Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 5

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962

USA > Indiana > Whitley County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 5
USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 5

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).

ART. 5. The Miami tribe being anxious to pay certain claims existing against them, it is agreed, as a part of the consideration for the cession in the first article, that these claims, amount-

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

ing to $7,727.47, and which are stated in a schedule this day signed by the Commissioners and transmitted to the War Department, shall be paid by the United States. * * * * * * * * *

ART. 8. The Miami tribe shall enjoy the right of hunting upon the land herein conveyed, so long as the same shall be the property of the United States.

ART. 9. This treaty, after the same shall be ratified by the President and Senate, shall be binding upon the United States.

In testimony whereof the said Lewis Cass, James B. Ray and John Tipton, Commissioners as aforesaid, and the chiefs and warriors of the said Miami tribe, have hereunto set their hands, at the Wabash, October 23d, 1826.

(Signed by, on behalf of the Miamis), Flat Belly, La Gros, Wau-wau-es-se, White Raccoon, Black Loon, Seek, Mes-e-qua, Nota-wen-sa's son, Lafrombroise, Nego-ta-kaup-wau, Osage, Met- to-sin-eau, Little Beaver, Black Raccoon, Chin-quin-sau, James Abbot, Lahgua, Little Wolf, Pun-ge-she-nau, Won-se-pe-au, Frangois Godfrey, Joseph Richardville, Frangois Lafontaine, Wau-no-sau, Popular, Chapine, Pe-che-wau (John B. Richardville), Chin-go-me-shau, Little Sun, Shin-gau-leau, Louis Godfrey, Ou-san-de-au, Me-shan-e-qua, Un-e-cea-sau, She-qua-bau, Shin- qua-keau and Little Charley's son.

WILLIAM CONNOR,

J. B. BOURIE, Interpreters.

LEWIS CASS, J. B. RAY, JOHN TIPTON,

U. S. Commissioners.

The Frenchmen, who had come into the Indian country to trade, found the business so lucrative that they usually remained, having but little difficulty in making warm friends of their red brothers, or in acquiring the semi-civil- ized habits of the race they were endeavoring to hoodwink and fleece. They became thoroughly conversant with the customs and dialects of the various Indian tribes, were often employed as interpreters at treaties, or witnesses to the assent and signatures of the savages, and many of them became the hus- bands of the handsome squaws of the leading chiefs and the fathers of their half-breed children. In all treaties thereafter, when the children had reached maturity, they were considered in all respects as Indians ; and, when reserva- tions were retained from cessions of land granted by the Indians to the whites, the half-breeds were considered on an equal footing with full-blooded Indians as regards rank, purity of blood and right to tracts of land. Hence it is found that, in almost every treaty with the Indians, where lands were reserved, half- breeds came in for their share, and they also came in for their share of the annuities.

As was stated some distance back, the first annuity paid by the Govern- ment to the tribe of Eel River Miamis was in 1795, and consisted of $500. At the treaty held by Gen. Harrison at Grouseland, near Vincennes, August 21, 1805, a further annuity of $250 was paid them ; and, still later, at the treaty held by Gen. Harrison at Fort Wayne, September 30, 1809, the annuity was increased $350, making a total paid them yearly, from that time onward until they were removed to Kansas, and even after that, of $1,100. This, of course, only refers to the Eel River branch of the Miamis, numbering in all about 500 souls, with the principal village on Eel River, about six miles from its mouth. Of this number, about 100 lived in Whitley County, the greater

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

number being at Ma-con-sau's (Seek's) village. This was the condition of things in about 1830. The following selected portions of a treaty made between the United States and the Miami nation of Indians, October 23, 1834, explain themselves :

ARTICLE 1. The Miami tribe of Indians agree to cede to the United States the following described tracts of land within the State of Indiana, being a part of reservations made by said tribe from former cessions, now conveyed for and in consideration of the payments stipulated to be made to them in the second article of this treaty of cession : One tract of land, thirty-six sections, at Flat Belly's village, a reserve made by the treaty of Wabash of 1826 (this reserva- tion lay partly in Noble and partly in Kosciusko Counties, Flat Belly being a Miami. See PART II of this volume). Also one other tract of ten sections at Raccoon's village (including the southeast corner of Jefferson Township, about four sections) and a tract of ten sections at Mud Creek, on Eel River, reserves made at Wabash treaty of 1826 .* * * * * * * * * *

