The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
arrest these daring violators of the provisions of the treaty of July,
1830, have, as I believe, been taken.
“To-day, the remaining Menominees asked to speak to me, and I met them
accordingly. They complain of the violation of the treaty, and say
they have fallen victims to their confidence in the security that was
promised them under the sanctions of a treaty made in the presence of
their fathers, Gen. Clark and Col. Morgan. That Col. Morgan promised
them a free and secure path to this place, and that if they were
struck, he would march an army of his warriors into the country of
those who struck them with their warriors, and take man for man of
their enemies. They say they have lost many of their bravest men. ‘One
of our chiefs has lost all his family; his wife and his children and
his brother were all murdered, and he is left alone. He is not here;
he is in his lodge mourning.’ They added, ‘Take pity on our women and
our orphan children, and give us something to console us, and we will
wait a while to see if our great father, whom you tell us is strong,
will help us to punish those Sacs and Foxes, who shake hands and smoke
the pipe of peace to-day, and to-morrow break it and kill those they
smoked with.’ Under existing circumstances, I deemed it prudent and
humane to give them a few things and to provide some necessaries for
their destitute children, the amount of which I will forward by mail.
I also promised to lay the affair before their great father, the
President, and ask him to have justice done for them agreeably to
their treaty, if they would go into their country and remain quiet.
They have promised to do so a short time, yet I learn from other
sources that runners have been dispatched to Green Bay and among the
Sioux.
“The Menominees also complain that they were promised that if they
would be quiet, their great father would see justice done between them
and the Chippeways. That nothing is done, nor are their dead covered.
They remarked, ‘Shall we remain quiet on the faith of our great father
until we are all killed? When will our great father answer us?’
“They inform me that a white man (a discharged soldier from St.
Peters) had killed a Menominee a few days past. On inquiry I learned
that the white man had a fight with two Indians, and in the fight he
struck the Indian on the head with a stick and fractured his skull,
and he died the day after. There is no white person who can testify
anything about it, and the white man has gone off, I know not where.
“I have received no answer to my letters respecting the murder of the
Menominees by the Chippeways, and am unable to satisfy them on that
subject. I now hope that on the present representation of facts, the
Government will feel the necessity of a prompt interference, to save
this fort from a general rupture.
“The pacification of July, 1830, has been violated under the guns of
Fort Crawford, and if some immediate course is not taken to chastise
those violators of that solemn arrangement, the influence of the
officers of the United States will be destroyed and the power of the
Government disregarded by the Indians.
“Respectfully, etc., etc.,
“JOS. M. STREET, Indian Agent.
“GEN. WILLIAM CLARK, Superintendent of Indian Affairs at St. Louis.”
“U.S. Indian Agency at Prairie du Chien,
July 31, 1831, 7 o’clock A.M.
“Sir:–After a personal inspection of the scene of massacre, I hasten
to inform you that last night the Sacs and Foxes struck the
Menominees, encamped on the east side of the Mississippi, about three
or four hundred paces above old Fort Crawford, and killed
twenty-four[88] of the latter, butchering them in a most shocking
manner.
“The Sacs and Foxes came up and left their canoes just above the old
fort and completely surprised the Menominees, who, under the sanction
of the peace of 1830 at this place, and their vicinity to the fort,
were unsuspicious of danger.
“The attack was made about two hours before daylight, and the
assailants were gone before light.
“So daring a violation of the treaty of July, 1830, made at this
village, and within cannon shot of the fort, evinces a spirit little
in accordance with its humane and pacific object.
“I am also this moment informed that runners will be immediately
dispatched by the Menominees to Green Bay and to the Sioux.
“I shall be at Judge Lockwood’s during the day.
“Respectfully yours, etc.,
“JOSEPH M. STREET, U.S. Indian Agent.
“To CAPT. G. LOOMIS; Commanding Fort Crawford.”
“Superintendency of Indian Affairs,
“St. Louis, Sept. 12, 1831.
“Sir:–I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 26th ult. on the subject of the late violation of the treaty of
Prairie du Chien by the Fox Indians; and have, in accordance with your
instructions, given the necessary directions to the agent at Rock
Island to convene the chiefs of the Fox tribes, etc., at that place,
to meet, if possible, on the 26th inst. Col. Morgan will, agreeably to
the directions of Gen. Atkinson, be present at the council and will
make the necessary demand of a surrender of the principal men
connected with the outrage complained of; and I have reason to believe
that if the requirements of the act of intercourse of 1802, as well as
the stipulations of the treaty of 1825, shall be strictly complied
with, it will be owing to the prompt and decisive measures pursued by
the department. The result of this council shall be promptly
communicated.
“I take the liberty of enclosing to you herewith two letters from
Major Taliaferro, of the 8th and 12th August, and one from Gen.
