The Reverend James Caldwell (1734-1781) was one of our earliest patriots. He was born to Ulster-Scots parents in Cub Creek, Virginia. He became a Presbyterian minister and served as a chaplain during the Revolutionary War. At the battle of Springfield, New Jersey, when his company ran out of wadding, Caldwell was said to have dashed into a nearby Presbyterian church, scooped up as many Watts hymnals as he could carry and distributed them to the troops, shouting “put Watts into them, boys.”
He was killed by a single shot from the gun of James Morgan. Morgan was arrested, tried and hung on January 29, 1782. (You can find the full story on the Internet.) Mrs. Caldwell was killed earlier by the Hessians under the command of the British. Their nine children were raised by friends. One of the girls, Hannah Ogden Caldwell, married James R. Smith of New York City.
James R. Smith came to America as a child from Kirkudbright, Scotland. Through hard work and shrewd business ability, he became a very successful merchant in New York City. He owned all the property along Broadway up to thirty-fourth street. He lived on Pearl Street and had a summer home in Greenwich near what is now Washington Square. The Smiths had a daughter named Elizabeth Caldwell who was born on Pearl Street, March 28, 1808. After the death of her mother, Elizabeth moved to Washington, D.C. to live with her sister, Mrs. Matthew St. Clair Clarke whose husband was the clerk of the House of Representatives.
Elizabeth was once invited to have dinner at the White House when John Q. Adams was President. She “wore a crimson silk dress with her hair in three puffs on the top and three puffs on each side of her head and a high tortoise shell comb. She also wore silk stockings and black satin slippers. At the dinner she met Joseph Duncan from Kaskaskia, Illinois and Henry Clay told Elizabeth some things about him. He was not only a good looking man but was a good son, having taken care of his mother and educated his sister and two brothers.
Joseph Duncan was born on February 22, 1794 in Kentucky. Born into a very poor family, he educated himself especially in the classics. He served in the War of 1812 and later commanded troops as a brigadier general in the Black Hawk War. He was awarded a testimonial sword by Congress for his role in defending Fort Stephenson, Ohio. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827, he served four terms. Later, he would become the 6th governor of Illinois.
Joseph Duncan and Elizabeth Caldwell Smith were married in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 1828. Two weeks later they began the long journey to Illinois. They crossed the mountains in a stagecoach and took a steamboat from Wheeling to Cairo. From Cairo to St. Louis, they traveled “in the company with Mr. And Mrs. James K. Polk of Tennessee, little thinking he would ever fill the President’s chair, such a commonplace man.” They spent a week in St. Louis and then took a boat to Kaskaskia and then on horseback to Fountain Bluff where Joseph Duncan owned a sawmill.
They chose Jacksonville, Illinois, to be their home and in 1834 built a three-story, 17 room mansion. It was the official Governor’s mansion during his term in office (1834-1838). The house is still standing. When they first arrived in Jacksonville, Elizabeth wore a dress of “white India muslin and a long sky blue sash.” She wrote in her diary: “Wherever I went they turned my trunk inside out, tried on all my clothes and admired them generally. It was funny and often annoying to have them cut patterns of everything they could, often ruining them past use.” "No wonder people asked, what brought you so far from the city out into the wild country? I said, My husband, I followed him.”
Mrs. Duncan was 4'5" tall and if she “was pouting” when the Governor arrived home after a long stay in Springfield, Governor Duncan would laughingly set his petite wife on the mantle, where she remained until some other member of the household came to her aid. This diminutive little lady gave birth to 10 children.
When they returned to Washington for the Second Session of Congress. Elizabeth wrote: “Mrs. Mather took us in their carriage to Carlyle several days journey, two nights and two days. We stopped for the night at a log cabin, so four of us slept in one room, not an unusual occurrence in those days.” At Carlyle they took the stage through Indiana over corduroy roads and then on to Cleveland. “The lake was so rough and the boat so poor we coasted the lake in a covered wagon to Buffalo.” From Buffalo they took a stage to Albany and a steamboat to New York. Another stagecoach completed the final leg to Washington. The entire journey took three weeks. Elizabeth said, “In November the weather was beautiful. It was a rough journey. I felt I was going home. I never liked the west and was so glad to get back.” On one of their many trips to Washington, their son James “died at Wheeling, Virginia and we buried him on a hill in sight of the river.” He was 2 years and 7 months old. What sadness they must have endured to leave this little boy, not in a cemetery but on a hill. During her lifetime, Mrs. Duncan would make this trip eight times.
I have been unable to find the exact date of her death, but believe she is buried alongside her husband in Jacksonville, Illinois. Governor Joseph Duncan died January 15, 1844. He is buried in the Diamond Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville. The mansion is owned today by the Rev. James Caldwell Chapter NSDAR and is open to the public. The home has been fully restored and contains many original Duncan family furnishings.
A Scottish girl from New York City - a Scottish man from Paris, Kentucky, who met in Washington, lived on the Frontier and died in Jacksonville, Illinois, makes an interesting story fit for the movies.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
630-629-4516
Announcements:
No History Club meeting in July or August.
Scottish Home Picnic - August 4, 2012
History Club Meeting - September 8, 2012
Kilted Classic Golf Outing - September 21, 2012
History Club Tour - October 6, 2012
North American Leadership Conference - Oct. 26-28. Troy, Michigan
St. Andrew’s Day Dinner - November 16, 2012
Rockford Burns Banquet - January 19, 2013 (www.rockfordburnsclub.com)
Nicht Wi’ Burns Supper - January 26, 2013
St. Andrew’s Society Burns Dinner - February 9, 2013
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Lost Daughters
Dr. Alexander Stewart, born in 1779 in Perth, Scotland, was a veterinary surgeon who had studied in London and Edinburgh. For 14 years he was a surgeon to the Perth Agriculture Society but always had a desire to live in America. He began reading literature produced by a Mr. Flowers who apparently gave a glowing view of life in the new continent. He and his wife had eight children: four boys and four girls.
