The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
and one of the Indians said that Sylvia must go with an old Indian,
which we afterward learned was the chief of the Winnebagoes, and
called himself White Crow, and was blind in one eye, and that Rachael
was to remain with the Indians we had been with all the time. Sylvia
said she could not go unless Rachael went also. He, the White Crow,
then got up and made a speech, loud and long, and seemed very much
excited and interested. After he had concluded his speech, some
Indian, who called himself Whirling Thunder, went and brought Rachael
to where Sylvia was, and the chiefs shook hands together, and horses
were brought, switches cut to whip them with, and we were both placed
on horses, while one of the young Indians stepped up, and with a large
knife cut a lock of hair out of Rachael’s head over the right ear, and
one out of the back of the head and said to the old chief White Crow
that he would have her back (as we afterwards learned) in three or
four days. One of the Indians also cut a lock of hair out of the front
part of Sylvia’s head. Then we started and rode at a rapid rate, until
the next morning near daylight, when we halted at the encampment of
the Winnebagoes, and where a bed was prepared on a low scaffold with
blankets and furs, upon which we lay down until after daylight. This
was the morning of the ninth day of our captivity. After breakfast the
whole encampment packed up and placed us and themselves in canoes, and
we traveled all day until near sundown, by water, and camped on the
bank of the stream, the name of which we never knew, neither can we
now tell whether we traveled up or down; neither can we tell what went
with the horses on which we rode the day before.
“On the morning of the 9th we were up and had breakfast as usual with
the Indians very early, after which White Crow went round to each camp
or wigwam, as far as we could see, and stood at the opening with a
gourd with pebbles in it, shaking it and occasionally talking as if he
was lecturing, then he went off and was gone all day, while we
remained in camp. He came back at night, and for the first time spoke
to us in English and asked if father or mother was alive, and whether
we had any brothers or sisters. We told him we thought not, for we
expected they were all killed. When he heard this he shook his head
and looked very sorry, and then informed us that he was going to take
us home in the morning.
“Things remained as usual through the night. Next morning, being the
10th, White Crow went through the same performance as on the morning
of yesterday. Then 26 of the Winnebagoes went with us into the canoes
and crossed over the stream, swimming their ponies by the side of the
canoes. After landing on the other shore, all were mounted on the
ponies, and we traveled all day through wet land, sloughs and a growth
of underbrush, no water being where the underbrush grew.
“At night we came to where there were two or three families encamped.
(They expressed great joy at seeing us.) Here we stopped for the night
and camped. At the camp where we staid, White Crow and Whirling
Thunder staid. Here we had pickled pork, potatoes, coffee and bread
for supper for ourselves and the two chiefs, which we relished better
than anything we had since our captivity.
“After all the Indians had laid down, except White Crow, we laid down
on the bed prepared for us, and White Crow came and sat down by our
bed and commenced smoking his pipe and continued there, smoking the
most of the time until morning, never going to sleep, as we believe.
“The next morning, 11th, breakfast about the same as supper. The
Indian families with whom we staid bid us good-bye, and the same
company of 26 Indians as the day before started with us, and we
traveled over land that seemed to be higher than that traveled over
the day before, and more barren timber. About 10 a.m. we came to some
old tracks of a wagon, and now for the first time we began to have
some hopes that these Indians were going to convey us home, as they
said they would. And as we passed on we began to see more and more
signs of civilization. About three o’clock p.m. we stopped and had
some dinner, broiled venison and boiled duck eggs, and if they had not
been boiled so soon, the young ducks would have made their appearance,
and our stomachs would have revolted at such a mess as this. But the
Indians would never starve, if they could always get young ducks
boiled in the shell.
After this sumptuous feast, we traveled on until we found we were near
the fort at the Blue Mounds. White Crow then took Rachael’s white
handkerchief, or one that had once been white, and made a flag of it,
raised it on a pole, rode on about one-half mile, and halted. There
the Indians formed a ring around us, and White Crow and two others
went on towards the fort until they came within about one-half mile of
the fort, where they halted and remained until an interpreter met him
and ascertained what he wanted. When the interpreter learned what was
wanted, he returned to the fort, and the Indian Agent, Henry Gratiot,
in company with a company of soldiers, returned to where we were
enclosed. White Crow then delivered us over to the company of
soldiers, and we returned with the troops to the fort and found, to
the great joy of our hearts, two of our uncles in the company, Edward
Hall and Reason Hall.
