You see the incidents that led to the Black Hawk War- the signing of the treaty of 1830, the first assault on settlers in 1831- how the news reached Springfield, where you see Abraham Lincoln, axe on shoulder, hearing the news, his volunteer company and what happened and when they reported to General Scott; how Blackhawk, after his peace messengers were shot, decided to fight. Also a glimpse of Mrs. Zachary Taylor and her two daughters, their determination to visit their father at Ft. Crawford, how Blackhawk captured Sarah Taylor and how Jefferson Davis recaptured her and fell in love with her, the famous attack on Ft. Crawford with burning fagots, battering rams, and finally the successful attack with flaming arrows. We see the suffering inside the fort and the marriage of Davis and Sarah, finally the ultimate capture of Blackhawk, after a blood-stirring battle. - Moving Picture World, (07/06/12, p.11)
This was the initial two reel effort by American, coproduced by Joseph Sullivan and William Lee with the Chicago unit.