History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 20

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298

USA > Wisconsin > Richland County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 20
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

How a work of this kind could exist in a coun- try that has hitherto (according to the general received opinion) been the seat of war to un- tutored Indians alone, whose whole stock of military knowledge has only, till within two- centuries, amounted to drawing the bow, and whose only breast work even at present is the thicket, I know not. I have given as exact an account as possible of this singular appearance, and leave to future explorers of these distant regions to discover whether it is a production of nature or art. Perhaps the hints I have here given might lead to a more perfect investiga- tion of it, and give us very different ideas of the ancient state of realms that we at present believe to have been from the earliest periods only in the inhabitations of savages.

"The Mississippi below this lake flows with a gentle current, but the breadth of it very uncertain, in some places being upward of a mile, in others not more than a quarter. This river has a range of mountains on each side throughout the whole of the way, which in par- ticular parts approach near to it, in others lie at a greater distance. The land betwixt the moun- tains, and on their sides, is generally covered with grass, with a few groves of trees inter- spersed, near which large droves of deer and elk are frequently seen feeding. In many places pyramids of rocks appeared, resembling old ruinous towers; at other amazing preci- pices, and what is very remarkable, whilst this scene presented itself on one side, the opposite side of the same mountain was covered with the finest herbage, which gradually ascended to its summit. From thence the most beautiful and extensive prospect that imagination can form opens to your view. Verdant plains, fruitful meadows, numerous islands, and all these abounding with a variety of trees that yield amazing quantities of fruit, without care or cultivation,such as the nut-tree, the maple which produces sugar, vines loaded with rich grapes, and plum trees bending under their blooming burdens; but above all, the fine river flow-

ing gently beneath, and reaching as far as the eye can extend, by turns attract your attention and excite your wonder."

The following excellent summary of explora- tions from DuLuth to Carver, is from the Illus- trated Historical Atlas of Wisconsin of 1878:

"In 1680, the trader DuLuth was at the head of Lake Superior; and at the same time, LaSalle was on the Illinois river. The latter dis- patched Father Louis Hennepin, with two com- panions to explore that river to its mouth. From this point they turned their canoe up the Mississippi, and fell into the hands of the Sioux, who led them captive to their home above the falls of St. Anthony, where they passed the winter. The following summer, 1681, Henne- pin represented to his captors that he expected a party of Frenchmen at the Wisconsin with merchandise, which induced them to set out in canoes to meet the traders, the Father being permitted to follow. The party in advance, upon reaching the Wisconsin and finding no Frenchmen, retraced their course and met their prisoner with severe reproaches for deceiving them. DuLuth, hearing of these men, de- scended the St. Croix with five attendants and joined them on the Mississippi, whereupon taking Hennepin under his protection, the whole party proceeded down the Mississippi and by way of the Wisconsin to Green bay, stopping within a day or two's journey of the Wisconsin, to smoke some meat.

"Nicholas Perrot proceeded by this route to visit the Sioux in 1683. He was at the time, or soon afterward, commissioned by the governor of Canada to manage the interests of commerce from Green bay westward. He built a small log fort nearly opposite the mouth of Chippewa river, which he appears to have made his winter headquarters for several years. It was called the post of the Nadouessioux (Sioux). De Borie Guillot is mentioned by Charlevoix as trading near the Mississippi, whence he was re- called in 1687; and is cited by Perrot as com- manding the French traders in the neighbor-

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hood of the Wisconsin on the Mississippi. Le- Sueur, in 1683, descended the Wisconsin and ascended the Mississippi to the Sioux in the region about St. Anthony, with whom he con- tinued to trade at intervals until 1702. Ilis last voyage was made from Louisiana, the governor of Canada refusing permission, having resolved to abandon the country west of Mack- inaw. An attempt was made to renew the traffic with the Sioux by this route in 1727 by an expedition under the Sieur de La Perriere, which established a post and erected a stockade on the north side of Lake Pepin. The traders reached this point at intervals for a few years; after which, it was entirely abandoned. These are all the trustworthy accounts given of this region during the French domination in the northwest. They show that the waters of the Wisconsin and the Mississippi were traversed at intervals, but do not indicate that the locality of Prairie du Chien was visited or attracted any attention. This may be explained in con- nection with the causes that subsequently brought it into notice.

