USA > Iowa > Muscatine County > The History of Muscatine county, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 43
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
Poweshick's village was on the Cedar River, about four miles below the site of Iowa City ; but he frequently was seen in this locality during the early days of settlement. . The evidences of a large village are still visible on the farm of William G. Holmes, below Iowa City. The Indians suffered greatly from small- pox at that place, and hundreds of them died from that terrible plague. Powe- shiek died from excessive drinking before the Indians left Iowa for the West.
Wapello, the chief from whom that county was named, was a powerful ruler among his people, and was also a fast friend of the whites, especially of the first Indian Agent, Gen. Street. Incidents illustrative of his character are dis- persed through the following pages. He died in 1841, and was buried by the side of his friend, the General, on the Agency Farm. His grave was recently cared for by the Managers of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which passes near by, and is now in a condition to withstand the shocks of time for years to come. Ile died at the forks of the Skunk River, on the 15th of March, and his remains were brought from that place to the scene of burial in an ox-wagon, and buried toward evening of the same day, with the customary Indian ceremonies. It was his own request that he might be laid by the side of Gen. Street, who had been for many years in the Indian service, and was very popular with them. Prior to the establishment of the Agency in Wapello County, Wapello and his band dwelt at the mouth of Crooked Creek, near Marshall, in Henry County.
Appanoose, Pashapaho, Hardfish and Kishkekosh all play conspicuous parts in the drama. An anecdote or two of the last-named will serve as an illustra- tion of the nature of the men. Kishkekosh did not rank equal to either of the others, but he seems to have held a prominent place in councils, because of his native talents. His full name was George Washington Kishkekosh (the last meaning cut-teeth. or savage biter) and he had accompanied Black Hawk as one of his suite of braves during the tour of that renowned chief through the East as a prisoner of war. With his leaders, he had been hospitably entertained at hotels and other places, and had a high appreciation of the sumptuous and cleanly-looking fare that was set before them. How he was enabled, after such an experience, to return with a good stomach to the frugal diet and indifferent cooking of his own people, we are left to conjecture. At all events, he retained
375
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
his partiality for clean victuals, and was even overfastidious in this respect, as the following instance will show :
One night, he, with his company of three or four braves, slept at the house of a white man with whom he was on very friendly terms, and they were to remain to breakfast. Kish had an eye on the preparation of the meal, and observed one neglect that his tender stomach rebelled against. The lady of the house (it is possible she did it intentionally, for she was not a willing entertainer of her savage guests) neglected to wash her hands before making up the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than cat after such cook- ing, and privately signified as much to his followers, whereupon they mounted their ponies and left, much to the relief of their hostess. Arrived at a house some distance from the one they had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance. These people, though generally accustomed and limited to the poorest fare, were not averse to the best that could be provided, and made głuttons of themselves whenever they could get enough of it.
On another occasion, Kishkekosh and his suite, consisting of several prom- inent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk River, went to the house of a settler on a friendly visit, and he treated them to a feast. Besides Kish and his wife-who was a very lady-like person-the party consisted of his mother ; Wykoma, the son of Wapello and his two wives (for polygamy was not an uncommon practice with these people) ; Masha Wapetine, his wife, and all their children. This old woman, on being asked how old she was, replied : " Mack-ware-renaak-we-kauk " (may be a hundred), and, indeed, her bowed head and hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was fully that old. The whole party were dressed in more than usually becoming style, probably out of respect to their hostess, who, knowing something of their voracious appetites, had made ample preparation for them. When the table was surrounded, Kish, who had learned some good manners, as well as acquired cleanly tastes, essayed to perform the etiquette of the occasion before eating anything himself. With an amusingly awkward imitation of what he had seen done among the whites, he passed the various dishes to the others, showing the ladies special attention, and helped them to a part of everything on the table with much apparent disinterestedness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian phase altogether. Hle ate like a person with a bottomless pit inside of him, instead of a stomach, taking everything within his reach, without regard to what should come first or last in the course, so that he only liked the taste of it. At length, after having drunk five or six cups of coffee, and eaten a proportionate amount of solid food, his gastronomie energy began to abate. Seeing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for his want of appetite, said : "Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner ? Have another cup of coffee and eat something." In reply to this hospitable urgency, Kish leaned back in his seat, lazily shook his head and drew his finger across his throat under his chin, to indicate how full he was. And then, in further explanation of his satisfied condition, he opened his huge mouth and thrust his finger down his throat as far as he dared, as much as to say he could almost touch the victuals. Of course the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event that did not happen every day.
