Monroe County, Wisconsin - The Winnebago Chiefs, 1912

The Winnebago Chiefs

The Sachems of the great Winnebago, who have become intimately associated with the beginning of the history of Wisconsin, were either residents of Winnebago county or were sired by its ancient lords. The mother and grandmother of that noble line of Decorah chiefs, who met the pioneers of the state, was the beautiful queen of the Winnebago, "Glory of the Morning," sister of the head chief of the Winnebago tribe on Doty island, now in Menasha and Neenali, on the Fox river, at the foot of Lake Winnebago. Her Indian name was Hopokoekau, also spelled by LaRonde, AVahopoekau. Her birth was not of record. She married Sebrevior De Carrie, who was an officer in the French army in 1699 under De Boisbraint. He resigned his commission in 1729 and became the first trader in Indian goods in the county, living and trading with the Winnebago on Doty Island. During the French and Indian war De Carrie reentered the French army and was mortally wounded before Quebec, April 28, 1760. In some of the almost daily assaults made by Wolfe upon some part of the long defenses on the bluffs of the St. Lawrence, and being taken to Montreal, died there in the hospital, and two weeks later France lost Canada forever. Three sons and two daughters were born to this union. Glory of the Morning refused to go to Montreal with her husband, and remained on her island home with her family ; but De Carrie took with him one daughter, who married there Sieur Laurent Fily, a merchant of Quebec, who subsequently removed to Green Bay, where they have descendants still living in the valley. Capt. Jonathan Carver, who visited the queen in 1766 on Doty island, mentions the pleasure his attentions to the queen gave her attendants as well as herself. She received him graciously and sumptuously entertained him during the four days he remained in her village. He writes of the town that it "contained fifty houses." "The land," he says, "was very fertile ; grapes, plums and other fruit grew in abundance. The Indians raised large quantities of Indian corn, beans, pumpkins, squash, watermelons and some tobacco." Mrs. Kinzie gives a long clKiraclcr sketch of the ancient queeii in August, 1831. "No one could tell iici- age: Iml .ill agreed sin' imist have been upwards of 100. llcr diiiimed eyes, ahnost Avhite with age; her face dai-ki'ii('(| ;iii(l wil licrcd. like a hakcd appli': \\r\- voice tremulous and Icihlt'. exce]»t when raised in I'ury - she usually went on all fours, iiol having strength to stand upi-ight. On the day of the payment she received liei' nu)ney and ciawled to the agency door to count it." ^Ir. lleni-y Merrill, wi-iting in the year IS.'S-l, says that she ""was pointed out to uie several years after (1884), and I was told she iiiusi lie 1].'! yeai's old. She was then ahle to walk si.\ oi- eight unles to Poi'tage. She lived several years after, and was linall\' hui-ned to death hy the huruing of 'uer Avigwain. "'

As she then lived in the \illage of her late grandson. Old Gray Headed Decoi'ali, eight niiles hclow P(uiage. on tln^ west side of the AVisconsin i-i\'er. she was prohahly huried there. She is said hy some Avriteis to have l)een a daughter of the head chief. It has been said of liei- descendants, the Deeorah chiefs, that "they were generally good Indians, and frequently urged their claim to the friendship of the whites hy saying they were themselves half white." They ai-e said to have been " ' iutiuent iai men in the nation."" and Augustin Grignon says, in 1801, the "Decoralis are among the most infiueiitial of the AVinnebago.'' Of this marriage there were two sons, wiH)se names hav(> Ixh'U reported. The oldest was Chou Ke Ka. oi- Spoon Deeorah or Ladle; the other was Chah])ost Kaw Kaw. or the Buzzard, who settled with his l)and at LaCrosse about 1787.

Chou Ke Ka. also spelled ('hau Ka Ka. called S])oon Deeorah or Ladle, Mas the eldest SOU of Seltrevior l)e ('aiTie. says LaHonde. Augustin Grignon I'endeis the name ( 'hongai'ali. .Vs he knew the chief in the wint<'r of 1801-2. he reports him then as head chief of the Winnehago. and ""he was then a very old man and died at Portage in 1808. IJy his i-iMjuest he was buried in a sitting posture in a coffin, jtlaeed nw the sui'face of the ground, with a low cabin alio\e it. surrounded with a feiu-e."' His death occurred in 1810, according to LaRonde. when he was "quite aged." It also appears that Chan Ka Ka signed the treaty of St. Louis, Alay 18, 181(). and therefore could not have died until after that.

Old Gray-IIeaded Decoi-ah. or Old Deeorah. or Gray-IIeaded Deeorah, or AVhite AVar Eagle, whose coimiion Indian luune was Schachip Ka Ka and Avhose AViiniebago name was AVarrahwikoogah, or Bird Sj)irit. was a son of the Ladle and a gi-andson of

The Ayinnpzbago Chiefs 35

Glory of the ^Morning. He died at Petenwell, t!u' lii<^li rock on the Wisconsin river, April 20. ISi^H. said to have been ninety years old. He fought under the British General Proctor at Sandusky, twenty-one years of age, gallantly held the frontier fort Avith l)ut one cannon. The AVar Eagle also fought with Proctor and Teciimseh at the battle of the Thames, where the British army was mostly slai^i or captured and Tecumseh shot, October 5; 1813, by the Americans under AYilliam Henry Harrison. The War Eagle was held as a hostage at Prairie du Chien in 1827 for the good behavior of the AVinnebago during the so-called AVinnebago war. and for the delivery of Red Bird to justice. It was Avhile Alaj. Zachary Taylor was located at Prairie du Chien that he received from Old Gray-Headed Decorah his "peace pipe," and during the AVinnebago war it was he who gave assurance to General Atkinson at Portage of the peaceable intentions of the AVinnebago. Soon after Laurent Barth purchased the right from the AVinnebago over the Portage, 1793, Old Gray-Headed Decorah moved from Apuckawa lake, on Fox river, in Green Lake county, and formed a village with his tribe on the AVisconsin river, about two miles above Portage. JjaHonde says: "Schachipkaka De Kawry died April 26, 1836, aged ninety, at his village, the locality in 1876 known as the Caffrey place in the town of California, AVinnebago county, at the foot of the bluft", between the Wisconsin and Baraboo rivers. Schoolhouse district No. 5 occupies the spot where the old chief died. This town contained over 100 lodges. He was a Catholic and was buried in their cemetery, near the site of the present courthouse in Portage City." He signed the treaties of 1828, 1829, 1832. Airs. Kinzie described him as "the most noble, dignified and venerable of his own or, indeed, of any other tribe. His fine Roman countenance, rendered still more noble by his bald head, with one solitary tuft of long, silvery hair neatly tied falling back on his shoulders." Old Gray Headed Decorah came over to Portage from his village during the famine in 1831 and reported his people as starving. He was oflfered enough food for his own family. "No," he said, "if my people could not be relieved my family and I wnll starve with them."

Chah Post Kaw Kaw, or the Buzzard Decorah, was a son of Glory of the Morning and Sebrevior De Carrie, so One-Eyed Decorah told Judge Gale. He settled at LaCrosse in 1787 with a band of AVinnebago, and was soon after killed by his own son in a drunken row.

(near the Tumicll), ]\Ionroe County. Wis., in August. 1864. at an advanced age, as Grignon says, of iiinet>-t\v(). Ills village in 1832 and later was at the nioulli of the Bla<-k livcr. or some say near tlie village of SaltMii. on LaOosse river, in Onalaska township, LaCrosse county. Also said by Rev. T^runson to be at Prairie LaCrosse in 1832. In 1(S2() he was said by Gen. 11. L. Dotsnuin to have his village on lilack i'i\<M-. Thomas P. Burnett, in 1832, when he went up the river lu keei» the Winnebago eanoes from Black Hawk, says he "found One-Eyed Decorah and Little Thunder at the lower mouth of the Black river." One-Eyed Decorah was born about 1772, and was fifteen years of age when his father settled at LaCrosse. He aided in the capture of Mackinac (July 17, 1812), and was out with the British in the attack on Fort Stephenson, August 2, 1813, and was with IMcKay in tlu' capture of Prairie Du Chien; and signed the treaty of 1825. The act for which he became celebrated was the capture of Black Hawk and the Prophet in 1832. The daring warrior, his band and followers, broken, slain and scattered by the murdered, the picturesque and rugged valley of the Lemonweir river, and then toward the LaCrosse river, where Big Canoe was hunting near Bangor, l)elow Sparta, and found Black Hawk, who consented to go with him to Prairie Du Chien, where he delivered the captives.

