Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-07-20
BLACK HAWK WAS BLACK SPARROW
Ut. Porter Disseminates chronological
information Respecting Chief Black
sparrow Hawk and His Followers.

Information Respecting Chief BIack
! sparrow Hawk and His Followers.
The Sac Chief Black Sparrow Hawk
was born in 1867, at the mouth of Rock
island, Illinois, and died on the Das
MONIES river in Iowa, Oct. 4, 1888, Tn
1874, Gov. w. FL. Harrison, of Indiana.
made treaty With five individuals OF
The Sac and Fox tribes by which they
coded tract of land on both sides Of
the Mississippi, extending from the Wis
consin to the Missouri rivers and contain
ing oil ,U0O,000 acres. 1t was stipulate d
the Indlans were to occupy this land
rs long as 1T remained the property of
the government. About the beginning
OF this century Black Hawk becomes
prominent among his people. He and
his band were deyotedly attached to
their village, which for century had
been the home # their people and which
contained their principal cemetery. He
mad always opposed The cession OF lands
TO the whit g and most particularly
denied the validity OF the treaty at St
Louis in 1904 For this tract of land
the Indians were TIC receive "goods in
hand to the amount of $2,254, and a
yearly annuity of one thousand dollars
in goods" In 1916 this treaty was
ratified and confirmed at st Louis and
tothis latter treaty Black Hawk touched
the quill although he 81 awards
alleged he was ignorant of what he was
then doing.
Black Hawk relates in his "autoh-
ography "how four Sacs were sent to s.,
Louis to secure the release of an Indian,
who had murdered white man. They
renamed long time absent, returned
and encamped below the village; APP
peared to be dressed in fine coats and
had medals. We hoped they brought
good news" "They stated that the
American chief told them he wanted
land; they had agreed to give him some;
when ready to start, their friend was
led out of prison, ran short distance
and was shot dead. This is all they
could recollect. They had been drunk
greater part of the time. This is all
myself or nation knew of the tlSaty of
1904 / will leave it to the people of
the United States to say whether our
nation received fair compensation for
the extent of country coded by those
four individuals. 1t has been the cause
of all our difficulties"
The old chief relates how in the war
of 1912 with Great Britain, the presi-
dent requested the Sac and Fox chiefs.
who called on him, to remain neutral;
how he promised them goods on credit;
how the American trader at Ft. Madison
refused credit; how the British leader
came to Rock Island with goods, gave
them credit and brought word that Col
Dickson, at Green Bay, wanted Black
Hawk and 200 warriors to fight the
Americans at Detroit end Maiden.
They arrived at Green Bay, Dickson
made speech "then placed medal
around my neck, and gave me paper,
which lost in the late war, and silk
flag saying, "You are to command all
the braves that leave here to ioir our
braves near Detroit" This paper and
a new British flag were found at Battle
Island, after the fight, twenty years
later. "On our arrival, L found the
Indians had several prisoners; advised
them to treat them well; below Detroit |
had fght the Americans fought we'll |
[ was surprised; had been told they
could not fight l found two men TAX
ing care OF cattle; would not kill them,
but delivered them to the British war |
CO af1 i
full of American soldiers; the British |
bad taken many prisoners; the Indians !
were killing them / Immediately put |
stop to it as l never thought 1t brave, |
but cowardly to kill an unarmed apd /
helpless enemy" Proctor commanded |
the British, and his brutality is we'll |
known. 1.-THE British could not take
this fort, (Meigs) for we were marched |
TO another some distance off. When We
approached it found small stockade, !
(Ft Stephenson and concluded there
we're not many men in it. The British |
war chief sent flag; young man was
cAief Lieut.. Croghan) and would not |
give without fighting. Dickson came
to me and said 'you will see tomorrow
how easily we can take that fort"
When morning came was disappointed |
The British advanced and fought like
braves, but by braves in the fort were
defeated. [ was now tired of being with |
them, our E; 3cess being bad and having
got no plumber. That night l took
twenty of my braves and left FOR home;
met no person until reached Illinois
river; found my family we'll" But the
whites had killed his adopted son. He
went down river to avenge his soG's
death; with one Indian be met two
whites; let one escape because he had
been to the Sac village to teach the
Indians to pillow; his COMPANION killed
the other. He saw two white boys il
the bushs, but says he thought of his
own Children and passed by without
noticing them. Returned to remain
with my family, to hunt for them and
humble myself before the great spirit
and return thanks to him for preserving
me through the war" W.