USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Oelwein > The Telegraph-herald's abridged history of the state of Iowa and directory of Fayette County, including the city of Oelwein, with a complete classified business directory; > Part 4
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF IOWA.
lands in severalty. The Iowans were worshippers of the Great Spirit, the Cre- ator and Ruler of the Universe. They have a tradition that a very long time ago the Great Spirit "made a man and a woman out of red clay, and all the Indians sprung from them," and another tradition is that "it rained for a month and drowned all living animals and human beings except a few who escaped in a big canoe." They regarded rattlesnakes and a certain species of hawks with veneration. Unlike most of the Indian tribes they were chaste in their social relations. Illegitimate children were never found among them. We give this extended account of this tribe on account of its relation to Iowa, and our State being named after it. Equally interesting accounts could be given of the other tribes, but our space will not admit of such detail. It may, however, be of in- terest to give a description of an Indian village, and for that purpose we will select the Sac village on the Rock Valley. Black Hawk, in his autobiography, says it was built in 1751; it was named Sahkenhk. This was for more than fifty years the largest village of the Sacs, and contained in 1825 a population of not less than eight thousand. The houses were substantially built, and were from thirty to one hundred feet in length, and from sixteen to fifty feet wide. They were built with a frame of poles covered with sheeting of elm bark, fas- tened with thorns of buckskin. The doors were three by six feet, and before them were suspended buffalo robes. These houses were divided into rooms separated by a hall, extending the length of the building. Fire pits were pro- vided with opening for the smoke. The beds were made of skins of animals, thrown over elevated frames of poles. Half a mile East of town was a bold promontory rising 200 feet from the bed of Rock River. This was known as "Black Hawk's Watch Tower," and was the favorite resort of the famous Sac chieftain. Here he would sit smoking his pipe, enjoying the grand scenery for hours. Here he was born, and his father before him, one of the greatest Sac chiefs. It is to his credit that he clung to his old home, and fought his last hopeless battle against overwhelming numbers of well equipped troops in de- fence of his native land.
CHAPTER VIII.
In 1804 a few chiefs of the Sac and Fox Nations, sold fifty-one million acres of land lying in the East side of the Mississippi River, between St. Louis and the Wisconsin River, for the insignificant sum of $2,234 worth of goods and $1,000 in money per year. Black Hawk and several other chiefs repudiated this treaty, and claimed that the chiefs making it had no authority to dispose of this immense tract of land, including the site of the principal and oldest vil- lage of the true Sac Nation. These chiefs were sent to St. Louis to secure the release of a prominent member of their tribe who was charged with murdering a white man, and Black Hawk always asserted that they had no right to dis- pose of these lands. When it was claimed that he had subsequently ratified the treaty of 1804 with his own signature, he asserted that he had been deceived, and did not intend to dispose of the lands. In 1814 Major Taylor was sent, with a detachment of 334 soldiers, up the Mississippi River by boat, with orders to destroy the corn fields of the Sacs and Foxes and burn their villages.
The Indians were located on both sides of the river, in the vicinity of Rock Island and Davenport. They rallied from all sides to the attack. A detach- ment of British soldiers, from Prairie du Chien, joined them, and the battle lasted for three hours. The Indians, led by Black Hawk, fought with great courage to save their homes, and Taylor was driven back with great loss and
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compelled to retreat. Black Hawk had become an ally of the British on the promise that they would aid him to drive the Americans out of the valley which he claimed and refused to abandon. But when the war closed and the British were unable to aid him further, he returned to his old home at Rock River and found that Keokuk had become a chief of the party friendly to the Americans. In 1815 a large council of Sacs and Foxes met at the mouth of the Missouri River and ratified the treaty of 1804. Black Hawk and a few minor chiefs with- held their assent.
