The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 38

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Iowa > Polk County > The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 38

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"After a hurried breakfast, the company started for Webster City. The day was cold, with a fierce wind blowing in their faces. They reached Web- ster City about two o'clock, where they were received in a very hostile manner by the people. Bucketsful, pitchersful, jugsful, and bottlesful of distilled and boiled down hostility met them at every turn and corner. In fact, men fleet of foot met the command out of town with bucketsful of rye, etc. A general invitation was given them to enjoy the freedom of the city, and every house in town was thrown open to them. A public meeting was held at the school-house that night, at which the people voted the company thanks and a fitting testimonial. It is related that on account of the expo- sure of the men on their trip, Dr. DeTarr and Judge Mitchell were the

296

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

only members of the company that could appear and respond on behalf of the company. Dr. DeTarr's speech was printed in full in the Freeman.

"The company all slept well that night. There was not an Indian in the State, except the harmless Pottawattamies of Indian Town, under their chief, Johnny Green, and it was suggested that the company go down and give them battle. The next day the company returned home, without the loss of a man. The flour, bacon, oats, and fire-water left over they gave to the needy settlers on the route home.

" It is said that Mr. Beal and his command fortified near West Dayton, where they would have remained all summer if word had not been sent them from Boonesboro that the war was over."

This was the last Indian scare to which the settlers of the Des Moines valley were subjected.

During the following summer the government concluded a treaty with the Sioux Indians, and removed those living in southern Minnesota to the west of the Missouri river.

Thus did the successor and relative of Sim-au-e-do-tah wreak vengeance on the white man for the murder of the chief and the penalty of that foul deed had to be paid by innocent parties.

The Sioux Indians, always noted for their fierce cruelty, are still true to their former characteristics, and it was the same tribe under the leadership of Sitting Bull who for some years was a source of so much terror to the Black Hills' miners, and who composed the army concerned in the defeat and death of the brave General Custer.

INDIAN INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES.

During the visit of Keokuk, Wapello, Appanoose, and other dis- tinguished Indians at Boston, there was a lively competition between the managers of the several theatres in order to secure the presence of the illus- trious chiefs at their several performances. Although the Pilgrim Fathers had in years gone by seen plenty of the noble red men, yet so great was the trans- formation of the country during a century that the sons and daughters of the Pilgrims looked upon the Indian as a great novelty.

At the Tremont, the aristocratic theater, the famous tragedian, Forrest, was filling an engagement. His great play, in which he acted the part of the gladiator, and always drew his largest audiences, 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 accompanied 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 inter- ested, 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 Indian

297

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

company burst out with their fiercest war-whoop. It was a frightful 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 uttered a hearty round of applause-a just tribute to both actor and Indians.

During the same visit to Boston, Major Beach says 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 jammed with humanity. After the Governor had ended his eloquent and appropriate address of welcome, it devolved upon one of the chiefs to reply, and Appa- noose, 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 Governor, 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.

One of the most affable and remarkable of the Indians with whom the early settlers became acquainted, was named Kish-ke-kosh. It was in honor of him that Marion county was at first named, it being afterward changed on account of the many objections which were raised to the orthography of the word.

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 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 prominent set- tlement 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 stream, unaided by plow or horse, planted and tended patches of corn. Here the men trained their ponies, hunted, fished, and loafed, until May, 1843, when they removed to the vicinity of Fort Des Moines.

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 encamped near the village, and on the following morn- ing 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 trans- acted. After the council the whites were invited to come over in the eve- ning to the feast which the Indians proposed having in honor of their visit. The invitation was accepted, and presently the whites heard a great howl- ing among the dogs, and looking in the direction of the village they could

298

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

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-kosh did not take part in this Terpsichorean performance, but sat with the whites, laugh- ing, joking, and telling stories.

On another occasion Kish-ke-kosh was on a tour through the country, and stopped over night at the house of a settler. He was accompanied by sev- eral other Indians, 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 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, whereupon 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 break- fast and related the circumstance.

While encamped on Skunk river several miles east of Fort Des Moines, Kish-ke-kosh, in company with several other prominent members of his tribe, went to the house of Mr. Micksell on a friendly visit, and the hospit- able white man treated his dusky guests to a bountiful 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 hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was that old. The whole party were dressed in more than ordinary becoming style; probably out of respect for the hostess, who, knowing something of their voracious 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 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 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 hav - ing 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 want of his appetite, said: " Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another cup of coffee and eat something."

In reply to this hospitable urgency Kish-ke-kosh leaned back in his seat,

299

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

lazily shook his head, and drew his finger across his throat to indicate how full he was. Of course the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event which did not occur 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 Gitche Manitou, 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 comforts of the patient and when it became apparent that recovery was impossible, the sufferer while still alive was dressed in his best attire, painted accord- ing to the fancy of the relatives, ornamented with all his trinkets, and then placed upon a platform to die.

Dead bodies were sometimes deposited in graves; others placed in a sit- ting posture reclining against a tree.

