ith one exception, the entire army
continued their flight to Dixon's Ferry, thirty miles distant, whilst
some went back to their homes.

The retreating army passed through their camping ground near Sycamore
creek, where they should have halted, and under cover of the timber,
could have shot down their pursuers while yet in open prairie. Black
Hawk and a small portion of his command gave up the chase, and returned
to his camp, while the remainder pursued the fugitives for several
miles, occasionally overtaking and killing some soldiers, whose horses
had given out.

Among the retreating party was a Methodist preacher, whose horse was too
slow to keep out of the reach of the Indians, who adopted a novel plan
to save himself and horse. On coming to a ravine he left the track of
his pursuers name distance, and followed down the ravine until he found
a place deep enough to shelter himself and horse from view, and remained
there for two hours in safety. He had the precaution to keep a strict
count of the Indians as they went forward, and waited their return.
Being satisfied that all had returned and continued on the way to their
camp, he quietly left his hiding place, trotted leisurely along and
reached Dixon's Ferry about sunrise next morning.

He reported his mode of procedure and the strategy used to render his
safety certain from the Indians who had dispersed and driven the army
before them. He was interrogated into the number, and when he reported
TWENTY, great indignation was manifested by some of the _brave_
volunteers who had got into camp some hours before him, and reported the
number at fifteen hundred to two thousand! But as he was well known
to many of the volunteers and highly respected as a meek and lowly
Christian gentleman, they stood by him and prevented any personal
violence.

When the report of this fiasco came into Galena the next morning about
8 o'clock, on the 15th of May, our regiment was immediately called
to arms, as great danger was apprehended by the citizens. The general
supposition was that the Pottowattomies and Winnebagoes had joined Black
Hawk, it being well known that his entire band, including women and
children, that had gone up Rock river, did not exceed one thousand
persons. Dwellings were vacated and most of the inhabitants repaired to
the stockades for safety.

The news of Stillman's defeat "by 2,000 blood-thirsty Indian warriors"
spread fast, far and wide, and the Governor of Illin