USA > Illinois > McLean County > The good old times in McLean County, Illinois : containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk war and descriptions of all matters of interest relating to McLean County > Part 10
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In speaking of the fight at Stillman's Run, the follies of the volunteers are pointed out without hesitation, because it is nec- essary for us to know the truth of the matter. It would, how- ever, be wrong to give the impression that they were in any respect wanting in courage or good sense, and those who judge harshly of them in all probability would not have done any bet- ter, perhaps not as well. Volunteers who have been but a short time in the field are peculiarly liable to take a panic, although
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they may be possessed of unusual courage and coolness. This was the case at Bull Run, at the opening of the rebellion, yet no one doubts the courage of the troops in that battle. My dear reader, if you had been there, or if you had been at Stillman's Run, you would probably have made as good time as any of them, though you may be as brave as the bravest.
As soon as the Sacs and Foxes were attacked they were a changed race of beings. Before that they had been very quiet, and had done no one any harm. They had not taken the prop- erty of the white settlers, and had behaved themselves much better than could have been expected of savages. But after they were attacked they raised the war-whoop, and it is probable that this is the time to which Black Hawk referred when he said : "I took up the hatchet to revenge injuries which could no longer be borne."
After the fight of Stillman's Run the Indians scattered all over the country, and every settler who had not taken refuge in some well-protected place was killed and scalped and his house burned to the ground. Many of them received timely notice and es- caped. Shaubana, a friendly chief of the Pottawotamies, gave notice to many settlers, and thus saved many lives. Mr. Dixon took occasion to warn as many as possible. The Kellogg and Reid families, of Buffalo Grove, were notified by his exertions. They hastily packed up what things they could and came to Dixon's Ferry. They had only been gone from their homes a few hours when the Indians came there and destroyed what things could not be carried away. They ripped open the feather beds and scattered the feathers in high glee. But there were three families living on Indian Creek, about fifteen miles from Ottawa, which did not soon enough come under protection. They were the Davis, Hall and Pettigrew families. The Indians appeared in the day-time and massacred them in cold blood, taking a sav- age delight in their infernal deeds. They told how,terror-stricken were the women and how they screamed and, as they said "squeaked like geese," when they were massacred. But there were twy young ladies, Rachel and Silvia Hall, who tried to conceal themselves by crawling into bed. They were discov- ered by two young braves, who determined to have them for
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wives. They were aged fifteen and seventeen years respectively and were carried off by the delighted braves.
After this deed the Indians rapidly retreated with their pris- oners, The young ladies were afterwards ransomed for two thousand dollars, paid in trinkets, horses and finery of various kinds. It is said that the Indians exacted by far the largest ran- som for the elder sister, as she was more quiet and gave less trouble ; but they let the younger sister go pretty cheap, as she was so sauey and impudent that she made her captors much . difficulty.
The volunteers for thirty days were mustered out of service on the twenty-eighth of May. They had grown tired of the ser- vice. They thought they would have a play-day, but the war turned out to be a serious business and promised to last for some time. They were mustered out of service at Ottawa, and the most of them returned to their homes. Nevertheless a regiment was raised out of their number, enough enlisting for that pur- pose at the urgent solicitation of Governor Reynolds. Another call was made by the Governor for two thousand men for sixty days, but they did not take the field until the twenty-second of June. In the meantime the regiment raised from those recently discharged, was put in active service. It was commanded by Colonel Jacob Fry, while James D. Henry, who was afterwards General Henry, was made Lieutenant Colonel. General Whiteside, who had commanded the volunteers for thirty days, enlisted as a private. The regiment was divided up for the purpose of pro- tecting as much of the country as possible. In the meantime there were some lively skirmishes with the Indians. One com- pany, commanded by Captain Adam W. Snyder, being fired upon by four Indians, near Burr Oak Grove, drove them into a sink- hole and killed them. The warfare was of the most merciless nature ; no prisoners were taken ; it was simply kill or be killed. Shortly after the Indians were killed in the sink-hole, Captain Snyder's company was suddenly attacked by a force of seventy Indians. The moment was a most trying one, but the men stood it bravely. The Indians pressed their attack, until General Whiteside, who was a splendid marksman, shot the chief who was riding on horseback. This discouraged the Indians, and they retired from the contest.
