The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-03-28
Marker at Burial Place Of Illinois
Pioneer Uncovered.
Cne Present at Ceremony Tells OF
Weird Rites of Fox Indians In
Placing Memorial over Grave
Of Col. George Davenport.

Rock Island. Il-An old cedar post
/ placed at the head of the grave OF a
murdered Illinois pioneer by friendly
Fox Indians, who mourned the set
tiers death, has been uncovered in a
heap Of musty legal papers in the Of
fee of an attorney here. Though
worm-eaten and partially-decayed at
the ends, the unique grave marker
still shows weird traces that once
were crude sketches symbolical OF
grief and battlefield achievements.
A band Of prairie brigands swooped
down upon the home Of Col. George
Davenport, a wealthy settler who own
ed the island in the Mississippi on
which the government arsenal is now
built, and murdered him. The crime
committed July 4, 1S45, is recalled by
old residents In Rock Island and
Davenport, Iowa, which town, by the
way. is named after the victim About
the same time that one Of the murder
ers was hanged for the bloody deed
some Fox Indians who, through their
dealings with Davenport. had come to
have a deep friendship for him. fash
Ioned this old cedar grave post and
erected it at the head Of his grave.
For some years the post marked the
grave of Colonel Davenport. Then his
body was removed to a family lot in
Chippianock cemetery, south OF Rock
island, and for years the old grave
,,-t - . fbo T,gi,,. yr.,- ~, ,,,ubt n no
lost. Recently It was discovered when
The musty contents of an old law Of
lce were moved into modern quar-
ters The founder of the firm had
been Davenports attorney.
The weird rites with which the In
dams planted the grave plot are mar
rated by one who was present at the
ceremony and to whom, according to
his statement, the facts stand out in
his memory as clearly as ever.
ut was on a Friday afternoon, /.
about the middle of the year 1S45,
that I went to the island where the
Davenport homestead was and where .
Col. George had been buried. Arrived
there I beheld a band Of Fox Indians .
with whom he had always been very .
friendly. lying in a circle about his
grave. In the center of the ring of
Frostrate Indians, the head Of the .
crave. rose a new white cedar post.
THE ceremony began when two OF
the braves arose and drew weird fig .
uras upon the post Others did the .
same in pairs and in turn. A third
Indian, carrying a war club, advanced |
and drank to the health of the dece.
dent, then walked three times around
the grave, delivering himself Of most
earnest exhortations. This was re-
peated until each Indian had taken
part in the ceremony. The pictures
that we're drawn upon the post were
20 represent the crowning achieve
ments Of him who drew them and at
the same time were meant to display
the grief Of the Indians at the loss OF
heir friend.
Following the ceremony Of planting
the post a huge feast was set upon
the grass. A health was drunk invok
ing the Great Spirit to open the doors
to admit their friend Colonel Daven,
port Then meat of various kinds
was brought upon the table After
the dinner several Indian dances were
in. I left the braves as
1ightfall came, gathered about a camp
FIRE, preparing further to do honor to
their murdered friend"