ARTICLE 8. The United States agree to cause patents in fee simple to issue to the following- named persons, for the several tracts of land attached to their names, granted to them by former treaties : To Chapine, one section of land (partly in Whitley County), to include Rac- coon Village, commencing two poles west of the village, thence in an easterly direction to River Aboit, thence with said river until it strikes the reserve line, thence with said line for quantity, to include within the bounds one section of land. * * * * * * * * * *

This treaty (quite a lengthy one) failed in some of its provisions to satisfy the administration at Washington, and was not ratified until the autumn of 1837, at which time it received in its amended form the signatures, or rather marks, of seventy-three chiefs and warriors, among the signers being Jean B. Richardville, Little Charley, Ma-con-sau (Seek), Chapine, Wau-wau-es-se, Frangois Godfrey, Flat Belly, and others of no less distinction. The well- known François Comparet acted as interpreter, and A. C. Pepper as Indian Agent. Thus the territory of Whitley County remained, as far as the Miamis were concerned, until the 6th of November, 1838, at which time, by a treaty of cession held at the Forks of the Wabash, the following land, among many other tracts, was ceded by them to the United States :

* * *

* *

The reservation of land made for the use of said (Miami) tribe at Seek's, or Ma-con-sau's village on Eel River, by the second article of a treaty made and concluded on the 23d of Octo- ber, 1826.

ARTICLE 8. It is further stipulated that the United States patent to Beaver the five sections of land (in Columbia Township), and to Chapine the one section of land (in Union Township), reserved to them respectively, in the second article of the treaty made in 1826, between the parties to the present treaty.

The United States agree to possess the Miami tribe of Indians of and guarantee to them forever, a country west of the Mississippi River, to remove to and settle on when the said tribes may be disposed to emigrate from the present country ; and guaranty is hereby pledged that the said country shall be sufficient in extent and suited to their wants and condition, and be in a region contiguous to that in the occupation of the tribes which emigrated from the States of Ohio and Indiana.

* * * * * * * * * ARTICLE 12. The United States agree to grant by patent to each of the Miami Indians named in the following schedule the tracts of land designated : To Chapine, one section of

*This was not the Mud Creek in Whitley County ; but was another small stream of the same name which joined Eel River, six miles from its mouth, at the old village of Little Charley. No traces of such a reservation in Whitley County could be discovered.

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

land where he now lives (Allen County) on the Ten-Mile reserve. To Seek, one section of land (in Huntington County), south of the section of land granted to Wau-pau-se-pau by the treaty of 1834, on the Ten-Mile Reserve. To Ki-was-see, a chief, one section of land, now Seek's Reserve, to include his orchard and improvements (probably in Columbia Township).

The ten-mile reserve did not include any portion of Whitley County. The treaty just mentioned was approved January 23, 1839. Francis Godfrey, though a full-blooded Frenchman himself, had been adopted by the Indians, had married one or more squaws, by whom he had several children. Upon his adoption he was given the name Ke-ki-lash-we-au, and afterward, for meritori- ous action, was made a chief. Both he and Richardville played their hands shrewdly with the Miamis; and, being men of more than ordinary ability, the latter at last became chief of the entire tribe, and the former became war chief of the same. Francis Godfrey is said to have been a man of enormous physical strength and endurance, of unusual sagacity and alertness of perception, and of that character of courage so coveted by the Indians In all the annuities paid to the Miamis, and in all the lands reserved by them, Godfrey and Rich- ardville came in for the lion's share. Descendants of both are yet living near Fort Wayne, and are yet regularly receiving their annuities. On the 28th of November, 1840, a treaty was concluded at the forks of the Wabash, whereby the Miamis, as a nation, ceded all their land in Indiana to the United States, save a few small tracts, none of which were in Whitley County. After some changes and amendments had been made to this treaty at Washington, and these alterations had been sanctioned by the Indians, the amended treaty was ratified on the 25th of February, 1841, and signed by John Tyler, President, and Daniel Webster, Secretary of State .* For the above important cession of land the Miamis were paid $550,000, partly by way of annuities. At this treaty, the Miamis were assigned a tract of land estimated to contain 500,000 acres, in Kansas, whither they removed a year or two later. Quite a number of the tribe did not go West, but remained on reservations along the Wabash and elsewhere. This is true of Richardville, who lies buried at Fort Wayne. It is also true of Coesse, a nephew of Little Turtle, who refused to leave the land where his affections were centered, but remained until his death, giving name to a small town in Union Township, upon the site of which he is said to have had a small village in early years.

