USA > Illinois > Ogle County > The history of Ogle County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest, history of Illinois etc > Part 27
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First Mounted Rangers-J. W. Stephenson, Captain; J. K. Hammett, Alex. Kerr, Lieutenants.
Second Artillery-J. R. B. Gardenier, Captain ; W. Campbell, First Lieutenant.
Independent Company of Galena Volunteer Guards-M. M. Manghs, Captain ; Moses Swan and R. Singleton, Lieutenants.
Captain H. H. Gear's company consists of sixty men. Captain Beedle's company of forty or fifty men. Captain Aldenrath's company, from East Fork, is also in town.
A blockhouse and stockade are built at Apple River (near Elizabeth) and a company of forty-six men organized, commanded by Vance L. Davidson; James Craig and James Temple, Lieutenants.
At White Oak Springs, ten miles from Galena, a stockade was erected, and a company
* A stockade was made by first digging a trench and standing upright in it timbers from six to twelve inches in diameter, from ten to fourteen feet long, and hewed to a point on the top end. These timbers were placed close together, so that when the. trench was filled with earth there would be a solid wooden wall eight to ten feet in height. In the inside a platform was built, on which the inmates could stand to fire over the top, and the walls were also pierced with loop-holes.
+ Col. Strode was said to have been the first man to reach Dixon after Stillman's defeat.
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of seventy organized. Benj. W. Clark, Captain; John R. Shultz, J. B. Woodson, Lieu- tenants.
At the New Diggings, nine miles from Galena, was another company of sixty-nine men under command of L. P. Vosburgh, Captain; P. Carr and H. Cavener, Lieutenants; and at Vinegar Hill a company of fifty-two men was commanded by Captain Jonathan Craig, with Thomas Kilgore and R. C. Bourn, Lieutenants. There was also a large com- pany of nearly one hundred meu at Gratiot's Grove.
The miners and settlers were thus able to protect themselves within a week after the news of Stillman's disaster reached them.
May 21, Indians fired on a Mr. Goss, near the mouth of Plum River.
May 23, Felix St. Vrain, agent for the Saes and Foxes, bearer of dis- patches, left General Atkinson's headquarters, on Rock River, accompanied by John Fowler, Thomas Kenney, William Hale, Aquilla Floyd, Aaron Hawley, and Alexander Higginbotham. At Buffalo Grove they found the body of the lamented Durley, and buried it a rod from the spot where they found it. The next day (24th) they were attacked by a party of thirty Indians near Kellogg's "old place." St. Vrain, Fowler, Hale and Hawley were killed. The other three escaped, and arrived at Galena on the morn- ing of the 26th.
From the time the first volunteers were mustered out by Gov. Rey- nolds, on the 26th or 27th of May, until the new levies were organized, on the 15th of June, numerous murders were committed by the Indians, and the only protection the people had were their own brave hearts and strong arms. The atrocities perpetrated by the Indians upon the bodies of their vietims, aroused the vengeance of the settlers and miners, many of whom had previously felt that the Indians were not so much in fault, and had been needlessly provoked to bloodshed.
On the 30th day of May, 1832, a meeting of the citizens of Galena and vicinity, called by Col. Strode, to consider the perilous situation of the mining district, and devise measures for security and protection, was held at the house of M. & A. C. Swan (standing on the corner of Main and Green Streets, opposite De Soto House). William Smith, Esq., was called to the chair, and Captain James Craig appointed secretary.
