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[Illustration: BLACK 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,
BY GEORGE CONCLIN,
In the Clerk's Office of the District of Ohio.
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|Transcriber's Note: There are inconsistencies in the Index |
|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 of this 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--Whites
settle 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 manoeuvre 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 the Secretary at War in regard to this
campaign--General Macomb's letter to General Atkinson--Secretary
Cass' statement of the causes which led to this war--Comments upon
this statement, and its omissions pointed out 166
CHAPTER VIII.
Black Hawk, Naopope, the Prophet and others confined at Jefferson
Barracks--In April 1833 sent to Washington--Interview with the
President--sent to Fortress Monroe--Their release--Visit the eastern
cities--Return to the Mississippi--Conference at Rock island between
Maj. Garland, Keokuk, Black Hawk and other chiefs--speeches
of Keokuk, Pashshepaho and Black Hawk--Final discharge of the
hostages--Their return to their families--Black Hawk's visit to
Washington in 1837--His return--His personal appearance--Military
talents--Intellectual and moral character 200
CHAPTER IX.
Black Hawk at the capture of Fort Erie--At the battle
of the Thames--His account of the death of Tecumthe--His
residence and mode of life after his last visit to the
east--His Fourth of July speech at fort Madison--His death
and burial 234
APPENDIX--Sketches of the Sioux 222
Colonization of the Indians 228
Indian Dancing Ceremonies 237
Sale of Whiskey to the Indians 245
INDEX 285
HISTORY
OF THE
SAUKEE AND MUSQUAKEE NATIONS,
USUALLY CALLED THE
SAC AND FOX INDIANS.
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.
The word Saukee, or O-sau-kee, now written Sauk or more commonly Sac, is
derived from a compound in the Algonquin or Chippeway language,
a-saw-we-kee, which means "yellow earth." Mus-qua-kee, the name of the
Fox Indians, signifies "red earth." These two tribes have long resided
together, and now constitute one people, although there are some
internal regulations among them which tend to preserve a distinctive
name and lineage. The chiefs, on ceremonial occasions, claim to be
representatives of independent tribes, but this distinction is nominal.
For many years past the principal chief of the Sacs, has been, in fact,
the chief of the Foxes likewise. They are united in peace and war, speak
the same language, claim the same territory, have similar manners and
customs, and possess traditions which represent them as descended from
the one common origin--the great Chippeway nation.
Both tribes originally resided upon the waters of the St. Lawrence. The
Foxes removed first to the west, and established themselves in the
region of Green Bay. Upon a river bearing their name, which empties into
the head of this Bay, they suffered a signal defeat by a combined body
of French and Indians, at a place, since known as La Butte de Mort, or
the Hill of the Dead.[1] Subsequently to this battle, they were joined
by the Sacs, who having become involved in a war with the Iroquois or
Six Nations, were also driven to the westward. They found their
relatives, the Foxes, upon Green Bay, but so far reduced in numbers, by
the attacks of other tribes, that they were no longer able to sustain
themselves as an independent people. The union between these two tribes,
which then took place, and continues to this day, was as much a matter
of necessity as of feeling. The period of their migration from the St.
Lawrence to the upper Lakes cannot be satisfactorily ascertained. La
Hontan speaks of a Sac village on Fox river, as early as 1689; and
Father Hennepin, in 1680, mentions the Ontagamies or Fox Indians, as
residents on the bay of Puants, now Green Bay.
From this place, the Sauks and Foxes, crossed over to the eastern bank
of the Mississippi, and combining with other tribes, began to act on the
offensive. The period of this irruption from the north, it is not easy
to determine. Major Thomas Forsyth, who resided for near twenty years
among the Sauks and Foxes, in a manuscript account of those tribes, now
before us, says:
"More than a century ago, all the country, commencing above Rock river,
and running down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ohio, up that river
to the mouth of the Wabash, thence up that river to Fort Wayne, thence
down the Miami of the Lake some distance, thence north to the St.
Joseph's and Chicago; also the country lying south of the Des Moines,
down perhaps, to the Mississippi, was inhabited by a numerous nation of
Indians, who called themselves Linneway, and were called by others,
Minneway, signifying "men." This great nation was divided into several
bands, and inhabited different parts of this extensive region, as
follows: The Michigamies, the country south of the Des Moines; the
Cohakias that east of the present village of Cohokia in Illinois; the
Kaskaskias that east of the town of that name; the Tamarois had their
village nearly central between Cahokia and Kaskaskia; the Piankeshaws
near Vincennes; the Weas up the Wabash; the Miamies on the head waters
of the Miami of the Lakes, on St. Joseph's river and at Chicago. The
Piankeshaws, Weas and Miamies, must at this time have hunted south
towards and on the Ohio. The Peorias, another band of the same nation,
lived and hunted on the Illinois river: The Mascos or Mascontins, called
by the French _gens des prairies_, lived and hunted on the great
prairies, between the Wabash and Illinois rivers. All these different
bands of the Minneway nation, spoke the language of the present Miamies,
and the whole considered themselves as one and the same people; yet from
their local situation, and having no standard to go by, their language
became broken up into different dialects. These Indians, the Minneways,
were attacked by a general confederacy of other nations, such as the
Sauks and Foxes, resident at Green Bay and on the Ouisconsin; the Sioux,
whose frontiers extended south to the river des Moines: the Chippeways,
Ottoways, and Potawatimies from the lakes, and also the Cherokees and
Choctaws from the south. The war continued for a great many years and
until that great nation the Minneways were destroyed, except a few
Miamies and Weas on the Wabash, and a few who are scattered among
strangers. Of the Kaskaskias, owing to their wars and their fondness for
spiritous liquors, there now (1826) remain but thirty or forty
souls;--of the Peorias near St. Genevieve ten or fifteen; of the
Piankeshaws forty or fifty. The Miamies are the most numerous; a few
years ago they consisted of about four hundred souls. There do not exist
at the present day (1826) more than five hundred souls of the once great
and powerful Minneway or Illini nation. These Indians, the Minneways,
are said to have been very cruel to their prisoners, not unfrequently
burning them. I have heard of a certain family among the Miamies who
were called man-eaters, as they were accustomed to make a feast of human
flesh when a prisoner was killed. For these enormities, the Sauks and
Foxes, when they took any of the Minneways prisoners, gave them up to
their women to be buffeted to death. They speak also of the Mascontins
with abhorrence, on account of their cruelties. The Sauks and Foxes have
a historical legend of a severe battle having been fought opposite the
mouth of the Iowa river, about fifty or sixty miles above the mouth of
Rock river. The Sauks and Foxes descended the Mississippi in canoes, and
landing at the place above described, started east, towards the enemy:
they had not gone far before they were attacked by a party of the
Mascontins. The battle continued nearly all day; the Sauks and Foxes,
for want of ammunition, finally gave way and fled to their canoes; the
Mascontins pursued them and fought desperately, and left but few of the
Sauks and Foxes to carry home the story of their defeat. Some forty or
fifty years ago, the Sauks and Foxes attacked a small village of
Peorias, about a mile below St. Louis and were there defeated. At a
place on the Illinois river, called Little Rock, there were formerly
killed by the Chippeways and Ottowas, a number of men, women and
children of the Minneway nation. In 1800 the Kickapoos made a great
slaughter of the Kaskaskia Indians. The Main-Pogue, or Potawatimie
juggler, in 1801, killed a great many of the Piankeshaws on the Wabash."
