About this time a company of about forty men stopped at Kellogg's Grove and struck their tents for the night. It being a rainy night one of the sentinels took shelter near the body of a large tree. Very unexpectedly an Indian put his hand on his shoulder, which was as great a surprise to the Indian as to the soldier. The soldier fired his gun straight up in the air, and our folks, hearing the report, supposed they were attacked by the Indians and left their tents and went into the house for safety. My brother, R. H. Spencer and four others, were not awakened by the firing, and slept in the tent until morning. The Indians had been prowling around in search of horses and early in the morning our men got on their trail; the grass being wet they could easily follow it on a fast trot. In about ten miles they came in sight of the Indians. There were only four of them, and they made a signal to give themselves up. But old General Whiteside, who had fought against the Indians in 1812, and for whom Whiteside county was named, showed them that they must fight. The Indians ran into a deep ravine where the water had gullied a large hole, and in this they took shelter. The situation was such that the folks had to get very near in order to see the Indians. This they did by taking advantage of the large trees, which were a good protection. Behind one tree were three or four men when one of them, a large man, stepped out and said, "Let me give them a pop," and fired, and in return recieved two bullets through his body. General Whiteside now said: "Boys, rush on them - their guns are empty." They closed upon them, killing them all. They now started on their return, four men carrying the wounded man, taking turns. After traveling several miles they were attacked by a superior force of the enemy and in turn had to flee for safety. General Whiteside tried hard to make a stand with fifteen or twenty men, to check the Indians for a few minutes, but could not succeed, and the men who were carrying the wounded man came near being left to the mercy of the Indians, as the men detailed to hold their horses, only thinking of themselves, were riding away, leading their horses with them. While they were mounting their horses my brother saw an Indian on a white horse thrust a long spear into the wounded man, whom they were obliged to leave on the ground. The next man who came along with his tomahawk cut off the wounded man's head. In this first attack the Indians killed two of our men besides the one at first wounded. During the trouble with the Indians there was an old man who, in his religious belief, was a Dunkard, who started from the frontier settlement about La Salle, to go to Chicago, about 100 miles distant. His friends did all they could to dissuade him from going, as he must make the journey on horseback and alone. But he was determined to go, feeling that he would not be disturbed in the journey; that an overruling power would protect him against the Indians. After leaving the settlement, when a few miles on his way, he was discovered by a band of Indians. On coming up with them he permitted them to come within a few yards of him without showing the least fear. This sect, unlike people of his time, wore their beards long and full, and the Indians had never seen any one with a long beard before. From his strange look and behavior they were awe-struck, and debated among themselves what was best to do with the old man. The old man had a very fine horse, which seemed to decide the question, and so, after following along with him for some time they killed him. On their return to camp that night they found some Pottawattamies in their camp and told them they had killed the devil that day, exhibiting the scalp as it had been taken off, with the beard attached. The Indians were now forced to take a position on the upper part of Rock river, occupying the country from lake Koshkonong to where Whitewater now stands. This being wooded country it was very difficult to drive them out. After fighting and skirmishing with them from the middle of May until the last of July, they finally got them started for the Mississippi. The Indians now made all possible haste for Iowa; our army pursuing them closely, overtook them near the Wisconsin river. On the bluff, about five miles from the river, the Indians made their stand and fought one of the hardest battles of the war. The Indians were found in the high grass and by taking advantage of their hiding place would load their guns, rise up and fire, then drop down again and load. They left more than forty dead on the ground and our army, as they followed them up, found their dead scattered for several days. It was believed they lost more than eighty, who were killed, or died from their wounds. This battle was fought by the Indians to give time to get their families across the Wisconsin river. Here they very hastily made bark canoes, taking the bark from large elm trees. Cutting the bark eight or ten feet long they shaved the ends, making it thin and pliable, so they could tie it together and in this way keep the water out. This is not the way of making a regular bark canoe, but a very good substitute. In these rude canoes ninety women and children, and one old man, came down the river to its mouth where they were intercepted by our people and brought to Rock Island and held as prisoners. Our army was detained at the Wisconsin river several days in crossing. It being a very rapid stream it was difficult to cross and as there were no boats they took and old hewed log house and made a raft or rafts and finally succeeded in crossing. While making preparations to cross the river, one night, after the Indians had all left, there came an Indian in the night and standing on a high point on the opposite side from our army, with a very powerful voice, which could be distinctly understood, said, "If the whites would let the Indians go they would go back to Iowa and remain quiet and peaceable." But our army was now anxious to punish them, and so hastened across the river, took their trail, which brought them to the Mississippi. They found, at all the camping places of the Indian, skeletons of their horses, as they were now reduced to this kind of food, having no time to hunt, pressing with all their energy to reach the Mississippi before our army should overtake and destroy them. But after all their exertions, their great suffering from hunger and exhaustion, they were doomed to disappointment. They had succeeded in reaching the river and had safely crossed many of their women and children before our army came up. Here at the river was fought the second hard battle, killing 150 in the high weeds and grass. One can get some idea of their great hunger from a little circumstance that happened there. It became necessary to amputate the arm of a little girl about ten years old. Some one gave her a biscuit which she continued to eat during the operation. During the trouble with the Indians the government brought down a band of 150 Sioux who were the most dreaded enemy our Indians had, on account of their great numbers. They quartered them at Galena and tried to get them in the contest, but did not succeed, they being too cowardly to attack the Sauks and Foxes when they were armed, and they quietly slipped away in the night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L