USA > Iowa > Keokuk County > The history of Keokuk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. : a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 35
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Wapello, the cotemporary of Keokuk and the inferior chief, after whom a neighboring county and county-seat were named, died before the Indians were removed the State, and thus escaped the humilation of the scene. He like his superior chief, was a fast friend of the whites and wielded an im- mense influence among the individuals of his tribe. As is mentioned in a former chapter, he presided over three tribes in the vicinity of Fort Arm- strong, during the time that frontier post was being erected. In 1829 he removed his village to Muscatine Swamp, and then to a place near where is now located the town bearing his name. Many of the early settlers of Keo. kuk county remember him well, as the southern part of this county was a favorite resort for him and many members of his tribe. It was in the lim- its of this county that this illustrious chief died. His favorite hunting ground, is that portion of the county which is now within the limits of Jackson township. Although he willingly united in the treaty ceding it to the whites, it was done with the clear coviction that the country would be shortly overrun and his hunting ground ruined by the advance of pale faces. He chose to sell rather than be robbed, and then quietly receeded with his band.
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HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
Mr. Searcy relates an incident in the life of this chief which we here quote: " Between the Sioux, and the Sacs and the Foxes, a bitter and deadly hatred existed. This enmity was carried to such a bitter extent that it caused the establishment, by the government, of the neutral ground, in the north part of the territory, which was a strip of country about thirty miles in width, over which the tribes were not allowed to pass in order to slay each other. The love of revenge was so strongly marked in the Indian character that it was not to be suppressed by imaginary geo- graphical lines, and consequently it was not a rare occurrence for a Sac or Fox Indian, or a Sioux, to bite the dust, as an atonement for real or imag- inary wrongs. In this manner one of the sons of Wapello was cruelly cut down, from an ambush, in the year 1836. When the chief heard of the sad calamity he was on Skunk river, opposite to the mouth of Crooked creek. He immediately plunged into and swam across the stream. Upon arriving at a trading post near by, he gave the best pony he had for a barrel of whisky, and setting it out, invited his people to partake, a very unwise practice, which he doubtless borrowed from the white people, who availed themselves of this medium in which to drown their sorrow.
Wapello's death occured in Keokuk county, in March, 1844. In accord- ance with the provisions of the treaty of 1843, he had retired with his tribe, west of Red Rock, and it was during a temporary visit to his old hunting ground on Rock creek, that he breathed his last. We quote from an address of Mr. Romig the following pathetic account of the death of the warrior:
" As the swallow returns to the place where last she had built her nest, cruelly destroyed by the ruthless hands of some rude boy, or as a mother would return to the empty crib where once had reposed her innocent babe, in the sweet embrace of sleep, and weep for the treasure she had once pos- . sessed, so Wapello mourned for the hunting grounds he had been forced to leave behind, and longed to roam over the broad expanse again. It was in the month of March; heavy winter had begun to shed her mantle of snow; the sun peeped forth through the fleeting clouds; the woodchuck emerged from his subterranean retreat to greet the morning breeze, and all nature seemed to rejoice at the prospect of returning spring. The old chief felt the exhilirating influence of reviving nature, and longed again for the sports of his youth. He accordingly assembled a party and started on a hunting excursion to the scenes of his former exploits. But alas, the poor old inan was not long destined to mourn over his misfortunes. While traveling over the beautiful prairies, or encamped in the picturesque groves that he was once want to call his own, disease fastened upon his vitals and the chief lay prostrate in his lodge. How long the burning fever raged and racked in his brain, or who it was that applied the cooling draught to his parched lips, tradition has failed to inform us; but this we may fairly presume: that his trusty followers were deeply distressed at the sufferings of their chief, whom they loved and administered all the comforts in their power to alleviate his sufferings, but all would not avail. Grim death had crossed his path, and touched her finger upon his brow, and marked him for her own. Human efforts to save could avail nothing. Time passed, and with it the life of Wapello. The last word was spoken, the last wish expressed, the last breath drawn, and his spirit took its flight. The passing breeze in æolean notes chanted a requiem in the elm tops. The placid creek in its meandering course murmured in chorus over the
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HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
dead. The squirrel came forth in the bright sunshine to frisk and chirp in frolicsome glee, and the timid fawn approached the brook, and bathed her feet in the waters, but the old man heeded it not, for Manatah, his God, had called him home.
