Keokuk's Speech in 1812
I have heard with sorrow that you have determined to leave our village and cross the Mississippi merely because you have been told that the Americans were coming in this direction. Would you leave our village, desert our homes and fly before an enemy approaches? Would you leave all, even the graves of our fathers, to the mercy of the enemy, without trying to defend them? Give me charge of your warriors and I will defend the village while you sleep.
This bronze statue of Keokuk was erected by popular subscription, through the efforts of the Keokuk Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Unveiled October 22, 1913