549 
 R6M4 
 

 ^^\^A 
 
EARLY ROCK ISLAND 
 
MA-KA-TAI-MK vSHKKIA KIAK. 
 
 BI^ACK HAWK. 
 
EARLY ROCK ISLAND 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM A. MEESE 
 
 PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE 
 ROCK ISLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
 
 MOIJNE, ILLINOIS 
 
 PRESS OF DESAULNIERS & CO. 
 
 1905 
 

 , „ I ■ — — ^ 
 
 JUBRARY of OONdKESS 
 ' Two OopiN H«Cti!«tV 
 
 ! JAN 27 IdOb 
 
 ! 
 
 I COPY e. 
 
 Kiittrtil Acciiniiiiif to Hit- Act of Congress in tlic Year 1905 
 
 By WII^LIAM A. MEKSH 
 In thf Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washinj^ton 
 
IS^ 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 TN this sketch, Karly Rock Island, I have aimed to 
 -*- collect all data and facts relating to this county up to and 
 including the year 1832. I give an account of the Sacs 
 and Foxes, because they were the only redmen of whom we 
 have knowledge who maintained in this county anything 
 like a permanent habitation, and because it was with these 
 people that our government went to war, the cause of that 
 war being possession of the soil of what is now Rock Island 
 County. I have tried to collect all data regarding the early 
 settlements and the part the early settlers took in the Black 
 Hawk war, also the early history of Fort Armstrong. I do 
 not feel warranted in saying that I have collected all that 
 is of interest or that bears on this county during the period 
 I have tried to cover. In this sketch I merely put in 
 print and preserve for those who desire it such data as I 
 have been able to collect, hoping that as each new item is 
 found it will be added to Early Rock Island. 
 
 In making my research I have consulted, among others, 
 Black Hawk's autobiography, John W. Spencer's Remi- 
 niscences, Benjamin Goble, Elliott's Black Hawk War 
 Records, Stevens' Black Hawk War, Thwaite's Essays in 
 Western History, Rock Island County Past and Present, The 
 Wisconsin Historical Series, Flagler's Rock Island Arsenal, 
 and the following Histories of Illinois: Breese, Mason, 
 Davidson and Stuve, Ford and Reynolds, besides making 
 some original research in the records of the war department. 
 
 WH^LIAM A. MEESE. 
 
 December 1, 1905. 
 
Part I 
 
 The First Inhabitants, Sacs and Foxes, Indian Treat- 
 ies, Sac and Fox Customs, Their Homes, the Rock 
 River Village, Its Name, Indian Population, First 
 Explorers, Campbell's Battle, First White Settlers, 
 Land Settlements, Establishment of the County. 
 
Early Rock Island 
 
 Part I 
 
 THE FIRST INHABITANTS. 
 
 THE first people of whom we have knowledge, who 
 inhabited the country now known as Rock Island 
 county, were the rednien. What tribes first occupied this 
 ground is not known, but in the first part of the seventeenth 
 century it was the hunting grounds of the once powerful 
 tribes known as the Illiiii, or Illinois, who were a confedera- 
 tion of several tribes, chief among whom were the Tamoroas, 
 Michigamies, Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Peorias, and with whom 
 were also classed the Mascountins, sometimes called the Sixth 
 tribe. These tribes all were of the great Algonquin nation. 
 Marquette in his journal speaks of meeting the Illini in 1673, 
 when he stopped at the Des Moines River, and afterwards 
 when, on his return, he came by waj^ of the Illinois River 
 from its mouth to Lake Michigan. The scene of the 
 Illinois' main residence was, however, in the central and 
 southern parts of the State. 
 
 THE SACS AND FOXES. 
 
 About 1680 northwestern Illinois became the home and 
 the hunting ground of the Sacs and Foxes. The word " Ou- 
 Sakis" or "Sau-Kee," now written Sac, is derived from the 
 compound word "A-Sau-we-Kee" of the Chippewa language, 
 signifying yellow earth, and " Mus-qua-Kee," the original 
 name of the Foxes, means red earth. These tribes originally 
 lived on the St. Lawrence River near Quebec and Montreal. 
 The Foxes were the first to migrate west. They settled along 
 the river that bears their name and which empties into 
 Green Bay. 
 
The Sacs after a long and bloody war with the Iroquois 
 were driven from the St. Lawrence River westward. They 
 were next engaged in war with the Wyandottes, and again 
 were they compelled to hurry towards the setting sun, until 
 at length they reached Green Bay on Lake Michigan, near 
 where the Foxes had made their habitation. Here it seems 
 both tribes were frequently attacked by other tribes, until 
 at last they united, forming an offensive and defensive union, 
 each retaining its tribal name. Through intermarriage and 
 long residence they became substantially one people, an 
 alliance lasting to this day. Both the Sacs and Foxes belong 
 to the Algonquin family. 
 
 At what time these two tribes came to Green Bay is not 
 known. Marquette's map of 1673 locates the Foxes on the 
 Fox River between the present Green Bay and Lake Winne- 
 bago. Father Claude Allouez, when he established the mis- 
 sion of St. Francis Xavier in 1669, found them located near, 
 and in 1672 he commenced preaching the gospel to them. 
 Early in the eighteenth century they were driven from 
 Green Bay and the Fox River by the Menominees, who were 
 aided by the Ottawas, Chippewas and the French. 
 
 The Sacs and Foxes made depredations on the French trad- 
 ers and exacted tribute from them, whereon the French 
 commandant of the post at Green Bay took a party of his 
 men in covered boats, and while distracting the attention of 
 the Indians, opened fire on them at the same time that his 
 Menominee allies attacked the Fox River, Sac and Fox 
 village from the rear. Those who survived the slaughter 
 removed to the Mississippi River. On arriving there they 
 found that country inhabited by the Sauteaux, a branch of 
 the Chippewa tribe. Upon these they commenced war, 
 finally driving them out of the country, which they then took 
 possession of and occupied. This was about 1722. 
 
 These tribes next waged war upon the Mascoutins and 
 in a battle opposite the mouth of the Iowa River defeated 
 and almost exterminated this tribe. They then formed 
 an alliance with the Pottawattomies, Menominees and Winne- 
 bagoes, and together attacked the Illinois and gradually 
 drove these people further southward. In 1779, on the 26th 
 
 10 
 
of May, these allied tribes made an attack upon the Spanish 
 post and village, now St. Louis, killing a large number of 
 the citizens "and almost capturing this post. 
 
 The Sacs and Foxes have warred with the vSioux, the 
 Pawnees, Osages and other Indians, and their record shows 
 that they ranked among the fiercest and most warlike tribes. 
 Drake said of them : ' ' The Sacs and Foxes are a truly 
 courageous people, shrewd, politic and enterprising, with 
 not more of ferocity and treachery of character than is com- 
 mon among the tribes by whom they were surrounded." 
 
 TREATIES WITH THE SACS AND FOXES. 
 
 The first recognition by our government of the Sacs and 
 Foxes was in the treaty made at Ft. Harmar, January 9, 
 1789, which guaranteed: "The individuals of said nations 
 shall be at liberty to hunt within the territory ceded to the 
 United States, without hindrance or molestation, so long as 
 they demean themselves peaceably and offer no injury or 
 annoyance to any of the subjects or citizens of the said 
 United States." 
 
 In 1804 William Henry Harrison, governor of Indiana 
 territory, and afterwards President of the United States, was 
 instructed by President Jefferson to institute negotiations 
 with the Sacs and Foxes to purchase their lands. At this 
 time, Black Hawk had risen to the position of war chief of the 
 Sac tribe. Four chiefs or headmen of the Sacs and two chiefs 
 of the Foxes went to St. Louis, and November 3, 1804, made 
 a treaty with Governor Harrison. By this treaty the Indians 
 ceded all their lands, comprising the eastern third of the 
 present state of Missouri and the territory lying between the 
 Wisconsin River on the north, the Fox River of Illinois on 
 the east, the Illinois on the southeast, and the Mississippi 
 on the west, in all fifty million acres. For this grant the 
 United States guaranteed to the Indians "friendship and 
 protection," paid them $2,234.50 in goods, and guaranteed 
 them goods each year thereafter to the amount of $1,000, 
 $600 of which was to be paid to the Sacs and $400 to the 
 Foxes. By this treaty it was provided in Art. 7: 
 
 n 
 
' ' As long as the lands which are now ceded to the United 
 States remain their property, the Indians belonging to the 
 said tribes shall enjoy the privilege of living and hunting 
 upon them." This article in the treaty caused much trouble 
 between the government and the Sacs and Foxes, and was 
 the main cause of the Black Hawk war. Black Hawk 
 was not present at its making, and always denied the right 
 of the headmen of the Sac tribe to sign such a treaty for his 
 people. 
 
 In the spring of 1804 a white person (a man or boy) was 
 killed in Cuivre settlement by a Sauk (Sac) Indian. A party 
 of United States troops was sent from St. Louis to the Rock 
 River village to demand the murderer. The Sacs surrendered 
 and delivered him to the soldiers and he was conveyed to St. 
 lyouis and turned over to the civil authorities. During the 
 latter part of October, 1804, Quash-quame, one of the Sac 
 chiefs, together with others of his tribe and some of the 
 Foxes, went to St. Louis to try and secure the release of 
 the Sac murderer who was a relative of Quash-quame. It is 
 an Indian custom and usage that if one Indians kills another, 
 the matter is generally compromised with the murdered man's 
 relatives for a property consideration, as Black Hawk said : 
 "The only means with us for saving a person who killed 
 another was by paying for the person killed, thus covering 
 the blood and satisfying the relatives of the murdered man," 
 and the Sacs believed that by the giving of ponies and pelt- 
 ries to the whites they could secure the Indian's release. 
 
 Thomas Forsyth, for many 3^ears an Indian trader and 
 from 1816 until 1830 the agent of the Sacs and Foxes, in a 
 manuscript written in 1832 says of this matter: "Quash- 
 quame, a Sauk chief, who was the head man of this party, 
 has repeatedly said, 'Mr. Pierre Choteau, Sen., came several 
 times to my camp, offering that if I would .sell the lands on 
 the east side of the Mississippi River, Governor Harrison 
 would liberate my relation (meaning the Sauk Indian then in 
 prison as above related), to which I at last agreed, and sold 
 the lands from the mouth of the Illinois River up the Missis- 
 sippi River as high as the mouth of Rocky River (now Rock 
 River), and east to the ridge that divides the waters of the 
 Missi.s-sippi and Illinois Rivers, and I never sold any more 
 
 12 
 
lands.' Quash-ciuaine also said to Gov^ernor Edwards, 
 Governor Clark and Mr. Auguste Chouteau, commissioners 
 appointed to treat with the Chippewas, Ottawas and Potto- 
 wattamies of Illinois River, in the summer of lcS16, for lands 
 on the west side of Illinois River : ' You white men may put 
 on paper what you please, but again I tell you, I never sold 
 my lands higher up the Mississippi than the mouth of Rock 
 River.' " 
 
 It is claimed that the Indians were drunk most of the time 
 they were in St. Louis, a thing not unlikely. Forsyth said 
 the Indians always believed the annuities they received were 
 presents, and when he in 1818 informed them it was part of 
 the purchase price of their lands, " the}' were astonished, and 
 refused to accept of the goods, denying that they ever sold 
 the lands as stated by me, their agent. The Black Hawk in 
 particular, who was present at the time, made a great noise 
 about this land, and would never receive any part of the 
 annuities from that time forward." 
 
 When it became known that certain chiefs and headmen 
 had without authority sold their lands, Quash-quame and his 
 companions were degraded from their ranks, Tiama, the 
 son-in-law of Quash-quame, being elected to his father-in- 
 law's place. 
 
 In 1815 a part of the Sacs and Foxes had migrated to the 
 Missouri River, and September 13, 1815, these Indians sent 
 representatives to the Portage des Sioux, where each tribe 
 made a separate treaty with the government, agreeing to 
 ratify the treaty of November 3, 1804, and to remain separate 
 from, and render no assistance to, the Sacs and Foxes then 
 living on Rock River. 
 
 On the 13th day of May, 1816, another treaty was entered 
 into at St. Louis. This treaty was between the "Sacs of 
 Rock River" and the government. It reaffirmed the treaty 
 of 1804 and all other contracts heretofore made between the 
 parties. To this treaty is attached the mark of Ma-Ka-tai- 
 me-She-Kia-Kiak, or "Black Sparrow Hawk," as Black 
 Hawk was also called. Yet Black Hawk said in 1832 : 
 "Here, for the first time, I touched the goose quill to the 
 treaty not knowing, however, that by the act I consented to 
 
 13 
 
give away my village. Had they explained to me I should 
 have opposed it and never would have signed their treaty as 
 my recent conduct will clearly prove." 
 
 In the treaty of 1804 the government had agreed, in order 
 to put a stop to the abuses and impositions practiced 
 upon the Indians by private traders, to establish a trading 
 house or factory where these Indians could be supplied with 
 goods cheaper and better than from private traders. This 
 the government concluded it was best not to continue, and 
 a new treaty was made by which the United States paid the 
 Indians $1,000 to be relieved from this obligation. Black 
 Hawk signed this treaty. Another treaty was made August 
 4, 1824, which reaffirmed and recognized all former treaties. 
 Each treaty left the Sacs and Foxes with less land and fewer 
 rights. 
 
 For years there had existed a bitter feeling between the 
 Sioux and the Sacs and Foxes, and August 19, 1825, William 
 Clark and Lewis Cass on behalf of the government assembled 
 these tribes, together with the Chippewas, Menominees, Win- 
 nebagoes, lowas, Ottawas and Pottawattomies, at Prairie du 
 Chien, and entered into a treaty whose object was to end the 
 wars between these nations. In this treaty it was agreed 
 that the United States should run a boundary line between 
 the Sioux and the Sacs and Foxes. It seems that this treaty 
 proved unsatisfactory to the Indians, for July 30, 1830, 
 another treaty was entered into at Prairie du Chien in which 
 the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States a tract of land 
 twenty miles in width lying south of the line established by 
 the treaty of August 19, 1825. The Sioux also ceded a strip 
 twenty miles wide along the north line of said boundary. 
 This forty mile strip was neutral territory, open to all for 
 hunting and fishing, and was along the Iowa River. 
 
 14 
 
SAC AND FOX CUSTOMS. 
 
 The Sacs qnd Foxes had many peculiar customs, one being 
 that each male child was marked at birth with either white or 
 black color, the Indian mother alternating the colors so that 
 the nation was evenly divided between black and white. 
 This distinction was kept alive during life, the object being 
 to create rivalry and a spirit of emulation between the mem- 
 bers of the tribe. Thus black was the competitor of white in 
 their games and social customs, and each side tried to outdo 
 the other, and in war to take more scalps. 
 
 Marriage among the Sacs and Foxes required only the con- 
 sent of the parties and their parents. The husband could at 
 any time divorce his wife or add another if he deemed best, 
 and although the marriage ties were not strong, the ties of 
 consanguinity were rigidly preserved. Hereditary rights 
 were traced through the female line. This was accomplished 
 by means of the Totem, an institution or emblem which 
 serv^ed as a distinction for the different clans or families. 
 The family surname was represented by some bird or animal, 
 such as Eagle, Hawk, Heron, Deer, Bear, etc. Each Indian 
 was proud of his Totem — in fact it represented a fraternity or 
 secret society. As the different members of a clan were 
 connected by ties of kindred, they were prohibited from 
 intermarriage. A Bear might not marry a Bear, but could 
 marry an Eagle, Hawk, or member of any other clan. This 
 Totem system furnished the means of tracing family lineage 
 through all their years of wandering and preserved their 
 hereditary rights. 
 
 The Sacs and Foxes had from the early part of the eight- 
 eenth century occupied the banks of the Mississippi between 
 the mouth of the Missouri and the Wisconsin, the Sacs 
 occupying the eastern side of the river, and the Foxes its 
 western banks. 
 
 15 
 
THE HOMES OF THE SACS. 
 
 The Sac's house or wigwam was made by setting posts in 
 the ground and siding it with bark. On top of the posts 
 small poles were laid for rafters upon which strips of bark 
 were laid. These wigwams were about eighteen feet wide 
 and from twenty to sixty feet long. West of the Rock River 
 village the Indians cultivated nearly two thousand acres, 
 raising corn, beans, squashes and melons. The Sacs and 
 Foxes planted their corn in the same hill year after year. 
 They would dig up the hill each year and plant the corn in 
 the middle, cultivating it with a primitve hoe and hoeing 
 it three or four times during a season. These corn hills 
 were quite large, many of them being still visible a few 
 years ago. The farming was done principally by the women 
 assisted by the old men and children. From the year 1780 
 to about 1820, the traders at Prairie du Chien came to the 
 Sac village for all the corn they used. After the crops were 
 harvested, the Sacs would prepare to leave for their winter 
 hunt. Before going they would dig a round hole in the 
 ground about eighteen inches in diameter. Carefully remov- 
 ing the sod and digging five or six feet they would enlarge it 
 so that it would hold many bushels. These holes they would 
 line with bark and dry grass and then fill up with their 
 grains and vegetables. When full they would replace the sod 
 and remove all traces of earth, often building a fire over it so 
 that no enemy could find the place and steal the supply they 
 had laid up for the next spring and summer. When this was 
 done the Sacs and Foxes would go off into Iowa and Missouri 
 where they would hunt. In the winter their houses were 
 made by sticking poles in the ground and bending them over 
 so as to form a half circle about twelve feet in diameter. 
 These were covered with rugs woven of grass and with hides. 
 
 16 
 
THE ROCK RIVKR VILIvAGE. 
 
 The chief" Sac village was located on the north bank of 
 Rock River about three miles from its mouth, and was built 
 about 1730. It was one of the largest Indian towns on the 
 continent and had a population often as high as three 
 thousand. It was the summer home of the Sacs. Here was 
 located the tribal burying ground, a spot more revered by an 
 Indian than anything else on earth. Here reposed the bones 
 of a century of the Sac warriors, their wives and children, 
 and here each Sac came once each year to commune with his 
 friends and family who had departed to the ' ' happy hunt- 
 ing grounds." On these occasions all vegetation was 
 removed from the mound and the mourner addressed words 
 of endearment to the dead, inquiring how they fared in the 
 land of spirits, and placed food upon the graves. The Sacs 
 were particular in their demonstrations of grief. They 
 darkened their faces with charcoal, fasted and abstained from 
 the use of vermilion and ornaments of dress. 
 
