History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 31

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

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About the year 1780, a woman of the Kaposia band had a son by a French trader, who became a noted half-breed interpreter and trader. His name was Joseph Renville, and was for a time in the employ of Lieutenant Pike, and in his last years was a prominent trader at Lac qui Parle. At the breaking out of the last war with Great Britain, Col. Dickson was employed by the gov- ernment to employ the warlike tribes of the Northwest to fight against the United States. Renville received from him the appointment and rank of captain in the British army, and with warriors from the Kaposia and other bands of Dakotas, marched to the American frontier. In 1813, he was present at the siege of Fort Meigs, and one afternoon while he was seated with Wa

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pasha and the renowned Petit Corbeau, the grandfather of the chief of the Kaposia band, conspicuous in 1862, an Indian presented himself and told the chiefs that they were wanted by the head men of the other nations that were there congregated. When they arrived at the rendez- vous they were surprised to find that the Winne- bagoes had taken an American captive, and after roasting him had apportioned his body in as many dishes as there were nations, and had in- vited them to participate in the feast. Both the chiefs and Renville were indignant at this inhu- manity, and Col. Dickson being informed of the fact, the Winnebago who was the author of the outrage, was turned out of camp.

In 1815, Renville accompanied the Kaposia chief to Drummond Island, who had been invited by the commandant of that post to make him a visit. On their arrival they were informed by the officer that he had sent for them in the name of his majesty, for the aid they had rendered during the war. He concluded by pointing at a large pile of goods, which he said were presents from Great Britain. Petit Corbeau replied, that his people had been prevailed upon by the British, to make war upon the people they scarcely knew, and had never done them any harm. "Now," continued the brave Kaposia chief, " after we have fought for you, under many hardships, lost some of our people, and awakened the vengeance of our neighbors, you make peace for yourselves and leave us to get such terms as we can, but no, we will not take them! We hold them and your- selves in equal contempt."

One year later, Governor Cass, of Michigan, called at the village, and one of the party de- scribes the visit in these words: "The village of Petit Corbeau consists of twelve large lodges which are said to give shelter to two hundred souls. They plant corn, and cultivate vines and pumpkins. They sallied from their lodges on seeing us approach, and gathering along the mar- gin of the river, fired a feu de joie on our land- ing. The chief was among the first to greet us. He is a man below the common size, but brawny and well proportioned, and although over fifty years of age, retains the look and vigor of forty. He invited us to his lodge, a spacious building about sixty by thirty feet, substantially con- structed of logs and bark. Being seated he ad-

dressed himself to Governor Cass. He referred to a recent attack of a party of Fox Indians on their people, on the head waters of the St. Pe- ters. He said it was very dastardly, and that if that little tribe should continue their attacks, they would at length drive him into anger and compel him to do a thing he did not wish.

"While this speech was being interpreted. the Indian women were employed in bringing baskets full of ears of Indian corn from the fields which they emptied in a pile.

"This pile when it had reached a formidable height was offered as a present. It was indeed the beginning of the season of green corn with them, and we were soon apprised, by the sound of music from another lodge, that the festival of the green corn dance was going forward. Being admitted to see the ceremonies, the first thing which attracted notice was the large iron kettles, suspended over a fire, filled with green corn cut from the cob. The Indians, both men and women, were seated in a large circle around them; they were engaged in singing a measured chant in the Indian manner, accompanied by the Sioux cancega, or drum and rattles; the utmost solemnity was depicted on every countenance. When the music paused, there were certain ges- ticulations made as if a mysterious power were invoked. In the course of these ceremonies a young man and his sister, joining hands, came forward to be received into the green corn society, of whom questions were asked by the presiding official. At the conclusion of these, the voice of each member was taken as to their admission, which was unanimous.

"At the termination of the ceremonies, an elderly man came forward, and ladled out the contents of the kettles into separate wooden dishes for each head of a family present. As these dishes were received, the persons retired from the lodge by a backward movement, still keeping their faces directed to the kettles till they had passed out."

After the building of Fort Snelling, on account of annoyances from soldiers and whisky-sellers, as well as fear of the Ojlbways, the Kaposia band gradually moved across the river into what is now Dakota county.

