History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People, Part 7

Author: Publius Virgilius Lawson
Publication date: 1948
Publisher: Chicago : C.F. Cooper
Number of Pages: 773

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. 1

THE COMING OF NICOLET.

On he sped into the often furious Lake Michigan, whose very waters never ending was to him unknown and perhaps the end of it all undoubtedly something to make his heart stand still. Along its bracken shore, from headland to headland, his frail bark was paddled by his dusky seamen. At last, after several weeks of strenuous life in his little boat, he skirted along the shore of Green Bay, then called by them Bay des Puans, and came to the mouth of the Fox river, up over the swift, boiling, dangerous rap- ids of which he proceeded to the village of the Winnebago. Along their course thus far at all the Indian villages passed they had "fastened two sticks to the earth and hung gifts thereon, so as to relieve these tribes from the notion of mistaking them for ene- mies to be massacred. When he was two days' journey from that nation (Winnebago) he sent one of these savages to bear tidings of the peace, which word was especially well received when they heard that it was a European who carried the message, they dis- patched several young men to greet the manitau-that is to say, wonderful man. They meet him, escort him and carry all his baggage."

Having been sent by the French as an ambassador, as they sur- mised to the court of the rich Chinese empire, Nicolet was pro- vided with gorgeous robes in which to make his courtly visit. So before coming to their village he beached his canoe and took off his leather jacket, bespangled with rainbow colored beads, and robed himself in a grand gown "of China damask all strewn with flowers and birds of many colors." The Relation does not say if he was booted and spurred and wore a Gainsborough hat, after the fashion of the times. But it is related that "no sooner did they perceive him, then the women and children fled at sight of a man who carried thunder in both hands, for thus they called the two pistols that he held." Having fired off his pistols and dis- played his elegant clothes, he was himself surprised to learn that these were only ordinary half naked savages and their grand palaces only straw covered conical huts.

He soon made friends with the Winnebago. "News of his com- ing quickly spread to the places round about and there assembled 4,000 or 5,000 men. Each of the chiefs made a feast for him, and at one of these banquets they served at least six score beavers." Having made a peace with all these people, Nicolet returned. Although he does not mention it, the beautiful wild woods of sturdy oaks and graceful elm, filled with the song birds' sweetest melodies, lined the river banks, from which at night came the

HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

screech of the panther and between the branches of which by sunlight walked the bear, the graceful doe and lordly buck. His swarthy paddle put to flight vast flocks of wild fowl, and farther up the river beyond Berlin on his way home his way must often have been disturbed by droves of buffaloes.

Though in its conclusion Nicolet's voyage was one of un- bounded pleasure, yet before and while on the way it must have been of the most thrilling interest and expectation and often filled with dread and certainly of many dangers.

The monument erected in the park at Menasha to com- memorate the coming of the first white man to Wisconsin was ac- complished by a movement inaugurated by the Menasha Ladies' Study Club and the Menasha Economic Club. The committee in charge were Mrs. James Thom, chairman, and Mrs. Harry Fisher, Mrs. F. D. Lake, Mrs. William H. Miner and Mrs. T. M. Gilbert. Upon the elaboration of the original plans the Common Council became interested in the movement and passed a resolution em- powering its committee to aid in the erection of the monument, and the Park Board consented to have it placed within the park. Its cost was about $1,000. The black trap boulder on which the bronze tablet is placed was taken from the ancient cornfields of the Winnebago not far away on the head of Doty Island.

The inscription on the monument reads: "Near this spot landed, 1634, first white man in Wisconsin, Jean Nicolet-Metthe Winnebago Tribe-Held earliest white council with 5,000 savages -Erected by Women's Clubs of Menasha, 1906." The ceremony of unveiling the monument took place in the afternoon and was included in and made part of the programme of the second field assembly of the Wisconsin Archeological Society, whose members were present. About forty members of the Historical Society of Green Bay, in attendance on these meetings, were present. There were also many distinguished citizens of the state and an im- mense gathering of residents. Mrs. James Thom acted as chair- man; Mrs. Sally McCarty Pleasants gave the address of presenta- tion; Miss Mary P. Whipple made the address on Nicolet; Mr. Franklin D. Lake accepted the monument for the public, and Mr. A. Duane Clinton made a humorous talk on the earliest recollec- tions of the first boy born near the location.

