134 BLACK-BIRD CAPTURES FORT DEARBORN. [Boox V. which was done. His family resided at Wapoghoognata, which was called Logan's village.* BLACK-BIRD was a Pottowattomie chief, who made himself notorious by the massacre of the garrison of Fort Dearborn. Before it was known in the western region of the upper lakes, that war had been declared by the United States, Indian and Canadian forces were collected at several points ready for the word to be given. That act seems to have been anxiously looked for by the Indians, as well as some of their advisers, who seem to have been much better prepared to meet the emergency of war than those who declared it. Mackanaw, or as it is generally written, Michillimakinak, was garrisoned at this time with only 58 effective men, and the first news they had of the declaration of war was the appearance of 500 Indians and about the same number of Canadians ready to attack them. The fort was therefore surrendered by Lieutenant Hanks, on the 17 of July, 1812. When General Hull heard of the fate of Michillimakinak, he rightly judged that Fort Dearborn, now Chicago, would be the next object of attack. Accordingly he despatched orders to Captain Heald, then in command there, to evacuate the place with all haste. But before this message reached him, Black-bird, with a host of his warriors, was prepared to act according to circumstances. A large number of the neighboring Indians, who had pretended friendship, hearing that the place was to be evacuated, came there to receive what could not be carried away. On the 13 July, Captain Wells, of Fort Wayne, arrived at Fort Dearborn, with about 30 Miamies, to escort Captain Heald to Detroit. They marched from the fort on the 15 July, with a guard of Miamies in front, and another in the rear, under Captain Wells. They marched upon the shore of the lake, and when they had proceeded about one mile, they discovered Indians prepared to attack them from behind the high sand-bank which bounded the beach of the lake. Captain Heald then ascended the bank with his men, and a fight was immediately begun by the Indians. The Indians being vastly numerous, Captain Heald saw that it was useless to contend, and immediately retreated to a small eminence in the adjacent prairie, and not being followed by the Indians, was out of the reach of their shot. Meantime the Indians got possession of all their horses and baggage. The Indians, after a short consultation, made signs for Captain Heald to advance and meet them. He did so, and was met by Black-bird, who, after shaking hands with him, told him, if he would surrender, the lives of the prisoners should be spared. There was no alternative, and after all their arms were surrendered, the party was marched back to the Indian encampment, near the fort, and divided among the different tribes. The next morning, they burned the fort, and left the place, taking the prisoners with them. Captain Heald's force was 54 regulars and 12 militia. In the fight on the bank of the lake, 26 of regulars and all of the militia were killed; besides two women and 12 children. Eleven women and children were among the captives. Captain Wells and many other officers were killed, and Captain Heald and his wife were both badly wounded, and were taken to the mouth of the St. Joseph's, where they were taken into the family of an Indian trader. Soon after, Black-bird set out with his warriors for the capture of Fort Wayne, and Captain Heald hired a Frenchman to take him to Michillimakinak. He was afterwards exchanged. What other successes this chief had during the war is unknown. Black-hawk, in speaking of the capture and treatment of Captain Heald and his men, says, it was owing to their not keeping their word with the Indians. The night before the fort was abandoned by the whites, they threw all the powder they could not carry with them into the well, which they had promised to give them. The next chief we introduce chiefly to illustrate a most extraordinary mode of doing penance among the nations of the west. * Taken principally from Niles's Register, and Darnall's Narrative, In his Life, written by himself, p. 42. 66 WAWNAHTON,* a bold and fearless chief, of the tribe of Yankton, (whose name, translated, is "he who charges the enemy,") was considerably noted in the last war with Canada. "He had," says my author, “ killed seven enemies in battle with his own hand, as the seven war-eagle plumes in his hair testified, and received nine wounds, as was shown by an equal number of little sticks arranged in his coal-black hair, and painted in a manner that told an Indian eye whether they were inflicted by a bullet, knife or tomahawk, and by whom. At the attack on Fort Sandusky, in the late war, he received a bullet and three buck shot in his breast, which glanced on the bone, and passing round under the skin, came out at his back." This, and other extraordinary escapes, he made use of, like the famous Tuspaquin, two ages before, to render himself of greater importance among his nation. At this time he was supposed to be about 30 years of age, of a noble and elegant appearance, and is still believed to be living. Major Long's company considered Wawnahton a very interesting man, whose acquaintance they cultivated with success in the neighborhood of Lake Traverse. They describe him as upwards of six feet high, and possessing a countenance that would be considered handsome in any country. He prepared a feast for the party, as soon as he knew they were coming to his village. "When speaking of the Dacotas, we purposely postponed mentioning the frequent vows which they make, and their strict adherence to them, because one of the best evidences which we have collected on this point connects itself with the character of Wanotan, and may give a favorable idea of his extreme fortitude in enduring pain. In the summer of 1822, he undertook a journey, from which, apprehending much danger on the part of the Chippewas, he made a vow to the sun, that, if he returned safe, he would abstain from all food or drink for the space of four successive days and nights, and that he would distribute among his people all the property which he possessed, including all his lodges, horses, dogs, &c. On his return, which happened without accident, he celebrated the dance of the sun; this consisted in making three cuts through his skin, one on his breast, and one on each of his arms. The skin was cut