Kishkekosh seems to have had in him the elements of civilization, which needed but opportunity to spring up and bear pretty fair fruit. Not only did he become fastidious as to cleanliness, but he observed and imitated other usages among the whites, even more radically different from those of his savage people.
376
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
It is well known that among the Indians, as among all unenlightened races the women are, in a manner, the slaves of the other sex. They are made to do all the drudgery of the camp, cultivate the corn, bring in the game after the hunter has had the sport of slaughtering it, no matter how far away it may be, he being either too lazy or feeling it beneath his dignity to bear the burden. They procure all the fuel to cook with, catch the ponies for their masters to ride, pack up their tents and household goods when preparing to move, and set them up when they again come to a halt in their wanderings. Kishkekosh had noticed the different fashion of the white settlers in regard to their women, and had, moreover, been reasoned with by them like an intelligent being, and he was very ready to admit the force of their arguments. He made an effort to institute reform among his people by having the men do a fair share of the work that, according to ordinary usage, fell to the squaws. He set them an example by taking hold heartily himself, and, though it is not probable that any very extended reformation took place, owing to the long-continued laziness of the men, and the deeply-rooted belief that their province was alone that of the hunter or warrior, yet the movement itself indicates capacity in this savage chief for progress and enlightenment.
The Indians throughout this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken people. After the Black Hawk war, they chose rather to live upon their annu- ities granted them by the Government than upon the products of the chase, as they had hitherto been forced to do, and as this gave them a good deal of leisure, they spent most of their time in drunken orgies, which proved a great mortality to the tribes, since many accidents happened to life and limb from that cause. It was, therefore, a custom for a few of the red men and the squaws to keep sober, so that when the inebriates got too wild, there would be some one to keep a restraining influence upon them. When a poor wight became unsafely drunk, he was tied neck and heels, so that he could be rolled about like a ball, which operation was kept up, despite his pleadings, until the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The sufferer would beg for merey, but to no avail ; and after he was sobered he showed no resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the proceeding.
The following anecdote of Pashapaho is worth preserving. Maj. Beach relates the incident as coming under his own knowledge, and, though not exactly relevant from locality, yet it illustrates the Indian characteristics :
" Some time in 1832, a plan was laid to attack Fort Madison, then a United States garrison. Pashapaho, a noted chief of the Sacs, who loved a " wee drap," was the projector of the scheme ; but the treachery of a squaw brought the plan to a sudden end, and the savages, on their approach to the fort, were met with the grim paraphernalia of war, ready for their reception. The plan was not original with Pashapaho, for, in many respects, it resembles the famous effort of Pontiac on the fort at Detroit, during the early days of American settlement by the English : and the plan was, like that, defeated by a squaw.
" Under pretense of a counsel with the commandant, Pashapaho designed entering the fort with concealed arms, and at a given signal the Indians were to overpower the troops. However, because of the warning already given, when the procession marched toward the fort the gates were suddenly thrown open, and a loaded cannon was revealed in the path. The gunner stood beside the piece with lighted match, while just in the rear was drawn up the garrison in battle array. Old Pash deemed discretion the better part of valor, and the signal for attack was never given.
