USA > Iowa > Boone County > The history of Boone County, Iowa, containing biographical sketches war records of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of the Northwest, history of Iowa, map of Boone county etc. > Part 36
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În 1845, in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty, and in obe- dience to the demand of the white man, whose friend he had ever been, and whose home he had defended, both by word and act in times of great excite- ment, Keokuk led his tribe west of the Missouri river and located upon a reservation comprised in the boundaries of what is now the State of Kansas. What must have been the emotions which swelled the heart of this renowned savage, and what must have been the peculiar thoughts which came throng- ing from his active brain when he turned his back for the last time upon the bark covered huts of his Iowa village, the graves of his friends, and that portion of country which, but the year before, had been honored by his name!
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It was leaving everything familiar in life and dear to the heart. To him it was not going west to grow up with the country, but to lose himself and his tribe in oblivion and national annihilation.
Keokuk lived but three years after leaving the Territory of Iowa, and we have no facts at our command in reference to his career at the new home west of the Missouri. The " Keokuk Register" of June 15, 1848, contained the following notice of his death, together with some additional sketches of his life:
" The St. Louis 'New Era' announces the death of this celebrated Indian chief. Poison was administered to him by one of his tribe, from the effects of which he died. The Indian was apprehended, confessed his guilt, and was shot.
" Keokuk leaves a son of some prominence, but there is little probability of his succeeding to the same station, as he is not looked upon by the tribe as inheriting the disposition and principles of his father."
We close this sketch by appending an extract from a letter recently writ- ten by Judge J. M. Casey, of Fort Madison, to Hon. S. A. James, of Sigourney :
" While Keokuk was not a Lee county man, I have often seen him here. He was an individual of distinguished mark; once seen would always be remembered. It was not necessary to be told that he was a chief, you would at once recognize him as such, and stop to admire his grand deport- ment. I was quite young when I last saw him, but I yet remember his appearance and every lineament of his face as well as if it had been yester- day, and this impression was left upon every person who saw him, whether old or young. It is hard for us to realize that an Indian could be so great a inan. But it is a candid fact, admitted by all the early settlers who knew him, that Keokuk possessed, in a prominent degree, the elements of great- ness."
During the visit of Keokuk, Wapello, and their party at Boston, which has already been referred to, there was a great struggle between the mana- gers of the two theatres of that place to obtain the presence of the Indians in order to "draw houses. " At the Tremont, the aristocratic one, the fa- mous tragedian, Forrest, was filling an engagement. His great play, in which he acted the part of the gladiator, and always drew his largest audi- ences, had not yet come off, and the manager was disinclined to bring it out while the Indians were there, as their presence always insured a full house. General Street, who as before remarked, was in charge of the party, being a strict Presbyterian, was not much in the theatrical line, hence Major Beach, to whom we are indebted for the facts of this incident, and who ac- companied General Street at the time, took the matter in hand. He knew that this peculiar play would suit the Indians better than those simple declamatory tragedies, in which, as they could not understand a word, there was no action to keep them interested, so he prevailed upon the manager to bring it out, promising that the Indians would be present.
In the exciting scene where the gladiators engage in a deadly combat, the Indians gazed with eager and breathless anxiety, and as Forrest, finally pierced through the breast with his adversary's sword, fell dying, and as the other drew his bloody sword from the body, heaving in the convulsions of its expiring throes, and while the curtain was descending, the whole In- dian company burst out with their fiercest war whoop. It was a frightful yell to strike suddenly upon unaccustomed ears, and was immediately fol-
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lowed by screams of terror from the more nervous among the women and children. For an instant the audience seemed at a loss, but soon uttered a hearty round of applause-a just tribute to both actor and Indians.
During the same visit to Boston, Major Beach says that the Governor gave them a public reception at the State House. The ceremony took place in the spacious Hall of Representatives, every inch of which was jam- med with humanity. After the Governor had ended his eloquent and ap- propriate address of welcome, it devolved upon one of the chiefs to reply, and Appanoose, in his turn, as at the conclusion of his " talk, " he advanced to grasp the Governor's hand, said: "It is a great day that the sun shines upon when two such great chiefs take each other by the hand!" The Gov- ernor, with a nod of approbation, controlled his facial muscles in a most courtly gravity. But the way the house came down " was a caution, " all of which Appanoose doubtless considered the Yankee way of applauding his speech.
