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diff --git a/7097.txt b/7097.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6183b22 --- /dev/null +++ b/7097.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6500 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, +or Black Hawk, by Black Hawk + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk + +Author: Black Hawk + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7097] +Posting Date: March 24, 2009 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK HAWK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Schub, scanned pages provided courtesy +of the 1st-hand-history Foundation + + + + + + +AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK, OR BLACK HAWK, + +By Black Hawk + + + + AUTOBIOGRAPHY + OF + + MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK, + + OR + + BLACK HAWK, + + EMBRACING THE TRADITIONS OF HIS NATION, VARIOUS WARS + IN WHICH HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED, AND HIS ACCOUNT + OF THE CAUSE AND GENERAL HISTORY OF THE + BLACK HAWK WAR OF 1832, + + His Surrender, and Travels Through the United States. + + DICTATED BY HIMSELF. + + ANTOINE LECLAIR, U. S. INTERPRETER. + J.B. PATTERSON, EDITOR AND AMANUENSIS. + + ROCK ISLAND. ILLINOIS, 1833. + + ALSO + LIFE, DEATH AND BURIAL OF THE OLD CHIEF, TOGETHER WITH + A History of the Black Hawk War, + By J.B. PATTERSON, OQUAWKA, ILL, 1882. + + + Copyrighted by J.B. PATTERSON, 1882. + + + + AS A TOKEN OF HIGH REGARD, + I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME + TO MY FRIEND, + HON. BAILEY DAVENPORT, + OF ROCK ISLAND, ILL. + + + +AFFIDAVIT. + +DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, SS. Be it remembered, that on this sixteenth +day of November, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and thirty-three, J.B. +Patterson, of said district, hath deposited in this office the title of +a Book, the title of which is in the words following, to wit: + +"Life of Makataimeshekiakiak, or Black Hawk, embracing the Traditions of +his Nation--Indian Wars in which he has been engaged--Cause of joining +the British in their late War with America, and its History--Description +of the Rock River Village--Manners and Customs--Encroachments by the +Whites contrary to Treaty--Removal from his village in 1831. With an +account of the Cause and General History of the Late War, his Surrender +and Confinement at Jefferson Barracks, and Travels through the United +States. Dictated by himself." + +J.B. Patterson, of Rock Island, Illinois, Editor and Proprietor. + +The right whereof he claims as author, in conformity with an act +of Congress, entitled "An act to amend the several acts respecting +copyrights." W.H. BROWN, + Clerk of the District of Illinois + + + +INDIAN AGENCY, ROCK ISLAND, October 16, 1833. +I do hereby certify, that Makataimeshekiakiak, or Black Hawk, did call +upon me, on his return to his people in August last, and expressed a +great desire to have a History of his Life written and published, in +order (as he said) "that the people of the United States, (among whom he +had been traveling, and by whom he had been treated with great respect, +friendship and hospitality,) might know the _cause_ that had impelled +him to acts as he had done, and the _principles_ by which he was +governed." + +In accordance with his request, I acted as Interpreter; and was +particularly cautious to understand distinctly the narrative of +Black Hawk throughout--and have examined the work carefully since its +completion, and have no hesitation in pronouncing it strictly correct, +in all its particulars. + +Given under my hand, at the Sac and Fox agency, the day and date above +written. ANTOINE LE CLAIR, + U.S. Interpreter for the Sacs and Foxes. + + + + +ORIGINAL DEDICATION. + +NE-KA-NA-WEN. + +MA-NE-SO-NO OKE-MAUT WAP-PI MAK-QUAI. + +WA-TA-SAI WE-YEU, + +Ai nan-ni ta co-si-ya-quai, na-katch ai she-ke she-he-nack, hai-me-ka-ti +ya-quai ke-she-he-nack, ken-e-chawe-he-ke kai-pec-kien a-cob, +ai-we-ne-she we-he-yen; ne-wai-ta-sa-mak ke-kosh-pe kai-a-poi qui-wat. +No-ta-wach-pai pai-ke se-na-mon nan-ni-yoo, ai-ke-kai na-o-pen. +Ni-me-to sai-ne-ni-wen, ne-ta-to-ta ken ai mo-he-man ta-ta-que, +ne-me-to-sai-ne-ne-wen. + +Nin-a-kai-ka poi-pon-ni chi-cha-yen, kai-ka-ya ha-ma-we +pa-she-to-he-yen. Kai-na-ya kai-nen-ne-naip, he-nok ki-nok ke-cha-kai-ya +pai-no-yen ne-ket-te-sim-mak o-ke-te-wak ke-o-che, me-ka ti-ya-quois +na-kach mai-quoi, a-que-qui pa-che-qui ke-kan-ni ta-men-nin. Ke-to-ta +we-yen, a-que-ka-ni-co-te she-tai-hai-hai yen, nen, chai-cha-me-co +kai-ke-me-se ai we-ke ken-na-ta-mo-wat ken-ne-wa-ha-o +ma-quo-qua-yeai-quoi. Ken-wen-na ak-che-man wen-ni-ta-hai ke-men-ne +to-ta-we-yeu, ke-kog-hai ke-ta-shi ke-kai na-we-yen, he-na-cha +wai-che-we to-mo-nan, ai pe-che-qua-chi mo-pen ma-me-co, ma-che-we-ta +na-mo-nan, ne-ya-we-nan qui-a-ha-wa pe-ta-kek, a que-year tak-pa-she-qui +a-to-ta-mo-wat, chi-ye-tuk he-ne cha-wai-chi he-ni-nan ke-o-chi-ta +mow-ta-swee-pai che-qua-que. + +He-ni-cha-hai poi-kai-nen na-no-so-si-yen, ai o-sa-ke-we-yen, +ke-pe-me-kai-mi-kat hai-nen hac-yai, na-na-co-si-peu, nen-a-kai-ne +co-ten ne-co-ten ne-ka chi-a-quoi ne-me-cok me-to-sai ne-ne wak-kai +ne-we-yen-nen, kai-shai ma-ni-to-ke ka-to-me-nak ke-wa-sai +he-co-wai mi-a-me ka-chi pai-ko-tai-hear-pe kai-cee wa-wa-kia he-pe +ha-pe-nach-he-cha, na-na-ke-na-way ni-taain ai we-pa-he-wea to-to-na ca, +ke-to-ta-we-yeak, he-nok, mia-ni ai she-ke-ta ma-ke-si-yen, nen-a-kai +na-co-ten ne-ka-he-nen e-ta-quois, wa toi-na-ka che-ma-ke-keu na-ta-che +tai-hai-ken ai mo-co-man ye-we-yeu ke-to-towe. E-nok ma-ni-hai +she-ka-ta-ma ka-si-yen, wen-e-cha-hai nai-ne-mak, mai-ko-ten ke ka-cha +ma-men-na-tuk we-yowe, keu-ke-nok ai she-me ma-na-ni ta-men-ke-yowe. +MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK Ma-taus-we Ki-sis, 1833. + + + +DEDICATION. [translation] + +To Brigadier General H. Atkinson: + +SIR--The changes of fortune and vicissitudes of war made you my +conqueror. When my last resources were exhausted, my warriors worn down +with long and toilsome marches, we yielded, and I became your prisoner. + +The story of my life is told in the following pages: it is intimately +connected, and in some measure, identified, with a part of the history +of your own: I have, therefore, dedicated it to you. + +The changes of many summers have brought old age upon me, and I can not +expect to survive many moons. Before I set out on my journey to the land +of my fathers, I have determined to give my motives and reasons for my +former hostilities to the whites, and to vindicate my character from +misrepresentation. The kindness I received from you whilst a prisoner +of war assures me that you will vouch for the facts contained in my +narrative, so far as they came under your observation. + +I am now an obscure member of a nation that formerly honored and +respected my opinions. The pathway to glory is rough, and many gloomy +hours obscure it. May the Great Spirit shed light on yours, and that +you may never experience the humility that the power of the American +government has reduced me to, is the wish of him, who, in his native +forests, was once as proud and bold as yourself. + +BLACK HAWK. + +10th Moon, 1833. + + + +ADVERTISEMENT + +It is presumed that no apology will be required for presenting to the +public the life of a Hero who has lately taken such high rank among the +distinguished individuals of America. In the following pages he will be +seen in the character of a Warrior, a Patriot and a State prisoner; +in every situation he is still the chief of his Band, asserting their +rights with dignity, firmness and courage. Several accounts of the late +war having been published, in which he thinks justice is not done to +himself or nation, he determined to make known to the world the injuries +his people have received from the whites, the causes which brought +on the war on the part of his nation, and a general history of it +throughout the campaign. In his opinion this is the only method now left +him to rescue his little Band, the remnant of those who fought bravely +with him, from the effects of the statements that have already gone +forth. + +The facts which he states, respecting the Treaty of 1804, in virtue of +the provisions of which the government claimed the country in dispute +and enforced its arguments with the sword, are worthy of attention. It +purported to cede tot he United States all of the country, including the +village and corn-fields of Black Hawk and his band, on the east side of +the Mississippi. Four individuals of the tribe, who were on a visit to +St. Louis to obtain the liberation of on of their people from prison, +were prevailed upon, says Black Hawk, to make this important treaty, +without the knowledge or authority of the tribes, or nation. + +In treating with the Indians for their country, it has always been +customary to assemble the whole nation; because, as has been truly +suggested by the Secretary of War, the nature of the authority of the +chiefs of the tribe is such, that it is not often that they dare make a +treaty of much consequence, and we might add, never, when involving so +much magnitude as the one under consideration, without the presence +of their young men. A rule so reasonable and just ought never to +be violated, and the Indians might well question the right of the +Government to dispossess them, when such violation was made the basis of +its right. + +The Editor has written this work according to the dictation of Black +Hawk, through the United States Interpreter, at the Sac and Fox Agency +of Rock Island. He does not, therefore, consider himself responsible for +any of the facts, or views, contained in it, and leaves the Old Chief +and his story with the public, whilst he neither asks, nor expects, any +fame for his services as an amanuensis. + +THE EDITOR. + + + + +AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BLACK HAWK. + +I was born at the Sac village, on Rock river, in the year 1767, and +am now in my 67th year. My great grandfather, Nanamakee, or Thunder, +according to the tradition given me by my father, Pyesa, was born in the +vicinity of Montreal, Canada, where the Great Spirit first placed the +Sac nation, and inspired him with a belief that, at the end of four +years he should see a _white man_, who would be to him a father. +Consequently he blacked his face, and eat but once a day, just as the +sun was going down, for three years, and continued dreaming, throughout +all this time whenever he slept. When the Great Spirit again appeared to +him, and told him that, at the end of one year more, he should meet his +father, and directed him to start seven days before its expiration, and +take with him his two brothers, Namah, or Sturgeon, and Paukahummawa, +or Sunfish, and travel in a direction to the left of sun-rising. After +pursuing this course for five days, he sent out his two brothers to +listen if they could hear a noise, and if so, to fasten some grass to +the end of a pole, erect it, pointing in the direction of the sound, and +then return to him. + +Early next morning they returned, and reported that they had heard +sounds which appeared near at hand, and that they had fulfilled his +order. They all then started for the place where the pole had been +erected; when, on reaching it, Nanamakee left his party and went alone +to the place from whence the sounds proceeded, and found, that the white +man had arrived and pitched his tent. When he came in sight, his father +came out to meet him. He took him by the hand and welcomed him into his +tent. He told him that he was the son of the King of France; that he had +been dreaming for four years; that the Great Spirit had directed him +to come here, where he should meet a nation of people who had never +yet seen a white man; that they should be his children and he should +be their father; that he had communicated these things to the King, his +father, who laughed at him and called him Mashena, but he insisted on +coming here to meet his children where the Great Spirit had directed +him. The king had told him that he would find neither land nor people; +that this was an uninhabited region of lakes and mountains, but, finding +that he would have no peace without it, he fitted out a napequa, manned +it, and gave him charge of it, when he immediately loaded it, set sail +and had now landed on the very day that the Great Spirit had told him +in his dreams he should meet his children. He had now met the man who +should, in future, have charge of all the nation. + +He then presented him with a medal which he hung round his neck. +Nanamakee informed him of his dreaming, and told him that his two +brothers remained a little way behind. His father gave him a shirt, a +blanket and a handkerchief besides a variety of other presents, and told +him to go and bring his brethren. Having laid aside his buffalo robe and +dressed himself in his new dress, he started to meet his brothers. +When they met he explained to them his meeting with the white man and +exhibited to their view the presents that he had made him. He then took +off his medal and placed it on his elder brother Namah, and requested +them both to go with him to his father. + +They proceeded thither, were where ushered into the tent, and after some +brief ceremony his father opened a chest and took presents therefrom for +the new comers. He discovered that Nanamakee had given his medal to his +elder brother Namah. He told him that he had done wrong; that he should +wear that medal himself, as he had others for his brothers. That which +he had given him was typical of the rank he should hold in the nation; +that his brothers could only rank as _civil chiefs_, and that their +duties should consist of taking care of the village and attending to its +civil concerns, whilst his rank, from his superior knowledge, placed +him over all. If the nation should get into any difficulty with another, +then his puccohawama, or sovereign decree, must be obeyed. If he +declared war he must lead them on to battle; that the Great Spirit had +made him a great and brave general, and had sent him here to give him +that medal and make presents to him for his people. + +His father remained four days, during which time he gave him guns, +powder and lead, spears and lances, and taught him their use, so that +in war he might be able to chastise his enemies, and in peace they +could kill buffalo, deer and other game necessary for the comforts and +luxuries of life. He then presented the others with various kinds of +cooking utensils and taught them their uses. After having given them +large quantities of goods as presents, and everything necessary for +their comfort, he set sail for France, promising to meet them again, at +the same place, after the 12th moon. + +The three newly made chiefs returned to their village and explained to +Mukataquet, their father, who was the principal chief of the nation, +what had been said and done. + +The old chief had some dogs killed and made a feast preparatory to +resigning his scepter, to which all the nation were invited. Great +anxiety prevailed among them to know what the three brothers had seen +and heard. . When the old chief arose and related to them the sayings +and doings of his three sons, and concluded by saying that the Great +Spirit had directed that these, his three sons, should take the rank +and power that had once been his, and that he yielded these honors and +duties willingly to them, because it was the wish of the Great Spirit, +and he could never consent to make him angry. + +He now presented the great medicine bag to Nanamakee, and told him that +he "cheerfully resigned it to him, it is the soul of our nation, it has +never yet been disgraced and I will expect you to keep it unsullied." + +Some dissensions arose among them, in consequence of so much power being +given to Nanamakee, he being so young a man. To quiet them, Nanamakee, +during a violent thunder storm, told them that he had caused it, and +that it was an exemplification of the name the Great Spirit had given +him. During the storm the lightning struck, and set fire to a tree near +by, a sight they had never witnessed before. He went to it and brought +away some of its burning branches, made a fire in the lodge and seated +his brothers around it opposite to one another, while he stood up and +addressed his people as follows: + +"I am yet young, but the Great Spirit has called me to the rank I hold +among you. I have never sought to be more than my birth entitled me to. +I have not been ambitious, nor was it ever my wish while my father +was yet among the living to take his place, nor have I now usurped his +powers. The Great Spirit caused me to dream for four years. He told me +where to go and meet the white man who would be a kind father to us all. +I obeyed. I went, and have seen and know our new father. + +"You have all heard what was said and done. The Great Spirit directed +him to come and meet me, and it is his order that places me at the head +of my nation, the place which my father has willingly resigned. + +"You have all witnessed the power that has been given me by the Great +Spirit, in making that fire, and all that I now ask is that these, my +two chiefs, may never let it go out. That they may preserve peace among +you and administer to the wants of the needy. And should an enemy invade +our country, I will then, and not until then, assume command, and go +forth with my band of brave warriors and endeavor to chastise them." + +At the conclusion of this speech every voice cried out for Nanamakee. +All were satisfied when they found that the Great Spirit had done what +they had suspected was the work of Nanamakee, he being a very shrewd +young man. + +The next spring according to promise their French father returned, with +his napequa richly laden with goods, which were distributed among them. +He continued for a long time to keep up a regular trade with them, they +giving him in exchange for his goods furs and peltries. + +After a long time the British overpowered the French, the two nations +being at War, and drove them away from Quebec, taking possession of it +themselves. The different tribes of Indians around our nation, envying +our people, united their forces against them and by their combined +strength succeeded in driving them to Montreal, and from thence to +Mackinac. Here our people first met our British father, who furnished +them with goods. Their enemies still wantonly pursued them and drove +them to different places along the lake. At last they made a village +near Green Bay, on what is now called Sac river, having derived its name +from this circumstance. Here they held a council with the Foxes, and a +national treaty of friendship and alliance was agreed upon. The Foxes +abandoned their village and joined the Sacs. This arrangement, being +mutually obligatory upon both parties, as neither were sufficiently +strong to meet their enemies with any hope of success, they soon became +as one band or nation of people. They were driven, however, by the +combined forces of their enemies to the Wisconsin. They remained here +for some time, until a party of their young men, who descended Rock +river to its mouth, had returned and made a favorable report of the +country. They all descended Rock river, drove the Kaskaskias from the +country and commenced the erection of their village, determined never to +leave it. + +At this village I was born, being a lineal descendant of the first +chief, Nanamakee, or Thunder. Few, if any events of note transpired +within my recollection until about my fifteenth year. I was not allowed +to paint or wear feathers, but distinguished myself at an early age by +wounding an enemy; consequently I was placed in the ranks of the Braves. + +Soon after this a leading chief of the Muscow nation came to our village +for recruits to go to war against the Osages, our common enemy. + +I volunteered my services to go, as my father had joined him, and was +proud to have an opportunity to prove to him that I was not an unworthy +son, and that I had courage and bravery. It was not long before we met +the enemy and a battle immediately ensued. Standing by my father's side, +I saw him kill his antagonist and tear the scalp from off his head. +Fired with valor and ambition, I rushed furiously upon another and smote +him to the earth with my tomahawk. I then ran my lance through his body, +took off his scalp and returned in triumph to my father. He said nothing +but looked well pleased. This was the first man I killed. The enemy's +loss in this engagement having been very great, they immediately +retreated, which put an end to the war for the time being. Our party +then returned to the village and danced over the scalps we had taken. +This was the first time I was permitted to join in a scalp dance. + +After a few moons had passed, being acquired considerable reputation +as a brave, I led a party of seven and attacked one hundred Osages! I +killed one man and left him for my comrades to scalp while I was taking +observations of the strength and preparations of the enemy. Finding that +they were equally well armed with ourselves, I ordered a retreat and +came off without the loss of a man. This excursion gained for me great +applause, and enabled me, before a great while, to raise a party of one +hundred and eighty to march against the Osages. We left our village in +high spirits and marched over a rugged country, until we reached the +land of the Osages, on the borders of the Missouri. + +We followed their trail until we arrived at the village, which we +approached with exceeding caution, thinking that they were all here, +but found, to our sorrow, that they had deserted it. The party became +dissatisfied in consequence of this disappointment, and all, with the +exception of five noble braves, dispensed and went home. I then placed +myself at the head of this brave little band, and thanked the Great +Spirit that so _many_ had remained. We took to the trail of our enemies, +with a full determination never to return without some trophy of +victory. We followed cautiously on for several days, killed one man and +a boy, and returned home with their scalps. + +In consequence of this mutiny in camp, I was not again able to raise +a sufficient force to go against the Osages until about my Nineteenth +year. During this interim they committed many outrages on our nation; +hence I succeeded in recruiting two hundred efficient warriors, and +early one morning took up the line of march. In a few days we were in +the enemy's country, and we had not gone far before we met a force +equal to our own with which to contend. A general battle immediately +commenced, although my warriors were considerably fatigued by forced +marches. Each party fought desperately. The enemy seemed unwilling +to yield the ground and we were determined to conquer or die. A great +number of Osages were killed and many wounded before they commenced a +retreat. A band of warriors more brave, skillful and efficient than mine +could not be found. In this engagement I killed five men and one squaw, +and had the good fortune to take the scalps of all I struck with one +exception--that of the squaw, who was accidentally killed. The enemy's +loss in this engagement was about one hundred braves. Ours nineteen. We +then returned to our village well pleased with our success, and danced +over the scalps which we had taken. + +The Osages, in consequence of their great loss in this battle, became +satisfied to remain on their own lands. This stopped for a while their +depredations on our nation. Our attention was now directed towards an +ancient enemy who had decoyed and murdered some of our helpless women +and children. I started with my father, who took command of a small +party, and proceeded against the enemy to chastise them for the wrongs +they had heaped upon us. We met near the Merimac and an action ensued; +the Cherokees having a great advantage in point of numbers. Early in +this engagement my father was wounded in the thigh, but succeeded in +killing his enemy before he fell. Seeing that he had fallen, I assumed +command, and fought desperately until the enemy commenced retreating +before the well directed blows of our braves. I returned to my father +to administer to his necessities, but nothing could be done for him. The +medicine man said the wound was mortal, from which he soon after died. +In this battle I killed three men and wounded several. The enemy's loss +was twenty-eight and ours seven. + +I now fell heir to the great medicine bag of my forefathers, which had +belonged to my father. I took it, buried our dead, and returned with my +party, sad and sorrowful, to our village, in consequence of the loss of +my father. + +Owing to this misfortune I blacked my face, fasted and prayed to the +Great Spirit for five years, during which time I remained in a civil +capacity, hunting and fishing. + +The Osages having again commenced aggressions on our people, and the +Great Spirit having taken pity on me, I took a small party and went +against them. I could only find six of them, and their forces being +so weak, I thought it would be cowardly to kill them, but took them +prisoners and carried them to our Spanish father at St. Louis, gave them +up to him and then returned to our village. + +Determined on the final and complete extermination of the dastardly +Osages, in punishment for the injuries our people had received from +them, I commenced recruiting a strong force, immediately on my return, +and stated in the third moon, with five hundred Sacs and Foxes, and one +hundred Iowas, and marched against the enemy. We continued our march for +many days before we came upon their trail, which was discovered late in +the day. We encamped for the night, made an early start next morning, +and before sundown we fell upon forty lodges, killed all the inhabitants +except two squaws, whom I took as prisoners. Doing this engagement I +killed seven men and two boys with my own hands. In this battle many of +the bravest warriors among the Osages were killed, which caused those +who yet remained of their nation to keep within the boundaries of their +own land and cease their aggressions upon our hunting grounds. + +The loss of my father, by the Cherokees, made me anxious to avenge his +death by the utter annihilation, if possible, of the last remnant of +their tribe. I accordingly commenced collecting another party to go +against them. Having succeeded in this, I started with my braves and +went into their country, but I found only five of their people, whom I +took prisoners. I afterwards released four of them, the other, a young +squaw, we brought home. Great as was my hatred of these people, I could +not kill so small a party. + +About the close of the ninth moon, I led a large party against the +Chippewas, Kaskaskias and Osages. This was the commencement of a long +and arduous campaign, which terminated in my thirty-fifth year, after +having had seven regular engagements and numerous small skirmishes. +During this campaign several hundred of the enemy were slain. I killed +thirteen of their bravest warriors with my own hands. + +Our enemies having now been driven from our hunting grounds, with so +great a loss as they sustained, we returned in peace to our village. +After the seasons of mourning and burying our dead braves and of +feasting and dancing had passed, we commenced preparations for our +winter's hunt. When all was ready we started on the chase and returned +richly laden with the fruits of the hunter's toil. + +We usually paid a visit to St. Louis every summer, but in consequence +of the long protracted war in which we had been engaged, I had not been +there for some years. + +Our difficulties all having been settled, I concluded to take a small +party and go down to see our Spanish father during the summer. We went, +and on our arrival put up our lodges where the market house now stands. +After painting and dressing we called to see our Spanish father and were +kindly received. He gave us a great variety of presents and an abundance +of provisions. We danced through the town as usual, and the inhabitants +all seemed well pleased. They seemed to us like brothers, and always +gave us good advice. On my next and last visit to our Spanish father, I +discovered on landing, that all was not right. Every countenance seemed +sad and gloomy. I inquired the cause and was informed that the Americans +were coming to take possession of the town and country, and that we were +to lose our Spanish father. This news made me and my band exceedingly +sad, because we had always heard bad accounts of the Americans from the +Indians who had lived near them. We were very sorry to lose our Spanish +father, who had always treated us 'with great friendship. + +A few days afterwards the Americans arrived. I, in company with my band, +went to take leave for the last time of our father. The Americans came +to see him also. Seeing their approach, we passed out at one door as +they came in at another. We immediately embarked in our canoes for our +village on Rock river, not liking the change any more than our friends +at St. Louis appeared to. + +On arriving at our village we gave out the news that a strange people +had taken possession of St. Louis and that we should never see our +generous Spanish father again. This information cast a deep gloom over +our people. + +Sometime afterwards a boat came up the river with a young American +chief, at that time Lieutenant, and afterwards General Pike, and a small +party of soldiers aboard. The boat at length arrived at Rock river and +the young chief came on shore with his interpreter. He made us a speech +and gave us some presents, in return for which we gave him meat and such +other provisions as we could spare. + +We were well pleased with the speech of the young chief. He gave us good +advice and said our American father would treat us well. He presented +us an American flag which we hoisted. He then requested us to lower +the _British colors_, which were waving in the air, and to give him our +British medals, promising to send others on his return to St: Louis. +This we declined to do as we wished to have two fathers. + +When the young chief started we sent runners to the village of the +Foxes, some miles distant, to direct them to treat him well as he +passed, which they did. He went to the head of the Mississippi and then +returned to St. Louis. We did not see any Americans again for some time, +being supplied with goods by British traders. + +We were fortunate in not giving up our medals, for we learned +afterwards, from our traders, that the chiefs high up the Mississippi, +who gave theirs, never received any in exchange for them. But the fault +was not with the young American chief. He was a good man, a great brave, +and I have since learned, died in his country's service. + +Some moons after this young chief had descended the Mississippi, one of +our people killed an American, was taken prisoner and was confined +in the prison at St. Louis for the offence. We held a council at +our village to see what could be done for him, and determined that +Quashquame, Pashepaho, Ouchequaka and Hashequarhiqua should go down to +St. Louis, see our American father and do all they could to have our +friend released by paying for the person killed, thus covering the blood +and satisfying the relations of the murdered man. This being the only +means with us for saving a person who had killed another, and we then +thought it was the same way with the whites. + +The party started with the good wishes of the whole nation, who had high +hopes that the emissaries would accomplish the object of their mission. +The relations of the prisoner blacked their faces and fasted, hoping the +Great Spirit would take pity on them and return husband and father to +his sorrowing wife and weeping children. + +Quashquame and party remained a long time absent. They at length +returned and encamped near the village, a short distance below it, and +did not come up that day, nor did any one approach their camp. They +appeared to be dressed in fine coats and had medals. From these +circumstances we were in hopes that they had brought good news. Early +the next morning the Council Lodge was crowded, Quashquame and party +came up and gave us the following account of their mission: + +On our arrival at St. Louis we met our American father and explained to +him our business, urging the release of our friend. The American chief +told us he wanted land. We agreed to give him some on the west side of +the Mississippi, likewise more on the Illinois side opposite Jeffreon. +When the business was all arranged we expected to have our friend +released to come home with us. About the time we were ready to start our +brother was let out of the prison. He started and ran a short distance +when he was SHOT DEAD! + +This was all they could remember of what had been said and done. It +subsequently appeared that they had been drunk the greater part of the +time while at St. Louis. + +This was all myself and nation knew of the treaty of 1804. It has since +been explained to me. I found by that treaty, that all of the country +east of the Mississippi, and south of Jeffreon was ceded to the United +States for one thousand dollars a year. I will leave it to the people of +the United States to say whether our nation was properly represented in +this treaty? Or whether we received a fair compensation for the extent +of country ceded by these four individuals? + +I could say much more respecting this treaty, but I will not at this +time. It has been the origin of all our serious difficulties with the +whites. + +Sometime after this treaty was made, a war chief with a party of +soldiers came up in keel boats, encamped a short distance above the +head of the Des Moines rapids, and commenced cutting timber and building +houses. The news of their arrival was soon carried to all our villages, +to confer upon which many councils were held. We could not understand +the intention, or comprehend the reason why the Americans wanted to +build homes at that place. We were told that they were a party of +soldiers, who had brought great guns with them, and looked like a war +party of whites. + +A number of people immediately went down to see what was going on, +myself among them. On our arrival we found that they were building a +fort. The soldiers were busily engaged in cutting timber, and I observed +that they took their arms with them when they went to the woods. The +whole party acted as they would do in an enemy's country. The chiefs +held a council with the officers, or head men of the party, which I did +not attend, but understood from them that the war chief had said that +they were building homes for a trader who was coming there to live, and +would sell us goods very cheap, and that the soldiers were to remain to +keep him company. We were pleased at this information ad hoped that it +was all true, but we were not so credulous as to believe that all these +buildings were intended merely for the accommodation of a trader. Being +distrustful of their intentions, we were anxious for them to leave off +building and go back down the river. + +By this time a considerable number of Indians had arrived to see what +was doing. I discovered that the whites were alarmed. Some of our young +men watched a party of soldiers, who went out to work, carrying their +arms, which were laid aside before they commenced. Having stolen quietly +to the spot they seized the guns and gave a wild yell! The party +threw down their axes and ran for their arms, but found them gone, and +themselves surrounded. Our young men laughed at them and returned their +weapons. + +When this party came to the fort they reported what had been done, +and the war chief made a serious affair of it. He called our chiefs to +council inside his fort. This created considerable excitement in our +camp, every one wanting to know what was going to be done. The picketing +which had been put up, being low, every Indian crowded around the fort, +got upon blocks of wood and old barrels that they might see what was +going on inside. Some were armed with guns and others with bows and +arrows. We used this precaution, seeing that the soldiers had their guns +loaded and having seen them load their big guns in the morning. + +A party of our braves commenced dancing and proceeded up to the +gate with the intention of, going in, but were stopped. The council +immediately broke up, the soldiers with their guns in hands rushed out +from the rooms where they had been concealed. The cannon were hauled to +the gateway, and a soldier came running with fire in his hand, ready to +apply the match. Our braves gave way and retired to the camp. There was +no preconcerted plan to attack the whites at that time, but I am of +the opinion now that had our braves got into the fort all of the whites +would have been killed, as were the British soldiers at Mackinac many +years before. + +We broke up our camp and returned to Rock river. A short time afterward +the party at the fort received reinforcements, among whom we observed +some of our old friends from St. Louis. + +Soon after our return from Fort Madison runners came to our village from +the Shawnee Prophet. Others were despatched by him to the village of +the Winnebagoes, with invitations for us to meet him on the Wabash. +Accordingly a party went from each village. + +All of our party returned, among whom came a prophet, who explained to +us the bad treatment the different nations of Indians had received from +the Americans, by giving them a few presents and taking their land from +them. + +I remember well his saying: "If you do not join your friends on the +Wabash, the Americans will take this very village from you!" I little +thought then that his words would come true, supposing that he used +these arguments merely to encourage us to join him, which we concluded +not to do. He then returned to the Wabash, where a party Of Winnebagoes +had preceded him, and preparations were making for war. A battle soon +ensued in which several Winnebagoes were killed. As soon as their nation +heard of this battle, and that some of their people had been killed, +they sent several war parties in different directions. One to the mining +county, one to Prairie du Chien, and another to Fort Madison. The latter +returned by our village and exhibited several scalps which they had +taken. Their success induced several parties to go against the fort. +Myself and several of my band joined the last party, and were determined +to take the fort. We arrived in the vicinity during the night. The spies +that we had sent out several days before to watch the movements of those +at the garrison, and ascertain their numbers, came to us and gave the +following information: "A keel arrived from below this evening with +seventeen men. There are about fifty men in the fort and they march out +every morning to exercise." It was immediately determined that we 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. + +The next day I took my rifle and shot in two the cord by which they +hoisted their flag, and prevented them from raising it again. We +continued firing until our ammunition was expended. Finding that we +could not take the fort, we returned home, having one Winnebago killed +and one wounded during the siege. + +I have since learned that the trader who lived in the fort, wounded +the Winnebago while he was scalping the first man that was killed. The +Winnebago recovered, and is now living, and is very friendly disposed +towards the trader, believing him to be a great brave. + +Soon after our return home, news reached us that a war was going to take +place between the British and the Americans. + +Runners continued to arrive from different tribes, all confirming the +reports of the expected war. The British agent, Colonel Dixon, was +holding talks with, and making presents to the different tribes. I had +not made up my mind whether to join the British or remain neutral. I had +not discovered yet one good trait in the character of the Americans who +had come to the country. They made fair promises but never fulfilled +them, while the British made but few, and we could always rely +implicitly on their word. + +One of our people having killed a Frenchman at Prairie du Chien, the +British took him prisoner and said they would shoot him next day. His +family were encamped a short distance below the mouth of the Wisconsin. +He begged for permission to go and see them that night, as he was to +die the next day. They permitted him to go after he had promised them to +return by sunrise the next morning. + +He visited his family, which consisted of his wife and six children. I +can not describe their meeting and parting so as to be understood by +the whites, as it appears that their feelings are acted upon by certain +rules laid down by their preachers, while ours are governed by the +monitor within us. He bade his loved ones the last sad farewell and +hurried across the prairie to the fort and arrived in time. The soldiers +were ready and immediately marched out and shot him down. I visited the +stricken family, and by hunting and fishing provided for them until they +reached their relations. + +Why did the Great Spirit ever send the whites to this island to drive +us from our homes and introduce among us poisonous liquors, disease and +death? They should have remained in the land the Great Spirit allotted +them. But I will proceed with my story. My memory, however, is not very +good since my late visit to the white people. I have still a buzzing +noise in my ear from the noise and bustle incident to travel. I may give +some parts of my story out of place, but will make my best endeavors to +be correct. + +Several of our chiefs were called upon to go to Washington to see our +Great Father. They started and during their absence I went to Peoria, +on the Illinois river, to see an old friend and get his advice. He was a +man who always told u the truth, sad knew everything that was going on. +When I arrived at Peoria he had gone to Chicago, and was not at home. I +visited the Pottawattomie villages and then returned to Rock river. Soon +after which our friends returned from their visit to the Great Father +and reported what had been said and done. Their Great Father told them +that in the event of a war taking place with England, not to interfere +on either side, but remain neutral. He did not want our help, but wished +us to hunt and supply our families, and remain in peace. He said that +British traders would not be allowed to come on the Mississippi to +furnish us with goods, but that we would be well supplied by an American +trader. Our chiefs then told him that the British traders always gave us +credit in the fall for guns, powder and goods, to enable us to hunt and +clothe our families. He replied that the trader at Fort Madison would +have plenty of goods, and if we should go there in the autumn of the +year, he would supply us on credit, as the British traders had done. The +party gave a good account of what they had seen and the kind treatment +they had received. This information pleased us all very much. We all +agreed to follow our Great Father's advice and not interfere in the +war. Our women were much pleased at the good news. Everything went on +cheerfully in our village. We resumed our pastimes of playing ball, +horse-racing and dancing, which had been laid aside when this great war +was first talked about. We had fine crops of corn which were now ripe, +and our women were busily engaged in gathering it and making caches to +contain it. + +In a short time we were ready to start to Fort Madison to get our +supply of goods, that we might proceed to our hunting grounds. We passed +merrily down the river, all in high spirits. I had determined to spend +the winter at my old favorite hunting ground on Skunk river. I left +part of my corn and mats at its mouth to take up as we returned and many +others did the same. + +The next morning we arrived at the fort and made our encampment. Myself +and principal men paid a visit to the war chief at the fort. He received +us kindly and gave us some tobacco, pipes and provisions. + +The trader came in and we all shook hands with him, for on him all our +dependence was placed, to enable us to hunt and thereby support our +families. We waited a long time, expecting the trader would tell us that +he had orders from our Great Father to supply us with goods, but he said +nothing on the subject. I got up and told him in a short speech what we +had come for, and hoped he had plenty of goods to supply us. I told him +that he should be well paid in the