Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Hancock County, Volume I, Part 125

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Currey, J. Seymour (Josiah Seymour), 1844-1928. 4n; Scofield, Charles J. (Charles Josiah), 1853- 4n
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 744

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The new volunteers were rendezvoused at Fort Wilbourn, nearly opposite Peru, June 15, and organized into three brigades, each consisting of three regiments and a spy battalion. The First Brigade (915 strong) was placed under command of Brig .- Gen. Alexander Posey, the Second under Gen. Milton K. Alexander, and the third under Gen. James D. Henry. Others who served as officers in some of these several organizations, and afterwards became prominent in State his- tory, were Lieut .- Col. Gurdon S. Hubbard of the Vermilion County regiment; John A. McClern- and, on the staff of General Posey; Maj. John Dement; then State Treasurer; Stinson H. Ander- son, afterwards Lieutenant-Governor; Lieut .- Gov. Zadoc Casey; Maj., William McHenry; Sidney Breese (afterwards Judge of the State Supreme Court and United States Senator); W. L. D. Ewing (as Major of a spy battalion, after- wards United States Senator and State Auditor) ; Alexander W. Jenkins (afterwards Lieutenant- Governor); James W. Semple (afterwards United States Senator) ; and William Weatherford (after- wards a Colonel in the Mexican War), and many more. Of the Illinois troops, Posey's brigade was assigned to the duty of dispersing the Indians between Galena and Rock River, Alexander's sent to intercept Black Hawk up the Rock River,

while Henry's remained with Gen. Atkinson at Dixon. During the next two weeks engage- ments of a more or less serious character were had on the Pecatonica on the southern border of the present State of Wisconsin; at Apple River Fort fourteen miles east of Galena, which was successfully defended against a force under Black Hawk himself, and at Kellogg's Grove the next day (June 25), when the same band ambushed Maj. Dement's spy battalion, and came near in- flicting a defeat, which was prevented by Dement's coolness and the timely arrival of re- inforcements. In the latter engagement the whites lost five killed besides 47 horses which had been tethered outside their lines, the loss of the Indians being sixteen killed. Skirmislies also occurred with varying results, at Plum River Fort, Burr Oak Grove, Sinsiniwa and Blue Mounds-the last two within the present State of Wisconsin.

Believing the bulk of the Indians to be camped in the vicinity of Lake Koshkonong, General Atkinson left Dixon June 27 with a combined force of regulars and volunteers numbering 2,600 men-the volunteers being under the command of General Henry. They reached the outlet of the Lake July 2, but found no Indians, being joined two days later by General Alexander's brigade,and on the 6tli by Gen. Posey's. From here the com- mands of Generals Henry and Alexander were sent for supplies to Fort Winnebago, at the Port- age of the Wisconsin; Colonel Ewing, with the Second Regiment of Posey's brigade descending Rock River to Dixon, Posey with the remainder, going to Fort Hamilton for the protection of settlers in the lead-mining region, while Atkin- son, advancing with the regulars up Lake Koshko- nong, began the erection of temporary fortifica- tions on Bark River near the site of the present village of Fort Atkinson. At Fort Winnebago Alexander and Henry obtained evidence of the actual location of Black Hawk's camp through Pierre Poquette, a half-breed scout and trader in the employ of the American Fur Company, whom they employed with a number of Winne- bagos to act as guides. From this point Alex- ander's command returned to General Atkinson's headquarters, carrying with them twelve day's provisions for the main army, while General Henry's (600 strong), with Major Dodge's battalion numbering 150, with an equal quantity of supplies for themselves, started under the guidance of Poquette and his Winnebago aids to find Black Hawk's camp. Arriving on the 18th at the Winnebago village on Rock River where Black

