The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
Shabbona’s Paw Paw village of the little plunder remaining, thence over
to Fox River, which was reached May 25th, and where the following order
was promulgated:
“Headquarters Camp No. ––, Fox River, May 25, 1832.
“Special Order. Col. DeWitt (and the other officers):
“You are hereby commanded forthwith to cause an inquiry and search of
regiments in your line and report the articles of any description
taken by the men at the Paw Paw and the Indian villages on Sycamore
Creek belonging to the Indians, by whom taken, with the supposed value
of such articles, to headquarters this evening.
“By order of Brig. Gen. Whiteside,
“N. Buckmaster, Brigade Major.”
Lawlessness was running rampant! Leisurely following Fox River, its
mouth was reached on the morning of the 27th, where on that day and the
next the volunteers were mustered out of service by Major
Buckmaster.[139]
While the mortification which fell upon the gallant “Old Ranger”
Governor, Reynolds, was crushing to his fine sense of honor, it was
probably best for the dissemblers to go, even at so great a sacrifice of
life and personal feeling. An opportunity was given the patriotic and
well disposed volunteers to accept a twenty-day service to guard the
frontier while the new levy could be brought into the field and finish
the campaign. On the 29th General Atkinson reached the scene from
Dixon’s and established his headquarters opposite the mouth of the Fox,
and immediately urged that 1,000 men volunteer for the twenty-day
temporary service, which, he hoped, would assure him of 3,000 men when
in conjunction with the new levy.
The utter disregard of the troops for discipline; their contempt for
superiors; contempt for their period of enlistment, not one-half
expired, and almost open insubordination, cannot be appreciated by the
present generation, unless the matter has been made the subject of
conversation with a survivor who may have opened his mind in confidence.
The following order should be a revelation to explain Stillman’s defeat.
Dislike of Whiteside alone could not have been sufficient to demand such
an order:
“Headquarters, May 24, 1832.
“General Orders:
“The great disorder in the brigade occasioned by the men’s quitting
their places in the line and scattering over the country, renders it
absolutely necessary to inflict punishment on everyone who violates
orders in that particular.
“Colonels of regiments and majors of separate battalions will require
that every man shall keep his place in the ranks if the individual is
able to march, and if not, he will obtain permission of his captain to
march in the rear of the army.
“All footmen will march with Major Long’s battalion. Should any man
attempt to pass out of the army on either flank, or should he be found
out without permission, he will be taken in custody of the guard and,
if he be an officer, will immediately be arrested. The officer of the
day will be particularly charged with the execution of this order.
“By order of the Brig. Gen.
“N. Buckmaster, Brigade Major.”
There were so many jealousies and irritations, there was such lack of
cohesion, and certainly lack of organization and discipline, that men
naturally disposed to continue their service lost interest by the
contagion of disaffection and wished themselves well rid of it. It may
therefore be said that the dispersion of the army was the act of wisdom.
General Whiteside was an energetic and patriotic man, and so it should
be said of Governor Reynolds. Both had been rangers in the war of 1812,
suffering dangers and fatigues without number. Both had been in
responsible military positions and acquitted themselves creditably, but
the army was composed of such divergent, discordant, independent and
headstrong characters that harmony was impossible.
Crops for the second year were being neglected; business interests left
to be resumed at the end of thirty days[140]–as was supposed–were urging
many to return. The prospect of a long campaign, complaints for burning
the village of the Prophet and the forced march to Dixon’s
thereafter–allowing the Stillman expedition, when probably the men
favored it at the time–all conspired to raise a state of affairs so
disagreeable all round that disintegration was inevitable and proper.
Immediately the mustering out was finished, on May 27th, six companies,
commanded by Captains Samuel Smith of Greene County, Benjamin James of
Bond County, Elijah Iles–with whom Lincoln was a private–Alexander White
and Alexander D. Cox of Sangamon, William C. Ralls of Schuyler and Adam
W. Snyder of St. Clair, flew to the rescue of this regiment. Jacob Fry,
on the 31st, was made colonel; James D. Henry, lieutenant-colonel; John
Thomas, major; E.P. Oliphant, adjutant; John W. Scott, paymaster;
William Kirkpatrick, quartermaster; H. Dulaney and John B. Rutledge,
surgeons; Thomas R. Waldron, quartermaster’s sergeant; Jonathan
Leighton, surgeon’s mate, and William McAdams, sergeant-major.
This regiment, the flower of the first army, was made up of resolute and
fearless men, among them Privates Joseph Gillespie, Francis Jarrott,
Pierre Menard, Richard Roman, James Semple, John T. Stuart, John Dement,
John J. Hardin and General Samuel Whiteside–men who would not permit
crops, business or any other enterprise to keep them away from the path
of duty as they then saw it.
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Footnote 137:
Also served at Bad Axe.
Footnote 138:
The direction thought to have been taken by the enemy and mentioned
herein was erroneous. He had followed Rock River to a point near its
source.
