Highlights Archives
Daily Documents from the Black Hawk War
This summer marks the 175th anniversary of one of Wisconsin's greatest tragedies. In early April 1832, Sauk Indians and their allies led by the war chief Black Hawk returned east of the Mississippi to re-occupy their homeland. They believed their ancestral lands had been taken from them through an invalid treaty in 1804. Although they claimed their intentions were peaceful, they also said they were willing to fight for their rights, and the party included about 500 warriors mounted on horseback as well as hundreds of non-combatant families. If American troops were called in, Black Hawk thought (mistakenly ) that the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, and even the British regulars in Canada would all support him.
When he discovered his error, Black Hawk sent emissaries under a white flag to open surrender negotiations with the pursuing troops. Despite the white flag, Illinois militia attacked, killing one of the envoys and charging the Sauk camp. Although about 40 Sauk warriors repulsed the 275 militia that day, the stage was set for a one-sided military conflict that lasted most of the summer. When it was over, Indian leaders of all tribes knew that resistance to white settlement would be met with crushing violence, and the landscape we know as Wisconsin quickly passed from Native American hands to the U.S. government's.
Every day this summer (from early April to early August), we are sharing a different, short, eyewitness account or firsthand report from the Black Hawk War at our Historic Diaries site. These include excerpts from the autobiographies of Black Hawk and militia leader John Reynolds, official reports of officers such as U.S. Army Gen. Henry Atkinson and future Wisconsin governor Henry Dodge, recollections by soldiers such as 23-year-old Abraham Lincoln, and speeches by Indian leaders such as Black Hawk's rival Keokuk and Ho-Chunk chief White Cloud.
This week's entries include diplomatic exchanges between Atkinson and Black Hawk, a dramatic behind-the-lines attempt to avoid war by Wisconsin Indian agent Henry Gratiot, and a speech by Ho-Chunk chief White Cloud pledging to remain neutral. Each document is explained in a short commentary that links to relevant pictures, maps, and other background information.
You can always see current entries on the Black Hawk War diaries home page, or view the complete archive of entries. Or you can have each day's installment delivered to your own personal Web page through the syndication link on the left.
Please join us each day as we unfold the history of the last war fought on Wisconsin soil, through the eyes of participants. Other resources about the war, including everything from museum objects to lesson plans, are available at our Turning Points in Wisconsin History site.
:: Posted April 27, 2007
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