First Flag in the Upper Mississippi Valley
On August 9, 1805, Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, an officer in the United
States Army, in command of twenty soldiers, left St. Louis under
instructions from the government to trace the sources of the Mississippi
River. ascertain the condition of the Indians, create a better feeling
between them and the Americans and to select certain sites upon which to
erect forts. The party made the voyage in a keel boat seventy feet long,
and on August 27, 1805, the party arrived at the mouth of Rock River.
Black Hawk in his autobiography says: "Some time afterwards a boat came up
the river with a young American chief, at that time lieutenant, and
afterwards General Pike, and a small party of soldiers aboard. The boat at
length arrived at Rock River and the young chief came on shore with his
interpreter. He made us a speech and gave us some presents, in return for
which we gave him meat and such other provisions as we could spare.
"We were well pleased with the speech of the young chief. He gave us good
advice and said our American father would treat us well. He presented us
an American flag which we hoisted. He then requested us to lower the
British colors, which were waving in the air, and to give him our British
medals, promising to send us others on his return to St. Louis. This we
declined to do, as we wished to have two fathers," The event related by
Black Hawk, and occurring at the old Sac village on Rock River, in August,
1805, was the first raising and unfurling of the United States flag in the
valley of the upper Mississippi River. All the country west of the
Mississippi had until October, 1803, belonged to Spain, and Lieu-tenant
Pike was the first American representative to navigate the Mississippi
north of St. Louis.
See: Autobiography of Black Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
Embracing the traditions of his Nation, various wars in which he has been engaged, and his account of the cause and general history of the Black Hawk War Of 1832, his surrender, and travels through the United States.
Early Settlements of Rock County
Source: Historic Rock Island County, pub. Kramer & Company, Rock Island, Illinois, 1908