DIXON’S FERRY–PLIGHT OF REYNOLDS’ MESSENGERS–STILLMAN’S DEFEAT.
Dixon’s Ferry, now Dixon, Illinois, at the period of this campaign
consisted of a ferry, the simple flat-bottomed affair of those days, and
a 90-foot log cabin, built in three sections, both owned by John Dixon.
The patriarchal appearance of this old pioneer had brought to him the
title “Na-chu-sa” from the Indians, meaning in the Winnebago dialect
“Long hair white,” and from the whites “Father Dixon.” By his kindness,
gentleness, honesty and courage he had won the love of every person,
white and red, who had ever met him, and to those in the land who had
not met him his reputation had extended, so that the mention of his name
meant an overture for peace.
In the spring of 1827 his brother-in-law, O.W. Kellogg, broke a trail
through the country from Peoria to Galena, to facilitate the rapidly
increasing overland travel to the lead mines. “Kellogg’s trail,” as it
was then called, crossed Rock River at this place, and in 1828, when
Father Dixon received the contract for carrying the mails from Peoria to
Galena and Gratiot’s Grove, he took with him from Peoria to Rock River a
half-breed named Joseph Ogee,[115] who established a permanent, though
unlicensed, ferry. Prospective competition or a friend must have
suggested his _laches_ in this respect, for on December 7, 1829, he
received from Jo Daviess County, whose jurisdiction embraced all that
section of country, the statutory license to operate the same. But by
1830 the restraint of a ferryman’s life had become so exceedingly
irksome to one of his nomadic nature that Father Dixon was constrained
to take it off his hands and remove his family thence, which he did,
arriving there April 11, 1830.
When Ogee established his ferry he built a hut of logs, unfit for
habitation to any but a rover like himself. The needs of Father Dixon’s
family and increasing travel required something better, and this
improvement he at once supplied by making additions, so that he soon had
the comfortable house-store-hotel displayed in the illustration. He,
with his family of wife and five children, from that time forward
entertained travelers and traded with the Indians until the Indians were
no more and travel many years later had become diverted to bridges and
other thoroughfares made by the new and ever-multiplying settlements. He
was made postmaster, and thenceforth Dixon’s Ferry was of commanding
prominence in Illinois travel and Illinois geography. At this period,
however, Father Dixon’s was the only family on Rock River above the old
Black Hawk village.
On his march up the river Black Hawk camped one night near the Dixon
cabin, and with Ne-a-pope and the Prophet ate with the family, Mrs.
Dixon waiting upon them in a manner so courteous as completely to
captivate Black Hawk and command from him thereafter his highest
admiration. During this stop the family, after a careful observation,
estimated the number of able-bodied warriors with the expedition to be
800, and that number was reported to the troops, which arrived there May
12. Under the order of April 16th from Governor Reynolds, Majors
Stillman and Bailey recruited to their battalions the companies already
named.
Leaving Pekin May 8th,[116] Bailey’s battalion reached Boyd’s Grove the
first night out, where Stillman, with his three companies, joined them
and all camped for the night. The following day, at Bureau Creek,
another detachment under a Captain Bowman, which had been ranging
through the country toward Dixon’s Ferry, joined these forces, reporting
the theft of many of their horses by the Indians. At Dad Joe’s Grove the
combined forces camped the second night, marching the following day (the
10th), across the present county of Lee to Dixon’s Ferry, where Reynolds
and the militia joined them on the morning of the 12th.
The first act of the Governor was one of circumspection. Selecting from
his ablest and most discreet officers Captain John Dement, Colonel James
T.B. Stapp, Wyat B. Stapp, Major Joseph M. Chadwick and Benjamin Moore,
and Louis Ouilmette, a French trader, thoroughly familiar with those
parts and with Indian character, and who, with others, was waiting at
Dixon’s Ferry, they were directed to start for Paw Paw Grove,[117] some
forty miles to the southeast, in the present confines of Shabbona
township, DeKalb County, and there have a “talk” with the Pottowatomies,
whose village was at that place, and assure themselves of the positive
neutrality of that nation.
