The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
of travel the detachment came upon four of the Indians preparing a meal
in a deep ravine just ahead. Flight by them in a circuitous, back-track
manner was instantly taken, which nearly baffled the troops, but after
another weary but exciting chase the Indians were again discovered half
a mile ahead climbing a high hill within three miles of camp at
Kellogg’s Grove. The troops were delayed in their pursuit by a deep and
muddy creek, but on finally crossing it discovered the Indians firmly
intrenched in a deep gulch, where, in a sharp hand to hand encounter,
all four were killed, with loss to the whites of one man, private
William B. Mecomson (or Mekemson), who received two balls in the
abdomen, inflicting a mortal wound. While the engagement lasted it was
as fierce and wicked a frontier fight as has ever been recorded, and in
the many shots exchanged by the Indians the marvel is that the loss to
the whites was no greater; but poor Mecomson received the only effective
ones.
A litter was constructed of poles and blankets, upon which the wounded
man was placed and, carried by his comrades, he was conveyed toward
camp. In ministering to his needs his bearers were compelled to deliver
their guns and horses to the keeping of others, the exchange and relief
causing some delay and a little temporary confusion; men were
necessarily scattered along with no regard for order; the troops were
flushed with the first victory of the campaign, and while danger was to
be at all times apprehended, having disposed of one enemy, the presence
of other Indians was not a very strong probability. Thus the men marched
along for three-quarters of a mile, when the dying man asked for a brief
rest and a cup of water. As no fresh water was carried, two squads were
detailed by Captain Snyder to search for some. General Whiteside, First
Sergeant Nathan Johnston and Third Sergeant James Taylor went to one
side, while Dr. Richard Roman, Benjamin Scott, Second Corporal Benjamin
McDaniel, Dr. Francis Jarrott and Dr. I.M. McTy Cornelius searched the
other side for water with which to quench the wounded man’s thirst.
While the last named squad was moving slowly down a ridge to a point
having a bushy ravine on each side it was fired on by a large party of
Indians, instantly killing Benjamin Scott and Benjamin McDaniel and
slightly wounding Dr. Cornelius. The three survivors retreated while the
Indians, estimated from fifty to ninety in number, hideously yelling,
rushed upon poor Mecomson and chopped off his head with a tomahawk; then
wheeling, they directed their fire upon the main body of the whites, who
were somewhat scattered, as stated. Closing in as well as possible, the
detachment fell back in good order, formed again and returned a brisk
fire, which checked the enemy’s advance. Quickly following up the
advantage gained, Captain Snyder moved rapidly forward, bringing his men
at close range with the enemy and making the engagement general. Trees
were many times used for protection. During the thickest of the fight
the apparent leader of the Indians, mounted on a white horse, rode
backward and forward, urging his men on with shouts and gestures; but
the intrepid volunteers were pouring lead into the ranks of the Indians
with such deadly effect that they were gradually forced back. After a
little the white horse was seen leaving the field without a rider; at
the same time the Indians temporarily wavered and the whites pushed
their lines closer. The Indians, having evidently lost their leader,
sullenly retired out of range and Captain Snyder held his advanced
position.
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Major Thomas had in the meantime volunteered to go alone to Kellogg’s
Grove, less than three miles distant, for reinforcements from Major
Riley, and though the trip was perilous in the extreme he made it
safely, returning in an incredibly short time with the reinforcements.
When they arrived Captain Snyder had driven the Indians to the timber
and was anxious to press his advantage, but the lateness of the hour
prevented. He then insisted on camping on the spot for the night, that
he might pursue his advantage early in the morning, but Major Riley
persuaded him to return to camp at Kellogg’s, which he reluctantly did,
after gathering up the dead for burial the following day.
Early the following morning Captain Snyder, with his full company,
returned to the scene of the previous day’s engagements in search of the
enemy, but he was nowhere to be found, and, burying the dead, the
company at once returned to camp, where it remained a few days longer,
by which time the new levies having been rapidly massed at Dixon’s Ferry
for the final struggle, Captain Snyder marched to that point, and his
company was mustered out by Colonel Taylor on June 21.[160]
That same band of Sac Indians had been lurking about that locality for
some time, and was, in fact, engaged in all the fights with the whites
until Black Hawk’s forces withdrew to the swamps of the Rock River
country, more than a month later.
On June 3d the Hall girls were brought to the fort at Blue Mounds from
the camp of the Sacs where the Winnebagoes had found them. Here they
were delivered to Col. Henry Gratiot, who was momentarily stopping on
his return trip from his “talk” with the Winnebagoes, at the head of the
Four Lakes.
Colonel Dodge had barely returned to his headquarters when he received
word that an attack on Mound Fort was threatened and that reinforcements
were promptly needed. Without delay Dodge summoned the companies of
Capt. J.R.B. Gratiot and Captain Clark, which had been formed during his
absence, and detachments of two other companies, and started for the
fort. When within three miles of it an express met him with information
of the return at that fort of the Hall girls. Arrived there, he found
the report of the contemplated attack had been exaggerated, though some
of the Winnebago party were that night suspected and taken into custody.
