The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-06-10
An Indian EarthWOrk.

A Battle Creek (Mich.) correspondent
of the Chicago Tribune gives the follow
ing account of the remains of an earth
work that have been discovered on what
is known as Gregory's Point, point or
prcmontory reaching far into Lake Cog
uac from the western shore, which lake
is about two miles south of the city of
Battle Creek.
The earthwork is about one fourth of
mile in length, reaching from shore to
shore across the point, and is about four
feet wide across the top, upon which
gigantic oaks are at present in full leaf.
Many conjectures and surmises are
made as to the origin and the purpose of
this primitive work. The most popular
opinion af1oat is that at one time the
lake was dry, being an immense valley
or ravine; and this earthwork was but a
roadway through the ravinc and across
the point. But the nature of the ground
precludes the idea of road, as it would
be as easy to tfavel around the point as
it would to travel over it; and if a road,
it would have been laid in a straight
line instead of curving to the east as it
does on the northerly end. Some have
supposed it to be an immense mound
built by the Mound Builders, and have
dug large holes in the embankment cx-
pccting to find some solution of the orr
gin and object of such an extensive piece
of engineering.
Your correspondent, in company with
other gentlemen, wishing to find, if
possible, the true cause Of such an up
heaving of earth, visited the Indian
Reservation situated about twenty miles
south of here, and interviewed John
Mogango, son of Philip Mogango, de-
scendant from long line of Pottawat-
omic Chiefs. We found John ready and
willing to converse; and, when qucs-
toned concerning the works at Goguac,
he and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, his tribe-in.
terpretcr, volunteered to accompany US
back to Goguac and explain the whole
matter to US. We found, by steady in
quiry, that a tradition in the tribe has it
that once, many years ago, during the
chicftaincy of Johns great-grandfatllcr
Woppokisko, the tribes from the East
waged a fierce war against those in the
West; and, after long, weary fight, last
ing two great suns, Woppokisko's people
were driven to great cxtremities, took
refuge on this point, and threw this i'm
mense embankment up for protection
the warriors remaining on the point and
sending the squaws over on what is now
known as Wards Island; the braves in
tending in the last extremity to take to
their canoes and follow the squaws, as
the attacking warriors we're not pro-
vided with canoes or other means of
crossing. But, happily, in this fight
WoppokiskO's warriors won the day and
were successful in rcpelling the invading
foe, and eventually driving them from
this section of Countrywide terms of
peace being made and the calumet
smoked in grove on the spot where the
Potter House, in this city, now stands.
Woppokisko was ever one of the most
powerful Chiefs of the Pottawatomics
But, after mis- death, the tribe selected
Sawby for their Chief, brave from i.
new family, whose descendant. is now the
ruling Chief at the reservation. Last
year there was an attempt to place our
informant, John Mogango, in the posi-
tion of Chief, he being the only descend
ant of Woppokisko entitled to the place.
The effort failed through the treachery
OF a Chippewa half-breed. Mogango in.
formed us that the whole embankment
was thrown up with sticks and shells
and by working with their hands in the
dirt. 1t is truly marvellous how such a
stupendous work could have been done
with such simple means. We measured
the stump of an oak growing on top of
this embankment and found it to be two
feet in diameter. The locality is being
visited by large number Of people each
day, all eager to express an opinion or a
doubt as the case NAV be.