On motion of Dr. Meeker, a committee of nine, consisting of Moses Meeker, William Hempstead, Michael Byrne, Robert Graham, Mr. Shears, James Craig, D. R. Davis, Mr. Thomas and David MeNair were appointed to deliberate, and propose such measures as they might think best calculated to secure the object in view. This committee subsequently reported a series of resolutions, that the pieketing and block houses be finished ; that a garrison of 100 to 150 men be detailed, one third to be quartered in the garrison, and the others to be equally divided in the two extremities of the town, independent of the artillery and horse companies; that not less than fifteen men belonging to the artillery company lodge in the block house every night; recommending that two companies be made of Capt. Stephen- son's company, and that they and Capt. Craig's company eleet a major to command the squadron ; that these companies shall be stationed in the vicinity of Galena, and shall keep out a sufficient number of spies or scouts to form a cireuit of from ten to twenty-five miles around Galena, and report every evening; that all persons subject to military duty be immediately enrolled, held in readiness for active service, and to parade with their arms and equipments every evening at four o'clock ; that at least ten days' pro- visions for one thousand men, with fifty barrels of water, be kept constantly in the stockade; that there must be unity of action between the forees
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under Gen. Dodge and the mounted men of the place, and that Dr. A. T. Crow, William Smith, Esq., and James Craig should prepare an address to the citizens of the mining district, in order to remove some existing mis- understanding " between the people of the town and country.
The gentlemen named prepared and published the following :
ADDRESS.
To the Citizens of the Mining District, embracing the County of Jo Daviess, in the State of Illinois, and the Western part of the Territory of Michigan, on the Upper Mississippi:
Inhabiting, as we do, a country isolated from our brethren, both of the State and of the Union, to which we beloug, surrounded by a savage and hostile enemy, who haveraised both the tomahawk and the scalping knife, alike on the defenseless inhabitants, as the sol- dier going forth to battle. Already have we witnessed the fall of a Durley, a St. Vrain, a Hale, a Fowler, and a Hawley, on this side of Rock River, while the scalping knife is still reeking in the blood of our fellow citizens between Rock River and Peoria, and two of our sisters (Sylvia and Rachel Hall) are groaning in captivity amongst a savage enemy-our communication is cut off by laud from the south and east. Prevented by Indian hostility from cultivating our farms and gardens, receiving but little succor from the state to which we belong, or from the general government, receiving but seanty supplies by way of the Mississippi, which must every day become more precarious. Thrown as we are upon our defensive means and resources, let us rally to the standard of our country, and husband with the utmost care the means we can command for our preservatiou aud protection. Our supplies of every kind are principally in this place. Already are our means of security advancing rapidly to a completion, and here will be a place of security for our women and children ; here, also, will be food and raiment for them. It is but too true that some of our citizens have been too remiss in their duty; the flame of patriotism does not burn alike in every bosom ; and the soldier will look with pity, and not with contempt, at his less gifted neighbor. But when common danger threatens, let brethren unite the more closely, and while our enterprising men shall contend with an enemy in the open field, let those who remain at home do their duty in procuring and preparing all the means of defense and preservation in their power.
The time can not be distant when our situation must be known to our brethren abroad, and if we can defend our position but a short time, we may reasonably look for the succor which both the state and general government are bound to give us. Let us do with alacrity the duty assigned to each of us, and forget our little bickerings and jealousies. Let us finish our stockading and block houses. Let us examine the country, watching the approach and movements of any hostile party that may be in our borders; meet and chastise them if we can; and when peace shall again gladden our ears, we will then settle our misunder- standing, if any should then remain.
Signed on behalf of the meeting by
GALENA, May 30, 1832.
A. T. CROW, WM. SMITH, JAMES CRAIG.
On the 6th of June the Galenian says: "The stockade in Galena is nearly done, and those in the country are in a tolerable state of completion." But it is evident, from the above address and from concurrent testimony, that the people did not all rally to the work as earnestly as the commander wished. Perhaps they did not realize that they were in any immediate danger, and they had to attend to their own business affairs. To show them the importance of completing their defenses and of attending to duty, as well as to give the citizens some practice in case the Indians should really make a night attack, some of the officers, including Col. Strode, planned to have a false alarm, by firing the cannon at midnight, the Monday night following the meeting. The date and results of the "scare " are given
* The people of the country coming to Galena for safety were not provided for as they thought they ought to be. The people of the town were all excited, had their own business (the little that remained) to manage, and probably left their country neighbors to take care of themselves. Numbers of them were encamped on the bottom near the river for some time, no provision for them having been made within the stockade. Miners refused to come into town for this reason. They said, "We may as well remain at home as to go to the Point, where no arrangements have heen made for us." A feeling of jealousy or bitterness sprang up in consequence, and to this the committee had reference.
