. History of the Chicago police from the settlement of the community to the present time, under authority of the mayor and superintendent of the force . luprising, but it was the only available point, and an orderfor the construction of the works was issued by the wardepartment in 1803. There were no American outposts nearer than Detroit andMichilimacinac at this time. A company of United Statessoldiers was stationed at the latter place under command ofCapt. John Whistler, an officer of the revolution, and to himwas entrusted the work of establishing the new fort. Twoyoung lieutenants, William
. History of the Chicago police from the settlement of the community to the present time, under authority of the mayor and superintendent of the force . luprising, but it was the only available point, and an orderfor the construction of the works was issued by the wardepartment in 1803. There were no American outposts nearer than Detroit andMichilimacinac at this time. A company of United Statessoldiers was stationed at the latter place under command ofCapt. John Whistler, an officer of the revolution, and to himwas entrusted the work of establishing the new fort. Twoyoung lieutenants, William Whistler, his eldest son, andJames S. Swearington, from Chillicothe, Ohio, were underhis command. To the latter he gave in charge the difficultand dangerous task of conducting the soldiers through theforests of Michigan to Chicago, while with his wife, his sonand his sons wife—a young bride—he embarked on theUnited States schooner Tracy for the same destination. It was on July 4, 1S03, that the schooner anchored out-side the sand bar. The mouth of the river was chokedwith saiul, driftwood find weeds. On the sand bar the 8 THE CHICAGO THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. 9 schooner discharged her freight of ammunition, arms aiulprovisions into small boats, in which they were rowed intothe river and landed on the spot where the fort was to hebuilt. There were, at this point, three rude huts occupied byFrench fur-traders, with their Indian wives and broods ofhalf-breeds. But the news of the projected work had beennoised around tlie country, and nearly 2,000 Indians werepresent to witness the debarkation. In the presence of thesenatives, the United States flag was planted on a spot whichthe historian of the Northwest says, was made venerable withthe memories of 180 years of transient French occupation. The Indians exhibited no signs of hostile intentions, indeedthey exhibited no sign at all save those of childish had never seen a vessel before and the schooner amazedthem
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