A brother of One-Eyed Deeoi-ah Avas AVa Kon Han Kaw. or Wa kon Decorah, or Snake Skin, commonly called Washington Decorah, the orator of the AVinuebago. The name is also rendered AYau kon caughaga. His likeness was painted by J. 0. Lewis in 1825. AYhen Mr. Burnett steamed up the Alississippi river on the "Enterprise" to secure the AYinnebago eanoes from Black Hawk, July 25, 1832, at sixty miles up the river from Prairie du Chien, he found AYashington Decorah with thr pi-iiieipal part of the 1)and from the AYisconsin and Kickapoo rivers. The AVaukon had a village on the headwaters of DeSota creek, below LaCrosse. He died at the Black Earth agency about 18(54. Anu)ng those who bear the name and boast descent from this famous line of AYinnel)ago chieftains there is one who is destined to become famous in the white man's finest art. She is Angel De Cora (this is the official spelling), of the reservation in Nebraska, but practicing her art in Ne\v York city. She studied art in the art department of Smith college at Northampton, Alass., and under the famous artist, Howard Pyle, who has interested himself in her success. She has been since 1906 an art instructor in Carlisle Indian school.

Four Legs, or Neokautah, had his village at the outlet of Lake Winnebago, on Doty island, now Menasha and Neenah. This has been the ancient home of the Winnebago since first known to the whites in 1632. He was known as Neokautah by the Menominee; but his Winnebago name was 'Hootschope, pronounced Hooshoo. Hon. ]\Iorgan L. Martin made a journey up the Fox river with Judge Doty from Green Bay to Prairie Du Chien to the trial of Red Bird in 1828, and describes this village: "On Doty island, very near the mouth, on the west channel, was the village of Hootschope, or Four Legs, the w^ell-known Winnebago chieftain. There were from 150 to 200 lodges covered with bark or mats."' Augustin Grignon also mentions this village ''on Doty island, at the mouth of Winnebago lake." On August ]6, 1830, Mr. McCall, one of the commissioners to arrange the differences between the New York Indian and the AVinnebago, met in council Four Legs and ten other chiefs, at Four Legs' lodge on Doty island, and mentions "that the head chief was seated on his mat, cross-legged, in all the majesty of an Asiatic prince," describing Four Legs "as about forty years of age, of middle stature, a most interesting man in appearance and deportment, speaks his own tongue fluently. In short, he is a great man." Mrs. Kinzie mentions Four Legs as the "great chief of the AVinnebago, whose village was on Doty island,'' in 1830, and says: "It was at the entrance of Lake AVinnebago. a picturesque cluster of huts spread around on a pretty green glade and shaded by fine, lofty trees," and she furnishes an illustration of the village. She says in another place: "It was a cluster of neat bark wigwams." Four Legs died in 1830, but his village was still occupied in 1832, reported by Cutting Alarsh as "occupied by a small band of the AVinnebago tribe." This was the last mentioned of this village. Its name is preserved in the word Menasha, the city which, with the city of Neenah, occupy its site. Menasha was the name of this most ancient Indian village on the American continent. The name was by both Curtis Reed and Gov. J. D. Doty, the founders of the modern town, said to mean the name of the village on the island, and in Dakatah would be Alini ha ha, or Laughing AVater, a possible reference to the double rapids which ran around their village. At the council held in Green Bay, August 24, 1830, Four Legs was head chief. Duck was head orator. There was also present Shounk Schunk Siap, or Black AVolf ; AVheauk Kaw, or Big Duck, and Alonk Kaw Kaw. For entertainment to amuse their visitors Four Legs was active. At night a band of AVinnebago appeared "painted all colors, naki'd cxccpl hrcrcli cloiit."" Ix'I'orc tlic liousc where ]\lcC;ill Iionnlcd : ciicoiirM'rcd liy drink. Ili(>- held a \\ai- dance until 1<I o'clock disfiuiiicd and distorted countenances," The head chief, Four Lc^s, displayetl jj:reat activity. The report of the commissioners of llic council of Is:?!) at Green Bay recites llial Foui- Letrs and Black Wolf were llic (inly s]>eakei's, and that they had siirned the treaty of 1S22 with tlic Xi'w York Indians. f--choolcrall mentions that Four Lciis lc\icl li'ihute from travelers inuuediately after the war of 1812. lie assuuu'd to he the keeper of the Fox ri\ci- valley. Col. T. L. Kinney alludes to this custom of exactiim ti-ihulc. and relates that General Leaxenwoi-th, going up stream with his command in ISKi, was accosted hy Fimii- Legs and nolitied that the lake was locked. The General rose Avith his gun restin.g on his arm and asked tht^ i7itei'pri4(M' to inform the chief that he had the key to unlock it. Four Legs replied, him i)ass." This incident mai'ks the last challenge of the AViiniehago, and it is said that it took place beneath the Treaty Elm that for nuiny years stood a conspicuous landnuirk in the county. The "Treaty Ehn,"" or "Council Tree," beneath whose Avidespi'cad branches the chiefs of the neighboi-ing tribes ai'c said to have been wont 1o gather in council, A\'as located on Kiverside pai-k i)()int at the mouth of the Neenah (diannel of the Fox river in the city of Neenah. It was of immense size and girth, tnwering al)o\e all the surrounding forest, and could be seen from poiids eight miles distant. Such was its prominence as a landmark that it Avas for many years used as a guide by sailors and steam ])il()ts on the lake. It was di'stroyed by a charge of dynamite -lunc 12. 1SS7. by the employees of the government in cutting away the point to widen the channel to increase the How of water in tlood times.

As Foui- Legs was supposed to be foi'ty years of age in 1830, the yeai- he died, and he must have been born about 1790, he eoidd have taken part in the wai' of 1S12. where he is fi-e(puMitly found on the side of the Uritish. .Mrs. Kin/ie mentions the death of Four Legs by driidving too much suthr whisky when waiting at Foi't Winnebago with the assend)|ed Winnebago for the ai-rival of the silvei- from the go\-eriunent for the paymeid of t heir a luiuil ies.

''His body was wra|)ped in a blanket and ]»laced in a mule coffin along with his guns, lonudiawk, pipes and a (pundity of tobacco. " lie was buried on the most ele\ated point of the hill opposite the fort, in the presence of "an immense ])rocessiou of his peo])le." A slake was placed at the head of his grave "on which was painted in vermilion a series of hieroglyphics descriptive of deeds and events of his life," and a small white iiag also waved over the grave. His wife, who survived him, was a Fox woman, but spoke the Chippewa language, which brought heiservices into use as an interpreter, as that was the court or uni- V(^rsal language among all the tribes. He is said to have been a big chief and ' ' a great and mighty warrior. ' ' In 1887 there were two descendants living - one was Good Cloud, a woman residing at Tomah. Slie has a sou whose name was Good Year. One descendant was AVill Dandy, a boy who was at school in AVittenberg mission. He had two cousins also living at Wittenberg.

Wild Cat, or Pe-Sheu, had his village on Garlic Island, noAV Island park, a small island on the west margin of Lake Winnebago, seven miles south of Alenasha and the same distance north of Oshkosh. The village was also located across the solent on the mainland. The corn hills are still visible both on the island and mainland. Just when this village was established here cannot be ascertained, yet it is highly probable that Pe-Sheu liimself was its founder and. that he and his tribesmen came from the })rincipal Winnebago village on Doty's island. One of the earliest descriptions of this village is that of 3Irs. (Governor) James D. Doty, who records in her journal under the date of August, 1823, of a canoe .iourney which she made with her Inisband, who was on the way up the i'i\er to hold court at Prairie Du Chien: ''AYe coasted along the west shore of Lake AVinnebago to Garlic island, on the opposite point to wliieh is a AVinnebago village of tine permanent lodges and fine cornfields." The late Judge Morgan L. ^Martin made the same journey in birch-bark canoes with Judge Doty and others in 1828 on their way to try Red Bird, the AVinnebago, for murder. "Garlic island was the next stopping place. There was a AVinnebago village there of about the same size as that over which Four Legs (Doty island) presided (150 to 200 lodges covered with bark mats). The lodges, however, were longer and neater. AYe purchased supplies of vegetables of the island villagers." From these descriptions it Avould appear that the village occupied both the island and mainland, that the wigwams were well constructed, the fields of Indian maize of considerable extent, and the population at that time one of 1,000 or more persons. Chief AA^ild Cat was a large and bulky savage with a hasty and ferocious temper which often got him into difficulties. He was probably born at Doty island at some time previous to the Revolution. Tlie earliest knowledge we have of this chieftain is from a remark he once made when he and Sarcel, a AViunebago chief, had a dispute in regard to their relative bravery. On this occasion AVild Cat is said to have exclaimed, "Don't you remember the time we aided the Shawanoes (English) in attacking the fort that you ran ofT so fast that you lost your breech clout?'' This remark had reference to the Indian war of 1793, when the British liad incited the western Indians to frequent depredations against the straggling white settlers in Ohio and IMichigan. There is a possibility also that he may have served with Charles de Langlade under the British flag in the War of the Revolution. Certain it is that in 1797 he was considered of sufficient importance to receive from the royal otficers the medal of their king. This bronze medal, given as a memento of distinguished favor by King George III to his savage ally in his wild- home on the shore of Lake AVinncbago, now reposes in the museum of Lawrence University at Applcton. It Avas deposited there about the year 1875 by Mr. D. C. Church, of Vinland, who obtained it from Louis B. Porlier, of Butte des Morts, a trader and son of Judge Porlier.

