loss in killed and wounded, which is stated below, is very small in comparison with the loss of the enemy, which may be attributed to the enemy's being forced from his positions by a rapid charge at the commencement, and through the engagement. The remnant of the enemy, cut up and disheartened, crossed to the opposite side of the river, and has fled into the interior, with a view, it is supposed, of joining Keokuk and Wapilo's bands of Sacs and Foxes. "The horses of the volunteer troops being exhausted by long marches, and the regular troops without shoes, it was not thought advisable to continue the pursuit. Indeed a stop to

the further effusion of blood seemed to be called for, until it might be ascertained if the enemy would not surrender.

"It is ascertained from our prisoners, that the enemy lost in the battle of the Ouisconsin (Wisconsin Heights), sixty-eight killed, and a very large number wounded. His whole loss does not fall short of three hundred. After the battle of the Ouisconsin, the enemy's women and children, and some who were dismounted, attempted to make their escape by descending that river, but judicious measures being taken here by Capt. Loomis and Gen. Street, an In

dian agent, thirty-two women and children, and four men have been captured, and some fifteen killed by the detachment under Lieut. Ritner.

"The day after the battle on this river I fell down with the regular troops to this place by water, and the mounted men will join us to-day. It is now my purpose to direct Keokuk to demand the surrender of the remaining principal men of the hostile party; which, from the large number of women and children we hold as prisoners, I have every reason to believe will be complied with. Should it not, they should be pursued and subdued; a step Maj. Gen. Scott will no doubt take on his arrival.

"I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of the regular and volunteer forces engaged in the last battle (Bad Ax), and the fatiguing march that preceded it.

"As soon as the reports of the officers of brigades and corps are handed in, they shall be submitted with further remarks.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,

H. ATKINSON, B't-Brig. Gen. U. S. A. MAJ. GEN. MACOMB, Commander-in-Chief, Washington City.

The first surveys by the general government of lands in Wisconsin, were made south of the Wisconsin river and the Fox river of Green bay. The northern boundary line of the State of Illinois, fixed April 11, 1818, on the parallel of 42 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, became, prop

erly enough, the base line of these surveys, (as indeed of all the surveys afterward made by the United States in this State). A principal north-and-south line, known as the fourth meridian, was run at right angles, of course with the base line, and extending from it to Lake Su

perior. This meridian line is east of all the territory in Vernon county, except what is included in the towns of Hillsborough and Greenwood. It runs south from this county, through the center of Richland, and continues on to the base line on the east boundary of Grant and on the west boundary of Lafayette and Iowa counties. It extends north, from Vernon county, through the eastern part of Monroe, Jackson, Clark and other counties, until it strikes Lake Superior a short distance to the westward of the mouth of Montreal river.

Parallel lines to the fourth meridian were run every six miles, on the east and west sides of it. The intervening six miles between these lines are called ranges. Range 1 east, is the first six miles of territory east of the fourth meridian; range 2 east, is the second six miles; and so on, to Lake Michigan. However, on the west side of the fourth meridian, the ranges are numbered consecutively westward. Range 1 west, is the first six miles of territory west of that line; range 2 west, is the second six miles; and so on, to the Mississippi river. Therefore it is, that Vernon county lies in ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, and in range 1 east.

HOW VERNON COUNTY WAS SURVEYED.

Parallel lines north of the base line (the north boundary line of the State of Illinois) were run every six miles, which, crossing the ranges at right angles, cut the whole into blocks six miles square, called townships. These townships are numbered by tiers going north, from the base line; the first tier being known as township 1 north, the second tier, as township 2 north, and so on until the extreme north boundary of the State (not covered by water) is reached, which is of course the extreme north side of the most northern of the Apostle Islands in Bayfield county. Now, if we begin at the base line and count the tiers of townships until Vernon county is reached, we discover that we have numbered eleven of them. We find, therefore, that some

of the county is in the 11th tier; or, what is the same thing, in townships 11; but only the north half of townships 11, are in Vernon county, and these are in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, that is west of the fourth meridian. The next tier of townships are numbered 12, and except the one on the Mississippi, are all six miles square. They are in the same ranges as the townships numbered 11.

