An Indian raiding or hunting party was traveling by boat down the Spoon River, which the Indians called maquon or "Feather River", and on this occasion the Indians disembarked near Modena, Stark County, IL and killed a settler and his red haired wife. The Indians again moved down river, but the news of the attack reached Wyoming first and the settlers were ready.

The settlers determined that the Indians would probably come ashore again at the bend of the river where General Samuel Thomas had a cabin located near the bank of the river. A number of the men of Wyoming armed themselves and waited in the cabin. When the Indians came ashore and surrounded the cabin, the chief was wearing the apron he had taken from the body of the murdered woman and her easily identified scalp of red hair hung from his belt. Perry Stancliff "had an old army rifle, muzzle loader, loaded with a greased lead bullet. He placed it to the keyhole in the door, which was a large one using a key twice the size of the ones of today, took good aim and killed the chief. That broke up the raid and the Indians never returned after that."