When a family had been robbed in this way of all they had, it was the custom to send some of the young men around the village, from one wigwam to another, and collect a small quantity of each one for the sufferers. This robbery made no disturbance between the different tribes. A large part of the corn had been boiled and cut from the cob, and dried when green, making very nice eating, which they enjoyed very much, eating nearly all the time for several days, being deprived of this kind of food for some time before they came home. The Indians made one buffalo hunt each year, leaving home the first of July. This required a good deal of preparation, as they went a long distance and into the Sioux country, their deadly enemy. Each man was armed with a gun, bow, and large bundle of arrows. They expected fighting and generally brought home scalps, dried meat and tallow, but no robes, on account of the hot weather. There happened this year a circumstance of some note. Our Indians, in an attack on the Sioux camp on Turkey river, near where Dubuque now stands, killed several Sioux and among the rest a Winnebago squaw and a Menominee boy. They hastened to the Winnebagoes and settled their mistake by giving them some horses. This seems to be the currency of the Indians. They always seemed to wish to avoid a rupture with the Winnebagoes, who were 8,000 strong. The Menominees spoke the same language and were particular friends, and being a long distance away, they put off settling with them until the next spring, when nine of the principal men of the Foxes, of the Dubuque village, started in a canoe for Prairie du Chien to make the settlement for killing the boy. When a little below the Wisconsin river they were attacked by the Menominees and all killed. This stirred up the spirit of revenge and in August our Indians surprised the Menominees within 300 yards of Fort Crawford, at Priairie du Chien, and killed forty-six of them, men, women and children. Our government called our Indians to an account for this, as they had the right to do by a former treaty, which was to the effect that all differences between these tribes should be submitted to it for settlement. On being called up, Keokuk took a stick and balanced it on his hand and said: "Put these nine principal men of the Foxes on one end, and the forty-six women and children of the Menominees on the other end, and I think it will be a fair settlement." And that was the settlement. The possessions of the Sauks and Foxes in Illinois commenced at the mouth of the Illinois river, keeping along that stream as far as Peoria, then moving north so as to strike the Wisconsin river seventy or eighty miles from its mouth, down the Wisconsin to the Mississippi, and down the Mississippi to the place of beginning. On the west side of the Mississippi they owned the whole of what is now the state of Iowa. Colonel Davenport informed me, as nearly as he could ascertain, our Indians originally occupied the country about Montreal, Canada; from there they removed to Green Bay, possibly about 200 years ago; and as nearly as he could ascertain, they had been living here about sixty years when I came here. From the growth of timber, from their cornfields and from every indication by which a frontier man judges at the age of a settlement, I have no doubt but his information was correct. Now they had at least reached the great "father of waters," the most beautiful country their eyes had ever seen. The rivers abounded in fish, and the country was alive with game, and they were not willing to be driven so unjustly from these their fruitful hunting grounds. There is an old legend. said to be believed by the Indians, in regard to the island, and this was another reason why they so much disliked to give up that beautiful spot to be made a military post. They had been taught to believe that a good spirit had the care of it, who lived in a cave in the rocks immediately under the place where the fort was built. He is said to have been often seen by the Indians, and was white, with wings like a swan, but ten times larger. The island was much frequented by them in summer, but they were always careful to make no noise in the part of the island which he inhabited. They believed the noise and confusion incident to building and maintaining the fort drove him away. The Indians were governed by two sets of chiefs - peace or civil chiefs, and war chiefs. The duties of the peace chiefs were to settle all troubles between their tribes and other tribes, and also between them and the whites; while the war chiefs never interfered in any particular, in the business of the village. The two prominent war chiefs, when I came here, were Black Hawk and Keokuk. In times of trouble the prominent war and peace chiefs consulted together and there was the most perfect understanding as to the management of affairs. When we consider that these tribes were only about 2,000 strong, and held their lands by their prowess as warriors, it gives us some idea of their fighting qualities. In 1804 one of our Indians killed a man in St. Louis and was put in jail. A deputation of five principal men from here went to St. Louis, expecting to get him released by giving horses for him, as was the custom among the Indians. While these men were in St. Louis they sold all of their lands on the east side of the Mississippi river, the government agreeing to pay them $2,000 a year forever. Old General Clark, the partner of Lewis in crossing the Rocky Mountains, was the general superintendent of the western Indians at that time, acting for the government. Colonel Davenport told me that he did not believe Black Hawk ever took a pipeful of tobacco bought with that money. He and a large part of the Indians were bitterly opposed to this sale. Out of this sale grew the Black Hawk war; Black Hawk and his party contending that the lands were not sold, as the men who made the sale were not authorized to sell, but went to St. Louis on other business. There was a clause in the sale that the Indians might occupy the land while it belonged to the government. The land had been surveyed several years before I came here and before the Indians left in the fall there was a notice given that the lands would be offered for sale in October, and the Indian agent told them they must not come back. It was hoped by the settlers that the Indians would not return, but in this they were disappointed, for they came as usual, though not as many as before. Keokuk and his followers did not return. He was opposed to their coming back and commenced a village on the Iowa river, about twenty miles from its mouth. Keokuk was the head or chief of what was called the American party. He was not the son of a chief, but attained his rank by his ability and talent, being a remarkable orator. Black Hawk was a born chief, belonging to a royal family, and was the head of what was known as the British party. The year of 1830 passed off very well, considering the situation of the whites and Indians. During the summer our Indians received a visit from sixteen young men of the Kickapoos. They were from twenty to twenty-five years of age. This summer I lived at the old village, having good opportunity to see all that transpired between the Indians. The Kickapoos spoke the same language as our Indians, as well as several other tribes. They entertained their guests right royally, keeping them all at one large wigwam, making it very pleasant for them. I wondered how so many could be entertained at one place, knowing that the Indians' supplies were quite limited. Nathan Smith, who lived with the Indians, explained it to me in this way. He said that they were the guests of the entire village and that two of the young men would go through the village and collect provisions from the different wigwams for their entertainment, this being repeated as often as necessary, while they remained. These young men stayed about a month, having a splendid time. About the last of their stay they took one day to visit each wigwam in the village, at which they danced and were treated to something to eat, and generally some sweetened water to drink. When these young Indians came they were on foot, but our Indians, after entertaining them so handsomely, gave each one a horse when they left for home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L