Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/284



establish their northern boundary nearly thirty miles north of the mouth of the Des Moines River. Lieutenant Pike, however, in his map of 1805, locates the “Rapids des Moines” in the Mississippi River, above the mouth of the Des Moines.

In 1837 the State of Missouri appointed commissioners to run the northern boundary line and mark it. In a search for rapids in the Des Moines River they found ripples near Keosauqua, which they assumed to be the “Rapids of the Des Moines” named in the act of Congress defining the boundary in 1820. But these ripples had never been called the “Rapids of the Des Moines,” until so designated by these Missouri commissioners. The conflict first arose over the disputed territory when Clark County, Missouri, enrolled the citizens within its limits, and placed their names on its tax list. When the Missouri tax officer undertook to collect the taxes for Clark County, the settlers who lived in the territory in dispute refused to pay. The collector levied upon their property, was arrested on a warrant issued by a magistrate in Van Buren County, and delivered into custody at Muscatine.

Governor Boggs of Missouri sent General Allen with a thousand armed men to aid the officers of Clark County in collecting the tax. Governor Lucas promptly ordered General J. B. Browne to call out the militia and march to the defense of the Van Buren County officials; 1,200 men responded to the call. Before proceeding to hostilities, General Browne selected A. C. Dodge, of Burlington; General Churchman, of Dubuque; and Dr. Clark, of Fort Madison, to act as commissioners to negotiate a peaceable settlement. In the meantime the sheriff of Clark County had been directed to postpone the collection of taxes and a delegation had been sent to Governor Lucas to propose an amicable adjustment of the controversy.

General Allen had withdrawn his army and awaited the result of negotiations. The Iowa militia was disbanded.