which it fell one hundred feet, forming a cataract of such volume and height as to rival even Niagara. But the continual wearing power of the water, aided materially by earthquakes, which have left their sign in the vicinity, finally opened the present channel of the Mississippi, and gave an outlet to the ocean of waters that lay stagnating in the swamps, now prairies, above, and causing the present agricultural productiveness of the ancient beds of these great waters.

Two hundred years ago Northern and Central Illinois was inhabited by two powerful nations of Indians, the Illinois and the Miamis. The latter occupied the northern part of the present State and part of Wisconsin, and their chief town was upon the present site of Chicago.

The Illinois tribe occupied the country bordering upon the Illinois river, called by the French the "River Seignelay," and all the country between that and the "River Colbert," or Mississippi.

The principal tribe of the Illinois were the Muscootens, and their town was upon the present site of Beardstown, on the east bank of the river, at the foot of Muscooten Bay, and was called by the French the "Mound Village." The Peorias, another of the Illinois tribes, generally occupied that portion of the country between the rivers, having their town on the west bank of the Illinois river, four miles above the Muscooten village, upon the bluffs back of the present town of Frederick. The present site of Beardstown was at that time an island, surrounded on the north, east and south by almost impassable swamps, containing dangerous quicksands. and quaking bogs, and which could be crossed only in canoes, or by Indians jumping from hillock to hillock of the turf grass with which these swamps were interspersed, and on the west by the Seignelay or Illinois River. The Indian town of the Muscootens was a

beautiful place. It was built upon a series of mounds, covered with grass, and partially shaded by tall trees, which stood like sentinels upon the hills, or ornamental trees upon a lawn, so scattered as not to obstruct the view of the whole town from the river. The island had evidently been selected, not only on account of its natural beauty, but for its easy defense and safety from enemies.

By two bends in the river, forming two obtuse angles, the allied villages of the Peorias and the Muscootens stood at the two elbows, in plain sight of each other, the broad river forming a straight sheet of water between, while north of the Mound Village, and in front of the Peorias, spread the wide and glassy surface of Muscooten Bay, separated from the river by a narrow peninsula. Back of the swamp which protected the rear of the town, was a wide belt of rich prairie bottom land, and beyond, six miles, loomed up the Sangamon Bluffs, looking like miniature Andes in the distance, between which and the island, in the day time, all approaching foes could be discerned.

This island town was a favorite resting place with the weary voyageurs and devout missionaries; a large cross was erected here, and friendly relations established between the "children of the forest" and the white men. This favoritism on the part of the French towards the Illinois Indians, excited the jealousy of the Miamis, and they determined upon revenge. In vain did the missionaries try to prevent animosities. The Miamis invaded the country of the Illinois, and took some prisoners.

At this time the Chevalier La Salle, who had built a fort called Creve Coeur, or the Broken Heart, where the present city of Peoria now stands, in order to prevent further hostilities, made a journey alone down the river to the Muscooten Village, but his efforts were without avail, and the war continued.

The Muscootens believed that La Salle was acting as a spy for the Iroquois, whose chief town was then where Buffalo, N. Y., now is, and who were the most powerful Indian nation upon the continent. This impression seemed to be confirmed when it became known to them that the Iroquois and Miamis had formed an alliance for the purpose of exterminating them.

Many battles were fought between these hostile nations, but, by the superior numbers of their enemies, the Illinois were worsted and besieged in their towns. The Peorias fortified themselves with earthworks upon the bluffs at their village, and passed men down the river in canoes, as necessity required, to the Mound Village, or received help from there, the river being protected from the arrows of the enemy by marshy ground on one side and the bay on the other, which forbade their near approach.

The Muscootens were beseiged in their island town. Occasionally they were assailed by parties of their enemies, who, more courageous than their fellows, crossed the swamps in the night, on the grassy hillocks, with the help of poles. On these occasions fierce battles were fought, and none of the daring assailants survived to recross those trembling hillocks. At each defeat the Miamies and Iroquois became more enraged. In the night time, when out of danger from arrows, the allied Indians cut grass and small trees, and gathered floating wood, and built a causeway across a part of the swamp. When it was completed, with the aid of canoes disguised by branches of trees, in the night time, they rushed upon the island, and for several days the battle raged fierce.y. There was no quarter given or asked. Death was dealt by unsparing hands on both sides. They had heen rendered doubly savage by hunger and delay. Their revenge had long been at usury, and they were now satisfying principal and interest.

The battle at intervals temporarily subsided, but only when the combatants became exhausted, and was resumed when rest brought returning strength. Those who from fatigue were unable to rise, were scalped and tomahawked, entering from the dreamland of life to the dreamland of death.

At length, exhausted and overwhelmed by superior numbers, the Muscootens began to fall back towards the river, when with yells of victory their allied enemies rushed upon them, and with tomahawks and scalping knives ended the battle. A few of the unfortunate Muscootens swam the river, and concealed themselves until night in the high swamp grass beyond, and a small number of men, women and children fled in canoes to the village of the Peorias, and some were taken prisoners.

The battle being over, then came the mourning for the slain. Funeral rites, in which the missionaries took part, were performed, and in the great mound on the bank of the river, which had been raised centuries before by a long forgotten race, they buried the slain warriors with their bows, arrows and tomahawks, together with the silver and flint crosses of the missionaries.

After these ceremonies were concluded, the Iroquois returned to their own country. The Miamis, with their prisoners, encamped upon the present site of Chandlerville, where game was plenty, and attended to their sick and dying, great numbers of whom did not survive their wounds.

Those that died were buried in the bluffs near by, and long after the settlement of Chandlerville their ghastly skeletons lay in white. rows, exposed to the sun, laid bare by the action of the wind upon their sandy covering.

