The Hall Sisters Spared.

[HallSon]

Found the following while researching family. I do not recognize some of these items. Can somebody better define them and their meaning. What were the lights of sash used for and how used? One mattock, I'm assuming a weapon or something? 1 pair of double trees? backhands? Sound like land clearing or logging equipment. I do know the family came from Galena and were lead miners and teamsters for a period.
Thx, HallSon


Copied from the LaSalle Co. Genealogy Guild -- William Hall's probate papers:

A bill of sale of property of William Hall Deceased held at the house of John W Hall on the 17th of Oct 1832:

Property sold to whom sold $ cts
one yoke of oxen to John W Hall 45 00
one cupboard and ware " 15 50
two coverlids Rachel Hall 3 00
one bed " 5 25
two coverlids Sylvia Hall 2 00
One bed " 4 00
1 wheel " 1 00
1 Reel " 50
1 side saddle " 4 00
1 set bench tools John W Hall 5 50
1 chest John W Hall 3 00
1 tea kettle and sundries " 4 00
1 bed " 5 00
1 sieve " 50
12 lights of sash Greenberry W Hall 1 37 1/2
12 lights of sash " 1 62 1/2
1 grind stone John W Hall 3 00
1 Cross cut saw Greenberry W Hall 5 50
1 Drawing knife " 1 37 1/2
1 Jack screw John W Hall 4 75
2 hoes " 1 00
1 Mattock " 1 00
1 stone pick " 75
1 Axe " 1 50
3 barrels and contents Greenberry W Hall 2 00
1 Table " 2 00
1 log chain Edward Hall 4 00
1 log chain " 1 75
carryed over 129 87 1/2

brot over 129 87 1/2

1 Bed stead to Rachel Hall 75
1 Bed sted Sylvia Hall 75
1 Loom John W Hall 8 00
1 set of Black smiths tools " 37 25
1 Pair of double trees Jos S. Simpson 2 75
1 Pair of andirons Greenberry W Hall 1 87 1/2
1 Pair of tongs John W Hall 1 25
1 dinner pot " 1 37 1/2
1 kettle and lid " 1 12 1/2
2 Buckets Greenberry W Hall 75
1 Set of plough irons John W Hall 13 75
1 Frow (??) " 1 12 1/2
1 Pair of steelyards " 1 87 1/2
1 yoke of oxen John Griffin 55 00
1 yoke of oxen B M Hayes 31 50
1 Cow Gilbert Kellum 13 75
1 young steer Greenberry W Hall 8 00
1 young steer John Griffin 4 87 1/2
1 Heifer John W Hall 5 50
1 Pair of trace chains Edward Hall 75
1 set of chains Edward Hall 2 25
1 small Chair Peter Cutright 2 75
1 Back hand (?) John W Hall 62 1/2
2 Horse Collars Edward Hall 50
1 Coffee Mill " 50
1 Looking Glass " 50
1 yoke of Oxen " 41 00
1 yoke of Oxen John W Hall 41 00

409 00
We certify that the above bill of sale is true and correct James S. Simpson --- clerk seal
Tra. Ladd Crier seal

[Robert Braun]

Hello...

I'll pass on the "lights of sash,' but will offer some comment on a few of the other items:

• "Coverlets" are small quilts or spreads
  
• "Mattock" sounds like 'matchlock.' doesn't it? In truth, it was a digging tool which combines the features of an adz and a pick.
  
• "Frow" was a heavy sharp blade attached to a handle at one end. The primary use of the frow is to made, or 'rive' shingles from seasoned pine or cedar logs. A section of log is placed on end and shigles are rived by striking the frow with a maul or mallet down through the log.
  

Cordially, Bob.

[HallSon]

Appreciate the information. Quite a family for sure. Noticed in Stevenson book online at IU that two Uncles both Edward and Reason were on hand to greet Rachel and Sylvia at Blue Mounds in the captive bargain. By the time these Horn's and Hall's finished fighting in the 1850's in Oregon their numbers would have been a full cavalry platoon. It is indeed enjoyable reading this board and as I do my genalogy thing I'll pass on all pertinent data regarding the Black Hawk War. Do know that Reason Hall claimed in Oregon to be a Black Hawk War Veteran. He established the Buena Vista Ferry across the Willamette River to Salem. One of the oldest still running ferries in the west. Believe he was looking for country out west that resembled his home in Illinois.
Thks Again.

