History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 24

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 24

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

of our entire detachment. About this time, Major Stillman, Colonel Stephenson, Major Perkins, Captain Adams, Mr. Hackleton, and myself, with some others, threw ourselves into the rear to rally the fugitives and protect the retreat. But in a short time all my companions fell bravely, fighting hand-to-hand with the sav- age enemy, and I alone was left upon the field of battle. About this time I discovered not far to the left, a corps of horsemen which seemed to be in tolerable order. I immediately deployed to the left, when, leaning down and placing my body in a recumbent posture upon the mane of my horse, so as to bring the heads of the horse- men between my eye and the horizon, I discov- ered by the light, of the moon that they were gentlemen who did not wear hats, by which token I knew they were no friends of mine. I therefore made a retrograde movement and recovered my position, where I remained some time meditating what further I could do in the service of my country, when a random ball came whistling by my ear and plainly whispered to me. 'Stranger, you have no further business here.' Upon hearing this I followed the exam- ple of my companion in arms, and broke for the tall timber, and the way I ran was not a little'."

On the arrival of Major Stillman's command, at Dixon, a council of war was held, in which it was agreed to march early the next morning to the fatal field of that evening's disaster. For some time the soldiers had been living without any regular supplies, but Quartermaster Thomas, anticipating the action of the council, went out in search of cattle and hogs, and before daylight the next morning the army was supplied with some fresh beef, which they ate without bread. When the volunteers arrived upon the battle field they found the Indians gone, a party of seventy of them soon being heard of as having made a descent upon a small settlement on Indian creek, a tributary of Fox river, and within fifteen miles of Ottawa, they massacred fifteen persons, taking two young ladies-Sylvia and Rachel Hall-prisoners. The young prisoners were hurried by forced marches, beyond the reach of pursuit. They were afterwards purchased from their captors.

Returning to Dixon, General Whiteside, the next day, was joined by General Atkinson, but the time of many of the volunteers having ex- pired, no further advance could then be made. The Governor had previously issued orders for raising two thousand additional volunteers, to rendezvous at Beardstown and Ilennepin. A volunteer regiment of those just discharged, was

organized to remain in defense of the country until the new troops arrived.

On the 15th of June, the new levies had ar- rived at the place of rendezvous, and were formed into three brigades-General Alexander Posey commanding the first, General Milton K. Alexander the second, and General James D. Henry the third. On the march each brigade was preceded by a battalion of spies, commanded by a major. The whole volunteer force at this time amounted to three thousand two hundred men, besides three companies of rangers, under the command of Major Bogart, left behind to guard the frontier settlements. The object in calling out so large a force was to overawe the Pottawatamie and Winnebago Indians, who were hostile in their feelings towards the whites, and much disposed to join Black Hawk's party.

Before the new army could be brought into the field the Indians had committed several mur- ders. One man was killed on Bureau creek, some seven or eight miles above Princeton; one in Buffalo Grove; one between the Fox river and the Illinois; two about six miles northwest of Ottawa. On the 22d of, May, General At- water had dispatched Mr. St. Vrain, the Indian agent for the Sacs and Foxes, at Rock Island, with a few men as an express, to Fort Armstrong, On their way thither, they fell in with a party of Indians, led by a chief well known to the agent. This chief was called "The Little Bear." He had been a particular friend of the agent, and had adopted him as a brother. Mr. St. Vrain felt no fear of one who was his friend, and who had been an inmate of his house, and who had adopted him as a brother, and therefore ap- proached the Indian with the greatest confi- dence and security. The treacherous Indian, untrue in war to the claims of gratitude, friend- ship and brotherhood, no sooner got him in his power than he murdered and scalped him and all his party, with as little compassion as though he had never known him or professed to be his friend.

