"Spy's Ravine."

[Robert Braun]

After lengthy study of the primary accounts, I am becoming more convinced that in the opening moments of the action at Wisconsin Heights-- Dickenson's Spy Company not only rode through the defile we today call "Spy's Ravine, but past it to the flat open area between "Black Hawk's Mound" and the parking area.

Bob Braun.

[Larry Koschkee]

Bob,

I agree with the first part of statement, which is Dickson's Spy Company most likely rode through and beyond the "Spy's Ravine," but I submit Dickson's Company travelled further west or northwest from the "flat open area." At some point west of present day State Highway 78 Captain Dickson ordered his company to retreat. The basis for my contention is distance and time.

The main column was alerted, stopped on the east end of "Militia Ridge," set off the horse guards and formed a skirmish line. How many minutes would that take? One minute? Two minutes? Three minutes? Or longer? The distance between that point and the "flat open area" is short - quarter of a mile or no further than one-half mile. A exceptional fast horse can cover that distance in 21 seconds or less and can move out in a one-half mile in approximately 45 to 50 seconds. Taking into consideration the tired horse flesch the spy company was riding it is reasonable to say their horses could have covered a quartermile in 30-35 seconds or one-half mile in about 65 to 70 seconds.

Dickson's Company would have been on top of the main column before they formed the skirmish lines. Sources state the main column was in formed skirmish lines when Dickson's Company appeared at the top of the ridge with Indians in close pursuit.

Larry

[Robert Braun]

Larry, My initial assessment of the distance covered by Dickenson was intended to be conservative.

Ater my re-read of the accounts, I agree with your time-distance analysis. Dickenson is supposed to have sighted Black Hawk's band; logically he had to be close enough to see them! This clearly placed his spy company at least as far as present Route 78 and probably past it, as you have stated.

There is little doubt that the Dodge/Ewing line had arrived below the geographical crest of "Militia Ridge" before Dickenson's spies arrived at near the same place.

A half-mile in 70 seconds? Wow!

The best to you,

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

A one-half mile sprint on a good horse tends to blow your hair back and create a wind whistle in your ears.

Best regards,

Larry

[Larry Koschkee]

Saterlee Clark was a scout for the militia on the marching leg from Fort Winnebago to the Wisconsin Heights and recounted the battle that was published in the COLLECTIONS OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN, VIII, 1908, pg 315.

"A few reliable Winnebagoes under Peter Pauquette and myself were secured for scouts. We had no difficulty in following their trail, and gained upon them rapidly, overtaking them on the bank of the Wisconsin about twenty-five miles below, where the battle of Wisconsin was fought... About one hundred and twenty half-starved Indians defended the pass against nearly three thousand whites, while the remainder of the Indiansin plain sight were crossing the Wisconsin with the women and children, and as soon as these wee safe, the Indians broke and ran. Then came the struggle for scalps. Every man who could run started down the hill at his top speed, my Indian scouts and myself far ahead of the militia, and I was about thiry feet ahead of them all. Just as I commenced raising the hill on the other side of the valley, Pauquette passed me on horseback; and as he went by I caught his horse by the tail and held on till we reached the top of the hill, where we found four dead Indians..."

Clark's use of the words "pass" and "valley" certainly describe the "Spy Ravine."

There is another item in Clark's account that I find interesting in that he spoke of the Indians could be seen crossing the Wisconsin. Perhaps he is referring to the eminence we call "Militia Ridge" from which the Indians could be seen.

Larry

[Robert Braun]

A great account...

...except that Saterlee Clark's account is for me troubling. Aparently, no one else seemed to recall or record that he was there. His retelling is interesting, but lacking in the kind of details I read from other accounts. I am also distracted by the fact that Satterlee and the scouts are running in FRONT of Henry's charge down Militia Ridge-- in front of the line of levelled bayonets (a fact he never mentioned!)

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Do the historical accounts available indicate there was in fact a bayonet charge "down Militia Ridge?"

Larry

[Robert Braun]

larrykoschkee said:

Do the historical accounts available indicate there was in fact a bayonet charge "down Militia Ridge?"

Larry

In Stevens, p. 218:

In a few moments Henry arrived with the main army and formed the order of battle. Colonel Jones being placed to the right, Colonel Collins to the left, Fry in reserve and Ewing in front, with Dodge on the extreme right. In this order Henry ordered the forces to move. The order to charge the enemy was splendidly executed by Ewing, Jones and Collins, routing the Indians, who retreated to the right and concentrated before Dodge's Battalion, with the obvious intention of turning his flank. Henry sent Major McConnel to Dodge, ordering him to charge the enemy, but this Dodge preferred to delay until he received a reinforcement, whereupon Henry sent Colonel Fry to his aid, and together they charged into the brush and high grass, receiving the fire of the whole body of the enemy.