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But notwithstanding the checks which they received, the In- dians displayed the most astonishing activity. They seemed to be everywhere, and they fought with the greatest fierceness. They threatened Galena, and they attacked or threatened nearly every point between Galena and Ottawa. Two settlers were killed by them on the east bank of the Fox River, within six miles of Ottawa, and another up at Buffalo Grove, in Ogle Coun- ty. Such wonderful activity as they displayed has seldom been shown by the most daring and war-like of savage foes. Every exposed place was attacked. The fort at Apple River was used as a rendezvous for the settlers, and protected a village of miners. It was defended by twenty-five men. Suddenly three men, who started on an express from Galena to Dixon, were fired on near the fort and retreated to it. They were followed by one hundred and fifty Indians commanded by Black Hawk in person. The miners and settlers collected in the fort, which consisted of a stockade of logs, and let their houses go. The Indians imme- diately took possession of the houses, smashed up the furniture, tore open the feather beds, scattered the feathers to the winds and rioted in the work of destruction. Then, using the houses for protection, they, for fifteen hours, kept up a keen fire on the fort. But, as it became clear that the fort could never be cap- tured, they retired.
The activity and fierceness of the Sacs and Foxes seemed to show that they were wrought up to a pitch of frenzy. Mr. St. Vrain, the Indian agent, had been on terms of intimate friend- ship with one of the chiefs of the Sacs and Foxes, called Little Bear. Indeed he had been adopted by Little Bear as a brother. Mr. St. Vrain was sent with a small party of men to Fort Arm- strong, and on his way there he met Little Bear with a party of Indians. Mr. St. Vrain, not thinking that any harm would be done to him by Little Bear, by whom he had been adopted as a brother, approached without fear. But he and his party were immediately scalped. The very ties of brotherhood counted for nothing among the infuriated savages. Every place in the country was either attacked or threatened. Galena was at one time in some danger, but Colonel Strode, the humorous soldier at Stillman's Run, prepared thoroughly for its defense. He de-
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clared martial law and pressed every man into the ranks at the point of the bayonet, and the attack was not made.
But the volunteers had by this time learned some of the arts of Indian warefare, and they fought quite as desperately as the Sacs and Foxes. Captain James W. Stephenson, of Galena, with a small portion of his company attacked a party of Indians, whom he discovered in a thicket on the prairie. He charged upon them again and again, and even penetrated the thicket, but having half a dozen or more men killed, and being himself se- verely wounded, he was obliged to retreat.
A party of eleven Indians fired upon some whites near Fort Hamilton, up in the lead mines. General Dodge, of Wisconsin, collected a party of whites and went after them in hot pursuit. His little command came up with the Indians on the bank of the Pecatonica River, and killed every one of them. Not one was left to carry the news to Black Hawk. The loss of the whites was one man wounded severely and three mortally.
But by this time (20th of June) the volunteers for sixty days were in the field. They had rendezvoused at Fort Wilburn, near LaSalle, and amounted to three thousand two hundred men, exclusive of the regular troops. They were divided into three brigades, commanded by Alexander Posey, Milton K. Alexander and James D. Henry. General Atkinson, of the regular army, commanded the entire force of volunteers and regulars. The ball was opened by Major John Dement, who commanded a spy bat- talion. He was ordered to push ahead while the army should follow and make its headquarters at Dixon's Ferry. When he came to Dixon's Ferry his men displayed some of that ineffable greenness for which the volunteers in those days were distin- guished, before they had seen service. One of the volunteers, a long-legged, awkward looking gentleman, rode up to Mr. John Dixon and asked in a voice rich with concentrated greenness :
"Where's y' Injins ? If you want y' Injins killed, fetch 'em On!"
