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 9
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Lafayette, where it connects with the main line of the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway. The amount of the first and only mortgage is $1,300,000. The road is leased perpetually to the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway Company, the latter assum- ing to pay the interest on the mortgage debt, to pay all taxes assessed against the road and to keep the road in repair. After these disbursements, the surplus of the net earnings, if any, are to be divided upon the 'stock of the company. The road was substantially completed January 1, 1872, and the Toledo, Wa- bash & Western Company commeneed running trains at that time. This, like all railroads, began with the people without the aid of large capital, and this enterprise struggled long and hard for success. Its final completion was a matter of just pride and satisfaction to those engaged in its management.
THE BLACK HAWK WAR.
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The hero of the Black Hawk War was Black Hawk, whose Indian name was Mucatah Muhicatah. He was an old chief of the Sacs, who had united with the Foxes, forming a single na- tion. He was born in a Sac village in 1767. His personal appearance was not at first sight prepossessing. He was small of stature, but he was finely formed, and his eyes were bright and intelligent. He had a quick sense of propriety, and his manners were dignified and graceful. He had a lively sense of honor, and was remarkable for his uprightness and fair dealing. He was very active and loved the war-path. Nature made him a nobleman, and gave him that spirit of chivalry, which has been celebrated in poetry and song. He was a kind and affectionate father, and Ford's "History of Illinois" tells us that he went every year to visit the grave of his daughter at Oquaka. Black Hawk was a good deal of a diplomatist, too, he would say the right thing at the right time, and he gained the good will of all with whom he came in contact. Let it not be supposed that this picture of Black Hawk is overdrawn. He was indeed a remark- able genius, and had he been born in happier days and a member of a civilized race, his talents would have made for him a grander name. He gained a remarkable ascendeney over the fiery, war- like portion of the Sacs and Foxes, and was the leader of that portion of them called the British Band. He was very proud and sensitive, and his feelings were outraged as he saw the In- dians steadily crowded westward before the advancing whites. He did what he could to oppose it, and, during the war of 1812, he fought against the Americans under the eye of Tecumseh. He saw his followers defeated at Tippecanoe under the Prophet,
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and Tecumseh slain at the battle of the Thames. He was at the attack on Fort Madison, at the River Raisin, at the attack on Fort Stephenson on the Lower Sandusky. He kept up some sort of connection with the British in Canada, and cherished the hope of being yet able to stop the westward march of the whites.
In 1804 some kind of a treaty had been made between the whites and the Saes and Foxes, by which the latter ceded the whites all their lands lying east of the Mississippi. What this treaty was it is hardly possible to ascertain very definitely. Black Hawk complained that it was made without proper author- ity by the chiefs of the nation, and that the nation had never been consulted in the matter. In making an Indian treaty it has never been very easy to learn who were the parties author- ized to sign and enforce it. The whites have unfortunately shown more anxiety to make a treaty advantageous to them- selves and "get the best end of the bargain," than to make it with the proper parties in a fair and equitable manner.
