USA > Iowa > Monroe County > The history of Monroe County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion > Part 38
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY.
These people, though generally accustomed and limited to the poorest fare, were not averse to the best that could be provided, and made themselves glut- tons whenever they could get enough of it. Like the wolf, they were capable of a long fast, and then would gorge themselves at a plenteous feast, even to stupidity.
On another occasion, Kishkekosh and his suite, consisting of several prom- inent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk River, in Jasper County, went to the house of a Mr. Mikesell on a friendly visit, and he treated them to a feast. Besides Kish and his wife, who was a very ladylike person, this 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 form 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 part of every- thing on the table with much apparent disinterestedness. 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 every- thing within his reach, without regard to what should come first or last in the course, so only that he liked the taste of it. ' At length, after having drunk five or six cups of coffee, and eaten a proportionate amount of solid foods, his gas- tronomic energy began to abate. Seeing this, his host approached him,uand with apparent concern for his want of appetite, said, " Why, Kish, don't yol 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 time 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. It is well known that among the Indians, as well 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 he 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
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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 a capacity in this savage chief for progress and enlightenment.
The Indians in this region, as far back as 1841-2, bad a novel way of deal- ing with drunken people. After the Black Hawk war, they chose rather to live upon their annuities granted them by the Government, than upon the prod- ucts 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 mercy, but to no avail, and after he was sobered he showed no resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the pro- ceeding.
Keokuk, the grand sachem, was a man of tall, commanding presence, straight as an arrow, and, when aroused, could make an eloquent speech to his tribe. He was selected by the United States Government to distribute the annuities to the Sacs and Foxes ; not only for his energies, when opposed to the nation in battle, but for his influence among the red men everywhere. But he was avari- cious and intemperate, putting any amount of whisky under his royal toga, and stealing from his red brothers the hard silver so kindly given them by the Great Father at Washington. He had a chronic quarrel with Hardfish's band that lived in Kishkekosh, near Eddyville, and receiving a severe wound from one of this tribe, he died soon after reaching Kansas, in 1845.
Wapello, another chief of the tribe, was a warm friend of the whites, especially Gen. Street, and the two braves, white and red, were buried near the same spot on the Indian farm, near Agency City, in 1841.
Black Hawk, who received an ovation when he made a triumphal tour through the Eastern States-his fame as a warrior receiving many poetic touches from the pen of Cooper-was, after all, a blood-thirsty villain, if the early settlers can be believed. He entered into a treaty of peace with the United States, yet broke it with perfect impunity in 1832, and brought on a bloody war to the defenseless settlements of Indiana and Illinois. His plan of battle was a stealthy onslaught at midnight upon unarmed villagers, and, if suc- cessful, he retired with a few white scalps, as if he had waged a defense of his wigwams, and then celebrated his victories with dances and carousals. He was generally attired in a course linsey coat, sometimes an old pair of pants or a breech clout upon his person, his feet thrust into a pair of stoga shoes, an old wool hat half covering his bald pate, and was anything but a poetic or heroic figure. Black Hawk died at Iowaville in 1837, the scene of his triumph, by the help of Pashapaho, over the Iowas in the early part of his warlike career. His bones were finally given to the Historical Society of Iowa, located at Burlington ; but at the earnest solicitation of one of his squaws, Gov. Lucas had them brought back to Iowa soil.
B
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY.
Pashapaho was a first-class warrior, a General that could plan a campaign or an attack and always be successful. He was not treacherous like Black Hawk, but, like Poweshiek, never forgot a favor, and was always a friend to the whites. Many an early settler gave testimony to the kindness of these red brothers when weary and hungry from long marches in the wilderness.
Poweshiek was a better man than Keokuk, but did not have his genius in battle or in oratory. He was, however, much beloved by the whites who knew him, and had many amiable qualities for a savage. He also died before the Indians left Iowa.
AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF W. G. CLARK.
The sketch here given, is not directly connected with the history of Monroe County, but indirectly it is, and the omission of so important an anecdote would be a grave defect. The subject of the story afterward became a leading spirit in Monroe County, and it may be said that he was searching for the home he subsequently found, at the time of referred to herein. It serves to illustrate the hardships encountered by many a pioneer, and is cited as a characteristic incident of life on the border in 1842.