“We remained here in the fort two nights and one day; obtained here a
change of clothing. It was now about the 1st of June. We started in
company with the same 26 Indians and a company of soldiers, with the
Indian agent, Henry Gratiot, for Gratiot’s Grove, which place we
reached at night, and remained over night with a family, the agent and
interpreter remaining with us, while the Indians camped near by. Next
morning White Crow made a speech to the company, in which he referred
to the incidents of our rescue. He also proposed to give each of us a
Sac squaw for a servant during life, which we declined, telling him
that we did not desire to have them placed in such a situation. Then
we, in company with the troops, went on to the fort at the White Oak
Springs (the Indians bidding us a final adieu at Gratiot’s Grove).
Here we remained three or four days, when J.W. Hall, our dear brother,
who we supposed murdered, met us, and from whom we learned that all
the families that were at the house of Davis, and all the individuals
that were present, were killed, himself excepted. Those in the field
at the time of our captivity made their escape to the fort at Ottawa,
LaSalle County, Illinois, and he, J.W. Hall, after seeing all fall by
the hands of the Indians, made his escape by jumping down the bank of
the creek and keeping under said bank on the side nearest the Indians,
until he could venture out in the prairie and get across to said fort.
His statements will be found in this work. There we remained two or
three weeks, and while there we were furnished with materials (by the
merchants and others, who seemed to take a great interest in our
welfare) to make us some clothing, which we made, in order to prepare
ourselves to pass through the country honorably, decently and
respectably. And we are very sorry we cannot recollect the names of
those kind friends, that they might appear upon record as a testimony
of their kindness to us in our destitute condition. May the blessings
of our Father in Heaven rest upon them all!
“From this place we went, in company with brother John W. Hall and
uncle Edward Hall to Galena. Here we staid at the house of Mr. Bells,
with whom we had a little acquaintance, some days. While here we
received rations from the army. We also found kind friends in
abundance, and received donations in clothing and other things, and
needed nothing to make us comfortable as we could be under such
circumstances. For what was supplied, all those friends have our
thanks, and now we take our leave of them and pass down the Fevre
River, to the Mississippi, then to St. Louis, Mo. Here we stopped with
Governor Clark, where we received all the attention necessary to make
us comfortable and happy, that could be bestowed by himself and kind
family. We also here received many presents in the way of clothing,
and through his (Hon. Gov. William Clark) influence, a sum of money
was raised and placed in his hands for our special benefit, amounting
in all, we believe, to the sum of four hundred and seventy dollars, to
be laid out in land and intrusted to the care of Rev. R. Horn, of Cass
County, Illinois, which was done at our request. There were also other
smaller sums donated to pay our expenses up the river homeward. Those
kind friends also have our thanks for their kindness and liberality.
We remained here a few days and took our leave of those kind friends,
probably never to meet again in this world. Leaving here, we took boat
for Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, on the Illinois River, where we
were safely landed in due time and escorted out in the country five
miles east, by brother J.W. Hall and uncle Edward Hall, who had been
with us all the time since leaving Blue Mounds, to where we had an
uncle, Robert Scott, living here. Here we remained about two months
while brother J.W. Hall went up to Bureau County, Illinois, which is
about 40 miles from where we were captured, Uncle Edward returning to
Galena. About the last of September or first of October, 1832, brother
J.W. Hall returned, and in his company we went to Bureau County,
Illinois, where we remained with brother J.W. Hall until the next
spring.
“Some time in March, 1833, sister Rachael was married to a William
Munson. Then sister Sylvia staid part of the time with brother Green
and part with Rachael until in May, 1833, sister Sylvia was also
married to William S. Horn, and removed to Cass County, Ill.[A] Thus
we have given the circumstances of our captivity and rescue as near as
we can recollect at this date, September 7, 1867, in the county of
Nemaha, State of Nebraska, where Sylvia Horn lives and where I and my
husband have been paying them a visit.
“Rachael Munson,
“Sylvia Horn.”
In presence of:
“W.S. Horn,
“W. Munson.”
State of Nebraska} September, 1867.
County of Nemaha.}
“I, John W. Hall, being requested by my sisters, Sylvia Horn and
Rachael Munson, to state what I recollect in reference to the massacre
of my father’s family, and the captivity of my two sisters, Rachael
and Sylvia, would most gladly comply with their request, so far as I
can; but after 35 years of toil have passed over my head since that
memorable occasion, my memory is in some things rather dim; yet there
are some things that I do remember most distinctly, and shall as long
as I have a being (I think).
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“It was in 1832, as near as I now recollect, on or about the 15th or
16th of May, Old Shabbona, chief of the Pottawatomies, notified my