The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-06-27
Death Of Ex-senator Dodge.

The death OF Henry Dodge, pioneer
settler Of Wisconsin, its first territorial
Goyernor, and United States Senator
from lS49 till 1857, is announced. Gov.
Dodge died at the residence of his son.
Augustus Caesar Dodge. at Burlington,
Iowa, on the evening of the 10th inst,
at the advanced age ofeighty-fve.
Some outline of the career of man so
prominent in the early history of our
state Is appropriate in connection with
the announcement of his death. We
have only had time to prepare very
brief and imperfect biographical sketch
Henry Dodge was born at Vincennes,
Indiana, Oct. 18th. 1882 At an early
age he emigrated to Missouri, then
part OF Louisiana We find mention of
him as early as 1908 as sheriff Of St
Genevleve county in that state. In 1912
he was chosen captain of mounted rifle
company and served several months In
September of that year he was appointed
major IN the Louisiana territorial militia.
He continued in the service through the
war TIL October, 1874, rising to the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel During that
year he commanded an expedition up the
Missouri river to obtain information re-
spectlng the condition and number of the
Indian tribes of the west. In 1927. Col
Dodge settled in this state. then part of
the territory of Michigan. He engaged
in lead mining near Dodgevile, which
place received its name from the circum-
stance. 1t is said that he erected the
first smelling furnace built in the mining
districts of Wisconsin. Upon the break
ing out of the Black Hawk war, in 1882,
Col. Dodge was given the command of
the Michigan Iowa county, Mounted
Volunteers, and became the hero Of the
campaign In which that troublesome
chief was suppressed. The battle (so-
called OF the Peckatonica was the turn
ing point of the campaign. The record
states that IN this engagement che at
tackled thirteen Indians and killed them
all. Thus the field of Peckatonica
seems to have been a sort of red men S
1herlnopyl2, whence not even one fled
to bear the tidings of disaster The bat
tie, IN early times, was spoken of as an
affair OF some magnitude. Events of re
cent years have considerably dwarted it
In the popular estimation. Subsequent
ly he was Instrumental in running down
Black Hawk and his band and securing
their capture. He was appointed Major
OF the U. ). Rangers in June, 1882, aud
Colonel OF the lst Dragons on the 4th of
March, 1888. This position he resigned
on the organization OF the territory of
Wisconsin IN 1886, having been appoint
ed dovernor OF the territory, and Super
lntendent of Indian affairs These
positions he held until IS4l, when
he was superseded by Governor
Doty. During the later year he was
elected dclegate to Congress and re-elec-
ted IN 1913. On the accession OF Presi-
de.l1 Polk, Col. Dodge was re-appointed
IerrItoTiai Uoterloi, and contiuued to act
IN that capacity until the organization Of
tho state, in lS4S In June, lS4S, he
was elected Ulited States Senator, and
reelected for a full term in 1851 Upon
the expiration Of his term in 1857, the
Republicans having come into power, and
the intirmlties of old age having begun
seriously to impair his activity, Gov
Dodge retired from active, life, and, after
spending some years at his residence
near Dodgevilie, went to Iowa, where, for
some time past. he has lived with his son.
During the territorial period, Gov
Dodge was the leading public man of the
State. Without early educational ad-
vantages, he possessed mind of consid-
cradle vigor and sagacity. He had 30
gift of oratory, and no facility with the
pen; he could not make speech, and
we suspect his orthography was deficient;
but what he lacked in these respects he
more than made up by stately military
manner, and an impressive personality.
Owe, six feet in height, he was in his
pri.ne, one of the finest looking men in
the country When age had whitened
his locks and scanned his face, his form
remained erect, and he preserved his
stately posse, SO that during his last years
in the Senate he was one of the most no
ticeable figures in that body. He was
irascible, naughty, and self willed "a sort
of second Andrew johnson, of whom he
was political disciple, and, under favor
ing circumstances he might have achiev-
ed character in history somewhat simi-
lar to that of his political master. As it
is he will always be the foremost person
age in the early history of Wisconsin,
lMa6ison Journal.