" Although it is a matter of regret that we are not in possession of his dying words, and other particulars connected with his death, let us en- deavor to be content with knowing that Wapello died some time in the month of March, in the year 1844, in Keokuk county, on Rock creek, in Jackson township, on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter, section 21, township 74, range 11 west, where a mound still marks the spot; and with knowing also that his remains were thence conveyed by Mr. Samuel Har- desty, now of Lancaster township, accompanied by twenty-two Indians and three squaws, to the Indian burial ground, at Agency City, where sleeps the Indian agent, Gen. Street, and numbers of the Sac and Fox tribe, and where our informant left the remains to await the arrival of Keokuk, and other distinguished chiefs to be present at the interment."
Keokuk, Appanoose, and nearly all the leading men among Indians were present at the funeral, which took place toward evening of the same day upon which the body arrived at Agency. The usual Indian ceremonies preceded the interment, after which the body was buried by the body of Gen. Street, which was in accordance with his oft repeated request to be burried by the side of his honest pale faced friend.
In 1845 in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty, and in obedi- ence 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 ex- citement, Keokuk led his tribe west of the Missouri river, and located upon a reservation now 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 thronging 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 be- fore, had been lionored by his name. 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 an- nihilation.
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 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.
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HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
" 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 re- membered. 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 deportment. 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 yesterday, 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 man. But it is a conceded fact, by all the early settlers who knew him, that Keokuk pos- sessed, in a prominent degree, the elements of greatness."
INDIAN INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES.
During the visit of Keokuk, Wapello and their party at Boston, which lias already been referred to, there was a great struggle between the man- agers of the two theaters of that place to obtain the presence of the Indians in order to "draw houses." At the Tremont, the aristocratic one, the famous tragedian, Forrest, was filling an engagement. His great play, in which he acted the part of a 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 honse. 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 accompanied General Street at the time, took the matter in hand. He knew that this particular 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 pre- vailed upon the manager to bring it out, promising that the Indians would be present.
In the exciting scene, where the gladiators engage in 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 weapon from the body, heaving in the convul- sions of its expiring throes, and while the curtain was descending, the whole Indian company burst out with their fiercest war whoop. It was a fright- ful yell to strike suddenly upon unaccustomed ears, and was immediately followed by screams of terror from the more nervous among the women and children. For an instant the audience seemed at a loss, but soon ut- tered a hearty round of applanse-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 Ropresentatives, every inch of which was jammed
with humanity. After the Governor had ended his eloquent and appropri- ate address of welcome, it devolved upon one of the chiefs to reply, and Appanoose, in his turn, as, at the conclusion of his "talk," 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 Governor, with a nod of approbation, controlled his facial mus- cles in a most courtly gravity. But the way the house came down " was a cantion," all of which Appanoose doubtless considered the Yankee way of applauding his speech.
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HISTORY OF KEOKUK COUNTY.
The Indians seldom occupied their permanent villages. except during the time ofplanting 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 1st of September-had not been received. Immediately after pay- ment, it was their custom to leave their village for the winter, hunting through this season by families and small parties, leading the regular nomad life, changing their location from time to time, as the supply of game and the need-so essential to their comfort-of seeking places near the timbered streams best protected from the rigors of winter, would re- quire. 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 accompanied 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 preparations there going on. The lady of the house-it is possible she did it intentionally, as she was not a willing entertainer 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 of Richland town- ship. 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 fif- teen or twenty lodges, presided over by a man of considerable importance, though not a chief, named Kish-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 permanent settlement of the tribes, which was the village of Poweshiek, a Fox chief of equal rank with Wapello, situated upon the Iowa river."
Here the squaws, after grubbing out hazel brush on the banks of the creeks 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 1st of May, 1843, when they bade adieu to their bark covered huts. The following incident is located at this point: Some time about 1841 Major 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 encamped near the village, and on the following morning Kish-ke-kosh with his assistants came over to the 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
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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 passed through the scraping 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-kosh did not take part in this Terpsichorean performance, 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-renaak- we-kauh " (may be a hundred); and indeed her bowed form and hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she wa's that old. The whole party were dressed in more than ordinarily becoming style; prob- ably out of respect for their hostess, who, knowing something of their vo- racious 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 In- dian 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 proportionate amount of solid food, his gastronomic 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 hospita- ble 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 about 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,
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ceremonies and feasts in their worship of the Kitche Mulito or Great Spirit. Feasts did not seem to be prescribed in any of their missals, however, be- cause, perhaps, forced ones, under a 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 re- semblance to some of those laid down in the books of Moses, as to have justified the impression among Biblical students, that all the lost tribes of Israel might have found their way to this continent, and that the North American Indians are the remnants of them.
