While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Soon after our return home,
news reached us that a war was going to take
place between the British and the Americans.
Runners continued to arrive from different
tribes, all confirming the reports of the
expected war. The British agent, Colonel
Dixon, was holding talks with, and making
presents to the different tribes. I had not
made up my mind whether to join the British
or remain neutral. I had not discovered yet
one good trait in the character of the
Americans who had come to the country. They
made fair promises but never fulfilled them,
while the British made but few, and we could
always rely implicitly on their word.
One of our people having killed a Frenchman
at Prairie du Chien, the British took him
prisoner and said they would shoot him next
day. His family were encamped a short
distance below the mouth of the Wisconsin.
He begged for permission to go and see them
that night, as he was to die the next day.
They permitted him to go after he had
promised them to return by sunrise the next
morning.
He visited his family, which consisted of
his wife and six children. I can not
describe their meeting and parting so as to
be understood by the whites, as it appears
that their feelings are acted upon by
certain rules laid down by their preachers,
while ours are governed by the monitor
within us. He bade his loved ones the last
sad farewell and hurried across the prairie
to the fort and arrived in time. The
soldiers were ready and immediately marched
out and shot him down. I visited the
stricken family, and by hunting and fishing
provided for them until they reached their
relations.
Why did the Great Spirit ever send the
whites to this island to drive us from our
homes and introduce among us poisonous
liquors, disease and death? They should have
remained in the land the Great Spirit
allotted them. But I will proceed with my
story. My memory, however, is not very good
since my late visit to the white people. I
have still a buzzing noise in my ear from
the noise and bustle incident to travel. I
may give some parts of my story out of
place, but will make my best endeavors to be
correct.
Several of our chiefs were called upon to go
to Washington to see our Great Father. They
started and during their absence I went to
Peoria, on the Illinois river, to see an old
friend and get his advice. He was a man who
always told u the truth, sad knew everything
that was going on. When I arrived at Peoria
he had gone to Chicago, and was not at home.
I visited the Pottawattomie villages and
then returned to Rock river. Soon after
which our friends returned from their visit
to the Great Father and reported what had
been said and done. Their Great Father told
them that in the event of a war taking place
with England, not to interfere on either
side, but remain neutral. He did not want
our help, but wished us to hunt and supply
our families, and remain in peace. He said
that British traders would not be allowed to
come on the Mississippi to furnish us with
goods, but that we would be well supplied by
an American trader. Our chiefs then told him
that the British traders always gave us
credit in the fall for guns, powder and
goods, to enable us to hunt and clothe our
families. He replied that the trader at Fort
Madison would have plenty of goods, and if
we should go there in the autumn of the
year, he would supply us on credit, as the
British traders had done. The party gave a
good account of what they had seen and the
kind treatment they had received. This
information pleased us all very much. We all
agreed to follow our Great Father's advice
and not interfere in the war. Our women were
much pleased at the good news. Everything
went on cheerfully in our village. We
resumed our pastimes of playing ball,
horse-racing and dancing, which had been
laid aside when this great war was first
talked about. We had fine crops of corn
which were now ripe, and our women were
busily engaged in gathering it and making
caches to contain it.
In a short time we were ready to start to
Fort Madison to get our supply of goods,
that we might proceed to our hunting
grounds. We passed merrily down the river,
all in high spirits. I had determined to
spend the winter at my old favorite hunting
ground on Skunk river. I left part of my
corn and mats at its mouth to take up as we
returned and many others did the same.
The next morning we arrived at the fort and
made our encampment. Myself and principal
men paid a visit to the war chief at the
fort. He received us kindly and gave us some
tobacco, pipes and provisions.
The trader came in and we all shook hands
with him, for on him all our dependence was
placed, to enable us to hunt and thereby
support our families. We waited a long time,
expecting the trader would tell us that he
had orders from our Great Father to supply
us with goods, but he said nothing on the
subject. I got up and told him in a short
speech what we had come for, and hoped he
had plenty of goods to supply us. I told him
that he should be well paid in the spring,
and concluded by informing him that we had
decided to follow our Great Father's advice
and not go to war.
