Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-11-20
Visit to Battle Field
Of Wisconsin Heights
Little Journey to Scene Of Bitter Fight July Il, 1892
Not Well Known In Immediate Neghborhood
BY H. E. Cole

Cole 3
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made, and both whites and Indians
shot at each other abreast. The
aborigines could not stand against
this and ran.
Night came on and when morning
broke the Indians had escaped into
what is now Sank county by cross
ing the Wisconsin river. The one
soldier killed, John Short, was buried
on knoll, and the day was spent in
getting the wounded ready to be TAX
en- to the fort at Blue Mounds.
Part of the Indians went down the
Wisconsin river and were fired upon
by other soldiers near the mouth Of
the river. Black Hawk continued to
the mouth of the Bad Axe and was
utterly routed in trying to get across
the river.
Mr.. Taylor's father, Richard Taylor
was born in England in 1919. came
to Sank Prairie in August of that
year. His brother, Henry Taylor could
see no joy on the prairie and re-
turned to Milwaukee. After five
years on the prairie, in the pinery,
and on river RATS, Richard Taylor
entered the farm in Roxbury now
owned by the son. The father died
in 1911.
After locating on the farm the
father found gun and saddle on
the battlefield. These have disap-
peared, probobly destroyed when the
farm home burned some years ago.
When Mr.. Taylor was youth g
soldier camel back to see the site
where the battle took pace. He Wis
tied at the Taylor home and the. boy
went with the soldier and his father
over the ground, the solder telling
how it happened. The name Of the
warrior he has forgotten nut distinct
~ remembers much of the converse
ton. The grave of John Short was
visited, distinctly to De seen then.
Now the ground is level and its ap-
proximate location only is known. It
is not more than ten rods from the
Sank City-Mazomanie road, a bridge
in the highway over the stream max
ing it easy to find.
* s. *
Near the eastern extremity of the
knoll where John Short sleeps, Mary
Hackett, a girl of sixteen, lies buried.
Mr.. Taylor says a romance in her
life was shattered by members Of the
family and that interment was made
in this quite spot. The land is now
owned by NJ and George Hormung,
address MaZomanie.
Mr.. Taylor knew Count Harasty
who bought the site of Sank City
from Berry Haney. Mr.. Taylor re-
calls when the Count was married
and when the noise was most deaf
ening the Hungarian came out and
said: BE Cad, boys, make all the
noise you want to but destroy no
property"
On a farm near to Mr.. Taylor lived
Mr.. and Mrs. T. NJ. Warren and on
this farm son and daughter were
born. He also knew Marcus Warren
who had store at Sank City and
who died leaving fortune of more
than 100000 a large sum in those
days.
The battle-ground may easily be
reached by stopping the car on the
Mazomanie road about a mile from
Sank City. A bridge over stream just
south of crossroad marks the place
to alight The historic spot is just to
the left ten rods or more, the stream
below and the wooded knoll above
A few rods to the south is a fine
group of five linear mounds but these
have nothing to do with the battle.
Wisconsin Heights may be seen
from the paved road extending be-
tween Sank City and the Roxbury
church, the point or vantage being
from stone school house near bend
in the highway.
The battle was fought at evening
and the day was drawing to a close
as we left the historic spot. 1t was
such place as a wh;ppoorwill might
sing all night in the summer time.
Here across the low land toward the
Wisconsin, toward Ferry bluff in the
distance, fled vanquished band It
was the beginning of the downfall OF
a proud, naughty, revengeful, chief
His people had been wronged, he COM
mitted wrong, now he was reaping
the whirlwind. It was day of red
blood for him for he lost many, more
dying as they fled across the rough
country toward Bad Axe.
X X
While discussing the events of the
nact i,.ucac flaw q hort ~, q ol,,,,,Y, IF 3