Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-15
MUsCATINE, IOWA: FRIDAY, JULY IS, 1853.

is hep 'Up there in the cabin, was the re-
ply. The stranger Immediately went ,up
into the cabin where he found Rolett.-
Walking up to him he said, your name, sir,
am informed, is ROlett-Rolett, of Prai-
rie' du Chien?' 'That is my name, SIR re.
piled he. 'Well, sir, do you see thatrock?'
pointing over the bow Of the boat. 'Yes,
was the reply. 'Well, that is Campbells
rock. Do you see that island on the oppo-
site side of that boat? that is Campbells
Island. Now, sir, do you see me? | am
John Campbell. Do you see that arm, how
worthless it is? am manned and crippled
for life, and you are the author of it all.
You instigated old Blaekhawk and his
bloody savages to waylay me here; they
were concealed there among the willows on
that island; our boat drifted down upon
the rock; more than half my men were Ell
ther killed or wounded; ! was shot all to
pieces, as you see ma now, and you were
the instigator of the whole scheme-you
bloody, treacherous, black-hearted old
scoundrel-you instigated the sayages to
murder me and my men. Now, you must
DO one of two things; either leap upon that
rock, and run your chances of being
drowned or swimming to that Island, or |
viii cut your throat from ear to ear. Take
your choice Upon that he drew knife,
and made blow at him, just grazing his
neck. Role!t, seeing there was no trlding
with such o man, made q leap from the
stern of the boat into the water, and finally
reached the island, but not without the
greatest difficulty, ana at the imminent baz
ard of drowning. The boat pursued her
way, leaving the half drown I'd and dripping
Rolett to manage as best he could to reach
the main land. That rock and island have
ever since been known as ''Campbell'S Rock
aud Island.' The latter, however, Is some
times called s.R0lett's Leap, in commemo-
ration OF the exploit of the frightened In
dian trader. Most travellers upon the up
per Mississippi are acquainted with the
name and location of this rock and is
land, but few are aware of the origin or
history Of those names, or the bloody ira
gedy there perpetrated. Campbell, Black
hawk, ,Rolett, and all engaged in that bloody
fray, whether savage or civilized, have all or
most of them, passed away, but the locality
and the name remain as lasting chroniclers
of one of those bloody and thrilling scenes
with which the early history Of this valley
abounds.
By stratagem and cunning, Blackhawk
succeeded in defeating the most powerful
armament of the white man that had ever
aoated upou the ''Great Riae.." But he
was destined, in more peaceful times, to be
driven from his much loved home wan
derer and exile in the wilderness, by the
irresistible tide of the same race over whom
he had won hisproudest victory. For great
and glorious it was, and the tribe even now
look back to that event with something of
the same feelings of pride and exultation,
with which we recount the scenes of Bun
ker Hill and Yorktown, as one of the
greatest and most glorious achievements of
their race. War songs, celebrating TIE
event, are sung at all their dances, and the
youthful warrior is stimulated and exhorted
to emulate the bravery and heroism Of his
ancestors, on that day so great and glori-
Gus in the annals Of his race and country.
S,