In 1817, he finally left with his wife and the four boys. Grandparents on both sides of the family pleaded that his four daughters should be left in Scotland. Once settled, they said, the daughters could follow. The girls were left behind, and it would seven years before they would see them again.
After a journey of seven weeks in crossing of the Atlantic, Dr. Stewart’s family made their way to New Harmony, Indiana, where Robert Owen had established a colony. (Owen was Welsh but in Glasgow he fell in love with and married Caroline Dale.) The colony is an interesting story and we will write about it in the future. It is not known how they traveled but they may have used the rivers until they reached New Harmony. There were no trains. The Stewart family was not interested in being part of the colony, so they moved on. Finally, in White County, Illinois, about a mile from the “Scotch settlement” of Liberty, they took up a homestead of 200 acres in 1825. (I am not sure why, but at some point Liberty changed its name to Burnt Prairie. It is 285 miles south of Chicago and had a population of 58 people in 2000.)
In America, Dr. Stewart began practicing medicine because there was so much “sickness-chill and fever.” He was very kind to the poor and often took them into his home for treatment and care. Now with the family settled, it was time to bring the four daughters to America.
He began a series of letters to a friend and neighbor in Edinburgh, Scotland. He sent money to this friend with instructions on how to reach Liberty, Illinois. They left with the next group of immigrants. After reaching New York, the friend took his family into the city to find lodging. In addition, he took “all their money, letters of introduction and travel instructions.” He never returned.
"After landing in New York, the girls (Jessie, Christina, Martha and Mary) waited all afternoon. In their great disappointment and, in fear for what might happen to them, they were all in tears.” They asked the captain of the sailing ship to take them back to Scotland but were told the ship would not sail for two weeks. Toward evening, a gentleman with a tall silk hat and a gold-headed cane came walking toward them from the city. He stopped and they told him their story. The gentleman happened to be a Scot and he could “understand them perfectly.” Not only did he have a “kindly Scotch tongue” but he had been a classmate of Dr. Stewart. He took them home and they “enjoyed a fine supper.”
The four girls ranged in age from 11 to 19, and they had not seen their parents in seven years. They were placed with other Scottish families in the area, except for Mary, the youngest, who stayed with the Doctor. (We only know him by his last name of Ferguson.) “They were all sent to school and given dancing lessons and had the advantages of the wealthy children of that day.” Dr. Ferguson was a kind and caring man.
In Liberty, Illinois, the father could estimate the amount of time it would take to cross the Atlantic and then there would be weeks and perhaps months for them to make the rest of the journey. After a period of time and the girls had not arrived, he concluded that they had been lost at sea or had met with some accident. The girls did not have their father’s address and there was no other method of communication so they wrote to the grandparents in Scotland. Mail traveled very slowly in those days and it took months for the father to get the message about what had happened and where they were.
The oldest daughter had fallen in love with George Dick while crossing the Atlantic and was planning to get married. When word finally reached the father, he began the long journey to New York. He traveled alone “armed with his gun and on foot.” (Google says that is a trip of 918 miles.) I don’t know how long that journey would have taken the good doctor.
After the wedding of Jessie, the oldest daughter, they began the long journey back to Illinois.
At the age of 86, Alexander Stewart died May 5, 1865, and was buried in the Burnt Prairie Cemetery. Many other family members are buried at this cemetery.
This story was written by Isabella Miller, a granddaughter of Dr. Alexander Stewart, and was sent to me in 2000 by Ted Reeves who lived in Merced, California. We communicated several times but have now lost touch. The telephone number I have is no longer correct. He was active in the Stewart Clan Society so perhaps someone can help with new contact information.
I find the story interesting because it illustrates how the world has changed and what the early immigrants faced if they chose to live in America.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4526
The Highland Games are this weekend in Itasca, Illinois. Click here for full details. The Scottish American History Club and Scottish Heritage Museum will have a tent in the clan area. Come see us!
In 1817, he finally left with his wife and the four boys. Grandparents on both sides of the family pleaded that his four daughters should be left in Scotland. Once settled, they said, the daughters could follow. The girls were left behind, and it would seven years before they would see them again.
After a journey of seven weeks in crossing of the Atlantic, Dr. Stewart’s family made their way to New Harmony, Indiana, where Robert Owen had established a colony. (Owen was Welsh but in Glasgow he fell in love with and married Caroline Dale.) The colony is an interesting story and we will write about it in the future. It is not known how they traveled but they may have used the rivers until they reached New Harmony. There were no trains. The Stewart family was not interested in being part of the colony, so they moved on. Finally, in White County, Illinois, about a mile from the “Scotch settlement” of Liberty, they took up a homestead of 200 acres in 1825. (I am not sure why, but at some point Liberty changed its name to Burnt Prairie. It is 285 miles south of Chicago and had a population of 58 people in 2000.)
In America, Dr. Stewart began practicing medicine because there was so much “sickness-chill and fever.” He was very kind to the poor and often took them into his home for treatment and care. Now with the family settled, it was time to bring the four daughters to America.
He began a series of letters to a friend and neighbor in Edinburgh, Scotland. He sent money to this friend with instructions on how to reach Liberty, Illinois. They left with the next group of immigrants. After reaching New York, the friend took his family into the city to find lodging. In addition, he took “all their money, letters of introduction and travel instructions.” He never returned.