Mrs. Kinzie says the AVild Cat was ''our Indian Falstatf in all save cowardice and falsehood." Being made drunk, he was unable to get to Fort Armstrong at Rock Island in time to object to the treaty of 1831, and when he found it granted the lands on which stood his village he Avept. It is said that he was found dead against an oak tree in the center of the Avoods. Avliere Oslikosh now stands. He was at the payments in Portage in 1830- 1831, and is said to have died soon after the Black Hawk AVar, which Avould make the date of his death about 1833. He is reported to have gone under the partisan British leader of the AVisconsin savages. Col. Robert Dickson, early in 1812, to the capture of Alackinae. The following spring he fought with Tecumseh at Fort ^leigs. and after his defeat Avas beaten oflf at Fort Stephenson or Sandusky. He Avas also a part of the AVinnebago contingent under ^IcKay in the i-apture of Prairie du Chien. In the Avinter of 1814 Dickson, Avith his convoy of supplies, Avas ice bound until January on Garlic island at Pesheu's village.

Black AVolf. or Shouuktshunksiap. Avas a celebrated character in the border days of a century past. Airs. Kinzie has left a racy sketch of this bold Avarrier, Black AVolf. "Avhose loAvering, surly face Avell described his name. The fierce expression of countenance Avas greatly heightened by the masses of heavy black hair, contrarv to the usual custom of the AA^innebago. AA'ho for the most part cut away a portion of the hair, drawing the remainder back of the head, clubbed and ornamented with beads, ribbons, cocks' feathers, or if entitled, an eagle feather for every scalp taken from an enemy."

On a point of land known as Black AVolf point, in tiie town of Black AVolf, AYinnebago county, jutting out into Lake AVinnebago, at a distance of seven miles south of the city of Oshkosh, there was formerly located Black AVolf 's AVinnebago Indian village. It is said to have numbered not more than forty huts. The date of its establishment here is not exactly known, but it is supposed to have been about the year 1800 or slightly before. Mrs. G. A. Randall, who formerly resided at Randall's point, remembers to have seen the Indian tepees and camp fires along the shore of Black AA'olf point as late as the year 1846. Chief Black AVolf was a character of some importance. He was a large man and much respected by his people, and was called a war chief. In the attacks on Mackinac in the AVar of 1812 he fought under the leadership of Col. Robert Dickson. After the war the British, still seeking to hold the AVinnebago in their interest for purposes of trade, called them to Mackinac to a couueil or treaty with C'ol. Robert McDonald, a British connnissioner. Black AVolf was one of those in attendance at this gathering. He also participated with the British and their allies in the capture of Prairie du Chien in the year 181-1. He was one of the signers of the land grant negotiated by Eleazer AVilliams in 1821 with Four Legs, the AVinnebago head chief, and others, by which the New York Indians were to receive a strip of land five miles in width along the lower Fox, "from Grand Kachalin rapids to AVinnebago rapids," in AA^innebago county. He also participated in the councils held at Green Bay and Doty Island for a similar purpose in 1830 He is said to have died at Portage in the year 1847. During the Black Hawk AVar, Black AVolf camped Avith the AVinnebago assembled at the site of Portage, on both sides of the AVisconsin river. The principal chiefs in these camps were Black AVolf, his son Dandy, AA^hite Eagle, AVhite Crow and Broken Arm.

Dandy, the Bean Brummel of the AVinnebago, was a son of Black Wolf and a cousin of Four Legs. "He wore fancy dress shirts of the brightest color, ornaments v/ith rows of silver brooches, and displayed two pairs of arm bands. His leggins and moccasins were of the most elaborate embroidery in ribbons and porcupine quills. Numerous ornaments were dangling from his club of black hair. A feather fan was in one hand and a mirror in the other. His face was brilliantly colored and daubed.'*

La Koiulf says Dandy, son of lilack Wolf, was also known as J^itlle Soldier. His village is j-rpoi-lcd by .Mi'. W. If. Canfiold as being in 18M9 on the Baraboo rivci-. five or six miles above tbe present city <d' Uaiaboo. Old Dandy was one of those Paqnette went al'trr. tlicM scxcnly years old, wIid was a small. Iliin man, and till' only \\'innfi)a<ro avIio. at'lcr the l»iTaking of tril)al relations in lS4iS, was generally I'especled as eliief of Ihe li'ibe. He went to Washington in ]82(S with War Eagle and others to see tile President. His camp was then near the Dalles, lie said he would not go to Long I'rairic and was allowed to i-eniain. Jn 1834 Captain Sununer was sent hack lo Portage to hunt for Dandy. He was found at the head of l>aral»oo river and made to ride horseba(d\ with his legs chained undei- the animal \vith an ox-ehain. He d(>manded to he taken to Governor Dodge at .Mineral Point. Dodge asked him what was wanted. Dandy took a l)ihle from his ])osom and asked the governor if it was a good book. He answered it was a good hook - he could never have a better in his band. '"Then." said Dandy, "if a man Avould do all that Avas in that book could any moi-e be required of him?" He answered. "No."" "AVell."" said Dandy, "look that hook all through, and if you lind in it that Dandy ought to he reuu)ved by the government to Turkey i-ivei-. then [ will go right olt' : hut if you do not find it 1 will never go there to stay."' The governor informed him his tri(d\ would not work. He was then replaced on the horse, his feet chained up again and taken to Pi-aii-ie du Chien. The chain blistered his feet and legs so he Avas unable to walk for thi'ee W(>eks. He Avas then ])ut in charge of a coi'poral, Avho Avas obliged to carry l)and\' on liis haid^; to a buggy to be taken to Turkey rivei'. Dandy claindng he Avas unable to Avalk. The buggy Avas at the fort gate and the eorjioral. supposing Dandy unable to walk, lelt him \'nv a moment to reenter the fort. Dandy .)um|>ed from the buggy and ran into the forest, where the eorpoi'al c(»uld not find him. IFe remained in Wisconsin an<l died on the Peten Well blutV. an isolated rocky |)eak on tlu' Wisconsin rix'er. in -Inne. 1870. aged seventy-seven years.

The ^'ellow Thunder "was a line looking Indian, tall, straight and stately."" His old encampment was about five miles beloAV Kerlin. on the Fox river, at the Yellow baidss. This Avould locate Ills village in section -'!!. neai- lOureka. in Winnebago county. In 1832 at the ch.se of the Plaek Hawk War Col. Charles Whittlesey Avith four othei-s made a saddle joui'uey o\ei" the TomahaAvk trail along the left Itank of tiie lowei- Fox and right bank or east side of the u|i|>er l'"ox rivei'. Before arriving at Fort Wiiuiebago he passed two '\Viiinel)ag'o villages, one ot whieh was that ot Yellow Thunder. He mentions crossing the Fox river in a tlat-boat and landing near the spot where the father of "Grizzly Bear/' a Menominee, is said to have lived. Here, he says, commenced a rolling prairie that eontinned for fifty miles (since known as Democrat prairie.) ""The trail passed two AVinnebago villages, one of which Avas called Yellow Thunder from its chief." The villagers, much to their annoyance, folloAved the party out of their village on horseback. Hon. INIorgan L. Alartin mentions passing a "AVinnebago village on Green Lake prairie" in 1829, Avhich may have been the village of Yellow Thunder. In 1828 Yellow Thunder and his squaw, a daughter of AVhite Crow, made a journey to AVashington to interview the President, and thereafter his squaw was known as AVashington AVoman. Yellow Thunder was a convert to the Catholic church and became zealous in its offices and was called the head war chief of his tribe. B.y false pretenses he was induced witli others to visit AVashington in 1837 and signed a false treaty, which granted the government all their lands east of the Alississippi river, under Avhich. three years after, he was one of the tirst to sulfer by being forcibly put in irons at Portage and removed to Yellow rivin*. Iowa. Yellow Thunder soon returned and requested LaRonde to go with him to ^Mineral Point to enter a forty of land on the west bank of the AA^isconsin river. In reply to an inquiry if Indians could enter lands, '"Yes, the government has given no orders to the contrary." So Yellow Thunder, the head war chief of the AVinnebago, entered, lived and died on his forty of land. He was again forcibly removed to Iowa with Black AVolf, but was allowed to return, as he was a land owner. Yellow Thunder owned the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 36, on the AVisconsin river, town of Delton, Sauk county, two log huts having been constructed for his own use and that of families who lived with him. About five acres of land was cultivated, raising* corn, beans and potatoes. During big feasts as many as 1,500 Indians gathered in the vicinity. Shortly before his death he sold his land to Mr. John Bennett. It is related that when he paid his taxes he placed a kernel of corn in a leather pouch for each dollar of taxes paid, and when he sold the land he demanded as numy dollars as there were kernels of corn in the old pouch. His summer village was sixteen miles up the I'ive]' fi-om Portage, in 1840, where Dandy and Little Duck also camped. YelloAv Thunder died in 1874; said to have been childless, and was l)uried on a sandy knoll. X^ear by are the graves of AA^ashington AVoman and several other Indians. She was Iniried hitting up, facing the east. A painting of Yellow Thunder hangs in the rooms of the "Wisconsin Historical Society, and an unpublished manuscript giving ''personal reminiscences," by ]\Irs. A. C. Flanders, is deposited in tlie public library at Portage.