In the year 1840, William W. Rankin emigrated from La Fayette, Ind., and located on a temporary or small claim near the extreme western line of the then defined Government lands. The treaty of 1837, opened up to claimants a large area of lands which had been, prior to that date, the stamping grounds of the Indians. It is necessary to merely allude to this limit here, as the sub- ject is properly treated in another portion of the work.
When Van Buren County was geographically defincd, the western boundary extended to a point within the ceded territory. A strip of land was still left west of the county about a mile and a half in width. This strip lay in what afterward became, subsequent to the Indian treaty of 1842, the county of Davis. The strip was attached to Van Buren County for all judicial and official pur- poses, but at the period of which we write was without distinctive title.
The year 1840 was a comparatively late one in the settlement of Van Buren, but the attached wild lands had not received much benefit from the civilizing influences of the influx of pioneers in the eastern and central part of Van Buren. West of the county line all was a wilderness.
It will be remembered by the early settlers that the general laws of the country forbade encroachments on the Indian lands by white men. Location of claims could not be made except at the hazard of loss of property, if not at the peril of life. Timber could not be cut, nor could game be pursued by whites without risking severe punishment. It is folly to assert that the laws defensive of the rights of the red man were fully observed, for it is a known fact that timber was stripped from the eastern boundary, and that many a vent- uresome hunter added to the zest of his sport by combining the excitement of the chase with a vigorous watchfulness for the stealthy red man. Had an Indian detected a poacher on his domain, the latter would have been summarily disposed of. This fact is corroborated by the stories told of hair-breadth escapes of hunters under such circumstances.
Nor were hunters the only violators of the law of trespass. Some men, foreseeing the advantages of early possession, were reckless enough to make settlers' claim to some of the best locations, just across the boundary, and erect thereon log cabins. The class which carried matters to such an extreme, encountered more than the hostility of outraged Indians, for at that time the Government made a show of protecting poor Lo in his rights. A system of
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espionage was maintained, after a fashion commensurate with the importance of the case and the crudity of the times. It is not to be supposed that the most thorough watchfulness was observed, for that would be attributing to the Gov- ernment a higher degree of paternal feeling than it has ever manifested; but the appearance of authority was kept up by the appointment of agents and the occasional visitation of suspected localities by those properly empowered repre- sentatives of the Great Father at Washington.
The men who actually made claims on the Indian territory were, very naturally, persons of the most heedless disposition. The pleasure of making locations there consisted fully as much in the consciousness of law violated. as it did in the sense of semi-proprietorship. It is likely that some of these men were connected with the organized gangs of horse thieves and counterfeiters which infested the West at that time, and found more freedom there for the prosecution of the latter part of their nefarious trades, as well as a greater immunity from the law of the better settled counties of the Territory. The cabins of such "claimants " may have been places of refuge for dangerous men, when pursued by the officers of the law. A sort of friendship may have existed between some of the white renegades and the Indians, which served as a protection to them. At all events, whether these conjectures be reasonable or not, it is certain that the squatters on Indian lands dreaded the white men more than the Indians, and were always ready to defend their wilderness homes from the agents of the Government.
When Mr. Rankin located in the narrow strip of land adjacent to Van Buren County, he did so with the intention of seeking a better site as soon as it was possible to do so with safety. He was residing on his claim, which was three miles east of the present village of Drakeville, in the year 1842.
In 1840, W. G. Clark, who figures so largely in the early history of Mon- roe County, gave up the idea of spending his life in New York City, where he had resided for some ten years, and concluded to seek his fortunes in the West. The territory of Iowa was regarded by the young New Yorker as the further- most limit of the desirable country, or at all events, far enough away from the whirl of the metropolis to be an available prospecting ground. He prepared to shake Eastern dust from his feet and join the great army of emigrants which was then moving westward. Among the supplies purchased by him as a neces- sary preliminary to fortune-hunting, was a pair of very fine bay horses. The team was not only a particularly good one, but it was also a decidedly notice- able pair, because of size and marks. They stood eighteen hands high. were very speedy travelers, and more remarkable than all else, had been treated to the "docking" process. Their tails were cut short, after the fashion of that time. In the West, the few teams met with were allowed their normal quantity of caudal appendage, and the introduction of a pair of big "bob-tailed" bays caused considerable comment among the pioneers of the new country.
