CHAPTER III

Meet Maj. Stillman with a battalion from the northern counties — Major Stillman takes his battalion, goes up Rock river, in order to ascertain the movements of the enemy — Falls in with them — has a battle, and is defeated—Retreats back to General Whiteside — Colonel Ewing, Robert Blackwell, Esq. and the Author sent as expresses for more troops— General Whiteside marches his Brigade to the battle ground— They bury the dead — Return back to Dixon's — Meet General Atkinson there with provision, five hundred regulars and two hundred foot militia— They take up the line of march after the enemy—March to Fox river— The Indians kill three families before they get there — They bury the persons killed— Army become dissatisfied, and are discharged — Three hundred volunteer to guard the frontier until the new levy of troops arrive.

On our arrival here (Dixon's Ferry) we found Major Stillman with a battalion of two hundred and seventy five men awaiting our arrival: they had been there for two days with a sufficient supply of ammunition and provisions; our provisions at this time being nearly exhausted. Major Stillman considered that he had a kind of independent corps, and did not wish to be attached to General Whitehead's Brigade. He, the Major, on the next morning made a request of the Governor, that he might be permitted to take his corps, go out as a scouting party, and see if possible whether any discoveries could be made as to the situation of the enemy. Accordingly, on the 12th day of May, Major Stillman and Major Bailey received orders from the Wakefield 45

Wakefield 46 Commander in Chief, to march with their respective battalions to the neighborhood of Old Man's Creek, to ascertain, if possible, the movements of the enemy. On the morning of the 13th, Major Stillman's battalion took up their line of march. Major Bailey followed in a short time after; and after having marched eight or ten miles, both battalions encamped. The day had been rainy, and other circumstances beyond the control of officers or men, had a tendency to retard their movements. The battalions had no connection with each other whatever, previous to their meeting on their march to Dixon's, on Rock river. There they received orders to march, before they were organized into a regiment —each battalion being independent of the other— commanded by its own officers—and three of those claiming the command of both—and perhaps with equal justice. In the result, however, the command for that expedition was conferred on Major Stillman, the choice of officers to be referred to the men on their return. On the morning of the 14th, under the temporary organization of the corps, the march was continued in the line, secured by strong advance and flank guards. On this day's march several fresh trails were discovered during the forenoon; and at 12 o'clock the commanding officer, was informed, that several Indian dogs had been seen by one of the flank guards, and shortly afterwards two Indians were seen. With some difficulty occasioned by the almost impassable mires of the creeks which the corps had to cross, the march was continued until nearly sunset, when Col. Strode of the advanced guard, who had volunteered his services on this occasion, returned to the battalion with information of a suitable place for encampment, and conducted the corps to the point.

Wakefield 47 A large fresh trail was discovered, which directed its course to a point of timber, a short distance to the left of the encampment. Shortly after the battalion halted, and while busily engaged in preparing supper, several horsemen were discovered on a hill about half a mile in front. They were at first sight taken for a part of the enemy's advance guard. Some of the men mounted their horses, and rode toward them. They were discovered to be Indians, and two of them came to the camp, professing to be Pottawattomies and friends, but on the approach of our advance the Indians gave a whoop, unfurled a red flag and fell back at full speed. —Our horsemen followed, and after a chase of four miles and a half, overtook them in a low marshy piece of ground, where a sharp firing took place. Three Indians were left dead, and several were dismounted; one of our men was wounded in a persona] combat, and two were dismounted and lost their horses. The Indians were driven into their encampment, where they rallied to the number of six or eight hundred, and cautiously awaited the approach of our main body. Our advance fell back, and joined the battalion on the margin of the low ground, where the firing first commenced. An Indian approached and proposed a "talk " to an officer who was in advance. Major Stillman, with the field and staff officers together with Capt. Eads, as an interpreter, went forward while the troops were advancing by heads of companies through the marsh. Capt. Eads, who had been in front, suddenly wheeled and exclaimed that the line of Indians extended for more than a mile. Major Stillman now discovered that the proposed "talk" was an expedient to obtain time, the more completely to execute their plan ; for the enemy were now seen flanking him right and left in great numbers.

