The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
disturbing and bandit element of Indian population located near the
mouth of Rock River, Black Hawk’s village.
Black Hawk attacked and repulsed Major Taylor in a manner which made the
pulse of every settler throb with fear for the safety of his family. He
had, without the least provocation, been constantly and successfully
engaged in warfare the most stubborn and unrelenting, and backed by his
British friends, the safety of the country, after Taylor’s defeat, hung
in the balance. Major Taylor’s report, a temperate and dignified
document, is as follows:
“Sir:–In obedience to your orders, I left Fort Independence on the 2d
ult. and reached Rock River, our place of destination, on the evening
of the 4th inst., without meeting a single Indian or any occurrence
worthy of relation.
“On my arrival at the mouth of Rock River, the Indians began to make
their appearance in considerable numbers; running up the Mississippi
to the upper village and crossing the river below us. After passing
Rock River, which is very small at the mouth, from an attentive and
careful examination, as I proceeded up the Mississippi, I was
confident it was impossible for us to enter its mouth with our large
boats. Immediately opposite its mouth a large island commences, which,
together with the western shore of the Mississippi, was covered with a
considerable number of horses, which were doubtless placed in those
situations in order to draw small detachments on shore; but in this
they were disappointed, and I determined to alter the plan which you
had suggested, which was to pass the different villages as if the
object of the expedition was Prairie du Chien, for several reasons.
First, that I might have an opportunity of viewing the situation of
the ground to enable me to select such a landing as would bring our
artillery to bear on the villages with the greatest advantage. I was
likewise in hopes a party would approach us with a flag, from which I
expected to learn the situation of affairs at the Prairie, and
ascertain in some measure their numbers and perhaps bring them to a
council, when I should have been able to have retaliated on them for
their repeated acts of treachery; or, if they were determined to
attack us, I was in hopes to draw them some distance from their towns
towards the rapids, run down in the night and destroy them before they
could return to their defense. But in this I was disappointed. The
wind, which had been in our favor, began to shift about at the time we
passed the mouth of Rock River, and by the time we reached the head of
the island, which is about a mile and a half long, it blew a perfect
hurricane, quarterly down the river, and it was with great difficulty
we made land at a small island, containing six or eight acres, covered
with willows, near the middle of the river, and about sixty yards from
the upper end of the island. In this situation I determined to remain
during the night if the storm continued, as I knew the anchors of
several of the boats in that event would not hold them, and there was
a great probability of their being drifted on sandbars, of which the
river is full in this place, which would have exposed the men very
much in getting them off, even if they could have prevented their
filling with water.
“It was about 4 o’clock in the evening when we were compelled to land,
and large parties of Indians were on each side of the river, as well
as crossing in different directions in canoes; but not a gun was fired
from either side. The wind continued to blow the whole night with
violence, accompanied with some rain, which induced me to order the
sentinels to be brought in and placed in the bow of each boat. About
daylight, Capt. Whiteside’s boat was fired on at the distance of about
fifteen paces, and a corporal, who was on the outside of the boat, was
mortally wounded. My orders were, if a boat was fired on, to return
it; but not a man to leave the boat without positive orders from
myself. So soon as it got perfectly light, as the enemy continued
about the boat, I determined to drive them from the island, let their
numbers be what they might, provided we were able to do so. I then
assigned each boat a proper guard, formed the troops for action and
pushed through the willows to the opposite shore; but those fellows
who had the boldness to fire on the boats cleared themselves as soon
as the troops were formed by wading from the island we were encamped
on to the one just below us. Capt. Whiteside, who was on the left, was
able to give them a warm fire as they reached the island they had
retreated to. They returned the fire for a few moments, when they
retreated. In this affair we had two men badly wounded. When Capt.
Whiteside commenced the fire, I ordered Capt. Rector to drop down with
his boat to ground and to rake the island below with artillery, and to
fire on every canoe he should discover passing from one shore to the
other which should come within reach. In this situation he remained
about one hour, and no Indians making their appearance, he determined
to drop down the island about sixty yards and destroy several canoes
that were laying to shore. This he effected, and just on setting his
men on board, the British commenced a fire on our boats with a six, a
four and two swivels, from behind a knoll that completely covered
them. The boats were entirely exposed to the artillery, which was
distant three hundred and fifty paces from us. So soon as the first
gun fired, I ordered a six-pounder to be brought out and placed, but,
on recollecting a moment, I found the boat would be sunk before any
impression could be made on them by our cannon, as they were
completely under cover; and had already brought their guns to bear on
our boats, for the round shot from their six passed through Lieut.
