When Colonel Taylor so soundly berated the militia, Major Dement knew as well as any man that every word was true, but the time for the address was inopportune, and, further, if the correction was to be expected from any source, he believed it should have emanated from an officer of the militia, but when he saw his men, contrary to orders, rushing headlong on to an ambush, and then rushing headlong back again, his heart rankled with indignation, and he almost regretted having resented Taylor’s animadversions. In fact, when he finally reached Hamilton’s fort, where the question arose of turning Posey’s command over to Dodge, Major Dement cried:[190] “He will lead us to victory and retrieve for us the honors we have lost at Stillman’s Run and at Kellogg’s Grove,” and, failing in the election of Dodge over Posey, he[191] resigned and fought the remainder of the campaign with another brigade. But a man was soon to rise who, when these independent militia disturbers, with their usual tactics of insubordination, attempted again, at a crucial moment, to obstruct the orders of their superiors, crushed them into obedience with an iron hand, and that man’s name was James D. Henry, the towering genius of the Black Hawk war. ----- Footnote 185: Maj. Dement’s narrative, in my possession. Footnote 186: History of Lee County, p. 249, Ed. 1893. Col. Whittlesey’s Narrative, 10 Wis. Hist. Collections, p. 177. Footnote 187: Reynolds’ “My Own Times,” p. 388. Footnote 188: Reynolds, 390. Footnote 189: Journal of A.S. Johnston. Footnote 190: Salter’s “Life of Henry Dodge,” p. 44. Footnote 191: Wakefield. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXIX. MURDERS NEAR OTTAWA–POSEY’S DIVISION ORDERED FORWARD–ALEXANDER’S DIVISION ORDERED TO PLUM RIVER–HENRY’S DIVISION, WITH REGULARS, MOVED. At 12 o’clock of the 23d General Henry’s Brigade marched for Dixon’s Ferry with General Atkinson, camping for the night eight miles out. About 7 o’clock of the 24th they resumed the march, camping for the second night at the “Winnebago Inlet,” twelve miles from Dixon’s. On the morning of the 25th, Atkinson and staff pushed forward, escorted by Capt. Stephen H. Webb’s company of regulars, and reached Dixon’s by 10 o’clock, General Henry’s Brigade reaching the same point at 10 that evening. As before stated, Posey’s Brigade was early this morning detached by General Brady from this post, with orders to report to General Dodge at Fort Hamilton, and was safely on the march when Atkinson arrived, fortunately meeting Lieutenant Ewing north of Buffalo Grove as the latter was making for Dixon’s for reinforcements.