[Greg Carter]

What a great find! That estate list is fantastic stuff.

GMC

[Larry Koschkee]

Yes indeed, this is an excellent estate list.

Just a couple comments on some of the items.

Bob has given a good explanation of a "mattock." It is a handy tool when clearing land and as he mentioned the head combines the utility of an axe and adz. However the adz like portion is not generally used for shapping wood, rather it is most useful in grubbing soil. I have used one extensively for a number of years and us pilgrims always referred to it as a "grub hoe." I still find it quite useful in removing small tree stumps and multi-flower rose plants that have invaded my pastures and woods.

The antique "mattock" I have was passed down for at least four generations. It has a 34 1/2" length oval, hickory handle with a slight inside curve towards the "grub" portion of the head. The "grub" is 7 1/4" in length , 4" wide at the tip tapering to 2 1/4" next to the handle. The axe portion has a 4" wide edge, 4 1/4"length, tapers to 2 1/4" next to the handle. This "mattock" is retired, set aside for future generations to marvel at.

Its modern replacement was purchased at a farm sale a few years back. The head has similar measurements but has a longer hickory handle of about 36 1/2".

Double-tree... This is part of the hitch gear used when a team of horses is attached to a wagon or implement. It is the straight piece of wood (or now days steel or iron) behind each horse in the team that the traces or "tugs" are attached. Essentialy, two single-trees attached to a "evener" comprises a double-tree.

In some areas of the country the single-tree is referred to as the "whiffle-tree" or "whipple-tree." Many of us country boys can recall the song. The Old Gray Mare wherein the "whiffle-tree" is mentioned. If I could sing a few bars here many would probably recognize the tune. (Maybe not)

12 light of sash or lights of sash would refer to windows.
Most common term for light or lite would be window pane. When I order barn sash I ask for 6 lite or 8 lite which is 6 or 8 panes of glass.

Steelyard... would be a portable balance or scale for calculating weight of an object.

Now "backhand" is an interesting term. Do not have a clue what that is. Would like to find out however... I wonder if it might be a pry bar or a jack?

Interesting....

Larry Koschkee

[HallSon]

Larry, Thanks, yes indeed the old gray mare "she ain't what she used to be many long year ago." Do you think a back hand might be an old large cycle with a protruding grip and 3 or 4 foot blade? This was for cutting high grass and clearing? Remeber having that in the shed not too long ago ;D
Marty/HallSon

[Larry Koschkee]

Marty,

I am not quite sure that ground-driven sickle mower technology was developed in 1832. But when you mentioned something to do with cutting grass it leads me to believe that a back hand is a hay loading device. Hay or grass is cut with hand scythe, allowed to dry then forked on to a wagon moved to a fenced area, hand unloaded unto a stack. When stack gets too high for a man to fork, the back hand is utilized for subsequent layers of hay. Historical accounts indicate that in the early 1800s hay was usually stacked outside rather than in barns or sheds. Farmers took pride in building tall-tight stacks.

Imagine your arm and hand as the "back hand"... extend your arm flat with hand open...put the hay in your hand...then bring the hand towards your shoulder. I just know I have seen this type of implement but can not put my finger on it... wait a minute I have seen these type of loaders... In the western states, such as South Dakota, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming.

What do you think, Marty?

Larry Koschkee

[HallSon]

Larry: Please excuse. I did not mean to suggest cycle. I meant sickle. It was very large, extended out about 6 feet and was held with both hands. One to keep it level and the other to force the swing backwards and forwards for the cut.

I simply can't go back that far in relation to loading hay. I do however remember cutting, then raking it together in a win row (sp) behind a tractor then scooping it with John Deere forks (early 1960;s) and loading on the stack. I took my turns on the stack in Nebraska and was glad to get back on the tractor. Makes me wonder what men were made of prior to the tractor.

