g, and called to them to
come out and fight. I did not like my situation and wished the matter
settled. I soon heard chopping and knocking. I could not imagine what
they were doing. Soon after they ran up a battery on wheels and fired
without hurting any of us. I called to them again, and told them if
they were brave men to come out and fight us. They gave up the siege and
returned to their fort about dusk. There were eighteen in this trap with
me. We came out unharmed, with the exception of the brave who was killed
by the enemy's fist fire, after we were entrapped. We found one white
man dead at the edge of the sink-hole, whom they did not remove for fear
of our fire, and scalped him, placing our dead brave upon him, thinking
we could not leave him in a better situation than on the prostrate form
of a fallen foe.

We had now effected our purpose and concluded to go back by land,
thinking it unsafe to use our canoes. I found my wife and children, and
the greater part of our people, at the mouth of the Iowa river. I now
determined to remain with my family and hunt for them, and to humble
myself before the Great Spirit, returning thanks to him for preserving
me through the war. I made my hunting camp on English river, which is
a branch of the Iowa. During the winter a party of Pottawattomies came
from the Illinois to pay me a visit, among them was Washeown, an old man
who had formerly lived in our village. He informed as that in the fall
the Americans had built a fort at Peoria and had prevented them from
going down the Sangamon to hunt. He said they were very much distressed.
Gomo had returned from the British army, and brought news of their
defeat near Malden. He told us that he went to the American chief with
a flag, gave up fighting, and told him he desired to make peace for his
nation. The American chief gave him a paper to the war chief at Peoria,
and I visited that fort with Gomo. It was then agreed that there should
be no more hostilities between the Americans and the Pottawattomies. Two
of the white chiefs, with eight Pottawattomie braves, and five others,
Americans, had gone down to St. Louis to have the treaty of peace
confirmed. This, said Washeown, is good news; for we can now go to our
hunting grounds, and, for my part, I never had anything to do with this
war. The Americans never killed any of our people before the war,
nor interfered with our hunting grounds, and I resolved to do nothing
against them. I ma