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

persons fond of mere adventure, al
ways a large element on the border.
the fighting of Indians presented su-
perior attraction. On the other hand,
the treatment accorded the Indians by
the Americans at every point of con-
tact thus far had been such as to only
add fuel to their hatred, and it appears
the signing of this treaty was merely
ruse to gain time for preparation to
take the warpath Therefore, we were
not surprised at the invasion of the
red men the following April which
began the Black Hawk war, the most
shameful page Of our history.
Tries to Capture Fort.
During this period Fort Armstrong
was a busy scene of preparation. Gen
eral Atkinson, who had come on from
Jefferson barracks, was in command
and had with him Coloney Zachary
Taylor, afterward president of the
United States; Lieutenant Jefferson
Davis, afterward president of the So
called Confederate States of America,
and Captain William S. Harvey, af-
terward General Harvey. Here Cen
eral Atkinson swore into service the
two thousand volunteers which had
been recruited near Beardstown and
moved to this point. 1t is interesting
to note that among the officers of this
force were Abraham Lincoln and
Lieutenant Robert Anderson, later of
Fort Sumter fame There were no
massacres at this point during the
Black Hawk war or the events pre-
ceding it, but on several occasions
the settlers were badly frightened
One such occasion was during the con-
ference mentioned before, to which
General Gaines had summoned Black
Hawk. The Indians were in an ugly
mood, and only General Gaines calm
ness and quiet authority prevented
an outbreak at this time. Another
near escape was on the night before
General Atkiniison arrived from JET
ferson barracks. Black Hawk. who
was moving up Rock river, made a
bold attempt to capture Fort Arm
strong. At that time the garrison
| consisted of not over eighty men. The
settlers and their families were all
crowded in stockade built about
| Colonel Davenport's store "a little
| ways east of the fort), but the only
we'll was unprotected, so every avail
able receptacle had been hastily filled
with water in anticipation of fire from
the Indians fire arrows. Black Hawk
brought his warriors by night from
Rock river through the woods over
the bluffs to the Mississippi and
| crossed to the island. A terrible rain
| and snow storm was raging, which
| added to the terror of the settlers who
expected momentarily to be attacked
| About 2 o'clock in the morning they
heard the firing of cannon and the
| shouts of the garrison welcoming Gen.
eral Atkinson and his regulars, but
they believed it to be the shouts of
triumph OF the Indians over the cap
ture of the fort, so Elder Kinney, a
devout Presbyterian, called upon all
to unite in an appeal to God as their
only hope of safety, whereupon An
| tome Gorque, French servant in the
employ OF Colonel Davenport, said in
broken English: Prayer he be good
for re vimmin an re children, but he be
not wort one cent to fight re Injns.
| Wattalr, he be bettair ian re prayer.
Black Hawk always maintained that
it was the storm that prevented his
attack upon the fort, but it is more
probable that he had learned of Cen
eral Atkinson's approach and there
fore abandoned the attack. At any
rate, after the close of the war SOL
| diers found three kegs of powder with
| fuses attached in the cave under the
fort, and the Indians said Black Hawk
| had placed them there during that
night, intending to blow up the fort,
! Another incident is known as the tur-
key scare. This happened before the
outbreak OF the war. The settlers,
terrorized by the rumors of Black
Hawks advance. had fed to the island
but after the first scare was over
they wished to return to their farms
to do their spring planting Captain
| Bliss, who was in command at tho
fort, allowed them to do this after ar
| ranging with them that if anyone
should be attacked or in danger of an
attack he should fire off gun as a
signal of alarm, when everyone should
| Immediately fee TO the island Not
| long afterward two of the men, while
] crossing Vandrutf's island, saw a fock