USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 15
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At this same time a remnant of the Hurons lived on the Shiawassee river, their territory also extending up to the head of the tributary streams, and their chief being Chessaning, a young man who had recently become chief.
Ne-o-me's brother, Mix-e-ne-ne, was sub-chief and a relative, Ton-e- do-ganee, was war chief of the Pewonigos. A sister of Ne-o-me, by name of Men-a-cum-sequa, lived with her brothers at Mus-cat-a-wing.
Chessaning also had a sister, Ou-wan-a-ma-che, and as the relations between these two bands, Huron and Chippewa, were especially friendly, it came about that Chessaning paid his suit to the sister of Ne-o-me, while that chief became interested in the sister of Chessaning. Ton-e-do-ganee had been rejected by Men-a-cum-sequa, and later, seeing Chessaning's sister, became violently in love with her, but she rejected him.
She had also turned a deaf ear to the suit of. Ne-o-me, whose sister, Men-a-cum-sequa, instead of favoring Chessaning, had fallen in love with a French trader whom the Indians called Kassegans. Of this love Ne-o-me was ignorant, but it had come to the knowledge of the war chief, who was determined to profit by it in some way to the injury of Ne-o-me, whom he wished to succeed as chief.
Chessaning, being rejected by Men-a-cum-sequa, determined to appeal to Ne-o-me to exercise his power as a chief and coerce his sister into the marriage.
Ne-o-me at this time had ambitions and was planning to bring under his rule an independent band of Chippewas to the north on the Cass river. To this end he was plotting an invasion of that country, and when Chessaning asked for his interference in his behalf with the sister, he made the same conditional on Chessaning's joining the proposed expedition. Chessaning, with true chivalry, said that he, a chief, could not barter for a wife, how- ever fair, and the diplomatic Ne-o-me then appeased him by promising the
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hand of Men-a-cum-sequa, unconditionally, after which he asked Chessan- ing's aid as a favor to his prospective brother-in-law; this diplomacy secured the promise of Chessaning's forces.
Ton-e-do-ganee, the war chief, thought this the moment to interfere and he dramatically informed Ne-o-me, in presence of Chessaning, that the chief's sister was in love with the trader and that even then they had fled down the river; this fact was corroborated by Se-go-guen, the mute foster- brother of Chessaning, who had seen the canoe and elopers on the river. The effect of this announcement was the opposite of the war chief's expecta- tions. Chessaning's chivalrous nature again asserted itself and he assured Ne-o-me that this fact of the elopement would not affect his promise of aid, as it had plainly been beyond Ne-o-me's knowledge, and, turning upon the war chief, he accused him of bad faith that merited punishment, which he promised to inflict.
Ne-o-me during the negotiations had visited Chessaning's home and so ingratiated himself with Ou-wan-a-ma-che, that she relented her former decision and they became engaged.
There were at Mus-cat-a-wing two renegades, outlaws from the east, who had taken advantage of the hospitality of the Pewonigos, and loitered about Mus-cat-a-wing, leading a vagabond life. One was a white man and the other a half-breed. To them Ton-e-do-ganee went with a plan of revenge upon Chessaning and Ne-o-me.
The intended bride of Chessaning had fled, and the war chief planned a similar disappointment to Ne-o-me, by inducing the two outlaws to abduct the sister of Chessaning. It was planned that they, taking advantage of the disorder of the expedition, should seize Ou-wan-a-ma-che, and take her in their canoe up the river to Kish-Kaw-bee, where she was to be hidden in the lodge of a relative of the war chief. The two were also to take informa- tion to the chief of the Wakisos against whom the invasion was planned, of the plans of Ne-o-me.
The outlaws undertook the execution of the war chief's plan for revenge. They, however, failed in part, for, after reaching Om-a-gan-see, Chessan- ing's village on the Shiawassee, and seizing his sister, they paddled down the · Shiawassee to the Flint and on attempting to go up that river to Kish-Kaw- bee, they were cut off by Ne-o-me's sentinels and had to turn down stream. Passing the mouth of the Shiawassee, they hoped to reach the Tittabawassee, but, here again they were obliged to turn back, because the camp fires of a large number of warriors apprised them of the gathering of Chessaning's
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forces. They were driven to ascend the Cass river, called by the Indians Wakishegan, on the headwaters of which they knew of a grotto where they hoped to be safe until they could communicate with the war chief.