Not long after the new forces were organized on the Illinois river, Black Hawk, with a hund- red and fifty warriors, made an attack on Apple River Fort, within twelve miles of Galena, and defended by about twenty-five men, under com- mand of Captain Stone. This fort was a stock- ade of logs stuck in the ground, with block- houses at the corners of the square, by way of towers and bastions. It was made for the pro- tection of a scattering village of miners, who lived in their houses in the vicinity during the day, and retired into the fort for protection at

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night. The women and children, as usual in the day-time, were abroad in the village, when three men, on an express from Galena to Dixon, were fired upon by the Indians, lurking in ambush within half a mile of the village, and retreated into the fort. One of them was wound- ed, but his companions stood by him nobly, re- treating behind him, and keeping the Indians at bay by pointing their guns first at one and then at another of those who were readiest to advance. The aların was heard at the fort in time to rally the scattered inhabitants.

The Indians soon came up within firing dis- tance, and then commenced a fearful struggle between the small party in the fort, against six times their number of the enemy. The Indians took possession of the log houses, knocked holes in the walls, through which to fire at the fort with greater security to themselves; and while some were firing at the fort, others broke the furniture, destroyed the provisions, and cut open the beds and scattered the feathers found in the houses. The men in the fort were excited to the highest pitch of desperation. They believed that they were contending with an enemy who never made a prisoner, and that the result of the contest must be victory or death to them and their families. The women and children mould- ed the bullets and loaded the guns for the men, who fought with a fury caused by desperation itself. The loss in the fort was one man killed and one wounded. One of the men who first retreated to the fort, immediately passed on to Galena, and there gave the alarm. Colonel Strode, who commanded in Galena, lost no time in marching to the assistance of the fort, but be- fore his arrival the Indians had raised the siege and departed.

About the time of the siege of the fort, a party of Indians made an attack on three men near Fort Hamilton, in the lead mines. Two of the men were killed, while the other escaped. General Dodge, of Wisconsin, who happened to arrive at the fort soon after with twenty men under his command, made quick pursuit after these Indians, who were chased to the Pekaton- ica, and there took shelter under the high bank of the river. General Dodge and his party charged upon them in their place of conceal- ment, and killed the whole party, eleven in num- ber, with the loss of three of his own men, mortally wounded, and one who afterwards re- covered.

The Indians had now shown themselves to be a courageous, active, and enterprising enemy. They had scattered their war parties all over the

North. from Chicago to Galena, and from the Illinois river into the Territory of Wisconsin. They occupied every grove, waylaid every road, hung around every settlement, and attacked every party of white men that attempted to penetrate the country. Their supremacy in the field, however, was of short duration, for on the 20th, 21st, and 22d of June, the new forces as. sembled on the Illinois river, were put in motion by General Atkinson, of the regular army, who now assumed command of the whole.

General Atkinson, having heard that Black Hawk had concentrated his forces at the four lakes in Wisconsin, and fortified his position, with the intention of deciding the fate of war by a general battle, marched with as much haste as prudence would warrant, when invading a hostile and wilderness country with undisci- plined forces, where there was no means of pro- curing intelligence of the numbers or where- abouts of the enemy.

Eight weeks were now spent in a fruit- search of the enemy, by which time the volun- teer force through one cause or another, had been reduced nearly one-half, and such was the wastefulness of the volunteers, that they were frequently one or two days short of provisions before new supplies could be obtained. At this time there were not more than four days' ra- tions in the hands of the commissary; the enemy might be weeks in advance; the volunteers were fast melting away; and General Atkinson found it necessary to disperse his command for the purpose of procuring supplies. Colonel Ewing's regiment was sent back to Dixon; General Po- sey marched to Fort Hamilton as a guard to the frontier country; Henry, Alexander and Dodge, with their commands were sent to Fort Winne- bago; while General Atkinson himself fell back with the regular forces to Lake Koshkenong, where he proposed to remain until the volunteer generals could return with supplies. Henry and Alexander made Fort Winnebago in three days, Major Dodge having preceded them a few hours by a forced march, which so crippled his horses that many of them were unable to continue the campaign.

