USA > Iowa > Des Moines County > The history of Des Moines county, Iowa, containing a history of the country, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers > Part 40
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" 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, indirectly, 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 suc- cumbed 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 wick- edness. 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, there- fore, to save him the additional vexation of having to send out a letter demand- ing his arrest, he had promptly come in to make a voluntary surrender of himself. Col. Davenport, who saw into the scheme, lauded him as an hon- orable Indian, and told him that his offer of surrender was ample evidence that he would respond whenever 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 that the Great Father commanded ! No more was ever heard of this matter."
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
As incidental to the settlement of the region, we quote from Maj. Beach's history of the Agency such portions as refer to well-known settlers in the Indian territory adjacent thereto:
" On the Des Moines, a mile or so below the County Farm, where the bluff approaches nearest to the bank, was the trading-post of P. Choutean. Sr., & Co., but later more familiarly known as the . Old Garrison.' This was usually super- intended by Capt. William Phelps. And just above the mouth of Sugar Creek, on the creck-bank, at the old road crossing, lived the miller. Jeremiah Smith, Jr .. with his family. This embraced all the whites lawfully living in the county at the time.
" Through some unfortunate misunderstanding in regard to the boundary line, several persons had intruded upon the Indian land upon the lowaville bottom, and the ridges in the rear, as well as upon the south side of the river, and. as the Indians made complaint to the Goverment, it had no alternative but to remove them. This duty fell upon the writer to execute, and was a very unwelcome one, if only for the reason that several of the intruders were persons who would not willingly have violated any law. Among them was that fine old specimen of West Virginia hospitality, Van Caldwell; but by reason of his location, and his readiness by any reasonable arrangement to escape the terrors of fire and sword, the writer obtained permission from the Department that he should remain, upon the condition of his maintaining a ferry for access to Soap Creek Mills during high water.
" For some years previous to the writer's appointment as Agent. Messrs. P. Chouteau, Jr., & Co., of St. Louis, had been the only traders among the Sacs and Foxes, and the magnitude of their interests was enough to excite any rivalry. Col. George Davenport, of Rock Island, had been admitted as partner to their trade with that particular tribe, and he was looked to to reside among them and to carry it on. S. S. Phelps, Esq., of Oquawka, in connection with his brother. Capt. William Phelps, of jovial memory, had been gaining a foot- hold on trade for two, three, or perhaps four years before the treaties of 1836 and 1837, and, after the removal of the Agency from the Island, and its conse- quent effect of rendering a change in the location of the chief trading-post inevitable, Col. Davenport, who had already acquired a comfortable fortune, con- eluded to withdraw. Mr. S. S. Phelps fell into the position thus made vacant in the company, although he relied upon his brother to reside in the Indian country and maintain personal oversight of the company's affairs. A new trader now appeared in the field, with at least means enough to prevent the old company from being its monopolists. Of course, rivalry of feeling and interest would now spring up, and every occasion be employed by each rival to gain and secure what advantage he could. The writer is not intimating any idea of his own that any unfair or dishonorable appliances would be used by the gentlemen, heads respectively of the rival establishments ; but their employes, or others, hoping advantage to themselves in the success of either party. might be less serupulous.
"It was. probably, through some such strategy that Gov. Lucas became impressed with the most sincere conviction that the Choutean Company supplied whisky, with their other merchandise. to the Indians, and a conviction once fixed with the Governor was pretty apt to stay. So persuaded was he of the truth of his belief. that he was never disposed to the least reticence upon the subject; and it was generally believed in Burlington that if the Trading Com- pany could be caught flagrante delicto, it would prove a pretty good haul for the catcher-certainly not less than the transfer to his own pocket of the half value of a large stock of goods.
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
" As the writer soon saw that any effort of his own, however reasonable. to lead the Governor to a different opinion was opening the way to suspicion against himself of some personal interest in the company's affairs, prudence naturally admonished him to desist. One morning, Mr. S. S. Phelps, to whom the Governor's belief-and propensity to express it-was no secret, being in Burlington, stepped into a place where the Governor happened at the moment to be engaged in his favorite pastime of denouncing Mr. Chouteau's establish- ment, etc., and the Governor, totally unacquainted with Mr Phelps, still kept up in his presence his conversation on the subject.
"Now, if there was anything Capt. Billy Phelps loved better than another it was to play off a trick ; or if anything he knew better than another, it was how to plan and play it. The company had on its license a man named Simp- son Vassar, who was better known at the Agency and its various dependencies under the sobriquet of 'Suggs.' When any deviltry lurked in Capt. Billy's mind, 'Capt. Suggs' was his most reliable assistant in getting rid of it. So a scheme was planned. Suggs was sent over on a pretext of some message to Phelps, at Oquawka, with instructions not to leave Burlington until he had executed his part of the programme.
