The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 52

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement > Part 52

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

A lady resident of the fort. in 1831, has left the following interesting reminiscence of her observations and experience at the post .*

" Maj. and Mrs. Twiggs and a few of the younger officers (for nearly all of the older ones were absent), with our brother Robert, or Bob, as he is called throughout all of the Indian tribes, gave us a cordial welcome-how cordial those alone can know who have come like us to a remote, isolated home in the wilderness. The Major insisted on our taking possession at once of vacant quarters in the fort, instead of at ' the agency.' as had been proposed.

"No; we must be under the same roof with them. Mrs. Twiggs had been without a com- panion of her own sex for more than four months, and would certainly not hear of a separation now. But we must be their guests until the arrival of the boats containing our furniture, which. under the care of our old acquaintance, Hamilton Arndt. was making its way slowly up from Green Bay.

" A dinner had been prepared for ns. This is one of the advantages of the zigzag ap- proach by the Fox River-travelers never take their friends by surprise : and when the whole circle sat down to the hospitable board, we were indeed a merry company. After dinner, Mrs. Twiggs showed me the quarters assigned to us, on the opposite side of the spacious hall. They consisted of two large rooms on each of the three floors or stories of the building. On the ground floor the front room was vacant. The one in the rear was to be the sleeping apartment, as was evident from a huge, unwieldy bedstead of proportions amply sufficient to have accom- odated Og, the King of Bashan, with Mrs. Og and the children into the bargain. We could not repress our laughter ; but the bedstead was nothing to another structure which occupied a second corner of the apartment. This edifice had been built under the immediate superinten- dence of one of our young lieutenants, and it was plain to be seen that upon it both he and the soldiers who fabricated it had exhausted all their architectural skill. The timbers of which it was composed had been grooved and carved ; the pillars that supported the front swelled in and out in a most fanciful manner ; the doors were not only paneled, but radiated in a way to excite the admiration of all unsophisticated eyes. A similar piece of workmanship had been erected in cach set of quarters, to supply the deficiency of closets. an inconvenience which had never occurred, until too late, to the bachelors who planned them. The three apartments of which each structure was composed, were unquestionably designed for clothes-press. storeroom and china-close+; such. at least, were the uses to which Mrs. Twiggs had appropriated the one assigned to her. There was this slight difficulty, that in the latter the shelves were too close to admit of setting in even a gravy-boat, but they made up in number what was wanting in ' space. We christened the whole affair, in honor of its projector. a Duris. thus placing the first laurel on the brow of one who was afterward to signalize himself in cabinet-making of quite a different character.

* " Wau-Bun, the Early Day in the Northwest," by Mrs. John HI. Kinzie, pp. 68-76.

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" The bold promontory upon which Fort Winnebago was built looked down upon the ex- tended prairie and the Fox River on one side, and, on the other, stretched away into the thickly wooded ridge that led off to Belle Fontaine and Lake Puckaway. In front lay an extent of meadow, across which was the portage road, of about two miles in length, leading between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. Teams of oxen and a driver were kept at the agency by the Gov- ernment to transport the canoes of the Indians across the place, which, at many seasons, was wet, miry and almost impassable. The woods were now brilliant with the many tints of autumn. and the scene around was further enlivened by groups of Indians, in all directions, and their lodges, which were scattered here and there, in the vicinity of the agency buildings. On the low grounds might be seen the white tents of the traders, already prepared to furnish winter sup- plies to the Indians in exchange for the annuity money they were about to receive.