In the spring of 1831, as the country began to be settled, the whites commenced to occupy the lands situated in the vicinity of Rock Island, acquired by treaty from the Sacs and Foxes. Many of the Indians then removed to the western bank of the Mississippi River, in accordance with the order of government issued to that effect. But the anger of Black Hawk was aroused. He collected a force of Indians, crossed over to Rock Island and ordered the settlers to leave the country. He unroofed some of their houses, and his followers committed other depredations. When Governor Reynolds learned of this he reported the matter to General Gaines, of the United States army, and General Clark, superintendent of Indian Affairs. General Gaines with some regular soldiers proceeded to Rock Island, but without taking further steps, called upon Governor Reynolds for seven hundred mounted volunteers. The Governor issued the call and about fifteen hundred volunteers responded. By the tenth of June, 1831, they were organized at Beardstown, and within four days had marched to the Mississippi River, where they met Gen- eral Gaines about eight miles below the mouth of Rock River. The next day they marched to Vandruff's Island at the mouth of Rock River, expecting to find the Indians there to decide who should be master of the situation. But an Indian is never where
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he is expected to be. After beating around the island for some time they learned that Black Hawk and his band had crossed to the western bank of the Mississippi. The volunteers were dis- appointed, as some of them were "spoiling for a fight" or pre- tended to be. It was then necessary for them to perform some signal act of gallantry before going back to their wives and sweet- hearts. They could not go home and tell the lovely maidens, who were waiting for them, that they had simply done as did a certain king of France, who "marched up the hill and then marched down again." Opposite Vandruff's Island stood the village of the Sacs and Foxes, lonely and deserted. The volunteers crossed over to it, set fire to the wigwamns and reduced the village to ashes. This wanton act of barbarity was no doubt performed for the double purpose of Christianizing the Indians and of giving a splendid exhibition of the bravery of the volunteers! Ford's Ilistory, while speaking of it, says :
" Thus perished an ancient village, which had once been the delightful home of six or seven thousand Indians; where gener- ation after generation had been born, had died and been buried ; where the old men had taught wisdom to the young ; whence the Indian youth had often gone out in parties to hunt or to war and returned in triumph to dance around the spoils of the forest, or the scalps of their enemies ; and where the dark-eyed Indian maidens, by their presence and charms, had made it a scene of delightful enchantment to many an admiring warrior."
The next day the volunteers marched to Rock Island. Gen- eral Gaines threatened to cross the Mississippi and continue the war. When Black Hawk heard this he made peace and agreed never again to cross the Mississippi without permission from the "Great Father at Washington."
During the following year some Indians belonging to the Pottawotamies, living near Lake Kushkanong in Wisconsin moved across the Mississippi. When they went they gave per- mission to Black Hawk and his followers to take possession of their old hunting grounds. Such at least was the claim made by Black Hawk and the Indians under his command. This offer threw the Sacs and Foxes into commotion. Some were anxious to go, while some remembered the power of the whites and the
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agreement never to cross the Mississippi. Keokuk, the leading chief of the nation, headed the party of peace, and used all of his eloquence to restrain his tribe. But Black Hawk favored the measure, and urged it with all his power. He collected a band of about seven hundred warriors, composed of Sacs and Foxes with a few Pottawotamies and Kickapoos ; and these with their squaws and pappooses started on their adventurous journey. When this was made known to Governor Reynolds he called for a thousand mounted volunteers immediately, and the United States government also raised troops. Eighteen hundred vol- unteers responded to the call of Governor Reynolds, and by the twenty-seventh of April, 1832, were on the march.
Black Hawk with his band had proceeded up the Rock River valley very quietly. They had done no harm to the whites, and no one was afraid of their committing depredations. When they came to Dixon's Ferry the chiefs of the band, who were Black Hawk, Wishick and Naapape, and also Old Crane, a chief of the Winnebagoes, went to the house of the old pioneer, John Dixon, and were by him very hospitably entertained. He de- seribes Black Hawk as a very inferior looking man in stature, but with a very expressive countenance. He speaks of Wishick as a man of commanding disposition, very stern and very per- emptory. He says that when the Sacs and Foxes first came they filled his house full, and his wife was in great fear. Old Crane, a chief of the Winnebagoes, spoke to Wishick, who immedi- ately ordered the Indians to puckachee (depart), which they did immediately.
Before the Indians came, Mr. Dixon had been in consulta- tion with General Atkinson with reference to them, and was re- quested to ascertain their numbers. He estimated their force to amount to six hundred warriors. Other accounts place their number at seven hundred.
The Sacs and Foxes proceeded up Rock River, about forty miles from Dixon's Ferry, to the mouth of the Kishwaukee River (called by some Sycamore), where they temporarily fixed their camp. The volunteers under the command of General Samuel Whiteside had in the mean time been coming up to the scene of action. They marched up to the mouth of Rock River and there met, General Atkinson, who commanded the regulars.
