USA > Iowa > Scott County > History of Scott County, Iowa > Part 9
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March 30, 1799, Louis Honore Tesson, also a native of Canada, ob- tained permission from the Lientenant-Governor of Upper Lonisi- ana to establish a trading post at the head of the lower rapids of the Mississippi River, with the concession of a "sufficient space to make the establishment valuable for the commerce of peltries, to watch the Indians, and to keep them in fidelity to his Majesty." He made such a settlement, and it was sold to one of his creditors at sheriff's sale on the 15th of May, 1803, for $150. This claim was afterward allowed to the extent of 640 acres, and Martin Van Buren issued a patent therefor, Feb. 7, 1839. The Supreme
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Court of the United States in 1852 adjudicated the title valid, and it now constitutes the oldest legal title to any land within the State.
In 1801 the Province of Louisiana was ceded to France by Spain. This cession was at first secret, but as soon as it became known the United States Government began negotiations for the purchase of Louisiana. These negotiations resulted in the sale by France of all her possessions in the Mississippi Valley to the United States, for the sum of $15.000.000. Thus, in 1803. the territory west of the Mississippi, of course including Iowa, became a possession of the rapidly growing power which extends from ocean to ocean, and of which Iowa, once the frontier, is now nearly the center.
By act of Congress approved March 26. 1804, the "Territory of Orleans " (afterward the State of Louisiana) was laid off. It in_ eluded all the territory south of latitude 33º north. The remain der of the province was known and designated as the " District of Lonisiana," and was attached to the Territory of Indiana for polit- ical and judicial purposes.
In 1804 the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the head waters of the Missouri visited the western border of Iowa. They buried one of their number, Sergeant Floyd, on a bluff of the Missouri, near the month of the Sioux River. It has ever since been known as Floyd's Bluff. They also held a council of the Indians near the northwest corner of the present county of Pottawatomie, there- after known as Council Bluffs. The name has since been trans- ferred to the county seat of the county, now known as the city of Council Bluffs, the present eastern terminus of the Union Pacific
Railroad. In 1805-'6 Lieut. Pike led an expedition to discover the source of the Mississippi, and also to conciliate the numerous tribes of Indians then inhabiting the country watered by all the western tributaries of the Mississippi. . He especially endeav- ored to establish amicable relations with those in the immediate vieinity of the frontier settlements. In his explorations upon the Upper Mississippi, upon the lower tributaries of the Missouri and Arkansas Rivers, Lient. Pike omitted no opportunity for entering into treaties of friendship and peace with the native tribes through which he passed: thus preparing the way for the subsequent sale and relinquishment of lands in advance of the adventurous pioneer.
In the year 1805 the District of Louisiana was erected into the "Territory of Louisiana," with the first grade of Territorial gov- ernment, administered by a governor and Territorial judges. St. Louis was the seat of government.
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The first governor was Gen. James Wilkinson, who held the office until the close of the year 1806, when he was succeeded by Col. Meriwether Lewis.
In 1812, when the Territory of Orleans became the State of Louisiana, the name of the Territory of Louisiana was changed to "Missouri Territory." Some changes in government were also made. A representative grade of Territorial government was adopted. The first governor was Gen. Win. Clarke; the first Ter- itorial assembly consisted of a " Legislative Council, " composed of nine members, appointed by the president, and a House of Rep- resentatives, elected by the people in the ratio of one to every 500 free white males. The first delegate to Congress was Edward Hempstead.
