Grant County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 1 of those read), 1881 (part 17 of 17)

The army continued the march on the trail which followed around the south side of the upper lake. They had camped on the southwest side of the lake, and their cold camp-fires showed they had several hours' move of the soldiers. Hitherto the march had been conducted at a walking pace, and now it was altered to a quick trot. After passing over a distance of four miles, a solitary Indian was discovered ahead on the trail. Col. Dodge ordered ten men from Capt. Clark's detachment to advance and kill him. With cocked rifles, the detail advanced. Learning of their presence and his prospective fate, the Indian stoically retreated to a tree, where he steadied his rifle, and, after taking deliberate aim, fired. Clark's men replied with a volley, which they followed up with a bayonet charge. The Indian seized the nearest bayonet in his naked hands and attempted to wrest it from the soldier, who, by a powerful effort threw the Indian, face down, on the ground. With great agility he recovered his position, and again seizing the bayonet. He was forced to release his grasp, and the weapon descended with such force as to penetrate through the body and pin it to the ground. The hapless Indian struggled to release himself, but the brutal volunteer sprang on the body, and, with merciless ferocity, extracted the bayonet and inflicted seven additional thrusts through the body. A parcel enveloped in the folds of an antiquated blanket composed a portion of the Indian's equipment, but no man had the temerity to investigate the contents, fearing contagion or vermin. »In the next fall, a hunter named Rowan visited the scene, and, prompted by curi osity, opened the package, which displayed to his astonished gaze the gold watch owned by Lieut. Force at the time of his death at Blue Mounds. The Indian's rifle had been charged with six rifle-balls, the entire number lodging in the thigh of a soldier named Isam Hardin. Two hours subsequently a view was had of thirty mounted Indians, about eighty rods to the left. One of Henry's regiments was detached to follow them, while the main body continued on the trail. This troop of mounted Indians were making in a southerly direction, while the others were continuing due west. Fearing a decoy, Henry's regiment was re-called, and the whole army descended into a valley opening toward the Wisconsin River. The march was contmued cautiously, the scouts maintaining a lead of thirty rods. As the army defiled down the valley, the width increased and the bank on the right dwindled in proportions until equalized with the surrounding surface. At this natural outlet, the alarm was communicated from the scouts, who shouted, "Here they come, thick as bees."

Col. Dodge, in a cool tone, ordered his forces to "dismount and form line." The order was executed in a trice. The next command was, " Advance to the top of that eminence." From the elevated range a good view could be obtained. Here the scouts were retreating down the valley, vigorously applying whip and spurs, to escape a score of Indians in pursuit. Capt. Clark opened column to admit the passage of the scouts, and then, forming line, presented a solid front to the foe, which had approached within six rods. A volley was fired, and one Indian bit the dust. The Galena company, with a well-directed fire, demoralized the enemy, who fled in dismay to a safe position behind a ridge forty rods distant. Col. Dodge ordered his men not to expose themselves or to expend a single shot without a sure target. The only wounded was Capt. Parkinson, Second Lieutenant, who received a bullet in the thigh. An inspection of arms followed, when the rifles were cleaned and priming renewed. Col. Dodge then ordered the charge, and the force advanced with_ eager rapidity, without encountering any obstacles. On arriving at the brow of the blufif, they were saluted by a volley, which passed over their heads. On the return fire six Indians fell, and the remainder retreated at the top of their speed. In the meantime, another party of Indians had outflanked Capt. Clark, who, by a welldirected charge, coupled with tha skillful maneuvering of his company, averted a disaster and routed his opponents. They fled for a swamp of tall grass cane, which afforded them suitable shelter and covered their retreat to the opposite bank, where they emergsd and disappeared in the woods. Owing to the late hour, it was deemed advisable to postpone the chase and recuperate for the night in camp. When another day was heralded in, the enemy had disappeared, having, during the night, beat a hasty retreat across the Wisconsin River, without removing their lodges. A short journey brought into sight Black Hawk's camp on the west side of the Wisconsin River, about half a mile off. His camp was much larger than the camp of the military, and in the struggle of the preceding day the whites must have been greatly outnumbered. It was then decided to return to Blue Mounds. To facilitate the transportation of the three wounded soldiers - Isam Hardin, Robert McGee and Enoch Nevill - litters were prepared from the materials of a tent presented by Maj. W. L. D. Swing to Capt. Clark's company. The loss was one killed and eight wounded. The return journey to Blue Mounds was tedious, owing to general ignorance of the topography of the country. To gain a rest rendered necessary by a month of incessant toil, day and night, the miners removed to White Oak Springs. Here the first information of the battle of Bad Axe, which occurred August 22, was received. This pleasant news was rapidly succeeded by an invitation for an Indian treaty at Rock Island, where a general peace was concluded. The war being terminated, the different military divisions were discharged, with the exception of Capt. Clark's and Capt. Gentry's companies, which were held in reserve. When the treaty of Rock Island was concluded, the miners were notified of their discharge from the Federal service, the Government having no further need for their services. By an infamous arrangement of the commanding officer of the forces. Col. Dodge, the two mining companies known respectively as Capt. Clark's and Capt. Gentry's men, were forced to assume the expenses of their own corps during the campaign. The sum of over $4,000 was accordingly deducted from the pay of the men by the Paymaster, acting under orders from Col. Dodge. Having been involved in war for five months, ending in the Fall of 1832, Lieut. |Magoon returned to commercial life, as, during his absence, his financial affairs had suffered. To add to his misfortunes, Robert Graham, his heaviest creditor, succumbed to the cholera, and the estate reverted to an administrator, who was inflexible in his demands. The years 1833, 18p4 and 1835 were highly profltable, and successful to such a degree that he speedily regained his independent rank in finance.

