verdant lawn of civilized life, and would almost induce the traveler to imagine himself in the center of a highly cultivated plantation. The timber of this division is generally birch, elm and cottonwood, all the cliffs being bordered by cedar."

After the expedition of Maj. Pike, voyages up the river soon became common and the published naratives of them are numerous; but nothing is elicited in such as have been examined that is of particular importance not elsewhere given in this history.

During the winter of 1825-6, there were confined in the guard house of Fort Crawford, at Prairie du Chien, because of some alleged dishonest act, two Winnebago Indians. In October, 1826, the fort was abandoned and the garrison removed to Fort Snelling. The commandant took with him the two Winnebagoes. During the spring of 1827, the reports about the two Indians, around Prairie du Chien, was to the effect that they had been killed. It was soon apparent that a spirit of enmity between the tribe and the settlers in southwestern Wisconsin was effectually stirred up. In addition to this, were the daily encroachments of miners in the lead region; for these miners had, by this time, overrun the mining country from Galena to the Wisconsin river. Finally the difficulties. led to an open rupture.

MURDER OF GAGNIER AND LIPCAP.

On the 28th of June, 1827, two Winnebago Indians, Red Bird and We-Kaw and three of their companions, entered the house of Rigeste Gagnier, about two miles from Prairie du Chien, where they remained several hours. At last, when Mr. Gagnier least expected it, Red Bird leveled his gun and shot him dead on his hearthstone. A person in the building by the name of Lipcap, who was a hired man, was slain at the same time by We-Kaw. Madame Gagnier turned to fly with her infant of eigh

teen months. As she was about to leap through the window, the child was torn from her arms by We-Kaw, stabbed, scalped and thrown violently on the floor as dead. The murderer then attacked the woman, but gave way when she snatched up a gun that was leaning against the wall, and presented it to his breast. She then effected her escape. Her eldest son, a lad of ten years, also shunned the murderers, and they both arrived in the village at the same time. The alarm was soon given; but, when the avengers of blood arrived at Gagnier's house, they found in it nothing living but his mangled infant. It was carried to the village, and, incredible as it may seem, it recovered.

A WINNEBAGO DEBAUCH.

Red Bird and his companions immediately proceeded from the scene of their crime to the rendezvous of their band. During their absence, thirty-seven of the warriors who acknowledged the authority of Red Bird, had assembled with their wives and children, near the mouth of the Bad Ax river in what is now Vernon county. They received the murderers with joy and loud approbations of their exploit. A keg of liquor which they had secured was set abroach, and the Indians began to drink and as their spirits rose, to boast of what they had already done and intended to do. They continued their revel for two days, but on the third the

source of their excitement gave out their liquor was gone. They were, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, dissipating the last fumes of their excitement in the scalp-dance, when they descried one of the keel-boats, which had a few days before passed up the river with provisions for the troops at Fort Snelling, on her return, in charge of Mr. Lindsay. Forth with, a proposal to take her and massacre the crew was made and carried by acclamation. They counted on doing this without risk, for they had examined her on her way up and supposed there were no arms on board. But in this they were mistaken as the sequel shows.

FIRST BATTLE OF BAD AX.

There were indications of hostilities on the part of the Sioux on the upper Mississippi, and the boats when they left Fort Snelling had been supplied with arms. In descending the river they expected an attack at Wabashaw, where the Sioux were dancing the war dance, and hailed their approach with insults and menaces, but did not offer to attack the boats, or obstruct their passage. The whites now supposed the danger over, and, a strong wind at that moment beginning to blow up stream, the boats parted company. So strong was the wind that all the force of the sweeps could scarcely stem it; and by the time the foremost boat was near the encampment, at the mouth of the Bad Ax, the crew were very willing to stop and rest. One One or two Frenchmen, or half-breeds, who were on board observed hostile appearances on shore, and advised the rest to keep the middle of the stream with the boat, but their counsel was disregarded. They urged the boat directly toward the camp with all the force of the sweeps. There were sixteen men on deck.