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Hawk and his band had been located, their camp was found deserted, the Winnebagos insisting that they had gone to Cranberry ( now Horicon) Lake, a half-day's march up the river. Messen- gers were immediately dispatched to Atkinson's headquarters, thirty-five miles distant, to ap- prise him of this fact. When they had proceeded about half the distance, they struck a broad, fresh trail, which proved to be that of Black Hawk's band headed westward toward the Mis- sissippi. The guide having deserted them in order to warn his tribesmen that further dis- the sembling to deceive whites as

to the whereabouts of the Sacs was use- less, the messengers were compelled to follow him to General Henry's camp. The discovery pro- duced the wildest enthusiasm among the volun- teers, and from this time-events followed in rapid succession. Leaving as far as possible all incum- brances behind, the pursuit of the fugitives was begun without delay, the troops wading through swamps sometimes in water to their armpits. Soon evidence of the character of the flight the Indians were making, in the shape of exhausted horses, blankets, and camp equipage cast aside along the trail, began to appear, and straggling bands of Winnebagos, who had now begun to desert Black Hawk, gave information that the Indians were only a few miles in advance. On the evening of the 20th of July Henry's forces encamped at "The Four Lakes," the present site of the city of Madison, Wis., Black Hawk's force lying in ambush the same night seven or eight miles distant. During the next-afternoon the rear-guard of the Indians under Neapope was overtaken and skirmishing continued until the bluffs of the Wisconsin were reached. Black Hawk's avowed object was to protect the passage of the main body of his people across the stream. The loss of the Indians in these skirmishes has been estimated at 40 to 68, while Black Hawk claimed that it was only six killed, the loss of the whites being one killed and eight wounded. During the night Black Hawk succeeded in placing a considerable number of the women and children and old men on a raft and in canoes obtained from the Winnebagos, and sent them down the river, believing that, as non-combat- ants, they would be permitted by the regulars to pass Fort Crawford, at the mouth of the Wis- consin, undisturbed. In this he was mistaken. A force sent from the fort under Colonel Ritner to intercept them, fired mercilessly upon the help- less fugitives, killing fifteen of their number, while about fifty were drowned and thirty-two

women and children made prisoners. The re- mainder, escaping into the woods, with few ex- ceptions died from starvation and exposure, or were massacred by their enemies, the Menomi- nees, acting under white officers. During the night after the battle of Wisconsin Heights, a loud, shrill voice of some one speaking in an un- known tongue was heard in the direction where Black Hawk's band was supposed to be. This caused something of a panic in Henry's camp, as it was supposed to come from some one giving orders for an attack. It was afterwards learned that the speaker was Neapope speaking in the Winnebago language in the hope that he might be heard by Poquette and the Winnebago guides. He was describing the helpless condition of his people, claiming that the war had been forced upon them, that their women and children were starving, and that, if permitted peacefully to fe- cross the Mississippi, they would give no further trouble. Unfortunately Poquette and the other guides had left for Fort Winnebago, so that no one was there to translate Neapope's appeal and it failed of its object.

General Henry's force having discovered that the Indians had escaped-Black Hawk heading with the bulk of his warriors towards the Mississippi- spent the next and day night on the field, but on the following day (July 23) started to meet General Atkinson, who had, in the meantime, been noti- fied of the pursuit. The head of their columns met at Blue Mounds, the same evening, a com- plete junction between the regulars and the volunteers being effected at Helena, a deserted village on the Wisconsin. Here by using the logs of the deserted cabins for rafts, the army crossed the river on the 27th and the 28th and the pursuit of black Hawk's fugitive band was re- newed. Evidence of their famishing condition was found in the trees stripped of bark for food, the carcasses of dead ponies, with here and there the dead body of an Indian.

On August 1, Black Hawk's depleted and famish- ing band reached the Mississippi two miles below the mouth of the Bad Ax, an insignificant stream, and immediately began trying to cross the river; but having only two or three canoes, the work was slow. About the middle of the afternoon the steam transport, "Warrior," ap- peared on the scene, having on board a score of regulars and volunteers, returning from a visit to the village of the Sioux Chief, Wabasha, to notify him that his old enemies, the Sacs, were headed in that direction. Black Hawk raised the white flag in token of surrender, but the officer

