USA > Wisconsin > Vernon County > History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111
7
102
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
a constant fire upon them 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 ont of sight. After fighting them in this posi- tion 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, Ewing and Jones all requested Gen. Ilenry to let them charge upon them at the point of the bayonet, which Gen. Henry readily assented to, and gave the order 'Charge!' which was obeyed by both men and officers in a most fearless manner. All were in- tent 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 made good their retreat. When they commenced retreating we killed a great num- ber.
"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 the en- gagement, 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 arrange- ment of Gen. Henry. It was now nearly sun- down 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 considerable speed. The ground they were retreating to, appeared to be low and swampy, and on the bank of the river there ap- peared to be a heavy body of timber, which the enemy could reach before we could bring them 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. [The battle ground was on the east side of the north- east quarter of section 24, in what is now the town of Mazomanie, Dane Co., Wis.]
"Next morning, July 22, the troops were pa- raded 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' regi- ment 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 banks, we had a very bad swamp to go through, fifty or sixty yards on this side 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 evening 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 trumphery behind. We also saw a good deal of blood, where their wounded had bled. We now returned to the camp, seeing there was no chance to follow them this day aross the river.
"We, in this battle (known in history as the Battle of Wisconsin Heights), were very fortn- nate, 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 (but Black Hawk declared afterward that he lost only six), and wounded a considerable num- ber, twenty-five of whom they report died soon after the battle. We now were nearly out of provisions, and to take up the line of march against them, in the condition our horses were in, told us plainly that 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
103
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
Short, and he belonged to Capt. Briggs' company from Randolph Co., II1. Ile had a brother and a brother-in-law in the same company, who witnessed his consignment to the 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 cam- paign. We felt a little satisfaction for our toils, and thought 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 nn- offending infant. We dried our clothes, which then had been wet for several days. This day we spent in social chat between men and officers. There were no complaints made; all had fought bravely; each man praised his officers; and all paaised our general. Late in the even- ing, some of our men, who had been out to see if there were any signs of the enemy remaining near ns, returned and stated that they saw smoke across the river."
From this time until the Wisconsin river was crossed there were not many incidents of im- portance worthy of record; so we leave the journal, from which we have been copying, to relate only such events as will preserve the chain of our narrative until that time. On the 23d of July the army was put in motion, not in pursuit of Black Hawk, but to go to the Blue Mounds for supplies of provisions. And just here we must go back in our relation to the time when the army left the Rock river-July 19. On this day, the same express that had discov- ered the trail of Black Hawk the day previous, again started for Gen. Atkinson's camp, or Fort Koshkonong, where the general was with his infantry. That officer, as soon as he was in- formed that Black Hawk's trail was discovered, directed the same express to return at once to Gen. Henry with orders to the latter to pursue on the trail of the Sae chief until he could over-
take him, and to defeat or capture him. How- ever, before these orders had reached Gen. Henry, they had been anticipated. Black Hawk had been pursued, overtaken and de- feated, but not captured. Gen. Atkinson also notified Gen. Henry that he would start himself with the infantry and Gen Alexander's brigade; that the rest of the volunteers who were with him would be left to guard the fort; and that he would go by way of Blue Mounds. He also directed Gen. Henry, if he got out of provisions, to go to that place for a supply. This explains why the army, after the battle of Wisconsin Heights, marched for the Blue Mounds. Not only Gen. Ilenry's command, but also those of Gen. Atkinson, reached the Blue Mounds without any mishap; so, also, a part of Gen. Posey's brigade from Fort Ilamilton, who passed on to Helena, in what is now Iowa Co., Wis., where the Wisconsin river was to be crossed by the whole army. By the 26th of June all the commands had reached that place and preparations were made to cross the stream on rafts made for that purpose.
BLACK HAWK PURSUED TO THE MISSISSIPPI.
On the 27th and 28th of July, Gen. Atkin- son with his select body of troops, consisting of the regulars under Col. Taylor, 400 in num- ber, part of Henry's, Posey's and Alexander's brigades, and Dodge's battalion of mounted volunteers, amounting in all to 1,300 men, crossed the Wisconsin river and immediately fell upon the trail of the enemy. They were in what is now Sank Co., Wis. Pursuing this trail first down the river, then to the northward, they finally struck off in a west-northwest direction through what is now Richland county, until the Kickapoo river was reached near the present Soldier's Grove, in what is now Craw- ford Co., Wis.