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[Illustration: CAPT. J.A. BALL.]
[Illustration: LIEUT. EDWARD D. BAKER.]
[Illustration: OTTAWA AT THE TIME OF THE WAR.]
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The prairies were covered with water, there were no roads, the day was
dark and threatening, and, to frustrate their mission completely, a
large party of Black Hawk’s band overtook them. The enemy undertook by
every art known to savage tactics to lure the men into an ambush. To
refute Black Hawk’s constant protestations of peace, this scouting party
of his was discovered to be actively recruiting among the Pottowatomies
and Winnebagoes. The attempts to decoy the messengers into the Indian
camp were diplomatically avoided, and so was a pitched battle, which
could only have resulted in annihilation of the whites. After
forty-eight hours of ceaseless endeavor, without food, the party finally
succeeded in reaching headquarters. By this time the forces of Stillman
and Bailey were marching up the river on their ill-fated expedition.
There were at Dixon’s Ferry, when Reynolds arrived, several prominent
men from the mining country, including Colonel James M. Strode,
commander of the militia of Jo Daviess County, James W. Stephenson,
William S. Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, Col. Henry Gratiot and
Louis Ouilmette, the trader. Colonel Henry Dodge of Michigan territory
had organized a company to protect the frontier until he could
communicate with Reynolds and systematically organize the mining
district forces in a manner materially to assist the latter. James H.
Gentry was captain of this company; Henry L. Dodge, son of Colonel
Dodge, was elected first lieutenant; Paschal Bequette, a son-in-law, was
elected second lieutenant, while Charles Bracken was aid to the colonel.
The file consisted of some fifty men. This company of rangers, leaving
Mineral Point May 8th, covered the northwestern frontier until
Whiteside’s Brigade reached Dixon’s Ferry, and was camped on the north
side of Rock River, not far from Black Hawk’s camp, when Whiteside and
his troops reached that point. Here Colonel Dodge was keeping a watchful
eye on Black Hawk’s every movement and warily awaiting the moment he
could pounce down upon the old Indian if he saw fit to offer war,[118]
an emergency which the intrepid little band was fully equal to.
Dodge saw the frightful consequences of an ill-advised expedition up
Rock River and urged against it. Failure meant active co-operation with
Black Hawk by the neutral and undecided Winnebagoes and Pottowatomies,
and this in turn meant that the entire northwest frontier would be
overrun with marauding bands and murderers.
But the impatient troops of Stillman and Bailey were ambitious to fight
and would listen to no restraint. They had enlisted to kill “Injuns.”
Nothing but a valorous conquest would receive their attention, and
General Whiteside and Governor Reynolds were constrained to allow the
following order to be issued:
“Headquarters Camp No. 10, Dixon’s Ferry,
“12th May, 1832.
“The troops under the command of Major Stillman, including the
battalions of said Major Stillman and Major Bailey, will forthwith
proceed with four days’ rations to the head of Old Man’s Creek, where
it is supposed the hostile Sac Indians are assembled, for the purpose
of taking all cautious measures to coerce said Indians into
submission, and report themselves to this department as soon
thereafter as practicable.
“By order of Brigadier Samuel Whiteside, commanding brigade of mounted
volunteers.
“N. BUCKMASTER,
“Brigade-Major.”
Writers upon this subject have so stated before, and others have told
the writer that such was the case here. Furthermore, a rankling jealousy
existed between Stillman and Bailey, each contending that he should be
the other’s superior and allowed the command of the combined troops.
Governor Reynolds did his very best to harmonize the men by recognizing
Stillman, but the rancorous hatred which existed among the troops for
their rivals destroyed, in a great measure, their effectiveness.
