History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 23

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 23
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 23

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speaks to his well-known good children, he does it with an open hand and heart ; but when he knows he speaks to bad subjects, he does it with an arm in his hand. But the time is drawing near when a fire will be kindled, as in a meadow where there are stout trees. The bad hay will be burned down, and the lire will protect the stout trees and leave them to grow without being annoyed.

Sunday, August 14 12 o'oclock .- Went out to the farms to inquire about mills, in order to get some ilour made immediately. The mills are in bad order, but they will get them re- paired ; and as soon as the harvest gets in they will begin to grind the wheat. At 3, returned and found two of the Michigans drunk. They had stolen rum out of a keg that had been issued for a party going for a gun-boat of the enemy, being a little above Fort Madison. When I arrived they were lying drunk. I ordered them into the guard-house. They were very insolent to the sergeant, and in fact rushed out of the block-house where they were confined, having no sentry over them, and be- haved with violence, taking up clubs to defend themselves from the guard, when I ordered them a second time to be kept elose. Having only one pair of fetters, I had them put on to one of them ; the other I had tied.

Monday, August 15 .- At 9, seven canoes, Renards from the Riviere au D'Inde, arrived. Ilaving received a letter in French, from Capt. Grignon, on the 12th inst., the difficulty of de- ciphering it prevented my inserting till to-day, as follows :

FORT MCKAY, Ang. 12, 1814. CAPT. T. G. ANDERSON, Com'g Fort MeKay : Sin-I beg yon to take into consideration the request which I made of Lient. Col. MeKay, which he accepted. As I do not intend to act in anything that would be disagreeable to you; and knowing your intelligence, I hope that you will take everything into consideration. My only object is to prove as much as my feeble knowledge permits, to submit my views of pub-

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lic matters, which are founded upon truth, and which are of the greatest importance to make known, and should be understood everywhere, being interested for the service of llis Majesty, etc.

1. The provisions which are absolutely in- dispensable, and which it would be a failure not to recognize [are wanting]. You know that the inhabitants of Green Bay are without help for their harvest, and that it is impossible for them to gather their crops without assistance. A mill there stands idle for lack of workmen. It is important for them to be provided with flour, unless affairs at Mackinaw should permit the furnishing an immediate supply, or I should not be allowed to return home (the people there must suffer).

It would be possible to send the powder you need, from that place ; I myself could furnish 250 pounds. Here you need to be provided with the munitions of war; you have not enough for the force you have, and what is the need of us Green Bay people here ? Without additional supplies you will be unable to defend the place ; it is like a body without a soul. If permitted to return to the bay, and you should have information of the approach of the enemy, I think that, receiving notice, I could come to your assistance as soon as the (Indian) Nations nearest here ; and the Nations of Fox river would come more promptly with me than by sending a message to them, which would only be met by procrastination, as usual.

2. The provisions which are being consumed here by so many, it would be better, in my opinion, to husband in part, for another time (when the enemy should threaten and re-in- forcements should be needed). It is costly to transport supplies for so many men from Mack- inaw. As there are not sufficient munitions for those here, it has been my intention to obtain leave togo to the Illinois with some volunteers. I have tried to raise the Sacs and Foxes, in order to embroil them with the enemy. Such were the intentions of your servant, and more.

I need say nothing further. I hope for a furlough, and not transportation, as early as possible, with a letter of recommendation to the commander at Mackinaw, if agreeable to you to grant it.

I am, sir, etc., etc.,

PIERRE GRIGNON, Capt. My answer was as follows:

FORT MCKAY, August 15, 1814. CAPTAIN GRIGNON:

SIR. - In answer to your letter of the 12th inst. I have to say that as to the request you say you made of Col. McKay, I know nothing about it. Summing up the contents of your letter, I find you want permission to return home, a request I cannot take upon myself to grant, for two reasons: first, that it was optional with yon, previous to the colonel's departure, to remain here, or return to your home; secondly, you are on the list with those to do garrison duty here till the re-inforcement arrives from Mackinaw. As to provision, the less said on this subject the better. The object of our coming here was to make use of our arms, etc.

