Great Indian Chief of the West - Or, Life and Adventures of Black Hawk

Benjamin Drake

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• Publié par: shiep
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 39
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's Great Indian Chief of the West, by Benjamin Drake
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Title: Great Indian Chief of the West
Or, Life and Adventures of Black Hawk
Author: Benjamin Drake
Release Date: April 30, 2006 [EBook #18290]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GREAT INDIAN CHIEF OF THE WEST ***
Produced by richyfourtytwo Janet Blenkinship and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.netBLACK HAWK.
THE
GREAT INDIAN CHIEF
OF
THE WEST:
OR,
LIFE AND ADVENTURES
OF
BLACK HAWK.
CINCINNATI:
APPLEGATE & COMPANY
43 MAIN STREET.
1854.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843,Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843,
BY GEORGE CONCLIN,
In the Clerk's Office of the District of Ohio.
Transcriber's Note: There are inconsistencies in
the Index layout and in the spelling of tribal names.
These have been left as originally printed.
PREFACE
In presenting to the public the life and adventures of Black Hawk, some account
of the Sac and Fox Indians—of Keokuk, their distinguished chief—and of the
causes which led to the late contest between these tribes and the United
States, was necessarily involved. The introduction of these collateral subjects,
may possibly impart additional interest to this volume.
In speaking of the policy of the government towards the fragment of Sacs and
Foxes, with whom Black Hawk was associated, it has been necessary to
censure some of its acts, and to comment with freedom upon the official
conduct of a few public officers.
The Indians are frequently denounced as faithless, ferocious and untameable.
Without going into the inquiry, how far this charge is founded in truth, the
question may be asked, has not the policy of our government contributed,
essentially, to impart to them that character? Have we not more frequently met
them in bad faith, than in a Christian spirit? and sustained our relations with
them, more by the power of the sword than the law of kindness? In the
inscrutable ways of Providence, the Indians are walking in ignorance and moral
darkness. It is the solemn duty, and should be the highest glory of this nation, to
bring them out of that condition, and elevate them in the scale of social and
intellectual being. But, how is this duty performed? We gravely recognize them
as an independent people, and treat them as vassals: We make solemn
compacts with them, which we interpret as our interest dictates, but punish
them if they follow the example: We admit their title to the land which they
occupy, and at the same time literally compel them to sell it to us upon our own
terms: We send agents and missionaries to reclaim them from the error of their
ways—to bring them from the hunter to the pastoral life; and yet permit our
citizens to debase them by spirituous liquors, and cheat them out of their
property: We make war upon them without any adequate cause—pursue them
without mercy—and put them to death, without regard to age, sex or condition:
And, then deliberately proclaim to the world, that they are savages—cruel and
untameable—degraded and faithless.
If the present volume shall, in any degree, contribute to awaken the public mind
to a sense of the wrongs inflicted upon the Indians, and to arouse the Christian
statesmen of this land, to the adoption of a more liberal, upright and benevolent
course of policy towards them, something will have been gained to the cause of
humanity and of national honor.
The author takes this opportunity of acknowledging his obligations to James
Hall, Esq., for the valuable assistance received from him, in the preparation ofthis volume. In collecting the materials for that magnificent work, on which he is
now engaged, "The History of the Indians of North America," this gentleman
has become possessed of much interesting matter, in regard to the Sacs and
Foxes, and especially the chief Keokuk; to all of which he has kindly permitted
the author to have access.
Cincinnati, May, 1838.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Origin of the Sac and Fox Indians—Removal to Green Bay—Their
subjugation of the Illini confederacy—Their attack upon St. Louis
in 1779—Col. George Rogers Clark relieves the town—Governor
Harrison's letter—Maj. Forsyth's account of the conquest of the
Illini—Death of the Sac chief Pontiac—Sac and Fox village on
Rock river—Description of the surrounding country—Civil polity
of the Sacs and Foxes—Legend about their chiefs—Division of
the tribes into families—Mode of burying their dead—Idea of a future
state—Their account of the creation of the world—Marriages—Social
relations—Music and musical instruments—Pike's visit to
them in 1805—Population—Character for courage 13
CHAPTER II.
Treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians in 1789—treaty and cession of
land to the United States at St. Louis in 1804—Black Hawk's account
of this treaty—Erection of Fort Madison—The British excite
the Sac and Fox Indians to make war upon the United States—A
party under Black Hawk join the British standard in 1812—Treaty at
Portage des Sioux in 1815—Treaty of peace with Black Hawk and his
band at same place in 1816—Treaty for part of their lands in Missouri
in 1824—Treaty of Prairie des Chiens in 1825—Treaty for the mineral
region in 1829—Treaty of peace in 1832, after the "Black
Hawk war"—Present residence of the Sacs and Foxes 49
CHAPTER III.
Birth of Black Hawk—Early adventures—Battles with the Osages and
Cherokees—Death of his father—Interview with Lieutenant Pike—Attack
upon Fort Madison—Joins the British in the late war—Marches
to lake Erie—Returns home after the attack upon Fort
Stephenson—Murder of his adopted son—Battle of the Sink-hole near
Cap au Gris—Treaty of peace at Portage des Sioux in 1816 74
CHAPTER IV.
Building of Fort Armstrong—The good Spirit of Rock Island—Death
of Black Hawk's children—Young Sac offers to die in place of his
brother—Black Hawk's visit to Malden—Whipped by some whites—Whitessettle at his village—Black Hawk's talk with Governor Coles
and Judge Hall—Sale of the lands on Rock river—Indians ordered to
remove—Agreement to remove for six thousand dollars—Memorial of
the white settlers to Governor Reynolds—The Governor's letters to
General Clark and General Gaines—The latter leaves Jefferson Barracks
with six companies of the United States troops for Rock Island—His
interview with Black Hawk—Calls upon the Governor of Illinois
for militia—The Indians abandon their village—treaty of peace made
with them—Official letters to the war department—Summary of the
causes which brought on this disturbance—Black Hawk's attempt to
form an alliance with other tribes 91
CHAPTER V.
Keokuk's birth—Kills a Sioux when fifteen years old—Prevents the
abandonment of the Sac village—Bold manœuvre with the Sioux—Perils
his life for the safety of his people—Speech to the Menominies
at Prairie des Chiens—Called upon to lead his braves to join
in the Black Hawk war—Allays the excitement of his people on this
subject—Deposed from his post as head chief and a young man elected
in his place—Re-established in power—Delivers up his nephew to
the whites to be tried for murder—Letter to the Governor of
Illinois—Council at Washington in 1837—Retorts upon the Sioux—His
visit to Boston—His return home—His personal appearance—And
his character as a war and peace chief 118
CHAPTER VI.
Murder of twenty-eight Menominies by the Foxes of Black Hawk's
band—Naopope's visit to Malden—Black Hawk recrosses the
Mississippi—General Atkinson orders him to return—Stillman's
attack—Defeated by Black Hawk—His white flag fired upon—He sends
out war parties upon the frontier—Attack upon Fort Buffalo—General
Dodge's battle on the Wisconsin—Black Hawk and his band leave the
Four Lakes and fly to the Mississippi—Pursued by General Atkinson—Black
Hawk's flag of truce fired upon by the Captain of the
Warrior—Twenty-three Indians killed 143
CHAPTER VII.
General Atkinson overtakes Black Hawk—Battle of the Bad Axe—Atkinson's
official report—Incidents of the Battle—Capture of
Black Hawk and the prophet—Naopope's statement to General Scott—
General
Scott and Governor Reynolds conclude a treaty with the
Sacs, Foxes and Winnebagoes—Causes which led to the war—Motives
for getting up Indian wars—First attack made by the Illinois
militia—Report of th