spring, and concluded by informing +him that we had decided to follow our Great Father's advice and not go +to war. + +He said that he was happy to hear that we had concluded to remain in +peace. That he had a large quantity of goods, and that if we had made +a good hunt we should be well supplied, but he remarked that he had +received no instructions to furnish us anything on credit, nor could he +give us any without receiving the pay for them on the spot! + +We informed him what our Great Father had told our chiefs at Washington, +and contended that he could supply us if he would, believing that our +Great Father always spoke the truth. The war chief said the trader could +not furnish us on credit, and that he had received no instructions from +our Great Father at Washington. We left the fort dissatisfied and went +to camp. What was now to be done we knew not. We questioned the party +that brought us the news from our Great Father, that we could get credit +for our winter supplies at this place. They still told the same story +and insisted on its truth. Few of us slept that night. All was gloom and +discontent. + +In the morning a canoe was seen descending the river, bearing an +express, who brought intelligence that La Gutrie, a British trader, had +landed at Rock Island with two boat loads of goods. He requested us +to come up immediately as he had good news for us, and a variety of +presents. The express presented us with tobacco, pipes and wampum. The +news ran through our camp like fire through dry grass on the prairie. +Our lodges were soon taken down and we all started for Rock Island. Here +ended all hopes of our remaining at peace, having been forced into war +by being deceived. + +Our party were not long in getting to Rock Island. When we came in sight +and saw tents pitched, we yelled, fired our guns and beat our drums. +Guns were immediately fired at the island, returning our salute, and a +British flag hoisted. We loaded, were cordially received by La Gutrie, +and then smoked the pipe with him. After which he made a speech to +us, saying that he had been sent by Col. Dixon. He gave us a number of +handsome presents, among them a large silk flag and a keg of rum. He +then told us to retire, take some refreshments and rest ourselves, as he +would have more to say to us next day. + +We accordingly retired to our lodges, which in the meantime had been put +up, and spent the night. The next morning we called upon him and told +him we wanted his two boat loads of goods to divide among our people, +for which he should be well paid in the spring in furs and peltries. He +consented for us to take them and do as we pleased with them. While our +people were dividing the goods, he took me aside and informed me that +Colonel Dixon was at Green Bay with twelve boats loaded with goods, guns +and ammunition. He wished to raise a party immediately and go to him. He +said our friend, the trader at Peoria, was collecting the Pottawattomies +and would be there before us. I communicated this information to my +braves, and a party of two hundred warriors were soon collected and +ready to depart. I paid a visit to the lodge of an old friend, who had +been the comrade of my youth, and had been in many war parties with me, +but was now crippled and no longer able to travel. He had a son that +I had adopted as my own, and who had hunted with me the two winters +preceding. I wished my old friend to let him go with me. He objected, +saying he could not get his support if he did attend me, and that I, +who had always provided for him since his misfortune, would be gone, +therefore he could not spare him as he had no other dependence. I +offered to leave my son in his stead but he refused to give his consent. +He said that he did not like the war, as he had been down the river and +had been well treated by the Americans and could not fight against them. +He had promised to winter near a white settler above Salt river, +and must take his son with him. We parted and I soon concluded my +arrangements and started with my party for Green Bay. On our arrival +there we found a large encampment; were well received by Colonel Dixon +and the war chiefs who were with him. He gave us plenty of provisions, +tobacco and pipes, saying that he would hold a council with us the next +day. In the encampment I found a great number of Kickapoos, Ottawas and +Winnebagoes. I visited all their camps and found them in high spirits. +They had all received new guns, ammunition and a variety of clothing. + +In the evening a messenger came to visit Colonel Dixon. I went to his +tent, in which them were two other war chiefs and an interpreter. He +received me with a hearty shake of the hand; presented me to the other +chiefs, who treated me cordially, expressing themselves as being much. +Pleased to meet me. After I was seated Colonel Dixon said: "General +Black Hawk, I sent for you to explain to you what we are going to do and +give you the reasons for our coming here. Our friend, La Gutrie, informs +us in the letter you brought from him, of what has lately taken place. +You will now have to hold us fast by the hand. Your English Father has +found out that the Americans want to take your country from you and has +sent me and my braves to drive them back to their own country. He has, +likewise, sent a large quantity of arms and ammunition, and we want all +your warriors to join us." + +He then placed a medal around my neck and gave me a paper, which I lost +in the late war, and a silk flag, saying: "You are to command all the +braves that will leave here the day after to-morrow, to join our braves +at Detroit." + +I told him I was very much disappointed, as I wanted to descend the +Mississippi and make war upon the settlements. He said he had been +ordered to lay in waste the country around St. Louis. But having been a +trader on the Mississippi for many years himself, and always having +been treated kindly by the people there, he could not send brave men +to murder helpless women and innocent children. There were no soldiers +there for us to fight, and where he was going to send us there were a +great many of them. If we defeated them the Mississippi country should +be ours. I was much pleased with this speech, as it was spoken by a +brave. + +I inquired about my old friend, the trader at Peoria, and observed, +"that I had expected that he would have been here before me." He shook +his head and said, "I have sent express after express for him, and have +offered him great sums of money to come and bring the Pottawatomies and +Kickapoos with him." He refused, saying, "Your British father has not +enough money to induce me to join you. I have now laid a trap for him. I +have sent Gomo and a party of Indians to take him prisoner and bring him +here alive. I expect him in a few days." + +The next day arms and ammunition, knives, tomahawks and clothing were +given to my band. We had a great feast in the evening, and the morning +following I started with about five hundred braves to join the British +army. We passed Chicago and observed that the fort had been evacuated +by the Americans, and their soldiers had gone to Fort Wayne. They +were attacked a short distance from the fort and defeated. They had a +considerable quantity of powder in the fort at Chicago, which they had +promised to the Indians, but the night before they marched away they +destroyed it by throwing it into a well. If they had fulfilled their +word to the Indians, they doubtless would have gone to Fort Wayne +without molestation. On our arrival, I found that the Indians had +several prisoners, and I advised them to treat them well. We continued +our march, joining the British below Detroit, soon after which we had a +battle. The Americans fought well, and drove us back with considerable +loss. I was greatly surprised at this, as I had been told that the +Americans would not fight. + +Our next movement was against a fortified place. I was stationed with my +braves to prevent any person going to, or coming from the fort. I found +two men taking care of cattle and took them prisoners. I would not kill +them, but delivered them to the British war chief. Soon after, several +boats came down the river fail of American soldiers. They landed on the +opposite side, took the British batteries, and pursued the soldiers that +had left them. They went too far without knowing the strength of the +British and were defeated. I hurried across the river, anxious for an +opportunity to show the courage of my braves, but before we reached the +scene of battle all was over. + +The British had taken many prisoners and the Indians were killing them. +I immediately put a stop to it, as I never thought it brave, but base +and cowardly to kill in unarmed and helpless foe. We remained here for +some time. I can not detail what took place, as I was stationed with my +braves in the woods. It appeared, however, that the British could not +take this fort, for we marched to another, some distance off. When we +approached it, I found a small stockade, and concluded that there were +not many men in it. The British war chief sent a flag of truce. Colonel +Dixon carried it, but soon returned, reporting that the young war chief +in command would not give up the fort without fighting. Colonel Dixon +came to me and said, "you will see to-morrow, how easily we will take +that fort." I was of the same opinion, but when the morning came I was +disappointed. The British advanced and commenced the attack, fighting +like true braves, but were defeated by the braves in the fort, and +a great number of our men were killed. The British army was making +preparations to retreat. I was now tired of being with them, our success +being bad, and having got no plunder. I determined on leaving them and +returning to Rock river, to see what had become of my wife and children, +as I had not heard from them since I left home. That night I took about +twenty of my braves, and left the British camp for home. On our journey +we met no one until we came to the Illinois river. Here we found two +lodges of Pottawattomies. They received us in a very friendly manner, +and gave us something to eat. I inquired about their friends who were +with the British. They said there had been some fighting on the Illinois +river, and that my friend, the Peoria trader, had been taken prisoner. +"By Gomo and his party?" I immediately inquired. They replied, "no, but +by the Americans, who came up with boats. They took him and the French +settlers prisoners, and they burned the village of Peoria." They could +give us no information regarding our friends on Rock river. In three +days more we were in the vicinity of our village, and were soon after +surprised to find that a party of Americans had followed us from the +British camp. One of them, more daring than his comrades, had made his +way through the thicket on foot, and was just in the act of shooting me +when I discovered him. I then ordered him to surrender, marched him +into camp, and turned him over to a number of our young men with this +injunction: "Treat him as a brother, as I have concluded to adopt him in +our tribe." + +A little while before this occurrence I had directed my party to proceed +to the village, as I had discovered a smoke ascending from a hollow in +the bluff, and wished to go alone to the place from whence the smoke +proceeded, to see who was there. I approached the spot, and when I came +in view of the fire, I saw an old man sitting in sorrow beneath a mat +which he had stretched over him. At any other time I would have turned +away without disturbing him, knowing that he came here to be alone, to +humble himself before the Great Spirit, that he might take pity on him. +I approached and seated myself beside him. He gave one look at me and +then fixed his eyes on the ground. It was my old friend. I anxiously +inquired for his son, my adopted child, and what had befallen our +people. My old comrade seemed scarcely alive. He must have fasted a long +time. I lighted my pipe and put it into his mouth. He eagerly drew a few +puffs, cast up his eyes which met mine, and recognized me. His eyes +were glassy and he would again have fallen into forgetfulness, had I +not given him some water, which revived him. I again inquired, "what has +befallen our people, and what has become of our son?" + +In a feeble voice he said, "Soon after your departure to join the +British, I descended the river with a small party, to winter at the +place I told you the white man had asked me to come to. When we arrived +I found that a fort had been built, and the white family that had +invited me to come and hunt near them had removed to it. I then paid +a visit to the fort to tell the white people that my little band were +friendly, and that we wished to hunt in the vicinity of the fort. +The war chief who commanded there, told me that we might hunt on the +Illinois side of the Mississippi, and no person would trouble us. That +the horsemen only ranged on the Missouri side, and he had directed them +not to cross the river. I was pleased with this assurance of safety, and +immediately crossed over and made my winter's camp. Game was plenty. We +lived happy, and often talked of you. My boy regretted your absence +and the hardships you would have to undergo. We had been here about two +moons, when my boy went out as usual to hunt. Night came on and he did +not return. I was alarmed for his safety and passed a sleepless night. +In the morning my old woman went to the other lodges and gave the alarm +and all turned out to hunt for the missing one. There being snow upon +the ground they soon came upon his track, and after pursuing it for +some distance, found he was on the trail of a deer, which led toward +the river. They soon came to the place where he had stood and fired, and +near by, hanging on the branch of a tree, found the deer, which he had +killed and skinned. But here were also found the tracks of white men. +They had taken my boy prisoner. Their tracks led across the river and +then down towards the fort. My friends followed on the trail, and soon +found my boy lying dead. He had been most cruelly murdered. His face was +shot to pieces, his body stabbed in several places and his head scalped. +His arms were pinioned behind him." + +The old man paused for some time, and then told me that his wife had +died on their way up the Mississippi. I took the hand of my old friend +in mine and pledged myself to avenge the death of his son. It was now +dark, and a terrible storm was raging. The rain was descending in heavy +torrents, the thunder was rolling in the heavens, and the lightning +flashed athwart the sky. I had taken my blanket off and wrapped it +around the feeble old man. When the storm abated I kindled a fire and +took hold of my old friend to remove him nearer to it. He was dead! I +remained with him during the night. Some of my party came early in the +morning to look for me, and assisted me in burying him on the peak of +the bluff. I then returned to the village with my friends. I visited the +grave of my old friend as I ascended Rock river the last time. + +On my arrival at the village I was met by the chiefs and braves and +conducted to the lodge which was prepared for me. After eating, I gave +a fall account of all that I had seen and done. I explained to my +people the manner in which the British and Americans fought. Instead of +stealing upon each other and taking every advantage to kill the enemy +and save their own people as we do, which, with us is considered +good policy in a war chief, they march out in open daylight and fight +regardless of the number of warriors they may lose. After the battle +is over they retire to feast and drink wine as if nothing had happened. +After which they make a statement in writing of what they have done, +each party claiming the victory, and neither giving an account of half +the number that have been killed on their own side They all fought like +braves, but would not do to lead a party with us. Our maxim is: "Kill +the enemy and save our own men." Those chiefs will do to paddle a canoe +but not to steer it. The Americans shot better than the British, but +their soldiers were not so well clothed, nor so well provided for. + +The village chief informed me that after I started with my braves and +the parties who followed, the nation was reduced to a small party of +fighting men; that they would have been unable to defend themselves if +the Americans had attacked them. That all the children and old men and +women belonging to the warriors who had joined the British were left +with them to provide for. A council had been called which agreed that +Quashquame, the Lance, and other chiefs, with the old men, women and +children, and such others as chose to accompany them, should descend the +Mississippi to St. Louis, and place themselves under the American chief +stationed there. They accordingly went down to St. Louis, were received +as the friendly band of our nation, were sent up the Missouri and +provided for, while their friends were assisting the British! + +Keokuk was then introduced to me as the war chief of the braves then in +the village. I inquired how he had become chief? They said that a large +armed force was seen by their spies going toward Peoria. Fears were +entertained that they would come up and attack the village and a council +had been called to decide as to the best course to be adopted, which +concluded upon leaving the village and going to the west side of the +Mississippi to get out of the way. Keokuk, during the sitting of the +council, had been standing at the door of the lodge, not being allowed +to enter, as he had never killed an enemy, where he remained until old +Wacome came out. He then told him that he heard what they had decided +upon, and was anxious to be permitted to speak before the council +adjourned. Wacome returned and asked leave for Keokuk to come in and +make a speech. His request was granted. Keokuk entered and addressed the +chiefs. He said: "I have heard with sorrow that you have determined to +leave our village and cross the Mississippi, merely because you have +been told that the Americans were coming in this direction. Would you +leave our village, desert our homes and fly before an enemy approaches? +Would you leave all, even the graves of our fathers, to the mercy of an +enemy without trying to defend them? Give me charge of your warriors and +I'll defend the village while you sleep in safety." + +The council consented that Keokuk should be war chief. He marshalled +his braves, sent out his spies and advanced with a party himself on +the trail leading to Peoria. They returned without seeing an enemy. +The Americans did not come by our village. All were satisfied with the +appointment of Keokuk. He used every precaution that our people should +not be surprised. This is the manner in which and the cause of his +receiving the appointment. + +I was satisfied, and then started to visit my wife and children. I found +them well, and my boys were growing finely. It is not customary for +us to say much about our women, as they generally perform their part +cheerfully and never interfere with business belonging to the men. This +is the only wife I ever had or ever will have. She is a good woman, and +teaches my boys to be brave. Here I would have rested myself and enjoyed +the comforts of my lodge, but I could not. I had promised to avenge the +death of my adopted son. + +I immediately collected a party of thirty braves, and explained to them +the object of my making this war party, it being to avenge the death +of my adopted son, who had been cruelly and wantonly murdered by the +whites. I explained to them the pledge I had made to his father, and +told them that they were the last words that he had heard spoken. All +were willing to go with me to fulfill my word. We started in canoes, +and descended the Mississippi, until we arrived ear the place where Fort +Madison had stood. It had been abandoned and burned by the whites, and +nothing remained but the chimneys. We were pleased to see that the white +people had retired from the country. We proceeded down the river again. +I landed with one brave near Cape Gray, the remainder of the party went +to the mouth of the Quiver. I hurried across to the tail that led from +the mouth of the Quiver to a fort, and soon after heard firing at the +mouth of the creek. Myself and brave concealed ourselves on the side +of the road. We had not remained here long before two men, riding one +horse, came at full speed from the direction of the sound of the firing. +When they came sufficiently near we fired; the horse jumped and both men +fell. We rushed toward them and one rose and ran. I followed him and was +gaining on him, when he ran over a pile of rails that had lately been +made, seized a stick and struck at me. I now had an opportunity to see +his face, and I knew him. He had been at Qaashquame's village to teach +his people how to plow. We looked upon him as a good man. I did not wish +to kill him, and pursued him no further. I returned and met my brave. He +said he had killed the other man and had his scalp in his hand. We had +not proceeded far before we met the man supposed to be killed, coming +up the road, staggering like a drunken man, and covered all over with +blood. This was the most terrible sight I had ever seen. I told my +comrade to kill him to put him out of his misery. I could not look at +him. I passed on and heard a rustling in the bushes. I distinctly saw +two little boys concealing themselves in the undergrowth, thought of +my own children, and passed on without noticing them. My comrade here +joined me, and in a little while we met the other detachment of our +party. I told them that we would be pursued, and directed them to follow +me. We crossed the creek and formed ourselves in the timber. We had not +been here long, when a party of mounted men rushed at full speed upon +us. I took deliberate aim and shot the leader of the party. He fell +lifeless from his horse. All my people fired, but without effect. The +enemy rushed upon us without giving us time to reload. They surrounded us +and forced us into a deep sink-hole, at the bottom of which there were +some bushes. We loaded our gum and awaited the approach of the enemy. +They rushed to the edge of the hole, fired on us and killed one of our +men. We instantly returned their fire, killing one of their party. We +reloaded and commenced digging holes in the side of the bank to protect +ourselves, while a party watched the enemy, expecting their whole force +would be upon us immediately. Some of my warriors commenced singing +their death songs. I heard the whites talking, and called to them to +come out and fight. I did not like my situation and wished the matter +settled. I soon heard chopping and knocking. I could not imagine what +they were doing. Soon after they ran up a battery on wheels and fired +without hurting any of us. I called to them again, and told them if +they were brave men to come out and fight us. They gave up the siege and +returned to their fort about dusk. There were eighteen in this trap with +me. We came out unharmed, with the exception of the brave who was killed +by the enemy's fist fire, after we were entrapped. We found one white +man dead at the edge of the sink-hole, whom they did not remove for fear +of our fire, and scalped him, placing our dead brave upon him, thinking +we could not leave him in a better situation than on the prostrate form +of a fallen foe. + +We had now effected our purpose and concluded to go back by land, +thinking it unsafe to use our canoes. I found my wife and children, and +the greater part of our people, at the mouth of the Iowa river. I now +determined to remain with my family and hunt for them, and to humble +myself before the Great Spirit, returning thanks to him for preserving +me through the war. I made my hunting camp on English river, which is +a branch of the Iowa. During the winter a party of Pottawattomies came +from the Illinois to pay me a visit, among them was Washeown, an old man +who had formerly lived in our village. He informed as that in the fall +the Americans had built a fort at Peoria and had prevented them from +going down the Sangamon to hunt. He said they were very much distressed. +Gomo had returned from the British army, and brought news of their +defeat near Malden. He told us that he went to the American chief with +a flag, gave up fighting, and told him he desired to make peace for his +nation. The American chief gave him a paper to the war chief at Peoria, +and I visited that fort with Gomo. It was then agreed that there should +be no more hostilities between the Americans and the Pottawattomies. Two +of the white chiefs, with eight Pottawattomie braves, and five others, +Americans, had gone down to St. Louis to have the treaty of peace +confirmed. This, said Washeown, is good news; for we can now go to our +hunting grounds, and, for my part, I never had anything to do with this +war. The Americans never killed any of our people before the war, +nor interfered with our hunting grounds, and I resolved to do nothing +against them. I made no reply to these remarks as the speaker was old +and talked like a child. + +We gave the Pottawattomies a great feast. I presented Washeown with a +good horse. My braves gave one to each of his party, and, at parting, +said they wished us to make peace, which we did not promise, but told +them that we would not send out war parties against the settlements. + +A short time after the Pottawattomies had gone, a party of thirty braves +belonging to our nation, from the peace camp on the Missouri, paid us a +visit. They exhibited five scalps which they had taken on the Missouri, +and wished us to join in a dance over them, which we willingly did. +They related the manner in which they had taken these scalps. Myself and +braves showed them the two we had taken near the Quiver, and told them +the cause that induced us to go out with the war party, as well as +the manner in which we took these scalps, and the difficulty we had in +obtaining them. + +They recounted to us all that had taken place, the number that had been +slain by the peace party, as they were called and recognized to be, +which far surpassed what our warriors, who had joined the British, had +done. This party came for the purpose of joining the British, but I +advised them to return to the peace party, and told them the news +which the Pottawattomies had brought. They returned to the Missouri, +accompanied by some of my braves whose families were there. + +After "sugar-making" was over in the spring, I visited the Fox village +at the lead mines. They had nothing to do with the war, and consequently +were not in mourning. I remained there some days, spending my time very +pleasantly with them in dancing and feasting. I then paid a visit to the +Pottawattomie village on the Illinois river, and learned that Sanatuwa +and Tatapuckey had been to St. Louis. Gomo told me that "peace had been +made between his people and the Americans, and that seven of his band +remained with the war chief to make the peace stronger." He then told +me: "Washeown is dead! He had gone to the fort to carry some wild fowl +to exchange for tobacco, pipes and other articles. He had secured some +tobacco and a little flour, and left the fort before sunset, but had +not proceeded far when he was _shot dead_ by a white war chief, who had +concealed himself near the path for that purpose. He then dragged him +to the lake and threw him in, where I afterwards found him. I have since +given two homes and a rifle to his relatives, not to break the peace, to +which they have agreed." + +I remained for some time at the village of Gomo, and went with him to +the fort to pay a visit to the war chief. I spoke the Pottawattomie +tongue well, and was taken for one of their people by him. He treated +us friendly, and said he was very much displeased about the murder of' +Washeown. He promised us he would find out and punish the person who +killed him. He made some inquiries about the Sacs, which I answered. +On my return to Rock river, I was informed that a party of soldiers +had gone up the Mississippi to build a fort at Prairie du Chien. They +stopped near our village, appearing very friendly, and were treated +kindly by our people. + +We commenced repairing our lodges, putting our village in order, and +clearing our cornfields. We divided the fields belonging to the party on +the Missouri among those who wanted them, on condition that they +should be relinquished to their owners on their return from the peace +establishment. We were again happy in our village. Our women went +cheerfully to work and all moved on harmoniously. + +Some time afterward, five or six boats arrived loaded with soldiers on +their way to Prairie du Chien to reinforce the garrison at that place. +They appeared friendly and were well received, and we held a council +with the war chief. We had no intention of hurting him or any of his +party, for we could easily have defeated them. They remained with us +all day and gave oar people plenty of whisky. Doing the night a party +arrived, by way of Rock river, who brought us six kegs of powder. They +told us that the British had gone to Prairie du Chien and taken the +fort. They wished us to again join them in the war, which we agreed to +do. I collected my warriors and determined to pursue the boats, which +had sailed with a fair wind. If we had known the day before, we could +easily have taken them all, as the war chief used no precaution to +prevent it. + +I started immediately with my party, by land, in pursuit, thinking that +some of their boats might get aground, or that the Great Spirit would +put them in our power, if he wished them taken and their people killed. +About half way up the rapids I had a full view of the boats all sailing +with a strong wind. I discovered that one boat was badly managed, and +was suffered to be drawn ashore by the wind. They landed by running +hard aground and lowered their sail. The others passed on. This boat the +Great Spirit gave to us. All that could, hurried aboard, but they were +unable to push off, being fast aground. We advanced to the river's bank +undercover, and commenced firing on the boat. I encouraged my braves +to continue firing. Several guns were fired from the boat, but without +effect. I prepared my bow and arrows to throw fire to the sail, which +was lying on the boat. After two or three attempts, I succeeded in +setting it on fire. The boat was soon in flames. About this time, one of +the boats that had passed returned, dropped anchor and swung in close to +one which was on fire, taking off all the people except those who were +killed or badly wounded. We could distinctly see them passing from one +boat to the other, and fired on them with good effect. We wounded the +war chief in this way. Another boat now came down, dropped her anchor, +which did not take hold, and drifted whore. The other boat cut her cable +and drifted down the river, leaving their comrades without attempting to +assist them. We then commenced an attack upon this boat, firing several +rounds, which was not returned. We thought they were afraid or only had +a few aboard. I therefore ordered a rush toward the boat, but when we +got near enough they fired, killing two of our braves--these being all +we lost in the engagement. Some of their men jumped out and shoved the +boat off, and thus got away without losing a man. I had a good opinion +of this war chief, as he managed so much better than the others. It +would give me pleasure to shake him by the hand. + +We now put out the fire on the captured boat to save the cargo, when +a skiff was seen coming down the river. Some of our people cried out, +"Here comes an express from Prairie du Chien." We hoisted the British +flag, but they would not land. They turned their little boat around, and +rowed up the river. We directed a few shots at them, but they were so +far off that we could not hurt them. I found several barrels of whisky +on the captured boat, knocked in the heads and emptied the bad medicine +late the river. I next found a box full of small bottles and packages, +which appeared to be bad medicine also, such as the medicine men kill +the white people with when they are sick. This I threw into the river. +Continuing my search for plunder, I found several guns, some large +barrels filled with clothing, and a number of cloth lodges, all of +which I distributed among my warriors. We now disposed of the dead, and +returned to the Fox village opposite the lower end of Rock Island, where +we put up our new lodges, and hoisted the British flag. A great many of +our braves were dressed in the uniform clothing which we had taken from +the Americans, which gave our encampment the appearance of a regular +camp of soldiers. We placed out sentinels and commenced dancing over the +scalps we had taken. Soon after several boats passed down, among them +a very large one carrying big guns. Our young men followed them some +distance, but could do them no damage more than scare them. We were now +certain that the fort at Prairie du Chien had been taken, as this large +boat went up with the first party who built the fort. + +In the course of the day some of the British came down in a small boat. +They had followed the large one, thinking it would get fast in the +rapids, in which case they were sure of taking her. They had summoned +her on her way down to surrender, but she refused to do so, and now, +that she had passed the rapids in safety, all hope of taking her had +vanished. The British landed a big gun and gave us three soldiers to +manage it. They complimented us for our bravery in taking the boat, and +told us what they had done at Prairie do Chien. They gave us, a keg of +rum, and joined with us in our dancing and feasting. We gave them some +things which we had taken from the boat, particularly books and papers. +They started the next morning, promising to return in a few days with a +large body of soldiers. + +We went to work under the direction of the men left with us, and dug +up the ground in two places to put the big gun in, that the men might +remain in with it and be safe. We then sent spies down the river to +reconnoitre, who sent word by a runner that several boats were coming +up filled with men. I marshalled my forces and was soon ready for their +arrival. I resolved to fight, as we had not yet had a fair fight with +the Americans during the war. The boats arrived in the evening, stopping +at a small willow island, nearly opposite to us. During the night we +removed our big gun further down, and at daylight next morning commenced +firing. We were pleased to see that almost every shot took effect. The +British being good gunners, rarely missed. They pushed off as quickly as +possible, although I had expected they would land and give us battle. I +was fully prepared to meet them but was sadly disappointed by the boats +all sailing down the river. A party of braves followed to watch where +they landed, but they did not stop until they got below the Des Moines +rapids, where they came ashore and commenced building a fort. I did not +want a fort in our country, as we wished to go down to the Two River +country in the fall and hunt, it being our choice hunting ground, and +we concluded that if this fort was built, it would prevent us from going +there. We arrived in the vicinity in the evening, and encamped on a high +bluff for the night. We made no fire, for fear of being observed, and +our young men kept watch by turns while others slept. I was very tired, +and was soon asleep. The Great Spirit, during my slumber, told me to +go down the bluff to a creek, that I would there find a hollow tree cut +down, and by looking in at the top of it, I would see a large snake with +head erect--to observe the direction he was looking, and I would see the +enemy close by and unarmed. In the morning I communicated to my braves +what the Great Spirit had said to me, took one of them and went down a +ravine that led to the creek. I soon came in sight of the place where +they were building the fort, which was on a hill at the opposite side +of the creek. I saw a great many men. We crawled cautiously on our hands +and knees until we got to the bottom land, then through the grass and +weeds until we reached the bank of the creek. Here I found a tree that +had been cut down; I looked in at the top of it and saw a large +snake, with his head raised, looking across the creek. I raised myself +cautiously, and discovered nearly opposite to me, two war chiefs walking +arm in arm, without guns. They turned and walked back toward the place +where the men were working at the fort. In a little while they returned, +walking directly towards the spot where we lay concealed, but did not +come so near as before. If they had they would have been killed, for +each of us had a good rifle. We crossed the creek and crawled to a +cluster of bushes. I again raised myself a little to see if they were +coming; but they went into the fort, and by this they saved their lives. + +We recrossed the creek and I returned alone, going up the same ravine I +came down. My brave went down the creek, and I, on raising the brow of +a hill to the left of the one we came down, could plainly see the men +at work. I saw a sentinel walking in the bottom near the mouth of the +creek. I watched him attentively, to see if he perceived my companion, +who had gone toward him. The sentinel stopped for some time and looked +toward where my brave was concealed. He walked first one way and then +the other. + +I observed my brave creeping towards him, at last he lay still for a +while, not even moving the grass, and as the sentinel turned to walk +away, my brave fired and he fell. I looked towards the fort, and saw the +whites were in great confusion, running wildly in every direction, some +down the steep bank toward a boat. My comrade joined me, we returned +to the rest of the party and all hurried back to Rock river, where we +arrived in safety at our village. I hung up my medicine bag, put away my +rifle and spear, feeling as if I should want them no more, as I had no +desire to raise other war parties against the whites unless they gave me +provocation. Nothing happened worthy of note until spring, except +that the fort below the rapids had been abandoned and burned by the +Americans. + +Soon after I returned from my wintering ground we received information +that peace had been made between the British and Americans, and that we +were required to make peace also, and were invited to go down to Portage +des Sioux, for that purpose. Some advised that we should go down, others +that we should not. Nomite, our principal civil chief, said he would go, +as soon as the Foxes came down from the mines. + +They came and we all started from Rock river, but we had not gone far +before our chief was taken sick and we stopped with him at the village +on Henderson river. The Foxes went on and we were to follow as soon as +our chief got better, but he rapidly became worse and soon died. His +brother now became the principal chief. He refused to go down, saying, +that if he started, he would be taken sick and die as his brother had +done. This seemed to be reasonable, so we concluded that none of us +would go at this time. The Foxes returned. They said, "we have smoked +the pipe of peace with our enemies, and expect that the Americans will +send a war party against you if you do not go down." This I did not +believe, as the Americans had always lost by their armies that were sent +against us. La Gutrie and other British traders arrived at our village +in the fall. La Gutrie told us that we must go down and make peace, as +this was the wish of our English father. He said he wished us to go down +to the Two River country to winter, where game was plenty, as there had +been no hunting there for several years. + +Having heard the principal war chief had come up with a number of +troops, and commenced the erection of a fort near the Rapids des Moines, +we consented to go down with the traders to visit the American chief, +and tell him the reason why we had not been down sooner. When we arrived +at the head of the rapids, the traders left their goods, and all of +their boats with one exception, in which they accompanied us to see the +Americans. We visited the war chief on board his boat, telling him +what we had to say, and explaining why we had not been down sooner. He +appeared angry and talked to La Gutrie for some time. I inquired of him +what the war chief said. He told me that he was threatening to hang him +up to the yard arm of his boat. "But" said he, "I am not afraid of what +he says. He dare not put his threats into execution. I have done no more +than I had a right to do a. a British subject." + +I then addressed the chief, asking permission for ourselves and some +Menomonees, to go down to the Two River country for the purpose of +hunting. He said we might go down but must return before the ice came, +as he did not intend that we should winter below the fort. "But," he +inquired, "what do you want the Menomonee to go with you for?" + +I did not know at first what reply to make, but told him that they had a +great many pretty squaws with them, and we wished them to go with us on +that account. He consented. We all went down the river and remained all +winter, as we had no intention of returning before spring when we asked +leave to go. We made a good hunt. Having loaded our trader's boats with +furs and peltries, they started to Mackinac, and we returned to our +village. + +There is one circumstance that I did not relate at the proper place. +It has no reference to myself or people, but to my friend Gomo, the +Pottawattomie chief. He came to Rock river to pay me a visit, and during +his stay he related to me the following story: + +"The war chief at Peoria is a very good man. He always speaks the truth +and treats our people well. He sent for me one day, told me he was +nearly out of provisions, and wished me to send my young men hunting to +supply his fort. I promised to do so, immediately returned to my camp +and told my young men the wishes and wants of the war chief. They +readily agreed to go and hurt for our friend and returned with plenty +of deer. They carried them to the fort, laid them down at the gate and +returned to our camp. A few days afterward I went again to the fort to +see if they wanted any more meat. The chief gave me powder and lead +and said he wanted, me to send my hunters out again. When I returned to +camp, I told my young men that the chief wanted more meat. Matatah, one +of my principal braves, said he would take a party and go across the +Illinois, about one day's travel, where game was plenty, and make a good +hunt for our friend the war chief. He took eight hunters with him, and +his wife and several other squaws went with them. They had travelled +about half the day in the prairie when they discovered a party of white +men coming towards them with a drove of cattle. Our hunters apprehended +no danger or they would have kept out of the way of the whites, who had +not yet perceived them. Matatah changed his course, as he wished to meet +and speak to the whites. As soon as the whites saw our party, some of +them put off at full speed, and came up to our hunters. Matatah gave up +his gun to them, and endeavored to explain to them that he was friendly +and was hunting for the war chief. They were not satisfied with this but +fired at and wounded him. He got into the branches of a tree that had +blown down, to keep the horses from running over him. He was again +fired on several times and badly wounded. He, finding that he would be +murdered, and, mortally wounded already, sprang at the man nearest him, +seized his gun and shot him from his horse. He then fell, covered with +blood from his wounds, and immediately expired. The other hunters being +in the rear of Matatah attempted to escape, after seeing their leader so +basely murdered by the whites. They were pursued and nearly all of the +party killed. My youngest brother brought me the news in the night, he +having been with the party and was slightly wounded. He said the whites +had abandoned their cattle and gone back towards the settlement. The +rest of the night we spent in mourning for our friends. At daylight I +blacked my face and started for the fort to see the chief. I met him at +the gate and told him what had happened. His countenance changed and I +could see sorrow depicted in it for the death of my people. He tried to +persuade me that I was mistaken, as he could not believe that the whites +would act so cruelly. But when I convinced