In 1824 the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States all lands lying be- tween the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers, except a small portion lying at the junction of the rivers afterwards known as the "half-breed tract," which they reserved for the families of the white men who married Indian wives. In 1825 an agreement was reached in council at Prairie du Chien, fixing the South boundary of the Sioux country, separating the hunting grounds from that of the Sac, Fox and Iowa Indians on the South. It began at the mouth of the Upper Iowa River, extending Westward to its fork in Winneshiek County; then West to the Red Cedar, in Black Hawk County; then West to the East fork of the Des Moines in Humboldt County; then in a direct line West to the lower fork of the Big Sioux, in Plymouth County; then following that river to its junction with the Missouri River. In 1828 the Sioux and Winnebagos, then in alliance, sent an invitation to the Sac and Fox chiefs near Dubuque, to meet them in council and forever bury the hatchet. The Fox chiefs, unsuspicious of treach- ery, started towards the place of meeting. On the same evening as they were in camp for the night on the East shore of the Mississippi River, near the mouth of the Wisconsin River, they were fired upon by more than a thousand Sioux warriors. Rushing from their hiding place, the treacherous Sioux killed all but two of the Foxes, who plunged into the river and swam to the West shore, carrying the news to their villagers. Stung to desperation by this act of treachery, the Foxes prepared to avenge the murder of their chiefs. A war party was organized, and led by the newly elected chiefs, they embarked in canoes and landed in the vicinity of the enemy, concealing themselves in the dense woods and underbrush. Towards midnight they crossed the river and crept silently upon the sleeping foe. Nerved by the spirit of revenge, they si- lently buried their tomahawks in the heads of seventeen Sioux chiefs and war- riors and escaped to their canoes without the loss of a man. The war between the Sioux, and the Sacs and Foxes was waged for many years.
CHAPTER IX.
Black Hawk and his followers always repudiated the treaty of 1804, feeling that they had been wronged. The whites who were swarming around them, fearing hostilities, demanded their removal. Collisions took place from time to time, and in 1830 Black Hawk and his tribes, returning from their annual hunt- ing excursion, found the lands had been surveyed and sold to white settlers. Their cabins had been seized and occupied, and their women and children were shelterless along the river. Black Hawk drove the whites from the village and restored the wigwams to their owners. The whites called on Governor Rey- nolds, of Illinois, for assistance, and he called on Gen. Graves to bring an army strong enough to expel the Indians. On the 25th day of June, 1831, Gen. Graves, with 1,600 mounted men, took possession of the Sac village, driving the Indians from their homes to the West side of the river. On the 30th day of
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June, Gov. Reynolds and Gen. Graves, at the point of the bayonet, dictated the terms with the Sac chief, by which the Indians were prohibited from returning to the East side of the river without the permission of the United States au- thorities. It was now too late to plant corn or grain, and the autumn found them without food for the winter.
In April, 1832, Black Hawk, with his followers, including women and chil- dren, crossed to the East side of the river near the mouth of the Rock River. He declared the purpose of his journey was to join the Winnebagos. General Atkinson, in command of Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, sent a message to Black Hawk, commanding him to return immediately to the West side. Black Hawk refused to comply with the order, stating that his people were suffering for food. He sent word to Gen. Atkinson that they were on a peaceable mis- sion, their purpose being to join the Winnebagos, who had invited them to come and help raise a crop of corn. Gov. Reynolds, upon hearing of the return of the Sacs, called out the militia to aid the regulars at Fort Armstrong, to drive them out of the State. Gen. Whiteside was placed in command of the Illinois militia, numbering about 2,000 men. One of the captains serving under him was Abraham Lincoln, afterwards President of the United States. Serving under Atkinson, Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, who was elected President in 1848, Lieutenant Jeff Davis, afterwards President of the Southern Confederacy, and Captain W. S. Harvey, afterwards a distinguished general. The militia burned the Indian village at Prophetstown, and then joined the regulars under Gen. Atkinson. The combined army numbered about 2,000, while Black Hawk had less than 500 warriors. Black Hawk's little band was now at Dixon's Ferry. Major Stillman, with 275 mounted volunteers, was anxious for a fight, and Gen. Whiteside sent him out in the direction of the Sac camp to make observations. Black Hawk, hearing of Stillman's approach, sent three young men with a flag of truce to conduct Major Stillman into camp, that they might hold a confer- ence. Five more young warriors were sent by the Sac chief to watch the re- ception of his messengers. When the messengers bearing the flag of truce reached Stillman's camp, they