On the morning of Sunday, the 13th of May, the two brigades marched up
from Dixon’s Ferry for Old Man’s Creek. Many adventurous spirits from
the main army were permitted to accompany the troops, as were a few
others, like Colonel Strode, who wanted to see the “fun” which was
promised. A baggage train of six wagons, drawn by oxen, guarded by about
fifty men, under Mr. Hackelton of Fulton County, and bearing the four
days’ rations, followed in the rear. The day was black and threatening,
and before the battalions had proceeded ten miles a pelting rain
compelled them to halt and camp for the night.[119] All through the
night the rain continued, holding the troops there until the morning of
the 14th was well advanced, when the march was resumed. About dark of
the same day Old Man’s Creek was reached and crossed and the troops
dismounted to camp for the night. The creek, then much swollen by recent
rains, formed on the south side a disagreeable swamp. The object of
crossing to the north side was to avoid this morass and also avail
themselves of the natural advantages which the north side afforded for
protection, as well as the more solid ground for camping.
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[Illustration: DAVID HAACKE.]
[Illustration: MONUMENT ON STILLMAN’S BATTLEFIELD.]
[Illustration: ORDER MAY 25.]
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[Illustration: MAJ. ISAIAH STILLMAN.]
[Illustration: MAJ. DAVID BAILEY.]
[Illustration: WYATT B. STAPP.]
[Illustration: OLIVER W. HALL.]
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The creek was lined on both sides with tall willows, while just a little
to the north the ground was covered with a growth of small black oak
trees, denominated generally scrub oak. These same “scrub oak,” grown to
thrice the thickness of a man’s body, stand to this day, and, judging
from a present-day standpoint, one can easily see how a handful of
resolute men could defend themselves there against overwhelming odds. To
the willows the horses were tied, fires were made, coffee pots put to
boiling and a general preparation for supper was going forward, when
three Indians appeared in camp bearing a white flag.[120] They were
taken in, but in the haste of supper preparations and the absence of an
interpreter, their mission, if for peace, was not discovered at once. As
a matter of fact, however, Black Hawk had in his lifetime disregarded so
many treaties and flags of truce, that it is no small wonder some of the
men were for dispatching them on the spot. An abiding sense of his many
misfeasances, no doubt, prompted him to station five other Indians on a
neighboring hill, some three-quarters of a mile to the north, where they
might watch and report the manner in which his flag was received. The
presence of these five Indians on the hill, unexplained, may rightfully
be styled a misprision, and sufficient to set the camp into a spasm of
turmoil. About twenty of Eads’ men mounted their horses to charge the
five Indians, who in turn wheeled to run away. This action was taken by
the excited and undisciplined troops to mean a retreat, and Eads’ men
immediately began firing upon their retiring foe. Other small squads
joined the haphazard pursuit, in the course of which two of the five
Indians were killed.
The camp became a bedlam, and while Stillman, Bailey, Adams, Eads and
other officers tried desperately to restrain the troops and restore
order, as well might they have commanded the rains to cease and the sun
to return for half an hour as to have expected obedience from those raw
and independent spirits. They were having the “fun” for which they had
enlisted.
Black Hawk the while was at the mouth of the creek with half a hundred
warriors, where he had been giving a dog feast to Shabbona, Waubansee
and other influential Pottowatomies in his frantic efforts to secure
reinforcements against the whites.
The interchange of shots ahead led those in camp to believe that a
general engagement was upon them, whereupon Thomas B. Reed of Eads’
company shot down in cold blood one of the three bearers of the flag of
truce, an offense so dastardly as to permit of no excuse. It may be
urged that the troops were frenzied by excitement or dazed with the
thought that the 800 Indians were coming down upon them like an
avalanche, but such was not the case; it was part of the program of
“fun” which impelled it. The confusion which followed permitted the two
remaining Indians of the party of three to escape and join in the
massacre of the whites which followed soon after. Squads of two, three
and more continued to leave camp to join the chase, presenting in the
twilight a thin and irregular line, without order and without a head,
until nearly four miles were covered by these stragglers.
