
gladly testify. The seat of government was not removed
from Corj-don to Indianapolis until 1825. The ground upon
which the new city was to be built was donated from pubUc
lands by Congress, the grant consisting of four sections.
» There is a marked similarity between Indianapolis and Washington,
D. C, which is accounted for by the fact that Alexander Ralston, a Scotch
man, who laid out the streets and public grounds of Indianapolis, had also
assisted in making the surveys for Washington. Indianapolis, in short, is
modeled after the national capital, and ia scarcely less beautiful.

122 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
New State Financially Embarrassed; Panic of 1821 and
Causes. Governor Jennings called a special session of the
legislature in November, 1821, " to provide for the interest
on the state debt, and a part of the principal, amounting to
$20,000." The state's embarrassment was charged in the
governor's message to mismanagement of the affairs of the
state bank. This banking trouble evidently contributed its
full share to the panic of 1821, though much was chargeable
to the era of speculation following the War of 1812.
Then the balance of trade was against the people of the
state. Lacking adequate markets for their surplus products,
the consumption of imported goods was greater than the
value of their exports, or sales of products. The natural
result was to drain the country of money. Distress was
general, and confidence was not fully restored for four or
five years.
Extinguishing Indian Titles. In the year 1818, by a series
of treaties at St. Mary's, Ohio, the United States succeeded
in purchasing nearly all the remaining Indian lands in central
Indiana, south of the upper Wabash. The extensive Pota
watami possessions, lying principally north of the Wabash,
were acquired through a series of transactions, beginning in
1818 and covering a period of nearly twenty years. The
work of extinguishing Indian titles continued actively from
this time forward, one or more treaties being made almost
every year, until 1840.
Great Seal of the State. The Great Seal of the State was
adopted some time during this administration. It was
authorized by an act of the general assembly in December,
1816, the act carrying an appropriation of one hundred dol
lars. The seal has been much criticised, as lacking both in
artistic beauty and appropriateness or significance of design-

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 123
ADMINISTBATION OF GOVERNOR WILLIAM HENDRICKS
(1822-182.5)
President Pro Tem. of State Senate Succeeds to Governor
ship. William Hendricks and Ratliff Boon were elected
governor and heutenant governor respectively, at the August
election in 1822. On the 12th of February, 1825, Gover
nor Hendricks resigned to accept election to the United States
Senate, and there was no lieutenant governor to succeed him.
Lieutenant Governor Boon having previously resigned. Un
der these circumstances James Brown Ray, president pro
tem. of the state senate, became acting governor, serving
until December 25th, the close of the term. And Mr. Ray
was elected governor on his own account for the two terms
next succeeding. GOVERNOR rat's ADMINISTRATION (1825-1831)
Return of Prosperity. The six jears of Governor James B.
Ray's administration proved to be a period of unbroken pros
perity. The depression setting in about the year 1820 had
happily passed away, crops were good, and there were activ
ity, hope, and buoyancy on every hand. A constant stream
of immigration poured into the state, public lands were taken
up by bona fide settlers, and trade and commerce flourished
and expanded. During this administration most of the land
still belonging to the Indians was relinquished by them to
the government, the Indians in large numbers being induced
at the same tune to remove from the state.
Visit of General Lafayette. An important event in
Governor Ray's administration was the visit to the state in
1825 of General Lafayette. The city of Indianapolis being

124 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
newly laid out, and inaccessible for want of railroad facilities,
Lafayette was entertained at Jeffersonville, on the Ohio
River. " In the forest adjoining that village a feast was
spread, to which the general was conducted by the state
militia, and children strewed flowers in his path. At the
head of the long table was an arch with the inscription,
' Indiana welcomes Lafayette, the champion of liberty in
both hemispheres.' " '
School Legislation and School Lands. Some valuable
school legislation passed during the previous administration
was supplemented by additional enactments in this, proving
the liberality and progressiveness of early statesmen in refer
ence to popular education. The congressional school lands
belonging to the state in 1825 were estimated at 680,207
acres, worth on an average two dollars per acre.
Question of Internal Improvements ; the Michigan Road.
During these years the question of internal improvements
engaged the earnest attention of public men and citizens.
There were no railroads, and commerce and trade had to
depend upon the watercourses of the state, and such public
highways as were then in existence. So it is very plain that
the question of improved facilities, as the country prospered
and grew, early became a vital one. To add to the water
facilities an elaborate system of canals was advocated and
their construction finally undertaken, while turnpikes and
gravel roads were projected and built, and afterwards ex
panded into the almost complete system of good roads we
now enjoy. A public thoroughfare running from Madison,
on the Ohio River, to Lake Michigan, by way of Indianapolis,
was planned, and the Indians were induced to give a section
of land for each mile to aid in its construction. Work was
1 Julia Henderson Levering, in Historic Indiana.

PROGRESS UNDER ST.ATEHOOD 125
b^un and carried forward for a time with great enthusiasm,
but the people soon learned, and to their sorrow, that every-
thuag cannot be accomplished at once; that states as well as
individuals need to gauge their resources carefully before
rushing into great and costly enterprises.
GOVERNOR noble's ADMINISTRATION (1831-1337)
Beginning of Party Politics. Noah Noble was elected
governor in 1831, and reelected in 1834, serving two terms.
Party organizations in the state, corresponding to the
national political alignments, began to be made prominent
about this time. Governor Noble was a Whig, and his party
retained its ascendancy until the election of Governor Whit-
comb, a democrat, in 1843, the democratic party remain
ing in power from that date continuouslj- until the election
of Lane and ^Morton, in 1860.
A New Statehouse Built; the Present Structure. From
the time of the removal of the state capital from Corydon
to Indianapolis in 1825 the legislature had been holding its
sessions in the Marion Countj- courthouse. The grounds upon
which the courthouse stood had been given by the legisla
ture, and an appropriation of S8000 was granted to aid in the
constmction of the building, in return for which aid the legis
lature reserved the right to hold its sessions in the building for
fifty years. But in 1832 it was determined that the state
needed and could afford a building of its own, so an appro
priation of 858,000 was made, and contracts were let at once.
The stmcture was completed in 1835, and occupied for nearly
half a century. It was replaced by the present magnificent
capitol building, which was dedicated to the uses of the
state government in 1888.

Capitol Indiana Territory, Vincennes. Erected 1806. State Capitol, Indianapolis. Erected 1832.
First State Capitol, Corydon. Erected 1811.
(126) Present State Capitol, Indianapolis. Erected 1878-1888.

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD ll'7
: -Boundary Dispute with Michigan. In 1834 a boundary
line controversy waxed warm between Indiana and Michigan.
Michigan desired the line between the two states removed
some ten miles south of its present location, which is the
location fixed by Congress in 1805. The change would have
excluded Indiana from access to Lake Michigan except
through the jurisdiction of another state, to say nothing of
depriving her of a ten-mile strip of her choicest territory.
Michigan's claim, accordingly, was resisted through every
resomce of fact and logic. Congress finally settled the ques
tion (1836) by confirming the present boundary, but extended
Michigan's territory into the Lake Superior region.
Vast System of Internal Improvements. Governor Noble
was an advocate of extensive public improvements, having
been elected on a platform declaration to that effect. He
early began the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, for
the promotion of which Congress had given, in 1827, a large
and valuable grant of land. This canal was to connect Lake
Erie with the Wabash River, at a point below which the river
would be navigable; and in 1836, a general system of internal
improvements having been agreed upon, consisting of canals,
railroads, and turnpikes, covering almost the entire state,
bonds were issued and sold, and contracts let. Then ensued
an era of great prosperit j\ There was emplojTnent for every
body at profitable wages, money was plentiful and easy to
get, and a spirit of daring speculation and of general extrava
gance seized upon many of the people, and helped to embitter
the unfortunate experiences so soon to follow. The future,
with these great improvements completed, was pictured in
exceedingly bright colors. It was thought by some that the
revenues to be derived from the railroads and canals would
not only pay for their construction, but would build up such

128 PROGaESS UNDER STATEHOOD
a surplus in the treasury of the state as to relieve the people
of all burdens of taxation.
The improvements undertaken consisted of 1289 miles of
roads, railroads, and canals, at an estimated cost of $19,914,-
424. Bonds for many millions were issued and sold, and the
state's indebtedness by 1841 had been pushed up to the
appalling aggregate of $18,469,146. The total of roads and
canals completed up to that time amounted to only two
hundred and eighty-one miles.
The State Embarrassed; Works Abandoned, and Com
promise Made With Creditors ; the First Railroad. It very
soon became apparent that the state had overestimated its
financial resources, and before a halt could be called had
involved itself beyond its ability to pay. And to make mat
ters worse, the pall of the great panic of 1837 descended upon
the whole country, at the very time of the state's greatest
embarrassment. All the works had to be abandoned, bring
ing bankruptcy to contractors and distress to thousands of
citizens. Construction ceased entirely in 1839.
The state found itself unable to pay even the interest on
its indebtedness, much less to proceed further with the
improvements. It finally entered into compromise agree
ments with its creditors, relieving itself of a part of the debt
and reducing interest charges. The creditors were permitted
to take over the unfinished improvements in part satisfaction
of their claims, the balance being paid in new bonds, or
treasury notes. As a rule, the improvements were not com
pleted by the new owners, and the state's vast expenditures
were practically for naught. Then the securities in the
nature of bonds, and certificates of stock, to possession of
which the state was entitled under the compromise settle
ments, were not all surrendered, and afterwards attempts

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 129
were made to exact payment of them. Claims were also
preferred on the grounds that the state had rendered the
canal properties valueless by granting franchises to competing
railroads. Finally, in 1873, after jear.s of agitation and bitter
ness, an amendment to the constitution was adopted pro
hibiting the legislature for all time from paying any of these
compromised debts, particularly that of the Wabash and
Erie Canal.
Of all the vast projects undertaken by the state, the
Madison and Indianapolis raihoad alone was fully completed,
its completion being accomplished bj" the assignee company
to which the state surrendered it. It was the first railroad
built to Indianapolis, its entrance into that city signalizing
the year 1847. The Wabash and Erie Canal was completed
as far as Lafayette, and was extensively patronized by
the people having surplus products to transport, but the
receipts from tolls were not sufficient to maintain it, much
less produce dividends to apply on cost of construction.
The White Water Canal was completed from Lawrenceburg
on the Ohio River to Connersville, and its facilities for
transportation purpose availed of by the people for many
years. State's Undertaking not WhoUy Unadvised. It would be
very unfair for the jjeople of this day, enjoying all of their
wonderftd facilities for travel and commerce and trade, to
say that the vast undertakings of 1836 were wholly unad
vised. The question of " internal improvements " was one
of the great issues of the day, not only in Indiana but in other
states, and in the country at large. The Erie Canal in New
York, constracted at a cost of 87,000,000, had proved itself
a paying investment, and of vast benefit in facilitating travel,
in reducing freight rates and in settlmg up the country. And

130 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD'
there were many other examples of profitable canal con
struction to be held up before the people by the early '30's.
The work was not taken up hastily in Indiana, or without
discussion. The need was great, and the people, thoroughly
in earnest, thought they were prepared for whatever sacrifice
was necessary to meet it. The issue had been before them
for a decade or more. They could not foresee the panic con
ditions which set in in 1837, nor the early development
of the modern railroad. In spite of the panic and the
financial breakdown on the part of the state, most of the
system of improvements planned would have been com
pleted eventually, and to the incalculable benefit of the
state, had it not been for the coming of the railroads.
These early made the canals useless, or practically so, as
their competition was impotent against the more rapid
means of transit, and their construction ceased, or rather
was not resumed.
The Surplus Revenue Fund. In 1836 the United States
treasury found itself overburdened with a large surplus fund,
for which there was no immediate or prospective need. The
national debt had been extinguished, and there was no other
demand to be met outside of the ordinary running expenses
of the government. Hence, the question arose as to what
.should be done with the surplus. After much discussion
Congress decided, by an act approved Jime 23, 1836, to
deposit all the fund but $5,000,000 with the several states;
proportioning it among them on the basis of their representa
tion in Congress. The total amount to be thus distributed^^
in four equal installments, was $37,468,859. Three of- the
installments were paid to the various states, but before the
fourth was due the panic of 1837 had paralyzed the govern-^
ment revenues^ and no furtheir distribution was ever made.

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 131
Indiana's share of the fund actually distributed amounted to
1806,254.44.1 It was clearly the intention of the government that this
transaction should be considered merely in the nature of a
deposit of fimds ^-ith the states, and that repajonent would
be required, but three quarters of a century have passed
without any demand being made. And although the dis
tribution was not an equitable one, when all sections of the
.country are considered, it is unlikeh', after such a lapse of
time, that Congress will ever exact repayment.
By an act of the legislature of 1837 it was directed that
one half of Indiana's portion of this "surplus revenue fund"
be distributed among the counties, in proportion to the enu
meration of male citizens twenty-one years of age and over,
in amounts not to exceed $400 to any one individual, at
eight per cent interest, and the other half invested in stock
of the state bank. The interest on the loans, and the divi
dends on the bank stock, were to be turned into the common
school fund.
Owing to the fact that the first two installments went to
the counties and the fourth was never paid, the fund was
not equally divided, the counties receiving $537,502.96, and
the bank $268,751.48. Of the latter sum $40,000 was used
to pay interest on internal improvement bonds, and of the
portion distributed to the counties a large percentage was
' D. H. Montgomery, in his Student's American History, says of the trans
action: "It was st^-led a 'deposit,' but it was practically a gift. . . . Some
states divided their share of the money among the whole population, each
person getting a few siiillings ; others used the money to begin great systems
of roads, canals, and similar public improvements. These works were seldom
carried to completion, and generally ended by piling up a heavy state debt.
A few states still hold and use the income of the money." All of which
would indicate that Indiana, by investing her share for the benefit of her
schools, is one among the very few states making a wise use of a government
boimty so unwisely bestowed.

132 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
lost through bad loans, carelessness in enforcing collections,
and depression in values of mortgages and other securities
resulting from the panic of 1837. The portion recovered was
turned over to the state bank in 1841, and this, and the
original investment in stock of the bank proved so fortunate,
yielding large and certain dividends, that the fund more than
restored itself. With the closing of the state bank in 1859
the money was transferred to the state treasury, and rein
vested through the counties for the benefit of the schools.
It now constitutes a very important item of the state's mag
nificent common school endowment.
The State Bank of Indiana. The state bank of Indiana,
which proved to be a most successful and stable institution,
was chartered in 1834. The charter provided for the estab
lishment of twelve branches, and the thirteenth was later
added. The capital stock authorized was $1,600,000, of
which the state agreed to subscribe one half. It had a com
plete monopoly, as no other banks were permitted to operate
in the state. During the panic of 1837 it was compelled to
suspend specie payment temporarily, but resumed in 1842,
and from that date until its charter expired in 1859 it never
failed to meet all demands upon it, and enjoyed the reputa
tion of being one of the best managed and most reliable
banking institutions in the West.
Issue of State Scrip; "Red Dog" and "Blue Pup" Cur
rency; Days of "Wildcat" Money. During the stress of its
difficulties attendant upon the collapse of the internal
improvement system, and the general panic which enveloped
the whole country, Indiana was compelled in 1839 to resort
to the expedient of issuing state scrip. The entire extent
of such issue amounted to $1,500,000. It bore six per cent
interest and was receivable for taxes, but rapidly depreci-

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 133
ated until its market value was only forty to fifty cents on
the dollar. It was prmted on red paper, and the people
derisively called it " red dog" currency. It was finally
redeemed, and was worth a large premium at the last, due
partly to the restoration of confidence in the financial integ
rity of the state and partly to the accumulated interest.
Before the panic was over merchants, plank-road contrac
tors and others, resorted to the issuance of private scrip.
It is needless to say that its circulating value also quickly
fell below par, and taking their cue from the fact that it was
printed mostly on blue paper, the people called it " blue
pup " currency, as distinguished from the state's " red dog "
currency. Much of the private scrip was redeemable only in
trade, or merchandise, or toll on the plank roads. The state
was flooded with " wildcat " currency in the form of depre
ciated paper put out by " banks of issue " in surrounding
states, which drove good money out of circulation.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR WALLACE (1837-1840)
Wallace First to Appoint Day of Thanksgiving. David
Wallace was elected governor in August, 1837, and served
one term. He assumed the responsibility of the governor's
oflBce just in time to receive upon his shoulders the brunt of
the disasters that had overtaken his state through the panic,
and the collapse of the internal improvement projects of his
two immediate predecessors. He found the state debt over
$18,000,000, and carrying an annual interest charge of more
than $200,000, with no way to meet it except by sale of
bonds. Notwithstanding all this Governor Wallace was the
first chief executive of Indiana to appoint a day of thanks
giving — probably on the theory that the people should be
thankful that matters were no worse.
MOOBE, I.ND.  9

134 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
ADMINISTBATION OF GOVERNOR BIGGER (1840-1843)
Samuel Bigger served one term as governor, from 1840 to
1843. His administration was a continuation of the gloom
following the events just narrated.
Memorable Campaign of 1840. The summer and fall of
1840 were made memorable in Indiana by the great Harrison-
Van Buren campaign for the Presidency. General WiUiam
Henry Harrison, the Whig candidate, had served as governor
of Indiana Territory; he was the hero of the battle of Tippe
canoe, fought on Indiana soil, and his home was at North
Bend, Ohio, only a few miles from the Indiana line. So in
many ways he seemed very close to the people of the state,
and they championed his cause with an enthusiasm scarcely
equalled elsewhere. One of the biggest meetings of the
whole campaign was held on the Tippecanoe battleground,
near Lafayette. The Whig slogan was " Old Tippecanoe
and Tyler too," John Tyler being the candidate for Vice
President. Then the opposition had referred sneeringly to
the fact that Harrison lived in a log cabin and drank hard
cider, and this was also turned to account by his friends.
He was not only "Old Tippecanoe," but he became the
"Log Cabin" and "Hard Cider" candidate, and a popular
idol generally. The campaign is memorable for its great
parades, barbecues, public speakings and debates, as well as
for the log cabin, coon skm and hard cider floats, and the
campaign songs, which especially characterized it. Harrison
received Indiana's electoral vote, and was elected President.
The state had also given him its electoral vote in 1836, but
in that year he went down in defeat.
General Harrison died a month after his inauguration,
being worried to death, it was generally believed, by office
seekers.

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 135
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR WHITCOMB (1843-1848)
Governor Resigns and is Succeeded by Lieutenant
Governor. James Whitcomb, politically a democrat, became
governor in 1843, haviug defeated Governor Bigger for his
second term, and was reelected in 1846. He resigned in
1848, to accept election to the United States Senate, and
Lieutenant Governor Paris C. Dunning became acting
governor, serving out the unexpired term.
It was during Governor Whitcomb's administration that
the compromise with the state's creditors was arrived at,
whereby the Wabash and Erie Canal, together with the canal
lands granted by the government, and other rights and fran
chises, were transferred in discharge of one half the state's
indebtedness, and new bonds, at a lower rate of interest,
issued for the remaining half. With this settlement confi
dence was restored, and the panic having spent its force,
prosperity began gradually to return.
THE MEXICAN WAR
Causes and Political Significance ; Reasons for Opposition.
There was much opposition in Indiana, as well as in many of
the other northern states, to the war with Mexico. But
when called upon, the state furnished her full quota of troops,
consisting of five regiments, comprising 4470 officers and men.
The causes leading to this war may be briefly stated. In
1835 Texas seceded from Mexico, and by defeating the Mexi
can armies in the brief war which followed, established her
independence. The movement for independence was un
doubtedly instigated largely by American citizens who had
settled in Texas, and once free from Mexican rule, the next
thing they most desired was annexation to the United States.
Southern politicians were also very desirous that annexation

136 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
be brought about, mainly in order that slaveholding territory
might be extended and Southern and proslavery represen
tation in Congress increased. The people of the North, on
the other hand, did not desire the area of slave territory
extended or the proslavery influence in Congress strength
ened by the addition of new representatives and senators
from the South. Then there was a feeling that Mexico was
being crowded into a war through motives • of territorial
aggrandizement on the part of the American government,
dominated by Southern members of Congress.
To take sides against one's own country in an international
quarrel, however, is seldom a popular thing to do. Thomas
Corwin of Ohio, then a senator, and one of the ablest men the
country has produced, denounced the war in a great speech
in the United States Senate as a war of conquest for the
spread of slavery. But his historic declaration that if he
were a Mexican he would greet the American invaders with
bloody hands and welcome them to hospitable graves,
sounded the death knell of his popularity. The attitude of too
many patriotic people, even though they may have scruples
on the matter of issues leading to war, can be summed up in
the toast enunciated in later years: " My country ! May it
ever be right, but right or wrong, my country."
Texas was annexed and admitted into the Union as a state
in 1845. Her western boundary was not well defined, a wide
strip of territory being claimed by both Texas and Mexico.
Immediately after the act of annexation, an " army of occu
pation," under General Zachary Taylor, was sent to take
possession of the disputed territory. Collisions with the
Mexicans soon followed, and upon the first news of bloodshed
President Polk issued a proclamation declaring that war
existed " by the acts of Mexico."

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD V-',!
Issues of the War Soon Decided. The battles of Palo
.\lto and Resaca de la Palma followed in rapid '^uccefe.sion,
and the Mexicans were driven across the Rio Grande. The
advantage was followed up \igorousl\', and a succes.^ful in\a-
sion of Mexico begun which ended in her complete subjuga
tion and a treat}' of peace, the terms of which were dictated
by the United States.
Indiana Troops Inexperienced ; Unfriendly Criticism. Very
few of the Indiana troops had ever .seen service, or received
miUtary training of anj' kind. Even their officers were volun
teers. They were thus at a great disadvantage when com
pared with some others, especiallj' the Southern troops, who
were well drilled and trained, and generalh' officered b}' West
Point graduates or experienced soldiers. But they performed
gallant service and won high commendation, with one lamen
table exception. This was at the battle of Buena \'ista,
February 22, 1847, when the second regiment under Colonel
William A. Bowles broke and fled from the field. Although
he entered a vehement denial, there seems little doubt that
Colonel Bowles ordered the retreat. Much was made of
the circumstance of the retreat by unfriendly critics, and
Indiana long rested under a military stigma as a conse
quence. Jefferson Davis, who commanded a Mississippi
regiment, and afterwards became President of the Southern
Confederacy, reflected seriously upon the Indiana regiment
when making a report of the operations of his own command.
In this battle the second Indiana, supporting a small
battery of artillery, occupied a position far in advance of the
other American troops and was exposed to a heavj' fire of
musketry and artillery. In the hope of finding a more shel
tered position, although nearer the enemy. General Lane
ordered a still further advance. The battery moved forward

138 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
to the new position, but the infantry wheeled to left and right
and hurried from the field. About two hundred of these
afterwards rallied and reentered the battle, assisting gallantly
in the final repulse of the Mexicans. Those who did not
return to the front joined in defense of the trains in the rear.
But no service they could afterwards render would wipe out
the disgrace of having retired during the storm of battle,
while others stood firm. It is true that the position in which
they found themselves at the time of the retreat was most
perilous. General Taylor, referring to the episode in his
report, declared that the second regiment was " exposed not
only to a severe fire of small arms from the front, but also
to a murderous cross fire of grape and canister from a Mexican
battery on the left."
GOVERNOR Wright's administration (1849-1857)
The New Constitution. Joseph A. Wright was elected
governor in 1849, and reelected in 1852, his second term being
under the new constitution, and therefore for four years.
Feeling that the state had outgrown its first constitution,
and the need of many changes being apparent, the people
voted affirmatively in 1850 upon a proposition to call a
constitutional convention. The convention convened at
Indianapolis, October 7, 1860, and continued in session
until February 10, 1851. It was composed of one hun
dred and fifty delegates, and the wisdom of their work in
framing a new constitution is generally recognized. The
constitution framed and adopted by the convention was
later ratified by the people at the polls, and became the
fundamental law of the state. It went into effect Novem
ber 1, 1851. The vote upon its adoption stood 109,319 ayes,
and 26,755 nays. A separate ballot was taken on the thir-

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 139
teenth article, which resulted in its adoption by substan
tially the same vote.
Discriminations against the Negro. The thirteenth
article forbade the coming into the state of any negro or
mulatto, made contracts entered into with any such void,
and provided fines against citizens who should employ or
otherwise encourage negroes to remain in the state. Fines
so assessed were to be set aside as a fund for colonizing any
negroes already in the state, or their descendants, who should
be willing to emigrate. This article was stricken out by an
amendment ratified by vote of the people in 1881.
The new constitution also hmited the suffrage to white
voters, and provided that only white males over the age of
twenty-one years should be considered in fixing the basis of
representation in the general assembly. By amendments
adopted in 1881 the word " white " was stricken out wherever
it appeared in the constitution, thus ending discrimination
between the races, and admitting the negro to the franchise
and full rights of citizenship.
Important Changes Made by the New Constitution.
Among the important changes made by the new constitution
from the provisions of the old were: The power of appointing
supreme court judges was taken from the governor, and all
judicial officers were made elective by the people; the secre
tary, treasurer and auditor of state were made elective by
the people instead of by the legislature; sessions of the legis
lature were made biennial instead of annual; the legislature
was forbidden to pass local or special laws; a system of
general banking laws was provided for and the state pro
hibited from becoming a stockholder in any banking or other
corporation. Passing of Old Methods of Banking. With the winding

140 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
up of the affairs of the " bank of the state " in 1865, which
institution had been chartered by the legislature in 1857,
the old regime of banking methods had passed.^ Under our
present system of national banks, and state institutions sub
ject to strict regulation and examination, minus all powers
of " issuing bills of credit, or bills payable to order or bearer,
except under the conditions prescribed " in the constitution,
the days of irresponsible and wildcat banking are happily
at an end.
Important School Legislation. Some excellent school laws
enacted by the legislature of 1852 were declared unconsti
tutional by the Supreme Court, on the alleged grounds of
lack of uniformity in operation. Practically the same laws,
with important additions, were reenacted in 1865, and
became the foundation for our present splendid educational
system. Progress of Temperance Legislation. Governor Wright's
administration was signalized by a great temperance agita
tion. Several local and special acts dealing with the liquor
traffic were passed by the legislature of 1850, and in 1853 a
general law, with local option features, was enacted. This
latter fell under the condemnation of the courts on grounds
of unconstitutionality, and the people, already impatient be
cause of the evils of the traffic, seemed especially provoked
at the result. So in 1854, rallying all the temperance forces
of the staite, and uniting all elements of opposition to the
democratic party, which at its convention had declared
against temperance legislation, the temperance people suc
ceeded in electing a full state and legislative ticket on a
prohibition platform. The enthusiasm was tremendous.
1 This bank should not be confused with the "State Bank of Indiana,"
whose charter expired in 1859.

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 141
And when the legislature met in 1855 it proceeded to pass
a state-wide prohibition law, and the governor, though a
democrat, signed it. But before the task of putting it in
operation had proceeded very far this law also was declared
unconstitutional by the supreme court.
Largely because of the overshadowing importance now
assumed by the slavery question the temperance agitation
gradually subsided; but it never entirely ceased. Through
spasmodic movements of different kinds, and the continuous
efforts of temperance societies and parties, the agitation has
been kept continually before the people for more than a
hundred years. It began before the days of statehood. The
evils of intemperance were especially marked in its influence
upon the Indians. They would barter anything they pos
sessed for the white man's " fire water," and it not only
affected their temper, making them troublesome and dan
gerous to deal with, but destroyed them physically. Stronger
temperance documents than the messages and state papers
of some of the early governors would be hard to find.
GOVERNOR WILLARD's ADMINISTRATION (1857-1860)
Govemor Willard's Service Closed by Death. Ashbel P.
Willard, democrat, was elected governor at the fall election
of 1856, and assumed the duties of his office in January, 1857.
He died as the result of a lingering illness on the 3d of
October, 1860, and Lieutenant Governor Abram A. Ham
mond succeeded him as acting governor, serving out the
unexpired term.
Willard's opponent in the election was Oliver P. Morton,
the first gubernatorial candidate of the newly organized
republican party. The new party's platform was " free
men and free soil." Both Willard and Morton were orators

142 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
of great talent, and they made the campaign memorable by
a series of joint debates. Morton, himself formerly a demo
crat, was really the organizer of the republican party in the
state. Slavery Question to the Fore; Legislature Fails to Make
Appropriations. Slavery had now become the all-pervading
topic of discussion, and the legislature of 1857 was so hope
lessly divided on the various partisan questions growing out
of it, that the members were unable to work together har
moniously on any subject. The session was wasted in bitter
wranglings, and adjourned without passing an appropriation
bill to meet the obligations of the state or defray the expenses
of the state government. Governor Willard borrowed money
to pay interest charges on the state debt, upon his faith that
the legislature at its next session would reimburse the lend
ers, but the state institutions were compelled to close.
It fell to the duty of this legislature to elect two United
States senators. The democrats had a majority on joint
ballot, but could not muster a quorum within their own
membership, and the republicans refused to meet with them in
joint assembly for the election of senators. The democrats
finally met separately and elected Jesse D. Bright and Gra
ham N. Fitch. The next legislature, which was republican,
declared this election illegal, and proceeded to elect Henry S.
Lane and William M. McCarty. The United States Senate,
then democratic, seated the democratic contestants, although
Stephen A. Douglas and two other democratic senators voted
with the republicans. A special session was called in 1858
which made necessary appropriations.
Signs of the Times; Why States Were Admitted in Paurs;
Causes for Northern Indignation. By this time thoughtful
men were beginning to discern the war cloud hovering upon

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD 143
the national horizon, and to sense the distant though ominous
rumbhngs of the coming storm.
For many years new states coming into the Union had
been, as far as practicable, admitted in pairs, in order to
maintain the balance of power in Congress between the sec
tions holding different views on the slavery question. But
by 1850 the Southern territorj' out of which new states could
be erected was about exhausted, and the North was fast
outstrippmg the South m population and wealth, facts which
account largely for the fierce determination of Southern and
slaveholding politicians to force the institution of slaverj-
upon the new western states knocking at the door of the
Union. Kansas and Nebraska were forever free territory
under the terms of the ^Missouri Compromise, yet by the
"Kansas-Nebraska Act" of 1854 it was left to the people
of those territories to decide for themselves whether they
should come iuto the Union as free or slave states.' This
was reopening a question that had aheady been settled, sim
ply in order that the slavery advocates might have another
chance, and the people of the North were justl}' indignant.
Then frequent exhibitions of brutality in enforcing the Fugi
tive Slave Law of 1850 helped inflame public opinion, and
brought home to the people of the North in a most realistic
manner the shameless evils of the slave traffic. Theretofore
stories of pursuit and recapture of black people fleeing for
their liberty had borne a far-away and legendary character,
but with the operation of the Fugitive Slave Law, they
became a dreadful reality.
The signs of the times could also be read in the division of
the great Protestant church organizations into Northern and
' This was " squatter sovereignty, ' ' of which so much was heard in the
current discussions of those days.

144 PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD
Southern conferences and presbyteries, the realignment of
political parties, the crystallization of opposing public senti
ment in the different sections, and finally the Southern intima
tions of disunion, which gradually became louder and bolder.
New Partisan Alignments; Birth of Republican Party.
The old Whig party had practically gone out of existence,
and was succeeded by the Know Nothing party, whose prin
cipal creed was opposition to foreign-born citizens and the
Roman Catholic church. It won some local successes in a
few states, but subsisting mainly upon prejudice and sus
picion, it was too narrow for permanency or usefulness. In
1854 there was an organization known simply as the "Anti-
Nebraska men," who carried a sufficient number of congres
sional elections to give them control of the national House
of Representatives. This in reality was the beginning of the
republican party, which put its first ticket in the field in 1856,
headed by John C. Fremont as its candidate for President.
The attitude of the new party was opposition to the further
extension of slavery, and its rapid growth and sudden acces
sion to power at the moment of the nation's crisis is one of
the political phenomena of our history.
John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry occurred October 16,
1859, and from that date until the flames of war actually
burst forth, popular excitement was at fever heat.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR OLIVER P. MORTON
(1881-1867)
Historic " Deal " that Made Morton Governor. Henry
S. Lane was chosen governor in November, 1860, assumed
office January 14, 1861, and resigned three days later to ac
cept election to the United States Senate. Lieutenant Gov
ernor Oliver P. Morton at once assumed the duties of gover-

PROGRESS UNDER STATEHOOD

145

nor, and served out the term for which Lane had been elected.
He then became his own successor by election in 1864.
The sendmg of Lane to the senate, and permitting Morton
immediately to become governor, was merely the carrying
out of a preelection agreement made contingent upon the
success of the repubU-
can party.' In 1867,
after he had completed
his remarkable record,
and securely estab
hshed his renown as
Indiana's great war
governor, Morton him
self was elected to the
United States Sen
ate, leaving Lieuten
ant Govemor Conrad
Baker to complete his
term. The unsuccessful
candidates for gover
nor and lieutenant
govemor on the dem
ocratic ticket in 1860 Oliver P. Morton
were Thomas A. Hendricks and David Turpie.
' Morton was very much dissatisfied with tliLs arrangement, preferring
to go to the Senate himself. Yet Lane was Uttle heard of in the Senate,
while the governorship enabled Morton to perform invaluable services to his
state and the nation, and determined his fame for all time. In his Life of
Morton, W. D. Fouike relates that Morton voiced his preference at the
time to one of his good old Quaker friends. "Oliver, we can't let thee
go to the Senate," the Quaker replied. "Why not?" asked Morton.
" Because thee is a good man for either of these places, and Henry Lane
would make a good senator, but he would not make a good govemor. So
he must go to the Senate and thee must stay and be govemor."

CHAPTER XII

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
Election of Abraham Lincohi; Secession. The national
campaign of 1860 was marked by unusual excitement, and
bitterness, because of
issues growing out of
the slavery question.
The great democratic
party was hopelessly
divided, and had three
sets of candidates for
President and Vice
President in the field.
The new republican
party, on its platform
of opposition to the ex
tension of slavery, was
headed by Abraham
Lincoln of Illinois.
This party was suc
cessful, and Mr. Lincoln
was elected. The elec
tion occurred early in
November, and on the
20th of December South Carolina adopted an ordinance of
secession, which was the first open step in fulfillment of the
Southern threat of disunion. March 4, 1861, was the date
of the presidential succession, and until that time James
146

Abraham Lincoln

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 147
Buchanan continued in the Presidency. He seemed be
wildered and helpless, not knowing what to do or which way
to turn. In a message to Congress he took the position that
a state had no right to secede, yet the government had no
power under the constitution to prevent it from doing so, or
to compel it to return to its allegiance.
By February 1, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana and Texas had also passed ordinances of secesssion,
and open preparations for war were being made in the South.
Still the administration did nothing, or such action as it did
take was in the interests of the Southern cause. The secre
tary of war, Southern in his sympathies, issued quiet orders
transferring government arms to Southern arsenals, and the
few vessels in our httle navy were scattered to remote points,
so they could not be got together readily for concerted action
in case of emergency. Many of the regiments of the regular
army were also disposed with a view to the South's advan
tage in the event of conflict, and Southern officers were in
command. Concern for the Country's Welfare. In the North the
minds of thoughtful people were filled T\-ith grave concern
for the country's welfare, and yet there were wide differences
of opinion as to what ought to be done, or could be done.
The thought of war was abhorrent, and its possibiUty scarcely
entertained. Many looked upon the action of South Caro
lina as mere bluff and flurry, and believed she would presently
return to her rightful place in the Union. Others affected
to believe the country would be the gainer if she were allowed
to go, asserting that she had long been a disturber in the
family of states. There were those who advocated coercion
of the seceding states into obedience to the laws, while others
were willing to " let the errmg sisters go m peace."

148 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
Voice Raised for the Union. In the midst of indecision,
and the failure of the people generally to grasp the appalling
significance of the events that were transpiring, and of the
danger menacing the very life of the Republic, a clarion note
was sounded in Indiana, which brought the country to atten
tion. It was a challenge to patriotic citizens to face the
truth, unwelcome though it be, and prepare for the stern
duties of war, if necessary, to save the Union.
The voice was that of Oliver P. Morton, in an address
delivered at Indianapolis, November 22, 1860. He asked the
question: " What is coercion but the enforcement of the law?"
And after a masterly discussion of the relations of the indi
vidual states to the Union, and of the powers and duties of
the President in maintaining the authority of the govern
ment, he made use of these historic words: " If South Carolina
gets out of the Union, I trust it will be at the point of the
bayonet, after our best efforts have failed to compel her to
submission to the laws. Better concede her independence
to force, to revolution, than to right and principle. Such a
concession cannot be drawn into a precedent and construed
into an admission that we are but a combination of petty
states, any one of which has a right to secede and set up for
herself whenever it suits her temper or views of peculiar
interest. . . . Shall we now surrender the nation without a
struggle, and let the Union go with merely a few hard words ?
If it was worth a bloody struggle to establish this nation, it
is worth one to preserve it. . . . We must then cling to the
idea that we are a nation, one and indivisible, and that,
although subdivided by state lines for local and domestic
purposes, we are but one people, the citizens of a common
country, having like institutions and manners, and possessing
a common interest in that inheritance of glory so richly pro-

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 149
vided by our fathers. We must therefore do no act, we must
tolerate no act, we must concede no idea or theory that looks
to or involves the dismemberment of the nation."
The effect of this speech was to send a patriotic inspiration
throughout the entire North, and from that moment a firm
purpose to save the Union at any cost began to take form.
In his inaugural address on the 4th of March, 1861, Presi
dent Lincoln plainly indicated his purpose to enforce the
laws, and placed the responsibility for civil war, should that
dreadful calamity befall, where it rightfully belonged. " In
your hands, my dissatisfied countrymen, and not in mine,"
he eloquently declared, " is the momentous issue of civil war.
You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the govern
ment, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve,
protect and defend it."
How the News of Sumter Was Received in Indiana.
But there was no abatement of warlike activities in the South,
and on the 12th of April, 1861, the attack upon Fort
Sumter, in Charleston harbor, took place.' With the spread
' The effect upon the people of Indiana of the news of the firing upon
Fort Sumter is best described in a quotation from The Soldier of Indiana,
by Catherine Merrill. "Through the long Saturday that followed, business
was at a standstill; business houses were cIo.sed, and men with clenched fists
and high beating hearts stood on the street corners and at the doors of
telegraph offices. That night from the knobs of the Ohio to the sand hills
of Lake Michigan, from Quaker towns in the eastern border to the prairie
farms of the western line, the streets of Indiana were black with breathless
multitudes still waiting the tidings of the seventy loyal men in an unfurnished
fort, bombarded by ten thousand raging rebels. M'hen the banner appeared,
the banner which within the memory of the present generation had only
idly fluttered in holiday breezes, a new meaning seemed to stream from its
folds : hats were taken off , as in the presence of something sacred ; and shouts
beginning, it might be, brokenly and in tears, rose and swelled, and made
walls and skies resound. .\t fen o'clock a dispatch was announced; 'Sum
ter has fallen.' Young men, and men in middle life, looked at white faces
and wet eyes of old and venerable citizens, who stood in the street waiting
for tidings, and a great stillness fell upon all. They turned to separate and
MooBE, Ind. — 10

150 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
of the news that the flag had been fired upon, and an overt
act of war committed against the government, apathy and
hesitation disappeared. Thousands volunteered their ser
vices for military duty, and the government was urged to
active measures of war. On the morning of April 15 Gover
nor Morton, on behalf of the state of Indiana, telegraphed
President Lincoln an offer of ten thousand men. On that
same day the President's proclamation calling for seventy-
five thousand volunteers was issued.
Military Prospects in the State. W. H. Smith in his his
tory describes the situation in Indiana at that time, with
reference to military prospects: " Indiana had been a mem
ber of the Union but forty-five years; it had a population of
1,300,000, scattered all over the state, most of them engaged
in agricultural pursuits. It had no cities. Indianapolis was
little more than a straggling village in the forest. The last
of the Indians had been removed only twenty-four years
before, so Indiana was still, in 1860, practically a frontier
state. In its earlier years it had been necessary to maintain
a militia, which had been continued imtil 1830, when there
were enrolled about 52,000 men. The system then died and
the arms were scattered and lost. During the war with
Mexico, five regiments had been raised and sent to the field.

creep silently to their homes. Another dispatch: 'Mr. Lincoln will issue a
proclamation to-morrow calling for seventy-five thousand volunteers.'
Cheer upon cheer, roar upon roar responded The white-faced old men
grew red; they stamped, pounded, wept, roared with the loudest, wildest
and maddest."
Goodrich says in his history: "The following Sabbath was a memorable
one in the history of Indiana. The country's cause was the theme at
churches; it was in the prayers, in the sermons, and in the songs. Every
where, in every city, town and village of the state, the blessing of the God
of Nations was invoked upon the President of the United States, and upon
the Union."