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in a letter from Dr. Newhall to his brother, dated Galena, June 8, 1832, as follows :
The Indian war has assumed an alarming character. On Monday night last (4th) we. had an alarm that the town was attacked. The scene was horrid beyond description; men women and children flying to the stockade. I calculated seven hundred women and chil- dreu were there within fifteen minutes after the alarm gun was fired-some with dresses on, and some with none; some with shoes, and some barefoot; sick persons were transported on other's shoulders; women and children screaming from one end of the town to the other. It was a false alarm. Had there been an Indian attack, I believe the people would have fought well.
Many ludicrous incidents are related of this " big scare," ludicrous afterwards and now, but not then, when all, save a few in the secret, fully believed the Indians were upon them. Among these, it is said that the worthy postmaster didn't stop to put on his trousers, and rushed into the stoekade wrapped in a sheet, calling wildly for some one to bring him a pair of pants. A Mrs. Bennett was already there, making cartridges, and as the P. M. was rushing about for some clothes, she handed him a musket, with the cool remark, " Here, take this gun, and don't be scared to death."
The next day, when the people learned how cruelly their fears had been played upon. their indignation knew no bounds. All business was suspended, Col. Strode and his associates fled the town, an impromptu indignation meeting was held at Swan's tavern, at which strong denuncia- tory resolutions were passed, and a committee appointed to investigate the matter, of which Rivers Cormack, the old Methodist minister, was chair- man. After a few days, popular indignation subsided, and Colonel Strode returned. His motive was good, but the means adopted did not quite meet the approval of the citizens, and the experiment was not repeated .*
In Dr. Newhall's letter of June 8, quoted above, occurs the following :
The Indians have already taken about forty scalps in the whole. News has this day arrived of one more man (Mr. Auberry) having been killed and scalped, near Blue Mound.t
June 8, Captain Stephenson's company of mounted rangers found the bodies of St. Vrain, Hale, Fowler and Hawley, four miles south of Kellogg's Grove, and buried them.
Colonel William S. Hamilton (a son of Alexander Hamilton, who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr) arrived in Galena with two hundred and thirty Indians, mostly Sioux, with some Menominees and Winnebagoes, on the Sth. These Indians left Galena on the 10th, to join General Atkinson at Dixon's Ferry, all anxious to obtain Sac scalps. Black Hawk's band was reported moving slowly northward.
On the night of June S, the Indians stole fourteen horses just outside the stockade on Apple River (Elizabeth), and on the night of the 17th, ten more were stolen. The next morning. Capt. J. W. Stephenson, with twelve of his men and nine from Apple River Fort, started on the trail of the red thieves, and overtook them about twelve miles east of Kellogg's Grove, southeast of Waddam's Grove, and pursued thein several miles, until a little northeast of Waddam's (in Stephenson County), the Indians (seven in num- ber, says Captain Green), took refuge in a dense thieket, and awaited the
* Tuesday night, July 24, a fire broke out in Dr. Crow's stable in the stockade, and two horses were burned. It was said that there was powder stored in the stable, and there was another scare, but this time the stampede was from the stockade. Amos Farrar died at his house in the stockade the same night.
+ At the close of the war, it was discovered that Mr. Auberry was murdered by some Winnebago Indians.