The land on which St. Louis stands, as well as the surrounding country,
was claimed by the Illini confederacy, which had acquiesced in the
intrusion of the whites. This circumstance, it is supposed, led the
northern confederacy to the attempt, which they made in 1779, to destroy
the village of St. Louis, then occupied by the Spaniards. As the Sacs
and Foxes were active participators in this attack, no apology is
necessary for introducing the following graphic account of it, from the
pen of Wilson Primm, Esqr. of St. Louis.[2]
"In the mean time numerous bands of the Indians living on the lakes and
the Mississippi--the Ojibeways, Menomonies, Winnebagoes, Sioux, Sacs,
&c. together with a large number of Canadians, amounting in all to
upwards of fourteen hundred, had assembled on the eastern shore of the
Mississippi, a little above St. Louis, awaiting the sixth of May, the
day fixed for the attack. The fifth of May was the feast of _Corpus
Christi_, a day highly venerated by the inhabitants, who were all
Catholics. Had the assault taken place then, it would have been fatal to
them, for, after divine service, all the men, women and children had
flocked to the prairie to gather strawberries, which were that season
very abundant and fine. The town being left perfectly unguarded, could
have been taken with ease, and the unsuspecting inhabitants, who were
roaming about in search of fruit, have been massacred without
resistance. Fortunately, however, a few only of the enemy had crossed
the river and ambushed themselves in the prairie. The villagers,
frequently came so near them, in the course of the day, that the Indians
from their places of concealment, could have reached them with their
hands. But they knew not how many of the whites were still remaining in
the town, and in the absence of their co-adjutors, feared to attack,
lest their preconcerted plan might be defeated."
On the sixth, the main body of the Indians crossed, and marched directly
towards the fields, expecting to find the greater part of the villagers
there; but in this they were disappointed, a few only having gone out to
view their crops. These perceived the approach of the savage foe, and
immediately commenced a retreat towards the town, the most of them
taking the road that led to the upper gate, nearly through the mass of
Indians, and followed by a shower of bullets. The firing alarmed those
who were in town, and the cry "to arms! to arms!" was heard in every
direction. They rushed towards the works and threw open the gates to
their brethren. The Indians advanced slowly but steadily towards the
town, and the inhabitants, though almost deprived of hope, by the vast
superiority in number of the assailants, determined to defend themselves
to the last.
"In expectation of an attack, Silvio Francisco Cartabona, a governmental
officer, had gone to St. Genevieve for a company of militia to aid in
defending the town, in case of necessity, and had at the beginning of
the month returned with sixty men, who were quartered on the citizens.
As soon as the attack commenced, however, neither Cartabona nor his men
could be seen. Either through fear or treachery, they concealed
themselves in a garret, and there remained until the Indians had
retired. The assailed being deprived of a considerable force, by this
shameful defection, were still resolute and determined. About fifteen
men were posted at each gate; the rest were scattered along the line of
defence, in the most advantageous manner.
"When within a proper distance, the Indians began an irregular fire,
which was answered with showers of grape shot from the artillery. The
firing, for a while, was warm; but the Indians perceived that all their
efforts would be ineffectual on account of the intrenchments, and
deterred by the cannon, to which they were unaccustomed, from making a
nearer approach, suffered their zeal to abate, and deliberately retired.
At this stage of affairs, the Lieutenant Governor made his appearance.
The first intimation that he received of what was going on, was by the
discharge of artillery, on the part of the inhabitants. He immediately
ordered several pieces of cannon, which were posted in front of the
government house, to be spiked and filled with sand, and went, or rather
was rolled in a wheelbarrow, to the scene of action. In a very
peremptory tone, he commanded the inhabitants to cease firing and return
to their houses. Those posted at the lower gate, did not receive the
order, and consequently kept their stations. The commandant perceived
this and ordered a cannon to be fired at them. They had barely time to
throw themselves on the ground, when the volley passed over them, and
struck the wall, tearing a great part of it down. These proceedings, as
well as the whole tenor of his conduct, since the first rumor of an
attack, gave rise to suspicions very unfavorable to the Lieutenant
Governor. It was bruited about, that he was the cause of the attack,
that he was connected with the British, and that he had been bribed into
a dereliction of duty, which, had not providence averted, would have
doomed them to destruction. Under pretext of proving to them that there
was no danger of an attack, he had a few days before it occurred, sold
to the traders, all the ammunition belonging to the government; and they
would have been left perfectly destitute and defenceless, had they not
found, in a private house, eight barrels of powder, belonging to a
trader, which they seized in the name of the King, upon the first alarm.