¦ INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 151
With the return of peace, the military spirit had once more
disappeared." Indiana Responds with Men and Means ; Morton's Mes
sage to the Legislature ; a Marvelous Record. Nevertheless,
upon the publication of the President's proclamation, and
the governor's call for enlistments to fill Indiana's quota,
the state was aroused into a busy hum of military ardor and
preparation. Pubhc meetings were held, recruiting stations
opened, and the shrill note of the fife was borne on every
breeze. In the face of the common duty, party lines, and
other minor differences among the people were forgotten.
Unhappily, however, such a state of harmony did not con
tinue throughout the war.
The state fair grounds were transformed into a soldiers'
camp, and within ten days more than twelve thousand men
had reported at Indianapolis ready for service. The state's
quota was only 4,683. Govemor Morton almost immediately
telegraphed the President an offer of six additional regiments,
but the government, not yet realizing the serious need it
would soon experience, did not accept them. It is only fair
to say, however, that the government lacked the where
withal to arm and equip even the few soldiers received
under the first call. Its. military establishment was small;
it had few guns and few munitions, and there was a dearth
of experienced leaders. Besides, the national treasury was
nearly empty. The defenseless condition in which the
country found itself at the beginning of the war was both
disgraceful and pitiable.
Governor Morton had called a special session of the legis
lature, and it convened at Indianapolis, on the 24th of April,
1861. His message, transmitted on the opening day, was a
remarkable state paper. It read in part: " We have passed

162 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
from the field of argument to the solemn fact of war, which
exists by the act of the seceding states. The issue is forced
upon us, and must be accepted. Every man must take his
position upon the one side or the other. In time of war
there is no ground upon which a third party can stand. . . .
The struggle is one into which we enter with the deepest
reluctance. We are bound to the people of the seceding
states by the dearest ties of blood and institutions. They
are our brothers, and our fellow countrymen. But if they
regard not those tender relations, how can we ? . . . The
events of the last ten days are pregnant with instruction
and moral grandeur. They present the action of a people
who have suffered much and waited long; who were slow to
take offense, and incredulous of treason and danger; but who,
when the dread appeal to arms was made, and the issue could
no longer be avoided with honor or safety, promptly aban
doned the peaceful pursuits of life and devoted themselves
to the service of their country. . . . Without distinction of
party, condition or occupation, men have rallied around the
nation's standard, and in every part of the state may be
heard the sound of martial music and witnessed the muster
ing of companies into the field."
The general assembly was in entire harmony with the
governor. It appropriated two million dollars with which
to arm and equip troops and put the state on a war footing.
Provision was made for an issue of bonds, and a new
militia law was enacted. A few days later the governor
sent agents to the East to purchase arms and equipage for
the Indiana volunteers. Robert Dale Owen visited Europe
on a like mission from the governor.
As the war progressed, the government's calls for men
grew jji frequency^ and the numbers asked were larger in

INDIANAS PART I.\ THE CIVIL WAR 153
nearly every successive call, but Indiana was always ready
with her quota at the appointed time. Toward the last a
very limited number of men had to be supplied by drafts.
Otherwise all were volunteers. And a braver, more devoted
body of men never fought in any cause. The value of their
services to the Union in the time of her fearful need could
not well be overestimated, and from first to last they reflected
high honor upon their home state by their gallantry upon the
field and the patience and fortitude with which they bore
untold hardships and faced dangers and death. Indiana's
soldiery participated in more than three hundred battles,
and shed their blood in every state touched by the strife
of that dreadful war.
From first to last the state furnished to the national ser
vice the enormous total of 1%,649 men. Of this number
11,718 reenlisted as veterans, bringing the total enlistments
up to 208,367. In addition there were enlisted 51,400 men
for home defense, making a grand total, not counting the
reenlistments, of 248,049 men, drawn from a meager and
scattered population at that time of 1,3.50,000.' The pro
portion of soldiers to the population furnished by Indiana in
the Civil war was greater than that supplied by France dur
ing Napoleon's great wars against all Europe.
Caring for the Soldiers in the Field; the Sanitary
Commission. No state in the Union exercised more kindly
concern for her soldiers in the field than did Indiana. Gover
nor Morton was absolutely tireless and almost sleepless in
his efforts to see that they were supplied with the very best
arms and equipment, were comfortably clothed, and otherwise
' B. A. Gould, of the United States Sanitary Service, published the
following remarkable bit of information in his report of statistics gathered
during the war : " Indiana men are the tallest of all the natives of the United
States, and these latter are the tallest of all civilized countries."

154 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
cared for in every possible way. He sent extra surgeons and
nurses, in addition to those provided by the government, to
minister to them when sick or wounded. He had special
agents of the state among them at all times to ascertain and
supply their needs, and many were the carloads of provisions
and luxuries provided from " home " to cheer them in camp,
on weary march and on the battlefield. He insisted upon
bringing the sick and disabled to Indiana when practicable,
to be nursed back to health. After the battle of Shiloh he
chartered special steamers in which to bring the wounded
Hoosier boys home. In the fall of 1861 he found the Indiana
troops in West Virginia suffering for want of warm overcoats,
and being unable to induce the government officials to act
for their relief promptly as he wished, he contracted for
nineteen thousand overcoats himself, and afterwards pre
vailed upon the government to pay for them. In addition
to this he procured an order for ten thousand more, which
were immediately furnished.
In many other instances he provided clothing and neces
saries, and it was through his appeal that the patriotic women
of the state first began their grand work of furnishing blank
ets, underwear, gloves, etc., for the comfort and protection of
the soldiers in the field, and pads, bandages, lint, and dressing
gowns for use in the hospitals. None but the men at the
front, fighting the battles of their country, will ever be able
to know what a benediction such remembrances were to
them, and the work was the beginning of the great Sanitary
Commission, which later became a national movement, and
developed into the greatest relief agency ever inaugurated in
time of war.
Other states combined their sanitary commission work, but
Indiana chose to keep her organization separate, and it

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 155
received from donations, for the benefit of the soldier boys of
the state, a total of $247,570 m cash and $359,000 in goods.
In addition to this the counties and townships of the state
contributed over $20,000,000 for bounties, and for the support
of the soldiers' families at home.
Hoosier Boys Fought on Every Field. It is impossible in
a brief history to follow Indiana's more than two hundred
thousand soldiers in this war in their regimental movements,
and marches and battles. They fought in Kentucky and
West Virginia, and in every confederate and border state
where fighting took place. They were in the skirmishes, on
the long inarches, and in the Titanic struggles between divi
sions and army corps. Quoting from a speech by General
Lew Wallace: " At Shiloh, Indiana had thirteen regiments; at
Vicksburg she had twenty-four; at Stone River, twenty-five;
at Chickamauga, twenty-seven; at Mission Ridge, twenty;
in the advance from Chattanooga to Atlanta, fifty; at Atlanta
Sherman divided them so that exactly twenty-five went with
him down to the sea, while twenty-five marched back with
Thomas and were in at the annihilation of Hood at Nash
ville. What a record is thus presented! Ask Grant, or
Rosecrans or Sherman, if from the beginning to the end of
the operations there was a day for which they could have
spared these regiments."
Indiana Extends Sheltering Wing over Kentucky; Death
for Her Sons on "Dark and Bloody Ground"; Richmond
and Munf ordville ; Penyville. Throughout the war Indiana
assumed a .sort of guardianship over the destinies of Ken
tucky. Kentucky did not secede, but her attitude was
unsteady and wavering. Her state government endeavored
to maintain a so-called " armed neutrality," and to refrain
from taking any part in the conffict.

156 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
Governor Morton feared if the confederates were allowed
to gain a foothold the state would be induced to join her
fortunes with the Southern cause, and the war would thus
be brought to the very threshold of Indiana. He repeatedly
urged upon the government measures for the protection of
Kentucky, and the grounds for this apprehension were soon
amply justified by events. In August, 1862, General Bragg
made a dash into Kentucky, entering from Tennessee. He
divided his forces into two wings, directing one, under General
E. Kirby Smith, to proceed to the capture of Cincinnati, while
he planned to lead the other against Louisville. To frustrate
these designs Indiana poured more than 30,000 troops into
Kentucky within a month. During the campaigns which
followed, disastrous battles were fought at Richmond, Mun-
fordville and Perryville, in which the newly recruited and
insufficiently trained Indiana soldiers suffered severely.
The battle of Richmond occurred August 30, 1862.
General E. Kirby Smith commanded the confederates, while
General Manson at first had charge of the Union forces, but
was superseded by General Nelson before the close of the
engagement. The result was disastrous, the Federal troops
sustaining a loss of more than two hundred killed, and
fully two thousand captured. The Indiana soldiers, con
stituting the principal part of the Federal force in this
battle, had been in the service but ten to twenty days. They
fought bravely, and if properly supported would have won a
victory.' At the Munfordville engagement, September 16 and 17,
1862, eight regiments and one battery were compelled to sur-
' General Boyle, who had charge of the campaign, said in his report:
"Our troops, especially the Indianians, fought with the courage and gallan
try of veterans. If Ohio and Illinois had supported Indiana, and had sent
their troops on, the issue of the battle would have been different. "

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 157
render. The Union troops were vastly outnumbered, but
fought bravely. Colonel Dunbar was in command, having
superseded Colonel Wilder. General Bragg was in personal
command of the confederates.
The battle of Perryville occurred October 8, 1862, be
tween General Bragg's command and a part of General
Buell's force. It was nominally a Union victory, but very
costly in human lives. The loss amounted to about five
hundred killed, Indiana troops again suffering severely.
These disasters were charged to mismanagement on the part
of General Buell, and the news was received in Indiana with
sorrow and indignation. Buell was soon afterwards relieved
of his command, being superseded by General Rosecrans.
Protecting Cincinnati. A force of forty thousand men
was assembled to protect Cincinnati, a large proportion of
the troops being from Indiana, and General Lew Wallace,
a distinguished Indiana soldier, was placed in command.'
Preparations to receive the confederates were quickly made,
and were so complete that they halted and turned back.
Bragg's designs against both Cincinnati and Louisville
were thus effectuallj' defeated, and largely through the ef
forts of Indiana, notwithstanding the unsatisfactory results
of battles on the " Dark and Bloody Grounds " of Kentucky.
The resistance offered served to check the enemy's progress
and demorahze his plans.
1 The danger of early investment by confederate troops was imminent,
and the mayor of Cincinnati had telegraphed the govemor of Ohio, at
Columbus, asking for artillery. The latter replied, telling him to have the
necessary requisition made out, and properly signed by the commanding
general, and it would be duly honored. But the need was too urgent for
the observance of official red tape, so the mayor telegraphed Govemor
Morton from whom an answer was flashed back immediately, " One battery
ready, with two carloads of ammunition. Will send another train in two
hours."

158 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
Marauduig Raids Into Indiana From Kentucky. A num
ber of times small bands of marauders crossing the river from
Kentucky committed depredations in Indiana. In July,
1862, a band of about thirty guerrillas under Adam Johnson
plundered Newburg, in Warrick County, and stole a quantity
of small arms that had been stored at the hospital there.
Soon after this Governor Morton sent a force across the river,
which scoured the country about Henderson and scattered
the guerrillas and outlaws that infested the region. In
August another expedition was dispatched to Kentucky soil
which performed valuable service.
In June, 1863, Indiana was invaded from Kentucky by a
band of about sixty confederates under the leadership of
Captain Thomas H. Hines, a subordinate officer under Gen
eral John Morgan. They crossed the river not far from Can-
nelton, and began a destructive raid through the country,
stealing horses and plundering homes and stores. Detach
ments of the home guard, known as the " Indiana Legion, "
were soon in pursuit, and the band was overtaken and "cor
nered " on Blue River Island, in the Ohio, as they were
trying to get back into Kentucky. Hines escaped by swim
ming, but nearly all of his men were captured.
John Morgan's Raid. In July of the same year (1863)
John Morgan's great raid through Indiana and Ohio took
place. He crossed the river from Brandenburg, Kentucky,
on the 8th, with 2460 men and six guns. It is supposed that
he was endeavoring to clear the way for another attempt by
General Bragg to capture Louisville and Cincinnati. Then
the confederate officials had been led by exaggerated claims
put forward by the Knights of the Golden Circle and other
disloyal organizations in the state to believe that the appear
ance of a confederate force north of the Ohio River would

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 159
be accepted as a signal for an uprising against Governor
Morton, and the Union cause generally, that would carry
Indiana bodily into the Confederacy. The expectation was
sadly disappointed, for when the test came not a Southern
sympathizer dared raise his hand.
Morgan took up his march in the direction of Corydon,
plundering and burning. Within forty-eight hours after the
news of the raid reached Indianapolis Govemor IMorton had
raised a force of 65,000 men to defend possible points of
attack and pursue and capture the invaders. It was thought
Morgan's design might be to march upon Indianapolis for
the purpose of capturing the arsenal there, and liberating
the confederate prisoners at Camp Morton. New Albany
and Jeffersonville were also considered possible objects of
attack, and these uncertainties made plans of pursuit most
difficult. A small force of militia, numbering about fdUr hundred
men, hastily gathered together, was placed under command
of Colonel Lewis Jordan, who undertook the defense of
Corydon. Jordan was easily outgeneraled, and his men were
captured and paroled. Morgan then plundered Corydon, and
a little later visited the same fate upon Paoli, Palmyra, and
Salem. At Salem the railroad bridge was burned, and in
several instances mill owners were compelled to pay large
sums to save their property from being put to the flames.
By this time General Hobson at the head of a small force
had crossed over from Kentucky and was in eager pursuit,
while the new troops raised in Indiana were being disposed
to the best advantage with a view of teaching the impudent
marauders a needed lesson. Morgan, scenting danger, began
a retreat. He stayed at Dupont long enough to burn two
railroad bridges, destroy a section of railroad tracks, raid a

160 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
large meat-packing establishment, and generally indulge the
propensities of his men for arson and plunder. It is said
that when the raiders left Dupont each " Johnnie " had a
fine ham slung proudly to his saddle.' They appropriated
all the best horses along the way and left their jaded beasts
behind. Moving rapidly to Versailles Morgan captured and
paroled three hundred militiamen, and robbed the county
treasury of several thousand dollars. Then proceeding to
Sunman Station he destroyed some more railroad property,
and avoiding a company of militia that looked too formidable
to justify the hazard of an engagement, left the state, cross
ing the line near the town of Harrison. His whole band
was finally killed or captured in Ohio, but not until he had
traversed the state almost to the Pennsylvania line. Morgan
was confined in the Ohio penitentiary but escaped, and re
sumed service in the confederate army.
Respects in Which Raid Was a Benefit. The effect of
Morgan's raid was to unify public sentiment in Indiana as
nothing else could have done. The patriotic uprising in
defense of the state, and the homes of the citizens, silenced
for the time being, at least, every disloyal tongue, while the
failure of promised aid to the invaders by the Knights of the
Golden Circle and other disloyal secret societies brought
1 Although hams could not be said to be in the category, many articles
were appropriated without rational motive. General Basil Duke relates
some amusing instances: "The weather was intensely warm, yet one man
rode for three days with seven pairs of skates slung about his neck; another
loaded himself with sleigh bells. A large chafing dish, a bag of horn buttons,
a medium-sized Dutch clock, a green glass decanter, with goblets to match, a
chandelier, a bird cage containing three canaries, were some of the articles
I saw borne off and jealously fondled. The officers usually waited a reason
able period, until the novelty had worn off, and then had this rubbish thrown
away. Baby shoes and calico, however, were staple articles of appropria
tion. A fellow would procure a bolt of calico, carry it carefully for a day oi
two, then cast it aside and get another."

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 161
those organizations into contempt with the Confederacy,
which before had expected much of them.
Over twenty-two hundred claims, aggregating $6,497,399,
were filed against the state for damages and loss of property
on account of Morgan's raid. The amount allowed and paid
was $413,599.
Govemor Morton Runs the State without the Legislature ;
Days of Gloom and Disloyalty. During the years of 1861
and 1862 the results of the war were such as to cause much
gloom and discouragement, although some real progress was
made. The battle of Bull Run, the first important engage
ment, was a federal defeat, and other reverses followed.
There were frequent changes in leadership, and the armies
of the Union were slow and tardy of movement. At least
it seemed so from the standpoint of the great masses of the
people unacquainted with military problems. Confidence
was impaired, and to many the task of conquering the Con
federacy seemed hopeless. Under these circumstances, and
in view of the fact that the people were beginning to feel the
burdens of the war, recruiting became more difficult in Indi
ana, and opposition developed.
The election in November, 1862, resulted in victory for the
democrats, and the legislature, which had worked in such
harmony with Governor Morton in 1861 and 1862, was suc
ceeded by one that, by a majority of its membership, was
hostile to him, and out of sympathy with the purposes of the
war. Every question presented was given a partisan bias.
Under the constitution the govemor is commander-in-chief
of the militia of the state, but by a bill introduced by those
who were hostile to him, it was sought to take this authority
from his hands and vest it in a board of state officers, which
officers at that time were all of opposite political faith from

162 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
the governor, and opposed to the war. The republican mem
bers supporting the governor naturally objected. to the
measure, which was plainly vicious and disloyal in its pur
poses. They endeavored to sidetrack it, and secure the
passage of the regular appropriations bill, but the democrats
would not permit the appropriations to be considered until
their militia bill should be enacted. The deadlock continued,
and finally, to preventthe passageof the militia bill, the repub
lican members resorted to the expedient of withdrawing in a
body, and leaving the assembly without a quorum. They
went to Madison, and remained in that city until the time
of the session had expired by constitutional limitation. Very
naturally this republican " bolt " was roundly condemned by
their political opponents, notwithstanding it was only neces
sary to refer back to 1861 for a democratic precedent. The
democrats quit the legislature in that year to break a quorum
and prevent the passage of an apportionment and military
bill. Thus for the second time in its history the state was left
without funds to meet its obligations, or maintain its govern
ment and institutions. When Governor Willard faced a like
dilemma in 1857, the attorney general of the state sustained
him in his view that he at least could pay the interest on the
state debt from funds in the treasury without a specific appro
priation, but the attorney general under Morton held dif
ferently, declaring such action illegal. And by irregular
methods on the part of the attorney general. (Hoard) and
others, the question was carried to the state supreme court,
which also ruled against the right of the governor to pay
the interest without a legislative appropriation. The main
purpose of such actions was to compel the governor to call a
special session of the legislature in order that the hostile

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 163
attacks against him and his administration, and the obstruc
tive tactics to retard the prosecution of the war, could be
resumed. But on the grounds that the " history of the
origin, progress and conclusion of the supreme court decision
was such as to deprive it of any moral influence " the gover
nor felt that he was justified in disregarding it, which he did.
He proceeded to borrow money, on the credit of the state,
from banks and individuals, and induced the war depart
ment of the government to make him a large advance from
a special mihtary emergenc}- fund then in existence. With
these resources, procured upon the faith that the next legis
lature would assume and paj^ the obligations, he not only met
the interest charge on the public debt, and provided for the
maintenance of the state government and institutions, but
had funds to continue the military operations of the state
without halt or interruption. His enemies could only look
on with chagrin and amazement as he financed and managed
the state without the legislature. The republicans were suc
cessful at the election in 1864, and the new legislature, which
convened in January, 1865, made all necessary appropriations
and paid the obligations entered into by the governor during
the two preceding years.
Treasonable Secret Societies ; Their Objects and Activities.
From the beginning of the war there had been some opposi
tion in Indiana, and as the struggle dragged on and the fate
of the Union continued to hang in the balance, the disloyal
spirit grew bolder. It found its chief expression in the secret
societies known as the Knights of the Golden Circle, the
American Knights, and the Sons of Liberty. But as a matter
of fact these were not different societies existing at the same
time The Knights of the Golden Circle first merged into
the American Knights because of the exposure of their ritual-

164 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
istic work and treasonable designs, and the American Knights
in turn were superseded by the Sons of Liberty for the same
reason. The society attained its largest membership and
wrought its greatest menace under the latter designation. A
membership of forty thousand in this state alone was claimed
for it by its officers during the latter part of 1863, and in
1864. This was overstating the facts somewhat, though at
its most flourishing period the order did possess a numerical
strength of perhaps twenty thousand. And the record it left
is one to bring the blush of indignation and shame to the
brow of every loyal citizen.
To Establish Great Southern Empire; Later Scheme for
Northwestern Confederacy. The order of the Knights of
the Golden Circle had its origin in the South, many years
before the Civil war. The object aimed at is said to have
been the conquest of Mexico, Nicaragua, and Cuba, and the
establishment around the Gulf of Mexico of a great southern
empire, based on slavery. There seemed to be no purpose
to take any of the Northern states into the conspiracy, but
during the war chapters were organized in the border states
among Southern sympathizers, who acted as spies and secret
emissaries for the Confederacy, used their influence to prevent
enlistments in the Union army, resisted drafts and the col
lection of Federal taxes, and finally, when they thought them
selves strong enough, endeavored to organize an insurrection
in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Ken
tucky. By this time, however, the Northern chapters, under
the designation of Sons of Liberty, seem to have developed
an ambition of their own, which was to sever the states of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and perhaps Kentucky and
Wisconsin, from the Union, and establish a great north
western confederacy. Failing in this, they would carry any

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 165
of these states they could into the Southern Confederacy.
The motive behind the disloyalty of many of the leaders in
the movement was ambition for power, or the expectation of
high office or position under the seceding government.
The explanation of most of the disaffection existing in
Indiana is found in the fact that many of the citizens of the
state were of Southern birth or descent. Their natural sym
pathies were with the South and her people, rather than with
the East, to which they were bound by fewer ties of kinship,
or of commerce and trade.
Methods of Enlistmg Members; Exposure by the Gover
nor. By its outward profession the " Sons of Liberty," as
well as its predecessor, the " Knights of the Golden Circle,"
was a political organization formed to aid, in a perfectly legiti
mate way, the interests of the democratic party. Under
this pretense its membership was recruited by many honest
citizens who would not have countenanced any disloyal move
ment, but by degrees numbers of them were won over by
treasonable teachings. Anybody whose political views or
sympathies were in harmony with its outwardly expressed
purposes could join the order, the " Outer Temple." Only
those who were tried and tested and known to be " right "
could belong to the " Inner Temple," or share its well-guarded
secrets. Through this inner temple, or military branch of
the order, arms and equipment and munitions of war were
collected, and men instructed and trained for military ser
vice. The state was divided, under the Sons of Liberty, into
four military districts, each being commanded by a " Major
General." The order had extensive membership in Ohio,
Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, and in a number
of other states it was well represented.
In a speech delivered after the close of the war Governor
MoOBE, Ind. — U

166 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
Morton described the activities of the Sons of Liberty in this
state and the final breaking up of the order. He said:
" They claimed in 1864 to have forty thousand members in
the state, were lawless, defiant, plotting treason against the
United States and the overthrow of the state government.
In some counties their operations were so formidable as to
require the militia to be kept on a war footing, and through
out 1863, and until the final explosion of the organization in
August, 1864, they kept the whole state in uproar and alarm.
In 1864 so numerous were these treasonable organizations,
and so confident were they of their strength, that they ma
tured a plan for a general uprising in the city of Indianapolis,
on the 16th of August, under cover of a mass meeting of the
democratic party, attended by members of these organiza
tions from all parts of the state. The plan as shown by the
subsequent confessions of some of the leading conspirators
was to release on that day about seven thousand rebel pris
oners confined at Camp Morton, to seize the arsenal and
arm the prisoners, overturn the state government and take
possession of the state. The plan Was discovered some three
weeks before the time fixed, and was abandoned. Subse
quently the seizure of arms and ammunition collected at
Indianapolis for treasonable purposes, and of the records and
rituals of the Sons of Liberty, as well as the arrest of eight of
the ringleaders, had the effect of breaking up and destroying
the power of the organization. In the list of the principal
members of the organization were found three of the state
officers into whose hands the legislature of 1863 had at
tempted to place the whole military power of the state. On
the trial of these ringleaders before a military tribunal,
appointed by the President under the act of Congress, some
of them turned state's evidence and disclosed the full charac-

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 167
ter and extent of the conspiracy. Four of them were con
victed and sentenced to death. One of them was pardoned
outright by President Johnson, and two others, Bowles and
Milligan, had their punishment commuted to imprisonment
for life, but were afterwards released by a decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States, to the effect that
a military commission had no jurisdiction to try them."
The uprising mentioned by the govemor and scheduled
to take place on the 16th of August, 1864, was to have been
general in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky.
Confederate commissioners in Canada had helped perfect
the plans, and confederate money assisted in the purchase of
the supply of arms and munitions which had been smuggled
into the state and concealed by the Sons of Liberty. The
plan in Indiana was to seize, and if necessary assassinate, the
govemor. A " Committee of Ten " was especially appointed
for that purpose. The detection and exposure of the infa
mous plot was due almost whollj' to the vigilance of Governor
Morton. By means of a personally conducted " secret ser
vice " he was kept informed of the meetings and plans of
the Sons of Liberty at all times, and was able to checkmate
them at every turn.
Trial of Conspirators. The trials before a mihtary tribunal
of the leading conspirators for their participation in the plans
of insurrection began at Indianapolis, September 22, 1864.
The charge against them was that of conspiracy in organizing
secret societies for the purpose of overthrowing the govern
ment, seizing the arsenal, releasing confederate prisoners,
cooperating with rebels, inciting insurrection, and resisting
the draft. Harrison H. Dodd, a leading organizer and official
in the order, and in whose possession a large quantity of arms,
consigned from New York as " Sunday School books," was

168 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
found, escaped after arrest and fled to Canada. J. J. Bing
ham, editor of the Indianapolis Sentinel, turned state's evi
dence and escaped trial; three of the others were con
demned to death, and one to unprisonment for life. But
owing to a doubt which arose as to the jurisdiction of the
mihtary commission trying them, and the further fact that
the war was over and a cessation of violence was desired by
everybody, none of the sentences were ever fully carried out.
Expulsion of Senator Bright. A number of very promi
nent men were caught in the meshes of Knights of the Golden
Circle and Sons of Liberty exposures. Previously a United
States Senator from Indiana had been expelled (1862) from
his seat in Congress because of correspondence with Jefferson
Davis, which was deemed treasonable. This was Senator
Jesse D. Bright. He wrote a letter to Davis in recommenda
tion of a friend who had a new invention or improvement in
firearms to sell, addressing his letter to " His Excellency,
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederation of States."
This was deemed tantamount to a recognition of the Con
federacy. Bright was a democrat, and Governor Morton
proved his magnanimity by appointing ex-Governor Joseph A.
Wright, also a democrat, to fill the vacancy. Morton received
slight credit for the act, however, as Wright's colleagues
charged that he had already gone over to the republicans.
Significant Events Marking the Progress of a Great War;
Reasons for Popular Impatience at First. It would be hard
to describe the suspense and disappointment of the people
during the first two years of the war, when events moved
so slowly for the Union, and there were so few victories of
consequence to light up the long vista of defeats and disas
ters. Perhaps too much was expected, for a summary even
of the first year shows the successful campaign in West

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 169
Virgmia, Grant's capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, and
his victory at Pittsburg Landing, leading to the capture of
Corinth, to offset the loss of Fort Sumter, the Union defeat
at the battle of Bull Run, and a few other minor reverses.
The second year witnessed Grant's unsuccessful attack on
Vicksburg, Pope's defeat at the second battle of Bull Run,
Bumside's defeat at Fredericksburg, and McClellan's fruitless
Peninsular campaign, but on the other side of the ledger we
find Farragut's capture of New Orleans, Lee's repulse at
Antietam or Sharpsburg, and the President's proclamation
emancipating the slaves.
The third year with its vicissitudes was pregnant with
important results, foreshadowing the end. True, Hooker's
defeat at ChancellorsviUe must be recorded, and the loss of
the sanguinary battle at Chickamauga, but these weigh lightly
in the scale as against Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, followed
by the capture of Vicksburg and the opening of the ^lissis-
sippi, thus cutting the Confederacy in twain. In addition
there were the battle of Lookout Mountain, and Sherman's
victory at ^leridian, to swell the grand prejKmderance in
favor of the Union.
Then came the fourth and final year of the war, with the
celebrated campaign against Richmond, and Grant's battles
in the " Wilderness," fought under a gloom that " looked
like the Shadow of Death; " the encoimters about Spottsyl-
vania, so costly in human life, where Grant proposed " to
fight it out along this line if it takes all summer; " Sheridan
in the Valley, and his famous ride from Winchester town;
Sherman's march to the sea; and finally Lee's surrender at
Appomattox, when the war was over, and the Union saved,
though at an appalling cost in blood and treasure.
On the Union side more than 350,000 lives were sacrificed,

170 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
and on the confederate side the loss was about two thirds as
great. The expense to the Union in money aggregated three
and a quarter billions of dollars.
Then followed the reconstruction period, and it has
required all the intervening years to heal the wounds and
remove the scars, but we are at last a reunited country,
stronger, greater, and grander than ever.
End Hailed with Joy in Indiana; Some Items of Cost;
the Bounty System. In no state of the Union was the end
of the war heralded with greater joy than in Indiana. Dur
ing the four years of its continuance it had drawn from the
homes and peaceful occupations of the people close to a
quarter million of the bravest and best of the male popula
tion, and the cost in money mounted high into the millions.
Of the grand army of brave fellows sent out from Indiana,
24,416 lost their lives from wounds and disease, 652 being
commissioned officers, and 23,764 noncommissioned officers
and enlisted men.
There were spent for local bounties in the state, to stimulate
enlistments, sums aggregating $15,492,876. These advance
ments, or " bounties," were not looked upon as being in the
nature of bribes, but necessary provisions for the maintenance
of the soldiers' families. There were many instances, however,
wherein the bounty system was taken advantage of by cun
ning and dishonest men. They would enlist merely to secure
the bounty, then desert, and reenhst under different names,
and repeat the process over and over, drawing a bounty each
time. To break up the practice a number were arrested,
and three were finally court-martialed and shot, as an example
to deter others.
The Battle of Pogue's Run. " Copperhead " and " But
ternut " were opprobrious terms applied to members of the

INDIANAS PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 171
disloyal secret societies and Southern sympathizers, who, while
remaining at home, plotted agamst the government, and by
words or deeds gave aid and comfort to its enemies.'
The battle of Pogue's Run was the farcical ending of the
Butternut conspiracy of ]May 20, lb63, to make an armed
demonstration in Indianapohs. Members of the order of
Sons of Liberty and other sMupathizers with the Confed
eracy had come to the capital city under cover of attending
a pohtical rally of the democratic partJ^ They came with
weapons concealed upon their persons, and mingled with the
crowd, prepared for concerted action upon signal of their
leaders. But they were overawed and thrown into panic by
the unexpected appearance at the meeting of a handful of
paroled Union soldiers, and on their way out of town those
who had come by train meekly submitted to disarmament by
a small, self-appointed searching party. As the search of
the train bound toward Cincinnati began, a veritable shower
of pocket artiUer}', thrown hurriedly from the coach windows
by the frightened " Butternuts," fell splashing into the murky
waters of the httle rivulet hard by, known as Pogue's Run.
And notwithstanding these contributions to Jupiter Pluvius,
the search of two trains resulted in the capture of more than
five himdred loaded revolvers and pistols, and a large number
of dangerous-looking knives, one of them being nearly two
feet long. Thus on a day that was to be marked by sangui
nary deeds on the part of the " Sons of Liberty " to empha-
' The legislature passed an act in 1865 indemnifj-ing the officers and
men of the United .States army, and of the Indiana Legion, for acts done in
the military service of the state, or of the United States, in enforcing the
laws and preserving the peace. In case of prosecutions brought against
them it was a defense to prove that the plaintiff belonged to a secret society
opposed to the war, or in sv-mpathy with the Confederacy . In the absence of
such defense the limit of punishment, in case of conviction, was fixed at
five dollars, without costs.

172 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
size popular disapproval of the war for the Union, " not a
shot was fired or a sheathed knife drawn." Naturally very
little respect was entertained thereafter for the warlike valor
of the Butternuts. They became objects of ridicule, and the
menace of their treasonable organizations was never after
wards quite so great.
The Welcome Home; Caring for the Soldier and His
Orphans, and Honoring the Dead. The returning soldiers
and sailors at the close of the war were everywhere received
with gratitude and acclaim, and in an incredibly short time
they were back at their old stations in the business or pro
fessional world. Truly they " taught the world a lesson
before which it stands in amazement, how, when the storm
of battle had passed," they could lay aside their arms, " put
off the habiliments of war, and return with cheerfulness to
the gentle pursuits of peace, and show how the bravest of
soldiers could become the best of citizens." '
Of course there were sorrowful exceptions in the instances of
the thousands who perished in camps, on the long marches, and
on Southern battlefields, and the other thousands who returned,
but with shattered limbs, and maimed and disease-raclced bod
ies. For the benefit of these the government established and
maintains a liberal pension policy, and provides homes for
veterans who desire to avail themselves of their shelter and
comforts. One of these soldiers' homes is situated at Mar
ion, Indiana. And the state has been generous in supple
menting the efforts of the general government in caring for
the soldiers and sailors and their orphans, and honoring the
memories of those who gave up their lives that the nation
might live. Evidences of this liberal policy are to be found
in the State Soldiers' Home at Lafayette, the Soldiers' and
> Extract from message by Governor Morton.

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR

173

Sailors' Orphans' Home at Knightstown, the Soldiers' and
Sailors' Monument at Indianapolis, and the monuments
marking the restmg places of the dead, and the places where
they fell, on the battlefields in the South.
With the Union restored, and the land again blessed with
the benediction of peace, the people of Indiana were not only
willing but anxious to forget the animosities of the war, and

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the differences that had arrayed section against section.
Their patriotism was as broad as the wide-flung boundaries
of the Repubhc. When the imposing monument erected in
honor of George Washington, at Washington, D. C, was being
built, during the days when the memories of the war were
still green, each state in the Union was requested to supply
a stone, taken from its own native soil, to enter into the
construction of the great memorial. Inscribed upon the
stone fumished by Indiana, in accordance with this privilege,
174 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR

were the words, eloquently expressive of the state's true atti
tude, " Indiana knows no North, no South, nothing but the
Union." Indiana Soldiers Who Won Honors During the War and
Afterwards. Among the Indiana men who won distinction
in the war for the Union, General Ambrose E. Burnside,
a native of Union
County, though en
listing from Rhode
Island, attained to
the highest rank ih
the service. He early
displayed brilliant
qualities as a soldier,
and in Novembei,
1862, the President
appointed him as
McClellan's successor
in command of -thp
Army of the Pdtomad.
Burnside accepted
reluctantly, knowing
the tremendous re
sponsibilities placed
upon his shoulders.
His successes, which had attracted the attention of the coun
try, and of the President, were won with smaller bodies of men,
and he modestly doubted his ability to lead so vast an army.
However, his courage and resolution were equal to any un
dertaking, and his patriotism such that he would hazard any
sacrifice in the hope of benefiting his country. Spurred on
by the anxiety of the President, and the necessity of striking a

Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 175
blow, as much for its moral effect upon the flagging spirits of
the North as to check the progress of the Confederacy, he at
once moved forward to attack Richmond, the confederate
capital. But at Fredericksburg, strongly intrenched along
the south bank of the Rappahannock, he encountered General
Lee (Dec. 13, 1862) with his great army of veterans that had
fought ^IcClellan to a standstill at Antietam, or Sharpsburg,
three months before. Burnside crossed the river and at
tacked, but was compelled to withdraw after one of the
bloodiest battles of the war up to that time. The Union
loss was nearly thirteen thousand men, and the confederate
loss about half as great. Bumside's effective force in this
battle consisted of 113,000 men. Lee's army was consider
ably smaller, but it had the advantage of being fortified and
operating on the defensive.
A month after the battle of Fredericksburg Burnside gave
up the command of the Army of the Potomac and was suc
ceeded by General Hooker. Hooker in turn was defeated
by Lee at ChancellorsviUe. The great task of conquering
Lee was left for Grant, the first man to be honored With the
title of Lieutenant General since Washington.
General Burnside, falUng back to a subordinate command,
continued to perform excellent service for the cause of the
Union. Returning to Rhode Island, where he had made his
home since shortly before the war began, he was elected to
represent that state in the United States Senate.
While the fame of General Lew Wallace rests more upon
his achievements in civil life than upon his record in war, he
nevertheless deserves honorable mention for patriotic service
rendered to his country during the struggle to save the Union.
He was commissioned a Brigadier General in September,
1861, promoted to the rank of Alajor General in the spring

176 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR

of 1862, and continued at the front till the close of the war.
From 1878-1881 he served as governor of New Mexico, and
in the latter year became minister to Turkey.
Critics endeavored for a time to cast a cloud upon General
Wallace's war record because of his late arrival on the first
day of the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, April
6, 1862. Investiga
tion proved that
he was waiting under
instructions for orders
from General Grant;
that the orders were
delayed, and that
finally the wrong road
was taken because of
indefinite directions.
He arrived that even
ing, but too late for
the first day's battle.
The causes were be
yond his control. He
participated with his
men in the great
struggle the next day,
and no instance can
be found from the
beginning to the end of the war where he shrank from any
duty, however arduous, or hesitated in the face of danger.
His Ben Hur, Prince of India and other literary productions
rank very high, and have attained a popularity that is
world-wide. The legislature of 1907 provided for the plac
ing of his statue in the national Statuary Hall, in the Capitol

Gen. Lew Wallace

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR

11

at Washington, where it occupies an exclusive position of
honor by the side of the statue of Oliver P. Morton, the
great war governor.'
Brigadier General Benjamin Harrison also reflected credit
upon his state by gallant service in the field, and was after
wards honored in civil life, first by being made a t^nited
States Senator (1881-
1887), and second by
election to the high
office of the Presi
dency. ISIajor General
Alvin P. Hovey, also
a gallant soldier, in
later years became
governor of Indiana
(1889-1891), and
Major General Walter
Q. Gresham won dis
tinction as a jurist,
and was called to
Cabinet positions
under two Presidents.
He was first Post
master General, then
Secretary of the Trea
sury under President Arthur, and served as Secretary o{
State duruig President Cleveland's second term.
Brigadier General Pleasant A. Hackleman of Rush Coimty
was the only general officer from Indiana to be killed in the

Gen. p. A. Hackleman

' Under a law of Congress each state is entitled to erect two statues in
this Hall and no more. (Sec. 1814, U. S. Revised Statutes.)

178 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
service. He was commissioned April 28, 1862, and lost his
life October 2, of the same year. He was a briUiant and
daring officer, and those who knew him well confidently
expected him to make a great career.
Among the Indiana soldiers whose fame must rest wholly
upon their services in the war, Major General Robert H.
Milroy, Major General Joseph J. Reynolds, General Edward
Canby, Brigadier General Jeff C. Davis, and Brigadier Gen
eral Nathan Kimball are entitled to especial mention. Milroy
won the title of the " Gray Eagle " of the army by gallant
service in West Virginia. He fought in the " Valley " under
Pope, campaigned in Pennsylvania and in the West, and dis
played his bravery and his skill as a commander on many
a field. Major General Reynolds also fought in West Vir
ginia, and was later with the Army of the Cumberland. He
commanded the fourth division under General Thomas at
Chickamauga, and afterwards became chief of staff to Thomas.
He was with Sheridan in the Valley, and performed gallant
service wherever placed. General Jeff C. Davis was also a
gallant officer, but his career was undoubtedly retarded, and
perhaps dwarfed, by the unfortunate episode at Louisville in
September, 1862, wherein he shot and killed General William
Nelson.' That the act was provoked by needless insult, and
'¦ The shooting took place at the Gait House, Louisville. General Nelson
had been appointed to succeed General Boyle in command of the forces
opposed to Kirby Smith, in Kentucky. Inquiring of Davis how many guns
he needed, he received the reply, "About 2,500." Springing to his feet he
shouted with an oath: "Don't you know how many men you have
in your command?" Davis explained that on account of the constant
receipt of new recruits he could not tell exactly, but that he would ascertain
before making requisition for arms. At this Nelson cursed him again,
relieved him of his command, and threatened to send him to Cincinnati under
guard. Four days later, being September 30, 1862, Governor Morton of
Indiana, happened to be a guest at the Gait House, and he and General
Nelson were in the office at the same time. General Davis came up and.