Wakefield 48 He immediately gave orders to countermarch and form on the high ground. But instead of countermarching, the men wheeled about in their places, which threw the officers all in the rear, and fell back. The foremost of them on reaching the hard ground first, were able to proceed with much greater rapidity than those who were yet in the swamp, and by the time the officers reached the solid ground the front was out of hearing. The order to halt and form was only heard by a part of each company, who immediately formed. But the enemy knew all the passes, and had already opened a heavy fire on both flanks, which was returned with spirit by those who had formed. It was now found necessary to retire to prevent the enemy from entirely surrounding our men, which had now become practicable. The retreat was then kept up with occasional halting and firing, until our men reached the camp. There an attempt was made to maintain our ground. Capt. Barnes had nearly succeeded in forming his company, when orders were given to cross the creek in rear of the camp. This order was effected by sixty or seventy men, but not before the enemy had got possession of the camp. The enemy then set up a tremendous yell, which was returned by a volley of musquetry from those who had formed in the rear of the camp,—this silenced the war-whoop in that quarter, but in a moment more two large parties of the enemy, who had crossed the creek above and below, attacked both flanks and the rear. The line was broken, and each man took his own course. One party broke off to the right where fell some of those who had formed at the creek. Another party took off to the left, where others fell, the flanking parties of the enemy pursuing them. Those of the men who took the middle course, escaped with the loss of two killed, and one wounded.

Wakefield 49 The enemy kept up the pursuit for twelve or fourteen miles. The men arrived at Dixon's ferry in detached squads, from one o'clock A. M. until the roll call at sunrise, when it was found that fifty-two were missing: these continued to arrive for the two succeeding days, until the number missing was reduced to eleven, which were afterward found most shockingly mangled. Capt. Adams evinced the most undaunted bravery; he vehemently urged the men to maintain the ground. But the line was broken and he himself was slain. Several personal rencounters took place. In one of them Joseph Farris and his brother David, were attacked and surrounded. David was mounted, and Joseph whose horse failed or was killed, urged him to save himself; but this he refused, until he saw him fall, fighting, and himself struck from his horse by a blow from the breech of a gun. He returned the blow which stiffened the savage on the ground, and then broke for a point of timber; he was nearly overtaken, when he called for assistance from the timber, which led the pursuers to fear that a force was then awaiting their approach. It was this presence of mind which saved his life; for the enemy immediately wheeled and retreated. Mr. Samuel Hackelton had pursued an uniformed Indian, until he had outstripped his comrades, and had discharged his gun with effect, upon one who was dismounted immediately before him. When in the act of reloading, he saw a horseman pass, by the name of Maxfield, who discharged his piece, tumbled an Indian from his pony, and kept on without reloading. He entered the marsh where it was with difficulty that his horse could proceed—an Indian charged upon him. Hackelton seeing this, flew to his relief, and by a blow from his gun parried the spear, just as it

Wakefield 50 was on the point of entering his (Maxfield's) back. The red warrior wheeled to plunge the spear into the breast of Hackelton, which he avoided by springing from his horse, who passed from between him and his antagonist, when he again met the spear by darting at his enemy, which caused it to pass between his left arm and side, wounding his hand as he attempted to parry the blow. He then seized the spear, both held, eyeing each other for a moment, when the Indian being in the act of seizing his tomahawk, Hackelton grasped him by the throat and belt (the blanket being thrown from the Indian's shoulder) and now a deadly struggle ensued. The Indian was large and muscular, but after a severe struggle, fell before his more active foe, and broke his hold to regain his feet. Hackelton improved the movement to draw his steel, which he plunged into the breast of the savage,—and again they fell locked in deadly embrace. Maxneld, whose horse had taken fright at the yell of the Indian, ran for a considerable distance, nearly throwing his rider, readily returned to repay that service which had so generously and timely been rendered him, and with his bayonet pinned the bleeding savage to the ground. Hackelton having lost his horse, it was with much difficulty that he halted a horseman to take him from the ground; indeed he rode with him but a few rods, whilst in leaping a pool or branch, the horse fell, and Hackelton, who was wounded in both hands, was thrown into the water;—and there the horseman left him to shift for himself. He effected his escape by running two or three miles, when he was relieved by Doctor Donaldson, who generously lent him his horse, whilst he went on foot, for the distance of two miles further, where Hackelton succeeded in getting a pony, on which he arrived in camp without further injury. Major Stillman was unfortunate in this action; he

Wakefield 51 lost some of his most choice men. Captain Adams, who commanded a company from Tazewell county; Major Isaac Perkins; John Walters; Cyrus Childs; Joseph Farris; Bird Ellis and James Doty, were among the slain in this battle. There were four others, but I have not got in possession of their names. They were all respectable men. When this squadron of men got into camp, or part of them, for they came in by twos, threes and fours, and so on, all night, each company thought the rest were all killed, and reported it as being the case. We were all immediately to our arms, not knowing but that Black Hawk and all his band were in close pursuit. Things were represented in their worst colors. Some of the men seemed to think that there were at least two thousand Indians. Others thought there were not more than one thousand, and none would fall below five hundred; but scarcely any two of them could agree upon any one statement. It was a complete rout, and of course each one had to shift for himself; and it was natural for them to have different views when they were in such frightful condition. Next morning, at roll call, there were fifty-two men missing. It was then thought there was no doubt but they had all been slain in the action; but to the great Joy of the friends of the missing, they all got in, in the course of three days, to some settlement or other, except the eleven already mentioned. It appears that they were so much alarmed, that they took different directions, and some went a contrary direction from the army. A number of them, it is said, came very near starving with hunger before they got to any settlement. Gen. Whiteside, when the news of the defeat reached camp, made preparations to march with the

