I formed a liking for Emily Conner. Emily was an orphan, and
lived about four years at my aunt Charlotte's after her mother
died, and until her father married again. She had a consoling
word for me at all times when I was in trouble. From being
friends, we became lovers and were engaged to be married, when my
circumstances would permit. That winter I went to a school for
three months.
Early in the spring the Indian war known as the Black Hawk war
broke out, and volunteers were called for. I enrolled myself at
the first call, in the company of Capt. Jacob Feaman, of
Kaskaskia. The company was ordered to rendezvous at Fort
Armstrong, Rock Island, where the troops were reorganized, and
Capt. Feaman was promoted to colonel, and James Conner became
captain of the company. I served until the end of the war, and
was engaged in many skirmishes, and lastly was at the battle of
Bad Axe, which I think took place on the 4th day of August, A. D.
1831, but am not certain as to the date.
The soldiers were allowed to go home about the 1st of September,
1831. Our company got to Kaskaskia, and were discharged, I think,
on the 1st of September, 1831. I got back with a broken-down
horse and worn-out clothing, and without money. I concluded to
seek a more genial clime, one where I could more rapidly better
my financial condition. I went to see and talk with Emily, the
friend of my childhood, and the girl that taught me first to
love. I informed her of my intentions. We pledged mutual and
lasting fidelity to each other, and I bid her farewell and went
to St. Louis to seek employment.
When I landed on the wharf at St. Louis I met a negro by the name
of Barton, who had formerly been a slave to my mother. He
informed me that he was a fireman on the steamboat Warrior,
running the upper Mississippi, between St. Louis, Missouri, and
Galena, Illinois. I told him I wanted work. He said he could get
me a berth on the Warrior as fireman, at twenty-five dollars a
month; but he considered the work more than I could endure, as it
was a hard, hot boat to fire on. I insisted on making the effort,
and was employed as fireman on the Warrior at twenty-five dollars
per month. I found the work very hard. The first two or three
times that I was on watch I feared I would be forced to give it
up; but my spirit bore me up, and I managed to do my work until
we reached the lower rapids near Keokuk. At this place the
Warrior transferred its freight, in light boats, over the rapids
to the Henry Clay, a steamer belonging to the same line.
The Henry Clay then lay at Commerce, now known as Nauvoo. I was
detailed with two others to take a skiff with four passengers
over the rapids. The passengers were Mrs. Bogges and her mother,
and a lady whose name I have forgotten, and Mr. Bogges. The
distance to the Henry Clay from where the Warrior lay was twelve
miles. A large portion of the cargo of the Warrior belonged to
the firm of Bogges & Co. When we had gone nearly halfway over the
rapids my two assistants got drunk and could no longer assist me;
they lay down in the skiff and went to sleep. Night was fast
approaching, and there was no chance for sleep or refreshment,
until we could reach Commerce or the Henry Clay. The whole labor
fell on me, to take that skiff and its load of passengers to the
steamer. Much of the distance I had to wade in the water and push
the skiff, as was most convenient. I had on a pair of new
calfskin boots when we started, but they were cut off my feet by
the rocks in the river long before we reached the end of the
journey.
After a deal of hardship I succeeded in getting my passengers to
the steamer just as it became dark. I was wet, cold, hungry, and
nearly exhausted. I sat down by the engine in my wet clothing and
soon fell asleep, without bedding or food. I slept from
exhaustion until near midnight, when I was seized with fearful
crampings, accompanied by a cold and deathlike numbness. I tried
to rise up, but could not. I thought my time had come, and that I
would perish without aid or assistance.
When all hope had left me I heard a footstep approaching, and a
man came and bent over me and asked if I was ill. I recognized
the voice as that of Mr. Bogges. I said I was in the agonies of
death, and a stranger without a friend on the boat. He felt my
pulse, and hastened away, saying as he left me:
"Do not despair, young man, you are not without friends. I will
return at once."
He soon returned, bringing a lantern and a bottle of cholera
medicine, and gave me a large dose of the medicine; then he
brought the captain and others to me. I was soon comfortably
placed in bed, and from that time I had every attention paid me,
and all the medical care that was necessary. Mr. Bogges told me
that he had supposed I was one of the regular crew of the Henry
Clay, and was among friends; that his wife had noticed that I
appeared to be a stranger, and had seen me when I sat down by the
engine alone; that after they retired his wife was restless and
insisted on his getting up and finding me; this was the occasion
of his assistance coming as it did.
Mr. Bogges had contracted for freighting his goods to Galena,
where he resided; and had provided for the passage of himself,
wife, and mother-in-law. They would go by land from Commerce, as
he dreaded the passage of the upper rapids in time of low water,
as it then was.
