CHAPTER IX


Report of Gen. Atkinson to Major General Macomb at Washington—Indian talk with General Street when they delivered Black Hawk and the Prophet—Description of Black Hawk and the Prophet— General remarks of the Author.

WHEN General Atkinson dropped down to Prairie du Chien, after the battle on the Mississippi, he made the following report to Major General Macomb, Commander in Chief at Washington City. "Head Quarters, 1st A. Corps, N. Western) Army, Prairie du Chien, Aug. 5, 1832.) "SIR—I have the honor to report to you, that I crossed the Wisconsin on the 27th and 28th ult., with a select body of troops, consisting of the regulars under Col. Taylor, four hundred in number, part of Henry's, Posey's and Alexander's brigades, and Dodge's battalion of mounted volunteers, amounting in all to thirteen hundred men; and immediately fell upon the trail of the enemy, and pursued it by forced marches through a mountainous and difficult country, till the morning of the second instant, when we came up with his main body, on the left bank of the Mississippi, nearly opposite the mouth of the Iowa, which we attacked, defeated, and dispersed, with a loss on his part of about one hundred and fifty men killed, and thirty-nine women and children prisoners. The precise number could not be ascertained, as the greater portion was slain after being forced into the river. Our loss in killed and wounded, which is stated below, is very small in comparison with the loss of the enemy; which may be attributed to the enemy's being forced from his positions by a rapid charge at the commencement, and through the engagement. The remnant of the enemy, cut up and disheartened, crossed to the opposite side of the river, and has
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Wakefield 147 fled into the interior, with a view it is supposed of joining Keokuck and Wapilo's bands of Sacs and Foxes. " The horses of the volunteer troops being exhausted by long marches, and the regular troops without shoes, it was not thought advisable to continue the pursuit. Indeed a stop to the further effusion of blood seemed to be called for, until it might be ascertained if the enemy would not surrender. "It is ascertained from our prisoners, that the enemy lost in the battle of Ouisconsin, sixty-eight killed, and a very large number wounded. His whole loss does not fall short of three hundred. After the battle of the Ouisconsin, the enemy's women and children, and some who were dismounted, attempted to make their escape by descending that river, but judicious measures being taken here by Captain Loomis and Gen. Street, and Indian Agent, thirty-two women and children, and four men, have been captured, and some fifteen killed by the detachment under Lieut. Ritner. "The day after the battle on this river, I fell down with the regular troops to this place by water, and the mounted men will join us to day. It is now my purpose to direct Keokuck to demand a surrender of the remaining principal men of the hostile party; which, from the large number of women and children we hold as prisoners, I have every reason to believe will be complied with. Should it not, they should be pursued and subdued, a step Major General Scott will no doubt take on his arrival. " I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of the regular and volunteer forces engaged in the last battle, and the fatiguing march that preceded it. " As soon as the reports of the officers of brigades and corps are handed in, they shall be submitted with further remarks. "I have the honor to be, with great respect, " Your obdt. servant, "H. ATKINSON, Bt. Bgdr. Gen. U. S. A. " Major Gen. Macomb, Commander in Chief, " Washington City." J The reader will recollect that I have, in a preceding chapter, given the substance of a talk between Gen.


Wakefield 148 Atkinson and Gen. Street, agent for the Winnebagoes, and several Winnebago Chiefs, on our arrival at Prairie du Chien, after the battle on the Mississippi near the Bad-Axe. In this talk. Gen. Street told the principal chiefs that if they would bring in the Black Hawk and the Prophet, it would be well for them, and that the government of the United States would hold them in future as friends, and treat them kindly, and not any more consider them friends to the Sacs and Foxes. On this declaration the old one-eyed chief, called the Decorri, and Cheater, took some of their men with them and went in pursuit of these Sac chiefs, in order if possible to take them prisoners, and bring them and deliver them up to the Indian agent at Prairie du Chien. Accordingly, on the 27th of August, these two Winnebago chiefs returned, bringing with them the Black Hawk and the Prophet, the principal movers and instigators of the war. The interview with them on their arrival at Prairie du Chien, I have been told, was a very interesting scene. I will give the reader the substance of their talk with General Street and Col. Taylor, which will go to show how vigilant, and with what perseverance, these Winnebago chiefs acted to take these prisoners. They were upwards of twenty days gone after they left Prairie du Chien before they returned with them. When they arrived. Black Hawk desired to speak to General Street. The amount of what he said was, that he was not the originator of the war; that he was going where he would meet Keokuck, and then he would tell the truth; that he would then tell all about this war, which had caused so much trouble; that there were chiefs and braves of his nation, who were the cause of the continuance of the war: that he did not want to

