The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
seven detachments from the companies of Stephenson, Dunn, Russell,
Durman, West, Holliday and Bowyer.
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On Sunday, the 17th, an express came from the DuPage settlements, which
had left there the preceding evening at 9 o’clock, bringing information
of the killing of Private William Brown of Captain Payne’s company by a
party of Sacs on the 16th.
On the 16th the Second Brigade, consisting of three regiments, a spy
battalion and a detachment, was organized, the officers of which were:
Brigadier-General, Milton K. Alexander of Edgar County; Aid, William B.
Archer; Brigade Inspector, Stephen B. Shelledy; Brigade Quartermaster,
Henry G. Smith.[179]
The officers of the First Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
James M. Blackburn; Lieutenant-Colonel, William Wyatt; Major, James S.
Jones; Surgeon, J.J. Parrish; Quartermaster, Leonard B. Parker.
It was composed of six companies, commanded by Captains Thomas B. Ross
of Coles County, Royal A. Nott of Clark County and Samuel Brimberry,
Isaac Sandford, Robert Griffin and Jonathan Mayo of Edgar County.
The officers of the Second Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
Samuel Adams; Lieutenant-Colonel, J.W. Barlow; Major, George Bowers;
Adjutant, Samuel Dunlap; Quartermaster, Walter L. Mayo.
It was composed of the companies of Captains John Barnes (only one-half
thereof, the other half being sent to Isaac Parmenter’s detachment with
the Third Regiment), Alexander M. Houston and part of William
Highsmith’s of Crawford County and John Arnold and Elias Jordan of
Wabash County.
The officers of the Third Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
Hosea Pearce; Lieutenant-Colonel, C. Jones; Major, William Eubanks;
Adjutant, Isaac Parmenter; Quartermaster, John T. Hunter; Surgeon, Aaron
Thrall.
It was composed of five companies, commanded by Captains Solomon Hunter
and Champion S. Madding from Edwards County, and John Haynes, William
Thomas and Daniel Powell from White County.
The officers of the Spy Battalion, so far as known, were: Major, William
McHenry; Adjutant, Nineveh Shaw; Surgeon, George Flanagan.
It was composed of the companies of Captains John F. Richardson from
Clark County, Abner Greer from Lawrence County and John McCown from
White County.
Attached to the Third Regiment were fourteen small detachments commanded
by Isaac Parmenter.
On Monday, the 18th, the company of Capt. David Smith, Madison County,
First Regiment, Third Brigade, was detached to occupy the post at Fort
Johnston. On the same day an express arrived from the Henderson River
which reported the murder on Bureau Creek of Elijah Phillips, one of a
party of six who had been passing the night in the cabin of John L.
Ament. As this murder created a great scare at the time, it may be well
to relate the circumstances:
On the 17th Phillips, Ament, J. Hodges, Sylvester Brigham, Aaron Gunn,
James G. Forristall and a lad of sixteen, named Ziba Dimmick, left
Hennepin to look after cattle which had been left to run at large on
Bureau Creek. On arriving at Ament’s cabin, a mile and a half north of
the present site of Dover, they ate their lunch and were preparing to
return to Hennepin, when a heavy rain set in and the party retired to
the cabin for the night, after first securely barricading the door.
To the west of the cabin lay the sugar camp of the Indians, which had
for years been their headquarters. The presence of Ament in the country
had greatly angered the Indians, and it required no great effort by
Black Hawk’s emissaries to persuade them to rid themselves of the
presence of the hated settlers. The presence of the whites was at once
discovered by them and during the night a cordon was formed around the
house to ambush them the moment any of the number appeared. Mr. Phillips
arose and left the cabin alone to look after the horses. Proceeding but
a few feet, he walked square upon the Indians in the hazel bushes, who,
with deafening yells, rose and shot him. Wishing the full fruition of
their victory, they rushed upon his body to secure the scalp, but the
other whites within, thrusting their muskets through the chinks,
frightened the Indians away. Young Dimmick volunteered to return to
Hennepin for reinforcements, a dangerous trip, but, calling a horse to
him, he mounted, and, reaching Hennepin, was able to secure, after much
persuasion, some reinforcements from two companies of the rangers who
had been discharged and were returning home. The body of Phillips was
secured and taken to Hennepin for burial.
On Tuesday, the 19th, Posey was ordered to draw ten days’ rations and
start for Dixon’s Ferry that night or the following morning. Major
Dement’s battalion, however, was ordered first to scour the woods around
the Bureau settlements to see if it could not run down the murderers of
Phillips, and then go on to Dixon’s to receive further orders from
Colonel Taylor, who had remained at that point all the time since the
discharge of the first levy on May 27th and 28th, with his force of
regulars, which included Jefferson Davis, his aid, and some 200
volunteers. Just previous, Taylor had sent forward with Captain Snyder’s
company two companies of the regulars under Major Bennet Riley, to be
stationed at Kellogg’s Grove, as has been noticed before.