As to your good intentions, and wish to go and burn St. Louis,* F conceive it to be out of the question to harbor any such idea, with any number of the Indians, and perhaps forty or fifty volunteers that you with difficulty could muster. Attacking and totally destroying so formidable a place as that, is in my opinion, absurd. I am much obliged to you for your offer of powder, and am sorry it is out of reach. Having answered the principal subjects of your letter, I am sir, your humble servant,

THOS. G. ANDERSON, Capt. Comd'g.

At 10, Lieut. Graham went off to try and get the gun-boat, as mentioned in yesterday's or- ders. At 6 P. M. a violent thunder storm, with rain and much lightning. The firmament was as if in a continual blaze, from 7 till 10.

Tuesday, August 16th .- At 10 called up the Michigans that were confined on Sunday. When

* As this intention does not appear in Capt. Grignon's letter, it must have been derived from verbal expressions.

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they proved that they got the rum, with which they got drunk on Sunday, from one of the vol- unteers, I sent for him, liberated the two Mich- igans, and put him in their place. The Michi- gans deserved, perhaps, to be more rigorously punished; but their corps being my principal support, would not admit of my being too striet with them for the present. At 5, a canoe of Puants arrived from their village on the Quisconsin. Kept a party at work making swivel bullets. Finished covering the house. At half past 8 the volunteer in the guard house was on the point of, and threatening to break out, when I ordered him to be put in irons.

Wednesday, August 17th .- Got the artifieers at work widening the passage through the fort, but could not complete it entirely. At 9 P. M. the Feuille, or Leaf, arrived with five of his young men. He had heard by the Renards that the Americans were coming up, and that cannon had been heard firing below the Rock river lately, and that a barge had arrived from Mackinaw. The report of the firing of the can- non we knew to be false. Lient. Brisbois has just come from there, and if a barge had arrived from Mackinaw, no doubt we would have had letters from there. Those vagabonds made this news in hopes to make themselves pass for friendly Indians.

Thursday, August 18th .- At 10 the Feuille eame to the fort, when I told him the talk I had held with the Renards, the whole of which, he agreed, was perfectly right. I gave him the four scalps I got from the Renards. He told me, that in the course of a few days, he would send down to hear the news, and after that, he would come down himself with the men of his band to wait the arrival and com- mand of his father, Robert Dickson. I gave him a few loaves of bread, and he went off. At 2 o'clock this morning, John Campbell, of the volunteers, having repeatedly refused to do duty, I sent the corporal of the guard with two men, and brought him up. In questioning him and asking him his reasons for his not attend-

ing, he said he would not mount guard as long as he could get work to gain anything by. I told him he had better do his turn of duty with the others. He immediately mounted his high horse, and began to talk in a high tone, when I commanded him to be silent. He became in- solent, and told me he did not care a d-n for me. I ordered him to the guard house. Kennet, who was put in irons on Tuesday, con- tinues in the guard-house with his irons on him; is very abusive, and threatens every person in the garrison without exception. The fort door, and well completed.

Friday, August 19th .- The officers, ete., took two lessons at the gun, and got on very well. Let John Campbell out of the guard-house. A heavy shower in the morning. Got word that the Renards above had found the Indian that got drowned while going up with the Little Corbeau. They say he had his feet tied togeth- er. Got the carpenter to work making a seaf- fold, on which for a sentry to stand high, and see over the pickets. One of the swivels well mounted, and in the blacksmith's hands, to be bound, and ironed completely. Gave out a second to be mounted.

Saturday, August 20th .- At 6, practiced at the gun till a quarter past 8. Went around to arrange with the farmers for flour. They will begin to thrash out their wheat on Monday. I promised them every assistance. At 10, the Michigans were drilled. At 2 P. M., got the other three-pounder mounted, and went out in brigade at 4 o'clock, practicing sham fighting till 6, when we returned to the fort. At half past 3 r. M., three young Renards arrived with a pipe, they say, from the Sauks, who send me word that the Americans were on their way up here in barges. They say they do not deceive me, three different couriers having seen the barges above the Cap au Gris ten days ago. The Sauks request me to go down to the rapids with all the forces here, and meet the enemy there, and at the same time take them ammunition and guns. I told them I could give them an answer

