the custodian of the originals. When this gentleman died, the
documents in his care are supposed to have been either lost or
appropriated by parties unknown to the Lemen family. Mr. Joseph B.
Lemen relates that a certain party at one time represented to the
family that he had located the papers and offered, for a suitable
consideration, to recover them. This proved to be merely a scheme to
obtain money under false pretenses.[6] Various other accounts are
current of the disposition of the original papers; but as yet none of
them have been located.
The transcripts of the collection, made by James Lemen, Jr., came into
the hands of his son, Joseph Bowler Lemen, who is responsible for the
publication of various portions of the story, including some of the
letters entire. Even these copies, however, are not accessible at the
present time, except that of the Lemen Diary, as located by the
present writer. Joseph Lemen's account of the fate of the elusive
documents is given in full at the end of this publication. He there
states that every paper of any value was copied and preserved, but
even these copies were dissipated to a large extent. He also claims
that all the facts contained in these documents have been published in
one form or another, "except a very few, including Rev. James Lemen's
interviews with Lincoln, as written up by Mr. Lemen on ten pages of
legal cap paper." This Joseph B. Lemen is now far advanced in years,
has long been a recluse, and has the reputation of being "peculiar."
In a personal interview with him, the present writer could elicit no
further facts regarding the whereabouts of the "Lemen Family Notes."
Nevertheless, the discovery of the copy of the Lemen Diary and the
manuscript of Dr. Peck's "History" gives encouragement to hope for
further discoveries, which should be reported to the Chicago
Historical Society.
DOCUMENTS {p.26}
I. DIARY OF REV. JAMES LEMEN, SR.
Ridge Prairie, Ill. June 4, 1867.
The within notes are a true copy of the notes kept by the Rev. James
Lemen, Sr., when in the siege at Yorktown. The original notes were
fading out.
By his son, REV. JAMES LEMEN, Jr.
* * * * *
Near Yorktown, Va. Sep. 26, 1781.
My enlistment of two years expired some time ago, but I joined my
regiment to-day and will serve in this siege.
Quarters, near Yorktown, Sept. 27, 1781.
I was on one of the French ships to-day with my captain. There is a
great fleet of them to help us, it is said, if we fight soon.
Sept. 30, 1781, Near Yorktown.
Our regiment has orders to move forward this morning, and the main
army is moving.
Near Yorktown. Oct. 3, 1781.
I was detailed with four other soldiers to return an insane British
soldier who had come into our lines, as we don't want such prisoners.
Near Yorktown. Oct. 4, 1781.
I carried a message from my Colonel to Gen. Washington to-day. He
recognized me and talked very kindly and said the war would soon be
over, he thought. I knew Washington before the war commenced.
Near {p.27} Yorktown. Oct. 4, 1781.
I saw Washington and La Fayette looking at a French soldier and an
American soldier wrestling, and the American threw the Frenchman so
hard he limped off, and La Fayette said that was the way Washington
must do to Cornwallis.
Near Yorktown. Oct. 5, 1781.
Brother Robert is sick to-day, but was on duty. There was considerable
firing to-day. There will be a great fight soon.
Near Yorktown. Oct. 15, 1781.
I was in the assault which La Fayette led yesterday evening against
the British redoubt, which we captured. Our loss was nine killed and
thirty-four wounded.
Near Yorktown. Oct. 15, 1781.
Firing was very heavy along our lines on Oct. 9th and 10th. and with
great effect, but this redoubt and another was in our way and we
Americans under La Fayette captured one easily, but the French
soldiers who captured the other suffered heavily. They were also led
by a Frenchman.
Yorktown. Oct. 19, 1781.
Our victory is great and complete. I saw the surrender to-day. Our
officers think this will probably end the war.
* * * * *
Ridge Prairie, Ill. June 4, 1867.
I have examined the within notes and find them to be correct copies of
notes kept by Rev. James Lemen, Sr., which were fading out. He
originally kept his confidential notes, as to his agreement with
Thomas Jefferson, in a private book, but as this is intended for
publication at some future time, they are all copied together.
By his son, REV. JAMES LEMEN, Jr.
Harper's Ferry, Va. Dec. 11, 1782.
