USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and early history of the Northwest > Part 12
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The Chippewas, receiving accessions to their numbers, and also, getting additional forces from the Hurons and Ottawas, who migrated to the Northwest after the destruction of their country by the Iroquois, eventually recovered the ground they had lost, and drove the Sioux back to the prairies of the Southwest, beyond the Mississippi; and forever after maintained their supremacy and the possession of the country.
From the tradition of the Chippewas, and what is known of their history by the whites, they seem to have obtained permanent posses- sion of what is now Northern Wisconsin, about the year 1700. After that time, they dispos- sessed the Sioux of the large tract, since occu- pied by the Chippewas of the Mississippi.
For over two centuries these hostile tribes waged war against each other, and after the Americans had settled in the country, those hereditary foes had many a sanguinary conflict. No Sioux and Chippewa could meet without a trial to obtain a scalp. The following is related by the Hon. James H. Lockwood, of Prairie du Chien, in the published collections of the State Historical Society:
" In the fall of 1818, a severe fight took place on the prairie, between Lac Traverse and the head waters of the Mississippi, under
something like the following circumstances, as related to me, immediately after, by some Indians who had participated in the action. I was then at my wintering station near Lac- qui-Parle, on the St. Peters. During the summer a Yankton chief, who generally resided near Lac Traverse, called by the French the Grand Sinore, had met with some Chippe- was, with whom he had smoked the pipe of peace, and after the council had broken up, and the Chippewas were wending their way, as they supposed, safely to their homes, when a party of Grand Sinore's band followed then and killed some of the men, and took one woman prisoner. Upon this, eleven young Chippewas armed, provisioned, and provided with moccasins, started for the Sioux country, declaring that they would not return until they had avenged the insult and outrage. They traveled in the Sioux country about a month without falling in with any Sioux, and were apparently on their way home, when, on the prairie between Lac Traverse and the head waters of the Mississippi, they discovered a large camp of Sioux, of about five hundred lodges. As they were in the neighborhood of the camp, they were discovered by some Sioux on horseback, who immediately gave notice to the camp. The Chippewas, finding that they were discovered, and that their fate was sealed, sent one of their number home to carry tidings of their probable destruction, and the other ten got into a copse of timber and brush on the prairie, and commenced throwing up breast works by digging holes with their knives and hands, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, knowing that there was not the remotest hope for their escape.
"In a short time the warriors from the Sioux camp surrounded them, and, it would appear, made the attack without much order or sys- tem, and fought something like the militia in the Black Hawk war, at the attack near Kel- logg's, where each one attacked and fought on his own account, without orders. To show their bravery, the Sioux would approach the entrenched Chippewas singly, but from the covert and deadly fire of the Chippewas, they were sure to fall. They continued to fight in this way until about seventy of the Sioux were killed or wounded, when one of the Sioux war chiefs cried out, that the enemy were kill- ing them in detail, and directed a general onset, when they all, in a body, rushed upon the Chippewas with knives and tomahawks; and, after a severe struggle, overpowered and exterminated them, wounding in the melee many of their own people. The brave Chip- pewas had exhausted their ammunition, and
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST.
1825.]
now fell a sacrifice .to superior numbers. Thus perished ten as intrepid warriors as ever entered the battle field. The eleventh pur- sued his way, and carried to his people the news of the probable fate of the others. The Sioux, exulted in their mournful victory, which was purchased at the cost of the lives of between seventy and eighty of their warriors.'
In 1825, Gov. Cass assembled the Sioux, Chippewas, Winnebagoes, Menominees, Sacs and Foxes, for the purpose of determining the boundary lines of the territory of the respective tribes. The Sioux and Chippewas got into a violent dispute about their respect- ive claims; the Sioux claiming territory to the south shore of Lake Superior. When the Governor asked the Sioux upon what ground they founded their claim, they answered: "By the occupation of our forefathers." He then asked the Chippewas the same question, when Hole-in-the-day, the celebrated chief of the Chippewas, arose, and in his usual impetuous manner, said: "My father, we claim it upon the same ground that you claim this country from the British King-by conquest! We drove them from the country by force of arms, and have since occupied it." Then said the Governor: "You have a right to it."