Mr. Clark came on to Iowa, and entered the southern portion of the Terri- tory. He was in no special haste to locate permanently, and devoted his time to going about from settlement to settlement. Wherever he went his fine team excited remark, and he was soon known throughout Van Buren County. His horses were also known in the entire region.
During the course of his investigation of the country, Mr. Clark went into the attached portion of Van Buren County, and there formed the acquaintance of Mr. Rankin, wife and daughter. The year 1842 found Mr. Clark not only a friend of the Rankins, but a still more particular guest at their house, for he had become engaged to the daughter. The marriage day was not decided upon
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at once, as it was deemed essential to first select a site for a home. Thus the Spring of 1842 beheld Mr. Clark more eager than ever for a speedy termi- nation of his protracted search for a claim. The Indian treaty of 1842 was pending, but no locations could then be made on the beautiful lands contained in the reserve. The sight of the rolling prairies and delightful groves was too tempting to be withstood, and Mr. Clark determined to make a tour of exami- nation, in anticipation of the time when he could legally lay claim to a farm site thercon.
One day in the late Spring, Mr. Clark persuaded the Rankins to join him in a short excursion over the Indian lands, with the view of aiding him in his ultimate choice of a home. The famous team was hitched to a comfortable spring wagon, and the two ladies, Mrs. and Miss Rankin, were snugly seated for a genuine camping-out trip. The party was provided with necessaries in the way of blankets, etc., but only a limited amount of provisions were taken, as it was not intended to remain out more than two or three days.
The first day's journey was a delightful one. The party had driven about sixteen or seventeen miles, through a region in a perfect state of nature, and at one of the most charming seasons of the year. Night overtook them just as they came in sight of a deserted log cabin. The discovery of such a building where reason and law taught them to suppose no building stood, was a surprise indeed. The men made a careful inspection of the premises and concluded that some squatter had ventured on the reserve, but had become tired of his claim and had forsaken it. Mr. Rankin made the most of their apparent good fortune. and proceeded to arrange a snug sleeping place in the cabin for the women. He and Clark fitted up a bed in the wagon for themselves. The horses were tied in a clump of trees some twenty rods from the wagon, and there left in supposed security for the night.
The weary travelers were soon fast asleep. Mr. Clark says that he has no idea just how long he slept, but he was awakened in the night by the restless- ness of his horses. He thought nothing of the disturbance, however, and pro- ceeded to compose himself for another nap. Later in the night he was again aroused, but this time by hearing one of his horses break his halter and dash off' over the prairie at high speed. Even then his suspicions of evil were not aroused, because he was firm in his belief that no human beings, save themselves. were within miles of his team. Again he laid his head down, but could not sleep soundly. For a short time all was quiet, when suddenly the remaining horse broke loose and scudded away to join its mate. The night was so dark that search was impossible then, and Mr. Clark concluded that he would wait until daylight before beginning his tramp. He thought his horses had gone but a short distance out on the prairie, where they would soon eat their fill and remain quietly until he could capture them. He noticed that neither Mr. Rankin nor the women had been awakened by the disturbance, and that confirmed him in his determination to await until he could reasonably call upon Mr. R. for assistance.
Mr. Clark did not sleep again that night, and as soon as it was daybreak he quietly arose, without awakening Mr. Rankin, and went over to where his team had stood. The high grass was trampled down in one direction, and thither he went until he could obtain a commanding view of the surrounding "country. He could see that the horses had gone eastward, and the first idea that occurred to him was that they had started back toward the settlement from whence they had come. Mr. Clark felt that every moment was precious and that he could scarcely afford the time required to return to camp and arouse
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his friends. If he kept on at once, he might soon overtake the team and get back before the camp was awake. He had taken no food with him, however, and a long tramp was imprudent ; but he would go a short way further and then, if he saw no traces of his horses, he would go back to camp and prepare for a thorough search. So on he pushed, through the wet, harsh prairie grass for some distance. The heavy tread of the horses had left a deep impress in the sod and the rank vegetation was bent and twisted by their rapid movements. Along this trail Mr. Clark hurried, expecting every moment to reach some point from which he could discover more encouraging prospects. Suddenly he came upon a blind track over the prairie. The newly made trail of his horses ceased, but along the older path he saw the hoof-marks of his team. But that was not all. Side by side with his own horses, another animal had ran from this point on. From the size of the track, Mr. Clark concluded that it must have been an Indian pony.
