The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-30
rnE nLAck 1--we var.
what Caused It-An Interesting sketch.
by ABsOLEN ROBERTs.

statements made IS 20 the indireo
causes that led 10 the sO-called Blae
| Hawk war OF -. As was an aetiv
participant in many Of the scene
herein described, will give you, /
| my imperfect manner, the tru
facts. Some OF Black Hawks wal
/ riurs having been arrested and i'm
pFisOned at st. Louis, charged wit
murder, he seut some Of his unde
| chiefs 10 act as counsel for the pris
Oners. While there, without TIA
consent OF Black Hawk or the ma
ton, they were induced TO sell o
deed away their lands. When the.
returned TO their tribe loaded dow
with cheap tinsel and gewgaws, the.
could give no account OF their actor
except that they had been kept un
der the influence OF liquor durinl
all their stay there and while il
that condition sold some Of thei
land. And that was all the Indian
ever received or could learn OF thu
matter. / will add here that most o
the would be Black Hawk HISTORIANS
have gained all of their information
from a life OF Black Hawk" writ
ten at Rock Island in 1888 or "a
purpOrting to have been dictated bl
himself, and this may misleaC
many. The facts are, Black HawE
knew little or nothing about the
book, and the sentiments credited
to him were furnished By a Mr.
Antoine lie CleTc and Col. Daven
port, and was written by a tram
printer merely as a catch-penuy
IL nH.aa
half-breed interpreter, and Col Dav.
export a trader with the Indians
and his sympathies were with them
as he desired to keep them about there
for the purpose of barter. While
in camp at Rock Island / called
upon the doughty colonel in com.
pany with others, and he gave
ms a "blessing" for driving the
Indians away. Said he: "Here il
my store full Of goods and nobody
to buy them.
After remaining there three days,
endeavOring fTuitlessly to find out
what course Black Kawk had taken,
Ne started for his town on Rock
river, and when we arrived there
captured about 800 lodges recently
from Fort Armstrong, also five stray
Indians formerly with Black
Hawks band. From them We
learned that Black Hawk had gone
country to stir up that nation, alsO
10 get the kickapOOs to help him.
Acting upon this Information we
proceeded up the river on a forced
march. When we reached Prophet
Town we halted to await the arrival
Of General Athens with three keel
boats loads of men and provisions.
! ought to state mere that we burned
this village containing about 400
lodges, and were thus forced TO
march hurriedly to Dixon. Here we
expected to intercept the boats and
men, but when we reached the latter
place we found ~ men under COM
mand OF Majors Stillman aud Baily.
The officers Of this force being aux-
iuus To distinguish themselves
begged To be sent forward, and to
crafty them we were ordered up
the river a. a scouting party To spy
out the redskins. MaiOT Stillmau
began this march May i, keeping
up the southeast side until lac reach
ell Old Mans Greek ,since known as
Stillman's rum "A small streau
which rises i'm White Rock Grove,
Ogle county, and empties into Rock
river near BlOOmingville. Here he
for the night, but i'm a
short time a party Of mounted
Indians were discovered on rising
piece Of ground about one mile
\ party OF Stillman's
force, acting without orders, and
also without a commander started
IN pursuit Of them, and they were
followed by others, until the line OF
was quarter Of a mile
in length. The Indians, after dis
playing red flag, retreated, but
were Overtakeu and three of them
killed. In this engagemt mt Major
HackeltOn distinguished
himself, for after being dismOunted
ne killed an Indian in a hand-tO-
hand conflict, after which he rejOin-
ad the command on foot. Black
Hawk being in the vicinity with
about 100 warriors, soon rallied the
and took the offensive,
driving the valiant soldiers, who
were only few hours before so
Eager for blood, like a flock of
sheep. They rushed down upon
Major Stillman's camp like mad
men, on the full run, spreading
lismay and terror among the rest Of
he command, and they too Joined
IN the flight. So great was their
ear that the commander saw IL was
ruthless to rally them OF to make a
stand. and then did the next best
hing, i. e., ordered his small rem
lant of forces to fall back in order
md form on higher ground about
/ mile distant. But once their
packs turned nothing could stop
hem, though there were brave men
n the company. Here it was that
Major Perkins and Capt. Adams
Ost their lives endeavOriug to cover
he retreat Of their fugitive friends,
iut Major Stillman and his men
pursued their flight, looking neither
O the right or left until they were
safely in Dixon.
The next morning before daylight
We left Dixon for the battlefield to
rive Black Hawk a thrashing and to
Jury the dead AS / was sick with
ie measles il fell to my lot to help
Jury the mutilated bodies and frag-
nents. This was my hardest task
Turing the whole campaign. We
Ound eleven bodies, as nearly as
We could guess, for il was only
for they were literally |
hacked to pieces, n leg here, an arm
here, q head over yOndeT, in fact |
trewed about in every place. |
vas only eighteen years old at the /
ime, but | shall never forget the |
ceiling OF horror that Overcame me |
- ! gathered up an armful Of re-
mains and with a head in either |
Iand, carried my load to the one |
grave made for alt. When /
n had been Strengthened out we /
Overed them with blankets aud /
hen shoveled in the dirt.
Il has been claimed that Black
iawk on this occasion defeated /
IajOr Stillman. Such was not the
ase. II was barrel OF whisky that
efeated him. ! know this To be the
act.
Now a few words i'm regard To
Hack Hawk personally. Que writ
r says he went To Burlington. Iowa,
here he took sick and died, and
nat his body lies buried there.
here il no truth in this whatever.
mother says that he lies buried
n the banks OF the great river,
here he spent most OF his life.
mother mistake. After peace was
he went up the Des MOines
yer about twenty miles, where he
uilt him a home, and there Guilt
ated a few acres Of ground until
he time OF his death. which occur
Z Oct. 3, 1910. He was buried ON
he banks of that river on the farm
Dw known As the Hebron farm, and
a. ~ wears Of age at the time Of