Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-21
WINONA,
The Legend of Maiden Reek, on the
Mississippi River, I'm Minnesota,


Mississippi River, I'm Minnesota,
From the Lake City (Minn.) Leader.
Our Washington correspondent,
"Pike Perch" sends us the follow
ing extract from the journal of Mai.
Longs exploring expedition, made
in 1928. 1t is the most circumstan-
tial and pathetic account ever pub
lished of the tragedy which gave to
our grandest Lake Pepin bluff the
name of "Maiden Rock" The story
as told will not be new to all our
readers, but many of them, especial
ly the young, will doubtless here
read the "full particulars" for the
first time, and be gratifed by their
perusal
About half way up the lake its
eastern bank rises to height of
nearly $50 feet, of which the first
$50 feet are formed by perpendicu-
lar bluff, and the lower 300 feet con-
stitute very abrupt and precipi-
tous slope, which extends from the
base of the bluff to the edge of the
water. This forms a point, project
ing into the lake, and bounded by
two small basins, each of which is
the estuary of q brook that falls into
the lake at this places The wild
ness of the scenery is such that
even the voyager who has gazed
with delight upon the high bluffs of
the Mississippi is struck with I'M
common interest on beholding this
spot. There is in it what we meet
with on no other point of the far
stretching valley of the Mississippi
"a high, projecting point, a pre-
cipitOus crag resting upon a steep
bank, whose basis is washed by a
wide expanse of water, the calm
ness of which contrasts with the
savage features Of the landscape.
But this spot receives an additional
interest from the melancholy tale
which is connected with it, and
which casts deep gloom over its
features. Cold and cal
lous must be the heart of the vOy-
ager who can contemplate unmoved
and uninterested the huge bluffs
that inclose the lake, for
Wild as the accents Of lovers farewell
Are the hearts which they fear and the tales
which they tell
"'There was time, our guide
said, when this spot-which you
now admire for its untenanted beau
ties was the scene Of one of the
most melancholy transactions that
has ever occurred among the In
dams. There was in the village of
Keoxa, in the tribe of Wabashaw,
during the time that his father
lived and ruled over them, a young
Indian female whose name was
Winona, which signifies the first
born She had conceived an at
tachment for young hunter, who
reciprOcated it. They had fire.
quently met, and agreed to a union
in which all their hopes conferred
but on applying to the family, the
hunter was surprised to find him
self denied, and his claims super
seeded by those Of warrior of dis
tinction, who had sued for her. The |
warrior was a general favOrite with
the nation; he had acquired a name
by the services which he had rem
dered to his village when STACKED
by the Chippewas; yet notwith-
standing all the ardor with which
he pressed his suit, and the counte-
nance which he received from her
parents and brothers, Winopa per-
sisted in preferring the hunter. To
the usual concentrations Of her
friends IN favor of the warrior she
replied that she had made choice of
a man who, being a protested
hunter, would spend his life with
her, and secure to her comfort and
while the warrior would
be constantly absent, intent upon
some martial exploits. Winona's
expostulations were, however, of
no avail, and her parents, having
succeeded in driving away her love,
began to use harsh measures in or
der to compel her to unite with the
man of their choice. To all her
entreaties, that she should not be
forced into a union so repugnant to
her feelings, but rather to allowed
to live a single life, they turned a
deaf ear.
"'Winona had at all times en-
joyed.a greater share in the affec-
lions of her family, and she had
been INDUCED more than is usual
with females among Indians.
Being a favorite with her brothers,
they expressed a wish that her con-
sent to this union should be OBJ
tanned by persuasive means rather
than that she should be compelled
to it against her inclination. With