The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
Surgeon, John Allan Wakefield; Quartermaster’s Sergeant, Alanson Powell.
It was composed of the companies of Captains Allan F. Lindsay of Morgan
County and Samuel Huston of Fayette County.
On the 21 st Brady was ordered to take command of the forces at Dixon’s
when he arrived there, but before starting out he was to detail ten men
from each brigade for duty with the convoys of wagons, which said detail
was to report daily to Col. E.C. March, Quartermaster-General.
At 2 o’clock of the same day Alexander’s Brigade started for Dixon’s
Ferry, after receiving General Order No. 41:
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Rapids of the Illinois, 20 June, 1832.
“The movement of the mounted volunteers on the march, whether in
division or brigade, will be in columns by heads of regiments or
battalions. An advance flank and rear guard will be constantly
thrown out on the march; its distance from the main body will be
regulated according to the nature of the ground, by the officer of
the day, under the direction of the commander or senior officer
present. Should the troops be attacked in front, flank and rear on
the march, the line would be formed in either direction by
regiments on foot previously named (as will also the reserve in
either case). The form of the encampment will be a square. The
troops having occupied the ground designated for the encampment
will remain on horseback until the guard is posted, when the order
to dismount will be given by a signal, and tents pitched; the
train of wagons will then go formed in line within a square, in
rear of the line of tents. The horses will be grazed until night,
when, at a given signal, to be given for that purpose, they will
be picketed in lines in the area within the line of wagons.
“The fires will be at least forty yards in front of the line of
tents. Should the camp be attacked, the line will be formed on
foot immediately in front of the line of tents.
“It is of the utmost importance that the ammunition should not be
wasted. The commanders of brigades will see that the greatest care
is taken of that issued to their respective commands.
“A.S. JOHNSTON, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Foot of the Rapids of the Illinois, June 21, 1832.
“Order No. 43.
“In organizing the Third Brigade of Illinois Volunteers, the
Commanding General orders as follows, to-wit: That Captain Jones’
company of volunteers from Randolph County be and is hereby
attached to the Third Regiment of said brigade. Captain Smith’s
company of said Third Regiment is transferred to and is attached
to the First Regiment of said brigade, to which is also attached
Captain Matthews’ company of volunteer infantry. Captain Matthews’
company of infantry being stationary, the equipments belonging to
said company will be turned over to Colonel Fry, and the necessary
receipts taken for the same. The equipments drawn by Colonel
Matthews at this place will be turned over to Colonel Collins. The
regiment under Colonel Matthews is assigned to duty on this
immediate frontier, and will garrison Forts Ottoway and Wilbourn,
two companies to be stationary at the latter post. The residue to
be stationed at Fort Ottoway for its garrison and for succoring
the frontier and scouring the neighboring country. From two to
three companies will generally be kept out for the latter purpose.
The security of the public property at the forts above mentioned
is confided to the commanding officer of the regiment.
“A.S. JOHNSTON, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
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The following independent companies, reporting direct to General
Atkinson, joined the new levies to do scouting duty: Jacob M.
Earley’s, of which Abraham Lincoln was a private, Alexander M.
Jenkins’ and B. B. Craig’s.
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Footnote 174:
It has been said that this fort was named after Col. James Johnson, of
the Fifth Regiment, but the burden of authority is in favor of A.S.
Johnston.
Footnote 175:
My Own Times.
Footnote 176:
Captain Harrison Wilson, in the war of 1812, was an ensign in Captain
James Craig’s company of frontier riflemen. Fourth Regiment. His
father, Alexander, was a member of the first Legislature of Illinois
Territory, and drafted with his own hand the first code of
English-speaking law for that territory. Gen. James H. Wilson, of
Wilmington, Del., who represented the U.S. Army at King Edward’s
coronation, and Col. Bluford Wilson, of Springfield, Ill., late
Solicitor of the U.S. Treasury, are sons of Capt. Harrison Wilson, who
died in 1853. He fought by the side of Jefferson Davis against Black
Hawk at the battle of the Bad Axe, while his son, Gen. James H.
Wilson, captured the President of the Southern Confederacy in the
Civil War. Another coincidence must be noticed: Maj.-Gen. John A.
McClernand was a private in Capt. Harrison Wilson’s company, and
during the recent war with Spain Lt.-Col. Edward J. McClernand, son of
Gen. McClernand, was adjutant to Gen. J.H. Wilson while the latter
occupied Cuba.
Footnote 177:
Later Lieut.-Governor.
Footnote 178:
Then Lieut.-Governor.
