EXAMINATION OF THE INDIANS–BLACK HAWK A PRISONER.
With the exception of Black Hawk’s immediate party, the prisoners
were sent to Fort Armstrong, and in a report from General Scott to
Hon. Lewis Cass, Secretary of War, dated at Fort Armstrong, August
19th, he states that he had examined many of the 118 prisoners
taken, from whom he had learned that at one time ten lodges of
Winnebagoes had been with Black Hawk’s party, and that Winnebagoes
brought in scalps eight different times. They also stated that the
Agent St. Vrain was killed by Winnebagoes; in consequence whereof,
the general had sent a talk to the Winnebagoes, demanding of them
that their chiefs, warriors and principal men meet him on the 10th
of September and bring such Sacs, Foxes and Kickapoos of Black
Hawk’s party as may have taken refuge amongst them, and such
Winnebagoes as may have been engaged in the war, or may have given
assistance to the enemy.
Ne-a-pope, the principal war brave of Black Hawk’s band, in his
examination[244] said:
“I always belonged to Black Hawk’s band. Last summer I went to
Malden; when I came back, I found that, by the treaty with General
Gaines, the Sacs had moved across the Mississippi. I remained
during the winter with the Prophet, on Rock River, 35 miles above
the mouth. During the winter the Prophet sent me across the
Mississippi to Black Hawk with a message, telling him and his band
to cross back to his village and make corn. That if the Americans
came and told them to move again, they would shake hands with
them–if Americans had come and told us to move, we should have
shaken hands and immediately have moved peacefully.[245] We
encamped on Sycamore Creek–we met some Pottowattamies and I made a
feast for them. At that time I heard there were some Americans
near us (Stillman’s). I prepared a white flag to go and see them,
and sent two or three young men on a hill to see what they were
doing. Before the feast was finished I heard my young men were
killed; this was at sunset. Some of my young men ran out; two were
killed, and the Americans were seen rushing on to our camp. My
young men fired a few guns and the Americans ran off, and my young
men chased them about six miles.”[246]
Ne-a-pope continued by stating that the Pottowatomies of the village
immediately left them, and that no Kickapoos joined them but those
who were originally with Black Hawk; but the Winnebagoes did, and
brought in scalps frequently; that at last, when they found the Sacs
would be beaten, they turned against them.
Na-ni-sa, a Sac woman, aged 25, sister of a head warrior, stated
that in the hottest of the fight of August 2d she kept her infant
close in her blanket by the force of her teeth, seized a horse’s
tail, and got across the Mississippi, where they were afterwards
attacked by the Sioux. She ran off, but during the firing she heard
some of those who fired, hallo–“I am a Winnebago.”
When, on August 27th, Black Hawk was brought a prisoner before
General Street, he is reported to have addressed the latter as
follows:[247]
“My warriors fell around me. It began to look dismal. I saw my
evil day at hand. The sun rose clear on us in the morning; at
night it sunk in a dark cloud, and looked like a ball of fire.
This was the last sun that shone on Black Hawk. He is now a
prisoner to the white man, but he can stand the torture. He is not
afraid of death. He is no coward. Black Hawk is an Indian. He has
done nothing of which an Indian need be ashamed. He has fought the
battles of his country against the white man, who came year after
year to cheat his people and take away their lands. You know the
cause of our making war. It is known to all white men. They ought
to be ashamed of it. The white men despise the Indians and drive
them from their homes. But the Indians are not deceitful. Indians
do not steal. Black Hawk is satisfied. He will go to the world of
spirits contented. He has done his duty. His father will meet and
reward him. The white men do not scalp the heads, but they do
worse–they poison the heart. It is not pure with them. His
countrymen will not be scalped, but they will in a few years
become like the white man, so that you cannot hurt them; and there
must be, as in the white settlements, as many officers as men to
take care of them and keep them in order. Farewell to my nation!
Farewell to Black Hawk!”
