History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 21

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 21
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 21

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).

[From a "Journal of a voyage from St. Louis to the Falls of St. Anthony in 1819," by Maj. Thomas Forsyth, Indian Agent.]

I set out this morning with a view, if possi- ble, to reach Prairie du Chien, but having no wind in our favor, and current strong, we could get no further than the mouth of the Quiscon- sin. Distance to-day, twenty-four miles.

Monday, July 5, 1819 .- I arrived to-day at 9 A. M., at Prairie du Chien, and immediately the wind sprang up and blew a fresh breeze. This was vexing, as I had experienced five days of head winds successively. I found here, await- ing my arrival, the Red Wing's son, a Sionx Indian, who wished to be considered something, with a band of followers. He invited me to a talk, and after relating the loss of one of his young men who was killed by the Chippewas, he expressed a wish that I would take pity on all present, and give them some goods. All this was a begging speech. I told him that I meant to go up with the troops to the river St. Peter's, and on my way up I would stop at their different villages, where I would speak to them, and give them a few goods. Here I had noth- ing to say, as I could not give any goods at this place, because it required goods to give weight to words, and make them understand

me well. Yet he is such a beggar, that he would not take any refusal. I got up in an abrupt manner and left him and band, to study awhile. The Leaf, the principal chief of the Sioux, ar- rived this evening.

Tuesday, 6th .- The Kettle chief, with a band of Foxes, arrived here to-day, to make arrangements with Mr. Partney about selling him the ashes at the different mines. A boat belonging to the contractor arrived to-day, loaded with provisions for the troops, in twen- ty-five days from Wood river.

Wednesday, 7th .- The contractor's boat left this day to return to Wood river.

Thursday, 8th .- A young Folle Avoine (Me- nomonee) stabbed a young Sioux in a fit of jealousy to-day, near the fort. He was in liquor.

Friday, 9th-The Sionx Indians yesterday seized on the Folle Avoine Indian who had stabbed the young Sioux, and kept him in con- finement, well tied and guarded by a few young Sioux; but the Sioux chiefs sent for the Folle Avoine, and made him a present of a blanket and some other articles of clothing, and made him and the young Sioux whom he had stabbed eat out of the same dish together, thus forgiving and forgetting the past.

Sunday, 11th .- Every day since my arrival at this place, the wind has blown up the river; to-day it came around south and with rain; wind settled at the northwest.

Monday, 12th .- The Red Wing's son is still here a begging. He invited me to talk with him in couneil yesterday. This I refused as I did not wish to be troubled with such a fellow.

Tuesday, 13th .- Much rain this morning; wind southwest.

Wednesday, 14th .- Some Winnebagoes ar- rived from headwaters of Rocky river, and por- tage of Ouisconsin. These fellows are scien- tific beggars. Wind north.

Thursday, 15th .- Yesterday evening the Red Wing's son's band of Sioux Indians set ont for

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their homes, and I am glad of it, for they are a troublesome set of beggars. The wind blows hard from the north to-day, which makes it much cooler than it has been for many days before.

Friday, 16th, -The wind continues to blow hard from the north, and the weather is still cool. Two men arrived this evening from Green Bay in a canoe.

Saturday, 17th .- Mr. Bouthillier (Francois Bouthillier) arrived here to-day from Green Bay. Mr. Shaw also arrived here to-day from St. Louis in a canoe, having left his horses at Rocky Island. He informs me that he left Belle Fontaine on the 15th ult., that the re- eruits destined for the Mississippi set out on the day before and may be expected shortly.

Sunday, 18th-Took a ride out in the coun- try. Found some of the situations handsome, bu' the farmers are poor hands at cultivation. Flour, $10 per ewt .; eorn, $3 per bushel; eggs, $1 per dozen; chickens, 81 to $1.25 a couple. Butter, none made.

Monday, 19th-A little rain, and cool all day. Mr. Shaw left to-day to return home.

Tuesday, 20th-A little rain to-day.

Wednesday, 21st-Winds fair for boats com- ing up the river, and little rain to-day.

Thursday, 22d-A fine wind up the river to- day, with much rain. The old Red Wing, a Sioux chief, with about twenty of his followers, arrived to-day. This is another begging expe- dition.

Friday, 23d-The wind is still up the river, with some rain. The old Red Wing and I had a long talk, and, as I supposed, the whole pur- port was begging.

