CHAPTER XXVIII.
March to Dixon’s Ferry–Major Dement’s Battle.
It has already been stated that Major Dement’s battalion was ordered on detached service. Following is a copy of his order:
“Headquarters, Army of the Frontier,
“Rapids of the Illinois, 18 June, 1832.
“Order No. 37.
“Major Dement’s Battalion of Volunteers will be prepared for detached service as early to-morrow morning as practicable, supplied with provisions for ten days. Major Dement will make a requisition on the ordnance officer for ammunition for his command, and report to the commanding general for instructions relative to the service to be performed.
“A.S. Johnston, A.D.C., A.A.A. General.”
Pursuant to these orders, Major Dement called on General Atkinson and was directed to detach his battalion from Posey’s Brigade, scour the Bureau woods to find, if possible, the murderers of Phillips, and then go on to Colonel Taylor at Dixon’s and report the depredations committed by the Indians, so far as he could learn them.
Early the following morning Major Dement marched for Henderson Creek, where he thoroughly scoured the woods, only to find that the Indians had crossed the Mississippi and escaped every effort that might be made to punish them. Concluding this very tedious duty, the battalion, after a weary march through portions of the Winnebago swamps, high creeks and through pouring rains, reached Dixon’s Ferry on the night of the 22d, just after Major Bennet Riley’s two companies of regulars had returned from their efforts to keep open the road between Dixon’s and Galena.
[[185]]Colonel Taylor met Dement when he arrived, and informed him that his arrival was opportune, that he had just the place for him, and directed him to swim his horses across the river early to receive his orders. In Major Dement’s command were men who had held nearly every office in the State, from Governor down, and Taylor’s abrupt manner, if displayed before the troops, would not be calculated to promote the dispatch required, and which Taylor was in the habit of receiving; in fact, Major Dement felt that he could not, in justice to his relations with the men and his future comfort, repeat the orders given, at least verbatim; therefore he requested Taylor to read or deliver them personally.
The men, fatigued from their long march, expected a short respite when they reached the river, and were not in good humor.
Taylor had consented personally to deliver his orders, and promptly at daylight he was rowed to the south side of the river, where the men were formed in line, awaiting his approach. Taylor was nothing if not picturesque, and in the delivery of those orders his speech and actions were calculated to perpetuate his reputation; they amounted to a speech, in fact. He raked the Illinois militia fore and aft, virtually accusing them of cowardice, and finally concluding with these words:[[186]] “You are citizen soldiers and some of you may fill high offices, or even be President some day, but never unless you do your duty. Forward! March!” Prophetic words! He became President, and Jefferson Davis, his aid, was present. Abraham Lincoln, the second President to be elected from that little army, arrived the third time upon the scene, soon after, with Henry’s Brigade.
Taylor’s remarks, just as Major Dement had divined, evoked a storm of passion, smothered, ’tis true, but the men were almost ready to fight Taylor rather than obey him. Major Dement had foreseen the unfortunate consequences and was prepared to propitiate the angry militia by replying with spirit, to the effect that the default of the militia had been grossly exaggerated, concluding with these words: “Sir, your allusions are unjust and entirely uncalled for from a man who, with the experience of the regular army, would intrench himself behind walls (Fort Dixon) and send to the front men who had never seen service. Men! You need not obey his orders. Obey mine and follow me,” and then, wheeling, he swam his horse across the river, the men following, with one exception, in good humor, with a commander who did not fear “Old Rough and Ready.” Colonel Taylor saw the point in an instant, and after Major Dement rejoined him at Fort Koshkonong he said he told the story to his brother officers at Fort Dixon, who roared with laughter.
[[187]]The battalion reached Kellogg’s “old place” that night, Saturday, the 23d, and enjoyed Sunday in hunting. On the night of Sunday, the 24th, a Mr. Funk of McLean County, on his way from Galena to Dixon’s, stopped at Kellogg’s and informed Major Dement that he had seen a large party of Indians passing near them, and that without doubt a very large band of the enemy was then close by. Major Dement’s command contained not one-half the estimated number of the enemy, and, to meet the emergency, he called a council of war in the night to decide on a plan of action, and this plan, when fully matured, was given to the men in detail.
CAPT. JACOB FEAMAN.
CAPT. THOMAS MOFFETT.
W.S. HUSSEY.
MATTHEW RICE.
