Rice County, Minnesota - Chapter 17: Occuerences Ix the Viciisritt of Fokt Snellttstg, Contintted, 1882

Chapter 17: Occuerences Ix the Viciisritt of Fokt Snellttstg, Contintted

Arrival of J. N. Nicollel - Marriage of James Wells - NicoUet's letter from Fallsof St. AntholiJ' - Perils of Mal-tin McLeod^-Cliippeway treachery - Sioux Re veiige - Rum River and Stilhvater hattles - Grog shops near the Fort.

Oil the second of July 1S36, the steamboat Saint Peter landed siiiiplics, and among its passengers was the distinguished French astronomer. Jean N. Nicollet (Nicokiy). I^Iajor Taliaferro on the twelfth of Jidy, wrote; " Mr. Nicollet, on a visit to the post for scientific research, and at present in my family, has showii me the late work of Henry R. Schoolcraft on the discovery of the source of the Mississippi ; which claim is ridiculous in the extreme." On the twenty-seventh, Nicollet ascended the JNIississippi on a tour of observation.

James AVells, a trader, wlio afterwards was a member of the legislature, at the house of Oliver Cratte, near the fort, was married on the tw elfth of September, by Agent Taliaferro, to Jane, a daughter of Duncan Graham. Wells was killed in 1862, by the Sioux, at the time of the massacre in the Minnesota Valley.

Nicollet in September returned from his trip to Leech Lake, and on the twenty-seventh wTote the following to JMajor Taliaferro the Indian Agent at the fort, which is supposed to be the earliest letter extant written from the site of the city of Minneapolis. As the principal hotel and one of the finest avenues of that city bears his name it is worthy of preservation. He speUed his name sometimes Nicoley, and the pronunciation in English, would be Nicolay, the same as if written Nicollet in French. The letter shows that he had not mastered the English language : " St. Anthony's Falls, 27th September, lS3fi,

Deak Friend : - I arrived last evening about dark; all well, nothing lost, nothuig broken, happy and a very successful journey. But I done exhausted, and nothing can reUeve me, but the pleasure of meeting you again under your hospitable roof, and to see all the friends of th" garrisou who have been so kind to me.

" This letter is more particularly to give you a very extraordinary tide. Flat Mouth, the chief of Leech Lake and suite, ten in number are with me. The day before yesterday I met them again at Swan river where they detained me one day. I had to bear a new^ harangue and gave answer. All terminated by their own resolution that they ought to give you the hand, as well as to the Guinas of the Fort (Colonel Davenport.) 1 thought it my duty to acquaint you with it beforehand. Peace or war are at stake of the visit they pay you. Please give them a good welcome until I have reported to you and Colonel Davenport all that has taken place diu'ing my stay among the Pillagers. But be assured I have not trespassed and that I liave behaved as would have done a good citizen of the U. S. As to Schoolcraft's statement alluding to you, you will have full and complete satisfaction from Flat Mouth himself. In haste, your friend, J. N. Nicoley."

On the seventeenth of March, 1837, there arrived Martin ilcLeod, who became a prominent citizen of Minnesota, and the legislature has given his name to a county.

He left the Red River country on snow shoes, with two companions, one a Polander and the other an Irishman named Hays, and Pierre Bottineau as interpreter. Being lost in a violent snow storm the Pole and Irishman perished. lie and his guide, Bottmeau, lived for a time on the flesh of one of their dogs. After being twentysix days without seeing any one. the survivors reached the traduig post of Joseph R. Brown, at Lake Traverse, and from thence they came to the fort.

imder the noted and elder Hole-in-the-Day. The Chippeways feigned the wannest friendship, and at dark lay do\ni in the tents by the side of the Sionx, and in tlie night silently arose and lulled them. Tlie occurrence took place at the Chippeway Kiver, abouttliirty miles from Lac qui Parle, and tlie next day the Hev. G.II. Pond, the Indian missionary, accompanied by a ,Sionx, \.ent out and buried the mutikited and scalpless bodies.

On the second of August old IIole-in-the-I)ay, and some Ojibways, came to the fort. They stopped first at the cabin of Peter Quiini, whose wife was a half-breed Chippeway, about a mile from the fort.

The missionary, Samuel AV. Pond, told the agent that the Hioux, of Lake Calhoun were aroused, and on their way to attack the Chippeways. The agent quieted them for a time, but two of the relatives of those slain at Lac qui Parle in ^Vpril, hid themselves near Quimi's house, and as IIole-iu-the-Day and hi.s associates were passing, they -fired and killed one Chippeway and wounded another. Obpquette. a Chippeway from Ked Lake, succeded, however, in shooting a Sioux while he was in the act of scalpmg his comrade. The Chippeways were brought within the fort as soon as possible, and at nine o'clock a Sioux was confined in the guard-house as a hostage.