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attack. Stephenson dismounted his men, and, detailing a guard for the horses, led his men in a gallant charge upon the concealed foe, received their fire and returned it, returning to the open prairie to re-load. Three times the brave boys charged upon this fatal thieket, losing a man eael time. Only one Indian was known to be killed. He was bayonetted by Private Hood, and stabbed in the neek by Thomas Sublett. This Indian was scalped several times, and a piece of his scalp-lock is now (1878) in the possession of Wm. H. Snyder, Esq., of Galena. The three men killed were Stephen P. Howard, George Eames and Michael Lovell. Stephenson him- self was wounded. After the third charge, Stephenson retreated, leaving his dead where they fell, and returned to Galena, arriving on the 19th. Of this desperate battle, Gov. Ford says: "This attack of Capt. Stephenson was unsuccessful, and may have been imprudent; but it equalled any thing in modern warfare in daring and desperate courage."
On the evening of June 14, five men, at work in a cornfield at Spaf ford's farm, five miles below Fort Hamilton, on Spafford's Creek, and on the morning of the 16th, Henry Apple, a German, were killed within half a mile of the fort. Gen. Dodge, with twenty-nine men, at once pursued them about three miles, when they were discovered, eleven in number, in open ground, but were not overtaken until they crossed the East Pick-e-ton- e-ka, and entered an almost inpenetrable swamp, at Horse Shoe Bend. At the edge of the swamp, Dodge ordered his men to dismount and link horses. Four men were left in charge of the horses, four were posted around the swamp to prevent the escape of the savages, and the remainder, twenty-one in number, advanced into the swamp about half a mile, where they received the fire of the Indians, and three inen fell severely wounded. Gen. Dodge instantly ordered a charge. The Indians were found lying under the bank of a sloughi, and were not seen until the soldiers were within six or eiglit feet of them, when they fired. The whole hostile party were killed and sealped in one or two minutes, except one who swam the slough in an attempt to escape, and was shot down on the opposite bank. In this battle F. M. Morris and Samuel Wells were mortally, and Samuel Blaek and Thomas Jenkins severely, wounded. This was the first victory achieved over the murderous Saes, and occasioned great rejoicing in the settlements.
On the 20th, Stephenson's and Craig's companies, under command of Col. Strode, went to Waddam's Grove to bury the remains of Howard, Eames and Lovell, which they did, but left the dead Indian above ground. On their return they heard some suspicions sounds, but pushed on in the night to Imus's (in Rush Township) and returned to Galena in safety. Afterwards, says Capt. Green, who was with Stephenson's company, we learned that " a large party of Sacs were within a half-hour's march of us, when we left the graves of our dead comrades."
This party, which numbered about 150, had left the main body of Sacs on Rock River, and, after following Strode's command, were, undoubtedly, the same who made a furious attack on the stockade at Apple River, on the night of the 24th, under the following circumstances : F. Dixon, Edmund Welsh, G. W. Herclerode and Jas. L. Kirkpatrick started to carry dispatches to Gen. Atkinson. They had passed Apple River Fort when they were fired upon by Indians, and Welsh was badly wounded. His companions told him to retreat to the fort, and to give him time, turned upon the foe and raised a yell. This temporarily checked them; Welsh reached the
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fort and gave the alarm. Their stratagem succeeded. Dixon dashed through the savages, and escaped to Galena. Kirkpatrick and Herclerode gained the fort ; the gate was shut, and for three quarters of an thour the battle raged. The women and girls made cartridges and loaded the muskets. Herclerode was killed while taking deliberate aim at an Indian over the top of the pickets. The number of Indians killed was not known, but they were supposed to have lost several, and finally withdrew, after stealing a large number of cattle, and destroying considerable property.
On the 29th of June, three men at work in a cornfield at Sinsinawa Mound (Jones' Mound), ten miles from Galena, were attacked by a small party of Indians, and two of them, James Boxley and John Thompson, were killed. Major Stephenson with thirty men started immediately on receipt of the news, to bury the murdered men and pursue the murderers. The bodies were shockingly mangled and both scalped, and Thompson's heart cut out. The Indians were followed to the residence of Mr. Jordan, (now Dunleith), on the Mississippi, where they had stolen a canoe and crossed the river. These Indians could hardly have been any of Black Hawk's band, unless they had deserted and were making their way back to the west side of the Mississippi.
