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
We now put out the fire on the captured boat to save the cargo, when
a skiff was seen coming down the river. Some of our people cried out,
"Here comes an express from Prairie du Chien." We hoisted the British
flag, but they would not land. They turned their little boat around, and
rowed up the river. We directed a few shots at them, but they were so
far off that we could not hurt them. I found several barrels of whisky
on the captured boat, knocked in the heads and emptied the bad medicine
late the river. I next found a box full of small bottles and packages,
which appeared to be bad medicine also, such as the medicine men kill
the white people with when they are sick. This I threw into the river.
Continuing my search for plunder, I found several guns, some large
barrels filled with clothing, and a number of cloth lodges, all of
which I distributed among my warriors. We now disposed of the dead, and
returned to the Fox village opposite the lower end of Rock Island, where
we put up our new lodges, and hoisted the British flag. A great many of
our braves were dressed in the uniform clothing which we had taken from
the Americans, which gave our encampment the appearance of a regular
camp of soldiers. We placed out sentinels and commenced dancing over the
scalps we had taken. Soon after several boats passed down, among them
a very large one carrying big guns. Our young men followed them some
distance, but could do them no damage more than scare them. We were now
certain that the fort at Prairie du Chien had been taken, as this large
boat went up with the first party who built the fort.
In the course of the day some of the British came down in a small boat.
They had followed the large one, thinking it would get fast in the
rapids, in which case they were sure of taking her. They had summoned
her on her way down to surrender, but she refused to do so, and now,
that she had passed the rapids in safety, all hope of taking her had
vanished. The British landed a big gun and gave us three soldiers to
manage it. They complimented us for our bravery in taking the boat, and
told us what they had done at Prairie do Chien. They gave us, a keg of
rum, and joined with us in our dancing and feasting. We gave them some
things which we had taken from the boat, particularly books and papers.
They started the next morning, promising to return in a few days with a
large body of soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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