Notwithstanding the murdered Chippeway had been buried in the graveyard of the fort for safety, an attempt was made on the part of some of the Sioux, to dig it up. On the evening of the sixth, Major Plympton sent the Chippeways across the river to the east side, and ordered them to go home as soon as possible.

On the twentieth day of June the elder Ilolem-the-Day arrived from the Upper ^Mississippi with several Innidreil Chippeways. Upon tlieir return homeward the Mississippi and Mille Lacs band encampei^ the first night at the Falls of ><amt ^Vnthony, and some of the Sioux visited them and smoked the pipe of peace.

On the second of July, about sunrise, a son-inlaw of the chief of tlie Sioux band, at Lake Calhoun, named Meekaw or Badger, was killed and scalped by two Chippeways of the Pillager band, relatives of him who lost his b'fp near Patrick

Quinn's the year before. The excitement was intense among the Sioux, and innnediately war parties started in pursuit. iloIe-in-the-Uay's band was not sought, but the JNlille Lacs and Saint Croix Chippeways. The Lake Calhoun Sioux, with those from the villages on the ^Minnesota, assembled at the i'alls of Saint Anthony, and on the morning of the fourth of .July, came up with the Mille Lacs Chippeways on Rum River, before sunrise. Xot long after the war whoop was raised and the Sioux attacked, killing and wounding ninety.

The Kajiosia band of Sioux pursued the Saint Croix Chippeways, and on the third of July found them in the Penitentiary ravine at Stillwater, under the influence of wiiisky. Aitkin, the old trader, was with them. The sight of the Sioux tended to make them sober, but in the fight twentj'-one were killed and twenty-nine were wounded.

AVliisky, during the year 1839, was freely introduced, in the face of the law prohibiting it. The first boat of the season, the Ariel, came to tlie fort on the fomteenth of April, and brouglit twenty barrels of whisky for Joseph R. Brown, and on the twenty-first of May, the Glaucus brought six barrels of liquor for David Faribault. On the thirtieth of June, some soldiers went to Joseph R. Brown's groggery on the opposite side of the Mississippi, and that night forty -seven were in the guard-house for dj:unkenness. The demoralization then existing, led to a letter by Sm'geon Emerson on duty at the fort, to the Surgeon General of the United States army, in which he writes :

" The whisky is brought here by citizens who are pouring in upon us and .settling themselves on the opposite shore of the Mississippi river, in defiance of our wortliy commanding officer, ^lajor .1. Plympton. whose authority they set at naught. At this moment there is a citizen named Browni, once a sohlier in the Fifth Infantry, who was discharged at this post, while Colonel Snelling commanded, and who has been since employed by the American Fur Company, actually building on the land marked out by the land officers as the reserve, and withui gunshot distance of the fort, a very expensive whisky shop."

Chaptee Xviii

Sioux or 0alikotah people - MeanitiRof words Sioux and Dalikotah - liarly villages - Hesi'lence of Sioux in 1S49 - Ttie Winiieliapoe^i - Tiie Ojibways or Chippeways.

Tlie three Iiidiiin nations who dwelt in tliis region after the organization of JSIinnesota, were the Sioux or Dahkotahs ; the Ojibways or Chippeways ; and the Ilo-tcliun-graws or Winnebagoes.

Sioux Or Dahkotahs

Algonquin and Iroquois, who were found by tlie early settlers of the Atlantic States, on the banks of the Connecticut, Mohawk, and Susquehanna Elvers.

When the Dahkotahs were first noticed by the European adventurers, large numbers were occupying the Mille Lacs region of country, and appropriately called by the voyageur, "People of the Lake," "Gens du Lac." And tradition asserts that here was the ancient centre of this tribe. Though we have traces of their warring and hunting on the shores of Lake Superior, there is no siitisfaetory evidence of their residence, east of the Mille Lacs region, as they have no name for Lake Superior.

The word Dahkotah, by which they love to be designated, signifies allied or joined together in friendly compact, aiid is equivalent to " E pluribus unum," the motto on the seal of the United States.

In the history of the mission at La Pointe, Wisconsin, published nearly two centuries ago, a a writer, referring to the Dahkotahs, remarks :

" For sixty leagues from the extremity of the Upper Lake, toward sunset; and, as it were in the centre of the western nations, they have all unUed their force by a general league."

The Dahkotahs in the earliest documents, and even until the present day , are called Sioux, Scioux, or Soos. The name originated mtli the early voyageurs. For centuries the Ojibways of Lake Superior waged war against the Dahkotahs; and.

The French traders, to avoid exciting the attention of Indians, while conversing in their presence, were accustomed to designate them by names, which would not be recognized.

Under the influence of the French traders, the eastern Sioux began to wander from the Mille Lacs region. A trading post at 0-ton-we-kpadan, or Rice Creek, above the Falls of Saint Anthony, induced some to erect their summer dwellings and plant corn there, which took the place of wild rice. Those who dwelt here were called Wa-kpa-a-ton-we-dan Those v,ho dwell on the creek. Another division was known as the ila-tan-ton-wan.