The trader, fleeing with Men-a-cum-sequa, had preceded them up this river and, after visiting the village of the Wakisos, had also sought refuge in this same cavern.
The aged chief of the Wakisos, because of his infirmities, had dele- gated the rule to his daughter, Mo-Kish-e-no-qua, and she hastened to meet the invading forces of Ne-o-me. So successfully did she prepare her defense, which included an ambush, that Ne-o-me's forces were severely handled and his advance guard nearly annihilated. Then only did Ne-o-me know that he was making war against a woman. Turning back, he joined Chessan- ing's forces, and for the first time they were informed of the abduction of Ou-wan-a-ma-che. This information came from the foster-mother of Chessan- ing, who had pursued the abductors in her canoe and had traced their flight up the Cass. Ne-o-me and Chessaning, with a few picked men, and the mute Se-go-guen, paddled up the hostile river, their objective being the cavern, and on their way found that the Wakisos had abandoned the river and retreated to some inland refuge. Keeping on, they reached the cave and there found the elopers, renegades and the captive. The eloping sister of Ne-o-me was forgiven and the captive sister of Chessaning rescued. Three marriages followed. Men-a-cum-sequa and the trader; Ne-o-me and Ou-wan-a-ma-che, and Chessaning and the Amazon leader of the Wakisos, for peace was happily achieved through the office of the chivalrous Chessan- ing. The renegades were forced to run the gauntlet and were banished.
THE BATTLE OF LONG LAKE.
Perhaps the most interesting of these stories is that of the battle of Long Lake, the hero of which was the mute boy, Se-go-guen, the foster- brother of chief Chessaning, of whom we have heard in the above tale. It appears that this part of Michigan was, not long after the occurrences related above, cursed by a large number of renegades, mostly outlaws from the older settled portion of the east, whose crimes had driven them from their former homes and who had imposed on the well-known hospitality of the Indians by settling among them and there leading lives of vicious indo- lence. They had formed themselves into organized bands, having their secret words and signs and places of rendezvous, and were bound by oath to aid each other. They levied a tribute upon the traders who came among the
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Indians, burdening that traffic with a tax that fell heavily upon both the traders and the Indians. In case tribute was not paid, robbery, arson, and even murder, were the penalties.
Okemos, chief of the Ottawas, whose principal village was at Al-i- Kou-ma (Grand Rapids) on the Grand river, was an ally of Chessaning and Ne-o-me, and, because of an exceptionally atrocious murder of a trader located among the Ottawas, he called for a conference of the three chiefs to devise some plan for suppressing these depredations, by driving out the out- laws. The meeting was appointed at Owosso, some miles up the Shiawassee river from Om-a-gan-see, the residence village of Chessaning, that being handiest for the conference.
In accordance with the arrangement, the three chiefs met, but the rene- gades, being apprised of the meeting and apprehensive of its object, had one of their number spy on the meeting. This one, lying on the ground behind the lodge, overheard all the plans of the three. Se-go-guen, who had accom- panied Chessaning, with an intuitive feeling of danger investigated and found the spying outlaw and informed Chessaning of his discovery. The spy escaped down the river to Om-a-gan-see. Chessaning, returning to Om-a-gan-see, soon identified the spy through the woodcraft of the mute. On being charged, the man at first denied, but finally admitted his guilt, defied Chessaning and even made an attempt with his tomahawk upon the life of the boy, Se-go-guen, for his part in the capture. Chessaning, stand- ing by, stabbed the renegade, but not fatally. He was then put in confine- ment under guard, but in the meantime it appeared that, by the secret means of communication of the renegades, he had made known the plan of the chiefs to the leaders of the outlaws.
The plan of the three chiefs was to gather a cordon of warriors in the upper valleys of the rivers and like a drawn net, to close in, driving the out- laws down the streams and finally out of the country.
The warning sent out by the spy, however, gave notice to the outlaws, who decided on a counter-stroke; this was to simultaneously attack the several traders, looting their warehouses, and join at a place of meeting known only to the initiated.
The wounded spy, feigning complete exhaustion from his wound, caused his guards to relax their watchfulness, and so escaped. When his escape had been discovered, the mute Se-go-guen asked the privilege of track- ing him, and, with his trained dog, which to some extent supplied the sense of hearing, set out in pursuit. Following unerringly, he traced the spy to a
(10)
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point near Long Lake, and thence saw him take a hidden canoe, cross the lake and disappear in a ravine on the opposite shore. Circling the lake, Se-go-guen discovered the place of rendezvous of the renegades, where their bands had already gathered with the loot of several traders and with the two captive daughters of one of them. Eluding the sentinels, he went back over his track and found the forces of the three chiefs, whom he led to the place of hiding. There the renegades were surrounded and killed, to a man, about eighty in all. This battle of Long Lake cleared this region of out- laws and a few years later, when the first settlers came, they found the region undisturbed by lawlessness. To these three chiefs, Ne-o-me of the Chippewas of the Flint river, Chessaning of the Hurons of the Shiawassee, and Okemos of the Ottawas, of the Grand river, three different races, is due the credit for this delivery; but chiefly is the honor due to Se-go-guen, the mute boy of the Shiawassee.
A sequel to these tales of romance that cluster about our present homes built on the site of the ancient Mus-cat-a-wing, is found in the unpublished manuscript of this same writer. It is the tale of
THE CAPTIVES OF THE SAGINAW.
The two renegades who were caught after their abduction of Ou-wan- a-ma-che, sister of Chessaning, chief of the Shiawassos, and punished by expulsion from the country after running the gauntlet, had retired to a remote and little visited region. They had suffered through the orders of Mo-Kish-e-no-qua, queen of the Wakisos, who afterward became the wife of Chessaning. They left with unuttered vows of vengeance, fleeing down stream to the mouth of the Tittabawassee, and up that stream to its remote headwaters, where they found the unvisited region referred to. Here they lived in seclusion and so escaped the fate of the other renegades of the battle of Long Lake. Learning of this, the two postponed the day of revenge because of the turn of that battle. But they never gave over the plan.
Their region was swampy and the favorite haunt of many fur-bearing animals. They trapped diligently, finding a market for their furs at Otasse- bewing, midway between the rivers, and gaining from time to time news of Chessaning and Mo-Kish-e-no-qua, who were now the happy parents of two children, a boy and a girl.
Facts from the outside world came in to the two renegades from the
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visits to the trading point and from their intercourse with a band living not far from their trading place. Their swampy region was full of animal life. The muskrat, mink, otter, beaver and, in the higher regions, the lynx, bear, coon and marten, all of which furnished a tempting prize for the trappers. Six years of this life brought them to the year 1810, and then the time seemed propitious for carrying into effect their plans.
At this time there were other Indians of Huron origin inhabiting the region of the territory of Chessaning, whose allegiance was given to another chief, then of middle age and of great energy, by the name of "Gray Eagle"; these Indians, more numerous than the Shiawassos, were called the Wassen- ings. 'The border line separating the regions of these two independent peoples was rather indefinitely drawn along the watershed between the Shia- wassee and the Tittabawassee, and along this watershed frequent quarrels took place between the hunters of the two bands, growing out of uncer- tainty about the boundary line. Generally the good sense of the two chiefs brought about an amicable adjustment of the differences and averted open hostilities, but friction continued and anything that could be construed into acts of aggression was magnified into undue importance.
In the spring of 1810 our two outlaws following a band of the Wassen- ings into this border region with a hope of embroiling the two chiefs in war, found an opportunity to precipitate hostilities. Meeting a band of the Shia- wassos on the disputed border, a wordy dispute ensued, which would prob- ably have ended in words, had not one of the renegades who had furtively crept up to a point where he was unseen, shot an arrow that struck and killed a Shiawasso brave. This precipitated a fight that resulted in several deaths, but finally the Wassenings were. forced to retreat. Both bands dis- claimed the initiative in the fight, and the usual diplomacy of the two chiefs gave way to violent and challenging notes; preparations were made for war.
Chessaning had offered to arbitrate, by leaving it to Ne-o-me, of the Pewonigos ; but the Gray Eagle, whose military power was supposed to be superior, refused anything but war.
The old alliance between Chessaning, Okemos and Ne-o-me was again appealed to, and Okemos promised aid, as did Ne-o-me. Ne-o-me at once repaired to Om-a-gan-see, Chessaning's capitol, and proposed a plan to con- fine the war area to the territory of the enemy-the Tittabawassee region- by a blockading fleet of canoes, which was to close the mouth of the river.
Okemos was to march from Ak-mon-shee (Lansing) overland and strike the enemy on the head waters of the river, driving them down toward
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Gray Eagle's village, Wassebewing, where Midland now stands, and by a quick campaign from the east, south and west to roll up the enemy to his destruction or retreat northward. The two renegades who had fraternized with the Wassenings, were summoned by Gray Eagle, who had detected their part in the first fight, and who, knowing their familiarity with both Chessaning's and Ne-o-me's country, placed upon them the alternative of getting information as to the intended movements of the three chiefs, or death, telling them of his knowledge of their part in bringing on the war. The two renegades accordingly set out to the village of Chessaning, where they not only succeeded in getting the outline of the three chiefs' plans, but also succeeded in abducting Red Cloud and Dew Drop, the children of Chessaning and Men-a-cum-sequa, together with the young woman who had them in charge.
On their disappearance it was thought they were dead, but the wood- craft of the mute discovered the true fact, and, with the half-breed lover of the young woman, they started in pursuit.
The outlaws returned to Gray Eagle with the news, but he gave them strict injunction to keep the captives safely, and subject to his further orders. The outlaws retreated to their hiding place up the river, but as the Ottawas closed in from the west, the forces of Chessaning and Ne-o-me from the east and south soon forced Gray Eagle to sue for peace. Se-go-guen and the half-breed pursued the outlaws and, after shooting both, rescued the cap- tives, who returned to their home. This was the last foray of the men of Mus-cat-a-wing, and only a few years passed when the village of Pewonigos ceased to be exclusively the home of the Indian; for Jacob Smith, a trader, built a home there and he and Ne-o-me established a friendship which lasted until Smith's death in 1825.
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CHAPTER III.
INDIAN TREATIES AND RESERVATIONS.
THE TREATY OF 1807.
Governor William Hull, who, as governor of the territory of Michigan, was ex officio superintendent of Indian affairs, on the above date concluded a treaty at Detroit with the Chippewas, Ottawas, Wyandots and Potta- watomies, by which these several Indian tribes ceded to the United States that portion of Michigan east of a line drawn north from the mouth of the Auglaize river in Ohio, to a point due west from the outlet of Lake Huron, and from that point running northeasterly on a direct line to the White Rock on the western shore of Lake Huron; from that place, which was a place well known to the Indians and a landmark in their map making, the line followed along the shore of the lake, and southward to the Maumee (Miami) river, which formed the southern boundary of the ceded lands. This western boundary ran north between the present counties of Lenawee and Hillsdale, through Jackson and Ingham, between Clinton and Shiawassee, to a point near the middle of the same; the direct line from thence termi- nated near where is now the southeast corner of Huron county.
This grant, as a matter of fact, included nearly all of Genesee county, excepting a small corner off the northwest, in Montrose township. A considerable portion of this ceded territory had been previously ceded by the treaties of Fort McIntosh, Muskingum and Greenville, so that the title of the United States had been four times conceded by the Indians.
The stipulation of the government was for the payment to the Chippe- was of the sum of three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents, either in cash or implements or goods, at the option of the government, to be in the discretion of the superintendent of Indian affairs; the same payment to the Ottawas, and a similar payment to the Wyandots and Pottawatomies together, making the sum of ten thousand dol- lars in all to the four tribes. It was also stipulated that the sum of six thousand dollars should be paid annually to the four tribes, to be divided the same as the former payment. These were payable at Detroit. The Chippewas
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at Saginaw and the Ottawas at Miami were each to have a government blacksmith furnished them, who was to aid them in their attempts at agri- culture.
Accompanying the article of Governor Felch on the Indian treaties, in Vol. 26 of the "Michigan Historical Collections," page 275 and following, is a map of the lands covered by this treaty, and containing practically all of Genesee county. The Indians, however, continued to occupy Genesee county ; they did not understand that they had ceded these lands here, and a dispute arose as to this fact. The diagonal line from the White Rock, southwestwardly, was beyond the knowledge of the Indians to locate accu- rately. It is, however, significant that Ne-o-me, during the interval between this treaty of 1807 and the Saginaw treaty of 1819, had moved from Mus- cat-a-wing (the Grand Traverse of the Flint) down the river into what is now Montrose township, and onto lands that were not included in the treaty of 1807. Whether this removal was because of the knowledge of the true line of the treaty is not known, but the fact remains. It was, however, the policy of Cass at the later treaty to practically concede the Indian claims to Genesee county, as he well knew that his careful preparations for the cession of the lands that he expected to secure at the later treaty could not fail of success; the Indian claim might better be conceded than to make the friction that would result if he asserted the rights of his government under the old treaty.