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 179
a menacmg attitude on the part of General Nelson, there
were few to deny, and Davis was never tried for the deed.
He afterwards participated in the Stone River campaign, was
at Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and in other important
engagements, and especially distinguished himself at Ben-
tonville. Indiana also lays claim to General Edward
Canby, who, though a Kentuckian by birth, was reared in
this state. He proved himself a fearless soldier and an able
commander by gallantry on many fields. He aided materi-
allj' in the capture of Mobile in 1865. At the close of the
war he was placed in command, first of the Mihtary Depart
ment of North and South Carolina, and later of the Depart
ment of the Gulf. He was assassinated by the Modoc
Indians in 1873. Brigadier General Kimball performed gal
lant services both in the Mexican War and the war for the
Union. He headed commands at Antietam, Fredericksburg,
and in other great battles and numberless skirmishes. He
was with Grant at Vicksburg, and marched with Sherman
to the sea. Brigadier General George H. Chapman, another
Indiana soldier, made a brilliant record as a cavalry leader,
winning honors and promotions. And except for the limita
tions of a brief history, the list could be greatly prolonged
requesting Morton to listen to what he had to say, inquired of Nelson why
he had been removed from his command. Nelson responded by calling him
a contemptible puppy, striking him in the face and ordering him from his
presence. Then turning upon Morton he accused him of being there merely
to witness " this insult" to him. Later he met Morton in the hall, and with
his hand in his coat pocket seemed to menace him with a pistol or other
weapon. Morton, though unarmed, made a similar gesture. Davis ap
peared upon the scene at this time, and shouted to Nelson to stop and defend
himself. Nelson faced him, and as he approached Davis fired, and Nelson
fell, mortally wounded. Davis was arrested, but released soon afterwards.
The tragedy created a great stir at the time, and for a while Governor Morton
was accused of being an accomplice in the killing. The circumstances, when
sifted, however, were such as to exonerate iiim.

180 INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR
without exceeding the demands of simple justice. General
R. S. Foster, General George F. McGinnis, General John F.
Miller, General Sol Meredith, General William E. Grose, and
many others, earned the gratitude of state and nation, and
the right to have their names enrolled among the sterling
heroes of the time.
The state also furnished some distinguished talent to the
navy. Under this head honorable mention is due Com
mander Napoleon Collins, born in Pennsylvania, but a
citizen of Indiana by adoption; Lieutenant Commander
William Gwin and Admiral George Brown. Upon the death
of Admiral Ramsey, Brown became ranking admiral of the
navy, retaining this distingiushed honor until his retirement
in 1897.
Campaign of 1864; Morton's Acts Legalized; Tax for Sick
and Wounded Soldiers and Soldiers' Families. The political
campaign of 1864 was marked by much excitement and bit
terness, largely because of issues connected with the war.
President Lincoln was a candidate for reelection on the
national republican ticket, and General George B. McClel-
lan was his democratic opponent. In Indiana, Oliver P.
Morton and Joseph E. McDonald were the opposing candi
dates for governor. The republicans were especially solic
itous for the success of their legislative ticket, because of
the necessity of legalizing the acts of Governor Morton in
his conduct of the affairs of the state during the war. The
result was a triumph for the republicans in both state and
nation. At the regular session of the legislature in 1865 all loans
contracted by the governor both for military and civil pur
poses were promptly paid, and his official acts approved.
An act was passed providing for a special tax levy of three

INDIANA'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR 181
mills on each one dollar of property valuation, and one dollar
on each taxable poll, for the support of soldiers' families,
and of sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals.
Important Legislation for the Schools. The session of
1865 was also esjjeciallj- important to the educational interests
of the state. A body of school laws enacted in 1852 was
almost immediately afterwards declared unconstitutional, and
no further legislation on the subject had been attempted
until this time. The measures adopted included the sub
stitution of the present civil townships for the congressional
townships as the basis of the common school system, and
the making of each township and each incorporated city or
town a distinct municipal corporation for school piuposes;
the creation of the office of State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, and a State Board of Education; provisions for
the holding of teachers' institutes; the le^-j' of local taxes for
school purposes, and a tax for township libraries; the authori
zation of township trastees to establish graded schools; a
system of teachers' examinations. The provisions of an act
of Congress passed in 1862, donating lands for the use of
colleges " for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic
arts," were also accepted, a step which led to the establish
ment of Purdue University. At the special session called in
November of this same j'ear a law was passed providing for
the establishment of the State Normal School.
Thus from 1865 dates the beginning of the modem develop
ment which has placed Indiana's sj'stem of common school
and higher education not only abreast of the times, but far
in advance of the best that has been accomplished by most
of the states. The office of County Superintendent, mark
ing another important step forward, was created in 1875.

CHAPTER XIII
ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
The State Moves Forward. With the close of the war a
new era of development and growth immediately set in
which has carried Indiana forward on its tide to a rank
among the states in population, wealth, and the industries,
that the most sanguine would not have ventured to predict.
A splendid advancement is also shown along governmental,
administrative and educational lines, and in all respects the
state has kept pace with the most progressive. Including
the marvelous record made in the war for the Union, the
citizens of Indiana may justly be pardoned for indulging a
modest pride in the achievements of the even half-century
dating from 1860.
Governor Morton Resigns; Succeeded by Lieutenant
Governor Baker; Indiana Man Becomes Vice President.
Oliver P. Morton was elected United States senator by the
legislature of 1867, and resigned the office of governor.
Lieutenant Governor Conrad P. Baker served out the unex
pired termand was reelected in 1868, after a close and exciting
race. Thomas A. Hendricks, then a member of the United
States Senate, was his democratic opponent. Baker's plu
rality was only 961.
General Ulysses S. Grant for President, and Schuyler Col
fax of Indiana for Vice President, composed the repubhcan
national ticket in 1868. Their democratic opponents were
Governor Horace Seymour of New York, and General F. P.
182

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

183

Blair of Missouri. Grant and Colfax \\ere elected, Indiana
contributing her electoral vote to the result.

MONTMENT TO ScHUTLER CoLFAX, LvDL\N\POLIS
GO\'ERNOK baker's ADMINISTRATION (1867-1873)
Political Inharmony; Fourteenth Amendment. There was
much political rancor throughout Govemor Baker's admin
istration. It was in the midst of the reconstruction period
and during the time of the attempted impeachment of Presi
dent Andrew Johnson. The resolution for the ratification
of the Fourteenth Amendment conferring the rights of citizen
ship upon the negro was adopted by the legislature of 1867,
after a spirited contest.
Lynch Law at Seymour. Taking advantage of the dis
turbed condition of the times, the lawless elements in society

184 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
had become very bold, and followmg a series of less important
outbreaks a train robbery was perpetrated at Seymour, in
May, 1868. This is said to have been the first outrage of
the kind occurring anywhere in the country, and as a result
of the excitement and indignation that followed, the perpe
trators were taken from the custody of the officers and
lynched. Legislative Battle over the Fifteenth Amendment; Fee
and Salary Law. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Con
stitution, giving negros the right of suffrage, came before the
legislature of 1869 for ratification, and dramatic scenes
immediately followed. The republicans were in the majority
in both houses, but did not possess a quorum within their
own membership. So to prevent the adoption of the reso
lution ratifying the amendment, the democratic members,
numbering seventeen senators and thirty-four representa
tives, resigned in a body, breaking a quorum. This was early
in the session, and no appropriations bill had been passed
to provide for the necessary running expenses of the state.
The governor immediately issued writs of election to fill the
vacancies caused by the resignations, and called a special
session to meet on the 8th of April. This time by agreement
the republicans deferred presenting the ratification resolution
until the appropriations bill and some other measures had
been passed, and then the tug of war was renewed. Again
the democrats resigned, but this time the governor refrained
from making formal report of the fact to the presiding officers
of the two houses, and on the 19th of May, as the demo
crats in the senate were preparing to leave, the repubhcans
suddenly closed the doors, making them prisoners within the
chamber. Thus a quorum was preserved by counting the
democrats present and not voting, and the ratification reso-

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 185
lution passed. Hearing the plight of their confreres in the
senate, the house democrats fled, but the speaker later ruled
that a quorum was present, and the resolution was passed
in that body, and declared adopted.
But with this the matter was not finally settled. At the
election in 1870 the democrats succeeded in winning a major
ity in both branches of the legislature, and at the session
of 1871 they undertook to rescind the ratification resolution.
By a well-planned coup they succeeded in locking the doors
on the republican senators and holding them unwilling pris
oners for the purpose of preserving a quorum, while the
rescinding resolution was passed by a strictly partisan vote.
This time it was the republican house members who ran,
exactly duplicating the scenes of 1869, with the role of the
actors reversed, the only difference being that the govemor
accepted the resignation of the republicans, leaving the demo
crats hopelessly stranded without a quorum. In this way the
rescinding resolution was defeated.
An important measure regulating the fees and salaries of
the state and county officers was enacted at the session of
1871. ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR THOMAS A. HENDRICKS
(1873-1877)
Mixed Election Results; Panic of 1873. In 1872 Thomas
A. Hendricks, democrat, was elected govemor over Thomas
M. Brown, his republican opponent. The democrats also
won the state superintendent of public instruction, but all
the other state officers, and a majority in the legislature,
were elected by the republicans. Hendricks was the first
democratic govemor elected in any Northern state after the
war. His majority over Brown was 1148. In the Novem-

186 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
ber election which followed General Grant, republican candi
date for President, carried the state against Horace Greeley,
his fusion-democratic opponent, by nearly 23,000.
The panic of 1873 bore heavily upon many of the indus
tries of the state, but did not seriously retard the swelling
tide of prosperity and growth that set in immediately after
the close of the war. There were some strikes of labor organ
izations, and once the governor sent a small force of militia
to Logansport to quell disorders by railroad strikers, but
there were no disturbances or outbreaks in the state of a
serious nature.
Drastic Temperance Legislation; The Baxter Law. The
session of the legislature of 1873 was signalized by the enact
ment of the Baxter liquor law, which was a very drastic piece
of temperance legislation. To secure a license, or permit to
sell liquors under the Baxter law, an applicant was compelled
to file a petition containing the names of a majority of the
legal voters in the ward or township in which he proposed to
conduct his business. He had to give bond in the sum of
$3000, and was made liable in damages for any injury in
person, property or means of support that might be suffered
by any person as a result of sales of intoxicants by him, and
the owner or lessor of the building occupied by the saloon
was made jointly liable. It was a finable offense to sell
liquor to an intoxicated person, and the person becoming
intoxicated was subject to a fine.
The Baxter law was generally credited with the defeat of
the republican ticket at the following election (1874).
Although it was voted for almost solidly by the republican
members of the legislature which passed it, it also received
a number of democratic votes, and was signed by a demo
cratic governor (Hendricks). The party vote in Indiana

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

181

was then very close, and it is possible that other causes may
have entered mto the result of the succeeding election. The
Baxter law was repealed in 1875.
The legislature of 1875 accomplished very little that was
praiseworthy, and when its time had expired by limitation it
adjourned without passing the general appropriations bill.
The govemor immedi
ately called a special
session, which made the
necessary appropria
tions, passed a few
other measures, and
adjourned after five
days. Centennial Year a
Year of Pohtical Ex
citement ; " Blue
Jeans" Williams
Elected Govemor. The
year 1876 was not only
the first centennial an-
niversarj' of American
independence, but it was a year of unusual political animation
in both state and nation. Govemor Thomas A. Hendricks
was the democratic candidate for Vice President on the ticket
with Presidential Candidate Samuel J. Tilden, of New York.
The republican candidates were Rutherford B. Hayes of
Ohio, and William A. Wheeler of New York. The demo
cratic candidate for govemor was James D. Williams. To
oppose him the republicans first nominated Godlove S. Orth,
who later mthdrew from the ticket, and was succeeded by
Benjamin Harrison. Mr. Williams was a farmer, who had

Thomas A. Hendricks

188

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

served in the legislature and in Congress, and was charged
with carrying his demands for economy in public expendi
tures to the extreme of penuriousness. The opposition did
not overlook this in their campaign criticisms, and in addition
held him up to ridicule by calling him " Blue Jeans " because
of his plain homespun
clothing. Later events
did not indicate that
the attacks lost Wil
liams any votes. On
the contrary his
friends and partisans
adopted the epithet
of " Blue Jeans " as a
rallying cry, and an
swered the republican
attacks by calling
Harrison the aristo
cratic or silk-stocking
candidate. Williams
was elected along with
the entire democratic
state ticket. The
democrats likewise secured a majority in the state senate,
the republicans winning the house of representatives.
The state also gave a majority to the democratic national
ticket, and excitement ran high during the long and bitter
dispute which followed as to which party had won the Presi
dency. A commission was finally appointed by Congress,
consisting of five senators, five representatives and five judges
of the Supreme Court, who declared in favor of Hayes and
Wheeler by a vote of eight to seven. The democrats were

James D. Williams

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 189
far from satisfied with the commission's award, and for a
long time there were loud murmurings and charges of unfair
methods. GOVERNOR WILLIAMS' ADMINI.STRATION (1877-1880)
The Govemor Dies in Office and is Succeeded by Lieu
tenant Govemor Isaac P. Gray. Govemor Williams
assumed office in January, 1877, and died November 20,
1880. Lieutenant Govemor Isaac P. Gray became acting
govemor for the few weeks remaining of the term.
Important Amendments to the Constitution. The legisla
tive session of 1877 consumed much of its valuable time with
political contentions and bickerings, and adjourned without
passing a general appropriations bill.
It was at this session, however, that the amendments to
the state constitution were first proposed, striking out the
restrictions against colored voters and bringing that in
strument into harmony with the federal constitution, as
amended. Other amendments were also proposed as follows:
Fixing qualifications of voters as to residence; providing that
all general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November (doing away with October
elections) ; providing that fees and salaries of county officers
should be regulated on the basis of population; substituting
the words " such other courts " for " such inferior courts "
in Section I, Article VII, and limiting the power of incurring
debts by municipal corporations. These amendments were
again acted upon favorably at the session in 1879, and sub
mitted to the voters of the state at an election in 1880. Not
receiving the required majority of all votes cast at this elec
tion, they were resubmitted at a special election March 24,
1881, and legally adopted.

190 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
A special session was called immediately after adjournment
of the legislature of 1877, and the necessary appropriations
were made.
Death of Oliver P. Morton. The death of Oliver P. Mor
ton, which occurred at his home in Indianapolis on the 1st
of November, 1877, caused universal sorrow. He not only
had won a prominence in the state unapproached by
any other citizen, but occupied a commanding position in the
councils of the nation. As chief executive of the state during
the crisis of the Civil war, he won the designation of the "Great
War Governor." He pushed Indiana to the very front in
the struggle, displaying an energy and resourcefulness unsur
passed by any other leader of the period. Opposed in his
efforts by a wicked and disloyal legislature, he brushed it
aside, and personally assumed all the functions of the state.
But far from viewing his acts as those of a tyrant, the people
sustained him, and gave him another legislature to legalize
and approve his acts. He was a leading support and trusted
advisor to President Lincoln and his cabinet, and bore the
title of the "Soldier's Friend.'" In addition to his tenure as
governor he was twice elected United States spnator, being
in the midst of his second term when he died. He was a
candidate for the presidential nomination in 1876, and might
have won but for the feeble state of his health. His death
was caused by paralysis, from which he had been a sufferer
for more than ten years. The funeral was attended by many
distinguished citizens of the Republic, including senators,
congressmen, high military and naval officers, and members
of the cabinet. In Indiana the people regarded his death
' In recognition of such counsel, and of his services to the Union,
President Lincoln said of Morton, " He is the deputy president of the
United States for the Mississippi valley."

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 191
as a great public misfortune, and as a pt rsonal sorrow, for he
was greatly beloved, notwithstanding the abuse visited
upon him by his political enemies.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR PORTER (1881-1885)
Temperance Agitation; MetropoUtan Police Boards. The
republicans were successful in the election of 1880, and
their candidate, Albert G. Porter, became the next governor.
The national contest of that year commanded much special
interest in Indiana because of the candidacy of W. H. English
for Vice President on the ticket with General Hancock.
Their successful republican opponents were James A. Gar
field of Ohio, and Chester A. Arthur of New York.
At this time the temperance agitation had again become
actively renewed, and a petition said to bear over two hun
dred thousand signatures was presented to the legislature
of 1881, praying that body to pass a resolution for a con
stitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of intoxicating
liquors. The legislature, which was republican, responded
by adopting such a resolution, but it was defeated by the
democratic legislature which the people returned the next
year. Between the legislature of 1883 and the govemor
there was much conflict. It took out of his hands the
appointment of a number of officers that hitherto it had been
a part of the executive's prerogative to name. This legis
lature also inaugurated the system of metropolitan police
boards, that afterwards went through so many vicissitudes,
finally meeting repeal outright in 1909. The law was
intended to correct political abuses in the local police admin
istrations of the larger cities. It provided for the appoint
ment of a board of three police commissioners, one of whom
should be of opposite political faith from the other two, in

192 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
each city having a population of 29,000 or more, the appoint
ments to be made by the governor, and the auditor, secre
tary, and treasurer of state. The enemies of the system
contended that it was violative of the principle of home rule.
ReUef of Flood Sufferers. Great floods occurred in the
Ohio and Wabash rivers in February, 1883. Both streams
overflowed their banks, carrying away houses and barns,
inundating cities, towns and farms along their courses, and
doing incalculable damage. The legislature, then in session,
appropriated one hundred thousand dollars for the relief of
the sufferers.
Campaign of 1884; Indiana Man Elected Vice President.
In the campaign of 1884 Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana
was again the democratic candidate for Vice President, Grover
Cleveland of New York being at the head of the ticket.
Their republican opponents were James G. Blaine and John
A. Logan. The opposing candidates for governor were
Laac P. Gray, democrat, and William H. Calkins, repubhcan.
Gray was formerly a republican, having been lieutenant
governor under Governor Baker (1869-1873); he was elected
lieutenant governor a second time in 1877, under Governor
Williams, democrat, and upon the death of his chief in 1880
succeeded him as acting governor. As a result of the election
in 1884 he became governor, winning by a plurality of 7392
votes. The democrats were successful in the national elec
tion also, Cleveland and Hendricks becoming President and
Vice President. GOVERNOR gray's ADMINISTRATION (1885-1889)
Governor Aspires to the Senate; a Peculiar Contest.
Lieutenant Governor Mahlon D. Manson resigned his office
in 1886 to accept a federal position, and thereby precipitated

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 103
a peculiar situation and contest. At the session of 1885
Senator A. G. Smith was chosen president pro tem. It so
happened that a United States senator was to be elected at
the session of 1887, and Governor Gray was an aspirant for
the honor. Smith and his friends claimed that his election
as president pro tem in 1885 would hold good in the session
of 1887, giving him the right of succession to the govemor-
ship if that office should become vacant through the election
of Govemor Gray to the United States Senate, the office of
lieutenant govemor being already vacant. The prospect
of such an outcome proved injurious to Gray's candidacy, as
the leaders in the party were not favorable to the' elevation
of Smith to the governorship. After much discussion and
many legal opinions it was decided that a lieutenant gov
emor should be chosen by the people, at the regular election
to be held in 1886. There is a statute providing for succes
sion to the governorship in case of the death, resignation
or disability of both the govemor and heutenant govemor,
but no provision either in the constitution or the laws for
filling a vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office.
All parties placed candidates in the field, and R. S. Robert
son, a republican, received a majority of the votes. As
stated, the senate was democratic, and at the session of 1887
that body refused to recognize Robertson, or permit him to
exercise the duties of his office b}' presiding over its sessions.
To do so would be to put a republican in the line of succession
to the governorship. The house of representatives, being
republican, espoused Robertson's cause, and administered to
him the oath of office as lieutenant govemor. But it was
all to no purpose. The senate continued to ignore him, and
the house in retaliation boycotted the senate, denying to it
all official recognition. And so the time of the session was

194

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

wasted. There was clearly no sanction of law for Robertson's
election, and the proper procedure would have been for the
legislature of 1887 to have elected' a new president, who
would thereby have been vested with the right of succession
to the governorship.
Death of Vice President Hendricks. On the 25th of
November, 1885, Vice President Hendricks died at his home
in Indianapolis. Mr.
Hendricks had been
a prominent figure in
the public life of the
state for a third of a
century, and had en
joyed high honors at
the hands of the
people. He served in
both branches of the
national legislature,
was governor one
term, and at the time
of his death was oc
cupying the second
highest office in the
gift of the people.
Campaign of 1888;
Benjamin Harrison of
Indiana Elected President ; Result of State Election Mixed.
Again in 1888 the people of Indiana had reason to feel a
special interest in the national campaign. Not only was the
state represented on the ticket of the Republican party by
one of her distinguished sons, the Hon. Benjamin Harrison,
but he headed it as a candidate for the Presidency. President

Benjamin Harrison

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

195

Grover Cleveland, seekmg reelection, was liis democratic
opponent. The republicans were successful and Harrison
was elected, the result being received in Indiana with great
acclaim. General Alvin P. Hovey, the republican candidate for
govemor, was also elected, but the democrats were suc
cessful in returning
a majority in each
house of the general
assembly. ADMINISTRATION OF
GOV'ERNOR HOVET
(1889-1891)
Governor Hovey
Dies in Office and is
Succeeded by Lieu
tenant Govemor Ira
J. Chase; Contests
over Patronage.
Governor Hovey
assumed the duties of
his office in January,
1889, and died No
vember 23, 1891. Lieutenant Govemor Ira J. Chase at
once assumed the office as acting govemor, serving out the
unexpired term.
Differing in pohtics, contests between the executive and
legislative branches of the state government were inevitable.
During the session of 1889 Govemor Hovey was stripped of
nearly all of his official patronage, and out of the conten
tions and litigation which followed a supreme court decision

Gen. Alvin P. Hovey

196 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
finally resulted, making the state geologist and chief of the
bureau of statistics elective officers. Previously they had
been appointive by the governor.
Australian Ballot and Uniform Textbook Laws. The
legislature of 1889 enacted the Australian ballot law, which
was a much needed reform. It also enacted the law placing
the selection of textbooks for use in the common schools in
the hands of the State Board of Education, acting as a State
Board of School Book Commissioners. This was a very use
ful reform in the interest of textbook uniformity, and econ
omy to the patrons of schools, for which much credit is due.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Indianapolis ; National
Encampment of the G. A. R. The laying of the corner stone
of the magnificent Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, in
Governor's Circle, Indianapolis, August 22, 1889, was made
the occasion of a great demonstration in honor of the veterans
of the Civil war. There was an outpouring of citizens from
all parts of the state, and the thousands of Grand Army men
joined in an immense parade. President Harrison was among
the many distinguished guests present, and honored the occa
sion by taking a brief part in the program. The monument
was built from funds provided by an appropriation of $200,000
made by the legislature of 1887. It was designed by Bruno
Schmidt of Berlin, Germany, and is constructed of Indiana
stone. Its total height is two hundred sixty-eight feet. It
is symmetrical in proportions, highly artistic in design, and
is an object of imposing beauty as well as of patriotic interest
and pride. Immense fountains in the form of cascades, fed
from deep driven wells, flow from the east and the west sides.
Just after the shaft had been completed, in September, 1893,
the Grand Army of the Republic held its National Encamp
ment in Indianapolis, which served as a further celebration

(197)

SOLDIEBS' AND SaILOBS' MoNTMENT, InDIANAPOUS

198

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

of the construction of the great monument. The parade,
which occurred on the 4th, was one of the most imposing
ever conducted by the "Boys in Blue"; and it never can
be equaled, as Age continues to lay on his disabilities, and
Death reaps an increasing annual harvest.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR MATTHEWS (1893-1897)
Supply of Natural Gas Softens Panic in Indiana; President
Harrison Defeated for Reelection ; Democrats Regain Power.
In 1892 the democratic
party again came into
power in both state and
nation. President
Harrison went down in
defeat in his race for
reelection, ex-President
Grover Cleveland being
his successful com
petitor. Even Indiana,
Harrison's own state,
helped swell the demo
cratic pluralities against
him, a:id elected Claude
Matthews governor.
For many years a
period of almost unex
ampled prosperity had
prevailed throughout the country, but a panic set in early
in the year 1893, which for severity and long persistence
was almost without a parallel in the country's history.
Indiana, perhaps, had enjoyed even more than her share of
the wonderful prosperity which prevailed prior to the panic

Claude Matthews

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 199
because of the impetus to all kinds of manufacturing indus
tries supplied by the vast deposits of natural gas so exten
sively developed and exploited since the year 1886. Gas
was first discovered in Indiana in 1881, but its utilization for
commercial purposes dates from 1886. The field, having its
center about Anderson, covered more than four thousand
square miles of territory, and exceeded in extent and produc
tiveness the gas areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, or any other
field so far discovered. The people thought the supply inex
haustible, and refused to listen to suggestions of economy
or conservation. The new fuel was so cheap and abundant
that it was literally supplied free to induce the location of
manufacturing concerns. ]\Iany new industries, employing
multitudes of men, were quickly established, and immigra
tion to the state swelled into a -continuous stream. There
was an increase in the value of manufactured products of
many millions, and Indiana forged well toward the front as
a manufacturing community. She lost a few plants when
the gas failed, but still holds the rank of tenth among the
manufacturing states of the Union. It is estimated that by
1893 over $300,000,000 had been mvested in Indiana fac
tories as a result of the boom.
The gas remained comparatively plentiful until near the
close of the century, and the rigors of the industrial depression
from 1893 to 1897 were greatly tempered to the people of
Indiana. In other sections of the country the suffering was
great. Natural gas is now utilized in a limited way for domestic
and light manufacturing purposes only. The gas area has
also proved itself rich in petroleum deposits, and vast quan
tities of this valuable mineral are being produced in Indiana
every year.

200 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
Disorders Quelled at Hammond; Winter Racmg at Robey
Broken Up. In 1894 it became necessary for Governor
Matthews to send a small force of the state militia to Ham
mond to quell disorders growing out of the great Pullman
car strike of that year. The governor also interfered to
break up the " winter racing " and gambling resort at Robey,
in Lake County, which had become notorious, and was
promoted almost exclusively by the sporting fraternity of
Chicago. Republicans Successful in 1896; Prosperity for Eleven
Years. The republican party regained its ascendancy in
nearly all the Northern states at the election in 1896. Wil
liam McKinley was elevated to the Presidency, and James
A. Mount became governor of Indiana. A general indus
trial awakening immediately followed, and an era of great
prosperity set in which continued uninterruptedly for eleven
years. The republican successes began in Indiana with the state
election of 1894, when majorities were won in both houses
of the general assembly for the first time since 1872. The
entire congressional delegation was captured by the repub
licans at this election.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR MOUNT (1897-1901)
Record of Apportionment Laws. In 1897 a new legislative
apportionment law was passed, the first since 1885 that was
not attacked in the courts. The law of 1885 was bitterly
complained of as a democratic gerrymander. In 1893 the
same party enacted another law, which was so flagrantly
unjust that the supreme court declared it unconstitutional.
In 1895 the republicans took a hand at the gerrymandering
business, and their law was condemned by the courts. Then

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

201

they passed a fairer measure in 1897, which stood. Under
the constitution the state is to be redistricted every sL\ years,
so in 1903, at the end of the six-year period, the republican
legislature passed another gerrjinander bill which the su
preme court nulhfied on the grounds of unconstitutionahty.
Profitmg by the lesson the legislature of 1905. also repubhcan,
enacted another law 
that proved to be more
satisfactory, and was
allowed to stand. Some
effort was made to re-
district the state again
m 1909, but the two
houses of the general
assembly were of oppo
site pohtical faith and
could not agree upon
the terms of a bill.
Lynch Law in Ripley
County; Sheriffs' Lia
bility Law. In 1897
there was an outbreak
of mob violence in
Ripley county which
startled the whole state.
On the pretext of put
ting a stop to an epidemic of thieving and robberj- in the
community a number of citizens banded themselves together,
and taking five of the alleged robbers from the custody of
the sheriff, hanged them. Govemor Mount made a verv-
persistent effort to secure the arrest and punishment of the
perpetrators of the crime, but without success.

James A. Mount

202 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
In 1901 the legislature passed an act providing that if a
prisoner should be taken from the custody of a sheriff, or
his deputy, and lynched, the office of such sheriff should
immediately be vacated. The law was reenacted and
strengthened in the revised code of 1905. With their posi
tions at stake it is noted that sheriffs now give excellent
protection to prisoners in their charge.
Indiana in Spanish-American War. The United States
declared war against Spain, April 19, 1898, and the President
issued calls for volunteers April 23, and May 25, the first
for 125,000 and the second for 75,000. Indiana's quota
under the first was four regiments of infantry and two bat
teries, and under the second, one regiment of infantry and
two companies of colored troops. Total number of volun
teers asked for and furnished, 7301. As in the Civil war,
the state was the first to notify the War Department that
her quotas were ready for marching orders. The men enlisted
were practically all from the well-organized Indiana National
Guard. They were enthusiastic, and eager to go to the front,
but only one battery, the 27th, was privileged to reach the
scene of conflict. It arrived in Porto Rico about the time
Spain sued for peace. The rest of Indiana's quota were held
in camps at Chickamauga, and in Virginia, waiting orders.
Duration and Purposes of the War; Results. The war
lasted less than a hundred days, but in that time the United
States destroyed two Spanish fleets of war and captured a
Spanish army. The purpose of the war was to expel Spain
from Cuba and give that island its independence. Spanish
oppression and misgovernment in Cuba had been an offense
to the American people for many years, and when, on the
15th day of February, 1898, the American warship Maine
was blown up in Havana Harbor and two hundred sixty-six

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 203
officers and men were killed or injured, the public wTath
would no longer be restrained. The war resulted in the
hberation of Cuba, and the acquisition by the United States
of the Philippines, Porto Rico and other islands. It also
greatly enhanced the nation's prestige abroad, forcing the
recognition, by other countries, of our position as a world
power. Death of General Lawton in the PhiUppines. In the mih
tary operations which later became necessary in the Philip
pines to quell disorder and establish American authority,
General Henry W. Lawton, a gallant Indiana soldier, lost
his life. He was killed while on duty, December 19, 1899.
An appropriate monument to his memory was erected at
Indianapolis in 1907.
Important Laws During Governor Mount's Administra
tion. Among the imi)ortant measures enacted during Gover
nor Mount's term of office, the County and Township Reform
law, creating the County Council and Township Advisory
Board, and the Compulsory Education law, are especially
worthy of mention.
GOVERNOR DtnBIN's ADMINISTRATION (1901-1905)
Paying the State Debt; The Codification Commission.
Colonel Winfield T. Durbin, republican, was elected gover
nor at the November election in 1900, defeating Hon. John
W. Kern, the democratic candidate. The four years of
Govemor Durbin's term were signalized by a continuation
of the period of industrial growth and general prosperity
that dated from 1897. It was a sound and economical busi
ness administration, marked by large payments on the fast
dwindUng state debt.
At the close of the administration the outside or foreign

204

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

debt of the state amounted to only $805,615.12, and on none
of it was payment due until May 1, 1915. The amount
became payable at the option of the state, on May 1, 1910.
Indications are that the debt will be entirely wiped out
before the date of its maturity. In addition the state owes
$340,000 on account of Purdue University bonds, $144,000
on account of Indiana
University bonds, and
$100,000 of State Fair
Pavilion bonds. The
university bonds and
(since 1910) the pa
vilion bonds are paya
ble any time.
In 1903, compljnng
with an act of the
General Assembly,
Governor Durbin ap
pointed a commission
to codify the laws of
the state relating to
public and private
corporations, and
highways and drain
age, and such other
laws as the commis
sion might deem advisable.' The commission made its
report to the legislature of 1905, and most of its recom
mendations were accepted and enacted into law.
' The members composing this commission were: Judge M. A. Chipman,
Anderson; Judge T. E. Howard, South Bend; and Secretary of State
Daniel E. Storms, acting ex officio.

Winfield T. Durbin

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 205
Indiana at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. In 1904
one of the greatest international expositions ever held took
place at St. Louis, Missouri, in commemoration of the one
hundredth anniversary of the purchase by the LTnited States
of Louisiana Territory. Not alone from motives of national
patriotism, but because of the intimate associations of the
state's early history with the original French claims tmder
the name of Louisiana, was it highly appropriate that Indiana
should take some special note of the occasion. Accordingly
the legislature of 1903 appropriated SI 50,000 for use in the
erection of a suitable building on the exposition grounds,
and to pro'S'ide for the state's appropriate representation.
Exhibits illustrating the state's various natural resources,
the progress of her p)eople in the industries, in education,
and in the arts and sciences were installed. The represen
tation was in every way highlj'^ creditable, and attracted
wide and favorable attention.
Death of Ex-President Harrison. Ex-President Benjamin
Harrison died at his home at Indianapolis on the 13th
of ^larch, 1901. Although he had suffered a protracted
illness, and the end was expected, the news was everj-where
received with expressions of deepest sorrow. General Harri
son was not only the most distinguished citizen of the state,
but for many j'ears had been a leading figure in the political
life of the nation. He was a senator from Indiana from
1881 to 1887, and President of the United States from 1889
to 1893. He also had a military record, having served his
country in the field during the war for the Union. By suc
cessive promotions in the service he attained to the rank of
Brigadier General.
While General Harrison was popularly reputed to be lack
ing in those qualities of personial magnetism thought to be

206 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
essential to success in public life, he nevertheless was greatly
beloved, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people
to an eminent degree, regardless of faction or party. No
man possessing a superior mentality or more scholarly attain
ments ever occupied the executive chair of the nation. His
administration was marked by efficiency and high ideals in
government, and unbounded prosperity and public tranquil
lity reigned throughout. There was nothing to indicate popu
lar disapproval, or a lack of public confidence, and yet he
was defeated for releection. The real cause for this defeat
has never been understood, and it will doubtless continue
among the psychological mysteries of American politics.
Governor Durbin issued his proclamation requesting a sus
pension of all business activities while the body of the ex-
President lay in state at the Capitol on the 16th. By a
proclamation President McKinley directed the flags on the
Executive Mansion at Washington, and all government
buildings, displayed at half-mast for a period of thirty days.
The funeral, which occurred on the 17th, was one of the most
notable ever held in the state. President McKinley, with
members of his cabinet and other distinguished visitors, in
cluding members of the cabinet which had surrounded the
deceased during his term of office, were present. The dis
tinguished dead was laid to rest in Crown Hill Cemetery,
with military and naval honors. A highly fitting inscription
carved upon the monument erected to his fame in Univer
sity Park, Indianapolis, is an expression from one of his
own matchless orations: " Great lives do not go out — they
go on."
LandsUde Victories for the Republicans in 1904 ; Mr. Fan-
banks Becomes Vice President. Again in 1904 Indiana
found herself especially interested in the national campaign,

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

207

one of her talented sons, the Honorable Charles W. Fair
banks, having been nominated for \'ice President on the
republican ticket. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt of New
York, who as Vice President had succeeded to the Presidency
upon the death of William McKinley, headed the ticket.
Their democratic competitors were Alton B. Parker of New
York and Henry G.
Davis of West Virginia.
In the gubernatorial
campaign the repubh
can ticket was headed
by J. Frank Hanly,
and the democratic
ticket by John Worth
Kern. The campaign was
fought out almost
wholly on national
issues. The republi
cans were united upon
the protective tariff
policy, the gold stand
ard as the proper
remedy for existing
monetary evils, and in
indorsement of the
territorial expansion
policy growing out of the war with Spain. The democrats
were divided on the monetary and expansion questions,
and their ranks were torn by party dissensions. Then
times were good, and the republicans, having been in power
for eight years, claimed the credit. The result was a

Charles W. Fairbanks

208 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
landslide in their favor. Roosevelt and Fairbanks carried
thirty-two of the forty-five states, and received 336 out of
the 476 votes in the Electoral College. Their popular plu
rality of 2,536,282 surpassed all previous records. Hanly, the
republican candidate for governor, was elected by the unpre
cedented plurality of 84,364 votes. Previously a plurality
of twelve to twenty thousand was considered a decisive vote.
GOVERNOR HANLY's ADMINISTRATION (1905-1909)
An Eventful Administration. Governor Hanly's term of
office was crowded full of events compelling public attention.
It will be written down as a notable period in the history of
the state, because of the administrative and legislative reforms
instituted, and on account of the inharmonious relations that
developed between the governor and the legislature, and
within the ranks of the republican party, causing its defeat
at the next quadrennial election.
The Anti-Cigarette Law and Charges of Bribery. At the
legislative session of 1905 a law was enacted prohibiting the
manufacture or sale of cigarettes within the state. It origi
nated in the senate, and when, after passing that body, it
was up for consideration in the house, representative Ana
nias Baker rose to his feet and, waving an envelope dra
matically above his head, declared it contained one hundred
dollars given to him by an emissary of the American To
bacco Company as a bribe to vote against the bill.' He later
1 The subsequent history of this sum of money is interesting. It was
in the form of five twenty dollar bills, and was placed in the hands of the
Marion County prosecutor to be preserved as evidence. At the close of his
term, he passed it on to his successor, who retained it until after the death of
Ananias Baker and the dismissal of the indictment against O. A. Baker,
five years after the alleged attempt at bribery. Then the question arose as
to what should be done with the bribe money. Neither O. A. Baker, nor
the firm he represented, nor the family of Ananias Baker would claim it,

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

209

named Oscar A. Baker, smce known as " Cigarette Baker,"
as the briber. The latter hearmg of the charge fled to
Canada. A very great sensation resulted from the disclosure
and flight. The legislature voted an appropriation of $5000
to procure the arrest and conviction of the alleged briber,
but without result. After the death, m 1909, of Ananias
Baker, the only accus
ing witness, the fugi
tive O. A. Baker
returned, knowing
successful prosecution
thereafter to be im
possible. The Anti-
Cigarette law, which
caused all the trouble,
proved to be inopera
tive, and was ref)ealed
m 1909.
State Officers
Forced to Resign and
Replace Misappropri
ated Funds; Auditor
Prosecuted and Im
prisoned ; Investigat
ing Former Officials.
In the early fall of
1905 Govemor Hanly demanded the resignation of Auditor
for obvious reasons, and the state had no right to it. So it was finally made
to appear that it belonged to the prosecutor, on the theory that ownership
of abandoned or unclaimed property falls to the person who has possession
of it. But the prosecutor could not retain it with self-respect, under the
circumstances, and he donated it to the Home for Aged and Friendless
Women at Indianapolis, a final disposition of the money which met with
general approval.