"After landing in New York, the girls (Jessie, Christina, Martha and Mary) waited all afternoon. In their great disappointment and, in fear for what might happen to them, they were all in tears.” They asked the captain of the sailing ship to take them back to Scotland but were told the ship would not sail for two weeks. Toward evening, a gentleman with a tall silk hat and a gold-headed cane came walking toward them from the city. He stopped and they told him their story. The gentleman happened to be a Scot and he could “understand them perfectly.” Not only did he have a “kindly Scotch tongue” but he had been a classmate of Dr. Stewart. He took them home and they “enjoyed a fine supper.”
The four girls ranged in age from 11 to 19, and they had not seen their parents in seven years. They were placed with other Scottish families in the area, except for Mary, the youngest, who stayed with the Doctor. (We only know him by his last name of Ferguson.) “They were all sent to school and given dancing lessons and had the advantages of the wealthy children of that day.” Dr. Ferguson was a kind and caring man.
In Liberty, Illinois, the father could estimate the amount of time it would take to cross the Atlantic and then there would be weeks and perhaps months for them to make the rest of the journey. After a period of time and the girls had not arrived, he concluded that they had been lost at sea or had met with some accident. The girls did not have their father’s address and there was no other method of communication so they wrote to the grandparents in Scotland. Mail traveled very slowly in those days and it took months for the father to get the message about what had happened and where they were.
The oldest daughter had fallen in love with George Dick while crossing the Atlantic and was planning to get married. When word finally reached the father, he began the long journey to New York. He traveled alone “armed with his gun and on foot.” (Google says that is a trip of 918 miles.) I don’t know how long that journey would have taken the good doctor.
After the wedding of Jessie, the oldest daughter, they began the long journey back to Illinois.
At the age of 86, Alexander Stewart died May 5, 1865, and was buried in the Burnt Prairie Cemetery. Many other family members are buried at this cemetery.
This story was written by Isabella Miller, a granddaughter of Dr. Alexander Stewart, and was sent to me in 2000 by Ted Reeves who lived in Merced, California. We communicated several times but have now lost touch. The telephone number I have is no longer correct. He was active in the Stewart Clan Society so perhaps someone can help with new contact information.
I find the story interesting because it illustrates how the world has changed and what the early immigrants faced if they chose to live in America.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4526
The Highland Games are this weekend in Itasca, Illinois. Click here for full details. The Scottish American History Club and Scottish Heritage Museum will have a tent in the clan area. Come see us!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
No Quitters
As you read this it will soon be June 6 - D-Day. I wonder who will remember this year? The old soldiers are dying by the thousands every day. General Patton is gone. The mothers and fathers who grieved the loss of sons are gone as well. I wrote this blog in 2010. I like the story and repeat it again in honor of all those who serve and die.
Patton was a complex man but a great commanding officer. Some politicians disliked him and some members of the press as well, but his soldiers loved him. Through North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and northern France, his Army was always on the move. Patton never wanted his troops to dig fox holes because that meant they were not moving. I remember looking at maps in the daily newspaper during the war as they traced the progress of the Third Army. It was quite amazing how many miles they could travel in a single day.
In war, Patton was an unforgiving General. The enemy must be destroyed and killed. But, there was another side to Patton. He often visited the wounded and talked personally to his soldiers. Patton would kneel in the mud and administer a shot to save a wounded man. He was irreligious in his language but he believed that soldiers should pray. Here is the story of what is called Patton’s Prayer.
The phone rang in the office of the Chaplin on December 8, 1944. “This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about these rains if we are too win the war.” (Patton was Episcopalian and was regular in his church attendance.) Rain had hindered the Third Army since September and it was now December.
Brigadier General Msgr. James H. O’Neill was the top Third Army Chaplin. (He would later live in Pueblo, CO.) He couldn’t find a prayer so he wrote one: “Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish thy justice among men and nations.”
On the other side of his 3x5 card, the Chaplain typed a Christmas message. “To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessing rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. G. S. Patton, Jr., Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.”
Patton read both, signed the card and casually said: “Have 250,000 copies printed and see to it that every man in the Third Army gets one.”
There followed a long discussion between the General and the Chaplin about how much “praying is being done in the Third Army.” The General said he was a strong believer in prayer. “There are three ways that men get what they want: by planning, by preparation (working), and by praying. God has His part, or margin, in everything.” Patton continued talking about God’s blessings on the Third Army. “We have never retreated, we have suffered no defeats, no famine, no epidemics.” He talked about Gideon in the Bible and “said that men should pray no matter where they were, in church or out of it, that if they did not pray, sooner or later they would crack up.”
As a result of the conversation, Training Letter No. 5 was written and approved by Patton. It was distributed to all 486 chaplains and to every commander down to the regimental level - 2,300 copies. It said in part: “Our glorious march from the Normandy Beach across France to where we stand, before and beyond the Siegfried Line, with the wreckage of the German Army behind us should convince the most skeptical soldier that God has ridden with our banner....We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful....We have no memory of a lost battle to hand on to our children from this great campaign.”
Casualty lists differ but most believe that over 6,000 American soldiers were counted as killed or missing as the result of one days battle, June 6, 1944. We had no quitters...our leadership was masterful...no memory of a lost battle was given to our children, but there were many who died.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4516
Patton was a complex man but a great commanding officer. Some politicians disliked him and some members of the press as well, but his soldiers loved him. Through North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and northern France, his Army was always on the move. Patton never wanted his troops to dig fox holes because that meant they were not moving. I remember looking at maps in the daily newspaper during the war as they traced the progress of the Third Army. It was quite amazing how many miles they could travel in a single day.