377
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
" Some years later, Pashapaho, who was also called the 'Stabbing Chief,' made an attempt to effect a lodgment in Fort Armstrong, at Rock Island, but his method was different from the plan on Fort Madison. During the year previous to the attempt, some of the braves of his tribe, while out on the prairie upon a hunting expedition, fell in with a body of hostile Sioux, the life-long enemies of all other tribes. The Sacs had the advantage in point of numbers, and captured a number of Sioux scalps. Complaint was made to the War Department, and orders were sent from Washington to Rock Island to demand of the chiefs the culprits, and to hold them prisoners in the fort. This was done. They were brought into the fort and surrendered, and throughout the winter, say for five months, they enjoyed the hospitality of Uncle Sam, in the shape of good quarters and plenty to eat, with no trouble of providing for it. In fact, they lived in an Indian's heaven, until released by some arrangement whereby blood-money was to be taken from the anunities of their tribe and paid over to the Sioux.
" The next fall, old Pash, probably not finding his larder as well stocked for the winter as he desired, conceived the idea of imposing himself as a guest, indi- rectly, on his Great Father, the President. So, calling, one day, upon Col. Davenport, the commandant, he informed him that, being out upon a hunt, he had the misfortune to meet one of his traditional foes, and had succumbed to the morbid desire to lift his hair. The act was so contrary to his usual humane character that he mourned the deed and acknowledged his wickedness. He knew that his best of friend, the Great Father, whom he held in high esteem and affection, would hear of it and be very angry ; and, therefore, to save him the additional vexation of having to send out a letter demanding his arrest, he had promptly come in to make a voluntary surrender of himself. Col. Daven- port, who saw into the scheme, lauded him as an honorable Indian, and told him that his offer of surrender was ample evidence that he would respond when- ever he was called to render account for the deed he had done. The Colonel could not think of making him a prisoner a day earlier than the Great Father commanded ! No more was ever heard of this matter."
A SCENE OF THE BORDER.
The following graphic sketch of a scene in army life, at an early day, is from the pen of Eliphalet Price, and is introduced for the purpose of preserv- ing so capital a description of a common Indian custom :
" During the summer of 1827, soon after the war-cloud of difficulties with the Winnebago Indians had been adjusted by a visit of the chiefs to Washing- ton, accompanied by Gen. Cass, a Sioux Indian, while hunting upon the Iowa shore, near the mouth of Paint Creek, shot and scalped a Winnebago, believing him to be the murderer of his brother, but who proved not to be the murderer, but the brother of . Big Wave,' a chief of the Winnebagoes.
" The band of this chieftain, together with others of the nation. numbering about two thousand, becoming indignant at this act, immediately assembled at Fort Crawford and demanded of Col. Taylor (afterward President Taylor) the procurement and surrender of the murderer. The officers of the fort, appre- hensive that new difficulties might arise with this factious tribe if their demand was disregarded, concluded to make an effort to obtain the murderer. Accord- ingly, an officer was dispatched to demand him of the Sioux nation, who imme- diately gave him up, and he was brought down the river and confined at Fort Crawford. Soon after his arrival at the fort, the Winnebagoes assembled again and insisted upon an unconditional surrender of the prisoner to them, which
378
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
Col. Taylor refused, but dispatched Lieut. Reynolds and Dr. Elwise, the Sur- geon of the garrison, to have a talk with them and endeavor to preserve the life of the Indian by paying a satisfactory consideration in horses. At the con- ference, the Winnebagoes talked in a threatening and overbearing manner, declaring that nothing would satisfy them but the taking of the life of the Sioux in their own way and by themselves.
" Reynolds, finding that no terms could be made with them that would con- form to the suggestions of Col. Taylor, determined to make a proposition of his own, which was as follows: The Sioux should have a chance to save his life by being brought out upon the prairie, three weeks from that day, and, in a parallel line, seven paces to the rear of him, should be placed twelve of the most expert runners of the Winnebago nation, each armed with a tomahawk and scalping-knife, and, at the tap of the drum, the Sioux should be free to start for the home of his tribe, and the Winnebagoes free to pursue, capture and scalp him if they could. To this proposition the Winnebagoes acceded at once, and seemed much pleased with the anticipation of great sport, as well as an easy conquest of the prisoner, whose confinement in the garrison during the three weeks they believed would prostrate whatever running qualities he may have possessed. Their best runners were immediately brought in and trained every day, in full sight from the fort, and so accurate did they become in the hurling of the tomahawk, that they could hit, with unerring aim, a tin cup swinging from the branch of a tree, at a distance of twenty-five feet.