Wakefield 149 hold any council with him; that when he got where Keokuck was, he would tell the whole of the origin of the difficulties, and of those who continued it; that he wanted to surrender long ago, but others refused: that he wanted to surrender to the steamboat Warrior, and tried to do so until the second fire; that he then ran and went up the river, and never returned to the battle ground; that his determination then was to escape if he could ; that he did not intend to surrender after that, but that, when the Winnebagoes came upon him, he gave up — and that he would tell all about the disturbance when he got to Rock Island. The one eyed Decorri and the Cheater both in like manner addressed General Street, whom they term their father; which almost all the Indians do their agents. The one eyed Decorri rose first, and addressed him in the following manner: "My father, I now stand before you. When we parted, I told you we would return soon ; but I could not come any sooner. We had to go a great distance, (to the Dale on the Wisconsin river, above the Portage;) you see we have done what you sent us to do. These are the two you told us to get, (pointing to Black Hawk and the Prophet.) We always do what you tell us to do, because we know it is for our good. My father, you told us to get these men, and it would be the cause of much good to the Winnebagoes. We have brought them, but it has been very hard for us to do it; that one, Macatamish Kakacky, was a great way off. You told us to bring them alive, we have done so. If you had told us to bring their heads alone, we would have done so , and it would have been less difficult for us to do, than what we have done. My father, we deliver these men into your hands; we would not deliver them even to our brother, the chief of the warriors, but to you, because we know you, and believe you are our friend. We want you to keep them safe. If they are to be hurt, we do not wish to see it, wait until we are gone before it is done. My father, many little birds have been flying about

Wakefield 150 our ears of late, and we thought they whispered to us, that there was evil intended for us , but now we hope the evil birds will let our ears alone. "My father, we know you are our friends, because you take our part; this is the reason we do what you tell us to do. "My father, you say you love your red children; we think we love you as much or more than you love us. "My father, we have been promised a great deal if we would take these men, that it would do much good for our people, we now hope to see what will be done for us. "My father, we have come in haste, and are tired and hungry, we now put these men in your hands; we have done all you told us to do." General Street then said: "My children, you have done well; I told you to bring these men to me, and you have done so. I am pleased at what you have done. It will tend to your good, and for this reason I am well pleased. I assured the great chief of the warriors that if these men were in your country, you would find them, and bring them to me; that I believed you would do what I directed you to do. Now I can say much for your good. I will go down to Rock Island with the prisoners, and I wish you who have brought these men especially to go with me, and such other chiefs and warriors as you may select. My children, the great chief of the warriors, when he left this place, directed me to deliver these and all other prisoners to the chief of the warriors. Col. Taylor, who is by my side. "Some of the Winnebagoes on the south side of the Wisconsin river have befriended the Sacs, and some of the Indians of my agency have given them aid ; this was wrong, and displeased the great chief of the warriors and your great father the President, and was calculated to do you much harm. My children, your great father the President, at Washington, has sent a great war chief from the far east. General Scott, with a fresh army of soldiers, who is now at Rock Island. "Your great father has sent him and the governor of Illinois, to hold a council with the Indians at Rock Island ; he has sent a speech to you; and wishes the chiefs and warriors of the