Oops wait a minute. Have to think about this and your description. Something about shocking hay and throwing it on a wagon. I'm lucky Larry...Mom's 90 and still available. I'll check with a one room school house teacher. Bet I get the answer.

Marty

[Larry Koschkee]

The hand held implement you are refering to is the scythe, which is what I mentioned was used in the fields to cut forage. I have three or four of them around my place. One scythe is a "grain cradle" reaping adaption, which when swept forward on the cutting motion, the cut grain laid back on the cradle and then the operator placed each cradle load to the side in a uniform manner. This minimized loosing the grain heads and facilitated the process of binding the cuttings into sheaves or what midwestern farm folks called bundles. These bundles were in turn placed on end with the heads up to form shocks. Usually three to four bundles were placed horizontally on top to help shed water.

I am old enough to have been involved with these farming practices, except Grandpa cut his wheat and oats with a grain binder. Earlier this machine was in use on his farm with a team horses, later the tongue was cut short and modified to hitch up to a tractor. Grandpa's binder would cut and bind the grain with "binder twine" and lay the bundles gently down on a conveyor apron that distributed the bundles on the ground. Men and women would subsequently shock the grain. The shocks remained in the field until the neighbor would bring his threshing machine over and all the neighbors on our ridge would pitch in and thrash. All the neighbors on our ridge traded work in this fashion.

When we took apart the shocks and loaded the bundles on the wagon you had to be alert for rattlesnakes. You quickly learned to shake the shock before you started lifting bundles. In most cases the snakes would rattle a warning, but not always. Some snakes had injured their rattles or lost them so there was no sound. The snakes were there because their prey, mice, sought food and refuge in the shocks. Some big snakes were killed on occasion. My Uncle George always placed an old wash tub on the wagon and when a snake was killed, usually with a three tine pitch fork, it was discarded into the tub. Later Uncle George would turn them in to the Town officials for the bounty. $1.50 or $2.00 apiece... that was real money back in the mid - 1950s.

Oops! Got off the subject here a bit.

I still am leaning towards a "back hand" as a hay loading device.

Larry Koschkee

[HallSon]

Larry,
I agree with your description. When thinking about it such a device would have been essential or useful for putting up hay. Just vague conversations from earlier days brought that shock thing out as explained better by you. I had seen no examples.
I was indeed fortunate to have modern machinery to do the haying, and annual combiners do the harvesting. Traveled summers to Nebraska but recall many conversations with adults of the time about how laborious the work was with the wheat, rye, and oats. Neighborly teamwork was so essential. Vaccination, dehorning and cutting days were the teamwork days during my summers. Could fill 3 pages of comedy with that but better stop now.
Regards,
Marty

[Larry Koschkee]

Has anyone researched and put together the chain of events of 1832 surrounding the Hall sisters? Starting with the massacre by the Potawatomi then the exchanges to Sac - Winnebago - Gratiot (or Dodge) and so forth.

In addition to noting the information on the exchanges from party to party, I am especially interested in answering the question: Who initiated the request that the Winnebago make a deal or purchase the Hall sisters from the Sac?

Larry Koschkee

[HallSon]

Larry:
From Stevens 1903 (Black Hawk War) at the NIU sitel The following was taken from John Wesley Hall's transcript some 35 years later. It appears that General Atchison and John were like thinkers:


"We then returned to Ottawa and organized a company out of a few citizens and some of Stillman's defeated troops, into which company I enlisted. The next day we were on the line of march, in pursuit of the red savages, to try, if possible, to get possession of my two eldest sisters, who were missing, and who, we were satisfied, had been carried away with the Indians when they retreated, from signs found on the trails. We proceeded up Rock River, above Sycamore Creek, and our provisions failing, we returned to Ottawa and laid in provisions tor a second trip. Here I had a conversation with General Atkinson and proposed that some means be used with friendly Indians, in order to purchase my sisters, as I feared the Indians would, in case we overtook them, kill my sisters. He then informed me that he had that morning made arrangements with Winnebago Indians to try to purchase my sisters.

