Year: 1865

In Lieutenant General Scott's Auto
biography, recently published by Shell
don & Co., N. Y, appears the following
romantic incident, which occurred du-
ring the Black Hawk War; and in
which keokuk, the celebrated chief, af-
ter whom the city of Keokuk was NAM
ed, was prominent actor


The summons for the conference
was now given to all of the tribes and
obeyed, and the grand council of war
for the settlement Of the treaties COM
menced. While these were pending,
demand came up, from a Judge of
Illinois, sixty miles below, for an Indi-
an murderer, his name unknown, but
who had been distinctly traced to the
camp of the great body of Sacs and
Foxes whom the Chiefs had contriyed
to hold in neutrality during the recent
hostilities-inhuenced mainly by Keo-
kuk--Bot hereditary chief, and only
a principal warrior or brave, the sense
bearer, orator and treasurer Of the con-
federacy. The demand was communi-
Gated to this remarkable man. After
little musing, the painful truth of the
story seemed to fash upon him. With
candor he stated the grounds Of his
fears. A young brave of some TWEEN
ty years of age the son of distin-
guished chief, had long sought to mar
ry handsome young squaw the daugh-
ter OF another celebrated chief; but
the maiden repulsed the lover, apply
ing to him the most opprobrious epi-
thet-squaw-hc never having taken
a scalp, killed grizzly bear, nor by
surprise robbed an enemy of his arms,
horse, or wife. Hence she said her
lover was not brave but a woman.
Her sympathies were moreover with
Black Hawk-her only brother having
run off with that reckless chief. All
these particulars were not yet known
to the wise treasurer for he had only
been surprised at the change of con
duct in the belle savage, who had SO
suddenly married her lover. Keokuk
in good faith, said he would inquire,
for his great care had been to save his
people from destructive war, and en-
tire spoliation with which Black
Hawks conduct had caused them to be
threatened. The next day he called
at headquarters and whispered that his
fears had proved prophetic that the
happy bridegroom had for the good OF
the confederacy confessed himself to
be the guilty party and was at hand
bat begged the General to repeat, in
full council, the demand, etc. This
was accordingly done, and as soon as
Scott's peroration was interpreted in
council, the young Apollo stood up and
said: | am the man! With a violent
stamp and voice Scott called out--the
guard! A sergeant with a dozen
grenadiers, rushed in, seized the often
der, and carried him off.


When the blacksmith began to place
and rivet irons upon him he struggled
furiously.


1t took several of the guard to hold
him down. He said he did not come
forward to be ironed; he did not wisl
to be tried, that he preferred to be shot
at once. He was sent down to the Hi
nois court then in session; put on his
trial, and, notwithstanding the strong
circumstantial evidence, and that il
was proven he had acknowledged the
killing in hand-to-hand fight, a tricky
lawyer, well provided with the means
Of bribing no doubt, by the chiefs Of
the confederacy, obtained from the ju
ry verdict OF not guilty.


The acquitted had yet to pass anoth,
er ordeal--one Of FIRE and water. A
swift horse half way between the court
and the Mississippi "a few hundred
yards off, had been provided for the
occasion; but frontier men always
have their rifles in hand and their hor.
ses ready. The lawyer FASTENED his
client out of court and gained for him
good start. ely, young man, OF
your dear bought Helen will soon be a
widow!n In a minute, followed by
some whizzinG shots he was in the sad.