USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of Wisconsin from prehistoric to present periods : the story of the state interspersed with realistic and romantic events > Part 28
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During the summer of 1831 and winter of '31-32, Black Hawk made his headquarters at the site of Fort Madison,¿ where he recruited his band, with the view of going up the Rock river in the spring, for the purpose of raising a crop of corn, and for the purpose of inducing other Indian tribes to join him in order to eventually re-establish his rights on the east side of the Mississippi.
On April 7, 1832, Black Hawk and his band recrossed to the east side of the Mississippi at Yellow Banks, and started up the Mississippi.
The warriors were on horseback, armed and equipped, the women and children in canoes with provisions and camp equipages. White Cloud, the prophet, joined them below Rock Island, having first called at Fort Armstrong
*Black Hawk's people were called the British band by the early traders and squatters on account of their fidelity to the British in the war of 1812.
tLife of Black Hawk, 91.
#Fort Madison was burned by Zachary Taylor in 1813, after his repulse at Rock Island.
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BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 205
and informed the government authorities that Black Hawk and his band were, upon his invitation, going up the Rock river to make corn.
The military authorities had for some time been watching the movements of Black Hawk and his band, at their rendezvous at the site of Fort Madison, and hardly had they crossed the Mississippi, before Governor Reynolds, with more haste than wisdom,declared the state invaded, and made a call for volun- teers, and asked aid from the general government. In a few days sixteen hundred men assembled at Beardstown and were organized into four regiments and a spy battalion, and the whole brigade placed under the command of Brig .- Gen. Whitesides. In the meantime, Gen. Atkinson, with a body of United States troops, had ascended the Mississippi in steamboats, from St. Louis, and upon their arrival in the vicinity of Rock Island, they were joined by Gen. Whitesides and his forces .*
Black Hawk and his band had moved leisurely and quietly up the Rock river for some distance, when they were overtaken by a messenger from General Atkinson, ordering them in a peremptory manner to leave the country and recross the Mississippi. To this message Black Hawk promptly answered that he would not; that he did not recognize the right to make such a demand, as he was acting peaceably, and intended to go to the prophet's village and make corn. The messenger returned, and the band moved up the river and camped below the prophet's village. At this point another messenger arrived from General Atkinson, threatening to pursue and drive them back, if they did not immediately return. "This message," says Black Hawk, "roused the spirit of my band, and all were determined to remain with me and contest the ground with the war-chief, should he come and attempt to drive us. We therefore directed the express to say to the war-chief that, if he wished to fight us, he might come on. We were determined never to be driven, and equally so, not to make the first attack, our object being to act only on the defensive."
Shortly after this messenger returned, Mr. Gratiot, the sub-agent for the Winnebagoes, together with several chiefs of that nation, arrived. Mr. Gratiot's mission was to persuade Black Hawk and his band to recross the Mississippi, but the double-faced Winnebago chiefs that were with him said that the farther Black Hawk went up the Rock river the more friends he would find, and that their reinforcements would soon be sufficiently strong to repulse any enemy.
While the chiefs in the vicinity of Prophetstown did not deny that they had sent wampum, during the winter, with the request that they join the Win- nebagoes and enjoy all the rights of the country, yet they did not want them to go farther up the Rock river. The next night after the band went into camp above the prophet's village, Black Hawk called a council of his people,
*Smith's Hist. Wis., I., 260.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
and informed his chiefs that they had been deceived; that all the golden promises held out by Neapope were false. The council then decided to go up as far as Kishwocakee, and see what they could do with the Pottawattamies. Upon their arrival near Kishwocakee an envoy was sent to the Pottawattamie village, and the next day a delegation of those stoical warriors arrived. Black Hawk soon ascertained that they had but little corn in the village and, none to spare, even for seed. They denied any knowledge of British assistance.
Black Hawk now for the first time found that the assistance promised by both the prophet and Neapope was a fabrication, and then and there con- cluded to inform his people that if the White Beaver (Gen. Atkinson) came after them, they would return across the Mississippi, as they were in need of both provisions and ammunition.
The next day, May 14, Black Hawk had a dog feast prepared for the Pot- tawattamie chiefs, who were present at his invitation. When the feast was ready, Black Hawk spread the medicine bags, and the chiefs began to eat. When the ceremonies were about ended, a runner came in with the news that three or four hundred white men on horseback had been seen about eight miles off.
