CHAPTER XXX.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE DIVISIONS–CAPTAIN DUNN SHOT–HENRY, ALEXANDER
AND DODGE DETACHED TO MOVE TO FORT WINNEBAGO–POSEY SENT TO
FORT HAMILTON–DISINTEGRATION OF THE ARMY–ALEXANDER’S RETURN.
Alexander marched to the mouth of Plum River, found no Indians
to intercept, and, receiving orders to meet the right wing at
Lake Koshkonong, marched thence and joined Atkinson. Posey,
after reinforcing Major Dement, marched on to Fort Hamilton,
as ordered, and there joined Dodge’s Battalion, June 28, with
orders for both, under Posey’s command,[198] to join the right
wing on the Koshkonong. This order provoked jealousy and a
storm of protests broke out against Posey. Dodge conceived a
poor opinion of him. He was admitted all round to be a fine
gentleman, affable, upright and well disposed, but to lack
energy and ability to maintain discipline, which rendered his
men insubordinate and disorderly.[199] The miners to a man
demanded that they be joined to either the brigade of Henry or
Alexander, which brought about conditions likely to result in
complete disorganization. Major Dement, after the disobedience
of his own men, was particularly vehement in demanding the
substitution of Dodge for Posey.[200] Dodge answered the
request to accept the command with the reply that he would not
accept it without election to it by the men. Accordingly, a
vote was taken, at which, by the fidelity of his old men,
Posey was re-elected to command by a small majority.
Gen. George W. Jones has described that election and his letter was
published on page 54 of William Salter’s “Life of Henry Dodge:”
“On our arrival at the encampment, Col. Dodge refused to assume
command unless the volunteers would elect him as their commander,
over their own general, although Col. Davenport of the U.S. Army,
was present, under orders from Gen. Atkinson, to make the transfer
or substitution in the command. All of the volunteers were entire
strangers to Col. Dodge. At his request, they were drawn up into a
hollow square, when he addressed them, and was followed by Gen.
Posey, who appealed to his old neighbors not to desert and
disgrace him. His entreaties had the desired effect.”
At this point, we are told by Wakefield, Major Dement resigned his
command.
Dodge’s command now consisted of five mounted companies, commanded
by Captains D.M. Parkinson, James H. Gentry, George W. Jones, Joseph
Dickson and Clark–two hundred men in all.
On July 2d the forces marched from Fort Hamilton, crossing the East
Pecatonica, then much swollen, by swimming the horses and rafting
the baggage and provisions, and camping at a point subsequently
called Argyle. The night of the 3d the division camped at Devee’s
old smelting works on Sugar River, near Exeter, at which point
Stephenson, with his Galena company, and Colonel Hamilton, with his
company of Indians, joined them. The night of the 4th was spent in a
wilderness between Exeter and Rock River, where the present township
of Oregon may be said to lie, and where the Winnebago chief, White
Crow,[201] with a band of some thirty Indians, joined the division.
Here also Stephenson was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of Dodge’s
forces, and he was detached to do all the scouting duty for the
division.
Passing along as rapidly as the country permitted, the division
spent the night of the 5th on a sandy ridge ten or twelve miles west
from Atkinson’s camp, and on the 6th on Rock River opposite
Atkinson, where and when Order 49 was issued:
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“On Lake Cooshkenong, 6 July, 1832.
“Order No. 49.
“General Alexander will move with his brigade this morning across
Rock River and join General Dodge and co-operate with him and the
troops under his command against the enemy above this lake. On
Gen. Alexander joining the troops on the opposite side of the
lake, Gen. Posey will march with his command across Rock River,
below the lake, and join the Commanding General above this point.
Gen. Alexander will call on the Commanding General for special
instructions.”
This order effectually settled the controversy between Dodge’s men
and the Illinois troops, which never should have been raised, for
Posey had many soldierly qualities, as good as any Dodge possessed.
The troops now moved, Alexander with Dodge on the west bank of Rock
River, Brady’s on the east, which marched five miles to the Burnt
Village, at the junction of the Rock River with Bark River,[202] and
to which point Posey rapidly followed.
At 9 o’clock of the 7th Atkinson crossed a deep, boggy creek, one
mile above the encampment, and reached a branch of the White Water
at noon, but as no ford could be found it was decided to march nine
miles up and cross a creek said to be there. After four miles’ march
Atkinson halted and camped, Posey and Alexander joining later and
camping in the same place.
Captain Dunn, who was officer of the day on the 7th, was
accidentally wounded by a sentinel, as was then thought, fatally.
On the 8th the one-eyed Winnebago chief, Decori,[203] came into camp
and informed Atkinson that Black Hawk was camped lower down the
river,[204] whereupon a council of war was called to consider
further movements.
A moment’s reflection should have exploded this ridiculous
statement, because Fry, Jones, Early and other independent companies
had explored every foot of debatable country in the vicinity named.
At this council Governor Reynolds urged Atkinson to move on up
without delay, before Black Hawk could evacuate his present position
and flee to the west, but to none of his appeals would the
commanding general listen. He averred that his artillery had not
then reached him, and without it he could do nothing, therefore did
he not only decline to push forward, but he ordered the army to fall
back to the Burnt Village at the mouth of the White Water for a
base.[205] There Early returned from another scout and reported the
main trail of the Indians, not two hours old, to be three miles
beyond. Early next morning detachments marched for the trail, only
to find, after fifteen miles’ march, that Early had been wrong.
Reynolds insisted that another day would bring them to Black Hawk’s
camp, and, as subsequent events demonstrated, the Governor was
correct. As a matter of fact, Atkinson was upon the wrong side of
the river to successfully reach Black Hawk.
