Southern Illinois took place in Williamson County between 1839 and 1876. This was unusual, as crime was almost non-existent in Illinois during its frontier years prior to this period of lawlessness. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln ran for the U.S. Senate against Stephen A. Douglas. A debate was held in seven towns in Illinois, one being near Jonesboro. Many of the people living in Southern Illinois were first- or second-generation Southerners. Cairo, Illinois, at the southern tip where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi, was of strategic importance. On either side of the rivers were states which, despite remaining in the Union, had
Egypt River Egypt River The Egypt River is a stream in Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States. The river is formed by the confluence of Bull and Dow brooks below their reservoirs, and in turn joins the Muddy River and then the Rowley River, which empties into the Plum Island Sound. The Rowley River runs through salt marshes, in which it forms a narrow and winding inlet about in total length. The name "Egypt River" is recorded as early as 1635. In early colonial times, it was also termed the "North River". It was then a source of herring and smelt, but few have