" A great concourse had been for many days assembling in anticipation of the payment, which was expected to take place as soon as Shaw-nee-aw-kee should arrive with the silver. Preparatory to this event, the great chief of the nation, Four-Legs, whose village we had passed at the entrance to Winnebago Lake, had thought proper to take a little caronse, as is too apt to be the custom when the savages come into the neighborhood of a sutler's establishment. In the present instance, the facilities for a season of intoxication had been angmented by the presence on the ground of some traders too regardless of the very stringent laws prohibiting the sale of liquor to the Indians. Poor Four-Legs could not stand this full tide of prosperity. Unchecked by the presence of his Father, the agent, he carried his indulgence to such excess that he fell a victim in the course of a few days. His funeral had been celebrated with the usual pomp the day before our arrival, and great was my disappointment at finding myself too late to witness all the ceremonies. His body, according to their custom, having been wrapped in a blanket and placed in a rude coffin along with his guns, tomahawk, pipes and a quantity of tobacco, had been carried to the most elevated point of the hill opposite the fort, followed by an immense procession of his people, whooping, beating their drums, howling, and making altogether what is emphati- cally termed a 'pow-wow.' After the interment of the body, a stake was planted at its head. on which was painted, in vermilion, a series of hieroglyphics, descriptive of the great deeds and events of his life. The whole was then surrounded with pickets of the trunks of the tamarack trees, and hither the friends would come for many successive days, to renew the expression of their grief, and to throw over the grave tobacco and other offerings to the Great Spirit. It was a consolation to find that, although delayed, we were yet in time to furnish a quantity of white cotton for a flag to waive over the grave, and also to pay a considerable bill at the sutler's for the different articles that had been found necessary for the funeral parade -it being a duty expected of their Father, to bury the dead suitably. The funeral observances in honor of the chief had not yet ceased. Throughout the day, and all that night, the sound of instruments, mingled with doleful lamentations, and with the discordant whoops and yells of those in a partial state of intoxication, filled the air and disturbed our repose. To these were added occasionally the plaintive sounds of the Indian flute, upon which the young savage plays when he is in love. Grief and whisky had made their hearts tender, and the woods resounded to their melancholy strains. Early the following morning, before I left my room, I was startled by the sounds of lamentation and woe proceeding from the adjoining apartment. On entering it, I found several squaws seated on the floor, with downcast looks, expressive of condolence and sympathy, while in their midst sat a little ugly woman in tattered garments and blackened face and disheveled hair, sobbing and wailing bitterly. Not doubting they were the family of the deceased chief, I was quite troubled at my inability to express, otherwise than by gestures, my participation in their sorrows. Unacquainted as I was with their customs, I took it for granted, from their wretched appearance, that poverty and destitution formed one of the sources of their affliction. One of the party, at least, seemed in the very depth of misery. Can it be possible, said I to myself, that this poor creature has only these scanty rags to cover her ? Stepping back to my own room, I brought out a pretty calico wrapper, which I presented to the little dirty, blackened object. She took it and commenced a fresh series of sobbing and sighing.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

I made signs to her to put it on, opening it, and explaining to her how it was to be worn, and recommending to her, by gestures, to lose no time in making herself more comfortable. At this the other women burst into a laugh. Very mal-apropos, thought I, and somewhat unfeeling. At that moment my husband, entering, explained to me that the chief mourner was Madam Four-Legs, the widow ; that she had undoubtedly a comfortaple wardrobe at home, but that it was part of the etiquette of mourning to go for a season with neglected persons and blackened faces. All this was told me in the interval of shaking hands, and offering and receiving con- dolences in the most uncouth, guttural language that I had ever heard. Their Father at length dismissed them with a promise of some presents to help dry up their tears. It must not be inferred that the grief of the poor little widow was not sincere. On the contrary, she was greatly attached to her husband, and had had great influence, not only with him, but with the nation at large. She was a Fox woman, and spoke the Chippewa, which is the court language among all the tribes, so that she was often called upon to act as an interpreter. She was a person of great shrewdness and judgment, and, as I afterward experienced, of strong and tenacious affections.

" After breakfast, I received a visit from the principal chiefs, who had put on their best of apparel and paint, to receive their new mother. There was Naw-Kaw or Kar-ray-mau-nee, ' The Walking Turtle,' then the principal chief of the nation, a stalwart Indian, with a broad, pleas- ant countenance, the great peculiarity of which was an immense under lip, hanging nearly to his chin. There was the old De-Kau-ray, the most noble, dignified and venerable of his own, or, indeed, of any, tribe. His fine Roman countenance, rendered still more striking by his bald head, with one solitary tuft of long, silvery hair, neatly tied, and falling back on his shoulders ; his perfectly neat and appropriate dress, almost without ornament, and his courteous demeanor, never laid aside under any circumstances, all combined to give him the highest place in the con- sideration of all who knew him. There was Black Wolf, whose lowering, surly face was well described by his name. The fierce expression of his countenance was greatly heightened by the masses of heavy, black hair hanging around it, quite contrary to the usual fashion among the Winnebagoes. They, for the most part, remove a portion of their hair, the remainder of which is drawn to the back of the head, clubbed and ornamented with beads, ribbons, cock feathers, or, if they are so entitled, an eagle's feather for every scalp taken from an enemy. There was Talk-English, a remarkably handsome, powerful young Indian, who received his name in the following manner : He was one of the party of sixteen Winnebagoes who had, by invitation, accompanied their agent and Maj. Forsyth (or the Chippewa, as he was called), on a visit to the President, at Washington, the year previous. On the journey, the question naturally ad- dressed to them by people not familiar with Western Indians, was: 'Do you talk English ?' The young fellow, being very observant, came to his Father. 'What do they mean by this ? Every body says to me talk English !' The agent interpreted the words to him. 'Ah, very well.' The next place they arrived at was Lockport, in the State of New York. Jumping off the canal boat upon the lock, he ran up to the first man he met and, thrusting forward his face, called out : 'Talk Eengeesh ?' ' Yes,' said the man; 'Do you talk English ?' 'Ya-as.' From that time forward he always bore the name of Talk-English, and was registered on the pay-rolls by that title, of which he was not a little proud. Hoo-wau-nee-kah, ' The Little Elk,' was another of the distinguished men of the tribe. He had likewise been at Washington. Henry Clay, when he visited them, after looking carefully at the countenances and bearing of all the members of the deputation, had indicated him as the one possessing the greatest talent ; and he was greatly pleased when informed that he was the principal orator of the nation, and decidedly su- perior in abilities to any other individual of the tribe. Then there was Kau-ray-kaw-saw- kaw, 'The White Crow,' a Rock River Indian, who afterward distinguished himself as a friend of the whites during the Sauk war. He was called by the French, 'le Borgne,' from having lost an eye; and the black silk handkerchief which he wore drooping over the left side of his face, to disguise the blemish, taken with his native costume, gave him a very singular appearance. There was a nephew of the defunct chief Four-Legs, to whom, with justice, was given, by both