The discovery of this alarming evidence of the cause of the stampede did not create any unpleasant feelings in Mr. Clark's mind. A more experienced Westerner would have retraced his steps at once and aroused the camp; but Mr. Clark was new to the ways and dangers of the West. He had come from a region where crime was guarded, regulated and spied upon by professionals ; where it was not incumbent upon every citizen to play many parts in turn. He did not understand woodcraft or know that detective work was a part of a pioneer's duty. He was not a Leatherstocking, or to the wilderness born. Hence, when the third hoof-print was discovered, he merely surmised that some Indian had gone that way the day before. He did not associate the contiguity of tracks as cause and effect.
By this time, Mr. Clark had gone so far that returning without his team seemed impossible. So, on he went. On and on he pushed, now losing the trail and anon finding it, until it became broad day. High noon found him still rambling on, hungry and footsore, but determined to work out the salva- tion of his favorite animals.
When the meridian of day was passed, and the sunlight fell from the west- ward, stray patches of cloud occasionally obscured the rays. These shadows were grateful to the weary man, who did not then realize the awful danger of becoming hopelessly lost on the trackless prairie or in the wild growth of trees that bordered some stream.
As night settled down, the clouds increased in density and concealed the sun entirely. The inexperienced young man, deprived of the only sure director, was left in total ignorance of his whereabouts. His long fast, of nearly twenty- four hours, began to tell upon his unaccustomed muscles. A man bred in city ways cannot endure the privations of wild life like those who are inured to such hardships. The comparative inactivity of mercantile life had made Mr. Clark, who was not thirty years of age at the time of which we write, little fitted for a protracted tramp through the woods. He naturally could not husband his strength, nor could he practice any of the many physical economies known to hunters.
In this pitiable plight, night found the wanderer. He had long before that given up search for the trail of his horses, for he had learned that self-preser- vation was Nature's first law. At last, exhausted and half-despairing, he sat down upon an old log. and turned his coat collar about his neck. Compressing himself into as small a compass as possible, he tried to pass the night. Imagine the scene! A young man, who but a day before saw life stretching out pleasantly in anticipation before him, sound in mind and body, and with every
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reasonable expectation of prosperity, now lost in the wilderness, without the slightest ray of hope, alone in the darkness and the rain, with the prairie winds whistling and groaning around him, as though to aggravate his sense of terror at his situation, and chilling him to the marrow as it drove the gusts of rain upon his unprotected head Think of that long, dreary night, which seemed interminable to him. Added to all the imaginary dangers were the ever- present pangs of hunger, gnawing at his vitals and weakening him minute by minute.
If ever the daylight was welcomed by mortal in distress, surely that which told the hero of this sketch the east from the west was. The long hours which succeeded the rising of the sun behind a grav and crimson bank of clouds were but repetitions of those of the preceding day. Early in the morning, the rain began to fall, and continued ceaselessly day and night. The tall prairie grass, which cut like knife blades, soon wore away the fine cloth pants which Clark then wore, leaving the flesh naked to their cruel teeth. In self-protection, he bound leaves about his legs and plodded on, not knowing whither. More than once, a bird, startled by the strange apparition of an unknown being, flew from her nest, revealing the brood of unfledged young within. The instinct to devour those little birds was strong, but the force of civilized habits overcame for the time the savage nature of man. Now and then, an elm tree was found, and from the inner bark of it the famished man ate greedily. Wild strawberry leaves and such vegetation as was known to be edible, formed the staple of his unsatisfactory diet.
Again night shut down upon him, and despair hovered over the almost des- perate man. In the darkness he heard the weird cry of nocturnal birds. His ears were keen to detect unnatural sounds. Above his hard resting-place rang out the terrifying shriek of a panther, and in the distance the barking of wolves could be distinctly heard. In the darkness he arose and moved about, im- pressed with a sense of greater security if in motion.
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