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JOHN KINZIE

Chicago's Pioneer

A SKETCH

LIBRARY OF THEUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGNIN MEMORY OF

STEWART S. HOWEJOURNALISM CLASS OF 1928

STEWART S. HOWE FOUNDATION

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JOHN KINZIE

The "Father of Chicago"

A SKETCH

BY

ELEANOR LYTLE KINZIE GORDON

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COPYRIGHTED 1910

BY

ELEANOR KINZIE GORDON

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JOHN KINZIE

A SKETCH

John McKenzie was the son of Surgeon John Mc-Kenzie of the 60th or Royal American Regiment of Foot,and of Anne Haleyburton, the widow of Chaplain Wm.Haleyburton of the First or Royal American Regimentof Foot.

Mrs. Haleyburton had one child by Maj. Haleyburton,a daughter named Alice, born January 22nd, 1758. Thisevent took place just before the regiment embarked fromIreland for America, and the Haleyburtons were conse-quently delayed for several weeks before rejoining thecommand in Quebec.

Major Haleyburton died soon after their arrival in

America, and his widow a couple of years later marriedSurgeon John McKenzie. Their son "John" was born in

Quebec, December 3rd, 1763.

Major McKenzie survived the birth of his son but a

few months and his widow took for her third husbandMr. William Forsyth, of New York City.

Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth had five sons, William, George,James, Thomas, and Robert Allan.

In the old family Bible is the following touchingrecord of an event that occurred after the family hadremoved from New York to Detroit:

"George Forsyth was lost in the woods 6th of Aug.,1775, when Henry Hays and Mark Stirling ran awayand left him. The remains of Geo. Forsyth were foundby ai3 Indian the 2ud of Oct., 1776, close by the PrairieRonde."

There was nothing to identify the child except the

auburn curls of his hair and the little boots he had worn.

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In this same old Bible the "Mc" is dropped in re-

cording the birth of "John Kinsey" (so spelled) , thus in-

dicating that he was known as John Kinsey, (or, as hehimself spelled it, "Kinzie") from early childhood.

Young John grew up under the care and supervision

of his step-father, Mr. Forsyth, until at the age of ten hebegan his adventurous career by running away.

He and his two half brothers attended a school at

Williamsburg, L. I., escorted there every Monday by a

servant, who came to bring them home every Friday,

One fine afternoon when the servant came to take the

boys home Master Johnny was missing. An immediatesearch was made, but not a trace of him could be found.

His mother was almost frantic. The mysterious disap-

pearance of her bright, handsome boy was a fearful

blow. Days passed without tidings of the lost one, andhope fled. The only solution suggested was, that hemight have been accidently drowned, and his bodyswept out to sea.

Meantime Master John was very much alive.

He had determined to go to Quebec to try, as heafterwards explained, to discover some of his father's

relations.

He had managed to find a sloop which was just go-

ing up the Hudson, and w^ith the confidence and auda-city of a child he stepped gaily on board and set forth

on his travels.

Most fortunately for him he attracted the notice of

a passenger on the vessel who was going to Quebec, andw^ho began to question the lonely little lad. He becameso interested in the boy that he took him in charge, paidhis fare and landed him safely in his native city.

But here, alas. Master Johnnie soon found himselfstranded. Very cold, very hungry and very miserable,he was wandering down one of the streets of Quebecwhen his attention was attracted by a glittering array of

watches and silver in a shop window, where a man wassitting repairing a clock.

Johnny stood gazing v\ristfully in; his yellow curls,

blue eyes, and pathetic little face appealed to the kindsilversmith, who beckoned him into the shop and soon

learned his story. 'And what are you going to do now?"asked the man. "I am going to work" replied "ten-year-

old" valiantly. "Why, what could you do?" laughed the

man. "I could do anything you told me to do, if you just

showed me how to do it," said John- The result wasthat John got the job.

The silversmith had no children, and as the monthsrolled on he grew more and more fond of John. Hetaught him as much of his trade as the lad could acquirein the three years of his stay in Quebec.

This knowledge was of great value to him when la-

ter on in his life it enabled him to secure the friendshipand assistance of the Indians by fashioning various or-

naments and "tokens" for them from the silver moneypaid to them as annuities by the United States Govern-ment. The Indians gave him the name of "Shaw-nee-aw-kee" or the Silver Man, and by that name he wasknown among all the tribes of the Northwest.

These happy and useful years drew to a close. AsJohn was one day walking down the street, a gentlemenfrom New York stopped him and said: "Are you notJohnny Kinzie?" John admitted that he was—and thegentleman armed with the astonishing news and the

boy's address, promptly communicated with Mr. Forsyth,who at once came to Quebec and took the runaway home.

I dare say his rejoicing mother saved him from the

sound thrashing he richly deserved at the hands of his

step-father.

John had had enough of running away, and was nowcontent to stay at home and buckle down to his books.

The few letters of his which remain and are preservedin the Chicago Historical Society show the results of anexcellent education.

The roving spirit was still alive in him, however.Mr. Forsyth had moved West and settled in Detroit, andwhen John was about eighteen years old he persuadedhis step-father to fit him out as an Indian trader.

This venture proved a great success. Before he wasone and twenty, young Kinzie had established t\M o trad-

ing posts,—one at Sandusky and one at Maumee, and

was pushing towards the West, where he later started a

depot at St. Joseph, Michigan,

In all of his new and arduous career he was greatly

aided and protected by John Harris, the famous IndianScout and trader mentioned by Irving in his Life of

"Washington (Volume 1, Chapter XII.) In grateful ap-

preciation of these kindnesses he named his son "JohnHarris" for this valued friend.

John Kinzie's success as an Indian trader was almostphenomenal. He acquired their language with great fa-

cility; he respected their customs, and they soon foundthat his "word was as good as his bond." He was a

keen trader, not allowing himself to be cheated, nor at-

tempting to cheat them. He quickly gained the confi-

dence and esteem of the various tribes with which hedealt, and the personal friendship of many of their mostpowerful chiefs, who showed themselves ready to shield

him in danger, and to rescue him from harm at the risk

of their lives.

A.n event in the life of John Kinzie may be herestated, and the romantic and sensational tales concern-ing it, as put forth by some historians, corrected. In the

year 1775, the two little girls of a Mr. Isaac McKenziewere stolen from their home in Giles County Virginia,

near the Kanawha River, by a party of Shawnee Indians.

