SOUTH WAYNE - To the west of County N, a little north of South Wayne is Hoffman Cemetery. It's a quite place with a commanding view of the area. There are several old, weather-beaten headstones. Some of them are too faded to read.
But near the entrance of the cemetery is a marker that honors five men who were killed during the Black Hawk War.
By 1832, when the Black Hawk war began, Omri Spafford and Francis Spencer had been farming near what would eventually become the village of South Wayne for two years. During those two years they made several improvements to the land.
On June 14, Spafford, Spencer, John Bull, James McIlwaine, Abraham Searls, John Dull and Bennett Million were working in the field near the Pecatonica River.
Several Indians, who were concealed in trees near the farm, sprang forward and attacked the men.
The men dropped their farm tools and ran to the river, hoping to cross and get away. They all reached the river safely, however, Spafford, Searls, McIlwaine and Dull were killed as they climbed the opposite bank of the river. Bull was also killed in the surprise attack.
Million, who was 17 at the time of the attack, was able to escape. He jumped into the river and swam 50 yards under water.
According to the Lafayette County Bicentennial book, when Million came up on the opposite bank "arrows were whistling around his head and he thought he had been hit." The Indians chased him from noon until sundown, the book said.
"Completely exhausted the boy brought the terrible news to Fort Hamilton."
Spencer also escaped. He was away from the other men when the attack took place. He was later found uninjured. According to the Lafayette County Bicentennial Book, Spencer "was a physical wreck the rest of his life."
A couple of days later, local militia found the mutilated bodies of the five men near the river.
The men were buried in what later became Hoffman Cemetery.
But near the entrance of the cemetery is a marker that honors five men who were killed during the Black Hawk War.
By 1832, when the Black Hawk war began, Omri Spafford and Francis Spencer had been farming near what would eventually become the village of South Wayne for two years. During those two years they made several improvements to the land.
On June 14, Spafford, Spencer, John Bull, James McIlwaine, Abraham Searls, John Dull and Bennett Million were working in the field near the Pecatonica River.
Several Indians, who were concealed in trees near the farm, sprang forward and attacked the men.
The men dropped their farm tools and ran to the river, hoping to cross and get away. They all reached the river safely, however, Spafford, Searls, McIlwaine and Dull were killed as they climbed the opposite bank of the river. Bull was also killed in the surprise attack.
Million, who was 17 at the time of the attack, was able to escape. He jumped into the river and swam 50 yards under water.
According to the Lafayette County Bicentennial book, when Million came up on the opposite bank "arrows were whistling around his head and he thought he had been hit." The Indians chased him from noon until sundown, the book said.
"Completely exhausted the boy brought the terrible news to Fort Hamilton."
Spencer also escaped. He was away from the other men when the attack took place. He was later found uninjured. According to the Lafayette County Bicentennial Book, Spencer "was a physical wreck the rest of his life."
A couple of days later, local militia found the mutilated bodies of the five men near the river.
The men were buried in what later became Hoffman Cemetery.