Black Hawk and his fellow prisoners were placed aboard the steamboat
to be delivered to General Scott at Fort Armstrong, where treaties
were to have been negotiated at once with the Sacs and Foxes and
Winnebagoes. Soured at his restraint he sought, in a speech at
Galena, to shift his guilt to the shoulders of Keokuk, as has been
reported in the Galenian of September 5th, 1832:
“Black Hawk this morning desired to speak to General Street. The
amount of what he said was: That he was not the originator of the
war. He was now going where he would meet Keokuk and then he would
tell the truth. He would tell all about this war which had caused
so much trouble. There were chiefs and braves of his nation who
were the cause of the continuance of the war. He did not wish to
hold any council with him. He only wanted to tell him that when he
got where Keokuk was, he would tell the whole of the origin of the
differences and those who continued them. He wanted to surrender
long ago; but others refused. He wanted to surrender to the
steamboat Warrior, and tried to do so till the second fire. He
then ran and went up the river and never returned to the
battleground. His determination then was to escape if he could. He
did not intend to surrender after that; but when the Winnebagoes
came upon him, he gave up–and he would tell all about the
disturbances when he got to Rock Island.”
It is a noteworthy fact that when he did meet Keokuk he made no
startling disclosures. On the contrary, he leaned upon Keokuk and
cultivated the latter’s assistance, with the expectation that Keokuk
would be able to aid him to escape further captivity.
Upon the arrival at Fort Armstrong of the boat, the cholera was
raging with such virulence that General Scott directed the prisoners
to be taken on down to Jefferson Barracks until the fury of the
disease had abated.[248] This angered Black Hawk, for he was
determined to make a speech to Scott and doubtless endeavor to
unload all his offenses upon Keokuk.
This memorable trip from Prairie du Chien to Jefferson Barracks was
made in charge of Lieut. Jefferson Davis, and of his kindness and
consideration for the feelings of the distinguished prisoners, Black
Hawk has this to say:[249]
“We remained here (Prairie du Chien) a short time, and then
started for Jefferson Barracks in a steamboat under the charge of
a young war chief (Lieut. Jefferson Davis) who treated all with
much kindness. He is a good and brave young chief, with whose
conduct I was much pleased. On our way down we called at Galena
and remained a short time. The people crowded to the boat to see
us, but the war chief would not permit them to enter the apartment
where we were–knowing, from what his feelings would have been if
he had been placed in a similar situation, that we did not wish to
have a gaping crowd around us.”
Arriving safely at Jefferson Barracks,[250] the prisoners were
delivered to General Atkinson, who put them in irons and thus laid
the finishing stroke to Black Hawk’s pride. On this feature of his
captivity he had Colonel Patterson write: “We were now confined to
the barracks and forced to wear the ball and chain. This was
extremely mortifying and altogether useless. Was the White Beaver
(Atkinson) afraid I would break out of his barracks and run away? or
was he ordered to inflict this punishment upon me? If I had taken
him prisoner on the field of battle I would not have wounded his
feelings so much by such treatment, knowing that a brave war chief
would prefer death to dishonor. But I do not blame the White Beaver
for the course he pursued, as it is the custom among the white
soldiers, and I suppose was a part of his duty.”
The White Beaver probably had in mind the many previous breaches of
faith exhibited by the prisoner, after having made promises and
treaties to behave himself, when he applied the shackles, and Black
Hawk realized for the first time that the whites would suffer him to
disturb them no longer. In his lofty speech to General Street,
stating that “he can stand the torture,” one would expect to find
Black Hawk glorifying the pleasure of manacled martyrdom; but in the
contrast between the speech and the complaint, we find the true
Black Hawk, from young manhood to his capture. The inconvenience of
prison life made of him the poorest example of martyrdom that ever
posed.
-----
Footnote 244:
Made on the 19th.
Footnote 245:
He entirely forgot the many requests of Atkinson to move
peacefully.
Footnote 246:
Also copied in 43 Niles Reg. for Sept. 29, 1832, p. 69.
Footnote 247:
Fulton’s “Red Men of Iowa,” p. 210.
Footnote 248:
The Captain, prior to leaving, had pledged his passengers not to
stop at Ft. Armstrong, Mo. Rep., Sept. 11, 1832.
Footnote 249:
Autobiography 2d Ed., p. 111.
Footnote 250:
Mo. Republican of Sept. 11, 1832, contains statement that
steamboat Winnebago arrived in St. Louis en route for Jefferson
Barracks “ten miles below,” on Sept. 10. That the “boat left
Galena with Black Hawk, The Prophet, two sons of Black Hawk and
nine braves, together with about 50 warriors.” The latter were
landed south of the lower rapids on their pledge of neutrality.
Black Hawk, The Prophet, two sons and nine braves were taken to
Jefferson Barracks to remain as hostages. On the preceding
Thursday Ne-a-pope and six or seven warriors were taken there by
Lt. Cross and five men under his command.
-----
------------------------------------------------------------------------