J. Frank Hanly

210 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
of State David E. Sherrick, and that he make restitution to
the state of an alleged shortage in his accounts. The demand
was later complied with, Sherrick returning funds misappro
priated, principal and interest, amounting to 1156,367.31.
The governor then caused him to be indicted and prosecuted
for embezzlement. He was convicted and sentenced to state
prison, but after a brief confinement the judgment of the
court passing sentence was reversed on an error, or some
defect in the indictment, and his release ordered.
Adjutant General John R. Ward was next forced to resign
because of overdrafts in his accounts, which he endeavored
to explain on the ground of clerical errors. He made resti
tution of 11510.44.
Daniel E. Storms, secretary of state, was shortly after
wards confronted with a demand for an accounting. He
resisted for a time, but later resigned under pressure from
the governor, correcting irregularities in his accounts to the
amount of $8139.85.
The governor had experts examine the books of all these
officers, and when the work was completed they were directed
to examine the accounts and records of former state auditors,
back to the year 1872. The result was that claims were
made against former officials of misappropriations of fees
and insurance taxes, and moneys from other sources, amount
ing, together with interest and penalties accruing thereon,
as follows:
Former Auditor James H. Rice (1883-1887) $108,877.74
Bruce Carr (1887-1891) 75,988.24
J. 0. Henderson (1891-1895) 101,158.65
A. C. Daily (1895-1899) 26,034.51
A discrepancy of $347.50 was found in the accounts of
former Auditor M. D. Manson (1879-1881), which appeared

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 211
to have been an honest error. Rice and Carr were both
dead, their estates insolvent, -and suits on their bonds barred
by the statute of limitations. Suits were instituted against
Henderson and Daily.
The Daily case was carried to the supreme court upon
appeal, and the judgment of the Boone Count}- circuit court,
which was favorable to the state, reversed. In the com-
plauit it was alleged that the defendant, Daily, while auditor
of state, had collected and wrongfully retained certain in
surance taxes, which, together with interest and penalties
thereon, amounted to the sum sued for. The supreme court
decision was to the effect that the collection of such taxes
was not a part of the auditor's official duties; that he had
no right to make such collections, either as an official or an
individual; that the money was not paid to him under the
authority of the state; that such payment was not ratified
by the state, and that in his hands the money did not become
the property of the state; that, therefore, the state had no
legal right to the money so collected and paid, and could
not sue for it. Nor was the payment of taxes to the state
by the insurance companies accomplished by such payment
to the auditor. The law plainly directs that the taxes shall
be paid into the treasury of the state, and not to the auditor,
and of this fact foreign insurance companies, and the courts,
are bound to take notice. The companies were plainly liable
to payment of their taxes over again, but the state had no
legal right of recovery against Daily.
The Henderson case was allowed to wait the issue of the
Daily suit, and a compromise settlement was finally agreed
upon whereby the state accepted a refund of 810,000, and
the suit was dismissed.
The insurance companies, or a majority of them, paid

212 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
their taxes over again rather than risk forfeiture of their
licenses to write further business in the. state, but they paid
Under protest, expecting to seek a remedy in the courts.
In his biennial message to the General Assembly in 1907
the governor reported that the total recoveries of misappro
priated funds up to that time amounted .to $189,460.41.
The PubUc Depository Law; an Old Custom that Caused
Trouble. Nothing quite so sensational as these disclosures
had occurred in the political life of the state for many years.
They gave rise to a demand for stricter supervision of public
offices, which was responsible to a large degree for the enact
ment of a Public Depository Law at ;the session of 1907.
Another purpose of this law was to break up what had come
to be known as " political banking." The law has proved
itself of great value, not only in the enforcement of better
business methods in the care and handling of public funds,
state, county, and municipal, but by securing to the tax
payers the interest on such funds. Formerly either the funds
yielded no interest, or if so it went into the pockets of the
officials. It was the temptation thus to profit by the handling of
public moneys that led to the difficulties in which Auditor
Sherrick and Secretary of State Storms found themselves
when confronted by the demand of the governor for an
accounting. They were simply following an old custom of
indulging in a temporary diversion of state funds in their
charge, expecting to restore them before quitting office.
Pleading this custom, while not endeavoring especially to
defend it, both Sherrick and Storms thought they were
harshly dealt with. They had many friends who held the
same view, and their deposition and Sherrick's prosecution
caused much bitterness. The custom is now no longer pos-

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 213
sible, both by reason of a more healthful public sentiment,
and because of the Public Depository Law and other remedial
legislation. Important Educational Measures. A number of very
important educational measures were enacted during this
administration. The govemor appointed a state educa
tional commission early in 1906 to examine into the needs
of the public schools and the plea of the teachers for a better
rate of pay for their services.' The commission submitted
its report to the session of 1907, and its recommendations
were enacted into laws. Chief among these measures were
the teachers' Minimum Wage and Qualifications law, which
raised the minimum standards both of qualifications and pay;
the law providing for the estabhshment of departments of
normal instruction for teachers in the non-state colleges; the
law establishing a uniform course of study for high schools;
and a law providing for the lengthening of the school terms
where desired locally.
Swelling Tide of Temperance Sentiment. The temper
ance sentiment in the state began to show a rising tide again
from about the year 1890. In 1895 the Nicholson Remon
strance law was passed, by means of which a majority of the
legal voters in any township or city ward, by signing a
remonstrance, could compel the revocation of any dealer's
license to sell liquors. The Moore amendment to this law,
enacted in 1905, extended the privilege of the voters so that
they could remonstrate against the saloon business per se in
the unit represented by the township or ward. Eagerly tak-
1 The members of this commission were: Supt. B. F. Moore, chairman,
Muncie; State Senator Edward E. Moore, Connersville; State Senator L. Ert
Slack, Franklin; Representative Thomas D. Slimp, Washington; Will S.
Ritchie, Lebanon; County Supt. John W. Lewis, Wabash; Edgar Webb,
Attica. MoOBE, Ind. — 14

214 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
ing advantage of this enlarged privilege, the people not only
remonstrated the saloons out of hundreds of townships and
city wards all over the state, but they made whole counties
" dry." Fight over Vincennes University Claim. In 1907 the
general assembly passed a bill directing the issue of $120,548
in bonds payable to Vincennes University, in settlement of
a claim long urged because of the sale by the state, in the
year 1823, of 16,845 acres of land, being a part of a 23,040
acre tract set aside by Congress for the benefit of the Univer
sity. The money realized from the sale was appropriated to
the use of Indiana University, Bloomington. The governor ve
toed the bill, claiming that Vincennes University had been fully
reimbursed in previous settlements, and the general assem
bly promptly passed the measure over his veto. Later, when
the bonds were presented to him, he refused to sign them,
and in his message to the special session of 1908 urged a
repeal of the law whereby the bonds were authorized, but
in vain. His tenure of office ended soon afterwards, and his
successor, Thomas R, Marshall, signed the bonds. But this
did not settle the matter, for Mr. Hanly, as a citizen and tax
payer, brought injunctive proceedings to prevent the secre
tary of state from attaching his signature. The superior court
of Marion County, before which the case was tried, rendered
a decision favorable to the University. This decision, upon
appeal, was confirmed by the supreme court. An account
of this celebrated controversy will be found on pp. 262-264.
Estrangement Between the Govemor and the Legislature.
Governor Hanly also made very earnest recommendations to
the legislature of 1907 on the subject of insurance legislation,
which recommendations were not satisfactorily complied
with from his point of view. These, and other differences

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 215
which arose, led to estrangement between the govemor
and a large majority of the members of the general assembly,
regardless of party. Not only were his views and recom
mendations disregarded, or purposely antagonized, but he
was made the object of bitter public attacks in both cham
bers, and numerous bills were passed over his veto.
Raids on Gambling Resorts. In line with his policy of
strict law enforcement the govemor caused raids to be made
on the gambling resorts which were being conducted in con
nection with the hotels for tourists and health-seekers at
French Lick and West Baden. A large quantitj' of gambling
paraphernalia was captured and later destroyed. Suits were
brought ujjon the evidence procured through the raids, but
with inconclusive results, except to stop the open and flagrant
violations of the law that had obtained so long. The officers
and courts in Orange Coimty, where the resorts are located,
had persistently failed or refused to take action looking to
suppression of the vice. The governor's efforts were directed
through the office of the attorney general of the state.
Anti-Saloon Warfare Reaches Crisis ; Party Nominees and
Platform Declarations. A crisis in the temperance move
ment, which had continued to grow more formidable, was
destined to furnish the grand finale of the Hanly administra
tion. A nonpartisan organization, known as the Anti-Saloon
League, had appeared in the state, and its work among mem
bers of all political parties was highly effective. Other influ
ences were also continually at work, preparing the people
for a final assault upon the intrenched liquor traffic, with a
view to its complete extermination. Mention has already
been made of the Nicholson Remonstrance law of 1895, and
the Moore amendment to it, adopted just ten years later.
Another step forward was attempted in 1907, when a bill

216 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
was presented raising the saloon license fee to one thousand
dollars. This was defeated by a grand rally of the brewery
and saloon interests, but subsequent events indicate that it
was a costly victory for them. It merely aroused the people
to a more determined effort, and the agitation became so
widespread and persistent that the democratic party, at its
state convention in 1908, placed a plank in its platform
declaring for a ward and township local option law. The
republican party, which held its convention a little later,
went farther and declared for a county option law. The
party nominees for governor were Thomas R. Marshall,
democrat, and James E. Watson, republican.
From the beginning of the campaign the temperance ques
tion was clearly the paramount issue. The republicans
charged that the democratic declaration was prompted by
the brewery interests — that it was in reality designed to
head off more effective anti-saloon legislation, and cripple or
destroy the existing remonstrance law. The democrats met
the charge of an alliance between their party and the liquor
interests with a general denial, and defended the township
option unit as against the county unit.
Govemor Calls Special Session of Legislature ; Option Law
Passed ; Republicans Meet Crushing Defeat. In the midst
of the discussion Governor Hanly threw a bomb into the
camps of both parties by calling a special session of the legis
lature to meet on the 18th of September, 1908. The
leaders were in consternation, for they could not figure out
which party would likely be hurt the worst by a legislative
session opening less than sixty days before the election. And
knowing his personal attitude, it was also regarded as certain
that the governor would endeavor to secure a carrying out
of the republican platform pledge at this special session,

BRA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 217
before the people could register their verdict, either for or
against it. True to the forecast, he did make the attempt,
and it was successful. The Coimty Local Option law was
passed after a memorable struggle, the vote dividing largely
upon party lines.
To what extent the result really did influence the people's
verdict at the polls ia November will continue to be a mooted
question, but certain it is that the republicans, all things con
sidered, suffered a crushiag defeat. The democrats elected
their candidates for governor, lieutenant govemor, state
superintendent of pubhc instruction, and a large majority
in the house of representatives, while the republicans saved
the other state offices and the senate by the slenderest of
margins. The state also gave the republicans a small plu
rality on the national ticket, but the democrats elected
eleven out of the thirteen members of Congress to which the
state was entitled, and, having a majority on joint ballot in
the general assembly, they elected B. F. Shively, of their
party, to the United States Senate, retiring Senator James A.
Hemenway, a repubhcan.
Hoping for an advantage in the result of the election, the
liquor interests looked forward to an early repeal of the
County Option law. In this, however, they were doomed to
sore disappointment. When the general assemblj' convened
in regular session in January, 1909, a bill was introduced
repealing the County Option law, and substituting for it the
Ward and Township Option law, as pledged by the democrats
in their platform. However, the measure failed to command
the full party support, and though aided by the votes of a
few republicans, it failed of enactment. It passed the house
by a small majority, but was defeated in the senate. So the
option law was allowed to stand.

218 ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
Vice Presidential Candidate From Indiana; Record of the
State in National Politics. In the campaign of 1908 Indiana
was represented on the national democratic ticket by the
vice presidential candidacy of the Hon. John Worth Kern.
William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska headed the ticket,
making his third unsuccessful race for the coveted honor of a
term in the White House. William H. Taft of Ohio, and
James S. Sherman of New York, were the republican nomi
nees, and they were elected overwhelmingly. Their plu
rality in Indiana, however (10,731), appeared meager when
compared to the record-breaking Roosevelt and Fairbanks
plurality of 93^944 in the previous campaign.
Considering her modest rank among the states when voting
populations are compared, Indiana appears to have exerted
her full share of influence in national politics during the last
half-century. She has to her credit one term in the Presi
dency, and three terms incumbency by distinguished sons
in the vice presidential office. Counting from 1868, there
have been eleven presidential elections since the Civil war,
and in eight of these Indiana supplied either the presidential
or the vice presidential candidate for one or the other of the
two leading parties.' Only in the campaigns of 1872, 1896,
1 In addition to these preferments Indiana has enjoyed frequent repre
sentation in the cabinets of the Presidents. Caleb B. Smith was Secretary
of the Interior under Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1863. John P. Usher,
another Indiana man, succeeded him, serving out his unexpired terra and
continuing through the administration of Andrew Johnson. Smith resigned
to accept appointment as United States Circuit Judge for Indiana. Hugh
McCuUough was Secretary of the Treasury under three Presidents, viz.,
Lincoln, Johnson, and Arthur. James N. Tyner served as Postmaster General
under Grant and Richard W. Thompson was Secretary of the Navy under
Hayes; John W. Foster was Secretary of State, and W.H.H. Miller, Attorney
General, under Harrison. Walter Q. Gresham was first Postmaster General,
then Secretary of the Treasury, under President Arthur, and Secretary of
State in Cleveland's second administration.

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 219
and 1900 has the state failed to be represented on one ticket
or the other. For this frequent bestowal of high honors the
state is indebted, in a measure, to her reputation for fickle
ness in politics. She is nearly always in the " doubtful
column," and the vice presidential nomination especially,
when tendered, is generally interpreted as a strong bid for her
vote. The fact, however, is not cited in disparagement of
the men so nominated. Nowhere else in the Union is the
political game played more astutely than in Indiana, and the
state may be looked to with confidence at any time to supply
any grade of talent desired.
A remarkable thing about the state is that when she
climbs down off the political fence she nearly always alights
on the winning side. Since gaining admission to the Union in
1816 Indiana has participated in twenty-three presidential elec
tions, and in only four of these has she failed to cast her elec
toral vote for the successful candidate. So the loyal Hoosier
may well contend that the uncertainty of the state's affilia
tions from one election to another is owing not to caprice, but
to the fact that her voters lead the political judgment of
the country. Whatever the explanation the record is unique.
Panic of 1907. A money stringency overtook the country
in the fall of 1907, having its origin in financial circles in
New York city. The trouble spread, and finally grew to the
proportions of a panic. A small number of banks failed,
and many others suspended specie payment temporarily, issu
ing cashier's certificates, or scrip, in lieu of money. The
industries, and trade along all lines, were affected, thousands
of men were thrown out of employment, and the people
experienced a return of " hard times." The trouble con
tinued well into the summer of 1909, when confidence began
to return. Financiers and statesmen disagree widely as to

220

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT

what caused the trouble in the first place, but few doubt that
its continuance was owing largely to the proximity of a
national election, and the fact that both the great parties
were pledged to a revision of the tariff. A new tariff law, en
acted at a special session of Congress convened for the purpose,
went into effect in September, 1909, since which time normal
conditions of prosperity
have prevailed. Indi
ana suffered as little
from the panic, perhaps,
as any other state.
ADMINISTRATION OF
THOMAS K. MARSHALL
(1909- )
Results of County Op
tion Elections. Thomas
R. Marshall took the
oath of office as gov
ernor January 11, 1909.
In his inaugural address,
and in his first message
to the legislature, he
took strong grounds in
favor of economy in
state and local administrations, and the noninterference of
any one branch of the state government with the functions
of the others.
Among the more important acts of the legislature of 1909
were the passage of a law providing for a system of state
examination of all public offices and municipal corporations,
and the repeal of the Metropolitan Police law.

Thomas R. Marshall

ERA OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT 221
Temperance advocates began calling elections under the
provisions of the County Local Option law early in 1909,
and by late spring of the following year elections had been held
in 81 of the 92 counties, each election being preceded by an
exciting campaign. The contending forces were known as the
" wets " and the " drys." Public meetings, and grand pa
rades, participated in by women and children as well as by
men, were customary features of the dry campaigns. The
wets held few pubhc meetings, but were lavish with news
paper and poster advertising, and used funds generously in
getting out their vote at the elections. Out of the 81 coun
ties voting, 68 rendered their verdicts in favor of the banish
ment ofthe saloons, and thirteen voted for their retention. Two
of the remaining eleven counties were already " dry " by
remonstrance, making a total of seventy counties, from which
the saloons, at the close of the campaign, were excluded.
And in all of the twenty-two counties still remaining " wet "
there were "dry" townships and city wards, made so through
the instrumentality of the remonstrance law. As a matter
of fact, a number of the dry elections were in counties from
which the saloons had already been banished under the oper
ations of the remonstrance law. The most impressive state
ment of the results of the general temperance movement may
be found, probably, in the fact that at the close of 1910, 922
of the 1016 townships of the state were dry.
The Temperance Question in 1910. Reverting to the ques
tion at their convention in 1910, the democrats pledged them
selves, if successful at the fall election, to replace the county
option law with a statute fixing as the units of election, incor
porated cities, townships, and the territory in townships out
side of incorporated cities. The republicans refrained from
any mention of the subject in their platform declarations.

CHAPTER XIV
A CENTURY'S PROGRESS
Growth in Population; Railroads, Telegraphs, Tele
phones; Agriculture. During her ninety-five years of
statehood Indiana has made a record of growth in popu
lation, and of commercial and industrial development, that
seldom has been equalled. Her population in 1815, as ascer
tained by a special census taken in preparation for statehood,
was 63,897; in 1816 it was estimated at 70,000. In 1910
this meager population had grown to 2,700,876, and by the
time the century of statehood is rounded out in 1916, it is
probable that the number of the state's inhabitants will
approach the 3,000,000 mark. But during the last two
decades the growth has been confined largely, in fact almost
wholly, to the cities and towns, a number of which have made
wonderful strides forward. Indianapolis has become a metro
politan community of 233,650 souls, and there are four other
cities, namely Evansville, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, and
South Bend, having each more than 53,000 inhabitants.
Territorially Indiana ranks well toward the bottom of
the column of states, her position being thirty-fifth, but
in population she ranks ninth. At the time of her admis
sion into the Union in 1816 there were but thirteen organized
counties in the state, and three-fourths of the land area was
still owned by the Indians. In northern and central Indiana
the forests were practically unbroken and the prairies un
tamed. There were no means of transportation, or of carry-
222

A CENTURrS PROGRE.<S

223

ing on commerce, except by wagon or pack-animals and the
slight use that could be made of the natural streams and
watercourses. Now there are ninet>'-two counties, and the
state is noted far and wide for its agricultural develop
ment and the productiveness of its farms. For transpor
tation facihties we have 7165 miles of steam railways and
over 2000 miles of electric lines, piercing and crisscross
ing everj- part of the state. In 1860 there were 2126 miles
of steam roads, and no electric roads. Only two small coun
ties are now devoid of railroad facihties.' For other means

Spring I'lowing in Int)l\na
(From Photo by W. H. Bass. Indianapclisj
of rapid communication, and the interchange of intelligence,
we have 59,500 miles of telegraph lines and 235,000 miles of
telephone lines. ' Ohio and Switzerland.

224 A CENTURY'S PROGRESS
The state ranks fourth among her sister commonwealths
in the production of wheat, sixth in the production of corn,
sixth in the production of oats, and seventh in the produc
tion of hay. If the comparison were made upon a basis of
equality in acreage, she would lead all her rivals.
Manufacturing Industries and Natural Resources. As a
manufacturing state Indiana ranks tenth. In the making of
vehicles — wagons, carriages, etc. ¦ — she ranks first. The
investments in manufacturing concerns in 1905 amounted to
$312,671,234, and the annual output was valued at $393,954,-
405. In 1810, a hundred years ago, the total manufactures
of the territory, as reported to the United States Treasury
Department, amounted in value to $196,532.
In the state's mining products a source of almost boundless
wealth has been uncovered. To some the information that
Indiana ranks sixth among the states in its production of
bituminous coal may come as a surprise. The output in
1908 amounted to 11,997,304 tons, and there yet remain
13,621,600,000 tons of workable coal for the use of future
generations.' Indiana also possesses a large petroleum area,
but because of the opening of new and heavily producing fields
elsewhere the production here is steadily declining. The value
of the output for the last eighteen years has averaged $4,361,-
393 annually. The mining of a high grade of building stone
has also developed into a mammoth industry. The annual
output of the oolitic limestone quarries exceeds $3,500,000.
Progress along Educational Lines; Humane Laws and
Admuiistration; Care for the State's Wards. And not alone
in the development of her resources, and in material things,
has Indiana moved forward. Free schools were unknown
and all but impossible at the time of the adoption of the first
' Estimate by State Geologist.

A CENTURY'S PROGRESS 225
constitution, and even as late as 1852 a law making provision
for a three months' term in every school district was consid
ered radical legislation. Now the minimum term permitted
by law is six months, attendance is compulsory, and if a child
lives beyond convenient walking distance from a good school,
the state transports him there and back each day free of
charge. Not stopping at a free common-school education,
the state now guarantees a free high-school education to
every youth who will avail himself of it. Institutions of
higher learning are maintained for those who desire the goal
of a finished education. Almost twelve millions of dollars
are spent annually for the maintenance of free public schools
in Indiana. The exact amount in 1909 was $11,884,689, as
against $2,278,588 in 1853.
The humane rule laid down in the constitution that the
penal code shall be founded on the principles of reformation,
and not of vindictive justice, has met with a liberal observ
ance both in the statutes framed by the state's lawmakers
and in the administration of justice by the courts. The fact
is also made prominent by the state's reformatory system of
detention, coupled with the industrial education of prisoners,
and the application of the parole law.
A liberal policy is observed in the matter of provision for
the care of the state's unfortunate wards, and the safeguard
ing of the health of the community. To the educational
institutions for the benefit of defectives, such as the deaf and
the blind, and the benevolent institutions in the form of
asylums for the insane, a school for feeble-minded youth, the
Soldiers' Home, and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans'
Home, there have recently been added a Village for Epilep
tics, and an institution and settlement for the care and treat
ment of tuberculosis sufferers.

226 A CENTURY'S PROGRESS
From Hoosierism to Literary Supremacy. And whether
its attainment be attributed to the schools, the soil, or the
clime, we presume there is none who would now have the
hardihood to deny Indiana's safe position among the proudest
of the states in the culture and intelligence of her citizens.
If there really could have been an excuse for singling out
the people of Indiana to wear the epithet of " Hoosier,"
applied in the sense of " Country Jake," or " Rube," at a
time when they were busy cutting down the forests, draining
the swamps and building roads, and had little time for schools
and the social refinements, the occasion has long since passed.
There is no reason why the sobriquet should continue to
stick, except through the patience and good humor of the
people, who adopted it, and have made it a " badge of honor. "
The prevalent notion that the term originated in the state
through some uncouth expression of the natives, or the igno
rant running together of words by the early settlers, is doubt
less a mistake. It is synonymous with " hayseed " or " jay,"
and was probably imported into the territory by early immi
grants from the mountainous regions to the south and east
of us. Not only has Indiana outgrown any excuse for
reproach or ridicule on che score of alleged crudity, but she
has advanced to a point where her people enjoy a sort of
literary supremacy that has set the wits to work along a
different line.'
Speaking soberly of the matter, Indiana of course does not
' Wilbur Nesbit, in an after-dinner speech before a meeting of the " Sons
of Indiana" at Chicago, declared that "envious outsiders look up from their
Hoosier books long enough to speak satirically of Indiana as the literary
belt. They mention the dialect-poetry regions, and the historical novel
districts, and the counties wherein the ballad and rondeau flourish with the
prodigality of commerce. They have even prepared maps showing by
means of shaded and unshaded portions where the traveler must strike in
order to find or avoid certain brands of literature."

• A CENTURY'S PROGRESS 227
claim that her galaxj' of stars occupies the literary firmament
to the exclusion and absolute dimming of all others — her
alleged " pose " to that effect being one of imputation rather
than of assumption — and yet her sons and daughters have
done very well indeed. Among the wTiters who have reflected
credit upon the state brief mention may appropriately be
made of a select few. Foremost among these is Gen. Lew
Wallace, whose Ben Hur attained a popularity approaching
that of Uncle Tom's Cabin. It has been translated into
almost every modem language. Two additional books by
Wallace are The Fair God, and A Prince of India.
Other Tnrliana writers, named purely at random without
discrimination as to relative grades of merit, and with inciden
tal mention of one or more of their principal productions,
are: Edward Eggleston, author of The Hoosier Schoolmaster;
George Cary Eggleston, The First ofthe Hoosiers ; John B. Dil
lon, an excellent state history; John Law, Colonial History of
Vincennes: William H. English, Conquest of the Country
Northwest of the Ohio; Robert Dale Owen, Footfalls on the
Boundary of Another World, and Beyond the Breakers ; William
H. Smith, A History of Indiana; Ohver H. Smith, Early
Indiana Trials and Slcetches; John Finly, poet, The Hoosier' s
Nest, and Bachelor's HaU; James Baldwin, The Book Lover,
Story of Siegfried, and several series of school readers; Robert
Underwood Johnson, editor of The Century; William F.
Clarke, editor of St. Nicholas; Sarah T. Bolton, poetess,
author of Paddle Your Own Canoe; Benjamin S. Parker, poet;
Judge Millard Cox, The Legionaries; Caroline Krout,'
Knights in Fustian; Cincinnatus Heine (Joaquin) Miller,
Poet of the Sierras, now a resident of California; James ^Miit-
comb Riley, one of the greatest of contemporary poets ; David
' The works of this writer appear under the name of Caroline Brown.

228 A CENTURY'S PROGRESS
Graham Phillips, The Plum Tree, The Deluge, and The
Hungry Heart; John Clark Ridpath, A Cyclopedia of Uni
versal History, and 'A New Complete History of the United
States; Maurice Thompson, Alice of Old Vincennes; William
Dudley Fouike, Life of Oliver P. Morton; Jacob P. Dunn,
Indiana, A Redemption from Slavery ; William Wesley Woollen,
Biographical and Historical Sketches; Amos W. Butler, Birds
of Indiana ; William Watson Woollen, also a writer on bird
life and nature; Meredith Nicholson, A House of a Thou
sand Candles, and The Hoosiers; George Ade, Fables in Slang,
and Breaking into Society; George B. Lockwood, The New
Harmony Movement; Senator Albert J. Beveridge, The Rus
sian Advance, The Young Man and the World, and Meaning
ofthe Times; Charles Major, When Knighthood wasin Flower;
Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, and Mon
sieur Beaucaire; Julia Henderson Levering, Historic Indiana;
Wilbur Nesbit, A Gentleman Ragman; George Barr Mc-
Cutcheon, Castle Craneycrow, and Beverly of Graustark; Kin
Hubbard, the Abe Martin sketches; Annie Fellows Johnston,
the Little Colonel series; David M. Parry, The Scarlet Em
pire; Elizabeth Miller, The Yoke; Frederick Landis, For
the Glory of His Country. John Hay, author of a life of
Lincoln, and reputed author of The Breadwinners, was born
in Indiana. Many others might be mentioned.
In no civilized country do the people enjoy a greater
measure of civil and religious liberty, or have a larger share
in the conduct of public affairs, than in Indiana. Under the
influence of such institutions and laws, and through the indus
try, courage, high purpose, and far-sighted liberalism of the
people of this and past generations, the state has grown, and
developed, and prospered marvelously, and its future is bright
with the promise of added greatness.

CHAPTER X^¦
INDIANA CIVICS
Changes in Sovereignty; Evolution of Government. It is
the purpose in this chapter not merely to give a treatise on
the abstract theories of civil government, but rather to
outline in simple language the machinery by which the state
and local governments are operated, and recount briefly the
steps leading to their formation.
The French claimed sovereignty over the territory now
comprised within the state of Indiana from the first explora
tion of the Ohio River by Sieur de La Salle in 1669, until
the surrender to England in 1763. Indiana was a part of
Louisiana, the vast territory which La Salle formally took
possession of in the name of his king in 1682. The estab
lishment of the post at Ouiatenon about the year 1720 was
the first real assumption of governmental authority in what
is now Indiana. A post (^liamis) was established near the
site of the present city of Fort Wayne sometime after Oui
atenon, and the post at Vincennes, according to the best
information obtainable, was established in the year 1731.
Vincennes was controlled from New Orleans, and the other
two posts from Canada, though all were French.
The French surrendered to England in 1763, but repre
sentatives of the English government were not able to take
charge at once. Vinceimes, especially, was devoid of any
legally constituted government from the date of cession until
1777. Counting from the establishment of the first post at
Ouiatenon, the actual French occupation lasted forty-three
229

INDIANA CIVICS 231
years (1720-1763). The English were in charge scarcely
two years (1777-1779). So together the French and English
occupied the territory forty-five years, during which time
neither accomplished a great deal in the way of perfecting a
local or territorial government. Especially did they fail to
establish any system of courts worthy of the name.
In 1778, before the expulsion of the British was an accom
plished fact, Virginia organized all of the Northwest Terri
tory into the County of Illinois, and commissioned Colonel
John Todd to govern it under the title of Count}' Lieutenant.
(See Chapter VII, on Early Jurisdictions.) He arrived the next
year, and instituted a semblance of government at Vincennes
and Kaskaskia. A number of magistrates were elected and
authorized to hold courts, but these courts, or at any rate
the one at Vincennes, came dangerously near being corrupt,
and commanded but little confidence or respect from the
people. Virginia surrendered the Northwest Territory to the gen
eral government in 1784, for the benefit of all the states, and
three years later Congress enacted the famous Ordinance of
1 787. During those three years the territory was without any
legally constituted authority responsible for its government.
Territorial Government under Ordinance of 1787. The
leading features of the Ordinance of 1787, with the form of
government provided by it for the people of the territory,
are set forth in sufficient detail in Chapter VII, on Early
Jurisdictions. The fact may have been justified by the primitive condi
tions of the times, and lack of preparation on the part of the
newly formed population for the intelligent exercise of the
privileges of self-government, but it is nevertheless true that
the form of territorial government provided in the ordinance

232 INDIANA CIVICS
contained in it very little that was democratic. The gover
nor, the secretary, the judges, and one branch of the legis
lature were appointive by the President and Congress, and
the minor officers, including the magistrates and civil officers
in the counties and townships, were appointive by the gover
nor. The people had the bare privilege of electing the mem
bers of the lower house of the legislature under the second
grade of government. Even then they were hedged about
with residence, race, and property qualifications, until the
franchise was enjoyed by a small percentage of the population
only. Such property qualifications were also required of the
officers to be appointed or elected as to insure their selection
from the wealthier and more favored classes. The governor
was made a part of the legislature, and at the same time
had the power of absolute veto over its acts. He also had
authority to convene, prorogue or dissolve the assembly
when he saw fit. That the people were neither dense nor
indifferent to these nondemocratic conditions is proved by
the agitation which was carried on almost from the first for
an extension of the right of suffrage.
The possibilities of abuses growing out of official power so
far removed from accountability to the people were also
recognized, and were deprecated by the first legislative coun
cil appointed for Indiana Territory. The members replied
by resolution to Governor Harrison's first message in 1806:
" Although we are not as completely independent in our
legislative capacity as we would wish to be, yet we are sen
sible that we must wait with patience for that period of time
when our population will burst the trammels of a territorial
government, and we shall assume the character more con
sonant to republicanism. . . . The confidence which our
fellow citizens have uniformly had in your administration

INDIANA CIVICS 233
has been such that they have hitherto had no reason to be
jealous of the unlimited power which you possess over our
legislative proceedings. We, however, cannot help regretting
that such powers have been lodged in the hands of any one —
especially when it is recollected to what dangerous lengths
the exercise of those powers may be extended."
To the lasting credit of that body, be it said. Congress
was responsive to the demands of the people for an enlarged
share in the government. The franchise was extended, prop
erty qualifications lowered and finally removed altogether,
and in 1809 the people were given the right to elect their
delegate in Congress, and the members of the legislative
council. But the things withheld under the territorial gov
ernment by the ordinance were more than compensated for
in the provisions for statehood contained in that instrument,
and the guarantees under the United States Constitution
adopted the same year. The territorial government was a
thing of mere temporary existence at the best. The state
government was designed for perpetuity.
Divisions of the Territory. The first division of the North
west Territory took place in 1800, when Ohio was separated
from the rest of the territory and organized. The remainder
of the region was then called Indiana Territory. Michigan
was set off in 1805, and Illinois in 1809, leaving Indiana
reduced to her present geographical size.
Building a New State. In response to a request of the
territory, through its legislature, to be permitted to form a
state government, Congress passed the Enabling Act of April
19, 1816. This act defined the boundaries of the proposed
new state, and stipulated that the constitution and state
government should be republican in form " and not repug
nant to the articles of the Ordinance of the 13th of July,

234 INDIANA CIVICS
1787," which were declared to be " irrevocable between the
original states and the people and states of the territory north
west of the river Ohio."
Certain propositions were made in this Enabling Act to
the people of the proposed new state, and left to their " free
acceptance or rejection." They were offers of land grants
and concessions : (1 ) The grant by Congress of section sixteen
in each township for the use of schools; (2) a free grant of
the salt springs in the territory, and the land reserved for
their use, not to exceed thirty-six entire sections, for the
benefit of the people of the state; (3) a free concession of
five per cent of the net proceeds of the sale of all Congres
sional lands, for use in building public roads and canals; '
(4) the grant of a township of land for a seminary of
leaming; (5) four sections of land for a location for a per
manent seat of government. All that was asked in return
was that lands sold by the Government from and after the
first day of December, 1816, should be exempt from taxation
by the state, or any county or local government, for a period

' Three fifths of this fund was to be applied, under the direction of the
legislature, to the objects set forth in the act, and this afterwards came to
be known as the "three per cent fund." The other two-fifths was to be
applied under the direction of Congress, and was used to aid in the con
struction of the Cumberland, or National Road, a great public highway
beginning at Baltimore, Maryland, crossing the Appalachian mountains, and
running westward across the states of Ohio and Indiana, and penetrating
into Illinois almost to the Mississippi River. No government ever before
had undertaken such an enterprise. Its cost mounted into the millions,
and as a part of a still greater scheme of internal improvements it was the
subject of many lively debates in Congress, but its value as a means of
binding together the East and the West, and its influence in the develop
ment of the country, could not be overestimated. It became a great over
land artery of trade and commerce, and flooded the West with immigrants.
Construction was begun in 1811, and completed to Vandalia, Illinois, its
western terminus, in 1836. The road passes through Wheeling, West
Virginia, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Indiana.

INDIANA CIVICS 235
of five years from the day of sale. The state would have
been foolish indeed to have rejected a proposition so advan
tageous. Limitations Imposed upon the Builders of a State ; Progress
under the First Constitution. In the task of framing a con
stitution and forming a new state, the limitations imposed
by the constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States
must be observed. For, according to the definition in the
Constitution itself, these constitute the " supreme law of the
land." If between this supreme law and the constitution or
laws of the new state conflict should occur, the latter would
have to give way before the higher authority of the former.
The more impwrtant of the pwwers ordinarily enjoyed by
sovereign and independent states, and denied to the states
of the Federal Union, are embodied in the following hteral
quotations from Article I of the Constitution :
" No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance or con
federation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money;
emit bills of credit ; make anything but gold and silver coin a
tender in payment of debts ; pass any bill of attainder, ex-post-
fado law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or
grant any title of nobility. No state shall, without the con
sent of the Congress, lay any impost or duties on imports
or exjxjrts, except what may be absolutely necessary for
executing its inspection laws; and the net produce of all
duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports,
shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States; and
all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of
the Congress. No state shall, without the consent of Con
gress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or .ships-of-war,
in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with
another state or with a foreign power, or engage in war,

236 INDIANA CIVICS
unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will
not admit of delay."
In compensation for such abridgment of powers, " the
United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a
republican form of government, and shall protect each of
them against invasion, and on application of the legislature,
or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be con
vened) against domestic violence." (Sec. 4, Article IV, U. S.
Constitution.) The injunctions that there should be " neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude . . . otherwise than in the punishment
of crime whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted,"
and that " Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary
to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools
and the means of education shall forever be encouraged,"
were embodied in the compacts in the Ordinance of 1787, to
which the Enabling Act declared the new constitution and
government should not be repugnant.
Growth and Modem Conditions Demanding a New
Organic Law; Defects of the First Constitution. Such were
the limitations and guarantees under which the constitution
of 1816 was framed, and the new state government formed,
and put into operation. The work was not perfect, but it
met the approval of Congress, and served the people well in
its day. Under it the state grew from a straggling population
of perhaps 70,000 ' in 1816 to 988,416 in 1850, the year in
which the people determined to change it. Commerce and
the industries and public wealth had also grown marvelously,
and vast improvements of all kinds had taken place. The
railroads and telegraph had come, cities and towns had
sprung up where previously there were only farms, and the
' Estimate by Dillon.

INDIANA CIVICS 237
state was fast changing its character from a frontier and
purely agricultural community to one embodying all the
complex conditions of modem civilization, and industrial
and commercial activities and progress. The needs of the
state government had correspondingly changed. Then time
had served to develop the inherent faults of the first consti
tution, and there was an urgent demand for their correction.
Among the worst defects of the old constitution were the
multiplicity of duties imposed upon the legislature, or per
mitted to that body under its provisions, that should have
been intrusted to the people, or p>erformed by the administra
tive or judicial departments of the government. The legis
lature appointed the principal state officers, including the
secretary, auditor and treasurer. It appointed the presi
dents of the circuit courts, and invented ways of reaching
out for additional patronage. It sometimes found it con
venient to abolish an office simply as a means of ousting the
incumbent, in order to give his place to some one else under
a different official designation. It granted divorces, issued
charters of incorporation, and incumbered the statutes with
local and special legislation.
Present State Government under Constitution of 1851.
In outlining the machinery of our present state government
we shall of course need to consider only the constitution of
1851, as amended. The amendments, however, do not affect
in any way the form of government prescribed in the original
draft. They relate to suffrage and elections, negro rights
and citizenship, fees and salaries, the right of the legislature
to establish courts other than " inferior " courts, and forbid
payment of the compromised Wabash and Erie canal debt
of 1846-47.
The offices under the state and local governments are of

238 INDIANA CIVICS
two kinds, constitutional and statutory, the former prescribed
specifically by the constitution, and the latter created by
legislative enactments, under authority of the constitution.
The Three Departments of Government. The powers of
government under the constitution are divided into three
separate departments, — the legislative, the executive,
including the administrative, and the judicial. In order.
that these departments shall be independent of each other,
and serve as checks one upon the other, no officer in one
department is permitted to exercise any of the functions of
an officer in either of the other departments.
The Legislative Department. The legislative authority
is vested in a general assembly, consisting of a senate and
a house of representatives. The general assembly is per
mitted under the constitution to regulate the number of its
members, provided the senators do not exceed fifty, and the
representatives one hundred. The present membership of
the two houses represents those maximums. The term of
office of a senator is four years, and of a representative
two. A man to be eligible to election as a senator must
be at least twenty-five years of age, and a representative
twenty-one. The regular sessions of the general assembly convene bien
nially at the capital on the Thursday following the first
Monday in January, of the odd-numbered years. The ses
sions are limited to sixty-one days, but the governor may
call a special session at any time that, in his opinion, the pub
hc welfare requires it. A special session may not continue
more than forty days.
The lieutenant govemor, by virtue of his office as such,
is president of the senate, and presides over its sessions.
He has no vote except when the members are equally divided.

