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
unfortunate consequences and was prepared to propitiate the angry
militia by replying with spirit, to the effect that the default of
the militia had been grossly exaggerated, concluding with these
words: “Sir, your allusions are unjust and entirely uncalled for
from a man who, with the experience of the regular army, would
intrench himself behind walls (Fort Dixon) and send to the front men
who had never seen service. Men! You need not obey his orders. Obey
mine and follow me,” and then, wheeling, he swam his horse across
the river, the men following, with one exception, in good humor,
with a commander who did not fear “Old Rough and Ready.” Colonel
Taylor saw the point in an instant, and after Major Dement rejoined
him at Fort Koshkonong he said he told the story to his brother
officers at Fort Dixon, who roared with laughter.
[187]The battalion reached Kellogg’s “old place” that night,
Saturday, the 23d, and enjoyed Sunday in hunting. On the night of
Sunday, the 24th, a Mr. Funk of McLean County, on his way from
Galena to Dixon’s, stopped at Kellogg’s and informed Major Dement
that he had seen a large party of Indians passing near them, and
that without doubt a very large band of the enemy was then close by.
Major Dement’s command contained not one-half the estimated number
of the enemy, and, to meet the emergency, he called a council of war
in the night to decide on a plan of action, and this plan, when
fully matured, was given to the men in detail.
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[Illustration: CAPT. JACOB FEAMAN.]
[Illustration: CAPT. THOMAS MOFFETT.]
[Illustration: W.S. HUSSEY.]
[Illustration: MATTHEW RICE.]
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At daylight of the 25th Major Dement called for twenty-five
volunteers to reconnoiter, and these instantly responded and moved
out. [188]Just as Major Dement and Governor Zadock Casey were
mounting their horses an express came in from the advance party,
informing them that three or four Indians were seen on the prairie.
This information operated like an electric shock on the men, and the
orders, so carefuly elaborated, were cast to the winds as one and
all, regardless of order, security, experience or common sense,
dashed after the reported Indians helter-skelter. Though Dement
tried times without number, at the risk of his life, to bring the
troops off in good order, his efforts were unavailing. Refusing to
learn from the experience of Stillman, the foremost men dashed
headlong on to some timber where Dement had surmised the enemy was
concealed. He shouted to his men to beware, but once more old Black
Hawk’s videttes decoyed the whites to destruction. About four
hundred yards from Kellogg’s, Major Dement halted and formed a line
to await the charge he was positive would follow, and he had not
long to wait. Stillman’s fight was to be duplicated in large
measure, and by Black Hawk, too, for he was personally leading his
men. Just as the whites neared the edge of the timber, the enemy
opened a galling fire, which killed two men and wounded a third;
then, with hideous yells, a large force poured from the grove to the
right and left, to flank the little band about Major Dement. The
Indians, all well mounted, were stripped to the skin and painted. As
they reached the bodies of the dead soldiers they clubbed, scalped
and otherwise mutilated them in the usual way.
Major Dement stood his ground, firing volley after volley with
deadly effect into the advancing ranks of the enemy, but the Indians
continued to pour from the timber until the whites realized that
delay in their perilous position meant wilful death. Then they
wheeled about, and a most exciting race for life began, with the
Indians on both flanks fighting at every step and gaining at every
foot of the chase. Then happened a melancholy event. Three men,
whose horses had strayed away during the night, had early in the
morning started in search of them, and, returning, were caught in
one of the flanks of the enemy, who swept over and killed them in an
instant, after which every man was scalped, but, to their
everlasting honor, no three men ever sold their lives at heavier
cost to the enemy than they, for five dead Indians were found close
to their own bodies.
During this tragic respite, Major Dement rallied a few men about him
and made another stand to give the shrieking savages battle, but it
was momentary only; the men caught but a sight of the returning
enemy and abandoned their intrepid little commander to his fate. At
the last and supreme moment he dashed to cover and only reached it
by a neck.