The first plowing in this band was done in 1834, under the direction of the now venerable

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missionary at Shakopee, the Rev. S. W. Pond. He, as has been stated in Chapter twenty, arrived with his brother Gideon in May, 1834, at Fort Snelling. Major Bliss, the officer in command, asked him if he would teach the Kaposia band to plow. Oxen were driven from Mendota to Ka- posia, and plows carried by water, in a boat. When the work commenced the excitement among the Indians was great. Mr. Pond drove the oxen, and Big Thunder and another prominent Indian alternately held the plow.

Before the year 1837, Presbyterian missiona- ries dwelt among the Sioux. The Rev. Mr. Ga- vin was at Trempeleau, and Mr. Denton at Red Wing. Rev. J. D. Stevens and the two Ponds were at Lake Harriet, and the Rev. Dr. William- son and S. R. Riggs at Lac-qui-parle.

In that year, the Rev. A. Brunson, of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, attempted to establish a Sioux Mission, at Kaposia. As he had no knowledge, of the Sioux language, it was im- portant for him to have an interpreter. Find- ing a black man who was the slave of an army officer at Fort Snelling, who under- stood the language, he purchased him for twelve hundred dollars, by appealing to Methodists through a Cincinnatti paper, for contributions for this special purpose.

On the 14th of May, 1837, he left Pittsburgh, in a new steamboat, for the Upper Mississippi, with the interpreter, David King, as teacher, and a farmer. Landing at Fort Snelling, they were carried down to Little Crow's village, in a Mackinaw boat, and immediately began to cut logs for a cabin.

On Sunday, June 25th, Mr. King, and the black man who acted as interpreter, attended religious services at the Lake Harriet Presbyte- rian Mission, and with the Rev. S. R. Riggs, and others, celebrated the Lord's supper, there being fifteen communicants.

In July, some young Ojibways, Methodist con- verts from Canada, were guests of the mission, George Copway, who afterwards became a pub- lic lecturer and author, John Johnson, his cousin, and Peter Marksman. About the same time the Mission was increased by the arrival of Rev. T. Pope and James Whitford. Brunson was never a permanent resident at the Mission, but acted as superintendent.

In April, 1838, Hole-in-the-Day, the father of the late Ojibway chief of that name, had, while professing friendship, lulled some Sioux to sleep, and then rising in the night scalped thirteen of the unsuspecting.

On the 2nd of August, Hole-in-the-Day paid a visit to Fort Snelling, when some Sioux from Mud Lake, determining to be revenged, fired upon some of his party, and killed one and wounded one.

The next day, Major Plympton, in command of the Fort, with the Indian Agent, held a coun- cil with the Sioux, at which were the principal men from Kaposia and other villages. Major in reply to their long and excited speeches said, "It is unnecessary to talk much. I have de- manded the guilty, they must be brought."

The council closed, and about five in the after- noon there were brought to the agency house, two of Tokali's sons. The mother in surrending them said: "Of seven sons, three only are left; one of them was wounded and soon would die, and if the two now given up were shot, her all was gone. I called on the head men to follow me to the fort. I started with the prisoners singing their death song, and have delivered them at the gates of the fort. Have mercy on them for their youth and folly."

The murdered Chippeway had been buried in the military grave-yard, but the night of the day of the council, some of the Sioux attempted to dig it up. On the evening of the 6th of August, Maj. Plympton sent the Chippeways to their own country, and then told the Sioux that the insult to the American flag which they had given, by killing a Chippeway upon the fort reservation, would be noticed, but if they would punish the prisoners he held, he would release them. On the 8th, another council was held, and a chief from Lake Pepin said: "If you will bring out the prisoners, I will carry out your wishes."

Lieutenant Whitehorne, the officer of the day, was sent after the prisoners, and soon returned with them. The chief continued: "We will not disgrace the house of our Father. Let them be taken outside the enclosure." As soon as this was done, the braves were called, and amid the crying of the women, the prisoners were dis- graced, by cutting their blankets in small pieces, then their leggings, then their breech cloths.

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KAPOSIA SIOUX ATTACK CHIPPEWAYS.

After this, their hair was cut off, and finally, they were whipped with long sticks ..