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whites and Indians, the appellation of ' the Dundy.' When out of mourning, his dress was of the most studied and fanciful character. A shirt (when he condescended to wear any ) of the brightest colors, ornamented with innumerable rows of silver brooches set thickly together : never less than two pairs of silver arm bands ; leggings and moccasins of the most elaborate embroidery, in ribbons and porcupine quills ; everything that he could devise in the shape of an ornament. hanging to his club of hair behind ; a feather fan in one hand, and in the other a mirror, in which he contemplated himself every few minutes. These, with the variety and brilliancy of the colors upon his face. the suitable choice and application of which occupied no small portion of the hours allotted to his toilet, made up the equipment of young Four-Legs. This devotion to dress and appearance seemed not altogether out of place in a youthful dandy ; but we had likewise an old one of the same stamp. Pawnee Blanc, or the White Pawnee, surpassed his younger competitor, if possi- ble, in attention to his personal attractions. Upon the present occasion, he appeared in all his finery, and went through the customary salutations with an air of solemn dignity, and then walked, as did the other, into the parlor (for I had received them in the hall), where they all seated themselves on the floor. Fortunately, the room was not bare of furniture, but 'alas !' thought I, 'for my pretty carpet, if this is to be the way they pay their respects to me !' I watched the falling of the ashes from their long pipes, and the other inconveniences of the use of tobacco, or kin-ni-kin-nic, with absolute dismay.

" The visit of the chiefs was followed by one from the interpreter and his wife, with all the Canadian and half-breed women whose husbands found employment at the agency, or at the Ameri- can Fur Company's establishment. By this time, my piano had been taken from its case and set up in our quarters. To our great joy, we found it entirely uninjured, not a note was out of tune. The women, to whom it was an entire novelty, were loud in their exclamations of wonder and delight : 'Eh-h-h ! regardez donc ; Quelles inventions ' Quelles merveilles !'* One, observing the play of my fingers reflected in the name-board, called in great exultation to her compan- ions. She had discovered, as she thought, the hidden machinery by which the sounds were produced, and was not a little mortified when she was undeceived.'

* Only look ! what inventions ! what wonder .!

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CHAPTER III.

THE BLACK HAWK WAR-AL SUPPLEMENTAL EPISODE OF THE BLACK HAWK WAR-UNITED STATES LAND SURVEYS-UNITED STATES LAND DISTRICTS-EARLY GOVERNMENT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY TERRITORY-COLUMBIA COUNTY ON EARLY MAPS.

THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

The months of June and July, 1832, were months of excitement in Fort Winnebago and its immediate vicinity, for it was known that the Sacs, painted and plumed, at war with the whites, with Black Hawk as their leader, had retreated up Rock River. The Sac chief, with his braves, finally reached a point (Black Hawk Grove) just outside of what is now the city of Janesville, Rock County, where he remained some time in camp. It must not be understood that they were now at their former homes. This was not the case. It was not then the country of the Sacs, but of the Rock River Winnebagoes. The last mentioned had not yet ceded their territory east of Sugar River.