Margaret was ten years old, and Elizabeth was twoyears younger. They had been captives among these

savages for ten years, when a trader named John Clark,

and John Kinzie heard of them, and that there was aplan on foot to compel these young women to marrycertain men of the tribe. Kinzie and Clark determinedto rescue them. By means of a liberal expenditure of

guns, ammunition, blankets, etc., they succeeded in ran-

soming the two young women. Margaret took up herabode with Kinzie, and Elizabeth with Clark.

When, several years later, Isaac McKenzie learnedof his daughters' safety he came West to claim them.

By this time Margaret had three children, James,William and Elizabeth. In spite of Mr. Kinzie's offer

to marry her Margaret refused to remain with him, buttaking her children went back to Virginia with her fa-

ther, where she promptly asserted her freedom from any

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legal ties elsewhere by marrying a man named BenjaminHall.

Margaret McKenzie's desertion of the man who hadsaved her from a cruel fate can only be condoned by thefact that she had spent ten years of her life among sava-ges, and that the prospect of a return to her early homeand the comforts of civilization appealed to her toostrongly to be resisted when contrasted with the hard-ships of life on the frontier.

After the breaking up of his home and the loss ofhis children, Mr. Kinzie threw himself with restless

energy into his business. He made long and arduousjourneys, extending his trading posts far into the West.

When in the neighborhood of Detroit, he made hishome with his half-brother, William Forsyth, who hadmarried a Miss Margaret Lytle, daughter of Col. "WilliamLytle of Virginia. Here he was always a welcomeguest; and here he met Mrs. Forsyth's younger sister,

Eleanor. She was the widow of a British Officer, Capt.Daniel McKillip, who had been killed in a sortie fromFt. Defiance. Since his death, she, and her little daughterMargaret, had made their home with the Forsyths.

John Kinzie fell desperately in love with the hand-some young widow, and on January 23rd, 1798, theywere married,

Mr. Kinzie continued to extend his business still

farther West, and in October, 1803, when his son "JohnHarris" was but three months old, he moved with hisfamily to Chicago, where he purchased the trading estab-lishment of a Frenchman named Le Mai.

Here, cut off from the world at large, with no societybut the military at Fort Dearborn, the Kinzies lived ingreat contentment, and in the enjoyment of all the com-forts, together with many of the luxuries of life. Thefirst white child born outside of Fort Dearborn wastheir little daughter Ellen Marion, on December 20, 1805.Next came Maria, born September 28, 1807. Then, lastly,

Robert Allan, born February 8, 1810.

By degrees, Mr. Kinzie established still more remoteposts, all contributing to the parent one at Chicago. AtMilwaukee, with the Menomenees; at Rock River with

the "Winnebagoes and the Pottawatamies; on the Illinois

River and the Kankakee with the Pottawatamies of thePrairies; and with the Kickapoos in what was called 'XeLarge," being the widely extended district afterwardsconverted into Sangamon County. He was appointedSub-Indian Agent and Government Interpreter, in whichcapacities he rendered valuable services.

The killing of a Frenchman named Lalime by JohnKinzie occurred about the year 1810, under the followingcircumstances: Lalime became insanely jealous of Mr.Kinzie's success as a rival trader, and was unwise enoughto threaten to take Kinzie's life. The latter only laughedat the reports, saying "Threatened men live long, and I

am not worrying over Lalime's wild talk." Several of his

staunchest Indian friends, however, continued to warnhim, and he at last consented to carry some sort of wea-pon in case Lalime really had the folly to attack him.He accordingly took a carving knife from the house andstarted to sharpen it on a grindstone in the woodshed.Young John stood beside him much interested in this

novel proceeding. "What are you doing, Father?" heasked. " Sharpening this knife, my son," was the reply," What for?" said John. "Go into the house," replied his

father, "and don't ask questions about things that don'tconcern you." A few days passed. Nothing happened,but Mr. Kinzie carried the knife.

Mrs. Kinzie's daughter by her first marriage was nowseventeen years old, and was the wife of Lieut. Linai

Thomas Helm, one of the officers stationed at Fort Dear-born, and Mr. Kinzie frequently w^ent over there to spendthe evening. One very dark night he sauntered over to

the Fort, and just as he was entering the enclosure, a mansprang out from behind the gate post and plunged aknife into his neck. It was Lalime. Quick as a flash Mr.Kinzie drew his knife and dealt Lalime a furious blow,and a fatal one. The man fell like a log into the river

below. Mr. Kinzie staggered home, covered with bloodfrom the deep wound.

The late Gurdon S. Hubbard in a letter to a grand-son of John Kinzie, gives the following account of theaffair :

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143 Locust St.,

Chicago, 111., Feb. 6th, 1884.

Arthur M. Kinzie, Esq.,

My Dear Sir,

I have yours of 5th. You corroborate what I have

said about your grandfather killing Lalime as far as youstate. I am glad you do. I cannot forget what I heardfrom your grandmother and Mrs Helm. They said yourgrandfather, coming in bloody, said "I have killed Lalime.

A guard will be sent from the Fort to take me. Dressmy neck quickly!" Your Grandmother did so, remark-ing "They shall not take you to the fort—come with meto the woods." She hid him, came home, and soon a

Sergeant with guard appeared. Could not find yourgrandfather.

After the excitement was over, the officers began to

reason on the subject calmly, for Lalime was highly re-

spected, good social company, educated. They came to

the conclusion that the act v/as in self defence. The his-

tory of Chicago, by Mr. Andreas will soon be out. Hesent me the account relating to your grandfather to re-

vise. Much in it incorrect, which I have explained.

Can't you come and see meVYour friend,

G. S. Hubbard.

The above tallies with the account held by the fam-ily, except that it was always stated that after the excite-

ment subsided, which it did in a few weeks, Mr. Kinziesent word to the Commanding Officer at the Fort that hewished to come in, give himself up and have a fair trial.

This was done. The fresh wounds in his neck, whichhad barely missed the jugular vein, and the testimonygiven as to the threats Lalime had uttered, resulted in

an immediate verdict of justifiable homicide.

In the meantime some of Lalime's friends conceivedthe idea that it would be suitable punishment to Mr. Kin-zie to bury his victim directly in front of the Kinziehome, where he must necessarily behold the grave everytime he passed out of his own gate. Great was their

chagrin and dissapointment, however, when Mr. Kinzie,

far from being annoyed at their action, proceeded to

make Lalime's grave his especial care. Flowers were

planted on it and it was kept in most beautiful order.

Many a half hour the Kinzie children had longed to spendin play, was occupied by their father's orders in rakingthe dead leaves away from Lalime's grave and wateringits flowers.

