USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of Wisconsin from prehistoric to present periods : the story of the state interspersed with realistic and romantic events > Part 26
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From this time henceforth, hospitality became a part of the Indian religion.
*Life of Black Hawk.
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 183
When the national dance was over, the corn hoed, every weed dug up, and the corn about knee high, the young men and warriors started towards " sundown," to hunt deer and buffalo. The old men, women and children went to the lead mines to make lead, and to catch fish and get matting materials.
The village was totally deserted for about forty days; then the young men and warriors arrived from the west, with venison and buffalo meat, and some- times Sioux scalps .* About the same time the old men, women and children arrived at the village with lead, dried fish and mats.
This being the season of plenty, feasts were given in honor of the Great Spirit, who had bountifully supplied them with all they had asked for.
Black Hawk, in speaking of the feast, says: "Every one makes his feast as he thinks best, to please the Great Spirit, who has the care of all things created. Others believe in two spirits, one good and one bad, and make feasts for the bad spirit to keep him quiet. 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."
Next comes the great ball play, with from three to five hundred on a side. This game was played for guns, horses, and different kinds of property. Then came the horse racing and feasting, which continued until the corn was ripe and secured.
The traders then arrived, and gave them credit for guns, ammunition, clothing, and everything necessary. The traders were informed of the place where they intended to hunt, and instructed where to build their houses. At this point, corn and provisions were left, together with the old men, women and children. The band then divided, and in small parties went to make the hunt, and, when the hunt was over, they all met at the traders' establishments.
Some writers strongly intimate that the Sac and Fox tribes that left Green Bay in 1733t were the Sacs spoken of by Carver, as being located at Prairie du Sac, in 1767, and afterwards the founders of the Sac and Fox village, at the junction of the Rock river with the Mississippi. Such, however, could not have been the fact, as Black Hawk was born at the Indian village at the mouth of the Rock river in 1767, and, according to the tradition of his ancestors, the village had been located at that point about fifty years.
*Wherever the Sioux were found trespassing they were slain.
tWis. Hist. Coll., Vol. III., 148.
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MARR RICHARDS ENG
BLACK HAWK IN 1833. From an oil painting in the Wis. Hist. Society's Rooms.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Fraudulent Treaty of 1804 .- War of 1812 .- Black Hawk and His People Dissatisfied .- Presents Made by British .- Meets Col. Dickson at Green Bay with Two Hundred Warriors. -Col. Dickson's Speech .- Black Hawk Takes Command of Five Hundred Warriors at Green Bay .- Fort Dearborn Massacre .- Assists British in Vicinity of Lake Erie .- Returns to Rock Island.
BLACK HAWK'S account of the causes leading up to the wars in which he participated, as given by himself in " The Life of Black Hawk," edited by J. B. Patterson, of Rock Island, and certified to October 16, 1833, by Antoine Le Claire, United States interpreter for the Sacs and Foxes, is undoubtedly true in every material particular, and has been accepted as authentic for more than half a century.
Several " moons " prior to November 3, 1804, one of Black Hawk's people killed an American on the Mississippi river, and was arrested and im- prisoned at St. Louis. Black Hawk's people held a council " which deter- mined that Quash-Qua-me, Pashe-paho, Oche-qua-Ka and Has-he-quat-he- qui should go down to St. Louis and see the American Father, and do all they could to have our friend released by paying for the person killed. Thus cov- ering the blood and satisfying the relatives of the man wounded. This being the only means with us, of saving a person who has killed another, and we then thought it was the same with the whites."*
This delegation remained absent a long time, and, when they finally arrived home, they were dressed in fine clothes and wore medals. The next morning after they arrived, a council lodge was convened, and received from Quash-Qua-me and his party, the following account of their mission at St. Louis :
" On their arrival at St. Louis, they met their American Father, and explained to him their business, and urged a release of their friend. The American Chief told them he wanted land, and they had agreed to give him some on the west side of the Mississippi and some on the Illinois side, opposite the Jeffreon.