Further reconnoisances made by Early’s company and other detachments
demonstrated conclusively, and with no delay, that the Indian Decori
had deliberately fabricated the story, to allow Black Hawk a respite
for retreat to the Mississippi. The 8th and most of the 9th were
spent in these fruitless scouting expeditions through impassable
underbrush and bogs, morasses and over “trembling lands,” until the
men were not only exhausted, but thoroughly discouraged. A party of
Indians under Colonel Hamilton covered nine or ten miles of country
with equal disappointment. Provisions had now run exceedingly low;
intense dissatisfaction prevailed; a second campaign, planned with
great pomp and expense, was coming to naught, and even the sanguine
Governor Reynolds, who was energetic, though impractical and moved
to many acts by consideration of policy for his future, lost heart
and left camp, with his staff, Colonel Breese and others, for his
home in Illinois, by way of Galena.
Late the afternoon of the 9th it was decided to send Henry,
Alexander and Dodge to Fort Winnebago for provisions, with positive
injunctions to hasten. It was further decided to send Posey with his
command back to Fort Hamilton to guard the mineral country, as will
be seen by orders 51 and 52:
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Camp on Whitewater River, 9 July, 1832.
“Order No. 51.
“Brig.-Gen. Alexander and Brig.-Gen. Henry, brigade of Illinois
mounted volunteers, will march to-morrow morning to Fort Winnebago
and draw twelve days’ rations of provisions (exclusive of the
subsistence of their respective commands during their stay at the
fort) and return to these headquarters without delay.
“A.S. JOHNSTON, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Camp on Whitewater River, 9 July, 1832.
“Order No. 52.
“Brig.-Gen. Posey will march his brigade of Illinois volunteers to
Fort Hamilton in the mineral district, and remain there till
further orders. Brig.-Gen. Posey will furnish from his command
such escorts as may be required for the safety of supplies
destined for the Army of the Frontier.
“A.S. JOHNSTON, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
The miserable condition and character of the country, which did not
permit of carrying more than twelve days’ provisions at a time; the
usual wastefulness of the volunteers; the ever-vanishing enemy, and
the general feeling of melancholy at having so far accomplished
nothing, made this disposition of the troops necessary. In addition,
the regiment of Col. John Ewing was detached to escort to Dixon’s
Captain Dunn, whose recovery was now considered a possibility.
Captain Early’s entire company was mustered out at this point, and
all others who were horseless, or physically incapacitated from
making the weary marches required to reach Black Hawk’s camp, were
also ordered to report at Dixon’s Ferry. These troops, a comfortable
brigade of themselves, left on the 10th to return to Dixon’s by the
same route pursued in ascending Rock River, and consumed practically
the same time in making the march. The loss of those men reduced the
volunteer force nearly one-half,[206] and the departure of the other
brigades, under orders, left the regulars, about 400, alone.
As the movements thereafter of the regulars were few and simple, it
is considered best to briefly state them before continuing with
Henry, Alexander and Dodge and the more important features of the
campaign which followed.
On the 11th, while at the mouth of the Whitewater, Captain Harney
was dispatched up Rock River, in command of a small reconnoitering
party, to ascertain and examine the position of the enemy, Scouts
returning that evening brought information of the Indians’ further
retirement up Rock River.
On the 12th Harney’s party, which had ascended the river thirty
miles, returned, reporting the flight of Black Hawk into the
recesses of the swamps of Rock River, fifty or sixty miles above, if
not further. On the same day three soldiers and two Indians went
down to Lake Koshkonong in a canoe to explore. They found a small
Indian camp, which they robbed, but on returning were attacked by a
party of Indians, and in turn robbed of their spoils of war and also
their canoe.
On the 13th Capt. Samuel McRee, with a detachment of fifty men,
started in pursuit of the Indians, but returned late in the evening,
after a long march, reporting no discoveries.
During the day Colonel March arrived from the Blue Mounds, reporting
thirty-six wagons loaded with provisions on the way for this point.
During the 14th and 15th the camp was inactive and awaiting events.
On the 16th dispatches from General Scott, who had been sent to
supersede Atkinson,[207] were received, reporting the ravages in his
army from Asiastic cholera. The thirty-six wagons of provisions
arrived from Blue Mounds in the evening; also the pack horses sent
to Fort Winnebago for provisions. On the following morning Alexander
arrived with his men, thoroughly fatigued, many of them dismounted
through the loss of their horses.
On the 19th the regulars and Alexander’s Brigade marched up the
Whitewater, with the intention of reaching Black Hawk and ending,
by forced marches, the campaign, which General Jackson felt had
been already dragged out to twice its needed length. The troops
proceeded ten miles, when the most furious storm of that very
stormy season compelled them to halt and await its passing. It
raged all night long, with increasing fury, and not till morning
did it abate. Here the trembling lands were reached, making
further progress, as the Indian guides declared, impossible. It
was then discovered that the wrong side of the river was being
followed to ever reach Black Hawk, therefore it was resolved to
retrace their steps, cross the river below Lake Koshkonong and
ascend the west bank of Rock River. (Narrative Capt. Henry Smith,
10 Wis., 150, etc.) At this time (20th) an express from Henry and
Dodge arrived early, bringing information of the movements of the
Indians toward the Mississippi.[208] General Alexander at once
dispatched Major McHenry, with his spy battalion, to explore the
country between the forks of the Whitewater and Rock River and
ascertain if all the Indians had left the country or only Black
Hawk’s immediate band. He found the country explored by him to be
abandoned by them, and, with the other troops, fell back to Fort
Koshkonong, where Capt. Gideon Lowe, with thirty or forty men, had
been called from Fort Winnebago to do garrison duty.
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