Colonel Benjamin Stephenson and the History of Early Illinois: Saluki Publishing
Autor Sidney G. Denny Cuvânt înainte de Jason Stacyen Limba Engleză Paperback – 14 iul 2025
In early 2024, the Director of the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville, Illinois, discovered an unpublished manuscript among the files of Sidney G. Denny, a longtime Friends of the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House Board member who had passed away just months before. The manuscript compiled the materials from a decade’s worth of articles Denny had written for the House’s newsletter, the Spectator, on the history of the House, Benjamin Stephenson, and early Illinois—history that, without Denny, would have been lost to time.
Colonel Benjamin Stephenson, a founding father of both the city of Edwardsville and the state of Illinois, played a crucial role in the emergence of Illinois from a territory into the nation’s twenty-first state in 1818. Informed by a treasure trove of primary sources, Colonel Benjamin Stephenson and the History of Early Illinois traces Stephenson from his childhood in 18th-century Pennsylvania to his experiences on the Illinois frontier and, eventually, to his final residence, which is now a museum of his life and times in Edwardsville. The volume also provides a detailed chronicle that connects early Illinois history to the history of westward settlement and to the American Revolution itself.
Denny explores the rich history of Madison County and delves into the complexities of early Illinois and its pioneering leaders, weaving together the lives of various families to reveal the interconnected nature of early Illinois society. His meticulously researched work showcases how the impact of those early days is still visible today.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780809370153
ISBN-10: 0809370158
Pagini: 224
Ilustrații: 11
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 16 mm
Greutate: 0.05 kg
Ediția:First Edition
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Saluki Publishing
Seria Saluki Publishing
ISBN-10: 0809370158
Pagini: 224
Ilustrații: 11
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 16 mm
Greutate: 0.05 kg
Ediția:First Edition
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Saluki Publishing
Seria Saluki Publishing
Notă biografică
Sidney G. Denny (1940 – 2023) was co-author of The Ancient Splendor of Prehistoric Cahokia and professor emeritus of anthropology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Sid was president of the Faculty Senate in 1987. He also served as chair of several key University committees including one that transitioned the campus from a quarter to a semester system and one that consolidated schools into what is now the College of Arts and Sciences. Professionally an archaeologist, Sid was one of the first board members of the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society, president of the Illinois Archaeological Survey, and a member of the Illinois Department of Conservation Historic Sites Advisory Board. He always felt, however, that his most important job was teaching. He taught for more than 30 years, retiring in 2000.
Sid’s extensive research into the history of the 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, probate records, and the Stephenson family was a significant contribution to the mission of the House and the success of the hands-on, living history museum that it is today. His knowledge of history and the site was unsurpassed. A long-time supporter and volunteer, Sid served on the Friends of the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House Board, organized archeological digs on site, gave lectures, acted as a historical interpreter, and cochaired the 50/50 Antique and Collectible Auction for more than 20 years.
Sid grew up in Union, Missouri, working summers on the family farm, hunting, fishing, and exploring the banks of the nearby Meramec River. He had a lifelong interest in archaeology, history, and antiques, and he displayed his Ozark roots as an accomplished storyteller. Sid lived in Edwardsville, Illinois, with his wife and three daughters.
Sid’s extensive research into the history of the 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, probate records, and the Stephenson family was a significant contribution to the mission of the House and the success of the hands-on, living history museum that it is today. His knowledge of history and the site was unsurpassed. A long-time supporter and volunteer, Sid served on the Friends of the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House Board, organized archeological digs on site, gave lectures, acted as a historical interpreter, and cochaired the 50/50 Antique and Collectible Auction for more than 20 years.
Sid grew up in Union, Missouri, working summers on the family farm, hunting, fishing, and exploring the banks of the nearby Meramec River. He had a lifelong interest in archaeology, history, and antiques, and he displayed his Ozark roots as an accomplished storyteller. Sid lived in Edwardsville, Illinois, with his wife and three daughters.