In 1821 Missouri was admitted as a State, but her territory was limited on the south by 36 ° 30' north, and on the north by 40 ° 30'. The territory to the south, between Missouri and Louisiana, was organized as the "Territory of Arkansas;" but from 1821 to 1834 Iowa may be considered a "political orphan." During this interregnum it is probable that the only civil law in force in Iowa was that provision of the Missouri bill that prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude in the Territories of the United States north of 36 ° 30' north latitude, and the constitutionality, even of this precious remnant of Lex Scripta, was afterward seriously ques- tioned by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The beautiful and fertile prairies and unrivaled plains west of the Upper Mississippi, and north of the Des Moines River, had remained in the occupancy of the native tribes, which had gradu- ally retired west of the great lakes, until they commenced their aggressions against the people of Illinois, under the fierce and vin- dictive Black Hawk, in 1829. After a disastrous war of nearly three years on the northern frontier of the State of Illinois, Black Hawk and his confederates, utterly routed, retired with their des- titute and crest-fallen followers across the Mississippi River, and sought safety and peace in the remote west, within the limits of Iowa. Here the vanquished warriors and their indomitable chief made overtures for a cessation of hostilities, and negotiations for peace. Sept. 15, 1832, Gen. Winfield Scott conchided a treaty at the present site of the city of Davenport, Iowa, with the confeder- ated tribes of Sac and Fox Indians, by which the Indian title was extinguished to nearly all the land owned or claimed by them. This was a strip of land on the west bank of the Mississippi River,
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the western boundary of which commenced at a point where is now the southeast corner of Davis County; thence to a point on Cedar River, near the northeast corner of Johnson County; thence north- west to the neutral grounds of the Winnebagoes; thence to a point on the Mississippi above Prairie du Chien, and contained about 6,000,000 acres of land. This was subsequently known as the " Black Hawk Purchase." By the terms of this treaty, the Indians might occupy the land until June 1, 1833, but on or before that date must retire to the west.
No sooner had the stipulated period expired than the white pop- ulation began to advance into the ceded territory, which was speedily overrun by pioneers and exploring parties in search of choice lands, desirable sites for towns, and water-power for future locations. From this date immigration was exceedingly rapid and Iowa's progress uninterrupted.
INDIANS OF IOWA.
Having traced the early history of the great empire lying west of the Mississippi, from which the State of Iowa has been formed, it becomes necessary to give some history of the Indians of Iowa.
The acknowledged principle of the European nations in making their settlements in America, was that possession perfected title to any territory. We have seen that the country west of the Mississippi was first discovered by the Spaniards, but was after- ward visited and occupied by the French. It was ceded by France to Spain, and by Spain back to France again, and was then pur- chased and occupied by the United States. During all that time it does not appear to have entered the heads or hearts of the high contracting parties, except perhaps the United States, that the country they bought. sold and gave away was in the possession of a race of men who, although savage, owned the vast domain be- fore Columbus first crossed the Atlantic. Having purchased the territory, the United States found it still in the possession of its original owners, who had never been dispossessed, and it became necessary to purchase again what had already been bought, or to forcibly eject the occupant. The United States has generally adopted the former wise and successful policy; and the history, therefore, of the Indian nations who occupied Iowa prior to and during its early settlement by the whites, becomes an important chapter in the history of the State that cannot be omitted.
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Strange to say, for more than 100 years after Marquette and Joliet trod the virgin soil of Iowa, and admired its fertile plains. not a single settlement had been made or attempted; not even a trading post had been established. The whole country remained in the undisputed possession of the native tribes, who ro amed at will over her beautiful and fertile prairies, hunted in her woods, fished in her streams, and often poured out their life-blood in ob- stinate contests for supremacy. That this State, so aptly styled " The Beautiful Land," had been the theater of numerous fierce and bloody struggles between the rival nations for possession of the favored region, long before its settlement by civilized man, there is no room for doubt. In these savage wars the weaker party, whether aggressive ordefensive, was either exterminated or driven from its ancient hunting grounds.
When Marquette visited this country in 1673. the Illini were a very powerful people, occupying a large portion of the State; but when the country was again visited by the whites, not a remnant of that onee powerful tribe remained on the west side of the Mis- sissippi, and Iowa was principally in the possession of the Sacs and Foxes, a warlike tribe which, originally two distinct nations, residing in New York and on the waters of the St. Lawrence, had gradually fought their way westward, and united, probably after the Foxes had been driven out of the Fox River country in 1846, and crossed the Mississippi. The death of Pontiac, a famous Sac chieftain, was made the pretext for war against the Illini, and a fierce and bloody struggle ensued, which continued until the Illini were nearly destroyed, and their hunting grounds possessed by their victorious foes. The Iowas also occupied a portion of the State for a time in common with the Sacs, but they, too, were nearly destroyed by the Sacs and Foxes, and in " The Beautiful Land" these natives met their equally warlike foes, the northern Sionx, with whom they maintained a constant warfare for the possession of the country for many years.
