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 Indians from the Sac village, being informed of this movement, deserted their homes with their wives and children and crossed the Mississippi.  The next morning General Gaines occupied the Sac village without opposition.

A treaty was then made (June 30th) by General Gaines and Governor Reynolds with the Sacs, by which the Indians agreed to take up their abode west of the Mississippi River.  In April, 1832, Chief Black Hawk and his tribe recrossed the Mississippi, in violation of the treaty previously made, for the purpose of joining the Winnebagoes and making a crop of corn and beans.

General Henry Atkinson at this time was in command of Fort Armstrong.  He notified Black Hawk that he must recross the river or be driven back.  The Indians refused to obey the order.  Black Hawk endeavored to enlist some of the Northwestern tribes to join him, but failing to gain their assent, resolved to recross the Mississippi.  He was encamped with his tribe at a place which the Indians called Kish-wa-cokee.