Hole-in-the-day was at this time the great head chief of the Mississippi Chippewas. He was not a hereditary chieftain, but had risen to that position through his great ability in the field, and council, and his acts of daring and bravery. His oratory was of the highest type of savage eloquence, electrifying his auditors by its force and grandeur. He pos- sessed all the elements of a great leader; was a terror to the Sioux, and none among his own people dared to question his authority.
William W. Warren, an educated descend- ant of the Chippewas, says that "Hole-in-the- day and his brother, Strong Ground, distin- guished themselves in the warfare of their tribes with the Sioux, and by their deeds of valor obtained an extensive influence over their fellows of the Mississippi. By repeated and elling blows, aided by others, they forced the Sioux to fall back from the woods on to their Western prairies, and eventually altogether to evacuate that portion of their former country ying north of Sac River, and southeast of Leaf River to the Mississippi. Strong Ground was as fine a specimen of an Indian as ever trod the soil of America. He was one of those honor-loving chiefs, not only by name, but by hature, also, and noted for his unflinching bravery. Hole-in-the-day, his
younger brother, was equally brave, * * * had not the firmness of his brother,
Strong Ground, but was more cunning, and soon came to understand the policy of the whites. He was ambitious, and through his cunning, stepped above his more straight-for- ward brother, and became head chief. He had a proud and domineering spirit, and liked to be implicitly obeyed. * * ** Notwith-
standing his harsh and haughty temper, there was in the breast of this man much of the milk of human kindness, and he had that way about him that induced the few who really loved him to be willing even to die for hin1. During his life time he distinguished himself in eight different fights, where blood was freely shed. At St. Peters he was almost mortally wounded, a bullet passing through his right breast, and coming out near the spine. On this occasion his daughter waskilled; and from this time can be dated the blood-thirstiness with which he ever after pursued his enemies. He had married a daughter of Bi Aus Wah, a chief so distinguished among the Chippewas, that he may be said to have laid the foundation of a dynasty of chieftaindom, which has descended to his children, and the benefits of which they are reaping after him.
His bravery was fully proved by his crossing the Mississippi, and, with but two brave com- rades, firing on the large Sioux village, Ka- po-sia, below the mouth of the St. Peters. They narrowly escaped the general chase that was made for them by many Sioux warriors, crossing the Mississippi under a shower of bul- lets. There is nothing in modern warfare to surpass this daring exploit."
" His son who succeeded him in the chieftain- ship became even more distinguished than his father. He ruled like a prince, and declared that he was a greater chief than his father, because he was equally brave in the field and able in council, and had the additional merit of birthright. He was imperious and brave in the highest degree.
The St. Paul Press, at the time of his death in 1868, in a notice of him says: * *
* "Hole-in-the-day has been * accustomed to play a conspicuous part in all . treaty negotiations with the Mississippi Chip- pewas, and from long practice had become a cunning and unscrupulous intriguer, skilled in all the mysteries of Indian diplomacy. * *
There was something almost romantic in his reckless daring on the war-path. He was the Chippewa Cid or Coeur de Lion, from the gleam of whose battle-axe, whole armies of saracen Sioux fled, as before irresistble fate. His exploits would fill a book.
"The first appearance of the younger Hole-in- the-day in public council was at Fond du Lac,
8
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST.
[1700.
Lake Superior, in July, 1847. At that time the Upper Country of the Mississippi, extend- ing to Lake Superior, was owned by the Chip- pewas of Lake Superior, and the Chippewas of the Mississippi. The former were repre- sented in force. The Chippewas of the Missis- sippi, headed by Hole-in-the-day, owing to the great distance they had to travel, had but a small delegation in attendance, and Hole-in- the-day was late in reaching the council ground.
