The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life
in Fort Armstrong. The man was of the 4th Infantry and had been
there some time under treatment for debility. The ranger now
convalescent was in the same hospital with him for sixteen hours
before a cholera hospital could be established outside the camp
and fort.
“2. It is believed that all these men were of intemperate habits.
The Ranger who is dead, it is known, generated this disease within
him by a fit of intoxication.
“3. This disease having appeared among the Rangers[267] and on
this island, all in commission are called upon to exert themselves
to the utmost to stop the spread of the calamity.
“4. Sobriety, cleanliness of person, cleanliness of camp and
quarters, together with care in the preparation of the men’s
messes, are the grand preventives. No neglect under these
important heads will be overlooked or tolerated.
“5. In addition to the foregoing, the Senior Surgeon present
recommends the use of flannel shirts, flannel drawers and woolen
stockings; but the Commanding General, who has seen much of this
disease, knows that it is intemperance which, in the present state
of the atmosphere, generates and spreads the calamity, and that,
when once spread, good and temperate men are likely to take the
infection.
“6. He therefore peremptorily commands that every soldier or
Ranger who shall be found drunk or sensibly intoxicated after the
publication of this order, be compelled, as soon as his strength
will permit, to dig a grave at a suitable burying place large
enough for his own reception, as such grave cannot fail soon to be
wanted for the drunken man himself or some drunken companion.
“7. This order is given as well to serve for the punishment of
drunkenness as to spare good and temperate men the labor of
digging graves for their worthless companions.
“8. The sanitary regulations now in force respecting
communications between the camp near the mouth of Rock River and
other camps and posts in the neighborhood are revoked. (They had
provided for sending all the sick to the hospital on Rock Island.)
Colonel Eustis, however, whose troops are perfectly free from
cholera, will report to the Commanding General whether he believes
it for the safety of his command that these regulations should be
renewed.
“By order of Major-General Scott,
P.H. GALT, Ass’t
Adjutant-General.”
Cold rains fell; many soldiers were afforded protection from them
only by the most miserable of tents, and soon out of 300 cases there
were fifty deaths. Finally, as a last resort, the men were removed
across the river, where the last case disappeared. It has been said
that in this last visitation the Rangers suffered most.[268]
At the time of the appearance of the cholera the three Sacs were
confined in the military prison at Fort Armstrong on a charge of
complicity in the murder of the Menominees near Prairie du Chien on
the 31st of July, 1831. By reason of the cholera, General Scott set
them at liberty, taking their promise to return upon the exhibition
of a certain signal to be hung from the limb of a dead tree at an
elevated point of the island when the epidemic should be over. The
signal was subsequently hung up, and, true to their parole, the
Indians reported themselves. They were again paroled and
subsequently released.[269]
Having again checked the disease, Scott sent out the summons to the
Winnebagoes, who assembled on the 15th[270] to sign a new treaty.
Before proceeding with its details it was considered best to prepare
them for the forfeitures they must necessarily sustain by reason of
their assistance to Black Hawk at nearly all stages of the campaign,
as ascertained by the examinations of witnesses:
“Such is justice between nation and nation, against which none can
rightfully complain; but as God, in his dealings with human
creatures, tempers justice with mercy–or else the whole race of
man would soon have perished–so shall we, commissioners, in humble
imitation of divine example, now treat you, my red brethren, who
have offended both against God and your great human father at
Washington.”[271]
Thereupon the following treaty was made and signed, on the 21st day
of September, 1832, and promulgated by the President’s proclamation,
February 13th, 1833, after having been ratified by the Senate:
ARTICLES OF A TREATY OF PEACE, FRIENDSHIP AND CESSION,
concluded at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, Illinois, between the
United States of America, by their Commissioners, Major-General
Winfield Scott, of the United States Army, and His Excellency John
Reynolds, Governor of the State of Illinois, and the confederated
tribes of Sac and Fox Indians, represented in general council by
the undersigned Chiefs, Headmen and Warriors.
WHEREAS, Under certain lawless and desperate leaders a formidable
band, constituting a large portion of the Sac and Fox nation, left
their country in April last, and, in violation of treaties,
commenced an unprovoked war upon unsuspecting and defenseless
citizens of the United States, sparing neither age nor sex; and
whereas, the United States, at a great expense of treasure, have
subdued the said hostile band, killing or capturing all its
principal chiefs and warriors, the said States, partly as
indemnity for the expense incurred, and partly to secure the
future safety and tranquility of the invaded frontier, demand of
the said tribes, to the use of the United States, a cession of a
tract of the Sac and Fox country, bordering on said frontier, more
than proportional to the numbers of the hostile band who have been
so conquered and subdued.
