Page 189 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

of his Indians, had just crossed the Mississippi, whcn the
Americans came up and attacked the main body, still on the
eastern bank of the river. A small steamer sent up from
Prairie du Chien, took part in the attack. A great many of
thc Indians were killed, and some taken prisonera.
BLACK E-IAWIC, and the few who were with him, went across
the country to purkey River, where they remained until the
Indian Agent at Prairie du Chien sent out, and had BLACK
HAWK brought in, and finally scnt on a mission to see his
Great Father, the President. On his return from his Eastern
tour, he came by nay of Green Bay. I had, in former years,
frequently talked with him about our large cities and the large
numbcr of pale ft~ces, and he had rather doubted my state-
mcnt. But now, after he had seen New York, Philadclphia,
Baltimore, \Y ashington, Boston, and other large places, I
rerninrled him of our former talk, and asked him if he saw
you
many pale faces? IIe replied: '90 see that ccdar swamp
back of thc Port? JITell, you can go, perhaps, and count the
trees, but you can never count the multitude of Ieaves upon
them. So with the pale faces." 1 then parted with him, and
did not see him again until I met him at Burlington, Iowa, in
1837 and '39, at the sessions of the Territorial Legislature.
IIe used therc to come and stay with me, and I would take him
with me into thc Assembly Hall. He was very much inter-
ested in the debates, though he could understand but a few
common-place words in English.
When BLACK HAWK lcft Lake ICoshkonong, it was thought
by many that he would attempt to make his way, with his half.
starved followers, by way of Green Bay to Canada. There
were then but a few troops at Fort Howard. The inhabitants
became alarmed. Col. SAMUEL C. STAMBAUGII, the former 111-
dian Agent at Green Bay, desired me to go into the Menomonee
country, and request the Indians to assemble at Green Bay, to
protect the inhabitants. I collected about three hundred, and
brought them to the Bay. We encamped near the Agency; I
took charge of them, and was appointed commissary. I kept
23m