"Prior to his coming, several talks were held with the Indians, in which they admitted that they had allowed Hole-in-the-day's father to take the lead in their councils, but said that were he then alive they would make him take a back seat; that his son was a mere boy, and were he there he would have nothing to say; consequently it was useless to wait for him. The commissioners, however, thought differ- ently and waited. After his arrival the council was formally opened. The commissioners stated their business and requested a reply from the Indians. Hole-in-the-day was led up to the stand by two of his braves and made a speech to which all the Indians present gave hearty and audible assent. The change in the face of things at the appearance of Hole-in-the-day showed his bravery and commanding influence; but was also somewhat amusing. Here were powerful chiefs of all the Chippewa tribes, some of them seventy or eighty years old, who before his coming spoke of him as a boy who could have no voice in the council; saying there was no use in waiting for him; but when he appeared they became his most submissive and obedient servants; and this in a treaty in which a million of acres of land were ceded. The terms of the treaty were concluded between the commissioners and Hole-in-the- day alone. Thelatter, after this was done, with- drew, and sent word to the chiefs of the Mis- sissippi and Lake Superior bands to go and sign it. After it had been duly signed by the commissioners, the chief head men and war- riors, and witnessed by the interpreters and other persons present, Hole-in-the-day, who had not been present at these little formalities, called upon the commissioners with two of his attendent chiefs and had appended to the treaty the following words:
"' Fathers: The country our Great Father sent you to purchase, belongs to me. It was once my father's. He took it from the Sioux. He, by his bravery, made himself head chief of the Chippewa nation. I am a greater man than my father was, for I am as brave as he was, and on my mother's side, I am hereditary. head chief of the nation. The land you want
belongs to me. If I say sell, the Great Father will have it; if I say not sell, he will do with- out it. These Indians you see behind me have nothing to say about it. I approve of this treaty and consent to the same.
Fond du Lac, August 3d, 1847. PO-GO-NE-SHIK, His X Mark. Or, HOLE-IN-THE-DAY.'" "He made his influence in negotiations tell to his own personal advantage. He spent with profusion, for he was as great a prodigal as he was a warrior. Disdaining the humble bark wigwam of his tribe he lived in a good house, near Crow-Wing, and kept horses and sur- rounded himself with luxuries. He kept posted in national affairs by taking the St. Paul Press, of which he was a regular subscriber, and other papers which he had read to him by an interpreter every day of their arrival."
Although the advanced bands of the Chip- pewa nation had reached the western extremity of Lake Superior as early as 1668, they were not, as before stated, in sufficient force to main- tain possession, and it is supposed that they did not permanently occupy the country until about 1700. Since that time they drove the Sioux from the territory lying between the St. Croix and Mississippi. In 1843 there were over 5,000 souls in one agency in that district.
While the Sioux were fully engaged in resisting the encroachments of the Chippe- was, the Sacs, Foxes and Menominees, who were also Algonquin tribes from Canada, obtained permanent possession of the country bordering Green Bay, and from the lower to. the Upper Fox. Outagamie county takes its name from its former occupants, the Outa- gamies (Foxes).
Bands of other tribes were met there by the Missionaries, but these were only temporary sojourners. The Bay seems to have been a favorite place of rendezvous for the various tribes of the Algonquin race. For after the Sioux had driven the Chippewas from the mis- sion of La Pointe a large number of the latter congregated around the newly established mis- sion, at the mouth of the Fox, in 1669.
Nicolet, at the time of his visit to the Bay, 1639, found the Pottawattamies in that locality. In 1652, bands of the Hurons were moving through the country between Green Bay and La Pointe. These, and a band of Ottawas were driven out of the country by the Sioux, and the Pottawattamies were at the Sault St. Marie, in 1641, to which place they had fled from the pursuit of the Sioux. From which it would appear that it must have been after the exploration of Nicolet that the Sacs, Foxes, and Menominees obtained permanent posses-
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST.
1700.]
sion of the Fox River and Green Bay country. The Menominees are first mentioned in the Jesuit Relations in 1669, the time of the estab- lishment of the mission at La Baye.
The Winnebagoes inhabited the district west of Lake Winnebago and south of the Upper Fox, and a large portion of the southern and western part of Wisconsin. They also occupied the small tract between the head of Lake Win- nebago and the Lower Fox, bounded on the east by a line from Little Katikauna to the east shore of Lake Winnebago .. This included Doty's Island and East Menasha.
They are called by some authorities a Daco- tah tribe; but this is tindoubtedly an error; for their traditional history is, that they came from Spanish America, and Carver, the Northwest- ern explorer, says: "The Winnebagoes most probably came from Mexico on the approach of the Spaniards; and that they had an unal- terable attachment to the Sioux, whom, they said, gave them the earliest succor during their migration." "Which attachment," says Alfred Brunson "has continued to this day, there never having been a war between them." "Their dialect is neither Algonquin nor Dacotah, and is," says Mr. Bronson, of Prairie Du Chien, who is good authority, "totally different from every Indian nation yet discovered; it being a very uncouth, gutteral jargon, which none of their neighbors will attempt to learn. They converse with other nations in the Chippewa tongue, which is the prevailing language throughout all tribes, from the Mohawks of Canada, to those who inhabit the borders of the Mississippi, and from the Hurons and Illinois to such as dwell at Green Bay."
