Speed and Mobility of the Militia

[Larry Koschkee]

There is a realtively obscure account of a BHW 'dispatch rider' in the December 1930, Volume XIV, No. 2 issue of The Wisconsin Magazine of History, pp 183 - 185.

Oliver Gilbert described a personal experience as a 15 year old express rider during the BHW in his Pioneer Reminiscences while domiciled at Prairie du Chien.

'During this time the government wished dispatches delivered to General Dodge at Dodgeville, and I was asked to take them. We had to cross the Wisconsin River and the ferryman had left the boat because of his fear of Indians, so I had to swim my horse and I was expected to reach there that same day if I could. It was about sixty miles to Dodgeville. I reached the Wisconsin River at a place where there were two sand bars, one above and one below, and rode my horse in from the upper bar to the lower one and made the crossing all right. Then I went south through the woods six miles where I struck the government road from Fort Horward to Prairie du Chien, and followed that until I came to a cornfield. Fearing that I might pass the governor's house in the dark, never having been in that locality before, I concluded to stop where I was until daylight. I gave my horse some fodder, and taking my saddle for a pillow, lay down and went to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning, I found I was very close to a house but across the river. There was a big black negro doing sentinel duty, so I decided that it was the governor's house. I rode up to the house and asked the negro if Governor Dodge lived there; he said he did and asked whether I wished to see him. I replied that I did, and he said he would go in and tell him. He came back and said the governor would see me. He took my horse and I went in. The governor was at breakfast and asked me to join him; I did not refuse as I had had nothing since I left home.

I gave him the papers, and after reading them, he said "You will have to go to Mineral Point with me before I can answer this message." So we started for Mineral Point, ate dinner there and started home. I reached home the next day."

Some comments to this fascinating account of "speed and mobility." The distance of sixty miles between Prairie du Chien and Dodgeville or more appropriate, Fort Union is very close to modern mileage calculations that I used, which is computer software PC-Milemaker.

The ferry crossing on the Wisconsin River Gilbert refers to was known at the time as Brunet's Ferry and the location today is near the Crawford County unincorporated village of Bridgeport.

If memory serves me correctly, Dodge's stockade and blockhouse would have been located south of what is now known as Dodge's Branch of the Pecatonica River, therefore, Gilbert awoke on the north side of that branch.

This 15 year old lad did some hard riding in two days. In this thread Mr. Braun and I discussed some velocity standards and if applied here Gilbert's ride is not far fetched and is an excellent example of what a mounted man in relatively open and flat country can accomplish. Yes... the route Gilbert rode on was just that. Historic accounts indicate that the ground from Prairie du Chien to the approach to Brunet's Ferry on the Wisconsin was prairie. The only hard going would have been some swampy conditions on the south side of the Wisconsin until the track began ascent for about six miles to the top of what is known as "Military Ridge." This east-west "backbone" or divide extended as prairie or savanna all the way to the Blue Mounds.

I would not recommend you equestrians "at home" out there to attempt the river crossing. The Wisconsin is swift water notorious for its undercurrents. It truly amazes me that the Indians, pioneers and settlers were
crossing this river on a routine basis. I have never crossed this river completely with horses but did make a crossing from the south shore to an island then back again.

Some time ago ( a long time ago ) I worked part time as- needed for The Rodeo Company who supplied stock for regional rodeos. A few of us high school boys were driving some livestock from a rented pasture near Woodman, WI along the Wisconsin River to what they called "The Bull Ranch" property in Millville, WI. Nightfall had caught us before we got to our destination and the next morning when sorting livestock we discovered three "bucking bulls" were missing. The bossman was not happy with us... these were valuable animals. Phone calls were made to surrounding neighbors to see if the bulls had showed up at there farms then with several volunteers we scoured the route for hours. Finally one of us spotted a bull out on an island. Later a couple of the neighbors launched their fishing boats upstream with the plan to beach and drive the bull off the island and get him to shore. All three Brahma-Angus cross bulls were discovered on the island and became nasty with all the commotion... The men on the ground had to take refuge in there boats.

