History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 70

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044

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The murder of St. Vrain and his companions was soon afterward bloodily revenged by Col. Dodge at the battle of the Pecatonica, where, with twenty-one men, he, in a hand-to- hand fight, killed every Indian in a band of seventeen which had committed this and other murders.

On the 20th of June, a small party of Indians showed themselves a short distance from Mound Fort, and Lieut. Force and a man named Green, who went out to reconnoiter, were sur- rounded and killed in sight of the fort. Their bodies were afterward buried by Col. Dodge and a company of volunteers, who took the trail of the Indians soon after, but lost the savages, they having scattered.

The only parties killed within the present confines of Grant County, of which there is any record, were two men named John Thompson and James Boxley, who were attacked in a field at Sinsinawa Mound. A companion escaped. The bodies of the two murdered men were shockingly mutilated, Thompson's heart having been taken out, and both scalped. Notice of the attack being given at Galena, Maj. Stephenson, in command at that place, marched in pur- suit of the savages. Leaving a few men to bury the dead, the Major with his command followed the trail to the Mississippi, where he found the party had stolen a canoe and escaped across the river.

Through a Pottawatomie Indian, Gen. Atkinson received information that Black Hawk was encamped near the junction of the Whitewater with the Rock River, and immediately marched with a portion of his army to that point; but, on arriving there, Black Hawk was found to have broken camp, and the direction he had taken was so effectually concealed that for some time it remained unknown.

After the junction of all the forces at Koshkonong, provisions running short, Gen. Atkin- son dispatched Gens. Henry, Alexander, Posey and Col. Dodge, with about two hundred and fifty men, to Fort Winnebago for supplies. The provisions obtained, Gens. Posey and Alexan- der started back, while Gen. Henry and Col. Dodge, with their commands, struck across the country toward Rock River, in hopes of hearing something of Black Hawk.

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

On arriving at the rapids of that river, they learned that the trail of the retreating Indians had been discovered, and at once started in pursuit. From the appearance of the trail it was plainly evident that the retreating force was large. A party of fourteen was thrown out ahead of the main body to act as scouts. This party was under the command of Capt. Gentry. On the morning of the 21st of July, as they were working their way across the country, they observed an Indian ahead of them, who turned and fired on them, and was himself slain as he attempted to escape. The main body was but a short distance in advance, and so anxious were the scouts to come up with it that they did not stop to examine the body, but, some weeks after- ward, when the prairie had been burned over, the body was searched, and the watch which had been taken from the body of Lieut. Force was discovered. The watch was recognized the more readily that it had been used to regulate the change of sentinels at the Mound Fort.

The incidents of the closing acts in this stirring border drama are thus related by one who participated in the events which followed. "We reached the Four Lakes about sundown [July 20]. Gen. Henry here called a halt, and consulted with our pilot Poquet [Parquette] as to the country we were approaching. Poquet told him we could not get through it after dark ; that we had to march close to the margin of the lake for some distance, as the undergrowth stood so thick one man could not see another ten steps. Gen. Henry concluded to encamp here until the break of day. Gen. Dodge sent Capt. Dickson (serving as Captain in place of Capt. Roundtree, who had been injured) ahead with a few men to see if they could make any discov- ery of the enemy, who returned in a very short time and stated they had seen the enemy's rear guard about one mile and a half distant.

"Gen. Henry gave strict orders for every man to tie up his horse, so as to be ready to start as soon as it was daylight. The order was strictly obeyed, and, after we had taken our frugal supper, all retired to rest except those who had to mount guard, for we had marched a great way that day, and many were still wet by the rain that fell the preceding night. Being very much fatigued, we were soon all asleep except those on guard.

"July 21, at the break of day the bugle sounded, and all were soon up, and in a few minutes had breakfast ready, and after taking a little food we mounted our horses and again commenced the pursuit.

" We soon found that the pilot had told us no lie; for we found the country that the enemy was leading us into to be worse, if possible, than what he told us. We could turn neither to the right nor left, but were compelled to follow the trail the Indians had made, and that, too, for a great distance at the edge of the water of the lake.