Black Hawk immediately started three young men, with a white flag, to meet them and conduct them to his camp in order to hold a council with them, and again descended the Rock river. He also directed them that in case the party had encamped, to return, and he would go to their camp. The adroit old warrior then sent five young men to see what might take place.
Gen. Atkinson, in the meantime, with about three hundred regulars and about the same number of Illinois militia, followed Black Hawk up the Rock river. Gen. Atkinson, however, had been preceded by Gen. Whitesides, who had halted at Prophetstown, long enough to burn the Winnebago village; then centered his forces at Dixon.
On May 12, Major Stillman got permission from Gen. Whitesides to take about three hundred mounted men up Rock river on a scouting expedition, with the view of having a good time, and locating Black Hawk. Two days later, on May 14, Stillman's scouting party went into camp near Sycamore creek, which was about thirty miles from Dixon, and only a few miles from where Black Hawk was feasting the Pottawattamie chiefs.
In a short time Black Hawk's three truce-bearers were seen coming towards camp. They were met by several of the militia and escorted into camp, and after explaining the object of their mission, and while standing unarmed among nearly three hundred militia, they were shot at by some militiamen who had just arrived, and one of the three instantly killed. At this moment, the five Indians who had been sent out by Black Hawk to watch the first three, were discovered, and, while the excited and half-drunken militia were preparing to mount and give chase, the two remaining truce-bearers
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 207
escaped. About twenty of the militia immediately pursued and shot down two of the five fleeing Indians.
The three Indians who had escaped the wrath of the militia soon returned to Black Hawk, and informed him of the supposed death of the truce- bearers, the death of two of their number, and of their own timely escape. By this time the whole brigade was in the saddle, and in a chaotic manner were bearing down towards the camp of Black Hawk, whose warriors, with the exception of about forty, were some ten miles away.
Black Hawk told his warriors what had occurred, and asked them to avenge their death; then, at the head of his little band of forty braves, started to meet the militia. They had proceeded but a short distance when they saw about twenty of the brigade coming towards them, followed by the balance of the militia. Black Hawk placed his warriors behind clusters of bushes, " in order to get the first fire." The militia, suspecting an ambush, halted some little distance from the concealed Indians. When Black Hawk finally gave the signal, the Indians, with the most terrific war-whoops, discharged their guns, then with their tomahawks and knives in hand, charged the militia, who retreated in the utmost confusion, passing through their own camp and on to Dixon.
Black Hawk, after following the militia for a short distance, returned to his camp with a part of his braves, then, lighting his pipe, he sat down and smoked and thanked the Great Spirit for their success.
The two Indians belonging to the truce party, after escaping, hid them- selves in the timber, but were closely followed by some of the militia, one of whom came so close that a tomahawk was thrown from the ambush, the mili- tiaman killed and scalped with his own knife. Then the Indians, after taking his gun and ammunition, mounted his horse and started in pursuit of the enemy and soon overtook, tomahawked and scalped one whose horse was mired.
About twenty-five of Black Hawk's warriors followed Stillman's men several miles beyond their encampment, and upon their return they had twelve scalps and two prisoners. The balance of Stillman's men, with one exception,* did not stop running until they reached Dixon; and upon their arrival, their vivid imagination placed the Indian forces at from fifteen hundred to two thousand.
In this disgraceful affair, which was the cause of the "Black Hawk War," Stillman's losses were twelve killed, two taken prisoners and several wounded, while the only losses sustained by Black Hawk were the three Indians who
*Among the retreating militia was a Methodist preacher, who soon found that his horse was so slow that he would be overtaken; consequently, he struck into a ravine which led from the main route, and soon found good shelter for himself and horse. Here he staid for more than two hours. He took the precaution to count the Indians when they passed, and also upon their return. Thus being satisfied that all had returned, he quietly and leisurely trotted along towards Dixon, where he arrived the next morning about sunrise. When questioned about the number of Indians that followed the militia, he answered twenty-five, and came near being lynched for his truthfulness.
