James W. Stephenson (1806–August 1838) was an American

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

officer and politician from the state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. He was born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

but spent most of his youth in

Edwardsville, Illinois Edwardsville is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Illinois, and is a suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,808. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois Territory. ...

. In 1825 he was indicted for the murder of a family acquaintance, but never went to trial. Upon the outbreak of the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

in 1832, Stephenson raised a company and saw combat, suffering severe wounds at the

Battle of Waddams Grove The Battle of Waddams Grove, also known as the Battle of Yellow Creek was part of the Black Hawk War. It took place in present-day Stephenson County, Illinois on June 18, 1832. After several incidents of Sauk Indian raids on settlers along the ...

. After the war ended Stephenson entered public life, and served as a member of the

Illinois State Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

in 1834. In December 1837 Stephenson was nominated as the Democratic candidate for

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

. Within six months of his nomination, accusations of embezzlement were leveled against him, and he was forced to withdraw from the election. In August 1838, Stephenson died at home of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

Early life

James W. Stephenson was born in

in 1806, the oldest son of Benjamin Stephenson and his wife, Lucy, and was named in honor of his grandfather and uncle. The Stephenson family came to Edwardsville from

Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were one of the indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. They were one of about a dozen cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation, also called the Illinois Confederation. Their longstanding homeland was in ...

in 1816, and in 1820 the family moved into the

Benjamin Stephenson House The Benjamin Stephenson House is a Federal style home built in 1820 in the city of Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The house was constructed by prominent Edwardsville citizen and Illinois politician Benjamin Stephenson. He died shortly a ...

in Edwardsville.Henry.
Inside the Stephenson House - July 8, 2002
. ''Henry's Newsletter'', no. 11. ''Friends of Col. Benjamin Stephenson House''. Retrieved August 15, 2007.Henry.
Inside the Stephenson House - May 22, 2002
". ''Henry's Newsletter'', no. 11. ''Friends of Col. Benjamin Stephenson House''. Retrieved August 15, 2007. On January 29, 1825, while at the Wiggins Hotel in lower town, area resident Daniel D. Smith was stabbed to death following an argument with James Stephenson, James Henry and Palemon Winchester. Smith was stabbed in the neck; as those present attended to him, he uttered "Winchester" and died.Belschner, Julie.

" ''Edwardsville Journal'', (

), October 23, 2003. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Reports in Edwardsville's ''The Spectator'' indicated that Smith was "killed in an affray" at the Stephenson House. James W. Stephenson, James D. Henry and Palemon Winchester were indicted for Smith's murder. All three men were charged with the crime, though only Stephenson and Henry were released on

bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Chemical bond, the attraction of atoms, ions or molecules to form chemica ...

Winchester was the only defendant to face trial on the charges. Winchester's lawyer argued that Smith was guilty of verbal assault against the defendant, and Winchester was found not guilty. The verdict was reported in ''The Spectator'' on March 22, 1825.Henry.
Inside the Stephenson House - November 14, 2002
. ''Henry's Newsletter'', no. 23, ''Friends of Col. Benjamin Stephenson House''. Retrieved August 15, 2007. In 1828 Stephenson left Edwardsville, and moved to Galena in

Jo Daviess County Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 22,678. Its county seat is Galena. Jo Daviess County is part of the Tri-State Area and is located near D ...

where he made his home for much of the rest of his life.

Military service

Background

As a consequence of an 1804 treaty between the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a congressional act that President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, ...

and a group of Sauk and

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

leaders regarding land settlement, the tribes vacated their lands in

and moved west of the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

in 1828. However, Sauk leader Black Hawk and others disputed the treaty, claiming that the full tribal councils had not been consulted, nor did those representing the tribes have authorization to cede lands. Angered by the loss of his birthplace, between 1830–31 Black Hawk led a number of incursions across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

into Illinois, but was persuaded to return west each time without bloodshed. In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and the British, he again moved his so-called " British Band" of around 1,000 warriors and non-combatants into Illinois.Lewis, James.
The Black Hawk War of 1832
," Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project, ''Northern Illinois University''. Retrieved August 1, 2007. Finding no allies, he attempted to return to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, but the undisciplined Illinois militia's actions led to the

Battle of Stillman's Run The Battle of Stillman's Run, also known as the Battle of Sycamore Creek or the Battle of Old Man's Creek, occurred in Illinois on May 14, 1832. The battle was named for the panicked retreat by Major Isaiah Stillman and his detachment of 275 I ...

.May 14: Black Hawk's Victory at the Battle of Stillman's Run
" Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, ''Wisconsin Historical Society''. Retrieved August 6, 2007. A number of other engagements followed, and the militias of Michigan Territory and Illinois were mobilized to hunt down Black Hawk's Band. The conflict became known as the

Black Hawk War

As an officer in the

Illinois militia In the United States, state defense forces are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state government. State defense forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state. ...