It seems that in the treaties made between the United States and the Miamis on the one hand and the Pottawatomies on the other, both of the Indian tribes claimed lands in Whitley County, the claim of the former tribe being far the smaller. The Miamis had formerly owned Whitley County, but. whether they were overcome by the Pottawatomies, and the most of them driven south of the Wabash, or whether they permitted the latter tribe to occupy the country north of the Wabash as lease-holders, or whether the two tribes mingled at will over all Northern Indiana, each claiming a sort of an undivided. interest in the land, cannot be determined with certainty. In view of estab-

*Laws of the United States, 1841.

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

lished facts, the last supposition seems more plausible than the others. It should be noticed that at the Wabash treaty of 1826, the Miamis ceded to the United States (not their lands, but) " their claim to all lands in Indiana north and west of the Wabash and the Miami (Maumee) Rivers." The wording of the Pottawatomie treaties was different. The following-described tract of land was ceded by the Pottawatomies October 16, 1826, the treaty being held near the mouth of the Mississinewa :

Beginning on the Tippecanoe River where the northern boundary of the tract ceded by the Pottawatomies to the United States, in 1818, crosses the same, thence in a direct line to a point on Eel River, half way between the mouth of said river and Perish's village; thence up Eel River to Seek's village, near the head thereof; thence in a direct line to the mouth of a creek emptying into the St. Joseph of the Miami near Me-te-au's village; thence up the St. Joseph to the boundary line between the States of Indiana and Ohio; thence south with the same to the Miami ; thence up the same to the reservation at Fort Wayne ; thence with the lines of said reservation to the boundary established by the treaty with the Miamis in 1818; thence with the same to the mouth of the Tippecanoe ; thence with said river to the place of beginning.

From this it will be seen that the Pottawatomies were the ones who really ceded to the Government the land in Whitley County, south of Eel River. This was done without any reservations of land in Whitley County. To show that the claims of the Miamis to the soil of this county were small, it may be stated that the latter were paid but a pittance by the Government, compared with what was paid the Pottawatomies. The following described tract of land ceded by the last-named tribe, September 20, 1828, included the greater por- tion of the county north of Eel River :

Beginning at a point run in 1817 due east from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan, which point is due south from the head of the most easterly branch of the Kankakee River, and from that point running south ten miles; thence in a direct line to the northeast corner of Flat Belly's reservation ; thence to the northwest corner of the reservation at Seek's village ; thence with the lines of the said reservation and of former cessions to the line between the States of Indiana and Ohio ; thence with the said line running due east from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan, and thence with said line to the place of beginning.

This treaty was signed, among others, by To-pin-e-be, Po-ka-gon, Ship- she-wan-nau, Wau-ban-se, Ash-kum and Mish-qua-buck. The only reserva- tion in this county kept by the Indians at the time of this treaty was Section 4, Smith Township, which was retained by Stephen Bennack, a Pottawatomie. It remained his property until July 14, 1831, when it was sold by the Indian to Alexis Coquillard and Francis Comparet for $800. The old Raccoon reser- vation took in about three and a half sections of Jefferson Township, while a section that was granted to Chapine some time afterward, was included within this reservation, and extended across the corner of Section 36, same township. The six-chain reserve also included a portion of Section 36, and was retained by the Government, as will be seen above, for canal purposes. The land was laid off into lots, and was sold afterward as " canal lands." It is probable that the transfer of Section 4, Smith Township, from Stephen Bennack to Coquil- lard and Comparet was the first in the county to white men.