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A part of the volunteers started up Rock River, having orders to stop at Prophetstown, about fifty miles distant. There they awaited the arrival of General Atkinson with his regulars, who were to bring provisions up the river in boats. But when the volunteers came to the Indian village of Prophetstown they acted with that folly which is characteristic of men who have been but a few days in the field, and who are imperfectly con- trolled by their officers. They burned the Indian village and proceeded on their march withont waiting for the regulars, of whom they contracted a jealousy which continued during the whole of the campaign. In order to march easily they left their baggage and a large quantity of provisions at Prophetstown. They afterwards felt the result of their folly when they had lived for three days on coffee and parched corn. The trouble with the volunteers was that they had been but a short time in the field, and their officers were in many cases men who after- wards expected to exert some political influence. The result was that the officers were to some extent commanded by the privates, and the army was liable to be governed by any whim which might overtake it. When the army arrived at Dixon it found there two battalions of mounted volunteers, numbering about two hundred and seventy-five men. The men had collected from McLean, Tazewell, Peoria and Fulton Counties, and were commanded by Majors Stillman and Bailey.
By this time the regulars under General Atkinson were near Prophetstown, and were coming up with boats filled with provisions. Their steady, careful movements made the volun- teers very impatient, and the latter were also exceedingly anxious to obtain the laurels to be won. They were only called out for thirty days, and they expected to wind up the whole matter in that short space of time, very much as our Union army expected at a later day to crush the rebellion within three months. The men under the command of Major Stillman were particularly anxious to "ketch the Indians" before the latter could get away. They said the regulars would come crawling along stuff- ing themselves with beef, and the Indians would never be "ketched." The officers yielded to the impatience and jealousy of the men and requested Governor Reynolds to let them go out and reconnoiter the country and find the Indians. A certain
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Captain Eades from Peoria came up and insisted very strongly that they should be allowed to go. The other captains all vol- unteered, for they wished to be considered very plucky, and the question with them was not whether the matter was prudent and necessary, but whether they dared to go. From all that can be learned, Major Stillman consented to go against his better judg- ment. He asked Mr. John Dixon's opinion and the latter told him very decidedly that the business of "ketching the Indians' would prove very disastrous for a little force of less than three hundred men. Major Stillman then said that as all of his offi- cers and men were determined to go, he must lead them if it cost him his life. Governor Reynolds was very angry at the course taken by the volunteers but reluctantly gave his consent .* Major Stillman's men provided themselves with some whisky, and of course were invincible. They started on the 13th of May, and, according to David Simmons, numbered two hundred and six men. Nothing was heard of them until midnight of the second day. At that time John Dixon was aroused from his slumber by a voice saying :
"Oh, Mr. Dixon, can I lie down here ?"
" Why, what's the matter ?"
" Oh, our folks had a big battle !"
"Are many killed ?"
" Oh, yes !"
" How many ?"
" Oh, I don't know ; it was an awful battle ; I don't know who is killed or who is hurt."
" Did you get whipped ?"
" Oh, yes !"'
James Benson of White Oak Grove says that he was awakened from his slumber by a volunteer, who said that the Indians had crawled on the whites and said " woo, woo," and butchered them all in their camp.
This was the way the volunteers " ketched the Indians." During the remainder of the night and all the next day Major Stillman and his men came straggling into camp. It was at last found that only a few of their number had been killed and sev-
* In his autobiography entitled " My Own Times," Governor Reynolds gener- ously assumes the responsibility for the disaster at Stillman's Run, but the movement was certainly made against his wishes.
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eral wounded. The following are facts, as learned from Thomas O. Rutledge, James Phillips and David Simmons, who partici- pated in the fight.