" We now doubled our speed, all were anxious to press forward, and as our horses were nearly worn out, we carried nothing only just what was actually necessary for us to eat; camp kettles and many such articles were thrown away. The trail was now literally, in many places, strewn with Indian trinkets, such as mats, kettles, etc., which plainly told us that they knew we were in pursuit. We saw too, from the face of the country that we were drawing close to. the Wisconsin River, and our object was to overtake them before they reached it, so now we went as fast as our horses were able to carry us. But this was too severe for our poor horses ; they began to give out. But even this did not stop a man. Whenever a horse gave out, the rider would dismount, remove the saddle and bridle and pursue on foot, on a run, without a murmur. I think the number of horses left that day was about forty. The rear guard of the enemy began about this time (3 o'clock P. M.) to make feints of standing, and as the timber stood thick, we did not know but that the whole army was forming for action. In consequence of this, we got down and formed as often as twice before we found out that their object was to keep us back until they could gain some strong position to fight from. Our front scouts now were determined not to be deceived any more, but the next stand they came to, they stopped, not for their feigned maneuver, but pursued them to the main body of the enemy. They returned to us in great haste, and informed Gen. Henry that the Indians were forming for action.

" We all dismounted in an instant. The line of battle was then formed in the same order that it had been laid off the preceding day. Gen. Dodge's corps and Maj. Ewing's spy battal-

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ion still in front. The horses were left, and every fourth man detailed to hold them, which gave seven horses to each man to hold.

"We had scarcely time to form on foot before the Indians raised the war-whoop, scream- ing and yelling hideously, and rushed forward, meeting us with a heavy charge. Gen. Dodge and Maj. Ewing met them with a charge also which produced a halt on the part of the enemy. Our men then opened a tremendous volley of musketry upon them, and accompanied it with the most terrific yells that ever came from the head of mortals, except from the savages them- selves. They now tried their well known practice of flanking, but here they were headed again by the brave Col. Jones and his regiment, who were on our left, where he met them in the most fearless manner, and opened a heavy fire upon them. Col. Fry was placed upon the extreme right. They tried his line but were soon repulsed. Their strong position was on the left or near the center, where Cols. Jones, Dodge and Ewing kept up a constant fire for something like half an hour.

" The enemy here had a strong position. They had taken shelter in some very high grass where they could lie down and load and be entirely out of sight. After fighting them in this manner for at least thirty minutes, during which time Col. Jones had his horse shot from under him, and one of his men killed and several wounded, Cols. Dodge, Jones and Ewing all re- quested Gen. Henry to let them charge upon them at the point of the bayonet, which Gen. Henry very readily assented to and gave the order to charge ! which was obeyed by both men and officers in a most fearless manner. All were intent upon the charge. We had to charge up a rising piece of ground. When we got on the top, we then fired perfectly abreast. They could not stand this. They had to quit their hiding-place and make good their retreat. When they commenced retreating, we killed a great number.

"Their commander, who, it was said, was Napope, was on a white pony on the top of a mountain in the rear of his Indians ; he certainly had one of the best voices for command I ever heard. He kept up a constant yell until his men began to retreat, when he was heard no more. Col. Collins was kept, during this engagement in the rear, as a reserve, and to keep the. enemy from flanking and coming in upon us in the rear, which was a very good arrangement of Gen. Henry.

" It was now near sundown and still raining, as it had been all the evening, but so slow that we made shift to keep our guns dry. The enemy retreated toward the river with consider- able speed. The ground they were retreating to appeared to be low and swampy, and on the bank of the river there appeared to be a heavy body of timber, which the enemy could reach before we could bring him to another stand. So Gen. Henry concluded not to pursue them any further that night, but remain on the battle-ground until next morning, and then he would not be in danger of losing so many of his men, knowing that, in the dark, he would have to lose a number, for the Indians would have the timber to fight from, while we would have to stand in the open prairie.

