their efforts to cross the river, here three hundred rods wide
and running a strong current. Some were drowned and others were carried
down the stream on improvised rafts. A few of these were rescued at
Prairie du Chien.

The next day Atkinson appeared on the ground. Black Hawk seems to have
been utterly demoralized and had told those who had not crossed that he
was going to the Chippewa country, and that they had better follow. Only
a few did so, and after going a few miles he turned back on August 2nd,
just in time to see the closing scene of the massacre called the battle
of Bad Axe.

As Atkinson approached he was skilfully decoyed beyond the Indian camp
some distance, but its location was finally discovered and a fierce
onslaught was made. The poor wretches at first begged for quarter, but
as the soldiers shot them down without discrimination, they fought for a
time with desperation, and then men, women and children plunged into the
river, the most of them to drown before reaching the other side. The
steamer Warrior reappeared, and the sharpshooters fired at the swimmers,
some of them women with babies on their backs. The incidents of the
merciless slaughter are too harrowing for recital, and would be
incredible if not thoroughly authenticated. It is difficult to
understand the ferocity with which Black Hawk's band was pursued and
destroyed. Probably the belief that he was still in the British service
had much to do with it; also his first success at Stillman's Run, and
the murder of the whites in Northern Illinois by marauders from other
tribes, which were unjustly charged to him, may account for it in large
part. About three hundred Indians succeeded in crossing the river, but
their ill fate still pursued them. Their fierce enemy, Wabasha, was on
their track, and before reaching the Iowa river half of the three
hundred had been relentlessly slain. Of the twelve hundred who crossed
the Mississippi in April, only one hundred and fifty, and they barely
living skeletons, returned in August.

Black Hawk gave himself up soon after the Bad Axe massacre to the
Winnebagoes, and was surrendered to our officers at Prairie du Chien.
Thence he was taken to Saint Louis, Washington, through the east, and
back to Fort Armstrong, where he was delivered over to Keokuk, who
became surety for his good behavior. Although always kindly treated by
the latter, the old chief never ceased to be mindful of his
subordination. For five ye