While Black Hawk was in camp at the grove, which has received his name, there were brought in two prisoners-Sylvia and Rachel Hall ; and it was there they were handed over to the Winnebagoes.

The tent-poles. ashes and brands of the Indian camp fires, where the two captives were given over to the Winnebagoes by the Sac Indians, were plainly discernible when the first settlers located in the vicinity.

Gen. Atkinson, having arrived at the mouth of the Pecatonica, in pursuit of the savages. and, hearing that Black Hawk was further up Rock River, determined to follow him, with the intention of deciding the war by a general battle, if possible. Black Hawk, judging of his intentions from the report of his spies, broke up his camp, near what is now Janesville, and retreated still farther up the stream to the foot of Lake Koshkonong, where, on the west side of the river, in what is now the town of Milton, Rock County, he again formed a camp. Here he remained some time, when he again removed, this time to an island in the lake, still known as Black Hawk's Island. It is in the southeast corner of the town of Sumner, in Jefferson County. He afterward made his way farther up the valley.

The march of Gen. Atkinson in pursuit of Black Hawk through what is now Rock County. and his arrival at Lake Koshkonong, in the present county of Jefferson, where he found the Sac chief had eluded him, is best related by one who was present :

" The 30th of June, 1832, we passed through the Turtle Village [now the city of Beloit], which is a considerable Winnebago town, but it was deserted. We marched on about a mile, and encamped on the open prairie, near enough to Rock River to get water from it. We here saw very fresh signs of the Sac Indians, where they had been, apparently, fishing on that day. Gen. Atkinson believed we were close to them, and apprehended an attack that night. The sentinels fired several times, and we were as often paraded and prepared to receive the enemy; but they never came, though, from the accounts given by the sentinels to the officers of the day, there was no doubt that Indians had been prowling about the camp.

"July 1. We had not marched but two or three miles before an Indian was scen across Rock River, at some distance off, on a very high prairie, who, no doubt, was a spy, and, likely, was one that had been prowling about our encampment the night before. We proceeded a few miles further, and came to the place where the Indians, who had taken the two Misses Hall . prisoners, had stayed for several days [near the present city of Janesville]. It was a strong position, where they could have withstood a very powerful force. We afterward discovered that they always encamped in such places. We had not marched but a few miles from this place before

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one of our front scouts came back, meeting the army in great haste, and stated that he had discovered a fresh trail of Indians, where they had just gone along in front of us. Maj. Ewing, who was in front of the main army some distance, immediately formed his men in line of battle, and marched in that order in advance of the main army about three-quarters of a mile. We had a very thick wood to march through, where the undergrowth stood very high and thick. The signs looked very fresh, and we expected every step to be fired upon from the thickets. We marched in this order about two miles, not stopping for the unevenness of the ground or anything else, but keeping in line of battle all the time, until we found the Indians had scat- tered ; then we resumed our common line of march, which was in three divisions. Soon after we had formed into three divisions, the friendly Indians that were with us raised an alarm by seven or eight of them shooting at a deer-some little in advance of the army. The whole army here formed for action, but it was soon ascertained that these children of the forest had been at what their whole race seems to have been born for-shooting at the beasts of the forest.

"We here camped by a small lake [Storr's] this night, and had to drink the water, which was very bad, but it was all that could be found. Here a very bad accident happened. One of the sentinels, mistaking another that was on post, with a blanket wrapped around him. for an Indian, shot him just below the groin in the thick of the thigh. At first the wound was thought mortal. I understood, before I left the army, that the man was nearly well. Here Gen. Atkinson had on this night breastworks thrown up, which was easily done, as we were encamped in thick, heavy timber. This was a precaution which went to show that he set a great deal by the lives of his men, and by no means was any mark of cowardice ; for general- ship consists more in good management than anything else.