Advancing and returning this fire, Dodge and Fry pursued the Indians with bayonets, driving them out with loss. Retreating rapidly, the enemy fell back to the west and took up a new and a stronger position in the thick timber and tall grass at the head of a hollow leading to the Wisconsin River bottom.

Also:

General Henry:

After the line of battle was now fully formed, which was on a high eminance, and in open ground, considerable firing was kept up by the Indians, who had taken shelter in the underbrush on the brink of the opposite declivity, by which seven of our brave volunteers were wounded and one was killed...(emphasis mine.)

General Henry, again:

By request of Gen. Dodge and Major Ewing, they were ordered to charge the enemy at the point of [the] bayonet, lying covered in the ravine...

How was a "charge" defined militarily? Edward Mansfield, in his Life and Services of General Winfield Scott..., p. 108, provided us with a clue:

A charge, in military phrase, is said to be made, when either party stops firing, throws bayonets forward, and advances to the shock, whether the enemy receive it or fly. An actual crossing of bayonets, therefore, is not indispensable to the idea of a charge. To suppose it is, is a mistake. Another popular error is, that the parties come up to the shock in parallel lines. Such a case has rarely, if ever, occurred. Each commander always seeks by manoeuvring to gain the oblique position, and, if possible, to outflank his enemy. With superior force, both advantages may easily be gained; but with inferior numbers the difficulty is extreme. The excess on the part of the enemy can only be overcome by celerity of movement, accuracy, hardihood, skill, and zeal.

I am comfortable with the conclusion that the militia indeed formed on the height we today call "Militia Ridge" prior to the bayonet charge that swept Black Hawk's remaining warriors to the edge of the Wisconsin River.

Regards, Bob.

Postscript: According to Satterlee Clark's own account, he arrived in Green Bay April 14, 1828. The Black Hawk War eruped four years later. The Wisconsin Historical Society listed Clark's birth year as 1816 www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2455&term_type_id=1&term_type_text=People&letter=C Thus Satterlee Clark was about sixteen years old when he was the sutler at Fort Winnebago in 1832.

r.

[Larry Koschkee]

Black Hawk does not mention being removed from their advantageous position at the point of a bayonet.

In forming conclusions about the various military actions that took place that day I have tried to summarize a chain of events.

1) Captain Dixon's Spy Company quit reacting to the Indians fients, followed them to the proximity of the main body of Indians and retreated back to the Militia main column. They retreated up a gradual slope before riding into the skirmish line. So that tells me they were moving up "Militia Ridge" almost due east. The south or southwest side of MR is steep and would be troublesome on horseback.

2) Dodge and Ewing dismounted at the east side of "Militia Ridge," formed a skirmish line a few yards from the top, received Dixon's Company through its lines and discharged a volley at the Indians as they closed to about thirty yards from the skirmish line.

3) Dodge, Wakefield and others said the Indians were "repulsed" and "retreated." Where did the Indians retreat to? Apparently they did not immediately retreat from "Militia Ridge" because they tried a series of flanking manuevers. There does not appear to be any accounts that indicate the duration of the fighting associated with the Indian flanking manuevers. However, at some point the Indians crossed the ravine to the south of MR and resumed the fight. Black Hawk said: "At this time I was on the rise of a hill, where I wished to form my warriors, that we might have some advantage over the whites. But the enemy succeeded in gaining this point, which compelled us to fall back into a deep ravine, from which we continued firing at them and they at us, until it began to grow dark." This is the confusing point for me.

If the Militia mounted a bayonet charge from MR they would have had to charge down the ridge into the ravine and up the hill to dislodge the Indians. Black Hawk said they were pushed "into a deep ravine." How can that be, the Militia just charged through there?

Bob, your quote by General Henry: " By request of Gen. Dodge and Major Ewing, they were ordered to charge the enemy at the point of [the] bayonet, lying covered in the ravine..." does not square with John Wakefield quote: " Colonels Dodge, Ewing and Jones, all requested General Henry to let them charge upon them at the point of the bayonet, which General Henry readily assented to, and gave the order, "charge!" which was obeyed by both men and officers in a most fearless manner. All were were intent upon the charge. WE HAD TO CHARGE UP A RISING PIECE OF GROUND. WHEN WE GOT ON THE TOP, WE THEN FIRED PERFECTLY ABREAST... Wakefield was not charging down "Militia Ridge."

Larry