As had been adroitly arranged, no doubt, by the survivors of the party
of five, the foremost of the pursuers were suddenly plunged into Black
Hawk’s presence, behind a growth of chaparral at the mouth of the creek,
where this wily old savage had arranged his braves, few in number, but
many more than the first white arrivals, and the instant the whites
appeared the Indians sent up whoops, shrieks and howls calculated to
frighten even a brave man. As the savages dashed headlong into the
advance column, or rather squad, of the whites, with the spirit and
suddenness of an electric shock, the reckless pursuers realized their
awful temerity, and the futility of fighting, even under careful
protection and with the full strength of the battalions, what might be
the 800 warriors known to belong to Black Hawk’s command.
Stunned by the sudden and furious onslaught of Black Hawk, the troops
wheeled to retreat, yelling as they fled “Injuns! Injuns!” (like the
madmen they now truly became), that their approaching comrades might in
turn retreat to safety. In no time at all the cry had reached camp,
which became as panic-stricken as the returning troopers.[121]
At the foot of the hill on which the five Indians had rested James Doty
of Eads’ company was killed, and while many of the horses became mired
in the mud of the creek, Gideon Munson, a Government scout, was also
slain. As the troops came headlong on, Captain Adams,[122] than whom no
braver man ever lived, attempted to make a stand with a handful of
companions upon the brow of the hill which lies about half a mile to the
south of the creek, to cover the retreat of the fugitives. Darkness was
upon them and they had no reason to believe that less than the full
force of 800 was upon them, yet they stood their ground to sell their
lives as dearly as possible to save those who by the delay might reach
points of safety.
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[Illustration: STILLMAN’S BATTLEFIELD.]
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[Illustration: JOHN E. BRISTOL.]
[Illustration: ALFRED HAINES.]
[Illustration: JONATHAN HAINES.]
[Illustration: LIEUT. ASAHEL GRIDLEY.]
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The moonlight was only sufficient to confuse the panic-stricken troops
still more, and in that heroic fight unto death which Captain Adams and
his men made, he scarcely knew whether he was fighting friend or foe. In
the gloaming the conflict went on, and in the darkness of the night,
while the scattering forces were safely fleeing on to Dixon’s Ferry,
Captain Adams and his little band fell one by one, until the last man
bit the dust, and then a scene of malignant deviltry almost incredible
was perpetrated.[123] Mr. Oliver W. Hall of Carlinville, Illinois, who
was present on the field the following day, wrote a brief description of
it as follows:
“We were camped at Dixon’s Ferry at the time of Stillman’s defeat. Now
Stillman had about two hundred and seventy-five well-mounted men, with
baggage wagons, and he started out on his own accord, camping late in
the evening on the north side of that little creek. The ford was just
above, where the willows stood thick on each side of the creek. While
Stillman’s men were cooking supper, three or four Indians on their
ponies rode up on that high hill just north of Stillman’s camp, about
sundown, and five or six of Stillman’s men caught their horses and ran
them to where the Indians were in camp, in the timber, about a mile and
a half from Stillman’s camp, north. The Indians killed one of our men
and ran the balance of them into camp. The first that Stillman knew of
any danger was when the Indians came yelling over that high hill just
north of Stillman’s camp, and it was a perfect stampede with Stillman’s
men. Some of them got their horses, but lots of them got away on foot,
and after the Indians had killed eleven of our men they went back to
Stillman’s camp and cut the spokes out of the wagons and poured out a
barrel of whisky. Well, we lay on our arms the next night on the south
side of the creek, for we had left our tents at Dixon’s Ferry, as we had
to go back to meet the boat to get our rations. There were twenty-five
hundred of us with shotguns and rifles and muskets, all flintlocks, and
we were mounted, all but two or three companies. We picked up nine dead
men as we came up from Dixon’s Ferry on a forced march the next morning
after Stillman’s defeat. The last two that we found were Major Perkins
and Captain Adams,[124] with both their heads cut off and their heads
skinned all over and left by them. We found them on that descent as you
go down to the creek from the high land, about half way down, and we
buried nine men in one grave about two hundred yards southwest of those
willows, just below the ford and on sideling ground, not as far south as
the top of the hill. We buried one young man about three-quarters of a
mile north of Stillman’s camp (if true, this was James Doty), where he
was found, and another young man about one-half a mile east, where he
was found. (This was Gideon Munson.)