We now come to tier numbered 13. These townships are all, except the one on the Mississippi, six miles square. There are eight of them and they are in ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, and in range 1 east. Townships numbered 14, form the northern tier of Vernon county and, of course, they are the farthest from the base line. There are eight in this tier and all are whole townships except the one on the Mississippi. They, like the tier immedi ately south of them, are in ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west, and in range 1 east.

I

From what has been said, we see that townships 13 and 14, in range 1 east, are whole townships; that townships 13 and 14, in ranges 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 west, are also whole townships; and that townships 12, in ranges 3, 4, 5 and 6 west, are likewise complete; so that Vernon county contains eighteen congressional townships, that are each six miles square. Then, there are the half townships, numbered 11, in ranges 3, 4, 5 and 6 west, equal to two more whole ones; and the fractional townships numbered 11, 12, 13 and 14, in range 7, equal to over three townships more, making the whole territory in Vernon county comprehend over twentythree townships of six miles square, each, or more than 828 square miles, territory sufficient for two good sized counties.

After the several township lines were run, then each township was sub-divided into sections and quarter sections. As a section is a mile square, there is of course, in every whole town

In each whole section, there are 640 acres; and, when a section is divided into four parts, each quarter section contains 160 acres. It is usually in quarter sections that the land of the United States is disposed of; although, if desired, it will be divided into eighty acre tracts, or even forty acres.

CIVIL TOWNS AND SURVEYED TOWNSHIPS.

Only eleven of the towns of Vernon county contain each a surveyed township. These are Hillsborough, Greenwood, Forest, Union, Whitestown, Stark, Clinton, Webster, Christiana, Coon and Hamburg. Seven contain each more than what would form a whole township. These are Bergen, Harmony, Sterling, Jefferson, Franklin, Viroqua and Kickapoo. The towns of Genoa, Wheatland and Liberty, contain each less than a full township, of land.

The town of Hillsborough is organized of township 14, range 1 east; Greenwood, of township 13, range 1 east; Union, of township 13, range 1 west; Forest, township 14, range 1 west; Whitestown, township 14, range 2 west; Stark, township 13, range 2 west; Kickapoo, north half of township 11, range 3 west; the east onethird of the north half of township 11, range 4 west, the south third of township 12, range 3 west, and the south one-third of the east third

of township 12, range 4 west; Liberty north two-thirds of township 12, range 3 west; Webster, township 13, range 3 west; Clinton, township 14, range 3 west; Christiana, township 14, range west; Viroqua, township 13, range 4 west, the north third of township 12, same range, and the middle third of the east third of the same township and range; Franklin, the west two-thirds of the south two-thirds of township 12, range 4 west, west two-thirds of the north half of township 11, same range, east half of the north balf of township 11, range 5 west, and the south five-sixths of the east half of township 12, same range; Jefferson, township13, range 5 west, the north one-sixth of the east half township 12, same range, and the west half of the north half, same township and range; Coon, township 14, range 5 west; Hamburg, township 14, range 6 west; Harmony, township 12, range 6 west, and the north half of the north half of the east two-thirds of township 12, same range; Sterling, the west half of the north half of township 11, range 5 west, the east two-thirds of the north half of township 11, range 6 west, the west half of the south half of township 12, range 5 west, the east two-thirds of the south half, and the south half of the east two-thirds of the north half of township 12, range 6 west; Wheatland, the west one-third of township 11, range 6 west, the west one-third of the south third of township 12, same range, the fractional north half of township 11, range 7 west, and the fractional south two-thirds of township 12, same range; Genoa, the north two-thirds of the west twothirds of township 12, range 6 west, the fractional north two-thirds of township 12, range 7 west, and the fractional south half of township 13, same range, and Bergen, township 14, range 7 west, and the fractional south half of township 13, same range, also fractional sections 24 and 25, in township 14, range 8 west.