him, he said to me, 'those +cowards who murdered your people shall be punished.' I told him that my +people would have revenge, that they would not trouble any of his people +at the fort, as we did not blame him or any of his soldiers, but that +a party of my braves would go towards the Wabash to avenge the death +of their friends and relations. The next day I took a party of hunters, +killed several deer, and left them at the fort gate as I passed." + +Here Gomo ended his story. I could relate many similar ones that have +come within my own knowledge and observation, but I dislike to look back +and bring on sorrow afresh. I will resume my narrative. + +The great chief at St. Louis having sent word for us to come down and +confirm the treaty, we did not hesitate, but started immediately that +we might smoke the peace pipe with him. On our arrival we met the great +chiefs in council. They explained to us the words of our Great Father +at Washington, accusing us of heinous crimes and many misdemeanors, +particularly in not coming down when first invited. We knew very well +that our Great Father had deceived us and thereby forced us to join +the British, and could not believe that he had put this speech into the +mouths of those chiefs to deliver to us. I was not a civil chief and +consequently made no reply, but our civil chiefs told the commissioner +that, "What you say is a lie. Our Great Father sent us no such speech, +he knew that the situation in which we had been placed was caused by +him." The white chiefs appeared very angry at this reply and said, "We +will break off the treaty and make war against you, as you have grossly +insulted us." + +Our chiefs had no intention of insulting them and told them so, saying, +"we merely wish to explain that you have told us a lie, without any +desire to make you angry, in the same manner that you whites do when +you do not believe what is told you." The council then proceeded and the +pipe of peace was smoked. + +Here for the first time, I touched the goose quill to the treaty not +knowing, however, that, by the act I consented to give away my village. +Had that been explained to me I should have opposed it and never would +have signed their treaty, as my recent conduct will clearly prove. + +What do we know of the manners, the laws, and the customs of the white +people? They might buy our bodies for dissection, and we would touch the +goose quill to confirm it and not know what we were doing. This was the +case with me and my people in touching the goose quill for the first +time. + +We can only judge of what is proper and right by our standard of what +is right and wrong, which differs widely from the whites, if I have been +correctly informed. The whites may do wrong all their lives, and then if +they are sorry for it when about to die, all is well, but with us it is +different. We must continue to do good throughout our lives. If we have +corn and meat, and know of a family that have none, we divide with them. +If we have more blankets than we absolutely need, and others have not +enough, we must give to those who are in want. But I will presently +explain our customs and the manner in which we live. + +We were treated friendly by the whites and started on our return to our +village on Rock river. When we arrived we found that the troops had +come to build a fort on Rock Island. This, in our opinion, was a +contradiction to what we had done--"to prepare for war in time of +peace." We did not object, however, to their building their fort on +the island, but were very sorry, as this was the best one on the +Mississippi, and had long been the resort of our young people during +the summer. It was our garden, like the white people have near their +big villages, which supplied us with strawberries, blackberries, +gooseberries, plums, apples and nuts of different kinds. Being situated +at the foot of the rapids its waters supplied us with the finest fish. +In my early life I spent many happy days on this island. A good spirit +had charge of it, which lived in a cave in the rocks immediately under +the place where the fort now stands. This guardian spirit has often been +seen by our people. It was white, with large wings like a swan's, but +ten times larger. We were particular not to make much noise in that part +of the island which it inhabited, for fear of disturbing it. But the +noise at the fort has since driven it away, and no doubt a bad spirit +has taken its place. + +Our village was situated on the north side of Rock river, at the foot of +the rapids, on the point of land between Rock river and the Mississippi. + +In front a prairie extended to the Mississippi, and in the rear a +continued bluff gently ascended from the prairie. + + + + +BLACK HAWK'S TOWER. + +On its highest peak our Watch Tower was situated, from which we had a +fine view for many miles up and down Rock river, and in every direction. +On the side of this bluff we had our corn fields, extending about two +miles up parallel with the larger river, where they adjoined those of +the Foxes, whose village was on the same stream, opposite the lower end +of Rock Island, and three miles distant from ours. We had eight hundred +acres in cultivation including what we had on the islands in Rock river. +The land around our village which remained unbroken, was covered with +blue-grass which furnished excellent pasture for our horses. Several +fine springs poured out of the bluff near by, from which we were well +supplied with good water. The rapids of Rock river furnished us with +an abundance of excellent fish, and the land being very fertile, never +failed to produce good crops of corn, beans, pumpkins and squashes. We +always had plenty; our children never cried from hunger, neither were +our people in want. Here our village had stood for more than a hundred +years, during all of which time we were the undisputed possessors of the +Mississippi valley, from the Wisconsin to the Portage des Sioux, near +the mouth of the Missouri, being about seven hundred miles in length. + +At this time we had very little intercourse with the whites except those +who were traders. Our village was healthy, and there was no place in +the country possessing such advantages, nor hunting grounds better than +those we had in possession. If a prophet had come to our village in +those days and told us that the things were to take place which have +since come to pass, none of our people would have believed him. What! to +be driven from our village, and our hunting grounds, and not even to be +permitted to visit the graves of our forefathers and relatives and our +friends? + +This hardship is not known to the whites. With us it is a custom to +visit the graves of our friends and keep them in repair for many years. +The mother will go alone to weep over the grave of her child. The +brave, with pleasure, visits the grave of his father, after he has been +successful in war, and repaints the post that marks where he lies. There +is no place like that where the bones of our forefathers lie to go to +when in grief. Here prostrate by the tombs of our fathers will the Great +Spirit take pity on us. + +But how different is our situation now from what it was in those happy +days. Then were we as happy as the buffalo on the plains, but now, we +are as miserable as the hungry wolf on the prairie. But I am digressing +from my story. Bitter reflections crowd upon my mind and must find +utterance. + +When we returned to our village in the spring, from our wintering +grounds, we would finish bartering with our traders, who always followed +us to our village. We purposely kept some of our fine furs for this +trade, and, as there was great opposition among them, who should get +these furs, we always got our goods cheap. After this trade was met, the +traders would give us a few kegs of rum, which were generally promised +in the fall, to encourage us to make a good hunt and not go to war. They +would then start with their furs and peltries, for their homes, and our +old men would take a frolic. At this time our young men never drank. +When this was ended, the next thing to be done was to bury our dead; +such as had died during the year. This is a great medicine feast. +The relations of those who have died, give all the goods they have +purchased, as presents to their friends, thereby reducing themselves to +poverty, to show the Great Spirit that they are humble, so that he will +take pity on them. We would next open the caches, take out the corn +and other provisions which had been put up in the fall. We would then +commence repairing our lodges. As soon as this was accomplished, we +repair the fences around our corn fields and clean them off ready for +planting. This work was done by the women. The men during this time are +feasting on dried venison, bear's meat, wild fowl and corn prepared in +different ways, while recounting to one another what took place during +the winter. + +Our women plant the corn, and as soon as they are done we make a feast, +at which we dance the crane dance in which they join us, dressed in +their most gaudy attire, and decorated with feathers. At this feast the +young men select the women they wish to have for wives. He then informs +his mother, who calls on the mother of the girl, when the necessary +arrangements are made and the time appointed for him to come. He goes to +the lodge when all are asleep, or pretend to be, and with his flint and +steel strikes a light and soon finds where his intended sleeps. He then +awakens her, holds the light close to his face that she may know him, +after which he places the light close to her. If she blows it out the +ceremony is ended and he appears in the lodge next morning as one of +the family. If she does not blow out the light, but leaves it burning he +retires from the lodge. The next day he places himself in full view of +it and plays his flute. The young women go out one by one to see who he +is playing for. The tune changes to let them know he is not playing for +them. When his intended makes her appearance at the door, he continues +his courting tune until she returns to the lodge. He then quits playing +and makes another trial at night which mostly turns out favorable. +During the first year they ascertain whether they can agree with each +other and be happy, if not they separate and each looks for another +companion. If we were to live together and disagree, we would be as +foolish as the whites. No indiscretion can banish a woman from her +parental lodge; no difference how many children she may bring home she +is always welcome--the kettle is over the fire to feed them. + +The crane dance often lasts two or three days. When this is over, we +feast again and have our national dance. The large square in the village +is swept and prepared for the purpose. The chiefs and old warriors take +seats on mats, which have been spread on the upper end of the square, +next come the drummers and singers, the braves and women form the sides, +leaving a large space in the middle. The drums beat and the singing +commences. A warrior enters the square keeping time with the music. He +shows the manner he started on a war party, how he approached the enemy, +he strikes and shows how he killed him. All join in the applause, and +he then leaves the square and another takes his place. Such of our young +men have not been out in war parties and killed in enemy stand back +ashamed, not being allowed to enter the square. I remember that I was +ashamed to look where our young men stood, before I could take my stand +in the ring as a warrior. + +What pleasure it is to an old warrior, to see his son come forward and +relate his exploits. It makes him feel young, induces him to enter the +square and "fight his battles o'er again." + +This national dance makes our warriors. When I was travelling last +summer on a steamboat on the river, going from New York to Albany, I was +shown the place where the Americans dance the war-dance, (West Point), +where the old warriors recount to their young men what they have done +to stimulate them to go and do likewise. This surprised me, as I did not +think the whites understood our way of making braves. + +When our national dance is over, our cornfields hoed, every weed dug +up and our corn about knee high, all our young men start in a direction +toward sundown, to hunt deer and buffalo and to kill Sioux if any are +found on our hunting grounds. A part of our old men and women go to the +lead mines to make lead, and the remainder of our people start to fish +and get meat stuff. Every one leaves the village and remains away +about forty days. They then return, the hunting party bringing in dried +buffalo and deer meat, and sometimes Sioux scalps, when they are found +trespassing on our hunting grounds. At other times they are met by a +party of Sioux too strong for them and are driven in. If the Sioux have +killed the Sacs last, they expect to be retaliated upon and will fly +before them, and so with us. Each party knows that the other has a +right to retaliate, which induces those who have killed last to give way +before their enemy, as neither wishes to strike, except to avenge the +death of relatives. All our wars are instigated by the relations of +those killed, or by aggressions on our hunting grounds. The party from +the lead mines brings lead, and the others dried fish, and mats for our +lodges. Presents are now made by each party, the first giving to the +others dried buffalo and deer, and they in return presenting them lead, +dried fish and mats. This is a happy season of the year, having plenty +of provisions, such as beans, squashes and other produce; with our dried +meat and fish, we continue to make feasts and visit each other until +our corn is ripe. Some lodge in the village a feast daily to the Great +Spirit. I cannot explain this so that the white people will understand +me, as we have no regular standard among us. + +Every one makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit, +who has the care of all beings created. Others believe in two Spirits, +one good and one bad, and make feasts for the Bad Spirit, to keep him +quiet. They think that if they can make peace with him, the Good Spirit +will not hurt them. For my part I am of the opinion, that so far as we +have reason, we have a right to use it in determining what is right +or wrong, and we should always pursue that path which we believe to be +right, believing that "whatsoever is, is right." If the Great and Good +Spirit wished us to believe and do as the whites, he could easily change +our opinions, so that we could see, and think, and act as they do. We +are nothing compared to his power, and we feel and know it. We have men +among us, like the whites, who pretend to know the right path, but will +not consent to show it without pay. I have no faith in their paths, but +believe that every man must make his own path. + +When our corn is getting ripe, our young people watch with anxiety for +the signal to pull roasting ears, as none dare touch them until the +proper time. When the corn is fit for use another great ceremony takes +place, with feasting and returning thanks to the Great Spirit for giving +us Corn. + +I will has relate the manner in which corn first came. According to +tradition handed down to our people, a beautiful woman was seen to +descend from the clouds, and alight upon the earth, by two of our +ancestors who had killed a deer, and were sitting by a fire roasting +a part of it to eat. They were astonished at seeing her, and concluded +that she was hungry and had smelt the meat. They immediately went to +her, taking with them a piece of the roasted venison. They presented +it to her, she ate it, telling them to return to the spot where she was +sitting at the end of one year, and they would find a reward for +their kindness and generosity. She then ascended to the clouds and +disappeared. The men returned to their village, and explained to the +tribe what they had seen, done ad heard, but were laughed at by their +people. When the period had arrived for them to visit this consecrated +ground, where they were to find a reward for their attention to the +beautiful woman of the clouds, they went with a large party, and found +where her right hand had rested on the ground corn growing, where the +left hand had rested beans, and immediately where she had been seated, +tobacco. + +The two first have ever since been cultivated by our people as our +principal provisions, and the last is used for smoking. The white people +have since found out the latter, and seem to it relish it as much as we +do, as they use it in different ways: Smoking, snuffing and chewing. + +We thank the Great Spirit for all the good he has conferred upon us. +For myself, I never take a drink of water from a spring without being +mindful of his goodness. + +We next have our great ball play, from three to five hundred on a side +play this game. We play for guns, lead, homes and blankets, or any other +kind of property we may have. The successful party takes the stakes, +and all return to our lodges with peace and friendship. We next commence +horse racing, and continue on, sport and feasting until the corn is +secured. We then prepare to leave our village for our hunting grounds. + +The traders arrive and give us credit for guns, flints, powder, shot +and lead, and such articles as we want to clothe our families with +and enable us to hunt. We first, however, hold a council with them, to +ascertain the price they will give for our skins, and then they will +charge us for the goods. We inform them where we intend hunting, and +tell them where to build their houses. At this place we deposit a part +of our corn, and leave our old people. The traders have always been kind +to them and relieved them when in want, and consequently were always +much respected by our people, and never since we were a nation, has one +of them been killed by our people. + +We then disperse in small parties to make our hunt, and as soon as it +is over, we return to our trader's establishment, with our skins, and +remain feasting, playing cards and at other pastimes until the close f +the winter. Our young men then start on the beaver hunt, others to hunt +raccoons and muskrats; the remainder of our people go to the sugar camps +to make sugar. All leave our encampment and appoint a place to meet on +the Mississippi, so that we may return together to our village in the +spring. We always spend our time pleasantly at the sugar camp. It being +the season for wild fowl, we lived well and always had plenty, when the +hunters came in that we might make a feast for them. After this is over +we return to our village, accompanied sometimes by our traders. In this +way the time rolled round happily. But these are times that were. + +While on the subject of our manners and customs, it might be well to +relate an instance that occurred near our village just five years before +we left it for the last time. + +In 1827, a young Sioux Indian got lost on the prairie, in a snow storm, +and found his way into a camp of the Sacs. According to Indian customs, +although he was an enemy, he was safe while accepting their hospitality. +He remained there for some time on account of the severity of the storm. +Becoming well acquainted he fell in love with the daughter of the Sac +at whose village he had been entertained, and before leaving for his own +country, promised to come to the Sac village for her at a certain time +during the approaching summer. In July he made his way to the Rock river +village, secreting himself in the woods until he met the object of his +love, who came out to the field with her mother to assist her in hoeing +corn. Late in the afternoon her mother left her and went to the village. +No sooner had she got out of hearing, than he gave a loud whistle which +assured the maiden that he had returned. She continued hoeing leisurely +to the end of the row, when her lover came to meet her, and she promised +to come to him as soon as she could go to the lodge and get her blanket, +and together they would flee to his country. But unfortunately for the +lovers the girl's two brothers had seen the meeting, and after procuring +their guns started in pursuit of them. A heavy thunderstorm was coming +on at the time. The lovers hastened to, and took shelter under a cliff +of rocks, at Black Hawk's watchtower. Soon after a loud peal of thunder +was heard, the cliff of rocks was shattered in a thousand pieces, and +the lovers buried beneath, while in full view of her pursuing brothers. +This, their unexpected tomb, still remains undisturbed. + +This tower to which my name had been applied, was a favorite resort and +was frequently visited by me alone, when I could sit and smoke my +pipe, and look with wonder and pleasure, at the grand scenes that +were presented by the sun's rays, even across the mighty water. On +one occasion a Frenchman, who had been making his home in our village, +brought his violin with him to the tower, to play and dance for the +amusement of a number of our people, who had assembled there, and while +dancing with his back to the cliff accidentally fell over it and was +killed by the fall. The Indians say that always at the same time of the +year, soft strains of the violin can be heard near that spot. + +On returning in the spring from oar hunting grounds, I had the pleasure +of meeting our old friend, the trader of Peoria, at Rock Island. He came +up in a boat from St. Louis, not as a trader, but as our Agent. We were +well pleased to see him. He told us that he narrowly escaped falling +into the hands of Dixon. He remained with us a short time, gave us good +advice, and then returned to St. Louis. + +The Sioux having committed depredations on our people, we sent out war +parties that summer, who succeeded in killing fourteen. + +I paid several visits to Fort Armstrong, at Rock Island, during the +summer, and was always well received by the gentlemanly officers +stationed there, who were distinguished for their bravery, and they +never trampled upon an enemy's rights. Colonel George Davenport resided +near the garrison, and being in connection with the American Fur +Company, furnished us the greater portion of our goods. We were not as +happy then, in our village, as formerly. Our people got more liquor from +the small traders than customary. I used all my influence to prevent +drunkenness, but without effect. As the settlements progressed towards +us, we became worse off and more unhappy. + +Many of our people, instead of going to the old hunting grounds, when +game was plenty, would go near the settlements to hunt, and, instead of +saving their skins, to pay the trader for goods furnished them in the +fall, would sell them to the settlement for whisky, and return in +the spring with their families almost naked, and without the means of +getting anything for them. + +About this time my eldest son was taken sick and died. He had always +been a dutiful child and had just grown to manhood. Soon after, my +youngest daughter, an interesting and affectionate child, died also. +This was a hard stroke, because I loved my children. In my distress +I left the noise of the village and built my lodge on a mound in the +corn-field, and enclosed it with a fence, around which I planted corn +and beans. Here I was with my family alone. I gave everything I had +away, and reduced myself to poverty. The only covering I retained was +a piece of buffalo robe. I blacked my face and resolved on fasting for +twenty-four moons, for the loss of my two children--drinking only of +water during the day, and eating sparingly of boiled corn at sunset. I +fulfilled my promise, hoping that the Great Spirit would take pity on +me. + +My nation had now some difficulty with the Iowas. Our young men had +repeatedly killed some of them, and the breaches had always been made +up by giving presents to the relations of those killed. But the last +council we had with them, we promised that in case any more of their +people were killed ours, instead of presents, we would give up the +person or persons, who had done the injury. We made this determination +known to our people, but notwithstanding this, one of our young men +killed an Iowa the following winter. + +A party of our people were about starting for the Iowa village to give +the young man up, and I agreed to accompany them. When we were ready +to start, I called at the lodge for the young man to go with us. He was +sick, but willing to go, but his brother, however, prevented him and +insisted on going to die in his place, as he was unable to travel. We +started, and on the seventh day arrived in sight of the Iowa village, +and within a short distance of it we halted ad dismounted. We all bid +farewell to our young brave, who entered the village singing his death +song, and sat down on the square in the middle of the village. One of +the Iowa chiefs came out to us. We told him that we had fulfilled our +promise, that we had brought the brother of the young man who had killed +one of his people--that he had volunteered to come in his place, in +consequence of his brother being unable to travel from sickness. We +had no further conversation but mounted our horses and rode off. As we +started I cast my eye toward the village, and observed the Iowas coming +out of their lodges with spears and war clubs. We took the backward +trail and travelled until dark--then encamped and made a fire. We had +not been there long before we heard the sound of homes coming toward us. +We seized our arms, but instead of an enemy it was our young brave with +two horses. He told me that after we had left him, they menaced him with +death for some time--then gave him something to eat--smoked the pipe +with him and made him a present of the two horses and some goods, and +started him after us. When we arrived at on, village our people were +much pleased, and for their noble and generous conduct on this occasion, +not one of the Iowa people has been killed since by our nation. + +That fall I visited Malden with several of my band, and was well treated +by the agent of our British Father, who gave us a variety of presents. +He also gave me a medal, and told me there never would be war between +England and America again; but for my fidelity to the British, during +the war that had terminated some time before, requested me to come with +my band and get presents every year, as Colonel Dixon had promised me. + +I returned and hunted that winter on the Two Rivers. The whites were now +settling the country fast. I was out one day hunting in a bottom, and +met three white men. They accused me of killing their hogs. I denied it, +but they would not listen to me. One of them took my gun out of my +hand and fired it off--then took out the flint, gave it back to me and +commenced beating me with sticks, ordering me at the same time to be +off. I was so much bruised that I could not sleep for several nights. + +Some time after this occurrence, one of my camp cut a bee tree and +carried the honey to his lodge. A party of white men soon followed him, +and told him the bee tree was theirs, and that he had no right to cut +it. He pointed to the honey and told them to take it. They were not +satisfied with this, but took all the packs of skins that he had +collected during the winter, to pay his trader and clothe his family +with in the spring, and carried them off. + +How could we like a people who treated us so unjustly? We determined to +break up our camp for fear they would do worse, and when we joined +our people in the spring a great many of them complained of similar +treatment. + +This summer our agent came to live at Rock Island. He treated us well +and gave us good advice. I visited him and the trader very often during +the summer, and for the first time heard talk of our having to leave our +village. The trader, Colonel George Davenport, who spoke our language, +explained to me the terms of the treaty that had been made, and said +we would be obliged to leave the Illinois side of the Mississippi, and +advised us to select a good place for our village and remove to it in +the spring. He pointed out the difficulties we would have to encounter +if we remained at our village on Rock river. He had great influence with +the principal Fox chief, his adopted brother, Keokuk. He persuaded him +to leave his village, go to the west side of the Mississippi and build +another, which he did the spring following. Nothing was talked of but +leaving our village. Keokuk had been persuaded to consent to go, and was +using all his influence, backed by the war chief at Fort Armstrong and +our agent and trader at Rock Island, to induce others to go with him. He +sent the crier through our village, to inform our people that it was the +wish of our Great Father that we should remove to the west side of the +Mississippi, and recommended the Iowa river as a good place for the +new village. He wished his party to make such arrangements, before they +started on their winter's hunt, an to preclude the necessity of their +returning to the village in the spring. + +The party opposed to removing called on me for my opinion. I gave it +freely, and after questioning Quashquame about the sale of our lands, he +assured me that he "never had consented to the sale of our village." +I now promised this party to be the leader, and raised the standard +of opposition to Keokuk, with a full determination not to leave our +village. I had an interview with Keokuk, to see if this difficulty could +not be settled with our Great Father, and told him to propose to give +any other land that our Great Father might choose, even our lead mines, +to be peaceably permitted to keep the small point of land on which our +village was situated. I was of the opinion that the white people had +plenty of land and would never take our village from us. Keokuk promised +to make an exchange if possible, and applied to our agent, and the great +chief at St. Louis, who had charge of all the agents, for permission to +go to Washington for that purpose. + +This satisfied us for a time. We started to our hunting grounds with +good hopes that something would be done for us. Doing the winter I +received information that three families of whites had come to our +village and destroyed some of our lodges, were making fences and +dividing our cornfields for their own use. They were quarreling among +themselves about their lines of division. I started immediately for +Rock river, a distance of ten days' travel, and on my arrival found the +report true. I went to my lodge and saw a family occupying it. I wished +to talk to them but they could not understand me. I then went to Rock +Island; the agent being absent, I told the interpreter what I wanted to +say to these people, viz: "Not to settle on our lands, nor trouble our +fences, that there was plenty of land in the country for them to settle +upon, and that they must leave our village, as we were coming back to +it in the spring." The interpreter wrote me a paper, I went back to the +village and showed it to the intruders, but could not understand their +reply. I presumed, however, that they would remove as I expected them +to. I returned to Rock Island, passed the night there and had a long +conversation with the trader. He advised me to give up and make my +village with Keokuk on the Iowa river. I told him that I would not. The +next morning I crossed the Mississippi on very bad ice, but the Great +Spirit had made it strong, that I might pass over safe. I traveled three +days farther to see the Winnebago sub-agent and converse with him about +our difficulties. He gave no better news than the trader had done. I +then started by way of Rock river, to see the Prophet, believing that he +as a man of great knowledge. When we met, I explained to him everything +as it was. He at once agreed that I was right, and advised me never to +give up our village, for the whites to plow up the bones of our people. +He said, that if we remained at our village, the whites would not +trouble us, and advised me to get Keokuk, and the party that consented +to go with him to the Iowa in the spring, to return and remain at our +village. + +I returned to my hunting ground, after an absence of one moon, and +related what I had done. In a short time we came up to our village, and +found that the whites had not left it, but that others had come, and +that the greater part of our cornfields had been enclosed. When we +landed the whites appeared displeased because we came back. We repaired +the lodges that hid been left standing and built others. Keokuk came to +the village, but his object was to persuade others to follow him to the +Iowa. He had accomplished nothing towards making arrangements for us to +remain, or to exchange other lands for our village. There was no more +friendship existing between us. I looked upon him as a coward and no +brave, to abandon his village to be occupied by strangers. What right +had these people to our village, and our fields, which the Great Spirit +had given us to live upon? + +My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it +to his children to live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their +subsistence, and so long as they occupy and cultivate it they have the +right to the soil, but if they voluntarily leave it, then any other +people have a right to settle on it. Nothing can be sold but such things +as can be carried away. + +In consequence of the improvements of the intruders on our fields, we +found considerable difficulty to get ground to plant a little corn. Some +of the whites permitted us to plant small patches in the fields they had +fenced, keeping all the best ground for themselves. Our women had great +difficulty in climbing their fences, being unaccustomed to the kind, and +were ill treated if they left a rail down. + +One of my old friends thought he was safe. His cornfield was on a small +island in Rock river. He planted his corn, it came up well, but the +white man saw it; he wanted it, and took his teams over, ploughed up +the crop and replanted it for himself. The old man shed tears, not for +himself but on account of the distress his family would be in if they +raised no corn. The white people brought whisky to our village, made our +people drink, and cheated them out of their homes, guns and traps. +This fraudulent system was carried to such an extent that I apprehended +serious difficulties might occur, unless a stop was put to it. +Consequently I visited all the whites and begged them not to sell my +people whisky. One of them continued the practice openly; I took a party +of my young men, went to his house, took out his barrel, broke in the +head and poured out the whisky. I did this for fear some of 'the whites +might get killed by my people when they were drunk. + +Our people were treated very badly by the whites on many occasions. At +one time a white man beat one of our women cruelly, for pulling a few +suckers of corn out of his field to suck when she was hungry. At another +time one of our young men was beat with clubs by two white men, for +opening a fence which crossed our road to take his horse through. His +shoulder blade was broken and his body badly braised, from the effects +of which he soon after died. + +Bad and cruel as our people were treated by the whites, not one of them +was hurt or molested by our band. I hope this will prove that we are +a peaceable people--having permitted ten men to take possession of our +corn fields, prevent us from planting corn, burn our lodges, ill-treat +our women, and beat to death our men without offering resistance to +their barbarous cruelties. This is a lesson worthy for the white man to +learn: to use forebearance when injured. + +We acquainted our agent daily with our situation, and through him the +great chief at St. Louis, and hoped that something would be done for us. +The whites were complaining at the same time that we were intruding upon +their rights. They made it appear that they were the injured party, and +we the intruders. They called loudly to the great war chief to protect +their property. + +How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right +look like wrong, and wrong like right. + +During this summer I happened at Rock Island, when a great chief +arrived, whom I had known as the great chief of Illinois, (Governor +Cole) in company with another chief who I have been told is a great +writer (judge James Hall.) I called upon them and begged to explain the +grievances to them, under which my people and I were laboring, hoping +that they could do something for us. The great chief however, did not +seem disposed to council with, me. He said he was no longer the chief +of Illinois; that his children had selected another father in his stead, +and that he now only ranked as they did. I was surprised at this talk, +as I had always heard that he was a good brave and great chief. But the +white people appear to never be satisfied. When they get a good father, +they hold councils at the suggestion of some bad, ambitious man, who +wants the place himself, and conclude among themselves that this man, or +some other equally ambitious, would make a better father than they have, +and nine times out of ten they don't get as good a one again. + +I insisted on explaining to these chiefs the true situation of my +people. They gave their assent. I rose and made a speech, in which +I explained to them the treaty made by Quashquame, and three of our +braves, according to the manner the trader and others had explained it +to me. I then told them that Quashquame and his party positively denied +having ever sold my village, and that as I had never known them to lie, +I was determined to keep it in possession. + +I told them that the white people had already entered our village, +burned our lodges, destroyed on, fences, ploughed up our corn and beat +our people. They had brought whisky into our country, made our people +drunk, and taken from them their homes, guns and traps, and that I had +borne all this injury, without suffering any of my braves to raise a +hand against the whites. + +My object in holding this council was to get the opinion of these two +chiefs as to the best course for me to pursue. I had appealed in vain, +time after time to our agent, who regularly represented our situation to +the chief at St. Louis, whose duty it was to call upon the Great Father +to have justice done to us, but instead of this we are told that the +white people wanted our county and we must leave it for them! + +I did not think it possible that our Great Father wished us to leave our +village where we had lived so long, and where the bones of so many of +our people had been laid. The great chief said that as he no longer had +any authority he could do nothing for us, and felt sorry that it was +not in his power to aid us, nor did he know how to advise us. Neither +of them could do anything for us, but both evidently were very sorry. It +would give e great pleasure at all times to take these two chiefs by the +hand. + +That fall I paid a visit to the agent before we started to our hunting +grounds, to hear if he had any good news for me. He had news. He said +that the land on which our village now stood was ordered to be sold to +individuals, and that when sold our right to remain by treaty would be +at an end, and that if we returned next spring we would be forced to +remove. + +We learned during the winter, that part of the land where our village +stood had been sold to individuals, and that the trader at Rock Island, +Colonel Davenport, had bought the greater part that had been sold. The +reason was now plain to me why he urged us to remove. His object, we +thought, was to get our lands. We held several councils that winter to +determine what we should do. We resolved in one of them, to return to +our village as usual in the spring. We concluded that if we were removed +by force, that the trader, agent and others must be the cause, and that +if they were found guilty of having driven us from our village they +should be killed. The trader stood foremost on this list. He had +purchased the land on which my lodge stood, and that of our graveyard +also. We therefore proposed to kill him and the agent, the interpreter, +the great chief at St. Louis, the war chiefs at Forts Armstrong, Rock +Island and Keokuk, these being the principal persons to blame for +endeavoring to remove us. Our women received bad accounts from the +women who had been raising corn at the new village, of the difficulty +of breaking the new prairie with hoes, and the small quantity of corn +raised. We were nearly in the same condition with regard to the +latter, it being the first time I ever knew our people to be in want of +provisions. + +I prevailed upon some of Keokuk's band to return this spring to the Rock +river village, but Keokuk himself would not come. I hoped that he would +get permission to go to Washington to settle our affairs with our Great +Father. I visited the agent at Rock Island. He was displeased because we +had returned to our village, and told me that we must remove to the west +of the Mississippi. I told him plainly that we would not. I visited the +interpreter at his house, who advised me to do as the agent had directed +me. I then went to see the trader and upbraided him for buying our +lands. He said that if he had not purchased them some person else would, +and that if our Great Father would make an exchange with us, he would +willingly give up the land he had purchased to the government. This I +thought was fair, and began to think that he had not acted so badly as I +had suspected. We again repaired our lodges and built others, as most +of our village had been burnt and destroyed. Our women selected small +patches to plant corn, where the whites had not taken them in their +fences, and worked hard to raise something for our children to subsist +upon. + +I was told that according to the treaty, we had no right to remain on +the lands sold, and that the government would force us to leave them. +There was but a small portion however that had been sold, the balance +remaining in the hands of the government. We claimed the right, if +we had no other, to "live and hunt upon it as long as it remained +the property of the government," by a stipulation in the treaty that +required us to evacuate it after it had been sold. This was the land +that we wished to inhabit and thought we had a right to occupy. + +I heard that there was a great chief on the Wabash, and sent a party to +get his advice. They informed him that we had not sold our village. He +assured them then, that if we had not sold the land on which our village +stood, our Great Father would not take it from us. + +I started early to Malden to see the chief of my British Father, and +told him my story. He gave the same reply that the chief on the Wabash +had given, and in justice to him I must say he never gave me any bad +advice, but advised me to apply to our American Father, who, he said, +would do us justice. I next called on the great chief at Detroit and +made the same statement to him that I had made to the chief of our +British Father. He gave me the same reply. He said if we had not sold +our lands, and would remain peaceably on them, that we would not be +disturbed. This assured me that I was right, and determined me to hold +out as I had promised my people. I returned from Malden late in the +fall. My people were gone to their hunting ground, whither I followed. +Here I learned that they had been badly treated all summer by the +whites, and that a treaty had been held at Prairie du Chien. Keokuk +and some of our people attended it, and found that our Great Father had +exchanged a small strip of the land that had been ceded by Quashquame +and his party, with the Pottowattomies for a portion of their lead near +Chicago. That the object of this treaty was to get it back again, and +that the United States had agreed to give them sixteen thousand dollars +a year, forever for this small strip of land, it being less than a +twentieth part of that taken from our nation for one thousand dollars a +year. This bears evidence of something I cannot explain. This land they +say belonged to the United States. What reason then, could have induced +them to exchange it with the Pottowattomies if it was so valuable? +Why not keep it? Or if they found they had made a bad bargain with the +Pottowattomies, why not take back their land at a fair proportion of +what they gave our nation for it! If this small portion of the land +that they took from us for one thousand dollars a year, be worth sixteen +thousand dollars a year forever to the Pottowattomies, then the whole +tract