of their men dead
on the field. This was the first engagement in this war, in which the
whites had held their position until reinforcements arrived, without
retreating. If the main force had remained in the grove at this Block
House after the volunteers went out, without making any demonstration
when the Indians came charging up and still in the open prairie, they
could have been easily repulsed. This was the Major's plan of action,
but the men became excited by the firing, and having no commissioned
officers to guide them, started without order to assist their exposed
comrades in the open prairie, when they were flying for their lives to
the block house.

That evening Gen. Posey came up with his brigade, and although the
Indians were encamped a short distance away, he made no effort to attack
them but contented himself with reporting the situation to Col. Z.
Taylor at Dixon's Ferry. Gen. Whiteside had said to Major Dement before
crossing Rock river, that he was going into the Indian rendezvous, where
he could have an Indian for breakfast every morning, and he found it
literally true.

It seems strange that Major Dement should have been ordered by Col.
Taylor into the enemy's country, across Rock river, with so small a
force of volunteers, while a large force of Regulars and Volunteers,
commanded by regular United States officers, remained securely
entrenched in the rear. It was Major Dement's opinion that there were
more fighting men of Black Hawk's band of warriors in the engagement at
Kellogg's Grove than ever afterwards made a stand during the war. It
was easy for Gen. Posey to have moved up and attacked the Indians on his
arrival at the Grove, and then have dealt them a fatal blow by forcing
them to battle then, but he refused to do so, and the war was not
terminated until the fight at Bad Axe some two months later, in which
the Illinois troops did not engage. During this engagement at the Block
House, four whites and eleven Indians were killed. The whites lost a
large part of their horses--the Indians shooting them from the timber,
while the poor animals were huddled about the Block House.

Although in command, Black Hawk remained in the Grove doing the
engagement, looking on to see that his principal aid, whose voice was
like a trumpet call, carried out his orders.

While reciting the incidents of this battle to the author, when writing
his Autobiography, Black Hawk spoke in high praise of Major Dement as a