Black Hawk, with a few friends, took refuge at the Winnebago village of Prairie la Cross. Worn out, depressed and hopeless, he told the chief he was ready to surrender to the whites, and they were welcome to do what they chose with him; he would not make the least objection if they decided to put him to death. The squaws made him a dress of white deerskin, and clothed in this, he walked voluntarily to Prairie du Chien, with the two Winnebagoes who had been sent after him. About midday, August 27, 1833, he and his companion, better known as The Prophet (no relative of course of Tecumseh), walked into Prairie du Chien Fort and gave themselves up as prisoners of war. When Black Hawk surrendered to the commander, he waited for one of his companions to speak, and gave close attention to the reply of the officer. All eyes being turned upon the chieftain, he said: "You have taken me prisoner with all my warriors. I am much grieved, for I expected, if I did not defeat you, to hold out much longer, and give you more trouble before I surrendered. I tried hard to bring you into ambush, but your last general understands Indian fighting. The first one was not so wise. When I saw I could not beat you by Indian fighting, I determined to rush on you, and fight you face to face. I fought hard. But your guns were well aimed. The bullets flew like birds in the air, and whizzed by our ears like the wind through the trees in winter. "Black Hawk is a true Indian, and disdains to cry like a woman. He feels for his wife, his children and friends. He does not care for himself. He cares for his nation and the Indians. They will suffer. He laments their fate. The white men do not scalp the dead; but they do worse--they poison the heart; it is not pure with them. His countrymen will not be scalped, but they will, in a few years, become like the white men, so that you cannot trust them, and there must be, as in the white settlements, nearly as many officers as men, to take care of them and keep them in order. "Farewell, my nation! Black Hawk tried to save you and avenge your wrongs. He drank the blood of some of the whites. He has been taken prisoner, and his plans are stopped. He can do no more. He is near his end. His sun is setting, and he will rise no more. Farewell to Black Hawk!"