Plan B was then implemented, three others and myself would swim our horses out and drive the bulls back. No problem the plan worked. What an experience, however. On the first attempt we did not allow for the current and we were swept downstream missing the island. Turned the horses back to shore (swapping ends on a horse in deep fast water is tricky) and went at it again minus one horse and rider (the horse decided this was a folly) only this time striking out about one hundred yards upstream... Perfect landing. Putting the bulls in the water first failed. Spurred two horses in and the bulls followed like Water Spaniels. To this day I regret I didn't act on the temptation to impress a couple of good looking cowgirls on the far shore by boarding one of those bulls in the water. When it was all over we had some tuckered out horses and a great story to tell our children and grand-children.

Larry Koschkee

[Robert Braun]

What a fantastic post... and a fantastic story!

What kind of saddles and tack were you feloows riding?

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Bob asked: What kind of saddles and tack were you fellows riding?

Being high school boys we could not afford much in the way of fancy western saddles. Couple of the boys were riding second-hand "roping saddles" with oversize, reinforced horns and low cantles. Breast straps were part of the equipment and they utilized tie-downs from the horse's head to the girth. I recall they un-hooked these tie-downs to "give the horses their head." I do not recall what the other boys had for western saddles, but I do recall the boys and their "roping saddles" because I had my heart set on one.

I was riding what you would call a "stock saddle." It had a reinforced dally horn and a high cantle that gave the rider that 'deep seat" feeling. I too always rode the outfit with a breast strap and a "belly strap" to keep things in place on the horse's back.

Various bits were in use such as straight snaffel, broken snaffel and curb bits and all had chain chin straps. Personally, I used a rawhide hackamore on the big roan I owned at the time. I bought this horse dirt cheap because it had the habit of "taking up the bit" and running away with the rider. My Father and Grandfather knew this horse and said we might be able to cure his habit. When we arrived at the seller's place Dad put a "bosal" hackamore on the roan, slapped his saddle on and stepped the horse out to loosen him up. The nervous seller said he was not responsible for any accidents on his place. After a nice fifteen - twenty minute slow gallop, Dad sissssssed him in the ears and the roan went into his runaway mode... around the night pasture they went, then soon out of sight over a rise. Here they come the seller hollered, I will never forget what happened next. Dad let the horse come within about 75 yards from us and the barn yard gate before he leaned back on the hackamore ropes and shut the horse's wind off. He stopped that big roan in a slow motion action and put the horse to its knees twenty feet in front of us.

I slapped the cash in the seller's hands, loaded up the roan in the horse trailer and down the road we went. That horse stayed on the farm until his death. I did not want to sell a dangerous horse.

[Robert Braun]

Man! What a great story!!!!

Larry, how often did you ride that horse? Was this your reenacting horse??

Finally... if I might be so bold (as we deviate still further from the initial subject) as to inquire what saddle and tack you used with your prized "Crazy Woman?"

So many thanks for indulging my continued interest in your love of horses!

Warm regards, Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

Sure Bob, I would love to talk further about my favorite passion - horses.

The roan horse was rode ever chance I got, but was never used for reenacting for two main reasons.

1) Color - the horse was a "strawberry roan" which is not something the U.S. Calvary would allow. They preferred solid color horses such as bay, black or variation of brown such as sorrel. I wanted to be authentic in my impression.

2) A calvary saddle would not fit the roan properly because of his confirmation. Withers were two wide because of his quarter-horse breeding.

The roan was considered a utility horse or "stock horse" and because of his cow savvy could be used working cattle in all conditions. He was sure-footed and reliable for trail rides.

Crazy Woman alternated with another horse in my Plains Indian Wars reenacting. Her withers were somewhat bulky, therefore the McCellan saddle did not fit her as well as I liked, however a Campbell (Daniel) style calvary saddle of pre-civil war vintage fit her like a glove. The saddle had a 15 1/2 seat and the pommel and cantle was not leather covered, just rawhide on the tree. This was not really authentic to the time period but I reluctantly made an allowance. I know all the purists out there would not agree with this, but I did it. A couple of gents did question me about it and my response was. The Quartermaster considered the saddle government surplus to be used in a pinch... Indians shot the other horse out from under me and stole the McCellan... Horse-hair girth, surcingle and a crupper anchored it on the horse.

The U. S. headstall was a Bauer pattern that was typical calvary whereby the headstall served as both bridle and halter with picket line. The feed bag snapped on to two cheek strap "0" rings. The bit was a "grazing" style curb bit.