" A person, who was either the City Marshal or attached to his official reti- nue, soon heard of Suggs in Burlington, and became so ambitious of his acquaintance as to introduce himself without delay. He learned from Suggs that the latter lived out in the Agency neighborhood ; that he knew the Trad- ing Company, in fact, sometimes worked for them when an extra force was needed-clever people ; good paymasters, with the cash always in hand; knew nothing of their dealing in whisky; had never seen them supply it to the Indians ; and, even if he had, as he had heard they were accused of it, a dollar, when needed, was not so easily made out there that a man could afford to make enemies out of good-paying employers ! After several interviews, Suggs em- barked upon the ferry-boat. But his newly made friend was not long in join- ing him, and, during the crossing, Suggs yielded to the potent arguments and promises that had already shaken his sense of personal honor and interest. He admitted that he had seen a large lot of kegs, and these not empty, landed by night at the trading-house from a boat, not long before, and immediately buried upon the bank, where most of them were ; and if he could be guaran- teed against suspicion as the informer, and terms arranged to suit-as he expected to remain about the place some time after his return-he would put his friend upon the right track. The boat having landed them, and all details being adjusted, each party went on his way rejoicing-Suggs' way being to Oquawka, and at once back to the trading-house to report to Capt. Phelps.
" Not many days later, an hour or so before dinner-time, Col. Jesse Will- iams-later of Henn, Williams & Co., of Fairfield, but then Private Secretary to Gov. Lucas-rode up to the Agency. Besides doubtless himself disposed (as, indeed, the Agency hospitality would suggest) to consider that an expedi- tion which would demand a three-mile ride and several hours of time, could be more satisfactorily completed as a post-prandial duty, he made no mention of his business. But, as soon as the meal was over, he handed to the Agent a package from the Governor, containing a deposition in full form, taken before Judge Mason. of the Territorial Supreme Court, by Suggs' Burlington friend, to the effect that so many kegs of whisky, etc., etc., and were then secreted, etc., etc., in violation of the statute. etc., by the said P. Chouteau Jr.'s Com- pany, traders, etc., as aforesaid. And there was a line to the Agent, that, in the execution of so delicate a duty, which must involve judicial process, he
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
had deemed it best to send out Col. Williams to assist the Agent. Whatever the motive may have been. it is certain that, until both were in their saddles, Col. Williams proved himself able to watch the Agent with untiring eye.
" Reaching the trading-house, the person who took the deposition and a companion were found there waiting. they having 'forked off' by another trail so as not to be seen. Suggs was on hand, having taken the opportunity to post the Burlingtonians about the locality. And also Capt. Billy Phelps, called by the Indians Che-che-pe-qua, or the . Winking Eyes,' was there, those visuals fairly gleaming with joy over the anticipated fun.
" The Agent proceeded at once to business, expressing to Capt. Phelps his regrets that so unpleasant a duty should have devolved upon him ; his hope that it would prove that so serious a complaint had originated in some error, but suggesting that, if true, admission of the fact and production of the contraband article would be more apt to temper subsequent proceedings with leniency than efforts to conceal it would do. The Captain vehemently denied the impeach- ment, stating that it would demand a much wiser man than himself to discover where such an article then was, or ever had been kept upon their premises. The complainant was now appealed to, who led the party a short distance to a spot where, with a triumphant air, he pointed to an X that the edge of Suggs' boot-sole had made in the sandy bank.
" They began digging, and soon reached some matting that was removed, and thus uncovered a lot of lard kegs, too greasy to suggest a thought of any other article being contained within them. The immediate 'sold, by thunder !' of one of the moiety gentlemen, and in accents too lugubrious to be listened to withont exciting a sense of sadness. Suggs, meanwhile, had come up missing, and the . Winking Eyes' walked off with a most disdainful air, leaving the Agent and his party on the spot, whence they soon returned to the Agency, where the Agent made his report that the informer had pointed out a place, where, by digging, a large quantity of lard in kegs was found that had been buried to avoid loss by heat, and in the night to conceal the fact from vagabond whites and Indians. The disappointed informer and his companion hastened homeward ; but Col. Williams remained until next morning, and then returned, bearing the Agent's report.
" But the unkindest ent of all was six months later, when, about the last of February, Capt. Phelps addressed a letter to Gov. Lucas in the most respectful and official form, saying that having heard he had declared his determination not to continue in office under such an old Tory as Gen. Harrison, and fearful that whoever his successor would be, he might not feel so friendly toward the Company as he had proved in the matter of exhuming their lard, and as they would soon be much in need of some, and the ground was then very hard frozen, the Company would be under great obligations if he would at once send some one ont to dig up the rest of it !
" Previous to the treaty of 1842, some few changes were made in their loca- tion, both by the Indians and among the whites. The house at the 'Old Gar- rison' was broken up, and one established in its stead up in the Red Rock region, near the month of White Breast; and Keokuk, also, moved his village into the same neighborhood."
A SCENE OF THE BORDER.
The following graphie 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.
Dr. Bankyat .
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
" 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 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 ain, 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, immedi- ately before going upon the parade-ground, to perform his morning and even- ing trainings. So carefully was he trained for this race of life 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 Winnebago 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
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
drummer behind a screen, some twenty paces in front of the Sionx, so that the sound would reach him an instant before it did his opponents. and upon receiv- ing 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-kee' 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 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 heiroglyphical paintings. Along the face, alternate stripes of white and black were painted in parallel lines, extending from the chin to the forehead. Their 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 tomahawk, 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 partly 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 that he had taken from the Winne- bago.
" Soon after the parties were formed in line upon the ground, Reynolds ap- proached 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, discov- ered that he was much excited, and that his nerves were in a tremulous condi- tion. 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 Lientenant 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 announcement, the countenance of the Indian brightened up with a smile; his whole person seemed lifted from the ground as he returned to his position with a stalwart stride.
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
" 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 utmost 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 strain upon his muscular 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
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HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY.
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 enstoms 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 Iowa 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.
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