Footnote 139:
... “The muster roll is not on file, but the records show that the
company was mustered out at the mouth of Fox River, May 27, 1832, by
Nathaniel Buckmaster, Brigade Major, to General Samuel Whiteside’s
Illinois Volunteers.” Letter Gen. R.C. Drum, Adj. Gen. U.S. Army, in
Vol. I, p. 96, of Nicolay and Hay’s Abraham Lincoln.
Footnote 140:
The enlistment was for sixty days.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
VARIOUS ILLINOIS MURDERS, INCLUDING THOSE OF SAMPLE, PAYNE AND THE ST.
VRAIN PARTY.
Before recording the actions of this little regiment, or parts of it,
all of them important, time must be taken to consider intermediate
incidents of greatest importance and sadness. The first demonstration by
the Indians after crossing the Mississippi was blood-curdling to the
last degree, and proof positive that the wily old Sac was for war, and
had not come for the purpose of “making corn” at all.
In the autumn of 1831 a young Methodist preacher named James Sample took
up a claim near Black Hawk’s village, built a cabin and was engaged in
subduing the land in the spring of 1832, when Black Hawk’s approach in
April was proclaimed. Sample, with others, fled to the island garrison
for refuge. Remaining there some weeks without any overt demonstration
coming to notice, all danger was considered past, and Sample and his
young wife of a few months determined to dispose of their effects and
return to their friends south of the Illinois River. Proceeding for a
time along the old Sauk trail, always used by Black Hawk in journeying
to Maiden to receive his annuities from the British government, it was
their intention to remain the first night with Henry Thomas, who lived
about one mile north of it on Kellogg’s trail, where the same passed
West Bureau timber. But the cabin was found vacant and all the doors and
windows barricaded against intrusion, which compelled the travelers to
journey on. They must have camped for the night in the timber, swam the
creek and then set out for Smith’s cabin, some six miles distant, only
to find it as empty as the first, as was also Elijah Epperson’s, a mile
to the south. The travelers, weary and faint from hunger, were forced to
continue until sixty miles had been covered.[141]
At this time, while picking their way over the prairies, they were
astounded to hear whoops from a band of Indians to their rear, who,
having discovered their presence at the Epperson cabin, were then giving
them chase. Jaded though the horses were, the faithful beasts took heart
and were soon rapidly distancing their pursuers, and but for the
frightful condition of the ground would have carried the Samples to
safety, but while attempting the passage of a muddy spot the horse of
Mrs. Sample mired in the inextricable mud and could not move. Try as he
would, the faithful animal was fast mired. By the time Sample had
abandoned further efforts to release the horse, the Indians were upon
them, intent upon murder. Resolved to sell life dearly as possible, he
fired his pistol and one Indian dropped dead. Others of the band quickly
pounced upon the hapless pair, bound them hand and foot, and carried
them back to camp, to be disposed of in a manner most revolting and
fiendish.
Everything Sample owned he offered them to spare the life of his wife
and return her safely to the people at Fort Armstrong, but blood was
demanded, and nothing but the blood of both would avenge the death of
their comrade, so swiftly both were tied to trees, to watch the fiendish
brutes gather faggots to place around them. When these were knee high
the torch was applied, and the helpless victims, writhing in the agonies
of a lingering death, were reduced to ashes.
These murders were committed in the western part of the state, and,
isolated as they were, one might conclude that none others would follow,
but as Black Hawk advanced up Rock River the infection to take the lives
of white people spread in all directions.
About May 1st, in response to Black Hawk’s request to make common cause
with him against the whites, the Pottowatomies held a council at the
mouth of Rock Creek to consider the question and decide on their course
during the conflict which was inevitable. That they anticipated one
cannot be denied, and that many wished to join Black Hawk is equally
certain, corroborated as the fact was by Shabbona himself, who was
present and whose influence dominated the sentiment of the council to a
large degree. Billy Caldwell, Robinson and George E. Walker were also
present to contribute their influence for the peace party. That
sentiment, after a long deliberation, prevailed, with an open and
unanimous declaration that any Pottowatomie who joined Black Hawk’s
forces would be proclaimed a traitor; but notwithstanding the friendly
resolutions of the council, Black Hawk prevailed upon a few of them to
join him and to carry on the predatory warfare and assist in the murders
of Indian Creek, Adam Payne and others through the Illinois, Fox and
DuPage river districts.[142]
When Shabbona, Pype-gee and Pypes made their famous ride, the
panic-stricken settlers along these rivers generally flocked to the
stockades, barricading their homes as best they could. During the raids
which followed the store of George B. Hollenback was looted, the Indians
drinking of the liquor until too stupid to carry their program of crime
further. But for this fact murders without number might have been
committed. As it was, the time consumed in sobering up allowed leisure
for all who wished to reach the nearest stockade.
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