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in the morning, as they told me this news at 7 o'clock in the evening. I cannot put faith in this report. The couriers cannot inform me the number of the enemy's barges, nor can they tell me the number of young Sauks that brought the pipe to the Renard village. They ask for am- munition and guns, two articles they have been repeatedly told that we have none; and Col. Mckay, when he gave the Epervier Noir, or Black Sparrow Hawk, the last present, told him positively he need not expect any further supply of powder till the re-inforcement came out. All these circumstances considered, I conceived it to be a made up story of the Renards and Aile Rouges or Red Wings, to get us away from this, perhaps to destroy the place, or else to get us, as they suppose, into their power below this, and, as in such a case we would not suspect them, to get us into a conneil, and then do our business. Be this as it may, I treat the couriers well, and do not give the smallest idea that I doubt the truth of their report. On the contrary, I will encourage them to be on the lookout, etc. If there is any truth in their assertions, we shall know it in the course of three or four days by Lieut. Graham. The enemy will not reach this point, if the report is true, before twenty days.

Sunday, Angust 21st .- Answer to the young Renards that brought the pipe, and news of the approach of the Americans: "You will tell the Sauks, that I thank them for having sent a pipe as a token of the certainty of the enemy's ap- proach. I also thank you for having been so expeditions in bringing the news here. You will tell the Sanks that my orders will not admit of my leaving this place for the present, having been left here to defend the post. At any rate, knowing that there are a number of bad Indians both above and below me, I fear were they to find that I had left the village unguarded, they might come and insult and destroy the inhabi- tants of the place."

I was careful to prevent their learning that we had only one half barrel of flour on hand. As to ammunition and guns, I sent word to the

Sauks, that they well knew I had none to spare, having on hand only what would be necessary for twenty days in case of an attack,-this was designed, in case the Sauks should give infor- mation to the enemy, to make them believe that we are not short of supplies. The Sauks, Ren- ards, etc., ought to be well supplied, having got, previous to Col. MeKay's leaving here, twenty kegs of gunpowder, and having taken a number of guns from the enemy, they are well enabled to stand a strong attack.

I advised the Indians below "to keep a good look out, and not allow themselves to be sur- prised, and in case the Americans should come on horseback, as you say, try and decoy them into the bush, and surround them. Men on horseback, in a thick bush, cannot do much; and in case they get past your village in barges, follow them up here, with a party on each side of the river, and annoy them if they debark to camp, to get wood, or otherwise ; and by the time they reach here, I will have a strong re-inforcement of Indians. Before they can reach here, the re-inforcement will perhaps be out from Mackinaw, when you, our Sauk friends, will be all well supplied with ammunition and everything else.

" I am very sorry I cannot take upon myself to furnish the Sauks with any more ammuni- tion ; but let them take courage, and act as bravely as they did when they drove back the American gun-boats, and they may depend upon ample support, perhaps more than they can pos- sibly expect, when the re-inforcement comes out. When Black Hawk and the Sauk chiefs send expresses in the future, send people that can give the particulars of anything that is going on, and not young men that can give no infor- mation at all. The young men that brought me the pipe could neither tell me where the enemy were seen, their number of boats, nor anything more than merely they were coming. The pipe, you say, the Sauks sent to be left with me. I will keep it as a token of their good intentions,

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and will deliver it to their father, the Red Head,* as soon as he arrives."

At 12, the Sauk chief, Thomas, arrived. Two canoes having left the village previous to the arrival of this news there, he could give me no further assurance. He met Lieut. Graham within a few miles of the Rock river, and says he will be back here to-morrow or next day.

Monday, August 22d .- At 6 in the morning, it began to rain hard, and thundered a good deal. Rainy weather all day. At 8 in the evening a Sioux canoe arrived with one man and three women ; nothing new. Issued thirty- seven pairs Indian shoes to the volunteers, and drilled the people.

Tuesday, August 23d .- Got a number of men threshing wheat. At 7 in the evening, Lieut. Graham arrived bringing Indian news, that the Americans were coming up. Nothing certain as to their force, or where they were seen. On the 20th, while Lieut. Graham was preparing to proceed from Rock river to go and destroy the gun-boat (the Sanks having refused to go and assist in getting her up), two young men arrived express from the Sauks on the Missouri, reporting that white people from the Illinois, they do not know who, sent word to the Sauks on the Missouri to inform those on the Rock river to be on their guard, as the Americans were to leave the Illinois on the 4th inst,, in a strong detachment, to ent off the Sauks. No other certain news of their approach.

