On the 30th of May, the troops, accompanied by General Gaines, left Jefferson barracks, in a steam boat, for Fort Armstrong; and upon the 7th of June, the commanding general held a council on Rock island, at which Black Hawk and some of his braves were present.  Keokuk, Wa-pel-lo and other chiefs from the west side of the Mississippi were also in attendance.  When the council was opened, General Gaines rose and stated that the President was displeased with the refusal of the Sacs of Rock river, to go to the right bank of the Mississippi, that their great father wanted only that which was reasonable and right, and insisted that they should remove.  Black Hawk replied, in substance, that the Sacs had never sold their lands and were determined to hold on to their village.  General Gaines inquired, “who is Black Hawk?  Is he a chief?  By what right does he appear in council?”

No reply was made; Black Hawk arose, gathered his blanket around him, and stalked out of the council room.  On the following morning he was again in his seat, and when the council was opened, he arose and said, “My father, you inquired yesterday, “who is Black Hawk? why does he sit among the chiefs?” I will tell you who I am.  I am a Sac, my father was a Sac—­I am a warrior and so was my father.  Ask those young men, who have followed me to battle, and they will tell you who Black Hawk is—­provoke our people to war, and you will learn who Black Hawk is.”  He then sat down, and nothing more was said on the subject.  The result of this conference was, that Black Hawk refused to leave his village, and that General Gaines informed him and his party, if they were not on the West side of the Mississippi within a few days, he should be compelled to remove them by force.  The General anxious, if possible, to effect the object without bloodshed, deemed it expedient to increase his forces, that the Indians might be intimidated, and thus induced to submit; or, in case of a resort to hostile measures, that he might be fully prepared to act with efficiency.  He accordingly called upon the Governor of Illinois for some militia, to co-operate with the United States’ troops under his command.  On the 25th of June, Governor Reynolds, and General Joseph Duncan with 1600 mounted militiamen, principally volunteers, reached Rock river.  On the morning of the 26th, General Gaines with his combined forces, took possession of the Sac village without firing a gun or finding an Indian; the whole party, with their wives and children, having crossed over the Mississippi the previous night.  On the following day they were found on the west bank of that stream, encamped under the protection of a white flag.

On the 30th of June, General Gaines and Governor Reynolds signed a treaty of capitulation and peace, with Black Hawk, Pa-she-pa-how, Wee-sheat, Kah-ke-ka-mah, and other chiefs and head men of the British band of Sac Indians, and their old allies of the Winnebago, Pottawatamie and Kickapoo nations.  The preamble to this treaty is worthy of preservation.  It is in these words.