Illustration - "Battle of Bad Axe"

[Cliff Krainik]

images.andale.com/f2/116/104/7566189/1089574399459_BADaxeWOODCUT.jpg

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"Battle of Bad Axe" - Illustration

The above illustration is a woodcut engraving published in a book - probably on American history. The original book page is in our collection but when we purchased the image from a print dealer in New York he was at a loss for the source. Stylistically, the print looks to be circa 1890s - 1910.

Can anyone tell us the title of the book where this print appeared? Thanks.

Cliff Krainik

[Larry Koschkee]

Cliff,

If I recall this image correctly, it portrays fleeing Indian women and children; and a dog and horse pulling a travois in the forefront and warriors firing weapons in the background. If that is correct the image can be found in THE STORY OF AMERICA IN PICTURES, Alan Collins, New York, NY, The Literary Guild Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1935.

Larry

[Larry Koschkee]

To maximize the use of this thread, I would like to inquire about an image on the Wisconsin History website:

www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=4522

The credits stated for the image indicates it was created by Cal Peters. Is this correct and if so what else do we know about him?

Thanks,

Larry

[richw]

Cal N. Peters, Wisconsin muralist. Subjects-mainly historical. Active Mid-20th century.

Also dioramist.

[Robert Braun]

The identification of the artists as Clarence Nicholas Peters is in my opinion unquestionably correct. Petters, and artist by training, did many works for the WPA during the Depression, when he was at present day UW-Stout.

Peters served a stint as the artist and curator of the Prairie du Chein Museum-- a small brick and stone building which at one time housed several Peters murals depicting Fort Crawford, the Battle of the Mississippi (Bad Axe) and a depiction of Black Hawk at Jefferson Barracks. I recall seeing these paintings on display in the early 1990s.

The Museum and surrounding land, including a municipal pool apparently became state land at about the same time. The old Museum served as the Villa Louis' gift shop before periodic flooding and structural problems caused the WHS to close down the building. I understand that some of the paintings were placed in storage; others may be displayed in public buildings in Craford County and the city of Prairie du Chien. I do not know the location of the painting that is the subject of this thread.

A short bio on Cal Peters may be found at www.uwstout.edu/history/fta/fta_01.html

Best regards,

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Thank you for the information, Rich and Bob.

Have any of you seen a reproduction for retail sale? If not and the "Battle of Bad Axe" mural has not been reproduced, is there any merit in approaching the powers at hand that may have the mural to reproduce. For example: The Sauk County Historical Society used the three Brookes and Stevenson Black Hawk War landscapes for a fund raiser. Perhaps the other murals Bob mentioned could also be reproduced.

Rich and Bob, in your opinion is there some inherent historical accuracy in Peter's "Battle of Bad Axe?" It definately does not qualify for any landscape merits.

Larry

[Robert Braun]

Larry,

My take on this particular Cal Peters mural is that he did the best he could with the available scholarship in the 1940s.

That being said, the painting under consideration www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=4522
has several problems...

1.) There is only a depiction of "U. S. Regulars"; no militia. It was Gen. Henry's militia whom I beleive brought on the battle along the banks of the Mississippi River;

2.) The "U.S. Regulars" are shown with their blue dress coatees. Orders from Atkinson et al ispecifically stated that the Regulars were to wear their grey jackets;

3.) The "U.S. Regulars" are shown with straight tube shakos of 1835 and later. The Army wore bell-crowned shakos of jacked leather, with white metal side scales, cord with tassels, and a wool pom in the color of their infantry specialty (i.e. red for Grenandiers.) No matter... as the expensive, heavy and uncomfortable shakos were not worn on active campaign. Instead the orders for 1832 specifically mention the fatigue cap known as the "chacko." (Some investigators have mistaken the word "chacko" for a poor spelling of "shako." Indeed, they were two different items of headgear.)

4.) Overall, the Regulars are shown neat, clean, and trim. They were anything but that and more by August 2 1832! Instead, the Regulars went into action with dirty, ragged clothing, and many were shoeless. See Greg Carter's excellent article www.geocities.com/old_lead/regularuniforms.htm;

5.) Where did that one Regular in the foreground get a pistol?

I defer analysis of the native clothing depicted to those much better versed in such matters than I.

Best regards,

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Great critique, Bob.

Except for the distinct scalp lock roach in the scene, the Native Americans appear to be generic.

Larry