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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------