268

KEOKUK AND WAPELLO.

     Keokuk belonged to the Sac branch of the nation, and, as mentioned in the first part of this work, was born on Rock river, Illinois, in 1780. Accordingy he was sixty-three years old at the time the county was thrown open to the white settler and fifty-seven when the boundary line of 1837 was established. The best memory of the earliest settlers cannot take them back to a time when Keokuk was not an old man. When in 1833 the impatient feet of the white men first hastened across the Mississippi, eager for new conquests and fortunes, this illustrious chief was already nearing his three-score years, and with longing eyes he took the last look at the fair lands bordering on the Great Father of Waters and turned his weary feet toward the west, his sun of life had already crossed the meridian and was rapidly approaching its setting.
     Little is known concerning the early life of Keokuk, except that from his first battle, while yet young, he had carried home the scalp of a Sioux, whom he had slain in a hand-to-hind conflict, and between whose tribe and the tribe to which Keokuk belonged there ever existed the most deadly enmity. For this feat Keokuk was honored with a feast by his tribe. He first came into prominence among the whites at the breaking out of the second war with England, commonly known as the war of 1812. Most of the Indians at that time espoused the cause of the English, but Keokuk, at the head of a large number of the Sacs and Foxes, remained faithful to the Americans. In 1828 Keokuk, in accordance with the terms of a treaty, crossed the Mississippi river with his tribe and established himself on the Iowa river. Here he remained in peace, and his tribe flourished ti1l the breaking out of the Black Hawk war in 1832. He seemed to have a much more intelligent insight into the great national questions which were raised during these early Indian difficulties, as well as more thorough appreciation of the resources of the national government. He opposed the Black Hawk war, and seemed to fully forecast the great disaster which thereby befell his tribe. Although many of his warriors deserted him and followed Black Hawk in his reckless campaign across the Mississippi, Keokuk prevailed upon a majority of his tribe to remain at home. When the news reached Keokuk that Black Hawk's warriors had gained a victory over Stillman's forces in Ogle county, Illinois, the war-spirit broke out among his followers like fire in the dry prairie grass; a war-dance was held, and the chief himself took part in it. He seemed for a while to move in sympathy with the rising storm, and at the conclusion of the war-dance he called a council to prepare for war. In a work entitled "Annals of Iowa," published in 1865, there is reported the substance of a speech made by Keokuk on this occasion. We quote: "I am your chief, and it is my duty to lead you to battle, if, after fully considering the matter, you are determined to go." He then represented to them the great power of the United States, against which they would have to contend, and that their prospect of success was utterly hopeless. Then continuing said: "But if you are determined to go upon the war-path, I will lead you on one condition that before we go we kill all our old men, and our wives, and our children, to save them from a lingering death by starvation, and that ceveryone of

