USA > Illinois > Ogle County > Sketches of the history of Ogle County, Ill., and the early settlement of the Northwest > Part 6
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39
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Shooting of Durley at Buffalo Grove-Burial of the Dead at Stillman's Run-A new Army Raised.
On the m ruing of the 16th of May, an express party of six men left Galena for Dixon, consisting of John D. Win- ters, (now in California, ) William Dur- ley, Henry J. Morrison, Frederick Stahl, (now a prominent business man in Gale- na, ) Charles R. Bennett and - Smith. On arriving at Buffalo Grove, a consulta- tion was held as to their best route through the timber. Their road lay through the north part, of the grove, but some, who feared an attack by the Indians, advised that they should keep around the skirt of the wood, which made the distance a little greater, but was a route more like- ly to be safe. This advice was overruled, however, and the company proceeded di- rectly on, when, just as they were enter- ing the wood, the Indians fired upon them, and Durley was instantly killed. The rest wheeled their horses and made good their escape. Smith received a ball through his hat, just grazing the top of his head. Durley was buried on the very spot where he fell, and where his grave may still be seen. A little pine stands at the head of the grave ; it still lives- a little shrub, as though it had just been placed there, for in ten years it has not grown an inch. The fence that was first placed around it became old and rot- ten and was fast falling to pieces, when about two years since it was replaced by another much prettier than the first, by the efforts of Mr. Squire Bruce, a resi- dent of Buffalo Grove, who, by circula- ting a subscription, procured the means to rebuild it.
On the 21st of May, the Indians at- tacked Indian Creek settlement, fifteen
miles from Ottawa, and killed fifteen per- sons, and took two young ladies, Silvia and Rachel Hall, prisoners, who were after- wards ransomed by Mr. Gratiot, through the Winnebagoes.
General Whiteside contented himself. on his arrival at Stillman's Run, with burying the dead, placing them in a common grave, on a ridge of land near the Run. He then returned to Dixon, where he met General Atkinson with the regulars. The army now numbered twen- ty-four hundred men; but the volunteers were anxious to be discharged. They were finally marched to Ottawa, where, at their urge it request, Governor Rey- nolds discharged them on the 27th and 28th of May.
Orders had been previously issued for raising two thousand volunteers, who were to meet at Beardstown and Henne- pin. In the meantime a regiment was raised from the volunteers just discharged. and Jacob Fry was elected Colonel, James D. Henry Lieutenant Colonel, and Thom- as Fry Major. General Whiteside vol- unteered as a private. The different con:panies of this regiment were so dis- tributed as to protect all the frontiers. Captain Adam W. Snyder was appointed to guard the country between Rock River and Galena ; "and while he was encamped not far from Burr Oak Grove, on the night of the 17th of June, his company was fired upon by the Indians. The next morning he pursued them, four in num- ber, and drove them into a sink hole. where his company charged on them and killed the whole of the Indians, with the loss of one man mortally wounded. As
40)
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Attack on Capt. Snyder's Party-Murder of St. Vrain-Attack on Apple River Fort-Bravery of the Women.
he returned to his camp, bearing the wounded soldier, the men suffering much from thirst, scattered in search of water, they were sharply attacked by about sev. enty Indians, who had been secretly watching their motions and awaiting a good opportunity." The men were taken by surprise and began a hasty retreat, when Capt. Snyder called upon General Whiteside for assistance in forming the men, who loudly declared that he would shoot the first man who attempted to run. The men were formed into rank, and both parties took position behind trees. Here General Whiteside shot the leader of the Indians, who then began to retreat. As they were never pursued, the Indians' loss was not known; the whites lost two men killed and one wounded."*
On the 15th of June, the new regiment arrived at the appointed places of rendez- vous, and were formed into three brigades, under the command of Gens. Alexander Posey, Milton K. Alexander and James D. Henry.' The whole volunteer force at this time amounted to three thousand two hundred men, besides three compa- nies of rangers. Many of the Pottawato- mies and Winnebagoes, though profess- edly at peace with the whites, were much disposed to join Black Hawk and his par- ty, and it was hoped to overawe them by bringing so large a force into the field.