" When the business was all arranged, they expected to have their friend relieved to come home with them, but, about the time they were ready to start, their friend was let out of prison, who ran a short distance and was shot dead. This is all they could recollect of what was said and done. They had been drunk the greater part of the time they were in St. Louis."t
*Smith:'s History of Wisconsin, Vol. III., 115.
+The above is Black Hawk's language as quoted from "The Life of Black Hawk," Smith's History of Wis., Vol. III., 116.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
Under the conditions of this treaty,* which was conceived in fraud and born in sin, the united Sac and Fox tribes, in consideration of goods in hand delivered of the value of $2,234.50, and a yearly annuity of $ 1,000 to be paid in goods at first cost, ceded to the United States the lands situated within the following boundaries :
"Beginning at a point on the Missouri river, opposite the mouth of the Gasconde river, thence in a direct course so as to strike the river Jeffreon at a distance of thirty miles from its mouth, and down said Jeffreon, to the Missis- sippi; thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Wisconsin river ; up the same to a point which shall be thirty-six miles in a direct line from the mouth of said river; thence, by a direct line, to a point where the Fox river (a branch of the Illinois) leaves the small lake called Sakaegan; thence down the Fox river to the Illinois river and down the same to the Mississippi."
This treaty ceded to the United States more than fifty-one million acres of the best land on the continent, which included within its borders the Indian village which had been the home of Black Hawk and his ancestors for nearly a hundred years.t
With reference to this treaty, Black Hawk says: "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 consideration for the country ceded by those four individuals. It has been the cause of all our troubles."}
The manner in which the signatures of at least four of the Sac and Fox rep- resentatives were obtained, together with the insignificant sum paid for so valua- ble a tract of land, is enough to cause other than humanitarians to blush at the pronounced duplicity of the government. It is one of those wrongs that time cannot efface.
The first event that transpired after the treaty of 1804, which excited the ire of Black Hawk and his nation, was the building of Fort Madison, the same year, above Des Moines Rapids, and within the territory fraudulently ceded to the United States.
The chiefs of Black Hawk's nation held a council with the officers from the fort, and were informed by them that the houses were being built for a trader, who was coming there to live, and would sell the Indians goods very cheap, and that the soldiers were to remain and keep the trader company.
The Indians accepted this story with many grains of doubt, as an attempt was shortly afterwards made by a " dancing party " to enter the fort by strat-
*Black Hawk always maintained that the only knowledge that either he or his nation had of the treaty was through the four assumed representatives, and that they had no power or authority whatsoever to enter into any treaty or compact.
tThe date of the establishment of the Indian village at the mouth of the Rock river is unknown.
#Life of Black Hawk, 24.
187
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED.
egy, which was frustrated. Black Hawk acknowledged that had the Indians gotten into the fort, the whites would all have been massacred.
The Shawnee prophet on the Wabash, and the Winnebagoes, shortly after Black Hawk's futile attempt to enter Fort Madison, induced him and several parties of his nation to join the Winnebagoes and make a second attempt to enter the fort. Black Hawk, through his spies, which had been sent out several days in advance, ascertained that about fifty soldiers of the garrison at Fort Madison marched out every morning at sunrise to drill. Black Hawk accordingly laid his plans to ambush the soldiers when they came out, and for the Indians to rush into the fort. The attempt proved unsuccessful. Three whites were killed and the fort was besieged for three days, during which time the buildings were several times fired by burning arrows, but the fires were extinguished without serious injury. The ammunition of the Indians finally gave out and they raised the siege. The Indians had one Winnebago killed and one wounded.
Shortly prior to the war of 1812, news reached Black Hawk, through his runners, that the United States and England were about to go to war. The United States, being desirous of retaining the friendship of Black Hawk and his nation, requested that some of the leading chiefs should go to Washington and have a talk with the Great Father.
Black Hawk's people complied with the request, and sent a delegation of chiefs and leading men to Washington. Upon their return they said that the Great Father wished them, in the event of war taking place with England, to remain neutral, to hunt, support their families and live in peace, and promised them that the trader at Fort Madison would supply them in the fall with goods on credit, as the British traders had previously done.