INDIANA CIVICS 239
The senate also elects a president pro tempore to preside in
the absence of the lieutenant governor.
The house elects its presiding officer from its own mem
bership. His official designation is " Speaker of the House
of Representatives." He has the same privileges of voting
and of debate enjoyed by any other member. Each house
makes its own rules, appoints its o\va. committees, and is the
sole judge of the qualifications of its members. It may
punish its members for disorderly conduct, compel the attend
ance of absentees, and with the concurrence of two thirds
expel a member. Two thirds of the membership of either
house constitutes a quorum, and it requires the votes of a
majority of all the members to pass a bill or joint resolution.
All bills for raising revenues must originate in the house,
but other bills may originate in either branch.
For the purpose of apportioning its members among the
counties the general assembly is required to cause an enu
meration to be made every sixth year of all_ the male inhab
itants in the state over twenty-one years of age.
Senators and representatives, in all cases except treason,
felony, and breach of the peace, are privileged from arrest
during the sessions, and in going to and returning from the
same. Nor are they subject to any civil process during the
sessions, or during the fifteen days next before the commence
ment of a session. For any speech or debate in either house
a member may not be questioned in any other place.
All laws, as nearly as possible, are required to be general,
and of uniform operation throughout the state. Seventeen
subjects are specifically enumerated in the constitution upon
which the legislature is forbidden to pass local or special
laws. To become a law a bill must receive the votes of a majority

240 INDIANA CIVICS
of the members of each house, taken separately, and by
ayes and nays. But before its final passage the bill must
have been read by sections on three separate days. The
only other method is to pass it under a suspension of the
rules agreed to by a two thirds vote. After thus receiving
a majority of the votes in each house, the bill is signed by
the president of the senate and the speaker of the house,
and transmitted to the governor. If he signs it, and it does
not contain an emergency clause, it becomes a law as soon
as published and circulated in the counties. If it contains
an emergency clause, it becomes a law at once. If the gover
nor disapproves, and is not willing to sign a bill after it has
passed the two houses, it is his duty to send it back to the
house in which it originated with his reasons or objections.
This is called a veto. If the two houses choose to recon
sider it, and again pass it by a majority vote of the members,
it becomes a law, notwithstanding the governor's veto. If
the two houses fail to take this action, the bill is defeated,
and cannot again be considered during the session. If the
governor fails either to sign or return a bill for three days
after it is presented to him, Sundays excepted, it becomes a
law without his signature.
The Executive Department. The executive power of the
state is vested in a governor, who is elected for a term of
four years, and is not eligible to hold the office more than
four years in any period of eight. He must be at least thirty
years of age at the time of election.
The governor is commander-in-chief of the military and
naval forces of the state, and may call out such forces to
execute the laws, or to suppress insurrection, or to repel inva
sion. It is his duty, from time to time, to give to the general
assembly information touching the condition of the state,

INDIANA CIVICS 241
and recommend such measures as he deems expedient. He
may require information in writing from the officers of the
administrative departments upon any subject relating to the
duties of their respective offices. It is his dut>- to see that
the laws are faithfully executed. He has power to grant
reprieves, commutations, and pardons, after conviction, for
all offenses except treason and in cases of impeachment. He
has the power to remit fines and forfeitures, but in all cases
must make due report to the general assembly.
A heutenant governor, with a tenure of four years and
no restriction as to reelection, but with an age quaUfication
of thirty years, is elected at the same time the govemor is
chosen. His duty is to preside over the sessions of the
senate, and in case of the death, resignation, removal, or dis-
abihty of the govemor, to assume the duties of that office.
The constitution by express provision left it to the general
assembly to designate by law what officer should succeed to
the governorship in case of the death, resignation, removal,
or disability of both the govemor and heutenant govemor.
Accordingly a law was enacted March 11, 1867, naming the
president pro tem. of the senate as next in line of succession
after the heutenant govemor. And if there should be no
president pro tem. of the senate, it becomes the dutj' of the
secretary of state to convene the senate in order that such
an officer may be elected.
The govemor or any state official may be removed from
office, for cause, by impeachment of the house of repre
sentatives, to be tried by the senate. Such removal may
also be accomplished by a joint resolution of the two houses,
two thirds of all the members concurring.
Administrative — State. The administrative power, desig
nated in the constitution as being a part of the executive,

242 INDIANA CIVICS
is vested in a secretary, auditor, and treasurer of state, each
elected for a term of two years, and rendered ineligible for
more than four years in any period of six.
In addition to these a number of statutory offices have
been created as follows : attorney general, elected for a term
of two years; superintendent of public instruction, two years;
chief of the bureau of statistics, two years; state geologist,
four years.
Administrative — County. The administrative officers of
each of the several counties (constitutional) comprise the
auditor, recorder, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, surveyor,
and clerk of the circuit court. The auditor, recorder, and
clerk are elected each for a term of four years, and made
ineligible to hold office more than eight years in any period
of twelve. The treasurer, sheriff, coroner, and surveyor are
each elected for two years, and the treasurer and sheriff are
limited in eligibility to two consecutive terms.
In addition, a number of statutory offices have been
created. These are a board of county commissioners, con
sisting of three members, with a three-year tenure of office;
a county council, consisting of seven members, with a tenure
of four years; a county superintendent of schools, with a
tenure of four years; a county assessor, with a tenure of
four years; a county truant officer with a tenure of four years.
The officers are elective by popular vote, with the exception
of the county superintendent, who is elected by the township
trustees, and the county truant officer, who is appointed by
the county board of education.'
Township Officers. The township offices are all statutory.
They consist of one trustee for each township, with a four-
1 The county Board of Education is composed of the county super
intendent of schools, the township trustees, and the chairman of the board
of school trustees of each city and town in the county.

INDIANA CIVICS 243
year tenure of office; one assessor, with a four-year tenure;
an advisory board consisting of three members, with a four-
year tenure; a number of justices of the peace, the number
to be regulated by the board of county commissioners, under
certain restrictions outlined in the law. Term, four years.
A number of constables equal to the number of justices, with
four-year terms; not less than two nor more than four road
supervisors, elected for two years.
Judicial Department. The judicial power of the state is
vested in a supreme court, an appellate court, the circuit
courts, a number of superior courts, one criminal court, one
special probate court, one juvenile court, the justices' courts,
and the municipal courts. Only the supreme and circuit
courts came into being by direct constitutional pro^-ision.
The others are statutory, but authorized by the constitution.
The supreme, or highest court in the state, consists of five
judges, each having a six-year tenure of office. The court
has appellate jurisdiction, and a verj' limited and restricted
original jurisdiction, regulated by statute. Its judgments are
final, except in such cases as are appealable to the L'nited
States Supreme Court.
The appellate court consists of six judges, their tenure of
office being four years. This court is divided into two divi
sions of three judges each, elected from the two appellate
court districts of the state, and causes arising in one district
are decided by the judges of the other district. The appel
late court has appellate jurisdiction of all appealable causes
not expressly appealable to the supreme court, and its judg
ments are final, except that causes in which the amount in
controversy exceeds six thousand dollars are appealable there
from to the supreme court. Then decisions of the appellate
court may be tran8ferred_ to the supreme court for review

244 INDIANA CIVICS
where the losing party can satisfy the supreme court by peti
tion that the opinion of the appellate court contravenes a
ruling precedent of the former court, or that a new question
of law was presented, and erroneously decided. Provision
is also made whereby two judges of a division may transfer
to the supreme court for decision a cause involving a ruling
precedent of the supreme court which such appellate judges
deem erroneous. The object of these provisions is to keep
the rulings of the appellate court in general conformity with
the rulings precedent of the supreme court.
The circuit courts consist of one judge each, elected for a
term of six years. They possess criminal, civil, equity, and
probate jurisdiction. The circuit courts in the state, at the
present time, number sixty-one, one or more counties con
stituting a circuit.
Superior courts have been established in a few of the more
populous counties. Their jurisdiction is concurrent with,
and in all respects similar to, that of the circuit courts, except
as to probate business, which is left exclusively with the
circuit courts in all counties save Marion. In Marion County
there exists the one special probate court in the state, to
which is assigned all probate business arising in that county.
Under the law authorizing criminal courts, three were
established, being one each in Marion, Allen, and Vigo coun
ties. Those in Allen and Vigo were later abolished, leaving
only the one in Marion. It consists of one judge, having a
term of four years. The court has original and exclusive
jurisdiction, within the county, of all crimes and misdemean
ors, except where jurisdiction is by law conferred on justices
of the peace, and such appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases
as would belong to the circuit court if the criminal court had
not been established.

INDIANA CIVICS 245
The one juvenile court is also in Marion County, such
courts being authorized only in counties containing cities of
100,000 population or over. It consists of one judge with a
term of four years. It has jurisdiction in all causes relating
to children, including juvenile delinquents and truants,
and where the custody or legal punishment of children is in
question. A justice .of the peace has power to try and determine suits
founded on contracts or torts wherein the debt or damage
involved does not exceed $200. His jurisdiction is limited
to the township, except that in townships where there are
no justices' courts the justice residing nearest may exercise
jurisdiction. A municipal or city court is provided for in every city of
the first, second, third, and fourth classes. The court con
sists of one judge, elected for four years. In cities of the
fifth class the powers of a city judge are exercised by the
mayor. The city court has: jurisdiction within the county
in which the city is located, over all violations of the ordi
nances of the city; original and concurrent jurisdiction with
the circuit or criminal court in all cases of petit larceny, and
all other violations of the laws of the state where the penalty
provided therefor cannot exceed $500; all the powers and
jurisdiction conferred upon justices of the peace.
The clerk of the supreme and appellate courts, and the
reporter of the supreme and appellate courts, are elective for
four-year terms. And in every county having a population
of 50,000 or over a probation officer is elected, with a tenure
of four years. The salaries of these and all other public
officers are fixed by statute.
State Boards and Commissions. The state supports a
large number of boards and commissions, the functions of
MOOBB, iND.  16

246 INDIANA CIVICS
which are usually indicated by their names. Almost every
legislature augments the number by creating one or more
new ones, but seldom reduces it by abolishing any of the old
ones. Following is a list : State Railroad Commission ; Depart
ment of Inspection and Supervision of Public Offices; State
Board of Labor Commissioners; Department of Mine Inspec
tion; Department of Oil Inspection; Fisheries and Game
Commission; Department of Gas Inspection; Department of
Factory Inspection; Department of Entomology; Board
of State Charities; State Board of Pardons; State Board of
Truancy; State Board of Education, which is also the State
Board of School Book Commissioners and the State Library
Board; Public Library Commission; State Board of Forestry;
State Board of Pharmacy; State Board of Health; State
Laboratory of Hygiene; Bureau of Public Printing, Binding,
and Stationery; Board of Control of State Soldiers' and
Sailors' Monument; State Board of Tax Commissioners; State
Board of Medical Registration and Examination; State Board
of Dental Examiners; Board of Registration and Examina
tion of Trained Nurses; State Anatomical Board; State Board
of Embalmers; State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners;
and a State Veterinarian.
The members of most of these boards are appointive by
the governor. The superintendent of public buildings and
property, and the State House engineer are appointive by a
board composed of the governor, secretary of state, and audi
tor of state. The deputies, assistants, and minor employees
of the departments and boards are usually appointive by
the respective chiefs or superintendents.
State Educational, Benevolent, and Correctional Institu
tions. The educational institutions supported by the state
are: Indiana University, Bloomington; Purdue University,

INDIANA CIVICS 247
Lafayette; State Normal School, Terre Haute; Indiana
School for the Blind, Indianapolis; School for the Deaf,
Indianapolis. The benevolent institutions are: Central Hospital for
the Insane, Indianapolis; Eastern Hospital for the Insane,
Richmond; Northern Hospital for the Insane, Logansport;
Southern Hospital for the Insane, Evansville; Southeastern
Hospital for the Insane, Madison; Village for Epileptics,
Newcastle; School for Feeble Minded Youths, Fort Wajme;
Tuberculosis Hospital, Rock\'ille; State Soldiers' Home,
Lafayette; Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home, Knights
town. And in addition to these there is a National Soldiers'
Home at Clarion.
The state's correctional institutions are: State Prison,
Michigan City; Indiana Reformatory, Jeffersonville; Indiana
Boys' School, Plainfield; Indiana Girls' School, Indianapolis;
Indiana Women's Prison, Indianapolis.
Indiana National Guard; Fort Benjamin Harrison. The
Indiana National Guard consists of three regiments of infan
try of twelve companies each, three artillery battalions, a
signal corps, and a hospital corps.' The state's militia sj'stem
is very effective, and in case of emergency or need a splendid
force of well-drilled men can promptly be placed in service.
The principal militia officers are the adjutant, the quarter
master, and the commissary general, all appo'ntive by the
govemor. The" United States Government maintains an important
military post, Fort Benjamin Harrison, in the state. It is
located in Marion County, near Indianapolis.
' The hospital corps consists of two detachments, one stationed at
Indianapolis and one at Frankfort. The three batteries are stationed
at Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Rockville, respectively.

248 INDIANA CIVICS
Methods of Compensatmg PubUc Officials; Passmg of the
Fee System. Among the more important administrative
reform movements of recent years is the attempt, through
legislative remedies, to get away from the fee system of
compensating public officials. The system is known to have
paved the way for many abuses, and to have bred dishonesty.
In its palmier days men holding certain state offices expected
to make, and some of them did make, very comfortable for
tunes out of one or two terms. Now all state officers receive
stated salaries, or fixed per diems only, and are required to
turn into the public treasury any and all fees collected by
them. In the counties it is more difficult to eradicate the
system wholly, though good progress has been made. There
are three county officers who receive the benefit of certain
fees in addition to their salaries, namely, the treasurer, sheriff,
and circuit court clerk. The coroner and surveyor receive
fees only, except that, in counties having a population of s
hundred thousand or more, coroners are placed on salary,
and in counties of one hundred fifty thousand or over, sur
veyors become salaried officials. The salaries of county
officers are graded as nearly as may be according to the
population and wealth of the respective counties.
Justices of the peace and constables receive fees only,
while all other township officers receive per diems. Trustees,
assessors, and justices in townships containing large cities
receive salaries.

CHAPTER XVI
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Animating Spirit. Rehgion, morality, and knowledge
being necessary to good government and the happmess of
mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever
be encouraged. — Article III, Ordinance of 1787.
Animated by this spirit the people of Indiana earlj- began
the work of developing a system of elementary and higher
education, which has since been carried forward as rapidly as
conditions would permit. The first care of the early settlers,
necessarily, was to provide for their defense against the
Indians, and establish a means of livelihood by clearing
away the forests and bringing their lands into a state of
cultivation. At the close of the Revolutionary war there were no
schools, and only three white settlements in what is now the
state of Indiana. Neither the original French settlers nor
their British successors had given any attention to the sub
ject of education, or opened a single school of any description.
The idea of popular education came only with the hardy
settlers from the states and colonies to the east and south
after American independence had been established. The
very first school opened on Indiana soil appears to have
been that of M. Rivet, at Vincennes, in 1793. Rivet was a
French missionary and a political refugee.
In 1785, or two j-ears before the adoption of the Ordinance
of 1787, Congress made provision for the establishment and
249

250 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
maintenance of schools in the Northwest Territory by setting
aside for that purpose one square mile, or Section 16, in each
congressional township. This grant was confirmed to Indi
ana in the Enabling Act of 1816, and in addition one town
ship was given for the estabhshment and use of a Seminary
of Learning.
Origin of Indiana Educational System. In the constitu
tion of 1816 a strong declaration was incorporated in the
interests of popular education, and it was made the duty of
the general assembly to provide by law for the improvement
of all lands granted, or to be granted by Congress for the use
of the schools, and to see that the revenues produced there
from were devoted to the purposes intended. None of the
lands were allowed to be sold before the year 1820, and it was
made the duty of the general assembly, as soon as circum
stances would permit, " to provide by law for a general
system of education, Ascending in a regular gradation from
township schools to a state university," wherein tuition
should be " gratis and equally open to all."
A system of county seminaries was an important part of
the plan of these early legislators, and it was provided that
the money which should be " paid as an equivalent by per
sons exempt from military duty, except in times of war,"
should be applied to the support of county seminaries, and
that all fines assessed for any breach of the penal laws
should be similarly applied in the counties wherein they were
assessed. During the first few years following the adoption
of the constitution a number of these county seminaries were
estabhshed, and some of them later developed into widely
celebrated institutions of learning.
The Pioneer Township Schools. In 1821 the legislature
appointed a commission to formulate a bill for a general

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 251
school law.' The commission reported to the legislature of
1824, and its work was approved, and the bill enacted. It
was doubtless the best legislation possible at that time, and
was the beginning of our present common-school system.
But in view of the present advanced state of development,
even to the point of Compulsory attendance, a hasty view of
the pioneer township school may prove both interesting and
instructive. Under the provisions of the law any three inhabitants
of the township could call a public meeting, and if there
should be an attendance of twenty or more freeholders or
householders, they were empowered to elect three township
trustees. These trustees would then divide the township into
school districts, and appoint three sub-trustees in each district.
Then the sub-trustees would call meetings in their respective
districts, and proceed to take the sense of the householders
and freeholders present, " by ayes and noes, in writing," on
the question whether they would or would not support a
public school " for any number of months not less than three
in each year." If the vote proved favorable, a site would be
selected, also by majority vote, and a time set to meet and
begin building a schoolhouse. Each male inhabitant over
twenty-one years old was required to put in one day's work
each week until the house was completed, or pay thirty-seven
and one half cents in cash for each day he failed to work.
He was allowed the privilege, in lieu of such work or labor, of
furnishing " any plank, nails, glass, or other materials "
that might be needed in the construction of such building.
The law required that the schoolhouse should be eight
1 The members of the commission were John Badollet, Daniel Hart,
William W. Martin, James Welsch, Daniel S. Caswell, Thomas C. Searle,
and John Todd. In their instructions they were given special direction to
guard against "any distinction between the rich and the poor."

252 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
feet between the floors, and at least one foot from the surface
of the ground to the first floor, and " comfortably furnished
and appointed for the teacher and pupils." Contemporary
history tells us that these comfortable appointments and
furnishings consisted usually of walls built of green rough
logs, with mud chinked in between, puncheon floors and seats,
a big open fireplace, and a clapboard roof surmounting all.
When the schoolhouse was completed the sub-trustees
would call another meeting of the inhabitants " and take the
sense of such meeting " whether they would " suffer any por
tion of the tax for the support of such school to be raised in
money, and if so, what proportion, and the term of time
they would wish to employ a teacher." Finally the sub-
trustees would employ a teacher "on the most advantageous
terms, contracting to make payment at the end of the term
contracted for, in such articles and otherwise in such way
and manner as may comport with the decision and determi
nation of the inhabitants of such district." Before the
teacher was eligible to close the coveted contract he must
have received a certificate from the township trustees setting
forth that they had " examined him touching his qualifica
tions, and particularly as respects his knowledge of the Eng
lish language, writing, and arithmetic," and that in their
opinion he was " an useful person to be employed in said
school." '
Many of the early teachers were from Ireland and Scot
land, while others were supplied by New England, and other
portions of the earlier settled East and South. There being
no system of textbooks, the pupils brought to school with
them almost any kind of books they happened to have in
their homes. The New Testament was used extensively for
' Quotations are from the law of 1824.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 253
reading exercises. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the
principal and almost only subjects taught. There were no
restrictions upon corporal punishment as a means of main
taining discipline, and liberal advantage was taken by the
early preceptors of the fact that hickory switches and beech-
tree limbs were abundant and convenient to hand.
Crude as they were, and despite their poverty of methods
and appliances, these early schools exerted a wonderful influ
ence upon the first generation native born to Indiana. They
could not bestow a polished education, but they furnished a
foundation to build upon, planted the seeds of ambition, and
awakened inspirations to higher and better things, that have
borne choice fruits through succeeding generations.
County Seminaries and the Permanent School Fund. In
the session of 1824, laws were also enacted in the interests of
the county seminaries, and a special act was passed pro
viding schools for Clark's Grant. The county seminaries,
however, were not to continue a part of our educational
system. In 1852 the legislature ordered the sale of all semi
naries and semmary property, and directed that the pro
ceeds of the sales be added to the permanent school fund.
The permanent school fund, as it now exists by constitu
tional provision, consists of the congressional township fund;
the bank tax fund; the sinking fund; the surplus revenue
fund; the saline fund; the swamp land fund; the seminary
fund; the contingent fund. It may be increased, but can
never be diminished. At the present time the fund amounts
to over eleven million dollars, which is a common-school
endowment exceeded in only a few of the states.
The congressional township fund was raised from the
sale of lands given by the Government — particulariy Sec
tion 16 of each congressional township. The bank tax fund

254 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
was created by a tax on the dividends declared by the state
bank, which had its existence from 1834 to 1859. The sink
ing fund was a fund created for the payment of the state's
share of the stock of the state bank. One half million dollars
more was borrowed than needed for the payment for stock,
and loaned out at six per cent interest. The proceeds were
to go first toward the extinguishment of the debt, and after
that to the permanent school fund. The fund finally realized
to the schools from this peculiar speculation amounted to
over three million dollars. The surplus revenue fund
is a part of the state's share of a large surplus which had
accumulated in the national treasury and was distributed
(1836) among the different states. This also was a peculiar
transaction, and the advance may sometime have to be
returned. The saline fund arose from the sale of salt springs
and lands pertaining thereto, donated by the Government.
The swamp land fund arose from the sale of swamp lands
given by the Government. The seminar j'' fund was created
by the sale of the county seminaries, and their property,
following the act of the legislature of 1852. The con
tingent fund arises from fines, forfeitures, and escheats.
Groundwork of Modem School System ; Recent Legisla
tion. Some very important school legislation passed in 1852
was declared unconstitutional, and was followed, though
somewhat tardily, by the enactments of 1865. These en
actments furnished the plan and groundwork of Indiana's
present excellent school system. (See Chapter XII.)
The uniform textbook law, for the elementary grades,
was passed in 1889. The purposes of this law were to estab
lish a uniform system of textbooks^ and lessen the cost of
books to school patrons by substituting state adoption for
county or local adoptions.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 255
The compulsory education law, enacted in 1895, has proved
itself of vast importance and benefit. It compels the attend
ance at school of all children between the ages of eight and
fourteen years. A truant officer is appointed in each coimty
to see that the law is complied with. Provision is made for
the appointment of additional officers in the cities where it is
thought necessary.
In 1906, responding to an agitation on the part of the teach
ing profession. Governor J. Frank Hanly appointed a com
mission to investigate the subjects of teachers' qualifications
and wages, and any other matters affecting the welfare of
the schools, and report with recommendations to the gover
nor and the next general assembly. As a result of the
investigations and report of this commission a number of
laws of great importance to the educational interests of the
state were enacted. Among them were the teachers' mini
mum wage and qualifications law, which raised the minimum
standards both of qualifications and pay; the law providing
for the establishment of departments of normal instruction
for teachers in the non-state colleges, and the law establishing
a uniform course of study for high schools. Provisions were
also made for the lengthening of school terms, and there was
much other legislation friendly and helpful to the schools.
ConsoUdated Schools. Previously laws had been passed
providing for the abandonment and consolidation of town
ship schools, the transportation of children from the aban
doned districts, and the establishment of township high
schools. As a result of this legislation over twenty thousand
pupils were being hauled to consolidated township schools
in 1909-10, and the system has commended itself to nearly
all friends of improved educational facilities in the rural
communities. In the consolidated schools the pupils have

256

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

the advantages of better and more sanitary buildings, better
equipment, better instruction, and longer terms. The ar
rangement makes industrial training possible where it is
desired. It brings the country child within the privilege of
the library, of laboratory work, and instruction in music,
drawing, nature study, etc. And the cost is no greater, rela-

TypE or Township Consolidated School

tively, than that required for the separate maintenance of
the small schools. The system is coming into vogue in a
number of other states, largely as a result of its remarkable
success and splendid results in Indiana.
Indiana's System among the Best; Record of Progress.
According to the general verdict of competent authorities

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 267
Indiana's elementary and high school systems are among
the best to be found in any of the states. Both in city and
country good modern buildings with up-to-date appliances
prevail, while the teachers are well trained, well qualified
and much better compensated than formerly. Very few
states in the Union pay more, grade for grade. The prog
ress made from the inception of our present system, less
than fifty years ago, is little short of marvelous. It is only
three quarters of a century since the pioneers among the
clearings in the forests were holding their " district meetings "
and voting upon the question of whether or not they would
" support a public school for any number of months not less
than three in each year," and if so whether they would " suf
fer any portion of the tax for the support " of such school
" to be raised in money."
State Educational Institutions. The state educational
institutions are also of a high order of merit. They com
prise the State University, Bloomington; Purdue University,
Lafayette; State Normal School, Terre Haute; State School
for the Deaf, Indianapolis; Indiana School for the Blind,
Indianapolis. State University, Bloomington. In 1816 Congress gave
the state a township of land for the endowment of a seminary
of learning. The land was soon afterwards located in Monroe
county, and in 1820 Bloomington was selected as the seat
of the new institution, which was opened in 1825. In 1828
the grade of the institution was raised from a seminary to
that of a college. In 1838 the college was chartered as a
university, and a little later its buildings were destroyed by
fire. The state came promptly to its aid, and new and better
buildings were erected. The university has accomplished
good results, and a still greater and grander mission for its

258

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Library, Indiana University

future is unfolding before it. , It maintains an efficient and
well-equipped medical department at Indianapolis.
Purdue University, Lafayette. The legislature at its ses
sion in 1865 accepted the terms of a land grant offered by
Congress three years earlier for the endowment of a college
of agriculture and the mechanic arts. The Government.
accordingly issued its scrip for 390,000 acres, which the
state sold for $212,238, appropriating the amount to the
establishment of the institution now known as Purdue Uni
versity. It was named for John Purdue, who donated
$150,000 for its use. Tippecanoe County, in which it is
located, gave $50,000, and the citizens of the little village of
Chauncy, adjoining Lafayette, donated one hundred acres
of land for its site. The people of the state indulge a just
pride in this spleiidid institution, which faces the future with

¦^

tiiii!

J^^Hr^

jm

^f
Fowler Hall, Pcrdue Universitt
[2S9]
State Normal School
260 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
the most inspiring prospects for continued growth and broader
usefulness. State Normal School, Terre Haute. The State Normal
School came into being to meet a growing demand for trained
teachers for the elementary and high schools, then so rapidly
increasing in numbers, and advancing along all lines of prog
ress. The legislature passed the necessary law providing
for the establishment of the school in 1865. Terre Haute
secured the location by donating $50,000 m cash and $25,000
in lands. The school was opened in 1870, and by its work
and patronage has more than justified its existence and the
enthusiasm of its promoters. Its greatest difficulty has been
to secure funds to keep buildings ahead of its growth.
Indiana State School for the Deaf, Indianapohs. This
school was incorporated as a state institution in 1844. Henry
Ward Beecher and Bishop Matthew Simpson were members
of its incorporating board. It was the second state insti
tution to be established by Indiana, the first being Indi
ana University. The claim is made that by her action in
placing this school on an equal basis with the other state
educational institutions, Indiana became the first state in
the Union to provide free education to the deaf on exactly
the same terms that school privileges are extended to the
hearing. This school is not classed as a charitable or be
nevolent institution. The legislature of 1909 extended the
provisions of the compulsory education law to include the
deaf and blind eligible to attend the schools provided for
their education.
Indiana School for the Blind, Indianapolis. This school
came into existence by an act of the legislature of 1847.
As in the case of the school for the deaf, it is an educational
and not a charitable institution. Tuition is free on the broad

School for the Deaf

School foe the Blind

262 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
principle that the state is bound to furnish school facilities
to all classes of her citizens alike. And as stated above,
the provisions of the compulsory education law now include
the blind.
Vincennes University, Vincennes. While Vincennes Uni
versity is not a state institution in the sense of being supported
by the state, yet it was endowed by a grant of lands made
by Congress to the territorial government, and its history
involves a contention with the state of almost a century's
duration. Hence it seems appropriate to include a brief
sketch concerning it here.
In 1804 Congress granted to the territorial government
a township of land to endow a seminary of learning. The
township was located in Gibson County in 1806, and con
tained 23,040 acres. In 1807 the university was chartered,
and Vincennes chosen as its site. William Henry Harrison,
then governor of the territory, was president of its first
board of trustees. A brick building was erected from the
proceeds of the sale of 4000 acres of the land granted by
Congress, and the school was started, but progress was slow,
in fact impossible, for lack of funds. Suspension came in
1823, and in 1824 the seminary was adopted as the County
Seminary of Knox County, but the university was reinstated
in 1840.
In 1823 a step was taken that involved the university
and the state in a controversy which remained unsettled for
eighty-seven years. Reference is to the sale by the state,
following the suspension of the university, of 16,845 of the
remaining 19,040 acres of land granted by Congress. The
proceeds were turned over to the State University at Bloom
ington. In 1844 the Board of Trustees of Vincennes Univer
sity instituted suits against the purchasers of the lands, in an

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 263
effort to recover them, but before any of the suits were
allowed to come to an issue the legislature voluntarily
assumed responsibility by passing an act permitting the
university to institute suit agamst the state, which it did,
securing judgment upon final appeal to the United States
Supreme Court for $66,580. Samuel Judah, the attorney for
the university, retained from the amount of the judgment,
which the state paid in bonds, $25,000 for his services. Pro
testing that this fee was excessive, the university now sued
him for recovery of a part of it, but was defeated. Later,
the university complained that it was not fully compensated,
and in 1895 the legislature made it another appropriation
of $15,000. Next a claun for $120,000 was preferred on the
grounds of insufficiency of former settlements. A bill allow
ing this claim passed both branches of the general assembly
in 1899, and was vetoed by Govemor Mount. In 1901,
and again in 1903, similar bills were introduced but defeated
in the legislature. In 1903 the legislature appointed a
commission consisting of the govemor, secretary, auditor,
and treasurer of state to investigate the claim. The result
was that the secretary, auditor, and treasurer signed a ma
jority report favoring the claim, and the governor (Durbin) a
minority report opposed to it.
In 1907 the claim was again renewed, this time for $120,548,
and a bill directing that it be allowed, and bonds issued in
favor of the trustees of the university for the amount, passed
both houses of the general assembly. Governor Hanly
vetoed it, setting forth his reasons in a message of great
length. The general assembly promptly passed the measure
over his veto by decisive majorities, and it became a law.
The. bonds, when issued, required the signatures of the
govemor and the secretary of state to make them valid, and

264 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
when they were presented to the governor he refused to
sign, but locked them up in his safe and held them until the
meeting of the special session called in September, 1908,
when he sent an earnest message to the legislature asking
that the law authorizing the bond issue be repealed. This
the legislature declined to do, and the matter then rested
until Thomas R. Marshall succeeded to the governorship
in 1909, when he signed the bonds. Ex-Governor Hanly
then caused injunctive proceedings to be brought enjoining
the secretary of state from attaching his signature, and the
issue thus presented was taken before the Superior Court of
Marion County, and a decision rendered upholding the valid
ity of the legislative act and of the bond issue. This deci
sion, upon appeal of the cause, was confirmed in December,
1910, by a judgment of the Supreme Court. The benefit of
the bond issue was thus finally assured to the university,
which will devote the resultant funds to the enlargement of
its facilities, and the expansion of its already broad field of
usefulness.

CHAPTER XVII
RECENT EVENTS
Political Upheavals in 1910. Democrats Win Full Con
trol of State Government The tariff legislation of 1909,
previously referred to, had the effect of creating such differ
ences of views within the ranks of the republican party,
that it remained an issue, and played an important part in
the " off-year " elections of 1910. A number of representa
tives and senators in Congress had stood out for a more
pronounced reduction in duties than characterized the fin
ished measure when presented, for their votes, and claiming
a non-fulfillment of platform pledges, continued their oppo
sition. Then the republicans and their tariff measures,
whether justly or not, were charged with responsibility for the
era of " high cost of living " which had prevailed for a period
of years, and in Indiana it is extremely doubtful if the partj's
evasion of the temperance question improved its situation.
The election resulted in substantial gains for the demo
crats throughout the whole country, giving them control
of the national house of representatives. In Indiana the
party made practically a " clean sweep," electing all of its
candidates for state offices, a majoritj' in both branches of
the legislature, and twelve out of the thui«en members of
Congress to which the state was entitled. The result also
led to the retirement of United States Senator Albert J. Bev
eridge, and the election of the Hon. John Worth Kem to
succeed him. 265

266 RECENT EVENTS
Indiana and the Census of 1910. Decrease of Popula
tion in Rural Communities; Causes. The population of
Indiana, according to the United States Census of 1910, is
2,700,876, a gain of 184,414 in the ten years since 1900.
The rate of growth, 7.3 per cent, is the smallest heretofore
recorded for any census decade. It is a little less than half
that of the decade from 1890 to 1900, though suffering less
by comparison with the rate (10.8) from 1880 to 1890.
The figures serve to direct attention more forcibly to a
movement, already discerned, and general not only in Indiana
but elsewhere, of marked significance. It is a shifting of
population at the expense of the farm, and of the country
districts generally. An analysis of the census reports by
counties shows that the rural communities in Indiana are
responsible almost wholly for the state's falling rate of
growth. Of the 92 counties, 56 show a decrease in popu
lation, amounting in the aggregate to 69,215. There are
gains in the other 36 counties, totaling 253,629, but they
are traceable, with scarcely an exception, to the growth of
the cities and towns.
If we look for the causes they will be found, principally,
in the attractions of industrial and commercial life in the
cities, and the influence of modern farm machinery and
improved methods of land cultivation in the country, making
unnecessary the employment of as many people as formerly
in carrying on the work of the farms.
County Option Law Repealed. The county local option
law was repealed by the Legislature of 1911, and the demo
cratic platform measure, making incorporated cities, town
ships, and the territory in townships outside of incorporated
cities the units of election, was enacted in its place.

APPENDIX

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
THE RAPPITE COMMUNITY
Ideas and Purposes of Two Great Leaders. The name
of New Harmony, a picturesque little city of about fifteen
hundred inhabitants, located on the Wabash River in Posey
County, Indiana, will ever be associated with the history of
two of the most notable communistic experiments ever
tried on the Western Continent. The first was that of
George Rapp, a German religious enthusiast, and dissenter
from the established German church, who emigrated to
America in order to escape persecution, and enjoy liberty
of thought and expression. In the spring of 1815, accom
panied by about eight hundred followers, pricipally Wiirttem-
berg peasants, he founded the village of " Harmonic," and
" dedicated it to the uses of a Christian brotherhood."
The settlement was conducted on the community plan, and
prospered, in a material sense, until 1824, when the vast
estate of almost 30,000 acres of land, including buildings,
and town and plantation improvements, was sold to Robert
Owen, a wealthy manufacturer and social reformer of New
Lanark, Scotland. Owen also had a socialistic cure, but
of a slightly different kind, for all human discontent. Rapp's
panacea consisted of celibacy, Christian devotion, and com
munism. Owen's Utopia was to be brought about through
cooperation, universal education, brotherly love, and the
elimination of all forms of competition. No religious

ii SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
motives entered into his plans. In fact, by denouncing all
of the then accepted forms of religion he caused himself to
be accused of unbelief, and his socialistic teachings and
experiments were ever afterwards associated in the popular
mind with atheism, or infidelity. And the fact greatly
hampered the real and practical reforms in the interests of
the laboring classes which he endeavored to promote, espe
cially in England.
The Rappites and Harmonie. George Rapp, father of
the first experiment at New Harmony, was born in 1757, and
before coming to America resided at Wiirttemberg, Germany.
Although lacking the advantages of a liberal education, he
was a careful and earnest student, especially of the Bible,
and developed a very strong personality. He early came to
regard the established German church as hopelessly de
generated from its former high standard, and refused to
affiliate with it, or acknowledge its ecclesiastical authority.
This brought upon him and his little band of adherents
much persecution and contumely. After enduring it for a
time, he gathered about him a considerable company of his
most resolute followers, and prepared to emigrate with them
to America.'
It is evident that Rapp's ideas on socialism and commu
nism were carefully thought out, and that he was shrewd
enough to foresee that no scheme of absolute equality in
service and privilege could be successfully enforced, even
among the most simple-minded and docile, without first
eliminating the institution of the separate family. Hence
1 .\nother notable communistic experiment which followed that of
Rapp was " Zoar," in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. It was also made up of
German immigrants, and was led by Joseph Bimler. Before leaving the
Fatherland Bimler and his followers had refused to pay taxes, denouncing
the country, because of religious conditions, as "that great Babylon."

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY iii
his injunction of celibacy. As a foundation for his doctrine
on this subject, he professed belief that in the beginning
both God and man possessed a dual nature, and that had
Adam remained in his original state, possessing within his
own jjerson both the sexual elements, the race would have
been propagated without the aid of the female. This
curious doctrine was based on the scriptural passage found
in the first chapter of Genesis: " So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them." But Adam refused to be content
until God separated the female part from his body, and
created woman. This, according to Rapp, was the beginning
of trouble in the world, and literally constituted the faU of
man. Hence the doctrine of cehbacy, which he would
enjoin until the Adamie condition shoidd be restored. In
justification of the rule of a communitj' of goods, and aboli
tion of all forms of private ownership, he pointed to Acts
rv. 32: " And the multitude of them that believed were of
one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that
aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they
had all things in common."
Accompanied by his adopted son, Frederick, Rapp set
out for the United .States in 1803. He purchased a tract of
5000 acres of unimproved land near ZeUenople, Pennsyl
vania, and settled about six hundred of his people on it. The
immigrants brought their families wth them, and were per
mitted to cherish the old ties for a time, but the marriage
state was formally renounced in 1807, and those previously
married were separated and forbidden longer to live together.
The colony prospered and grew, but in 1813 it was deter
mined to seek a more desirable location, principally because
of climatic conditions and lack of navigation facilities.

iv SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
Frederick Rapp was sent to examine into the advantages of
other regions, and after extensive explorations selected the
present site of New Harmony, Indiana.' The country was
wild, and almost wholly uninhabited, but the soil was fertile,
and the situation on the beautiful Wabash, being about
fifty-five miles from the mouth of that stream, as picturesque
and inviting as any earthly prospect could be. Here almost
thirty thousand acres of choice land was purchased, to which
the Rappites, about eight hundred strong, made, removal
in 1815, and established the village of " Harmonie," as
before stated. They sold their possessions in Pennsylvania
for $100,000, which was regarded as a great sacrifice.
The industry of the newcomers was phenomenal, and
they performed their tasks according to a discipline almost
as perfect as that which controls an army.^ They cleared
the lands, planted and reaped their harvests, cultivated
' Frederick Rapp was an efficient lieutenant and trusted adviser of
George Rapp. He looked after the outside business affairs of the colony,
as a rule, and it was to his artistic taste that Harmony owed its reputa
tion for being one of the most attractive villages in the country. And
while in Indiana he won recognition politically. He was one of the dele
gates to the Constitutional Convention of 1816, and afterwards became a
member of the legislature. He also served on the committee that located
the State Capital at Indianapolis. He met a violent death after the return
of the Rappites to Pennsylvania, and malicious gossip alleged that he was
murdered at the instigation of his foster father, George Rapp, because he
refused to put away his wife and observe the community rule of celibacy.
The story seems to have been both wanton and absurd. It is practically
certain that young Rapp was killed by a falling tree on the Economy
estate. 2 " Women as well as men labored in the fields, as many as fifty some
times being employed in a body, harvesting wheat, or breaking flax in the
streets. Often they marched to the fields to the music of a band, which
was one of the regular institutions of the community. It is said that this
band often played upon the hillsides while the peasants labored in the
valley. A hundred acres of wheat were harvested by the sickle in a day
— a remarkable result for that time." — George B. Lockwood, in The
New Harmony Movement.

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY v
orchards and vineyards, built homes and public buildings
and factories and mills, and erected a church of such mag
nificence, in view of the time and the environment, that
it was an object of wonderment to visitors.' All labored for
the general good of the community, and lived on terms of
exact equality.' All goods and property were owned in
common. Rapp's Methods of Control; St. Gabriel's Rock. Rapp
was the supreme head and sole spiritual adviser of the
community; and in order to fortify and render more
absolute his authority, he did not scruple to make frequent
appeals to the religious credulity and superstitious fears
of his simple-minded followers. He professed on many
occasions to be guided by divine communications received
in visions, and is said to have employed various expedients
to inculcate in the minds of his people the belief that he
was omnipresent and possessed miraculous powers. Among
these, so tradition says, was a secret underground passage
way from the cellar of his home to the granary or fort, and
another to the pulpit of the church, enabling hiin to appear
suddenly and mysteriously before his people at unexpected
times. He kept on exhibition a large limestone slab, bear
ing the imprint of two bare feet, explaining to his people
that the imprints were from the feet of the angel Gabriel,
* The church was in the shape of a Greek cross, and a London traveler,
describing it at the time, exclaimed: "I can scarcely imagine myself to be
in the wilds of Indiana, on the borders of the Wabash, while passing through
its long and resounding aisles, and surveying its stately colonnades."
' The idea of perfect equality among the Rappites did not stop with the
end of Ufe, but was carried to the grave. There was no ostentation of
mourning or of sorrow at the funeral of a deceased member, and the place
of his burial was sodded over, with not so much as a mound of earth to
mark his resting place. But a plan, or diagram, indicating the site of each
grave, was kept.