In 1836, Lieut. Magoon opened a large store of dry goods and groceries in the village of White Oak Springs. One mile east of the village, he long operated an ash furnace for smeltmg slag as well as mineral. His store in Monticello and his furnaces there he also operated at a remunerative profit. He sold out his store in White Oak Springs in 1837, closed his ash furnace, near by, in 1840, and closed his store and furnaces in Monticello in 1842. Continued to reside on his large farm in Monticello, which he adorned with extensive improvements till

Histoby Of The Lead Region

Lieut. Richard H. Magoon, we here state, was a man of greatest energy and integrity in business ; repeatedly, from 1829 to 1836, rode on horseback from his furnaces in Wisconsin, four hundred miles, to St. Louis, through storm and cold, swimming rivers, the saddle at night his pillow, and often the sky his only covering. His grave is in the cemetery at Darlington. He tad his faults, but, looking back upon his forty-seven years all crowded with business in the mines, he could have made the honest boast, that, although cast amid the license of a new country, he never visited a gaming-table, never deserted a needy friend, never liked a negro, intensely despised the lazy, invincibly kept his word of honor bright, and his contracts to others always at par with gold.

Soon after the appearance of Gov. Reynolds' order calling for troops, a force of nearly two thousand men had been assembled near the mouth of Rock River. Included in this force was a regiment of about four hundred men under Col. Stillman. Between Stillman's force and the band of Black Hawk was fought the first battle of the Sauk war, which affair resulted most disastrously to the whites. Three or four days after the battle, Stillman and his men came into Ottawa, 111., and a more sorry looking set could not have been found. From the various, and, in some instances, conflicting accounts, gathered from the men, it appears the following are about the facts with regard to the battle of the " Sycamores."

About the middle of the afternoon, on the day of the battle, the regiment had halted for the purpose of encamping for the night. Nearly all the horses had been picketed out, turned loose or otherwise disposed of. The men were lazily engaged about camp, some gathering wood, pitching tents, etc., and others drinking whisky, of which they had an abundance in camp, and to save time they knocked in the heads of the barrels containing it. But, suddenly, a great commotion arose I Three Indians had made their appearance on the open prairie a short distance in advance. The cry was now raised, " Every man draw his rations of Sauks." Then the rush commenced ; the first man to mount his horse and give chase was the best fellow ; pellmell was the order of march. This order, or rather disorder, continued for some distance, probably two or three miles. Two of the Indians were overtaken on the prairie and killed. At length, the rear of the army reached the Sycamore, a small stream on the outskirts of a grove of timber. Here they met the van in the same disgraceful order, in full retreat, and the whole body of Indians in hot pursuit. The ;whole direction of things had suddenly changed ; these men, who a few moments before were so anxious to pursue an enemy, were now more anxious to escape. Amid this confusion, Capt. Adams, with a company from Peoria, succeeded in crossing the creek, and took a position between the fugitives and the Indians. This position they held for some time against the whole force of the enemy, and no doubt saved the lives of many. This, however, was not accomplished without severe loss. Capt. Adams and about one-fourth of his men were left dead on the field.

There was no longer any uncertainty. The Indians separated their force into small bands, and numerous reports of sudden attacks and massacres, some true and others false, came in from various surrounding points.

The evening of the day previous to the arrival of Stillman and his men at Ottawa, the Indian massacre occurred on Indian Creek, about fourteen miles distant from that place. It has been stated that all the whites present at the time of the massacre, except the two Misses Hall, taken prisoners, were killed. This statement is not correct. The first intelligence received at Ottawa of that event was brought in by a young man, a brother of the Misses Hall, who was present at the commencement of the attack, and who arrived at Ottawa about midnight ; but his fflmd was so much confused by the fright that he was unable to give any connected statement of tne tacts until the next day. From his statement, it appears that the wagons containing the turniture and effects of the families were not yet unladen when the Indians made the attack. In the morning of the same day on which the occurrence transpired, the three families of Hall Pettigrew and Davis, had, upon warning received from Shabbona, a Pottawotamie chief that " The Sauks were coming," fled to Ottawa, the nearest settlement. Davis was not at home at the time ; but when he reached there a short time after the families had left, he followed them to Ottawa, where he arrived about the same time they reached that place. He at once declared his determination to take his family back home ; and most unfortunately, and against the unanimous admonition of all the inhabitants, prevailed upon Hall and Pettigrew to accompany him with their families ; and they had only just arrived at Davis' house late in the afternoon, when the Indians came upon them. At the moment of the attack, Davis and young Hall were in the blacksmith-shop. Davis was fixing his gun, and, at the same time, had the barrel of the gun separate from the stock. When the alarm was given, he rushed out of the shop with the gunbarrel in his hands, and was immediately surrounded by the Indians. Young Hall ran to the creek, a few yards distant, jumped down the bank, and, taking the downward course of the stream, reached Ottawa the same night. The Misses Hall afterward said that Davis killed six Indians before he was finally overcome.

In the afternoon of the day following this massacre, a company of men from Ottawa, accompanied by some of Stillman's command, went to the scene of the murder, and the accounts they gave, on their return, of the appearance in and around the house was horrible in the extreme. Even little infants were literally cut to pieces ; and this, too, was done in the immediate presence, and, doubtless, with the sanction of Black Hawk himself.