Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black HawkBlack Hawk, Sauk chief
History
Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk
Black Hawk, Sauk chief
Black Hawk War, 1832; Black Hawk, Sauk chief, 1767-1838; Sauk Indians -- Biography
The Osages, in consequence of their great loss in this battle, became
satisfied to remain on their own lands. This stopped for a while their
depredations on our nation. Our attention was now directed towards an
ancient enemy who had decoyed and murdered some of our helpless women
and children. I started with my father, who took command of a small
party, and proceeded against the enemy to chastise them for the wrongs
they had heaped upon us. We met near the Merimac and an action ensued;
the Cherokees having a great advantage in point of numbers. Early in
this engagement my father was wounded in the thigh, but succeeded in
killing his enemy before he fell. Seeing that he had fallen, I assumed
command, and fought desperately until the enemy commenced retreating
before the well directed blows of our braves. I returned to my father
to administer to his necessities, but nothing could be done for him. The
medicine man said the wound was mortal, from which he soon after died.
In this battle I killed three men and wounded several. The enemy's loss
was twenty-eight and ours seven.
I now fell heir to the great medicine bag of my forefathers, which had
belonged to my father. I took it, buried our dead, and returned with my
party, sad and sorrowful, to our village, in consequence of the loss of
my father.
Owing to this misfortune I blacked my face, fasted and prayed to the
Great Spirit for five years, during which time I remained in a civil
capacity, hunting and fishing.
The Osages having again commenced aggressions on our people, and the
Great Spirit having taken pity on me, I took a small party and went
against them. I could only find six of them, and their forces being
so weak, I thought it would be cowardly to kill them, but took them
prisoners and carried them to our Spanish father at St. Louis, gave them
up to him and then returned to our village.
Determined on the final and complete extermination of the dastardly
Osages, in punishment for the injuries our people had received from
them, I commenced recruiting a strong force, immediately on my return,
and stated in the third moon, with five hundred Sacs and Foxes, and one
hundred Iowas, and marched against the enemy. We continued our march for
many days before we came upon their trail, which was discovered late in
the day. We encamped for the night, made an early start next morning,
and before sundown we fell upon forty lodges, killed all the inhabitants
except two squaws, whom I took as prisoners. Doing this engagement I
killed seven men and two boys with my own hands. In this battle many of
the bravest warriors among the Osages were killed, which caused those
who yet remained of their nation to keep within the boundaries of their
own land and cease their aggressions upon our hunting grounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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