" Lieut. Reynolds, who kept a pack of hounds and two or three fleet horses, and who was known throughout the hunting-range of the post as a dashing sportsman, having become warmly enlisted on the side of the Sioux, determined to have his Indian in the best possible condition for the contest. Accordingly, Dr. Elwise took him in charge, prescribing his diet, regulating his hours of repose and directing the rubbing of his body and limbs with flesh-brushes twice a day, immediately before going upon upon the parade-ground. to perform his morning and evening trainings. So carefully was he trained for this race of lite or death that he was timed upon the parade ground, in the presence of the garrison and a number of spectators, the third day before the race came off, and performed the almost incredible feat of a mile in 3 minutes and 9 seconds. Reynolds had for some time been satisfied that the fleetest runner in the Win- nebago nation could not overtake him, but to guard against the unerring aim of the tomahawk required a different kind of training. This was done by placing the drummer behind a screen, some twenty paces in front of the Sioux, so that the sound would reach him an instant before it did his opponents, and upon receiving the signal sound, he was trained to make two quick bounds, in a direct line, to the right. and then start upon the race.
" The day at length arrived. About three thousand Indians, French trad- ers, and border hunters had assembled to witness the scene; in fact, it was regarded as a gala-day by all-except the prisoner. Reynolds, on the part of the Sioux, and the celebrated chiefs, 'War-kon-shuter-kec' and ' Pine Top,' on the part of the Winnebagoes, superintended the arrangement of the parties on the ground.
" The point agreed upon for starting was upon the prairie a little to the north of Prairie du Chien, and immediately in the vicinity of the residence of John Lockwood, an Indian trader, while the race-track lay along the level nine-mile prairie stretching to the north and skirting the shore of the Missis- sippi. The Sioux appeared upon the ground accompanied by a guard of soldiers, who were followed by his twelve opponents, marching in Indian file
379
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
and singing a low, monotonous chant, each being naked, with the exception of the Indian breechlet. Their ribs were painted white, while their breasts were adorned with a number of hieroglyphical paintings. Along the face, alternate stripes of white and black were painted in parallel lines, extend- ing from the chin to the forehead. The hair was platted into numerous thongs tasseled with a red or white feather, and fringed with small bells, while their moccasins were corded tightly around the hollow of the foot, as well as around the ankle, with the sinews of the deer ; in the right hand, each carried his toma- hawk, while the left grasped the sheath that contained the scalping-knife.
" The prisoner was about twenty years old, a little less than six feet in height, of muscular, well-proportioned contour, and manifested in the easy movements of his body a wiry and agile command of his muscular powers ; his countenance presented a mournful and haggard appearance, owing partly to the rigid discipline he had undergone in training and party to his having painted his face black, with the figure of a horse shoe in white, upon his forehead, which denoted that he was condemned to die, with the privilege of making an effort to save his life by fleetness. Around his neck, he wore a narrow belt of wampum, from which dangled the scalp he had taken from the Winnebago.
" Soon after the parties were formed in line upon the ground, Reynolds approached the Sioux, and, taking off one of his moccasins, showed the chiefs that it contained a thin plate of steel, and asked if they objected to it, to which they replied with much merriment that he might carry as much iron as he pleased. The Lieutenant, observing that his Indian appeared restless and uneasy, requested Dr. Elwise to come forward, who, after examining his pulse, discovered that he was much excited, and that his nerves were in a tremulous condition. Reynolds immediately took him by the arm and led ·him out some distance from the front of the line, where he asked him if he was afraid to run, to which he replied : 'I can outrun all the Winnebagoes ; but I am afraid that I cannot outrun all the horses that are mounted by armed Indians. The Lieutenant saw at once the cause of his alarm, and informed him that they should not interfere ; he intended to ride the fleetest horse upon the ground and keep near him, and, as he was armed, would see that no horseman approached him with hostile intentions. At this announce- ment, the countenance of the Indian brightened up with a smile ; his whole person seemed lifted from the ground as he turned to his position with a stal- wart stride.