Colonel George Rogers Clark, who was at this time at Kaskaskia, with a
few men under his command, understanding that an attack was meditated on
the town, offered all the assistance in his power, to aid in the
defence. This offer was rejected by the Lieutenant Governor. All these
circumstances gave birth to a strong aversion to the commandant, which
evinces itself, at this day, in execrations of his character, whenever
his name is mentioned to those who have known him. Representations of
his conduct, together with a detailed account of the attack, were sent
to New Orleans by a special messenger, and the result was that the
Governor General appointed Mr. Francisco Cruzat, to the office of
Lieutenant Governor.
"As soon as it was ascertained that the Indians had retired from the
neighborhood, the inhabitants proceeded to gather the dead, that lay
scattered in all parts of the prairie. Seven were at first found and
buried in one grave. Ten or twelve others, in the course of a fortnight,
were discovered in the long grass that bordered the marshes. The acts of
the Indians were accompanied by their characteristic ferocity. Some of
their victims were horribly mangled. With the exception of one
individual, the whites who accompanied the Indians, did not take part in
the butcheries that were committed. A young man by the name of Calve,
was found dead, his skull split open, and a tomahawk, on the blade of
which was written the word Calve, sticking in his brain. He was supposed
to have fallen by the hand of his uncle. Had those who discovered the
Indians in the prairie, fled to the lower gate, they would have escaped;
but the greater part of them took the road that led to the upper gate,
through the very ranks of the enemy, and were thus exposed to the whole
of their fire. About twenty persons, it is computed, met their death in
endeavoring to get within the entrenchments. None of those within were
injured, and none of the Indians were killed, at least none of them were
found. Their object was not plunder, for they did not attempt, in their
retreat, to take away with them any of the cattle or the horses that
were in the prairie, and that they might have taken; nor did they attack
any of the neighboring towns, where danger would have been less, and the
prospect of success greater. The only object they had in view was the
destruction of St. Louis; and this would seem to favor the idea that
they were instigated by the English, and gives good ground, when
connected with other circumstances, to believe that Leyba was their
aider and abettor. * * * *
"A Mr. Chancellier had gone on the day of attack, to the prairie for
strawberries, with his wife, two daughters and an American, the first
that had ever been in the country, in a cart drawn by two horses. When
they perceived the Indians, they immediately fled towards the town in
the cart; Mr. Chancellier being seated before, and the American behind,
in order to protect the women, who were in the middle. In their flight
the American was mortally wounded. As he was falling out, Mr.
Chancellier seized him and threw him into the midst of the women,
exclaiming, "they shan't get the scalp of my American." He was at the
same time struck by two balls, which broke his arm in as many places,
above the elbow. His wife received a bullet through the middle of her
hand, the elder daughter was shot through the shoulder, immediately
above the breast, and the younger was struck on the forehead, but the
ball glanced aside and merely stunned her. The moment Mr. Chancellier
arrived at the gate, his horses dropped dead, pierced with a hundred
wounds, but his family was saved."
Mr. Primm, the writer of this interesting narrative, has probably not
been fully informed in regard to the extent of Colonel George Rogers
Clark's participation in this affair. In a written memorandum now before
us, made on the authority of his brother, General William Clark of St.
Louis, who it is presumed has possession of his father's official
papers, it is stated, in reference to this affair, that although the
Spanish Governor could not be made to believe that an attack was
intended, the principal inhabitants sent over an express to Colonel
Clark, who was then at Kaskaskia with five hundred men, to come and
protect them. He accordingly marched his force up opposite the town and
encamped a little distance from the river. He did not send over any
troops, but was to do so, in case of an attack; when it was actually
made Colonel Clark crossed the river; and upon seeing the "long knives,"
as the Indians called his troops, they hastily retreated, having killed
seventy-two or seventy-three of the Spaniards, before his arrival. This
sudden appearance of Colonel Clark, upon the scene of action, explains
the conduct of the Indians. So large a body of warriors, making a
preconcerted attack, upon a town but badly protected, would not, it is
thought, have given up the assault so suddenly and before they had lost
a single man, unless alarmed by the presence of a superior force. On the
supposition that Colonel Clark actually crossed the river with his
troops, the flight of the Indians is easily explained. They were
probably apprised of Colonel Clark's being at Kaskaskia, and his name
was every where a terror to the Indians. As an evidence of this, a short
time afterwards, he sent a detachment of one hundred and fifty men, as
far up the country as Prairie des Chiens, and from thence across Rock
and Illinois rivers and down to Kaskaskia, meeting with no molestation
from the Indians, who were struck with terror at the boldness of the
enterprise, saying that if so few dared to come, they "would fight like
devils."
General William H. Harrison, long familiar with the North West Indians,
in an official letter to the secretary at War, dated H.Q. Cincinnati,
March 22d, 1814, giving an able view of the Indian tribes, makes the
following remarks on the descent of this northern confederacy, upon the
great Illini nation.
