THE BEAVER ISLAND "WAR".
In the winter of 1842-43, there was burlesque war on Beaver Island. Albany had what was known as a town claim on the Island, whence the people took a great deal of wood, to which the people of Clinton County strenuously objected, claiming that it was on their side of the main channel, and the timber growing thereon belonged to them. Finally, to prevent further wood-cutting by Albany people, Deputy Sheriff Aiken, of Clinton County, with a string posse, heavily armed, came down to the Island fully determined to expel the Albany wood-choppers, and take such energetic and complete possession as would prevent future trespassing. Couriers brought to Albany the news of this action of the Clinton County authorities, and, like angry bee from their hives, the people rallied, "not for their kingdom and crown," but to hold the fort of wood piles and timber at all hazards. Soon upward of fifty men, with a motley armament of rifles, muskets, pistols, swords, pitchforks and other deadly weapons, including loaded bottles, crossed the river and succeeded in effecting a landing unopposed. The bravest marched boldly up to a big fire which had been kindled by the Clintonians, and on one side of which the latter had taken position. A remarkable large proportion, however, preferred scouting duty, and so, deploying as skirmishers, took to the bush instead of advancing within point-blank range of a fusillade from their adversaries. Orders were given in loud enough tones to have echoed from the back bluffs in both sides for these stragglers to join the main body, but a pistol-shot, perhaps accidental, reduced the "scouts" to such a demoralized state that neither threats, orders or coaxing could induce them to change their tactics of "bushwhacking," What the result would have been it is hard at this late day to determine, had not flags of truce been hung out on both sides, and the commanding officers of the two armies delegated to consult over the situation of the affairs and imitate the frequent action of Congress in ante-bellum days, by patching up a compromise. Long, loud and vehement were the arguments on both sides, but, finally, as night began to approach and both parties yearned for their firesides and war suppers, a compromise was effected by dividing the timber and allotting Albany 400 acres as her share. No sooner was this agreed to and rarified by hearty hand shaking and quaffing friendly pledges than the Illinois scouts emerged from their coverts and claimed their share of timber on the ground that their deploying as skirmishers was the reason for the Iowan partially yielding a point. For years the recounted. with the air of Falstaff relating his encounters with the men in buckram, the daring deeds when they faced the terrible champions of Clinton County, till in 1861, many of them went to do their duty on fields that proved to be indeed bloody.
SOURCE: Allen, L. P., History of Clinton County, Iowa, Containing A History of the County, it's Cities, Towns, Etc. and Biographical Sketches of Citizens, War Record of it's Volunteers in the late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Clinton County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c, &c., Illustrated. Chicago IL; Western Historical Company, 1879