" July 2. We started this morning at the usual time, but went only a few miles before Maj. Ewing, who was still in front with his battalion, espied a very fresh trail, making off at about a left angle. He dispatched ten men from the battalion, in company with Capt. George Walker and a few Indians, to pursue it, and see, if possible, where it went to. He moved on in front of his battalion a short distance further, when we came on the main Sac trail of Black Hawk's whole army, which appeared to be about two days old. Capt. Early, who commanded a volunteer independent company. and had got in advance, this morning called a halt ; so did Maj. Ewing with his battalion. Then Maj. Ewing sent back one of his staff officers for the main army to call a halt for a few minutes. He, with Maj. Anderson, of the infantry, Capt. Early and Jonathan H. Pugh, went a little in advance, when Maj. Anderson, with a telescope, took a view across the lake, as we had now got to Lake Koshkonong. [The army entered what is now Jefferson County, very nearly where, in going north, its south line is crossed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. The trail, after leaving the southeast quarter of Section 35, in Township 5 north, of Range 13 east, ran nearly due north to the southeast corner of Section 26, in the same township and range, where the army reached the lake, in what is now the town of Koshkonong.] They then discovered three Indians apparently in their canoes. Maj. Ewing went himself and informed Gen. Atkinson what discovery was made, and requested Gen. Atkinson to let him take his battalion round through a narrow defile that was between two of those lakes, where we supposed the Indians were. By this time our scouts, who had taken the trail that led off on our left, returned, bringing with them five white men's scalps. They followed the Indian trail until it took them to a large Indian encampment that they had left a few days before. They reached it ; the scalps were sticking up against some of their wig- wams ; some of them were identified, but I do not recollect the names of any except one, which was said to be an old gentleman of the name of Hall. Maj. Ewing then marched his battalion abcut a mile, where the pass on the side of the lake appeared so narrow that he dismounted his men and had his horses all tied, and a few men left to guard them. The rest of us marched on foot about one mile through a narrow defile on the [east] bank of Koshkonong Lake. This was considered a dangerous procedure ; but Maj. Ewing, who was in front with Maj. Ander- son, would have been first in danger. We now found that we were getting too far in advance of our horses, so Maj. Ewing sent a part of the men back for them. When we mounted our

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horses, we were joined by Capt. Early and his independent corps. We then marched some dis- tance around the [Koshkonong] lake, and went in between two of them in a narrow defile, until we found another deserted encampment. We now saw clearly that the Indians were gone from the Koshkonong Lake, so the next thing to be done was to find in which direction they had steered their course."

Gen. Atkinson having been re-enforced by Gen. Alexander, took up his line of march, arriving at the Burnt Village on the 6th of July. The Burnt Village, known also as the White Crow's town, was on the south side of what was then called the Whitewater River, now Bark River, at its most southerly point, on the north half of Section 12, in Township 5 north, of Range 14 east, town of Koshkonong, about two and a half miles southeast of the present Fort Atkinson. This is the village generally, but incorrectly, stated to have been located upon the north side of Lake Koshkonong, some eight miles distant. When Gen. Atkinson reached the place, it was found deserted. That evening (the 6th), Gen. Posey's brigade, in company with Col. Dodge's squadron, joined Atkinson. Col. John Ewing and his regiment came within a mile and a half of the main army and encamped. On the 10th, Gen. Atkinson sent Col. Ewing with his regiment down Rock River to Dixon's; Gen. Posey, with the rest of his bri- gade, was dispatched to Fort Hamilton, while Col. Henry and his brigade, Gen. Alexander's brigade and Col .. Dodge's squadron were sent to Fort Winnebago, now Portage, Columbia Co., for provisions. Atkinson dropped down a short distance from the Burnt Village and built a stockade fort, which he called Fort Koshkonong. It was located on the south side of Rock River, in the eastern outskirts of the present village of Fort Atkinson. Alexander returned from Fort Winnebago by the direct route, while Dodge and Henry took a more easterly one, striking Rock River at a point where there was a small Winnebago village, now Hustisford, Dodge County, which point was reached July 18. Information was here obtained that Black Hawk was at "Cranberry Lake," farther up the river. This was believed to be reliable, and an express was immediately started down the stream to inform Gen. Atkinson of the Sac chief's whereabouts. The express, consisting of Dr. E. H. Merryman, W. W. Woodbridge, with Lit- tle Thunder, a Winnebago, came very unexpectedly, at a distance of not more than eight miles from their starting-point, upon the trail of Black Hawk, making his way down the river. The express returned to the army with the news, and the next morning, July 19, the pursuit began. The fugitives, leaving the river near what is now the city of Watertown, were followed to the Third Lake (Monona), across the site where the city of Madison now stands. Meanwhile, Atkinson being informed of the movements of Henry and Dodge, broke up his camp and fol- lowed on with the main army, leaving Capt. Gidcon Low. of the United States Regulars, with thirty or forty men, to hold Fort Koshkonong, afterward known as Fort Atkinson. The two commands, following so close upon the Sac chief, brought on an engagement on the 21st of July, upon the Wisconsin River, mention of which-the battle of Wisconsin Heights-has already been made in the general history of the State. After the conclusion of the war, Capt. Gideon Low abandoned Fort Atkinson, proceeding with his men to Fort Winnebago.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 52

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104