"The Miamies have their principal settlements on the forks of the
Wabash, thirty miles from fort Wayne; and at Mississineway, thirty miles
lower down. A band of them, under the name of Weas, have resided on the
Wabash, sixty miles above Vincennes; and another under the Turtle, on
Eel river, a branch of the Wabash, twenty miles north west of Fort
Wayne. By an artifice of the Little Turtle, these three bands were
passed on General Wayne as distinct tribes, and an annuity was granted
to each. The Eel river and Weas however to this day call themselves
Miamies, and are recognized as such by the Mississineway band. The
Miamies, Maumees, or Tewicktovies are the undoubted proprietors of all
that beautiful country which is watered by the Wabash and its branches;
and there is as little doubt, that their claim extended as far east as
the Sciota. They have no tradition of removing from any other quarter of
the country; whereas all the neighboring tribes, the Piankeshaws
excepted, who are a branch of the Miamies, are either intruders upon
them, or have been permitted to settle in their country. The Wyandots
emigrated first from Lake Ontario and subsequently from lake Huron, the
Delawares from Pennsylvania and Maryland, the Shawanies from Georgia,
the Kickapoos and Pottawatamies from the country between lake Michigan
and the Mississippi, and the Ottawas and Chippeways, from the peninsula
formed by lakes Michigan, Huron and St. Clair, and the strait connecting
the latter with Erie. The claims of the Miamies were bounded on the
north and west by those of the Illinois confederacy, consisting
originally of five tribes, called Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Peorians,
Michiganians, and Temorias speaking the Miami language, and no doubt
branches of that nation.
"When I was first appointed governor of Indiana Territory, these once
powerful tribes were reduced to about thirty warriors, of whom twenty
five were Kaskaskias, four Peorians, and a single Michiganian. There was
an individual lately alive at St. Louis, who saw the enumeration of them
made by the Jesuits in 1745, making the number of their warriors four
thousand. A furious war between them and the Sacs and Kickapoos reduced
them to that miserable remnant, which had taken refuge amongst the white
people of Kaskaskia and St. Genevieve. The Kickapoos had fixed their
principal village at Peoria, upon the south bank of the Illinois river,
whilst the Sacks remained masters of the country to the north."
These historical facts are interesting, as showing the manner in which
the Sauks and Foxes obtained possession of the fertile plains of
Illinois; and, as adding another to the many instances on record, in
which hordes of northern invaders have overrun and subjugated the people
of more southern regions. The causes are obvious for this descent of the
Sauks and Foxes, upon their southern neighbors. They reached a more
genial climate, a country where game was more abundant than in the
region they left behind, and in which they could, with greater facility,
raise their corn, beans and pumpkins. Other causes than these might have
had their influence. The Illini confederacy may have provoked the
descent of the northern tribes upon them. On this point, Lieutenant Pike
in his travels to the sources of the Mississippi, has the following
remark.
"By killing the celebrated Sauk chief, Pontiac, the Illinois, Cahokias,
Kaskaskias and Peorias, kindled a war with the allied nations of the
Sauks and Reynards, which has been the cause of the almost entire
destruction of the former nations."
The death of Pontiac may have been the immediate exciting cause of the
war, but it is more than probable that the love of conquest and the
hope of obtaining a more fruitful and genial country, than is to be
found upon the shore of the lakes, were the principal reasons which
impelled the northern confederacy to the subjugation of the Illini.
The principal village of the Sacs and Foxes, for a long period of time,
was on the north side of Rock river, near its junction with the
Mississippi. It contained at one time upwards of sixty lodges, and was
among the largest and most populous Indian villages on the continent.
The country around it is fertile and picturesque, finely watered, and
studded with groves and prairies. It is described in the following
graphic manner, by a gentleman[3] who travelled over it in 1829.
"The Mississippi, which below its junction with the Missouri, is a
troubled stream, meandering through low grounds, and margined by muddy
banks, is here a clear and rapid river, flowing over beds of rock and
gravel, and bordered by the most lovely shores. Nothing of the kind can
be more attractive, than the scenery at the upper rapids. On the western
shore, a series of slopes are seen, commencing at the gravelly margin of
the water, and rising one above another, with a barely perceptible
acclivity, for a considerable distance, until the back ground is
terminated by a chain of beautifully rounded hills, over which trees are
thinly scattered, as if planted to embellish the scene. This is the
singular charm of prairie scenery. Although it is a wilderness, just as
nature made it, the verdant carpet, the gracefully waving outline of the
surface, the clumps and groves and scattered trees, give it the
appearance of a noble park, boundless in extent, and adorned with
exquisite taste. It is a wild but not a savage wild, that awes by its
gloom. It is a gay and cheerful wilderness, winning by its social aspect
as well as its variety and intrinsic gracefulness. The eastern shore is
not less beautiful: a broad flat plain of rich alluvion, extending from
the water's edge, is terminated by a range of wooded hills. A small
collection of the lodges of the Saukies and Foxes stood on this plain
when the writer last saw it, but their chief village was about three
miles distant. In the front of the landscape, and presenting its most
prominent feature, is Rock Island, on the southern point of which,
elevated upon a parapet of rock, is Fort Armstrong. The region around is
healthy and amazingly fruitful. The grape, the plum, the gooseberry and
various other native fruits abound,--the wild honeysuckle gives its
perfume to the air, and a thousand indigenous flowers mingle their
diversified hues with the verdure of the plain. But all this fertility
of soil and scenic beauty has produced no ameliorating effect upon the
savages. The Sauks of Illinois, when first visited by the French
missionaries were as they are now. They are still savages, as much so as
the Osages, Comanches and Seminoles, and not superior to the wandering
Chippeways."
