USA > Illinois > Rock Island County > Rock Island > Early Rock Island > Part 4
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"Fifth. Joseph Danforth, before Joel Wells, J. P., swore that he saw Sacs at a fence belonging to John Wells, who for- bid them going through, when they continued throwing down the fence. Wells attempted to prevent them, when one of the Indians struck him with his fist, and drew his knife. Danforth got a stick, and the Indians making several attempts toward Danforth, he (Danforth) knocked one of them down with his stick. The Indian rose several times and made at Danforth with his knife, and finally deserted the ground, leaving his knife."
THE AGENT FEARS TROUBLE.
June 4, General Gaines wrote to Henry Gratiot, Sub- Indian agent, to investigate the situation at the Sac village at once; and on the twelfth that gentleman sent the follow- ing reply :
"Rock Island, June 12, 1831.
"Sir: I have the honor to report to you that, agreeably to my intimation to you, I visited the village of Sac Indians near this place yesterday for the purpose of persuading off the Winnebago Prophet and some young men of his band whom I knew had previously been there and, I believe, with an intention to support the Sac Indians. I found that the Prophet had just left there for his village, which is within my agency upon Rock River, and although he had previously promised that he would return home and remain there, I have reason to believe that his object is to get as many of his band and of the other bands of the Winnebagoes (who reside at Rock River, within my agency) as he can, for the purpose of joining the Sacs and of supporting them in their present pretensions.
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"I have recently been at some of the principal villages of Winnebagoes within my agency, and have ascertained from unquestionable anthority that, although they had been invited to join the Sacs, they had refused to do so. I think it will be prudent for me to follow the Prophet, to prevent him from influencing any of the Indians up the river to join him. Should I, however, find that any ot the warriors have left before my arrival amongst them, I will (if you think it best) return immediately to this place, bringing with me three or four influential chiefs who can be relied on and who will, with my assistance, I think, be able to control them.
"In my opinion there are at least 400 warriors at the Sac village which I visited yesterday, apparently determined to defend themselves in their present position. On the receipt of your letter on the 4th inst., I immediately hastened to this place with a view to give you the most satisfactory informa- tion npon the subject of it and tender my services in any way you may think useful.
"I am, respectfully yours,
"HENRY GRATIOT, Sub-Agent, etc.
" Major-General Gaines."
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THE ROCK RIVER RANGERS.
At the suggestion of Judge Spencer the men and larger boys of the settlement formed themselves into a company, elected officers, and named themselves "Rock River Rang- ers," and tendered their services to General Gaines, who accepted the company of fifty-eight men, and June 5, 1831, mustered them into the service. No record of this company's enrollment has been found, it probably never having been forwarded to Washington. The following is a roster of the company :
Captain : Benjamin F. Pike.
First Lieutenant : John W. Spencer.
Second Lieutenant : Griffith Aubury.
Sergeants : James Haskill, Leonard Bryant, Edward Corbin
Corporals : Charles French, Benjamin Goble, Charles Case, Henry
Benson.
Allen, Archibald
Johnson, Moses Vandruff, Henry
Brashar, William T.
Kinney, John W.
Vandruff, Samuel
Bane, John
Kinney, Samuel
Vannetta, Benjamin
Bartlett, Michael
Leek, Conrad
Vannetta, Gorham
Been, Joseplı
Levitt, Thomas
Varner, Edward
Case, Jonah H.
McNeil, Henry
Wells, Levi
Danforth, Joseph
Miller, George
Wells, George
Davis, Thomas
McGee, Gentry
Wells, Joel, Sr.
Dance, Russell
Noble, Amos C.
Wells, Joel, Jr.
Frith, Isaiah
Syms, Thomas Syms, Robert
Wells, Huntington
Gardner, Thomas
Wells, John
Harlan, George W.
Sams, Williamı F.
Wells, Samuel
Hultz, Uriah S.
Smith, Martin W.
Wells, Rinnalı
Hubbard, Thomas
Stringfield, Sevier
Wells, Asaph
Hubbard, Goodridge
Thompson, Joel
Wells, Eri
Henderson, Cyrus
Vandruff, Joshua
Wells, Ira
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GENERAL GAINES MAKES A DEMONSTRATION.