of country taken from us ought to be worth, to our nation, twenty +times as much a this small fraction. + +Here I was again puzzled to find out how the white people reasoned, and +began to doubt whether they had any standard of right and wrong. + +Communication was kept up between myself and the Prophet. Runners were +sent to the Arkansas, Red river and Texas, not on the subject of our +lands, but on a secret mission, which I am not at present permitted to +explain. + +It was related to me that the chiefs and head men of the Foxes had +been invited to Prairie du Chien, to hold a Council for the purpose of +settling the difficulties existing between them and the Sioux. + +The chiefs and head men, amounting to nine, started for the place +designated, taking with them one woman, and were met by the Menonomees +and Sioux, near the Wisconsin and killed, all except one man. Having +understood that the whole matter was published shortly after it +occurred, and is known to the white people, I will say no more about it. + + I would here remark, that our pastimes and sports had been laid aside +for two years. We were a divided people, forming two parties. Keokuk +being at the head of one, willing to barter our rights merely for the +good opinion of the whites, and cowardly enough to desert our village +to them. I was at the head of the other division, and was determined to +hold on to my village, although I had been ordered to leave it. But, I +considered, as myself and band had no agency in selling our county, and +that, as provision had been made in the treaty, for us all to remain +on it as long as it belonged to the United States, that we could not be +forced away. I refused therefore to quit my village. It was here that I +was born, and here lie the bones of many friends and relations. For +this spot I felt a sacred reverence, and never could consent to leave it +without being forced therefrom. + +When I called to mind the scenes of my youth and those of later days, +when I reflected that the theatre on which these were acted, had been +so long the home of my fathers, who now slept on the hills around it, I +could not bring my mind to consent to leave this country to the whites +for any earthly consideration. + +The winter passed off in gloom. We made a bad hunt for want of guns, +traps and other necessaries which the whites had taken from our people +for whisky. The prospect before me was a bad one. I fasted and called +upon the Great Spirit to direct my steps to the right path. I was in +great sorrow because all the whites with whom I was acquainted and had +been on terms of intimacy, advised me contrary to my wishes, that I +began to doubt whether I had a friend among them. + +Keokuk, who has a smooth tongue, and is a great speaker, was busy in +persuading my band that I was wrong, and thereby making many of them +dissatisfied with me. I had one consolation, for all the women were on +my side on account of their cornfields. + +On my arrival again at my village, with my band increased, I found it +worse than before. I visited Rock Island and the agent again ordered me +to quit my village. He said that if we did not, troops would be sent to +drive us off. He reasoned with me and told me it would be better for us +to be with the rest of our people, so that we might avoid difficulty +and live in peace. The interpreter joined him and gave me so many good +reasons that I almost wished I had not undertaken the difficult task I +had pledged myself to my brave band to perform. In this mood I called +upon the trader, who is fond of talking, and had long been my friend, +but now amongst those who advised me to give up my village. He received +me very friendly and went on to defend Keokuk in what he had done, +endeavoring to show me that I was bringing distress on our women and +children. He inquired if some terms could not be made that would be +honorable to me and satisfactory to my braves, for us to remove to the +west side of the Mississippi. I replied that if our Great Father could +do us justice and make the proposition, I could then give up honorably. +He asked me "if the great chief at St. Louis would give us six thousand +dollars to purchase provisions and other articles, if I would give +up peaceably and remove to the west side of the Mississippi?" After +thinking some time I agreed that I could honorably give up, being paid +for it, according to our customs, but told him that I could not make the +proposal myself, even if I wished, because it would be dishonorable in +me to do so. He said that he would do it by sending word to the great +chief at St. Louis that he could remove us peaceably for the amount +stated, to the west side of the Mississippi. A steamboat arrived at the +island during my stay. After its departure the trader told me that he +had requested a war chief, who was stationed at Galena, and was on board +the steamboat, to make the offer to the great chief at St. Louis, and +that he would soon be back and bring his answer. I did not let my people +know what had taken place for fear they would be displeased. I did not +much like what had been done myself, and tried to banish it from my +mind. + +After a few days had passed the war chief returned and brought an answer +that "the great chief at St. Louis would give us nothing, and that if we +did not remove immediately we would be driven off." + +I was not much displeased with the answer they brought me, because I +would rather have laid my bones with those of my forefathers than +remove for any consideration. Yet if a friendly offer had been made as +I expected, I would, for the sake of our women and children have removed +peaceably. + +I now resolved to remain in my village, and make no resistance if the +military came, but submit to my fate. I impressed the importance of this +course on all my band, and directed them in case the military came not +to raise an arm against them. + +About this time our agent was put out of office, for what reason I could +never ascertain. I then thought it was for wanting to make us leave our +village and if so it was right, because I was tired of hearing him talk +about it. The interpreter, who had been equally as bad in trying to +persuade us to leave our village was retained in office, and the young +man who took the place of our agent, told the same old story over about +removing us. I was then satisfied that this could not have been the +cause. + +Our women had planted a few patches of corn which was growing finely, +and promised a subsistence for our children, but the white people again +commenced ploughing it up. I now determined to put a stop to it by +clearing our county of the intruders. I went to their principal men and +told them that they should and must leave our country, giving them until +the middle of the next day to remove. The worst left within the time +appointed, but the one who remained, represented that his family, which +was large, would be in a starving condition, if he went and left his +crop. He promised to behave well, if I would consent to let him remain +until fall, in order to secure his crop. He spoke reasonably and I +consented. + +We now resumed some of our games and pastimes, having been assured by +the prophet that we would not be removed. But in a little while it was +ascertained that a great war chief, General Gaines, was on his way to +Rock river with a great number of soldiers. I again called upon the +prophet, who requested a little time to see into the matter. Early next +morning he came to me and said he had been dreaming; that he saw nothing +bad in this great war chief, General Gaines, who was now near Rock +river. That his object was merely to frighten us from our village, that +the white people might get our land for nothing. He assured us that +this great war chief dare not, and would not, hurt any of us. That the +Americans were at peace with the British, and when they made peace, the +British required, and the Americans agreed to it, that they should never +interrupt any nation of Indians that was at peace, and that all we had +to do to retain our village was to refuse any and every offer that might +be made by this war chief. + +The war chief arrived and convened a council at the agency. Keokuk and +Wapello were sent for, and with a number of their band were present. + +The council house was opened and all were admitted, and myself and band +were sent for to attend. When we arrived at the door singing a war song, +and armed with lances, spears, war clubs, bows and arrows, as if going +to battle, I halted and refused to enter, as I could see no necessity or +propriety in having the room crowded with those who were already there. +If the council was convened for us, why then have others in our room. +The war chief having sent all out except Keokuk, Wapello and a few +of their chiefs and braves, we entered the council in this warlike +appearance, being desirous of showing the war chief that we were not +afraid. He then rose and made a speech. He said: + +"The president is very sorry to be put to the trouble and expense of +sending so large a body of soldiers here to remove you from the lands +you have long since ceded to the United States. Your Great Father has +already warned you repeatedly, through your agent, to leave the country, +and he is very sorry to find that you have disobeyed his orders. Your +Great Father wishes you well, and asks nothing from you but what is +reasonable and right. I hope you will consult your own interests, and +leave the country you are occupying, and go to the other side of the +Mississippi." + + I replied: + +"We have never sold our country. We never received any annuities from +our American father, and we are determined to hold on to our village." + +The war chief, apparently angry, rose and said + +"Who is _Black Hawk_? Who is _Black Hawk_?" + +I replied: + +"I am a _Sac_! My forefather was a SAC! I and all the nations call me a +SAC!!" + +The war chief said: + +"I came here neither to beg nor hire you to leave your village. My +business is to remove you, peaceably if I can, forcibly if I must! I +will now give you two days in which to remove, and if you do not cross +the Mississippi by that time, I will adopt measures to force you away." + +I told him that I never would consent to leave my village and was +determined not to leave it. + +The council broke up and the war chief retired to his fort. I consulted +the prophet again. He said he had been dreaming, and that the Great +Spirit had directed that a woman, the daughter of Mattatas, the old +chief of the village, should take a stick in her hand and go before the +war chief, and tell him that she is the daughter of Mattatas, and that +he had always been the white man's friend. That he had fought their +battles, been wounded in their service and had always spoken well of +them, and she had never heard him say that he had sold their village. +The whites are numerous, and can take it from us if they choose, but she +hoped they would not be so unfriendly. If they were, he had one favor to +ask; she wished her people to be allowed to remain long enough to gather +their provisions now growing in their fields; that she was a woman and +had worked hard to raise something to support her children. And now, if +we are driven from our village without being allowed to save our corn, +many of our little children must perish with hunger. + +Accordingly Mattatas' daughter was sent to the fort, accompanied by +several of our young men and was admitted. She went before the war chief +and told the story of the prophet. The war chief said that the president +did not send him here to make treaties with the women, nor to hold +council with them. That our young men most leave the fort, but she might +remain if she wished. + +All our plans were defeated. We must cross the river, or return to our +village and await the coming of the war chief with his soldiers. We +determined on the latter, but finding that our agent, interpreter, +trader and Keokuk, were determined on breaking my ranks, and had induced +several of my warriors to cross the Mississippi, I sent a deputation +to the agent, at the request of my band, pledging myself to leave the +county in the fall, provided permission was given us to remain, and +secure our crop of corn then growing, as we would be in a starving +situation if we were driven off without the means of subsistence. + +The deputation returned with an answer from the war chief, "That no +further time would be given than that specified, and if we were not then +gone he would remove us." + +I directed my village crier to proclaim that my orders were, in the +event of the war chief coming to our village to remove us, that not a +gun should be fired or any resistance offered. That if he determined to +fight, for them to remain quietly in their lodges, and let him kill them +if he chose. + +I felt conscious that this great war chief would not hurt our people, +and my object was not war. Had it been, we would have attacked and +killed the war chief and his braves, when in council with us, as they +were then completely in our power. But his manly conduct and soldierly +deportment, his mild yet energetic manner, which proved his bravery, +forbade it. + +Some of our young men who had been out as spies came in and reported +that they had discovered a large body of mounted men coming toward our +village, who looked like a war party. They arrived and took a position +below Rock river, for their place of encampment. The great war chief, +General Gaines, entered Rock river in a steamboat, with his soldiers and +one big gun. They passed and returned close by our village, but excited +no alarm among my braves. No attention was paid to the boat; even our +little children who were playing on the bank of the river, as usual, +continued their amusement. The water being shallow, the boat got +aground, which gave the whites some trouble. If they had asked for +assistance, there was not a brave in my band who would not willingly +have aided them. Their people were permitted to pass and repass through +our village, and were treated with friendship by our people. + +The war chief appointed the next day to remove us. I would have remained +and been taken prisoner by the regulars, but was afraid of the multitude +of pale faced militia, who were on horse back, as they were under no +restraint of their chiefs. + +We crossed the river during the night, and encamped some distance below +Rock Island. The great war chief convened another council, for the +purpose of making a treaty with us. In this treaty he agreed to give us +corn in place of that we had left growing in our fields. I touched the +goose quill to this treaty, and was determined to live in peace. + +The corn that had been given us was soon found to be inadequate to our +wants, when loud lamentations were heard in the camp by the women and +children, for their roasting ears, beans and squashes. To satisfy them, +a small party of braves went over in the night to take corn from +their own fields. They were discovered by the whites and fired upon. +Complaints were again made of the depredations committed by some of my +people, on their own corn fields. + +I understood from our agent, that there had been a provision made in one +of our treaties for assistance in agriculture, and that we could have +our fields plowed if we required it. I therefore called upon him, and +requested him to have a small log home built for me, and a field plowed +that fall, as I wished to live retired. He promised to have it done. I +then went to the trader, Colonel Davenport, and asked for permission +to be buried in the graveyard at our village, among my old friends +and warriors, which he gave cheerfully. I then returned to my people +satisfied. + +A short time after this, a party of Foxes went up to Prairie du Chien +to avenge the murder of their chiefs and relations, which had been +committed the summer previous, by the Menomonees and Sioux. When they +arrived in the vicinity of the encampment of the Menomonees, they met +with a Winnebago, and inquired for the Menomonee camp. They requested +him to go on before them and see if there were any Winnebagoes in it, +and if so, to tell them that they had better return to their own camp. +He went and gave the information, not only to the Winnebagoes, but to +the Menomonees, that they might be prepared. The party soon followed, +killed twenty-eight Menomonees, and made their escape. + +This retaliation which with us is considered lawful and right, created +considerable excitement among the whites. A demand was made for +the Foxes to be surrendered to, and tried by, the white people. +The principal men came to me during the fall and asked my advice. I +conceived that they had done right, and that our Great Father acted very +unjustly in demanding them, when he had suffered all their chiefs to be +decoyed away, and murdered by the Menomonees, without ever having made a +similar demand of them. If he had no right in the first instance he had +none now, and for my part, I conceived the right very questionable, if +not an act of usurpation in any case, where a difference exists between +two nations, for him to interfere. The Foxes joined my band with the +intention to go out with them on the fall hunt. + +About this time, Neapope, who started to Malden when it was ascertained +that the great war chief, General Gaines, was coming to remove us, +returned. He said he had seen the chief of our British Father, and asked +him if the Americans could force us to leave our village. He said: "If +you had not sold your land the Americans could not take your village +from you. That the right being vested in you only, could be transferred +by the voice and will of the whole nation, and that as you have never +given your consent to the sale of your country, it yet remains your +exclusive property, from which the American government never could force +you away, and that in the event of war, you should have nothing to fear, +as we would stand by and assist you." + +He said that he had called at the prophet's lodge on his way down, and +there had learned for the first time, that we had left our village. He +informed me privately, that the prophet was anxious to see me, as he had +much good news to tell me, and that I would hear good news in the spring +from our British Father. "The prophet requested me to give you all the +particulars, but I would much rather you would see him yourself and +learn all from him. But I will tell you that he has received expresses +from our British Father, who says that he is going to send us guns, +ammunition, provisions and clothing early in the spring. The vessels +that bring them will come by way of Milwaukee. The prophet has likewise +received wampum and tobacco from the different nations on the lakes, +Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottowattomies, and as to the Winnebagoes he has +them all at his command. We are going to be happy once more." + +I told him I was pleased that our British Father intended to see us +righted. That we had been driven from our lands without receiving +anything for them, and I now began to hope from his talk, that my +people would once more be happy. If I could accomplish this I would be +satisfied. I am now growing old and could spend the remnant of my time +anywhere. But I wish first to see my people happy. I can then leave them +cheerfully. This has always been my constant aim, and I now begin to +hope that our sky will soon be clear. + +Neapope said: + +"The prophet told me that all the tribes mentioned would fight for us +if necessary, and the British father will support us. If we should be +whipped, which is hardly possible, we will still be safe, the prophet +having received a friendly talk from the chief of Wassicummico, at +Selkirk's settlement, telling him, that if we were not happy in our own +country, to let him know and he would make us happy. He had received +information from our British father that we had been badly treated by +the Americans. We must go and see the prophet. I will go first; you had +better remain and get as many of your people to join you as you can. +You know everything that we have done. We leave the matter with you to +arrange among your people as you please. I will return to the prophet's +village to-morrow. You can in the meantime make up your mind an to +the course you will take and send word to the prophet by me, as he is +anxious to assist us, and wishes to know whether you will join us, and +assist to make your people happy." + +During the night I thought over everything that Neapope had told me, +and was pleased to think that by a little exertion on my part, I could +accomplish the object of all my wishes. I determined to follow the +advice of the prophet, and sent word by Neapope, that I would get all +my braves together, explain everything that I had heard to them, and +recruit as many as I could from the different villages. + +Accordingly I sent word to Keokuk's band and the Fox tribe, explaining +to them all the good news I had heard. They would not hear. Keokuk said +that I had been imposed upon by liars, and had much better remain where +I was and keep quiet. When he found that I was determined to make an +attempt to recover my village, fearing that some difficulty would arise, +he made application to the agent and great chief at St. Louis, asking +permission for the chiefs of our nation to go to Washington to see our +Great Father, that we might have our difficulties settled amicably. +Keokuk also requested the trader, Colonel Davenport, who was going to +Washington, to call on our Great Father and explain everything to him, +and ask permission for us to come on and see him. + +Having heard nothing favorable from the great chief at St. Louis, I +concluded that I had better keep my band together, and recruit as many +as possible, so that I would be prepared to make the attempt to rescue +my village in the spring, provided our Great Father did not send word +for us to go to Washington. The trader returned. He said he had called +on our Great Father and made a full statement to him in relation to our +difficulties, and had asked leave for us to go to Washington, but had +received no answer. + +I had determined to listen to the advice of my friends, and if permitted +to go to see our Great Father, to abide by his counsel, whatever it +might be. Every overture was made by Keokuk to prevent difficulty, and I +anxiously hoped that something would be done for my people that it might +be avoided. But there was bad management somewhere, or the difficulty +that has taken place would have been avoided. + +When it was ascertained that we would not be permitted to go to +Washington, I resolved upon my course, and again tied to recruit some +braves from Keookuk's band, to accompany me, but could not. + +Conceiving that the peaceable disposition of Keokuk and his people had +been in a great measure the cause of our having been driven from our +village, I ascribed their present feelings to the same cause, and +immediately went to work to recruit all my own band, and making +preparations to ascend Rock river, I made my encampment on the +Mississippi, where Fort Madison had stood. I requested my people to +rendezvous at that place, sending out soldiers to bring in the warriors, +and stationed my sentinels in a position to prevent any from moving off +until all were ready. + +My party having all come in and got ready, we commenced our march up the +Mississippi; our women and children in canoes, carrying such provisions +as we had, camp equipage, &c. My braves and warriors were on horseback, +armed and equipped for defence. The prophet came down and joining us +below Rock river, having called at Rock Island on his way down, to +consult the war chief, agent and trader; who, he said, used many +arguments to dissuade him from going with us, requesting him to come and +meet us and turn us back. They told him also there was a war chief on +his way to Rock Island with a large body of soldiers. + +The prophet said he would not listen to this talk, because no war chief +would dare molest us so long as we were at peace. That we had a right +to go where we pleased peaceably, and advised me to say nothing to my +braves and warriors until we encamped that night. We moved onward until +we arrived at the place where General Gaines had made his encampment the +year before, and encamped for the night. The prophet then addressed my +braves and warriors. He told them to "follow us and act like braves, +and we have nothing to fear and much to gain. The American war chief +may come, but will not, nor dare not interfere with us so long as we act +peaceably. We are not yet ready to act otherwise. We must wait until we +ascend Rock river and receive our reinforcements, and we will then be +able to withstand any army." + +That night the White Beaver, General Atkinson, with a party of soldiers +passed up in a steamboat. Our party became alarmed, expecting to meet +the soldiers at Rock river, to prevent us going up. On our arrival at +its mouth, we discovered that the steamboat had passed on. + +I was fearful that the war chief had stationed his men on some +high bluff, or in some ravine, that we might be taken by surprise. +Consequently, on entering Rock river we commenced beating our drums and +singing, to show the Americans that we were not afraid. + +Having met with no opposition, we moved up Rock river leisurely for some +distance, when we were overtaken by an express from White Beaver, with +an order for me to return with my band and recross the Mississippi +again. I sent him word that I would not, not recognizing his right to +make such a demand, is I was acting peaceably, and intended to go to the +prophet's village at his request, to make corn. + +The express returned. We moved on and encamped some distance below the +prophet's village. Here another express came from the White Beaver, +threatening to pursue us and drive us back, if we did not return +peaceably. This message roused the spirit of my band, and all were +determined to remain with me and contest the ground with the war chief, +should he come and attempt to drive us. We therefore directed the +express to say to the war chief "if he wished to fight us he might come +on." We were determined never to be driven, and equally so, not to make +the first attack, our object being to act only on the defensive. This we +conceived to be our right. + +Soon after the express returned, Mr. Gratiot, sub-agent for the +Winnebagoes, came to our encampment. He had no interpreter, and was +compelled to talk through his chiefs. They said the object of his +mission was to persuade us to return. But they advised us to go +on--assuring us that the further we went up Rock river the more friends +we would meet, and our situation would be bettered. They were on our +side and all of their people were our friends. We must not give up, +but continue to ascend Rock river, on which, in a short time, we would +receive reinforcements sufficiently strong to repulse any enemy. They +said they would go down with their agent, to ascertain the strength of +the enemy, and then return and give us the news. They had to use some +stratagem to deceive their agent in order to help us. + +During this council several of my braves hoisted the British flag, +mounted their horses and surrounded the council lodge. I discovered that +the agent was very much frightened. I told one of his chiefs to tell him +that he need not be alarmed, and then went out and directed my braves to +desist. Every warrior immediately dismounted and returned to his lodge. +After the council adjourned I placed a sentinel at the agent's lodge to +guard him, fearing that some of my warriors might again frighten him. I +had always thought he was a good man and was determined that he should +not be hurt. He started with his chiefs to Rock Island. + +Having ascertained that White Beaver would not permit us to remain where +we were, I began to consider what was best to be done, and concluded to +keep on up the river, see the Pottowattomies and have a talk with them. +Several Winnebago chiefs were present, whom I advised of my intentions, +as they did not seem disposed to render us any assistance. I asked them +if they had not sent us wampum during the winter, and requested us to +come and join their people and enjoy all the rights and privileges of +their country. They did not deny this; and said if the white people did +not interfere, they had no objection to our making corn this year, with +our friend the prophet, but did not wish us to go any further up. + +The next day I started with my party to Kishwacokee. That night I +encamped a short distance above the prophet's village. After all was +quiet in our camp I sent for my chiefs, and told them that we had +been deceived. That all the fair promises that had been held out to us +through Neapope were false. But it would not do to let our party know +it. We must keep it secret among ourselves, move on to Kishwacokee, as +if all was right, and say something on the way to encourage our people. +I will then call on the Pottowattomies, hear what they say, and see what +they will do. + +We started the next morning, after telling our people that news had just +come from Milwaukee that a chief of our British Father would be there in +a few days. Finding that all our plans were defeated, I told the prophet +that he must go with me, and we would see what could be done with the +Pottowattomies. On our arrival at Kishwacokee an express was sent to the +Pottowattomie villages. The next day a deputation arrived. I inquired +if they had corn in their villages. They said they had a very little and +could not spare any. I asked them different questions and received very +unsatisfactory answers. This talk was in the presence of all my people. +I afterwards spoke to them privately, and requested them to come to my +lodge after my people had gone to sleep. They came and took seats. I +asked them if they had received any news from the British on the lake. +They said no. I inquired if they had heard that a chief of our British +Father was coming to Milwaukee to bring us guns, ammunition, goods and +provisions. They said no. I told them what news had been brought to me, +and requested them to return to their village and tell the chiefs that I +wished to see them and have a talk with them. + +After this deputation started, I concluded to tell my people that if +White Beaver came after us, we would go back, as it was useless to +think of stopping or going on without more provisions and ammunition. I +discovered that the Winnebagoes and Pottowattomies were not disposed to +render us any assistance. The next day the Pottowattomie chiefs arrived +in my camp. I had a dog killed, and made a feast. When it was ready, I +spread my medicine bags, and the chiefs began to eat. When the ceremony +was about ending, I received news that three or four hundred white men +on horse-back had been seen about eight miles off. I immediately started +three young men with a white flag to meet them and conduct them to our +camp, that we might hold a council with them and descend Rock river +again. I also directed them, in case the whites had encamped, to return, +and I would go and see them. After this party had started I sent five +young men to see what might take place. The first party went to the +camp of the whites, and were taken prisoners. The last party had not +proceeded far before they saw about twenty men coming toward them at +full gallop. They stopped, and, finding that the whites were coming +toward them in such a warlike attitude, they turned and retreated, but +were pursued, and two of them overtaken and killed. The others then made +their escape. When they came in with the news, I was preparing my flags +to meet the war chief. The alarm was given. Nearly all my young men were +absent ten miles away. I started with what I had left, about forty, and +had proceeded but a short distance, before we saw a part of the army +approaching. I raised a yell, saying to y braves, "Some of our people +have been killed. Wantonly and cruelly murdered! We must avenge their +death!" + +In a little while we discovered the whole army coming towards us at a +full gallop. We were now confident that our first party had been killed. +I immediately placed my men behind a cluster of bushes, that we might +have the first fire when they had approached close enough. They made a +halt some distance from us. I gave another yell, and ordered my brave +warriors to charge upon them, expecting that they would all be killed. +They did charge. Every man rushed towards the enemy and fired, and they +retreated in the utmost confusion and consternation before my little but +brave band of warriors. + +After following the enemy for some distance, I found it useless +to pursue them further, as they rode so fast, and returned to the +encampment with a few braves, as about twenty-five of them continued in +pursuit of the flying enemy. I lighted my pipe and sat down to thank the +Great Spirit for what he had done. I had not been meditating long, when +two of the three young men I had seat with the flag to meet the American +war chief, entered. My astonishment was not greater than my joy to see +them living and well. I eagerly listened to their story, which was as +follows: + +"When we arrived near the encampment of the whites, a number of them +rushed out to meet us, bringing their guns with them. They took us into +their camp, where an American who spoke the Sac language a little told +us that his chief wanted to know how we were, where we were going, where +our camp was, and where was Black Hawk? We told him that we had come +to see his chief, that our chief had directed us to conduct him to our +camp, in case he had not encamped, and in that event to tell him that +he, Black Hawk, would come to see him; he wished to hold a council with +him, as he had given up all intention of going to war." + +This man had once been a member of our tribe, having been adopted by me +many years before and treated with the same kindness as was shown to our +young men, but like the caged bird of the woods, he yearned for freedom, +and after a few years residence with us an opportunity for escape came +and he left us. On this occasion he would have respected our flag and +carried back the message I had sent to his chief, had he not been taken +prisoner, with a comrade, by some of my braves who did not recognize +him, and brought him into camp. They were securely tied with cords to +trees and left to meditate, but were occasionally buffeted by my young +men when passing near them. When I passed by him there was a recognition +on the part of us both, but on account of former friendship I concluded +to let him go, and some little time before the sun went down I +released him from his captivity by untying the cords that bound him and +accompanied him outside of our lines so that he could escape safely. +His companion had previously made a desperate effort to escape from his +guards and was killed by them. + +They continued their story: + +"At the conclusion of this talk a party of white men came in on +horseback. We saw by their countenances that something had happened. A +general tumult arose. They looked at us with indignation, talked among +themselves for a moment, when several of them cocked their guns and +fired at us in the crowd. Our companion fell dead. We rushed through +the crowd and made our escape. We remained in ambush but a short time, +before we heard yelling like Indians running an enemy. In a little while +we saw some of the whites in full speed. One of them came near us. I +threw my tomahawk and struck him on the head which brought him to the +ground; I ran to him and with his own knife took off his scalp. I took +his gun, mounted his horse, and brought my friend here behind me. We +turned to follow our braves, who were chasing the enemy, and had not +gone far before we overtook a white man, whose horse had mired in a +swamp. My friend alighted and tomahawked the man, who was apparently +fast under his horse. He took his scalp, horse and gun. By this time our +party was some distance ahead. We followed on and saw several white men +lying dead on the way. After riding about six miles we met our party +returning. We asked them how many of our men had been killed. . They +said none after the Americans had retreated. We inquired how many whites +had been killed. They replied that they did not know, but said we will +soon ascertain, as we must scalp them as we go back. On our return +we found ten men, besides the two we had killed before we joined our +friends. Seeing that they did not yet recognize us, it being dark, we +again asked how many of our braves had been killed? They said five. We +asked who they were? They replied that the first party of three who went +out to meet the American war chief, had all been taken prisoners and +killed in the encampment, and that out of a party of five, who followed +to see the meeting of the first party with the whites, two had been +killed. We were now certain that they did not recognize us, nor did we +tell who we were until we arrived at our camp. The news of our death had +reached it some time before, and all were surprised to see us again." + +The next morning I told the crier of my village to give notice that we +must go and bury our dead. In a little while all were ready. A small +deputation was sent for our absent warriors, and the remainder started +to bury the dead. We first disposed of them and then commenced an +examination in the enemy's deserted encampment for plunder. We found +arms and ammunition and provisions, all of which we were sadly in want +of, particularly the latter, as we were entirely without. We found also +a variety of saddle bags, which I distributed among my braves, a small +quantity of whisky and some little barrels that had contained this bad +medicine, but they were empty. I was surprised to find that the whites +carried whisky with them, as I had understood that all the pale faces, +when acting is soldiers in the field, were strictly temperate. + +The enemy's encampment was in a skirt of woods near a run, about half a +day's travel from Dixon's ferry. We attacked them in the prairie, with a +few bushes between us, about sundown, and I expected that my whole party +would be killed. I never was so much surprised in all the fighting I +have seen, knowing, too, that the Americans generally shoot well, as +I was to see this army of several hundreds retreating, without showing +fight, and passing immediately through their encampment, I did think +they intended to halt there, as the situation would have forbidden +attack by my party if their number had not exceeded half of mine, as +we would have been compelled to take the open prairie whilst they could +have picked trees to shield themselves from our fire. + +I was never so much surprised in my life as I was in this attack. An +army of three or four hundred men, after having learned that we were +sueing for peace, to attempt to kill the flag bearers that had gone +unarmed to ask for a meeting of the war chiefs of the two contending +parties to hold a council, that I might return to the west side of the +Mississippi, to come forward with a full determination to demolish +the few braves I had with me, to retreat when they had ten to one, was +unaccountable to me. It proved a different spirit from any I had ever +before seen among the pale faces. I expected to see them fight as the +Americans did with the British during the last war, but they had no such +braves among them. At our feast with the Pottowattomies I was convinced +that we had been imposed upon by those who had brought in reports of +large re-enforcements to my band and resolved not to strike a blow; and +in order to get permission from White Beaver to return and re-cross the +Mississippi, I sent a flag of peace to the American war chief, who was +reported to be close by with his army, expecting that he would convene +a council and listen to what we had to say. But this chief, instead +of pursuing that honorable and chivalric course, such as I have always +practiced, shot down our flag-bearer and thus forced us into war +with less than five hundred warriors to contend against three or four +thousand soldiers. + +The supplies that Neapope and the prophet told us about, and the +reinforcements we were to have, were never more heard of, and it is +but justice to our British Father to say were never promised, his chief +being sent word in lieu of the lies that were brought to me, "for us to +remain at peace as we could accomplish nothing but our own ruin by going +to war." + +What was now to be done? It was worse than folly to turn back and meet +an enemy where the odds were so much against us and thereby sacrifice +ourselves, our wives and children to the fury of an enemy who had +murdered some of our brave and unarmed warriors when they were on a +mission to sue for peace. + +Having returned to our encampment, and found that all our young men +had come in, I sent out spies to watch the movements of the army, and +commenced moving up Kishwacokee with the balance of my people. I did not +know where to go to find a place of safety for my women and children, +but expected to find a good harbor about the head of Rock river. I +concluded to go there, and thought my best route would be to go +round the head of Kishwacokee, so that the Americans would have some +difficulty if they attempted to follow us. + +On arriving at the head of Kishwacokee, I was met by a party of +Winnebagoes, who seemed to rejoice at our success. They said they had +come to offer their services, and were anxious to join in. I asked them +if they knew where there was a safe place for our women and children. +They told us that they would send two old men with us to guide us to a +good safe place. + +I arranged war parties to send out in different directions, before I +proceeded further. The Winnebagoes went alone. The war parties having +all been fitted out and started, we commenced moving to the Four Lakes, +the place where our guides were to conduct us. We had not gone far +before six Winnebagoes came in with one scalp. They said they had killed +a man at a grove, on the road from Dixon's to the lead mines. Four +days after, the party of Winnebagoes who had gone out from the head of +Kishwacokee, overtook us, and told me that they had killed four men +and taken their scalps: and that one of them was Keokuk's father, (the +agent). They proposed to have a dance over their scalps. I told them +that I could have no dancing in my camp, in consequence of my having +lost three young braves; but they might dance in their own camp, which +they did. Two days after, we arrived in safety at the place where +the Winnebagoes had directed us. In a few days a great number of our +warriors came in. I called them all around me, and addressed them. +I told them: "Now is the time, if any of you wish to come into +distinction, and be honored with the medicine bag! Now is the time to +show your courage and bravery, and avenge the murder of our three +braves!" + +Several small parties went out, and returned again in a few days, with +success--bringing in provisions for our people. In the mean time, some +spies came in, and reported that the army had fallen back to Dixon's +ferry; and others brought news that the horsemen had broken up their +camp, disbanded, and returned home. + +Finding that all was safe, I made a dog feast, preparatory to leaving +my camp with a large party, (as the enemy were stationed so far off). +Before my braves commenced feasting, I took my medicine bags, and +addressed them in the following language: + +"BRAVES AND WARRIORS: These are the medicine bags of our forefather, +Mukataquet, who was the father of the Sac nation. They were handed down +to the great war chief of our nation, Nanamakee, who has been at war +with all the nations of the plains, and have never yet been disgraced! I +expect you all to protect them!" + +After the ceremony was over and our feasting done I started, with about +two hundred warriors following my great medicine bags. I directed my +course toward sunset and dreamed, the second night after we started, +that there would be a great feast prepared for us after one day's +travel. I told my warriors my dream in the morning and we started for +Moscohocoynak, (Apple river). When we arrived in the vicinity of a fort +the white people had built there we saw four men on horseback. One of +my braves fired and wounded a man when the others set up a yell as if +a large force were near and ready to come against us. We concealed +ourselves and remained in this position for some time watching to see +the enemy