 Black Hawk said, "With us it is a custom to visit the 
 graves of our friends and keep them in repair for many years. 
 The mother will go alone to weep over the grave of her child. 
 After he has been successful in war, the brave, with pleasure, 
 visits the grave of his father, and repaints the post that marks 
 where he lies. There is no place like that where the bones of 
 our forefathers lie to go to when in grief. Here, prostrate 
 by the tombs of our forefathers, will the Great Spirit take 
 pity on us." 
 
 17 
 
NAME OF THE VILLAGE. 
 
 The old Indian town is by some called "Saukenuk." 
 How this name originated is not known. The first to use it 
 was Armstrong in his " Sauks and the Black Hawk War," 
 published in 1887. Catlin refers to it in 1837 as " Saug-e- 
 nug," yet none of our pioneer settlers mention it except as 
 the "Sac Village," or "Black Hawk's Village." Judge 
 Spencer in his " Reminiscenses," in speaking of the year 
 1829, says: "We were here but a few days when two Indians 
 came, the first we had seen. One of them commenced talk- 
 ing in a loud voice in the Indian language of which we could 
 not understand a word. By pointing to the wigwam, 
 saying, ' Saukie wigeop,' then pointing to the ground say- 
 ing, ' Saukie-Aukie,' and repeating this many times we 
 understood he claimed the land and the wigwam belonged to 
 the Indians." Caleb At water, who was the commissioner 
 employed by the United States to negotiate with the Indians 
 of the upper Mississippi for the purchase of their mineral 
 lands in 1829, was unable to learn the name of the Sac town, 
 whether because it had none or because the Indians did not 
 care to name it, is not known. 
 
 In his Journal (1805), Lieutenant Pike says: "I was 
 informed by a Mr. James Aird," an English trader who came 
 to this country about 1778, that this Sac village "was burnt 
 in the year 1781-2 by about 300 Americans, although the 
 Indians had assembled 700 warriors to give them battle." 
 Black Hawk makes no mention of such event which, had it 
 happened, he would have known. Yet, as Indian character 
 always prompted them to proclaim their victories and to 
 remain silent as to their defeats, such an event may have 
 happened. The village probably ^vas destroyed by Don 
 Eugenic Pourre on his return march from St. Joseph, 
 Michigan, to St. Louis. Pourre in the winter of 1781 left St. 
 Louis with a small army consisting of sixty-five Spanish and 
 French militiamen and about sixty Sioux and other Indians, 
 and marched across Illinois to capture the small British post 
 at St. Joseph. This was taken in January, 1781. The Span- 
 ish troops remained at St. Joseph but a few days and then 
 returned to St. Louis. It is not known by what route 
 
 18 
 
either inarch was made, yet if the hnniiti}^ did happen, it 
 undoubtedly was this Spanish expedition that made the 
 attack in retaliation for the attack of the Sacs and Foxes on 
 the Spanish post of St. Louis in 1779, and, as the sacking and 
 burning was in the winter, no large number of Indians would 
 have been at the Rock River village, the tribe at this time 
 being absent on its winter hunt. 
 
 POPULATION OF THE SACS 
 AND FOXES. 
 
 In 1805 Lieutenant Zebulon Pike on behalf of the United 
 States government made an expedition from St. Louis to the 
 sources of the Mississippi River. He says that the Sacs had 
 three villages, one at the head of the Des Moines rapids, the 
 second on a prairie about two miles from the Mississippi at 
 Oquawka, and the third on Rock River about three miles 
 from its mouth. The Foxes or Reynards also had three 
 villages, one on the Illinois side above the Rock Island 
 rapids, one at Dubuque, and one near Prairie du Chien. 
 Pike estimated that the Sacs numbered 2,850 souls, of whom 
 1,400 were children, 750 women and 700 warriors. The 
 Foxes numbered 1,750, of whom 400 were warriors, 850 
 children, 500 women. In 1825 the Secretary of War esti- 
 mated the entire number of Sacs and Foxes at 4,600, an 
 increase of over one thousand in twenty years. In 1831, at 
 the commencement of Indian hostilities preceding the Black 
 Hawk war, there were twenty families of whom twelve were 
 Sacs and eight were Foxes, and their total number is esti- 
 mated to have been five thousand souls, this number 
 including those living in Iowa and Missouri. 
 
 19 
 
BLACK HAWK AND KEOKUK. 
 
 At the commencement of the nineteenth century and up to 
 the Black Hawk war, the principal and central figure of the 
 redmen in the Upper Mississippi valley was the Sac chief, 
 Black Hawk, who was born at the Indian village on 
 Rock River in 1767. Black Hawk was of middling size and 
 as Catlin says, "with a head that would excite the envy of 
 a phrenologist, one of the finest that heaven ever let fall on 
 the shoulders of an Indian." Another Sac chief who had 
 risen from the ranks was Keokuk. His advancement was 
 due to his raising a war party to defend his nation from an 
 expected attack of the Americans during the War of 1812, 
 but which attack never occurred. Although polygamy was 
 practiced among the Sacs and Foxes, Black Hawk had but 
 one wife while Keokuk had seven. Keokuk was also born at 
 the Sac village on Rock River in 1783, and died in April, 
 1848, at the Sac and Fox Agency in Kansas. 
 
 Early in the nineteenth century there seems to have arisen 
 a difference between the Sacs and Foxes. Uieutenant Pike, 
 writing in 1805, says : 
 
 But recently there appears to be a schism between the 
 two nations, the latter (Foxes) not approving of the inso- 
 lence and ill will which has marked the conduct of the 
 former (Sacs) towards the United States on many late occur- 
 rences." This disagreement continued to grow, and while 
 some of the Foxes held with the Sacs, most of the Foxes 
 were inclined to be well disposed to the Americans, as were 
 some of the Sacs, and these friendly Indians arrayed them- 
 selves under Keokuk's standard while the war party held to 
 Black Hawk. Black Hawk and Keokuk were thus rival 
 chiefs. Keokuk had never done anything that entitled him 
 to leadership. The Indian standard of character and honor 
 made it the duty of an Indian to be foremost in the ranks of 
 the war party. Keokuk had few victories to his credit, but 
 he was diplomatic. In 1828 he moved with his following 
 across the Mississippi and built a village on the Iowa. 
 
 Black Hawk, like Keokuk, was not an hereditary chief, 
 but had risen to the position of chief of the war party 
 through the native vigor of his character and his great suc- 
 
 20 
 
cess in war. Black Hawk had never suffered defeat. His 
 band, which was much the larger, comprised the chivalry of 
 the Sac and Fox nations. At the beginning of the War 
 of 1812 he offered the services of his nation to the Americans, 
 which from motives of humanity they declined. Yet the 
 British were not loth to accept them, for directly after this 
 we find that L,a Guthre, an agent of Great Britain, was at 
 the Rock River village to enlist the Sacs and Foxes on the 
 British side and against the Americans, and we find them 
 fighting us in the War of 1812. From this fact and from 
 this time. Black Hawk's band was known as the "British 
 Band." A study of Black Hawk's life discloses that he pos- 
 sessed those qualities which in a white man would raise him 
 to power and position. Black Hawk was the great Indiayi 
 commoner. Keokuk was noted as an Indian orator, Black 
 Hawk as an Indian warrior. 
 
 THE CAUSE OF INDIAN WARS. 
 
 Every so called Indian war in this country originated in a 
 desire on the part of the white man to possess the home and 
 the hunting grounds of his red brother. Discovery by the 
 European nations was considered a right to extinguish the 
 redman's title. England's policy then as now was to claim 
 that all title to land was vested in the crown, that her sub- 
 jects might occupy the soil, but could not alienate it except 
 to her own people. England treated the Indians as she did 
 her own subjects. When the United States at the close of 
 the Revolutionary war succeeded to this country from the 
 Atlantic to the Mississippi, the same principles regarding the 
 title to the Indian lands were carried out; and while in every 
 instance our government has secured title and extinguished 
 Indian rights, by treaty or purchase, we must admit that the 
 consideration was the most trivial, and too often acceptance 
 on the part of the redman was influenced by the force of 
 arms. 
 
 " Did the redman foresee his impending doom, his forced 
 retreat towards the setting sun, the gradual breaking up of his 
 power and the final extinction of his race?" Careful study 
 
 21 
 
of Indian history leads us to believe that among the Indians, 
 as well as among the white men, there were those who saw 
 the coming storm, " who saw the threatening cloud coming 
 from the east, small at first, scarce a shadow, but gradually- 
 becoming more distinct and greater as it traveled westward, 
 and, when it reached the summit of the Alleghanies, it 
 assumed a darker hue ; deep murmurs, as of thunder, were 
 heard ; it was impelled westward by strong winds and shot 
 forth forked tongues of lightning." On the plains of Abra- 
 ham, when French supremacy west of the Alleghanies was 
 forever lost, and Pontiac stood before the British officer who 
 was to proceed westward to secure the fruits of victory and 
 said, "I stand in thy path," he realized the impending 
 conflict, and his note of warning to the chiefs of his nation to 
 "Drive the dogs who wear red clothing into the sea" was 
 his last appeal to save his race. Fifty years later Tecumseh 
 fell a martyr to the Indian cause; and his efforts to stem the 
 westward march of the white man failed. For three years 
 after that Tuscaloosa strove in vain to save his nation, and in 
 1832 the Sacs and Foxes on Rock Island soil, under the 
 leadership of their great chief Black Hawk, made the last 
 determined Indian defense of their homes and the resting 
 place of their forefathers. 
 
 SACS AND FOXES OF TO-DAY. 
 
 After their removal to Iowa, they by treaties in 1836 and 
 1842 ceded all their lands up to the Missouri River, and in 
 June, 1885, these people were distributed as follows: On 
 Sac and Fox Reservation in Iowa (Tama county), about 
 380 ; on Pottawattomie and Great Nemaha Agency Reserva- 
 tion, near the northeast corner of Kansas, the Sacs and Foxes 
 of Missouri about 187; on Sac and Fox Reservation in Indian 
 Territory, 457, and Mohoko's band, wandering in the west, 
 about 350 — a total of 1,374. Almost all but the last named 
 band are farmers and herders. The agent at Sac and Fox 
 Agency, Iowa, writing in 1884, said: "For honesty and 
 truthfulness our Indians stand above the average white man 
 with the merchants with whom they deal . ' ' Yet in spite of 
 
 22 
 
all attempts to civilize them, the Sacs and Foxes still live in 
 the rude huts of their ancestors, cookinj^ their food from a 
 fire made oh the ground, the smoke escaping from an open 
 roof ; sleeping on bunks of boards arranged on the sides of 
 their huts, wearing blankets, painting their faces, shaving 
 and decorating their heads, as did their ancestors who lived 
 at the old Rock River village. They lack thrift, industry 
 and a spirit of progress. They still offer prayers and hold 
 feasts before planting their crops, and another series of 
 prayers and thanksgiving when their crops are gathered. 
 Notwithstanding the efforts of Christian missionaries, holy 
 or consecrated tobacco is still burned on certain occasions as 
 incense, and as of yore they still have " Me-sham," a some- 
 thing that profane eyes have never been allowed to see. The 
 modern Sacs and Foxes, while quiet and peaceful, are averse 
 to work and seem at their best visiting the neighboring 
 towns, lounging about smoking, chatting and playing the 
 white man's game — cards. 
 
 FIRST WHITE EXPLORERS. 
 
 Undoubtedly the first white men to cast their ej^es upon 
 Rock Island soil were lyouis Joliet and Father Jacques Mar- 
 quette, when they and their five French canoemen, in June 
 1673, floated from the mouth of the Wisconsin River down 
 the broad Mississippi. We do not know that they landed at 
 any spot in the boundary of what is now Rock Island County, 
 but as they came over the Rock Island rapids, gliding down 
 the swift flowing water, they could not fail to notice the 
 island of Rock Island with its rocky shores and beautiful 
 groves, for their canoes must needs take the channel on the 
 north shore of the island. All early voyagers remarked upon 
 this locality, and it was generally considered "the hand- 
 somest and most delightful spot of the same size on the 
 whole globe." 
 
 We have no record of the first white man who stepped on 
 Rock Island soil. We know that as early as 1690 Nicholas 
 Perrot, French commandant of the west, built a post opposite 
 to where Dubuque, Iowa, now is and that in 1695 Pierre Le 
 
 23 
 
Sueur built a fort on a large island in the Mississippi River 
 between Lake Pepin and the mouth of the St. Croix, which 
 Charlevoix says became ' ' the centre of commerce for the 
 western parts." Le Sueur discovered lead mines on both 
 sides of the Mississippi River (at Dubuque and Galena), and 
 Penicault, his reporter and companion, speaks of the rapids 
 at Rock Island. We know that agents of Anthony Crozat at 
 some time between the years 1712 and 1717 worked the lead 
 mines around Dubuque and Galena ; that as early as 1792 
 printed maps of this country show the Rock Island rapids, 
 naming them "Nine-mile Rapids," and we further know that 
 from 1788 to 1810 Julien Du Buque with a force of Spanish, 
 French and Indian miners operated the lead mines near 
 where Dubuque, Iowa, now is, and floated his lead down the 
 Mississippi to St. lyOuis and New Orleans, and it is not 
 impossible that some of these people may have explored this 
 county and even lived here ; but the first record we have of 
 a white man stopping at this locality is when lyieutenant Pike 
 in 1805 made his trip up the Mississippi. Afterwards he 
 recommended to the United States Government the establish- 
 ment of three forts on the Mississippi above St. Louis, one 
 of which was at the mouth of the Wisconsin. 
 
 At the beginning of the War of 1812 the Indians were very 
 hostile to the Americans and the English openly incited them 
 against us. The French traders at this time had established 
 a post at the mouth of the Wisconsin, which was the only 
 settlement at this time north of St. Louis. Our government 
 was now urged to establish a fort on the upper Mississippi to 
 protect the American traders. In 1812 Congress called for 
 the organization of ten companies of territorial rangers, three 
 of which were raised in Illinois. They were assigned to 
 guard our frontiers. General Howard who was in command 
 of the American forces on the Mississippi concluded it best 
 to establish a fort at the mouth of the Wisconsin, and to this 
 end sent a body of regulars and rangers who proceeded up 
 the river in keel boats and erected Fort Shelby. This was 
 in the beginning of the year 1814. 
 
 24 
 
CAMPBElvIv'S BATTI.E. 
 
 Ill order to strengthen this garrison, Howard in the first 
 part of July sent a second expedition consisting of 133 per- 
 sons up the Mississippi in three fortified barges or keel 
 boats. This expedition was commanded by L/ieutenant (act- 
 ing Major) John Campbell. On the afternoon of July 18 the 
 boats arrived at this locality and encamped for the night on 
 the Illinois shore, opposite the lower end of Rock Island. 
 During the evening Black Hawk and a large number of his 
 people came to the American encampment and expressed 
 great friendship for the Americans. During the night a run- 
 ner came from Prairie du Chien to the Indian village on 
 Rock River, bringing the news of the capture of the Amer- 
 ican Fort Shelby by the British and asking Black Hawk to be 
 on the lookout for a large boat which had escaped and which 
 was headed down the river. Early in the morning Black 
 Hawk and his band started for the American camp. 
 
 During the night a strong wind came up and Major Camp- 
 bell decided to take advantage of it and made an early start 
 with his boats. When Black Hawk arrived at the Mississippi 
 shore he found the Americans gone and he immediately 
 started up the river in pursuit. Campbell's fleet had pro- 
 ceeded about six miles up the river beyond the island of 
 Rock Island, when they encountered a severe storm, which 
 drove the boat commanded by Campbell upon the shore of 
 the island, since known as Campbell's Island. While waiting 
 for the storm to subside the troops landed and began prepar- 
 ing their breakfast. Black Hawk, who had followed on the 
 Illinois shore, saw the stranded boat and with his warriors he 
 forded the Mississippi from the main shore to the island and 
 commenced an attack upon Campbell's soldiers. The two 
 other boats which had preceded the ill-fated vessel, and which 
 were commanded by Lieutenants Stephen Rector and Jona- 
 than Riggs, hearing the report of fire arms, quickly returned 
 to the rescue. The engagement lasted all day. The rangers 
 effected a retreat after a heroic rescue of Campbell's crew, 
 but left Campbell's ill-fated boat in the hands of the Indians, 
 who, after plundering it, set it on fire. The total casualties 
 
 25 
 
were sixteen killed, of whom one was a woman and one a 
 child. The Legislature at its session of 1904-5 appropriated 
 $5,000 for a monument to mark this spot. 
 
 FIRST WHITE SETTLERS. 
 
 The first white settler in this county was George Daven- 
 port, who came to the island of Rock Island in the spring of 
 1816 with Colonel William Lawrence and the Eighth Regi- 
 ment of United States regulars at the time Fort Armstrong 
 was built. In 1817 Davenport built a double, log cabin on the 
 island of Rock Island at the place where the ' ' Old Davenport 
 House " now stands, one part of which he used as a store in 
 which he carried on the business of an Indian trader. The 
 old ruin now standing on the north shore of the island was 
 built in 1833 and was for many years the most pretentious 
 residence above St. Louis. In 1824 Russell Farnham came 
 from Warsaw and entered into partnership with Davenport 
 under the firm name of Davenport & Farnham. In 1826 
 Davenport & Farnham built the house on the main land 
 afterwards occupied by John Barrel. This was used for 
 many years as the seat of justice for this county and in 
 our county records is referred to as the " House of John 
 Barrel." 
 
 In 1828 the country along Rock River had not been sur- 
 veyed and consequently was not open to entry. Yet the fame 
 of the fertility of the soil and the beauty of the country had 
 attracted the pioneer who is always in advance of the settler, 
 and who often is termed the squatter, and these people rely- 
 ing upon the protection of Fort Armstrong began to select 
 homes in this valley. During the year 1828 there were eight 
 settlers to arrive — Captain B. W. Clark, an old soldier named 
 Haney, Judge Pence, who settled on Rock River; and John 
 Kinney, Thomas Kinney, George Harlan, Conrad Leek and 
 Archibald Allen, the last five settling where Rapids City 
 now is. 
 
