remove his women and children, from the seat of war to
the head waters of Rock river, where he supposed they would be safe from
the attacks of the whites. In passing to this point, by the sources of
the Kish-wa-co-kee, he was met by some Winnebagoes, who had heard of his
victory, and were now disposed to join him. Some additional war parties
were sent out, the new recruits from the Winnebagoes, constituting one
of them. This arrangement completed, Black Hawk proceeded with the women
and children to the Four Lakes, in which Catfish, one of the tributaries
to Rock river, has its origin.

Stillman's defeat spread consternation throughout the state of Illinois.
The Indian forces were greatly magnified in number, and Black Hawk's
name carried with it associations of uncommon military talent, and of
savage cunning and cruelty. General Atkinson proceeded to fortify his
camp, at Dixon's ferry, and the Executive of the state made a call for
more mounted volunteers. The Secretary at War sent about 1000 United
States' troops from the sea-board to the scene of action; and General
Winfield Scott was ordered to proceed to the north west, and direct the
future operations of the campaign. A bloody border contest ensued. Many
frontier families were massacred with savage ferocity, and some were
carried into captivity. A party of Pottowattomies, thirty in number,
fell upon a little settlement on Indian creek, one of the tributaries of
Fox river, and murdered fifteen men, women and children, taking two
prisoners, the Misses Hall; who were subsequently placed in charge of
some Winnebagoes, and by them returned in safety, a few weeks
afterwards, to their friends. At Kellog's grove, not far from Galena, in
the early part of June, a party of Indians stole some horses. Captain J.
W. Stephenson pursued them with twelve men. A skirmish ensued, which
resulted in the death of three of our troops and five or six of the
enemy. On the evening of the 14th of June, a party of eleven Sacs,
killed five white men at Spafford's farm. General Dodge with twenty-nine
men, followed and overtook them in a swamp, where the whole were shot
down and scalped, they having first killed three of Dodge's men. The
barbarous practice of scalping the dead, was in this case adopted by our
troops and sanctioned by their officers.[9]

On the 24th of June, the Indians made an attack upon the fort at Buffalo
grove, twelve miles north of Dixon's ferry. It was defended by a hund