Footnote 179:
By Col. Smith’s report, in my possession, he certified that his
brigade was furnished from June 21 to July 10, by U.S. Government,
with six baggage wagons; from July 10 to July 26 with four wagons, and
from the 26th to Aug. 14 with three pack horses. The wagons were each
drawn by two horses, and on an average drew 500 pounds. Distance
traveled, 1,200 miles.
Footnote 180:
Selected June 5, according to Wakefield.
Footnote 181:
Then Secretary of State.
Footnote 182:
Henry S. Riggs, a private in Gillham’s company, who still lives at
Lynnville, in Morgan County, has given the march of his company and of
Capt. Gordon’s as follows: “We first met at a farm near Exeter, and
encamped the first night on the bank of the Mauvaisterre, northeast of
Jacksonville. We then marched in a northeasterly direction and forded
the Sangamon River near Petersburg. The journey across country to the
vicinity of Ottawa, and later Rock Island, occupied a week, and a
detachment of one company was left at Ft. Wilbourn. At this point
there were, besides the whites, a good many friendly Indians who
needed or desired our protection. I was one of those left on guard at
the fort, so did not take part in any of the skirmishes with the
Indians. Black Hawk and his braves were so far outnumbered that they
knew the folly of continued resistance, but in the final struggle
seventeen whites were killed and the Indian loss was heavy. Peace was
finally declared, and when the volunteers returned to their homes they
had been in the service just 104 days. For this campaign each man
furnished his own horse and weapon and the greater part of his
ammunition.”
Footnote 183:
Wakefield, p. 31, is authority for the statement that the regiment
reached Beardstown June 3, elected officers, and that T.W. Smith was
made a staff officer June 5, and that the march was taken up on the
6th for Ft. Wilbourn, where Maj. (Rev.) Horn had stored provisions.
Footnote 184:
The great pioneer Methodist preacher, Peter Cartwright, was a private
in Brown’s company.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
MARCH TO DIXON’S FERRY–MAJOR DEMENT’S BATTLE.
It has already been stated that Major Dement’s battalion was ordered
on detached service. Following is a copy of his order:
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Rapids of the Illinois, 18 June, 1832.
“Order No. 37.
“Major Dement’s Battalion of Volunteers will be prepared for
detached service as early to-morrow morning as practicable,
supplied with provisions for ten days. Major Dement will make a
requisition on the ordnance officer for ammunition for his
command, and report to the commanding general for instructions
relative to the service to be performed.
“A.S. JOHNSTON, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
Pursuant to these orders, Major Dement called on General Atkinson
and was directed to detach his battalion from Posey’s Brigade, scour
the Bureau woods to find, if possible, the murderers of Phillips,
and then go on to Colonel Taylor at Dixon’s and report the
depredations committed by the Indians, so far as he could learn
them.
Early the following morning Major Dement marched for Henderson
Creek, where he thoroughly scoured the woods, only to find that the
Indians had crossed the Mississippi and escaped every effort that
might be made to punish them. Concluding this very tedious duty, the
battalion, after a weary march through portions of the Winnebago
swamps, high creeks and through pouring rains, reached Dixon’s Ferry
on the night of the 22d, just after Major Bennet Riley’s two
companies of regulars had returned from their efforts to keep open
the road between Dixon’s and Galena.
[185]Colonel Taylor met Dement when he arrived, and informed him
that his arrival was opportune, that he had just the place for him,
and directed him to swim his horses across the river early to
receive his orders. In Major Dement’s command were men who had held
nearly every office in the State, from Governor down, and Taylor’s
abrupt manner, if displayed before the troops, would not be
calculated to promote the dispatch required, and which Taylor was in
the habit of receiving; in fact, Major Dement felt that he could
not, in justice to his relations with the men and his future
comfort, repeat the orders given, at least verbatim; therefore he
requested Taylor to read or deliver them personally.
The men, fatigued from their long march, expected a short respite
when they reached the river, and were not in good humor.
Taylor had consented personally to deliver his orders, and promptly
at daylight he was rowed to the south side of the river, where the
men were formed in line, awaiting his approach. Taylor was nothing
if not picturesque, and in the delivery of those orders his speech
and actions were calculated to perpetuate his reputation; they
amounted to a speech, in fact. He raked the Illinois militia fore
and aft, virtually accusing them of cowardice, and finally
concluding with these words:[186] “You are citizen soldiers and some
of you may fill high offices, or even be President some day, but
never unless you do your duty. Forward! March!” Prophetic words! He
became President, and Jefferson Davis, his aid, was present. Abraham
Lincoln, the second President to be elected from that little army,
arrived the third time upon the scene, soon after, with Henry’s
Brigade.
Taylor’s remarks, just as Major Dement had divined, evoked a storm
of passion, smothered, ’tis true, but the men were almost ready to
fight Taylor rather than obey him. Major Dement had foreseen the