The civil polity of these two tribes bears much resemblance to that of
the north western Indians generally. The peace chiefs are partly
elective and partly hereditary. The son succeeds the father by the
assent of the tribe, if worthy of the office, and if not, a successor,
of a more meritorious character, is chosen by them from some collateral
branch of the family. There is a legend among them relating to the
relative rank of their chiefs, which, although perhaps purely
figurative, may not be uninteresting to the reader. They say that a
great while ago, their fathers had a long lodge, in the centre of which
were ranged four fires. By the first fire stood two chiefs, one on the
right, who was called the great Bear, and one on the left, called the
little Bear: these were the village or peace chiefs: they were the
rulers of the band, and held the authority corresponding to that of the
chief magistrate. At the second fire stood two chiefs: one on the right,
called the great Fox, and one on the left, called the little Fox: these
were the war chiefs or generals. At the third fire stood two warriors,
who were called respectively the Wolf and the Owl. And at the other
fire, two others who were the Eagle and the Tortoise. These four last
named were not chiefs but braves of distinction, who held honorable
places in the council, and were persons of influence in peace and in
war. This lodge of four fires may have existed among these tribes. It is
true that their chiefs remain as described in the legend.
The peace chief or head-man presides in council, and all important
public acts are done in his name; but unless he be a man of popular
talents and great energy of character his place confers more of honor
than power. If a weak or irresolute man, although he nominally retain
his authority, the war chiefs actually exercise it. It is very seldom
that he acquires property, for he is expected to make feasts and
presents, and is compelled to be hospitable and liberal as a means of
sustaining his power among his people.
The office of war chief is never hereditary, but results from skill and
intrepidity in battle, and is held so long as those qualities are
successfully retained. It may readily be conceived that among such a
race the war chiefs, having the braves and young men of the nation under
their command, would generally maintain a controlling influence. The
leading war chief is always better known than the principal peace chief,
is often confounded with him, and still oftener exercises his authority.
The Sauks are, at the present time, divided into twelve families, and
the Foxes into eight, each known by the name of some animal. Among the
Sauks there is another division peculiar to it. The males are all
classed in two parties or bands--one called Kish-ko-guis, or long hairs;
the other Osh-cushis or braves, the former being considered something
more than brave. In 1819 each party numbered about four hundred members,
and in 1826, the number was increased to five hundred in each. The
standard of the Kish-ko-guis or long hairs, is red, and that of the
Osh-cushis or braves, blue. Every male child, soon after its birth, is
marked with white or black paint, and is classed in one of these two
parties, the mother being careful to apply the two colors alternately,
so that if the number of males in a family be even, each band will
receive an equal number of members, and the whole nation will thus be
nearly equally divided into the two colors of black and white. These
distinctive marks are permanently retained through life, and in painting
themselves for any ceremonies or public occasions, those of one party
use white, the others black paint, in addition to other colors which may
suit their fancy. The reason of this singular custom is for the purpose
of creating and keeping alive a spirit of emulation in the tribe. In
their games, sham-battles and other pastimes, the whites and blacks are
opposed to each other; and in war, each party is ambitious of bringing
home a greater number of scalps than the other.
The chiefs have the management of public affairs, but as we have already
seen are more or less influenced, especially in matters of war or peace,
by the braves. In their councils, questions are not considered,
generally, as decided, unless there be unanimity of opinion. Their laws
are few and simple. Debts are but seldom contracted by them, and there
is no mode of enforcing their collection. For redress of civil injuries,
an appeal is usually made to some of the old men of the tribe, mutually
selected by the parties concerned; and their decision is considered as
binding. A murder among them is seldom punished capitally. The relatives
of the deceased may take revenge in that way, but it is much more common
to receive compensation in property. If the relatives cannot agree upon
the amount of the compensation, the old men of the tribe interfere and
settle it. The kinsfolk of the deceased say, that by killing the
murderer, it will not bring the dead to life, and that it is better to
take the customary presents, which often amount in value to a
considerable sum. Occasionally the murderer arranges the whole matter,
by marrying the widow of the man he has killed. There is but one offence
that is considered of a national character, and that is of rare
occurrence. It consists in aiding the enemies of the tribe, in times of
war, and is punishable with death. A sentinel who has been placed on
duty by a chief, but who neglects it, is publicly whipped by the women.
The Sauks and Foxes have no established mode of declaring war. If
injured by a neighboring tribe they wait a reasonable time for
reparation to be made, and if it is not, they avail themselves of the
first fitting opportunity of taking revenge. The young Indians manifest,
at an early age, a love of war. They hear the old warriors recounting
their exploits, and as the battle-field is the only road to distinction,
they embrace the first chance of killing an enemy. When the question of
going to war is under consideration, some one or a number of them,
undertake to consult the Great Spirit by fasting and dreams. These
latter are related by them in public, and often have their influence,
being generally so interpreted as to inspire confidence in those who may
join the war party. If a party is victorious in battle, the individual
who killed the first enemy, leads them back, and on the way, if they
have prisoners with them, it is not uncommon to kill those who are old.
The young ones are generally adopted into the families of such as have
lost relatives in the battle, or whose children have died a natural
death. Upon the return of the victorious party to their village, a war
dance is held round their captives by way of celebrating their triumph.
Prisoners are sometimes held as slaves, and as such are bought and sold.
If they go to war, which they are encouraged to do, and succeed in
killing one of the enemy, the slave changes his name and from that time
becomes a freeman. The Sauks and Foxes treat their prisoners with
humanity, and if they succeed in getting to the village alive, they are
safe, and their persons are held sacred. But one instance is known of
their having burned a prisoner, and that was in a war with the
Menominies, and in retaliation for a similar act, first committed by
that tribe. The young Indians go to war generally between the age of
seventeen and twenty, but sometimes as early as fifteen. Many of them at
the age of forty and forty-five, look old and are broken down in their
physical constitution, in consequence of the hardships which they have
endured in war and the chase. In old age they are usually provided for,
and live in peace at their villages. When one of them is sick, and
thinks he is about to go to the land of spirits, he not unfrequently
directs the manner in which he wishes to be buried, and his instructions
are complied with. The Sauks and Foxes bury their dead in the ground,
and have preferences for particular places of interment. The graves are
not dug to any great depth, and a little bark from a tree is made to
answer the purpose of a coffin. The body is usually carried to the grave
by old women, who howl at intervals, during the ceremony, most
piteously. Before closing the grave, one of the Indians present at the
funeral will wave a stick or war-club, called "puc-ca waw-gun," saying
in an audible voice, "I have killed many men in war, and I give their
spirits to my dead friend who lies here, to serve him as slaves in the
other world:" after which the grave is filled up with earth, and in a
day or two a rude cabin or shed is made over it of rough boards or bark.