Ile soon had all the fighting his heart could wish, for Major Dement crossed Rock River and pushed on to Kellogg's Grove, where he was attacked by the Indians under Black Hawk, fresh from the Apple River fort. The circumstances were these. Major Dement learned that the trail of a large party of Indians
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was discovered near Kellogg's Grove, and he immediately started for it. He took twenty men and with them kept in advance of his command. Pretty soon they came upon a few Indians who rapidly retreated. This excited the little squad of inexperienced volunteers, and they pursued the Indians as the hunter pursues the game. But Major Dement was collected and cautious, and made every effort to restrain his men. They chased the Indians about a mile on the prairie, and when they came near the grove the Major's little squad, which was slightly reinforced, was at- tacked by a large body of Indians under Black Hawk. Dement retreated slowly to his camp, while the Indians came yelling like fiends. The volunteers took refuge in some log houses near by, and were able to successfully repel the attack. The battle raged fiercely, the Indians being determined to dislodge the whites from their strong position. It seemed as if the In- dians could not bear to give the matter up, but they were finally forced to do so, as the volunteers were so well protected. The loss of the whites were five killed and three wounded, while that of the Indians was nine killed and left on the field; and it is supposed many others were killed and carried away.
While Major Dement was contending with the Indians, Gen- eral Atkinson brought up the army to Dixon and made his head- quarters there. When he learned the result of the fight at Kel- logg's Grove, he sent General Alexander to the mouth of Plumb River, to guard against the possibility of the Indians crossing the Mississippi, for it was determined to capture them and not to allow one of them to get away. But if General Atkinson could have known the fatiguing marches which he afterwards was obliged to make, and the great difficulty of capturing a band of the most fierce and active Indians in America, he would have been perfectly willing to let them go on any terms. After remaining two days in Dixon, General Atkinson started with his army northward to the Four Lakes in Wisconsin, having heard that Black Hawk was there fortified, and that he had deter- mined to risk the whole campaign on a single battle. But when General Atkinson arrived there he found that the Indians had vanished.
It would be a tiresome task to relate all of the fatiguing marches made in search of the wily Black Hawk. The volun-
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teers for sixty days had, as usual, enlisted with no expectation of hardship. When the campaign opened there were three thousand two hundred volunteers in the field and four hundred and fifty regulars. But, after eight weeks of campaigning which consisted of tiresome marches, to find the ever absent Black Hawk, there were left not more than half of the volun- teers, although the regulars had not lost one of their number. What was the reason of this? It is not pleasant to write it, but the truth must be told. A great many volunteers took French leave-they went away without saying " good-bye "-they de- serted. The volunteers made sometimes short, quick marches, and sometimes long, continued travels ; at one time they were obliged to go fifty miles in one day. Sometimes they had plenty to eat and sometimes they were nearly starved. The re- sult was that about one-half of their number gradually dropped off without permission and returned to "home, sweet home."
There is very little doubt that while the volunteers were hunting for Black Hawk, that wily chieftain was posted with re- gard to their movements. It was a game of "blind man's buff" with our army to represent the blind man.
When General Atkinson found no enemy at the Four Lakes he went to Turtle Village, on Rock River, but Black Hawk was not there. He then went to Lake Kushkanong, and his army was kept continually on the alert by all kinds of false alarms, but the Sacs and Foxes were not to be found. He then went to Burnt Village, on the White Water River, but the ever vanish- ing Black Hawk was not there. At this point the brigade of General Posey joined them. This brigade had been separated from the army ever since the fight at Kellogg's Grove. The army was also reinforced by a battalion of troops under Major Dodge of Wisconsin. It was now strong enough to wipe Black Hawk's band out of existence, if it could only be found. At the Burnt Village it was thought that at last they had the trail of Black Hawk, but the army was, after some troublesome in- vestigation, found to be on the wrong track.
General Atkinson then sent General Posey with his brigade to Fort Hamilton, in the mining country, to protect the settlers, while General Alexander, General Henry and Major Dodge were sent to Fort Winnebago to procure supplies. General Atkinson, 8
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with the regular troops, fell back to Lake Kushkanong, where he built a fort and waited for supplies.
