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and a garrison established in their midst. And so Fort Atkinson, situated on a hill overlooking the village of that name in our county, was established. Some remains of the old fort still exist. The fort was named after the famous and successful fighter of the Indians, General Atkinson, the hero of the Black Hawk war, and was commenced on the 2d of June, 1840, about fifty mechanics being employed in the work. It was intended to control the Indians and protect them from bands of their enemies, as well as to protect the settlers. Further particulars in regard to it, and the village which bears its name, as well as in relation to Old Mission and Indian farm and reservation, established in 1842 by Indian Agent Rev. D. Lowery, about five miles southwest of Atkinson, for educating and civilizing the Indians, will be found elsewhere in this volume.

WINNESHIEK AND DECORAH.

Winneshiek, the ruling chief of the Winnebagoes, soon after their removal to the reservation or neutral ground, including what is now known as Winneshiek County, did not become chief through royal Indian blood, nor because of bravery or prowess in war. He was made chief by order of the United States War Department, on account of his ability and fitness for the position. Under him as head chief, there were several chiefs of respective bands into which the nation was divided. The village of the head chief, Winneshiek, extended along the Upper Iowa River for several miles, where Decorah is now located. He was an Indian of remarkable ability, intelligence and good sense, tall, straight, well developed, and fine looking, and confided in and trusted the whites, whom he seemed to thoroughly respect as they did him, and could speak the English language tolerably well. Judge Murdock and others, who were acquainted with him, and who have heard him deliver several speeches, were much impressed with his ability and oratorical genius. His face would light up with the fires of excitement; tone and gesture would add to the effect of his words; and the effect on his hearers was thrilling and powerful.

It is not known positively whether Winneshiek is still living. There was a rumor of his death some years ago, but it has not been authentically confirmed. Whether alive or not, his name is perpetuated in being given to our county, one of the finest and best in the State. In accordance with the polygamous custom of the Winnebagoes, Winneshiek had six wives; and that he was a connoisseur in female beauty is shown by the fact that he chose the finest looking women. in the nation.

Decorah, our beautiful inland city, and county seat of Winneshiek County, was named after Waukon-Decorah, one of the prominent chiefs of the Winnebagoes. Our neighboring and thriving village of Waukon gained its name from the first half of the hyphenated name of the aforesaid chieftain. He had lost

an eye, and was familiarly known by the whites as "one-eyed Decorah." He, like Winneshiek, was an eloquent orator, and would sometimes boast of having white blood in his veins. He had two brothers, who, as well as he, were of prominence in their tribe.

The following quotation is from a speech of Decorah, made to the Government Commissioners after he had served with the Government forces in the Black Hawk war. He complained that his tribe had been firm friends of the whites, had aided them in the critical war against Black Hawk, and had not only received in return, but also because of helping their white brethren, had promoted the enmity of other Indians, who had been wreaking vengeance upon them. He said: "The Sacs hate the Winnebagoes for helping their Great Father, and when peace was made with the whites they struck at the Winnebagoes; first at the family of the speaker, when he was away from home they stole upon his lodge and killed his wife and children; and now he thought that his Great Father would give him some token of remembrance of his services."

What are said to be the remains of Decorah, having been twice re-interred, now repose in the Court House grounds, near the northeast corner. It has been claimed by some that Waukon Decorah is still living, but that is very doubtful, and he must have been a very old mam long before this time. The site of the grave of the alleged Decorah, above referred to, was, it is reported, often visited in early days by bands of Winnebago Indians, who came back to their old homes here for a brief visit.

The first grave of Decorah was on ground now occupied by Winnebago Street, just below Main, almost at their intersection, and therefore in front of the present St. Cloud Hotel. The opening of the street to travel, made it desirable that the remains be removed to another spot. This was done by a formal meeting of prominent citizens on Aug. 4, 1859. Below is the report of that meeting by the secretary thereof, as afterwards published: "DECORAH, August 4, 1859. "The citizens of Decorah assembled at the grave of the Indian Chieftain, 'Decorah', marked by the decaying bark and wood that lay over it, and on motion of Rev. E. Adams, Dr. J. M. Green was chosen moderator and T. W. Burdick was appointed secretary.

"After the examination of the grave it was on motion resolved that the remains of the Chieftain be disinterred.

"The grave being at the intersection, and within the limits of Main and Winnebago streets, and if not removed must soon give place to the use of these streets for the travel and commerce of the white man.

"Thereupon those present proceeded to exhume the body. Only bones remained. On motion of Rev. Adams, a committee

consisting of D. B. Ellsworth, R. F. Gibson and Nathaniel Otis, were appointed to provide a suitable receptacle for the remains, and hold the same subject to the order of the citizens meeting.

"On motion a committe was appointed to raise funds to obtain. a suitable monument, and erect a fence to mark the grave. "The committee appointed took charge of the remains, and on motion the meeting adjourned.

T. W. BURDICK, Secretary."

In this new grave on the Court House grounds, the remains lay undisturbed for about seventeen years. But the grading and terracing of the grounds and the building of the new stone wall, a solid, substantial, structure, still comparatively new, compelled another resurrection and re-interment in the summer of 1876. The following in relation thereto is from the Decorah Bee, June 13, 1876:

"Decorah has been resurrected.

We do not mean this beautifu little city, but the bones of the noble chieftain after whom it is named. On Tuesday morning the workmen engaged in grading and excavating for a new stone wall and sidewalk on the Main street side of the Court House grounds, came across the remains of an old coffin containing some human bones, rusty scalpingknife, and tomahawk and pipe. They were some three feet from the surface of the ground, just inside the old wall, on the northeast corner of the courtyard. That they are the bones of the old Indian chief, Decorah, we are assured by old residents, from whom we learn the following facts:

About seventeen years ago, Winnebago street being about to be opened, a grave, situated where now is about the middle of the street in front of the post-office and known as the grave of Decorah, was opened and the remains, consisting of human bones, a blanket, tomahawk, pipe, and a lot of beads taken out, buried in Ellsworth & Landers' store for about six months, till the stone wall in front of the Court House yard was completed, when they were buried where now found."