The graves were arranged usually with reference to some river, lake, or mountain. Where it was convenient, the grave, when enclosed, was cov- ered with stones, and under other circumstances it was enclosed with wooden slabs, upon which were painted with red paint certain 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 com- posed of one or more of the deceased's garments, and to this representative of her departed husband she addressed her expressions of grief and assur- ances of undying affection, and extreme anxiety for the comfort and well- being of the departed.

One of the first settlers in a county southeast of this, relates the follow- ing incident:

Five negroes, having become tired of the sacred institution of slavery as exemplified and enforced by the typical task-master of Missouri, ran off and sought protection among the Indians; the latter had never before 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 of the chiefs having viewed them carefully and debated the matter at some length, decided that they were a peculiar species of bears.

Having never before seen any representatives of this species they sup- posed that their pale-faced neighbors would esteem it quite a favor to be- hold them, and probably they would be able to dispose of the strange look-

300

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

ing 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 exhib- iting the " bears," as they called them, they negotiated a trade with a capitalist who gave the Indians a quantity of whisky for the newly discov- ered specimens of natural history. When the Indians were gone the negroes were liberated and soon became favorites among the white settlers. They worked for various persons in that settlement during a portion of the next summer, when their master in Missouri, hearing through an Indian trader that two negroes were in the vicinity, came up and took possession of the negroes and carried them back to Missouri.

The following poetical account of an event which really occurred not far from Fort Des Moines in early days, was written by Leonard Brown. Many of our readers have doubtless already seen the verses, but as the legend is very appropriate at this place, we quote it. It will be remembered that Sauk is the Indian word for Sac and Musquakie is the Indian for Fox. Some of the Indian names appearing in the quotation have already been mentioned in this history, while Mr. Brown, in a note assures the reader that all the names were copied verbatim, in 1857, from a day-book then in the possession of Benjamin Bryant:

PASH-A-PA-HO.

The Delaware chief, Nes-wa-ge, encamped over night near the timber North of the beautiful site of Adel, all then a wild prairie. Gracefully waved the tall grass on the lowlands adjoining the river; Mower nor scythe had disturbed it. The deer and the elk and the bison Grazed on those grass-covered plateaus; while the huts of the beaver (Washed by the Raccoon-Asipala, the swift-flowing water)

Marked here the only fixed habitations since the mound builders' era.

Promptly at dawn rise Nes-wa-ge and band. The twenty-four warriors Catch up their ponies that all night had regaled on the blue-stem. Now the braves breakfast; jerked buffalo-beef and broiled venison the viands. Shall they start on their journey again to the " big-smoke-for-horses " ? Shall ever greet them the Sauks and Mus-qua-kies that wait their arrival?

Six hundred warriors (the tribe sixteen hundred with women and children) Happy this morning arose with the sun that looked red in his anger. Loudly the bugle at dawning proclaimed to the soldier's reveille; Wakened the slumbering dragoons to roll call and coffee. Floats o'er the log barracks at Fort Des Moines, the star-spangled emblem; Two lovely rivers uniting in marriage rejoice to behold it. High on the hill-tops the walnut and hickory, majestic as sachems, Give to the red man rich fruit and sad music in autumn.

Children of Nature, ye bask in the sunshine of balmy September, Watching the wild geese fly southward and fishes dart through the water. "Lazy your lives," say the cynics, " and aimless and useless as lazy." Sorrow moans in the tree-tops above you requiems of sadness. Dark is the threatening future; but little regard ye the morrow. Care ever greets you as kindly as guardian angels do children; Mild as the morning of summer, she smites you how gently with kisses!

Gather for council Kis-ka-kosh, Ke-o-kuk and the brave Nash-e-wes-kuk (Black-Hawk's son, "The Daring "), and Pash-a-pa-ho, "The Stabber," Friend of the Delawares (he truly loved as a brother Nes-wa-ge). Other great chiefs of the Sauks and Mus-qua-kies are present;

Ne-pope (Black-Hawk's lieutenant), Oppe-Noose, and the war chief Wa-pel-law, Others less noted-their names are too numerous for mention.

301

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

Thus Pash-ap-a-ho: "A banquet of welcome we give to the Delawares; Soon will be with us Nes-wa-ge and braves from o'er the Big Muddy; Presents befitting are ready-an outfit of excellent ponies -- Give them the best. Let this be a great feast-" big-smoke-for-horses.' " Pash-a-pa-ho's grim face wears the scars of innumerable deep wounds. Proud is the chieftain of these as a school-girl is proud of her tresses. Hideous his countenance-still he's beloved by all the young warriors. Four score winters have frosted the scalp-lock of brave Pash-a-pa-ho; Twenty-four pale-faces have paled 'neath the blows of his hatchet; Seventy-two fierce Da-ko-tas have yielded their lives to his valor; Ninety-six ugly scalps he wears 'round his neck as a garland. So, when in war dance Pash-a-pa-ho " The Stabber, " steps forward, Boasting his prowess-his conquests-the foes he has slaughtered, Braves crowd the circle and cover his mouth with a wolf-skin -- Mark of high honor, as if to say, "Brave man, keep silent; You, Pash-a-pa-ho, make our deeds seem by contrast as nothing."