On the 18th of June, General Gaines sent from Fort Armstrong the steamboat Enterprise, carrying one company of soldiers and one cannon. The boat steamed up Rock River, and passed the Indian village, the object being to over- awe and intimidate the Indians. Black Hawk said: "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." Judge John W. Spencer who was on the boat says : "Strange to say, although a steamboat was seldom seen in those days, the Indians seemed not to take the least notice of the boat, not even looking at it, and even the women and children showed no signs of wonder or fear."
THE ILLINOIS MILITIA.
Governor Reynolds in defending his position in calling out the militia said : "If I did not act, and the inhabitants were murdered, after being informed of their situation, I would be condemned from Dan to Beersheba ; and if I levied by raising troops, when there was no necessity for it, I would also be responsible." Governor Reynolds knew that the settlers had applied to the Indian agent and the military officers of the United States and had obtained no relief, and he says : "I considered it my duty to call on the volunteers to move the Indians to the west side of the Mississippi." It was but seventeen years after the close of the war of 1812 and these same Sacs and Foxes had fought the Americans in that war. There were many of the old soldiers still young enough to enlist and they inflamed the young men to appear against their old foe. The Governor had extracts from the petitions sent him circulated throughout the counties from which he had asked for troops. Moreover, he made, as he says, "both private and public speeches to the masses," and urged the people and his friends to turn out for the defense of the frontier. He adds : " The warm feelings of the late
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election for governor had not yet died away, and my electioneering friends converted their electioneering fever into the military, which was a powerful lever in the crusade for Rock Island."
Although it was the most busy time in the year with the farmers some 1,600 responded to the Governor's call and appeared at Beardstown on or about the 10th of June. Some were armed with muskets, some with shotguns and some with no firearms whatsoever, but all were mounted. The Gover- nor managed to purchase enough muskets from a Beardstown merchant for the remainder of the troops. These muskets were light pieces, made with brass barrels for the South American service, and answered the purpose. The Governor appointed Joseph Duncan, then a member of Congress and afterwards governor of this state, brigadier general to take immediate command of the brigade, and Samuel Whiteside a major, to take command of a spy battalion.
This army left its encampment near Rushville for Rock Island June 15, the Governor marching with the brigade. On the nineteenth, at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after a pleasant march the army encamped at Rockport, now Anda- lusia. Here there had been previously erected a small log cabin or stockade, which was used as headquarters. During the afternoon General Gaines arrived at the encampment, coming from Fort Armstrong on a steamboat loaded with provisions, and here the Illinois troops were received into the service of the United States by General Gaines. The camp at Rockport was laid out according to military practice, pickets were placed, as it was feared the Indians might make a night attack, and the utmost vigilance was observed. The night was a beautiful one and it passed off quietly without any disturbance.
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ATTACK ON THE SAC VILLAGE.
On the morning of June 20, bright and early, General Dun- can marched his army from Rockport to a position on Rock river opposite the Sac village. An attempt was made to ferry the troops across, but it proved too slow, and General Gaines being shown a ford by George S. Miller, the army marched across through the water to Vandruff's Island. General Gaines left Fort Armstrong on the steamboat Enterprise, which had been fortified, and which carried one company of regulars and several cannon. The Enterprise entered Rock River and steamed up stream until opposite the Sac village where it met General Duncan's army with which it was to co-operate. The other nine companies of regulars, together with the Rock River Rangers, under command of Captain John Bliss, the then commandant of Fort Armstrong, marched from the fort to the Indian town.
Judge Spencer in his reminiscences says : " Major Bliss formed our company of Rock River Rangers in an extended line of a half mile in front of the regulars, with one cannon in the rear, for our march for Rock River. We marched near where the road is now traveled until we reached General Rodman's land, then turning to the left until reaching the top of the bluff, taking the direction of Black Hawk's Watch Tower. On arriving there, we planted the cannon on the brow of the bluff and then commenced throwing grape and cannister into the bushes on Vandruff's Island." Vandruff's Island at this time was covered with bushes and vines so as to be impenetrable to the sight at a distance of twenty feet. The Enterprise was run to the lower point of the island and several rounds of grape and cannister were shot into the bushes to see if any enemy was there. The spy battalion under Whiteside then formed a line of battle and swept the island, and it was then learned that the north bank of Rock River was so near and so high that the firing had no effect. General Duncan's army followed in the wake of Whiteside's spy battalion, and before they got to the north side of the island the army was so jammed up and mixed together that no one knew where his company or regiment was. In the meantime Captain Bliss with the regulars and the Rock River
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Rangers had learned that it was impossible from that distance to distinguish Indians from regulars or volunteers, and that their shots were as likely to kill friend as foe. The Indian village now became exposed to view but no Indians were to be seen. The river, narrow but deep, lay between the army and the village, and the main part of Duncan's army remained on the island until scows were found in which they were ferried across."