 The year 1829 brought a number of new-comers — Judge 
 John W. Spencer who had been here the year before ; Louden 
 Case Sr., and his three sons, Jonah, Louden Jr. and Charles, 
 
 26 
 
who settled on what is now known as the Case place on Rock 
 River; Rinah Wells and his four sons, Rinah Jr., Lucius, 
 John and Samuel, who also settled on Rock River; Joel Wells 
 Jr., who settled near Hampton; Joel Wells Sr., Levi and 
 Huntington Wells, who settled at Moline ; Joseph Danforth a 
 mile above Moline, Michael Bartlett where Deere & Man- 
 sur's factory now is, George Goble and his son Benjamin, 
 about two miles above Moline, William Brashar who settled 
 south of the present city of Rock Island, Joshua Vandruff 
 and his sons, who settled on Vandruff's Island, Charles H. 
 Case and Benjamin F. Pike. 
 
 FIRST AND ONLY SLAVES. 
 
 At this time in the southern part of the state negroes were 
 held in bondage, under what was known and recognized as 
 the indentured or registered servants act. This was contrary 
 to the ordinance of 1787 which governed the admission of 
 Illinois into the union as a state, but our Legislature enacted 
 laws which our courts upheld, by which slavery existed in 
 
 Illinois. In May, , a man named Stephens from St. Louis 
 
 settled on the Mississippi where Walker Station now is, 
 two miles east of Moline, bringing with him twenty black 
 slaves, and built two cabins. There were but few settlers in 
 this locality, but this new departure was not in accord with 
 their ideas, and in October Joseph Danforth traveled to the 
 nearest justice of the peace, who resided at Galena, and 
 secured from him a warrant for Stephens' arrest for holding 
 slaves. George Goble, the father of Benjamin Goble, know- 
 ing Danforth 's intention, warned Stephens, who immediately 
 started south with his slaves. Stephens' two cabins were 
 afterwards taken by two brothers named Smith, who floored 
 the cabins with planks taken from the hull of Major Camp- 
 bell's keel boat, which had not burned and which had lain 
 embedded in the sand on Campbell's Island where it stranded 
 on that ill fated July 19, 1814. No one after this ever tried 
 to own slaves in this county, although some of the officers 
 at Fort Armstrong had negro servants who were held as 
 indentured blacks. 
 
 27 
 
SETTLEMENT OF LANDS. 
 
 In 1828 and the early part of 1829 George Davenport and 
 Russell Farnham entered the lands upon which the old fair 
 grounds were located, and which extended from there about 
 one mile east. William T. Brashar entered the lands upon a 
 portion of which is now located Chippianock cemetery. 
 These and other pre-emptions were upon lands that had for 
 nearly a century been the village and the cornfields of the 
 Sacs. These entries were within the letter, but contrary to 
 the spirit, of the treaty of 1804. These lands were not open 
 to settlers, nor brought into the market until the latter part 
 of 1829, and one authority says : "Consequently all who had 
 settled on them previous to this were trespassers, having 
 violated the laws of congress and the pre-existing treaties. 
 The most advanced settlements at that time did not approach 
 nearer than fifty or sixty miles of Rock Island, and the lands 
 for even a greater distance had not been offered for sale, yet 
 the government disposed of a few quarter sections at the 
 mouth of this stream, embracing the site of the village and 
 fields cultivated by the inhabitants. The manifest object of 
 this advanced movement upon the Indian settlements was to 
 evade the provisions of the treaty, by having the governmental 
 title to the lands pass into the hands of the individuals, and 
 thus obtain a pretext for removing its owners west of the 
 Mississippi . ' ' 
 
 ESTABLISHMENT OF ROCK ISLAND COUNTY. 
 
 By an act of the Illinois Legislature entitled ' ' An act to 
 establish Rock Island County," approved and in force Febru- 
 ary 9, 1831, it was provided by Section 1 thereof what the 
 boundaries of this county shall be. Section 2 provided that 
 whenever it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the 
 presiding judge of the Circuit Court of Jo Daviess county, to 
 which this county was then attached, that the said county of 
 Rock Island contains three hundred and fifty inhabitants, 
 it shall be his duty to grant an order for the election of three 
 commissioners, one sheriff and one coroner to serve in and for 
 said count\^ until they be superseded by the persons elected 
 
 28 
 
at the next general election, which shall take place after teh 
 special election herein provided for. The act then states that 
 after such election the said county of Rock Island shall be 
 considered as organized and entitled to the same rights and 
 privileges as the other counties in this state. Owing however 
 to the Black Hawk war no effort was made to organize the 
 county until 1833, when on Monday, July 5, in pursuance of 
 due notice, the legal voters of this county to the number 
 of sixty-five met at the " House of John Barrel," and elected 
 county officers. 
 
 29 
 
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Part II 
 
 The Beginning of Trouble, The Settlers' Appeal, 
 Reports of the Indian Agent, Correspondence 
 Between the Governor and Generals Gaines and 
 Clark, The First Campaign, Whisky a Main 
 Factor, The Rock River Rangers, Burning of the 
 Indian Village, The Treaty. 
 
Part II 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF TROUBI^E. 
 
 In the spring of 1831, when Black Hawk and his people 
 returned from their winter hunt, he found the few white 
 settlers whom they had left the fall before increased by many 
 new comers. He found the Indian homes occupied by pale 
 faces, and among his corn hills he found the white man's 
 wagon. But more aggravating yet, he found the bones of 
 his ancestors disturbed and laid bare upon the ground by 
 the white man's plow. He and his people had borne much 
 the past few years but this seemed too much. He protested, 
 and was told the white m,an had bought the land from his 
 white father in Washington. He could not understand this. 
 Judge John W. Spencer in his "Reminiscences" says: 
 
 Black Hawk gave the settlers to understand that after this 
 season they must go south of Rock River, or above Pleasant 
 Valley. * * * This move on the part of the Indians made it 
 necessary for the settlers to look about and see what they 
 could do for their protection," and, he adds, "We had peti- 
 tioned the Governor of the state in the summer of 1829 
 without his taking any notice, but now we concluded to try 
 it again. We made a statement of our grievance, and of the 
 order of Black Hawk for our removal, and forwarded it with 
 all possible haste to the governor. This had the desired 
 effect . ' ' 
 
 33 
 
THE ROCK IvSLAND PETITION. 
 
 The following is the petition sent to the Governor by citi- 
 zens of Rock Island : 
 
 "April 30, 1831. 
 
 " His Excellency, the Governor of the State of Illinois : 
 
 "We, the undersigned, being citizens of Rock River and 
 its vicinity, beg leave to state to your honor the grievances 
 which we labor under and pray your protection against the 
 Sac and Fox tribe of Indians who have again taken posses- 
 sion of our lands near the mouth of Rock River and its 
 vicinity. They have, and now are, burning our fences, 
 destroying our crops of wheat now growing, by turning in all 
 their horses. They also threaten our lives if we attempt to 
 plant corn, and say they will cut it up ; that we have stolen 
 their lands from them, and they are determined to extermi- 
 nate us, provided we don't leave the country. Your honor, 
 no doubt, is aware of the outrages that were committed by 
 said Indians heretofore. Particularly last fall, they almost 
 destroyed all our crops, and made several attempts on the 
 owners' lives when they attempted to prevent their depreda- 
 tions, and actually wounded one man by stabbing him in 
 several places. This spring they act in a much more out- 
 rageous and menacing manner, so that we consider ourselves 
 compelled to beg protection of you, which the agent and 
 garrison on Rock Island refuse to give, inasmuch as they say 
 they have no orders from government ; therefore, should we 
 not receive adequate aid from your honor, we shall be com- 
 pelled to abandon our settlement and the lands which we 
 have purchased of government. Therefore, we have no doubt 
 but your honor will better anticipate our condition than it is 
 represented, and grant us immediate relief in the manner that 
 to you may seem most likely to produce the desired effect. 
 The number of Indians now among us is about six or seven 
 hundred. They say there are more coming, and that the 
 Pottawattomies and some of the Winnebagoes will help them, 
 in case of an irruption with the whites. 
 
 34 
 
" The warriors now here are the Black Hawk's party, with 
 
 other chiefs, the names of whom we are not acquainted 
 with. Therefore, looking up to you for protection, we beg 
 
 leave to remain, yours, etc." 
 
 ( Signed ) John Wells Thomas Lovitt 
 
 B. F. Pike William Heans 
 
 H. McNiel Charles French 
 
 Albert Wells M. S. Hulls 
 
 Griffith Ausbury Eli Wells 
 
 Thomas Gardiner Asaph Wells 
 
 J. Vandruff G. V. Miller 
 
 S. Vandruff Edward Burner 
 
 John L. Bain Joel Thompson 
 
 Horace Cook Joel Wells, Jr. 
 
 David B. Hail J. W. Spencer 
 
 John Barrel Joseph Dan forth 
 
 William Henry William Brazher 
 
 Erastus Kent Jonah H. Case 
 
 Levi Wells Samuel Wells 
 
 Joel Wells Charles French 
 
 Michael Bartlet Benjamin Goble 
 
 Huntington Wells Gentry McCall 
 Thomas Davis 
 
 THE INDIAN AGENT REPORTS. 
 
 The settlers not hearing from the governor and receiving 
 no aid from the officials at Fort Armstrong, applied to the 
 Indian agent, and he wrote the following letter : 
 
 "Rock Island, May 15, 1831. 
 ' ' Respected Sir : I have again to mention to you that the 
 Black Hawk (a Sac chief) and his party are now at their old 
 village on Rock River. They have commenced planting corn 
 and say they will keep possession. I have been informed 
 that they have pulled down a house and some fences which 
 they have burned. They have also turned their horses in 
 wheat fields and say they will destroy the wheat so that the 
 white people shall not remain among them. 
 
 This is what I expected from their manner of acting last 
 fall, and which I mentioned to you in my letter of the 8th 
 October last. I would not be at a loss were it not for the 
 seventh article of the treat}^ with the Sacs and Foxes of 3d 
 November, 1804. 
 
 35 
 
" I respectfully ask, would it not be better to hold a treaty 
 
 with those Indians and get them to remove peaceably, than 
 
 to call on the military to force them off ? None of this band 
 
 has as yet called on me for information. A few have been at 
 
 my agency to have work done at the smith's shops. I have 
 
 the honor to be, 
 
 "Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Felix St. Vrain, Indian Agent. 
 
 "Gen. William Clark, Supt. Ind. of vSt. Louis." 
 
 WHISKY THE CAUSE. 
 
 One of the settlers living on what is now Vandruff's Island 
 kept a sort of tavern where whisky was sold, and here the 
 Indians came to barter for fire water. Black Hawk saw his 
 young men and old bartering off their peltries and game for 
 whisky and he saw the ruin the white man's fire water 
 was creating among his people. He protested and begged 
 the white man to stop selling the Indian whisky, but the 
 sale went on. One day he, with some five or six of his 
 braves, paddled in canoes from the village to Vandruff's 
 Island where was the cabin occupied by the white man who 
 was selling whisky to the Sacs. Silently the old chief 
 marched up to the cabin followed by his braves. They did 
 not stop to knock but entered the door and silently rolled the 
 several barrels and kegs of whisky outside the cabin, knocked 
 in the heads with their tomahawks, and allowed the pale 
 face's fire water to run on the ground. Then the}' rowed 
 back to their village. 
 
 This last act of the Indians greatly excited the whites and 
 Benjamin F. Pike, a settler, was sent to Belleville in St. Clair 
 County to personally ask the governor for assistance. He 
 took with him the following petition from the settlers : 
 
 36 
 
THE SECOND PETITION. 
 
 " Farnhambiirg, May 19, 1831. 
 " To his Excellency, the Governor of the State of Illinois : 
 
 "We, the undersigned, citizens of Rock River and its 
 vicinity, having previously sent a petition to 3'our honor, 
 praying your protection against these Sac Indians who were 
 at that time doing every kind of mischief as was set forth and 
 represented to your honor ; but feeling ourselves more 
 aggrieved and our situation more precarious, we have been 
 compelled to make our distress known to you by sending one 
 of our neighbors who is well acquainted with our situation. 
 If we do not get relief speedily we must leave our habitations 
 to these savages and seek safety for our families by taking 
 them down into the lower counties and suffer our houses and 
 fences to be destroyed, as one of the principal war chiefs has 
 threatened if we do not abandon our settlement his warriors 
 should burn our houses over our heads. They were, at the 
 time we sent our other petition, destroying our crops of 
 wheat, and are still pasturing their horses in our fields, burn- 
 ing our fences, and have thrown the roof off one house. 
 They shot arrows at our cattle, killed our hogs, and every 
 mischief. 
 
 " We have tried every argument to the agent for relief, but 
 he tells us they are a lawless band, and he has nothing to do 
 with them until further orders, leaving us still in suspense, 
 as the Indians say if we plant we shall not reap, a proof of 
 which we had last fall; they almost entirely destroyed all our 
 crops of corn, potatoes, etc. Believing we shall receive pro- 
 tection from your excellency, we shall go on with our farms 
 until the return of the bearer ; and ever remain your humble 
 supplicants, etc." 
 
 This petition was signed by almost all the persons who 
 signed the first petition. On his way to Belleville in St. Clair 
 County, where Governor Reynolds lived, Mr. Pike stopped 
 over in Fulton County where he secured the following 
 affidavit : 
 " State of Illinois, Fulton County. 
 
 "Personally appeared before me, Stephen Dewey, an acting 
 Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Fulton, and 
 
 37 
 
State of Illinois, Hiram Sanders and Ammyson Chapman, of 
 the aforesaid county and state, and made oath that some time 
 in the month of April last they went to the old Indian Sac 
 town, about thirty miles up Rock River, for the purpose of 
 farming and establishing a ferry across said river, and the 
 Indians ordered us to move away and not to come there 
 again, and we remained there a few hours. 
 
 "They then sent for their chief and he informed us that 
 we might depart peaceably and if we did not that he would 
 make us go. 
 
 " He therefore ordered the Indians to throw our furniture 
 out of the house ; they accordingly did so and threatened to 
 kill us if we did not depart. We therefore discovered that 
 our lives were in danger, and consequently moved back again 
 to the above county. 
 
 " We then supposed them to be principally Winnebagoes. 
 
 " H. Sanders, 
 "A. Chapman. 
 
 " Sworn and subscribed this 11th day of May, 1831. 
 
 "Stephen Dewey, J. P." 
 
 BENJAMIN F. PIKE'S AFFIDAVIT. 
 
 Upon his arrival at Belleville Pike had prepared the follow- 
 ing statement : 
 "State of Illinois, St. Clair County. 
 
 "Present, Benjamin F. Pike, before me, a Justice of the 
 Peace in and for the said county, and made oath and deposed, 
 that he has resided in the vicinity of Rock River, in the State 
 of Illinois, for almost three years last past ; that he is well 
 acquainted with the band of the Sac Indians whose chief is 
 the Black Hawk, and who have resided and do now reside 
 near the mouth of Rock River in this state ; that he under- 
 stands so much of the said Indian language as to converse 
 with the said Indians intelligibly ; that he is well satisfied 
 that said Indians, to the amount of about three hundred war- 
 lyors, are extremely unfriendly to the white people ; that said 
 Indians are determined, if not prevented by force, to drive off 
 the white people, who have some of them purchased land 
 
 38 
 
of the United vStates near said Indians, and said Indians to 
 remain sole occupiers of the said country. 
 
 " That said Indians do not only make threats to this effect, 
 but have, in various instances, done much damage to said 
 white inhabitants, b\' throwing- down their fences, destroying 
 the fall grain, pulling off the roofs of houses, and positively 
 asserting that if the whites do not go away they would kill 
 them ; that there are about forty inhabitants and heads of 
 families in the vicinity of said Indians, who are immediately 
 aflfected by said band of Indians ; that said Pike is certain 
 that said forty heads of families, if not protected, will be com- 
 pelled to leave their habitations and homes from the actual 
 injury that said Indians will commit on said inhabitants ; 
 that said band of Indians consists, as above stated, of about 
 three hundred warriors, and that the whole band is actuated 
 b}' the same hostile feelings towards the white inhabitants ; 
 and that, if not prevented by an armed force of men, will 
 commit on said white inhabitants. That said Indians have 
 said that they would fight for their country where they 
 reside, and would not permit the white people to occupy it at 
 all. That said white inhabitants are desirous to be protected, 
 and that immediately, so that they may raise crops this 
 spring and summer. 
 
 "Benjamin F. Pike. 
 
 " Sworn and subscribed before me, this 26th May, 1831. 
 
 "John H. Dennis, J. P." 
 
 Pike presented his petition from the Rock River settlers 
 and these affidavits personally to Governor Reynolds, who 
 on the same day issued a call for seven hundred mounted 
 militia, to move the Indians west of the Mississippi River. 
 He also wrote the following letter to General Clark, Super- 
 intendent of Indian Affairs : 
 
 "Belleville, 26th May, 1831. 
 "Sir: In order to protect the citizens of this state, who 
 reside near Rock River, from Indian invasion and depreda- 
 tions, I have considered it necessary to call out a force of 
 militia of this state of about seven hundred strong, to remove 
 a band of the Sac Indians who are now about Rock Island. 
 The object of the government of the state is to protect tho.se 
 
 39 
 
citizens by removing said Indians, peaceably if they can, but 
 forcibly if they must. Those Indians are now, and so I have 
 considered them, in a state of actual invasion of the state. 
 
 As you act as the public agent of the United States in 
 relation to those Indians, I considered it my duty to inform 
 you of the above call on the militia and that in or about 
 fifteen days a sufficient force will appear before said Indians 
 to remove them, dead or alive, over to the west side of the 
 Mississippi ; but to save all this disagreeable business, per- 
 haps a request from you to them for them to remove to the 
 west side of the river would effect the object of procuring 
 peace to the citizens of the state. There is no disposition on 
 the part of the people of this state to injure those unfortunate 
 and deluded savages if they will let us alone ; but a govern- 
 ment that does not protect its citizens deserves not the name 
 of a government. Please correspond with me at this place on 
 
 this subject. 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 "John Reynolds. 
 " Gen. Clark, Supt., etc." 
 
