Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-11-30


leagues at Prairie du Chen, together with such
other tracts as the President might select not in
all exceeding five lea CUES This is the substance
of 1t as we gather from report, not having time
to hunt up the treaty; but under it the War De-
partment allowed locations in tracts 200 yards
square, and if the miner found no mineral within
his stakes, he pulled them up and set them down
again at such places and as often as he pleased.
The effect thus was, that the whites took possess
sion of pretty much the whole mining region
1t was in consequence of complaints growing
out of this construction of the treaty, that the
council was held and the new boundary agreed
upon.
In 1882 the Black Hawk war broke out. The
Winnebagoes were protossedly friendly but it
vas evidently kind of friendship not to be re-
lied upon in case of reverse to the whites. To
guard against surprise, Mr.. B. and his neighbors
bullt blOck-house in very commanding posi-
ton near the mounds, called - Blue Mounts
Fort. Into this the following persons with
drew, and kept mp a regular guard day and night
about Tree months, to wit: Ebenezer Brigham,
Thomas McCraney, Esau Johnson, John G. Kel-
logg, Jeremiah Lycan. George Force, Emmer-
son Green, VIM. Aubcrry, Jonathan Ferrall.
John Sherman, Hugh Bowen, Jacob Keith AL
fred Houghton, Houghton, John Daily.
James Collins, William Collins, Moses Collins,
Harvey Brock, and French Lake
After Stillman IS defeat in May, the Sauks
spread rapidly over northern Illinois, for purposes
of massacre and plumber. The murder of the
families OF MessrS. Pettigrew, Davis, and part of
that of Mr.. Hall in La Sale county, is generally
known, and is of no farther importance here. than
tits connected with the giving up of the two cap
tves, (lFss HlHs ~ Ut seems that the murder
ers Immediately fled northward, following up
Rock river a number of miles, and finally put
their captivos into the hands of the Wnnebag0es
it is believed, for safe keeping for the purpose of
securing better terms of peace with the whites.
News OF the event was expressed to the mound
and reward of $4,000 offered for the two cap
tives Word was sent to White Crow, who with
his band was encamped somewhere about the
First Lake. The result was, that the next dav
tie Indians came to the fort and they were re-
turned to their surviving friends--the reward,
doubtless, in the estimation of the Indians, out
weighing the obligation of friendship.
a day or two after the departure of these cap
tivcs, William Auberry was murdered at spring
near Mr.. Brignam's present residence, by the
Winncbagoes. He was shot from his horse,
and such valuablcs as he had about him were
carried off The assassians escaped punish
mcnt
About twenty days after, George Force and
Emmcrson Green, while out on scout were
set upon by parry of 80 or 70 Sank warriors
in view of the fort, and both killed. Had the In
dams not stopped about half an hour to dance
around & manglo the bodies of their victims, the
little garrison must have been DESTROYED, as, ow-
ing to a feeling of security, six were left in the
block house at the time. The delay enabled
them TO get ready FOR desperate resistance, and
the warriors after capturing the horses Of the
slain, made off, without daring to assault the fort
To follow up the events Of this war: The
army had moved up as far as Fort Atkinson
Getting short of provisions, Col. Dodge, with
several companies, was sent to Fort Winnobago
for supplies. On his return, he struck OFT to-
wards the Rock River Rapids in order if possi-
bic, to get scent of the Indians. He struck on
their trail east of the CraWtish, and Immediately
gave chase. lie followed it directly west, cross
my the Catfish near where the present bridge
stands, over the hill and across the ground now
occupied by the capitol and public square. At
the head OF the Fourth Lake he found an en-
camrmHnt they had left not many hours prcv-
Gus. Pushing on some eight or ten miles, they
overlook and killed an Indan,+ and at the cross
inc a little below Sank Prairie, they came up
with the main body. a battle Immediately took
place, in VIII ch fifteen Indians and one white man
were killed, and numbers on both sides wounded.
The battle of Bad Axe aud surrender of Black
Hawk, soon after closed the war
In these details we have confined ourselves as
nearly as possible TO occurrences within the linn
is of Dane county. Oar friend Brigham claims
nothing on the score of military service. altho'
taking an active part in tue rough and tumble Of
the times In 1886 the territory of Wisconsin
was organized, embracing the present State of
Iowa. and the northwest territory. He was g.
lec,ed member of the first Council-the scss-
ion being held at Belmont, and the second one
at Burlington. Iowa. The district at that tim
consisted of the territory embraced in the present
counties Of GIANT, Iowa, Lafayette, Green and
part of Dane. He was reelected to the same Of
/ tiice in SO, and held four years. The district
| then consisted of the counties of Dane, Green,
! J, if rson. Dodge and Sank. HIS last election
q tn legislature, was at the first session under
the state constution-,hc district being some
dozen or sixteen towns.
! In the twenty odd years of BIS. residence in
| this region. what wonderful changes have pass
| ed before him! For several years after his com
! ing the sayages were sole lords of the soil. A
! large Indian village stood near the mouth Of To-
| ken Creek another stood on the ridge between
! the Second and Third Lake, in plain view of our
| present location; and their wigwams were scat
! tered all along the streams, the remains of their
/ gardens, q G., U>tu8 SUI Nt>Ib't' Htti. tICIC
| was not civilized village in the State of any
! considerable size. When the capitol was loca-
! ted here he was the nearest settler 10 it-tWen-
/ ty four miles distant! He stood on this ground
! before It's selection as the seat of government
was thought of. and from the enchanting beauty
of the spot predicted that a village would lie built
here. Fort Winncbaco was commenced IL
! 1925 under the superintendent of Maj. TwGgs
and Col. Harvey, and the protection it afforded
| greatly promoted and extended Immigration
| The n-rolling flood now exceeds 325.000--
hundreds of villages have sprung upland eve
| ~ thing has changed. From being himself the
! sole population OF Dane, he now counts but one
| in 10000. Nothing remains of the Indians but
! their graves. He has seen a savage people pass
off the stage, and civilized one come upon it
and all with a rapidity which must appear to hin
| like dream.
We have thus imperfectIy sketched some Of
| the incidents in the life of the first settler il
/ Dane. with a brief statement of some of the
leading events which have passed in review be-
fore him. Although gray hairs cover his head
he still enjoys robust health, and his straight form
and elastic step shows that age sits lightly upor
him. We are inclined to attribute his eXemp
ton from the common Ills OF life to the fact tina
he never sought an Office. or sent a hungry MAJ
from his door without food He has large
fund If yalu9blp local history with anecdotes ~