If the deceased was a brave, a post is planted at the head of the grave,
on which, in a rude manner, the number of scalps and prisoners he has
taken in war, is represented by red paint. Upon the death of an adult,
his property is usually distributed among his relatives, and his widow
returns to her own family or nearest kinfolks. The widow is the
principal mourner for the deceased and her grief seems to be sincere.
Her countenance becomes dejected--she seldom smiles--clothes herself in
rags, and with disheveled hair and spots of black paint on her cheeks,
wanders about in a pensive mood, seldom shedding tears, except when
alone in the woods. They generally cease mourning at the suggestion of
some friend, wash, paint themselves red and put on their best clothes
and ornaments. Some of the Sauks and Foxes entertain the opinion that
the spirit of the deceased hovers about the village or lodge, for a few
days, and then takes its flight to the land of repose. On its way, they
suppose it passes over an extensive prairie, beyond which the woods
appear like a blue cloud. Between this woodland and the prairie, there
is a deep and rapid stream of water, across which there is a pole, kept
in continual motion by the force of the current. This stream, the spirit
must cross on the pole, and if it has belonged to a good person, it will
get over safe and find all its good relations that have gone before it.
In this woodland, game of all kinds is abundant, and there the spirits
of the good live in everlasting happiness. If on the contrary, the
spirit has belonged to a bad or wicked person in this world, it will
fall off the pole into the stream, and the current will sweep it down to
the land of evil spirits, where it will forever remain in poverty and
misery. There is nothing very peculiar in the religious opinions of the
Sauks and Foxes, to distinguish them from the aborigines of this
country, generally. They believe in one Great and Good Spirit, who
controls and governs all things, and in supernatural agents who are
permitted to interfere in their concerns. They are of opinion that there
is also a bad spirit, subordinate, however, to the great Manito, who is
permitted to annoy and perplex the Indians, by means of bad medicines,
by poisonous reptiles, and by killing their horses and sinking their
canoes. All their misfortunes are attributed to the influence of this
bad spirit, but they have some vague idea that it is in part permitted
as a punishment for their bad deeds. They all believe in ghosts, and
when they fancy that they have seen one, the friends of the deceased
give a feast and hang up some clothing as an offering to appease the
troubled spirit. So far as the ceremonials are concerned, the Sauks and
Foxes may be called a religious people. They rarely pass any
extraordinary cave, rock, hill or other object, with out leaving behind
them some tobacco for the use of the spirit who they suppose lives
there. They have some kind of prayers, consisting of words which they
sing over in the evening and at sunrise in the morning.
Their tradition in regard to the creation of the world, the deluge and
the re-peopling of the earth, is a singular mixture of truth and
fiction. If anterior in its origin, to the arrival of the whites on this
continent, it presents matter of curious speculation. The following
account of it, entitled the Cosmogony of the Saukee and Musquakee
Indians, is taken from Doctor Galland's Chronicles of the North American
Savages.
"In the beginning the Gods created every living being which was intended
to have life upon the face of the whole earth; and then were formed
every species of living animal. After this the gods also formed man,
whom they perceived to be both cruel and foolish: they then put into man
the heart of the best beast they had created; but they beheld that man
still continued cruel and foolish. After this it came to pass that the
Almighty took a piece of himself, of which he made a heart for the man;
and when the man received it, he immediately became wise above every
other animal on the earth.
"And it came to pass in the process of much time, that the earth
produced its first fruits in abundance, and all the living beasts were
greatly multiplied. The earth about this time, was also inhabited by an
innumerable host of I-am-woi (giants) and gods. And the gods whose
habitation is under the seas, made war upon We-suk-kah, (the chief god
upon the earth) and leagued themselves with the I-am-woi upon the earth,
against him. Nevertheless, they were still afraid of We-suk-kah and his
immense host of gods; therefore they called a council upon the earth;
and when they were assembled upon the earth, at the council, both the
I-am-woi and the gods from under the seas, after much debate, and long
consultation, they resolved to make a great feast upon the earth, and to
invite We-suk-kah, that they might thus beguile him, and at the feast
lay hands upon him and slay him.
"And when the council had appointed a delegate to visit We-suk-kah, and
commanded him to invite We-suk-kah to the great feast, which they were
preparing upon the earth for him; behold, the younger brother of
We-suk-kah, was in the midst of the council, and being confused in the
whole assembly, they said unto him, "Where is thy brother We-suk-kah."
And he answering said unto them "I know not; am I my brother's keeper?"
And the council perceiving that all their devices were known unto him,
they were sorely vexed; therefore, with one accord, the whole assembly
rushed violently upon him and slew him: and thus was slain the younger
brother of We-suk-kah.
"Now when We-suk-kah had heard of the death of his younger brother, he
was extremely sorrowful and wept aloud; and the gods whose habitations
are above the clouds, heard the voice of his lamentations, and they
leagued with him to avenge the blood of his brother. At this time the
lower gods had fled from the face of the earth, to their own habitations
under the seas; and the I-am-woi were thus forsaken, and left alone to
defend themselves against We-suk-kah and his allies.