 Felix St. Vrain, the then agent for the Sacs and Foxes, had 
 in the meantime gone to St. I^ouis and in the following letter 
 sets out the situation at Rock River : 
 
 "St. I^ouis, May 28, 1831. 
 "Respected Sir: Since my last of the 15th inst. on the 
 subject of the band of Sac Indians, etc., the Indian village on 
 Rock River near Rock Island, I have heard from the Indians 
 and some of the whites that a house had been unroofed 
 instead of pulled down and burned, and that the fence had 
 caught fire by accident. As regards the destroying of the 
 wheat, etc., the Indians say that a white man hauled some 
 timber through a field and left the fence down by which 
 means their horses got into the field. This, however, has 
 been contradicted by the white inhabitants of that place. 
 They say that the Indians are constantly troubling them by 
 letting their horses into their fields and killing their hogs, 
 etc. This, however, I am confident is occa.sioned in a great 
 measure by whisky being given to the Indians in exchange 
 for their guns, traps, etc. 
 
 40 
 
' ' I had a talk with the principal chief and braves of that 
 band of Indians. I spoke to the Black Thunder, who is the 
 principal of that band. I told them that they had sold those 
 lands to the government of the United States and that they 
 ought to remove to their own lands. They then .said that 
 they had only sold the lands .south of the river. I then 
 produced the treaties and explained to them that they had 
 relinquished their rights as far as the Ouisconsin. Quash- 
 quam-me (the Jumping Fish) then said that he had only 
 consented to the limits being Rock River, but that a Fox 
 chief agreed (as he understands, afterwards) for the Ouiscon- 
 sin ; that he (Quash-quam-me) had been deceived and that 
 he did not intend it to be so. I had considerable talk with 
 them on this subject, and could discover nothing hostile in 
 their di.sposition unless their decided conviction of their right 
 to the place could be construed as such. I have been 
 informed that a white man and his family had gone to 
 an Indian village on the borders of Rock River about forty 
 miles from Rock Island, for the purpose of establishing a 
 ferry, and that the Indians at that place had driven them 
 away, at the same time saying to them that they would not 
 hurt them, but they should not live there. This village is 
 occupied by a mixture of Winnebago, Sac and Fox bands 
 and headed by the Prophet, a chief. I have the honor to be 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "Felix St. Vrain, Indian Agent. 
 
 "Gen. William Clark, Supt. Indian Affairs, St. Louis." 
 
 Upon receipt of Governor Reynold's letter, General William 
 Clark sent to General Edward P. Gaines the following letter: 
 
 " Superintendency of Indian Affairs. 
 "St. Louis, May 28, 1831. 
 ' 'Sir : I have the honor to inclose you a copy of a letter of 
 26th inst., just received from the Governor of Illinois, by 
 which you will perceive he has thought it necessary to call 
 out a force of about 700 militia for the protection of the citi- 
 zens of that state, who reside near Rock River, and for the 
 purpose of removing a band of Sacs which he states are now 
 about Rock Island. 
 
 41 
 
" As the commanding general of this division of the army, 
 I have thought it my duty to communicate to you the above 
 information ; and for the purpose of putting you in possession 
 of the views of the government in relation to this subject, as 
 well as to inform you of the means which have been hereto- 
 fore employed for the removal of the Sacs now complained of, 
 I enclose to you herewith copies of my correspondence with 
 the War Department and with the agent for those tribes, also 
 extracts from such of their reports as had immediate relation 
 to the subject. 
 
 The vSacs and Foxes have been counseled with on the 
 subject of their removal from the lands which they had ceded 
 to the United States. The prospect of collisions with the 
 white settlers who were then purchasing those lands, and 
 the interminable difficulties in which they would be involved 
 thereby were pointed out, and had the effect of convincing a 
 large majority of both tribes of the impropriety of remaining 
 at their old village. They, therefore, acquiesced in the 
 justice of the claim of the United States and expressed their 
 willingness to comply with my request to remove to their 
 new village on loway River, west of the Mississippi, all but 
 parts of two bands headed by two inconsiderable chiefs, who, 
 after abandoning their old village, have, it appears, returned 
 again, in defiance of all consequences. 
 
 Those bands are distinguished and known by the name 
 of 'The British Party,' having been for many years in the 
 habit of making annual visits at Maiden in Upper Canada 
 for the purpose of receiving their presents, and it is believed 
 to be owing in a great measure to the counsels they have 
 there received, that so little influence has been acquired over 
 them by the United States agents. 
 
 " In justice to Keokuk, Wapello, the Stabbing Chief, and, 
 indeed, all the other real chiefs and principal men of both 
 tribes, it should be observed that they have constantly and 
 zealously co-operated with the government agents in further- 
 ance of its views, and in their endeavors to effect the removal 
 of all their property from the ceded lands. 
 
 42 
 
Anj' information in my possession which you may deem 
 necessary in relation to this subject will be promptly afforded. 
 With high respect, I have the honor to be 
 
 Your most obedient servant , 
 
 " William Clark. 
 "Major-General Edmund P. Gaines, Commanding Western 
 Department, U. S. A. 
 
 "P. S. The agent for the Sacs and Foxes (Mr. St. Vrain) 
 has received his instructions and will perform any service 
 you may require of him with the Sacs and Foxes." 
 
 General Clark the same day sent to Governor Reynolds 
 the following communication in reply to his letter : 
 
 " Superintendency of Indian Affairs, 
 "St. Louis, May 28, 1831. 
 Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your letter of the 26th inst., informing me of your having 
 considered it necessarj^ to call out a force of militia of about 
 seven hundred for the protection of the citizens of Illinois 
 who reside near Rock Island invasion and for the purpose of 
 removing a band of Sac Indians who are now about Rock 
 Island, etc. 
 
 ' ' You intimate that to prevent the necessity of employing 
 this force, perhaps a request from me to those Indians to 
 remove to the west side of the Mississippi would effect the 
 object of procuring peace to the citizens of your state. In 
 answer to which I would beg leave to observe, that every 
 effort on my part has been made to effect the removal of all 
 those tribes who had ceded their lands. For the purpose of 
 affording you a view (in part) of what has been done in this 
 matter, I enclose you herewith extracts from the reports of 
 the agents for the Sacs and Foxes by which it will be seen 
 that every means, short of actual force, has been employed to 
 effect their removal. 
 
 ' ' I have communicated the contents of your letter to 
 General Gaines, who commands the western division of the 
 army, and who has full power to act and execute any military 
 movement deemed necessary for the protection of the frontier. 
 I shall also furnish him with such information regarding the 
 Sacs and Foxes as I am possessed of, and would beg leave to 
 
 43 
 
refer you to him for any further proceedings in relation 
 
 to this subject. I have the honor to be, with great respect, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 "Wm. Clark. 
 "His Excellency, John Reynolds, Governor of Illinois." 
 
 Governor Reynolds certainly meant business, for on the 
 same day he sent the following letter : 
 
 " Belleville, May 28, 1831. 
 " General Gaines. 
 
 Sir : I have received undoubted information that the 
 section of this state near Rock Island is actually invaded by 
 a hostile band of the Sac Indians headed by Black Hawk ; 
 and in order to repel said invasion, and to protect the citizens 
 of the state, I have, under the provisions of the constitu- 
 tion of the United States and the laws of this state, called 
 on the militia, to the number of 700 men, who will be 
 mounted and ready for service in a very short time. I con- 
 sider it my duty to lay before you the above information, so 
 as you, commanding the military forces of the United States 
 in this part of the Union, may adopt such measures in regard 
 to said Indians as you deem right. 
 
 The above mentioned mounted volunteers (because such 
 they will be) will be in readiness immediately to move 
 against said Indians, and, as Executive of the State of 
 Illinois, I respectfully solicit your co-operation in this busi- 
 ness. Please honor me with an answer to this letter. 
 " With sincere respect to your character, 
 
 " I am, your obedient servant, 
 
 John REYNOLn.s. ' ' 
 
 To which letter General Gaines replied as follows : 
 
 "H. Q. Western Department, May 29, 1831. 
 "His Excellency, Governor Reynolds. 
 
 "Sir: I do myself the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your letter of yesterday's date, advising me of your having 
 received undoubted information that the section of the 
 frontier of your state near Rock Island is invaded by a 
 hostile band of Sac Indians headed by a chief called Black 
 Hawk. That in order to repel said invasion, and to protect 
 
 44 
 
the citizens of the state, you have called on the militia to the 
 number of 700 militiamen to be in readiness immediately to 
 move against the Indians and you solicit my co-operation. 
 
 "in reply, it is my duty to state to you that I have 
 ordered six companies of the regular troops stationed at 
 Jefferson Barracks to embark to-morrow morning and repair 
 forthwith to the spot occupied by the hostile Sacs. To this 
 detachment I shall, if necessary, add four companies. With 
 this force I am satisfied that I shall be able to repel the 
 invasion and give security to the frontier inhabitants of the 
 state. But should the hostile band be sustained by the resi- 
 due of the Sac, Fox and other Indians to an extent requiring 
 an augmentation of my force, I will, in that event, communi- 
 cate with Your Excellency by express and avail myself of the 
 co-operation which you propose. But, under existing cir- 
 cumstances, and the present aspect of our Indian relations on 
 the Rock Island section of the frontier, I do not deem it 
 necessary or proper to require militia, or any other descrip- 
 tion of force, other than that of the regular army at this place 
 and Prairie du Chien. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Edmund P. Gaines, 
 " Major-General by Brevet, Commanding." 
 
 General Clark the following day forwarded to the War 
 Department at Washington the following communication: 
 
 " Superintendency of Indian Affairs, 
 "St. Louis, May 30, 1831. 
 Sir : On the 28th inst. I had the honor of receiving a 
 letter from the Governor of Illinois dated the 26th, informing 
 me of the measures which he had considered it necessary to 
 pursue for the protection of the citizens of his state from 
 Indian invasion and for the purpose of removing a band of 
 Sacs then about Rock Island. A copy of his letter and my 
 answer herewith enclosed. 
 
 "Deeming the information received from the Governor of 
 Illinois important, I immediately communicated it to General 
 Gaines who happened to be in this place at the time, and 
 shortly after was called upon by Governor Reynolds himself 
 
 45 
 
to whom I gave such information respecting the Sacs com- 
 plained of as had come to my knowledge, and also furnished 
 him with such of the reports of the agent for those tribes as 
 had relation to the subject. To the Commanding General 
 I furnished similar information ; and also for the purpose of 
 possessing him of the views of the government on that sub- 
 ject, I gave him copies of such of my correspondence with 
 the War Department as had any relation thereto. 
 
 ' ' I also enclose to you copies of two reports of the agent 
 for the Sacs and Foxes of the 15th and 28th inst. By the 
 first it will be seen that the band complained of is determined 
 to keep possession of their old village ; and it is probable from 
 a knowledge of the disposition evinced in the matter by the 
 Sacs and for the purpose of dispos.sessing them, that the 
 Commanding General has thought proper to make a display 
 in that quarter of a part of the force under his command, six 
 companies of which are now leaving this place for Rock 
 River. The expedition (be the result what it may) cannot 
 fail of producing good effects, even should the Indians be dis- 
 posed to move peaceably to their own lands ; and if not, their 
 opposition should, in my opinion, be put down at once. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, with high respect, 
 
 " Your most obedient servant, 
 
 "William Clark. 
 
 "The Hon. John H. Eaton, Secretary of War." 
 
 46 
 
GAINES GOES TO FORT ARMSTRONG. 
 
 General Gaines immediately proceeded to Fort Armstrong 
 and upon his arrival with his troops commenced putting the 
 fort in condition to withstand a siege if necessary'-. The six 
 companies he brought with him from Jefferson Barracks were 
 strengthened by four additional companies from Fort Craw- 
 ford, at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. All the settlers in this 
 vicinity were warned of impending danger and came to the 
 fort with their families, bringing their horses, cattle and 
 everything of value that could be carried. The soldiers 
 began target practice, and morning and evening guns were 
 fired, something not heretofore done. June 5 General Gaines 
 sent for Black Hawk, Keokuk, Wapello and other chiefs for 
 the purpose of holding a council. Black Hawk came to the 
 council attended by all his chiefs and many warriors, all in 
 war paint, carrying arms, and singing war songs. None but 
 the chiefs were allowed to enter the fort, and here in the 
 presence of Keokuk, Wapello and other head chiefs, General 
 Gaines told Black Hawk that he and his band must move 
 west of the Mississippi River, and that if they did not go, he, 
 Gaines, would move them by force. Gaines gave the Indians 
 until the twentieth in which to move. Previous to this Black 
 Hawk had held two interviews with the Prophet, a Winne- 
 bago living at his village where Prophetstown is now located. 
 The Prophet claimed to have had visions or dreams, and said 
 that the white soldiers would do no one any harm, that their 
 object was merely to frighten the Indians, and it was upon 
 this information that Black Hawk acted. 
 
 47 
 
GAINES ASKS AID FROM THE GOVERNOR. 
 
 After the council, General Gaines at once sent by special 
 messenger the following letter to Governor Reynolds : 
 
 "Headquarters,, Rock Island, June 5, 1831. 
 " John Reynolds, Governor of Illinois. 
 
 ' ' Sir: I do myself the honor to report to Your Excellency 
 the result of my conference with the chiefs and braves of the 
 band of Sac Indians settled within the limits of your state 
 near this place. 
 
 ' ' I called their attention to the facts reported to me of 
 their disorderly conduct towards the white inhabitants near 
 them. They disavow any intention of hostility but at the 
 same time adhere with stubborn pertinacity to their purpose 
 of remaining on the Rock River land in question. 
 
 "l notified them of my determination to move them, 
 peaceably if possible, but at all events to move them to their 
 own side of the Mississippi River, pointing out to them the 
 apparent impossibility of their living on lands purchased by 
 the whites without constant disturbance. They contended 
 that this part of their country had never been sold by them. 
 I explained to them the different treaties of 1804, '16 and '25, 
 and concluded with a positive assurance that they must move off, 
 and that I must as soon as they are ready assist them with boats. 
 
 ' ' I have this morning learned that they have invited the 
 Prophet's band of Winnebagoes on Rock River, with some 
 Pottawattomies and Kickapoos, to join them. If I find this to 
 be true, I shall gladly avail myself of my present visit to see 
 them well punished ; and, therefore, I deem it to be the only 
 safe measure now to be taken to request of Your Excellency 
 the battalion of mounted men which you did me the honor to 
 say would co-operate with me. They will find at this post a 
 supply of rations for the men, with some corn for their 
 horses, together with a supply of powder and lead. 
 
 "I have deemed it expedient under all the circumstances of 
 the case to invite the frontier inhabitants to bring their 
 families to this post until the difference is over. 
 
 " I have the honor to be, with great respect, 
 "Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Edward P. Gaines, 
 " Major-General by Brevet, Commanding. 
 4S 
 
"p. S. Since writing the foregoing remarks, I have learned 
 that the Winnebagoes and Pottawattoniie Indians have actually 
 been invited by the Sacs to join them. But the former evince 
 no disposition to comply ; and it is supposed by Colonel 
 Gratiot, the agent, that none will join the Sacs, except, per- 
 haps, some few of the Kickapoos. E. P. G." 
 
 This letter evidently pleased Governor Reynolds for he said: 
 " I was very much rejoiced on receiving this letter, as it put 
 my whole proceedings on a legal and constitutional footing, 
 and the responsibility of the war was removed from me to the 
 United States." 
 
 THE SETTLERS' AFFIDAVITS. 
 
 While at Fort Armstrong the settlers had prepared another 
 petition, together with numerous affidavits, which they pre- 
 sented to General Gaines. The following is the substance^ 
 of the depositions of sundry citizens of the Rock River settle- 
 ment, taken before William Brasher, J. P., and Joel Wells, J. 
 P., on the 10th of June, 1831. 
 
 " Fi?-st. John Wells, John W. Spencer, Jonah H. Case, 
 Rennah Wells, Samuel Wells, Benjamin F. Pike, Joseph Dan- 
 forth and Moses Johnson, before Wm. Brazer, J. P., swear 
 that the Sac Indians did through the last year repeatedly 
 threaten to kill them for being on their ground, and acted in 
 the most outrageous manner; threw down their fences, burnt 
 or destroyed their rails, turned horses into their cornfields and 
 almost destroyed their crops, stole their potatoes, killed and 
 ate their hogs, shot arrows into their cattle and put out their 
 eyes, thereby rendering them useless to their owners, saying 
 the land was theirs, and that they had not sold it. In April 
 they ordered the deponents to leave their houses, and turned 
 from fifty to one hundred horses into one man's wheat field, 
 threatening that the fields should not be reaped, although said 
 owners had purchased the land of the United States govern- 
 ment. The Indians also leveled deadly weapons at the citi- 
 zens, and on some occasions hurt some of the said citizens, 
 for attempting to prevent the destruction of their property. 
 Also that the Indians stole their horses, some of which were 
 
 49 
 
returned by the agent six or eight months after, and in a 
 miserable condition ; others were never heard of again . 
 Nearly fifty Indians headed by their notorious war chief, all 
 armed and equipped for war, came to the house of Rennah 
 Wells, and ordered him to be off or they would kill him, 
 which, for the safety of his family, he obeyed. They then 
 went to another house, rolled out a barrel of whisky and 
 destroyed it, as well as committing many other outrages to 
 the knowledge of the deponents. 
 
 " Second. John Wells, before Joel Wells, J. P., swore that 
 on the 30th day of September, 1830, he saw two Sac Indians 
 throwing down his fence, who said they were doing it for 
 the purpose of going through, in which they persisted 
 although forbidden by the owner, and when the owner at- 
 tempted to prevent them, one of them made a pass at him 
 with his fist, and drew his knife on him. 
 
 Third. Rennah and Samuel Wells, before Joel Wells, J. 
 P., swore that on the 29th of May a party of Sac Indians, 
 calling themselves chiefs, with Black Hawk at their head, 
 came to the house of Rennah Wells, near the mouth of Rock 
 River, and said that he must let the squaws cultivate his 
 field, which Wells refusing, they became much displeased, 
 and told him to go off; upon Wells' refusal they went away. 
 That on the next day the same chiefs, with about fifty war- 
 riors, came, armed, and told Wells that he must move or they 
 would cut the throats of himself and family, and making 
 motions to that effect, upon which said Wells told them that 
 he would take counsel and tell them at three o'clock the next 
 day what would be his determination. They consented, and 
 went away ; at the appointed time they returned and told 
 Wells that he must go off, which he accordingly did, leaving 
 all his possessions to the Indians. 
 
