Voices from Stillman's Run:

Extract of a letter, dated

HENNEPIN, ILL. RIVER, MAY 23, 1832.

I am happy to have it in my power to contradict, or rather to correct, the account first given in St. Louis, of Maj. Stillman's defeat. The result is not so disastrous as was at first supposed, and as related by those who left the army the morning after the battle. Out of the 52 who were then missing, all have returned but 13, eleven of whom have been found and buried, and two are still missing. They were coming in for three days after the battle, having lost their horses and been lost themselves.

The dead that were found were cut and mangled in a most shocking and indecent manner; their hearts cut out, heads off, and every species of indignity practised upon their persons. One alone escaped this treatment: he was found dead, with his head nearly cut off, embraced by the arms of an Indian, who had been shot through the body, but yet had strength enough remaining to tomahawk the man who shot him, and partly cut off his head, dying in the very act --- his last convulsive struggle being an embrace of his enemy even in death. This man was not scalped or mutilated, except as mentioned; and hence it is supposed that the Indians did not discover him in their search for scalps and their own dead. It is not known how many Indians were killed.

Gen. Atkinson and the Governor are together, and moving on the Indians, who have thus far escaped, burning and destroying property of all kinds in their retreat. It is not yet known whether the main body of the enemy is on Rock River, or whether it has crossed over to the Fox River of the Illinois, and is ascending that towards the Lakes. I can give you no definite idea of the probable length of the Campaign.