Post by Robert Braun on Oct 5, 2005 9:42:33 GMT -5
The July 12 stampede of three brigade's worth of militia horses at Fort Winnebago remains a remarkable occurance. Here's what Saterlee Clark, a purported eyewitness, remembered:
John Reynolds... probably not an eyewitness... wrote the following:
The first night the army camped at Fort Winnebago they experienced a calamity worse than an ordinary battle with the Indians. About a thousand horses were grazing near the encampment, and it is supposed that some thieving Indians were trying to steal some of the horses, which caused a general, most furious, and dangerous stampede among the quadrupeds. The soldiers being tired, were fast asleep in their tents, which were pitched near one another, mostly not more than three feet apart. It is understood by the reader that in these stampedes the horses are scared until they are crazy, and run at the top of their speed over any opposing obstacle they are able to surmount. One thousand horses running at once, with race-horse speed, make not only appalling noise worse than a tornado, but there is absolute danger in being tramped to death in the furious race. The horses behind forced those before onward, so that if the foremost horses wished to stop, or to divert their course, they cannot do it.
The first flight of the horses ran with the violence and fury of a tempest, pell-mell over the camp of the troops, knocking down the tents into the faces of the sleeping men, and battering into the ground the arms, tent-poles, men, and all articles in the camp. The picket-guard, sentinels, and officers-of-the-day, all entered the camp with the horses, and all supposed it was an attack of the Indians. Many of the men were bruised and crippled, and almost unable to stir. The bugles and drums sounded to arms, and those who were able, were in the utmost confusion in the dark to obtain their arms, which had been so scattered, and many broken by the horses. This was a second edition to the confusion at the Tower of Babel, only this at Fort Winnebago caused more bruised bodies.
The stampede took a northern direction, and the Wisconsin River stopped their race in that course but not their fury. The horses then changed their direction back, and ran the second time directly over the camp. The soldiers by this time were awakened and attempted to stop the crazy animals, but only a few were arrested from this dangerous stampede.
It is supposed that most of the horses must have run thirty miles in this race, which did the service much injury at this crisis. It required great trouble to find the horses, and many were never found. The trail the army made to the fort was followed back fifty miles in search of the lost horses. Many of the horses were crippled, and all injured and fatigued by the stampede.
What caused the stampede? Why here? And am I correct to note that this occurance was singular in the BHW?
Bob.
The second night the horses took fright (probably at some Winnebago Indians), and there was a regular stampede. Probably some of my readers may not thoroughly comprehend a stampede; and it may be proper to describe it, if possible, though only an eye witness can properly appreciate how terrible it is. Some horse, or may be a few horses get frightened and start to run; the entire drove may see nothing to alarm them, but presuming there is danger, they fall into line, and once fairly under way nothing can stop them.
Those in front cannot stop without being run over, and those in the rear run to keep up. On this occasion several hundred horses started with a noise like thunder, running so close together that when one is so unfortunate as to face a tree he was either killed or so badly injured as to be unable to proceed, and was run over by the whole drove; so if a horse was unable to keep up he was knocked down and killed; between the bank of the Wisconsin and the point of land between there and the fort, thirty-seven horses were found dead. They took the trail they came on, and ran to the prairie, a distance of about sixteen miles, over sixty horses were killed, and it was late next day before those recovered were brought back. This of course occasioned another delay, and it was not till the fifth day, that they left the fort in pursuit of the Indians.
Those in front cannot stop without being run over, and those in the rear run to keep up. On this occasion several hundred horses started with a noise like thunder, running so close together that when one is so unfortunate as to face a tree he was either killed or so badly injured as to be unable to proceed, and was run over by the whole drove; so if a horse was unable to keep up he was knocked down and killed; between the bank of the Wisconsin and the point of land between there and the fort, thirty-seven horses were found dead. They took the trail they came on, and ran to the prairie, a distance of about sixteen miles, over sixty horses were killed, and it was late next day before those recovered were brought back. This of course occasioned another delay, and it was not till the fifth day, that they left the fort in pursuit of the Indians.
John Reynolds... probably not an eyewitness... wrote the following:
The first night the army camped at Fort Winnebago they experienced a calamity worse than an ordinary battle with the Indians. About a thousand horses were grazing near the encampment, and it is supposed that some thieving Indians were trying to steal some of the horses, which caused a general, most furious, and dangerous stampede among the quadrupeds. The soldiers being tired, were fast asleep in their tents, which were pitched near one another, mostly not more than three feet apart. It is understood by the reader that in these stampedes the horses are scared until they are crazy, and run at the top of their speed over any opposing obstacle they are able to surmount. One thousand horses running at once, with race-horse speed, make not only appalling noise worse than a tornado, but there is absolute danger in being tramped to death in the furious race. The horses behind forced those before onward, so that if the foremost horses wished to stop, or to divert their course, they cannot do it.
The first flight of the horses ran with the violence and fury of a tempest, pell-mell over the camp of the troops, knocking down the tents into the faces of the sleeping men, and battering into the ground the arms, tent-poles, men, and all articles in the camp. The picket-guard, sentinels, and officers-of-the-day, all entered the camp with the horses, and all supposed it was an attack of the Indians. Many of the men were bruised and crippled, and almost unable to stir. The bugles and drums sounded to arms, and those who were able, were in the utmost confusion in the dark to obtain their arms, which had been so scattered, and many broken by the horses. This was a second edition to the confusion at the Tower of Babel, only this at Fort Winnebago caused more bruised bodies.
The stampede took a northern direction, and the Wisconsin River stopped their race in that course but not their fury. The horses then changed their direction back, and ran the second time directly over the camp. The soldiers by this time were awakened and attempted to stop the crazy animals, but only a few were arrested from this dangerous stampede.
It is supposed that most of the horses must have run thirty miles in this race, which did the service much injury at this crisis. It required great trouble to find the horses, and many were never found. The trail the army made to the fort was followed back fifty miles in search of the lost horses. Many of the horses were crippled, and all injured and fatigued by the stampede.
What caused the stampede? Why here? And am I correct to note that this occurance was singular in the BHW?
Bob.
