Individual Details

This man was born in Jackson County, Georgia in 1802 and moved west to Madison County, Illinois with the family in the same year. After his family's move from Madison County, Illinois, James Lane apparently lived for a time in Bond County, Illinois. He married there to Phereby Hufner of Kentucky on 29 March 1821. Phereby is sometimes erroneously given on rolls as Phoebe.

James was involved in the Black Hawk War and the Winnebago Indian disturbance in the Northwestern corner of Illinois. He is listed as a 4th Sergeant in Captain James Strode's company of Galena Mounted Volunteers, under Henry Dodge, in the 1827 Indian trouble near Galena and on "the Ouisconsin". The muster says he was mustered into service by the Committee of Safety of Galena in August and was out of the service in September.

James was living in Jo Davies County, Illinois, in 1830. He was in Captain Duncan's Company of Mounted Riflemen, Illinois Volunteers, under the general command of Colonel Henry Dodge in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Apparently he carried the rank of First Lieutenant until Duncan was taken ill and then Kirkpatrick succeeded to the Captaincy, but only on an acting basis. In his bounty land warrant applications there is an oath that he took as an officer which is signed by him. The wording includes a ban on "sending or accepting a challenge to fight a duel", or "in any other manner in violation of the act to suppress dueling." The paper is signed 26 June 1832. He became an officer of the 27th Regiment.

In August, Duncan became disabled and Kirkpatrick took over command of the company. He was ordered to move some government cattle from Apple River across the Fever River to Galena. In the stream he was hit by the surging cattle and injured. He resigned from the regiment in August though his name seems to be carried through to the September muster out. James M. Strode, signing as late acting colonel of the 27th Regiment of Illinois Militia, includes a statement confirming Kirkpatrick's injuries: "injured and disabled, as I then understood and verily believe, in the hip and loin by the said cattle swimming against him in said Fever River, causing as I believe, a permanent injury and disability by the bruises and contusions on his said hip, loin, and I believe his back." Strode's statement was made in 1848.

After the events of the Black Hawk War, James Lane Kirkpatrick removed to the community of Bellevue in Jackson County, Iowa. He is generally conceded to be one of the first settlers of this Mississippi River town, having arrived probably in 1838 with his brother, the Reverend Joseph Scott Kirkpatrick. James quickly became one of the leaders of the little frontier town. In 1840 he was County Attorney. In 1846, he was elected one of the Jackson County Commissioners. From 1842 to 1848 he was one of the Town Trustees of Bellevue, and in 1846 he was elected president of the Trustees, in which capacity he served until 1848.

James was one of the leaders in the Bellevue War which took place in April of 1840. The Bellevue War is a classic story of frontier justice in action. The upper Mississippi Valley had been plagued for some time by a gang of thieves and murderers who had become increasingly arrogant as it became clear that the legally constituted authorities of the area were unable to cope with them. The citizens of Bellevue and Jackson County had become convinced that the ringleader was a man named W. W. Brown, who ran a hotel in Bellevue. In March of 1840, a group of citizens met secretly to decide what to do about the outrages being committed with apparent impunity in their midst. From this meeting came a document which has become known to history as "The Cox Agreement".

"Bellevue, March 9th 1840
"Whereas the town of Bellevue is infesteed with a Clan of Thieves and Counterfeiters, whose depredations have become so outrageous that lives and property of all men are unsafe, and,

"Whereas, they have become so numerous that they openly defy the law to be enforced against them and in all cases, even counteract the administration of the Law and by that means acquire a legal title to the property and substance of all honest men whom they can provoke to a suit at law with them, which grievances have become so bold and frequent that it is beyond forbearance.

"We, therefore, whose names are hereunto attached, in order to secure to the inhabitants of the Town of Bellevue and the County generally, safety for their property and lives, do hereby pledge ourselves each to the other and to the people, to expel from the Town of Bellevue W.W. Brown (who is known to be the leader of the band) together with all others of like character and occupation, and to effect the same we will adopt and prosecute such means as may be thought advisable by a majority of those who belong to, or may join us, and to support the foregoing Resolution we mutually pledge our property, our lives and our sacred word and honor:"

This document was signed by twenty-five citizens, including James Kirkpatrick.

