Wisconsin Historical Collections, Volume XII (1892)

              236 wisconsin historical collections vol.xii surrounded by a perfectly clear prairie slightly undulating with an indian enemy disliking to fight in the open the troopers might readily have repulsed ten times their own number black hawk had tarried a week at the prophet's town holding fruitless councils with the wily and vacillating winnebagoes he now learned positively for the first time that he had been deceived but he pushed on to keep his engagement at sycamore creek faint at heart though vaguely hoping better things of the pottawattomies he went into camp with his principal men in a large grove near the mouth of the creek met the chiefs of the tribe and soon found that shaubena's counsels had rendered it im possible to gain over to his cause more than about one hun dred of the hot-head element black hawk asserted in after years that he had at this juncture fully resolved to return at once to the west of the mississippi should he be again summoned to do so by general atkinson and never more disturb the peace of the white settlements as a part ing courtesy to his guests however he was making arrange ments on the evening of may 14 to give them a dog feast when the summons came in a manner he little anticipated the white-hating faction of the pottawattomies was en camped on the kishwaukee river some seven miles north of black hawk and with them the majority of his own party the hawk says that not more than forty of his braves were with him upon the council ground toward sunset in the midst of his preparations he was informed that a party of white horsemen were going into camp three miles down the bock it was stillman's corps but the sac thought it was a small party headed by atkinson — being then unaware of the size of the force which had been placed in the field against him — and sent out three of his young men with a white flag to parley with the new arrivals and convey his offer to meet the white beaver atkinson in council.1 ' ¦ . r -^ the rangers who had regarded the expedition as a big 1 autobiography pp 117 118