USA > Iowa > Des Moines County > The history of Des Moines county, Iowa, containing a history of the country, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers > Part 39
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" Lieut. Pike, on behalf of the Government, made him a friendly visit to Rock Island, the following year, and, as a token of friendship, presented Black Hawk with an American Flag, which he refused to accept. He embraced the first opportunity that offered to form an alliance with the British authorities in Canada, and eagerly attached himself and 500 warriors of his tribe to the British standard. at the commencement of the war of 1812. Here, his lack of capacity to command an army where true courage and enduring fortitude were requisite to success, was fully demonstrated. His warlike talents had hitherto
been only tested in stealthy and sudden onslaughts on unprepared and defense- less foes; and, if successful. a few scalps were the laurels he coveted, and he retired, exulting in the plunder of a village and these savage trophies. His campaign against the Osages and other neighboring tribes, lasted only long enough to make one effort, and afforded no evidence of the fortitude and patient skill of the able military leader. His conduct under the British flag as . Gen. Black Hawk' showed him entirely wanting in the capacity to deserve that
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title. He followed the English army to Fort Stephenson, in expectation of an easy slaughter and pillage ; but the signal repulse the combined forces still met by the gallant Col. Croghan, completely disheartened him, and he slipped away with about twenty of his followers to his village on Rock River, leaving his army to take care of themselves.
" He entertained no just conception of the obligation of treaties made between our Government and his tribe, and even the separate treaty by himself and his 'British Band,' in 1816, was no check on his caprice and stolid self- will, and its open violation brought on the war of 1832, which resulted in his complete overthrow, and ended forever his career as a warrior.
The history of his tour through the United States as a prisoner, is a severe reflection upon the intelligence of the people of our Eastern cities. in regard to the respect due to a savage leader who had spent a long life in butchering his own race, and the frontier inhabitants of their own race and country. His journey was, everywhere throughout the East, an ovation, falling but little short of the respect and high consideration shown to the nation's great benefactor, La Fayette, whose triumphal tour through the United States happened near the same period. But as an offset to this ridiculous adulation in the East, when the escort reached Detroit, where his proper estimate was understood, Black Hawk and his suite were contemptuously burned in effigy. But due allowance should be made for the ignorance concerning true Indian character, among the Eastern people, as their conceptions are formed from the fanciful crea- tions of the Coopers and Longfellows, immensely above the sphere of blood- thirsty War Eagles and the filthy, paint-bedaubed Hiawathas of real savage life."
Maj. Beach relates the following incident derived from personal obser- vation :
" Black Hawk's lodge was always the perfection of cleanliness-a quite unusual thing for an Indian. The writer has seen the old woman busily at work with her broom by time of sunrise, sweeping down the little ant-hills in the yard that had been thrown up during the night. As the chiefs of the nation seemed to pay him but little attention in the waning years of his life, Gen. Street, the Agent, looked out for his comfort more carefully than otherwise he would have thought it needful to do, and, among other things, gave him a cow- an appendage to an Indian's domestic establishment hitherto unheard of. The old squaw and daughter were instructed in the art of milking her, and she was held among them in almost as great reverence as the sacred ox Apis was held among the ancient Egyptians.
" This was in the summer of 1838, when the Agency was in process of erection, and Black Hawk had established his lodge on the banks of the Des Moines, about three miles below Eldon. Close by was the trading-house of Wharton McPherson, with whom the writer stayed one night in August of said year (1838), and, as he rode past the lodge, Mme. Black Hawk was complacently sitting upon a log by the side of her cow, under a heavily- branched tree, industriously brushing the flies and mosquitoes from the bovine, with a rag tied to the end of a stick. Mr. McPherson said this was her daily occupation, in fly-time, often following the animal around as it grazed at a distance. This was the last occasion that ever the writer had an inter- view with Black Hawk, as he died within two months of that time (Septem- ber 15, 1838), and was even then so infirm that he could barely move about his wigwam."
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THE DEATH OF BLACK HAWK.
The brave old Indian passed the last of his declining years in the immedi- ate companionship of James Jordan, near Iowaville. He made occasional visits to Fort Madison and other towns, and even as late as the summer of 1838, but a short time prior to his death, he was in Fort Madison. He called upon Mr. Edwards, editor of the Patriot, who was an admirer of the Indian, and while there, the question of the brave's age came up. Mr. J. M. Broadwell, then an employe in the office. remembers that Black Hawk counted on his fingers the number sixty-three, thus corroborating the statement made by Mr. Jordan con- cerning the Indian's birth.
The birth of Black Hawk is not the only disputed date in his eventful carcer, for the ending as well as the beginning has been variously stated. We are glad to be able to give a correct account of the death, burial and final dis- position of the old warrior. The best authority on this subject is Mr. Jordan. From him the following statement was obtained :
On the 1st day of September, 1838, Mu-ca-tah-mish-a ka-kah sickened with fever. The old brave requested Mr. Jordan to send to Fort Edward (now Warsaw) for Dr. Peel. A letter was duly dispatched, in which the Doctor was promised the sum of $300 if he would attend the summons. The message was slow in going, and before a response could be made the soul of the brave old Indian had passed to the happy hunting-ground.
Black Hawk died September 15, 1838 (not October 1st, as has been fre- quently stated ), and was between sixty-three and sixty-four years of age at the time of his decease. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he used to say just before his death, that he was sixty-three fingers and a part of a finger (meaning a year for each finger held up). Before he died, he requested Mr. Jordan to observe certain ceremonies in his burial. His body was to be clothed in full uniform, a snit of military clothes presented him by Gen. Jackson, or by some high official in the administration, upon which were a pair of epaulets valued at $500. Three medals, which had been given him by the British, the French and the American Governments, respectively, and valued in the aggre- gate at $1,200, were to be placed upon his breast. He was to be buried in a sitting posture, with his feet placed in a hole a few inches deep, and his body held in position by a board at his back. About his corpse was erected a frail tomb made of wooden slabs set upon the ground in the form of an inverted V. Ilis war-club-a shaved post four or five feet high-was placed in the front of his rude tomb, upon which a great number of black stripes were painted, cor- responding with the number of scalps he had taken during life. Openings were left in his tomb so that his friends and curious visitors could witness the process of decay. The locality was designated by Black Hawk himself, as the site of his last friendly council with the Iowa Indians. This point was upon Mr. Jordan's farm, on Section 2, Township 70 north, Range 12 west.
The injunction was faithfully carried out. The body was dressed as the Brave had directed, and blankets and gloves were added. Some time later, Mrs. Black Hawk came to Mr. Jordan with the alarming story that her hus- band's head had been stolen. 3 Upon investigating the sepulcher, it was found that the head had dropped over from its own weight. Mr. Jordan replaced the member and repaired the tomb.
The alarm thus given was not entirely groundless, however, for on the 3d of July, 1839. Dr. Turner, of Van Buren County, stole the body and made off with it. It was taken to Quincy. Ill., and there the bones were cleaned by a
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professional anatomist. The accounts differ as to the place where the bones were cleaned : one being given as above, and another that it was St. Louis first and then Quincy ; but Quincy was probably the scene of that deed. The bones were not "wired," but merely polished and varnished.
When the family of Black Hawk learned of the robbery, they were uncon- trollable in their grief and anger. Nasheaskuk, the son, and Hardfish, the subchief who had succeeded to the leadership of Black Hawk's band, came to Burlington, with about fifty braves, and made formal complaint to Gov. Lucas about the desecration of the grave. The Governor assured Nasheaskuk that the laws of the land made the stealing of a body a penal offense, and that everything should be done that was possible to secure the return of the remains. The council was satisfactory to the Indians, and lasted two days, being the 23d and 24th of January, 1840. The ceremonies finally ended with a grand dance and powwow in old Zion Church, with the Governor as master of festivities. Such a record is ludicrous now ; but there was no alternative but to take pos- session of the numerously-employed edifice on such occasions.
The following summer and fall were consumed in a search after the missing bones, and not until the winter succeeding were they discovered.