In war, Patton was an unforgiving General. The enemy must be destroyed and killed. But, there was another side to Patton. He often visited the wounded and talked personally to his soldiers. Patton would kneel in the mud and administer a shot to save a wounded man. He was irreligious in his language but he believed that soldiers should pray. Here is the story of what is called Patton’s Prayer.
The phone rang in the office of the Chaplin on December 8, 1944. “This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about these rains if we are too win the war.” (Patton was Episcopalian and was regular in his church attendance.) Rain had hindered the Third Army since September and it was now December.
Brigadier General Msgr. James H. O’Neill was the top Third Army Chaplin. (He would later live in Pueblo, CO.) He couldn’t find a prayer so he wrote one: “Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish thy justice among men and nations.”
On the other side of his 3x5 card, the Chaplain typed a Christmas message. “To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessing rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. G. S. Patton, Jr., Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.”
Patton read both, signed the card and casually said: “Have 250,000 copies printed and see to it that every man in the Third Army gets one.”
There followed a long discussion between the General and the Chaplin about how much “praying is being done in the Third Army.” The General said he was a strong believer in prayer. “There are three ways that men get what they want: by planning, by preparation (working), and by praying. God has His part, or margin, in everything.” Patton continued talking about God’s blessings on the Third Army. “We have never retreated, we have suffered no defeats, no famine, no epidemics.” He talked about Gideon in the Bible and “said that men should pray no matter where they were, in church or out of it, that if they did not pray, sooner or later they would crack up.”
As a result of the conversation, Training Letter No. 5 was written and approved by Patton. It was distributed to all 486 chaplains and to every commander down to the regimental level - 2,300 copies. It said in part: “Our glorious march from the Normandy Beach across France to where we stand, before and beyond the Siegfried Line, with the wreckage of the German Army behind us should convince the most skeptical soldier that God has ridden with our banner....We have had no quitters; and our leadership has been masterful....We have no memory of a lost battle to hand on to our children from this great campaign.”
Casualty lists differ but most believe that over 6,000 American soldiers were counted as killed or missing as the result of one days battle, June 6, 1944. We had no quitters...our leadership was masterful...no memory of a lost battle was given to our children, but there were many who died.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4516
Monday, May 28, 2012
"Killing Lincoln" and the Chicago Connection
I have just finished reading “Killing Lincoln” by Bill O’Reilly. If you like history and especially the Civil War you will enjoy the book. There is a Chicago connection not mentioned in the book and it begins with the birth of James H. McVicker on February 14, 1822, in New York City. His father died in the same year and his mother was left with three small children. According to the New York Times both parents were of Scottish heritage. As soon as James was old enough he began working to support the family. As a young adult, he drifted from place to place and in St. Louis became a journeyman printer.
At the age of twenty he realized that his lack of education was a great hindrance and so he began the process of educating himself. In 1840, he found a job as an actor in New Orleans and in the next few years he traveled the country as an actor and also married. His wife, Harriett G. Runnion, (her maiden name may have been Myers) had been married before and had two children, a boy named Horace and a girl named Mary Francis. In 1848, Mr. and Mrs. McVicker came to Chicago where he found acceptance as an actor.
George Wood, who operated a theater in St. Louis, encouraged McVicker to build a theater in Chicago and he would advance most of the money. Mr. Wood failed to fulfill his part of the bargain but others did and a building was constructed at a cost of $85,000. Among his backers were Potter Palmer, Marshall Field I and W. W. Kimball. The theater seated 2,500 people and was the “most commodious playhouse in the West.”
Edwin Booth first appeared at McVicker’s Theatre, May 31, 1858. About the same time, or perhaps a little later, Mary Francis McVicker began to take children’s parts at her father’s theater. She was then twelve years old and soon became a Chicago favorite. She traveled to other cities along the east coast and was popular there as well. All of this interfered with her education, so her father stopped her acting career. When she was eighteen, Mary was allowed to play Juliet to Edwin Booth’s Romeo. She was a success.
John Wilkes Booth, who in 3 years would shoot President Abraham Lincoln, also appeared in “Richard III” at McVicker’s (1862).
Mary Francis and Edwin Booth fell in love and were married by her grandfather, Rev. B. F. Myers. It was the second marriage for Edwin Booth. Later, Mary appears to have developed severe mental and emotional problems which complicated their marriage. She had gone to Europe with her husband but her health was failing so her father brought her back to America. She died at his home, 13 West Fifty-third street, New York City, and her remains were brought back to Chicago for burial. The funeral was held in St. Paul’s Universalist Church and burial was at Rosehill. Her father never fully recovered from the loss of his daughter and there was a “subsequent misunderstanding with Mr. Booth” which added to his sorrow. I have read that Mary Booth refused to be buried in the family plot in Baltimore because of John Wilkes Booth and chose rather to be buried at Rosehill.
Unlike his brother, Edwin Booth supported the North during the war and had voted for Abraham Lincoln. James McVicker was an ardent supporter of Lincoln. When the President was assassinated, 100 prominent citizens of Chicago were appointed to accompany his body to Springfield for burial. McVicker was one of the 100 chosen. He was an active member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society while living in Chicago.
James H. McVicker died March 10, 1896 and the funeral service was held at the residence, 1842 Michigan avenue. The Rev. H. W. Thomas, pastor of the People’s Church, which worshiped on Sundays in McVicker’s Theater, conducted the service. (McVicker was also a great admirer of Prof. Swing and attended his Central Church for several years. ) Burial was at Rosehill. His estate was valued at more than $850,000.