In 1803. when Louisiana was purchased by the United States the Sacs. Foxes and Iowas possessed the entire State of Iowa, and the two former tribes, also, occupied most of Illinois.
The Sacs had four principal villages, where most of them re- sided. Their largest and most important town-if an Indian vil- lage may be called such-and from which emanated most of the obstacles encountered by the Government in the extinguishment of Indian titles to land in this region, was on Rock River, near
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Rock Island; another was on the east bank of the Mississippi, near the mouth of Henderson River; the third was at the head of the Des Moines Rapids, near the present site of Montrose; and the fourth was near the mouth of the Upper Iowa.
The Foxes had three principal villages. Que was on the west side of the Mississippi, six miles above the rapids of Rock River; another was about 12 miles from the river, in the rear of the Du- buque lead mines; and the third was on Turkey River.
The Iowas, at one time identified with the Sacs of Roek River, had withdrawn from them and become a separate tribe. Their principal village was on the Des Moines River, in Van Buren County, on the site where Iowaville now stands. Here the last great battle between the Saes and Foxes and the Iowas was fought, in which Black Hawk, then a young man, commanded one divis- ion of the attacking forces. The following account of the battle has been given:
Contrary to long established custom of Indian attack, this bat- tle was commeneed in the day-time, the attending circumstances justifying this departure from the well-settled usages of Indian warfare. The battle-field was a level river bottom, about four miles in length, and two miles wide near the middle, narrowing to a point at either end. The main area of this bottom rises perhaps 20 feet above the river, leaving a narrow strip of low bottom along the shore, covered with trees that belted the prairie on the river side with a thick forest, and the immediate bank of the river was fringed with a dense growth of willows. Near the lower end of this prairie, near the river bank, was situated the Iowa village. About two miles above it and near the middle of the prairie is a mound, covered at the time with a tuft of small trees and under- brushı growing on its summit. In the rear of this little elevation or mound lay a belt of wet prairie, covered, at that time, with a dense growth of rank, coarse grass. Bordering this wet prairie on the north, the country rises abruptly into elevated broken river blufls, covered with a heavy forest for many miles in extent, and in places thiekly clustered with undergrowth, affording convenient shelter for the stealthy approach of the foc.
Through this forest the Sac and Fox war party made their way in the night and secreted themselves in the tall grass spoken of above, intending to remain in ambush during the day and make such observations as this near proximity to their intended victims
6
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might afford, to aid them in their contemplated attack on the town during the following night. From this situation their spies could take a full survey of the village, and watch every movement of the inhabitants. by which means they were soon convinced that the Iowas had no suspicion of their presence.
At the foot of the monnd above mentioned the Iowas had their race course, where they diverted themselves with the excitement of horse-racing, and schooled their young warriors in cavalry evolutions. In these exercises mock battles were fought, and the Indian tacties of attack and defense carefully inculcated, by which means a skill in horsemanship was acquired that is rarely excelled. Unfortunately for them this day was selected for their equestrian sports, and, wholly unconscious of the proximity of their foes, the warriors repaired to the race-ground, leaving most of their arms in the village, and their old men, women and children unprotected.
Pash-a-po-po, who was chief in command of the Sacs and Foxes, perceived at once the advantage this state of things afforded for a complete surprise of his now doomed victims, and ordered Black IIawk to file off with his young warriors through the tall grass and gain the cover of the timber along the river bank, and with the ntinost speed reach the village and commence the battle, while he remained with his division in the ambush to make a simultaneous assault on the unarmed men whose attention was engrossed with the excitement of the races. The plan was skillfully laid and most dexterously executed. Black Hawk with his forces reached the village undiscovered, and made a furions onslaught upon the de- fenseless inhabitants by firing one general volley into their midst, and completing the slaughter with the tomahawk and scalping- knife, aided by the devouring flames with which they enveloped the village as soon as the fire-brand could be spread from lodge to lodge.
