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The Blackhawk War BY HENRY LITTLE, 1875
As soon as he arrived upon Gull Prairie, he began tooting and blowing his war trumpet with all his might. The burden of his message was the old "sing song" we had heard several times before, of Indians, but at this time there were untold numbers of Indians, who were certainly in battle array and advancing upon Prairie Ronde with great and alarming rapidity, and that soon all the white people on that prairie would be butchered by the merciless savages, and that he was directed to order every man on Gull Prairie to instantly repair to that awful scene of shooting and scalping. At the time of that awful massacre which had been predicted, it is certain that one man at least escaped the scalping-knife, for about two weeks after he came upon Gull Prairie, running his horse at utmost speed and blowing his everlasting war trumpet, and imperatively demanding soldiers immediately to go and drive away the much dreaded murderous "varmints. "
These interesting scenes were of frequent occurrence. Once, in the dead of the night, we were all startled from our quiet slumbers by the awful thrilling blast of the war trumpet. We felt most profoundly thankful, that while Prairie Ronde was subject to such frequent attacks, and so often threatened, all other parts of the territory were perfectly free from all such annoyance. So frequently had those calls from Prairie Ronde been made during that summer, that the aspect of affairs was very suggestive of imperium in imperie. But neither the urgency of those calls or orders could induce the obstinate Gull boys to yield a compliance. They had seen enough of glorious war already.
Michigan
Page 30
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