Wakefield 151 Winnebagoes, to meet him in council, on the loth of September next; I wish you to be ready to go along with me to Rock Island. " My children, I am well pleased that you have taken Black Hawk and the Prophet, and so many others; because it will enable me to say much for you to the great chief of the warriors, and your great father the President. I shall now deliver these two men. Black Hawk and the Prophet, to the chief of the warriors here. Col. Taylor, who will take good care of them until we start to Rock Island." Col. Taylor then said: . " The great chief of the warriors told me to take the prisoners, when you should bring them, and send them to Rock Island to him; I will take them, and keep them safe, but use them well, and will send them by you and Gen. Street when you go down to the council, which will be in a few days. Your friend Gen. Street advised you to get ready and go down soon, and so do [II. I tell you again, I will take the prisoners and keep them safe, but will do them no harm. I will deliver them to the great chief of the warriors, and he will do with them and use them in such manner as he may be ordered by your great father the President." Cheater, a Winnebago, said to General Street, " My father, I am young, and don't know how to make speeches. This is the second time I ever spoke to you before the people. My father, I am no Chief. I am no orator, but I have been allowed to speak to you. My father, if I should not speak as well as others, still you must listen to me. "My father, when you made the speech to the Chiefs, Waugh-kon-decorri, Carimanee, the one-eyed Decorri, and others, the other day, I was there. I heard you. I thought what you said to them, you also said to me. You said, if these two (pointing to Black Hawk and the Prophet,) were taken by us, and brought to you, there would never any more a black cloud hang over your Winnebagoes. My father, your words entered into my ears, into my brains, and into my heart. I left here that very night, and you know you have

Wakefield 152 not seen me since, until now. My father, I have been a great way. I had much trouble; but when I remembered what you said, I know you was right. This made me keep on, and do what you told me to do. Near the Dale on the Wisconsin river, I took Black Hawk. No one did it but me. I say this in the ears of all present, and they know it, and I now appeal to the Great Spirit, our Grand Mother, for the truth of what I say. My father, I am no Chief, but what I have done is for the benefit of my own nation, and, I hope, for the good that has been promised us. My father, that one, Waboki-shick, is my relation. If he is to be hurt, I do not wish to see it. " My father, soldiers sometimes stick the ends of their guns (bayonets) into the backs of Indian prisoners, when they are going about in the hands of the guard. I hope this will not be done to these men." So ended this long talk of the uninformed savage, which goes to show that they have a warm feeling for their red brethren. It appears that they at this time were true friends to our Government; but they were, I have no doubt, frightened into this friendship by the first talk at Prairie du Chien, which Generals Street and Atkinson held with them, on our arrival at that place, after the battle of Bad-Axe. It may not here be uninteresting to the reader, to give a description of those two distinguished prisoners, respecting whom so much has been said. No doubt they were the sole movers and cause of the late war. Black Hawk is a Pottawattomie by birth, but raised by the Sacs. He appears to be about sixty years old; has a small bunch of grey hair on the crown of his head, the rest of which is bare; has a high forehead; a Roman nose; and full mouth, which generally inclines to be a little open ; has a sharp chin; no eyebrows, but a very fine eye. His head is frequently thrown back on his shoulders. He is about five feet

Wakefield 153 four or five inches high; at present he is thin, and appears much dejected; but now and then he assumes the aspect of command. He held in his left hand a white flag; in the other, the tail with the back, skin, head, and beak of the Caumet Eagle. With this he frequently fans himself. His Indian name is Mucatamish-ka-kack. The Prophet, a half Sac and half Winnebago, is about forty years old; nearly six feet high; is stout and athletic; has a large broad face; short blunt nose; large full eyes; broad mouth; thick lips; with a full suit of hair. He wore a white cloth head-dress which rose several inches above the top of his head; the whole man exhibiting a deliberate savageness; not that he would seem to delight in honorable war, or fight; but making him as the priest of assassination, or clerical murder. He had in one hand a white flag, while the other hung carelessly by his side. They were both clothed in very white dressed deer skin, fringed at the seams with short cuttings of the same. His Indian name is Wabokie-shick, (the White Cloud.) According to the directions of General Street and Colonel Taylor, those two Chiefs (or braves,) accompanied by the Winnebago Chiefs, and braves, went down to Rock Island at the stipulated time, under the command of Col. Taylor. But when they got to this point, which had been the place designated to hold the treaties with those nations of Indians, the cholera prevailed to such an extent, that they found it was impossible to treat at that point; so Gen. Scott, Governor Reynolds, and those concerned in the treaty, dropped down the Mississippi to Jefferson Barracks, where a number of other Chiefs and braves were brought to them, amongst which was Napope, a celebrated Sac Chief, also Wisshick, who it appears celebrated himself at the battle on the Mississippi, for it


