The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
it was a great gratification to me to learn that he was so worthy
to be your life companion.
“If you have preserved enough of the pleasant memories of one
springtime to care for one who flitted with you over the flowers
of youth’s happy garden, it will give me sincere gratification to
hear from you and to learn of the welfare of yourself and
children.
“With cordial regard for you and yours, and renewed assurance of
my deep sympathy, I am ever,
“Faithfully your friend,
“JEFFERSON DAVIS.”
The term “garden” is appropriately applied to the spring of the year
1832 and its successor, 1833. The summer of 1831 had been dry, and
crops and vegetation had failed; the prairies had been left parched
and brown, and but for the open-handed manner of the pioneer in
helping his distressed brother, there had indeed been great
suffering. But in 1832, barring the scare of the Indian campaign
then carried on, the people were permitted to revel in a luxury of
vegetation. Rains descended and the foliage of the trees was
beautiful beyond description. The wild grape and cherry and plum,
and the bee tree, laden with honey, were all free to him who cared
to gather. Wild deer, turkeys, ducks, geese, grouse and squirrels
were everywhere present in abundance for the huntsman, while the
streams were plentifully stocked with fish. The wild rose spread out
its blossoms over the prairies, and if man, though never so weary,
could not revel in his surroundings he was sordid enough. The
pathway of the pioneer was hard and coarse, but a thoughtful God
seasoned his toil with many a blessing denied to us of the crowded
city.
General Harney, in the latter years of his life, was very fond of
speaking of those same beautiful days of springtime and the famous
men he soldiered with at Dixon’s Ferry and on through the campaign,
and in all those reminiscences failed never to allude to Lieut.
Jefferson Davis, beginning with him at the mouth of Rock River, when
they began their march up to Dixon’s Ferry. Reavis, in his
biography, makes frequent quotations from those days and events in
which both Harney and Davis took such active and conspicuous parts.
In a recent correspondence with Mrs. John M. Harney of St. Louis I
am told that full reliance can be placed upon the statements made by
Mr. Reavis in that biography, and, furthermore, all statements
contained in the same as emanating from General Harney were made in
the presence of herself and Mr. Harney, and, independently of the
book, Mrs. Harney confirms the presence of Lieutenant Davis in that
campaign from General Harney himself, who in his lifetime so
asserted many times.
Gen. John A. McClernand, the last living member of that famous band
which gathered at Dixon’s Ferry, wrote me, a very short time before
his death, which but recently occurred, that he well knew it to be
true that Lieutenant Davis was present and participated in the
campaign to its close.
Later on, when Lieutenant Davis became Secretary of War, Colonel
Strode, who had then removed to Woodstock, Illinois, and traveled
the circuit from that point, was exceedingly fond of alluding to
Jefferson Davis as his companion in arms during the Black Hawk War,
and upon that point I have the correspondence, confirming the making
of those claims at all times and upon all occasions, from so eminent
an authority as Hon. H.W. Blodgett, for so many years United States
Judge of this District.
Gen. George W. Jones, the first Senator in Congress from the State
of Iowa, was a classmate of Jefferson Davis in their days of young
manhood at Transylvania, and at his death was one of Mr. Davis’
pallbearers. The college days, so dear to every man who has a soul,
brought them together as only college days can bring men together,
and if subsequent events should ever bring them together again,
after separating to start out in life, it can scarcely be said that
either could be mistaken in any material point concerning the
history of the occasion. Certainly General Jones could not, and here
is what he has written above his signature about the presence of
Lieut. Jefferson Davis, his classmate, in the Black Hawk campaign:
Dubuque, Jan. 16th, 1896.
Mr. F.R. Dixon.
My Dear Sir: Your letter of the 14th was received yesterday and I
answer with pleasure.
My acquaintance with Mr. Jefferson Davis was formed at
Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, from 1821 to 1824;
renewed in 1828 after he was graduated at West Point and
commissioned Second Lieutenant of Infantry, U.S.A, when he served
under Col. Zachary Taylor, at Fort Crawford, Wisconsin.
I, as Gen. Henry Dodge’s aid-de-camp, served with Lieutenant Davis
throughout the Black Hawk war, from its _inception_ to its
_close_. Later, we were brother United States Senators, and an
intimate friendship existed between us throughout his life.
I knew your grandfather intimately, as also Colonel Dement, and
esteemed them both highly. * * * Trusting that the foregoing is a
satisfactory reply to your inquiry, I am,
Yours very sincerely,
GEO. W. JONES.
And here is what Gen. A.C. Dodge of Iowa, Senator in Congress with
Jefferson Davis, has written on the subject:
“In 1832 we became associated in the famous Black Hawk war, he
(Lieutenant Davis) as lieutenant of infantry, and I as aid-de-camp
to Gen. Henry Dodge, commanding the militia of Michigan Territory. I
often accepted his invitation to partake of his hospitality, as well
as that of Gen. (then Captain) William S. Harney and Col. Zachary
Taylor, who often divided their rations with me, as we volunteers
were frequently in want of suitable food.
