Wild West. The Tragic End of Chief Black Hawks Life

 Chief Black Hawk was a brave and famous Warrior of the war of 1812, and of the war named after him, "The Black Hawk War of 1832" The warrior Chief became famous after he rebelled against the American government because of the signing of the treaty of 1804, in which the Sac and Fox nations capitulated millions of acres of land to the government for two thousand dollars in cash and other gifts and annuities. Black Hawk eventually surrendered to the government. What followed was a situation that involved great pomp and circumstance, as Black Hawk was arrested and taken to Fort Monroe in Washington DC to be incarcerated. The government then treated Black Hawk as an example and he was taken on a grand tour in the east, and given time with President Andrew Jackson. 

As Black Hawk began to fade from the public consciousness, he settled into his personal decline. He was forced to live on Keokuk's village on the last big bend of the Iowa River. Famed artist George Catlin described Black Hawk, as a "poor dethroned monarch", who had become an object of pity. In 1837 he moved his lodge down to the Des Moines River, in Davis county, near Fort Madison. The old warrior had become a whiskey drinker. This is very ironic, because he had accused Isaiah' Stillmans men of whiskey intoxication during the battle at Old Mans creek. He also dressed in military uniform given to him by President Jackson. The in 1838, after traveling to Rock Island to collect a government annuity, he dies in a lodge near Iowaville Iowa after a brief Illness.  He was seventy two years old.  He was buried in the sitting position, clad in military uniform with a cane and two swords.  Less than a year later, Black Hawks widow went to the grave and found that someone had dug up Black Hawks body and taken the head. A few months later the remainder was also stolen. It was later found out that a Doctor by the name of Dr. Turner had Black Hawks bones cleaned, wired together and hung in his office. Upon hearing about this, the Governor of the Iowa territory, Robert Lucas, had Black Hawks bones seized  and sent to his officer in Burlington Iowa, where the bones were eventually put on display in the Burlington Geographical and Historical Society. The bones remained there until 1855, when the were lost forever in a devastating fire.

Reference- Red Flag of Defiance, by Gene Stevens, Black Hawk The Battle for The Heart of America, by Kerry A. Trask

                   

                                          The following photos courtesy of Jeremy Thomason 

                                                A plaque now tells the story of Black Hawks 

                                                     empty grave at the Iowaville cemetery 

                                                  Photos courtesy of Jeremy Thomason