And now was found by an accident, as it were, the trail of Black Hawk's band. The troops, which were sent to Fort Win- nebago for supplies, reached that place, eighty miles distant, in three days. Here they learned from some Winnebago chiefs that Black Hawk and his band were at Manitou village on Rock River. General Alexander, General Henry and Major Dodge immediately held a council, and agreed to violate orders and march upon the Indians. When this resolution was communi- cated to the men they determined not to go, and some of them seemed resolved on open mutiny. But all except Alexander's brigade yielded to General Henry's vigorous measures.
Alexander's brigade was sent back to General Atkinson, while the troops under General Henry and Major Dodge went after the Indians. They threw aside all their heavy baggage. Some of them had horses and some had not. Those who were obliged to walk made their loads as light as possible. Then they started on their race, and it was a lively one. They marched to Rock River in three days, but learned that the In- dians were also doing their best to make time, and were en- camped at Cranberry Lake, farther up the river. The army had now a clear trail to follow, and they marched with astonishing celerity ; it is said that in one day they traveled fifty miles. Sometimes the men on foot were almost pressed into a run. As they drew nearer to the Indians they saw by unmistakable signs that the Sacs and Foxes were also marching with the greatest speed. The Indians threw away all articles which impeded their flight. Their camp kettles and articles of various kinds were strewn along the trail. At noon on the seventh day of their march the advance guard of the whites came upon two Indians and killed them. Then they occasionally met a few Indians who guarded the rear of the band. A little skir- mishing would follow for the purpose of gaining time for the Indians : but the whites pressed on without giving them time to breathe.
Suddenly, when they came near the heights of the Wiscon - sin River, the advance gnard of the whites, commanded by Ma- jor Ewing and Major Dodge was fired upon by the Indians. The
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advance guard immediately dismounted and formed in line. The main body, under General Henry, soou came up, and hav- ing formed into line, the whole army charged without delay. The Indians fought fiercely, but they were driven back, some of them down a hollow to the river bottom and some along the heights of the Wisconsin, until gradually they came down to the river. The grass in the river bottom rose very high and the ground was swampy. The Indians concealed themselves in the grass and, as night was coming on, the contest ceased. The next morning it was found that the Indians had crossed the river.
The losses in this contest, according to Ford's History of Illinois, were, for the whites one man killed and eight wounded, while the Indians lost sixty-eight dead on the field and probably many wounded who escaped. The same authority says twenty- five Indians wounded in this battle died on their way to the Mississippi River. Such extraordinary figures should be re- ceived with some caution. The explanation given in Ford's History is that the Indians were taught to fire high, expecting to shoot at men on horseback.
But, be this as it may, the whole affair reflected great credit on the volunteers. They had made a most extraordinary forced march, and had shown that, notwithstanding their freaks and their shortcomings at the opening of the campaign, they could, when it became necessary, march longer and farther, and fight as hard as the soldiers of the regular army.
Some controversy has been occasioned by the various ad- mirers of General Henry of Illinois, and Major Dodge of Wis- consin as to which of these officers deserved the greatest credit for the victory at Wisconsin Heights. This controversy has oc- casioned an unpleasant feeling which lasts to the present time. As nearly as can be ascertained they were both men of remark- able merit. They were both men of the very best judgment, and of great executive ability. From all that can be learned, General Henry must receive the credit of going on the expedi- tion, for had it not been for his determination the revolt of the volunteers would have been successful and they would never have started on their race. They were both men of cool judg- ment and displayed great ability on the field of battle ; but as
-
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to their merit, it is not in the power of the author to decide be- tween them.
