175th Anniversary of the Bad Axe River MassacreBy Edward Barlow, Section Historical Perspectives
August 1-2 will be the 175th anniversary of the Bad Axe River massacre. This massacre occurred 20 miles southwest of Viroqua (by the Mississippi) and ended the so-called Black Hawk War of 1832.
At this site many Sauk and Fox Indians (men, women, and children) were massacred after they surrendered. Others, who escaped, were systematically hunted down and murdered. The historical marker near the massacre site says upward of 1,000 Indians were slaughtered in this so called "war". Why the war? Look in the full story...
In 1830 President Andrew Jackson wrote and Congress democratically passed into law the Indian Removal Act. This "Ethnic Cleansing" Act or final solution to the Eastern Indian "problem" authorized the President to rewrite treaties to "remove" most Eastern Indian populations to "west" of the Mississippi River. It also funded the US Army to accomplish this. By 1850 over 100 treaties were broken or rewritten and over 60 Indian nations "removed west" (to be dealt with later).
However, Black Hawk and his people resisted. (They also had been cheated out of much land in an 1805 treaty). The war against Black Hawk was then waged to set an example to Indians resisting America's Indian Removal (ethnic cleansing) policies. (Future presidents Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor served in this so-called war.) Black Hawk was captured and displayed on the East Coast as a "War Trophy". After he died in captivity, his bones were put on public display in Iowa. They were eventually stolen and later recovered and finally destroyed in a fire. From Black Hawk's bitter surrender speech: . . . . I have done nothing for which an Indian ought to be ashamed. I have fought for my countrymen, the squaws and papooses, against white men, who came, year after year, to cheat us and take away our lands. . . . . . . . I am satisfied. I will go to the world of spirits contented. I have done my duty. My father will meet me there, and commend me . . . . . However, Black Hawk has been recalled from the "world of spirits". A class of military helicopter is named in his honor. "Black Hawk" helicopters now go all over the world implementing policy that he and his people fought righteously against. When George Bush passed through Vernon County during his 2004 campaign, a "Black Hawk" helicopter protected him. Also, in his honor, the Army Corp of Engineers has constructed the Black Hawk Recreational Area near the massacre site where people can go and have good family fun. The Black Hawk Trail is a thoughtful addition to Vernon and Crawford Counties. On the trail the towns Soldiers Grove, Rising Sun, Retreat, Red Mound, and Victory are named after events in the "war". (Pine Grove was changed to Soldiers Grove in honor of the soldiers who "fought" the Indians).
More from his bitter surrender speech:
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