Before the new army could be brought into effective operation, several murders had been committed by the Indians. Among others, Mr. St. Vrain, the Indian -Agent for the Sacs and Foxes, was mur- dered by a party under the lead of the #Ford's History of Illinois.
chief "Little Bear," who had previously adopted him as a brother, and who treach- erously murdered and scalped him and all but two of his party when they had confi led themselves to his friendship.
In the latter part of the month of June. Black Hawk, with about one hundred and fifty warriors, planned an attack up- on Apple River Fort. As they were ly- ing in wait for an opportunity to make an attack, six men-Fred Dixon, formerly an Indian fighter in Missouri, Wm. Kill- patrick, - Walsh, - Hackelrode and two others-carrying an express from Galena to Dixon passed them, and the Indian sentinel indiscreetly fired at them, wounding Walsh. Dixon immediately jumped his horse over Walsh as the lat- ter lay upon the ground, and charged, sin- gle handed, upon the Indians, at the same time calling to his companions to carry Walsh into the fort. The Indians, sup- posing, from: Dixon's movements, that the main body of the whites were close at hand, momentarily retreated, thus giving Dixon's companions an opportunity to re- tire to the fort, which they did, bearing Walsh with them. The alarm was thu given to the inhabitants in the vicinity. who rushed into the fort, which was im- mediately attacked by the whole of Black Hawk's troop. The fight lasted four or five hours, the whites bravely fighting to the last. The women in the fort dis- played a coolness and courage worthy of the wives and daughters of the pioneers. They run bullets, loaded the guns and assisted the men by every means in their power. Hackelrode, one of the express party who escaped, was standing with his
41
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The Indians attack Major Dement and his Party-A Horse's Aversion to Indians.
back toward one of the port-holes, while Mrs. Armstrong was picking the touch- hole of his gun, and an Indian fired at him and shot him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. The whites finally succeeding in repulsing the Indians, who met with a heavy loss. Dixon's retreat to the fort having been cut off after his charge upon the Indians, he pressed on to Galena, where, however, the news pre- ceded him, being borne there by Charles Bowers, who rode down the hill on the east side of Galena River, screaming, " Indians! Indians!" with all his might; and by the time that he had been ferried across, over an hundred people had col- lected on the levee to hear the news. Col. Strode commanded at Galena, and in the morning marched to the assistance of those in the fort, but did not arrive till the Indians had raised the siege and departed.
Having failed in this attempt, the In- dians determined on their way back to secure a small guard of soldiers who had been left in charge of some military stores at Kellogg's house, in Burr Oak Grove. The guard had been removed before the Indians had reached the house, but Major John Dement (now a well known resident of Dixon) had shortly before come into the neighborhood with the Independent Spy Company attached to the first brigade, and with his com- pany had encamped in Kellogg's honse when the Indians reached there. De- ment was not aware of the presence of the Indians till near morning, when the arrival of Captain Funk and a man named Duval placed him on his guard. Capt.
Funk's horse had a very great aversion to Indians, and would never remain in their presence. Captain Funk command- ed at Scales Mound, and on receiving the news of the attack on Apple River Fort, he started in the direction of Burr Oak Grove with the hope of finding Dement. As the captain and Duval passed a thicket on the north side of the grove, the horse began to manifest the usual signs of the presence of Indians, and Funk was con- vinced that there were some lurking by. As soon as he found Dement, he told the latter his suspicions, and a small par- ty of men were sent to reconnoitre, who soon returned and reported having seen a few Indians on horseback, who retreated on seeing them. When Dement's men heard that there were Indians about, they rushed out pell-mell, and began saddling their horses as best they could ; and some of them came near being captured before they could get their horses, which were pieketed at a considerable distance. Those who pushed forward to the attack upon the Indians were repulsed with considera- ble loss. When the whites returned to the house for shelter, the Indians com- meneed firing on the house, and at the horses which were fastened outside. De- ment and Duval were standing in the door together, when two of the Indians came in sight, and before Duval could draw Dement's attention to them, they fired, one of the bullets whizzing by Du- val's ear and lodging in the timbers of the house, while the other cut Dement's commission, which he carried in the crowni of his hat .*
#History of Stephenson County.
42
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Murder near Fort Hamilton-Brilliant Charge upon the Indians by Gen. Dodge-Gen. Atkinson takes Command.