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were killed by the militia, before the first war-whoop was given. The next morning, Black Hawk sent the village crier to notify his people that the dead must be buried. After the dead had been buried, and runners sent to pick up the balance of the warriors, an examination was made of Stillman's camp, which contained considerable plunder, such as arms, ammunition and pro- visions. A small quantity of whisky was also found, together with several little empty barrels which "contained this bad medicine." Black Hawk could then account for the manner in which his unarmed truce-bearers had been shot down, but the emptiness of the little barrels did not suggest to his stoical mind any reason for the hasty and cowardly retreat of the militia.
The two prisoners brought into Black Hawk's camp were Gideon Munson and Elijah Kilbourn. Munson, after having been taken to Black Hawk's camp, tried to escape and was shot down and scalped by one of the guards.
Kilbourn was tied to a tree and furnished sport for the young Indians, who blessed him with an occasional slap or a kick as they passed him. His only hope was that they would not identify him. To be identified meant death, as he had, many years before, been adopted by Black Hawk into the tribe, under peculiar circumstances, and had, after three years of wild, Indian life, escaped. As hour after hour passed, and none of the chiefs or warriors recognized him, he began to hope that his life would be spared, but his heart sank when Black Hawk passed close to him, and, in a low tone, said : " Does the mole think that Black Hawk forgets ?"
Kilbourn was one of the brave and daring young scouts that were detailed to operate near or in the vicinity of Detroit and other points on Lake Erie, during the war of 1812.
After the British were defeated at Fort Stevenson in 1813, Kilbourn and some of his venturesome companions, after learning that Black Hawk and a few of his warriors had started for their village on Rock river, conceived the idea of following them. Consequently, the next morning at daybreak, about a dozen brave and well-mounted young scouts were on the Indian trail leading southwest. Stealthily they followed the trail, until they came to the Illinois river. Here they found that the Indians had divided, a portion going towards their village, and the balance following down the river. The leader of the scouts, after first secreting their horses, sent Kilbourn and three com- panions across the river to follow the trail leading towards the Indian village on Rock river, while the rest of the scouts followed the trail leading down the river. The morning following the first day's trailing found Kilbourn and his party in the vicinity of Indian settlements, and in consequence, the trail became so merged with other Indian trails that their progress not only became slow, but extremely perilous. As a matter of safety, the scouts now resolved to adopt the Indian method of separating, then afterwards meeting at a given
SCENE NEAR PECATONICA BATTLEGROUND. From Oil Painting.
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place. The suggestion was no sooner made than put into execution. Kil- bourn, after carefully examining the priming of his rifle, started off in the direction most liable to bring him to their crossing place on the Illinois river. Nothing of importance occurred until nearly sundown, when, suddenly emerg- ing from a thicket, he saw an Indian on his knees drinking from a clear spring. Instantly Kilbourn's rifle was at his shoulder, and after taking deliberate aim, he pulled the trigger, and to his dismay, the hammer came down and shattered the flint into fragments without igniting the powder. Instantly the Indian sprang to his feet and leveled his gun, and in good English demanded Kilbourn to surrender, then told him in what direction to go, which he accordingly did, and in a few moments he came suddenly upon an Indian camp, containing six or eight Indians, who appeared to be as much surprised as he was. It did not take him long to recognize his captor as the celebrated Black Hawk.
After talking with his companions a few moments, Black Hawk informed him that his warriors would consider him as a brother, as he was going to adopt him into the tribe. For three years Kilbourn, fished hunted and trapped in the vast wilderness of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, be- fore he found an opportunity of taking French leave of his red brothers. Seventeen years later, as a government scout, he found himself at the front with Stillman's men, fighting his old benefactor, when he was again taken prisoner. This was the situation of affairs, and the reason that he patiently awaited death after being recognized by the old warrior.
