History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 22

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 22
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 22

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all dressed in red coats, with probably 100 Indians, officered by half breeds .* Having made a secret march they arrived on the prairie without being expected, and made the best dis- play of red coats and Indians that they could. They made a formidable show, and the Ameri- cans not knowing of what materials they were composed, and supposing they were all British regulars, appeared to have been panic-struck. The sergeant had brought his field picee so well to bear that he hit one of the boats, I be- lieve the one Yeiser was in. During this time the troops and Indians had made a move to- wards the fort, but keeping out of gun shot. On the boat being hit, Capt. Yeiser had the cable ent, and swung round down the river, ordering the others to do the same, carrying with them the provisions and ammunition of the garrison. After the boats had gone, Col. MeKay summoned the fort to surrender, and having neither provisions nor ammunition they had no other alternative, and accordingly sur- rendered. The British took and kept posses- sion of Prairie du Chien until peace, in 1815, thus opening the Indian trade to the traders at Mackinaw. The inhabitants of Prairie du Chien being British subjects, were ordered into service by the British government to do duty in the garrison during the war. The British sergeant of artillery for hitting the keel-boat, was promoted by his government."

GRIGNON'S RECOLLECTIONS.

Col. MeKay came with his force in boats to Green Bay, where he tarried awhile to increase his numbers, and make all necessary prepara- tions. A company of the Green Bay militia, of about thirty persons, and many of them old men unfit for service, was raised; of which Pierre Grignon was the captain, and Peter Powell and myself (Augustus Grignon,) the lieutenants. At the bay, James .I. Porlier, a youth of some eighteen years, and son of

*There were at least 1, 000 Indians under Col, MeKay. as stated in the accounts of the time, and not less than three pieces of light artillery.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Jacques Porlier, was commissioned a lieutenant in the regulars, and joined Pohlman's company .*

Here about seventy-five Menomonees, under Ma-cha-nah, or the Hairy Hand; I-om-e-tah, Kish-kon-nau-kan-hom, or the Cutting off; and Tamah's son, Mau-kau-tau-kee, and a party of about twenty-five Chippewas, mixed with the Menomonees, joined the expedition. Our entire force now consisted of 400 Indians and 150 whites-such was the understanding at the time; if the newspapers of that day represented it much larger, it was for effect on the part of the British to impress the Americans with an idea of their great strength in the northwest; and on the part of the Americans, in palliation of their loss at Prairie du Chien.

At length the expedition moved forward up Fox river, the whites in six boats or barges and the Indians in eanoes, and carrying their craft over the Portage, they deseended the Wiscon- sin. Reaching the old, deserted Fox village, on the Wisconsin, twenty-one miles from Prairie du Chien, the force stopped, while Michael Brisbois, myself, a Sioux and a Winnebago In- dian were dispatched to Prairie du Chien in the night to obtain a citizen and bring him to Col. Mckay, from whom to obtain intelligence. Descending the river to where the ferry has sinee been located, some five or six miles from Prairie du Chien, we went thence across by land and reached the place without difficulty. We saw the sentinel on duty at the fort. We went to Antoine Brisbois, the uncle of Michael Brisbois, of one party, who lived three miles above the town, and took him to where we left. our canoe at the ferry place, then called Petit Gris. There we awaited the arrival of Col. Mckay and his force and they made their ap- pearance the next morning, when the sun was about an hour high. Antoine Brisbois reported the American strength in the garrison at sixty.

We then continued down to the mouth of the Wisconsin, and thence up almost to Prairie du Chien through a channel or bayou between a continuous number of islands and the Missis- sippi. We reached the town about 10 o'clock unperceived. As this was Sunday and a very pleasant day the officers of the garrison were getting ready to take a pleasure ride into the country, and had MeKay been an hour or two later, the garrison would have been caught without an officer .*

Nicholas Boilvin had directed a man named Sandy to go out and drive up his cattle, as he wished to kill a heifer that day, and have some fresh meat. Sandy went out and soon diseov- ered the British approaching, and knew from the red coats worn by the regulars and Capts. Rolette and Anderson, for none of the rest had any, and the dozen British flags displayed by the Indians, that it was a British force. Sandy returned cooly to Boilvin and said there were "lots of red cattle" at such a place, and invited him to go with him and see. Boilvin went and searcely erediting his own eyes, asked earnestly "What is that?" "Why, it is the British!" re- plied Sindy; when Boilvin, who was the American Indian agent at Prairie du Chien,* hastened to b s house and conveyed his family and valnables to the gun-boat for safety. All the citizens now left their houses and fled from the impending danger, some to the fort, but mostly to the country.

