Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-09-13
The Indian Furore.

Indian depredations IN prospective,
gradually assuming proportions gigan-
tic by stories exaggerated by those ca
silly frightened, have been circulating
till finally the whole thing eliminated
in one grand Indian scare about the
25th of August. ..~.#
Slightly numerous persons saw "Lo,
the poor Indian" in every stump and
post; the fluttering foliage of scrub
(h)oaks and Jack Pines became wav-
ing plumes Of blood-thirsty warriors
They saw .....
Squaws in stones, Indians in running brooks,
And papooses in everything.
Reports were current that bands of
Indians, numbering from one to eight
hundred, were stealthily camping in
our immediate vicinity, some of whom
were Menomlnees, Winnebagoes, Pot
towotamies, Chippeways, Mushaways,
Nowadays, Sioux, and every other
tribe in existence. Stoid, conserva-
tive men-men of big ideas, saw big
Indians in big blankets in big camps,
on little ponies, ready for massacre
and no pay. e. ..s- -~
On the night of Friday, the 22d, the
saoelli,ag bust. One Of our citizens, an
earnest, enthusiastic man, saw, as he
supposed, mounted Indian, about II
o'clock, who, upon being accosted, ske-
daddled and was soon lost in the sur
rounding darkness. The alarm was
given, and In less than two hours, by
sending messenger to every occupied
tenement, our whole population were
aroused, armed with every conceivable
weapon OF defence. Lights were Or
dered left burning, while the vast
throng assembled at Arpin's Hall to
organize for an attack. 1t was soon
noised that two Indians were seen in
Centralia by two of our citizens while
making reconnaissance Or the river
They actually held conversation with
the wicked red men who wore blankets
and were reclining OH the bank of the
docile Wisconse. This caused alarm
anew. Still no attacking foe made his
appearance, as gradually the night wore
away, and the ruddy east gave token
of the coming day, which sent joy and
quiet to an hundred households.
The next evening our citizens assem-
bled and formed themselves into a
guard for the defence of the town :;
chose their officers, and at once pro-
ceedcd to station pickets in various To-
calities, to the number Of thirty effec-
tive men. A petition to the Governor
was drawn up praying for arms, and
one of our most prominent citizens
chosen to proceed at once to Madison
to place before His Excellency our per-
ilous condition and endeavor to obtain
them. For three days the excitement
ran high. On the third day the Indian
problem in Centralia was solved: the
Indians being two citizens of that town
out on reconnaissance on their own
hook, but who very cunnlngly convers-
ed in the dead languages with the two
BRACES from Grand Rapids.
Without an increase of excitement
it is difficult to congregate a body of
men nightly for any lengthy period,
consequently in a few short nights the
"Eudia,a erterminutors" disbanded, all
efforts Of the commissioned officers to
again mass them proving fruitiess.-
Thus ended the Indian excitement at
Grand Rapids.
We are informed that in Centralia
over seventy persons assembled at the
grist mill to pass the night; the mill do
ing no grinding during the night hours.
We learn that the excitement has ex-
tended to nearly every town in this
section of the State. at Plover. the
citizens passed the night in the Jail,
where many Of them felt at home and
all secure. At Lisbon and Necedah
picket guards were on duty for several
nights. = @E#1=l ---
The report that some of our citizens
dished their Indian meal and cut down
their Indian corn in their gardens,
proves to have been erroneous.
Now that the excitement is over, we
would advance few ideas that NAV
be beneficial. Don't be frightened till
Il