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in command claiming that he feared treachery or an ambush, demanded that Black Hawk should come on board. This he was unable to do, as lie had no canoe. After waiting a few minutes a murderous fire of canister and musketry was opened from the steamer on the few Indians on shore, who made such feeble resistance as they were able. The result was the killing of one white man and twenty-three Indians. After this exploit the "Warrior " proceeded to Prairie du Chien, twelve or fifteen miles distant, for fuel. During the night a few more of the Indians crossed the river, but Black Hawk, seeing the hopelessness of further resistance, accompanied by the Prophet, and taking with him a party of ten warriors and thirty-five squaws and children, fled in the direction of "the dells " of the Wis- consin. On the morning of the 2d General Atkinson arrived within four or five miles of the Sac position. Disposing his forces with the regulars and Colonel Dodge's rangers in the center, the brig- ades of Posey and Alexander on the right and Henry's on the left, he began the pursuit, but was drawn by the Indian decoys up the river from the place where the main body of the Indians were trying to cross the stream. This had the effect of leaving General Henry in the rear practically without orders, but it became the means of making his command the prime factors in the climax which followed. Some of the spies attached to Henry's command having accidental- ly discovered the trail of the main body of the fu- gitives, he began the pursuit without waiting for orders and soon found himself engaged with some 300 savages, a force nearly equal to his own. It was here that the only thing like a regular battle occurred. The savages fought with the fury of despair, while Henry's force was no doubt nerved to greater deeds of courage by the insult which they conceived had been put upon them by Gen- eral Atkinson. Atkinson, hearing the battle in progress and discovering that he was being led off on a false scent, soon joined Henry's force with his main army, and the steamer " Warrior," arriving from Prairie du Chien, opened a fire of canister upon the pent-up Indians. The battle soon degenerated into a massacre. In the course of the three hours through which it lasted, it is es- timated that 150 Indians were killed by fire from the troops, an equal number of both sexes and all ages drowned while attempting to cross the river or by being driven into it, while about 50 (chiefly women and children) were made prison- ers. The loss of the whites was 20 killed and 13 wounded. When the "battle" was nearing its

close it is said that Black Hawk, having repented the abandonment of his people, returned within sight of the battle-ground, but seeing the slaugh- ter in progress which he was powerless to avert, he turned and, with a howl of rage and horror, fled into the forest. About 300 Indians (mostly non- combatants) succeeded in crossing the river in a condition of exhaustion from hunger and fatigue, but these were set upon by the Sioux under Chief Wabasha, through the suggestion and agency of General Atkinson, and nearly one-half their num- ber exterminated. Of the remainder many died from wounds and exhaustion, while still others perished while attempting to reach Keokuk's band who had refused to join in Black Hawk's desper- ate venture. Of one thousand who crossed to the east side of the river with Black Hawk in April, it is estimated that not more than 150 survived the tragic events of the next four months.

General Scott, having arrived at Prairie du Chien early in August, assumed command and, on August 15, mustered out the volunteers at Dixon, Ill. After witnessing the bloody climax at the Bad Axe of his ill-starred invasion, Black Hawk fled to the dells of the Wisconsin, where he and the Prophet surrendered themselves to the Win- nebagos, by whom they were delivered to the Indian Agent at Prairie du Chien. Having been taken to Fort Armstrong on September 21, he there signed a treaty of peace. Later he was taken to Jefferson Barracks (near St. Louis) in the custody of Jefferson Davis, then a Lieutenant in the regular army, where he was held a captive during the following winter. The connection of Davis with the Black Hawk War, mentioned by many historians, seems to have been confined to this act. In April, 1833, with the Prophet and Neapope, he was taken to Washington and then to Fortress Monroe, where they were detained as prisoners of war until June 4, when they were released. Black Hawk, after being taken to many principal cities in order to impress him with the strength of the American nation, was brought to Fort Armstrong, and there committed to the guardianship of his rival, Keokuk, but survived this humiliation only a few years, dying on a . small reservation set apart for him in Davis County, Iowa, October 3, 1838.

Such is the story of the Black Hawk War, the most notable struggle with the aborigines in Illi- nois history. At its beginning both the State and national authorities were grossly misled by an exaggerated estimate of the strength of Black Hawk's force as to numbers and his plans for recovering the site of his old village, while

BLACK HAWK

Concrete Statue on the Bluffs bordering Rock River, near Ore- gon, from the Design of the well-known Sculptor, Lorado Taft. It is forty-seven feet high. Erected in 1911

