eaty had been made by the United States Government in 1804 with
the chiefs of the Sac Indians, in which their lands east of the
Mississippi were ceded to the Government, but with the reservation
that so long as they belonged to the Government of the United States
the Indians should have the privilege of occupying and hunting on
them. The Sacs and Foxes were contiguous and friendly tribes, and
their principal village was on a peninsula between the Rock River and
the Mississippi. Their principal chief was known as Black Hawk. The
United States Government in its treaty acquiring the title to these
Indian lands made a guarantee that the Indians should be free from
intrusion from any white settlers.

Their lands were very fertile, and soon white men in large numbers
began to encroach on them, and no adequate steps were taken by the
Government to protect the Indians in their treaty rights. In 1829 the
Government ordered a public sale of lands which included a part of the
Sac village. It was purchased by an Indian trader. This greatly
disturbed the Chief Black Hawk, but he was assured that if the lands
purchased by this agent had not actually been sold to the Government
that the sale would be canceled and the Indian occupants allowed to
remain. Nothing more was done in the matter until in the spring of
1831, when the corn planted by a number of Indians was plowed up by
white settlers, and many annoying trespasses made by the whites upon
the Indian occupants. The Chief Black Hawk then announced to the white
settlers in the village that they must remove. This resulted in a
memorial from some of the white settlers, in May, 1831, to the
Governor of Illinois, stating that the Indians were committing
depredations on them. The Governor called out seven hundred militia to
remove a band of the Sac Indians, and so notified General Gaines.
General Gaines, on May 29th, replied to the Governor that he had
ordered six companies of troops from Jefferson City to Rock Island,
and four other companies from Prairie du Chien, to assist the
Governor's militia in repelling the Indians. When the United States
troops reached Fort Armstrong a conference was held with some of the
Indian chiefs, but with no practical results. On receiving this
information General Gaines called on the Governor of Illinois for
additional forces, and on June 25th Governor Reynolds and General
Joseph Duncan arrived at Rock River with sixteen hundred mounted
militia. The In