The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-07-25
The Aborigines Of the Wabash Valley
s Jean Baptiste Brouiilette. 47

identified with his tribe in the early his.
tory of the Wabash Valley. George
Winter, our home artist, knew the de-
ceased personally, and familiar with the
history Of the Miamies, Pottawattamies,
the Delawares, the Weas, and other
tribes who occupied the lands watered
by the Wabash and Eel river, we have
, requested communication for the Cour-
ier, touching his personal recollections
of the deceased. His portfolio is rich
with sketches of prominent Indians,
who occupied the hunting grounds of
this section up to their departure for the
West It is the only reliable record of
many historical incidents connected with
the early history Of the Wabash, and
when we consider the wealth and pro-
gress of the valley, it is subject Of
modification and chagrin that the fost-
ering care and encouragement of the
fine arts has not perpetuated this inter
esting history upon canvass. Mr. Win
ter, in response to our request, commu-
nitates the following:
THE MIAMI INDIAN.
Jean Baptiste Brouillette, the Miami
Indian. we'll known throughout the Wa
bash valley, whose death you noticed in
your paper recently as having died at
! his residence on the Mississinewa river,
eight miles above Peru, in the seventy
eighth year of his age, was a remarkable
man.
The ssketch" that you allude to as
being in my possession, made in 1887,
when attending the last Pottawattamie
payment made east of the Mississippi
river, November 21, by Colonel A. c.
Pepper, at Demosse's House, Michigan
road, nine miles north of Logansport.
Jean Baptiste Brouiilette, needs not
the lattering touch of the artists pen
Gil or the investment of the poets fam
ciful recitals to make him attractive to
the public attention, separately from his
innate qualities as man. remember
very distinctly when l first saw Brouil-
lette. He was on a visit to Logansport
in the year of the payment The Pot
tawattamie Indians were at that time
very commonly seen in Logansport.
Ewing's establishment was a means of
attracting the Indians to that point. d
It was headquarters, too, for the re-
ceiving Of peltries, brought in large
quantities. There they were properly
packed and shipped to the East. 1t was
not unfrequently that some of the In
dians came to Logansport to buy goods
at Ewing's trading establishment, which
stood diagonally to the Washington
Hall, then kept by our friend, Captain
c. Vigus. =!
The Miamies were frequent visitors
to the vicinity Of Logansport, for the
purpose of paying a reverential tribute
to the memory Of the dead, as there was
but few rods distant from the south
section of the bridge which immediate
ly led to the "National Reservation" an
extensive Indian burial ground, which
was an attraction to the curious traveller,
as he was passing through this new and
undevcloped country. No doubt but
what this repository of the aboriginal
dead was mostly confined to the Indians
who died at the village of Ke-na- pa
cum qua, which stood On the north bank
of the Eel river, some six miles above
the confluence with the Wabash. "Char-
leys Reserve" is known as being in the
vicinity of the old village. Many of the
older citizens are familiar with the beau
tiful view that could be seen from Reeds
old log cabin, on the northern bank, near
the Peru road. The scene that present
ed itself to the eve included the old site
of the village Of Ke ma pa cum qua.
The Miami burial ground, near Lo-
gansport, contained the remains of the
renowned chief and warrior, Ne -ke- me
nah, or as be was more familiarly called,
Captain Flowers. The graves were gen.
orally covered with bark. The chiefs
doomed up above all others Of greater
consequence. It was rudely constructed |
of logs, within which was placed pine |
box, or Cho po- em-k kak, protecting the |
remains The chiefs rife, tin cup pow
der horn, and all other relics were de-
posted, so that the spirit, might carry |
along with it, in its fight, the chosen
earthly objects, to the beautiful world |
of the future hunting ground. There
are no signs now to indicate the burial |
ground I remember well when the same |
spot yielded to the ploughsllare. It
proved rich soil, but it seemed strange |
to see the corn throw out its beautiful
tassel, where but q few years before,
there was breathing of sanctity rest
ing upon the lowly graves. When the
ploughshare ran deep into the graves,
the Ga
sff3roFn al kuls. in apite of ugly death.