(Compiled from "Story of the Black Hawk War," l)y U. G. Thwaites, in Wisconsin Historical Collection. - Editor.) When Wisconsin was still a part of Michigan territory and known as "Michiganter, " long before the idea of a separate territory was thought of, when it was an almost trackless wilderness in 1832, occurred the historic Black Hawk War; few events in the history of the Northwest were as far reaching in consequences as this tragic struggle and perhaps none caused more bitter controversies, was the subject of more incorrect notions as to the causes, incidents, and the relative merits of the chief participants. The southern portion of this county, it is believed, was a part of the territory traversed by Black Hawk in his final retreat from the Mississippi with pitiful remnant of his band, making his escape into the Dells of Wisconsin, where he was finally captured.

On November 3, 1840, the United States government concluded a treaty w'ith the Sac and Fox Indians, by wdiich, for the paltrj^ sum of $1,000, the Indian confederacy ceded fifty million acres of land comprising in general terms the present state of Missouri and the territory lying between the Wisconsin river on the north, the Fox river of the Illinois on the east, the Illinois river on the southeast and the Mississippi on the west ; in this treaty was a clause wdiich became one of the chief causes of Black Hawk War, which provided that the Indians need not vacate the lands, stipulating that "as long as the lands which are now ceded to the ITnited States remain their property" - that is to say public land - "the Indians belonging to said tribes shall enjoy the privilege of living and hunting upon them."

Within the limits of this territory, situated on the Rock river three miles from its mouth and the same distance south of Rock Island was the chief village and seat of power of the Sacs, containing a population of about five hundred families and one of the largest Indian villages on the continent.

not an luM'editai'v oi- an elected eliiel'. but was hy coiiinion consent the leader of tlie villaj^e. Altliough not endowed witli superior moral or intellectual (|iialities the foree of cii'cuiiistances made liim a national eelel)rity in his own day and a eonsj)icuous figure in western liistoi-y foi- all time. He was a restless, aml)itious savage, jiossessed of some of the (lualities of leadiM'ship l)ut without the eapaeity to attain the highest honoi-s in the Sac and Kox confederacy, lie was jealous of othei" chiefs, quai'relsonie in council. eontinuall.v sought excuses to differ with them on ([uestions of policy and aii-ayed his lollowing against them, was a good deal of a denuigogue and ai-oused 1he passion and ])rejmlices of his peoph^ ])\ iiii|)assionetl ai)peals. He was doulitless sincere in his opinions and honest in his nu)tives. He was easily influenced by the Bi-itish.militai-y and connnei-cial agents, who were continually engaged previous to the war of 1812, in cultivating a spirit of hostility l)etween the Noi'thwestern tribes and the Americans, was led by them to consider himself under the especial protection of the ''I^ritish Father"' at Maiden. Too conflding a disposition. he was readil.v duped by those who. whitt' or red, were interested in deceiving him.

l^lack Hawk was about five feet, foui- or fiv(^ inches in heiglit. rather si)are as to flesh ; his souu-what i)inched features exaggerated the prominence of his cheek Ixines; a full mouth inclined to be somewhat o])en when at rest, a pi-onounced Roman nose, fine "piercing" eyes, often beaming with a kindly and alwa.vs with a thoughtful expression, no eyebrows, a high full foi'ehead. liead well thrown back, with a pose of (piiet dignit.x . haii- plucked out with the exception of a seal]) lock in which, on ceremonial occasions was fastened a bunch of eagle feathers; such is a pen jiortrait of this ce]el)iity.

He, with two hundred of his followi'i's. who became known as the "British baiul" served wilh Tecuniseh and the liritish in Ihe war of 1812. After burying the hatchet. Black Hawk settled down to the customary routine of savage life makiuLi- fre(iuent trips to iMalden foi* i)r()visions, arms and ammunition, and by flattery of the British agents his hatred against Americans was increased, but it is not at all surprising that he hated the Americans, his life was continually being disturbed l)y them and a cruel and causeless beating which some white settlers gave him in the winter of 1822 and 182:5 was an insult which he treasured up against the entire American people.

possession of them ; outrages were committed of the most flagrant nature, Indian cornfields were fenced in hy intruders, squaws and children were whipped for venturing beyonds the ])Ounds thus established, lodges were burned over the heads of the occupants ; a reign of terror- ensued in which frequent remonstrances of Black Hawk to the white autliorities were in vain. It was all a plain violation of the treaty rights of the Indians and grew from year to year. When the Indians returned each spring from their winter's hunt they found their village more of a wreck than when they had left it in the fall. Black Hawk was advised by Keokuk the chief of the confederacy to retreat across the Mississippi, but Black Hawk was stubborn, appealed to his people, to their love of home and veneration for the graves of their kindred, for here was located their cemetery, and his people stood by him. He them made the claim that the representatives of the Sac and Fox tribes who negotiated the treaty of 1804, had not consented that the land upon which Black Hawk's village stood should be the property of the United States. In this he was of course not borne out by the facts but persisted in tliat understanding, and was advised by the mischief making British agents that if it was true that the government had not 1)0ught the site of his village to hold fast to it and the United States woidd not venture to remove him by force.

In this he was also encouraged by White Cloud, the Winnebago prophet, who was a shrewd, craft}" Indian, half Winnebago and half Sac, possessing much influence over both nations from his assumption of sacred talents and was the head of a Winnebago village some thirty-five miles above the mouth of the Rock river ,- he hated the whites, seemed devoid of humane sentiments and seemed to enjoy sowing the seeds of discord, a remarkable man physically and mentally, a fine orator and strong in the councils.

In the spring of 1830, Black Hawk and his band returned from an unsuccessful hunt to find their town almost completely shattered, many of the graves plowed over, and the whites more abusive than ever; during the winter, the scpiatters who had for seven years been illegally on the land preempted a few quarter sections at the mouth of the Rock, so selected as to cover the village site and the Sac cornfields. This was clearly a trick to accord with the letter but violated the spirit of the treaty of 1804; there was still fifty miles of practically unoccupied territory to the east of the village and no necessity for disturbing the Sacs for many years to come.

profitles;s limit, Ik- was fiereely warned auav by tlu- whites; lie, in a dignified inannci-. notilicd the settlers that it' they did not themselves remove that he should use foree to eviet thciu. meaning physical force. This was construed 1)\- the whites to he a threat against their lives and petitions and messages were sent to Gov. Jolui ]\cynolds of Illinois, in terms so exaggerated that they would he amusing were it not that they were the prelude to one of the darkest tragedies of our western border. The governor issued an inflammatory ])roclamation. calling for volunteers to "repel the invasion of the ]^ritisli l)and"; these sixteen hundred strong and mounted, with ten companies of regulars under Gen. Edmund P. <iaines, made a demonstration before Black Hawk's village on the 25th of .lime.

During the night, the Indians, in the face of such a superior foree quietly withdrew to the west bank of the ^Mississippi. On the thirtieth they signed a treaty of capitulation and peace, with Governor Reynolds and General Gaines, solemnly agreeing never to return to the east side of the river without express permission of the United States govei-nment.

