should conceal ourselves in a position as near as practicable to where
the soldiers should come out, and when the signal was given each one
was to fire on them and rush into the fort. With my knife I dug a
hole in the ground deep enough that by placing a few weeds around it,
succeeded in concealing myself. I was so near the fort that I could
hear the sentinels walking on their beats. By day break I had
finished my work and was anxiously awaiting the rising of the sun.
The morning drum beat. I examined the priming of my gun, and eagerly
watched for the gate to open. It did open, but instead of the troops,
a young man came out alone and the gate closed after him. He passed
so close to me that I could have killed him with my knife, but I let
him pass unharmed. He kept the path toward the river, and had he gone
one step from it, he must have come upon us and would have been
killed. He returned immediately and entered the gate. I would now
have rushed for the gate and entered it with him, but I feared that
our party was not prepared to follow me.

The gate opened again when four men emerged and went down to the river
for wood. While they were gone another man came out, walked toward
the river, was fired on and killed by a Winnebago. The others started
and ran rapidly towards the fort, but two of them were shot down dead.
We then took shelter under the river's bank out of reach of the firing
from the fort.

The firing now commenced from both parties and was kept up without
cessation all day. I advised our party to set fire to the fort, and
commenced preparing arrows for that purpose. At night we made the
attempt, and succeeded in firing the buildings several times, but
without effect, as the fire was always instantly extinguished.