On the 30th of June, all the inhabitants north of Galena and on the Mississippi, this side of Cassville, came into Galena for safety. It was not then considered safe to go a mile out of town without a strong guard.
Captain George W. Harrison, in Command at Fort Hamilton, on the Pick-a-ton-e-ka, thirty miles from Galena, after vainly endcavoring to get a cannon, went to Colonel Hamilton's furnace and cast several lead pieces, intended for two-pounders, which were properly mounted at the stockade, and answered every purpose.
June 20, 1832, the ladies of Galena, represented by Mrs. Nancy B. Lockwood, Mrs. Sarah B. Coons, and Miss Elizabeth A. Dodge, com- mittee, presented a stand of colors to Captain Jas. W. Stepenson's com- pany. On the 21st, "The daughters of the lead mines " presented a flag " to our Father War Chief," General Henry Dodge. Afterwards, on the 15th of July, the ladies of the mining conntry, represented by Miss Mar- garet C. Brophy and Miss Bridget F. Ryan, presented a stand of colors to Captain Bazil B. Craig's company, and about the same time, Misses Cath- erine S. and Amelia G. Dyas presented colors to Captain Alexander M. Jenkins.
It must be remembered that Black Hawk's forces kept on their march up Rock River, with the evident intention of returning to the west side of the Mississippi, as the forces of General Atkinson below prevented their return by the way they came, and they as evidently believed, after the affair with Stillman, that no flag of truce or proposals for peace would be received by the whites. But varions Indian signs were discovered on the Mississippi River. July 6, Lieutenant Orrin Smith was sent, with twenty men, to Jor- dan's farm (opposite Dubuque), to scour the country there. On the 9th, Indians were in the vicinity of Ronntree's Fort (Platteville), where they held a war dance around the scalpof a woman. On the 10th, the Galenian says : "To-day we learn that the trail of the Indians shows that they must have come from the west of the Mississippi, in a direction from Dubnque's mines."
These facts indicate very plainly that Black Hawk and his band were not responsible for all the ontrages committed in the mining district, but
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46 a, mix. OREGON
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that some of them, at least, are to be attributed to Indians from the west, while others, it is now known, were committed by young Winnebagoes.
July 14, Governor Reynolds, Colonel Fields (Secretary of State), Judges Smith and Brown, Colonels Hiekman, Grant, Bresse and Gatewood, Captain Jeffreys and others, arrived at Galena from the army. These gentlemen reported that the Indians were entirely destitute of provisions, and were endeavoring to reach and re-cross the Mississippi.
July 15, an express arrived at Galena, stating that Captain Harney, of the U. S. A., had found and pursued the trail of the Indians for thirty miles, passing four of their encampments in that distance, and that he found many signs of their want of provisions, " such as where they had butchered horses, dug for roots, and scraped the trees for bark," and it became evident that the military had concluded that Black Hawk was doing his best to escape to the west side of the Mississippi. Orders were sent to troops stationed on the banks of that river "to prevent or delay the Indians from erossing until the brigade sent by General Atkinson could come up with them." Indian outrages had now nearly ceased in Jo Daviess County, and a brief sketch of the movements of the troops from Dixon's Ferry to Bad Axe will close this part of the history.
On the 15th of June, 1832, the new levies of volunteers in eamp at Dixon's Ferry were formed into three brigades. The first was commanded by General Alexander Posey; the second by General Milton R. Alexander, and the third by General James D. Henry.
