FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT, 409 



called '^The Prophet" raised his voice very high, 

 gesticulating and speaking rapidly in an angry tone 

 as if he desired to excite the warriors to an attack. 

 At length quiet was obtained and General Gaines 

 spoke to Black Hawk, reminding him of the sale of 

 the lands in dispute to the United States Government. 

 Black Hawk and his followers claimed that the lands 

 had never been sold. The treaty was then read and 

 explained to the chief, which seemed to enrage him 

 greatly. Black Hawk shouted: "The white people 

 speak from paper, but the Indian always speaks from 

 the heart." He further said that their lands had not 

 been sold, that the men who signed the treaty had no 

 authority to do so, or to sell their land. And even if it 

 was sold, they were not paid for it. The General said 

 that the Government had assigned him and his people 

 land on the west side of the Mississippi. His only 

 answer was that he would neither leave nor fight and 

 if the whites attempted to drive him off, he would sit 

 down in his wigwam and they might do what they 

 liked with him. General Gaines understood by this 

 that he would defend what he considered his rights. 



Preparations for an attack were now made by the 

 commanding officers and Governor Reynolds, and on 

 June 19, 1831, troops were assembled near the mouth 

 of Rock River. The next morning they moved 

 upon the Indian village. Black Hawk, however, and 

 all his peoj)le had left in the night, crossed the Mis- 

 sissippi and were camped a few miles below Rock 

 Island. Ten days after, the chief presented himself on 

 the Island with twenty-seven warriors and voluntarily 

 signed a treaty of peace with General Gaines and the 

 Governor of Illinois, the latter representing the 