After finishing the loading of the steamer I began to fire up to
get ready for a start. While so engaged, Mr. Bogges came to me,
and offered to employ me. He asked me then what wages I was
getting. I told him twenty-five dollars.
"I will give you fifty dollars," said he.
We reached Galena in safety, and health. Now a new life
commenced. Mr. Bogges introduced me to John D. Mulligan, his
partner. I at once commenced my duties as bar-tender at the
store. The business was such that I found it more than play. Many
a time I did not get rest or sleep for forty-eight hours at a
time. I have frequently taken in one hundred dollars in twenty-
four hours for drinks, at five cents a drink. I paid attention to
business, making the interest of my employers my interest. On
account of my faithful services I was permitted to prepare hot
lunches during the night, to sell to gamblers. What I made was my
own. In this way I made from fifty to one hundred dollars a month
extra.
One day while I was absent from the store a French half-breed, by
the name of Shaunce got on a drunken spree and cleared out the
store and saloon. Hearing the disturbance I ran to the store. I
entered by the back door and went behind the counter. As I did so
Shaunce ran to the counter and grabbed a large number of
tumblers, and threw them about the house, breaking them all.
"Shaunce, you must either behave, or go out of the house," I
said.
He jumped over the counter, caught me by the throat, and shoved
me back against the counter, saying:
"You little dog, how dare you insult me!"
There was no time to swap knives. I must either receive a beating
or do something to prevent it. I remembered the advice that my
uncle Conner had given me about fighting.
"John, if you ever get in a fight with a man that overmatches
you, take one of his hands in both of yours, and let him strike
as he may, but get one of his fingers in your mouth and then bite
it, and hold on until he gives up," he had said.
Acting on this advice, I succeeded in getting one of Shaunce's
thumbs in my mouth. I held to it until I dislocated the thumb
joint, when he yelled:
"Take him off!"
This little affair made a quiet man of Shaunce, and my employers
were more pleased with me than ever before. They made me a
present of fifty dollars for what I had done.
While with Bogges & Co. I made money, and was saving of what I
earned. I did not gamble. I took good care of myself, and, having
the respect of every person, I admit I was quite vain and proud.
I was accused by the gamblers of being stingy with my money. So I
thought I would do as others did, and commenced to give money to
others as a stake to gamble with on shares. Soon I began to play.
I won and lost, but did not play to any great extent. Mr. Bogges
took me to task for gambling. He also showed me many of the
tricks of the gamblers, and I promised him to quit the practice
as soon as I got married.
In the early part of 1832 I received an affectionate letter from
my Emily, desiring me to return to her, and settle down before I
had acquired a desire for a rambling life. I then had five
hundred dollars in money and two suits of broadcloth clothing. I
was anxious to see Emily, so I settled up with Bogges & Co. and
started for home. Emily was then living at her sister's house in
Prairie de Roache; her brother-in-law, Thomas Blay, kept the
tavern there. I boarded with them about two weeks, during which
time I played cards with the Frenchman, and dealt "vantune," or
twenty-one, for them to bet at. I was lucky, but I lived fast,
and spent my money freely, and soon found that half of it was
gone.
Emily was dissatisfied with my conduct. I proposed immediate
marriage; Emily proposed to wait until the next fall, during
which time we were to prepare for housekeeping. She wished to see
if I would reform, for she had serious doubts about the propriety
of marrying a gambler. She asked me to quit gambling, and if I
had made that promise all would have been well, but I was
stubborn and proud and refused to make any promise. I thought it
was beneath my dignity. I really intended to never gamble after
my wedding, but I would not tell her so; my vanity overruled my
judgment. I said that if she had not confidence enough in me to
take me as I was, without requiring me to give such a promise, I
would never see her again until I came to ask her to my wedding.
This was cruel, and deeply wounded Emily; she burst into tears
and turned from me. I never saw her again until I went to ask her
to attend my wedding. I went up into the country and stopped with
my cousins. While there I met the bride of my youth; she was the
daughter of Joseph Woolsey and Abigail, his wife. I attended
church, went to parties and picnics, and fell in love with Agathe
Ann, the eldest girl. The old folks were op- posed to my marrying
their daughter, but after suffering the tortures and overcoming
the obstacles usual in such cases, I obtained the consent of the
girl's parents, and was married to Agathe Ann Woolsey on the 24th
day of July, A. D. 1833.
The expenses of the wedding ended all my money, and I was ready
to start the world new and fresh. I had about fifty dollars to
procure things to keep house on, but it was soon gone; yet it
procured, about all we then thought we needed. I commenced
housekeeping near my wife's father's, and had good success in all
that I undertook. I made money, or rather I obtained considerable
property, and was soon comfortably fixed.