HOW THE FORT AND CITY WERE BEGUN AND WHO WERE THE BEGINNERS

Chapter I. The Dark Before the Dawn.—The French period reluctantly passed over; Chicago reappears in 1778, after 100 years of oblivion; J. B. Pointe de Saible; 53:—Various spellings of Chicago; meaning of the word; 54:—Treaty of 1795; building of the "Old Kinzie House" in 1778; 55:—Who was here then? Astor fortunes; 56:—50,000 square miles of solitude; Gurdon Hubbard's observations in 1816; Ouillemette, now Wilmette; Gen. Dearborn orders the fort built; 57:—John Whistler's company of the First Infantry comes in 1804 and builds it; John Whistler; 58:—The schooner Tracy arrives, the "big canoe with wings;" the account given, in 1875, by Mrs. Whistler; the pioneer, John Kinzie, arrives in 1804; 60:—State of things for the next eight years; 61:—Charles Jouett; 62:—Joe Battles and Alexander Robinson; the Indians and Indian traders; whisky; Munsell's History of Chicago; 63.

Chapter II. Building of the First Fort Dearborn.—William Wells is here in 1803; 65:—Signs an Indian trader's license as Governor Harrison's agent; Captain Anderson comes down from "Mill-wack-ie" in 1804; what the fort was like; 66:—Agency House; 67:—How the Chicagoans passed their time; War Department records of Fort Dearborn, furnished in 1881 by Secretary-of-War Lincoln to John Wentworth; 68:—In 1811 Captain Nathan Heald marries Rebekah Wells; wild wedding journey; 69: —Gay winter for the bride; John Kinzie kills John Lalime in self-defence; 70:—Double murder by Indians at Lee's place (Hardscrabble), on the South Branch; 71:—Graphic narrative in Wau-Bun; 72:—Man and boy escape and spread the alarm; 74:—Captain Heald tells the story; Indian traits; 75. Chapter III. English and Indian Savages.—Capt. Heald is inclined to charge the Hardscrabble massacre to the Winnebagoes; British alliance with Indians characterized; 77:—Its unsoldierly results; ruin of brave General Hull; 78:—Shame to Lord Liverpool's government; "Suppose Russia should instigate a Sepoy rebellion;" wild alarm follows the Lee murders, 79:—Munsell's history of it; war declared; 80:—Hull sends Winnemeg with orders to Heald to evacuate Fort Dearborn and fall back on Detroit, Mackinaw had already been taken; wording of Hull's order differently given by Captain Heald and Mrs. Helm; 81:—The latter finds fault with the former; alleges want of harmony in the fort; 82: —Mrs. Heald denies this, alleging that Ronan thought highly of his captain; the stammering soldier; 83:—comparative authenticity of the two narratives; how the Heald story comes to be told now for the first time; 84.

Chapter IV. A Long Farewell.—Departure not favored by sub-officers; soldier suggests "jerked beef;" 85:—Heald's letter of Nov. 7, 1812, regarding the withdrawal; Wau-Bun to the contrary; alleged disorder; 86:—Captain Heald's traits; 87:—Heald and Kinzie have a pow-wow with the Indians; consult between themselves; agree to distribute goods, but destroy arms and whisky; Kinzie's liquors; plan carried out; 88:—William Wells to the rescue; scene of his arrival; 89:—Baseless hopes aroused; Black Partridge gives up his medal; 90:—This meant war; then what should have been done? 92:—Mrs. Heald's story of the preparations; 93: —Surroundings then and now; 94-96:—Saturday having been already described, the story skips from Friday to Sunday; 96.

Chapter V. Fate of the Fugitives.—Every word treasured; 97: —Heald's escape while wounded are being tortured; incidents of canoe-travel; omission of record of halt on the St. Joseph's; kindness of commandant at Mackinaw; 98;—Push on to Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburg, and so on home, to Louisville, meeting with Mrs. Heald's father; unfortunate loss of her written story; 99: —Wau-Bun story; Sergeant Griffith and To-pee-nee-be; Kinzies are taken to Chief Robinson at St Joseph's, and later to Detroit; John Kinzie tries to save his property; 100:—Friendly Indians helped by Thomas Forsyth to rescue Lieut. Helm and send him to Detroit; sent on as prisoners to Fort George, Niagara; incivility atoned for by Col. Sheaffe; the Helms reach their home and friends; 102:—Mrs. Helm's remarks about Captain Heald; prisoners and citizens, scattered among the Indians, are alleged to be generally ransomed; 103:—Fate of Mrs. Burns and baby; child seen in after years by Mrs. Kinzie; fate of the Lee family; Black Partridge wants to marry the widow; the young raccoon; 104:—Madame du Pin; Nau-non-gee and Sergeant Hays kill each other; 106.

Chapter VI. John Kinzie's Captivity.—America never a mititary nation; gloomy opening of 1813; early losses and later gains; 107:—Prisoners ransomed in Detroit; Kinzies try to help the helpless; 108:—John Kinzie suspected of spying; repeatedly arrested by the English and released by the Indians; ironed and imprisoned; 109:—Catches a glimpse of Perry's victory on Lake Erie; sent on to Quebec; 110:—Strange release; returns to Detroit, where, with Kee-po-tah, he welcomes Gen. Harrison; 112.

Chapter VII. Contemporaneous Reports.—Progress of the press since 1812; Niles' Weekly Register our main authority; 113: —First published statement of the massacre; the schooner Queen Charlotte; 114:—Absurd story regarding Mrs. Helm; 115: —Still more absurd story, signed Walter Jordan; 116:—Possible leaven of truth; 117:—Nine survivors reported arrived at Plattsburgh from Quebec; 118:—Familiar names; harrowing tales they told; 119:—Pitiable fate of Mrs. Neads and her child, Kinzie family return to Chicago, where the bones of the massacre victims are buried by the soldiers sent to build the new fort; 120:—Letter from Fernando Jones; 121:—Solution of the Indian problem treated; 122:—Present condition of the Pottowatomies; 123:—Wonderful progress in five generations; speculations concerning the renewed interest in these old tales; 124:—Sculptured mementoes of the past slowly being provided by public-spirited citizens; Lambert Tree, Martin Ryerson and EH Bates; George M. Pullman's splendid bronze group of the massacre; 126:—Eugene Hall's verses at the unveiling of the Block-house Tablet in 1881.