The Indians seldom occupied their permanent villages except during the time of planting or securing their crop, after which they would start out on a short hunt, if the annuity-which was usually paid within six weeks from the first of September-had not been received. Immediately after pay- ment it was the custom to leave the village for the winter, hunting through this season by families and small parties, leading a regular nomadic life, changing the location from time to time, as the supply of game and the need-so essential to their comfort-of seeking places near the tim bered streams best protected from the rigors of winter, would require. It was, doubtless, on one of these tours through the country that Kish-ke- kosh once stopped over night at the house of a white man. He was ac- companied by several companions, who slept together on a buffalo hide within view of the kitchen. In the morning when he awoke, Kish-ke-kosh had an eye on the culinary operations there going on. The lady of the house-it is possible she did it intentionally, as she was not a willing en- tertainer of such guests-neglected to wash her hands before making up the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than eat after such cooking, and privately signified as much to his followers, where- upon they mounted their ponies and departed, much to the relief of the hostess. When they arrived at a house, some distance from the one they had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance.
This Kish-ke-kosh, previous to 1837, was simply a warrior-chief in the village of Keokuk. The warrior-chief was inferior to the village-chief, to which distinction he afterward attained. The village presided over by this chief is well remembered by many of the early settlers. It was located, some say, just over the line in what is now White Oak township, Mahaska, county. Major Beach thus describes it: "The place cannot be located exactly according to our State maps, although the writer has often visited it in Indian times; but somewhere out north from Kirkville, and probably not twelve miles distant, on the banks of Skunk river, not far above the Forks of Skunk, was a small village of not over fifteen or twenty lodges, presided over by a man of considerable importance, though not a chief, named Kisk-ke-kosh. The village was on the direct trail-in fact it was the converging point of two trails-from the Hardfish village, and the three villages across the river below Ottumwa, to the only other prominent settlement of the tribes, which was the village of Poweshiek, a Fox chief of equal rank with Wapello, situated upon the Iowa river."
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Here the squaws, after grubbing out hazel-brush on the banks of the creek or the edge of the timber, unaided by either plow or brave, planted and tended their patches of corn, surrounding them by rude fences of wil- low, which were renewed each year. Here the men trained their ponies, hunted, fished and loafed, until the first of May, 1843, when they bade . adieu to their bark-covered huts. The following incident is located at this point: Some time about 1841, Maj. Beach, Indian agent, in company with W. B. Street and others, came up from Agency City on some business with Kish-ke-kosh. Arriving late in the evening they encamiped near the village, and on the following morning Kish-ke-kosh, with his assistants, came over to camp to receive them. The pipe of peace was lighted and passed around and the business transacted. After the council the whites were invited to come over in the evening to the feast which the Indians proposed having in honor of their visit. The invitation was accepted, and presently the whites heard a great howling among the dogs, and looking in the direction of the village they could plainly see the preparations for the supper. A number of dogs were killed and stretched on stakes a few inches above the ground. They were then covered with dried grass, which was set on fire and the hair singed off, after which, after the dogs had gone through the scalping process, they were cut up and placed in pots along with a quantity of corn. The whites were promptly in attendance, but on account of their national prejudice they were provided with venison instead of dog meat. After the feast, dancing was commenced: first, the Green Corn dance, then the Medicine dance, and closing just before morning with the Scalp dance. Kish-ke-koshi did not take part in this Terpsichorean perform- ance, but sat with the whites, laughing, joking and telling stories.
On another occasion, Kish-ke-kosh and his suit, consisting of several prominent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk river, went to the house of a Mr. Micksell on a friendly visit, and he treated them to a feast. Besides Kish-ke-kosh and his wife, who was a very lady- like person, this party consisted of his mother (Wyhoma), the son of Wapello, and his two wives; Mashaweptine, his wife, and all their children. The old woman on being asked how old she was, replied : "Mach-ware-re- naak-we-kan" (maybe a hundred); and indeed her bowed form and hide- ously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was that old. The whole party were dressed in more than ordinary becoming style; prob- ably out of respect for the hostess, who, knowing something of their vora- cious appetites, had made ample preparations for them. When the table was surrounded, Kish-ke-kosh, who had learned some good manners, as well as acquired cleanly taste, 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, Kish-ke-kosh passed the various dishes to the others, showing the ladies especial attention, and helped them to the best of everything on the table, with much apparent disinterested- ness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian phase altogether. He ate like a person with a bottomless pit inside of him for a stomach, taking everything within his reach without regard to what should come next in the course, so only that he liked the taste of it. At last, after having drank some five or six cups of coffee and eaten a propor- tionate amount of solid food, his gastronomic energy began to abate. See- ing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for want of his appetite, said: "Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another
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cup of coffee and eat soemthing." In reply to this hospitable urgency Kish-ke-kosh 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. Of course, the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event that did not happen every day.
The Indians in this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken peo- ple. When one of them became unsafely drunk he was tied neck and heels, so that he could be rolled around like a hoop, which operation was kept up till the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The sufferer would beg for mercy, but to no avail. After he was sobered off he showed no marks of resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the proceeding.