During the few years previous to the treaty of 1842, when the boundary line between the white settlements and the reservation ran across the south- eastern corner of the county, it was not of unfrequent occurrence for whites to come across the line and "squat" on the forbidden ground. Un- der these circumstances, it became necessary for the Indian Agent to drive them back and burn their dwellings. Major Beach, to whose published notes we are indebted for many of the foregoing incidents, relates the fol- lowing: "A proclamation had been issued by the Governor of the Territory to remove by military force all 'tresspassers, who having received a reasona- ble notice liad not retired by a certain day. Such military expeditions would of course abound with incidents sometimes amusing, sometimes ex- citing and sometimes disagreeable and embarrassing. We would fre- quently find the men gone and the premises in charge of the women and children, under the belief that they would in some way or other get over the trouble. Excuses would be various, mostly of wagons broken in the very act of starting, or of oxen strayed or horses lost or stolen just a day too 80011; sometimes of sickness, although we failed of observing signs of it. On one accasion, a soldier over-heard a well grown girl tell a bright-eyed junior one not to cry, for 'Pap' was just gone down the branch, and would come back as soon as the soldiers were gone. And sure enough when the smoke of the burning cabin curled above his hiding place, convincing him that his plan had proved abortive, 'Pap' came rushing around a point of the grove, apparently out of breath, with a long story of his strayed horses that he had hinnted till the last day, and then gone to some kindred, some six or eight miles across the line, who were then on the road with their wagons; and that he having heard the bugle, had left them, that in order, by short cuts across the timber and hollows, to get home in time to save his 'plunder'. Well, the Lieutenant told him, that it was all safe, the sol- diers had set it out carefully, without giving his family any trouble to help them; and if only he had time, he would be glad to remain till his friends arrived and help him load up. The mansion being now burned beyond sal- vation, the bugle sounded to mount and the troop resumed its march.
" The next amusing incident was in our encounter, soon after the troop had resumed its march. with an old fellow whom we met coming up the somewhat dim road, just along the edge of the timber, on this side of the river. The troop was of between thirty and forty men, with a lieutenant, the captain having stayed at the agency, with the rest of his company, to take care of his supplies in camp. The lieutenant and writer were comfort- ably walking their nags along the said road, the troops at some distance in the rear, following the same easy gait, with their two six-mule wagons be- hind, when we espied a wagon coming around the point of the road not far ahead of us. The team soon showed itself to be a span of black sleek horses, and the entire outfit indicated that the old chap in charge of it was
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not as hard up as his personal look would have lead one to believe. He was for giving us the entire right-of-way, but as we turned off to face him as if we intended to collide, bowed to him, he reined up.
" According to his story he was out for just a pastime drive up the the ridge, without much object or motive of any kind; but he had a scythe to cut grass, a good lot of oats and shelled corn in sacks, an extra wagon sheet that would have improvised a tolerably comfortable tent in short order, a plentiful supply of 'grub' for himself and a boy he had with him, thirteen or fourteen years old, and a forty gallon empty barrel, all suggestive of a contemplated raid upon the bee trees. After some parly, the lieutenant turned him over to the sergeant, who had, in the meantime come up with his inen, who in his turn placed him with a file of troopers as a guard of honor between the two baggage wagons. The old fellow soon got the hang of what was up, from the soldiers, and as misery loves company, he soon seemed to lose sight of his own disgust in contemplating that of the inmates of the two squatters' cabins we had yet to visit. We soon reached the nearest one and found it abandoned, though very recently, as all signs proved. Stopping long enough to burn the cabin, we then kept on our way to the only remaining trespasser who had put up his cabin on that side of the ridge we were descending. As we turned off to cross the ridge our former captive, whom we now released, seemed for awhile as if disposed to relieve himself from the engagement of our society as soon as possible. But in a short time he changed his mind, for long before he had traveled the half mile across the ridge we saw that he had turned off and was in pursuit of us. He reached the house almost as soon as we did, and in full time to say to the lieutenant and myself what could not have been less than an unpleasant feeling of personal sympathy for the family we were about to dislodge. As in several previous instances, the man had gone off, leaving the woman to give reasons and offer excuses for his ab- sence. It was very near night and not less than five miles to the nearest house in the direction in which the woman desired to go. She had several children, of whom not the largest even was yet of an age to be other than an encumbrance at such a time; nor was there team, wagon, or other means of transportation to be seen. While she was bitterly complaining of her cruel fate in thus being turned out of her house to see it consumed, with herself, children and chattels all night under the open heavens, our lately made acquaintance came to a halt among us, the expression of his features indicating a much more enjoyable expectation of witnessing the scene ahead than was ever felt by any among us whose duty it was to bring it into action.
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