The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
the tribes, and, through Black Hawk, were able to create among his
followers a desire to annoy the Americans. Reports of impending attacks
reached the garrison of Fort Madison from time to time. “Upon receiving
this information,” Lieutenant Kingsley wrote, “I made every exertion to
erect the blockhouses and plant my pickets; this we did in two weeks
(lying on our arms during the night), and took quarters in the new fort
the 14th inst. (April, 1809). Being tolerably secure against an attack,
we have been able to get a little rest, and are now making the best
preparations for the safety and defense of this establishment.”
This letter is dated, “Fort Madison, near River Le Moin, 19th April,
1809.” In the same letter Lieutenant Kingsley reported that rumors of an
Indian alliance are reaching him frequently, and that any coming trouble
may be traced directly to British influence. “The sooner the British
traders are shut out of the river,” he added, “the better for our
Government.” Thus was Black Hawk allied, preparing for his part in the
war of 1812 with England.
Governor Harrison, in a letter to the Secretary of War, dated Vincennes,
July 15th, 1810 (Drake, p. 62), said: “A considerable number of the Sacs
went some time since to see the British superintendent, and on the first
instant more passed Chicago for the same destination.”
General Clark, under date St. Louis, July 20th, 1810, stated in writing
to the same department: “One hundred and fifty Sacs are on a visit to
the island of St. Joseph, in Lake Huron.” John Johnson, the Indian agent
at Fort Wayne, under date of August 7th, 1810, said to the Secretary of
War: “About one hundred Saukees have returned from the British agent,
who supplied them liberally with everything they stood in need of. The
party received forty-seven rifles and a number of fusils, with plenty of
powder and lead.”
In 1811 Black Hawk eagerly accepted British counsel to join the Prophet
at Tippecanoe[18] for the purpose of annihilating Governor Harrison.
Failing in that effort, he turned westward with a party of Winnebagoes
to attack Fort Madison, but the long march homeward must have exhausted
his martial spirit, because that attack was not made by him until
September 5th, 1812, at 5:30 P.M. However that may be, he considered it
unwise to precipitate his contemplated attack without preparation and
care. Therefore, he had the ground thoroughly reconnoitered by his
spies, who reported that every morning it was customary for the troops
to march out for exercise, leaving no defense behind, and this was the
hour finally fixed for his attack.
His British band and about 200 Winnebagoes stealthily marched to the
neighborhood, where, after a consultation, the plan of attack was
changed into one of assault, which was immediately begun and continued
until darkness compelled the Indians to retire. The following morning it
was not resumed, as contemplated by the garrison, which lulled it into
negligence, for a soldier was permitted to leave the gate. He returned
safely, and John Cox, another private, was permitted to go out with less
show of caution. This poor fellow was instantly shot and scalped and the
Indians, with yells, then recommenced their assault. During the
engagement the boat of a Mr. Graham, who had arrived on the 4th, was
burned, as were two others belonging to the Government. Soon after fire
was thrown upon the blockhouses that stood near the bank of the river,
but syringes made from gun barrels were used with such effectiveness
that the blaze was confined to little damage. One detachment of the
enemy killed the live stock, plundered and burned the house of a Mr.
Julian and destroyed the corn. On the 7th the battle was renewed and
raged with greater fury, the Indians again throwing fire upon the
blockhouses and shooting flaming arrows into the roofs, but the garrison
repulsed every attack. In the evening the house of a Mr. Nabb was burned
and the blacksmith shop and factory of the garrison threatened. Had
these been fired in the prevailing wind, every man of the garrison had
been burned alive, but commanding officer Thomas Hamilton, by the most
heroic measures, forced the fire away until the wind veered, when he
dispatched a soldier to fire the factory, which he successfully did, and
in three hours it was consumed without danger to the garrison. During
the day, several Indians crept into a stable, and there, harbored from
musket balls, shot deadly arrows into the roofs, but a shot from the
cannon by Lieutenant Burony Vasquez finally drove them out. On the 8th
the attack diminished in ferocity, and on the 9th not an Indian remained
to be seen.
Inside the fort only one man was wounded, but the casualties of the
Indians were reported as upwards of forty.
Fort Madison, for the purposes of trading, was favorably located, but
for purposes of defense it was hopelessly inadequate. Timber, ravines
and the bank of the river afforded the enemy positions from which he
could not be driven. At the same time a small party could harass the
garrison with no great danger to itself unless some of the number became
imprudent. During the siege there were but first and second lieutenants
Hamilton and Vasquez, two sergeants, two corporals and a few more than
thirty privates to defend a fort–a force totally inadequate against a
horde of bloodthirsty savages.
After the 9th Black Hawk permitted several days to elapse before
resuming hostilities, during which he formed another plan to capture and
massacre the garrison. To all appearances they had retired to their
homes. Immediately so-called friendly Indians came to trade, including
Quash-qua-me and Pash-e-pa-ho, who, while professing friendship under
that treaty, could not resist British and Black Hawk intrigue, and were
then leagued with Black Hawk to destroy the fort by stratagem. These two
were readily admitted to the fort, retired and called again and again,
offering finally to entertain the fatigued garrison with a dance. The
officers, to oblige the men, signified a willingness to witness the
ceremony. Quash-qua-me was to signal Black Hawk, who was to be near by,
to rush in upon the men and murder every one while the dance progressed.