Extras
Chapter 1: Revolution's Child
ln the early summer of 1778, nine-year-old Benjamin Stephenson and most of the other scattered residents of the Manor of Maske, York County, Pennsylvania anxiously awaited news of the latest developments in the war with Great Britain. The previous year had brought news of countless disasters. The costly defeat at Long Island, in August of 1776, had resulted in the capture of Ben's uncle, Thomas Reed, who had remained a prisoner of the British for nine months before being exchanged. Shortly after the battle of Long Island came the news of the abandonment of New York, and the loss of Fort Washington. At Fort Washington almost an entire battalion of York County soldiers had been killed or captured, including the commanding colonel, all of the officers, and most of the sergeants and other lower ranks. The loss of New York and the surrender of Fort Washington were followed by the endless retreat of Washington's army through New York and New Jersey. In early September had come the news of another defeat at Brandywine in which a number of soldiers from York County and the Manor of the Maske had been killed, wounded, or captured. Only a few days later had come more terrible news of the "massacre" at Paoli. At Paoli a detachment of soldiers of the Pennsylvania line, including units of the 11th Pennsylvania, had been left behind to act as a rear guard for Washington's retreating army. The 11th Pennsylvania had been recruited from Philadelphia and four neighboring counties including York County. The detachment had been surprised by a dawn attack by the British. One York County survivor of the attack later wrote:
the annals of the age cannot produce such a scene of butchery. All was confusion. The enemy was among us… The enemy rushed on with fixed bayonets, and made use of them as they intended. Our loss: Col. Grier, Capt. Wilson, and Lieut. Irvine, and sixty-one non commissioned officers and privates killed-just half of the men we had… I went to see the wounded. The scene was shocking. The poor men groaning under their wounds, which were all by stabs of bayonets and cuts of light horsemen's swords.
Rumors had begun to circulate that the British had bayoneted those who were trying to surrender and that the battle had been a massacre. In fact, 71 had surrendered and there never was a massacre. Nevertheless, most believed that the British had instituted an order of "no quarter" and fears of future massacres grew. Finally, by the end of September 1777, Philadelphia had been occupied and the Congress had fled to York, only 100 miles from Philadelphia, and only 40 miles from Manor of the Maske. It seemed as if the winter of 1777 and 1778 saw nothing but one disaster after another. The bad news had only been relieved by Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton. But those victories had only provided a short respite from the almost endless stream of bad news. Just when it seemed that the news could not get worse, things had become even more depressing when the reports of the suffering of the army at Valley Forge were received. The army had gone into winter camp in mid-December 1777 and by February more than 2,500 members of the army had died of starvation, disease, and exposure. Now, in late June of 1778, rumors of another battle had begun to trickle into the settlements.
Almost every rumor and small bit of hard news was greeted with mounting anxiety. Almost all of the news had been negative and Benjamin Stephenson, like most of the other residents of Manor of the Maske, had a personal stake in the outcome of the Revolution. His maternal grandfather and all seven of his maternal uncles, as well as his father, and his uncle by marriage, were members of the local militia and several of them had later transferred to the regular Continental Army.
Before the war, Ben's maternal grandfather, James Reed, had served as the Colonel of the local county militia. James had immigrated to America around 1728, and probably married Margaret Floyd sometime in the early 1730s. In August 1738, he filed a claim for 900 acres of land in the area which was called the Marsh Creek settlement. Most of the area was drained by Marsh Creek and a number of its smaller tributaries. The area east of the Reed claim later became the Manor of Maske. James and Margaret Reed had nine children. Thomas and James R. were the first two sons. Ben's mother Mary was the older daughter. Following Mary's birth were Sarah, Benjamin J., John, Joseph, Samuel, and William. When the local militia regiments were formed, all seven of the Reed sons, plus son-in-law James Stephenson, and William McKesson, the husband of Ben's aunt Sarah, all joined James Stephenson's regiment.
When news of Lexington arrived, Thomas Reed, the oldest son, immediately journeyed to Boston to enlist as a private. He was captured in Washington's defeat at Long Island, held prisoner for nine months, and was ultimately exchanged. James, the second son, was a captain in the militia and later served as a lieutenant in a regular army regiment of the Pennsylvania line. Benjamin Reed was the third son to serve in the Revolution, first as an ensign of the 3rd company of the 5th Battalion of militia. Later he became a lieutenant of the 1st company of the 2nd Battalion. The remaining sons all served as officers in the militia. According to family legend, Margaret Reed, true to her Scots-Irish heritage, blessed her sons before they went off to war "and told them never to come back to her with a bullet in the back".
Margaret Reed's blessing and admonition to her sons were typical of the attitudes and historical roots of the Scots-Irish residents who made up the largest portion of the population of Manor of the Maske. The Scots-Irish were a fractious, bellicose bunch. The old adage that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" would probably be just as easily applied to any "Scots-Irishman scorned." They were the lineal descendants of the warlike clans of Scotland. Most had grown up listening to the heroic and tragic stories of the fierce highland clans led by "Braveheart," William Wallace. Their warlike propensities were further abetted by their Presbyterian religious beliefs which spurned ritual and rejected almost all hierarchical authority. A war against one of the most powerful hierarchical authorities in the world, the King of England, was a war against the perfect enemy.
The residents of Manor of Maske had followed the news of the continuing troubles in Massachusetts. They had heard the news of the Boston Massacre followed by an endless string of evermore restrictive acts of the English Parliament. These included the Sugar Act, the Currency Art, the Quartering Act, and the Stamp Act. All of these acts were attempts by the British to defray the cost of maintaining the colonies and to control the revolutionary furor in Boston. For the residents of Manor of Maske, the idea of an act like the Quartering Act, which required the residents of Boston to quarter British soldiers in their own homes, would have been anathema. The news of the Boston Tea Party was greeted by the residents of the manor with celebrations and lots of drinks that were stronger than tea. Thus, when news of Lexington and Concord finally made its way to Manor of Maske, many of the residents could not wait to come to the aid of their beleaguered Massachusetts colleagues. When Lexington and Concord took place, Benjamin Stephenson was almost six years old. When the news of the Declaration of Independence came just over a year later, the news was greeted with rejoicing. Ben was just four days short of his seventh birthday, and the Fourth of July became a focal point of celebrations throughout the rest of his life.
[end of excerpt]
ln the early summer of 1778, nine-year-old Benjamin Stephenson and most of the other scattered residents of the Manor of Maske, York County, Pennsylvania anxiously awaited news of the latest developments in the war with Great Britain. The previous year had brought news of countless disasters. The costly defeat at Long Island, in August of 1776, had resulted in the capture of Ben's uncle, Thomas Reed, who had remained a prisoner of the British for nine months before being exchanged. Shortly after the battle of Long Island came the news of the abandonment of New York, and the loss of Fort Washington. At Fort Washington almost an entire battalion of York County soldiers had been killed or captured, including the commanding colonel, all of the officers, and most of the sergeants and other lower ranks. The loss of New York and the surrender of Fort Washington were followed by the endless retreat of Washington's army through New York and New Jersey. In early September had come the news of another defeat at Brandywine in which a number of soldiers from York County and the Manor of the Maske had been killed, wounded, or captured. Only a few days later had come more terrible news of the "massacre" at Paoli. At Paoli a detachment of soldiers of the Pennsylvania line, including units of the 11th Pennsylvania, had been left behind to act as a rear guard for Washington's retreating army. The 11th Pennsylvania had been recruited from Philadelphia and four neighboring counties including York County. The detachment had been surprised by a dawn attack by the British. One York County survivor of the attack later wrote:
the annals of the age cannot produce such a scene of butchery. All was confusion. The enemy was among us… The enemy rushed on with fixed bayonets, and made use of them as they intended. Our loss: Col. Grier, Capt. Wilson, and Lieut. Irvine, and sixty-one non commissioned officers and privates killed-just half of the men we had… I went to see the wounded. The scene was shocking. The poor men groaning under their wounds, which were all by stabs of bayonets and cuts of light horsemen's swords.
Rumors had begun to circulate that the British had bayoneted those who were trying to surrender and that the battle had been a massacre. In fact, 71 had surrendered and there never was a massacre. Nevertheless, most believed that the British had instituted an order of "no quarter" and fears of future massacres grew. Finally, by the end of September 1777, Philadelphia had been occupied and the Congress had fled to York, only 100 miles from Philadelphia, and only 40 miles from Manor of the Maske. It seemed as if the winter of 1777 and 1778 saw nothing but one disaster after another. The bad news had only been relieved by Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton. But those victories had only provided a short respite from the almost endless stream of bad news. Just when it seemed that the news could not get worse, things had become even more depressing when the reports of the suffering of the army at Valley Forge were received. The army had gone into winter camp in mid-December 1777 and by February more than 2,500 members of the army had died of starvation, disease, and exposure. Now, in late June of 1778, rumors of another battle had begun to trickle into the settlements.
Almost every rumor and small bit of hard news was greeted with mounting anxiety. Almost all of the news had been negative and Benjamin Stephenson, like most of the other residents of Manor of the Maske, had a personal stake in the outcome of the Revolution. His maternal grandfather and all seven of his maternal uncles, as well as his father, and his uncle by marriage, were members of the local militia and several of them had later transferred to the regular Continental Army.
Before the war, Ben's maternal grandfather, James Reed, had served as the Colonel of the local county militia. James had immigrated to America around 1728, and probably married Margaret Floyd sometime in the early 1730s. In August 1738, he filed a claim for 900 acres of land in the area which was called the Marsh Creek settlement. Most of the area was drained by Marsh Creek and a number of its smaller tributaries. The area east of the Reed claim later became the Manor of Maske. James and Margaret Reed had nine children. Thomas and James R. were the first two sons. Ben's mother Mary was the older daughter. Following Mary's birth were Sarah, Benjamin J., John, Joseph, Samuel, and William. When the local militia regiments were formed, all seven of the Reed sons, plus son-in-law James Stephenson, and William McKesson, the husband of Ben's aunt Sarah, all joined James Stephenson's regiment.
When news of Lexington arrived, Thomas Reed, the oldest son, immediately journeyed to Boston to enlist as a private. He was captured in Washington's defeat at Long Island, held prisoner for nine months, and was ultimately exchanged. James, the second son, was a captain in the militia and later served as a lieutenant in a regular army regiment of the Pennsylvania line. Benjamin Reed was the third son to serve in the Revolution, first as an ensign of the 3rd company of the 5th Battalion of militia. Later he became a lieutenant of the 1st company of the 2nd Battalion. The remaining sons all served as officers in the militia. According to family legend, Margaret Reed, true to her Scots-Irish heritage, blessed her sons before they went off to war "and told them never to come back to her with a bullet in the back".
Margaret Reed's blessing and admonition to her sons were typical of the attitudes and historical roots of the Scots-Irish residents who made up the largest portion of the population of Manor of the Maske. The Scots-Irish were a fractious, bellicose bunch. The old adage that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" would probably be just as easily applied to any "Scots-Irishman scorned." They were the lineal descendants of the warlike clans of Scotland. Most had grown up listening to the heroic and tragic stories of the fierce highland clans led by "Braveheart," William Wallace. Their warlike propensities were further abetted by their Presbyterian religious beliefs which spurned ritual and rejected almost all hierarchical authority. A war against one of the most powerful hierarchical authorities in the world, the King of England, was a war against the perfect enemy.
The residents of Manor of Maske had followed the news of the continuing troubles in Massachusetts. They had heard the news of the Boston Massacre followed by an endless string of evermore restrictive acts of the English Parliament. These included the Sugar Act, the Currency Art, the Quartering Act, and the Stamp Act. All of these acts were attempts by the British to defray the cost of maintaining the colonies and to control the revolutionary furor in Boston. For the residents of Manor of Maske, the idea of an act like the Quartering Act, which required the residents of Boston to quarter British soldiers in their own homes, would have been anathema. The news of the Boston Tea Party was greeted by the residents of the manor with celebrations and lots of drinks that were stronger than tea. Thus, when news of Lexington and Concord finally made its way to Manor of Maske, many of the residents could not wait to come to the aid of their beleaguered Massachusetts colleagues. When Lexington and Concord took place, Benjamin Stephenson was almost six years old. When the news of the Declaration of Independence came just over a year later, the news was greeted with rejoicing. Ben was just four days short of his seventh birthday, and the Fourth of July became a focal point of celebrations throughout the rest of his life.
[end of excerpt]
Cuprins
Contents
Foreword
1. Revolution’s Child
2. Ambition
3. Seven Flags over Illinois
4. Colonel Stephenson Goes to Washington
5. Coming to Edwardsville
6. Statehood
7. Banker
References
Foreword
1. Revolution’s Child
2. Ambition
3. Seven Flags over Illinois
4. Colonel Stephenson Goes to Washington
5. Coming to Edwardsville
6. Statehood
7. Banker
References
Recenzii
“This book serves as a reminder that the most vivid historical narratives tell stories rooted in the lives of the ordinary—and extraordinary—people of a bygone era. Within the pages of this fine work of scholarship, Sidney G. Denny brings a forgotten Illinois statesman back to life and capably recapitulates the myriad issues that agitated the Illinois Country and the early republic alike.”—James A. Edstrom, author of Avenues of Transformation: Illinois’s Path from Territory to State
“Denny’s book reveals how important community research is for our understanding of history. His. . .labor of love has recovered the important story of Benjamin Stephenson and the complex family ties and neighborhood politics that helped build national histories of settlement, slavery, and Native dispossession in Illinois. Hopefully this book’s rich collection of significant events and players from Edwardsville’s early history will encourage future researchers to continue Denny’s work.”—Robert Paulett, author of An Empire of Small Places
“Denny’s book reveals how important community research is for our understanding of history. His. . .labor of love has recovered the important story of Benjamin Stephenson and the complex family ties and neighborhood politics that helped build national histories of settlement, slavery, and Native dispossession in Illinois. Hopefully this book’s rich collection of significant events and players from Edwardsville’s early history will encourage future researchers to continue Denny’s work.”—Robert Paulett, author of An Empire of Small Places
Descriere
Colonel Benjamin Stephenson and the History of Early Illinois details the life of Colonel Benjamin Stephenson through unique access to primary sources, including the house in which Stephenson lived--and which still stands--and connects it to the larger history of the surrounding area, state, and country. Once published as a series of articles, Denny's unpublished manuscript was discovered in 2024, just months after his passing. This book continues his legacy, informs modern readers of the significance of Colonel Stephenson, and situates his life story among the broader and deeper history of Illinois pioneers and American politics.