Article I. Accordingly, the confederated tribes of Sacs and Foxes
hereby cede to the United States forever all the lands to which
the said tribes have title or claim (with the exception of the
reservation hereinafter made) included within the following
bounds, to-wit: Beginning on the Mississippi River, at the point
where the Sac and Fox northern boundary line, as established by
the second article of the treaty of Prairie du Chien of the
fifteenth of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty, strikes
said river; thence, up said boundary line to a point fifty miles
from the Mississippi, measured on said line; thence, in a right
line, to the nearest point on the Red Cedar of the Ioway, forty
miles from the Mississippi River; thence in a right line to a
point in the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri,
fifty miles, measured on said boundary, from the Mississippi
River; thence by the last-mentioned boundary to the Mississippi
River, and by the western shore of said river to the place of
beginning. And the said confederated tribes of Sacs and Foxes
hereby stipulate and agree to remove from the lands herein ceded
to the United States, on or before the first day of June next; and
in order to prevent any future misunderstanding it is expressly
understood that no band or party of the Sac or Fox tribes shall
reside, plant, fish or hunt on any portion of the ceded country
after the period just mentioned.
Article II. Out of the cession made in the preceding article the
United States agree to a reservation for the use of the said
confederated tribes of a tract of land containing four hundred
square miles, to be laid off under the directions of the President
of the United States, from the boundary line crossing the Ioway
River, in such manner that nearly an equal portion of the
reservation may be on both sides of said river, and extending
downwards, so as to include Ke-o-kuk’s principal village on its
right bank, which village is about twelve miles from the
Mississippi River.
Article III. In consideration of the great extent of the foregoing
cession, the United States stipulate and agree to pay to the said
confederated tribes annually, for thirty successive years, the
first payment to be made in September of the next year, the sum of
twenty thousand dollars in specie.
Article IV. It is further agreed that the United States shall
establish and maintain within the limits, and for the use and
benefit of the Sacs and Foxes, for the period of thirty years, one
additional black and gunsmith shop, with the necessary tools, iron
and steel; and finally make a yearly allowance for the same
period, to the said tribes, of forty kegs of tobacco and forty
barrels of salt, to be delivered at the mouth of the Ioway River.
Article V. The United States, at the earnest request of the said
confederated tribes, further agree to pay to Farnham and
Davenport, Indian traders at Rock Island, the sum of forty
thousand dollars without interest, which sum will be in full
satisfaction of the claims of the said traders against the said
tribes, and by the latter was, on the tenth day of July, one
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, acknowledged to be justly
due for articles of necessity, furnished, in the course of the
seven preceding years, in an instrument of writing of said date,
duly signed by the Chiefs and Headmen of said tribes, and
certified by the late Felix St. Vrain, United States agent, and
Antoine LeClaire, United States interpreter, both for the said
tribes.
Article VI. At the special request of the said confederated
tribes, the United States agree to grant, by patent in fee simple,
to Antoine LeClaire, Interpreter, a part Indian, one section of
land opposite Rock Island, and one section at the head of the
first rapids above said island, within the country herein ceded by
the Sacs and Foxes.
Article VII. Trusting to the good faith of the neutral bands of
Sacs and Foxes, the United States have already delivered up to
those bands the great mass of prisoners made in the course of the
war by the United States, and promise to use their influence to
procure the delivery of other Sacs and Foxes, who may still be
prisoners in the hands of a band of Sioux Indians, the friends of
the United States; but the following named prisoners of war, now
in confinement, who were Chiefs and Headmen, shall be held as
hostages for the future good conduct of the late hostile bands,
during the pleasure of the President of the United States, viz.:
Muk-ka-ta-mish-a-ka-kaik (or Black Hawk) and his two sons;
Wau-ba-kee-shik (the Prophet), his brother and two sons; Na-pope,
We-sheet Ioway, Pa-ma-ho, and Cha-kee-pa-shi-pa-ho (the Little
Stabbing Chief).
Article VIII. And it is further stipulated and agreed between the
parties to this treaty that there shall never be allowed in the
confederate Sac and Fox nation any separate band, or village,
under any chief or warrior of the late hostile bands; but that the
remnant of the said hostile bands shall be divided among the
neutral bands of the said tribes according to blood–the Sacs among
the Sacs and the Foxes among the Foxes.
Article IX. In consideration of the premises, peace and friendship
are declared, and shall be perpetually maintained between the
United States and the whole confederated Sac and Fox nation,
excepting from the latter the hostages before mentioned.
Article X. The United States, besides the presents delivered at
the signing of this treaty, wishing to give a striking evidence of
their mercy and liberality, will immediately cause to be issued to
the said confederated tribes, principally for the use of the Sac
and Fox women and children whose husbands, fathers and brothers
have been killed in the late war, and generally for the use of the