Who led the Kickapoo at Pecatonica?

[Robert Braun]

We have ample descriptions of the gray-haired warrior that led the Kickapoo war party in the Spafford Farm and Henry Apfel murders... only to die with his group on the banks of Bloody Pond.

Do we know his name?

[Greg Carter]

Good question, Bob. My guess is that Dodge didn't think to ask before he shot him! Are there any records of any kind that kept track of Indian deaths, perhaps transcribed by the Indians?

GMC

[Larry Koschkee]

Almanac,

Dodge and his miners would not have been provided an opportunity to ask the gray haired Indian his name if the band would have been on horseback. All Dodge and his volunteers would have seen was a glimpse of the Kickapoo and the west end of a bunch of horses going east.

[Robert Braun]

Thanks, guys. I think it's pretty clear that Dodge and his volunteers really didn't check name tags before they closed with the Kickapoo.

There is a modest controversy as to whether or not the principle warrior of the war-party was "Little Priest.} In 1888, Peter Parkinson, Jr. wrote that Little Priest, a Winnebago (not a Kickapoo), was being held at Gratiot's Grove as a hostage during the time of the Spafford Farm massacre and the Battle of Pecatonica. To Parkinson, Little Priest appeared to be about 35 years old, “a small sized Indian, of symmetrical form and not very erect. He was about five feet, seven inches in height.”

In contrast, Parkinson described the gray-haired warrior leading the Kickapoo war-party as a “tall, gallant looking fellow, at least five feet ten inches in height, height, of commanding mien, and appeared to be about 50 years old."

I think it evident that the principle warrior was NOT Little Priest. However, in Twilight of Empire, Allan W. Eckert identifies the gray-haired warrior by name!

My problem with this is, Eckert's semi-historical work lists all kinds of sources for this particular segment of the book. Unfortunately, I can't figure out where he got a name for the principle warrior of the Kickapoo war-party.

Does Eckert's identification have any basis in fact, or did he make it up-- in a fashion similar to his conjectural conversations?

[Todd Price]

As with anything I am coming upon in researching the Black Hawk War, it seems there is a disparity in the identification of the tribe of the warriors killed at Pecatonica. Some reports I have seen have stated Sac while others say Kickapoo. The only copy of an original manuscript which I have seen is the Henry Dodge report from Fort Hamilton following the battle which refers to the warriors slain only as "Indians". Does anyone have any more information on further clarifying which tribe the Pecatonica warriors belonged to?

Thank you,
Todd Price

[Mike Thorson]

I would refer you to the book link at the top of the page for the definitive account of the battle.

[Larry Koschkee]

I would like to pickup Mr. Todd Price's question of the identity of the Indians slain at Horseshoe Bend because it deserves further consideration. This has been a curiosity of mine for some time but never made it to the top of my research list.

What is the actual source that has historians, researchers and authors regurgitating Kickapoo as the Indians at Horseshoe Bend on the Pecatonica River?

I offer one possible source that is flagged in my files.

BHW 1831-1832, Ellen Whitney, pg 613

This is part of a letter addressed to Andrew Jackson from William Campbell, Asst. Superintendent of Mississipi Lead Mines, Galena... June 17th - 19th, 1832

...The scalps were given to the Indians who soon after arrived with Col. Hamilton - except one scalp which has just been exhibited to me by the express. The Indians killed, are supposed to be Kickapoo.

I am interested in corroborating citations.

Thank you

[Larry Koschkee]

The suggestion by William Campbell, a close friend of President Andrew Jackson, that the Indians slain at the Pecatonica River on June 16, 1832 does not appear to have a lot, if any, supporting evidence.

Some time ago I searched Ellen Whitney's Black Hawk War work and recently searched a second time. I have researched correspondence in the microfilm rolls from the National Archives under the category of Ratified and Un-ratified Treaties, letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the Sauk/Fox, Menomonie, Sioux and Winnebago Agencies and reviewed council journals and journals of proceedings. In addiiton, I researched affidavits of Sauk/Fox and Winnebago concerning land deeds and private payments authorized in several treaties. Clues or evidence placing Kickapoo Indians at the Pecatonica River were not discovered.

