| 1879 History of Des Moines County
Transcribed by Lou Bickford & Janet Brandt |
INDIAN OCCUPANCY.
The Indian history of this region is interesting, principally because of the presence here of two of the most noted characters of modern tribes. The nature of this work precludes the introduction of an exhaustive treatise on the rise and decline of the Indian races of this region, and enables us merely to gather from reliable sources the fragments of incident, anecdote and analysis which have floated loosely about for years. In fact, our province is purely that of a compiler, but sufficient care has been taken with the work to make it valuable in the generations which are to follow. The actual historian who shall investigate the ample field of aboriginal existence, may peruse these pages with a feeling of security in their correctness, if the associates of Keokuk and Black Hawk themselves are to be believed; for much of the information here preserved, was obtained in direct line of recital, either to the writer or to the party duly accredited with the extract. There still live many persons who witnessed the strange sight of a remnant of a race of men departing forever from their early homes, and such will, doubtless, be disposed to sneer at the pen which finds a source of melancholy in the contemplation of this event. But worthy hands have written lines of living power upon the theme; nor can the harsh character of fact denude the subject of a glamour which poetry and romance have cast around the dusky victim and his fate. There is a grandeur in the record of the race which the stern force of truth is powerless to dispel. Human improvement, rushing through civilization, crushes in its march all who cannot grapple to its car. This law is as inexorable as fate. “You colonize the land of the savage with the Anglo-Saxon,” says Stephen Montague, “you civilize that portion of the earth but is the savage civilized? He is exterminated! You accumulate machinery, you increase the total of wealth, but what becomes of the labor you displace? One generation is sacrificed to the next. You diffuse knowledge, and the world seems to grow brighter but Discontent at Poverty replaces Ignorance happy with its crust. Every improvement, every advancement of civilization, injures some to benefit other, and either cherishes the want of to-day or prepares the revolution to to-morrow.” That portion of Iowa now claims Burlington as its metropolis, was once the home of the Sac and Fox tribes of Indians. From a little work entitled “Sketches of Iowa,” prepared in 1841 by John B. Newhall, of Burlington, the following summary of their general character is taken. “The Sacs and Foxes have been among the most powerful and warlike tribes of the Northwest. History finds them fighting their way from the shores of the northern lakes, gradually, toward the Mississippi, sometimes warring with the Winnebagoes, and at other times with the Chippewas, often instigated by the French. At an early period, they inhabited the region of country bordering upon the Wisconsin River, and planted large quantities of corn. The whole history of their wars and migrations show them to have been a restless and spirited people, a people erratic in their pursuits, having a great contempt for agriculture and a predominant passion for war. By these ruling traits, they have been constantly changing, suffering, and diminishing. Still, they retain their ancient chivalry, ever ready for war, regardless of the superiority of their foes. Thus, at the present time (1841) four or five hundred of their warriors are out to fight the Sioux of the North, with whom there exists a most deadly hostility, originating from old feuds, the origin of which they scarcely know themselves. Their numbers, of late years, have been somewhat augmented by the policy they have pursued of adopting their prisoners of war and receiving seceders from other tribes, and at the present time they number about seven thousand souls. “The Sacs and Foxes speak the Algonquin language. This language is still spoken by the Chippewas, Pottawatomies, Ottawas and several other tribes. It is soft and musical in comparison with the harsh, guttural Narcoutah of the Sioux, which is peculiar to themselves, having but little affinity to the Algonquin tongue. Their ideas of futurity are somewhat vague and indefinite. They believe in the existence of a Supreme Manitou, or good spirit, and a Malcha Manitou, or evil spirit. They often invoke the favor of the good Manitou for success in war and the hunt, by various sacrifices and offerings. Storm and thunder they view as manifestations of His wrath; and success in war, the hunt or in the deliverance from enemies, of His favor and love. Everything of great power or efficiency, or what is inexplicable, is a ‘great medicine,’ and the medicine-men and prophets are next in consideration to chiefs. At the decease of their friends, they paint their faces black and the time of mourning is governed by the affinity of the kindred. Their ideas of the condition of departed spirits and the ceremony of burial may be deemed interesting. Often, in perambulating their deserted villages, has my attention been arrested, in gazing through the bleached and mutilated slabs made to protect the moldering dust