USA > Wisconsin > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, past and present : including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county [microform] > Part 4
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
colors, naked except breech clout." before the house where McCall boarded; encouraged by drink, they held a war dance until 10 o'clock "with disfigured and distorted countenances." The head chief, Four Legs, displayed great activity. The report of the commissioners of the council of 1830 at Green Bay recites that Four Legs and Black Wolf were the only speakers, and that they had signed the treaty of 1822 with the New York Indians. Schoolcraft mentions that Four Legs levied tribute from trav- elers immediately after the war of 1812. He assumed to be the keeper of the Fox river valley. Col. T. L. Kinney allodes to this custom of exacting tribute, and relates that General Leavenworth, going up stream with his command in 1816, was accosted by Four Legs and notified that the lake was locked. The General rose with his gun resting on his arm and asked the interpreter to inform the chief that he had the key to unlock it. Four Legs replied. "Let him pass." This incident marks the last challenge of the Winnebago, and it is said that it took place beneath the Treaty Ehm that for many years stood a conspicuous landmark in the county. The "Treaty Ebn." or "Council Tree," beneath whose widespread branches the chief's of the neighboring tribes are said to have been wont to gather in council. was located on Riverside park point at the mouth of the Neenah channel of the Fox river in the city of Neenah. It was of immense size and girth, towering above all the surrounding forest, and could be seen from points eight miles distant. Such was its prominence as a landmark that it was for many years used as a guide by sailors and steam pilots on the lake. It was destroyed by a charge of dynamite June 12. 1887. by the employees of the gov- ernment in entting away the point to widen the channel to increase the flow of water in flood times.
As Four Legs was supposed to be forty years of age in 1830. the year he died, and he must have been born about 1790. he could have taken part in the war of 1812, where he is frequently found on the side of the British. Mrs. Kinzie mentions the death of Four Legs by drinking too much sufler whisky when waiting at Fort Winnebago with the assembled Winnebago for the arrival of the silver from the government for the payment of their annuities.
"Ilis body was wrapped in a blanket and placed in a rudo coffin along with his guns, tomahawk, pipes and a quantity of tobacco." He was buried on the most elevated point of the hill opposite the fort, in the presence of "'an immense procession of his people." A stake was placed at the head of his grave "on
39
THE WINNEBAGO CIHEFS
which was painted in vermilion a series of hieroglyphics descrip- tive of deeds and events of his life," and a small white flag also waved over the grave. His wife, who survived him, was a Fox woman, but spoke the Chippewa language, which brought her services into use as an interpreter, as that was the court or uni- versal language among all the tribes. He is said to have been a big chief and "a great and mighty warrior." In 1887 there were two descendants living-one was Good Cloud, a woman residing at Tomah. She has a son whose name was Good Year. One descendant was Will Dandy, a boy who was at school in Witten- berg mission. Ile had two cousins also living at Wittenberg.
Sau-sa-man-nee was a younger brother of Four Legs and fought with him under the British flag in the war of 1812.
Wild Cat. or Pe-Shen. had his village on Garlic Island, now Island park, a small island on the west margin of Lake Winne- bago, seven miles south of Menasha and the same distance north of Oshkosh. The village was also located across the solent on the mainland. The corn hills are still visible both on the island and mainland. Just when this village was established here cannot be ascertained. yet it is highly probable that Pe-Shen himself was its founder and that he and his tribesmen came from the prin- cipal Winnebago village on Doty's island. One of the earliest descriptions of this village is that of Mrs. (Governor) James D. Doty, who records in her journal under the date of August. 1823. of a canoe journey which she made with her husband, who was on the way up the river to hold court at Prairie Du Chien: "We coasted along the west shore of Lake Winnebago to Garlie island, on the opposite point to which is a Winnebago village of fine per- manent lodges and fine cornfields." The late JJudge Morgan L. Martin made the same journey in birch-bark canoes with Judge Doty and others in 1828 on their way to try Red Bird, the Win- nebago, for murder. "Garlic island was the next stopping place. There was a Winnebago village there of about the same size as that over which Four Legs (Doty island) presided (150 to 200 lodges covered with bark mats). The lodges, however, were longer and neater. We purchased supplies of vegetables of the island villagers." From these descriptions it would appear that the village occupied both the island and mainland, that the wig- wams were well constructed, the fields of Indian maize of con- siderable extent. and the population at that time one of 1,000 or more persons. Chief Wild Cat was a large and bulky savage with a hasty and ferocious temper which often got him into diffi- culties. He was probably born at Doty island at some time
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
previous to the Revolution. The earliest knowledge we have of this chieftain is from a remark he once made when he and Sarcel, a Winnebago chief, had a dispute in regard to their relative bravery. On this occasion Wild Cat is said to have exclaimed, "Don't you remember the time we aided the Shawanoes ( English) in attacking the fort that you ran off so fast that you lost your breech clont ?" This remark had reference to the Indian war of 1793. when the British had incited the western Indians to fre- quent depredations against the straggling white settlers in Ohio and Michigan. There is a possibility also that he may have served with Charles de Langlade under the British flag in the War of the Revolution. Certain it is that in 1797 he was considered of suf- ficient importance to receive from the royal officers the medal of their king. This bronze medal, given as a memento of distin- guished favor by King George III to his savage ally in his wild- wood home on the shore of Lake Winnebago, now reposes in the museum of Lawrence University at Appleton. It was deposited there about the year 1875 by Mr. D. C. Church. of Vinland, who obtained it from Louis B. Porlier. of Butte des Morts. a trader and son of Judge Porlier.
Mrs. Kinzie says the Wild Cat was "our Indian Falstaff in all save cowardice and falsehood." Being made drunk, he was unable to get to Fort Armstrong at Rock Island in time to object to the treaty of 1831, and when he found it granted the lands on which stood his village he wept. It is said that he was found dead against an oak tree in the center of the woods, where Osh- kosh now stands. He was at the payments in Portage in 1830- 1831. and is said to have died soon after the Black Hawk War. which would make the date of his death about 1833. He is reported to have gone under the partisan British leader of the Wisconsin savages, Col. Robert Dickson, early in 1812, to the cap- ture of Mackinac. The following spring he fought with Teenm- seh at Fort Meigs, and after his defeat was beaten off at Fort Stephenson or Sandusky. He was also a part of the Winnebago contingent under MeKay in the capture of Prairie du Chien. In the winter of 1814 Dickson, with his convoy of supplies, was ice bound until January on Garlic island at Pesheu's village.
Black Wolf. or Shounktshunksiap, was a celebrated character in the border days of a century past. Mrs. Kinzie has left a racy sketch of this bold warrier. Black Wolf. "whose lowering, surly face well described his name. The fierce expression of coun- tenance was greatly heightened by the masses of heavy black hair, contrary to the usual custom of the Winnebago, who for the
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THIE WINNEBAGO CHIEFS
most part cut away a portion of the hair, drawing the remainder back of the head, clubbed and ornamented with beads, ribbons, cocks' feathers, or if entitled, an eagle feather for every scalp taken from an enemy."
On a point of land known as Black Wolf point, in the town of Black Wolf, Winnebago county, jutting out into Lake Winne- bago, at a distance of seven miles south of the city of Oshkosh, there was formerly located Black Wolf's Winnebago Indian vil- lage. It is said to have numbered not more than forty huts. The date of its establishment here is not exactly known, but it is sup- posed to have been about the year 1800 or slightly before. Mrs. G. A. Randall, who formerly resided at Randall's point, remem- bers to have seen the Indian tepees and camp fires along the shore of Black Wolf point as late as the year 1846. Chief Black Wolf was a character of some importance. He was a large man and much respected by his people, and was called a war chief. In the attacks on Mackinac in the War of 1812 he fought under the lead- ership of Col. Robert Dickson. After the war the British. still seeking to hold the Winnebago in their interest for purposes of trade, called them to Mackinac to a council or treaty with Col. Robert McDonald, a British commissioner. Black Wolf was one of those in attendance at this gathering. He also participated with the British and their allies in the capture of Prairie du Chien in the year 1814. He was one of the signers of the land grant negotiated by Eleazer Williams in 1821 with Four Legs, the Winnebago head chief, and others, by which the New York Indians were to receive a strip of land five miles in width along the lower Fox. "from Grand Kachalin rapids to Winnebago rap- ids." in Winnebago county. He also participated in the councils held at Green Bay and Doty Island for a similar purpose in 1830 Ile is said to have died at Portage in the year 1847. During the Black Hawk War, Black Wolf camped with the Winnebago as- sembled at the site of Portage, on both sides of the Wisconsin river. The principal chiefs in these camps were Black Wolf, his son Dandy, White Eagle, White Crow and Broken Arm.
Dandy, the Beau Brummel of the Winnebago, was a son of Blaek Wolf and a cousin of Four Legs. "He wore fancy dress shirts of the brightest color, ornaments with rows of silver brooches, and displayed two pairs of arm bands. His leggins and moccasins were of the most elaborate embroidery in ribbons and porcupine quills. Numerous ornaments were dangling from his club of black hair. A feather fan was in one hand and a mirror in the other. His face was brilliantly colored and daubed."
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
La Ronde says Dandy, son of Black Wolf, was also known as Little Soldier. His village is reported by Mr. W. HI. Canfield as being in 1839 on the Baraboo river. five or six miles above the present city of Baraboo. Old Dandy was one of those Paquette went after, then seventy years old. who was a small, thin man, and the only Winnebago who, after the breaking of tribal rela- tions in 1848, was generally respected as chief of the tribe. Hle went to Washington in 1828 with War Eagle and others to see the President. Hlis camp was then near the Dalles. Ile said he would not go to Long Prairie and was allowed to remain. In 1834 Captain Summer was sent back to Portage to hunt for Dandy. He was found at the head of Baraboo river and made to ride horseback with his legs chained under the animal with an ox-chain. He demanded to be taken to Governor Dodge at Min- eral Point. Dodge asked him what was wanted. Dandy took a Bible from his bosom and asked the governor if it was a good book. He answered it was a good book-he could never have a better in his hand. .. Then, " said Dandy. "if a man would do all that was in that book could any more be required of him?" He answered. "No." "Well." said Dandy. "look that book all through. and if you find in it that Dandy ought to be removed by the government to Turkey river. then I will go right off: but if you do not find it I will never go there to stay." The governor informed him his trick would not work. He was then replaced on the horse. his feet chained up again and taken to Prairie du Chien. The chain blistered his feet and legs so he was unable to walk for three weeks. He was then put in charge of a corporal. who was obliged to carry Dandy on his back to a buggy to be taken to Turkey river. Dandy claiming he was unable to walk. The buggy was at the fort gate and the corporal, supposing Dandy unable to walk, left him for a moment to reenter the fort. Dandy jumped from the buggy and ran into the forest, where the corporal could not find him. He remained in Wisconsin and died on the Peten Well bluff. an isolated rocky peak on the Wis- consin river. in JInne. 1870, aged seventy-seven years.
The Yellow Thunder "was a fine looking Indian. tall. straight and stately." His old encampment was about five miles below Berlin, on the Fox river. at the Yellow banks. This would locate his village in section 31, near Eureka, in Winnebago county. In 1832 at the close of the Black Hawk War Col. Charles Whittlesey with four others made a saddle journey over the Tomahawk trail along the left bank of the lower Fox and right bank or east side of the upper Fox river. Before arriving at Fort Winnebago
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THE WINNEBAGO CHIEFS
he passed two Winnebago villages, one of which was that of Yel- low Thunder. He mentions crossing the Fox river in a flat-boat and landing near the spot where the father of "'Grizzly Bear, " a Menominee, is said to have lived. Here, he says, commeneed a rolling prairie that continued for fifty miles (since known as Democrat prairie.) "The trail passed two Winnebago villages, one of which was called Yellow Thunder from its chief." The villagers, much to their annoyance, followed the party out of their village on horseback. Hon. Morgan L. Martin mentions passing a "Winnebago village on Green Lake prairie" in 1829, which may have been the village of Yellow Thunder. In 1828 Yellow Thunder and his squaw, a daughter of White Crow. made a journey to Washington to interview the President, and there- after his squaw was known as Washington Woman. Yellow Thunder was a convert to the Catholic church and became zealous in its offices and was called the head war chief of his tribe. By false pretenses he was induced with others to visit Washington in 1837 and signed a false treaty, which granted the government all their lands east of the Mississippi river, under which. three years after, he was one of the first to suffer by being forcibly put in irons at Portage and removed to Yellow river, Iowa. Yellow Thunder soon returned and requested La Ronde to go with him to Mineral Point to enter a forty of land on the west bank of the Wisconsin river. In reply to an inquiry if Indians could enter lands. "Yes, the government has given no orders to the con- trary." So Yellow Thunder. the head war chief of the Winne- bago, entered, lived and died on his forty of land. He was again forcibly removed to lowa with Black Wolf, but was allowed to return. as he was a land owner. Yellow Thunder owned the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 36. on the Wisconsin river, town of Delton. Sauk county, two log huts hav- ing been constructed for his own use and that of families who lived with him. About five aeres of land was cultivated. raising corn, beans and potatoes. During big feasts as many as 1,500 Indians gathered in the vicinity. Shortly before his death he sold his land to Mr. John Bennett. It is related that when he paid his taxes he placed a kernel of corn in a leather ponch for each dollar of taxes paid, and when he sold the land he demanded as many dollars as there were kernels of corn in the old pouch. His sum- mer village was sixteen miles up the river from Portage, in 1840. where Dandy and Little Duck also camped. Yellow Thunder died in 1874; said to have been childless. and was buried on a sandy knoll. Near by are the graves of Washington Woman and several
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
other Indians. She was buried sitting up, facing the east. A painting of Yellow Thunder hangs in the rooms of the Wisconsin Historical Society. and an unpublished manuscript giving "per- sonal reminiscences." by Mrs. A. C. Flanders, is deposited in the public library at Portage.
. CHAPTER IN.
THE BLACK HAWK WAR.
(Compiled from "Story of the Black Hawk War," by R. G. Thwaites, in Wisconsin Historical Collection .- Editor.)
When Wisconsin was still a part of Michigan territory and known as "Michiganter," long before the idea of a separate terri- tory was thought of, when it was an almost trackless wilderness in 1832. occurred the historic Black Hawk War; few events in the his- tory of the Northwest were as far reaching in consequences as this tragie struggle and perhaps none eaused more bitter controversies, was the subject of more incorrect notions as to the causes, inci- dents, and the relative merits of the chief participants. The south- ern portion of this county, it is believed, was a part of the ter- ritory traversed by Black Hawk in his final retreat from the Mississippi with pitiful remnant of his band, making his escape into the Dells of Wisconsin, where he was finally captured.
On November 3, 1840, the United States government concluded a treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians, by which, for the paltry sum of $1,000, the Indian confederacy eeded fifty million acres of land comprising in general terms the present state of Missouri and the territory lying between the Wisconsin river on the north, the Fox river of the Illinois on the east, the Illinois river on the southeast and the Mississippi on the west: in this treaty was a clause which became one of the chief causes of Black Hawk War, which provided that the Indians need not vacate the lands, stipu- lating that "as long as the lands which are now ceded to the United States remain their property"- that is to say publie land -"the Indians belonging to said tribes shall enjoy the privilege of living and hunting upon them."
Within the limits of this territory, situated on the Rock river three miles from its mouth and the same distance south of Rock Island was the chief village and seat of power of the Sacs, con- taining a population of about five hundred families and one of the largest Indian villages on the continent.
The principal character in this village was Black Sparrow Hawk, or as commonly styled Black Hawk, born in 1767; he was
45
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
not an hereditary or an elected chief, but was by common consent the leader of the village. Although not endowed with superior moral or intellectual qualities the force of circumstances made him a national celebrity in his own day and a conspicuous figure in western history for all time. He was a restless, ambitions sav- age, possessed of some of the qualities of leadership but without the capacity to attain the highest honors in the Sac and Fox con- federacy. He was jealous of other chiefs, quarrelsome in council. continually sought excuses to differ with them on questions of policy and arrayed his following against them, was a good deal of a demagogue and aroused the passion and prejudices of his people by impassioned appeals. He was doubtless sincere in his opinions and honest in his motives. He was easily influenced by the British , military and commercial agents, who were continually engaged previous to the war of 1812, in cultivating a spirit of hostility between the Northwestern tribes and the Americans, was led by them to consider himself under the especial protection of the "British Father" at Malden. Too confiding a disposition. he was readily duped by those who, white or red, were interested in deceiving him.
Black Hawk was about five feet. four or five inches in height. rather spare as to flesh; his somewhat pinched features ex- aggerated the prominence of his cheek bones : a full mouth inclined to be somewhat open when at rest, a pronounced Roman nose. fine "piercing" eyes, often beaming with a kindly and always with a thoughtful expression, no eyebrows, a high full forehead. head well thrown back, with a pose of quiet dignity. hair plucked ont with the exception of a scalp lock in which. on ceremonial occasions was fastened a bunch of eagle feathers: such is a pen portrait of this celebrity.
Ile, with two hundred of his followers, who became known as the "British band" served with Tecumseh and the British in the war of 1812. After burying the hatchet. Black Hawk settled down to the customary routine of savage life making frequent trips to Malden for provisions, arms and ammunition, and by flattery of the British agents his hatred against Americans was increased, but it is not at all surprising that he hated the Ameri- cans, his life was continually being disturbed by them and a cruel and causeless beating which some white settlers gave him in the winter of 1822 and 1823 was an insult which he treasured up against the entire American people.
In the summer of 1823, squatters, covering the rich fields cultivated by the British band near their village began to take
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THE BLACK HAWK WAR
possession of them ; outrages were committed of the most flagrant nature, Indian cornfields were fenced in by intruders, squaws and children were whipped for venturing beyonds the bounds thus established, lodges were burned over the heads of the occu- pants; a reign of terror ensned in which frequent remonstrances of Black Hawk to the white authorities were in vain. It was all a plain violation of the treaty rights of the Indians and grew from year to year. When the Indians returned each spring from their winter's hunt they found their village more of a wreck than when they had left it in the fall. Black Hawk was advised by Keokuk the chief of the confederacy to retreat across the Miss- issippi, but Black Hawk was stubborn. appealed to his people, to their love of home and veneration for the graves of their kindred. for here was located their cemetery, and his people stood by him. He them made the claim that the representatives of the Sac and Fox tribes who negotiated the treaty of 1804, had not consented that the land upon which Black Hawk's village stood should be the property of the United States. In this he was of course not borne out by the facts but persisted in that understanding. and was advised by the mischief making British agents that if it was true that the government had not bought the site of his village to hold fast to it and the United States would not venture to remove him by force.
In this he was also encouraged by White Cloud, the Winnebago prophet, who was a shrewd, crafty Indian, half Winnebago and half Sac, possessing much influence over both nations from his assumption of sacred talents and was the head of a Winnebago village some thirty-five miles above the mouth of the Rock river: he hated the whites. seemed devoid of humane sentiments and seemed to enjoy sowing the seeds of discord, a remarkable man physically and mentally. a fine orator and strong in the councils.
In the spring of 1830. Black Hawk and his band returned from an unsuccessful hunt to find their town almost completely shat- tered, many of the graves plowed over, and the whites more abusive than ever; during the winter, the squatters who had for seven years been illegally on the land preempted a few quarter sections at the mouth of the Rock, so selected as to cover the vil- lage site and the Sae cornfields. This was clearly a trick to accord with the letter but violated the spirit of the treaty of 1804; there was still fifty miles of practically unoccupied territory to the east of the village and no necessity for disturbing the Sacs for many years to come.
When in the spring of 1831, Hawk again returned after a
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
profitless hunt. he was fiercely warned away by the whites; he, in a dignified manner, notified the settlers that if they did not them- selves remove that he should use force to evict them, meaning physical force. This was construed by the whites to be a threat against their lives and petitions and messages were sent to Gov. John Reynolds of Illinois, in terms so exaggerated that they would be amusing were it not that they were the prelude to one of the darkest tragedies of our western border. The governor issued an inflammatory proclamation, calling for vohmteers to "repel the invasion of the British band"; these sixteen hundred strong and mounted, with ten companies of regulars under Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, made a demonstration before Black Hawk's village on the 25th of June.
During the night. the Indians. in the face of such a superior force quietly withdrew to the west bank of the Mississippi. On the thirtieth they signed a treaty of capitulation and peace, with Governor Reynolds and General Gaines, solemnly agreeing never to return to the east side of the river without express permission of the United States government.
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