Wisconsin magazine of history

PEN AND INK DRAWING OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT

VOL. Ill

1919-1920

"

THE

WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY

PUBLICATIONS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCON-

SIN. JOSEPH SCHAPER, Superin-
tendent, MILO M. QUAIFE, Editor

CONTENTS OF VOLUME III

LEADING ARTICLES: PAGE

THEODORE C. BLEGEN — The Competition of the Northwestern

States for Immigrants $

LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG — The Story of Wisconsin,

1634-1848 30, 189, 314, 397

Theodore Roosevelt 41

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 42

JAMES H. McMANUs— A Forgotten Trail 139

H. R. HOLAND — The Kensington Rune Stone 153

W. A. TITUS— Historic Spots in Wisconsin 184, 327, 428

WILLIAM F. WHYTE — Observations of a Contract Surgeon 209

M. M. QuAiFE-^-An Experiment of the Fathers in State Socialism. . 277

WILLIAM BROWNING — The Early History of Jonathan Carver 291

JOHN C. REEVE — A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin 306

H. R. HOLAND — Further Discoveries Concerning the Kensington

Rune Stone 332

RASMUS B. ANDERSON — Another View of the Kensington Rune Stone 413

DAVID F. SAYRE — Early Life in Southern Wisconsin 420

FRANKLIN F. LEWIS — The Career of Edward F. Lewis 434

DOCUMENTS:

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 52

A Journal of Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago:

Kept by Willard Keyes of Newfane, Vermont 339, 443

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS:

General Grant and Early Galena; Early Advertising Policy of

the Racine Advocate; Constitutional Convention Letters. . . 84

A Woman "Y" Worker's Experiences ; The Panic at Wash-
ington after the Firing on Fort Sumter; Red Tape at
Washington in the Good Old Days 241

EDITORIAL:

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 94

THE QUESTION BOX:

^— ~. Negro Suffrage and Woman's Rights in the Convention of 1846;

Winnebago Battle Near Wyocena ; Wisconsin and Nullifi-

— — * cation; Indian Folklore of Wisconsin; Indian Names for

^2 / [^ a Farm ; Wisconsin as a Playground ; The Sioux War of

^ 1862; Early Missions on the Menominee River; Early

W— • N Trails and Highways of Wisconsin; Early History of
West Point .227

I)

"•3

THE QUESTION BOX (continued) :

Origin of the Name "Wisconsin"; Historical Associations of
Sinsinawa; Old Trails around Eau Claire; Winnebago
Villages on Rock River 364

The History of Florence County; Beriah Brown; The Knapp-
Stout & Co. Lumber Company; Costumes Three Genera-
tions Ago; History of Fort Mackinac; Sioux War of
1862 at Superior. ." 466

COMMUNICATIONS :

Some Corrections; Early Racine and Judge Pryor; More Light
on Colonel Utley's Contest with Judge Robertson ; General
Grant at Platteville ; The Draper Manuscripts 24-9

Recollections of Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig; General Porter
and General Parker; The Preservation of Wisconsin's
First Capitol 372

The Kensington Rune Stone; Birthplace of the Ringlings;

Captain Marryat's Tour 478

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES:

The Society and the State 113, 255, 376, 481

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 128, 498

The Wider Field 135, 272, 385, 503

VOL. Ill, NO. 1 SEPTEMBER, 1919

THE

WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY

PUBLICATIONS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCON-
SIN. Edited by MILO M.
QUAIFE, Superintendent

CONTENTS

Page

THE COMPETITION OF THE NORTHWESTERN STATES FOR

IMMIGRANTS Theodore C. Blegen 3

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848

,. . Louise Phelps Kellogg 30

THEODORE ROOSEVELT , 41

A TRAGEDY OF THE WISCONSIN PINERY 42

DOCUMENTS :

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 52

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS:

General Grant and Early Galena; Advertising
Policy of the Racine Advocate; Constitutional
Convention Letters 84

EDITORIAL :

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 94

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES:

The Society and the State ; Some Wisconsin Public
Documents; The Wider Field. , 113

The Society as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions advanced
in the following pages by contributors.

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN

THE COMPETITION OF THE NORTHWEST-
ERN STATES FOR IMMIGRANTS

THEODORE C. BLEGEN

Students of the American westward movement have
devoted much attention to the geographical factors therein
involved, to free land, routes of travel, methods of transpor-
tation, the motives of immigrants, and to similar phases of
the subject. In studying the distribution of the immigrant
tide, especially in the period after 1850, one must attempt
to evaluate a factor of a somewhat different nature, namely,
advertising. Descriptive letters from immigrants played a
vital part in inducing others to make similar ventures. The
force of such letters was powerfully supplemented by the
efforts of the steamboat lines, land corporations, and railroad
companies, alert to the commercial profit to be derived from
immigrants. Railway competition for immigrant trade
resulted in the development of comprehensive schemes for
securing such patronage.1 The purpose of this paper is to
describe official state competition of a somewhat like nature.

To the railroad the capture of immigrant trade meant
profitable traffic, the sale of railroad lands, the settlement of
adjacent government land, and a labor supply, all of which
spelled success for the company. What did immigrants mean
to the new states of the Northwest? Dr. K. C. Babcock has
pointed out that the real problem of the northwestern fron-
tier after 1850 was "how to put more and ever more men of
capacity, endurance, strength, and adaptability into the
upper Mississippi and Red River valleys, men who first break
up the prairie sod, clear the brush off the slopes, drain the
marshes, build the railroads, and do the thousand and one

xCf. Richmond Mayo-Smith, Emigration and Immigration, 45-52 (New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908).

4 Theodore C. Blegen

hard jobs incident to pioneer life, and then turn to the build-
ing of factories and towns and cities." 2 To the states of the
Northwest the achievement of such ends meant greater
wealth, exploitation of resources, larger assessments, the
erection of public buildings, the establishment of public in-
stitutions, greater expenditures for state improvements, — in
brief, prosperity and growth.

For any one of a half dozen or more states of the Middle
West the difficult problem was how to attract the immigrants
to settle within its particular boundaries. The whole North-
west is in fact really one great, rich province, no considerable
section of which has preponderant advantages over the rest
of the area. Aggressive and well-planned efforts seemed
reasonably certain to draw the immigrant groups to the de-
sired places of settlement. Most of the northwestern states,
particularly after the Civil War, carried on comprehensive
and ingenious campaigns in this direction, in the course of
which they naturally came into competition with each other.
Their efforts did more than to bring to their own state limits
immigrants who would in any event have come west. They
brought to America large numbers of immigrants who other-
wise would probably not have left Europe. In fact these
state activities constituted one cause, though perhaps a minor
one, for the great swelling of the volume of immigration in
the seventies and eighties, especially from Germany, Norway,
and Sweden. The present study deals particularly with the
activity of the state of Wisconsin, with some account of the
work of neighboring states. Wisconsin took the lead and in
most respects is typical of the whole group of northwestern
states.

Wisconsin officially began the movement by establishing
in 1852 the office of Commissioner of Emigration. The law

3 The Scandinavian Element in the United States, 80 (University of Illinois
Studies in the Social Sciences, vol. Ill, no. 3, September, 1914).

The Competition of the Northwestern States 5

provided that the commissioner was to reside in New York.8
Gysbert Van Steenwyck received the appointment and took
up his duties in New York on May 18, 1852. He at once
opened an office and soon placed himself in touch with the
various immigrant protective agencies, consuls, shipping
houses, and the like. In his subsequent work he employed
as assistants first a Norwegian, and later two Germans and
an Englishman. Authorized to expend $1,250 for publi-
cations he had a large supply of pamphlets printed, which
described the resources and opportunities offered the settler
by Wisconsin. Twenty thousand of these pamphlets were
printed in the German, five thousand in the Norwegian,
and four thousand in the Dutch language. About five
thousand were sent to Europe, and more than twenty
thousand were distributed in New York, the latter being
placed on vessels, in taverns and hotels, and given to
immigrants personally. Advertisements were placed in
English, German, and Dutch papers published in New York.
The Commissioner soon discovered that many agencies
were engaged in exploiting the immigrant trade to the full.
Competition was particularly spirited among the railroad
agents. The New York and Erie, for example, tried to make
the immigrants start for the interior immediately after their
arrival, for fear of having them stop over and secure tickets
elsewhere. When a ship docked, a hundred or more agents,
runners, and pedlers were at hand to make prey of the immi-
grants. Van Steenwyck found that the forwarding agents
favored Wisconsin because of the opportunity for high
profits in overcharging for passengers and luggage to a
region so far west.

The Commissioner wisely concluded that the pamphlets
would be of more value distributed in Europe than in New
York, for the immigrants after arrival were too busy to read.

* Acts and Resolves Passed by the Legislature of Wisconsin, 1852, chapter 432.
The act carried with it an appropriation of $1,500 for the salary of the commis-
sioner, $1,250 for the publication of pamphlets, $250 for office rent, $100 for maps,
and $700 for assistance to the commissioner.

6 Theodore C. Blegen

In his report he therefore urged that an agent of the state
be sent to visit the chief points of departure in England,
Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France,
Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. He himself put adver-
tisements in at least eight foreign newspapers, including the
Dorfzeitung, Schwaebische Merkur, Bremer Auswander-
ungzeitung, Koellnische Zeitung, Manheimer Journal, and
the Amsterdam Handelsblad. He reported that 7,389 per-
sons left New York for Wisconsin during the summer and
fall by way of the New York and Erie, the Hudson River
Railroad, and the steamboat route. Four hundred thirty-
six persons called at his office, most of whom were Germans,
with a scattering of other nationalities.4

The office was continued for the year 1853, Herman
Haertel, a German land agent of Milwaukee, being ap-
pointed to succeed Van Steenwyck.5 During his year of
service the work was carried on more ambitiously and with
better results, partly because of the beginnings made the
year before. Newspaper space was again bought in both
foreign and New York papers; among the foreign are to
be noted especially the London Times, Tipperary Free Press,
Baseler Zeitung, and Leipziger Allgemeine Zeitung. Mr.
Haertel contributed a series of articles to the New York
Tribune on the railroads of Wisconsin. Thirty thousand
pamphlets were distributed during the year, one-half of these
being sent to Europe.6 Over three hundred letters of inquiry
from Europe and America were answered. The Commis-
sioner's office was visited by about three thousand persons,
two thousand of whom had just arrived from Europe. Of
all who called for information, two-thirds were Germans, the
rest being mainly Norwegians, Swedes, Irish, English,

4 This account is based upon First Annual Report of the Commissioner of
Emigration, for 1852, 1-16.

6 General Acts of Wisconsin, 1853, chapter 53.

"The United States consul at Bremen at this time was a Wisconsin man,
Dr. Hildebrandt of Mineral Point. He gave Haertel considerable assistance in
the matter of criculating information.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 7

Scotch, and Hollanders. That people in Wisconsin took
cognizance of the existence of a state commissioner in New
York is evidenced by the fact that during the year Mr.
Haertel received in sums ranging from five to twenty dollars
about three thousand dollars from residents of the state to be
given to relatives to help them to complete the journey. Many
of the immigrants, however, and particularly the Germans
possessed ample means. In one ship, for example, a party
of one hundred twenty Germans had in all nearly sixty
thousand dollars in their possession, an average of five hun-
dred dollars each. Mr. Haertel estimated that during the
year 1853 the emigration to Wisconsin was approximately
as follows:

From Germany 16,000 to 18,000

From Ireland 4,000 to 5,000

From Norway 3,000 to 4,000

Other countries 2,000 to 3,000

He made the claim in his report that while the entire immi-
gration to the United States increased little, if any, Wiscon-
sin during 1853 received fifteen per cent more than in the
previous year.7

The agent of the state encountered considerable opposi-
tion and maintains in his report that as a result of jealousy
he was being attacked both officially and personally. The
situation in New York was such as to breed jealousy; it is
thus described in the Commissioner's report, "For years past,
emigrants, especially those landing in New York, have been
systematically plundered, for which shameless wrong not
only the hireling sub-agents, runners, etc., are responsible,

7 The total immigration to the United States in 1853 was in fact less than
the total for 1852. The exact numbers are: 1852—371,603; 1853—368,645. The
total German immigration in 1852 was 145,918; in 1853, 141,946. See the chart
on immigration to the United States accompanying Jenks, J. W. and W. Jett
Lauck, The Immigration Problem (New York and London: Funk and Wagnalls
Company, 1917, fourth edition).

8 Theodore C. Blegen

but especially those who retain these unprincipled subjects
in their employ."

The attention of the state legislature was not confined
to inducing only foreigners to come west. In 1853 a law was
passed in Wisconsin authorizing the governor to appoint an
agent "whose duty it shall be to travel constantly between
this state and the city of New York, from the first day of
May next to the first day of December next, and see that
correct representations be made in eastern papers of our
great natural resources, advantages, and privileges, and bril-
liant prospects for the future; and to use every honorable
means in his power to induce emigrants to come to this
state." Thomas J. Townsend, appointed to this position
at a salary of $1,500, took his instructions literally. During
1853 he traveled forty-two thousand miles and visited every
important city in the northern states and in eastern Canada
and nearly every village in New York and New England.10
He inserted Wisconsin notices in over nine hundred news-
papers. In a brief report of his activities he asserts that
when he began his work he found a prejudice against Wis-
consin throughout all the East. He complacently sums up
the results of his efforts by saying, "While no western state

8 This account of the activity of Commissioner Haertel is based mainly upon
Annual Report of the Emigration Commissioner of the State of Wisconsin for
the year 1858, 1-15. A letter from Haertel to Governor Farwell, dated New York,
June 30, 1853, gives an account of his work during May and June. This letter
is to be found in manuscript in box 123, vault of the Governor's office, state capitol.
In the same file is an interesting undated report from Haertel which describes
the various kinds of impositions practiced upon immigrants in New York by
unscrupulous agents. Cf. Mayo-Smith, Emigration and Immigration, 219-226.
After describing the mistreatment accorded arriving immigrants, Mr. Mayo-Smith
says, "These evils continued until 1855, when Castle Garden was made the landing-
place for all immigrants, and they could there be protected against sharpers."
(p. 219) The Board of Emigration Commissioners of the State of New York,
established in 1847, was concerned primarily with the problems connected with
the arrival of immigrants at New York City.

• General Acts of Wisconsin, 1853, chapter 56.

10 Report of the Traveling Emigrant Agent of the State of Wisconsin for the
year 1853, 3-4.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 9

had a worse reputation than ours last spring, no one had a
better reputation last fall." u

Mr. Haertel very properly criticized in his annual report
for 1853 the plan of a yearly reelection of the commissioner
of emigration by a joint ballot of the two houses of the legis-
lature.12 But he also served only one season, being replaced
by Frederick W. Horn of Ozaukee County. During 1854
Mr. Horn established a branch office at Quebec. Elias
Stangeland was appointed agent at Quebec for six months
beginning May 1, 1854. The majority of the immigrants
who came by way of Quebec were English, Irish, and Nor-
wegian. In the spring of 1854 up to June 20 about two
thousand Norwegians arrived at Quebec, most of them des-
tined for Wisconsin. Though Commissioner Horn regarded
the Quebec agency successful, lack of funds caused its discon-
tinuance at the end of the six months. The chief efforts
were naturally confined to New York. Mr. Horn estimated
that in May, June, and July, 1854, not less than sixteen
thousand Germans left New York for Wisconsin and he was
of the opinion that the immigration for the fall months would
be correspondingly high.13

4. He adds the significant statement, however, that Wisconsin had
a good crop that fall, and its railroad building projects were being carried for-
ward vigorously. One is inclined to take his assertions with a grain of salt.

33 Annual Report of the Emigration Commissioner . . . for 1853, 13. See
General Acts of Wisconsin, 1853, chapter 34.

18 The report of the third commissioner was never printed. It is to be found
In manuscript in the Governor's vault, state capitol, box 123, and bears the date
August 1, 1854. See also the commission issued to Mr. Horn, dated April 6, 1854
(Governor's vault, box 123). The report of August 1 gives an account of the
various services rendered to immigrants by the commissioner, and states that a
considerable amount of money was received from Wisconsin to be given to immi-
grants. Mr. Horn estimated that of those who left New York for Wisconsin
about one-half remained in or near Chicago. The work of Commissioner Horn
is discussed in K. A. Everest, "How Wisconsin Came by Its Large German Ele-
ment," 301, 320 (Wisconsin Historical Collections, vol. XII) ; and Albert B. Faust,
The German Element in the United States, I, 477 (Boston and New York: Hough-
ton Mifflin Co., 1909). The earlier German immigration reached its highest point
in 1854, with a total of 215,009. With the exception of 1882, this was the largest
figure German immigration ever reached in one year. The total in 1882 was
250,630. Jenks and Lauck, op. cit., supplement.

10 Theodore C. Blegen

Some political opposition had developed toward the office
of the commissioner and despite the favorable report of a
select committee of the legislature, which in 1854 strongly
urged the continuation of the office,14 the acts of 1855 pro-
vided for the repeal of every preceding measure relating to
emigrant agencies.15 Though political influences account in
part for the repeal, domestic problems naturally diverted
interest from the subject of immigration very considerably
in the later fifties and during the Civil War. Furthermore,
the year 1855 marks an abrupt decline in the total volume
of immigration to the United States, considerably less than
one-half as many immigrants arriving in 1855 as in 1854.
The German immigration in 1855 was only one-third as great
as that of the year before, dropping from 215,009 to 71,918.
Not until 1866 did the figures for the annual arrivals of
Germans mount over a hundred thousand again.16 Wiscon-
sin did not resume its immigration activities until 1867.

Other states of the Northwest had not been ignorant of
what Wisconsin was doing to promote immigration in 1852,
1853, and 1854. The report of the first Wisconsin commis-
sioner states that Iowa was planning to follow Wisconsin's
example.17 Iowa did in fact establish a commissioner in

14 Report of the Select Committee, to whom had been referred so much of the
Message of His Excellency the Governor as relates to the Subject of the Com-
missioner of Emigration. '(Appendix to Senate Journal, 1854.)

15 General Acts of Wisconsin, 1855, chapter 3. The New York office was closed
on April 20, 1855. See Horn to Governor Barstow, May, 1855 (Governor's vault,
box 123).

18Jenks and Lauck, The Immigration Problem, supplement. In the immigra-
tion papers in the governor's vault (box 123) is a letter from L. B. Brainerd to
Governor Salomon, June 16, 1862. This is accompanied by a paper by Rasmus
Sorenson of Waupaca County, entitled "What Individual Enterprise has done in
the Way of Emigrant Agency in Denmark." Sorenson went to Denmark in
August, 1861. He lectured extensively on America, the war, and Wisconsin. He
received so many letters of inquiry that he decided to print a small pamphlet on
Wisconsin. He asserts that a minister of the Danish Government proposed to
him that the Government of Denmark purchase tracts of land in Wisconsin to
be parceled out to Danish emigrants in tracts of eighty acres, the emigrants to

Siy for the land later. Nothing came of this, but at any rate one hundred fifty
anes accompanied Sorenson when he returned to Wisconsin.

"First Annual Report of the Commissioner of Emigration for 1852, 11.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 11

New York in 1860, but the office was abolished two years
later, and the work was then dropped until 1870 when it was
renewed upon a much larger scale.18 Minnesota did not
establish an office of Commissioner of Immigration until
1864,19 and did not begin the work ambitiously until three
years later,20 but it is interesting to note that the first state
legislature of Minnesota appropriated a sum of money for
the purpose of advertising the state by means of a descriptive
pamphlet.21 It was not until after the Civil War, however,
that these northwestern states entered into active competition
with each other in the matter of securing the immigrant
settlers.

In 1867 Wisconsin established a Board of Immigration,
composed of the governor, secretary of state, and six others.22
These members served without compensation, and the board
was given an appropriation of $2,000 to meet expenses. The
governor was authorized also to appoint a committee of three
in each county of the state to assist the board. These county
committees were to secure lists of friends and relatives of
residents of their respective counties, and the names thus
received constituted a mailing list for the board.23 As a result
of this arrangement many pamphlets were sent directly to
individuals in the East and in Europe. The chief work of
the board during the period 1867-70 related to the publi-
cation and distribution of pamphlets. These were prepared
in the English, German, French, Welsh, Dutch, Norwegian,
and Swedish languages. In 1868 the membership of the
board was expanded to eight, and the appropriation increased

18 Laws of Iowa, 1860, chapter 81; 1862, chapter 11.

19 General Laws of Minnesota, 1864, chapter XIX. The office was held by the
secretary of state. A prize contest was held for the best essay on Minnesota.
Pamphlets were printed in English and German and their distribution attended
to by district committees in the state. Executive Documents of the State of
Minnesota, 1864, pp. 81-85.

20 See below, p. 20.

21 General Laws of Minnesota, 1858, 102-103.

22 General Laws of Wisconsin, 1867, chapter 126.

23 Ibid.

12 Theodore C. Blegen

to $3,000.24 In the following year an immigrant agent for
the state was appointed to direct the work of the board. Two
local agents, one in Milwaukee and the other in Chicago,
were employed for four months in the year to assist immi-
grants.25 How far the state was willing to go in the matter
of assistance to immigrants is given an interesting illustra-
tion by the following words of the act of 1869: "The board
of immigration shall have power to aid with such sums as it
may think proper, either through the local agents or other-
wise, such immigrants as are determined to make Wisconsin
their future home, for the purpose of assisting them in reach-
ing their place of destination, and the board shall be author-
ized, if possible, to arrange with railroad companies for
transportation of immigrants at half fare." In 1870 the
governor was authorized to appoint an agent in New York,
but as no compensation was offered, nothing came of it.27

In the competition for immigrant settlement railroad
companies, land concerns, states, counties, and other agencies
printed and distributed hundreds of thousands of pamphlets.
Many of these overdrew the picture, describing a veritable
El Dorado for the benefit of prospective settlers who in
responding to the lure of America were perhaps naturally
too sanguine. Often their hopes went unrealized, especially
in the beginning. On the other hand, the states of the North-
west did fairly offer golden opportunities to settlers, and the
great majority of the immigrants after a few years of effort
achieved a success and a measure of prosperity which fully
justified their faith. The states were on the whole honorable
in their methods and probably presented more accurate pic-
tures of their advantages than did the private agencies.

That Wisconsin stood particularly high with respect to
the character of its publications is due largely to Dr. Increase

94 General Laws of Wisconsin, 1868, chapters 120, 171.
General Laws of Wisconsin, 1869, chapter 118.

27 General Laws of Wisconsin, 1870, chapter 50.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 13

Allen Lapham, the eminent Wisconsin scientist, who fortu-
nately was able to base what he wrote upon a scholarly under-
standing of the natural resources of the state.28 As early as
1844 Dr. Lapham published a valuable little book called
A Geographical and Topographical Description of Wiscon-
sin, a second edition of which appeared in 1846. In his report
for 1852 the first Wisconsin Commissioner of Emigration
urged the state to secure the services of Dr. Lapham in pre-
paring the official pamphlet.29 This advice was heeded, with
the happy result that scores of thousands of booklets trans-
lated into numerous foreign languages came from the pen
of the most scientific writer in Wisconsin. In the later his-
tory of the immigration agencies of the state new pamphlets
appeared from time to time, but practically all of them show
the direct influence of Dr. Lapham's work. Not the least of
Dr. Lapham's public services to Wisconsin was his admirable
work in thus giving the state an excellent book designed for
prospective settlers. The pamphlet of 1867 is typical of the
Wisconsin publications and may profitably be examined in
some detail. It bears the title Statistics, Exhibiting the His-
tory, Climate and Productions of the State of Wisconsin.30
A map of the state, drawn with the nicety of workmanship
characteristic of Dr. Lapham, serves as the frontispiece.
Into the thirty-two pages of the pamphlet is compressed a
fund of serviceable information on such topics as the follow-
ing: location, topographical features, water power, rivers,
small lakes, climate, health, geology, lead mines, zinc, iron
ores, clays, peat and marl, native animals, fishes, forests, pine
region, agriculture, chief crops of 1866 (the total value of
which is placed at $69,213,544), live stock, farm products,
implements, wages, manufactures, occupations, railroads,

M See Milo M. Quaife, "Increase Allen Lapham, First Scholar of Wisconsin,"
THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, vol. 1, no. 1 (September, 1917).

29 First Annual Report of the Commissioner of Emigration, 15-16.

80 Published by order of the legislature, Madison, Wis. : Atwood and Rublee,
state printers, Journal office, 1867.

14 Theodore C. Blegen

markets, population, newspapers, churches, principal cities,
lands, surveys, the Homestead Law, land tenure, value of
property, government, rights, office-holding, rights of mar-
ried women, revenues of the state, schools, libraries, state in-
stitutions, postoffices, and routes from the seaboard. If Dr.
Lapham omitted any important matter, the present writer is
unable to name it. The book teems with the very kind of
information immigrants most desired. To illustrate, definite
information is given as to average wages for farm laborers.
If hired for the year, the average monthly wage, without
board, was $30.84; with board, $19.87; if hired for the sea-
son, without board, $35.65; with board, $24.60; if hired by
the day in harvest, without board, $2.68; with board, $2.15;
at other times, without board, $1.78; with board, $1.28.31
Here was indeed information of value to the prospective
settler without means. If in his conclusion Dr. Lapham
seems to soar somewhat, the reader quickly discovers that
every generalization there made is based upon a previous sec-
tion of the booklet. He writes:

It will be seen by the preceding statement of facts and statistics,
based upon correct, usually official, evidence that Wisconsin

Is a healthy state.

A fertile state.

A well watered state.

A well wooded state.

A rapidly growing state.

A state where the rights of man are respected.

Where intelligence and education are permanently secured for all
future time.

Where all the necessities and most of the comforts and luxuries of
life are easily accessible.

Where the climate is congenial to the health, vigor, and happiness
of the people and where the rains are duly distributed over the different
seasons of the year.

Where agriculture, one of the chief sources of wealth to any nation,
is conducted with profit and success.

Where the division of the products of labor between the laborer and
the capitalist is equitably made.

8i Statistics, Exhibiting the History, Climate and Productions of the State of
Wisconsin, 15.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 15

Where the farmers are the owners of the land they cultivate.

Where honest labor always secures a competence for a man and his
family.

Where land can be obtained almost without price.

Where property is constantly increasing in value.

Where every man has a voice in deciding the policy of the govern-
ment under which he lives.

Where ample and proper provisions are made for the unfortunate.

Where every citizen is eligible to any office in the government.

Where there is a great variety of occupations open to all.

Where there is a due proportion between the city and country popu-
lation, each affording mutual benefits and promoting the general welfare.

Where postal facilities enable us to communicate readily and cheaply
with distant friends.

A state from whence markets are easily reached by water navigation,
and by railroads.

A state well supplied with water power to aid in doing the work
of the people.

A state affording many natural resources. And

A state that can be reached from the seaboard by a cheap, com-
fortable and speedy transit.32

That most of this could be said with equal truth in regard
to the other states of the Northwest did not detract from its
force as an argument for settlement in Wisconsin. Perhaps
the most powerful inducement offered to settlers in Wiscon-
sin was the land policy of the state. This policy was shaped
especially to attract immigrants and to give Wisconsin an
advantage over its neighbor states. Lands granted to the
state for school purposes were offered for sale at extremely
low prices. In fact, most of the four million acres received
for university and school purposes has been disposed of in
this way. As late as 1871, 56,000 acres of desirable land in
Adams County were offered at fifty cents an acre; 20,000
acres in Marathon County and 100,000 in Wood County at
from fifty cents to $1.25; and 94,000 in Shawano County
at from $1.25 to $2.25 an acre.33 The commissioners used the

82 Ibid., 31-32. The edition of 1869 has an addition of brief statistics on each
of the counties of the state, including a careful statement of the foreign elements
settled in each.

38 K. A. Everest, "How Wisconsin Came by Its Large German Element," 321
and fn. (Wisconsin Historical Collections, XII). See also Laws of Wisconsin,
1872, p. 114.

16 Theodore C. Blegen

state land policy as a very effective argument for settlement.
As early as 1853 Commissioner Haertel presented it as a
special reason why immigrants should go to Wisconsin. He
wrote in his report for that year: "In my daily intercourse
with the emigrant, I directed the attention of those intending
to purchase land to the school lands of our state, showing to
those of limited means that they could at once plant them-
selves in an entirely independent situation, as it could not be
difficult for them, with patience and industry, and the long
term allowed for payment, to meet their obligations. Upon
inquiry, I have had the satisfaction to learn that during the
past year large quantities of these lands, largely exceeding
the sales of the previous year, have been sold, and chiefly to
actual settlers." In 1869 the board published and distributed
widely a list of school, university, and agricultural college
lands subject to sale in Wisconsin counties. These lands
were sold on time, twenty-five per cent in cash, with seven
per cent interest on the balance due. The prices indicated
in this list ranged mainly from $1.00 to $1.50.

The board was succeeded in 1871 by a commissioner of
immigration. The act creating this office provided a tem-
porary appointment by the governor, to hold until the
popular election of a commissioner in November, 1871, for
a two-year term. The office thus became a political one, the
candidate running for it in the usual way.3* The law of 1871
specified that an office was to be kept in Milwaukee; a
pamphlet issued each year; English, French, German,
Welsh, and Norwegian editions were to be put out ; county
committees were to be appointed to cooperate with the com-
missioner; a local agent was to be placed at Chicago four
months of the year, while the commissioner himself was to
act as local agent at Milwaukee. The act particularly
authorized the commissioner to try to get reduced fares for
immigrants from the railroad companies, and instructed him

84 General Laws of Wisconsin, 1871, chapter 155.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 17

also to cooperate with the United States Bureau of Immi-
gration.35

This new office was held for three years by Ole C. John-
son, and by M. J. Argard for the years 1874 and 1875. It
was abolished at the end of 1875, and immigration activity
was then suspended until 1879. Ole C. Johnson was probably
the most efficient commissioner of immigration that the state
ever had. He was of Norwegian birth and had gained dis-
tinction in the Civil War, having risen to the rank of colonel,
succeeding Hans C. Heg as the leader of the Fifteenth Wis-
consin Infantry. It is to be noted in this connection that in
the other states of the Northwest as well as in Wisconsin the
commissioners chosen were usually men of foreign birth,
particularly German or Scandinavian.

Johnson's first annual report for 1871 is an elaborate and
valuable document. In addition to a survey of his own
activity, he devoted about eighty pages to reports from the
county committees and over fifty pages to tables of statistics
and figures exhibiting the resources and progress of Wiscon-
sin. His publication policy is stated at the outset of the
report. "One principle I have laid down for my guidance,"
he says, "viz.: to give the facts just as they exist, unvar-
nished and uncolored. I have noticed the pernicious practice
indulged in by many railroad and land companies, and even
those who represent states, of giving glowing accounts of
their lands or states, that do not exist even in the imagination
of the writers. This has become so common that many put
little or no faith in documents gotten up for the purpose of
inducing immigration. Consequently the practice is poor
policy, as well as wrong in principle, and I have made special
efforts that all information sent forth from my office shall
be of the most reliable and trustworthy character." 36

35 Ibid.

88 First Annual Report of the Commissioner of Immigration of the State of
Wisconsin, for the year 1871, 8-9.

18 Theodore C. Blegen

A new practice was introduced by having the pamphlets
published in foreign countries. In 1871 five thousand were
published in Belgium in the French language, and ten thou-
sand German pamphlets were published in Germany.37 The
following year ten thousand English pamphlets were pub-
lished in England, and a like number in Norway in the Nor-
wegian language for distribution in Denmark and Norway.38
The advantages of this plan were obvious; the pamphlets
were printed and distributed where they were certain to exert
the most direct influence; the directness of the scheme gave
Wisconsin a distinct advantage over the other states, for the
state which first influenced the mind of an emigrant was
usually made his objective point, especially if it turned out
that many others of his nationality had already settled there.
Commissioner Johnson believed that Minnesota, Iowa, Kan-
sas, and Nebraska were much better known than Wisconsin,
and that more extensive advertising was needed if the state
were to compete on equal terms with its rivals. He notes
that from May 1 to December 1, 1871 a total of 11,483 for-
eigners arrived at the port of Milwaukee, of whom 5,097
settled in Wisconsin.39 Cooperation with the railroads is
illustrated by the following statement of the Commissioner:
"No old or infirm person, or women and children have been
left in Milwaukee for want of means to get further, the com-
pany (Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Company) always
passing such over their roads free of charge." 40 In his report
for 1872 the Commissioner points to the coming completion
of new railroads as certain to be of great influence in the
settlement of the state. He refers particularly to the Wis-
consin Central, the Milwaukee and Northern (to Shawano

""Ibid., 10. J. A. Becher of Milwaukee, who was in Germany at this time,
cooperated with Colonel Johnson and aided particularly in securing consuls and
steamship agents to distribute Wisconsin literature.

88 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Immigration ... /or 1872, 17.

" First Annual Report . . . for 1871, 11.

" Ibid., 14.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 19

and thence to Lake Superior), and to the Green Bay and
Lake Pepin, and hopes for a road from the Mississippi to
Lake Superior in the northwestern part of the state as a
means of opening up what would otherwise be a wilderness.41
In 1872 four thousand pamphlets were printed in Welsh,
with a view to attracting Welshmen from the coal and iron
mines of Pennsylvania.42

Colonel Johnson was replaced at the beginning of 1874
by M. J. Argard of Eau Claire. In the same year the legis-
lature passed a law abolishing the office of commissioner, to
take effect in January, 1876.43 Mr. Argard used the follow-
ing language in his report for 1875 with reference to the
repeal: "It was conceived in vindictiveness and brought
about by third-rate politicians and followed my refusal to
appoint to place in my office, at the commencement of the
year 1874, and to place my manhood and self-respect in the
keeping of men, who grasp with the avidity of cormorants
and the voracity of sharks, after positions they are in no wise
competent to fill." 44 The political meddling which tem-
porarily halted the state immigration activity occurred at the
time of a temporary slackening in immigration. Between
1873 and 1880 immigration to the United States was com-
paratively slight.45 In explaining the great decrease Com-
missioner Argard does not mention the commercial depres-
sion in the United States in 1873,46 but he does present the
following five reasons : First, the rich harvest in Norway and
Sweden in 1873 ; second, a considerable increase in the fishing

"•Annual Report ... /or 1872, 12. The Lake Superior and Mississippi
Railroad had been opened in 1871. See Lester B. Shippee, "The First Railroad
Between the Mississippi and Lake Superior," in The Mississippi Valley Historical
Review, vol. 5, no. 2 (September, 1918), pp. 121-42. The article brings out the
nature of the rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota for the road.

41 Annual Report ... /or 1872, 17.

48 Laws of Wisconsin, 1874, chapters 238, 338.

44 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Immigration ... /or 1875, 2.

*Jenks and Lauck, The Immigration Problem, supplement.

46 But see Mayo-Smith, Emigration and Immigration, 42-43.

20 Theodore C. Blegen

industry of the Scandinavian countries; third, the wider ex-
ploitation of the natural resources of the countries of north-
ern Europe; fourth, the discouraging effects of the reports
of great grasshopper plagues in western Minnesota and in
Iowa; and finally, fifth, the bad treatment given arriving
immigrants in the city of Chicago.47

The official immigration activity was discontinued this
time until 1879, when the work was again renewed for a
six-year period. In 1879 a Board of Immigration was
created, consisting of the governor, secretary of state, and
three other members. Authorized to encourage immigration
from the East, Canada, and Europe, the board was given
an appropriation of $2,500 for the first year. A salaried
secretary was appointed by the board, Henry Baetz first
occupying the position.48 The local organization in the
counties was revived in order to assist the board. The board
came into existence just before the great influx of immi-
grants from northern Europe in the eighties. The first
annual report points out that while in 1879 there arrived
at Milwaukee 13,382 immigrants of whom 4,781 settled
in Wisconsin and 6,985 in Minnesota, in 1880 a total of
38,838 immigrants arrived at the same port, 15,643 of whom
went to Minnesota and 15,681 remained in Wisconsin,49
During the years of the activity of this board records were
kept of the immigrants arriving at Milwaukee, particularly
as to numbers, nationality, and destination. Summaries were
published in each annual report. The figures apply of course
only to the immigration by way of Milwaukee, being in no
sense general figures for the state. Most of the immigrants
were Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes, with a scattering

47 Annual Report ... /or 1875, 2-3.

48 Laws of Wisconsin, 1879, chapter 176.

» Annual Report of the Board of Immigration for the year ending December
31, 1880, 1-2.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 21

of Danes, English, Irish, Scotch, French, Dutch, Bohemians,
Poles, and others. Upon the basis of the recorded figures
an interesting study can be made in regard to the numbers
of Germans, Norwegians, and Swedes who settled in Wis-
consin and Minnesota. For example, during the six years
from 1879 to 1884 inclusive, 75,551 of the Germans who
arrived at Milwaukee settled in Wisconsin, while 25,328 went
to Minnesota ; during the same period 35,943 of the Norwe-
gians arriving at Milwaukee went to Minnesota, while only
16,962 remained in Wisconsin; 25,679 Swedes went to Min-
nesota, while 7,481 settled in Wisconsin.50 In earlier years
Wisconsin had been the Mecca for the Scandinavian settlers,
but it is clear from these figures that Minnesota had taken
the lead and was drawing the great majority of the Norwe-
gian and Swedish immigrants.61 In the matter of the Ger-
mans Minnesota was also securing a large number, even
though only about one-third as many as Wisconsin.

Among the publications put out by the board in 1880
were 10,000 pocket maps of Wisconsin, in English, German,
and Norwegian.52 In 1881, 5,000 maps were sent to England
and an equal number to Germany. About 25,000 pamphlets
were printed in 1881,53 and in the following year close to
30,000 were distributed.54 In 1883, 19,884 maps and pam-
phlets were sent out; in 1884, 17,016 ;55 and in 1885-86,

60 These totals are based upon tables printed in the annual reports for 1880,
1881, and 1882, and the biennial reports for 1883-84 and 1885-86. It should
be pointed out that the records kept at Milwaukee were imperfect, particularly
in respect to destination. Many immigrants failed to go where they intended
to go, but the agent at Milwaukee could not of course verify his figures in this
respect.

61 Most of the Danes settled in Wisconsin.

52 Annual Report of the Board of Immigration of the State of Wisconsin for
the year ending December 31, 1880, 6.

63 Annual Report of the Board of Immigration ... /or 1881, 11.

64 Annual Report . . . for 1882, 10.

86 Biennial Report . . . for the term ending December 31, 1884, 11-12.

22 Theodore C. Blegen

23,032.60 During the six years more than one hundred
thousand pamphlets on Wisconsin were distributed. Con-
siderable advertising was carried in foreign newspapers in
these years also. For example, in 1881 advertisements were
placed in newspapers in London and Frome, England; in
Orebro, Sweden; in Hanover, Rostock, Gotha, Berlin,
Stuttgart, Kaiserlautern, Regen, and other cities of Ger-
many; in Vienna, Austria; and in Berne, Switzerland.57 In
1882 forty-one German and Austrian newspapers were
utilized for advertising purposes by the board.68

In 1880, at the request of the president of the Wisconsin
Central Railroad, a land agent of that company, K. K. Ken-
nan, was appointed European agent of the board without
expense to the state. He was a very active worker, who
desired the additional prestige which the state appointment
would give him. He went to Europe in June, 1880, and
directed his efforts chiefly toward securing Scandinavian and
German immigrants. He distributed great numbers of docu-
ments (in 1881 at least 75,000, of which 7,570 were official
state publications), and advertised extensively in the news-
papers. He asserts that at one time he had advertisements
in two thousand papers.69 In the course of his work he re-
ceived and answered twenty thousand letters.60 On account
of German laws against advertising emigration schemes, he
located his headquarters at Basel, Switzerland.61 It appears
that complaints were made against his activities. In the
cantonal archives of Basel is to be found a police memoran-
dum on the subject of whether Kennan's methods were in
violation of the law. This memorandum is accompanied by
a clipping from Der Volksfreund aus Schwaben, of Tiibin-

" Biennial Report ... /or the term ending December SI, 1886, 11.
87 Annual Report . . . for 1881,11-12.
M Annual Report . . . for 1882, 12-13.
i§ Annual Report . . . for 1881, 13.

** Wisconsin Historical Society Proceedings, 1907, p. 270, n. 14.
*He also established an office at Copenhagen, Denmark, as a center for his
activities in the Scandinavian countries.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 23

gen, February 13, 1883, containing the following adver-
tisement :

AUSWANDERER! Die funfte gemeinschaftliche Reise nach dem
Staate WISKONSIN (Nordamerika), findet von Bremen aus, am 4.
April, mit dem neuen Expressdampfer Elbe statt. Uberfahrt von Bremen
nach New York nur neun Tage. Auskunft betreffs Reisekosten ertheilt
die Direction des Norddeutschen Lloyd in Bremen. Werthvolle Karten
und Broschiiren iiber Wiskonsin sendet auf Verlangen gratis und porto-
f rei der Commissar der Einwanderungsbehorde genannten Staates : K. K.
KENNAN in Basel, Schweiz.62

Concerning the influence of Kennan, Dr. Albert B. Faust
writes, "Through his efforts and those of the board about
five thousand immigrants were secured, mainly from the
forest lands of Bavaria, and were distributed along the line
of the Wisconsin Central Railroad from Stevens Point to
Ashland. The inducement held out to them was good wages
in the lumber camps, where they might in a short time earn
enough to buy land and build homes." Kennan soon found
that competition for immigrant settlement was not confined
to agencies operating in America alone. In 1882 he wrote
from Europe, "Other states have numerous active, aggres-
sive, well-paid agents in the field, who do not scruple to mis-
represent Wisconsin and decry the superior inducements
which she offers to emigrants. Unless some systematic effort
is made to counteract these representations and to keep the
people supplied with reliable information about Wisconsin,
we must expect to see the great stream of immigration pass
by us, and be turned to account in developing the prairies
west of us." 6*

Minnesota established a Board of Immigration in 1867.
It had one important advantage over the Wisconsin board,

"Albert B. Faust, Guide to the Materials for American History in Swiss
and Austrian Archives, 118-19 (Washington, D. C., Carnegie Institution, 1916).
The papers are listed under "Polizeidepartement Basel-Stadt." Dr. Faust gives
the entire clipping.

88 The German Element in the United States, I, 478-79.

"Annual Report ... /or 1888, 11. The board established in 1879 was
abolished by an act of 1887. Laws of Wisconsin, 1887, chapter 21. The board
was headed during the period from 1879 on by J. A. Becher of Milwaukee.

24 Theodore C. Blegen

namely in its liberal appropriation, which was usually
$10,000 a year.65 Its activities in respect to publishing and
distributing pamphlets and maps and advertising the state
by other means were very much like those of Wisconsin.
Some of its schemes, made possible by its larger appropria-
tion, improved upon the Wisconsin ideas. Swedish, Norwe-
gian, and German agents were sent to meet immigrants in
New York, Montreal, and Quebec, to accompany them west-
ward as guides and interpreters.66 Upon reaching Minne-
sota— the guides were careful to see that they did reach
Minnesota — settlers were not infrequently furnished tem-
porary homes. That the Minnesota board of immigration
attempted chiefly to attract Scandinavians is due to a promi-
nent and able Swedish-American, Hans Mattson, who was
made its secretary. Like Colonel Johnson, he had made a
reputation for himself in the Civil War. He was especially
influential in inducing Swedes to come to Minnesota and in
this connection made several trips to Sweden. On one of
these, in 1869, he organized and led to America a party of
eight hundred Swedish immigrants.67 In 1873 he returned
from a second voyage with a large shipload of immigrants.68
While acting as secretary of the board Mattson was also a
land agent for a railroad running through Wright, Meeker,
Kandiyohi, Swift, and Stevens counties, Minnesota. Of the
results of this agency he wrote in his reminiscences, pub-
lished in 1891: "In the above-named localities there were
only a few scattered families when I went there in 1867, while
it is now one continuous Scandinavian settlement, extending
over a territory more than a hundred miles long and dotted
over with cities and towns, largely the result of the board of

85 Hans Mattson, Reminiscences, The Story of an Emigrant, 97 (Saint Paul:
D. D. Merrill Company, 1891). See also, for example, General Laws of Minne-
sota, 1871, chapter L, pp. 104-105.

06 Mattson, Reminiscences, The Story of an Emigrant, 99.

"Ibid., 111.
id., 181.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 25

emigration during the years 1867, 1868, and 1869." C9 Like
Wisconsin, Minnesota encountered some opposition and ill
will in its immigration work. Matt son asserts that a promi-
nent newspaper writer in Kansas accused him of selling his
countrymen "to a life not much better than slavery in a land
of ice, snow, and perpetual winter, where, if the poor emi-
grant did not soon starve to death, he would surely perish
with cold." 70

The report of the Minnesota board for 1871 shows that
Minnesota had an aggressive agent at New York, named
E. Page Davis. His office on Broadway was a bureau of
general information. He made an arrangement with the
Erie Railway Company whereby immigrants to Minnesota
were to receive a reduction in fare of one-third and were like-
wise to be permitted fifty pounds of extra free baggage.
During his term of service a collection of Minnesota products
was sent to the annual fair of the American Institute at New
York. At the conclusion of the fair Mr. Davis had the
exhibit placed in his office, where it was used as a concrete
illustration of what Minnesota could produce. In addition
to the usual kinds of advertising Minnesota had reprinted
during the year 1871 the entire pamphlet on the state in the
columns of the Free West, an emigration paper published
in London.71

In 1850 the Territory of Minnesota according to the
United States census had twelve Scandinavians. Wisconsin
had 8,885 — of whom 8,651 were Norwegians. In 1870 Wis-
consin counted in its foreign-born population 5,212 Danes,

69 Ibid., 100. There is no intimation that it was thought other than proper
thus to serve both state and railroad.

70 Ibid., 101.

n Report of the Board of Immigration of Minnesota, 1871, 62-67. The report
states that in 1871 more than 34,000 pamphlets were printed and most of them
distributed. As an illustration of the attitude of the western railroads, the
St. Paul and Pacific, and the Lake Superior and Mississippi railroads erected
"immigrant houses" along their lines. For information on later Minnesota immi-
gration activities see, for example, Third Biennial Report of the State Board of
Immigration, for the years 1885-1886.

26 Theodore C. Blegen

40,046 Norwegians, and 2,799 Swedes — a total of 48,057
Scandinavians. Minnesota the same year had 1,910 Danes,
35,940 Norwegians, and 20,987 Swedes— in all, 58,837 Scan-
dinavians. Thus Minnesota had in 1870 about seven and
one-half times as many Swedes as Wisconsin and 10,780 more
Scandinavians than Wisconsin. This surprising fact is due
to a number of causes, but it may safely be asserted, and
especially with reference to the figures for the Swedish
element, that Hans Mattson and the Minnesota Board of
Immigration constituted one important reason. By 1890
Minnesota had 99,913 Swedes, 101,169 Norwegians, and
14,133 Danes; and Wisconsin had 13,885 Danes, 65,696
Norwegians, and 20,157 Swedes.72

Iowa established a Board of Immigration in 1870.73 It,
too, copied the methods of Wisconsin. Supported by annual
appropriations of $10,000,74 it was able to carry out extensive
plans. In addition to the usual campaign of advertising and
pamphlet publication, it undertook to send agents to Europe
where by means of paid advertisements, the distribution of
pamphlets and maps, and their own personal influence, they
aided considerably in turning a fair portion of the immigrant
total to the state of Iowa.75 Even the Territory of Dakota,

"The figures given refer to foreign-born only. See Appendix I, tables II,
III, and IV, in Babcock, The Scandinavian Element in the United States. Chapter
VII of the same work describes the expansion and distribution of the Scandina-
vians in the period from 1850 to 1900. "The Dakotas, as one territory, received
their first Norse settler in 1858, but when the census of 1880 was taken there were
17,869, and in 1890, when the territory was divided into two states, the Scandi-
navian contingent was more than 65,000 strong." Ibid., 72.

78 Laws of Iowa, 1870, chapter 34.

74 Laws of Iowa, 1872, chapter 23; 1880, chapter 168.

w First Biennial Report of the Board of Immigration (Iowa), January 1,
1872. In the first year fourteen agents were commissioned by the board as
European representatives. Most of these served for little or no compensation
and some of them were at the same time railroad agents. The first biennial
report includes short reports from a number of these agents. One of these, by
Henry Hospers, is of great interest. Hospers opened an office at Hoog Blokland
in Zuid, Holland. His advertisements brought out so many letters of inquiry
that he wrote and distributed a little eight-page pamphlet called Iowa. Shall I
Emigrate to America? Practically answered by a Hollander who resided £4
years in one of the beat States in the Union.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 27

as early as March, 1885, created an office of Commissioner
of Immigration, and during the next two years put out maps
and pamphlets describing the great advantages of Dakota.
The Commissioner was in fact so enterprising as to print
regular monthly bulletins, seventeen of which were issued
in all.76 Resources of Dakota,, printed at Pierre in 1887, is
a typical Dakota pamphlet. Both South and North Dakota
continued the work as separate states, the South Dakota
commission having as late as 1916 an annual appropriation
of $12,500. A typical Montana publication is The Treasure
State: Montana and Its Magnificent Resources, published
by the Bureau of Agriculture, Helena, 1899. Pacific North-
west: Information for Settlers and Others (New York,
1883) is the title of a pamphlet many editions of which were
printed by the Oregon Board of Immigration.

It remains to touch briefly upon the last period of Wis-
consin's activity in respect to immigration. In 1895 the
Board of Immigration was renewed for two years, with an
appropriation of $10,000 for the period.77 The next legisla-
ture continued it two years longer, with an appropriation of
$8,000. The board was at this time made up of the governor
and the secretary of state and administered by a secretary
who received $1,800 a year.78 In 1899 the board was given
another two-year lease and at the end of this time it went
out of existence.79 A law of 1905 authorized boards of super-
visors in the counties to appropriate money to assist county
associations in inducing settlers to come to Wisconsin.80 In
1907 the Board of Immigration was once more revived81 and
continued its activities until 1915. The work is at present
handled by the Immigrant Division of the Department of

w See the First Biennial Report of the Dakota Commission for 1885-1886.

n Laws of Wisconsin, 1895, chapter 236.

78 Ibid., 1897, chapter 327.

nlbid., 1899, chapter 279.

"/fcttt, 1905, chapter 458.

w Ibid., 1907, chapter 407.

28 Theodore C. Blegen

Agriculture. The significant and characteristic thing with
respect to this last period is that the state has been forced to
direct its attention more and more to the problem of keeping
its own citizens. The second biennial report for 1910, to
illustrate, states that in fifteen Wisconsin counties during
the preceding ten-year period 8,375 people had been "ex-
ploited away" to other states.82 An advertising and educa-
tional campaign with use of posters, leaflets, pamphlets,
lectures, and various forms of "extension" work has been car-
ried on to cope with this situation. Another recent problem
in Wisconsin, to which considerable attention has been given
by the various boards of immigration, has been the settlement
of the northern area of the state. On the whole, the situation
of Wisconsin in this last period has resembled that of the
eastern states in the earlier years of the westward movement.
To evaluate accurately the activities of the various boards
and commissioners of immigration in Wisconsin and its
neighboring states is a difficult matter. These official state
efforts must naturally be studied in conjunction with the
activities of railroads, land companies, and other private con-
cerns which sought actively to attract European immigrants.
They must be considered in connection with European and
American conditions which influenced the history of immi-
gration.83 The operations of the state governments were
managed efficiently and on the whole honorably. The printed
documents sent out were sometimes too glowing and opti-
mistic, but there was probably no deliberate misrepresenta-
tion ; exaggeration was a fault of the private companies to
a far greater degree than in the case of the states; compe-
tition resulted in some instances perhaps in unscrupulous
methods; the state immigrant officials were too often ham-
pered by politicians who looked upon the office as legitimate
political spoils. From the broad standpoint of advantage to

82 Second Biennial Report of the State Board of Immigration (1910), 6-7.
88 Cf. Mayo-Smith, Emigration and Immigration, chapter III.

The Competition of the Northwestern States 29

the states and to the immigrants themselves these immigra-
tion agencies were of genuine benefit and clearly deserve his-
torical appreciation.

Into the northwestern states came hundreds of thousands
of immigrants to settle the vacant lands and help develop the
economic resources of the young commonwealths. The com-
petition for immigrant settlement added to the strength of
the West in respect to population, wealth, and social progress.
Nor should the benefit to the immigrant himself be forgotten.
The best proof of the value of the advertising campaigns
described in the foregoing is to be found in the census figures
for the four decades after 1860. Had the matter of immi-
grant settlement been left to chance and to the natural factors
influencing westward migration, it is likely that Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas would still have received
a large share of the immigrants from northern Europe. But
it is certain that the deliberate and carefully planned cam-
paigns of these states added greatly to the movement. They
resulted in greater emigration from Europe, and they in-
creased the percentage of the total immigration which came
into the Northwest. They help in considerable measure to
explain the tremendous influx of Germans, Norwegians, and
Swedes into Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Incidentally
it may be remarked that the foreign elements in these states
did not come here uninvited. They came in fact at the
especial invitation of the state.

Finally, in studying the history of the immigration move-
ment and the official actions of the northwestern states in
connection with it one glimpses something of the vigor, the
buoyant optimism, and the clear vision of the future that
have characterized these states in their formative periods. The
energetic, forward-looking spirit of the American West finds
a vivid illustration in these conscious efforts to draw westward
to the golden opportunities of the New World the masses of
people grown restless with the restraints, economic and other-
wise, of the Old.

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848
LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG

CHAPTER III— THE DAYS OF THE LEAD MINERS
THE DRIFTLESS AREA

The surface of Wisconsin is a glaciated region, with the
exception of thirteen thousand square miles in the south and
west which comprise the well-known drif tless area. This was
not covered by the glaciers that during the recent geological
period carved the major portion of Wisconsin's surface. In
the southern portion of the driftless area, comprising all of
Wisconsin south of the Wisconsin and west of the Sugar
rivers and also small neighboring portions of Iowa and
Illinois, lead ore is deposited in large quantities. The ex-
istence of these deposits was known to the French soon after
the discovery of the Mississippi River. Lumps of lead among
the Indians' belongings attracted the attention of the first
explorers. Nicolas Perrot by 1684 visited the Wisconsin
mines and operated them in a small way. Mention of lead
mines below Wisconsin River appears on Delisle's map of
1703. During the latter part of the French regime the
lead mines of Missouri attracted more attention than those
of Illinois and Wisconsin ; but with the coming of the English
fresh interest was aroused by Jonathan Carver's description
of the mines seen in 1766 from the Wisconsin River. By the
time of the American Revolution extensive operations were
being conducted at the lead mines on the Mississippi, where
in 1780 Spanish and American prisoners were captured by
an invading force from Mackinac, and fifty tons of lead ore
were taken.7 During the fur trade period bars of lead were

'Ibid., XI, 151.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 31

accepted in lieu of currency and in 1765 had an established
value of five bars for a buckskin or a "middleing Bever."
The operator best known during the latter years of the
eighteenth century was Julien Dubuque, a French-Canadian,
who in 1788 secured a land grant from the Sauk and Fox
Indians and in 1796 one from the Spanish government.
Dubuque's headquarters were near the Iowa city which now
bears his name, but his prospectors ranged over the Illinois
and Wisconsin side of the river and made superficial diggings
in many places. He stated in 1805 that he mined annually
from twenty thousand to forty thousand pounds, and he so
encouraged the Indians to turn their attention to extracting
lead that in 1811 their agent reported that the Sauk and
Foxes had almost abandoned hunting for mining.9

During all this period, however, lead mining was acces-
sory to the fur trade. Dubuque was a trader; so were the
earliest American operators of whom we hear, George
Davenport, Jesse Shull, Dr. Samuel C. Muir, Amos Farrar,
and Russell Farnham. They purchased lead of the Indians,
either to secure their debts or to furnish ammunition for
future hunting. Lead was a by-product of the fur trade.
Only as the American frontier approached the mining region
did the production of lead become a factor in the development
of the state.

THE LEASING SYSTEM

The progress of the frontier along the Mississippi River
was retarded by the hostile attitude of the Indians of that
region. The lead mines were the home of the united Sauk
and Fox tribe, while throughout the eastern portion of the
region lived the Rock River Winnebago, the fiercest and
most hostile of all the central western tribes. After the War
of 1812 the Winnebago refused to make peace with the
United States and were kept in order only by fear of the
troops stationed at Wisconsin posts.

•Illinois Historical Collections, X, 403.
• Wis. Hist. Colls., XI, 252.

32 Louise Phelps Kellogg

The Sauk and Fox tribe jealously guarded their lead
mines and quickly drove out any unwary miner who ven-
tured into the region of their diggings. In 1804 a few chiefs
of this tribe made a treaty at St. Louis by which on certain
conditions all their lands east of the Mississippi were ceded
to the United States. The tribe as a whole refused either
to ratify this treaty or to observe its conditions, and the
friction thereby engendered finally led to open hostilities.
Disregarding the protest of the Sauk and Foxes, the govern-
ment in 1816 regranted the territory north of a line through
the southern end of Lake Michigan to the combined tribes
of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians, who claimed
but never occupied the lead mines. Within this cession the
president was privileged to reserve five square leagues for
mineral purposes. Still more to complicate the situation
Congress on March 3, 1807 passed an act reserving to the
government all mineral lands in Indiana Territory, of which
Wisconsin was then a part, and authorizing leases of such
lands for periods not to exceed five years. Because of the
danger from Indian hostilities, no leases were taken in the
northwestern lead region until 1822. Then in response to
advertisements of the government several lessees secured
permits. In April of that year Col. James Johnson of Ken-
tucky formed a company for immediate operations. The
War Department ordered an escort of troops from Fort
Armstrong at Rock River, and from Fort Crawford at
Prairie du Chien. Guarded by these forces, the Indian agent
met the Sauk and Fox Indians at Fever River in June and
wrung from them reluctant consent to Johnson's mining
operations.10

In 1823 Dr. Moses Meeker of Cincinnati brought to the
lead mines a colony, several of whom had government leases.
During that summer there were seventy-four residents at the
Iowa-Illinois mines.11

10 Draper Manuscripts, 4T126-29.

11 Wis. Hist. Colls., VI, 276-96.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 33

THE WISCONSIN MINES

The first mines within the area now included in Wisconsin
were found in 1824 at New Diggings in Lafayette County.
The same year John Bonner took out 1,700 pounds of ore
in one day at Hazel Green in Grant County. The Indians,
however, were so menacing that isolated prospecting was
given up, and it was not until 1826 that plans for a perma-
nent mining settlement were made. In the autumn of that
year Henry and Jean Pierre Bugnion Gratiot, through the
favor of a half-breed Winnebago woman, made a purchase
from her tribe of the privilege of mining in its territory and
removed their homes and smelting works to the site near
Shullsburg, thereafter known as Gratiot's Grove. The next
summer the Gratiots were obliged to leave temporarily be-
cause of the hostilities known as the Winnebago War.12

This outbreak was occasioned by a false rumor of the
ill treatment of some members of the tribe at Fort Snelling
on the upper Mississippi. Its true cause was the restlessness
of the Winnebago at the encroachments upon their lands and
the removal of the restraining military forces from Fort
Crawford. Actual hostilities were few, consisting of the
murder of two French families near Prairie du Chien and
an attack upon a Mississippi keel boat. The entire frontier,
however, was alarmed. Henry Dodge at Galena enlisted a
troop of mounted rangers. The regulars from Fort Howard
at Green Bay and from Jefferson Barracks at St. Louis
were set in motion towards Prairie du Chien. The Winne-
bago tribe yielded to the show of force and at the Wisconsin
portage delivered to the military officers three of the offend-
ing chiefs.

The surrender of Chief Red Bird on this occasion is one
of the dramatic incidents of Wisconsin history. The Winne-
bago warriors, playing slow music, and giving the death

™Ibid., X, 269-70.

34 Louise Phelps Kellogg

halloo, crossed the river to the army camp, preceded by Red
Bird magnificently clothed in a full suit of white buckskin,
and bearing himself with all the dignity of conscious tribal
honor. Stepping forward to Colonel Whistler he lowered
his proud head as if in expectation of immediate decapitation.
Then stooping he gathered a pinch of dust and flung it away
saying, "I have given away my life like that. I would not
take it back. It is gone." Conveyed to prison at Prairie
du Chien, this magnificent savage pined and died from the
effects of confinement. Truly in Indian fashion he gave his
life for his friends.

This episode of the surrender ended the Winnebago War.
The government next year built Fort Winnebago at the
Fox-Wisconsin portage. The close of hostilities was the
signal for a great rush to the Wisconsin mines. Captain
Henry Dodge arrived at Dodgeville October 3, 1827, and
bought from the humbled Winnebago the privilege of build-
ing a smelter. John Rountree, George Wallace Jones, and
the Parkinson brothers came the same autumn. The sites
of Beetown, Darlington, Dodgeville, Platteville, Sinsinawa
Mounds, and White Oak Springs were staked out. The
next spring brought a greater rush of prospectors and specu-
lators, so that by the close of 1828 there were from eight to
ten thousand people at the lead mines.

The mining process was not a difficult one; it was no
more laborious than digging a well. Dodge, for example,
had taken from his diggings by March, 1828, from three to
four thousand dollars' worth of ore. Many a miner made $100
a week. The first smelter was that set up in 1826 by the
Gratiots. In 1828 a furnace was built at Mineral Point, then
popularly known as "Shake Rag under the Hill." So eager
were the prospectors for ore that no time was taken to provide
for necessities. During the summer many of the operators
lived in tents ; with the coming of cold weather they removed

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 35

to abandoned shafts in the side of the hill. The residents of
Wisconsin because of their burrowing habits were called
''badgers." The Illinois teamsters, who disappeared with
cold weather, were known as "suckers" from a migratory fish
of western streams. Thus these historical sobriquets arose.
All classes and conditions of men drifted to the mining region
during this early rush. Men came who had known the luxu-
ries of life, like William Schuyler Hamilton, son of Alexan-
der Hamilton of New York. Most of the newcomers had
seen something of pioneer life elsewhere on the frontier.
Among the foreign-born several groups of Swiss removed
from the Selkirk settlement on Red River. Cornish miners
from England began coming in large numbers after 1832.

Conditions of living were similar to those of other mining
regions. Credit was easy; life was full of excitement and
change. The rumor of a new "lead" caused a fresh rush to
the new locality. The vices and virtues of such a frontier
were in evidence. Drinking arid gambling, quarrels and
duels were common. By 1828 the Methodist circuit riders
appeared at Mineral Point. Among the persons from the
more cultivated classes the free and easy hospitality of the
frontier prevailed. The visit of Mrs. Hamilton to her son
at Wiota was an occasion when all the settled inhabitants vied
with one another in attentions to this distinguished lady.13
A considerable degree of culture was current in southwest
Wisconsin during this period. Ladies from the social circles
of Paris and London lived here in familiar intercourse. Many
private libraries were in possession of the mining operators.
As early as 1830 a classical school was started at Mineral
Point. To find the beginnings of Wisconsin culture the
historian must study the early days in the mining community.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT

The Indian title of all the land west of Pecatonica
River was extinguished by the Treaty of 1829 at Prairie du

13 Ibid., 274-75.

86 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Chien. Both the Winnebago and the united tribes of Chip-
pewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi ceded their claims to the
government. The latter opened a land office in 1834 at
Mineral Point. Mining lands were not, however, open to
entry and continued to be held under leases. Until 1830 ten
per cent of the product was the rental price ; after that date
six per cent. The provision exempting mineral lands from
entry led to many frauds and evasions. Men led blindfold
over the lands swore before the land office register that they
had seen no mining operations. The fraudulent entry system
was so notorious that in 1840 an investigation was ordered.
In 1846 the leasing system was abandoned, and all lands were
alike opened to entry.

Lead was shipped out of Wisconsin by the river routes
or hauled by teams to some convenient shipping point. In
1830 Daniel Whitney, an enterprising Green Bay merchant,
attempted lead manufacture near the mines. He formed
a company to build a shot tower on the Wisconsin River,
which in 1831 began operations. The tower was completed
in 1833, and although it changed owners repeatedly, the
manufacture of shot was continued until 1861. This enter-
prise aided in upbuilding the lead region and diverted from
Illinois and Missouri much lead that had formerly gone
thither.14

The population in the mining region fluctuated with the
price of lead. In 1829 this dropped from $5.00 per hundred
to less than one-quarter that amount, while general prices
appreciated. It required four thousand pounds of ore to
purchase a barrel of flour.15 Hard times checked the inrush
of adventurers and sent hundreds of the floating population
to other regions. Gradually prosperity and population re-
turned; and by 1832 there was permanent occupation of
southwestern Wisconsin — villages were incorporated, roads

14 Ibid., XIII, 335-74.
"Ibid., II, 334-35.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 37

were begun, and farms were opened. In 1830 Lucius Lyon,
government surveyor, began to run the section lines.

The center of the region was Mineral Point, which in

1829 became the seat of the new county of Iowa. There in

1830 a session of the United States court was held. Mineral
Point was candidate for the capital of a proposed territory
west of Lake Michigan, suggested by Judge James D. Doty
as early as 1824. In 1827-28 a bill to erect Chippewau Ter-
ritory passed the House of Representatives, but failed in the
Senate. In 1830 a bill for Huron Territory was introduced
providing for the territorial capital at Doty's town of
Menominee on Fox River. The opposition of the lead-
mining region to this latter provision defeated the considera-
tion of the bill. Mineral Point remained for some years the
largest and most important town in Wisconsin. Meanwhile
Dodgeville, Platteville, Shullsburg, and Lancaster grew and
improved, and Cassville was begun as a Mississippi port.

When Wisconsin Territory was organized in 1836 the
mining region had a larger share of its population and a
more settled mode of living than any other section. It
strongly inclined to the type of life in Missouri and southern
Illinois, whence many of its prominent members had mi-
grated. A few slaves were kept for domestic purposes, a
generous hospitality prevailed, schools and churches were
being built, and the foundations were laid for a genuine
American community.

A FRONTIER WAR

With the exception of the mineral region and the old
Franco- American posts of Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, and
Portage, Wisconsin in 1832 was a wilderness given over to
wild animals and Indians. Much of its southern portion was
considered uninhabitable, a land of swamps and morasses.
The outside world became acquainted with Wisconsin as the
result of a frontier war.

