Legacy of Black Hawk endures in Illinois

By Tom Emery

The Sauk warrior Black Hawk is best known for the brief war of 1832 that bears his name. However, a study of Black Hawk as an individual reveals a complex and enigmatic personality.

Black Sparrow Hawk, or Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, was not a chief, though he wielded considerable influence within the Sauk tribe. He was born in Saukenuk, the traditional Sauk village in the area of present-day Rock Island, Ill., in 1767. He was likely an only child and adored his father Pyesa, but made considerably less mention of his mother, Singing Rain.

The young man went to war for the first time at age 15 and wounded an enemy, which permitted him to wear paint and feathers. Four years later, he accompanied his father in a battle against the Osage, where he watched his father scalp an opponent before scalping one himself.

Pyesa was killed in a battle against the Cherokee shortly thereafter, for which Black Hawk swore revenge – or so it seemed. In one of his many incongruous actions, Black Hawk blackened his face and slipped into solitude for five years, fasting and praying without engaging in warfare.

Black Hawk also proved a devoted family man. While most Sauk maintained multiple wives, Black Hawk labeled his mate, Singing Bird, “the only wife I ever had, or will ever have.” The couple had five children, and scholars describe him as a loving father.

Many of the Sauk, including Black Hawk, maintained cordial relations with occupying British and Spanish forces, but hated Americans. Their views partially stemmed from an 1804 treaty that transferred 50 million acres of Sauk land east of the Mississippi, including Saukenuk.

Black Hawk and others not only charged that the tribal representatives were supplied with whiskey at the signing, but that they were not authorized by the tribes to sign the treaty to begin with. But Black Hawk was one of the signers of an 1816 treaty that confirmed the 1804 agreement, an act inconsistent with his declarations of the importance of Saukenuk.

During the War of 1812, he fought for the British, including the battle of River Raisin near present-day Monroe, Mich., and at Credit Island off present-day Davenport, Iowa, on Sept. 4-5, 1814.

His attempts to reoccupy Saukenuk in 1831 and 1832 resulted in the overwhelming defeat of his band of followers, and climaxed at the battle of Bad Axe in Wisconsin Territory on Aug. 2, 1832. At least one scholar notes that Black Hawk and a few others abandoned the rest of his forces during that final fight. However, he began to manipulate his reputation and change the narrative of the war named for him.

Now in custody, he was taken East the following spring to meet President Jackson, a trip that turned into a celebration. Black Hawk was welcomed at a myriad of theater shows, teas, and dinners across the Eastern seaboard. At a reception at New York City Hall, he recalled “an immense number of people…all of whom treated us with friendship, and many with great generosity.”

The Eastern tour helped Black Hawk portray himself as what one biographer called a “noble savage.” However, he was severely disappointed when the government recognized Keokuk, a rival whom Black Hawk called a “coward,” as Sauk chief.

Late in the summer of 1833, he dictated his memoirs to Antoine LeClaire, who helped found Davenport. The work was published the following year and became an instant best-seller. Today, his name is one of 35 Illinois authors engraved in the frieze of the current Illinois State Library building in Springfield.

Now in his mid-60s, Black Hawk settled along the Iowa River in southeastern Iowa, where he reconciled with the white people he had bitterly fought just a few years before. Described by neighbors as “meek and peaceable” but “kind of dried up and shriveled,” he died on Oct. 3, 1838.

Despite his controversies, Black Hawk left a formidable legacy in Illinois and Wisconsin, as a multitude of bridges, schools, and athletic teams in both states carry his name.

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or [email protected].