Black Hawk says: "This information pleased us all very much ; we all agreed to follow our Great Father's advice and not interfere with the war. Our women were much pleased with the good news, everything went on cheer- fully 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 engaged in gathering it and making caches to contain it.
" In a short time, we were ready to start for Fort Madison to get our supplies of goods that we might proceed to our hunting grounds.
" Next morning, we arrived at Fort Madison and made our encampment, myself and principal men paying a visit to the war-chief at the fort. He re- ceived us kindly. 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, and told him he
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
would be well paid in the spring, and concluded by informing him that we had determined to follow our Great Father's advice, and not go to war. He said he was happy to hear that we intended to remain at peace; that he had a large quantity of goods, and that, if we made a good hunt, we should be well sup- plied ; but remarked that he had received no orders to furnish us anything on credit, nor could he give us any without pay for them on the spot.
" We left the fort dissatisfied and went to our 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 should get credit for our winter supply at this place; they still told the same story and insisted upon its truth. Few of us slept that night. All was gloom and despair."
The British, ever on the alert to secure such allies as Black Hawk, sent an express to him from Rock Island, containing presents, which arrived at Black Hawk's camp the morning after the trader at Fort Madison had refused to give them credit for their winter supply. The express also brought the news that La Gurtie,* a British trader, was at Rock Island with two boats, loaded with goods, and requested Black Hawk and his people to come immediately, as he had presents for them.
Black Hawk's party was not long in going to Rock Island, where they were heartily received by La Gurtie, the British agent, who gave them the two boat-loads of goods. While the Indians were dividing the goods, La Gurtie took Black Hawk aside and informed him that Col. Dickson was at Green Bay with twelve boats loaded with guns and ammunition, and that he desired Black Hawk to raise a party immediately and join him there. La Gurtie said that another trader was at Peoria collecting Pottawattamies, and would be at Green Bay ahead of them.
Black Hawk immediately raised a party of two hundred warriors and departed for Green Bay, where, upon his arrival, he found a large encampment of British soldiers and Indians, under the command of Col. Dickson.
In the evening Black Hawk visited the encampment and found a large number of Pottawattamies, Kickapoos, Ottawas and Winnebagoes. He visited all their camps and found them in high spirits. They had all received new guns, ammunition, and a variety of clothing.t
The next evening after the arrival of Black Hawk, Col. Dickson received him in his tent in presence of other war-chiefs and an interpreter, and after heartily shaking him by the hand, he introduced him to the other chiefs and, after seating him, said :
" General Black Hawk, I sent for you, to explain to you, what we are going to do, and the reason that has brought us here. Your English Father
*La Gurtie was a French Canadian trader and British agent.
tSmith's History of Wisconsin, Vol. III., 121.
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 189
has found out that the Americans want to take your country from you, and has sent me and his braves to drive them back to their own country. He has also sent a large quantity of arms and ammunition, and we want all your warriors to join us." He then placed a medal around his neck and gave him a paper* 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 near Detroit."
The next morning Black Hawk and his warriors were supplied with arms, ammunition, and clothing, and in the evening a great feast was given to all the savages.
The following morning Col. Dickson with his band of soldiers, accom- panied by Black Hawk, with five hundred savages, started from Green Bay down the lake shore for Detroit. When they reached Chicago, the garrison at Fort Dearborn had shortly before been evacuated.
It appears that Gen. Hull had informed Capt. Heald, commander of Fort Dearborn, of the loss of Fort Mackinaw, the key of the northern lakes, and directed him to distribute his stores among the neighboring Indians, and retire to Fort Wayne. Heald, after distributing some of the stores, found that the savages were not to be trusted and, consequently, after having received orders, August 9, 1812, to evacuate the fort, made preparations accordingly and, on August 15, he abandoned the fort, after having first destroyed the powder and spirits in store.