" Next morning, July 22, the troops were paraded and put in battle order on foot, except Col. Fry's regiment, and took up the line of march to the river, leaving Col. Collins' regiment to guard the horses and baggage and take care of the wounded. We marched down to the river, which was about one mile and a half off, but, before we reached the bank, we had a very bad swamp to go through, fifty or sixty yards on this side of the timber, which stood very high on the bank of the river. We now saw that Gen. Henry had acted very prudently. : If he had attempted to follow them the night before, he would have lost a great many of his men.

" When we got to the bank, we found they had made their retreat across the river during the night, leaving a great many articles of their trumpery behind. We also saw a good deal of blood, where their wounded had bled. We now returned to camp, seeing there was no chance to follow them this day across the river.

" We, in this battle, were very fortunate, indeed. We had only one man killed and eight wounded, and we have learned, since the battle, that we killed sixty-eight of the enemy, and wounded a considerable number, twenty-five of whom they report died soon after the battle .*

* Black Hawk afterward stated his loss to have heen only six men, which is doubtless true .- En.

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

"We were now nearly out of provisions, and to take up our line of march against them in the condition our horses were in, told us plainly we would suffer for something to eat before we could get it. We buried the brave young man who was killed, with the honors of war. It was stated that he had just shot down an Indian when he received the mortal wound himself. His name was John Short, and he belonged to Capt. Bragg's Company, from Randolph County. He had a brother and a brother-in-law in the same company, who witnessed his consignment to mother earth. The wounded were all well examined, and none pronounced mortal. We continued this day on the battle-ground, and prepared litters for the wounded to be carried on. We spent this day in a more cheerful manner than we had done any other day since we had been on the campaign. We felt a little satisfaction for our toils, and thought that we had, no doubt, destroyed a number of the very same monsters that had so lately been imbruing their hands with the blood of our fair sex-the helpless mother and unoffending infant.

" We dried our clothes, which had then been wet for several days. The day was spent in social chat between men and officers. There were no complaints made, all had fought bravely ; each man praised his officers, and all praised our General. Late in the evening, some of our men, who had been out to see if there were any signs of the enemy still remaining near us, re- turned and stated that they saw smoke across the river.

"Gen. Henry had been of opinion throughout the day that if the Indians ever did intend fighting any more they would attack us that night, and this report went to confirm him in his belief more fully. That night he had a larger guard than usual. He made use of another ex- cellent precaution. Orders were given for every man to sleep upon his arms, so that he could be ready for action upon the shortest notice, should an alarm be given. He had fires made in advance of our lines, at least forty yards, and had them kept burning all night. We had scarcely got to sleep, before we were alarmed by the running of our horses ; we had to parade as usual to keep them from killing us. Men and officers now fully expected it was the enemy who had frightened them. Orders were now given for no man to sleep that night, but for every man to stand to his arms and be ready to receive the enemy. We now all expected to have hard fight- ing, and prepared for the worst. There was not a man who shrunk from his duty. All punc- tually obeyed the orders of their officers, and made. every preparation to receive the enemy, should hẹ come.

" At about one hour and a half before day, on the same mountain from which the Indian chief had been giving his orders on the evening of the battle, we heard an Indian voice, in loud, shrill tones, as though he was talking to his men and giving them orders. Gen. Henry had his men all paraded in order of battle in front of the tents, and the fires roused up.

" In this order we stood until daylight. Just before day, the Indian quit talking. When it was just light enough to discover a man a short distance, the brave and fearless Ewing took his battalion of spies and mounted on horseback. We were soon at the top of the mountain, to see who it was that had serenaded us so long at that hour of the night. We found only the sign of a few horse tracks, that appeared as though they had been made that night. We marched in quick time around the mountain, and found no one. We took a circuitous route back to camp, but found no one on the way. [This mysterious visitant proved afterward to have been a Sac talking in the Winnebago dialect, as it was known that there had been some of that tribe with the troops, and it was hoped that they would act as mediators for the Sacs, who wished to surrender-vide narrative of Lieut. Bracken .- ED.]

