Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-11-24
WISCONSIN FRONTIER LIFE.

near Waterfowl. \ few moments
stop. "all aboard - cries the conductor
and that is all of "Clyman" to the
traveller But there are associations
connected with the name that give il
Importance TO ''early settlers" and the
story may not be without its interest
10 new corners, if we tell it as it was
told to US. This station takes i,s name
from pioneer, t a. per and hunter
named James Clyman.
I'VE omit long account Of ely.
mans adventures in the Rocky Noun
tains.l
| After these scenes Of privation and
danger, Clyman returned to Milwaukee
in 1884, and took up his abode among
the first settlers Of that place but as
the settlement increased in pepula-
ton too rapidly to suit the frontierman S
idea Of the Target liberty, he, in the
tall Of 1876, turned his thoughts fur
/ Their inland, and with man MINED
Rurnet set cut to explore the beautiful
| valley of the Rock River, those lands
being about to be brought into market
| by the general government. On reach
ing Rock River they constructed a
dug OUT or canoe, in which they
embarked, and started on their voyage
down the river.
AZ night approached, they arrived
at an old klckapoo village, near what
| is now Known at Hustistord, in Dodge
| County. Il was raining at the time,
and as the bark of defeated lodge at
forded good shelter, they determined
! % rake l3dtings iyr the aiaL. n it
Accordingly they made landing, ana
commenced carrying their baggage
| ashore and the transfer was nearly
completed when, as Clyman went into
the lodge, and was in the act Of str k
ing a light, he heara bis companion
give the Indian salution boo joo'' to
some person outside. On going out he
met two Indians, an old aud a young
man. They shook hands with him,
apparently in Il friendly manner, and
informed him that they were Potawa
tonnes. Remnants Of this tribe, As Of the
KIckapoOs, Chippewas, and Winneba-
goes, then ranged oVsr that section of
the country; but they were supposed
TO be perfectly peaceabIe and well dis
posed toward the whites.
As soon as he had passed few words
with the Indians, Clyman told his
friend to klndle a fire in the lodge,
while he would go out and collect some
wood for the night. He went out,
picked up an armlul OF wood, aud was
returning, when suddenly ne heard a
rAe-shot in the lodge, and at the same
time cry Of distress from his compan
ion, and instantly the two Indians
bounded cut Of the lodge and fred a
shot at him. He dropped his wood and
ran at the top Of his speed into the
forest with the Indian after him. For,
tnaate!y it was nigh ST., sH3 under So70I
Of darkness be was enabled to elude the
s.arch of his Pursuers. He concealed
himself under log, and heard them
prowling about him for some time but
they finally gave up the search and
vent away. He then with great diff
Guilty, managed to bind up his shattered
arm with bis handkerchief, having
staunohed the blood with dry leaves,
and started toward Milwaukee, travel
ing much OF the distance backward to
more efectually deceive the Indians,
should they pursue him. 1t raj ed
hard during the night, and Clyman
soon became exhausted from the loss
of blood, and being very cold and wet
attempted to strike fire, but in con-
sequence of his broken arm, was I'M
! able to hold the flint and punk. He
continued on, however, and on the next
day I'D the satisfaction Of reaching
his home in Milwaukee We remem-
! Der very well, the commotion bis APP
| pearanee and report made in the young
town, and the anxiety expressed Tor the
peace and safety of the frontier, it be-
ing generally supposed that the murder
of Burnet was but a prelude to gen
eral uprising Of the savages.
\ dispatch was Immediately sent to
Fo Dearbon, Chicago, the nearest
military post, and an officer with suit
able force was sent out at once to ap-
| prehend the perpetrators Of the muir
der. They found the body of Burnet
shockiugly mutiIated, and arrested sew
era, Indians found near the locality.
These Ihdians were taken to Fort
Howard, Green Bay, and placedin close
oaai.na:i.sa5uuti' GIynl2n had suficien t
ly recovered from his wound, several
weeks after, to confront thom. de rec,
ognized the murderers instantly among
dozen others, although he had on y
before seen the guilty Indians for a
moment. The two Indians thus &C
cused acknowledged themselves the
guilty parties. and were tried for mur
der before the first court ever held 1T
Milwaukee. They were convicted, the
old man sentenced to be hung, and his
son to imprisonment fol life The SEN
tence was never executed, there being
some flaw in the pocecdings, which LED
to a pardon from Gov. Dodge, then
Territorial Governor.
The reason assigned By these Iadi
ans for committing the murder, was,
that relation of the old mans wife
had been killed by sentinel at Fort
Winnebago, and with the instincts OF
her race, gave the old man no peace Til
he had assuaged her thirst for revenge
with the blood of white man. Tie
circumstance of the Indian being kill
ed by the seahnel, was related at con
siderable length in the frontier sketches
given in this paper last fall, as the
personal reeollcctions Of Mr. Dean.
Mr. Clyman soon after left Wiscon
sin, aud went farther west, keeping
along the border, leading frontier
life. ENJOYING his freedom and excite