Post by Robert Braun on Apr 23, 2002 13:03:54 GMT -5
In his autobiography, Black Hawk was translated as saying:
We had been here but a little while before we saw a steamboat (the "Warrior,") coming. I told my braves not to shoot, as I intended going on board, so that we might save our women and children. I knew the captain (Throckmorton) and was determined to give myself up to him. I then sent for my white flag. While the messenger was gone, I took a small piece of white cotton and put it on a pole, and called to the captain of the boat, and told him to send his little canoe ashore and let me come aboard. The people on board asked whether we were Sacs or Winnebagoes. I told a Winnebago to tell them that we were Sacs, and wanted to give ourselves up! A Winnebago on the boat called out to us "to run and hide, that the whites were going to shoot!"
...and...
The Winnebago on the steamboat must either have misunderstood what was told, or did not tell it to the captain correctly; because I am confident he would not have allowed the soldiers to fire upon us if he had known my wishes. I have always considered him a good man, and too great a brave to fire upon an enemy when sueing for quarters.
This encounter.. or rather the way it was reported by BH... has always troubled me.
First... Black Hawk claims to have known Throckmorton, the master of the stern-paddler "Warrior." This aquaintance appears to have been more than casual. How did he know it was Throckmorton"? By the vessel? A pennant?
Further, Throckmorton ordered the firing of the boat's sole cannon (for reasons that Throckmorton builds a fair case for in a letter after the incident) that ended up probably killing or maiming many people. Yet BH seems to give Throckmorton a pass in his narrative... as if to pass off the mistaken communication as casually as if Throckmorton had forgotten to return a rake or lawn mower borrowed from Black Hawk!
BH gives a similar pass to Na-pope in his narrative as well.
We had been here but a little while before we saw a steamboat (the "Warrior,") coming. I told my braves not to shoot, as I intended going on board, so that we might save our women and children. I knew the captain (Throckmorton) and was determined to give myself up to him. I then sent for my white flag. While the messenger was gone, I took a small piece of white cotton and put it on a pole, and called to the captain of the boat, and told him to send his little canoe ashore and let me come aboard. The people on board asked whether we were Sacs or Winnebagoes. I told a Winnebago to tell them that we were Sacs, and wanted to give ourselves up! A Winnebago on the boat called out to us "to run and hide, that the whites were going to shoot!"
...and...
The Winnebago on the steamboat must either have misunderstood what was told, or did not tell it to the captain correctly; because I am confident he would not have allowed the soldiers to fire upon us if he had known my wishes. I have always considered him a good man, and too great a brave to fire upon an enemy when sueing for quarters.
This encounter.. or rather the way it was reported by BH... has always troubled me.
First... Black Hawk claims to have known Throckmorton, the master of the stern-paddler "Warrior." This aquaintance appears to have been more than casual. How did he know it was Throckmorton"? By the vessel? A pennant?
Further, Throckmorton ordered the firing of the boat's sole cannon (for reasons that Throckmorton builds a fair case for in a letter after the incident) that ended up probably killing or maiming many people. Yet BH seems to give Throckmorton a pass in his narrative... as if to pass off the mistaken communication as casually as if Throckmorton had forgotten to return a rake or lawn mower borrowed from Black Hawk!
BH gives a similar pass to Na-pope in his narrative as well.