Col. Henry Dodge said they were Sauk, Indian Agents said they were Sauk, a Winnebago Indian and a Sioux Indian said they were Sauk and General Henry Atkinson refered to them as Indians.

Col. Henry Dodge

Decarry stated his people would unite with us to fight the Sacks - That they were pleased that we had killed up a party of them...

A part of the scalps was given to the Sioux & Menomonies as well as the Winnabagoes Col. Hamilton had arrived with the Indians about one hour after our defeat of the hostile Sacks...

Joseph M. Street, U. S. Indian Agent, Prairie du Chien

Street was addressing Winnebago and Sioux in these two quotes: You raised the warsong, and were borne on your way upon the bosom of the Father of waters, under the conduct of Col. Hamilton. He led you into the country infested by the Sacs and Foxes, and when in striking distance of your enemy, you mangled the dead bodies of eleven Sacs, killed by the warriors of your Great Father the day of your arrival...
Yesterday one of you gave me his left hand and said, "my other hand is stained with the blood of the Sacs and Foxes" - it was untrue; yours was a bloodless campaign. Some of you may have mangled the dead bodies of Sacs killed by Gen. Dodge and the brave men with him...

Edward Beouchard, Sub - Indian Agent, Portage

The whole number this accounted for, of the Sauks who fell in this fight, was seventeen; at a subsequent period, when at the Rock Island, after the termination of the war, Beouchard understood from some of the Sauks, that Black Hawk had often spoken of a band of seventeen of his braves, of whom he had never received any intelligence, and he knew not what had become of them.

Waukon Decorah - Speaking Chief of the Wisconsin River Winnebago

First I refer you to Dodge's first quote where Decorah acknowledged the Indians as a party of Sauk and was pleased Dodge had done them in.

Secondly - I did not start from here with Col. Hamilton and the other Indians who went with him. I went and met them just after the whites had a battle with the Sacs - they gave me some scalps which I brought away...

Larc - Sioux Chief of Upper Mississippi River Band

Father, we saw a man with much beard, (Gen Dodge) who had killed eleven Sacs...

Brig. General Henry Atkinson

On the same day Genl Dodge at the head of 21 men fell in with, on the river Peketollica, a party of eleven Indians & succeeded in killing the whole number...

Fort Armstrong (Rock Island) prisoner interrogation reports did not indicate a war party of Kickapoo killed at Horseshoe Bend, however citations were made of two great Kickapoo Chiefs killed at Kellogg's Grove and Kickapoo warriors sustained severe loses at the battles of Wisconsin Heights and Bad Axe.

Where is the preponderant evidence of Kickapoo at the Pecatonica River?

[Robert Braun]

Larry raises a very valid question.

I do not have the benefit of my notes, and will need to relook. Off the top of my head, I will state that a decision as to the war-party being Kickapoo came as a result of several inferences, coupled with the William Campbell quote.

Among the inferences and reasonings:

1. We have stipulated that every murder in the region seemed to be pinned on the Sauk. As a result, it does not surprise me that numerous chiefs and American leaders thought the war-party was Sauk. (Example-- there are numerous references to the murders at the Blue Mounds being committed by Sauks. Deeper investigation, however, seems to place the blame on Winnebago bent on revenge.)

2. Crawford Thayer in Hunting for a Shadow states in numerous footnotes that the warriors killed at "Horseshoe Bend" were Kickapoo. The reason for these multiple citiations is unclear, however Thayer was a most careful researcher. Tom Fey likewise has written and lectured that the war-party was Kickapoo. His sources are unclear, but I have no reason to doubt Tom.

3. Black Hawk usually makes mention when Sauk warriors are killed. There is practically no mention of "Horseshoe Bend."

4. Campbell's reference is rather specific. He was not an eyewitness, so his information had to come from someone.

Best,

Bob

[Larry Koschkee]

Some additional comments to the open question of Kickapoo or Sauk... addressing some of Bob's thoughtful points.