The French seem to have agreed pretty well with the Winnebagoes, but the early American settlers, while they generally speak well of the Menominees, had a very unfavorable opinion of the former tribe.
Their principal village was at Doty's Island. It was here that Capt. Jonathan Carver was so hospitably entertained by the princess of this village, Ho-po-Ko-e-Kan, (Glory of the Morning). She was the daughter of the head chief of the Winnebagoes and the widow of a French trader, De Kaury, and the mother of the celebrated De Kaurys, powerful Winne- bago chieftains.
Pesheu, or Wild Cats' village, was on Garlic Island, and Black Wolf, the distinguished head chief of the Winnebagoes, had his village at the point of that name, on the lake shore, about eight miles south of Oshkosh. The corn hills of their planting grounds were plainly visible a few years ago.
Mitchell & Osborn's History of Winnebago Connty, published in 1856, gives a very humorous account of the manner in which this shrewd old chief adroitly shifted a bit of disagreeable business from his own hands to that of another.
Pow-wa-ga-nieu was a very celebrated chief of the Menominees. His great strength was only equalled by his bravery and nobleness of spirit. He never would take the scalp of a woman or child, and it is related of him that on several occasions he defended the lives of those whom his warriors had stibdued in battle.
" Kish-ke-ne-kat, or Cut Finger, head war chief of the Pot. tawattamies of Chicago, was a great brave, and, like some successful white braves, somewhat of a bully. Among other of his habits was an ugly one, of insulting the greatest brave of any tribe he might he visiting, and such was the awing effect of his reputation that none, as yet, resented it. As was his wont, he sent one of his young men to Black Wolf, to inform him of a visit he intended to pay to that Chief, moved thereto, by Black Wolf's great reputation as a brave. Black Wolf, knowing Cut Finger's habits, thought it best to get his Menominee friend, Pow-wa-ga-nieu, to assist in dispensing his hospitalities to the Pottawattamie. Therein he showed his great wisdom. The Illinois Chief made his appearance at Black Wolf's village with three hundred war- riors, and, not being expected there, did not find the Chief ; so according to custom he started after him to Algoma, whither he had gone to a corn-husking,on the planting ground of his friend Pe-e-shan. Black Wolf, by this time apprised of his coming, assembled his and the Menominee braves to receive him. On their arrival they sat down on a pleasant spot within hailing distance of their hosts. A young Winnebago, who could speak the Pottawattamie tongue, presented the pipe to the great Chief with the usual compliments. . While the pipe was going round, Cut Finger inquired which was Black Wolf. The interpreter pointed him out. " Who is that who seems to be as great as he, sitting by his side ?" "That's Pow-wa-ga-nieu, the great Menominee." Cut Fnger's eyes snapped with delight at the prospect of humbling the great warrior before his young men. Bidding the Winnebago to tell Black Wolf that he would shake his hand; before the young men arose he started and paid the usual courtesies to that chief. After these preliminaries were settled on both sides, Cut Finger asked : 'Who is he,this who occupies a place of so much honor? he must be a great Indian.' 'This is the bravest Menominee, Pow-wa- ga-nieu.' 'Ah, is that the great Pow-wa-ga-nieu, who fills the songs of the nations ? let me look at him.' He walked all round the chief, examining him with the critical air of a horse jockey. Pow-wa-ga-nieu, all this time keeping profound silence, having a good idea what it was going to amount to. "Well,' at last broke forth Cut Finger, 'you are a fine Indian, a great Indian, a strong Indian, but you don't look like a brave Indian. I have seen braver looking Indians than you in my travels; I am a great traveler. I think you must have got a great deal of your reputation by your size. You don't look brave - you look sleepy. You have no tongue, you don't speak.' Then, telling the young Menominees that he was going to satisfy himself as to the courage of their chief, be took hold of the bunch of hair the old warrior always kept on
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST.