*This was the only military service of J. J. Porlier, who re- mained with his company all winter; and the next year, when peace was proelaimed, Capt. Pohlman evacuated Fort MeKay at Prairie du Chien, and returned with his company to Mackinaw. Porlier then left the service, engaged in trade at Green Bay, raised a family and died at Grand Kau-kau- lin in 1838,

* Joseph Crelee, of Portage, wasthen an inhabitant of Prairie du Chien and corroborates Mr. Grignon in this part of his narrative; stating. without knowing that Mr. Grignon had done the same, that the Englishi made their appearance on Sunday, and that he, Crelee, had loaned bis horse and wagon to one of the officers, who were generally preparing to go a riding into the country; and that if Col. MeKay had been an hour later there would not have been an American offieer in the garrison. Upon the alarm being given, Crelee, with many others, ted to the fort, and he shared in the de- fense until the surrender. It may further be added that the newspapers of that day state that Col. MeKay made his ap- pearanee at Prairie du Chien on the 17th of July, 1814, and the 17th of July in that year occurred on Sunday.

* Boilvin's father, during the Revolutionary War re- sided at Quebec, and was there very kind and humane to a wounded American surgeon, who had been taken prisoner; and when exchanged, the elder Boilvin gave him money to earry him home. After the war, Nicholas Boilvin came west as an Indian trader, and did not sueceed; and fortunately meeting the old surgeon at St. Louis, whom his father had befriended. the surgeon sueeeeded in getting Boilvin ap- pointed Indian agent.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Upon arriving at the town, making a very formidable display for that quiet place Rolette and Anderson, with their companies, the Sioux and Winnebago Indians, were directed to take post above the fort, while Col. McKay himself, with the Green Bay company, the regulars, the Menomonees and Chippewas, encompassed it below. A flag was sent in, borne by Capt. Thomas Anderson, demanding the surrender of the garrison, with which demand Lient. Per- kins, the commandant of the post, promptly declined to comply. The six-pounder, under the management of the regulars, was now brought to bear on the gun-boat of the Ameri- cans; the first shot, however, fired by the six- pounder, was a blank charge, intended as a sort of war-flourish or bravado. But our men did not take a very near position; I should say they were half a mile from the gun-boat, if not more, and hence the firing npon the boat by the cannon, and the hiring by guns or cannon from the boat, was generally ineffectnal. When the firing first commenced on the gun-boat, Capt. Grignon, with a part of his company and sev- eral Menomonees, some thirty or forty alto- gether, were directed to cross the river in two boats, and take a position on land so as to annoy and aid to drive off the gun-boat, the po- sition of which was at first near the middle of the stream, but when fired upon, had moved over nearer the western shore. During the day the gun-boat was at least once or twice struck by the balls of the six-pounder, and caused a bad leakage, which, when the sun was about half an hour high, indueed its com- mander to move down stream. Seeing this movement, the Americans in the fort called out to them not to go off; but this being unheeded, they fired their cannon at the boat to stop it. Meanwhile Capt. Grignon and his party over the river* had been annoying the boat. As the

boat passed down the river, one six-pounder was made three times to hit her, twice on the side and once in the stern, but it soon got be- yond our reach. Had we manned some of our boats and pursued, we could undoubtedly have taken it, as we afterward learned that it leaked so badly that the Americans had to stop at the mouth of the Wisconsin and repair it. The only injury the firing of the gun-boat did was a ball, before noon, striking a fence post, some of the slivers of which inflicted a flesh wound in the thigh of one of the Menomonees.

