John Duff (counterfeiter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Duff
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| Born |
John Michael McElduff
September 1759 – August 1760 |
| Died | June 4, 1799 or 1805 (aged 38-45)
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| Cause of death | gunshot wound |
| Resting place | unknown |
| Other names | John McDuff, Jean Duff, Jean Michel Duff, John Michael Duff, Michael Duff |
| Occupation | frontiersman, hunter, horse thief, cattle thief, hog thief, soldier, salt maker, criminal gang leader, counterfeiter |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 1 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Virginia,  United States |
| Service/ |
Virginia State Forces |
| Years of service | 1778–1780s |
| Rank | private, sergeant |
| Unit | Captain John Williams' Company (Kaskaskia) and Captain Richard McCarty's Company (Cahokia), Illinois Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
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| Signature | |
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John Duff, born John McElduff, was a frontiersman, soldier, and later a leader of a criminal group. He was also known for making fake money. He played a part in George Rogers Clark's effort to take over the Illinois Country for the American side during the American Revolutionary War.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
John Michael McElduff was born in South Carolina between September 1759 and August 1760. His family later moved to the Natchez District in the British West Florida colony, which was along the Mississippi River. This move happened before the American Revolutionary War began.
Serving in the Revolutionary War
Around 1778, John Duff was living in the Illinois Country, a region known as the "American Bottom." He was part of a group of "longhunters," who were skilled hunters and explorers. While returning to Kaskaskia, Duff and his group met Colonel George Rogers Clark's soldiers.
Joining the Illinois Regiment
At first, Clark's soldiers thought Duff and his men might be spies for the British. To prove their loyalty, they quickly joined Clark's Illinois Regiment, which was part of the Virginia State Forces. John Duff became a soldier in Captain John Williams' Company in Cahokia. He later rose to the rank of sergeant.
Defending Against Attacks
In 1780, while Duff was stationed in Cahokia, British forces attacked St. Louis, which was controlled by Spain, and American-held Cahokia. The British army included French-Canadians, fur traders, and their Native American allies. John Duff and other soldiers were on a scouting mission for General Clark. They were watching the British near the Mississippi River when they were attacked by a group of Native Americans. They barely escaped. The American, French, and Spanish forces worked together and successfully stopped the attacks.
Life in Kaskaskia
In the mid-1780s, Duff lived in Kaskaskia, Illinois. He was involved in business with the brothers of Samuel Mason, who later became a famous river pirate. In 1790, John McElduff was chosen as one of six judges for the Kaskaskia town court. This shows he was a respected member of the community at that time.
Counterfeiting at Cave-In-Rock
After 1790, John Duff started making fake money, a crime known as "coining." This was a way for him to make a lot of money quickly. He worked with Philip Alston, another counterfeiter, and the river pirate Samuel Mason. Because of these activities, people started calling him "Duff the Counterfeiter." Even though he was involved in illegal activities, John Duff was not known for being violent or for killing anyone.
Death of John Duff
For almost ten years, John Duff was a well-known figure along the lower Ohio River. On June 4, 1799, a group of three Shawnee Native Americans and a French "courier du bois" (a type of fur trader) were hired to find and kill John Duff. They were hired by Captain Zebulon Pike, Sr., who was in charge of Fort Massac, a frontier outpost.
Duff was killed at his house. The exact location is debated: some say it was at Battery Rock on the Illinois side of the Ohio River, while others say it was near what is now Caseyville, Kentucky. Another account suggests he was killed in 1805 on Ripple Island, near the Saline River, and buried near the local salt springs.
Images for kids
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Fort Massac, down river from Cave-in-Rock. In 1799, the U.S. Army commandant, Captain Zebulon Pike, Sr., hired three Shawnee Native Americans and a French courier du bois to hunt down and kill John Duff.