Wakefield 52 main army as soon as it was light; accordingly there were two men sent from each company to bring in our horses. The Governor immediately went to making out despatches for more troops, so soon as it was light. Gen. Whiteside had a few beeves killed to take along, with some other meat; but bread was out of the question, as we had then been without this necessary article for two days. About seven o'clock on the 15th of May, Gen. Whiteside took up the line of march at the head of about fourteen hundred effective men to the late battle ground. Here I have to leave the main army for a while. Col. John Ewing, Robert Blackwell, Esq., and myself, were sent as express bearers for more troops, and the Rev. Mr. Horn, (who was Chaplain to the army,) to St. Louis for a supply of provisions. Col. Ewing was sent to the counties bordering on the Ohio river; Esq. Blackwell to the counties on the Wabash, on the east side of the State; and the writer to the southern counties bordering on the Kaskaskia river. The Governor made a call for two thousand more troops, besides those already in the field. His order was for them to rendezvous at Beardstown and Hennepin, both on the Illinois river— those at Beardstown to meet on the 3d of June, and those at Hennepin on the l0th. The volunteers from the counties I went to, were to meet at Beardstown; and those from the counties to which Messrs. Ewing and Blackwell went, at Hennepin. We started on the 15th of May, and rode with all the celerity we possibly could. When our horses gave out we pressed others. I arrived at Kaskaskia on the 22nd, a distance of about three hundred and forty miles, in seven days. We well knew the danger our frontier settlements were in. Many of our fellow citizens had been slain in battle, who were

Wakefield 53 in the field for the defence of our country; and unsuspecting frontier was then exposed to the ruthless tomahawk and scalping knife of those demons in human shape. We knew their mode of warfare was to steal upon the fearful settler, in the shades and stillness of night, and there imbrue their hands in human blood, paying no attention to age or sex. So no obstacle stopped us on our way. I must here relate a small anecdote, which occurred between a good old woman and myself. On the night of the 31st of May I staid at Covington. I think I never heard such a night's rain in all my life. The next morning, Esq. Bradsby, the gentleman with whom I staid all night, informed me that I would have several creeks to swim on the way from thence to Kaskaskia, and it still continued raining. I replied that I would try it at all events, I had not travelled more than four miles before I found his words verified; but to my great satisfaction, I found that the horse I rode was an excellent swimmer—so I stopped for none of the creeks. The weather being very cold for the time of year, I called at a house to empty the water out of my shoes, and to wring my socks. An elderly looking lady, seeing me wet all over, and hearing me say I had swam all the creeks between that place and Covington, and that I had come from there that morning, looked on me (as I thought,) with an eye of suspicion, and immediately began to make some inquiries about my embassy, that I should not have relished quite so well had they come from any other source, than a good old simple woman. I soon found that she was not to be put off, but must have the whole history of my business,—and what it was that made me swim the creeks. So that while I was trying to get some of the water out of my socks, I informed her that I was the bearer of an express for more men to go against the Indians;

Wakefield 54 this roused the good old dame's curiosity to the highest pitch. I then gave her the particulars in as brief a manner as I could. When I was done, she asked, if I did not get a great bounty for my services? "Yes," I replied, "I do."—She then wanted to know how much? I replied "the honor of serving my country." Says she "my friend, I think you are in poor business, and if that is all you get I think you had best go back home." But I did not take the old lady's advice. I got to Kaskaskia that night. The people had got the news by way of steamboat that. was at St. Louis when the Rev. Mr. Horn arrived their (there) after provision. Colonel Stephens, commandant in Randolph county, despatched Mr. Briggs (who afterwards became Captain Briggs) at 9 o'clock in the evening, with orders for the men to meet on the 24th, and volunteer to the number of one hundred from this county, and that if they were not enough that would volunteer, he would be obliged to cause a draft to be made. But it was here as it was in every other part of the State, there were plenty of men who saw that their country needed their services; and they very willingly forsook their homes, wives and children, and turned out to defend the rights of their brethren and fellow citizens that were threatened to be trampled on by the merciless savages. I here must return to General Whiteside and the volunteers, that marched on the morning of the 15th to the battle ground to bury the dead that had been slain in battle; they got there that evening, found the bodies of eleven of our citizens scalped and mangled in the most barbarous manner—the heads of some were cut off, and others with their hearts cut out, legs and arms generally cut off. General Whiteside had their remains consigned to their mother earth in as decent