“The regulars were much better provided for than we volunteers were
at the time. They were not only furnished with better rations and
more of them, but they had tents, while we had none; and I shall
never forget the generous hospitality of Lieutenant Davis, Col.
Zachary Taylor, Capt. W.S. Harney and others of my brave and
generous comrades of those days.”[297]
There was no point in the material or political growth of that part
of the then Michigan Territory (now Wisconsin), where Lieutenant
Davis was stationed, that Generals Jones and Dodge were not
identified with and thoroughly familiar. They were on the staff of
General Dodge during the campaign, by reason of which and the
exalted position of General Dodge they were upon terms of intimacy
with the army officers of the war, beginning with Gen. Winfield
Scott, who was chief in command after his arrival at Prairie du
Chien.
In 1866, after the conclusion of the Civil War, and when the
prominent men on both sides were in the minds of everyone, Rev. W.W.
Harsha, then of Dixon, but later President of the Presbyterian
Theological College at Omaha, Nebraska, was about to take a journey
to New York City, at which point Gen. Robert Anderson was to be
found, recovering from a very severe illness.
Commenting on the proposed trip to Mr. Dixon, the latter expressed a
desire to have Mr. Harsha call upon the General, and, if remembered
by him, to convey to him the very best wishes of Mr. Dixon for his
speedy recovery, and, in view of the prominence of Lieutenant
Anderson, Lieutenant Davis and others who served in the Black Hawk
campaign, recall the incidents of that early day and inquire if
General Anderson remembered them. Mr. Harsha, upon his arrival, true
to his promise, made the call, and the following letter, written at
the time, gives the substance of the interview:
Chicago, April 29th, 1866.
My Dear Friend: Being recently in New York City on business, and
finding myself one day in the neighborhood of General Anderson’s
residence, it occurred to me to call, and, partly on your account
and partly on my own, make his acquaintance. I did so, and as soon
as I told the General that I had lived eight years in Dixon, and I
mentioned your name, he expressed himself greatly pleased to see
me. He entered immediatly upon a minute and interesting detail of
his experiences in Illinois and confirmed the statement which I
had heard from you of his meeting Davis and Lincoln at your house
at “Dixon’s Ferry.” He was very glad to hear that you were living
and inquired affectionately after your health and the condition of
your family. He seemed distressed to learn of your bereavements,
and showed himself a man of true feeling.
He is, as you know, very much broken down in health. * * *
On parting from him the General says: “Tell my old friend, Mr.
Dixon, that I shall probably not see him in this life again, but I
hope to meet him in Heaven.” * * *
Yours truly,
W.W. HARSHA.
To John Dixon, Dixon, Illinois.
Isaac N. Arnold, Lincoln’s friend and biographer, specifically
recalls a conversation with Lincoln, wherein the latter remembers
and mentions the presence of Mr. Davis in that campaign.
Ben Perley Poore frequently heard Lincoln tell of Davis’ presence in
that campaign, and he has particularly told us so on page 218 of
“Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln.”
After leaving Dixon’s Ferry to march up the left bank of Rock River,
the route became one of privation and hardship, particularly after
reaching the bogs and swamps about Lake Koshkonong, where men fell
ill by the score, and where others became so exhausted that they
were sent back to the Ferry, to be later discharged. In many cases,
detachments sent out among the swamps to chase the phantom Indian or
guard some particular settlement against apprehended attack had
nothing but pickled pork and a course dough for subsistence. The
rains made the streams impassable, and many times, as at the
Wisconsin, just before the battle of that name, the entire army,
after making wearisome forced marches without sleep, were compelled
to remain standing all night long before the battle, in a drenching
rain, awaiting the hour in the morning when the attack might be
made. Thus, day after day, the troops marched in clothing soaked
with water, many falling by the wayside, to be carried to the rude
hospitals improvised for the occasion, and even so rugged and
powerful a man as General Henry, who won both the battle of the
Wisconsin and the Bad Axe, sickened and died from the exposures of
that campaign.[298]
Through all these vicissitudes Davis and Anderson and Johnston and
Eaton were cheerful and buoyed up the men with encouraging words
until back once more at Fort Crawford, where a more fearful enemy
than exposure was met–the Asiatic cholera. Anderson and Johnston
were stricken and suffered a long time the frightful agonies of that
dread disease. There at his old and familiar quarters, Lieutenant
Davis performed the duty demanded of him, of formally reporting
himself back with his regiment for duty, August 16th, 1832.
Later, Black Hawk, Neapope, the Prophet and the other Indian leaders
were captured and handed over to Lieut.-Col. Zachary Taylor as
prisoners of war. Robert Anderson, in a letter to Hon. E.B.
Washburne, has stated that he was designated as their custodian to
take them to Jefferson Barracks, but that the fateful cholera
prevented. In that he was mistaken; he took the second installment
of prisoners.
We know from every man who served in that campaign and from every
record that those prisoners were handed by Colonel Taylor to Lieut.
Jefferson Davis to be taken to Jefferson Barracks. Following is from
The Galenian of September 5th, 1832: “September 4th General Street,