approach, but none came. The four men, in the mean time, ran +to the fort and gave the alarm. We followed them and attacked their +fort. One of their braves, who seemed more valiant than the rest, raised +his head above the picketing to fire at us when one of my braves, with a +well-directed shot, put an end to his bravery. Finding that these people +could not be killed without setting fire to their houses and fort I +thought it more prudent to be content with what flour, provisions, +cattle and horses we could find than to set fire to their buildings, as +the light would be seen at a distance and the army might suppose we were +in the neighborhood and come upon us with a strong force. Accordingly +we opened a house and filled our bags with flour and provisions, took +several horses and drove off some of their cattle. + +We started in a direction toward sunrise. After marching a considerable +time I discovered some white men coming towards us. I told my braves +that we would go into the woods and kill them when they approached. +We concealed ourselves until they came near enough and then commenced +yelling and firing and made a rush upon them. About this time their +chief, with a party of men, rushed up to rescue the men we had fired +upon. In a little while they commenced retreating and left their chief +and a few braves who seemed willing and anxious to fight. They acted +like men, but were forced to give way when I rushed upon them with my +braves. In a short time the chief returned with a lager party. He seemed +determined to fight, and anxious for a battle. When he came near enough +I raised the yell and firing commenced from both sides. The chief, who +seemed to be a small man, addressed his warriors in a loud voice, but +they soon retreated, leaving him and a few braves on the battle field. +A great number of my warriors pursued the retreating party and killed a +number of their horses as they ran. + +The chief and his few braves were unwilling to leave the field. I +ordered my braves to rush upon them, and had the mortification of seeing +two of my chiefs killed before the enemy retreated. + +This young chief deserves great praise for his courage and bravery, but +fortunately for us, his army was not all composed of such brave men. + +During this attack we killed several men and about forty horses and lost +two young chiefs and seven warriors. My braves were anxious to pursue +them to the fort, attack and burn it, but I told them it was useless to +waste our powder as there was no possible chance of success if we did +attack them, and that as we had ran the bear into his hole we would +there leave him and return to our camp. + +On arriving at our encampment we found that several of our spies had +returned, bringing intelligence that the army had commenced moving. +Another party of five came in and said they had been pursued for several +hours, and were attacked by twenty-five or thirty whites in the woods; +that the whites rushed in upon them as they lay concealed and received +their fire without seeing them. They immediately retreated whilst we +reloaded. They entered the thicket again and as soon as they came near +enough we fired. Again they retreated and again they rushed into the +thicket and fired. We returned their fire and a skirmish ensued between +two of their men and one of ours, who was killed by having his throat +cut. This was the only man we lost, the enemy having had three killed; +they again retreated. + +Another party of three Sacs had come in and brought two young white +squaws, whom they had given to the Winnebagoes to take to the whites. +They said they had joined a party of Pottowattomies and went with them +as a war party against the settlers of Illinois. + +The leader of this party, a Pottowattomie, had been severely whipped by +this settler, some time before, and was anxious to avenge the insult and +injury. While the party was preparing to start, a young Pottowattomie +went to the settler's house and told him to leave it, that a war party +was coming to murder them. They started, but soon returned again, as +it appeared that they were all there when the war party arrived. The +Pottowattomies killed the whole family, except two young squaws, whom +the Sacs took up on their horses and carried off, to save their lives. +They were brought to our encampment, and a messenger sent to the +Winnebagoes, as they were friendly on both sides, to come and get them, +and carry them to the whites. If these young men, belonging to my band, +had not gone with the Pottowittomies, the two young squaws would have +shared the same fate as their friends. + +During our encampment at the Four Lakes we were hard pressed to obtain +enough to eat to support nature. Situated in a swampy, marshy country, +(which had been selected in consequence of the great difficulty required +to gain access thereto,) there was but little game of any sort to +be found, and fish were equally scarce. The great distance to any +settlement, and the impossibility of bringing supplies therefrom, if +any could have been obtained, deterred our young men from making +further attempts. We were forced to dig roots and bark trees, to obtain +something to satisfy hunger and keep us alive. Several of our old people +became so reduced, as to actually die with hunger! Learning that the +army had commenced moving, and fearing that they might come upon and +surround our encampment, I concluded to remove our women and children +across the Mississippi, that they might return to the Sac nation again. +Accordingly, on the next day we commenced moving, with five Winnebagoes +acting as our guides, intending to descend the Wisconsin. + +Neapope, with a party of twenty, remained in our rear, to watch for the +enemy, whilst we were proceeding to the Wisconsin, with our women and +children. We arrived, and had commenced crossing over to an island, when +we discovered a large body of the enemy coming towards us. We were now +compelled to fight, or sacrifice our wives and children to the fury of +the whites. I met them with fifty warriors, (having left the balance to +assist our women and children in crossing) about a mile from the river, +When an attack immediately commenced, I was mounted on a fine horse, +and was pleased to see my warriors so brave. I addressed them in a load +voice, telling them to stand their ground and never yield it to the +enemy. At this time I was on the rise of a hill, where I wished to form +my warriors, that we might have some advantage over the whites. But the +enemy succeeded in gaining this point, which compelled us to fall into +a deep ravine, from which we continued firing at them and they at us, +until it began to grow dark. My horse having been wounded twice during +this engagement, and fearing from his loss of blood that he would soon +give out, and finding that the enemy would not come near enough to +receive our fire, in the dusk of the evening, and knowing that our +women and children had had sufficient time to reach the island in the +Wisconsin, I ordered my warriors to return, by different routes, and +meet me at the Wisconsin, and was astonished to find that the enemy were +not disposed to pursue us. + +In this skirmish with fifty braves, I defended and accomplished my +passage over the Wisconsin, with a loss of only six men, though opposed +by a host of mounted militia. I would not have fought there, but to gain +time for our women and children to cross to an island. A warrior will +duly appreciate the embarrassments I labored under--and whatever may +be the sentiments of the white people in relation to this battle, my +nation, though fallen, will award to me the reputation of a great brave +in conducting it. + +The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained by our party; but I am +of the opinion that it was much greater, in proportion, than mine. We +returned to the Wisconsin and crossed over to our people. + +Here some of my people left me, and descended the Wisconsin, hoping to +escape to the west side of the Mississippi, that they might return +home. I had no objection to their leaving me, as my people were all in +a desperate condition, being worn out with traveling and starving +with hunger. Our only hope to save ourselves was to get across the +Mississippi. But few of this party escaped. Unfortunately for them, a +party of soldiers from Prairie du Chien were stationed on the Wisconsin, +a short distance from its mouth, who fired upon our distressed people. +Some were killed, others drowned, several taken prisoners, and the +balance escaped to the woods and perished with hunger. Among this party +were a great many women and children. + +I was astonished to find that Neapope and his party of spies had not +yet come in, they having been left in my rear to bring the news, if the +enemy were discovered. It appeared, however, that the whites had come +in a different direction and intercepted our trail but a short distance +from the place where we first saw them, leaving our spies considerably +in the rear. Neapope and one other retired to the Winnebago village, +and there remained during the war. The balance of his party, being brave +men, and considering our interests as their own, returned, and joined +our ranks. + +Myself and band having no means to descend the Wisconsin, I started over +a rugged country, to go to the Mississippi, intending to cross it and +return to my nation. Many of our people were compelled to go on foot, +for want of horses, which, in consequence of their having had nothing +to eat for a long time, caused our march to be very slow. At length we +arrived at the Mississippi, having lost some of our old men and little +children, who perished on the way with hunger. + +We had been here but a little while before we saw a steamboat (the +"Warrior,") coming. I told my braves not to shoot, as I intended going +on board, so that we might save our women and children. I knew the +captain (Throckmorton) and was determined to give myself up to him. +I then sent for my white flag. While the messenger was gone, I took +a small piece of white cotton and put it on a pole, and called to the +captain of the boat, and told him to send his little canoe ashore and +let me come aboard. The people on board asked whether we were Sacs or +Winnebagoes. I told a Winnebago to tell them that we were Sacs, and +wanted to give ourselves up! A Winnebago on the boat called out to us +"to run and hide, that the whites were going to shoot!" About this time +one of my braves had jumped into the river, bearing a white flag to the +boat, when another sprang in after him and brought him to the shore. The +firing then commenced from the boat, which was returned by my braves and +continued for some time. Very few of my people were hurt after the +first fire, having succeeded in getting behind old logs and trees, which +shielded them from the enemy's fire. + +The Winnebago on the steamboat must either have misunderstood what +was told, or did not tell it to the captain correctly; because I am +confident he would not have allowed the soldiers to fire upon us if he +had known my wishes. I have always considered him a good man, and too +great a brave to fire upon an enemy when sueing for quarters. + +After the boat left us, I told my people to cross if they could, and +wished; that I intended going into the Chippewa country. Some commenced +crossing, and such as had determined to follow them, remained; only +three lodges going with me. Next morning, at daybreak, a young man +overtook me, and said that all my party had determined to cross the +Mississippi--that a number had already got over safely and that he had +heard the white army last night within a few miles of them. I now began +to fear that the whites would come up with my people and kill them +before they could get across. I had determined to go and join the +Chippewas; but reflecting that by this I could only save myself, I +concluded to return, and die with my people, if the Great Spirit would +not give us another victory. During our stay in the thicket, a party of +whites came close by us, but passed on without discovering us. + +Early in the morning a party of whites being in advance of the army, +came upon our people, who were attempting to cross the Mississippi. +They tried to give themselves up; the whites paid no attention to their +entreaties, but commenced slaughtering them. In a little while the whole +army arrived. Our braves, but few in umber, finding that the enemy paid +no regard to age or sex, and seeing that they were murdering helpless +women and little children, determined to fight until they were killed. +As many women as could, commenced swimming the Mississippi, with their +children on their backs. A number of them were drowned, and some shot +before they could reach the opposite shore. + +One of my braves, who gave me this information, piled up some saddles +before him, (when the fight commenced), to shield himself from the +enemy's fire, and killed three white men. But seeing that the whites +were coming too close to him, he crawled to the bank of the without +being perceived, and hid himself under the bank until the enemy retired. +He then came to me and told me what had been done. After hearing this +sorrowful news, I started with my little party to the Winnebago village +at Prairie La Cross. On my arrival there I entered the lodge of one of +the chiefs, and told him that I wished him to go with me to his father, +that I intended giving myself up to the American war chief and die, if +the Great Spirit saw proper. He said he would go with me. I then took my +medicine bag and addressed the chief. I told him that it was "the soul +of the Sac nation--that it never had been dishonored in any battle, take +it, it is my life--dearer than life--and give it to the American chief!" +He said he would keep it, and take care of it, and if I was suffered to +live, he would send it to me. + +During my stay at the village, the squaws made me a white dress of deer +skin. I then started with several Winnebagoes, and went to their agent, +at Prairie du Chien, and gave myself up. + +On my arrival there, I found to my sorrow, that a large body of Sioux +had pursued and killed a number of our women and children, who had got +safely across the Mississippi. The whites ought not to have permitted +such conduct, and none but cowards would ever have been guilty of such +cruelty, a habit which had always been practiced on our nation by the +Sioux. + +The massacre, which terminated the war, lasted about two hours. Our loss +in killed was about sixty, besides a number that was drowned. The loss +of the enemy could not be ascertained by my braves, exactly; but they +think that they killed about sixteen during the action. + +I was now given up by the agent to the commanding officer at Fort +Crawford, the White Beaver having gone down the river. We remained here +a short time, and then started for Jefferson Barracks, in a steam boat, +under the charge of a young war chief, (Lieut. Jefferson Davis) who +treated us all with much kindness. He is a good and brave young chief, +with whose conduct I was much pleased. On our way down we called at +Galena and remained a short time. The people crowded to the boat to see +us: but the war chief would not permit them to enter the apartment where +we were--knowing, from what his feelings would have been if he had been +placed in a similar situation, that we did not wish to have a gaping +crowd around us. + +We passed Rock Island without stopping. The great war chief, Gen. Scott, +who was then at Fort Armstrong, came out in a small boat to see us, but +the captain of the steamboat would not allow anybody from the fort to +come on board his boat, in consequence of the cholera raging among the +soldiers. I did think that the captain ought to have permitted the war +chief to come on board to see me, because I could see no danger to be +apprehended by it. The war chief looked well, and I have since heard was +constantly among his soldiers, who were sick and dying, administering to +their wants, and had not caught the disease from them and I thought it +absurd to think that any of the people on the steamboat could be afraid +of catching the disease from a well man. But these people are not brave +like war chiefs, who never fear anything. + +On our way down, I surveyed the country that had cost us so much +trouble, anxiety and blood, and that now caused me to be a prisoner of +war. I reflected upon the ingratitude of the whites when I saw their +fine houses, rich harvests and everything desirable around them; and +recollected that all this land had been ours, for which I and my people +had never received a dollar, and that the whites were not satisfied +until they took our village and our graveyards from us and removed us +across the Mississippi. + +On our arrival at Jefferson Barracks we met the great war chief, White +Beaver, who had commanded the American army against my little band. I +felt the humiliation of my situation; a little while before I had been +leader of my braves, now I was a prisoner of war, but had surrendered +myself. He received us kindly and treated us well. + +We were now confined to the barracks and forced to wear the ball and +chain. This was extremely mortifying and altogether useless. Was the +White Beaver afraid I would break out of his barracks and run away? Or +was he ordered to inflict this punishment upon me? If I had taken him +prisoner on the field of battle I would not have wounded his feelings +so much by such treatment, knowing that a brave war chief would prefer +death to dishonor. But I do not blame the White Beaver for the course he +pursued, as it is the custom among the white soldiers, and I suppose was +a part of his duty. + +The time dragged heavily and gloomily along throughout the winter, +although the White Beaver did everything is his power to render us +comfortable. Having been accustomed, throughout a long life, to roam +the forests o'er, to go and come at liberty, confinement, and under such +circumstances, could not be less than torture. + +We passed away the time making pipes until spring, when we were visited +by the agent, trader and interpreter, from Rock Island, Keokuk and +several chiefs and braves of our nation, and my wife and daughter. I +was rejoiced to see the two latter and spent my time very agreeably with +them and my people as long as they remained. + +The trader, Sagenash, (Col. Davenport) presented me with some dried +venison, which had been killed and cured by some of my friends. This was +a valuable present, and although he had given me many before, none ever +pleased me so much. This was the first meat I had eaten for a long time +that reminded me of the former pleasures of my own wigwam, which had +always been stored with plenty. + +Keokuk and his chiefs, during their stay at the barracks, petitioned our +Great Father, the president, to release us, and pledged themselves +for our good conduct. I now began to hope I would soon be restored to +liberty and the enjoyment of my family and friends, having heard that +Keokuk stood high in the estimation of our Great Father, because he +did not join me in the war, but I was soon disappointed in my hopes. An +order came from our Great Father to the White Beaver to send us on to +Washington. + +In a little while all were ready and left Jefferson Barracks on board of +a steamboat, under charge of a young war chief and one soldier, whom the +White Beaver sent along as a guide to Washington. We were accompanied +by Keokuk, wife and son, Appanooce, Wapello, Poweshiek, Pashippaho, +Nashashuk, Saukee, Musquaukee, and our interpreter. Our principal +traders, Col. Geo. Davenport, of Rock Island, and S. S. Phelps and +clerk, William Cousland, of the Yellow Banks, also accompanied us. On +our way up the Ohio we passed several large villages, the names of which +were explained to me. The first is called Louisville, and is a very +petty village, situated on the bank of the Ohio River. The next is +Cincinnati, which stands on the bank of the same river. This is a large +and beautiful village and seemed to be in a thriving condition. The +people gathered on the bank as we passed, in great crowds, apparently +anxious to see us. + +On our arrival at Wheeling the streets and river banks were crowded with +people, who flocked from every direction to see us. While we remained +here many called upon us and treated us with kindness, no one offering +to molest or misuse us. This village is not so large as either of those +before mentioned, but is quite a pretty one. + +We left the steamboat then, having traveled a long distance on the +prettiest river I ever saw (except our Mississippi) and took the stage. +Being unaccustomed to this mode of traveling, we soon got tired and +wished ourselves seated in a canoe on one of our own rivers, that we +might return to our friends. We had traveled but a short distance before +our carriage turned over, from which I received a slight injury, and the +soldier had one arm broken. I was sorry for this accident, as the young +man had behaved well. + +We had a rough and mountainous country for several days, but had a good +trail for our carriage. It is astonishing what labor and pains the white +people have had to make this road, as it passes over several mountains, +which are generally covered with rocks and timber, yet it has been made +smooth and easy to travel upon. + +Rough and mountainous as this country is there are many wigwams and +small villages standing on the roadside. I could see nothing in the +country to induce the people to live in it, and was astonished to find +so many whites living on the hills. + +I have often thought of them since my return to my own people, and am +happy to think that they prefer living in their own country to coming +out to ours and driving us from it, as many of the whites have already +done. I think with them, that wherever the Great Spirit places his +people they ought to be satisfied to remain, and be thankful for what He +has given them, and not drive others from the country He has given them +because it happens to be better then theirs. This is contrary to our +way of thinking, and from my intercourse with the whites, I have learned +that one great principle of their religion is "to do unto others as you +wish them to do unto you." Those people in the mountains seem to act +upon this principle, but the settlers on our frontiers and on our lands +seem never to think of it, if we are to judge by their actions. + +The first village of importance that we came to, after leaving the +mountains, is called Hagerstown. It is a large village to be so far from +a river and is very pretty. The people appear to live well and enjoy +themselves much. + +We passed through several small villages on the way to Fredericktown, +but I have forgotten their names. This last is a large and beautiful +village. The people treated us well, as they did at all other villages +where we stopped. + +Here we came to another road much more wonderful than that through the +mountains. They call it a railroad, (the Baltimore and Ohio). I examined +it carefully, but need not describe it, as the whites know all about +it. It is the most astonishing sight I ever saw. The great road over the +mountains will bear no comparison to it, although it has given the white +people much trouble to make. I was surprised to see so much money and +labor expended to make a good road for easy traveling. I prefer riding +horse back, however, to any other way, but suppose these people would +not have gone to so much trouble and expense to make a road if they did +not prefer riding in their new fashioned carriages, which seem to run +without any trouble, being propelled by steam on the same principle that +boats are on the river. They certainly deserve great praise for their +industry. + +On our arrival at Washington, we called to see our Great Father, the +President. He looks as if he had seen as many winters as I have, and +seems to be a great brave. I had very little talk with him, as he +appeared to be busy and did not seem to be much disposed to talk. I +think he is a good man; and although he talked but little, he treated +us very well. His wigwam is well furnished with every thing good and +pretty, and is very strongly built. + +He said he wished to know the cause of my going to war against his white +children. I thought he ought to have known this before; and consequently +said but little to him about it, as I expected he knew as well as I cold +tell him. + +He said he wanted us to go to Fortress Monroe and stay awhile with the +war chief who commanded it. But having been so long from my people, I +told him that I would rather return to my nation; that Keokuk had come +here once on a visit to him, as we had done, and he had let him return +again, as soon as he wished, and that I expected to be treated in the +same manner. He insisted, however, on our going to Fortress Monroe; +and as the interpreter then present could not understand enough of our +language to interpret a speech, I concluded it was best to obey our +Great Father, and say nothing contrary to his wishes. + +During our stay at the city, we were called upon by many of the people, +who treated us well, particularly the squaws; we visited the great +council home of the Americans; the place where they keep their big guns; +and all the public buildings, and then started for Fortress Monroe. The +war chief met us on our arrival, and shook hands, and appeared glad +to see me. He treated us with great friendship, and talked to me +frequently. Previous to our leaving this fort, he made us a feast, and +gave us some presents, which I intend to keep for his sake. He is a very +good man and a great brave. I was sorry to leave him, although I was +going to return to my people, because he had treated me like a brother, +during all the time I remained with him. + +Having got a new guide, a war chief (Maj. Garland), we started for our +own country, taking a circuitous route. Our Great Father being about to +pay a visit to his children in the big towns towards sunrise, and being +desirous that we should have an opportunity of seeing them, had directed +our guide to take us through. + +On our arrival at Baltimore, we were much astonished to see so large a +village; but the war chief told us we would soon see a larger one. +This surprised us more. During our stay here, we visited all the public +buildings and places of amusement, saw much to admire, and were well +entertained by the people who crowded to see us. Our Great Father +was there at the same time, and seemed to be much liked by his white +children, who flocked around him, (as they had around us) to shake him +by the hand. He did not remain long, having left the city before us. In +an interview, while here, the President said: + +"When I saw you in Washington, I told you that you had behaved very +badly in going to war against the whites. Your conduct then compelled +me to send my warriors against you, and your people were defeated with +great loss, and several of you surrendered, to be kept until I should be +satisfied that you would not try to do any more injury. I told you, +too, that I would inquire whether your people wished you to return, and +whether, if you did return, there would be any danger to the frontier. +Gen. Clark and Gen. Atkinson, whom you know, have informed me that +your principal chief and the rest of your people are anxious you should +return, and Keokuk has asked me to send you back. Your chiefs have +pledged themselves for your good conduct, and I have given directions +that you should be taken to your own country. + +"Major Garland, who is with you, will conduct you through some of our +towns. You will see the strength of the white people. You will see that +our young men are as numerous as the leaves in the woods. What can you +do against us? You may kill a few women and children, but such a force +would seen be sent against you as would destroy your whole tribe. Let +the red men hunt and take care of their families. I hope they will not +again raise the tomahawk against their white brethren. We do not wish to +injure you. We desire your prosperity and improvement. But if you again +make war against our people, I shall send a force which will severely +punish you. When you go back, listen to the councils of Keokuk and the +other friendly chiefs; bury the tomahawk and live in peace with the +people on the frontier. And I pray the Great Spirit to give you a smooth +path and a fair sky to return." + +I was pleased with our Great Father's talk and thanked him. Told +him that the tomahawk had been buried so deep that it would never be +resurrected, and that my remaining days would be spent in peace with all +my white brethren. + +We left Baltimore in a steamboat, and traveled in this way to the big +village, where they make medals and money, (Philadelphia.) We again +expressed surprise at finding this village so much larger than the one +we had left; but the war chief again told us we would see another much +larger than this. I had no idea that the white people had such large +villages, and so many people. They were very kind to us, showed us all +their great public works, their ships and steamboats. We visited the +place where they make money, (the mint) and saw the men engaged at it. +They presented each of us with a number of pieces of the coin as they +fell from the mint, which are very handsome. + +I witnessed a militia training in this city, in which were performed +a number of singular military feats. The chiefs and men were all well +dressed, and exhibited quite a warlike appearance. I think our system of +military parade far better than that of the whites, but as I am now done +going to war I will not describe it, or say anything more about war, or +the preparations necessary for it. + +We next started for New York, and on our arrival near the wharf, saw a +large collection of people gathered at Castle Garden. We had seen many +wonderful sights in our way--large villages, the great national road +over the mountains, the railroad, steam carriages, ships, steamboat, +and many other things; but we were now about to witness a sight more +surprising than any of these. We were told that a man was going up in +the air in a balloon. We watched with anxiety to see if this could be +true; and to our utter astonishment, saw him ascend in the air until the +eye could no longer perceive him. Our people were all surprised and one +of our young men asked the Prophet if he was going up to see the Great +Spirit? + +After the ascension of the balloon, we landed and got into a carriage +to go to the house that had been provided for our reception. We had +proceeded but a short distance before the street was so crowded that it +was impossible for the carriage to pass. The war chief then directed the +coachman to take another street, and stop at a different house from the +one we had intended. On our arrival here we were waited upon by a number +of gentlemen, who seemed much pleased to see us. We were furnished with +good rooms, good provisions, and everything necessary for our comfort. + +The chiefs of this big village, being desirous that all their people +should have an opportunity to see us, fitted up their great council home +for this purpose, where we saw an immense number of people; all of whom +treated us with great friendship, and many with great generosity. One +of their great chiefs, John A. Graham, waited upon us and made a very +pretty talk, which appeared in the village papers, one of which I now +hand you. + + + + +MR. GRAHAM'S SPEECH. + +"BROTHERS: Open your ears. You are brave men. You have fought like +tigers, but in a bad cause. We have conquered you. We were sorry last +year that you raised the tomahawk against us; but we believe you did not +know us then as you do now. We think, in time to come, you will be +wise, and that we shall be friends forever. You see that we are a great +people, numerous as the flowers of the field, as the shells on the sea +shore, or the fishes in the sea, We put one hand on the eastern, and at +the same time the other on the western ocean. We all act together. If +some time our great men talk long and loud at our council fires, but +shed one drop of white men's blood, our young warriors, as thick as the +stars of the night, will leap aboard of our great boats, which fly +on the waves and over the lakes--swift as the eagle in the air--then +penetrate the woods, make the big guns thunder, and the whole heavens +red with the flames of the dwellings of their enemies. Brothers, the +President has made you a great talk. He has but one mouth. That one has +sounded the sentiments of all the people. Listen to what he has said to +you. Write it on your memories, it is good, very good. + +"Black Hawk, take these jewels, a pair of topaz earrings, beautifully +set in gold, for your wife or daughter, as a token of friendship, +keeping always in mind, that women and children are the favorites of the +Great Spirit. These jewels are from an old man, whose head is whitened +with the snows of seventy winters, an old man who has thrown down his +bow, put off his sword, and now stands leaning on his staff, waiting +the commands of the Great Spirit. Look around you, see all this mighty +people, then go to your homes, open your arms to receive your families. +Tell them to buy the hatchet, to make bright the chain of friendship, +to love the white men, and to live in peace with them, as long as the +rivers run into the sea, and the sun rises and sets. If you do so, you +will be happy. You will then insure the prosperity of unborn generations +of your tribes, who will go hand in hand with the sons of the white men, +and all shall be blessed by the Great Spirit. Peace and happiness by the +blessing of the Great Spirit attend you. Farewell." + +In reply to this fine talk, I said, "Brother: We like your talk. We like +the white people. They are very kind to us. We shall not forget it. Your +council is good. We shall attend to it. Your valuable present shall go +to my squaw. We shall always be friends." + +The chiefs were particular in showing us everything that they thought +would be pleasing or gratifying to us. We went with them to +Castle Garden to see the fire-works, which was quite an agreeable +entertainment, but to the whites who witnessed it, less magnificent than +would have been the sight of one of our large prairies when on fire. + +We visited all the public buildings and places of amusement, which, to +us, were truly astonishing yet very gratifying. + +Everybody treated us with friendship, and many with great liberality. +The squaws presented us many handsome little presents that are said +to be valuable. They were very kind, very good, and very pretty--for +pale-faces. + +Among the men, who treated us with marked friendship, by the +presentation of many valuable presents, I cannot omit to mention the +name of my old friend Crooks, of the American Fur Company. I have known +him long, and have always found him to be a good chief, one who gives +good advice, and treats our people right. I shall always be proud to +recognize him as a friend, and glad to shake him by the hand. + +Being anxious to return to our people, our guide started with us for our +own country. On arriving at Albany, the people were so anxious to see +us, that they crowded the streets and wharfs, where the steamboats +landed, so much, that it was almost impossible for us to pass to the +hotel which had been provided for our reception. We remained here but +a short time, it being a comparatively small village, with only a few +large public buildings. The great council home of the state is located +here, and the big chief (the governor) resides here, in an old mansion. +From here we went to Buffalo, thence to Detroit, where I had spent many +pleasant days, and anticipated, on my arrival, to meet many of my old +friends, but in this I was disappointed. What could be the cause of +this? Are they all dead? Or what has become of them? I did not see our +old father them, who had always given me good advice and treated me with +great friendship. + +After leaving Detroit it was but a few days before we landed at Prairie +du Chien. The war chief at the fort treated us very kindly, as did the +people generally. I called on the agent of the Winnebagoes, (Gen. J. M. +Street), to whom I had surrendered myself after the battle at Bad Axe, +who received me very friendly. I told him that I had left my great +medicine bag with his chiefs before I gave myself up; and now, that I +was to enjoy my liberty again, I was anxious to get it, that I might +head it down to my nation unsullied. + +He said it was safe; he had heard his chiefs speak of it, and would +get it and send it to me. I hope he will not forget his promise, as the +whites generally do, because I have always heard that he was a good man, +and a good father, and made no promise that he did not fulfill. + +Passing down the Mississippi, I discovered a large collection of people +in the mining country, on the west side of the river, and on the ground +that we had given to our relation, DUBUQUE, a long time ago. I was +surprised at this, As I had understood from our Great Father that +the Mississippi was to be the dividing line between his red and white +children, and he did not wish either to cross it. I was much pleased +with this talk, and I knew it would be much better for both parties. I +have since found the country much settled by the whites further down, +and near to our people, on the west side of the river. I am very much +afraid that in a few years they will begin to drive and abuse our +people, as they have formerly done. I may not live to see it, but I feel +certain the day is not far distant. + +When we arrived at Rock Island, Keokuk and the other chiefs were sent +for. They arrived the next day with a great number of their young +men, and came over to see me. I was pleased to see them, and they all +appeared glad to see me. Among them were some who had lost relations the +year before. When we met, I perceived the tear of sorrow gush from their +eyes at the recollection of their loss, yet they exhibited a smiling +countenance, from the joy they felt at seeing me alive and well. + +The next morning, the war chief, our guide, convened a council at Fort +Armstrong. Keokuk and his party went to the fort; but, in consequence +of the war chief not having called for me to accompany him, I concluded +that I would wait until I was sent for. Consequently, the interpreter +came and said, "they were ready, and had been waiting for me to come +to the fort." I told him I was ready and would accompany him. On our +arrival there the council commenced. The war chief said that the object +of this council was to deliver me up to Keokuk. He then read a paper, +and directed me to follow Keokuk's advice, and be governed by his +counsel in all things! In this speech he said much that was mortifying +to my feelings, and I made an indignant reply. + +I do not know what object the war chief had in making such a speech; +or whether he intended what he said; but I do know that it was uncalled +for, and did not become him. I have addressed many war chiefs and +listened to their speeches with pleasure, but never had my feelings of +pride and honor insulted on any other occasion. But I am sorry I was +so hasty in reply to this chief, because I said that which I did not +intend. + +In this council I met my old friend (Col. Wm. Davenport,) whom I had +known about eighteen years. He is a good and brave chief. He always +treated me well, and gave me good advice. He made me a speech on this +occasion, very different from that of the other chief. It sounded like +coming from a brave. He said he had known me a long time, that we had +been good friends during that acquaintance, and, although he had fought +against my braves, in our late war, he still extended the hand of +friendship to me, and hoped that I was now satisfied, from what I had +seen in my travels, that it was folly to think of going to war against +the whites, and would ever remain at peace. He said he would be glad to +see me at all times, and on all occasions would be happy to give me good +advice. + +If our Great Father were to make such men our agents he would much +better subserve the interests of our people, as well as his own, than in +any other way. The war chiefs all know our people, and are respected by +them. If the war chiefs at the different military posts on the frontier +were made agents, they could always prevent difficulties from arising +among the Indians and whites; and I have no doubt, had the war +chief above alluded to been our agent, we would never have had the +difficulties with the whites we have had. Our agents ought always to be +braves. I would, therefore, recommend to our Great Father the propriety +of breaking up the present Indian establishment, and creating a new one, +and make the commanding officers at the different frontier posts the +agents of the Government for the different nations of Indians. + +I have a good opinion of the American war chiefs generally with whom +I am acquainted, and my people, who had an opportunity of seeing and +becoming well acquainted with the great war chief (Gen. Winfield Scott), +who made the last treaty with them, in conjunction with the great chief +of Illinois (Governor Reynolds), all tell me that he is the greatest +brave they ever saw, and a good man--one who fulfills his premises. Our +braves spoke more highly of him than of any chief that had ever been +among us, or made treaties with us. Whatever he says may be depended +upon. If he had been our Great Father we never would have been compelled +to join the British in the last war with America, and I have thought +that as our Great Father is changed every few years, that his children +would do well to put this great war chief in his place, for they cannot +find a better chief for a Great Father anywhere. + +I would be glad if the village criers (editors), in all the villages I +passed through, would let their people know my wishes and opinions about +this great war chief. + +During my travels my opinions were asked for on different subjects, but +for want of a good interpreter (our regular interpreter having gone home +on a different route), were seldom given. Presuming that they would be +equally acceptable now, I have thought it a part of my duty to lay the +most important before the public. + +The subject of colonizing the negroes was introduced and my opinion +asked as to the best method of getting clear of these people. I was not +fully prepared at that time to answer, as I knew but little about their +situation. I have since made many inquiries on the subject, and find +that a number of States admit no slaves, whilst the balance hold these +negroes as slaves, and are anxious, but do not know how to get clear of +them. I will now give my plan, which, when understood, I hope will be +adopted. + +Let the free States remove all the male negroes within their limits to +the slave States; then let our Great Father buy all the female negroes +in the slave States between the ages of twelve and twenty, and sell them +to the people of the free States, for a term of years, say those under +fifteen until they are twenty-one, and those of and over fifteen, for +five years, and continue to buy all the females in the slave States +as soon as they arrive at the age of twelve, and take them to the free +States and dispose of them in the same way as the first, and it will not +be long before the country is clear of the black-skins, about which I +am told they have been talking for a long time, and for which they have +expended a large amount of money. + +I have no doubt but our Great Father would willingly do his part in +accomplishing this object for his children, as he could not lose much by +it, and would make them all happy. If the free States did not want them +all for servants, we would take the balance in our nation to help our +women make corn. + +I have not time now, or is it necessary to enter more into detail about +my travels through the United States. The white people know all about +them, and my people have started to their hunting grounds and I am +anxious to follow them. + +Before I take leave of the public, I must contradict the story of +some of the village criers, who, I have been told, accuse me of having +murdered women ad children among the whites. This assertion is false! I +never did, nor have I any knowledge that any of my nation ever killed +a white woman or child. I make this statement of truth to satisfy the +white people among whom I have been traveling, and by whom I have been +treated with great kindness, that, when they shook me by