38 Louise Phelps Kellogg

For more than a decade before 1832 the United States
had not experienced a genuine Indian panic. A generation
had grown up since the battle of Tippecanoe, and the fron-
tier had been pushed to the outskirts of Illinois. The new
generation, likewise, was thrilling with the Indian romances
of James Fennimore Cooper. The Spy was published in
1821, and the Last of the Mohicans in 1826. Both the quali-
ties and powers of the aborigines were regarded through the
mists of romance. For these and similar reasons the Black
Hawk War was a genuine epoch in the history of Wisconsin.

Black Hawk, himself not a chief, was the leader of a band
of the Sauk tribe, whose major portion took no part in the
hostilities of 1832. Black Hawk's was known as the British
band, because of long relationship with the officers of that
nation at Maiden. The warrior deluded himself into think-
ing he should have the support of the British authorities in
his defiance of the Americans. He likewise expected aid
and comfort from the Potawatomi and Winnebago, who
were secretly sympathetic, but in wholesome fear of the
United States troops. Black Hawk considered himself and
his followers the victims of deep wrongs at the hands of the
frontiersmen, who had driven him from his ancestral village
and maltreated many of his tribe. He decided to ignore
the prohibitions of the American authorities and to return
to his ancestral home, intending to maintain his position by
force if necessary.

Early in April Black Hawk's band crossed the Mississippi
below Rock Island. So little was a hostile attempt anticipated
that the Indian agent at the lead mines, Col. Henry Gratiot,
was at St. Louis, leaving a defenseless family at Gratiot's
Grove. Black Hawk's action was interpreted by the border-
men as an act of hostility, notwithstanding he had with him
all the women and children of his band, who never accompany
a true war party. Governor John Reynolds of Illinois yielded
to panic and summoned the state's militia to repel the in-

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 39

vaders. Wisconsin's lead-mine region was peculiarly endan-
gered. If the Illinois troops attacked they would drive the
infuriated tribesmen directly into the mining settlements.
The Winnebago on their eastern border were notoriously
untrustworthy. The inhabitants at once adopted the frontier
method of "forting." Log posts were built at Dodge's,
Parkinson's, Hamilton's, Gratiot's, Brigham's at Blue
Mounds, and many other places. Colonel Dodge, acting as
a militia officer, enlisted a large force of roughriders; mines
were abandoned and the women and children conveyed to
the rude log forts.

In May, Dodge determined to hold a council with the
Winnebago, and accompanied by Gratiot, who had narrowly
reached home alive after an attempted interview with Black
Hawrk in person, set out with an escort of fifty troopers for
the country at the head of Fourth Lake. Opposite the site
of Madison a council was held at which the Winnebago
promised fidelity to the whites. In token of this agreement
they soon delivered over to the commandant at Blue Mounds
two captive girls taken by the Sauk after a massacre in
northern Illinois.

The prompt action of Dodge and Gratiot saved the lead
mines. Black Hawk, infuriated by the Illinois militia,
ravaged the frontier of that state. Only isolated murders
occurred in Wisconsin; one skirmish was fought on the six-
teenth of June at Pecatonica River. By the end of June
danger to the mining settlements was over. Black Hawk
and his warriors had been driven into the Lake Koshkonong
region, then an unsettled wilderness, and were being pursued
by a force of regulars and militia ten times their number.

In the final rout Dodge's men took a conspicuous part.
The Indians, driven from their retreat, were pursued north-
west through the Four Lakes to Wisconsin River, where a
stand was made to permit the women and children to escape.

40 Louise Phelps Kellogg

The Indians' line of defense was broken through and hun-
dreds of red men were ruthlessly cut down. The remnant
fled to the Mississippi where the final tragedy occurred on
August 2. The poor starving fugitives seeking to escape
across the river were mowed down by fire from the pursuing
troops and by that from the steamboat Warrior. The ruthless
massacre was a disgrace to the American people. Black
Hawk, taken alive, was carried as a prisoner through the
eastern states and paraded as a curiosity. The last Indian war
in Wisconsin was over. The forts in the mining regions soon
fell into decay; the next year the Indian title to all territory
south of the Fox-Wisconsin waterway was extinguished.
Wisconsin was moreover placed upon the map of the United
States. Returning troopers praised her soil and fertility.
Eastern newspapers exploited her inviting opportunities for
emigrants. Pamphlet literature furnished travelers' guides.
After two hundred years of seclusion Wisconsin was opened
for colonization by the surplus population of the older states.16

16 The best brief account of the Black Hawk War is that of R. G. Thwaites
in Wis. Hist. Colls., XII, 217-67; revised and improved in his volume of essays
entitled, How George Rogers Clark Won the Northwest (Chicago, 1903), 113-98.
Black Hawk's Autobiography, edited by M. M. Quaife, was published by the
Lakeside Press of Donnelly and Company, Chicago, in December, 1916.

(To be continued)

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

In the March issue of this MAGAZINE was given some
account of the connection of Theodore Roosevelt with the
State Historical Society during the last third of a century.
The striking portrait of our late leader of Americanism
which we are privileged to present has an interesting albeit
pathetic history. Our engraving is from a photostatic print
made in the Wisconsin Historical Library of a simple pen
and ink drawing of the late ex-President made by Robert
Elliott, an inmate of Waupun. Elliott is a man of univer-
sity training and, it hardly need be added, an expert penman.
This skill combined with a weakness for alcohol has proved
his undoing. Under the influence of liquor he twice forged
checks for sums of money, an offense he has never been
tempted to commit when sober. Although the total amount
thus secured was less than forty dollars, he has passed half a
dozen years in prison; and when pardoned from Waupun
in March, 1919, a deputy was in waiting to lead him to prison
in a distant state. The original drawing of Mr. Roosevelt
was given by Elliott to Hon. John L. Grindell of Platteville,
a member of the visiting committee of the legislature to
inspect the several state institutions. To Mr. Grindell ac-
knowledgment is due both for the information here set forth
and for the privilege of reproducing the portrait.

A TRAGEDY OF THE WISCONSIN PINERY

Rude are the methods of administering justice in the
wilderness or on the frontier. The refinements of legal pro-
cedure as practiced in older-established society are likely to
be disregarded in favor of resort to a rough-and-ready ad-
justment of accounts between the parties concerned. Par-
ticularly is this likely to be the case when to the other factors
ordinarily present on the frontier is added the clash of dif-
ferent races, the one superior and masterful, the other inferior
and submissive.

In the pioneer period of Wisconsin's development oc-
curred numerous clashes between representatives of the red
race and the white, not always due, it is sad to confess, to
wrongdoing on the part of the former. Commonly these
events pass into oblivion with no record being made con-
cerning them for the enlightenment of other times. Jointly
to John Bracklin, one of the participants, and to Henry E.
Knapp are we indebted for the preservation of the narra-
tive which follows. In itself an excellent story of adven-
ture, simply yet forcefully told, it possesses also a real
historical significance in that many of the aspects which
the tale presents are typical of similar clashes between red
man and white in the age-long period of association and
struggle they have undergone since the first coming of the
whites to America.

The narrator, James Bracklin, was the father of John L.
Bracklin whose remarkable description of a Wisconsin forest
fire was published in the issue of this magazine for Septem-
ber, 1917. James Bracklin was for over thirty years super-
intendent of logging and log driving for the Knapp-Stout
Lumber Company of Menomonie. Barker, his associate in

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 43

the adventure, was Bracklin's predecessor in this position,
holding it for a period of several years. Concerning the
recording of the narrative Mr. Knapp writes: "I took this
down in shorthand as he [Bracklin] related it to the directors
of our company, at one of their annual meetings, at their
request. We had all heard it before, and the older members
who were living here at the time remembered the circum-
stances and said it was all true — only that Mr. Bracklin
minimized his part in it."

JAMES BRACKLIN'S ACCOUNT OF AN OCCURRENCE

IN 1864

Two men had gone out from Stillwater to look over a site for a
logging camp. They were up in St. Croix County, and from what
was afterwards learned this is what occurred to them :

The men were walking through a strip of brush land half to three
quarters of a mile wide along the river ; they were apparently making
their way to the river. Two Indians were coming up the river in a
canoe and heard the men talking, and the Indian that shot himself, a
man about twenty-one years of age and a very hard looking citizen,
said that the other Indian proposed that they land and kill the white
men. This he claimed he did not want to do, as he was a good Indian,
but that they did land, and the other Indian shot one of the men.
The Indian that did not want to do the shooting claimed to me after-
wards that he was horror stricken ; that he was a good Indian, but
that the other Indian kept urging him to shoot, shoot, shoot, and
finally on the impulse of the moment he shot and badly wounded the
second man. The first man who was shot was wounded and ran away
and wandered around with the other Indians after him and finally he
came back to where his partner was lying, and the Indians caught
the man and killed both of them. The Indians then went to work
and cut them all up into small pieces and sunk them in the lake. They
claimed that by cutting into small pieces and puncturing frequently
with holes there would be no air form, and pieces would not rise to
the surface.

44 James Bracklin

When the men did not return home their friends were uneasy and
finally began to search for them and did search for three months. In
June, 1864, about three hundred were said to be out in the woods in
parties searching for them. The search ran along until August or
early September. There were several bands of Chippewa encamped
at Rice Lake and Chetek. The old Chetek Chief learned that troops
were on the way from Menomonie and he became very uneasy. There
was no foundation for the fact that troops were coming, but he heard
it so, and he thought better to "squeal." The Indians at Rice Lake
had been complaining about the dam that we had built there raising
the water so that it pulled the rice out by the roots and spoiled their
rice beds, and we had consulted with the old Chief several times and
tried to settle matters with him, but without coming to any under-
standing that was satisfactory to him. The first head of water we
drew from Rice Lake after the dam was built, the logs jammed
about Cranberry Creek. This was August, 1864.

I went down to Menomonie, and Captain Wilson told me of the
disappearance of these men in St. Croix County, and I said they must
have been murdered by the Indians or they would have been found.
We were out in the woods a good deal and knew that if they killed
some and were not found out, they would likely kill others, and
that this should be looked into, and the murderers found if possible.
Captain Wilson said that was right, and that if we should find them
and needed any help, to send word to him and he would send us help.
So when the old Chief at Chetek sent a messenger to us at Louseburg,
Barron County, Wisconsin, where I was hauling logs with four or
five ox teams and seven or eight men, we thought that, as he wanted
us to come down and see him at Chetek it was on account of the rice
beds again, and we did not want to go, as we were busy, but the
messenger said that the old Chief had something to tell us, so Mr.
Barker and I walked down there. (Samuel B. Barker at that time
had a small trading post at Louseburg). A crew of men were at
work finishing the Chetek dam. It was late in the evening, so we went
to bed in a tent, and the next morning the cook said the Indians had
come from the rice beds and were camping along the Pokegama Nar-
rows, and that there was a great deal of commotion that morning,
and that some were coming down the lake in a canoe, with a flag
flying.

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 45

They finally landed and camped right in front of the shanty and
put up a flag, the Stars and Stripes. The cook said that war was
about to begin sure. S. P. Barker knew this old Chief, and the Chief
thought a great deal of Barker, and word came in to Barker that the
Chief wanted to interview Barker and Bracklin out in the jack pines
in a secluded place ; that he had a very important communication to
make. We did not want to go so far, but finally went out fifty rods,
and then a little farther, and a little farther, and finally in an open
space the old Chief sat down, and we sat down also. The Chief was a
very ceremonious old fellow. He opened the ball by inquiring
whether the man that had been lost over in St. Croix County had
been found. I did not know, but I did not let him know it, but I said :
"Oh, yes, they were killed by the Indians." The Chief smoked a
minute and said, "That is true," and then went on and told us all
about it.

The Chief understood that troops were coming, and as his band
did not have anything to do with this murder he wanted us to protect
his band and tell the commander of the troops that they were good
Indians. He told us all about the murder and who the men were.
I knew one of the men and so did Barker. He said that the men
got quite a lot of money from the clothes of one of the murdered
men, and we learned that it was probably about $1,500, as one of
these men was a kind of a miser, who carried his money with him
wherever he went. We knew that there were no troops coming, and
that there was no danger in that direction to the old Chief, but told
him that we would look after his interests, and decided that we would
keep an eye out for the gentleman Indian that did the murder, and
so we went back to camp.

Barker went on to Louseburg. Joe Queen was one of the ox
teamsters, and we used to let the cattle run in the woods at night, and
Joe went out to look for them in the morning and walked as far as
Louseburg, not finding them. Barker sent word to me to come to
Louseburg at once, and I got there at seven in the morning, and
Barker told me that one of those Indians had showed up, and that
there were quite a lot of Indians there, and we decided to try and
catch him, but did not know how we were to proceed. Barker pro-

46 James Bracklin

posed that we send for the seven men that were at Chetek, but I said
no, that we had better take him ourselves.

The Indians were camped just a little way above Lbuseburg. I
was not on particularly good terms with the Indians myself just
then. They were feeling good and had plenty to eat and were
gambling. They had lots of devices for gambling. One game was to
lay a blanket out on the ground, and the leader had two moccasins
and a bullet, and he moved them around over the blanket, and then
betting would commence as to where the bullet had been left, under
which moccasin. After all the bets were in the fellow picks up a rod
and strikes the moccasin that had or that he thought had the bullet
under it. These Indians bet anything, from their moccasins even to
their souls. We saw them gambling and of course looked around
and we saw the Indian we wanted sitting on a log, looking on. There
were seventy-five to one hundred Indians there. The gamesters paid
no attention to us. I noticed a vacant seat on the log beside the
Indian, and I thought I would just go over and sit down beside him,
so I walked over quietly, not looking at him, just looking at the
place where I was going to sit down, but just before I got to it the
Indian got up and stepped over the log away a step or two, and I sat
down. He went off and sat down somewhere else, and Barker fol-
lowed my tactics and tried to sit down by the Indian where he was
then, and then he moved again, and I tried to get near him again,
and we kept up that kind of tactics for perhaps an hour and a half.

Finally one player got broke, and he was not satisfied to stop
playing, and he went to a tent and got two mink skins. This was in
the summer time, and mink skins were pretty poor then, but he
brought them out and wanted to sell them to Barker. Barker kept
some calico and things of that kind to trade with the Indians in a
little house that he had there, keeping them locked up in a chest.
Barker told him that they were not much good, but he wanted a little
calico to go on with the game, and Barker finally told him that he
would give him 25 cents each in goods for them, and they started
down to the store to get them. All the Indians came down. They
wanted to do a little trading, too, and they all came into the store,
but this one Indian stayed outside.

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 47

Barker went into the little building which we called a store and
noticing that this Indian did not come in he thought he would try to
get him in by some strategy and so he began feeling around in his
pocket for his keys to open the chest, and while he had the keys
there he made an excuse that he would have to go down to his camp a
few rods away after the keys, and so he stepped out, but the Indian
stepped right away from the door, and then Barker went on down,
but looking back saw that the Indian had stepped into the door
again, and Barker turned around and came back, thinking that the
Indian would then walk into the store ahead of him, but he did not do
that, but stepped back out again. Barker went in and made an ex-
cuse to pick up something that he had apparently forgotten to take
down to the camp and then went out again and down to the camp,
and the Indian again stood in the door, but when Barker came back,
instead of going in, he stepped off to one side again, so Barker came
in and got his goods out on the little counter, and of course kept his
eye on the Indian as much as possible, and I did, too, though of
course neither pretending to do so.

There was a fiddle on the wall, and I took it down and began to
saw away, and the Indian stood in the door, and after a while he for-
got himself and came inside. Of course Barker saw this, and he
worked his way down behind the counter quietly, all the time talking
to the Indians and showing the goods, and when he got pretty near
down to the door and saw that the Indian was off his guard, Barker
jumped over the counter towards the door. The Indian saw it and
rushed for the door. Barker grabbed him, and the first grab tore his
shirt off slick and clean, and the next grab he got him by the wrist,
and the Indian was all outside except the wrist that Barker held.

In the meantime, I rushed to the rescue and I grabbed the Indian
by the hair and jerked him back inside of the room and closed the
door. The Indians, in the meantime, before I closed the door, had all
rushed out. As soon as I closed the door and put in the pin, the door
came in broken off of its hinges, and all the Indians came in with it.
We had pulled the Indian to the back part of the store, and he had
of course fought like a good fellow, and to keep him we had pounded
him and kicked him, in the melee, and when these Indians came in they
grabbed hold of him to pull him out of the door, and they pulled him

48 James Bracklin

one way and we pulled the other, and he was dragged back and forth
in that store from one end to the other a great many times, and he
was so bruised up that he was practically useless himself. He could
not help himself, or, if he could, he would have got away. We kept
this thing up for about an hour, and they could not get him, and
they saw it, so they sent to Rice Lake and the Forks of Yellow River
for a band of Indians that were encamped there to come and help
them.

There was an old Indian called "Krokodokwa," and he came and
asked what the trouble was. This old Indian was friendly, and
Barker, after telling the old Indian what we were trying to do said,
"I think I can get this old Krokodokwa to take a note down to Chetek
to Henry Sawyer to come up and bring his gang, and so I wrote a
note and Barker talked with Krokodokwa and he said he would take
the note down. The Indians outside got wind of it in some way or
other and they told the old Indian that they would kill him if he did.
He took the note and ran for the bank of the river, and then along
under the bank down the river quite a number of rods. The Indians
got out on the bank and began shooting at him, but fortunately for
him they did not hit him, and he finally got across the river and got
away, but they kept chasing and shooting at him, and for half an
hour we could hear shots. He delivered the note, and Sawyer quietly
said to the men, "Barker and Bracklin want all hands at Louseburg.
Did not say what for." And they started along slowly, the old Indian
and Sawyer bringing up the rear.

The old Indian said to Sawyer, "You better hurry up. Barker
and Bracklin are in trouble up there ; the Indians are making trouble
with them." Sawyer then told the men, and they deliberated as to
whether they would go up and get murdered or what they would do.
They did not have any arms, except perhaps one old gun, but they
finally came along until they got near enough to Louseburg so they
could see the camp, but they could not see anything of Barker or me,
and while stopping there the band of Indians from Yellow River came
up behind them and drove them into Louseburg. The Indians
crowded around and demanded that we deliver the Indian we had to
them. We said, "You can't have him." The Indians had come down
from Rice Lake too. We explained to them several times why we were

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 49

holding this Indian and that we were not going to do him any harm,
but would send him to Stillwater where he would have trial. We told
them several times that he had killed two men. They tried several
times to get him away, but failed.

We had one old horse there, and I said to Barker that we better
send word right away to Captain Wilson, so I wrote a note, and Joe
Queen got the horse out and took the note, and I told him to get to
Menomonie just as quick as he possibly could. The Indians fired at
him as he went away but did not hit him. The Indians all the rest of
that day were very uneasy and they yelled and caroused, and finally
it came dark, and we did not have any candles or oil or any lamps.
The only thing that there was there was some deer tallow and candle
wicking and the moulds, and Barker went down to the shanty to make
some candles.

The mother and sister of the Indian we had, came in to see him,
and we let them in, and the parting between the mother and the son
was really very touching. She evidently knew that he had been ad-
vised by the other Indians to kill himself rather than be taken away.
There was one young Indian came to the door and asked to be allowed
to go in and see this other Indian, and the Indian himself said yes
he would like to see him, and so we let him in, and he sat down on the
floor near him and talked away for half an hour, and then he got up
and went out. We never thought of his bringing in any arms to the
Indian, but he had brought and delivered to the Indian an old two-
barrel pistoL Our Indian went over close to the wall, and with his
face to the wall at a crack where the chinking was out, he sang a song,
and the Indians on the outside kept passing along on the outside and
speaking a word to this Indian now and then, and about nine o'clock a
cap snapped. I knew that it was inside the building, because I could
see the flash, and while the Indians had been shooting a good deal out-
side and some of the bullets had come through the walls during that
afternoon and evening, this was different from any of those shots,
and I did not know what he intended to do, whether he intended to
fire among us and create a commotion and in the dark escape, but at
any rate I think he placed the pistol over his shoulder and pulled
the trigger. I saw the light of the flash and jumped for the Indian,
but our men jumped, too, and rushed for the door, and as it was

50 James Bracklin

dark they shoved me along towards the door, and one man in the
rush got out of the door, but I braced myself in the door and held on
and kept the others from getting out. I kept the door barricaded.

In the meantime, the Indian had placed the pistol against his
breast low down and pulled the trigger. Of course he made a big
hole in himself and finally he fell over. I did not know whether he
was playing possum or not. By this time Barker came with the
candles and I said to Barker, "I am afraid that fellow is playing
possum. We better be pretty careful." So we closed the door and
guarded it, and then went and examined the Indian, and he was a
good Indian fast enough, that is, dead. The Indians outside were
very much excited and they came right away and accused me to
Barker of having killed the Indian. I told Barker it didn't matter
whether I did or not ; the Indian was dead. They wanted the Indian's
body, and we said we would not give it to them, and finally, after
keeping him until about three o'clock in the afternoon we buried him.

Joe Queen had reached Menomonie early in the morning and went
right to Captain Wilson's house and told the Captain how the situa-
tion was and gave him my note, and the Captain at once sent out to
get a number of men, and he sent seventeen of them up in wagons by
way of Twenty-two Mile Ford. As soon as Joe Queen started out
some of the Indians started out and followed down after him, and
during the day the Indians around the cabin at Louseburg would
hear every five minutes as to how the help that was coming from
Menomonie were proceeding. We could tell every five minutes just
where they were and what progress they were making. Of course
they made a mistake in the number that was coming ; they sometimes
got it as high as twenty-five wagon loads of help, but that help was
coming they knew. Of course they must have got their information
by signals.

When we buried the Indian three old Indians came and looked on,
and Barker told them what this Indian had done and how he had
cut up these men, etc., and he did not tell it all, for one of them spoke
up and said, "Yes, he cut off his ears too." The men from Menomonie
came along as far as my camp, and there they heard that the Indian
was dead and buried, so they stopped and got some supper and then
came on. The Indians there wanted protection from the army, but

A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery 51

the army came and there were only seventeen men, and so we sat
around and visited and talked the matter over that night and they
went back.

The next morning there was not a spot on my body that was
not as sore as a boil. I tell you that after we got started in that
scrape we had to stay in it, or else there would have been no living in
that part of the country. If they had got that Indian away from
us, we could not have stayed there. We would have been glad to
have got out of it within two minutes after we were in it, if we could
have done so, but, as we could not, we made the best of it. Of course,
those of you who know Barker know that he was a six-footer, a giant
in strength, and as brave as a lion. He didn't know what fear was,
but he was of a very quiet disposition ; he never swore — was educated
for a minister — but during that fight he hit every Indian within reach
and was a terror.

DOCUMENTS

LETTERS OF A FIFTH WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER
EDITED BY R. G. PLUMB

From time to time side lights upon the real life of the
soldier boys of '61 are afforded by the finding of letters
written by them during their years of service. Such a series
recently came to light in the correspondence of James H.
Leonard,1 Company A of the Fifth Wisconsin Infantry.
This young patriot before the breaking out of the civil strife
was a school-teacher at Branch, Manitowoc County. His
letters show a thoughtfulness and power of expression often
lacking in the missives of less educated boys. These letters
were addressed to Mary Sheldon, later Mrs. P. J. Pierce of
Manitowoc.

Company A left Manitowoc June 23, 1861 on the Good-
rich steamer, Comet. Upon arrival at Madison its members
were inducted into the United States service at Camp Ran-
dall. The Madison State Journal of the time noted that
"They are strong, hardy men from the lumbering districts,

1 James H. Leonard was born in 1843 in Brooklyn, N. Y., whither his father
Stephen and his mother Mary Howard Leonard had removed from England.
Stephen Leonard was a sea captain and died when his son was sixteen years of
age. The same year young Leonard migrated to Wisconsin, where he made his
home at Manitowoc. In the winter of 1860-61 he studied for a time at Madison.
When he enlisted May 4, 1861 in the Manitowoc Company A of the Fifth Wis-
consin Volunteers he was scarcely eighteen years of age, but had already taught
school in Manitowoc County. His war history is related in the following letters.
He received a gunshot wound in his arm at Rappahannock Station. When his
term of enlistment expired he was offered a first lieutenant's commission, but
declined it, and was mustered out July 27, 1864. Thereafter he returned to
Manitowoc and continued teaching. In 1868 he was one of two survivors of the
ill-fated steamship Seabird that was burned off Kenosha. The previous year
Mr. Leonard had married Martha Gould of Kenosha, and in July, 1874 the
Leonards removed to Green Bay. There Mr. Leonard was city superintendent
of schools from 1878 to 1885. In 1889 he was appointed collector of internal
revenue. After the expiration of his term in 1893 he entered the life insurance
business. Mr. Leonard was a member of Green Bay Methodist Church and for
several years superintendent of the Sunday school. He was also connected with
the Knights of Pythias and other societies. He died in 1901. His only daughter,
Mrs. Fay Jones, a graduate of Lawrence College, now resides in Aurora, Illinois.

JAMES H. LEONARD

From a war-time daguerreotype

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 53

who have been well drilled in machinery but have not been
exercised in the manual of arms." The captain of Company
A was popular with his men. In front of his tent at the camp
white pebbles were utilized to make this inscription: "Captain
Clark, God Bless Him." During the war the record of the
Fifth Wisconsin was a noble one. After the first battle of
Bull Run the regiment was hurried to the front where the
first of these letters was written.

CAMP COBB NEAR WASHINGTON

August 15th 1861
FRIEND MARY

I was much pleased to receive your kind letter in connection with
Lucretia's last Saturday I had just wrote a letter to Jerry, and
Sunday I wrote to Keed knowing that if I did not write Sunday I
should not have an opportunity again for a few days, having to go
out on picket duty, on which I started early Monday morning and
was stationed about six miles from our camp up the Potomac Our
pickets from this division (Gen McClellans) extend all along up the
Potomac until they meet those thrown out from Harpers Ferry by
Gen Banks, and thus the whole line is continually guarded. I re-
turned from such duty this (Thursday) morning This is my first
and greatest excuse for not answering your note before though ac-
cording to the mail facilities I should not be surprised if this arrived
at the Branch as quick as Keed's and Jerry's, and now I have got at
it I find it a very difficult task, for it is a new thing for me to write
to ladies, in addition to all this The acquaintance between us being
my term of service in the war But there is a commencement to
everything they say and so there must be a commencement of writing
to ladies, in addition to all this The acquaintance between us being
of a very limited nature makes it difficult to write anything that will
interest you But when I do the best I can I trust you will bear with
the dullness thereof Your note as well as Lucretia's was as surpris-
ing to me as it was cheering and welcome and as I believe I men-
tioned to Jerry once, every such manifestation of friendship on the
part of those that we left behind us helps to increase our courage and
remove to a great extent the lonesomeness and troubles which crosses
our pathway with such backers and companions as we have in the

54 Documents

army with us and knowing that we have the sympathy of nearly all in
the North and a number in the South, it would be almost impossible
for the greatest coward to be anything but a brave man here, and
then believing that God is on our side and feeling that we have such
prayers as you prayed in your letter that God would prosper us and
bring us off victoriously and restore peace to our country once more,
we are enabled to have stronger hopes that we shall succeed, and the
war be closed sooner than though we only were dependent on our own
strength and though some of us may come to our end on the field, it
is good to feel that we die in a glorious cause, a cause on which not
only depends to a great extent in the success thereof the happiness
not only of us that live at present, but the future generations through-
out the world but I forbear on saying anymore on this subject for I
know that it is deeds that are expected of us soldiers and not words,
and I have been talking all my life for the cause of liberty but now
the time is nigh at hand when I shall have a chance to aid by deed this
cause and I shrink not from doing my duty. We have in our regi-
ment seven ladies, namely the wife of the Colonel, the wives of four of
the Captains, the daughter of the Surgeon and Miss Eliza T Wilson
who is styled the daughter of the regiment Miss Wilson is the
daughter of a wealthy mill owner at Menomonee There is one
company in our regiment (the pinery rifles) which is composed almost
wholly of men who have been a long time in her fathers employ and
she accompanied them to camp and has been with the regiment ever
since I understand she is engaged to the orderly sargeant of the
company She goes in bloomer costume acts as hospital assistant
and is a noble hearted girl Some of the boys have raised one hundred
and fifty dollars for the purpose of purchasing a gold watch to
present her, There is continual movement of troops in this vicinity
Three months volunteers going home, and three years volunteers
coming out We feel somewhat disheartened over the news of the
death of Gen Lyon and the partial defeat of our troops in Missouri,
but we do not despair of success there finally, though the western
division of the army is separated by a distance from us it has in the
person of Gen Fremont a leader than whom we believe there is no
better commander lives at the present day I would wish that this
could be as interesting to you as yours was to me but I have no such

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 55

hope I close by repeating the request that I made to Keed that I
may hear from you and her often

I remain your friend

JAMES H LEONARD2

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH REGT., Wis VOL CAMP ADVANCE Co. A

FAIRFAX Co VIRGINIA Sept 12th 1861
Miss M E SHELDON

I now find myself seated for the purpose of once more writing to
you With my knapsack as a chair and my bayonet for a candlestick
I proceed to work, We still lie in the same place as at the date of my
letter to Lucretia, We had an engagement yesterday at Falls
Church vicinity There was a couple of rebel batteries erected there,
and they were supported by a number of infantry and cavalry, Our
forces or rather a detachment of them were sent out for the purpose
of capturing them, The rebels retreated at their first appearance,
but rallied again and made a desperate effort to flank our troops but
did not succeed, The Commanding General of our forces, General
Smith, then invited them to come out of the woods and give battle on
the open field, To this they would not consent but immediately
opened fire on the union forces which was returned in good earnest
from our side and their batteries were soon silenced, they retreated
through the woods and could not again be found and We were left in
quiet possession of the field, and where the flag of treason waved in
the morning We planted the Star Spangled Banner in the afternoon,
I say We, but in this case I am like a great many folks in the world
who can always spell We without an 7 in it * * * By We I mean the
whole Union Force and not our regiment, for we had no part in the
battle which lasted but a short time, We were marched out in a
hurry as were several other regiments, but the artillery which went
ahead of us had finished the work and our regiment arrived on the
ground just in time to be too late We were a little sore after walking
so far in such a hurry and then not do any good, but it was well
enough as it was, and we marched back to our quarters again The
loss of the U S troops were Seven killed Six wounded and Three

2 The above letter was enclosed in a small envelope bearing the picture of
a globe with a draped figure, representing the United States, wrapped in the flag
and surmounted by an eagle, beneath which is the inscription "Wrapt in its folds
the WHOLE COUNTRY shines resplendent through its Stars."

56 Documents

missing The loss of the Secesh is estimated at over one hundred but
is not known for certain Those who have charge of the matter here
did not intend to have another Bull Run affair, for want of reinforce-
ments, as in two hours from the firing of the first gun, there were no
less than Seventy Thousand Soldiers on the march for the scene of
action by various routes, This, the first opportunity that has been
had of testing the judgment and ability of Gen McClellan as com-
mander in chief of the forces here, though small as it was, goes to
show that the confidence which is had in him has not been misplaced
With such men in supreme command as McClellan, Wool, and Fre-
mont, and such a man, at the head of the government, to guide the
whole, as Abraham Lincoln, I think that none have any reason to
doubt as to the result, that is if the people of the North will only
leave the work in their hands, and quit finding fault and growling,
and complaining about their doings as are a large portion of the
Northern press continually, when at the same time they thus find
fault, they know not what they are finding fault with, All the good
that this growling at the movements of those who have charge of the
matter, does, is to remove the courage from the hearts of thousands
of the brave soldiers, who are on the tented field, and also to keep
back others from enlisting, who otherwise would, And it is evident
that everything that those in power at Washington have undertaken,
and which has been ramsacked to pieces and the intentions of the ad-
ministration misplaced, and thus caused to be murmured at. every-
thing I say that they have undertaken has come out successfully in
the end and then it is invariably that those who have been loudest in
denunciation of their measures have come out strongest in their
praise I have strained on this matter, while I suppose I might per-
haps have found something more interesting for a letter, but I had
just set down after reading an article in the Manitowoc Pilot in this
same complaining style which somewhat disgusted me, and I had to
give vent to my feelings a little, besides I want to let my friends know
that I have a confidence in Lincoln, Scott, Cameron, & Fremont &
McClellan and I hope they have also I also see in the same paper an
article, that the Administration disapproved of the recent proclama-
tion of Gen Fremont declaring martial law throughout Missouri and
giving freedom to the slaves of rebel masters, while it is well known
here that it meets the approbation of the administration fully, To

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 57

day we arrested a spy inside our lines This we did have a hand in
for the arrest was made by Lieutenant Walker, myself and one other
private of the Manitowoc Co Gaurds, He had about him a pass
from L. P. Walker the Secretary of War of the Confederate States
allowing him to pass their posts everywhere also several other papers
of importance We took him to the headquarters of General Smith
where he was recognized as one who had taken the oath of allegiance
to the U S government twice already This shows what regard these
fellows have for an oath, The President and Lady were out here to
view our work day before yesterday I with a dozen others of our
boys had the honor of shaking hands, and holding a short conversa-
tion with him, He was as free with us poor soldier boys as though
he was one of us, I have made such poor composition and so many
mistakes in this, that I should go to work and write a new one had I
the time but I have not, to night and I shall not have time to morrow,
as Co A [h]as to go out as escort to the engineers, it is kind of good to
have a great name and I like to belong to a company that has a great
name, but the Manitowoc Guards have too good a name for their own
good for they have such a great name that they have to do about
everything that is to be done, Whenever the General wants an
escort, or the surveyors want a gaurd or almost anything else, it is
pretty Certain that Co A of Fifth Wisconsin will be called on and
thus we are kept going about all the time while other companies have
lots of time to rest

* * *

CAMP GRIFFIN Nov 5th 1861
Miss M E SHELDON

I received yours of October 27th and was happy to hear from
you as I am at all times to hear from home and as it is sometime since
any correspondence has passed between us I reply to your letter at
once though I know I have nothing that will interest you as nothing
new has taken place here lately Through the mercies of our
Heavenly Father I am still enjoying good health and the other
Branch boys also except Aaron who has suffered from a severe cold
during the past few days but is recovering now He is promoted to
Corporal now, not a very important office to be sure, but still his
getting the appointment shows that he performs his duty well and
that his services are appreciated The Branch boys are all in one

58 Documents

tent now I and Aaron have been together in tenting and everything
else ever since we left Manitowoc and last week I worked it so as to
get Jim Whealan in with us, and by thus getting all in one tent it
seems more like home to us The other members of our tent are
Frank Greenman George Croissant and R Dukelow Our tents are
getting rather worse for wear they leak very bad now when it rains
which is very often, I dont know what we will do if we have to stay
in them through the winter but of this it is useless to trouble our-
selves, for sufficient unto, the day is the evil thereof, and it becomes us
not to borrow trouble from the future when we know not whether the
trouble will ever come upon us or not We live middling well here
for the present We have hard crackers for breakfast, hard crackers
for dinner and for supper we have hard crackers. This however is
only about half the time, The other half we have soft bread from
the government bakery at Washington, which goes very good, though
a loaf of home made bread would taste far better We have also a
middling share of meat, beans, rice, hominy, coffee and sugar furn-
ished us by government In our tent we have a treasury into which
each one in the tent puts in about two dollars per month and with
this fund we keep ourselves liberally supplied with, butter, Molasses
potatoes tea, milk, when we are near farmers where we can buy it,
and other luxuries and thus we make it go very well and have no
reason to complain as far as eating is concerned at all

There has no change taken place in our army here of late except
the retirement of Lieutenant General Scott from the supreme com-
mand of the army and the assuming of the supreme command by Gen
McClellan and while we regret the loss of the services and the ad-
vantage of the experience of Scott we can but rejoice that we have a
man to take his place who promises so well by his services and deeds
in the past as does Gen McClellan and it is to be hoped that the
Lord will guide and prosper him and the army under him and that
the people will not be disappointed in their expectations from him
But they must not judge of him too hastily or accuse him of being
slow before they understand matters fully They must know that
there is great preparations to be made and I am sure no one wants
him to march his army on when they are only partly ready We
have not ignorant men to contend with but men educated in the same
school and in the same course of life with our own Generals There

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 59

was never a war of the same magnitude as this that progressed any
faster in the beginning,

I see Manitowoc County is doing tip top in turning out Soldiers for
the war I was afraid at one time that Waldo would not get his
company filled, but I am glad both for his sake and the credit of the
county that it is filled and from a long, familiar, confidential
acquaintance with him I am satisfied that he will make a good officer,
and Likewise his Second Lieut D A Shove with whom I was probably
more intimately acquainted than any other person in Manitowoc.

* * *

CAMP GRIFFIN Dec 5th 1861
RESPECTED FRIEND

I received your welcome letter last Sunday evening, and at that
time I proposed to answer it the next morning but when morning
came with it came an order for Co A to go out on a scouting expedi-
tion which occupied all that day, the next day we had to go out again
and today I with thirteen others were designated to chop wood for the
use of the General and the members of his staff and for fear I may
again [be] deprived of the opportunity of answering your letter to
morrow I have determined to set down and do so this evening I am
always too happy to receive letters from my friends, to delay very
long in writing back to them, the more especially as I know the
longer I delay in writing, the longer it will be before I hear from
them again, and when I have an unanswered letter on my hands I feel
as though part of my duty was undone I have often thought, as
regards writing to you, the same as you expressed in your last
letter, but I have consoled myself with the idea that I would do the
best I could and trusted to your good nature to bear with it and it
always gives me fresh courage to hear from my friends As I think
of the friends that are at home which I do every day, how much more
cheering it is to know that those friends are unanimous in their
opinions on the questions which now are at issue and to know that I
have the well wishes of them all not only for myself but for the cause
of my country I say how much more cheering is it to k[n]ow this
than though they were divided in their opinions and we had the sym-
pathies of only half of them Well now for the news from this neigh-
borhood which there is not much to tell of however Things are as yet
comparatively quiet, and for aught I know they will remain so for a

60 Documents

time The scouting expeditions which I mentioned at the com-
mencement of these lines were the first duty aside from drilling and
picket and the other regular camp duties, that we have done for some
time The one of Monday was for the purpose of foraging, this
consisted of five companies from our regiment and three from the
6th Maine and one from the 3d Vermont under the command of Lieut
Col Brisband, We were in the vicinity of Fairfax Court House,
We see no signs of any secesh, anywhere, We got considerable hay
&c for Uncle Sam, besides some chickens, ducks, geese, and other
luxuries for ourselves some of the boys paid for what they got and
some did not, Tuesday the expedition from this division consisted
of some twenty five hundred men under the command of Capt Mott of
Motts Battery This was for the purpose of acting jointly with
similar expeditions from the divisions of General McCall and General
Porter for the purpose of surrounding and capturing a body of rebel
cavalry supposed to number about fifteen hundred which had been
seen several times of late in the vicinity of Hunters Mills about eight
miles from our lines in the direction of Leesburgh, We got around
on all sides of the place and closed in upon it, but they were not
there We scouted the woods in the vicinity but could discover no
signs of them, so we returned to our camp pretty well tired out and
without having captured any secessionists, but in the room thereof
the most of us catched bad colds and pretty severe sore throats
Disease seems to increase among us of late There is a much larger
number of our regiment on the sick list at present than was ever
before The Small Pox is raging in some regiments on the left of the
line it has not yet found its way into any of the regiments in our
immediate neighborhood Occasionally we receive in our midst one of
those warnings which remind us that death is liable to come upon us
as well off as on the battle field, But we have not had near so many
cases of death in our regiment as in some others Thus far we have
had only six deaths I had no idea there were so many dying around
me as there is Last Sunday I took a stroll over to the place where
the dead of our division have been buried since we came to Camp
Griffin which is not quite two months and I was a little surprised to
find on counting the graves, that out of our division numbering
fourteen regiments there had been some one hundred and eighty four
deaths There graves are almost as nice as they are in our public

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 61

burying grounds and each one has a board at the head with the name,
age, and native place of the party on also the regiment to which he
belonged, and this together with the place of their burial is also
registered on a book in the Secretary of War's office in Washington,
so that if their friends should wish to obtain their bodies, they can
readily find out there whereabouts Last Thursday being Thanks-
giving Day in our state we kept it here in our camp, that is we done
no duty for that day, We, that is a few of us, held a prayer meet-
ing in the afternoon, but the most of the boys spent the day as they
do the most of their leisure time in gambling Gov Randall was
with us in the evening and tarried with us till the following after-
noon Judge A Scott Sloan was with us Sunday evening and made a
brief but pointed address to the regiment on the questions involved
in the war, Congress has got to work now in the city and we may
probably expect some lively debates on the differences of opinion held
by them on various questions The Presidents message is liked very
much here It is not stretched out as have been the messages of late
Presidents into a long string of political harangues, and arguments,
but is filled wholly with sound and wise recommendations It all
reads as coming from a man who is wholly a statesman and who is
governed wholly by the desire to serve his country and to do good
The capture of Messrs Mason and Slidell, so our prisoners say is the
severest blow that has yet come upon the rebels, This with the
capture of Port Royal, the effectually blockading of Charleston,
Savannah, and other Southern ports by sinking stone boats in their
mouths the other expeditions fitting out to go on the Southern coast,
and the large expedition which is now nearly ready to start down the
Mississippi should satisfy us all that the government is really in
earnest and teach all to wait patiently

# * *

CAMP GRIFFIN Jan llth 1862
Miss SHELDON

I received your interesting letter of the 29th of Dec and was very
glad to hear from you again and to learn that you and all of your
folks were well How true is the old verse
Time fast slips away
First by moments, then the day
Short the time appears
But it soon amounts to years

62 Documents

To look back it seems but a very short time since the commencement
of the year 1861, and as I passed away the hours of January of last
year pleasantly in the old log school house at Spring Creek, little did
I think that the following New Year would find me on a tented field in
Virginia or that such a war would be upon our country as now is. To
be sure Secession had commenced and was strutting [a]broad in the
land at that time, and we had an old simpleton in the presidential
chair, who seemed to care but little what became of the country or its
interests, but rather on the contrary seemed all along to sympathize
with, and give aid to those that were endeavoring to overthrow our
government, but still we hoped that the difficulties would be settled in
peace We waited anxiously for the inauguration of the new Presi-
dent and after Mr Lincoln had taken his seat, we still hoped for peace
and we did not relinquish this hope until the rebels opened their guns
on the small half starved garrison in Fort Sumpter and when the
war commenced then nor for a long time afterward did we think that
it would ever reach such an altitude as it has come to, * * *

The weather is more like May than it is like January We had
one cold night, the night of the 7th inst, it froze severely, but com-
menced to thaw again the next day, and in the evening it commenced
to rain and kept it up until this morning, making out an old fashioned,
down east, three days storm, The news here is still the same, viz
nothing done I think we had better take the old cry of the Crimean
war, Sebastapol aint taken yet, and alter it so as to have it read
Manassas aint taken yet, to suit us, and to suit the rebels it should
read Washington ain't taken yet

I am off duty again having caught another severe cold on the
one I already had by going on a foraging expedition on the 7th I
am not sorry I went however for I learnt considerable I see prep-
eration for a great battle all laid out and everything put in position
for a big fight, There was some thirty two regiments numbering
about twenty three thousand men, comprising the divisions of Gens
Smith, McCall, and part of the division of Gen Porter and two regts
of Cavalry and five batteries of artillery belonging to those divisions,
the whole was under the command of Gen Smith There was along

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 63

with the troops about three hundred, four horse teams and wagon and
they all returned home loaded with oats, corn, wheat in the sheaf
hay &c We were out to within three miles of the enemys encamp-
ments at Centreville, which we could see quite plainly, The regi-
ments were scattered all over to the right and left so as to prevent the
enemy from flanking the advance column, but no sight was seen of
any enemy, We were out with the farthest, Gen Smith or Gen Han-
cock would not think of going toward the enemys lines without hav-
ing Co A of the 5th Wisconsin along with them

Co B & Co G were also out on the advance the rest of our regiment
took the part of flankers back some ways. We had to march pretty
lively going out and got in a perspiration and after getting to our
journeys end we had to stand still for about three hours and thus
many of us caught cold, I wish that the Secesh would come as near
to our lines with such an expedition for the purpose of stealing our
hay &c I am strongly inclined to the idea that they would go back
minus a few men and teams There are two German members of our
Co in the hospital here and one member, Albert Payne, has been some
time in the union hospital in the city of Georgetown We have not
heard from him since he went there. * * * I scarcely know what to
think concerning our affairs with England She seems determined
to pick a quarrel with us, I hope to see it avoided if it can be done
honorably, but the mind of nearly everyone in the army here, is to go
to war with her in preference to dishonoring ourselves to please her ;
We had the pleasure during the past week, of eating some cake, pre-
serves, &c that came from Manitowoc, I had a good share in the
lot, a present from Mrs Goodenow, We have a regular school in our
tent almost every evening There are fourteen of us in it Once
in a while we have a spelling school in which all of the Americans in
our company take a part, I have to act as teacher, I am more
competent for a scholar, but the rest of the boys insisted on my taking
the position and for the sake of getting the thing started I accepted
it, We have lots of time, and can benefit ourselves greatly and at
the same time keep ourselves out of mischief The school is not very
orderly, there is considerable laughing and talking and I cannot
punish them because I do about as much of it as any of them, The
Branches that we exercise in are Spelling, Reading, & Ciphering I
would get a sett of books all through and study, but we know not how

64 Documents

soon we will have to move nor how often and we have enough clothes
to carry to make a good heavy load and consequently could not carry
the books Christmas and New Years is past and we still remain
here, We now begin to speculate as to whether we will be home by
the 4th of July

CAMP GRIFFIN March 9th 1862
Miss SHELDON

I received your letter of Feb 23d and now proceed to return the
compliment as far as I am able There is but little to write about as
is usual here and in addition to this fact I do not feel in a very lively
mood I have come in off picket this morning having had a three days
job of it Thursday morning I went on in place of another man
whom I knew was not really able to go on, The next day was my
own turn and so I remained on and the next morning the brigade
went out on a reconnaissance and when the time came that we should
have been relieved an aid of the Generals came out and informed us
that we would have to remain on gaurd until the troops returned and
so we settled down for another twenty four hours
I and the rest of the Manitowoc Co boys are well, there is not one of
them in the hospital at present I guess Spring has commenced here
now To day is as fine a day as I ever have seen, it seems too nice a
day almost, to spend in camp The last few days have also been very
pleasant, it would be first rate sugar weather, were it in Wisconsin
I should like very much to be home for a few days during sugar season
and share in the pleasures of the same, I sometimes feel satisfied that
the war will be ended and the volunteers return home by next harvest
time while at other times it looks gloomy and I think if we get home
by next Spring we will be doing well, We are in continual excitement
and have expectations of moving towards Manassas all the while,
We have orders about two or three times every week to pack up and
get ready to move but still we do not move, There has no very im-
portant movement taken place on the Potomac of late except the
crossing of Gen Banks division into Virginia week before last and the
taking of the rebel stronghold Leesburg last Friday You will see
the account of the latter in the papers which I will send you at the
same time that I mail this The rebels seem to be well drilled in

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 65

running, The signs of the times at present seem to indicate that
this army here is to fight sooner or later the battle that is to decide
the war, but in time of war all signs fail and nothing is certain that
is not fully in the grasp, a man can scarcely believe his own eyes
here I never was in a place before where a man could not depend on
anything, I should not be at all surprised if some morning should
find Manassas evacuated and the Jeff Davis Government on its way
from Richmond to some more Southern point * * * I understand one
of our company wrote to Jane Eatough that I was the only one in our
company who did not drink liquor This is a libel on the company for
there is full one half of the company that I am positive have not tasted
a drop of liquor since they have been in camp, my two companions
from the Branch included in this number and it is only once in a great
while that any of them get any for Gen McClellan does not allow the
soldiers to have it,

CAMP No 20 IN THE FIELD

NEAR CHICKAHOMINY RIVER June 15th [1862]
FRIEND MARY

Your last letter was duly received a few days since I had almost
given up all ideas of ever hearing from you again except by way of
others, but you are perfectly excusable for the delay, I have no
important news to communicate and therefore despair of any hope of
interesting you in these lines however I will do the best I can under
the circumstances

I am enj oying good health as yet There is considerable sickness
though in our army which appears to be increasing Those of us
who are blessed with good health have great reason to feel grateful to
God for sickness in the army is above all sad events the least desirable
When one is sick, his own companions have so much duty devolving
on them that they have scarcely any time to help him and the Sur-
geons care but little for him and very often his own mates sneer at
and make light of him I have known of cases in our regiment where
boys have been lingering under sickness and finally died whilst Sur-
geons and the officers and members of their own companies have kept

66 Documents

up the cry that they were playing sick for the purpose of getting
rid of duty but I am happy to say that no such occurrence has ever
transpired in Co A We still lie in the same place as when I last wrote
to Jerry with the exception that we have moved back a few rods,
• The rebels got a little saucy and commenced throwing over shells
occasionally, they killed one man and wounded another, both cavalry-
man, which is a small loss considering the number of shots they have
fired, Gen Hancock deemed it advisable to move back from the open
field in which we were encamped into the woods where we would have
protection, Last Friday Gen Smith sent word to Gen McClellan in
regard to this rebel battery an dasked permission to go over with
his division and capture it but McClellan refused, as that would be
apt to bring on a general engagement, which he did not wish for yet,
The rebels show every sign of making a determined resistance here,
but as they done the same at Yorktown laboring on new fortifica-
tions up to almost the very night on which they evacuated, it would
not surprise us in the least to find them leaving here yet without a
fight, Yesterday being Sunday and having nothing else to do I took
a stroll over the recent battle ground at Fair Oaks, it was a fearful
sight Trees, Fences, Bushes, and every thing around is literally torn
to pieces with Bulletts and Shell, The signs of the terrible slaughter
were yet to be seen on the ground and the fields were filled with the
graves of both Union and Secesh Soldiers Our men being buried on
one side and the Southerners on the other As I looked upon the
graves of the Union men I thought of the many mothers, sisters,
brothers, wives, and children, that were probably at that time weeping
for them, and whose only comfort was the assurance that they had
died in a good cause, and the hopes of meeting them in happiness in
the world, to come, and as in turn I gazed upon the graves of the poor
Southerners who had fallen in this fight, I could but think that they
as well as others had left those at home who esteemed and loved them
and whose hearts were now saddened, and the sorrow of their friends
must be all the sadder, because that posterity shall write over them,
Sincere, and self-sacrificing, but misguided victims to a causeless and
therefore wicked rebellion The graves of every soldier here seemed
to cry out for punishment on those who instigated this war The
leaders of this rebellion must receive that punishment which is justly

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 67

theirs, Mercy to them would be Cruelty to Civilization We have
got our fortifications at this point finished, and are now to work at
building roads, and bridges, We had two distinguished visitors to
our camp last week — viz — Gen Prim the commander of the Spanish
forces recently sent to Mexico, and Gen Burnside who commands our
forces in North Carolina They were both received with the ac-
customed military salutes and with the cheers of the Soldiers, which
latter, especially were heartily given for the Gallant Burnside for
whom this army has more respect than any other General excepting
of course our own McClellan General Prim reviewed the army and
complimented the appearance and discipline of the Soldiers very
highly He said he thought that our army was all composed of green
men but on the contrary he found it equal to any of the best trained
armies of Europe He also complimented the strategy of Gen Mc-
Clellan at Yorktown very highly, Reinforcements are arriving here
every day I know not how much our army here numbers now De-
serters from the rebels, report their army as in very poor condition,
living on half rations &c Gen Lee, who now commands them, in the
absence of Gen Johnston, who was wounded in the late battle, made a
speech to his army a few days ago in which he told them that they
had made their last retreat and henceforth their watchword must
be victory or death.

CAMP NEAR AQUIA CREEK

VIRGINIA Dec 1st 1862
FRIEND MARY

I received a letter from Keed last week, and as I had written a
letter to her a few days before, I concluded to answer her letter by
writing to you judging it a good opportunity of reopening corre-
spondence with you, Perhaps you will think it a curious way of
doing business, but it will pass in war There is so little transpiring
here of any importance, that it becomes exceedingly difficult to write
a letter that will prove interesting, I trust you will pardon the
dullness of this one, I seldom have to stop and study for some-
thing to write but I am compelled to do so this time, We lay per-
fectly quiet here as much so as though we had no enemy to contend

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with. We are in the Left Grand Wing or Division which is in the
rear at present I have not seen a rebel or loaded my gun since I have
been here, the right of our army rests on the Rappahannock
opposite the city of Fredericksburg, Gen Sumner demanded the
surrender of that city ten days ago, giving them sixteen hours to re-
move the women, children, sick, and aged, at the expiration of which
time he was to shell the town unless it was surrendered as demanded,
It was not surrendered and still stands without being bombarded
There are various reasons given for this delay but nobody except our
leaders know for certain what causes it, some think it is on account
of supplies, some think that we are waiting for some other force (the
Banks Expedition perhaps) that is going to cooperate with us, while
others think that this is merely a feint to attract their attention this
way and that Gen Burnside intends to suddenly transfer his forces by
means of transports to the other side of Richmond in the vicinity of
Suffolk &c This last idea seems to be the opinion of the Richmond
papers also, Yesterday and To day there has been a rumor circu-
lated through camp to the effect that there was an Armistice for
forty days between the two armies, Also another one that our
division was going into Winter quarters here and gaurd the Railroad
I as yet do not believe either report, but I would wish that the latter,
might prove true The weather here is very changeable just now;
about half and half ; The inhabitants in this neighborhood are awful
hard up, I am satisfied that they will suffer dreadfully this winter
Last Friday I was on picket I had the charge of four posts, one of
them was at a house in which lived a man with his wife a[nd] five small
children and if there ever was destitution in a house, there was in
that one He had nothing but about six bushels of corn on which to
live Our forces under Gen Pope took part of his produce last fall
and after Pope retreated the rebels took pretty much all that re-
mained He told me that he knew of some 9 families around the heads
of which were in the rebel army and the folks had nothing Virginians
will be all used up if the war lasts another year,

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 69

CAMP NEAR WHITE'S CHURCH,

VIRGINIA, Dec 28th 1862
DEAR FRIEND

* * * We are laying in our old camp yet where we have been since
the recent defeat at Fredericksburg It seems to be the general
opinion that this army will do nothing more this winter, however we
cannot tell Some of us have prepared comfortable winter quarters
for ourselves, Sergeant Goodwin, Sergeant Ennert and Myself have
built us a log cabin of which many a poor family in Wisconsin might
be proud of, If we do not have to move or change camp, we three
are all right until spring, There is quite a change in our opinions
and wishes since this time last year, then we laid in Winter quarters
on the Potomac and were all the time grumbling because we were not
put in the field in active service, now all hands are anxious to be
ordered into Winter quarters, this change of ideas has been purchased
at a dear rate, and the army cannot be blamed for it Since the late
battle at this point everything has looked dark to me and I have
almost given up the last hope, I trust you had as good a time on
Christmas as you expected, it was rather a dull time here, it was a
real pleasant day though, Our Christmas meals consisted of the
following (that is our tent and the rest were about the same)
Crackers, Coffee, & Pork for Breakfast, Pork, coffee & crackers for
dinner, and Coffee, crackers & pork for supper, In the afternoon I
received a visit from some of my old schoolmates who are in the 1st
Long Island regiment, this took off part of the lonesomeness of the
day, I have received an invitation to spend New Years with some
acquaintances in the 31st N Y and expect to have something of a
good time, unless some unforeseen event should prevent it Not quite
as good as though I were at home But I have no cause of complaint
after having been permitted to enjoy so long a visit at home as
/ was allowed last fall, while so many of my companions were endur-
ing the fatigues of long marches and battles God Grant that in his
providence this may be the last New Years that we shall have to
spend in the army, Those of us who are here, have great reason to
praise God for his goodness to us in preserving our lives and per-
mitting us to enjoy as good health as we do while others equally as
good and some better are suffering from wounds received in battle,

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and thousands of others have offered their lives on the altar of their
country, or I should say Our Country I perceive by the papers that
the Congressional Committee has concluded their investigation as to
the cause of the late disaster at Fredericksburg The result is that
all of the officers clear themselves and nobody is held to blame for it
Well that is the way all these things come out in the end I think
that if they had left us our old General (Little Mac) we should not
now been mourning over a bad defeat, Not but I consider Gen Burn-
side a true man and a man of great ability, but do not consider him
capable of handling so large a body of men as the Army of the
Potomac, Our Colonel who has been with us since the regiment was
first formed has resigned and taken his leave of us It seemed hard
to us to have him go, We have none of our original field officers left
now, Our Second Lieutenant James Macomber has also resigned
and leaves us in a couple of days He was my tent mate all last spring
and summer and it seems like losing a brother to have him go, There
are so many of the old hands leaving and new recruits come in that it
scarcely seems like the same regiment,

CAMP NEAR BELLE PLAINS VA

April 1st 1863
Miss SHELDON

Your interesting letter of March 14th reached me yesterday and
was read with much satisfaction Your excuse for the delay in
answering my former letter is a good one and is accepted I know
the duties of a school marm require about all of her attention and
then she can hardly do justice, and if she has a contrary set of
scholars to deal with, it is so much the worse for her, it is almost
as bad as having to act as Sergeant of the Gaurd around camp here,
The Sergeant has the whole gaurd numbering thirty six men under
his command, they are divided into three reliefs of twelve men each,
one of these reliefs is on post at a time, and the Sergeant is required
to keep the rest at the gaurd station, not allowing more than two to
be gone at any one time and should the Officer of the day, the Gen-
eral or the Colonel or any of the field officers happen around and find
more than two men absent, the Sergeant is liable to be punished,

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 71

The men all know this but still they will be contrary and you have to
keep your eye on them all the while or they are bound to steal away
from you and go to their quarters The Sergeant hates to come
down on them for he is thus liable to gain their ill will and he will be
talked of all through the camp by them, as big of his feelings putting
on style &c, still they all know that he is obliged to thus retain them
in order to save his own head, I have been on sometimes this winter
when I believe that it would have tried the patience of Job to be Ser-
geant of the Gaurd, at any rate it has used mine all up and a long
ways beyond sometimes, I always dread being detailed for camp
gaurd on brigade and division gaurds it is easier because there is a
Lieutenant over you on them, and he must stand all responsibilities
We still remain in our old place as when I wrote you before, The
weather has been very, very, severe of late, There is four inches of
snow on the ground at the present time and the weather out doors is
freezing cold, talk about your winters in the sunny south, but I
never see it any worse at this time of year anywhere that I have
ever been We expected to march about ten days ago and our officers
made us pack up our overcoats and all the extra blankets which we
did not need for summer, to be sent to Washington to be stored until
next fall We all wish now that we had them back again, at any
rate I am mighty glad that we did not march for it would be rather
tough to lay in line of battle some of these nights Yesterday was
kept in Solemnity through this army in honor to the memory of Maj
Gen Sumner "He was very much respected by this army, of which
he has been one of the chief officers from the time of its organization
to a very short time previous to his death Though we shall never
again witness his old grey head as he rides along our lines, we have
his example left us, and his name will be remembered as long as the
American army has a place in history. You speak of your fear of
the negroes that are freed coming up north I think that there is
but very little danger of that, Southern climate is better suited to
them and if they can live there as free people and get paid for their
labor they will stay there in preference to going up North For my
part I want to see the whole of them out of the country altogether,
The idea is preached by the copperheads up north that we are now
fighting to free the slaves, the exact reverse is true, We free the

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slaves to stop the fighting I was over to the 6th Wis last week [to]
see Dr. Preston, he is Brigade Surgeon now, his health has improved
very much of late, he looks much better than when he was home last
fall he told me that he had sent for Frank and expected him out
here in a few days

Henry Baetz the Captain of the German company that left Mani-
towoc last fall, is now Major of the 26th Wisconsin We have con-
siderable sports in our camp in the way of jumping playing ball &c
and once in a while we have a lively game at snowballing with three
or four hundred in the game at once Occasionally they get up a
dance in the evenings at which lots of the boys enjoy themselves
There are about forty of my old schoolmates in the 15th N Y and I
have made many a good visit with them this winter, it is very
pleasant to set down and chat about our old play times and laugh
over the quarrels we had then

As regards war news there is none here We are eagerly watching
the papers in hopes to hear of the fall of Vicksburg, if Gen Grant
succeeds in Capturing that point and opening the Mississippi it will
be a hard blow to rebeldom and will go a great ways towards ending
the war, This is the first day of April and the boys have practiced
much of the April fool on each other, My health is good and also
all in our company with whom you are acquainted Aaron Gibson is
now 2nd Lieutenant of our company,

CAMP NEAR WHITE OAK CHURCH

May 14th 1863
DEAR FRIEND

Having to day to myself I will endeavor to pen a few lines to you
in answer to your last, which I read with much pleasure,

We are once more safely stowed away in camp in almost the
same place that we were encamped last winter when Burnside was in
command Everything is agreeable and pleasant except that it
seems lonesome at times, We miss very much the familiar voices and
jovialness of many old comrades who were killed and wounded in the
late battle, in the squad over which I have charge, there were
eighteen previous to the crossing of the river and now there is only

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 73

seven, Every American in it was either killed or wounded, I can
hardly make myself believe that our boys were killed, it seems more
like a dream than a reality, with the exception of this sorrow for
our fallen comrades those of us that are left are in good health and
good spirits, and just as ready to meet the enemy now as ever we were
I never knew the boys to come out of a fight so little discouraged as
at the present, excepting after the battle of Williamsburg The fact
of the case is, though we did come back to this side of the river We
do not consider ourselves as whipped by a considerable, The enemy
got punished far worse than we did on every occasion save one, that
was when the Germans of the llth Corps played the part of cowards
and ran at the first volley Those that were engaged in the fight on
the right at Chancellorsville say that they had to retire on account
of the rapid rise in the river and creeks which impeded their progress,
Where we of the 6th Corps were, on the left I know, it was desperate
enough, especially on the occasion of the storming of St Mareye's
Heights on Sunday the 3d inst and the battle in the Wilderness on
the 4th, The rebel papers claim the latter as a victory but admit
that it was the dearest bought victory to them of the whole war
They had us surrounded with all of our communications cut off in
short they had us penned up in a twenty acre lot, the force opposed
to us was heavily reinforced and largely outnumbered us, they were
sure that they were going to get our whole force as prisoners, but they
had got hold of the wrong bird this time, they pitched in first at one
point, then at another but they never drove us back a foot anywhere,
Our batterys made fearful havoc among them mowing them down by
hundreds, After repulsing them at every point through the day we
cut our way through them at night and recrossed the river, after
driving them from their strong intrenchments in the rear of Fred-
ericksburg and losing so many men I felt as though I would just about
as live died as to withdraw again without having accomplished our
object, but once on this side and learning all particulars I was well
satisfied that it was the best that could have been done They have
not used our regiment very well though, they have broken up the
Light Brigade and have assigned us to a strange division This is
the second time they have done this, We were first, in the famous
old Hancock Brigade which gained a great reputation and was

74 Documents

known all over the army East and West Last winter we were put
into the Light Brigade, commonly called the Flying Division, and
just as this institution had gained a great name it was broken up,
One consolation however we have, they let our old hand to hand
comrades of the 6th Maine go along with us, We could not enjoy
war without them, nor they without us. Richmond Papers of Mon-
day convey the intelligence of the death of Stonewall Jackson from
wounds received in the late battles Over this news I must admit
that I have both feelings of joy and feelings of sorrow, Joy at the
fact that the rebellion is ridden of one of its ablest leaders, and sor-
row in the loss to the world of so brave and virtuous a man, Rebel
though he was, he was gallant and manly, and was admired, by every
one that ever had anything to do with him, for his noble qualities,
He was one of those many instances recorded in the worlds history,
of a good man, being deceived, into lending himself to a bad cause,
Now that he no longer can harm us, we can but say, peace to his
ashes, Last Sunday General Lee sent over to Gen Hooker request-
ing him to send over and take care of the wounded that were left
behind, as he, Lee, had not Surgeons and medicine enough for his own
men scarcely, and the cause of humanity demanded that the wounded
should be taken care of at once, By this it would appear that the
rebels were getting a little more civilized than they were, A year ago
they would kill our wounded on the field, The weather of the last
few days has been rather warmer than was necessary for comfort
The trees are just leaved out and every thing looks green and nice,
the inhabitants here, what few are left, say that it is the latest spring
they ever see in this state We are encamped in a nice grove at
present, There is not enough of the regiment left to make a re-
spectable appearance on drill, so all the duty that we have is a recita-
tion school of the commissioned officers in the forenoon and of the
Sergeants in the afternoon We generally do not have our lessons
very well, I never could content myself to set down and study the
tactics yet, it is the only study that I ever undertook, that I could not
get interested in and nearly all the sergeants say they are in the same
fix The only reason I can assign for this is that we all calculate to
get out of military life as soon as possible and after our time is out,
the knowledge of the tactics will be of no benefit to us * * *

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 75

Let me state a simple instance as regards myself and the late
election that took place in Co. A for Chief Justice of Wisconsin
The morning of election day the Captain and Lieutenants asked me
and the Orderly our opinion in regard to holding an election, The
Captain was rather against it, fearing that very few of the boys
would vote as was the case last fall, I almost sided with him but I
and the Orderly both advised to open a poll, and take what votes
could be got, He finally consented to commence on the condition
that I would act as runner and speak to, or rather electioneer the
boys in the company, I declined at first, advising the selection of
some one who as I thought had more influence than myself Finally
however I consented just to satisfy the Captain and Lieutenant but
satisfied in my own mind that I could accomplish but little I went to
work and first brought up all those whom I knew to be sure and then
I set at those who were a little wavering or careless and by some
talking got them up, then I went at those who are true Union men
but still cling to party, all that was needed with them, was to satisfy
them that Mr Cothren was a Copperhead and we had the papers
to do that The result was that 53 votes were polled every man in the
company voting who was old enough, save one before the polls were
opened I would not have believed that 30 votes could be obtained
unless he set some one to work who had more influence than me, I
wish though that I could have more influence in the temperance cause
here Whiskey rations are occasionally dealt out now and I am
the only one in our Co who does not use his ration, it is rather em-
barrassing to thus be an odd member of a family with the rest joking
you on the matter, but I have withstood these temptations thus far
and I hope by the sustaining grace of God to hold out firm to the end.

