USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and early history of the Northwest > Part 14
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The lapse of half a century which has made them the property of two different nations, affords nothing to obliterate the tradition- ary remembrance of France, their primitive country."
There is something peculiarly attractive and fascinating in the history of this old place and its romantic associations, more ancient than many of the renowned revolutionary towns.
Its whole history is interwoven with the leading events of American civilization from its remote beginnings, and is contemporaneous with the rule of three distinct goverments.
Two hundred years ago it was the advanced outpost of French colonization, and for a cen- tury was the local point of the explorations, trade and travel of the Mississippi valley; while around it clustered all those ambitious hopes and aspirations of French empire in the West. By the treaty of Paris it was abandoned to English domination, and its inhabitants made the subjects of a foreign power, but the English conciliated them by practically leaving local control in the hands of the inhabitants, and by wise forbearance made them firm allies.
After the American revolution, the officers stationed at the fort and their families, and the families of the American traders and settlers introduced a new social element. But the new comers found many of the old French families to be people of elegant manners, some of whom had received a liberal education, and whose homes had many evidences of taste and refinement. Many of the American settlers, too, of that place were men of culture and talent - enterprising professional and business men, who came to lay the foundation of a state; and Green Bay soon came to be noted for its genial social manners, gaieties and warm hearted hospitality; and it is said still bears the impress of the social eclat of its ancient times.
It is a pleasure to call to remembrance the warm friendships, kindly intercourse and gen- erous hospitality of pioneer days in Wisconsin, where in the midst of the wilderness were found little communities comprised largely of men and women of cultured minds and courte- ous manners. and warm hearts full of kindness and earnest purpose.
General Ellis, one of Wisconsin's honored 9
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[1822-36.
pioneers and a resident of Green Bay in 1822, in his published recollections, in State Histori- cal Collections, gives a glimpse of the pleasant social life of the times. He says, speaking of the old French settlers:
** *
" The residents on the River, except some half a dozen Ameri- cans. were retired French voyageurs, and half-breed French and Menominees; they had without let or hindrance, taken up the whole shore of the River above the fort, for six miles ; divided it off into little strips of one or two French arpents in width, which they called their farms; they claimed back at right angles from the River eighty arpents, about two and three-fourths miles in depth. They had reduced most of the fronts for an acre, or two, or three, some more, some less deep, to a state of cultivation ; and had growing at the time of our arrival, the first of September, very fair crops of potatoes, maize, oats, peas, spring wheat, pumpkins, melons, cabbages, onions, and other common garden vegetables. Most of them had teams of native oxen, and a kind of implement claimed to be a plow, with which they broke the soil. This plow went on wheels, one of which was twice the size of the other, the larger one going in the furrow, the smaller one going on the land. The plow beam was fourteen feet in length; the chip, on which the share was fastened, was four feet long, and altogether, when in motion was drawn by six or eight bulls, it was a formidable object, and answered well the end of its construction. The furrows were nearly two feet in width, but quite shallow. The style of plowing was what is known as " back furrowing," and only two each way, to a land, forming ridges eight feet wide, with a dead furrow between, which insured thorough drainage. The breaking was commonly done in June ; then leaving it till the next spring, when as soon as the farmer could get at it, even before the frost was fairly out of the ground, it was thor- oughly harrowed, and if for wheat, the seed put in without waiting for warm weather.
" These bull-teams were a curiosity to a raw American. The animals were unblemished -the yoke was a straight piece of hickory, worked off smooth and bound to the bulls' necks just back of the horns, with a strip of raw hide, to which stick was fastened the pole of the cart, on which rested the plow beam. Besides these bull-teams for plowing, these set- tlers had ponies of a hardy kind, with which they managed to propel a rude cart in summer ; and a kind of sled, called a train, or another called a cariole, in winter ; the ponies were always worked singly - no two were ever harnessed abreast. With these trains, loaded with ten to fourteen hundred pounds, they would undertake journeys in winter to the Rocky Moun- tains, if required. It was the common mode of moving mer- chandise long distances in winter - taking the place of boat in summer. MI. Daniel Whitney usually employed a caravan of these ponies and trains with their French drivers every winter to transport supplies from Green Bay to St. Peters.