While this contest was progressing with the gun-boat, MeKay's party of whites and Indians, on all sides of the fort, kept up an irregular firing of small arms, which, from their great distance from the fort, was harmless; and thus if they did no harm, they were out of the way of receiving any in turn. At length towards noon, Col. MeKay ordered his men to advance over the Marais St. Freol, a swampy spot, and take position much nearer the fort-not more than a quarter of a mile distant. This was heyed by those on the lower side of the fort, who had a sufficiency of houses to shield them from the guns of the garrison. From this new position, the firing was somewhat increased; but the men under Rolette and Anderson, with the Sioux and Winnebagoes, on the upper side of the fort, kept at a safe distance, fully half a mile off, but they really needed no protection at that distance against small arms. In the fort were four iron cannon, somewhat larger than six-pounders, and these were occasionally fired .* Whenever Capt. Rolette would see the Hash of the cannon, he would give the rather unmilitary order of "Down, my men, down!" A couple of Winnebagoes discovering that there were some hams in a house, which had been deserted, and to which they could not gain an entrance, mounted upon the roof, in- tending to tear off some shingles, when they

* The newspapers of that day. and Me Afee's History of the War in the Western Country, unite in stating that this party had taken position on an island opposite to Prairie du Chien, covered with timber, which served to sereon them from the shots of the gun-boat. This appears quite prob- able.

*Probably there was not much ammunition in the fort, and they wished to he sparing of it, for closer action. if it should come to that; for it has been AInted, that the gun-bont contained the magazine of powder, and that had departed.

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were espied from the fort, and each wounded in the thigh, when they quickly retreated from their exposed situation.

The second day the men and Indians amused themselves with some? long shooting, but Col. Mckay and his officers spent the day in coun- selling as to the best course of procedure. It was pretty much resolved to make an assault, and towards evening assembled the leading Indian chiefs, and laid the plan of an assault be- fore them, when the Winnebago chief Sar-cel, or The Teal, remarked that he and his people remembered too well taking part with the Sba- wanoes in assaulting an American fort, and were beaten back with terrible slaughter, -- probably alluding to the attack on Fort Re- covery,* in Wayne's Indian war in 1793,-and they would not like to resort to so hazardous an experiment; but proposed a better and safer way-to spring a mine from the river bank and · blow up the garrison. Col. McKay did not waste words unnecessarily, but simply replied, "Go at it." Teal and his Winnebogoes spent a part of the evening digging but found their progress in undermining was slow, and after penetrating a dozen or fifteen feet, they gave it up as a bad job. As the fort was several hun- dred feet from the river bank, it would have been an interminable operation for the Indians to have attempted to prosecute their scheme to completion.

Nothing of moment occurred the third day,- as usual some little firing was done. Col. Mckay sent into the country about three miles for a load of straw, which was made up into small bundles to have in readiness to place in the darkness of night, with kegs of powder near the fort, and fire a train of straw leading to the powder, and thus make a breach in the enclos- ure. But this was only designed as a dernier resort. During this day or the preceding one,

a Fox Indian received a spent ball which lodged between his scalp and skull; it was eut out, and the wound was so slight as to prove no obstacle to his sharing in the further events of the siege.

The fourth day Col. McKay resolved to ac- complish something more decisive. Abont 3 o'clock in the afternoon, with his troops properly stationed, and cannon balls heated red hot in a blacksmith's forge, I was sent to go round and specially direct the interpreters to order the Indians not to fire on the fort till the cannon should commence playing the hot shot, and the fort should be set on fire; then to use their muskets as briskly as possible. Scarcely had these directions been given, when the Americans, probably seeing from indications that a severe assault of some kind was about to be made, raised the white flag. Two officers now came out and met Col. McKay-strict or- ders having been given to the Indians not to fire on these Americans, on the pain of being themselves fired on by the British troops. The result was, a surrender was agreed on; Col. McKay should have possession of the fort and public stores, and the Americans be permitted to retire unmolested in boats down the river. By this time it was too late to go through with a formal surrender, which was postponed till the next morning.

A little before the appointed time to give up their arms, one of the Winnebagoes seeing a sol- dier in the fort, made a motion to him to shake hands; the soldier reached his hand through a port-hole, when the Winnebago seized it and cut off one of his fingers, and ran off with his singular trophy. As Lieut. Perkins and his men marched out from the fort to lay down their arms, a Sioux warrior attempted to strike one of the soldiers, when a chief, a son-in-law of Wau-ba-shaw, knocked down his treacherous countryman with his war-elub. Col. McKay had given sneh strict orders to the Indians against massacreing or molesting the Americans, and to the regulars and militia to keep the In-

* Pe-sheu, or the Wild Cat, and Sar-cel, once got into a wrangle in which their bravery was called in question, when Pe-sheu put a elincher by saying to Sar-cel, "Don't you re- member the time we aided the Shawanoes in attacking the fort, that you ran off so fast that you lost your breech- cloth?"