Before entering upon the particulars ot the march through Vernon county, as given in the journal from which extracts have already been so liberally made, it will be well to glance at the route taken from the Kickapoo to the Miss-
104
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
issippi. After the Kickapoo was crossed, Black Ilawk, followed closely by Gen. Atkinson, was soon in what is now Vernon county, passing, in a direction north of west, near the farm at present owned by Anson G. Tainter, in the town of Franklin ; thence across West Prairie, to the brakes or ravines leading into the head of Battle creek; thence down that creek through sections 2 and 3, in township 11, range 7, in the town of Wheatland, to the point where he was overtaken and compelled to fight the battle known in history as the Battle of Bad Ax. Keeping this general description of the flight of the savages through Vernon county and the pursuit of them by the Americans in view, the following narrative will prove of interest to the reader :
" About 12 o'clock this day (August 1, 1832), we came to a small river called the Kickapoo. We here found that the country was about to change. A short distance before we got to this stream, we came to a beautiful body of pine timber, which was tall and large. As soon as we crossed this stream, we found the mountains were covered with prairie grass. We here found the Indian trail was getting fresher. They had encamped at this ereek. We had now been three days in those monn- tains and our horses had lived on weeds, except those that became debilitated and were left behind ; for a great number had become so, and were left to starve in this dreary waste. We here for the first time in three days had an opportunity of turning our horses out to graze. Accordingly we left them graze for about an hour, which they made good use of and during which we took a cold lunch. About 1 o'clock we started, at a faster gait than usual. We found from the face of the country that we were not a great way from the Mississippi. The country was still hilly, but hills of a small size, and almost barren ; so we could get along with more speed. It gave the men new spirits. We now saw that our horses would not have to
starve, as we had begun to think it probable that they would.
"On this evening, we came across the grave of an Indian chief, who was buried in the grandest style of Indian burials ; painted and otherwise decorated as well as those wretched beings were able to do. He was placed on the ground, with his head resting against the root of a tree; logs were placed around him and covered over with bark; and on the top of which, green bushes were laid ; so intended that we might pass by withont discovering the grave. Ile was examined and found to have been shot. It was now late in the evening, and we had proceded but a short distance from here, before some of our front spies came across an Indian that had been left behind from some eanse or other. The spies interrogated him about Black Hawk and his band. He stated that they would get to the river that day and would cross over on the next morning. The old sinner then plead for quarters ; but that being no time to be plagued with the charge of prisoners, they had to leave the unhappy wretch behind, which appeared to be a hard ease. But, no doubt, he had been at the mas- sacre of a number of our own citizens, and deserved to die for the crimes which he had perpetrated in taking the lives of harmless and unoffending women and children.
"We this day made a tolerable push, having marched until 8 o'clock at night before we stopped. " We then halted and formed our encampment. But it was for a short time only. Gen. Atkinson gave orders for all to con- fine their horses and be ready to march by two o'clock in pursuit of the enemy. We were now all tired and hungry and something to eat was indispensibly necessary. We had a long way to go after water, and the worst kind of a preci- pice to go down and up to procure it. All was now a bustle for awhile, to prepare some- thing to sustain nature, and to do it in time to get a little rest before we would have to march. About 9 o'clock the noise began to die away,
105
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
so that by 10 o'clock all was lost in sleep but the sentinel who was at his post.
"At the appointed hour (2 o'clock in the morning of August 2) the bugle sounded; all were soon up and made preparations for a march at quickstep ; moving on to complete the work of death upon those unfortunate children of the forest. General Atkinson this morning had the army laid off and arranged in the fol- lowing manner : General Dodge, with his squadron, was placed in front, the Infantry next, the second brigade next, under the com- mand of Gen. Alexander; the first brigade next, under the command of Gen. Posey ; the third brigade next, under command of Gen. Henry. "In this order the march had commenced. We had not proceeded more than four or five miles before there was a herald sent back, informing us that the front spies had come in sight of the enemy's rear guard (in reality their outpost). The intelligence was soon conveyed to Gen. Atkinson, and then to all the commanders of the different brigades. The celerity of the march was then doubled and it was but a short time before the firing of the front spies commenced, about half a mile in front of the main army. The Indians re- treated towards the Mississippi, but kept up a retreating fire upon our front spies for some time, until Gen. Dodge, who commanded, began to kill them very fast. The Indians then retreated more rapidly and sought refuge in their main army, which was lying on the bank of the Mississippi (which river they had, in fact, reached the day before)."
BATTLE OF BAD AX.
While Black Hawk and his band and their pursners were traversing the rugged country across what is now Richland county into Ver- non, intelligence was conveyed to Prairie du Chien, by express, of the battle of Wisconsin lleights and of the retreat of the enemy across the Wisconsin river. The commander of the American forces at Prairie du Chien at once came to the conclusion that the savages would
soon reach the Mississippi, and by crossing that stream escape the army in pursuit of them; so he engaged a steamboat, placed some regu- lars upon it and a six pounder, with orders to cruise up and down the Mississippi to eut off the retreat of the Sac chief and his people. The steamer proving to be a slow one was withdrawn and a faster one armed in its place- the Warrior.
