Day after day, week after week, the army had dawdled away valuable time in fruitless marches. Every command had been ignored or ridiculed. Protests had been constantly made, and at every turn the commanding influence of the militia and its votes had been consulted and obeyed.
In camp and on the march they had constantly murmured, and in action they had disobeyed and disgraced themselves and their state. Here Henry was alone and supreme in command, unhampered by a superior. He was a candidate for no office.
When this remonstrance was presented to him he quietly read it and deliberated carefully for some minutes; then, without bluster or useless fanfaronade, he ordered every man who had signed it under arrest, with orders to Colonel Collins’ Regiment to escort them to Atkinson for trial, at which, he had no doubt, they would be shot for disobedience. No man knew Henry better than Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, and no doubt remained in his mind of Henry’s determination to enforce his order, thereupon he begged permission to retire to consult his brother officers who had signed the paper, which he was permitted to do. In less than ten minutes every one of them had returned and begged Henry’s pardon, urging that they knew not the full import of the document when attaching their signatures. In the greatness of his heart that forgiveness was extended them and, with no further allusion to the incident, it was from that moment dropped. In justice to those officers, it must be said that Henry had no more devoted followers in his ranks from that time.
Alexander now moved for Atkinson’s headquarters, and almost simultaneously came Capt. James Craig of Dodge’s Battalion from Galena, with fresh horses and men, bringing Dodge’s command up to 120 strong, when he pronounced himself ready for concerted action with Henry, whose brigade had fallen from about 1,200 to 600 men, but not more than 450 were then fit for service.
From Fort Winnebago Henry and Dodge took up their march, July 15th, accompanied by Pierre Poquette as interpreter, and twelve Winnebagoes,[[212]] including The White Pawnee, as guides. Heavy underbrush and swamps continually hampered their march, while each new morass cost them horses, but after three days of hard marching the rapids (now Hustisford) were reached.[[213]] No Indians were found. Henry thereupon ordered the little army to camp. Here three Winnebagoes reported that Black Hawk had gone further up the river to Cranberry Lake. Relying on this information, it was determined to ascend the river by a forced march the following morning. In the meantime Adjutants Dr. E.H. Merryman of Springfield and W.W. Woodbridge of Dodge’s Battalion were dispatched, at 2 o’clock P.M.,[[214]] to Atkinson’s camp, accompanied by Little Thunder as guide, to post Atkinson as to its movements.
About dark they had proceeded about eight miles to the southwest, when they suddenly came upon the broad fresh trail of the enemy in his endeavor to escape to the Mississippi River. At the sight of this trail Little Thunder manifested unusual and extreme symptoms, and, without permission, hastened back to camp, where he informed his two Winnebago friends of his discovery. Merryman and Woodbridge hastily followed. On returning, these two Winnebagoes, after communicating with their friends, attempted to escape, but in passing Major Murray McConnel of the staff, who was reconnoitering, they were arrested and returned to camp. Merryman and Woodbridge followed soon after, and in crossing the picket lines Woodbridge was fired at by a sentinel and barely escaped with his life.
Under an examination by Henry, the Winnebagoes confessed that they had given false information in order to facilitate the escape of Black Hawk.
Early the following morning (19th) the army was ready for a fresh march along this trail. The same express was sent to Atkinson to post him as to its movements, Little Thunder safely guiding it.[[215]] Five baggage wagons were discarded[[216]] and most of the camp equipage left in a pile in the wilderness. Even blankets and parts of wardrobe were discarded to facilitate travel, so that positively nothing could hamper man or beast in the contemplated forced marches to overtake Black Hawk. Provisions were tightly packed on shoulders and then over creeks, mires, through groves, thickets and forests the chase began, men marching and almost running a-foot to keep pace with those mounted, to please the leader they knew to be the man for the hour.
A fearful storm arose the first day and continued the following morning, and though without shelter, the men cheerfully pushed forward, covering fifty miles by nightfall. The sight of Henry dismounting to give some tired footman a rest inspired others to do the same, and a valor before unknown inspired the men.
Until 2 o’clock of the morning of the 20th the storm raged. No fires could be built by which to cook supper, so meat was eaten raw and flour mixed with water into a raw dough was substituted for more substantial fare. The men, exhausted but uncomplaining, threw themselves upon the wet earth for a brief rest, without blankets or other covering, thus enduring a night of hardship which before that time would have produced the dissolution of the army.