269

you determine to leave his bones on the other side of the Mississippi." This was a strong and truthfu11 picture of the prospect was presented in such a forcible light, that it caused them to abandon their rash undertaking,
     After the Black Hawk war Keokuk was recognized as the head of the Sac and Fox nation by the United States government, and in this capacity he was looked upon by his people from that time on, This honor, however, was sometimes disputed by some of the original followers of Black Hawk, A gentleman of some prominence as a writer, and who is said to have witnessed the affray, says: "A bitter feud existed in the tribe during the time Keokuk resided on the Des Moines river, between what was denominated Keokuk's band and Black Hawk's band. Their distrust, and indeed hatred, were smothered in their common intercourse, when sober; but when their blood was fired with whisky, it sometimes assumed a tragic feature among the leaders of the respective bands. An instance of this character occured [occurred] on the lower part of the Des Moines river, on the return of a party making a visit to the 'half-breeds,' at the town of Keokuk, on the Mississippi. In a quarrel incited by whisky, Keokuk received a dangerous stab in the breast by a son of Black Hawk, The writer saw him conveyed, by his friends, homeward, lying in a canoe, unable to rise," The writer continues: "Hardfish (who was the pretended chief of the rival party), and his coadjutors, lost no occasion to find fault with Keokuk's administration,
     In person, Keokuk was of commanding appearance, He was tall, straight as an arrow, and of very graceful mien. These personal characteristics, together with his native fervor, and ready command of language, gave him great power over his people as a speaker. If, as a man of energy and courage, he gained the, respect and obedience of his tribe, it was more especially as an orator that he was able to wield his people in times of great excitement, and in a measure shape their policy in dealing with the white man, As an orator rather than as a warrior, has Keokuk's claim to greatness been founded.
     "He was gifted by nature," says the author of the Annals, "with the elements of an orator in an eminent degree, and as such is entitled to rank with Logan, Red Jacket and Tecumseh; but unfortunately for his fame among the white people, and with posterity, he was never able to obtain an interpreter who could claim even a slight acquaintance with philosophy. With one exception, only, his interpreters were unacquainted with the elements of the mother tongue, Of this serious hindrance to his fame Keokuk was well aware, and retained Frank Labashure, who had received a rudimental education in the French and English languages, until the latter died broken down by exposure and dissipation; but during the meridian of his career among the white people he was compelled to submit his speeches for translation to uneducated men, whose range of thought fell below the flights of a gifted mind, and the fine imagery, drawn from nature, was beyond their power of reproduction. He had a sufficient knowledge of the English tongue to make him sensible of this bad rendering of his thoughts, and often a feeling of mortification at the bungling efforts was depicted upon his countenance while he was speaking, The proper place to form a correct estimate of his ability as an orator was in the Indian council, where he addressed himself exclusively to those who understood his language, and where the electric effects of his eloquence could be plainly noted upon

270

his audience. It was credibly asserted that by the force of his logic he had changed the vote of a council against the strongly predetermined opinions of its members." A striking instance of the influence of his eloquence is that one already related in which he delivered a speech to his followers, who were bent on joining Black Hawk, after the Stillman reverse in Ogle county, Illinois. Mr. James, of Sigourney, being present at the council, at Agency, City, when the treaty of 1842 was made, says of Keokuk: "We heard him make a speech on the occasion, which, by those who understood his tongue was said to be a sensible and eloquent effort. Judging from his voice and gestures, his former standing as an Indian orator and chieftan, we thought his reputation as a dignified yet gentlemanly aboriginal had not been overrated. During the Black Hawk war his voice was for peace with the white man, and his influence added much to the shortening of the war. As an honor to the chief our county bears his name."
     Keokuk, in company with Black Hawk, Poweshiek, Kish-ke-kosh, and some fifteen other chiefs, under the escort of Gen. J. M. Street, visited Washington City and different parts of the East in 1837. The party descended the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ohio by steamer, and thence up the latter to Wheeling, where they took stage across the mountains, When the party arrived in Washington, at the request of some of the government officials, a council was held with some chiefs of the Sioux there present, as the Sacs and Foxes were waging a perpetual war with the Sioux nation, the council was held in the Hall of Representatives. To the great indignation of the Sioux, Kish-ke-kosh appeared dressed in a buffalo hide which he had taken in war from a Sioux chief, and took his position in one of the large windows, with the mane and horns of the buffalo as a sort of headdress, and the tail trailing on the floor, The Sioux complained to the officials, claiming that this was an insult to them, but they were informed that the Sacs and Foxes had a right to appear in any kind of costume they chose to wear. The first speech was made by a Sioux, who complained bitterly of the wrongs they had suffered, and how they had been driven from their homes by the Sacs and Foxes, their warriors killed and their villages burned. Then followed Keokuk, the great orator of his tribe, who replied at some length, an interpreter repeating the speech after him. There were those present who had heard Webster, Calhoun, Clay and Benton in the same hall, and they declared that for the manner of delivery, for native eloquence, impassioned expression of countenance, the chief surpassed them all, and this while they could not understand his words, save as they were repeated by the interpreter. From Washington they went to New York, where they were shown no little attention, and, Gen. Street attempting to show them the city on foot, the people in their anxiety to see Keokuk and Black Hawk crowded them beyond the point of endurance, and in order to escape the throng they were compelled to make their escape through a store building, and reached their hotel through the back alleys and less frequented streets. At Boston they were met at the depot by a delegation of leading citizens and conveyed in carriages to the hotel. The next day they were taken in open carriages, and with a guard of honor on foot, they were shown the whole city. During their stay in Boston they were the guests of the great American orator, Edward Everett, who made a banquet for them. When the Indians returned and were asked about New York they only expressed their disgust. Boston was the only place in the United States, in their estimation, and their opinion has been shared

