Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-06-03
Historical.
Written for THE HEnALnl

ton as sub-agent of Indian affairs;
being an ardent admirer of jackson in
after years he named the homestead,
situated on the old military road be-
tween Fort Winnebago aud Prairie du
Chen, in honor of old "Hickory's"
home, the Hermitage"
While the question of his appoint
ment was pending, Mr.. Burnett receiv-
ed severe injuries from a falling build
ing during fire in the town of Paris.
which endangered his life, and lame
ness resulted that lasted through life.
While disabled from bis injuries his
practice failed and his wife deserted
him. As soon as able to walk without
crutches, he came to Prairie du Chen
to take charge Ut the duties of his office;
this was at the early day of 1880 when
the town contained only two or three
white families, except those of soldiers
in the old garrison, and some four hun-
dred Canadian French and half-breed
inhabitants. st. Louis being the en-
porium of trade, supplies we're usually
brought up on the occasional steam
boat that assembled the river. The only
other method of travel was by the
canoe or through this wilderness OF five
hundred miles. Prairie du Chen was
at that time within the Indians coun-
try, and by common consent they had
allowed the French to divide the land
into farms and village lots; the farms
fronting on the river or sloughs and
running back to the bluffs, were of any
width agreed upon.
Mr.. Burnett obtained permission to
return to Kentucky to settle some of
his affairs. From Shelbyville he was
recalled in the spring of 1882 to attend
| to his duties, one of which was to try
to engage the Sioux as allies against
the Sauks and Foxes, who, under Black
Hawk, were making war upon the
whites. Black Hawk was defeated by
Gen. Dodge and his volunteers, and it
was supposed that the Sauks and Foxes
might try TO reach the Wisconsin river
and escape in canoes or rats. To pre-
vent this some volunteers, among them
Mr.. Burnett, were stationed at Barrettc's
Ferry, now called Bridgeport.
While acting as an Indian agent Mr..
Burnett had been making use of his
profession as lawyer, and got into
difficulty by his defense of men who
were said to have been selling liquor
without license. This seems not to be
true, however On a reorganization
of the Indian Department Mr.. Burnett
and all sub-agents were legislated out of
office in 1884. Being released from
business. he returned to Kentucky.
While on the journey the steamboat
was snagged and sunk to the hurricane
deck. This occurred between st. Louis
and the mouth of the Ohio River. The
passengers were awakened from their
beds and took refuge on the upper deck,
mostly in their night clothes, while
snowstorm added it's discomforts to the
situation. In the morning they escaped
to the shore where they remained
through the day without food, till they
we're relieved by passing steamboat.
During this visit to Kentucky, Mr..
Burnett obtained divorce from his
wife Lucy. On his return to Wiscon-
sin. or rather Michigan at that time, he
was appointed district attorney for the
counties of Crawford, Iowa, Dubuque,
and Des Moines. He attended the sum-
mer terms of the courts, but finding it
announcement and unpleasant, he re-
signed in the fall of the same year.
In December, 1886, he was married
to Miss Lucia M. Brunson, second
daughter of Elder Brunson, at Prairie
dH Chen, and in the spring removed to
Cassville, Grant County, to be more
central to his business, which was
greatly extended. In the Congressional
contest for Territorial delegate he,
with Geo. w. Jones and j. ID. Doty,
entered the field and was badly beaten.
From the organization of the Supreme
Court of the territory Mr.. Brunson had
been the court reporter, and to John
Catlin and BENZ. e. Eastman, commits
sioners appointed to superintend the
publication of laws and reports, he de-
livered the manuscript In 1874 he was
elected to the Assembly by the people
of Grant County. receiving 1000 out of
the 800 votes cast; and again in 1916
he was a member when call was made
for a convention to form a constitution
for State government. He was elect
ed delegate to that convention, and
from it was called home on account of
the dangerous illness of his mother,
who had lately joined his family to
spend her last days with them.
Mr.. Burnett was a member of the
Four Lake Company, that had for its
object the location of the State capital
at Madison. AS stated before, while at
the constitutional convention he was
hastily summoned home from Madison
on October %, 1910. Being enfeebled
by illness previous to his going there.
the journey home again with his own
team was too much for him. and he was
again Frustrated, this time upon his
dying bed. His mother died, Novem-
Der l, and neither Mr. Burnett nor his
wife, who had been taken Ill with the
typhoid fever, were able to see her
buried in a grove near the house, which
they used as family cemetery. On
the 9TH Mr.. Brunson breathed his last
When his wife was informed, she ex-
pressed her desire to follow him. Her
wish was realized three hours after
On the 9TH large concourse of people
from Crawford and Graut counties met
at the Hermitage to pay their las,
tribute of respect to one who had been
identified so long with the public inter-
ests and the early history of our state.
and his beloved and amiable wife,
whom death could not separate from
him. Deep was the grief, and heart