Black Hawk says : " We crossed the river during the night and encamped some distance below Rock Island." He said he would have remained and been taken prisoner by the regulars but that he "was afraid of the multitude of pale- faced militia, who were on horseback, as they were under 110 restraint of their chiefs."
THE SACKING OF THE TOWN.
The Illinois militia had come to fight Indians and when they found the redmen gone became determined to be avenged upon something. Shortly after they reached the Indian vil- lage it began to rain and soon the rain descended in torrents, but instead of seeking the shelter of the Indian wigwams the troops commenced setting fire to the houses. Soon the frail dwellings were wrapped in flames and in less than one hour's time almost every wigwam in the village was in ashes. Governor Ford who was present said : "And thus perished an ancient village which had once been the delightful home of six or seven thousand Indians ; where generation after generation had been born, had died and been buried ; where the old men had taught wisdom to the young ; whence the Indian youth had often gone out in parties to hunt or to war. and returned in triumph to dance around the spoils of the forest, or the scalps of their enemies; and where the dark- eyed Indian maidens, by their presence and charms, had made it a scene of delightful enchantment to many an admiring warrior."
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THE STAMPEDE.
The army spent the night at the Indian town, the regulars, however, going back to the fort. On the morning of June 21 General Duncan marched his army to the Mississippi River and encamped on the exact spot where the City of Rock Island is now located, the camp extending from where the Rock Island Railway Company's freight depot is now located down to where the present ferry dock stands.
The horses, some sixteen hundred, were pastured in the bend of the river below and a strong guard placed around them. During the second night a steamboat came up the river and when opposite where the horses were kept com- menced blowing its whistle. This unnatural noise at night so frightened the animals that they broke loose and stampeded, and it was with difficulty that their guards escaped being trampled to death. The frightened animals ran out on the prairies, up and down both river banks, and it was several days before they could be recovered, some few however being lost.
BLACK HAWK SIGNS THE TREATY.
General Gaines on the 22d sent a notice to Black Hawk that if he did not come to Fort Armstrong he would come after him with his army. In a few days a few of the Indians appeared but not Black Hawk. Gaines then sent a peremptory order to the chief and in a few days Black Hawk and his chiefs and headmen to the number of twenty-eight appeared at Fort Armstrong, and on June 30th, 1831, a new treaty was signed by which the British band of Sacs again agreed to make their homes on the west side of the Mississippi and never to cross such river, except with the consent of the President of the United States or of the Governor of Illinois. Black Hawk signed this treaty and then for the first time ratified, against his will, the treaty of 1804. This treaty was signed by General Gaines and Governor Reynolds for the United States, and by Black Hawk and twenty-seven chiefs and warriors for the Sacs and Foxes. The volunteer army was not satisfied with the result of this campaign and called
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the treaty a "Corn Treaty" because General Gaines had given to the destitute Indians corn to keep them from starv- ing. The army was disbanded on July 2d, and the men returned to their homes. Not a man was injured or killed, either by accident or by the Indians; nor did any die of disease. This ended the first Black Hawk campaign.
For a long time after the signing of this treaty there was considerable discussion and much feeling over the question whether Generals Gaines and Duncan knew that Black Hawk and his Indians had deserted their village on the night of the 19th of June. Thomas Ford, afterwards Governor of Illinois, who was a militia volunteer and marched ahead with the spies, said :
"Gaines and Duncan had reason to believe before the commencement of the march from the camp on the Missis- sippi, that the Indians had departed from their village ; that measures had been taken to ascertain the fact before the volunteers crossed to Vandruff's Island ; General Duncan, in company with the advanced guard, following the spies, pre- ceded the main army in crossing, and that this will account for the want of order and confusion in the march of the troops." When the militia arrived opposite the Sac village the greatest confusion reigned in their midst. George S. Miller, a resident of this county, acted as guide, and when it became known that the Indians were not in the village, General Duncan began to reprimand Miller for not letting him know that the main river was on the north side of Vand- ruff's Island. Miller cursed him to his face at the head of his troops for refusing his services as a guide when offered the night before, and also censured him for not giving infor- mation which he had refused to receive, which inclines me to the belief that both Generals Gaines and Duncan knew that the Indians had departed.