During all these years and up to the spring of 1812,

a constant and friendly intercourse had been maintainedbetween the troops in Fort Dearborn and the Indians.

It is true that the principal men of the Pottawatamie Na-tion, like those of most of the tribes, went yearly to FortMaiden in Canada, to receive a large amount of presentswith which the British Government had been for manyyears in the habit of purchasing their alliance; and it wasw^ell known that many of the Pottaw^atamies, as w^ell as

the Winnebagoes, had been engaged with the Ottawasand the Shaw^nees at the Battle of Tippecanoe the preced-ing autumn; yet, as tlie principal chiefs of all the bdndsin the neighborhood appeared to be on the most amica-ble terms with the Americans, no interruption of their

harmony was at any time anticipated. But a terrible

tragedy was soon to awaken both troops and settlers

from their fancied security.

During the afternoon of April 7th, a party of ten ortwelve Indians, dressed and painted, arrived at Lee'splace, a farm on the Chicago River about four miles fromits mouth, and now occupied by a Mr. White and threepersons employed by him to assist in w^orking the farm.

The Indians, according to the custom among sava-ges, entered the house and seated themselves withoutceremony. One of the family, a Frenchman, remarked:"I don't like the looks of these Indians. They are noneof our friends. I know by their dress and their paintthat they are not Pottawatamies." Another of the fam-ily, a discharged soldier, then said to a boy who was pres-

ent: "If that is so we had better get aw^ay from here.

Say nothing but do as I do." It was growing late and thesoldier, followed by the boy, strolled down to the river

bank, where a couple of canoes were tied. The Indiansasked by signs where they were going and were told that

the cattle in the fields across the river had to be foddered,and that they would then return to get their supper.They accordingly crossed in the canoes, and after makinga show of collecting the cattle and pulling some hay for

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them, they gradually made a circuit till their movementswere concealed by the haystacks and then took to thewoods, which were close at hand, and made for the fort.

After they had run about a quarter of a mile they heardthe discharge of two guns successively, which they sup-posed had been leveled at the companions they had left

behind. On their way they called across the river to

warn the Burns family, and then hastened on to the Fort.

Realizing the great danger now threatening the Burnsfamily, a gallant young officer of the Fort, Lieut. Ronan,offered to go with five or six soldiers to their rescue.

They ascended the river in a scow, took the mother withher one-day-old-infant and brought her with the rest of

her family safely to the fort.

A cannon was fired from the fort as a signal to warnall outside the fort of danger, and the Indians hearing it,

having completed their murderous work, hastily retreat-

ed to their home on the Rock river. From traders outin the Indian country it was learned subsequently thatthese murders were committed by a party of Winneba-goes who had come into this neighborhood "to takescalps." and that their purpose was to proceed down theriver from Lee's place and to murder every white manoutside the fort. But for the firing of the cannon theywould have carried out their sanguinary design.

The inhabitants outside the fort consisted only of afew families of discharged soldiers and half-breeds.These now entrenched themselves in the Agency Housewhich stood on the esplanade, west of the fort, and wasincluded in the fortifications. The family of Mr. Kinzietook refuge in the fort, where they remained until, after

a few weeks of peace had reassured them, they returnedto their home across the river.

Some months of quiet now ensued.

On the afternoon of August 7th, a Pottawatamie Chiefnamed Win-ne-meg, or Cat-fish, arrived at the post, bring-ing dispatches from General Hull. These announced thedeclaration of war between the United States and GreatBritain. Also, that General Hull, at the head of theNorthwestern Army, had arrived at Detroit, and that theIsland of Mackinac had fallen into the hands of theBritish.

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The orders to Capt. Heald were, to 'evacuate the fort

if practicable, and in that event to distribute all the Unit-

ed States property contained in the fort and in the Unit-

ed States factory, or agency, among the Indians in theneighborhood." After delivering his dispatches, Winne-meg requested a private interview with Mr. Kinzie. Hetold Mr. Kinzie that he knew the contents of the commu-nication he had brought and that he hoped Capt. Healdwould not attempt to evacuate the fort, giving as his rea-

son the fact that the garrison was well supplied withenough provisions and ammunition to last six months, or

until reinforcements could be sent to their assistance.

But in case Capt. Heald decided upon leaving the post,

he urged the necessity of doing it immediately, before the

Pottawatamies, through whose country they must pass,

could make any plans to intercept them. He suggestedthat the fort might be evacuated, leaving everythingstanding, as possibly while the Indians were engaged in

the partition of the spoils, the troops might effect their

retreat unmolested.

Mr. Kinzie strongly advised this course, but it did

not meet the approbation of the Commanding Officer,

who replied that he should carry out the orders he hadreceived, but that he could not do so until he had collect-

ed the Indians and had distributed the United States

property among them, as General Hull specified.

The order for evacuating the fort w^as read nextmorning upon parade.

On the 12th of August, the general despondency wassomewhat relieved by the arrival of Capt. Wells, with a

band af 27 friendly Miamis. Of this brave man, so well

know^n on the frontier, a w^ord must here be said. Whena boy he had].been stolen from his friends, the family of

Nathaniel Pope in Kentucky. He was recovered by thembut later voluntarily returned to his Indian friends andmarried a Miami woman, and became a Chief of the Na-tion. Hearing at Ft. Wayne of the order for evacuatingthe fort at Chicago, and knowing the hostility of the Pot-

tawatamies, he had made a rapid march across countryto prevent the exposure of his relative, Captain Heald,and his troops, to certain destruction.

On the afternoon of Captain Wells' arrival (August12th) a council was held with the Indians who had been

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summoned from the neighboring villages. The officers

had been secretly v/arned that there was a plot for theyoung chiefs to fall upon and massacre them while in

council. They could not persuade Captain Heald, how-ever of the truth of their information, and he left themfor the council, accompanied only by Captain Wells andMr. Kinzie. Immediately after their departure, the offi-

cers took command of the blockhouses which overlookedthe esplanade where the council was held, and pointedthe cannon so as to command the w^hole assembly. Bythis means probably the lives of the whites who werepresent were preserved.

The officers of the fort comprised Capt. Heald, Lieut.

Helm (the son-in-law of Mrs. Kirzie,) Ensign Ronan,

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the two latter very young men, and the Surgeon, Dr. VanVoorhees. The command consisted of about seventy-fivemen.

As Captain Heald showed no intention of calling acouncil of his officers they waited on him to inquire whatcourse he meant to pursue.

