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E.31.pero*»,ito.aoi-a]-towtib-sc-re-J30■o-Y.ir-8®)mloadg-*x-hIDuuIndian Rshinisknokk.—Last Saturday we noticed the visit of two Indian chiefs to this ciiy. Wo now give some iucidouts connected with the early settlement of this point and the life of the two chiefs. The facta are corroborated by our informant, who at the lime resided at Fort Armstrong. In 1828, the Indian agent requested the Mesquaka Indians, j, of which tribe these old warriors belong, then living at Dubuque, to go to Fort Crawford, at Frnirie Du Chien, to make a treAty of peace with the Sionx, Winuebagoes and Menomonies, with whom they bad for some time been at war. Several canoe loads of the chiefs and warriors accordingly started for Fort Crawford. When above Cassville and near the month of the Wisconsin river, they landed their cauoes to preparo dinner, they woro surprised and attacked by a war party of the tbreo tribes mentioned, with whom they were on the way to tnako a treaty of peace. The Mcsquakas had -ten of their principal men killed and others wounded.—It is said to have been a most desperate fight. Among the killed was Pia-mau-ske, the principal chief. The old chief Pa-tuck-we-to, says that one of the party who fled to a precipice of rocks defeuded his position until daylight the next morning, when ho was killed. This put au end to the proposed treaty. The following year the Mesquakas heard that a large encampment of Menorno-nies was near Fort Crawford. Wishing to avenge the slaughter of their braves, a picked war party sLarled up the river in canoes. They arrived in the vicinity of the encampment about midnight; learniug from same white men who were bnrning lime, the location of the camp, they crossed tbo river to it and succeeded in tomahawking thirty of their foes, cutting their heads off and taking them along. On their way dowd the river theyoeoii01LIall s'a ist ?ts to sev. stopped at the point where the preceding year their friends had been killed. Ucre ed they scalped the heads and left the skulls upon the ground to appease the spirits of r- then- departed friends. When they, reached Dubuque, they broke up their village and mtoved to where DaveDport now stands, bntu:ttS£ett:atofC.ccmBrefoBfWtiie*ot3g0,asil-tiewsdididtorsit-drewhich at that time was unsettled by the white man. As they came down the river, they had a number of cauoes lashed together, upon which was a platform, and the war party were upon it dancing and drumming, and making other demonstrations of satisfaction. Oor informant says he recollects the day when they arrived. He says as far op the river as could be seen was the cauoes of the “early settlers of Davenport. There were other portions of this tribe located over on Rock river.In the fall of 1831, when the Mesqnakas were out hunting on the Waubsepiuecon, they heard of a party of Wionebagoes, their old foes, being encamped on an Island near Prairie Du Cbien. They at once started to attack them; they swam the river to the island and killed seventeen of the Winnebagoes. For this three of the Mesqnaka warriors were rej taken and detained as prisoners on the island; is they were confiued io the gaard-house. That id year the cholera made its appearance, and it there were a number of deaths among the e. soldiera at Fort Armstrong. At the special request of Mr. A.LeCIaire and Col. Davenport, the Indian prisoners were permitted to have the freedom of the island; one of them, however, died of cholera. The other two kept their parole, and although they coaid have escaped, did not. They had given their word to remain on the island, and they did so.In 1832 they and their tribe were removed to Cedar river. In 1838 to near where Marengo now is. In 1843 they wero removed west of the Missouri. The old chiefs whom we noticed Saturday as being in town figured in the above incidents. We wero present as the old warriors io conversation with their long-time friend, onr informant, fought their battles o’er again. One can hardly realize the great change in this vicinity. Less than thirty years ago the Indians were the sole proprietors of the land where now stands the leading city of Iowa—the metropolis of the State.tethalt;hithLalbCethTlye»s:byfIsiey-e1-ir1-J1,ieeL-I00 1 oofMtoocMcfcCOdvbarnhethscedvethLfcobefeiprlbA.PrThe Post Qfllce dneitlou*coanjwreiCO:cofoiGrPaVitlb.
Newspaper Details
Davenport Daily Gazette
Davenport, Iowa, US
Mon, Feb 18, 1861
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Johnathan B.
IA, USA 20 Apr 2018
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