In the fall of 1867, John W. Hall, Mrs. Munson, and her husband, made a visit to Elder Horn’s, Auburn, Nebraska, during which Mr. Hall and his sisters narrated the incidents of the massacre and captivity, which were reduced to writing by the Elder and published. The manuscripts are now in the custody of Mrs. Eckels of Chicago. In his statement Mr. Hall says: “After thirty-five years of toil have passed over my head since the memorable occasion, my memory is in some things rather dim.” Mrs. Munson and Mrs. Horn close their recital as follows: “Thus we have given the circumstances of our captivity and the rescue as nearly as we can recollect at this date, September 7, 1867.” The former published statements of the ladies substantially agree with this last one. All their statements and public interviews have been freely used and completely worked into this narrative.[41] [41] 3 Smith’s “History of Wisconsin” (1854), 187; “The Black Hawk War” (Stevens), 150. In 1833 the state of Illinois donated to Mrs. Munson and Mrs. Horn, 160 acres of land that the United States had given to the state towards the construction of the canal between Chicago and Ottawa. At that time the land was not valuable, and netted but a small sum to the ladies. Now that land is within the city of Joliet and is worth considerable money. [Illustration: THREE GENERATIONS OF RACHEL. 1, Mrs. Dunavan (daughter); 3, Mrs. Hum, 4, Mrs. Watts and 8, Mrs. Rogers (grand-daughters); 5, Howard and 6, Gladys Hum and 7, Baby Watts (great-grandchildren); 2, Samuel Dunavan (son-in-law).] It has been asserted--and published in books, that Congress voted gifts of money to the girls; but in answer to an inquiry made at the United States Treasury, the author was informed that no such appropriation has ever been made, and Mrs. Dunavan says that she never knew of her mother’s receiving any money from the government. In 1877 Mr. Munson erected a very handsome monument on the spot where his wife’s parents and the others who died with them were buried. It is a graceful shaft. In 1905, through the efforts of friends of the persons who were massacred at Indian Creek on May 21st, 1832, the Illinois legislature appropriated the sum of five thousand dollars to place a monument at the grave where the victims were buried.[42] On August 29, 1906, the new monument was dedicated with much ceremony, music and orations. Among the speakers were the venerable Hon. John W. Henderson and his brother, Gen. T. J. Henderson, who were boys at the time that the massacre occurred, the former being one of the persons who were planting corn south of the Davis cottage on that day, and who with John W. Hall escaped to Ottawa. [42] Laws of Illinois, 1905, p. 42. A full account of the dedication will be found in the newspapers and in the records of the Illinois Historical Society.[43]