The Black Hawk War Including a Review of Black Hawk's Life

by Frank Everett Stevens

Later, Black Hawk, Neapope, the Prophet and the other Indian leaders were captured and handed over to Lieut.-Col. Zachary Taylor as prisoners of war. Robert Anderson, in a letter to Hon. E.B. Washburne, has stated that he was designated as their custodian to take them to Jefferson Barracks, but that the fateful cholera prevented. In that he was mistaken; he took the second installment of prisoners.

We know from every man who served in that campaign and from every record that those prisoners were handed by Colonel Taylor to Lieut. Jefferson Davis to be taken to Jefferson Barracks. Following is from The Galenian of September 5th, 1832: “September 4th General Street, the Indian agent at Prairie du Chien, arrived to-day on board the steamboat Winnebago with about one hundred Sac prisoners, guarded by an escort of troops under command of Lieut. Jefferson Davis. Among the prisoners are the celebrated Black Hawk, the Prophet and La-ce-o-souck (The Thunder), son of Black Hawk; the latter was delivered on the night of the 3d. The prisoners were brought in by the Winnebagoes and the Sioux.

“The Winnebagoes came in, as we learn, so late on the night of the 3d with the prisoners, and the steamboat being there in waiting for them, General Street, instead of delivering them to Colonel Taylor, as heretofore, delivered them over to the charge of Colonel Anderson, who went on that commission, and who is now on his way to Rock Island with them.”[^[299]]

From the Galenian, a paper published in Galena, we find “locals” noting the presence of the noted prisoners and their guard, Jefferson Davis, at every point containing a newspaper, at which they stopped.

No reasonable person can believe that so honorable and responsible a post would have been given Lieutenant Davis had he not participated in the campaign with distinction.

With the most frightful epidemic of cholera at Fort Armstrong which they passed; with cholera about him in the boat, he reached Jefferson Barracks thoroughly exhausted, and feeling that he was entitled to the leave of absence which he had given up to enter this campaign, he applied for another and, receiving it, as he did in due time, he returned to Mississippi to enjoy it.

The experience gained in that campaign suggested his name for the command of a regiment of Mississippi troops in the war with Mexico, where he gained such fame as to bring forth the hearty thanks of Gen. Zachary Taylor on the field.

In conclusion, I wish to add a conversation which Mr. Aldrich, Curator of the Historical Department of Iowa, had with Mr. Davis about two years before the death of the latter.

Mr. Davis, in the course of this conversation, said much about Black Hawk and that campaign and his participation in it, and here is his narrative verbatim, of the Battle of the Wisconsin, in which he was engaged, taken down by Mr. Aldrich at the time: “We were one day pursuing the Indians, when we came close to the Wisconsin River. Reaching the river bank, the Indians made so determined a stand, and fought with such desperation, that they held us in check. During this time the squaws tore bark from the trees, with which they made little shallops, in which they floated their papooses and other impedimenta across to an island, also swimming over the ponies. As soon as this was accomplished, half of the warriors plunged in and swam across, each holding his gun in one hand over his head, and swimming with the other. As soon as they reached the opposite bank, they also opened fire upon us, under cover of which the other half slipped down the bank and swam over in like manner. This,” said Mr. Davis, “was the most brilliant exhibition of military tactics that I ever witnessed–a feat of most consummate management and bravery, in the face of an enemy of greatly superior numbers. I never read of anything that could be compared with it. Had it been performed by white men, it would have been immortalized as one of the most splendid achievements in military history.”

Black Hawk in his book, page 107, states the facts of that retreat pretty much as Mr. Davis did to Mr. Aldrich, excepting only to take no especial credit to himself or his braves for strategy.