" In 1766, Jonathan Carver visited this region with a view of ascertaining favorable situations for new settlements, and is the first traveler who mentions Prairie du Chien. He set out from Mackinaw, the most remote British post in the northwest, in the month of September, in the company of some traders. In passing down the Wisconsin, he observed upon the right bank about five miles above its mouth, at the eastern base of a pyramid of rocks, the ruins of a vil- lage of the Foxes, which had been abandoned for the better location at the Prairie du Chien. Here he found about 300 families in houses well built after the Indian manner, and pleasantly situated on a very rich soil, from which the necessaries of life were raised in abundance. The occupants had many horses of good size and shape. The peculiarities of the location are remarked, and the place is described as a summer resort for traders, who were met here annually about the month of May, by a

large assemblage of the Indian tribes, both near and remote, with furs to dispose of, so that it had become a trading mart of considerable im- portance. While here, the different tribes, even though at war with each other, refrained from any acts of hostility, a voluntary agreement which they ever afterward observed. Some- times, however, they proceeded to Mackinaw or Louisiana before disposing of their furs. In Carver's faithful and minute narrative, no men- tion is made of any French settlement or other white residents, or of fortifications, from which circumstance it is highly probable that there were none in existence. His book did not in- duce the progress of settlement into this region, and the British outposts were advanced no fur- ther than Mackinaw, consequently, Prairie du Chien is not again brought in notice by accounts of that period, until 1780. In June of that year, the traders had collected a lot of peltries, and deposited them at the Prairie, in charge of Charles de Langlade, a noted trader of Green Bay and Mackinaw. The American forces then occupied Illinois, and hearing reports that they were intending the capture of Prairie du Chier, the commandant at Mackinaw, sent forward an expedition to bring away the stores, in charge of John Long, lieutenant in a company of trad- ers enrolled as militia at that post. The party consisting of twenty Canadians, and thirty-six of the Fox and Sioux tribes, proceeded in nine large birel canoes, laden with presents for the Indians at the village. Arriving on the seventh day at the mouth of the Wisconsin, they found there an array of 200 Foxes on horseback, armed with spears, bows and arrows, who at first did not seem pleased with the visitors, but after a short parley, conducted them to their village, and feasted them upon dog, bear, bea- ver, deer, mountain cat, and raccoon, boiled in bear's grease, and mixed with buekleberries. A council was then held, the presents were dis- tributed, the chiefs assented to the removal of the peltries, and the visitors re-entered their canoes and moved up to the place of deposit, a

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log house, where they found Capt. Langlade. Three hundred packs of the peltries were placed in the canoes, the remainder, some sixty in number, they were unable to store away, and therefore burned, after which they returned to Mackinaw. The Americans never came, as an- ticipated. The narrative shows no material change in the place, or the course of trade since Carver's visit, except that the traders from the lakes had erected a building, in which their furs could be temporarily lodged and guarded."

We find no further accounts of visits of trav- elers until 1780. At that date Capt. J. Long while at Mackinaw was sent by the command- ing officer to accompany a party of Indians and Canadians to the Mississippi. Information had been received at Mackinaw that the Indian traders had deposited their furs at Prairie du Chien, where there was a town of considerable note, built under the command of Mons. Lang- lade, the King's interpreter, and the object of the expedition was to secure these furs and keep them from the Americans. Capt. Long left Mackinaw with thirty-six Indians of the Outa- gamies and Sioux, twenty Canadians in nine large bireh eanoes, laden with Indian presents. The party arrived at Green Bay in four days and proceeded through the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the forks of the Mississippi where he met 200 of the Fox Indians, and had a feast of five Indian dogs, bear, beaver, deer, mountain cat and raccoon boiled in bear's grease and mixed with huckleberries! He proceeded to Prairie du Chien where he found the merchants peltries in packs in a log house, guarded by Capt. Langlade and some Indians. He took 300 packs of the best skins and filled the canoes. Sixty more were burnt to prevent the enemy (the Americans) from taking them. Ile then returned to Green Bay (in seventeen days) and thence to Mackinaw.