the hand so +cordially, they did not shake the hand that had ever been raised against +any but warriors. + +It has always been our custom to receive all strangers that come to our +village or camps in time of peace on terms of friendship, to share with +them the best provisions we have, and give them all the assistance in +our power. If on a journey or lost, to put them on the right trail, and +if in want of moccasins, to supply them. I feel grateful to the whites +for the kind manner they treated me and my party whilst traveling among +them, and from my heart I assure them that the white man will always be +welcome in our village or camps, as a brother. The tomahawk is buried +forever! We will forget what has passed, and may the watchword between +the Americans and he Sacs and Foxes ever be--FRIENDSHIP. + +I am done now. A few more moons and I must follow my fathers to the +shades. May the Great Spirit keep our people and the whites always at +peace, is the sincere wish of + + BLACK HAWK. + + + + +STARTS FOR A NEW HOME. + +After we had finished his autobiography the interpreter read it over to +him carefully, and explained it thoroughly, so that he might make any +needed corrections, by adding to, or taking from the narrations; but +he did not desire to change it in any material matter. He said, "It +contained nothing but the truth, and that it was his desire that the +white people in the big villages he had visited should know how badly he +had been treated, and the reason that had impelled him to act as he had +done." Arrangements having been completed for moving to his new home, +he left Rock Island on the 10th of October with his family and a small +portion of his band, for his old hunting grounds on Skunk river, on +the west side of the Mississippi river below Shokokon. Here he had a +comfortable dwelling erected, and settled down with the expectation of +making it his permanent home, thus spending the evening of his days in +peace and quietude. + +Our next meeting with the Chief was in the Autumn Of 1834 while on our +way to the trading house of Captain William Phelps (now of Lewistown, +Ills.), at Sweet Home, located on the bank of the Des Moines river. This +was soon after the payment of the annuities at Rock Island, where +the chiefs and head men had been assembled and received the money and +divided it among their people by such rule as they saw fit to adopt; +but this mode of distribution had proved very unsatisfactory to a large +number of Indians who felt that they had been sorely wronged. The Sacs +held a convocation at Phelps' trading house soon after our arrival, and +petitioned their Great Father to change the mode of payment of their +annuities. Black Hawk was a leading spirit in this movement, but thought +best not to be present at the meeting. The writer of this drew up a +petition in advance of the assembling of the meeting, in accordance with +the views of the Messrs. Phelps, and after a short council, in which the +Indians generally participated, the interpreter read and explained to +them the petition, which was a simple prayer to their Great Father, to +charge the mode of payment so that each head of a family should receive +and receipt for his proportion of the annuity. They were all satisfied +and the entire party "touched the goose quill," and their names were +thus duly attached to this important document. + +The Secretary of War had long favored this mode of payment of the +annuities to the Indians, and at a meeting of the Cabinet to consider +this petition the prayer of the Indians was granted, and in due time +the Indian department received instructions, so that upon the payment of +1835 this rule was adopted. On his return from Rock Island, Black +Hawk, with a number of his band, called on his old friend Wahwashenequa +(Hawkeye), Mr. Stephen S. Phelps, to buy their necessary supplies for +making a fall hunt, and to learn at what points trading houses would be +established for the winter trade. During their stay the old chief had +frequent interviews with the writer (his former amanuensis). He said he +had a very comfortable home, a good corn field, and plenty of game, +and had been well treated by the few whites who had settled in his +neighborhood. He spent several days with us and then left for home with +a good winter outfit. + +The change in the manner of payment of annuities would have been opposed +by Keokuk and his head men, had they been let into the secret, as the +annuity money when paid over was principally controlled by him, and +always to the detriment of the Sacs' traders who were in opposition to +the American Fur Company, the former having to rely almost entirely upon +the fall and winter trade in furs and peltries to pay the credits given +the Indians before leaving for their hunts. + + + + +BLACK HAWK'S LAST VISIT + +To Yellow Banks was in the fall of 1836, after the town of Oquawka had +been laid out, and when told that the town had taken the Indian name, +instead of its English interpretation, he was very much gratified, as +he had known it as Oquawka ever since his earliest recollection and had +always made it a stopping place when going out to their winter camps. +He said the Skunk river country was dotted over with Cabins all the +way down to the Des Moines river, and was filling up very fast by white +people. A new village had been started at Shokokon (Flint Hills) by the +whites, and some of its people have already built good houses, but the +greater number are still living in log cabins. They should have retained +its Indian name, Shokokon, as our people have spent many happy days in +this village. Here too, we had our council house in which the braves +of the Sac nation have many times assembled to listen to my words of +counsel. It was situated in a secluded but romantic spot in the midst of +the bluffs, not far from the river, and on frequent occasions, when it +became necessary to send out parties to make war on the Sioux to redress +our grievances, I have assembled my braves here to give them counsel +before starting on he war-path. And here, too, we have often met when +starting out in the fall for our fall and winter's hunt, to counsel in +regard to our several locations for the winter. In those days the Fur +Company had a trading house here and their only neighbors were the +resident Indians of Tama's town, located a few miles above on the river. + +The Burlington _Hawk-Eye_, of a late date, in reference to this council +house, says: + +"A little distance above the water works, and further around the turn of +the bluff is a natural amphitheater, formed by the action of the little +stream that for ages has dripped and gurgled down its deep and narrow +channel to the river. It is a straight, clear cut opening in the hill +side, slightly rising till at a distance of seventy-five or one hundred +yards from the face of the bluff it terminates as suddenly and sharply +as do the steeply sloping sides. + +"Well back in this grassy retreat, upon a little projection of earth +that elevates it above the surrounding surface, lies a huge granite +boulder. In connection with the surroundings it gives to the place the +appearance of a work of man, everything is so admirably arranged for a +council chamber. Here, it is rumored by tradition, the dusky warriors of +the Sacs gathered to listen in attentive silence to the words of their +leader, Black Hawk, who from his rocky rostrum addressed the motionless +groups that strewed the hill sides; motionless under his addresses and +by them aroused to deeds of darkness and crafty daring that made the +name of their chief a synonym with all things terrible. + +"Whatever of truth this story may contain we cannot say, and it may be +no one knows. Certain it is, however, that Black Hawk's early history is +intimately linked and interwoven with that of our city, and in justice +to a brave man and a soldier, as well as a 'first settler' and a +citizen, his name and his last resting place should be rescued from the +oblivion that will soon enshroud them." + +Another village has been commenced by the whites on the Mississippi +river, at Fort Madison, which is being built up very rapidly. The +country, too, is fast settling up by farmers, and as the Sacs have made +a settlement on the frontier farther west, on our old hunting grounds, +he said he would have to move farther back so as to be near his people; +and on bidding us farewell, said it might be the last time, as he was +growing old, and the distance would be too great from the point at which +he intended to build a house and open a little farm to make a visit on +horseback, and as the Des Moines river is always low in the fall of the +year he could not come in his canoe. + +At the close of the summer of 1837 the President of the United States +invited deputations from several tribes Of Indians residing on the Upper +Mississippi to visit him at Washington. Among those who responded to his +invitation were deputations from the Sacs and Foxes and Sioux, who had +been at enmity, and between whom hostilities had been renewed, growing +out of their inhuman treatment of many of the women and children of the +Sacs, after they had made their escape from the battle of Bad Axe, at +the close of the war. + +Keokuk, principal chief of the Sacs and Foxes, (by the advice of his +friend, Sagenash, Col. George Davenport, of Rock Island) invited Black +Hawk to join his delegation, which invitation he readily accepted, and +made one of the party; whilst the Sioux were represented by several of +their crafty chiefs. Several counsels were held, the object of which was +to establish peace between the Sacs and Foxes and Sioux, and in order to +perpetuate it, make a purchase of a portion of the country of the Sioux, +which territory should be declared neutral, and on which neither party +should intrude for any purpose; but the Sioux, whose domain extends far +and wide, would not consent to sell any of their land; hence nothing was +accomplished. + +Before returning to their county the Sac and Fox delegation visited the +large cities in the East, in all of which Black Hawk attracted great +attention; but more particularly in Boston, as he did not visit it +during his former tour. The delegation embraced Keokuk, his wife and +little son, four chiefs of the nation, Black Hawk and son, and several +warriors. Here they were received and welcomed by the mayor of the city, +and afterwards by Governor Everett as the representative of the State. +On the part of the city, after a public reception, the doors of Faneuil +Hall were opened to their visitors to hold a levee for the visits of the +ladies, and in a very short time the "old cradle of liberty" was jammed +full. + +After dinner the delegation was escorted to the State House by a +military company, and on their arrival were conspicuously seated in +front of the Speakers' desk, the house being filled with ladies, members +of the legislature, and dignitaries of the city council. + +Governor Everett then addressed the audience, giving a brief history of +the Sac and Fox tribe, whose principal chiefs (including the great war +chief) were then present, and then turning to them hi said: "Chiefs and +warriors of the united Sacs and Foxes, you are welcome to our hall of +council. Brothers, you have come a long way from your home to visit your +white brethren; we rejoice to take you by the hand. Brothers, we have +heard the names of your chiefs and warriors. Our brethren who have +traveled in the West have told us a great deal about the Sacs and Foxes. +We rejoice to see you with our own eyes. + +"Brothers, we are called the Massachusetts. This is the name of the red +men who once lived here. Their wigwams were scattered on yonder fields, +and their council fire was kindled on this spot. They were of the same +great race as the Sacs and Foxes. + + "Brothers, when our fathers came over the great water they were a +small band. The red man stood upon the rock by the seaside and saw our +fathers. He might have pushed them into the water and drowned them; but +he stretched out his hand to them and said: 'Welcome, white man.' Our +fathers were hungry, and the red man gave them corn and venison. They +were cold, and the red man wrapped them in his blanket. We are now +numerous and powerful, but we remember the kindness of the red men to +our fathers. Brothers, you are welcome; we are glad to see you. + +"Brothers, our faces are pale, and your faces are dark, but our hearts +are alike. The Great Spirit has made His children of different colors, +but He loves them all. + +"Brothers, you dwell between the Mississippi and Missouri. They are +mighty rivers. They have one branch far East in the Alleghanies and +another far West in the Rocky Mountains, but they flow together at last +into one great stream and ran down into the sea. In like manner the +red man dwells in the West and the white man in the East, by the great +water; but they are all one band, one family. It has many branches; but +one head. + +"Brothers, as you entered our council house, you beheld the image of our +great father, Washington. It is a cold stone; it cannot speak to you, +but he was the friend of the red man, and bade his children live in +friendship with their red brethren. He is gone to the world of spirits, +but his words have made a very deep print in our hearts, like the step +of a strong buffalo on the soft clay of the prairie. + +"Brother, (addressing Keokuk) I perceive your little son between your +knees. May the Great Spirit preserve his life, my brother. He grows up +before you, like the tender sapling by the side of the great oak. May +they flourish for a long time together; and when the mighty oak is +fallen on the ground may the young tree fill its place in the forest, +and spread out its branches over the tribe. + +"Brothers, I make you a short talk and again bid you welcome to our +council hall." + +Keokuk rose and made an eloquent address. Several of the other chiefs +spoke, and after them the old war chief, Black Hawk, on whom the large +crowd were looking with intense interest, arose and delivered a short +but dignified address. + +Presents were then distributed to them by the Governor. Keokuk received +a splendid sword and a brace of pistols, his son a nice little rifle, +the other chiefs long swords, and Black Hawk a sword and brace of +pistols. + +After the close of ceremonies in the Capitol, the Indians gave a +exhibition of the war dance, in the common in front of the Capitol, +in presence of thirty thousand spectators, and then returned to their +quarters. + + + + +BLACK HAWK'S REMOVAL TO THE DES MOINES RIVER. + +Soon after his return from Boston he removed his family and little band +farther West, on the Des Moines river, near the storehouse of an Indian +trader, where he had previously erected a good house for his future +home. His family embraced his wife, two sons, Nashashuk and Gamesett, +and an only daughter and her husband. As he had given up the chase +entirely--having sufficient means from the annuities--he now turned his +attention to the improvement of his grounds, and soon had everything +comfortably around him. Here he had frequent visits from the whites, who +came out in large numbers to look at the country, many of whom called +through curiosity to see the great war chief, but all were made welcome +and treated with great hospitality. + +In 1838 Fort Madison had grown to be a little village, and its +inhabitants were not only enterprising and industrious, but patriotic +citizens. On the 4th of July of that year they had a celebration and +having known and respected Black Hawk while residing in that part of the +country, invited him to join them as a guest on that occasion. + +In reply to a letter of B.F. Drake, Esq., of Cincinnati, asking for such +incidents in the life of Black Hawk as he knew, Hon. W. Henry Starr, of +Burlington, Iowa, whom we knew for many years as a highly honorable and +intelligent gentleman, gave the following account of the celebration in +his reply, dated March 21, 1839: + +"On the 4th of July, 1838, Black Hawk was present by special invitation, +and was the most conspicuous guest of the citizens assembled in +commemoration of that day. Among the toasts called forth by the occasion +was the following: + +"'Our illustrious guest, Black Hawk: May his declining years be as calm +and serene as his previous life has been boisterous and full of warlike +incidents. His attachment and great friendship to his white brethren, +fully entitle him to a seat at our festive board.'" + +"So soon as this sentiment was drank, Black Hawk arose and delivered the +following speech, which was taken down at the time by two interpreted, +and by them furnished for publication: + +"It has pleased the Great Spirit that I am here to-day. I have eaten +with my white friends. The earth is our mother--we are now on it--with +the Great Spirit above us--it is good. I hope we are all friends here. +A few summers ago I was fighting against you--I did wrong, perhaps; but +that is past--it is buried--let it be forgotten. + +"Rock river was a beautiful country--liked my towns, my cornfields, and +the home of my people. I fought for it. It is now yours--keep it as we +did--it will produce you good crops. + +"I thank the Great Spirit that I am now friendly with my white +brethren--we are here together--we have eaten together--we are +friends--it is his wish and mine. I thank you for your friendship. + +"I was once a great warrior-I am now poor. Keokuk has been the cause of +my present situation--but do not attach blame to him. I am now old. I +have looked upon the Mississippi since I have been a child. I love the +Great river. I have dwelt upon its banks from the time I was an infant. +I look upon it now. I shake hands with you, and as it is my wish, I hope +you are my friends.' + +"In the course of the day he was prevailed upon to drink several times, +and became somewhat intoxicated, an uncommon circumstance, as he was +generally temperate. + +"In the autumn of 1837, he was at the house of an Indian trader, in the +vicinity of Burlington, when I became acquainted and frequently convened +with him in broken English, and through the medium of gestures and +pantomine. A deep seated melancholy was apparent in his countenance, and +conversation. He endeavored to make me comprehend, on one occasion, +his former greatness, and represented that he was once master of +the country, east, north, and south of us--that he had been a very +successful warrior-called himself, smiting his breast, 'big Captain +Black Hawk,' 'nesso Kaskaskias,' (killed the Kaskaskias,) 'nesso Sioux +a heap,' (killed a great number of Sioux). He then adverted to the +ingratitude of his tribe, in permitting Keokuk to supercede him, who, he +averred, excelled him in nothing but drinking whisky. + +"Toward Keokuk he felt the most unrelenting hatred. Keokuk was, however, +beyond his influence, being recognized as chief of the tribe by the +government of the United States. He unquestionably possessed talents of +the first order, excelled as an orator, but his authority will probably +be short-lived, on account of his dissipation and his profligacy in +spending the money paid him for the benefit of his tribe, and which he +squanders upon himself and a few favorites, through whose influence he +seeks to maintain his authority. + +"You inquire if Black Hawk was at the battle of the Thames? On one +occasion I mentioned Tecumthe to him and he expressed the greatest joy +that I had heard of him, and pointing away to the East, and making a +feint, as if aiming a gun, said, 'Chemocoman (white man) nesso,' (kill.) +From which I had no doubt of his being personally acquainted with +Tecumthe, and I have been since informed, on good authority, that he was +in the battle of the Thames and in several other engagements with that +distinguished chief." + +In September, 1838, he started with the head men of his little band to +go to Rock Island, the place designated by the Agent, to receive their +annuities, but was taken sick on the way and had to return to his +home. He was confined to his bed about two weeks, and on the 3d day of +October, 1838, he was called away by the Great Spirit to take up his +abode in the happy grounds of the future, at the age of seventy-one +years. His devoted wife and family were his only and constant attendants +during his last sickness, and when brought home sick, she had a +premonition that he would soon be called away. + +The following account of his death and burial we take from the +Burlington Hawk-Eye, and as we knew the writer as a reliable gentleman, +many years ago, we have no doubt of it being strictly correct. + +Captain James H. Jordan, a trader among the Sacs and Foxes before Black +Hawk's death, was present at his burial, and is now residing on the +very spot where he died. In reply to a letter of inquiry he writes as +follows: + + + +ELDON, Iowa, July 15, 1881. + +Black Hawk was buried on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter +of section 2, township 70, range 12, Davis county, Iowa, near the +northeast corner of the county, on the Des Moines river bottom, about +ninety rods from where he lived when he died, and the north side of the +river. I have the ground on which he lived for a door yard, it being +between my house and the river. The only mound over the gave was some +puncheons split out and set over his grave and then sodded over with +blue gross, making a ridge about four feet high. A flag-staff, some +twenty feet high, was planted at the head, on which was a silk flag, +which hung there until the wind wore it out. My house and his were only +about four rods apart when he died. He was sick only about fourteen +days. He was buried right where he sat the year before, when in council +with Iowa Indians, and was buried in a suit of military clothes, made to +order and given to him when in Washington City by General Jackson, with +hat, sword, gold epaulets, etc., etc. + +The Annals of Iowa of 1863 and 1864 state that the old chief was buried +by laying his body on a board, his feet fifteen inches below the surface +of the ground, and his head raised three feet above the ground. He was +dressed in a military uniform, said to have been presented to him by a +member of General Jackson's cabinet, with a cap on his head ornamented +with feathers. On his left side was a sword presented him by General +Jackson; on his right side a cane presented to him by Henry Clay, and +one given to him by a British officer, and other trophies. Three medals +hung about his neck from President Jackson, ex-President John Quincy +Adams and the city of Boston, respectively. The body was covered with +boards on each side, the length of the body, which formed a ridge, with +an open space below; the gables being closed by boards, and the whole +was covered with sod. At the head was a flag-staff thirty-five feet high +which bore an American flag worn out by exposure, and near by was +the usual hewn post inscribed with Indian characters representing his +war-like exploits, etc. Enclosing all was a strong circular picket fence +twelve feet high. His body remained here until July, 1839, when it was +carried off by a certain Dr. Turner, then living at Lexington, Van Buren +county, Iowa. Captain Horn says the bones were carried to Alton, Ills., +to be mounted with wire. Mr. Barrows says they were taken to Warsaw, +Ills. Black Hawk's sons, when they heard of this desecration of their +father's grave, were very indignant, and complained of it to Governor +Lucas of Iowa Territory, and his excellency caused the bones to be +brought back to Burlington in the fall of 1839, or the spring of 1840. +When the sons came to take possession of them, finding them safely +stored "in a good dry place" they left them there. The bones were +subsequently placed in the collection of the Burlington Geological and +Historical Society, and it is certain that they perished in the fire +which destroyed the building and all the society's collections in 1855; +though the editor of the Annals, (April, 1865, p. 478) says there is +good reason to believe that the bones were not destroyed by the fire, +and he is "creditably informed that they are now at the residence of a +former officer of said society and thus escaped that catastrophe." + +Another account, however, and probably a more reliable one, states that +the last remains of Black Hawk were consumed as stated, in the burning +building containing the collections and properties of the Burlington +Geological and Historical Society. + +In closing this narrative of the life of this noble old chief it may be +but just to speak briefly of his personal traits. He was an Indian, and +from that standpoint we must judge him. The make-up of his character +comprised those elements in a marked degree which constitutes a noble +nature. In all the social relations of life he was kind and affable. In +his house he was the affectionate husband and father. He was free +from the many vices that others of his race had contracted from their +associations with the white people, never using intoxicating beverages +to excess. As a warrior he knew no fear, and on the field of battle his +feats of personal prowess stamped him as the "bravest of the brave." + +But it was rather as a speaker and counsellor that he was distinguished. +His patriotism, his love of his country, his home, his lands and the +rights of his people to their wide domain, moved his great soul to take +up arms to protect the rights of his people. Revenge and conquest formed +no part of his purpose. _Right_ was all that he demanded, and for _that_ +he waged the unequal contests with the whites. With his tribe he had +great personal influence and his young men received his counsel and +advice, and yielded ready acquiescence in his admonitions. With other +tribes he was held in high esteem, as well as by English and American +soldiers, who had witnessed his prowess on the field of battle. + + + +THE BLACK HAWK TOWER. + +This favorite resort of Black Hawk, situated on the highest bank of +Rock river, had been selected by his father as a lookout, at the first +building up of their village. From this point they had an unobstructed +view up and down Rock river for many miles, and across the prairies +as far as the vision could penetrate, and since that country has been +settled by the whites, for more than half a century, has been the +admiration of many thousands of people. + +The village of Black Hawk, including this grand "look out," was +purchased from the Government by Col. George Davenport, at Black Hawk's +particular request, for the reason, as he afterwards told us, that he +could leave it with an abiding assurance that the graves of their people +would be protected from vandal hands. + +This property including hundreds of acres lying between Rock river and +the Mississippi, is now owned by Hon. B. Davenport, and as it has long +been a pleasure resort for picnic and other parties, he has erected an +elegant pavilion on its site, with a good residence for a family, who +have charge of it, which will now make it the finest pleasure resort in +that part of the country. And in order to make it more easy of access, +he has constructed a branch from the Rock Island and Milan railroad, +leading directly to the Tower. Now its many visitors in the future can +sit on the veranda, and while enjoying the elegant scenery, can take +ease and comfort in the cool shade. And for this high privilege the name +of Davenport will receive many hearty greetings. + +Fifty years ago (1832) we made, our first visit to Black Hawk's Tower +with Col. George Davenport, and listened with intense interest to his +recital of scenes that had been enacted there may years before; and one +year later had them all repeated, with may more, from the lips of Black +Hawk himself. How changed the scene. Then it was in its rustic state, +now this fine pavilion, being a long, low structure, built somewhat +after the Swiss cottage plan, with broad sloping roofs, and wide, long +porches on the north and south sides, the one facing the road and the +other fronting the river and giving a view of a beautiful stretch of +country up and down Rock river, greatly enhances its beauty and adds +much to the comfort of visitors. + +The following beautiful word paintings by a recent visitor to the Tower, +we take from the Rock Island Union: + + + +BLACK HAWK'S WATCH TOWER. + +BY JENNIE M. FOWLER + + Beautiful tower! famous in history + Rich in legend, in old-time mystery, + Graced with tales of Indian lore, + Crowned with beauty from summit to shore. + + Below, winds the river, silent and still, + Nestling so calmly 'mid island and hill, + Above, like warriors, proudly and grand, + Tower the forest trees, monarchs of land. + + A land mark for all to admire and wonder, + With thy history ancient, for nations to ponder, + Boldly thou liftest they head to the breeze, + Crowned with they plumes, the nodding trees. + + Years are now gone--forever more fled, + Since the Indians crept, with cat-like tread, + With mocasined foot, with eagle eye-- + The red men our foes in ambush lie. + + The owl, still his nightly vigil keeps, + While the river, below him, peacefully sleeps, + The whip-poor-will utters his plaintive cry, + The trees still whisper, and gently sigh. + + The pale moon still creeps from her daily rest, + Throwing her rays o'er the river's dark breast, + The katy-did and cricket, I trow, + In days gone by, chirruped, even as now. + + Indian! thy camp-fires no longer are smoldering, + They bones 'neath the forest moss long have been mouldering, + The "Great Spirit" claims thee. He leadeth they tribe, + To new hunting-grounds not won with a bribe. + + On thy Watch Tow'r the pale face his home now makes, + His dwelling, the site of the forest tree takes, + Gone are thy wigwams, the wild deer now fled, + Black Hawk, with his tribe, lie silent and dead. + +ROCK ISLAND, August 18, 1882. + + + + +THE BLACK HAWK WAR. + +PREFACE. + +On the 12th of April, 1832, soon after our arrival at Rock Island on a +visit to relatives, (the family of Col. Geo. Davenport) a steamboat came +down from Galena with officers to Fort Armstrong, for the purpose of +laying in supplies and medical stores for a brigade then being formed +at that place. One regiment, composed principally of miners, who had +abandoned their mines and came in to offer their services as soldiers +in the field, were unanimous in the election of Henry Dodge as Colonel. +They had long known him as a worthy, brave and accomplished gentleman, +the soul of honor, and hence would be an intrepid soldier. + +Among the officers on this trip was Dr. A. K. Philleo, well known +to Col. Dodge as a social gentleman, a skilled physician and an +accomplished surgeon, who had accepted the position of surgeon at his +urgent request, with a _proviso:_ Being editor of the _Galenian,_ +(the only paper printed in the town) he considered the position a very +important one, as it was the only paper within hundreds of miles of +the seat of war, and the only one on the Mississippi above Alton, +Ill.; hence he must procure a substitute or decline the appointment of +surgeon. Having made his acquaintance after he had learned that we +had been engaged in newspaper life, he insisted that we should take a +position on the _Galenian_ for a few weeks, or until the close of the +war, so that he could accept the offer of Col. Dodge, and seeing that he +was a great favorite among the officers, and anxious to go to the field, +we accepted the position and accompanied him to Galena the same evening. + +Here we found an infantry regiment, commanded by Col. J.M. Strode, +composed principally of miners and citizens of Galena, which had been +hurriedly organized for home protection, whilst that of Col. Dodge, +being well mounted, were making preparations to take the field. After +taking charge of the _Galenian_ we made the acquaintance of Col. Strode, +and found him to be a whole-souled Kentuckian, who advised us to enroll +our name on the company list of Capt. M. M. Maughs, and as our time +would mostly be devoted to the paper, he would detail us _Printer to the +Regiment,_ by virtue of which appointment we would become an honorary +member of his staff. We retained our position on the paper and that on +the staff of the Colonel throughout the war, and was made the recipient +of dispatches of the regular movement of the army, its skirmishes +and battles from officers of the regular army as well as that of the +volunteers, from which we made our weekly report, and from these data we +have made up most of our history of the war. + + + + +FOX MURDERERS WANTED. + +Early in April, 1832, Brig.-General Atkinson, with about three hundred +troops, was ordered to Fort Armstrong to prevent a threatened war +between the Menominees and Fox Indians, on account of a massacre, +committed by a band of the latter on a small band of drunken Menominees +the previous summer at a point near Fort Crawford. To prevent bloodshed +he was directed to demand the murderers of the Foxes; but on arriving at +Rock Island he soon learned that there was imminent danger of a war of a +different character--that Black Hawk, with his entire band, was then on +his way to invade the State of Illinois and would probably be joined by +the Pottowattamies and Winnebagoes. In order to ascertain the facts in +the case, he called upon the Indian Agent and Col. George Davenport, +both located here, and requested them to furnish, in writing, all the +information they had in relation to the movements and intentions of +Black Hawk in coming to the State of Illinois. Both gentlemen replied to +his inquiries immediately as follows: + + +ROCK ISLAND, April 12, 1832. + +My opinion is that the squaws and old men have gone to the Prophet's +town, on Rock river, and the warriors are now only a few miles below the +mouth of Rock river, within the limits of the State of Illinois. That +these Indians are hostile to the whites there is no doubt. That they +have invaded the State of Illinois, to the great injury of her citizens, +is equally true. Hence it is that that the public good requires that +strong as well as speedy measures should be taken against Black Hawk and +his followers. + +Respectfully, I have the honor to be your obedient servant, + +[Signed,] ANDREW S. HUGHES. + +To Brig-Gen. Atkinson. + + + +ROCK ISLAND, April 13, 1832. + +"DEAR SIR:--In reply to your inquiry of this morning, respecting the +Indians, I have to state that I have been informed by the man I have +wintering with the Indians that the British band of Sac Indians are +determined to make war upon the frontier settlements. The British band +of Sac Indians did rendezvous at old Fort Madison, and induced a great +many of the young men to join them on their arrival at the Yellow +Banks. They crossed about five hundred head of horses into the State of +Illinois, and sent about seventy horses through the country toward +Rock River. The remainder, some on horseback the others in canoes, in a +fighting order, advanced up the Mississippi, and were encamped yesterday +five or six miles below Rock river and will no doubt endeavor to reach +their stronghold in the Rock river swamps if they are not intercepted. +From every information that I have received, I am of the opinion +that the intentions of the British band of Sac Indians is to commit +depredations on the inhabitants of the frontier." Respectfully, your +obedient servant, GEORGE DAVENPORT. [Signed,] "To Brig. Gen. Atkinson." + + + +Being satisfied from the information thus acquired, that there was +danger ahead for the small settlements of whites in the Northern portion +of the State, he immediately addressed a letter to Gov. Reynolds, of +Illinois, from which we take the following: + + +FORT ARMSTRONG, April 13, 1832. + +DEAR SIR:--The band of Sacs, under Black Hawk, joined by about one +hundred Kickapoos and a few Pottowattomies, amounting in all to about +five hundred men, have assumed a hostile attitude. They crossed the +river at the Yellow, Banks on the sixth inst., and are now moving up on +the east side of Rock river, towards the Prophet's village. + +"The regular force under my command is too small to justify me in +pursuing the hostile party. To make an unsuccessful attempt to coerce +them would only irritate them to acts of hostility on the frontier +sooner than they probably contemplate. + +"Your own knowledge of the character of these Indians, with the +information herewith submitted, will enable you to judge of the course +proper to pursue. I think the frontier is in great danger, and will use +all the means at my disposal to co-operate with you in its protection +and defense. With great respect, Your most obedient servant, H. +ATKINSON, Brigadier General of the U. S. Army, His Excellency, Gov. +Reynolds, Belleville, Ills." + + +On receipt of Gen. Atkinson's letter, Gov. Reynolds issued his +proclamation, calling out a strong detachment of militia to rendezvous +at Beardstown on the 22d of April. In obedience to this command a large +number of citizens assembled and offered their services. They were met +by Gov. Reynolds, and after bring organized into a brigade, he appointed +Brig. Gen. Samuel Whitesides commander. His brigade embraced 1600 +horsemen and two hundred footmen--being four regiments and an odd spy +battalion. + +First regiment, Col. Dewitt; second, Col. Fry; third, Col. Thomas; +fourth, Col. Thompson; Col. James D. Henry, commanded the spy battalion. + +The troops took up their line of march at once, under command of Gen. +Whitesides, accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief, Gov. Reynolds. For +the purpose of laying in provisions for the campaign they went to Yellow +Banks, on the Mississippi river, where Major S. S. Phelps, who had been +appointed quarter master, supplied them. They arrived on the 3d of May, +and left for Rock river on the 7th. + + + +THE BLACK HAWK WAR. + +About the first of April Black Hawk's band assembled at Fort Madison for +the purpose of making arrangements to ascend the Mississippi, and soon +after the entire party started. The old men, women and children, with +their provisions and camp equipage, in canoes, and the men all armed, +came on horseback. On the sixth day of April, the braves, on horseback, +made a call at Yellow Banks, one day after the canoes had passed the +same point, and told Josiah Smart, Mr. Phelps' interpreter, where they +were going, and the object of their visit. They said they had observed +a great war chief, with a number of troops going up on a steamboat, and +thought it likely that the mission of this war chief was to prevent them +going up Rock river, but they were bound to go. Messrs. Phelps and Smart +tried to persuade them to recross the river and return to their country, +assuring them that the Government would not permit them to come into +Illinois in violation of the treaty they had made last year, in which +they had agreed to remain on the west side of the river. But they would +not listen to their advice. On the next day they took up the line of +march for Rock river, and on the 10th of April, 1832, Black Hawk, with a +portion of his band of Sacs, reached the mouth of Rock river a few miles +below Rock Island. The old men, women and children with their provisions +and camp equipage, who came up in canoes, arrived on the 9th, and the +men all armed, came up on horseback, reaching the camp on the 10th. +While encamped there they were joined by the Prophet, who had previously +invited them to come up to the country of the Winnebagoes and raise +a crop. He called on his way at Fort Armstrong and had talks with +the Agent and Col. Davenport, the trader, both of whom advised him to +persuade Black Hawk and party to return to their own country, or they +would be driven back by the soldiers then at Fort Armstrong, under the +command of Gen. Atkinson, who had just arrived. The Prophet would not +listen to their advice, but assured Black Hawk that he had a right to +go forward with his entire party to the Winnebago country; and as he +expected large reinforcements to his little army as he ascended Rock +river, he was determined to go forward, but had given positive orders to +his band, under no circumstances, to strike a blow until they had been +reinforced by warriors from the Winnebagoes and Pottowattomies. + +Early next morning they broke camp and started up Rock river, but were +soon overtaken by a small detachment of soldiers, who held a council +with Black Hawk and communicated to him the orders of Gen. Atkinson. +These were for him to return with his band and re-cross the Mississippi. +Black Hawk said, as he was not on the war path, but going on a friendly +visit to the Prophet's village, he intended to go forward, and continued +on his journey. On receipt of his answer, Gen. Atkinson sent another +detachment to Black Hawk with imperative orders for him to return, or +he would pursue him with his entire army and drive him back. In reply, +Black Hawk said the General had no right to make the order so long as +his band was peaceable, and that he intended to go on to the Prophet's +village. + +In the meantime the forces under the command of Gen. Whitesides had +arrived, and were turned over to Gen. Atkinson by the Governor. The +brigade, under the command of Gen. Whitesides, was ordered up Rock river +to Dixon's Ferry, and as soon as boats could be got ready, Gen. Atkinson +started for the same destination with 300 regulars and about the same +number of Illinois militia. Black Hawk with his party had already +reached a point some thirty or forty miles above Dixon's Ferry, where +they were met in council by some Pottowattomies and Winnebago chiefs. +They assured Black Hawk that their people would not join him in making +war against the United States, and denied the Prophet's story to him. +During this council Black Hawk became convinced that he had been badly +imposed upon by the Prophet, and resolved at once to send a flag +of truce to Gen. Atkinson and ask permission to descend Rock river, +re-cross the Mississippi and go back to their country. + + + +STILLMAN'S DEFEAT. + +About this time, Gen. Whitesides had concentrated a large force of +militia at Dixon's Ferry, and at the solicitation of Major Stillman, +permitted him to take out a scouting party of nearly 300 mounted men. +They went up Rock river, about thirty miles to Sycamore creek, and +encamped within a few miles of Black Hawk's camp, but were not aware of +its position at the time. Indian scouts having intercepted their coming +reported at once to Black Hawk that a large army of mounted militia +were coming towards his camp; and before the volunteers had entirely +completed their arrangements for encampment, outside guards espied three +Indians coming in with a white flag. After holding a parley with them, +(one of the guards being able to talk a little with them in their own +language), they were hurried into camp, and before any explanations were +made, the flag bearer was shot and instantly killed, whilst his comrades +made their escape during the confusion in getting the regiment ready to +pursue the fleeing Indians. These had secreted themselves in ambush as +the army rushed by, helter skelter, after another small party of Indians +who had followed the flag bearers, and who, when hearing the uproar +in camp made a hasty retreat. The entire regiment was soon mounted and +started out in squads towards the camp of Black Hawk. The latter having +learned by a scout that the army was coming, started at once with less +than fifty mounted warriors, his entire force then in camp, to meet the +enemy, and on arriving at a copse of timber and underbrush near Sycamore +creek, made ready to meet them. + +Capt. Eads' company, who were the first to start out, killed two of +the five fleeing Indians. Soon after crossing Sycamore creek they were +surprised by a terrific war whoop from the Indians, who were concealed +in the bushes near by, and with deadly aim commenced firing into the +front ranks of the regiment, and with unearthly yells (as one of the +fleeing party told us on arriving at Galena), charged upon our ranks, +with tomahawks raised, ready to slaughter all who might come within +their reach. Judging from the yelling of the Indians, their number was +variously estimated at from one thousand to two thousand. + +The entire party was thrown into such confusion that Major Stillman +had no control of any of them, and, with one exception, the entire army +continued their flight to Dixon's Ferry, thirty miles distant, whilst +some went back to their homes. + +The retreating army passed through their camping ground near Sycamore +creek, where they should have halted, and under cover of the timber, +could