VI.

THE FOX TRIBE AND THE BATTLE GROUND OF THE FRENCH AND OUTAGAMIS.

From the earliest times of which any mention is made of this tribe their history seems to be one long battle either with other savage nations or the French. Their permanent country was in West Menasha west of the Little Butte des Morts lake and along the upper Fox river from the time they were first known to the Whites until about 1763. Their head village was about three- quarters of a mile west of Little Lake Butte des Morts.

The sole purpose of the French in exploring the west and main- taining the military posts was the trade they enjoyed with the savages in the furs of wild animals. The French had no ambition to acquire landed estates in the West, although they paid high for the exclusive license to trade with the savages for furs. The only money in the West for many years was its furs. The Fox and Wisconsin rivers being the principal route by which the trader could reach the rich fur-bearing region of the Wisconsin and upper Mississippi river, the French government of Canada, who controlled the western region until 1760, were deeply inter- ested in keeping this river free and safe from danger to those passing along its waters, either laden with the goods for trade or returning burdened with the spoils of the wild woods. The Fox Indians and their strong allies, the Mascoutin, Kickapoo, Winnebago and Sauk, all lived along the banks of this historic highway, and the known dislike of the French by the Foxes brought on a half century of bitter warfare, which brings the tribe into historic prominence and make them the most important tribe in the West during the olden period. The tribe is supposed by archeologists to have migrated from the east with other Algonquian nations after the Winnebago had located in Wiscon- sin. The earliest historic account of them places them in Win- nebago county, on the west shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts.

From a letter written by La Salle descriptive of the rivers of Wisconsin. 1682, we find in making his journey down stream "the village of the Outagamie is reached half a league from the river

HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

on the north side," below Lake Winnebago and about five miles above Grand Chute Falls.1 In his rambling narrative of ancient traditions and current history La Potheries, who had his facts from Perrot, a narrative credited to the years between 1640 and 1660, there is mention of the Winnebago, when, much reduced by famine and pestilence, sending a party of "500 warriors against the Outagamis, who dwelt on the other shore of the lake," but perished in a storm while crossing. This was probably Little Lake Butte des Morts, as there is evidence that the Foxes lived on the west shore and the Winnebago on the east shore of this lake.

In Perrot's visit to the Fox river tribe credited to the years 1665-1666, as related in La Potherie, the Foxes had formed a vil- lage of 600 cabins. Some Frenchmen, guided by some Sauk chiefs, visited the Foxes at their winter camp seventy-five miles from Green Bay. They found a large village, but destitute of everything. They had four or five hatchets which had no edge, which they used by turns for cutting their wood. They had scarcely one knife or bodkin to a cabin, but cut their meat with stones, which they used for arrows, and scaled their fish with muscle shells. They were hideous with want. Although large, their bodies were deformed. They had disagreeable faces, brutish voices and evil aspects, and begged continuously from the French.2 "The Miamis, the Mascoutin, the Kickapoo and fifteen cabins of Islinois came toward the Bay in the following summer (1666) and made their clearings thirty miles away beside the Foxes toward the South." This was south of the Potawatomi, who were on the east shore of the head of Green Bay, where the French had located with them, and these people had come down river to get closer to the trade in guns, knives and hatchets.3

They were visited by the first missionary to ascend the Fox river, Father Claude Allouez, in 1670. He found them on the Little Wolf river in Waupaca county, near the present village of Manawa. Of this visit he says, "These savages had withdrawn to these regions (Questatinong) to escape the persecution of the Iroquois, and settled in an excellent country. the soil of which

1 16 "Wis. Hist. Colls.," 106.

2 16 Ib .. 41.

ª See "The Location of the Mission of St. Mark. " by Publius V. Lawson. 1900.

THE FOX TRIBE.

is black, yielding them Indian corn in abundance. They live by hunting during the winter, returning to their cabins toward its close, and living there on Indian corn that they had hidden away the previous autumn." In the midst of their clearing they have a fort, where their cabins of heavy bark are situated for resisting all sorts of attacks. On their journeys they make themselves cabins with mats. They are at war with the Sioux, their neigh- bors. Canoes are not used by them, and for that reason they do not make war on the Iroquois, although they are often killed by them. They are held in very low estimation, and are considered by the other nations as stingy, avaricious, thieving, chloric and quarrelsome. They have a poor opinion of the French since two traders in beaver skins appeared among them."'