 " Fourth. Nancy Thompson and Nancy Wells, before W. 
 J. Brasher, swore that in October, 1830, two Indians resid- 
 ing in the village forty or fifty miles above the mouth of Rock 
 River, and called Sacs or Winnebagoes, came to the house of 
 Rennah Wells and commenced chasing some sheep, as if they 
 would kill them. Those Indians were ordered to desist, upon 
 which they drew their knives and made at the woman, who 
 
 50 
 
beinp: alarmed, called for assistance. Samuel Wells being sick 
 in the house at the time, ran out with a pitchfork, and the 
 Indians pursued no farther. London ly. Case heard the 
 alarm given, and joined. The Indians then returned to the 
 river bank eighty or one hundred yards distant ; when Case, 
 thinking they were still in pursuit of the sheep, went to 
 ascertain the truth, and coming near the Indians they wounded 
 him severely in three places with a knife and tomahawk. 
 
 ''Fifth. Joseph Danforth, before Joel Wells, J. P., swore 
 that he saw Sacs at a fence belonging to John Wells, who for- 
 bid them going through, when they continued throwing down 
 the fence. Wells attempted to prevent them, when one of 
 the Indians struck him with his fist, and drew his knife. 
 Danforth got a stick, and the Indians making several attempts 
 toward Danforth, he (Danforth) knocked one of them down 
 with his stick. The Indian rose several times and made at 
 Danforth with his knife, and finally deserted the ground, 
 leaving his knife." 
 
 THE AGENT FEARS TROUBLE. 
 
 June 4, General Gaines wrote to. Henry Gratiot, Sub- 
 Indian agent, to investigate the situation at the Sac village 
 at once ; and on the twelfth that gentleman sent the follow- 
 ing reply : 
 
 "Rock Island, June 12, 1831. 
 Sir : I have the honor to report to you that, agreeably 
 to my intimation to you, I visited the village of Sac Indians 
 near this place yesterday for the purpose of persuading off 
 the Winnebago Prophet and some young men of his band 
 whom I knew had previously been there and, I believe, with 
 an intention to support the Sac Indians. I found that the 
 Prophet had just left there for his village, which is within my 
 agency upon Rock River, and although he had previously 
 promised that he would return home and remain there, I 
 have reason to believe that his object is to get as many of his 
 band and of the other bands of the Winnebagoes (who reside 
 at Rock River, within my agency) as he can, for the purpose 
 of joining the Sacs and of supporting them in their present 
 pretensions. 
 
 51 
 
" I have recently been at some of the principal villages of 
 Winnebagoes within my agency, and have ascertained from 
 unquestionable authority that, although they had been 
 invited to join the Sacs, they had refused to do so. I think 
 it will be prudent for me to follow the Prophet, to prevent 
 him from influencing any of the Indians up the river to join 
 him. Should I, however, find that any ot the warriors have 
 left before my arrival amongst them, I will (if you think it 
 best) return immediately to this place, bringing with me 
 three or four influential chiefs who can be relied on and who 
 will, with my assistance, I think, be able to control them. 
 
 ' ' In my opinion there are at least 400 warriors at the Sac 
 village which I visited yesterday, apparently determined to 
 defend themselves in their present position. On the receipt 
 of your letter on the 4th inst., I immediately hastened to this 
 place with a view to give you the most satisfactory informa- 
 tion upon the subject of it and tender my services in any way 
 you may think useful. 
 
 "l am, respectfully yours, 
 
 "Henry Gratiot, Sub-Agent, etc. 
 
 " Major-General Gaines." 
 
 52 
 
T?IE ROCK RIVER RANGERS. 
 
 At the suggestion of Judge Spencer the men and larger 
 boys of the settlement formed themselv^es into a company, 
 elected officers, and named themselves "Rock River Rang- 
 ers," and tendered their services to General Gaines, who 
 accepted the company of fifty-eight men, and June 5, 1831, 
 mustered them into the service. No record of this company's 
 enrollment has been found, it probably never having been 
 forwarded to Washington. The following is a roster of the 
 company : 
 
 Captain : Benjamin F. Pike. 
 First Lieutenant: John W. Spencer. 
 Second Lieutenant : Griffith Aubury. 
 
 Sergeants : James Haskill, Leonard Bryant, Edward Corbin 
 Corporals: Charles French, Benjamin Goble, Charles Case, Henry 
 Benson. 
 
 Allen, Archibald 
 Brashar, William T. 
 Bane, John 
 Bartlett, Michael 
 Been, Joseph 
 Case, Jonah H. 
 Danforth, Joseph 
 Davis, Thomas 
 Dance, Russell 
 Frith, Isaiah 
 Gardner, Thomas 
 Harlan, George W. 
 Hultz, Uriah S. 
 Hubbard, Thomas 
 Hubbard, Goodridge 
 Henderson, Cyrus 
 
 Johnson, Moses 
 Kinney, John W. 
 Kinney, Samuel 
 Leek, Conrad 
 Levitt, Thomas 
 McNeil, Henry 
 Miller, George 
 McGee, Gentry 
 Noble, Amos C. 
 Syms, Thomas 
 Syms, Robert 
 Sams, William F. 
 Smith, Martin W. 
 Stringfield, Sevier 
 Thompson, Joel 
 Vandruff, Joshua 
 
 Vandruff, Henry 
 Vandruff, Samuel 
 Vannetta, Benjamin 
 Vannetta, Gorham 
 Varner, Edward 
 Wells, Levi 
 Wells, George 
 Wells, Joel, Sr. 
 Wells, Joel, Jr. 
 Wells, Huntington 
 Wells, John 
 Wells, Samuel 
 Wells, Rinnah 
 Wells, Asaph 
 Wells, Eri 
 Wells, Ira 
 
 53 
 
GENERAL GAINES MAKES A 
 DEMONSTRATION. 
 
 On the 18th of June, General Gaines sent from Fort 
 Armstrong the steamboat Enterprise, carrying one company 
 of soldiers and one cannon. The boat steamed up Rock 
 River, and passed the Indian village, the object being to over- 
 awe and intimidate the Indians. Black Hawk said : ' ' The 
 water being shallow, the boat got aground, which gave the 
 whites some trouble. If they had asked for assistance, there 
 was not a brave in my band who would not willingly have 
 aided them." Judge John W. Spencer who was on the boat 
 says: "Strange to say, although a steamboat was seldom 
 seen in those days, the Indians seemed not to take the least 
 notice of the boat, not even looking at it, and even the 
 women and children showed no signs of wonder or fear." 
 
 THE ILLINOIS MILITIA. 
 
 Governor Reynolds in defending his position in calling 
 out the militia said: "if I did not act, and the inhabitants 
 were murdered, after being informed of their situation, I 
 would be condemned from Dan to Beersheba ; and if I levied 
 by raising troops, when there was no necessity for it, I would 
 also be responsible." Governor Reynolds knew that the 
 settlers had applied to the Indian agent and the military 
 officers of the United States and had obtained no relief, and 
 he says : "I considered it my duty to call on the volunteers 
 to move the Indians to the west side of the Mississippi." It 
 was but seventeen years after the close of the war of 1812 
 and these same Sacs and Foxes had fought the Americans in 
 that war. There were many of the old soldiers still young 
 enough to enlist and they inflamed the young men to appear 
 against their old foe. The Governor had extracts from the 
 petitions sent him circulated throughout the counties from 
 which he had asked for troops. Moreover, he made, as he 
 says, " both private and public speeches to the masses," and 
 urged the people and his friends to turn out for the defense 
 of the frontier. He adds : ' ' The warm feelings of the late 
 
 54 
 
election for governor had not yet died away, and my 
 electioneering friends converted their electioneering fever 
 into the military, which was a powerful lever in the crusade 
 for Rock Island." 
 
 Although it was the most busy time in the year with the 
 farmers some 1,600 responded to the Governor's call and 
 appeared at Beardstown on or about the 10th of June. Some 
 were armed with muskets, some with shotguns and some with 
 no firearms whatsoever, but all were mounted. The Gover- 
 nor managed to purchase enough muskets from a Beardstown 
 merchant for the remainder of the troops. These muskets 
 were light pieces, made with brass barrels for the South 
 American service, and answered the purpose. The Governor 
 appointed Joseph Duncan, then a member of Congress and 
 afterwards governor of this state, brigadier general to take 
 immediate command of the brigade, and Samuel Whiteside a 
 major, to take command of a spy battalion. 
 
 This army left its encampment near Rushville for Rock 
 Island June 15, the Governor marching with the brigade. 
 On the nineteenth, at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after a 
 pleasant march the army encamped at Rockport, now Anda- 
 lusia. Here there had been previously erected a small log 
 cabin or stockade, which was used as headquarters. During 
 the afternoon General Gaines arrived at the encampment, 
 coming from Fort Armstrong on a steamboat loaded with 
 provisions, and here the Illinois troops were received into the 
 service of the United States by General Gaines. The camp at 
 Rockport was laid out according to military practice, pickets 
 were placed, as it was feared the Indians might make a night 
 attack, and the utmost vigilance was observed. The night 
 was a beautiful one and it passed off quietly without any 
 disturbance. 
 
 55 
 
ATTACK ON THE SAC VILLAGE. 
 
 On the morning of June 20, bright and early, General Dun- 
 can marched his army from Rockport to a position on Rock 
 river opposite the Sac village. An attempt was made to ferry 
 the troops across, but it proved too slow, and General Gaines 
 being shown a ford by George S. Miller, the army marched 
 across through the water to Vandruff's Island. General 
 Gaines left Fort Armstrong on the steamboat Enterprise, 
 which had been fortified, and which carried one company of 
 regulars and several cannon. The Enterprise entered Rock 
 River and steamed up stream until opposite the Sac village 
 where it met General Duncan's army with which it was to 
 co-operate. The other nine companies of regulars, together 
 with the Rock River Rangers, under command of Captain 
 John Bliss, the then commandant of Fort Armstrong, 
 marched from the fort to the Indian town. 
 
 Judge Spencer in his reminiscences says: "Major Bliss 
 formed our company of Rock River Rangers in an extended 
 line of a half mile in front of the regulars, with one cannon in 
 the rear, for our march for Rock River. We marched near 
 where the road is now traveled until we reached General 
 Rodman's land, then turning to the left until reaching the 
 top of the bluff, taking the direction of Black Hawk's Watch 
 Tower. On arriving there, we planted the cannon on the 
 brow of the bluff and then commenced throwing grape and 
 cannister into the bushes on Vandruff's Island." Vandruff's 
 Island at this time was covered with bushes and vines so as to 
 be impenetrable to the sight at a distance of twenty feet. 
 The Enterprise was run to the lower point of the island and 
 several rounds of grape and cannister were shot into the 
 bushes to see if any enemy was there. The spy battalion 
 under Whiteside then formed a line of battle and swept the 
 island, and it was then learned that the north bank of Rock 
 River was so near and so high that the firing had no effect. 
 General Duncan's army followed in the wake of Whiteside's 
 spy battalion, and before they got to the north side of the 
 island the army was so jammed up and mixed together that 
 no one knew where his company or regiment was. In the 
 meantime Captain Bliss with the regulars and the Rock River 
 
 56 
 
Rangers had learned that it was impossible from that distance 
 to distinguish Indians from regulars or volunteers, and that 
 their shots were as likely to kill friend as foe. The Indian 
 village now became exposed to view but no Indians were to 
 be seen. The river, narrow but deep, lay between the army 
 and the village, and the main part of Duncan's army remained 
 on the island until scows were found in which they were 
 ferried across." 
 
 Black Hawk says : ' ' We crossed the river during the 
 night and encamped some distance below Rock Island." He 
 .said he would have remained and been taken prisoner by the 
 regulars but that he " was afraid of the multitude of pale- 
 faced militia, who were on horseback, as they were inider no 
 restraint of their chiefs." 
 
 THE SACKING OF THE TOWN. 
 
 The Illinois militia had come to fight Indians and when 
 they found the rednien gone became determined to be avenged 
 upon something. Shortly after they reached the Indian vil- 
 lage it began to rain and soon the rain descended in torrents, 
 but instead of seeking the shelter of the Indian wigwams 
 the troops commenced setting fire to the houses. Soon the 
 frail dwellings were wrapped in flames and in less than one 
 hour's time almost every wigwam in the village was in ashes. 
 Governor Ford who was present said : ' ' And thus perished 
 an ancient village which had once been the delightful home 
 of six or seven thousand Indians ; where generation after 
 generation had been born, had died and been buried ; where 
 the old men had taught wisdom to the young ; whence the 
 Indian youth had often gone out in parties to hunt or to war, 
 and returned in triumph to dance around the spoils of the 
 forest, or the scalps of their enemies ; and where the dark- 
 eyed Indian maidens, by their presence and charms, had made 
 it a scene of delightful enchantment to many an admiring 
 warrior." 
 
 57 
 
THE STAMPEDE. 
 
 The army spent the night at the Indian town, the regulars, 
 however, going back to the fort. On the morning of June 21 
 General Duncan marched his army to the Mississippi River 
 and encamped on the exact spot where the City of Rock 
 Island is now located, the camp extending from where the 
 Rock Island Railway Company's freight depot is now located 
 down to where the present ferry dock stands. 
 
 The horses, some sixteen hundred, were pastured in the 
 bend of the river below and a strong guard placed around 
 them. During the second night a steamboat came up the 
 river and when opposite where the horses were kept com- 
 menced blowing its whistle. This unnatural noise at night so 
 frightened the animals that they broke loose and stampeded, 
 and it was with difficulty that their guards escaped being 
 trampled to death. The frightened animals ran out on the 
 prairies, up and down both river banks, and it was several 
 days before they could be recovered, some few however being 
 lost. 
 
 BLACK HAWK SIGNS THE TREATY. 
 
 General Gaines on the 22d sent a notice to Black Hawk that 
 if he did not come to Fort Armstrong he would come after 
 him with his army. In a few days a few of the Indians 
 appeared but not Black Hawk. Gaines then sent a peremptory 
 order to the chief and in a few days Black Hawk and his 
 chiefs and headmen to the number of twenty-eight appeared 
 at Fort Armstrong, and on June 30th, 1831, a new treaty was 
 signed by which the British band of Sacs again agreed to 
 make their homes on the west side of the Mississippi and 
 never to cross such river, except with the consent of the 
 President of the United States or of the Governor of Illinois. 
 Black Hawk signed this treaty and then for the first time 
 ratified, against his will, the treaty of 1804. This treaty was 
 signed by General Gaines and Governor Reynolds for the 
 United States, and by Black Hawk and twenty-seven chiefs 
 and warriors for the Sacs and Foxes. The volunteer army 
 was not satisfied with the result of this campaign and called 
 
 58 
 
the treaty a "Corn Treaty" because General Gaines had 
 given to the destitute Indians corn to keep them from starv- 
 ing. The army was disbanded on July 2d, and the men 
 returned to their homes. Not a man was injured or killed, 
 either by accident or by the Indians ; nor did any die of 
 disease. This ended the first Black Hawk campaign. 
 
 For a long time after the signing of this treaty there was 
 considerable discu.ssion and much feeling over the question 
 whether Generals Gaines and Duncan knew that Black Hawk 
 and his Indians had deserted their village on the night of the 
 19th of June. Thomas Ford, afterwards Governor of Illinois, 
 who was a militia volunteer and marched ahead with the 
 spies, said : 
 
 Gaines and Duncan had reason to believ-e before the 
 commencement of the march from the camp on the Missis- 
 sippi, that the Indians had departed from their village ; that 
 measures had been taken to ascertain the fact before the 
 volunteers crossed to Vandruff's Island ; General Duncan, in 
 company with the advanced guard, following the spies, pre- 
 ceded the main army in crossing, and that this will account 
 for the want of order and confusion in the march of the 
 troops." When the militia arrived opposite the Sac village 
 the greatest confusion reigned in their midst. George S. 
 Miller, a resident of this county, acted as guide, and when it 
 became known that the Indians were not in the village, 
 General Duncan began to reprimand Miller for not letting 
 him know that the main river was on the north side of Vand- 
 ruff's Island. Miller cursed him to his face at the head of 
 his troops for refusing his services as a guide when offered 
 the night before, and also censured him for not giving infor- 
 mation which he had refused to receive, which inclines me 
 to the belief that both Generals Gaines and Duncan knew 
 that the Indians had departed. 
 
 As witnesses to this treaty we find the names of two Rock 
 Island settlers, Joseph Danforth and Benjamin F. Pike. 
 
 59 
 
COLONKL GKORGK UAVJvNPORT. 
 
Part III 
 
 The Black Hawk War, The Turkey Scare, Black 
 Hawk Again Invades the Rock River Country, 
 The Governor's Proclamation, Rock Island Set- 
 tlers who were Soldiers in the War, End of the 
 War, List of Settlers. 
 
Part III 
 
 THE SECOND CAMPAIGN. 
 
 Black Hawk with his band now removed to Iowa near the 
 mouth of the Des Moines River, at the site of the abandoned 
 Fort Madison. Neapope, second in command, took a trip to 
 Maiden, Canada, and upon his return in the fall of 1831 told 
 Black Hawk that he would receive assistance from the Brit- 
 ish. The Prophet, who had great influence over Black 
 Hawk, also sent word that the Ottawas, Chippewas, Potta- 
 watomies and Winnebagoes would be with him and would 
 render aid. Black Hawk after receiving these messages said: 
 "We are to be happy once more." Black Hawk now 
 directed all his efforts to getting together his warriors in 
 anticipation of his march to his old village and its occupation, 
 and prepared for an attack by the Americans should they 
 again undertake to drive him away. The army through spies 
 was kept informed of Black Hawk's actions, and early in 
 April Keokuk sent to Fort Armstrong a warning that Black 
 Hawk was about to commence his march to retake his old 
 village. 
 
