“The Sauk and Fox nations are allowed, according to that Treaty, ‘to live and hunt on the lands so ceded, as long as the aforesaid lands belong to the United States.’ In the spring of the year 1827, about twelve or fifteen families of squatters arrived and took possession of the Sauk village, near the mouth of the Rocky river. They immediately commenced destroying the Indians’ bark boats. Some were burned, others were torn to pieces, and when the Indians arrived at the village, and found fault with the destruction of their property, they were beaten and abused by the Squatters.
“The Indians made complaint to me, as their Agent I wrote to Gen. Clark,[BF] stating to him from time to time what happened, and giving a minute detail of everything that passed between the whites (Squatters) and the Indians.
[BF] Superintendent of Indian Affairs at St. Louis. (Ed.)
“The squatters insisted that the Indians should be removed from their village, saying that as soon as the land was brought into market they (the squatters) would buy it all. It became needless for me to show them the treaty, and the right the Indians had to remain on their lands. They tried every method to annoy the Indians, by shooting their dogs, claiming their horses; complaining that the Indians' horses broke into their cornfields—selling them whiskey for the most trifling articles, contrary to the wishes and request of the chiefs, particularly the Black Hawk, who both solicited and threatened them on the subject, but all to no purpose.
“The President directed those lands to be sold at the Land Office, in Springfield, Illinois. Accordingly when the time came that they were to be offered for sale (in the Autumn of 1828), there were about twenty families of squatters at, and in the vicinity of the old Sauk village, most of whom attended the sale, and but one of them could purchase a quarter-section (if we except George Davenport, a trader who resides in Rocky Island). Therefore, all the land not sold, still belonged to the United States, and the Indians had still a right, by treaty, to hunt and live on those lands. This right, however, was not allowed them—they must move off.
“In 1830, the principal chiefs, and others of the Sauk and Fox Indians who resided at the old village, near Rocky river, acquainted me that they would remove to their village on Ihoway river. These chiefs advised me to write to General Clarke, Superintendent of Indian Affairs at this place (St. Louis), to send up a few militia—that the Black Hawk and his followers would then see that everything was in earnest, and they would remove to the west side of the Mississippi, to their own lands.
“The letter, as requested by the chiefs, was written and sent by me to General Clarke, but he did not think proper to answer it—therefore everything remained as formerly, and, as a matter of course. Black Hawk and his party thought the whole matter of removing from the old village had blown over.
“In the Spring of 1831, the Black Hawk and his party were augmented by many Indians from Ihoway river. This augmentation of forces made the Black Hawk very proud, and he supposed nothing would be done about removing him and his party.
“General Gaines visited the Black Hawk and his party this season, with a force of regulars and militia, and compelled them to remove to the west side of the Mississippi river, on their own lands.
“When the Black Hawk and party recrossed to the east side of the Mississippi river in 1832, they numbered three hundred and sixty-eight men. They were hampered with many women and children, and had no intention to make war. When attacked by General Stillman’s detachment, they defended themselves like men, and I would ask, who would not do so, likewise? Thus the war commenced. * * * *