Street, received by the last mail, charging the Sacs with another
violation of the treaty of 1825. The facts, however, in relation to
this last affair have been differently stated by the Sacs, who were
the first (it appears) to commence them. They say that the affair took
place on their own land, on the waters of the Ioway River; that a
party of the Sioux, in a buffalo chase, fired upon some of their
people and killed a Sac, and that the rest of their people coming up,
pursued the Sioux, and killed two of them.[89] I have the honor to be,
with high respect, Your most obedient servant,
“WM. CLARK.
“The HON. LEWIS CASS, Secretary of War.”
“Rock Island Indian Agency,
“September 10, 1831. \
“Respected Sir:–I have been informed, and it is currently reported,
that two Sioux and three Sac Indians met in a prairie, within the
limits of the Sac and Fox lands; that one of the Sacs went up towards
the Sioux with the intention of shaking hands with them; but the Sioux
refused and threw off their blankets and breech cloths, evidently
showing an unfriendly disposition towards the Sacs; the Sac still
continued approaching them until they shot him dead. The other two
Sacs, who had been concealed from the view of the Sioux, pursued them
until they killed both the Sioux. This is the report of the Sac
Indians.[90]
“I, in concert with Major Bliss, called a council of the principal
chiefs of the Sac and Fox Indians for the purpose of demanding the
leaders of the band which were concerned in the massacre at Prairie du
Chien. The result is as contained in the enclosed journal, which was
kept for the purpose. The Indians remained at this place about four
days; they got credit from their traders and departed with the
intention of making an immediate move to their hunting grounds. I
presume that you have heard of the death of Morgan, the Fox brave. One
of his followers, after hearing of the circumstance, said that it was
useless for him to live any longer, now that Morgan was no more. He
took his rifle and went out and shot himself.
“Since writing the above, Captain Low told me that the Menominees were
preparing to march against the Sacs and Foxes, and that they would
listen to no one, but were determined to take revenge. Should I get
any further information on the subject, I will immediately inform you
of it. I have the honor to be
Your obedient servant,
“FELIX ST. VRAIN, Indian Agent. \
“GENERAL WILLIAM CLARK,
“Superintendent Indian Affairs, St. Louis.”
“JOURNAL OF A COUNCIL HELD WITH THE CHIEFS AND WARRIORS OF THE SAC AND
FOX INDIANS AT FORT ARMSTRONG ON THE FIFTH SEPTEMBER, 1831, BY MAJOR
BLISS, FIRST INFANTRY, COMMANDING, AND FELIX ST. VRAIN, THE U.S.
AGENT.
“At about 12 o’clock the council was opened by the commanding officer,
as follows:
“‘Chiefs and Warriors of the Sacs and Foxes: By the treaty of Prairie
du Chien, made at the request of the President of the United States
with the Sioux, Menominees and other Indian tribes, you solemnly
promised and agreed that there should be peace between you and those
tribes. You also agreed that if either tribe should attack either of
the other tribes, that the persons of those who should be concerned in
the outrage should be delivered up to the officers of the United
States. About four or five nights since a war party of Foxes and some
Sacs, led on by Pash-qua-mee, attacked a peaceable party of Menominees
near Fort Crawford and killed 26 men, women and children. Wrong has
been done and the treaty of Prairie du Chien has been violated.
“‘It becomes our duty, therefore, as officers of the United States, to
demand that you, the chiefs and warriors of the Sac and Fox Indians,
deliver and surrender to us Pash-qua-mee and all the principal Indians
of the Sacs and Foxes who were engaged in this late massacre of the
Menominees near Fort Crawford, and we do demand them. We wait for your
answer. We hope it may be such as to convince the President, the Great
Council and the citizens of the United States that the Sacs and Foxes
are not liars; that they always speak truth and perform as they
promise.’
“After a short delay, Tiornay (the Strawberry), a Fox chief, replied:
‘My Father: I have heard you and the commanding officer. We were all
at the treaty at Prairie du Chien. We have the talk in our minds. All
the chiefs you see here have told the young men left behind all that
was said at that time. It is because you do not know our manners that
you think ill of this. When we hear of a war party going out, we do
all in our power to stop it. You have heard what I say. We did not
tell them to go to war.
“‘My Father and Commanding Officer: How can we stop our men, when your
white men cannot stop the whites from committing crimes? Both of our
cases are hard; our young men will not do what we wish, and yours act
in the same way. This is all I have to say.’
“Kottekennekak, the Bald Eagle, a Fox brave, then said: ‘My Father:
Though we were all at Prairie du Chien, how can we stop our young men?
They go off while we are asleep and we know nothing of it. It was not
by our consent that the young men struck the Menominees at Prairie du
Chien. We have done all we could; but the young men will not listen to
us.’
“Quash-quah-ing, the Jumping Fish, a British chief: ‘My Father and my
Friends: All the chiefs are dead and the young men have told me to