History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 37

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 37
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 37

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).

Col. Taylor then said:

"The great chief of the warriors told me to take the prisoners when you should bring them and send them to Rock Island to him. I will take them and keep them safe, but use them well, and will send them by you and Mr. Street when you go down to the council, which will be in a few days. Your friend, Mr. Street ad- vised you to get ready and go down soon, and so do. I tell you again, I will take the prisoners and keep them safe, but will do them no harm. I will deliver them to the great chief of the warriors, and he will do with them in such manner as he may be ordered by your great father, the President."

Cheater, a Winnebago, said to Mr. Street, the agent:

"My father! I am young and don't know how to make speeches. This is the second time I ever spoke to you before the people. My father! I am no chief, I am no orator, but I have been allowed to speak to you. My father!

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

If I shall not speak as well as others, still you must listen to me.

"My father! when you made the speech to the chiefs, Waugh-kan-decorri, Carimanee, the one-eyed Decorri, and others, the other day, I was there. I heard you. I thought what you said to them you also said to me. You said if these two (pointing to Black Hawk and the Prophet) were taken by us and brought to you there would never any more a black cloud hang over your Winnebagoes. My father! your words entered into my ears, into my brain and into my heart. I left here that very night, and you know you have not seen me since, until now. My father! I have been a great way. I had much trouble; but when I remembered what you said I knew you were right. This made me keep on and do what you told me. Near the dale [dells] on the Wisconsin river 1 took Black Hawk. No one did it but me. I say this in the ears of all present, and they know it; and now I appeal to the Great Spirit. our Grand Mother, for the truth of what I say. My father! I am no chief, but what I have done is for the benefit of my own Nation,and I hope for the good that has been promised us. My father! that one, Waboki-shick, is my relation. If he is to be hurt I do not wish to see it. My father! soldiers sometimes stick the ends of their guns [bayonets] into the back of Indian prisoners when they are going about in the hands of the guard. I hope this will not be done to these men."

DEATH OF BLACK HAWK.

Black Hawk was sent as a prisoner from Prairie du Chien to Jefferson barracks, under charge of Lieut. Jefferson Davis-then in the United States army at Prairie du Chien, and thirty years later President of the Confederate States. Black Hawk was kept a close prisoner Gens. Atkinson, Dodge, Henry and Alex- ander, lead the different commands. The force under Dodge, consisted of 200 or 300 men, and we proceeded to the lakes, through the swamps towards Black Hawk's camp on Rock river. until April, 1833, when he was taken to Wash- ington, together with some of his family and the l'rophet. After an interview with Presi- dent Jackson, and being emphatically told by him that the government would compel the red men . Gen. Dodge was impatient to engage the Ir-

to be at peace, they were sent as prisoners to Fortress Monroe, for "levying war," as Davis was, thirty-two years later, for the same offense. On June 4, 1833, by order of the President, Black Hawk and his fellow prisoners were lib- crated and sent home, under officers appointed to conduct them through the principal cities of the Union, in order to impress them with a proper sense of the power of the whites and of the hopelessness of any conflict on the part of the Indians with the government of the United States. Black Hawk ever after remained quiet. Ile died Oct. 3, 1838, and was buried on the banks of the Mississippi, in the State of lowa, near the head of the Des Moines rapids, where the village of Montrose is located.

JOHN H. FONDA'S NARRATIVE.

The Black Hawk war commenced this year, [1832]. Some of Dodge's recruiting officers were drumming around here. I met and got acquainted with one, named White, and enlisted during the war. A quartermaster was up here buying horses. Ile purchased near 500 head, and I went with them down to the mouth of Rock river, where the army under Atkinson was encamped.

I was under Dodge's command of Illinois volunteers, and a wilder, more independent set of dare-devils I never saw. They had a free- and-easy, devil-may-care appearance about them, that is never seen in the regulars, and Gen. Dodge of all others, was the officer to lead them. A number of Sioux, Winnebagoes and some Menomonees joined the forces on Rock river. I was in the ranks, and my opportunities for knowing and seeing the movements of the army, from the eneampment on Rock river to the Four lakes, and to the Wisconsin bluffs, were limited.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

dians, and urged the men on ; but orders came for our men to proceed to head quarters, where we immediately went.