[5]Thomas Jefferson had me to visit him again a short time ago, as he
wanted me to go to the Illinois country in the North West, after a
year or two, in order to try to lead and {p.28} direct the new
settlers in the best way and also to oppose the introduction of
slavery in that country at a later day, as I am known as an opponent
of that evil, and he says he will give me some help. It is all because
of his great kindness and affection for me, for which I am very
grateful, but I have not yet fully decided to do so, but have agreed
to consider the case.
Dec. 20, 1782.
During the war, I served a two years' enlistment under Washington. I
do not believe in war except to defend one's country and home and in
this case I was willing to serve as faithfully as I could. After my
enlistment expired I served again in the army in my regiment under
Washington, during the siege of Yorktown, but did not again enlist, as
the officers thought the war would soon end.
May 2, 1784.
[6]I saw Jefferson at Annapolis, Maryland, to-day and had a very
pleasant visit with him. I have consented to go to Illinois on his
mission and he intends helping me some, but I did not ask nor wish it.
We had a full agreement and understanding as to all terms and duties.
The agreement is strictly private between us, but all his purposes are
perfectly honorable and praiseworthy.
Dec. 28, 1785.
Jefferson's confidential agent gave me one hundred dollars of his
funds to use for my family, if need be, and if not to go to good
causes, and I will go to Illinois on his mission next Spring and take
my wife and children.
Sept. 4, 1786.
In the past summer, with my wife and children I arrived at Kaskaskia,
Illinois, and we are now living in the Bottom settlement. On the Ohio
river my boat partly turned over and we lost a part of our goods and
our son Robert came near drowning.
May 10, 1787.
I am very well impressed with this new country, but we are still
living in the Bottom, as the Indians are unsafe. We prefer living on
the high lands and we shall get us a place there soon. People are
coming into this new country in increasing numbers.
New {p.29} Design, Ill. Feb. 26, 1794.
My wife and I were baptized with several others to-day in Fountain
Creek by Rev. Josiah Dodge. The ice had to be cut and removed first.
New Design, May 28, 1796.
Yesterday and to-day, my neighbors at my invitation, gathered at my
home and were constituted into a Baptist church, by Rev. David Badgley
and Joseph Chance.
New Design, Jan. 4, 1797.
We settled here some time ago and are well pleased with our place. It
is more healthy than the Bottom country. A fine sugar grove is near us
and a large lake with fine fish, and soil good, but the Indians are
not yet to be trusted. We have been here now a number of years and
have quite a farm in cultivation and fairly good improvements.
New Design, Jan. 6, 1798.
I have just returned with six of my neighbors from a hunt and land
inspection upon what is called Richland country and creek. We had made
our camp near that creek before. On the first Sunday morning in
December held religious services and on Monday went out to see the
land. We found fine prairie lands some miles north, south and east and
some timber lands along the water streams mostly. Game is plentiful
and we killed several deer and turkeys. It is a fine country.
New Design, May 3, 1803.
As Thomas Jefferson predicted they would do, the extreme southern
slave advocates are making their influence felt in the new territory
for the introduction of slavery and they are pressing Gov. William
Henry Harrison to use his power and influence for that end. Steps must
soon be taken to prevent that curse from being fastened on our people.
New Design, May 4, 1805.
At our last meeting, as I expected he would do, Gov. Harrison asked
and insisted that I should cast my influence for the introduction of
slavery here, but I not only denied the request, but I informed him
that the evil attempt would encounter my most active opposition in
every possible and honorable manner that my mind could suggest or my
means accomplish.
New {p.30} Design, May 10, 1805.
Knowing President Jefferson's hostility against the introduction of
slavery here and the mission he sent me on to oppose it, I do not
believe the pro-slavery petitions with which Gov. Harrison and his
council are pressing Congress for slavery here can prevail while he is
President, as he is very popular with Congress and will find means to
overreach the evil attempt of the pro-slavery power.
Jan. 20th 1806.
[15]As Gov. William Henry Harrison and his legislative council have
had their petitions before Congress at several sessions asking for
slavery here, I sent a messenger to Indiana to ask the churches and
people there to get up and sign a counter petition to Congress to
uphold freedom in the territory and I have circulated one here and we
will send it on to that body at next session or as soon as the work is
done.
New Design. Sept. 10, 1806.
[19]A confidential agent of Aaron Burr called yesterday to ask my aid
and sympathy in Burr's scheme for a Southwestern Empire with Illinois
as a province and an offer to make me governor. But I denounced the
conspiracy as high treason and gave him a few hours to leave the
territory on pain of arrest.
