The San Francisco call., 1897-02-14

driving herds of cattle and horses before
him. He was accompanied by the slaves
he had inherited from his father. He
promised them that he would set them
free after their safe arrival in the new Ell
Dorado they sought, and in addition
would give each negro forty acres of land,
yoke of oxen and horse. This promise
he kept, and in the dark days OF Indian
warfare that followed these negroes, in
the absence of the white men, stood alone
the barriers between the savages and the
women and children OF the whites.
While the women and children OF the
expedition were in constant apprehension
during the early stages of the journey OF
attacks from Indians and torture and hor-
rible death at the hands of the savages, it
was not until they reached the site of the
present city of Rock Island that their
liyeliest fears of being butchered by the
redskins were excited. This was favor
ite trysting ground of the big chiefs of the
Sacs the Foxes and at times of the Win
nebagos. Mrs. Truett rene III bers the ar
rival of herself and her iather's family,
and their fellow-yoyagers at this place in
1877. Black Hawk was there, and she re-
members having seen him. She saw him
thereafter, when she was older and had a
greater acquaintance with the Indians,
and talked 10 him in the innocent fear of
childhood.
This place of 1.-THE gathering OF the
chiefs" was the largest Indian town in the
Northwest then, and on the day of the ar
rival there of the party of pioneers, of
which the present Mrs. Selma Dodge
Iruett was very young member, there
were gathered there such braves as Black
Hawk, Keokuk, Poweshick. WapeIlo and
Mahaska. These chiefs and their follow
ers were all decked in their gayest and
Raudiest attire and wore their brightest
war paints. The effect upon the women
and children OF the company can well be
imagined; but they were all of hardy pio-
neer stock and bravely pursued their
journey.
The company of pioneers arrived in
Oalena, ILL.,, on the Fourth of July, 1927,
to hnd the people of the town in the throes
OF an Indian alarm. The Winnebagos
were upon the warpath and had commit
ted some murders few days previous in
the vicinity OF Prairie du Chen. The
savages had fir upon keelboats in the
river and killed their OCCUPANTS and were
tnen threatening 10 eIterminate all the
miners and settlers in the Territory. From
that time on until several years afterward
Selma Dodge knew all the terrors OF In
dian warfare. For weeks at a time she
and other members of her family were
surrounded by howling, often drunken
and crazy, savages. Their lives were I'm.
periled, and at times fate worse than
death at the hands OF the Indians con.
fronted them.
Upon his arrival at Galena Henry
Dodge, because of his valor in the War of
1912, was asked to take command of an
armed force to be raised to defend the
mining district. He accepted the COM
mand and moved his family to a place
that became known as Dodgeville, forty
five miles northeast of Galena.
At Dodgeville Mrs. Truett as a child
passed through scenes and incidents that
made the stoutest hearts quail. 'Our
home there" she said to the writer, twas
in small blockhouse, whose walls were
pierced with loopholes and which was
surrounded with stockade made of logs,
with heavily barred gates, which were
kept always locked. During the time my
father was away on his campaign against