271

in by many white people who since that time have made a pilgrimage from the West to the famous shrines of the East.
     While residing at Ottumwah-nac, Keokuk received a message from the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, in which the latter invited Keokuk, as king of the Sacs and Foxes to a royal conference at his palace at Nauvoo, on matters of the highest importance to their respective people. The invitation was accepted, and at the appointed time the king of the Sacs and Foxes, accompanied by a stately escort on ponies, wended his way to the appointed interview with the great apostle of the Latter Day Saints. Keokuk, as before remarked, was a man of good judgment and keen insight into the human character. He was not easily misled by sophistry, nor beguiled by flattery. The account of this interview with Smith, as given by the author of the "Annals," so well illustrates these traits of his character that we give it in full:
     "Notice had been circulated through the country of this diplomatic interview, and quite a number of spectators attended to witness the denouement. The audience was given publicly in the great Mormon temple, and the respective chiefs were attended by their suites, the prophet by the dignitaries of the Mormon church, and the Indian potentate by the high civil and military functionaries of his tribe, and the Gentiles were comfortably seated as auditors.
     "The prophet opened the conference in a set speech of some length, giving Keokuk a brief history of the Children of Israel, as detailed in the Bible and dwelt forcibly upon the history of the lost tribes, and that he, the prophet of God, held a divine commission to gather them together and lead them to a land 'flowing with milk and honey.' After the prophet closed his harangue, Keokuk waited for the words of his pale-faced brother to sink deep into his mind, and in making his reply, assumed the gravest attitude and most dignified demeanor. He would not controvert anything his brother had said about 'the lost and scattered condition of his race and people, and if his brother was commissioned by the Great Spirit to collect them together and lead them to a new country it was his duty to do so. But he wished to inquire about some particulars his brother had not named, that were of the highest importance to him and his people. The red man was not much used to milk, and he thought they would prefer streams of water; and in the country they now were there was a good supply of honey. The points they wished to inquire into were, whether the new government would pay large annuities, and whether there was plenty of whisky. Joe Smith saw at once that he had met his match, and that Keokuk was not the proper material with which to increase his army of dupes, and closed the interview in as amiable and pleasant manner as possible."
     Until 1836 Keokuk resided with his tribe on a reservation of 400 square miles, situated on the Iowa river; His headquarters were at a village bearing his name, located on the right bank of the stream. In this year, in accordance with the stipulations of a treaty held at Davenport, Keokuk with his followers removed to this territory, now comprised in the bounds of Keokuk, Mahaska and Wapello counties. The agency for the Indians, was located at a point where is now located Agency City. At this time all effort was made to civilize the red man. Farms were opened up, and two mills were erected, one on Soap creek, and one on. Sugar creek. A salaried agent was employed to superintend these farming operations. Keokuk;