The Hawk-Eye, of December 10, 1840, contains the following item : " The bones of Black Hawk, which were stolen from the grave about a year since, have been recovered and are now in the Governor's office. The wampum, hat, etc., which were buried with the old chief" [the editor evidently regarded Black Hawk as a chief, through misunderstanding of his position .- ED. ] " have been returned with the bones. It appears that they were taken to St. Louis and there cleaned ; that they were then sent to Quincy, Ill., to a dentist, to be put up and wired, previous to being sent to the East. The dentist was cautioned not to deliver them to any one until a requisition should be made by Gov. Lucas. The Governor made the necessary order, and the bones were sent up, a few days since, by the Mayor of Quincy, and are now in the possession of the Governor. Ile has sent word to Nasheaskuk, Black Hawk's son, or to the family, and some of them will probably call for them in a few days. Mr. Edgerton, the phrenologist, has taken an exact drawing of the skull, which looks very natural, and has also engraved it on a reduced scale, which picture will shortly appear on his chart. Destructiveness, combativeness, firmness and philoprogenitiveness, are, phrenologically speaking, very strongly developed."
Thus it is shown that Black Hawk died in September, 1838; his body was stolen in July, 1839; his tribe made complaint to Gov. Lucas in January, 1840, and in December of that year, the bones were recovered and brought to Burlington.
The remains were packed in a small box and placed in the Governor's office. A message was sent to the bereaved family, then staying on the Des Moines, some ninety miles distant. A cavalcade was soon in motion, bearing the disconsolate widow and a retinue of her friends to Burlington. On the evening of their arrival, the Governor was notified of their readiness to wait upon him, and fixed the audience for 10 A. M. the next day. Several visitors were in attendance. The box containing the august remains opened with a lid, and when the parties were all assembled and ready for the awful development, the lid was lifted by the Governor, fully exposing the sacred relies of the renowned chief to the gaze of his sorrowing friends and the very respectable auditors who had ascended to witness the impressive scene.
The Governor then addressed the widow, through John Goodell, the inter- preter of the Hardfish band, giving all the details of the transfer of the bones
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from the grave to Quiney and back to Burlington, and assured her that they were the veritable bones of her deceased husband; that he had sympathized deeply with her in her great affliction, and that he now hoped she would be consoled and comforted by the return of the precious relies to her care, in full confidence that they would not again be disturbed where she might chance to entomb them. The widow then advanced to the lid of the box, and, without the least seeming emotion, picked up in her fingers bone after bone. and examined each with the seeming curiosity of a child, and replacing cach bone in its proper place, turned to the interpreter, and replied that she fully believed they were Black Hawk's bones, and that she knew the Governor was a good old man, or he would not have taken the great pains he had manifested to oblige her, and, in consideration of his great benevolence and disinterested friendship, she would leave the bones under his care and protection. She saw that the skeleton ยท was in a good dry place,' and concluded to let it remain there. Maj. Beach said that he notified the widow of the willingness of the authorities to surrender the bones, but that she seemed indifferent to the matter. At all events, nothing was done by the family to secure a re-interment of the remains.
Shortly after the scene just related transpired, Gov. Lucas was succeeded by Gov. Chambers, and the bones of Black Hawk were taken from his former office to the office of Dr. Lowe. on Main street. Drs. Lowe, Hickcock and Rock were then occupying rooms adjoining the three-story building used by A. Moore as a hardware store. A. D. Green in the second story. and the Historical and Geological Institute in the third story. The bones had been given to the latter institution, but had not been removed to a place in the the third story. On the night of January. 16. 1853, a fire consumed the whole building and the adjoining structure, in which Dr. Lowe's office was. The bones of the celebrated Indian were then and there cremated. Thus amid fire and tumult, Black Ilawk found a final earthly resting-place in the ashes of the ruined structure, and the last act of his eventful career was not less dramatic than the first public appearance of the Brave. Literally and truthfully' may we sav, dust to dust, ashes to ashes : and may they rest in peace.
WAPELLO AND OTHER NOTABLES.
It has been asserted that the bones were saved from destruction by Dr. Rock, but the Doctor positively declared to Judge Rorer that the rumor was an idle one.