Toward the close of October, this year, the Rev. A. Brunson came up to visit the mission at Kaposia, on the steamboat Gypsy, which on the 21st of the month reached Fort Snelling. Among the passengers were Surgeon Emerson of the army and wife, with their slave the celebrated Dred Scott.

On the 20th of June, 1839, the old Chippeway chief Hole-in-the-Day again arrived at the fort, with five hundred of his tribe, and the next day came seven hundred and fifty more. On the first of July they stopped at the falls of St. Anthony on their way homeward, and smoked the pipe of peace with the Sioux, but that evening two of the relatives of the Chippeway murdered near Fort Snelling the year before, secreted themselves near Lake Harriet, and early on the morning of the 2d, they surprised and killed Meekaw, a son-in- law of the chief of the Lake Calhoun tribe.

The Sioux were filled with rage, and several war parties were formed. The Kaposia band pursued those of the Chippeways who had gone toward the St. Croix river, and on the morning of the 3d of July discovered them in the ravine near where the penitentiary stands in Stillwater, and a large number were intoxicated. The attack was made by the Sioux, and in time the Chippe- ways repulsed them, after losing about thirty of their number.

The young men of the Kaposia band at this time were so insolent that the missionaries made their preparations to leave in a boat, but Little Crow, or Big Thunder, ordered them back, and in order to increase their security, had his wife and son both sleep in the mission house, and placed a strong guard around it. Soon after this, the Rev. Thomas W. Pope left, and John D. Hilton took charge. Hiram Delap, who had acted as farmer, became discouraged and with his family left the country.

On the 17th of June, 1840, a Sioux and his wife were killed by the Chippeways, between Mendota and Kaposia, and the next year, in April, three Chippeways hid themselves in some bushes about a mile above Fort Snelling, on the Mississippi, and as Kay-bo-kah, a chief of the Lake Calhoun bands with his son, and another Sioux came along,

the Chippeways killed the son and mortally wounded the chief.

The braves of Kaposia, determined to retaliate, and in two parties proceeded up the valley of the St. Croix, among whom were two sons of Little Crow or Big Thunder.

At this time, Jeremiah Russell had a trading post in the valley of Snake river, on the shores of Lake Pokeguma, and he sent two Chippeways, accompanied by Elam Greeley, afterward the well-known citizen of Stillwater, to bring up sup- plies from the Falls of St. Croix, where they ar- rived on Saturday, and the next day, May 16th, a steamboat arrived with supplies, and the captain said a war party of Sioux were advancing.

Disregarding the advice of the whites at the Falls, the Chippeways loaded their guns, and hastened back to tell their friends to prepare. They had not proceeded more than a mile or two before.they discovered Sioux hidden in a thicket, and two heads could be seen above the logs. Im- mediately each Chippeway fired and killed the two Sioux. They were pursued and one was killed and the other escaped. The one the Sioux killed, had his head and arms cut off, and the head was then placed in a tin kettle and suspended from a tree.

The two Sioux who were killed, were sons of the Kaposia chief. The father was speedily noti- filed, and by forced marches, soon reached the scene of the disaster, and found the bodies of his sons where they had fallen. Mr. Sibley writes : "Under his direction the blood was washed from the features, and replaced by war paint, new clothing was put upon the bodies, the hair was combed, plaited and strung with small silver brooches, silver bands enclosed their arms and wrists, and a large quantity of expensive wam- pum was hung about the necks. When these de- tails had been attended to, the corpses were ar- raigned in sitting posture, secured to the trunks of trees, and the old chief deposited his double- barrelled gun by their side, took a parting look at his dead children, shook them by the hand, and returned to his village. Some of the Chippeways in two or three days afterwards came back, and appropriated the scalps and the valuables, and left the bodies uncared for. Having heard of these singular proceedings of the old chief, I asked an explanation when next I saw him, and

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he did not hesitate to give it. He said he had op- posed the formation of the party, but the young men were too bent upon avenging the death of their friends, who had been killed; that he finally withdrew his objection. 'My two sons,' con- tinued he, 'joined the party and were killed. While I grieve deeply at their loss, they fell like brave men in battle, and the enemy was entitled to their scalp. I wished the Chippeways to know by the treatment lavished upon the bodies, that they had slain the sons of a chief.' Some weeks subsequently he returned, collected the bones, and had them interred near Kaposia."

