Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-12-19
NEWS OF WISCONSIN A FAMOUS WARRIOR
oKEMos. THE NOTED CHIEF OF
THE GETAWAYS.
Fought for British in War Of 1918
Under n Colonelis Commission
His Boast.

NOS, tho famous chief OF the Ottawas.
was the greatest warrior who ever
held sway in Michigan. FEe possessed
indomitahle courage, was born fight
err, natural commander and leader, n
strategist in battle and had real mill
tary genius. In every way he was a
remarkable man and typical Indian.
Okemos was born on what was
known in later times as Knaggs' res
ervation, on the Shlawassee river. in
Michigan. He went early to live on
Grand river. at Shiminicou, "a miles
from Lansing, on what was afterward
the great trail from Detroit to Grand
Rapids. He claimed to be of blood re-
lationshlp 10 Pontiac.
Okemos commanded the war party
OF Ottawas, who with other Indians,
/ defeated General Arthur st. Clair on
the Miami river In 1891. He was also
in the battle on the Maumee river,
Aug. 20. 1894, when the Indians suf-
rered a severe defeat by General An
thony Wayne. He was also in the
battle az Tlppecanoe. Nov 5, 1911
Ia the war with Great Britain in
1872 0Remos fought for the British
under calonel's commission Early
Caribaick, aud Okemos' brother Stand
/ -Up-Dcyil, commanded a war party
who set out to join General Proctor,
who was then on his march toward
! Fort Stephenson, on the Sandusky riv-
or, held by Captain Ccoghan When
they reached Seneca plains, six miles
from Fremont, they met Captain Ball,
with n strong detachment of Dragons,
sent TO aid in defense OF the fort. Oke-
mos saw that the Americans were too
! strong for his braves 30 attack, and
/ they hastily concealed themselves in
/ the brush. and would have been secure
/ had it not been for yoang buck, who
could not restrain himself and fired
/ upon the dragons as they had gotten
we'll past where the Indians were con
ccalcd The dragons wheeled and
/ charged and a desperate handto-hand
1 battle took place which resulted In ev-
/ cry Indian falling Okemos fought with
/ his usual reckless courage, and was
among the last 70 fall, with saber cut
I IN his head. his shoulder blade cut
/ through and a gunshot In his side.
/ 0kem0s did not recover consciousness
1 untll in the night, when he gave tho
! low Ottawa signal whoup and received
! an answer II was repeated and an-
sWerc1 a second time. when. Dy creep
/ ING ana rolling, he succeeded in roach
! ing the spot whence the answer came,
aud found his brother Standing CUP
Devil
In telling tho story to old pioneers
Okemos used TO say "Tho devil
couldn't stand ZIP any more The two
| if,p "a M
| after time the three succeeded IL
crawling down to the river, drank their
fill of water and washed the blood oul
Of their wounds They found an ole
canoe and crawling into II iioated dowi
the river until they were found by
friendly Indians and rescued Those
three indians were the sole survivors OF
| the battle
AS soon as 0komos was able to travel
| he returned TO his home on Grand riy-
er. The fight on Seneca plains was
early in 1913 He recovered from his
wounds so as TO take the warpath in
the fall. and was in the battle Of the
Thames Oct 5, 1873 when General w
| H. Harrison defeated General Proctor
and where Tecumsch was killed In
this battle he was again severely wound
ed This was bis last fight against the
| Americana After the battle Of the
| Thames he returned TO his Grand river
| home to recover from bis wounds and
was not again seen in Detroit until the
spring of 1914 when he presented him
self to General Godfrey, the interpreter
at the FORT. and said Now ! make
| peace and fight no more. Chemogemon
| too much for Indians Me plenty fight
enough" Colonel Godfrey took the chiri
To General Cass. and through him upon
one side and Okemos upon the other n
formal treaty OF peace was concluded
! between that band Of tho tribe Of Otta-
was which Okemos comma eed and the
| United States He kept his word and
! never fought again.
! The little village Of OkemOs. six
miles east Of Lansing on the Cedar rig
| or. bears his name and the old chief
| lived there with a portion Of his band
! al times. and many Of his tribesmen
/ are buried there he died Dee e. 1858,
| in a fayorite camp on the Looking
! Glass river. five miles northeast Of De
| witt. Clinton county, and was buried
| at 3hminc0n. on the Grand river the
next day. At the time Of HIS death be
was over 700 years old.