After the fight at Wisconsin Heights General Henry's army was without provisions, and he had eight wounded men to take care of. Under these circumstances he fell back to Blue Mounds where he met General Atkinson with the regulars and with the brigades commanded by Alexander and Posey. After two days of preparation the army started on its march for the Indians. The latter had started for the Mississippi River, which they were anxious to cross in order to protect themselves from the perse- vering attacks of the whites. The Indians were now in a starving condition. They had with them their squaws and pappooses; they had for some time been traveling through a wild country where they could obtain very little to eat. They were, therefore, unable to march very fast, and by the time they had reached the Mississippi River the whites were close after them. The whites reached the Mississippi on the fourth day of their march from the Blue Mounds. The soldiers had been excited by seeing along the trail the various articles abandoned by the Indians in order that the latter might accelerate their flight. Many of their wounded in the last battle had died along the route. All of these things encouraged the men and they hastened on to the closing battle of the campaign. The Indians had reached the Mississippi River about forty miles above the present city of Prairie du Chien and some two or three miles below the mouth of the Bad Axe River. As soon as they reached the river they began to cross, some swimming and some crossing in canoes.
On the day of their arrival a steamboat came up from Prairie du Chien, commanded by a certain Captain Throckmorton. When the Indians saw the steamboat, they raised a white flag. But Captain Throckmorton said he thought this was an exhibi- tion of their treachery, and hallooed to them to "send a boat aboard," evidently expecting that the Sacs and Foxes understood English and were versed in the slang of steamboat captains. As the Indians did nothing but display their white flag the captain opened on them with canister shot and musketry, and Ford's History says that twenty-three Indians were killed by this "fight." But how the number killed in this affair was ever as- certained, does not appear. Captain Throckmorton, while
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boasting of the "fight," said : "If you ever saw straight blankets, you could have scen them there."
The next day the army of General Atkinson came on. It was met some three or four miles from the Indian camp by a party of about twenty Indians commanded by Black Hawk. Black Hawk's design was to make a little stand with this small band and retreat in a different direction from the Indian camp and thus mislead the whites and give the Indians time to cross the river. But the little stratagem was not successful. The Indian trail was a little too clear, and the whites followed it up and charged upon the half-starved remnant of Indians who had not yet crossed the Mississippi. Of course their charge was success- ful for the Indians could not hope to seriously oppose them, and the little half-starved band, which was anxious to surrender, was mercilessly driven into the river with their squaws and pap- pooses. Some of them succeeded in swimming across, some were drowned and some were shot in the water.
There was a strange little incident connected with this fight. It is given here on the authority of the old pioneer, John Dixon, who was present :
Not far from where the contest was raging was a little willow island, separated from the shore by a few rods of water. A company of regulars, commanded by Captain Reilly, was or- dered to cross over and occupy the island. Ford's History says they were driven back by the severe fire of the Indians. The circumstances were precisely these : The company of regulars charged into the water, when one of their number was shot down. They turned back, leaving the poor fellow floundering. Two soldiers then sprang into the water to bring him out, and one of them was shot through the head and killed instantly. Others then jumped into the water for the purpose of bringing both men out, when still a third was shot down. The soldiers then kept out of the water altogether. In the meantime they caught sight of a colored object on the island and fired at it volley after volley. The next day a small party, among whom was Mr. John Dixon, crossed over to the island to see how large a force of Indians had been there. They found that the island had only been occupied by one Indian, with his squaw and little pappoose. The colored object which drew the fire of the regu-
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lars was a blanket hung up for that purpose; it was shot into shreds! The Indian had escaped ; the squaw was dead, being shot through the breast; the little pappoose was alive, but his arm had been broken by the shot which killed his mother. The little fellow was tenderly cared for at the hospital, but he died shortly afterwards. The Indian who escaped from the island swam the Mississippi on a little log. He was tracked up by a party of Winnebago Indians and soldiers, who found where he landed with his log. They followed his trail for some distance when one of the Indians saw him in a tree-top. They fired a volley at him, and the poor fellow came tumbling down-dead.
The old jealousy between the admirers of General Henry and those of Major Dodge has made it difficult to learn the truth with regard to the battle of Bad Axe. Ford's "History of Illinois" says that the regulars and volunteers commanded by Major Dodge were led astray by the little party of Indians which met the army three or four miles from the scene of the fight; and it says that General Henry, who was jealously placed in the rear with his brigade, came up, and seeing the mistake of those who were in the lead, followed the main trail of the Indians and charged them into the Mississippi. It says further that Henry's brigade did the most of the fighting, and that General Henry was the hero of the battle.
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