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a-La-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, He had hoped for help from the Winnebago, The Potawatomi, and the British in Canada, But when he received none, he waved the white flag And tried to cross back over to Iowa, He and his 500 warriors, and his 1500 women and children, To give up our homeland forever. And I was with him. The Illinois militia pursued us, Though we waved the white flag many times And wished to leave in peace, And we fought with them along the way Until we came to the Mississippi, Near where a tributary called the Bad Axe Joined the great river. There was a steamboat on the river With canons and sharpshooters, And again we waved the white flag, And again we were ignored. The canons and sharpshooters let loose, Killing many as we tried to cross the river, Killing many hiding on small islands And behind fallen trees and swampland On the river's banks. And we fought back, thinking to die with honor There on the great river That lay between our home And the place of our banishment. Two days we fought them Until many of us were dead, And those remaining had nothing more to fire. I saw the white men taking scalps. Some cut strips of flesh from our warriors' backs To serve as razor strops. They took 400 women and children prisoner, Along with the warriors that were left. No one knows how many warriors, women, and children Were massacred in the river, on the islands, and on the banks. One warrior, in pride and grief, Banged his head against the steamboat's rail Until he was dead. But I, less brave than he, To my eternal dishonor and shame, Survived. Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use. Audio and Video Music: Virtutes Instrumenti. By Kevin MacLeod. Performed by Kevin MacLeod
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