"They were haughty and insolent," and at first were insolent to him, rebuffed and mocked him; but persevering in his efforts to influence them with the gospel, "cheering some with the hope of paradise, and frightening others with the fear of hell," he finally secured their attention and even affection. He baptized seven persons, and the elders promised to build him a chapel when he returned. They were especially interested in the cross, almost everyone, young or old, frequently made its sign, and a war party from this tribe believe they have won a battle by this means. Allouez erected in their village a large cross, "thus tak- ing possession of these infidel lands in the name of Jesus Christ." He says mass every day and preaches against their superstition and licentious customs; yet no one interferes with him. "This is a special grace for this village, where the people are self-willed beyond anything that can be imagined." They listen to him, but are easily diverted from belief in the new faith when it does not protect them from their enemies. "This nation is renowned for being populous, the men who bear arms numbering more than 400, while the number of women and children is the greater on account of polygamy which prevails among them, each man having commonly four wives, some have six and others ten.

Six large cabins of these people were put to rout this month of March by eighteen Seneca Iroquois, who, guided by two fugitive Iroquois slaves of the Potawatomi, made an onslaught and killed all the people except thirty women, whom they led away captive. As the men were away hunting they met with little resistance, there being only six warriors left in the cabins besides the women

' 16 Ib., 70.

HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

and children, who numbered about 100." This probably occurred at their old village at West Menasha. In 1677-79 Allouez and Silvy attended the Foxes in their mission, and Allouez was their mis- sionary from 1670 for about ten years. In 1675 he wrote that he expects much of the Foxes, "for they have been sorely afflicted of late by war, famine and pestilence."

The tribe was always known to the French as Les Renards, which is rendered Foxes in English. Their neighbors spoke of them as Outagamies and they called themselves Musquakies from Moshwa, red and aki land.

Their retreat into the dark forests of the Little Wolf river in 1670 was for a period of about ten years, for by 1682, as men- tioned above, La Salle finds them again located in their ancient home in' West Menasha.

Revolt of the Foxes and Northwest Tribes in 1687.

The Dutch and English along the Hudson river through their allies, the powerful Iroquois, who occupied the lands south of Lake Ontario, came very near to making a peaceable conquest in 1687 of the whole rich fur bearing land of the Northwest by the weakness of the French and the defection of their tribes in their haste to arrange personally a peace with the Iroquois, ignoring the offices of the French. This was the same contest which then begun was successfully defeated by the French for over seventy years. At this time the outpost of Mackinac, located at the present St. Ignace, on the main land, with its few mission- aries and soldiers, was the western limit of the French garrisons. Beyond this there were some traders on the Mississippi in the Sioux country. There was also a very small force at Old Detroit, at the foot of Lake Huron, where Duluth had built a stockade with orders to occupy it with fifty men.

The tribes of the northeast had been in constant danger from the hostility of the Iroquois, and the impoverished and feeble as well as incompetent government of Canada had prevented the French from assisting in their defense, as also caused them to fail of success in their raids against the Iroquois. The Iroquois, goaded by the past cruel treatment by the French and em- boldened by their weakness, renewed their raids into lower Canada. They massacred the settlements of La Chine in August, 1689, and overrun Montreal, butchering or torturing to death over 400 men, women and children. To the French government

THE FOX TRIBE.

at Paris it became evident that a more capable and experienced head was required in Canada, and in 1889 returned Count de Frontenac. He found the Hurons and Ottawa, who occupied the region of the present state of Michigan, had arranged to make peace with the Iroquois on their own account, and the Foxes of the Fox river in the present Wisconsin had returned the prison- ers they held of the Iroquois and effected a peace with them. The tribes of the whole Northwest were ready to join with the English and Dutch in New York for trade in the peltries of this rich fur-bearing region. Frontenac at once despatched Monsieur de Louvigny with a force of 170 men, accompanied by Perrot and others, to relieve Monsieur de la Durautaye at Mackinac and recover the good opinion of the Hurons and Ottawa.

