Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-25
KakaQ

in the written pages of their histories.
1t will be interesting to discover If
the red mans history by word of
mouth comedies with the white mans
history in the printed word.
The most scrupulous care has been
taken by the centennial committee
to reproduce these historic events
through pageants as they actually Oc-
Cured and every detail has been made
to coincide with the first hand &C
counts preserved in government ar
chives and in the most authentic his
tories. These details have undergone
exhaustive investigation at the hands
of Orrin Holt, the official historian OF
the association and John Hauberg,
who has made an exhaustive study Of
the life of Black Hawk.
1t is a rare coincidence that the
Fort Armstrong centennial, which has
been made the occasion for monster
homecoming Of the old settlers Of
this vicinity, shall be also the home
coming of the red man, who once
ruled this land.
These descendants OF Black Hawk,
now living the peaceful life Of civ
ilized man, will journey back to the
home of their race. the land which the
great Chieftan Black Hawk fought so
hard to retain. For what is it that
has inscribed the name of Black Haw *
so indelibly on the pages OF American
history? What is that has preserved
! to our present day civilization the
name of this one redskin above all
others? Is it the poetry of a defender
/ of lost cause? Is it the story OF UNI
! surpassed craft in war? Is it the
mere fact that the chief of the Sacs
was born and lived here? No! 1t Is
something more than all Of these.
AS one reads the history of the
Black Hawk war, as he peruses the
accounts which have come down iron
nioneer white settlers and as he sean;
with Interested eye the pages OF Blacf
! Hawks autobiography, translated D.
| Antoine LIE Claire, he discovers one
thing unusually significant and dra
matically poetic This one thing, The
soul of Black Hawks life, the rea
cause of the Black Hawk war and
wonderful tribute to Iowa and Illinois
is love of the home land.
WHY did Black Hawk war agains
a !, n
Int a few hundred Indians brave tn
mieht of the United States? why OK
he endure persection which no whit
man would undergo? 1t was becaus
he loved this beautiful garden spot o
the Mississippi valley, lying at tn
confluence of the Rock and MISSISSIPPI
rivers, above any land in the mlddl
west, the most fertile and beautl1u
territory in the United States.
There is dramatic story III india
1egend which tells of the savage lro
ouois who lived in New York stat
and waged relentless war against ID
| of their redskin neighbors, Inc sac
we're driven wantonly from their OF
home and pushed farther and 1arthe
into the wilderness. From the grea
lakes region they were pushed I'M
4 wisconsin and from there, in order |
secure a more favorable habitatiof
thew descended the Rock river 10 II
mouth.
Finding at the confluence OF tn
! Ri n
of the most beautiful spots they ha
ever seen they decided to establis
there the seat of their nation. The
drove the Kaskaskias from this terri
tory and founded the village at tn
Watch Tower.
Here they grew in numbers an
power until this town was the large'
Indian community of its time, Its il
habitants numbered approximate
5000. From this village as their cal
ital the Sac and Fox tribes ruled tn
territory Of northern Illinois, mortimer
Missouri, eastern Iowa and souther
Wisconsin. Here it was that B!ac
Hawk. or Ma Observation-Disclosures
was born. Here it was that he gre
to manhood
He was warrior from his boyhoo
When but a lad of 10 years Ola
, killed his first enemy and took his hr
scalp. From then on he was braN
At the age of 10 his bravery Ill r
heated wars against the Osages earn'
him such a reputation that when n
father was killed in battle he becaH
the head war chief of his tribe. And
70 the time Of his defeat by the Unite
States troops at Bad Axe in Wisconsl