Macon County in the BLACK HAWK WAR

In the year 1767, there was born in the Sauk village an Indian boy,
destined to be a great leader of his people. Tracuta Wahicatah was the name
given him, but the whites in after years called him Black Hawk. As he grew
to maturity, he gave evidence of superior talents. He proved himself brave
in battle, and sagacious and eloquent in the councils of his tribe.
Inferior no doubt he was to the great Shawnee warrior, Tecumseh, or to the
Pequot chief, Philip, but his portrait reveals the passion of deep lines of
character. His forehead is broad and high, his jaws massive and mouth firm.
He was ambitious of a warrior's fame; but he was always merciful to the
weak and to the women and children of the pale faced- foe who fell into his
hands. In 1810 and 1811 Black Hawk and comrades were "nursing their wrath
to keep it warm," against the whites. A party of Sacs, by invitation, went
to see the prophet at Teppecanoe. They returned more angry against the
Americans. A party of Winnebagoes had massacred some whites, which excited
for murder the Sac band headed by Black Hawk. A part of his band and some
Winnebagoes attacked Fort Madison in 1811, but were repulsed. Black Hawk
headed the Sacs in this attack.

In 1812 emissaries from the British arrived at Rock Island with goods, and
secured Black Hawk with five hundred warriors to go with Col. Dixon to
Canada. When they reached Green Bay there were assembled there bands of the
Ottowas, Pottawatomies, Winnebagoes, and Kickapoos, under the command of
Col. Dixon. Black Hawk and band participated in the battles of River
Raisin, and Lower Sandusky, and other places, but getting dissatisfied with
the hard fighting and small amount of spoils, he and twenty commrades, left
for the Sauk village at Rock Island, where he remained for many years at
peace, with the exception of a small battle on the Quiver river settlement
in Missouri, in the present limits of St. Charles county, where one white
man and an Indian were killed.

The principal cause of the Indian troubles in 1831-32, better known as the
Black Hawk war, was the determination of Black Hawk and his band to remain
in their ancient villages, located on Rock river, not far from its junction
with the Mississippi. The government having some tine previously, by
various treaties, purchased the village and the whole country from the Sac
and Fox tribe of Indians, had some of these lands surveyed, and 1828 some
of the lands in and around the ancient village were sold; the collision of
the two races for the possession of the property produced the first
disturbance between the Indians and the government. Seeing that war was
inevitable the Governor of Illinois made a call on the militia of the state
for seven hundred men on the 26th of May, 1831, and appointed Beardstown,
on the Illinois river, as the place of rendezvous. The call was responded
to with that promptness characteristic of the early pioneers of this state.
Their habits of life were such that all were familiar with the rifle. After
marching eight days, the mounted militia reached a point a few miles below
the Sac village on the Mississippi, where they joined the United States
forces under Gen. Gaines, and encamped in the evening. The next morning the
forces marched up to the Indian town prepared to give the enemy battle; but
in the night the Indians had escaped and crossed the Mississippi. This
ended Black Hawk's bravado and his determination to die in his ancient
village. The number of warriors under his command was estimated at from
four to six hundred men. Black Hawk and his band landed on the west side of
the Mississippi, a few miles below Rock Island, and there camped. Gen.
Gaines sent a peremptory order to him and his warriors that if he and his
head men did not come to Rock Island and make a treaty of peace, he would
march his troops and give him battle at once. In a few days Black Hawk and
the chiefs and head men to the number of twenty-eight, appeared at Fort
Armstrong, and on the 30th of June, 1831, in full council with Gen. Gaines
and Governor John Reynolds, signed a treaty of peace.

During the winter of 1831-32 rumors were rife that Black Hawk and his band
were dissatisfied, restless, and preparing for mischief. A chief of the
Winnebago Indians who had a village on Rock river, some thirty miles above
its confluence with the Mississippi, joined Black Hawk, who was located on
the west bank of the Father of Waters. The chief had great influence with
Black Hawk and his band. He made them believe that all the tribes on Rock
river would join them, and that together they could bid defiance to the
whites. By this unwise counsel Black Hawk resolved to re-cross the river,
which he did in the winter of 1832. That move proved to be their
destruction. Through his influence and zeal Black Hawk encouraged many of
the Sacs and Foxes to join him at the head of his determined warriors. He
first assembled them at old Fort Madison on the Mississippi; subsequently,
marched them up the river to the Yellow Banks, where he pitched his tent
April 6th, 1832. This armed array of savages soon alarmed the settlers, and
a general panic spread through the whole frontier, from the Mississippi to
Lake Michigan. Many settlers in terror abandoned their homes and farms, and
the Governor decided, on the 16th of April, to call out a large number of
volunteers to operate in conjunction with Gen. Atkinson, who was in command
of the regular forces at Rock Island. The Governor ordered the troops to
rendezvous at Beardstown on the 22d of April. We give Governor Reynolds'
circular which he addressed to the citizen- soldiers in the crisis then
pending:

     "To the Militia of the North-western section of the State:
     "Fellow-citizens:
     "Your country requires your services. The Indians have assumed a
     hostile attitude, and have invaded the state in violation 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 frontiers to be in imminent danger. I am in
     possession of the above information from gentlemen of respectable
     standing, and also from Gen. Atkinson, whose character stands high
     with all classes. In possession of the above facts I have hesitated
     not 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 danger. I have called out a large detachment of
     militia to rendezvous at Beardstown on the 22d. Provisions for the men
     and food for the horses will be furnished in abundance. I hope my
     countrmen will realize my expectations, and offer their services, as
     heretofore, with promptitude and cheerfulness in defence of their
     country.

                                                             John Reynolds.

To the stirring appeal of the Governor, the patriotic citizens of the state
and Macon county nobly responded. Many of the best and most prominent men
of the county enlisted to protect the frontier and preserve the honor of
the state, and did signal service in the memorable events of the Black Hawk
war. Among the citizens of Macon county, who went out in the campaign of
1832, there were as follows:

Officers. Jas. Johnson, captain, promoted to rank of colonel May 16th,
1832. First lieut. William Warnick, 1832. Second lieut. J.C. Pugh, promoted
to captain May 16th, 1832. J.D. Wright, 1st sergt.; James A. Ward, 2d
sergt., subsequently promoted to the rank of 2d lieut.; Walter Bowls, 3d
sergt.; Joseph Hanks, 4th sergt.; Henry M. Gorin, 1st corporal; S.R.
Shepard, 2d corporal; G. Coppenbarger, 3d corporal; James Milton, 4th
corporal. The following were privates:--Asher Simpson, A.W. Bell, Abram.
Black, D. McCall, D.H. Stewart, Elisha Butler, G.D. Smallwood, John Hanks,
Jacob Lane, John Henderson, James Querry, James Miller, John Manly, James
Ennis, John Clifton, Jesse Dickey, John Williams, John Murphy, Jacob Black,
James Herrod, Kinian Ingram, C. Hooper, Robert Smith, S.B. Dewees, S.
Miller, S. Troxel, Thos. Davenport, Wiliam Hanks, William Adams, William
Miller, William Hooper, William Cox, Joseph Clifton.

The company was mounted rangers, and became a part of the fifth regiment.
Captain Johnson was promoted to the rank of Colonel, on the 16th of May,
and placed in command of the fifth regiment, and Lieut. Pugh became
Captain. They were a part of the Brigade under command of Gen. Samuel D.
Whiteside. On the 12th of May they reached Dixon's ferry, where they were
joined by Jauor Stillman and his detachment of 275 men; Stillman declined
to join Whiteside's Brigade. Major Stillman and Baily received orders to go
to "Old Man's Creek," now Stillman's run, to ascertain the movements of the
Indians. The two battalions camped about ten miles from the ferry on the
evening of the 13th. The next morning Stillman took command of both
battalions, continued the pursuit until sunset, when they camped in "front
of a small creek," (Stillman's run), about thirty miles from Dixon. Black
Hawk, learning of their approach, sent out three men to escort then to his
camp, that a council might be held; but the men were taken prisoners. Five
others were sent out for the same purpose, but two of them were killed.
This aroused Black Hawk, and with about forty men he met the
assailants--the main body of his warriors being about ten miles away--and
routed them completely, and in great confusion. In the fight, Major
Perkins, Capt. Adams, and nine men were killed, one of whom, James Milton,
was from Macon county. William Cox, and others from this county, had their
horses shot.

Captain William Warnick organized (the second Company) in the summer of
1832. It was called "The Rangers." The officers were Wm. Warnick, Captain,
Elisha Freeman, 1st Lieut., Isaac Pugh, 2d Lieut., Alexander Bell, Orderly
Sergeant. The company was fifty strong. They enlisted for sixty days, and
furnished their own horses, arms, ammunition, and provisions. This company
was organized for the protection of the frontier counties. They left
Decatur June 4th, 1832, and marched to where Monticello, Ill., now stands,
where they went into camp. While here they learned that the Indian village
of Kickapoo near the head of the Big Vermillion, had been deserted by the
warriors, who had gone to assist Black Hawk, and left their squaws,
pappooses, and a few old men in charge of the village. The company
proceeded to the village, but found that it had been entirely deserted
about three days before their arrival. At the expiration of the sixty days,
Capt. Warnick and men returned to their homes, but were told to hold
themselves in readiness for further service. They were finally discharged
113 days after their enlistment. Each man of this company received for his
services, $52.00, and a land warrant for 160 acres of land.