NEW YORK August 8th 1863
MUCH RESPECTED FRIEND

Yours of July 26th was received yesterday, and was glad to hear
that you and all friends were well, and I have the pleasure of inform-
ing you that I also am still in the enjoyment of this great blessing of
the Almighty, good health, Since I last wrote you we have changed
our base somewhat The 5th Wis is no longer part and parcel of

76 Documents

the Army of the Potomac We were sent to New York a week ago,
we were informed at that time that it was for the purpose of tending
to the rioters here and enforcing the draft It is now believed by our
officers that we will remain here all the rest of our term, should it be
so, I assure you none of us will be very sorry, two years in the front
with such campaigning as we have had is enough to satisfy the ambi-
tion of almost any soldier, They have put us to drilling at heavy
artillery, on Governors Island, there are two forts on the Island,
Fort Columbus and Castle Williams, they mount guns of all sizes
from thirty two pounders to two hundred pounders, I have charge
of a sixty four pounder, we have named it the Lady Washington
there are eight men and a sergeant to each piece, The 1st Massa-
chusetts is here with us, They are first rate fellows, but I would
rather have our old comrades of the 6th Maine with us, they have
been our right hand men in every battle, we were always as brothers
together and it comes hard for us to be seperated The other two
regiments that came with us, the 20th Indiana and the 37th Massa-
chusetts have been sent to Fort Hamilton some five miles from here
there is great preperations going on here; building new defences,
strengthening and enlarging the old ones mounting heavier guns
&c &c &c, it looks very much as though our Government had strong
suspicions of a foreign war, a couple of months more and Mr Johnny
Bull and Mr Louis Napoleon will find a very nice time of it if they
endeavor to approach N Y with any of their men of war I think they
had better let American affairs alone and hope that they will so do
Everything goes brisk and lively here I should judge so at least,
by the boat loads of excursionists of both sexes that go down the bay
here every day The war is not felt here at all you may say, I am
not of a very jealous disposition, I like to see everybody enjoy
themselves, but I must say that it is a little provoking to see how
these thousands of young men hereabouts are, and have been enjoying
themselves while we have been marching lying in swamps and having a
tough time of it in general and now when some of them are wanted to
go to the assistance of those that have been fighting for them for
over two years, they get up a row and resist the governmental authori-
ties, We have had a couple of very hot days since we have been here,
Last Tuesday the thermometer stood ninety six in the shade and

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 77

131 in the sun, there were a number of cases of sun stroke in the
cities, Generally though there is a cool breeze comes off the bay
which makes it tolerable pleasant, We have got rid of our little
shelter tents and are provided with good tents and sleeping appara-
tuses, it seems good to have a tent that we can stand up in &c instead
of having to lie down all the time as in the shelter tents

We also are provided with better food than we have been used to
receiving and likewise we can get the soldiers extras, butter, milk, &c
at reasonable prices, There is however considerable disease among
the boys caused partly by change of water and climate but mostly I
think from a too free use of liquor and beer on the road here and
since they have been on the Island, I have been unable to get over
to N Y yet, but day before yesterday I got a pass to Brooklyn and
went out on a visit to my brothers widow, I could only stay about
three hours as I had to be back in twelve hours from the time of leav-
ing, so that it was not much of a visit, it does not seem so much like
home here as I thought it would though it is delightful to get
among among old acquaintances, schoolmates & companions of our
childhood, but having been away so long Wisconsin seems the most
like home to me, and it is there that I long to get back to, I have
traveled considerable at Uncle Sams expense but I never expected
that he would send me to these parts, he has however and I hope he
will let us remain at this post until he sees fit to send us to Wisconsin,
None of us are very anxious for service in Virginia again

GOSHEN N Y Oct 8th 1863
MARY

* * * As you will perceive by the heading of this letter we are now
in Goshen Orange County N Y, We came to this point day before
yesterday, the purpose is to enforce the draft which is now taking
place and preserve order &c Goshen is a place of about six thousand
inhabitants and famous for the largest dairies in the U S We are
now having a good time drinking the Orange Co milk and eating
some of the famous Goshen butter The latter is excellent I tell you
and comes in double good play as compared with the third class but-
ter that we have been in the habit of getting, in the army and at N Y

78 Documents

and at Albany also it was about impossible for us to buy any good
butter, here it is given to us, have the best living here that we have
had any place since leaving Wisconsin The Union people here were
very glad to see us come, some of them had got prepared to move
away the same evening we came Everything is quiet now but there is
little doubt that had there been no soldiers sent to this point, there
would have been a serious disturbance, The Copperheads are largely
in the majority in the City and in addition to these, there is a large
number of Irish employed on the Erie Rail Road which runs through
here and they would all have joined in the affair, especially if they
once got a little whiskey in them

I do not think we will stay here any longer than this week, where
we will then go it is impossible for me to tell at present, perhaps to
Virginia but I hope not, I am willing to go anywheres that I am or-
dered but still I have a choice of service and would rather stay in
N Y City, I was never so tired of any place out of Virginia before
the war or since it commenced as I was of Albany A meaner people
in general I never came across There were of course some honor-
able exceptions but they were few,

Time flies pretty swiftly with us here but I have seen the time that it
dragged very slow, it seemed as though a week was long enough for
two months, it still however looks quite a while ahead to the end of our
term especially if they keep us until July instead of May next as the
talk now is that they will so do, however if the Lord preserves our
health it will not be long in passing and then it will fill our hearts
with joy to greet our friends once more I wish I could say as you
do that scarcely an hour passes but I accomplish something, there is
day after day passes that I accomplish scarcely anything, do but
very little good to myself or any one else, it is hard to spend such a
valuable part of my life in such a way but it is the will of the Lord
that it should be so and I feel that I am doing my duty and nothing
more, You wish to know if I have any hope of the war being ended
soon, I have a hope that nine months will see the fighting over and
that one year from now will see peace fully restored and the stars
and stripes waving in triumph over all of our broad country and
proclaiming protection and liberty to all, who come under its
folds * * *

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 79

I think there is but little danger of any foreign nations pitching
in now, The defeat of Gen Rosecrans (if defeat it can be called)
only checked us for a few days, and Bragg was defeated in his object,
as much as Rosecrans was in his, and according to all accounts his
loss was heavier In Albany when the news first came that our forces
had been driven back you would hear rejoicing and laughing over it
all over the city Some of the 5th got into rows with some of them
and gave them a good threshing, and as much as we may be opposed
to fighting in general we cannot blame our boys, to hear the slaughter
and defeat of our comrades in the field chuckled over and made sport
of is more than our natures can endure and furthermore I do not
think it is our duty to endure such conduct and conversation in our
presence The disaster that I and most of the soldiers fear the most
is that these copperhead party may succeed in carrying the elec-
tions in two or three of the large states through lies and misrepre-
sentations and thus assist in prolonging the war by working against
the Authorities at Washington But I pray the Lord for the best

HAVENWOOD HOSPITAL
WASHINGTON Dec 13th 1863
RESPECTED FRIEND

Your letter of Nov 2nd after a long delay which neither you or I
could prevent reached me some four days ago and I now proceed
to scribble off a few lines in return I hardly think I will be able
to make out a letter, As I wrote in my letter to Keed I am getting
along very well though not as fast as I expected It has rained all
day yesterday and so far today which makes it very gloomy and the
damp air doesnt agree with our wounds, it makes them pain far
worse than usual, it fairly makes me ache all over just as I have
heard some old folks complain of the rheumatism, my arm aches so
that it is difficult for me to write, but I determined that I would not
put off writing to you beyond to day, for I know the sooner I write,
the sooner I will stand a chance to get a letter from you again; I
wish you success in your new school, though I suppose it is rather
hard for Louisa to lose your company up in that lonesome region;
For her sake I would wish that you had again got the Kossuth school,

80 Documents

I have not heard from my company for some time but guess that
what is left of them are getting along well, Those of them that are
wounded are in other hospitals than this and I have not learned
how they are getting along, there are some of our regiment here but
none of our company, Two wounded rebels are in the same ward
with me. they receive just the same treatment as our own men,
they are both very associable fellows, live in New Orleans, One of
them named Adams was formerly from Philadelphia, he is a very
smart intelligent young man and thus is quite a contrast to the
most of the Southern soldiers; His father is a Commodore in our
navy and his brother is a Captain in the same service, they have
both been here to see him, He is a secessionist of the most extreme
kind, he says he thinks we will conquer them but he will never live
under our government again, he will go to England or South America ;
The papers state that the Army of the Potomac are now going into
winter quarters, it is also rumored that Gen Meade is to be removed
from the command and that his successor will be either Gen Hooker
or Gen Thomas, I do not think Gen Meade has yet done anything
for which he should be removed, but if he is to be I think that the
army would be well satisfied to get Hooker back, The victories in
the west give great joy here; To the Army of the Potomac it is
highly satisfactory as it has given a fair chance for a comparison of
the fighting qualities of the Eastern and Western armies To us,
especially those of us from the Western states it has been extremely
mortifying as we have from time to time read extracts from home
papers reflecting on this army and bragging on the armies of Grant
and Rosecrans as superior to us, It is true they have been more
successful in what they have undertaken than we have been but they
have not fought under the disadvantages that we have, and it is a
source of pride to us that in the last battle in Tennessee, the soldiers
of the llth & 12th Corps which are a part of this army proved them-
selves as brave and competent as did the soldiers of the other armies,
neither are we ashamed of the gallant conduct of the 9th Corps which
went west with Gen Burnside ; I have seen letters from the 3d Wis in
the 12th Corps in which they say that they find a vast difference be-
tween the unwilling conscripts of Braggs army and the willing volun-
teers of Lees Army in Virginia We have just received the message

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 81

of President Lincoln and also the message of the so called President
Davis, I notice considerable difference in their tone, the former is
wrote in the language of a Gentleman and is full of cheerfulness and
encouragement; the latter is a strain of sorrow intermingled with
anger and continual complaint,

You inquire if I rej oice over the result of the recent elections, most
certainly I do, they have greatly increased our faith of ultimate
success, Last year when the elections in New York Penn & other
states went against the Union party, it caused a cloud of gloom to
come over the whole army and many of them were ready to give up in
despair, and when followed by the disastrous defeat at Fredericksburg
which took place just one year ago today, the boys lost nearly all
confidence, but a great change has been wrought since, it is but
another proof of the old adage

The mills of God grind slow
But they grind exceeding sure.

I repeat the following language of Rev Henry Ward Beecher

We find transcendent mercies intermingled with our afflictions
Our night has been long, its hours dark, its dreams troubled and its
watchings most weary, but it has had its stars too, and they have
led on the morning whose twilight is already on the hills Our day is
at hand, The nation is to live, it has gone through severe trial, it
has been tested in fire and has come out safe

Not the strength of our hand but the strength of our heart is the
sign that God means to save us, Not only the increasing military
successes, but also the growth of popular determination as mani-
fested in the late elections, that victory shall represent political
liberty these are the signs of the future and in these signs we shal
conquer May God hasten on the day

NEAR PETERSBURG VA

June 26th 1864
Miss SHELDON

I now commence to write you a letter according to promise, but I
must admit that after having delayed so long I feel ashamed to write

82 Documents

at all, An arduous, long, and overburdening campaign together with
declining health, have kept me so that I have not felt much like writ-
ing or doing anything else, except what I was obliged for to do;
had I remained on duty at the front I should probably ere this been
sick in hospital, but I happened to be fortunate enough to get the
chance of going to the rear and making out the discharge papers of
the regiment prior to its being mustered out of the service on the
twelfth of next month. So I have a pretty quiet time of it, and
manage to keep up though. I feel about threefourths sick all the
while, The weather is exceedingly and Tremendously hot and fear-
fully dry, the ground is fairly baked to a crust, We have had no
rain since — well I cannot remember when, I learn that you are
suffering in Wisconsin the same way; Notwithstanding the hot
weather and drouth, the battle rages here all the while, While I
write the roar of artillery from the battlefield around Petersburg is
continually sounding in my ear, Fearful have been the losses thus
far in the contest, and thousands more must probably be added to
the list before the object of the campaign is attained but the end
must come in due time, The Capture of Richmond may not take
place for the next three months, it may not take place this season,
but fall it eventually must before Grant and Meade get through with
it This has been a hard campaign, The wonder is that so many
have stood it through so far, Never has the history of any war
contained an account of such a steady perseverance on one part or
such a stubborn resistance on the other part as has been manifested
by the Union and Rebel armies in this campaign, Aaron Gibson is
back again, having recovered from his wound which was a slight one
on the top of the head. There are now eighteen men for duty in Co
A I hope and trust they may all come out safe and sound, it seems
awful hard for the boys to have to risk their lives now when their
time is so near up We have twenty eight of the old men all told,
sick, well, wounded, & detached, to go home to Manitowoc, providing
no more get killed,

* * *
Miss MARY

As my time is so near out and this is probably the last letter that
will ever pass between us I cannot seal it up without enclosing to you

Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer 83

my heartfelt thanks for the favor you have done me by correspond-
ing with me during my period of service in the army, Many a time
have your letters helped to drive away the lonesomeness of camp life
and mak[e] bright and joyful, hours which otherwise would have been
dark and weary; For this favor I shall always feel grateful, and
hereafter in whatever part of the world I may be whenever I think of
my soldiers life, those will be remembered who aided and cheered my
spirits during that life, foremost among which I may mention your-
self Keed, Sarah Gibson &c—

Yours Truly

J H Leonard

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS

GENERAL GRANT AND EARLY GALENA1

I was born near Philadelphia, in 1830, a descendant of the Welsh
who settled in that region more than two hundred years ago. In
1846 I accompanied my parents, sister, and three brothers to the
territory of Wisconsin, settling near Platteville. My good parents
have long since been gathered to their fathers, but their five children,
who came west with them, survive, a remarkable record. I question
whether this can be equalled by any other Wisconsin family. My
sister, Mrs. Sarah Westrop of Madison, is the eldest and past ninety ;
I am in my eighty-ninth year ; brother T. Elwood Evans of Cumber-
land, Iowa, is eighty-seven; brother George T. Evans of Belmont,
Wisconsin, is eighty-five; while the youngest, Henry Clay Evans of
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is seventy-six. The last-named went south
after seeing service in the Civil War and has since made a national
reputation as congressman, commissioner of pensions, and manufac-
turer. We all keep in touch with one another, and though H. C. is
farthest away, he writes me regularly no matter whether he may be
in Europe or America. We are proud of one another and think we
have a right to be.

When I arrived in southwestern Wisconsin, Galena was the great
trading and shipping center of this section. It had large wholesale
and retail establishments, and its now deserted levee was then crowded
with large steamboats, which brought merchandise and passengers
from St. Louis and other down-river towns and carried back lead and
other products of early Wisconsin. Indeed in 1836 to 1846, when
Chicago was a mud flat covered with flimsy wooden buildings, Galena
was a substantial place with large stone and brick warehouses and
elegant stone churches, a number of which are still in service, although
constructed more than eighty years ago. But the railroads and new
towns springing up caused the decline of Galena which, in 1856,

1 This article, the recollections of Mr. J. H. Evans of Platteville, was written
out by J. H. A. Lacher of Waukesha, after an interview with Mr. Evans in
February, 1919.

sr

H-

General Grant and Early Galena 85

boasted fifteen thousand people, three times the present population.
Platteville according to the last school census has now passed her
ancient metropolis.

Still I like to think of the past glories of Galena, for when I was
engaged in business at Platteville sixty years ago I had close business
relations with its leading merchants. And there were some big men
there in those times. One of the most famous Americans the country
has ever produced used to call on me just before the Civil War. I
well remember my first introduction to him. Together with another
county official I had been at Madison fruitlessly lobbying for the
election to the United States Senate of C. C. Washburn; while re-
turning by team to Lancaster we were accosted at midnight by two
men in a buggy, who inquired the way. My companion recognized
the voice of the speaker as that of Brown, a Galena salesman, who
then introduced us in the dark to his partner, Captain U. S. Grant.
It was too dark to distinguish his features, but some time afterward
Mr. L. S. Felt, one of the leading merchants of Galena, brought
Grant into my store at Platteville and again introduced me to him.
I offered them a cigar, but Grant did not smoke his, simply chewing
it and throwing it away. I met Captain Grant frequently there-
after, for he sold leather and bought hides in our section for his
father's branch tannery at Galena.

Although Grant was paid but a small salary by the firm of Grant
and Perkins, and lived in a modest brick house for which he paid $15
a month rent, he had strong friends among the leading men of
Galena, who evidently recognized the latent worth in the unassuming,
quiet captain. Foremost among these were Congressman E. B. Wash-
burne; A. L. Chetlain, dealer in queensware; L. S. Felt, dry goods
merchant; B. H. Campbell, grocer; J. Russell Jones, a partner of
Campbell ; John A. Rawlins, a young lawyer ; W. R. Rowley, clerk of
court; John E. Smith, jeweler; J. A. Maltby, gunsmith, and Colonel
Porter, a West Point man, then superintending the erection of the
postoffice at Galena. These were Grant's intimate friends, whom he
met almost daily when in town; and he made nearly all of them
officers in the army or in civil life. John Aaron Rawlins, who at the
outbreak of the war made a great Union address at Galena at which
Grant presided, was later his chief of staff, when the bonds of friend-
ship were still more closely cemented. He was deserving of all the

86 Historical Fragments

honors showered upon him, including a membership in Grant's cabinet
as secretary of war. Chetlain became a major general. Felt, one of
Grant's most intimate friends, was offered the position of collector of
the port of New York, but declined the honor. Campbell was ap-
pointed United States marshal of Illinois; while Jones was made
minister to Belgium. Rowley and Maltby became brigadier generals ;
as did John E. Smith, who made a pretty good one too. Porter,
who was partly of Oneida Indian blood, served on General Grant's
staff and he surely was a good one. Washburne, who represented the
Galena district in Congress from 1852 to 1869, was for a short time
secretary of state under Grant, but later distinguished himself as
minister to France.

Grant was loyal to his friends even though these did not always
measure up to the positions conferred upon them. Withal, his
Galena chums were a credit to him, as history testifies. Washburne
and Rawlins ranked well above the average among the men in public
life in those stirring days.

Shortly after the battle of Corinth I saw General Grant coming
out of a photograph gallery at Memphis, Tennessee; I immediately
entered and ordered a copy of the picture just taken. I have trea-
sured this picture all these years, but now I turn it over to the
Historical Society. I met Grant at Vicksburg, Memphis, and at
other points during the Civil War, but the last time I saw him
was right here in Platteville, in 1868. He surely created a bigger
sensation than when he used to come to our little city as a traveling
salesman less than ten years before. Some who had known him as a
modest, reserved man never could believe in his greatness, notwith-
standing his achievements. But I knew and admired him and I am
proud of the Mississippi Valley which produced him and most of the
great leaders of the Civil War.

I like to think of old Platteville and the stirring times before
and during the Civil War. I saw many notable men of those earl}r
days at Major Rountree's home. His wife was a cousin of my
mother. Among these I recall the poet Percival, who died in 1856
and was buried at Hazel Green. He was a frail, quiet, uncommunica-
tive man of sixty, then geologist of the state. Really, I could name
by the score the prominent men whom I met in early Wisconsin. Gen-
eral Grant, however, stands uppermost in my mind.

Early Advertising Policy of the Advocate 87

EARLY ADVERTISING POLICY OF THE RACINE
ADVOCATE

In connection with the movement in recent years against patent
medicine advertising, it is interesting to note that two of our early
editors in Wisconsin were far in advance of their time in this respect.

Marshall M. Strong was editor of the Racine Advocate from
October, 1843 until June, 1845. In the issue of February 27, 1844
he writes that it is "difficult to sustain the paper in the course which
we at first marked out; we excluded at once a large and profitable
class of advertisements." That Mr. Strong meant patent medicine
advertising is evident from an examination of the files of the Advocate.
Previous to his control we find two full columns advertising "German
Eye Water" and "Bilious Pills," both of which entirely disappeared
after he became editor. Later, finding no doubt that it was "difficult
to sustain the paper," he apparently yielded to necessity and ad-
mitted one column of advertisements including a corn cure, cough
medicines, and the ubiquitous German eyewater much curtailed.

When he ceased his immediate connection with the paper and
Philo White became editor there was a marked change of policy, for
four columns of this "profitable" advertising occupied important
places in the paper and continued to do so until another change in
the editorship in March, 1846 brought Mr. J. C. Bunner into the
chair. Mr. Bunner seems to have adopted very much the same
policy as Mr. Strong, refusing after a few issues to accept any more
yearly advertisements by either the column or the half column.
Again all patent medicine advertisements entirely disappeared from
the Advocate.

Neither of these editors stated his reasons for excluding any
particular class of advertisements; but it is reasonable to suppose
that both of them at least felt that long columns of such advertise-
ments did not add to the dignity nor worth of the paper. Mr. Strong
had a very clear idea of the value of good advertising. "What
gives one a higher idea of the business of a place than a busy-looking
advertising sheet, and what a poorer idea than a dull, black looking
sheet with large old type, containing a few stale advertisements and

88

Historical Fragments

the rest occupied with prospectuses of newspapers, magazines and
Lady's books." Feb. 20, 1844.

Mr Bunner, in the issue of May 12, 1846, objected to the practice
of some book publishers of using the free mailing privileges extended
to newspapers for sending books with lists of testimonials to be adver-
tised. This he considers an abuse of privilege as well as an insult to
editors and adds that "the puffing system has of late years been
carried to so great an extreme that we believe it is beginning to react.
Books are rarely produced except under a cloud of puffs * We

trust that in this part of the country, the press will join us in trying
to put an end to it, otherwise readers will pass over our opinions
* * * with supreme contempt."

These precursors of the "swat the lie" campaign deserve special
credit, since every newspaper in their day had a serious struggle for
existence ; paying subscribers were few, and it was necessary to rely
largely on what little advertising they could secure for support.

KATE E. LEVI

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION LETTERS

In June, 1919 the Society mailed to its members and exchanges
the first volume of the documentary history of Wisconsin's constitu-
tion which is now in course of publication. Volume II has been in
the hands of the state printer for several months, and the remaining
volumes in the series will follow in due order. The publication, there-
fore, of the following letters, recently uncovered among the manu-
scripts of the Historical Library, seems timely and appropriate.

Henry S. Baird, author of the first, was one of Wisconsin's lead-
ing men throughout the first generation of American occupation of
the state. The reminiscences of his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Baird, pub-
lished in volumes XIV and XV of the Wisconsin Historical Collections
bid fair to become a classic in the literature of the Old Northwest.
The present letter of Mr. Baird is a familiar one to his daughter
Louise, written from Madison at the close of the second week of the
first constitutional convention.

Our second letter was written by Chauncey Kellogg, who had
been a member of the first convention, to Andrew B. Jackson, a
member of the second convention. Other matters aside, its principal

Constitutional Convention Letters 89

interest at the present time lies in the discussion of the subject of
Americanization of alien elements in our population. It serves to
call attention anew to the fact, which most people are prone to ignore,
that this subject has been of perennial interest in Wisconsin, its
discussion antedating even the birth of the state. Had the sound
views of Mr. Kellogg and of others who thought with him prevailed
in the forties the state would have been spared the Bennett Law up-
heaval of the late eighties and much discord and travail since that
time.

MADISON October 18, 1846.
MY DEAR LOUISE,

I was much gratified to receive yours of the 7th, I hope you will
continue to favor me with a weekly bulletin, and that hereafter you
will not be so hard run for news to fill your sheet — I have to-day writ-
ten two long letters, to your Ma & Lizzy; besides two business let-
ters, wherefore you must not expect a very long epistle this time.
Indeed you must not expect me to be as punctual in our correspon-
dence as I shall require you to be; for altho' your household cares
may be considerable, yet as you have the aid of Mrs Polly, you must
be a good deal relieved & your burthens much lightened — On the
other hand I am constantly engaged in public duties each day from
9 O'clock until dark, and can find no leisure but on Sundays for let-
ter writing — You will see by the papers which I send, how we are
progressing ; I take it for granted, you see, that you read the papers,
— & should not be surprised to find when I return that you have
kept pace with the action of our Honorable Body, & will have the
provisions of the Constitution at your finger; no I mean your
tongue's end. I received your letter & your ma's of the llth at the
same time, last evening ; I also reed, a paper from Sammy ; I will send
him documents from time to time for publication — Eliza writes that
your Aunt is still at Milwaukee, having returned from the country,
after a visit of 2 or 3 days in a fit of the Blues; she expects Mr. D —
soon when they will return to the Prairie1 — & as they will pass this
way I will see them I hope —

1 Prairie du Chien.

90 Historical Fragments

The notorious Vineyard, who you know is a member of the Con-
vention, did not make his appearance until 3 or 4 days since; he
looks depressed & guilty— and receives no attention from any one.
Altho well acquainted with him in former times, I have not met him
face to face or spoken to him since his arrival; our seats are but a
few feet apart, & he has several times passed me in going to his seat,
but I have not noticed him— What a heart must that man have, my
Dear Louise, who could ever think of meeting in a deliberative as-
sembly in that room; for it is in the same council Hall, where that
horrid tradgedy was enacted, that we sit — ! Yes! and the assas'm
sits within ten feet of the spot where fell his victim ! ! and he has
doubtless more than once, since his arrival, trodden on the stain upon
the plank (which would be visible, but for the carpet that hides it
from view) caused by the blood of poor Arndt — ! ! But we will
leave him to his conscience, & this I have no doubt is his accuser;
altho he has to outward appearance escaped human punishment, yet
I doubt not but the canker-worm of remorse, weighs heavy on his
heart, if it be not made of stone.2

Our mess, which I before told you consisted of seven persons, is a
very agreeable set of gentlemen; we all agree remarkably well &
have a good deal of amusement and joviality — Our days are
occupied solely at the Capitol, but we spend our evenings sociably,
either in conversation or playing whist or Ucre, — We are most
comfortably situated, and are well taken care of by our kind & good
hostess — Mrs Shackelford is a general favorite with us all & is en-
titled to our esteem & admiration — If you could prepare & send over,
before I leave, some little presents for her little Collins & Amelia,
they would doubtless be much pleased — The latter is quite a favorite
with me ; Poor little girl, she cannot realize her loss ! I deeply feel

a James R. Vineyard of Grant County and Charles C. P. Arndt of Green Bay
were members of the Territorial Council. In the winter of 1842 during an alter-
cation on the floor of the chamber Vineyard shot and killed Arndt, although the
two men had previously been friends. The vest through which the fatal bullet
sped to the breast of Arndt may now be seen in the Wisconsin Historical Museum.
Vineyard offered his resignation to the Council which declined to receive it and
proceeded to expel him. On criminal trial for the killing of Arndt, however, he
was acquitted. Evidently he retained the esteem of his neighbors, for a few years
later he was elected to the constitutional convention of 184-6, and still later to the
legislature of 1849. The letter of Mr. Baird shows in what light his presence
there was viewed by at least some members of the body. Vineyard removed to
California in 1850 and died there thirteen years later.

Constitutional Convention Letters 91

for them both. This afternoon Mr. Agry & myself took a long walk
of about 3 miles, & I feel quite refreshed from it, after two weeks
close confinement in a room possessing no very great attractions —
Today has been most beautiful fall weather ; the air pure & bracing,
& its very appearance enough to banish sickness — Indeed the health
of the place & country is much improved — Several of our members
have not yet appeared, owing to sickness of themselves or families —
Our largest number yet assembled is 106 — this makes quite a formid-
able show, & the general appearance of the Body respectable — But
few are over 50 years of age, & from that age to 30 — Mrs Shackel-
ford told me last evening that a lady of her acquaintance had paid us
(I mean Mrs. S-s boarders) quite a compliment, saying that she had
got the cream of the convention; but this is mere talk you know
Louise, & does not in the least raise our vanity, but it is well enough
to tell it, for fear it would otherwise never be known. To-morrow
morning we will again have up the old exciting subject of Banks, &
we hope it will be then finally disposed of, when we can go at some-
thing else — I met Thomas Daily here soon after I arrived ; he lives
about 4 miles out of town -- He has been quite sick, as well as his
family — I have not seen James Lemon or Margaret, as the[y] live
about 12 miles from here — Mr. Irwin has I suppose again gone to
St. Louis; I expected he would have come this way -- Why has not
Capt. Cotton come on as he expected to do? I wish you to give my
love to all the girls, Marie J., Libb, &c. &c. Mrs. Irwin, Mary
Ann — in short to all of the ladies of my acquaintance both young &
old, who enquire about me, as well as respects to all friends — In
your letters you say nothing about the general health of the Bay ; I
hope it has improved --It is now nearly 10 O'clock at night & I
will close for the present, & perhaps add a line before I mail this —
Love to Ma, Grandpa & Grandma & Holmes & lots of kisses for
yourself — and believe me Dear Louise, most affectionately your,

Father.

Tuesday —

You have not mentioned in your letter anything about "Batty"
or "prince", I hope they are both well; present my compliments —
The weather here has become quite winter like; yesterday we had a
flurry of snow, which if it had lain would have whitened the ground —

92 Historical Fragments

This morning is clear & cold ; & ice has made its appearance ; this we
all hail as a harbinger of health — and we already feel its genial in-
fluence— Affectionately your &c -

[Endorsed] Henry S. Baird to his daughter.

19th Jany [1848]

DEAR SIR

Yours of Jany 8 came to hand by yesterdays mail with 2 papers —
the first thing you notice is that Dr Judd talks as much as Ever3

I would sugest that you raise a special Committee to enquire how
much he has cost the Territory in the 2 conventions more than the
majority of members and that the Excess be charged over to Dodge
County You say that the boundery line will probably be fixed some
40 miles North of the congressional line this I verry much regret I
would prefer by far that it should be from a hundred to a hundred
and 40 South — Your action on the Malitia Article meets my ap-
proval it is just where I sought to put it last year — but the
adoption of Mr. Shoefflers4 motion on the subject of common Schools
permiting schools in certain cases to be taught in other than the
English language is to me and Every one with whom I have spoken
on the subject very obnoxious we ought to Americanise all For-
eigners and nothing will tend more to this End than to have them
taught the prevailing language I hope you will see it consistant with
your views to do your endavours to prevent such a principal from
being fixed in the Constitution

I would write more but I fear I shall be to late for the mail —
written in the utmost haste for the above reason

Your friend

CHAUNCEY KELLOGG

'Stoddard Judd of Fox Lake, Dodge County, was one of the few men who
sat in both of Wisconsin's constitutional conventions. He was much interested
in railroad development and was president for a time of the Milwaukee and
La Crosse Railroad, the second to cross the state.

4 Moritz Schoeffler of Milwaukee, who was a native of Germany, came to
America in 1842 and to Milwaukee two years later. He established there in 1844
the Banner, Wisconsin's first German newspaper, and for thirty years continued
one of the prominent German-American journalists of the country. Mr. Schoeffler
was an ardent advocate of statehood for Wisconsin and a prominent leader of
German-American opinion in the state.

Constitutional Convention Letters 93

P S if there is any of the Journals of last convention to be had

please get me a Copy

I should like also one of this if so it Mought be

My respects to the Racine Deligation also if convenient to

Mrs Brigham and family

[Addressed to] Hon A. B. Jackson Member Constitutional Con-
vention Madison
[Postmarked] Sylvania W. T. Jany 19

EDITORIAL

A CRITIC AND A CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER
In the June issue of the MAGAZINE was noted the joint
legislative investigation of the conduct of the Historical
Society, comment thereon being reserved until the committee
should have completed its hearings and made its report. That
report was made to the legislature on June 12, and the time
is ripe to afford the members of the Society an account of
the committee's findings and of the circumstances responsible
for the investigation. Any public institution is a fair mark
for criticism and, particularly if it be of a constructive char-
acter, such criticism may be of much good to the institution
at which it is aimed. Whether the criticism to which the His-
torical Society has recently been subject has been of a con-
structive character we leave to the discrimination of our
readers to determine. In so far as practicable we present
the story through the medium of original documents, but
to the understanding of these a short introduction is essential.
In the autumn of 1916 Mr. Publius V. Lawson of Me-
nasha, a member of the Society and long a patron of the
Historical Library, requested the loan of certain volumes
which the rules of the library prohibited sending away from
the building. Displeased with this, Mr. Lawson indicated
his intention of carrying the matter to the state legislature.
Thus began a persistent campaign of criticism of the Society
which has now continued for two and a half years. Repeated
hearings have been had before legislative committees, a wide-
spread solicitation of state officials and private citizens has
been conducted, the matter of Mr. Lawson's complaints has
been before the curators of the Society on numerous occa-
sions, and widespread publicity has been accorded them by

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 95

the press of the state. The failure to convince any of the
many committees which passed upon his complaints that they
possessed validity or merit, however, has not operated in any
way to decrease Mr. Lawson's zeal in prosecuting them.
Meanwhile, a mass of misinformation was gradually being
disseminated over the state, which in the long run must prove
harmful to the Society. At the recent session of the legisla-
ture two bills were introduced, fathered by Mr. Lawson,
which those responsible for the administration of the Society
believed would affect injuriously its interests. Accordingly
the legislature was invited to make a thorough investigation
of the Society's affairs, with a view to determining authori-
tatively the matters at issue. The invitation was acceded to,
and in May and June a committee composed of Senators
Roethe and Pullen and Representatives S. R. Webster,
Hineman, and Roethel conducted exhaustive hearings,
taking several hundred pages of testimony. Mr. Lawson
appeared before the committee in the capacity of complain-
ant and was afforded unlimited opportunity to present his
case and to adduce evidence in support of it. He stated that
the only complaint "which I have ever made is that certain
books in the library which are now withheld from loaning
over the state of Wisconsin should be loaned, and the other
complaint is the anti-Wisconsin attitude of the Society in
its publications."

In actual practice, however, the investigation took a wide
range, embracing almost every aspect of the many-sided
activities of the Society. The findings of the joint committee
not only completely reject the contentions of Mr. Lawson
but they constitute a striking testimonial to the character of
the work of the Society and its usefulness to the common-
wealth. The complaints of Mr. Lawson are declared to have
been inspired by "misguided zeal," and to be "entirely un-
warranted and unjustified." In the matter of publications

1 Stenographic record of joint committee hearing, 7.

96 Editorial

the committee testifies its belief that the Society should pos-
sess "broad discretionary powers" ; it recognizes the fact that
the history of Wisconsin cannot be made separate and dis-
tinct from other history; to limit the Society's publications
to events that transpired within the present state boundaries
would be, the committee declares, "illogical and undesirable";
and it finds that no publications have been issued which
were not "entirely warranted."

The finding with respect to the loan of books from the
library is, if possible, even more sweeping. Quite contrary
to the complaint that the Society has not pursued a suffi-
ciently liberal loaning policy, "it has, if anything, pursued
a policy the committee would characterize as too liberal."
The library "from its very nature is not, was not intended
to be, and cannot be construed to be a circulating library."
Accordingly a bill was recommended (and subsequently
passed by the legislature) defining the loaning policy of the
library and expressly prohibiting in future the loan of works
on genealogy, newspaper files, and all rare or expensive
books, maps, charts, or other material which in case of loss
could not readily be replaced.

The concluding testimonial of the report, standing as the
voluntary tribute of a group of impartial judges, should
afford genuine gratification to every friend of the Society
and should increase the satisfaction of every member over his
connection with it: "The committee finds the affairs of the
Society, financially and in every other respect, most excel-
lently managed, with a staff, members of which have been
with the Society for a score of years or more and whose work
to them has become more a labor of love for the institution
and its success than for the pecuniary remuneration they
receive * * * The committee does not hesitate to say that
every member thereof was not only profoundly impressed
but actually amazed to find it such a big, comprehensive,
serviceable, and helpful institution in which the state may

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 97

take intense pride, and the committee hopes that every citizen
of the state may find opportunity to visit the library and see
from a personal inspection what a wonderful institution Wis-
consin possesses in its State Historical Society."

Notwithstanding this sweeping approval of the manage-
ment of the Society Mr. Lawson finds in the report a com-
plete vindication of his criticisms. In a letter supplied to
many leading papers of the state he assures the public that
"the only two contentions made in the complaint of the con-
duct of the Historical Society were sustained by the legisla-
tive investigating committee." Members of the Society who
take the trouble to compare this letter of Mr. Lawson with
the committee report upon which it is based will thereby fore-
warn themselves against undue disturbance over future
criticisms of the Society which may emanate from the same
source. We subjoin the documents which are most pertinent
to an understanding of the entire subject.

DOCUMENTS

No. 1 : PETITION TO THE LEGISLATURE OF 19172

MENASHA, Wis., Jan. 27, 1917.
MY DEAR MR. HART :

1 am writing you about a subject we are interested in as long time
citizens of Wisconsin, that is its historical records.

The Historical Society of Wisconsin has singularly failed of its
purpose. It has been appropriated millions of dollars by the state,
and while it never has done much in writing up the history of the
state, it has in the last three years given up state history entirely
and published numerous works on the history of Virginia, the Ohio
river region, and Lewis and Clark expedition up the Missouri River.
It has in preparation other works on the same subject, and in addi-
tion proposes to add books on the Gold Seekers of California and
numerous works on Kentucky, Virginia, and Pittsburg.

2 This was sent as a letter to Assemblyman Hart, who offered it as a petition
to the Assembly. The copy given here is taken from the Madison Democrat
of January 30, 1917.

98 Editorial

The publication of its foreign material has cost in labor of prepa-
ration, proof reading, printing and binding about $20,000 annually,
and in meantime Wisconsin history is sidetracked and abandoned.
The legislature never intended this use of its money and this foreign
matter publication is all illegal and not wanted by anyone.

Names of some of these books of foreign matter that in no way
concerns our state history are:

Preston and Virginia, dated 1916
Frontier Along Ohio, dated 1916
Lewis and Ordway (up Missouri) 1915

Also as to uses of the library of the State Historical Library.
The building cost the state $770,000 and the library about
$5,000,000. Heretofore the books have been loaned to people all
over the state, the borrower paying the expenses of course. That
was the purpose of the library and the reason of the support given
by the legislature.

Now by an order just passed by the advisory committee, the
loaning of books outside of the building is discontinued. Hereafter
books will not be loaned. That order reduces the library to a mere
city library of Madison and cuts out all use of the library unless
upstate people can take the time to visit the building at Madison, as
books cannot be taken from the building. The Superintendent (who
is not a Wisconsin man and not acquainted with the purpose of the
Society) declares he proposes to make the library purely a reference
library, same as the library of Congress.

As it may be difficult and possibly unwise to defeat any appro-
priation for the State Historical Society it could be cut down.

Also, there should be a proviso attached to its appropriation
reading like this:

"Provided the said Society shall loan in any part of the state at
the expense of the borrower for transportation, any of its volumes
for a reasonable time, not to exceed two weeks.

Also said Society shall not use any of said funds in the prepara-
tion or editing or publication of any works, either bound or unbound,
except such as pertain to the history of Wisconsin.

Also no such funds shall be used for the expenses of the annual
address unless the same concerns the history of Wisconsin.

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 99

Also no part of said funds may be expended to promote historical
enterprise other than such as concern the history of Wisconsin."

Yours truly,

PUBLIUS V. LAWSON
[To ASSEMBLYMAN HART]

No. 2: REJOINDER TO MR. LAWSON'S PETITION

HON. CHARLES F. HART,

State Capitol,

City.

MY DEAR SIR:

For your information and that of other members of the legisla-
ture I beg leave to direct your attention to a highly erroneous state-
ment concerning the State Historical Society which was offered by
you to the Assembly in the form of a petition on January 29. If
deemed proper, I respectfully request that this communication may
be placed before the legislature in the same way as the petition re-
ferred to.

In general your petitioner asserts that during the last three
years (which happens to be the period of my administration of the
Society) a marked change in the ideals and policies of the Society
has taken place, as a result of which its interests have become en-
tirely divorced from the subject of state history and its funds are
being spent illegally on "foreign" projects; furthermore, that from
being a library whose collections are loaned freely all over the state
the executive board of the Society has recently prohibited the loan
of all books, thus reducing it to the status of a Madison city library.
In particular, numerous detailed statements are made designed to
illustrate these general propositions.

With respect to this petition I regret to say that while not every
one of your petitioner's detailed assertions is erroneous, most of
them are, and that the net effect of the petition is totally mislead-
ing. In venturing to call your attention to these errors my purpose
will be merely to show you that the Society's policy today (in the
points complained of) is identical with that pursued under the ad-
ministrations of my two predecessors, Draper and Thwaites.

100 Editorial

With respect to the Society's publications it has never been the
practice to confine their contents wholly within the geographical
boundary of the state. The first volume ever published by the
Society (in 1855) contains at least one article on the Revolution in
the West. From this first volume down to the latest issue more or
less material has been published pertaining to things outside the
geographical boundary of the state. It will probably be conceded
by any sane man that the Society could hardly do otherwise if it
publishes at all. For example, how can we deal with the history of
the Swiss settlement without saying something about Switzerland?
Or how can we deal with the history of the Civil War without noticing
some of the things which happened to Wisconsin's soldiers after they
crossed the state boundary? Evidently it becomes a matter of judg-
ment to what extent the publications of the Society shall be exclu-
sively local and to what extent they shall take a wider range. In my
own judgment (and the best scholarly opinion of the country can
be cited to support me) discussions of such themes as the Revolution
in the West, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and of proper indexes of
the Society's own collection of manuscripts are unquestionably
proper subjects to which to devote the Society's activities.

Turning to the question of the supposed illegality of the work
complained of, I desire to call your attention to the fact that the
Society's charter granted by the legislature in 1853 authorizes it to
"ordain and enforce a constitution, by-laws, rules, and regulations,"
not inconsistent with the constitutions and statutes of the United
States and the state of Wisconsin: and that article 1, section 1, of
the Society's own constitution adopted in 1897 in pursuance of this
authorization sets forth as the object of the Society "the collection,
preservation, exhibition, and publication of materials for the study
of history, especially the history of this state and of the Middle West ;
to this end, * * * publishing and otherwise diffusing information
relative to the history of the region, and in general encouraging and
developing within this state the study of history." Without being
a lawyer I am under the impression that the foregoing is conclusive
with respect to the question of legality. Whether conclusive or not
it is clear that the practice which you have been informed is illegal
is of over sixty years' duration and that the three secretaries of the

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 101

Society, Draper, Thwaites, and myself, as well as the numerous state
officials who have in the past disbursed state funds in this connection
are alike responsible for the practice.

Turning to the matter of the loan of books from the library the
practice today stands on the same basis as it has always stood so
far as the sources of information at my command disclose. The
library has always been regarded as primarily a reference library.
Along with this books have been circulated to such an extent as might
be possible, having in view the general character of the library and
the extension of the greatest service to the greatest number of users.
There are certain classes of books which are not loaned away from
the building either because of their rarity or value, or because of the
consideration that the greater interest of the public is served by re-
taining them for use within it. There is nothing new about this
policy. It is true that changing conditions and demands from time to
time must be met by corresponding changes in the application of the
general policy laid down. The executive committee has passed no
order to my knowledge prohibiting the loan of books from the library,
and there has not been a day since my administration began that
books have not been out on loan. On January 29, the day you in-
troduced your petitioner's communication, some fifty of our volumes
were scattered over the state and about one hundred thirty more
were in the hands of teachers and students of the University, state
officials, and others here at the capital.

The reasonable limits to which this communication may extend
will not permit me to note and refute all of the errors of detail con-
tained in your petitioner's communication. I request, therefore, that
my omission to note any given assertion shall not be construed as
acquiescing in its accuracy.

You have been informed that in the last three years the Society
has given up state history entirely. I merely note by way of com-
ment that at the present time the state printer has in course of pub-
lication two volumes, one devoted wholly to state history (An Eco-
nomic History of Wisconsin during the Civil War Decade) and the
other chiefly to the history of the state ; and further that there has
not been a single instant during the three years of my administra-
tion during which one or more works on the history of the state has
not been under preparation.

102 Editorial

You have been told that the cost of this "foreign" work is about
$20,000 annually. For the reason that the work is inextricably
bound up in the general administration of the Society it is not
possible for me to give a precise statement of the sums spent annually
on that portion complained of. It is perfectly safe to say, however,
that it does not exceed one-fifth the amount you have been informed.
The detailed information upon which this estimate is based will
cheerfully be placed at your disposal if you care to take the time
to go into it.

You are informed that the library building cost the state
$770,000 and the library itself about $5,000,000. I do not perceive
that this information is at all germane to the subject under discus-
sion, yet I advert to it by way of illustrating the carelessness of your
petitioner's statements. The cost of the library building, it is true,
was $770,000. There is no way of ascertaining at the present day
the cost of the library through the sixty years of its existence. Since
1901, however, the appropriation for the purchase of books and
similar material has totalled about $97,000. During the Civil War
period nothing whatever was being spent. For the whole period
from 1854-1901 it seems probable that the average expenditure did
not equal or exceed one- third the amount appropriated since 1901.
Assuming, however, an annual average expenditure of $6,000 for the
entire sixty-three year period the total amount would be something
less than $400,000 instead of the $5,000,000 you have been informed.

With respect to the advice which your petitioner gives the legisla-
ture as to the conditions which it should attach to the Society's
appropriation, it may be said that in part matters of judgment only
are involved. Of the wisdom of the petitioner's judgment I submit
this single illustration: It is complained that the annual address in
the last three years has not concerned the history of Wisconsin. The
titles of the three addresses in question (the last two of which only am
I personally responsible for) have been : The Treaty of Ghent — and
After ; The President of the United States ; and Abraham Lincoln as
War Statesman. Concerning the first it may be noted that both
British and American armies operated in Wisconsin during the War
of 1812 and that the very address complained of recounts the
strenuous efforts of the British negotiators of the treaty to make

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 103

Wisconsin along with the Northwest a great Indian barrier state.
With respect to the second and third I venture to observe that the
president of the United States is also the president of the citizens of
Wisconsin and that Abraham Lincoln was war statesman for Wis-
consin as well as for the rest of the country ; in short, that all three
of these subjects were eminently proper for the State Historical
Society of Wisconsin to listen to; and that whether proper or im-
proper they differ in no material respect from the addresses of pre-
ceding years when the administration of the Society was in other
hands than my own.

In conclusion, permit me to remind you that in the Historical
Library the state possesses one of the great reference libraries of the
country, recognized as such far and wide by scholars. It is not ques-
tioned that the legislature has the right either to destroy it or to
revolutionize it at its option. The measures aimed at by your peti-
tioner amount not to a reform, but to a revolution. On every proper
occasion I have urged members of the legislature to visit the library
and acquaint themselves with its operation. I desire to improve the
present opportunity to extend this invitation to you personally and
through you to every member of the present state legislature. Until
you shall thus acquaint yourself with our work I respectfully sug-
gest that it would be inadvisable on the strength of mere unfounded
assertions either to revolutionize or to ruin the state's greatest
library.

Very truly yours,

[Signed] M. M. QUAIFE
February 1, 1917.

No. 3 : FORWARD WISCONSIN3
By Publius V. Lawson, LL. B.

In reports of the Superintendent of the State Historical Society
he says:

"It may readily be conceded that established society in Wisconsin
is still too immature."

3 This document, thus entitled by the author, was sent in broadcast fashion
to public officials and private citizeas of the state during the autumn and winter
of 1918-19.

104 Editorial

"That the citizens of Wisconsin have never individually come to
the support of their historical society."

"A large portion of the citizens of Wisconsin are uninformed
concerning its work, and even unaware of its existence."

The entire state has just passed through a period of reply to
slander of our good name from outside, and the author of that quoted
above expects a reply. Wisconsin leads the world in art, literature,
education, political science, welfare laws, statesmanship, invention,
mechanics, manufacture, agriculture, dairying, bred cattle, bred
seeds, and medical science. In seventy years of statehood it has ad-
vanced the world most in comfort, progress and human rights of
any similar commonwealth. Nothing immature about that.

As to the support of the Society: The state has built for it a
beautiful marble building costing $770,000, donated something over
a million dollars for its library, and much more than a million for
maintenance of the Society. During the five years past the state
has donated about $350,000 for maintenance, out of which the one
who wrote the above libel on our people has taken about $20,000.
In bequests the Society have received $114,000 during its existence.
The above is a complete answer to nonsupport by our state indi-
vidually and collectively.

As to the admission that the Society has not met with its ex-
pected success, and therefore the people of the state are "not aware
of its existence," is unfortunately too true. The reason is obvious.
The reason is its one man factor, whose work is scattered, scheme-
less, with no logical or natural order or design to promote the his-
tory of Wisconsin, but ranges over a rummage field, from an insult
to the Pope of Rome to a "reprint" on "ginseng plant," two
centuries out of date. It may interest loyal admirers of our state
to look over the slack scattered and useless efforts of the Society
and therein will be found the reason why the Society gets nowhere.
It is to be found in its kind of publications. An annotated list of
the motley disassociated subjects with a territorial range of the whole
union is given below.

The purpose of founding the Society was to promote the history
of Wisconsin and not to exploit the gold diggers of California, or
reprint a two century old French work on ginseng, or exploit a news

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 105

article making insulting reference to the Pope. Draper in numerous
addresses told how the Society was to glorify the state. Judge
Baensch, its president, said four years ago, "the plan of the Society
contemplates it be the people's society."

The charter of the Society limits its right to publish in these
words, "to diffuse and publish information relating to the descrip-
tion and history of the state" — Chapter 17, Laws 1853. This right
has never been changed or modified and stands the governing law of
the Society today. The Society has not now and never had any
right to employ its staff in editing foreign works not pertaining to
the history of our state, or to publish them at expense of its tax-
payers. To do so is a criminal misuse of the funds of the Society.
The legislature has made the Society generous donations assuming it
would conform to its foundation law and exploit the marvelous story
of our state. No one ever expected it to waste its time and rich
inheritance as promised by the Superintendent, "to include every im-
portant aspect of the historical field," for which "no single lifetime
will suffice." To include this world history the name of its published
works is changed from the well-known "collections" to "publica-
tions," and error of law, morals, and judgment that has been vigor-
ously practiced, while work on Wisconsin history he reports as
"indefinite and remote." Thus our state on the waiting list is
forgotten.

The Society should have at its head one who is for our state,
who loves its story and traditions. The reputation, glory, and won-
derful achievements of the great pioneers of art, letters, science, and
mechanics who have made our state the grandest of all common-
wealths should not be left to uninformed strangers to record their
glorious works.

A list of illegal miscellany and misfit literature produced by the
Society:

"Removing the Papacy to Chicago" — a ribald jest, uncalled for,
and exposing the entire schemeless fritter of present activities of the
Society. Moreover the article is copied from the Chicago press
without credit. It should be repudiated.

Proposed volume on Ginseng — a reprint of a French work of
1716, on ginseng, two centuries old. Fortunately this work of trans-
lation has been held back by the war.

106 Editorial

Captain Pryor — 8 pages — an officer in Lewis and Clark Expedi-
tion.

"Dream of Northwest Conspiracy" — 40 pages — relates to the
Civil War conspiracy of Vallandigham.

Journal of Journey Detroit to Miamitown, Indiana in 1790. 52
pages proceedings.

Proposed to publish "one or more volumes on California Gold
Seekers" having procured several diaries for this purpose and adver-
tises for more.

Journal of Lewis and Ordway up the Missouri River to the
Pacific — a volume of 444 pages, which critics say contained nothing
new as all had been published before. Cost state about $5,000. Five
members of the staff labored on it for six months.

Proposed work on Kentucky History has employed the time of
the staff for four years. Recently the Superintendent exults in
getting $2,000 from Kentucky to help pay for assistance on the
work. Thus calmly making of Wisconsin a print shop to edit, print,
publish, and bind the history of Kentucky.

"Chicago's First Lawsuit" — a slave case tried in Louisiana — 15
pages.

"McKay's Journal" — of journey on upper Missouri River, 24
pages, of which the Superintendent says, "It is not expected that
it will prove interesting."

Reproduction of all files of Missouri Newspapers down to 1825.

"The Frontier a World Problem" in which the name of our state
does not occur.

"A Constitutional Series" "will run to several volumes." This is
the special travail of the Superintendent, "unmature" in state his-
tory and unlearned in the law — unsuspecting that "brevity is the
soul of wit."

Magazine of History, should be of "Wisconsin History."

"Frontier advance on Upper Ohio" contains old letters of the
Revolutionary war near Pittsburgh, of which four volumes have
been issued costing the state about $20,000, and employed the best
talent in the Society who could work wonders for our state history
if permitted to do so. Two volumes more of the work is promised at
the expense of Wisconsin and its history.

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 107

The Farmer Bottomley papers in a volume costing several thou-
sand dollars, which was an "enterprise to which the personal atten-
tion of the Superintendent" was given, best exhibits his conception
of the glorious achievements of the people of this state and why
he regards them as "immature."

The Preston Virginia papers — a volume calendar, which the
Superintendent says "is as interesting as a tax list," cost the state
about $5,000. The report says : "It is expected before its termina-
tion this series will include a considerable number of volumes."

The Annual Address for the last five years has been made by an
outsider on a subject not connected with the state.

The superintendent and staff are employed most of the time on
six periodicals not connected with the Society, but edited, proof
read and carried on at its expense and in its offices. These are:

(1) The proof reading and work due to editing the volumes
brought out by the Lakeside Press of Chicago. State does not print
the work as yet.

(2) "The Mississippi Valley Historical Review" — a quarterly
edited, and all work done by the staff. The state has not as yet been
asked to print it, but the Society pays $200 to aid the work.

(3) "In like fashion it assists in making possible the publica-
tion of "Writings on American History"

(4) "It has donated the labor, by no means light, of editing
the "Proceedings of the Mississippi Valley Historical Society"

(5) Development of Chicago — a volume edited and proof read
by the staff, but state not yet asked to print.

All the information of this paper is found in reports of the
Society for 1914-15-16-17.

The publication of this inappropriate material has been justified
by the Superintendent by reference to the work of his predecessor,
Dr. Thwaites. But the reference is an injustice. The Sons of the
American Revolution paid for the three volumes of the events of
the Revolution on the Upper Ohio, and Dr. Thwaites never supposed
the Society was authorized to carry on publication of foreign history.

108 Editorial

No. 4 : REPORT OF THE SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE or THE LEGIS-
LATURE TO INVESTIGATE THE AFFAIRS AND MANAGEMENT OF
THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY*

The special joint committee of the legislature appointed under
joint resolution No. 48, S. to make an investigation of the manage-
ment and affairs of the State Historical Society and report to the
legislature, submit the following report:

The committee had exhaustive hearings on the affairs of the
State Historical Society, especially as relating to complaints made
by Honorable P. V. Lawson, and while admitting Mr. Lawson's deep
devotion to the Society and as having only its best interests at
heart, in the judgment of the committee a misguided zeal led him to
make complaints that the committee finds were entirely unwarranted
and unjustified.

In the opinion of the committee the Society should have broad
discretionary powers in the matter of publications that it issues, and
while these publications should relate primarily, of course, to the
history of our own state, the committee recognizes the fact that
this history cannot be made separate and distinct from other history,
especially the history of the great West, of which Wisconsin was
originally an integral part; and to limit historical publications to
events that transpired within the present state boundaries appears
illogical and undesirable. This matter should, the committee be-
lieves, be left entirely to the discretion and good judgment of the
Society. The committee finds that the Society has issued no pub-
lications that were not entirely warranted.

In regard to loaning books from the library the committee be-
lieves that the Society, quite contrary to the complaint made that it
has not been responsive enough in complying with requests for the
loan of books and other material from the library, has if anything
pursued a policy the committee would characterize as too liberal.
The State Historical Library from its very nature is not, was not
intended to be, and cannot be construed to be a circulating library.
Many of its books are rare volumes that could not be replaced at
all or only at great expense and it would seem preposterous to allow

4 Reprinted from the Senate Journal for June 12, 1919.

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 109

these to be sent broadcast over the state. The committee is of the
firm opinion that the State Historical Library was intended to be a
reference library and all acts of the legislature and the wording of
the charter, constitution, and by-laws of the Society seem to bear
out that assertion. The rooms of the Society are open at all times
to the public to secure any desired information and the committee
finds that it is not even necessary for persons living outside of the
capital city to come to Madison to secure the information they want
but that it will be furnished on written application by the Society,
the staff of which the committee finds is ready at all times to make
the most thorough research of its collections to obtain and supply
the information desired. The courtesy and accommodation of the
staff in such inquiries for information could not be more commend-
able. To find books and volumes necessary for research work by
parties who come to the reference library missing therefrom because
they have been sent out to other points in the state would be in the
opinion of the committee an ill-advised state of affairs. The practice
of loaning out books has been it seems merely one established by
custom. The committee recognizes the fact that there may be books,
pamphlets, and other material not of intrinsic value and not of a
rare nature that can with propriety be loaned out on request with-
out detriment to the interests of the Society as an accommodation
to the public, and the authority to make such loans might wisely be
possessed by the Society to be exercised in its discretion and judg-
ment subject to such rules and restrictions as may be adopted by
the Society.

In the absence of statutory provisions on this subject the com-
mittee introduces and recommends for passage the following bill in
order that there may be no more controversy over the loaning of
books by the Society.

A BILL

To create subsection (8) of section 44.02 of the statutes, relat-
ing to the State Historical Society.

110 Editorial

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and
assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. A new subsection is added to section 44.02 of the
statutes to read: (44.02) (8). To loan, in its discretion, for such
periods and under such rules and restrictions as it may adopt, to
libraries, educational institutions, and other organizations, or to
private individuals in good standing, such books, pamphlets, or
other materials that if lost or destroyed could easily and without
much expense be replaced; but no work on genealogy, newspaper
file, or book, map, chart, document, manuscript, pamphlet, or other
material whatsoever of a rare nature shall be permitted to be sent
out from the library under any circumstances.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage and pub-
lication.

The committee also recommends for indefinite postponement bill
No. 51, S., re-referred to this committee from the committee on state
affairs.

The committee finds the affairs of the Society financially and in
every other respect most excellently managed, with a staff, members
of which have been with the Society for a score of years or more, and
whose work to them has become more a labor of love for the institu-
tion and its success than for the pecuniary remuneration they re-
ceive. This is highly gratifying in view of the high standing and
reputation the Society, which was founded in 1853, has obtained all
over the nation. Housed in one of the finest buildings of the state,
with a floor space of three acres, in which are deposited over 200,000
invaluable historical volumes and documents, constituting the third
and perhaps second largest historical library in the United States
and one of the largest in the world, it has become a repository of
reference material that is consulted for important information not
only by every class of activity in our own state but often in the
nation. The committee does not hesitate to say that every mem-
ber thereof was not only profoundly impressed but actually amazed
to find it such a big, comprehensive, serviceable, and helpful institu-
tion in which the state may take intense pride and the committee
hopes that every citizen of the state may find opportunity to visit
the library and see from a personal inspection what a wonderful
institution Wisconsin possesses in its State Historical Society.

A Critic and a Certificate of Character 111

A complete record of the proceedings at the hearings held by
the committee is attached herewith to be filed as a part of this report.

SENATOR H. E. ROETHE, (Chairman)
SENATOR A. J. PULLEN
ASSEMBLYMAN S. R. WEBSTER
ASSEMBLYMAN M. L. HINEMAN
ASSEMBLYMAN HERMAN ROETHEL

No. 5 : MR. LAWSON'S COMMENT ON THE REPORT OF THE JOINT
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE**

"The press notice sent out from Madison entitled 'Historical
Society Given Clean Slate,' was incorrect, not true, and misleading.
The Historical Society is housed by the state in a granite and marble
building costing $770,000. The state has appropriated some
$6,000,000 for equipment and maintenance in the last seventy years,
and this year $63,500. For five years past most of the publications
have been books on Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Lewis and
Ordway up the Missouri River, all of it thirty to seventy-five years
before Wisconsin was a territory. Promised works were several
volumes on the gold diggers of California, and translation of a work
on ginseng from Paris, 200 years old. Because of such gross neglect
of Wisconsin history the legislature investigated the Society.

"In its findings the committee was careful to refer to the great
collections of the Society and administer rebuke without injuring the
Society, in which it was wise. Of its publications the report says:
'The publications should relate primarily, of course, to the history of
our state, the committee recognizes the fact that this history can-
not be made separate and distinct from other history, especially the
history of the West of which Wisconsin was originally an integral
part.' This finding was exactly in accordance with the complaint
made in which it was shown the anti- Wisconsin attitude of the Society
had in late years almost entirely ignored state history.

"Another complaint was the refusal of the Society in last four
years to loan genealogies outside of the building, for the sole reason
someone may call at the library to consult the book while it is loaned
up state. It was maintained by complainant that the people up state

6 Reprinted from Milwaukee Journal, July 2, 1919.

112 Editorial

who paid for the books by taxation have as much right to the loan of
the books as the one who called at the library. And the expense of
going to Madison to consult the books was prohibitive. The investi-
gating committee entirely agreed with this view, and proposed a bill
compelling the loan of all books except those 'of a rare nature.'

"Thus the only two contentions made in the complaint of the
conduct of the Historical Society were sustained by the legislative
investigating committee."

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES

THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE

From the date of the last report (in the June "Survey of His-
torical Activities") to July 8, 1919, thirty-eight persons became
members of the State Historical Society. Six of these were life
members, as follows : Rev. Harry W. Blackman, Algoma ; Dr. G. R.
Egeland, Sturgeon Bay; William O. Goodrich, Milwaukee; Asher B.
Nichols, Jr., Milwaukee; Miss Louise Schlegelmilch, Eau Claire;
W. E. Wagener, Sturgeon Bay.

The following thirty- two persons joined the Society in the ca-
pacity of annual members : Miss Olive M. Anderson, Ephraim ; Miss
Grace L. Blackford, Albany; Mrs. James J. Blaine, Madison; Rev.
Realf O. Brandt, McFarland; C. E. Broughton, Sheboygan; Francis
A. Cannon, Madison ; H. L. Cooper, Jamaica Plain, Mass. ; William
N. Clark, Radisson ; Rev. F. S. Dayton, New London ; Mrs. H. P.
Greeley, Madison; H. A. Hartman, Milwaukee; E. Helgeson,
Ephraim ; Miss Agnes L. Holdahl, Ellsworth ; Rev. Joseph Jameson,
Jacksonport; Paul G. W. Keller, Appleton; B. P. Larkin, Benton;
Rev. Henry A. Link, Marshfield; Rev. James C. Morris, Madison;
Erwin P. Nemmers, Milwaukee; O. M. Olson, Ephraim; William A.
Oppel, Madison; H. L. Peterson, Sturgeon Bay; Dr. Thomas C.
Proctor, Sturgeon Bay ; Dr. A. J. Pullen, Fond du Lac ; Rev. F. P. O.
Reed, Chippewa Falls ; Rev. D. A. Richardson, Madison ; Hon. H. E.
Roethe, Fennimore ; C. S. Smith, Ephraim ; Harrison A. Smith, Madi-
son; H. E. Stedman, Sturgeon Bay; Everett M. Valentine, Ephraim;
Rt. Rev. W. W. Webb, Milwaukee.

Dr. A. J. Pullen and Hon. H. E. Roethe were the two repre-
sentatives from the senate on the joint legislative committee which
during the spring conducted the investigation of the affairs of the
Society. A gratifying indication of the nature of the impression
which the investigation made upon them is afforded by the fact that
immediately upon its conclusion both Dr. Pullen and Mr. Roethe
indicated their desire to become members of the Society.

In the death of Frederic K. Conover of Madison, May 7, 1919,
the Society lost one of its oldest and most devoted curators. Mr.
Conover was born on the University campus in 1857, the son of Pro-
fessor Obadiah Conover, and spent his entire life in Madison. For
nearly thirty-six years he had been the reporter of the Supreme

114 Survey of Historical Activities

Court of Wisconsin, his father having held this office for the twenty
years preceding Mr. Conover's term. Quiet and retiring in disposi-
tion he discharged his duties with unusual care and ability, making
the Wisconsin reports a model for accuracy and clarity. Mr.
Conover became a curator of the Historical Society in 1893 and
served continuously until his death, a period of more than a quarter
of a century. With W. A. P. Morris and Senator William F. Vilas
he was chiefly instrumental in drafting in 1897 the Society's present
constitution and by-laws.

Orlando E. Clark of Appleton, long a member of the State His-
torical Society and likewise for long years a regent of the University
of Wisconsin, died at his home May 22, 1919. The death of Mr.
Clark is a distinct loss to his home community, to the University,
and to the Historical Society. Elsewhere we note the gift by the
family of certain of his papers to the Society.

Philo A. Orton died at his Darlington home June 17, 1919 at the
age of eighty-two. Mr. Orton was a native of New York who came
to Wisconsin in 1850. His father, Justice Harlow Orton, was one of
Wisconsin's leading jurists. He was also one of the founders of
the State Historical Society, having sponsored in the legislature the
bill which still stands of the charter of the Society, and thereafter
until his death as member and officer manifested an active interest in
the Society's work and welfare. The son, Philo Orton, was likewise
a member of long standing in the Society. He was prominent in the
affairs of his home community, serving as judge, district attorney,
legislator, and for twenty-nine years as president of the board of
education.

Chauncey H. Cooke of Mondovi was born at Columbus, Ohio, in
1846. He spent his youth in pioneer Wisconsin and at the age of
sixteen enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry. In May,
1865, on his nineteenth birthday, he was mustered out at Madison,
a veteran of nearly three years' campaigning. Mr. Cooke went into
the service with his father's dictum that this was "a war for human
rights and human liberty" ringing in his ears. His diary and war
time letters, published in booklet form some years since, give evidence
that he afforded a good example of the type of citizen soldiery of
which America is justly proud. He so conducted himself in after
life that the business houses of his home city closed for two hours
on the day of his funeral, May 14, 1919. Boy though he was, Mr.
Cooke's soldier letters were charmingly written. We look forward
to a suitable opportunity for laying some of them before our readers
by printing them in a future issue of this MAGAZINE.

The Society and the State 115

On May 3, 1919 died David F. Sayre of the town of Porter, Rock
County, aged ninety-seven years. Mr. Sayre's interesting career was
noted in our survey for June, 1919. A graduate from college in
1844, he came to Wisconsin five years later, practicing law in Fulton
for a time and then removing to the farm where he passed the remain-
der of his long life. Not long before his death Mr. Sayre turned over
to the Historical Library two reminiscent articles on life in early
Wisconsin which we hope eventually to lay before our readers.