Wednesday, August 24th .- Having deliber- ated on the news Lieut. Graham brought from the Sauks, and taking into consideration the promises made Indians in general by the Govern- ment, through Robert Dickson, and Col. McKay previous to his leaving here, of giving them every assistance, and supporting them against the invading enemy, I think it my duty to send an expedition to the Sauks for that purpose, in order to convince them that promises made by

British officers are inviolable, and will be ful- filled, even under the most inconvenient eireum- stances. I, therefore, ordered that an expedi- tion to the Rock river would be in readiness to march on the 27th inst. The forces are men- tioned in the orders of the 24th. I also ordered that Mr. Renville leave here early to-morrow morning for the Sioux, that is the friendly band, to ask their chief, with as many as he can spare of his young men, to go on the same expedition, and at the same time to tell the Feuille or Leaf, to send word to the Little Corbeau to proceed with all the warriors of the lake,* and when they get to the Prairie La Crosse, to wait there till they send me word, and get further orders what to do. Lient. Graham brought intelligence that the Sauks were all assembling at the Rapids of Rock river, and had sent word to the Puants, etc., and that he believed that before our expedi- tion reaches them, there will be about 1,200 warriors assembled there. They promised they would fight to the last man, and sent me word that their fields of corn were open to the troops that I might send, as well as to all Indians going to their aid.

Thursday, August 25th .- The guns are in a fair way; the brass three-pounder finished at 3 in the afternoon. A Renard canoe ar- rived from above. There are eight men, with Le Jeune Homme chief. They arrived very much dejected, and were ashamed to hold up their heads. They did not offer to speak to me. The commissary got in 500 weight of flour.

Friday, August 26th. - At 10 the Jeune Homme assembled his young men, and asked to speak with me. I went and found them in Boilvin's house. They had a pipe of peace, an otter sack, and a painted elk skin, with a few pieces of dried meat to give me. When he arose to speak, he offered me his hand ; but I refused to give him mine. He then began a discourse that had no sense in it. Ilis princi- pal strain was, that he had always wished to follow his father, the Red Head's advice ; but

*Col. Robert Dickson. The Indians called him the Red- Haired Min. The American Indians were accustomed in at- ter years, when Gov. Win. Clark, of Missouri, became the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the northwest, of desig- nating him as Red Head, as he had sandy hair.

*Probably Lake St. Croix.

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the Americans had turned his head, and he had behaved ill. And was sorry for it. In enter- ing into the room, I, knowing he had a British silk flag, and had not hoisted it when he arrived here, told him, before he spoke a word, to show me his flag, for I feared he had given it to his friends, the Americans. He sent and had it brought. I would have taken it from him, but fearing it might be improper, he having re- ceived it from the superintendent. On that account I said nothing about it.

When he had finished his speech, his war chief got up with the pipe in his hand, and said : "I made use of all the sense the mother of life gave me, in order to induce you to smoke my pipe ; if I have done wrong, it is because I have been advised to it by my chief ;" and having concluded his remarks, and about to light the pipe, I told him to save himself the trouble, as I would not smoke with them. He laid down the pipe, etc., at my feet.

I then replied to them thus : "You ought not to be surprised that I treat you in this way. You are of an age not to be foolish. You ought to have sense. I cannot, therefore, attribute your bad conduct, to us, to have risen from a want of knowing better. But I attribute it to a real inclination of wishing to be American subjects. If you were ashamed to expose your English flag to view, why did you not act as men, and arrive here with your American fa- ther's mark of distinction? The time is over for British officers to flatter, beg and pray of the Indians to follow the good road. Your father the Red Head, is tired of using these means to Indians that come crying to him, when he is here, to get a blanket to cover themselves, or a charge of powder to kill wherewith to eat ; and then as soon as his back is turned, to raise their war club over our heads, and ask, with flattering stories, the same assistance from the enemy. None but dogs can be guilty of such conduct.

