For the Record: newsletter of the Illinois State Archives, & the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board, Secretary of State & State Archivist

              The Archives staff uncovered two remarkable findings while
processing an accession from Madison County: Circuit Court
Criminal Case Files, 1814-1922, 5 cu. ft. The first discovery
was a criminal indictment against Maj. Zachariah Taylor of St.
Louis — who went on to become our 12th president — for
assault and battery. The second finding was an embossed
impression of the official Illinois state seal dated Nov. 18,
1819 — the oldest embossed state seal on record.
Indictment of Major Zachariah Taylor
Madison County encompassed the northern three quarters of
the geographical Illinois Territory when the Court of Common
Pleas indicted Maj. Zachariah Taylor in Edwardsville in
October 1814. Maj. Taylor of the U.S. Army had been
stationed at St. Louis in April 1814 and had assumed second
in command. During the course of the War of 1812, St. Louis
and its surrounding countryside were vulnerable to attacks
from native Indians allied with Great Britain. On Aug.
22, 1814, Taylor led an expedition of 300 Illinois
militia and 40 army regulars up the Mississippi
River from St. Louis to destroy the crops of
hostile Indians and to establish a fort at the
confluence of the Mississippi and Des
Moines Rivers. They reached the mouth of
the Rock River, near present day Rock
Island, on Sept. 4, and settled on one of
several islands in midstream. Before dawn
the next day, the troops were attacked by some
1,000 Sauk Indians as well as more than 30 British
regulars. Outnumbered nearly 3 to 1, Taylor and his
forces withdrew down river.
On Sept. 29, 1814, Maj. Taylor was placed in Madison County
where he was accused of beating Simon Bartrane so severely
“that his life was greatly dispaired of.” The connection this
incident had to do with the battle near Rock Island is unclear;
however, British war correspondence indicates that a “French
gentleman from St. Louis” had warned the Sauk Indians of
American intentions to advance to the vicinity of Rock Island.
Taylor eventually altered the spelling of his name to Zachary.
“Old Rough and Ready” was a hero of the later Mexican War,
and as a Whig he was selected as our nation’s 12th president
in a close 1848 election. He died in office early in July 1850 in
the midst of the battle over the great compromise of that year.
The 1814 assault indictment was unknown to Taylor scholars
until now.
Illinois State Seal
The second important finding in the Madison County court
files was the earliest-known embossed seal of the state of
Illinois. The impression appears on a commutation of a
fine imposed on Joshua Atwater of Edwardsville for
keeping a disorderly house. The Madison County
Circuit Court had levied a $100 fine, but on Nov.
18, 1819, Governor Shadrach Bond issued a
commutation, reducing the fine to $8.
On Feb. 19, 1819, two months after Illinois
became a state, the General Assembly passed
a law requiring the Secretary of State to procure
a permanent state seal. That fall, gunsmith Philip
Creamer was paid $85 for manufacturing this device.
Prior to this discovery, the earliest-known imprint of the first
state seal was found on a Sept. 4, 1820, Governor’s
proclamation that divided the state into three electoral
districts.
For the
Winter 2003
Newsletter
of the
Illinois
State
Archives
&
The Illinois
State Historical
Records
Advisory Board
Jesse White
Secretary of State
&
State Archivist
Volume 17
Number 1
www.cyberdriveillinois.com
Two interesting discoveries made in Madison County court documents
This issue of For the Record highlights the significant role the joint Illinois State Archives Advisory
Board/Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board plays in promoting excellence in historical
records. I salute the efforts of these mostly volunteer board members, whose work plays a critical
role in the preservation and accessibility of historical documents statewide.
Also included are State Archives acquisitions for 2002, an electronic records initiative regarding the
State Records Act, and some interesting historical discoveries uncovered in recently acquired Madison County court files.
As always, my office welcomes your input regarding this publication. Please direct any comments or suggestions to the
Illinois State Archives, Norton Building, Springfield IL 62756, 217-782-3674.
Jesse White
Secretary of State & State Archivist
Secretary of State Jesse White