272

Wapello and Appanoose, each had a large field improved and cultivated. Keokuk's farm was located upon what is yet known as Keokuk's Prairie, in what is now Wapello county. The Indians did not make much progress in these farming operations, and in the absence of their natural and wanted excitements, became idle and careless. Many of them plunged into dissapation. Keokuk himself became badly dissipated in the latter years of his life. Pathetic as was the condition of these savages at this time, it was but the legitimate result of the treatment which they had received. They were confined to a fixed location, and provided with annuities by the government, sufficient to meet their wants from year to year. They were in this manner prevented from making those extensive excursions, and embarking in those warlike pursuits, which from time immemorial had formed the chief avenues for the employment of those activities which for centuries had claimed the attention of the savage mind; and the sure and regular means of subsistence furnished by the government, took away from them the incentives for the employment of these activities, even had the means still existed. In addition to this the Indian beheld his lands taken from him, and his tribe growing smaller year by year. Possessed of an ideal and imaginative intellect he could not help forecasting the future, and thus being impressed with the thought, that in a few years, all these lands would be in the possession of the white man, while his tribe and his name would be swept into oblivion by the tide of immigration, which pressed in upon him from every side, Keokuk saw all of this, and seeing it, had neither the power nor inclination to prevent it. Take the best representative of the Anglo-Saxon race, and place him in similar circumstances, and he would do no better. Shut in by restraint from all sides, relieved from all the anxieties comprehended in that practical question, what shall we eat and wherewithal shall we be clothed? and deprived of all those incentives springing from, and inspired by a lofty ambition, and the best of us, with all our culture and habits of industry, would fall into idleness and dissipation and our fall would be as great, if not as low, as was the fall of that unhappy people who formerly inhabited this country, and whose disappearance and gradual extinction, we shall now be called upon to contemplate.
     Wapello, the cotemporary of Keokuk and the inferior chief, after whom a neighboring county and county-seat were named, died before the Indians were removed from the State, and thus escaped the humiliation of the scene. He, like his superior chief, was a fast friend of the whites and wielded an immense influence among the individuals of his tribe. As is mentioned in a former chapter, he presided over three tribes in the vicinity of Fort Armstrong, during the time that frontier post was being erected, In 1829 he removed his village to Muscatine Swamp, and then to a place near where is now located the town bearing his name. Many of the early settlers of Washington county remember him we11, as the southern part of this county was a favorite resort for him and many members of his tribe. It was in the limit of Keokuk county that this illustrious chief died. Although he willingly united in the treaty ceding it to the whites, it was done with the clear conviction that the country would be shortly overrun and his hunting grounds ruined by the advance of pale faces, He chose to sell rather than to be robbed, and then quietly receded with his band.
     Mr. Scearcy, of Keokuk county, relates an incident in the life of this chief which we here quote: "Between the Sioux, and the Sacs and Foxes, a

273

bitter and deadly hatred existed. This enmity was carried to such a hitter extent that it caused the establishment, by the government, of the neutral ground, in the north part of the territory, which was a strip of country about thirty miles in width, over which the tribes were not allowed to pass in order to slay each other. The love of revenge was so strongly marked in the Indian character that it was not to be suppressed by imaginary geographical lines, and consequently it was not a rare occurrence for a Sac or Fox Indian, or a Sioux, to bite the dust, as an atonement for real or imaginary wrongs. In this manner one of the sons of Wapello was cruelly cut down, from an ambush, in the year 1836. When the chief heard of the sad calamity he was on Skunk river, opposite the mouth of Crooked creek. He immediately plunged into and swam across the stream. Upon arriving at a trading-post near by, he gave the best pony he had for a barrel of whisky, and setting it out, invited his people to partake, a very unwise practice, which he doubtless borrowed from the white people who availed themselves of this medium in which to drown their sorrows,"
     Wapello's death occured [occurred] in Keokuk county, in March, 1844. In accordance which the provisions of the treaty of 1843, he had retired with his tribe west of Red Rock, and it was during a temporary visit to his old hunting ground on Rock creek, that he breathed his last. We quote from an address of Mr, Romig, delivered in a neighboring town a few years since, the following pathetic account of the death of the warrior:
     "As the swallow returns to the place where last she had built her nest, cruelly destroyed by the ruthless hands of some rude boy, or as a mother would return to the empty crib where once had reposed her innocent babe in the sweet embrace of sleep, and weep for the treasure she had once possessed, so Wapello mourned for the hunting grounds he had been forced to leave behind, and longed to roam over the broad expanse again, It was in the month of March; heavy winter had begun to shed her mantle of snow; the sun peeped forth through the fleeting clouds; the woodchuck emerged from his subterranean retreat to greet the morning breeze, and all nature seems to rejoice at the prospect of returning spring. The old chief felt the exhilarating influence of reviving nature, and longed again for the sports of his youth. He accordingly assembled a party and started on a hunting excursion to the scenes of his former exploits. But alas, the poor old man was not long destined to mourn over his misfortunes, while traveling over the beautiful prairies, or encamped in the picturesque groves that he was once wont to call his own, disease fastened upon his vitals and the chief lay prostrate in his lodge. How long the burning fever raged and racked in his brain, or who it was that applied the cooling draught to his parched lips, tradition has failed to inform us; but this we may fairly presume: that his trusty followers were deeply distressed at the sufferings of their chief whom they loved, and administered all the comforts in their power to alleviate his sufferings, but all would not avail. Grim death had crossed his path, and touched her finger upon his brow, and marked him for her own. Human efforts to save could avail nothing. Time passed, and with it the life of Wapello. The last word was spoken, the last wish expressed, the last breath drawn, and his spirit took its flight. The passing breeze in Æolean notes chanted a requiem in the elm tops. The placid creek in its meandering course murmured in chorus over the dead. The squirrel came forth in the bright sunshine to frisk and chirp in frolicsome

