HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
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the transport St. Louis, it arrived off Ponce on the night of July 31st. August 3d it effected a landing at Arroya, and the colors of the Third Illinois were raised above the custom house. Guayama was captured August 9th. On August 13th, while in line of battle on the main road leading to Cayey, before extended in-trenchments of the enemy mounting twelve or more pieces of heavy ordnance, and momentarily expecting a severe engagement, General Brooke commanding the column, received dispatches from General Miles announcing the termination of the war. Our boys occupied various positions upon the island until November 2d, when they finally broke camp and marched aboard the transport Roumariia, and the next morning sailed for the United States. They reached New York on November 9th, and arrived at home about the 12th. Each member at his home, they were held on waiting orders for sixty days, and then mustered out of the United States service.
Major George D. Sherman, of the gallant old Thirty-sixth, was commissioned Major and served as Paymaster in the Spanish-American War. It is said that Kane County furnished more men for this war, in proportion to her population, than any other county in the Union; and computation will show that, if each county of this State had furnished an equal number, Illinois alone would have marshalled over 30,-000 men-nearly one-fourth the entire call.
So, in every military emergency the people of Kane County have nobly demonstrated their patriotic devotion; and in manly strength and vigor, mental attainment and high moral character, the volunteers who have gone forth from her homes have been surpassed by none. For brave, resourceful, soldierly qualities, others, doubtless, were their equals, but none were their superior. In peace and in war, her people have ever heeded the cry of distress and hastened generous assistance. In time of sore need, Ireland stretched over the sea her famished hand, and one little city of the county instantly contributed over eighty pounds sterling to purchase food for the hungry. Fire swept the fair city of the lakes from existence in one vast holocaust of flame, and at. once her hospitable doors opened wide with generous welcome to hundreds of homeless refugees, and from every avenue of ample supply, poured bounteous streams of benefaction to meet the requirements of every human need. Anticipating any uttered request, before the flames had swept their awful course, the people of Kane County were gathering supplies for the distressed, and car-loads by the score were hurried to the stricken city. When the shuddering earthquake wrought devastation and ruin in the historic city of the Palmetto State, within forty-eight hours the people of one small municipality telegraphed over five hundred dollars of collected relief. And again, when the devastating flood engulfed the city of Johnstown, measures of relief were instantly taken throughout the county.
Upon all questions affecting the public weal, such has ever been the characteristic attitude of the people of this county, settled so recently by brave, intelligent pioneers cherishing high ideals of Christian loyalty and duty. Their descendants and successors have continued steadfastly along the same lines of thought and action, and by the practice of industry, virtue, wisdom and loyalty, have kept the city, township and county of their happy homes fully abreast of all the progressive movements of our proud State and Nation.
SOLDIERS' MONUMENTS.
The statutes of Illinois confer upon Boards of Supervisors of the various counties authority to appropriate public money for the erection of appropriate monuments at the respective county-seats in honor of the volunteer soldiers of such counties; and this has been admirably done in many counties of our patriotic State, but not in Kane. The careful observer, however, will note that these monuments have usually been erected where the county-seat was the most populous and influential city of the county. Such is not the condition in Kane County, and the greatly preponderating influence of the river cities and villages near the opposite boundaries of the county, renders such action in the near future quite improbable.
But not in one generation is such heroism and sacrifice as that displayed by the men and women of 1861-65 forgotten; and the day may not be distant when the descendants of those men and women will, in some proper manner, testify by a county memorial their deep appreciation of the deathless loyalty which saved the Nation from dismemberment. An imposing monumental shaft, rising from the high land once occupied by the historic Kane County Agricultural Society, overlooking Geneva and vis-