New Design. Jan 10, 1809 [1810].
[20]I received Jefferson's confidential message on Oct. 10, 1808,
suggesting a division of the churches on the question of slavery and
the organization of a church on a strictly anti-slavery basis, for the
purpose of heading a movement to finally make Illinois a free State,
and after first trying in vain for some months to bring all the
churches over to such a basis, I acted on Jefferson's plan and Dec.
10, 1809, the anti-slavery element formed a Baptist church at Cantine
creek, on an anti-slavery basis.
New Design. Mar. 3, 1819.
I was reared in the Presbyterian faith, but at 20 years of age I
embraced Baptist principles and after settlement in Illinois I was
baptized into that faith and finally became a minister of the gospel
of that church, but some years before I was licensed to preach, I was
active in collecting and inducing {p.31} communities to organize
churches, as I thought that the most certain plan to control and
improve the new settlements, and I also hoped to employ the churches
as a means of opposition to the institution of slavery, but this only
became possible when we organized a leading church on a strictly
anti-slavery basis, an event which finally was marked with great
success, as Jefferson suggested it would be.
New Design. Jan 10, 1820.
My six sons all are naturally industrious and they all enjoy the
sports. Robert and Josiah excel in fishing, Moses in hunting, William
in boating and swimming and James and Joseph in running and jumping.
Either one of them can jump over a line held at his own height, a
little over six feet.
New Design. Jan. 12, 1820.
A full account of my Indian fights will be found among my papers.
New Design. Dec. 10, 1820.
Looking back at this time, 1820, to 1809, when we organized the
Canteen creek Baptist Church on a strictly anti-slavery basis as
Jefferson had suggested as a [center] from which the anti-slavery
movement to finally save the State to freedom could be directed, it is
now clear that the move was a wise one as there is no doubt but that
it more than anything else was what made Illinois a free State.
New Design, Ill. Jan. 4, 1821.
Among my papers my family will find a full and connected statement as
to all the churches I have caused to be formed since my settlement in
Illinois.
* * * * *
There were many of our family notes which were faded out and Rev. J.
M. Peck retained some when he made father's history and many were
misplaced by other friends, but we have had all copied [that] are now
in our possession which are of interest.
REV. JAMES LEMEN, Jr.,
(Son of Rev. James Lemen, Sr.).
Ridge Prairie, Ill. June 4, 1867.
My father's account of his Indian fights and statement of all the
churches he caused to be founded in Illinois, above mentioned,
{p.32} were loaned to Rev. John M. Peck a short time before his death
and have not been returned, but the information contained has already
been published except a few confidential facts as to his relations
with Jefferson in the formation of the Canteen Creek Baptist Ch., now
the Bethel Baptist Church.
REV. JAMES LEMEN, Jr.
(Son of James Lemen, Sr.)
II. PECK'S HISTORY OF THE JEFFERSON-LEMEN COMPACT
Rock Spring, Ill., June 4, 1851.
The history of the confidential relation of Rev. James Lemen, Senior,
and Thomas Jefferson, and Lemen's mission under him, which I have
prepared for his son, Rev. James Lemen, Junior, at his request from
the family notes and diaries.
J. M. PECK,
Per A. M. W.
CHAPTER I.
The leading purpose of Thomas Jefferson in selecting James Lemen, of
Virginia, afterwards James Lemen, Senior, to go to Illinois as his
agent, was no doubt prompted by his great affection for Mr. Lemen and
his impression that a young man of such aptitude as a natural leader
would soon impress himself on the community, and as the advantages in
the territory were soon to be great, Jefferson was desirous to send
him out, and with the help of a few friends he provided a small fund
to give him, and also his friend who was going to Indiana on a like
mission, to be used by their families if need be, and if not to go to
good causes. There was also another motive with Jefferson; he looked
forward to a great pro-slavery contest to finally try to make Illinois
and Indiana slave states, and as Mr. Lemen was a natural born
anti-slavery leader and had proved himself such in Virginia by
inducing scores of masters to free their slaves through his prevailing
kindness of manner and Christian arguments, he was just Jefferson's
ideal of a man who could safely be trusted with his anti-slavery
mission in Illinois, and this was an important factor in his
appointment.
