t time, and then started for Jefferson Barracks, in a steam boat,
under the charge of a young war chief, (Lieut. Jefferson Davis) who
treated us all with much kindness. He is a good and brave young chief,
with whose conduct I was much pleased. On our way down we called at
Galena and remained a short time. The people crowded to the boat to see
us: but the war chief would not permit them to enter the apartment where
we were--knowing, from what his feelings would have been if he had been
placed in a similar situation, that we did not wish to have a gaping
crowd around us.

We passed Rock Island without stopping. The great war chief, Gen. Scott,
who was then at Fort Armstrong, came out in a small boat to see us, but
the captain of the steamboat would not allow anybody from the fort to
come on board his boat, in consequence of the cholera raging among the
soldiers. I did think that the captain ought to have permitted the war
chief to come on board to see me, because I could see no danger to be
apprehended by it. The war chief looked well, and I have since heard was
constantly among his soldiers, who were sick and dying, administering to
their wants, and had not caught the disease from them and I thought it
absurd to think that any of the people on the steamboat could be afraid
of catching the disease from a well man. But these people are not brave
like war chiefs, who never fear anything.

On our way down, I surveyed the country that had cost us so much
trouble, anxiety and blood, and that now caused me to be a prisoner of
war. I reflected upon the ingratitude of the whites when I saw their
fine houses, rich harvests and everything desirable around them; and
recollected that all this land had been ours, for which I and my people
had never received a dollar, and that the whites were not satisfied
until they took our village and our graveyards from us and removed us
across the Mississippi.

On our arrival at Jefferson Barracks we met the great war chief, White
Beaver, who had commanded the American army against my little band. I
felt the humiliation of my situation; a little while before I had been
leader of my braves, now I was a prisoner of war, but had surrendered
myself. He received us kindly and treated us well.

We were now confined to the barracks and forced to wear the ball and
chain. This was extremely mortifying and altogether useless. Was the
White Beaver afraid I would break out of his barracks and run away? Or