Wakefield 154 appears he had the command at that place, and from his own Statement did much execution himself. Here the Commissioners made and concluded treaties both with the Sacs and Foxes, and the Winnebagoes, which the reader will find in the appendix of this book.* It was a fair equitable treaty; the government purchased all the claims they had to lands in the state of Illinois, and pays [paid] them a liberal sum for the same. They kept Black Hawk, Napope, Wisshick, and the Prophet, as hostages for the good behaviour of the rest of the nation of Sacs and Foxes. Thus terminated a short but laborious war, between the United States and those nations of Indians; but it was not without the loss of some of our valuable citizens, that peace was again restored to our country. In the accomplishment of this desired object, it is just to remark, that both officer and soldier did all that lay in their power to bring this unhappy war to a close as soon as possible. Our citizen soldiers hesitated not when the sound of alarm was given, to forsake all other interests, dear as it must have been to some, to defend the rights of their common country. They at once saw that these Indians had violated the solemn obligations of a solemn treaty, entered into but a few months before. This bold and daring defiance of us, and unprovoked outrage upon the provisions of the treaty, aroused the indignation of the whole country; it was more than the free sons of Illinois could think of bearing. They immediately at the call of their chief, flew to arms. Their Governor was with them, and one of the first in the field, who, together with his efficient Adjutant General, organized the troops in as quick time as ever it was done in any country, notwithstanding they labored under many difficulties on account of the great scarcity of * See Appendix, notes 6 and 7.

Wakefield 155 provisions in our state at that time; for a visitation of Providence had almost entirely cut off our crops the last two years. To provision this army was very perplexing at this time. What was Governor Reynolds to do? At this critical moment our state was invaded by a savage foe, and he knew not how soon the helpless citizens on the frontiers might become an easy prey to their barbarity. But justice says to my pen, write it down, and say to your reader, that he flew to one of the ablest and most efficient men. Col. March. Provisions, forage, arms, munitions of war, and every thing that was necessary was soon furnished arid conveyed up the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, to such points as Governor Reynolds directed him. There were provisions in St. Louis, and this energetic and unsurpassable man got them, let the prices be what they might please to ask. There was no lack of provision. But the first campaign proved unsuccessful; but such is the fate of war, and none ought to lay the blame on the Commander-in-Chief, which some have had the boldness to do, but I think unjustly. I was an eye witness a greater part of the campaign, and I thought he did not spare time or pains to hunt out the enemy, and chastise them for their temerity. I think he must be a man of a reckless disposition, who would charge the ill success to him in this first campaign. Those who were out on the second can testify to the many difficulties we had to encounter before we fell in with the enemy. But did the Governor, when the first campaign proved unsuccessful, fold his arms in this trying and critical moment, and abandon the bleeding frontier to the merciless savages? Did he abandon the camp for a life of ease, in the repose of his own domestic habitation? The answer, I think, reader, will be No! by all who know anything of the