Saturday, 24th-Having heard much talk about Carreis' elaim to land at or near St. Peter's river, and understanding that the Red Wing knew or said something about it last year, curiosity led me to make inquiries of him, having How an opportunity. Ile told me he remem- bered of hearing his father say that lands lying on the west side of Lake Pepin, known by the name of the old wintering places, were given to

an Englishman; that he is now an old man (about sixty years of age), and does not, him- self, remember the transactions. I wished to continue the conversation, but the old man did not like it and therefore I did not press it.

Sunday, 25th-Wind north and a warm day.

Monday, 26th-Capt. Hiekman and family left this place to-day in an open boat for St. Louis. Wind north, and another warm day.

Tuesday, 27th-Another warm day. No news of any kind.

Wednesday, 28th-A boat arrived here from Green Bay.

Thursday, 29th-This is the warmest day I have experienced this season, although there blew a hard wind up the river all day.

Friday, 30th-Yesterday evening the war party of Foxes who had been on a hunt of some of the Sioux of the interior, returned without finding any. Much wind and rain this morning. I returned Mr. Moore $3, which Mr. Aird gave me last September to buy him some articles, which could not be procured.

Saturday, 31st-Wind light up the river; no boats, no recruits, no news, nor anything else from St. Louis.

Sunday, August 1st-Maj. Marston set out to- day early with twenty-seven troops in three boats to garrison Fort Armstrong, at Roeky Island. The boat which brought the settlers' goods from Green Bay a few days since set out to-day to return home. Some rain to-day; weather warm.

Monday, 2d-Thank God! a boat loaded with ordnance and stores of different kinds arrived to-day, and said a provision boat would arrive to-morrow, but no news of the recruits.

Tuesday, 3d-Weather warm, with some rain.

Wednesday, 4th-This morning the provision boat arrived. No news from St. Louis. This boat brings news of having passed a boat with troops on board destined for this place. Some of the men say two boats. Some rain to-day.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Thursday, 5th-Much rain last night. Col. Leavenworth is determined to set out on the 7th if things can be got ready for the expedition to St. Peter's. The colonel has very properly, in my opinion, engaged the two large boats now here, with as many men belonging to the boats as will remain to accompany the expedition, their contents being wanted for the new estab- lishment at St. Peter's. Without the assistance of these two boats, it would appear impossible for the expedition to go on.

Friday, 6th-Yesterday evening some French- men, who would not agree to go any further up the Mississippi, set out for St. Louis in a bark canoe. This morning eight discharged soldiers set out from this place for St. Louis in a skiff.

Saturday, 7th-Every exertion was made to get off to-day, but impossible. A fine wind up the river.

Sunday, 8th-This morning the colonel told me that he would be ready in an hour, and about 8 o'clock we set out for river St. Peter's. The troops consisting of ninety-eight rank and file, in fourteen bateaux and two large boats loaded with provisions and ordnance, and stores of different kinds, as also my boat; and a barge belonging to the colonel, making seventeen boats; and in the whole ninety-eight soldiers and about twenty boatmen. I felt myself quite relieved when we got under way. . We made to-day eighteen miles.

From Schoolcrafts "Discovery of the Sources of the Mississippi River," we extract the follow- ing:

"At the rapids of Black river, which enters opposite our encampment, a saw mill, we are informed, had been erected by an inhabitant of Prairie du Chien. Thus the empire of the arts has begun to make its way into these regions, and proclaims the advance of a heavy civiliza- tion into a valley which has heretofore only re- sounded to the savage war-whoop. Or, if a higher grade of society and arts has ever before existed in it, as some of our tumuli and antiqui-

ties would lead us to infer, the light of history has failed to reach ns on the subject.

"At the spot of our encampment, as soon as the shades of night closed in, we were visited by hordes of ephemera. The candles lighted in our tents became the points of attraction for these evanescent creations. They soon, however, began to feel the influence of the sinking of the thermometer, and the air was imperceptibly eleared of them in an bour or two. By the hour uf 3 o'clock the next morning (Aug. 5, 1820), the expedition was again in motion descending the river. It halted for breakfast at Painted Rock, on the west shore. While this matter was being accomplished, I found an abundant locality of unios in a curve of the shore which produced an eddy. Fine specimens of U. pur- pureus, elongatus and orbiculatus were obtained. With the increased spirit and animation which the whole party felt on the prospect of our ar- rival at Prairie du Chien, we proceeded unre- mittingly on our descent, and reached that place at 6 o'clock in the evening.

