Some of the Illinois mounted militia were at Dixon’s Ferry, on Rock River, not far from the Indian encampment.  Major Stillman, commanding some three hundred volunteers, moved from Dixon’s Ferry to Sycamore Creek on a scouting expedition.  Black Hawk, being apprised of their approach, sent three of his young Indians bearing a white flag to meet them.  One of these young Indians was captured and killed.  Another party of five Indians, following the flag-of-truce bearers to assist in pacific negotiations, were met by the whites and two of them killed.  The Illinois militia moved on and crossed Sycamore Creek.  Black Hawk, who was exasperated at the killing of his men whom he had sent under flag of truce, advanced with his warriors on May 14th, met the Illinois militia, engaged and defeated them, and forced them to recross the creek.

This success greatly encouraged the Indians, but created great alarm and excitement with the white people of Illinois.  Many small battles took place after this between the whites and Indians, and the war was brought to a close by the delivery of Black Hawk to the Indian agent, General Street, August 27th, by two of his followers who betrayed him.  This war created necessarily great excitement and alarm in Illinois.  It was the general expectation that the Winnebagoes and Pottawattomies would sympathize with Black Hawk, and the result would be a general Indian war.  At this juncture General Scott was ordered to proceed to Illinois and take command of the forces to bring the Indians into subjugation.  In July, acting under this order, he left Buffalo with about one thousand troops, destined for Chicago.  The general and his staff, with about two hundred and twenty men, embarked on the steamboat Sheldon Thompson, and on July 8th it was announced that several of the soldiers were attacked with Asiatic cholera.  The vessel arrived at the village of Chicago on the 10th with eighty sick men on board, one officer and fifty-one soldiers having died during the passage.

The fate of the troops who were embarked in other vessels was even worse than those on the Thompson.  Of the one thousand men who left Buffalo only about four hundred survived.  General Scott gave every attention to the sick, exposing himself without fear day and night in seeing to the wants of his men.  Leaving Colonel Abram Eustis in command, he proceeded to join General Atkinson at Prairie du Chien, which he reached on the 3d of August.  The engagement called the Battle of Bad Axe had been fought before his arrival.  He was here again confronted with the plague of cholera, which had broken out in Atkinson’s command at Rock Island, and he devoted himself to the care of the sick and the consolation of the dying.

In this connection an extract from the Richmond Enquirer of August 7, 1832, will be of interest: 

“LOUISVILLE, July 27, 1832.—­The following is the latest
official intelligence from Chicago.  We are indebted to a commercial
friend for it.—­Advertiser.