At noon during the second day, while they were eating din- ner, an alarm was raised by the guard in front, who discovered moccasin tracks. The men gathered up their coffee pots and other utensils and excitedly rode forward a few miles, but found no Indians, though the tracks were fresh. Then they came to a halt. Their baggage wagon came on slowly, loaded with am- munition and whisky. In order to dispense with the wagon, the whisky barrel was broken open and every man took what he wanted. They filled their canteens and bottles and coffee pots, and men rode up and down the line offering everybody a drink. The ammunition was also issued and men filled their powder horns and tied up powder in handkerchiefs. Then they moved forward, from three to five miles, and crossed Old Man's Creek, since called Stillman's Run. It was about thirty-five miles from Dixon. At the point where the volunteers crossed was a bend, concave towards the north. In that bend they stacked their baggage and partly went into camp. The guards, who had been out during the day to the right, left, rear and front, came in. The left guard brought in some Indian ponies, which they had found, and this created quite an excitement. Some of the men began to ride the ponies. Just then ten or a dozen Indians appeared on a hill a quarter or half a mile distant. The officers and men inquired who they were, and some thought they were the advanced guard. David Simmons said to Still- man : "No, the advanced guard came in some time ago, Gen- eral; it's Indians !" The men then commenced saddling their horses ; some started immediately, and some went without their saddles. Twenty-five or thirty men and officers with Captain Covel, came up to where the Indians had been. All of the lat- ter had retreated except two, who claimed to be Pottawotamies. The men chased the retreating Indians and killed one. The two Indians, who refused to run, were brought into camp. They each said : "Me good Pottawotamie," but pointed over the hill and said, " Heap of Sac." Captain Covel, returning, said : " It's all nonsense, they're friendly Indians." The two captured Indians then proposed to trade for a gun belonging to David
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Alexander from Pekin. While they were poking their fingers into the barrel some of the men who chased the retreating In- dians into Black Hawk's camp on the Kishwaukee, returned and said : " Parade, parade." They declared that the Indians were thick over the hill. The men were formed and moved for- ward. Before going far an Indian prisoner was brought in from the party in the advance and sent to the rear. The men moved on and made a halt near a slough. Here the officers went ahead, and Thomas O. Rutledge says some kind of a parley was held with the Indians. The latter swung a red flag in defiance. Gen- eral Gridley, who was then lieutenant, came back with orders to march forward. Captain Eades of Peoria came riding back, and said he was not easily fooled, that there were not less than a thousand Indians coming. The men were then marched back in some confusion across the slough to high ground. There they formed, or tried to form, but were in bad order. The In- dians then poured out of the timber to the front, right and left, and Mr. Simmons said it reminded him of the pigeons in In- diana flying over one another and picking up mast. Both par- ties commenced firing. But the whites were in such bad order that those in the rear were in danger of shooting those in front. The Indians came on whooping, yelling and firing, and the horses of the volunteers began to prance about. The Indians circled around on both sides, and Mr. Rutledge thinks they came clear to the rear. Major Stillman ordered his men to mount and retreat, and form a line across the creek, and also told them to break the line of the Indians on the left. Mr. Rutledge says : "Right there was confusion. We did not go to the right or the left, but right square for home !" When they ar- rived at the creek (Stillman's Run) Captain Covel tried to form a line on the north side, but an order was given to cross it and form a line on the south side. Here the Indian prisoners began to whoop, in answer to their friends, and the guard was ordered to shoot them, and it did so immediately. The whites plunged through the mud and water of the creek and tried to form a line on the south side. The Indians came up close and both parties were firing. But the whites kept breaking away to the rear. Some were calling " halt and fight." Those who had lost their horses said: "For God's sake, don't leave us." Mr.
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Phillips particularly remembers Captain Adams, who called out continually, " Damn it, stop and fight." But in a moment an order was given to retreat to Dixon, and it was obeyed imme- diately. A few of the Indians followed the volunteers across the creek, but the most of them stopped to plunder the bag- gage, which had been piled up so convenient for them. The whites ran, every man for himself, to Dixon's Ferry. They lost but few men in the fight and retreat. Joseph Draper was shot when the two lines met in the retreat, but in the dusk of the evening he crawled away and lived some days afterwards, and when his body was found he had marked his adventures and wanderings on his canteen. Andrew Dickey was shot at the creek through the thigh, but crawled under the bank and es- caped. Mr. Hackelton who was also wounded, hid under the bank. Captain Adams had his horse shot from under him when the retreat commenced, but he ran back, crossed the creek and went three-quarters of a mile towards Dixon's Ferry, when he was overtaken by the Indians and killed, but succeeded in killing one or two of the Indians who followed him; Major Perkins was overtaken and killed about a mile and a half from the creek. He was probably delayed while crossing it. James Doty of Peoria was also killed. The loss of the whites, according to Ford's History of Illinois, was eleven, but James Phillips says it was thirteen. Seven of the Indians were buried, and their loss may have amounted to more.