"It is held as conclusive proof of this being the remains of Decorah, that the Indians of his tribe frequently assembled about that early grave, whence the remains have since been removed, performed their mournful rites, and that they called it the grave of Decorah.

"Only a portion of the bones of the body were found to have survived the devastating hand of time, were taken out, and placed in a box to be burried again inside the new stone wall when built.

"Quite a crowd of people assembled to look at those poor remains of the proud chieftain whose spirit hath departed. Lo these many years.

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The action of the old settlers noted above in the report of the secretary of the meeting of 1859, which exhumed the supposed re

mains of Decorah, would be considered pretty good evidence of their genuineness; but the despoiling hand of the inconoclast is made to appear to throw doubt over the historic stories, as in the case of the tale of the saving of John Smith by the dusky princess Pocahontas, and the equally sacred tradition of Washington and his hatchet. It will be seen that even a prominent actor in the first resurrection of the remains of Decorah was befogged with doubts by the spreading of rumors that Decorah was still living. For in a sermon, entitled, "First Things of Decorah, preached not long after this first exhuming, the Rev. E. Adams said: "Some may recollect how our bosoms swelled with respect for the old chief; with what reverence we exhumed his remains; how, in imagination, we beheld his noble form, as his skull, with its straight, black hair, was turned out by the spade; with what pomp and ceremony it was planned to remove his remains to some suitable place, possibly a monument erected-till, in gathering necessary facts for the occasion, word came back to us that Decorah was a chief greatly respected by his tribe, an old man, considerably bent over, with one eye put out, and his hair very gray. His hair very gray! All but this could have been got along with, but somehow the poetry was gone! Enthusiam subsided! However, if in future years, by the lapse of time, this difficulty should be obliterated, and any desire should remain to erect a monument to the old chief, they can find his bones, or those of some other poor Indian, safely deposited in a rough box a few inches below the surface of the ground, close to the northeast corner of the Court House yard."

CUSTOMS, INCIDENTS, TRAGEDIES.

As has already been intimated, the Winnebagoes practiced polygamy, and their manner of wooing was not much tinctured with a comprehension of the idea of the equality of the sexes; nor did the marriage ceremony have enough of form or ceremony as to have been considered satifactorily binding, if the contracting parties had been whites. The Indian brave opened his suit not with the dusky damsel, but with her parents, and as persuasive arguments, gave them such presents as his ability or liberality offered. If the paternal copper-colored "lord of creation" was willing, the matter was considered settled, and the bride would be borne away to the lodge of the wooer, whether she wished it or not.

The funeral services were simple and devoid of form, the body of the deceased being wrapped in his blankets, and buried in a reclining position in a shallow grave. The period and profuseness of mourning varied, and is said to have depended on the amount of whisky on hand, or provided for the occasion.

In the early settlements of this country, as at present on the frontier, "fire water" was the great curse of the Indians. In many cases, a despicable white under the guise of an Indian teach

er, made his real business the selling of whisky to the Indians. He would secrete his stock of whisky in some grove or out of the way place near enough to the whites for protection.

The Winnebago settlement on the reservation was not one to be neglected by this class of people, who, not allowed by the government to come on to the reservation, came as near to its boundaries as they dared. Two of these characters and the murders resulting from their evil practices, are thus described in Spark's history:

"Taft Jones was an individual of this character. He hailed from Fort Crawford, and located a trading post in the vicinity of Monona, giving it the name of 'Sodom.' Another genius, named Graham Thorn, started a trading post in close proximity to Sodom, and called it 'Gomorrah.' The Indians used to frequent these places, and, of course, usually got badly cheated. It is a matter of recollection that once in a trial before Hon. T. S. Wilson, the first judge of this part of the country, a witness testified to things that happened at Sodom and Gomorrah. The Judge was disposed to become indignant, and asked, somewhat pointedly, if the witness was not imposing on the Court. The reply was given by Judge Murdock, then a young attorney, 'Oh, no, your Honor; these places do actually exist." The old mayor of Sodom crossed

long since to the other side of Jordan."

During the sojourn of the Indians on their reservation three murders were committed, to wit: that of the Gardner family, in Fayette county; of Riley, near Monona; and of Herchy, near the mouth of the Volga. In all of these cases whisky was the inciting cause, and some of the parties undoubtedly deserved their fate. In the Riley case, a small party of Indians were encamped on a tributary of the Yellowstone river, four or five miles from Monona. An old Indian visited Taft Jones' den, at Sodom, and (as many a "paleface" has since done in similar cases) traded all his worldly effects for whisky. He even sold the blanket from his shoulders. Becoming intoxicated, he was turned out of doors, and on his way to his lodge died from exposure and cold. The next morning his son, a youth of about twenty summers, found the dead body of his father lying out in the snow, naked and frozen. His revengeful feelings were aroused, and going to the whisky den at Gomorrah, he shot at the first man he saw through the window. Unfortunately it happened to be an inoffensive man named Riley. A detachment of troops under command of Lieut. David S. Wilson, late Judge of Dubuque Circuit Court, was sent out to capture the Indian who committed the murder. He was apprehended, taken to Fort Atkinson, and confined in the guardhouse, but by the connivance of a sympathizing white man he escaped and was never recaptured. Jones lived but a short time after this occurrence. Dr. Andros, of this city, witnessed his death and describes it as follows: 'I was travelling from Fort

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