"Now the scene of battle, where We-suk-kah and his allies fought the
I-am-woi, was in a flame of fire; and the whole race of the I-am-woi
were destroyed with a great slaughter, that there was not one left upon
the face of the whole earth. And when the gods under the sea, knew the
dreadful fate of their allies, the I-am-woi, whom they had deserted,
they were sore afraid and they cried aloud to Na-nam-a-keh (god of
thunder) to come to their assistance. And Na-nam-a-keh heard their cry
and accepted their request, and sent his subaltern, No-tah-tes-se-ah,
(god of the wind) to Pa-poan-a-tesse-ah, (god of the cold) to invite him
to come with all his dreadful host of frost, snow, hail, ice and
north-wind, to their relief. When this destroying army came from the
north, they smote the whole earth with frost, converting the waters of
every river, lake, and sea into solid masses of ice, and covering the
whole earth with an immense sheet of snow and hail. Thus perished all
the first inhabitants of the earth both men, beasts and gods, except a
few choice ones of each kind, which We-suk-kah preserved with himself
upon the earth.
"And again it came to pass in the process of a long time, that the gods
under the sea came forth again, upon the earth; and when they saw
We-suk-kah, that he was almost alone on the earth, they rejoiced in
assurance of being able to destroy him. But when they had exhausted
every scheme, attempted every plan, and executed every effort to no
effect, perceiving that all their councils and designs were well known
to We-suk-kah as soon as they were formed, they became mad with despair,
and resolved to destroy We-suk-kah, by spoiling forever the whole face
of the earth, which they so much desired to inhabit. To this end,
therefore, they retired to their former habitations under the sea and
intreated Na-nam-a-keh (the god of thunder) to drown the whole earth
with a flood.
"And Na-nam-a-keh again hearkened to their cries, and calling all the
clouds to gather themselves together, they obeyed his voice and came;
and when all the clouds were assembled, he commanded them and they
poured down water upon the earth, a tremendous torrent, until the whole
surface of the earth, even the tops of the highest mountains were
covered with water. But it came to pass, when We-suk-kah saw the water
coming upon the earth, he took some air, and made an o-pes-quie,
(vessel, boat or shell) and getting into it himself, he took with him
all sorts of living beasts, and man; and when the waters rose upon the
earth the o-pes-quie was lifted up and floated upon the surface, until
the tops of the highest mountains were covered with the flood. And when
the o-pes-quie had remained for a long time upon the surface of the
flood, We-suk-kah called one of the animals, which was with him in the
o-pes-quie, and commanded it to go down through the water to the earth,
to bring from thence some earth; and after many repeated efforts and
with great difficulty, the animal at length returned, bringing in its
mouth, some earth; of which, when We-suk-kah had received it, he formed
this earth, and spread it forth upon the surface of the water; and went
forth himself and all that were with him in the o-pes-quie, and occupied
the dry land."
In the social or family relations of the Sauks and Foxes, it is
considered the duty of the men to hunt and clothe their wives and
children--to purchase arms and the implements of husbandry so far as
they use them--to make canoes and assist in rowing them--to hunt and
drive their horses, make saddles, &c. &c. The duties of the women, are
to skin the game when brought home and prepare the skins for market, to
cook, to make the camp, cut and carry wood, make moccasins, plant and
gather the corn, beans and pumpkins, and do all the drudgery connected
with the domestic affairs. It is the commonly received opinion among the
whites that the female Indians are the slaves of their husbands. This is
not literally true. The men seldom make their wives feel their
authority: as a general rule among the Sauks and Foxes, they live
happily together. The wives take the liberty of scolding their
husbands, very frequently, and it is considered by both parties that
every thing in the family, except the war and hunting implements,
belongs to the wife, and she may do with it as she pleases. The men may
each have two or three, or even more wives. They generally prefer to
take sisters, as they agree better together in the same lodge: the
eldest usually regulates all the domestic affairs of the family and has
charge of the property belonging to it. The men turn off their wives and
the latter leave their husbands whenever they become discontented. While
living together, the women are generally faithful to their husbands. The
daughters seldom leave their mothers until they are married, which
usually occurs when they are about fourteen or fifteen years of age. The
parents of an Indian girl are generally conciliated by presents from her
lover, but they may insist upon servitude from him, which sometimes runs
throughout one, two or three years. There is no particular marriage
ceremony among them, beyond that of the contract between the parents or
parties. A young Sauk lover is represented as a silly looking fellow,
who can neither eat, drink or sleep--he appears to be deranged, and with
all the pains he takes to conceal his passion, his malady is still
apparent to his friends. The faithfulness of this sketch, will hardly be
questioned, when the close analogy which it bears to a pale-faced lover,
is recalled to mind. The Sauks and Foxes, when pinched with hunger, will
eat almost any kind of meat, but prefer venison and bear's meat to all
other; they never eat it unless cooked. They make much use of corn,
beans and pumpkins, and annually raise considerable quantities. They are
not fond of fish and seldom eat them if they can procure other kinds of
food.
There are but three kinds of musical instruments used among these
tribes. The drum, which is beat at their feasts, dances and games, the
tambourin, and a kind of flageolet, made of cane or two pieces of soft
wood hollowed out and fastened together with strips of leather. Their
tunes are always on a flat key, have but few variations and are mostly
of a melancholy character. According to Mr. Atwater, who visited those
residing near Rock Island, in 1829, the Sacs and Foxes have "tunes
evidently of French origin, and some songs of considerable length."
"These Indians have among them, what answers to the Italian
Improvisatori who make songs for particular occasions." The same writer
says, "the Sauks and Foxes have a considerable number of songs, suited
to a great many occasions in their own language." He further adds,
"Among the Indians of the Upper Mississippi, the Sauks and Foxes are
decidedly the best actors, and have the greatest variety of plays among
them." In common with the Indian tribes generally, they have a variety
of athletic games, in which both the men and women join. They are
addicted to cards and other games of chance, and often bet very high.
