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The Blackhawk War

BY HENRY LITTLE, 1875

The ashes of the settler's cabin and the cold, lifeless bodies of the family very plainly told where they had been. The Indians were continually changing from place to place. At one time a few stragglers went into a southeast direction to within about twelve miles of Fort Dearborn (now Chicago) and killed three or four men on their route, and quickly returned. Generals Alexander, Henry, and Dodge, who had been searching in all directions for the enemy, finally about the middle of June, fell in with the long sought for Saukies, and a hard fight took place near the Wisconsin* river, when about fifty of the Indians were killed, and also one white man. Subsequently another fearful battle was fought, when the number of Indians was very considerably reduced; after which the Indians fled north, and were concealed from the whites a long time. Generals Atkinson and Brady with troops were also in that region at the time, but I am unable to state precisely what service was rendered by them. General Scott was dispatched from the east with a military force, which was increased in numbers by detachments from the military station at Detroit. General Scott's command was transported around by water to the seat of war. While the troops were on their passage, the cholera broke out among them, and fearfully decimated their numbers. The war was nearly or quite ended when General Scott arrived upon the ground. The remaining Saukie fugitives having fled north and taken shelter in a swamp, were found and captured by a Winnebago chief and his braves, which took place on the 27th of August, 1832, and delivered up prisoners of war to General Sweet at Prairie du Chien. The place where Black Hawk and his warriors were captured, is now known by the name of Richland, a few miles north of the Wisconsin-river. Black Hawk was finally conveyed to Jefferson barracks and securely ironed.

Michigan


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