Capt. Long's account of this trip written by himself will be found in full in a subsequent chapter,

It was nearly forty years subsequent to Car- ver's visit before the Mississippi was ascended by any one who left. a record of his journey. In 1805 Maj. Z. M. Pike made a reconnoisance up the river. We give his description of what he saw as he passed from a point below the mouth of the Wisconsin up to "a prairie called La Crosse:"

Sept. 2, [1805], Monday .- After making two short reaches, we commenced one, which is thirty miles in length, the wind serving, we just made it; and encamped on the east side oppo- site to the mouth of Turkey river. In the course of the day, we landed to shoot at pig- eons; the moment a gun was fired, some Indi- ans, who were on the shore above us, ran down and put off in their peroques with great pre- cipitation; upon which Mr. Blondeau informed me, that all the women and children were frightened at the very name of an American boat, and that the men held us in great respect, conceiving us very quarrelsome, and much for war, and also very brave. This information I used as prudenee suggested. We stopped at an encampment, about three miles below the town, where they gave us some excellent phuuns. They dispatched a peroque to the village, to give notice, as I supposed, of our arrival. It commenced raining about dusk, and rained all night. Distance, forty miles.

September 3, Tuesday. - Embarked at a pretty early hour. Cloudy. Met two peroques of family Indians; they at first asked Mr. Blon- deau, "if we were for war, or if going to war?" I now experienced the good effect of having some person on board who could speak their language ; for they presented me with three pair of ducks and a quantity of venison, suthi- cient for all our crew, one day; in return, I made them some trifling presents. Afterwards met two peroques, carrying some of the war- riors spoken of on the 2d inst. They kept at a great distance, until spoken to by Mr. Blon- dean, when they informed him that their party had proceeded up as high as Lake Pepin, with

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out effecting anything. It is surprising what a dread the Indians in this quarter have of the Americans. I have often seen them go around islands, to avoid meeting my boat. It appears to me evident, that the traders have taken great pains to impress upon the minds of the savages, the idea of our being a very vindictive, fero- cious and warlike people. This impression was perhaps made with no good intention; but when they find that our conduct towards them is guided by magnanimity and justice, instead of operating in an injurions manner, it will have the effect to make them reverence, at the same time they fear us. Distance, twenty-five miles.

"September 4th, Wednesday .- Breakfasted just below the mouth of the Wisconsin. Ar- rived at the Prairie Les Chiens about 11 o'clock; took quarters at Capt. Fishers, and were politely received by him and Mr. Frazer.

"September 5th, Thursday .- Embarked about half past 10 o'clock in a Schenectady boat, to go to the mouth of the Wisconsin, in order to take the latitude, and look at the situation of the adjacent hills for a post. Was accompanied by Judge Fisher, Mr. Frazer and Mr. Woods. We ascended the hill on the west side of the Mis- sissippi, and made a choice of a spot which l thought most eligible, being level on the top, having a spring in the rear, and commanding a view of the country around. A shower of rain came on which wet us, and we returned to the village without having ascended the Wisconsin as we intended. Marked four trees with A, B, C, D, and squared the sides of one in the center. Wrote to the General.

"September 6th, Friday .- Had a small council with the Puants and Winnebagoes; and a chief of the lower band of the Sioux. Visited and laid out a position for a post, on a hill called Petit Gris, on the Wisconsin, three miles above its mouth. Mr. Fisher accompanied me; was taken very sick, in consequence of drinking some water out of the Wisconsin. The Puants never have any white interpreters, nor have the

Folle Avoine (Menomonee) Nation. In my coun- cil I spoke to a Frenchman, he to a Sioux, who interpreted to some of the Puants.

"September 7th, Saturday .- My men beat all the villagers hopping and jumping. Began to load my new boats.