were taken prisoners, and one of them was shot. As the second party of five approached the camp, they were fired upon and two of them killed. The others escaped and reported to Black Hawk the slaughter of his messengers. The Sac chief had but forty warriors with him, the main body being encamped ten miles distant. The three Indians who escaped were pursued by the militia into Black Hawk's camp. The fearless old chief con- cealed his forty warriors in the brush and prepared for battle. As Major Still- man aproached with his entire force, the Indians in hiding opened fire upon him and gave a terrific warwhoop. The volunteers fired one volley and then fled in a wild panic as the forty Sac warriors poured hot shot into their ranks. Eleven of the volunteers were killed. As they fled their provisions and camp equipments were abandoned. The fugitives scattered into little parties, and continued their wild flight until thirty miles were placed between them and the enemy. Fifty of them kept on until they found shelter in their homes; re- porting as they ran an overwhelming force of Indians in close pursuit. The wanton murder of his messengers and the attack upon his camp incensed Black Hawk, and he prepared as best he could to defend his people to the last. After several battles against greatly superior numbers, the Indians were gradually driven to the Wisconsin River. Gen. Dodge, with two brigades of mounted men, now came upon the remnant of the tribe, and killed sixty-eight of them. The Indians fought with great bravery, and when driven to the river, made a
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heroic stand against overwhelmingly odds; checking for several hours the pur- suit, until the women and children crossed the river, A few years before his death Jeff Davis wrote as follows: "This was the most brilliant exhibition of military tactics that I ever witnessed; a feat of most consummate management and bravery in the face of an enemy of greatly superior numbers. I never read of anything that could be compared with it. Had it been performed by white men, it would have been immortalized as one of the most splendid achievements of military history.'
Black Hawk modestly says of this struggle at the river: "In this struggle with fifty braves, I defended and accomplished my purpose on the Wisconsin, with a loss of only six men, though assailed 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 disadvantages I labored under. Sixty-eight Sacs fell in this brilliant retreat and battle; but a remnant of the tribe was saved. An attempt was made to escape by rafts and canoes down the Wisconsin River, but the soldiers, from safe shelter on the shore, killed men, women and children in their flight. Many were drowned and others sought shelter in the woods and died of starvation." On the first of August, Black Hawk had gathered the remnant of his band on the bank of the Mississ- ippi, and offered to surrender. But the soldiers who crowded the Steamer "Warrior" were ordered to fire on the white flag Black Hawk raised in token of surrender. Twenty-three of his men were thus killed while offering no resist- ance. The next day the Indians were attacked by the combined forces of Gen- erals Dodge, Henry Alexander, and Posey and shot down again without mercy. Men, women and children were killed like wild animals as they sought to escape by swimming the river. More than 300 Indians were thus massacred and the slaughter was dignified by the name of "The Battle of Bad Axe."
Black Hawk and a few of his followers escaped, but were captured by treacherous Indians, delivered up to Col. Taylor and by him sent to Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis. Thus ended the Black Hawk War, in which the whites lost about two hundred killed and the Indians about five hundred men, women and children. The cost to our Government was about two million dol- lars. Black Hawk was taken by his captors to Washington in 1835, and when presnted to Gen. Jackson, stood unawed before the President, remarking, "I am a man, you are another." He then addressed the President as follows: "We did not expect to conquer the whites. They had too many men. I took up the hatchet to avenge injuries my people could no longer endure. Had I remained longer without striking, my people would have said; Black Hawk is a squaw; he is too old to be our chief; he is no Sac. These considerations and reflections caused me to raise the warwhoop. The result is known to you. I say no more." The prisoners were taken to Fortress Monroe, where they were kept until the 4th day of June, when they were released by order of the President. They were then conducted by Major Garland, of the U. S. army, through several of the large cities to impress them with the greatness of our nation. Crowds of peo- ple gathered to see the famous Sac chief and his braves. As they were con- veyed down the Mississippi River to Fort Armstrong, while passing along the shores of the old home and hunting grounds, the dauntless old chief sat with . bowed head. The memory of the power and possession of his race in former years came over him, as he looked for the last time on the familiar shores, woods and bluffs. Here he had reigned over the most powerful tribe of the West; here his father ruled before him; here he had dwelt in happiness from