 Again messengers were sent out from Fort Armstrong to 
 warn the settlers of their danger and advising them to seek 
 shelter at once either at Fort Armstrong or in the stockade 
 which had been erected around the trading store of Daven- 
 port & Farnham. The most daring and persevering of these 
 messengers was Judge John W. Spencer. On foot he traveled 
 as far as Dixon, going from cabin to cabin sounding the 
 alarm and advising the settlers to seek protection. We can- 
 not realize today the wild excitement and dread despair the 
 news of an Indian uprising caused among our pioneer set- 
 tlers. Few if any had horses to use in carrying their families 
 and goods. Oxen were the beasts of burden and the settlers 
 
 63 
 
were obliged to take what little they could and carry it on 
 their persons. John Wakefield, in his history of the Black 
 Hawk War written in 1834, gives an amusing sketch of the 
 excitement attendant upon the news of an expected Indian 
 attack. He .says: "In the eastern part of the state the 
 people were as much alarmed as in the northwest. During 
 one of the many false alarms that ' The Indians are coming' 
 a family was living near the Iroquois River that had no 
 horses but a large family of small children. The father and 
 mother each took a child and the rest were directed to follow 
 on foot as fast as po.ssible. The eldest daughter also carried 
 one of the children that was not able to keep up. They fled 
 to the river where they had to cross. The father had to 
 carry over all the children at different times as the stream 
 was high and so rapid the mother and daughter could not 
 stem the current with such a- burden. When they all, as they 
 thought, had got over they started when the cry of poor little 
 Susan was heard on the oppo.site bank a.sking if they were 
 not going to take her with them. The frightened father 
 again prepared to plunge into the strong current for his child 
 when the mother, seeing it, cried out : ' Never mind Susan ! 
 We have succeeded in getting ten over which is more than 
 we expected at first and we can better spare Susan than you, 
 my dear.' So poor Susan, who was only about four years old, 
 was left to the mercy of the frightful savages." But poor 
 little Susan came off unhurt, as one of the neighbors who was 
 out hunting came along and took charge of her. 
 
 64 
 
THE TURKEY SCARE. 
 
 All the settlers in this vicinity had come to Fort Armstrong 
 and taken quarters there or in the stockade, both of which 
 were overcrowded. After the first scare, the settlers wanted 
 to go back to their farms and do their spring planting. 
 Captain Bliss, who commanded at the fort, yielded to their 
 request, and arranged with them a signal of alarm in case 
 they or any of them should be attacked, or were in imminent 
 danger of an attack, which signal was that they should " fire 
 off a gun." When such gun was fired, every one should flee 
 to the Island. April 7 Joshua Vandruff and Hackley Samms, 
 while crossing Vandruff island, saw a flock of wild turkeys. 
 They could not resist the temptation and, creeping within 
 range, fired their guns at the flock, each man bringing down 
 his bird. The noise of the two guns could be heard all over 
 the settlement and it caused the greatest excitement, filling 
 the hearts of the settlers with terror. Mothers caught their 
 children and fled towards the fort. Those who had horses 
 and were plowing, hastily unhitched the animals, loaded their 
 families upon the horses and started towards the fort. It is 
 said some of the settlers fled pell-mell, leaving their families 
 to take care of themselves. Vandruff and Samms soon 
 realized their mistake, especially Joshua, when he encountered 
 his wife and their ten children running towards the fort. 
 When the settlers reached the Mississippi they crowded the 
 few skiffs tied to the shore and some came near being 
 drowned. Captain Bliss had heard the gunshots and hastily 
 called together a company of his regulars and started to meet 
 the Indians, while Phil Kearney, who was left in command of 
 the fort, began preparing it for a siege. Bliss and his men 
 got nearly to Rock River when they met Vandruff and 
 Samms running after the fleeing settlers trying to explain the 
 mistake. When these two told the captain "how it hap- 
 pened," it is said the air became impregnated with sulphur 
 so loud and vehemently did that warrior swear. For many 
 years afterwards the ' ' turkey scare ' ' was a tender spot with 
 Vandruff and Samms. 
 
 65 
 
BLACK HAWK STARTS. 
 
 The 6th of April, 1832, Black Hawk, with about 1,000 
 Indians, including warriors, women, old men and children, 
 together with all their possessions, crossed the Mississippi at 
 Yellow Banks (Oquawka) and leisurely proceeded up the east 
 bank of the river to Rock River and thence up that river to 
 his old village where he" camped the night of April 12. The 
 next morning he started for the Prophet's village with the 
 intention, as he said, " to make corn." There is and always 
 has been a question whether Black Hawk, when he crossed 
 the Mississippi River and invaded Illinois in 1832, intended 
 attacking the Americans, or whether he intended going to the 
 Prophet's village merely to raise a crop. If he wanted merely 
 to raise a crop he could have done that as easily at the mouth 
 of the Des Moines River as at Prophetstown. From Black 
 Hawk's biography we learn that the trip to Prophetstown 
 was part of his plan to again get control of the site of his 
 ancient village and his cornfields. He tells us that while at 
 the Des Moines ' ' I concluded that I had better keep my band 
 together, and recruit as many more as possible, so that I 
 would be prepared to make the attempt to rescue my village 
 in the spring." He then, as he says, " tried to recruit braves 
 from Keokuk's band," and " requested my people to rendez- 
 vous at that place, and sent out soldiers to bring in the 
 warriors, and stationed my sentinels in a position to prevent 
 any from moving up until all were ready." 
 
 The taking with him his women, children and old men 
 would indicate that he did not on that trip contemplate war, 
 as no Indian war party ever carries with it the women or 
 children. Black Hawk undoubtedly intended taking his 
 women and children to the Prophet's village, there to leave 
 them to make a crop, and during the summer continue his 
 recruiting and possibly in the fall make his attack upon the 
 Americans. For had he intended going to war at once he 
 would have stopped at his village and there made his 
 defense. 
 
 At Yellowbanks the Prophet had met Black Hawk, and 
 made a talk to his braves, telling them "that as long as 
 they were peaceable the Americans would not dare molest 
 
 66 
 
them. That wc were not yet ready to act otherwise. We 
 imist wait until we ascend Rock River and receiv^e our 
 reinforcements and we will then be able to withstand an 
 army." 
 
 GENICRAL ATKINvSON COMEvS TO FORT 
 ARMSTRONG. 
 
 June v^l, ISM, a war part}^ of nearly 100 vSacs and Foxes 
 had attacked a camp of Menominees situated about one half 
 a mile about Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien and killed 
 twenty-five. Black Hawk says the killed were Sioux and 
 Menominees. Between the former and the Sacs and Foxes 
 there had always been a bitter and hostile feeling. April 1, 
 General Henry Atkinson, then commanding Jefferson Bar- 
 racks at St. Louis, received orders to proceed up the Missis- 
 sippi and demand from the Sacs and Foxes the principals 
 engaged in the murder of the Menominees. Atkinson left St. 
 Louis April 8, with six companies of the Sixth Regiment, 220 
 men accompanying the expedition. Albert Sidney Johnson, 
 afterwards a Confederate general, was a second lieutenant in 
 this command. 
 
 April 10, Atkinson's army reached the Des Moines rapids, 
 where they were informed that Black Hawk and his warriors 
 were marching up the river. The army now hastened to Fort 
 Armstrong, arriving there the night of the 12th. The 13th, 
 General Atkinson called the Indians then in that vicinity to 
 the fort. Among those who came were Keokuk and Wapello. 
 Atkinson demanded the murderers of the Menominees and 
 these two disclaimed any part in that affair. General Atkin- 
 son then started for Fort Crawford and also sent out mes- 
 sengers to warn the settlers of Black Hawk's coming. On 
 the 19th of the month General Atkinson returned to Fort 
 Armstrong. Accompanying him was Lieutenant Colonel 
 Zachary Taylor, afterwards President of the United States, 
 and two companies of the First Infantry. Before leaving Fort 
 Armstrong, General Atkinson had sent a letter to Governor 
 Reynolds asking for state aid. 
 
 After Black Hawk passed his old village. General Atkinson 
 sent Captain Phil Kearney up Rock River after him, with 
 
 67 
 
orders for Black Hawk to return and recross the Mississippi, 
 which order Black Hawk refused to obey, claiming his mis- 
 sion was a peaceful one. 
 
 The news that Black Hawk and his warriors were again 
 marching up Rock River alarmed the whole northern frontier 
 and the Governor daih^ received messages and messengers. 
 George Davenport, the Indian trader on Rock Island, had 
 before General Gaines' arrival written him : ' ' From every 
 information I have received, I am of the opinion that the 
 intention of the British band of Sac Indians is to commit 
 depredations on the inhabitants of the frontier." 
 
 THE GOVERNOR "S PROCLAMATION. 
 
 April 16 Governor Reynolds received General Atkinson's 
 letter, asking the assistance of the state militia. Promptly 
 on the same day the Governor issued the following pro- 
 clamation : 
 
 "TO THE MILITIA OF THE NORTHWESTERN 
 SECTION OF THE vSTATE. 
 
 Fellow Citizens : 
 
 " Your country requires your services. The Indians have 
 assumed a hostile attitude and have invaded the state in vio- 
 lation of the treaty of last summer. The British band of Sacs 
 and other hostile Indians, headed by Black Hawk, are in 
 possession of the Rock River country to the great terror of 
 the frontier inhabitants. I consider the settlers on the 
 frontier to be in imminent danger. I am in possession of the 
 above information from gentlemen of respectable standing, 
 and also from General Atkinson, who.se character stands high 
 with all classes. In possession of the above facts and infor- 
 mation, I have not hesitated as to the course I should pursue. 
 No citizen ought to remain inactive when his country is 
 invaded, and the helpless part of the community are in dan- 
 ger. I have called out a strong detachment of militia to 
 rendezvous at Beardstown on the 2 2d inst. Provisions for the 
 men and food for the horses will be furnished in abundance. 
 
 68 
 
I hope my countrymen will realize my expectations and offer 
 their services, as heretofore, with promptitude and cheerful- 
 ness, in defence of their country." 
 
 The season was wet and backward, and the farmers had 
 been delayed in their work but, as in the year 1831, volun- 
 teers were eager and willing to offer their services, many of 
 the most influential men in the state enlisting and many who 
 neither had horses or could procure them marching on foot. 
 
 April 11 the militia left Rushville and marched to Yellow 
 Banks (Oquawka) from whence they marched up the Missis- 
 sippi to the mouth of Rock River which they reached May 7. 
 General Atkinson mustered the troops into the service of the 
 United States, and May 9 they commenced their march up Rock 
 River. Before marching Governor Reynolds engaged the 
 services of Thomas Kenney, a Rock Island settler as a guide, 
 Mr. Kenney being able to understand a little of the Sac 
 language. In the march up the river General Whiteside with 
 part of the army marched on the east bank while the rest of 
 the army, under General Atkinson, came up the river in flat 
 boats. 
 
 69 
 
A ROCK ISLAND COMPANY. 
 
 It seems the martial spirit of the citizens of Rock Island 
 County was not stilled or satisfied by the march of the Rock 
 River Rangers in 1831 from Fort Armstrong to the Watch 
 Tower, for in 1832 we find one company enrolled in the ser- 
 vice where every member save one was from Rock Island 
 County, that one being a brother of the captain, and he came 
 from Adams County to enlist under his brother. The follow- 
 ing is from the rolls as corrected and now on file in the War 
 Department at Washington : 
 
 Name and Rank 
 
 Residence 
 
 Enrolled 
 
 Remarks 
 
 CAPTAIN 
 
 
 1832 
 
 
 John W. Kenney - -- 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 FIRST LIEUTENANT 
 
 
 
 
 Joseph Danforth 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 PRIVATES 
 
 
 
 
 Davis, Thomas 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Danforth, Manly .... 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 July 1 
 
 
 Danforth, Samuel . . . 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 Mav 20 
 
 
 Kenney, Samuel .... 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 On Furlough 
 
 Kenney, Thomas. . . . 
 
 Adams Co 
 
 June 12 
 
 
 McGee, Gentry 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 McNeal, Henrv .... 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 Mav 20 
 
 
 McNeal, Neel 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 July 1 
 
 
 Maskal, James 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Smith, Martin 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Samms, William H. . 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 July 1 
 
 
 Thompson, Joel . . . - 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Thompson, William . 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Wells, Ira 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 Rock Island Co. 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 Mav 20 
 May 20 
 May 20 
 
 
 Wells, Eri 
 
 
 Wells, Asaph 
 
 
 Wells, Nelson 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Wells, Rannah 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 Mav 20 
 
 
 Wells, Joel, Jr 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Wells, Joel, Sr 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 Wells, Luke, Sr 
 
 Rock Island Co. 
 
 May 20 
 
 
 70 
 
This company was part of an odd mounted battalion, com- 
 manded by Major Samuel Bogart, and was called into the 
 service of the United States on the requisition of General 
 Atkinson, by the Governor's proclamation dated May 20, 
 1832. It was mustered out September 4, 1832 at Macomb. 
 
 The companies composing this odd battalion were Captains 
 Peter Butter's of Warren County, John W. Kenney's of Rock 
 Island County, James White of Hancock County, John Sain's 
 of Fulton County, William McMurty's of Knox County and 
 Asel F. Ball's of Fulton County. It is impossible to learn 
 just what duty the battalion did to which the Rock Island 
 company was assigned. Reynolds in "My Own Times" 
 says: "On the 12th of June I ordered a battalion to be 
 organized and to elect their officers, to guard the frontiers 
 between the Mississippi and Peoria on the north of Illinois 
 River. Samuel Bogart was elected major of the battalion." 
 
 After being mustered into the service at Fort Armstrong, 
 the Rock Island company joined Colonel Moore's regiment 
 which had been recruited in \'ermilion and neighboring 
 counties, and marched up Rock River to Dixon. From there 
 it was assigned to guard duty on the frontier. From another 
 authority I learn that it did guard duty on the frontier, drew 
 its rations dail}^ ate heartily, played euchre and received the 
 remunerative sum of 86 cents per day for each man and his 
 horse. Samuel Bogart; the major of the odd battalion to 
 which Kenney's company was attached, was before enlist- 
 ment a merchant in McDonough County. 
 
 71 
 
OTHER ROCK ISLAND SOLDIERS. 
 
 Rock Island County furnished more soldiers than those 
 given in Captain John W. Kenney's company. I have been 
 able to trace but few owing to the fact that the rolls are by 
 no means complete. A large number joined the state militia 
 and were never sworn into the United States service, con- 
 sequently no record was kept and their names will remain 
 forever unknown. I have frequently heard certain of our old 
 citizens claim to have been in the Black Hawk War, and have 
 made diligent search for their names. I give in this sketch 
 only such names as appear on record in the reports of the 
 War Department. 
 
 AH enlistments were from twenty to thirty days and a 
 great many enlisted in another company on the same day that 
 their term of enlistment in one company expired. 
 
 ROSWELL H. SPENCER. 
 
 Roswell H. Spencer was a brother of Judge John W. Spen- 
 cer and was one of the very early settlers. He seems to have 
 been an ardent patriot, having three enlistments to his credit, 
 serving out each enlistment, and upon his term of service 
 expiring again enlisting in a new company. He enlisted 
 first in Captain Thomas Carlin's company which belonged to 
 what was known as the spy battalion. He was enrolled May 
 10 at Rock Island, and mustered out May 27 at the mouth of 
 the Fox River. He again enlisted May 27, 1832, in Captain 
 A. W. Snyder's company and was mustered out of service 
 June 21, at Dixon's Ferry on Rock River. The same day we 
 find him again enlisting in Captain Jacob M. Early's com- 
 pany and he was mustered out on White Water River on 
 Rock River, July 10, 1832, by order of Brigadier General 
 Atkinson, U. S. Army. This was one of the companies in 
 which Abraham Lincoln served as a private. 
 
 72 
 
AT KKTJ.OOO'vS GROVE. 
 
 After Stil|inan"s defeat, Captain Snyder's company was 
 sent to Galena, whence it went to Kellog-g's Grove, where 
 were several log houses that the company used for their ciuar- 
 ters. The night of June 15 several Indians were seen lurking 
 around, one of the sentinels having an encounter with one. 
 The morning of the 16th, Captain Snyder marched his com- 
 pany in pursuit of the Indians. F*or twenty miles they 
 followed a circuitous trail which brought them almost back to 
 their starting place. Here four Indians were seen, and Sny- 
 der's company commenced the attack; all the Indians were 
 killed, and one of Snyder's men. On their return to the 
 ])lock houses they were fired on by a large body of Indians, 
 and two more of the company were killed. Snyder's com- 
 pany now entered into a general engagement and after several 
 hours of battle the Indians withdrew. The loss to Snyder's 
 company was three killed and several wounded. With Spen- 
 cer in this battle were Lucius and John Wells of this county. 
 Serving as privates in this company were Joseph Gillespie, 
 Pierre Menard, Richard Roman, James Semple, General 
 Samuel Whiteside and other distinguished men. Stephenson 
 County has erected on the battle ground a fitting memorial to 
 mark the spot. 
 
 THE WELLS FAMILY. 
 
 The Wells family seems to have been a family of fighters. 
 We find eleven of them enrolled in the company of Rock 
 River Rangers in 1831, and in 1832 we find eight of these 
 enrolled in Captain Kenney's company. Lucius Wells and 
 John Wells were with Spencer in Captain A. W. Snyder's 
 company and were present and participated in the battle of 
 Kellogg's Grove. Samuel Wells was also a member of Cap- 
 tain Seth Pratt's company of Illinois \'olunteer Militia, 
 stationed at Fort Armstrong, in the service of the United 
 States from April 21 to June 3, 1832. 
 
REDDISH, THE TUNNELS AND EAMES. 
 
 In Captain Thomas Carlin's company we find enrolled with 
 Roswell H. Spencer, John Reddish, who enlisted at Rock 
 Island May 10 ; Luther Tunnel and William Tunnel, who 
 were also enrolled that day. The records show that the night 
 of May 22 Luther Tunnel lost his horse, account "affright of 
 horses," there being a stampede that night. This company 
 was part of an odd battalion of spies, commanded by Major 
 D. Henry of the brigade of mounted volunteers commanded 
 by Brigadier General Samuel Whiteside. It was mustered out 
 of the service of the United States at the mouth of Fox River 
 on the Illinois River May 27, 1832, and as the company was 
 originally mustered in at Carrolton, the men were discharged 
 two hundred and thirty miles from the place of their enroll- 
 ment. 
 
 John Reddish was also in Captain Samuel Smith's com- 
 pany, serving from May 27 to June 15. 
 
 Charles Eames, who was sheriff of this county from 1837 to 
 1839, was a member of Captain Enoch Duncan's company of 
 Mounted Riflemen, commanded by Colonel H. Dodge. He 
 enlisted in company with his brother May 19, 1832. He was 
 mustered out of the service September 14, by Lieutenant J, 
 R. Gardiner, U. S. Army, by order of Brigadier General 
 Gardiner, U. S. Army, by order of Brigadier General H. 
 Atkinson. 
 