Mrs. McVicker appears to have died in Pasadena, California on August 25, 1904 at the age of 81. She is also buried at Rosehill. There were several attempts to break her will, estimated at $350,000, which also included a statement “that no other burial shall be made in the McVicker lot after that of the testatrix.” I assume this was her attempt to keep any members of the Booth family from being buried in their family plot.
John Wilkes Booth was first buried in the Old Penitentiary on the Washington Arsenal grounds in what is now Ft. Lesley J. McNair. “A grave was dug beneath the prison floor, and the remains, wrapped in an army blanket were lowered in a gun box into the hole and covered by a stone slab.” In 1869, the body was given to the family and buried in the Booth family plot in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. His grave is unmarked.
McVicker Theater survived until 1984 and was the oldest in Chicago and the third oldest in the nation. It was located at 25 W. Madison St. and was owned by Citicorp Savings of Illinois. The building had been declared unsafe. According to the Tribune, “the property had been purchased for $7 million in 1979 from the Chicago Board of Education, which had owned the land almost from Chicago’s inception.”
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. He has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The Scottish American Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. - Meeting starts at 10 and ends at noon.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting, just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
At the age of twenty he realized that his lack of education was a great hindrance and so he began the process of educating himself. In 1840, he found a job as an actor in New Orleans and in the next few years he traveled the country as an actor and also married. His wife, Harriett G. Runnion, (her maiden name may have been Myers) had been married before and had two children, a boy named Horace and a girl named Mary Francis. In 1848, Mr. and Mrs. McVicker came to Chicago where he found acceptance as an actor.
George Wood, who operated a theater in St. Louis, encouraged McVicker to build a theater in Chicago and he would advance most of the money. Mr. Wood failed to fulfill his part of the bargain but others did and a building was constructed at a cost of $85,000. Among his backers were Potter Palmer, Marshall Field I and W. W. Kimball. The theater seated 2,500 people and was the “most commodious playhouse in the West.”
Edwin Booth first appeared at McVicker’s Theatre, May 31, 1858. About the same time, or perhaps a little later, Mary Francis McVicker began to take children’s parts at her father’s theater. She was then twelve years old and soon became a Chicago favorite. She traveled to other cities along the east coast and was popular there as well. All of this interfered with her education, so her father stopped her acting career. When she was eighteen, Mary was allowed to play Juliet to Edwin Booth’s Romeo. She was a success.
John Wilkes Booth, who in 3 years would shoot President Abraham Lincoln, also appeared in “Richard III” at McVicker’s (1862).
Mary Francis and Edwin Booth fell in love and were married by her grandfather, Rev. B. F. Myers. It was the second marriage for Edwin Booth. Later, Mary appears to have developed severe mental and emotional problems which complicated their marriage. She had gone to Europe with her husband but her health was failing so her father brought her back to America. She died at his home, 13 West Fifty-third street, New York City, and her remains were brought back to Chicago for burial. The funeral was held in St. Paul’s Universalist Church and burial was at Rosehill. Her father never fully recovered from the loss of his daughter and there was a “subsequent misunderstanding with Mr. Booth” which added to his sorrow. I have read that Mary Booth refused to be buried in the family plot in Baltimore because of John Wilkes Booth and chose rather to be buried at Rosehill.
Unlike his brother, Edwin Booth supported the North during the war and had voted for Abraham Lincoln. James McVicker was an ardent supporter of Lincoln. When the President was assassinated, 100 prominent citizens of Chicago were appointed to accompany his body to Springfield for burial. McVicker was one of the 100 chosen. He was an active member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society while living in Chicago.
James H. McVicker died March 10, 1896 and the funeral service was held at the residence, 1842 Michigan avenue. The Rev. H. W. Thomas, pastor of the People’s Church, which worshiped on Sundays in McVicker’s Theater, conducted the service. (McVicker was also a great admirer of Prof. Swing and attended his Central Church for several years. ) Burial was at Rosehill. His estate was valued at more than $850,000.
Mrs. McVicker appears to have died in Pasadena, California on August 25, 1904 at the age of 81. She is also buried at Rosehill. There were several attempts to break her will, estimated at $350,000, which also included a statement “that no other burial shall be made in the McVicker lot after that of the testatrix.” I assume this was her attempt to keep any members of the Booth family from being buried in their family plot.
John Wilkes Booth was first buried in the Old Penitentiary on the Washington Arsenal grounds in what is now Ft. Lesley J. McNair. “A grave was dug beneath the prison floor, and the remains, wrapped in an army blanket were lowered in a gun box into the hole and covered by a stone slab.” In 1869, the body was given to the family and buried in the Booth family plot in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore. His grave is unmarked.
McVicker Theater survived until 1984 and was the oldest in Chicago and the third oldest in the nation. It was located at 25 W. Madison St. and was owned by Citicorp Savings of Illinois. The building had been declared unsafe. According to the Tribune, “the property had been purchased for $7 million in 1979 from the Chicago Board of Education, which had owned the land almost from Chicago’s inception.”
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. He has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The Scottish American Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. - Meeting starts at 10 and ends at noon.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting, just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Rush Recollections
My wife has just returned from being a patient at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Being at Rush always brings back memories, mostly centered around Dr. Andrew Thomson. Several times I met Dr. Thomson at his office in the Professional Building and we would go to the cafeteria for lunch. He always had great stories to tell about his family and I have always been sorry I didn’t have a recorder. He took great pride in his family history and heritage. Dr. Thomson was president of the medical staff at Rush from 1983 through 1985 and was elected to the board of trustees in 1988.
Once on a Spring day, we walked across the Loop in Chicago. We had attended a board meeting at the Tower Club and then walked to the University Club on Michigan Ave for another meeting. At the University Club, we took those beautiful stairs to the mezzanine level and found a quiet place to talk. I don’t remember the conversation but it finally turned to the capital campaign of the Saint Andrew Society and I asked if he could help facilitate a gift. He said he could and it became an amazing moment that I will not soon forget.