Smokes, in the soup-bowls of bass-wood, the banquet (preceding the war dance); Pash-a-pa-ho expects now Nes-wa-ge, his friend, with his picked men- Wanders delighted thy friend, aged chief, in the lands of the spirits- Stealthy as wild-cats, Da-ko-tas encompass the the camp of the Delawares; Three hundred grim-painted warriors, at sunrise, loud-yelling, assault it. " Braves of Nes-wa-ge, we're dead men! but shall we die cravens?" Cried the Delaware chief when he saw the Da-ko-tas advancing. Manfully fighting they fall. At the feet of the war-chief Four big Da-ko-tas lie dead, struck cold by his hatchet- Hatchets have wounded the oak whose mosses pillow the hero, Deeply wounded by blows that were aimed at the face of a Nes-wa-ge. Slain twenty-six hated Siouxs by this brave and his comrades; Twenty-three of the Del'wares lay mangled and dead on the hillside- One only escaping-the tall grass concealed him retreating; Wounded and foot-sore, he brings the sad tidings to brave Pash-a-pa-ho.

Mad is the veteran-a fierce, driving whirlwind-a tempest of anger! See him now lifted by braves to the back of his pony. The war-chief, Stiffened by age and rough service, no longer can mount unassisted; Seated on horseback. not one of his braves can ride better.

Raising the war-whoop, he leads; the warriors dash to the river; Hastily painting their faces with mud, they spur through the water; Chasing the Siouxs, overtake them. Three hundred scalps the fresh trophy Th' Sauks and Mus-qua-kies returning exultant, exhibit."

Although, having lost all claim to this country as a permanent dwelling- place in 1846, yet they frequently returned in small parties as visitors. It was such a party thus described in the Des Moines Gazette of October, 1851:

" A small party of Indians-Omahas, we are told-passed through our town on Tuesday on their way east, where the gentlemen conducting them propose to exhibit them, a la Barnum. The beauty and chivalry of the town turned down to the Point to catch a glimpse of the tawny savages as they passed. We were debarred the opportunity. We suppose, however, they were as greasy, filthy and voracious and as teemingly attended with superabundant life as are Indians generally. The Omahas are few in num- ber. They live with the Otoes, between the Missouri river and the Paw- nees, with whom they are allied and with whom they hunt and make war on the Sioux. But the Sioux, numbering about 25,000, while the Pawnees do not exceed 6,000, keep the Pawnees and their allies near the white set- tlements, and yearly cut off large numbers. Seven years ago the Pawnees had a farmer, blacksmith and teacher located in their village, but the Sioux compelled them to leave. Several Omaha, Pawnee and Otoe children have been instructed in their own language, into which there have been trans-

302

HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.

lated a grammar, prayers, portions of scripture, hymns and a short cate- chism. From these translations, with which we were kindly presented some time since by Col. Mckinney, one of the superintendents, we extract the mode of counting ten:

Omaha.

Pawnee.

eyaghde.

usko.

nowar.

pytho.

tanye.

tawil.

towar.

skilyks.

futa.

skinks.

jakwar.

skikshapysk.

jahma.

pytkoshikshapysh.

8. 9.

krarrapane.

lawitshapys.

jag-kae.

ukshidiwa.

10.

kraepana.

jukshy."

It is no uncommon thing for a few representatives of the original tribes to visit the county at the present day on trading expeditions. As a general thing, however, the Indians that are occasionally seen in the county now are representatives of the tribe who have a reservation in Tama county. The Indians at that reservation are comparatively quiet and peaceable, but degenerate both physically and morally, year by year, and gradually ap- proach inevitable extinction.

Early in the spring of 1880 the News, published at Mitchellville, con- tained the following in relation to a Musquawkie Indian woman, who died near that place, aged over one hundred years:

"Kesco, an Indian woman of the Musquawkie tribe, died in her wigwam at Trullinger Grove, two and three-quarter miles north of Mitchellville, Saturday, March 20th. She was 101 years old, and died of old age. In- dian Jim, with his wife and a few other Indians, buried Kesco on Sabbath afternoon, near the fence and just outside the Franklin cemetery, one-half mile from where she died.

" Although Kesco had been a burden to her tribe for many moons, they took care of her until the Great Spirit carried her away to the happy hunt- ing grounds. A striking contrast to some pale-faces who live within ten miles of where Kesco died, and who are trying to steal their parents' pos- sessions and send the latter

' Over the hill to the poor house.'

" Jim got some boards and made a rough box; Kesco was shrouded in a blanket and laid in the box; a tin pail filled with corn, beans and bread was set beside her inside the coffin; also a bottle of water. Next the cover was put on, the coffin lowered into the grave, a buffalo robe and roll of blankets was laid on the foot of the coffin, then the grave was filled with earth. Jim's wife gathered the squaws about her and divided Kesco's few trinkets among them, then all went back to camp. Everything was done decently and in order.

" A few whites witnessed the burial."

During the Spirit Lake massacre it is said that one woman came in here who, with several other women, defended a log cabin for several hours against the Indians, and finally beat them off. She had the mark of a rifle

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The history of Polk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, Part 38

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Union Historical Company, Des Moines, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines, Iowa : Union Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1074