"We were now out of provisions, and were obliged to abandon further pursuit, and go to the Blue Mounds to procure a supply. Accordingly, on the 23d, we got in motion again, not in pursuit of the enemy, but for bread and meat to satisfy our appetites, as we were now out of everything to eat. Our wounded this day suffered very much, on account of having rough ground to pass over, and some very muddy creeks. When they got to the Blue Mounds, they were very hospitahly treated.

"We.here drew three days' rations, and, on the 25th, took up the line of march for Helena, on the Wisconsin River, where we intended to cross, again to take up the pursuit of the enemy."

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

Gen. Atkinson had, on hearing the news of Black Hawk's whereabouts, broken camp, and marched by way of Blue Mounds to Helena. Here a participator in the closing scenes informs us : " The volunteers, under Col. Dodge, were again assembled, and the whole army crossed the river and followed the trail of the retreating Sacs and Foxes, which was discovered under the bluff north of the river, until they arrived at the Mississippi, near the mouth of the Bad Ax. On the route, a number of dead bodies of Indians were found, many in a state of putrefaction ; these had doubtless died of wounds received at the battle of Wisconsin Heights, and from debil- ity produced by sickness and starvation, which, from all accounts, prevailed among the Indians who accompanied Black Hawk. The march was, therefore, rendered distressingly offensive, both to the senses of seeing and smelling.

"On the evening of the 1st of August, signs of the enemy were discovered, and some stragglers killed. At 2 o'clock on the morning of the 2d, the line of march was taken up, Col. Dodge's command forming the advance, supported by the regular troops, under Col. Zachary Taylor. About sunrise, Capt. Dickson (of Platteville), who commanded the spy company, reported, by one of his men, that he was up with the enemy, and asked for orders. Col. Dodge sent orders to attack them instantly, and at the same time moved up rapidly with his command. He was immediately supported by Col. Taylor, with the regulars, and the line was then formed, and advanced about a mile to the banks of the Mississippi, near the mouth of the Bad Ax River. In the meantime, Capt. Dickson, who was in front with his spies, seemed, from the firing, to be actively engaged with the enemy. Our troops rushed with ardor to the scene of action ; the battle was soon over, and the fate of Black Hawk and his band determined."

A correspondent of the Galena Gazette, in his account of the battle written at the time, says : " The battle lasted upward of three hours. About fifty of the enemy's women and children were taken prisoners, and many, by accident in the battle, were killed. When the Indians were driven to the bank of the Mississippi, some hundreds of men, women and children, plunged into the river, and hoped, by diving, etc., to escape the bullets of our guns; very few, however, escaped the bullets of our sharpshooters. The loss on the side of the enemy can never be exactly ascertained, but according to the best computation, they must have lost in killed, upward of one hundred and fifty ; our loss in killed and wounded was twenty-seven."

The same writer says : " On the 4th of August, a party of fifteen men, from Cassville, under command of Capt. Price, were reconnoitering the country between that place and the Wiscon- sin, and fell upon a fresh Sac trail, making toward the Mississippi ; they rushed forward with full . speed of horses, and soon came upon them, killed and took prisoners to the number of twelve." This was the closing encounter of the war.

Black Hawk ever claimed that he was forced into the conflicts described in the foregoing pages, and, as will be seen by his account of the incidents preceding the Stillman defeat, this claim seems to be well grounded in fact, but, in order that the reader may himself judge of Black Hawk's sincerity, his own account, as given in his life, of the closing scenes of the war, is appended :

"During our encampment at the Four Lakes." says the chieftain in his narrative, " we were hard put to to obtain enough to eat to support nature. Situated in a swampy, marshy country (which had been selected in consequence of the great difficulty required to gain access thereto), there was but little game of any sort to be found, and fish were equally scarce. The great distance to any settlement, and the impossibility of bringing supplies therefrom, if any could have been obtained, deterred our young men from making further attempts. We were forced to dig roots and bark trees to obtain something to satisfy hunger and keep us alive. Several of our old people became so reduced as actually to die with hunger. Finding that the army had commenced moving, and fearing that they might come upon and surround our encamp- ment, I concluded to remove my women and children across the Mississippi that we might return to the Sac nation again. Accordingly, on the next day we commenced moving, with five Win- nebagoes acting as our guides, intending to descend the Quisconsin [Wisconsin ].