After their arrival Perrot proceeded with a small force up the Fox river on the information which had been brought to them of the disaffection of the Foxes and of their intention to ambush and massacre the French traders as they returned up the Wis- consin and down the Fox from the Sioux country.

The Foxes had returned to the Iroquois five chiefs, whom they had captured while on a hostile raid against the Illinois, and the Iroquois, being greatly pleased, had sent an embassy to the Foxes with a large wampum collar of friendship. These two great tribes of the East and West were now in strong alliance to please the Iroquois and doubtless to secure the booty that would result. The Foxes had let it be known that they intended to murder the French traders on their return through their vil- lage of Little Butte des Morts.

The Foxes, to make ready for the returning French traders, had taken their tomahawks to the mission house of the Jesuits at Depere, which "were dulled and broken, and had compelled a Jesuit brother to repair them. Their chief held a naked sword ready to kill him while he worked. The brother tried to repre- sent to them their folly, but was so maltreated that he had to take to his bed." The chiefs then led their warriors up the river into ambuscade to await the French traders.

Sieur Nicholas Perrot proceeded up the bay to the mission house, where he was met by the Winnebago chief, who had been to the Foxes and informed them of the coming of Perrot. The chief of the Foxes did not wait his coming, but fled to the wilderness and left orders for his people to give him a kind reception.

When Sieur de la Mathe Cadillac established the new post at

HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

Detroit it was a part of his scheme to settle near him bands of savages both for protection and trade, as well as to obtain their services in tilling the soil to raise the necessary crops of corn and vegetables for the maintenance of the garrison and habitants. A band of Foxes, Mascoutins and Kickapoos from the Fox river of Wisconsin, asked to settle there, came down in 1712 and, having been assigned their location, built a fort and established themselves. The Foxes were under their great chief, Pemoussa. Instigated by the blundering methods of Sieur Dubuisson, who commanded at Detroit since Monsieur de la Mathe Cadillac had been transferred, in 1711, to the governor- ship of Louisiana, the several savage nations, enemies to the Foxes, took advantage of their unprotected advance near De- troit to attack them.

These nations were Hurons, Ottawa, Chippewa and Missasaugas of Michigan. The Illinois, Missouris and Osages of the West, together with some Potawatomi, Sauk and Menominee of Green Bay. There were about 800 Foxes and Mascoutins who had set- tled there with their men, women and children. There were of the enemy about 1,500 warriors, though the accounts differ. In the stockade at Detroit there were twenty-six Frenchmen soldiers and traders or helpers.

From the French and savages in the stockade and from the woods a continuous fire was kept up against the camp of the Foxes and Mascoutins for nineteen days. The Foxes dug holes in the ground for shelter from the bullets of the enemy. Cut off from water, they were exhausted from thirst and hunger. Friends coming to them from the West were surprised and cap- tured, unaware of their siege. It was the sport of the French Indians "to shoot them or fire arrows at them and then burn them." Many of the Foxes dying of hunger and thirst, the camp became filled with pestilence. Pemoussa, the head war chief, and Allamima, their great peace chief, called with a white flag on the French for a council. Pemoussa at their head wore a "crown of wampum upon his head and many belts of wampum on his body and hung over his shoulder. Ile was painted with green earth and supported by seven female slaves, also painted and covered with wampum." Three other chiefs had each a chickikone, a small drum used by medicine men, "calling all the devils to their assistance to have pity on them. They had figures of little devils hanging on their girdles." In this manner they were received into the stockade, where Pemoussa begged for

THE FOX TRIBE.

mercy, not for himself, but for "our women and our children." But the French and their allies refused to grant them quarter.

In the rain and darkness of the night they escaped and were pursued by the savage enemies, led by Sieur de Vincennes and several other Frenchmen, who came up to the fugitives ten miles above Detroit, near Lake St. Clair, where about twenty of the pursuers were killed before they discovered the Foxes. After four days' siege the Foxes surrendered on a promise of protec- tion, but the savages gave them no quarter. "All were killed except the women and children, whose lives were spared, and 100 men who had been tied but escaped." All the Indian allies of the French returned to the fort with their captives. "Their amusement was to shoot four or five of the Foxes every day. The Hurons did not spare a single one of them," and the priest "rendered thanks to God for, having preserved us from our enemies."