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boyhood; here he had taken his one young wife to his cabin and lived faithful to her all the years of his life; here for half a century he had led his warriors to a score of victories. Now he was being returned a prisoner shorn of his power, to be humiliated before his hated rival, Keokuk. Upon landing at Fort Armstrong, Keokuk was seen gaily decorated as the Chief of the Sacs and Foxes, surrounded by his chosen band of personal attendants. Black Hawk was requested to make a personal surrender of his authority as chief of his Nation, to his triumphant rival and enemy. It was the saddest moment of his life and he only bowed to the humiliation at the command of his conquerors, when powerless to resist. He returned with his faithful wife, two sons and a beautiful daughter to the banks of the Des Moines River, near Iowaville. There he lived a quiet life, furnishing his house like white people. He cultivated a small farm, raised corn and vegetables for his family. His cabin stood near the bank of the river, shaded by majestic trees. He saw his once warlike na- tion dwindling away year by year. Under his despised rival they were sell- ing their land to the whites, and spending the money in drunkenness and degra- dation. Here on the old battlefield where he had wrested the country from the proud Iowas, the proud Sac chief broods over his fallen fortune. His last ap- pearance in public life was at a celebration at Fort Madison on the Fourth of July, 1838, when the following toast was given to his honor: "Our illustrious guest Black Hawk. May his declining years be as calm and serene as his pre- vious life has been boisterous and warlike." In responding the old chief said: "It has pleased the Great Spirit that I am here to-day. I have eaten with my white friends. It is good. A few summers ago I was fighting you. I may have done wrong, But it is past, let it be forgotten. Rock River Valley was a. beautiful country. I loved my village, my corn field and my people. I fought for them. They are now yours. I was once a great warrior; now I am old and poor. Keokuk has been the cause of my downfall. I have looked upon the Mississipi River since 1 was a child. I love the great river. I have always dwelt upon its banks. I look upon it now and am sad. I shake hands with you. We are now friends. I may not see you again. Farewell." He died the 3rd day of October, 1838, and was buried in a spot long before selected by him, on the banks of the Des Moines River near the Northeast corner of Davis County. His age was about 72 years.
Mrs. Maria Beck, of Davenport, who made a careful study of the Sac chief, writes in the annals of Iowa as follows: "In Black Hawk was incarnated the very spirit of justice. He was as inflexible as steel in all matters of right and wrong, as he understood them. Expediency formed no part of his creed; and his conduct in the trying emergency that ended in the fatal conifict was emi- nently consistent with his character. No thought of malice or revenge entered his great soul. The contest was waged with no other purpose in mind than to protect his people, in what he believed was their inalienable rights to the wide domain that was being wrested from them. It matters not whether his skin is copper-colored or white, the man who has the courage of his convictions always challenges the admiration of the world, and as such pre-eminently the old Sac War Chief will ever stand as an admirable figure."
CHAPTER X.
In 1832 the Sacs, Foxes and Winnebagos entered into a treaty with the United States, ceding six million acres of land on the West side of the Mississ-
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ippi River known as the Black Hawk Purchase, the consideration being $20,000 per annum for thirty years; and the further sum of $50,000 to be paid to the Indian traders, Davenport and Farnam, in cancellation of a debt which the In- dians owed them; 6,000 bushels of corn; fifty barrels of flour; thirty barrels of pork; thirty-five beef cattle and twelve bushels of salt were also appropriated for the support of the Indian women and children, whose husbands and fathers had been killed in the war just close. It was estimated that the United States paid in money and provisions about nine cents per acre for this magnificent grant of land. In 1842 the Sac and Fox Indians coveyed all their remaining land to the United States. They were to vacate the Eastern part of the land ceded, to a line running on the West side of the present Counties of Appanoose and Lucas and North through Marion, Jasper, Marshall and Hardin to the North limit of Grant, on the 1st of May, 1843, and the remainder on October 11, 1845. When the time came the Indians were sad and sorrowful. They lingered around the old homes reluctant to leave them forever. The women were weeping as they gathered their children and household goods together for the long journey to a strange land. The warriors could hardly repress their emotion as they looked for the last time upon their beautiful river, groves and prairies they had owned so long, and were so reluctant to surrender. As the long line of red men silently and sorrowfully took their way Westward, the booming of guns, and the lights of a hundred bonfires gave evidence of the advancing hosts of white settlers who hastened to occupy the vacant places. In the progress of years those once powerful and warlike tribes became listless and effeminated, losing the energetic character which distinguished them in former times.
