Hancock County, Illinois - Biographical sketches, 1880

Referring to the foregoing State History, page 84, for a general account of the Black Hawk war, we deem a more particular account of that noted chieftain proper in this place. Many of the citizens of Hancock county were more or less engaged in that struggle, or intei-ested in it from its proximity to them; and besides, there was a tradition that he was born within the limits of the county, upon Camp creek. For this there was probably no good foundation.

That Black Hawk was a man of genius and bravery cannot be denied. He fought, and fought bravely, for what he deemed his rights. But when, at the battle of Bad- Axe, he was conquered and made prisoner, his spirit was broken, and he yielded to inexorable fate. He was carried a prisoner to Washington, and on a tour through the Eastern States, and then returned to his tribe beyond the Mississippi, with jiresents and an admonition. That tour of itself, showing him the vast power and resources of the people with whom he had been contending, ^as sufficient to convince him of the futility of war as a means of i-edressing his wrongs, and he buried the hatchet forever. He mingled with his tribe more as an humble follower than as a warlike chief. And when passing about among the whites, his deportment was always quiet and resigned. He acted as a deposed chief might be presumed to act, whose spirit was broken and whose will had ceased to be law.

The writer of this first met Black Hawk in 1837, at Fort Des Moines, now Montrose. He was usually accompanied by his wife, and they were always treated witli attention and respect by those whites upon whom the}- called. More than once have Black Hawk and his well-behaved squaw sat at our table; and vphile the two women would chat freely over their tea, talking "Greek" to each other, the "chiefs " were compelled per force to maintain respectful silence. These tea-parties are remembered with as much pleasure as though the entertained had heeii a duke and duchess. Black Hawk in those days usually wore a black hat and a white blanket, and took no pride in trinkets and feathers. Keokuk, whom he hated, and whose hate was returned, seldom appeared in public without being decked out in fanciful style. He was portly and made an imposing appearance.

These joint tribes were then settled up the Des Moines river, and their chief villages were, we believe, near where the city of Des Moines now stands.

But the old chieftiiin's career as a brave and a warrior had closed, and it was soon to close as a man. He, whose scalpingknife and tomahawk had afleamed in the face of many a foe, whose war-whoop had wakened the echoes of the night from tiie Missouri to the Wisconsin, and whose martial shout had sent defiance and threat across the Father of Waters, was soon to take his departure to the far-off hunting grounds prepared for him by the great Manitou! He died on the banks of the Des Moines river, in what is now the county of Davis.

At this day, and among a people so tamiliar with him and his career, it will he hard to assign him his true place in history. His abilities as a commander and leader were doubtless inferior to those of Philip, of Pokonoket, or Powhattan ; his talent for strategy and his energy of purpose were excelled by those of Tecumseh; his oratory, of which little has been handed down to us, very likely fell short of that of Logan; but his name on history's page will stand along with these, and serve with theirs' "to point a moral and adorn a tale."

We have been unable to fix with absolute certainty, the date of the old chief's death, or of his age at the time. Gov. Ford, in his History of Illinois, gives his age at eighty, and places his death on the 3d of October, lS-±0. We should have called him at least ten years younger. It is stated that he had been aid de-camp to Tecumseh, in the war of 1812-'15. A correspondent of the Keosauqua Republican states his death to have occurred in 1837; Mr. Wm. Garrett, an old resident of Burlington, places it in 1838, or '39; while Mr. James H. Jordan, of Davis county, who resided near and owil^d the laTid on which Black Hawk resided at his death, claims* that it occurred in Sept., 1888. His remains were not buried, but deposited in usual Indian style above ground. Previous toliis death he requested to be buried on the spot where he had held his last council with the lowas, near by, which was complied with. - - ""-^/^

He was dressed in a full suit of regimentals, frock coat with gold epaulettes, a cocked hat, sword and belt and spear cane. Fastened about him were three large medals - one presented him by Gen. Jackson, one by President Madison, and one by the British. The body was placed on puncheons at an angle of 30 or 40 degrees, and covered with puncheons like a house roof. Tiie whole was surrounded by a strong palisade of posts.

The remains were afterwards stolen and carried away, but recovered by the Governor of Iowa, and placed in the Museum of the Historical Society at Burlington, where they were destroyed by fire.

Mr. J. H. Lawton, of Plymouth, tells the following anecdote of Black Hawk: About 1837 or '38, he^was employed by Mr. Hiram Kimball, who had a store at Commerce, to clerk while Mr. K. went East. He had been instructed to keep a good watch over the

One day Black Hawk, among others, came in. The old warrior lingered ai'onnd for some time, and linally pointed to a book lying; upon the desk, an account book used in the store. The clerk, supposing he wished to examine it, took it and began to show him its construction, etc.; but the chief shook his head: that was not what was wanted. He took it, turned over the leaves, and pointed to the entries. Concluding finally that he wanted to refer to th^sm, the clerk turned leaf by leaf, till he came to an entry against Black Hawk himself - such and such articles charged, amounting to so many dollars and cents. He was now understood; figuring up the amount, the clerk communicated it to him in some way, when the old chief pulled out the exact sum and paid it. When this was done, he motioned to have the account balanced, which was done, and he went away satisfied. Tlie articles had been purchased and the entries made mouths before. The transaction showed not only an honesty of purpose, but good credit and a good memory on the part of the old chief.

" I met (at Burlington in 1835) the Indian chief Black Hawk, who, through an interpreter, told me that for a time when a child he resided with his parents at the point where Quincy now stands.

" Whilst standing on the bank of the river conversing with the chief, the steamboat Warrior passed up the river without landing. Black Hawk manifested whilst looking at the boat, great anger and displeasure; and went on to say that the day bef|i"e, or a short time before the battle of the Bad-Axe, this safce steamboat Warrior came up to a point where his warriors were collected in their retreat - that he sent a white flag to the shore "^(A^the purpose of offering a sui-render - an^ that the flag was fireg^on from the boat. That he wanted in good faith ^^£urrender, ana would have done so, if permitted; and that the^W^^uent massacre of his people might have been thus avoided.

"Black Hawk was a very extraordinary Indian; rather under size, yet he was compactly built; possessing the most pleasant face and features I ever saw in an Indian. In manner grave, dignified, and polite. He looked less the savage than any Indian I have ever seen."

"I have often heard the old chieftain, Muck-ah-tah-mish-e-kaah-ki-ak or Black Hawk, make the same assertion he did to Mr. Asbury, namely, that he desired to surrender at the battle of the Bad-Axe, but that his white flag was fired on.

were remarkable for their bigli-toiied deportment in every particular. Nali-she-us-kuk, when I lirst knew him, was without exception the finest formed man I ever saw; about six feet two inches in height, with limbs of most symmetrical mold, he was a striking counterpart of the A[)ollo Belvidere, and his manners were as graceful and polished as any courtier's. I have often remarked that he was truly one of nature's noblemen. One rare trait he possessed, and that was, he never made use of whisky or tobacco. " My recollections of this Indian family are of the most pleasing character, and I shall never forget the kindness and hospitality with whicii I was invariably treated by them. Often has been the time, that, coming to their lodge hungry and sorely tired, after a day's hunt, that I have thought the boiled corn and deer meat which Moh-wah-e-quah (wolf woman) would set before me, was a feast fit for a king; and the soft skins and warm Mackinaw blankets that she would spread for my bed, was a couch on which had it been eider down my repose could not have been more profound and undisturbed. And I felt as safe in the rude wih-ke-up of the Indian chief in the depths of the forest, surrounded by those of his band who remained loyal to him, as if I had been resting in the guest chamber of the mansion of the proudest in the land."