The course of action determined by the conspirators was to organize a large enough posse to be able, by the threat of violence, to force Brown and his cohorts to leave town. On the appointed day, the posse, composed of citizens of Bellevue and other nearby communities gathered in Bellevue. Whether the Brown Gang suspected anything was happening is not known, but most of the gang gathered at the Brown Hotel at the same time. The posse marched in a body down the main street of the little town to the Brown Hotel and demanded that Brown come out. The intent was to give him an ultimatum.

However, when Brown came out the front door of the hotel to talk, a shot rang out. No one knows who fired that first shot, whether it was an overeager member of the posse or a member of the gang. In any case, both sides immediately opened fire, and Brown fell mortally wounded. The battle continued for some time. A portion of the posse, including James, stormed the hotel, but were unable to drive the gang from the hotel. So they set fire to it, thus literally smoking the gang members out. In the open, most of them were quickly captured, although a few escaped. When the shooting stopped at least a dozen men were dead and many more wounded. Among the dead were four members of the posse.

The question now was, what to do with the prisoners? Apparently the conspirators had not given much thought or consideration to this possibility. Accordingly, eleven of the leading men of Bellevue gathered at James Kirkpatrick's house to determine what to do next. They first elected James as president of this Kangaroo Court, then proceeded to discuss their options. Some wanted to hold the prisoners for the legal authorities. It was protested that this was impractical, since they had no jail to hold the men in. After discussion, two different plans were favored. One faction wanted to hang them immediately. The other faction wanted to whip them and set them adrift in boats on the Mississippi with three days provisions and no paddles. A vote was taken using beans deposited in a container (white beans for hanging, red beans for whipping) The vote narrowly favored whipping, and this course was followed.

James is reported to have run a hotel in Bellevue himself in 1838. If this is true, he apparently soon gave it up. James seems to have settled in as a grocer.

He wrote a will dated 20 June 1856 which is on file in Jackson County, Iowa. Named as his heirs are his wife Phereby (given as Feraby) and two daughters, Eudora Anna and Clarissa F. His witnesses are I. M. Brakey, John T. Kirkpatrick and Sylvester Farrell. The will was admitted to probate in January 1859. We are not certain of his death date, nor that of his wife.

The following list of his children is compiled from county records, but is not certain. From the 1830 and 1840 censuses, it appears that he had nine children. We are only certain of three of them, Jesse, Eudora, and Clarissa. The others listed are probable, but not certain.

Birth	1802	Georgia
Marriage	29 Mar 1821	Bond Co., Illinois - Phoebe Hufner
Death	Abt 1858	Bellevue, Jackson Co., Iowa

Spouse	Phoebe Hufner (1804 - )
Child	Mary M. Kirkpatrick (1821 - )
Child	Nancy S. Kirkpatrick (1821 - )
Child	John T. Kirkpatrick (1824 - )
Child	Daughter Unk Kirkpatrick (1826 - )
Child	Allen H. Kirkpatrick (1829 - )
Child	Jesse Kirkpatrick (1830 - )
Child	Caroline Kirkpatrick (1832 - )
Child	Eudora Anna Kirkpatrick (1839 - )
Child	Clarissa F. Kirkpatrick (1841 - )

Father	John Kirkpatrick (1776 - 1845)
Mother	Sarah Lane (1777 - 1823)
Sibling	Augustus Browning Kirkpatrick (1800 - 1879)
Sibling	Jesse Jackson Kirkpatrick (1804 - 1869)
Sibling	Joseph Scott Kirkpatrick (1805 - 1892)
Sibling	Susannah Sophronia Kirkpatrick (1807 - 1842)
Sibling	Francis Walker Kirkpatrick (1808 - 1863)
Sibling	Ameila Winifred Kirkpatrick (1810 - 1864)
Sibling	John Fletcher Kirkpatrick (1811 - 1882)
Sibling	Mary Serina Kirkpatrick (1813 - 1872)
Sibling	Thomas Shelby Kirkpatrick (1814 - 1882)
Sibling	William McKendree Kirkpatrick (1815 - 1844)
Sibling	Sarah Filina Kirkpatrick (1817 - 1880)
Sibling	Eliza Carolina Kirkpatrick (1820 - )
Sibling	Elizabeth "Betsy" Lane Kirkpatrick (1822 - 1883)