The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-05-14

The death of Ars. Munson, whose maiden
name was Rachel Hall, naturally revives, among
the old settlers, many interesting "reminiscences
of the early days in this county, and particular
ly of the Black Hawk war in 1892, in which
Mrs. Munson bore soimemorable part, having,
with her sister. after being compelled to witness
the cruel massacre of her father, mother and
friends. been taken prisoner by the Indians, and
held by them for u time in captivity, during
which they endured no inconsiderable sufferings.
With the details of this massacre most of the
old settlers are doubtless familiar, and they need
to be recounted here but briefly; but of the in
cidents of the captivity of the two Lone girls no
authentic account, we believe, has hitherto been
published We deem the occasion, therefore, an
appropriate one to recount them somewhat in
detail
William Hall, the father of the subject of this
sketch, had removed to La Salle from Bureau
county, ILL.,. early in the spring of 1882, and
commenced opening = farm . mile or two nor III
of the present village of Harding. At various
times during the spring, as the noted Black
Hawk and his confederates were then on the war
path, alarms had been given in the settlement of
the approach of hostile Indians These alarms
were So frequent and 80 often proved groundless,
that the settlers began to grow needless OF them.
About the 18th of May, however. the rumors
grew more rife than ever, and the settlers gath
ering at the house Of Mr.. VIM. Davis, near the
mill dam north of Harding,) sent ont spies to
ascertain if there really were hostile savagos in
the vicinity. They returned without any tid-
ings, and on the morning of the Goth all resumed
their usual avocstions About 2 o'clock T.. NJ, of
that day, Hr. Hall, his eldest son, Mr.. Davis,
and Mr. Rober. Norris were at work in a black
smith shop near Mr.. Halls house two others of
Mr.. Halls sens, Mr.. Howard and son, two of
Mr.. Davis sons aud John III. Henderson were
half mile from the house breaking prairie
Henry George and VIM. DAVIS, jr, were at work
on the mill dam near by, while Mr. Pettigr.w
wife and three children; Mrs. Hall aud her
three daughters, Sylvia, aged Il; Rachel. aged
10, and Elizabeth, aged s, were in the house,
when suddenly band OF Indians emerged from
the woods and rushed to the door of the house.
Mr. Pettgrew, with child in his arms, rushed
to the door and tried to close i. but failed, being
shot and falling in the house Mrs. Pettigrew
victim, the fash from the gun being so close a.
to burn Rachel's face. One Of Pettigrew's
children was seized by an Indian by the feet and
its brains beaten out against stump; little
son of Mr. Davis was seized and held by two In
dams, while another shot him Mr.. Hall M
Il LII Ill IL
the rest, seeing there were some forty well arm
ed Indians in the band and that there was no
hope in resistance, made their escape.
Sylvia and Rachel Hall alone OF those in the
house were spared. They were seized each By
two stalwart savages and dragged across the
creek and hurried up the stream some distance
to a wigwam, where they were placed in charge
of some squaws and kept there all night the
warriors in the meantime pursuing their muir.
derous work among the settlers. During the
nigh. they returned, and in the morning, after Il
'hasty" breakfast they cleared a space OF ground
about 15 feet in circumference, placing pole in
the center and some 20 spears in circle around
it, and the top of the spears the scalps of their
victims, among which the girls recognized those
OF their own murdered parents and friends
Several hearts also adorned some of the spears
The two captives were placed near the center
pole, with one side of their faces painted red and
the other black Thus arranged, the warriors
commenced war dance around the circle, max
ing hideous noise and brandishing their spear.
menacingly at the poor girls, SO that they ex.
pected every moment to be impaled. The "per-
Torrance" lasted about half an hour, after which
the faces of the girls were washed, the encamp-
ment broken up, and the whole party started
Indian file in a northerly direction, the captives
squaws. The journey was kept up for four or
FIVE days without any incident of note, the girls
being separated while on the move, but allowed
to be together, under the guardianship of the
squaws, while at rest About the fifth day their
dresses were changed for those of young squaws,
Rachel's dress being red and white calico, ruff
fled around the bottom; and Sylvia's blue
calico. The girls refused to exchange their
shoes for moccasins, or to give up their combs.
On the 18th day, the Indians came to the tent
of the captives and their guardians, and took
Sylvia off to where the Indians appeared to have
held IL council, in which it was decided that Syl-
via should 20 with an old Indian, whom they
afterwards ascertained to be White Grow, the
chief Of the Winnebagos, and that Rachel should
remain where che was. Sylvia refused to 20 I'M
Grow made speech. seeming greatly excited, at