" The time is drawing near when the sun will be eternally hid from the bad Indians, and

will be three times larger than now for good ones. Let every one who wishes well to his women and children, lose no time in showing his true colors; for I think when the great chief, the Red Head arrives, his good children will appear bold and walk in good spirits, with their heads up. But the bad Indians will be like dogs almost starved to death. Everything that you have said, and my answer, I have marked on this piece of paper (holding up a sheet of paper), and will keep it till the great chief, the Red Head, arrives, and show it to him, that he may know our discourse. Your pipe and sack you will keep, and when he ar- rives, as he has the command of all the Indians, he will do as he pleases ; but as for me, I can- not make peace with the Americans."

Never were Indians, perhaps, more dejected, and perhaps none ever so sincerely regretted their past folly. The Jeune Homme was the inan that, when they got word of the Ameri- cans coming here last spring, got J. M. Cardinal, an inhabitant of this place, to write the Ameri- cans the situation of the country, and sent some of his young men with it to the enemy, and afterwards offered his services to go to war against us, and was instrumental in delivering up, with the Aile Rouge, or Red Wing, this place to the enemy. I coneeived it my duty to talk to them in this strain, to convince them that the British wished all the Indian Nations well, and would support them as long as they followed their good advice ; but, at the same time, put them at defiance, and despised any threats from those that chose to join the Amer- icans.

FORT MCKAY, Aug. 26, 1814.

To LIEUT. GRAHAM .-

STR :- The expedition for the Rock river under your command, being now in readiness, you will march to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock, and proceed with all haste to your place of destination. On your arrival there, you will assemble the Indians, and explain to them that the intention of the expedition is to support

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them in defending their lands, and women and children, according to promises made to them by their father, Robert Dickson, and Lieut. Col. MeKay; and that in case of any attack, they must support and defend the guns as long as they have a man standing. That they must not amuse themselves, during the action, in taking scalps. They must destroy the enemy as much as possible, except prisoners. Those they will treat well, and not, as is generally the case, use them barbarously; but on the con- trary, if they use them as we always do our prisoners, and bring them here, they shall be well recompensed for it. You will, in case of being successful, and should be fortunate in making prisoners, use every means in prevent- ing their being insulted, or ill-used by the Indi- ans; and by all means act in every way towards them as becoming a British officer. You will not proceed below the Rock river until you find it necessary to take advantage of a com- manding situation. If the enemy do not reach Rock river in six days after your arrival there, you will decamp and return here, unless you get information of their being at hand. But in case you find the enemy's forces to be absolute- ly too strong to risk an engagement, you will retreat here with all possible haste, leaving the Indians and a few of your men to follow up the enemy, and annoy them as much as possible until they reach here. Ilaving full confidence in you, and the troops under your command, I trust to your judgment to arrange all necessary matters as occasion may require, and trusting to a deliberate and prudent conduct in you, I wish you a successful and safe return.

I am, sir, etc.,

THos. G. ANDERSON, Capt. Comd'g.

Saturday, August 27th .- At 8, the expedi- tion for the Rock river, marched. We gave them three shots from the six pounder. At 2, the Fenille, or Leaf, with fifty Sioux, arrived, on their way to join the expedition. Shortly after, forty Renards arrived for the same pur-

pose. I gave them fifteen loaves of bread, and sent to procure a beef that I knew was for sale, but the owner sent me word if I would send him two milch cows, I might get his ox. I then inquired of Mr. Brisbois, from whom I have had every assistance he could possibly give, even to the distressing of his own family. Ile furnished a pair of two year old bulls, which I gave to the whole of the warriors. The Feuille brought word that he had met a Ren- ard canoe with two men in it, who informed him, that a Renard messenger was sent from the Illinois by the Americans, with a notice to the Indians, that they, the Americans, were on their way up here mainly to take possession of their fort [at Prairie du Chien], and not to hurt the Indians. That they, the Indians, were requested to keep out of the way. That the Americans, like hunters in the wood, had wounded a deer ; they had wounded the Eng- lish, and were following the track till they should ruin or destroy the whole. The Feuille heard this report too late to authorize him to take the Renard. The Feuille does not under- stand the Renard language himself, but this was interpreted to him some time after passing the Renard canoe.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 23

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