Shortly after, twe men mounted their horses and galloped to Buffalo Grove for reinforcements. As soon as they were ont of reach, the Indians started for Rock River, doubtless guessing their object.
The whites lost five men in this action, and the Indians left three dead warriors behind them.
About the time of the attack on Apple River Fort, the Indians attacked three men near Fort Hamilton, in the Wiscon- sin lead mines, killing two of them, while the other escaped. Gen. Ilenry Dodge, who chaneed to arrive at the fort soon after, in command of twenty men, started in pursuit, and chased the Indians to Horse Shoe Bend, on the Pecatonica, where they had taken shelter and were awaiting an attack from the whites. Gen. Dodge ordered his men to make a charge, and as they approached the place where the Indians lay, they were fired upon. Without giving them an opportunity to reload, the whites sprang npon the siva- ges, some of whom tried to escape by swimming. Of the eleven Indians who formed the party, not one escaped. Four of the whites were severely wounded at the first fire, three of whom afterwards died from the effects of their wounds, and the other recovered.
them, but was finally compelled to retire with the loss of three men killed, and himself, with several others, severely wounded.
The Indians now held control of the country. Their war parties prowled about every white man's camp from Ga- lena to Chicago, and from the Illinois river to the boundary of Wisconsin. They attacked every white man they came across, and, flushed with their vic- tory, they were prepared for deeper and broader operations. But the position of matters soon changed. On the 20th, 21st and 22d of June. Gen. Atkinson took command of the forces assembled on the Illinois River, and put them in motion. Major Dement, with a battalion of spies, pushed forwar ! and took position at Kellogg's Grove, in the heart of the Indian country. Hearing, on the 20th of June, that the trail of five hundred Indians leading to the south had been seen within a few miles the day before, Major Dement ordered his whole com- mand to be in readiness, while he with twenty men started to gain intelligence of their movements. They had gone but a short distance when they discovered seven Indian spies. Followed soon after by some of the men from the camp, he formed about twenty-five of them in line to protect the retreat of those in pursuit. This had hardly been done when three
About the 18th of June, a lot of horses had been stolen from Apple River Fort ; by the Indians, and Capt. James W. hundred Indians came out to attack them. Stephenson, in honor of whom our sister " Seeing himself in great danger of being county is named, started in pursuit of surrounded, the major slowly retired to them. Ile surrounded them in a small ' his eamp, closely followed by the savages. thicket standing in the midst of a prairie. ; The whole party now took possession of and made three successive charges upon ! some log houses, which served them for a
43
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Movements of the Troops-Arrival at Lake Kuskanong-Progress of the Army-Difficulties of the Service.
fort, where they were vigorously attacked for nearly an hour, when the Indians retreated, leaving nine men dead on te field, and probably five others carried away. The whites had five men killed and three wounded. An express had been sent to Gen. Posey, who arrived with his brigade about two hours after the Indians had gone.
When the news of this action reached Dixon, where all the forces under Gen. Atkinson were assembled, Alexander's brigade was ordered in the direction of Plum river, to intercept the Indians if they attempted to escape by re-crossing the river. Gen. Atkinson, after waiting for two days at Dixon, marched up Rock River, accompanied by Gen. Henry's brigade. Col. Fry and his regiment were sent forward to meet some friendly Potta- watomies.
Black Hawk continued to move up the river, but finding himself closely pursued by the whites, he crossed over to the Wisconsin River. On the 21st of July, a detachment of troops en route for Fort Winnebago to procure supplies, discovered the Indians not far from Blue Mounds, and immediately attacked them, routing them and killing forty or fifty men. The whites had only one man killed and eight wounded.
Gen. Atkinson, having been informed that Black Hawk had fortified himself with his whole force at the four lakes, determined to decide the war by a general battle, and accordingly marched in that direction with as much haste as prudence would admit. On the 30th of June, he encamped at Turtle village, a town of the
Winnebagoes, and encamped about a mile above it. Ile continued the march the next day, and on arriving at Lake Kus- kanong was joined by Gen. Alexander's brigade. The country hereabout was thoroughly examined, and being con- vinced that there were no savages about, the "General marched his whole force up the east side of Rock River, to Burnt Village, another Winnebago town, on Whitewater River, where he was joined by Gen. Posey's brigade and a battalion from Wisconsin under the command of Major Henry Dodge.