The last meeting between Mr. Lemen and Jefferson was at Annapolis,
Maryland, on May 2, 1784, a short time before he {p.33} sailed as
envoy to France, and all the terms between them were fully agreed
upon, and on Dec. 28, 1785, Jefferson's confidential agent gave Mr.
Lemen one hundred dollars of his funds, and in the summer of 1786 with
his wife and children he removed and settled in Illinois, at New
Design, in what is now Monroe County. A few years after his settlement
in Illinois Mr. Lemen was baptized into the Baptist church, and he
finally became a minister of the people of that faith. He eventually
became a great organizer of churches and by that fact, reinforced by
his other wonderful traits as a natural leader, he fully realized
Jefferson's fondest dreams and became a noted leader.
In 1789 Jefferson returned from his mission to France and his first
thought was of Mr. Lemen, his friend in Illinois, and he lost no time
in sending him a message of love and confidence by a friend who was
then coming to the West. [5]After Jefferson became President of the
United States he retained all of his early affection for Mr. Lemen,
and when S. H. Biggs, a resident of Illinois, who was in Virginia on
business and who was a warm friend of both Jefferson and Mr. Lemen,
called on him in 1808, when President, he inquired after him with all
the fondness of a father, and when told of Mr. Lemen's purpose to soon
organize a new church on a strictly anti-slavery basis Jefferson sent
him a message to proceed at once to form the new church and he sent it
a twenty-dollar contribution. Acting on Jefferson's suggestion, Mr.
Lemen promptly took the preliminary steps for the final formation of
the new church and when constituted it was called the Baptist Church
of Canteen Creek and Jefferson's contribution, with other funds, were
given to it. This church is now called the Bethel Baptist Church, and
it has a very interesting history.
But in view of the facts and circumstances the church might properly
have been called the "Thomas Jefferson Church," and what volumes these
facts speak for the beneficent and marvelous influence which Mr. Lemen
had over Jefferson, who was a reputed unbeliever. The great love he
had for James Lemen not only induced him to tolerate his churches but
he became an active adviser for their multiplication.
[30]The original agreement between Jefferson and Mr. Lemen was
strictly confidential; on the part of Jefferson, because, had it been
known, his opponents would have said {p.34} he sent paid emissaries
to Illinois and Indiana to shape matters to his own interests, and the
extreme South might have opposed his future preferment, if it were
known that he had made an anti-slavery pact with his territorial
agents; and it was secret on the part of Mr. Lemen because he never
wished Jefferson to give him any help and his singularly independent
nature made him feel that he would enjoy a greater liberty of action,
or feeling at least, if it were never known that his plans and
purposes to some extent were dictated and controlled by another, not
even by his great and good friend Jefferson; so the agreement between
them was strictly private. [30]And there was another circumstance
which finally determined Mr. Lemen to always preserve the secrecy, and
that was that some of Mr. Jefferson's opponents shortly before Mr.
Lemen's death informed him that he had become an absolute unbeliever,
and this so impressed his mind that he wept bitterly for fear, if the
fact should ever be known that he had an agreement with Jefferson,
that they would say that he was in alliance with an unbeliever in the
great life work he had performed, and he exacted a promise from his
sons, his brother-in-law, Rev. Benjamin Ogle, and Mr. Biggs, the only
persons who then knew of the agreement, that they would never divulge
it during his lifetime, a pledge they all religiously kept, and in
later years they told no one but the writer and a few other trusted
friends who have not, and never will, betray them. But the writer
advised them to carefully preserve all the facts and histories we are
now writing and to tell some of their families and let them publish
them at some future time, as much of the information is of public
interest.
As to Jefferson's being an absolute unbeliever, his critics were
mistaken. He held to the doctrine that the mind and the reason are the
only guides we have to judge of the authenticity and credibility of
all things, natural and divine, and this appears to have been the
chief basis on which Jefferson's critics based their charges against
him. But while these harsh criticisms in some measure misled Mr. Lemen
he never lost his great love for Jefferson and to the latest day of
his life he always mentioned his name with tenderness and affection. I
had hoped to complete this history in one chapter, but there appear to
be notes and materials enough for another. By oversight the notes of
Mr. Lemen's war record were not given me, but he honorably served an
enlistment of {p.35} two years under Washington, and returned to his
regiment at the siege of Yorktown and served until the surrender of
Cornwallis, but did not re-enlist.
