The Black Hawk War Brief Introduction History U.S. required Sauk to move to present-day Iowa Needed space for settlers moving into Illinois Struggled to prepare land for crops Winter 1831-1832 very difficult April 1832: Black Hawk (Sauk leader) led 1,000 Sauk and Fox people to northern Illinois Hoped to make military alliance with Winnebago and other tribes History Illinois settlers feared Sauk and organized militia Black Hawk reconsidered his actions when seeing militia and surrendered Militia ignored peace flag and attacked Sauk Sauk returned fire Militia retreated in panic, leaving weapons Sauk collected weapons and retreated north into Wisconsin Black Hawk War Gen. Henry Atkinson, in charge of U.S. Army forces Led Henry Dodge, James Henry, and 4,000 militiamen Sauk and Fox unable to move as fast (traveling with elderly and small children) Sauk warriors raided frontier farms and villages to distract American soldiers Black Hawk War July 21, 1832: Henry Dodge and soldiers caught up to Black Hawk’s band near present-day Sauk City Sauk warriors turned to attack American troops Allowed women and children to flee across WI River American troops found Sauk forded river at night Dodge moved to Ft. Winnebago (near present-day Portage) for supplies Black Hawk War Ft. Winnebago- Dodge and Atkinson set to pursuit Sauk and Fox Aug. 2, 1832: U.S. soldiers attacked Sauk and Fox as they attempted to ford Mississippi River (near Vernon County) Ignoring a truce flag, troops fired cannons and rifles Killing hundreds, including children Black Hawk War Sauk and Fox that fled were killed by Eastern Sioux (allies of Americans in 1832) Only 150 of 1,000 members of Black Hawk’s band survived Rejoined Sauk and Fox in Iowa Black Hawk Surrenders Black Hawk surrendered at Ft. Crawford, Prairie du Chien Imprisoned and sent east to meet with Pres. Andrew Jackson and other gov’t officials Eventually U.S. gov’t sent him to live with surviving members of the Sauk and Fox nation Assignment Background Info The documents you’ll be reading provide good examples of how historical accounts may vary You’ll be reading: A part of Black Hawk’s biography (originally published in 1833) The Sauk warrior’s account of both the Battle of Wisconsin Heights and the Battle of Bad Axe A letter from Dodge to Atkinson describing the Battle of Wisconsin Heights Gen. Atkinson’s account of the Battle of Bad Axe published in the Detroit Weekly (WI was part of MI Territory in 1832) printed on Aug. 9, 1832.