The men were rallying their French companions on their apprehensions, as the boat approached the shore; but when within thirty yards of the bank, suddenly the trees and rocks rang with the blood-chilling, ear-piercing tones of the war-whoop,and a volley of rifle balls rained upon the deck. Happily, the Winnebagoes had

not yet recovered from the effects of their debauch, and their arms were not steady. One man only fell. He was a little negro named Peter. His leg was dreadfully shattered, and he afterward died of the wound. A second volley soon came from the shore; but, as the men were lying at the bottom of the boat, they all escaped but one, who was shot through the heart. Encouraged by the non-resistance, the Winnebagoes rushed to their canoes with intent to board. The boatmen having recovered from their first panic, seized their guns and the savages were received with a severe discharge. In one canoe two savages were killed with the same bullet and several wounded. The attack was continued until night, when one of the party named Mandeville, who had assumed command, sprang into the water, followed by four others, who succeeded in setting the boat afloat, and then went down the stream.

Thirty-seven Indians were engaged in this attack, which may be called the first "Battle of Bad Ax;" the second being fought just below this point, five years after, between the Americans and Indians of another tribe, of which an account will be given in the next chapter. Of the Winnebagoes seven were killed and fourteen wounded. They managed to put 693 shots into and through the boat. Two of the crew were killed outright, and four wounded-two mortally. The presence of mind of Mandeville undoubtedly saved the rest, as well as the boat. Mr. Lindsay's boat, the rear one, did not reach the mouth of the Bad Ax until midnight. The Indians opened fire upon her, which was promptly returned. Owing to the darkness no injury was done to the boat, and she passed safely on. Considering the few that were engaged in the attack on the first boat and in its defense, the contest was indeed a spirited and sanguinary one.

GREAT ALARM UPON THE BORDER. Great was the alarm at Prairie du Chien when the boats arrived there. The people left

ration, promised that he would not leave the bounds prescribed, and said if he had a hundred lives, he would sooner lose them all than forfeit his word. He was then set at liberty. He was advised to flee to the wilderness and make his escape. "Do you think," said he, "I prize life above honor?" He then complacently remained until nine days of the ten which he had

to live had passed, and still nothing was heard of the murderers or of their being apprehended. No alteration could be seen in the countenance of the chief. It so happened that on that day Gen. Atkinson arrived with his troops from Jefferson Barracks, and the order for the execution was countermanded and the Indians permitted to return to their homes.

To the people of Vernon county the brief contest between a portion of the Sac and Fox Indians and the Americans,in 1832,known from the name of the leader of the savages as the Black Hawk War, promises more than usual interest, for the reason that, within the limits of the county, as at present constituted, occurred one of the principal incidents of the war. In the outline history of Wisconsin, previously given, a brief sketch of the hostile movements of both parties en gaged in the work of death, will be found; but, at this point, it is proposed to enter more into detail, especially to relate somewhat copiously, what transpired after the belligerents entered the bounds of this county.

Black Hawk's return from the west side of the Mississippi, and his moving up Rock river, caused the mustering into the service of the United States, in Illinois, of about 800 volun teers, who were sent in pursuit. Gen. H. Atkinson, brevet brigadier general in the United States Army, followed the militia with his regulars, but at too great a distance to afford support. On the 12th of May the volunteers reached Dixon's ferry, where they were joined by 275 men from the northern counties of the State. The latter force, however, were immediately sent out on scouting duty. But the two

battalions still moved along together until Stillman's run was reached; the creek then being known as Kishwaukee, about thirty miles. above the ferry.

BATTLE OF STILLMAN'S RUN.