of a noted chief or ‘brave,’ who is frequently placed in a sitting posture, his gun and his war-club placed by his side, moccasins upon his feet, his blanket (or the remnants thereof) wrapped about his body, his beads and wampum suspended to his neck, where he sits ‘like a warrior taking his rest,’ in the silent sleep of death. “The situations of their villages are, oftentimes, extremely beautiful and picturesque. The rude architecture of their lodges; the droves of Indian ponies galloping over the prairies, and snorting at the approach of white men; the squaws busily engaged in preparing food, or, perhaps, ‘toting’ a back-load of fagots that would frighten a New York porter, while their ‘lazy lords’ sit smoking upon the grass or quietly sleeping in their lodges; the young papooses swarming the river-bank, and, with bow and arrow, exercising their infant archery upon every prairie flower or luckless bird; or, perchance, the gaily-painted warrior, mounted upon his prancing steed, his feathers streaming to the breeze, as he gallops from village to village with the fleetness of the wind, are objects which, to the traveler unaccustomed to Indian habits and character, are full of intense interest and novelty. “Sometimes, midway between two villages, or, perhaps, off in the prairie, may be seen a hundred young ‘warriors’ from each clan-‘picked men,’ who have won laurels on the battle-field. They have met (per agreement) to exercise their feats in the race or the ancient games, the prize being, perhaps, two or three horses, a rifle, or a war-club; the old warriors or chiefs of each village looking on as Judges. Great interest is manifested on these occasions, and the same ambitious emulation for rivalry is exhibited in these ‘children of nature’ as among those who play their part beneath the gilded domes of the city. “The Sacs and Foxes frequently visit the towns on the river-Burlington, Madison, etc. The dress of the males generally consists of leggings, fitting closely from the loins to the ankles, usually of smoke-tanned deerskin, and often of blue and sometimes of red cloth, trimmed with fringe and beads in a variety of fantastic forms. They wear a white and, frequently, a scarlet-colored blanket thrown over the shoulders. Their moccasins are of deerskin, often trimmed with extreme taste, with beads and porcupine-quills. Their head-dress is of various fashions, and ofttimes indescribable. A chief or warrior’s head-dress consists of a profusion of scarlet-colored hair, and long, black beards of the wild turkey connected to the scalp-lock, and not unfrequently a silver band or a richly-beaded turban. Their ears are strung with rings and trinkets, their arms with bracelets of brass, tin, silver and steel, and their necks are often strung with a profusion of wampum. A tolerably correct idea may be formed of the riches and taste of a young Indian by the number of strings of wampum around his neck. This may be considered their legal tender, as no treaty was ever formed or pipe of friendship smoked betwixt different Indian tribes without an exchange of wampum. “No Indians exult more than the Sacs and Foxes in a triumphant skirmish with their enemies, and none more proudly exhibit their bloody trophies. They frequently have several scalps suspended on a spear or connected with their dress. As an evidence of the value they place upon these emblems of merciless victory, I will relate an incident of my attempt to get one of veteran Sac brave. I had witnessed him, for several days, passing my window on a little pony, proudly waving his bouquet of scalps connected with beads, ribbons and eagle’s feathers, and tied with a rattlesnake-skin upon a spear. Having a desire to obtain one, after three days’ unsuccessful negotiation, during which time I offered him money, calico, beads, powder and tobacco, he finally consented to part with it for one box (i.e. $1000.) “They place great reliance in dreams, and the intrepid warrior who awakes in the morning from a night of troublesome dreams is dejected and melancholy, Sometimes they imagine that an evil spirit or sorcerer has inflicted a spell, after the manner of the witches of former times. I think it was last year that Keokuk had an aged squaw killed because she had inflicted a spell upon some of his children.” In corroboration of the last statement, we append the account of that summary act given us by James Jordan, whose acquaintance with the Indians began at a very early day. He said: “In 1837, the chief’s son was prostrated with fever. Keokuk was absent at the time, but there chanced to be a in the camp an old squaw, who was alleged to be invested with supernatural powers. When Keokuk returned, his valiant heir informed him that the witch had cast an evil spirit into the settlement, which had increased the fever and rendered it impossible to overcome disease while she lived. Thereupon, Keokuk took the old woman without the settlement and deliberately cut off the head with a cleaver. This summary act was witnessed by Mrs. Phelps, wife of Billy Phelps, one of the original locators of that section.” The scene of this sacrifice was near Independent, adjacent to Jordan’s farm. Mr. Newhall was mistaken as to the date of the tragedy.
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