AREA OF EACH TOWNSHIP.

The number of acres in each of the whole, half and fractional townships, in Vernon county,

TOWNSHIP 13 north, range 2 west (Stark), was surveyed by A. L. Brown, who commenced his survey of this township Jan. 13, 1846, a d completed it Jan. 22, 1846. He was assisted by Alexander Anderson, Joel Higgins, chainmen, and J. Anderson, marker. Surveyor's notes: "This township has a good deal of bottom land on the Kickapoo river, some of which, particularly the second bottom or highest and farthest from the river, is very rich, with oak and elm timber, prickly ash and reed willow undergrowth; but some of the flats are too wet for cultivation.”

TOWNSHIP 14 north, range 2 west (Whitestown) was surveyed by Noah Philps, in the eleventh month of 1847, assisted by William Jones, David P. Hoyt, chainmen, and A.L. Cleveland, marker: “This township is very broken. Is valuable chiefly for its pines."

TOWNSHIP 11 north, range 3 west (central and southeastern part of Kickapoo) was surveyed by W. Barrows, who began this survey July 23, 1843, and finished August the same year. He was assisted by William Anderson and Edward Fitzpatrick, chainmen; also by William P. Easley, marker.

TOWNSHIP 12 north, range 3 west (Liberty and the sections 25-36, inclusive, of the town of Kickapoo as now organized), was surveyed by Samuel D. Dixon, who began this survey May 24, 1845, and finished it on June 4 of the same year. He was assisted by Napoleon Graham, B. C. Russell, chainmen, and James Bailey, Eli Derr, markers. Mr. Dixon says: "This township is composed of a succession of hills of almost every size and shape. The springs are inhabited by speckled trout of the finest quality."

TOWNSHIP 13 north, range 3 west (Webster) was surveyed by Samuel D. Dixon, assisted by Napoleon Graham, B. C. Russell, chainmen, and Eli Derr, James Bailey, markers. Notes: "Soil rolling and of first quality between the east and west forks of the Kickapoo river; the balance is mostly broken and hilly; soil light;

timber the same. The whole is well watered by springs and their branches. There are some valuable well sites on the Kickapoo."

TOWNSHIP 14 north, range 3 west (Clinton) was surveyed by Henry Maddin, United States Deputy Surveyor, who commenced Oct. 27, 1846, and completed Dec. 12, 1847; was assisted by Samuel M. Derr, George W. Lee, chainmen, and Christopher Jacobs, axeman.

TOWNSHIP 14 north, range 4 west (Christiana), was surveyed by Henry Maddin in the last month of 1846. He was assisted by Samuel M. Derry, George W. Lee, chainman, and Christopher Jacobs, marker.

TOWNSHIP 13 north, range 4 west (northern and central part of Viroqua), was surveyed by Samuel D Dixon, who commenced this survey June 30, 1845, and completed it July 10 of the same year. He was assisted by Napoleon Graham, James Bailey, chainmen, and B. C. Russell, Eli Derr, markers.

TOWNSHIP 12 north, range 4 west (sections 1–12, 13, 14, 23, 24, Viroqua; sections 15-22, 27-23, the northeastern part of Franklin.) This township was surveyed by Samuel D. Dixon in June; 1845. He was assisted by Napoleon Graham, Eli Derr, chainmen, and B. C. Russell, James Bailey, markers.

TOWNSHIP 11 north, range 4 west (sections 1, 2 and 11 to 14, are in the central and southern part of Kickapoo; sections 3-10, 15-18, the southeastern part of Franklin); was surveyed by Samuel C. Wiltse in August, 1843. was assisted by J. R. McLadin, M. T. Curtiss, chainmen, and E. D. Smith, markers.

He