The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-22
FAMOUS WISCONSIN RELICS
CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE
EARLY DAYS OF THE NORTH
WEST,
CRUMBLING TO DUST.
End OF Fort CrawfOrd-Reminis-
cences of Gen. Tay-
Tor.

disappearance OI the ldSl IGllC VI Tie
ante-pioneer days and Uncle Sans dis
play Of power as emphasized by the
chain of forts which overawed the saw
age tribes in the first quarter of the
century. Fort Howard, at Green Bay,
which was built at the same time as
Fort Crawford, and Fort Winnebago,
at Portage, built some time later, dis
appeared years ago, says the Chicago
Times Herald.
Fort Crawford, whose last fragment
is now crumbling into dust, was the
second of that ilk and the third of
the forts which were built to protect
thee frontier at that point. The first
dated back to the time of the War Of
1872, and was called Fort Shelby. Its
capture in 1914 by a force of English
and Indians was the only battle fought
on Wisconsin soil in that war. After
it's capture it's name was changed to
Fort Mckay, and it was held by the
British until the peace of 1915, when
it was evacuated.
SWEPT AWAY BY FIRE.
Shortly after it was destroyed by
fire, and the settlement of French and
half-breeds was left unprotected until
the next year. Not that this was a
matter of any moment to the inhabi-
tants. They had nothing to fear from
the Indian tribes surrounding them;
in fact, they preferred their society to
that of Uncle Sans soldiers, as being
less threatening to their interests But
the federal government was quick to
grasp the fact that, if it was to hold
the Western territory, it would have
to do so with an armed hand, and
therefore, early in 1916, Col. Miller, he
who had been heard from so gloriously
at Lundys Lane, was sent to Green
Bay to construct Fort Howard, and
while he was making matters safe at
that end of the line Maj. Morgan and
four companies of riflemen were at
work on the post which was to be
known as Fort Crawford.
The fort was erected on the site of
Fort Shelby or Mckay, and was built
after the then approved style of from
tier forts so well calculated to resist
any attack from the Indians, or any
one else who came without artillery.
The fort was built in the shape of a
large quadrangle, with the parade
quarters and the mems barracks were
built along the sides, with the store
houses and other buildings with their
highest point to the outside and the
roofs sloping toward the parade, all the
light being obtained from windows in
that side, which left an unbroken
wooden wall on the outside. Wherever
there were any vacant spaces on the
walls they were filled in with stout oak
palisades. At the corners on the north
west and southeast were wooden block
houses, which gave the garrison a
thanking fire on any attacking force.
The fort was named after Secretary of
War Crawford. 1t was a accompany
post and was intended to be kept
strongly garrisoned.
WORRIED A MAN NAMED ASTOR.
1t was a sorry day, judging by the
light of contemporary history, for the
occupants of the territory Immediately
adjacent to the fort when the United
States troops took possession. Among
the interesting incidents in connection
with this early occupation is a refer
ence to "a man by the name of Astor.' -
1t appears that under the orders of Gen.
T. a. Smith, commanding the depart
ment, one of the American Fur COM
pany's buildings was forcibly taken
possession of for the Indian agent The
head of the company was John Jacob
Astor, at that time apparently not so
well known as he became later in the
century. He made complaint of the
seizure to the department, and, in a
letter to Mr.. Calhoun, Gen. Smith re-
fers to him in a tone of fine contempt
as "a man by the name of Aston" who,
according to the department comman-
der, was only an intruder, holding his
lease simply by permission of the In
dams Gen. Smith goes on to explain
his views of the settlement and its in
habitants by saying bluntly that he
would have destroyed the settlement
and delivered the male portion of the
inhabitants to the civil authorities as
trespaSsers but for the impression that
they could be made useful in provid-
ing a post so remote. This feudal style
did not meet the approval of the gen
erals superiors, and his wings were
clipped, at least so far as "a man by
the name of Astor" was concerned.
1t is only fair to say that Gen.
Smiths subordinates lived up to the
spirit breathed by their commander,
and made the lives of the inhabitants
a burden to them in many ways. Fort
innate for them it was that the settlers
had been accustomed to bullyings from
those in command from the early
French times. Had they been of Anglo
Saxon birth some of the truculent COM
manders would have learned civility
through painful course of instruction.
MADE A SHADY RECORD.
One of the worst of the commanders
who reigned over the post and COM
munity was Col. Chambers, who looked
upon the inhabitants much as fell
dial seignior looked on his vassals, as
put there for his own pleasure alone.
One day when the colonel had taken
more than his usual quantity of red
liquor he was passing down the vii
lage street when pretty girl attracted
his attention. The frightened girl
broke away from his embraces and ran
into the house of settler named
Jacques Menard, who placed her in
safe hiding.
Angered at being thus thwarted Of
his purpose, Chambers sent file Of
soldiers to Menard's house and had him
brought to the fort on charge of SELL
ing liquor to the Indians. There was
no testimony to that effect, but this
was not necessary when the accuser
was both judge and jury, and Menard
was sentenced to receive twenty-five
IdSIeS vi lAiC ooi0 DANn' liz ~
sentence was not carried out, as, after
few lashes had been given, the re-
mainder of the sentence was RENTED
by Chambers on the entreaties of Mer-
ards friends.
Chambers was fully as cruel to his
soldiers as to the inhabitants. He had
a cheerful habit of ordering the ears
sliced off a soldier for some slight
breach of discipline. But this was go
ing too far. The news of his brutalities
reached the authorities in Washington,
and he was drummed out of the army.
He was said to have gone to Mexico,