Wisconsin Historical Society

Primary source

Manuscript

One-Eyed Decorah relates how he helped Black Hawk surrender.

Memoir by One-Eyed Decorah of Black Hawk's surrender.

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About this record

After the final massacre at Bad Ax, Black Hawk and a handful of followers retreated into the wilderness, where they were discovered and sheltered by Wadze-hutta-kaw, a Ho-Chunk chief known to the whites as One-Eyed Decorah [Wis. Hist. Coll. 5:293] , until they surrendered at Prairie du Chien. This manuscript consists of notes written down by George Gale (1816-1868) after an interview with Wadze-hutta-kaw in the 1850's, about 20 years following the events described. Click "Page & Text" to see a typed transcript.

Citation

Decorah, One-Eyed. "Memoir by Wadze-hutta-kaw of Black Hawk's surrender." Unpublished manuscript in the George Gale Papers, Wisconsin Historical Society Archives (Wis Mss GJ, box 1, folder 2).