Seth & Mc Donald

MUSCODA.

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

"Napope, with a party of twenty, remained in our rear, to watch for the enemy, while we were proceeding to the Ouisconsin with our women and children. We arrived and had com- menced crossing them to an island, when we discovered a large body of the enemy coming toward us. [Gen. Henry's command .- Ed. ] We were now compelled to fight or sacrifice our wives and children to the fury of the whites. I met them with fifty warriors (having left the balance to assist our women and children in crossing) about a mile from the river, when an attack immediately commenced. I was mounted on a fine horse, and was pleased to see my warriors so brave. I addressed them in a loud voice, telling them to stand their ground, and never yield it to the enemy. At this time, I was on the rise of a hill, where I wished to form my warriors, that we might have some advantage over the whites. But the enemy succeeded in gaining this point, which compelled ns to fall back into a deep ravine, from which we continued firing at them, and they at us, until it began to grow dark. My horse had been wounded twice during this engagement, and fearing, from his loss of blood that he would soon give out-and finding that the enemy would not come'near enough to receive our fire in the dusk of the evening-and knowing that our women and children had had sufficient time to reach the island in the Ouis- consin, I ordered my warriors to return, in different routes, and meet me at the Ouisconsin, and was astonished to find that the enemy were not disposed to pursue us.

" In this skirmish, with fifty braves I defended and accomplished my passage over the Quisconsin, with a loss of only six men, though opposed by a host of mounted militia. I would not have fought there but to gain time for my women and children to cross to an island. A warrior will duly appreciate the embarrassments I labored under ; and, whatever may be the sentiments of the white people in relation to this battle, my nation, though fallen, will award to me the reputation of a great brave in conducting it.

"The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained by our party, but I am of the opinion that it was much greater in proportion than mine. [It was much less, as has been shown in pre- vious pages .- ED.] We returned to the Ouisconsin and crossed over to our people. Here some of my people left me and descended the Quisconsin, hoping to escape to the west side of the Mississippi that they might return home. I had no objection to their leaving me, as my people were all in a desperate condition, being worn out with traveling and starving from hunger. Our only hope to save ourselves was to get across the Mississippi. But few of this party escaped. Unfortunately for them, a party of soldiers from Prairie du Chien were stationed on the Ouisconsin a short distance from its mouth, who fired upon our distressed peo- ple ; some were killed, others drowned, several taken prisoners, and the balance escaped to the woods and perished with hunger. Among the party were a great many women and children.

" Myself and band having no means to descend the Ouisconsin, I started over a rugged country to go to the Mississippi, intending to cross it and go to my nation. Many of our peo- ple were compelled to go on foot for want of horses, which, in consequence of their having had nothing to eat for a long time, caused our march to be very slow. At length we arrived at the Mississippi, having lost some of our old men and little children, who perished on the way with hunger.

" We had been here but a little while before we saw a steamboat (the Warrior) coming. I told my braves not to shoot, as I intended going on board so that we might save our women and children. I knew the captain (Throckmorton), and was determined to give myself up to him. I then sent for my white flag. While the messenger was gone, I took a small piece of white cotton and put it on a pole, and called to the captain of the boat and told him to send his little canoe on shore and let me come on board. The people on the boat asked whether we were Sacs or Winnebagoes. I told a Winnebago to tell them we were Sacs, and wanted to give our- selves up. A Winnebago on the boat called to us " to run and hide, that the whites were going to shoot." About this time, one of my braves had jumped into the river, bearing a white flag to the boat, when another sprang in after him and brought him to shore. The firing then commenced from the boat, which was returned by my braves, and continued for

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some time. Very few of my people were hurt, after the first fire, having succeeded in getting behind old logs and trees, which shielded them from the enemy's fire.

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History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 70

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044