Many organizations and individuals owe much to Dr. Thompson and his generosity. The Night Ministry in Chicago was especially important to him and he talked about it often. I hope we never forget his kindness and concern for everyone. In 1994, Dr. Thomson was honored by The National Society of Fundraising Executives. Several members of the St. Andrew’s Society, wearing kilts, attended the event at the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue. He was also our Distinguished Citizen in 1993 and served on our Board of Governors.
My last visit with Dr. Thomson occurred at the Scottish Home when the new building was being constructed. It was probably late 1997 or early 1998. We toured the nearly completed building and then he wanted to see the unfinished lower level. The only way down was using a very long ladder. We walked through the lower level in semi-darkness and finally up the ladder again. I know it was difficult for him but he never said a word. We had lunch in Riverside at the Chew-Chew and he had a hamburger and french fries. We talked about his worsening physical condition and the inevitable approach of death. He was full of faith and unafraid. I never saw him again.
During her most recent stay at Rush, Mary was in the Kellogg Pavilion, finished in 1956. Walking along the street it appears that the old Presbyterian hospital is connected to the Kellogg building but you cannot tell how the old hospital is being used. There is nothing on the outside of the building not even a cornerstone, only the words “Presbyterian Hospital” above what must have been the main entrance. Attached to the Presbyterian hospital building is the Jones addition.
Daniel Jones left a large estate when he died in 1887. His executors decided to build an addition to the Presbyterian Hospital and name it after Mr. Jones. The hospital was given $150,000 to construct the building which was to be 5 stories high. At the time, this new building was used for hospital patients and there still remains a sign saying “emergency entrance.” It is also difficult to tell how the Jones building is used at the present time. I have yet to determine who Daniel Jones was or how he made his fortune.
The name Jones can indicate a Scottish heritage and we once had a rather large family as member of the Society named Jones. In fact, the mother was a resident of the Scottish Home and one of the sons was very involved as a volunteer at the Highland Games. I know he is dead but have lost track of the other family members. I seem to remember they were in the plumbing business.
Driving east on the Eisenhower expressway, one can hardly miss the new East Tower recently completed. This14-level patient care tower houses acute and critical care patients. I was told that Rush is investing a billion dollars in what they are calling the Rush Transformation which includes the new East Tower and renovation of their older buildings.
The first endowed chair at any private hospital in the country occurred at Rush. It was established as a memorial to Jean Schweppe Amour by Trustee A. Watson Amour III and other members of the Amour family. The Jean Schweppe Amour Chair of Neurology was established in 1963.
The Dr. Andrew and Peg Thomson Chair of Internal Medicine was established in 1993. “Established to honor Trustee and Rush physician Andrew Thomson, M.D., and his wife, Peg, a member of the Woman’s Board, on the occasion of Dr. Thomson’s retirement from active medical practice.”
Looking at the hospital donor list, the Scottish people of Chicago have been very generous with their money and time in making Rush one of the top hospitals in the nation.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. He has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The Scottish American Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. - Meeting starts at 10 and ends at noon.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
Once on a Spring day, we walked across the Loop in Chicago. We had attended a board meeting at the Tower Club and then walked to the University Club on Michigan Ave for another meeting. At the University Club, we took those beautiful stairs to the mezzanine level and found a quiet place to talk. I don’t remember the conversation but it finally turned to the capital campaign of the Saint Andrew Society and I asked if he could help facilitate a gift. He said he could and it became an amazing moment that I will not soon forget.
Many organizations and individuals owe much to Dr. Thompson and his generosity. The Night Ministry in Chicago was especially important to him and he talked about it often. I hope we never forget his kindness and concern for everyone. In 1994, Dr. Thomson was honored by The National Society of Fundraising Executives. Several members of the St. Andrew’s Society, wearing kilts, attended the event at the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue. He was also our Distinguished Citizen in 1993 and served on our Board of Governors.
My last visit with Dr. Thomson occurred at the Scottish Home when the new building was being constructed. It was probably late 1997 or early 1998. We toured the nearly completed building and then he wanted to see the unfinished lower level. The only way down was using a very long ladder. We walked through the lower level in semi-darkness and finally up the ladder again. I know it was difficult for him but he never said a word. We had lunch in Riverside at the Chew-Chew and he had a hamburger and french fries. We talked about his worsening physical condition and the inevitable approach of death. He was full of faith and unafraid. I never saw him again.
During her most recent stay at Rush, Mary was in the Kellogg Pavilion, finished in 1956. Walking along the street it appears that the old Presbyterian hospital is connected to the Kellogg building but you cannot tell how the old hospital is being used. There is nothing on the outside of the building not even a cornerstone, only the words “Presbyterian Hospital” above what must have been the main entrance. Attached to the Presbyterian hospital building is the Jones addition.
Daniel Jones left a large estate when he died in 1887. His executors decided to build an addition to the Presbyterian Hospital and name it after Mr. Jones. The hospital was given $150,000 to construct the building which was to be 5 stories high. At the time, this new building was used for hospital patients and there still remains a sign saying “emergency entrance.” It is also difficult to tell how the Jones building is used at the present time. I have yet to determine who Daniel Jones was or how he made his fortune.
The name Jones can indicate a Scottish heritage and we once had a rather large family as member of the Society named Jones. In fact, the mother was a resident of the Scottish Home and one of the sons was very involved as a volunteer at the Highland Games. I know he is dead but have lost track of the other family members. I seem to remember they were in the plumbing business.