VI SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
who had alighted upon the earth to convey to the Rappites,
through him, a message from heaven, and a warning of the
near approach of the end of the world. The slab, though
broken in halves, is still in existence, and is an object of
great curiosity to visitors. It is known as " St. Gabriel's
Rock." '
Effects of the System upon the People ; Removal to Penn
sylvania. " Father " Rapp was cheerful, kindly, and sym
pathetic, and enjoyed the confidence and affection of his
followers to a marked degree. They regarded him as a
holy man and prophet. He taught self-sacrifice, humihty,
neighborly love, religious devotion, industry, purity, and
the various personal virtues. The rule of cehbacy was
rigidly enforced. Separate quarters were maintained for the
men and the women, and every individual had his or her
stated task to perform. All were neatly though plainly clad,
had plenty of good food, served at common tables, were given
time for rest and recreation, and seemed as happy and con
tented as it is possible for mortals to be. However, the
practical sociologist will likely tell you that it is a very rare
' The stone, before being broken, was eight feet by five, surface measure
ment, and eijht inches ia thickness. For a long time it figured in current
newspaper discussion, and finally became an object of inquiry upon the
part of scientists. Tlie prints were described as having the appearance of
being the impress of bare feet made in mud, and the mud so impressed
having subsequently hardened into stone. There was an irregular founded
mark, or scroll, in front of tlie imprints, which was surmised to have been
made with a stick in the hands of tlie prehistoric owner of the feet. With
this kind of history, if authenticated, the stone would have been an
object of unusual interest to antiquarians, but David Dale Owen, a scien
tist of reputation and an expert geologist, made a careful investigation,
and his report proved fatal to the stone's principal charm of antiquity. It
was found to be of limestone formation, belonging to the Paleozoic age —
an age beyond any reasonable possibility of human habitation upon the
earth. The footprints and scroll had been carved artificially, doubtless
by the Indians in comparatively recent times, other such examples having
been found. Rapp brought the stone from a quarry near St. Louis.

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY VU
type of humanity that can be satisfied and kept in content
ment with all individuality sunk to a common level, deprived
of the associations of the opposite sex, and a ban placed
upon every ambition to personal achievement.
Robert Dale Owen, writing of the effects of community
life on these simple-minded German peasants, said: " The
toil and suffering had left their mark, however, on the grave,
stolid, often sad German faces. They looked well fed,
well clothed (so my father told me), and seemed free from
anxiety. The animal had been sufficiently cared for, and
that is a great deal in a world where millions can hardly
keep the wolf from the door, drudge as they will. ... A
shelter from life-wearing cares is something; but a temple
typifies higher things — more than what we shall eat, and
what we shall drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed.
Rapp's disciples had bought this dearly, at the expense of
heart and soul. They purchased them by unquestioned
submission to an autocrat who had been commissioned, per
haps as he really believed, certainly as he alleged, by God
himself. He bade them do this and that, and they did it,
commanded them to forego wedded life and all its incidents,
and to this also they assented."
But under this system and direction these simple-minded
toilers made the land to yield its fruits in rich abundance,
and they enjoyed a degree of prosperity far beyond the best
achievements of the occupants of the surrounding lands.
The value of their property in 1820 was estimated at $1,000,-
000, and in 1824 the per capita or average wealth had grown
to $2000, which was probably ten times the average wealth
throughout the United States. The per capita wealth in
the rest of Indiana at that time was about $150. " Socially,
however," truthfully writes Robert Dale Owen, " it was

viii SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
doubtless a failure, as an ecclesiastical aristocracy, especially
when it contravenes an important law of nature, must
always be. Rapp was an absolute ruler, assuming to be
such by virtue of a divine call, and it was said, probably
with truth, that he desired to sell Harmony because life
there was getting to be easy and quiet, with leisure for
thought, and because he found it difficult to keep his people
in order, excepting during the bustle and hard work which
attended a new settlement."
In the midst of their prosperity, as if moved by a sudden
impulse, the Rappites decided to go back to Pennsylvania.
About this time Richard Flower, founder of the celebrated
socialistic settlement in Edwards County, Illinois, accom
panied by his son Edward, was preparing to return to Eng
land, and before departing was given a commission by
Father Rapp to sell Harmony.' His efforts were successful,
for in 1824 a sale was negotiated to Robert Owen. Although
Harmony was reputed to be worth $1,000,000, it changed
hands upon a consideration of $150,000, which, however,
was a great advance over the price paid ten years before.
From Harmony the Rappites journeyed back to Pennsyl
vania and bought a large tract of land eighteen miles
below Pittsburg, and erected on it the village of Economy.
There is a conflict among the authorities as to why the
Rappites left Indiana. One writer says they left on account
of fever, ague, unpleasant neighbors, and remoteness from
market. The last is probably the only one of the reasons
given that really had weight, as, according to the assertions
' The two Flowers had greatly distinguished themselves by their active
opposition to the extension of slavery into the free territory of Illinois.
Edward Flower did not return to this country, but remained in England,
making an honorable career for himself there. It was his daughter, Sarah
Flower, who wrote the immortal hymn, " Nearer, my God, to Thee."

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY ix
of the Rappites themselves, the fever and ague had about
disappeared in 1824, and little intercourse was had with the
settlers outside the Harmony community, so no serious
annoyance could have been experienced from them. Good
markets were remote from the Harmony vicinity at that time,
however, and practically all the supplies that were needed
had to be brought from Pittsburg. These two facts, un
questionably, supplied the real motive for so important a
step. By the removal to Pennsylvania they not only got
near their base of supplies, but close by an inexhaustible
market. Another writer states that the Harmony property
had become burdened with debt, and had to be sold. There
is no evidence, however, that the Rappites had suffered any
financial embarrassment. There were stories to the effect
that when making the start to Economy, bulhon was con
veyed from Father Rapp's cellar to the boats in wagonloads.
Certain it is that soon after their arrival in Pennsylvania,
they not only had money to pay for their new estate, but
were able to raise over §100,000 in cash to pay to a party
of seceders.
End of the Experiment. At the zenith of their prosperity,
after the removal to Economy, the Rappites' estate is said
to have been worth ten to twenty million dollars. But
troubles and losses later ensued, the great leader of the
movement became enfeebled under the weight of years, and
finally died in 1847, at the age of ninety. Afterwards the
Economy estate, deeply involved in debt, and burdened with
destructive litigation, was managed by trustees. At the last
it was administered upon as a corporation for the benefit
of its fast dwindling membership, and the great experiment
was at an end.

X SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
THE OWEN EXPERIMENT
Robert Owen and New Lanark; His Method of Winning
a Wife. As the success of the Rappite community depended
upon the strength, enthusiasm, and personality of George
Rapp, waned with his enfeeblement, and died when he died,
so the new movement at Harmony depended upon the spirit
and physical presence of Robert Owen, its originator. In
order to understand the real significance of this new at
tempt at social reformation, something must be known of the
author and of his views and previous activities.
Robert Owen was born in North Wales in 1771, of humble
parentage, and his educational opportunities were limited.
At an early age he was apprenticed to a draper. Advancing
from the drapers' trade he learned the cotton manufacturing
business, and at the age of nineteen found himself the manager
of a large cotton mill at Manchester, England, with five
hundred employees under his charge. Being impressed with
the vicious circumstances under which these and other factory
employees earned their daily bread, he set about devising
ways and means for their amelioration and relief. Deeply
gratified with the results of such improved conditions as he
was able to bring about, both in the added comfort, health,
and morals of the employees, and the pronounced reflex bene
fit to the factory in more cheerful and proficient service, he
advanced still farther, step by step, in various philanthropic
endeavors in his working people's behalf. Under his humane
and capable management the establishinent was soon made
one of the best of its kind in England. , In this factory Owen
received the first bags of American sea-island cotton ever
imported into England.
But Owen's principal reputation as a successful manu-

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW H.iRMONY xi
facturer, social reformer, and philanthropist was made at
New Lanark, Scotland, whither he was led by a love romance.
While visiting Glasgow on a business errand, he met Miss
Dale, daughter of David Dale, proprietor of the great cotton
mills at New Lanark. Soon after his return to Manchester
he wrote her a letter proposing marriage. She dutifully
referred him to her father, making her consent conditional
upon his parental approval. Thinking such approval quite
doubtful under all the circumstances, Onen set about in
ducing his partners in the Manchester mill to join him in
buying the New Lanark mill. The plan was successful,
Owen was made manager of the newlj- acquired in
dustry, and the wedding followed in due course, as he had
planned. About two thousand people were employed in the New
Lanark mill, a fourth of whom were children. In his dealings
with these, Owen employed the same -kindliness, and ex
hibited the same humane and philanthropic interest that
had marked his management and attitude at Manchester,
except that he carried his plans much farther. He devised
and put into operation various schemes for the moral and
physical improvement of the surroundings, and the eradica
tion of vice from among the employees. He provided for
their education, and founded the first infant school ever
opened on English soil. He opened a store where all articles
were sold at cost, and during the American Embargo of
1806, when the mill could no longer receive a supply of raw
cotton and was compelled to shut down, he continued to
pay his employees their wages. The reforms he set in motion,
and the help extended by way of education and the eradica
tion of evils, affected not only his employees, but their families
and the whole population of New Lanark. The fame of
MOOBE, IKD.— 18.

xii SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
Owen's philanthropy and of the model manufacturing com
munity he had promoted, became not only national but
international, and hundreds of visitors, including philan
thropists, sociologists, educators, and even royalty, came
from nearly every country of Europe to make observations.
But Owen's policies were not without their drawbacks in
other ways. While he had brought good cheer and content
ment to the employees of the mill, completely changed the
moral atmosphere, imparted a new impetus to the natural'
desire of the people for better things, and increased the
profits of the mill at the same time, his partners in the enter
prise looked upon his benevolences as mere wastefulness at
their expense, and figured that their profits would have been
so much greater if Owen had followed the usual business
methods elsewhere in vogue. So twice within a compara
tively short time Owen was compelled to interest new groups
of men to buy out the old ones, the price advancing each
time. But attacks were now made on other grounds, and
Owen was finally forced out of the New Lanark mills. He
was taken to task for his moral and religious beliefs, and
denounced as a heretic and an infidel. Such is the brand of
public appreciation so often encountered by benefactors of
the race. It has been so from the beginning of time.
The Owen Philosophy ; Reforms Advocated. In the place
of the existing forms of religion which he had denounced
and swept aside, Owen thought out and adopted a creed of
his own. The chief points in his philosophy were: Man's
character is made not by him but for him; it is formed by
circumstances over which he has no control; he is therefore not
a proper subject for either praise or blame. These principles
led to the practical conclusion that the great secret in the
right formation of man's character is to place him under the

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY xili
proper influences, physical, moral and social, from his earliest
years. In other words, environment determines all.
Owen devoted many years to the advocacj- of laws for the
reUef of the laboring classes in England. He was the first
to urge legislation regulating the employment of children
in factories and shops, and limiting the number of hours they
should be required to work. His efforts were sincere, un
selfish and untiring. But for. his reward he seems to have
earned the opiwsition both of the laboring classes themselves
and of their employers. At least the two elements joined to
encompass his defeat in a race he made for a seat in Parlia
ment in 1819. The most damaging opposition encountered,
however, was on account of his rehgious views. This hos-
tihty approached the effects of an excommunication, and
largely neutralized his later efforts to bring about various
practical reforms.
The Purchase of Harmony; Golden Dreams. The bargain
for the Rappite possessions at Harmony was completed in
1825, when Robert Owen came into possession of nearly
30,000 acres of Indiana real estate, 3000 acres of which were
under cultivation. The purchase included the village of
Harmony, with its pubhc buildings and great church, its
homes, industries and various improvements. Henceforth
the village was to be known as New Harmonj', and here the
new proprietor, unhampered by the conflicting interests of
unsympathetic co-investors, was to put into operation plans
for communistic colonization which he had long cherished,
and promote the moral, physical and intellectual well-being
of the people along lines of his own choosing. The full scope
of his object was to reform society completely along social
istic and communistic lines. He would do away with self
ishness by having all things held by the people in common,

xiv SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
and by abolishing private ownership of property. He would
teach the truth and banish superstition; would substitute
cooperation for competition, make education free and univer
sal, and insure equal opportunities and equal privileges to
all. He would bring about a direct distribution of the neces
saries of life from the producer to the consumer, and abolish
the useless and expensive middleman.
The experiment was heralded by the press of the world,
and on his way to New Harmony Owen stopped at Washing
ton and addressed both Houses of Congress, with the Presi
dent, judges of the Supreme Court, and other distinguished
persons as auditors, explaining his plans for the redemption
of the human race from the evils of the existing state of
society, and exhibiting a model of the magniflcent community
house he proposed eventually to build. There was no trouble
finding people willing to join in the experiment. It was
formally launched April 27, 1825, and by Christmas the
population of New Harmony had grown to fully a thousand
people. About every known species of humanity was repre
sented. An eminent writer says of the colony thus hastily
formed by volunteer accessions, without any effort at selec
tion or discrimination as between the fit and the unfit, " that
the members were of the most motley description, many
worthy people of the highest aims being mixed with vagrants,
adventurers, and crotchety, wrong-headed enthusiasts."
There were cranks and hobby riders who came hoping to
find an opportunity of putting their own schemes into opera
tion rather than with an honest purpose to assist in a fair
trial of Owen's theories. Others were led by curiosity alone,
while many were attracted under the delusion that New
Harmony meant a life free from responsibility or labor.
Among the newcomers, however, were scores of enlightened

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMuNY xv

and progressive people from all portions of the United States
and many countries of northern Europe.
The Boatload of Knowledge. That Robert Owen ap
proached the great undertaking at New Harmony with the
highest ideals and the
purest motives, nearly
every one was willing
to admit. He enlisted
the interest and co
operation of William
Maclure, the wealthy
scientist of Philadel
phia, and through the
combined influence of
Owen and ^Maclure
there was assembled
at New Harmony " the
most distinguished
coterie of scientists and
educators in America."^
A hast}' glance at the
units forming this co
terie will prove of
interest, and will help
to explain why the " New Harmony INIovement " has
attracted so much more attention than other socialistic
and communistic experiments, many of which have seemed
to be far more successful.
First there was Maclure himself, a native of Scotland,
who made the first geological survey of the United States.
He was the principal founder of the Philadelphia Academy
• George B. Lockwood, in The New Harmony Movement.

William Maclure

xvi SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
of Natural Sciences, and was president of the society. He
visited Pestalozzi's school in Switzerland and was the first
to introduce the system of that great educator in the United
States. For his geological researches he was known as the
" Father of American Geology." It was his expressed ambi
tion to make New Harmony the center of American edu
cation by introducing, and disseminating from there, the
Pestalozzian system of instruction, and with this purpose
Robert Owen was in fullest sympathy.
Next there was Thomas Say, who had earned the title of
the " Father of American Zoology," and who devoted his
time at New Harmony to the teaching of natural history.
His wife was the talented Miss Lucy Sistare, who accom
panied the distinguished party of scientists and educators to
New Harmony in January, 1826. Others were: Dr. Gerard
Troost, the famous Dutch geologist, and Charles Lesueur,
scientist and artist. Lesueur was the first to classify
the fishes of the Great Lakes, and the first to publish
a description of the mounds and earthworks left in Indiana
by the prehistoric race of Mound Builders. Then there
were John Chappelsmith, English artist and engraver; Con
stantino Samuel Raffinesque, an authority on natural history;
Professor Joseph Neef, a student of Pestalozzi's school, and
Madame Marie D. Fretageot and Phiquepal d'Arusmont,
and other Pestalozzian teachers; Frances Wright, afterwards
the wife of Professor d'Arusmont, who was among the first
American advocates of women's rights; the four sons of
Robert Owen, namely: Robert Dale, William, David Dale
and Richard.'
1 Robert Dale Owen, one of the four sons of Robert Owen, carved out
for himself a notable career, and during the years of his activity held rank
among the state's ablest and most prominent citizens. He was a speaker
of great power, and possessed rare talents as a writer. He was elected to

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY xvii
On their way to New Harmony in January, 1826, most of
this array of talent was home in a keel boat which sailed from
Pittsburg down the Ohio river to the mouth of the Wabash,
thence up the Wabash to their destination. It has since been
known as the " boatload of knowledge."
The Halfway House. The " Preliminary Society of New
Harmony," denominated by its founder as the " halfway
house between the old and the new," was formed May 21,
1825. The constitution was introduced by the modest
statement that " the societj' is instituted generally to pro
mote the happiness of the world." It provided that all
members should render their best service for the good of the
society, according to age, experience and capacity; that each
member, within a fixed amount in value, should have the free
choice of food and clothing, but above that amount no one
should be permitted to draw on credit, except where it was
the lower house of the Indiana I^egislature in 1836 and reelected in 1838,
serving two terms. He was elected to Congress in 1S42, and again in 1844
In the legislature he advocated measures granting full property and social
rights to women, and the establi.^hment of "free, equal and universal
schools" at the state's expense. On both subjects he left the impress of
his zeal upon the statutes. He was also a member of the Constitutional
Convention of 1850, wherein he was able to accomplish a still greater
service for the cause of popular education. As a member of Congress he
became the legislative father of the Smithsonian Institution. Among his
published works Beyond the Breakers, Footfalls on the Boundary of .1 nother
World, a book on spiritualism, and Threading My Way, his autobiography,
are the best known.
David Dale Owen held the office of State Geologist in 1837 and 1838
and was elevated to the office of United States Geologist in 1839. Be
coming State Geologist again in 1859, after completing his work for the
Government, he died in office, and was succeeded by his brother. Richard
Owen, who served out his unexpired term and was himself reelected.
Richard Owen made an honorable ro-cord in the war for the Union, and at
its close became professor of natural sciences in the Indiana State Uni
versity, continuing in the position for fifteen years. William Owen, the
other of the quartet of Robe.-t Owen's sons, also possessed high intellec
tual powers, and made his mark as a teacher and journalist.

xviii SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
necessary for the proprietor to engage scientific and ex
perienced persons at fixed salaries to superintend and teach,
and fill other responsible positions. Such were to have a
credit at the store according to their incomes. Otherwise the
living should be upon equal terms to all. A credit and debit
system for labor performed was provided. Provision was
made for day schools and boarding schools for the children.
Complete liberty of conscience for all was guaranteed, and
differences between members were to be settled by arbitration.
About a month after the adoption of this constitution
Owen left the colony for New Lanark, Scotland, intending
to bring his family back with him. He returned in January,
1826, as a part of the freight of the " boatload of knowledge "
heretofore mentioned.
Second Stage of the Experiment; Discord in Harmony.
Upon his arrival Mr. Owen expressed great pleasure at the
evidences of progress made, and announced that the " Pre
liminary society " should be dissolved at once, instead of
waiting for the lapse of two years, as originally planned, and
that the "Community of Perfect Equality" should be
immediately inaugurated. A meeting was called and a com
mittee of seven chosen by ballot to draft a new constitution.
No less than nine sessions of the convention were thereafter
held before an agreement could be reached and the constitu
tion adopted. Then it fell far short of pleasing everybody.
A number of the members of the society refused to sign it,
and withdrawing to another portion of the estate founded a
new society, which they called " Macluria."
Under the new constitution " services to the community
were no longer to be rewarded in proportion to their worth,
as under the Preliminary Society, but equal privileges and
advantages were assured to every member," The new

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY xix
plan was a thousand times less sane and practicable than the
old, and hastened the downfall of the experiment. Within
two weeks after the formation of the permanent " Commu
nity of Equality " and the adoption of the new constitution,
anarchy reigned. The unreconciled theorists and hobby
riders broke loose in very earnest: even men of sense and
judgment disagreed. There were arguments, contentions,
and disputations, leading to general disorder and a practical
suspension of all work and industries. Lnder these circum
stances the executive committee held a meeting and unani
mously in^^ted Mr. Owen to take personal charge of the
community. He accepted, and exercising a practical dicta
torship succeeded in bringing about a temporary calm. In
March there was another secession, the second new com
munity being called " Feiba Peveli."
That there were drones in the society under the new order
of things, which vouchsafed equal privileges to all, and loud
complaints on the part of the working bees, is proved by a
contributed article in the New Harmony Gazette, the official
organ of the society, in May, 1826, in which the writer
complained that "industrious members have been compelled
to experience the unpleasant sensation of working for others
who are either unwilling or unable to do their share of the
labor." A return to the system of debits and credits was
wisely suggested. Then there were suggestions for a rear
rangement of the members into smaller groups, preferably
by occupations or trades, to insure a greater degree of " con
geniality." And the idea to an extent was carried out,
societies being formed of the educators, agriculturists,
mechanics, etc., respectively.
Owen's Great Faith; Reorganization. Robert Owen was
ever hopeful, and could see nothing ahead but success for the

XX SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
New Harmony Community of Equality. The Duke of Saxe-
Weimar visited the village at a time when practically every
well-informed member was ready to admit that the beginning
of the end was at hand, but of Owen the duke wrote: " He
looked forward to nothing else than to remodel the world;
to root out all crime, to abolish punishment, to create similar
views and similar wants, and in this manner to abolish all
dissension and warfare."
Another reorganization took place in September, 1826,
whereby the official designation was changed to " the New
Harmony Community Number I," and the government was
vested in the proprietor and four directors of his appoint
ment. Imposed upon by Dishonest Men. Among the unscrupu
lous adventurers who came to New Harmony for the sole
purpose of gaining selfish advantages, one William Taylor
was probably the worst, and amply deserved the term in the
penitentiary of a neighboring state which was finally awarded
to him. Through some artifice he induced Robert Owen to
sell him a tract of 1500 acres of land from the New Harmony
estate, and the contract is reported to have read, " with all
thereon." And on the night before the contract was for
mally executed Taylor gathered up all the agricultural imple
ments, live stock and other property he could find on other
portions of the estate, and moved them upon his own tract.
And not content with this rascality, after having induced
Owen to violate the principle of common property, he
established a distillery on the purchased land contrary to
Owen's wishes and in spite of his protest. Of the sale to
Taylor, Paul Brown, a severe critic of Owenism, declared,
" This maneuver swept away the last cobweb of fairy dreams
of a common stock and community."

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY xxi
The End Comes ; Owen's Last Address. On the first day
of June, 1827, Owen took his departure for England, ex
pecting to retum shortly. Practical disintegration of New
Harmony, Macluria, Feiba Peveli, and the other off-shooting
societies from the original organization, followed. Human
selfishness and individualism could no longer be restrained,
especially when the conviction that the propaganda was a
failure had taken firm hold on nearly all minds, and in the
absence of the one man in all the world who could wield a
semblance of influence over the discordant elements that
had been drawn together in this great " undigested " social
istic experiment.
Owen came back in April, 1828, only to find his grand
attempt at socialistic and communistic reform in hopeless
collapse. But he was still reluctant to acknowledge defeat.
In his last address in New Harmony Hall, April 13, 1828,
he said: " I had hoped that fifty years of political liberty
had prepared the American people to govern themselves
advantageously. I supplied land, houses, and the use of
capital, and I tried, each in their o^ti way, the different
parties who collected here; and the experience proved that
the attempt was premature, to unite a number of strangers
not previously educated for the purpose. I afterwards tried
what could be done by those who associated through their
own choice and in small numbers; to those I gave leases of
large tracts of good land for ten thousand years for a nominal
rent, and upon moral conditions only; and these I did expect
would have made progress during my absence; and now
upon my retum I find that the habits of the individual
system were so powerful that these leases have been, with
few exceptions, applied for individual purposes and indi
vidual gaui, and in consequence they must retum again

xxii SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
into my hands. Monopolies have been established in certain
departments without my indorsement; it was not my inten
tion to have a petty store and whisky shop here." In closing
he said: " I can only feel regret instead of anger. My in
tention now is to form such arrangements on the estate as
will enable those who desire to promote the practice of the
social system to live in separate families on the individual
system and yet to unite their general labor; or to exchange
labor for labor on the most beneficial terms for all; all to do
both or neither as their feelings or apparent interests may
influence them, while the children shall be educated with a
view to the establishment of the social system in the future."
But very soon after Owen's departure all semblance of
socialism disappeared. His financial loss is estimated at
$200,000. The residue of the New Harmony property was
conveyed to his four sons, they signing a deed of trust for
$30,000, which yielded him an annuity of $1500, his only
support for many years.
After the failure at New Harmony, Owen returned to
England, and continued to preach various reforms, princi
pally in the interests of the laboring classes. He died in
1858, aged eighty-seven years.
Bread upon the Waters; Real Significance of the Owen-
Maclure Experiment. The true significance of the Owen-
Maclure experiment at New Harmony, as has truthfully
been said, lies not so much in the things done as in the things
attempted and the many beneficent influences set in motion.
When account is taken of the progressive ideas promulgated
so much in advance of contemporary thought, and of the
reforms that grew, apparently, from the seeds sown at New
Harmony, we should be slow to denounce the movement as
having been wholly a failure. In its one central purpose,

SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY xxiii
namely, to change and reform the existing social system, it
was of course a grotesque failure. But other ideas, affecting
the happiness and progress of the race, took deep root in the
rich soil of progressive liberahsm in the direction of equal
and universal education, of means of culture for the masses,
of freedom of thought and expression, and of an untram-
meled conscience. It was in the schools of New Harmony
that the idea of coeducation of the sexes was first put into
practical operation, and the same educational advantages
accorded to girls as to boys. It was in these schools that
corporal punishment was first abolished as being both un
necessary and demoralizing to the child. Robert Owen and
William Maclure were among the very first advocates of a
system of state schools supported by the public purse,
" wherein without cost every child might receive an educa
tion equal to that of his fellows," and Robert Dale Owen,
the gifted son and disciple of Robert Owen, was a leader
among those who later engrafted the principle into Indiana's
constitution, and framed the laws establishing our present
unequaled system of free public schools and universal
education. Alaclure's Workingmen's Institute, established
at New Harmony in 1837, was the first of its kind in the
United States, and it stands until this day a monument to
his fame, as well as a model and prototype for the hundreds
that have since sprung into existence in imitation of it. The
first trade school, the first infant school and the first kinder
garten in America were those estabhshed at New Harmony,
and it was from here that the Pestalozzian system of instrac-
tion was first introduced into American schools. The second
mdustrial school in the country was that established by
Maclure at New Harmony. And William Maclure ante
dated Andrew Carnegie by a full half -century in that splendid

xxiv SOCIALISTIC EXPERIMENTS AT NEW HARMONY
form of philanthropy which finds expression in the gift of
public libraries. As a result of a provision in his will no
fewer than one hundred and sixty frontier settlements were
supplied with collections of good books for free circulation;
one hundred forty-four of these were in Indiana, and sixteen
in Illinois.
New Harmony after the Experiment. Nor did New
Harmony cease to be a center of educational activity and
influence after the final collapse of the Owen socialistic-
communistic experiment in 1828. WiUiam Maclure and
others of the distinguished scientists, sociologists and educa
tors attracted during the stirring community days, remained
at New Harmony, and the place continued to be a Mecca
for scientists and educated travelers for many years. With
David Dale Owen holding the office of United States Geolo
gist, New Harmony was headquarters of the United States
Geological Survey from 1837 to 1856. It was here that
Josiah Warren established his " Time Store " in 1842, and
John James Audubon, the great ornithologist, then propri
etor of a sawmill at Henderson, Kentucky, was a frequent
visitor. For its historic associations, the lessons it has taught, and
the distinguished names that will always remain linked with
the story of its being, New Harmony will never cease to be
an interesting spot to the student- and the thoughtful visitor.
Note. — For an exhaustive study of the socialistic experiments at New
Harmony, Col. George B. Lockwood's The New Harmony Movement is
commended.

GEOLOGIC INDIANA

Sequence of Geologic Epochs, and the Origin of Natural Gas and
Crude Petroleum. The geologist begins his reckonings with the Azoic
age of Archjean time, when the oldest known rocks were formed, and
there was neither vegetable nor animal life. After Archsean time there
followed the geologic period known as Paleozoic time, or the "J&m of
Ancient Life," embracing the Upper and Lower Silurian ages, the
Devonian era, and the Carboniferous era. At the beginning of the
Paleozoic period, which was doubtless many thousands of centuries in
duration, what is now Indiana " was covered by a broad ocean which
stretched far away to the southwest, while to the north and northeast
it extended beyond the present sites of the Great Lakes." It was in
the subdivision of Paleozoic time known as the Lower Silurian era that
the Trenton rock, which in modem times became so notable as the
source of natural gas and crude petroleum in Indiana, was laid down.
The presence of these wonderful natural fuel products in the Trenton
rocks, which are of limestone formation, is due to the confinement by
a sedimentary covering of myriads of polyps and other low forms of
animal life, along with an abundant marine plant Ufe, which entered
into the composition of the stone. Being shut off from the air by the
water, the mud, and other materials, decay was prevented, and instead
there occurred a slow process of decomposition, or distillation, which
resulted in the formation of the gas and the oil. The process continued
through aeons of time, but no new supply is being formed now. Like
coal, the gas and oil are stored products, and cannot be replenished
when exhausted. For a decade following the discovery of its com
mercial uses in 1886 the output of gas in Indiana was worth millions
each year. But the supply was wasted by a huge prodigality that was
little short of criminal. The diminished quantities being produced at
the present time are devoted to light manufacturing and domestic
uses only. Petroleum ranks next to coal among the state's most
valuable natural resources. For the last eighteen years the product
has averaged in value over four million dollars annually. The gas
and oil area comprises between four thousand and five thousand square
miles, with its center in the vicinity of Anderson, in Madison county.
xxv

xxvi GEOLOGIC INDIANA
Building Stones and Caves. After the Lower and the Upper Silu
rian periods, the rocks of the Devonian epoch were laid down in the
ocean and in time upheaved. These rocks are made up for the most
part of limestone and black shales. The latter are sometimes mistaken
for coal. They contain some oil, and will burn for a short time, but
are of no value as fuel. From the limestones of this period what is
known as hydrauUc, or natural rock cement is made in the southern
part of the state.
Following the Devonian period came that of the Lower Carbonif
erous. The rocks of this epoch are comprised of what is known aa
knobstone, or sand shales, and the Lower Carboniferous limestone.
" Two features of this Lower Carboniferous area in Indiana are
worthy of especial note. First is the Bedford oolitic limestone, which
is noted as the finest building limestone in the United States. It is
composed of the globular shells of minute one-celled animals, which
were deposited in untold myriads in the sea waters of the time. The
shells or cell walls of these animals were composed of a very pure form
of carbonate of lime, and when they died and sank on the old sea bot
toms they were cemented together by the same material. Under the
lens they resemble a mass of fish eggs soldered together, hence the
name ' oolitic,' which means ' like an egg.' The Bedford limestone
is noted among architects for its strength and durability, and for the
ease with which it may be sawed or carved into any desired form.
" Second, it is among these Lower Carboniferous rocks of south
western Indiana that we find the noted caves of the state. These were
formed in the limestone by the erosion of underground waters. Some
of them possess great vaulted rooms, deep pits, high waterfalls, and
streams of water large enough to allow the ready passage of a boat.
All of these caves are due to the action of water. During the ages which
have elapsed since the limestone was raised above the sea, it has carved
every room and passage in these caves, and has formed, by solution
and evaporation, the wonderful stalactites and other formations which
decorate the walls and ceilings of the rooms. The largest and most
noted of these caves is that known as ' Wyandotte,' in Crawford
county, which excels in beauty the mammoth cave of Kentucky. It
contains nearly five miles of subterranean passages, and the largest
underground rooms known to man."'
Upper Carboniferous or Coal Era. It was sometime toward the
close of the Lower Silurian era that the " Cincinnati Uplift " took
place, which brought to the surface a large area of land, a part of it
' Professor Blatchley.

GEOLOGIC INDIANA xxvu
lying in what is now southeastern Indiana. Gradually by the work
ings of nature other portions of the state were lifted above the waters,
and during the age of Acrogens, or the Carboniferous or coal-forming
era, a rank vegetation grew upon the marsh}' shores of the warm inland
sea. As time passed these growths developed into " boundless forests
and jungles," and finally by another mild cataclysm of unstable nature
they were submerged, and afterwards covered over with ddbris and
marine deposits. Then through the process of other uncounted centu
ries these buried forests and jungles were converted into coal, which
by the release of its stored-up heat, is now contributing to the comfort
and utility of the people of the world. Each of the five veins of coal
existing under the surface of the state represents a separate emergence
and submergence of the land sometime during those far-off, ancient
times. The coal area comprises about 7500 square miles in the southwestern
part of the state. The operations in this area have been sufficient
during the last few years to place Indiana sixth in rank among the coal-
producing states of the Union. The output in 1908, which because
of the stringency of the times was somewhat below the average, amounted
to 11,997,304 tons, valued roughly at twelve million dollars. It is
estimated that over thirteen and a half billion tons of workable coal
still remain beneath the surface, but at the present rate of removal the
supply will be exhausted in less than two centuries.
The Glacial Epoch, or the Age of Ice, and its Special Significance
to the People of Indiana. Next following the Carboniferous era was
the Mesozoic, or Middle time, corresponding to the age of Reptiles,
then the Cenozoic, or Recent time, being classified also as the age of
Mammals. The Cenozoic epoch is divided into Tertiary and Quater
nary eras, the last named being also commonlj' known as the Post-
Tertiary era. The Glacial epoch, the results of which proved to be of
such profound consequence to the people of Indiana, is generally as
signed to the Post-Tertiary period.
It is fruitless to inquire the duration in years of these various geologic
epochs. Not even an approximate answer can be given. Estimates
have been attempted of the lapse of time since the close of the glacial
epoch, or the great ice invasion from the north, but this pretty nearly
marks the boundary line of scientific daring. A jear is so brief a
measure of duration that it is inadequate and meaningless when used
to express the time required by nature to complete her terrestrial and
cosmic processes, even if we knew how to compute it.
In endeavoring to account for that most singular phenomenon in
the earth's geologic history, the glacial invasion, scientists have made
JIOORE, iND.— 19.

xxviu GEOLOGIC INDIANA
various estimates of the time since the era closed. These estimates
range from eight thousand to thirty thousand years. The lower
estimate is based largely upon computations of the annual rate of
erosion of the beds of the Niagara and other rivers whose courses are
known to have been changed by the glaciers. The purpose is to resolve,
if possible, the more important question of whether or not the phe
nomenon will recur at some future time. With a return of the glacial
period human habitation would not be possible, except perchance to
some race like the Eskimos, anywhere in Canada, or in more than half
of the United States. All of northern and most of central Europe would
be similarly destroyed and depopulated. So the question of recurrence
is a very important one, even though it may appear to concern future
generations only.
Although it may have been no more than ten thousand or twenty
thousand years since the glaciers yielded to the power of the sun's rays,
melted away and were carried to the ocean in the form of huge torrents
of water, filling not merely the banks of present streams, but the wide
valleys in which they lie, it was doubtless ages before that they began
their resistless advance.^ On this continent the main gathering grounds
of the glaciers appear to have been in Greenland, and around Hudson
Bay, and to the westward. They were huge sheets of ice, accumulated
through the faUing, freezing and -packing of snow. Scientists tell us
that in places these accumulations were thousands of feet, aye, even
miles in thickness, covering vast areas of land, and in some instances
overtopping the summits of mountains. They moved slowly to the
southward, in irregular, uneven lines of advance, cutting down moun
tains, smoothing away hills; filling the valleys and rasping and grinding
the surface of the ground to undulating plains. As the glacier moved
slowly forward " great masses of partly decayed rock and clay from
hillsides and jutting cliffs rolled down upon it and were carried on and
on until, by the melting of their icy steed, they were dropped hundreds
of miles from the parent ledge." Usually along the edge of a glacier a
long line of drift, in the form of stones, sand and clay, much of it ground
to powder, would be ridged up. These ridges still remain, marking the
courses traveled by the glaciers, and are called moraines. Then when
the glacier would stop, or arrive at a point where the sun would melt
away the front of the ice sheet faster than it could advance, the rocks
and debris, carried from the far north as above related, would fall to
the ground and form other ridges, lying at right angles to the direction
* Thirty thousand years is the estimate of the lapse of time since the
close of the glacial period favored by Prof. W. S. Blatchley, former Indiana
State Geologist.