Wapello, the chief from whom that county was named, was a powerful ruler among his people, and was also a fast friend of the whites, especially of the first Indian Agent, Gen. Street. Incidents illustrative of his character are dis- persed through the following pages. He died in 1841. and was buried by the side of his friend, the General. on the Agency Farm. His grave was recently cared for by the Managers of the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which passes near by, and is now in a condition to withstand the shocks of time for years to come.
He died at the forks of the Skunk River, on the 15th of March, and his remains were brought from that place to the scene of burial in an ox-wagon, and buried toward evening of the same day, with the customary Indian cere- monies. It was his own request that he might be laid by the side of Gen. Street, who had been for many years in the Indian service, and was very popu- lar with them. Prior to the establishment of the Agency in Wapello County, Wapello and his band dwelt at the month of Crooked Creek, near Marshall, in Henry County.
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
Poweshiek, a chief co-equal with Wapello, but of the Foxes, while the lat- ter was of the Sac tribe, was located on the reserve on the Iowa River, and does not figure in this particular region. He died before the Indians left the State, and thus escaped the humiliation of the scene.
Appanoose, Pashapaho, Hardfish and Kishkekosh all play conspicuous parts in the drama. An anecdote or two of the last-named will serve as an illustration of the nature of the men. Kishkekosh did not rank equal to either of the others, but he seems to have held a prominent place in councils, because of his native talents. His full name was George Washington Kishkekosh (the last meaning cut-teeth, or savage biter), and he had accompanied Black Hawk as one of his suite of braves during the tour of that renowned chief through the East as a prisoner of war.
With his leaders he had been hospitably entertained at hotels and other places, and had a high appreciation of the sumptuous and cleanly-looking fare that was set before them. How he was enabled, after such an experience, to return with a good stomach to the frugal diet and indifferent cooking of his own people, we are left to conjecture. At all events, he retained his partiality for clean victuals, and was even overfastidious in this respect, as the following instance will show :
One night. he, with his company of three or four braves, slept at the house of a white man with whom he was on very friendly terms, and they were to remain to breakfast. Kish had an eye on the preparation of the meal, and observed one neglect that his tender stomach rebelled against. The lady of the house (it is possible she did it intentionally, for she was not a willing entertainer of her savage guests), neglected to wash her hands before making up the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than eat after such cook- ing, and privately signified as much to his followers, whereupon they mounted their ponies and left, much to the relief of their hostess. Arrived at a house some distance from the one they had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance.
These people, though generally accustomed and limited to the poorest fare, were not averse to the best that could be provided, and made gluttons of them- selves whenever they could get enough of it.
On another occasion, Kishkekosh and his suite, consisting of several prom- inent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk River, went to the house of a settler on a friendly visit, and he treated them to a feast. Besides Kish and his wife-who was a very lady-like person-the party consisted of his mother; Wykoma, the son of Wapello and his two wives (for polygamy was not an uncommon practice with these people); Masha Wapetine, his wife, and all their children. This old woman, on being asked how old she was. replied : "Mack-ware renaak-we-kauk" (may be a hundred), and, indeed, her bowed head and hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was fully that old. The whole party were dressed in more than usually becoming style, probably out of respect to their hostess, who, knowing something of their voracious appetites, had made ample preparation for them. When the table was surrounded, Kish, who had learned some good manners, as well as acquired cleanly tastes, essayed to perform the etiquette of the occasion before eating anything himself. With an amusingly awkward imitation of what he had seen done among the whites, he passed the various dishes to the others, showing the ladies special attention, and helped them to a part of everything on the table with much apparent disinterestedness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian phase altogether. He ate like a person with a
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bottomless pit inside of him. instead of a stomach, taking everything within his reach, without regard to what should come first or last in the course. so that he only liked the taste of it. At length, after having drunk five or six cups of coffee, and eaten a proportionate amount of solid food, his gastronomie energy began to abate. Seeing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for his want of appetite, said: " Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another cup of coffee and eat something." In reply to this hospitable urgency, Kish leaned back in his seat, lazily shook his head and drew his finger across his throat under his chin, to indicate how full he was. And then, in further explanation of his satisfied condition. he opened his huge month and thrust his finger down his throat as far as he dared, as much as to say he could almost touch the victuals. Of course the others had enten in like proportion, making the most of an event that did not happen every day.
