USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. I > Part 21
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While we were there the Indians held a begging dance, going from one store or saloon or house and dance, and then pass a dish or hat for contributions.
Myself and my hired man concluded to remain on the boat and go to St. Louis. The captain bought some supplies and we returned to the boat that evening, excepting two of our crew, named Brown and one called Kentuck. We cast loose early next morning, and floated down the Mississippi, and took what was called the Cassville slough, as the captain said it was better than to keep the main channel.
We were so far from the channel that a steamboat passed us without our hearing her cough or steam escape. When we came in sight of Cassville, we saw our men Brown and Kaintuck sitting on the levee, waiting for us, as they passed us on a steamboat.
As this narrative is calculated to give one an idea of the men and manners of the times, I will give a short sketch of each of the crew as far as I knew. The captain, Elliott, was an Irishman and had been long on the rivers.
He told me that he used to send keel boats up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and the crews from the Missouri would return healthy and robust, but those of the Mississippi would often have the ague or fever.
Although the water of the Missouri is muddy and looks unfit to drink, it is more healthy than the Mississippi. The cap- tain continued the river trade until steamboats began to be used there, when he built one and ran it until it accidentally burned.
I was told that the captain stood heroically by his passengers and crew until all were safely taken off and he was the last man that left the boat. As the loss of his steamer reduced his means, he could only buy one keel boat and commenced again by taking contracts to supply corn, etc., to some garrisons.
Our supercargo was named Young. He was from Ohio, and came to the lead mines about six years before. He told me that he struck mineral in the first hole that he sunk when he com- menced prospecting for lead. He worked his mine for four
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years and then it gave out. He then prospected one year with the help of one man all the time, and much of the time two, before he struek mineral again.
He worked his last strike about one year, and fearing it would give out, he sold it and invested all his money in lead. Having run this to St. Louis and sold it, he bought a drove of hogs, drove them to the lead mines and sold them, then returned to his native town, bought a home and mined no more.
My hired man's name was Norman Lewis. He was raised in Ohio. He was a large, slow, clever man of no marked character or ability.
While he worked for us on the farm, there was an election at Janesville, our place of voting, a distance of twelve miles.
My father, brother and Lewis and myself went to vote. It was to elect members to the legislature, and the candidates were H. F. Jones and E. V. Whiton, so well known afterwards as a member of the house and council, and as a lawyer and judge. Jones was the proprietor of the town, and well known, but Whiton was elected.
After casting our votes, we were ready, and asked Lewis if he had voted yet. He very innocently replied no, for neither of them had treated yet.
I knew nothing of Kaintuek, as he left us to go over on Turkey river, prospecting for mineral as lead ore (Galena), it was universally called. Frenchy was a Canadian, and a merry one, a good waterman and pleasant companion. The other one had been a soldier and gained some notoriety, and as it was obtained in an unusual way, I will give his history.
His name was Hagerman. He was born near the Hudson river, below Albany, and when eighteen years old he took a notion to marry a neighbor's daughter, but was certain that his father would oppose it. So he worked quite well and pleased the old man, so that he told his boy that he would make him a pair of fine boots, as he was a shoemaker.
The boy went into the shop where the boots were being made and the old man was in good humor. The boy thought it a good time to tell him of his intended marriage.
As soon as the old man was told, he sprung up in a rage and threw the boots across the shop and swore that he would never finish them. The boy left the shop and ran to the nearest
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boat landing, and went aboard the first boat for New York, and they were enlisting men there for the army under General Scott, to come west and fight Black Hawk. Hagerman enlisted and they soon started for the West to suppress the Indians.
In due time they arrived in Chicago, and the cholera was among them, and their progress was slow, but they reached Rock Island, and were still there when General Atkinson, of the regular army, and Dodge, of Wisconsin, and Henry and Alexander, of Illinois, elosed the war at the battle of Bad Ax, August 2, 1832.
