New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-02-14
IND Ans OF TIE NORTH
WEST

"oyc, the noor Indian, fearless aud alone,
Eosmed this proud land aud claimed !; t sos MS own
Thu silent stream. that Passed unheeded ny
Tho mountain top, that seemed to reach the SKY;
Aud these enough 70 prove his lille true
Up 10 the time Of the making of the Treaty Of
Prairie du CHEN in 1899 the whole of this portion
of the Territory OF Wisconsin belonged TO the
Winnebago Indians BY that treaty they ceded their
possessions to the United States, and the Govern
ment has since driven them, at the point Of the
bayoaet, over the great Mother Of Waters.''~ Al
the time OF the Treaty the Indians had made many
discoveries Of lead ore about Mineral Point aad
Gratiot's Grove, which they smeted up in a rude
way and sid TO the whites.
When wander over this beautiful and lovely
country with its smiling prairies and shady groves
It's saub!ious climate ard Its seaed-up fountains OF
mineral wealth; i:sfertlle soil, where gram, and
flower and fruit gush from the earth until the land
runs over loo wonder that the Aborigines c!nrs
TO their soil and the home OF their fathers with such
dea,h-ilke tenacity, and cast long and lingering
lock behind 10 see their council hfes extiBeulshea
and their monuments torn down. Inc peTi!dy,
cruelty and outrage which have characterzea lie
conduct Of our Government towards the lnclans,
has no parallel in all the annals OF the history OF the
civilized world, and that signal and terrible retfi-
button rests upon this great and guilty c9uplfy Iiieie
prised at the hatred and Ill-will which are borne
towards the Red Man by the border inhabitants
They seem 10 have considered II crime IN MIN 10
love the soil which had for centuries covered the
bones of his fathers and which had been me inca
ire of the gores Of his race. Rapacity, hate, Gu
piditv power. told him to CO. and obeying not, the
sarage was hunted down by CHRISTIAN nation
with d terrible vengeance Almost every man " no
was out in the Black Hawk War, who killed either
an Indian ora Squaw, has become lmmortai!zed IN
81. IDC YI,o Invt- Tho
Winnebago, the Chippewa, the Sac and Fox, has
sprung crop of little great men who seem to con-
sider themselves entitled 10 all the Offices, honors
and dignites of the country. Gen. Dodge, the
"Hero of the Sank Fuss" so called, gained more
reputation in this country bytwo or three sklrmlsl-
e.: with handful of mlserably armed Indians,
than ever Ney gained in Europe at Elchingen, or
Macdonald at Wagram
IF al the acts of heroisn ard bravery and daring
which that celebrated Black Hawk War called
forth could be written down and made into boo,
1t would certainly be a wonderful book. II is
amusing 10 sit down by the side OF an old Sucker
who has been through the war" and hear HIM
rehearse its Incidents Some nights ago tel. IN
with an ole ranger who was reasonable enough to
think there had been as bloody wars in the world
as the Black Hawk, and who related TO me an an
ecdotc of celebrated CAPTAIN OF mounted com
pany who was ont in the service. il seems that
CAPTAIN was one day securing the country with his
company. when he suddenly came across an ind'dn
iroI lie Immediately came 10 a hal: and or6eIed
his company TO dismoun; and CIT str,tG'es, say
ing that if they had 10 retreat 1t would De wen 10
be prepared. .
| have been led into this train of observations
upon the Indians and Indian Wars OF the North
West. BY falling in with little band oil Winneoa-
goes short time since, who had encau1ped upon
the Poca,onica rive- in this county. lhey ba1 per
mission from the Indian Agent al luFkey h'v .L
Iowa Territory, TO come over to tins sac Of lhe
Mississippi and stay three months The head man
among them was HoPINcAU, or BIC MEDICINE
Man who is chief of his tribe. He seemed TO be
very clean Indian, and he exhibited TO me ieSlI-
monials of good character from Gov Dodge, Coi;
William S Hamilton and L. II. Gratlot, ESQ. |
have been told that in former years many OF the
Winnebagoes were in the habit OF making an an
nua visit 10 Gratiots Grove in this County. tc see
some OF the old friends Of their tribe The Indians
are proverbial for their enduring friendships ana
lasting enmities. Ike late Col. Henry Gratiot,
who Was brother 10 Gen Charles Gratiot of the
u. S. Engineer Corps, lived among the. lnneba-
goes for a long time and he was their friend. lie
fed them when hungry and clothed them when
naked, and they never forgot his kindness Though
living among them during al! ihe indian ttouoies III
this country, neither he nor his family were ever
harmed, and when he died in 1885 they gave his
widow ten thousand dollars Fer severalyears alter
the death of Col. G. large numbers oil them used
to travel on foot from their villages on the other side
of the Misslsslpplto Gratlot Grove, more man one
hundred miles, 10 vsi, his widow and look upon his
inlLlcngh portrait which they called his Spirit =
They would all surround the portrait and some one
of the number selected as Orator would make
talk to the Spirit of the Red Mans friend, and
big tears would roll down the b1onzsd and sHNarihy
tribe is fast falling Off Whirling Thunder Spot
ted ARM Broken Shoulder and other renowned
chiefs of this noble race and brave are no more,
and soon they will all disappear;
Just like the bubbles which the ocean bore .
The wave swept DER then--tl,ey seen 10 more.
Yours &c ROVER.
Mississippi from the Indian word M Y, (ins u