Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk | Page 5

its name from this circumstance. Here they held a council with the
Foxes, and a national treaty of friendship and alliance was agreed upon.
The Foxes abandoned their village and joined the Sacs. This
arrangement, being mutually obligatory upon both parties, as neither
were sufficiently strong to meet their enemies with any hope of success,
they soon became as one band or nation of people. They were driven,
however, by the combined forces of their enemies to the Wisconsin.
They remained here for some time, until a party of their young men,
who descended Rock river to its mouth, had returned and made a
favorable report of the country. They all descended Rock river, drove
the Kaskaskias from the country and commenced the erection of their
village, determined never to leave it.
At this village I was born, being a lineal descendant of the first chief,
Nanamakee, or Thunder. Few, if any events of note transpired within
my recollection until about my fifteenth year. I was not allowed to
paint or wear feathers, but distinguished myself at an early age by
wounding an enemy; consequently I was placed in the ranks of the
Braves.
Soon after this a leading chief of the Muscow nation came to our
village for recruits to go to war against the Osages, our common
enemy.
I volunteered my services to go, as my father had joined him, and was
proud to have an opportunity to prove to him that I was not an
unworthy son, and that I had courage and bravery. It was not long
before we met the enemy and a battle immediately ensued. Standing by
my father's side, I saw him kill his antagonist and tear the scalp from
off his head. Fired with valor and ambition, I rushed furiously upon

another and smote him to the earth with my tomahawk. I then ran my
lance through his body, took off his scalp and returned in triumph to
my father. He said nothing but looked well pleased. This was the first
man I killed. The enemy's loss in this engagement having been very
great, they immediately retreated, which put an end to the war for the
time being. Our party then returned to the village and danced over the
scalps we had taken. This was the first time I was permitted to join in a
scalp dance.
After a few moons had passed, being acquired considerable reputation
as a brave, I led a party of seven and attacked one hundred Osages! I
killed one man and left him for my comrades to scalp while I was
taking observations of the strength and preparations of the enemy.
Finding that they were equally well armed with ourselves, I ordered a
retreat and came off without the loss of a man. This excursion gained
for me great applause, and enabled me, before a great while, to raise a
party of one hundred and eighty to march against the Osages. We left
our village in high spirits and marched over a rugged country, until we
reached the land of the Osages, on the borders of the Missouri.
We followed their trail until we arrived at the village, which we
approached with exceeding caution, thinking that they were all here,
but found, to our sorrow, that they had deserted it. The party became
dissatisfied in consequence of this disappointment, and all, with the
exception of five noble braves, dispensed and went home. I then placed
myself at the head of this brave little band, and thanked the Great Spirit
that so many had remained. We took to the trail of our enemies, with a
full determination never to return without some trophy of victory. We
followed cautiously on for several days, killed one man and a boy, and
returned home with their scalps.
In consequence of this mutiny in camp, I was not again able to raise a
sufficient force to go against the Osages until about my Nineteenth year.
During this interim they committed many outrages on our nation; hence
I succeeded in recruiting two hundred efficient warriors, and early one
morning took up the line of march. In a few days we were in the
enemy's country, and we had not gone far before we met a force equal
to our own with which to contend. A general battle immediately
commenced, although my warriors were considerably fatigued by
forced marches. Each party fought desperately. The enemy seemed

unwilling to yield the ground and we were determined to conquer or die.
A great number of Osages were killed and many wounded before they
commenced a retreat. A band of wariors more brave, skillful and
efficient than mine could not be found. In this engagement I killed five
men and one squaw, and had the good fortune to take