in the manner of a loop, so as to permit a rope to pass between the flesh and the strip of skin which was thus divided from the body. The ropes being passed through, their ends were secured to a tall vertical pole, planted at about 40 yards from his lodge. He then began to dance round this pole, at the commencement, of this fast, frequently swinging himself in the air, so as to be supported merely by the cords which were secured to the strips of skin separated from his arms and breast. He continued this exercise with few intermissions during the whole of his fast, until the fourth day about 10 o'clock, A. M., when the strip of skin from his breast gave way; notwithstanding which he interrupted not the dance, although supported merely by his arms. At noon the strip from his left arm snapped off: his uncle then thought that he had suffered enough," and with his knife cut the last loop of skin, and Wanotan fell down in a swoon, where he lay the rest of the day, exposed to the scorching rays of the sun. After this he gave away all his property, and with his two squaws deserted his lodge. To such monstrous follies does superstition drive her votaries! In Tanner's Narrative, there is an interesting account of an expedition of an uncle of Wawnahton, at the head of 200 Sioux, against the Ojibbewas. Wawnahton was himself of the party, but he had not then become so distinguished as he was afterwards. They fell upon a small band of Crees and Assinneboins, and after a fight of near a whole day, killed all the Ojibbewas but one, the Little-clam, two women and one child, about 20 in number. This happened not far from Pembina. § In 1822, he very much alarmed that post, by murdering some Assinneboins in its neighborhood. || BLACK-THUNDER, or Mackkatananamakee, was styled the celebrated patriarch of the Fox tribe. He made himself remembered by many from an Wanotan, in Long's Expe to St. Peters, i. 448. Yanktoan, (Long, ib. 44,) which signifies descended from the fern leaves. Facts published by W. J. Snelling, Esq. It is said by Keating, in Long's Exped. i. 418, that he was about 28 var, of age. This was in 1823. Tanner's Narrative, 138. West's Red River Colony, 84. 135 BLACK-THUNDER —ONGPATONGA. [BOOK V. excellent spe ch which he made to the American commissioners, who had assembled many chiefs at a place called the Portage, July, 1815, to hold a talk with them upon the state of their affairs; particularly as it was believed by the Americans that the Indians meditated hostilities. An American commissioner opened the talk, and unbecomingly accused the Indians of breach of former treaties. The first chief that answered, spoke with a tremulous voice, and evidently betrayed guilt, or perhaps fear. Not so with the upright chief Black-thunder. He felt equally indignant at the charge of the white man, and the unmanly cringing of the chief who had just spoken. He began:- "My father, restrain your feelings, and hear calmly what I shall say. I shall say it plainly. I shall not speak with fear and trembling. I have never injured you, and innocence can feel no fear. I turn to you all, red-skins and white-skins-where is the man who will appear as my accuser? Father, I understand not clearly how things are working. I have just been set at liberty. Am I again to be plunged into bondage? Frowns are all around me; but I am incapable of change. You, perhaps, may be ignorant of what I tell you; but it is a truth, which I call heaven and earth to witness. It is a fact which can easily be proved, that I have been assailed in almost every possible way that pride, fear, feeling, or interest, could touch me--that I have been pushed to the last to raise the tomahawk against you; but all in vain. I never could be made to feel that you were my enemy. If this be the conduct of an enemy, I shall never be your friend. You are acquainted with my removal above Prairie des Chiens.* I went, and formed a settlement, and called my warriors around me. We took counsel, and from that counsel we never have departed. We smoked, and resolved to make common cause with the U. States. I sent you the pipe-it resembled this and I sent it by the Missouri, that the Indians of the Mississippi might not know what we were doing. You received it. I then told you that your friends should be my friendsthat your enemies should be my enemies-and that I only awaited your signal to make war. If this be the conduct of an enemy, I shall never be your friend.Why do I tell you this? Because it is a truth, and a melancholy truth, that the good things which men do are often buried in the ground, while their evil deeds are stripped naked, and exposed to the world. †-When I came here, I came to you in friendship. I little thought I should have had to defend myself. I have no defence to make. If I were guilty, I should have come prepared; but I have ever held you by the hand, and I am come without excuses. If I had fought against you, I would have told you so: but I have nothing now to say here in your councils, except to repeat what I said before to my great father, the president of your nation. You heard it, and no doubt remember it. It was simply this. My lands can never be surrendered; I was cheated, and basely cheated, in the contract; I will not surrender my country but with my life. Again I call heaven and earth to witness, and I smoke this pipe in evidence of my sincerity. If you are sincere, you will receive it from me. My only desire is, that we should smoke it togetherthat I should grasp your sacred hand, and I claim for myself and my tribe the protection of your country. When this pipe touches your lip, may it operate as a blessing upon all my tribe.-May the smoke rise like a cloud, and carry away with it all the animosities which have arisen between us.” ‡ The issue of this council was amicable, and, on the 14 Sept. following, Black-thunder met commissioners at St. Louis, and executed a treaty of peace. ONGPATONGA, § or, as he was usually called, Big-elk, was chief of the Mahas, or Omawhaws, whose residence, in 1811, was upon the Missouri. || Mr. The upper military post upon the Mississippi, in 1818. ༑ ་་ This passage forcibly reminds us of that in Shakespeare :" 'The evil that men do lives after them; Philadelphia Lit. Gazette. Ongue-pon-we, in Iroquois, was "men surpassing all others." Hist. Five Nations. "The O'Mahas, in number 2250, not long ago, abandoned their old village on the south |