User reviews

Special release. A historical subject in three reels, giving a romantic story of the settlement of the Mississippi Valley and of the Blackhawk war. It is of special interest because it has, though rather freely sketched in, a truly historical background. Among its characters are figures like Abe Lincoln, a gawky young backwoodsman; Gen. Scott, in command of the forces against Blackhawk; Jefferson Davis, a young officer under Scott, who meets the soldier, Abe Lincoln, by the way; and Zachary Taylor, also an officer in the regular army. Jeff Davis is the hero of the love story and Taylor's daughter is the heroine. She is captured by Blackhawk's redskins, but escapes. The story ends with the Indians' repulse at Fort Crawford and with Blackhawk's capture by the soldiers. One feels that the producer has relied on his basis in history too much; he has not made some of his incidents, which no doubt are historical, convincing; yet he has kept his narrative clear. He has failed also to get atmosphere in many of his scenes, which from a pictorial viewpoint seem crude and suggest that a story was wanted rather than a picture of life. The picture, however, is full of good things from first to last. It gets across as entertainment and also as instruction. It will probably please a large number of photoplay patrons. - The Moving Picture World, August 17, 1912