While the party of Sioux were about the falls of the St. Croix, a second party crossed the St. Croix river above the falls, and marched on the east side of the river till it came oppo- site the mouth of the Snake river, and then crossed to the west shore and ascended the Snake river, and on Monday, May 24th, at- tacked the Chippeways at Pokeguma Lake. After a battle of about two hours the Sioux retreated, and on the next Wednesday the Chip- peways went in search of the bodies of the Sioux killed in battle, to take their scalps. One of the heads was brought home, and placed in a a tree, and strips of flesh hung on the boughs. A portion of the breast of one of the dead Sioux was taken off, cooked, and ate to express their hatred.

The next year another war party left Kaposia, and on the 14th of March killed a Chippeway, but lost the son of Eagle Head. one of their chiefs. In June, the Chippeways assembled at the mouth of Kettle river, and marched to Kaposia, and per- ceiving two Indian women at work in a ('anadian's corn field on Pig's Eye bottom, nearly opposite the Sioux village, they sneaked into the bushes and fired their guns, killing one and fatally wounding the other.

The discharge of fire arms notified the Sioux that their ancient foes were near, the war whoop was sounded, and the braves crossed the river and waged battle till about noon, when the Chip- peways withdrew. The loss on the Sioux side was ten men, two women and one child. Not long after this the Rev. B. F. Kavenaugh, who came in 1841, and was attempting to revive the Metho- dist mission at Red Rock, retired.

Big Thunder, the father of Tah-o-yah-tay-doo-

tah (His Scarlet People), the so-called Little Crow, the leader of the onslaught of 1862 against the whites, was anxious that his people should learn to labor, and was not ashamed to dig in his own field. One day in drawing out his loaded gun from a wagon, he was fatally wounded. Sur- geon Turner was summoned from Fort Snelling, and after examination said the wound was dan- gerous, at which declaration the chief said the surgeon was correct, and that he would not long live. The surgeon was accompanied by Henry H. Sibley, and Alexander Faribault who acted as the interpreter. Mr. Sibley has prepared an in- teresting narrative of the chief's last hours for the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. He writes: "He directed the lodge to be cleared of all but ourselves, and sent for his son, the Little Crow who led the Indians in the murder- ous outbreak of 1862. When he entered, the father told him to seat himself, and listen atten- tively to his words. Addressing him, he told his son frankly that it had not been his intention to make him chief; that although he was his eldest born he had very little good sense, and moreover was addicted to drinking and other vicious habits. 'But,'said he, 'my second son, on whom I intend- ed to bestow the chieftainship at my death, has been killed with the Chippewas, and I now can do no better than to name vou as my successor.'" After giving him some very good advice, Mr. Sibley writes that he concluded with these words: "Now, my son, I have finished all I had to say. Depart to your own lodge, remain, being my final admonitions, for to-morrow I shall die." The next day he departed to the spirit land.

In 1846, Mr. Bruce the Indian agent at Fort Snelling, wrote to Rev. Thomas S. Williamson, who had been for years a Presbyterian missionary among the Sioux at Lac qui Parle, that the Kapo- sia chief, alarmed at the demoralization caused by whisky sellers at St. Paul, had requested him to procure a missionary for his village. Dr. Wil- liamson, in accordance with the wish of the chief, on November 30th, 1846, arrived at Kaposia. A school was opened in charge of the Doctor's sister, Miss Jane Williamson assisted by Margaret Ren- ville, who had been educated at the Lac qui Parle mission school.

At this time the hamlet now known as St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota, was the abode of only a

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few whisky sellers and half-breeds, called by the Sioux, "Imneesia Ska," (White Rock). Dr. Williamson was much interested in the moral welfare of the few white settlers, and there is a notice of his preaching there on the 5th of Sep- tember, 1847. Feeling the importance of a school in this place, he wrote from Kaposia the following letter to ex-Governor Slade of Vermont :

" My present residence is on the utmost verge of civilization, in the northwestern portion of the United States, within a few miles of the principal village of white men in the territory that we sup- pose will bear the name of Minnesota, which some would render ' clear water,' though, strictly, it sig- nifies ' slightly turbid or whitish water.'