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dians in awe, that nothing more, so far as I know, transpired, that had the least appearance of treachery on the part of the Indians.

When the American flag was hauled down, Col. MeKay was the first to observe the singular fact, that though it was completely riddled else- where with balls, the representation of the American eagle was untouched. The Indians, during the whole four days had directed many shots at the flag and had shot off one of the cords, which let the banner part way down the flag staff, and there it remained till the surren- der. The flag staff was planted near the center of the fort.

Several days elapsed before arrangements were completed by which to send the prisoners down the river. When they took their depart- ure, they escorted Michael Brisbois, with a suitable guard, but I do not know how large a guard, as I hid previously left. I understood Col. Mckay gave the Americans their arms as they started down the river; but I have no knowledge of their being followed by the In- dians.

Capt. Pohlman, with his regulars, remained in command, with the two Mackinaw companies under Capt. Anderson and Lient. Duncan Gra- ham, who was now promoted to the captaincy of his company, as Capt. Rolette had been sent with dispatches to Mackinaw immediately after the surrender.

Indians once off, Col. Mckay, the Green Bay troops, Menomonees and Chippewas took their departure.

Capt. Rolette at length with his boat hove in sight of Mackinaw. Large numbers thronged the shore, anxiously waiting to learn the_ti- dings from Prairie du Chien. "Capt. Rolette, what is the news?" " A great battle-a sanguin- ary contest," responded Rolette, with an air of great solemnity and importance. "How many were killed?" "None!" "How many wounded ?" "None!" "What a bloody contest!" vociferously shouted the crowd, as they escorted the hero from the boat to the garrison.

Capt. Pohlman continued in command at Prai- rie du Chien till after the peace, which ensned the following year, when the fort was evacuated. I may mention one incident of the winter after my departure. A couple of Frenchmen, named Dubois and Chanpanie, the former a half-breed Sioux, and brother-in-law of Capt. Rolette, were sent to a Sioux camp to obtain some venison for Rolette. While at the camp, a Sioux Indian demanded first, a gun, and then some aminuni- ion, which being refused, he concluded to ac_ company them on their return to Capt. Rolette, saying that Rolette would let him have what he wanted. While the two men were asleep before their camp-fire in the night, the Sioux, who lay on the opposite side of the fire, got up, took the only gun, and shot them both at the same dis- charge, killing Chaupanie on the spot, and mor- tally wounding the other. The Indian now ran off, and Dubois, though distant a day's journey, reached Prairie du Chien, and died shortly after. The Sioux chief of that band was taken and de- tained till the murderer was brought in, who was tried and shot. He was a bad Indian, and was much feared by his own people.

MeKay had much difficulty in managing his Sioux and Winnebago allies, particularly the latter. At the first investment of the place, when these Indians were placed with the Mack- inaw militia above the fort, they had in the most wanton manner, shot down a number of horses and cattle belonging to the citizens, much to the regret and vexation of the British commander; and after the surrender, the Winnebagoes Of Col. Mckay, I can only state in addition, that after the war he retired to Montreal, where he long since ended his days. He was a fine looking, tall, well proportioned man, but was regarded as strict, and sometimes severe swarmed around among the settlers, to openly plunder them of anything they might desire; and Mckay was under the necessity of threat- ening to turn his troops against them, if they did not instantly desist, and go off home. The | over those in his employ in the Indian trade.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

I knew Col. Robert Dickson from his first com -. ing from England, as I think, and engaging in the Indian trade. He commenced his career as a trader about the year 1790, and traded princi- pally with the Sioux, and continued till the war ; after the war he did not renew the business. He was very humane to American prisoners during the war, rescuing many from the Indians; and in after years he several times received let- ters from such, enclosing. presents of money, as tokens of their gratitude. He was a large man, of full face, tall and commanding. He had a Sioux wife and four children.

ANDERSON'S JOURNAL, 1814 .*

Wednesday, August 10, 1814 .- Col. MeKay set off at 10 o'clock in the morning ; would not allow any guns to be fired. In the after- noon a few Renards (Foxes) arrived from the Riviere an D'Inde, and brought word that they had seen the two barges that had went adrift from this place. The Tonnerre Noir, or Black Thunder, a Yankee Indian passed on his way above, unperceived.