The report says that 1,000 of the Foxes and Mascoutins were killed, although just before this the statement was made that they had 300 warriors and that no women and children were killed. The statement must therefore be modified to possibly a death list of between 200. and 300.

In regard to this affair Father Joseph J. Marest, of the Society of Jesus, seems to imply the attack was by the French on the Foxes.1 Gaspard Chaussegros de Lery, chief engineer of Canada, understands it was a treacherous attack upon the Foxes by the French after they had been invited to settle near Detroit.2 The report made by Sieur de Buisson does not make it clear that he attacked the Foxes for anything they had done, but only to aid the Indian enemies of the Foxes, especially the Ottawa, who sought three of their women held captive by the Foxes. Mr. Hebbard claims the French took this means to destroy the Foxes: "Enticed them to Detroit in order that they might be slaughtered." Francis Parkman says: "It is by no means cer- tain they came with deliberate hostile intent. Had this been the case they would not have brought their women and children.'3 Dr. Reuben G. Thwaite supposes: "Intertribal jealousies and hatreds are a sufficient explanation of the cruel overthrow of the Foxes." Thus the modern historian sees that the Foxes were attacked and murdered in a cruel manner at Detroit.

1 16 Ib., 289.

2 16 Ib., 293.

' See "Half Century of Conflict, " 268-287.

80 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.

Monsieur de Lery, chief engineer of Canada, makes that cruel act of the French at Detroit the cause of the future wars of the Foxes; the beginning of the battle for the golden fleece, in which the war whoop of the Foxes was heard around the world, and France was involved in a half century of war with the mighty Outagamis. He says, "Thus perished the Foxes whom the Monsieur de la Mothe had brought to Detroit. As soon as the Mascoutin and Kickapoo learned of this deed they sent many war parties into the field to all the routes of travel. They caused all the other nations to take to flight. This went on until Mon- sieur de Louvigny besieged them in their fort in 1716. It does not seem from previous history that the Outagamis were ever friendly to the French, except intermittently as a matter of ex- pediency, and it is quite impossible to say when the enmity was begun, though possibly it was close to 1670, when the first traders cheated them.

Sieur de Vaudreuil, the Governor, and Sieur Begon, the In- tendant, the official heads of the dual government of Canada, in their report to the "Ministere des Colonies" at Paris, November 15, 1713, wished to send Sieur de Louvigny that spring to bring about peace or "have the war with the Foxes continued," but feared their authority to do so. They now sought authority to proceed against the Foxes, for as "the common enemies of all the nations of the upper country it is absolutely necessary to take all possible measures to destroy them," as they had recently killed at Detroit three Frenchmen and five Hurons. The Hurons had sent to Quebec to ask for help to fight the Foxes and threat- ened to ask English aid unless help was forthcoming. The people at Detroit were said to be obliged to remain under cover of the fort, fearing to go out. They reported the Foxes had killed one L. Espine, a Frenchman, at Green Bay, and unless the Foxes were humbled the French would have the contempt of all the tribes. For the enterprise against the Foxes it was recommended that licenses be granted to the French to trade in the lake country, to agree to join the war against the Foxes, and to assemble at Mackinac for that purpose. Also to furnish before departing fifty pounds powder and 100 pounds of bullets so the war would be carried on "without expense to his majesty." The soldiers to indemnify themselves by trading the merchandise they carry with them as soon as the war with the Foxes is ended. To in- crease the number of French in the party it was recommended to grant amnesty to the 100 coureurs des bois who had assembled to

THE FOX TRIBE.

trade in the Lake country without the authority of the Canadian officials. This report was seconded by a letter from Claude de Ramezay, Governor of Montreal, to the Minister at Paris, dated September 18, 1714, in which he mentions the matters set out by the Governor and intendant, and mentions "The pitiable situa- tion of the savage nations, who are dying of hunger in their cabins, not daring to leave them to go hunting on account of their well grounded fear that the Foxes will destroy them all one after the other."

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History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People, Part 7

Author: Publius Virgilius Lawson Publication date: 1948 Publisher: Chicago : C.F. Cooper Number of Pages: 773

Author: Publius Virgilius Lawson
Publication date: 1948
Publisher: Chicago : C.F. Cooper
Number of Pages: 773