At daylight of the 25th Major Dement called for twenty-five volunteers to reconnoiter, and these instantly responded and moved out. [[188]]Just as Major Dement and Governor Zadock Casey were mounting their horses an express came in from the advance party, informing them that three or four Indians were seen on the prairie. This information operated like an electric shock on the men, and the orders, so carefuly elaborated, were cast to the winds as one and all, regardless of order, security, experience or common sense, dashed after the reported Indians helter-skelter. Though Dement tried times without number, at the risk of his life, to bring the troops off in good order, his efforts were unavailing. Refusing to learn from the experience of Stillman, the foremost men dashed headlong on to some timber where Dement had surmised the enemy was concealed. He shouted to his men to beware, but once more old Black Hawk’s videttes decoyed the whites to destruction. About four hundred yards from Kellogg’s, Major Dement halted and formed a line to await the charge he was positive would follow, and he had not long to wait. Stillman’s fight was to be duplicated in large measure, and by Black Hawk, too, for he was personally leading his men. Just as the whites neared the edge of the timber, the enemy opened a galling fire, which killed two men and wounded a third; then, with hideous yells, a large force poured from the grove to the right and left, to flank the little band about Major Dement. The Indians, all well mounted, were stripped to the skin and painted. As they reached the bodies of the dead soldiers they clubbed, scalped and otherwise mutilated them in the usual way.
Major Dement stood his ground, firing volley after volley with deadly effect into the advancing ranks of the enemy, but the Indians continued to pour from the timber until the whites realized that delay in their perilous position meant wilful death. Then they wheeled about, and a most exciting race for life began, with the Indians on both flanks fighting at every step and gaining at every foot of the chase. Then happened a melancholy event. Three men, whose horses had strayed away during the night, had early in the morning started in search of them, and, returning, were caught in one of the flanks of the enemy, who swept over and killed them in an instant, after which every man was scalped, but, to their everlasting honor, no three men ever sold their lives at heavier cost to the enemy than they, for five dead Indians were found close to their own bodies.
During this tragic respite, Major Dement rallied a few men about him and made another stand to give the shrieking savages battle, but it was momentary only; the men caught but a sight of the returning enemy and abandoned their intrepid little commander to his fate. At the last and supreme moment he dashed to cover and only reached it by a neck.
In this engagement Governor Casey’s horse was badly wounded and his escape was made only after a terrific fight with the enemy. Reaching Kellogg’s, the men sprang from their horses and occupied the log house and barn. On the least exposed side of the house was a workbench, over which Major Dement threw his bridle, and shot through an open window; into this same partially sheltered place the horses instinctively huddled.
As the Indians swarmed into the grove and covered themselves behind trees, portholes were made in the chinks of the log buildings and the best shots were detailed to pick off the Indians who might expose themselves, but very few of them were so rash. For many hours the garrison was stormed, it being apparently the determination of Black Hawk to exterminate the battalion to the last man, as he assailed it again and again, the Indians becoming finally careless of their security as the assault progressed. Making no impression on the besieged, the enemy finally began the merciless butchery of the horses, killing above twenty-five in their savage rage.
The reinforcements sent for were, fortunately, near at hand, for Posey’s Brigade had that very morning been ordered to march, and was then actually in motion for Kellogg’s Grove, on its way to Fort Hamilton to join General Dodge. The Indians finally retired, leaving nine dead on the field, and escaped with others, before the arrival of Posey, who had met Lieut. Trammel Ewing, who, though shot through the thigh, had offered to start for Dixon’s for reinforcements and had met Posey[[189]] north of Buffalo Grove. When he delivered his dispatches to General Posey that officer hastened to the scene with incredible swiftness, while Lieutenant Ewing journeyed on to Dixon to carry the news.
The killed, whose names have been left to us, were William Allen, James Black, James B. Band and Abner Bradford, the wounded being Lieut. Trammel Ewing and Marcus Randolph, while Major Dement had holes shot through his hat and coat.
Black Hawk, in his autobiography, Second Ed., p. 104, in noticing this battle and Major Dement, used the following language:
“The chief, who seemed to be a small man, addressed his warriors in a loud voice, but they soon retreated, leaving him and a few braves on the battlefield.
“A great number of my warriors pursued the retreating party and killed a number of their horses as they ran.
“The chief and a few of his braves were unwilling to leave the field. I ordered my braves to rush upon them, and had the mortification of seeing two of my chiefs killed before the enemy retreated.
“The young chief deserves great praise for his courage and bravery, but, fortunately for us, his army was not all composed of such brave men.”
When Colonel Taylor so soundly berated the militia, Major Dement knew as well as any man that every word was true, but the time for the address was inopportune, and, further, if the correction was to be expected from any source, he believed it should have emanated from an officer of the militia, but when he saw his men, contrary to orders, rushing headlong on to an ambush, and then rushing headlong back again, his heart rankled with indignation, and he almost regretted having resented Taylor’s animadversions. In fact, when he finally reached Hamilton’s fort, where the question arose of turning Posey’s command over to Dodge, Major Dement cried:[[190]] “He will lead us to victory and retrieve for us the honors we have lost at Stillman’s Run and at Kellogg’s Grove,” and, failing in the election of Dodge over Posey, he[[191]] resigned and fought the remainder of the campaign with another brigade.
But a man was soon to rise who, when these independent militia disturbers, with their usual tactics of insubordination, attempted again, at a crucial moment, to obstruct the orders of their superiors, crushed them into obedience with an iron hand, and that man’s name was James D. Henry, the towering genius of the Black Hawk war.