The Sacs and Foxes, like all other Indians, were a very religious people, in their way, always maintaining the observance of a good many rites; ceremonies, and feasts in their worship of the Kitche Mulito, or Great Spirit. Fasts did not seem to be prescribed in any of their missals, how- ever, because, perhaps, forced ones, under the scarcity of game or other eatables, were not of impossible occurrence among people whose creed plainly was to let to-morrow take care of itself. Some of the ceremonies bore such resemblance to some of those laid down in the books of Moses as to have justified the impression among Biblical students that the lost tribes of Israel might have found their way to this continent, and that the North American Indians are the remnant of them.
During sickness there was usually great attention given to the comfort of the Indians, and diligent effort to cure the patient, and when it became apparent that recovery was impossible, the sufferer while still alive was dressed in his best attire, painted according to the fancy of the relatives present, ornamented with all his trinkets, jewels, and badges, and then placed upon a mat or platform to die. The guns, bows, arrows, axes, knives, and other weapons were all carried away from the house or lodge and concealed. They alleged that these preparations were necessary to evince their respect to the Great Spirit, who at the moment of death visits the body of the dying, receives the spirit, and carries it with Him to Paradise, while the concealment of all warlike weapons shows their humble submission to, and non-resistance of, the Divine will.
Dead bodies were sometimes deposited in graves; others placed in a sit- ting posture, reclining against a rock or tree; others again were deposited in boxes, baskets, or cases of skins, and suspended in the branches of trees, or upon scaffolds erected for the purpose. Elevated parcels of dry ground were usually selected as burial places, and not so much regard was had for the cardinal points of the compass as to the relative position of some neigh- boring object. The graves were arranged usually with reference to some river, lake, or mountain. Where it was convenient, the grave, when en- closed, was covered with stones, and under other circumstances it was enclosed with wooden slabs, upon which were painted with red paint cer- tain signs or symbols commemorative of the deceased's virtues. The death of a near relative was lamented with violent demonstrations of grief. Widows visited the graves of their deceased husbands with hair disheveled, carrying a bundle composed of one or more of the deceased's garments, and to this representative of her departed husband she addressed her ex- pressions of grief and assurances of undying affection, and extreme anxiety for the comfort and well-being of the departed.
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.
One of the early settlers in a county south of this relates the following amusing incident:
Five negroes, having become tired of the sacred institution of slavery as exemplified and enforced by the typical taskmaster of Missouri, ran off and sought protection among the Indians, who, never before having seen any negroes, and not being able to understand their language, did not know what to make of the strange looking animals. Consequently a council was held, and the wisest among the chiefs, having viewed them carefully and debated the matter at some length, decided that they were a peculiar species of bear. Having never before seen any representatives of this species they supposed that their pale-faced neighbors would esteem it quite a favor to behold them, and probably they would be able to dispose of the strange looking animals to a certain trader and receive in return a goodly amount of "fire-water." Accordingly the negroes were taken, ropes tied around their necks, and they were led off to the nearest white settlement. After exhibiting the "bears," as they called them, they negotiated a trade with one Grimsley, the latter giving them a quantity of whisky for them. When the Indians were gone Mr. Grimsley turned the negroes loose, and they soon became favorites among the white settlers. They worked for various persons in the Crooked Creek settlement during a portion of the next sum- mer, when their master in Missouri, hearing through an Indian trader that two negroes were in this vicinity, came up and took possession of the ne- groes and carried them back to Missouri.
The Indian villages were of themselves quite a curiosity. Those of the early settlers who visited these villages describe them as being well ar- ranged, and the apartments of the chief making quite an attempt at roy- alty. This was more particularly the case with their winter quarters. The huts were made by driving poles in the ground and plaiting bark between then; the roof was composed of matting made of grass and reeds. The hut of the chief, which differed from those of the other Indians in having a large court enclosed in front of the entrance, was from forty to sixty feet long and from ten to twelve feet wide. Along either side were arranged bunks where the Indians slept, and lengthwise at an equal distance from either side was a trench some two feet wide and from eight to ten inches deep, where fires were kindled and the cooking done. Immediately above this trench was an opening in the roof to permit the smoke to escape.
The summer tents erected by the squaws when on a hunting excursion were made by planting a circular row of willows in the ground and tying the tops together. These were easily constructed, and of course but tem- porary.
Reference has already been made to the fact that from time immemorial a deadly feud existed between the Sac and Fox Indians on the one part and the Sioux on the other part. These were the two principal tribes inhabit- ing the State in early days and the hatred they had for one another fre- quently embroiled them as well as numerous lesser tribes in long and bloody wars.
