The Little Bible

I have often said, that if each of Morrison’s Heritage Museum’s 15,000 items could tell its story, what a book it would make! There is one item which, if it could talk, would make a book in itself. That is the “little Bible.”

Last year, while the Historical Society board members were cataloguing the entire inventory of the museum, we came across this little, very old-looking Bible. It was published in 1829. Barely visible was this somber notation written inside the cover: “This was found in the room where 14 people were killed in the Ottawa Indian massacre.”

We had no record of where the Bible came from. I did some research on the massacre; the names of those involved are familiar to this area. I couldn’t tie them directly to Morrison, but if you can, let me know.

Recently I came across this story in the January 28, 1886, issue of the Sentinel. “Mrs. John Bickert of this city has donated to the public reading room of this place a bible published in 1829, which is besmeared with blood spots from lid to lid, the book being taken from a room where the dead and bloody bodies of fourteen persons were found during the massacre by Indians at Ottawa, Ill.”

The Bickert family was well known in Morrison, but I haven’t been able to find out how Mrs. Bickert took possession of the Bible. Can you add details to this mystery story?

Here is a summary of the story of the massacre. It began May 21, 1832. Mr. and Mrs. William Davis and four of their children, Mr. and Mrs. John Hall and one of their daughters, Mr. and Mrs. William Pettigrew and two of their children, Henry George, and William Robert Norris were killed in a slaughter that took about ten minutes to accomplish. This massacre took place in a cabin near what is now the town of Shabbona. Next in the cast of characters is William Davis. As one story told it, he did not like “Injuns” and did not fear them. He also had quite a temper. A related character is a young Potawatomi named Keewasee whose family lived upstream from Davis. Davis had built a dam on Indian Creek which cut off the supply of fish for Keewasee’s family, who were already short of food.

In April of 1832, Keewasee talked to Davis about the problem but was turned away. When Davis later caught him trying to tear down the dam, he beat Keewasee badly with a hickory stick. Davis later tried to smooth things over by presenting Keewasee with gifts, but the Indian’s feelings were hurt more than his body.

Meanwhile, Chief Black Hawk had crossed the Mississippi River and was threatening war in the area. Shabbona tried to warn his white friends that they might be in danger and that they should leave for a safer place.

Davis ignored the advice and recruited his neighbors, the Hall and Pettigrew families, to come to his homestead where they would be safer in numbers. Keewasee, meanwhile, decide to recruit a number of young warriors who were unhappy with the white settlers, to help him in his revenge against Davis. He thought Black Hawk would probably approve of this. In the end, Black Hawk did not.

May 21, 1832, was a Sunday. That afternoon, men were working in the fields, and the women and children were near the house. At about 4:30 the warriors appeared. Davis and the men could not reach the house and were killed in the yard. The women and the children were killed inside the house. It was all over in a few, dreadful minutes. Fourteen people were killed. Seven-year-old James Davis was captured, but couldn’t keep up, and he was killed. He made the fifteenth victim. Two of the Davis daughters were also captured, but were later released.

The little Bible must have seen it all. Who picked up this “silent witness” after the murders on that horrible spring morning? Who were the Bible’s caretakers over the years? Who wrote the cryptic message inside the book’s cover?

This Bible and other interesting Bibles are on display at the Morrison’s Heritage Museum. You are invited to stop by any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday afternoon between 1:00 and 4:00 to see them and the rest of our interesting displays. Who knows what story they will share with you?

(by Orville Goodenough, Guest Columnist)