Peace with Black Hawk
After several years of violent interactions and raiding, Black Hawk and other Ute leaders were tired of fighting. Superintendent of Indian Affairs Franklin Head and Brigham Young succeeded in engineering peace talks with the Ute leaders. As Young explained, “The Indians are manifesting an inclination for peace… They have been foiled in several of their attacks and have lost some of their men. It is not profitable to rob and plunder under such circumstances.” Black Hawk officially made peace in the fall of 1867.
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Although Black Hawk signed a peace treaty, the raiding had spiraled out of his control. Raiding and some violence continued for several years, although on a much smaller scale than it had been under Black Hawk. In 1868, Black Hawk demonstrated his commitment to peace to LDS leaders and tried to convince other Native leaders to end hostilities. Black Hawk then spent the rest of his life on an ‘atonement’ tour, apologizing for his actions and petitioning both sides for peace. The Black Hawk War finally ended in 1872 when federal troops were called in to settle the local Native Americans.
1. Brigham Young to John Brown, 19 September 1867.
2. Telegram of Orson Hyde to Brigham Young, 28 June [1868], Brigham Young Collection, Church History Department, r38, b16, fl.