" These native settlers of Green Bay lived in primeval simplicity ; of all people, they seemed the most innocent, honest, truthful and unsuspecting. They had, moreover, a most perfect immunity from want; their little fields were pro- ductive; the River was alive with fish and fowl; summer and winter their food was of the best, and in greatest abundance, and only required the taking. A narrator would not dare state the truth of the abundance of wild fowl, fish and game, with which the country abounded, on pain of being held by the
listener, an unmitigated Munchausen. Their habiliments were obtained with equal facility. Both sexes, for the most part, arrayed themselves in garments procured from the chase ; those of the male were almost entirely of deer skin, while the females indulged in a few cotton stuffs obtained from the traders. All wore the moccasin ; not a boot or shoe was to be seen among them.
"These simple people inherited their manners from their fore- fathers, the French of Lower Canada ; and politeness and strict " good-breeding " was the rule, from the highest to the lowest. It gave them ease and gracefulness of deportment, often a sur- prise and reproach to the brusque, abrupt Yankee, rendering their company acceptable and engaging with the most cul- tivated and polite, and insuring, in their intercourse with each other, the preservation of friendly feeling and good will. They had been sought out by the Catholic ministers, their children were all baptised Christians, had been taught the creed and commandments, and grew up simple hearted, trusting people. They were strict observers of the seasons of festivals and feasts. From Christmas to Ash-Wednesday, the whole settlement was rife with feasting, dancing, and merry-making; but, on the approach of Lent, it was suddenly suspended till Easter.
* * * *
"The Easter festival was the most joyous of the calendar ; with the most of them it was celebrated in the deep forests; where they had before repaired, for one of their chief indus- tries, the making of maple sugar; which requires a little more special notice. It was a source of the greatest amusement, as well as profit, occupying two or three months of every year, and engaged nearly the whole population, male and female, chil- dren and all. They probably got the art from the Indians, and greatly improved on the savage mode. About the first to the fifteenth of February, preparations were made throughout the settlement for repairing to the sucrerie, ou sugar-bush ~ for moving from their home cabins on the River bank, into the deep wood, often many miles distant ; taking generally most of their household treasures, even to their chickens; and they made the business worthy of their preparations. Some of them had as many as five hundred, eight hundred, and some one thousand trees tapped. A few of their sugar-houses were quite large, and as good as those at the River, well furnished, with buckets, store troughs, kettles, etc. The ground was neatly cleared of underbrush, and roads made to every part of it. The first business of the season, after arriving at the sucrerie, was to provide a good store of fuel for purposes of boiling; next to overhaul and repair the buckets, which had been carefully stored in the .sugar-house the spring heforc. These buckets were made from the birch bark - nothing else would suffice. This bark, it may be added. is taken from the tree by the Indians in June, and made an object of merchandise; like peltries, by traders. These various preparations would consume perhaps a month before the commencement of the sap-running season.
* *
* * *
" As before stated, the Easter festival was generally observed at those sucreries ; for this reason, those who had the chickens, and could do it, took them into the woods, made houses for them, and saved a store of eggs for this festival. Then it was that their friends at the settlement, the Americans and army officers, were invited to visit them, and the invita- tions were rarely declined. The American citizens, the gen- tlemen and ladies of the army, found no greater enjoyment than one of these spring festivals, celebrated among their French
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1822-36.]
and half-breed entertainers in the depth of the great maple woods, in their commodious sugar-houses. There was never- failing good cheer, somewhat enlarged, perhaps, by their visit- ors in a pic-nic style ; which was followed with strains of the merry violin and the dance, and at length the guests retired with pleasing, vivid recollections of the Easter festival among the French, at the sucreries. These frolics were often enlivened by an old fashioned "candy-pull, " when the French girls presented their sweet-hearts, on parting, with a cake of candy, folded in a strip of birch hark, which they called their 'billet doux.'