GEOLOGIC INDIANA

xxix

traveled by the glacier. These are known as terminal moraines. Tho
moraines are one himdred to three hundred feet higher than the general
level of the surrounding land in places, and frequently hills were formed
by glacial action. Historic Bunker Hill, near Boston, is a conspicuous
example of a glacial drift hill.
There are evidences of repeated
ice invasions, but all, apparently,
took place during the one epoch.
More than three fourths of the
surface of Indiana was swept by
these mammoth ice packs, the
principal one advancing almost
due south with vast lobelike pro
jections. The moraines over the
state are numerous, ranging from
twenty-five to fifty feet in height,
and determining the courses of
rivers in many instances. The
unglaciated portion of the state
is a triangular area, the base of
which extends from the Wabash
near New Harmony to a point
about halfway between New
Albany and Madison, on the
Ohio, and the apex to a short
distance north of Martins
ville, in Morgan county.
Glacial Effects on Soil
and Physical Conformation;
Aspect of a Glacier in
Indiana. The evident
glacial aspect as it appeared
in Indiana is graphically '^""ff"'"'] | ^7°%
presented by Mr. F. B.
Taylor, of Fort Wayne.
When the first ice sheet reached its greatest advance into the region, the
ice, this writer declares, " was at least five hundred or six hundred feet
deep over the present site of Terre Haute and nearly as deep over that
of Indianapolis, and it thickened gradually northward. If an observer
could have stood on one of the hills in Brown county at that time, he
would have seen to the east of hjm the great wall of the ice front extend
ing south toward Kentucky, while toward the west it would have been

INDIANA
At ihe Close of the Glacial Epoch

LEGEND
Illinoian t Area

O

WiBCOnstn
Drift Area

XXX GEOLOGIC INDIANA
seen in the distance stretching away toward the southwest. For
hundreds of miles to the east and west, and for two thousand miles or
more to the north, the glaring white desert of snow-covered ice, like
that in the interior of Greenland, would have appeared, stretching away
out of sight, with not a thing under the sun to relieve its cold monotony."
W. S. Blatchley, former State Geologist, describes most interestingly
the effects of the visitation upon soil and conformation and upon the
animal life of the period: " By the incursions of the various ice sheets
all the so-called ' drift soils ' of northern- and central Indiana were
accumulated where they fie. Derived, as they were, in part, from the
various primary and igneous rocks in the far north, ground fine and
thoroughly mixed as they were by the onward moving force of a mighty
glacier, they are usually rich in all the necessary constituents of plant
food. Principally to them does Indiana owe her present high rank as
an agricultural state. All the level and more fertile counties lie within
this drift-covered area, and its southern limit marks, practically, the
boundary of the great corn and wheat producing portion of the state.
But few of the inhabitants of Indiana realize how much they owe to
this glacial invasion of our domain in the misty past. It not only
determined the character of the soil, the contour of the country and the
minor lines of drainage, but in manifold other ways had to do with the
pleasure, the health, and the prosperity of the present population.
" When the final ice sheet gradually receded from the area now com
prising Indiana, the surface of the glaciated portion was left covered
with a sheet of drift or till composed mainly of clay, gravel and bowlders,
and varying in thickness from one to four hundred feet or more. Over
the greater portion of this area the surface of the drift was compara
tively level, but in the northern fourth of the state it was in numerous
places heaped up in extensive ridges and hills, due to irregular dumping
along the margins and between the lobes of the melting ice sheets. In
the hollows or low places between those ridges and hills the waters of
the melting ice accumulated and formed those hundreds of fresh-water
lakes which are to-day the most beautiful and expressive feature of
the landscape in the region where they abound. At first all of those
yet in existence were much larger than now, while for every one re
maining a score have become extinct.
" A new vegetation soon sprang up over the land left desolate and
barren by the retreating ice. The climate gradually became much
warmer than it is to-day. The great expanse of water in lakes and
rivers, aided by the increase in temperature, gave rise to excessive
moisture. Fostered by the rich soil and the mild, moist atmosphere,
a vast forest of deciduous trees spread over the larger portion of the

GEOLOGIC INDIANA xxxi
state. Through this forest and about the margins of the lakes and
marshes there wandered for centuries the mammoth and the mastodon,
the giant bison and the elk, the tapir and the peccary, the mighty sloth,
and that king of rodents, Castoroides Ohioensis. Pre3-ing upon these
and smaller mammals were the great .American Uon, and tigers and
wolves of mammoth size. The bones and teeth of all these extinct
animals have been found buried beneath the surfaces of former bogs
and marshes in various portions of the state. It is not improbable that
with them was also that higher mammal — man — in all the nakedness
of his primitive existence.
" But over this phase in the evolution of the future Indiana there
came again a change, for Nature knows no such thing as rest. . . .
The cUmate gradually grew less moist, more cool. The mammoth,
the mastodon and contemporaneous mammals disappeared, and in their
stead came countless thousands of buffalo and deer. With them came,
too, that son of Nature — that descendant of the naked barbarians of
centuries before — the noble Red Man. From out of that dark night
which hangs forever over all we know or shall know of early America
he came — a waif flung by the surge of time to these later ages of our
own." What Caused the Glacial Period ? Some Theories Advanced. Many
theories have been advanced in attempted explanation of the causes
leading to the formation of the glaciers, but scarcely is an hypothesis
comfortably worked out and labeled by one scientist when another
comes along and deals demoUtion to it in the form of objections that
cannot be answered. There is no generally accepted scientific explana
tion. It is known that a cUmatic change was brought about by some
unexplained phenomenon which resulted in an extraordinary snow
precipitation in the north, and that the temperature was at the same
time lowered to a point which maintained the snow in a frozen condition
through all the seasons. It therefore continued to pile up and compress
itself into ice year after year, and century after century, until it was
thousands of feet in depth, and began to be crowded to the southward
by the weight of its own enormous mass and by its powers of expansion.
As it advanced it carried with it into the more southern climes the cold
breath of the arctics, and by so doing prolonged the conditions which
made its existence possible. The reasons for the glacier must necessarily
be sought in the influences which changed the climate. One theory
advanced is that a change took place in the elevation of the land in the
northern hemisphere, the higher altitude conducing to a lower tempera
ture, hence the unmelting snow and the glacier; that the weight of
the glacier, when it had reached its greatest development, caused a

xxxiv MISCELLANEOUS FACTS OP INTEREST
About one-half mile from the little cemetery in which Nancy Hanks
Lincoln found a last resting place, and now included in this reservation,
stands the " Lincoln Tree," which marks the spot where stood the
humble cabin home of the Lincolns during their residence in Indiana.
The family had moved there from Kentucky to escape an epidemic of
" milk sickness," which had attained almost to the proportions of a
scourge in their native state. Here young Abraham spent a part of
his boyhood days, and suffered his first great grief, caused by the death
of his mother.
State Erects Monument to Indians. In other localities monuments to
famous Indians have been erected with contributions by white people,

Monument to Nancy Hanks Lincoln

but Indiana is probably the only state making an appropriation from
public funds for the construction of a memorial to the vanished race
of Red Men. At the legislative session of 1907 an appropriation of
$2500 was voted for the purpose of acquiring suitable grounds at
Menominee Village, in Marshall County, erecting a monument thereon,
and rebuilding the old Indian chapel long since fallen into decay. The
provisions of the act being complied with, a beautiful monument, cut

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS OF INTEREST xxxv
from Vermont granite, was unveiled with appropriate ceremonies, on
September 4, 1909. It consists of a pedestal ten feet high, surmounted
by a statue of an Indian seven feet high.
The Indians of Menominee were Potawatami. Chief Menominee,
head of the village, and a number of his people were forcibly removed
to a western reservation in 1838. Before going a last grand council
was held, at which the heartbroken chief made an address full of im
passioned eloquence, reciting the many wrongs visited upon his people
by their white brothers. He was a convert to Christianity, and had
worshiped at the little Indian chapel for many years. The reconstructed
chapel and the monument are located at Twin Lakes, five miles from
Plymouth. The Hoosier's Nest. The widespread use of the term "Hoosier," as
applied to the people of Indiana, received its first great impetus in the
pubfication in the Indianapolis Journal, in 1833, of John Finly's cele
brated poem, " The Hoosier's Nest." It appeared in the form of an
annual " Carrier's Address," and was written from the author's home
at Richmond. .
In the first edition of the poem the appellation was spelled " Hoosher.''-
In subsequent revisions the author changed the spelling to " Hoosier."
" Hooshier " was another early form of the word, indicating an evolu
tion, as well as an uncertain origin and meaning.
In the poem the subject of Indiana is first approached in the lines:
" Blest Indiana! In whose soil.
Men seek the sure rewards of toil,
And honest poverty and worth
Find here the best retreat on earth,
While hosts of preachers, doctors, lawyers,
All independent as wood sawyers,
With men of every hue and fashion,
Flock to this rising Hoosier Nation."
But the graphic and ingenuous description of the Hoosier's nest is
what gave point to the poem and made it immortal:
Suppose in riding somewhere West
A stranger found a Hoosier's Nest,
In other words, a buckeye cabin
Just big enough to hold Queen Mab in.
Its situation low but airy,
Was on the borders of a prairie.
And fearing he might be benighted
He hailed the house and then alighted.

xxxvi MISCELLANEOUS FACTS OF INTEREST
The Hoosier met him at the door.
He took the stranger's horse aside
And to a sturdy sapling tied;
Then, having stripped the saddle off,
He fed him in a sugar trough.
The stranger stooped to enter in,
The entrance closing with a pin,
And manifested strong desire
To seat him by the log heap fire,
Where half a dozen Hoosieroons,
With mush and milk, tin cups and spoons,
White heads, bare feet, and dirty faces.
Seemed much inclined to keep their places.
But Madam, anxious to display
Her rough and undisputed sway,
Her offspring to the ladder led
And cuffed the youngsters up to bed.
Invited shortly to partake
Of venison, milk and johnny-cake,
The stranger made a hearty meal
And glances round the room would steal.
One side was fined with skins of varments,
The other spread with divers garments.
Dried pumpkins overhead were strung
Where venison hams in plenty hung.
Two rifles placed above the door, .
Three dogs lay stretched upon the floor,
In short, the domicile was rife.
With specimens of Hoosier Ufe.
" The host who centered his affections,
On game, and range, and quarter sections,
Discoursed his weary guest for hours,
Till Somnus' ever potent powers
Of sublunary care bereft them,
And then I came away and left them.
No matter how the story ended,
The application I intended
Is from the famous Scottish poet,
Who seemed to feel as well as know it,
' That buirdly chiels and clever hizzies
Are bred in sic a way as this is.' "
Reference Note. — An exhaustive study of the origin and significance
of the term " Hoosier," prepared by that most accurate and painstaking
student of early Indiana history, Jacob Piatt Dunn, appears in the Indiana
Historical Society Publications, Vol. IV,, No. 2, published by the Bobbs-
Merrill Company, Indianapolis, 1907.

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS OF INTEREST xxxvii
Distinguished Talent From Brookville. The quaint old town of
Brookville, located in the valley of the swift-running White M'ater,
and nestling cozily among the rugged though picturesque hills of
FrankUn County, claims the honor of having furnished to the state and
to the world more distinguished talent than any other spot of equal
dimensions on the map. It is one of the oldest towns in the state
following the original French settlements, and its founders represented
the best blood of the early New England stock as it began to release
its vitaUzing flood toward the great new west.
Comprised within the honor roll of distinguished citizens past and
present who have claimed Brookville as home by reason of birth or
bona fide residence, are the following: Hiram Powers, the world-famed
sculptor and artist; James B. Eads, builder of the St. Louis bridge and
constructor of the Mississippi jetties; James Brown Ray, Noah Noble,
David Wallace' and Abram A. Hammond", governors of Indiana;
John P. St. John, governor of Kansas; Stephen S. Harding, govemor
of Utah; James Noble and Robert Hanna, United States Senators from
Indiana and Jesse B. Thomas and John Henderson, Senators from
Illinois and Mississippi, respectively; Congressman John Test; General
Lew Wallace, soldier, diplomat and author; Rear Admiral Ohver H.
Glisson; Capt. W. F. Hemdon, explorer of the Amazon country, and
officer in the LTnited States Na-^-y, who went down to death in 1857
while standing heroically at his post on the Central America, when
that ill-fated vessel sank beneath the sea with her five hundred passengers
and two miUions of treasure on board; Postmaster General James N.
Tyner, and Assistant James Clarkson; Edward H. Terrell, minister
to Belgium, and George C. Hitf, vice consul to London; General Pleas
ant A. Hackleman. And the list might be prolonged, but enough
is given to justify Brookville's pride in the achievements of her
sons. Maurice Thompson, author of Alice of Old Vincennes, was
bom at Fairfield, also in FrankUn County.
' Wallace also represented his district in Congress, and in 1843 cast tlic
deciding vote in favor of the appropriation to aid Prof. S. F. B. Morse to
construct the first telegraph. The act brought him ridicule and censure
at home, and caased his defeat for re-election. The people thought the
scheme foolish and visionary, and resented the expenditure of public
fund.3 to promote dreams. Governor Wallace was the father of Gen. Lew
Wallace. ' Lieutenant govemor under Govemor Willard, and acting govemor
after his chief's death in 1860.

INDIANA'S VOTE AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Year.

1820182418281832183618401844 184818521806 1860 1864

Candidates.

' James Monroe, Democrat-Rep.,

Andrew Jackson, Dem 
Henry Clay, Whig 
'John Q. Adams, National Rep..
' Andrew Jackson, Dem 
John Q. Adams, National Rep.

' Andrew Jackson, Dem.
Henry Clay, Whig 

William Henry Harrison, Whig. .
' Martin Van Buren, Dem 

' William Henry Harrison, Whig.
Martin Van Buren, Dem 

' James K. Polk, Dem 
Henry Clay, Whig 
J. G. Birney, Abolitionist.

Lewis Cass, Dem 
' Zachary Taylor, Whig  ^ . . ,
Martin Van Buren, Free Soil Dem

' Franklin Pierce, Dem 
Winfield Scott, Whig 
John P. Hale, Abolitionist.

' James Buchanan, Dem 
John C. Fremont, Rep 
Millard Fillmore, American.

• Abraham Lincoln, Republican. . ,
Stephen A. Douglass, Dem 
John C. Breckenridge, Dem 
John Bell, Constitutional Union
' Abraham Lincoln, Rep 
George B. McClellan, Dem 

Popular Vote.

(No op
position) 7,343 5,3153,095
22,237 17,625

31,552' 15,47J2-
41,281 32,480 65,36251,695
70,181
67,867 3,106
74,74569,907 8,109
95,34080,901 6,929
118,670 94,37522,386
139,033115,509 12,295 5,303
150,452 130,233

Plurality.

' The candidate that was elected.
xxxviii

2,028

4,585
16,070 8,801
13,667

2,314

4,838

14,439

24,295

23,524

20,219 13

INDIANA'S VOTE AT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS xxxix

Year.

1868

1872

1876

1880

1884

1888

1892

1896

1900

1904

1908

Candidates.

'Ulysses S. Grant, Rep.. .
Horatio Seymour, Dem

' Ulysses S. Grant, Rep 
Horace Greeley, Fusion-Dem. .

Samuel J. Tilden, Dem 
' Rutherford B. Hayes, Rep.

' James A. Garfield, Rep 
Winfield S. Hancock, Dem.
James B. Weaver, Prohib.. .

' Grover Cleveland, Dem 
James G. Blaine, Rep 
Benjamin F. Butler, Labor.
John P. St. John, Prohib. . .

' Benjamin Harrison, Rep  263,361

Grover Cleveland, Dem.
Clinton P. Fisk, Prohib..
Alson J. Streeter, Labor.

' Grover Cleveland, Dem 
Benjamin Harrison 
James B. Weaver, Populist.
John Bidwell, Prohib 

'William McKinley, Rep.. . .
William J. Bryan, Dem 
John M. Palmer, Gold Dem .
Joshua Levering, Prohib. . . .

'William McKinley, Rep..
William J. Bryan, Dem..
John G. WooUey, Prohib

'Theodore Roosevelt, Rep..
Alton B. Parker, Dem 
Silas C. Swallow, Prohib . .
Eugene V. Debs, Socialist.

' William H. Taft, Rep 
WiUiam J. Bryan, Dem.. . .
Eugene W. Clafin, Prohib. .
Eugene V. Debs, Socialist

Popular Vote.

176,548 166,980 186,147163,632
213,526 208,011 232,164225,522 12,896
244,990238,463 8,2933,028

Plurality.

261,013 9,8812,694
262,740
255,615 22,028 13,050
323,754305,573 2,1455,323
336,063309,584 13,718
368,289274,355 23,496 11,762
348,993338,262 18,045 13,476

9,568

22,515

5,515 6,642

6,527

2,348

7,125

18,181

26,479

93,934

10,731

' The candidate that was elected.

THE PRESIDENTS

President, and by what Party
Elected.

George Washington, )
Whole People  )
John Adams, Federalist
Thomas Jefferson, Dem.-
Rep 
James Madison, Dem.- |
Rep  S
James Monroe, Dem. -Rep
John Q. Adams, House I
of Rep  S
Andrew Jackson, Dem. . .
Martin Van Buren, Dem.
William H. Harrison, (
Whig  \
John Tyler, Whig 
James K. Polk, Dem 
Zachary Taylor, Whig 
Millard Fillmore, Whig . .
Franklin Pierce, Dem. . . .
James Buchanan, Dem. . .
Abraham Lincoln, Rep.. .
Andrew Johnson, Rep.
Ulysses S. Grant, Rep.. . .
Rutherford B . Hayes, Rep
James A. Garfield, Rep.. .
Chester A. Arthur, Rep. .
Grover Cleveland, Dem.. .
Benjamin Harrison, Rep.
Grover Cleveland, Dem.. .
William McKinley, Rep..
Theodore Roosevelt, Rep.
WiUiam H. Taft, Rep 

state.

Virginia
Mass. Virginia
VirginiaVirginia
Mass.

Term of
Office.

Vice-President

1789-17971797-1801
1801-18091809-18171817-18251825-1829

Tenn. 1829-1837
New York 1837-1841

OhioVirginiaTenn.Louisiana
New York
N. Hamp
Penn.Illinois
Tenn. Illinois
OhioOhio
New York
New York
Indiana
New York
Ohio
New York
Ohio

lmo.1841
1841-18451845-18491849-18501850-1853
1853-18571857-18611861-1865
1865-18691869-1877
1877-1881
6mo.l881 1881-18851885-18891889-1893
1893-18971897-19011901-19091909-

John Adams
Thos. Jefferson
( Aaron Burr
( Geo. Clinton
( Geo. Clinton
j Elbridge Gerry
Dan'l D. Tompkins
John C. Calhoun
( John C. Calhoun
I Martin Van Buren
Richard M. Johnson
John Tyler

Geo. M. Dallas
Millard Fillmore

Wm. R. King
Jno.C. Breckinridge
( Hannibal Hamlin
) Andrew Johnson

J Schuyler Colfax
I Henry B . Wilson
Wm, A. Wheeler
Chester A. Arthur

Thos. A. Hendricks
Levi P. Morton
Adlai E. Stevenson
{ Garret A. Hobart
\ Theo. Roosevelt
I Chas .W.Fairbanks
James S. Sherman

xl

UNITED STATES SENATORS FROM INDIANA

James Noble, from 1816 to 1831.
Waller Taylor, from 1816 to 1825.
WilUam Hendricks, from 1825 to 1837.
Robert Hanna (appointed, vice Noble), 1831.
John Tipton (appointed), from 1831 to 1833.
John Tipton, from 1833 to 1839.
OUver H. Smith, from 1837 to 1843.
Albert S. White, from 1839 to 1845.
Edward A. Hannegan, from 1843 to 1849.
Jesse D. Bright, from 1846 to 1862.'
James Whitcomb, from 1849 to 1852.'
Charles W. Cathcart (appointed, vice Whitcomb), from 1852 to 1853.
John Petit, from 1853 to 1855.
Graham N. Fitch, from 1857 to 1861.'
Joseph A. Wright (appointed, vice Bright), from 1862 to 1863.
Henry S. Lane, from 1861 to 1867.
David Turpie, 1863. (Unexpired term of Bright.)
Thomas A. Hendricks, from 1863 to 1869.
Oliver P. Morton, from 1867 to 1877. (Died.)
Daniel D. Pratt, from 1869 to 1875.
Joseph E. McDonald, from 1875 to 1881.
Daniel" W. Voorhees (appointed, vice Morton), from 1877 to 1879.
Daniel W. Voorhees, from 1879 to 1897.
Benjamin Harrison, from 1881 to 1887.
David Turpie, from 1887 to 1899.
Charies W. Fairbanks, from 1897 to 1905.*
Albert J. Beveridge, from 1899 to 1911.
James A. Hemenway, from 1905 to 1909
Benjamin F. Shively, from 1909 to  .
John Worth Kem, from 1911 to  .
' Expelled February 5, 1862. (Vacancy one year, 1845.)
^ Died, and was succeeded by John Petit.
' The position remained vacant for two years, and was filled by election
of Graham N. Fitch, 1857.
' Resigned March 4, 1905, having been elected Vice-President; James A.
Hemenway elected to succeed. xU

POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES

Census Year.

1790 1800 1810182018301840 18501860187018801890
1900 1910

Population.

3,929,2145,308,483 7,239,881
9,638,453
12,866,02017,069,453
23,191,87631,443,321 38,558,37150,189,20963,069,756 77,256,630
' 93,402,151

Increase.

1,379,2691,931,398
2,398,572 3,227,5674,203,433 6,122,423
8,251,445 7,115,050
11,630,838
12,880,547 14,186,87416,145,521

Increase (%).

35:1 36.433.133.532.735.935.622.630.225.722.5 20.9

' The population figures for 1900 and 1910 include those of Alaska, Hawaii,
and Porto Rico. Excluding these three outlying possessions, the popula
tion of the main body of the United States, according to the census of 1910,
is 91,972,266. But adding the populations of the various outlying depen
dencies, including Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, the Philippines, Samoa,
Guam, and the Panama Canal Zone, gives a grand total of 101,100,000
people under the jurisdiction of the United States Flag.

POPULATION OF INDIANA

Census Decade.

Population.

Increase.

Increase (%).

1800 

5,641
24,520
147,178
343,031
685,866
988,416
1,350,428
1,680,637 1,978,301
2,192,404
2,516,4622,700,876

1810 

18,879
122,658
195,853
342,835303,550362,012 330,209
297,664214,103 324,058 184,414

334.7500.2 133.1 99.944.136.624.5 17.7 10.8
14.8 7.3

1820 

1830 

1840 
1850 

1860 

1870 
1880 
1890 
1900 
1910 

xlii

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA

PREAMBLE

To the end, that justice be established, public order maintained, and
liberty perpetuated; We, the people of the State of Indiana,
grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose
our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.
ARTICLE I
BILL OP RIGHTS
Section 1. We declare, that aU men are created "equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that all
power is inherent in the people; and that all free governments are, and
of right ought to be, founded on their authority, and instituted for
their peace, safety, and well being. For the advancement of these
ends, the people have, at all times, an indefeasible right to alter and
reform their government.
Sec. 2. All men shall be secured in their natural right to worship
Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences.
Sec. 3. No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exer
cise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of
conscience. Sec. 4. No preference shall be given, by law, to any creed, religious
society, or mode of worship; and no man shall be compelled to attend,
erect, or support, any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry,
against his consent.
Sec. 5. No religious test -shall be required, as a qualification for
any office of trust or profit.
Sec. 6. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, for the benefit
of any religious or theological institution.
Sec. 7. No person shall be rendered incompetent as a witness, in
consequence of his opinions on matters of religion.
Sec. 8. The mode of administering an oath or affirmation shall be
MOOBH, iKD.— 20. xUii

xliv CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
such as may be most consistent with, and binding upon, the conscience
of the person to whom such oath or affirmation may be administered.
Sec. 9. No law shaU be passed restraining the free interchange of
thought and opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print,
freely, on any subject whatever; but for the abuse of that right, every
person shall be responsible.
Sec. 10. In all prosecutions for libel, the truth of the matters
alleged to be libelous may be given in justification.
Sec. 11. The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable search or seizure,
shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing
the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized.
Sec. 12. All courts shall be open; and every man for injury done
him in his person, property, or reputation, shall have remedy by due
course of law. Justice shall be administered freely, and without pur
chase; completely and without denial; speedily and without delay.
Sec. 13. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the
right to a public trial, by an impartial jury, in the county in which
the offense shall have been committed; to be heard by himself and
counsel; to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against
him, and to have a copy thereof; to meet the witnesses face to face, and
to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor.
Sec. 14. No person shall be put in jeopardy twice for the same
offense. No person, in any criminal prosecution, shall be compelled
to testify against himself.
Sec. 15. No person arrested, or confined in jaU, shaU be treated
with unnecessary rigor.
Sec. 16. Excessive bail shall not be required. Excessive fines shall
not be imposed. Cruel and unusual punishment shall not be inflicted.
All penalties shall be proportioned to the nature of the offense.
Sec. 17. Offenses, other than murder and treason, shaU be bailable
by sufficient sureties. Murder and treason shall not be bailable, when
the proof is evident or the presumption strong.
Sec. 18. The penal code shall be founded on the principles of
reformation, and not of vindictive justice.
Sec. 19. In all criminal cases whatever, the jury shall have the
right to determine the law and the facts.
Sec. 20. In all civil cases, the right of trial by jury shall remain
inviolate. Sec. 21. No man's particular services shaU be demanded without
just compensation. No man's property shall be taken by law without

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA xlv
just compensation; nor, except in case of the State, without such com
pensation first assessed and tendered.
Sec. 22. The privilege of the debtor to enjoy the necessary com
forts of life, shall be recognized by wholesome laws, exempting a rea
sonable amount of property from seizure or sale for the payment of any
debt or UabiUty hereafter contracted; and there shall be no imprison
ment for debt, except in case of fraud.
Sec. 23. The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or
class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms,
shall not equally belong to all citizens.
Sec. 24. No ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of
contract, shall be passed.
Sec. 25. No law shall be passed, the taking effect of which shall be
made to depend upon any authority, except as provided in this Con
stitution. Sec. 26. The operation of the laws shall never be suspended, ex
cept by the authority of the General Assembly.
Sec. 27. The privileges of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended, except in case of rebellion or invasion; and then, only if
the pubUc safety demand it.
Sec. 28. Treason against the State shall consist only in levying
war against it, and in giving aid and comfort to its enemies.
Sec. 29. No person shall be convicted of treason, except on the
testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or upon his confes
sion in open court.
Sec. 30. No conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture
of estate. Sec. 31. No law shall restrain any of the inhabitants of the State
from assembling together in a peaceable manner to consult for their
common good; nor from instructing their representatives; nor from
applying to the General Assembly for redress of grievances.
Sec. 32. The people shall have a right to bear arms for the defense
of themselves and the State.
Sec. 33. The military shall be kept in strict subordination to the
civil power.
Sec. 34. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any
house without the consent of the owner; nor, in time of war, but in a
manner to be prescribed by law.
Sec. 35. The General Assembly shall not grant any title of nobility
nor confer hereditary distinctions.
Sec. 36. Emigration from the State shall not be prohibited.
Sec, 37, There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude

xlvi CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
within the State, otherwise than for the punishment of crime, whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted. No indenture of any Negro
or Mulatto, made and executed out of the bounds of the State, shall
be valid within the State.

ARTICLE II
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. All elections shall be free and equal.
Sec. 2. In all elections, not otherwise provided for by this Consti
tution, every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-
one years and upwards, who shall have resided in the State during the
six months, and in the township sixty days, and in the ward or precinct
thirty days immediately preceding such election; and every male of
foreign birth, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall
have resided in the United States one year, and shall have resided in
this State during the six months, and in the township sixty days, and
in the ward or precinct thirty days, immediately preceding such elec
tion, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the
United States, conformably to the laws of the United States on the
subject of naturalization, shall be entitled to vote in the township or
precinct where he may reside, if he shall have been duly registered
according to law. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
Sec. 3. No soldier, seaman, or marine, in the army or navy of the
United States, or of their allies, shall be deemed to have acquired a
residence in the State in consequence of having been stationed within
the same; nor shall any such soldier, seaman, or marine have the right
to vote. Sec. 4. No person shall be deemed to have lost his residence in the
State, by reason of his absence, either on business of the State or of
the United States.
Sec. 5. [Stricken out by constitutional amendment of March 14,
1881.] Sec. 6. Every person shall be disqualified from holding office, dur
ing the term for which he may have been elected, who shall have given
or offered a bribe, threat, or reward, to secure his election.
Sec. 7. Every person who shall give or accept a chaUenge to fight a
duel, or who shall knowingly carry to another person such challenge,
or who shall agree to go out of the State to fight a duel, shall be in
eligible to any office of trust or profit.
Sec, 8. The General Assembly shall have power to deprive of the

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA xlvii
right of suffrage, and to render ineligible any person convicted of an
infamous crime.
Sec. 9. No person holding a lucrative office or appointment under
the United States or under this State, shall be eligible to a seat in the
General Assembly; nor shall any person hold more than one lucrative
office at the same time, except as in this Constitution expressly per
mitted; Provided, That offices in the miUtia, to which there is attached
no annual salary, and the office of deputy postmaster, where the com
pensation does not exceed ninety dollars per annum, shall not be
deemed lucrative: And provided, also, That counties containing less
than one thousand polls may confer the office of Clerk, Recorder, and
Auditor, or any two of said offices, upon the same person.
Sec. 10. No person who may hereafter be a collector or holder of
public moneys, shall be eligible to any office of trust or profit until he
shall have accounted for, and paid over, according to law, all sums for
which he may be liable.
Sec. 11. In all cases in which it is provided that an office shall not
be filled by the same person more than a certain number of years con
tinuously, an appointment pro tempore shall not be reckoned a part
of that term.
Sec. 12. In all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the
peace, electors shall be free from arrest, in going to elections, during
their attendance there, and in returning from the same.
Sec. 13. All elections by the People shall be by ballot; and all elections
by the General Assembly, or by either branch thereof, shall be viva voce.
Sec. 14. AU general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November; but township elections may be
held at such time as may be provided by law: Provided, That the Gen
eral Assembly may provide by law for the election of all judges of
courts of general and appellate jurisdiction, by an election to be held
for such officers only, at which time no other officer shall be voted for;
and shall also provide for the registration of all persons entitled to
vote. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
ARTICLE III
DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS
Section 1. The powers of the Government are divided into three
separate departments: the Legislative, the Executive (including the
Administrative), and the Judicial; And no person, charged with official
duties under one of these departments, shall exercise any of the func
tions of another except as in this Constitution expressly provided.

xlvi CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
within the State, otherwise than for the punishment of crime, whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted. No indenture of any Negro
or Mulatto, made and executed out of the bounds of the State, shall
be valid within the State.

ARTICLE II
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. All elections shall be free and equal.
Sec. 2. In all elections, not otherwise provided for by this Consti
tution, every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-
one years and upwards, who shall have resided in the State during the
six months, and in the township sixty days, and in the ward or precinct
thirty days immediately preceding such election; and every male of
foreign birth, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall
have resided in the United States one year, and shall have resided in
this State during the six months, and in the township sixty days, and
in the ward or precinct thirty days, immediately preceding such elec
tion, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the
United States, conformably to the laws of the United States on the
subject of naturalization, shall be entitled to vote in the township or
precinct where he may reside, if he shall have been duly registered
according to law. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
Sec. 3. No soldier, seaman, or marine, in the army or navy of the
United States, or of their allies, shall be deemed to have acquired a
residence in the State in consequence of having been stationed within
the same; nor shall any such soldier, seaman, or marine have the right
to vote. Sec. 4. No person shall be deemed to have lost his residence in the
State, by reason of his absence, either on business of the State or of
the United States.
Sec. 5. [Stricken out by constitutional amendment of March 14,
1881.] Sec. 6. Every person shall be disqualified from holding office, dur
ing the term for which he may have been elected, who shall have given
or offered a bribe, threat, or reward, to secure his election.
Sec. 7. Every person who shall give or accept a challenge to fight a
duel, or who shall knowingly carry to another person such challenge,
or who shall agree to go out of the State to fight a duel, shall be in
eligible to any office of trust or profit.
Sec. 8. The General Assembly shall have power to deprive of the

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA xlvii
right of suffrage, and to render ineligible any person convicted of an
infamous crime.
Sec. 9. No person holding a lucrative office or appointment under
the United States or under this State, shall be eligible to a seat in the
General Assembly; nor shall any person hold more than one lucrative
office at the same time, except as in this Constitution expressly per
mitted; Provided, That offices in the militia, to which there is attached
no annual salary, and the office of deputy postmaster, where the com
pensation does not exceed ninety dollars per annum, shall not be
deemed lucrative: And provided, also. That counties containing less
than one thousand polls may confer the office of Clerk, Recorder, and
Auditor, or any two of said offices, upon the same person.
Sec. 10. No person who may hereafter be a collector or holder of
public moneys, shall be eligible to any office of trust or profit until he
shall have accounted for, and paid over, according to law, all sums for
which he may be liable.
Sec. 11. In all cases in which it is provided that an office shall not
be filled by the same person more than a certain number of years con
tinuously, an appointment pro tempore shaU not be reckoned a part
of that term.
Sec. 12. In all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the
peace, electors shall be free from arrest, in going to elections, during
their attendance there, and in returning from the same.
Sec. 13. All elections bythePeopleshallbebyballot;andallelections
by the General Assembly, or by either branch thereof, shall be viva voce.
Sec. 14. All general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November; but township elections may be
held at such time as may be provided by law: Provided, That the Gen
eral Assembly may provide by law for the election of all judges of
courts of general and appellate jurisdiction, by an election to be held
for such officers only, at which time no other officer shall be voted for;
and shall also provide for the registration of all persons entitled to
vote. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
ARTICLE III
DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS
Section 1. The powers of the Government are divided into three
separate departments: the Legislative, the Executive (including the
Administrative), and the Judicial; And no person, charged with official
duties under one of these departments, shall exercise any of the func
tions of another except as in this Constitution expressly provided.

xlviii CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
ARTICLE IV
LEGISLATIVE
Section 1. The Legislative authority of the State shall be vested in
a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Rep
resentatives. The style of every law shall be, "Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of Indiana;" and no law shaU be en
acted, except by bill.
Sec. 2. The Senate shall not exceed fifty, nor the House of Repre
sentatives one hundred members; and they shall be chosen by the
electors of the respective counties or districts into which the State
may, from time to time, be divided.
Sec. 3. Senators shall be elected for the term of four years, and
Representatives for the term of two years, from the day next after
their general election: Provided, however, That the Senators elect, at
the second meeting of the General Assembly under this Constitution,
shall be divided, by lot, into two equal classes, as nearly as may be;
and the seats of Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expira
tion of two years, and of those of the second class at the expiration of
four years; so that one-half, as nearly as possible, shall be chosen
biennially forever thereafter. And in case of increase in the number
of Senators, they shall be so annexed by lot, to one or the other of the
two classes, as to keep them as nearly equal as practicable.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shall, at its second session after the
adoption of this Constitution, and every six years thereafter, cause
an enumeration to be made of all the male inhabitants over the age of
twenty-one years. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
Sec. 6. The number of Senators and Representatives shall, at the
session next following each period of making such enumeration, be
fixed by law, and apportioned among the several counties, according
to the number of male inhabitants, above twenty-one years of age, in
each: Provided, That the first and second elections of members of the
General Assembly, under this Constitution, shall be according to the
apportionment last made by the General Assembly before the adop
tion of this Constitution. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
Sec. 6. A Senatorial or Representative district, where more than
one county shall constitute a district, shall be composed of contiguous
counties; and no county, for Senatorial apportionment, shall ever be
divided. Sec. 7. No person shall be a Senator or a Representative who, at
the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States; nor any
one who has not been, for two years next preceding his election, an

CON. STITUTION OF INDIANA xlix
inhabitant of this Stat*, and for one year next preceding his election,
an inhabitant of the county or diitrict wLtnce he may be rho>5<en.
Senators diall be at least twenty-five, and ReiHesentatives at least
twenty-one years of age.
Sec. -¦. .Senators and Representatives, in all cases except treason,
felony, and breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest, during
the session of the General Assembly, and in going to and returning
from the same; and shall not be subject to any rivil process, during
the session of the General Assembly, nor during the fifteen days
next before the commencement thereof. For any speech or ddiate
in ether House, a member shaU not be questioned in any other
place. Sec. 9. The sessions of the General Assembly stall be held bien
nially at the cafntal of the State, commencing on the Thursday next
after the first Monday of Januan.-. in the year one thousand eisht
hundred and fifty-three, and on the same day of every second year
thereaftra', unless a different day or place shall have been appointed
by law. But if, in the oinnion of the Govemor, the public welfare
shall require it. he may, at anj- lime by proclamation, call a special

.Sec. 10. Each House, when a^embled, shaU choose its own officers,
the President of the .Seriate excepted; judge the elections, qualifica
tions, and returns of its own members; determine its rules of proceed
ing, and sit upon its own adjournment. But neither House sKaH,
without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days,
nor to any place other than that in which it may be sitting.
Sec. 11. Two-thirds of each House ghall constitute a quorum to do
business; but a smaller number may meet, adjourn from day to day,
and oompd the attendance of absent members. A quonmn being in
attendance, if dtha House fail to effect an organization within the
firet five days thereafter, the members of the House so failing, shall be
entitled to no compensation from the end of the said five days, until an
organization shall have been effecKrd.
Sec. 12. Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and
publish the same. The yeas and nays, on any question, sball, at the
request of any two members, be entered, together with the names of
the members demanding the same, on the journal: Pro-i-ided, That, on
motion to adjourn, it shall require one-tenth of the members present
to order the yeas and nays.
.Sec. 13. The doors of each house, and of committees of the whole,
shall be kept open, except in such cases, as, in the opinion of either
House, may require secrecy.

1 CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
Sec. 14. Either House may punish its members for disorderly be
havior, and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member;
but not a second time for the same cause.
Sec. 15. Either House, during its session, may punish, by imprison
ment, any person not a member, who shall have been guilty of disre
spect to the House, by disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its
presence; but such imprisonment shall not, at any time, exceed twenty-
four hours.
Sec. 16. Each House shall have all powers, necessary for a branch
of the legislative department of a free and independent State.
Sec. 17. Bills may originate in either House, but may be amended
or' rejected in the other, except that bills for raising revenue shall
originate in the House of Representatives.
Sec. 18. ¦ Every bill shall be read, by sections, on three several days,
in each House; unless, in case of emergency, two-thirds of the House
where such bill may be pending shall, by a vote of yeas and nays, deem
it expedient to dispense with this rule; but the reading of a bill by
sections, on its final passage, shall in no case be dispensed with; and
the vote on the passage of every bill or joint resolution shall be taken
by yeas and nays.
Sec. 19. Every act shall embrace but one subject and matters prop
erly connected therewith; which subject shall be expressed in the title.
But if any subject shall be embraced in an act, which shall not be
expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof
as shall not be expressed in the title.
Sec. 20. Every act and joint resolution shall be plainly worded,
avoiding, as far as practicable, the use of technical terms.
Sec. 21. No act shall ever be revised or amended by mere reference
to its title; but the act revised, or section amended, shall be set forth
and published at fuU length.
Sec. 22. The General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws
in any of the following enumerated cases, that is to say:
Regulating the jurisdiction and duties of Justices of the Peace and
of Constables; For the punishment of crimes and misdemeanors;
Regulating the practice in courts of justice;
Providing for changing the venue in civil and criminal cases;
Granting divorces;
Changing the names of persons;
For laying out, opening, and working on, highways, and for the
election or appointment of supervisors;
Vacating roads, town plats, streets, alleys, and public squares;

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA li
Summoning and impanneUng grand and petit jmies, and providing
for their compensation;
Ululating coimty and township business;
Regulatmg the election of county and township officers, and their
compensation; For the assessment and coUection of taxes for State, county, town
ship, or road purposes;
Pro\-iding for supporting common schools, and for the preservation
of school funds;
In relation to fees or salaries; except that the laws may be so made
as to grade the compensation of officers in proportion to the population
and the necessarj' services required. (.\s amended March 14, 1881.)
In relation to interest on monej^;
Providing for opening and conducting elections of State, county, or
township officers, and designating the places of voting;
Providing for the sale of real estate belonging to minors, or other
persons laboring under legal disabilities, by executors, administrators,
guardians, or trustees.
Sec. 23. In aU the cases enumerated in the preceding section, and
in all other cases where a general law can be made applicable, all laws
shaU be general and of uniform operation throughout the State.
Sec. 24. Provision may be made, by general law, for bringing suit
against the .State, as to all liabUities originating after the adoption of
this Constitution; but no special act authorizing such suit to be brought,
or making compensation to any person claiming damages against the
State, shaU ever be passed.
Sec. 25. A majority of all the members elected to each House,
shall be necessarj- to pass everj- bill or joint resolution; and aU bills and
joint resolutions so passed shaU be signed by the Presiding Officers of
the respective Houses.
Sec. 26. Any member of either House shall have the right to pro
test, and to have his protest, with his reasons for dissent, entered on the
journal. Sec. 27. Every statute shaU be a pubhc law, unless otherwise
declared in the statute itself.
Sec. 28. No act shall take effect until the same shall have been pub
lished and circulated, in the several counties of this State by authority,
except in case of emergency; which emergencj- shall be declared in the
preamble or in the body of the law.
Sec. 29. The members of the General A.s-sembly shaU receive for
their services a compensation to be fixed by law; but no increase of
compensation shall take effect during the session at which such increase

Iii CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
may be made. No session of the General Assembly, except the first
under this Constitution, shall extend beyond the term of sixty-one days,
nor any special session beyond the term of forty days.
Sec. 30. No Senator or Representative shall, during the term for
which he may have been elected, be eligible to any office the election of
which is vested in the General Assembly; nor shall he be appointed to
any civil office of profit, which shall have been created, or the emolu
ments of which shall have been increased, during such term; but this
latter provision shall not be construed to apply to any office elective
by the People.

