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"Blackhawkiana"Impressing the Indians with American Military Might |
The Naval Yard at Gosport
From the Norfolk Herald. BLACK HAWK.---This distinguished personage, with his
five companions, left here in the steam boat Columbus, for Baltimore,
on Wednesday, in charge of Major Garland, of the Army. |
Source: New York Evening Post (6/11/1833)
The New York State Arsenal
Perhaps
nothing has more deeply interested and impressed this old warrior and
his companions,
in a whole course of a tour which must have presented so many objects
to astonish them, than the view they had of the Arsenel in White street,
on Thursday last.---They were conducted thither at about half past
four
P.M. with much greater privacy than their other visits have generally
admitted of, and were shown every part of this imposing and beautifully
arranged repository of the implements of war, unencumbered by the crowd
which must usually have occasioned them great inconvenience. They were
first shown the heavy ordnance on the basement floor, and whatever
characteristic
indifference they may have maintained on other occasions, the sight and
explanation of the eight and ten inch shells and mortars, and of the
thirty-two
pounders, evidently filled them with wonder and awe. Old Black Hawk nodded
and shook his head most significantly, and his revered companion, the
Prophet, "grinned horribly, a ghastly smile," from one of
the least lovely countenances ever seen---That fascinating young giant,
the
sable falcon's adopted nestling, preserved a much loftier mein upon the
matter than the rest of his companions, and his eyes expressed any
thing
but cordial satisfaction at the sight of engines so disparaging to savage
power. But when the party ascended to the next floor and beheld the
long
and dense avenues of brilliant bayoneted muskets, standing in numbers
which must to them have appeared countless, they all involuntarily
expressed
the most lively admiration; they all grinned and scowled most amiably,
and nodded and muttered their approbation, repeatedly and most graciously.
The Old Hawk bent a hawk's eye all along the lines of spotless pans
and
keen flints and doubtless reconned the severe lessons which a similar
military alphabet had already taught him. The circular arrangements
of
pistols and sabres on the different compartments of the ceiling also
frequently attracted their attention and they pointed them out to each
other with
evident interest. Indeed the state of this arsenal, under the present
Commissary, General Arcularius, is such as might gratify the eye of
an
experienced soldier of the best disciplined army; and there is not perhaps
an arsenal either in this country or in Europe, in more perfect order
or more tastefully arranged in proportion to its extent. After they
had
been shown the musquetry, they were taken to an apartment which contained
among other things some modern curasses, resembling those of Napolean's
celebrated guards, and General Arcularius placed one of them on his
breast
to explain their use; but although the party were evidently surprised
at the security which this defensive armour was calculated to afford,
there was something unequivocally sarcastic in the manner with which
Black
hawk and the Prophet conferred upon the subject. But perhaps nothing
surprised these savages more highly than Mr. Enoch Hadden's new patent
artillery
lock which the Commissary had fixed for trial on the beautiful brass
three pounder, presented to the State by Governor Tompkins in 1814.
This gun
having been placed in the yard and loaded with a blank cartridge, General
Arcularius, who seemed to take great pleasure in impressing upon the
minds
of these untaught warriors the immense power of our scientific inventions,
drew the string with which this invaluable lock operates, and discharged
the piece, their utter astonishment could not be concealed by any saint
or savage amongst them, and the whole apparatus appeared to them so
awfully
mysterious that it was not without considerable solicitation either of
them could be induced to repeat the experiment for himself. Black Hawk,
and all the rest in succession, declined with manifest timidity; but
at
length the Prophet, probably relying upon the sanctity of his character
for security, manfully stepped forward and drew the string---He started
a little at the report, and the laughed most heartily. Emboldened by
his
sacred friend's example Black hawk ventured to discharge the gun, and
afterwards all the rest summoned equal courage. The peculiar satisfaction
which each of them expressed at the successful result of his experiment
afforded much amusement to the spectators, and when Mr. Hidden presented
them with the fulminating water upon which his lock acts, the vacant
seriousness
and gravity with which they returned it, as a matter quite too profound
for their comprehension, was irresistably comic.
The party having been invited by the Commissary to take refreshments in the house adjoining the arsenal yard, a select company of ladies and gentlemen were politely afforded an opportunity of hearing these children of the forest converse upon the objects they had seen, and of having their conversation translated by the interpreter who attends them. Among other gallant things said by Black Hawk on this occasion, there were the following: "I have had the satisfaction of taking many ladies, beautiful as the moon and flowers, both in this city and in others through which I have passed, by the hand; and I will tell my young warriors never more to take up weapons against the fathers and brothers of the pretty squaws who have used me so kindly. We will hereafter live in peace, and I am anxious to return home to tell them this.
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Source: (Baltimore) American & Commercial
Daily Advertiser (6/27/1833)
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Department
of Anthropology |
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University of Illinois, All rights reserved. |