On the Ist of August, the Warrior discovered the Indians on the bank of the Mississippi where they had just arrived, not far below the mouth of the Bad Ax, making preparations to cross to the west side. A flag raised by Black Hawk was not respected by the Warrior, but a fire was opened from the boat upon the Indians with not only the small arms of the regulars but the six-pounder. The fire was returned by Black Hawk's party. The contest was kept up until the steamboat was compelled to drop down the river to Prairie du Chien for fuel. The loss of the enemy was twenty-three killed. On board the Warrior none were killed and but one wounded. But the presence of the steamboat and the firing of course wholly in- terrupted the preparations of the savages to cross the river, while Atkinson and his army were marching rapidly upon their rear.
It was the next morning, as we have already seen, that the Americans under Gen. Atkinson came in sight of what was supposed by them to be the rear guard of the Indians, but which was, in reality, one of their out-posts. It ap- pears that the savages raised a white flag for the purpose of surrendering, which was either not seen or was not regarded, and the firing on both sides soon became spirited, the Indians re- tiring slowly to their main force on the bottom of the river, where the latter were busily em- ployed transporting their women and children and the aged and infirm across the Mississippi (the Warrior not having returned to again cut off their retreat.)
Let us now return to the American army in keen pursuit of the fugitives. It will be remem-
106
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
bered that Gen. Henry had early in the morning been put in the rear, but he did not remain there long. Maj. Ewing, who commanded the spy battalion, sent his adjutant back to the gen- eral informing him that he was on the main trail; he at the same time formed his men in order of battle and awaited the arrival of the brigade which marched up in quick time. When they came up, Gen. Henry had his men formed as soon as possible for action; he placed Col. Jones and Maj. Ewing in front. Gen. At- kinson called for a regiment from Gen. Henry's brigade to cover his rear. Col. Collins formed on the right of Col. Jones and Maj. Ewing, when all were dismounted and marched on foot in the main trail, down the bluff into the bot- tom. Soon the fire was opened on the main force of the enemy, at which time Gen. Henry sent back an officer to bring up Col. Fry with his regiment. Col. Collins was by this time in the heat of the action with his regiment. Capt. Gentry, from Gen. Dodge's corps, was by this time also up, and opened a heavy fire. He fell into the lines of Col. Jones and Maj. Ewing. Capts. Gruer and Richardson, from Gen. Alex- ander's brigade, with their companies and a few scattering gentlemen from Gen. Dodge's corps, were also up; who all joined Gen. Henry and fought bravely. Col. Fry obeyed the call of his general and was soon where the conflict raged with his regiment. By this time the savages were falling rapidly.
It was about half an hour after the battle commenced before Col. Zachary Taylor with his infantry and Gen. Dodge with his squadron got on the ground and joined in the battle. They had been thrown on the extreme right, by following the enemy's rear guard as was smp- posed, but which was, as already explained, their retreating outpost. Generals Posey and Alexander had been stationed up the river on the extreme right, in order to prevent the In- dians from making their escape in that direc- tion, so they did not participate in the slaughter of the savages. The vietory, of course, with
wneh overpowering numbers, was complete; but those of the Indians who escaped death from the Americans had most of them made good their retreat to one of the islands in the river, when, at an opportune moment for the attack- ing parties the Warrior appeared in the river and opened fire upon the fugitives with her cannon, at the same time sending her two boats to the shore to transport troops to the island, also to attack the now distressed savages. Col. Taylor sent a detachment in the boats and the Indians were soon all killed on the island but one. There were of Black Hawk's entire force, besides a few who had succeeded in reaching the west side of the Mississippi, only himself and ten warriors with thirty-five women and children who made their escape. About 150 were killed. The loss of the Americans was twenty-seven killed and wounded. Such was the battle of Bad Ax. Black Hawk was soon bronght in a prisoner by the Winnebagoes, and the war was ended.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BATTLE. "HEADQUARTERS, IST ARMY CORPS, NORTHWESTERN ARMY, PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, AUGUST 5, 1832. "SIR :- I have the honor to report to you that 1 crossed the Wisconsin on the 27th and 28th ult., with a select body of troops, consisting of regulars under Col. (Zachary) Taylor, 400 in number; part of Henry's, Posey's and Alexan- der's brigades; and Dodge's battalion of mounted volunteers; amounting in all to 1,300 men; and immediately fell upon the trail of the enemy and pursued it by forced marches through a mountainons and difficult country, till the morning of the 2d instant, when he came up with his main body on the left bank of the Mississippi, nearly opposite the mouth of the Iowa, which we attacked, defeated and dis- persed with a loss on his part of about 150 men killed and thirty-nine women and children pris- oners. The precise number of the killed could not be ascertained, as the greater portion were slain after being forced into the river. Our
107
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
loss in killed and wounded, which is stated be- low, is very small in comparison with the loss of the enemy, which may be attributed to the enemy's being forced from his positions by a rapid charge at the commencement, and through the engagement. The remnant of the enemy, ent up and disheartened, erossed to the oppo- site side of the river, and has fled into the in- terior, with a view, it is supposed, of joining Keokuk and Wapilo's bands of Saes and Foxes.