274

glee, and the timid fawn approached the brook, and bathed her feet in the waters, but the old man heeded. it not, for Manitou, his God, had called him home.
     "Although it is a matter of regret that we are not in possession of his dying words and other particulars connected with his death, let us endeavor to be content with knowing that Wapello died some time in the month of March, in the year 1844, in Keokuk county, on Rock creek, in Jackson township, on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter,. section 21, township 74, range 11 west, where a mound still marks the spot; and with knowing also that his remains were thence conveyed by Mr. Samuel Hardesty, now of Lancaster township, accompanied by twenty-two Indians and three squaws, to the Indian burial ground at Agency City, where sleeps the Indian agent, Gen, Street, and numbers of the Sac and Fox tribe, and where our informant left the remains to await the arrival of' Keokuk and other distinguished chiefs to be present at the interment, Keokuk, Appanoose and nearly all the leading men among Indians, were present at the funeral, which took place toward evening of the same day upon which the body arrived at the Agency, The usual Indian ceremonies preceded the interment, after which the remains were buried by the body of Gen. Street, which was in accordance with the chieftain's oft repeated request to be buried by the side of his honest pale-faced friend.
     In 1845, in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty and in obedience to the demand of the white man, whose friend he had ever been, and whose home he had defended, both by word and act, in times of great excitement, Keokuk led his tribe west of the Missouri river and located upon a reservation comprised in the boundaries of what is now the State of Kansas, What must have been the emotions which swelled the heart of this renowned savage, and what must have been the peculiar thoughts which came thronging from his active brain when he turned his back for the last time upon the bark covered huts of his Iowa village, the graves of his friends, and that portion of country which, but the year before, had been honored by his name, it was leaving everything familiar in life and dear to the heart, To him it was not going West to grow up with the country, but to lose himself and his tribe in oblivion and national annihilation,
Keokuk lived but three years after leaving the Territory of Iowa, and we have no facts at our command in reference to his career at the new home west of the Missouri. The "Keokuk Register" of June 15,1843, contained the following notice of his death, together with some additional sketches of his life:
     "The St. Louis 'New Era' announces the death of this celebrated Indian chief. Poison was administered to him by one of his tribe, from the effects of which he died: The Indian was apprehended, confessed his guilt, and was shot.
"Keokuk leaves a son of some prominence, but there is little probability of his succeeding to the same station, as he is not looked upon by the tribe as inheriting the disposition and principles of his father,"
     We close this sketch by appending an extract from a letter recently written by Judge J. M. Casey, of Fort Madison, to Hon. S. A. James, of Sigourney.
     "While Keokuk was not a Lee county man, I have often seen him here. He was an individual of distinguished mark; once seen would always be

275

remembered. It was not necessary to be told that he was a chief, you would at once recognize him as such, and stop to admire his grand deportment, I was quite young when I last saw him, but I yet remember his appearance and every lineament of his face as well as if it had been yesterday, and this impression was left upon every person who saw him, whether old or young, It is hard for us to realize that an Indian could be so great a man. But it is a candid fact, admitted by all the early settlers who knew him, that Keokuk possessed, in a prominent degree, the elements of greatness."