Two days were occupied at the fort in getting provisions, on the last of which the Winnebago chiefs there reported that Black Hawk and his forces were encamped at the Manitou village, thirty-five miles above General Atkinson, on the Rock river. In a council held between IIenry, Alexander and Dodge, it was determined to vio- late orders by marching directly to the enemy, with the hope of taking him by surprise.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

Twelve o'clock, on the 15th of July, was ap- pointed as the hour to march. General Henry proceeded at onee to re-organize his brigade, with a view to dis-encumber himself of his sick and dismounted men, that he might have as lit- tle as possible to impede the celerity of his march. General Alexander soon announced that his men were unwilling and had refused to follow, while Major Dodge reported his horses so much disabled by their late march that he could not muster a force worth taking along. General Henry was justly indignant at the in- subordination and defection of his com- panions in arms, and announced his pur- pose of marching in pursuit of the enemy alone, if he could prevail upon but fifty men to follow him. Directly after this a company of mounted volunteers, with fresh horses arrived to join Major Dodge, then making his force of men and horses one hundred and twenty in number. General Ilenry's brigade, exclusive of Dodge's battalion, numbered between five and six hun- dred, but not more than four hundred and fifty had horses fit for service. On returning to his own brigade, General Henry discovered that his own men, infected by association with those of General Alexander, were on the point of open mutiny.

Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, of Fry's regiment, presented to General Henry a written protest, signed by all the officers of the regiment, except the Colonel, against the intended expedition; but these officers had to deal with an officer of rare abilities as a commander of militia. Gen- eral Henry was a complete soldier; he was gifted with uncommon talent of commanding with sternness, without giving offense; of forcing inen to obey without degrading them in their own estimation. He was brave without rash- ness, and gave his orders with firmness and authority, without any appearance of bluster. In his mere person he looked the commander. In a word, he was one of those very rare men who are gifted by nature with the power to command militia-to be at the same time loved and feared, and with the capacity of inspiring the soldiery with the ardor, impetuosity, and honorable impulses of their commander. Gen- eral Ilenry made no other reply to this protest than to order the officers under arrest for mutiny, appointing at the same time Collins' regiment as a guard to escort them to General Atkinson. Colonel Smith, in great trepidation, protested that he did not know what the paper contained when he signed it, and implored the General's permission to consult a few moments with the

officers before further steps were taken. This being accorded, in less than ten minutes they were all collected at the General's quarters, mani- festing the utmost contrition, and pledging themselves, if forgiven, to return to their duty, and never be guilty of the like offense again. The General, than whom none better understood human nature, made them a few remarks, tem- pered with dignity and kindness. The officers returned to their duty, and it is but just to say, that from that hour no men ever behaved better.

General IIenry took up his line of march on the 15th of July, accompanied by Poquette, a half-breed, and the "White Pawnee," a Winne- bago chief, as guides, in hunt of the Indians. After three days' hard marching, the troops reached the Rock river, and on the morning of the 19th, everything was placed in readiness for a forced march. The fresh trail of the enemy had been struck, and the men now felt in better spirits, and were inspired with a lively hope of bringing the war to a speedy close. In the after- noon of the 19th, the command was overtaken with one of those storms common on the prai- ries, which lasted until two o'clock the next morning. The men, exhausted with fatigue, threw themselves, supperless, upon the muddy earth, covered with water, for a little rest. The rain made it impossible to kindle a fire or to cook, so that both officers and men contented themselves with eating some raw meat and some wet flour, which was converted into a soft dough by the drenching rain.

All were on the march by daylight on the morning of the 20th, and after a hard march, encamped at night upon one of the banks of the four lakes, near where the Indians had encamped the previous night. At this place the men were able to make fires and cook their suppers, and this they did with a hearty good will, having traveled abont one hundred miles without tasting anything but raw food, and without having seen a spark of fire. That night they lay upon the ground, many of them with nothing but the sky for a covering, and slept soundly and sweetly. All were in fine spirits and high expectations of overtaking the enemy the next day, and putting an end to the war by a general battle. The march was continued on the morning of the 21st. Major William Lee D. Ewing commanded the spy battalion, and with him was joined the bat- talion of Major Dodge, of Wisconsin. These two officers, with their commands, were in ad- vance, but with all their ardor, were never able to get out of sight of the main body. About noon of this day the advance guard was close

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

upon the rear guard of the retreating enemy. For many miles before they were overtaken their broad trail was strewn with camp kettles and baggage of various kinds, which they had thrown away in the hurry of their flight. By faint attacks the Indians kept their pursuers in check until they reached the broken grounds on the bluffs of the Wisconsin river.