As witnesses to this treaty we find the names of two Rock Island settlers, Joseph Danforth and Benjamin F. Pike.
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COLONEL GEORGE DAVENPORT.
Part III
The Black Hawk War, The Turkey Scare, Black Hawk Again Invades the Rock River Country, The Governor's Proclamation, Rock Island Set- tlers who were Soldiers in the War, End of the War, List of Settlers.
Part III
THE SECOND CAMPAIGN.
Black Hawk with his band now removed to Iowa near the mouth of the Des Moines River, at the site of the abandoned Fort Madison. Neapope, second in command, took a trip to Malden, Canada, and upon his return in the fall of 1831 told Black Hawk that he would receive assistance from the Brit- ish. The Prophet, who had great influence over Black Hawk, also sent word that the Ottawas, Chippewas, Potta- watomies and Winnebagoes would be with him and would render aid. Black Hawk after receiving these messages said : "We are to be happy once more." Black Hawk now directed all his efforts to getting together his warriors in anticipation of his march to his old village and its occupation, and prepared for an attack by the Americans should they again undertake to drive him away. The army through spies was kept informed of Black Hawk's actions, and early in April Keokuk sent to Fort Armstrong a warning that Black Hawk was about to commence his march to retake his old village.
Again messengers were sent out from Fort Armstrong to warn the settlers of their danger and advising them to seek shelter at once either at Fort Armstrong or in the stockade which had been erected around the trading store of Daven- port & Farnham. The most daring and persevering of these messengers was Judge John W. Spencer. On foot he traveled as far as Dixon, going from cabin to cabin sounding the alarm and advising the settlers to seek protection. We can- not realize today the wild excitement and dread despair the news of an Indian uprising caused among our pioneer set- tlers. Few if any had horses to use in carrying their families and goods. Oxen were the beasts of burden and the settlers
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were obliged to take what little they could and carry it on their persons. John Wakefield, in his history of the Black Hawk War written in 1834, gives an amusing sketch of the excitement attendant upon the news of an expected Indian attack. He says: "In the eastern part of the state the people were as much alarmed as in the northwest. During one of the many false alarms that 'The Indians are coming' a family was living near the Iroquois River that had no horses but a large family of small children. The father and mother each took a child and the rest were directed to follow on foot as fast as possible. The eldest daughter also carried one of the children that was not able to keep up. They fled to the river where they had to cross. The father had to carry over all the children at different times as the stream was high and so rapid the mother and daughter could not stem the current with such a burden. When they all, as they thought, had got over they started when the cry of poor little Susan was heard on the opposite bank asking if they were not going to take her with them. The frightened father again prepared to plunge into the strong current for his child when the mother, seeing it, cried out : 'Never mind Susan ! We have succeeded in getting ten over which is more than we expected at first and we can better spare Susan than you, my dear.' So poor Susan, who was only about four years old, was left to the mercy of the frightful savages." But poor little Susan came off unhurt, as one of the neighbors who was out hunting came along and took charge of her.
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THE TURKEY SCARE.