ARTICLE V
EXECUTIVE
Section 1. The executive powers of the State shall be vested in a
Governor. He shall hold his office during four years, and shall not be
eligible more than four years, in any period of eight years.
Sec. 2. There shall be a Lieutenant-Governor, who shall hold his
office during four years.
Sec. 3. The Governor and Lieutenant-Governor shall be elected at
the times and places of choosing members of the General Assembly.
Sec. 4. In voting for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor the elec
tors shall designate for whom they vote as Governor, and for whom aa
Lieutenant-Governor. The returns of every election for Governor and
Lieutenant-Governor shall be sealed up and transmitted to the seat of
government, directed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
who shall open and publish them in the presence of both Houses of the
General Assembly.
Sec. 5. The persons respectively, having the highest number of
votes for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor shall be elected; but in
case two or more persons shall have an equal and the highest number
of votes for either office, the General Assembly shall, by joint vote,
forthwith proceed to elect one of the said persons Governor or Lieu
tenant-Governor, as the case may be.
Sec. 6. Contested elections for Governor or Lieutenant-Governor
shall be determined by the General Assembly, in such manner as may
be prescribed by law.
Sec. 7. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor or Lieu
tenant-Governor, who shall not have been five years a citizen of the
United States, and also a resident of the State of Indiana during the
five years next preceding his election; nor shall any person be eUgible

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA liii
to either of the said offices who shall not have attained the age of thirty
years. Sec. 8. No member of Congress, or person holding any office under
the United States or under this State, shall fill the office of Govemor
or Lieutenant-Governor. Sec. 9. The official term of the Govemor and Lieutenant-Governor
shaU commence on the second Monday of January, in the year one
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three; and on the same day every
four years thereafter.
Sec. 10. In case of the removal of the Govemor from office, or of
his death, resignation, or inabilitj- to discharge the duties of the office,
the same shaU devolve on the Lieutenant-Governor; and the General
Assembly shaU, by law, provide for the case of removal from office,
death, resignation, or inability, both of the Govemor and Lieutenant-
Governor, declaring what officer shaU then act as Govemor; and such
officer shall act accordingly until the disabUitj- be removed, or a Gov
emor be elected.
Sec. 11. ^"henever the Lieutenant-Governor shaU act as Govemor,
or shaU be unable to attend as President of the Senate, the .Senate shall
elect one of its own members as President for the occasion.
Sec. 12. The Govemor shall be commander-in-chief of the miUtary
and naval forces, and may call out such forces to execute the laws or
to suppress insurrection, or to repel invasion.
Sec. 13. He shall, from time to time, give to the General Assembly
information touching the condition of the State, and recommend such
measures as he shall judge to be expedient.
Sec. 14. Even,- bUl which shaU have passed the General Assembly,
shall be presented to the Govemor; if he approves, he shall sign it;
but if not, he shall retum it, with his objections, to the House in which
it shall have originated; which House shall enter the objections, at
large, upon its journals and proceed to reconsider the bill. If, after
such reconsideration, a majority of aU the members elected to that
House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the Governor's
objections, to the other House, by which it shall Ukewise be recon
sidered; and, if approved by a majority of all the members elected to
that House, it shall be a law. If any bill shall not be returned by the
Govemor within three days, Sunday excepted, after it shall have been
presented to him, it shall be a law without his signature, unless the
general adjournment shall prevent its retum, in which case it shall be
a law, unless the Govemor, within five days next after such adjoum-
ment, shaU file such bill, with his objections thereto, in the office of the
Secretary of State, who shall lay the same before the General Assembly

liv CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
at its next session, in like manner as if it had been returned by the
Governor. But no bill shall be presented to the Governor within
two days next previous to the final adjournment of the General
Assembly. Sec. 15. The Governor shaU transact all necessary business with
the officers of Government, and may require information in writing
from the officers of the administrative department upon any subject
relating to the duties of their respective offices.
Sec. 16. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
Sec. 17. He shall have the power to grant reprieves, commutations,
and pardons, after conviction, for all offenses except treason and cases
of impeachment, subject to such regulations as may be provided by
law. Upon conviction for treason, he shall have power to suspend the
execution of the sentence until the case shall be reported to the General
Assembly, at its next meeting; when the General Assembly shall either
grant a pardon, commute the sentence, direct the execution of the
sentence, or grant a further reprieve. He shall have power to remit
fines and forfeitures, under such regulations as may be prescribed by
law; and shall report to the General Assembly, at its next meeting, each
case of reprieve, commutation, or pardon granted, and also the names
of all persons in whose favor remission of fines and forfeitures shall
have been made, and the several amounts remitted: Provided, however.
That the General Assembly may, by law, constitute a councU, to be
composed of officers of State, without whose advice and consent the
Govemor shall not have power to grant pardons, in any case, except
such as may, by law, be left to his sole power.
Sec. 18. When, during a recess of the General Assembly, a vacancy
shall happen in any office, the appointment to which is vested in the
General Assembly; or when, at any time, a vacancy shall have occurred
in any other State office, or in the office of Judge of any court; the
Governor shall fill such vacancy by appointment, which shall expire
when a successor shall have been elected and qualified.
Sec. 19. He shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies as may
have occurred in the General Assembly.
Sec. 20. Should the seat of Government become dangerous from
disease or a common enemy, he may convene the General Assembly at
any other place.
Sec. -21. The Lieutenant-Governor shall, by virtue of his office, be
President of the Senate; have a right, when in Committee of the Whole,
to join in debate, and to vote on all subjects; and whenever the Senate
shall be equally divided, he shall give the casting vote.
Sec. 22. The Governor shall, at stated times, receive for his ser-

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA Iv
vices a compensation which shall neither be increased nor diminished
during the term for which he shall have been elected.
Sec. 23. The Lieutenant-Governor, while he shaU act as President
of the Senate, shall receive for his services the same compensation as
the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and any person acting
as Giovemor shaU receive the compensation attached to the office of
Govemor. Sec. 24. Neither the Govemor nor Lieutenant-Governor shaU be
eligible to any other office, during the term for which he shaU have been
elected. ARTICLE VI
ADMIXISTRATIVE
Section 1. There shall be elected by the voters of the State, a
Secretary, an Auditor, and a Treasurer of State, who shall, severally,
hold their offices for two yeare. They shall perform such duties as
may be enjoined by law; and no person shaU be eli^ble to either of said
offices more than four years in any period of six years.
Sec. 2. There .shall be elected, in each county by the voters thereof,
at the time of holding general elections, a Clerk of the Circuit Court,
Auditor, Recorder, Treasurer, Sheriff, Coroner, and Survej'or. The
Oerk, Auditor, and Recorder, shaU continue in office four years; and
no person shall be eligible to the office of Clerk, Recorder, or Auditor
more than eight, years in any period of twelve years. The Treasurer,
Sheriff, Coroner, and Surveyor, shall continue in office two years; and
no person shall be eligible to the office of Treasurer or Sheriff more than
four years in any period of six years.
Sec. 3. Such other county and township officers as may be neces
sary shall be elected, or appointed, in such manner as may be prescribed
by law.
Sec. 4. No person shall be elected, or appointed, as a county officer
who shaU not be an elector of the county; nor any one who shaU not
have been an inhabitant thereof, during one year next preceding his
appointment, if the county shall have been so long organized; but if
the county shall not have been so long organized, then within the Umits
of the county or counties out of which the same shall have been taken.
Sec. 5. The Govemor, and the Secretary, Auditor, and Treasurer
of State, shaU, severaUy, reside and keep the pubUc records, books and
papers, in any manner relating to the respective offices, at the seat of
government. Sec. 6. All county, towuship, and town officers, shall reside within
their respective counties, townships, and towns; and shaU keep their

Ivi CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
respective offices at such places therein, and perform such duties as may
be directed by law.
Sec. 7. All State officers shall, for crime, incapacity, or negUgence,
be liable to be removed from office, either by impeachment by the House
of Representatives, to be tried by the Senate, or by a joint resolution of
the General Assembly; two-thirds of the members elected to each branch
voting, in either case, therefor.
Sec. 8. All State, county, township, and town officers may be im
peached or removed from office, in such manner as may be prescribed
by law.
Sec. 9. Vacancies in county, township, and town offices, shall be
filled in such manner as may be prescribed by law.
Sec. 10. The General Assembly may confer upon the Boards doing
county business in the several counties, powers of a local administrative
character.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1. The Judicial power of the State shall be vested "in a
Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts and in such other courts as the
General Assembly may establish. (As amended March 14, 1881.)
Sec. 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of not less than three, nor
more than five Judges, a majority of whom shall form a quorum; they
shall hold their offices for six years, if they so long behave well.
Sec. 3. The State shall be divided into as many districts as there
are Judges of the Supreme Court; and such districts shall be formed of
contiguous territory, as nearly equal in population as, without dividing
a county, the same can be made. One of said Judges shall be elected
from each district, and reside therein; but said Judges shall be elected
by the electors of the State at large.
Sec. 4. The Supreme CoUrt shall have jurisdiction, co-extensive
with the limits of the State, in appeals and writs of error, under such
regulations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law. It shall also
have suchr original jurisdiction as the General Assembly may confer.
Sec. 5. The Supreme Court shall, upon the decision of every case,
give a statement in writing of each question arising in the record of
such case, and the decision of the Court thereon.
Sec. 6. The General Assembly shall provide, by law, for the speedy
publication of the decisions of the Supreme Court, made under this
Constitution; but no Judge shall be aUowed to report such decisions.

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA Ivii
Sec. 7. There shall be elected by the voters of the State, a Clerk of
the Supreme Court, who shall hold his office four years, and whose
duties shall be prescribed by law.
Sec. 8. The Circuit Courts shall each consist of one Judge, and shaU
have such ci\-il and criminal jurisdiction as may be prescribed by law.
Sec. 9. The State shaU, from time to time, be di\'ided into Judicial
Circuits; and a Judge for each Circuit shall be elected by the voters
thereof. He shaU reside within the Circuit, and shall hold his office
for the term of six years, if he so long behave weU.
Sec. 10. The General Assembly may provide, by law, that the
Judge of one Circuit may hold the Courts of another Circuit, in cases of
necessity or convenience; and, in case of temporary inability of any
Judge, from sickness or other cause, to hold the Courts in his Circuit,
provision may be made, by law, for holding such Courts.
Sec. 11. There shall be elected, in each Judicial Circuit, by the
voters thereof, a Prosecuting Attorney, who shall hold his office for two
years. Sec. 12. Any Judge or Prosecuting Attorney, who shaU have been
convicted of corruption or other high crime, may, on information in the
name of the State, be removed from office by the Supreme Court, or in
such other manner as may be prescribed by law.
Sec. 13. The Judges of the Supreme Court and Circuit Courts shaU,
at stated times, receive a compensation, which shall not be diminished
during their continuance in office.
Sec. 14. A competent number of Justices of the Peace shaU be
elected by the voters in each township in the several counties. They
shall continue in office four years, and their powers and duties shaU be
prescribed by law.
Sec. 15. All judicial officers shall be conservators of the peace in
their respective jurisdictions.
Sec. 16. No person elected to any judicial office shall, during the
term for which he shall have been elected, be eligible to any office of
trust or profit under the State, other than a judicial office.
Sec. 17. The General Assembly may modify or abolish the Grand
Jury system.
Sec. 18. All criminal prosecutions shall be carried on in the name,
and by the authority, of the State; and the style of aU process shaU be
"The State of Indiana."
Sec. 19. Tribunals of conciliation may be established, with such
powers and duties as shall be prescribed by law; or the powers and duties
of the same may be conferred upon other Courts of justice; but such
tribunals or other Courts, when sitting as such, shaU have no power to

Iviii CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
render judgment to be obligatory on the parties, unless they voluntarily
submit their matters of difference, and agree to abide the judgment of
such tribunal or court.
Sec. 20. The General Assembly, at its first session after the adop
tion of this Constitution, shall provide for the appointment of three
Commissioners, whose duty it shall be to revise, simplify, and abridge
the rules, practice, pleadings, and forms, of the courts of justice. And
they shall provide for abolishing the distinct forms of action at law,
now in use; and that justice shall be administered in a uniform mode of
pleading, without distinction between law and equity. And the General
Assembly may, also, make it the duty of said Commissioners to reduce
into a systematic code the general statute law of the State; and said
Commissioners shall report the result of their labors to the General
Assembly, with such recommendations and suggestions, as to abridg
ment and amendment, as to said Commissioners may seem necessary or
proper. Provisions shall be made by law, for filling vacancies, regulat
ing the tenure of office, and the compensation of said Commissioners.
Sec. 21. Every person of good moral character, being a voter, shall
be entitled to admission to practice law in all courts of justice.

ARTICLE VIII
EDUCATION
Section 1. Knowledge and leaming, generaUy diffused throughout
a community, being essential to the preservation of a free government,
it shaU be the duty of the General Assembly to encourage, by all suitable
means, moral, intellectual, scientific, and agricultural improvement;
and to provide by law, for a general and uniform system of Common
Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all.
Sec. 2. The Common School fund shall consist of the Congressional
Township fund, and the lands belonging thereto;
The surplus revenue fund;
The saline fund and the lands belonging thereto;
The Bank Tax fund, and the fund arising from the one hundred and
fourteenth section of the charter of the State Bank of Indiana;
The fund to be derived from the sale of County seminaries, and the
moneys and property heretofore held for such seminaries; from the fines
assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the State; and from all for
feitures which may accrue;
All lands and other estate which shall escheat to the State, for want
of heirs or kindred entitled to the inheritance;

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA lix
All lands that have been or may hereafter be, granted to the State,
where no special purpose is expressed in the grant, and the proceeds of
the sales thereof, including the proceeds of the sales of the Swamp
Lands, granted to the State of Indiana by the act of Congress of the
28th of September, 1850, after deducting the expense of selecting and
draining the same;
Taxes on the property of corporations, that may be assessed by the
General Assembly for Common School purposes.
Sec. 3. The principal of the Common School fund shall remain a
perpetual fund, which may be increased, but shall never be diminished;
and the income thereof shall be inviolably appropriated to the support
of Common Schools, and to no other purpose whatever.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shaU invest in some safe and profit
able manner aU such portions of the Common School fund, as have not
heretofore been intrusted to the several counties; and shall make pro
vision, by law, for the distribution, among the several counties, of the
interest thereof.
Sec. 5. If any county shall fail to demand its proportion of such
interest for Common School purposes, the same shall be reinvested for
the benefit of such county.
Sec. 6. The several counties shall be held Uable for the preservation
of so much of the said fund as may be intrusted to them, and for the
payment of the annual interest thereon.
.Sec. 7. .\11 trust funds held by the State shaU remain inviolate, and
be faithfully and exclusively applied to the purposes for which the trust
was created.
Sec. 8. The General Assembly shaU provide for the election, by the
voters of the State, of a State Superintendent of PubUc Instruction,
who shall hold his office for two years, and whose duties and compensa^
tion shall be prescribed by law. ARTICLE IX
STATE INSTITTTIOXS
Section 1. It shaU be the duty of the General Assembly to provide,
by law, for the support of Institutions for the Education of the Deaf
and Dumb, and of the Blind, and also for the treatment of the Insane.
Sec. 2. The General Assembly shall provide Houses of Refuge for
the correction and reformation of juvenile offenders.
Sec. 3. The County Boards shall have power to provide farms as an
asylum for those persons who, by reason of age, infirmity, or other mis
fortune, have claims upon the sympathies and aid of society.
MOOBE, l2fD. — ^21

Ix CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
ARTICLE X

Section 1. The General Assembly shall provide, by law, for a
uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation; and shall prescribe
such regulations as shall secure a just valuation for taxation of all
property, both real and personal, excepting such only for municipal,
educational, literary, scientific, religious, or charitable purposes, as
may be specially exempted by law.
Sec. 2. All the revenues derived from the sale of any of the pubUc
works belonging to the State, and from the net annual income thereof,
and any surplus that may, at any time, remain in the Treasury, derived
from taxation for general State purposes, after the payment of the ordi
nary expenses of the government, and of the interest on bonds of the
State, other than Bank bonds, shall be annuaUy appUed, under the
direction of the General Assembly, to the payment of the principal of
the PubUc Debt.
Sec. 3. No money shaU be drawn from the Treasury but in pur
suance of appropriations made bylaw.
Sec. 4. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of
the public money shall be published with the laws of each regular session
of the General Assembly.
Sec. 5. No law shall authorize any debt to be contracted, on behalf
of the State, except in the following cases: To meet casual deficits in
the revenue; to pay the interest on the State debt; to repel invasion,
suppress insurrection, or, if hostilities be threatened, provide for the
pubUc defense.
Sec. 6. No county shall subscribe for stock in any incorporated com
pany, unless the same be paid for at the time of such subscription; nor
shall any county loan its credit to any incorporated company, nor bor
row money for the purpose of taking stock in any such company; nor
shall the General Assembly ever, on behalf of the State, assume the
debts of any county, city, town, or township, nor of any corporation
whatever. Sec. 7. No law or resolution shall ever be passed by the General
Assembly of the State of Indiana that shall recognize any liability of this
State to pay or redeem any certificate of stock issued in pursuance of an
act entitled "An act to provide for the funded debt of the State of
Indiana, and for the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal to
EvansviUe," passed January 19, 1846; and an act supplemental to said
act, passed January 29, 1847; which by the provisions of the said acts,

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA Ixi
or either of them, shaU be payable exclusively from the proceeds of the
canal lands, and the tolls and revenues of the canal in said acts men
tioned; and no such certificates of stock shaU ever be paid by this State.
(Note. — Section 7 is an amendmeot agreed to by a majority of the members
elected to each of the two houses of the Geaeral .Assembly. Regular Session of 1871,
and referred to the General Assembly to be chosen at the next geueral election.
Agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each house of the General
Assembly. Special Session of 1872. Submitted to the electors of the State by an act
approved January 28. 1873. Ratified by a majority of the electors, at an election
held on the 18th day of February, 1873. Declared a part of the Constitution by
proclamation of Thomaa A. Hendricks, Govemor. March 7, 1873.]

ARTICLE XI
COBPORATIONS
Section 1. The General Assembly shaU not have power to establish,
or incorporate, any bank or banking company, or moneyed institution,
for the purpose of issuing bills of credit, or bills payable to order or
bearer, except under the conditions prescribed in this Constitution.
Sec. 2. No bank shall be established otherwise than under a general
banking law, except as provided in the fourth section of this article.
Sec. 3. If the General Assembly shaU enact a general banking law,
such law shaU provide for the registry and countersigning, by an officer
of State, of aU paper credit designed to be circulated as money; and
ample collateral security, readily convertible into specie, for the redemp
tion of the same in gold or silver, shall be required; which collateral
security shaU be under the control of the proper officer or officers of
State. Sec. 4. The General Assembly may also charter a bank with
branches, without coUateral security as required in the preceding
section. Sec. 5. If the General Assembly shall establish a bank with
branches, the branches shall be mutually responsible for each other's
liabilities upon all papyer credit issued as money.
Sec. 6. The stockholders in every bank, or banking company, shall
be individually responsible, to an amount, over and above their stock,
equal to their respective shares of stock, for all debts or Uabilities of
said bank or banking company.
Sec. 7. All bills or notes issued as money shall be, at all times,
redeemable in gold or silver, and no law shall be passed, sanctioning,
directly or indirectly, the suspension by any bank or banking company,
of specie psLymenta.

Ixii CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
Sec. 8. Holders of bank notes shall be entitled, in case of insol
vency, to preference of payment over all other creditors.
Sec. 9. No bank shaU receive, directly or indirectly, a greater rate
of interest than shall be allowed by law, to individuals loaning money.
Sec. 10. Every bank or banking company shall be required to cease
all banking operations, within twenty years from the time of its organi
zation, and promptly thereafter to close its business.
Sec. 11. The General Assembly is not prohibited from investing
the Trust Funds in a bank with branches, but in case of such invest
ment, the safety of the same shall be guaranteed by unquestionable
security. Sec. 12. The State shall not be a stockholder in any bank, after the
expiration of the present bank charter; nor shall the credit of the State
ever be given, or loaned, in aid of any person, association, or corpora
tion; nor shall the State hereafter become a stockholder in any cor
poration or association.
Sec. 13. Corporations, other than banking, shall not be created by
special act, but may be formed under general laws.
Sec. 14. Dues from corporations, other than banking, shall be
secured by such individual liability of the corporations, or other means,
as may be prescribed by law. ARTICLE XII

Section 1. The militia shall consist of all able-bodied white male
persons between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, except such
as may be exempted by the laws of the United States, or of this State;
and shall be organized, officered, armed, equipped, and trained in such
manner as may be provided by law.
Sec. 2. The Governor shall appoint the Adjutant, Quartermaster,
and Commissary Generals.
Sec. 3. All militia officers shall be commissioned by the Governor,
and shall hold their offices not longer than six years.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shall determine the method of divid
ing the militia into divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions and com
panies, and fix the rank of all staff officers.
Sec. 5. The mUitia may be divided into classes of sedentary and
active militia, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.
Sec. 6. No person conscientiously opposed to bearing arms, shall
be compelled to do miUtia duty; but such person shall pay an equivalent
for exemption, the amount to be prescribed by law.

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA Ixiii
ARTICLE Xm
POLinCAI. AKD MUN-ICIPAL CORPGBATION-S
Section 1. No poUtical or municipal corporation in this Stat» shall
ever become indebted, in any manner, or for any purpose, to any
amount, in the aggregate exceeding two per centum on the value of
taxable property, within such corjxiration, to be ascertained by the
last assessment for State and county ta.xes, pre\ious to the incurring
of such indebtednes; and all bonds or obligations, in e.\ce-s of such
amount, ^ven by such corporations, shall be void; Provided, That in
time of war, foreign invasion, or other great public calamity, on petition
of a majority of the property owners, in number and value, within
the limits of such corporation, the public authorities, in their discretion,
may incur obligation- necessarv- for the pubUc protection and defense,
to such an amount as may be requested in such petition. ' -\mendment
adopted March 14, 1S>S1, and inserted in Ueu of the original Article 13,
whidi was stricken out.;

ARTICLE XIV
BOUNDARIES
Section 1. In order that the botmdaries of the State may be known
and established, it is herebj- ordained and declared, that the State of
Indiana is bounded on the east by the meridian line, which forms the
western boundary of the State of Ohio; on the south by the Ohio River,
from the mouth of the Great Miami Paver to the mouth of the Wabash
Kiver; on the west by a line drawn along the middle of the Wabash
River, from its mouth to a point where a due north line, drawn from
the town of Vinceimes, would la.?t touch the northwestern shore of said
Wabash Ri%'er; and thence by a due north line, until the same shaU
intersect an east and wcrst line, drawn through a pwint ten miles north
of the southern extreme of Lake Michigan; on the north by said east
and west line, until the same shaU intersect the first-mentioned meridian
line, which forms the western boundarj- of the State of Ohio.
Sec. 2. The State of Indiana shall possess jurisdiction and sover-
agnty co-extensive with the boundaries declared in the preceding
section; and shiall have concurtent jurisdiction, in ci\-il and criminal
cases, with the State of Kentucky on the Ohio River, and with the
State of Illinois on the Wabash River, so far as said rivers form the
common boundary between this State and said States respectively.

Ixiv CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
ARTICLE XV
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1. All officers whose appointments are not otherwise pro
vided for in this Constitution, shall be chosen in such manner as now
is, or hereafter may be, prescribed by law.
Sec. 2. When the duration of any office is not provided for by this
Constitution, it may be declared by law; and if not so declared, such
office shall be held during the pleasure of the authority making thi
appointment. But the General Assembly shall not create any office,
the tenure of which shall be longer than four years.
Sec. 3. Whenever it is provided in this Constitution, or in any law
which may be hereafter passed, that any officer other than a member of
the General Assembly shall hold his office for any given term, the same
shall be construed to mean that such officer shall hold his office for such
term, and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.
Sec. 4. Every person elected or appointed to any office under this
Constitution shall, before entering on the duties thereof, take an oath
or affirmation to support the Constitution of this State, and of the
United States, and also an oath of office.
Sec. 5. There shall be a Seal of State, kept by the Governor for
official purposes, which shall be called the Seal of the State of Indiana.
Sec. 6. All commissions shall issue in the name of the State, shall
be signed by the Governor, sealed by the State Seal, and attested by
the Secretary of State.
Sec. 7. No county shall be reduced to an area less than four hundred
square miles; nor shall any county under that area be further reduced.
Sec. 8. No lottery shall be authorized, nor shall the sale of lottery
tickets be allowed.
Sec. 9. The following grounds owned by the State in Indianapolis,
namely, the State House Square, the Governor's Circle, and so much
of outlot numbered one hundred and forty-seven as lies north of the
arm of the Central Canal, shall not be sold or leased.
Sec. 10. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide for
the permanent inclosure and preservation of the Tippecanoe Battle
Groimd. ARTICLE XVI
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Any amendment or amendments to this Constitution
may be proposed in either branch of the General Assembly; and if the
same shall be agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each

CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA Ixv
of the two houses, such proposed amendment or amendments shall,
with the yeas and nays thereon, be entered on their journals, and
referred to the General .\ssembly to be chosen at the next general elec
tion; and, if in the General .\ssembly so next chosen, such proposed
amendment or amendments .~haU be agreed to by a majoritv of aU
members elected to each house, then it shaU be the duty of the General
Assembly to submit such amendment or amendments to the electore
of the State; and if a majority of said electors shaU ratify the same,
such amendment or amendments shaU become a part of this Con
stitution. Sec. 2. If two or more amendments shall be submitted at the same
time, they shall be submitted in such. manner that the electors shall
vote for or against each of such amendments separately; and while an
amendment or amendments which shall have been agreed upon by one
General Assembly shall be awaiting the action of a succeeding General
Assembly, or of the electors, no additional amendment or amendments
shall be proposed.
Done in Convention, at Indianapolis, the tenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight himdred and fifty-one; and
of the independence of the United States, the seventy-fifth.
GEORGE WHITFIELD CARR,
President and Delegate from the County of Lawrence.
Attest: Wm. H. English,
Principal Secretary.

ADDENDA
The original sections stricken out or amended read as follows:
ARTICLE II. SUFFR.\GE AND ELECTION
Section 2. In all elections, not otherwise provided for by this
Constitution, er/ery white male citizen of the United States, of the age
of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall have resided in the State
during the six months immediately preceding such election; and every
white male of foreign birth of the age of twenty-one years and upwards,
who shall have readed in the United States one year, and shall have
resided in this State during the six months immediately preceding such
election, and shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of
the United States, conformably to the laws of the United .-states on the

Ixvi CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA
subject of naturaUzation, shaU be entitled to vote in the township or
precinct where he may reside.
Sec. 5. No negro or mulatto shaU have the right of suffrage.
Sec. 14. All general elections shaU be held on the second Tuesday
in October. ARTICLE IV. legislative
Section 4. The General Assembly shall, at its second session after
the adoption of this Constitution and every six years thereafter, cause
an enumeration to be made of all the white male inhabitants over the
age of twenty-one years.
Sec. 5. The number of Senators and Representatives shaU, at the
session next following each period of making such enumeration, be fixed
by law and apportioned among the several counties, according to the
number of white male inhabitants, above twenty-one years of age, in
each: Provided, That the first and second elections of members of the
General Assembly, under this Constitution, shall be according to the
apportionment last made by the General Assembly, before the adoption
of this Constitution.
Sec. 22. In relation to fees or salaries.
ARTICLE VII. judicial
Section 1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a
Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts, and in such inferior courts as the
General Assembly may establish.
ARTICLE XIII. NEGROES AND MULATTOES
Section 1. No negro or mulatto shall come into, or settle in, the
State, after the adoption of this Constitution.
Sec. 2. All contracts made with any negro or mulatto coming into
the State, contrary to the provisions of the foregoing section, shall be
void; and any person who shall employ such negro or mulatto, or
otherwise encourage him to remain in the State, shall be fined in any
sum not less than ten dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars.
Sec. 3. AU fines which may be collected for a violation of the pro
visions of this article, or of any law which may hereafter be passed for
the purpose of carrying the same into execution, shall be set apart and
appropriated for the colonization of such negroes and mulattoes, and
their descendants as may be in the State at the adoption of this Con
stitution, and may be willing to emigrate.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shaU pass laws to carry out the
provisions of this article.

INDEX

.^boriranal inhabitants, 20
-ide, George, 228
Administrative department, 241
Agriculture, 222
Amendment, 14th, 183
Amendment, loth, 184
Ammcan Knights, 163
Anti-cigarette law, 208
Anti^aloon League, 216
Appellate court, 243
Apportionment laws, 200
Arthur, Chester A., 191
Assembly, General, 238
Auditor, 242
AustraliJan ballot, 196
Baker,'Conrad P., 182
Baldwin, James, 227
Bank, State, 132
Banking, Old method of, 139
Bartholomew, Joseph, 108
Baxter law, 186
Beecher, Henry Ward, 260
Benevolent In-stitutions, 246
Beveridge, Albert J., 228
Bigger, Sainud, 1.34
Bingham, J. J-, 168
Blame, James G., 192
Blair, F. P., 182
BUnd, School for, 260
Boards and Commissions, 245
Boat load of knowledge, xv
Bolton, Sarah T., 227
Bonds, State, 204
Boon, RatUff, 119
Boundaries, 11
Boimty system, 170
Boys' school, 247
Bright, Jesse D., 168
BrookviUe, Distinguished talent
from, xxxvii
Brown, George, 180
Brown, John, 144

Bryan, William Jennings, 218
Buchanan, James, 147
Buena Vista, Battle of, 137
BuUding stones, xxvi
Burnside, Ambrose E., 174
Butler, Amos W., 228
Calkins, WUliam H., 192
Canal, Wabash and Erie, 127
Canby, Edward, 173, 179
Carr, Brace, 210
Caves, xxvi
Census, 78, SO, 266, xUi
Census of French, 39
Centennial anniversary, 18
Chapman, George H., 179
Chase, Ira J., 195
Chipkawkay, 33
Chipman, M. A., 204
Cincinnati, 157
Circuit courts, 244
Civics, 229
Clark, George Rogers, 38, 49, 55
Clark's Grant, 63
Clarke, WUham F., 227
Clerk of courts, 245
Cleveland, Grover, 192, 195, 198
Climate, 16
Coal, xxvi
Codification commission, 203
Colfax, Schuyler, 182
Collins, Napoleon, 179
Commissioners, School book, 196
Compact, .\rticles of, 72
Compromise, Missouri, Hi
Compulsory education, 2.55
Consolidated schools, 255
Conspiracy trials, 167
Constitution of Indiana, xUii
Amendments to, l^'J
framed and ado <ted,
108
of 1816, 79

Ixvii

Ixviii

INDEX

Constitutional Elm, 80
Correctional Institutions, 246
Corwin, Thomas, 136
Corydon, 78, 80
Cox, MiUard, 227
Criminal courts, 244
Daily, A. C, 210
Dale, David, xi
Davis, Henry G., 207
Davis, Jeff C, 178
Deaf, School for, 260
Debt, State, 203
Development, Modern, 182
DiUon, John B., 66, 227
Dodd, Harrison H., 167
Drainage system, 13
Dubuisson, Sieur, 34, 42
Duke, Basil, 160
Dunn, Jacob P., 37, 86, 228, xxxvi
Dunning, Paris C, 135
Durbin, Winfield T., 203
Early Taxation, 82
Education, 224
Education, State Board of, 181
Educational commission, 213, 255
Educational development, 249
Educational Institutions, 246
Educational system, 250
Eggleston, Edward, 227
Eggleston, George Cary, 227
Election, First, 69
Enabling Act, 233
English, W. H., 191, 227
Epileptics, Village for, 247
Executive department, 240
Exposition, Louisiana Purchase,
205
Extinguishing Indian titles, 109,
122
Fairbanks, Charies W., 20
Fee and salary law, 184
Fee system, 248
Feeble Minded Youth, School for,
247
Fifteenth Amendment, 184
Finly, John, 227, xxxv
Floods, 192
Fort Ancient, 23
Chartres, 35

Fort Crevecoeur, 30
Defiance, 97
Duquesne, 47
Frontenac, 31
Gage, 35
Harrison, 103
Knox, 67
Miami, 31
Miamis, 33
captured, 42
Ouiatenon, 33
Patrick Henry, 64
Pitt, 48
Recovery, 94
Sackville, 61
St. Louis, 31
St.Vincent, 33
Washington, 93
Wayne, 33, 97, 107, 229
Foster, John W., 218
Foster, R. S., 180
Fouike, WiUiam Dudley, 228
Fredericksburg, 175
Fremont, John C, 144
French and Indian War, 45
Fugitive slaves, 89, 143
Gambling resorts, 216
Garfield, James A., 191
Gas, Natural, 198, xxv
Geological formations, 13, xxv
Geologist, State, 196 ~
Gibault, Father, 57, 65
Gibson, John, 76
Girls' School, 247
Glacial epoch, xxvii
Golden Circle, Knights of, 158
Gould, B. A., 153
Government, Departments of, 238
Governor, 240
Gowdy, John K., 34
Grant, Ulysses S., 182, 186
Gray, Isaac P., 189, 192
Greeley, Horace, 186
Greenville, Treaty of, 98
Gresham, Walter Q., 177, 218
Grose, WiUiam E., 180
Gwin, WilUam, 180
Hackleman, Pleasant A., 177
Halfway house, xvii
Hammond, Abram A., 141

INDEX

Ixix

Hamtramck, John F., 97
Hancock, 'Winfield, S., 171
Hanly, J. Frank, 207, 209, 214,
216, 255, 263
Hardin, John, 92
Harmar, Joseph, 92
Harmonie, ii
Harper's Ferry, Raid on, 144
Harrison, Benjamin, 177, 194,
198, 205
Harrison, William Henry, 42, 75, 1 34
Hay, John, 228
Hayes, Rutherford B., 187
Helm, Leonard, 57
Hemenway, James A., 217
Henderson, J. O., 210
Hendricks, Thomas A., 182, 185,
187, 192, 194
Hendricks, WilUam, 123
Hines, Thomas H., 158
Home, Soldiers', 172, 247
Hoosierism to Literary Suprem
acy, 226
Hoosier's Nest, xxxv
Hospitals for the Insane, 247
House of Representatives, 238
Howard, T. E., 204
Hovey, Alvin P., 177, 195
Hubbard, Kin, 228
Humane Laws and Administra
tion, 224
Illinois, County of, 70
Improvements, Internal, 124, 127
Independence, War for, 54
Indian Captivity, stories of, 110
Indian wars, 90
Indiana, Constitution of, xliii
geology of, xxv
Indiana in National Politics, 218
Indiana legion, 158
Indiana Territory, 75
Indiana, the hub of the Union,
xxxiii
Indianapolis, chosen capital, 121
Indians, 25
Indians, Monument to, xxxiv
Jefferson, Thomas, 48, 71
Jennings, Jonathan, 88, 119
Johnson, Andrew, 183
Johnson, Robert Underwood, 227
Johnston, Annie Fellows, 228

Joliet, LouiSj 28
Jordan, Lewis, 159
Joutel, Henri, 29
Judicial Department, 243
Justices of the peace, 245
Juvenile Courts, 245
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 143
Kaskaskia taken, 56
Kekionga, 33
Kem, John Worth, 203, 207, 218,
xli
Kimball, Nathan, 178
Know Nothing party, 144
Krout, Caroline, 227
La Balme's Raid, 52
Lafayette, visit of, 123
Lakes, 13
Landis, Frederick, 228
Lane, Daniel G., 82
Lane, Henry S., 145
La Salle, 27, 229
Law, John, 227
Lawton, Henry W., 203
Legislative department, 238
Legislature, First, 120
Levering, Julia Henderson, 106,
228
Lewis, John W., 213
Lieutenant governor, 193, 241
Lilly, William H., 82
Lincoln, Abraham, 146, 180
Lincoln, Benjamin, 96
Lincoln, Nancy Hanks, xxxiu
Lincoln Tree, xxxiv
Lockwood, George B., 228, iv, xv,
xxiv
Logan, John A., 192
Loughrey, Archibald, 53
Louisiana Territory, 31, 48
Lynch law, 183, 201
McClellan, George B., 180
McCuUough, Hugh, 218
McCutcheon, George Barr, 228
Maclure, William, xv, xxiii
Macluria, xviii
McDonald, Joseph E., 180
McKinley, William, 200
Maine, The, 202
Major, Charies, 228
Manson, Mahlon D., 192, 210

Ixx

INDEX

Manufacturing, 224
Margane, Francis (the 2nd Vin
cennes), 35
Marshall, Thomas R., 214, 216,
220, 264
Matthews, Claude, 198
McGinnis, George P., 180
Meredith, Sol, 180
Merrill, Catherine, 149
Metropolitan police boards, 191,
220
Mexican war, 135
Michigan boundary dispute, 127
Michigan Road, 124
Miller, C. H. (Joaquin), 227
Miller, Elizabeth, 228
MiUer, John F., 180
MiUer, W. H. H., 218
Milroy, Robert H., 178
Minimum wage and qualifications
law, 213, 255
Mississinewa, Battle of, 108
Missouri Compromise, 143
Monroe, James, 71
Montgomery, D. H., 131
Moore, B. F., 213
Moore, Edward E., 213
Morgan's raid, 158
Morton, OUver P., 141, 145, 148,
161, 177, 180, 182, 190
Mound Builders, 20
Mount, James A., 200
Munfordville, Battie of, 166
Municipal Courts, 245
National Road, 234
Nesbit, Wilbur, 228
New Harmony, i
New Lanark, x
New, Robert A., 82
Nicholas's Conspiracy, 42
Nicholson, Meredith, 228
Noble, Noah, 125
Normal School, 260
Officers, Administrative, 241
Officers, County, 242
Officers, State, 242
Officers, Township, 242
Option Elections, 221
Option law, 216, 266

Ordinance of 1787, 71, 85, 231
Orth, Godlove S., 187
Ouiatenon, 33, 229
Owen, David Dale, xvi
Owen, Richard, xvi
Owen, Robert, i, x
Owen, Robert Dale, 152, 227, vii,
xvi
Owen, WilUam, xvi
Owen philosophy, xii
Palo Alto, Battie of, 137
Panic, of 1821, 122
of 1837, 132
of 1873, 185
of 1907, 219
Paris, Treaty of, 48
Parker, Alton B., 207
Parker, Benjamin S., 227
Parry, David M., 228
Pemsquatawah, 98
Perryville, Battle of, 157
Petroleum, xxv
Phillips, David Graham, 228
Piankashaw, 33
Pickawillany, 43
Pickering,Timothy, 96
Pigeon Roast Massacre, 107
Pioneer, typical, 115
Pogue's Run, Battie of, 170
Political Divisions, 11
Pontiac's conspiracy, 50
Population, 17, 222, 266, xlii
Porter, Albert H., 191
Posey, Thomas, 78
Presidential elections, xxxviii
Presidents, Table of, xl
Prison, State, 247
Probate courts, 244
Probation officers, 245
Prophets war, 98
Public Depository law, 212
PubUc Instruction, Superintendent
of, 181
Purdue, John, 258
Purdue University, 181, 258
Railroad, First, 128
Railroads, 222
Ralston, Alexander, 121
Randolph,, Beverly, 96
Rapp, Frederick, iv

INDEX

Ixxi

Rapp, George, i
Rappite Community, i
Ray, James Brown, 123
Reformatory, State, 247
Remonstrance law, 213, 216, 221
Reporter of Supreme and Apel
late Courts, 245
Representatives, House of, 238
Republican party, 141
Resaca de la Palma, Battle of, 137
Resources, 224
Reynolds, Joseph J., 178
Rice, James H., 210
Richmond, battle of, 156
Ridpath, John Clark, 228
Riley, James Whitcomb, 227
Ritchie, WiU S., 213
Rivers, 13
Rivet, M., 41, 249
Robertson, Robert S., 113
Robertson, R. S., 193
Rogers, Robert, 51
Roosevelt, Theodore, 207
RusseU, WiUiam, 108
St. Ange, Louis, 37
St. Clair, Arthur, 77, 92
St. Gabriel's rock, v
Sanitary commission, 153
Say, Thomas, xvi
Schmidt, Bruno, 196
School fund, 253
School lands, 124
School legislation, 124, 140, 180
Schools, 224, 249
Consolidated, 255
Scrip, State, 132
Seal, State, 122
Secession, 146
Secretary of State, 242
Seminaries, County, 253
Senate, 238
Senators, list of, xU
Settlement, 17
Settiers, Eariy, 115
Seymour, Horace, 182
Seymour, Lynch law at, 183
Sheriff's liability law, 201
Sherman, James S., 218
Sherrick, David E., 210
Shively, B. F., 217
Simpson, Matthew, 260

Slack, L. Ert, 213
Slavery, 85, 142
Slaves, Fugitive, 120
Slimp, Thomas D., 213
Slocum, Frances, 110
Smith, A. G., 193
Smith, Caleb B., 218
Smith, E. Kirby, 156
Smith, Oliver H., 227
Smith, WilUam H., 41, 150, 227
Socialistic experiments, i
Societies, Secret, 163, 170
Soils, 11
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument,
173, 196
Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans'
Home, 172, 247
Soldiers, Tax for, 180
Sons of Liberty, 163
Spanish-American war, 202
State Institutions, 246
State officers, 241
Statehood, Progress under, 119
Statehouse, 79, 125, 230
State's wards, care of, 224
Statistics, Bureau of, 196
Storms, Daniel E., 210
Strike, Pullman car, 200
Strike, Railroad, 190
Sumter, Fort, 149
Superintendent, County, 181
Superintendent of Public Instruc
tion, 181
Superior Courts, 244
Supreme Court, 243
Surplus Revenue Fund, 130
Taft, WilUam H., 218
Tarkington, Booth, 228
Taylor, Zachary, 136
Tecumseh, 98, 108
Telegraphs, 222
Telephones, 222
Temperance, 213
agitation, 191
legislation, 140, 186
Texas, Admission of, 136
Textbook law, 196, 254
Thanksgiving Day, 133
Thirteen original counties, 83
Thompson, Maurice, 228
Thompson, Richard W., 218

Ixxii

INDEX

Tilden, Samuel J., 187
Tippecanoe, Battle of, 103
Tipton, John, 108
Todd, John, 66, 70
Topography, 11
Township schools, 250
Treasonable Secret Societies, 163
Treasurer, State, 242
Treaty of Paris, 48
Tuberculosis Hospital, 247
Tyner, James N., 218
Underground railroads, 89
University, State, 257
Usher, John P., 218
Vigo, Francis, 58, 65
Vincennes, 33, 40, 55, 229
Vincennes, Sieur de, 35
Vincennes, Sieur de (the 2d), 36
Vincennes University claim, 214,
262
Vohiey, C. F., 40

Wabash Land Company, 109
Wallace, David, 133
Wallace, Lew, 155, 157, 175, 227
Ward, John R., 210
Warren, Josiah, 228
Washington, George, 47, 173
Watson, James E., 216
Wayne, Anthony, 95
Wayne, Fort, 33, 97, 107, 229
Webb, Edgar, 213
Webster, Daniel, 71
Wheeler, WiUiam A., 187
Whitcomb, James, 135
" Wildcat " money, 132
WiUard, Ashbel P., 141
Williams, James D., 187
Women's Prison, 247
Woollen, 'WiUiam Watson, 228
Woollen, WilUam Wesley, 228
Wright, Frances, xvi
Wright, Joseph A., 138
Zoar, ii