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The Black Hawk War
About the first of April
Black Hawk's band assembled at Fort Madison
for the purpose of making arrangements to
ascend the Mississippi, and soon after the
entire party started. The old men, women and
children, with their provisions and camp
equipage, in canoes, and the men all armed,
came on horseback. On the sixth day of
April, the braves, on horseback, made a call
at Yellow Banks, one day after the canoes
had passed the same point, and told Josiah
Smart, Mr. Phelps' interpreter, where they
were going, and the object of their visit.
They said they had observed a great war
chief, with a number of troops going up on a
steamboat, and thought it likely that the
mission of this war chief was to prevent
them going up Rock river, but they were
bound to go. Messrs. Phelps and Smart tried
to persuade them to re-cross the river and
return to their country, assuring them that
the Government would not permit them to come
into Illinois in violation of the treaty
they had made last year, in which they had
agreed to remain on the west side of the
river. But they would not listen to their
advice. On the next day they took up the
line of march for Rock river, and on the
10th of April, 1832, Black Hawk, with a
portion of his band of Sacs, reached the
mouth of Rock river a few miles below Rock
Island. The old men, women and children with
their provisions and camp equipage, who came
up in canoes, arrived on the 9th, and the
men all armed, came up on horseback,
reaching the camp on the 10th. While
encamped there they were joined by the
Prophet, who had previously invited them to
come up to the country of the Winnebago and
raise a crop. He called on his way at Fort
Armstrong and had talks with the Agent and
Col. Davenport, the trader, both of whom
advised him to persuade Black Hawk and party
to return to their own country, or they
would be driven back by the soldiers then at
Fort Armstrong, under the command of Gen.
Atkinson, who had just arrived. The Prophet
would not listen to their advice, but
assured Black Hawk that he had a right to go
forward with his entire party to the
Winnebago country; and as he expected large
reinforcements to his little army as he
ascended Rock river, he was determined to go
forward, but had given positive orders to
his band, under no circumstances, to strike
a blow until they had been reinforced by
warriors from the
Winnebago and
Pottawattomie.
Early next morning they broke camp and
started up Rock river, but were soon
overtaken by a small detachment of soldiers,
who held a council with Black Hawk and
communicated to him the orders of Gen.
Atkinson. These were for him to return with
his band and re-cross the Mississippi. Black
Hawk said, as he was not on the war path,
but going on a friendly visit to the
Prophet's village, he intended to go
forward, and continued on his journey. On
receipt of his answer, Gen. Atkinson sent
another detachment to Black Hawk with
imperative orders for him to return, or he
would pursue him with his entire army and
drive him back. In reply, Black Hawk said
the General had no right to make the order
so long as his band was peaceable, and that
he intended to go on to the Prophet's
village.
In the meantime the forces under the command
of Gen. Whitesides had arrived, and were
turned over to Gen. Atkinson by the
Governor. The brigade, under the command of
Gen. Whitesides, was ordered up Rock river
to Dixon's Ferry, and as soon as boats could
be got ready, Gen. Atkinson started for the
same destination with 300 regulars and about
the same number of Illinois militia. Black
Hawk with his party had already reached a
point some thirty or forty miles above
Dixon's Ferry, where they were met in
council by some Pottawattomie and Winnebago
chiefs. They assured Black Hawk that their
people would not join him in making war
against the United States, and denied the
Prophet's story to him. During this council
Black Hawk became convinced that he had been
badly imposed upon by the Prophet, and
resolved at once to send a flag of truce to
Gen. Atkinson and ask permission to descend
Rock river, re-cross the Mississippi and go
back to their country. 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
Black Hawk Indian WarFree
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