This was

Black Hawk now made advances for peace, but two of his messengers being killed, the negotiations were broken off. That chief at this time had but forty men under his immediate command, most of his party being some ten miles away; nevertheless, with his handful of warriors, he started back to meet his pursuers. Raising the war whoop, he rushed in upon the volunteers, and scattered them in every direction. The fugitives, in their flight, did not stop until the ferry was reached. afterward known as "the battle of Stillman's Run," of May 14, 1832. The governor of Illinois issued a proclamation immediately after, calling for an additional force of 2,000 mounted volunteers. These incidents caused throughout the west the greatest alarm. The loss of the Indians in this, the first "battle" of the "war,” was none. Of the volunteers, one major, one captain and nine of the rank and file, were killed, and five men wounded.

On the 17th of May, Gen Atkinson reached Dixon's ferry with his regulars and a supply of

provisions; and on the 19th, with 2,400 men, advanced up Rock river. On the 27th and 28th of the month, the volunteers were disbanded by the governor, leaving the defense of the frontiers in the hands of the regular troops and a few citizens who had volunteered temporarily. Meanwhile, the savages were waging war in earnest against the exposed settlements. Their war parties were scattered from Chicago to Galena; from the Rock river to the lead mines. It was a warfare in regular Indian style; there was success first on one side, then on the other; until on the 24th of June, Black Hawk made an unsuccessful attack on Apple River Fort, near the present village of Elizabeth, Ill. Meanwhile the volunteers called out by the governor of Illinois were assembling and ordered to rendezvous at Dixon's ferry, where they were mustered into the service of the United States and formed into three brigades. The contest now began to assume somewhat the appearance of regular war. But, before we proceed to narrate the aggressive movements of the Americans up the Rock river valley in pursuit of Black Hawk and his band, it is proper to more particularly describe the incidents which occurred in various localities where the savages carried on their depredations previously.

In the night of the 17th of June a volunteer company encamped near Burr Oak Grove, thirty-five miles east of Galena, was fired on by the enemy. The next morning he started in pursuit of the savages, and succeeded in killing all of them-four in number-with the loss on his part of only one man. However, later in the day he was attacked by the Indians in considerable force, losing two killed and one wounded; but he beat off the assailants and killed their leader.

BATTLE OF PECATONICA.

On the 14th of June a party of men were attacked in a cornfield near the mouth of Spofford's creek, and five killed. Two days after Col. Henry Dodge, with twenty-eight men, struck the trail of the savages, overtaking them

on the bank of the Pecatonica in what is now Lafayette Co., Wis. The savages numbered seventeen, and all were killed. Dodge's loss was three killed. This was, all things considered, the most spirited and effective fighting done during "the war." Capt. James W. Stephenson, at the head of the Galena volunteers, being on the lookout for Indians near the head of Yellow creek, lost three of his men, and was obliged to retreat. This ended what may be called the irregular fighting of the campaign. We now return to Rock river, up the valley of which Black Hawk and his force had moved and the Americans just commencing pursuit.

THE PURSUIT OF BLACK HAWK.

A battalion of spies was the first body ordered forward. They reached Kellogg's grove, and were informed on the morning of the 25th of June that a heavy trail was to be seen of the enemy not far away. Twenty-five men went out to reconnoiter, and were defeated, leaving five killed and three wounded, though the enemy's loss is said to have been nine killed. The enemy now retired up the river in the direction of Lake Koshkonong, in Wisconsin; and the fighting in Illinois was ended. The first halt made by Black Hawk was at what was afterward known as "Black Hawk Grove," just outside of the present city of Janesville, Rock Co., Wis., where his forces remained some time in camp. It must not be understood that they were now at their former homes. This was not the case. It was not then the country claimed by the Sacs, but by the Rock River Winnebagoes.

Gen. Atkinson having arrived at the mouth of the Pecatonica, in pursuit of the savages, and hearing that the Sac chief was further up Rock river, determined to follow him, with the intention of deciding the campaign by a general battle if possible. Black Hawk, judging of his intentions from the report of his spies, broke up his camp and retreated still further up the river, to the foot of Lake Koshkonong, where