"Prairie du Chien does not derive its name from the dog, but from a noted family of Fox Indians bearing this name, who anciently dwelt here. The old town is said to have been about a mile below the present settlement, which was commenced by Mr. Dubuque and his associates in 1783 .* The prairie is most eligibly situated along the margin of the stream, above whose floods it is elevated. It consists of a heavy stratum of diluvial pebbles and bowlders, which is picturesquely bounded by lofty cliffs of the silurian limestones, and their accompanying column of stratification. The village has the old and shabby look of all the antique French towns on the Mississippi, and in the great lake basins; the dwellings being constructed of logs and barks, and the court-yards pieketed in, as if they were intended for defence. It is ealled Kipisagee by the Chippewas and Algon- quin tribes, generally meaning the place of the .

* This is shown in a subsequent chapter to be erroneous.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

jet or overflow of the (Wisconsin) river. This, in popular parlance, estimated to be 300 miles below St. Peter's and 600 above St. Louis.t

Its latitude is 43 deg., 3 min., 6 sec. It is the seat of justice of Crawford county, having been so named in honor of W. II. Crawford, secretary of the treasury of the U. S. It is, together with all the region west of Lake Mich- igan, att ched to the territory of Michigan. There is a large and fertile island in the Missis- sippi, opposite the place.

"We found the garrison to consist of a single company of infantry, under the command of Capt. J. Fowle, Jr.,* who received us courteous- ly, and offered the salute due to the rank of Ilis Excellency, Gov. Cass. The fort is a square stockade, with bastions at two angles. There was found on this part of the prairie, when it came to be occupied with a garrison by the Americans, in 1819, an ancient platform-mound, in an exactly square form, the shape and outlines of which were preserved with exactitude by the prairie sod. This earthwork, the probable evi- dence of a condition of ancient society, arts and events of a race who are now reduced so low, was, with good taste, preserved by the military when they erected this stockade. One of the officers built a dwelling house upon it, thus con- verting it to the use, and probably the only use, to which it was originally devoted. No meas- urements have been preserved of its original condition; but judging from present appearances, it must have squared seventy-five feet and have had an elevation of eight feet.

"I solicited permission of Gov. Cass to visit the lead mines of Dubuque, which are situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, at the com- puted distance of twenty-five leagues below Prairie du Chien. Furnished with a light canoe, manned by eight voyageurs, including a guide,

I left the prairie at half-past 11 a. m., (Aug. 6), passed the entrance of the Wisconsin, on the left bank, at the distance of a league .* Opposite this point is the high elevation which Pike, in 1806, recommended to be occupied with a mili- tary work. The suggestion has not, however, been adopted; military men probably thinking that however eligible the site might be for a work where civilized Nations were likely to come into contact, a simple style of defensive works would serve the purpose of keeping the Indian tribes in check. I proceeded nine leagues be- low, and encamped at the site of a Fox villaget located on the east bank, a mile below the en- trance of Turkey river from the west.

The village, consisting of twelve lodges, was now temporarily deserted, the Indians being probably absent on a hunt; but if so, it was re- markable that not a soul or living thing was left behind, not even a dog. My guide, indeed, in- formed me that the cause of the desertion was the fears entertained of an attack from the Sioux, in retaliation for the massacre lately perpetrated by them on the heads of the St. Peter's."

In 1823, Count Beltrami came up the Missis- sippi on the steamer Virginia (118 feet long and twenty-two feet wide) in the month of May, and stopped at Prairie du Chien; among the passengers were Maj. Biddle, Mr. Talliaferro, and Lieut. Russel.

Maj. S. H. Long, U. S. A., the same year, made his journey up the Mississippi by order of the Government to discover the sources of St. Peter's river. His party left Philadelphia for Fort Dearborn, Chicago, and thence by land northwest through Illinois and what is now the southwestern counties of Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien, where they arrived on June 20-found Col. Morgan in command. The route taken from Fort Dearborn is believed to be the first

+ These distances are reduces by Cr. Doc. 257. respectively to 260 and 542 miles.

