Part 8 (2/2)

I knew much by report of the old chief, and something from personal acquaintance; but my knowledge was not so accurate as to be serviceable to a faithful biographer. I have, therefore, taken sometime to make the necessary enquiries, and satisfy myself of their accuracy.

”After Black Hawk's last return from the eastern states, he pa.s.sed the winter of 1837-8 in the county of Lee, in the south-eastern portion of this territory, on a small stream called Devil-creek. The white settlements extended for forty miles west of him, and the tribe to which he belonged, with the exception of a few old braves, and his family, resided on the frontier. From his tribe he was isolated in position and feeling. His family consisted of a wife, two sons, Nasheaskuk and Samesett, (as they are p.r.o.nounced here,) a daughter and her husband.

They pa.s.sed their time princ.i.p.ally in hunting deer, wild turkies, and the prairie hen, which are abundant in that quarter of the territory.

For hunting, Black Hawk is said to have displayed no fondness; but chose to spend his time in improving his place of residence, and exercising his ingenuity with mechanic tools. In the spring of 1838, they removed to the frontier, and settled upon the Des Moines river, about eighty or ninety miles from its mouth, near to a trading post, and in the immediate vicinity of the villages of the other chiefs of the tribe.

Here he had a very comfortable bark cabin, which he furnished in imitation of the whites, with chairs, a table, a mirror, and mattra.s.ses.

His dress was that of the other chiefs, with the exception of a broad-brimmed black hat, which he usually wore. In the summer he cultivated a few acres of land in corn, melons, and various kinds of vegetables. He was frequently visited by the whites, and I have often heard his hospitality highly commended.

”On the 4th of July last, he was present at Fort Madison, in Lee county, by special invitation, and was the most conspicuous guest of the citizens a.s.sembled in commemoration of that day. Among the toasts called forth by the occasion was the following:

”'_Our ill.u.s.trious guest, Black Hawk_.--May his declining years be as calm and serene as his previous life has been boisterous and full of warlike incidents. His attachment and present friends.h.i.+p to his white brethren, fully ent.i.tle him to a seat at our festive board.'

”So soon as this sentiment was drank, Black Hawk arose and delivered the following speech, which was taken down at the time by two interpreters, and by them furnished for publication.

”'It has pleased the Great Spirit that I am here to-day--I have eaten with my white friends. The earth is our mother--we are now on it--with the Great Spirit above us--It is good. I hope we are all friends here. A few winters ago I was fighting against you--I did wrong, perhaps; but that is past--it is buried--let it be forgotten.

”'Rock river was a beautiful country--I liked my towns, my cornfields, and the home of my people. I fought for it. It is now yours--keep it as we did--it will produce you good crops.

”'I thank the Great Spirit that I am now friendly with my white brethren--we are here together--we have eaten together--we are friends--it is his wish and mine. I thank you for your friends.h.i.+p.

”'I was once a great warrior--I am now poor. Keokuk has been the cause of my present situation--but do not attach blame to him. I am now old. I have looked upon the Mississippi since I have been a child. I love the Great River. I have dwelt upon its banks from the time I was an infant.

I look upon it now. I shake hands with you, and as it is my wish, I hope you are my friends.'

”In the course of the day he was prevailed upon to drink several times, and became somewhat intoxicated, an uncommon circ.u.mstance, as he was generally temperate.

”In the autumn of 1838, he was at the house of an Indian trader, in the vicinity of Burlington, when I became acquainted and frequently conversed with him, in broken English, and through the medium of gestures and pantomime. A deep seated melancholy was apparent in his countenance and conversation. He endeavored to make me comprehend, on one occasion, his former greatness; and represented that he was once master of the country, east, north, and south of us--that he had been a very successful warrior,--called himself, smiting his breast, 'big Captain Black Hawk,' 'nesso Kaskaskias,' (killed the Kaskaskias,) 'nesso Sioux a heap,' (killed a great number of Sioux.) He then adverted to the ingrat.i.tude of his tribe, in permitting Keokuk to supersede him, who, he averred, excelled him in nothing but drinking whiskey.