Arrangements were promptly made for the payment of the $2,000 promised
by Atkinson, which the Indians agreed to accept in money, ponies and
other useful and valuable chattels.
That night[161] signs of hostilities were made to Capt. J.R.B. Gratiot,
which he quickly communicated to Dodge. Awakening him, the two walked
over to the brush, to which the particular Indians had retired, and took
White Crow and five others into custody, marched them to a cabin and
ordered them to lie down and remain there until morning. Dodge himself
laid down beside them, having first placed a strong guard around the
cabin and a double guard around the whole encampment. The next day the
whole band, despite the complaint that their feet were sore, were taken
with the Hall girls to Morrison’s Grove, fifteen miles to the west,
where Dodge held a talk with them June 5th. Candidly speaking his fears,
he demanded that Whirling Thunder, Spotted Arm and Little Priest be held
as hostages until the end of the month, to which the Indians assented,
and thus doubtless was prevented the formation of a cabal which might
have brought disaster to the whites.
By way of Fort Defiance the girls were, on June 8th, taken to Gratiot’s
Grove, where a junction was formed with the command of Capt. J.W.
Stephenson, then departing to find the bodies of the St. Vrain party,
and there the girls were left with Col. Henry Gratiot. There, too, the
murder of Aubrey was reported.
On the 6th of June[162] one William Aubrey, first captain[163] of Mound
Fort, was killed by the Sacs while after water at a spring near the
dwelling of Ebenezer Brigham, a mile and a half distant to the north of
the fort, to which place the Sacs had been led by Winnebago renegades.
Being then south bound, Dodge sent an express with instructions to Fort
Defiance and Mineral Point to proceed with men to the scene and bury the
murdered man, which was done.
By noon of the 8th the troops reached Kirker’s farm, where they halted
to consider the numerous murders constantly committed in their midst.
Here Dodge delivered a short address to the troops, which fired them
with an enthusiasm that none but Dodge could inspire. In fact, it may be
said for the troops from the mining districts that they fought and
dragooned their country night and day, with never a thought of flinching
or flagging. In the afternoon the men marched south and found and buried
the bodies of St. Vrain, Hale and Fowler, after which Stephenson
returned to Galena, while Dodge moved on to Hickory Point to camp for
the night. The next morning he marched to Dixon’s Ferry and camped that
night with General Brady. There it was learned that Atkinson had gone
over to the mouth of Fox River, below which the new levies were massing.
With twenty-five men Dodge escorted Brady thence,[164] and on the 11th
the two had a conference with Atkinson, at which plans for the future
campaign were fully mapped out. By midnight Dodge had returned to
Dixon’s. His faculty for quick marches has seldom been equaled. In fact,
to keep track of him, Colonel Hamilton and Captain Stephenson during
their rides over the frontier was impossible to any save members of
their commands. Night and day they rode tirelessly. From Ottawa and Fort
Wilbourn to the south to Mineral Point and the Four Lakes to the north,
they were incessantly moving and charging bands of thieves and
murderers, and to their work this pen cannot do justice.
With little or no rest, Dodge started back for the mining country,
reaching Gratiot’s Grove June 13th. There, worn and exhausted, he
dispersed his command to their respective forts to recuperate the
strength of the horses and await further orders.
No sooner had the men reached Fort Defiance at sundown of the 14th, than
one David, as an express, arrived with news of the murder that day of
Spafford, Searles, Spencer, McIlwaine and an Englishman nicknamed John
Bull, at Spafford’s farm on the Pecatonica, six miles southeast of Fort
Hamilton. Captain Hoard at once dispatched an express to Dodge at
Dodgeville, and ordered Lieut. Charles Bracken with a detachment to Fort
Hamilton, which was reached late that night. The following morning,
under guidance of Bennett Million, a survivor of the party which had
been attacked, Bracken took a detachment over to Spafford’s farm and
buried the dead men, who as usual had been shockingly mutilated.
Early in the morning of the 16th Dodge sighted the fort about one mile
away, where he met a German named Henry Appel going to his cabin for
blankets. In a few minutes shots were heard, and just as Dodge was
entering the fort, Appel’s horse, bedabbled with the blood of its owner,
came galloping back to the fort.
A detachment of twenty-nine men immediately started in pursuit of the
murderers, with another small detail to bury poor Appel, whose mutilated
body was expected to be found as a matter of course. High creeks, muddy
roads and other difficulties gave the Indians many advantages in their
escape[165] to the Pecatonica, which they reached and crossed a
considerable time before the whites reached it.
“After crossing the Pecatonica, in the open ground, I dismounted my
command, linked my horses, left four men in charge of them, and sent
four men in different directions to watch the movements of the Indians
if they should attempt to swim the Pecatonica; the men were placed on
high points that would give a view of the enemy should they attempt to
retreat. I formed my men on foot at open order and at trailed arms,