stance to any
settlement, and the impossibility of bringing supplies therefrom, if
any could have been obtained, deterred our young men from making
further attempts. We were forced to dig roots and bark trees, to obtain
something to satisfy hunger and keep us alive. Several of our old people
became so reduced, as to actually die with hunger! Learning that the
army had commenced moving, and fearing that they might come upon and
surround our encampment, I concluded to remove our women and children
across the Mississippi, that they might return to the Sac nation again.
Accordingly, on the next day we commenced moving, with five Winnebagoes
acting as our guides, intending to descend the Wisconsin.

Neapope, with a party of twenty, remained in our rear, to watch for the
enemy, whilst we were proceeding to the Wisconsin, with our women and
children. We arrived, and had commenced crossing over to an island, when
we discovered a large body of the enemy coming towards us. We were now
compelled to fight, or sacrifice our wives and children to the fury of
the whites. I met them with fifty warriors, (having left the balance to
assist our women and children in crossing) about a mile from the river,
When an attack immediately commenced, I was mounted on a fine horse,
and was pleased to see my warriors so brave. I addressed them in a load
voice, telling them to stand their ground and never yield it to the
enemy. 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 into
a deep ravine, from which we continued firing at them and they at us,
until it began to grow dark. My horse having been wounded twice during
this engagement, and fearing from his loss of blood that he would soon
give out, and finding that the enemy would not come near enough to
receive our fire, in the dusk of the evening, and knowing that our
women and children had had sufficient time to reach the island in the
Wisconsin, I ordered my warriors to return, by different routes, and
meet me at the Wisconsin, and was astonished to find that the enemy were
not disposed to pursue us.

In this skirmish with fifty braves, I defended and accomplished my
passage over the Wisconsin, with a loss of only six men, though opposed
by a host of mounted militia. I would not have fought there, but to gain
time for our women and children to