In order to put an end to these sanguinary contests, and stop the effusion of blood, the United States Government tendered its services as a mediator between the two hostile tribes. As a result of the first negotia- tions it was agreed, in August, 1825, that the Government should run a line between the two tribes, and thus erect an imaginary barrier between the respective territory of the hostile tribes. After a trial of nearly five
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years, it was found that the untutored mind of the red man was unable to discern an imaginary boundary. The Sacs and Foxes from the south in pursuing game northward were frequently borne beyond the boundary line and they were sure to have a fight with their jealous neighbors before they returned; the same was often true of the Sioux. The idea was then con- ceived by the agents of the Government of setting aside a strip of neutral territory, between the two tribes, of sufficient width to effectually separate the combatants, on which neither tribe should be allowed to hunt nor en- camp.
A treaty was accordingly made with the Sacs and Foxes, in July, 1830, whereby the latter ceded to the Government a strip of country twenty miles in width, lying immediately south of the line designated in the treaty of August, 1825, and extending from the Mississippi to the Des Moines rivers. At the same time a treaty was made with the Sioux, whereby the latter ceded to the Government a strip of country twenty miles in width lying immediately north of the line designated in the treaty of August, 1825, and extending from the Mississippi to the Des Moines rivers. By the provisions of these treaties, the United States came into possession of a strip of country forty miles wide and extending from the Mississippi to the Des Moines rivers, upon which it was unlawful for either Sac and Fox or Sioux to hunt. This strip was known as the " Neutral Ground." Certain of the inferior and peacable tribes, as the Pottawattamies for instance, were permitted to remain on the Neutral Ground.
That part of Boone county east of the Des Moines river was literally in the Neutral Ground; that part west of the river was practically in the Neutral Ground also, as the savages seem to have so regarded it. That part of the county bordering on the Des Moines river was a favorite resort of the Pottawattamie Indians, and here the early settlers found them in great numbers. Mr. Benjamin Williams, one of the pioneers of this region, found them in great numbers in the vicinity of Elk Rapids, when he came to the county in 1846. They had been accustomed to make maple sugar in a large grove located upon the claim which Mr. Williams first took. After the Indians were gone, he used their appliances for catching and hoarding the sap in continuing the business. The sugar troughs were made of the bark of elm trees, and so well were they constructed that they lasted for a number of years. A large walnut trough, which the Indians had used for hoarding the sap, Mr. Williams continued to use for some five or six years after they were gone. During the winter of 1846-47 some five hundred of these Pottawattamie Indians were encamped in the vicinity of Elk Rapids, and, although several white men had settled in that vicinity at that time, none of them were molested by the Indians. Their chief was an old man by the name of Chemisne; by the early settlers, however, he was known by the name of Johnny Greene.
An incident occurred during this winter which threw the settlers into a fever of excitement. A man named Henry Lott had settled at the mouth of Boone river, in what is now Webster county. His house was in range of the Sioux Indians, whose chief's name was Sim-au-e-dotah. By some accident, or from wounds received in battle, or on account of some natural deformnity, we know not, he had no thumb or fore-finger on his right hand; on account of this deformity, he was known as Old Chief Three Fingers. Lott had provided himself with a small quantity of goods and a barrel of whisky, expecting to drive a prosperous trade with the old chief and his
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band, and buy their robes and furs for little or nothing. The first visit the chief made him he was accompanied by six braves of his band, all painted and armed for the war-path. He informed Lott that he was an intruder; that he had settled on the Sioux hunting grounds, and warned him to leave before a certain time. The time having arrived, the Indians appeared, and finding Lott still remaining, they commenced an indiscriminate destruc- tion of property. They robbed his beehives, shot his horses, cattle and hogs full of arrows, so that many of them died; threatened and abused his family and drove him and his son from the house more scared than hurt. Two small girls, daughters of Lott, fled to the timber and Mrs. Lott cov- ered a small child, the youngest of the family, under a feather bed, and then, after contending with the savages till her strength was exhausted, was compelled to submit to all the indignities which they chose to heap upon her.
One of the most remarkable circumstances of the whole affair is the fact that although the Indians were in and around the house during a great part of the day, the little fellow hidden under the feather bed, not once moved or uttered any outcry.
When Lott and his son reached the Boone River Bluffs they looked back at the house, which was plainly in view, and as they thought they saw,the Indians tomahawking the family, and heard the screams of the wife and chil- dren, the two having no arms concluded to make their way rapidly to the set- tlements and sometime the same night reached Pea's Point, spreading a horrible story, alarming the women and children and astounding every- body.
John Pea proposed an immediate expedition to take vengeance on Sim- au-e-dotah, but Lott was sent to Elk Rapids, some sixteen miles below, to procure more men. When he reached the Rapids he found Chemisne, a Pot- tawattamnie chief, with whom he was acquainted. This Indian was known to the early white settlers by the name of Johnny Greene, and was encamped there with several hundred of his tribe. Upon hearing Lott's story he immediately called a council of his braves, wherein it was deter- mined that the chief should accompany the white men with twenty six of his warriors. After several pow-wows they painted themselves in the most hideous manner and mounting their ponies set off for Pea's point to join the expedition.
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