That same evening, about two hours before sunset, Black Hawk came to where Kilbourn was tied, cut the thongs that bound him to the tree, and then, without unfastening his hands, bade him follow him. In silence and alone they traveled through the gloomy forest for nearly an hour, until finally, reaching a bend in Rock river, Black Hawk, after turning towards the setting sun, said :
"I am going to send you back to your chief, though I ought to kill you for running away a long time ago, after I had adopted you as a son, but Black Hawk can forgive as well as fight. When you return to your chief, I want you to tell him my words. Tell him that Black Hawk's eyes have looked upon many suns, but they shall not see many more; and that his back is no longer straight as in his youth, but is begin- ning to bend with age. The Great Spirit has whispered among the tree-tops in the morning and evening, and says that Black Hawk's days are few, and that he is wanted in the spirit-land. He is half-dead, his arm shakes and is no longer strong, and his feet are slow on the war-path. Tell him all this, and tell him, too," continued Black Hawk, with marked emotion, " that Black Hawk would have been a friend to the whites, but they would not let him, and that the hatchet was dug up by themselves, and not by
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BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED.
the Indians. Tell your chief that Black Hawk meant no harm to the pale faces when he came across the Mississippi, but came peaceably to raise corn for his starving women and children, and that even then he would have gone back; but when he sent his white flag, the braves who carried it were treated like squaws, and one of them inhumanly shot." " Tell him, too," said the old warrior, as his eyes flashed fire, " that Black Hawk will have revenge, and that he will never stop until the Great Spirit shall say to him, come away !" *
Then cutting the thongs that bound the prisoner's arms, he gave him specific directions as to the route to his camp, and after bidding him farewell, the old warrior struck off into the trackless forest, to make that last and des- perate struggle for his honor and the honor of his nation.
*Life of Black Hawk. Kilbourn's narrative as published in the Soldier's Cabinet.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Extermination .- Governor Reynolds' Inflammatory Proclamation .- Black Hawk Es- tablishes His Headquarters at Four Lakes .- Indian Bands Depredate Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin .- Pecatonica .- Famine at Four Lakes .- The Band Moves Up to the Wisconsin River .- Black Hawk With Fifty Warriors Holds the American Army in Check at Wisconsin Heights.
UPON Black Hawk's return to camp he found that his absent warriors had returned. He then sent out spies to watch the army which was camped at Dixon.
The disposition of the militia at Sycamore creek had satisfied the mind of Black Hawk that a war of extermination was being waged against him and his nation. He had tried to surrender, and his truce-bearers were shot down. It was impossible for him to return and recross the Mississippi without exposing the lives of the women and children to the fury of the enemy. The one course now left him was to find a place of safety for the women and children, then make a gallant fight for their honor.
Black Hawk now commenced moving his band of about 500 warriors, together with their women and children, up to the headwaters of the Kishwa- cokee. Upon their arrival at that point, Black Hawk sent out numerous war parties to depredate the whole country, from Chicago to the Mississippi, and from Rock river north into Wisconsin .* Then with two old Winnebagoes as guides, they commenced moving towards the Four Lakes (where Madison now stands), and after seven days' hard marching, they arrived at the Four Lakes and there established their headquarters.
Prior to the time Governor Reynolds issued his last proclamation, Colonel W. S. Hamilton had been sent up above Prairie du Chien to form an alliance with the Sioux and Menominee Indians, and, within a short time, he suc- ceeded in sending down the Mississippi a band of those incarnate fiends, who never spared either warrior, woman or child.
In those days Wisconsin was a part of the territory of Michigan, and the principal settlements were at Green Bay, Milwaukee, the lead regions in Iowa county, and at Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi.
Henry Dodge, who was one of the early pioneers of the Iowa county lead regions, at this time occupied the position of colonel of the militia of that portion of the territory of Michigan, and upon the commencement of hostili- ties commanded the mounted volunteers of Iowa county and the Galena vol-
*One of the war parties, consisting of seventeen Indians, was completely annihilated at Pecatonica on June 16, 1832, by General Dodge and twenty-two companions. General Dodge had two men killed and one wounded. Not one of the Indians escaped.
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unteers of Illinois. He was under orders of Brig .- Gen. Atkinson, of the United States army.
Col. Dodge, with twenty-seven volunteers, left Iowa county on May 8, and proceeded up the Rock river for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the country, and, if possible, to ascertain from the government authorities the future policy to be pursued.
Upon their arrival at Buffalo Grove, they struck a trail of Indians, which they pursued as far as Rock river, at a point nearly opposite the Kiswaukee, and but a short distance from where Major Stillman was that day so ignomini- ously defeated by Black Hawk and his forty warriors.