He informed them that he intended to evacuate thefort. They strongly remonstrated with him on the fol-

lowing grounds:

First, it was highly improbable that the commandwould be permitted to pass through the country in safetyto Ft. Wayne (Detroit) for though it had been said thatsome of the Chielshad opposed an attack upon the fort,

planned the preceding autumn, yet it was well knownthat they had been actuated in that matter solely by mo-tives of private regard for one family—that of Mr. Kin-zie—and not from any general friendship towards Amer-icans. And that at any rate it was hardly expected that

these few individuals would be able to control the wholetribe who were thirsting for blood.

In the next place, their march must necessarily beslow on account of the women and children, of whomthere were a number among the detachment—and of themen a number w^ere old and invalid; therefore, since theevacuation was left discretional it would be wiser to re-

main where they were, and fortify themselves as strong-

ly as possible. Succor might arrive before they could be

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attacked by a British force from Makinac, and it wouldbe preferable at any rate to fall into the hands of the

British rather than to become the victims of savages.

Captain Heald argued in reply that a special orderhad been issued by the War Department that no postshould be surrendered without battle being given, andthat his force was too small to risk an engagement, andthat he would be censured if he remained at the fort

when there seemed to be a chance of making a safe

march through. Therefore, he thought it better to as-

semble the Indians, distribute the Government property,

and offer them a large reward for an escort of Indians to

see them safely to Ft. Wayne. He added that he hadfull confidence in the Indians and that the knowledge of

the capture of Mackinac by the British had been kept a

profound secret from the Indians, as well as from the

soldiers.

From this time the officers held themselves aloof,

and though they spoke seldom on the subject, they con-

sidered Captain Heald's plan little short of madness.Dissatisfaction, amounting almost to insubordination, wasto be noted among the soldiers also.

After the "War council, Captain ^X/'ells took a surveyof arms, ammuntion and provisions in the fort and founda sufficient supply to last three months. He determinedto make a final effort to persuade Captain Heald to de-

stroy the ammunition and guns before carrying out the

order to distribute the Fort's property among the Indiansand he insisted that Helm and Kinzie should join withhim in the interview with Captain Heald.

Mr. Kinzie, who understood well not only the Indiancharacter, but the tone of feeling prevailing among them,reminded Captain Heald that since the troubles with the

Indians on the Wabash and its vicinity, there had beenapparently a settled plan of hostility towards the whites,

in consequence of which it had been the policy of the

Americans to w^ithhold from them arms, ammunition andwhatever would enable them to carry on their warfareupon the defenceless inhabitants of the frontier. Mr.Kinzie also recalled to Captain Heald how^ he himselfhad left home for Detroit the previous autumn, but uponreceiving when he reached Du Charmes (now Ypsilanti)

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the news of the Battle of Tippecanoe, he had at once re-

turned to Chicago, that he might dispatch orders to his

traders to furnish no ammunition to the Indians; in con-sequence of which all they had on hand was secreted;

and such traders as had not started for their winteringgrounds took neither powder nor shot w^ith them.

Captain Heald hesitated, but remarked that his or-

ders had been to divide everything among the Indians,

and that they had heard this order read on parade. Hesaid it was not sound policy to lie to the Indians; that it

would irritate them to dissapoint them, and might lead to

the destruction of his men.

Mr. Kinzie then offered to take upon himself the re-

sponsibility of destroying the ammunition; and, in orderto shield Captain Heald from possible future censure byhis superior officers, and to turn away the wrath of theIndians, he personally wrote an order purporting to befrom General Hull, cancelling his previous instructions

to give away the ammunition, and ordering CaptainHeald to destroy it. To this plan Captain Heald consent-ed, and on the 13th all the goods, blankets, calicoes,

paints, etc., were distributed to the Indians as stipulated.

That same evening the ammunition was thrown into awell in the sallyport and the liquor was secretly carrieddown to the river, the heads of the barrels knocked in

and their contents poured into the stream.

All the muskets not necessary for the command onthe march were broken up, and with the bags of shot,

flints, gun-screws, etc., v/ere thrown into the well.

Notwithstanding the attempts at secrecy, the Indianshad learned of the destruction of the ammunition and of

the liquor, and were greatly enraged at it. Murmurs andthreats were everywhere heard among them and it wasevident that they would wreak their vengeance on thetroops at the earliest opportunity.

Among the Chiefs there were several who retained apersonal regard for some of the troops at the post—andin particular for Mr. Kinzie and his family. One of themost conspicuous of these friendly chiefs was "Black Par-tridge." C3n the evening succeeding the council he cameto the quarters of Captain Heald. "Father," said he, "I

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come to deliver up to you the medal I wear. It was giv-

en me by the Americans and I have long worn it in tok-

en of our mutual friendship. But our young men aredetermined to imbrue their hands in the blood of thewhites, I cannot restrain them, and I will not wear atoken of peace while I am compelled to act as an enemy.''

Had further evidence been wanting, this circumstancewould have proved to the devoted band the justice of

their melancholy anticipations.

The morning of the 15th arrived. All things werein readiness, and nine o'clock was the hour named for

starting. Early that same day, Mr. Kinzie received a

message from "To-pee-nee-bee" a chief of the St. Joseph'sband, informing him that mischief was intended by thePottawatamies, who had engaged to escort the detach-ment, and urging him to relinquish his design of accom-panying the troops by land, promising that a boat con-taining himself and family should be permitted to passin safety to St. Joseph's. Mr. Kinzie gladly accepted this

offer on behalf of his family, but firmly declined it for

himself. He had determined to accompany the com-mand on their perilous march. He hoped that his pres-

ence with the troops might operate as a restraint on thefury of the savages, so warmly were the greater part of

them attached to himself and his family; yet he fully rea-

lized the possibility of a savage outbreak that wouldspare neither friend nor foe.

Seldom does one find a man with the personal cour-

age and civic virtue of John Kinzie, who thus refusedsafety for himself in order to stand or fall with his coun-trymen, and who, as stern as any Spartan, bade farewellto his family and cast in his lot with that little handfulwho went forward to almost certain destruction.

In accordance with the promise given to convey Mr,Kinzie's family to a place of safety under the care of somefriendly Indians, they were now placed in boats to becarried to St Joseph's, and thence to Detroit. The partyconsisted of Mrs. Kinzie: her four children (the eldestnine and the youngest two years of age;) their nurse,Gruette; one of Mr. Kinzie's clerks; the boatmen and thetwo Indians who acted as their protectors.

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Scarcely had they started when the Indian ChiefTo-pee-nee-bee arrived to detain them where they were.In breathless expectation Mrs. Kinzie sat. She was a wo-man of uncommon energy and strength of character, buther heart died within her as she folded her arms aroundher helpless infants and gazed upon the departure of herhusband and eldest child (Mrs. Helm) to what might bea frightful death, As the troops left the fort, the bandstruck up the "Dead March." Captain Wells with his

little band of Miamis was in the lead. His face wasblackened (Indian fashion) in token of his impendingfate.

They had hardly marched a mile and a half alongthe lake shore when Captain Wells, who, with his Miamiswas somewhat in advance, came galloping back. "TheIndians are about to attack us," he shouted furiously,

"Form instantly and charge them." Scarcely were thesewords uttered when a volley was showered from amongthe sandhills. The troops were hastily lined up andcharged up the bank. Capt. Wells rode up to the Potta-

wattamies and, brandishing his tomahawk, he called out"You have deceived the Americans and us. I will be thefirst to head a party of Americans to return and punishyour treachery!" The battle raged only a few minutes,but most of the whites were killed or wounded in thefirst onslaught.

Mrs. Helm's account of her rescue, given in her ownwords, was as follows:

"The troops behaved most gallantly. They werebut a handful, but they seemed resolved to sell their

lives as dearly as possible. Our horses pranced andbounded, and could hardly be restrained as the balls

whistled among them. I drew off a little, and gazed up-on my husband and father, who were yet unharmed, I

felt that my hour was come, and endeavored to forget

those I loved, and prepare myself for my approachingfate.

"At this moment a young Indian raised his toma-hawk at me. By springing aside, I partially avoided theblow, which was intended for my skull, but which alight-

ed on my shoulder. I seized him around the neck, andwhile exerting my utmost efforts to get possession of his

17

UBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Kf URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

scalping-knife. which hung in a scabbard over his breast,

I was dragged from his grasp by another and older In-

dian. The latter bore me struggling and resisting to-

wards the lake.

"I was immediately plunged into the water and heldthere w^ith a forcible hand, notw^ithstanding my resist-

ance. I soon perceived, however, that the object of mycaptor was not to drown me, for he held me firmly in

such a position as to place my head above water. Thisreassured me, and, regarding him attentively, I soonrecognized, in spite of the paint with which he was dis-

guised, The Black Partridge.

'"When the firing had nearly subsided my preserverbore me from the water and conducted me up the sand-banks. It was a burning August morning, and walkingthrough the sand in my drenched condition was inex-

pressibly painful and fatiguing. I stooped and took off

my shoes to free them from the sand w^ith w^hich theywere nearly filled, when a squaw seized and carried themoff, and I was obliged to proceed without them.

"When we had gained the prairie, I was met by myfather, who told me that my husband was safe and but

slightly wounded. They led me gently back towards theChicago River, along the southern bank of which was thePottawattamie encampment. At one time I was placedupon a horse without a saddle, but finding the motioninsupportable, I sprang off. Supported partly by myconductor. Black Partridge, and partly by another IndianPee-so-tum, w^ho held dangling in his hand a scalp, w^hich

by the black ribbon around the queue I recognized as

that of Captain "Wells, I dragged my fainting steps to oneof the wigwams.

"The wife of Wau-bee-nee-mah, a chief from the Illi-

nois River, was standing near, and, seeing my exhaustedcondition, she seized a kettle, dipped up some waterfrom a stream that flowed near, threw into it some ma-ple sugar; and. stirring it up with her hand, gave it to meto drink. This act of kindness, in the midst of so manyhorrors, touched me most sensibly; but my attention wassoon diverted to other objects.

"As the noise of the firing grew gradually less, andthe stragglers from the victorious party came dropping

18

STATUE OF FORT DEARBORN INDIANMASSACRE 1812

in, I received confirmation of what my father had hur-riedly communicated in our rencontre on the lake shore;viz., that the whites had surrendered, after the loss of

about two thirds of their number. They had stipulated,

through fhe interpreter, Peresh Leclerc, for the preser-vation of their lives, and those of the remaining womenand children, and for their delivery at some of the Brit-

ish posts, unless ransomed by traders in the Indiancountry. It appears that the wounded prisoners werenot considered as included in the stipulation, and a horridscene ensued upon their being brought into camp,

"An old squaw, infuriated by the loss of friends, orexcited by the sanguinary scenes around her, seemedpossessed by a demoniac ferocity. She seized a stable-

fork and assaulted one miserable victim, v/ho lay groan-ing and writhing in the agony of his wounds, aggravatedby the scorching beams of the sun. With a delicacy of

feeling scarcely to have been expected under such cir-

cumstances Wau-bee-nee-mah stretched a mat across twopoles, between me and this dreadful scene. I was thusspared in some degree a view of its horrors, although I

could not entirely close my ears to the cries of the suf-

ferer. The following night five more of the woundedprisoners were tomahawked."

'Such were Mrs. Helm's experiences during the fight.

In the meantime the Americans, after their first attack

by the Indians, charged upon those who had concealedthemselves in a sort of ravine, intervening between thesand-banks and the prairie. The latter gathered them-selves into a body, and after some hard fighting, in whichthe number of the whites had become reduced to twenty-eight, this little band succeeded in breaking through the

enemy, and gaining a rising ground, not far from the OakWoods. Further contest now seeming hopeless. Lieuten-

ant Helm sent Peresh Leclerc, a half breed boy in theservice of Mr. Kinzie, who had accompanied the detach-

ment and fought manfully on their side, to propose termsof capitulation. It was stipulated that the lives of all the

survivors should be spared, and a ransom permitted as

soon as practicable.

•Mrs. Helm is represented by the female figure in the bronzegroup at the foot of 18th street, donated to the City of Chicago bythe late Mr, Pullman to commemorate the Massacre.

19

Those of the family of Mr. Kinzie who had remain-

ed in the boat, near the mouth of the river, were care-

fully guarded by Kee-po-tah and another Indian. Theyhad seen the smoke—then the blaze—and immediatelyafter, the report of the first tremendous discharge soundedin their ears. Then all was confusion. They realized

nothing until they saw an Indian come towards themfrom the battle-ground, leading a horse on which sat a

lady, apparently wounded. "That is Mrs. Heald," cried

Mrs. Kinzie. "That Indian will kill her. Run, Chandon-nai," (to one of Mr. Kinzie's clerks,) "take the mule that

is tied there, and offer it to him to release her."