Early in the day a young woman, who had formed a strong attachment for
one of the garrison, appeared before Lieutenant Hamilton as though in
great distress. She was taken inside the stockade, and, when free from
observation, disclosed the plot of the would-be assassins. Her simple
story touched the heart of every man, and, though their long seige had
worn them down well nigh to despair, her love and devotion inspired a
strength and courage which would only falter when the spirit had fled
and left the useless body a clod upon the field.[19] Lieutenant Hamilton
caused a six-pounder, loaded with grapeshot, to be masked and ranged
full upon the stockade entrance. Sentinels were posted with orders to
allow no more than one Indian to enter at a time. Quash-qua-me and his
companions duly appeared and were admitted singly. The warriors within,
to a considerable number, gathered about the entrance, the designated
place, and began their dance, raising with their whoops and yells a din
to heaven. Suddenly the dance was suspended by the warriors making a
furious rush for the gate, which conveniently opened. Confident that the
plot had been successfully carried out by those inside, the others
outside madly charged the angle. A lighted fuse, flashed above the
unmasked cannon, brought those in front to a sudden halt, while those
behind, by reason of it, were plunged headlong into a confused and
confounded mass. Aghast at their miserable miscarriage, a general
retreat was attempted, but this was not accomplished by Quash-qua-me and
his immediate followers, who were made prisoners.
Finding himself in disgrace and fearing condign punishment, Quash-qua-me
renounced hostilities against the Americans, was released, and, with
slight exception, remained thereafter their faithful friend. His
followers, who were imprisoned, finally confessed the plot in its every
detail, and when released, as they immediately were, maintained a
lasting penitence.
In this episode Black Hawk was at a convenient distance in the bushes,
leaving all the danger and obloquy to fall upon Quash-qua-me.
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CHAPTER VI.
BLACK HAWK ENLISTS WITH THE BRITISH IN THE WAR OF 1812–DESERTS–FOSTER
SON STORY–KEOKUK MADE CHIEF.
It was not enough that British intrigue had maintained a reign of terror
upon the frontier where the sturdy pioneer was slowly and painfully
conquering a few roods of timberland to provide a home for his family.
It was not enough that his life, the only protection of that family,
should be daily menaced with ambush. British arrogance now menaced the
nascent Republic by extending its infamous tactics to the high seas,
bullying our infant commerce by exacting the right of search from feebly
manned vessels and cruelly impressing into British service American
seamen to fight their friends and relatives in case of war. On June 18,
1812, the declaration of war followed; then the fall of Mackinaw, July
17; the Fort Dearborn massacre, August 15, and, finally, the mortifying
and distressing surrender of Hull on August 16th.
These disasters opened wide the gates for British influence to promote
war upon the feeble frontiersmen, with such allies as Black Hawk, and to
him they were buds of mighty promise. The first act of the English
trader, Robert Dickson, who had headquarters at Prairie du Chien, was to
send La Gouthrie, the trader, by boat to Black Hawk’s village on Rock
River with presents, money and ammunition for this Indian and his band
of mercenaries who did his bidding. The Fort Madison affair followed,
after which Black Hawk and 200 of his followers immediately went to
Green Bay, Wisconsin, and joined the British expedition fitted out
there, and where the commander made him a speech, dubbed him “General
Black Hawk” and assigned him the responsible and distinguished position
of Aid to the great Tecumseh.[20]
In spite of these calamities, the pioneer hardened his heart, consigned
his family to the nearest fort, then, molding his bullets, he shouldered
his trusty rifle and marched with his brother settler to defend his
country, as he had defended his fireside so often before.
To have been assigned to the staff of Tecumseh should have exalted Black
Hawk to deeds worthy his renowned superior, but his peevish nature and
lack of capacity prevented a comprehension of his just duties. Colonel
Dickson admonished him to honest warfare, which was so distasteful to
Black Hawk that he wrote: “I told him (Col. Dickson) that I was very
much disappointed, as I wanted to descend the Mississippi and make war
upon the settlements.” This sentiment was, according to his own
statement, promptly rebuked by Dickson, as Black Hawk himself recited:
“He said he had been ordered to lay the country waste around St. Louis;
that he had been a trader on the Mississippi many years; had always been
kindly treated and could not consent to send brave men to murder women
and children. That there were no soldiers there to fight, but where he
was going to send us there were a number of soldiers, and if we defeated
them the Mississippi country should be ours!” Here Black Hawk displays
his besetting weakness–incapacity to comprehend the ethics of a cause or
situation.
Leaving Green Bay immediately, the troops marched past Chicago and
without event joined the British forces at Detroit. His first experience
in an open fight with the Americans caused surprise, as he stated: “The
Americans fought well and drove us with considerable loss. I was