The rest of the summer was spent by the evicted savages in misery, it was too late to raise another crop of corn and beans and they suffered for the necessaries of life ; another difificulty arose; the previous year (1830) a party of ]\Ienomonee and Sioux had murdered some of Black Hawk's band and a few weeks after their removal Black Hawk headed a large war ]>ai't\' which ascended the river and in retaliation massacred all but one of a party of twenty-eight ^lenomonees camped near Fort Crawford. Complaint was made to Gen. Joseph Street, Indian agent at the post who demanded that the murderers be delivered to him for trial, under existing treaty provisions, but as none of the Menomonees who had imii'dered his peoph^ had been given up, Black Hawk declined to accede, there])y rebelling against the authority of the Ignited States.

Neapope, who was second in command in the British band who had gone upon a visit to ^Maiden prior to the eviction, returned in the fall and reported to his chief proffers of aid from the liritish, the AVinnebagoes, Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawatomies in regaining their village. AVhite Cloud advised Black Hawk to proceed to the j)i'ophet's town the following spring and raise a crop of corn and that by fall the allies would be ready to join the Sac leader in a general movement against the whites in the valley of the Rock; relying upon tiiese promises Black Hawk spent the winter with his hiind on tlie deserted site of old P^ort

IMadison on the west side of the river. On the sixth of April, 1832, Black Hawk with al)ont five hundred warriors, their squaws and children, with all their lielongings crossed the INIississippi a little below the mouth of the Rock and invaded Illinois. The results of the negotiations with the Winnebagoes and other tribes during the winter had not been satisfactory, but White Cloud, the prophet met him and gave him assurance of success and the misguided Sac proceeded confidently on his march, arrived at the prophet's town with four hundred and fifty of his braves, well mounted, while the others, with women, children and equipage, remained with the canoes ; the intention being to raise a crop of corn immediately above the prophet's town and prepare for war in the fall. Immediately upon crossing the river Black Hawk sent messengers to the Pottawatomies to meet him in council, but this tribe was much divided; Shaubena, a chief of much ability, very friendly to the whites succeeded in persuading a majority of the braves to at least remain neutral ; but the hotheads under Big Foot and a despicable half breed British agent, Mike Girty, were fierce for war. Shaubena after quieting his followers set out immediately on a tour of the settlements in the Illinois and Rock river valleys warning the pioneers of the approaching war, even extending liis mission as far as Chicago. Gen. Henry Atkinson, who had arrived at Fort Armstrong early in the spring, with a half comj^any of regulars, to enforce the demand for the delivery of the Sac murderers, learned of the invasion on the 13th of April, and at once notified Governor Reynolds that his own force was too small and that a large force of militia was essential. Governor Reynolds at once issued another fiery proclamation for mounted volunteers. The news spread like wild fire ; some settlers fled, never to return ; the majority, however, which did not join the state troops went to the larger settlements where rude stockade forts were built, the inhabitants forming themselves into garrisons, with officers and some degree of military discipline.

The spring was backward and General Atkinson was greatly hampered in collecting troops, stores, boats and camp equipage ; during his preparations he took occasion to assure himself of the peaceful attitude of the Sacs and Foxes not members of the British band. He also sent two messages to Black Hawk ordering him to at once withdraw to the west bank of the river on the peril of being driven there by force of arms, to liotli of which the Sac leader sent defiant answers.

Jat'ol) Kr.w Col. Aliralumi 1>. Dcwitt and ( 'ol. Saiiiurl .M. Thompson, a scout l)attalion under ^laj. James 1). Henry and two ''odd" l)attalions uiidii- Majoi's Thomas James and Thomas Long. The entire foree, some sixteen hundred sti-on<r. all horsemen except three liuiidiTd wlio had been enlisted as infanti'.v. by mistake, was placi'd undci- command of Ui'lj^'. (icn. Saiiiucl Whiteside, who had some )-('putation as an Indian tighter. Accomi)anied by (iovernor Reynolds the brigade proceeded to Fort Armstrong and the volunteei's Were at once sworn into the I'liitcd States service by (leneral Atkinson; the governor, who i-emaiiicd with ins troops was recognized and })aid as a major general, while Lieut. Robert Anderson (later of Foi-t Sumter fame) was detailed from the regulars as ins])ector of the Illinois militia.

On the ninth of May a .start was made. AVhitesiih-. with the mounted troops, following Black Hawk's ti-ail up the east bank of the Rock. (Jeneral Atkinson followed in boats with cannon, provisions and the bulk of the baguagc. AVith him were :^00 volunteer and 400 regular infanti*y. the latter gathered from Forts (,'rawford and Leavenwoi-th and under the command of Col. Zacharv Taylor, afterwai'ds ])resident of the Ignited States. The traveling was bad for both divisions: heavy rains had made the river turbulent, the men frequently wading breast deep for liours together pushing the ^Nfackinaw boats against the rapid currents and lifting them ovei- the ra])ids: while ahtng the trail through the swamps baggage wagons were often miicd and the cavalry were ol)liged to (1(^ i-ough service in hauling freight thi-ough and over the black muck and tangled roots.

Whiteside aiM'ived at the ])i'opliet"s town, tinding it deserted, with a fresh trail up the rivei'. so he pushed on i-apidly as possible to Dixon's, airiving there Ma\' 12. Here he found two independent battalions. ;^40 men all told, undei' .Ma.jni-s Isiah Slillman and David Baile\" : these troops were not of the i-egulai- levy, but Were well sui)jdie(l with provisions and aiiiiiiunition in which Whiteside was deficient, and l)eing imi)atient and anxious to do something brilliant, they obtained AVhiteside's i)ermission to go forward as a scouting party and set out on the morning of the L"?th uiuler Stillman. ai-riving late in the aftei-noon of the 14th three miles south of the mouth of Sycamore creek, where they went into eamp in a strong posit i(ui. being in a grove surroumled by clear i)i-aii-ie. and under ordinary conditions of warfare could have repulsed ten times their numbei'.

The Black Iiaavk Avar 51

positively that he had l)een deceived, lie pushed on to keep his engagement for a eoiineil at Sycamore creek with the Pottawatomies, faint at heart though vaguely hoping for ])etter things from this tribe. He went into camp with his principal men in a large grove near the mouth of Sycamore creek, met the chiefs of the tribe and found that tlii-ough the influence of Shaubena it was impossible for him to gain the support of more than about one hundred of the hot-headed element. Black Hawk stated in after years that he had at tliis time resolved to retui-n at once to the west of the ^Mississippi should he be again summoned to do so by (leneral Atkinson and never more disturb the peace of the white settlements. As a parting courtesy to his guests, however, he was making arrangements to give them a dog feast on the evening of IMay ]4 wlien the summons came in a manner little anticipated l)y liim.

Tlie white-hating faction of the Pottawatomies were camped on the Kishwaukee river seven miles north of Black Hawk and with them the majority of his own party; Black Hawk says in his autobiography, that not more than forty of his braves were with lum upon the council ground ; towards evening, in tlie midst of liis feast preparations, he was informed that a party of white horsemen were going into camp three miles down the rock : it was Still man's force, l)ut the chief thought it was a small party headed by Atkinson, being unaware of the size of the force placed in the field against him, and sent three of ins young men witli white flags to parley with them and convey his oft'er to meet White Beaver (Atkinson) in council. The rangers, who regarded the expedition as a big frolic, were engaged in preparing their camp when the truce bearers appeared on the prairie a mile away. A mob of troopers rushed out at them, some with saddles and some without, and ran the visitors into camp amidst a ]iul)l»ul> of yells and imprecations. Black Hawk had sent five other braves to follow the flagmen at a safe distance and watch developments. This second party was sighted by about twenty horsemen and were said to have been partially intoxicated, hot chase was given to the spies and two of them were killed, the other three galloped back to their grove and reported to their chief that not only two of their numl)er, l)ut the three flag bearers as well had been cruelly slain; this flagrant disregard of the rules of war caused tlic l)lood of tlie old Sac to boil with indignation, tearing to shreds a flag of truce which he had himself been preparing to carry to the white camp, he fiercely harangued his thirty-five braves and bade them avenge - the lilond of their liretliren nt anv risk.