[1800-29.
his crown for the convenience of any Sac or Fox who might find it necessary to scalp him, and gave him a good shaking, saying all the time, 'You are sleepy, you have no tongue,' and a plentiful supply of aborignal banter. Pow-wa-ga nieu, aided by his strength and a neck that could withstand anything but rum, sustained but little damage from this, and submmitted with Indian calmness, until his tormentor had got through. After satisfying himself, Cut Finger announced to Black Wolf that he would go and sit among his warriors until Black Wolf gave the word to rise.
" Pow-wa-ga-nieu immediately set himself about fixing the flint of his Pottawattamie friend. He opened his sack, and drew forth his cap of war-eagle feathers - itself equal to a small band of Sacs and Foxes -putit on his head and picked up his lance and club. His young men feared an unpleasant result, but none dared to speak except his brother, who admon- ished him to ' do nothing rash.' One glance of Pow-wa-ga- nieu's eye and an emphatic ' I'm mad now !' sent that respect- able Menominee to his seat, excusing himself by saying that Pow-wa ga-nieu ' knew what a fool he always made of him- self when he got a-going.' Stretching himself up to his full height, he stalked toward the Pottawattamies in a style that excited the universal admiration of his friends, especially old Black Wolf, who not only admired his friend, but also his own tact in shifting this particular scrape on to that friend's shoulders.
' My friends,' said the old brave to the Pottawattamies, ' I am glad to see you here ; you look brave -- you are brave; many of you 1 have met on the war-path, and know you are brave ; some of your youngest I do not know, it being many years since 1 went to war. I amglad to see you look so well. I have heard much of your chief, but I don't think him very brave; I think him a coward. He looks sleepy, and I am going to see if he is worthy to lead such braves as you.' Whereupon, throwing his weapons upon the ground, he seized the Pottawattamie chief by the hair, which he wore very long, as in prophetic anticipation of some such retribution as this. He shook him with all his might, and continued to shake him until the young men remonstrated, saying they were satisfied. He stopped without relinquishing his hold,turned around his head, looked his followers down into silence, and shook again with the vim of a man whose whole heart was in the performance of an evident and pious duty. The life was nearly out of Kish-ke- ne kal, but the brave Menominee bore that individual's suffering with the same fortitude that he had borne his own. Satisfied at last, he raised his enemy up by the hair, and threw him from him ; at the same time he picked up his club and lance, and waited to see ' what he was going to do about it.' Cut Finger raised himself on his elbow and rubbed his head, not daring to look up, while the Menominee invited him to look up and see a man, if he was one himself, ' to come and decide this malter like men,' which, being unattended to, he went back to his seat at the right hand of Black Wolf, who had been all this time smoking with the utmost indifference, as, indeed, it was no affair of his.
" Kish-ke ne kat continued to recline on his arm. Pow- wa-ga-nieu eyeing him all the time, and when the Pottawatta- mie would steal a glance at the great war cap, the eye under it would make him turn again, at the same time his ears were assailed with, 'why don't you look up? what are you afraid of ? come and talk to me,' and such taunts. Cut Finger saw that his position among his young men was getting to be ratber delicate, and the last invitation, as a means of reconciling all
parties, met his view ; so rising, and laying his hand on his sore head, he said : 'My friends ; there is no dodging the fact that Pow-wa-ga-nieu is a brave, a very brave, Indian ; braver than I, and I'll go and tell him so.' Gathering himself up, he walked over to the chiefs, and told Pow-wa-ga-nieu that he had come over to shake him by the hand. ' You are a great chief; I have shook many chiefs; none have resented till now ; if you had submitted, you would have been disgraced in the eyes of my young men; now they will honor. 1 am a great traveler. 1 am going to all the tribes of the south. I will tell those who have spoken well of you how you have used me. They will believe me, for I have pulled all their heads, as you have pulled mine; you are as great as if you had pulled theirs, also. Let us shake hands and be friends.' Pow-wa-ga-nieu, who was a good fellow at bottom, reciprocated the good feelings of the now friendly chief, and a lasting friendship sprung up between them, and showed itself in the interchange of presents every year, as long as they both lived.
" The war-eagle cap, which contributed so much toward this victory, is, now in the hands of Pow-wa-ga-nieu's son, and can be seen any time by those who doubt the truth of the fore- going."
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