All the settlers in this vicinity had come to Fort Armstrong and taken quarters there or in the stockade, both of which were overcrowded. After the first scare, the settlers wanted to go back to their farms and do their spring planting. Captain Bliss, who commanded at the fort, yielded to their request, and arranged with them a signal of alarm in case they or any of them should be attacked, or were in imminent danger of an attack, which signal was that they should "fire off a gun." When such gun was fired, every one should flee to the Island. April 7 Joshua Vandruff and Hackley Samins, while crossing Vandruff island, saw a flock of wild turkeys. They could not resist the temptation and, creeping within range, fired their guns at the flock, each man bringing down liis bird. The noise of the two guns could be heard all over the settlement and it caused the greatest excitement, filling the hearts of the settlers with terror. Mothers caught their children and fled towards the fort. Those who had horses and were plowing, hastily unhitched the animals, loaded their families upon the horses and started towards the fort. It is said some of the settlers fled pell-mell, leaving their families to take care of themselves. Vandruff and Samms soon realized their mistake, especially Joshua, when he encountered his wife and their ten children running towards the fort. When the settlers reached the Mississippi they crowded the few skiffs tied to the shore and some came near being drowned. Captain Bliss had heard the gunshots and hastily called together a company of his regulars and started to meet the Indians, while Phil Kearney, who was left in command of the fort, began preparing it for a siege. Bliss and his men got nearly to Rock River when they met Vandruff and Samms running after the fleeing settlers trying to explain the mistake. When these two told the captain "how it hap- pened," it is said the air became impregnated with sulphur so loud and vehemently did that warrior swear. For many years afterwards the "turkey scare " was a tender spot with Vandruff and Samms.
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BLACK HAWK STARTS.
The 6th of April, 1832, Black Hawk, with about 1,000 Indians, including warriors, women, old men and children, together with all their possessions, crossed the Mississippi at Yellow Banks (Oquawka) and leisurely proceeded up the east bank of the river to Rock River and thence up that river to his old village where he camped the night of April 12. The next morning he started for the Prophet's village with the intention, as he said, "to make corn." There is and always has been a question whether Black Hawk, when he crossed the Mississippi River and invaded Illinois in 1832, intended attacking the Americans, or whether he intended going to the Prophet's village merely to raise a crop. If he wanted merely to raise a crop he could have done that as easily at the mouth of the Des Moines River as at Prophetstown. From Black Hawk's biography we learn that the trip to Prophetstown was part of his plan to again get control of the site of his ancient village and his cornfields. He tells us that while at the Des Moines "I concluded that I had better keep my band together, and recruit as many more as possible, so that I would be prepared to make the attempt to rescne my village in the spring." He then, as he says, "tried to recruit braves from Keoknk's band," and "requested my people to rendez- vous at that place, and sent out soldiers to bring in the warriors, and stationed my sentinels in a position to prevent any from moving up until all were ready."
The taking with him his women, children and old men would indicate that lie did not on that trip contemplate war, as no Indian war party ever carries with it the women or children. Black Hawk undoubtedly intended taking his women and children to the Prophet's village, there to leave them to make a crop; and during the summer continue his recruiting and possibly in the fall make his attack upon the Americans. For had he intended going to war at once he would have stopped at liis village and there made his defense.
At Yellowbanks the Prophet had met Black Hawk, and miade a talk to his braves, telling them "that as long as they were peaceable the Americans would not dare molest
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them. That we were 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 an army."
GENERAL ATKINSON COMES TO FORT ARMSTRONG.
June 31, 1831, a war party of nearly 100 Sacs and Foxes liad attacked a camp of Menominees situated abont one half a mile about Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien and killed twenty-five. Black Hawk says the killed were Sioux and Menominees. Between the former and the Sacs and Foxes there had always been a bitter and hostile feeling. April 1, General Henry Atkinson, then commanding Jefferson Bar- racks at St. Louis, received orders to proceed up the Missis- sippi and demand from the Sacs and Foxes the principals engaged in the murder of the Menominees. Atkinson left St. Louis April 8, with six companies of the Sixth Regiment, 220 men accompanying the expedition. Albert Sidney Johnson, afterwards a Confederate general, was a second lieutenant in this command.
April 10, Atkinson's army reached the Des Moines rapids, where they were informed that Black Hawk and his warriors were marching up the river. The army now hastened to Fort Armstrong, arriving there the night of the 12th. The 13th, General Atkinson called the Indians then in that vicinity to the fort. Among those who came were Keokuk and Wapello. Atkinson demanded the murderers of the Menominees and these two disclaimed any part in that affair. General Atkin- son then started for Fort Crawford and also sent out mes- sengers to warn the settlers of Black Hawk's coming. On the 19th of the month General Atkinson returned to Fort Armstrong. Accompanying him was Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor, afterwards President of the United States, and two companies of the First Infantry. Before leaving Fort Armstrong, General Atkinson had sent a letter to Governor Reynolds asking for state aid.
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