Lucien B. Caswell, "grand old man" of Fort Atkinson died at his
home at the age of ninety-one, April 26, 1919. Born in Vermont in
1827, at the age of nine years he was brought by his parents to Wis-
consin. Chicago was then a small town of three years' antiquity,
while Milwaukee had seen its first growth of any consequence that
same season. The family spent the winter of 1837 at Juneau's trad-
ing house, Milwaukee, and in the spring removed to a farm in Rock
County near Lake Koshkonong. Here young Caswell grew to man-
hood. He read law at Beloit in the office of one Matt. Carpenter,
and in 1852 opened a law office at Fort Atkinson. Thereafter for
sixty-seven years Mr. Caswell practiced law in this community. For
sixty-five years he was a member of the school board of the place.
He organized the First National Bank of Fort Atkinson during the
Civil War and was serving as its president at the time of his death.
He was actively connected with other industrial enterprises of his
home community and bore a prominent share in its public and social
life. In 1862 Mr. Caswell accompanied Governor Harvey's party
to Tennessee bearing supplies to Wisconsin's sick and wounded
soldiers, this being the journey which ended in the death of Governor
Harvey by drowning in the Tennessee River. Mr. Caswell repre-
sented his district in Congress for fourteen years beginning in 1874,
and had a part in much important legislation. In recent years he
devoted much of his time to preparing a history of his life ; and this
narrative it is said will be published at some future date.

It may perhaps be a matter of news to many friends of the State
Historical Society that its library contains one of the principal
collections of works on Mormonism in existence. Some additions of
unusual interest have recently been made to the periodical section of
this collection. From a very early date in its history the Mormon
Church exhibited great proselyting zeal, missionaries being sent
forth in true apostolic fashion to the ends of the earth. In par-
ticular did the mission to England flourish; and almost from the
time of its establishment a constant stream of recruits journeyed
across the ocean in search of their promised land. The proselyters
had much faith in the power of the press, and Mormon periodicals

116 Survey of Historical Activities

were established wherever the faith gained a real footing. The recent
additions to the Historical Library are Vol. 1 of Le Reflecteur, estab-
lished at Geneva in January, 1853; Vol. 1 of Etoile Du Deseret,
begun at Paris in May, 1851 ; and Vols. I, II, III, and VI of Ugdorn
Seion neu Seren Y Saint, established at Merthyr-Tydfil, Wales, in
January, 1849.

We take pleasure in reporting to our members an act of graceful
generosity on the part of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Two
or three years ago its editor, Mr. Worthington Ford, was engaged
in reproducing by photostatic process the early file of the Boston
Gazette, one of America's earliest newspapers. The paper was estab-
lished in 1719; and it chances that the only file for several of its
early years which has escaped destruction is preserved in the Wiscon-
sin Historical Library. Accordingly Mr. Ford sought and obtained
the opportunity of photostating these volumes. Late in June there
came to the library a shipment of eleven bound newspaper volumes,
photostatically reproduced, and simultaneously therewith a letter
from Mr. Ford explaining that they were being sent as a gift from
the Massachusetts society in recognition of the courtesy we had ac-
corded them. The volumes include every known issue of the Gazette
from its establishment in 1719 to the end of the year 1736. "It is
presented," Mr. Ford writes, "to the State Historical Society of
Wisconsin by the Massachusetts Historical Society, in recognition
of its generosity in permitting it to use the Wisconsin file. I would
add that only two sets were printed, one for your library and one
for this Society." The gift is one of much intrinsic value, but we
prize it the more for the evidence it affords of the good will felt
for us by the oldest American historical society.

Over one hundred bound volumes of eighteenth and early nine-
teenth century newspapers, the most important single acquisition of
newspaper files in many years, came to the Society in June. Excluding
from consideration portions of files which duplicate papers already
found in our newspaper collection and also numerous short or scat-
tering runs, the more important items thus acquired are listed below.
They constitute a gratifying addition to the Society's great and ever
growing collection of newspaper files. The dates given are inclusive
in all cases:

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Gazette, 1766-69.

Georgetown Federal Republican and Commercial Gazette,
August, 1812-August, 1813.

Baltimore Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph, 1817-
May, 1821.

The Society and the State 117

Washington Republican, 1823.

Washington National Journal, 1826-30.

Washington United States Telegraph, April, 1827- April, 1829 ;
July, 1833-February 1837.

Cincinnati Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Gazette, September, 1829-
June, 1830.

Boston Courier, August, 1829-August, 1830; 1831-32; July,
1833-34.

Columbus Ohio State Journal and Columbus Gazette, January-
June, 1831.

Baltimore Commercial Chronicle and Daily Marylander, August-
December, 1834.

Charleston Mercury, 1835-36; 1841-April, 1842.

Lexington (Ky.) Intelligencer, July-December, 1835; July,
1837-39.

Washington Globe, July-December, 1835.

Milledgeville (Ga.) Journal, January- June, 1836.

Detroit Daily Advertiser, July, 1840- April, 1842.

Vicksburg Daily Whig, 1840-41; November, 1860-March, 1861.

Washington Union, November, 1843-50; 1853-54; July, 1855-
April, 1858.

New Orleans Price Current, 1845-August, 1846; September,
1853-August, 1857.

St. Louis Price Current, May, 1856-April, 1857.

Through the kindness of Richard Lloyd Jones, editor of the
Wisconsin State Journal, the Society has come into possession of a
gift of unusual historical interest, one intimately associated with the
death of President Lincoln. We tell the story of it in the words of
Mr. Jones in his letter transmitting the gift to the Society :

"In the summer of 1907 I received a letter from a lady whose
name I have unfortunately forgotten, stating that her sister and she
possessed the counterpane under which Abraham Lincoln died and
would like to turn that counterpane over to me to dispose of as I
saw fit. Would I please advise her if I were willing to accept it
either as a gift or as a trust. On the evening of that day I called
upon her. She and her sister were living on one of the eighty's on
the west side of New York City, in a very fine house, though unpre-
tentious in the New York sense. They were obviously people of
affluence and culture.

"They showed me the counterpane and told me that it was in
their aunt's house that Mr. Lincoln died. That house is now occupied
by the Oldroyd Lincoln Collection. When their aunt gave up that
house some years after Lincoln's death, she gave this historic coun-

118 Survey of Historical Activities

terpane to her two nieces. They had kept it in their New York
home, but were planning to move to Italy to spend the remainder of
their lives, and did not wish to take such a valuable relic.

"Knowing my interest in Lincoln matters, they decided to turn
it over to me and in doing so they made it a gift to me personally,
stating that they would be satisfied with any disposition I might make
of it. At that time the ladies wrote out a full statement of the facts,
giving their names, address, and the date of the transfer, which paper,
I am sorry to say, was mislaid when I moved from New York to
Madison. Should it ever come to light I will, of course, turn it over
to the Wisconsin Historical Society. This counterpane, it may be
stated, was the best spread of the household and when Mr. Lincoln
was carried from the Ford theater directly across the street the best
the house could provide was of course his. The counterpane was
not used by the family after Mr. Lincoln's death.

"Very truly yours,

RICHARD LL.OYD JONES."

Madison, April 15, 1919.

The thirteenth annual meeting of the Waukesha County Histori-
cal Society was held in the Congregational Church at Waukesha,
May 3, 1919. Aside from business reports, election of officers, and
musical offerings two historical papers were given. Dan Camp dis-
cussed "The Old Fashioned Family Doctor," and Mrs. Elmer Harris
told of "Early Days at North Lake and Vicinity."

Reports from Prairie du Chien convey the information that in
April last one of the city's old landmarks was destroyed to make way
for a modern improvement. The building in question was erected in
1817 by Frances La Pointe and for nearly forty years was used as a
store in conducting the fur trade with the Indians. It stood on a lot
which had been claimed and occupied by one Jean Marie Quere in
1786. From him the title passed to La Pointe in 1817.

To Captain David G. James of Richland Center, Civil War and
Andersonville Prison veteran and long an advocate of woman suf-
frage, came in June a peculiar and gratifying distinction. Illinois
and Wisconsin ratified the suffrage amendment to the federal con-
stitution the same day and thus became the first two states to ratify.
There ensued a race for the honor of being first to place the official
notification in the hands of the Secretary of State at Washington.
Illinois entrusted her certificate to the mails, while Wisconsin with
greater shrewdness pinned its hopes upon Captain James. Entrusted
with the certificate, he beat the mail service of Uncle Sam in the race

The Society and the State 119

to Washington and gained for Wisconsin the honor of being the first
state officially to record its ratification of the suffrage amendment.

At the opening of June the city of Ripon celebrated with impres-
sive ceremony the seventy-fifth anniversary of its birth. The opening
program was staged in Ceresco Park, opposite the Phalanx building
where the original document of incorporation for the village was
drawn. S. M. Pedrick, curator of the State Historical Society, de-
livered an address on "The Wisconsin Phalanx."

On July 5, 1869 the Old Settlers' Club of Milwaukee County was
formally organized. During the half century that has since passed
the Club has been a definite and active factor in the life of the com-
munity ; and its history has afforded much material for the emulation
of similar organizations. Two meetings are regularly held yearly, a
banquet on Washington's birthday and a summer outing usually held
at Soldiers' Home. At the time of writing this notice plans were
under way for the appropriate observance by the Club, late in July,
of its semicentennial anniversary.

On June 19, 1919 an Indian festival was held at Reserve on the
Lac Courte Oreilles reservation in Sawyer County, in celebration of
the homecoming of some eighty soldier boys which the local Chippewa
band furnished to the United States army in the World War. In
honor of the occasion Governor E. L. Philipp and a party which in-
cluded Dr. W. C. Deemer of the United States Forestry department
and Mr. C. E. Brown of the State Historical Society made the jour-
ney from Madison to Stone Lake and from there to Reserve to be
present.

The ceremonies of the day began at 10 A.M. with the celebration
of high mass in the Indian church; this impressive service was fol-
lowed by a Corpus Christi procession through the streets of the
village led by the visiting Catholic priests, soldiers, and the congre-
gation. After the return to the church, a sumptuous banquet was
served by the ladies of the reservation to the state officers, priests,
and soldiers.

The ceremonies of the afternoon were held on a tract of land
fronting on the principal village street and overlooking charming
Little Lac Courte Oreilles. These were introduced by several musical
numbers rendered in a bowery booth by the band of the Indian school
at Hayward. Addresses of welcome to the Governor and his party
were here delivered by several prominent Indians and by the sheriff
of Sawyer County, to which the Chief Executive of the state re-
sponded in a fitting manner. The widely advertised Victory dance

120 Survey of Historical Activities

followed these addresses, about one hundred Indians, both men and
women, in picturesque native costumes taking part to the music of
several war drums. This dance continued for more than an hour,
there being, because of the unusual heat of the day, several intermis-
sions to permit the dancers to rest. During one of these intermis-
sions Governor Philipp was led into the dance circle and honored by
being formally declared a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Chip-
pewa band; he was given the very appropriate Indian name of
Bugonakeshig II (Hole-in-the-Day), this having been the name of a
former war chief of the northwest Wisconsin Chippewa. Later in
the afternoon an equally interesting and energetic squaw dance was
given, this and musical numbers by the Indian band closing the
program of the festival.

A concourse of several thousand whites and Indians attended the
festival, among the latter being native chiefs and families from the
reservations at Odanah, Lac du Flambeau, and Red Cliff and from
the St. Croix River band. A number of Dakota chiefs and their
wives, clad in the characteristic buckskin, war bonnets, and beadwork
ornaments, attended from South Dakota, special favor being shown
to these. Every Indian home in Reserve entertained to its capacity
numerous visiting relatives and friends. Dr. Deemer and Mr. Brown
remained on the reservation during a part of the following day to
obtain moving picture film, about one thousand five hundred feet of
which was secured. A copy of this Indian festival film is to be pre-
sented to the State Historical Society.

The period of the World War has been the most interesting in the
history of postage stamp collecting. It is stated that of a total of
3,157 stamps issued by the countries concerned in the war the United
States and allies have been responsible for the appearance of 2,274
varieties, whereas the Central Powers have issued 689 new stamps.
The neutral countries have not been idle. At least ten of these have
been forced by the war to issue new stamps.

The postage stamps issued during the war include charity and
Red Cross; military, for use of the troops; occupation, for use of
peoples of invaded lands; war tax; commemorative; revenue, and
provisional issues made necessary because of shortage of customary
paper or dyes, or increase of postal rates. It is to be expected that
during the next year hundreds of new stamps will be issued by all of
the countries taking part in the war and by the many new countries
which have come into existence because of it.

For several years past the State Historical Museum has been en-
gaged in assembling a representative collection of American and
foreign postage stamps and it now requests its numerous friends

The Society and the State 121

throughout the state to present to it all specimens of war stamps and
any others of interest which may fall into their hands. Foreign
postcards and envelopes and wrappers with interesting specimens of
stamps upon them are also very much desired for the state collection.
The Museum also wants United States precancelled stamps. The
more duplicates the better since they can be used in making
exchanges.

Special exhibits of postage stamps are made by the Museum
throughout the year and these serve to interest hundreds of boys as
well as numerous adult collectors who visit its halls. It will, there-
fore, be grateful for any help which citizens of the state can give in
perfecting its collection. In many homes are old stamp collections,
large and small, made by some former member of the family; for
such collections the Museum will be very grateful. Letters may be
addressed to Mr. C. E. Brown, chief of the Historical Museum,
Madison.

THE CARTER CIVIL WAR LETTERS

An interesting addition to the great collection of Civil War let-
ters now in the possession of the Historical Society was the acquisi-
tion in May of about one hundred twenty-five letters written during
the war by the late Captain Richard E. Carter of Dodgeville to
his brother, William E. Carter of Lancaster, Grant County, and
other members of the Carter family. Three Carter brothers, Richard
E., William E., and George B., served in the Union army and all rose
to distinction at the bar afterwards. The Carter letters follow in the
main the movements and the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac,
and being written by a young man of some academic training their
observations and estimates are interesting. The writer occasionally
observes, for instance, that McClellan is not a Napoleon or he would
have followed up his advantages at times, and he early discerned the
rising star of Grant. After the Union repulse at Fredericksburg in
December, 1862, Captain Carter writes that he wishes the two armies
of Virginia might stand and watch each other from opposite banks of
the Rappahannock "for three years, or during the period of the war,
unless sooner discharged," and let the army of the West do the
fighting, "as they have always done." "Would," he continues, "that
they could transfer our six or seven regiments to the West where
we belong," etc. He is frequently in great depression over the war's
outlook and censorious of the military policies, except that of the
West, "where," he says ironically, "success, as usual, crowns our
arms."

That the State Historical Society was not overlooking the pos-
sibilities of such material as these letters contain is indicated in the
following passage from one of them :

122 Survey of Historical Activities

"I this day got a letter from the State Historical Society of
Wisconsin in which I am informed that I have been elected a corre-
sponding member of the Society asking me to keep a diary, etc., for
them. Would you do it? May it not be a benefit?"

Whether or not Captain Carter kept a diary, he wrought admir-
ably toward the same general end in these letters, which reflect much
of the inner life, practices, and politics of the army.

THE ORLANDO E. CLARK PAPERS

The family of the late Orlando E. Clark, a regent of the Univer-
sity recently deceased at Appleton, has presented a few papers to the
Society. Among them are some notes on the genealogy of the Clark
Family of Saybrook, Connecticut, and some eighteenth century ser-
mons of the Reverend Peter Stair of Warren, in the same state.
The most important papers are those relating to the Democratic
national convention at Charleston in April, 1860, adjourned after
the secession of the Southern members to Baltimore. James Ford
Rhodes says, "Never before or since has there been such a mingling
of curiosity, interest, and concern as now prevailed concerning the
action that would be taken by the national Democratic convention
[of I860]." The Clark papers contain the official proceedings of the
Wisconsin convention that in February elected delegates to the na-
tional convention. Some material on the Illinois state and Cook
County Democratic conventions foreshadows the secession at Charles-
ton. For the national convention there are the manuscript lists of
all the state delegations, and other papers concerning contested
seats, especially those from Maryland and Georgia — these appar-
ently are part of the documents of the committee on credentials.
Manuscript copies of the proceedings and resolutions of the rump
convention at Baltimore complete the collection. Throughout his
busy life Mr. Clark methodically arranged and carefully preserved
his private papers. The prospect is held out by the family that
when time shall have been afforded to examine these papers the His-
torical Society may expect to receive all whose character is such as
to make this disposition of them appropriate.

THE MERRELL, PAPERS

The papers of the Reverend Edward Huntington Merrell, D.D.,
former president of Ripon College, have been presented to the Society
by his widow, Mrs. Ada Clark Merrell. Dr. Merrell came from Ober-
lin College to Wisconsin in 1862 and devoted the remainder of his life
to forwarding the educational interests of our state. At the time of
his migration to Wisconsin the college at Ripon was in its infancy.
With the election in 1863 of President William H. Merriam, the
college took a fresh start. Professor Merrell assumed the chair of

The Society and the State 123

ancient languages and upon the resignation of President Merriam in
1876 was elected his successor. For sixteen years President Merrell
struggled to establish the college on a firm foundation, and he so far
succeeded that to his regime Ripon owes much of its present prosper-
ity. In 1891 President Merrell retired and accepted the chair of
philosophy, which he held until 1907, when he was elected professor
emeritus. He died in February, 1910.

The papers which Mrs. Merrell has presented to the Society
cover the period from 1870 to 1910; but the bulk of them relate to
the era of Mr. Merrell's presidency and include his correspondence
with well-known benefactors of western colleges both in the East and
in the central West. A few political letters concern the national situ-
ation in General Grant's administration and the situation during the
Bennett Law agitation in Wisconsin. For the most part, however,
the letters relate to educational and religious matters, the affairs of
the college, the administration of missions, the question of the ortho-
doxy of prominent divines. Altogether, although small in bulk, these
papers are unusually interesting for the study of religious history in
Wisconsin. For Ripon College students the collection is enriched by
the letters and testimonials gathered by Mrs. Merrell when preparing
a memorial of Mrs. Clarissa Tucker Tracy, one of the earliest mem-
bers of Ripon's faculty, who "mothered" the students as well as
taught and inspired them.

THE UPDIKE PAPERS

Eugene Grover Updike, born in 1850 in New York State, removed
as a boy to Wisconsin and was thereafter identified during his entire
life with the state and its institutions. Sturdy both physically
and mentally, a strong, independent thinker, and a moral leader
of absolute fearlessness, he contributed as much as any man of
his generation to the spiritual upbuilding of Wisconsin. He was
educated at Lawrence College and entered the ministry of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church in 1876. He held pastorates at Montello,
Delavan, Lake Mills, Racine, and Milwaukee. From the latter place
he went in 1889 to a church in Englewood, Illinois, whence the next
year he came to Madison and entered upon his life work as pastor of
the First Congregational Church. Here he had the privilege of
preaching to thousands of the youth of the state in attendance at
the University, as well as of upbuilding the strongest church of that
denomination in the state. After a pastorate of twenty-seven years,
Dr. Updike died December 24, 1917. Mrs. Updike, who was one of
the Favill family of Lake Mills, followed her husband in less than a
year. Through the kindness of her executors such of Dr. Updike's
papers as have historical value have been placed in the State Histori-

124 Survey of Historical Activities

cal Library. They are rich in autographs of both political and
religious leaders of the last generation. Among them we note letters
from Judge Cassoday, John C. Spooner, Amos P. Wilder, Lyman
Abbott, Charles Kendall Adams, Bishop James Bashford, Rev. John
and Rev. Henry Favill, Washington Gladden, Judson Titsworth,
Bishop John H. Vincent. These papers are useful for the religious
history of the state, particularly for conditions in Wisconsin Metho-
dism, when Dr. Updike about thirty years ago went over into Con-
gregationalism. Although few in number they bear witness to the
noble character of the man and the high esteem in which he was held
by all moral progressives of his day. From such papers as these,
historians of the future can reconstruct the struggle against the
liquor traffic, and the fight for pure government, as well as the moral
and spiritual uplift of our people during the generation that is now
passing away.

THE, HENRY P. HAMILTON COLLECTION

Through the interest and generosity of the late Henry P.
Hamilton of Two Rivers the State Historical Society has become the
owner of his remarkable collection of archeological materials. This
great collection comprises the most notable gift of its kind, perhaps,
which has come to the Society since its founding seventy years ago.
For years it has been one of the best known private collections of its
character in the country and has been visited and viewed at Mr.
Hamilton's home by many of the leading American archeologists and
ethnologists, as well as by hundreds of collectors and students. De-
scriptions of it or of some of its contents have been printed in various
books and pamphlets on American archeological history. In the re-
ports of the Wisconsin Archeological Society, especially, many
of its interesting classes of specimens have been described and illus-
trated. Some years ago a valuation of $30,000 was placed upon it
by a leading American dealer in antiquities since which time numer-
ous valuable additions to it have been made. Several large eastern
museums have at different times opened negotiations with its owner
with a view to obtaining it.

This collection has the special interest for students of local
archeology of having been made almost wholly from old Indian vil-
lage sites, mounds, and graves in this state. According to a recent
statement of its owner the majority of its specimens were obtained
from the Lake Michigan shore line between Two Rivers and Two
Creeks and from the immediately surrounding regions in Manitowoc
County. A catalogue is not yet available, but the contents include
among numerous other specimens the largest number of native copper
implements and ornaments in any collection, public or private, in the

The Society and the State 125

United States. Many of these are of the largest size, of the finest
ancient aboriginal workmanship, and of rare forms. Their collec-
tion and preservation has been for years Mr. Hamilton's specialty.
They are said to number fourteen thousand pieces. The collection
also contains numerous fine examples of Wisconsin flint implements
as well as of stone axes, celts, hammers, gouges, adzes, and chisels.
The series of fluted or ornamented stone axes is equalled only by
that in the Ellsworth collection in the Logan Museum at Beloit Col-
lege. Of the highly prized ornamental and ceremonial Indian art
forms such as bird stones, banner stones, gorgets, boat stones, plum-
mets, cones, hemispheres, pendants, beads, and tubes there are many
specimens. The assortment of pipes is an exceptional one. There are
also many choice implements and ornaments made of antler, bone,
hematite, shell, and of other materials and pottery vessels of a num-
ber of shapes and sizes. Mr. Hamilton was one of the first collec-
tors in the United States to recognize the great beauty and value of
the exquisite so-called "jewel points" made of agate, jasper, and
other semiprecious stones. His specimens, which number over two
thousand, were selected from among the eighteen thousand which he
once possessed; they were found on the banks of the Columbia and
other rivers in Oregon and Washington.

Mr. Hamilton began the collection of Indian implements and
ornaments in 1884, his interest in these being inspired by the noted
pioneer Wisconsin collector, Frederick S. Perkins of Burlington.
Although a man of large business interests in his native city and else-
where his enthusiastic interest in aboriginal stone and metal artifacts
continued up to the very last moments of his life as shown in his
letters to the chief of the Historical Museum. He was recognized as
a leading student of American archeology and carried on a large
correspondence with other collectors and experts in this field. He
was one of the organizers and for many years an officer and active
participant in the work of the Wisconsin Archeological Society, being
at the time of his death one of its vice presidents. He was also for
years a member of the State Historical Society.

Mr. Hamilton died at the Presbyterian hospital at Chicago on
June 15, after a short illness, his death being greatly regretted by
a wide circle of friends.

CHARLES E. BROWN

THE COUNTY WAR HISTORY WORK

The most notable historical drive ever made in Wisconsin, prob-
ably, has been that conducted under the inspiration of the Wisconsin
War History Committee appointed by the State Council of Defense
early in 1918; its function was the securing for permanent preserva-

126 Survey of Historical Activities

tion of the current records of Wisconsin's part in the Great War.
Although authorized by the State Council and enjoying its active
sympathy the committee was composed of active members of the State
Historical Society and its work was supported and directed by that
organization. Its immediate direction was placed in the hands of a
member of the Society's working staff (first Dr. John W. Oliver;
after his enlistment Mr. A. 0. Barton) who was detailed by the Su-
perintendent for this purpose and given the title of Director of the
War History Committee. Due to the enthusiastic labors of these
two men, war history committees were organized in every county of
Wisconsin and in all hundreds of workers were enrolled in the service
of saving the records of the Badger State's participation in the
Great War. The work of the county committees is still going on,
but that of the state committee has concluded. We print below a
portion of the final report upon the work, made by Mr. Barton, di-
rector of the state committee and chairman also of the Dane County
committee. Its perusal should afford gratification to every friend
of the cause of patriotism and local history in Wisconsin.

"The war history work may be said to be in a satisfactory condi-
tion in the great majority of counties. While a number of counties
have reported that they have nearly completed their records, none
has entirely ceased work and the greater number are still some dis-
tance from their goal. This is due largely to the fact that many of
the state's troops have but recently returned or are still abroad.

"It is gratifying to note that in most of the counties having the
larger cities, such as Superior, Racine, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac,
Kenosha, Green Bay, La Crosse, Janesville, Appleton, Eau Claire,
Manitowoc, and Stevens Point, the work fell into capable and inter-
ested hands. In all these counties excellent results have been obtained.
Perhaps the larger counties with the best records are Sheboygan,
Fond du Lac, Eau Claire, Outagamie, Racine, Kenosha, and Brown,
and among the smaller Adams, Clark, Waukesha, Taylor, Dunn,
Crawford, Waushara, and Green Lake. In the two largest counties,
Milwaukee and Winnebago, the progress has been less, but in both
these counties the War Mothers have come forward with substantial
aid of much promise. A half dozen counties have little to show as yet.
Among these are Juneau, Dodge, Iowa, Oconto, and Waupaca.
Juneau and Iowa will probably receive good attention soon. Some
county councils of defense made appropriations for the history work ;
others gave neither funds nor encouragement. The correspondence
files will give further light on the status of the individual counties.

"In a number of counties war histories and albums are in course
of publication, chiefly by outside concerns. Among such counties
may be mentioned Brown, Columbia, Burnett, Dunn, Door, Iowa,
Crawford, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix. Oneida, Marquette, Waushara, and

The Society and the State 127

Green Lake. It is also probable that histories will be written by local
historians in the counties of Kenosha, Green, Racine, Lafayette,
Trempealeau, and Ozaukee. The historians, acting or prospective,
are : Brown — Chicago publishers ; Door — H. R. Holand, Ephraim ;
Columbia — J. E. Jones, former editor, Portage; Marquette — C. H.
Barry, editor, Montello ; Waushara and Green Lake — R. S. Starks,
editor, Berlin; Crawford — Lyman Howe, editor, Prairie du Chien;
Polk — Editor, Luck Enterprise; Rusk — D. W. Maloney, editor,
Ladysmith; Burnett — E. Huth, editor, Grantsburg; Iowa — Gran-
ville Trace, editor, Dodgeville; St. Croix — F.A.R.VanMeter, editor,
New Richmond ; Dunn — M. C. Douglas, editor, Menomonie ; Kenosha
— Miss Cathie McNamara, Kenosha ; Racine — R. W. Haight, Racine ;
Green — C. H. Dietz, teacher, Monroe; Lafayette — P. H. Conley,
Darlington; Trempealeau — Judge H. A. Anderson, Whitehall;
Ozaukee — Rev. T. A. Boerner, Port Washington; Oneida — W. P.
Colburn, principal, Rhinelander; Outagamie — W. H. Kreiss, Apple-
ton; Richland — W. G. Barry, editor, Richland Center.

"Your retiring director visited fifty of the seventy-one counties
and met the chairmen of a number of others. The counties not visited
were chiefly those in the far northern part of the state or such as
seemed so well organized as to need less attention.

"Several hundred pictures have been received from a number of
counties, including Washington, Sauk, Dane, Trempealeau, Milwau-
kee, Jefferson, Dunn, Eau Claire, and Green ; more are promised from
other counties. Final reports from several state activities have been
received, including the council of defense, fuel and food administra-
tions, county agents, physicians, naval enlistments for the state, etc.

"In a number of counties the War Mothers have been enlisted to
collect the military biographies, letters, and pictures and are now at
work in Dane, Milwaukee, Winnebago, Langlade, Jefferson, Polk,
and perhaps other counties.

"War History chairmen or those having the work in hand in the
various counties, follow: * *

The Dane County History Committee, of which your director
is chairman, has turned all its soldier cards, letters, and pictures
over to the War Mothers, Mrs. J. R. Commons, chairman, who will
complete this work for the county. Among other things the com-
mittee has also received files of practically all county newspapers
for the period of the war, a voluminous report from the County
Council of Defense, and hundreds of reports from minor activities
and organizations in Madison and throughout the county.

Respectfully submitted,

A. O. BARTON,

Director, Wisconsin War History Com-
mittee and Chairman, Dane County War
History Committee."

128 Survey of Historical Activities

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Theodore C. Blegen ("The Competition of the Northwestern
States for Immigrants") has been for several years teacher of his-
tory in the Riverside High School of Milwaukee. Two years ago
Mr. Blegen spent the summer in the employ of the Wisconsin His-
torical Society, the fruit of his effort being the exhaustive Report on
the Public Archives which has recently been distributed to our
members.

Louise P. Kellogg ("The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848") is
senior research member of the staff of the State Historical Society
and a frequent contributor to its publications.

James Bracklin ("A Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery") was for
over thirty years superintendent of logging and driving for the
Knapp-Stout Lumber Company of Menomonie. His narrative lays
no claim to literary polish, yet we think it possesses in ample degree
the two chief attributes of literature, simplicity and sincerity.

R. G. Plumb, who contributes the Leonard Civil War letters, is
a business man of Manitowoc. Mr. Plumb is an enthusiastic member
of the Wisconsin Archeological Society and is considered the leading
authority on the subject of Wisconsin lake harbors. He has written
a number of articles and pamphlets on archeological subjects and is
an old-time member and friend of the State Historical Society.

SOME WISCONSIN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

A Little Flag Book compiled by Hosea W. Rood, patriotic in-
structor for the Wisconsin G. A. R., has for its object to promote
patriotism, which the author defines as "love of country in action,"
and to give information concerning flag customs and flag etiquette.
The laws relating to the flag are compiled by Arthur F. Belitz, as-
sistant revisor of the statutes. About half of this pamphlet is de-
voted to the history of the two hundred battle flags of the Civil War.
They were first placed in the capitol according to a law passed in
1870, which in 1875 was revised to provide cases wherein to exhibit
these trophies. In 1895 the battle flags were given into the custody
of the Historical Society and removed with its effects in 1900 to the
new building on the lower campus. The next year by order of the
governor these flags were returned to the capitol, whence they were
rescued during the fire of 1904 and again returned to the Historical
Society's custody. There they remained until 1914, when during a
Grand Encampment of the G. A. R. they were once more carried back
to the capitol. With the opening in June, 1918 of Memorial Hall

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 129

in the capitol's north wing permanent cases were provided, and the
old flags arranged in regimental order with proper indications of
their history. The remainder of the pamphlet comprises the official
uses and customs for the United States flag, its symbolism, and the
proper modes of showing it respect, the times and methods for
salutes, the days for its display, and the state laws passed to prevent
its desecration. The book also describes the first state flag, adopted
by the legislature in 1863; it was of dark blue silk with the arms of
the state "painted or embroidered" upon the obverse and those of the
United States with the regimental name upon the reverse. In 1913
the specifications were modified so that the state coat of arms must
be "embroidered on each side with silk." The expense involved in
embroidering the flag in this manner has rendered its use rare. The
pamphlet closes with a plea for a more constant employment of the
national flag in the homes, churches, civic buildings, and in the
private room of each citizen of the commonwealth.

In our March number we mentioned a pamphlet upon Americani-
zation published by the State Council of Defense. The University
of Wisconsin is the first university in the United States to establish
a chair of Americanization. This was filled last fall by the appoint-
ment of Don D. Lescohier, associate professor. Under the auspices
of the Extension Division Professor Lescohier has issued a Prelimi-
nary Bulletin outlining the plans of the department and the tenta-
tives for action. He discusses the meaning of "Americanization"
and disclaims such aims and methods as have been employed by Ger-
many and other nations which have attempted forcibly to assimilate
alien elements of their population. Our aim is not to require the
foreigner to meet any rigid obligations of language or customs, but
to produce a mutual understanding on the part of the alien, of
what is best in American life ; on the part of our own people, of the
alien's peculiar difficulties and the opportunities that should be
afforded him. This requires the older Americans to lay aside their
prejudices and indifference and to assist the newcomers to share the
privileges and fit themselves for the responsibilities of American life.
Americanization thus becomes a process of education in mutual un-
derstanding. The leaders in this movement aim to utilize agencies
already established, such as the public schools, the Y. M. C. A., the
Y. W. C. A., community centers, social settlements, women's clubs,
churches, etc. The function of the University is not to supplant
other agencies but to supply for them advice, research, and the train-
ing of leaders. For this purpose a training course for teachers of
Americanization was held in Milwaukee February 25 to May 8. In
Racine a naturalization course was undertaken by four hundred
eighty-two candidates for citizenship, concluded with a banquet and

130 Survey of Historical Activities

a civic pageant. The University summer session offered special
courses in Americanization. A state-wide movement is being under-
taken in cooperation with the United States bureau of naturalization
to work with the judges and the communities in making naturaliza-
tion an honorable and impressive ceremony, recognized by the entire
community. The Extension Division of the University furnishes
lectures, an information bureau, and correspondence courses in
English and citizenship. May the movement so auspiciously begun
in Wisconsin receive the recognition and support of the entire state.

The League of Nations is at present probably the foremost sub-
ject in the thoughts of the American people. The Wisconsin Library
Bulletin for January furnishes a selected bibliography on this subject
prepared by Graham H. Stuart, executive secretary of the Wiscon-
sin branch of the League to Enforce Peace. For 1915 Mr. Stuart
cites five books, for 1916 and 1917 eight each, and for 1918 twelve
that discuss the fundamentals of such a league. If but one book may
be chosen, he would select H. N. Brailsford's A League of Nations,
which "treats the entire subject in a sane, broad, logical manner,
shows a thorough knowledge of world politics, and covers practically
all the problems which will face the diplomats at Versailles." For
the department of debating and public instruction of University Ex-
tension Mr. Stuart has prepared a schedule for debates upon the
question: "Resolved, that a league of nations is practicable." He
gives in brief form the arguments pro and con and references by
which these positions may be supported.

The report of the Wisconsin special legislative committee on
reconstruction is an able document and has been prepared at the
expense of much labor and research. The committee, consisting of
Roy P. Wilcox, A. Kuckuk, and J. C. Hanson, filed their report with
the state legislature, February 5, 1919. It is issued in a separate
pamphlet. It begins with the words : "Bolshevism is a present
menace," and defines the movement as essentially revolutionary, "an
intense expression of the desire for reconstruction tied up to revolu-
tionary formulae, and permeated with the spirit of protest." It is
in America an alien thing and has back of it a great emotional force,
which only sane and fair-minded reconstruction can check. Recon-
struction must be based on the doctrine that men are brothers and it
must apply Christian ethics to social and economic policy. The re-
port then discusses cooperation in agriculture, improved methods of
marketing, and suggests a Marketing Commission responsible to the
people. On the subject of labor it emphasizes the right to organiza-
tion and collective bargaining, the needs of housing, of stimulating

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 131

public works, of a road-building program, of a minimum wage law. for
all workers, of a dismissal wage, and of increased educational oppor-
tunity for the children of wage earners. It also recommends repre-
sentation of labor on educational boards and on boards of directors
of corporations, the study of social insurance, the rehabilitation of
victims of industrial accidents, a basic eight hour day, one day's
rest in seven, and additional provisions for workmen's compensation.
Advanced provisions for education are recommended, a State Land
Settlement Commission, and colonization in colonies under the care
of such a commission, and a state land bank. With regard to tax-
ation, suggestions are made to the Tax Commission concerning in-
come and inheritance taxes. The final recommendations of this
report concern development and control of state commissions, suf-
frage for women, arbitration of legal disputes, and direct methods
of amending the constitution. This report furnishes a working pro-
gram for years to come and justifies Wisconsin's reputation as a
progressive, forward-looking commonwealth.

Three years ago the State Conservation Commission was created
by the union of the Fish and Game, Forestry, and State Park depart-
ments. The second biennial report of this commission furnishes much
interesting information on the wild life and out-of-door possessions
of our people. It states that 24,712 trappers' licenses were sold;
and the value of the pelts taken is estimated at $700,000 — probably
as much as was ever realized in the palmiest days of the fur trade
regime. Muskrats are almost trapped out and need a protective law.
In 1903 an air-tight beaver law was passed and then there were but
three colonies in the state ; now they have become plentiful enough to
be almost a nuisance. Since the protection afforded to bears in 1917
they have become very boisterous, and it is recommended that the
law protecting them be repealed. Deer will soon be exterminated
unless a one-buck law is passed. Several wild-life refuges have been
provided in Rusk, Douglas, Barron, Washburn, Jackson, and Eau
Claire counties. July 3, 1918 a migratory bird treaty was passed
with Canada. In the state parks new drives have been made, several
miles of trails laid out, and many trees set out. In the Peninsular
Park of Door County 20,000 log feet have been cut by scientific
selection. The forestry division maintains nurseries from which
trees for beautifying school grounds are furnished at low rates.

The commission began in March the publication of a small jour-
nal called The Wisconsin Conservationist, whose purpose "is to
promote within the state a friendly cooperation on the part of the
people in the carrying out of the duties which the legislature has laid
upon the State Conservation Commission."

132 Survey of Historical Activities

"Are American farms passing into the hands of tenants?" is a
question seriously discussed by sociologists. In 1917 a committee of
the American Sociological Society presented a plan for standardiza-
tion of research in country life. Under this plan Professor C. J.
Galpin and Emily F. Hoag made a survey of a typical Wisconsin
community, the results of which are published under the title of
Farm Tenancy, an Analysis of the Occupancy of 500 Farms. With-
in a ten-year period 246 farms were occupied by their owners, 42
were constantly leased, and 212 oscillated between owners and ten-
ants. Other phases of the relations of tenants and owners are dis-
cussed by the authors of this valuable and unusual pamphlet.

The issuance of the biennial report of the Department of Agri-
culture gives an occasion for just pride in the achievements of our
people in this fundamental industry. Wisconsin leads the United
States in organization, the department being placed on the same
plane and in the same relation to the United States Department of
Agriculture as the agricultural college and experiment station. Thus
the distinct functions of education, experimentation, and control are
coordinated and interrelated. One of the most valuable of the de-
partment's activities concerns the protection and aid furnished to
new settlers. Fifteen thousand seven hundred eighty-four home-
seekers applied to the department, of whom from ten to fourteen per
cent became residents of Wisconsin. These actual settlers were
aided in land clearing and in securing supplies at low rates. One of
the chief functions of the department is inspection by which means
diseases of both plants and animals are corrected, cattle and hogs are
tested, and weeds and seeds controlled. In connection with the
United States Bureau of Crop Statistics the department issued in
May Joint Bulletin No. 21, on agricultural statistics for 1918.
From this we learn the gratifying effect of the stimulus applied to ag-
riculture by war agencies. One hundred thousand acres have been
added to the crop area ; and notwithstanding the shortage of labor,
the crops have been the largest in the history of the state. More
bushels of grain have been grown than ever before, and the estimated
total value is $377,000,000 as compared with $227,000,000 in 1916.
For specific details concerning the several crops the reader should
refer to the pamphlet.

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 133

Turning from the products of the land to the human product,
the eighteenth biennial report of the Superintendent of Public In-
struction furnishes interesting reading. War has emphasized the
value of industrial and vocational training, in which Wisconsin is a
leader. Educational reconstruction demands that the elementary
schools shall serve the largest number, that health progress and
needs shall be considered, that rural schools shall be improved and
county schools of agriculture and domestic science established, that
high schools shall be liberalized, and that continuation schools shall
be organized for every industrial community. The report recog-
nizes the need for scientific management and calls especial attention
to the danger of a teacher famine since salaries have not kept pace
with the increased cost of living. This means not only a dearth in
the supply, but a lowering of the caliber of the candidates for teacher
training. Wisconsin cannot afford to curtail in any way its educa-
tional agencies.

In this connection should be read and pondered the report of the
special visiting committee to our charitable and penal institutions.
Most of these are overcrowded and need repairs and enlargement.
While the schools are considering the problem of the exceptional
child, the state makes very inadequate provision for its feeble-minded,
whose numbers are increasing with discouraging rapidity. Out of
the estimated thirteen thousand that require special care, there are
facilities for but twelve hundred. Wisconsin falls behind her sis-
ter states in handling this difficult problem, the ultimate cause of so
much crime, poverty, and suffering.

The State Board of Health issues a pamphlet for general distri-
bution entitled Keeping Fit. This demands muscular strength, en-
durance, energy, will power, courage, and self-control. The army
records revealed four great handicaps : defective eyesight, teeth, and
feet, and venereal disease. This pamphlet proposes corrective
measures. With regard to eyesight certain original structural de-
fects cannot be cured Jbut may be corrected by properly fitted
glasses ; other defects can be aided by glasses that train the eye back
to the normal, or by a slight operation performed by a competent
specialist. Teeth are harborers of disease germs and the gateway to
digestive processes. Much care should be given to brushing and
cleaning them, with frequent recourse to the dentist for examination.
Fallen arch or flat-foot may be prevented; directions are given for
the care of shoes. In former wars venereal disease killed more than
bullets. With increased knowledge of the laws of health, this danger
to American youth may be eliminated. The pamphlet closes with
practical advice on exercise, sleep, fresh air, food, and cleanliness,
which will insure keeping fit.

134 Survey of Historical Activities

The aftermath of the Great War brings a bulletin from the exten-
sion service of the College of Agriculture entitled Wisconsin Wins.
Teamwork was responsible for the state's remarkable record, in-
creasing its supply of bread cereals sixty per cent, sugar beets
thirty per cent, and meat twenty per cent. In view of the shortage
of labor this is an enviable record and is due to the cordial coopera-
tion of federal, state, and county agencies under the council of
defense organization. The aims of the campaign were to produce
more essential vegetable foodstuff, to increase the supply of fats
and animal food by two means. First, by making each acre produce
more; second, by bringing more acres under cultivation. The first
was accomplished by better seeds, soil management, and weed eradi-
cation; the second by drainage, clearing, and the control of weeds
and pests. Pig and poultry clubs were organized, war gardens
promoted, the potato problem solved, the sweets shortage relieved.
A silo drive was inaugurated which resulted in ten thousand addi-
tional silos in war time. Threshers by care saved two hundred thou-
sand bushels of bread grains. Publicity methods increased produc-
tion. Boys' and girls' clubs with 40,000 members are estimated to
have saved nearly $750,000 worth of food products. The conserva-
tion of the women in both food and clothing deserves the highest
commendation and had a great share in putting Wisconsin "over the
top" and making food win the war.

The State Council of Defense publishes a Report of its organiza-
tion and activities from the date of its creation (the first in the
Union) April 12, 1917 to the date of its dissolution June 30, 1919.
The authors of this report disclaim any attempt to present either
a history of the war at home or a complete record of their organiza-
tion. They simply enumerate some of the lines along which the
council guided the enthusiasm of the people in their desire for humble
service and willing sacrifice and preserve for future history an out-
line of the council's work. The various and varied activities of this
especial war agency for the "home army" are so fresh in the minds
of our people that an enumeration here is unnecessary. A consulta-
tion of the report will convince the most skeptical of the necessity of
this organization for practical service.

The University of Wisconsin celebrated a post-war Commence-
ment, and on June 24, the afternoon of Alumni day, dedicated the
newly completed Lincoln Terrace; at this service a fitting tribute
was also paid to the men in service from the University who had
returned to share in the exercises. For this occasion a considerable
booklet was prepared containing much material concerning
Lincoln and an honor roll of the "gold star" University men, who
gave their lives during the Great War for the sake of liberty. During

The Wider Field 135

the exercises an impressive pageant was formed by young women
students, each bearing a gold star surrounded by a wreath; these
they heaped at the foot of the Lincoln statue as the Dean of the
college of liberal arts called a name for each star so placed. At the
same time the great service flag with its four thousand stars, one hun-
dred twenty-five of which are gold, slowly unrolled across the fa9ade
of University Hall. The booklet containing this program also pre-
sents the "Lincoln Ode," by Professor Leonard of the University;
an article on "Lincoln in Wisconsin"; the history of the Lincoln
monument on the campus ; and other relevant material.

THE WIDER FIELD

The twelfth annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Historical
Association was held at St. Louis, May 8-10, 1919. Among the
papers scheduled of more particular interest to Wisconsin readers
were: "Henry Hastings Sibley and the Minnesota Frontier," by
W. P. Shortridge of St. Louis ; "Steamboating on the Upper Missis-
sippi after the Civil War," by L. B. Shippee of Minneapolis ; "Jeffer-
son Davis and Wisconsin," by M. M. Quaife of Madison ; and "The
Jesuit in the Mississippi Valley," by Laurence Kenny, S. J. of St.
Louis. At the business session of the association M. M. Quaife was
elected president for the coming year and Greencastle, Indiana, was
chosen for the annual meeting place of 1920.

Several interesting articles are found in the March Indiana
Magazine of History. Elmore Barce supplies a valuable account of
"The Old Chicago Trail and the Old Chicago Road." The conclud-
ing section of Ernest Stewart's history of the Populist party in
Indiana is given in this number. Another article worthy of mention
is an account of the militia of the United States from 1846 to 1860,
by Paul T. Smith.

A ninety-page article on "The Coming of the English to Indiana
in 1817 and their Neighbors" comprises the greater portion of the
June issue of this journal. A second but much shorter paper tells of
the work of the American Marines on the battle-fields of France.

The March Mississippi Valley Historical Review contains a de-
tailed narrative of the efforts of Asa Whitney to procure the build-
ing of a railway from Lake Michigan to the Pacific in the years
1845-50, which should prove of particular interest to Wisconsin
readers. Two other articles having direct application to this section
are Martha Edwards' "Religious Forces in the United States, 1815-
1830," and E. M. Coulter's "Commercial Intercourse with the Con-
federacy in the Mississippi Valley, 1861-65."

136 Survey of Historical Activities

The April issue of the Michigan History Magazine contains
several interesting articles. The longest is a biographical account
of Dan H. Ball, Marquette's pioneer lawyer. The story of "The
Council Pine: A Legend," is told by Charles E. Belknap. William
L. Jenks writes of "Legislation by Governor and Judges" in the
territorial period; while Professor Larzelere gives the history of Mt.
Pleasant State Normal School.

The Washington Historical Quarterly for April brings news of
the acquisition by the University of Washington of the Bagley Col-
lection of Pacific Northwest History. Mr. Bagley, a native of
Illinois, removed in boyhood to Oregon in 1852, and in 1860 to
Seattle. A printer by trade, he early began collecting Pacific North-
west newspaper files ; and these constitute perhaps the chief portion
of his collection. So extensive are they that they cover the entire his-
tory of Washington Territory and State, and exceed in volume and
importance the combined newspaper resources of all the public
libraries of Washington. Books, pamphlets, and manuscripts make
up the remainder of the collection. The prospect now assured of its
permanent preservation in so appropriate a place as the University
of Washington library should afford gratification to all who are in-
terested in the historical records of the great Northwest.

The issue of the Minnesota History Bulletin for November, 1918
appeared in April. 1919. Its contents are principally given over to
the reprinting from the St. Peter Minnesota Free Press of 1858 of
a series of sketches of Dakota Indians written by Stephen R. Riggs,
who was long a missionary among them.

CHIEF MAY-ZHUOKE-GE-SHIG

From a photograph supplied by Theodore Beaulieu

VOL. Ill, NO. 2 DECEMBER, 1919

THE

WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY

PUBLICATIONS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCON-
SIN. Edited by MILO M.
QUAIFE, Superintendent

CONTENTS

Page

A FORGOTTEN TRAIL James H. McManus 139

THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE H. R. Holand 153

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN W. A. Titus 184

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848

Louise Phelps Kellogg 189

OBSERVATIONS or A CONTRACT SURGEON

William F. Whyte 209

THE QUESTION Box:

Negro Suffrage and Woman's Rights in the
Convention of 1846; Winnebago Battle Near
Wyocena ; Wisconsin and Nullification; Indian
Folklore of Wisconsin; Indian Names for a
Farm; Wisconsin as a Playground; The Sioux
War of 1862; Early Missions on Menominee
River; Early Trails and Highways of Wisconsin;

Early History of West Point 227

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS:

A Woman "Y" Worker's Experiences; The Panic
at Washington after the Firing on Fort Sumter;
Red Tape at Washington in the Good Old Days . . 241
COMMUNICATIONS :

Some Corrections; Early Racine and Judge
Pryor; More Light on Colonel Utley's Contest
with Judge Robertson ; General Grant at Platte-

ville ; The Draper Manuscripts 249

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES:

The Society and the State; The Wider Field 255

The Society as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions advanced
in the following pages by contributors.

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN

A FORGOTTEN TRAIL
JAMES H. McMANus

In the year 1842 the Reverend Alfred Brunson was ap-
pointed Sub-Indian Agent for the Bad River band of Chip-
pewa Indians of Lake Superior, with a station at La Pointe
on Madeline Island. Mr. Brunson at the time of his appoint-
ment was living at Prairie du Chien. The customary route
of travel to his new station was by water up the Wisconsin
River to the portage, across the portage into the Fox River,
down that stream and Green Bay to Lake Michigan, down
that lake to Sault Ste. Marie, then up Lake Superior to La
Pointe. This was a long and hazardous journey. Some
English miners in the southwestern part of the state, wishing
to go to the copper mines on Lake Superior, on hearing of
Mr. Brunson's appointment proposed to him that they join
forces, secure the necessary teams, horses, oxen, and wagons,
and make the trip overland. There was then no road above
Prairie du Chien, but fur traders at that place assured Mr.
Brunson that the trip could be made with no great hardship.
On this advice the miners' proposition was accepted and the
trip made. The trail made by this first wagon train from the
southern part of the state to the shore of Lake Superior is the
subject of this sketch. It is made in the hope that these
suggestions may bring to light additional information con-
cerning this route.

Mr. Brunson in his book, Western Pioneers, gives a brief
sketch of this pathfinding journey; in this he mentions a few
points where we can say the "trail was here" ; but all the rest is
conjecture. Mr. Brunson was intensely interested in the then
new science of geology and its bearings on the then accepted
tenets of the Christian religion. He considered it his duty to

THE FORGOTTEN TRAIL

Map prepared by Mary S. Foster of the State Historical Library

A Forgotten Trail 141

defend the orthodox faith against the statements of certain
persons ; he wrote this sketch of his journey rather to that end
than to preserve a record of his own wonderful achievement
in pioneering and trail blazing. Thus we find him using the
natural objects seen on the way, such as rocks, soils, hills, and
lakes, as illustrations and arguments in proof of the errors of
his opponents, rather than as scenes for the pleasure, enter-
tainment, and profit of his readers.

At the beginning of his sketch Mr. Brunson says, "We
proceeded to the northern end of the prairie, then climbed
the bluff to the height of land and kept on the ridge between
the waters that flow into the Mississippi on the west, and
those flowing into the Wisconsin on the east, to a point near
the present site of the village of Tomah." I am not familiar
with this section of the state1 and can make no conjecture as to
the location of this part of the trail. The next point Mr.
Brunson mentions is a place on the Black River about five
or six miles above the present city of Black River Falls ; from
this place the party moved down the river to the falls. Here
it is quite certain that he and his comrades followed the line
of the present highway or the lumberman's "tote road" which
has been used from the earliest days to the present time. Mr.
Brunson says that his party made a mistake in going so far up
the Black River because they started east of this place at the
point near Tomah, which was reached in making around the
sources of the La Crosse River. Here then we must look for

1 The old mail route from Prairie du Chien to Tomah and Black River Falls,
called the Black River Falls road, went north out of Prairie du Chien on the old
road marked on Lee's and Lyon's survey maps. At "farm lot No. 3" four and
a half miles from the village, as marked on the maps, it reached Fisher's or Mill
Coulee. Thence the road ran up that coulee onto a ridge where the present
state road, route number nineteen, runs. It followed that route through Eastman,
Seneca, Mount Sterling, Rising Sun (where the mail carriers changed horses) to
Viroqua, estimated to be a distance of fifty-nine miles. From Viroqua the road
is said to have gone about four miles east of Cashton, thence northeast to Tomah.
This information- is furnished us by the Reverend M. E. Fraser, pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal Church at Prairie du Chien, who is much interested in our
state history and gleaned the above facts from men who knew the early mail
carriers. — ED.

142 James H. McManus

the trail on the high plateau which extends far to the north
covered with scant jack pine and pin oak, patches of meadow
with nutritious grasses fed by numerous clear creeks flowing
from sources in cold spring marshes and surrounded by the
ever present cliffs or bluffs — the remains of the ancient con-
tinent. Miss Ella, daughter of Mr. Brunson, in the WISCON-
SIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY for December, 1918, says of her
father that "in after years he rode in the passenger trains of
the Milwaukee Railroad through the tunnel west of Camp
Douglas under the trail he made in 1843." I can hardly
think that the party with its teams and wagons ascended this
ridge, but rather that Mr. Brunson must have gone there for
observation, which is a very reasonable conjecture. He may
have used for that purpose many of these bluffs and ridges
which are striking features of this plateau. We can with
reason suppose that the party rested for a night at the foot of
this bluff and in the morning took a course northeast to about
the line of the Omaha Railroad and followed that line nearly
north to the point where the old line swings west to cross the
Black River just above the falls. At this point Brunson's
party must have held north on the line of what is known as
the "cut-off," or new line, leaving the falls to the west in order
to reach the point five miles above. Upon reaching the falls
the party found a company of Mormons operating a sawmill,
getting out lumber for their colony at Nauvoo, Illinois. This
was the white man's outpost on the Black River at that time.
These Mormon lumbermen ferried the party across the
river and requested Mr. Brunson to preach for them. That
sermon was the first sermon ever preached by other than a
Mormon elder in the Black River Valley. The course of the
party from the falls probably lay to the northwest along the
present line of railroad to the village of Merrillan. This is
determined by the fact that to the west lay a line of cliffs and
ridges that would have prevented swinging in that direction.
On the other side, about ten miles above the falls, the river

A Forgotten Trail 143

emerges from what at that time was the southern border of
the Wisconsin forest tract in which it has its source and
through which it flows to the head of what is known as the
Mormon Riffles, a two-mile reach of white water, confined
within high walls of the oldest rocks, just below the present
village of Hatfield, now the site of a great power plant. It
must have been at this place that the Mormons cut their logs
and floated them down to their mill at the falls; that act is
commemorated and their sect perpetuated by the name given
to this long stretch of swift water. The border of the forest
continues west for about ten miles along the north side of a
line of high bluffs to about the site of the present village of
Merrillan. The men at the falls would have informed Brun-
son of this barrier due north ; and he would have set his course
for the pass at Merrillan where the line of bluffs from the
east nearly meets the ridges from the south. This gap could
be seen from a great distance and must have guided the party
to the pass. At Merrillan the border of the forest turned
sharply to the north and continued in that direction, deviating
just enough from it to give grace and beauty to the contour
far up the Chippewa River until, as we shall see, it swung to
the west on the upper reaches of that stream and crossed the
Red Cedar to join the western section of the north woods.

The ever present, impressive, and determining feature of
the experiences of the travelers from the point at Merrillan
must have been the forest, along the western border of which
the trail must have lain. Every stream, large or small, came
from the forest like a human life out of the vast unknown.
A trail in the forest at this point would have been impossible
for any wagon party at that time ; while anywhere in the great
sand plain to the west, with short detours around small groves
of jack pine and pin oak, one could have traveled with ease,
scarcely using an ax to clear the way. Thus the constant,
unerring guide that directed the party to the course a little
west of north was the forest. It still stands in its dense and

144 James H. McManus

thrifty second growths, throwing a mantle of charity over the
sin of man in destroying "the forest primeval" that Brunson's
party beheld in its sublime beauty and glory.

From Merrillan the trail must have followed the line of
the railroad to a point near Augusta or Fall Creek, where it
held to the north to the crossing of the Eau Claire River,
which is the next point mentioned by Mr. Brunson. This
crossing was made by building a raft of logs for whatever the
party wished to keep dry, then by swimming the cattle and
horses and by dragging the wagons across. The site of this
crossing must have been where the stream emerges from the
forest some miles east of the present Eau Claire City, for
Mr. Brunson says that later "from the high hills east of the
Chippewa we saw the new barn of Mr. Warren, a fur trader,
located at the falls of that stream," to which point they
directed their course, crossing the Chippewa River on their
way. Mr. Brunson mentions his surprise at finding in the
home of Mr. Warren a fine library of the best books of the
time.2

From the Warren post the course of the party would
have been directed by Mr. Warren. His information would
have included the fact that the line of the forest crossed the
Chippewa River a few miles above and ran nearly due west,
and that the angle where it turned again to the north was to be
found to the northwest, near the present site of the village of
Bloomer. The two striking features of the landscape through
which this early party passed — forest and plain — still exist;
and it is on the eastern side of the sand plain that we must
look for the trail, for the forbidding forest crowds too far

2 William Whipple Warren was the descendant of New Englanders who
came over in the Mayflower. His mother was a French-Chippewa halfbreed,
and he was born at the La Pointe village on Madeline Island. He was edu-
cated in New York under the care of his paternal grandfather and later became
the historian of his mother's race. For a complete biographical sketch see Minn.
Hist. Colls., V, 9-20. The mention of a large private library in the wilderness
brings to mind the fact that the Knapp family, who afterwards located in this
vicinity, were great lovers of books and collected a notable library of good
books. — ED.

A Forgotten Trail 145

to the west to allow a direct line to the destination on Lake
Superior.

The first point mentioned in the Brunson narrative north
of the falls of the Chippewa is the pipestone quarry in Barren
County. This claylike substance, soft when it is taken from
its native beds, may be formed into any shape with a common
knife, but on longer exposure to the air soon becomes hard
and resistant. It is found at the east end of a large bluff or
mound about six miles southeast of the city of Rice Lake.
The present writer, though never at the quarry, has many
times been past the place, which was about three miles from
the old Chippewa Falls, Sumner, and Rice Lake road. The
first time I saw the place was in the fall of 1879, the bluff
looming high with rugged grandeur. But between the road
and the bluff was that almost impenetrable, nameless some-
thing men called a "slashing." That expanse of desolation,
the product of the so-called lumber barons, in other words the
"Huns" of the north woods, extended about two miles beyond
and all around the bluff. Beyond this, the forest in all its
primitive majesty, beauty, and glory lay, just as Brunson and
his party must have found its border at their feet when in 1843
they stood where I did in 1879. The place is just above one
of the headsprings of the Pokegama Creek, at the angle
where the line of the forest turns sharply to the west and
continues in that direction across the Red Cedar River, cutting
off the sand plain to the north and joining the lobe of the
forest west of that stream, whose eastern border trends south-
west to the Mississippi River in Pepin County and forms
the western boundary of the sand plain.

A new problem now confronted the party. They were
to leave the open plain and enter the forest; for in this latitude
there is no break in the forest from the Michigan state line
on the east to that of Minnesota on the west. At this point,
however, the passage through the forest was scarcely more
difficult than that over the plain. I have driven over the

146 James H. McManus

ridges in that same forest with a horse and buggy, with only
occasionally the use of an ax to clear the way. So, in that open
forest, to the bluff and the pipestone quarry, a distance of
three miles, the party could have passed in an hour. The rays
of the sun were shut out even at noonday by the intertwining
branches and the leaves overhead; while below, the ground
was covered with a carpet of pine needles and dry brown
leaves, accumulations of the long-past years.

While our party rests at the quarry we will retrace our
steps to a point near the present village of Cartwright, in
order to suggest that the Brunson party was following a
more or less well-defined trail made by Indians, hunters,
trappers, and fur traders, from any of whom information may
have been received regarding the way. In fact the frequent
recurrence of earthworks or tumuli found at intervals in all
this region suggests that we are but tracing one of the most
ancient highways of travel on this continent, Brunson and his
party being but part of the great throng of the ages that had
passed this way. In 1879 there were two roads from Cart-
wright leading to Rice Lake, then the white man's northern
outpost in this region and his first station in the invasion of
the forest from the south. One of these ran to the northwest,
passing through the village of Chetek; the other ran north,
keeping to the east of the large lake system north of Chetek
village. These lakes lie in the form of a large letter U with
the open end to the north and with their connecting water-
ways stretch across eighteen miles from point to point. This
lake system has to be taken into account in locating the trail.
Brunson seems to have taken the eastern trail, doubtless choos-
ing it because he was already too far west for his destination.
If he did not go this way it is hard to see how he could have
reached the pipestone quarry, as by the other route he would
have passed six miles west and some distance north of the
quarry, at the head of the lakes. Another consideration is the
fact that if he had gone the western route he would have been

A Forgotten Trail 147

pushed up to the outlet of Lake Chetek by a large swamp on
the east side of the stream flowing out of the lake where the
village is now located. Had Brunson been at this point he
could not have failed to note the unusual number of mounds
all along the southern and western sides of the lakes, those on
the eastern side of the outlet forming a veritable city covering
one hundred acres of ground, with almost regular streets.
So it appeared when I saw it for the first time in 1879. The
hands of vandals have swept the ancient city of mounds away,
but the ground of the fields is covered with beautifully marked
pieces of broken pottery, while many other relics of the past
are still to be found. For these reasons we think that our
party passed to the east of Lake Chetek, where the land is high
and abounds in deep ravines which must have held the party
too far away for them to have seen the lakes. However, at
the old village of Sumner, six miles above the northern end
of the lakes, the line of the forest would have pushed them out
onto the high sand plain on the bank of Pokegama Creek ; so
that here we may say they stood and looked down on the
beautiful lake and creek in the valley; though when we saw
it the lake was much enlarged by reason of the dam at the
mill. From here the trail must have run due north to the
pipestone quarry.

From the quarry the course lay almost due north some
ten miles to where Brunson says they crossed the Red Cedar
River just below a chain of lakes. The first of these was
Red Cedar Lake, out of which the river flows in a broad
stream through a wide, picturesque valley covered with great
pines seven to eight feet in diameter. Many of the largest of
these stand on mounds, several of which are clustered around
the outlet. These mounds may have escaped the notice of
Brunson because of the dense forest covering them; or he
may have crossed the river a little below the outlet where the
present highway passes.

148 James H. McManus

Lac Court Oreilles, the next point mentioned in the
narrative, lies a little east of north from the outlet of Red
Cedar Lake. It seems reasonable to think that the party
was following the fur traders' trail, and if so, such a trail
would follow the shortest line to the open sand plain north of
the forest, a distance of about twenty-five miles due north.
This route would bring the party to the lower end of Long
Lake in Washburn County, along the southeastern bank of
which it would then lie for some nine miles. Long Lake is in
fact, or would be if no obstruction were in the west fork of the
Red Cedar River where it flows out of the lower end of the
lake, only a chain of small lakes, some of which are very deep
and contain native whitefish. An old flood dam of the
lumbermen still holds the water up to the level of the sluiceway
floor, flooding all the marshes in the valley and making one
continuous lake. Before the white man came with his dam,
the beavers doubtless maintained a dam of equal height; so
Branson may have seen the lake beautiful. In going up the
shore of the lake to the head, the party passed through the
northern border of one of the most beautiful lake regions in
Wisconsin. It covers about two townships of land. The
lakes for the most part are small, but the land is a high sand
and gravel plain. The water in the lakes is clear as crystal,
and they have clean sandy beaches. The slopes of their high
banks on the south and west sides are covered with a vigorous
growth of birch, maple, oak, linden, and pine ; the other sides
have few trees but are covered with heavy growths of grasses
down to the almost white sand and gravel shore line. Between
the lakes, at the time of the visit of our party, dense groves
of Norway pine were scattered over the plain. Although
Long Lake now boasts a fine modern hotel and is a famous
summer resort, few of the people who visit this region escape
the lure of the charms of this wonderful playground. Here,
too, must have been a hunter's paradise. Even today the
traveler in the summer can see herds of deer in these plains

A Forgotten Trail 149

feeding in peace and security on the nutritious blue grass of
the upland; in the autumn and winter the same herds are
found in the borders of the forest browsing upon the tender
bark of the young maples, lindens, and red cherries. Part-
ridges were found in every copse; waterfowl covered all the
lakes and streams. Fur bearing animals abounded, and
beaver were found on every stream. On the highland today
far away from any stream and in the valleys just below grass
meadows are still found the remnants of their dams, showing
that in the past there were living streams of water where
fertile fields lie today.

From the head of Long Lake to Lac Court Oreilles the
trail lay in a northeast direction over the sand plain with its
lakes, streams, marshes, and groves of Norway pine. The
narrative states that at Court Oreilles a messenger met the
party, who urged Mr. Brunson to hasten to La Pointe with all
speed, as officers from Washington were expected to arrive
and would require his presence. So with two Indians in a
canoe he took his way across lakes, through many narrow
water courses, over portages, along creeks and rivers, until he
reached the upper stretches of the Bad River near the site of
the present village of Morse; then down that river through
the Penokee Gap with its mad white waters on the rapids and
madder, whiter, and wilder waters at the foot of its many
falls, the scene approaching mountain grandeur with its
broken crags and towering cliffs covered with wide-spreading
hemlocks, pines, spruces, and balsams. As Brunson saw it,
no destroyer's ax had been laid at the root of any tree of the
primitive forest that stood in its grandeur on the tops of the
cliffs and in all the valleys. No canoe could live in that madly
rushing water, so the passage of the gap was made by portag-
ing for some miles to a point at the foot of the high falls below
the present city of Mellen, whence one might float on nearly
smooth water to Lake Superior where the passage led up the
lake to La Pointe.

150 James H. McManus

The disappointing part of the narrative is that Mr.
Brunson leaves the men of his party with their stock and
wagons at Lac Court Oreilles. They must in time have
reached Lake Superior, for at the outset of the narrative he
says that "the wagons created great excitement among the
Indians of the lake, they being the first ever to arrive among
them." We can only conjecture the route over which they
passed.3 On a geological map of Northern Wisconsin, pub-
lished in 1872, is marked a state road running from Ashland
near to the southwest corner of Ashland County. The other
end of this road is not marked ; but we know that it did run on
to the southwest to Lac Court Oreilles and thence to St. Croix
Falls.