" The chiefs and Reynolds soon after mounted their horses and took a posi- tion each upon the right of his party. The spectators were removed from the front to the rear by the guard, when the parties were ready for the start. Reynolds, who was to give the signal for the tap of the drum, had, in this arrangement, planned a movement for which the Winnebagoes were unpre- pared. The drummer, by this arrangement, was not to give the drum tap until two minutes had expired, after the giving of the signal, which, as made known to the Winnebagoes, would be the elevation of his cap high above his head.
" Reynolds, after taking a last view of the field to see that all was clear, gave the signal. In an instant, the Winnebagoes threw themselves into posi- tion, with uplifted tomahawk, the eye intently fixed upon the prisoner ; every muscle of the body and arm was forced to its ntmost strain, and in this position they were held by the drummer for the full period of time prescribed by Rey- nolds. The gloating visage of the Indian, his excited mind, and the terrible
380
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY.
strain upon his museular powers, it was easy to discover, was fast exhausting him ; at length the loud tap of the drum was given, when the Sioux, with the crouching leap of the panther, bounded to the right while the whizzing whirl of the tomahawk sped its flight far to his left. The race was now fairly com- menced ; three of the Winnebagoes ran with great fleetness for a mile, keeping within twenty yards of the Sioux. Reynolds, who rode a fleet animal and was a master horseman. could move his body upon the saddle with that commanding ease which enabled him to keep all parts of the field in view without changing the course of his animal. soon discovered that his Indian had entire command of the race. During the flight of the first half-mile, it was with difficulty that he could restrain the Sioux from leaving his competitors far to the rear. and thus impair his powers of endurance that might be needed to guard against treachery in the distance. At length, discovering that a few of the Winneba- goes had fallen out of the race, he gave the signal for him to increase his speed, and, in a moment after, the distance between him and his competitors began to widen rapidly, showing the superior speed and endurance of the Sioux, acquired, mainly, through the discipline of the white man. At the end of two miles, the last of the contending Winnebagoes withdrew from the race. There was not an Indian horse upon the ground that could keep up with him after he had increased his speed, and, at the end of the fourth mile, Reynolds, finding that his horse was much fatigued, and the prairie free from enemies, also withdrew from the race. The Indian did not look back or speak as far as he was followed or could be seen. but kept his eye fixed upon the white flags that had been placed in front of him at short distances apart, for several miles, in order that he might run upon a straight line.
" It was soon after reported by the Winnebagoes that he had been shot by one of their boys who had been placed in ambush near the upper boundary of the prairie. This, however, proved not to be true. The boy had shot a Win -. nebago through mistake, who had also been treacherously secreted for the pur- pose of intercepting the Sioux. This mistake, however, was never known to Reynolds or Elwise, and it was not until several years after this event, and while Gov. Doty was holding a treaty with the Sioux nation, that this Indian appeared in the council as one of its chiefs, and, after briefly relating this adventure to the Governor, he inquired where Lieut. Reynolds and Dr. Elwise were at that time. He was informed that both had died in Florida. Upon receiving this information, he immediately withdrew from the convention. painted his face black, and retired to the gloom of the forest, nor could he be prevailed upon to return until he had gone through the Indian ceremony of mourning for the dead."
THE TRIBAL RELATIONS OF THE SACS AND FOXES.
Mr. Negus wrote the following sketch concerning the migrations, tribal relations and social customs of the Sacs and Foxes and the affiliating bands :
" At the time of the acquiring by the United States of the country west of the Mississippi River, most of the territory now embraced within the limits of lowa was in the possession of the Sac and Fox Indians, who at one time had been a powerful nation, and were in possession of a large tract of country. Those Indians were formerly two distinct nations, and resided on the waters of the St. Lawrence.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.