Thursday, August 11 .- Gave out some few articles of goods to the Michigan Volunteers, by Col. Mckay's orders previous to leaving. Gave out twelve carrots of tobacco to be dis- tributed among the troops in general. This was done because it is customary to allow the people of this place to smoke as a preventive to sickness. The want of provisions obliges me to give every assistance to the farmers to get in their grain as fast as possible. I, therefore, allow all the volunteers that are not on duty, to go and work for them in the day-time. Em- ployed the sergeant of artillery men, with some of the Michigans, in making leaden three-pound balls. Appointed a patrol to go about at night in order to detect stragglers, if any such per- sons should be found, that they may give an account of themselves.

Friday, August 12. - Sent off twelve men with an interpreter, and two Indians for the barges that drifted away from this place. One of the volunteers by the name of Aslin, hav- ing refused to go on fatigue, and having ab- sented himself without leave, I put in close confinement, and allow him one and one half pounds of bread, and two quarts of water per day, till further orders. At 3 in the after- noon, eight canoes of Renards came, and landed at the entrance of the Marais, a little below the Prairie. From there the chief with another came up and asked leave to offer some scalps they had brought. I gave them leave, and they returned for their canoes. This being the Prince Regent's birthday, put off practicing at the cannon till to-morrow. The small store of powder we have here, prevented our firing the customary salute on this day. At 4, the canoes arrived, and asked to speak with me. I told the Indians to repair to the house lately belonging to Mr. Boilvin. The head man, not a chief, got up and gave me his hand, saying : "My father, we are ashamed.to present you with these scalps (holding four scalps in his hand,) because we did not kill them ourselves ; but got three of them from our friends, the Sauks, and one we picked up on our way here-a man, that we supposed your guns had killed, in the gun- boat where you fought ; he was lying on a sand bank." Then presenting me with a few articles of American clothing, said : "We give you these things, to wish you a good day, as they came from the enemy, hoping you will give us some assistance." Another Indian rising and showing me his leather breech-cloth : "My father, 1 beg of you some little assistance ; you see how miserable I am off, being obliged to wear a leather petticoat."

To these requests I gave the following an- swer : "I am happy to see you, but am much chagrined that I have not a monthful of provis- ions to give you. As for powder, tobacco, and goods, you need not speak of these articles, for your father" (alluding to Col. Mckay,) "after

* "Journal of the Proceedings at Fort McKay from the Departure of Lient. Col. Mckay, for Mackinaw, compro- hending the particulars of every occurring circumstance in and ont of the Fort, within the vicinity of Prairie du Chien." By Capt. T. G Anderson.

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the battle of the Rapids, and previous to his departure gave to the Sauks and Renards twenty kegs of gunpowder and fourteen bales of goods to be distributed among such Indians of these Nations as we knew to be good subjects, and must support. But in the space of twenty or twenty-five days there will be a strong re-in- forcement of troops here, and plenty of ammu- nition and other goods. Those Indians that merit support, will have it amply ; but those that are attached to the Americans, as many of the Renards are, will be treated as we treat bad dogs."

At half past 4 o'clock Lient. Brisbois arrived, having been below the rapids of the Riviere des Moines, with theprisoners. Ile brought nothing new. At sun-down the fatigue party I sent for the barges arrived, with the two barges, having received no injury.

Saturday, August 13, 1 P. M .- A Sioux canoe arrived from above, bringing word that Feuille's band, in drinking their rum, fought much, but without arms, among themselves. They were about to kill the Aile Rouge, or Red Wing, but he ran away. At 4, the Renards, that gave me four scalps yesterday, assembled, and re- quested of me to return them the scalps, ob- serving that they were the enemies' scalps that we had killed with our little cannon ; but that I did not want such trophies, as we never took off the scalps of our enemies. Speaking of their loyalty, I answered them that it was not possi- ble to depend upon their Nation in general ; that I knew that there were some good subjects among them, but many bad ones. That when they saw Robert Dickson, how they came and cried to him for support ; and as soon as their English Father was fond of his children he always assisted them; but their misfortune was, that as soon as his back was turned, and they saw the Americans, some among them im- mediately raised their war clubs over our heads. I am sorry to speak to you in this way, but necessity requires it, as I do not know the good from the bad. When your English Father

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 22

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