While at Rock Island, Hagerman was put on picket guard for the first time, and as he had never seen an Indian, but had heard many stories of their bloody work, he was very timorous and much excited. He was stationed at the upper end of the island, near some small bush, and the night was unusually dark and made him more afraid.
He had the usual instructions as to challenge and firing, if necessary. He told me that as soon as the corporal left him, instead of pacing his beat, he stood as still as possible, as he was fearful that some Indian would send an arrow into him.
After a short time, he heard a slight noise in the thicket like a man stepping earefully among the brush and grass. He waited a short time until he was so nervous that he decided he would fire on it. He made ready to fire, but could scarcely hold his gun, but did not say a word, and fired at the place where the intruder was stepping. Hagerman's fire brought out the guard and enquired what was the trouble. But he said he did not know what he shot at. So they looked among the brush and found a beautiful pony that belonged to the colonel, shot through the heart with a ball and three buek-shot.
This made him quite famous among his comrades, and the colonel too, although the pony was a great pet. That was the only shot that he made while in the service. So he gained credit for bravery by an excess of cowardice. Such is fame.
When his term of service expired, he was discharged in Chicago, found that the family of his girl were there, or near there, went to them, married the girl and engaged in driving stage for a living.
One evening he came across a few of his old companions of
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the army-and they had a merry time and drank until Hagerman was too drunk to realize what he was doing.
When waked up he was on a schooner and half way to Green bay, and had enlisted again. The old soldiers had indueed him to enlist and they went aboard for Green bay, and from there to Fort Winnebago, at the portage.
His people had no idea what had become of him, and of course he was anxious to be released. He gained the sympathy of Captain Lowe and an effort was made to get him discharged.
As the papers had to be sent to Washington, and mail facili- ties were not good, it took a long time and he had to do duty the same as others.
One day he was sent out with a party to cut wood for the garrison, and as they ent large trees, they used powder to split the logs open. He put in a charge of powder, and lit the fuse, but it seemed to him that it was not going off, so he went up to see what was wrong, and just then the explosion took place. One half of the log struek him on the thigh and broke the bone, and held him down. His comrades made a litter and carried him to the hospital, and that night his discharge came.
After many weeks he left the hospital and his first work was helping this boat. Such was life in the far West.
The other man, named Brown, was born near Dayton, Ohio, and while a boy used to ride horses to tow boats on the canal. He was naturally resolute and fearless, was very active, but always civil, would not give any one rough language, nor would he take it from any one. Brown told me that a man named Gleason and himself kept a saloon close to the lines of the reservation, and right on the bank of the Wisconsin river, where it makes a bend and is quite deep. They sold whiskey to Indians or soldiers, and it gave the officers some trouble and made them hostile towards Gleason and himself. The officers thought the easiest way to get rid of the saloon was to allow the soldiers to break it up. So they gave a squad of six or more leave to go and drink all they liked, and then destroy what whiskey was left. The soldiers came in and ealled for whiskey, and he set it out for them, and they drank often, but would not pay anything, and Brown soon caught on to their scheme and went into a baek room where Gleason was sleeping. He waked him and told him what was up, and each took an ax-handle and
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went out and hit as many as they could, and soon had the room clear of soldiers, except two, who were senseless on the floor, and they dragged them out and closed the door.
He said he could hear the soldiers' feet on the frozen ground as they ran for the fort. It was not long until a squad came back for the two who were unable to get up. He heard them fussing with them and finally got them off. This made the officers more determined to get rid of them. An Indian told Brown that he knew where there was lead on the other side of the river, back a few miles where there were many small hills. As lead is much sought after, and the story seemed plausible, Brown went with him to find the lead, and was to give the Indian something for his showing the place. They erossed in a canoe and traveled some miles, but found no sign of lead, and Brown began to suspect a trick was put up by the officers. After a little he missed the Indian, and then he was certain of treachery, and turned back for the portage. Pretty soon he saw another Indian, and soon another. He walked fast, and was followed fast, and when he could not get away from them by walking, he struck into a run, and they after him, some six or seven of them. Brown was an unusually active man, and the Indians could not overtake him, but were in sight, and when he came to the river where he left his boat, that was gone; but he had to cross, so he plunged in and swam across, although the slush and ice were running in the river.
