USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 24
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Pere Claude Allouez reached Lake Superior in September, 1665. He passed Keweenaw Bay, and October 1, 1665, arrived at La Pointe, in the bay of Chegoimegon-the old home of the Otchipwes. He remained on the south shore of Superior for two years. In 1667, he returned to Quebec, and two days after his arrival there, entered on his return journey, accompanied by Pere Louis Nicolas, to labor among his Indian friends from the Sault de Ste. Marie to the Messippi.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Peres James Marquette and Claude Dablon arrived at Sault de Ste. Marie in 1668, where they established Ste. Mary's Mission. They visited the surrounding nations up to 1673. In 1669, Pere Marquette conceived the idea of exploring the Mississippi, and in 1673 entered on that duty in company with M. Louis Joliet.
THE CHIPPEWAS.
According to Bishop Baraga, and other lexicographers, the Otchipwes, of the great Algonquin race, were the inhabitants of the Lake Superior district from the beginning of the historic period. The name was first given to a band of Nippercineans, and ultimately was applied to all bands speaking the language of the Nippercineans, who subsequently were driven before the Iroquois to the Sault Ste. Marie. This dialect was the most refined of all the Indian tongues, and won the praise of the great students among the early French missionaries. The old chief village of the tribe was at Chegoimegon, now La Pointe, near the Apostle Islands. There, their principal chiefs- Mudjekceewis, Wanbojug, Andaigweos, and Gitchee, Waiskee ruled, and kept the fire of the tribe burning perpetually.
Long before the coming of the white man, there was a town at the mouth of the Menomonee River, governed by a great chief. In the interior were four Otchipwe towns governed also by a renowned chief.
The Menomonee chief ordered the river to be stopped at its mouth, so that the sturgeon could not go up the stream. This course resulted in a famine in the Otchipwe villages, which resulted in a war. The Menomonees had as allies, the Sioux, Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Wabauakees, Win- nebagoes, Opauaugoes and Shawnees, while the Otchipwes relied upon the valor of their chiefs and their own renown. This war raged from 1627 to 1650 without intermission. From that time to 1830, the memories of that sanguinary struggle were treasured by the children of the respective tribes. Even the venerable missionaries of the Catholic Church were unable to conciliate the enemies. Within our own times, in 1830, the factions renewed their war of hate, so that the United States Government had to interpose. The treaty of peace between the tribes was solemnly signed in 1857, since which time they have cast aside their discords.
In 1730, the number of Chippewas reported to the French Government was 5,000, exclusive of bands exalted to tribes. When a garrison and Indian agency were established at the Sault in 1822, there were 8,500 reported within the boundaries of that agency. In 1806, Pike reported an Otchipwe population of 12,000 ; the report to Committee on Indian Colonization in 1825, placed the number at 18,000 including Saginaws. In 1829, they numbered 15,000 ; in 1832, 9,420, and in 1850, 10,000.
DEATH OF THE INDIAN MEGISH.
At the beginning of the war of 1812, the Indians of the Shauawa family resided on Bear Creek, near the spot where John Riley shot James Harsen in 1810-11. The family circle claimed five strapping braves, brothers, among whom was Megish, the Britisher, who fell before the Ameri- can charge at the battle of Lundy's Lane. Old squaw Megish often related the story of his death, always maintaining that her son got between the opposing whites, was fired upon by the Americans, and slain. Capt. Chesby Blake, one of the pioneer lake captains, was then mate of a brig lying at Newburyport, waiting an opportunity to run through the blockading British squadron. He.was not afforded a chance, however, and so he, with his crew, joined the American troops, and was present at Lundy's Lane, with a division of Scott's brigade. In 1840, Blake came to Harsen's Island for the purpose of getting out choice lumber for one of the Newbury boats. On this occa- sion the O'Blake was the guest of Capt. John H. Stewart, of Harsen's Island. In conversation with Aura P. Stewart, he related the story of the death of an Indian at Lundy's Lane, saying, that as the two armies were approaching, and a little while before the action, an Indian was seen running swiftly between the opposing lines. The Captain of the company said : " Blake, can't you kill that Indian ?" Blake fired, but without effect ; reloading, he took steady aim, fired, and the fleeing savage was seen to leap upward, and then to fall dead. This undoubtedly was Megish, and his executioner was Capt. Blake.