He said that he was happy to hear that we
had concluded to remain in peace. That he
had a large quantity of goods, and that if
we had made a good hunt we should be well
supplied, but he remarked that he had
received no instructions to furnish us
anything on credit, nor could he give us any
without receiving the pay for them on the
spot!
We informed him what our Great Father had
told our chiefs at Washington, and contended
that he could supply us if he would,
believing that our Great Father always spoke
the truth. The war chief said the trader
could not furnish us on credit, and that he
had received no instructions from our Great
Father at Washington. We left the fort
dissatisfied and went to camp. What was now
to be done we knew not. We questioned the
party that brought us the news from our
Great Father, that we could get credit for
our winter supplies at this place. They
still told the same story and insisted on
its truth. Few of us slept that night. All
was gloom and discontent.
In the morning a canoe was seen descending
the river, bearing an express, who brought
intelligence that La Gutrie, a British
trader, had landed at Rock Island with two
boat loads of goods. He requested us to come
up immediately as he had good news for us,
and a variety of presents. The express
presented us with tobacco, pipes and wampum.
The news ran through our camp like fire
through dry grass on the prairie. Our lodges
were soon taken down and we all started for
Rock Island. Here ended all hopes of our
remaining at peace, having been forced into
war by being deceived.
Our party were not long in getting to Rock
Island. When we came in sight and saw tents
pitched, we yelled, fired our guns and beat
our drums. Guns were immediately fired at
the island, returning our salute, and a
British flag hoisted. We loaded, were
cordially received by La Gutrie, and then
smoked the pipe with him. After which he
made a speech to us, saying that he had been
sent by Col. Dixon. He gave us a number of
handsome presents, among them a large silk
flag and a keg of rum. He then told us to
retire, take some refreshments and rest
ourselves, as he would have more to say to
us next day.
We accordingly retired to our lodges, which
in the meantime had been put up, and spent
the night. The next morning we called upon
him and told him we wanted his two boat
loads of goods to divide among our people,
for which he should be well paid in the
spring in furs and peltries. He consented
for us to take them and do as we pleased
with them. While our people were dividing
the goods, he took me aside and informed me
that Colonel Dixon was at Green Bay with
twelve boats loaded with goods, guns and
ammunition. He wished to raise a party
immediately and go to him. He said our
friend, the trader at Peoria, was collecting
the
Pottawattomi and would be there before
us. I communicated this information to my
braves, and a party of two hundred warriors
were soon collected and ready to depart. I
paid a visit to the lodge of an old friend,
who had been the comrade of my youth, and
had been in many war parties with me, but
was now crippled and no longer able to
travel. He had a son that I had adopted as
my own, and who had hunted with me the two
winters preceding. I wished my old friend to
let him go with me. He objected, saying he
could not get his support if he did attend
me, and that I, who had always provided for
him since his misfortune, would be gone,
therefore he could not spare him as he had
no other dependence. I offered to leave my
son in his stead but he refused to give his
consent. He said that he did not like the
war, as he had been down the river and had
been well treated by the Americans and could
not fight against them. He had promised to
winter near a white settler above Salt
river, and must take his son with him. We
parted and I soon concluded my arrangements
and started with my party for Green Bay. On
our arrival there we found a large
encampment; were well received by Colonel
Dixon and the war chiefs who were with him.
He gave us plenty of provisions, tobacco and
pipes, saying that he would hold a council
with us the next day. In the encampment I
found a great number of
Kickapoo,
Ottawa and
Winnebago. I visited all their camps and
found them in high spirits. They had all
received new guns, ammunition and a variety
of clothing.
The books presented are for
their historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Autobiography of Black
Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak,
Copyrighted By J. B. Patterson, 1882