As he said that their cabin was close to the river where the water was deep, it is likely that those Indians were put in there, for he told me that not one of these that chased him ever came in to a payment.
He said if a man's bowels were taken out and a round stone put into their place and well tied so it would not slip out, he thought that would keep the body on the bottom, and if he were looking for those Indians, he would look in that deep place just back of the cabin.
When we found Brown and Kaintuck at Cassville, we noticed that Brown was lame and that the flesh was purple about the great toe, and when we inquired what caused it, he told us of a skirmish he had in town, and Kaintuck corroborated his aecount of the evening gambling and the morning fight and flight from town.
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We left Brown and Kaintuek in town, as they met some Portage friends and wanted to have a visit and gamble some, and would bring some bread for us that was not quite ready when we left. Brown played until he lost thirty dollars on roulette, and then quit playing and called all up to the bar to drink or smoke.
He paid, and started to go, and at the door met another portage man, so he took him up to have a parting glass with him. They filled their glasses and the friend drank his, but Brown was in no hurry and let his stand while he talked with his friend, and a Du Chien gambler reached around slyly, and took the glass and drank the liquor. That was an insult that in most cases would be resented with a blow, but as he was going away, he let it pass and poured out some more and drank. Then the Du Chien man raised the front of Brown's hat, and said, "Are you from the Portage?"
This brought his left fist into play and it sent him flat when Brown said, "Yes, I am from Portage."
Of course he expected that this would be followed up with a general row, but as there were as many in the room from Portage as the home men, they quieted it, and Brown and Kaintuck went to the hotel and then to bed.
When they got up in the morning, and while Brown's back was toward the stairs, four men came into the room, and one of them struck Brown before he knew of their being there.
When Brown was hit, the man said, "Resent that if you are from Portage." The blow did not knock Brown down, but blinded him for a short time, and he just stood still and winked until his sight returned, and then he wheeled and let out with his left hand and floored his assailant.
Then he kicked him and clapped his thumb in the fellow's eye and took it completely out of his head and left it hanging on his cheek. Kaintuck said he must get out of this, and ran down stairs, and left Brown with three men against him. He hit one and got past two, but had to back down to fend off blows. He got one at the bottom of the stairs, and kept backing into the street, when the last one rushed up, fearing he would turn and run, whereupon Brown gave him a kick that laid him flat.
Then he rushed for his sack of bread, intending to skip for
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the boat. The landlord met him on the porch with a pistol in his hand and ordered him to stop, as he had sent for the sheriff to have him arrested. Brown drew a large pocket knife and made a slash at the landlord and cut his vest open across the breast; then the landlord ran into the house and Brown walked in and took his sack of bread and just got started for the boat when the sheriff came up and told him he must wait until the surgeon of the garrison examined the first man, who was still lying on the floor of the hotel, up stairs.
The surgeon put his eye back and revived him, but would not make any report until he talked with Brown about it, and was told how it commeneed, and the attack by four in his room. The surgeon said, "I will make a report to the sheriff and he will release you, but the only thing that this fellow will see with that eye is his mistake in attacking you."
As soon as released, they got aboard a steamboat, as their canoe was not fast enough to suit them, and as the steamboat was ready to start down the river, they chose that. When the steamer was just fairly started, the boat was hailed from the garrison, and ordered to stop. The sheriff and some officers from the garrison came on board to look for a keg of specie that had been stolen from the storeroom at the garrison. We did not learn the particulars and outcome of the theft until we arrived in St. Louis, when we saw it in the newspapers.
It was this way, three soldiers agreed to steal the money that was there to pay to the Indians. The one on guard duty and two others were to dig under the wall and take the keg away and hide it, which they did. The next night a watch was kept, and one of them went to the keg and took out as much as he could get away with, when the watchers arrested him and recovered all the cash.
