Post by Larry Koschkee on Jun 19, 2007 11:34:07 GMT -5
We know that Private Thomas Jefferson Short was a militia casualty at the Battle of Wisconsin Heights and buried on the battle ground.
Various estimates of Indian casualties have been cited, 45 - 60.
Is there historical evidence that the Indians recovered their dead after the battle or did the miltia bury them were they lay?
In addition, there is at least one account of a horse casualty. Col Gabriel Jones, Third Regiment, Illinois Mounted Volunteers had his horse shot out from under him. Black Hawk's horse was shot twice. Do not know if the horse survived. There must have been more horses killed in fracus, especially when the Indians chased the spy battalion back to the main militia body. General Dodge and Major Ewing's companies met the charge with "a tremendous volley of musketry upon them." Daniel M. Parkinson remarked; "we returned the fire with great rapidity, and with deadly aim, as it was asccertained that forty-eight of enemy were killed in the charge." Certainly, some of the Indian ponies were felled with "buck and ball" ammunition at thirty yards. Some of the wounded horses may have been shot later by the militia to end their suffering.
Therefore, several Indians lay dead on "militia ridge" along with some horses. The militia camped on the battleground for two days in the heat and humidity of a July summer. Dead horses and Indians if left unburied would cause a health concern. At the least you would want to camp up-wind from that scene and remove bodies from the water source.
Regarding burial, would the militia have access to a shovel to dig a grave for Private Short or would they use knives and bayonets to excavate a shallow grave. There does not seem to be any evidence the burial was "frontier" style, which is a shallow depression, body laid down and stones piled on the body. To my knowledge no one has found a pile of stones that would indicate a burial.
Larry Koschkee
Various estimates of Indian casualties have been cited, 45 - 60.
Is there historical evidence that the Indians recovered their dead after the battle or did the miltia bury them were they lay?
In addition, there is at least one account of a horse casualty. Col Gabriel Jones, Third Regiment, Illinois Mounted Volunteers had his horse shot out from under him. Black Hawk's horse was shot twice. Do not know if the horse survived. There must have been more horses killed in fracus, especially when the Indians chased the spy battalion back to the main militia body. General Dodge and Major Ewing's companies met the charge with "a tremendous volley of musketry upon them." Daniel M. Parkinson remarked; "we returned the fire with great rapidity, and with deadly aim, as it was asccertained that forty-eight of enemy were killed in the charge." Certainly, some of the Indian ponies were felled with "buck and ball" ammunition at thirty yards. Some of the wounded horses may have been shot later by the militia to end their suffering.
Therefore, several Indians lay dead on "militia ridge" along with some horses. The militia camped on the battleground for two days in the heat and humidity of a July summer. Dead horses and Indians if left unburied would cause a health concern. At the least you would want to camp up-wind from that scene and remove bodies from the water source.
Regarding burial, would the militia have access to a shovel to dig a grave for Private Short or would they use knives and bayonets to excavate a shallow grave. There does not seem to be any evidence the burial was "frontier" style, which is a shallow depression, body laid down and stones piled on the body. To my knowledge no one has found a pile of stones that would indicate a burial.
Larry Koschkee