“Now the road crossed the creek just east of those willows, where there
were a few scattering, scrubby trees. The nine men were buried about two
hundred yards southwest of those willows and on the west side of the
road leading to Dixon’s Ferry. We never knew how many Indians there
were.”
If the statement concerning Doty and Munson is true, then but eight men
could have been buried in the common grave, because but twelve were
killed, and two were buried to the south. The fact is, Munson was buried
in this one grave.
The names of Captain Adams’ companions were David Kreeps, Zadock
Mendinall and Isaac (nicknamed Major) Perkins, of Captain Adams’
company; James Milton of Captain Pugh’s company; Tyrus M. Childs, Joseph
B. Farris and Corporal Bird W. Ellis of Captain David W. Barnes company,
and Sergeant John Walters of Captain Ball’s company.
Joseph Draper of Captain Covell’s company was also shot and his body
found five miles due south of the battlefield, on what is now known as
Mrs. George F. Smith’s farm, where it was buried.
Young Ellis, who was but a boy in years, was able to crawl two and a
half miles south of the battlefield, where his body was found beside a
strapping Indian, who had demanded his life, though it was then ebbing
away. In this enfeebled condition he fought and killed his antagonist,
sinking into death soon after. Ellis was buried on the spot, now the
farm of Mr. A.C. Brown.
The death of Private Joseph Draper was particularly pathetic, and is
narrated in the historical records of McLean County as follows:
“In the confusion resulting from Black Hawk’s attack, Draper lost his
horse. A comrade, John Lundy, took Draper onto his horse. While
retreating they found a stray horse which Draper insisted upon
mounting. It had no saddle or bridle, but it was supposed it would
follow the other horses; instead, it turned and ran toward the
Indians, who shot Draper. He fell from the horse, crawled off into the
underbrush, where his body was found by the burial party. He had
written on his canteen an account of his wounds. No copy of the
writing on his canteen has been preserved.”
It would scarcely seem credible that a man in full possession of his
faculties would remain on a horse running toward the enemy instead of
dropping off to seek the shelter of the bushes and secrete his sound
body, especially in the light of the fact that he was able securely to
hide himself when wounded, but so it must have been in that fearful
panic, because his comrade, Lundy, has vouched for the first part of the
story and the man’s canteen told the rest; and the words of a dying man
cannot be doubted, particularly when alone in the night, miles away from
friends and ministering care, with the raw and desolate prairie for a
bed, howling wolves and Indians prowling near and the rough winds of
spring about to blow his spirit into eternity.
After five miles’ pursuit, the Indians abandoned it to return to
mutilate the bodies, as described by Mr. Hall, but the whites continued
their flight, running, riding, yelling, crying, hopelessly crazed, until
Dixon’s Ferry was reached in the early hours of the morning of the 15th.
Others who became confused in the darkness, and deflected to the south,
never stopped until the Illinois River had been reached at a point near
the present city of Ottawa. From here they scattered (some forty) for
their homes.
It was a clear case of panic. Men were crazed. They who in a sober
moment would have walked straight to death without a protest; they who
would bend to no command of a superior officer; they who would not obey
or follow, were driven as easily as a flock of panic-stricken sheep. It
has been said and written that whisky was the cause of this unfortunate
rout, but this is hopelessly improbable in the face of the fact that but
two casks were taken with the baggage train to be consumed by 275 men,
who lived in a whisky drinking age, when five or ten drinks, more or
less, made little difference in a daily average. Mr. John E. Bristol, of
Eads’ company, who at ninety-one is alive and hearty to-day, vouches for
the truth of this assertion and the other one that but two small casks
were taken along. Mr. Hall specifically states that _one_ cask was
emptied by the Indians, and Black Hawk makes the same statement,
therefore it is certain that whisky cut no figure in the panic.