”Toward Keokuk he felt the most unrelenting hatred. Keokuk was, however, beyond his influence, being recognized as chief of the tribe, by the government of the United States. He unquestionably possesses talents of the first order, excels as an orator, but his authority will probably be short-lived on account of his dissipation, and his profligacy in spending the money paid him for the benefit of his tribe; and which he squanders upon himself and a few favorites, through whose influence he seeks to maintain his authority.

”You enquire if Black Hawk was at the battle of the Thames? On one occasion I mentioned Tec.u.mthe to him, and he expressed the greatest joy that I had heard of him: and pointing away to the east, and making a feint, as if aiming a gun, said, 'Chemokaman (white man) nesso,' (kill.) From which I had no doubt of his being personally acquainted with Tec.u.mthe; and I have been since informed, on good authority, that he was in the battle of the Thames and in several other engagements with that distinguished chief.

”Soon after this interview with Black Hawk, he set out for the frontier, where a payment was soon to be made to the tribe, of a portion of their annuity.

”The weather was both hot and wet, and it is supposed, that, on this journey, he imbibed the seeds of the disease which soon after terminated his existence. This journey was in September. Early in October, the commissioner for adjusting claims with the Sac and Fox tribes, was to meet them at Rock Island, and most of the Indians were there on the first of that month. Black Hawk was taken sick and was unable to accompany them. A violent bilious fever had seized upon him, and on the 3d of October, after an illness of seven days, he died. His only medical attendant was one of the tribe, who knew something of vegetable antidotes, and was called doctor. His wife, who was devotedly attached to him, mourned deeply during his illness. She seemed to have had a presentiment of his approaching death, and said, some days before it occurred, 'he is getting old--he must die--Monotah calls him home.'

”After his death, he was dressed in the uniform presented to him at Was.h.i.+ngton, by the President or Secretary at War, and placed upon a rude bier, consisting of two poles with bark laid across, on which he was carried by four of his braves to the place of interment, followed by his family and about fifty of the tribe, (the chiefs being all absent.) They seemed deeply affected, and mourned in their usual way, shaking hands, and muttering in guttural tones, prayers to Monotah (their deity) for his safe pa.s.sage to the land prepared for the reception of all Indians.

The grave was six feet deep and of the usual length, situated upon a little eminence about fifty yards from his wigwam. The body was placed in the middle of the grave, in a sitting posture, upon a seat, constructed for the purpose. On his left side the cane given him, as I am informed, by Mr. Henry Clay, was placed upright, with his right hand resting upon it. Many of the old warrior's trophies were placed in the grave, and some Indian garments, together with his favorite weapons. The grave was then covered with plank, and a mound of earth, several feet in height, was thrown up over it, and the whole enclosed with pickets twelve feet in height. At the head of the grave a flag staff was placed, bearing our national banner; and at the foot there stands a post, on which is inscribed, in Indian characters, his age.

”I do not know the exact age of Black Hawk, but understood from him, that he was seventy-two. His virtues commanded the respect of all the whites who knew him. He possessed much magnanimity of soul, and under all the mortifications to which he has been subjected, and the insults that have been heaped upon him by his tribe, and especially by the haughty Keokuk, he maintained, until the last years of his life, a uniform cheerfulness and resignation of mind, which bespoke a conscious superiority.”

With this sketch of the last days of Black Hawk, our narrative of his life is closed. After an eventful and restless career of ”three score and ten years,” this celebrated Sac has been ”gathered to his fathers.”

His name cannot be forgotten, for his deeds are a part of the history of this country. If not distinguished for a high order of talent, or renowned for great warlike achievements, he has not often been surpa.s.sed in the history of his race, for those less dazzling virtues, humanity, courage, and love of country. ”He was an Indian who had a sense of honor, as well as policy; a man in whom those who know him confided.”[15] In the last speech which he made in the last year of his life, in alluding to his difficulties with the whites, he says, ”Rock river was a beautiful country--I liked my towns, my cornfields, and the home of my people;--I fought for it,”--a declaration as creditable to the heart of the speaker, as it is important to a just estimate of his conduct, in resisting the removal of his tribe from their native land.

The love of country is not confined to civilized life, but swells the heart and nerves the arm of the untutored man of the woods. ”I LIKED MY TOWNS, MY CORNFIELDS, AND THE HOME OF MY PEOPLE;--I FOUGHT FOR IT,” should be inscribed over the humble grave of Black Hawk.

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