Many years ago, at the request of a young friend, the writer put into verse and rhyme. one of the incidents related above, which is as follows:

THE LEGEND OF MONSELA.

Far, far into the long ago, and upon the very place Where Beardstown stands, there lived and loved and died a noble race.

Where pretty lawns and spacious streets and lofty buildings stand,

Monsola's Indian village stood upon the hills of sand.

It was an island then, and round the hills on which it stood

The river ripples wandered in a long continuous flood; While over all the tall oaks waved in foliage bright and green,

And the trees and tents were mirror'd on the broad and glassy stream.

Far above the stars were shining, bathed in clouds of silv'ry light,

And the gentle breeze of summer-day had slumbered into night;

The murmur of the wavelets flowing, and hum of insect wings,

Fell lightly on the sleepers' ears, nor waked their slumberings.

Three weary moons two Indian tribes had been in deadly strife,

And Miamis and Muscoutens had yielded many a life; Till the allies of the Muscoutens had left them all alone,

And the Miamis besieged them upon their island home.

Slowly, at night, across the waters upon the southern side,

The Miamis were paddling up their canoes against the tide;

While in advance of every boat was held a branching bough,

Which from the gaze of watching eyes might shield the advancing prow.

Upon the island, faint and tired, the Muscoutens lay at rest,

All witless of the coming foe as the flowers which they pressed;

They had fought them day by day, their watchfires

burning night by night,

Until glimmered on their ashen beds the last faint

rays of light.

Just as the distant glittering beams that led the morn

ing sun

Sat lightly on the yellow knobs of the bluffs of Sangamon,

A yell as of a thousand fiends fell on the startled ears,

And sleepers woke to sleep again pierced by the foemens' spears.

Monsola then, Muscouten's Chief, raised high the battle cry,

And bade his warriors follow him and win the fight or die;

Now on the left, now on the right, his ponderous warclub fell,

And many an Indian skull crushed he, and stifled many a yell.

Now backward borne, now pressing on, Muscouten's wavering braves

Proved that the blood that nerved their arms was never meant for slaves;

'Till overpowered, and rank by rank fell weltering in their blood,

The brave Monsola fought alone amidst the crimson flood.

Then the old chief's daughter, White Wing, ran through the rift of spears;

'Though gentle as a fawn, that day she showed no childish fears;

Pierced to the heart, into his arms she threw herself, a shield,

He grasped her lifeless form and slowly bore her from the field.

Where the golden grass was waving on the river's western shore,

Monsola's birchen shallop touched the flowery bank

once more;

There oft before the same proud chief had pushed his light canoe,

With warriors in sinewy keels-three hundred brave and true.

Near two hundred years have entered into the dreamy past

Since the chief of the Muscoutens on his village looked the last

One longing, lingering look he gave toward his island home,

Then drew his mantle round him and wandered forth alone.

Some years later, Mound Island was taken posses ion of by the Kickapoo Indians, upon

which they built a village, known as "Kickapoo Town," although still remembered by the French Missionaries as the "Beautiful Mound Village." This became a favorite trading post and missionary station, and continued in the possession of the Kickapoos until its settlement by Thomas Beard, in 1820, after whom the present city of Beardstown was named.

A few years later the great mound in Beardstown began to be encroached upon by the spade and pickaxe of the avaricious white man. Still later, Horace Billings built upon its river front a huge mill, for the purpose of grinding corn, bolting it fine like wheat flour, kiln-drying, sacking it, and shipping it to Europe as bread stuff. This building was five stories high, a massive frame, and the mound was so excavated with winding roads that teams could be driven to three different stories, to load and unload.

This enterprise proved a ruinous failure. The drying process destroyed the vitality of the meal, and prevented its sale. The building was destroyed by fire. The earth, of which the mound was composed, and which is supposed to have been taken by its builders from the bottom of the river, was stolen away by wagon-loads to cover house lots and streets with, and its site was finally reduced to the level of the adjacent streets.

The decaying bones of the red warriors, as they lay in their quiet and lovely resting place, with the implements of war around them; the silver and flint crosses of the missionaries, even the beautiful mound itself, which as an ornament and historic feature to the town and river, should have been held sacred, could not restrain the money-making white man from destroying it, and it is now recollected only by the old settlers, who used to sit upon its summit and watch the passing away of the last of two races-the Indian in his canoe, and the French voyageur in his pirogue.

In 1700, Illinois was a part of the territory owned by the French government, and was called New France.

In 1720, all the country west of the Mississippi River belonged to Spain, with Santa Fe as its capital.

In 1763, Illinois was ceded by France to Great Britain, after a "seven year's war," Many French inhabitants, rather than live under British rule, joined La Clede and settled in St. Louis, then French territory.

In 1778, the Illinois country was conquered from Great Britain by troops from the State of Virginia, under the command of General George Rogers Clark, which was an independent military enterprise of that State; and on the 4th day of July of that year, General Clark and his troops took pessession of Kaskaskia, the capital of the British possessions west of the Alleghenies, and declared the Illinois country free and independent of Great Britain, thus making the 4th day of July the natal day of this State as well as of the Nation. In that year, Illinois was created a county of Virginia, and Timothy Dernanbrun was appointed by the governor, Patrick Henry, a justice of the peace, to rule over it; which was probably the most extensive territorial jurisdiction that a magistrate ever had.

In 1794, the legislature of the Northwest Territory divided it into two counties, Pandolph and St. Clair.

In 1809, Illinois was declared a separate territory.

In 1812, Madison County was organized from St. Clair, and then contained all of the present State north of St. Clair and Randolph. In 1818, Illinois was admitted into the Union as the twenty-second State.

In 1821, Green County was formed from Madison County.

In 1823, Morgan County was formed from Green County, which included the territory now known as Cass County.