"The horses of the volunteer troops being exhausted by long marches, and the regular troops without shoes, it was not thought advisa- ble to continue the pursuit. Indeed a stop to the further effusion of blood seemed to be called for, until it might be ascertained if the enemy would not surrender.
"It is ascertained from our prisoners, that the enemy lost in the battle of the Ouiseonsin (Wisconsin Heights), sixty-eight killed, and a very large number wounded. His whole loss does not fall short of three hundred. After the battle of the Ouisconsin, the enemy's women and children, and some who were dismounted, attempted to make their escape by descending that river, but judicious measures being taken here by Capt. Loomis and Gen. Street, an In-
dian agent, thirty-two women and children, and four men have been captured, and some fifteen killed by the detachment under Lieut. Ritner.
"The day after the battle on this river I fell down with the regular troops to this place by water, and the mounted inen will join us to-day. It is now my purpose to direct Keokuk to de- mand the surrender of the remaining principal men of the hostile party ; which, from the large number of women and children we hold as prisoners, I have every reason to believe will be complied with. Should it not, they should be pursued and subdued; a step Maj. Gen. Scott will no doubt take on his arrival.
"I cannot speak too highly of the conduet of the regular and volunteer forces engaged in the last battle (Bad Ax), and the fatiguing march that preceded it.
"As soon as the reports of the officers of brigades and corps are handed in, they shall be submitted with further remarks.
I have the honor to be, with great respect. your obedient servant,
H. ATKINSON, B't-Brig. Gen. U. S. A.
MAJ. GEN. MACOMB,
Commander-in-Chief, Washington City.
CHAPTER VII.
UNITED STATES LAND SURVEYS.
The first surveys by the general government of lands in Wisconsin, were made south of the Wisconsin river and the Fox river of Green bay. The northern boundary line of the State of Illi- mois, fixed April 11, 1818, on the parallel of 42 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, became, prop-
erly enough, the base line of these surveys, (as indeed of all the surveys afterward made by the United States in this State). A principal north-and-sonth line, known as the fourth meri- dian, was run at right angles, of course with the base line, and extending from it to Lake Su-
108
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
perior. This meridian line is east of all the territory in Vernon county, except what is in- cluded in the towns of ITillsborongh and Green- wood. It runs south from this county, through the center of Richland, and continues on to the base line on the east boundary of Grant and on the west boundary of Lafayette and Iowa conn- ties. It extends north, from Vernon county, through the eastern part of Monroe, Jackson, Clark and other counties, until it strikes Lake Superior a short distance to the westward of the mouth of Montreal river.
Parallel lines to the fourth meridian were run every six miles, on the east and west sides of it. The intervening six miles between these lines are called ranges. Range 1 east, is the first six miles of territory east of the fourth meridian; range 2 east, is the second six miles; and so on, to Lake Michigan. However, on the west side of the fourth meridian, the ranges are numbered consecutively westward. Range 1 west, is the first six miles of territory west of that line; range 2 west, is the second six miles; and so on, to the Mississippi river. Therefore it is, that Vernon county lies in ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, and in range 1 east.
HOW VERNON COUNTY WAS SURVEYED.
Parallel lines north of the base line (the north boundary line of the State of Illinois) were run every six miles, which, crossing the ranges at right angles, cut the whole into blocks six miles square, called townships. These townships are numbered by tiers going north, from the base line; the first tier being known as township ] north, the second tier, as township 2 north, and so on until the extreme north boundary of the State (not covered by water) is reached, which is of course the extreme north side of the most northern of the Apostle Islands in Bayfield county. Now, if we begin at the base line and count the tiers of townships until Vernon county is reached, we discover that we have numbered eleven of them. We find, therefore, that some
of the county is in the 11th tier; or, what is the same thing, in townships 11; but only the north half of townships 11, are in Vernon county, and these are in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, that is west of the fourth meridian. The next tier of townships are numbered 12, and except the one on the Mississippi, are all six miles square. They are in the same ranges as the townships num- bered 11.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.