Did Brunson's party pass on that route north from Lac
Court Oreilles and mark the way? If they did, the trail lay on
the high open ridges along the east side of the Namakagon
River, around its sources, and to the south and west of the
sources of the White River and Fish Creek, crossing the
latter stream some miles above Chequamegon Bay. On many
hunting and fishing trips I have tramped over these ridges
and across these valleys in the open forest before the destroy-
ing ax had done its work and know how few obstructions
would have been met. At one time on the ridges to the west of
Fish Creek, to which stream I with a single companion was
making my way, we came upon this old state road, then
abandoned, with its ruts cut deep in the tenacious clay soil,
exposing the roots of the trees. There was no sign of ax or
saw where a way had been cut ; but the track wound in and
out among and around the stately trees. Here and there
deep gashes were made in the sides of trees where the hubs of

* From Henry Rush, Reserve, Wisconsin, we obtain (June, 1919) the infor-
mation that the land route from Lac Court Oreilles to Chequamegon in the early
period ran from Reserve eastward to the post on the Chippewa River; thence in
a northwesterly direction to the site of the modern Glidden, in Ashland County;
thence northerly to Mellen, and on in a general northerly direction to Chequame-
gon Bay. — ED.

A Forgotten Trail 151

the wagons in passing had worn away the wood during many
years.

As we followed the old trail I thought of all that had
passed that way of merchandise, of tokens of exchange and
measure of man's wealth, of high state officials and lowly
folk, of stage coaches bearing messages of business, friend-
ship, hatred, love, and sorrow ; for this was once the only line
of connection between the region of the Mississippi and the
region of the lake. Here had passed age in its weakness,
young manhood in its strength, and beauty in its charm ; now
all was unknown and forgotten. The road, finally leaving
the ridge, swung to the right down a long, crooked, and
narrow valley, crossing many times a stream of crystal-clear
water, out into the wide valley of Fish Creek to the bank of
that stream, down a steep pitch to the end of an old, nearly
decayed bridge, the center supports of which with the center
spans were gone, leaving one end of the land spans resting on
the rude log supports, while the other ends rested in the water.
Over this old bridge in the days of its strength had been
carried through the eventful years of the past the white man's
treasures and the red man's despairs.

I sat myself down on the bridge's crumbling supports
upon its west side, and asked, Did Brunson's party pass this
way? Were their wagons the first to break the silence of this
ancient forest with the noise of modern commerce? Did they
ford the stream here and pause to let the weary, patient oxen
slake their thirst with draughts of the cool water and then
pass on along the highland bordering the vast swamp at the
head of the bay to the present site of the city of Ashland,
thence to the high ground nearest to La Pointe? Was it
this way they went? Or did they follow the fairly open way
with its deep-cut valleys over the western shoulder of the
Penokee hills, on the line of the Omaha Railroad to Ashland?
Or did they go north to the foothills of the great northern
divide and then east along its southern slopes, crossing the

152 James H. McManus

Bad River just above where it enters the gap, and so on east
to the line of the present highway over the ridge to the site
of the city of Mellen, thence down the divide between the
streams flowing into the Bad River on the east and those
flowing into the White River on the west to the present Indian
village of Odanah, where were the Indian fields of corn and
vegetables in those old days? Who knows where lay the
forgotten trail? Or do any care?

THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE

IS IT THE OLDEST NATIVE DOCUMENT OF AMERICAN

HISTORY?

H. R. HOLAND

One of the most interesting questions that has appeared
in the historical field in many years is the one popularly known
as the Kensington Rune Stone. It is now twenty-one years
since it first came to light and during the first ten it lay still-
born and utterly discredited as a crude forgery. Since then,
however, it has not only come to life but has survived numer-
ous attacks by learned critics, until it now is a subject of
debate by experts of two continents.

The object of this review is to present the latest phases of
the discussion concerning the rune stone to the readers of the
WISCONSIN MAGAZINE or HISTORY, but I am in a quandary
as to where I should begin. Some of our readers are quite
familiar with the various stages of the controversy but I
understand that the greater number have merely heard its
name. In view of this, perhaps a very brief introduction of
the subject will be desirable.

The Kensington Rune Stone is a slab of graywacke about
thirty inches long, seventeen inches wide, and seven inches
thick. It weighs about two hundred and thirty pounds.
Three-fifths of the length of its face is covered by an inscrip-
tion in very neat runic characters. This inscription is con-
tinued for a similar distance on one of its sides. The unin-
scribed two-fifths of its length was evidently intended to be
planted in the ground.

The stone was found by a farmer by the name of Olaf
Ohman, who lives about three or four miles northeast of
Kensington, a station on the Minneapolis, St. Paul and
Sault Ste. Marie Railway, in the west central part of Minne-

154 H. R. Holand

sota. He was grubbing stumps on his land which consists in
part of a rolling elevation surrounded by a marsh. In
grubbing out a poplar tree, about eight to ten inches in
diameter, he found the stone on this elevation just beneath
the surface of the ground, lying with the inscribed face down-
ward, closely embraced by the roots of the tree.

The find was soon brought to the attention of a number of
learned men of the time. Strangely enough, the deciphering
of the inscription seemed to present great difficulties to these
men, who were unable to read a large portion of it. They
made out, however, that the inscription mentioned Vinland—
the name which Leif Ericson in the year 1000 bestowed upon
a certain portion of the Atlantic coast of America. As the
language employed, or as much of it as was made out, was
plainly not that of Leif Ericson's tongue, the inscription was
quickly pronounced a clumsy forgery. The stone was
returned to Mr. Ohman, therefore, who made of it a suitable
doorstep to his granary.

Nine years later I chanced to be in that vicinity in search
of material for my history of the Norwegian settlements in
America. The old runic hoax was recalled to me ; and as I for
years had been interested in the study of runes, I obtained
the stone from Mr. Ohman as an interesting souvenir.

When I returned home and deciphered the inscription my
amusement changed to amazement for I decided that it was
not a clumsy forgery dealing with Leif Ericson's discovery
of America in the year 1000, but that it contained a dramatic
recital of an expedition into the middle of the continent in the
year 1362! The language and runes of Leif Ericson's time
could easily have been imitated as we have a multitude of
patterns of both; but the date 1362 is a peculiarly difficult one,
not only linguistically and runologically, but also historically.
What an unheard of date in which to locate Norsemen in
America! This forger, if he was one, was evidently a most
courageous man. The following is a copy of the inscription
with interlinear transliteration :

S «• "t

a.

V c xt

IP

10

\r i 0 W. V »V

CMNV. Hh AVM:

to- »K t^t- A V M

*This character has suffered so much from weathering as to be illegible.
t The runic character for e in this word was inadvertently omitted in mak
ing this copy.

156 H. E. Holand

I translate as follows, putting into parentheses words
which the rune master seems to have omitted :

Eight Goths1 and twenty-two Norsemen on (an) exploration-journey
from Vinland through the western regions. We had camp by two sker-
ries one day's journey north from this stone. We were (out) and fished
one day. When we came home (we) found ten men, red with blood and
dead. Ave Maria ! Save (us) from evil !

(We) have ten of our party by the sea to look after (or for) our
vessels 14 day journey from this island. Year 1362.

At first sight the truth of this inscription seems most
improbable. That a band of adventurers should have pene-
trated to the very heart of the continent one hundred and
thirty years before America was discovered by Columbus
seems so incredible that almost everyone who hears of it is
prompted to ask, "Can this be possible?" Yet this objection
so generally urged is really very superficial. We have many
other journeys on record, of greater extent and more hazard-
ous, which we know to have been performed. For instance,
Ferdinand de Soto in 1542 pushed one thousand five hundred
miles into the primeval forest of America. Jean Nicolet
without a single white companion in 1634 made a journey of
two thousand miles amid savage tribes who never before had
seen a white man and returned to tell the tale. So also did
that amazing fur trader, Peter Pond, who in the years
1773-86 wandered at will with his wares all over the North-
west, penetrating even to the Great Slave Lake. Cabeza de
Vaca in 1537 crossed the continent from the mouth of the
Mississippi to California with only three companions. We
have no reason to suppose that it was safer to sojourn among
the Indians in 1537 than in 1362. Nor have we reason to
suppose that the hardy Norsemen were less capable than the
Spaniards of making arduous journeys. Is it not rather a
reasonable supposition that the Norsemen should finally
undertake to explore this continent which they had discovered

1i.e., native to West Gothland in the southwestern part of Sweden. In the
fourteenth century this was an independent province, united with a part of Nor-
way under one king.

The Kensington Rune Stone 157

three hundred and sixty-two years previously and which we
know from other indubitable historical records they occasion-
ally visited?2

After a prolonged study of the inscription I became con-
vinced that this remarkable stone had been rejected without a
proper investigation. The verdict pronounced against it ten
years previously was based on an extremely faulty reading of
the inscription and the arguments advanced against it did not,
therefore, apply. With the hope of directing public attention
once more to the matter, I presented my views to the public.
Since then it has been a lively subject of debate both here and
in Europe.

Out of the widely extended controversy which followed
has gradually come a clearer understanding of the surround-
ing field of research. We have learned that the vernacular of
South Sweden (the home of the rune master) in 1362 was not
greatly different from its modern language, being analogous
in its development with the same period of English speech.
We have also discovered several important historical side
lights which serve to illuminate the subject. There are now
many men of learning who recognize in this inscription the
oldest American historical document dealing with the coming
of white men to this country.

In this research the Minnesota Historical Society has
taken a prominent part. Shortly after I published my
reasons for believing the inscription a true record of pre-
Columbian exploration the society appointed a committee of
five members, headed by the late Professor N\ H. Winchell,
to make a thorough investigation of the subject. After more
than a year's investigation this committee published a pre-
liminary report of sixty printed pages, concluding with the
resolution that the committee "takes a favorable view of the
authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone." After this

2 The last historical voyage to America was made in 1347; see Islandske
Annaler, edited by Professor Gustav Storm.

158 H. R. Holand

report appeared in print the inscription was the subject of
much argument both at home and abroad. The committee
therefore waited almost two years before rendering its final
report. After all arguments on both sides seemed to have
been presented, the committee published its final report,
reaffirming in positive terms its conviction that the inscription
is genuine.3

The committee's report is especially valuable for the light
it throws on the geological and topographical conditions
which center around the stone and which the committee finds
to be strong evidence in favor of the inscription. It also
adopts and amplifies the theory that the explorers came by
way of Hudson Bay.4 The committee has been criticised for
not having had any competent scholar in Scandinavian
languages present at its sittings. However, it had a better
way. Instead of relying on any one scholar who might be
unduly prejudiced for or against the stone the committee
obtained opinions on all mooted linguistic questions from as
many supposed experts on both sides as possible. With these
opinions before it the committee was able to give them the
impartial consideration of a judicial review.

LINGUISTIC OBJECTIONS

Aside from the superficial argument that such an expedi-
tion is too improbable to be true the most general criticism has
been against the linguistic aspects of the inscription. Differ-
ent words have been pointed out to show that the language is
not in accordance with fourteenth century usage. The
weakness of this line of criticism is the lack of agreement
among the critics. What one critic has pointed to as a serious
anachronism has been admitted to be perfectly legitimate by
another.

8 Both reports with many illustrations are printed in the Minnesota Historical
Collections, XV, 221-86.

4 This theory was first advanced by Professor Andrew Fossum in an article
printed in the Northfield (Minn.) Norwegian- American, Oct. 9. 1909. I shall
later in this discussion point out further evidence in support of this theory.

The Kensington Rune Stone 159

An illustration of these linguistic arguments we have in
the so-called English words on the stone. These are "mans,"
"from," "illy," and "of vest." These words were for years
the most controverted parts of the inscription; many critics
have pointed to them as the strongest evidence that the inscrip-
tion can not be genuine. By the use of these words they
claimed the rune master has proved himself a forger — that he
must have been an immigrant who had already become so
Americanized he could no longer write his mother tongue.
However, when these words were submitted to Professors
Sodervall, Kock, and Jonsson, the most eminent philologists
of Sweden and Denmark, they recognized them as rare and
antique forms sporadically occurring in the dialects of the
fourteenth century, showing an intimate acquaintance with
obsolete forms on the part of the rune master.5 The linguistic
forms of the inscription have indeed proved a boomerang to
its critics. As one of the most eminent professors of Scandi-
navian languages in this country, not a believer in the inscrip-
tion, said : "There is not a man who has criticised the language
of the rune stone who has not burned his fingers."

It is reasonable to suppose that the men mentioned in the
inscription were wandering soldiers and sailors gathered from
different parts of Norway and Sweden (Gothland). Their
orthography, grammar, and phonetics may therefore be
supposed to partake of the irregular, careless forms character-
istic of such roving people. It is therefore as unreasonable to
judge the language of such men by the conventional literary
forms of the monastic clerks of that period as it would now
be to compare the language of an illiterate soldier of fortune
with that of a college professor. Notwithstanding these
eccentricities of speech it is possible to justify the presence

'For a full discussion of these and other criticized words see my article
entitled, "Are There English Words On the Kensington Rune-Stone?" in Records
of the Past, IX, 240-45; "The Kensington Rune-Stone Abroad," Ibid., X, 260-71.
See also Professor Possum's able analysis in the Norwegian- American, Feb. 24,
1911.

160 H. R. Holand

of every word in the inscription with one exception with the
speech of Bohuslsen, Sweden, of the Middle Ages. This one
exception is the word opdage. It has not been found in any
of the literary remains of that period. Sodervall, the Noah
Webster of Sweden, says that while the word looks suspicious,
he knows of no other word in use at that time expressing the
same idea. It has been suggested that the word is a loan from
the Dutch or East-Friesian where it early occurs.6 As there
was much commerce between Scandinavian and Dutch and
Friesian ports sailors would be among the first to pick up such
words. We have diaries written by Scandinavian seamen of
the Middle Ages in which Dutch and German words fre-
quently occur, showing that such loans were common.7 Per-
sonally I do not believe it is a loan from these countries as
the word occurs in the form updaaga in the dialects of Upper
Telemarken and other remote parts of Norway where the
speech has had an autochthonous development with but very-
few loans from abroad.

The present meaning of the word opdage is "to discover,"
but in all the dialects of the Middle Ages mentioned in the
above paragraph it had a different meaning. It then meant
"to reveal, to come to light, to make known." This is exactly
the meaning of the word as it is used on the rune stone. These
adventurers did not set out "to discover" a prospective objec-
tive, but were on a journey "to make known," "to bring to
light," "to reveal" a terra incognita. The word I use in
translating it — "exploration- journey" — is only approxi-
mately correct.

THE DALECARLIAN THEORY

The most elaborate attack on the Kensington stone is an
address delivered by Professor G. T. Flom before the Illinois

"See Nederlandsch Woordenboek, XI, 407-11; Wflrterbuch der Ostfriesischen
Sprache; and Kalkars Ordbog over det Danske Sprog i Middelalderen.

7 See for instance the diary of Alexander Ley ell, telling of his journey to
Greenland in 1605, which abounds in Dutch loan-words.

The Kensington Rune Stone 161

State Historical Society and later printed by him.8 The chief
feature of this address is an attempt to prove that the inscrip-
tion is the modern fabrication of a native of the district of
Dalarne in Sweden in which district the use of runes sporad-
ically existed down to the close of the eighteenth century.
Professor Flom is so positive in his belief that he has identi-
fied the runes and language of the Kensington stone with
those of Dalarne that he feels able to name the parish from
which the runic forger hailed. We shall quickly see how
correct he is in his identification.

For proof Professor Flom refers to the Dalecarlian alpha-
bets as given by Liljegren and Ihre-Gotlin. Unfortunately
he omits to print these so that the reader may collate the
Kensington alphabet with them. We will therefore do so
now. In the accompanying table I give these alphabets
exactly as they are reproduced by Professor Noreen in his
exhaustive discussion of the Dalecarlian runes in Fornvcennen
for 1906.

A glance at these alphabets will convince the reader that
the writer of the Kensington inscription did not get his runic
lore from them. Instead of identity we find here such dis-
parity in form that no runic inscription of the Middle Ages
is more dissimilar to the Kensington alphabet than are the
Dalecarlian inscriptions. Only b, h, i, m, and r are identical
in form ; a> d, f, t} and 0 are of the same type but show varia-
tions, while c, g., k3 I, o, p, q, v, oc, y, z, CB, and a show more
or less recent fantastic forms approaching in many cases the
printed Latin forms which came into use. In some cases the
character representing one letter has been adopted to repre-
sent another; thus we have the character for h adopted to
represent a, and the s has been attributed to oc.

When we compare the linguistic forms of Dalarne with
those of the Kensington inscription Flom's theory proves

8 Illinois State Historical Society, Transactions, 1910, 105-26.

DALECARLIAN

x x *
B i I

5 ! J

r F I

f •;*•• 'J

* * *

r ic» J

f L . L

Y f

P I 41 P H1

c c

r fc R f

s 1 I I

t ^ 4 T 1 T

^ n n

x *1 H

y % WV Y

z & <?

JL A *

c & D'

The Kensington Rune Stone 163

equally untenable. To be brief there are two convincing
proofs why the Kensington scribe has not employed the
dialect of Dalarne. The first is that for the last three hundred
years the aspirate h has dropped out of the Dalecarlian
speech.9 In contrast to this we find the Kensington inscrip-
tion abounding in aspirates such as hem, liar, hade, havet,
dagh, oh, ahr, etc. The other is that the word-forms in
Dalarne are in many cases very different. If the inscription
were in the dialect of Dalarne, we would find ema for hem, ela
for illy, menu for man, 0r for ahr, sjd for se, vesto for vest,
nordo for nord, resa for rise, duce for dedh, voro for var,
bluced for blodh, kumo for kom, ver for vi, sker for skjcer,
esu for deno, sen for hav&t, etc.10 No Swedish dialect is
further from the Kensington inscription than the Dalecarlian.

IS SUCH AN EXPEDITION HISTORICALLY PROBABLE?

The most remarkable thing about this inscription is its
date. Removed as it is more than three hundred years from
the time of the Norse discoveries of America it seemed so
remote, so incompatible with known facts, that this more than
anything else prejudiced the critical mind against it. For
years it was treated as the wild guess of some simpleton,
ignorant of the most elementary facts in early American
history.

A careful study of documents dealing with the history of
Greenland, however, sheds light on this apparent absurdity
and shows that the date is most fitting. We learn from these
documents that immediately prior to the date on the rune
stone there was a great revival of Greenland commerce.
Traffic to America was again resumed, or, at least, America
was again discovered; a Norse expedition sent out by the
king was actually in American waters in 1362. To under-

» See Boethius, Levander, and Noreen in their joint discussion of Dalecarlian
inscriptions in Fornvcennen 1906, 63-91.

"See Noreen's Ordllsta Of ver Dalmdlet.

164 H. E. Holand

stand these documents a brief glance at Greenland's history is
necessary.

Greenland was settled in the latter part of the tenth
century and soon became quite populous. The colony was
divided into two parts, known as the Eastern and the Western
settlements, both of them, however, lying on the west coast of
Greenland. The Eastern settlement was the larger, contain-
ing twelve parishes and churches, several nunneries and
monasteries, and a resident bishop. This lay a short distance
west of Cape Farwell. About four hundred miles farther
northwest lay the Western settlement, containing three
churches. During the first two hundred years of its history
we find frequent mention of Greenland in Icelandic annals
and chronicles, showing that intercourse between the two
countries was frequent.11 Little by little this intercourse
seems to have ceased until toward the end of the thirteenth
century we read only at long intervals the meager mention of
the ordination of a new bishop for Greenland.

Under date of 1309 we are informed that the bishop of
Greenland has returned to Norway. A new bishop is
ordained and sails for Greenland.12 No further mention is
made of Greenland for more than thirty years; not even the
archbishop knew whether the Greenland bishop was still alive.
Under date of 1343 we come to the next entry, stating that a
new bishop for Greenland was ordained. Later it adds that
this was a mistake as the old bishop was still alive.13 It also
adds that the new bishop was unable to find transportation to
Greenland and never reached his charge. This shows that
commerce and intercourse between the two countries had at
that time almost ceased.

11 See particularly Floamanna Saga, Fostbrtedra Saga, also various Thcettir
in Flateyarbok.

12 See Flatey Annals and other annals under given date.

"See Flatey Annals; Skalholt Annals; the annals copied by Bishop Skuleson
(A.M.410,4) ; also A.M. 41 1,4; 417,4; and 429,4 under 1342 and 1343.

The Kensington Rune Stone 165

About this time, however, we come to a great improvement
in the relations of the mother country with her distant colony.
In the year 1341 the Bishop of Bergen, alarmed, perhaps, at
not hearing anything from his old friend, the Bishop of
Greenland, selected one of the trustiest priests of his diocese
and sent him to Greenland "upon errands of the Church."1
This priest was Ivar Bardsen to whose account we are princi-
pally indebted for what we know of Greenland in the Middle
Ages. The letter gives the impression that Bardsen was
expected to make only a brief sojourn in Greenland and then
return. However, we find later that he remained there many
years as business manager of the large properties that
belonged to the Greenland cathedral.15

Ivar Bardsen gives a cheerful account of the conditions of
the Eastern settlement, showing it to be in prosperous circum-
stances. He presumably sent a similar report back to his
superior in Bergen. This probably explains the revival of
Greenland's commerce which immediately followed. In 1344
a merchant by the name of Thord Egilsson made a trip
from Bergen to Greenland and returned the same year with
much goods. The following year a very large merchant ves-
sel was fitted out in Bergen and sailed for Greenland. In
1346 it returned with "an immense amount of goods." As
the king at that time lived in Bergen these things would no
doubt come under his personal observation. It also seems
that the profits of these Greenland traders were so large that
the king decided to reserve the trade as his special monopoly.
This he did by proclamation in 1348.

Some time after Ivar Bardsen reached Greenland he was
commissioned by the chief public officer of the colony to pro-
ceed with a company of men to the Western settlement for the
purpose of driving the Eskimos out of this settlement. When

14 A copy of his letter commending his messenger to the good will of all con-
cerned is found in the Bartholin MSS. Tomen Litr. E. S. 479, Copenhagen.

15 We find him back again in Norway in 1364 where he is recorded as being
a witness in a legal trial.

166 H. E. Holand

he and his men reached the Western settlement they found it
entirely depopulated. Neither Norsemen nor Eskimos were
found; but instead they found an abundance of cattle and
sheep wandering about without care.16

There is nothing in the account to suggest that the colo-
nists had been massacred by the Eskimos. No bloodshed is
mentioned, and there is no evidence of plunder. In fact this
presumption is excluded as Ivar Bardsen found the cattle and
sheep grazing about in great number. This shows that Bard-
sen's party must have reached the colony only a short time
after the disappearance of the inhabitants as domestic animals
could scarcely survive the severe winters of Greenland, nine
months long, without care. The fragmentary account that
is left to us gives absolutely no clew to what had happened
there.

The answer to this question we find in a remarkable docu-
ment found in the cathedral of Skalholt, in Iceland. This
cathedral was in the Middle Ages the great repository of Ice-
landic records and literary treasures. In 1630 it was destroyed
by fire, and a great mass of these documents perished. Bishop
Gisle Oddson, who was born at Skalholt, being a son of the
former bishop, Odd Einerson, was for many years officiating
in the cathedral and therefore had the fullest opportunity of
becoming acquainted with its manuscripts. After the fire he
made from memory a synopsis of some of the most remarkable
documents that were lost. The following is one of them:

1342. The inhabitants of Greenland fell voluntarily from the true
faith and the Christian religion and after having given up all good man-
following are the exact words of the text: "Item dette alt, som forsagt
er sagde oss Iffver Bardsen Gr0nl^Ender, som var Forstander paa Bischobsgar-
den i Gardum paa Gr0nland udi mange Aar, at hand havde alt dette seett, och
hand var en af dennem, som var udneffender af Lagmanden, at fare til Vester-
bygden emod de Skrelinge, att uddriffve de Schrellinge udaff Vesterbygd; och da
de komme didt, da funde de ingen mand, enten christen eller heden, uden noget
villdt Fae og Faaer, och bespissede sig aff det villdt Fae, och toge saa meget som
Schivene kunde her re, och zeylede saa dermed hjemb, och forschreffne Iffver var
der med." See complete account printed in Grtfnlands Historiske Mindesmerker,
III, 248-60, from an old Danish translation of the sixteenth century contained in
the Arne Magnean MSS. No. 777.

The Kensington Rune Stone 167

ners and true virtues turned to the people of America. Some say that
Greenland lies very near to the western lands of the world.17

There can be no question that here we find an explana-
tion of the disappearance of the people of the Western settle-
ment as witnessed by Ivar Bardsen. Left to themselves in
that dismal region, scarcely seeing a European vessel once in
a generation, it is no wonder if they gave up the doubtful
blessing of the Church which was incapable of ministering
to them and turned "voluntarily" to a region whose favored
nature was a common tradition. One of their chief needs was
timber, both for building and for fuel; for this they had to
depend upon the doubtful contribution of the sea. They knew
that this timber came from America (Markland) ,18 It would
therefore be a most sensible decision to emigrate in a body to
that place where all their needs would be easily supplied,
taking with them what cattle they could.

It seems that this emigration of the western colonists re-
sulted in trade relations being again resumed with America.
Up to this time we have no mention in any record whatsoever
of any vessel having sailed to America since Bishop Eric Upsi
journeyed thither in 1121. However, five years after these
colonists left for America we read of a vessel from Green-
land which in 1347 "had been to Markland" (supposedly
Nova Scotia or Southern Labrador) ,19 This vessel, carrying
a crew of eighteen men, on her return voyage to Greenland
lost her anchor and drifted ashore in Iceland. The next year
it sailed to Bergen, having for a passenger Jon Guttorm-

17 "1342. Groenlandia incolae a vera fide et religione Christiana sponte sua
defecerunt, et repudiatis omnibus honestis moribus et veris vertutibus ad Americae
populos se converterunt ; existimant enim quidam Groenlandium adeo vicinam esse
occidentalibus orbis regionius." The document was translated out of the original
records by Finn Magnusen, the eminent editor-in-chief of Grtfnlands Historiske
Mindesmerker, and is printed there for the first time in Vol. Ill, 459.

18 There is an old account of the thirteenth century describing life in Green-
land which mentions that the timber on which the Greenlanders depended "came
out of the bays of Markland" ; quoted in Ibid., Ill, 243.

"This fact is recorded in six different Icelandic annals; see among them
the Flatey Annals, the Skalholt Annals, and the Odda Annals under 1347.

168 H. E. Holand

son, a great chieftain of Iceland, who went to Bergen to see
the king.

We can easily imagine that the arrival of this vessel must
have been a great event. Here was a company of Green-
landers who could not only give a complete account of their
own almost unknown country but could do much more. Here
for the first time as far as we know stood men upon Norwe-
gian soil who could from experience tell of America — that
mysterious land across the sea where grew the luscious grape
and the "self-sown wheat." They could tell of a land whose
wealth of choice timber, rich fisheries, and fertile soil offered
quite other favorable conditions of life than the bleak and
barren shores of Greenland. No wonder that the king with
such visions before him reserved trade with Greenland and
the western lands as a private monopoly. We may also as-
sume that he laid plans for immediately developing this
monopoly and for extending his domains to the regions be-
yond.

However, that same year, 1348, there came to Bergen
another vessel that gave the king quite other things to think
about. This was the vessel which brought the terrible Black
Plague to Norway. During the next few years this plague
exacted a terrible toll in Norway, laying some sections of the
land completely waste and paralyzing all industries. It also
proved very fatal to shipping so that "many vessels had only
four or five survivors."

These conditions prevented the king for some years from
carrying out his plans towards his western lands. But we
find that in 1354 he is again occupied with the project. We
have left to us a letter from him empowering Paul Knutson,
one of his most prominent military and legal officers, to fit
out an expedition and sail to Greenland. The purpose is
stated to be to preserve Christianity. "We do this to the
honor of God and for the sake of our soul and our predeces-

The Kensington Rune Stone 169

sors who established Christianity in Greenland and we will
not now let it perish."2

The last words no doubt point to the spiritual salvation
of the colonists of the Western settlement who in 1342 had
apostatized from the true faith and emigrated to America.21
To find them would necessitate an exploration of the Western
settlement and subsequently of unknown parts of America to
which they had emigrated. This, again, explains the presence
of such a notable leader as Paul Knutson and also the long
absence of the expedition from home. It left Norway in
1355 but was not again heard of, according to Professor
Storm, until 1363 or 1364.22

If we assume that the expedition had only Greenland as
an objective, it becomes very difficult to understand its long
absence from home. Paul Knutson was a very important
man of those times, being chief judicial officer of Gulathing
(Gulathings Lagmand),23 the largest judicial district, com-
prising all the western and central parts of Norway. He was
ajso one of the king's lendermcend having in charge the ad-
ministration of a large district near Bergen. Finally he was
an officer in the king's army and a large landowner. It is in-
conceivable that such a man of affairs should linger year after
year in the dreary little colony of Greenland. If, however,
his mission meant the rescue of the lost colonists who had emi-
grated to unknown parts of America a few years before we

20 An ancient Danish translation of this document is printed in Gr0nland9
Historiske Mindesmerker, III, 120-22. Cf. also Storm's Studier over Vinlandsrei-
serne, p. 365; Hunch's Det Norske Folks Historic, Unionsperioden, I, 312.

21 The spiritual welfare of Greenland seems to have been a matter of deep
concern to this pious monarch, Magnus Erikson. When he drew up his will in
1347 he left a large amount of money to the cathedral in Greenland.

22 See Storm, 365. Storm does not cite any authority for this conclusion.
I find reason, however, to believe he is correctly informed by a statement which
occurs in a fragmentary annal (Arne Magnussen 423-24) covering the years
1328-72. From this we learn that Bishop Alf was ordained bishop of Greenland
in 1365. As it was customary to ordain a new bishop immediately or within a
year after the news of his predecessor's death, and as his predecessor, Arnald,
had died in 1349, this means that no vessel had returned from Greenland in the
intervening years until shortly before 1365.

28 See Diplomarium Norwegieum, 1347 and 1348.

170 H. R. Holand

see quite sufficient reasons for his continued absence. As a
good Catholic he must have been horrified that so many of his
king's subjects should have given up the faith and reverted to
idolatry. He would feel it his duty to save them from eternal
damnation by bringing them back into the Church. More-
over, as special representative of the king he would feel called
upon to examine the material conditions of this new land
(America) recently brought to the attention of the king and
to which his subjects had emigrated, and see if it was worth
annexing to the crown.

Here we have the striking coincidence of the presence of a
Norse expedition in American waters in the very year re-
corded in the inscription. Documentary evidence here ends
but we can easily conceive the missing link. It is reasonable
to suppose that after searching about in the adjacent parts of
Greenland and America for clues of the missing colonists,
Paul Knutson and his party eventually reached the Vinland
of traditional fame. Here a fortified base of operations is
presumably established. Supposing this new land to be an
island (which was the view held by all the old Norsemen) and
reasoning that the colonists would be found somewhere on
its shore, they send out an expedition to follow the shore and
if necessary to circumnavigate the land. In the course of time
they reach the interior of Hudson Bay. Here they find that
the land again turns northward into the arctic wastes.24

What now would be the reasonable thing to be done? To
continue northward without ample provisions and equipment
would be to yield themselves to the fate of the arctic winter.

24 As is now well known, Vilhjalmur Stefansson in 1909 discovered a blonde
tribe of huge Eskimos a short distance west of Hudson Bay, which may very
likely be the descendants of the lost Greenland colonists. Among his collections
is a photograph taken by his companion, Dr. Anderson of the University of Iowa.
It shows Mr. Stefansson standing in the midst of a group of sixteen of these
blonde Eskimos, every one of them having the facial appearance of a typical Nor-
wegian farmer. Although Mr. Stefansson lacks but an inch of six feet in height
he scarcely reaches to their shoulders. His account of his meeting with these
strange people, printed in My Life in the Arctic, reads like an old-time epic.
General Greely in the National Geographic Magazine points out that earlier
arctic explorers have met this strange tribe of blonde Eskimos farther east.

The Kensington Rune Stone 171

Perhaps they were also under orders to report to headquar-
ters in Vinland within a certain time. It is also likely that
Hudson Bay was beginning to freeze over; its open season is
only three months.

They could not go north, but to the south opened a broad
and navigable highway — the Nelson River. They therefore
decide to split the expedition, a small party to remain with
the vessels over winter while the larger number go up the
Nelson River and then back over land to Vinland. This would
also give them the opportunity of exploring the interior of
this new land. They, of course, had no conception of the vast
continent which separated them from their headquarters.
Their impression was that America was a large island, very
long north and south but not so big east and west. As they
had traveled a vast distance from Vinland toward the north
and now in Hudson Bay had returned several hundred miles
toward the south, they probably reasoned that by some further
travel southward they would reach a point not very far from
Vinland to the west. The probability of this theory is sup-
ported by the fact that when some time later ten of their num-
ber are killed by Indians they do not turn back but continue
southeastward, which would be the direction of safety for
them, — that is, their headquarters in Vinland, supposedly not
far away.

Our knowledge of the Paul Knutson expedition throws
new light on the inscription. It reads that this journey of
exploration "through the western regions" came from Vin-
land— not from Norway or Greenland. This indicates that
a lengthy stay had been made in the land just as was made
by Knutson. It also mentions that they had more than one
vessel ; therefore it was a well-equipped expedition like Knut-
son's. The Latin letters A V M, which are a part of the
prayer that follows, suggest that a priest accompanied the
party; this was no doubt the case in Knutson's expedition
which according to the king's letter was a crusade for the

172 H. E. Holand

preservation of Christianity. Finally it would have been prac-
tically impossible for the survivors of the Kensington party to
return to Norway until 1364 which is the very year when the
survivors of Knutson's party returned home. The date of their
return was not brought out, however, until 1889 when Storm's
book, Studier over Vinlandsreiserne, appeared and inciden-
tally mentions it. The opinion of geologists and the circum-
stances surrounding the finding of the stone unite, however,
in the conclusion that the inscription must have been written
long before that time as will be shown below.

The facts concerning the apostasy of the Greenland colo-
nists and their subsequent emigration to America; the jour-
ney to Bergen, the king's residence ; the Greenland voyagers
who had been to America (Markland) ; the subsequent rescue
expedition of Paul Knutson ; and other facts mentioned above
are very little known even among well-informed historians.
They have been gleaned from various rare sources difficult of
access and have been correlated and published here for the first
time. It is therefore extremely unlikely that any runic charla-
tan perpetrating a hoax should have used this material as a
basis for his purposeless account. If he by chance had known
of the king's letter commissioning Knutson to start out on
his expedition in 1355 he would have chosen a date for the in-
scription in more obvious agreement with it — say 1356 or
1357. For as stated above, the time of Knutson's return was
not known until 1889 — a number of years after the inscrip-
tion by any theory could have been written. We have there-
fore here additional evidence in support of the truth of the
inscription.

ARGUMENTS FOR THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE INSCRIPTION

I. The position of the stone in situ. The stone was found
on a timbered elevation only a few feet from the edge of a
marsh which surrounds it. About five hundred feet away
across the open marsh and facing directly toward it stands

The Kensington Rime Stone 173

the house of Nils Flaten, a pioneer settler who has lived there
continuously since 1884. The stone lay immediately below
the surface of the ground, clutched in the grasp of the two
largest roots of a poplar tree. One of the roots had followed
the horizontal surface of the stone and then made an abrupt
turn downward. The other root descended straight down-
ward along the other side of the stone. Both roots were flat
on the side touching the stone. At the two points where they
passed over the edges of the stone they were wide and flat
and sharply marked on the inside. It has been claimed that
the runic forger might have dug a hole under a tree and then
pushed the stone under the roots. Such a thing is possible
but not in this case. It would be impossible to twist the tena-
cious roots of a tree about and hold them in place to make
them conform to the shape of the stone so closely unless it
grew up from a very small sapling after the stone was de-
posited there. Moreover, the flat surface of the roots prove
that the tree must have grown up since the stone was placed.
These facts have been substantiated by numerous affida-
vits from people who saw the stump shortly after it was dug
up ; also that the tree was from eight to ten inches in diameter.
A poplar tree grows rapidly in the open. But this tree grew
in a block of dense timber, overshadowed by larger trees. Mr.
Ohman also states that it was a sickly tree of stunted growth.
In order to learn something of its probable age Mr. Ohman
was requested to cut down two other poplars of the same size
and physical appearance. He was also asked, for purpose of
comparison, to cut down two other poplars of the same size
but of thrifty appearance and vigorous growth. He carefully
selected these four trees, cut them down, and sent in a cross
section of each. The first two were found to have respectively
sixty-eight and seventy-five annual rings of growth ; the other
two had forty and forty-five rings.25

25 Plate IV, volume XV, of the Minnesota Historical Collections shows cross
sections of the healthy trees having forty and forty-five rings respectively. It
was impossible to make a clear photographic copy of the stunted trees of same
size, as the rings were too close and indistinct.

174 H. R. Holand

If, to be conservative, we assume that the tree was forty
years old this brings us back to 1858 as the latest date when
the stone could have been placed there. But this was many
years before a single white settler had found his way to that
section of the state. The first white settler in the county came
there in 1865 and lived alone as a hermit in the wilderness for
several years. Immigration followed the projected survey of
the Great Northern Railway, which passed through Alexan-
dria about twenty-five miles east of the finding place in 1878.
At Alexandria Senator Knute Nelson was one of the first
settlers. He took a homestead, now included within the city
limits, in 1870.

In 1858 the nearest railroad point to the finding place of
the stone was La Crosse. Not until 1862 was there any con-
struction in Minnesota. In 1866 the first railroad west of
St. Paul was built as far as St. Cloud, one hundred twenty
miles from Kensington. No railroad reached Douglas
County until 1878 when Alexandria, twenty-five miles from
Kensington, was reached. If the Kensington inscription is
a forgery we must suppose that a man of eminent runic,
linguistic, and historical erudition set forth a hundred miles
and more into an unsettled wilderness and there, exposed to
attacks by savage animals and treacherous Indians, carved
out a lengthy inscription which would bring him neither honor
nor riches. This being done, he buries it upon a rough,
timber-covered knoll surrounded by marshes — a place which
an early visitor would never expect to see cultivated ! Such a
supposition is too remote to be credible.

II. The weathered appearance of the stone. The com-
position of the stone is described as follows by Professor N. H.
Winchell: "The composition of the stone makes it one of the
most durable in nature, equaling granite and almost equaling
the dense quartzite of the pipestone quarry in the southwest-
ern part of Minnesota. On the surface of this quartzite, even
where exposed to the weather since they were formed, the fine

The Kensington Rune Stone 175

glacial scratches and polishing are well preserved, and when
covered by drift clay they seem not to have been changed at
all."26

In 1910 when the controversy concerning the stone was at
its height and a number of prominent scholars had pronounced
it fraudulent because of the alleged presence of English
words, etc., the stone was submitted to the examination of
seven professional geologists. None of these experts were
able to discover any evidence that the stone had been recently
engraved. They were advised of the fact that prominent
philologists considered the stone a modern forgery but not-
withstanding this warning three of them did not hesitate posi-
tively to affirm that the inscription showed great age. Pro-
fessor W. O. Hotchkiss, state geologist of Wisconsin, wrote
the following statement: "After having carefully examined
the so-called Kensington runic stone I have no hesitation in
affirming that its inscription must have been carved very long
ago — at least fifty to a hundred years."27

Dr. Warren Upham, a specialist in glacial geology, gave
the following opinion: "When we compare the excellent
preservation of the glacial scratches shown on the back of the
stone, which were made several thousand years ago, with the
mellow, time-worn appearance of the face of the inscription,
the conclusion is inevitable that this inscription must have
been carved many hundred years ago."

Professor N. H. Winchell wrote as follows: "The gen-
eral 'mellow' color of the face of the graywacke (rune stone)
and of the whole surface of the stone is also to be noted. This
is the first apparent effect of weathering. Graywacke may
be estimated to be fifty to a hundred times more durable in
the weather than calcite, some graywackes being more re-
sistant than others. * * *

2e Minnesota Historical Collections, XV, 237.

27 Statement filed with Minnesota Historical Society.

176 H. R. Holand

"There are six stages of the weathering of graywacke
which are exhibited by the stone, and they may be arranged
approximately in a scale as follows :

1 . A fresh break or cut 0

2. Break or cut shown by the runes of the face 5

3. Edge-face, which has not been engraved, but was

apparently dressed by a rough bush-hammering. 5

4. The inscribed face of the stone 10

5. The finely glaciated and polished back side and the

non-hammered portion of the edge 80

6. The coarse gouging and the general beveling and

deepest weathering of the back side 250 or 500

"These figures are but rough estimates and are intended
to express the grand epochs of time through which the stone
has passed since it started from the solid rock of which it
formed a part prior to the Glacial period; and to a certain
degree they are subject to the personal equation of the per-
son who gives them. * * * If the figures in the fore-
going series be all multiplied by 100, they would stand:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

000: 500: 500: 1,000: 8,000: 25,000 or 50,000

"Since 8,000 years is approximately the date of the end
of the latest glaciation ( 5 ) , the numbers may all be accepted
as the approximate number of years required for the various
stages of weathering. Hence stages (2) and (3) may have
required each about 500 years."28

III. The fourteen days' journey. The actual distance
from Kensington to Hudson Bay at the mouth of Nelson
River is about eight hundred fifty miles. To this must
be added about two hundred miles for the windings of the
river. This makes a total of ten hundred fifty miles which
would make an average journey of seventy-five miles per
day. To make seventy-five miles per day against a rapid
current or on foot is manifestly impossible. This has, there-
fore, been used as an argument against the authenticity of

KIbid., 236-37.

The Kensington Rune Stone 177

the inscription. Such objectors overlook, however, that the
physical impossibility of such a rate of travel would be just
as obvious to the rune master as to the critics. If he were a
forger he must have been a very learned and intelligent man
and such a man would not have made such an obvious blun-
der. He would in all probability have computed the distance
carefully and then divided it into easy journeys of twenty
miles or less per day.

The rune master did not make a blunder, however, in
stating that it was fourteen days' journey to the sea (Hudson
Bay) . The difficulty is that the meaning of the term "days'
journey" has escaped us. The Norsemen of the Middle Ages
did not have any measure such as we now use for estimating
distances. The Norse word mil, like the English "mile," is
derived from the Latin mille, a thousand, i.e., milia passuumf
a thousand paces; we have no Norse nor Teutonic word for
this. The Slavs have their verst and the Germans their
Stunde, i.e., the distance covered in one hour's walking. This
Stunde is a recognized unit of distance whether covered by
the leisurely gait of a man or the swift pace of a trotting
horse.

Similarly the Norsemen, whose travel was mostly done
on the sea, had a recognized unit of distance. This was "a
day's sail" or "a day's journey." Passing along shore from
headland to headland these sailors early became experts in
estimating distances, and the distance covered in a day's sail
with a fair wind became a recognized unit of distance used
irrespective of how many days it actually took to make the
journey. This unit of distance for a twelve-hour day, or
dcegrjWSLS from seventy-five to eighty-five miles per4day. Thus
we are always informed that the distance from Bergen to
Iceland is "seven days' sail" although on that stormy sea it
nearly always took several weeks to make the journey. Like-
wise we are told repeatedly that the distance from Iceland to

178 H. R. Holand

Greenland is "four days' sail" although this journey usually
took several weeks owing to storms and adverse ice condi-
tions. When, therefore, the rune master says it is fourteen
days' journey to the sea he speaks in terms in which he was
wont to think. He means to tell us that he estimates the dis-
tance at fourteen times eighty miles (a day's journey) or
eleven hundred twenty miles. This agrees very well with
actual facts. However, this method of reckoning distance is
not suggestive of modern authorship.

IV. The numerals. For many years after the rune stone
was found the most mystifying feature about it was the
numerals. It was long before they were correctly inter-
preted. When this was done they were pointed to as strong
proof of the modern fabrication of the inscription, seeing that
the rune master "was unable to write dates and numbers ex-
cept in a system of his own invention." It was not until 1909
—eleven years after the stone was found — that Helge G jes-
sing, a philologist of Christiania, was able to show that these
numerals were not an invention of the runic scribe but were
in perfect accord with runic numerals used in the Middle
Ages.29 This is another testimony of the unusual scholarship
that would be required in a modern forger to write this ex-
traordinary inscription.

G jessing points out that a Danish writer by the name of
Ole Worm in 1643 published a work in Latin, entitled Fasti
Daniel^ in which these runic numerals occur. This work has
never been translated nor reprinted. The rune master, if he
were a forger, must therefore have had access to very rare
books and was able to read Latin. As to these numerals, Ole
Worm in this part of his work discusses the ancient primstave,,
or household calendars, which were in use in the Scandinavian
countries in the Middle Ages. These calendars consisted of
flat sticks of wood about thirty inches long and two inches
wide. Upon them was carved a multitude of signs to repre-

29 See his article in Symra, Decorah, Iowa, for 1909, No. 3, 116-19.

The Kensington Rune Stone 179

sent the many holy days of the Church, separated by a series
of dots indicating the number of intervening days. Besides
this, some of these primstave also contained nineteen numer-
als— one for each of the moon cycle's nineteen years — by help
of which one could figure out the different dates upon which
the new moons of that year would appear. However, when
we compare the numerals on the rune stone with the corre-
sponding numerals in Worm's book we find a difference.
The accompanying illustration shows that they are the same
in type but differ in detail in every figure :

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1.5 16 17 18 19

rr mmtt ? 1 1 1
rr MPF i

This difference in form shows that while the rune master is
familiar with the system of numerals preserved for us by
Worm he has followed another model; which indicates that
he wrote at a time when these primstave were in daily use
and plentiful, i.e., in the fourteenth century.

There is another significant thing about these numbers
and that is the rune master's way of writing the numbers 10
and 14. The old Scandinavians used "twenty" as a base in
their system of notation. Larger numbers were expressed as
so and so many "twenties." This system still survives ety-
mologically in such archaic terms as et halvt tjau, i.e., "half
a twenty" = 10; tres, "three (twenties)" = 60; halv-fjers,
"half of the fourth (twenty) " = 70, etc. We therefore find,
not nine, but twenty units in their system of notation. Nine-
teen of these units are shown in the illustration of the num-
bers used on the primstave.

The rune master does not use this system. In writing
number 14 he uses two digits, or, in other words, the compara-

180 H. E. Holand

lively modern decimal system which has 10 for its base. He
also uses this in writing 22 and 1362. G jessing has shown
that the decimal system was introduced in the North prior to
1362.30 One might object that the rune master probably knew
nothing about the rather obscure history of notation and
wrote as he was wont, thinking that our common decimal sys-
tem had always been in use. This view is, however, excluded
when we see how he writes the number 10. An ordinary per-
son not knowing the history of the decimal system would in-
variably write 10 with two digits. This has become such a
fixed rule with us that it is difficult to imagine it was ever
otherwise. The rune master however uses only one digit.
The reason for this is that while the decimal system was intro-
duced into Europe about 1200 A. D. at first it had only the
figures 1 to 9; the zero was not introduced until about two
hundred years later. If the rune master had written 10 with
two digits he would have committed a serious anachronism;
but in this as in other things he has shown himself to be in
strict conformity to the usage and limitations of his time.

These numerals, therefore, so long a puzzle to the critics,
prove to contain two cogent arguments corroborating the
authenticity of the inscription.

V. A V M : Save from evil. In the intimate conformity
of this prayer with fourteenth century usage we have another
evidence of the genuineness of the inscription. This was,
like many other parts of the inscription, objected to, the as-
sertion being made that the rune master by the use of the
salutation, "Hail, Mary!" (Ave Maria) in the beginning
of a prayer for deliverance from bodily peril showed himself
to be a modern Lutheran or non-Catholic, not conversant with
the proper use of Catholic prayers. The Angelica Salutatio
of which the above Ave Maria (Hail, Mary) is the familiar
beginning, is not, as is well known at least to all Catholics,

., 117.

The Kensington Rune Stone 181

a prayer for deliverance from bodily peril but a greeting of
adoration, a divine salutation. A modern Scandinavian forger
of non-Catholic faith who would have picked up his knowl-
edge of Catholic usage through literary channels would there-
fore not have chosen this phrase, Ave Maria, in this connec-
tion. Particularly would this be true if he understood Latin
(as is shown by the preceding paragraph he must have done) .
He would then at once have been conscious that the saluta-
tion, "Hail, Mary," would not seem proper as the beginning
of a prayer for deliverance from evil. The presumption that
this is the work of a modern forger therefore seems excluded.

In the fourteenth century, however, conditions were dif-
ferent. In those comparatively illiterate days the frequent
intonation of the Angelic Salutation had given to the expres-
sion, Ave Maria, an almost talismanic power and the two
words were largely used as one divine name, or Ave was used
as an attribute of Maria.^ The fact that the three letters
A V M are written without any separating marks, whereas
all other words in the inscription are separated by double
points, indicates that the rune master considered them as one
name. To him it was the most sacred name he knew and he
wished to express reverence in writing it. He therefore used
Latin letters — the language of the Church — in writing them.
Archbishop Ireland was deeply impressed by the peculiar
wording of this prayer and stated that it was strong evidence
to him that it was written in the Middle Ages.32

As to the prayer, frceelse af illy, which has been con-
demned as an Anglicism, we find it literally in an ancient folk-
lore poem harking back to the Black Plague (A. D. 1349)
but which came to light several years after the stone was
found. I give the first stanza below, and will call special

^Liljegren states that Ave Maria occurs frequently on inscriptions of the
Middle Ages as introductory to all kinds of prayers. See his Runlaere, 166-69.
83 St. Paul Dispatch, Dec. 14, 1909.

182 H. E. Holand

attention to the last two lines, which, with a slight variation,
serve as a refrain throughout the ballad:

Svartedauen for laand aa straand,
Aa sopa so mangel tilj e ;
De vi eg no fer sanno tru,
De var kje me Herrens vilje.

Hjaelpe oss Gud aa Maria M0y,

Frelse oss alle av illi !

The Black Plague sped (over) land and sea
And swept so many a board (floor).
That will I now most surely believe,
It was not with the Lord's will.

Help us God and Virgin Mary,

Save us all from evil ! 33

Here, as will be noted, we have not only our "illy" pho-
netically reproduced but we have literally the same prayer
as on the stone plus the redundant oss alle. The ballad also,
like the prayer in the inscription, uses the ancient preposition
of, which has long since been superseded by fra. Altogether,
this prayer shows most striking conformity to fourteenth cen-
tury usage here substantiated in its entirety in this old ballad
which was not published until many years after the rune stone
was found.

There are several other aspects of the inscription which
speak strongly for its genuineness, particularly the runic
characters. A discussion of these, however, would be too
technical and voluminous to be attempted in a popular pres-
entation like this. While the arguments cited above may not
separately be considered as conclusive, their aggregate weight
is such as to leave little doubt that we have in this inscription
a most important record dating from the fourteenth century.
On the other hand, not a single argument has yet been pre-

83 This folksong was communicated by Mr. Olav Tortvei, Moorhead, Minn.,
to Mr. Torkel Oftelie, a folklorist of Fergus Falls, Minn., by whom it was printed
in Telesoga, No. 1, 1909. Mr. Tortvei was an octogenarian pioneer, now dead,
who, though illiterate, remembered hundreds of old ballads which he had heard
in his childhood. Mr. Oftelie sent this ballad — F0rnesbronen — to the eminent
folklorist Rikard Berge of Telemarken, Norway, who said he had not met with
it in his researches.

The Kensington Rune Stone 183

sented against the inscription which has been found to be
valid. It seems obvious that it would be impossible for a
present-day forger to construct an inscription of such length
and multiplicity of ideas without leaving indubitable proof of
his forgery. Particularly would this be true of an inscription
purporting to date from the fourteenth century which is a
peculiarly difficult period linguistically, runologically, and
historically. The multitude of errors which critics have made
in reviewing the inscription shows the difficulties any one of
these men would have encountered if he had attempted to
invent such an inscription. Yet this inscription, coming from
an uninhabited wilderness, has survived all attacks made upon
it for more than twenty years.

In view of this and in view of the great significance of its
message, it is surely time for our learned societies and institu-
tions to cease their "waiting and watching" attitude and take
energetic action in thoroughly investigating the subject.34

34 After this article had been sent to the press word was received from Mr.
Holand that he had located the two skerries mentioned in the inscription and
had made certain other discoveries in connection therewith. A brief account of
these discoveries will be given in an early issue of this magazine.

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN
W. A. TITUS

I: PORTAGE, THE BREAK IN A HISTORIC WATERWAY

Ay, call it holy ground,

The soil where first they trod. — Hemans.

Of all the points of historic interest in Wisconsin none
stands out in bolder relief than the scant two miles of low
plain that separates the Fox from the Wisconsin River at
the great westward bend of the latter. From the days of the
earliest traders and explorers this narrow isthmus has been
known in journal and Jesuit Relation as "the portage," and
almost every maker of early history in what is now Wisconsin
trod this break between river and river. At certain seasons
when the Wisconsin River was at high-water mark this low
divide was inundated, and boats could float over it without
halt or hindrance. A notable instance occurred in 1828 when
the Fifth Regiment of United States Infantry passed over
the portage in boats, thus making the entire trip by water
from St. Louis to Green Bay.

At a very early date Wisconsin was visited by fur traders,
many of whom were free lances ; that is, they operated with-
out license from the French government and therefore made
no record of their journeyings. Thus we have no way of
knowing where they went and what they observed, but it is
fair to infer that in almost every case these illicit rovers pre-
ceded the explorers and missionaries, who kept and have
transmitted to us more or less complete records of their dis-
coveries.

For the early explorers the canoe was the only practical
method of transportation; therefore the voyagers were keen
to follow the waterways into the interior. Every white man
who reached the Winnebago region was told by the Indians

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 185

about the route that led to the "great water" through the
stream now known as the Upper Fox, but without the help of
the native guides it would have been difficult if not impossible
for the French explorers to thread their way through the
shallow channels hidden by wild rice or through the interven-
ing sedgy lakes where the passages midst rush and reed
formed a labyrinth.

So far as known the first white men to visit the portage
were Louis Jolliet, an agent of the French government, and
Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, who with
several companions crossed the neck of land in the summer
of 1673 on their voyage that led to the discovery of the upper
Mississippi. Marquette has left a record of this long journey
wherein he indicates his surprise that a strip of land so nar-
row and so low could separate two rivers, one of which flows
into the Gulf of Mexico and the other into the Gulf of St.
Lawrence.

Visitors whose names are written into the history of the
Northwest now came at frequent intervals. Louis Hennepin
crossed the portage in 1680; and we read that in 1683 Le
Sueur passed from the Fox to the Wisconsin at this point.
During the next three-quarters of a century the Fox-
Wisconsin route was closed to civilization because of the mer-
ciless war that was waged by the French against the Fox
Indians. The latter were defeated time after time with terri-
ble slaughter, and neither age nor sex was spared; but the
French could not wholly exterminate the tribe. This struggle
was a sad blot on the period of French occupation ; the Foxes
never forgot nor forgave the treatment they received from
the whites.

Jonathan Carver, the first English explorer, was at the
portage in 1766 and wrote a very interesting account of the
country along the courses of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
His description of the portage is especially instructive.

186 W. A. Titus

In 1793 Laurent Earth built a rude home near the port-
age, possibly the first building erected in the vicinity by a
white man. Earth engaged in the business of transporting
small boats and their cargoes between the two rivers. He
enjoyed a monopoly of the transfer business at this point
until 1798, when John Lecuyer came with an improved outfit
and entered into competition with Earth. With a heavy
wagon greatly lengthened by the use of a long reach Lecuyer
was enabled to haul boats of considerable size from one river
to the other. Lecuyer died in 1810 and was succeeded by his
son-in-law, Francis Le Roy. It is recorded that in 1817
Le Roy charged fifty cents per hundredweight for taking
goods across the portage and that he received ten dollars each
for hauling boats overland from river to river. Augustin
Grignon mentions in his "Recollections" that he was at the
portage during the winter of 1802; other well-known traders
were there at various times during the first years of the nine-
teenth century.

At the close of the Revolutionary War the future Wis-
consin was included in the territory that was ceded to the
United States by Great Britain. In 1814 a British-Indian
army, following in the path of one which thirty-four years
earlier had crossed Wisconsin and descended the Mississippi
to attack the Spaniards at St. Louis, wended its way through
Lake Winnebago, up the Fox River, across the portage, and
down the Wisconsin to its mouth. This was Colonel McKay's
command of British soldiers and Indian allies before whom
Prairie du Chien fell a few days later. After the close of the
war with England the British and Indians withdrew by the
same route to Green Bay, from which point they returned
to Canada.

In 1819 the Fifth Regiment, United States Infantry,
crossed the portage; the Third Regiment, United States In-
fantry, passed over this much traversed route in 1826.

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 187

In 1827 the ill feeling and unrest among the Winnebago
Indians came to acts of open hostility on the part of some of
the tribesmen, and a number of white settlers were killed.
Government troops were ordered to proceed to the portage,
and there occurred the dramatic episode that ended the
trouble. The Indians, to save themselves from defeat and
possible annihilation, surrendered Chiefs Red Bird and We-
kaw as the murderers of the settlers. The pair with another
warrior was taken to Prairie du Chien, tried, and sentenced
to death. Red Bird died in prison; the other two were sub-
sequently pardoned.

In the autumn of 1828 the First Regiment, United States
Infantry, was ordered to proceed to the portage and build a
fort on the east side of the Fox River. Major Twiggs, who
later became General Twiggs of the Confederate States, was
in command; among his subordinates were men who were
destined to become famous in the military annals of the coun-
try. Captain Buell, Captain Harney, and Lieut. Jefferson
Davis were among those who witnessed the building of Fort
Winnebago as the new post was called. The buildings were
constructed of materials found in the neighborhood — stone
from a near-by quarry, brick burned on the west bank of the
Wisconsin River, and lumber sawed by hand from logs that
were floated down the river. Jefferson Davis is said to have
had considerable to do with the actual construction work.
He was a young graduate of West Point and came to Fort
Winnebago from Fort Crawford where he had begun, a year
or so earlier, his active military career.

Fort Winnebago was built in the form of a square en-
closed by pickets or palisades. The fortifications consisted
of two strong blockhouses at diagonally opposite corners of
the square. The auxiliary buildings, consisting of hospital,
warehouses, commissary building, shops, and stables, were
near by but outside the enclosure. The entire group of build-
ings is said to have been quite pretentious in appearance and

188 W. A. Titus

well constructed. During the Black Hawk War Fort Win-
nebago was not in good condition to offer resistance to an
attack, as a portion of the garrison had been ordered to move
southward to join the army in the field. The supplies were
stored outside the stockade ; the living quarters were quite un-
protected. It had not been thought possible that Black Hawk
and his band would push so far north as the Hustisf ord Rap-
ids, so when the proximity of the savages became known there
was great excitement at the post, which did not subside until
it was learned that the Sauk were in full retreat toward the
Four Lakes region.

Fort Winnebago was garrisoned continuously until 1845,
when it was evacuated and never again occupied by a military
force. In 1856 a fire destroyed much of the fort and adja-
cent buildings. Today a peaceful farmhouse occupies the site
of this former guardian of the old frontier.

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848
LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG

CHAPTER IV— TERRITORIAL FOUNDATIONS AND DE-
VELOPMENT

PRETERRITORIAL ROUTES

The first routes to Wisconsin were waterways. Bounded
by the Great Lakes and the Mississippi, the natural means
of approach was by watercraft. Sailing vessels from the
eastern ports landed goods and passengers at Green Bay ; keel
boats up and down the Mississippi connected Prairie du
Chien with St. Louis and New Orleans: canoes and Macki-
naw boats plied the inland rivers. The invention of the steam-
boat accelerated traffic. The first lakes' steamer reached
Green Bay in 1821 ; the first upper river steamboat ascended
the Mississippi in 1823. The first Wisconsin settlers in the
lead mining region came by way of the Mississippi to Galena,
thence overland on foot or on horseback. Later, steamboats
made landings at the Grant County ports of Cassville and
Sinipee. By the time of the Black Hawk War the mining
centers were connected by a number of rude roads. Beyond
this region there was, until the erection of the territory, but
one road in Wisconsin, the military highway opened by
detachments of troops between 1883 and 1836. This road
connected Fort Howard at Green Bay with Fort Winnebago
at the portage by a route along the south bank of the Fox
River, the east shore of Lake Winnebago; thence across
country direct to Portage. From there the second division of
the road ran southwest to Blue Mounds; thence along the
Wisconsin watershed to which it gave the name of Military
Ridge. It crossed the Wisconsin about six miles above its
mouth and from the ferry ran to Fort Crawford at Prairie

190 Louise Phelps Kellogg

du Chien. All the cross-country traffic except that on the
Fox -Wisconsin waterway went by this road. By 1836 several
taverns had been opened along its western portion.

Coming from the south was a long-used Indian trail from
Chicago to Green Bay. It crossed from Grosse Point (now
Winnetka) to Skunk Grove, just west of the present Racine;
thence ran to Juneau's post on Milwaukee River; thence
north, following the general line of the lake shore, touching
it at Port Washington and Two Rivers.17 Gradually as white
travelers took this trail they cut its curves and broadened
its pathway until it took on the semblance of a road.

EASTERN IMMIGRANTS

Notwithstanding the advertisement of Wisconsin lands
during and succeeding the Black Hawk War of 1832, it was
not until 1835 that immigrants in any numbers began to
arrive at Wisconsin ports. This delay was due to several rea-
sons. In the first place the Indian title was not extinguished
until the autumn of 1833. After the Black Hawk War the
Sauk and Foxes and the Winnebago were compelled that
same autumn to cede all their lands south of the Fox-Wiscon-
sin waterway; the Menominee claims along the lower Fox and
south to the Milwaukee River were purchased in October,
1832. The allied tribes of the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Pota-
watomi met in September, 1833 at a great treaty at Chicago
and there sold all their lands west and south of Lake Michigan.
This put at rest forever the Indian rights to all of southern
Wisconsin. Following this, the United States in 1834 opened
two land offices for the new cessions: one at Mineral Point,
which began to enter land in November, the other at Green
Bay, where entries were not possible until the spring of 1835.

The other states of the Old Northwest had yet much good
land to offer to intending immigrants. Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois were at this period in the midst of a rush into their

" Wis. Hist. Colls., XV, 454.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 191

vacant territory. For instance Oberlin, Ohio, founded in
1833, was then surrounded by a country still a wilderness.
The years from 1830 to 1837 were those in which the northern
and central portions of Indiana were compacted. The north-
ern tier of counties in Illinois was not settled until after the
Black Hawk War; and this region was the first to feel the
impetus of immigration as the result of that event.

Michigan was, however, Wisconsin's chief rival for the
eastern emigrants. In 1824 there were but ten villages in
all the region that afterwards became the state of Michigan.
The next year the Erie Canal was completed, and, next to
Cleveland, Detroit became the chief distributing point for
new settlers pouring in from New England and New York.
The same year the government finished a military road from
Detroit to Chicago, and along this route the great bulk of
westward travel passed.18

The spring of 1835 opened with a rush into the region
that would soon become a new territory. Every steamboat
arriving at Green Bay brought from the East speculators
eager to secure possession of Wisconsin's fertile lands, mill
sites, water powers, and future commercial centers. Bona
fide settlers also came pouring in and soon outnumbered and
outmaneuvered the land sharks; and the hitherto unbroken
wilderness became dotted with rude cabin homes. The settlers
of 1835 sought locations near the lake shore, those that
promised future harbors and prosperous cities. Chief among
these was Milwaukee, which had been for many years an
important Indian trading post. Unlike Green Bay and
Prairie du Chien, Milwaukee had no permanent French-
Canadian population. In 1833 the huts of three traders were
its only habitations. Chief among these traders was Solomon
Juneau, who had settled at this point in 1818. He united with

18Mathews, Lois K., The Expansion of New England (Boston, 1909),
224-25.

192 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Morgan L. Martin of Green Bay in 1834 to preempt the land
east of Milwaukee River and lay out a town site.

In 1834 Col. George H. Walker from Virginia took up
the south point of Milwaukee harbor, ever since known as
Walker's Point. No other permanent settlers came until
1835. Then Byron Kilbourn platted a town site west of
Milwaukee River, which was long a rival to Juneau's town.
The first steamboat landed at Milwaukee in June of this
year; and many of the substantial citizens who built up the
metropolis made their advent in 1835. The county organiza-
tion sufficed until 1835 when the villages of Milwaukee east
of the river and Kilbourntown were organized with Juneau
and Kilbourn, respectively, as presidents. These two organi-
zations were united in 1838.19

Racine, also, was founded in 1835 by Gilbert Knapp,
who was quickly followed by other preemptors. On the site
of Kenosha agents for a New York Emigration company
found claimants as early as March of the same year. The
agents of this company thereupon began their settlement a
mile farther north at the mouth of Pike River. By the
autumn of 1835 several buildings had been erected at both
places, and religious services held.20

North of Milwaukee a paper city was laid out by specula-
tors at what is now Port Washington, then called Wisconsin
City. This was expected to become the future metropolis of
the territory. Sheboygan was platted by eastern investors
during the last months of 1835; its first permanent settlers,
however, did not arrive until the spring of 1836. The same
was true of Manitowoc.

While the lake ports were thus being occupied during
1835 farms in the hinterland were also being opened.
Waukesha, then called Prairieville, had settlers on its site as

19 Mack, Edwin S., "The Founding of Milwaukee," in Wis. Hist. Soc. Pro-
ceedings, 1906, 194-207.

20 Wis. Hist. Colls., II, 450-56; III, 3TO-420.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 193

early as 1834. All but three of the present townships of
Racine County were opened up with farms during 1835.
The same season saw settlers in Kenosha, Salem, Somers,
Pleasant Prairie, Brighton, Paris, Bristol, and Wheatland
townships of the present Kenosha County. The southern
townships of Milwaukee County were first settled in 1835;
and what became the villages of Pewaukee, Mukwonago, and
Muskego received their first settlers the same summer. Two
or three groups of homeseekers in the late autumn of 1835
crossed the country to the waters of Rock River; but only
the beginning of a preemptor's log cabin near Janesville gave
any sign of permanent settlement on that stream before 1836.

