Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-09-09
BARLY HISTORY OF ROCK IS
LAND AND VICINITY.

history OF Scott county. IL is Delng
published in the Davenport Gazette.
His paper No. 8 gives brief history
of this section Of Iowa and Illinois,
which will dou otless be read with in
terest:
This brief sketch of the history OF
our Immediate vicinity, before the dawn
of civilization, must suffice. The in
dian who possessed the soil was here
in his own right by whatever means he
possessed it. The early missionaries
had taught him the first principles Of
Christianity. He believed in a great
spirit. He worshiped no idols, nor
bowed at any superior but the great
"Manito.' They had their Seers and
Prophets, and believed in a tutelar
spirit They made no sacrifice of hui
man life to appease the wrath of an Of
Tended Deity. They observed their
fasts and holy days with blackened
faces, and with midnight lamentations.
They believed in future Of rewards
but not of punishments, and were ever
ready, and proud to sing the death song
even at the stake, that they might en-
ter the elysian fields of the good-hunt-
ing ground. They never blasphemed.
There is no word in their language by
which to express it.
The Indians home is wherever the
finger of destiny points. Yet his SYM
pathies often cluster deeply around the
place of his nativity and the scenes of
his earlier life. Thus was it with them
when they came to leave their home up
on As-sin-ne- Names, Crock Island)
and the As-sin-ne-So-po, Rock Riv-
En- In all their wanderings, from the
great lakes on the north, to the Ohio
on the south, and the Mississippi on the
west, they had never found home like
this. The bluffs and the Islands fur
nished them animals fer the chase,
while the clear waters Of the ASSN
ne-So-po, gave them the finest fish.
Their fields yielded them an ab"n lance
of the maize, the potato, beans, melons
and pumpkins, and they were as happy
as the rowing spirit Of their natures
would allow. when in the Spring of
1914 the white man came, and with the
din of preparation for work, the soil
tude was broken, and the first sounds
Of civilization burst upon their ears.
Attempts were made at that time to
plant Forts along the Upper Misslssip-
pi. The only means Of transportation
was by armed boats. Maj. Zachary
Taylor, { president Of the U. S. in
1850, was in command of one of these
boats. He left Cape au Girls (Cape au
Grey, in August, of this year, with
1874 men, for the Indian towns at Rock
Island, with instructions to destroy
their villages and cornGelds. The In
dams wese located on both sides Of the
river, "above and below the rapids. D
But in this attempt he was frustrated
by the Indians receiving aid from
neighboring tribes and some British
allies then at Prairie du Chen. The
battle was severe, and lasted some three
hours, commencing on the rapids above
at Campbell Island.
In May, 1916, the Eighth Regi'
ment and u company Of rifemen, il
command Of Col. Lawrence, came W
the river in boats, and landed at the
mouth Ct Rock River. After some ex'
animation, the lower end Of Rock Is.
land was fixed on, for a site to build g
Fort. On the 10th Of May, they land.
ed on the Island A store house was
first put up, which was the first build.
ing ever on the Island. A bakehouse
was next built, and then Fort Arm
strong was commenced. At this time
there was about ten thousand Indians
in and around the place, on both sides
Of the river. Col. George Davenport
then attached to the army, was genera
superintendent. The Indians were
much dissatisfied, and complained thai
the noise made by the white man in
building on the Island would disturb
the Great Spirit, whose residence they
believed to be in cave at the foot Of
the Island.*
From this date until the Black Hawk
War, Rock Island was only frlntie,
military post, and although this notice
does not come strictly into the History
of Scott county, yet so intimately are
it's early pioneer scenes connected with
it, that it seems almost indispensable tc
make some mention Of it. Tranquil.
ity had in measure been restored be.
tween the whites and the Indians, wher
the Black Hawk War broke out. A
few remarks on the causes Of this wal
may not be uninteresting.
Black Hawk had ever been dissatis.
fed with the treaty made at St. Louis
in 1904, by Gen, Harrison for theil
lands on Rock River, and upon the re.
QUESTION of the United States to sur.
render these lands to the whites fol
settlement, Black Hawk refused. HI
had been in the service of Great Brit
ain in the war of 1872, and received
pay and presents annually. He open
ly proclaimed himself and party Brit
ish subjects. At the treaty held al
Portage Des Sioux, in 1914, to
recognize and re-establish the treaty Of
Gen. Harrison, which had been broken
on the part of some of the Indians, by
the part they. took in the war Of 1913
Black Hawk and his band refused te
attend. 1t appears that he had con-
tinued depredations on the whites after
peace was declared, and at this treaty
"talk'' ct Portage Des Sioux, the
Commissioners on the part Of the Uni
ted States REQUIRED them to render ur