The progress of the army, up to this time, had been slow and uncertain. The country was almost an unexplored wil- derness, and there was literally no reliable knowledg: of the country among those composing the army, and the information to be gained from a few Winnebagoes who hung around the camp was delusive. The frequent stoppages whichwere neces- gary in the midst of so much uncertainty only gave the savage; opportunities to elnde their pursuers.
Says Gov. Ford :
"Eight weeks now wasted away in fruitless search for the enemy, and the commanding general seemed further from the attainment of his object than when the second requisition of troops was organized. At that time Posey and Alexander commanded each a thousand men, Henry took the field with twelve hun- elred and sixty-two, and the regular force un- der Col. Taylor, now Major General, amounted to four hundred and fifty more. But by this this time the volunteer force was reduced near- ly one half. Many had entered the service for mere pastime, and a desire to participate in the excellent fun of an Indian campaign.
14
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Destination of the several Brigades-Forced Marches-False Reports-Mutiny among the Troops.
looked upon as a frolic; and certainly but few volunteered with well-defined notions of the fatigues, delays and hardships of an Indian war in an unsettled and unknown country. The tedious marches. exposure to the weather, loss of horses, sickness, forced submission to command, and disgust at the unexpected hard- ships and privations of a soldier's life, pro- duced rapid reductions in the numbers of every regiment. The great distance from the base of operations; the difficulties of transporta- tion either by land or water, making it impos- sible at any time to have more than twelve days' provisions beforehand, still further cur- tailed the power of the commanding general. Such was the wastefulness of the volunteers, that they were frequently one or two days short of provisions before new supplies could be fur- nished.
"At this time there were not more than four days' rations in the hands of the commissary. the enemy might be weeks in advance; the volunteers were fast melting away, but the regular infantry had not lost a man. To coun . teraet these difficulties, General Atkinson found it necessary to disperse his command, for the purpose of procuring supplies."
On the 10th of July, the several brig- ades were appointed to proceed to different destinations-Colonel Ewing's regiment being sent to Dixon as an escort for Capt. Dunn,* who was supposed to be mortally wounded ; Gen. Posey marching to Fort Hamilton, (now Wyota, Wis., ) on the Pecatonica; and Henry, Alexander and Dodge being sent to Fort Winnebago, at the Portage, between the Fox and Wis- cousin rivers; while Gen. Atkinson
* Capt. Dnnn has since been elected a judge in Wisconsin, and in the campaign of 1858 was the Democratic candidate for Member of Congress, against Hon. C. C. Washburne, Re- publican.
himself fell back to Lake Kuskanong, where he built a fort and gave to it the name of the lake, and where he was to remain until the volunteer generals should return with supplies. Henry and Alex- ander reached Fort Winnebago in three days; Dodge preceded them a few hours by making a forced march. Two days were occupied in getting provisions, on the last of which the Winnebago chiefs present reported that Black Hawk and his forces were encamped at the Manitou Village, thirty-five miles above Gen. Atkinson, on Rock River. The com- manding generals determined to violate their orders and march directly upon the enemy with the hope of taking him by surprise, or at least cutting off his further retreat to the north.
When they came to carry out this determination, Gen. Alexander's men mutinied and refused to go on the service, and soon infected Henry's men with the same spirit. All the officers of Col. Fry's regiment, except the Colonel him- self, presented to Gen. Henry a written protest against the projected expedition. The only reply made by the General to this protest was to order the officers un- der arrest for mutiny, and to appoint Col- lins' regiment as a guard to escort them to Gen. Atkinson's camp. This had the effect to bring the protesting officers to terms; they humbly sued for pardon, and were profuse in their promises to return to their duty and never again to be guilty of like conduct. The General forgave them, and they returned to their posts.
On the 15th of July, Gen. Henry start- ed from Fort Winnebago to search for the
45
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
Treachery of the Indian Guides-Main Trail of the Enemy Discovered-The Pursuit.
Indians, accompanied by a half-breed to a close, and the men marched with named Poquette, and the " White Paw- better spirit than usual. In the afternoon nec," a Winnebago chief, as guides. On of the first day, they were overtaken by reaching Rock River, he was informed that Black Hawk was encamped at Cran-
berry Lake, farther up the river. Rely- ing upon this information, Gen. Henry determined to make a forced march in that direction the next morning.