Tlu' neutral Pottawatomics at oik-c w itlitli-cw to tlicif village whik' Black Hawk and his Sacs, securely mounted, sallied forth to meet the enemy. The entire white force was soon seen I'ushing towai'ds them pell iiicll. in a confused mass. The Sacs withdrew hehind a fringe of hushes, their leader hurriedly l)ade them to .stand firm; on catching sight of this gi-im array the whites paused, 1)ut l)efore they had a chance to turn, Black Hawk sounded tlu; war whoop and the savages dashed forward and fired. The Sac ehief tells us that he thought the charge was suicidal when he ordered it. hut enraged 1)\- the treachery of the whites he and all with him were ready to die to secure revenge. On the first fire of the Indians the whites fled in great consternation, without firing a shot, pursued hy this little l)and of savages until nightfall ended the chase. But nightfall did not end the rout; the volunteers, haunted l)y fear dashed through their own impregnahle camp, leaving everything hehind them, plunged madly through creeks and swamps till they reached Dixon's, twenty-five miles away, where they straggled in for the next twenty-four houi's; many did not stop there, hut continued until they reached their own homes, fifty or more miles farther on, and reported that Black Hawk with two thousand bloodthirsty warriors was sweeping northern Illinois with destruction. The white loss in all this illstarred scrimmage was eleven kilh'd. while the Indians lost two spies and one of the flag bearers, the others escaping. The flight of Stillman's corps was wholly inexcusable; Stillman undoubtedly tried to rally his men, but the lack of discipline and experience, coupled with a lack of confidence, wrought havoc. It was a treacherous thing to treat the bearers of flags of truce as they did, something which even savages rarely disi-egard, and l)ut for this wanton act the Black Hawk War would have been a bloodless demonstration. Unfortunately for oui- own good name, this violation of the rules of war was repeated more than once dui'ing this war.

This easy victory elated Black Hawk and gavt- him a poor opinion of the valor of the opposing forces; almost wholly destitute of provisions and ammunition, the capture of Stilhnan's stores was a rich prize. He recognized that war was inevitable and sent scouts to watch the enemy while he hurriedly withdi'ew the women and children to the head waters of Hock river in ^Michigan territory (now Wisconsin), to which he was guided by friendly Winnebagoes. Here he reci'uitcd ])ai-ti('s of Winnebagoes and Pottawatomies and descended into northern Illinois, prepared for border - warfare.

The Black Hawk Avar 53

tory between the Illinois and Wisconsin rivers ; the name of Black Hawk became ronpled the country over with stories of savage cunning and cruelty, his name serving as a household bugaboo. Shaubena again sounded the alarm and settlers again left their fields and hurried to the forts.

"Whiteside, on ]\Iay 15tii, the day of the battle, with one thousand four hundred men, proceeded to the scene and buried the dead. On the 19th Atkinson and the entire army moved up the Rock river, leaving Stillman's corps at Dixon to care for the wounded and guard supplies. They added to their record of infamy by deserting their post and going home. Atkinson hastily returned ; Whiteside being left to follow Black Hawk ; his men grew weary of soldiering, declaring that the Indians were in the unexplored and impenetrable swamps to the north, which were in jMichigan territory, and farther, that they could not be compelled to serve out of the state ; after two or three days of fruitless skirmishing, upon approaching the state line, a consultation of officers w^as held at which it was determined to abandon the search, the troops were marched back to Ottawa, where they were mustered out on the 27th and 28th of ]\Iay. On their way to Ottawa the militiamen stopped at the Davis farm on Indian creek, where a terrible massacre of whites had occurred a few days before and saw the mutilated corpses of fifteen men, women and children. This revolting spectacle, instead of nerving the troops to renewed action in defense of their homes, appears to have still further disheartened them.

The Closing Campaign

Governor Reynolds was active and at once arranged for a levy of "at least two thousand" men to serve through the war to rendezvous at Beardstown June 10 ; the general government ordered 1,000 regulars under General Winfield Scott to proceed from the seaboard to the seat of war, future operations against the enemy to be under the command of General Scott. At General Atkinson's earnest appeal, 300 mounted rangers under Col. Henry Frye agreed to remain in the field to protect the northern line of Illinois settlements until the new levy could be mobilized.

Black Hawk divided his force into war parties, himself leading the largest, about two hundred, assisted by small parties of Winnebagoes and about one hundred Pottawatomies under Mike Girty, doscondrd tlic UNx-k riv< r iVom lijikr Kdslikoiion^ aiid iluriny: the iri'fiiuhir wjirfiii-c wincli now hi-okc out in mn'tlicrn Illinois and what is now soullin-n Wisconsin, sonic two Iimm(|!'<'<1 whites and nearly as many Jndians lost thcii- lives, the panic among settlers was widc-spirad and great suffering ensued. .Many incidents of this boi'dcr warfare arc of histoi-ic intei-es1. and have liecn the cause of much discussion. hn1 owing to the \ast amount of such iiewspapci- discussion and tiocumeutary colhH-tions. only an incident or two will l)e alluded to here.

( )n tile e\-eniug of .June 14tli a party of eleven Sacs killed live white men at Spalford's fai-m in what is now LaFayette county. WLsconsiu. Col. Henry Dotlge. with twenty-nine mc^n. followed and the next day overtook tlu' savages in a neighboring swamj). A battle ensued lasting but a short tiuu', the eleven Jndians were killed and scalped, the w hitcs hisiug tlu-ec killed and one wounded. No incident in the entire war has been so thoi-oughly discussetl and (|uarreled ovei- as this bhioily skirmish.

On dune 24th l^lack Hawk's own party made a desperate attack on Apple River fort, fourteen miles east of (ialcMia. III.. which sustained a heavy siege for upwards of an houi-. the liltle garrison displaying r<'mai-kfdile \igoi-. the women and gii-ls moulding bullets, loading guns and generally |)roving themselves boi-- der heroines. The red men retired with small loss, setting tire to neighboring cabins and fields. The ne.xt day the same wai- party attacked IMajor Dement 's si)y battallion at Kellogg 's gi'ove. sixteen miles to the east; the Indians were routed ujion (Jeneral Posey bi-inging reinforcements, losing al)0Ut fifteen killed while the whites lost hut five.

The people of what is now llie lead iidniug disti'ici of southwestern Wisconsin became alai-mcd foi- fear that the troops centered on Kock )'ivci- would drive the enemy across the Illinois hoi'der npon them; tlx' news of RIack Hawk's invasion in May had i-eached them and i>i'epa rations for dcfen.se wcu-e at once Ix'gun ; ('ol. 7Ieni-y Dodge, one of the ]>ioncers of the lead region, held a commission as chief of the .Michigan unlit ia west of Lake ^Michigan, and assumed direction of the uulitary oi)crations north of the Illinois line. With a company of twenty -seven hastily e(|ui]ipe(l rangers he made a trii) to Dixcm to reeonnoiter the country and to solicit aid from (lovci'uor Reynolds, in which he was not sueeessful. and returned to the nnnes bearing the news of Stillnum's defeat. Aftei- arranging to recruit three additional companies he went with fifty men to Whitt> Crow's Winnebago village, at the hciid of Fourth lake some four ndlcs northwest of the site of Madison, for the purpose of holding eoimcil with a view to keeping them quiet during the present crisis ; he received profuse assurances of their fidelity to the American cause, but he seems to have placed small reliance upon their sincerity.

Upon returning Dodge started for headquarters at Fort Union with 200 mounted rangers, gathered from the mines and fields, a free and easy set of dare devils having an intense hatred of the Indian race ; they were disciplined to some extent, but in their march through the country paid' l)ut little attention to regulations. On the 3d of June they arrived at Blue ^Mounds just in time to receive the Hall girls brought in hy White Crow. Crow's manner being offensive. Dodge had him and his companions put into the guard house as hostages for the good behavior of the Fourth lake band. Dodge being joined by a small party of Hlinois rangers under Capt. J. W. Stephenson, proceeded to Ottawa to confer with General Atkinson. After remaining a few days, the rangers returned to the lead mines to complete the defenses there.

In less than three weeks after Stillman's defeat, Reynolds and Atkinson had recruited 3,200 troops, divided into three brigades, under Generals Alexander Posey, M. K. Alexander and James D. Henry, and in addition were Fry's rangers, half of whom continued their service to protect the settlements and stores on Rock river. AVith these. Dodge's Michigan rangers and the regular infantry the entire army numbered about 4,000 effective men.

An advance party of Posey's brigade was sent out to disperse Black Hawk's war party and it was this force which had the skirmish at Kellogg 's grove, previously alluded to. Aleantime Alexander and Henry's brigades arrived at Dixon's. When news came of the Indian defeat at Kellogg 's, Alexander Avas dispatched in haste to Plum river to intercept the enemy's crossing the Alississippi at that point; Atkinson, witli Henry's and the regulars, remained at Dixon to await developments, and on learning that Black Hawk's main camp was still at Lake Koshkonong, pushed on up the Rock with 400 regulars and 2,100 volunteers, being joined by a party of seventy-five friendly PottaAvattomies, who seemed eager to join in the scrimmage.