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[Illustration: ELISHA DIXON.]
[Illustration: WILLIAM DIMMETT.]
[Illustration: LEVI DANLEY.]
[Illustration: JAMES BENSON.]
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[Illustration: THOMAS O. RUTLEDGE.]
[Illustration: MRS. E.B. BAKER.]
[Illustration: LEWIS ROSS.]
[Illustration: REV. REDDICK HORN.]
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In justice to Stillman, his version of the affair, published in “The
Missouri Republican” of July 10th, 1832, should be given:
“To the Editors of the Missouri Republican: Gentlemen–I have this day
discovered in your paper of the 22d ult. an account of the engagement
between the men under my command and the hostile Sac and other Indians
on the Rock River. Finding that statement altogether incorrect, I take
the liberty to give an outline of the transaction, which I am
compelled to do in the utmost haste.
“On the 12th I received orders from His Excellency, John Reynolds,
Commander-in-Chief, etc., to march immediately from Dixon’s Ferry to
what is commonly known as Old Man’s Creek, about 30 miles distant, and
coerce the said hostile Indians into subjection. We took up our march
on the 13th, and on the 14th, at 2 o’clock, one of our spies
discovered two Indians on our left. The Indians immediately fired on
him, and undertook to make their escape by swimming Rock River; this,
however, they did not succeed in; our spy brought his gun to bear on
the forward one, who was tumbled into the river–the horse immediately
turned his course and swam back, the surviving Indian being, from the
unmanageable disposition of his horse, compelled to follow until he
shared the fate of his companion. Both horses were brought in. We
reached our camping ground on the north side of Old Man’s Creek about
6 o’clock, after having used every precaution to guard against being
deceived by the Indians, having kept out the most experienced spies
and a very strong guard front, rear and flank, during the day. Soon
after our arrival we discovered a small party of men in our advance,
supposed at this time to be a part of our front guard. Lieutenant
Gridley being then mounted, passed up a ravine for the purpose of
ascertaining. It was soon after, however, ascertained that our spies
with the whole of our advance guard had come in. Captain Covell with a
party detached, followed. On the approach of Lieutenant Gridley, while
rising the bluff, the Indians faced and leveled their guns. When
prudence directed a return, the Indians pursued and were met by
Captain Covell at nearly the same moment, when the fire was exchanged
without effect. The Indians retreated and were pursued. Three were
killed and three taken, with a loss of one of our men (as supposed).
Our men were all immediately formed and took their march in the
direction of Sycamore Creek, five miles above. After marching about
three miles an Indian appeared and made signs of peace. I was informed
of the fact, and orders were given for a halt. Myself, together with
most of the field and staff officers advanced with Captain Eads as
interpreter. We were soon informed that the Indians would surrender in
case they would be treated as prisoners of war. This was promised
them, and they returned with the intelligence, after promising to meet
us at a specified point. On arriving at that point, however, no
Indians appeared to make the proposed treaty, which convinced us of
treachery.
“Directions were immediately given for our men to advance, while
Captain Eads proceeded a few yards alone to make further discoveries.
On reaching Sycamore Bluff, the Indians were discovered in martial
order; their line extended a distance of nearly two miles, and under
rapid march. Their signals were given for battle–war-whoops were heard
in almost every direction–their flanks extending from one creek to the
other. Orders were given for a line of battle to be formed on the
south of the marsh between the two creeks, while the Indians were
advancing with the utmost rapidity; their fire was tremendous, but on
account of the distance, of little effect. Night was closing upon us
in the heart of an Indian country, and the only thing to brighten our
prospects, the light of our guns. Both officers and men conducted
themselves with prudence and deliberation, until compelled to give
ground to the superior foe, when the order for a retrograde movement
was given, and our men formed in Old Man’s Creek. Here a desperate
attempt was made by the Indians to outflank us and cut off our
retreat, which proved ineffectual, some clubbing with their
fire-locks, others using their tomahawks and spears.