Not only did the Indians continue to occupy this ceded territory after the treaty of 1807, but they even engaged in the War of 1812 against the Americans. A complete forfeiture of all their rights to the territories which they had at any time held might very properly have been claimed by the Americans, had it not been waived by the treaty of Springwells, a place near Detroit, which was held in September, 1815. This was essen- tially a treaty of peace. The cession of lands did not enter into it, unless the relinquishment of its right of conquest by the American government might be called such. The Indians had been continually at war with the Americans from the time of the Revolution, and their recent experiences in the War of 1812 inclined them to peace; so by the council of 1815 a peace was declared between the United States of America and the Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawatomies. The United States also agreed to restore to these Indians all their possessions, rights and privileges which they enjoyed in the year 1811, or previous to their engaging in the War of 1812; the tribes in question agreed to place themselves under the protection of the United States government, and of no power whatever other than that gov-
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ernment. The treating parties also reaffirmed the treaties of Greenville and of 1807, and any other treaty between the contracting parties. By this last provision the Indians lost any claim that they had to Genesee county growing out of an error in the boundary line or misnuderstanding of its location. The object of this treaty of 1815 was to restore the status quo ante, and to absolve the Indians from any taint of treason in engaging in the War of 1812 as allies of the British; also to secure their further allegiance to the United States of America.
TREATY OF SAGINAW.
Lewis Cass, who became territorial governor after the War of 1812, was instructed to be active in securing the cession of Indian titles. The war had brought many soldiers of the Americans to Michigan. These sol- diers knew more about the lands and their possibilities for agriculture than did the survyor-general, who reported that not more than one acre in one hundred, probably not one in a thousand, of the lands in Michigan would ever be usable for agricultural purposes. A number of these soldiers were mustered out of service at Detroit after the war. Among them was John Hamilton, afterwards a resident of Flint. The demand for land by set- tlers was insistent. Cass was young, ambitious and resourceful. In 1817 he treated with the Indians and got the northwestern part of Ohio and the northeastern part of Illinois. In 1818 he obtained the cession from the Pottawatomies of the rich valleys of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers. A treaty a year seems to have been the pace he set for himself, and so in 1819 he begun the preparations for the treaty with the Chippewas for the region about Saginaw bay.
The Chippewas had not received all the pay due them under previous treaties and Cass, realizing the difficulties that would arise if he attempted to create further obligations while previously incurred ones remained unful- filled, secured on his own personal responsibility from the banks at Detroit the funds and paid the Indians what was due them. The prize was over six million acres of land, situated around the bay of the Saginaw, accessible and promising great future development. This tract was known to be rich in timber and salt. Its fisheries were attractive and its agricultural wealth untold. The position of the Indians was equivocal. They had fought against the Americans during the war just closed. They could expect no considerations of friendship to protect them. Their title was by conquest and they were now conquered, and the right of the United States had the
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same sanction as their own. The treaty of Springwells had formally for- given them their transgressions in the war, but there was nothing of good will behind it and the power of the Americans had been demonstrated. They came into the treaty with a consciousness of the weakness of their own position and of the strength of the government against them.
Cass did not neglect any precautions. He had at his command a staff of the ablest men of the army, men who had great experience with the Indians. His interpreters were men who had passed a life among the Indians and who knew the Indian language as well, in some instances better, than their native tongue. Cass brought into his councils the men who of all were best equipped to estimate and know the wants and weak- nesses of the Indians, namely, the traders. These men had been brought into touch with the Indians not as enemies, but as friends, and the friend- ships that had grown up between these traders and the Indians were assets that Cass did not fail to see and enlist. These men could go as the friends, ostensibly, of the Indians, in reality as the paid agents of the whites; while acting in these dual relations, they could, and, as the sequel shows, did, help themselves by reserves, and the knowledge they had made the location of these reserves very desirable.
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