On June 30th the army crossed the Illinois- Wisconsin boundary about a mile east of the site of Beloit. Sac signs Avere fresh, for Black Hawk, after his defeat at Kellogg 's. had fled directly to his stronghold, and Atkinson's men Avere following a Avarm trail. Camps were invariably made in the timber Avith breastAVorks to protect against night attacks, the rear guard of the savages proAvl- ing around in tlic dark and ])eing frpqnontly fired on l).v sentries. On .)uly 2d the army arrived at Lake Koslikonong, found hastily ch'serted Indian eanips; scouts made a tour of the lake, but found nothing of importanee except a few stragglers. A few captured Winnebagoes gave vague testimony and one of tiiem was shot and scalped for his impertinence. Fruitless scouting continued for several days.

On July 4 Alexander's brigade arrived, and on the sixth Posey reported with Dodge's squadron. On June 28th, while Dodge was at Fort Hamilton, Posey arrived with orders from Atkinson to join forces and jirocoed to the )iiain army on the Koshkonong. Dodge now had about three hundred men, including a party of twenty ^lenomonies, and eight or ten white and half-l)reed scouts under Col. William S. Hamilton, son of the famous Alexander. Proceeding by the way of Four Lakes, White Crow and a party of thirty Winnebagoes offered to guide Posey and Dodge to Black Hawk's caiiii). After advancing through almost impenetrable swamps for several days, a messenger arrived from (Jeneral Atkinson with orders to join the main body on Bark river, as the enemy was believed to 1)e in that vicinity. This order provoked Dodge, but pi'oved to be singularly opportune, l^lack Hawk's camp occupied a position excellent for defense at the summit of a steep de(divity on the east bank of the Rock, where the river was difficult of passage. White Crow's solicitude as a guide was undoubtedly caused by his desire to lead the troops into a trap, whcrt- they would be badly whipped if not annihilated.

While White Crow, with treachery had been endeavoring to entrap the Irfl wing of the army, other AVinnebago had informed Atkinson that Jilack Hawk was encamped on an island in the Whitewater river, a few miles to the east. In i-onsequence there was a useless wild goose chase through the broad morasses and treacherous sink holes of that region. Because of this false information, Atkinson sent the messenger to Posey just in time to save that force, though he did not then know it.

The army, as finally formed, was Alexander's brigade and Dodge's scjuadron left wing, on west side of Rock: regulars \Hider Tayloi- ;ind llciii-y's brigade were right wing, commanded by Atkinson in i)erson. and marched on the cast bank: Posey's ])i-igade, also on the west liaid-: was the center.

On July lOth Henry's and Alexander's l)rigailes and Dodge's squadron were sent to Fort Winnebago, eighty miles to the northwest for much needed provisions; the Second regiment of Posey's brigade was sent to Dixon ; with the rest of the troops Posey was ordered to Fort Hamilton to guard the mining country ; Atkinson himself fell back to Lake Koshkonong and biiilt a fort a few miles up the Bark river on the eastern limit of what is now the city of Fort Atkinson.

Arriving at Fort Winnebago, the troops found a number of Winnebago, all full of advice; and also a famous half breed scout. Pierre Paquette. He informed Henry and Dodge of the true location of Black Hawk's stronghold with information as to its character, and with twelve Winnebago was engaged to guide the troops to it. While at the fort a stampede of the horses occurred and something like tifty were lost. Henry and Dodge determined to return by way of Hustisford rapids and there engage Black Hawk if possible. Alexander's men refused to go on this perilous expedition and the General weakly yielded to their demand to obey Atkinson's order and return to camp. Henry was made of different stuff and refused to return, and the same day started with twelve days' rations with their guides. The ranks had been thinned by one cause and another so that in Henry's brigade there were now but 600 effective men and Dodge had about 150.

On July 18th the troops found the Winnebago village at which Black Hawk had been Cjuartered, but the enemy had tied ; the Winnebago insisted that Black Hawk was then at Cranberry lake, a half day's march up the river, and the white commanders resolved to proceed the following day. At 2 :00 p. m. of the day of arrival Adjutants ]\Ierriam of Henry's and AVoodbridge of Dodge's started south to carry the information to Atkinson's camp thirty-five miles down the river. Little Thunder, a Winnebago chief, accompanied them as guide. When about twenty miles out, halfway between the present sites of Watertown and Jefferson, they suddenly struck a broad trail leading west. Little Thunder became greatly excited but could not make the officers understand him, so he turned his horse and dashed back to Henry's camp, the officers being obliged to follow, and there Little Thunder informed his people that the trail of Black Hawk in his tlight to the J\lississippi had been discovered and to warn them that further dissembling was useless.

The news was received with joy by the troops, sinking spirits revived, all incumbrances were left behind, and on the following morning the chase was begun ; the Chicago and Northwestern railway between Jefferson Junction and ^Madison follows very closely Black Hawk's trail from Rock river to Four lakes; it was a tough country, the men getting into sink holes ; the temperature following a rainstorm, fell, making progress difficult, but straggling Winne-

])ago informed tlic troops tluit Black Ilawk was l)iit two miles ahead and llicx' jxislicd on with fiiipty stomadis and wet clothes. By sunset .liil\' 2(ltli. \\\r second day. Iliey reaelied the lakes, ^oinj^ into ram[) near \\ir noitheast exli'cmity of Third lake. That same night Black Hawk was camped, stronuly and)ushed. seven or eight miles beyond, near tlie present \ illage of Pheasant l^j-ancli.

At daylii-eak of the 21st the tfoops wci-e up and after lording the Catfish river swept across the isthmus l)etween Third and Fourth lakes in regular line (>\' hattle. Ewing scouts in front; the line of mari-h was along Thii'il hike shoi-e ti) wliere Fauerhach's hi'ewery now stands, thence due Avest to Foui'th lake, the shores of which were skirted through the ])i'esent site of the University, across the swamps and lulls to the Fiieasant l)rancli. and then due northwest to the AVisconsiu river: the advance was rapid, forty horses gave out dui-ing the da\-. When a horse dropped the trooper Irudged on afoot, throwing away camp kettle and ineund)ranees. It was 3:00 o'clock in the aftei-uoon hefore the enemy's rear guard, twenty braves under Neapope. was overtaken. Several slvirmishes ensued hut the weakness of Neapope's force being discovered they were easily dispei-sed hy the white advance guard. At about 4:30 at a point about twenty-five miles northwest of the site of Madison. Neapope's hand, reinforced hy a scoi-e of braves under Black Hawk, made a bold stand to cover the flight of the main body down the Iduffs and across the stream. The troops dismounted and advanced on foot. The savages made a heav.x' chai'ge. yelling like madmen, endeavoring to flank the whites, liut were repulsed. The Sacs now dropped in the grass, which was nearly six feet high, and after an hour of hot tiring with few casualties on either side. Dodge. Ewing and Jones cluii-ged the enemy with bayonets, driving them up a rising piece of gi'ound at the top of which the second rank ol savages were found. It was raining softly and it was found difficult to keep the muskets dry, but a brisk fi)'e was kept up until dusk, and the jiursuit was abandoned for the night. This battle on the i)art of the Sacs was conducted )>y Black Hawk himself, who sat on a white pony on a neighboi-ing knoll, giving his braves orders with stentorian voice.

After dusk a large party of fugitives, composed nuiinly of women, children and ohl men, were placed on a large raft and in canoes begged from the Winnebago and sent down th(> rivei' with the hoj)e that the soldiers at Fori ("I'awl'oi'd. irnarding the mouth of the Wisconsin, wouhl allow thesi' noncombatants to cross the Mississipj)! river in peace. But tiiis confidence was misplaced. Lieutenant Hitnei- with a snudl detachment of regulars was sent out by Indian Agent Joseph ^l. Street to intercept these forlorn find nearly starved wretches, and a short distance ahove the fort Kitner tired on tlieni, killing fifteen ni(>n and capturing tlurty-two women and children and four men. Nearly as many were drowned during the onslaught, while of the rest, who escaped to the woods, all but a half score perished with hunger or were massacred by a party of ]\Ienomonies from Green Bay, allies under Colonel Stambaugh.