"September 8th, Sunday .- Embarked at half past 11 o'clock in two batteaux. The wind fair and fresh. I found myself very much embar- rassed and cramped in my new boats, with provision and baggage. I embarked two in- terpreters, one to perform the whole voyage, whose name was Pierre Rosseau, and the other named Joseph Reinulle, paid by Mr. Frazer to accompany me as high as the Falls of St. Anthony. Mr. Frazer is a young gentleman, elerk to Mr. Blakely, of Montreal; he was born in Vermont, but has latterly resided in Canada. To the attention of this gentleman I am much indebted; he procured for me everything in his power that I stood in need of; dispatched his bark canoes and remained himself to go on with me. His design was to winter with some of the Sioux bands. We sailed well, came eighteen miles and encamped on the west bank. I must not omit here to bear testimony to the politeness of all the principal inhabitants of the village. There is, however, a material distinc- tion to be made in the nature of those atten- tions. The kindness of Messrs. Fisher, Frazer and Woods (all Americans), seemed to be the spontaneous effusions of good will, and partial- ity to their countrymen; it extended to the accommodation, convenience, exercises and pastimes of my men; and whenever they proved superior to the French openly showed their pleasure. But the French Canadians ap- peared attentive, rather from their natural good manners, the sincere friendship; however, it produced from them the same effect that natural good-will did in others.

"September 9th, Monday .- Embarked early. Dined at Cape Garlic or at Garlic river, after which we came on to an island on the east side about five miles below the river Iowa, and

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eneamped. Rained before sunset. Distance twenty-eight miles.

"September 10th, Tuesday .- Rain still con- tinuing, we remained at our eamp Having shot at some pigeons, the report was heard at the Sioux lodges; when La Yieulle sent down six of his young men to inform me that he had waited three days with meat, etc., but last night they had began to drink, and, that on the next day he would receive me with his people sober. I returned him for answer, that the season was advanced, that time was pressing, and that if the rain eeased, I must go on. Mr. Frazer and the interpreter went home with the Indians. We embarked about 1 o'clock. Frazer returning, informed me that the chief aequieseed in my reasons for pressing forward, but that he had prepared a pipe (by way of letter) to present me, to show to all the Sioux above, with a message to inform them that I was a chief of their new fathers, and that he wished me to be treated with friendship and respeet. * *

* We embarked about half past 3 o'clock, eame three miles and encamped on the west side. Mr. Frazer we left behind, but he came up with his two pirogues about dusk. It commeneed raining very hard. In the night a pirogue arrived at the lodges at his eamp. During our stay at their eamp, there were soldiers appointed to keep the crowd from my boats. At my departure their soldiers said: As I had shaken hands with their chief, they must shake hands with my soldiers. In which request I willingly indulged them.

"September 11th, Wednesday .- Embarked at 7 o'clock, although raining. Mr. Frazer's eanoes also came on until 9 o'clock. Stopped for breakfast and made a fire. Mr. Frazer staid with me, and finding his pirogues not quite able to keep up, he dispatched them. We em- barked ; eame on until near 6 o'clock, and en- eamped on the west side. Saw nothing of his pirogues after they left us. Supposed to have come sixteen miles this day. Rain and cold winds, all day ahead. The river has never been

elear of islands since I left Prairie les Chiens. I absolutely believe it, here, to be two miles wide. Hills, or rather prairie knobs, on both sides.

"September 12th, Thursday. It raining very hard in the morning, we did not embark until 10 o'clock, Mr. Frazer's pirogues then com- ing up. It was still raining and was very eold. Passed the Raeine river, also a prairie ealled La Crosse, from a game of ball played frequently on it by the Sioux Indians. This prairie is very handsome; it has a small, square hill, similar to some mentioned by Carver. It is bounded in the rear by hills similar to the Prairie les Chiens. On this prairie Mr. Frazer showed me some holes, dug by the Sioux, when in expeeta- tion of an attack, into which they first put their women and children, and then erawl them- selves. They were generally round, and about ten feet in diameter; but some were half moons and quite a breastwork. This I understood was the chief work, which was the principal redoubt. Their modes of construeting are, the moment they apprehend or discover an enemy on a prairie, they eommenee digging with their knives, tomahawks and a wooden ladle ; and in an ineredibly short space of time they have a hole sufficiently deep to cover themselves and their family, from the balls or arrows of the enemy. They have no idea of taking those sub- terraneous redoubts by storm, as they would probably lose a great number of men in the attack ; and although they might be successful in the event, it would be considered a very im- prudent action. Mr. Frazer, finding his canoes not able to keep up, staid at this prairie to or- ganize one of them, intending then to overtake us."

(OBSERVATIONS OF MAJ. PIKE.)