"Augustine Grignon was notedfor his almost princely hospitality. No man, woman or child ever met a frown at his door, or went away hungry. His home was indeed one to the weary wayfarer; and we would invariably say, "Only let us reach Augustine's and we shall be . happy," and so, indeed, we were. His house was often crowded at night to the great incon- venience of himself and family; but the cordial welcome, the bland smile and the bountiful good cheer, never failed, and all without fee or reward except that rich one felt by every good man, conscious of a generous action.
"Of all men of French origin at the Bay when I arrived there, Judge James Porlier stood foremost. He was known as Judge of Probate *
* * Mr. Porlier was a man of education, in the enlarged sense.
He was well-born, of the French * * nobility, and received corresponding advanta- ges in his youth. A very few moments in his company assured you of the presence of a man of culture and fine taste. His possession of these was acknowledged by all. On his appear- ance in the social circle - and none, either French or American, was considered complete without him, all mirth and impertinence sub- sided, and the company- the highest in it- deferred to, and awarded him the post of honor. He was very gentle in his manner; and his con- versation remarkable for the purity and elegance of his language, and not less so for the high moral tone of his sentiment. The regard awarded him by his French neighbors was universal and sincere. He commanded the same admiration from the American citizens, as well as gentle- men of the army, all of whom tendered Judge Porlier every evidence of esteem and respect."
"Pierre Grignon had the manners of a court- ier, was not wanting in intelligence, and was liberal, free-hearted and generous; of a tall, commanding figure, and open and ingenuous countenance, he was calculated to command the respect and good will of a stranger. To Williams, he was very attentive, and through his Indian retainers kept his table bountifully supplied with game - venison, fish and fowl. Louis Grignon was most active in taking
measures fot securing educational advantages for his family and neighbors, and several of his children finished their schooling in Montreal."
In speaking of a marriage, General Ellis says: "This was not the first essay of -- for a wife among the fair damsels of Green Bay; for only a few days before, he had laid himself, his fortune and his fame at the feet of one of the daughters of Louis Grignon, a young lady of great personal charms, good education in the French language, obtained at Montreal, and irreproachable manners and character. The lady, her father and friends had a correct appre- ciation of the distinguished suitor; and in a manner as inoffensive as possible, declined the alliance."
Miss Grignon was the grand-daughter of Charles De Langlade, the first settler in Wis- consin; and the personal sketches above given are interesting exhibits of the character of the leading French families, who constituted the first settlers in the State.
Most of the ancient land marks of Green Bay are swept away by that remorseless progress that obliterates all but the record of the past, and the old straggling French settlement along the mouth of the river has been transformed into three thriving modern cities - Green Bay, Fort Howard and Depere, marts of trade, com- merce and manufacture; with stately buildings and shipping, and with railroads stretching away in every direction.
At the close of the Revolutionary War, the territory of the Northwest was to have been surrendered to the United States; but the formal delivery of the forts was not made for many years after, and the posts continued to be occupied with English officials and fur traders, conjointly with the French and Indians.
By the treaty of peace of 1783, and by Jay's treaty of 1795, it was stipulated that the Northwestern Territory, with its forts and trading posts, should be transferred to the authorities of the United States. The English, however, remained in actual possession of the country until after the war of 1812. During that war the greater portion of the Northwest was under the control of the British.
After the conquest of New France by the English, the French inhabitants and the Indians considered themselves subjects of the English government. They had no associa- tions with the Americans, and being under the control of English influence, they adhered to that power in the war of 1812.
The post of Green Bay was one of the few places relinquished by the English to the United States prior to that war.
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[1812.
The Americans had built a fort on Macki- naw Island. This was attacked and taken by the English, under command of Col. Robert Dick- son, aided by a party of Winnebagoes and Menominces. Oshkosh was in this expedition.
