During these negotiations occurred one of the most daring and heroic incidents of the campaign. Col. Henry Gratiot, father-in-law to the late Hon. E.B. Washburne, had early established smelting works at Gratiot’s Grove, just over the line into the present county of LaFayette, Wisconsin. By his humane and honorable treatment of the Winnebagoes he had secured their unbounded confidence, and the Government had made him agent for the Winnebagoes, under the celebrated John Kinzie, then at Fort Winnebago. Upon him General Atkinson relied as the one man above all others who could gain the ear of the Winnebago “Prophet,” who was in his agency, and Black Hawk’s evil genius, and turn the deluded British band back to its Iowa reservation. From Fort Crawford General Atkinson had dispatched a[97] request to undertake this perilous mission. Colonel Gratiot received the same April 16 and started, taking one white man. On the 19th he arrived at the Turtle village of the Winnebagoes, where, in order to secure a hearing, he was delayed until the 22d. There twenty-four Winnebago chiefs and head men were added to his embassy, including Broken Shoulder, Whirling Thunder, White Crow, Little Medicine Man and Little Priest among the number.[98] He hurriedly rode to Dixon’s Ferry, where canoes were taken and the journey completed to the Prophet’s village on the 25th. There, despite his flag of truce, Colonel Gratiot was surrounded by hostile Sacs, who, with every demonstration of violence,[99] made him prisoner, Black Hawk himself, who had hoisted the British flag in camp, supervising the incident, and evil times had certainly fallen upon the head of Colonel Gratiot had not the Prophet, seeing the danger of his agent, rushed to his rescue, crying, “Good man, good man, my friend. I take him to my wigwam. I feed him. He be good friend of my Indians.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: COL. HENRY GRATIOT.] [Illustration: WA-BO-KI-E-SHIEK, THE PROPHET.] [Illustration: HENRY EDDY.] [Illustration: GEN. SAMUEL WHITESIDE.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------