Kishkekosh seems to have had in him the elements of civilization, which needed but opportunity to spring up and bear pretty fair fruit. Not only did he become fastidious as to cleanliness, but he observed and imitated other usages among the whites, even more radically different from those of his savage peo- ple. It is well known that among the Indians, as among all unenlightened races, the women are, in a manner, the slaves of the other sex. They are made to do all the drudgery of the camp, cultivate the corn, bring in the game after the hunter has had the sport of slaughtering it, no matter how far away it may be, he being either too lazy or feeling it beneath his dignity to bear the burden. They procure all the fuel to cook with, catch the ponies for their masters to ride. pack up their tents and household goods when preparing to move, and set them up when they again come to a halt in their wanderings. Kishkekosh had noticed the different fashion of the white settlers in regard to their women, and had, moreover, been reasoned with by them like an intelli- gent being, and he was very ready to admit the force of their arguments. He made an effort to institute reform among his people by having the men do a fair share of the work that. according to ordinary usage, fell to the squaws. He set them an example by taking hold heartily himself, and, though it is not probable that any very extended reformation took place, owing to the long- continued laziness of the men, and the deeply-rooted belief that their province was alone that of the hunter or warrior, yet the movement itself indicates a capacity in this savage chief for progress and enlightenment.
The Indians throughout this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken people. After the Black Hawk war, they chose rather to live upon their annu- ities granted them by the Government than upon the products of the chase, as they had hitherto been forced to do, and as this gave them a good deal of leisure, they spent most of their time in drunken orgies. which proved a great mor- tality to the tribes, since many accidents happened to life and limb from that canse. It was, therefore, a custom for a few of the red men and the squaws to keep sober, so that when the inebriates got too wild. there would be some one to keep a restraining influence upon them. When a poor wight became unsafely drunk, he was tied neck and heels so that he could be rolled about like a ball, which operation was kept up, despite his pleadings, until the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The sufferer would beg for mercy, but to no avail ; and after he was sobered he showed no resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the proceeding.
The following ancedote of Pashapaho is worth preserving. Maj. Beach relates the incident as coming under his own knowledge, and, though not
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exactly relevant from locality, yet it illustrates the Indian characteris- ties :
" Some time in 1832, a plan was laid to attack Fort Madison, then a United States garrison. Pashapaho, a noted chief of the Sacs, who loved a 'wee drap,' was the projector of the scheme, but the treachery of a squaw brought the plan to a sudden end, and the savages, on their approach to the fort, were met with the grim paraphernalia of war, ready for their reception. The plan was not original with Pashapaho, for in many respects in resembles the famous effort of Pontiac on the fort at Detroit, during the early days of Ameri- can settlement by the English ; and the plan was, like that, defeated by a squaw.
" Under pretense of a counsel with the commandant, Pashapaho designed entering the fort with concealed arms, and at a given signal the Indians were to overpower the troops. However, because of the warning already given, when the procession marched toward the fort the gates were suddenly thrown open, and a loaded cannon was revealed in the path. The gunner stood beside the piece with lighted match, while just in the rear was drawn up the garrison in battle array. Old Pash deemed discretion the better part of valor, and the signal for attack was never given.
" Some years later, Pashapaho, who was also called the 'Stabbing Chief,' made an attempt to effect a lodgment in Fort Armstrong, at Rock Island, but his method was different from the plan on Fort Madison. During the year previous to the attempt, some of the braves of his tribe, while out on the prairie upon a hunting expedition, fell in with a body of hostile Sioux, the life-long enemies of all other tribes. The Sacs had the advantage in point of numbers, and captured a number of Sioux scalps. Complaint was made to the War De- partment, and orders were sent from Washington to Rock Island to demand of the chiefs the culprits, and t > hold them prisoners in the fort. This was done. They were brought into the fort and surrendered, and throughout the winter, say for five months, they enjoyed the hospitality of Uncle Sam, in the shape of good quarters and plenty to eat, with no trouble of providing for it. In fact, they lived in an Indian's heaven, until released by some arrangement whereby blood-money was to be taken from the annuities of their tribe and paid over to the Sioux.
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