have shot down their pursuers while yet in open prairie. Black +Hawk and a small portion of his command gave up the chase, and returned +to his camp, while the remainder pursued the fugitives for several +miles, occasionally overtaking and killing some soldiers, whose horses +had given out. + +Among the retreating party was a Methodist preacher, whose horse was too +slow to keep out of the reach of the Indians, who adopted a novel plan +to save himself and horse. On coming to a ravine he left the track of +his pursuers name distance, and followed down the ravine until he found +a place deep enough to shelter himself and horse from view, and remained +there for two hours in safety. He had the precaution to keep a strict +count of the Indians as they went forward, and waited their return. +Being satisfied that all had returned and continued on the way to their +camp, he quietly left his hiding place, trotted leisurely along and +reached Dixon's Ferry about sunrise next morning. + +He reported his mode of procedure and the strategy used to render his +safety certain from the Indians who had dispersed and driven the army +before them. He was interrogated into the number, and when he reported +TWENTY, great indignation was manifested by some of the _brave_ +volunteers who had got into camp some hours before him, and reported the +number at fifteen hundred to two thousand! But as he was well known +to many of the volunteers and highly respected as a meek and lowly +Christian gentleman, they stood by him and prevented any personal +violence. + +When the report of this fiasco came into Galena the next morning about +8 o'clock, on the 15th of May, our regiment was immediately called +to arms, as great danger was apprehended by the citizens. The general +supposition was that the Pottowattomies and Winnebagoes had joined Black +Hawk, it being well known that his entire band, including women and +children, that had gone up Rock river, did not exceed one thousand +persons. Dwellings were vacated and most of the inhabitants repaired to +the stockades for safety. + +The news of Stillman's defeat "by 2,000 blood-thirsty Indian warriors" +spread fast, far and wide, and the Governor of Illinois called for more +volunteers; and when the news reached Washington, the Secretary of War +ordered Gen. Scott, then at New York, to take a thousand soldiers and +proceed to the seat of war and take command of the army. + +This violation of a flag of truce, the wanton murder of its bearers, +and the attack upon a mere remnant of Black Hawk's band when sueing for +peace, precipitated a war that should have been avoided. + +[In confirmation of the dastardly act of the volunteers in killing the +bearer of a white flag, and by which the war was precipitated, we give +the following letter of Mr. Elijah Kilbourn, one of the scouts connected +with Stillman's command. Mr. K. is the man Black Hawk makes mention of +in his narrative as having been taken captive during our last war with +Great Britain, and by him adopted into the Sac tribe; and again taken +prisoner by three of his braves at the battle of Sycamore creek.] + + + +KILBOURN'S NARRATIVE. + +A REMINISCENCE OF BLACK HAWK. + +[From the Soldier's Cabinet.] + +Much has been said both for and against the Indian character; but we +doubt whether greater or nobler qualities have ever been exhibited in +the conduct of civilized rulers or commanders than are shown in the +incidents we are about to relate concerning Black Hawk, whose deeds upon +the northwestern frontier will render his name illustrious while history +exists. + +Elijah Kilbourn, the subject of the great chieftain's kindness, and +to whom we are indebted for the present sketch, was a native of +Pennsylvania. Just before the outbreak of the late war with Great +Britain, he left the place of his birth to join the stirring scenes +of adventure on the borders; and although now an old man, he still +remembers, and loves to recount, the deed, and perils of his younger +days, and especially those we are about to record. + +"We had been," commenced Kilbourn, in whose own language the story shall +be given, "scouting through the country that lay about Fort Stephenson, +when early one morning one of our number came in with the intelligence +that the Fort was besieged by a combined force of British and Indians. +We were very soon after in our saddles, bearing down with all speed in +that direction for the express purpose of joining in the fight--but +on arriving, we found that the enemy had been signally repulsed by +the brave little garrison under the command of Major Crogan. Our +disappointment at learning this was, however, in a measure lessened, +when we learned that Black Hawk, the leader of the savages, had, soon +after the termination of the battle, gone with some twenty of his +warriors back to his village on Rock river, whither we instantly +determined to follow him. + +"At sunrise the next morning we were on his trail, and followed it +with great care to the banks of a stream. Here we ascertained that +the savages had separated into nearly equal parties--the one keeping +straight down the banks of the stream, while the other had crossed to +the other side and continued on toward Rock river. A council was now +held, in which the oldest members of our party gave it as their opinion +that Black Hawk had changed his intention of going to his village, and +had, with the greater part of his followers, pursued his way down the +stream, while the rest had been sent by him for some purpose to the +town. In this opinion all coincided; but still our leader, who was a +very shrewd man, had some doubts on his mind concerning the movements of +the chief, and therefore, to make everything sure, he detailed four of +us to follow the trail across the stream, while he with the rest, some +seven or eight in number, immediately took the one down the bank. + +"We soon after found ourselves alone and in the vicinity of Indian +settlements, and we were therefore obliged to move with the utmost +caution, which had the effect of rendering our progress extremely slow. +During the course of the following morning we came across a great many +different trails and by these we were so perplexed that we resolved to +return to the main body; but from the signs we had already seen we knew +that such a step would be attended with the greatest risk, and so it +was at last decided that it would be far more safe for all hands to +separate, and each man look out for himself. This resolve was no sooner +made than it was put into execution, and a few minutes later found me +alone in the great wilderness. I had often been so before, but never +before had I been placed in a situation as dangerous as the present one, +for now on all sides I was surrounded by foes, who would rejoice in the +shedding of my blood. But still I was not gong to give up easily, and +looking well to my weapons and redoubling my caution, I struck off at an +angle from the course I had first chosen, why I hardly knew. + +"I encountered nothing very formidable till some two hours before +sunset, when, just as I emerged from a tangled thicket, I perceived +an Indian on his knees at a clear, sparkling spring, from which he was +slaking his thirst. Instinctively I placed my rifle to my shoulder, drew +a bead upon the savage and pulled the trigger. Imagine, if you can, my +feelings as the flint came down and was shivered to pieces while the +priming remained unignited. + +"The next moment the savage was up on his feet, his piece levelled +directly at me and his finger pressing the trigger. There was no escape; +I had left my horse in the woods some time before. The thicket behind me +was too dense to permit me to enter it again quickly, and there was no +tree within reach of sufficient size to protect me from the aim of my +foe, who, now finding me at his mercy, advanced, his gun still in its +threatening rest, and ordered me to surrender. Resistance and escape +were alike out of the question, and I accordingly delivered myself up +his prisoner, hoping by some means or other to escape at some future +period. He now told me, in good English, to proceed in a certain +direction. I obeyed him, and had not gone a stone's throw before, just +as I turned a thick clump of trees, I came suddenly upon an Indian camp, +the one to which my captor undoubtedly belonged. + +"As we came up all the savages, some six or eight in number, rose +quickly and appeared much surprised at my appearing thus suddenly +amongst their number; but they offered me no harm, and they behaved +with most marked respect to my captor, whom, upon a close inspection, I +recognized to be Black Hawk himself. + +"'The White mole digs deep, but Makataimeshekiakiak (Black Hawk) flies +high and can see far off,' said the chieftain is a deep, gutteral tone, +addressing me. + +"He then related to his followers the occasion of my capture, and as +he did so they glared on me fiercely and handled their weapons in a +threatening manner, but at the conclusion of his remarks they appeared +better pleased, although I was the recipient of many a passing frown. +He now informed me that he had told his young men that they were to +consider me a brother, as he was going to adopt me into the tribe. + +"This was to me but little better than death itself, but there was no +alternative and so I was obliged to submit, with the hope of making my +escape at some future time. The annunciation of Black Hawk, moreover, +caused me great astonishment, and after pondering the matter I was +finally forced to set down as its cause one of those unaccountable whims +to which the savage temperment is often subject. + +"The next morning my captors forced me to go with them to their village +on Rock river, where, after going through a tedious ceremony, I was +dressed and painted, and thus turned from a white man into an Indian. + +"For nearly three years ensuing it was my constant study to give my +adopted brothers the slip, but during the whole of that time I was +so carefully watched and guarded that I never found an opportunity to +escape. + +"However, it is a long lane that has no turning, and so it proves in +my case. Pretending to be well satisfied with my new mode of life, I at +last gained upon the confidence of the savages, and one day when their +vigilance was considerably relaxed, I made my escape and returned in +safety to my friends, who had mourned for me as dead. + +"Many years after this I was a participant in the battle at Sycamore +Creek, which, as you know, is a tributary of Rock river. I was employed +by the government as a scout, in which capacity it was acknowledged that +I had no superior; but I felt no pride in hearing myself praised, for I +knew I was working against Black Hawk, who, although he was an Indian, +had once spared my life, and I was one never to forget a kindness. And +besides this I had taken a great liking to him, for there was something +noble and generous in his nature. However, my first duty was to my +country, and I did my duty at all hazards. + +"Now you must know that Black Hawk, after moving west of the +Mississippi, had recrossed, contrary to his agreement, not, however, +from any hostile motive, but to raise a crop of corn and beans with the +Pottowattomies and Winnebagoes, of which his own people stood in the +utmost need. With this intention he had gone some distance up Rock +river, when an express from General Atkinson ordered him peremptorily +to return. This order the old chief refused to obey, saying that +the General had no right to issue it. A second express from Atkinson +threatened Black Hawk that if he did not return peaceably, force would +be resorted to. The aged warrior became incensed at this and utterly +refused to obey the mandate, but at the same time sent word to the +General that he would not be the first one to commence hostilities. + +"The movement of the renowned warrior was immediately trumpeted abroad +as an invasion of the State, and with more rashness thin wisdom, +Governor Reynolds ordered the Illinois militia to take the field, and +these were joined by the regulars, under General Atkinson, at Rock +Island. Major Stillman, having under his command two hundred and +seventy-five mounted men, the chief part of whom were volunteers, +while a few like myself were regular scouts, obtained leave of General +Whitesides, then lying at Dixon's Ferry, to go on a scouting expedition. + +"I knew well what would follow; but still, as I was under orders, I was +obliged to obey, and together with the rest proceeded some thirty miles +up Rock river to where Sycamore creek empties into it. This brought us +to within six or eight miles of the camp of Black Hawk, who, on that +day--May 14th-was engaged in preparing a dog feast for the purpose of +fitly celebrating a contemplated visit of some Pottawattomie chiefs. + +"Soon after preparing to camp we saw three Indians approach us bearing +a white flag; and these, upon coming up, were made prisoners. A second +deputation of five were pursued by some twenty of our mounted militia, +and two of them killed, while the other three escaped. One of the party +that bore the white flag was, out of the most cowardly vindictiveness, +shot down while standing a prisoner in camp. The whole detachment, +after these atrocities, now bore down upon the camp of Black Hawk, +whose braves, with the exception of some forty or fifty, were away at a +distance. + +"As we rode up, a galling and destructive fire was poured in upon us +by the savages, who, after discharging their guns, sprung from their +coverts on either side, with their usual horrible yells, and continued +the attack with their tomahawks and knives. My comrades fell around me +like leaves; and happening to cast my eyes behind me, I beheld the whole +detachment of militia flying from the field. Some four or five of us +were left unsupported in the very midst of the foe, who, renewing their +yells, rushed down upon us in a body. Gideon Munson and myself were +taken prisoners, while others were instantly tomahawked and scalped. +Munson, during the afternoon, seeing, as he supposed, a good opportunity +to escape, recklessly attempted to do so, but was immediately shot down +by his captor. And I now began to wish that they would serve me in the +same manner, for I knew that if recognized by the savages, I should be +put to death by the most horrible tortures. Nothing occurred, however, +to give me any real uneasiness upon this point till the following +morning, when Black Hawk, passing by me, turned and eyed me keenly for a +moment or so. Then, stepping close to me, he said in a low tone: _'Does +the mole think that Black Hawk forgets?'_ + +"Stepping away with a dignified air, he now left me, as you may well +suppose, bordering in despair, for I knew too well the Indian character +to imagine for a single instant that my life would be spared under the +circumstances. I had been adopted into the tribe by Black Hawk, had +lived nearly three years among them, and by escaping had incurred their +displeasure, which could only be appeased with my blood. Added to this, +I was now taken prisoner at the very time that the passions of the +savages were most highly wrought upon by the mean and cowardly conduct +of the whites. I therefore gave up all hope, and doggedly determined to +meet stoically my fate. + +"Although the Indians passed and repassed me many times during the day, +often bestowing on me a buffet or a kick, yet not one of them seemed +to remember me as having formerly been one of the tribe. At times +this infused me with a faint hope, which was always immediately after +extinguished, as I recalled to mind my recognition by Black Hawk +himself. + +"Some two hours before sunset Black Hawk again came to where I was +bound, and having loosened the cords with which I was fastened to +a tree, my arms still remaining confined, bade me follow him. I +immediately obeyed him, not knowing what was to be my doom, though +I expected none other than death by torture. In silence we left the +encampment, not one of the savages interfering with us or offering me +the slightest harm or indignity. For nearly an hour we strode on through +the gloomy forest, now and then starting from its retreat some wild +animal that fled upon our approach. Arriving at a bend of the river my +guide halted, and turning toward the sun, which was rapidly setting, he +said, after a short pause: + +"'I am going to send you back to your chief, though I ought to kill you +for running away a long time ago, after I had adopted you as a son--but +Black Hawk can forgive as well as fight. When you return to your chief I +want you to tell him all my words. Tell him that Black Hawk's eyes have +looked upon many sum, but they shall not see many more; and that his +back is no longer straight, as in his youth, but is beginning to bend +with age. The Great Spirit has whispered among the tree tops in the +morning and evening and says that Black Hawk's days are few, and that he +is wanted in the spirit land. He is half dead, his arm shakes and is no +longer strong, and his feet are slow on the war path. Tell him all this, +and tell him, too,' continued the untutored hero of the forest, with +trembling emotion and marked emphasis, 'that Black Hawk would have been +a friend to the whites, but they would not let him, and that the hatchet +was dug up by themselves and not by the Indians. Tell your chief that +Black Hawk meant no harm to the pale faces when he came across the +Mississippi, but came peaceably to raise corn for his starving women and +children, and that even then he would have gone back, but when he sent +his white flag the braves who carried it were treated like squaws and +one of them inhumanly shot. Tell him too,' he concluded with terrible +force, while his eyes fairly flashed fire, _'that Black Hawk will have +revenge,_ and that he will never stop until the Great Spirit shall say +to him, _'come away.'_ + +"Thus saying he loosened the cord that bound my arms, and after giving +me particular directions as to the best course to pursue to my own camp, +bade me farewell and struck off into the trackless forest, to commence +that final struggle which was decided against the Indians. + +"After the war was over, and the renowned Black Hawk had been taken +prisoner, he was sent to Washington and the largest cities of the +seaboard, that he might be convinced how utterly useless it was for +him to contend against fate. It was enough, and the terrible warrior +returned to the seclusion of his wilderness home, while the scepter of +his chieftainship was given to the celebrated Keokuk. + +"On the occasion of the ceremony by which Black Hawk was shorn of his +power, and which took place on Rock Island, in the Mississippi, I shook +the hand of the great chief, who appeared highly pleased to meet me once +more; and upon parting with me he said with mournful dignity, as he cast +above him a glance of seeming regret: 'My children think I am too old to +lead them any more!' + +"This was the last time I ever saw him; and the next I learned of him +was that he had left his old hunting grounds forever, and his spirit had +gone to that bar where the balance will be rightly adjusted between the +child of the forest and his pale face brethren." + +Although the Winnebagoes and the Pottowattomies had resolved to take +no part in the war, a few young men from each of these tribes, being +emboldened by Black Hawk's victory in the engagement with Stillman's +regiment, concluded to join him. As the party moved up the river, war +parties were sent out, in one of which the Winnebagoes joined, whilst +the Pottowattomies, some twenty-five or thirty, went alone on the war +path into a settlement that had been made on Indian creek, not far from +its entrance into Fox river, and killed fifteen men, women and children, +and took two young ladies prisoners, the Misses Hall, whom two young +Sacs, who had just rode up, took upon their horses and carried them to +a Winnebago camp, with a request that they be delivered to the whites. +They were returned soon after, and to the writer said they had been well +treated by the Winnebagoes. + +On the 19th of Jane a message came into Galena from Kellogg's Grove, +with a report that a party of Indians had been seen in that neighborhood +and that they had stolens some horses. Captain James Stephenson, with +twelve picked men from his company, started immediately in pursuit of +the Indians. On seeing him approach they took to the brush, when the +Captain and his men dismounted. Leaving one to hold the horses, the +balance entered the thicket, and two of them were killed at the first +fire of the Indians, while three of the enemy were laid prostrate. For +the purpose of re-loading, Capt. Stephenson ordered a retreat, which was +a bad move, as it gave the Indians time to re-load and seek trees for +safety. Capt. Stephenson* and party again advanced, both parties firing +simultaneously, each losing a man, when an Indian who had been secreted +behind a tree rushed forward with his knife, but was suddenly checked +by one of the soldiers running his bayonet through him. While in this +position he seized the bayonet with both hands and had almost succeeded +in pushing it out, when another soldier rushed forward, and with one +stroke of his knife almost severed the head from his body. In this +engagement Capt. S. lost three of the best men of his company and the +Indians five, just one-half of their number. + + + * Capt. Stephenson was held in high estimation as a brave + and accomplished gentleman, and at the organization of Rock + Island county the county commissioners honored his name by + calling the county seat Stephenson, which name it retained + until after his death, when that of Rock Island was adopted. + + +On the return of Capt. Stephenson and party the news of his loss of +three men, who were well known and highly respected, soon spread over +town and caused much sorrow among their many friends. After learning the +mode of attack, military men generally criticized it severely. + + + +BATTLE OF PECATONICA. + +On the 14th of June, a mall scouting party of Sacs killed five men at +the Spafford farm, and on reception of the news next day, Gen. Atkinson +ordered Col. Henry Dodge to take command of Posey's brigade, then +stationed near Fort Hamilton, and while on his way from Fort Union, +where his regiment was in camp, to visit the brigade, he heard the sharp +crack of a rifle, and instantly looking in the direction of the sound, +saw a man fall from his horse, who had been shot by Indians nearby. +Instead of going forward as he set out to do, he hastily returned to his +command, mustered a portion of his cavalry and went in pursuit of the +Indians, and soon got on the trail of twenty-five warriors, who had +commenced their retreat soon after shooting, and espying him, hastened +back to the front. The Indians crossed and recrossed the Pecatonica +river several times, being closely pushed by Col. Dodge and his men, +and finding escape hopeless, made a stand. The colonel immediately +dismounted his men and picked his way cautiously, with the intention +of firing and then charging upon them. But the Indians, being on the +lookout, watched their opportunity and got the first fire, by which a +brave soldier named Apple was killed, and another by the name of Jenkins +was wounded. The fight continued vigorously until the last Indian was +killed, several of them having been shot while trying to escape by +swimming. At the commencement of the fight, the forces on each side +were nearly equal, but the Indians, in swimming the river, had got their +powder wet, and although they made desperate efforts to close in on our +men with knives, they were shot down in their endeavors. + +Col. Dodge, in speaking of this engagement, at Galena, after the close +of the war, said he was amazed at the desperation displayed by a big, +burly brave, who came towards him with gun at his shoulder and halted +quickly when only a few paces from him, drew the trigger, and was sorely +disappointed in his gun not going off. Quick as thought the colonel +brought his rifle in position, pulled the trigger, but, owing to the +dampness of the powder, it failed to go off. In the meantime the brave +was coming towards him, knife in hand and desperation in his eye, +and when only a few feet from him the colonel shot him down with his +revolver. At the same time one of his brave boys, by the name of Beach, +was engaged in a desperate encounter with the last remaining savage, +in which both used knives; the Indian was killed and Beach very badly +wounded. + +Thus ended one of the most sanguinary engagements of the war. + + + +FIGHT AT APPLE RIVER FORT. + +Capt. A.W. Snyder's Company, of Col. Henry's Regiment, was detailed +to guard the country between Galena and Fox and Rock rivers, and was +surprised on the night of the 17th of June, while encamped in the +vicinity of Burr Oak Grove. His sentinels, while on duty, were fired +upon by Indians, who did not deem it prudent to continue the attack, but +immediately fled. As soon as it was light enough next morning to follow +their trail, Capt. Snyder started with his company, but on reaching +their camp, found that they had fled on his approach. He redoubled his +speed and continued on their trail until he overtook them. Finding that +there was no escape, the Indians got into a deep gully for protection, +but were soon surrounded, when Capt. Snyder ordered his men to charge +upon them. The Indians fired as they approached and mortally wounded one +of his men, Mr. William B. Mekemson, a brave volunteer from St. Clair +county, (whose father's family afterwards settled in this, Henderson +county, all of whom, except one brother, Andrew, a highly respected +Christian gentleman, have, long since, gone to meet their kinsman in +another world.) Mr. M. being unable to ride, a rude litter was made and +men detailed to carry him back to camp, at Kellogg's Grove. The company +had not proceeded far before they were attacked by about seventy-five +Indians, and two men, Scott and McDaniel, killed, and a Mr. Cornelius +wounded. The company was soon formed into line by the aid of Gen. +Whiteside, who was then acting merely as a private, and using the +precaution of Indians, each man got behind a tree, and the battle waxed +furiously for sometime without any serious results, until the Indian +commander was seen to fall, from the well directed aim of Gen. +Whiteside's rifle. Having now no leader the Indians ingloriously fled, +but for some reason were not pursued. Our reporter, however, said that +most of the company refused, for the reason that the second term of +their enlistment had expired, and they were anxious to be mustered out +of service, although the officers were eager to pursue. + + The company then commenced their march to camp, and on approaching +the litter on which Mekemson lay, found that the Indians had cut off his +head and rolled it down the hill. Soon after, Major Riley, with a small +force of regulars, came up, and after consultation with Capt. Snyder, +it was deemed best not to follow the retreating Indians, as their route +probably led to the main army of Black Hawk. + + + +APPLE RIVER FORT. + +On the 23d of June scouts came into Galena, and reported at headquarters +that a large body of Indians had been seen about thirty miles distant, +but not being on the march, they were not able to conjecture to what +point they were going. Col. Strode immediately made all necessary +preparations to receive them, should Galena be the point of attack, and +dispatched an express early next morning for Dixon's Ferry. On their +arrival at Apple River Fort they halted for a short time, and then +proceeded on their journey, and while yet in sight, at the crack of a +gun the foremost man was seen to fall from his horse and two or three +Indians rushed upon him with hatchets raised ready to strike, while his +comrades galloped up, and with guns pointed towards the Indians kept +them at bay until the wounded man reached the Fort. But had the Indians +known these guns were _not loaded,_ (as afterwards reported) they could +have dispatched all three of them with their tomahawks. + +In a very short time after hearing the crack of the gun a large body +of Indians surrounded the fort, yelling and shooting, when the inmates, +under command of Capt. Stone, prepared for defence, every port hole +being manned by sharp-shooters. One man, Mr. George Herclurode, was shot +through a port hole and instantly killed, and Mr. James Nutting wounded +in the same way, but not seriously; which was the only loss sustained +during the engagement of more than one hour's duration. A number of +Indians were wounded and carried off the field. Capt. Stone had only +twenty-five men, with a large number of women and children in the fort, +but had providentially received a quantity of lead and provisions from +Galena only an hour before the attack, and as he was short of bullets, +the ladies of the fort busied themselves in melting lead and running +balls as long as the battle lasted. Black Hawk, finding the fort +impregnable from assault without firing it--an act that he well knew +would, in a very short time, have brought a large body of troops on his +path--concluded that it would be better to return and carry with them +all the flour they could, killed a number of cattle and took choice +pieces of beef, and all the homes that were in the stable. One of the +expressmen, not deeming the fort a place of safety, hurried back to +Galena, but getting lost on the way did not get in until early next +morning. On hearing the news, Col. Strode took one hundred picked men, +well mounted, and went to the relief of the fort, and was much gratified +to find that its noble defenders had put to flight about one hundred and +fifty Indians who had been under the command of Black Hawk himself. + + + +KELLOGG'S GROVE FORT. + +After leaving Apple River Fort, being well supplied with provisions, +the Indians moved leisurely toward the fort at Kellogg's Grove, with the +intention of taking it, as scouts had come in and reported that it was +not very strongly garrisoned on the day previous to their arrival on the +23d of June. At this time the Illinois troops were rendez-voused at a +place known as Fort Wilbourn on the Illinois river, at or near where +now stands the city of LaSalle. What was then called the new levy, after +Stillman's defeat, were assembled there, numbering about three thousand +men, being formed into military organizations consisting of three +brigades. The first brigade was commanded by Gen. Alexander Posey. The +second by Gen. M. K. Alexander, and the third by Gen. James D. Henry. +Major John Dement, of Vandalia, was elected to the command of a spy +battalion composed of three companies. Gen. Atkinson, of the United +States Regulars, commanding, while these organizations were progressing. + +The Indians had made a raid on Bureau creek, situated between the +Illinois and Rock rivers. John Dement had been chosen major by the +members of three companies of Gen. Posey's brigade, which was a spy +battalion. The Major's battalion being ready for duty when the news +reached the fort of the attack upon the settles on Bureau creek, it was +ordered to march at once to the scene of danger for protection of the +settlers, and to discover and watch the movements of the Indians, if +possible. The Major was ordered to scour the country through to Rock +river, and then to report to Col. Zackary Taylor, who commanded a small +force of United States troops at a small fortification at Dixon's Ferry +on Rock river. + +On the 22d of June, 1832, Major Dement reached Colonel Taylor's +command, having performed the duties to which he was assigned by General +Atkinson. On his arrival Colonel Taylor informed the Major that he had +arrived at an opportune time, as he wished him to take his command, swim +their horses across the river, and promptly occupy the country between +his position and the Lead Mines at Galena, a distance of about sixty +miles, with headquarters at Kellogg's Grove, thirty-seven miles in the +direction of Galena and Apple River Fort. There had been stationed at +the grove two companies of Regulars, commanded by Major Riley, and three +companies of Volunteers that had abandoned this position the day before +the arrival of Major Dement, and left the country without protection +and entirely unguarded. These troops had been engaged in two or three +skirmishes with the Indians, and according to the reports of the +soldiers, had been worsted in each. Major Dement's command numbered +one hundred and forty men, all told, not one of whom had ever seen any +military experience, but they were men to be relied upon. They were +citizen soldiers, brave and intelligent, equal to any emergency, and had +no superiors in the service. This being an odd battalion, Major Dement +was entitled to the staff of a Colonel. His staff was composed of +Zadoc Casey, Paymaster; ------ Anderson, Colonel Hicks, and others. +The Captains of the companies, and the staff officers, were leading +citizens, who had, at short warning, left their several avocations to +engage in defending the country against the attacks of the Indians. + + + +MAJOR DEMENT'S BATTLE WITH THE INDIANS. + +On the evening of the second day, after crossing Rock river, the Major's +command marched to the stockade at Kellogg's Grove and encamped. In the +morning, learning that Indian traces had been seen four or five miles +from the grove, twenty-five volunteers were called for to go out +and reconnoitre. This number was quickly filled, nearly every one +volunteering being an officer, and, as it afterward turned out, they +were unfortunately accepted. These volunteers had not yet gotten out +of sight of their camp, before three Indians were seen on their ponies +between the fort and a small grove on the prairie, riding backward and +forward. The reconnoitering party started after them in one, two and +three order, according to the speed of their horses, while the Indians +made straight for the small grove. Major Dement, who was watching the +movements of the volunteers from his camp, and seeing the movements of +the Indians, at once suspected a trap, mounted with a portion of his +men, and went to their aid. His men that had first started were a +mile out upon the prairie in pursuit of those few Indians. Being well +mounted, the Major and his relief party soon overtook the hindermost +of the little band, but several were too far in advance in their mad +pursuit of the fleeing Indians for him to reach them in time. The +fleeing Indians were making for a grove some three miles away, hotly +pursued by the Major's men. In this grove, as the commander feared, a +large number of the Indians were concealed. When within four or five +hundred yards of this grove he halted and dismounted his men and +formed them in line. Some six or seven of his men were still in advance +following the Indians toward this grove. On nearing the grove, his men +who were in advance, were received with a galling fire, which killed +two and wounded a third. With hideous yells the Indians emerged from the +grove and rapidly approached. They were all mounted, stripped to their +waists and painted for battle. As they reached the bodies of the dead +soldiers, a large number surrounded them, clubbing and stabbing their +lifeless remains. A volley from the rifles of the whites killed two or +three at this point, but by the time the last of the little band had +reached the ridge upon which their comrades were drawn up in line, the +Indians were close upon them and on both flanks. At this point three men +who had been out of their camp hunting for their homes, came in sight +and were massacred in sight of their friends. The main portion of the +battalion had been ordered to hold themselves in readiness for any +emergency, but hearing the yelling, instead of obeying the order, +mounted in hot haste and started to the rescue of their companions. On +discovering the force of the Indians, they retreated to the grove, and +almost neck and neck with the Indians, sprang over their horses and +occupied the Block House. + +On the least exposed side of the Fort was a work bench; over this the +Major threw the bridle rein of his horse, and most of the horses huddled +around this as if conscious of their danger. The Indians swarmed around +the Block House under cover; an ominous stillness pervaded the air, +which was soon broken by the crack of the rifles of the white men. The +best marksmen with the best guns were stationed at the port holes, and a +lively fire was kept up by the little garrison. The Indians finding that +they were making no impression, turned their attention to shooting the +horses, twenty-five of which they succeeded in killing. After sharp +firing for two hours they retreated, leaving nine of their men dead +on the field. This was the first engagement in this war, in which the +whites had held their position until reinforcements arrived, without +retreating. If the main force had remained in the grove at this Block +House after the volunteers went out, without making any demonstration +when the Indians came charging up and still in the open prairie, they +could have been easily repulsed. This was the Major's plan of action, +but the men became excited by the firing, and having no commissioned +officers to guide them, started without order to assist their exposed +comrades in the open prairie, when they were flying for their lives to +the block house. + +That evening Gen. Posey came up with his brigade, and although the +Indians were encamped a short distance away, he made no effort to attack +them but contented himself with reporting the situation to Col. Z. +Taylor at Dixon's Ferry. Gen. Whiteside had said to Major Dement before +crossing Rock river, that he was going into the Indian rendezvous, where +he could have an Indian for breakfast every morning, and he found it +literally true. + +It seems strange that Major Dement should have been ordered by Col. +Taylor into the enemy's country, across Rock river, with so small a +force of volunteers, while a large force of Regulars and Volunteers, +commanded by regular United States officers, remained securely +entrenched in the rear. It was Major Dement's opinion that there were +more fighting men of Black Hawk's band of warriors in the engagement at +Kellogg's Grove than ever afterwards made a stand during the war. It +was easy for Gen. Posey to have moved up and attacked the Indians on his +arrival at the Grove, and then have dealt them a fatal blow by forcing +them to battle then, but he refused to do so, and the war was not +terminated until the fight at Bad Axe some two months later, in which +the Illinois troops did not engage. During this engagement at the Block +House, four whites and eleven Indians were killed. The whites lost a +large part of their horses--the Indians shooting them from the timber, +while the poor animals were huddled about the Block House. + +Although in command, Black Hawk remained in the Grove doing the +engagement, looking on to see that his principal aid, whose voice was +like a trumpet call, carried out his orders. + +While reciting the incidents of this battle to the author, when writing +his Autobiography, Black Hawk spoke in high praise of Major Dement as a +commander, who had shown not only good military skill in coming to the +rescue of his party, but in withdrawing his little party to the Fort. +After Dement's engagement General Posey's brigade started for Fort +Hamilton and remained there a short time. News of Dement's engagement +and march of Posey's brigade having been received at Dixon's Ferry, +where the two other brigades were stationed, Gen. Alexander, with the +2d brigade was ordered to cross Rock river and march to Plum river to +intercept the Indians, as it was deemed probable that they would make +for that point to cross the Mississippi. Gen. Atkinson, with regulars, +and Gen. Fry with his brigade, remained at Dixon waiting for news of +the route taken by the Indians. Next day Capt. Walker and three +Pottowottamie Indians came into Dixon and reported seventy-five +Pottowottamies ready to join the army now encamped at Sycamore creek, +and they were afraid that Black Hawk and his army was not far off. For +their protection, and to await the coming of the balance of the second +brigade, Col. Fry, of Henry's brigade, was sent forward immediately. The +next morning Gen. Henry's brigade moved forward with Gen. Atkinson +at the head, intending to march up Rock river, to the Four Lakes, and +camped at Stillwell's battle-ground the first night and joined Col. Fry +and his Pottowottamie Indians on the 29th, and continued their march. On +the 30th, when going into camp, they saw signs of Sac Indians, but the +sentinels were undisturbed during the night. The next day they saw one +Indian, but he was on the other side of Plum river. On the 2d of July, +Major Ewing being in front, spied a fresh trail, and soon after came +upon the fresh trail of Black Hawk's entire force, at a point near +Keeshkanawy Lake. Scouts from the battalion came up to Black Hawk's +encampment, from which they had apparently taken their departure a few +days before. Here they found five white men's scalps which had been left +hung up to dry. This battalion continued to march around the lake in +detachments, one of which found where there had been another encampment, +but on returning to camp and comparing notes they began to despair of +finding the main body of Black Hawk's army in that region. On the 5th +of July, Gen. Atkinson with his army took a rest. During the day some +scouts brought in an old Indian nearly blind and half famished with +hunger, whom the Indians had left in their flight. After eating, Gen. +Atkinson questioned him closely as to the whereabouts of Black Hawk and +his army, but was satisfied from his replies and helpless condition, +that he did not know, but on taking up his line of march the near +morning, Gen. Atkinson did not leave him as the Indians had done, alone +and without any means of subsistence, but left him an abundance of food, +and as we afterwards learned, the old man recruited and afterwards got +back to his tribe., + +On the evening of the 9th the army encamped at White Water, and the next +morning Indians were seen on the other side of this stream which was not +fordable, one of whom shot and wounded a regular. After breaking camp, +Gen. Atkinson ordered a move up the river, and that night camped with +his entire force--all having met at the same point. Gen. Dodge's corps +had taken a Winnebago prisoner and brought him into camp for the purpose +of finding out if he knew where Black Hawk's forces were. He said they +were encamped on an island near Burnt Village. Col. William S. Hamilton, +a brave and honored son of Alexander Hamilton, in command of a company +of Menomonees, who had joined the main army the day before, with Captain +Early and his command, after scouring the island thoroughly, reported +there were no Indians on the island. + +Governor Reynolds, who had been on the march up Rock River with his +volunteers and the main army, together with Colonel Smith, Major Sidney +Breese and Colonel A. P. Field, left the army and came into Galena on +the 12th, from whom we obtained our information of the movements of the +army. They were firmly of the opinion that the Indians had taken to +the swamps, and gotten entirely out of reach of the army, and that no +farther danger need be apprehended. Colonel Field, who is an eloquent +speaker, at the solicitation of Colonel Strode, although nearly worn +out with hard marches, made an able and soul-stirring speech to our +regiment, and a large number of the inhabitants of Galena. + +At this time the army was nearly out of provisions, and Fort Winnebago, +about seventy-five miles distant, the nearest point at which they could +replenish. General Atkinson then ordered General Posey with his brigade, +to Fort Hamilton, General Henry's and Alexander's brigade and General +Dodge's squadron to Fort Winnebago for provisions; and sent General +Ewing and his regiment to Dixon with Colonel Dunn, who had been +seriously wounded by one of his own sentinels, but who afterwards +recovered. General Atkinson then built a fort near the camping ground, +which was Fort Keeshkanong. General Alexander returned on the 15th with +provisions to the fort, while Generals Dodge and Henry thought best to +go with their commands to the head of Fox river, and while on the way +stopped at a Winnebago village and had a talk with their head men, who +assured them that Black Hawk was then at Cranberry Lake, a point higher +up Rock river. After a consultation by the