In 1813, Souligny, a Menominec war-chief, and fifty of his braves, participated in the hard fighting under Tecumseh, at Fort Meigs. Tomah, who had started later with the chiefs Grizzly Bear, Iometah and Oshkosh, went under Proctor, and joined in the attack on the fort at Sandusky, which was so gallantly defended by young Crogan. The Winnebagoes also, took part in this campaign under the lead of Pesheu, or the Wild Cat, and Black Wolf, De Kaury and others.
The distinguished pioneer, Henry S. Baird, of Green Bay, says:
"The Menominees were always friendly to the whites, and gained the confidence and friendship of the latter. It is true, that during the war of 1812, this tribe, together with all the Northern and Western tribes, joined the British and fought under their standard; but this must be attributed to the fact, that the whole of this portion of the Northwest was at that period in subjection to that power, rather than the inclination of the Menominees, who were induced to believe that the Government of the United States was entirely unable to keep possession of the country and protect them in their rights."
It ought to be remembered too, that the Menominees regarded themselves as one people with the French, and that they considered them- selves with the French the subjects of the new power, (the English) whose King had become their new father. They also began to perceive the dangers to them of the encroachments of the Americans, who, unlike the French and English traders, were occupying the land and absorbing the Indian territory.
"But," says Henry S. Baird, "the descend- ants of some of the old American settlers, well know that their families were not only rescued from the scalping knife, but subsequently protected by different individuals of the Menominee tribe."
The Wisconsin Indians, with the exception of the Sauks and Foxes, and a few of the Win- nebagoes, never made war on the whites - except as allies in war between the whites, waged by the whites themselves.
In the Black Hawk war they promptly went to the defense of the Americans.
After the capture of Mackinaw, an expedi- tion went under the command of Lieut. Col. Wm. Mckay, for the purpose of taking the American fort at Prairie du Chien. Mckay's
forces arriving at Green Bay, were joined by a military company, of which Pierre Grignon was captain, and Augustin Grignon and Peter Powell, Lieutenants.
James B. Porlier, now a resident of Buttes des Morts, and then a youth of eighteen, was commissioned as lieutenant of a company of regulars. They proceeded by the Fox Rivers, Lake Winnebago and the Wisconsin in barges and canoes. .
The American forces at the garrison num- bered about sixty men.
It was Sunday when the expedition reached Prairie du Chien, and as it was a pleasant day, the officers were intending to go on a pleasure excursion.
Nicholas Boilvan was American Indian agent at that place; he had sent his man out to drive up his cattle, when the man, discovering the enemy, hastened back and told Boilvan of their presence. Boilvan and all the citizens now fled from the town, some taking refuge in the fort, others going into the country.
The English and their Indian allies now invested the fort, and a flag was sent in demanding its surrender. The demand was promptly declined.
A six pounder was now got in position which fired upon the American gun-boat lying in the river. The boat returned the fire, but as both fired at long range, it was for some time ineffectual. At last the gun-boat was struck so as to cause leakage, when she was compelled to drop down stream. As she was starting, the inmates of the fort called to her to remain; but as she moved off despite of the summons, they fired on her. She was struck twice afterward by the shot of the English, and was leaking badly before she got out of harm's way.
During the contest with the gun-boat, Mckay got his regulars in position near the fort, and a brisk fire was kept up till night.
The siege lasted four days without any very decisive occurrence, when Mckay resolved on more effectual measures. While these were in preparation, the garrison raised a white flag, and its surrender was agreed upon. It seems it had a scanty supply of ammunition -its chief stores being in the magazine of the gun-boat.
When the beleaguered garrison marched out to deliver up their small arms, some of the Indians made hostile demonstrations, but they were promptly suppressed, as Mckay had given the strictest orders to his men and the Menominees to guard the Americans from any assault that the Indians might meditate. One of them, a Winnebago, who was loitering by
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the palisades, induced a soldier to put out his hand through a port hole to shake hands, when as quick as thought he whipped out his knife and cut off one of the man's fingers and fled.
