| Sir:
I reced. pr. Steam
boat Winnebago, your two letters of the 2nd.
Inst. accompanied by a letter from the war
department, on the subject of provisions for the
use of the friendly Indians ...
The
[neutral Sauk and Fox] Indians are now scatter'd
over the country in different directions in quest
of subsistence and though I adhere invareable to
the opinions originally expressd respecting their
disposition; I should not feel justified in
speaking with certainty in regard to what may
happen before they return. A few of them still
remain on the western bank of the' river; and are
perfectly quiet; though I have been in constant
apprehension, leste they should cross over for
the purpose of hunting and get kill'd by the
Malitia, who, under existing circumstances would
not be justified in regarding them as frinds, as
they do not know one from an other
The
country is filld with so many idle rumours, that
the whole of my time would be occupied in
writing, were I to undertake to communicate
them... I left Fort Armstrong on the 25 ult., and
came down to the rapids: Genl. Hughs and several
gentlemen arrived from Galena and informd me;
that it was universally believed there, that the
enemy would cross & that they had probably
already done so - that they would be immediately
persued by Genl. Dodge &c.
Hughs
gave it as his deliberate opinion that they had
crossd before that time - with such information
upon tbe back of that receid from Genl. Atkinson
by Majr. Beall, I felt it my duty to advise Capt.
Mase to ask for a reinforcement... if ever the
enomy are permited to cross. They would be
persued as a matter of course; and once mixt,
there could be no distinction; nor is it it
reasonable or natural to suppose; that most of
the young warriors would not join their
relations... [Hughes' false report of Black Hawk
having re-crossed the Mississippi] has thrown the
whole frontier into commotion, driven off the
inhabitants and in one fatal hour defeated the
very objects for the promotion of which I had
passed forty (almost) sleepless nights...
Immediately
after his departure I set out for Galena for the
purpose of obtaining correct information for the
use of the troops on the Des Moines; and on my
arrival; could see no good grounds for the report
about B Hawk; nor was there one man out of five
hundred who could give me even a remote idea of
the position or movements of the army. I think in
a few days you may look for some thing of an
intiresting nature from Genl Atkinson ...
|
From:
Joshua Pilcher (Agent to Sacs & Foxes)
Son of Joshua and Nancy,
removed to Lexington in 1793 where he worked as a
hatter for Hiram Shaw. During the War of 1812
went to Nashville, later arriving in St. Louis
about 1814. A fur trader, he joined up with
Manuel Lisa in the Missouri Fur Company, later
became an Indian agent and succeeded William
Clark as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.
The rumor that
General Andrew S. Hughs started that Black Hawk
had recrossed the Mississippi back into Iowa had
led Joshua to advise for military reinforcements
and had sent him to Galena where he learned the
story was unfounded. He was furious because had
the militia fired upon the Sac and Fox (who he
had persuaded to remain neutral), an all-out war
on the frontier might easily have occurred.