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Black Hawk had conceived a low estimate of the numbers and courage of his white enemies, es- pecially after the Stillman defeat. The cost of the war to the State and nation in money has been estimated at $2,000,000, and in sacrifice of life on both sides at not less than 1,200. The loss of life by the troops in irregular skirmishes, and in massacres of settlers by, the Indians, aggregated about 250, while an equal number of regulars perished from a visitation of cholera at the various stations within the district affected by the war, especially at Detroit, Chicago, Fort Armstrong and Galena. Yet it is the judgment of later historians that nearly all this sacrifice of life and treasure might have been avoided, but for a series of blunders due to the blind or un- scrupulous policy of officials or interloping squat- . ters upon lands which the Indians had occupied under the treaty of 1804. A conspicuous blunder -to call it by no harsher name-was the vio- lation by Stillman's command of the rules of civilized warfare in the attack made upon Black Hawk's messengers, sent under flag of truce to request a conference to settle terms under which he might return to the west side of the Miss- issippi-an act which resulted in a humiliating and disgraceful defeat for its authors and proved the first step in actual war. Another misfortune was the failure to understand Neapope's appeal for peace and permission for his people to pass beyond the Mississippi the night after the battle of Wisconsin Heights; and the third and most inexcusable blunder of all, was the refusal of the officer in command of the "Warrior" to re- spect Black Hawk's flag of truce and request for a conference just before the bloody massacre which has gone into history under the name of the "battle of the Bad Axe." Either of these events, properly availed of, would have prevented much of the butchery of that bloody episode which has left a stain upon the page of history, although this statement implies no disposition to detract from the patriotism and courage of some of the leading actors upon whom the re- sponsibility was placed of protecting the frontier settler from outrage and massacre. One of the features of the war was the bitter jealousy en- gendered by the unwise policy pursued by Gen- eral Atkinson toward some of the volunteers- especially the treatment of General James D. Henry, who, although subjected to repeated slights and insults, is regarded by Governor Ford and others as the real hero of the war. Too brave a soldier to shirk any responsibility and too modest to exploit his own deeds, he felt

deeply the studied purpose of his superior to ignore him in the conduct of the campaign-a purpose, which, as in the affair at the Bad Axe, was defeated by accident or by General Henry's soldierly sagacity and attention to duty, although he gave out to the public no utterance of com- plaint. Broken in health by the hardships and exposures of the campaign, lie went South soon after the war and died of consumption, unknown and almost alone, in the city of New Orleans, less than two years later.

Aside from contemporaneous newspaper ac- counts, monographs, and manuscripts on file in public libraries relating to this epoch in State history, the most comprehensive records of the Black Hawk War are to be found in the "Life of Black Hawk," dictated by himself (1834) ; Wake- field's "History of the War between the United States and the Sac and Fox Nations" (1834) ; Drake's "Life of Black Hawk" (1854); Ford's "History of Illinois" (1854) ; Reynolds' "Pioneer History of Illinois"; and "My Own Times"; Da- vidson & Stuve's and Moscs' Histories of Illi- nois; Blanchard's "The Northwest and Chicago"; Armstrong's "The Sauks and the Black Hawk War"; Reuben G. Thwaite's "Story of the Black Hawk War" (1892), and Frank E. Stevens' "The Black Hawk War" (1903).

BLACK HAWK. An addition to the article in the main body of this work under the above title is inserted here to permit mention of two re- markable statues of the celebrated Indian chief that have in recent years been erected in differ- ent localities in Illinois. This seems to indicate that the interest in the aboriginal tribe of the West has greatly increased in recent years, and especially so in regard to Black Hawk. A bronze statue of Black Hawk was erected in the City of Rock Island in 1902 representing the Chief standing on a sculptured pedestal of granite in a position of repose, one hand at his side, the other clasping the fold of a blanket across his breast. The strongly marked features of the Chief are delineated by the sculptor with skill and fidelity to the extant portraits. In 1911 there was erected on the bluffs bordering Rock River near Oregon, Ill., a colossal statue of Black Hawk from the design of the well-known sculptor, Lorado Taft. The statue is forty-seven feet in height and stands at an elevation of 200 feet above the river. It is made of concrete and represents the old Chief wrapped in a blanket in an attitude of contemplation. In the illustra- tion accompanying this article is shown the fig- ure of a man seated at the base of the statue

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which gives some idea of its great size. It is visible for many miles in the distance. The in- terest of the locality is enhanced by the mem- ory of the famous Margaret Fuller Ossoli, who once lived for a time on an island in the river in the vicinity of the statue. The figure of the great Sauk Chief, like the Rock Island statue, shows the Chief wrapped in a blanket with arms crossed under its ample folds, bearing an ex- pression of countenance suggesting dignity, cour- age and resignation. Black Hawk was the enemy of the white man, but in the years succeeding his defeat, a defeat which was hopeless and ir- revocable, he justified his hostility which was based on the alienation of the lands of his tribe through treaties which he did not regard as hon- estly obtained in these words: "My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their subsistence, and so long as they occupy and cultivate it they have the right to the soil; but if they voluntarily leave it then any other people have a right to settle on it." (Sce "Black Hawk," p. 48.)

