Black Partridge (chief)
Encyclopedia
Black Partridge or Black Pheasant (Potawatomi
: Mucketeypokee, Mucktypoke, Mka-da-puk-ke, Muccutay Penay, Makadebakii, Mkadébki) (fl.
1795-1816) was a 19th century Peoria Lake
Potawatomi
chieftain. Although a participant in the Northwest Indian War
and the Peoria War
, he was considered very friendly to early American settlers and was a longtime advocate of peaceful relations with the United States. He and his brother Waubonsie
both attempted to protect settlers during the Fort Dearborn Massacre when they were unsuccessful in preventing the attack.
A memorial at the site of the massacre in present-day Chicago, Illinois includes a statue of Black Partridge preventing a tomahawk
from hitting a Mrs. Margaret Helm, the wife of one of the defenders at Fort Dearborn
. Black Partridge Woods, a state park in Cook County, Illinois
, as well as Partridge Township
in Woodford County, Illinois are also named in his honor.
as a war chief under Matchekewis
at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
. He was later awarded a silver medal, with an engraving of President George Washington
, from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne
at the signing of the Treaty of Greenville
on August 3, 1795; another account claims the medal was presented to him by General William Henry Harrison
at the Treaty of Fort Wayne on September 30, 1809 and had the engraving of President James Madison
. He wore the medal for several years afterwards to symbolize the Potawatomi's friendship with American settlers. One of the Potawatomi chieftains wishing to remain neutral during Tecumseh's War
, he and Gomo
refused to ally with Shawnee
chieftain Tecumseh
when approached by him during the summer of 1810. Black Partridge said to Tecumseh,
Although he was a strong supporter of peace, he was unable to control the younger tribal members and warriors eager to join Tecumseh's fight. He unsuccessfully tried to dissuade the Potawatomi from joining the attack at Fort Dearborn
and, on the evening of August 14, 1812, he rode ahead of the main force arriving at Dearborn to return the medal to the fort commandant, Captain Nathan Heald
.
During the ensuing Fort Dearborn Massacre, he and his brother Waubonsie
tried to protect the settlers from the atrocities being carried out by the attackers. Black Partridge apparently saved the life of a Mrs. Margaret Helm, the wife of Lieutenant Lenai T. Helm and stepdaughter of Indian trader John Kinzie
, by holding her underwater under the appearance of drowning her in Lake Michigan
. He later had her taken to a nearby Indian camp where her wounds were dressed. Black Partridge also helped free her husband who was being held captive by the Red Head Chief at Kankakee. Delivering the ransom on behalf on U.S. Indian Agent Thomas Forsyth
, he voluntarily offered his pony, rifle and a gold ring along with the original written order for $100 signed by General George Rodgers Clark.
Returning to his village on Peoria Lake
however, he found his village had been burned by the Illinois Rangers from Edwardsville
under orders from Governor Ninian Edwards
. Among the massacred villages included his daughter and his grandchild. Taking 200 warriors from nearby villages, as well as 100 from Shequenebec and another 100 from Mittitass, he joined in the attack against Fort Clark on September 19, 1813 although this attack was repulsed by the fort's defenders. Black Hawk, then a young warrior, was also present at the attack. Black Partridge and his band eventually surrendered after being driven back to Fort Clark by General Henry Dodge
and Major Zachary Taylor
He was one of the 13 chieftains escorted by Colonel George Davenport
to St. Louis where peace was signed between the Potawatomi and the United States. He was a later signatory of several treaties between the Potawatomi and the United States government.
Potawatomi language
Potawatomi is a Central Algonquian language and is spoken around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Kansas in the United States, and in southern Ontario in Canada, 1300 Potawatomi people, all elderly...
: Mucketeypokee, Mucktypoke, Mka-da-puk-ke, Muccutay Penay, Makadebakii, Mkadébki) (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1795-1816) was a 19th century Peoria Lake
Peoria Lake
Peoria Lake is a section of the Illinois River between Peoria in Peoria County, Illinois and East Peoria in Tazewell County, Illinois. The oldest section of Peoria, the largest city on the river, lies at its shores....
Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
chieftain. Although a participant in the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
and the Peoria War
Peoria War
During the War of 1812, the Illinois Territory was the scene of fighting between Native Americans and United States soldiers and settlers.Tensions in the Illinois Territory between U.S. settlers and Native Americans were on the rise in the years before the War of 1812...
, he was considered very friendly to early American settlers and was a longtime advocate of peaceful relations with the United States. He and his brother Waubonsie
Waubonsie
Waubonsie was a leader of the Potawatomi Native American people. His name has been spelled in a variety of ways, including Wabaunsee, Wah-bahn-se, Waubonsee, Waabaansii in the contemporary Ojibwe language, and Wabansi in the contemporary Potawatomi language.-Biography:The documentary record of...
both attempted to protect settlers during the Fort Dearborn Massacre when they were unsuccessful in preventing the attack.
A memorial at the site of the massacre in present-day Chicago, Illinois includes a statue of Black Partridge preventing a tomahawk
Tomahawk (axe)
A tomahawk is a type of axe native to North America, traditionally resembling a hatchet with a straight shaft. The name came into the English language in the 17th century as a transliteration of the Powhatan word.Tomahawks were general purpose tools used by Native Americans and European Colonials...
from hitting a Mrs. Margaret Helm, the wife of one of the defenders at Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
. Black Partridge Woods, a state park in Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, as well as Partridge Township
Partridge Township, Woodford County, Illinois
Partridge Township is located in Woodford County, Illinois. The population was 511 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
in Woodford County, Illinois are also named in his honor.