June 17th, Captain Adam W. Snyder, of Colonel Fry's regiment, sent to scont the country between Rock River and Galena, while encamped near Burr Oak Grove, in what is now the Township of Erin, Stephenson County, was fired upon by four Indians. He pursned and killed them, losing one man mortally wounded. Returning, he was attacked by seventy Indians, both parties taking positions behind trees. General Whiteside, then a private, shot the leader of the band and they retreated, but were not pursued. Snyder lost two men killed and one wounded.
June 25th, a detachment of General Poscy's brigade, commanded by Major John Dement, and encamped at Kellogg's Grove, or Burr Oak Grove, as it was then ealled, was attacked by a large party of Indians, and a sharp skirmish ensued. Major Dement lost five men and about twenty horses killed. The Indians left nine of their number stretched upon the field. General Posey, then encamped at Buffalo Grove, hastened to the relief of Dement, but the Indians had retreated two hours before he arrived. He returned to Kellogg's Grove to await the arrival of his baggage wagons, and then marched to Fort Hamilton, Michigan Territory.
Gen. Atkinson commeneed his slow and cautions march up the river about the 25th of June, and finally reached Lake Koshkonong, where he was joined by Gen. Alexander's brigade, and then continued his march to White River, or Whitewater, where he was joined by Posey's brigade and the Galena battalion under Major Dodge. Gen. Alexander, Gen. Henry and Maj. Dodge were sent to Fort Winnebago for supplies. Here they heard that Black Hawk was making his way toward the Wisconsin River, and, disobeying orders, Henry and Dodge started in pursuit (Gen. Alexander and his brigade returing to Gen. Atkinson), struek the broad, fresh trail of the Indians and followed them with tireless energy. Ever and anon they would find old men, women and children, who could not keep up and had been abandoned to their fate by the flying Indians ; some were
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killed. One old man, left to die, was sitting against a tree, and was boldly shot and scalped by a surgeon, who afterwards exhibited the scalp as a trophy of his valor.
Black Hawk was overtaken at Wisconsin River, and his braves offered battle to enable the women and children to cross the river. The battle of Wisconsin Heights, at which the Indians were badly whipped by our troops, and "worse whipped by starvation," says Mr. Townsend, was fought on the 22d of July, 1832. Skirmishing commenced a little after noon, but the heaviest fighting was about sunset. The first Indian killed was discovered walking ahead of the troops with a pack of meat on his back. A soldier fired but missed him, when he turned and threw down his gun but was bayonetted after his surrender by Samples M. Journey. The fighting ceased about 10 o'clock, P. M., and the men bivouacked for rest on their arms. " About daybreak," says Capt. D. S. Harris, then a Lientenant in command of Stephenson's Company, " the camp was alarmed by the clarion voice of the Prophet from a hill nearly a mile away. At first we thought it was an alarm, but soon found that the Prophet wanted peace. Although he was so far distant I could hear distinctly every word, and I understood enough to know that he did not want to fight. The interpreter said that the Prophet said they ' had their squaws and families with them and were starving- that they did not want to fight any more, but wanted peace and would do no more harm if they could be permitted to cross the Mississippi in peace.'" Mr. P. J. Pilcher, now of Elizabeth, who was also there, says that they were awakened by the shrill voice of the chief, and that he plainly under- stood: " Ne-com, P-e-e-l-o-o-o;" " Friends, we fight no more." Mr. Pilcher says he told Henry what the Indian said, but Henry said "pay no attention to any thing they say or do, but form in line of battle." The Winnebagoes in camp also informed the officers of the meaning of the Prophet's message, and "early in the morning," says Pilcher, "they went with us to the spot where the Indian had stood when he proclaimed peace, and there we found a tomahawk buried," an emphatic declaration that so far as Black Hawk and his band were concerned, hostilities were ended. No attention was paid to this second attempt to negotiate peace. It is said that the officers had no interpreter and did not know what the Prophet said until atter the war closed. This excuse is exploded by the direct and emphatic testimony of Capt. Harris and Mr. Pilcher that the starved and dying Indians must be exterminated.
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