" Doctor Merriman of Springfield, and W. W. Woodbridge of Wisconsin, were dispatched as expresses to General Atkinson. They were accompanied by a chief called Little Thunder, as guide; and having started about dark, and proceeded on their perilous route about eiglit railes to the southwest, they came upon the fresh main trail of the enemy, endeavoring to escape by way of the Four Lakes across the Wisconsin river. At the sight of the trail, the Indian guide was struck with terror, and without permission retreated back to the camp. Merriman and Woodbridge returned also, but not until Little Thunder had announced his discovery in the Indian tongue to his country- men, who were in the very act of making their escape when they were stopped by Major Mur- ray MeConnell, and taken to the tent of Gen. Henry, to whom they confessed that they had come into the camp only to give false informa- tion, and favor the retreat of the Indians ; and then, to make amends for their perfidy, and perhaps, as they were led to believe, avoid in- stant death, they disclosed all they knew of Black Hawk's movements."*
On the morning of the 19th, everything was in readiness at daylight for a forced march. Another express was sent to Gen. Atkinson, and all cumbrous bagg ge was thrown away. The sight of the broad fresh trail inspired every one with the hope that the war would soon be brought
one of those fearful storms so common on the prairie ; but in spite of the pelting rain, the men pushed on, and during the day marched upwards of fifty miles, the officers in many instances dismounting and giving their horses to the men on foot. The storm continued until two o'clock in the morning, the men sleeping upon the muddy earth, covered with water. The rain prevented them building any fire to cook their food, and they made their sup- per and breakfast of some raw meat and some dongh, formed by the flour in their knapsaeks becoming drenched with the rain. The horses fared but little better than the men.
At daylight, on the 20th, the army was again on the march, and after as hard a march as the one of the day previous, they encamped on the banks of one of the four lakes forming the source of the Catfish River, in Wisconsin, and near where the Indians had encamped the pre- vious night. They had now traveled one hundred miles without tasting any cooked food, and when they came to eat their suppers, it was probably with a relish they had never before known. They slept that night on the earth, with only the sky above them, and they slept sound- ly and well. The general expectation was that they would overtake the Indians the next morning, and all were in fine spirits. An alarmu was giving during the night, by one of the sentinels firing at an Indian who was stealthily approach- ing the shore in his; canoe. The whole
*Ford's History of lilinois.
46
HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY.
The Pursuit Continued-Battle of Wisconsin Hights-The Volunteers joined by the Regulars at Blue Mounds.
force were at once under arms, but noth- ing more was discovered.
Early in the morning of the 21st, the march was continued as vigorously as be- fore, the day's march being even harder than any which preceded it. About noon, the men in advance were close upon the rear-guard of the enemy, and the scouts ahead came suddenly upon two Indians and killed one of them as they were at- tempting to escape. By making false stands with a few warriors, as if to bring on a general battle, causing the whites to halt and make preparations to meet them, the Indians gained time to reach the bluffs on the Wisconsin River, by four o'clock in the afternoon. At this time, the ad- vanced guard were fired upon by a body of Indians who had hidden themselves in the high grass. Major Ewing immedi- ately dismounted his battalion and formed them in front, removing their horses to the rear. The Indians kept up their diring from behind the fallen timber. Gen. Henry soon arrived with the main body. when the order of battle was immediately formed. Ewing's battalion and Jones' and Collins' regiments charged upon the Indians, who retreated before them and concentrated their force in front of Major Dxige's battalion. Col. Fry was sent to reinforce Dodge, and a general charge was now vigorously made along the whole line. The Indians stood their ground against Dodge and Fry and their men until they came within bayonet reach, when they fell back to the west and took a new position in the thick timber aud tall grass in the head of a hollow leading to the river bottom. Ewing's battalion
and Collins' and Jones' regiments drove them from their new position and pursued them for some distance; bu. night com- ing on, further pursuit was stopped, and the troops slept upon the battle field. It was ascertained that the Indians left six- ty-eight warriors dead upon the field, be- side a large number wounded, many of whom were afterwards found dead on the trail. The loss of the whites amounted to one man killed and eight wounded.
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