DROWNING OF INDIAN REFUGEES.
At the outbreak of the war of 1812, the British Government secured the services of almost all the Indians from Detroit to Mackinac. A large number accompanied the British troops, and were present at the assault on Fort Sandusky. The defense offered by the Americans under Capt. Crogan was so spirited and destructive, that the British made a hasty retreat toward Malden,
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
which caused a panic among their Indian allies, causing many of them to desert. Two large canoes burdened with Indian refugees were passing up the St. Clair in the night, and when near the Harsen homestead on Harsen Island, a thunder-storm burst upon them, upsetting one of the canoes, and casting sixteen warriors into the water. The night was very dark, so that those who succeeded in reaching the island shore, after much difficulty, shouted to their struggling brothers in the river. This shouting was continued until all who were not drowned reached the shore. To Mrs. Graveraet the howls of the savages were dreadful. In her anxiety, she seized her brother's infant, rolled it in a blanket, and was in the act of seeking shelter in a wood near by, when her brother prevailed upon her to stay. At dawn next morning, two birch canoes filled with Indians were seen to leave the opposite side of the river and approach the island. Twenty strapping warriors landed, and as they approached the whites saw that their faces were painted with char- coal. They looked very solemn; said they mourned lost friends ; that they were induced to go to war by the British, who told them that the Kit-che-mocomans (Long Knives) were great cowards and easily whipped ; but they found the statement untrue. They stated that the Long Knives had killed a great many British at Lower Sandusky, and themselves had to retreat to save their lives. They described the bursting of the storm, the loss of two warriors by drowning, and advised Graveraet to leave quickly, as the Long Knives were coming.
CUM-E-KUM-E-NON.
About the center of the eastern boundary of the town of Chesterfield, on the shore of Lake St. Clair, stood the Indian reservation, where resided for many years the chief of the tribes, Macompte, or Cum-e-kum-e-non. This chief was well beloved by his nation; in fact, his voice was the oracle of his people, his nod the law of his empire. There was, however, in this region a king greater and mightier to destroy than he. This king still reigns, while the warrior of the Indians " sleeps the sleep that knows no waking." He was slain by this king, whose name is Alcohol. His death was a tragic one. It seems that Macompte had been paying a familiar visit to his bosom friend, the king, and had partaken too freely of the hospitality of his host Toward evening, the chief went down to the river, and, with a precipitous rush, glided down its banks into the water and was drowned. In his suicidal intent, he passed the residence of Stockton and Clemens. The wife of the former gentleman heard the hurried tread of the unfortunate chief as he passed on to the river, and heard the splash when he struck the water. Mrs. Stockton's testimony was the only direct evidence that tended to convince the Indians that his melancholy death was voluntary-that he had not been murdered by the white man, as the ever-suspicious nature of the Indians led them to suppose. The event caused considerable excitement throughout the entire set- tlement. This reservation was located in the southeast part of the township of Chesterfield. The body was found the day after the suicide by John Tucker and the Indians. It was buried in the orchard of John Tucker, on P. C. 129, Harrison. It was wrapped in a blue broadcloth blanket, bound by silver brooches, while his hat was ornamented with silver bands. A string of sixteen silver crescents and silver arm bands completed the ornamentation of the dead chief's body. All that has been disturbed in connection with this grave is a small piece of the enwrapping blanket, taken as a curiosity by David Tucker about the year 1840-41. All stories of other interference are without foundation.
Old Macompte, father of Cum-e-kum-e-non and Francis, died about 1816, and was buried in the sand bank beyond New Baltimore. Two men-Van Eff and Beebe-visited the grave, exhumed a brass rifle, and eloped with the prize. Shortly after this, Francis Macompte and other Indians, who had gone West with Henry Tucker to select a reservation, returned to this point. The former found his father's grave tampered with; he discovered who were the actors in the affair, brought them before the court at Mount Clemens, where the matter was settled on payment of $60.
Francis Macompte then became chief, with Truckatoe as sub-chief. The latter became dis- satisfied about the Indian reserve, and moved with several members of the band to Lakeville about 1830. Next under him was Kanobe, said to be implicated in the abduction of the Finch child-a saying without any foundation whatever, beyond the fact that the Indian loved the boy, and seemed determined to adopt him. Those Indians were generally peaceful, and were present at almost all the bees of the olden time, not to labor by any means, but to run pony races and trade with the Americans.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
CHIEF WING.
Among the savages of 1812 were to be found a few so devoted to principle that neither En- glish gold nor specious promises could draw them away from their fidelity to the Republic. The Indian chief, Wing, of Mackinaw, was one of the few. When the British and Indians took posses- sion of the post, in 1812, Wing refused to aid them in any way, and influenced his band to such a degree that each member refused to take even a present of tobacco from the garrison. So marked was his fidelity that he selected eight powerful warriors to man his large canoe, and without loss of time, paddled down the lake to Detroit to inform Hull of the capture of Mackinaw. For this act and his well-known attachment to the American cause, he became a great favorite in every Ameri- can settlement, and was a welcome visitor to the Governor's house at Detroit, until age put an end to his travels.
Wau-he-ke-nish, an early visitor to the St. Clair, later of the Northwestern tribes, was a most ancient specimen of aboriginal senility. Formerly he was large and plump and had the reputation of being overbearing and insolent. One day, having made an assault on a white man, he was most unmercifully pounded, and, although he lived many years afterward, he never quite recovered. His hair was bleached, he was shriveled and wrinkled, and his form so doubled up that his appear- ance gave little suggestion that he was ever " big Ingun me," as was his former boast. He claimed, in the most earnest way, to be one hundred and forty years of age, but this must have been an exaggeration, although he had a son who was called "Big Papoose," who was an old man. They are both dead now. The old man would surround a large ration up to the day of his death. His skull was secured and it measured but twenty inches around, and only twelve and one-half over the top from ear to ear.
Jake Batise, a Winnebago, was another character. In early years, he was an annual visitor to the Indians of Ira Township. He once got some kind of work, and went to a white woman to get her to bake some bread for him to live on while doing the job. She said, " No, Jake, you are a bad Indian ; I once loaned you $2, and you have never paid me as you promised. I shall tell everybody that you are not honest, and no one will trust you after this."
" Ah," says Jake, "I never see it that way. Don't tell it that way, and I pay you." Which he did, and got his bread baked. It seems it had never occurred to him that wrong-doing would injure his reputation. He was quite a good Indian afterward.
Wittaniss was one of the sub-chiefs of the Huron Indians as early as 1776. He was a devoted attache of the British commandants of Detroit, and shared with his brother Indians and the British soldiery in all the dastardly acts which marked the great effort to sustain the reign of tyranny and persecution on this continent. This cowardly redskin and his band made many attempts on the life of Richard Connor some years later. The American pioneer was compelled to be always on his guard against the treachery of those savages. After the purchase of the Mora- vian village by Askins and Ancram, the latter appointed Wittaniss care taker. In his new office, the Indian chief essayed to act the Irish land agent, and accordingly tried to evict Connor ; but the new settler frustrated all his designs, treated him to a severe beating, and otherwise made life so hideous for the malicious savage, that he was glad to seek refuge in the grave a day or so after the British power was forever broken in the United States.
Kanobe, of Romeo, was present on the treaty ground at Saginaw, in September, 1819. The harsh statements made regarding his connection with the abduction of the Finch boy have long since been proven without foundation. In 1827, Kanobe moved into Canada, stayed some time there, and returned to give assurances that the reports concerning him were without foundation. He was a savage of good parts, and an earnest friend of the American settlers of Macomb and St. Clair Counties.
An equally bad Indian, bearing a similar name, succeeded Wittaniss, Senior. The circum- stances which surrounded this fellow urged him to adopt a policy of conciliation toward the Ameri- can settlers, which policy was carried out. The last Wittaniss was an old man when he left the county in 1830.
Tipsikaw was the athlete of the band near Romeo. He was a powerful savage, well built, and, it is said, capable of running down wolves, bears, and, in some instances, deer. While hunting in the neighborhood of Almont, he dislocated his shoulder. Dr. Gleason was called to his aid. All the Doctor's physical power was not sufficient to replace the dislocated bone, so he tied the arm of the warrior to a tree, and then directed him to draw his body forward. This plan was successful, and
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
Tipsikaw was again ready to resume the chase. This Indian left the county in 1837 or 1838. In 1874, he revisited his old hunting-grounds, and was found weeping by one of the early settlers, opposite the site of his former village.
Tipsikaw was well known to the settlers of St. Clair. He was a man of great speed and skill in wrestling, his principal feat being to run to a stake ten rods away and return before a horse and rider could make a like trip. This Indian is still living in Isabella County.
JOHN RILEY.
Especial mention is made of the good qualities of John Riley, the Otchipwe chief. His family and that of Black Cloud, with some others, were leading spirits among the savages. At this time (1835), the former owned a tract of land granted by Government at what is now Port Huron, on the south of Black River. Only two houses, one log and one frame, were to be seen at that point. John Riley was born in the Mohawk Valley of a German father and Indian mother, and possessed greater intelligence than the full Indian. He, with many of his tribe, made annual visits to the woods near the village for the purpose of making maple sugar, coming in February or March, and returning when the season was over. In the spring of 1836, he came early for this purpose, and one pleasant Sunday, as he would not allow any work to be done that day, he took a walk in the woods accompanied by a boy. Coming upon a large hollow log, which had the appearance of being the home of some animal, he said to the boy "Abs-co-in hash-a-pun" (John, a raccoon), directing the boy at the same time to crawl into the log and investigate. The young Abs-co-in soon came out with great speed shouting "mo-g-uash! mo-g-uash" ("a bear, a bear!") Riley drew his hatchet, and as the bear's head appeared, struck her a powerful blow with the edge of the weapon, burying it in her brains. She weighed over 400 pounds and furnished material for a continuous feast.
The Indians gave names to the whites to correspond with some habit or to commemorate some gift. The elder James Wells they called Mo-gu-ash (bear), because he was a hunter of that animal. Abram Wells was Caw-ke-chee (porcupine); he had given them a porcupine, the flesh of which they relish. Anthony Wells was Mish-a-wak (Elk); William Wells, Wah-wa-cash (deer); Mr. Welch, Mus-co-dance (Indian hole or clearing) from the fact that he bought land on which there was an Indian field on which there were bearing apple trees when the whites arrived. Riley afterward re- tired to the Saginaw country where he died in 1862. His first wife was buried on land since known as the "Fitz Patrick place," and as the roads came to be straightened and worked her body was exhumed and stolen away.
Tonadoganow was the head chief of the Otchipwe nation. This honor belonged to him on account of his debating powers, acute understanding, and great prowess in the hunt. He was ugly in every sense. He wore only a hunting shirt from April until September, and this hung loosely from his hunchback. This Indian was accustomed to make periodical visits to the bands in St. Clair County, was a great factor in the negotiation of two of the treaties referred to in this chapter, and well known to the first French and American settlers from Mackinaw and Detroit.
O-GE-MA-KE-GA-TO.
At the time Gen. Cass was negotiating the treaty of 1819, O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, although only twenty-five years of age, was head chief of the Chippewa nation, and as such was the central In- dian figure at the council. He was over six feet in height, and in his bearing graceful and hand- some; and although in the later years of his life he was often seen intoxicated, he never fully lost a look of conscious dignity which belonged to his nature as one of the original lords of the soil. In true elegance he was probably hardly surpassed by the Seneca chief, Red Jacket. His band lived at the forks of the Tittabawasse, and like Red Jacket, he wore upon his breast a superb Gov- ernment medal. This medal was of an oblong shape, fully five inches in length and one quarter of an inch thick, and was composed of pure silver. On one side was the figure of an Indian chief in full dress, and on the other what was intended to represent the President of the United States, with the following inscription: "Presented to O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to by Thomas Jefferson." The treaty of 1819 was a very important one, as this portion of the State was then in Indian possession, and the object of the Government was the cession by the natives of the vast tract in which was included the rich and flourishing valleys of the Saginaw and its tributaries. The chief speaker for the Indians was O ge-ma-ke-ga-to, and he opposed the proposition of Gen. Cass with indignation. The treaty was finally made, and the Indians returned to the lodges. The Chippewa nation was then composed
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