" The village referred to, has grown up within a few years, in a romantic situation, on a high bluff of the Mississippi, and has been baptized by the Roman Catholics, by the name of St. Paul. They have erected in it a small chapel, and constitute much the larger portion of the inhabitants. The Dahkotahs call it Im-ni-ja-ska ( White Rock) from the color of the sandstone which forms the bluff on which the village stands. This village has five stores as they call them, at all of which intox- icating drinks constitute a part, and I suppose the principal, of what they sell. I would suppose the village contains a dozen or twenty families living near enough to send to school. Since I came to this neighborhood I have had frequent occasion to visit the village, and have been grieved to see so many children growing up entirely ig_ norant of God and entirely unable to read His Word, with no one to teach them. Unless your society can send them a teacher, there seems to be little prospect of their having one for several years. A few days since I went to the place for the purpose of making inquiries in reference to the prospect of a school. I visited seven families in which there were twenty-three children of proper age to attend school, and was told of five more in which were thirteen more that it is sup- posed might attend, making thirty-six in twelve families. I suppose more than half of the par- ents of these children are unable to read them- selves, and care but little about having their children taught. Possibly the priest might deter some from attending who might be otherwise able and willing.

"I suppose a good female teacher can do more

to promote the cause of education and true re- ligion than a man. The natural politeness of the French (who constitute more than half the pop- ulation) would cause them to be kind and cour- teous to a female, even though the priest should seek to cause opposition. I suppose she might have twelve or fifteen scholars to begin with, and if she should have good talent of winning the affections of children (and one who has not should not come), after a few months she would have as many as she could attend to.

"One woman told me she had four children she wished to send to school, and that she would give boarding and a room in her house to a good female teacher, for the tuition of her children.

"A teacher for this place should love the Saviour, and for his sake should be willing to forego, not only many of the religious priviliges and elegancies of New England towns, but some of the neatness also. She should be entirely free from prejudice on account of color, for among her scholars she might find not only English, French and Swiss, but Sioux and Chippewas, with some claiming kindred with the African stock.

"A teacher coming should bring books with her, sufficient to begin a school, as there is no book store within three hundred miles."

In response to this letter Miss H. E. Bishop came to Kaposia, to be taken to St. Paul as the first regular school teacher in the white settle- ments of Minnesota. Her first impressions of Kaposia are given in a book from her pen en- titled, Floral Home. "Slowly and surely pro- gressed the Lynx, and rapidly the hours sped on. All nature had conspired to form a glorious day when we first looked on Little Crow's village, or Kaposia, where our boat landed, on the morn- ing of July 16th, 1847. The ringing of the bell occasioned a grand rush, and with telegraphic speed every man woman and child flew to the landing.

"To an unsophisticated eye like mine, the scene on shore was novel and grotesque, not to say re- pulsive; blankets and hair streaming in the wind, limbs uncovered, children nearly naked, the smaller ones entirely so, while a papoose was ludicriously peeping over the shoulder of nearly every squaw. In the midst of the waiting throng appeared the missionary and his sister. * *

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* * * * It was a moment of no ordinary interest, of calm undefinable joy, when I entered the humble mission house. *

* * * The day succeeding my arrival was the Sabbath. To the poor Indian all days are alike. Only a few assembled at the Mission house for worship; a messenger being sent to invite others to come in, the room was soon full. Some listened with pro- found attention, others remained in listless in- difference, and others quietly dozed in their seats. A few were inclined to laugh, some left, but most remained until the services were closed.

"Then commenced their favorite game of ball, arrangements for the same having been going on all the morning, which continued for several suc- cessive days. The competitors for the prize placed their most valuable treasures on a pole, which was carried around by two girls to receive the stakes, and when the last was entered the game commenced. The ball is thrown and caught by a small circle with leather bands on each side, attached to a lever two or three feet long. When uncaught the women fly off in its pursuit, and though they have no other interest in the game, they seem equally engaged with the men. In this game the wives of the chief were most active. * * * * * Towards evening two French- men were seen approaching the village. Sus- picion was immediately rife, with the villagers, that they were bringing with them "fire-water," and some of them came in breathless haste, en- treating Dr. Williamson to prevent it, for too well they knew its disastrous consequences."

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History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 31

Author: J. Fletcher Williams Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: