Crawford County IL Archives Biographies.....Maxwell, John (Sr.) 1805 - 1879
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Author: William Henry Perrin (1883)

  JOHN MAXWELL, SR., deceased, was born in Blount County, Tenn., on the 28th day
of November, 1805, and was married to Eliza Love of same county in 1831. In
1848, he, together with several other families, moved to Crawford County, Ill.,
and settled in the southern part of the county. Like many of the early settlers,
he chose the broken timber land instead of the prairie. The place of his
residence, nine miles south of Robinson, had formerly been very heavily
timbered, but had been the scene of a hurricane, about 1800, which destroyed all
the timber, so that it was then almost like a prairie, the yearly burning of the
grass having kept the young timber from growing up. He reached this county with
about $500 in money, which was mostly put into land, and he commenced life anew
in a log cabin hastily erected in the woods. Year by year a few more acres were
cleared, until about 100 acres of the stool grubs had been dug out with the
mattock by himself and older sons. He had seven sons and four daughters. When
the civil war broke out, three of his sons, Archibald S., Joseph and William M.,
entered the Union army. The two former were in the battle of Stone River, and
there Joseph was killed and Archibald was wounded and taken prisoner, but soon
recaptured. On the morning of the 2d of November, 1864, his house was the scene
of the most unwarranted outrage ever perpetrated in the county. Just at the
break of day the house was surrounded by a mob of armed men of Crawford and
Lawrence Counties. His sons Archibald and William M. were home on furlough until
after the election. They and a soldier by the name of Henry Beaman staid there
overnight. All in the house were aroused just before daybreak by the violent
barking of the dogs, and the old gentleman went out to ascertain what was the
cause. He was fired upon by some of the mob, when he hastened into the house and
fastened the door. The mob followed him up on an open porch, when they were
halted by William M. from a window up stairs. They paid no attention to his
command to stop, when he fired at them, but missed his aim. The mob immediately
opened fire all around the house, firing in at the windows. One of his
daughters, Elizabeth, who had just arose from bed, was mortally wounded, being
hit by two rifle balls in the groin, while standing by the bed. William M.,
hearing her cry out that she was shot, run down stairs and opened one of the
doors and emptied his revolver at the crowd, wounding one of them in the thigh
and receiving a wound in the leg. The mob then retreated and stationed
themselves behind the outbuildings, and remained there until after daylight.
When it was found that they were still around the house, Mrs. Eliza Maxwell
determined to venture out and see what was wanted. They told her that they had
come to arrest William M. Maxwell, and had the Sheriff of Lawrence County with a
writ. She told them if they had the Sheriff he would not resist them. They then
came in and took. William M., Archibald and John C. Maxwell to Lawrenceville.
But it was ascertained that they had no officer nor no writ, or any authority
whatever for their action. They, however, swore a warrant for him after getting
to Lawrenceville, on a charge of assault with intent to kill. He was tried on
this charge and acquitted. The daughter suffered untold agony for about seven
weeks, when she died from the effect of her wound. William M. never recovered
from his wound. It continued to ulcerate, and could not be healed. The
ulceration run up to the body, and he died from it after long suffering, on the
12th day of February, 1867. Some of the mob afterwards boasted that they had
used poisoned bullets, and the doctors were of the same opinion. To the disgrace
of Crawford County, it must be said, that no indictments were ever found against
the murderers. Many of them, however, have gone forth with the mark of Cain upon
them, and have been a curse to themselves. The mob was composed of rebel
sympathizers and members of the order of the Knights of the Golden Circle, and
was caused by the wild excitement that was rife in that section of the country.
After the close of the war but little worthy of note occurred in his life. He
died at his home on the 20th day of May, 1879, at a good, ripe old age.

Additional Comments:
Extracted From:

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN.

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS,
LAKESIDE BUILDING.
1883.


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