Shoes were a U. S. regulation pattern first forged by Jack Palmer from Fort Hays, Kansas. The specific shoe was an adaption to the rocky terrain of the plains. Stone cleats were built up on the front of the shoe to protect the front wall of the hoof.

Thanks for your interest.

Best regards,

Larry Koschkee

[sparrow]

The Sac and Fox did not have horses until very late in their history. According to what I read they preferred to walk because horses made too much noise. They took some horses I believe it was on a raid of the Sioux that had killed some buffalo on the Sac/Fox hunting grounds. Keokuk was the one they credit with building the horsemanship in the tribe. He eventually took all the Fox with him accross the Mississippi giving up their homeland and Saukenuk their village. Black hawk took most of the Sac back into Saukenuk thus starting the Black Hawk War and ending up in the Battle of The Bad Axe and massacre on the Mississippi banks. It doesn't mention if they used horses to flee the Militia but I doubt if they had many. What do you think/know?? Tom (sparrow) Peters

[Larry Koschkee]

Several historical accounts I have read over the years, such as Major Stephen Long's 1823 moonlight ride to Prairie du Chien and Englishman, Captain Frederick Marryat's moonlight ride to the same place in 1837 (I believe the year is correct) impressed upon me that people in the "horse and buggy" days seemed to be comfortable with traveling during the night time hours. One can find examples of this during the BHW as well.

The History of Wisconsin, William R. Smith, 1854, Part II, Documentary, VOl. III, pps 200-201.

Charles Bracken said that About sundown on the 14th of June, 1832 David Gilbert rode into Fort Defiance with news of the Spafford Farm massacre. He and eleven militia men proceeded to Fort Hamilton. Arriving at Fort Hamiliton late at night, we halted at that post until morning... The morning of the 15th he and about twenty men rode out to the Spafford farm field.

Depending on the course you chart, Fort Defiance to Fort Hamilton is between 30 to 35 miles.

On the 15th, Col Dodge was at Blue Mounds Fort, later returing to his home and Fort Union where he received word of the Spafford Farm massacre.

Dodge's Report of the Battle of The Pecatonica to General Atkinson, June 18th, 1832 he said: On the 16th I started from my camp, accompanied by two men, Thomas Jenkins and John Messersmith, Jr., and I reached Fort Hamilton at about eight o'clock. This report does not indicate that from Fort Union he went to Fort Blue Mounds for fresh mounts then on to Fort Hamilton, but Parkinson's Narrative, Wisconsin Historical Collections, pps 344-345 states:

It seems, that upon receiving the express at Dodgeville, Col. Dodge with Jenkins and Messersmith, had started for Fort Hamilton by the way of Blue Mounds, where were some fresh horses and men..

When I plot Dodge's course Fort Union - Blue Mounds Fort - Fort Hamilton the estimated mileage is 57 miles.

When one takes into consideration the time to change horses at Blue Mounds and what velocity a man on horseback can achieve and then back that up from the 8 o'clock morning arrival time at Fort Hamilton Dodge and commrades were riding in the dark a good deal of the time.

Cliff Krainik's excellent postings, Report Of The Battle Of Bad Axe, Parts I, II and III indicate the federals and militia had marching orders for 2:00 a.m. on the morning of August 2nd. Several reports of this time frame can be found in Crawford B. Thayer's book Massacre at Bad Axe, pps 165-166. A cloudless dawn would have appeared approximately at 4 o'clock A.M., therefore they could have been marching in the dark wilderness for sometime.

Did people in the "horse and buggy" days exhibit the ability to navigate the countryside in dim light or darkness... Were their senses more accute?

Do we "Pilgrims" possess the same ability today, or has light polution and life-style de-sensitized us?

Heck... I have trouble navigating on horseback in my own "back forty" woods and pasture, let alone in strange countryside.

[Larry Koschkee]

A colleague of mine pointed out another example of the militia on the move during the night. It is found in a letter from Henry Dodge to Henry Atkinson, June 30th, 1832. The source is Whitney's The Black Hawk War, page 715.

I had returned a few days since from Sugar Creek within ten miles of the "Four Lakes." I made a forced march in the night of about twenty five miles to prevent the Enemy from discovering me from the points of timber. I passed in the night one of the Two men who had been killed near the Mound, returned the next day & buried him:...

I thank Mr. Will Storrs for directing my attention to the night riders. This example continues to stimulate my intrigue of mounted men navigating in the darkness.