Driving east on the Eisenhower expressway, one can hardly miss the new East Tower recently completed. This14-level patient care tower houses acute and critical care patients. I was told that Rush is investing a billion dollars in what they are calling the Rush Transformation which includes the new East Tower and renovation of their older buildings.
The first endowed chair at any private hospital in the country occurred at Rush. It was established as a memorial to Jean Schweppe Amour by Trustee A. Watson Amour III and other members of the Amour family. The Jean Schweppe Amour Chair of Neurology was established in 1963.
The Dr. Andrew and Peg Thomson Chair of Internal Medicine was established in 1993. “Established to honor Trustee and Rush physician Andrew Thomson, M.D., and his wife, Peg, a member of the Woman’s Board, on the occasion of Dr. Thomson’s retirement from active medical practice.”
Looking at the hospital donor list, the Scottish people of Chicago have been very generous with their money and time in making Rush one of the top hospitals in the nation.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. He has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The Scottish American Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. - Meeting starts at 10 and ends at noon.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Too bad, too bad - poor Craig, how will my children feel
WILLIAM CRAIG - PART II
In 1900, William Craig joined the secret service and was transferred to Birmingham, Alabama and then to Pittsburgh and later to department headquarters in Washington, D.C. After the assassination of William McKinley, the Secret Service had been given the job of protecting the President of the United States. William Craig was now given this assignment. President Theodore Roosevelt was not sure he liked the idea but Craig with his Scottish accent became his shadow. In time they became close friends. He was often called “Big Bill” and was especially loved by the President’s children.
On September 4, 1902, the President was traveling between Pittsfield and Lenox, Massachusetts. He is riding in an open landau drawn by four magnificent bay horses with five other carriages following. It’s a beautiful day and large crowds lined the road as the President and his entourage moved quickly along a macadam turnpike. William Craig and the driver, David J. Pratt were sitting high up on the carriage.
Suddenly, a trolley car appears going in the same direction and traveling perhaps 25-30 miles per hour. It becomes a dangerous situation. William Craig, turns slightly and raises his arm in a signal to the trolley driver to stop. It is too late and the trolley hits the rear wheel on the left side and ploughs through to the front wheel of the big, open carriage. One horse is so badly injured that it had to be destroyed. The other three ran for another 30 to 40 yards pulling the overturned carriage along. The President and his other guests were thrown clear of the wreckage. David Pratt, the driver, was critically injured.
William Craig, as he turned to look back at the oncoming trolley, straightened in his seat, held his long arm over the President and uttered “O, My God.” He was thrown directly into the path of the trolley and all eight wheels passed over his body. The President, bleeding from his swollen face and blackened eye, dropped to one knee by Craig’s mangled body. “Too bad, too bad - Poor Craig, how will my children feel.” He would later call William Craig a “faithful friend.”
His brother brought the body back to Chicago and the funeral was held in the chapel of the Boylston Brothers, 4227 Cottage Grove ave. A simple service was conducted by the Reverend William W. Wilson of St. Mark’s Episcopal church. The President sent a large floral piece. The Secret Service office, located in the Rand McNally Building was closed for the day. Burial was in Oakwoods Cemetery. His mother, overcome by grief, was unable to attend. The man whose grave faced a concrete wall with barbed wire along the top would be forgotten.
In 2002, the Secret Service was celebrating 100 years of service and someone must have asked who was the first agent to die in the line of duty. A search of the records showed that it was a Scotsman, William Craig, buried in an obscure part of Oakwoods Cemetery. This giant of a man, a hero in a long-forgotten war, was again remembered as a hero.
On September 3, 2002, the Secret Service paid tribute with a memorial service. Pipers played, dignitaries marched and a new marker detailing his life was installed. Brian L. Stafford, Director of the Secret Service said: “The tradition of excellence that each of our employees strive for today is built on a long history of commitment and selfless acts. William Craig is an important part of that history.”
Some members of the Secret Service have not fared well lately and the image has been tarnished somewhat but there are many serving who, like William Craig, stand ready to give their lives in the defense of their country and its President. We salute them today.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. David has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The Scottish American Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. - Meeting starts at 10 and ends at noon.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
William Craig, Part I
There is so much to tell about William Craig that it will take two blogs to tell his story. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, November 1855. He was fair haired with blue eyes and stood 6 foot four inches and weighted 260 pounds at the time of his death. He was affectingly known as “Big Bill” and was always a favorite with children.
When he was 18, William Craig joined the British army and remained in the army for 12 years. Because of his “magnificent physique and carriage, together with his aptitude” he won a position in the “Royal Horse Guards Blue.” Every man in this regiment was hand picked for this position and trained for two years in drills, practice at arms and horsemanship. This was Queen Victoria’s personal escort and each man was arrayed in a gorgeous uniform. This unit may still be in existence. Perhaps someone can tell me. Maybe we saw them in the recent royal wedding?
William Craig became interested in fencing and soon was good enough too win a tournament that determined who was the best swordsman in the cavalry units. Two years in a row he won the title and was soon made the teacher of fencing, physical exercise and boxing. He would later find this knowledge and ability useful in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1884, Khartoum was surrounded by enemy forces and a relief army was organized in London. Among those chosen to relieve General Gordon were men from the cavalry units. Forty men were chosen, among them was William Craig. They were gone three years crossing the African desert with much suffering. There was a terrible battle at Ahu Klea Wells. The British army fought in what was called the “hollow square” which was always moving forward. Inside the square was the commander, the reserves and the horses and camels. Their square was attacked by 8,000 rebels who believed that they were protected by divine power and that bullets or bayonets would never harm them. As the square moved forward the camels refused to move and in time one portion of the rear wall was broken. As Colonel Barnaby fought to close the breach he was speared to death within ten feet of William Craig. Queen Victoria had two medals struck for the survivors and William Craig was awarded both for bravery. Only five of the 40 returned.