That year saw the great influx into the new territory
whose separation from Michigan was then an assured fact.
Every steamboat coming around the lakes landed hundreds
of prospectors at the ports. The stream of wagons passing
overland from Detroit was almost continuous. Tavern
accommodations were wholly inadequate ; families camped on
the wayside and slept in wagons, cooking their own provisions
at numerous camp fires along the route. Arrived at the
promised land the question of location became all important.
Mechanics, builders, and small capitalists settled at the embryo
towns. Intending farmers sought half- and quarter-sections
along some stream or in the timber; prairie land was liked by
eastern immigrants because it was less difficult to clear than
the heavily timbered sections.

In 1836 the counties of Walworth, Jefferson, Rock, Fond
du Lac, Sheboygan, and Manitowoc were opened up ; village
sites were platted and town lots put upon the market.
Speculation spread beyond the borders of the territory; town
lots in Wisconsin were sold at boom prices throughout the
East. Eastern capitalists came out with funds to make large
purchases from the land offices. The bona fide settlers, who
had come with small means to make permanent homes, took
alarm. A species of claimants' organization, begun at Pike

194 Louise Phelps Kellogg

River in February, 1836 to arbitrate on rival claims, com-
mended itself to the preemptors. The same summer the
Milwaukee County Union was formed;21 other counties
quickly caught the idea of protective associations. By this
means the actual settlers obtained their land at the govern-
ment price of $1.25 an acre. Any speculator bidding against
a settler was roughly handled. Nor could he secure redress
by law, for no settlers' jury would decide in his favor.
Wisconsin thus became populated by a small proprietor class,
coming chiefly from New England and New York. These
immigrants were largely descendants of seventeenth century
Americans; they brought to Wisconsin the ideals and the
purposes that had made successful the great commonwealths
of the East. In their new western homes they built up
American institutions and American homes that have formed
the basis of the progress and prosperity of Wisconsin.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TERRITORY

In 1835 Michigan was ripe for statehood, and her
admission to the Union seemed but a question of a few months.
A call for a constitutional convention was issued; delegates
met at Detroit in May of that year and provided a constitu-
tion which was adopted by the people in October. It was so
well understood that the portion of Michigan Territory west
of the lake would be set off as a separate territory, that in
August, 1835 an act was passed arranging for the election
from the western portion of a Congressional delegate and of a
legislative council to meet at Green Bay the first of January,
1836. Several candidates appeared for the delegate's office,
from among whom George Wallace Jones of Sinsinawa
Mound was elected. He appeared in Congress as delegate
from Michigan Territory, since Michigan, involved in a
border difficulty with Ohio, was not yet admitted as a state
in the Union. Likewise the legislative council that met at
Green Bay was designated the Seventh Legislative Council

n Ibid., II, 472-76.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 195

of Michigan Territory. This rump body, of which Col.
William S. Hamilton was president, accomplished little; it
passed resolutions condemning the absence of the acting
governor, John Scott Horner, and adjourned at the end of a
two weeks' session.

Meanwhile the bill to establish a territorial government
for Wisconsin was moving forward in Congress and was
signed by President Jackson April 20, 1836. It provided for
the organization of the territory on July 4 and for a census,
which resulted in numbering 22,218 people in the territory,
of which nearly one-half were west of the Mississippi River.
The territory then comprised six counties, two of which lay
beyond the Mississippi, leaving what is now Wisconsin
divided into Brown, Crawford, Iowa, and Milwaukee
counties. Wisconsin's population was sufficient to make her a
territory of the third rank, fully equipped with an elected
assembly and council and an appointed territorial court. Since
it was the first territory organized under President Jackson's
regime, its offices were much in demand. Wisconsin's
inhabitants considered themselves fortunate in having Henry
Dodge, long a resident among them, chosen for governor.
The appointment of John Scott Horner as secretary was less
acceptable ; the office was retained by the incumbent but a short
time, William B. Slaughter being appointed by the president
on February 16, 1837. The actual presence of the governor
in the territory during nearly all of the twelve years of its
existence rendered the office of territorial secretary a subordi-
nate one. The other appointive officers were Charles Dunn,
chief justice; William C. Frazer and David Irvin, associate
justices; William W. Chapman, United States district
attorney.

The first legislature, composed of a council of thirteen
members and an assembly of twenty-six, met October 25,
1836 at Belmont in the mining region. Belmont was a
"paper" town promoted by the new chief justice, Charles

196 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Dunn, and located near the Platte Mounds in what is now
Lafayette County. It arose like a balloon and like one
collapsed with the departure of the capital. In 1836, how-
ever, "the most extravagant plans and speculations were
indulged in, while each individual appeared to feel a happy
consciousness that wealth and honors were just within his
grasp. Immense improvements were projected and dis-
played in a most attractive manner upon paper in the shape of
spacious hotels, boarding houses, princely mansions, and a
capitol or legislative hall (the latter to be, of course, at the
expense of 'Uncle Sam') in a style intended to eclipse all
similar edifices in the country."2 In contrast to these
anticipations the site of Belmont is today covered by a farm-
stead.

The location of the future capital was the chief subject
that agitated the first legislature. Among all the promoters
of the time, James D. Doty was the most successful ; and the
site he had chosen between Third and Fourth lakes became
that adopted for the future capital. It is charged that a
judicious distribution among the legislators of lots in the
coming town of Madison aided in securing the decision. Be
this as it may, Belmont was soon deserted and the second
session of the first legislature met at Burlington, in what is
now Iowa. The second territorial legislature met in Madison
on November 26, 1838.

Preparations for a capitol building had been begun early
in 1837. Before the snow had left the ground the Peck
family had removed from Blue Mounds in order to provide a
boarding place for the men engaged in its construction.
Augustus A. Bird, the capitol commissioner, bought sawmill
machinery in the East ; and early in the summer of 1837 it was
landed from a steamboat at Milwaukee. Thence Bird's men
cut a rude trace and hauled the machinery and supplies over-
land, arriving in time to celebrate the Fourth of July in the

23 Ibid., VI, 298-99.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 197

woods of the new capital. Soon thereafter a quarry was
opened at what is now Maple Bluff, and stone was brought
across the lake in a scow. Amidst great difficulties the com-
missioners struggled to be ready for the legislature. With
all their efforts the building was unfinished, and the cold was
so intense that in December of 1838 a month's recess was
taken that accommodations might be improved.

At this and succeeding sessions of the territorial legisla-
tures internal improvements were the most important measures
discussed. Numerous roads were ordered to be laid out,
charters were granted for railroads that were never built,
ferries were licensed, and dams permitted on unnavigable
streams. The national government was petitioned for river
and harbor improvements, for lighthouses and mail routes.
Two large projects for waterways were vigorously promoted.
These were the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal and the
Fox-Wisconsin Improvement. The former was promoted
by Milwaukee capitalists, the latter by those of Green Bay.
Both projects secured land grants from Congress and both
became seriously involved in political disputes. No work of
importance was ever done on the Rock River project; the
canal at Portage and the water control of the lower Fox River
are the results of the Fox-Wisconsin Improvement, which in
1872 was taken over by the federal government. In fact the
navigation of either route was possible only to light draft and
small-sized craft that could never compete in modern times
with the rail carriers.

Other matters with which the territorial legislatures con-
cerned themselves were the organization of counties and
towns, the adjustment of local government, the adoption and
revision of a legal code, and the chartering and investigating
of banks.

GROWTH OF THE TERRITORY

The growth of Wisconsin's population during the years
of her territorial existence was phenomenal. In 1838 Con-

198 Louise Phelps Kellogg

gress cut off the territory of Iowa and ordered a new census.
The 11,683 of 1836 had in two years become 18,149. At the
federal census of 1840 Wisconsin was found to contain 30,747
people. Two years later the total was 46,678. The increase
now accelerated, and by 1846 the population had nearly
quadrupled, numbering (with reports from three sparsely
populated counties missing) 155,277. In 1847 the official
report was 210,546.

Until after 1840 practically all the people dwelt south of
the Fox-Wisconsin waterway. During the later years of the
territorial period the upper Wisconsin, the upper Mississippi,
and the shores of Green Bay began to be fringed with hamlets
and farms. The first territorial legislature divided the four
counties previously established by Michigan into fifteen. This
number was almost doubled in twelve years, Wisconsin becom-
ing a state with twenty-nine organized counties.

Hand in hand with the growth of population went the
increase of facilities for intercommunication. In 1832 there
were four post routes for monthly mails. In 1836 the govern-
ment let contracts for sixteen weekly mails. By 1838 the
number was doubled; and on some routes biweekly and tri-
weekly mails were ordered. The same year there were eighty
postoffices within the territory. Ten years later the post-
offices had become 286, and the contractors for mail routes
numbered fifty-nine.

The need of roads was considered by each successive
territorial legislature. The United States spent during the
territorial period $67,000 on military roads within our borders.
Each legislature ordered the survey and opening of roads
between various village centers. As an example of the
progress made a Madison newspaper in 1842 says, "Five
years ago there were but three houses on the one road between
Madison and Milwaukee. There are now four roads, one of
which passes through many of the best cultivated and most
tastefully improved farms west of New York; nearly all of

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 199

which are owned and occupied by the industrious, enterpris-
ing, and intelligent sons of New York and New England."2

None the less the territorial roads were very poor — at
certain seasons almost impassable. At all seasons transporta-
tion delays were probable; and the problem of moving men
and goods was acute throughout all the territorial period. In
1845 Governor Tallmadge recommended to the legislature
the consideration of plank roads. These were, however, first
undertaken by private enterprise. In 1846 the first plank toll
road from Milwaukee to Lisbon was chartered ; but not until
the territory became a state did the plank road system
ameliorate the wretched roads of early-day Wisconsin.

Railroads were much discussed ; nine railways were incor-
porated during the territorial epoch, but no rails were laid
within the state until 1850.

The earliest travelers went through the country on horse-
back; the first immigrants came in by oxcarts. Prairie
schooners and wagons of every type were drawn by horses or
oxen, even cows being sometimes harnessed to light vehicles.
In winter sleds and sleighs, particularly the long French
"train" drawn by two horses tandem, replaced wheeled
vehicles.

From private vehicles progress was soon made to stages.
Before the organization of the territory there was but one
stage line running from Galena to Mineral Point. By 1841
stages crossed the territory weekly by two main routes from
Green Bay to Mineral Point, and from Milwaukee via
Madison to Galena. The trip to Madison took two days. By
1848 a daily line of coaches ran from Milwaukee to Galena in
three days, taking alternately the route through Troy, Janes-
ville, and Shullsburg, and that through Waukesha, Madison,
and Mineral Point. A branch ran from Janes ville to Rock-
ford and Dixon, Illinois, connecting with the Chicago stage.
Another ran from Madison via Watertown and Fond du Lac

MKeyes, E. W., History of Dane County (Madison, 1906), 114.

200 Louise Phelps Kellogg

to Green Bay. Connections were made three times a week
between Racine and Janesville, Kenosha (then Southport)
and Madison. From Milwaukee north and south lines ran to
Chicago and to Sheboygan.24

Along the stage routes and beside most of the territorial
roads taverns of various degrees of excellence quickly sprang
up. The earliest accommodations were log cabins, on the
floors of which travelers spread their own blankets. By 1845
Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison, and some other towns had
hostelries dignified by the name of hotels.

During the territorial days land was the chief source of
wealth. By 1838 the government had sold $1,378,766.73
worth of land. In 1844 the assessed value of the real estate
was $8,077,200.00. Nineteen-twentieths of Wisconsin's
population lived on farms. The climate placing this region
beyond the corn range, "hog and hominy" could not be
depended upon for crops. Moreover the majority of the
settlers from New York and New England were accustomed
to raising grain. Wisconsin's virgin loam produced without
fertilization the small grains, of which wheat was the most
profitable. .Wisconsin soon became a one-crop region. In
1839, 212,166 bushels were produced from 15,151 acres.
Barley, oats, and rye together totaled but 119,545 bushels.
Wisconsin's product in her first year of statehood was
4,286,131 bushels of wheat, making her the ninth in the wheat-
producing states of the Union.

The difficulty of transporting the crop grew with the
distance from the lake shore. In 1839 the center of the wheat
farms lay in Racine, Milwaukee, and Walworth counties.
By the next decade the wheat growing center was in Rock,
Jefferson, and Dodge counties. The price of freight from
Watertown to Milwaukee ranged from ten to twenty cents
per bushel. Within the next decade the marketing problems
were lessened by the creation of plank roads and railroads.

*Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1914, 132.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 201

Next to the wheat and grain products the minerals of
southwestern Wisconsin brought wealth. This, the oldest
settled region, kept for a long time a distinct character allied
to the south and southwest. Its population, however, was
nearly stationary. The production of lead reached its great-
est point by 1844 and thereafter declined. Agriculture in
this region developed slowly, since titles to land could not be
secured so long as there was mineral upon it. In 1842 Con-
gress passed an act for the relief of such farmholders; some
who had lived for twenty years upon their improvements then
first secured titles. With the decline of mining the old
frontier character of the mining region passed away. The
shifting populace moved off to new centers, notably to Cali-
fornia in 1848. About the middle of the forties the lines of
transportation shifted. Lead began to be hauled to the lake
board; by 1847 the bulk of the product crossed the territory
in wagons drawn by six- and eight-yoke ox teams and was
transshipped by steamer to the East. With this change in
connections, the population of the southwestern portion of
Wisconsin began to assimilate to the type of the remainder
of the territory. The lead-mining region, however, has never
quite overtaken the remainder of the state in enterprise and in
the production of wealth.

The lumbering industry began during the territorial era
in several pineries that later became the scene of large opera-
tions. The first sawmill on the upper Wisconsin was built at
Point Bas in 1835. After the Menominee treaty of 1836 a
fringe of sawmills quickly rose on the banks of the Wisconsin
as far north as Wausau. Lumbering on Black River was
begun as early as 1819; not until twenty years later was the
first mill built upon that stream, when J. D. Spaulding pre-
empted the Black River Falls. By 1844 lumber was run out
into the Mississippi in considerable quantity. About the
same time a few logs were cut upon the St. Croix and the

202 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Chippewa, but the exploitation of these regions did not really
begin until after 1848.

The greatest need of the young territory was for capital.
However, after the flush times of the first territorial years had
culminated in the crash of 1837, great distrust was felt for all
financial institutions. The suffering occasioned by the panic
was greater in the new country than in the older regions.
Everyone was in debt; the money in circulation was useless.
Hundreds of families on the frontier lived entirely on potatoes
and salt during the winter of 1837-38. The neighborliness
and brotherhood of the frontier community showed itself in
ways that alleviated much of the suffering. He who had,
shared with his neighbor. Recovery from the panic of 1837
was on the whole more rapid in the West than in the East;
the good harvests, the land for all, the optimism in future
prospects tended to restore confidence and to rebuild credit
within the territory. It was long, however, before eastern
capital overcame the distrust of Wisconsin occasioned by the
panic of 1837.

The dislike for instruments of credit endured throughout
the territorial period. The very name of a bank was anath-
ema. Every charter granted by the legislature, even that
for a school or a church, contained a proviso that nothing in
these provisions should be construed as a grant for banking
privileges. This was due to the hard experience of the first
two territorial years. The first legislature incorporated three
banks for Dubuque, Mineral Point, and Milwaukee ; one was
already in existence at Green Bay. All these ultimately
failed disastrously and thus prejudice was awakened against
all banks. But while "the name is a bugbear they detest, the
thing is a boon they need and welcome," so in 1839 the Wis-
consin Marine and Fire Insurance Company was incorpor-
ated with permission to receive money on deposit and lend
the same at interest. This company, established in Milwau-
kee and managed by the Scotch financier, Alexander Mitchell,

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 203

became one of the strongest financial institutions in the North-
west and of untold value in developing the resources of the
future state.

Living conditions in the territory were hard but whole-
some. The friendliness of the frontier manifested itself in
valuable help for incoming neighbors. There was no sign of
caste or class spirit. The needs of one were the opportunities
of all. As a rule each family was a unit largely self-sufficing.
When necessity arose for combined labor, it was accomplished
by voluntary services called "bees," which were made the
occasion of social recreation. The most important "bee" was
that for cabin making. The logs were cut and trimmed
beforehand, and people came for miles around to take part in
the "raising." The proper space having been marked off,
the logs were quickly rolled and laid in place, notched at the
ends to hold firm. The roof was made of bark or "shakes,"
the floor of puncheons — logs split in two with the rounded
side down. The interstices between the logs were chinked in
with clay or mud and usually whitewashed both inside and
out. Sometimes the entire cabin was made without the use
of nails. A blanket was used for a door until a board one
could be made. Windows were covered with shutters; but
few had in them any glass. The most important part of the
structure was the chimney, which sometimes occupied all one
side of the cabin. This was commonly built of small stones
and clay, although sticks occasionally took the place of stones.
Into this capacious fireplace great logs were hauled, some-
times by the help of a horse, to keep the family warm in the
severe Wisconsin winters. Almost all the immigrants from
the older states brought with them furniture, cooking utensils,
linen for table and beds, and some store of quilts and clothing.
Additional furniture was quickly provided by the handy skill
of the men and boys. Bedsteads were improvised with one
side fastened between the logs. Ticks were filled with straw
or hay, and most housewives brought with them a cherished

204 Louise Phelps Kellogg

feather bed. Food was seldom scarce. The "truck patch"
quickly furnished vegetables, while the woods and streams
abounded with fish and game. Deer were easily obtained,
and plenty of smaller animals and game birds were within
reach of a gun. Flour was often lacking because of the
difficulties of going to mill. Hand mills and wooden pestles
and mortars were often resorted to for temporary supplies
of pounded meal.

Tools and implements were precious, one settler having
to go all the way to Chicago to replace a lost ax. Except the
ax and hammer, tools were freely borrowed and lent; agricul-
tural implements were almost common property. One grind-
stone usually served a considerable community. The repair
shop of the village blacksmith was a great convenience for
isolated settlers, who had before his coming made long jour-
neys to replace and repair their tools. Men assisted one
another not only at house raisings, but at ploughing and
harvesting, clearing land and grubbing stumps, fencing, and
planting. Sickness, death, and marriage were community
affairs. Everyone lent a helping hand, and any skill or
ability he possessed was at the service of the neighbors.

Amusements were rude and promiscuous. Dancing was
much favored, except among the religious people. Taverns
were utilized for dances, and good music was produced from
the cherished "fiddle." Singing schools were frequent, and a
good singing teacher was much in demand. Relaxation from
the stern realities of life came chiefly through religious ser-
vices. Sunday was kept as a rest day by common consent;
pioneer preachers came into the territory among its earliest
immigrants.

In point of time the Catholics were the first missionaries
in preterritorial Wisconsin. A Trappist monk from Illinois
visited Prairie du Chien in 1817; the first church building was
completed at Green Bay in 1825. In 1835 an Austrian priest,
Father Baraga, built a chapel on Madeline Island. The first

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 205

German Catholic missionary arrived at Milwaukee in 1842;
two years later a bishopric was established at Milwaukee whose
first incumbent was Bishop Henni. Under his care parishes
were organized in all the larger towns of the territory and
in many country communities.

The Episcopalians in 1822 began Indian mission work at
Green Bay where Eleazer Williams, who later claimed to be
the lost dauphin of France, accompanied the New York
Indians to their Wisconsin homes. In 1827 a large school for
Indian youth was built at Green Bay; the same year at the
same place Christ Episcopal Church was organized. The
Reverend Jackson Kemper, in 1835 consecrated missionary
bishop for the Northwest, speedily organized parishes at
Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, and in 1841 founded
Nashotah Seminary. In 1848 there were twenty-three clergy-
men, twenty-five parishes, and about a thousand communi-
cants in Wisconsin.

The Methodist itinerants appeared early in the lead-
mining region where the first class was organized in 1832.
The same year Father John Clark was appointed missionary
to Green Bay; while furthering Indian missions he also
established classes among the American people. Preaching
service was held in Milwaukee from 1835 onward; the first
church was built in 1841. In 1848 Wisconsin Conference
was organized with four districts, fifty-seven churches, sixty-
two preachers, and nearly ten thousand members.

The first Congregational service was held at Fort Howard
in 1820 by the Reverend Jedediah Morse of the American
Board for Foreign Missions. This society and the American
Home Missionary Society supported Indian missions on Fox
River and Chequamegon Bay. At the latter place the mission
church antedated the Catholic mission, and still preserved
is doubtless the oldest church building in Wisconsin. Work
among the miners was begun in 1829; three of the six mem-
bers of the first church at Galena in 1831 lived at Mineral

206 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Point. By 1840 there were eight Presbyterian and eight
Congregational churches in the territory, and a union was
formed for a common association that lasted for ten years.
In 1850 the association had 4,286 members in 111 churches, of
which 83 were organized Congregationally.

The Baptists began work at Kenosha among the earliest
pioneers. About the year 1836 societies were formed at Mil-
waukee and Waukesha. Delavan was a temperance colony
of Baptists from New York, and there was built in 1841 the
first church edifice. The first convention met at this church
in 1844 when 1,500 members were reported. By 1850 there
were in the state Baptist convention 64 churches, 52 pastors,
and 3,198 members.

Higher education within the territory was considered the
function of the religious bodies. Numbers of academies and
institutes were chartered, all to be placed under private or
denominational control. Few of these attained true collegiate
rank until the period of statehood. Prairie ville Academy
became in 1846 Carroll College; Beloit College laid the
foundation of its first college building in 1847, and five
students entered the freshman class that autumn; Lawrence
Institute was projected in 1846, chartered in 1847, and opened
its doors for pupils in September, 1848. Milton Academy
was later raised to collegiate grade ; and Platteville Academy
laid the foundation for the first normal school. The only real
public high school during the territorial period was that
founded in 1847 by the efforts of I. A. Lapham at Milwaukee.

Elementary schools developed very slowly during the
territorial period. Until 1839 there was no provision by law
for any school equipment except that authorized under the
Michigan statutes. One small public school was begun in
Milwaukee in 1837 under the latter's provisions. In 1845,
however, there was not a true public school in Milwaukee.
The district school law of 1839 was very inadequate; the idea
of tax-supported education had many and powerful oppo-

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 207

nents. In 1845 a free public school was organized at Kenosha,
and under the stimulus of Michael Frank of that city a bill
was put through the legislature of that year authorizing public
taxation for educational purposes. This law acted as a
powerful stimulus to the erection of schools. Milwaukee's
school system was begun in 1846; by 1848 there were five
public school buildings "equal to anything in New York,
Boston, or Albany." The state constitution adopted in 1848
provided that "district schools shall be free, and without
charge for tuition to all children between the ages of four
and twenty years."25

Reform movements in the territory were numerous.
Many of the early settlers came west imbued with the hope
of promoting reforms on virgin soil. Among such were the
Phoenix brothers, founders of Delavan, who with every
transfer of a town lot provided that no liquor should ever be
sold thereon. A temperance society was also organized
among the earliest settlers. Wai worth County had a county
temperance society in 1839; Kenosha was an early leader in
the same movement. In 1841 the Walworth County society
secured the first liquor law from the legislature, exempting
millers from compulsory service for distilleries. Local option
laws were also passed during the territorial period. Several
temperance orders or brotherhoods, such as the "Washing-
tonians" and "Sons of Temperance," had chapters in terri-
torial Wisconsin.

Antislavery ideas flourished strongly in early-day Wis-
consin. Henry Dodge and the Gratiot brothers came to this
region from Missouri to escape from slavery. They brought
with them family servants whom they liberated after a certain
term of service. In Racine and Walworth counties there
was a strong Liberty party element eager for political action.
In 1843 a candidate of that party was named for Congres-
sional delegate; and two newspapers, the Aegis at Racine,

28 Wis. Hist. Colls., V, 342.

208 Louise Phelps Kellogg

and the American Freeman at Waukesha, appeared. The
latter became the party organ and was ably edited for several
years by Ichabod Codding and C. C. Sholes. The same year,
1843, antislavery votes elected the sheriff for Milwaukee and
the next year defeated the Whig candidate in Walworth
County. The vote grew with the election of each Congres-
sional delegate until in 1849 Charles Durkee of Wisconsin
became the first Liberty party man to sit in the House of
Representatives. Suffrage for negroes was defeated by a
referendum in 1847; but the vote of 7,664 in favor of the
measure shows the strength of antislavery sentiment in the
territory.

Communistic sentiment was strong during the period of
the forties; several cooperative colonies were organized in
Wisconsin. Of these, the most noteworthy was the Wiscon-
sin Phalanx, founded at Kenosha in 1844. This Fourierite
community built Ceresco at the present Ripon and maintained
itself until 1850. English cooperative communities selected
Wisconsin as the site of their experiments. Some followers
of Robert Owen founded North Prairie in Waukesha County,
and a Utilitarian Society settled in Mukwonago. A British
Temperance Emigration Society was founded in 1843 at
Liverpool. This was a philanthropic rather than a communal
enterprise, but shareholders were entitled to privileges secured
by united action. Lawrence Heyworth, a wealthy philan-
thropist, was president and came in person to Wisconsin to
promote the enterprise. The 1,600 acres of land purchased
lay in western Dane and eastern Iowa counties ; thereon many
English mechanics and farm laborers were settled as a result
of the movement. A Mormon colony was for some time
settled at Voree in Walworth County. Thus Wisconsin had
her share of enthusiasts seeking to found Utopias in her midst.

(To be continued)

OBSERVATIONS OF A CONTRACT SURGEON

WILLIAM F. WHYTE

I am requested to write a short narrative of my experiences
in army service as a contract officer. The experiences of a
medical officer of an army are as a rule in the highest degree
unromantic. I have not been enough of a soldier to boast of
my achievements. I cannot shoulder my crutch and show
how fields are won, but I will attempt to tell how a man with
a desire to serve a great cause can do his duty and be as
useful as if he carried a rifle or handled a machine gun. When
war with Germany was declared I wrote to the surgeon
general's office offering my services and received the reply
that I was beyond the age of commission. Three months later
I applied again with the same result. I foresaw that there
would be a great demand for medical officers and if volunteers
did not come forward to meet the wants of the rapidly mobiliz-
ing army, it might be found necessary to let down the bars
and admit men to the medical service who were over age of
commission (fifty-five), if they were found to be profession-
ally and physically qualified. My guess was a good one, for
the surgeon general, who is certainly a high class man and
patriotically desired to do his whole duty in putting into the
field a physically perfect army, found that there were not
enough well-trained men among the medical recruits to act as
tuberculosis examiners. Reserve officers in large numbers
were being trained for that service, but until there should be
a sufficient number to meet the demand the surgeon general
asked a number of the life insurance companies to propose
the names of their experienced examiners who could be called
on for a few months to fill the gap.

My name was proposed to the War Department in Sep-
tember, and on November 1, 1 was ordered to Fort Benjamin

210 William F. Whyte

Harrison for a short preliminary training. I might say here
that the regular army officers- did not favor this method of
filling up the ranks of the service with contract men, and I
was told soon after reaching Fort Harrison that I must be
prepared to be snubbed by the camp surgeons, who were ready
to make themselves disagreeable and if possible demonstrate
to the contract officer that he was an unnecessary factor in the
army. If I had known that the M. O. T. C. ( Medical Officers'
Training Camp) at Fort Harrison was a try-out affair as
well as a training camp, my enthusiasm might have received
a setback at the beginning of my service. I was told at
Washington by Colonel Bruns when I asked him why my
contract read "for thirty days" that it was only a form. Some
of my colleagues found that it was a reality, for at the end
of thirty days they were ordered home. In my class at Fort
Benjamin Harrison there were eight contract officers; two
were ordered to Camp Custer at the end of the period; the
remainder got their orders to go home at government expense.
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a M. O. T. C. ; in addition there
were about three thousand recruits from the national army
in training. The men had been in camp two months, and as I
watched their evolutions I said to an acquaintance, "I don't
believe the German army can produce the equal of those
fellows." I had seen the Potsdam garrison, the flower of the
Prussian army, at Berlin thirty years before, and the Prussian
soldiers always impressed me as well drilled machines without
spirit or initiative.

I went to headquarters to report. While there I met Cap-
tain Stoll, one of the instructors. I asked him if I could get a
good room in the barracks. I had an inkling of the hardships
which to a young fellow might seem hardly worth noticing,
but to a man over sixty-five were matters for serious con-
sideration. He smilingly replied, "Why, Doctor, we will give
you a room and bath." I was directed to Barracks No. 3 and
told that I might sleep in that particular shanty, but would

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 211

have to furnish my own cot and bedding. There were in all
forty occupants of the barracks. I bought an army cot and
mattress and borrowed some quilts from the quartermaster
until my bedding should arrive. I had never slept on such a
contraption before and by 4 A. M. I was wide awake and
anathematizing the hard spots in my mattress. When reveille
sounded at six o'clock I got up with the alacrity of youth and
seizing my wash basin and towel made a rush for the bath
room (eighteen showers) a hundred yards away. After a
hasty rub I managed to get dressed by the time the breakfast
bell rang at six-thirty. In the mess room at Fort Benjamin
Harrison, if you brought your manners with you, the chances
were that you would go away hungry. I took note of the
situation in about one minute. I will not say how fast or
how much I ate; a country doctor after forty years' experi-
ence, who has a good digestion, becomes what David Harum
calls "a good feeder." I did my best and left the mess table
with my hunger appeased.

The tuberculosis branch of the training camp numbered
about thirty or forty medical officers of whom eight, like
myself, were in service by contract. The two instructors,
Major Hoyt of Philadelphia and Captain Stoll of Hartford,
were high class men. Their duties consisted in instructing the
men in the army method of chest examination and incidentally
in finding out if a man knew enough about physical diagnosis
to measure up to the requirements of the service. I had been
out of practice for four years and felt rather timid, but in a
day or two I gained confidence. I found some of the men
were weaker than myself. It was intensive work — six hours
daily — with the evening taken up by study. I did not have
much time to worry about my future. Still, I was greatly
relieved when I received orders to go to Camp Custer. It was
certainly a matter for self -congratulation, that an old fellow
who might be called rusty through lack of practice was
deemed qualified to act as a tuberculosis examiner in the army.

212 William F. Whyte

The contract surgeon ranks as first lieutenant only, with
no chance for promotion. No quarters are assigned him
unless he is on active duty in foreign service or in a training
camp; and he has no right to claim pension for disease or
injury contracted in the service. The knowledge also that he
is to a certain extent looked down on as an inferior by some
young fellow who is proud of his lieutenant's bars and his
uniform makes the position of the contract officer the reverse
of agreeable. The feeling, however, that he is serving a great
cause is a solace that makes his life endurable. One noble old
fellow, a doctor from Minnesota, aged sixty-nine, was heart-
broken when he was ordered home. He was full of patriotic
zeal and had tried to enlist as a private when war was declared.
He was very happy at the prospect of being in the medical
service and told of his grandson who was in the army in the
South and what a joy it would be if he could be ordered to
serve in the same camp. It was my good fortune to go to
a camp where my son was stationed as a lieutenant in the
310th Engineers. I wired my wife to meet me there.

Camp Custer is beautifully located five miles from Battle
Creek, Michigan. The camp was on a high ridge surrounded
by marshy land, an ideal situation from a sanitary standpoint.
A fine asphalt road and a cheap jitney service rendered it so
accessible that several hundred army officers' families lived in
Battle Creek. The trolley service between the camp and the
town was also prompt and reasonable in price.

My wife soon engaged pleasant rooms in Battle Creek,
and although work in the camp was strenuous, my colleagues
were pleasant fellows, and the homecoming every afternoon
was the reverse of disagreeable. The only drawback to the
life of the camp was the thought which would come into my
mind every day that I was examining men to ascertain
whether they were fit to be shot by German snipers.

The winter of 1917-18 was extremely cold in Michigan.
Some of the army officers thought it would toughen the men to

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 213

have them drill and go on hikes in the severest weather; the
result was frozen faces, fingers, and feet. The regimental
surgeons protested to the commandant against such inhuman-
ity, but were told to mind their own business. When, how-
ever, the martinet at the head of the camp was threatened with
an appeal to Washington there was a right-about face and the
men were not ordered out except when the surgical staff
approved. To make a man stand guard for two hours over
a mule or a truck when the thermometer registered twenty
below zero may have been in accordance with army regula-
tions, but it conflicted with common sense and humanity.

We were told at Fort Benjamin Harrison by Major Hoyt
that fifty examinations would be considered a day's work;
after a few weeks we found that a man was considered
inefficient if he could not make seventy-five in one day. The
President of the Board, which usually consisted of twelve
members, wanted to make a good record in the surgeon
general's office, and so we were urged to speed up as rapidly
as was consistent with accuracy of diagnosis. I will describe
the method followed at Camp Custer, although we were com-
pelled afterwards to modify it to a certain extent. The men
were brought to the base hospital, one hundred at a time. An
orderly gave them instruction as to how to breathe and cough
when they came before the examiners. They were stripped
to the waist and the examiner applied his stethoscope in
twenty different places on the chest, the soldier breathing and
coughing meanwhile. (Hand before your mouth; breathe
in, breathe out, and cough, was the method. ) Three minutes
was the time allowed for the examination of the normal chest,
including the heart.

When an abnormality was detected the examiner referred
the case to his associate, who occupied the same room. If he
also found the same lesion, the case was referred to the captain
of the Board. If the lesion was a serious one the man was
sent to the Superior Board which consisted of three examiners,

214 William F. Whyte

who S. C. D.'d him (marked him for discharge from the
army). If the disease was slight, the man was not sent to
the Superior Board but was ordered to return in ten days,
when all the "come backs," as they were called, were examined
by the whole board. This was a different proposition from
examining a patient in the doctor's office. People who come
there are sick, or think they are. These were men who had
all been passed on by local boards; none of them knew or
thought anything was the matter with their lungs or hearts.
I frequently made the remark to my colleagues, "How could
this man pass a board?" His unfitness for any army service
was so apparent. I have been led to believe that the local
examiners passed many "no goods," thinking that they might
possibly get by the camp tuberculosis examiners, and thus the
community would be rid of an undesirable.

The acid test was "activity." If there was a minute area
of active disease in the upper lobe of either lung, the man was
rejected without hesitation; but if either lung showed a tuber-
cular deposit in a quiescent condition, he was allowed to go
through unless the area involved was too large. As Colonel
Bushnell, the head of the tuberculosis work in the army, him-
self a victim of chronic tuberculosis, said, "These men may
outlive any of you." It is a well-known fact proved by post-
mortem statistics, that a large majority of those people who
die of other ailments have had tuberculosis some time in their
life. Physical appearances were often very deceptive. A
skinny little chap in spite of his appearance would be found
to have normal lungs, while a stalwart muscular giant would
be found with active disease. The heaviest man I examined in
the army — a Brooklyn recruit who weighed two hundred
forty-nine pounds — had a well-marked cicatrized cavity in his
upper left lobe. He had no doubt been a long-time patron of
those widely advertised and well-known citizens of New York,
George Ehret, or Jack Ruppert, who are now engaged in the
manufacture of two and three-fourths' per cent beer. He was

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 215

no doubt discharged from the service, as a man in his condition
would soon break down under the strenuous discipline of army
life.

The daily grind at Camp Custer was from 8 to 11 :30 A. M.,
and from 1 :30 to 4 or 5 p. M. just as the men were brought in
for examination. With the methods prescribed there we
found that examining seventy-five men was a heavy day's
work. The officers came in hit or miss ; they were allowed to
undress in the examiner's room, while the privates took off
their clothes in the hallway and came in by number.

From twenty-one thousand six hundred forty recruits
examined at Camp Custer we rejected ninety-six for tuber-
culosis. Three hundred were held in reserve for future
observation as they showed quiescent lesions or what is called
fibrosis. One hundred thirty-eight were rejected for heart
disease, and two hundred were held up for other chest defects.
One of our Board with a mathematical turn of mind found
that it cost Uncle Sam thirty cents a head for tuberculosis
examinations. A Canadian medical expert has recently
estimated that every case of tuberculosis who went to France
and was sent home for treatment cost the Canadian govern-
ment $5,250. Thus the importance of trained tuberculosis
examiners can easily be understood. A man in the service
with tuberculosis is not only a source of infection but a dead-
weight and a drag on the army.

As our work was coming to a close, the President of our
Board said one morning, "I want five of you gentlemen to
go with me to headquarters to examine the higher officers,"
and called for volunteers. I said that I would as soon examine
a colored boy as a colonel. He afterwards told an amusing
story of his experience with the commanding general. The
General said to him, "Major, I suppose that I will have to be
examined."

The Major replied, "That is the order from the surgeon
general's office."

216 William F. Whyte

"Well, it is all damned nonsense. I was examined at
Washington three months ago."

"Very well," said the Major, "I will have to report you
as not examined."

The General took off his jacket and pulled up his shirt
and said gruffly, "Now you can examine me."

"You will have to take your shirt off," said the Major.

"Damned if I will," snarled the General, walking up and
down the room.

The Major waited until he caught the irate officer's
eye, saluted, and quietly walked out. The next day he
received a telephone call from headquarters asking when it
would be convenient for him to come down and examine
General - — . An ambulance would be sent for him. He
was most courteously received when he reached headquarters,
and the General submitted to be examined according to regu-
lations. The Major told us afterwards : "I want you, gentle-
men, to remember this, for when you are on your ground
stand by the army regulations regardless of the rank of any
man who may be your superior officer."

We examined one day six hundred men from the officers'
training camp who had fallen down at the first camp and got
their commissions after several months' subsequent training.
The major at the head of our Board said to me afterwards,
"God help the United States of America if that is the kind of
stuff they are going to make officers of." A large proportion
of them might properly be called culls. However, the young
fellows aspiring to commissions whom we examined at Camp
Dix were certainly high class men. I do not believe that
their superiors could have been found in any army in the
world.

I have said that I got the impression that the local boards
sent unfit men into the service with the idea of getting rid of
the "no goods" in the community. That policy met with no
success, as a man who had to undergo the careful scrutiny of

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 217

nine examining boards was sure to be caught somewhere if he
had any serious physical or mental defect. I have no doubt
but that the American army was superior to that of any of the
other warring nations, as we had not at any time a shortage of
man power and therefore it was not necessary to accept any
man below the army standard.

Occasionally a line officer would interfere and try to exert
his influence against the decision of the examiners. I remem-
ber a case at Camp Custer where my associate found activity
in the upper lobe of the left lung in what is called "Kronigs
isthmus." I confirmed his diagnosis. The captain was called
in; he agreed with us, and the man was sent to the Superior
Board and marked for rejection. He had been twenty years
in the army and was very indignant when he perceived that
we were not going to pass him. He said he had merely a
cold which he had contracted by being moved from Mexico
to Michigan. He had been a soldier in the "pacifist" war
which our country had been conducting on the border the year
before. The next week he returned with a new service record.
We asked him how he got it. He replied, "My colonel don't
believe you doctors. He says I have only a bad cold." He
was marked for rejection but came again with a new record.
After his third rejection we were told that he was the colonel's
pet and an excellent man to take care of horses. When he
came back the fourth time he had no papers but begged for
another examination. I said to him "My boy, the govern-
ment will take good care of you and send you to a sanitarium
in New Mexico. You tell your colonel that he can't put it
over any tuberculosis examiner in the army; under no condi-
tion will you be allowed to go overseas with your regiment."
I was sorry for him as he was an Irishman, full of fight, and
anxious, as he said, to get a shot at the "German devils."

The last week in January saw the finish of the work in
Camp Custer. When I first went into the service I expected
that I would not be needed more than three or four months

218 William F. Whyte

for the line of work I had engaged to do. When we had
examined all the recruits in Camp Custer the officers in the
medical reserve looked forward to a transfer; and I antici-
pated an order to go home. The experiment of employing
contract surgeons from civil life had not proved a success.
The medical men who went into the service for an indefinite
time found the work hard, the environment unpleasant, the
pay unremunerative, and after a few months the majority of
them sent in their contracts to jWashington for cancellation.
I was told by the president of the Tuberculosis Board that
if I would agree to stay in the service until the end of the
war I would be ordered to Camp Greenleaf , Georgia, for
instruction. Between the first and second drafts there was a
lull in the work of examining recruits and the surgeon general
thought it best to keep the examiners busy at the line of work
they had been engaged in, so they were sent to various training
camps in the South. My orders to Camp Greenleaf came on
February 1. Anxious to leave a land of ice and snow we took
the train at once for Chicago and then the "Dixie Flyer" (a
misnomer) to Chattanooga. It was a happy change from a
temperature of ten degrees below zero to the opening of a
southern spring in forty-eight hours. Camp Greenleaf is
located on the site of the battle field of Chickamauga and also
on the exact spot where Chickamauga Camp was located
during the Spanish American war. The great advance in
sanitation since that time had revolutionized conditions and
the camp, instead of being a breeding place for infections
"without a microscope or a test tube," was strictly sanitary in
all its appointments.

While at Camp Custer I had been advised by some of my
colleagues to apply for a commission in the reserve, but the
longer I served in the army the more pleased I was that my
application was rejected. The contract officer does not sleep
on a bed of roses, but he has much more freedom than is

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 219

allowed the regular army officer, and my rank in the service
made life much easier for me.

When I reported at Camp Greenleaf , the young lieuten-
ant who wrote down my personnel in the registry said, "You
can put your cot in that corner, Lieutenant."

"I am not going to sleep here," I replied. "I am going to
stay in Chattanooga with my wife."

"But you must stay in the barracks," he answered. "No
one is allowed sleep out without a pass. It is tighter than hell
here."

"I don't care how tight it is," I returned. "I am beyond
the age of commission, and if I sleep in that barracks I'll get
what you call pneumococcus bronchitis and die, and I don't
propose to die in the service unless it is necessary."

"You will have to get a permit then."

"Very well," I said, "fill out an application and I will
sign it."

I got the permit next morning. In a few minutes a
sergeant approached me and said, "Lieutenant Colonel
Beardsley wishes to speak to you. You will find him in that
tent," pointing down the hill.

I went to the Colonel's tent and asked him what he wanted
to see me about.

He said, "I will examine you physically today and
medically tomorrow."

"I think not, Colonel," I answered. "I am a contract
officer. I have already served in two camps and have been
passed on medically at Fort Benjamin Harrison. I don't
think that you need to take up any time with me."

"I rather think you are right, Lieutenant, and I will excuse
you," was the reply. I was known in the camp in a few days
as the man who did as he darn pleased. I inquired for Major
Nichols, the head of the tuberculosis instructors, and next day
became a member of his class.

220 William F. Whyte

I found that eight of my colleagues on the Board at Camp
Custer who had preceded me to Camp Greenleaf had been
engaged in the pleasant occupation of drilling in the Georgia
mud. One of them, a fine fellow from Iowa, said to me, "My
patriotism is all gone, and I am completely tired out." When
I called on Colonel Page, the camp commandant, to get a
permit to attend Major Nichols' class I told him who I was
and where I had been. I said, "What do you think, Colonel?
They told me I would have to drill here."

He broke into a hearty laugh. "Major, old fellows like
you and I don't have to drill in this camp. That is damned

nonsense."

I told him that my colleagues who had been drilled and
trained at Fort Benjamin Harrison and who had. been ex-
amining recruits at Camp Custer for several months were
also drilling.

"Give me their names and I will see that they get some-
thing else to do besides drilling."

Colonel Page was a regular army officer, and his shoulder
straps did not cause any swelling of his head such as we often
noticed in officers of the national army.

Major Estes Nichols is a distinguished member of the
medical profession and a well-known authority in New Eng-
land on tuberculosis. He was very popular as a teacher, as
was Major Good Kind of Chicago, who gave instruction in
cardio vascular diseases. Captain Keltic of Philadelphia
was the lecturer on pathology and an eloquent and impressive
teacher.

Within a few days after my arrival at Camp Greenleaf
I found one of the main reasons for the pneumococcus bron-
chitis which was so prevalent. The barracks were only
shanties, built on posts as a foundation; the heating appara-
tus consisted of small stoves which required two men and a
boy to "keep them in action." The medical officers would go
out on a two hours' drill through the mud, one hundred twenty

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 221

steps per minute, and then with no opportunity to change
their wet underwear would be compelled to sit in a cold
barracks and listen to a lecture. A good friend of mine from
Madison, a major in the service, went to the infirmary within
a few days as a result of this discipline and was transferred to
the hospital for several weeks to recover from an attack of
broncho-pneumonia.

The medical staff of the base hospital at Fort Oglethorpe
was insufficient in numbers and I gathered from what I saw
in the wards (and the morgue) that some of the attending
surgeons were not very strong on diagnosis. When a medical
man cannot diagnose as common a complication of pneumonia
as empyema until the subject reaches the post-mortem table,
he does not deserve to rank high as a practitioner, whether in
the army or in civil life. This is a painful subject, and I will
not go more into detail as criticism at this late day will not
accomplish any good. One finds in the army that it is the
proper thing to keep silent but when a man has lived over
sixty years in the world and has been in the habit of expressing
his opinion on all subjects, it is rather trying to be compelled
to keep quiet when he feels like denouncing incompetence. A
friend of mine who had been fifteen years in the medical ser-
vice told me that the only way to play the army game is to do
as you are told by your superior officers and hold your tongue.
A man who has an opinion of his own and expresses it does
nothing but make trouble for himself. In the bosom of your
family it is not always the part of wisdom to express a differ-
ence of opinion; in Uncle Sam's army it is the height of
imprudence.

At Camp Custer and at Fort Benjamin Harrison the
recruits we examined for admission to the service were men
of fit quality for the making of first-class soldiers. When
the physically unfit had been weeded out by the examining
board, I do not think that finer material for an army could
have been found in the world. Both the Huns and the Allies

222 William F. Whyte

were compelled to make use of every man who could march
or carry a gun but we had the choice of the young manhood
of America. Quite different were my impressions when I
reached Camp Greenleaf and came in contact with the
Southern cracker. The curse of slavery, the lack of the school-
house, hookworm and malaria, all have left their influence on
the Southern boy of today. That the Civil jWar lasted four
years can only be accounted for by the bravery of the Con-
federate soldier. That the men of the Southland fought like
heroes cannot be denied; and they did so because it was in
their blood.

I have spoken of the unnecessary drilling to which the
medical officers were compelled to submit. Among the medi-
cal officers whose duties consisted of examining the lungs
and hearts of the recruits there was a pronounced feeling that
serious and often permanent damage was done by ignorant
drillmasters to boys who had not been accustomed to strenu-
ous physical exercise. In conversation one day with a promi-
nent Philadelphia heart specialist on this subject he expressed
himself emphatically on what he called the stupidity of the
army regulations. He told me that one day in August on
the parade ground at Fort Oglethorpe he saw some recruits
drilled for two hours without a drop of water to drink with
the thermometer at 100 in the shade. He denounced the
practice of taking boys who had been clerks in stores and
bookkeepers and putting them through the same drill which
was required of lumbermen and farmers and athletes. He
said that undoubtedly many cases of organic heart lesions
would be developed by such senseless procedure. I am sure
that some of the medical officers over forty-five suffered per-
manent injury by drilling when compelled to keep step with
men of half their age on the parade ground.

One day at Camp Greenleaf I met a New England offi-
cer. I said to him, "Captain, what are you doing here?"

He replied, "I am drilling."

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 223

"How do you stand it?" I asked.

"I don't stand it. I pant like a dog when we are through.
They put some of those long legged boys in the front rank
and I have to keep up with them."

I told him that at his age (fifty-three) he was laying the
foundation for heart disease in the future. At Camp Dix I
became well acquainted with a medical officer fifty years old,
from Tennessee. On the way home one evening I said to
him, "Captain, you act blue tonight."

He replied, "I have the blues ; I have been told that I have
a presystolic murmur, and I am going to be S. C. D'd. I
was perfectly well when I passed my examination for en-
trance into the service and I now am thrown into the discard.
I gave up my practice and now I have to go back home and
every enemy I have will point his finger at me as long as I
live as a man whom Uncle Sam did not consider as compe-
tent for army service."

I have no doubt that his heart lesion had been developed
by his strenuous exercise. Blundering on the part of "swivel
chair artists" in Washington had done him a rank injustice.

The old saying that a man should not run after forty is
a true one. The heart muscle begins to change between
forty-five and fifty and a man who indulges in strenuous and
unwonted exertion after that time is sure to pay the penalty.
One of the most famous surgeons in the United States died
from heart dilation as the result of mountain climbing in
South America. The authorities in Washington are, no
doubt, responsible for shortening the lives of many patriotic
men who volunteered to serve their country and were com-
pelled to endure unnecessary hardships which they did not
dream of or were in no way fitted for when they entered
the service. Fifty-five was the age limit and the War De-
partment accepted men up to that age and drilled them as if
they were boys.

224 William F. Whyte

The hygiene of the camps where it was my fortune to
serve was excellent. Good drainage and pure water are neces-
sities for a military camp. Some of the camps, especially
in the South, were the reverse of hygienic. General Gorgas
denounced the location of some as having been selected by
political influence. One was located in what was practically
a morass. Camp Bowie at one time had two thousand cases
of sickness without a toilet. Politics were said to be ad-
journed, but it is not possible to escape the conclusion that
this was a Southern democratic war, fought largely by North-
ern men and financed by Northern money. Representative
Kitchin said publicly that the North wanted the war and they
ought to pay for it.

I have said that some of the local boards seemed to think
it was well to send the "no goods" from the small towns,
thinking that in this way they could clean up their localities.
It is probable that in some cases influences were brought to
bear on the local examiners to keep sons of wealthy men at
home. In one famous case the son of an automobile manu-
facturer was kept out of the service through pull with some
high authority. He was probably not more fitted for a sol-
dier than his father was for a United States senator. At
Camp Custer I knew of a number of the sons of wealthy men
and millionaires in their own right who were serving as pri-
vates.

I served for a short time at Camp Dix on a rejection
board and one evening when leaving the infirmary where I
was stationed I was asked if I would examine a sergeant who
was about to go overseas; he wanted forty-eight-hour leave
to see his wife, who had just given birth to a child. When I
had finished my examination and took up his service record
to affix my stamp I read the name of one of the best known
families of railway magnates in this country. The young
man's occupation was railroad president. He was made a
lieutenant a short time after his arrival in France, as he was

Observations of a Contract Surgeon 225

an accomplished linguist. An entirely different case came
to my notice in Camp Dix — that of a colored man forty-two
years old with a wife and three children ; he had been drafted
from North Carolina. He was far past the draft age and
told the examining board that he been told in his native town
that there was no escape for him. No doubt he filled the
shoes of some favorite with a white skin. The colonel of the
regiment took up the matter with the War Department and
the man was no doubt sent home to his family.

I feel certain that the majority of the medical reserve
men in the army would gladly have resigned and gone home,
as the irksomeness and boredom incident to life in a canton-
ment was in the highest degree trying to a man's nerves as
well as to his patriotism. I knew men who were well quali-
fied surgeons in civil life who had been in the army a year
without seeing a sore finger. Counting blankets, picking up
cigar stumps, scrubbing barrack floors, and splitting wood
were hardly occupations for gentlemen who had gone into
the service as surgeons in time of war. I often said to some
of my colleagues on the T. B. examining board that if they
could not go to France they were at least doing some useful
work. The great and gallant force of men sent overseas
was the output of the boards, whose members certainly per-
formed a duty only less useful than that of the surgeons who
on the firing line and in the hospitals of France and Flanders
so nobly sustained the honor of the medical profession.

The first case of influenza was diagnosed at Camp Dix
on September 18. On the following Monday our examining
board was disbanded and its members were all detailed for
duty in the hospital annexes which were hastily improvised
to meet the overflow of cases from the base hospital. I was
a diagnostician in Hospital Annex Number 3 and for three
weeks was compelled to see young fellows — the flower of
American manhood — die like flies day by day. I had my
quarters in Mount Holly, a few miles distant, and went to

226 William F. Whyte

Camp by train every day. It was very depressing to see
twenty-five or more coffins at the station every morning when
I reached camp and a similar number there again when I went
home in the evening. There were over eight hundred deaths
in Camp Dix from influenza. I was very glad to go back
to my work of examining hearts and lungs.

An incident which caused a great deal of comment at the
time may be related here. When the epidemic had died out
General Scott gave permission for the reopening of the camp
theaters and places of entertainment. The first time the
"Big Y" — the largest Y. M. C. A. building — was opened a
movie was put on. Pictures were shown of prominent gov-
ernment officers, among them Secretaries Daniels and Baker.
I will not mention any others; with each there was a ripple
of applause. When Colonel Roosevelt's picture was shown
on the screen, the applause was deafening. It was easy to see
who, among national figures, was first in the hearts of the
men at Camp Dix.

"The victorious retreat," as the Huns termed their rapid
retrograde movements in the fall of 1918, showed plainly
that the end of the war was in sight, and I sent in a request
to the surgeon general that my contract be cancelled on No-
vember 1, which completed a year of service in the army. I
felt that for a man in the sixty-eighth year of his age it had
been a great privilege to have worn Uncle Sam's uniform.

THE QUESTION BOX

The Wisconsin Historical Library has long maintained a
bureau of historical information for the benefit of those who care
to avail themselves of the service it offers. In "The Question
Box" will be printed from time to time such queries, with the
answers made to themf as possess sufficient general interest to
render their publication worth while.

NEGRO SUFFRAGE AND WOMAN'S RIGHTS IN THE
CONVENTION OF 1846

There is a tradition among the older suffragists of the Wisconsin
Woman's Suffrage Association that the enfranchisement of women was
considered in the constitutional convention of 1846. I have looked over
the recent publication of the Wisconsin Historical Society covering that
convention and have found nothing to indicate that woman suffrage was
proposed as a part of the tentative state constitution. Have you any
further information on this matter than is contained in this volume? If
so I shall be very glad indeed to have it. It might be of interest to answer
the question in the quarterly magazine of the Society, but I shall greatly
appreciate a personal reply at your early convenience.

I find in the proceedings of that convention much debate on the ques-
tion of giving the colored man the right to vote. I have not been able to
learn the political status of the negro in Wisconsin at that time. Was he
recognized as a citizen, or if not what was his status ? In the June num-
ber of the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, page 460, in an article on the
Wisconsin home of Frances E. Willard there appeared the statement that
the referendum on giving negroes the right to vote in 1846 was carried by
5,000 majority. In the book from which I have been quoting and
which I have not by me at this moment the statement is made that this
referendum was defeated. Which statement is correct? If the referen-
dum carried, did it continue in force even though the accompanying consti-
tution was defeated? I am anxiously searching for light on this general
situation and shall greatly appreciate your assistance.

THEODORA W. YOUMANS

Waulcesha

You have gained a mistaken impression from the statement in the
June MAGAZINE concerning the referendum of 1846 on negro suffrage,
although there is an error in the statement of different character
than the one noted by you. The question was not carried by 5,000

228 The Question Box

majority (in fact it was not carried at all), but we merely note that
5,000 votes were cast for it. The omission to state the number of
negative votes has perhaps encouraged the inference you drew from
the article. In fact, the vote was: 7,664 for negro suffrage to
14,615 against. All of this and much more on the subject of our
state constitution will appear in succeeding volumes of the constitu-
tional series, only the first of which has as yet come from the printer.

With respect to the question of woman's rights and woman suf-
frage in connection with the convention of 1846, I submit the fol-
lowing report which has been prepared by Miss Kellogg, research
associate on the staff of the Historical Society:

The constitutional convention of 1846 was composed of the
ablest men of the territory, many of whom were advanced thinkers
on social questions. They discussed the status of woman from two
points of view, her right to property and her right to the franchise.
The article that was incorporated into the constitution on married
women's property rights was the subject of considerable discussion.
It was part of a provision to exempt a certain amount of family
property from a forced sale for the debts of the head of the family
or the husband. Such an exemption was vigorously demanded by the
debtor class of the community, many of whom were suffering from
the effects of the panic of 1837. Many worthy and industrious
families had been evicted from their homesteads under the existing
law; and many wives had lost all that they had received from their
fathers or other relatives in discharge of their husbands' debts. The
provision incorporated into the new constitution was taken from a
similar one in the Texas constitution of 1845, which had been com-
mended by the Democratic Review, then much read by the statesmen
of the nation. This article read, in part, as follows : "All property,
real and personal, of the wife, owned by her at the time of marriage,
and also that acquired by her afterwards, by gift, devise, descent, or
otherwise than from her husband shall be her separate property."

This article was objected to by the propertied class, and during
the discussion thereupon Edward G. Ryan, later chief justice of the
state, said that such a provision violated both the usages and cus-
toms of society and the express commands of the Bible; that its
result would be to lead the wife to become a speculator, and would

Negro Suffrage and Woman s Rights 229

destroy her character. David Noggle, an able jurist from Janesville,
replied to Ryan and defended women against his suppositions charges.
He asked the convention to reflect on the character and worth of the
poor unfortunate beings that would be benefited by this provision.
The young, intelligent, and lovely wife, who has abandoned her par-
ents' rich and stately mansion in the East, has separated herself from
friends near and dear to her, to embark with her husband in the far
West, sees herself, through no fault of her own, reduced to penury.
Who believes that giving her the right to hold her own property will
destroy her character or alienate her affections from her husband?
He closed his eloquent speech with this sententious truism, "Elevate
your wives, and elevate your daughters, and you will elevate the
race."

Noggle and other defenders of the article carried the convention ;
but one of its ablest members, Marshall M. Strong of Racine, re-
signed his seat when he found this provision was adopted and went
home to do all he could to defeat the adoption of the constitution
by popular referendum. Undoubtedly, this article did have some
weight in securing the rejection of the constitution, and the one
drawn by the convention of 1848 omitted any such provision. It was,
however, approved by a large proportion of the community ; and in
less than two years after the establishment of the state government
a law was passed giving married women control of their own property.
In this matter, Wisconsin was among the most progressive of the
states.

The discussion of the franchise for women in the convention of
1846 was incidental to the contest over negro suffrage and the fran-
chise for foreign immigrants. Upon the organization of the conven-
tion a committee of five headed by Moses M. Strong of Iowa County
was appointed to report an article on the elective franchise. Ma-
jority and minority reports were presented, the former giving the
suffrage to every white male person twenty-one years of age or older
who was a citizen of the United States or had been a resident in
Wisconsin for six months and had declared his intention of becoming
a citizen. The minority report omitted the word "white." This
was in deference to the wishes of the Liberty party, which was making
an issue of negro suffrage.

230 The Question Box

The discussion, thus precipitated in the convention, raged for
several days, during which the question of the franchise for the
Indians who had been admitted to United States citizenship arose.
The chairman of the committee moved to extend franchise rights to
Indians declared citizens, and within a few minutes amended his
amendment by the term "male Indians." Upon October twenty-first,
David Giddings, a relative of the famous Ohio abolitionist, moved
to strike out the word "white" before "male persons" which would
extend the right of suffrage to every male person over twenty-one
years of age. Immediately James Magone, an Irishman from Mil-
waukee who had the reputation of being a wag, arose and "offered as
an amendment that the word 'male' be stricken out, and the right of
suffrage be extended to females as well as males. Moses M. Strong
hoped the gentleman would withdraw the last amendment and allow
those in favor of negro suffrage to obtain a vote and have a fair test
of the question. Mr. Magone said he was in favor of females voting,
and wished to tack the motion to a popular resolution to insure its
success. Mr. Strong said he was a friend to females, and it was for
that reason he did not wish to see them tacked on to negroes. Some
further conversation passed between the gentlemen on the subject,
and the question was then put on the adoption of Mr. Magone's
amendment, which was lost."

We have cited this discussion in extenso in order to show that
there was no really serious consideration of women's right to suf-
frage. The discussion thereof was an attempt to ridicule and em-
barrass the favorers of negro suffrage and to show how preposterous
it was. In the end the convention omitted all provisions for negro
suffrage but agreed to submit the question to a referendum to be
voted upon separately when the constitution came before the people.
Both constitution and separate provision for colored suffrage were
defeated. The latter registered in its favor, however, about seven
thousand votes, showing the strength of the Liberty party in the
territory.

In 1856 petitions for the enfranchisement of women were sub-
mitted to the legislature. This was, apparently, the first serious
effort to interest Wisconsin lawmakers in this movement.

Winnebago Battle Near Wyocena 231

WINNEBAGO BATTLE NEAR WYOCENA

There is a local tradition that during the Black Hawk War a party of
Winnebago entrenched themselves in rifle pits in the vicinity of Wyocena
and waged a pitched battle with a combined force of white soldiers and
Menominee Indians, in which many of the Winnebago were killed. Can
you afford any information as to the truth of this tradition?

W. C. ENGLISH, Wyocena
President, Wisconsin Supervising Teachers' Association

We can find no evidence of a battle in your vicinity during the
Black Hawk War; the detailed report of the commander of the
Menominee giving every incident of his march from Butte des Morts
to the portage seems to preclude the possibility of such hostilities
having occurred. They could not have taken place without his
knowledge, and he must have reported them to his superior had they
occurred.

If you wish we can send you the report to which we allude : that
of S. C. Stambaugh to George Boyd, dated "Camp Kinzey, Ouiscon-
sin Portage — Aug. 2d, 1832."

Thank you very much for looking up the facts in regard to the tradi-
tion of the battle having been fought in this vicinity in early times. You
seem effectively to have disposed of the theory that it happened during the
Black Hawk War, but is there not a possibility that it might have happened
at an earlier date, say during Red Bird's uprising, when Major Whistler's
force was sent up the Fox? If you would kindly look up the matter I
should be very glad indeed to have you do so.

W. C. ENGLISH,

Wyocena

The facts concerning the Winnebago War and Maj or Whistler's
expedition are as negative as those of 1832. We have excellent
descriptions, especially full, by Thomas L. McKenney, commissioner
of Indian Affairs, who accompanied the expedition. I say "descrip-
tions," for his published one is in the Memoirs (Phila., 1845) from
which the extract in Wis. Hist. Colls., V, is taken ; and there is also
his government report found in the manuscripts at Washington.

If the Wyocena tradition has a basis in fact, it must go still
further back to the days of Winnebago hostility to the Americans
between 1816 and 1825. There were one or two attacks by the Win-
nebago on bodies of troops passing across the Fox- Wisconsin water-
way, but we never have seen any account of a massacre. If you will

232 The Question Box

write out the tradition as it is locally understood, we will file it for
reference and will let you know when, or if, we find anything.

WISCONSIN AND NULLIFICATION

We have heard that at one time in the early history of Wisconsin the
state seceded from the Union. Is there any truth in the statement and
if so will you please send us information about it?

ETHEL BUCKMASTER,

Milwaukee

It is not true that Wisconsin ever seceded from the Union. As a
frontier state of aggressive democracy, she occasionally insisted on
"state's rights" in such emphatic terms that her attitude might have
been construed as a defiance of the federal government, but none such
was ever seriously contemplated. For example, when a territory
Wisconsin demanded of Congress to restore the "ancient boundaries"
of the territory and threatened if it were not done to declare herself
"a state without the Union." This was no more than political bun-
combe and no attention was paid to it by either the federal govern-
ment or successive territorial and state governments. During the
excitement over the Fugitive Slave Law Wisconsin in a more serious
and official manner defied the decrees of the federal courts and elected
a member of the state supreme court on the platform of "state's
rights." The legislature also in 1859 passed a nullifying resolution
because of its abhorrence of the slavery power controlling the federal
government. You will find a good brief account of the entire episode
in Wisconsin Historical Society, Proceedings, 1895, pp. 117-44.
This volume you can find in the Milwaukee Public Library.

INDIAN FOLKLORE OF WISCONSIN

It occurs to me that this paper could advantageously use a series of
stories selected from the folklore of the Indians who formerly occupied
the territory comprising this state. The writer recently came across a
number of interesting stories on the Zuni in a report of the Smithsonian
Institution, tales with such titles as "How the Moon Got a Dirty Face," etc.

There is a great demand for stories to "tell the children/' and it is my
thought that in your library there might perhaps be such material as could

Indian Names for a Farm 233

be turned to this use. Will you not kindly let me know whether you have
any matter that would furnish folk tales of Wisconsin Indians ?

KENNETH M. ELLIS
Feature Editor, Milwaukee Sentinel

The folklore of the Indians who formerly occupied this state can
be found in many printed volumes, and we would suggest that you
consult the Milwaukee Public Library. I am appending a brief list
of those you would find helpful.

Katharine B. Judson, Myths and Legends of the Great

Plains (Chicago: McClurg, 1913)
Katharine B. Judson, Myths and Legends of the Mis-
sissippi Valley and the Great Lakes (Chicago:
McClurg, 1914)
Mrs. M. B. McLaughlin, Myths and Legends of the

Sioux (Bismarck, N. Dak.: 1916)
George Copway, History of the Ojibway Nation (New

York, 1851)

Consult also the volumes of the Wisconsin Historical Collections.
Volume XXI of this series is an analytical index of the first twenty
volumes, and by consulting it you will find what a wealth of material
there is on the subject in which you are interested. The publications
of the Wisconsin Archeological Society and the reports and bulletins
of the United States Bureau of Ethnology you will find contain a
great deal of material.

We feel quite certain that you will be able to find material for a
series of stories quite as interesting as anything written about the
Zuni. If we can be of further assistance we shall be glad to do
whatever is in our power.

INDIAN NAMES FOR A FARM

If possible will you send me Indian translations of the names given
below? I desire to register the name of my farm but want to use the
Indian name for it: Pleasant Hill; Maple Knob; Face to the North;
Devil River; Clover Blossom.

Also, can you give me names of noted Indian chiefs prominent in the
early history of Brown County? We are located about eight miles south
of De Pere, and possibly some of the early history will touch on this par-
ticular section of the county.

E. J. BRITTNACHER

Greenleaf

234 The Question Box

Your country was the early and much-loved land of the Menom-
inee Indians. They resigned it to the United States government
very regretfully by the Treaty of 1832. The Menominee were poor
and wanted the annuity the government promised them for their
lands, so they accepted the offer and parted with their claims south
of the Fox River. They had several villages before that on the south
bank of the Fox where such chiefs as Carron, I-om-e-tah, Glode,
Wee-kah, Pe-wau-te-not, and others lived and hunted south and east.
Some other chiefs of the early day were: Wau-pe-se'-pin (Wild
Potato); Keshena (the Swift Flying One); Show-ne-on (Silver);
Wau-pa-men (Standing Corn) ; O-sau-wish-ke-no (Yellow Bird) ;
and Ka-cha-ka-wa-she-ka the Notch-maker).