The captain of the boat had been up all night with convivial friends and soon laid down, and his son looked after the boat. The fear of arrest was yet strong in Brown, and he went to the bar and bought a gallon of whiskey and took it to the engine room and treated the engineer and fireman and told them to send her a flying. Pretty soon the old boat was ereak- ing in every joint, and it woke the old captain, who came and ordered steam blown off, as he was afraid each minute of burst- ing the boiler.
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Kaintuek left us at Cassville, and we saw no more of him. I, being the youngest, was installed as cook, that was the most there was to do, except to steer, which was very easy, as we could now steer with a tiller in the rudder post, instead of a sweep, as is necessary on the Wisconsin.
I had plenty of room in the cargo box to set the eatables, as a cargo of lead takes up but little room. I had a box about four feet sqaure and one foot deep filled with sand on the deck of the cargo box, and on this I made my fire and cooked.
While the men were eating, I had to steer, as it was easy to do. One day I was steering, and as the current was slow, I ran over the body of a tree that had fallen into the stream, and under water, so I had not noticed it. The boat scraped along over it, but when the rudder struck it, the rudder unslipped and would have sunk, as there was considerable iron on it. I called for all hands on deck and they saved and reshipped the rudder, and I was complimented by our captain for holding on so well.
As the captain was obliged to go to Galena, I was detailed to go with him. We took what he called the Galena slough and struck Fever river, and I paddled up to the town.
Business kept him until late and I had to move the canoe alone. as the captain was too smart to work when he could make any one else do it. The moon shone very bright, and we kept a sharp lookout for the keel boat, and found it tied up at Belleview, about fifteen miles from Galena. We now had smooth running and but very little to do. When we were at Le Clare at the head of the Rock Island rapids, we wanted a pilot over the rapids. We found a steamboat there that was going down, and the captain made a bargain to be towed over. But the steamboat captain came on board and said that he would pilot us over and it would be safer than towing. He told our captain that he would be surprised to see the river so low. We made the run safely and landed at Davenport, where we saw many Indians with red blankets that they had obtained from the British government at Malden, in upper Canada. They were Sac Indians, who used to go to Malden annually until 1833.
I understood that both the Sac and Foxes made a visit to Malden annually and received presents from the Canadian gov-
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ernment until after the Sac war in 1833. One year after the Sacs were nearly annihilated at Bad Ax.
Our trip from there down was quite pleasant, except that we once left the channel, took down a slough and stuck fast on a bar at the lower end of the slough, and had to take off several tons of lead and land it below until we could float over the bar. Wild geese, cranes and pelicans were plenty. One evening just as we landed, we heard a great commotion among these birds and some of the crew went down to see them and shoot some. They said that it seemed to them that the geese and cranes were fighting the pelicans, as all were fighting and making all the noise possible, each in his own language. I could hear them, but I did not go down as supper must be prepared. We often saw a flock of pelicans on a sand-bar, and at a distance they looked like a snowdrift.
When we got to where Nauvoo was afterwards built up, we landed and looked for a pilot. We landed on the east side and the captain took Hagerman and went over to hire a pilot who lived a few miles away, and as there was so few steamboats running, many pilots were idle. As they were passing through some river bottoms, they disturbed several wild hogs; one old sow charged the captain, and it took his best action to get away from her. When telling us about it, the captain said by the "Holy Mother," I thought she would get her tushes into me.
While they were gone we looked for honey bees, as we were told that they were living in some bluff rocks near, but we did not find them.
The captain hired a pilot who continued with us to St. Louis. While passing a small French village, our little Canadian in- quired of a couple of men who were sitting on a wood pile, what wood was worth, but they made no reply, and Frenchy asked them other questions that offended them.
