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The Blackhawk War BY HENRY LITTLE, 1875
While Gem pondered these things in his mind, he sang out most lustily: "I shan't stand in the front rank, nor my brother Tem shan't stand in the front rank. "
" hen the reconnoitring party, which had been dispatched to ascertain the
position and strength of the enemy, had returned, the report was that they were unable to discover any enemy, but supposed that the red-skins had ascertained that they could not take the camp by surprise, but would meet with a most formidable opposition, and had therefore taken to their heels, and had effected their escape by flight; upon which the army broke ranks, and the men again laid themselves down to rest, and congratulated themselves on new and freshly acquired laurels.
The next morning the army resumed its march homewards. After a while it leaked out that the whole affair of that memorable night was a real farce, a big scare, which had been planned and executed by Col. Danields. The chief actors had all been selected by him, and each man had been instructed how and when to play his part. And never did actors on any theatrical boards play their parts better. In process of time the army safely arrived at its old headquarters on Prairie Ronde, where all the men were discharged, and camp Jackson was dismantled and for the time being went into nonentity. But that bloody war was not yet ended, and camp Jackson was, during that summer, several times more revived, and refitted and re-swept and re-garnished and warlike preparations were being made by its occupants.
Michigan
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