innebagoes with the whites in the afternoon but did not know that
they had gone away at nightfall. He told how they saw their great
mistake in leaving Iowa, that they had their wives and children with
them, that all were dying for want of food, and that they only asked to
be allowed to go in peace; and they pledged themselves to return to
Iowa, and never again come east of the river. Neapope was an orator of
great power, and he presented his plea with all the eloquence of which
he was master. But it fell on ears that understood not its purport. I
know of no more pathetic incident in all the long chapter of human woe
and despair than this pitiful prayer of a perishing people for mercy and
forgiveness, spoken in a tongue that carried no meaning to those who
heard. Let us hope that if the petition had been understood it would
have been granted.

The loss in the battle on the 21st had not been large on either side,
and the Black Hawk band pursued their journey to the Mississippi
without guides, through a rugged, trackless wilderness, sorrowing,
suffering and despairing. The whites continued down the Wisconsin to
Helena, where General Atkinson took command. Helena was a deserted
village which had been built to carry on shot-making. The soldiers tore
down the log houses and made rafts of the logs to cross the river. Five
days in all were consumed before the Black Hawk trail was discovered,
and then the pursuers were guided to it by crows and buzzards gathering
in the air over the bodies of dead refugees left by the wayside.

On the first of August the Indians reached the Mississippi and began
crossing in two canoes. In the afternoon the steamer Warrior, which had
been sent up from Fort Crawford to notify the Sioux Chief, Wabasha, one
hundred and twenty miles above to look out for his enemy, Black Hawk,
who was headed that way, stopped opposite the spot where the Indians had
gathered. Black Hawk raised a white flag and tried to parley; but the
captain assumed that it was an attempt to trap him and, without warning,
fired into the Indians at short range with a cannon loaded with
cannister. Thus a second time was the usage of all nations violated in
this war by refusing to recognize the flag of truce. Twenty-three were
killed by this discharge. There were twenty riflemen on the boat who
then began firing, and the Sauks responded. The Warrior soon after
steamed away to Fort Crawford, twenty miles below, and the Indians
continued