As for the names you suggest it is hard to give the Menominee
equivalents. They did not combine, as we do, such terms as "Pleasant
Hill," "Maple Knob." The hard maple was She-shi-kima ; and the
soft maple Ship-i-a-sho-pom-aq'-ti-ki. Clover blossom was Nesso-
bagak. Devil River was Manitou Sibi.

WISCONSIN AS A PLAYGROUND

I am planning a number of articles on Wisconsin as a tourist state.
In the meantime I am collecting photographs and data which may be of
service in preparing an article. I have made arrangements with Mr. W.
O. Hotchkiss, the state geologist, to spend six weeks in the state this sum-
mer, accompanied by an expert photographer, with a view to getting a
collection of high type photographs of the beauty spots of Wisconsin, and
incidentally some of the historic spots. One of the facts that attracts
tourists is that of historic association. Wisconsin is rich in these, but to
the average man the facts are unknown.

In connection with this I have at times heard it stated that the federal
authorities were impelled to locate the Oneida and Stockbridge Indians in
this state because they regarded it as a great playground and hunting
ground. This thought would fit in very well with a series of articles. Is
there any basis for this statement, or is there anything of record in the
proceedings of Congress or the departments to bear out this statement?
If some such man as Webster or Clay made such a statement, it certainly
would fit in well in opening up a discussion of "Wisconsin, the Playground
of the Middle West."

Any information that you may be able to give me will be greatly appre-
ciated.

F. A. CANNON, Madison
Executive Secretary, Good Roads Association

The Sioux War of 1862 235

We are sorry not to be able to find you just the quotation that
you can use effectively for your purpose. The truth is the men of
one hundred years ago seldom thought of land in terms of a "play-
ground," and would never have used such a term. A movement was
on foot in 1818 and 1819 to make Wisconsin a permanent Indian
reserve, removed from the deleterious influence of white men and their
grog shops. Calhoun, then secretary of war, favored such a plan, by
which Wisconsin would be in perpetuity an Indian land. In 1820 he
sent the Reverend Jedediah Morse (father of the inventor of teleg-
raphy) to visit the West and make a report upon some such plan.
Mr. Morse went all through the Northwest and was much in favor of
Calhoun's plan, considering the region west of Lake Michigan
adapted to a "suitably prepared portion of our country" upon which
the Indians of New York State might live in peace and might be
gradually taught the arts of civilization. Some of the statesmen of
this time went so far as to favor an exclusive Indian territory that
might in time be raised to the rank of a state. Pursuant to this
policy, the Stockbridge and Oneida, with the small remnants of the
Brotherton and Munsee tribes, made treaties with the Wisconsin
tribesmen, the Menominee and Winnebago, and prepared for removal,
which was eventually effected after many difficulties. A decade or
more later the government pursued a different policy, and by the
treaties of 1832 after the Black Hawk War, that of 1833 at
Chicago, and that of 1836 at Cedar Point purchased all of southern
Wisconsin and threw it open to white settlement.

THE SIOUX WAR OF 1862

I am writing to ascertain what material you have on the Sioux Indian
War of 1862 in Minnesota.

I want the most detailed information I can get,, particularly the names
of the individuals who were killed and taken prisoner by the Indians.
Also, if possible, information regarding the provisions made by Congress
and the state of Minnesota, if any, for the relief of the survivors, and for
those whose property was taken or destroyed by the Indians.

Please let me know, also, what provision you make, if any, for the
loan of the publications.

G. M. SHELDON

Tomahawk

236 The Question Box

The most available material about the Sioux War of 1862 is
found in the Collections of the several historical societies of the
Northwest, particularly the Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and
South Dakota societies. In this connection we note: Minnesota
Historical Collections, VI, 354-408; IX, 395-449; X, 595-618; XII,
513-30; XV, 323-78. North Dakota Historical Collections, I, 412-
29. South Dakota Historical Collections, II, chapters 25-30 ; VIII,
100-588. This latter gives the official correspondence.

Among secondary writers are: Edward D. Neill, History of
Minnesota (4th edition, Minneapolis, 1882), 716-37; Judge Charles
E. Flandrau, History of Minnesota and Tales of the Frontier (St.
Paul, 1900), 135-87. Frank Fiske, The Tammg of the Sioux
(Bismarck, 1917) is said to have some good material on this war.

So far as we can ascertain by a brief research no provision has
been made either by Congress or by the state of Minnesota for relief
and indemnity, except in specific cases as, for instance, the widows of
friendly Indians who saved many whites (see United States Docu-
ments, serial 2674, doc. 3976, Message of Governor of Minnesota,
1871). The adjutant general of Minnesota had charge of soldiers'
bounties and pensions. Probably the present incumbent can tell you
what, if any, provision has been made for such relief.

We have in the manuscript division of the Library a document
entitled "Victims of the Indian Massacre of 1862 in Minnesota,"
which contains specific lists of names of victims, dates and places of
occurrences, etc. The manuscript comprises seven typewritten
pages, the whole compiled by Marion P. Satterlee for the Minnesota
Historical Society. So far as I know, it is the only thing in existence
which would answer approximately your desire for names of victims,
etc. It can be copied for you at your expense, should you care to
order this done.

Many of the volumes in the State Historical Library are sub-
ject to loan over the state, but a large proportion of its contents
is not. You would doubtless find, if you are pursuing any exhaus-
tive investigation, that the only satisfactory way to do it would be
to come to the Library. In so far as we are able to do so, we will be
glad to accommodate you by sending works which you may desire to
use to your local library.

I

Early Trails and Highways of Wisconsin 237

EARLY MISSIONS ON MENOMINEE RIVER

I am trying to find the date of the founding of the first Catholic mis-
sion on the Menominee River. I know the locality, at Mission Point,
Marinette, Wisconsin, but I can find no tradition here as to date of found-
ing or name of the priest who founded it. I thought the papers of the late
Lewis S. Patrick of Marinette might contain some information on these
points. Will you kindly tell me how to go about getting this ? I think all
of Mr. Patrick's historical papers were turned over to the State Historical
Society.

I will be very grateful for any information on the subject.

JOSEPHINE SAWYER
Menominee, Michigan

The earliest Catholic mission on the Menominee River was begun
in 1670 by Father Claude Allouez. The mission was named St.
Michael, and was maintained for several years and ministered to by
Father Louis Andre. The accounts of this mission are to be found
in Jesuit Relations (R. G. Thwaites, editor), LIV, 235; LV, 103;
LVI, 125; LVIII, 273-81; LXjI, 153-55. The exact site of this
mission can never be known, as it was abandoned over two hundred
years ago. The "Mission Point" which you mention was the site of
an early Methodist mission. In Mr. Patrick's papers there is the
following statement concerning it : "The Methodist mission house was
located near the site of the machine shop of the N. Ludington Com-
pany. It was built about 1833 by Rev. John Clark who was mission-
ary for all the territory from Lake Superior to Chicago. He worked
there with the Indians until about 1836, when ill success made him
discontinue his mission. There was a house that was never finished
and a blacksmith shop. The house was sold in 1839 to Samuel
Farnesworth who moved it nearly opposite the Marquette flour mill,
and occupied it as his residence."

EARLY TRAILS AND HIGHWAYS OF WISCONSIN

The National Association of the Daughters of the American Revolu-
tion has a committee, of which I am the member for Wisconsin, to establish
the lines of early trails and roads in the United States. I am, therefore,
interested in planning an active campaign among the several local chapters
of the state looking to the location, and ultimately to the marking of some
of the more important early trail and highway routes of Wisconsin. Can
you give me any suggestions which may be of value in this connection ?

MRS. G. W. DEXHEIMER

Fort Atkinson

238 The Question Box

It seems to us it would be well not to undertake too many trails at
first, but to have a definite program for two or three, and perhaps for
marking the two great military roads, one in the southern and the
other in the northern portion of the state. For instance: suppose
you attempt to locate the Chicago-Green Bay trail (from the state
boundary). If you carefully consult the accounts of early travelers
and mail riders in the Wisconsin Historical Collections you can get
the main lines in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc,
and Brown counties. We recommend these references: Collections,
IV, 282; VII, 239; XI, 229; XV, 453. Then take one cross-state
trail from Milwaukee to Rock River and the lead mines. On this see
Collections, VI, 139, and other references ; also consult Wau Bun.

The old military road from Fort Howard to Fort Winnebago
was the earliest road in the territory. It was continued along the
military ridge in Iowa and Grant counties to Fort Crawford at
Prairie du Chien. Some progress has been made in studying its route
through Dane County. The northern military road was built much
later, between 1866 and 1871 ; it ran from Fort Howard northwest-
ward, and was built by a grant of land.

If you can make a start in locating these trails and roads you
will do good service for Wisconsin history. The old maps of early
Wisconsin that we keep at the Library will be valuable to you in the
study of these trails.

EARLY HISTORY OF WEST POINT

I would like to know anything of historical interest attaching to West
Point on the western shore of Lake Mendota. I would particularly like
information concerning the traders St. Cyr and Rowan, who are said to
have been located here at an early day.

H. S. STAFFORD

Madison

So far as is known the earliest permanent habitation upon the
Madison lakes was a small cabin built upon the northwest shore of
Fourth Lake some time after 1829. In that year Judge James D.
Doty and Morgan L. Martin crossed the country on horseback from
Green Bay to Prairie du Chien. They took a trail from Green Lake
that brought them to the Four Lakes, and they found a few Winne-
bago Indians on the north shore of Lake Mendota, but no white

Early History of West Point 239

trader. Wallace Rowan was a Kentucky miner, who had migrated
first to Indiana, and then drifted into the lead region sometime during
the rush of 1827. He mined for a time about Platteville, but was
not successful, so in some way he obtained a small outfit of Indian
goods and came into Winnebago territory to trade. The small one-
room log cabin he built on the shore of Fourth Lake about 1830 was
used both as a dwelling and a trading house. No doubt he kept a
liberal supply of whisky and tobacco, the chief articles of Indian
trade, a few blankets, cloth by the yard, ribbons, and cheap orna-
ments. He bought the beaver and muskrat skins trapped by the
Indians, dressed deerskins, and any skunk or mink furs that the
Winnebago brought in. During the spring of 1832 the Sauk Indians
went on the warpath and the Winnebago were very restless. Rowan
thought it safer to abandon his cabin and retreated apparently to
Blue Mound fort, where he was during the war. When Major Henry
Dodge with Indian Agent Henry Gratiot came to hold a council
with the Four Lakes Indians, May 26, 1832, Rowan's cabin was
empty. Dodge brought with him a volunteer troop of horse recruited
in the lead mines, and they camped near Rowan's cabin the night of
May 25, The council was held the next day with the few chiefs
who had come in. The chiefs present were Old Turtle, whose village
was at Beloit, Spotted Arm, Little Black, and Silver. Man Eater,
the chief of a village on Lake Koshkonong, was ill and sent his sister
and daughter to represent him.

Little Black was the orator. He declared that the Winnebago
were not conspiring with Black Hawk, but would keep their toma-
hawks buried, that the sky was clear above them, and that they would
have nothing to do with the enemy Sauk. Dodge reminded them of
their treaty with their Great Father, the President, and all his white
children, threatened to cut off their annuity if they failed to keep
the treaty, and left them in a humbled frame of mind. Nevertheless,
within a few days, one or two of the garrison who ventured out of the
Blue Mound fort were murdered, and it was believed to be the deed
of the Winnebago.

The war was over by August. That autumn the Winnebago were
forced to cede all their lands south of the Wisconsin River and to
promise to remove the next year. Rowan sold out his small post to

240 The Question Box

a half-breed Winnebago, Michel St. Cyr, who occupied the cabin in
the autumn of 1832 with his Winnebago squaw and family. St. Cyr
was here for five years. He seems to have been a kindly, pleasant-
tempered man, as most French-Canadians were. His squaw kept the
cabin cleaner than Mrs. Rowan had done, and it became a kind of
tavern for white adventurers to the Four Lakes.

In 1833 Dodge sent two companies of United States Rangers,
which were enlisted that spring, to see that the Winnebago kept their
word and removed. They were very loath to go and made every
sort of plea and excuse. Their agent, Gratiot, begged the govern-
ment to let them stay one more year to gather a harvest, but the
authorities were inexorable, and the Indians had to go. The troopers
had several wagons, and would round up the little groups and
transport them from the head of Fourth Lake to the Wisconsin River,
probably down the Black Earth valley. It is said they slipped back
again as soon as the soldiers' backs were turned, but their permanent
villages were broken up. The troops camped at a big spring which
they called Belle Fontaine, probably the one now known as Livesey's
Springs.

St. Cyr remained on the spot until 1837; the surveyors who
during the winter of 1836-37 laid out the capital stayed at his house.
In July, 1836 Colonel William B. Slaughter of Virginia came to
the Four Lakes and offered St. Cyr a couple of hundred dollars for
his improvement, on the site of which he laid out the City of the Four
Lakes. The plat is in the land office at the capitol. The streets
were named for the territorial officers — Dodge, Horner, Jones, Dunn,
Frazer, Chapman, and Gehon. The avenues were entitled for the
states — New York, Virginia, Illinois, etc. Several houses were built,
and lots were sold in the East. A university was planned; perhaps
it was hoped to secure the territorial university for the site. Colonel
Slaughter lived at this place for several years. The land afterwards
passed into the possession of James Livesey, who lived there until a
comparatively recent time.

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS

A WOMAN "Y" WORKER'S EXPERIENCES1

352nd Inf., 88th Div.,

RlBEAUCOURT, FRANCE,

April 23, 1919.
MY DEAR MRS. WEEK :

I have tried so many times to steal a few minutes for a letter to
you but I have scarcely had time for my letters to the family and
they even have been few and far between. You were so wonderfully
kind to me before I left Stevens Point and I intended to write just as
soon as I was located as a further evidence of my appreciation but
the days were so very full and at night I was so tired I couldn't
even think. People did so many nice things for me before I left and
I just wish they knew how much the thought of that helps me over
here when things are hard as of course they are sometimes.

After two months in Germany with the Army of Occupation
(attached to the Rainbow Div.) I am back in France. While there I
was stationed in Ahrweiler [Ahrweller], a quaint little old town
which was surrounded by a high wall and moat and approached by
four large gate-ways. A girl from New York City and myself had
charge of the work there which consisted of a theater and wet canteen,
dry canteen and reading room, also a small officers' club. When the
Division returned to the states I went to Paris for reassignment and
asked to be sent into the Toul Area that I might see more of the
front. I had already seen the Pont-a-Mousson region about Metz and
had been in Nancy which had been shelled.

I reported in Toul for definite assignment and was attached to
the 88th Div. 352nd Infantry. While I was in Toul I had the
opportunity I had been looking for, that of making a tour of at
least a part of the front where the worst fighting occurred.

We went first to St. Mihiel which the Germans took early in the
war and occupied until driven out by the Americans in the big St.

1 Letter written by Sara E. Buck, Y. M. C. A., 12 Rue d' Aguesseau, Paris, to
Mrs. Nelson A. Week, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

242 Historical Fragments

Mihiel drive in which so many of our boys lost their lives. There is
scarcely a building in the town left intact. From there we went to
Verdun and it just made my heart sick to see village after village
absolutely levelled, not a wall left standing. It is just impossible to
describe the awful devastation.

Of Verdun which was quite a city there is nothing left. The "Y"
operates a big place for the benefit of the few American troops sta-
tioned there, mostly labor battalions, grave registration units.
These men locate the scattered graves and move the bodies to the
cemeteries which the Gov't is preparing to receive them, in which
they are placed in long trenches as close together as possible. The
fields all about this part of the country are dotted with the little
crosses of American graves and so often we saw them right by the
roadside where a soldier had been hurriedly buried where he fell.

In many places the work of filling in the trenches has begun and
one can trace them for miles by the new earth. Much of the barbed
wire entanglement still remains, also the camouflage along the roads.
This consists of heavy wire netting from post to post in which boughs
of trees are fastened to conceal the road from the view of the
enemy. It was a wonderful trip and I came back realizing all too
well what war meant but I wouldn't take anything for that one day's
experience.

I went from Toul to Gondrecourt and as I knew that Lyman
Park was located somewhere near there, for he had written me while
I was in Germany, I inquired and discovered that he was but a short
distance away. Gov. Morgan, our Divisional Sec'y, was kind enough
to offer to take me out there when I told him and I found the whole
battery from home in the most horrible little old mud hole I had seen
in France. Of course the boys were all glad to see me and as they
were leaving the next day on the first lap of their journey home I went
to Mauvage the entraining point and stood in the mud to my ankles
in the rain and gave them hot coffee, waited until the train pulled
out, waved them good-bye, then had the very first spell of home-
sickness I have had since leaving the states.

The next day I came out here to Ribeaucourt and found it an
exact replica of the little place in which our battery was stationed. It
is just the sort of a place though where the "Y" is badly needed for

A Woman ffYJJ Worker's Experiences 243

there is just nothing here for the boys outside of that. Most of
them are billetted in stables, some in the lofts and some right down
with the horses and cows. There is but one street in the village, the
houses are built right on the street, no yard nor sidewalk and where-
ever there is a vacant space, a manure pile. That is the way I find
my way home at night. Sometimes it is very, very dark but I know
I must pass just so many smells before I reach my palatial abode
which is, of course, the best that the village affords, I being the only
American woman here. To enter the house I have to pass through
the stable but that is a small matter. My room is the funniest thing
you ever saw; the bed is a cupboard in the wall and there are three
huge feather beds on it so that I have to stand on a chair in order
to get into it. In the daytime the doors to the cupboard are closed
and no bed visible. There is no light of course but candles and by way
of a brie a brae the madame's pet dog recently deceased and stuffed
lies curled up gruesomely natural on the table.

The family lives in one room in which there are two cupboard beds,
a dining room table and huge fireplace which not only furnishes all
the heat but serves as kitchen stove. All the meals are cooked here
in one small kettle and consist of a piece of meat and anything else
which they can go out in the back yard and pull out of the ground.

Our hut is quite large, wooden tables and benches, dirt floor but
never-the-less quite attractive. It should be five times as large as
it is to accommodate all the boys. We serve coffee, cocoa, doughnuts,
cookies or sandwiches every afternoon and evening. Last Saturday
I made seven hundred and fifty doughnuts, quite an undertaking con-
sidering the fact that I had never made doughnuts before in my life
but it is quite surprising what one can do when one must.

We had a nice service here Easter in our hut. I sang here in
the morning then drove thirty kilometres to Bonnet and sang there in
the evening.

Of course there are many, many disadvantages about living the
way I have to here but the boys are so appreciative of everything that
is done for them and being the only American girl here I get to know
them so well and we feel just like one big family. There are many
places in "Y" work much more desirable from the standpoint of
personal comfort but none where there are such big returns in

244 Historical Fragments

personal satisfaction as right here in a filthy mud hole like Ribeau-
court. Most of the boys here hadn't seen an American girl for five
months as they never had a "Y" worker with them and they went
perfectly wild the first day I came. To go to bed at night feeling that
you have made a place like this more livable for hundreds of men that
day more than pays for every effort you have made.

Very sincerely,

SARA E. BUCK.

THE PANIC AT WASHINGTON AFTER THE FIRING ON
FORT SUMTER1

WASHINGTON April 18th 1861
MY DEAR WIFE & CHILDREN

It is among possibilities that this sheet may bear my last words to
you. I have about one hour in [which] to write, and get my supper
and meet an engagement with our Wisconsin friends now in Washing-
ton. The letter I mailed to you today I fear was couched in too much
confidence. The slip which I here enclose, cut from this afternoons
paper will give you something of an idea as to what is aprehended.
About an hour ago Genl King met some of us and took 20 names of
Wisconsin men who pledge themselves to stand ready for any emer-
gency tonight. We shall be supplied with Carbine and Revolver.
This slip does not convey the deep fears entertained. The City is in
a very critical condition. Many believe that an attack will be made
tonight, I greatly fear it and pray no such Calamity to befall us

The question is not whether this or that political party shall
triumph but whether this govt shall be overthrown.

The precious liberties which [we] have enjoyed, guaranteed to us
by the constitution of which we have so much bosted on is in peril.
The flag of our country is to be stricken down More than this the
most prosperous nation that ever existed — The best govt ever known

1This letter, copied from the original in the State Historical Library, was
written by Andrew B. Jackson, a Wisconsin man who was in Washington at the
time Fort Sumter fell, making arrangements concerning his appointment to the
land office at Menasha. Jackson was an able man and had served as a member
of Wisconsin's second constitutional convention of 1847-48.

The Panic at Washington 245

is to be overthrown — overthrown at the cost of the blood and treasure
of the Nation

A little distance from where I write hangs the Immortal
declaration of Independence. Some of the signatures are almost
obliterated ; but that only adds to its veneration, and immortal value.
Glorious instrument, — Glorious names attest thy truths, Glorious
recollections press upon us while we reflect at what cost thy immortal
principles [have] been maintained. Look at Bunker Hill, the base
of that Monument is semented in blood. I might go over New
England N. Y. N. J. and in fact the old thirteen states, whose soil
has been saturated with the blood of our Fathers, whose watercourses
have crimsoned from their veins. I might go to the graves of those
who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors in defence of the
liberty bequeathed to us, and while I say peace to their ashes, I would
inquire in the name of my God and my country shall these principles
[be] trampled in the dust? Shall we before the nation is a hundred
years old, see it disgraced in the eyes of the world and destroyed?
Forbid it Almighty God.

My Dear Wife I shall not be reckless, yet if necessary I believe
[it] a duty I owe to God and the country to do what little I am able
to prevent such a calamity

The bell calls me [to] supper I may have time this evening to
add something.

Affectionate Your

Husband & Father

ANDREW B. JACKSON

8 O Cl evening Since writing the above about 100 troops came in
on the cars from Penn. More are expected to night. We feel easier.
If we get a good many troops into Washington the secessionists will
hardly dare attack us. The excitement never has run so high as it
does to night. Some families and a good many women left to day out
of fear Judge Potter did not get away to day but thinks he shall in
the morning We shall meet, but whether we shall stay up to night is
not yet determined, there are about 1000 troops in the Capitol to
night, those that came in went there to stay for the night.

Unless something new shall transpire I shall not write again till
Saturday. God bless and protect us. It [is] a consolation for me to

246 Historical Fragments

say that my faith and abiding confidence in him was never greater
than since I have been in Washington
I am called away

A. B. J.

RED TAPE AT WASHINGTON IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS

The mind of the bureaucrat is as constant as the granite hills of
New England, and the ways of red tape change not from generation
unto generation. The letter which follows affords an interesting
illustration of the workings of red tape in the days of our grand-
fathers. For the rest, it offers some comment on the problems before
the second constitutional convention, of which Morgan L. Martin,
recipient of the letter, was president. The writer, Philo White, was
a man of consequence in his day, who played a prominent role in the
upbuilding of early Wisconsin. White began and ended his career at
Whitestown, New York. After a considerable career in New York,
his health failing, he secured an appointment as naval storekeeper on
the Pacific station. Several years later he established a paper at
Raleigh, North Carolina, was soon elected state printer, and for a
time was an active figure in state politics. Failing health caused
another removal, this time to infant Wisconsin in the summer of
1836. Here White played an interesting part in the founding of the
Milwaukee Sentinel and built the United States Hotel block, at the
time the most imposing building in the city. Removing to Racine he
became owner and editor of the Advocate, managed several farms,
served in the territorial council of 1847 and 1848, and in the senate
of the newly-admitted state. Both in his home community and at
Madison his ability and leadership in public affairs gained full
recognition. He left Wisconsin in 1849 to become consul general
at the free cities of Hamburg, Liibeck, and Altona; later he served
as minister to Ecuador for several years. On returning to the United
States in 1858 he made his home at Whitestown, his native place.

HONBL. MORGAN L. MARTIN: RACINE, 8th Jan'y, 1848.

DEAR SIR:

I really don't recollect whether I have had the

honor of addressing you at Madison yet, for I have been so absorbed in
other matters, — in correspondence with the Departments at Washington,

Red Tape at Washington 247

trying to persuade them to come to a final adjustment of some old sus-
pended items in my accounts, which they think it requires the sanction of
Congress to authorize them to settle, although they acknowledge the justice
of them, &c : The amount is really hardly worth the postage on the corre-
spondence that will take place in relation to the items, as it becomes requi-
site to transmit to and fro some tolerably heavy vouchers. But the principle
on which these small matters are made to operate to my prejudice, are
so monstrous, that I am almost disposed to go into Congress in search
of justice: Let me name one or two cases : While attached to the Pacific
Squadron, Comre Thos. Ap. Catesby Jones1, he sent Lieut. Griffith home
in our ship, the "Dale," giving me a written order to pay the Lieutenant
$200 advance, to meet his expenditures home; we took him from Lima to
Panama, from thence he went to Chagres by land, and in an English
vessel from Chagres to Jamaica, where he died of fever. That $200 they
have checked against me, because Lieut. Griffith died before he worked
out the amount, and somebody, they say, must lose the overpayment. Had
I refused the order of Com. Jones, he would have arrested me, and sent me
home: And moreover, I made the payment under protest, as required by
the regulations of the Navy Department. It is very provoking; and I
thought at one time I would go immediately on, and get consoled by abus-
ing the accounting officers to their faces: But I am now giving them
some plain talk by correspce.

Another case is this : A law of Congress allows "all persons belong-
ing to the Navy," one fourth more pay in cases where those "persons" are
detained on board a vessel of war on a foreign station after their term of
service shall have expired. Well about l/3d of the crew of the Dale's
term of service expired while we were yet in the Pacific ; and from the date
of the expirations of service of every "person" on board, I credited them
with l/4th more pay until we arrived in the U. S; and they were paid off
and discharged: But the Acct'g. Officers, in their wisdom, decided that
the "Marines," who made part of our complement, did "not belong to the
Navy" ! And they checked all I thus paid to those Marines whose terms
had expired, against me! I understand, however, the Att'y. Gen'l. has
decided against them in this matter. I think yet, I may go on to Washing-
ton, after the adjournment of the Legislature.

Allow me to congratulate you, on your elevation to the Presidency of
the Convention, a post which your talents and experience qualify you so
well to fill, and in which your firmness and decision give dignity to the pro-
ceedings of the body, and contribute largely to the despatch of business.

I am gratified to see that you succeeded in carrying an amendment,
which acknowledges the principle of Exemptions: It is a "progressive"

1 Thomas ap Catesby Jones was a native of Virginia, born in 1789, who de-
voted his life to the naval service. In 1814 he made a brave defense of New
Orleans against an overwhelming British naval force, surrendering only when
he was desperately wounded and hope of escape was cut on*. He was given
command of the Pacific station off California in 1840, and learning on what he
supposed to be good authority that the United States was at war with Mexico,
he took possession of Monterey. For this he was temporarily suspended. He
died at Georgetown, D. C., 1858.

248 Historical Fragments

principle, and we should have been behind the age had we "shirk'd" it in
the Constitution.

I am really in hopes you will succeed in presenting us such a charter
of our rights, as will secure the sanction of the Democracy, at least. I
think there is a disposition to accept the next Constitution: The recent
explosion in several of the Pennsylvania Banks, &c. ought at least to rec-
oncile the whigs to tolerably stringent restrictions upon banking in Wis-
consin: I trust those explosions will have a salutary influence on the
minds of the Delegates, when they come to act on the bank Article.

We are astir in regard to a Plank Road hence to the West; I am mak-
ing a long report in regard to their utility, &c to present to a meeting here
on Friday next, — and expect to be instructed to procure a charter at our
next session, &c. &c.

I should be obliged to you for one of King's Census Statements,
should a spare one fall in your way.

Mrs. White joins me in regards to yourself and family, should Mrs
Martin be with you.

Very truly your friend

And obt serv't,

PHILO WHITE

COMMUNICATIONS

SOME CORRECTIONS

As the engineer has a fondness for accuracy of detail, often to
the burden of his nonengineering friends, I therefore have some
hesitation in calling attention to the following in the WISCONSIN
MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, which may be mere engineering minutiae and
of no interest to the historian :

Vol. II of No. 3, pp. 263, 264, quoting from p. 264 :
"* * * the enabling act for Wisconsin in 1846
fixed its southern line at 42°30'."

Quite true, but due to errors in the survey the boundary is not
on 42°30/, the boundary line crossing this parallel about south of
Brodhead.

Vol. II. No. 4, p. 452: "* * * built in the
style of the famous Merrimac which had been sunk two
years before in the duel with the Monitor which revolu-
tionized the art of naval warfare."

Lieutenant Catesby ApR. Jones, who commanded the Merrimac
in the Monitor battle, testified later before a naval court of inquiry
that the Merrimac should have been sunk in fifteen minutes. As a
matter of fact, the Merrimac was practically uninjured in this battle
and was blown up over two months later by order of its commander,
Captain Josiah Tatnall. The last part of the quotation, however, is
absolutely correct, for the Monitor, a creation of inspired genius,
revolutionized naval construction, Captain Ericsson's second revolu-
tion in this art, the first having been embodied in the Princeton of the
early eighteen forties.

Yours very truly,
JOHN G. D. MACK, Madison

State Chief Engineer

250 Communications

EARLY RACINE AND JUDGE PRYOR

A letter to me in your care forwarded me, speaks of the fact
that "Racine" is the only French name on the map of southern
Wisconsin as against so frequent French names elsewhere in the states
of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, settled by the
Jesuit missionaries, as confirming that suggestion that it was the
translation of "Root" the river, rather than that Root the river was
an English translation of Racine the town. This, it suggests, might
have been because the southern portion of the state was the most
conveniently reached by American pioneers who flocked to the new
state, whereas under French occupation the regnal parts of the
state were northwardly from Lake Superior and Green Bay south to
Prairie du Chien where the Wisconsin debouches into the Mississippi.
And it goes on to say that "Milwaukee" not being an Indian name,
might, in the same rude speech, have been what somebody who saw a
steamboat for the first time said was "a mill walking!" As to this
latter I remember to have heard it in my Racine days, but only
repeated to laugh at. Though, now I think of it again, I do recall
seeing somewhere a statement that the first steamboat ever launched
upon the Great Lakes was launched at Detroit in 1818 and called
"Walk-In-The- Water." This you would no doubt be able to verify
if true. But of course the Parkman Club has all this, and has some-
where made it all of record. And speaking of the Parkman Club
reminds me of Mr. Wight to whom I shall shortly write to thank
him for all this pleasant correspondence and for introduction to your
beautifully printed and wonderfully fascinating WISCONSIN MAGA-
ZINE OF HISTORY.

I found manifold matter besides my own to interest me in the
June issue. Strange to tell I knew both Potter and Pryor of bowie-
knife fame.1 John F. Potter I remember as a thick-set gentleman,
who wore a full beard and mustache trimmed to the contour of his
face and jaw — much such a looking man as was Grant when president,
and to the end of his days in this city, when I saw him often at No. 1
Broadway. As it was more the custom in those days to wear the
beard flowing, it made an impression on my childish memory.

1 The reference is to "The Potter-Pryor Duel," ibid., 449-52.

More Light on Colonel Utley's Contest 251

At the Colonial Club in this city I used to have long talks with
Judge Pryor running over his marvellously eventful career (though I
was always careful not to allude to Mr. Potter) . The Judge looked
like an Indian with high cheek bones, gaunt features, and long, very
coarse, and jet black hair. Indeed he claimed — though I never heard
him say so — descent from Pocahontas — left handedly, if at all, or
perhaps it was from Powhatan properly. The Judge told me that he
did not fire the first gun at Sumter because Virginia had not yet
seceded and it would have been high treason to fire on what was at that
time his country's flag, although he was rather proud to relate that he
incited the state of South Carolina to fire on Sumter by coming down
from Richmond for that purpose and telling them that nothing else
would induce Virginia to secede. He did go in the boat to demand
the surrender and got it. He was selected for hanging by Stanton
and was imprisoned in Fort Lafayette in our harbor instead by
Lincoln, but he became a justice of our New York Supreme Court
and left a distinguished record behind him. When Jeff Davis, who
did not love him, finessed him out of his brigadier-generalship by
turning over his brigade to General Wise, Pryor enlisted as a private
and was captured at Brandy Station. Some say he walked out of
the ranks and surrendered himself to our lines there, to escape
persecution by Davis. But as to this he never spoke and like the
Potter episode I thought it wise not to lead up to it in our frequent
talks.

APPLETON MORGAN

New York City

MORE LIGHT ON COLONEL UTLEY'S CONTEST WITH
JUDGE ROBERTSON

I have been very greatly interested in Appleton Morgan's "Recol-
lections of Early Racine," in the June, 1919 issue of the magazine.
It is evident that Mr. Morgan had familiar personal knowledge of a
great variety of events of much interest and importance in the early
history of Racine, and with the actors concerned in them.

It is not strange that inaccuracies should creep into informal
recollections of a time a half century and more gone, especially with
relation to statements susceptible of verification or disproval only by

252 Communications

some research, and I venture to say that Mr. Morgan was mistaken
in stating that Colonel Utley did not pay the judgment of $1,000 in
favor of Justice Robertson of Kentucky, for taking the latter's slave
out of that state in 1862. Attention was called in a footnote to the
fact that I had given a different account of the matter, in my Racine
County Militant, and I would like to offer briefly the evidence in
support of my statements concerning it.

With reference to that story, permit me to say that the facts
concerning this phase of the controversy of Colonel Utley with
Justice Robertson were related to me by Mr. Park Wooster, a step-
son of Colonel Utley, and I have verified them within the last month
in conversation again with him. Mr. Wooster tells me that he has
many times heard his stepfather, Colonel Utley, tell the story of the
payment of that judgment and subsequent reimbursment by the
Government.

Having known Mr. Wooster for more than forty years and having
personal knowledge also of the intimate and affectionate relations
sustained by Colonel Utley with his stepson through a long period of
years until the former's death, I am frank to say that this testimony
satisfies me.

Within the last month, however, I have read the entire court
record in the case, which is on file in the office of the United States
District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, at Milwaukee. It
consists of a complete certified transcript of the Kentucky court
proceedings, and also the record of those in the Wisconsin court
named above, where the case was also tried.

Complaint was first filed in the Jessamine County Circuit Court,
at Nicholasville, Kentucky, on November 17, 1862. A court order to
Utley to deliver the slave to Robertson was placed in the hands of the
sheriff for execution; on his return, on the back of the order, that
officer reported that on December 10, 1862, he demanded the slave,
Adam, of Wm. L. Utley, and that he failed to produce him.

From that time on the case was largely a matter of continuances,
demurrers, motions to quash, writs of error, and other legal devices
to gain time and discourage the plaintiff, until on October 6, 1871
judgment was entered in the Wisconsin court for $908.06 with costs
of $26.40. This judgment was satisfied on May 9, 1873.

General Grant at Platteville 253

The attorneys in the case were Stark and McMullen for Robert-
son, and Bennett and Ullman for Utley. On October 5, 1871, how-
ever, Matt H. Carpenter appeared for Colonel Utley in the last
court action, and filed a demurrer to replication, which was over-
ruled by the court, and on the next day judgment was ordered for
the plaintiff. I submit that the above evidence is sufficient to warrant
belief in the substantial correctness of the account of the affair as
given by me in Racine County Militant.

Sincerely yours,

E. W. LEACH

Racine

GENERAL GRANT AT PLATTEVILLE

I was much interested in the report of J. H. Evans's recollections
in the September number of the MAGAZINE, since I lived as a boy in
Platteville and knew Mr. Evans as far back as I can remember. He
is either in error or misquoted, probably, on page 86 when he speaks
of seeing Grant the last time in 1868, in Platteville. Grant made
his last visit to Platteville in the fall of 1880, after his return from
the trip around the world. Maj or Rountree invited him up to spend
a day and some of us boys went down to the depot to see him come in
on the narrow-gauge railroad recently constructed from Galena.
Besides the Major and us boys there were very few citizens at the
depot. But in the afternoon Major Rountree gave a public recep-
tion at his home — and we boys went skating instead of going to see
the General again.

I think that on page 121 the MAGAZINE should have referred to
William E. Carter as of Platteville, rather than Lancaster. He was
the leading lawyer of Platteville from the time of my earliest remem-
brance (the early '70s) until he removed to Milwaukee, in 1895.
Of course, he may have lived in Lancaster earlier. George B. Carter
was a near neighbor and his family and ours were intimate friends.

Very truly yours,

ALBERT H. SANFORD

La Crosse

254 Communications

THE DRAPER MANUSCRIPTS

I want to express again my appreciation of the Wisconsin State
Historical Society library. It is a truly wonderful institution — one
that every American ought to know about and to be proud of.

The opportunity to use it, especially to consult the Draper Notes
and Manuscripts, added immensely to the pleasure of my vacation,
and if I live, will contribute materially toward a history of Callaway
County, Missouri, that I hope will be real history.

I am grateful to you, to Miss , to her assistant, and to

the fine corps of women at the library desk for many courtesies and
helpful suggestions. May I ask you to express to them for me my
appreciation?

OVID BELL
Fulton, Missouri

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES

THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE

In the three months' period ending October 10, 1919, seventeen
persons became members of the State Historical Society. Four of
these were life members, as follows: Henry Fetzer, Sturgeon Bay;
William P. Gundry, Mineral Point; William H. Rueping, Fond du
Lac ; Arthur N. Blanchard, Shorewood.

The thirteen persons whose names follow joined the Society in
the capacity of annual members : Col. William J. Anderson, Madison ;
Rev. R. A. Barnes, Madison ; Thorwald M. Beck, Racine ; Leslie M.
Fowler, Racine; Austin F. Gratiot, Shullsburg; Elbert B. Hand,
Racine; Edward Hutchens, Eau Claire; Thomas M. Kearney, Jr.,
Racine; Louis H. Rohr, Burlington; A. M. Simons, Milwaukee;
Marietta Sisson, Chicago; Fulton Thompson, Racine; Mrs. Leslie
Willson, Chippewa Falls.

Professor R. H. Whitbeck of the geography department of the
University and a life member of the State Historical Society is pre-
paring for publication in the state geological survey series a volume
on the historical and geographical development of Racine, Kenosha,
Milwaukee, Walworth, and Waukesha counties.

At the time of going to press (October 10) preparations for the
annual meeting of the Society on October 23, 1919 are practically
complete. The formal sessions will be the business meetings of the
Society and the board of curators in the afternoon and the annual
address in the evening. The speaker this year is Major General
William G. Haan, during the late war commander of the Red Arrow
Division. The subject of his address is "A Division Commander's
Work for One Day of Battle."

The new management of the Madison Wisconsin State Journal
is devoting much attention to local historical subjects. We note
particularly in this connection a series of articles which is being
printed over the name of David Atwood on the historical development
of Madison.

At the annual meeting of the West Wisconsin Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, held at Eau Claire in September, it

256 Survey of Historical Activities

was unanimously voted to organize a Methodist Historical Society
for the West Wisconsin Conference; a committee of five members
was appointed to take the matter in charge. The chairman of the
committee is J. H. McManus of Coloma, a member of the State
Historical Society, who is deeply interested in the early history of
our commonwealth. The Rev. Mr. McManus is the author of "A
Forgotten Trail" in the present issue of the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY."

On September 1, 1844 the first regular church service in America
by an ordained Norwegian Lutheran preacher was conducted in a
log barn three miles south of the village of Rockdale, Dane County,
Wisconsin. On Sunday, September 7, 1919 the seventy-fifth anniver-
sary of this event was jointly celebrated by the two Lutheran churches
of East Koshkonong. The anniversary sermon was preached by
President Preus of Luther College of Decorah. The site of this
interesting event in Norwegian-American annals is marked by a
monument erected on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, twenty-
five years ago.

Another sign alike of the antiquity of Wisconsin and the interest
taken by its founders in religious activities was afforded by the
celebration on September 6 and 7, 1919 of the seventy-fifth anniver-
sary of the Union Grove Congregational Church. The church society
was organized September 8, 1844. Until 1852 meetings were held in
schoolhouses. In the year noted the first church building was erected,
to be followed by a second in 1878.

By reason of inadequate support Racine College, one of the
oldest institutions of higher learning in Wisconsin, has closed its doors
and terminated its activities. The college was chartered by the
state of Wisconsin in March, 1852. It has hundreds of alumni, many
of them men of note, scattered throughout the country. Readers of
this MAGAZINE will recall with pleasure in this connection the lively
"Recollections of Early Racine," in the June, 1919 issue, written by
Dr. Appleton Morgan, an alumnus of the college.

In the September, 1919 "Survey of Historical Activities" the
death of Philo Orton of Darlington was noted, and in this connection
the statement was erroneously made that he was the son of Judge
Harlow Orton, one of the founders of the State Historical Society.
To Major Frank W. Oakley of Madison, long a curator of this
Society, we are indebted for the correction of this error. In this

The Society and the State 257

connection we may say generally (by way of stating a fact rather
than excusing an error) that for the contents of the Survey we rely
upon varied sources of information which, oftentimes, we are unable
adequately to check. It follows as a matter of course that the per-
centage of error in this section of the MAGAZINE is likely to be higher
than its friends and readers might desire.

On September 5, 1919 the Waukesha County Historical Society
held its semiannual meeting at North Lake. The beautiful afternoon
brought out a fair attendance, notwithstanding the remoteness of the
pretty village. President Charles D. Simonds pleaded for more
members with such success that twelve new names were added to the
society's roster. Custodian J. H. A. Lacher reported numerous and
valuable additions to the society's historical collection, which has
grown so large that more room ought to be provided for it at the
courthouse. Miss Ida Sherman read a paper on the history of the
town of Genesee. She was followed by Mrs. lone Gove Hawley, whose
interesting paper and talk treated of Waukesha County music and
musicians. Both papers are valuable contributions to local history.
The program included vocal music by Mrs. H. A. Erickson, and the
singing of "America," the "Star Spangled Banner," and "Auld Lang
Syne" by the audience.

Mrs. Elizabeth Rusk, wife of the former governor of Wisconsin,
died at her Viroqua home, August 19, 1919. Mrs. Rusk was a native
of Norway who came to America as a girl and in 1856 married
Jeremiah Rusk. In earlier years Rusk, a native of Ohio, while
employed as a stage driver had made the acquaintance of a boy-driver
of a mule team on the canal, named James A. Garfield. Both rose to
fame, but the career of Garfield need not detain us here. On coming
to Wisconsin Rusk settled in Vernon County, opened a tavern, and
drove stage between Viroqua and Prairie du Chien. He bore an active
and honorable part in the Civil War, being mustered out at its close
with the rank of brevet brigadier general. He served several terms in
Congress, was three times elected governor of Wisconsin, and was the
first United States secretary of agriculture.

Frederick Layton, one of Milwaukee's best known citizens, and
long a member of the State Historical Society, died August 16, 1919.
From humble beginnings he rose to be the millionaire head of an
important meat packing business. He had long been noted for his
philanthropic activities; worthy of particular mention in this con-
nection is the Layton Art Gallery which he founded and to the up-
building of whose collections he devoted constant interest and effort.

258 Survey of Historical Activities

Charles E. Vroman of this Society, a native of Madison, an
alumnus of the University, and long a prominent lawyer of Green Bay
and Chicago, died at his summer home near Mackinac July 30, 1919.
For several years Mr. Vroman served as assistant general counsel
of the St. Paul Railway, resigning this position to establish the law
firm of Vroman, Munro and Vroman.

Alexander Kerr, professor and emeritus professor of Greek at
the University of Wisconsin since 1871, died at his home in Madison
September 26, 1919. His later years were chiefly devoted to the
translation of Plato's Republic. This work was brought to comple-
tion after eyesight had failed him, but in the opinion of competent
scholars the work done under this handicap does not suffer by
comparison with the earlier portion of the work.

One hundred years ago was born C. Latham Sholes, who by the
invention of the typewriter placed a memorial to himself in every
modern business office throughout the world. The movement to
procure funds by popular subscription for the erection of a monu-
ment to Mr. Sholes in Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, has been
previously noted in this Survey. According to a report of Charles E.
Welles, secretary of the fund, made in July, 1919, satisfactory
progress in raising the necessary money was being made. One-half of
the total sum desired had been raised, chiefly through small con-
tributions by business girls who thus testified their gratitude to Mr.
Sholes for opening to them a field of employment for which women
seem peculiarly adapted. The typewriter is distinctly a Wisconsin
invention ; and Mr. Sholes is one of her sons whom the Badger State
can richly afford to honor.

Judge H. A. Anderson, chairman of the Trempealeau County
War History Committee, reporting in August that the war history
work had progressed well toward completion, added the following
interesting information: "I declined a reelection so that I might
devote myself more exclusively to research work. My duties as judge
end January next. I shall immediately upon expiration of my term
begin to put into form such data as I have collected relating to the
soldier history first, and then turn to my work on the county collec-
tion, as well as special fields. Who shall write the epic of the lumber
camps and the river drivers? The facts are passing swiftly away.
I should like to arrest a few of them before they glide too far into
obscurity."

The Society and the State 259

Among enterprises in the development of which Wisconsin leads
the world is the distinctively American institution, the circus. P. T.
Barnum was undoubtedly the king of American showmen (one of his
most remarkable distinctions, we think, was achieved years after his
death, when a prominent University professor delivered a lecture
on his career as best typifying the American character) , but his day
is past; and just as undoubtedly the Ringling brothers of Baraboo
dominate the American circus of the present generation. Barnum
was a born genius — the Yankee at his best; the Ringling brothers
are after all perhaps more typical of American character in that they
have achieved the topmost rung of their profession by dint of unre-
mitting toil and the exercise of plain common sense and not-so-
common honesty, unaided by possession of unusual genius which
despises ordinary rules of procedure. In the September, 1919
American Magazine John Ringling tells the life story of the seven
brothers, who were born at McGregor, Iowa, just across the river
from Wisconsin, and offers his explanation of the success they have
achieved.

An attractively printed volume from the Collegiate Press of
Menasha is Mary L. P. Smith's biography of Eben E. Rexford.
Although a native of New York, Rexford's life from his seventh year
was passed in Wisconsin; and he was thus in the fullest sense a
product of the Badger State. Although his name may never stand
high on the roll of American authors, he was a lovable character, and
millions of plain men and women have read with enj oyment his stories
and poems. His repute as author of standard works on gardening
and floriculture was widespread. His most widely known work,
doubtless, is the poem "Silver Threads Among the Gold," which,
later set to music, made the circuit of the earth. Whatever critics of
literature may think of it, this song has a human appeal which has
touched the hearts of millions. It is said to be the favorite song of
William J. Bryan, who is probably the best interpreter of the emotions
of the ordinary American now living. Rexford wrote this poem at
the early age of eighteen, and for it he received from Frank Leslie's
the munificent sum of three dollars. The poet's home was at Shiocton,
Wisconsin. His pen was busy until, in his final illness, he was removed
to the hospital at Green Bay, where he died October 18, 1916.

Steamboating on the upper Mississippi is now a thing as dead
as Caesar's ghost, but in earlier times the great river was a mighty
highway of commerce, and it will be many a day before the romance
of this traffic and of the lives of those who conducted it will lose its

260 Survey of Historical Activities

power to charm the reader who turns his attention to the story of
those adventurous days. A member of this Society, George B.
Merrick, long a resident of Madison but of old a Mississippi River
pilot, has made himself the historian of the upper Mississippi in the
period of its glory. His collection of records and his accumulated
fund of information on his chosen subject are quite unrivaled ; his book,
Old Times on the Upper Mississippi, stands alone in its particular
field. Six years ago Mr. Merrick began publishing in the Burlington
Saturday Evening Post a series of articles describing the boats that
have plied the river above St. Louis commencing with the year 1823
and short histories of the men who operated them. The author's
plan was to present the boats alphabetically ; he expected to complete
the series in two years. It had been running five years, however, and
was still uncompleted when in November, 1918 Mr. Merrick was
stricken with paralysis and incapacitated for continuing the work.
Some years earlier he had charged Captain Fred A. Bill of St. Paul
with the completion of the enterprise should he himself be prevented
from doing so. In September, therefore, Captain Bill spent two
weeks in Madison going over the work with Mr. Merrick. The letter
T had been reached when the publication of the articles was discon-
tinued a year ago. From this point, with the aid of Mr. Merrick's
material, Captain Bill will carry on the series. Although a younger
man than Mr. Merrick, he commenced navigating the Mississippi in
1868 and was actively on the river until 1880 ; during the next twelve
years he was in the office of the Diamond Jo Line of steamers at
Dubuque and was indirectly connected with this line until its steamers
were sold in 1911. Captain Bill is president of the Pioneer Rivermen's
Association which he took the lead in organizing in 1915.

On Labor Day, September 1, 1919 the State Historical Society
and the Wisconsin Archeological Society conducted a joint pilgrim-
age to the site of ancient Aztalan near Lake Mills. The earthworks
and mounds at Aztalan have been regarded since the earliest settle-
ment of Wisconsin as among the most remarkable and interesting
archeological remains in the upper Mississippi Valley. During the
summer of 1919 the Milwaukee Public Museum carried on extensive
investigations with a view to discovering whatever may still be learned
about the works at Aztalan. This work had been well advanced
toward completion by Labor Day, and thus those who joined in the
pilgrimage were afforded the opportunity both of seeing the work of
the scientists in actual progress and of hearing from Dr. S. A.
Barrett, chief of the division of anthropology of the Milwaukee
Museum, an authoritative account of the results thus far achieved

The Society and the State 261

by the work of excavation. Nature had provided an ideal day for
the outing ; and it is doubtful whether in all Wisconsin can be found
more beautiful pastoral scenery than that in the immediate vicinity
of the earthworks. More than five hundred people responded to the
invitation of the two societies, coming from Milwaukee, Madison,
Baraboo, Fort Atkinson, Janesville, Cambridge, and numerous other
points in southern Wisconsin. A basket luncheon was enj oyed under
the trees, for which the residents of Lake Mills provided an unlimited
supply of coffee and cream. After the lunch and the addresses, the
assembled guests were conducted by Dr. Barrett and his aids in a
tour of the mounds and other earthworks. The gratifying indication
of public interest in the pilgrimage affords a happy augury for the
success of similar gatherings in the future.

Most of our readers, probably, are acquainted with the story of
Glory of the Morning, Wisconsin's Winnebago princess of two
centuries ago, which has been woven into a charming play by Pro-
fessor William Ellery Leonard. Daughter of the head chief of the
Winnebago, she married a Frenchman, Sabrevoir Decorah, who had
come into Wisconsin as a soldier but had resigned from the service
and entered the Indian trade. After some years of married union, and
the birth of two sons and a daughter, Decorah left his dusky wife,
taking with him the daughter to Montreal to be educated. When the
French and Indian War came on, Decorah reentered the army and
died fighting for his country in the battle of Ste. Foye in 1760. The
two sons of Glory of the Morning, on the separation of their parents,
cast in their lot with her and thus remained in Wisconsin. In time
both became chiefs of the Winnebago and left many descendants, the
Decorahs being the most powerful Winnebago family in the early
nineteenth century. We recall these facts to our readers apropos
of a press dispatch from La Crosse which states that thirty-five
descendants of Glory of the Morning enlisted in the Mauston com-
pany in 1917 and crossed the sea to do their bit in curbing the
German menace to America. To three of these red citizens of Wis-
consin in particular an inspiring, albeit pathetic, story attaches.
Bill and John Decorah were brothers who enlisted in the Mauston
company. Their father, Foster Decorah, begged to enlist with them,
but his forty years were against him and at first he was refused the
coveted permission. Later, however, permission was granted, and
father and sons crossed the sea together. Foster Decorah died a
soldier's death in the Argonne Wood, while his sons continued to
"carry on." Later Bill was killed and only John was left to return
across the ocean to his native Wisconsin. For two centuries the

262 Survey of Historical Activities

name of Decorah has loomed large in Wisconsin history, but the
thirty-five descendants (doubtless there were others the record of
whose ancestry is lost) of Glory of the Morning who fought for
their country in the World War have attached to the ancestral name
a new significance. Wisconsin's red men performed their full share in
the war, and this record deserves to be held in grateful memory by the
commonwealth and the country they served.

A journey of unusual interest fell to the lot of the writer of
these notes in August. Mention has heretofore been made in the
"Survey" of the acquisition of valuable newspaper and manuscript
records of James Strang's Wisconsin Mormon colony, first at the
sacred city of Voree from 1844 to about 1850, and then at Beaver
Island in Lake Michigan until the overthrow of Strang and his colony
in the summer of 1856. Mr. Wingfield Watson, a resident of Burling-
ton and now in his ninety-second year, became an adherent of Strang
in 1852 and still remains his steadfast follower. In company with
Mr. Watson we visited Beaver Island to go over the scenes associated
with the Strangite movement and secure whatever information might
still be gleaned about the persons and events connected with it. The
city of St. James, founded by King Strang and named in his honor,
is now a prosperous community, the only village on the island. On
Whisky Point, where the unregenerate fishermen had their rendezvous,
and against which on a certain memorable occasion the balls from
the Mormon cannon sped their way across the tiny harbor of St.
James, a dignified lighthouse and light keeper's home now holds
possession. Of the home of Strang but a few signs of the foundations
still remain, while of the Mormon temple (which was never completed)
no trace can be found. The dock on which King Strang was
assassinated is represented now by a decayed structure of rotting
logs, owned, according to local information, by someone in Philadel-
phia. The home of the royal press is still intact, being used now as
a dwelling house. The King's Highway, which ran southward from
St. James midway down the island, is still the one considerable high-
way on the island; although covered with gravel along much of its
length the original corduroys still afford forcible reminder of their
presence as one travels over them in the omnipresent Ford. The
printing office and the highway aside, about the only reminders of
the departed Mormon regime are the names given by its leader to the
different places on the island. The village of St. James still carries
the name of its founder, James J. Strang ; Mount Pisgah, the highest
sand knoll on the island, still testifies to the Mormon habit of
associating the scenes of everyday life with those of Scriptural times ;

The Society and the State 263

while the pond wherein the Mormons were wont to conduct their
baptisms for the dead is still known as Font Lake, although all
knowledge of the significance of the name has faded from the local
mind. The material structures reared by the Mormons have vanished,
but the names they gave, intangible as light, give promise of persist-
ing for untold generations yet to come.

On August 29, 1919 there died at Beaulieu, Minnesota, a native
American whose earlier career was passed in an environment as differ-
ent from that of his later life as though it had belonged to another
age. May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig, chief of the Mississippi bands of Chippewa
Indians, was born ninety or more years ago in the vicinity of Brainerd,
Minnesota, the eldest son of Quewezance, then leading chief of the
Chippewa. The father was killed in battle with the Sioux near the
site of modern Stillwater, and the son succeeded to his dignity and
responsibility at the early age of sixteen. He promptly set about
devising or contriving plans to avenge his father's death and to this
end accompanied the noted Hole-in-the-Day on a war expedition
against the dreaded warriors of the plains. (Incidentally it may be
noted that the Chippewa was the only tribe ever able to hold its
own against the Sioux.) Somewhere near St. Paul the enemy was
encountered. The war parties were about equal in number, but in a
desperate fight the Sioux were overwhelmed, and the scalps of most of
them went to adorn the belts of the victorious Chippewa braves.
When a brave distinguished himself in battle by killing and scalping
his foe he was usually decorated with a feather from a war eagle. An
indication of the prowess of May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig and of the manner
of life he led is afforded by the fact that he accumulated some twenty
of these prized trophies.

Other warriors have been as brave and successful as May-zhuc-ke-
ge-shig, but we come now to a severer test of his ability for leadership
among his people. The red man's sun was setting in the upper
Mississippi Valley ; an alien race with another manner of life had come
to dominate the scene. In the spring of 1867 our chief signed, along
with other chiefs of the Mississippi Chippewa, a treaty with the
Great Father at Washington whereby the tribesmen surrendered their
lands to the white man and had set aside for them as a permanent
home the reservation at White Earth. Shortly after the ratification
of the treaty May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig and his followers abandoned their
familiar camping grounds and followed their guides along the sad
trail which led to the home newly assigned to them, arriving at the
site of the first agency in June, 1868. From this time forth for half
a century the chief devoted his influence for the development of his
people in the ways of peace and civilization, striving to better the

264 Survey of Historical Activities

narrow limits prescribed for them by their segregated sphere and to
lead them into the white man's way of life. In this endeavor he had
the devoted aid of men like ex-Senator Henry M. Pierce, Governor
Alexander Ramsey of Minnesota, Bishop Henry B. Whipple, and
Bishop Thomas Grace. For these facts we are indebted to Theodore
H. Beaulieu of White Earth, Minnesota, whose grandfather, Paul
H. Beaulieu, was an early resident of Wisconsin and in 1800 con-
ducted a trading post at Lac la Pluie (Rainy Lake) . Paul Beaulieu's
wife was an aunt of May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig, and hence the biographer is
a blood relative of the subject of his sketch. We conclude with the
following picture of the chief, published in the St. Paul Pioneer
Press in January, 1899:

"Tall, sinewy and bony, standing fully six feet in his stocking
feet, May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig, the most popular and leading hereditary
Chief of the Minnesota Chippewas, is a most picturesque and typical
representative of the noble American Indian. To a stranger the
face of this grand Chippewa Chief would seem to have been carved out
of granite or the mummified visage of some ancient Pharo king,
whose cold rigid features were never softened or cheered by a smile,
yet this venerable Oracle, with flowing locks, plentifully tinged with
gray, possesses the genial light of love and devotion in his dark kindly
eyes and betrays the munificent tendency of a big heart, pleasing
disposition and is very popular not only with his people but with
every one who comes in contact with him."

From Mrs. M. S. Stephens of Cassville has come an interesting
addition to the Society's collection of manuscripts. The gift com-
prises the original manuscripts of the four annual addresses of
Governor Nelson Dewey to the state legislature of Wisconsin. In the
case of all but the fourth, the original, old-fashioned wrapper in
which the address was placed for permanent keeping is still intact.

From Knud Henderson of Cambridge the Society has received
a unique file of Wossingen, one of the early Norwegian newspapers
established in America. Wossingen was a small sheet, issued monthly
and sold at twenty-five cents a year. It is peculiar among early
Norwegian- American papers as being chiefly a medium of communi-
cation between those who had come to America and their kindred at
home. An account of the paper may be found in A. O. Barton's
article, "The Beginnings of the Norwegian Press in America," pub-
lished in the Society's Proceedings for 1916.

A valuable addition to the Society's collection of newspapers
is a file of Freedom's Champion published at Atchison, Kansas,

The Society and the State 265

covering the years from 1858 to 1894. In 1855 the Squatter
Sovereign was founded at Atchison as a radical proslavery organ.
Two years later the free state party gained control of the paper, and
in February, 1858 John A. Martin, a young Pennsylvanian still in his
teens who had come to Atchison only four months before, became its
editor. Martin promptly changed the name of the paper to Freedom's
Champion., and under this name, shorn of the qualifying adjective, it
is still published. Although but fifty years old at the time of his
death in 1889, Martin had for thirty years played a leading role
in the development of Kansas. He was one of the organizers of the
Republican party in the territory, a colonel and brevet brigadier
general in the Civil War, state legislator, mayor of his city, and
twice governor of Kansas. Thus, in part because of its location
but largely because of the character of its editor, the Champion
became one of the most important of Kansas newspapers. The file
the Society has acquired begins with volume I, number 1 of the
Freedom's Champion and through a third of a century of time and
more than sixty bound volumes is practically complete. An interest-
ing sample of the spirit of the times as reflected in the early years of
the paper is afforded by a sarcastic editorial in the second issue under
Martin's editorship entitled "How Great are Thy People, Oh!
Kickapoo !" At this place, whose material surroundings, like its
name, reflected the atmosphere of the American wilderness, the slave
state party under the inspiration of the "border- ruffians" of Missouri
had returned over a thousand badly-needed ballots for their cause in
the election of December, 1857 on the adoption of a proslavery state
constitution. A commission which was promptly appointed to investi-
gate frauds in the election procured the original poll book of votes
cast by the residents of Kickapoo. By this "it appears that James
Buchanan, President of the U. S. and resident of Kickapoo, was the
270th voter; casting a ballot for the Constitution with Slavery —
a fact which conclusively proves the vote is veritable. Next on

this roll of illustrious names comes W. H. Seward as the 176th voter

a ballot somewhat unaccountable, as the distinguished Senator from
New York was at that time making speeches against the Constitution
at Washington: But we suppose it is all right — who in Kickapoo
would be guilty of frauds?" After further comment on now-departed
illustrious one-day residents of Kickapoo, which we omit, the editor
continues : "Thomas H. Benton here takes a 'view' of the Kickapoo
polls, as the 916th voter; and then with white coat all in trim comes
Horace Greeley, who deposits the 980th ballot. The last scene of the
drama is now on the tapis, and in all the majesty of a first appearance
before a Kansas audience, in struts Edwin Forrest, the great trage-

266 Survey of Historical Activities

dian, as the 1056th voter — positively his last appearance on tlie
Kansas boards — and down goes the curtain."

From the fact that in the great collection of Kansas newspapers
belonging to the state historical society at Topeka the file of the
Champion begins with the year 1876, it seems fairly probable that
for the first eighteen years the file which has now come to Madison
is the only one now in existence.

THE, GENERAL BRYANT PAPERS

George Edwin Bryant was an outstanding figure in Wisconsin's
contribution to the Civil War. Born on February 11, 1832, in Mas-
sachusetts, he was educated at Norwich University, Vermont, studied
law, and came to Wisconsin about 1856. He was active in organizing
the Governor's Guard and the Madison Guards, and as captain of the
latter became part of the First Volunteer Infantry sent forward in
March, 1861 to the front. The following September he was com-
missioned colonel of the Twelfth Infantry and led that regiment
through all its vicissitudes, in Missouri and Kansas, around Vicks-
burg, in the Atlanta campaign, and in Sherman's March to the Sea.
During part of the time Colonel Bryant commanded a brigade but
was never granted the rank of brigadier general — his title coming
from militia service after the war. In this later period of his career
he served the state and community in many capacities, — as county
judge, postmaster, legislator, superintendent of public property,
etc. He died at his home near Madison, February 16, 1907. His son
Frank H. Bryant has presented to the Society a number of his
father's Civil War papers, which cover in time the entire four years
of the conflict. Among them we note the original muster roll of the
famous Company E of the First Wisconsin Regiment that having
been organized as the Madison Guards was offered to the governor
for the country's service before the firing upon Sumter. Among
other rolls is one made out by Simeon Mills, signed by William L.
Utley, of the companies enrolled in October, 1861 in the Twelfth
Wisconsin. There follows in point of time the certificates given by
Colonel Bryant to the railroads that transported his regiment to
Missouri, and then in succession orders and military documents, some
of them signed by General Grenville M. Dodge, who was later to build
the Union Pacific Railway.

Some of the most interesting of the papers are copies of letters
to President Lincoln urging the promotion of Colonel Bryant to the
rank of brigadier general; these were signed by every officer in the
regiment and by many of his superior officers and testify not only to
his worth as a soldier but to the personal regard he inspired in all

The Society and the State 267

who served with him. Although these requests were never honored
by the desired rank, Colonel Bryant had the satisfaction of knowing
how highly his colleagues and comrades regarded him.

There are in this collection but few private letters and such as
there are are on military subjects. Among the writers are Senator
Timothy 0. Howe and General James K. Proudfit. The collection
as a whole is a valuable addition to the Society's growing store of
Civil War material.

THE KNAPP DIARIES

In the decade following the Civil War the lumbering corporation
of Knapp, Stout and Company at Menomonie, Wisconsin was reputed
to be the largest in the world. The senior member of the firm was
John Holley Knapp, who was born in Elmira, New York, March 29,
1825 and came west with his father (of the same name) in 1835. The
Knapp family settled at Fort Madison on the Mississippi ; and young
Knapp grew up among the steamboat and raftsmen of the great
river. In 1846 he visited the pineries on the Chippewa River in
company with Captain William Wilson, an older lumberman. Young
Knapp invested his capital of a thousand dollars in a sawmill, and
thereafter spent his life in developing the lumber trade. He had
several partners during the early days, Andrew Tainter and James
H. Stout being the best known. Fortunately two of Mr. Knapp's
early diaries have been preserved and have recently been deposited
with the Society by his son, Henry E. Knapp of Menomonie. These
cover the formative years 1848 and 1851, and are a valuable source
of study for the early lumbering industry.

Mr. Knapp's share of the business was the buying and trans-
portation of supplies and goods from the river to the pinery and the
sale and disposal of the sawed lumber from the rafts as they floated
down the stream. These activities kept him traveling from point to
point on steamboats, by horseback, in stage coaches, and on his own
lumber rafts, all the way from St. Louis to Lake Pepin. As the rafts
came down he would meet them on the river and endeavor to sell from
them lath, shingles, and boards, sometimes disposing of a crib or two
at a time, occasionally selling to a dealer the entire raft. In his
diary for 1848 Mr. Knapp frequently complains of the lack of a
market. "Lumber cant be sold in Galena at this time," he writes
on August thirteenth. "The market is glutted & no cash on hand
to buy with." At one river port he exchanged lath and shingles for
a yoke of cattle. Finally he succeeded in selling the entire raft.

Again he made a visit to the mill, going up on a steamboat to
Nelson's Landing in Lake Pepin, riding horseback through the wil-

268 Survey of Historical Activities

derness. All was well at the mill, and the garden had produced a
thousand bushels of potatoes and a thousand cabbages. Upon one
of his visits to the mills in 1851 Mr. Knapp met the first Methodist
itinerant in the Chippewa country. At Prairie du Chien on his way
down he listened to a "biological lecture" where there was afterwards
a dance.

Mr. Knapp was no mere devotee of business; his diary shows
how many were his interests and how full his life. He was a great
reader and commented with good judgment on what he read. At
St. Louis he went often to see good plays, mentioning in his diary
that he once saw Charlotte Cushman in the "Hunchback." When
possible he attended divine service and gave good heed to the sermons.
Once he visited Galesburg and vividly describes the embryo college,
the academy with its pretty girls, and the library "which is quite
an extensive one for so young an institution." In his leisure hours
he studied Latin and perused "Paradise Lost." He likewise enjoyed
social life and was greeted by friendly invitations at most of the
river towns where he stopped.