"The village of the Prairie les Chiens is situ- ated about one league above the mouth of the Wiseonsin river. *

* * The prairie on which the village is situated is bounded in the rear by high, bald hills. It is from one mile to three-quarters of a mile from the river, and ex-

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tends about eight miles from the Mississippi to where it strikes the Wisconsin, at the Petit Gris, which bears from the village southeast by east. * * From the village to Lake Pepin we have, on the west shore, first Yellow river, about twenty yards wide, bearing from the Mississippi nearly due west. Second, the lowa river, about 100 yards wide, bearing from the Mississippi about northwest. Third, the Racine river, about twenty yards wide, bearing from the Mississippi nearly west, and navigable for canoes sixty miles. Fourth, the rivers Embarra and L'Eau Claire, which join their waters just as they form a confluence with the Mississippi, and are about sixty yards wide, and bear nearly southwest.

"On the east shore, in the same distance, is the river de la Prairie la Crosse, which empties into the Mississippi, at the head of the prairie of that name. It is about twenty yards wide, and bears north-northwest.

"We then meet with the Black river. *

* * In this division of the Mississippi the shores are more than three-fourths prairie on both sides, or, more properly speaking, bald hills, which, instead of running parallel with the river, form a continual succession of high, perpendicular cliffs and low valleys ; they ap- pear to head on the river, and to transverse the country in an angular direction. Those hills and valleys give rise to some of the most sub- lime and romantic views I ever saw. But this irregular seenery is sometimes interrupted by a wide extended plain, which brings to mind the Verdant lawn of civilized life, and would almost induce the traveler to imagine himself in the center of a highly cultivated plantation. The timber of this division is generally birch, elm and cottonwood, all the cliffs being bordered by cedar."

Maj. S. II. Long having made a tour to the portage of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, re- turned to Prairie du Chien and made a voyage to the Falls of St. Anthony, in a six-oared skiff, accompanied by a Mr. Hempstead as interpret-

er, and by two young men named King and Gunn, grandsons of Capt. Jonathan Carver, who were going up to the Sauteurs to establish their claim to lands granted by those tribes to their grandfather. The day after his arrival, (July 23, 1817,) he examined the country to find a location better adapted for a post than the present one, but did not succeed. While here he made excursions in the surrounding country, and refers to the remains of ancient earth-works above the mouth of the Wisconsin, more numerous and of greater extent than had heretofore been noticed. On the 25th he meas- ured and planned Fort Crawford. He says it is a square of 340 feet each side, of wood, with a magazine 12x24 of stone-that it will accom- modate five companies-block houses, two stories high, with cupolas or turrets. The building of the works was commenced July 3, 1816, by troops under command of Col. Hamil- ton, previous to which time no timber had been ent, or stone quarried for the purpose. He says: "Exclusive of stores, workshops and stables, the village contains only sixteen dwell- ing houses, occupied by families. In the rear of the village about three-quarters of a mile are four others, two and a half miles above are five, and at the upper end of the prairie are four, and seven or eight scattered over the prairie So that the whole number of family dwellings now occupied does not exceed thirty- eight. The buildings are generally of logs, plastered with mud or clay, and he thinks the village and inhabitants have degenerated since Pike was here in )805. The inhabitants are principally of French and Indian extraction. One mile back of the village is the 'Grand

Farm,' an extensive enelosure cultivated by the settlers in common. It is about six miles in length, and one-quarter to one-half a mile in width, surrounded by a fence on one side, and the river bluffs on the other, thus secured from the depredations of cattle." lle speaks highly of Capt. Duffhey, the commanding officer. He says of the name of the village, it derives its

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name from a family of Indians, formerly known by the name of "The Dog," that the chief's name was "The Dog." This family or band has become extinct. The following tradition con- cerning them came to his knowledge: "That a large party of Indians came down the Wiscon- . sin from Green Bay; that they attacked the family or tribe of the "Dogs" and massacred almost the whole of them and returned to Green Bay; that the few who had succeeded in making their escape to the woods, returned after their enemies had evacuated the prairie, and re-established themselves in their former place of residence, and that they were the Indi- ans inhabiting the prairie at the time it was set- tled by the French.

UP THE MISSISSIPPI IN 1819.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 20

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1298

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298