Her captor, by this time, was in the act of disengagingher bonnet from her head, in order to scalp her. Chan-donnai ran up, and offered the mule as a ransom, withthe promise of ten bottles of whiskey as soon as theyshould reach his village. The latter was a strong temp-tation.

"But," said the Indian, "she is badly wounded-shewill die. Will you give me the whisky at all eventsV",

Chandonnai promised that he would, and the bar-

gain was concluded. The savage placed the lady's bon-net on his own head, and, after an ineffectual effort onthe part of some squaws to rob her of her shoes andstockings, she was brought on board the boat, where shelay moaning with pain from the many bullet wounds shehad received in both arms.

The horse Mrs. Heald had ridden was a fine, spirited

animal, and, being desirous of possessing themselves of it

uninjured, the Indians had aimed their shots so as to

disable the rider, without injuring the steed.

She had not lain long in the boat, when a young In-

dian of savage aspect was seen approaching, A buffalo

robe was hastily drawn over her, and she was admonish-ed to suppress all sound of complaint, as she valued herhfe.

The heroic woman remained perfectly silent, whilethe savage drew near. He had a pistol in his hand,which he rested on the side of the boat, while with a

fearful scowl, he looked pryingly around. Black Jim,

one of the servants, who stood in the bow of the boat,

20

seized an ax that lay near, and signed to him that if heshot, he would cleave his skull; telling him that the boatcontained only the family of Sha\\r-nee-aw-kee. Upon this

the Indian retired. It afterwards appeared that the ob-ject of his search was a Mr. Burnett, a trader from St.

Joseph's, with whom he had some account to settle.

When the boat was at length permitted to return to

the house of Mr. Kinzie, and Mrs. Heald was removedto the house, it became necessary to dress her wounds.

Mr. Kinzie applied to an old chief who stood by, andwho, like most of his tribe, possessed some skill in sur-

gery, to extract a ball from the arm of the sufferer.

"No, father," replied he. "I cannot do it—it makesme sick here"— (placing his hand on his heart.)

Mr. Kinzie then performed the operation himself,

with his pen-knife.

At their own house the family of Mr. Kinzie wereclosely guarded by their Indian friends, whose intention

it was to carry them to Detroit for security. The rest of

the prisoners remained at the wigwams of their captors.

Black Partridge, Wau-ban-see, and Kee-po-tah, withtwo other Indians, having established themselves in the

porch of the building as sentinels, to protect the family

from any evil that the young men might be excited to

commit, all remained tranquil for a short space after

conflagration.

Very soon, however, a party of Indians from the

Wabash made their appearance. These were, decidedly

the most hostile and implacable of all the tribes of the

Pottowattamies.

Being more remote, they had shared less than someof their brethren in the kindness of Mr. Kinzie and his

family, and consequently their sentiments of regard for

them were less powerful.

Runners had been sent to the village to apprise

them of the intended evacuation of the post, as well as

of the plan of the Indians assembled to attack the troops.

21

Thirsting to participate in such a scene, they hurriedon: and great was their mortification on arriving at theriver Aux Plaines, to meet with a party of their friendshaving with them their chief Nee-scot-nee-meg, badlywounded, and to learn that the battle was over, the spoils

divided, and the scalps all taken.

On arriving at Chicago they blackened their faces,

and proceeded towards the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie,

From his station on the piazza Black Partridge hadwatched their approach, and his fears w^ere particularly

awakened for the safety of Mrs. Helm (Mr. Kinzie's step-

daughter.) who had recently come to the post, and waspersonally unknown to the more remote Indians. Byhis advice she was made to assume the ordinary dressof a French w^oman of the country: namely a short gownand petticoat, witli a blue cotton handkerchief wrappedaround her head. In this disguise she w^as conducted byBlack Partridge himself to the house of Ouilmette, a

Frenchman with a half-breed w^ife, w^ho formed a part of

the establishment of Mr. Kinzie, and whose dwelling wasclose at hand.

It so happened that the Indians came first to this

house, in their search for prisoners- As they approach-ed, the inmates, fearful that the fair complexion and gen-eral appearance of Mrs. Helm might betray her for anAmerican, raised a large feather bed and placed herunder the edge of it, upon the bed-stead, with her face to

the wall. Mrs. Bisson, a half-breed, the sister of Ouil-

mette's wife, then seated herself with her sewing uponthe front of the bed.

It was a hot day in August, and the feverish excite-

ment of fear and agitation, together w^ith her position,

which was nearly suffocating, became so intolerable, that

Mrs. Helm at length entreated to be released and givenup to the Indians.

"I can but die," said she; "let them put an end to mymisery at once.''

Mrs. Bisson replied, "Your death would be the de-

struction of us all, for Black Partridge has resolved that

if one drop of the blood of your family is spilled, he will

22

i

take the lives of all concerned in it, even his nearestfiiends; and if once the work of murder commences,there will be no end of it, so long as there remains onewhite person or half breed in the country."

This expostulation nerved Mrs. Helm with fresh

resolution.

The Indians entered, and she could occasionally seethem from her hiding-place, gliding about, and stealthily

inspecting every part of the room, though without mak-ing any ostensible search, until, apparently satisfied that

there was no one concealed, they left the house.

All this time Mrs. Bisson had kept her seat upon the

side of the bed, calmly assorting and arranging thepatch-work of the quilt on which she was engaged, andpreserving an appearance of the utmost tranquillity, al-

though she knew not but that the next moment shemight receive a tomahawk in her brain. Her self-com-

mand unquestionably saved the lives of all present.

From Ouilmette's house the party of Indians pro-

ceeded to the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie. They entered theparlor in which the family were assembled with their

faithful protectors, and seated themselves upon the floor

in silence.

Black Partridge perceived from their moody and re-

vengeful looks what was passing in their minds, but hedared not remonstrate with them. He only observed in

a low tone to Wau-ban-see,

—

"We have endeavored to save our friends, but it is

in vain—nothing will save them now."

At this moment a friendly whoop was heard from a

party of new-comers on the opposite bank of the river.

Black Partridge sprang to meet their leader, as the ca-

noes in which they had hastily embarked touched the

bank near the house.

"Who are you?" demanded he.

"A man. Who are you?"

"A man like yourself. But tell me who you are"

—

meaning, tell me your disposition, and for which side

you are.

23

"I am a Sau-ga-nash." i.e. an "Englishman,"—a friend,

"Then make all speed to the house—your friend is

in danger, and you alone can save him."

