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Stillman's Defeat
About this time, Gen.
Whitesides had concentrated a large force of
militia at Dixon's Ferry, and at the
solicitation of Major Stillman, permitted
him to take out a scouting party of nearly
300 mounted men. They went up Rock river,
about thirty miles to Sycamore creek, and
encamped within a few miles of Black Hawk's
camp, but were not aware of its position at
the time. Indian scouts having intercepted
their coming reported at once to Black Hawk
that a large army of mounted militia were
coming towards his camp; and before the
volunteers had entirely completed their
arrangements for encampment, outside guards
espied three Indians coming in with a white
flag. After holding a parley with them, (one
of the guards being able to talk a little
with them in their own language), they were
hurried into camp, and before any
explanations were made, the flag bearer was
shot and instantly killed, whilst his
comrades made their escape during the
confusion in getting the regiment ready to
pursue the fleeing Indians. These had
secreted themselves in ambush as the army
rushed by, helter skelter, after another
small party of Indians who had followed the
flag bearers, and who, when hearing the
uproar in camp made a hasty retreat. The
entire regiment was soon mounted and started
out in squads towards the camp of Black
Hawk. The latter having learned by a scout
that the army was coming, started at once
with less than fifty mounted warriors, his
entire force then in camp, to meet the
enemy, and on arriving at a copse of timber
and underbrush near Sycamore creek, made
ready to meet them.
Capt. Eads' company, who were the first to
start out, killed two of the five fleeing
Indians. Soon after crossing Sycamore creek
they were surprised by a terrific war whoop
from the Indians, who were concealed in the
bushes near by, and with deadly aim
commenced firing into the front ranks of the
regiment, and with unearthly yells (as one
of the fleeing party told us on arriving at
Galena), charged upon our ranks, with
tomahawks raised, ready to slaughter all who
might come within their reach. Judging from
the yelling of the Indians, their number was
variously estimated at from one thousand to
two thousand.
The entire party was thrown into such
confusion that Major Stillman had no control
of any of them, and, with one exception, the
entire army continued their flight to
Dixon's Ferry, thirty miles distant, whilst
some went back to their homes.
The retreating army passed through their
camping ground near Sycamore creek, where
they should have halted, and under cover of
the timber, could have shot down their
pursuers while yet in open prairie. Black
Hawk and a small portion of his command gave
up the chase, and returned to his camp,
while the remainder pursued the fugitives
for several miles, occasionally overtaking
and killing some soldiers, whose horses had
given out.
Among the retreating party was a Methodist
preacher, whose horse was too slow to keep
out of the reach of the Indians, who adopted
a novel plan to save himself and horse. On
coming to a ravine he left the track of his
pursuers name distance, and followed down
the ravine until he found a place deep
enough to shelter himself and horse from
view, and remained there for two hours in
safety. He had the precaution to keep a
strict count of the Indians as they went
forward, and waited their return. Being
satisfied that all had returned and
continued on the way to their camp, he
quietly left his hiding place, trotted
leisurely along and reached Dixon's Ferry
about sunrise next morning.
He reported his mode of procedure and the
strategy used to render his safety certain
from the Indians who had dispersed and
driven the army before them. He was
interrogated into the number, and when he
reported Twenty, great indignation was
manifested by some of the "brave" volunteers
who had got into camp some hours before him,
and reported the number at fifteen hundred
to two thousand! But as he was well known to
many of the volunteers and highly respected
as a meek and lowly Christian gentleman,
they stood by him and prevented any personal
violence.
When the report of this fiasco came into
Galena the next morning about 8 o'clock, on
the 15th of May, our regiment was
immediately called to arms, as great danger
was apprehended by the citizens. The general
supposition was that the Pottawattomie and
Winnebago had joined Black Hawk, it being
well known that his entire band, including
women and children, that had gone up Rock
river, did not exceed one thousand persons.
Dwellings were vacated and most of the
inhabitants repaired to the stockades for
safety.
The news of Stillman's defeat "by 2,000
blood-thirsty Indian warriors" spread fast,
far and wide, and the Governor of Illinois
called for more volunteers; and when the
news reached Washington, the Secretary of
War ordered Gen. Scott, then at New York, to
take a thousand soldiers and proceed to the
seat of war and take command of the army.
This violation of a flag of truce, the
wanton murder of its bearers, and the attack
upon a mere remnant of Black Hawk's band
when sueing for peace, precipitated a war
that should have been avoided.
[In confirmation of the dastardly act of the
volunteers in killing the bearer of a white
flag, and by which the war was precipitated,
we give the following letter of Mr. Elijah
Kilbourn, one of the scouts connected with
Stillman's command. Mr. K. is the man Black
Hawk makes mention of in his narrative as
having been taken captive during our last
war with Great Britain, and by him adopted
into the Sac tribe; and again taken prisoner
by three of his braves at the battle of
Sycamore creek.]
Next The books presented are for
their historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Autobiography of Black
Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak,
Copyrighted By J. B. Patterson, 1882
Black Hawk Indian WarFree
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