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intervals during the afternoon. In the evening a flag was sent from the Spanish commandant, offering to capitulate, and a suspension of hostilities was granted until eight o'clock the next day, when articles of capitulation were signed and agreed to. The terms are more favorable than a conquered enemy would have merited; but, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, my object obtained, there was no motive for wounding the feelings of those whose military pride or honor had prompted to the resistance made. The articles, with but one condition, amount to the complete cession to the United States of that portion of the Floridas hitherto under the government of Don Jose Masot.

"The Seminole war may now be considered at a close, tranquillity again restored to the southern frontier of the United States, and as long as a cordon of military posts is maintained along the gulf of Mexico, America has nothing to apprehend from either foreign or Indian hostilities. Indeed, sir, to attempt to fortify or protect an imaginary line, or to suppose that a frontier on the thirty-first degree of latitude, in a wilderness, can be secured by a corridor of military posts, whilst the Spanish authorities were not maintained in the Floridas, that the country lay open to the use and excitement of an enemy, is visionary in the extreme. On the immutable principle, therefore, of self-defence, authorized by the law of nature and of nations, have I bottomed all my operations. On the fact that the Spanish officers had aided and abetted the Indians, and thereby become a party in hostility against us, do I justify my occupying the Spanish fortresses. Spain has disregarded the treaties existing with the American government, or had not power to enforce them. The Indian tribes within her territory, and which she was bound to keep at peace, visited our citizens with all the horrors of savage war. Negro brigades were establishing themselves when and where they pleased, and foreign agents were openly and knowingly practising their intrigues in this neutral territory. The immuta

ble principles of self-defence justified, therefore, the occupancy of the Floridas, and the same principles will warrant the American government in holding it until such time as Spain can guarantee, by an adequate military force, the maintaining her authority within the colony."

CHAP. XXI.

HOSTILITIES WITH THE INDIAN TRIBES ON THE NORTHWESTERN
FRONTIERS, CALLED BLACK HAWK'S WAR.

THE Winnebagoes, Menominies, Pottowatamies, and Sacs and Foxes, were engaged in this border war with Black Hawk. In order to understand the causes of this war, it will be necessary for us to recount some circumstances which occurred in 1823.

This year the United States agent held a treaty, at Prairie du Chien, with the Sacs, Foxes, Winnebagoes, Chippeways, Sioux, &c., principally to effect a peace between the Sacs and the other tribes. The better to effect this object, bounds were set to each tribe.

The Galena lead mines about the same time attracted considerable attention, and the avarice of those concerned in them drove several thousand miners into the country of the Winnebagoes, beyond the limits of the United States. It is supposed this great encroachment was the cause of the murder of a family, living near Prairie du Chien, by a party of Winnebagoes, two of whom were afterwards imprisoned in the jail of Crawford county.

An article in the above-mentioned treaty provided that any of the five nations concerned in this treaty,

visiting in the United States, should be protected from all insults by the garrison. Notwithstanding this, in the summer of 1827, a party of twenty-four Chippeways, on a visit to fort Snelling, were fallen upon by a band of Sioux, who killed and wounded eight of them. The commandant of the fort captured four of the Sioux, and delivered them into the hands of the Chippeways, who immediately shot them.

Red Bird, the Sioux chief, repaired to Prairie du Chien with three companions, desperate as himself, about the first of July, and there killed two persons, wounded a third, and, without taking plunder, retired to Bad-axe river. Here, soon after, he waylaid two keel boats that had been conveying some missionaries to fort Snelling, in one of which two persons were killed; the others escaped with little injury.

Not long after, Gen. Atkinson marched into the Winnebago country, and captured some hostile Winnebagoes and Red Bird, who died soon after in prison.

The Indians who were imprisoned for the murder at Prairie du Chien, were discharged, and Black Hawk and two others, who had been imprisoned for the attack on the boats, before mentioned, were also discharged.

Very little pains were taken to satisfy the Indians, or to make the settlers do justice to them. As the latter in many cases have very little to lose, and much to gain, if an Indian war be successful, we need not be surprised that they take so little pains to be first on conciliating to their red brethren. The gain which the settlers are sure of in a successful Indian war, arises from the Indians being obliged to give up their lands, in which case they are removed from them by settlers, and they are no longer a frontier, but a thoroughfare to one; and the consequent flocking in of new settlers raises the value of produce as well as of land, by creating a demand for them. Thus, it is not diffi