Page 188 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

184 WISCONSIN IIISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
the troublesonie Indians. Maj. STILLMAN, with an advanced
corps, pursued up Rock River. BLACK HAWK heard of the
advance of the whites, and sent two young Indians 'vith a
white flag to ascertain the cause of so many men approaching
in hostile array. STILLMAN'S defeat soon followed, and thus
commenced the Black Hawk war.
BLACK HAWK soon broke up his camp, and aent up Rock
River as far as Lake Koshkonong, and selected his head-
quarters on an island* in the Lake. Gen. ATKINSON marched
up Rock River to a point opposite of BLACK I~AWK'B
camp,
and commenced to build a fort, when BLACK HAWK, with his
warriors, women and children left, leaving about twenty young
men at the Indian camp as a rear guard to watch the move-
ments of the whites. They remained some time, until the
main body had had sufficient tirue to get out of the way of
their pursuers; when the young warriors also decamped.
BLACK HAXK directed his course westerly, passing through
where Madison, the capital of U'isconsin, is now located,
encamped two miles west of the Fourth Lake. Gens. DODGE
and HENRY were in hot pursuit, and near the locality of
SLAUGHTER'G farm, on the west bank of Fourth Lake, they
came across the Indian trail, and followed it some two miles,
when they came to an Indian camping-place, with fresh signs.
The whites renewed the pursuit, and near the Wisconsin they
discovered a number of Indians in a grove a short distance
east or south of the river. With scarcely a show of resist-
ance, the Indians fled. The Americans had no means of
crossing the river in pursuit of the Indians; and had to
-
proceed down the river some sixty miles before they could
cross. BLACK HAWK, with his retreating followers, had pup-
sued a westerly course, and struck the Mississippi near the
mouth of the Bad Ax River; and the old chief, with sixteen

* There is no nuthority to corroborate this, and it is probably a mistake.
Col. D. M. PARKINSON, in his Nnrrativo in the 2d vol. of the Wis. Hivt Coll.
p. 351. describes a well-chosen cnmp of BLACK HAWK, on Rock River, nwr
Lake Koshkonong; and this is probably the one to which Col. CIIILDS refers.
L. C. D.