Governor Reynolds had on the 12th ordered a battalion to be organized to
guard the frontiers between the Mississippi and Peoria on the north of
the Illinois River, and selected Samuel Bogart Major to command the
same, the name of no other officer being known. The companies, so far as
can be ascertained, were those of Captains Peter Butler of Warren
County, John W. Kenney of Rock Island, James White, Hancock County, John
Sain, Fulton County, William McMurtry, Knox County, and Asel F. Ball of
Fulton County, all of which were mustered out September 4th and 5th at
Macomb.
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The Governor also, on the 19th, appointed his staff: Aids, Alexander F.
Grant of Gallatin and Benjamin F. Hickman of Franklin; Adjutant-General,
Judge Theophilus W. Smith of the Supreme Court;[180] Pay-master-General,
James Turney, and Quartermaster-General, Enoch C.
On this same day the Governor organized a battalion to guard the
frontier between Ottawa and Chicago with the companies of Captains
Nathaniel Buckmaster, Aaron Armstrong, James Walker, Morgan L. Payne,
Holden Sessions and — — Draper, and appointed Buckmaster Major, and it
may be said that this battalion did excellent service. Without loss, it
cleared its territory of the last hostile Indian, and the settlers, in
less than three weeks’ time, were permitted to return to their homes,
relieved of the dangers which had for so long a time compelled them to
remain inside of forts at Chicago and Ottawa.
At the same time Major Bailey was given command of a battalion and was
sent to Chicago to take charge of that very important post. So well did
he manage the duties entrusted to him that he received the thanks of the
President, Andrew Jackson.
On the 20th Posey’s Brigade marched at 1 o’clock, under the command of
General Hugh Brady, who took with him the two companies of regulars from
the Cantonment of Leavenworth, under orders of Colonel Davenport, who
was ordered to accompany the brigade and perform such staff duties as
should be demanded of him. Lieutenant-Colonel Baker of the Sixth United
States Infantry was assigned to command the detachment of two companies.
On the same day the Third Brigade, consisting of four regiments and a
spy battalion, was organized, the officers of which, so far as known,
were: Brigadier-General, James D. Henry; Aid, Alexander P. Field;[181]
Brigade Inspector, Murray McConnel; Brigade Paymaster, Cornelius Hook;
Brigade Wagonmaster, Nathan Hussey; Assistant Brigade Quartermasters,
N.H. Johnston and Milton B. Roberts.
The officers of the First Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
Samuel T. Matthews; Lieutenant-Colonel, James Gillham; Major, James
Evans; Adjutant, William Weatherford; Surgeon, E.K. Wood; Paymaster,
Alexander Beall; Quartermaster’s Sergeant, Nathan Hart; Surgeon’s Mate,
Milton K. Branson.
It was composed of six companies, commanded by Captains David Smith of
Madison County, detailed as stated, William Gillham,[182] William
Gordon, George F. Bristow, J.T. Arnett and Walter Butler of Morgan
County.
The officers of the Second Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
Jacob Fry; Lieutenant-Colonel, Jeremiah Smith; Major, Benjamin James;
Adjutant, John O’Melvany; Paymaster, Benjamin Bond; Quartermaster, C.V.
Halsted; Surgeon, William H. Terrell; Surgeon’s Mate, J.B. Logan;
Hospital Steward, John Hawthorne.
It was composed of five companies, commanded by Captains Hiram Roundtree
of Montgomery County; James Kincaid, Gershom Patterson (the first
captain, Alexander Smith having resigned July 15), Aaron Bannon of
Greene County and Thomas Stout of Bond County.
The officers of the Third Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
Gabriel Jones; Lieutenant-Colonel, Sidney Breese; Major, John D. Wood;
Adjutant, David Baldridge; Paymaster, Martin W. Doris; Quartermaster’s
Sergeant, Joseph Orr; Sergeant-Major, John Hawthorn.
It was composed of six companies, commanded by Captains Andrew Bankson
of Clinton County, William Adair of Perry County, Josiah S. Briggs,
James Thompson and James Connor of Randolph (Connor’s company was first
commanded by Jacob Feaman, who resigned July 25th) and James Burns of
Washington County.
T.W. Smith was first elected Lieutenant-Colonel, and Sidney Breese,
Major, of the Third Regiment, but upon the appointment of Smith to be
Adjutant-General, Major Breese was promoted.[183]
The officers of the Fourth Regiment, so far as known, were: Colonel,
James Collins; Lieutenant-Colonel, Powell H. Sharp; Major, William
Miller; Adjutant, Dr. E.H. Merriman; Surgeon’s Mate, John Warnsing.
It was composed of six companies, commanded by Captains Bennett Nowlen
of Macoupin County, Ozias Hale of Pike County, Jesse Claywell, Reuben
Brown[184] and Thomas Moffett of Sangamon County and Henry L. Webb of
Alexander County.
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The officers of the Spy Battalion, so far as known, were: Major, William
L.D. Ewing; Paymaster, Frederick Remann; Quartermaster, David H. Moore;