Generals, it was deemed best +to send an express to General Atkinson at Fort Keeshkanong, to let him +know of the information they had got, and their intention of moving on +the enemy the next morning. Dr. Merryman, of Colonel Collins' regiment, +and Major Woodbridge, Adjutant of General Dodge's corps, volunteered to +go, and with Little Thunder, a Winnebago chief, as pilot, started out to +perform this dangerous service, and after traveling a few miles, came on +fresh Indian trails, which Little Thunder pronounced to have been made +by Black Hawk's party, and fearing that they would be intercepted, +insisted on returning to camp. Night was then approaching, and having +no guide to lead them forward, they reluctantly followed Little Thunder +back to camp. Orders were then given for an early move next morning, and +at daylight the bugle sounded, and the army moved onwards. The trail was +followed for two days, leading for Four Lakes. On the second day, July +21st, scouts from General Dodge's corps came in and reported Indians, +and as a confirmation of the fact, Dr. A.K. Philleo exhibited a scalp +that he had taken from the head of one that he had shot. Dr. Philleo was +brave as the bravest, and whenever a scouting party started out to look +for Indians (unless his services were required in camp), was always in +the lead, and this being his first Indian, took his scalp, and sent it +to the writer, with written instructions how to preserve it. To this +end we handed over both to a deaf and dumb printer in the office, who +boasted somewhat of his chemical knowledge, who spent considerable time +for a number of days in following the Doctor's instructions. After the +killing of this Indian, some of the scouts discovered fresh signs of +more Indians, and after pursuing it for some miles, Dr. Philleo and his +friend Journey, equally as brave, being in the lead, espied two more +Indians, when each picked his man and fired, and both fell; one of them, +although badly wounded, fired as he fell, and wounded one of the scouts. +The Doctor's attention was now directed to his wounded companion, hence +his second Indian was allowed to retain his scalp. + +The scouts, finding that the trail was fresh, and the Indians were +rapidly retreating, having strewed their trail with camp equipage, in +order to facilitate their movements, sent an express back to camp, +when the army hastily took up the line of march, with Dodge's corps and +Ewing's Spy battalion in the front. By fast riding they soon came up +with the Indians, whom they found already in line to receive them. + + + +AT WISCONSIN HEIGHTS. + +Orders were at once given to dismount (leaving enough to hold the +horses) and charge upon the Indians. They had scarcely time to form into +line when they were met by the yelling Indians and a heavy volley from +their guns. + +Dodge and Ewing ordered a charge, and as they moved forward, returned +the fire at close quarters, with deadly effect. The Indians then +commenced a flank movement, and by securing a position in the high grass +where they could in a measure conceal themselves, fought bravely, until +Dodge and Ewing gave orders to charge upon them at the point of the +bayonet. In this engagement Col. Jones had his horse shot from under +him, and one man killed--but at the word _"charge,"_ he went forward +with his brave men, and all performed their duty nobly and fearlessly, +and soon dislodged the Indians from their hiding place and forced them +into a hasty retreat. It being then too late to pursue them, orders were +given to camp on the battle-ground. + +In this engagement Neapope had command, who was not only brave and +fearless, but well skilled in strategy. Having become well acquainted +with him after the war, he told the writer that he knew Gen. Dodge +personally, and had met him on the field of battle, and considered him +one of the bravest men he had ever met, although in this engagement all +the officers showed great skill and bravery, and thus encouraged +their men to acts of noble daring to a degree that he had never before +witnessed in common--not regular--soldiers. He said in this engagement, +the command had been entrusted to him of this small force--about two +hundred--Indians, in order to give Black Hawk and the remainder of his +party, time to cross the river. He reported his loss at twenty-eight +(28) killed. + +The newt morning a portion of the army was ordered forward to pursue the +fleeing enemy, but on reaching the river, found that they had taken +to the swamps, when it was deemed prudent to return to camp without +attempting to follow them. + +Here the army rested for one day, and made comfortable provisions to +carry the wounded, after having consigned the remains of John Short, who +had been killed the day before, to mother Earth, with the honors of war. + +In the meantime, Gen. Atkinson arrived with his regulars and the +brigades of Generals Posey and Alexander; and on the 28th of July, took +up the line of march with Gen. Atkinson at the head. Their route led +through a mountainous country for several days, as the Indiana seemed to +have selected the most difficult route they could find in order to gain +time, and reach the river in advance, and then secure the best possible +positions to defend themselves. + +Having learned from an old Indian that had been left behind, that the +enemy was only a short distance ahead, Gen. Atkinson, on breaking camp +at an early hour in the morning, gave orders for the march towards +the river, with Gen. Dodge's squadron in front; Infantry next; Second +brigade, under command of Gen. Alexander, next; Gen. Posey's brigade +next, and Gen. Henry's in the rear. + +After marching a few miles Gen. Dodge's scouts discovered the rear guard +of the enemy, when an express was sent immediately to Gen. Atkinson, who +ordered troops to proceed at double quick. In the meantime Gen. Dodge's +command pushed forward and opened a heavy fire, from which many Indians +were shot down while retreating toward the Mississippi, where their main +body was stationed. Dodge's squadron being in the lead, were first to +open upon the main army of the Indians, whilst Gen. Henry's brigade, +that had been placed in the rear in the morning, came first to his aid. +The battle waged furiously for more than two hours, and until the last +visible Indian warrior was killed. The Indians had commenced crossing +before the battle opened, and a number took to their canoes and made +good their escape as the battle progressed. The number killed was +estimated at something over one hundred, but the Indians afterward +reported their loss at seventy-eight killed and forty-two wounded. Our +loss was seventeen killed and about the same number wounded. + +During the engagement several squaws were killed accidentally and a +number wounded, including children, who were taken prisoners. Among +the latter, Dr. Philleo reported a boy with one arm badly broken, +who exhibited a greater degree of stoicism during the operation of +amputation, than he had ever before witnessed. Being very hungry, they +gave him a piece of bread to eat, which he ravenously masticated during +the entire operation, apparently manifesting no pain whatever from the +work of the surgeon. + +Many of the Indians who got across the river in safety were afterwards +killed by the Menomonees. + + + +STEAMBOAT WARRIOR'S FIGHT. + +On the 2d of August, 1832, the steamboat, Warrior, was lying at Prairie +du Chien, and word having been received at the fort that Black Hawk's +main army was then at, or near the river above, at a point designated +for all to meet for the purpose of crossing the river, Lieut. Kingsbury +took her in charge, and started up with one company, in order to +intercept the Indians and prevent their crossing before the main army +arrived, as he knew it was in close pursuit of them. The boat soon came +in view of Indians on both sides of the river--Black Hawk and several +lodges having already crossed over-when they were hailed by Lieut. +Kingsbury. A white flag was hoisted by the Indians, and Black Hawk +directed the Winnebago interpreter on board the Warrior, to say to his +chief that he wanted him to send out his small boat so as he could go on +board, a he desired to give himself up. The Winnebago, however, reported +to the commander that they refused to bring their flag aboard. He then +directed his interpreter to say that if they still refused he would open +fire upon them. In reply, the interpreter said they still refused, when +the Lieutenant directed his six-pounder to be fired among them, and also +opened a musketry fire by his company. This was returned by the Indians, +and the battle continued for some time. Several Indians were killed +at the first fire, after which the remainder sought protection behind +trees, stumps, etc. It was then getting late in the afternoon, and +as the boat was nearly out of wood they dropped down to the fort to +replenish, and started back again the next morning. On reaching an +island some miles above their battle-ground of the day before, they +commenced to rake it with their six-pounder, supposing the Indians had +taken shelter there, and the army considering it a salute, Gen. Atkinson +returned it. Soon after the boat landed and took on board Gen. Atkinson +and the regulars and then returned to Prairie du Chien. The Illinois +volunteers were ordered to Dixon, at which place they were discharged, +while the troops of the lead mines were mustered out at Galena. After +the boat started down the evening before, Black Hawk and a few of his +people left for the lodge of a Winnebago friend, and gave himself +up. Thus ended a bloody war which had been forced upon Black Hawk by +Stillman's troops violating a flag of truce, which was contrary to the +rules of war of all civilized nations, and one that had always been +respected by the Indians. And thus, by the treachery or ignorance of the +Winnebago interpreter on board of the Warrior, it was bought to a close +in the same ignoble way it commenced--disregarding a flag of truce--and +by which Black Hawk lost more than half of his army. But in justice to +Lieut. Kingsbury, who commanded the troops on the Warrior, and to his +credit it must be said, that Black Hawk's flag would have been respected +if the Winnebago, who acted as his interpreter on the boat, had reported +him correctly. + + + +GENERAL ATKINSON'S REPORT. + +HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARTILLERY CORPS, NORTH-WESTERN ARMY, Prairie du +Chiens, Aug. 25, 1832. + +SIR:--I have the honor to report to you that I crossed the Ouisconsin +on the 27th and 28th ultimo, with a select body of troops, consisting +of the regulars under Colonel Taylor, four hundred in number, part of +Henry's, Posey's and Alexander's brigades, amounting in all to 1,300 +men, and immediately fell upon the trail of the enemy, and pursued it +by a forced march, through a mountainous and difficult country, till the +morning of the 2d inst., when we came up with his main body on the left +bank of the Mississippi, nearly opposite the mouth of the Ioway, which +we attacked, defeated and dispensed, with a loss on his part of about +a hundred and fifty men killed, thirty men, women and children taken +prisoners--the precise number could not be ascertained, as the greater +potion was slain after being forced into the river. Our loss in killed +and wounded, which is stated below, is very small in comparison with +the enemy, which may be attributed to the enemy's being forced from +his position by a rapid charge the commencement, and throughout the +engagement the remnant of the enemy, cut up and disheartened, crossed to +the opposite side of the river, and had fled into the interior, with a +view, it is supposed, of joining Keokuk and Wapello's bands of Sacs and +Foxes. + +The horses of the volunteer troops being exhausted by long marches, +and the regular troops without shoes, it was not thought advisable to +continue the pursuit; indeed, a stop to the further effusion of blood +seemed to be called for, till it might be ascertained if the enemy would +surrender. + +It is ascertained from our prisoners that the enemy lost in the battle +of the Ouisconsin sixty-eight killed and a very large number wounded; +his whole loss does not fall short of three hundred. After the battle +on the Ouisconsin, those of the enemy's women and children, and some +who were dismounted, attempted to make their escape by descending +that river, but judicious measures being taken by Captain Loomis and +Lieutenant Street, Indian Agent, thirty-two women and children and four +men have been captured, and some fifteen men killed by the detachment +under Lieutenant Ritner. + +The day after the battle on the river, I fell down with the regular +troops to this place by water, and the wounded men will join us to-day. +It is now my purpose to direct, Keokuk to demand a surrender of the +remaining principal men of the hostile party, which, from the large +number of women and children we hold prisoners, I have every reason to +believe will be compiled with. Should it not, they should be pursued and +subdued, a step Major-General Scott will take upon his arrival. + + I cannot speak too highly of the brave conduct of the regular and +volunteer forces engaged in the last battle, and the fatiguing march +that preceded it, and as soon as the reports of officers of the brigades +and corps are handed in, they shall be submitted with further remarks: + + 5 killed, 6 wounded, 6th inft. + 2 wounded, 5th inft. + 1 Captain, 5 privates, Dodge's Bat., mounted. + 1 Lieutenant, 6 privates, Henry's Bat. + 1 private wounded, Alexander's. + 1 private wounded Posey's. + + I have the great honor to be, with great respect, + +Your obedient servant, + + H. ATKINSON, + +Brevet Brig. Gen. U.S.A. + +Maj. Gen. Macomb, Com. in Chief, Washington. + + + +APPENDIX. + +AT YELLOW BANKS. + +Among the many hundreds of troops that came to Yellow Bank--Oquawka--on +their way to the sea of war, Major S. S. Phelps always spoke in high +terms of their good discipline and gentlemanly conduct, except in one +instance--that of a few persons in a company from McDonough county, who +came over at a time when old chief Tama and his wife, who was noted for +being the white man's friend, came over to get provisions for his little +band. On seeing an Indian some of these soldiers, who had been using +their canteens rather frequently, were eager to slay him, and not only +threatened him but Major P. also, for harboring him. The officers seemed +to have no control of these men--and just at a time when their threats +were loudest of what they intended to do at the close of three minutes, +Major P. and one of his clerks, Mr. Joseph Smart, were standing with +their rifles cocked ready to make the first shot, a cry came from +outside of the building, by one of the more peaceable soldiers, "Here +comes another company, Capt. Peter Butler's, from Monmouth," when these +would-be braves instantly retreated. + +We are assured by one of Capt. B.'s company, Mr. James Ryason, that +the foregoing is literally true, and that Major P. and Mr. Smart, +afterwards, amid the threats of these same soldiers, escorted Tama and +wife to the river bank to take their canoe to cross the river, and stood +there with their guns, ready to protect the Indians until they got out +of reach of gunshot--Smart threatening all the time to put a ball though +the first man that attempted to shoot. + +In order to appease the wrath of these soldiers and prevent some of them +being killed, Capt. B. advised Maj. P. not to give Tama any provisions; +but on the way down, Mr. Ryason says, Smart (who talked their language +equal to a native born) told them to meet them at a certain point after +night and they would be supplied; and that for the purpose of assisting +Mr. Smart in taking supplies to Tama, he got leave of absence from the +Captain until next morning. + +Messrs. James Ryason and Gabriel Shot, both honorable and highly +respected Christian gentlemen, are the only survivors of that company +now residing in this county. + +Tama's village, located on South Henderson, half a mile below the farm +of Mr. John T. Cook, at Gladstone, was always noted as being the abode +of friendly Indians. In the fall of 1829, some write men came in and +made improvements on the land in the vicinity, and at the advice of Mr. +Phelps, Tama crossed the river and made a new town at the mouth of Flint +river on the Mississippi, and at the time of Black Hawk's raid into +Illinois, it was the rendezvous of many young men who had been persuaded +by Tama not to join Black Hawk. But when the news reached them of the +indignities offered to their good old chief, they secretly determined to +go upon the war path, and soon after four young Foxes started to cross +the river and avenge the insult. On going up Henderson creek they espied +Mr. William Martin while in the act of mowing, at a point near Little +York, whom they shot and killed, and for fear of detection, immediately +took to the brush. It being late when they got through the woods, they +made a fire and camped just at the edge of the prairie. + +Some time after the shooting, friends of Mr. Martin discovered his +lifeless body and after removing it to the home, started on the trail of +his murderers, and followed it some distance through the underbrush, but +wisely concluded, as it was growing late, to return and give the alarm. +An express was sent to Capt. Butler during the night, who started out +with his company early in the morning, and on emerging into the prairie +discovered the camp fire of the Indians, add followed their trail to a +slough in the Mississippi two miles below Keithsburgh. Here the Indians +embarked in their canoes and were probably on the other side of the +river by this time. A demand was immediately made upon Keokuk for the +murderers, as they belonged to his band of Foxes, who surrendered two +men to the commanding officer at Rock Island. + +These Indians soon afterwards made their escape, and before the time +fixed for their trial, Keokuk delivered four young men to Maj. Phelps, +then sheriff of Warren county, to be tried for the offence. Maj. P. +and his deputy, Mr. James Ryason, took them to Monmouth jail, where the +following proceedings were had before the Circuit Court (for a copy of +which we are indebted to George C. Rankin, Esq., now Circuit Clerk): + + + +WARREN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. + +William Martin was shot and scalped by two Indians, near Little York, +Warren county, August 9th, 1832. In their report at the October term of +the Warren Circuit Court, the Grand jurors say: + +"Six or seven Indians of Keokuk's band of Sac and Fox Indians who were +not included in the war path under Black Hawk and other chiefs of the +Sac and Fox, nation, came over from the western bank of the Mississippi +river to the inhabited parts of Warren county, in said State, and +unlawfully and feloniously murdered the said William Martin in the most +barbarous manner. That the names of the said Indians are unknown to the +Grand Jury. That two of the said Indians have been heretofore given up +by the chiefs of said Indians, that they were confined in the Fort at +Rock Island for some time but have made their escape, and are now at +large in their own country. That the Grand jury cannot now find an +indictment because the names of the said Indiana are unknown to said +jury. But they recommend that the Governor of the State be furnished +with a copy of this presentment, and that he be desired to request of +the President of the United States that the whole of the said Indians +concerned in the said murder may be demanded of the said Sac and Fox +nation that they may be indicted and punished for murder under the +authority of the laws of this State." + +In compliance with the demand of the President, the chiefs surrendered +four Indians, namely, with their Interpretations; + + Sa-sa-pi-ma (he that troubleth). + Ka-ke-mo (he that speaks with something in his mouth). + I-o-nah (stay here). + Wa-pa-sha-kon (the white string). + +Concerning which, the Grand jury at the June term 1833 say: + +"From an examination made by this Grand Jury they we now able to state +that the four Indians lately surrendered by the chiefs at the request +of the President of the United States, are not the real murderers of +Martin. The chiefs represent that at the time the demand was made the +real offenders had escaped from the territory and power of their +nation. That the prisoners now in custody volunteered themselves to be +surrendered in place of those who escaped, and that from custom amongst +Indians, they supposed this would be a sufficient compliance with the +requisition of the President. The Grand jury will not positively say +that the chiefs have prevaricated, but they do say that the demand +already made has been eluded." + +By a writ of habeas corpus, the four Indians above named were brought +before the judge, presiding, Hon. Richard M. Young, June 14th, 1833, and +released. + +Indictment was returned against the real murderers, Shash-quo-washi, +Muck-que-che-qua, Muck-qua-pal-ashah, and Was-a-wau-a-quot, who, "not +having the fear of God before their eyes, but being moved and seduced +by the instigations of the devil," killed Wm. Martin. The indictment was +drawn by Thomas Ford, States Attorney, and recites that William Martin +was shot a little below the shoulder blade. Among the witnesses named +were Keokuk and Stabbing Chief. The guilty parties were never arrested, +and a _nolle prosequi_ was entered at the October term at court, 1835. + + + +GEN. SCOTT ARRIVES AT CHICAGO. + +Gen. Scott, with a full regiment of regulars, came up the lake and +landed at Chicago about the 10th of July--the cholera in the meantime +having broken out among his troops, from which several had died. While +encamped at that point, it continued its virulence to such an extent, +and in a number of cases fatally, that he deemed it best to much out on +the high land, and soon after continued his journey, by slow marches, +to Rock Island. On reaching Rock river, where Milan is now situated, the +cholera had disappeared, and he went into camp with his entire regiment. +The clear water of this beautiful stream was a Godsend to the many +tired men, for the ablution of their bodies and the cleansing of their +apparel, tents, etc., and seemed to have a general invigorating effect +upon the entire regiment. + +Gen. Scott then went over to Rock Island with two companies to garrison +Fort Armstrong, and there learned the situation of affairs in the +army, and the great reduction made in the ranks of Black Hawk's band of +Indians, so that a final close of the war was daily expected. + +A few days after their arrival at Fort Armstrong, symptoms of cholera +again appeared among the troops of the company, and the physician +in charge tried every known remedy to check it, but failed in every +instance, and after running its course, which was usually about +twenty-four hours, the patient died. During the first three or four days +of its ravages, about one-half of that company had been consigned to +their last resting place in the soldiers' cemetery. + + Being on a visit to Rock Island at the time the cholera was raging, +the writer, at the request of Col. Wm. Berry, (who had also come down +from Galena to pay his respects to Gen. Scott,) accompanied him to +the Fort and introduced him to the General. It was a very warm, but +beautiful Sabbath, when we were admitted to the General's quarters, +about 10 o'clock in the morning, and after the introduction of our +friend and the usual salutations of the day, the General, after +expressing his doubts of the propriety of admitting us into the Fort, +forcibly and touchingly detailed the ravages that the cholera was making +in his ranks. Medicine, in the hands of a skillful physician, seemed +to have no effect to stay its progress, and he was just on the eve of +trying a different remedy as we came in, and if we would join him in +a glass of brandy and water, he would proceed at once to put it into +execution. He said he was satisfied that brandy was a good antidote to +cholera, and by its use many of his soldiers were still well. + + + +THE GENERAL'S REMEDY. + +The General pulled off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and directed an +orderly to tear off strips of red flannel, fill a bucket with brandy and +carry them to the hospital. On arriving at the bedside of a patient he +directed him to be stripped, and then with flannel soaked in brandy he +rubbed his chest thoroughly, in order to bring on a reaction, in the +meantime administering a little brandy with a spoon. In the course of +half an hour he returned and reported progress. He said he left his +patient free from pain, and directed a small portion of the brandy to be +given occasionally. + +The well soldiers, seeing that their General was not afraid of cholera, +nor too proud to act as nurse to a sick soldier, took courage and +insisted on his retiring, so that they could fill his place. Seeing that +new life had been infused among the well soldiers, and a gleam of hope +seeming to inspire the sick, he gave directions for them to continue, as +he had commenced, and then retired. + +On returning to his quarters he washed his hands, rolled down his +sleeves, put on his uniform, and then invited us to take a little +brandy. After listening to his mode of treatment, we casually remarked +that it looked feasible, but at the same time reprehensible in the +General of the army exposing himself in the performance of a duty that +could be done as well by a common soldier. He gave us a look, and kept +his eyes upon us as his giant form raised up, and, with a sweep of his +sword arm, said in majestic tones: "Sir, it is the duty of a General to +take care of his army; should he fall another can take his place; but, +without an army his occupation is gone!" + +The General's treatment was continued right along, and the result was +that many of those attacked got well. + +Soon after the close of the war, which terminated with the battle of +Bad Axe, on the second day of August, 1832, he came to Galena, and, in +conference with Governor John Reynolds, ordered the chiefs head men and +warriors of the Winnebago Nation to meet them at Fort Armstrong, Rock +Island, on the 15th day of September, 1832, for the purpose of holding a +treaty. + +At the time fixed by the Commissioners they were met by the chiefs, head +men and warriors of the Winnebago Nation, with whom a treaty was made +and concluded, by which the Winnebagoes ceded to the United States all +the lands claimed by them lying to the south and east of Wisconsin river +and the Fox river of Green Bay. The consideration of this cession on the +part of the United States, to be a grant to the Winnebago Nation of a +tract on the west side of the Mississippi river known as the neutral +ground and annual annuities for twenty-seven years of $10,000 in specie +and a further sum, not to exceed $3,000 annually, for the purposes of +maintaining a farm and a school for the education of Winnebago children +during the same period of twenty-seven years. + + + +TREATY WITH SACS AND FOXES. + +After concluding the treaty with the Winnebagoes, and for the purpose of +making a lasting peace with the Sacs and Foxes, these Commissioners +held a treaty at the same place, and a week later, on the 21st day of +September, with chiefs, head men and warriors of that confederate tribe. +The Commissioners demanded, partly as indemnity for expenses incurred in +the late war with Black Hawk's band and to secure future tranquility, a +cession of a large portion of their country bordering on the frontiers. +In consideration thereof the United States agree to pay to said +confederate tribes annually, for thirty years, $20,000 in specie; also, +to pay Messrs. Farnham and Davenport, Indian traders at Rock Island, the +sum of $40,000, to be receipted for in full of all demands against +said Indians. And, further, at the special request of said confederate +tribes, the United States agree to grant, by letters patent, to their +particular friend, Antoine LeClair, interpreter, one section of land +opposite Rock Island and one section at the head of the rapids of the +Mississippi river. + + + +THE CITY OF DAVENPORT, IOWA. + +This beautiful city now covers that "Section of land opposite Rock +Island" that was donated by treaty to Antoine LeClair by the Sacs and +Foxes, and also three or four more sections. At that time it was wholly +uninhabited, the Foxes having removed their village from that point +some three years before. As a town site it was regarded by strangers and +travelers on steamboats as the most beautiful west of the Mississippi +between St. Louis and St. Paul, and now, with its twenty-three thousand +inhabitants, elegant residences, magnificent public buildings, fine +churches, schoolhouses, extensive manufactories, and large business +blocks, it Stands unrivalled as a beautiful city. It has ten miles of +street railroads, affording easy access to all parts of the city. It has +two daily papers, the _Gazette_ and _Democrat_, (morning and evening) +both ably conducted; and also a German daily and two weeklies. The river +is spanned by an elegant bridge that was built at the cost of nearly +a million dollars, which is used by the various railroads from East to +West, and has a roadway for teams and pedestrians. + + + +THE CITY OF ROCK ISLAND + +Is located on the bank of the river in Illinois, immediately opposite +to Davenport, and is a large and flourishing city, with a population of +about twelve thousand inhabitants. It has fine public buildings, +elegant churches and residences, substantial business blocks, extensive +manufactories and elegant water works. The city is lighted by electric +lights, from high towers, that cast their refulgent rays over the entire +city, which makes it the finest lighted city in the west. There are two +daily papers, (morning and evening) _The Union_ and _The Argus_, both +enjoying the privilege of Press dispatches, and both issue weeklies. +_The Rock Islander_ is also published weekly, and all have the +appearance of great prosperity. The professions are represented by men +of fine ability, including some of wide reputation. The banking business +is done principally by two National Banks, that have a deservedly high +reputation, and are doing a large business. There are two first-class +hotels--the Harper House and Rock Island House--and several of less +pretentions. The city has large coal fields, in close proximity, with +railroads running daily to and from the banks, by which the three cities +are supplied. + + + +THE CITY OF MOLINE + +Is located two miles up the river from Rock Island, but connected with +it by street railways. It has a population of over 8,000 inhabitants, +and is extensively known from its many manufacturing establishments, +which are supplied with water power from a dam across the river from the +Island. + + + +FIFTY YEARS AGO + +When the writer first visited this most beautiful Island in the +Mississippi river, then and now known as Rock Island, the ground on +which the triplet cities of Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline now +stands, was covered with prairie grass, and apparently a sterile waste +as regards to the two former, whilst the latter was principally covered +with timber. Now how changed! Then the site of Davenport was claimed to +be the most beautiful on the west bank of the Mississippi, between St. +Paul and St. Louis by Black Hawk and his confreres, who had traveled +up and down the river in canoes, whilst his judgment was confirmed by +thousands of passengers who viewed it from steamboats in after years. + + +THE TRIPLE CITIES + +are widely known as the leading manufacturing cities of the great west, +with railroads stretching out from ocean to ocean, and although the +Mississippi makes a dividing line, they are united by a magnificent +bridge, which makes their intercourse easier than over paved streets. + +Rock Island, at that time, was excluded from settlement by the orders of +Government, as it had been reserved, on the recommendation of Hon. Lewis +Cass, whilst he was in the Senate and Cabinet, as a site for a United +States Arsenal and Armory. Fort Armstrong was situated on the lower end +of the Island, and was then in command of Col. William Davenport. The +Sac and Fox agency (Maj. Davenport, agent,) stood on the bank of the +river about half a mile above the Fort; next came the residence and +office of Antoine Le Clair, United States Interpreter for the Sam +and Foxes, and a little higher up, the residence, store-house and out +buildings of Col. George Davenport, who had by an act of Congress, +preempted a claim of two hundred acres of land running across the Island +from bank to bank of the river. The Island is about two miles long, and +being at the foot of the rapids has the best water power on the river, +capable of running a much greater amount of machinery than is at +present in operation. The entire Island is now owned and occupied by the +Government, (the heirs of Col. Davenport having sold and deeded their +interest), and is now used as an + +ARMORY AND ARSENAL + +which are destined to be in the near future, the most extensive works of +the kind probably in the world. Indeed, army officers who have traveled +extensively in the Old World, say they have never seen anything to +compare with it, in elegant grounds, water power and buildings, and with +such facilities for moving anything to and from the Arsenal. These works +were commenced under the supervision of Gen. Rodman, the inventor of the +Rodman gun, and since the death of the General, D. W. Flagler, Lieut. +Col. of Ordinance, has been in command, and a more efficient and better +qualified officer for the place could not have been found in the army. + +There are already completed ten massive stone buildings, which are used +for work shops, storage, etc., officers' quarters, both durable and +comfortable, and many other buildings. The former residence of Col. +George Davenport, (the House in which he as killed for money many +years ago) built in 1831, of solid hewed timber, and afterwards +weather-boarded, still stands unoccupied. + +The Island is mostly covered with trees of different varieties, which +are kept neatly trimmed, and is laid out like a park, with wide avenues +extending its whole length, which makes the most elegant drives and +shady walks for the thousands of visitors who flock to the Island to +feast their eyes upon its magnificence. + + + +THE CITY OF KEOKUK, IOWA, + +Is located at the foot of the Lower Rapids, 139 miles from Rock Island, +and bears the name of the distinguished chief of the Sacs and Foxes. +At our first visit there, in 1832, there was a long row of one-story +buildings fronting on the river, that were used by Col. Farnham, agent +of the American Fur Company, as a store and warehouse--this being the +principal depot for trade with the Sacs and Foxes, who were then the +sole proprietors of the country and its principal inhabitants, with the +exception of a few individuals who had got permission to put up shanties +for occupation during the low-water season, while they were engaged in +lighting steamers passing up and down the river, but unable to cross the +rapids while loaded. + +At that day the old chief, Keokuk, boasted of having the handsomest site +for a big village that could be found on the river, and since that day +it has grown to be a large and elegant city, with wide streets, fine +public buildings, nice churches, school-houses, elegant residences, +extensive business houses, wholesale and retail stores, manufactories, +and a flourishing Medical University with elegant buildings, which has +been in successful operation for more than twenty years. The United +States District Court for Southern Iowa is also located here. The city +is well provided with good hotels. The Patterson House, an immense +building, five stories high, being chief, which has always ranked as +first-class-with a number of hotels of smaller dimensions, but well +kept--affording ample accommodation for the thousands of travelers +that frequently congregate at this place. The various professions are +represented by men of fine ability--some of them of wide reputation. +They have two daily papers, _The Gale City,_ and _The Constitution_, +which are ably conducted. + +A fine canal, running the entire length of the Rapids, from Montrose to +Keokuk, has been built by the United States, through which steamboats +can now pass at any stage of water--but designed more particularly +for low water--so that there is no longer any detention to lighten +steamboats over the Rapids. + + + +THE CITY OF MUSCATINE, IOWA. + +Muscatine was first settled as a wood yard by Col. John Vanater, in +July, 1834, and was laid out as a town by him in 1836, and called +Bloomington. The county was organized in 1837, under the name of +Muscatine, and Bloomington made the county seat. The name of the +town was changed to correspond with that of the county in 1851. Its +population at the last census was 8,294; present population not less +than 10,000. Besides being the centre of a large trade in agricultural +products, it is extensively engaged in manufacturing lumber, sash, doors +and blinds, and possesses numerous large manufactories, oat-meal mills, +and the finest marble works in the State. It is also the centering point +of a very large wholesale and retail trade. It is situated at the head +of the rich Muscatine Island, the garden spot of the Northwest, and is +the shipping point for millions of melons and sweet potatoes annually. + +Muscatine is a good town, with a good business and good newspapers. The +_Journal_ and _Tribune_ are published daily, semi-weekly and weekly. +Hon. John Mahin has been the editor of the _Journal_ since 1852, and +there is no editor in the State whose service dates further back than +his. + + + +THE CITY OF DUBUQUE. + +Soon after the close of the war and the discharge of the volunteer army, +the writer, with some twenty others who had served through the war, +formed a company for the purpose of laying out the town of Dubuque. One +of their number, Capt. James Craig, being a surveyor, he was selected +to survey the lines and lay out the town. About the middle of September, +1832, he started out from Galena with his chain-carriers, stake-drivers, +etc., (stakes having been previously sawed and split on an island +opposite, all ready for use), and in due time completed the survey. +Blocks fronting the river on three or four streets back were completed, +each lot receiving its stakes, whilst those farther back were staked as +blocks, and not subdivided. A few of the original proprietors built +and took possession at once. Among them were the Messrs. Langworthy, +enterprising and energetic young gentlemen, who commenced business as +grocers in a small way, with supplies for miners. Their faith was strong +that adventurers would come in, and that the time was not far distant +when the town would take a start, and in a few years become a populous +city. Miners and prospectors soon took possession of claims in the +immediate vicinity, and in one instance a claim was made and ore struck +within the limits of our survey. + +It was well known that the Indians had been in the habit, for many +years, of visiting this portion of their country, for the purpose of +getting their supplies of lead; hence the supposition of miners, who +had long been engaged in prospecting for lead-mining, that lead would +be found on this side of the river and in the vicinity of Dubuque. This +caused a great rush to the new fields, of hundreds, who expected to +strike it rich with less labor and expense. All were aware, however, +that under the treaty just made with the Sacs and Foxes by Gen. Scott +and Gov. Reynolds, they had no right to enter upon these lands, and +stood in daily fear of being ordered off by United States troops. But +their numbers steadily increased. At length the long expected order +came. Major Davenport, Indian Agent at Rock Island, was ordered to +go forward, and, with one company of infantry in two Mackinaw boats, +commanded by Lieut. Beach, they landed near the mouth of Fever river +(Galena) about the first of October. The Major came up to Galena with +a letter from Col. George Davenport to the writer, to assist him in the +discharge of his delicate duty. Word was sent to Lieut. Beach not to +proceed up the river until the afternoon of the next day, as the sight +of troops by the miners might make them hard to manage; otherwise, I +assured the Major, he would have no trouble. We proceeded at once to a +point opposite Dubuque, where we found a comfortable stopping place with +the ferryman, and he being a man of considerable influence, I suggested +to him the propriety of going over to Dubuque to send men to all the +mining camps, requesting a meeting the next morning, at nine o'clock, +of all the miners, with the agent, to hear what he had to say, and to +assure them at the same time that his mission was a peaceable one, and +that there should be no objection manifested to disobey the orders of +the Government. + +After the departure of our messenger we took a private room to talk over +the programme for the meeting, when we suggested that, on assembling, +the Major should make a little speech explanatory of his visit, in which +he should express sorrow for the hardships it would be to leave their +claims, with the hope that the time was not distant when all might +lawfully return, etc. The Major said he was not a speech-maker, or a +very good talker, but would read the orders sent to him to dispossess +them, and see that they crossed the river. + +After some discussion, the writer, at his request, wrote out a short +address for the Major, and on going over the next morning, we met some +four or five hundred miners at the grocery store, who had assembled to +listen to the orders sent for their removal. There being no boards or +boxes into which to improvise a stand for the speaker, a whisky-barrel +was introduced, from the head of which, after apologizing to the miners +for the disagreeable duty that had been placed upon the Major, and in +consequence of his suffering from a bad cold, we had taken the stand to +read to them his short address, and as most of them had spent the summer +in the service of the Government as soldiers in the field, and had been +honorably discharged, the Major felt satisfied that there would be no +objection manifested by any one in the large crowd before us to disobey +an order from the Government. After the close of the Major's address, +the question was put to vote by raising of hands. There was a general +upraising of hands, which was declared to be unanimous for immediate +removal. Owing to the good treatment received by the Major, he proposed +to treat the entire party, and, to facilitate the matter, buckets of +whisky with tin cups were passed around, and after all had partaken they +shook hands with the Major and commenced Crossing over in flatboats. + +At three o'clock in the afternoon we crossed over on the last boat, and +took our departure for Galena. During the evening the Major's report of +how his peaceable removal of a large body of intruders from the west to +the east bank of the Mississippi had been accomplished, was made out +and mailed. But the further fact that all those miners had recrossed the +river, and were then in their mining camps, was not recorded, for the +reason that the Major had not been posted as to their intentions. + +Owing to the provisions of the treaty, it was a long time before +Congress passed an act for the sale of these lands, and confirmation to +the titles of town sites, hence, many of those who had laid out the +town of Dubuque had left the county, and at the time of proving up +their claims failed to put in an appearance--the writer being one of +them--whilst those who remained, with the Messrs. Langworthy, became +sole proprietors--the latter having lived to see the town rise in +importance, and at this time become one of the most populous cities on +the west side of the Mississippi. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Autobiography of +Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk, by Black Hawk + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK HAWK *** + +***** This file should be named 7097.txt or 7097.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/0/9/7097/ + +Produced by Martin Schub, scanned pages provided courtesy +of the 1st-hand-history Foundation + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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