Behind Monroe's words is not only story about the growth of lead mines, but a story of an amazing Colonel who served in both the War of 1812 and the Civil War, and whose father was a Revolutionary War Officer, After serving in the War of 1812, Colonel Henry Knox Craig was appointed during the Monroe administration to supervise the lead mines and 40 years later he served as Chief of Ordinance under President Lincoln.
Lead Mines
Well before Illinois and Wisconsin were settled, an abundance of lead was found in the Upper Mississippi region including northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. In 1685, a French soldier by the name of Nicolas Perrot first learned of lead mines from the Miami Indians, and almost a century later Julien Dubuque secured permission form the Fox Indians to mine the lead west of the Mississippi river. During the Pike Expedition of 1805, Dubuque reported to Lieutenant Zebulan M. Pike that he was mining 20,000 to 40,000 pounds of lead annually. By 1810, Dubuque and the Fox Indians were melting 400,000 pounds of mineral annually at Fever river near Galena, Illinois. From 1816 to 1821, heavily laden crafts were taking the lead slowly down the Mississippi river to St. Louis.The nation, and the Federal government took notice. How could they not. Lead was of great importance at the time to national defense. Yet, at the time the region was still in a wild state, populated only by Indians who roamed freely. At any moment, the mining could be interrupted or shut down altogether. Therefore, President James Monroe believed that the mines "should be managed with peculiar care". He suggested to Congress in his 1822 State of the Union address that a superintendent be appointed by law to manage the region. He added that, such an agent should be skilled in mineralogy and under the direction of the proper department.
"The view which has been taken of the probable productiveness of the lead mines, connected with the importance of the material to the public defense, makes it expedient that they should be managed with peculiar care. It is therefore suggested whether it will not comport with the public interest to provide by law for the appointment of an agent skilled in mineralogy to superintend them, under the direction of the proper department."In May of 1823, Congress appointed Major Henry Knox Craig as the acting superintendent of U.S. lead mines in Upper Mississippi. In 1822, there were four mining leases granted in the region, and in 1823 nine more were added. The whole upper Mississippi region was experiencing a rapid growth in lead mining. In 1824 there were 175,220 pounds of lead taken from the mines, and by 1829 the amount had risen to 13,994,432 pounds. With an increase in mining, came a rapid growth of population. At the time of this appointment, the whole area of Wisconsin and Illinois, with the exception of Chicago and Prairie du Chien belonged to the Fox Indians. Now, with the establishment of a government mineral agent at Fever River, a slow and steady trickle of squatters from Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and southern Illinois began to arrive. The number of miners at the Fever River mines increased from 100 in 1825 to 453 in 1826. By 1830, the population in Galena alone was almost 1000, while the surrounding district was upwards of 10,000. The tariff law of 1829, had a dampening effect on lead production , but growth resumed in 1835 until lead production reached 55 million pounds in 1848.
Colonel Henry K. Craig
Major Henry Knox Craig went on to serve in the Army for nearly 50 years and was eventually brevetted brigadier general for his service on March 13, 1865. Craig was the son of Revolutionary War officer, Major Isaac Craig and entered the Army as a first lieutenant assigned to the 2nd Artillery in March 1812. After completing several light artillery assignments in the War of 1812, then Captain Craig was assigned to supervise the lead mines in the Upper Mississippi river and in 1832 was promoted to Major. On July 1851, Craig was appointed Chief of Ordinance with full rank of Colonel ensuring that the production and procurement of weapons and munitions were adequately funded. In 1861, at the age of 70, Secretary of War, Simon Cameron relieved Colonel Henry Knox Craig of his duties on the grounds that more vigorous leadership was needed. The Colonel protested, and even took up the matter with President Lincoln who chose not to intervene. Colonel Craig remained on duty in an advisory role until his retirement on June 1863. Forty years after serving under President Monroe as superintendent of the U.S. lead mines in the Upper Mississippi.http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29464
Steamboating on the Upper Mississippi, William J. Petersen 1996 pgs. 204-207
American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Volume 8; Volume 32 (1834) pg. 143
http://www.goordnance.army.mil/history/chiefs/craig.html
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Lead_mining_Barber_1865p321cropped.jpg
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