Biography
Black Partridge is first recorded during the Northwest Indian WarNorthwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
as a war chief under Matchekewis
Matchekewis
Matchekewis was a tribal leader of the Ojibwe people. His people were home to Michigan country, migrating to avoid pioneer expansion. In 1763, he took part in Pontiac's Rebellion in the capture of Fort Michilimackinac from the Kingdom of Great Britain. But in 1780 he commanded his tribes in the...
at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
. He was later awarded a silver medal, with an engraving of President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
at the signing of the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
on August 3, 1795; another account claims the medal was presented to him by General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
at the Treaty of Fort Wayne on September 30, 1809 and had the engraving of President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. He wore the medal for several years afterwards to symbolize the Potawatomi's friendship with American settlers. One of the Potawatomi chieftains wishing to remain neutral during Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
, he and Gomo
Chief Gomo
Chief Gomo was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain. He and his brother Senachwine were among the more prominent war chiefs to fight alongside Black Partridge during the Peoria War.-Biography:...
refused to ally with Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
chieftain Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
when approached by him during the summer of 1810. Black Partridge said to Tecumseh,
Although he was a strong supporter of peace, he was unable to control the younger tribal members and warriors eager to join Tecumseh's fight. He unsuccessfully tried to dissuade the Potawatomi from joining the attack at Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
and, on the evening of August 14, 1812, he rode ahead of the main force arriving at Dearborn to return the medal to the fort commandant, Captain Nathan Heald
Nathan Heald
Nathan Heald was an officer in the United States Army during the War of 1812...
.
During the ensuing Fort Dearborn Massacre, he and his brother Waubonsie
Waubonsie
Waubonsie was a leader of the Potawatomi Native American people. His name has been spelled in a variety of ways, including Wabaunsee, Wah-bahn-se, Waubonsee, Waabaansii in the contemporary Ojibwe language, and Wabansi in the contemporary Potawatomi language.-Biography:The documentary record of...
tried to protect the settlers from the atrocities being carried out by the attackers. Black Partridge apparently saved the life of a Mrs. Margaret Helm, the wife of Lieutenant Lenai T. Helm and stepdaughter of Indian trader John Kinzie
John Kinzie
John Kinzie was one of Chicago's first permanent European settlers. Kinzie Street in Chicago is named after him.-Early life:...
, by holding her underwater under the appearance of drowning her in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. He later had her taken to a nearby Indian camp where her wounds were dressed. Black Partridge also helped free her husband who was being held captive by the Red Head Chief at Kankakee. Delivering the ransom on behalf on U.S. Indian Agent Thomas Forsyth
Thomas Forsyth (Indian Agent)
Major Thomas Forsyth was a 19th-century American frontiersman and trader who served as a U.S. Indian agent to the Sauk and Fox during the 1820s and was replaced by Felix St. Vrain prior to the Black Hawk War...
, he voluntarily offered his pony, rifle and a gold ring along with the original written order for $100 signed by General George Rodgers Clark.
Returning to his village on Peoria Lake
Peoria Lake
Peoria Lake is a section of the Illinois River between Peoria in Peoria County, Illinois and East Peoria in Tazewell County, Illinois. The oldest section of Peoria, the largest city on the river, lies at its shores....
however, he found his village had been burned by the Illinois Rangers from Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
under orders from Governor Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards was a founding political figure of the state of Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, as one of the first two United States Senators from Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and as the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830...
. Among the massacred villages included his daughter and his grandchild. Taking 200 warriors from nearby villages, as well as 100 from Shequenebec and another 100 from Mittitass, he joined in the attack against Fort Clark on September 19, 1813 although this attack was repulsed by the fort's defenders. Black Hawk, then a young warrior, was also present at the attack. Black Partridge and his band eventually surrendered after being driven back to Fort Clark by General Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son was Augustus C. Dodge with whom he served in the U.S. Senate, the first, and so far only, father-son pair to serve concurrently....
and Major Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
He was one of the 13 chieftains escorted by Colonel George Davenport
George Davenport
Colonel George Davenport was a 19th-century American frontiersman, trader and US Army officer. A prominent and well-known settler in the Iowa Territory, he was one of the earliest settlers in Rock Island and spent much of his life involved in the early settlement of the Mississippi Valley and the...
to St. Louis where peace was signed between the Potawatomi and the United States. He was a later signatory of several treaties between the Potawatomi and the United States government.
In popular culture
He is portrayed in several historical and dime novels including:- Myrtle ReedMyrtle ReedMyrtle Reed was an American author, poet, journalist, and philanthropist, the daughter of author Elizabeth Armstrong Reed and the preacher Hiram von Reed...
's The Shadow of Victory: A Romance of Fort Dearborn (1903) - Randall ParrishRandall ParrishRandall Parrish was an American author of dime novels, including Wolves of the Sea .-Early life:Parrish was born in the city of Kewanee, the only son of Rufus Parker and Frances Adeline...
's When Wilderness was King: A Tale of the Illinois Country (1904) - H.R. Gordon's Black Partridge, or the Fall of Fort Dearborn (1906)
- Julia Cooley Altrocchi's Wolves Against the Moon (1957)
- Jerry Crimmins's Fort Dearborn: A Novel (2006)