 74 
 
CAPTAIN SKTH PRATT'S COMPANY. 
 
 I find a company of Illinois volunteer militia was stationed 
 at Fort Armstrong and was in the service of the United States 
 from April 21 to June 3, 1832, when it was mustered out. 
 This company did garrison duty. The records say it was 
 composed of men from Rock Island and adjacent counties, 
 but I have been unable to place but one, he being Samuel 
 Wells. The roster of the company is : 
 
 Captain : Seth Pratt. 
 
 Lieutenants: John M. Crabtree, Joseph Leister. 
 
 Sergeants: vSiinpson Stewart, William B. Sisk, Elihu Sparks, Abra- 
 ham Crabtree. 
 
 Corporals : James Stockton, George Yates, James Keller, James 
 Curr}^, Thomas Burton. 
 
 Fifer : James Carr. 
 
 Gordon Acton 
 Nathan Bradbury 
 Henry Brantly 
 C. Birdwell 
 Isaac Booth 
 Daniel Brock 
 Amos Bradley 
 John Bradshaw 
 John M. Bohvare 
 Henry Castlebury 
 Stephen L. Cooper 
 John Davis 
 Samuel Smith 
 
 PRIVATES 
 
 Henry Ford 
 William Foster 
 Isaac Gulliher 
 Par n ell Hamilton 
 Harrison Hunlj- 
 William Hopper 
 Alfred Jackson 
 Jonathan Leighton 
 Nicholas Long 
 James M. Low 
 Iredell Lawrence 
 Martin Langston 
 Samuel Wells 
 
 Larkin B. Langston 
 John Letcher 
 Henry Melton 
 Francis McConnell 
 Frederick McDanial 
 James New 
 Wm. C. Overstreet 
 John Pervine » 
 William Pointer 
 Jonathan Russ 
 Andrew Smothers 
 Isaac Schmick 
 
 Benjamin Gobel in his reminiscenses speaks of joining a 
 company and doing guard duty at the fort, but I do not find 
 his name on the roster. 
 
 At the commencement of hostilities, Governor Edwards of 
 Illinois appointed George Davenport one of the quarter- 
 masters, his commission giving him the rank of colonel. 
 
 75 
 
THE END OF THE WAR. 
 
 The march of the army up Rock River, the defeat of Major 
 Stilhiian's command, the Indian Creek massacre, the battle 
 on the Pecatonica, attack on Apple River Fort, at Kellogg' s 
 Grove, and other minor skirmishes fast followed one another, 
 but as none of these are connected with Rock Island County, 
 I leave to the reader the pleasure of reading the histories of 
 the Black Hawk War. 
 
 The M. of August, 1832, the slaughter of the Sacs on the 
 Mississippi at the mouth of the Bad-Axe virtually ended 
 the Black Hawk War. Reynolds in referring to this final 
 engagement says : ' ' Although the warriors fought with the 
 courage and valor of desperation, yet the conflict resembled 
 more a carnage than a regular battle. ' ' Another noted author- 
 ity calls it "a dishonorable chapter in the history of the 
 borders." Out of the band of nearly one thousand Indians 
 wdio crossed the Mississippi at Yellow Banks in April, not 
 more than one hundred and fifty lived to tell the story. The 
 American loss in this war was about two hundred and fifty. 
 The financial cost to the government and the State of Illinois 
 was nearly $2,000,000. 
 
 On the 1 7th of August the captured Black Hawk was 
 delivered to the Americans by two Winnebagoes. He was 
 kept that winter at Jefferson Barracks and in April, 1833, 
 was sent as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe where he was con- 
 fined until June 4, when he was discharged. After visiting 
 the principal cities in the east he returned west, locating on a 
 small reservation on the Des Moines River in Davis County, 
 Iowa, where he died October 3, 1838. The following year 
 his remains were stolen, and in the spring of 1840 Governor 
 Lucas succeeded in recovering them and caused the skeleton 
 to be delivered at the then capitol at Burlington. When the 
 capitol was removed to Iowa City, the remains were taken 
 there. January 16, 1855, they were destroyed by fire. 
 
 The final treaty was concluded September 21, 1832. The 
 treaty says: "Concluded at Fort Armstrong," but in con- 
 sequence of cholera then raging at the fort, the treaty was 
 held on the Wi.sconsin side of the Mississippi, now the State 
 of Iowa. It was signed on the spot of ground upon which 
 
 76 
 
Antoine LeClaire's residence was built and the site has 
 been appropriately marked by a monument erected by the 
 Davenport Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. 
 Among the witnesses to this treaty were " Antoine LeClaire, 
 interpreter ; Benjamin F. Pike, John W. Spencer and 
 George Davenport, Assistant Quarter Master General 
 Illinois Militia." 
 
 Black Hawk has been greatly censured and abused, and, by 
 some few, praised. We can better judge him today than could 
 those whose interests and sympathies during the times from 
 1828 to 1832 may have been of a personal nature. 
 
 At the time of the Black Hawk War in 1832, Black Hawk 
 was sixty-tive years old. After losing his village and lands, 
 after defeat in war, when but few of his people had escaped 
 the white man's bullet, after being held a prisoner for some 
 months, and upon his release and restoration to freedom, this 
 savage who fought for his country said to one of his con- 
 querors : "Rock River was a beautiful country. I like 
 my towns, my cornfields and the home of my people. I 
 fought for it ; it is now yours. It will produce you good 
 crops." What white man could sa}^ more? Black Hawk 
 was truly the last defender of Illinois. 
 
 It was not ni}^ intention to enter into a detailed account of 
 the Black Hawk War. My aim was to put together as many 
 of the facts regarding that war as were of local interest and 
 try to give to Rock Island County and her citizens such 
 credit as is their due for the part they took in that affair. 
 
 77 
 
ROCK ISLAND SETTLERS IN 1832. 
 
 The following is a list of settlers of this county, as com- 
 plete as I have been able to make from the data that I have 
 found, in the spring of 1832. Just previous to the breaking 
 out of the war in 1832, there was (luite an increase of set- 
 tlers, many of whom left. Some stayed during the war and 
 then left and I have not been able to learn their names. 
 
 Aubury, Griffith 
 Allen, Archibald 
 Bain, John L. 
 Barrel, John 
 Bartlett, Michael 
 Burner, Edward 
 Brasher, William T. 
 Benson, Henry 
 Been, Joseph 
 BrN^ant, Leonard 
 Case, Jonah H. 
 Case, Louden, Sr. 
 Case, Louden, Jr. 
 Case, Charles H. 
 Cook, Horace 
 Clark, B. W. 
 Corbin, Edward 
 Carr, William 
 Culver, Martin 
 Danforth, Manly 
 Dan forth, Joseph 
 Davis, Thomas 
 Dance, Russel 
 Davenport, George 
 Davidson, Thomas 
 Frith, Isaiah 
 French, Charles 
 Farnham, Russel 
 Gardiner, Thomas 
 Goble, Benjamin 
 Gouqu}', Antoine 
 
 Graft, John 
 Haskill, James 
 Harlan, George W. 
 Hultz, Uriah S. 
 Hubbard, Thomas 
 Hubbard, Goodridge 
 Henderson, Cyrus 
 Hail, David E. 
 Henry, William 
 Heans, William 
 Hulls, M. S. 
 
 Haney, 
 
 Johnson, Moses 
 Kinney, John W. 
 Kinney, vSamuel 
 Kinney, Thomas 
 Kent, Erastus 
 Lovitt, Thomas 
 McCoy, Joseph 
 McNeil, Henry 
 Miller, George V. 
 McGee, Gentry 
 McNeil, Neel 
 Maskal, James 
 Noble, Ames C. 
 Pence, Judge 
 Pike, Benjamin 
 Reddish, John 
 Syms, Thomas 
 Syms, Robert 
 
 Sams, William F. 
 Smith, Martin W. 
 Stringfield, Sevier 
 Smart, Josiah 
 Sampson, H. 
 vSpencer, John W. 
 Spencer, Roswell H. 
 Thompson, William 
 Thompson, Joel 
 Tunnell, Luther 
 Tunnell, William 
 Vandruff, Joshua 
 Vandruff, Henry 
 Vandruff, Samuel 
 Vanetta, Benjamin 
 Yanetta, Gorham 
 Varner, Edward 
 Wells, Levi 
 Wells, George 
 Wells, Joel, Sr. 
 Wells, Joel, Jr. 
 Wells, Huntington 
 Wells, John 
 Wells, Samuel 
 Wells, Rinnah 
 Wells, Asaph 
 Wells, Eri 
 Wells, Ira 
 Wells, Nelson 
 Wells, Lucius 
 
 The Kinney s above mentioned are the same whose names 
 in the ro.ster of the War Department are given as Kenney. 
 
 78 
 
BLACK HAWK. 
 
Part IV 
 
 Fort Armstrong — Its Erection in iSi6, x^ttempted 
 Capture, Roster of its Commandants, The Powder 
 Plot, As it Appeared in 1829, "^"^^^ Burning of the 
 Fort in 1855. 
 
Part IV 
 
 FORT ARMSTRONG. 
 
 The treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814, ended the war of 
 1812, but the failure of the American arms on the Upper 
 Mississippi, the defeat and disaster of our three river expedi- 
 tions by the Indians in that year, spread a feeling of gloom 
 and uncertainty over all the settlers in the then northwest 
 country. The Pre-emption Act of Congress, however, had 
 the effect of causing the tide of emigration to set into Illinois. 
 In order to afford our settlers better protection the War 
 Department decided to erect a number of forts on the Upper 
 Mississippi, at such points where they would prove the most 
 serviceable. 
 
 In his letter dated September 5, 1805, to General James 
 Wilkinson, L,ieutenant Pike says: "l have chosen three 
 places for militar}^ establishments." None of these, however, 
 was on the island of Rock Island. Yet Pike describes the site 
 of Fort Armstrong as one that is suitable, if objection is 
 made to the one chosen being on the west side of the river, 
 and says there is " no water but that of the Mississippi." 
 
 During the war of 1812 the country around the mouth of 
 Rock River had been the seat of most of the Indian trouble. 
 Here was the leader of the Indians in this section of the 
 country, and here was the largest Indian village, and its 
 inhabitants were unfriendly to the Americans. 
 
 In September, 1815, the Eighth United States Infantry, un- 
 der command of Colonel R. C. Nichols, left St. Louis for the 
 upper river to locate and build a fort somewhere near the 
 mouth of Rock River in the then Indian country, so that 
 white settlers might have protection from the numerous tribes 
 who had, previous to this, been incited against the Americans 
 by the British soldiers and traders. In November the expedi- 
 
 81 
 
tion had only reached the Des Moines River, where it went 
 into winter quarters. During the winter Colonel Nichols was 
 placed under arrest and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel William 
 Lawrence, major of the regiment, was placed in charge. In 
 April, 1816, Brevet Brigadier General Thomas A. Smith, colo- 
 nel of the rifle regiment, arrived with his regiment and took 
 command. The expedition proceeded up the river, arriving 
 at the mouth of Rock River early in May. The foot of 
 the island of Rock Island was selected as the site for the fort 
 and May 10 the troops were landed on the island and set to 
 work cutting trees and quarrying rock. General Smith 
 remained on the island only until proper shelter, protection 
 and defense had been prepared for the troops and then with 
 his rifle regiment went up the river to Prairie du Chien. 
 Before leaving General Smith sent a messenger to the Sacs 
 and Foxes at their village on Rock River inviting them to a 
 council, but they refused to come. 
 
 The Eighth Infantry under Colonel Lawrence proceeded 
 with the construction of the fort which, when completed, was 
 named Fort Armstrong, in honor of General John Armstrong, 
 then Secretary of War. The fort was 400 feet square, the 
 lower half of the walls being of stone and the upper half of 
 hewn logs. At the northeast, southeast and southwest 
 angles block houses were built. The fort was at the extreme 
 northwest angle, the corner of the fort being about 200 feet 
 from the island end of the present bridge. 
 
 About the time the fort was completed the Indians began 
 crossing to the i.sland and would watch the soldiers in its con- 
 struction. They would often sing and go through some of 
 their dances to amuse the soldiers, and the latter began to 
 think that the Indians were peaceful. The Hon. Bailey 
 Davenport described an incident during this time that shows 
 that the Indians had not become reconciled to the erecting of 
 the fort. He said: "One day a small party came over to 
 dance, and after the dance the colonel in command gave them 
 presents. In a few days after, and while a large number of 
 soldiers were out cutting timber, a large party of warriors, 
 headed by the Ne-ka-le-quat, came over in canoes and landed 
 on the north side of the island, and danced up to the entrance 
 of the encampment, and wanted to enter and dance in front of 
 
 82 
 
the commander's tent. About the same time a large party 
 of warriors was discovered approaching over the ridge from 
 the south side of the island, headed by Keokuk. The colonel 
 immediately ordered the bugle sounded to recall the soldiers 
 from the woods, and had all under arms (about 600) and 
 the cannon run out in front of the entrance, ready to fire. 
 The Indians were ordered not to approach any nearer. The 
 colonel, taking the alarm before Keokuk's party got near 
 enough to rush in, saved the encampment from surprise and 
 massacre." 
 
 Black Hawk does not mention this. In speaking of the 
 building of the fort he said, "We did not, however, try to 
 prevent their building the fort on the island, but we were 
 very sorry, as this was the best island on the Mississippi, and 
 had long been the resort of our young people during the sum- 
 mer. It was our garden (like the white people have near 
 their big villages), which supplied us with strawberries, 
 blackberries, plums, apples, and nuts of various kinds ; and 
 its waters supplied us with pure fish, being situated in the 
 rapids of the river. In my early life I spent many happy 
 days on this island." 
 
 83 
 
ROSTER AT THE FORT. 
 
 The officers and troops stationed at Fort Armstrong from 
 August, 1819 (first return on file), until abandoned May 4, 
 1836, were as follows: 
 
 Commanding Officers 
 
 Lt. Col. Willoughby Morgan 
 Capt. M. Marston 5th Inf. . 
 Capt. S. Burbank, 5th Inf. . 
 Maj. J. H. Vose, 5th Inf. 
 Capt. vS. Burbank, 5th Inf. . 
 Maj. J. 11. Vose, 5th Inf. . . 
 Capt. J. Plvmpton, 5th Inf. . 
 Maj. S. Bnrbank, 5th Inf. . . 
 Capt. J. Green, 3d Inf. . . . 
 Capt. J. vS. Nelson, 3d Inf. . 
 Capt. J. Green, 3d Inf. . . . 
 Capt. John Bliss, 3d Inf. . . 
 Capt. T. J. Beall, 1st Inf. . . 
 Maj. John Bliss, 1st Inf. . . 
 Capt. T. J. Beall, 1st Inf. . . 
 Lieut. A. S. Miller, 1st Inf. . 
 Capt. T. F. Smith, 1st. Inf. . 
 Lt. Col. W. Davenport, 1st Inf. 
 
 1819 
 Aug., 1819 
 June, 1821 
 June, 1823 
 June 4, 1825 
 May 21, 1826 
 Oct. 9, 1827 
 Apr. 28, 1828 
 Apr. 30, 1828 
 June, 1828 
 Aug. 13,1828 
 July 27, 1830 
 July 26, 1831 
 vSept. 2, 1831 
 May 4, 1832 
 Oct. 26, 1832 
 Dec. 2, 1832 
 June 8, 1833 
 
 To 
 
 June, 1821 
 June, 1823 
 June 4, 1825 
 May 21, 1826 
 Oct. 9, 1827 
 Apr. 28, 1828 
 Apr. 30, 1828 
 June, 1828 
 Aug. 13, 1828 
 July 27, 1830 
 July 26, 1831 
 Sept. 2, 1831 
 May 4. 1832 
 Oct. 26, 1832 
 Dec. 2, 1832 
 June 8, 1833 
 May 4, 1836 
 
 Garrison 
 
 Co. F, 
 Co. D, 
 Cos. D 
 Cos. D 
 Cos. E 
 Cos. E 
 Cos. E 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. D 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. C 
 Cos. G 
 
 Inf. 
 Inf. 
 
 5th In'. 
 5th Inf. 
 6t F, 5th 
 & F, 5th 
 & H, 5th Inf. 
 & H, 5th Inf. 
 & II, 5th Inf. 
 & G, 3d Inf. 
 & G, 3d Inf. 
 & G, 3d Inf. 
 & H, 3d Inf. 
 & K, 1st Inf. 
 
 1st Inf. 
 
 1st Inf. 
 
 & K 
 & K 
 
 & K, 1st 
 & K, 
 Cos. G & K, 
 
 Inf. 
 1st Inf. 
 1st Inf. 
 
 May 4, 1836, the fort was evacuated and the troops sent to 
 Fort. Snelling. Eieutenant Colonel William Davenport was 
 in command at that time and he left Lieutenant John Beach 
 of the infantry in charge with a few men to take care of the 
 property. The fort was never re-garrisoned. November, 
 "1836, Lieutenant Beach was ordered away and all the 
 property was removed. From 1836 to 1838, General Street, 
 Indian agent, had charge of the island, and he was succeeded 
 by Colonel George Davenport who had been appointed Indian 
 agent. In 1840 some of the buildings were repaired and an 
 ordnance depot established at the fort, Captain W. R. Shoe- 
 maker having charge until 1845, when the depot was broken 
 up and the goods removed to St. Louis. Thomas L. Drum 
 of Rock Island was custodian from 1845 to 1853. Ordnance 
 Sergeant Cummings was in charge for a short time in 1853 
 and 1854; J. B. Danforth from 1854 to 1857, and H. Y. Sly- 
 maker from 1857 to 1863. 
 
 84 
 
THE POWDKR PLOT. 
 
 Be it truth or fiction there is connected with the history of 
 Fort Armstrong an incident that to my mind possesses more 
 reasons in favor of its being fact than fiction. At the north 
 side of the lower end of the island was a cave, which is now 
 closed. This cave extended quite a way into the island and 
 was directly underneath the main gate of the fort, the eastern 
 end of the present government bridge being over and at its 
 mouth. This cave was sacred to the Sacs. Black Hawk said, 
 "A good spirit had care of it (meaning Rock Island), who 
 lived in a cave in the rocks immediately under the place 
 where the fort now stands, and has often been seen by our 
 people. He was white, with large wings like a swan's, but 
 ten times larger. We were particular not to make much 
 noise in that part of the island which he inhabited for fear 
 of disturbing him. But the noise of the fort has since driven 
 him away, and no doubt a bad spirit has taken his place." 
 
