the hands of the commissary, the enemy might be weeks in advance; the volunteers were fast melting away, but the regular infantry had not lost a man. To counteract these difficulties, Gen. Atkinson found it necessary to disperse his command, for the purpose of procuring supplies.

CHAPTER V.

Gen. Posey marches to Fort Hamilton-Generals Henry and Alexander, and Major Dodge, to Fort Winnebago-Gen. Atkinson remained behind to build a fort-Description of the country and the rivers at Fort Winnebago-Gen. Henry informed as to the position of Black Hawk-Council of war-Agreement to violate orders and march after the Indians-Alexander's men refuse to march-Dodge's horses broke down-Arrival of Craig's company-Protest of officers and signs of mutiny-Put down by Gen. Henry-His character as a military man-March for Rock river-Description of Rock river-March for Cranberry lake-Express to Gen. Atkinson-Discovery of the retreat of Black Hawk to the Wisconsin-Confession of the Winnebagoes-March for the Wisconsin-Thunder storm-Privations of the men-Arrival at the four lakes-False alarm-Description of the four lakes-Gen. Ewing and the spies--Maj. Dodge-Ardour of the men-Come close upon the Indians-Battle of the Wisconsin heights-Defeat of the Indians-Their retreat across the river-Reasons why Gen. Henry and the Illinois volunteers never received credit abroad for what they deserved-Gen. Henry's death-His singular modesty-Return of the troops to the Blue mounds-Bad treatment of Henry and his brigade by Gen. Atkinson-Gen. Atkinson pursues the Indians across the Wisconsin-Order of march-Henry's men put in charge of the baggage-They resent but submit-Gen. Atkinson in front decoyed by the Indians-Drawn off on a false scent-Henry advances on the main trail-Comes upon the main body of the Indians and again defeats them before Gen. Atkinson arrived with the rest of the army-Retreat of Black Hawk Indians-Sent in pursuit of him-The one-eyed Decori-Capture of Black Hawk and the Prophet-Description of the Prophet-Indian speeches-Gen. Scott-Discharge of the volunteers-Treaty of peace-Black Hawk and other prisoners taken to Washington-Makes the tour of the Union, and are returned to their own country, west of the Mississippi.

ACCORDING to previous arrangements, the several brigades took up their lines of march on the 10th of July, for their respective destinations. Col. Ewing's regiment was sent back to Dixon as an escort for Captain Dunn, who was supposed to be mortally wounded; Gen. Posey marched to Fort Hamilton on the Peckatonica, as a guard to the frontier country. Henry, Alexander and Dodge, with their commands, were sent to Fort Winnebago, situate at the Portage, between the Fox and the Wisconsin rivers; whilst Gen. Atkinson himself, fell back with

the regular forces near to Lake Kush-Konong, and erected a fort, which he called by the name of the lake. There he was to remain until the volunteer generals could return with supplies. Henry and Alexander made Fort Winnebago in three days, Major Dodge having preceded them a few hours by a forced. march, which so fatigued and crippled his horses, that many of them were unable to continue the campaign. Their route had been in a direct line, a distance of eighty miles, through a country which was remarkably swampy and difficult. On the night of the 12th of July, a stampede occurred amongst the horses. This is a general wild alarm, the whole body of them breaking loose from their fastenings, and coursing over the prairie at full speed, their feet all striking the ground with force and sounding like rolling thunder, and by this means an hundred or more of them were lost or destroyed in the swamps, or on a log causeway, three miles in length, near the fort.

A view of the country from the camp at Fort Winnebago, presented the most striking contrariety of features. Looking towards the fort, a neat and beautiful erection among the green hills east of Fox river, were seen the two streams, the Fox and the Wisconsin, with sources several hundred miles apart, the former in the east, the latter in the north, gliding as if to mingle their waters, until, when within three miles of each other they sweep, the one to the northeast, the other to the southwest, as if they had met only to take a gallant adieu before parting in their adventurous journey, the one to deposite his sweet and limpid waters in the gulf of St. Lawrence, the other to contribute his stained and bitter flood to the gulf of Mexico. The course of the Fox is short, crooked, narrow and deep, and abounds with the finest varieties of fish; whilst the Wisconsin is long, wide, and comparatively straight, and is said to have no fish; this, perhaps, is owing to its passage through the cypress swamps which render it unwholesome to the finny tribes, and is also the cause of the discoloration of its waters. This river

is shallow, and abounds in sand bars, which, by constant shifting renders its navigation by steamboats, dangerous, if not impracti cable. Besides the rivers, the face of the country is no less remarkable. The strip of land between the two rivers is low, flat, and swampy, with no other growth but a coarse variety of rush, and at high-water so completely overflowed by the two streams as to convert all that part of the United States east of the Mississippi into a great island; a wisp of straw being thrown into the flood where the two currents meet, will be divided, and one portion floated to the northern, the other to the southern sea. East of Fox river, the land is gently undulating, presenting an equable distribution of prairie of the richest mould, and timber of the finest growth, unobstructed by underbrush, and furnishing an abundance of a plant called pea-vine, an excellent food for cattle. West of the Wisconsin, at the water's edge, commence those frowning steps of rugged and barren rock, garnished with black and bristling pines and hemlock, which, as the hunter progresses towards the Mississippi, he finds to terminate in a region mountainous, dreary, terrific, and truly alpine in all its features.

Two days were occupied at the fort in getting provisions; on the last of which the Winnebago chiefs there reported that Black Hawk and his forces were encamped at the Manitou village, thirty-five miles above Gen. Atkinson, on Rock river. In a council held between Alexander, Henry, and Dodge, it was determined to violate orders, by marching directly to the enemy, with the hope of taking him by surprise; or at least putting him between them and Gen. Atkinson; thus cutting off his further retreat to the north. Twelve o'clock on the 15th, was appointed as the hour to march. Gen. Henry proceeded at once to reorganize his brigade, with a view to disencumber himself of his sick and dismounted men, that as little as possible might impede the celerity of his march. Gen. Alexander soon announced that his men were unwilling, and had refused

to follow; and Major Dodge reported his horses so much disabled by their late march, that he could not muster a force worth taking along. Gen. Henry was justly indignant at the insubordination and defection of his companions in arms, and announced his purpose to march in pursuit of the enemy alone, if he could prevail upon but fifty men to follow him. But directly after this, a company of mounted volunteers, under the command of Capt. Craig, from Apple river and Galena, in Illinois, with fresh horses, arrived at Fort Winnebago to join Major Dodge's battalion, which now made his force of men and horses fit for service, one hundred and twenty in the whole. General Henry's brigade, exclusive of Dodge's battalion, amounted to between five and six hundred men, but not more than four hundred and fifty had horses fit for service. On returning to his own brigade, Gen. Henry discovered that his own men, infected by association with those of Gen. Alexander, were on the point of open mutiny.

Lieutenant-colonel Jeremiah Smith, of Fry's regiment, presented to Gen. Henry a written protest, signed by all the officers of the regiment, except the colonel, against the intended expedition; but these mutineers had to deal with an officer of rare abilities as a commander of militia. General Henry was a complete soldier; he was gifted with the uncommon talent of commanding with sternness, without giving offence; of forcing his men to obey, without degrading them in their own estimation; he was brave without rashness, and gave his orders with firmness and authority, without any appearance of bluster. In his mere person he looked the commander; in a word, he was one of those very rare men, who are gifted by nature with the power to command militia; to be at the same time feared and loved: and with the capacity of inspiring the soldiery with the ardor, impetuosity, and honorable impulses of their com mander. General Henry made no other reply to this protest than to order the officers under arrest for mutiny; appointing