Just then we were opposite a house and a woman came to the door and Frenchy greeted her in a civil manner, but she gave him a slang answer that made all laugh that understood it, when he thanked her and said he was very much obliged. Our laughing offended the men, and one of them ran towards the house and called for some one to bring him his gun and he would show keel-boatmen something. We sat with our feet hanging down on the side of the boat and did not think that he
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would shoot, but the pilot told us to go inside as he would shoot. He ran along the bank until he came to a lime kiln, when he fired on us. The ball struck the water and then the boat, but did no damage. One would hardly expect that such a crew would be shot at and not return the fire. As my gun was loaded and Brown's was broken, he took mine to return the man as good as he sent. His head was just above the wall of the lime kiln; Brown fired and we saw dust fly close to his head, and he dropped out of sight.
The captain in his cabin heard the commotion and came out and inquired what was the trouble. He was told and went out and told the village men if we were fired on again we would come ashore and burn their town.
We watched the lime kiln, and when we were out of gun- shot, the man got up and went to the house. As Frenchy was the one that brought on the trouble, he was crazy mad.
His gun was an old army . musket cut off to make it more handy. It was not loaded, but he loaded it in haste, pouring in powder from a horn, and not measuring it, and then rolling down a lot of bullets that he had run to shoot wild geese. After the excitement we wanted to see how much lead he had in his gun. He put the ram-rod down and found he had at least one foot of powder and ball. Had he fired he would have bursted his gun and likely killed all or a part of the crew.
We landed at Alton, and the captain went home and found his family well, but surprised them, as they had not heard from him since he left there, as he had not written, and the time was long past that he set for the trip. Then came uneasiness and finally despair.
While he was gone, I wrote home, and as we had no writing materials on board, I went into an office to write and was told that it was the place where Lovejoy was killed and his printing press destroyed.
A man came aboard our boat to go to St. Louis with us, as but few steamboats were running. He said that he was there at the time of the riot and that the persons who destroyed the press did not intend to injure Lovejoy; but he, or his friends, fired on the crowd that was on the deck and killed a man named Bishop, who was sitting on his chest of joiner tools, and waiting to take a steamer to St. Louis.
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As soon as Bishop was killed the fire was returned with fatal result to Lovejoy.
Our trip from there was without particular interest. We discharged our cargo and commenced loading for town along the Illinois river.
While waiting one Sunday we noticed a crowd hurrying along the levee and saw a large deer swimming and men putting out with boats to catch the deer. It was a large buck with fine antlers. A boy came on our boat, as it gave him a fair view of the chase, and saw the crew of a steamer capture the deer, cut his throat and pull him into their boat. The boy said that he was back of town gathering persimmons, saw the deer and shot at it with a small pistol and thought that he hit one horn.
A small dog took after it and chased it until it came to the river at a bluff point of rocks and jumped from them into the river. He said he thought it was a tame one, as there was a red cloth on his neck, but the men that caught it cut that off and threw it into the water.
This rocky bluff has been graded down many years, and perhaps that was the last deer killed in St. Louis. While we were lying at the levee, a steamboat came from the Missouri river, and had a party of hunters and trappers that went out for Cheautau three years before. They hired for three years, as it required some time to learn and make the trip to the head- waters of the streams where beaver were most plenty.
We got loaded in due time and started up for the Illinois in tow by the steamer South St. Louis.
This steamboat was built for a ferry-boat, as the people of the town thought they were imposed upon by a man who had a charter for a ferry and at very high rates, as at the time it was granted there was but little business, but now this had so increased that they thought the price should be cut down some.
The old ferry captain was obdurate and relied on his charter, but the citizens clubbed in and built a boat on what was called the Burden plan, I think named after the man that adopted this manner of building. It had two hulls and decked over all, so there was no tilting when a wagon was driven on.
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The result was to bring down the price of ferriage and put on better boats, and then this boat withdrew.
While running up the river I went into the engine room, and in conversation with the engineer, he told me that this engine was taken out of the Warrior that was at the battle of Bad Ax, and showed marks of bullets on the wood of the pitman, but not enough to disable it. We would have to propel the boat with poles as soon as we were on the Illinois river, as it was too low for a steamer.
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