Wakefield 156 first and last campaigns. Did he not see that a fair portion of the State, which he had the honor to govern, was exposed to the midnight and noon day assassination by the ruthless savage? Were the cries of his people listened to unheeded? No! he left a devoted band under the command of those heroic soldiers, Henry and Fry, and issued a proclamation to his countrymen to come forth to the frontier and protect the rights of their country. Was this appeal, too, unheeded by the gallant sons of Illinois? Did they turn a deaf ear to the cries of the people of the mining country, when the savage had killed some of its choice citizens in open day? Look at the massacre on Indian Creek, of the Halls, Daviess, and Penigrew families; the highway murder of St.Vrain, Durley, Howard, Green, Hall, and many others. Who could see or hear of all those massacres, and not turn out in defence of his country ? Or what Governor would tamely lose one moment, before he would fly with all its force to its relief? Was not this the case at this time ? Did not Governor Reynolds a second time invoke the patriotism of his people for a fresh supply of troops ? The people heard, and abandoned their ploughs, when in the act of planting their corn; the courts of justice were suspended; the lawyer quit the bar; the minister of divine truth forsook the pulpit for the tented fields of a soldier's life. They plainly saw, that if the arm of succour was not held out to those frontiers, the country bordering on the Mississippi and Illinois, and the Mining District, would soon be left a barren wilderness, and present a blaze of conflagration, and the voice of our friends and neighbors heard no more. Our chief gave the word, " to arms " and that was sufficient; all were soon at the place of rendezvous;

Wakefield 157 none slumbered by the way ; they were going forth to avenge the murders of their butchered brethren. In obedience to the call of their Governor, in two weeks there was a force of nearly four thousand assembled at Fort Wilbourn, a distance of at least three hundred and fifty miles from the homes of some of the volunteer companies. Here we again found our Governor in arms in defence of his country. The army was soon organized, by the aid of Adjutant General Berry, into three Brigades. We wanted a Bruce or a Wallace to lead us to victory. Such a man was the brave James D. Henry to become. He was elected Brigadier General of the third brigade, as I have before mentioned. Generals Posey and Alexander are likewise deserving men, and stand high in the estimation of their country. But an all-wise Providence saw fit to crown the Bruce-like Henry with the glory of avenging our country's wrongs, and restoring peace to its citizens. I must next speak of Gen. Atkinson, who has a thousand times received the thanks of Illinois and the general government. He had the command of all the northwestern army, until succeeded by General Scott; which was not until after the last battle was fought, and the enemy completely conquered. This officer is also deserving well of his country, for the long and vigilant perseverance in pursuing the enemy through every difficulty that presented itself. He can truly have it to say, that he marched an army over a country that cannot be surpassed in the inhabited world, and one that no white man ever approached before. Not even the savage himself attempts to penetrate this country, only when he is forced, then he resorts to this mountainous forest to evade pursuit, thinking that no white man can penetrate it. This was done as I have before remarked, in the year eighteen hundred

Wakefield 158 and twenty-seven, by the Winnebagoes, after they attacked Captain Lindsey's boats on the Mississippi. But General Atkinson stopt not at this time for the tall and lofty mountains, or the low and marshy swamp. His word of command to his generals, was " onward, march"—and at the sound of the morning bugle, he was one of the first to rise and prepare for the pursuit. Although stricken in years, he would leap off his charger, when he would come to an impassable mud hole or precipice, like a boy of sixteen. This officer, throughout the whole of this long campaign, which lasted for three months, used every precaution to save the lives of his men, when danger was expected, his men never failed to have breast works thrown up when they encamped, for fear of a surprise at the dead hour of the night. Thus, by his perseverance, and the gallant officers under him, and a brave and chivalrous set of soldiers, the war was brought to an end, with honor to both men and officers. But whilst we rejoice at the honorable result of the close of this war, we cannot at the same time help lamenting the loss of so many valuable citizens, who were either massacred at their own private dwellings, or assassinated on the highway, or fell in fighting the battles of their country. The author has been led to the foregoing reflections, from seeing in many of the eastern prints, that many erroneous statements have gone abroad, respecting the origin and management of this war; and some of them casting reflections on the Governor of our State, and crying out, "poor Indians." But as I have before observed, none but the reckless and abandoned hearted man, would have the hardihood to cast imputations upon our Executive, and cry out, "poor Indians," after a thorough perusal of the many outrages these hell-hounds committed on our frontier settlements.


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