After the surrender, the Winnebagoes made an attempt to plunder the citizens; when Mckay resolutely told them, that if they did not immediately go to their homes he would turn his troops upon them. After they left, he and his forces departed for Green Bay. The contest was a bloodless one. After the close of the war, Col. McKay went to Montreal. Col. Robert Dickson remained for some time in this country. He had been an English trader, and had a Sioux wife, and four children by her. He was highly esteemed by the Americans for his humanity to prisoners dur- ing the war.
One of the most terrible events of the war of 1812, was the massacre of the garrison at Chicago.
The fort was situated on the south bank of the river, at a point where the old river, before the harbor was built, made a sharp curve before entering the lake. On the north shore of the river, right opposite the fort, was Mr. Kinzie's residence and trading post. The writer, when a small child, often played on the old place. There were only two other resi- dences on the river within a distance of two miles. These, with the fort, and a few families of discharged soldiers and half-breeds, living just outside its palisades, constituted all there was of Chicago at that day.
On the seventh of April, 1812, while Mr. Kinzie's children were dancing to the music of his violin, Mrs. Kinzie rushed into the house breathless, exclaiming that the Indians were at Lee's place, killing and scalping. The family now immediately repaired to the fort; and as another family was in peril -the Burns - no time was to be lost in going to their rescue. A gallant officer, with a party, started in a small scow. They reached the place in time, and moving Mrs. Burns, with her infant, only a day old, on a bed, placed it on the scow and brought her and her family safely to the fort. A party of soldiers who were out fishing, hear- ing the report of a cannon which was fired to warn them of danger, stopped at the Lee place on their return, and found the mutilated bodies of two men. It was afterwards learned that the act was committed by a party of Winnebagoes. .
On the seventh of August, a Pottawattamie chief arrived at the fort, with despatches from Gen. Hull, informing them that war was declared; that Mackinaw was taken by the British; and with orders to Captain Heald to
evacuate the fort and distribute the goods to the Indians. The Pottawattamie chief, who knew the nature of the instructions, obtained an interview with Mr. Kenzie, and advised against such a measure, as one fraught with the greatest danger; that it would be better to remain until reinforcements could be sent to the relief of the garrison. Mr. Kinzie and the officers of the garrison urged the same course; but Captain Heald determined to evacuate and distribute the stores.
The Indians were daily becoming more defi- ant, passing in and out of the fort, contrary to orders.
The greatest gloom prevailed among the little hopeless band, who nightly retired expecting to be awakened by the war-whoop.
A council was held with the Indians, at which the commandant informed them, that he intended to distribute among them the goods and munitions in the fort. He then asked them for an escort of safety to Fort Wayne. This they promised with the greatest professions of friendship.
Mr. Kinzie and the officers protested against giving them the ammunition, arms and liquor, and Captain Heald perceiving the impolicy of it himself, determined to destroy all of the ammunition, except the amount required by his own force.
The goods were delivered to the Indians, and in the evening the liquor was poured into the river, and the ammunition destroyed. Not- withstanding the greatest secrecy had been observed, the Indians became aware of the destruction of what they coveted, and mani- fested their indignation.
The day fixed forevacuation - the fifteenth -arrived. In the morning, Mr. Kinzie received information from a friendly Indian, that mischief was intended, and urging him to accompany Mrs. Kinzie and the children in the boat that was to carry them to St. Joseph's. He declined, thinking his presence would protect the doomed band, so highly was he esteemed by the Indians.
The troops left the fort, the band playing the dead march. Mr. Kinzic and his eldest son accompanying them, while Mrs. Kinzie and her four children were in the boat.
Captain Wells, who had come from St. Joseph's with a band of fifteen friendly Indians to aid in their protection, blackened his face before leaving the garrison, in anticipation of impending doom.
The procession mournfully filed along the shore of the lake. After proceeding a short distance, Capt. Wells suddenly announced, "They are about to attack us. Form and
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[1812.
charge upon them." The words were hardly uttered, before a shower of lead was poured into their ranks. The carnage was frightful. The troops fought with desperation, but encumbered with women and children and contending against such vast odds, there was no hope. Still they fought in desperation and despair; several of the women making a heroic resistance. The terrible scenes that were enacted are almost too horrible to be related.
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