Touching the condition of these tribes in 1805, Lieutenant Pike, in his
travels to the sources of the Mississippi, says, "The first nation of
Indians whom we met with, were the Sauks, who principally reside in
four villages. The first at the head of the rapids des Moyens, on the
west shore, containing thirteen lodges. The second on a prairie on the
east shore about sixty miles above. The third on the river De Roche
[Rock river] about three miles from the entrance, and the last on the
river Iowa. They hunt on the Mississippi and its confluent streams from
the Illinois to the river Des Iowa; and on the plains west of them which
border the Mississippi. They are so perfectly consolidated with the
Reynards (the Foxes) that they can scarcely be termed a distinct nation;
but recently there appears to be a schism between the two nations: the
latter not approving of the insolence and ill-will, which has marked the
conduct of the former towards the United States, on many late
occurrences. They have for many years past made war (under the auspices
of the Sioux) on the Santeaux, Osages and Missouries; but as recently a
peace has been (through the influence of the United States) made between
them and the nations of the Missouri, and by the same means between the
Sioux and the Santeaux (their principal allies) it appears it would be
by no means a difficult matter to induce them to make a general peace,
and pay still greater attention to the cultivation of the earth: as they
now raise a considerable quantity of corn, beans and melons. The
character which they bear with their savage brethren, is, that they are
much more to be dreaded for their deceit and inclination for stratagem,
than for open courage.
"The Reynards reside in three villages. The first on the west side of
the Mississippi six miles above the rapids of the river de Roche. The
second about twelve miles in the rear of the lead mines, and the third
on Turkey river, half a league from its entrance. They are engaged in
the same wars, and have the same alliances as the Sauks, with whom they
must be considered as indissoluble in war and peace. They hunt on both
sides of the Mississippi, from the river Iowa (below the prairie des
Chiens) to a river of that name, above said village. They raise a great
quantity of corn, beans and melons; the former of those articles in such
quantities, as to sell many hundred bushels per annum."
At this period, 1805, according to Lieutenant Pike, the total number of
souls in the Sauk nation was 2850, of whom 1400 were children, seven
hundred and fifty women, and seven hundred warriors. They resided in
their villages and had about seven hundred stand of arms. Their trade
was principally in deer skins, with some bear and a few otter, beaver
and raccoon skins. The total number of the Foxes was 1750, of whom eight
hundred and fifty were children, five hundred women and four hundred
warriors, with about four hundred stand of arms. Their number of
villages and their trade being the same with the Sauks.
Some further items of information about these tribes may be gleaned from
the statistical view of the Indian nations furnished by Lewis and
Clark's Expedition. It is there stated that the Saukee, or O-sau-kee,
speak a primitive language, dwell principally in two villages, have
about five hundred warriors and 2000 souls in the tribe, were at war
with the Osage, Chippeway and Sioux. The Foxes or Ot-tar-gar-me, in the
Saukee language, number not more than 1200 souls, and about three
hundred warriors. These nations, the Sauks and Foxes, says Mr. Lewis,
are so perfectly consolidated that they may in fact be considered as one
nation only: "they are extremely friendly to the whites and seldom
injure their traders; but they are the most implacable enemies to the
Indian nations with whom they are at war; to them is justly attributed
the almost entire destruction of the Missouries, the Illinois, the
Cahokias, Kaskaskias, and Peorias."
In 1825, the Secretary at War, estimated the entire number of Sacs and
Foxes at 4,600 souls, and in 1826, the warriors were supposed to amount
to between twelve and fourteen hundred. Supposing these estimates to
approximate the truth, it appears that during the twenty years between
1805 and 1825, these tribes had increased very considerably in numbers.
The traders generally and those who have had most intercourse with the
Sauks and Foxes, speak of them as honest in their dealings, and feel
safe among them, seldom locking their doors by day or night, and
allowing them free ingress to their stores and houses. Their reputation
for courage, it appears, does not stand quite so fair. Lieutenant Pike
speaks of them as being more dreaded by their savage brethren for "their
deceit and inclination for stratagem, than for their open courage."
Major Thomas Forsyth, late U.S. agent among the Sacs and Foxes, calls
them a dastardly and cowardly set of Indians. The correctness of these
charges may be questioned. Mr. Schoolcraft, in speaking of the Foxes
says, "the history of their migrations and wars, shows them to have been
a restless and spirited people, erratic in their dispositions, having a
great contempt for agriculture, and a predominant passion for war." He
adds, "they still retain their ancient character, and are constantly
embroiled in wars and disputes with their neighbors, the results of
which show, that they have more courage in battle, than wisdom in
council." In a report of the war department to the President, made by
the secretary Mr. Cass, in 1832, the Sacs and Foxes are spoken of as
being distinguished for their "daring spirit of adventure and for their
natural courage."
The truth appears to be, that the Sacs and Foxes fought their way from
the waters of the St. Lawrence to Green Bay, and after reaching that
place, not only sustained themselves against hostile tribes, but were
among the most active and courageous in the subjugation or rather
extermination of the numerous and powerful Illini confederacy. They have
had many wars, offensive and defensive, with the Sioux, the Pawnees, the
Osages and other tribes, some of whom are ranked among the most fierce
and ferocious warriors on the continent; and, it does not appear, that
in these conflicts, running through a long period of years, they were
found wanting in this greatest of savage virtues. In the late war with
Great Britain, a party from the Sacs and Foxes, fought under the British
standard as a matter of choice: and in the recent contest between a
fragment of these tribes and the United States, although defeated and
literally cut to pieces by an overwhelming force, it is very
questionable whether their reputation as braves, would suffer by a
comparison with that of their victors. It is believed that a careful
review of their history, from the period when they first established
themselves on the waters of the Mississippi, down to the present time,
will lead the inquirer to the conclusion, that the Sacs and Foxes are
truly a courageous people, shrewd, politic, and enterprising, with not
more of ferocity and treachery of character, than is common among the
tribes by whom they are surrounded.