Wakefield 55 a manner as could be expected in a wilderness country. The next day General Whiteside had to return with the army back to Dixon's on Rock river, on account of his scarcity of provisions, where General Atkinson met them with a supply. On Saturday the 19th, the army, amounting to about twenty-four hundred men, regulars and militia, started up Rock river, in pursuit of the Indians. But owing to a variety of causes, which I am not able to lay before the public, the army became dissatisfied, and wished to be discharged from the service,—so nothing was effected on this campaign.—The general cry with the men was, that they wished to return home. This was too at a time when their services were most needed, for the war now had begun in all its horrid shape. Immediately after Stillman's defeat, the Indians commenced their well known practice of warfare. They went about the 20th of May to the houses of Messrs. Hall, Daviess and Pennigrew, and there killed fifteen men, women and children, and scalped them all. But even this was not enough to satisfy those blood thirsty demons; they mutilated them in the most inhuman and indecent manner that ever was witnessed. It is enough to make the blood chill in a person's veins, to think how those merciless hell hounds served those that were not in the slightest degree able to help themselves. After every indecency that could be practised on their persons, the women were hung up by their feet. The helpless children literally chopped to pieces. The houses were burned, the furniture all destroyed, the stock killed, even the barn-yard fowls.—The work of destruction and devastation had now begun, the blood of helpless women and children had been spilt. Two young and beautiful women were taken prisoners by these monsters in human shape—for it appeared that all the bodies of the missing were found, except

Wakefield 56 these two young women, who were the daughters of the unfortunate family of Hall, who, with his wife and children, had become an easy prey to these barbarians, save two boys who were in the field at work. Mr. Hall and Mr. Daviess both had large families. Mr. Pennigrew, his companion, and children, shared the same fate. This threw the country into the most perfect state of alarm and dismay. This horrid act was done on Indian Creek, which empties into Fox river. The families lived about fifteen miles north of Ottawa. Gen. Whiteside and his brigade witnessed this horrid sight soon after it was perpetrated, and helped to consign them to their mother earth, which is the last duty that we can pay to human beings in this world. Still, his brigade cried out, "Our term of service is nearly expired, and we wish to be discharged." Accordingly, Gov. Reynolds, on the 27th and 28th, discharged all the volunteers that were then in the field, at Ottawa, within fifteen miles of the place where the Indians had just slain fifteen of our citizens, and treated them in the manner already described. This was enough to rend the hearts of the neighborhood in this part of the frontier; but the hearts of a few could not think of leaving so many valuable citizens to perish by the scalping knife and tomahawk. They turned out a second time to guard the frontier, until the new levy of troops could arrive to their protection. I am sorry that I could not with propriety give you the names of all those who volunteered a second time; but it is due to those who did so, to say it was the love of country alone that influenced them to do so. Gen. Samuel Whiteside was one who saw that his country still needed his services. He here was not above shouldering his rifle, and stepping into the ranks to defend this beautiful country, where there had just

Wakefield 57 perished some of its choice citizens by those merciless savages. The brave and patriotic Henry [,] Fry," Snyder, James of Bond county, and many others whom I cannot mention, were influenced by the same feeling. They at once saw that the devastating hand of the savage had begun the works of death and destruction in this region of the country, and well knew that if those frontiers were not guarded, its helpless citizens would become an easy prey to those demons that know no bounds to their cruelty. The smoke of the cabins of those that were slain, was scarcely out of sight, and to leave those that were still living to share the same fate, was more than they could think of doing. Accordingly, this little band of patriots was formed into a regiment, under the command of our noble Fry, who never has disgraced his country, nor himself as a commander. Our much beloved James D. Henry was elected Lieut. Colonel, and Mr. John Thomas, Major. There were six companies composing this regiment. The following named gentlemen were the officers and staff. The Captains I will set down agreeably to their rank. A. W. Snyder; McFadden; Smith; Benjamin James; Elijah lies; and James Rolls, were the six Captains of this Regiment. The Lieutenants were as follows: James [JesseJ M.Harrison, ist,and Henry Roberts, 2d Lieutenant in Capt. Iles's company; Calvert Roberts, ist Lieutenant in Capt. James's company ; James Scott, G. F. [Radford M.] Wyatt, W. Shirley, Jacob Waggoner, Oliver Bangs, and [W. F.] Walker. I cannot place the last Lieutenants to their proper places.


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