Prior to this time the whole western frontier was in an agitated condition, owing to Governor Reynolds' proclamation and the exaggerated reports as to Black Hawk's intentions, and the agitation was greatly augmented when Gov- ernor Reynolds, upon May 15, issued another inflammatory proclamation, wherein he said, "THE STATE IS NOT ONLY INVADED BY THE HOSTILE INDIANS, BUT MANY OF OUR CITIZENS have been slain in battle." Then, after alluding to Stillman's defeat, he stated that he believed that the Wisconsin Winnebagoes and Pottawattamie Indians had joined the Sacs, and were all considered as waging war against the United States. To subdue and drive this hostile ele- ment out of the state the governor made a requisition of a force of two thousand volunteers in addition to those already in the field, and ordered them to meet at Hennepin, on the Illinois river, on June 10, in companies of fifty men each, there to be organized into brigades.
The government, and likewise Governor Reynolds, of Illinois, must have forgotten the celebrated ordinance, passed by congress in 1787, which provided that, "THE UTMOST GOOD FAITH SHALL ALWAYS BE OBSERVED TOWARDS THE IN- DIANS, THEIR LANDS AND PROPERTY SHALL NEVER BE TAKEN FROM THEM WITH- OUT THEIR CONSENT, AND IN THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS AND LIBERTY, THEY NEVER SHALL BE INVADED OR DISTURBED OR, UNLESS IN JUST AND LAWFUL WARS, AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS, BUT WARS FOUNDED IN JUSTICE AND HUMANITY SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME BE MADE, FOR PREVENTING WRONGS BEING DONE TO THEM AND FOR PRESERVING PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP AMONG THEM."
Upon the junction of the forces at Koskonong, General Atkinson dis- patched Generals Henry and Alexander, together with Col. Dodge, to Fort Winnebago for supplies. After obtaining the necessary provisions for the army, Gen. Posey and Gen. Alexander returned to Koskonong with the supplies, while Gen. Henry and Col. Dodge, with their separate commands, struck across the country to the rapids of Rock river, where they received information that the Indian trail had been discovered. Gens. Henry and Dodge, with their united strength of about fourteen hundred men, well provisioned, armed, and equipped, immediately marched up above the Four Lakes, where they struck Black Hawk's trail leading towards the Wisconsin river.
Fort Nowend of
MAP OF THE
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MAP SHOWING BATTLEFIELD OF PRAIRIE DU SAC. (WISCONSIN HEIGHTS).
Scale - 20 Miles=1 en DRAWN BY NAPOLIAN BOARDMAN U. S. SURVEYOR.
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Förun Lake
BLACK HAWK-WARS IN WHICH HE PARTICIPATED. 215
During the last few weeks of Black Hawk's stay at Four Lakes, near the present city of Madison, it became almost impossible to get enough to eat to sustain life. Their camp was situated in a low, swampy place, on account of its being almost inaccessible, and in that vicinity game was very scarce, and the country was sparsely settled, which forced them to dig roots and bark trees to sustain life; even then some of the old people died of hunger. Black Hawk now learned, through his runners, that the army had commenced moving in the direction of his camp, and fearing that he might be surrounded, concluded to remove his women and children to the west side of the Mississippi; conse- quently, the next day they broke camp and commenced moving toward the Wisconsin, with the intention of descending that river to the Mississippi. Neapope remained in the rear to watch the enemy, which they anticipated from the direction of Koskonong, while Black Hawk and the balance of the nation were proceeding towards the Wisconsin.
After Stillman's defeat, Governor Reynolds sent an express to Col. Dodge, informing him of the fact, and advising him of the danger that threatened the mining districts. Col. Dodge immediately returned home and organized the inhabitants into companies, and ordered their families placed in forts, block- houses and stockade posts. This precaution was well taken, for hardly had the settlers in the mining districts been organized for a defensive purpose, before the whole country was overrun by scattered bands of Indians, sent out by Black Hawk, shortly after the fight at Stillman's Run.
Gen. Atkinson, having ascertained through a Pottawattamie Indian, that Black Hawk was in the vicinity of Four Lakes, marched with a portion of his army to Koskonong, and, upon his arrival, found that Black Hawk had decamped, and that the direction taken by that adroit old chief was unknown. At this point, Gen. Atkinson was joined by Gen. Alexander's brigade on June 30, and, a few days later, by Posey's brigade, which consisted of a part of Col. Dodge's volunteers from Wiota.
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