On the instant of the report of fire-arms at the village, the forces under Pash-a-po-po leaped from their couchant position in the grass, and sprang tiger-like upon the unarmed Iowas in the midst of their racing sports. The first impulse of the latter naturally led them to make the utmost speed toward their arms in the village, and pro- teet, if possible, their wives and children from the attack of their merciless assailants. The distance from the place of attack on the prairie was two miles, and a great number fell in their flight by the bullets and tomahawks of their enemies, who pressed them closely with a running fire the whole way, and the survivors only
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reached their town in time to witness the horrors of its destruction. Their whole village was in flames, and the dearest objects of their lives lay in slaughteret heaps amidst the devouring element, and the agonizing groans of the dying. mingled with the exulting shouts of the victorious foe, filled their hearts with maddening despair. Their wives and children who hal been spared the general massacre were prisoners, and together with their arms in the hands of their victors; and all that could now be done was to draw off their shattered and defenseless forces, and save as many lives as possible by a retreat across the Des Moines River, which they effected in the best possible manner, and took a position among the Soap Creek Hills.
Previous to the settlement of their village on Rock River, the Sacs and Foxes had a fierce conflict with the Winnebagoes, subdued them and took possession of their lands. At one time this village contained upward of 60 lodges, and was among the largest Indian villages on the continent. The number of Sacs and Foxes in 1825, was estimated by the Secretary of War to be 4,600. Their village was sitnated in the immediate vicinity of the upper rapids of the Mississippi, where the flourishing towns of Rock Island and Dav- enport are now situated. The extensive prairies dotted over with groves, the beautiful scenery, the picturesque bluffs along the river banks, the rich and fertile soil producing large erops of corn, squash and other vegetables with little labor, the abundance of wild fruit, game, fish, and almost everything calculated to make it a delightful spot for an Indian village, which was found there, had made this place a favorite home of the Sacs, and secured for it the strong attachment and veneration of the whole nation.
The Sioux located their hunting grounds north of the Saes and Foxes. They were a fierce and warlike nation who often disputed possessions with their rivals in savage and bloody warfare. The possessions of these tribes were mostly located in Minnesota, but extended over a portion of Northern and Western Iowa to the Mis- souri River. Their descent from the north upon the hunting grounds of Iowa frequently brought them into collision with the Saes and Foxes, and after many a confliet and bloody struggle, a boundary line was established between them by the Government of the United States, in a treaty held at . Prairie du Chien in 1825. Instead of settling the difficulties, this caused them to quarrel all the more, in consequence of alleged trespasses upon euch other's side of the line. So bitter and unrelenting became these contests, that in 1830 Government purchased of the respective tribes of the
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Saes and Foxes, and the Sionx a strip of land 20 miles wide on both sides of the line, thus throwing them 40 miles apart by creat- ing a " neutral ground," and commanded them to cease their hos- tilities. They were, however, allowed to fish and hunt on the ground unmolested, provided they did not interfere with each other on United States Territory.
In 1852 there occurred a fight between the Musqnaka band of Saes and Foxes and a band of Sioux, six miles above Algona, in Kos- suth County, on the west side of the Des Moines River. The Sacs and Foxes were under the leadership of Ko-ko-wah, a subordinate chief, and had gone up from their home in Tuna County by way of Clear Lake, to what was then the " neutral ground." At Clear Lake Ko-ko-wah was informed that a party of Sionx were encamped on the west side of the East Fork of the Des Moines, and he de- termined to attack them. He started with 60 warriors and arrived at a point on the east side of the river, about a mile above the Sionx encampment, in the night, and concealed themselves in a grove, where they were able to discover the position and strength of their foes. The next morning, after many of the Sioux braves had left their camp on hunting tours, the vindictive Saes and Foxes crossed the river and suddenly attacked the camp. For : short time the conflict was desperate, but the advantage was with the assailants, and the Sionx were routed. Sixteen of them, includ ing some of their women and children, were killed, and a boy 14 years old was captured. A squaw shot one of the Musqnakas ir the breast as they were rushing into the Sioux camp. H started to run away when the same brave squaw shot him through the body, at a distance of 20 rods, and he fell dead. Three other Sac braves were killed; but few of the Sioux escaped. The vieto- rious party hurriedly buried their own dead, leaving their dead foes above ground, and with great speed made their way home with their captives.
PIKE'S EXPEDITION.
Soon after the acquisition of Lonisiana, the United States Gov- ernment adopted measures for the exploration of the new Territory, having in view the conciliation of the numerous tribes of Indians by whom it was possessed, and also the selection of proper sites, for the establishment of military posts and trading stations. The army of the West, Gen. Wilkinson commanding, had its head- quarters at St. Louis. Kom this post Captains Lewis and Clarke,
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with a sufficient force, were detailed to explore the unknown sources of the Missouri, and Lient. Zebulon M. Pike, to ascend to the head waters of the Mississippi. Lient. Pike, with one sergeant, two corporals and 17 privates, left the military camp, near St. Louis, in a keel-boat, with four months' rations, Ang. 9, 1805. On the 20th of the same month the expedition arrived within the present limits of Iowa, at the foot of the Des Moines Rapids, where Pike met William Ewing, who had just been appointed Indian Agent at this point, a French interpreter, four chiefs, 15 Sac and Fox warriors. At the head of the rapids, where Montrose is now situated, Pike held a council with the Indians, in which he addressed them sub- stantially as follows: "Your great Father, the President of the United States, wished to be more intimately acquainted with the situation and wants of the different nations of red people in our newly acquired Territory of Louisiana, and has ordered the General to send a number of his warriors in different directions to take them by the hand and make such inquiries as might afford the satisfaction required." At the close of the council he presented the red inen with some knives, tobacco and whisky. On the 23d of August he arrived at what is supposed, from his description, to be the site of the present city of Burlington, which he selected as the location of a military post. He describes the place as "being . on a hill, about 40 miles above the River de Moyne Rapids, on the west side of the river, in latitude abont 41º 21' north. The channel of the river runs on that shore. The hill in front is about 60 feet perpendicular, and nearly level at the top. About 400 yards in the rear is a small prairie fit for gardening, and immediately under the hill is a limestone spring, sufficient for the consumption of a whole regiment." In addition to this description, which corre- sponds to Burlington, the spot is laid down on his map at a bend in the river a short distance below the month of the Henderson, which pours its waters into the Mississippi from Illinois. The fort was built at Fort Madison, but from the distance, latitude, de- seription and map furnished by Pike, it could not have been the place selected by him, while all the circumstances corroborate the opinion that the place he selected was the spot where Burlington is now located, called by the early voyagers on the Mississippi, ": Flint Hills."
In company with one of his men, Pike went on shore on a hunt- ing expedition, and following a stream which they supposed to be a part of the Mississippi, they were led away from their course.
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Owing to the intense heat and tall grass, his two favorite dogs, which he had taken with him, became exhausted, and. he left them on the prairie, supposing that they would follow him as soon as they should get rested, and went on to overtake his boat. After reaching the river he waited some time for his canine friends; but they did not come, and as he deemed it inexpedient to detain the boat longer, two of his men volunteered to go in pursuit of them. and he continned on his way up the river, expecting that the two men would soon overtake him. They lost their way, however, and for six days were without food, except a few morsels gathered from the stream, and might have perished had they not accidentally met a trader from St. Louis, who induced two Indians to take them up the river, and they overtook the boat at Dubuque. At the latter place, Pike was cordially received by Julien Dubuque, a Frenchman, who held a mining claim under a grant from Spain; he had an old field piece and fired a salnte in honor of the advent of the first American who had visited that part of the Territory. He was not, however, disposed to publish the wealth of his mines, and the young and evidently inquisitive officer obtained but little information from him.
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