There may have been others, but these are all the names that we have been
able to gather, as no official record has been preserved at Springfield.
Few of the hardy soldiers of this war remain with us; many after the war
was ended moved to other sections of the country, and many have passed over
the river and are now in the embrace of the silent sleep of death.

The force marched to the mouth of Rock river, where General Atkinson
received the volunteers into the United States service and assumed command.
Black Hawk and his warriors were still up on the Rock river.

The army under atkinson commenced its march up the river on the 9th of May.
Gov. Reynolds, the gallant "Old Ranger," remained with the army, and the
President recognized him as a major-general, and he was paid accordingly.
His presence in the army did much toward harmonizing and conciliating those
jealousies which generally exist between volunteers and regular troops.
Major John A. Wakefield and Colonel Ewing acted as spies for a time in the
campaign of '32, to discover the location of the enemy, if possible. A Mr.
Kinney acted as guide for them; he understood the Sac dialect. On the 14th
of May, 1832, Major Stillman's command had a sort of running battle with
the Indians at or near what is now known as Stillman's run, a small,
sluggish stream. In this engagement eleven white men and eight Indians were
killed. Black Hawk and warriors fought with the spirit born of desperation.
Black Hawk says in his book that he tried at Stillman's run to call back
his warriors, as he thought the whites were making a sham retreat in order
to draw him into an ambuscade of the whole army under Gen. Whiteside. The
hasty retreat and rout of Stillman and his army was, in a measure,
demoralizing to the entire forces. Undoubtedly the cause of the defeat was
a lack of discipline. When Gov. Reynolds learned of the disaster of Major
Stillman, he at once ordered out two thousand additional vp;imteers. With
that promptitude characteristic of the old "War Govenor," he wrote out by
candle-light on the evening of Stillman's defeat, the order for the
additional troops, and by daylight dispatched John Ewing, Robert Blackwell,
and John A. Wakefiield to distribute the order to the various counties. The
volunteers again promptly responded; however, the soldiers from this county
did but little fighting. On the 10th of July the army disbanded for want of
provisions. Gen. Scott arrived soon after with a large force at the post of
Chicago, to effect, if possible, a treaty with the Indians. Small
detachments of Black Hawk's warriors would persistently hang on the
outskirts of the main body of the army, thieve and plunder, and pounce upon
and kill the lonely sentinel or straggling soldier. On the 15th of July the
soldiers were reviewed, and those incapable of duty were discharged and
returned home. Poquette, a half-breed, and a Winnebago chied, the "White
Pawnee,; were selected for guides to the camp of Black Hawk and band.
Several battles and skirmishes occurred with the enemy, the principal of
which was on the banks of the Mississippi, where the warriors fought with
great desperation. Over one hundred and fifty were killed in the
engagement, and large numbers drowned in attempting to swim the river.
After the battle the volunteers were marched to Dixon, where they were
discharged. This ended the campaign and the Black Hawk war. At the battle
of the Bad Axe, Black Hawk and some of his warriors escaped the Americans,
and had gone up on the Wisconsin river, but subsequently surrendered
himself. Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, was the place appointed where a
treaty would be made with the Indians, but before it was effected, that
dreadful scourge, the cholera of 1832, visited not only the regular army,
depleting its ranks far more rapidly than the balls of the Indians had
done, but it also sought out its many victims in the dusky bands of the
Black Hawk tribe.

On the 15th of September, 1832, a treaty was made with the Winnebago
Indians. They sold out all their lands in Illinois and all south of the
Wisconsin river and west of Green bay, and the government gave them a large
district of country west of the Mississippi, and ten thousand dollars a
year for seven years, oxen, agricultural implements, etc., etc.

September 21st, 1832, a treaty was made with all the Sac and Fox tribes, on
which they ceded to the United States the tract of country on which a few
years afterwards the State of Iowa was formed. In consideration of the
above cession of lands, the government gave them an annuity of twenty
thousand dollars for thirty years, forty kegs of tobacco and forty barrels
of salt, more gunsmiths, blacksmith shop, etc., etc., six thousand bushels
of corn for immediate support, mostly intended for the Black Hawk band.

The treaties above mentioned terminated favorably, and the security
resulting therefrom gave a new and rapid impetus to the development of the
state, and now enterprising towns and villages, and beautiful farms, adorn
the rich and alluvial prairies that before were only descrated by the wild
bands who inhabited them. Agricultural pursuits, commerce and manufactures,
churches and schools, are lending their influence to advance an intelligent
and prosperous people.

                                 History of Macon County, Illinois, p. 80/1

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