Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-05-26

wild character attributed to the Sacs
and Foxes. They were people who
did not hesitate to strike back. They
were not the indolent careless people
that were the Winnebagoes and the
Kickapoos. Whoever stirred-up the
Sacs and Foxes had a fight on his
hands. They have been accounted as
treacherous, but history has failed to
record instances of treachery that at
all tally with the treachery of the
whites of that period toward the
Indians. The white had tricked the
Sacs and Foxes out of their home in
western Illinois, and finally had
forcibly bounced them to the west
side of the big river, simply because
white settlers wanted the land.
And the Sacs and Foxes were fight
ers. They also were a provident
people. They were not lazy and
shiftless, like so many other aboriginal
peoples. When they lived on the
Wisconsin river, where now is Prairie
du Sac, they had great granaries,
and were never without years sup
ply of corn. This provident, cunning
and warlike people had been batted
about, until they were full of resent
ment. They were perhaps looking
for trouble. Any settlement along
the Mississippi river in the vicinity
of Cassville they regarded as on their
land. Grant county had been in their
hunting ground, before they were
moved to Iowa. Naturally they felt
like raiding every settlement that
sprang up in this field. And they did
raid the country to the south of Cass-
vile, the very year after Major Price
and his city bred bride located at
Cassville.
But the Black Hawk war is
another story. Before it broke, be-
fore old Black Hawk and his people
crossed the Mississippi river and
spread terror in every settlement in
northern Illinois and southern Wiscon-
sin, there were a plenty of war rum
A
brought to the settlement by friendly
Indians. Sometimes they were
genuine more often the Indians who
bore the tidings were hungry and
were looking for something to eat.
And what better argument was there
for kindly attention from the settle
ment than they the bearers of these
warnings were saving the lives of
the settlers? So, when a band of
friendly Indians wanted food, they
had but to carry narrowing tale of
impending massacre, and Immediately
Indians, squaws and pappooses were
taken into the "block house. and
annexed to the garrison as a part of
the defense. And So long as the
alarm could be kept alive and active,
Indians shared the meager rations of
the settlement. Then; when they
were we'll filled, the alarm would have
worked itself out, or another report
would come in, assuring the settlers
that all was we'll, and all danger
was passed.
All alarms were not of that sort,
however, and few that were brought
to the early settlement at Cassville
were genuine, without doubt. This
is especially true of the alarms that
came to Major Price and his valiant
wife, during the spring of 1882,
when the Sacs and Foxes were out of
their reservation, and were spreading
terror in all of southern Wisconsin,
to whites and friendly Indians alike.
1t is claimed that Major Price was
man of military training and bear
ing, and that the friendly Indians
were much disposed to look to him
for protection. Often it happened
that string of wigwams would be
hoisted along the bluff line, within
easy walk of the Majors tblock-
house." These roaming creatures
were there for protection, and to be
fed, in case they were out of luck,
or out of ambition, in the chase.
These poor, cowardly creatures are
said to have called Mrs. Price, ''Cap-
tain Price," because in the absence
of the Major she became commander
of the volunteer garrison that was
formed by the settlers, in case of an
alarm.
On one occasion, when Major Price
was at Prairie du Chen on business,
the Indians became wildly alarmed
but this installment is already long
enough, so we will tell about this
adventure in next week installment.
Then we may tell something more
definite about the Black Hawk war.
1t was the biggest scare this section
of the country ever saw, and it was