Keokuk, who succeeded Black Hawk as chief of the Sacs, was not a hered- itary chief, but attained the position by bravery in battle with the Sioux Indians when a young man. He advocated peace and when Black Hawk was defeated his day of glory came. He was with great pomp and ceremony installed as chief. On one occasion when the war feeling was running high, and even the ยท advocates of peace were yielding and a great pressure was brought to bear on Keokuk, he shrewdly addressed his followers thus: "Warriors, I am your chief. It is my duty to lead you to war if you are determined to go. The United States is a great Nation and unless we conquer them we must all perish. I will lead you against the whites on one condition, that is that we shall first put our women and children to death, and then resolve that when we cross the Mississ- ippi River, we will never retreat, but perish among the graves of our fathers rather than yield to the white man." His warriors, after listening to the desper- ate proposal, hesitated and finally determined to yield to the great superior forces of the whites. Pashepaho was the head chief of the Sacs at the begin- ning of the Nineteenth Century. He was the leader of the five chiefs who went to St. Louis in 1804 to meet Harrison, to negotiate the release of a member of his tribe, accused of killing a white man. While there he and his companions became intoxicated and were persuaded to agree to a treaty conveying to the United States an immense tract of land on the East side of the Mississippi River, including that upon which their ancient village of Saukunek stood. They returned loaded wth presents and it was a long time before the tribes knew that they had conveyed to the whites more than 51,000,000 acres of land, includ- ing their homes for more than one hundred years. Poweshiek, after the Black Hawk war, was made chief of the Fox tribes. His village was near the Iowas, not far from where Iowa City now stands. He was born in 1787. He weighed
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two hundred and fifty pounds and was a fine specimen of his race, large and powerful.
Wapello was head chief of the Fox tribes. His principal village was where the city of Rock Isuand now stands. He belonged to the peace party and sup- ported Keokuk and Pashepaho in adhering to the treaty of 1804.
Hishkekosh was a Fox chief. His village was at one time on the Skunk River in Jasper County. He tried to bring about reform by changing the cus- toms which required the Indian women to do all the work. He was very much attached to his young wife and was unwilling to have her do all the work. He did not, however, succeed in changing the custom.
Appanoose, a chief of the Sacs, was one of the chiefs who accompanied Keokuk to Washington in 1837. At Boston he made a speech which made him famous. He had four wives and lived a very quiet life, seldom going very far from his village.
Taimah was a Fox chief. In 1820 his village stood on Flint Hill where Burlington now stands. Taimah was the head of a secret society of Indians noted for their courage and good character. Taimah was one of the chiefs who went to Washington in 1824 and signed the treaty made at that time. Tama County was named after him.
The Musquakies are a remnant of the Pottawattamies and Foxes who re- turned from the Kansas reservation about 1800 and stopped on the Iowa River to hunt and fish. They were so much attached to Iowa that they persisted in staying in the State that had so long been their home.
CHAPTER XI.
The Winnebagos belonged to the Dakota group, and are mentioned by French writers as early as 1669.
The Pottawattamies belonged to the Algonquin group and were first seen by the French missionaries near the North limits of the Michigan Peninsula, extending East of Lake Erie into Norther Indiana. They were allies of the French in their wars with England.
In 1816 the United States ceded a portion of the land acquired from the Sacs and Foxes in 1804 to the Pottawattamies and other tribes in exchange for lands lying on the West shore of Lake Michigan, including the site of Chicago. Afterwards the ceded lands were purchased by the United States from the In- dians, for the sum of $16,000 per annum. This purchase was made in 1828 and 1829 respectively. Those two purchases embraced but a small portion of the 51,000,000 acres purchased in 1804 for a trifling sum. Pottawattamie County was named after this tribe.
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