of ten or twelve bands, each governed by a hereditary chieftain. These chiefs formed a council which governed the nation and elected the ruling chief annually. O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was not a chief by blood, but his remarkable intellectual qualities, as well as his undaunted courage, made him a power among his dusky people, and at the early age of twenty-five he was the leading spirit. Gen. Cass was surprised at the remarkable brain power of the man, and remarked that he was "the smartest, and most eloquent Indian he had ever met." His administration of the affairs of his peo- ple was so satisfactory that for over thirty consecutive years he was annually re-elected to the posi- tion of head chief. He never ruled a single band until in the later years of his life, when he be- came chief of the Tittabawasse band, to which he belonged. His power of oratory made him a great favorite with his people, and the fame of O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to spread far and wide. Subsequently at the ratifying of the reservation treaty, at Detroit, many learned and able lawyers were present, not one of whom, after hearing his great speech interpreted, dared to accept his challenge to dis- cuss the questions affecting the Indian's welfare with him. After the treaty of Saginaw had been ratified and the Indians had become reconciled to the encroachment of the white man, O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was quite friendly, and, like an honorable man, endeavored to fulfill his obligations to the new-com- ers under the treaty. Many astounding stories are told by the old settlers regarding his bravery and fortitude, some of which surpass belief. Mr. McCormick says that about the year 1835 two members of the Tittabawasse band had a disagreement while under the influence of liquor, and drew their knives for a settlement of the difficulty according to the aboriginal code. O-ge-ma-ke- ga-to, who was standing near them, immediately jumped between the combatants and received a knife thrust in his side. The cut was so large and deep that a portion of his liver protruded, and in this condition he lay for several days. One afternoon he took a knife laying by his side, and in the presence of several Indians, sliced off a portion of his own liver, threw the piece on the coals and roasted it, and then ate it. Turning to those present, he said: "If there is a braver man in the Chippewa nation than I am, I should like to see him." This story, incredible as it is, can be well attested by Joseph Trombley, E. S. Williams, of Flint, and Peter Grewett, now of Gratiot County, all of whom were Indian traders at that time. Judge Albert Miller, now of Bay City, also recollects the circumstance at the time. O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to ruled the Chippewas until 1839 or 1840, when death stepped in and robbed the dusky nation of its wisest, most eloquent and bravest member.
Negig, an Indian chief, lived on the Baby farm, on the River Gervais, for six years previous to his death in 1807. A saw mill was erected on the River Gervais in 1788, on claim 676, in which this Negig was a most industrious workman.
Notaquoto, a short, ugly, powerful savage, was well known to all the early settlers. To give an idea of this Indian, William J. Tucker relates, that a few Indian ponies happened to stray into Sterling Township, where they were stabled by Jim Bruce. This settler was unaware of the danger of such a proceeding, and his murder for the act was only averted by the timely interference of C. G. Cady, then residing at his present home in Sterling. Mr. Cady was returning from church, when he met the Indian. Asking him where he was going, the savage played with the tomahawk, and replied that he was going to see Jim Bruce. "He has my horses," said Notaquoto, "and I will murder him." Cady prevailed upon the Indian to wait, while he, himself, went to Bruce's. He advised Bruce to set the animals at large, which advice was taken, and Notaquoto returned to his Reserve with his property.
Wemekeuns was one of the Huron chiefs on the St. Clair at the time the first French settlers made their locations. The story of this savage, as related by Mrs. Brandemour, is substantially as follows: Wemekeuns was chief and prophet of the tribe, a position given to him on account of his prowess in the chase, his words of wisdom, and his peculiar physiognomy. His face was supplied with a trio of noses, one small one on each side of the large central nose. Previous to the war of the Revolution, he was asked to urge his band to operate with the English allies among the Canadian Indians; but this he refused to do, saying the new Americans would drive their enemies across the ocean, and drive their enemies' friends from their hunting grounds.
Old Mother Rodd, an Indian woman well known to the early settlers of Port Huron, was one hundred and four years old in 1870. She died in the fall of that year, on the Indian Reserve, on the Canadian side of the river. The following poem was written March 1, 1868, two years before her death, and fifty-six years after the murder of her husband by the Canadian Indians.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
OLD MOTHER RODD !
"Old Mother Rodd ! Old mother Rodd ! When elements combine together, To drive poor Christians from the road By this hard snap of wintry weather -- What drives thee from thy wild bush home, And thy camp-fire across the river, Port Huron's snow-wreathed streets to roam, When white folks round their stoves do shiver?
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