Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/121

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 61 sembled an arsenal, for it was filled with arms and weapons of every kind. He, him- self, was a skilled mechanic, and kept slaves who were expert in the making of weapons. Smith's principal business was that of min- ing. He had at first entered into Burr's schemes for invading Mexico, but withdrew from that when they were warned by the proclamation of President Jefferson. Col. Smith was selected at one time to visit Wash- ington, and represent the people of the ter- ritory before Congress. In 1806 he was ajj- pointed one of the Territorial Judges of the court of General Quarter Sessions. In spite of his. numerous difficulties and duels, and in spite of the enemies which he had. Smith finally died a natural death, and was buried in St. Louis. Henry Dodge was born at Vincennes, Oc- tober 12, 1782. He was the son of Israel Dodge and his wife, Nancy Hunter. Israel Dodge, it will be remembered, was one of the first American settlers in Upper Louisiana, having come to the Ste. Genevieve district prior to 1800. The family engaged in the manufacture of salt on Saline creek. Henry Dodge was a very prominent and influential man. He served for a time as sheriff of Ste. Genevieve county; his greatest service, how- ever, was rendered in a military way. On the breaking out of the Indian troubles, about the time of the war of 1812, Dodge was appointed as a general in the territory of militia. During that time he was exceedingly active in protecting the frontiers from the Indians. He lived in Ste. Genevieve until the year 1827, when he removed to "Wiscon- sin. During the Black Hawk war, he was in command of some of the American troops, and defeated Black Hawk and the Indians. He also served in the army during the cam- paign against the Indians in the south and in 1835 was in charge of the expedition of the west. He was appointed Governor of Wis- consin territory for two terms and afterward was elected to the senate from Wisconsin. During his residence in Missouri he served as a member of the constitutional convention, and was prominent among those who helped to frame the constitution. The first resident of Washington county, during this period, was a native of Wales. This was John Rice Jones, who was born in Wales in 1759. He was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary army, and assisted George Rogers Clark in the capture of Vincennes. Before coming to Missouri, he lived for a time in Vincennes and also in Kaskaskia. In 1804 he removed to Ste. Genevieve where he con- tinued in the practice of law. He afterward fixed his residence at Potosi. He acquired a large practice, for he was a good lawyer, and full of energy and devotion to his clients. He was one of the prominent members of the con- stitutional convention, representing Wash- ington county. He lived to the age of sixty- five, and two of his sons, John Augustus Jones and Hon. George W. Jones, were very prominent in public life, the latter being, at one time. United States senator from Iowa. As we have seen Ste. Genevieve was the ad- ministrative center of a district and the resi- dence of a commandant. This district in- eluded a large territory. Within it were the present counties of Ste. Genevieve, Perry, Jefferson, Washington, Madison, and Iron. During the period with which we are now en- gaged, extending from the visit of DeSoto to 1804, settlements were made in all these coun- ties. All these settlements were under the authority of the commandant of Ste. Gene- vieve. Within the present county of Ste. Genevieve only two settlements besides Ste. Genevieve itself were made at this time.