The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-07-01
BLACK HAWKS GRAVE.
The Famous Iowa Indians Peculiar bur
tal-Half Above Ground.


tal-Half Above Ground.
DIR. J. r. Snyder has written an ar
ticle for the Magazine OF american
History on the Indian chief Black
Hawk. He says:
Considering these facts it seems
strange that the particulars of his
death and burial should have been I'M
known TO Mr.. Schoolcraft, and so mea-
gerly recorded by him, when he could
SO easily have obtained correct informa-
ton of every circumstance attending
the event. The death and burial of
Black Hawk, particularly the eere-
monies attending the inhumation OF so
noted a parsonage of such Importance
In the history of the Indians, to IL
lustrate their mortuary customs, we
would expect to be minutely re-
ported in Mr.. Schoolcraft's great
work. But he disposes of the famous
chiefs last days and final interment in
the following brief terms volume =.
page 454): "He was safely conducted
to his home on the distant Mississippi,
where he lived many years wiser and
a better man. After his death his tribes
men gave to his remains those rites of
sculpture which are only bestowed up
on the most distinguished men. They
buried himin war-dress, in sitting pos
ture, on an eminence, and covered him
with mound of earth" This is all l
have found in the great historical work
of MIR. Schoolcraft concerning the
death and funeral rites of one of the
most celebrated of recent Indians. No
dates are given, nor is the location of
"his home on the distant Mississippi
indicated; nor is there any mention of
any ceremonies performed at his grave,
or any fact stated to guide us In esti-
mating the magnitude of the mound
of earth"
Capt. Jas. H. Jordan was a trader
among the Sacs and Foxes before Black
Hawks death, was present at his burial,
and is now residing on the very spot
where he died. In reply to my letter
of inquiry he writes as follws:
"ELDoRA, Iowa, July Is, 1881.
"Black Hawk was buried on the north
east quarter of southeast quarter of
section 2, township 20, range II, Davis
County, Iowa, in the northeast part of
the county, on the Des Moines River
bottom, about ninety rods from where
he lived at the time he died, on the
north side of the river. L have the
ground where he lived for door yard,
1t being between my house and the
river. The only mound over the grave
was made from some puncheons split
up and spread over two forked poles
thrust into the earth, one ut his head
and the other at his feet; these
were then sodded over with bluegrass,
making ridge about four feet high.
A flag staff some twenty feet high, on
which was a silk flag, was planted at
his head, and it hung there until the
wind wore it out My house and his
were only about four rods apart when
he died. He was sick only about four
teen days. He was buried right where
he sat the year before, when in council
with Iowa Indians, and was buried in
suit of military clothes, made to order
and given to him, when in Washington
City, by General Jackson, with hat,
sword, gold epaulets, ETC., etc."
From another old settler of that
neighborhood, Mr.. Isaac Nelson, the
following reply was received;
HICKORY, Iowa, June "a, 1SS1.-I
came to Iowa in the spring of 1885, and
was two or three times near Black
Hawks house, but never went in to see
him. He was buried in
manner on the top of the ground, but
his feet were about sixteen inches in
the ground and his head about foot
above the surface. He had on a suit
of military clothes; four nice new
blankets were wrapped around him,
pillow of feathers was under his head,
a plug hat on his head, and an old
fashioned Brussels stock around his
neck. You may ask how saw all of
this when he was in his grave.
will try to describe the way in
which he was buried, and then you
will understand it. A forked post
had been planted at his head and one
at his feet; ridge pole was laid in
these forks, and then puncheons put
over him in the shape of roof and
the earth thrown on, which made
raise of two or three feet above him.
The whites had taken out two ends so
we could see through. The grave had
been inclosed with pickets some eight
feet high, planted in the ground with
joints broken; but these the whites had
forced apart so that we could easily
creep in. His feet were to the east,
and his head to the west. At his feet
<as shaved oak post with painting on
it, and at his head pole with nice
silk flag. All the grass and weeds were
kept out of the Enclosure and for some
distance around the outside. He had
no coffin, but was laid full length upon
a board with four fine blankets around
him."
A SIeeny Old VILLAGE