From Gen. Atkinson's camp we were marched to Fort Winnebago, from where we started in pursuit of the Indians, who there held the two Hall girls prisoners, and were camped at Rock . River Rapids. Gen. Henry's and Dodge's men reach the Rapids, but the Indians had retreated. Information was received that the Indians were making westward, and getting on their trail, ve followed them rapidly for two days ; the scouts discovered many Indians on the second day about camp near the lake. The pursuit was renewed on the day after reaching the lakes, where one or more of the Indians was killed. Our men led the chase, next after the scouts, who were continually firing at the In- dians The Indians continued to retreat, until they reached the Wisconsin river, where some made a stand and showed fight, while the others crossed the river. Ilere we were fired on by the Indians, and one man was killed and several wounded. We returned their fire with effect, and then charged them, killing a good many, all of whom were sealped by the wild Sucker volunteers.

Soon after the skirmish on Wisconsin bluffs, Gen. Atkinson came up, and the entire army crossed the river at Pine Bend, (Helena), and took the trail on the opposite side, and followed it seven or eight miles, in the direction of Prai- rie du Chien. When it was discovered that the Indians were making for the Mississippi, Gen. Atkinson sent me with little Boiseley to carry a dispatch to Fort Crawford, that the inhabitants might be ready to prevent the Indians crossing in any canoes or boats belonging to the citizens. Boiseley and I traveled day and night, and ar- rived at the fort without seeing an Indian. Black Hawk and his people, with the army in pursuit, had turned northward, intending to ford the Kickapoo high up.

It was on the 1st day of Angust when Boise- ley and I reached the Sugar Loaf, at the south

end of the prairie. As we were taking a look over the prairie, previous to starting for the fort, we saw the smoke and steam of a boat coming up the river, just off the mouth of the Wisconsin. We hastened on, and reached the fort as the steamer Warrior made the government landing. I reported myself to Capt. Loomis, and was di- rected to go up the river in the boat. I assisted to get a six-pounder from the fort on to the Warrior, which cannon was managed by five other persons and myself, and was the only cannon fired at the Indians-if not the only one aboard.

The steamboat Warrior was commanded by Thockmorton, and Lieut. Kingsbury was aboard with a body of regulars. The cannon was placed on the forward part of the boat, without a de- fense of any kind; and I have the names of the five persons who assisted to manage it, for they got on at the prairie when I did.

The boat steamed up stream with all on board anxious to get a pop at the Indians. Just above where Lansing is, we picked up a soldier, who had been discharged from Fort Snelling, and was coming down the river in a canoe. He had come down the west channel, on the Minnesota side opposite Bad Ax, and, fortunately for him, he did not meet the Indians. We came in sight of the Indians south of the Bad Ax river; they were collected together on a bench of the land close to the Mississippi, and were making efforts to get their women across.

Capt. Dickson's seouts had not come up yet, and the Indians raised a white flag and endeav- ored to induce the boat to approach the east shore, and succeeded in bringing her close enough to pour a shower of balls into her. The eannon sent a shower of eanister amongst the Indians, which was repeated three times, each time moving a swath clean through them. After discharging the gun three times, (there was only three charges of eanister shot aboard), the Indians retreated to the low ground back from the shore, where, lying on their bellies, they were safe from us,

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

A continual firing of small arms was kept up between the persons on board the boat and the Indians ashore, until the fire-wood gave out, when we were obliged to put back to Prairie du Chien to wood up-for there were no woodyards on the Mississippi as now. The village was roused to carry wood aboard, and we soon had a sufficient quantity of that article. A lot of Menomonee Indians were also taken on, and then, under a full head of steam, we put back to the scene of the battle.

Before we rounded the island, and got within sight of the battle-ground, we could hear the report of musketry, and then it was that I heard Thoekmorton say: "Dodge is giving them h-11!" And he guessed right, for as we reached the scene of action, the wild volunteers under Gen. Dolge were engaged in a fierce conflict with the Indians. The Indians were driven down to the river edge; some of them under shelter of the bank were firing at the volun teers, who had command of the bluffs. The Suckers and Hoosiers, as we called them, fought like perfect tigers, and carried everything befo! them.

The troops and Indians on board the Warrior kept up a brisk fire on the Indians ashore, who fought with a desperation that surpassed every- thing I ever saw, during an Indian fight, and I have seen more than one. The Indians were between two fires; on the bluffs above them were Dickson and his rangers, and Dodge lead- ing on his men, who needed no urging; while we kept steaming back and forth on the river, running down those who attempted to cross, and shooting at the Indians on shore .

The soldier we picked up helped to man the gun, and during the engagement he was wounded in the knee by a rifle ball. The Indians' shots would hit the water or patter against the boat, but occasionally a ritle ball sent with more force, would whistle through both sides. Some of the Indians, naked to the breech-cloth, slid down into the water, where they laid, with only their mouth and nostrils above the surface; but by

running the boat closer in to the east shore our Menomonees were enabled to make the water too hot for them. One after another, they jumped np, and were shot down in attempting to gain' cover on the bank above. One warrior, more brave than the others, or, perhaps, more accustomed to the smell of gun-powder, kept his position in the water until the balls fell around him like hail, when he also concluded to pugh-a-shee,* and commenced to creep up the bank. But he never reached the top for Thock- morton had his eye upon him, and drawing up his heavy rifle, he sent a ball through the ribs of the Indian, who sprang into the air with an ugh! and fell dead. There was only one per- son killed of those who came up on the Warrior, and that was an Indian. The pilot was fired at many times, but escaped unharmed, though the pilot house was riddled with balls.

One incident occurred during the battle that came under my observation, which I must not omit to relate. An old Indian brave and his five sons, all of whom I had seen on the prairie and knew, had taken a stand behind a prostrate log, in a little ravine, midway up the bluff; from whence they fired on the regulars with deadly aim. The old man loaded the guns as fast as his sons discharged them,and at each shot a man fell. They knew they could not expect quarter, and they sold their lives as dear as pos- sible; making the best show of fight, and held their ground the firmest of any of the Indians. But they could never withstand the men under Dodge, for as the volunteers poured over the bluff, they each shot a man, and in return, cach of the braves were shot down and scalped by the wild volunteers, who ont with their knives, and cutting two parallel gashes down their backs, would strip the skin from the quivering flesh, to make razor strops of. In this manner I saw the old brave and his five sons treated, and afterward had a piece of their hide.

* Pugh-a-shec-he off-escape-is quite a common word with several of the western Indian tribes. The Shawanous used it.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

After the Indians had been completely routed on the east side, we carried Col. Taylor and his force across the river, to islands opposite, which we raked with grape and round shot. Taylor and his men charged through the islands to the right and left, but they only took a few prisoners; mostly women and children. I landed with the troops, and was moving along the shore to the north, when a little Indian boy, with one of his arms shot most off, came out of the bushes and made signs for something to eat. He seemed perfectly indifferent to pain, and only sensible of hunger, for when I carried the little naked fellow aboard, some one gave him a piece of hard bread, and he stood and ate it, with the wounded arm dangling by the torn

flesh; and so he remained until the arm was taken off.

Old Wa-ba-shaw, with a band of his warriors and Menomonees, were sent in pursuit of those of Black Hawk's people who crossed the Mis- sissippi, and very few of the Sauk and Fox In- dians ever reached their own country. The Warrior carried down to the Prairie, after the fight, the regular troops, wounded men and prisoners; among the latter was an old Sauk Indian, who attempted to destroy himself by pounding his own head with a rock, much to the amusement of the soldiers.

Soon after Black Hawk was captured, the volunteers were discharged, and I received a land warrant for my two month's service, set tled down and got married.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER VIII.

UNITED STATES LAND SURVEYS.

The first surveys by the general government of lands in Wisconsin, were made south of the Wisconsin river and the Fox river of Green bay. The northern boundary line of the State of Illinois, fixed April 11, 1818, on the parallel of 42 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, became, properly enough, the base line of these surveys, (as indeed of all the surveys afterwards made by the United States in this State). A principal north and south line, known as the fourth me- ridian, was run at right angles, of course with the base line, and extending from it to Lake Superior. This meridian line is east of all the territory in Crawford county. It runs south through the center of Richland, and continues on to the base line on the east boundary of Grant and on the west boundary of Lafayette and Iowa counties. It extends north, through Vernon county, through the eastern part of Monroe, Jackson, Clark and other counties; until it strikes Lake Superior a short distance to the westward of the mouth of Montreal river.

Parallel lines to the fourth meridan were run every six miles, on the east and west sides of it. The intervening six miles between lines are called ranges. Range 1 cast, is the first six miles of territory east of the fourth meridian ; range 2 east, is the second six miles ; and so on, to Lake Michigan. However, on the west side of the fourth meridian, the ranges are numbered consecutively westward. Range 1 west, is the first six miles of territory west of that line ; range 2 west, is the second six miles, and so on, to the Mississippi river. Therefore

| it is that Crawford county lies in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west.

HOW CRAWFORD COUNTY WAS SURVEYED.

Parallel lines north of the base line (the north boundary line of the State of Illinois) were run every six miles, which crossing the ranges at right angles, cut the whole into blocks six miles square, called townships. These townships are numbered by tiers going north, from the base line; the first tier being known as township north, the second tier, as township 2 north, and so on until the extreme north boundary of the State (not covered by water) is reached, which is of course the extreme north side of the most northern of the Apostle islands, in Bayfield county. Now, if we begin at the base line and count the tiers of townships until Crawford county is reached, we discover that we have numbered six of them.

Looking upon the map of the county, we find that the first tier of townships on the south is numbered the 6th ; but in this tier, there are only three townships, and these fractional They are townships 6, in ranges 5, 6 and 7 west

The next tier is numbered 7. In this are five townships-all fractional, except one. They are townships 7, in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west. The third tier going north is numbered 8. In this are five townships-two whole ones and three fractional. They are townships 8, in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west. The fourth tier in the county is numbered 9. In this are three whole and one fractional township. They are townships 9, in ranges 3, 4, 5 and 6 west. The fifthi tier of townships is numbered 10. In this

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

tier are three whole and two fractional town- ships. They are townships 10, in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west. The sixth tier is cut in twain, the south half being in Crawford county, while the north half is in Vernon county. The tier (as a whole) is numbered 11. In it are four half townships, and one fractional half. They are (half) townships 11, in ranges 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 west.

After the several township lines were run, then each township was sub-divided into sec- tions and quarter sections, called, in surveying language, "sectionized." As a seetion is a mile square, there is, of course, in every whole town- ship, thirty-six sections of land. For conven- ience, these are always numbered as follows:

In each whole section, there are 640 acres ; and, when a section is divided into four parts, each quarter section contains 160 acres. It is usually in quarter sections that the land of the United States is disposed of ; although, if de- sired, it will be divided into eighty acre tracts, or even forty acres.

CIVIL TOWNS AND SURVEYED TOWNSHIPS.

Only two of the civil towns of Crawford county contain each a surveyed township-no more or less; these are the towns of Haney and Scott. The towns of Freeman, Utica, Clayton, Seneca, Eastman, Marietta, Wauzeka and Prairie

du Chien, contain each more than one surveyed township; while the town of Bridgeport con- tains less than one.

The town of Haney has, for its territory, township 9, in range 4 west; while that of Scott has township 9, in range 3 west. All the other towns have territory so irregular in their shape, that a reference to the map is necessary to un- derstand their size and outlines.

DATES OF SURVEYS AND NOTES OF SURVEYORS.

From the field notes of the surveyors and the government plats, many items of interest are obtained. These sources furnish the following facts :- The township lines in Crawford county were run by W. A. Burt, Ira B. Brunson, Pizarro Cook and John Ryan, in the years 1839, 1340, 1841, 1854, 1857 and 1881, mostly in 1839.

The sectional lines were run by Orson Lyon, Ira B. Brunson, Samuel C. Wiltse, A. L. Haren, W. Barrows and John Ryan, in the years 1840, 1843, 1854, 1857, 1881 and 1882, mostly in 1840 and 1843.

The first surveying was done by Wm. A. Burt, who ran nearly all the township lines in Crawford county in the 4th quarter of 1839.

The last surveying was done by Pizarro Cook, who re-surveyed the town of Haney in 1881-82.

Township 6 north, of range 5 west (south- western part of Wauzeka) was surveyed by Orson Lyon assisted by Truman B. Gorton, Samuel Kirkpatrick, chainman, and I. K. Vin- derburgh, in the 2d quarter of 1840.

Township 6 north, of range 6 west (part of the town of Bridgeport and a portion of the city of Prairie du Chien) was surveyed by Orson Lyon, United States deputy surveyor, in March, 1840. He was assisted by Truman B. Gorton, Samuel Kirkpatrick, chainman, and I. K. Vinderburgh. The surveyor says: "Surface of this township is hilly, rocky and poor second rate. Except the river bottom, which is low, level, wet, and not fit for cultivation. Well timbered with oak, maple, ash and elm. The

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

upland is thinly timbered with white, black and burr oak, and some hickory undergrowth."

Township 7 north, of range 3 west (a fraction of section 6 only). Orson Lyon surveyed this township in April, 1840. 1Ie was assisted by T. B. Gorton and S. D. Kirkpatrick.

Township 7 north, of range 4 west (in Mari- etta and Wanzeka) was surveyed by Orson Lyon, assisted by T. B. Gorton, S. D. Kirkpatrick, chainman, and F. Cox. The surveyor has this to say of this township:

"The surface of this township is hilly and well timbered, north and cast of the Kickapoo river. Timber is oak, lynn, elm and sugar trec. The river bottoms of the Wisconsin and Kickapoo, are low, swampy and third rate.

"The upland between the river bottom and bluff is rolling and good second rate land, with some first rate. The land in the hills is rocky, and poor second and third rate.

"West and south of the Kickapoo river the land is hilly and thinly timbered with white and black oak, with an undergrowth of grape vine.

"The river bottom is level, swampy and third rate."

Township 7 north, of range 5 west (Wau- zeka) was surveyed in the 2d quarter of 1840, by Orson Lyon, United States deputy surveyor, who was assisted by Truman B. Gorton, S. D. Kirkpatrick, chainmen, and Isaac K. Vinder- burgh. This township, says the surveyor, "is hilly and broken, soil third rate and poor sec- ond rate, also some little first rate land. Tim- bered with black oak, with but little under- growth."

Township 7 north, of range 6 west (part of Bridgeport, and of the city and town of Prairie du Chien) was surveyed in the 1 st quarter of 1840 by Orson Lyon, assisted by T. B. Gorton, hind chainman; S. D. Kirkpatrick, fore chainman; J. B. Cartz, marker.

In his field notes, Mr Lyon says: "The sur- face of this township is hilly, and in many places broken and rocky. The soil with few I

exceptions is poor second and third rate lands. "The timber is principally white oak, with lit- tle undergrowth.

The hollows are mostly without timber. Soil, first rate."

Township 7 north, of range 7 west (town and city of Prairie du Chien, in part) was, some por- tions of it, surveyed in March and July, 1857, by Ira Brunson.

Township 8 north, of range 3 west (part of Marietta) was surveyed in the 2d and 3d quar- ters of 1840 by Orson Lyon, assisted by T. Cox and John Corley. The surveyor says: "Surface hilly, soil broken, bushy and might be called third rate.

"The timber is oak, lynn and sugar-tree, ex- cepting on the river and creek bottom, where the timber is elm, ash, maple and oak, with an undergrowth of the same."

Township 8 north, of range 4 west (parts of Marietta, Wauzeka and Eastman), was sur- veyed in the 3d quarter of 1840, by Orson Lyon, assisted by John Corley and T. Cox. In his notes Mr. Lyon states that the surface is hilly, soil broken and poor second rate.

"East of the Kickapoo river, is well timbered with lynn, sugar-tree and oak, with an under- growth of the same, with prickly-ash, briars and grapevines. In that part of the township lying west of the Kickapoo river the soil is sec- ond rate, hilly and broken, thinly timbered with oak."

Township 8 north, of range 5 west (parts of Eastman and Wauzcka) was surveyed by Orson Lyon, in the 2d quarter of 1840; he was assisted by chainman S. D. Kirkpatrick and marker, I. K. Vinderburgh. The notes of the surveyor are as follows: "Surface hilly and broken, in many places, and might be called poor second rate land. Is thinly timbered with white, black and burroak. The creek bottoms are prairie and first rate land."

Township 8 north, of range 6 west (a part of Eastman) was surveyed by Orson Lyon, deputy surveyor, in March and April, 1840, assisted by

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

T. B. Gorton, S. D. Kirkpatrick, chainman, and J. B. Chartz, marker.

Township 8 north, of range 7 west (a part of Eastman) was surveyed in March and July, 1857, by Ira B. Brunson.

Township 9 north, of range 3 west (Scott) was surveyed in the 2d quarter of 1843, by Samuel C. Wi'tse, deputy suryeyor. "Majority of this township,"says the surveyor, "is composed of first and second rate qualities of land. Whole township is heavily timbered, maple and oak predominating. Every section contains a capi- tal 'sugar orchard' and some of them are cov- ered with little else. The streams which are all bordered with a dense undergrowth are per- manent and full of mountain trout. The water is elear, cold and soft, running over pebbly bottoms."

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 37

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