ALSCHULER, Samuel, Jurist, was born in Chi- cago, Ill., November 20, 1859,, the son of Jacob and Caroline (Stiefel) Alschuler. The family moved to Aurora, Ill., in 1861, where in later years the boy attended the public schools, finally graduating at the High School of that city. He was admitted to the bar in 1881 and entered upon the practice of law at Aurora, Ill. In 1901 he began to practice law in Chicago. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1900 and though defeated, he conducted his campaign with ability and was favored with a large vote. President Wilson appointed him Judge of the United States Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial District, August 16, 1915. His home is in Aurora, Il1.

BLANCHARD, Rufus, cartographer and histo- rian, was born at Lyndeboro, N. H., March 7, 1821, the tenth and youngest child of Amaziah and Mary (Damon) Blanchard. His father was a well-to-do resident of the town where Rufus was born and both his parents were descended from families tracing their ancestry back to Colonial and Revolutionary days. Rufus attended the Ipswich Academy in his youth and became proficient in his studies, especially in "Latin. At the age of fourteen years he went to New York City, where he obtained a situation with the book publishing firm of Harper Brothers, and while engaged in this congenial employment he came into frequent contact with the literary

lights of the timc. When Benson J. Lossing, who was a cousin of his, was preparing to start on his long journey through the Atlantic states, se- curing material for his "Field Book of the Revo- lution," the two cousins held long conversations regarding the proposed work; and it may very well have been that young Blanchard was in- spired by the example of Lossing, who was eight years older than himself, in undertaking the his- torical work to which he was in later life so deeply devoted. Afterwards Blanchard became connected with the map publishing house of the Coltons, at that time the largest in the country, but later, in partnership with Charles Morse, he undertook map publishing in New York on his own account. In 1853 Blanchard came to Chicago, Ill., and opened a general book and map store with a printing department, at No. 52 Lake Street, in a portion of the old Metropolitan Block. From that time until his death he was actively engaged in the map making and publishing busi- ness at Chicago, with varying success. During this period he wrote and published his principal historical work, copyrighted in 1879, entitled "Discovery and Conquests of the North-West, with " the History of Chicago." His ability and enthusi- asm in map making were acknowledged every- where, and there are extant many valuable maps which owe their excellence to his indomitable perseverance and industry, especially those made of the regions traversed by the early explorers, and of the territories occupied by the Indian tribes before their limits and boundaries were lost in the numerous treaty cessions accompany - ing the settlements of the whites. While in the best period of his work along in the seventies he wrote: "The field of map making in the United States is too large for one man or for a hundred men when towns are springing into ex- istence with a rapidity hitherto unparalleled in the history of the world. To keep pace with all these and connect them with railroads as fast as the same are built is the work of the restless map publisher." Shortly after his coming to Chi- cago Mr. Blanchard was married to Miss Permilla Farr of Albany, N. Y., but on their way to New York a few hours after the wedding the train was wrecked and the bride was so seriously in- jured that she died a few days afterwards. In 1858, at Buffalo, N. Y., he was married to his second wife, Miss Annie Hall. For the forty-six years of their married life she was his constant co-laborer and amanuensis in the arduous tasks of gathering material for his work. She sur- vived him a number of years. The home of Mr.

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and Mrs. Blanchard was at Wheaton for forty years. He died January 3, 1904.

BOARD OF CIVIL SERVICE. The State Board of Civil Service, consisting of three mem- bers, was created by act of the General Assembly in 1905. With the exception of the Superintend- ent, Chief Clerk, Treasurer and stenographer, in each State charitable institution, all appointments to subordinate positions in the same are made after examination of applicants on the basis of qualifications and merit, and removals are made only on the ground of incompetency, disobedience or other reasonable cause. Political assessments upon employees are also prohibited.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Hancock County, Volume I, Part 125

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Currey, J. Seymour (Josiah Seymour), 1844-1928. 4n; Scofield, Charles J. (Charles Josiah), 1853- 4n Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 744

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Currey, J. Seymour (Josiah Seymour), 1844-1928. 4n; Scofield, Charles J. (Charles Josiah), 1853- 4n
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 744