About four o'clock on the afternoon of the 21st, while the advance guard was passing over some uneven ground, through the high grass and low timber, they were suddenly fired upon by a body of Indians, who had here secreted themselves. In an instant Major Ewing's bat- talion dismounted and formed in front, their horses being removed to the rear. The Indians kept up a fire from behind fallen trees, and none of them could be discovered except by the flash and report `of their guns. In a few minutes General Henry arrived with the main body, when the order of battle was formed. Colonel Jones' regiment was placed on the right, Colonel Collins' on the left, and Colonel Fry's in the rear, to acta s a reserve. Major Ewing's battal- ion was placed in front of the line, and Major Dodge on the extreme right. In this order the forces marched into battle. An order was given to charge upon the enemy, which was promptly obeyed by Ewing's battalion and by Jones' and Collins' regiments.

The Indians retreated before this charge ob- liquely to the right, and concentrated their main force in front of Dodge's battalion, showing a design to turn his flank. General Henry sent an order by Major McConnell to Major Dodge, to advance to the charge; but this officer being of the opinion that the foe was too strong for him, requested a reinforcement. Colonel Fry's regiment was ordered to his aid, and formed on his right, when a vigorous charge was made from one end of the line to the other.

Colonel Fry's regiment made a charge into the bush and high grass, where the Indians were concealed, and received the fire of the whole body. This fire was briskly returned by the forces under Fry and Dodge, who continued to advance, the Indians standing their ground until the men came within reach of them, then fell back to the west, along the high, broken bluffs of the Wisconsin, only to take a new position amongst the thickest timber and tall grass in the head of a hollow, leading to the Wisconsin river bottom. Here it seemed they were deter- mined to make a firm stand; but, being charged upon in their new position, by Ewing's bat- talion, and by Collins' and Jones' regiments,

they were driven out of it, some of them being pursued down the hollow, and others again to the west, along the Wisconsin heights, until they descended the bluffs to the Wisconsin bottom, which was here about a mile wide and Very swampy, covered with a thick, tall grass, above the men on horseback. It now being dark, further pursuit was stopped, and General Henry and his forces lay upon the field of battle.

Early next morning, General Henry advanced to the Wisconsin river, and ascertained that the Indians had all crossed it, and made their escape into the mountains between that and the Missis- sippi. The Indian loss in this battle of the Wisconsin, as it is known in history, was sixty- eight left dead on the field, and a large number wounded, of whom twenty-five were afterwards found dead along the Indian trail leading to the Mississippi. General Henry lost one man killed and eight wounded. The small loss of General Henry is accounted for from the fact that the Indians had been trained to fire at an elevation to hit men on horseback, but as General Henry had dismounted his forces, the Indians overshot them.

In the various histories of this campaign, Major Dodge is given all credit for the success attained, being spoken of as General Dodge, when it is well known that he only commanded a battalion, and was ranked by several officers, the whole force being under command of Gen- eral Henry. The reason of this is that all the war news was first published in the Galenian, then the only newspaper published north of Springfield, either in Illinois or Wisconsin, the editor of which, Dr. Philleo, was a member of Dodge's battalion. When he wrote home the news to be published in his paper, he never men- tioned Henry, except as a subordinate, or any other officer except Dodge. His letters chroni- cled the deeds of Major Dodge only, and by calling him General Dodge it was made to appear that he was the commander of the whole brigade, instead of a single battalion attached to it. These letters were copied into every newspaper throughout the Union, and have formed the basis of all the histories of the war, the people abroad being thus deluded into the belief that Dodge was the great hero of the war. Henry was lost sight of, and now in some histories, Dodge is spoken of as the commander in that war, thus throwing out of sight both General Henry and Atkinson, as well as General Zachary Taylor, who, as Colonel, commanded the regular forces.

