History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

PRELIMINARY HISTORICAL SKETCH.
TIIE first white men who explored this after increasing his army to twonty-two
region of country, were Jesuit Missiona- hundred, by the addition of provincials,
ries from New France -now Canada. he marched to attack Fort Du Quesne,
They visited the southern shores of the where Pittsburgh now stands. Colonel
great northern lakes, for the purpose of George Washington, who was well accommunicating a knowledge of Christi- quainted with the Indian character, acanity to the natives. companied the expedition as a volunteer
James Marquette, a Catholic priest, and aid. General Braddock refused to listen
M. Joliet, a merchant, from Quebec, with to the counsels of Colonel Washington,
two canoes and five men, left Green Bay and the result was the surprise and deand went down the Wisconsin river to feat of his whole army by the French and
the Mississippi, entering the latter stream Indians. The commander was slain in
July 17, 1673. They floated down the this engagement,which took place July 9,
" father of waters," making frequent stop- 1755.
pages among the Indians, and passed be- In 1758, the English government sent
low the mouth of the Ohio. IHere they another army, which was more successfound the savages disposed to be hostile, ful. It took fort Du Quesne, and the
which caused them to return. On ap- war raged until 1763, when the fall of
proaching the mouth of the Illinois, on Quebec left the English victors; and by
their way up, they were told by the abo- the treaty which followed, the whole of
rigines, that if they would follow the New France was ceded to Great Britain.
course of that river, their route to the Previous to the year 1673, this country
lakes would be much shorter. Taking was known only to the aborigines, or
this advice, the party reached Lake Mi- Indians. From the year of its discovery
chigan, at a point near where Chicago by the explorations of Marquette and
now stands. Other Frenchmen came, by Joliet, for more than half a century there
the way of Canada and the lakes, and in was no attempt at organized government.
a few years all this region of country was The first effort was made in 1718, when
considered a part of New France. The the " Company of the West " was formed
French being entitled to it by right of in Paris, for the New World. In that
discovery, their possession was undispu- year the building of Fort De Chartres
ted for about ninety years. was commenced, and when completed
Difficulties arising between France and was occupied as the military headquarEngland, at home, the British government ters of the French. It was about sixteen
sent an army of one thousand regular miles above Kaskaskia, in the Almerican
troops, under General Braddock, to make bottom, three miles from the bluff, and
war against the French and their native three-fourths of a mile from the river.
allies in the new world. General Brad- At the time New France was ceded to
dock landed at Alexandria, Virginia, and England, in 1763, Fort De Chartres w;ts