INDIAN INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES,

     During the visit of Keokuk, Wapello, and their party at Boston, which has already been referred to, there was a great struggle between the managers of the two theatres of that place to obtain the presence of the Indians in order to "draw houses," At the Tremont, the aristocratic one, the famous tragedian, Forrest, was filling an engagement, His great play, in which he acted the part 'of the gladiator, and always drew his largest audiences, had not yet come off, and the manager was disinclined to bring it out while the Indians were there, as their presence always insured a full house, General Street, who, as before remarked, was in charge of the party, being a strict Presbyterian, was not much in the theatrical line, hence Major Beach, to whom we are indebted for the facts of this incident, and who accompanied General Street at the time, took the matter in hand. He knew that this particular play would suit the Indians better than those simple declamatory tragedies, in which, as they could not understand a word, there was no action to keep them interested, so he prevailed upon the manager to bring it out, promising that the Indians would be present.
     In the exciting scene where the gladiators engage in deadly combat, the Indians gazed with eager and breathless anxiety, and as Forrest, finally pierced through the breast with his adversary's sword, fell dying, and as the other drew his bloody sword from the body, heaving in the convulsions of its expiring throes, and while the curtain was descending, the whole Indian company burst out with their fiercest war whoop. It was a frightful yell to strike suddenly upon unaccustomed ears, and was immediately followed by screams of terror from the more nervous among the women and children, For an instant the audience seemed at a loss, but soon uttered a hearty round of applause--a just tribute to both actor and Indians,
     During the same visit to Boston, Major Beach says that the Governor gave them a public reception at the State House. The ceremony took place in the spacious Hall of Representatives, every inch of which was jammed with humanity, After the Governor had ended his eloquent and appropriate address of welcome, it devolved upon one of the chiefs to reply, and Appanoose, in his turn, as, at the conclusion of his "talk," he advanced to grasp the Governor's hand, said: " It is a great day that the sun shines upon when two such great chiefs take each other by the hand!" The Governor, with a nod of approbation, controlled his facial muscles in a most courtly gravity, but the way the house came down "was a caution," all of which Appanoose doubtless considered the Yankee way of applauding his speech, '
     The Indians seldom occupied their permanent villages except during the time of planting or securing their crop, after which they would start out on

276

a short hunt, if the annuity—which was usually paid within six weeks from the 1st of' September—had not been received. Immediately after payment is was their custom to leave the village for the winter, hunting through this season by families and small parties, leading a regular nomadic life, changing the location from time to time, as the supply of game and the need—so essential to their comfort—of seeking places near the timbered streams best protected from the rigors of winter, would require. 1t was, doubtless, on one of these tours through the country that Kish-ke-kosh once stopped over night at the house of a white man. He was accompanied by several companions, who slept together on a buffalo hide within view of the kitchen. In the morning when he awoke, Kish-ke-kosh had an eye on the culinary preparations there going on. The lady of the house—it is possible she did it intentionally, as she was not a willing entertainer of such guests—neglected to wash her hands before making up the bread. Kish thought he would rather do without his breakfast than eat after such cooking, and privately signified as much to his followers, whereupon they mounted their ponies and departed, much to the relief of the hostess. When they arrived at a house some distance from the one they had left, they got their breakfast and related the circumstance.
     This Kish-ke-kosh, previous to 1837, was simply a warrior chief in the village of Keokuk. The warrior chief was inferior to the village chief, to which distinction be afterward attained. The village presided over by this chief is well remembered by many of the early settlers of Richland township. It was located, some say, just over the line in what is now White Oak township, Mahaska county. Major Beach thus describes it: "The place cannot be located exactly according to our State maps, although the writer has often visited it in Indian times; but somewhere out north from Kirkville, and probably not twelve miles distant, on the banks of Skunk river, not far above the Forks of Skunk, was a small village of not over fifteen or twenty lodges, presided over by a man of considerable importance, though not a chief; named Kisb-ke-kosh. The village was on the direct trail-in fact it was the converging point of two trails-from the Hardfish vi11age, and the three villages across the river below Ottumwa, to the only other prominent settlement of the tribes, which was the village of Poweshiek, a Fox chief of equal rank with Wapello situated upon the Iowa river."
     Here the squaws, after grubbing out hazel-brush on the banks of the creek or the edge of the timber, unaided by either plow or brave, planted and tended their patches of corn, surrounding them by rude fences of willow, which were renewed each year. Here the men trained their ponies, hunted, fished and loafed, until the first of May, 1843, when they bade adieu to their bark covered huts. The following incident is located at this point: Some time about 1841 Major Beach, Indian agent in company with W. B. Street and others, came up from Agency City on some business with Kish-ke-kosh. Arriving late in the evening they encamped near the village, and on the following morning Kish-ke-kosh, with his assistants, came over to the camp to receive them. The pipe of peace was lighted and passed around, and the business transacted. After the council the whites were invited to come over in the evening to the feast which the Indians proposed having in honor of their visit. The invitation was accepted, and presently the whites heard a great howling among the dogs, and looking in the direction of the village they could plainly- see the preparations for the supper.