Billy Caldwell, for it was he, entered the parlor witha calm step, and without a trace of agitation in his man-ner. He deliberately took off his accoutrements andplaced them with his rifle behind the door, then salutedthe hostile savages.

"How now, my friends. A good-day to you. I w^as

told there were enemies here, but I am glad to find onlyfriends. Why have you blackened your faces ? Is it

that you are mourning for the friends you have lost in

battle?" (purposely misunderstanding this token of evil

designs) "Or is it that you are fasting? If so, ask ourfriend, here, and he will give you to eat. He is theIndian's friend, and never yet refused them what theyhad need of."

Thus taken by surprise, the savages were ashamedto acknowledge their bloody purpose. They, therefore,

said modestly that they came to beg of their friends

some w^hite cotton in w^hich to w^rap their dead beforeinterring them. This was given to them, with someother presents, and they took their departure peaceablyfrom the premises.

On the third day after the battle, the family of Mr,Kinzie, with the clerks of the establishment, were putinto a beat, under the care of Francois, a half-breed in-

terpreter, and conveyed to St Joseph's, where they re-

mained until the following November, under the protec-

tion of To-pee-nee-bee's band. They were then con-

ducted to Detroit, under the escort of Chandonnai andtheir trusty Indian friend, Kee-po-tah, and delivered up,

as prisoners of war, to Colonel McKee, the British Indi-

an Agent,

Mr. Kinzie was not allowed to leave St. Joseph'swith his family, his Indian friends insisting on his re-

maining and endeavoring to secure some remnant of his

scattered property. During his excursions with themfor that purpose, he wore the costume and paint of thetribe, in order to escape capture and perhaps death at

the hands of those who were still thirsting for blood.

24

In time, however, his anxiety for his family induced himto follow them to Detroit, where, in the month of Janu-

ary, he was received and paroled by General Proctor.

Lieutenant Helm was carried by some friendly Indi-

ans to their village on the Au Sable, and thence to Peo-

ria, where he was liberated by the intervention of Mr.Thomas Forsyth, the half-brother of Mr. Kinzie. Mrs.

Helm accompanied her parents to St. Joseph, where theyresided in the family of Alexander Robinson, receiving

from them all possible kindness and hospitality for sev-

eral months.

After their arrival in Detroit, Mrs. Helm was joined

by her husband.

It had been a stipulation of General Hull at the sur-

render of Detroit, which took place the day after the

massacre at Chicago, that the inhabitants should be, per-mitted to remain undisturbed in their homes. Accord-ingly, the family of Mr. Kinzie took up their quarterswith their friends in the old mansion, which many will

still recollect as standing on the north-west corner of

Jefferson Avenue and Wayne Street.

Feelings of indignation and sympathy were con-stantly aroused in the hearts of the citizens during the

winter that ensued. They were almost daily called

upon to witness the cruelties practiced upon the Ameri-can prisoners brought in by their Indian captors. Thosewho could scarcely drag their wounded, bleeding feet

over the frozen ground, were compelled to dance for the

amusement of the savages.

Everything that could be made available among theeffects of the citizens was offered to ransom their coun-trymen from the hands of these inhuman beings. Theprisoners brought in from the river Rasin—those unfor-tunate men who were permitted, after their surrender to

General Proctor, to be tortured and murdered by inchesby his savage allies—excited the sympathies and called

for the action of the whole community. Private houseswere turned into hospitals, and everyone went forwardto get possession of as many as possible of the survi-

vors. To effect this, even the articles of their apparel

25

were bartered by the ladies of Detroit, as they watchedfrom their doors or windows the miserable victims car-

ried about for sale.

In the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie one large room wasdevoted to the reception of the sufferers. Few of themsurvived,

Mr. Kinzie, as has been related, joined his family at

Detroit in the month of January. A short time after,

suspicions arose in the mind of General Proctor that hew^as in correspondence w^ith General Harrison, w^ho w^as

now at Fort Meigs, and who was believed to be medi-tating an advance on Detroit. Lieutenant Watson, of the

British army, waited upon Mr. Kinzie one day with aninvitation to the quarters of General Proctor on the op-

posite side of the river, saying he wished to speak withhim on business, Quite unsuspicious, he complied withthe invitation, when to his surprise he was ordered into

confinement, and strictly guarded in the house of his

former partner, Mr, Patterson, of Sandwich, Findingthat he did not return to his home, Mrs. Kinzie informedsome of the Indian chiefs, his particular friends, whoimmediately repaired to the headquarters of the com-manding officer, demanded "their friend's" release, andbrought him back to his home. After waiting a time

until a favorable opportunity presented itself, the Gen-eral sent a detachment of Dragoons to arrest Mr. Kinzie.

They had succeeded in carrying him away and crossing

the river with him. Just at this moment a party of

friendly Indians made their appearance.

"Where is the Shaw-nee-aw-kee?" was the first ques-

tion.

"There," replied his wife, pointing across the river,

"in the hands of the red-coats, who are taking him awayagain."

The Indians ran to the river, seized some canoesthat they found there, and, crossing over to Sandwich,compelled General Proctor a second time to forego his

intentions.

A third time this officer made the attempt, and suc-

ceeded in arresting Mr. Kinzie and conveying him heavi-

ly ironed to Fort Maiden, in Canada, at the mouth of the

26

Detroit River. Here he was at first treated with greatseverity, but after a time the rigor of his confinementwas somewhat relaxed, and he was permitted to walk onthe bank of the river for air and exercise.

On the 10th of September, as he was taking his

promenade under the close supervision of a guard ofsoldiers, the whole party were startled by the sound ofguns upon Lake Erie, at no great distance below. Whatcould it mean? It must be Commodore Barclay firing

into some of the Yankees. The firing continued. Thehour aLotted the prisoner for his daily walk expired, butneither he nor his guard observed the lapse of time, soanxiously were they listening to what they now felt surewas an engagement between ships of war. At lengthMr. Kinzie was reminded that the hour for his return to

confinement had arrived. He petitioned for anotherhalf-hour.

"Let me stay" said he, "till we can learn how thebattle has gone."

Very soon a sloop appeared under press of sail

rounding the point, and presently two gun-boats in chaseot her.

'She is running—she bears the British colors," cried

he—

"yes, yes, they are lowering—she is striking her flag.

Now," turning to the soldiers, "I will go back to prisoncontented— I know how the battle has gone."

