Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-08-31

Win eacD, WnO udu HoaTu VI uiulCul-
ties with the Indians and were fee
ing from the Beetown diggings to
Galena. After search without find
ing Indians they all went to Galena
and forted. A company was raised
at GaIena to go after the Indians.
This Was the /" Winuebago Fuss y
which grew out of murder by
some of the Indian Red Birds fami-
ly, and the firing on keel boats as
they foated down tho Mississippi.
There was q dispute as to who should
command the Galena company. Ma
jor Rountreo thought the command
was given to Gen. Dodge.
Mr.. Frank kirkpatrick was called
out by Major Rountree. Mr.. X.
said he was one of the fifteen men in
the Winnebago " Fuss, !" and his rec,
objection was that the command was
given to Gov. Whitesdes.
Mr.. Farnhrm johnson said, yes,
they had knocked in keg of whisky
and then decided in favor of White
sides.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick said he did not
see the whisky, but that tho COM
pany was composed mostly OF Suck
ers, Iilinoians, whilo Dodge was q
and that Whitesides
received all tho votes for commander
but two, although Dodge had receiv-
cd letter ftom some Of the higher
powers directing him to take charge
of the company. In the dispute
Dodge said he had spunk enough to
get on his horse and go home if he
could not command. Whitesides
said that he had spunk enough to
shoulder bis musket and be as good
a high private as any of them it he
could not command. They went up
across Grant County and crossed the
Wisconsin near where Avoca il, and
through an Indian village to the
Portage. Red Bird was given up
and the s'Fuss" ended.
Hon. j. Allen Barber was called on
for speech. He said he had been
suffering indlsposition for some days
and was not able to talk. lie, how
ever. said that he was pleased to see
the old settlers come together and
to meet with them and look back into
the past. But while we are remem-
bering with pleasure the reccollections
of our early settlement we should not
forget that there were citizens here
before us, before times of which his
tory gives us any account. Before
we came there were citizens here who
had their corn fields. He had seen
their corn-fie as they left them in
this county. They had furnished our
garrison at Praire du Chen with corn.
He thought our treatment of the In
dams was shameful. That we were
now in q war with the Indians because
we had violated our treaty with them,
and in all our treaties with them they
wcro never the first to violate. The
United States had spent many mil
lions in Indian wars while Canada had
dealt with them without war. Mr..
Humphrey interrupted Mr.. Barber
with the inquiry whether the United
States had the right to compel the
Indians to stay upon their Resorva-
tons. To this he answered that they
would stay themselves. He thought
il had been unchristian and an out
rage upon the Winnebago Indians to
remove them to their western Reser-
vations.
Judge Mills was next called. He
said Mr.. Barber had so interested us
in the original settlers that we have
lost our interest in the present crowd
He was willing to pay his part for
Outstanding the Indians if Mr.. Bar
Der would go as missionary. lie
thought Mr. B. might succeed. Why,
said the Judge, "Col. John G. Clark
told me it was very easy to christian
ize the Indians. He had been up in
Dakota where there was Baptist
missionary at work, and the Baptists
are a very good people. They had
succeeded in converting a sqdaw in
the winter time. To babtise her
they had to cut a hole in the ice, and
in that hole she was immersed. Be-
fore that she had been lazy and
abused her pappooses and husband.
After that she was industrious and
amiable. Other Indians saw the ef-
feet and when their squaws did not
behave we'll they cut holes in the ice
and ducked them in the water. If
we can civilizc them this way or any
way | am in favor of it. But it is q
law of mankind and a law of nature
that the earth belongs to those
who will make the best use of it.
Those who will make it fruitful will
push out those who do not. If we
abandon agriculture and commerce
and become wanders, a more enter
prising people will drive US away
The only chance for the Indian is to
become industrious aud utilize his
industry as we do. There is moth
inc in tho laws of the United States
I-J,a~ Fr0yo Inir,