277

     A number of dogs were killed and stretched on stakes a few inches above the ground. They were then covered with dried grass, which was set on fire and the hair singed off, after which, after the dogs had gone through the scalping process, they were cut up and placed in pots along with a quantity of corn. The whites were promptly in attendance, but on account of their national prejudice they were provided with venison instead of dog meat. After the feast, dancing was commenced: first, the Green Corn dance, then the Medicine dance, and closing just before morning with the Scalp dance. Kish-ke-kosh did not take part in this Terpsichorean performance, but sat with the whites, laughing, joking and telling stories.
     On another occasion, Kish-ke-kosh and his suit, consisting of several prominent personages of the tribe, being then encamped on Skunk river, went to the house of a Mr. Micksell on a friendly visit, and he treated them to a feast. Besides Kish-ke-kosh and his wife, who was a very ladylike person, this party consisted of his mother (Wyhoma), the son of Wapello, and his two wives; Mashaweptine, his wife, and all their children.
The old woman on being asked how old she was, replied: "Mach-ware-re-naak-we-kann" (may be a hundred); and indeed her bowed form and hideously shriveled features would justify the belief that she was that old. The whole party were dressed in more than ordinarily becoming style; probably out of respect for the hostess, who, knowing something of their voracious appetites, had made ample preparations for them. When the table was surrounded, Kish-ke-kosh, who had learned some good manners, as well as acquired cleanly taste, essayed to perform the etiquette of the occasion before eating anything himself. With an amusingly awkward imitation of what he had seen done among the whites, Kish-ke-kosh passed the various dishes to the others, showing the ladies especial attention, and helped them to the best of everything on the table, with much apparent disinterestedness. But when he came to help himself his politeness assumed the Indian phase altogether. He ate like a person with a bottomless pit inside of him for a stomach, taking everything within his reach, without regard to what should come next in the course, so only that he liked the taste of it, At last, after having drank some five or six cups of coffee and eaten a proportionate amount of solid food, his gastronomic energy began to abate. Seeing this, his host approached him, and with apparent concern for want of his appetite, said: "Why, Kish, do you not eat your dinner? Have another cup of coffee and eat something." In reply to this hospitable urgency Kishke-kosh leaned back in his seat, lazily shook his head, and drew his finger across his throat under his chin, to indicate how full he was, of course, the others had eaten in like proportion, making the most of an event that did not happen every day.
     The Indians in this region had a novel way of dealing with drunken people, When one of them became unsafely drunk he was tied neck and heels, so that he could be rolled around like a hoop, which operation was kept up till the fumes of liquor had vanished, when he was released. The sufferer would beg for mercy, but to no avail. After he was sobered off he showed no marks of resentment, but seemed to recognize the wisdom of the proceeding.
     The Sacs and Foxes, like all other Indians, were a very religious people, in their way, always maintaining the observance of a good many rights, ceremonies and feasts in their worship of the Kitche Mulito or Great Spirit. Fasts did not seem to be prescribed in any of their missals, however, be-