CHAPTER II.
At their last meeting at Annapolis, Maryland, on May 2, 1784, when the
final terms in their agreement as to Mr. Lemen's mission in Illinois
were made, both he and Jefferson agreed that sooner or later, there
would be a great contest to try to fasten slavery on the Northwestern
Territory, and this prophesy was fully verified in spite of the fact
that Congress, at a later period, passed the Ordinance of 1787 forever
forbidding slavery; two contests arose in Illinois, the first to
confirm the territory and the second to confirm the state to freedom.
[17]From 1803 for several successive congresses Gen. William Henry
Harrison, then governor of the Northwestern Territory, with his
legislative council petitioned that body to repeal the anti-slavery
clause in the Ordinance of 1787 and to establish slavery in the
territory, but without avail, and finally recognizing that the
influence of Rev. James Lemen, Sr., was paramount with the people of
Illinois, he made persistent overtures for his approval of his
pro-slavery petitions, but he declined to act and promptly sent a
messenger to Indiana, paying him thirty dollars of the Jefferson fund
given him in Virginia to have the church and people there sign a
counter petition, meanwhile circulating one in Illinois among the
Baptists and others; and at the next session of Congress Gen.
Harrison's pro-slavery petitions for the first time encountered the
anti-slavery petitions of the Baptist people and others, and the
senate, before which the matter went at that time, voted to sustain
the anti-slavery petitions and against the repeal of the anti-slavery
clause in the Ordinance of 1787, and for the time the contest ended.
[21]The next anti-slavery contest was in the narrower limits of the
territory of Illinois, and it began with the events which called the
Bethel Baptist Church into existence. When Mr. Lemen received
President Jefferson's message in 1808 to proceed at once to organize
the next church on an anti-slavery basis and make it the center from
which the anti-slavery forces should act to finally make Illinois a
free state, he decided to act on it; but as he knew it would create a
{p.36} division in the churches and association, to disarm criticism
he labored several months to bring them over to the anti-slavery
cause, but finding that impossible he adopted Jefferson's advice and
prepared to open the contest. The first act was on July 8, 1809, in
regular session of the Richland Creek Baptist Church, where the people
had assembled from all quarters to see the opening of the anti-slavery
contest, when Rev. James Lemen, Sr., arose and in a firm but friendly
Christian spirit declared it would be better for both sides to
separate, as the contest for and against slavery must now open and not
close until Illinois should become a state. A division of both the
association and the churches followed, but finally at a great meeting
at the Richland Creek Baptist Church in a peaceful and Christian
manner, as being the better policy for both sides, separation was
adopted by unanimous vote and a number of members withdrew, and on
Dec. 10, 1809, they formed the "Baptist Church at Canteen Creek," (now
Bethel Baptist Church). Their articles of faith were brief. They
simply declared the Bible to be the pillar of their faith, and
proclaimed their good will for the brotherhood of humanity by
declaring their church to be "The Baptist Church of Christ, Friends to
Humanity, denying union and communion with all persons holding the
doctrine of perpetual, involuntary, hereditary slavery."
[23]The church, properly speaking, never entered politics, but
presently, when it became strong, the members all formed what they
called "The Illinois Anti-Slavery League," and it was this body that
conducted the anti-slavery contest. It always kept one of its members
and several of its friends in the Territorial Legislature, and five
years before the constitutional election in 1818 it had fifty resident
agents--men of like sympathies--in the several settlements throughout
the territory quietly at work, and the masterly manner in which they
did their duty was shown by a poll which they made of the voters some
few weeks before the election, which, on their side only varied a few
votes from the official count after the election. [17]With people
familiar with all the circumstances there is no divergence of views
but that the organization of the Bethel Church and its masterly
anti-slavery contest saved Illinois to freedom; but much of the credit
of the freedom of Illinois, as well as for the balance of the
territory, was due to Thomas Jefferson's faithful and efficient aid.
True to his promise to Mr. Lemen that slavery should {p.37} never
prevail in the Northwestern Territory or any part of it, he quietly
directed his leading confidential friends in Congress to steadily
defeat Gen. Harrison's pro-slavery petitions for the repeal of the
anti-slavery clause in the Ordinance of 1787, and his friendly aid to
Rev. James Lemen, Sr., and friends made the anti-slavery contest of
Bethel Church a success in saving the state to freedom.