A great deal of fun was made of Stillman's men by their friends who had been wise enough to remain behind. Some of the gentlemen who had run so fast were very angry, while some took it in good part. Colonel Strode (an old militia colonel) created a great deal of amusement by his humorous accounts of the fight. He said that the Indians formed in solid columns, and that their flanks extended to a long distance on both sides of Major Stillman's command. Suddenly the flanks of the In- dians began to close in on Major Stillman's men like a pair of scissors, and the whites turned and ran for their lives, and Col- onel Strode followed suit. He said he was none too quick, for as the flanks of the Indians came together they just grazed the tail of his horse, but he escaped ! He told a great many humorous stories, and one of his accounts is given in Ford's History of Illinois, as follows :
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" Sirs, our detachment was encamped amongst some scatter- ing timber on the north side of Old Man's Creek, with the prairie from the north gently sloping down to our encampment. It was just after twilight, in the glooming of the evening, when we dis- covered Black Hawk's army coming down upon us in solid column ; they displayed in the form of a crescent upon the brow of the prairie, and such accuracy and precision of military movements were never witnessed by man; they were equal to the best troops of Wellington in Spain. I have said that the Indians came down in solid column, and displayed in the form of a crescent; and what was most wonderful, there were large squares of cavalry resting upon the points of the curve, which squares were supported again by other columns fifteen deep, ex- tending back through the woods and over a swamp three-quarters of a mile, which again rested upon the main body of Black Hawk's army bivouaced upon the banks of the Kishwaukee. It was a terrible and a glorious sight to see the tawny warriors as they rode along our flanks, attempting to outflank us, with the glittering moonbeams glistening from their polished blades and burnished spears. It was a sight well calculated to strike con- sternation into the stoutest and boldest heart, and accordingly our men soon began to break in small squads for tall timber. In a little time the rout became general, the Indians were upon our flanks, and threatened the destruction of the entire detachment. About this time Major Stillman, Colonel Stephenson, Major Per- kins, Captain Adams, Mr. Hackelton, and myself, with some others, threw ourselves into the rear to rally fugitives and pro- tect the retreat. But in a short time all my companions fell, bravely fighting hand to hand with the savage enemy, and I alone was left upon the field of battle. About this time I dis- covered, 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 pos- ture, upon the mane of my horse, so as to bring the heads of the horsemen between my eye and the horizon, I discovered 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 former position, where I remained some time meditating what
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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 example of my companions in arms, and broke for tall timber, and the way I ran, was not a little, and quit."
"The Colonel was a lawyer, just returning from the circuit, with a slight wardrobe and Chitty's Pleadings packed in his sad- dlebags, all of which were captured by the Indians. He after- wards related with much vexation that Black Hawk had decked himself out in his finery, appearing in the wild woods, among his savage companions, dressed in one of the Colonel's ruffled shirts drawn over his deer-skin leggings, with a volume of Chit- ty's Pleadings under each arm."
A funny story is also told of Colonel Strode. It is said that when he attempted to retreat, as the Indians came charging on, he mounted his horse without untying it from the stump to which it was fastened. As his horse could not move from the spot, he thought, in his excitement, that the stump was an Indian hold- ing the bridle, and he said :
" Don't shoot, Mr. Indian, I am Colonel Strode of the Illinois volunteers, I surrender at discretion!"
While Major Stillman was carrying on his operations, the forces at Dixon's Ferry were increasing. The volunteers came in rapidly, and the quartermaster was obliged to take John Dixon's cattle and hogs to feed them, because by their improvi- dence they were left without anything to eat except corn and coffee. General Whiteside, who commanded the volunteers, after calling a council of war, proceeded to the scene of the late fight, and buried the bodies of the eleven whites, who were slain.
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