Bob said: We have stipulated that every murder in the region seemed to be pinned on the Sauk. As a result, it does not surprise me that the numerous chiefs and American leaders thought the war-party was Sauk. (Example -- there are numerous references to the murders at the Blue Mounds being committed by Sauks, Deeper investigation, however, seems to place the blame on Winnebago bent on revenge.)

This is true, it seems many of the white men casualties were painted with a wide brush stroke -- Sauk. Having said that, one needs to look at the specfic circumstances surrounding the two Indian Chief's accounts I posted. The chiefs and there followers were part of a group of Sioux, Winnebago and Menomonie warriors organized and commanded by Col. William Hamilton to assist General Atkinson's war efforts. The common thread among the three tribes was their hatred for the Sauk and Fox and were looking for an opportunity for revenge. It appears the Sauk and Fox were one up on them. Previous to the outbreak of the Black Hawk War in April there was some significant predation and murder being carried out among the different parties. So much so that General Atkinson received orders to get involved to prevent a Indian war on the frontier.

The Great Father had preached to Sioux, Winnebago and Menomonie to keep the tomahawk buried because the Great Father would punish the guilty. Well General Atkinson abridged this policy and encouraged the three tribes to take up the tomahawk against the invading Sauk and Fox.

Sioux Chief Larc was part of Hamilton's command that arrived shortly after General Dodge's milita slayed the Indians at Horseshoe Bend, therefore, I would consider him an eye-witness that could speak with authority on what tribe the Indians were... Sauk or Kickapoo. He said they were "Sac."

Not all Winnebago were warring with the Sauk and Fox. In fact I would say just a minority faction with allegiance to the Winnebago "Speaking Chief" Waukon Decorah. Waukon had an axe to grind with the Sauk/Fox because they had killed his daughter at fur trader Rolette's fort on the Red Cedar River. She was the wife of a Sioux warrior.

Waukon Decorah and a war party of about 40 warriors arrived at Hamilton's fort shortly after the Battle of the Pecatonica and thereafter counciled with Indian Sub-Agent Henry Gratiot and Col. Henry Dodge. Decorah's war party shared in the scalps lifted from the Indians at the Pecatonica. Decorah said they were "Sacs."

These scalps were big medicine to the Menomonie, Sioux and Winnebago. In a strange way, foreign to the white men, this could satisfy part or all of their revenge sought from the Fox/Sauk. Contrary to white man biblical revenge -- "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth," which is specific to a perpetrator or family of a perpetrator, Indians would carry out acts of revenge randomly on the opposite side. The Great Father said he would punish the Sauk/Fox and there was the evidence at the Pecatonica River.

What significance would be recognized if the Sioux and Winnebago returned to their lodges with Kickapoo scalps, a tribe that they were not visibly at odds with? What war trophy would a Kickapoo scalp symbolize?

These two chiefs should be considered credible eye-witnesses.

Bob said: Crawford Thayer in Hunting for A Shadow states in numerous footnotes that the warriors killed at "Horseshoe Bend' were Kickapoo. I am disappointed with Thayer on this account. He annotated everything else in his book, but this. Without documention his reference does not carry any weight in my opinion.

Bob said: Black Hawk usually makes mention when Sauk warriors are killed. There is practically no mention of "Horseshoe Bend."

Accounts suggest Black Hawk's Band took on casualities at Apple River Fort, but Black Hawk made no mention of them.

Bob said: Campbell's reference is rather specific. He was not an eyewitness, so his information had to come from someone.

In response, unless we can connect the dots, "from someone" to Campbell, I would submit a this point, just the Indian Chief eye-witnesses alone would trump Campbell's statement.

Another note, Dodge called them "Sacks." Dodge was certainly a credible eye-witness. Would not Dodge have inquired about the true identity of the Indians from the three interpreters that were with Col. Hamilton? Otherwise, for all he may have known he could have slain 17 Winnebagoes.

Additional note, Edward Beouchard was a Indian Sub-Agent at the U. S. Indian Agency at the Portage. Certainly he would have known the difference between a Sauk, Kickapoo, Winnebago? In addition, he was an eye-witness to the body mangling of the slain Indians.

There are several eye-witnessess and their consensus is Sauk...