The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
part, and that is the reason we do what you tell us to do.
“‘My Father:–You say you love your red children. We think we love
you as much, if not more, than you love us. We have confidence in
you, and you may rely on us.
“‘My Father:–We have been promised a great deal if we would take
these men; that it would do much good to our people. We now hope
to see what will be done for us.
“‘My Father:–We have come in haste; we are tired and hungry. We
now put these men into your hands. We have done all that you told
us to do.’
“General Street said: ‘My children:–You have done well. I told you
to bring these men to me, and you have done so. I am pleased at
what you have done. It is for your good, and for this reason I am
pleased. I assured the great chief of the warriors that, if these
men were in your country you would find them and bring them to me;
that I believed you would do whatever I directed you, and now that
you have brought them, I can do much for your good. I will go down
to Rock Island with the prisoners, and I wish you who have brought
these men especially to go with me, with such other chiefs and
warriors as you may select.
“‘My Children:–The great chief of the warriors when he left this
place directed me to deliver them and all other prisoners to the
chief of the warriors at this place, Col. Taylor, who is here by
me.
“‘My Children:–Some of the Winnebagoes south of the Wisconsin
river have befriended the Saukies, and some of the Indians of my
agency have also given them aid. This displeases the great chief
of the warriors and your great father, the President, and was
calculated to do much harm.
“‘My Children:–Your great father, the President, at Washington,
has sent a great war chief from the far east, Gen. Scott, with a
fresh army of soldiers. He is now at Rock Island. Your great
father, the President, has sent him and the Governor and chief of
Illinois to hold a council with the Indians. He has sent a speech
to you, and wishes the chiefs and warriors of the Winnebagoes to
go to Rock Island to the council on the 10th of next month. I wish
you to be ready in three days, when I will go with you.
“‘My Children:–I am well pleased that you have taken the Black
Hawk, the Prophet and other prisoners. This will enable me to say
much for you to the great chief of the warriors and to the
President, your great father.
“‘My Children:–I shall now deliver the two men, Black Hawk and the
Prophet, to the chief of the warriors here; he will take care of
them till we start to Rock Island.’
“Col. Taylor said:–‘The great chief of the warriors told me to
take the prisoners when you should bring them, and send them to
Rock Island to him, I will take them and keep them safe, but I
will use them well and send them with you and General Street when
you go down to the council, which will be in a few days. Your
friend, General Street, advises you to get ready and go down soon,
and so do I.
“‘I tell you again I will take the prisoners. I will keep them
safe, but I will do them no harm. I will deliver them to the great
chief of the warriors, and he will do with them and use them in
such a manner as shall be ordered by your great father, the
President.’
“Chaeter, a Winnebago warrior, then said to General Street:
“‘My Father:–I am young and do not know how to make speeches. This
is the second time I ever spoke to you before people.
“‘My Father:–I am no chief; I am no orator; but I have been
allowed to speak to you.
“‘My Father:–If I should not speak as well as others, still you
must listen to me.
“‘My Father:–When you made the speech to the chiefs, Wau-kon
Decorri, Carramana, the One-Eyed Decorri and others ’tother day, I
was there. I heard you. I thought of what you said to them. You
also said to me, you said, “If these two (pointing to Black Hawk
and the Prophet) were taken by us and brought to you, there would
nevermore a black cloud hang over your Winnebagoes.”
“‘My Father:–Your words entered into my ears, into my brains, and
into my heart.
“‘My Father:–I left here that same night, and you know you have
not seen me since until now.
“‘My Father:–I have been a great way. I have had much trouble; but
when I remembered what you said, I knew what you said was right.
This made me continue and do what you told me to do.
“‘My Father:–Near the Dalle, on the Wisconsin, I took Black Hawk.
No one did it but me. I say this in the ears of all present, and
they know it, and I now appeal to the Great Spirit, our
grandfather, and the earth, our grandmother, for the truth of what
I say.
“‘My Father:–I am no chief; but what I have done is for the
benefit of my nation, and I hope to see the good that has been
promised to us.
“‘My Father:–That one, Wa-bo-kie-shiek (the Prophet), is my
relation. If he is to be hurt, I do not wish to see it.
“‘My Father:–Soldiers sometimes stick the ends of their guns
(bayonets) into the backs of Indian prisoners when they are going
about in the hands of the guard. I hope this will not be done to
these men.’”–Copied in Niles Weekly Register, Vol. 43, page 78,
issue of Sept. 29, 1832.
-----
Footnote 236:
2 Wis. Hist. Colls., 258. 12 Wis. Hist. Colls., 254, Thwaites.
Footnote 237:
2 Wis. Hist. Colls., 259.
Footnote 238:
Prophet captured on Black River and Black Hawk at the Dalle on the
Wisconsin, forty miles above the Portage. Galenian, Sept. 5, 1832,
which corresponds with account quoted.
