Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk — John Shaqi
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 British had taken many prisoners and the Indians were killing them.
I immediately put a stop to it, as I never thought it brave, but base
and cowardly to kill in unarmed and helpless foe. We remained here for
some time. I can not detail what took place, as I was stationed with my
braves in the woods. It appeared, however, that the British could not
take this fort, for we marched to another, some distance off. When we
approached it, I found a small stockade, and concluded that there were
not many men in it. The British war chief sent a flag of truce. Colonel
Dixon carried it, but soon returned, reporting that the young war chief
in command would not give up the fort without fighting. Colonel Dixon
came to me and said, "you will see to-morrow, how easily we will take
that fort." I was of the same opinion, but when the morning came I was
disappointed. The British advanced and commenced the attack, fighting
like true braves, but were defeated by the braves in the fort, and
a great number of our men were killed. The British army was making
preparations to retreat. I was now tired of being with them, our success
being bad, and having got no plunder. I determined on leaving them and
returning to Rock river, to see what had become of my wife and children,
as I had not heard from them since I left home. That night I took about
twenty of my braves, and left the British camp for home. On our journey
we met no one until we came to the Illinois river. Here we found two
lodges of Pottawattomies. They received us in a very friendly manner,
and gave us something to eat. I inquired about their friends who were
with the British. They said there had been some fighting on the Illinois
river, and that my friend, the Peoria trader, had been taken prisoner.
"By Gomo and his party?" I immediately inquired. They replied, "no, but
by the Americans, who came up with boats. They took him and the French
settlers prisoners, and they burned the village of Peoria." They could
give us no information regarding our friends on Rock river. In three
days more we were in the vicinity of our village, and were soon after
surprised to find that a party of Americans had followed us from the
British camp. One of them, more daring than his comrades, had made his
way through the thicket on foot, and was just in the act of shooting me
when I discovered him. I then ordered him to surrender, marched him
into camp, and turned him over to a number of our young men with this
injunction: "Treat him as a brother, as I have concluded to adopt him in
our tribe."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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