OLD BURIAL VAULT OF THE WHITESIDES AT "WHITESIDE STATION" HOUSE ON THE PLANTATION, NEAR MARSHALL, TEXAS, WHERE MRS. MOORE WAS BORN (AS IT LOOKS NOW).

In "Transition in Illinois from British to American Government," Schuyler (1909), statement is made that Linn and Moore were Clarke soldiers. I think that author makes it clear that Moore's party were the first Americans.

"Historic Illinois," Parrish (1906), notes Enoch Moore as first American child born there, and says Moore was leader of party "believed to compose earliest American settlers."

An objector may say that Moses proves too much. Well, I do not claim positively that James Moore was a Clarke soldier, though he may have been so, and there is more reason to believe he was than not. The weight of authority supports that he was. Although not the Samuel Moore sent forward, it may be Clarke sent forward James Moore also, as claimed by Moses.

In No. 31 of "Fergus Historical Series" there is an article by Edward G. Mason, entitled, "Lists of Early Illinois Citizens," compiled from archives of Chicago Historical Society. These lists of heads of families and militiamen were compiled from applications to secure the benefit of legislation granting lands to soldiers and heads of families settled on or before 1783. I will refer to these lists again, but speak of them now to the point that in the Kaskaskia list of professed Virginians settled in the Illinois country before 1783 appears "James Moore," with a note by Mr. Mason, a reliable investigator, that James Moore was a Clarke soldier. Biggs also appears in the lists. He was a soldier anyway. The

point now is that he was the first settler, and Clarke soldier or not has no necessary bearing.

"Annals of the West," 2nd edition, J. M.' Peck, 1850, speaking of first settlement in Illinois, says:

"The first settlement formed by emigrants from the United States was made near Belle Fontaine, Monroe County, in 1781, by James Moore, whose numerous descendants now reside in the same settlement. Mr. Moore was a native of Maryland, but came to Illinois from West Virginia with his family in company with James Garrison, Robert Kidd, Shadrach Bond and Larkin Rutherford. . . . Mr. Moore and a portion of his party planted themselves on the hills near Belle Fontaine, and Garrison, Bond and the rest in the American Bottom. This station became afterwards known as the Blockhouse Fort."

Peck indicates the earliest settlement was in Monroe County; gives list of heads of families coming before 1788 and land rights, including James Moore and Biggs, and tells of the killing of John Moore, and relates much of the Whitesides in Indian fights, saying the name "inspired fear in the Kickapoos."

See also Butler's "History of Kentucky."

Davidson and Stuvé say the first settlers were in 1780 under James Moore as leader, Moore settling at Belle Fontaine and the others in the American Bottom, which thus got the name.

There is no one to contest for the honor of "first settler" but a man named Hull. Moses, speaking of Clarke and Hull being in that country, says that when Clarke went there, there were no inhabitants but French, and adds that "doubtless some of Clarke's army remained." He says that "aside from those,"

Nathaniel Hull, of Massachusetts, appears to have been the first immigrant, settling on the Ohio River at (now) Golconda, and from there laying out a road to Kaskaskia and "went along it" to the American Bottom. Moses gives no date as to when Hull traveled to the American Bottom. He thought James Moore was a Clarke soldier remaining in the country. He had said ante, that Moore was leader of the "advance guard," and in giving credit to Hull, he having spoken of Moore et als., gives credit to Hull as first "aside from those."

Moses, I think, took his statement about Hull from Reynolds. Peck's "Annals," I think, makes no mention of Hull as of date earlier than 1791.

"Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois," Bateman and Selby (1909), I think mentions Hull not at all. Nor does Brink's "Atlas History," nor does any other writer, so far as I have seen, mention Hull, save Reynolds (who says Hull came to the Illinois country about 1780, first settling at Ford's Ferry on the Ohio and crossing thence to Kaskaskia); and the list of settlers "on and before 1783" set forth in Mason's article in Fergus. We have already seen that there is some uncertainty as to whether James Moore came in 1780 or 1781. Reynolds gives it as 1781, but I note that Hon. Joseph Gillespie, speaking at Belleville, Illinois, at a Moore reunion in 1882, in reference to the Reynolds statement of 1781, said, "He is probably mistaken a year in his dates." However, Reynolds did not speak of Hull's coming with even attempted accuracy. He says he came "about" 1780.