In this engagement Governor Casey’s horse was badly wounded and his
escape was made only after a terrific fight with the enemy. Reaching
Kellogg’s, the men sprang from their horses and occupied the log
house and barn. On the least exposed side of the house was a
workbench, over which Major Dement threw his bridle, and shot
through an open window; into this same partially sheltered place the
horses instinctively huddled.
As the Indians swarmed into the grove and covered themselves behind
trees, portholes were made in the chinks of the log buildings and
the best shots were detailed to pick off the Indians who might
expose themselves, but very few of them were so rash. For many hours
the garrison was stormed, it being apparently the determination of
Black Hawk to exterminate the battalion to the last man, as he
assailed it again and again, the Indians becoming finally careless
of their security as the assault progressed. Making no impression on
the besieged, the enemy finally began the merciless butchery of the
horses, killing above twenty-five in their savage rage.
The reinforcements sent for were, fortunately, near at hand, for
Posey’s Brigade had that very morning been ordered to march, and was
then actually in motion for Kellogg’s Grove, on its way to Fort
Hamilton to join General Dodge. The Indians finally retired, leaving
nine dead on the field, and escaped with others, before the arrival
of Posey, who had met Lieut. Trammel Ewing, who, though shot through
the thigh, had offered to start for Dixon’s for reinforcements and
had met Posey[189] north of Buffalo Grove. When he delivered his
dispatches to General Posey that officer hastened to the scene with
incredible swiftness, while Lieutenant Ewing journeyed on to Dixon
to carry the news.
The killed, whose names have been left to us, were William Allen,
James Black, James B. Band and Abner Bradford, the wounded being
Lieut. Trammel Ewing and Marcus Randolph, while Major Dement had
holes shot through his hat and coat.
Black Hawk, in his autobiography, Second Ed., p. 104, in noticing
this battle and Major Dement, used the following language:
“The chief, who seemed to be a small man, addressed his warriors
in a loud voice, but they soon retreated, leaving him and a few
braves on the battlefield.
“A great number of my warriors pursued the retreating party and
killed a number of their horses as they ran.
“The chief and a few of his braves were unwilling to leave the
field. I ordered my braves to rush upon them, and had the
mortification of seeing two of my chiefs killed before the enemy
retreated.
“The young chief deserves great praise for his courage and
bravery, but, fortunately for us, his army was not all composed of
such brave men.”
When Colonel Taylor so soundly berated the militia, Major Dement
knew as well as any man that every word was true, but the time for
the address was inopportune, and, further, if the correction was to
be expected from any source, he believed it should have emanated
from an officer of the militia, but when he saw his men, contrary to
orders, rushing headlong on to an ambush, and then rushing headlong
back again, his heart rankled with indignation, and he almost
regretted having resented Taylor’s animadversions. In fact, when he
finally reached Hamilton’s fort, where the question arose of turning
Posey’s command over to Dodge, Major Dement cried:[190] “He will
lead us to victory and retrieve for us the honors we have lost at
Stillman’s Run and at Kellogg’s Grove,” and, failing in the election
of Dodge over Posey, he[191] resigned and fought the remainder of
the campaign with another brigade.
But a man was soon to rise who, when these independent militia
disturbers, with their usual tactics of insubordination, attempted
again, at a crucial moment, to obstruct the orders of their
superiors, crushed them into obedience with an iron hand, and that
man’s name was James D. Henry, the towering genius of the Black Hawk
war.
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Footnote 185:
Maj. Dement’s narrative, in my possession.
Footnote 186:
History of Lee County, p. 249, Ed. 1893. Col. Whittlesey’s
Narrative, 10 Wis. Hist. Collections, p. 177.
Footnote 187:
Reynolds’ “My Own Times,” p. 388.
Footnote 188:
Reynolds, 390.
Footnote 189:
Journal of A.S. Johnston.
Footnote 190:
Salter’s “Life of Henry Dodge,” p. 44.
Footnote 191:
Wakefield.
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