Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-03-25
OBITUARY.
EDWARD d. BEoUcHARD.

L
y, 1881. In the Spring Of 1916.
when scarcely twelve years OF
age, he moved west" going to
the Selkirk Settlement on Red
River, and from there to the
Pacific coast; while there he
was employed by the Hudson
Bay Fur Company, and on their
business he travelled through
the since celebrated auriferous
Cariboo Mountains; after endu-
ring the hardships of that then
almost unknown country, he
made his way east again by
way of the Selkirk Settlement,
and in the Fall Of 1919 he ar
rived at Prairie du CHEN; he
there engaged as a boatman in
the employ of Jean Brunei and
.pne Disbrow. and in the Fall OF
1922 Col Richard NJ. Johnson
If Kentucky, having hired a
)oat Of Brurnet and Disbrow, for
the purpose, the boat com
manded by Beouchard, was sent
with Col. johnson, his men,
FOOLS and supplies, to Galena
where the Colonel purchased
the celebrated 8 Buck Lead"
lom the Fox Indian of that
aame; by direction of his en-
ployers Beouchard sent the boat
oack to Prairie dn Chen, re-
manning with Col. Johnson's
party; they erected three log
cabins near the mine and work
ID there the succeeding winter;
then Beouchard was employed
by A. p. Vanmatre and David
j. Bates, about their smelling
works near Galena until the
Spring of 1896; that Spring, i'll
company with eight others, he
went on a prospecting tour, and
they discovered the New Dig
gings," where Beouchard had
very good success. In the Fall
Of 1928, after having discovered
diggings in Grant county. with
others, he went to the Sugar
River diggings in Green county,
where he had very good dig
gings and established store or
trading post; this place he left in
the Spring of 1882, so soon as he
heard of the breaking out OF
the Black Hawk war: after the
war was over he returned to his
trading post at EXecter, in May.
1888. and found that during the
war the Indians had burned the
buildings and destroyed all the
property left there.
In his rowing and trading life
with the Indians he had become
familiar with their character.
habits and disposition, partly
knew several Of their languages
md spoke the Winnebago lan-
guage like a native; early in the
war he was actively serving his
country as interpreter, express
rider and soldier under General
Dodge; when the militia were
irst organized at the Blue
Mounds he was elected first
lieutenant or the company in
Mound Fort" at that place.
Under the authority Of General
Dodge and Col. Gratiot then In
dian agent, he recruited and
commanded fifty or sixty friend
ly Winnebagoes, who did good
service during the war--and it
was Beouchard who sent out the
Winnebago chief, Wa kon-kah
with others, to rescue the Hall
girls from the Sacs. and it was
he who on the Sd Of June, 1882.
bravely rode out to the Indians
and brought into the /" Mound
Fort" the captured Hall girls,
who on May, 22d, 1882, at Indi-
an Creek, near Ottawa, Ills,
witnessed the cruel butchery Of
their parents, brothers, and
sisters, and others (fifteen in
alD, and had been carried into
captivity by the Sacs. If fear
less rider was wanted, who
would faithfully carry express,
orders. or news, through foe
ambushed country, from one
fort to another, or 10 undertake
any dangerous mission, the
writer has heard General Dodge
say, that he could always rely
on Beouchard.
On June 9Th, 1882, the Indians
killed JAS. Aubrey who was the
captain at Mound Fort; at Mrs.
Aubrey's request Beouchard start
ed BY himself TO get the body Of
Aubrey; before going he requested
Lieut.. Force to accompany him,
but the Lieutenant refused, anu
Beouchard said TO him. THAT if he
were killed and his body were only
six feet oft, he wouldn't get it"
After B. mad gone half mile on
the way, two others from the Fort
joined him and they brought in the
mutilated body Of Aubrey. On
June Goth after, Lieut.. Force and
one Green were killed, Beouchard
went out by himself, anu brought
to his wife the horribly nutiIated
remains Of Green; others in the
Fort wanted him to bring in the
body of Lieut.. Force, saying
he ought not to hold spite against
dead man; he replied THAT he
would keep his word, whether a
nan was dead or alive" and Lieut..
Force 5 body lay where it fell for
tour days, when Gen Dodge
came to the Fort with some troops
raised about Platteville, aud
buried il. The act and remark