Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-10

the east and south sides OF the square
were sally ports. Just west OF tue
east block house was a powder mag
azine. built Of stone and the depres-
sion where it stood can still be seen.
In the center OF the square stood the
flagstaff, the spot being now crossed
by the railway embankment.
Describes Buildings.
Governor Ford In his History OF
Illinois gives an attractive picture OF
the fort as it appeared in 1881, he
says Fort Armstrong was built upon
rocky cliff on the lower point OF an
island near the center OF the river,
the shores on each side, formed Oh
gentle slopes of prairie. extending
back to the bluffs of considerable
height, made it one of the most PIC
turesque scenes in the western coun-
try. The river here is a beautiful
sheet of clear, swift running water
about three-fourths of a mile vice.
its banks on both sides were uninhab-
tied, except by Indians, from the low
er rapids to the fort, and the voyage
up stream, after several days of soil
tary progress through a wilderness
country on its borders, came suddenly
in sight Of the white-washed walls
and towers OF the fort. perched upon
rock. surrounded by the grandeur
and beauty of nature which at a dis
lance gave it the appearance of those
enchanted castles in an uninhablted
desert so we'll described in The Arab
ian Nights Entertainments
Hon. B. Bailey Davenport, in let
ter published in The Rock Island Ar
gus years ago, tells the following in
! cident that occurred in connection
with the building of the fort: One
day small party OF Indians came
over to dance, and after the dance the
colonel in command gave them pres
ents. In few days after and while
many of the soldiers were out cutting
timber. a large party of warrors came
| over in canoes and landed on the north
side OF the island and danced up to
the entrance of the encampment and
wanted to enter to dance in front of
the commanders tent. About the
same time large party of warriors
headed by Keokuk was discovered ap-
preaching over the ridge from the
| south side of the island. The colonel
Immediately ordered the bugle sound
ed to recall the soldiers from the
woods and had all under arms and the
cannon run outs in front of the en-
trance ready to fire. The Indians
were ordered not to approach any
nearer. The colonel, taking the alarm
before Keokuk's party got near
enough to rush in, saved the encamp-
ment from surprise and massacre. No
one must imagine that the life at this
early frontier fort even resembled the
varied, interesting gay life of such
forts of today. 1t was rough, hard,
monotonous existence they led. There
was not a white woman or child with
in a hundred miles. At night the clear,
sharp bark of the foxes or the dismal
howl Of the wolves, grown holder in
the silence, disturbed their rest, and
where we now see the thousands of
lights on each side of the river they
could not see the CLEAN of a single
friendly light, except perhaps the
flicker of the camp fire in front Of an
Indian tepee. They were almost com
pletely isolated from the outside world
for their only means of communica-
ton was by sending, at rare intervals,
two soldiers on foot to Galena. dis
lance of one hundred miles, to get the
mail. No, indeed, the fort was not
built, as is sometimes enormously
stated, for protecting the settlers from
the Indians, as it was IL years after
the erection of the fort before any
settlers arrived in this locality. Unit
ed States troops occupied the fort con-
tinuously for 20 years after its estab-
lishment, but during the first half of
this time, or up to the beginning of the
Black Hawk war in 1881, there were
no events Of importance connected
with it to record. About 1928 settlers
began to arrive and rudely took pos
session of the rich fields of Black
Hawks people. One writer says 1.-The
squatters had no right in this territory
and it was clearly the duty of the
federal government to protect the In
dams within it until sales were made
The Sacs would not have complained
had the squatters settled other por-
tons of the tract and not sought tC
steal the village which was their
birthplace and contained the sacred
burial place of their dead"
Outrages by Whites.
The most fragrant outrages were
perpetrated by the squatters, against
which Black Hawk protested to the
white authorities in vain, and finally
he took matters into his own hand
and warned the settlers that they
must leave or he would put them of
these lands. He claims in his auto.
biography that by this he did not in,
tend bloodshed but simply muscular
eviction. His threat, however, was
construed as a threat against theil
lives, and they sent exaggerated &C.
counts of the situation to Governor
Reynolds and to the military authori
ties at Rock Island and St. Louis anG
petitioned them for protection. Gov.
ernor Reynolds promptly called out &
mounted volunteer force, 1900 strong
and these, together with the Sixth
, United States infantry under com
, mand of General Gaines, proceeded t.
/, Rock Island. The settlers had al
, been moved to the island, and upor
the arrival of General Gaines he call
ed for council with Black Hawk ant
, warned him to comply with the term.
OF the treaty of 1904 and move hi:
!. village to the west banks of the Mis-
, slssippi. When Black Hawk wa.
, pressed for an answer about leaving
he said he would not fight and hi
would not leave, but if our people
came to drive him off, he would ST
!, down in his wigwam and they nigh
do what they pleased with him: fol
himself he would do nothing. Cover
nor Reynolds and his volunteers hav
, ing meanwhile arrived near the mouth
, rtN L.,