Less than a hundred years ago, it is said that the eastern Sioux, pressed by the Chippeways, and influenced by traders, moved seven miles above Fort Snelling on the Minnesota River.

Med-Day-Wah-Kawn-Twawns

In 1849 there were seven villages of Med-daywah-kawn-twawn Sioux. (1) Below Lakp Pepin, where the city of Winona is, was the village of Wapashaw. This band was called Kee-yu-ksa, because with them blood relations intermarried. Bounding or Whipping Wind was the chief. (2) At the head of Lake Pepin, under a lofty bluff, was the Red ^Ving village, called Ghay-nini-chan Hill, wood and water. Shooter was the name of the chief. (3) Opposite, and a little below the Pig"s Eye IMarsh, was the Kaposia band. The word, Kapoja means light, given because these people are quick travelers. His Scailet People, better kno^\^^ as Little Crow, was the chief, and is notorious as the leader in the massacre of 1862.

a lew miles above Fort Snelling, was Black Dog village. The inhabitants were called, Ma-ga-yutay-shnee. People who do not a geese, because they found itpiolitable to sell game at Fort Snelliug. Grey Iron was the chief, also known as Fa-ma-ya-vaw, jNIy head aches.

At Oak (irove, on the north side of the river, eight miles above the fort, was (5) 1 lay-ya-ta-oton-wan, or Inland A'illage, so called because they formerly lived at Lake Calkoun. Contiguous was (G) 0-ya-tay-shee-ka, or Bad People, Known as Good Roads Band and (7) the largest village was Tin-ta-ton-wan. Prairie Village ; Shokpay, or Six, was the chief, and is now the site of the town of Shakopee. West of this di\ision of the Sioux were -

War-Pay-Kit-Tay

The War-pay-ku-tay, or leaf shooters, who occupied the country south of the Minnesota around the sources of the Cannon and Blue Earth Rivers.

North and west of the last were the War-paytwawns, or People of the Leaf, and their principal village was Lac qui Parle. They numbered about fifteen hundred.

Se-See-Twawns

To the west and southwest of these bands of SioiLx were the Se-see-twawns (Sissetoans), or Swamp Dwellers. This band claimed the land west of the Blue Earth to the James River, and the guardianship of the Sacred Red Pipestone Quarry. Their principal village was at Traverse, and the number of the band was estimated at thirty-eight hundred.

Ho-Tchun-Graws, Ok Winnebac40Es

The llo-tchun-graws, or Winnebagoes, belong to the Dahkotah family of aborigines. Champlain, although he never visited tliem, mentions them. Xicollet, wlio had been in his employ, visited Green Bay about the year 1635. and an early Relation mentions tliat he saw the Ouinipegous, a people called so, because they came from a distant sea, whicli some French erroneously called Puants. Another writer speaking of these people says : This people are called ' Les Puants ' not because of any bad odor peculiar to them, but because they claim to have come from the shores of a far distant lake, towards the north, whose waters are salt. They call themselves the people ' de I'eau puants,' of the putrid or bad water."

By the treaty of 1837 they were removed to Iowa, and by another treaty in October, 1846, they came to Minnesota in the spring of 1848, to the coimtry between the Long Prairie, and Crow Wing Rivers. The agency was located on Long Prairie River, forty miles from the Mississippi, and in 1841) the tribe numbered about twenty-tive htmdred souls.

In February 1855, another treaty was made with them, and that spring they removed to lands on the Blue Earth River. Owing to the panic caused by the outbreak of the Sioux in 1S62, Con gress, by a special act, without consulting them, in 1863, removed them from their fields in Minnesota to the Missouri River, and in the words of a missionary, "they were, like the Sioux, dumped in the desert, one hundred miles above Fort Randall"

O.Jibway Or Chippeway Nation

The Ojibways or Leapers, when the French came to Lake Superior, had their chief settlement at Sault St. ]\Iarie, and were called by the French Saulteurs, and by the Sioux, Ilah-ha-tonwan, Dwellers at the Falls or Leaping Waters.

When Du Luth erected his trading post at the western extremity of Lake Superior, they liad not obtained any foothold in Minnesota, and were constantly at war with their hereditary enemes, the Nadouaysioux. By the middle of the eighteenth century, they had pushed in and occupied Sandy, Leech, Mille Lacs and other points between Lake Superior and the Mississippi, which had been dwelling places of the Sioux. In 1820 the principal villages of Ojibways in Minnesota were at Fond du Lac, Leech Lake and Sandy Lake. In 1837 they ceded most of their lands. Since then, other treaties have been made, until in the year 1881, they are confined to a few reservations, in northern Minnesota and vicinity.