Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-05-13
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY MAY 49, 1876.
How the Early Settlers Were Driven
From the Dubuque Lead Mines.
From the Dnhnnna Times.

sFrom the Dubuque Times.
When Judge s. Wilson was In
Washington, a couple of weeks ago,
he interested himself, for curiosity's
sake, and for history's sake, to discov-
er and obtain copies of whatever doc.
uments might be on record in the
War Department, relating to those
early times of which the present
"Black Hills" excitement is to some
extent repetition the time when
white men first sought out this region
for mining purposes, and were driven
out because their being here was in
violation of then existing treaty with
the resident Indian tribes. The In-
dams sold the land hereabouts some
time in 1882, with the privilege of re-
naming here year after the sale,
Before the year elapsed the Lang
worthy's and some others come over,
got on track of the lead in these hills,
and began to gopher around" after
it. The Indians complained of this,
and Zach Taylor, then Colonel of the
First United States Infantry, detailed
a Lieutenant by the name of Under
wood, with about forty soldiers, to
come here and drive the white settlers
across the river. In pursuance of his
order to accomplished this duty, I'm
derwood did many uncalled for and
cruel acts; for instance, when he met
persons hauling mineral, he would
saw off the axles of their wagons,
causing damages for which there was
no repair nearer than St. Louis. Gen
eral Taylor withdrew him, and he
was afterward dismissed from the SER
vice-principally, we believe, on ac-
count of his unwarrantable conduct
toward the white miners here. After
his recall, jeff Davis and George
Wilson, the latter the oldest brother
of Judge D. S. and T. S. Wilson,
were sent down from Fort Crawford,
now Prairie du CHEN, to Dubuque
with fifty soldiers, to prevent any VIC
lation of the treaty with the Indians.
They drove the intruders across the
river, but perpetrated none of the cru
elites which had rendered Underwood
so odious. The Langworthys and
others, had happy time ofit,lying on
the bluffs across yonder at Dunlieth,
and seeing the Indians carrying off
the lead from the mines which those
white adventures had opened up, but
there was nothing to do but to "grin
and bear it." When Judge Wilson
was in Washington, he made applica-
ton to Secretary Belknap, and obtain
ed from him an order for copies of all
documents that might he on file in the
War Department relating to that pc
Rod of Dubuque's history. Ona care
full search, nothing could be unearthed
except the following document, which
evidently related TO another document,
which latter is not now to be found:
HEADQUARTERS LIST INFANTRY,
Fort CRAWFORD, Oct 10, 1888.
Sir | have the honor to enclose herewith
a communication for the Hon. Lewis Cass, re-
lative to the removal of the intruders, last
Spring, from the lands West of the Mississip-
pi. known as "oubuqut's Mines" together
with several other documents relating to the
same subject.
Being unacquainted with the proper chan
mel of communication with the Secretary of
War, | have taken the liberty to transmit the
accompanying papers through your Office, as
they are in a measure connected with military
affairs.
Very respectively, your obd't servant,
z, TAYLOR.
To Col R. Jones, AdJt General, Washington,
DC.
The preceding document was &C.
companied by memoranda from the
Department Clerk who made the
search, to his superior, as follows:
"No record found in Navy Depart
ment book from January of 1891 to
December of 1887" also the following:
"This letter was received by the Ad-
jutsnt General November 7, 1888, and
the enclosed must have been sent to
the War Department the same day"
Accompanying the memoranda is
the following note from Secretary
Belknap:
WASHINGTON April %.
My Dear Colonel: ! send herewith copy
of letter from General Taylor concerning
the early trouble in Dubuque. We can find no
other record whatever.
Hoping you had pleasant trip home, and
that your experience on the ragged edge" of
the bench at the Beecher trial did not demon
aize you, | remain, yours very truly,
Col. d. S WILSON WIN. H. BELKNAP