Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-06

northwest end comes near the main road,
and it runs from thence back nearly par
allel with the Mississippi river about
one hundred and ten yards. Its height
is about four feet. Some other ridges
appear in the vicinity, but are quite in
significant in comparison with this one
Whether these were made for the pur-
pose of buryingtheir dead, or for defense,
is not known, as they have not been ex-
amined by digging into them. On the
top. Of the easss snnk aof the Mississippi
river, and about two rods from the edge,
there are dozen pits situated about
three rods apart, which were apparently
made at a very recent date. They were
originally dug to the depth Of about three
feet, and about twelve feet square. They
looked quite fresh when first came to
this place in the spring of 1856. There
are two or three on the bank of the river
little above town, at the ferry, and sew
eral on the north bank of Fish Lake.
On the northwest d of section 10, town.
ship 80, range 30, in the town of Buck
man, quite an extensive sand fort is found
in very perfect state Of preservation,
and was apparently built at recent date.
It is about one hundred and fifty feet
wide, and nearly three hundred feet in
length. The inside has the appearance of
three large trays, about twice as long as
they are wide. titles on the west side of
a wet marsh or slough, which seldom, if
ever, gets entirely dry. visited this
fort in the summer of 1877, and where
the cattle had paved into the bank I
picked up piece of the shin bone of
person. The next year l visited another
very similar fort, about three miles
nearly south of this, OH section l., town
9S, range 81, just over the line in Benton
county. 1t was situated the same with
regard to wet marsh on the east side,
and was somewhat more extensive than
the one in this county. About twenty.
four years ago Mr.. Smart, now living in
Brockway, stearns county, picked up a
human skull and a tomakawk at that
fort. He was probably the first white
man who visited that place. I learn that
there is another fort of the same kind
several miles further south, near Little
Rock Lake. From appearance of these
forts, and from what has been discovered
about them, they must have been made
at recent date, probably by the Chip
pewa or Sioux Indians, about hundred
years ago, when the Chippewas drove the
Sioux out of the the country after hard
and desperate struggle, which lasted for
many years. As to those dug at Little
Falls, an Indian who claims to have been
present when they were made makes the
following statement: They were dug in
about the year 1885, on an occasion when
heavy battle was expected with the
Sioux Indians, who had collected in large
numbers, on the high grounds back Of
Little Falls, while the Chippewas gath
cred along the Mississippi river bank, at
the same time digging these pits as forti>
fications. Each party remained in po~
sition four days. expecting to Be attacked
by the other, when the Sioux drew off
and went IN the direction Of homo with
out striking blow for their native land.
So far as we have any account, the Sioux
tribe of Indians first occupied this sec>
ton of country, and was driven back
from it to the southwest not far from a
hundred years ago; but an incessant war
fare was kept up between the Sioux and
Chippewa Indians until the Sioux out
break, in the fall.~of 1862. Although
this was acknowledged to be Chippewa
country long before the country COM
menced to be settled by the white people,
there were frequently raiding parties of
Sioux going through the country, nuns
bering from half dozen to twenty-five,
passing through looking for Chippewa
scalps. They frequently went as far up
the Mississippi as Grow Wing, and gen.
orally as soon as they succeeded in get-
ting few scalps by pouncing upon some
unprotected mother and her children,
they would make all possible speed back
to their tribe, and have a great scalp
dance. The Chippewas hunted the Sioux
in the same manner. The Chippewas,
however, would frequently stop on their
return from the war path, when they had
been successful in securing scalps, and en-
terrain us, at Little Falls, with big war
or scalp dance. On the occasion of a
successful raid, their joy would apparent
~ haveno bounds. The Chippewas were
seldom known to treat the white settlers
uncivilly, while out on Sioux hunt ;
but the Sioux would frequently kill stock
belonging to the settlers to supply them
selves. Some made applications to the
Government to get pay for their stock
out of the Indian. annuities, but found
that if they had any rights that the In
dians were bound to prospect, 1t would
cost more to enforce them than the losses
would amount to, therefore but few COM
plants were entered. 49,.
Among the Chippewa warriors old
Hole-in>the.dsy and has son, bearing the
same name, are supposed to have been
the greatest. Old Hold ia the>day, when
| . boys. resided near Sandy Lake, but
after he became man he resided mostly
in Morrison county, generally near the
mouth Of Little Elk river. After a
brilliant career as q great chief and war
rior, he died at the residence Of some
half breeds, about two miles north Of
Little Falls, on the east side Of the Mis-
sissippi river. At his own request he
was buried ION q high eminence near by,
on the rangelot bluffs east of the Missls>
sippi river. The high peak where he
was buried had been used as point OF
look out for Sioux Indians, as it COM
manded q view Of large extent. of coun-
TRY. His son succeeded him as Ch1ppe-
wa chief, and, IT may be said, gained a
national reputation, not on account q
his good qualities, but on account Of his
successful raids against their enemies, the
Sioux Indians. He had the pleasure ot
taking off many Of their scalps with his
Town hand, and = very good. job he made
Eof it Some specimens that I saw him
BRING up at one time included, not only