The garrison proceeded on their way along the lake shore towards Fort Wayne for a little over a mile, when they were attacked by about five hundred Pottawattamies under Chief Blackbird. Capt. Heald was supported by Capt. Wells, and his guard of about thirty Miamis, who had been sent from Fort Wayne for that purpose.
Capt. Heald's forces were fifty-four regulars and twelve militia. The con- flict was as desperate as it was short. In fact it was a massacre. Twenty-six of Heald's regulars, all of the militia, Capt. Wells, and other officers, together with two women, and twelve children, were killed. Capt. Heald, and his wife, and several others, were severely injured.t Capt. Heald and his survivors sur- rendered to Blackbird, upon condition that their lives should be spared .¿ The prisoners were taken to Fort Dearborn, which was burned the next day. The prisoners were distributed among the different tribes, excepting Capt. Heald and his wife, who were taken to the house of an Indian trader, where, after re- maining some time, they were sent to Detroit.
Black Hawk, in speaking of the massacre, says: "They had a considera-
*A certificate of good character and devotion to the British. This certificate was found at the Battle of Bad Ax, twenty years later.
+Smith's History of Wisconsin, Vol. III., 122.
#It is doubtful whether the surrender was conditional, as Heald was not in condition to dictate the terms of the surrender.
Binner Zagr €
KEOKUK.
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 191
ble quantity of powder in the fort at Chicago which they had promised to the Indians, but, the night before they marched, they destroyed it. I think it was thrown into a well. If they had fulfilled their word to the Indians, I think they would have gone safe.
"On our arrival, I found that the Indians had several prisoners. I advised them to treat them well."
"We continued our march," says Black Hawk, "and joined the British army below Detroit, and soon after had a fight. The Americans fought well and drove us with considerable loss. I was surprised at this, as I had been told by the British that the Americans could not fight."
The famous General Henry Procter,* with his British soldiers and savage allies under Black Hawk and other chiefs, operated many months in the vicin- ity of Detroit.
When Gen. Procter, with his soldiers and savage allies in 1814, were de- feated by Harrison at Fort Meigs, and, shortly afterwards, repulsed and sus- tained heavy losses at Fort Stevenson by Lieut. Crogan, Black Hawk became discouraged and, while the British and Indian allies were hovering around Fort Sandusky, he, with part of his band, returned to Rock Island.
Upon Black Hawk's arrival at his village, he was heartily received and feasted. He then learned for the first time that, after he and his braves had joined the British at Green Bay, his nation was reduced to so small a war party that they would be unable to defend themselves against the Americans in case of an attack and so held a council, which agreed that Quash-qua-me (The Lance) and other chiefs with the old men, women and children, and such others as saw fit to accompany them, should go down to St. Louis and place themselves under the protection of the United States, which they accordingly did, and were received as a friendly band of the Sac and Fox nations.
Keokuk (Watchful Fox) was then introduced to Black Hawk as the war- chief of the braves then in the village. Black Hawk inquired how Keokuk was made chief and was informed that, after Quash-qua-me and his party had gone to St. Louis, their spies had discovered a large armed party going towards Peoria, and were afraid an attack might be made on their village, whereupon a council was held, which concluded, as a matter of safety, to abandon their village and cross to the west side of the Mississippi. Keokuk, never having killed an enemy, was not allowed to enter the council lodge, but while stand- ing near the entrance, he learned of the proposed abandonment of their native village, and while waiting near the lodge-door, the aged Wacome came out and was persuaded to intercede for Keokuk and secure the consent of the council
*Henry Procter was born in Wales in 1765, and entered the British army in 1781, was promoted and made colonel in 1810. In 1812 he came to Canada at the head of the 41st regi- ment. For his victory over Winchester he was made brigadier-general. After his defeats in 1813, he was court-martialed, but afterwards restored to his old rank.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
for him to address them. The request was granted. Keokuk then addressed the chiefs and warriors and in his speech remonstrated so eloquently against the desertion of their native village, their homes, and the graves of their fathers, that they immediately appointed him their war-chief.