About an lioui" and a half before dawn of the 22nd, the day of the battle of Wisconsin Heights, a loud, shrill voice was heard speaking in an unknown tongue, which caused great consternation in the white camp as the troops feared it was the savage leader giving orders for an attack. It was Neapope, who, believing that Paquette and the Winnebago were still witli tlie whites, although they had returned, spoke in tiic Winnebago tongue, a speech of conciliation to the victors, saying in efiPect that if they were allowed to cross the ^Mississijipi in peace they wovdd never more do harm, l)ut th(^ plea fell on unwitting ears for no one in the white camp understood it and thus failed a second attempt of Black Hawk's band to close the war. As for Neapope, finding that his mission had failed, he fled to the AVinnebago. leaving his half dozen companions to return to Black Hawk with the discouraging news, now encamped in a ravine north of the Wisconsin.

On the morning of the 22nd it was found that the enemy had escaped and being poorly supplied witli provisions for a longchase in an unknown country beyond the Wisconsin river, preparations were made to march to Blue Alound for provisions. Arriving there on the 2;]rd they were joined by Atkinson and Alexander. Atkinson assumed command, distj-il)uted rations and ordered the pursuit resumed. On the 27th and 28tli the Wisconsin was crossed on rafts at Helena. Posey now jnined and all the l)rigades were together again. At noon the 28th the advance began with 450 regulars under (leneral Brady in front. Dodge, Pcsey and Alexander following in the order named, Henry bringing up the rear. It appears that much jealousy was apparent on Atkinson's part from the fact that the volunteers liad won the glory so far in the campaign. After a march of a few miles the trail of the fugitives toward the ^Mississippi was discovered. The country between the Wisconsin and the great river was I'ugged and hard to get over, the Winnebago guides were unfamiliar with it. and progress was slow. However the fact that they were noticeal)ly gaining on the redskins spurred the troops. The pathway was strewn with dead Sacs who had perished of wounds and starvation, and there were frequent evidences tliat the fleeing wretches were eating the bark of trees and the sparse horse tiesli of tlicir fagged-out ponies, to sustain life.

On August 1st IMack Hawk and his sadly depleted hand reached the Mississippi at a point two miles below the mouth of the Bad Axe, in A'ernon eounty. about forty miles north of the mouth of the Wisconsin. Here he tried to cross. There were, however, but two oi- three canoes to l)e had and the work was slow. One large raft laden with wonu^n and children was sent down the east side of the river towards Prairie du Chien. but on the way it capsized and nearly all its occupants Avere drowned.

In the middle of the afternoon the steamer "Warrior" of Prairie du Chien appeared having on })oard Lieutenants Kingsbury and Ilobnes with fifteen regulars, who had been up the river to warn the Sioux chiefs at Wabasha that the Sacs were headed in that direction. As the steamer neared the shore Black Hawk appeared on the bank with a white flag and called out to the Captain in the Winnebago tongue to send a ])oat ashore as the Sacs wished to give themselves up. A Winnebago stationed in the bow interpreted the request but the Captain, affecting to believe that it was an ambush, ordered Black Hawk to come aboard in his own craft. This he could not do as he had no boat or canoe, and his reply to that effect was met in a few moments with three quick rounds of canister shot whicli went plowing through the little group of Indians on shore witli deadly effect. A fierce fire of musketry ensued in wliich twenty-three Indians were killed and but one white man wounded. The "Warrioi"'" now being out of wood returned to Prairie du Chien for the night, the soldiers being highly elated at tlieir share in the campaign.

During the night a few more Indians ci-ossed the river but Black Hawk, seeing that nU was lost to him. gathered a party of ten wai-riors, anu)ng whom was the prophet, and witli about thirt\- five s(}uaws and childivn headed east for a rocky hitling place in the Dells of Wisconsin. The next day the heart of the old man smote him foi- having deserted his people and he returned in time to witness from a neighboring bluff the conclusion of the battle of Bad Axe that struck the death ])low to the British band. W^ith a howl of rage he turned and disappeared in the forest.

The aged chief had left excellent instructions to his people in the event of the arrival of the white army. Twenty picked Sacs were on the high bluffs east of the river as rear guard. Atkin.son's men on tlie ;iflernoon of August 2nd encountered these Sacs. The density of the timber obstructing the view it was supposed that Black Hawk's main force was overtaken. The army spread itself for the attack, Alexander and Posey forming the right, Henry the left, and Dodge and the regulars the center. The savage decoys retreated up the river away from the main position of the savage force and drew the troops after them as the white center and right wing followed quickly, leaving the left wing - with the exception of one of its regiments detailed to cover the rear - without orders. Some of E wing's scouts accidentally discovered that the main trail of the enemy was farther down the river than where the decoys were leading the army; thereupon Henry with his entire force descended the bluff and after a gallant charge on foot found himself in the midst of the main body of 300 warriors. A desperate conflict ensued, the bucks being driven from tree to tree at the point of the bayonet, while women and children plunged madly into the river, many to drown. The conflict raged fiercely. Fully a half hour after Henry made the descent Atkinson, hearing the din of battle in his rear, came hastening to the scene with the center and right wing driving in the decoys and stragglers, thus completing the corral. The carnage now proceeded more fiercely than ever. The "Warrior" reappeared and aided the attack with canister. A wild dash was made for the river; some of the fugitives succeeded in swimming to the west bank, but most of them were picked off l)y sharp-shooters as if they were rats instead of human beings, showing absolutely no mercy toward women and children. This massacre lasted for about three hours. The Indians lost 150 killed outright, while as many more of both sexes and all ages were drowned - some fifty l^eing taken prisoners, mostly women. About 300 of the band crossed the river successfully before and during the struggle. The whites lost seventeen killed and twelve wounded.

Those who had crossed the river were cruelly set upon by a band of Sioux under Chief Wabasha, and one-half of these helpless, half-starved noncombatants were cruelly slaughtered, while many of the others died of exhaustion and wounds before they reached their friends of Keokuk's band.

The rest is soon told. The army returned to Prairie du Chien, General Scott assumed command and mustered out the volunteers the following day. Cholera among his troops had detained him first at Detroit and then at Chicago, nearly one-fourth of his 1,000 regulars having died of the pestilence. Independent of this the American loss in the war, including volunteers and settlers killed

On August 22nd. ('Iiactai- and One-Eyed Decorah, two AVinncbago l)raves. delivered Jilaek Hawk and the Prophet into the liands of Agent Sti-ect at Pi-aii-ic du ("liicn. They hail fuund them at tiie AVisconsin river (hdls ahoxc Kilhoiirn ('iiy. ( )ii the 21st of Septend)er a ti'eat\' of peace was signed and P>hiek Hawk. Ihe Prophet and Neapope. who had heen eaptui-ed hiti'i-, wci-e kept as hostages for the good behavior of the rest of the British ])and.

They were kept tlii-ongh the winter at -lefit'erson l^arraeks. and in April. 1S:{;I. were taken to AVashington. They remained prisoners in Korti'ess Monroe nntil disehai'ged. -Iinie 4tli. After visiting the ])rineipal eities of the east, whei'e I5hiek Hawk was much lionized, tlic pai'tx retni-iied to Fort Armstrt)ng much im- ])ressed with the power and i-esonrees of the white nmn. Here ]^laek Hawk's pi-ide was completely crushed, he being i)laced \nider the guardianshi]) of his hated I'ival. Keokuk. This was considennl an irreparahle insnit to the fallen chief, which he nurseil with much bitterness to the end of his days.

Black Hawk at the age of seventy-om^ \-ears finally passed away on the ;5d of October, 1838, at his home on a snuill reservation set apart foi- him in Davis county. Towa. on tiie l)es Moines river.

In July of the following yeai* his l)ody was stolen by an Illinois physician, ("omplaint being made by Bla(d< Hawk's family (Jovernor Lucas, of !o\\a. caused the skeleton to be delivered to him at Burlington in the spring of 1840. The seat of government being moved to Iowa City later in the year, the box containing the remains was dejiosited in a hiw office in the latter town, where it remained until the night ol' -lanuai'v l(i. 1S.'):I. A\hen the building was destroyed hy lire.

l-'orbearaiice and honorable dealing on the part of the whites could easily have ])re\ented the Bhndv J lawk' war. Scpuitters were not ])i'e\"ented from encroaidnng upon the ])oss(\ssions of his l)eople, and at ^ycann»re creek he ha\'e consented to remove his ])and |)eaceai)ly aci'oss the i-i\fi- had the oi'dinary rules of war in i-especting a tlasr of truce been observed by the white nu'ii. In fad. the c(mrse of the Americans during this sti'Uggle was marked by eruelly and disregard I'ov tlu' I'ules of waiMare which was more than savage; women, children and old men w ei-e ruthlessly murdei'ed. and they caused the remnant of the liaiid which had crossed the i'i\er to l)e neai'l.x' all massaci'ed by the Sioux. A black record but mie which must be written.