Regards,
Marty

[HallSon]

Larry:
Additionally as an amateur family genealogist (spare time) I am trying to piece together the ten to 12 days of events or actions on the part of the Militia and military in obtaining the release. Sylvia, Rachel and John have transcribed a fairly good account from the familie's side bit I've discovered only a few bits and pieces from the military.
Regards,
Marty

[Larry Koschkee]

Marty,

Steven's quote that you displayed is just one of the reasons I am trying to establish some semblance of order from May 21 to June 1st, 1832.

General Henry Atkinson was on the Rock River at Dixon's Ferry when the Indian Creek massacre occured, in fact he was there from May 17th until the 28th. He first received word about the massacre from Col. James Johnson who had just arrived at Ottawa on the 22nd and fired off a dispatch dated the 23rd to Atkinson. So Atkinson would have received dispatch late on the 23rd or early on the 24th. Atkinson sent a dispatch dated the 27th to Indian sub-agent Henry Gratiot at Gratiot's Grove (Michigan Territory). It read:

Sir In the attack of the Sac Indians on the Settlements, on a branch of Fox River, the 22d Inst fifteen Men, Women, and Children were killed, & two young women were taken prisoners. This heartrending occurrence should not only call forth our sympathies but urge us to relieve the Sufferers.

You will therefore proceed to the Turtle Village or send some one of confidence, & prevail on the head Chiefs and Braves of the Winnebagoes there to go over to the hostile Sacs and endeavour to ransom the Prisoners--offer the Winnebagoes a large reward to effect the object $500 or $1000 for each.

I expected to have heard from you before this.

In this dispatch Atkinson is scolding Gratiot... was it because Gratiot had not wrote to him for some time or was he expecting Gratiot to be on top of Hall sisters issue? Well at any rate Atkinson's 27th dispatch did get into the hands of Gratiot until June 2nd, the day after the Hall sisters were brought to Fort Blue Mound on June 1st.

Rachel (Hall) Munson's account dated October, 1834 indicated the sisters were purchased from the Sac by the Winnebagoes on May 28th. Now lets see here...Atkinson sent the dispatch on the 27th to Gratiot, the day before the Winnebago obtained the sisters. Even if Gratiot would have received the dispatch on the 27th how could he have met with the Winnebago and the Winnebago in turn go to the Sac camp and negotiate for the sister's release. It appears something is missing here... Perhaps someone besides Atkinson took the intiative to sue for the sisters release so the wheels were already in motion before Atkinson got involved. Maybe a guardian angel...

Larry

[HallSon]

Larry: Only my thoughts here and absolutely no historical evidence yet. After reading and re-reading some of these accounts on the family side and then attempting to piece together timelines what was happening on the mil and gov side I'm coming to the same suspicions.
It may be that the Guardian Angel here was MAJ Horn the adoptive Father or Guider of Rachel, Sylvia for lack of a better description. If I could place MAJ Horn's exact whreabouts and knowledge of events when his family friends, fellow Kentuckian emigrant, was massacred then we may be on to something that will solve these disconnects. Perhaps MAJ Horn and Gov Reynolds were very involved with the decision process. I would imagine that John was asking everybody he met to help spare his Sisters.

A few genealogy facts Larry that would show motivation for such a Guardian Angel occurrence.

MAJ Horn's family married into the Hall family initially before migrating to Illinois from Kentucky.

Rev (MAJ) Horn married his Son William to Sylvia Hall

Rev Horn was designated by Rachel and Sylvia to invest the monies donated by Missourian Governor and citizens within a couple of weeks after their release. However I don't know if there was any discussion between them between the massacre and their final return to Illinois?

John Wesley Hall was guided in Methodist ministry by Rev Horn and later became another Methodist Minister as well.

Rev R. Horn, Rev W. Horn, and Rev John Wesley Hall all migrated with many other Halls, to SE Nebraska NW Missouri in 1850. I point this last piece out because of the middle name of John being Wesley. Again these indicators, not facts suggest a congregation of Hall's and Horn Methodists that were very close for a very long time. More motivation for the Guardian Angel.

Something in my humble opinion went on here between John W. Hall after his escape and MAJ Horn.

Respectfully,
Marty