Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-28
BLACK HAWKS WAR Bag
IN MILWAUKEE MUSEUM
Relic OF Famous indian Leader
Obtained From Some OF HE
Descendants.
By Associated Press TO Every Evening.

ny Associated Press TO Every Evening.
Milwaukee. Aug. 2s.-Hidden behind
nearly q century Of Indian rcticence.
Of the great Chief Black Hawk has
been brought to light.
On the eve OF the nineticth anniver-
sary OF tho defeat OF that leader OF
tho blcodiest Indian war In American
history. his war bag was discovered
and purchased for the. milwaukee,
Public Museum by Alanson Skinner.
curator of AnthropoloGy.
Mr.. skinner found II near Cushing.
Okla. where the remnants Of the Sac
and Fox tribes now live.
Proof that the bag which his
desce ndants. under Mr.. Skinncr's per-
suasion, were at last moved to reveal
really was the property OF Black
Hawk was given by the old men OF the
tribe. among them tho son OF Chief
Keokuk. Black Hawks chief dissenter
prior TO his crushing defeat at Bad
Axe River on August 3. 1882.
II lies also In the buckskin wrapper
itself. wbcre the largest object among
tho charms and smulets is a black
hawk. crudely carved OF wood.
Tho value Of this historical md Is
augmented by the information offered
by Skinner's halfbreed interpreter.
William Harris. This IA a heretofore
unheard-of object, a charging bag he
called It. The distinction Is that, un-
like the usual war bag. 1t is actually
worn into the fray.
The Sac and Fox war bundle like
those OF other tribes. is acquired only
when q warrior sees its contents in a
vision. He may be away fasting.
seeking the love Of maiden or the
arts OF the doctor when tho vision oc-
ours.
Such a bag contains magic talismans
done up In buckskin wrapper, whose
assistance is sought before a battle.
While his followers go forth TO fight
the owner Of a war bundle opens ii on
. small platform and sings sacred
hymns. calling upon its potency. FOR
victory.
But the charging bundle Is itself
carried into the fray. And no who car
ries II, tied by a woven string over hi.
left hip. dare not turn back To its
owner 1t serves as arms. clothes. al
protection.
In war bundles are some objects IN
dividual TO the owners clan, pertain
Ing. perhaps TO the bold eagle. the
swift hawk. the night-sceing owl or
the tircless wolf. according to which
animal he is supposed TO be descendant
Besides these are symbols Of the
origin OF the earth and the Indian
who walked its forests-the gods and
animals who gave OF their powers tc
make lie possible for their sons, tho
Red Man a...,~nn
In this bag was found the tail OF a
white wolf. = snakes akin. some deer
hair. six eagle feathers. an otter skin
and two buffalo tails.
Besides these, IN some OF tho bags
arc sacks OF sacred tobacco. bits OF
war paint human nose, several
scalps-doubtless. says Mr.. Skinner
showing what a deserving brave was
he who owned 81
Chief Black Hawk was born IN 1867
and died in Des Moines. Ia, IN 1885
Dissenters in his tribe OF Sacs and
Foxes abandoned lands east OF the
Mississippi! river TO the whites. Black
Hawk repudiated this and led tn,
tribes back across the river into Ill!noi.
and Wisconsin in 1882 and was defeat.
ed by United States troops IN eevera
battles. notably that at Bad Axe river