Keokuk at once sent out his spies, marshaled his warriors, and took the trail leading toward Peoria. After vainly searching for the enemy, they returned without having discovered them. The village remained undisturbed, and Keokuk's appointment was satisfactory to all .*
*Life of Black Hawk, 24, Smith's History of Wisconsin, Vol. III., 123-125.
BLACK HAWK IN 1812. (From lithograph.)
CHAPTER XXV.
Revenges the Death of His Adopted Son .- Defeats Zachary Taylor at Rock Island. --- Fort Armstrong Built .- Encroachment of the Whites .- Black Hawk's Complaints to the United States Authorities .- The General Government and Illinois Violate the Ordi- nance of 1787 .- Indians Removed to West Side of the Mississippi .- Promised Annuity Not Paid.
BLACK HAWK then visited his family, which he found well, but says that he could not rest in comfort with them, until he had avenged the death of an adopted child that had been killed and scalped by the whites in his absence. He then returned to his village, and with about thirty warriors went on a marauding trip down the Mississippi in the vicinity of Fort Madison and the Quiver river.
At this time two incidents occurred that show that Black Hawk was not the cold-blooded savage that he has so often been depicted, but, on the con- trary, was an exception to the rule.
While Black Hawk and a companion were going up the trail from the Mississippi towards Fort Madison, they met two white men, one of whom was allowed to escape, as he had been at the village to teach the Indians how to plow. The other was killed and scalped by Black Hawk's companion. Short- ly after this, they saw two little boys trying to conceal themselves in some bushes, but they passed without noticing them, as he says: "I thought of my own children."
After joining the remainder of the party near the Quiver, they had a con- flict with a party of mounted men, the leader of which was instantly killed by Black Hawk. The Indians were then driven into a sink-hole where they hid in some bushes. After the whites fired into the bushes and killed one Indian, and received the fire of the Indians in return, they retreated with the loss of one man, which they left behind. The Indians then came out of the bushes and scalped the man they had killed, and placed their dead upon him. " We could not," says Black Hawk, "have left him in a better situation, than on the enemy."
Early in the season of 1814, and during the continuance of the war with Great Britain, the government authorities at St. Louis fitted out a large boat and mustered for its crew all of the available men at St. Louis and from the country south on the Mississippi, and dispatched it up the Mississippi to build a fort and protect the scattered settlers. Upon their arrival at Prairie du Chien they built Fort Shelby, and fortified the works in the best manner pos- sible. Shortly after the construction of the fort, Col. McKay, of the British army, arrived from Green Bay by way of the historic water way, the Fox and
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
Wisconsin rivers, with a force of British and Indians. After a determined resistance against great odds, the fort was finally captured .*
The Indians were so infuriated that they would have massacred the whole garrison, had it not been for the able and forcible exertions on the part of Col. McKay, who sent a part of his soldiers to escort the garrison down the river in a boat ; even then the Indians followed the boat until it passed Rock Island rapids.
Major Campbell had at this time ascended the river from St. Louis with a squadron of boats and a detachment of United States troops for the purpose of re-inforcing the garrison at Fort Shelby. When they reached. Rock Island, they were well received by Black Hawk, and his people, who appeared to be friendly. During the night, however, an express came down Rock river with rum and powder, and brought the news that Fort Shelby, at Prairie du Chien, had been taken by the British. They easily succeeded in inciting Black Hawk to again join them.
Black Hawk immediately started in pursuit of Col. Campbell's squadron, and succeeded in capturing one of the boats in the rapids above Rock Island. Col. Campbell and several of his men were wounded, and many killed. The expedition then returned down the river to St. Louis.
Shortly after the happening of the above events, the British commander at Prairie du Chien, then called Fort McKay, descended the Mississippi river, bringing with him a detachment of soldiers and two field-pieces, and joined Black Hawk at Rock Island, which was the great Indian seat of war. Maj. Zachary Taylor (afterward president of the United States), in command of three hundred men, left St. Louis in boats, for the upper Mississippi, on August 3, 1814. When they reached Rock Island t they found a British bat-
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