The sloop was the "Little Belt," the last of thesquadron captured by the gallant Perry on that memor-able occasion which he announced in the immortal words:

"We have met the enemy, and they are ours."

Matters were growing critical, and it was necessaryto transfer all prisoners to a place of greater security

than the frontier was now likely to be. It was resolvedtherefore to send Mr. Kinzie to the mother-country. Hehad been taken from the bosom of his family, where hewas living quietly under the parole which he had re-

ceived, and protected by the stipulations of the surren-

der. He had been kept for months in confinement.Now he was placed on horseback under a strong guard,

who announced that they had orders to shoot him

27

through the head if he offered to speak to a personupon the road. He was tied upon the saddle to preventhis escape, and thus they set out for Quebec. A httle

incident occurred, which will help to illustrate the courseinvariably pursued towards our citizens at this periodby the British army on the Northwestern frontier.

The saddle on which Mr. Kinzie rode had not beenproperly fastened, and, owing to the rough motion of the

animal on which it was, it turned, so as to bring therider into a most awkward and painful position. Hislimbs being fastened, he could not disengage himself,

and in this manner he was compelled by those who hadcharge of him to ride until he was nearly exhausted,before they had the humanity to release him.

Arrived at Quebec, he was put on board a smallvessel to be sent to England. The vessel when a fewdays out at sea was chased by an American frigate anddriven into Halifax. A second time she set sail, whenshe sprung a leak and was compelled to put back.

The attempt to send him across the ocean was nowabandoned, and he was returned to Quebec. Anotherstep, equally inexplicable with his arrest, was soon after

taken- This was, his release and that of Mr. Macomb,of Detroit, who was also in confinement in Quebec, andthe permission given them to return to their friends andfamilies, although the war was not yet ended. It maypossibly be imagined that in the treatment these gentle-

men received, the British commander-in-chief shelteredhimself under the plea of their being "native-born British

subjects", and perhaps when it was ascertained that Mr.Kinzie was indeed a citizen of the United States it wasthought safest to release him.

In the meantime, General Harrison at the head of

his troops had reached Detroit. He landed on the 29thof September. All the citizens went forth to meet him

—

Mrs. Kinzie was of the number. The General accompa-nied her to her home, and took up his abode there. Onhis arrival he was introduced to Kee-po-tah, who hap-pened to be on a visit to the family at that time. TheGeneral had seen the chief the preceding year at theCouncil at Vincennes, and the meeting was one of great

cordiality and interest.

28

Fort Dearborn was rebuilt in 1816, on a larger scale

than the former fort, and, on the return of the troops,

the bones of the unfortunate Americans who had beenmassacred four years previously, were collected andburied.

In this same year Mr. Kinzie and his family againreturned to Chicago, where he at once undertook to

collect the scattered remnants of his property—a mostdisheartening task. He found his various trading-posts

abandoned, his clerks scattered, and his valuable furs,

goods, etc., lost or destroyed.

In real estate, however, he was rich—for he ownednearly all the land on the North side of the ChicagoRiver, and many acres on the South and West sides, as

well as all of what was known as "Kinzie's Addition."

At the present day the "Kinzie School," and the

street which bears his name, are all that remain to re-

mind this generation of the pioneer on whose land nowstands the wonderful City of Chicago.

In 1818, through the influence of cwo of his warmfriends, Mr. Ramsey Crooks and Mr. Robert Stuart, Mr.Kinzie secured a clerkship in the American Fur Com-pany for his son, "John Harris." The headquarters of

the Company were in Mackinac, where Mr. and Mrs.Stuart insisted on taking young John into their ownfamily. "With these delightful friends he made his homefor the next five years.

Shortly after the return of the family to Chicago,

James Kinzie left the home of his mother, Mrs. BenjaminHall, in Virginia, and came back to his father. Here hewas at once made welcome. His father aided him finan-

cially, and Mrs. Kinzie was his affectionate and consid-

erate friend. He repaid her by unfailing respect andregard. Although she had been dead for several years

when his second daughter was born, the child wasnamed "Eleanor" after her.

James became a valued citizen of Chicago, and took

an active part in her early development.

Life was very quiet and monotonous in these days.

There were few social events of any importance; there-

29

fore a marriage in Mr. Kinzie's family became quite anevent. Ellen Marion Kinzie, or, as she was usuallycalled, "Nellie Kinzie," was the first white child born out-

side of Fort Dearborn, December 20th, 1805. She waseducated at Mount Holyoke Seminary, in Massachusetts,and, shortly after her return home from that institution,

(in 1823), she married Dr. Alexander Wolcott, formerlyof Boston, but now stationed in Chicago as Indian Agent.

Six years later John Harris Kinzie married MissJuliette A. Magill, of Middletown, Conn. She was aniece of Dr. Alexander Wolcott's.

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Kinzie occupied a prominentplace in the early history of Chicago. Their hospitablehome w^as the center of its social and literary life, andits foremost charities were organized and supportedmainly by their efforts.

Mr. John H. Kinzie, Mr. George W. Dole and Mr,Robt. A. Kinzie, gave the land and furnished the moneyto erect St. James Church, the first church built in

Chicago.

Mrs. Kinzie was the authoress of "WAU-BUN."

In 1828, the youngest daughter, Maria Indiana, be-

came the wife of Lieut. David Hunter, of the 5th Infantry,

U. S. A., while Robert Allan, the youngest son, marriedin 1833, (five years after his father's death), Gwinthlean,the youngest daughter of Col. John Whistler, U. S. A,,

and a first cousin to the celebrated artist, James McNeilWhistler. She was remarkably beautiful, and CharlesDickens pronounced her the handsomest woman he metin America.

Mr, Kinzie, recognizing the importance of the geo-graphical position of Chicago, and the vast fertility of

the surrounding country, had always foretold its eventualprosperity. Unfortunately, he w^as not permitted to

witness the realization of his predictions.

On the 6th of January, 1828, he was stricken withapoplexy, and, in a few hours, death closed his useful

and energetic career.

John Kinzie was not only the sturdy pioneer, butalso the courteous gentleman.

30

To keen business ability he united the strictest hon-esty, and to the most dauntless courage, a tender andgenerous heart.

As the loyal devoted friend of the Red man, tradi-

tion has handed down the name of Shaw-nee-aw-keethroughout all the tribes of the Northwest.

His remains rest in Graceland Cemetery in the city

of his love—Chicago.

31

UNIVERSITY OF ILUNOIS-URBANA

B.K56G C002JOHN KINZIE. THE FATHER OF CHICAGO SAVAN

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