Hempstead’s boat and shattered her considerably. I then ordered the
boats to drop down, which was done in order, and conducted with the
greatest coolness by every officer, although exposed to a constant
fire from their artillery for more than half a mile.
“So soon as they commenced firing from their artillery, the Indians
raised a yell and commenced firing on us from every direction, whether
they were able to do us any damage or not. From each side of the
river, Capt. Rector, who was laying to the shore of the island, was
attacked the instant the first gun was fired, by a very large party,
and in a close and well contested action of about fifteen minutes,
they drove them, after giving three rounds of grape from his
three-pounder.
“Capt. Whiteside, who was nearest to Capt. Rector, dropped down and
anchored nigh him, and gave the enemy several fires with his swivel;
but the wind was so hard down stream as to drift his anchor. Capt.
Rector at that moment got his boat off, and we were then exposed to
the fire of the Indians for two miles, which we returned with interest
from our small arms and small pieces of artillery whenever we could
get them to bear. I was compelled to drop down about three miles
before a proper place presented itself for landing, as but few of the
boats had anchors sufficient to stop them in the river. Here I halted
for the purpose of having the wounded attended and some of the boats
repaired, as some of them had been injured by the enemy’s artillery.
They followed us in their boats until we halted on a small prairie and
prepared for action, when they returned in as great a hurry as they
followed us.
“I then collected the officers together and put the following question
to them: ‘Are we able, 334 effective men, officers, non-commissioned
officers and privates, to fight the enemy with any prospect of success
and effect, which is to destroy their villages and corn?’ They were of
opinion the enemy was at least three men to one, and that it was not
practicable to effect either object. I then determined to drop down
the river to the Lemoine without delay, as some of the ranging
officers informed me their men were short of provisions, and execute
the principal object of the expedition, in erecting a fort to command
the river. This shall be effected as soon as practicable with the
means in my power, and should the enemy attempt to descend the river
in force before the fort can be completed, every foot of the way from
the fort to the settlements shall be contested.
“In the affair at Rock River, I had eleven men badly wounded, three
mortally, of whom one has since died. I am much indebted to the
officers for their prompt obedience to orders, nor do I believe a
braver set of men could have been collected than those who compose
this detachment. But, sir, I conceive it would have been madness in
me, as well as a direct violation of my orders, to have risked the
detachment without a prospect of success. I believe I should have been
fully able to have accomplished your views if the enemy had not been
supplied with artillery and so advantageously posted as to render it
impossible for us to have dislodged him without imminent danger of the
loss of the whole detachment.
“I am, sir, yours, etc.,
“ZA. TAYLOR, _Brev. Maj._,
“_Com. Detachment_.”[32]
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Emboldened by his successes, Black Hawk continued his warfare, and in
the murder of inoffensive settlers there was no abatement. Through the
year 1814 they continued, and notwithstanding the treaty made between
the two nations, we find the English agents and Black Hawk still
pursuing their depredations in the spring of 1815.
“Traitors.–The undernamed gentry were residents within this and the
neighboring territories previous to the war, and always claimed the
rights of citizens of the United States; but as soon as war was
declared they, to a man, took part against us, and were active agents
in the British interest in different parts of the Indian country:
“Robert Dickson, James Aird, Duncan Graham, Francois Boutillier,
Edward La Gouthrie, Brishois, of the Prairie du Chien, Jacob Franks,
the brothers Grigneaus of Green Bay, Joseph La Croix and Lassaillier
of Milwaukee, Joseph Bailly and his cousin Barrott of St. Josephs,
Mitchell La Croix, Louis Buisson, Louis Benett, formerly of Peoria.
“It is ascertained that in the unsuccessful attack made by the
unfortunate Lieut. M’Nair, four men were killed. M’Nair was wounded
and taken prisoner and conveyed two days on his march to Rock River;
but, being unable to travel, was tomahawked. A man taken up from the
river at Carondelet a few days ago was recognized to be one of the
four missing of the name of Best.
“By late news from Rock River, we learn that the Kickapoos have
abandoned the British and demanded peace, agreeably to the treaty. It
is further said that the Sacs, Winnebagoes and Fallsavoine are
determined to prosecute the war.”[33]
Here, long after the treaty of Ghent, signed December 24th, 1814, Black
Hawk formulated and made his dastard attack on Fort Howard, known as the
“sink hole affair.” Note how puerile, yea, preposterous, his adopted son
fiction appears in the light of contemporaneous reports and his