Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-08
Black Hawk Times.

A Correspondent writing to the
Chicago Times from Jefferson Bar
racks Missouri, under date of Jan.
Goth, recalls many events and scenes
connected with the Black Hawk
war. The recital of the history of
those memorable days is always
interesting, although few of the men
who made that history, remain to
write it. After giving an account of
the building of the barracks at St.
Louis, in 1926 and '27, the cores
pendent of The Times says:
The Black Hawk War occurred
in 1882, when most of the troops
that were at the barracks were sent
in pursuit of that noted chieftain.
The Indians moved away slowly,
with a large body Of Illinois militia
following, and several skirmishes
took place. These were the fight
at Sycamore Creek, on the 14th of
May; the attack on the Pecatonica,
June Is; at Kellogg's Grove, June 16;
at Galena, June Is; at Kellogg's
Grove again on the oath of June;
at the Blue Mounds, July 81; the
defense of the steamer Warrior,
Aug. 1, and finally the battle of Bad
Axe, where the power of the Sacs
and Foxes was broken on the I'd of
August. AT the latter engagement
pretty much all of the Indians were
present and many prisoners were
taken, Black Hawk himself surren-
dering on the 9th, and a short time
afterward he was sent to the bar
racks as prisoner, and detained
some time. He was very indignant
at being kept in this way, and made
his complaints known 10 Gen. At
kinson. In the spring of 1888 he
made a trip to the Eastern states,
where he was well received and be-
came quite lion. This suited the
old chief very well, indeed as he
was particularly strong minded, and
some time subsequently, having
been set at liberty in Iowa he sank
into obscurity and died.
The year after the close Of the
Indian disturbances the 1st regiment
of dragons, now known as the lst
regiment Of cavalry, was formed at
this post. Henry Dodge, who had
been a great Indian fighter, and was
at that time in command Of a bat
tallion of United States mounted
rangers, was commissioned as colon
ell. He was an excellent man, but
not exactly the one to place in
charge of regular regiment, and
serving Us colonel until 1886, re-
inquished it upon being appointed
governor of Wisconsin territory.
He was afterward a United States
senator from Wisconsin, and weld
ed great deal of influence. Lieut..
Col. Stephen Watts Kearney then
became colonel of the regiment, and
brought it to high state of disci-
pline. For many years it served in
the far west and participated in
many skirmishes and battles with
the red men. Washington Irving
accompanied the rangers, before
they were merged into dragons, on
long scout in the red mems coun-
try, and has detailed his experience
at that time in his work called q
" Tour on the Prairies." He visited
the Usage Indian lands, and was
charmed with the new and strange
life he found in the wide west. Mr..
Catlin, the painter, accompanied the
regiment to the great Comache vii
lage some time after this, and made
many protraits of famous Indians.
There were several noted charac-
tiers in the old first dragons, about
whom many anecdotes were told.
Gen. Scott visited the west during
the time Of the Black Hawk troubles,
and, meeting one of the captains Of