CHAPTER XXXIII.
Throckmorton’s Narrative–Atkinson’s Report–Black Hawk’s Flight–Capture–Delivery to General Street–Council.
After darkness had finished the battle of the Wisconsin, many of the fugitives, women, children and old men, were sent by Black Hawk down the Wisconsin to escape, but on receipt of Dodge’s letter, Gov. Joseph M. Street, agent of the Winnebagoes at Prairie du Chien, sent Lieutenant Ritner with a small detachment of regulars up the river to the ferry, later called Barrett’s, to intercept them, which he did by firing into the party, killing fifteen men and capturing thirty-two women and children and four men. Nearly as many more were drowned, while the others who escaped to the woods, with few exceptions, perished with hunger or were massacred by a party of Menominees from Green Bay under Colonel Stambaugh.[[236]]
[[237]]In addition to this precautionary move, General Street, on July 25th, directed Mr. J.P. Burnett, sub Indian Agent for the Winnebagoes, to ascend the Mississippi and order all the Winnebagoes to descend with their canoes and other water craft to the Agency at once, thus to prevent the Sacs from securing assistance in crossing the Mississippi, and, in case any excuses were offered, to threaten the objectors with non-payment of their annuities.
Mr. Burnett carried out his instructions faithfully on the following day, but found Winneshiek and several other prominent Indians absent hunting.
On the 27th supplemental instructions were sent to Mr. Burnett to send for them, which was likewise done, and on the 28th all had gathered at the Agency that General Street desired, making escape across the Mississippi by Black Hawk practically impossible.
Among the numerous incidents related of the Battle of the Bad Axe is one of Lieut. Robert Anderson, printed in the Galenian and copied into Niles Register for November 3d, 1832, in Vol. 43, page 147.
“When our troops charged the enemy in their defiles near the bank of the Mississippi, men, women and children were seen mixed together in such a manner as to render it difficult to kill one and save the other. A young squaw of about nineteen stood in the grass at a short distance from our line, holding her little girl in her arms, about four years old. While thus standing, apparently unconcerned, a ball struck the right arm of the child above the elbow and shattered the bone, passed into the breast of its young mother, which instantly felled her to the ground. She fell upon the child and confined it to the ground also. During the whole battle this babe was heard to groan and call for relief, but none had come to afford it. When, however, the Indians had retreated from that spot and the battle had nearly subsided, Lieutenant Anderson, of the United States Army, went to the spot and took from under the dead mother her wounded daughter, and brought it to the place we had selected for surgical aid. It was soon ascertained that its arm must come off, and the operation was performed without drawing a tear or a shriek. The child was eating a piece of hard biscuit during the operation. It was brought to Prairie du Chien, and we learn that it has nearly recovered. This was among the many scenes calculated to draw forth a sympathetic tear for human misery.”
As the Warrior played an important part in Black Hawk’s fall, it may be well to copy the Captain’s letter: