History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 64

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Union
Number of Pages: 814

USA > Wisconsin > Vernon County > History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 64

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'The obstruction at this point causes the water to flow about two feet deep, over a gravel

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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.

beach ; and if the boatmen are not very care- ful, the current will force the boat upon this treacherous gravel bank, and give no small trouble to get it again into the proper channel. My orders, therefore, to Capt. Graham were, to remove the Indians out of sight, and leave nothing that could alarm the Americans, until they should be well upon the difficult part of the rapid ; then a single shot would throw them into confusion, when they could not well escape.

Capt. Graham reached the place in time to effect his arrangements. The enemy arrived at the foot of the rapids too late in the day to undertake to ascend the difficult channel. They accordingly anchored in the stream, and thus my plan was thwarted. A young Indian, whose brother had been killed by the enemy a few days before, took the first chance which offered for revenge. He made his way at night to one of the gun-boats, and drove his lance through one of the sentries, killing him on the spot, and then making his escape, singing his war song, and thus arousing friends and foes.

The next morning the American commodore had at the mast head of his vessel, the ominous words, " No Quarters." So our swivel began to play upon them ; they took the alarm, cut their cables, and the whole fleet was soon on its back track for St. Louis.

It was necessary to make extensive repairs at Fort McKay to render our position comfortable for the winter. Provisions were to be previ- ously supplied by the traders and farmers; the meat rations of game and fish. I had no military chest ; but my credit was unbounded. I did not know anything about the mode of keeping army accounts, nor was I practiced in military regulations. I, therefore, reported these circumstances, and at the same time, recommended the bombardier, who had con- tributed so much to our success, for promotion. I sent off an express, in a light canoe, with this report, addressed to Lieut. Col. Robert Mc- Douall, commanding at Mackinaw and its

dependencies. Within a month, I received a very satisfactory reply ; Capt. Bulger, of the Newfoundland regiment, was sent to relieve me in the command ; and James Keating, late bombardier, was promoted to Fort Adjutant, and a contractor was appointed to supply rations.

Capt. Bulger set to work, and in a very few days had all my accounts properly prepared ; and though he commanded the garrison, I was the prime mover of all. Everything passed off with much glee ; the officers and traders gave balls at least three times a week, until about the latter part of December, 1814, when a melan- choly event transpired. The contractor's meat stores were low, and he requested me to spare him two of my interpreters to go about fifteen or twenty miles to a Sioux camp for venison. They procured more meat than the two could carry, when an Indian volunteered to transport the surplus. One of the interpreters was a Canadian, the other a half-breed. The latter said to his comrade : "We must beware of this fellow, for he is a very treacherous Indian." The Canadian replied, while putting a second ball in his gun : " If he makes any fuss, he'll get these two balls to keep him quiet." They started with their loads, having but the one gun, which was carefully carried by its owner, the Canadian.

Night came on, and they encamped about eight miles from the fort. All this time the suspected Indian had been very good in his behavior ; and in preparing their bed, he quite won their confidence, carefully drying their socks and moccasins, and carrying straw for their bed. The two interpreters lay down under the same covering, with the gun at their heads, leaning against a tree. They were soon sound alseep. Not so the deceitful Indian ; for so soon as he found them unconscions, he quietly took their gun and shot them both. The Canadian, who was next to him, was instantly killed ; and one of the balls passing through him, entered the half-breed just above

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the navel. Not feeling his wound, he jumped up; but the murderer and gun were gone. Finding his companion dead, and that he himself was wounded, he covered up the corpse and started for the fort, which he reached about 8 o'clock in the morning, quite faint from the loss of blood.

Immediately after the arrival of the wounded man, I dispatched a party of volunteers for the murderer ; but he had fled. Failing to find the guilty outlaw, they apprehended the chief of the village ( Le Corbean Francois ), who was an uncle of the escaped culprit, brought him to Prairie du Chien, and he was locked up in the Black Hole of the fort. The next day, on being informed that if the murderer was not immediately produced, he would be shot instead, he sent off a message to his band, ex- plaining to his people the alternative. Search was made and the guilty fellow found in another tribe, a hundred miles away, and he was brought to the fort after only eight days absence. The chief was forthwith released from confinement, and his nephew put in his place, where he remained a couple of days. Capt. Bulger was ignorant of Indian character, and Col. Diajou, a nobody, wished to save the prisoner on the ground, that in case he should be executed, it would turn all the Indians against us; while I, on the contrary, insisted that it would produce a feeling of respect, and it so resulted. I believe fear, among Indians, to be a means of securing their friendship. The culprit was shot as he deserved.

The commandant ordered a court-martial to try the prisoner. The wounded interpreter identified the murderer. The old chief said, "kill him; he is a bad man, and has murdered two Indians of his own family." The prisoner confessed his crime, saying his object in shoot- ing them was to seenre the gun. The court brought in the prisoner guilty, and sentenced him to be shot. Capt. Bulger approved the sentence, and ordered his execution the next day at 10 o'clock, when the sentence was

carried into effect-his death instantly followed the crack of the volley of rifles. Indians, whites, and all appeared satisfied at the result. The wounded interpreter died in my arms a few days after.

All was now quiet, until the latter end of May, 1815, when we received news of peace, and orders to evacuate the post, and return with all haste to Mackinaw. Capt. Bulger, who was heartily tired of the secluded situation, was off within two hours, leaving me to settle the ac- counts, and bring away the Volunteers. At 12 o'clock the next day, all was in readiness, and I was about getting on board, when a battean full of Sauk Indians, with Black Hawk at their head, was seen coming up the river, and near at hand. After landing, and the usual formal smoke, I informed them of the conclu- sion of peace, and that they must now bury their war clubs, and be good friends with the Big Knives-Americans. The whole-hearted man and unflinching warrior, Black Hawk, cried like a child, saying our Great Mother, Great Britain, has thus concluded, and farther talk is useless. I gave them some ammunition, provisions, with a hearty shake of the hand, and we parted sorrowfully.

At Green Bay, I met dispatches from Col. MeDonall, directing me to institute an inquiry to ascertain if any, and what, public accounts remained unpaid at that place. This detained me for some time; I, however, reached Macki- naw in July. Not many days after my arrival, I received orders to return to the Mississippi with three batteaux, loaded with Indian goods for distribution among the Indians, and to for- mally announce to them the conclusion of peace.

I did not return from this mission until Sep- tember, when I found Mackinaw had been given up to the Americans; and Col. MeDouall had taken up a position on Drummond Island, with- in our own limits, and which was an entire bush -never a stick had been out there. I arrived there on the 15th September, 1815. In a few

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days my volunteers were paid off, and I was ordered by Mr. Askin, of the Indian depart- ment, to take charge of the new station, and all its stores. There was no houses, and every mechanic and laborer was engaged in erecting barracks and store-houses for the troops, con- sisting of detachments of artillery and engineers, two companies of the 37th regiment, and also for the commissariat, field train, ordnance, store-keepers, medical and Indian departments -the latter numbering three officers, four in- terpreters, one doctor, and a black-smith.

Each one had to prepare, as best he could, winter quarters for himself. Not being able to provide a shelter for my use without an effort, I took off my coat and went to work; my inter- preter coming to my aid, I soon had a house. A fire had passed through the bush, and the logs at hand were all blackened, so it became neces- sary to frequently wash our hands and faces. My building was 24x18 feet in size, six feet and six inches between the upper and lower stories, spaces between logs filled with chinks and clay, cedar bark roof, with a clay chimney. Though of novel construction, it was comforta- ble, and received the dignified name of "Pottawatamie Hall" from Col. McDouall.

I divided my house into three apartments, two bed rooms, and a drawing room, the latter serving also for my office and dining room. One of the bed-rooms, I invited Mr. Keating to occupy. My furniture consisted of a small pine table, three chairs, a bench, and a little cupboard in one corner, in which were three cups and saucers, and three plates, with knives, forks and spoons to match. A small kitchen was located outside, in which a big fat soldier, our servant, prepared our breakfast and blackened our boots. As we dined with the other officers of the mess, my servant had no pastry to cook. Thus we were settled for the winter.

Late in the fall two schooners arrived from the naval depot at Kingston, to winter here- one commanded by Lieut. Adam Gordon, after- wards the "Laird of Kenmure," the other by

Lieut. Keane, afterwards an admiral. In the winter they got lonely on board and solicited from me permission to stretch their hammocks in my drawing room, which was freely granted. A jolly and comfortable winter passed off, and spring opened to the joy of all, bringing us six months' news from the civilized world. The issue of Indian presents commences in June, and, at the end of October, I had made issues to 5,000 Indians from all points of the compass, including the Mississippi and Red river coun- tries.

Col. MeDouall and the 37th were relieved by a detachment of the 71st, under Maj. Howard, a tyrant. It had been a custom to give as presents to the Indians a large amount of silver ornaments, which I considered as a kind of luxury, not adding to the comfort of those people, but materially increasing the expense of the King's bounty. I, therefore, consulted with the major on the subject-for the Indian department to which I was attached was still under military rule; and, at my request, he issued a garrison order directing me to confine my estimate for the supply of Indian presents, for the ensuing year, to such articles only as would prove a comfort to them, and not a luxury. This little job proved to be a big saving; for I have been told that, at this very time, there were 1,500 pounds of these silver ornaments ready for distribution at the Niagara depot. But their issue was forbidden. I have no good words to say for Maj. Howard, so I leave him in silence, except to add that he was peremptorily ordered to headquarters, on the opening of navigation, to be court-martialed.

Col. Manle, of the 100th regiment, now took command, accompanied by his wife and her sister, Miss Belle Jarvis, together with a jolly batch of officers. We now began to assume the rank of civilized life. "Pottawata- mie Hall" being inconveniently situated for my Indian business, I erected a building rather more commodious. About this time Miss Ham- ilton and Miss Upsher arrived-the former a

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daughter of Capt. Hamilton, of the regiment, and grand-daughter of Dr. Mitchell, surgeon- general of the Indian department; while the other young lady was the daughter of Capt. Upsher. They were cousins, and were living with Dr. Mitchell. Miss Hamilton was a well educated and very pious young lady.

During the winter our almost daily amuse- ment was snow-shoe walking, and in the evening, tea-ing somewhere, for the whole garrison was living like one happy family, cach secking the others' comfort. A growing preference for cach other's society became evident between Miss Ilamilton and myself; and the next cutter drive, for I kept a horse, settled the matter. On the 20th of February, 1820, I was married to Elizabeth Ann Hamilton, daughter of the late Capt. James Mathew Hamilton, of the army, her grandfather, Dr. Mitchell, who was a magistrate, performing the service from the Church of England's prayer book ; and Mr. George Mitchell was at the same time married to Miss Harriet Upsher. My marriage is duly recorded in the register's office at Sandwich, Upper Canada.

Maj. James Winnett, of the 68th regiment, was at this time in command of the garrison. It had up to this period been a rule in the Indian department to accept from the Indians presents of maple sugar, corn, mats, etc., re- paying them amply from the Indian store. These presents from the Indians were intended to be converted into money and placed to the credit of the department, but this was never done. Who profited by these operations is not my business to state. In the first year of my agency I shipped 600 or 800 pounds of sugar to the headquarters of the Indian department, sup- posing it would be received and disposed of for the benefit of that department ; but its receipt was never acknowledged. Consulting Maj. Winnett on the subject, he directed me to turn over all such articles as I had in store to the commissariat of the garrison, and not in future receive presents-practically exchanging com-

modities with the Indians. Thus a few more thousands of savings were added to the silver ornaments.

Prior to this I had been appointed a magis- trate, collector of customs, postmaster and issuer of licences, giving me plenty to do. I must now return to my new order of things. It was delightful to have one so much beloved to handle the old teapot and assist digestion by pleasant chit-chat. From the moment of our union we had perfect confidence in each other, and to the day of my precious wife's death, at Coburg, Upper Canada, Jnne 30, 1858, not a thought had originated in one's mind that was not communicated to the other.

My wife instructed me in religious matters, and induced me to establish family worship. From a place of Sunday resort to while away time, on the part of the officers, our home be- came a place of prayer; and at my companion's suggestion, I read, on Sundays, the morning church service and one of Burder's, or of such other sermons as we could get. During the twelve years we were at Drummond Island, we received only four short visits from Protestant clergymen; one from Rev. Mr. Short, of the Church of England, from Amherstburg, and three from the Rev. Mr. Ferry, a Presbyterian missionary, from Mackinaw. Most of the offi- cers, with their wives, attended services every Sunday. Not only did we continue these regu- lar Sabbath services, but commenced to in- strnet the Indians in religious duties; and, though my explanations of Scripture were im- perfectly imparted, yet they became so inter- ested that they would come a distance of nine miles to hear my evening readings.

Now my wife insisted on my sending for my two little Sioux children. Though she had one of her own, she felt bound to care for the others. The boy was sent to Sandwich, where he received a good English education; then kept store for sometime at Coldwater, Canada; but thinking he could do better, he went to St. Louis, where he sickened and died of fever. The

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girl was educated in the United States, and in 1833 was a teacher in our school at Coldwater, where she married a highly respectable Eng- lish gentleman named Andrew Robertson. She being entitled to what was called by the Amer- icans a "Sioux land claim," it was thought by Mr. Robertson worth looking after; so they went to St. Paul, where, after a few years, he died, leaving his wife and three children, all boys, who, I am informed, are doing well.

In the fall of 1828 I had occasion to visit Toronto, accompanied by the old Fort Adju- tant Keating ;* and shortly after the Indian ageney was removed from Drummond Island to Penetanguishine, some ninety or 100 miles nearly north of Toronto.t

THOMAS G. ANDERSON.

Thomas Gummersall Anderson was born at Sorel, in Lower Canada, Nov. 12, 1779. His father, Samuel Anderson, at the commencement of the American Revolution, sympathizing with the mother country, received a commission in the King's Royal Regiment, of New York, was wounded at Bunker Hill, and subsequently served under Sir John Johnson. Settling in Cornwall, Upper Canada, after the war, he held many local offices, and died in 1832 at the ven- erable age of ninety-seven years.

When the son, Thomas, was but a mere child, the father procured for him a commission as a cadet in his father's company, in the King's Royal Regiment. At the age of fifteen he be- came a clerk, in 1795, in the store of Thomas Markland, in Kingston, remaining with him

five years, when he resolved, as he expressed it, to enter upon the "battle of life" in the wild, and almost trackless forests of the great north- west.

After the removal of the Indian agency from Drummond Island to Penetanguishine and that vicinity in November, 1828, Capt. Anderson continued in the employ of his government, at- tending to the wants of the Indians of his charge, providing comfortable houses for their use, and the necessary means of education and civilization. In 1836 the plan of settling the Indians in that part of Canada, on the great Manitoulin Island on the northern border of Lake Huron, was inaugurated; and Capt. An- derson was placed in charge of the establish- ment, where he remained until 1845, when he was appointed visiting superintendent of In- dian affairs and payer of annuities, which he held until June 30, 1858; thus serving fifty- eight years on the frontiers as a trader and in the Indian department.

His experiences in Indian life were large and various. Ile thoroughly studied the Indian character, treating the red men with kindness when lenieney was the wiser course, and with severity when the occasion demanded it. It is related of him, that one day while lying in his tent, a drunken Indian came in uninvited, and bending over him, knife in hand, made several pretended stabs at the prostrate trader; and would have done so in good earnest had not the captain, with his eu-tomary coolness and knowledge of the Indian character, assumed the semblance of sleep, and refrained from mak- ing the slightest movement. After amusing himself in this way for several minutes, the Indian left; when Capt. Anderson called to his men to inquire of the fellow what he wanted? "Rum," was the reply. Anderson asked for a bottle, and on its being handed to him, knocked the Indian down with it, gave him a sound beating, and never saw him again.

While Capt. Anderson was himself a mem- ber of the Church of England, yet in the dis-

* This brave man, James Keating, deserves special notice. He was born in the parish of Templeshort, county of Wex- ford, Ireland, in 1786. His father was a country squire, and was murdered at an early period. The son, at eighteen, joined the Royal Regiment of Artillery, in 1804, under Col John Smith; and received a medal for his good services at Martinique. In 1814 he had the command of a volunteer bat- tery on the Prairie du Chien expedition, and distinguished himself in an especial manner. In 1815 he was promoted to a heutenancy, and was made fort adjutant at St. Joseph's; and was then stationed at Drummond Island till it was given up to the American government, then at Amherstburg, and finally at Penetanguishine. He was bere promoted to the rank of captain and adjutant in charge of that garrison till his death, in 1849, at the age of sixty-three. His son, bearing the same name, resides at Oil City, Canada.

+ The notes to the foregoing narrative are from the pen of L. C. Draper, corresponding secretary of the State Histori- cal Society of Wisconsin.

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charge of his duties as Indian superintendent, he uniformly respected alike the opinions and labors of Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Catholic missionaries. The welfare, spirit- ually and temporarily, of the red man, appeared to be his controlling desire, from his engage- ment in the service of the Indian department to the time of his death. He frequently com- plained of what he considered the injustice done the Indians by the British government; and the neglect of them by the Church of his

fathers; to him causes of great anxiety. He was universally respected by the Indians under his supervision, and received from them many tokens of their affectionate regard. He was in every sense a good man. His death occurred at Port Hope, on the northern shore of Lake On- tario, Feb. 16, 1875, in the ninety-sixth year of his age, leaving two daughters and a son; the latter, Rev. G. A. Anderson, of Penetanguishine, Ontario.

HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.

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CHAPTER XXX.

THE TOWN OF BERGEN.

This territory is located in the western part of Vernon county, and is bounded on the north by the county of La Crosse; on the east by the towns of Hamburg and Harmony; on the south by the town of Genoa, and on the west by the Mississippi river. The town com- prises forty-five full congressional sections of land, and nine parts of sections, containing al- together about 30,000 acres.

The Mississippi river washes the western line of the town, and along its entire length, and inland for two or three miles. Innumerable sloughs and water courses are seen, all finding an outlet in the mighty "Father o' waters." These sloughs are called Coon, Mor- mon, Middle, etc., and some are navigable, as Warner's Landing is located on one of the larger ones, just north of Bergen postoffice. The Coon river enters the town on the northeast quarter of section 25, and takes a westerly course through sections 26, 27, 28 and 33, emp- tying into Coon slough on section 32. The northeastern and southeastern portions of the town are not as well supplied with water courses as the central and western parts, but furnishes to the settlers an abundant supply of good spring water.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

In 1852 two natives of Norway, coming to this western country, met by chance, and both concluded to locate in what is now the town of Bergen. Halver Jorgenson selected his future home on the south side of Coon river, on section 26, and has since resided there. The other,

Andrew Emberson, settled on section 33, where he now lives.

They were followed the same year by Chris- tian Allison, also a native of Norway, who lo- cated on section 13, and lived there till his death, in 1868.

In 1853 there were three new-comers in the town, all natives of Norway. Peter Olson set- tled on section 14, where he died in 1873; Wil- liam Nelson located on section 26 and died some years ago; John Peterson made his home on sec- tion 22, where he still resides.

A year later (1854), S. C. Stetson and family, natives of Otsego Co., N. Y., located on section 11, town 13, range 7 west-in the southern por- tion of the town, where Mr. Stetson was engaged in farming until 1880, the date of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Stetson were the parents of one child-Huldah-who is now postmis- tress at the Rest postoffice.

Great Britain also furnished a settler in 1855. Samuel Sims, who resides on section 10, was born in Derbyshire, England, in 1821. In 1847, when he had arrived at the age of manhood, he came to the United States and first settled in New York. In 1851 he went to New Jersey; and in 1853 he went to Pennsylvania, and in 1855 came to the town of Harmony, entering eighty acres of land on section 6. In 1863 Mr. Sims enlisted in the United States navy, and was assigned to duty on the gunboat Shamrock, where he served until his discharge in 1864. He was married in 1848 to Mary Egal. Three children were given them-Elizabeth, wife of Samuel MeKown, John W., who mar-

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ried Miss Estella Henry, and Theodore. Mrs. Sims departed this life May 7, 1883, since which time Mr. Sims has made his home with his son, John W.

Joel F. Outcelt settled in the town in 1855, on sections 22 and 23, town 13, range 7. In 1868 lie moved to the town of Harmony.

Engrebret Engh made a settlement in the same year.

Engrebret Engh, who located here in 1855, was born in Norway in 1817. He came to the United States in 1853, and first settled in the eastern part of this State, In 1855 he came to Vernon county with his family and purchased from the government a farm of forty acres, which he has since increased to 120 acres, lo- cated on sections 26 and 27. He devotes the greater part of his time to his farm, and takes especial pride in the raising of good grain. In 1848 he married Martha Hanson, and four children have been born to them-Isaac, who married Thea Rorernd, and is a clerk in the postoffice at La Crosse; Hagbarth, who is a minister by profession. He graduated from Luther College, at Decorah, Iowa, in 1878; from the University of Christiana, in Norway in 1882, and from Luther Seminary, Madison, Wis., in 1883. In 1884 he will take charge of the Lutheran church, at Portland, Oregon. John M. married Lena Rindal, and at present is treasurer of the town of Bergen. Emma is the fourth and youngest child.

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History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 64

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Union Number of Pages: 814

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Union
Number of Pages: 814