Shortly thereafter he resigned from the army and later came to Chicago arriving in 1893. (I wonder if he came to see the Columbian Exposition?) His mother and sister were already in Chicago and he must have decided to remain and live with them at 4334 Calumet avenue. Two brothers and a sister lived somewhere in Massachusetts.
His first position in Chicago was with the Amour Institute where he served as the athletic director and became well known in athletic circles. Some time later, he moved to the Princeton-Yale school on Drexel Blvd. where he served in the same position. At both schools, he often gave exhibitions as a swordsman and a boxer.
Some of his feats as a swordsman were quite amazing. For instance a lead bar was suspended in the air by a “loop of tissue paper hung over the keen edge of a razor” and one stroke of a heavy sword “severs in twain the lead bar without the strips of paper on the razors being cut or torn in the least.” The sword had a blade of steel, four feet long and three inches wide, weighing nearly five pounds. The same trick was done with a slight twist in which the bar was supported by a glass of water at each end. “The bar is cut without breaking the glasses or spilling the water.”
A person would be invited to hold an apple in the palm of their hand and William Craig would split the apple with no injury to the hand. He also performed this feat with an apple on the back of the neck. At the time, he was considered the best swordsman in America. He also taught fencing and several Chicago women were involved in his classes.
There is little information about his life in Chicago except that he was active in athletic circles. It might be possible that he would have attended the Scottish games sponsored by the Caledonian Club. There is no present evidence of involvement with the St. Andrew’s Society.
On September 22, 1900, he was appointed to the secret service and assigned to Birmingham, Alabama where he stopped a gang of counterfeiters. He was later transferred to Washington, D.C. where he made his greatest sacrifice in protecting the President of the United States.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
wrethford@comcast.net
630-629-4516
When he was 18, William Craig joined the British army and remained in the army for 12 years. Because of his “magnificent physique and carriage, together with his aptitude” he won a position in the “Royal Horse Guards Blue.” Every man in this regiment was hand picked for this position and trained for two years in drills, practice at arms and horsemanship. This was Queen Victoria’s personal escort and each man was arrayed in a gorgeous uniform. This unit may still be in existence. Perhaps someone can tell me. Maybe we saw them in the recent royal wedding?
William Craig became interested in fencing and soon was good enough too win a tournament that determined who was the best swordsman in the cavalry units. Two years in a row he won the title and was soon made the teacher of fencing, physical exercise and boxing. He would later find this knowledge and ability useful in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1884, Khartoum was surrounded by enemy forces and a relief army was organized in London. Among those chosen to relieve General Gordon were men from the cavalry units. Forty men were chosen, among them was William Craig. They were gone three years crossing the African desert with much suffering. There was a terrible battle at Ahu Klea Wells. The British army fought in what was called the “hollow square” which was always moving forward. Inside the square was the commander, the reserves and the horses and camels. Their square was attacked by 8,000 rebels who believed that they were protected by divine power and that bullets or bayonets would never harm them. As the square moved forward the camels refused to move and in time one portion of the rear wall was broken. As Colonel Barnaby fought to close the breach he was speared to death within ten feet of William Craig. Queen Victoria had two medals struck for the survivors and William Craig was awarded both for bravery. Only five of the 40 returned.
Shortly thereafter he resigned from the army and later came to Chicago arriving in 1893. (I wonder if he came to see the Columbian Exposition?) His mother and sister were already in Chicago and he must have decided to remain and live with them at 4334 Calumet avenue. Two brothers and a sister lived somewhere in Massachusetts.
His first position in Chicago was with the Amour Institute where he served as the athletic director and became well known in athletic circles. Some time later, he moved to the Princeton-Yale school on Drexel Blvd. where he served in the same position. At both schools, he often gave exhibitions as a swordsman and a boxer.
Some of his feats as a swordsman were quite amazing. For instance a lead bar was suspended in the air by a “loop of tissue paper hung over the keen edge of a razor” and one stroke of a heavy sword “severs in twain the lead bar without the strips of paper on the razors being cut or torn in the least.” The sword had a blade of steel, four feet long and three inches wide, weighing nearly five pounds. The same trick was done with a slight twist in which the bar was supported by a glass of water at each end. “The bar is cut without breaking the glasses or spilling the water.”
A person would be invited to hold an apple in the palm of their hand and William Craig would split the apple with no injury to the hand. He also performed this feat with an apple on the back of the neck. At the time, he was considered the best swordsman in America. He also taught fencing and several Chicago women were involved in his classes.
There is little information about his life in Chicago except that he was active in athletic circles. It might be possible that he would have attended the Scottish games sponsored by the Caledonian Club. There is no present evidence of involvement with the St. Andrew’s Society.
On September 22, 1900, he was appointed to the secret service and assigned to Birmingham, Alabama where he stopped a gang of counterfeiters. He was later transferred to Washington, D.C. where he made his greatest sacrifice in protecting the President of the United States.
Wayne Rethford, President
Scottish American History Club
wrethford@comcast.net
630-629-4516
June 2, 2012 - Next meeting of the History Club. Our speaker is David Simpson. David has been collecting Scottish coins for 30 years. He is a graduate of Aberdeen University and has researched Scottish coins in the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Aberdeen University. He is a member of the Chicago Coin Club, the Hillside Coin Club and the American Numismatic Association.
The History Club does not meet in July or August and there are no pies for the June meeting just scones and coffee. The scones are pretty good, however, so come and enjoy the presentation.
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