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

At the time the various treaties mentioned above were made, all the land, before it was ceded to the Government, was the property of the Indians. As cessions were made, portions were reserved by the Indians, who had owned - the land at the time of the treaty, and who had the unquestioned right to reserve any portion of such land they chose. By subsequent purchase or cession these reservations became the property of the Government ; but this was not always the case, as some of the Indians preferred to retain their land and cast their lot among the whites, rather than follow their tribes to lands beyond the Mis- sissippi. Whether the Government, in order to confirm the ownership of the reservations, issued patents to the Indians who saw proper to reserve portions of their lands, is not known to the writer ; but it would seem that the reverse was true, as to patent to an Indian something that already belonged to him was certainly unnecessary. From the treaty of 1838, it will be seen that the Government agreed to patent to Beaver five sections now in Columbia Town- ship. One of two things is true : Either the Government did patent to Indians their reservations, or else Beaver had transferred his five sections, so that, at the treaty of 1838, they were the property of the Government, in which case the latter had the right to patent. At least, the Government agreed to grant Beaver a patent for his five sections ; and what is peculiar about the case is, that the agreement ended with the promise, or, in other words, Beaver never received his patent. If the granting of the patent was vital to the ownership by Beaver, the title to the lands on this reserve is clouded, as all such titles are traced to Beaver, or his heirs, who really never owned the title. If this reservation was ever the property of the Government, such fact could not be learned. It is only presumed from the fact of the agreement to patent to Beaver the land. The cloud to the title is, that, as Beaver never received the patent promised him by the United States (none having ever been issued), he had no power to convey. But he did convey (or his heirs did), and the present holders of deeds of those lands trace their titles to this promise on the part of the Government to patent the soil to Beaver. Notwithstanding all this, no harmful results can happen to the present owners, as, in case the validity of a title is questioned on the score that the patent to Beaver had never been issued, Congress would come to the rescue and, at this late day, with all the known descendants of Beaver dead, would remedy the neglect by issuing the patent to Beaver. This would simply result in confirming the power of Beaver and his heirs to convey, and would therefore place the titles on a firm founda- tion. To do much damage, it would require a smart lawyer, even as the case stands at present.

The cession of all the land of Whitley County by the Pottawatomies, except a considerable portion of the western part, has been accounted for in preceding pages. Access to the treaty concerning the cession of this part could not be gained by the writer ; but the land evidently became the property of the United States in about 1828, and was soon afterward surveyed and

Chr laughez (DECEASED) COLUMBIA TP.

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

thrown into market. The settlers began to come in 1833, and at that time about 150 Indians lived within the county limits. About eighty were congre- gated at Seek's village; a few were at a small village on Beaver's reservation, the chief being Coesse; another small band was near Blue River Lake, in Smith Township, while others were at Raccoon's village. From this time onward, until the Indians were removed West, they were constantly associated with the white settlers. A well-worn Indian trail extended along the banks of Eel River, from which side-trails branched to the principal Indian villages throughout the surrounding country. The Indians, who, but a comparatively short time before, had been at war with the whites and with other Indians, still retained their war-like customs. They always went armed with butcher-knives, tomahawks, rifles and huge plugs of tobacco. They were then armed to the teeth. Dances were often held, being largely attended both by the Indians and the white settlers. The latter were usually invited to take part in the games or dances, and often did, but from awkwardness were usually the laugh- ing-stock of the Indians. Some of the settlers became quite expert savages, and could whoop, brandish their weapons, swear, chew tobacco, and drink like a native. In truth, it seems as if these strong traits in the present generation were inherited from fathers who innocently acquired them from the cruel Indians, and then transmitted them to their offspring.

Many incidents might be told regarding the contact of the whites with the Indians. In 1837, the Indians, nearly 1,000 in number, met at Seek's village to have a big feast and dance. Evening came, and twenty or thirty fires were burning, around which squaws were preparing savory dishes of dog soup, venison or bear steak or wild turkeys that had received no dressing save pluck- ing. About twenty of the warriors were having a war-dance around a pole, the rendition being a sort of limping motion, while one of the Indians with an otter skin would approach each dancer in succession, pointing the skin at him, at the same time uttering a continued " Poo-00-00-00," until at last, reaching the one he wished, he would exclaim, shortly and loudly, "Poo-poo !" at which the individual pointed at would drop to the ground as if dead. This creature was carried from the ring, the dance was continued, and another being was shot in like manner. After a few minutes the dead (?) ones would return and join the sport. While this was going on a very savage Indian named Tau-tau, who was sitting on a log at the side of a wigwam, arose quickly and, walking a few paces to an Indian near by, plunged his knife into the heart of the unsuspecting savage. The latter, with an unearthly whoop, leaped high in the air and fell dead upon the ground. Quite a com- motion was created by this act, but it was not permitted to interfere with the dance or the supper. Mr. Tau-tau had, in some dispute with the murdered Indian the previous morning, been grievously wronged, as he considered, but any trouble had been prevented by the interference of Mack-on-sau, or Seek. The savage resented the supposed wrong as related above.