James W. Stephenson served in a combat command capacity during the war. He first raised a company of 134 men in the early stages of the war as a captain, later, he was elected major and his company was taken over by Captain Enoch Duncan.Armstrong, Perry A.
The Sauks and the Black Hawk War
'. H. W. Rokker: 1887, p. 494. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Stephenson's company was mustered into service in May and was released on September 14, 1832. Stephenson fought in battles during the war as well as playing a role in the prelude and aftermath of some of the fighting. At the June 18, 1832

Stephenson led a dozen men against an unknown number of hostile Sauk. The battle, which descended into a hand-to-hand fight, resulted in three of Stephenson's men being killed. Stephenson was shot and severely wounded in the encounter.Trask, pp. 220-221.Carter, Greg. , May 2004, ''Old Lead Historical Society''. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Though Waddams Grove did little to put an end to Sauk raids in the region, it did help bolster public confidence in the militia.James Stephenson Describes the Battle at Yellow Creek
Historic Diaries: The Black Hawk War, ''Wisconsin Historical Society''. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Less than two weeks later, Stephenson was involved in the aftermath of the raid at Sinsinawa Mound, in present-day

Grant County, Wisconsin Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,938. Its county seat is Lancaster. The county is named after the Grant River, in turn named after a fur trader who lived in the area ...

. When news of the attack at Sinsinawa Mound reached Galena, Captain Stephenson set out with 30 soldiers to pursue the raiders.
Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin
'. State Historical Society of Wisconsin: 1908, p. 280. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Once at Sinsinawa, they buried the "most shockingly mutilated" dead at the mound; both of the men killed, John Thompson and John Boxley, had been scalped, and Thompson's heart was missing.Trask, p. 223. Stephenson followed the Sauk trail to the

and stopped, the raiders having apparently crossed the river. Stephenson's party returned to Galena without finding the group responsible for the attack.Braun, Robert A. , September 2001, ''Old Lead Historical Society'', p. 2. Retrieved August 15, 2007. In the week preceding another of the war's major turning points, the June 16 Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Stephenson helped Colonel

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was a Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son, Augustus C. Dodge, served a ...

and his men bury the victims of the

St. Vrain massacre The St. Vrain massacre was an incident in the Black Hawk War. It occurred near present-day Pearl City, Illinois, in Kellogg's Grove, on May 24, 1832. The massacre was most likely committed by Ho-Chunk warriors who were unaffiliated with Black ...

. Stephenson continued on to Galena after assisting in this task and did not accompany Dodge to Horseshoe Bend.Stevens, Frank.
The Black Hawk War
'', Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project, ''Northern Illinois University''. Originally published: 1903, Section 181-182, Chapter XXV, Battle of Pecatonica. Retrieved August 14, 2007.

Political career

Stephenson was well-connected, and received letters from prominent people, including Jefferson Davis in 1834. That same year, Stephenson was elected to his first public office, the

, after which he sought an appointment to the

Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department o ...

in Galena. From December 1834 until April 1835 Stephenson was absent from Galena. He spent time in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, where he married Ellen Kyle in December, then traveled on to Edwardsville and Vandalia, Illinois; the couple eventually had two children. In April 1835 the couple returned to Galena where James took office as Register of Lands at Galena and Chicago, and they lived an elegant lifestyle. In December 1837, at the first "regularly constituted" Illinois state Democratic convention in Vandalia, James W. Stephenson was nominated as the party's candidate for

governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

.Sheahan, James Washington.
The Life of Stephen A. Douglas
'. Harper & Brothers: 1860, p. 38. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Within six months of his nomination, Stephenson was caught in a funds

embezzling Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

scandal, surrounding his time as Register of Lands, and forced to withdraw from the election. The Democrats reconvened their convention on June 6, 1838 and nominated

Thomas Carlin Thomas Carlin (July 18, 1789 – February 14, 1852), a farmer, soldier and Jacksonian Democrat, was the seventh Governor of Illinois (from 1838 to 1842) and also served in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly. He became the first Democ ...

, a "most unexceptionable man" who had a reputation for being honest.Moses, John.
Illinois, Historical and Statistical
'. Fergus Printing Company: 1889, p. 424. Retrieved August 15, 2007. Simon, Paul.
Lincoln's Preparation for Greatness: The Illinois Legislative Years
'. University of Illinois Press: 1989, p. 152, (). Retrieved August 15, 2007. Older accounts of Stephenson's withdrawal from the race give differing reasons for his departure. Former Democratic Illinois Governor Thomas Ford's 1854 ''A History of Illinois'' stated that Stephenson's reason for withdrawing from the election was "on account of sickness." Ford, Thomas.
A History of Illinois: From Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847
'. Moore, Anderson & Co: 1854, p. 203. Retrieved August 15, 2007. James Washington Sheahan wrote in his 1860 biography of

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

that Stephenson's early exit from the election was due to being "charged with being a defaulter." John Moses' 1,316-page work, ''Illinois, Historical and Statistical'' (1889), characterized the accusations against Stephenson as "serious charges."

Death

Less than a week after Carlin was elected governor of Illinois, Stephenson died of

in August 1838. He died at his home in Galena, at the age of 32. He was buried the day of his death with

military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

and left behind his wife, Ellen, and two children Lucy and Kyle.

Notes

References

* Trask, Kerry A.
Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America
' (Henry Holt: 2006, (). {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, James W. 1806 births 1838 deaths Democratic Party Illinois state senators American militia officers American people of the Black Hawk War People from Galena, Illinois People from Edwardsville, Illinois 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Illinois 19th-century American politicians Military personnel from Illinois