The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-17
SCENE Of INDIAN
BATTLE IS GIVEN
STATE FOR PARK
Illinois Will Care for Spot
Made Famous by Massacre
of White Citizens During
Black Hawk War.

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.,, July II. (Spl.)
-Shabbona park, located in La Sale
county, has been given to the state of
Illinois and will, hereafter, be free to
all the people Of the state. The resort
is one Of the most picturesque Of the
kind in the United States and was
dedicated in 1906 when a monument
was unveiled In memory of is white
settlers h were slain by a band of
Black Hawk Indians, May 20, 1882. AS
La Sale county has been unable to
give the park the improvements re-
quired, and the state legislature could
not legally vote money for this pur-
pose while the title remained with the
county, it was decided by the board of
supervisors to turn the property over
to the state and thus enable Il to re-
ceive the attention that the beauty Of
he spot and its historical associations
warrant.
Replete with thrilling incidents of In
dian warfare, the history of Illinois
records few, If any. vents of greater
Importance, from the standpoint Of the
historian han the Indian Creek massa-
ere which occurred on May 20, 1882, on
the present site Of Shabbona park, In
this attack, according to three sur
vivors, Is lives were sacrificed by the
cruel rifle and scalplng knife of the
Indians of Black Hawks blood thirsty
band. Thirty years after the massacre.
William Munson. who married one Of
three women who escaped the wrath
OF the red men, erected a monument
TO the memory Of the victims, which
cost $500, This memorial still stands.
In subsequent years, the patriotic resi-
dents Of La Sale county launched a
campaign in behalf OF a larger monu-
ment, The legislature finally passed
a bill appropriating 5000 for the pur-
pose and the county set aside a tract
Of W acres as a memorial park to
be known as Shabbona. The monu-
ment is l6 feet in height, 1t also COM
lnemorates the deeds or Shabbona, chief
friend of the whites and who was the
Paul Revere Of the Mississippi valley.
Shabbona's Faithfulness.
After attending a war dance in Lee
county in May, 1892, called by Black
Hawk to launch a campaign Of exter-
mination against the white settlers,
shabbona and his son, declining to par
ticipate, and warning Black Hawk of
the consequences, stole away to sound
the note of warning. 'rhey determined
to save as many as possible from the
torture and tragic death that would be
the fate Of all In the path of the aven-
gers. Turning their back upon their
own race forever, realizing that their
act would be regarded as ~traitorous,
Shabbona and his son went from log
cabin to cabin, warning the settlers
to flee for their lives. Many needed
the warning and FASTENED to the fort
near Ottawa, while others went to Fort
Dearborn, now he's site Of Chicago. Most
of the settlers respected the warning
Of the old chief and his son as they
FASTENED down the Illinois valley, but
a few laughed at his words and re-
manned, In Kendall county, the horse
ridden by Shabbona fell dead, but lie
was given another by George Hollen-
back and the ride was continued.
Thanks to the efforts or Shabbona, the
victims of Black Hawk were not as
many as the murderous band expected.
In addition to the Is settlers who were
murdered at Indian Creek, two young
women, Rachel and Sylvia Hall, sisters,
were carried into captivity and wei e
never heard from again.
The raid of Black Hawk aroused the
entire state and a small army was Or
ganized to destroy the band. Abra-
ham Lincoln was one Of the volunteers.
The Indians were driven across the
Mississippi river into Iowa and returned
to Illinois no more.
Shabbona, who was born in 1875.
erected a cabin nea Seneca after the
massacre and was given kindly treat
ment by the white men for his friendly
warning. He died In 1859 and was
buried in Evergreen cemetery at Nor
ris, in Grundy county, In 1903 a huge
granite boulder was placed over the
grave. Many men, prominent in pub
lie life of the state, attended the I'M
yelling and delivered addresses eulogiz-
ing the memory Of the great chief who
was willing to become the Benedict Ar
mold Of his race to save the lives of
his white friends.
The act Of Shabbona was the more
remarkable from the fact tina he was
in the war of 1872 and fought with the
British troops against the American
%colonists. At tie battle of the Thames,
when the great chief Tecumseh fell,
Shabbona was second in command.
When peace was declared, Shabbona
vowed that he would never raise his
tomahawk against the whites again and
he kept his word.