278

cause, perhaps, forced ones, under the scarcity of game or other eatables, were not of impossible occurrence among people whose creed plainly was to let to-morrow take care of itself. Some of the ceremonies bore such resemblance to some of those laid down in the books of Moses, as to have justified the impression among Biblical students that the lost tribes of Israel might have found their way to this continent, and that the North American Indians are the remnant of them.
     During sickness there was usually great attention given to the comfort of the Indians, and diligent effort to cure the patient, and when it became apparent that recovery was impossible, the sufferer while still alive, was dressed in his best attire, painted according to the fancy of the relatives present, ornamented with all his trinkets, jewels and badges, and then placed upon a mat or a platform to die. The guns, bows, arrows, axes, knives and other weapons, were all carried away from the house or lodge and concealed. They alleged that these preparations were necessary to evince their respect to the Great Spirit who, at the moment of death, visits the body of the dying, receives the spirit, and carries it with Him to Paradise, while the concealment of all warlike implements shows their humble submission to, and non-resistance of, the Divine will.
     Dead bodies were sometimes deposited in graves; others placed in a sitting posture, reclining against a rock or tree; others, again, were deposited in boxes, baskets, or cases of skins, and suspended in the branches of trees, or upon scaffolds erected for the purpose. Elevated parcels of dry ground, were usually selected as burial places, and not so much regard was had for the cardinal points of the compass as to the relative position of some neighboring object. The graves were arranged usually with reference to some river, lake or mountain. Where it was convenient, the grave, when enclosed, was covered with stones, and under other circumstances it was enclosed with wooden slabs, upon which were painted with red paint certain signs or symbols commemorative of the deceased's virtues. The death of a near relative was lamented with violent demonstrations of grief. Widows visited the graves of their deceased husbands with hair disheveled, carrying a bundle composed of one or more of the deceased's garments, and to this representative of her departed husband she addressed her expressions of grief and assurances of undying affection, and extreme anxiety for the comfort and well-being of the departed.
Mrs. Buck, formerly Mrs. Holcomb: wife of Miles Holcomb, one of the first settlers of the county, relates the following amusing incident:
     Five negroes, having become tired of the sacred institution of slavery as exemplified and enforced by the typical task-master of Missouri, ran off and sought protection among the Indians, who, never before having seen any negroes, and not being able to understand their language( did not know what to make of the strange looking animals. Consequently a council was held, and the wisest among the chiefs: having viewed them carefully and debated the matter at some length, decided that they were a peculiar species of bear. Having never before seen any representatives of this species they supposed that their pale-faced neighbors would esteem it quite a favor to behold them, and probably they would be able to dispose of the strange looking animals to a certain trader and receive in return a goodly amount of "fire-water." Accordingly the negroes were taken, ropes tied around their necks, and they were led off to the nearest white settlement. After exhibiting the" bears," as they called them, they negotiated a trade with

279

one Grimsley, the latter giving them a quantity of whisky for them. When the Indians were gone Mr. Grimsley turned the negroes loose, and they soon became favorites among the white settlers. They worked for various persons in the Crooked Creek settlement during a portion of the next summer, when their master in Missouri, hearing through an Indian trader that two negroes were in this vicinity, came up and took possession of the negroes and carried them back to Missouri.
     At the time the first white settlements were made in Washington county there were two Indian villages in the bounds of the county; one about a mile and-a-half southwest of Washington, in charge of the chief Poweshiek, and another on Skunk River, at a place called Sandy Hook, not far from the present site of the town of Brighton, which was in charge of Wapello. There were several hundred at each place, and the sight of Indians was by no means an uncommon thing during the early settlement of the country.
The difficulty between some of the early settlers and the Indians of Poweshiek's village was probably occasioned by the failure of the government to pay the annnities when they were due, and the consequent suffering resulting therefrom. The chief, Poweshiek, was not at the village at the time, he having gone to Washington City to lay his grievances before the President. In his absence the village was in charge of Hardfish, who never was much of a friend to the white man.
     Those of the early settlers who visited these vil1ages describe them as being well arranged, and the apartments of the chief making quite an attempt at royalty. This was more particularly the case with their winter quarters. The huts were made by driving poles in the ground and plaiting bark between them; the roof was composed of matting made of 'grass and reeds. The hut of the chief, which differed from those of the other Indians in having a large court enclosed in front of the entrance, was from forty to sixty feet long and from ten to twelve feet wide. Along either side were arranged bunks where the Indians slept, and lengthwise at an equal distance from either side was a trench some two feet wide and from eight to ten inches deep where fires were kindled and the cooking done. Immediately above this trench was an opening in the roof to permit the smoke to escape.
     The summer tents erected by the squaws when on a hunting excursion were made by planting a circular row of willows in the ground and tying the tops together. These were easily constructed, and of course but temporary.

Return to top