-----
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CHAPTER XXXIV.
STAMBAUGH’S EXPEDITION.
On the 23d of June Col. George Boyd, Agent for the Menominees at
Green Bay, wrote Atkinson offering or suggesting the services of the
Indians of this agency, to which Atkinson replied on the 12th of
July, requesting him to raise a company of 200 Menominees to arrest
the progress of Black Hawk toward the Milwaukee River. This letter
was entrusted to Colonel Hamilton and safely delivered.
On the 12th July Colonel Boyd replied as follows:[239]
“Indian Agency
Office.
Green Bay, July
20, 1832.
“Sir:–I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 12th instant, in answer to one of mine of the 23d ult., by
the hands of Col. Hamilton, three days since, and to inform you
that arrangements are making, with all possible expedition, to
forward to your aid the services of two hundred Menominees, with a
view to arrest the progress of the enemy towards the Milwaukee
country. They will be placed under the immediate command of Col.
Stambaugh, the former agent of these people, who, on my first
arrival in this country, demanded as a favor that, in the event of
the Menominees being called into the field, that Col. Stambaugh
should be placed at their head. This request was formally granted
them by me in council, and it is to redeem this pledge, as well as
to enable me consistently to relinquish a command for which my
present state of health wholly unfits me, that this arrangement
has been made. It has been my earnest wish to employ the talents
and experience of Col. Hamilton, by associating him with the
expedition, with that rank which would bring him second in
command. This offer, I regret to say, Col. Hamilton has at once
declined. I trust, however, that the Menominees will effect what
you calculated from their presence in the field under the present
management, and that they will be ready to take the line of march
in order to aid you in your intended operations against the enemy
in about seven days from the present time. * * *
With great respect, etc.,
“G. BOYD, U.S. Ind.
Agent.
BRIG.-GEN. H. ATKINSON, U.S. Army, Commanding Camp Whitewater,
Rock River.”
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There were no arms for them when the communication arrived. They
were scattered about in a manner to require unusual trouble in
collecting them and upon putting the plan into practical operation
Colonel Boyd almost despaired enlisting the desired 200. He
attempted to engage recruits from the ranks of the New York Indians,
the Oneidas and Stockbridges under Alexander J. Irwin of Green Bay,
but they to a man refused and Irwin enlisted under Stambaugh.
There was no overt hostility to the command of Hamilton, but the
Menominees held Colonel Stambaugh in such veneration that they were
unwilling to trust another to command them.
After much discouraging work, the quota was finally secured and,
divided into two commands or companies, the battalion was ready to
march.
[240]S.C. Stambaugh, Commander; Augustin Grignon, Sr., Captain;
Chas. Grignon, Jr., First Lieutenant and Interpreter; Robert
Grignon, Second Lieutenant; George Johnston, Captain; James M. Boyd,
First Lieutenant; William Powell, Second Lieutenant and Interpreter,
and Alex J. Irwin, charged with the commissariat, with the rank of
First Lieutenant Infantry.
After which Colonel Stambaugh received the following instructions:
“Indian Agency, July 25, 1832.
[241]“Sir:–As you have been selected by the Menominees to lead
them in the coming conflict, and having yielded to their choice, I
consider it my duty to enclose to you a copy of the Commanding
General’s instructions to Col. Hamilton, as to their movements in
the field, and the position to be occupied by them in regard to
the main army, and to request your strict adherence to them, as
far as practicable.
“As much time, however, has elapsed since the above instructions
were given, and the general line of operations of our army perhaps
materially changed, it is determined, under all circumstances, to
direct you to proceed with all possible expedition to Fort
Winnebago, and, immediately on your arrival there, to report
yourself forthwith, by express, to the Commanding General in the
field, and to await his orders as to your further movements.
“Wishing you all the success which the Government has a right to
anticipate from the movements of the Menominees, and that the
honor and the interest of the nation may be your leading star, to
guide you in all your operations, I have the honor to be,
Yours, etc.,
“GEORGE BOYD, Indian Agent.
“Col. S.C. Stambaugh, Com. the Menominee Expedition, Green Bay,
M.T.”
On the 26th[242] the battalion moved, and for the only authentic
account extant of their movements from that hour I am indebted to
Augustin Grignon, one of the captains in the expedition, which is to
be found in Vol. 3 of the Wis. Hist. Soc. Colls., p. 293 _et seq._
“Col. Stambaugh had previously been the Menominee Indian Agent,
but had been superseded by Col. Boyd, who had been directed to
raise a party of the Menominees to serve against the hostile
Indians.
“Col. Boyd gave the command of the expedition to Col. Stambaugh.