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IHISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

The day after the battle of the Wisconsin, for want of provisions, it was determined to fall back to the Blue Mounds. Here General Henry was joined by General Atkinson and the regu- lars, and General Alexander's and Posey's bri- gades.

After spending two days in preparation the whole force, now under command of General Atkinson, was again on the march in pursuit of the Indians. About ten o'clock the morning of the fourth day after crossing the Wisconsin, General Atkinson's advance reached the bluffs on the east side of the Mississippi. The Indians had reached the bank of the river some time before. Some had crossed, and others were making preparations to cross it. The steamboat Warrior, Captain Throckmorton, descended to the place the day before. As the steamboat neared the camp of the Indians, they raised a white flag, but Captain Throckmorton, believing this to be treacherously intended, ordered them to send a boat on board, which they declined doing. Allowing them fifteen minutes time in which to remove their squaws and children, he fired upon them with a six-pounder, and contin- ned the " fight" about one hour, with a loss to the Indians of twenty-three killed and a large number wounded. The boat then fell down the river to Prairie DuChien, and before it could return the next morning, the land forces, under General Atkinson, had come up and commenced a general battle.

The Indians were encamped on the banks of the Mississippi, some distance below the mouth of Bad-Axe river. Being aware that General Atkinson was in close pursnit, and to gain time for crossing into the Indian country, west of the Mississippi, they sent back about twenty men to meet him, with instructions to commence an at- tack, and then to retreat to the river, three miles above this camp. Accordingly, when General Atkinson came within three or four miles of the river, he was suddenly fired upon from behind trees and logs, the very tall grass aiding the con- cealment of the attacking party. General At- kinson rode immediately to the scene of action, and in person formed his lines and directed a charge. The Indians gave way, and were pur- sued by General Atkinson and all the army, ex- cept Henry's brigade, which was in the rear, and in the hurry of pursuit left without orders. When Henry came up to the place where the attack had been made, he saw clearly that the wily stratagem of the untutored savage had tri- umphed over the science of a veteran General. The main trail of the Indians was plainly to be

seen leading to the river lower down. He called a hasty council of his principal officers, and by their advice, marched right forward upon the main trail. At the foot of the high bluff bor- dering the river valley, on the edge of a swamp, densely covered with timber, driftwood and un- derbrush, through which the trail led fresh and broad, he halted his command and left his horses. The men were formed on foot and thus advanc- ed to the attack. They were preceded by an ad- vance guard of eight men, who were sent for- ward as a forlorn hope, and were intended to draw the first fire of the Indians, and to disclose thereby to the main body where the enemy was to be found, preparatory to a general charge. These eight men boldly advanced some distance, until they came within sight of the river, where they were fired upon by about fifty Indians, and five of the eight instantly fell dead or wounded. The other three, protected behind trees, stood their ground until the arrival of the main body under General Henry, which deployed to the right and left from the centre. Immediately the bugle sounded a charge, every man rushed for- ward, and the battle became general along the whole line. These fifty Indians had retreated upon the main body, amounting to about three hundred warriors, a force equal, if not superior, to those contending against them. It was soon apparent that they had been taken by surprise. They fought bravely and desperately, but seem- ed without any plan or concert of action. The bugle again sounded a charge. The Indians were driven from tree to tree, and from one hid- ing place to another. In this manner they receded step by step, driven by the advancing foe, until they reached the bank of the river. Here a desperate struggle ensued, but it was of short duration. The bloody bayonet, in the hands of excited and daring men, drove them into the river, some of them trying to swim it, while others took shelter on a small willow island near the shore.

About this time General Atkinson, with the regulars, and Dodge's battalion, arrived, followed by Posey's and Alexander's men, but the main work had been accomplished before they came up. It had been determined that Henry's men should have no share in this day's glory, but the fates taking advantage of a blunder of General Atkinson, had otherwise directed. After the Indians had retreated into the river and on the island, Henry dispatched Major McConnell to give intelligence of his movements to his com- mander, who, while pursuing twenty Indians in another direction, had heard the firing where

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History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 24

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084