* This officer entered the army in 1812, serving with reputa- tion. He rose through various grades of the service to the rank of Lieut. Col. of the 6th infantry. He lost his life on the25th of April, 1838, by the explosion of the steamer Moselle, on the Ohio River.

* It was at this spot. 137 years ago, that Marquette and M. Joliet, coming from the lakes, discovered the Mississippi.

+ Now the site of Cassville, Grant Co., Wis. It is a post town, pleasantly situated, with a population of 200.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

that ever was taken by the whites, the journey occupied nine days, traversing 228 miles. He says that there were about twenty dwellings with a population of 150. The Fort, he says, is the rudest and most uncomfortable he had ever seen. The site is low and unpleasant. He re fers to the ancient mounds in the vicinity which have been heretofore described. The party were here re-inforced, and proceeded up the river. There were but few Indians here at the time.

Col. T. L. McKenney, one of the commission- ers to treat with the Indians at Butte des Morts, came up the Fox river and down the Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien, arriving at this place, Sep- tember 3, 1827. Ile says: "The buildings are old and in a state of decay, only two good houses, Rollette's and Judge Lockwood's, about 100 decaying tenements, the picket fort stand- ing on the plain a little north of the village, [where the Dousman residence now (1884)stands] and quite a ruin."

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

147

CHAPTER V.

THE WAR OF 1812-15.

Singularly enough, what is now Crawford county has been the theatre of stirring incidents in four wars: The Revolution, the War of 1812-15, the Winnebago War, and the Black Hawk War. The data for what transpired here during the Revolution are exceedingly vague and shadowy excepting only that a detachment of soldiers came up the river to the "prairie" in 1780, and destroyed a warehouse and some fifty packs of furs belonging to British traders. That these soldiers were a detachment from George Rogers Clark's force at the Illinois towns seems altogether probable; nevertheless it must rest upon probability alone, as there is no positive evidence extant that such was the case. Dismissing thus summarily the Revolu- tion, we proceed to notice, in so far as Crawford county was concerned,

THE LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN.

On the 18th of June, 1812, the declaration of war against Great Britain was made by Con- gress. The protection of this part of our fron- tiers was considered of great importance to our- selves, as its possession was to the British. In the summer of 1814, the Government authori- ties at St. Louis fitted out a large keel-boat, made bullet proof, and sent it with what men could be spared, under command of Lieut. Per- kins, to occupy Prairie du Chien. The troops built a stockade upon a mound, the present site of the Dousman residence. Its provisions for defense consisted of four small iron cannon besides the small arms of the garrison. The provisions and ammunition remained on the boat for want of convenient accommodations in the

fort. The British traders of Mackinaw finding their communication with the Mississippi inter- rupted, planned the capture of the post. A strong expedition was fitted out and placed un- der command of Lieut. Col. William MeKay, a member of the Northwest Fur Company, an en- terprising man and resolute officer. He was given two companies of militia, formed among the employees of the traders. One of these companies was commanded by Joseph Rolette, of Prairie du Chien. About eighteen regular troops, under Capt. P'chlman, were assigned to the command, and Col. Dickson furnished Me- Kay a part of his Indian force, numbering about 200 Sioux and 100 Winnebago warriors, and at Green Bay he was joined by about thirty militia and 100 Menomonees and Chippewas. The force now numbered about 150 whites and 400 Indians. Proceeding in boats up Fox river and down the Wisconsin, when within twenty- one miles of the prairie, Michael Brisbois and Augustin Grignon were dispatched in advance to procure information, and returned with the report that the garrison numbered about sixty. The invaders reached the vicinity of the fort, unperceived, about 10 o'clock Sunday morning, July 17, when its officers were upon the point of taking a ride into the country.

As soon as the British and Indians were dis- covered, the citizens left their houses and retired, some to the stockade, but the majority to the country. Col. Mckay made an impos- ing display of his forces, invested the fort above and below, and summoned it to sur- render. Lieut. Perkins promptly refused, where