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

The Indians had a sure cure for snake-bite. It was a poultice of some weed quite common in the woods ; but the white settlers, for some reason or other, could not find out what it was. Mr. Minor, of Columbia City, says that an Indian boy one day entered a swamp near the village, but after a few minutes came running out with a big " massauger" fastened to his foot. An old squaw went forward, and, taking the reptile by the neck, unfastened its fangs, and then killed the snake. She went out a short distance in the woods and soon came back, chewing a huge mouthful of some herb ; as soon as the " cud" was in suitable condition, she applied it with a bandage to the wound. No harm, whatever, resulted from the poison of the bite.

Another incident is told of the Indians that the people of to-day could wisely imitate. The Indians at Seek's village, having invited in some of their friends, concluded to have a steam dance. Quite a large heap of dry wood was formed, upon which was piled many stones, after which the heap was set on fire. The wood burned away, leaving the stones as hot as blazes. A large deer-skin wigwam was immediately placed around this pile of hot stones, as near air tight as possible ; and then some fifteen or twenty Indians entered, and threw on the hot stones enough water to completely fill the wigwam with steam. Water was kept near, so that the supply of steam could be replenished. The Indians, who were entirely naked, except an insignificant breech-clout, began a wild dance around the hot and steaming stones. They practiced all sorts of artful activities within the wigwam, filling the air with discordant and hideous cries. Of course this procedure threw them into a profuse perspira- tion ; and, when they emerged from the wigwam, after the lapse of about half an hour, they were covered with water that ran from their bodies in streams. Without delay they clothed themselves, and it may be assured that they en- joyed the remainder of the festivities. These dances were called " dum-dums," and were a common occurrence, often participated in by the whites. It was a source of unalloyed enjoyment for the Indians to try to frighten new settlers. When Samuel Minor was a strippling about seventeen years old, he had occasion to pass near the spot where Seek was straightening a gun-barrel. As soon as the latter saw the boy, he drew a long knife from his belt, gave an unearthly whoop and started for him ; but, although the boy was scared half to death and thought the Indian in earnest, he advanced toward the chief to give him the best he had. When Seek fancied he had not scarced the boy, he sat down on a log and laughed heartily. Mr. Minor has always considered that he got the best of that affair ; for, while he was really scared, Seek was never aware of that fact.

John Owl, a Miami Indian, died at Seek's reservation, expressing a wish on his deathbed to be buried after the manner of white men. "Rudolph Crow and Adam Hull, who were present, agreed to see that his last wish was carried into effect. After Mr. Owl had passed away, his grave was dug in the ordi- nary way, a big slab was placed on the bottom, two more on the sides, two short

HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY.

ones at the ends, after which the corpse was placed in the box thus formed. The relatives of the dead Indian then came forward with a teacup containing what appeared to be browned coffee, and a saucer containing small cakes. After these had been placed at the sides of his head, a heavy slab was placed over the whole, after which the grave was filled with earth. A volley was fired over his grave, as in the case of soldiers, and Seek fired twice, as a chief should. The exact location of this grave is unknown, and it is safe to say that old Mr. Owl yet sleeps with the tea-cup and saucer at his head, near Seek's old village. Similar instances of Indian customs might be related by the score, but it is unnecessary. The race so glorified by the pens of Longfellow and Cooper is slowly passing away and becoming extinct. The social influences of civilization could not soften the hearts that, through thousands of generations, had been taught to stifle the nobler sentiments of humanity, and to kindle into terrific conflagration the most wrathful forms of brutality. The whole nature must be altered, or the uncivilized race must pass away. The savage heart was con- stitutional. It is his sorrowful destiny to pass from the earth forever.

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.

Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 5

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ; Number of Pages: 962

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962