“A party of our men crossed the creek, and with much difficulty
silenced their fire, which made a way for the retreat of our whole
party, which was commenced and kept up, with few exceptions, in good
order.
“Many of our officers and men having been in the battles of
Tippecanoe, Bridgewater, Chippewa and Ft. Erie, have never faced a
more desperate enemy. Having had the advantages of ground, the enemy
being on an eminence, operated much in our favor. In passing Old Man’s
Creek many of them got their guns wet and were deprived of the use of
them. Our force consisted of 206 men; that of the Indians not known,
but consisting of a whole hostile band. Eleven of our men were killed,
5 wounded, with a loss of 34 to the enemy. From report, their
encampment consisted of 160 lodges. Our men mostly arrived at Dixon’s
Ferry about 3 o’clock a.m., and it is to be hoped that in a short time
the number of troops stationed at that point and elsewhere will be
able to bring them into subjection, and relieve our frontier from a
much dreaded foe.
“I am, with much respect, your obedient servant,
“I. STILLMAN,
“Brig.-Gen. 5 Brig., Ill. Mil. and Act. Maj. N. Ill. Vol.
“In Camp, 19 June, 1832”
It cannot be said of this explanation that it offers any extenuating
circumstances for that inglorious retreat or that abandonment by
Stillman’s men of gallant Captain Adams and his men to fight it out
alone and die.[125]
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[Illustration: WILLIAM McCULLOUGH.]
[Illustration: JAMES K. ORENDORF.]
[Illustration: WILLIAM COPES.]
[Illustration: WILLIAM McKEE.]
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[Illustration: JOHN A. WAKEFIELD.]
[Illustration: COL. JAMES M. STRODE.]
[Illustration: SERGT. FRED STAHL.]
[Illustration: CAPT. MILTON M. MAUGHS.]
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Footnote 115:
Pronounced Ozha.
Footnote 116:
James Haines, still living at Pekin, remembers the circumstances well.
His two older brothers, Alfred and Jonathan, were members of Capt.
Adams’ company.
Footnote 117:
Shabbona’s village.
Footnote 118:
Note:–Dodge’s command (May 8) proceeded by way of Apple River to
Buffalo Grove, at which an Indian trail led to Rock River, at a point
nearly opposite the mouth of the Kish-wau-kee and only a few miles
from Stillman’s battle, and where the troops were encamped at that
time. Smith’s Hist. Wis., Vol. 1, p. 266.
Footnote 119:
Wakefield.
Footnote 120:
Col. Wm. S. Hamilton and many other usually reliable authorities
claimed the flag was red, indicative of war; but that contention
cannot be credited.
Footnote 121:
All survivors interviewed by the author stoutly maintained that Black
Hawk so disposed his troops as to make it appear that the whites were
surrounded.
Footnote 122:
The father and mother of Capt. Adams were killed by Indians.
Footnote 123:
Wakefield, p. 21, is authority for the statement that Dr. Donaldson
was surgeon of Stillman’s Battalion.
Footnote 124:
The shock to Mrs. Adams on learning of her husband’s horrible fate
deprived her of reason, which was never recovered.
Footnote 125:
On June 14, 1902, the State of Illinois dedicated a monument costing
$5,000 on the hill where Capt. Adams made his stand. The officers of
the association to whom the credit of securing that monument is due
are Lovejoy Johnson, Pt.; L. Dickerman, V. Pt.; John A. Atwood, Secy.;
John A. White, Treas.; Wallace Revell, Trustee.
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