 After the Black Hawk War in 1832, some soldiers happen- 
 ing to enter the cave found three kegs of powder each attached 
 to a fuse. No one seemed to know how these things had 
 come there, but after the war some Indians had said that 
 Black Hawk when he marched up Rock River in April, 1832, 
 stopped overnight at his old village, and during the night of 
 April 12 he, with over two hundred braves, had gone to the 
 island, crossing at the ford between Rock Island and Moline, 
 remaining there nearly- all night. It was said his intention 
 was to see if he could not capture the fort. Black Hawk, in 
 his avitobiography, does not mention this incident, the reason 
 being that his attempt to blow up the fort proved a failure. 
 It is a fact that Black Hawk was on the island that night. 
 Benjamin F. Pike, the captain of the Rock River Rangers in 
 1831, and afterwards sheriff of this county, together with two 
 companions, had been selected to do picket and scout dut>' 
 that night. They took their place near the ford, and some 
 time near midnight saw Black Hawk and his braves cross the 
 slough to the island. They at once ran to the fort and to the 
 stockade and gave the warning. 
 
 The garrison at this time was commanded by Captain Bliss 
 who had with him only two companies of infantry, partly 
 
 85 
 
full, not over eighty men. The stockade around Colonel 
 Davenport's store was filled with settlers and their families 
 and was crowded to its utmost capacity. By an oversight 
 the only well on the premises had not been enclosed in the 
 stockade. Dreading fire from the Indians' fire arrows, every 
 bucket, tub and barrel was hastily filled with water and the 
 anxious settlers momentarily awaited the attack. An old 
 swivel had been brought up from the fort and this was loaded 
 to the brim and placed in front of the gate, where Sergeant 
 Hanchett of the garrison, with a smoldering fire by his side, 
 stood ready to fire it off at the first approach of the enemy. 
 The night was one of terror to the settlers; a drifting rain and 
 pelting hail storm had set in, and the occasional claps of 
 thunder and flashes of lightning but added new alarm to the 
 already frightened women and children. At about 2 o'clock 
 in the morning the firing of cannon was heard from the direc- 
 tion of the fort and those in the stockade believed the attack 
 had commenced, but they were soon apprized that the firing 
 was from the cannon on board the steamer Chieftain, which 
 brought General Atkinson and his regulars from St. Louis. 
 
 It is said that when the people at the stockade heard the 
 firing of cannon and the shouts of the garrison welcoming 
 the reinforcement, they believed it the shouts of triumph of 
 the Indians at the capture of the fort, and Elder Kinney 
 of Rapids City, a devout Presbyterian, advised them all to 
 
 unite in an appeal to God as their only hope of .safety ' ' ; 
 whereupon Antoine Gouquy, Colonel Davenport's French 
 servant, said, " Ze prayer he be good for ze vimmin an ze 
 childer, but he be not wort one cent to fight ze Injins. 
 Wattair, he be bettair zan ze prayer." 
 
 Black Hawk had been with the British so much that he 
 well knew the use of gunpowder. He was in the attack on 
 the fort at Detroit and undoubtedly believed he could with a 
 few kegs of powder blow up the fort at its gate and the rock 
 embankment upon which it stood, and then with his braves 
 rush in on the weak garrison. The Sac chief knew that the 
 fort was but weakly garrisoned. The Prophet had several 
 times attempted to enter its gate, but had been kept out on 
 the orders of Major Bliss, who suspected treachery. The last 
 attempt of the Prophet to enter the fort was but a few days 
 
 86 
 
before Black Hawk's attempt to capture it. He knew that 
 General Atkinson had not arrived and as he went from there 
 down the river and met Black Hawk and his band he certainly 
 communicated to him all the information he had secured. 
 
 Caleb Atwater, who visited the fort in 1829, in writing 
 about it said: "Setting down a pair of compasses large 
 enough to extend thirty-five miles around the lower end of 
 Rock Island and taking a sweep around it, you would have 
 within the circle the handsomest and most delightful spot of 
 the same size on the whole globe, so far as nature can 
 produce anything called beautiful. The island lies in latitude 
 41 degrees 30 minutes, is two miles in length, and contains 
 above two thousand acres of land. The extreme lower end is 
 occupied by Fort Armstrong and the village of Rock Island. 
 After passing through several feet of rich alluvial soil in 
 perforating the earth, you come to limestone rock, which 
 forms the foundation of this island. Passing around this 
 island, which is long and narrow, you everywhere see the 
 rock on which the fort and village stand. The lower end of 
 the island is high and dry above the river, whereas the upper 
 end is overflowed in high waters, and all the upper end of 
 the island is covered with a forest of excellent timber trees. 
 The main channel of the river is on the western side of the 
 island, and that part of the Mississippi is half a mile in width, 
 whereas in a low stage of the water, as when we saw it, the 
 eastern branch of the river is not more than twenty rods wide 
 perhaps, though so deep that it is ferried constantly . from the 
 island to the mainland. When we were there, the ground 
 where the fort stood was twenty feet or more above the sur- 
 face of the river; ten or more feet of it were limestone rock, 
 from the water upwards. The officers have adjoining the fort 
 a most beautiful garden regularly laid out, with graveled 
 walks, in which are cultivated beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, 
 corn, and every vegetable growing in this climate. Nothing 
 could exceed this garden in fruitfulness, and every leaf 
 appeared to shine in luxuriance. The gourd seed corn was 
 fit to roast, the beets had attained a good size, and so had the 
 potatoes, beans and carrots. The village adjoins the fort on 
 the north, and a few families live here, Mr. Davenport, who W 
 keeps a store for the American Fur Company, being a princi- 
 
 87 
 
pal man among them. The sutler has a store here in addition 
 to the company's store. Mr. Davenport is an Englishman, 
 and formerly liv-ed at Cincinnati, where I became acquainted 
 with him. His son-in-law and a few others live on the 
 island. With such persons I was happy to meet in the far 
 west." 
 
 THE BURNING OF THE FORT. 
 
 For thirty-nine years the fort stood as first constructed, 
 and though evacuated and no longer the abode of the soldier 
 since 1836, it was used as a Government warehouse and was 
 a picturesque sight, being an object of interest to all travelers 
 up and down the river as well as to visitors to this locality. 
 
 On Sunday afternoon, October 7, 1855, some vandal set 
 fire to the historic buildings. J. B. Danforth, Jr., agent of 
 the quartermasters department of the army, in charge at that 
 time, in a letter written on the 9th of the month to Major D. 
 H. Vinton, Quartermaster U. S. A. at St. Louis, said, "Sir: 
 The barracks and one block fort at this place were destroyed 
 by fire yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. I was in the city at 
 church at the time the fire originated. I immediately 
 rallied about a hundred men with buckets, and endeavored 
 to quell the flames, but to no purpose. We had no fire 
 engine, and it was impossible to stay the progress of the con- 
 flagration. The buildings were fired by some persons to me 
 unknown, and in the following manner: About thirty kegs 
 of powder had been stored in the magazine by the contractors 
 for the improvement of the rapids, by permission of the 
 Secretary of War. The magazine had several times been 
 broken open and powder stolen. It was then stored in a safe 
 room, or what was believed to be safe, in the barracks. It 
 had all been taken away, except one keg and one or two parts 
 of kegs. Some persons, while I was at church, had broken 
 open a window and ignited a part of a keg of powder, thus 
 causing the loss of the buildings. I have published an adver- 
 tisement (at my own expense) to endeavor to find out the 
 perpetrators of the outrage, which I hope will meet your 
 approval. I send you a copy of my paper, containing the 
 advertisement and an editorial notice of the fire." L,OFC 
 
 88 
 
^ > 
 
 l^^.'d 
 
 «,■ 
 
When the United vStates (jovernment (under the Act of 
 1S62) commenced the construction of Rock Island Arsenal 
 in 1863, all that remained of Fort Armstrong was removed. 
 The first building erected stands nearly on the site of the old 
 fort, and the window frames of the basement of this building 
 are made of oak obtained from the old fort. 
 
 Fort Armstrong in the early days was quite a military post 
 though no hostile shot was ever fired against its walls. It 
 answered the purposes for which it was built, to keep in check 
 the Indians and offer protection to the American settlers. It 
 has been the home and visiting place of many men who have 
 become prominent in our nation's history. 
 
 89 
 
Part V 
 
 Political Divisions — Our Count}- Once Claimed b}^ 
 Spain, Ruled by France, A British Province, Part 
 of Virginia, Has Been a Part of Six Counties, The 
 First American Flag in the "Upper Mississippi" 
 Valley. 
 
Part V 
 
 POLITICAL DIVISIOXvS. 
 
 The fortunes of Rock Island County have been those of the 
 State of Illinois. In 1541 Ferdinand De Soto discovered the 
 Mississippi River, crossing it somewhere near Memphis : and 
 upon this discovery rested Spain's claim and title to the " far 
 west." The country now known as the State of Illinois is 
 shown on the very early Spanish maps as a part of Florida. 
 Spain made no attempt, however, to plant her settlements in 
 the " Illinois." 
 
 In 1673 Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, the latter a 
 lesuit priest, were sent from New France (Canada) by the 
 intendant, Jean Talon, to discover the Mississippi River and 
 to explore the regions through which it flowed. In June of 
 that year their great desire was gratified and they floated 
 down the Mississippi to a point near where Helena, Arkansas, 
 now is. From there they retraced their journey, until they 
 came to where the Illinois River empties into the Mississippi. 
 They went up the Illinois and by the then portage to Lake 
 Michigan. In 1680 Robert Cavalier de La Salle erected Fort 
 Creve Coeur at Peoria, and from this time on until 1763 
 Illinois was a French province. 
 
 In 1763, at the close of the French and Indian Wars, 
 Illinois became British Territory, and so remained until 
 July 4, 1778, when Colonel George Rogers Clark and his 
 Virginians captured the British forts and settlements. In 
 October of that year Illinois was by act of the General 
 A.ssembly of Virginia created the "County of Illinois," and 
 became a part of the commonwealth of Virginia. 
 
 During the Revolutionary War, Illinois and what is now 
 the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, was 
 
 93 
 
claimed by each of the states of New York, Massachusetts, 
 Connecticut and Virginia. In 1785 these states surrendered 
 their claim to the General Government, and then Congress 
 passed an act for the government of this country which was 
 designated "Western Territory," but nothing was done 
 towards organizing a form of government. On July 13, 
 1787, Congress passed the celebrated ordinance known as the 
 " Ordinance of 1787," for the government of this country, 
 then called the "Northwest Territory." In 1788 the first 
 officers were appointed. In 1790 the country now Illinois, 
 was established as St. Clair County, named after General 
 Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of the Northwest 
 Territory. 
 
 In this year Illinois County became part of Indiana Terri- 
 tory, and in 1809 the country west of the Wabash, north of 
 the Ohio and east of the Mississippi, was erected into Illinois 
 Territory, which was divided into two counties — Randolph 
 and St. Clair — the territory now Rock Island County forming 
 part of St. Clair County. On September 14, 1812, our 
 county became a part of Madison County, and on January 31, 
 1821, we were made a part of Pike County. This was the 
 first county erected by the State of Illinois. 
 
 January 28, 1823, Fulton County was erected from Pike 
 County, and we became a part of the former, and so remained 
 until January 13, 1825, when we became a part of Peoria 
 County. On February 17, 1827, Jo Daviess County was 
 erected from Peoria County, and Galena became our county 
 seat. We remained part of Jo Daviess County until 1833, 
 when Rock Island County was organized, with the boundaries 
 as they exist today. 
 
 The Ordinance of 1787 provided for the forming of one or 
 two states out of the territory now the states of Wisconsin 
 and Illinois. The ordinance provided that the northern 
 boundary of the territory now Illinois should be an east and 
 west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of 
 Lake Michigan. Had this provision been carried out when 
 Illinois was erected into a state in 1818, that part of Rock 
 Island County east of Moline would now be in Wisconsin. 
 
 When the bill to admit Illinois as a state was presented to 
 Congress and referred to the committee, our northern bound- 
 
 94 
 
ary was as defined in the Ordinance of 1787, which would 
 have left out of our state the counties of Lake, McHenry, 
 Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Ogle, 
 DeKalb, Kane, Du Page, Cook, I,ee, Whiteside, and also 
 a portion of Kendall, Will, La vSalle and Rock Island counties. 
 
 In 1816 the United States made a treaty with the Ottawa, 
 Chippewa and Pottawattomie Indians, and it became neces- 
 sary to establish the point where a line ' ' due west from the 
 southern extremity of Lake Michigan" would strike the 
 Mississippi River. Such a line was surveyed by John Sulli- 
 van in 1818, and a monument was erected at its terminus, 
 "on the bank of the Mississippi River near the head of Rock 
 Island." This place is between Seventeenth and P)ighteenth 
 streets in the City of Moline, and is now occupied by the 
 Moline city waterworks. 
 
 Alexander Pope, the representative from Illinois in Con- 
 gress, was fully aliv^e to the interests of his constituenc>-. 
 Mr. Pope asked to strike out of the bill the description which 
 bounded Illinois on the north by a line drawn directly west 
 from the southerly boundary of Lake Michigan, and insert 
 the following: "Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash 
 River, thence up the same and with the line of Indiana to 
 the northwest corner of said state ; thence east with the line 
 of the same state to the middle of Lake Michigan ; thence 
 north along the middle of said lake to north latitude 42 
 degrees 30 minutes ; thence west to the middle of the Mi.ssis- 
 sippi River, and thence down along the middle of that river 
 to its confluence with the Ohio River, and thence up the 
 river along its northwest shore to the beginning." This 
 carried. 
 
 The northern boundary of Illinois was thus fixed, and was 
 made to include a strip of land sixty-one miles, nineteen 
 chains and thirteen links wide, extending from Lake Michi- 
 gan to the Mississippi River, embracing a surface of 8,500 
 square miles. The line surveyed by Sullivan in 1818 was 
 accepted as a true line until 1833, when Captain Talcott, 
 while making the survey of the Ohio- Michigan boundary, 
 was in.structed to ascertain the point on the Mississippi River 
 which is due west from the southern extremity of Lake 
 
 95 
 
Michigan. He established this point as being " about seven 
 miles north of the fort (Armstrong) on Rock Island." 
 
 From 1829 to 1848 the question of adding these fourteen 
 northern and a portion of the four other Illinois counties to 
 Wisconsin was a prominent one in the northern part of the 
 state. Strange to say, for many years most of the people 
 living in the northern part of the state were in favor of being 
 added to Wisconsin ; but when Wisconsin was admitted as a 
 state in 1848 its southern boundary line was fixed at the here- 
 tofore established northern boundary of the State of Illinois, 
 and thus was forever settled what for man}' years was a sub- 
 ject of much dispute. 
 
 RALSING THE FIRvST FI.AO. 
 
 On August 9, 1805, Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, an ofhcer 
 in the United States army, in command of twenty soldiers, 
 left St. lyouis under instructions from the Government to trace 
 the sources of the Mississippi River, ascertain the condition of 
 the Indians, create a better feeling between them and the 
 Americans and to select certain sites upon which to erect forts. 
 The party made the voyage in a keel boat seventy feet long, 
 and on August 9 , 1805, the party arrived at the mouth of 
 Rock River. 
 
 Black Hawk in his autobiography says : 
 Some time afterwards a boat came up the river with a 
 young American chief, at that time lyieutenant, and afterwards 
 General Pike, and a small party of soldiers aboard. The boat 
 at length arrived at Rock River and the young chief came on 
 shore with his interpreter. He made us a speech and gave us 
 some presents, in return for which we gave him meat and such 
 other provisions as we could spare. 
 
 We were well pleased with the speech of the young chief. 
 He gave us good advice and said our American father would 
 treat us well. He presented us an American flag which we 
 hoisted. He then requested us to lower the British colors, 
 which were waving in the air, and to give him our British 
 medals, promising to send us others on his return to St. Louis. 
 This we declined to do, as we wished to have two fathers." 
 
 96 
 
The event related by Black Hawk, and occnrring at the old 
 Sac \'illage on Rock River, in August, 1805, was the first 
 raising and- unfurling of the United States flag in the valley of 
 the upper Mississippi River. All the country west of the 
 Mississippi had until October, 1803, belonged to Spain, and 
 Lieutenant Pike was the first American representative to navi- 
 gate the Mississippi north of St. Louis. 
 
 OUR PIONEERS. 
 
 To know the pioneers of Rock Island County, we must read 
 their reminiscences, and the history of their times. Concern- 
 ing them but little can be found. The pioneer had no news- 
 papers to chronicle events, no time to write a diary of daily 
 happenings. His life was a continuation of struggles to secure 
 food for his family, a constant anxiety for their safety and 
 his own. 
 
 Our pioneers came when the edge of civilization was still 
 sixty miles towards the rising sun. This county was the 
 domain of the savage. These men and women formed the 
 outposts of civilization. We cannot realize the dangers they 
 braved, the hardships they endured. 
 
 War is dreadful in whatever land or time, but Indian war- 
 fare always possessed a terror unknown to combat among 
 civilized foes. It was the stealthy night attack, the sacking 
 and burning of the home, the butchery of wife and children, 
 the ambush and the scalping knife — these were the incidents 
 that occurred, and which were ever dreaded by our pioneers. 
 When our citizens volunteered in the Black Hawk War, they 
 knew the foe they must contend with. Some met the savage 
 in mortal combat. A few were sacrifices to civilization's 
 onward march. The majority met with no opportunity to 
 test their mettle, but all entered for the contest, all knew 
 what to expect, and all are deserving" of the highest praise and 
 honor, because they did what they believed was their duty. 
 
 As the welfare of the individual is bound up in the welfare 
 
 of his community and state, we of today can teach the coming 
 
 generation no better lesson than to revere and honor the 
 
 memories of those pioneers whose hardships and struggles 
 
 made it possible for us to enjoy today the many comforts and 
 
 blessings met on everv hand. 
 
 97 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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