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

upon some forty of the Green Bay militia and Menomonees gained the island in front of the village and in the rear of the gun-boat, to annoy it while the besiegers opened on it from the land side with a brass six-pounder. One of these shots striking the boat, caused a leakage which, toward sundown, induced Capt. Yeiser, its commander, to swing her round and move down stream. The garrison called on her to stop, and, being unheeded, fired a shot to bring her round, but without effect. She es- caped down the river, ignominiously leaving the garrison almost destitute of provisions and ammunition. Meanwhile, the besiegers directe ] an irregular fire of small arms against the fort, which was occasionally returned, but without effect on either side. The second day was spent by the besiegers in counselling,and doing some shooting at long range. That night some of the Indians commenced to mine from the bank of the river, but their progress toward the stockade was so slow that they soon gave it up. The third day passed as inactively as the sceond. The fourth day McKay prepared to fire the fort with hot shot, to be followed by an assault, when a white flag was raised, and two officers went out and agreed on a surrender of the post and stores, the garrison to retire un- molested down the river. The formal sur- render was made the next morning. Striet orders were given the Indians against molest- ing the disarmed garrison, and an attempt by one of the Sioux to strike a soldier, was promptly punished by a knock down from the war club of a chief. McKay had, however, some trouble in preventing the Indians, es- pecially the Winnebagoes, from plundering the settlers, who had by this time returned to their homes. After several days the prisoners were dispatched down the river, escorted by a squad under charge of Michael Brisbois. The Mack- inaw forces then withdrew, leaving Capt. Pohlman in command of the stockade, which was named Fort McKay, and was garrisoned chiefly by militia, enrolled among the inhabi-

tants of the village, until the following year, when, upon the ratification of peace, the British commander withdrew from the place.

Such, in brief, is the history of the war as en- acted in what is now Crawford county. From it, only a general idea can be had of the many stirring events which transpired on the "prairie" during that war. Additional particu- lars are demanded at our hands, and we append, therefore, a recital of every event thought worthy of preservation.

Concerning MeKay's expedition, James H. Lockwood says:

"At this time [Sept. 1816] at Prairie du Chien the events of the War of 1812 in this quarter were fresh in the minds of every one. I learned that in the spring or summer of 1814, the United States government sent boats, made bullet proof, under a captain Yeiser, who was in command of the boats, and a company of United States troops, under Lient. Perkins, to take and retain possession of Prairie du Chien. Perkins built a stockade on a large monnd, on which Col. Dousman's house now stands, and Capt. Yeiser remained on board the boats where most of the ammunition and provisions were stored as there was no room for them within the stockade.

"Soon after the breaking out of the war, when the American officers in garrison at Mackinaw, and the citizens of that place were yet ignorant of the commencement of hostilities, but apprehensive that war had been declared, some traders were dispatched to the old British post and settlement of St. Josephs, on the east- ern shore of Lake Michigan, for intelligence. As none of the traders returned, remaining absent so much longer than was deemed nec- essary, it naturally enough excited the sus- picions of the commanding officer and the principal citizens of Mackinaw. Under the circumstances, a couneil was held, at which it was determined that immediate information. must be had from St. Josephs, and the question

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

then was, who could go there and not be sus- pected of being a spy. After looking around and finding none qualified to go, the late Michael Dousman, of Mackinaw, said that he had an outfit in Lake Superior that ought, by that time, to be at St. Josephs, and he thought that he could go there and look after his property without being suspected. Accordingly he vol- unteered his services, and late in the afternoon he left Mackinaw for St. Josephs in a canoe. About dark, at Goose island, fifteen miles from Mackinaw, he met the British troops on their way to that place, who took him prisoner, but released him on his parole that he would go back to Mackinaw, and not give the garrison any information of what he had seen, but col- lect the citizens together at the old still-house on the southern side of the island, where a guard would be immediately sent to protect them from the Indians. This promise Mr. Dousman faithfully performed, and was prob- ably the cause of saving many an innocent family from being brutally murdered by the savages. The British arrived, planted their cannon during the night, and in the morning sent in to the commanding officer a copy of the declaration of war, with a demand for him to surrender, which he complied with.

"The traders in the British interest, resorting to Mackinaw as the British headquarters of the northwest, learning of the American ocenpation of Prairie du Chien in 1814, and anticipating, that so long as this force should remain there, they would be cut off from the trade of Prairie dn Chien, its dependencies, and the Sionx country, at once set on foot an expedition for the re-capture of that place. The British officers and traders accordingly fitted out an ex- pedition under the command of Col MeKay, of the Indian department, an old trader; and under him were, a sergeant of artillery with a brass six pounder, and three or four volunteer companies of the Canadian voyageurs, com- manded by traders and officered by their clerks,

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 21

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