In August, 1832 Black Hawk goes to a Winnebago village to formally surrender. He has a white deerskin outfit made especially for the occasion. In the meantime, government officials are unaware of Black Hawk's decision to give himself up. Rewards are still being offered for his capture. A group of Winnebagos, who are interested in the reward, ambush Black Hawk and his followers, and hand them over to Colonel Zachary Taylor at Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien (Wisconsin).

Black Hawk and the other prisoners are placed under the supervision of Lieutenant Jefferson Davis. Davis sympathizes with Black Hawk and his people. However, Davis has to deliver the prisoners to General Henry Atkinson at the Jefferson Barracks. Atkinson immediately orders his men to shackle Black Hawk and his fellow prisoners.

By March 1833, Black Hawk has endured months of captivity. Keokuk arrives to retrieve several prisoners, however, U.S. authorities move Black Hawk and some of the other convicted leaders to another prison in the east. The trip up the Ohio River is both an enlightening and disheartening experience for Black Hawk. Before going to Fortress Monroe in Virginia, Black Hawk and the other men are taken to meet President Andrew Jackson in Washington.

Upon arriving in Washington, they expect to hold council with President Jackson. Much to their dismay, they are still regarded as prisoners. No council takes place. However, many people treat Black Hawk like a celebrity. Artists arrive to sketch him, officers adorn him with presents, and many settlers revere him.

At the end of April 1833, Black Hawk enters Fortress Monroe. A few months later he is released in the custody of Keokuk and returns to Iowa where he lives out the rest of his life.