In 1849 Mr. Knapp brought a bride from Massachusetts to Fort
Madison, and the opening entry in his diary of 1851 records the
birth of his son Henry. Thereafter home was his first interest, and
he eagerly turned thither after every trip up or down the river. In
1848 Mr. Knapp voted for Zachary Taylor but appears to have
taken no active share in politics. He was a member of the Masonic
order and occasionally attended lodge. His diaries reveal the true
character of the man, upright, honorable, of unblemished integrity,
untiring industry, and neighborly kindness. Of such were the com-
monwealth builders of the Great West.

THE WILLARD KEYES DIARY

We venture to recall to our readers an anecdote of ante bellum
days which is now venerable enough to gain admission to the columns
of a magazine of history. A Kentucky slave, who had obtained
license to preach, was discoursing to his flock on the process of
Adam's creation : "When God made Adam," he said, "he stoop down,
scrape up a li'l dirt, wet it a li'l, warm it a li'l in he hands, squeeze
it in de right shape, and den lean it up agin de fence to dry —

"Stop right dere," interrupted a member of the flock who was
possessed of meditative proclivities, "you say dat are de fustest man
eber made?"

"Sarten," said the preacher.

"Den," rejoined his questioner, "jes tell a feller whar dat 'ar
fence come from?"

The Society and the State 269

"Hush yo mouf !" cried the preacher. "Two more questions like
dat 'ud spile all de theology in de worl."

Apropos of which we are moved to observe that in history as
in theology it is a hazardous thing to speak with assurance about
the first beginnings of things. We are taught in the schools that
Columbus discovered America in 1492. Yet a distinguished curator
of this Society once wrote a book with the title America not Discov-
ered by Christopher Columbus; and at the present time there are
those who believe in the authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone,
which indicates the presence of Norsemen in Minnesota in the year
1362. Were Jolliet and Marquette the first white men to see the
upper Mississippi? Or was Robert Peary (or Dr. Cook, as the case
may be) the first to visit the north pole? The recent discovery of
a fascinating diary of life in Wisconsin a century and more ago
gives local point to these reflections. Hitherto our earliest knowledge
of logging on Black River — several tantalizingly scanty allusions
aside — has had to do with some pioneer lumbermen who began
operations about the year 1840. The newly-discovered diary carries
the story backward more than two decades, revealing that white men
were logging at Black River Falls as early as 1818 and rendering
it fairly probable (although positive information of this is lacking)
that others had engaged in the industry here at a still earlier date.

The diary in question was kept by Willard Keyes, a resident of
Wisconsin from 1817 to 1819, and is now owned by a grandson who
lives in California. By him it has been loaned to the Society for the
purpose of making an accurate copy. The diary itself is an intensely
interesting document and richly deserves publication either in this
MAGAZINE or in another suitable medium. Keyes was a young Ver-
monter who in June, 1817, "impelled by a curiosity or desire of
seeing other places" than those of his home vicinity, set forth "in-
tending to travel into the western parts of the United States." " That
in his wildest dreams he had not anticipated more than a fraction
of what subsequently befell him becomes evident as we proceed with
the journal which he began keeping on the day of his departure
from home. The "western parts" of the United States was then an
extensive region, and our adventurer set forth apparently with no
definite idea as to whither his travels might lead him. As so often
in real life, pure chance determined his entire future, and incidentally
the writing of the present notice. Passing westward to Albany and
beyond, he fell in with one Constant Andrews. Andrews was a member
of the party of the Rev. Samuel Peters, who was coming to Wisconsin
in pursuit of that will-o-the-wisp, the Carver Grant, with a view to
establishing his colony of Petersylvania. The story of Petersyl-

270 Survey of Historical Activities

vania yet awaits writing (the recovery of the Keyes diary will prove
of material assistance in writing it), and we venture to doubt whether
a single one of the learned readers of this MAGAZINE has ever even
heard the name, heretofore, of this abortive colony. The name of its
progenitor is a familiar one, however, for Peters was an ex-Connecti-
cut Tory clergyman who achieved lasting fame (or infamy, depend-
ing on the point of view one takes) by publishing in London in 1781 a
General History of Connecticut, wherein, along with much inno-
cent matter, the foibles of his erstwhile neighbors were exposed to
the world in such fashion as to win for the author the undying ani-
mosity of all loyal sons of the Nutmeg State. Now, well beyond
the age of four score, the venerable author was seeking to win for
himself a truly imperial dominion in the wilds of modern Wisconsin.
Andrews urged Keyes to join Peters' party, and after earnest and
pious reflection upon the probable consequences of such a course, he
concluded to do so. Thus it was that he made the long and dangerous
journey, chiefly by canoe and Mackinaw boat, to Prairie du Chien
in the summer of 1817 and became for the ensuing two years a resi-
dent of this curious and already venerable wilderness outpost. The
only law in vogue was that of the military ; and this was dispensed
at the time of Peters' arrival by a born autocrat, Colonel Talbot
Chambers. This dignitary prevented Peters, notwithstanding his
credentials, from proceeding into the Sioux country (his destination
was the River bands of Sioux in the vicinity of the mouth of the
St. Peters) ; and after a six-months' wait in vain the old man, dis-
appointed but not despairing, made the long journey back to New
York City. Here he died in poverty some eight years later, having
striven to the end to gain recognition of his claim to the Carver
Grant. Keyes stayed in Prairie du Chien, taught school for a time
(incidentally we learn that he was not Wisconsin's first pedagogue,
for another New Englander had preceded him as teacher at Prairie
du Chien), helped to build and then operate a gristmill, likewise to
build and operate a sawmill, and as already noted passed his second
winter in the West logging at Black River Falls. In the spring of
1819 with infinite difficulty he piloted his raft down the Black and
the Mississippi, bade farewell to Prairie du Chien, and like Huckle-
berry Finn of more recent fame floated down the great river in search
of further adventure. A few years later he turned up as one of the
founders of Quincy, Illinois, prospered with the growth of the city,
and long before his death a half century later had come to be regarded
as one of the pillars of the community. But our present interest in
him ceases when his raft cuts loose from its moorings at Prairie du
Chien, terminating therewith its owner's career as a resident of

The Society and the State 271

future Badgerdom. The finding of this diary after a hundred years
of obscurity would constitute in itself an interesting story, but
lack of space forbids our telling it here. The discovery and preserva-
tion of the Willard Keyes diary should afford gratification to all
who are interested in the records of Wisconsin's past.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

James H. McManus ("A Forgotten Trail") has been for forty
years a pastor attached to the West Wisconsin Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. His present contribution indicates
to some extent what his intellectual tastes and diversions have been
during this period.

Hjalmar R. Holand ("The Kensington Rune Stone") is a farmer
and orchardist at Ephraim, who has long concerned himself with
local history. In the present article he explains how he became
interested in the Kensington Rune Stone, about which a lengthy
debate has been waged in recent years. Mr. Holand is the most
active champion of the historicity of the rune stone and his present
article is the latest word on the affirmative side of the debate.

W. A. Titus ("Historic Spots in Wisconsin: I. Portage, the
Break in a Historic Waterway") is a native of Fond du Lac County,
where he now resides. Mr. Titus has long pursued the study of
archeology and has built up a notable archeological collection. He
is a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin
and life member of the State Historical Society. The present is the
first of a series of articles by Mr. Titus on the general subject
to be printed in the MAGAZINE.

Louise P. Kellogg ("The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848") is
senior research member of the staff of the State Historical Society
and a frequent contributor to its publications.

William F. Whyte ("Observations of a Contract Surgeon") is
a native of Scotland who came to Wisconsin in childhood and for
forty years practiced medicine at Watertown. Dr. Whyte has been
a member of the State Board of Health for twenty-one years and
its president for sixteen years. He has previously written for this
Society "The Settlement of the Town of Lebanon, Dodge County"
(in Proceedings for 1915) and "The Watertown Railway Bond
Fight" (in Proceedings for 1916).

272 Survey of Historical Activities

i • ' .

THE WIDER FIELD

A joint meeting of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical and the
Menominee County Historical societies was held at Menominee,
Michigan, August 6 and 7, 1919. Among the numerous addresses
delivered were several dealing with phases of the history of Menomi-
nee, of Iron and Dickinson counties, and of the Upper Peninsula
in general. The recent gathering was the fourth annual meeting of
the Pioneer and Historical Society devoted to the interests of the
Upper Peninsula.

The July, 1919 issue of the Michigan History Magazine contains
the usual lengthy list of historical contributions. Among them we
note the following as being of more particular interest to readers
of this magazine : "Historical Work after the War," by Augustus
C. Carton; "The Forests of the Upper Peninsula and their Place
in History," by Alvah L. Sawyer; "Place Names in the Upper
Peninsula," by W. F. Gagnieur; and "History of the Marquette
Ore Docks," by D. H. Merritt.

The annual volume of Transactions of the Illinois State Histori-
cal Society for 1918 came to hand in September, 1919. It contains
the addresses delivered at the centennial meeting of the Society in
May, 1918, several of which are of much interest. Among them we
note "Virginia in the Making of Illinois," by H. J. Eckenrode;
"Illinois in the Democratic Movement of the Century," by Allen
Johnson; and "Establishing the American Colonial System in the
Old Northwest," by E. J. Benton. The most considerable contribu-
tion to the volume in point of length is Andrew J. Mills' narrative
"One Hundred Years of Sunday School History in Illinois."

In Volume V of the Wisconsin Historical Collections are printed
the pioneer recollections of John H. Fonda of Prairie du Chien which
originally appeared serially in the Prairie du Chien Courier in 1858.
Although much of Fonda's life was passed in Wisconsin, by about
the year 1819 he had migrated from New York to Texas, and the
next few years were for him a life of adventure and hardship in the
far Southwest. The portion of Fonda's recollections dealing with
this period of his life has been reprinted with appropriate editorial
comment in the July Southwestern Historical Quarterly. The editor
introduces Fonda to the Quarterly's readers as "a practically over-
looked explorer and trader in the Southwest."

The Wider Field 273

For many years the Lakeside Press of Chicago has published
annually for gratuitous distribution at Christmas time a small vol-
ume dealing with some phase of Middle Western history, and for
the last three years the editing of this volume has been done by M. M.
Quaife of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The volume
for the present year is entitled A Woman's Picture of Pioneer Illinois.
It is a reprint, with historical introduction and appropriate editing,
of the recollections of Mrs. Christiana H. Tillson, who came as a
bride from her native Massachusetts to the very edge of the Illinois
frontier in 1822. Originally printed privately for family distribu-
tion, the volume has long since become exceedingly rare. A canvass of
the leading reference libraries of the country disclosed but three
copies of the book — at Madison, at Chicago, and at Springfield, Illi-
nois. More recently two more copies have been found, both in the
Quincy Historical Society collection. The new edition in the Lakeside
Classics series should give to this charming narrative a fresh lease
of life.

STATEMENT

of THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, published quarterly at
Menasha, Wis., required by the Act of August 24, 1912.

Name of — Postoffice Address

Editor, M. M. Quaife Madison, Wis.

Managing Editor, none.
Business Manager, none.

Publisher, George Banta Menasha, Wis.

Owners, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.

President, Wm. K. Coffin Eau Claire, Wis.

Superintendent, M. M. Quaife Madison, Wis.

No Stockholders.

Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders, holding
1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other
securities :

None.

George Banta, Publisher.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30th day of September, 1919.
[SEAL] Gertrude W. Sawyer,

Notary Public.
(My commission expires March 21, 1920.)

JONATHAN CARVER

From the London (1781) edition of Carver's Travels

VOL. Ill, NO. 3 MARCH, 1920

THE

WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY

PUBLICATIONS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCON-
SIN. Edited by MILO M.
QUAIFE, Superintendent

CONTENTS

Page

AN EXPERIMENT or THE FATHERS IN STATE SOCIAL-
ISM M. M. Quaife 277

THE EARLY HISTORY OF JONATHAN CARVER

William Browning 291

A PHYSICIAN IN PIONEER WISCONSIN . . John C. Reeve 306

THE STORY or WISCONSIN, 1634-1848 . .

Louise Phelps Kellogg 314

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN W. A. Titus 327

FURTHER DISCOVERIES CONCERNING THE KENSINGTON

RUNE STONE H. E. Holand 332

DOCUMENTS :

A Journal of Life in Wisconsin One Hundred
Years Ago: Kept by Willard Keyes of Newfane,
Vermont 339

THE QUESTION Box:

Origin of the Name "Wisconsin" ; Historical Asso-
ciations of Sinsinawa; Old Trails around Eau
Claire ; Winnebago Villages on Rock River 364

COMMUNICATIONS :

Recollections of Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig ; Gen-
eral Porter and General Parker; The Preserva-
tion of Wisconsin's First Capitol 372

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES:

The Society and the State; The Wider Field 376

The Society as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions advanced
in the following pages by contributors.

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OP WISCONSIN

AN EXPERIMENT OF THE FATHERS IN
STATE SOCIALISM

M. M. QUAIFE

The rapid advance of recent years along the pathway of
state socialism has commonly been regarded as a new phenom-
enon in American life, as, indeed, in many respects it is.
Curiously enough, however, one of its most advanced and
recent manifestations, the entrance of the government upon
the field of retail merchandising with a view to controlling
prices in the supposed interest of the general public as opposed
to the machinations of a set of grasping middlemen, closely
repeats in many particulars a notable and now long-forgotten
experiment of the United States government in the field of
retail trade a century and more ago. Some account of the
hopes entertained by the governmental authorities who ini-
tiated the enterprise and their disappointment as the result of
actual trial may afford entertainment and mayhap even profit
to readers in the present juncture of public affairs.

The ancient experiment of the government in retail mer-
chandising was designed, like the recent one, to lower the cost
of living and promote the contentment of mind of the public
in whose interest it was instituted. Instead of citizens of the
United States, however, that public consisted of an alien and
inferior race, the red men along our far flung frontier. The
origin of the policy of governmental trading houses for the
Indians dates from the early colonial period. In the Ply-
mouth and Jamestown settlements all industry was at first
controlled by the commonwealth and in Massachusetts Bay
the stock company had reserved to itself the trade in furs be-
fore leaving England. In the last-named colony a notable
experiment was carried on during the first half of the eight-
eenth century in conducting "truck houses" for the Indians.

278 M. M. Quaife

About the middle of the century Benjamin Franklin, whose
attention had been called to the abuses which the Indians of
the Pennsylvania frontier were suffering at the hands of
private traders, investigated the workings of the Massachu-
setts system and recommended the establishment of public
trading houses at suitable places along the frontier.

The first step toward the establishment of a national
system of Indian trading houses was taken under the guidance
of the ommiscient Franklin during the opening throes of the
American Revolution. To the second Continental Congress
the establishment of friendly relations with the Indians
appeared a matter of "utmost moment." Accordingly it was
resolved July 12, 1775 to establish three Indian trading
departments, a northern, a middle, and a southern, with
appropriate powers for supervising the relations of the
United Colonies with the Indians. In November of the same
year a committee, of which Franklin was a member, was
directed to devise a plan for carrying on trade with the
Indians and ways and means for procuring the goods for it.

Acting upon the report of this committee Congress
adopted a series of resolutions outlining a general system of
governmental supervision of the Indian trade and appropriat-
ing the sum of 40,000 pounds to purchase goods for it. These
were to be disposed of by licensed traders, acting under in-
structions laid down by the commissions and under bond to
them to insure compliance with the prescribed regulations.
The following month Congress further manifested its good
intentions toward the native race by passing resolutions ex-
pressing its faith in the benefits to accrue from the propaga-
tion of the gospel and the civil arts among the red men and
directing the commissioners of Indian affairs to report upon
suitable places in their departments for establishing school-
masters and ministers of the gospel.

The exigencies of the war, absorbing all the energies of the
new government, soon frustrated this new plan, and not until

An Experiment in State Socialism 279

1786 was a systematic effort made to regulate the Indian
trade. In that year the Indian department was divided into
two districts, a superintendent and a deputy being appointed
for each. They were to execute the regulations of Congress
relating to Indian affairs. Only citizens of the United States
whose good moral character had been certified by the governor
of a state were eligible to licenses ; they were to run for one year
and to be granted upon the payment of fifty dollars and the
execution of a bond to insure compliance with the regulations
of the Indian department. To engage in trade without a
license incurred a penalty of five hundred dollars and for-
feiture of goods.

This was, apparently, a judicious system, but the govern-
ment of the Confederation had about run its course and the
general paralysis which overtook it, together with the confu-
sion attendant upon the establishment of the new national
government, prevented the new policy toward the Indians
from being carried into effect. Prominent among the prob-
lems which pressed upon the new government for solution was
the subject of Indian relations and in this connection the
question of the regulation of the Indian trade. In 1790 the
licensing system of 1786 was temporarily adopted, shorn of
some of its more valuable features, however. There was no
prohibition against foreigners, and no license fee was re-
quired. This system was continued without essential change
until 1816, when an act was passed prohibiting foreigners
from trading with Indians in the United States except by
special permission of the president and under such regula-
tions as he might prescribe.

The young government shortly entered upon the most
serious Indian war in all its history and not until one of its
armies had been repulsed and another destroyed did Anthony
Wayne succeed in extorting from the hostile red men a
recognition of the government he represented. At the close
of this war Congress, at the instigation of Washington,

280 M. M. Quaife

determined to experiment with another system of conduct-
ing the Indian trade. In the session of 1795, stirred up by the
repeated recommendations of Washington, that body debated
a bill for the establishment of Indian trading houses. Though
the bill was defeated at this time its purpose as stated by its
supporters is worth noting. It was regarded as constituting
a part only of a comprehensive frontier policy; this policy
embraced the threefold design of the military protection of
the frontier against Indian invasions, the legal protection of
the Indian country against predatory white incursions, and
the establishment of trading houses to supply the wants of the
Indians and free them from foreign influence. It was believed
that these three things embraced in one system would bring
about the great desideratum, peace on the frontier; but that
without the last the other parts of the plan would prove
totally ineif ectual.

The defeat of the advocates of the system of government
trading houses in 1795 was neither final nor complete. Their
principal measure had failed of passage, but at this same
session Congress appropriated the sum of fifty thousand
dollars to begin the establishment of public trading houses,
and two were accordingly started among the Cherokee,
Creeks, and Chickasaw of the Southwest. The next year a
second act was passed, carrying an appropriation of one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars in addition to an annual
allowance for the payment of agents and clerks. The presi-
dent was authorized to establish trading houses at such places
as he saw fit for carrying on a "liberal trade" with the Indians.
The agents and clerks employed were prohibited from engag-
ing in trade on their own account and were required to give
bonds for the faithful performance of their duties. The act
was to run for two years, and the trade was to be so conducted
that the capital sum should suffer no diminution.

Until 1803, however, nothing was done to extend the
system of trading houses thus experimentally begun in

An Experiment in State Socialism 281

1795. In the debates over the passage of the act of
1796 it was made evident that even the supporters of the
measure regarded it in the light of an experiment. The
recent war had cost one and a half million dollars annually;
it was worth while to try another method of securing peace on
the frontier. Since the Canadian trading company was too
powerful for individual Americans to compete with success-
fully, the government must assume the task. If upon trial
the plan should prove a failure it could be abandoned. On
the other hand it was objected that public bodies should not
engage in trade, which was always managed better by in-
dividuals ; fraud and loss could not be guarded against ; nor
should the people be taxed for the sake of maintaining trade
with the Indians. In spite of these objections and prophecies,
the report of 1801 showed that the original capital had suffered
no diminution, but had, in fact, been slightly increased ; this,
too, despite losses that had been incurred through the failure
of the sales agent, to whom they had been assigned, to dispose
of the peltries before many had become ruined.

In January, 1803 the powerful influence of President
Jefferson was put behind the development of the government
trading house system. He stated in a message to Congress
on the subject that private traders, both domestic and foreign,
were being undersold and driven from competition ; that the
system was effective in conciliating the goodwill of the
Indians ; and that they were soliciting generally the establish-
ment of trading houses among them. At the same time the
Secretary of War reported the establishment of four new
stations at Detroit, Fort Wayne, Chickasaw Bluffs, and
among the Choctaw, to which the remainder of the money
appropriated in 1796 had been applied. This remained the
number until 1805, when four more were established at
Arkansas on the Arkansas River, at Nachitoches on the Red
River, at Belle Fontaine near the mouth of the Missouri, and
at Chicago. The following year a trading house was estab-

282 M. M. Quaife

lished at Sandusky on Lake Erie, and in 1808 three more at
Mackinac, at Fort Osage, and at Fort Madison. Meanwhile
the two original houses had been removed to new locations and
two others, those at Detroit and at Belle Fontaine, had been
abandoned.

From 1808 until the beginning of the War of 1812 there
were thus twelve factories in operation. At each was stationed
an agent or factor and at most an assistant or clerk as well.
The salaries of the former prior to 1810 ranged from $750
to $1,250, in most cases not exceeding $1,000; the pay of the
latter from $250 to $650 ; in both cases subsistence was granted
in addition. In 1810 the superintendent of the trade estimated
that of the total amount of $280,000, which had been invested
in the business, $235,000 still remained; the loss in the capital
invested to this date was therefore, in round numbers, $45,000.
The four-year period ending in 1815, on the other hand, in
spite of the disturbance to trade which attended the operations
of the War of 1812, produced a profit of $60,000. Approxi-
mately three-fourths of this gain was swallowed up in the
destruction during the war of the factories at Chicago, Fort
Wayne, Sandusky, Mackinac, and Fort Madison; however
this was the fortune of war and not in any way the fault of
the system.

Upon the conclusion of peace with Great Britain in 1815
fresh plans were laid for the extension of the department of
Indian trade. Although the territory northwest of the Ohio
River had been ceded to the United States by the Treaty of
Paris of 1783, down to the War of 1812 American sovereign-
ty had been but imperfectly established over much of this
region. Even the limited measure of control which had been
gained prior to 1812 was largely lost during the war, and the
British diplomats strove earnestly at Ghent to render this
loss permanent by erecting south of the lakes an Indian barrier
state which should forever protect the English in Canada
from the advancing tide of American settlement. This effort

An Experiment in State Socialism 283

failed, however, and the War Department moved promptly
to the establishment of American authority in the Northwest.

The restoration and extension of the system of govern-
ment trading houses was an integral part of the program ; and
hand in hand with the rebuilding of forts or the founding of
new ones at such points as Mackinac, Green Bay, Chicago,
and Prairie du Chien went the establishment of factories at
the points of greatest strategic importance. The system
continued in operation until the summer of 1822 when in
response to a vigorous campaign waged by Senator Benton
against it, it was suddenly abolished. To the reasons for this
action and a consideration of the failure of the system our
attention may now be turned.

The government trading-house system had been estab-
lished under the influence of a twofold motive. The primary
consideration of the government's Indian policy was the main-
tenance of peace on the frontier. This could best be accom-
plished by rendering the Indian contented and by freeing him
from the influence of foreigners. Not merely his happiness,
but his very existence depended upon his securing from
the whites those articles which he needed but which he him-
self could not produce; and since the private traders took
advantage of his weakness and ignorance to exploit him
outrageously in the conduct of the Indian trade, it was argued
that the welfare of the Indian would be directly promoted and
indirectly the peace of the frontier be conserved by the
establishment of government trading houses upon the prin-
ciples that have been indicated.

The theory underlying the government factory system
seemed sound, but in practice several obstacles to its successful
working, powerful enough in the aggregate to cause its aban-
donment, were encountered. Not until 1816 was an act passed
excluding foreigners from the trade, and even then such ex-
ceptions were allowed as to render the prohibition of little
value. The amount of money devoted to the factory system

284 M. M. Quaife

was never sufficient to permit its extension to more than a
small proportion of the tribes. However well conducted
the business may have been, this fact alone would have pre-
vented the attainment of the larger measure of benefit that
had been anticipated.

Another and inherent cause of failure lay in the difficulty
of public operation of a business so special and highly com-
plicated in character as the conduct of the Indian trade.
Great shrewdness, intimate knowledge of the native character,
and a willingness to endure great privations were among the
qualifications essential to its successful prosecution. The
private trader was at home with the red men; his livelihood
depended upon his exertions ; and he was free from the moral
restraints which governed the conduct of the government
factor. Above all he was his own master, free to adapt his
course to the exigencies of the moment; the factor was
hampered by regulations prescribed by a superintendent who
resided far distant from the western country ; and he, in turn,
by a Congress which commonly turned a deaf ear to his
repeated appeals for amendment of the act governing the
conduct of the trade. The factor's income was assured regard-
less of the amount of trade he secured ; nor was he affected by
losses due to error of judgment on his part, as was the private
trader. Too often he had at the time of his appointment no
acquaintance with the Indian or with the business put in his
charge. To instance a single case : Jacob Varnum at the time
of his appointment to the Sandusky factory was a native of
rural New England, who had neither asked nor desired such
an appointment. It is doubtful whether he had ever seen an
Indian ; he was certainly entirely without mercantile experi-
ence ; yet he had for competitors shrewd and able men who had
spent practically their whole lives in the Indian trade.

The goods for the government trade must be bought in
the United States ; the peltries secured in its conduct must be
sold here. This worked disaster to the enterprise in various

An Experiment in State Socialism 285

ways. From their long experience in supplying the Indian
trade the English had become expert in the production of
articles suited to the red man's taste. It was impossible for the
government buying in the United States to match in quality
and in attractiveness to the Indian the goods of the Canadian
trader. Even if English goods were purchased of American
importers, the factory system was handicapped by reason of
the higher price which must be paid. On the other hand the
prohibition against the exportation of peltries compelled the
superintendent of the trade to dispose of them in the Ameri-
can market. Experience proved that the domestic demand
for peltries, particularly for deer skins, did not equal the
supply; therefore the restriction frequently occasioned
financial loss. But there were further restrictions in the act
of 1806 which narrowed the choice of a market even within the
United States. That these restrictions would operate to
diminish the business and accordingly the influence of the
government trading houses is obvious.

Another group of restrictions worked injury to the factory
system through their failure to accommodate the habits and
desires of the Indian. To trade with the government the
Indian must come to the factory. The private trader took his
goods to the Indian. The red man was notably lacking in
prudence and thrift and was careless and heedless of the
future. He was, too, a migratory being, his winters being
devoted to the annual hunt, which frequently carried him
several hundred miles away from his summer residence.
Before setting out on such a hunt he must secure a suitable
equipment of supplies. Since he never had money accumu-
lated, this must be obtained on credit and be paid for with the
proceeds of the ensuing winter's hunt. The factor was pro-
hibited, for the most part, from extending such credit; the
private trader willingly granted it, and furthermore, he
frequently followed the Indian on his hunt to collect his pay
as fast as the furs were taken. In such cases as the factor did

286 M. M. Quaife

extend credit to the Indian, the private trader often succeeded
in wheedling him out of the proceeds of his hunt, leaving him
nothing with which to discharge his debt to the factor.

The greatest advantage, perhaps, enjoyed by the private
trader involved at the same time the most disgraceful feature
connected with the Indian trade. From the first association
of the Indian with the white race his love of liquor proved his
greatest curse. The literature of the subject abounds in nar-
rations of this weakness and the unscrupulous way in which
the white man took advantage of it. For liquor the red man
would barter his all. It constituted an indispensable part of
the trader's outfit, and all of the government's prohibitions
against its use in the Indian trade were in vain, as had been
those of the French and British governments before it. The
Indians themselves realized their fatal weakness, but although
they frequently protested against the bringing of liquor to
them, they were powerless to overcome it. The factor had no
whisky for the Indian ; consequently the private trader secured
his trade.

The remedy for this state of affairs is obvious. Either
the government should have monopolized the Indian trade, at
the same time extending the factory system to supply its
demands, or else the factory system should have been aban-
doned and the trade left entirely to private individuals under
suitable governmental regulation. The former course had
been urged upon Congress at various times, but no disposition
to adopt it had ever been manifested. The time had now
arrived to adopt the other alternative. As a resident of St.
Louis and senator from Missouri Benton was the immediate
spokesman in Congress of the powerful group of St. Louis
fur traders, who, like their rivals of the American Fur Com-
pany and, indeed, all the private traders, were bitterly
antagonistic to the government trading houses. Soon after he
entered the Senate Benton urged upon Calhoun, then secre-
tary of war, the abolition of the system. Calhoun, however,

An Experiment in State Socialism 287

entertained a high opinion of the superintendent of Indian
trade and refused to credit the charges of maladministration
preferred by Benton. This refusal led Benton to open a
direct assault upon the system in the Senate. In this two
advantages favored his success : as an inhabitant of a frontier
state he was presumed to have personal knowledge of the
abuses of the system he was attacking; and as a member of
the Committee on Indian Affairs he was specially charged
with the legislative oversight of matters pertaining to the
Indians.

Benton believed and labored to show that the original
purpose of the government trading houses had been lost sight
of ; that the administration of the system had been marked by
stupidity and fraud ; that the East had been preferred to the
West by the superintendent of Indian trade in making pur-
chases and sales ; in short that the factory system constituted
a great abuse, the continued maintenance of which was desired
only by those private interests which found a profit therein.
In view of the circumstances of the situation his conclusion
that the government trading houses should be abolished was
probably wise ; but the reasons on which he based this conclu-
sion were largely erroneous. His information was gained
from such men as Ramsey Crooks, then and for long years a
leader in the councils of the American Fur Company. This
organization had a direct interest in the overthrow of the
factory system. Its estimate of the value of the latter was
about as disingenuous as would be the opinion today of the
leader of a liquor dealers' organization of the merits of the
Prohibition party.

Benton 's charges of fraud on the part of the superintend-
ent and the factors failed to convince the majority of the Sena-
tors who spoke in the debate, and the student of the subject
today must conclude that the evidence does not sustain them.
There was more truth in his charges with respect to unwise
management of the enterprise ; but for this Congress, rather

288 M. M. Qucdfe

than the superintendent, was primarily responsible. It is evi-
dent, too, that in spite of his claim to speak from personal
knowledge Benton might well have been better informed
about the subject of the Indian trade. One of his principal
charges concerned the unsuitability of the articles selected for
it by the superintendent. But the list of items which he read
to support this charge but partially supported his contention.
Upon one item — eight gross of jews'-harps — the orator
fairly exhausted his powers of sarcasm and invective. Yet a
fuller knowledge of the subject under discussion would have
spared him this effort. Ramsey Crooks could have informed
him that jews'-harps were a well-known article of the Indian
trade. Only a year before this tirade was delivered the Ameri-
can Fur Company had supplied a single trader with four
gross of these articles for his winter's trade on the Mississippi.

Although Benton's charges so largely failed of substan-
tiation, yet the Senate approved his motion for the abolition of
the factory system. The reasons for this action are evident
from the debate. Even his colleagues on the Committee on
Indian Affairs did not accept Benton's charges of malad-
ministration. They reported the bill for the abolition of the
trading-house system in part because of their objections to
the system itself. It had never been extended to more than a
fraction of the Indians on the frontier; to extend it to all of
them would necessitate a largely increased capital and would
result in a multiplication of the obstacles already encountered
on a small scale. The complicated nature of the Indian trade
was such that only individual enterprise and industry was
fitted to conduct it with success. Finally the old argument
which had been wielded against the initiation of the system,
that it was not a proper governmental function, was employed.
The trade should be left to individuals, the government limit-
ing itself to regulating properly their activities.

Benton's method of abolishing the factory system ex-
hibited as little evidence of statesmanship as did that employed

An Experiment in State Socialism 289

by Jackson in his more famous enterprise of destroying the
second United States Bank. In 1818 Calhoun, as Secretary
of War, had been directed by Congress to propose a plan for
the abolition of the trading-house system. In his report he
pointed out that two objects should be held in view in winding
up its affairs : to sustain as little loss as possible ; and to with-
draw from the trade gradually in order that the place vacated
by the government might be filled by others with as little dis-
turbance as practicable. Neither of these considerations was
heeded by Benton. He succeeded in so changing the bill for
the abolition of the system as to provide that the termination
of its affairs should be consummated within a scant two
months, and by another set of men than the factors and super-
intendent. That considerable loss should be incurred in wind-
ing up such a business was inevitable. Calhoun's suggestions
would have minimized this as much as possible. Benton's plan
caused the maximum of loss to the government and of con-
fusion to the Indian trade. According to a report made by
Congress in 1824 on the abolition of the factory system, a
loss of over fifty per cent of the capital stock was sustained.

The failure of the trading-house system constitutes but
one chapter in the long and sorrowful story of the almost total
failure of the government of the United States to realize in
practice its good intentions toward the Indians. The factory
system was entered upon from motives of prudence and
humanity; that it was productive of beneficial results cannot
be successfully disputed ; that it failed to achieve the measure
of benefit to the red race and the white for which its advocates
had hoped must be attributed by the student, as it was by
Calhoun, "not to a want of dependence on the part of the
Indians on commercial supplies but to defects in the system
itself or in its administration." The fatal error arose from the
timidity of the government. Instead of monopolizing the
field of the Indian trade, it entered upon it as the competitor
of the private trader. Since its agents could not stoop to the

290 M. M. Quaife

practices to which the latter resorted, the failure of the experi-
ment was a foregone conclusion. Yet it did not follow from
this failure that with a monopoly of the field the government
would not have rendered better service to the public than did
the private traders. Lacking the courage of its convictions, it
permitted the failure of perhaps the most promising experi-
ment for the amelioration of the condition of the red man
upon which it has ever embarked.

THE EARLY HISTORY OF JONATHAN CARVER

WILLIAM BROWNING

Few of our early native explorers rank with Carver. The
importance of a correct account of him, however, depends
not so much on the value of his discoveries as on the pragmatic
fact that his name has occupied a prominent place for the past
one hundred and forty years. The wide interest that Carver's
work elicited and the hold it has kept despite all the attacks of
critics have naturally aroused inquiry concerning his personal
history. Yet, as John Thomas Lee says, "we know very little
of Carver's early life."1 Lee has done more than anyone else
to correct the criticisms aimed at Carver and has with thor-
oughness gathered the material referring to him, but he
recognizes, nevertheless, the mystery that shrouds the career
of Carver.

One sketch, that of Judge Daniel W. Bond,2 gives some
items, the best account perhaps that has appeared. But it is
in a little-seen volume, lacks much of importance to the pic-
ture, has inevitable slips, makes no reference to the author's
sources of information, and has doubt thrown on it by the
editor.

The accounts of Lee and Bond give practically everything
so far known regarding the personal side of Carver's career.
Yet even so primary a fact as the date of Carver's birth has
not been hitherto known. To anyone acquainted with Con-
necticut it must seem incomprehensibly strange that such a
man could have been bred there, and yet no traces of his life
or lineage be discoverable.

1UA Bibliography of Carver's Travels," in State Historical Society of Wis-
consin, Proceedings, 1909, 148.

2 George Sheldon, History of Deerfield, Massachusetts (Deerfield, 1895), II.
101-104; Carver genealogy supplied by Judge Daniel W. Bond.

292 William Browning

There remained one possible source of information that
none of Carver's many commentators had exploited, viz., the
various local archives that might shed light. From long
familiarity with Connecticut and by the aid of friends the
present writer has been able to find material that it is hoped
will go toward establishing a correct view of Carver's origin
and early surroundings.

Most later accounts point to Canterbury, Connecticut, as
the place of the explorer's birth. It is therefore in order to
turn to that town for possible facts. Though its early records
are in part lost or scattered, facts relative to Carver have been
found in the following still extant but unpublished records :

a. Town records in the present town clerk's office in
Canterbury. Volume I of Vital Records is gone. Volume
II does not begin until about 1750. Registry of early deeds
seems also incomplete. Other town records, however, are
well kept and indexed and prove useful.

b. Early probate records of Canterbury, now preserved
at the Windham County courthouse in Willimantic.

c. Later probate records of that district, kept at the
Plainfield town clerk's office in Central Village, Connecticut.
These were examined but they yielded little prior to 1750.

d. Original record of the Canterbury Congregational
Church, now in possession of the Connecticut Historical So-
ciety at Hartford.

In addition there is some scattering material published in
recent years, or otherwise accessible, from which information
may be gleaned to supplement the facts derived from the
records which have been noted as of major importance.

An outline of Carver's early career can best be presented
by following genealogical lines, beginning with his father,
David Carver ("Ensign David") of Canterbury, Connecti-
cut. The "First Volume of Records of Town Acts, 1717-
discloses the following information:

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 293

Town meeting, Canterbury, Dec. 8, 1719. Amongst the
officials chosen was "David Carver, leather sealer."

Dec. 20, 1720. David Carver chosen first selectman, and
again leather sealer.

Dec. 29, 1720. "Town Meeting. * * * David Carver
was chosen Moderator for the day."

Dec. 19, 1721. David Carver was again chosen modera-
tor; also again first selectman for the year.

Town Meeting. "July the 4th 1722 Mr. Carver was
chosen moderator for the day."

Dec. 11, 1722, Town Meeting. "Ensign David Carver"
was chosen one of two "jurymen."3

Jan. 24, 1722/3. "Ensign David Carver" was chosen one
of "a Committee to agree with a schoolmaster or masters to
keep the school as aforesaid."

Town Meeting, Feb. 26, 1722/3 voted to David Carver
a tract of land (the boundaries of which are detailed at
length).

Apr, 30, 1723. Voted to "Ensign David Carver" a half
share of "undivided land or commons."

Dec. 17, 1723. "Ensign David Carver, leather sealer,"
so chosen at town meeting. On the same day he was chosen
one of a committee on a highway award.

Dec. 8, 1724. "Ensign David Carver" again chosen
leather sealer.

Dec. 21, 1725. "General Town Meeting"; Mr. David
Carver chosen moderator and again "leather sealer."

Dec. 6, 1726. Town Meeting; "Ensign David Carver"
was again chosen "leather sealer."

His name then drops out of the records. But it is evident
that in his few years in the young community Ensign David
Carver was elected to a good share of the offices in the gift
of the town. And as he was sufficiently domiciled by Decem-

3 This may mean the same as Bond's statement that he was a deputy to the
General Court.

294 William Browning

ber, 1719 to take part in town meeting, it is clear that he must
have arrived prior to this date. There is little to indicate his
personal character, except that he was not a member of the
local church ; but his career can be outlined very well.

An entry in the original record of Canterbury Congrega-
tional Church runs as follows : "Dec. 16, 1722, bapt. Benjamin
son of Ens. David Carver." As this church list of baptisms
begins in 1711, but gives no other child born to him, it is a
natural inference that any other children he may have had
were born elsewhere.

ESTATE OF DAVID CARVER

The particulars which follow are gleaned from the old
probate records at Willimantic (not to be confused with
newer series ) . Only so far as they bear on the present sub-
ject are they here transcribed or summarized. While the
style, chirography, and paper are old, the text can be made
out satisfactorily.

Volume I, 1713-34, pp. 220-22. The appraisers' list of
Nov. 9, 1727 is given at length — lands, buildings, and a long
list of articles of the estate. Signed, "Solomon Pain, ad-
ministrator." In volume I, part 2, p. 157-58 the distribution
of the estate is thus recorded :

At a Court of Probate held in Plainfield February 13th, 1727-8 for
ye County of Windham. Present Timothy Pierce Esq. Judge.
Mr. Solomon Pain adminstrator on ye estate of Ensign David Carver
late of Canterbury deceased. Presented to ye Court an account of his
administration on ye said estate which account and receipts was examined
by which and ye inventory of ye sd deceased Estate It appears that ye
whole estate inventoried with ye debts due to sd Estate amounts to ye
sum of L 2118- l^S and yt ye administrator hath paid out sundry debts
and charges amounting to ye sum of L 81- 15 S 4' w-th is by this Court
allowed and that there is now remaining of ye sd deceased Estate ye sum
or value of L 2036- 15S - 10' to be distributed and divided.
Which this Court distributes as follows to wit to Mrs. Sarah Carver
relick to sd deceased one 3d part of ye movable Estate of sd deceased
which is the sum of L 122- 5S - 7' at Inventory price to be hers forever.
And ye one 3d part of Real Estate during life wch is ye sum of L556-
13S - 4' and unto Mr. Samuel Carver eldest son to sd deceased the sum
or value of L 387-19S-0' and into Jonathan Carver 2d son to sd

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 295

deceased the sum or value of L193- IpS- 6' and unto David Carver 3d
son to sd deceased ye sum or value of L193- 19S- 6' and unto Benjamin
Carver 4th son to sd deceased ye sum or value of L193- 19S- 6' and unto
Sarah Pain eldest daughter to said deceased ye sum or value of L193-
19S- 6' and unto Hannah Carver second daughter to sd deceased the sum
or value of L193- 19S- 6' — and This Court orders that ye above said
daughters shall have their portion out of ye personal estate of sd de-
ceased— so far as they can extend and this Court orders and appoints
Capt. Joseph Adams Mr. Solomon Tracy and Mr. John Felch all of
Canterbury to distribute and divide ye sd estate accordingly and to make
return thereof to this Court and to be sworn before the next Justice and
this Court appoints Mr. John Dyer of Canterbury guardian to ye above sd
Jonathan Carver David Carver and Hannah Carver Jonathan Carver and
David Carver desiring ye same for themselves and also this Court appoints
Mr. Solomon Pain of sd Canterbury guardian to sd Benjamin Carver
Bond being given by sd guardian as ye law directs.

And also this Court orders that if any thing hereafter should appear
to be due to or from sd Estate Each one to be at their ratable part in
paying or recovering ye same.

Test John Crory Clerk of Prob.

Volume I, p. 301. "Canterbury, Apr. 24, 1728 pursuant
to the trust committed to the subscribers by the Honored
Court of Probate &c. For the division of the estate of Mr.
David Carver of said Canterbury for the County of Wihdham
deceased, viz. — Was ordered by said Court as followeth
namely of the said personall estate to the widow relict of the
deceased an 3 part being 122 L.-s.-p. We have set out
according to the best of our understanding in particulars as
followeth. Imprimis."

Then follows a list, two and one-half pages long, of the
distributed articles of the estate, stated to lie in part on the
Quinebaug River. Next are specifications of three divisions
of land. Widow's dowry of one-third stated.

Volume I, p. 305. "Saml. Carver the eldest son of said
David" is given a tract of land.

"We have set out to Jonathan Carver 2d son to the
deceased a tract of land lying on the west side of the River
bounded as followeth," &c.

To David Carver (3d son) a tract is also set out.

296 William Browning

Volume I, p. 306. "Fifthly we have set out to Benjamin
Carver fourth son to said David a tract of land," &c.

"Sixthly we have set out to Sarah Paine — daughter to
said David a tract," &c.

"Seventhly we have set out to Hannah Carver youngest
daughter to said David, a tract," &c.

Signed, — Adams, — Feltch, & Sallomon Tracy, "distribu-
tors under oath." July 26, 1729.

Volume I, p. 301. "A Court of Probate held in Plain-
field, June the 10th, 1729, Mr. John Dyer of Canterbury
appeared in court and acknowledged himself bound to the
Treasurer of the County of Windham in a recognizance of
three hundred pounds money — that had said John Dyer as
guardian to and for Jonathan Carver, David Carver and
Hannah Carver minor sons and daughter to Mr. David
Carver of said Canterbury deceased. Will be as his ratable
part in paying all such debts that shall hereafter appear to
be due from the deceased estate." His first bond in February,
1728 was for L 500.

Volume I, p. 301. "A Court of Probate held in Plainfield,
July the 8th 1729 — Mr. Saml. Carver, eldest son to Mr.
David Carver of Canterbury deceased, appeared in said Court
and acknowledged himself bound to the Treasury of said
County of Windham in a recognizance of two hundred
pounds money that he — Will be as his ratable part in paying
all such debts that shall hereafter appear to be due from
the deceased estate."

"A Court of Probate held in Plainfield July the 8, 1729,
Mr. Solomon Pain of Canterbury as Guardian for Benjamin
Carver, minor son of Mr. David Carver of Canterbury de-
ceased, appeared in the Court and acknowledged himself
bound to the treasury of the said County of Windham in a
recognizance of one hundred pounds money that he the said
Pain as guardian to said minor will be as his ratable part in
paying all such debts as shall hereafter appear to be due from
the said deceased Estate." His earlier bond was for L 200.

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 297

The facts here first set forth are matters of legal record,
established at the time and by those quite familiar with all the
members of Ensign David Carver's family. They conse-
quently furnish a sure basis from which to trace out the line of
the Jonathan named therein, a key to the obscure parts of his
history.

These records show that Ensign David Carver must have
died between December 6, 1726 (when he was last elected to
office) and November 9, 1727 (when his estate was appraised)
and thus sufficiently corroborate the date given by Bond, viz.,
September 14, 1727. His estate appears to be recorded at
greater length than any other of that period, indicating that
he was a man of personal and financial importance, necessitat-
ing the appointment of administrator, appraisers, distributors,
and guardians. The value of the estate, some $10,000, may
not now seem very impressive, but for that time and place it
represented a surprisingly large amount — more than David
Carver could well have accumulated in his few years at Canter-
bury. For his day and generation he was a man of wealth.

Since Samuel Carver, the eldest son, was of age, it is
certain that Jonathan, the second son, was approaching his
majority though still a minor in 1729. As Ensign David
does not appear in these records until 1719, and his fourth
son was baptized in 1722, the fact that there were two children
between the latter and Jonathan raises again a presumption
that he was born before the family removed to Canterbury.

The following items bearing on the marriage of Jonathan
Carver are found in the town records of Canterbury:

Mary the daughter of Jonathan and Abigail Carver was born Apr. the
8th, 1747.

Abigail the daughter of Jonathan and Abigail Carver was born May
the 29th 1748.

These names and dates agree perfectly with those given
by Bond for the first two children of Jonathan Carver of
Franklin County, Massachusetts. The items afford sufficient
corroboration also of Judge Bond's further statement that

298 William Browning

his Jonathan Carver, the explorer, married Abigail Robbins
October 20, 1746 in Canterbury. A list of Carver's children,
correct in part and possibly in toto, is given by Bond.

The following evidence should convince even those who
"prefer darkness to light" that the Jonathan Carver who
lived at Canterbury, Connecticut, and Jonathan Carver the
explorer, of Franklin County, Massachusetts, were one and
the same individual:

a. The general recognition and acceptance by the Massa-
chusetts local historians of the fact that their Jonathan Carver
came from Canterbury, Connecticut. This conclusion is
accepted by Lee and apparently by all other recent writers
who have given special attention to the subject.

b. The existence of a very real Jonathan Carver at
Canterbury, as the wise men of history have presumed, and
the further fact that he dropped out of the Canterbury
records just before the appearance of a Jonathan Carver in
Franklin County, Massachusetts.4

c. The identity of Jonathan's two children born in Can-
terbury, Mary and Abigail, with the first two children of the
Massachusetts Jonathan.

d. The general agreement alike of hostile and friendly
critics that the explorer came from Connecticut, in conjunc-
tion with the un-Homeric fact that no other place in Connecti-
cut has competed for him.

e. The fact that in 1770 at Montague, Massachusetts, a
summer school was kept at Mrs. Abigail Carver's amongst
others,5 the name thus agreeing with that of Jonathan's wife
in Canterbury earlier.

f. The direct testimony of the Rev. Samuel Peters that
he knew the explorer to be from Canterbury, although as a
"colossal liar" and "spiteful historian" little credence is placed
in his unsupported word.

4 Montague, Deerfield, and Northfield were all in Franklin County.

6 Edward P. Pressey, History of Montague (Montague, Mass., 1910), 217.

The Early History of Jondihan Carver 299

Rarely can a personal item of two centuries ago be estab-
lished more conclusively.

ORIGIN OF ENSIGN DAVID CARVER AND BIRTH OF JONATHAN,

THE EXPLORER

The fact that Canterbury was not settled until shortly
before 1700 shows that David removed here from some other
place. Since Bond states that he married Hannah Dyer of
Weymouth, Massachusetts, we naturally turn to that town's
records for light on this point.

In the Vital Records of Weymouth6 these entries are
found:

Jonathan, s. of David & Hannah Carver, b. Apr. 13, 1710.
David, s. of David & Hannah Carver, b. Sept. 14, 1713.
Hannah, d. of David & Hannah Carver, b. Oct. 25, 1717.

Since these names are identical with those of three of
Ensign David Carver's children, are in the same chronological
order, and since the dates of birth accord with the known
facts concerning Ensign David's family, born at just the
right period to conform, and furthermore since the parents'
names agree with those given by Bond, it appears mathe-
matically certain that they are identical.7

It is consequently certain that we have here the long
sought date of birth of Jonathan Carver, the explorer, April
13, 1710. Various writers, critics as well as supporters, have
inclined to place the explorer's birth before 1732, the date
commonly assigned. Their guesses have ranged all the way
back to ''about 1712"— that of Bond. It follows from the
same evidence that Carver was born at Weymouth, Massa-

6 Vital Records of Weymouth, Massachusetts to 1850 (Boston, 1910), 70.

7 The name Sarah, as the widow of David, given once in the settlement of the
estate, does not negative this conclusion. While it might be due to any one of
several reasons, the real explanation evidently is connected with the following
fact: Of the twenty-one entries of births or baptisms in the family, as found
recorded, in but one (that of Benjamin, last child of Ensign David) is there
failure to include the mother's name. It is therefore apparent that something had
happened to her before the entry was made.

300 William Browning

chusetts. Since he passed most of his younger years in
Connecticut it was natural for him to say he came from there.8

Other facts tending to confirm these conclusions are noted
in the Weymouth town records and early deeds (the latter
preserved in the registry of Suffolk County) . At the town
meeting of March 4, 1700 and subsequently David Carver
was chosen tithingman; later constable; and then selectman.
In 1712 he handed back to the town its stock of ammunition.
In 1713, as a "householder," he received his share of a cedar
swamp. In 1716 he took title to 15 acres at his mill pond. And
on January 28, 1718 he sold his mill pond with 40 acres includ-
ing "housing and building and grist mill thereon." From this
date he seems to drop out of the Weymouth records. It can
consequently be concluded that he left there soon after; this
tallies with his advent in Connecticut.

This would account for his having property, as indicated
above, before moving to Canterbury. Maturity of years,
experience in town government, and the possession of means,
account also for his prompt participation in public affairs on
settling in the frontier town.

Thus far in this paper every connecting link has been
established by authentic contemporary records and the con-
clusions reached can fairly claim to be decisive. We may now
consider some points of secondary importance, the evidence
for which seems sound but possibly not in every respect as
conclusive.

THE ANCESTRAL LINE OF ENSIGN DAVID CARVER

The names of three Carvers appear in the early annals of
Massachusetts, only one of whom (Robert, 1594-1680) left a

8 As Carver was seventeen years old at the death of his father, Lettsom's state-
ment that he was fifteen is not far amiss. But his assignment of 1732 as the date
of Carver's birth seems at first a strange error. Carver however made no state-
ment of record as to his age. If he allowed a wrong impression to go out, the
reasons are now a matter of probability rather than proof. It is easy to see one
that is entirely sufficient to account for this. He was intently striving to organize
and lead an expedition that should realize his dreams by going through to the
Pacific. But his age, if stated correctly (he was in his sixtieth year on reaching
England, and died at seventy), would militate seriously against gaining support.
To meet this a large cut in his age was imperative.

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 301

male line. It is stated and with apparent correctness that all
the subsequent Massachusetts Carvers of that period were
descended from this Robert. Hence it can be concluded that
Jonathan, the explorer, and his father, David, were of that
stock, whether the line of descent can be made out in detail or
not.

A plausible line of descent for our first David can be
traced in the local histories of Marshfield, Massachusetts, an
offshoot of Plymouth Colony.9 John Carver, 1575-1621, the
first governor of Plymouth Colony, left no Carver line. His
brother Robert, however, (v. supra] settled at Marshfield as
early as 1638 and had a son John (1637-79). This John
Carver had a son David, born about 1668 (anyway nearer
1670 than 1663) . He, Richards suggests, removed to uCon-
necticut, and became the ancestor of Jonathan Carver," the
explorer.

Chronologically this David corresponds well with the first
in Canterbury; and, as a collateral descendant of Governor
Carver, it would explain in a way Dr. Lettsom's statement
that the explorer was a descendant of an early governor.
Jonathan Carver may have supposed that he was directly
descended from the governor.10 There is nothing to gainsay
this line from Robert, and the only uncertainty is the lack of
direct proof that its David was identical with the WeymoutH-
Canterbury David.

Since there were in all several David Carvers it may be
well to differentiate those of possible interest :

8 See Carver genealogy given by L. S. Richards, History of Marshfield
(Plymouth, Mass., 1901-5), II, 160 ff. Also, more briefly, in Marcia A. Thomas,
Memorials of Marshfield (Boston, 1854), 52-53.

10 An old instance of this identical mistake is on record in connection with
another branch of the family: "William Carver [oldest son of John, and grandson
of the above Robert] died' at Marshfield 1760, ae. 102, and is noticed by Gov.
Hutchinson and Dr. Belknap in the biography of Gov. Carver as the grandson of
the Governor" (from Mitchell's History of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 1840, p.
363). In view of such an illustration and of the undeveloped state of genealogic
lore in Carver's time, the statement in the text affords the most reasonable explana-
tion of his ancestral claim.

302 William Browning

a. Ensign David Carver ; his career has been sufficiently
discussed.

b. His third son, David, born Weymouth, 1713, elected
"an inhabitant" by the town of Canterbury in 1736, married

Susanna in 1739, had seven children and appears

to have remained there, as a daughter was baptised in 175811;
two sons took a deed in 1770,12 and a son, Nathan, was married
at Lisbon in 1770.

c. David, son of ISTo. 2, born Canterbury, May 2, 1747.13

d. David, baptised December 21, 1730,14 son of Jona-
than's brother Samuel.

e. An uncertain David.15

YOUTH OF JONATHAN CARVER

More directly to establish the conditions under which the
explorer passed his youth a word may be said of his dominant
seniors. As he went with the family to Connecticut when
about eight years old, he had the stimulus of a change of
environment at an impressionable age. Any special forma-
tive influences were more likely to have been active after than
before this removal. In view of Ensign David Carver's posi-
tion in life it is evident that the boy, Jonathan, enjoyed what-
ever advantages, educational and otherwise, the resources of
the community afforded.

Col. John Dyer, 1692-1779, guardian of young Jonathan,
was also his maternal uncle. Mrs. David Carver (nee Han-
nah Dyer, born Weymouth, February 13, 1684) "was a

"Original record of Canterbury Congregational Church.

12 Later probate records of Canterbury, in Plainfield town clerk's office.

13 Original record of Canterbury Congregational Church.

14 Ibid.

15 The History of Hingham, Massachusetts (1893, III, 288) says a David
Carver of Weymouth married Ruth Whitmarsh, December 14, 1696 (or December
16, 1696, according to a Whitmarsh pedigree). And the Weymouth Vital Records
give a "Ruth, d. of David & Ruth Carver, b. Dec. 1, 1701," also a "Samuel, s. of
David & Ruth Carver, b. Nov. 4, 1704." Whether this was an earlier marriage of
Ensign David Carver is not material to the present story, — though there are
reasons for thinking it was, in which case this daughter, born Ruth, was later called
Sarah.

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 303

sister of Col. John Dyer of Canterbury, and Col. Thomas of
Windham, both prominent in the affairs of Connecticut."
They were grandsons of Thomas Dyer, settler in Massa-
chusetts, and "moved to Windham County, Connecticut."
The Dyers went to Connecticut before Carver and
doubtless induced him to remove thither. Col. Thomas Dyer
(1694-1766) was the father of Hon. Eliphalet Dyer, LL.D.,
a member of the Continental Congress and later chief justice
of the state of Connecticut, own cousin of the explorer.16

Solomon Pain, 1698-1754, born in Eastham, Massachu-
setts, lived at Canterbury and was later minister of the
Separatist Church there. He married Sarah Carver, eldest
daughter of Ensign David, on March 2, 1720. She died
August 9, 1731.17 This Solomon, known also as Elder Pain,
was the administrator of Ensign David's estate and guardian
of his youngest son, Benjamin. Pain became widely known
as a leader and organizer of the Separatist Church movement
in Connecticut, perhaps the greatest religious schism that has
ever stirred the old state. In discussing this movement the
late A. A. Browning of Norwich says:18 "Then came the
notable contest at Canterbury concerning the Saybrook plat-
form, in which Col. Dyer played a conspicuous part upon
the one side and the brothers Solomon and Elisha Paine on
the other."

These facts are mentioned to show that Carver was
closely related to and in his younger years associated with men
of more than local reputation. Canterbury has had some
prominence for a small community, and these men were
among her representative citizens.

To sum up : Carver came of able stock on both sides. His
family had means. He enjoyed the best advantages the

""History of Ancient Windham," by Wm. L. Weaver, in the Willimantic
Journal, 1864-65.

17 H. D. Paine (ed.), Paine Family Records (New York, 1880-83), I, 161.
The name is spelled either with or without a final e.

18 Records and Papers of the New London County Historical Society, II, 154-.
See also S. L. Blake, The Separates or Strict Congregationalists of New England,
1902.

304 William Browning

time and place afforded. His nearest older relatives were men
of influence and standing, large factors in the life and activi-
ties of a wide region.19 Both phases of the biologic formula,
heredity and environment, are duly typified.

DID CARVER STUDY MEDICINE?

It was a reason quite aside from the preceding presenta-
tion that turned the writer's attention to Carver. In connec-
tion with a paper on "Medical Explorers"20 some question
arose whether Carver had studied medicine. It was with the
hope of settling this point that the foregoing material was
gathered. Though the net result seemed worth publishing for
its value otherwise, it has but a limited bearing on the moot
question. Some facts and considerations however favor an
affirmative answer.

Carver had plenty of time to study medicine, as now
appears, between the death of his father and his own marriage.
As his army and camp life was without doubt a large factor
in qualifying him for exploring work, the casual possession
of medical knowledge even at that period would have given
him an added sense of preparedness. But the main evidence
is the direct statement of Lettsom,21 based, presumably, on
remarks of Carver. It hence comes back in part to the degree
of credence placed in this statement plus any corroboration
which may be adduced.

The name of the place where Carver is said to have studied,
"Elizabeth Town, in the same province," sounds very sug-

19 To some writers it seems puzzling that Carver ever made or supplied a
shoe. In point of fact any such incident only serves, if at all, further to identify
him. His uncle, Col. Thomas Dyer, "was a shoemaker by trade," yet became a
leading citizen (v. The Dyar Family, 1903, p. 7; also supra, note 16). Natural
enough for the nephew to pick up the trade, and perhaps turn a hand at it on
occasion. If he actually practiced it he must have been a captain of industry for
1754 to furnish twenty pairs at one call! It comes back to the difficulty of
appreciating the conditions of early days. Even in the last century we find men of
distinction who had toiled at the last. Moreover, the shoemaker before the
machine-age ranked higher as an artisan and in the general estimation than he does
at the present time.

20 New York Medical Record, Oct. 28, 1918.
a Carver's Travels (London, 1781), 2.

The Early History of Jonathan Carver 305

gestively like Lisbon, the next town to Canterbury, where at
that time lived Dr. Joseph Perkins (1704-94) . Though the
town was not incorporated until 1786, the name was in use
long previously. Perkins graduated at Yale in 1728, started
in practice soon after, and was thought "very eminent, both in
medicine and surgery." One of his pupils was his own son,
Dr. Elisha Perkins, famous in two continents as the origina-
tor of "metallic tractors" and "perkinism." He lived farther
down on the same little river as Carver, the Quinebaug, and
on the usual road to Norwich, then the nearest business center.
It is certain that Carver must have known Perkins, at least
in a general way.

Both from the statement that Carver gave up medicine
for other activities and from the lack of any evidence that he
practiced, it seems unlikely that he finished his medical studies.
That he did some surveying, as indicated by Lee, would not
be strange, as such work was done in early days by many
medical men.

On the face of the evidence and in default of anything to
the contrary the only fair conclusion is that he pursued medi-
cal studies for a time.22

23 The writer wishes in closing to acknowledge indebtedness to the dozen and
more probate and town clerk offices consulted in connection with this study. It
has been a lesson in Americanism to experience such uniform courtesy.

A PHYSICIAN IN PIONEER WISCONSIN
JOHN C. REEVE1

My residence in Wisconsin began with a temporary stay
in Fond du Lac, on Lake Winnebago, while I looked about
for a location. That portion of the state then presented two
widely different conditions. Portions known as "oak open-
ings" had scattered trees and parts approaching to, or really,
prairies ; the other, and the larger portion of the country, was
heavily timbered. The former parts were already well-settled
farms, opened and cultivated. The forest-covered portion
was naturally behind in development; it required the heavy
labor of clearing. My choice finally settled on a village in
the wooded part of the country, a small village in Dodge
County. In this village was a sawmill and a flour mill run by
water power. Near by was a furnace for the reduction of a
surface-deposit of iron-ore which existed a few miles away.
There was a schoolhouse in the village, two small stores with
stock of general merchandise, a postoffice, kept in the kitchen
part of a log house (through this there was a mail once a
week), but no church building or church organization. In
the village were two or three very good families connected
with the mills and the furnace, but the population was a mix-
ture, some Germans, a good many from northern Ohio. The
country around for miles was covered with woods. The
Potawatomi Indians had been assigned to a reservation but
had not yet been moved, and I often saw bands of them
riding single file in silence through the forest.

The field of my choice was already occupied. Two men
practicing medicine were in the village. One was a regular,
a graduate. To him, of course, I was an unwelcome and an

1 Reprinted by permission from The Medical Pickwick for October, 1919.
This is the second installment of Dr. Reeve's life story published serially in that
magazine.

JOHN CHARLES REEVE

(From a photograph in the Wisconsin Historical Library)

A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin 307

uncongenial neighbor. The other was an elderly man, an
herb doctor, pursuing also other callings ; he was an exhorter
and carpenter as well as practitioner. Sometimes all his
varied callings came into service, as may be well imagined in
a new country. On one occasion a settler in clearing his land
threw a tree across his cabin, fatally injuring his wife. The
doctor attended her until she passed away, then made her
coffin, and finished by preaching her funeral sermon. The
old man was very firm in his botanic orthodoxy and proud of
it. Once he assured me in manner and tone that enforced
conviction that he never administered any mineral medicine
except the iron in the "cast steel" soap used in making pills!

Here, then, provided with an Indian pony and saddlebags,
I began practice and faced the trials, the privations, and the
hardships of pioneer life. There was no delay in their making
their appearance. Straw for a bed was an immediate and
pressing necessity. No straw was to be obtained except from
a farm out in the open country. No conveyance was to be
had. So, in company with a neighbor who was in like neces-
sity, I set out for the straw. We slung it beneath a pole, one
end of which rested on a shoulder of each, and thus carried
the required amount a distance of three miles.

The inconvenience, the difficulty, and the fatigue of
getting about in this undeveloped country cannot be exag-
gerated; sometimes they entailed positive hardship. Roads
there were none, although in two directions there were what
were called such, the trees having been cut away and some of
the stumps removed. They were but mud-ways, and for the
most part I rode through wagon-tracks from one clearing to
another. Of course, as time passed improvements were being
constantly made and conditions were changing for the better.
But in the early part of my career the difficulties of getting
about were indescribably bad. Once I had to follow a blaze-
mark in order to reach a settler's cabin. Twice I was lost — in
the daytime, however — and I suffered only a few hours'

308 John C. Reeve

delay. On one occasion, however, and that not at a very early
period, I was not so fortunate. I was called just after night
to go some miles to render service to a man said to have been
injured in a fight. Part of my way was by a wheel-track
through thick woods. I had traveled this path many times and
did not dream of any trouble, but my pony, in the darkness,
following the habits of her kind, browsed right and left from
the bushes, and soon I found that I was out of the track —
lost ! In vain I tried to regain the path ; in vain I essayed to
keep a direct course in any one direction. I could not see the
stars and so could get no help from the heavens ! When tired
in my efforts to find my way, I groped to a sapling, tied my
horse to it, took off the saddle, and passed a drizzly September
night as best I could. When morning came I got out readily
and reached home hatless!

Scarcity of money was a constant and most trying incon-
venience; settlers in a new country have pressing demands
for every dollar. They have to pay for their land, buy seed,
procure agricultural implements and articles for house-
keeping. So it was with the greatest difficulty that money
enough could be procured for the purchase of things indis-
pensable, such as medicines. Of food there was a supply, but
very limited as to variety; canned goods were not then in the
market ; marsh-hay for my horse was procurable, and so was
lumber with which to build shelter for her; sometimes an
order on one of the stores was received, but of money there
was next to none. My cash receipts during my first year's
practice amounted to sixty-eight dollars and some cents.

Some of my professional experience during my residence
here is worthy of record. I passed through two epidemics of
smallpox, the first very severe. The disease was brought
from a neighboring county by settlers who came to the flour
mill. How often have I wished for the photograph of a cer-
tain young woman who died of this disease, for the benefit
of anti-vaccinationists — her face a solid mass of crusts,

A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin 309

cracked by seams through which pus welled up, swollen so
that the eyes could not be seen, and the nose scarcely visible —
she was a horrible and revolting sight. One man of the
village volunteered to go with me and bury her. We went
to the house, put her in the coffin, and made together a funeral
procession to the prepared grave.

One case early in the first epidemic deserves a more
minute record for its unique character, for its short duration—
a little over thirty hours — in which death took place, for the
detrimental influence it had on my reputation, and for other
reasons, A young man employed in the mill, of good habits,
and in the prime of life, was taken suddenly with most atro-
cious pains in the back and most violent vomiting. I was
quite at a loss as to the nature of the case and confessed my
ignorance. An express was sent for a consultant, who lived
about twenty miles away — a young man, graduate of a New
England college. He arrived about two hours after death
had taken place. The body was in the position just as the
man had died, lying on one side. By this time a deep dis-
coloration had appeared on all the dependent parts of the
body. Across the face no more clearly marked line could have
been drawn by a ruler, separating the upper from the depen-
dent portion, which was of dark purple hue. The case was
pronounced, by the consultant, to be one of erysipelas. In
vain I protested that there was no discoloration before death,
that the deep purple hue did not correspond with the bright
red coloring of erysipelas. The verdict was against me and
I suffered the consequence. "What a pity that our young
doctor did not know a case of erysipelas!" I knew nothing
then of death from smallpox before the appearance of the
eruption, but I had had an attack of erysipelas myself and
knew that disease. Besides, I had been drilled in Williams'
Principles of Medicine. In that book there was a chapter on
the different modes in which death takes place. One mode
was designated as death by "necraemia" — death by disorgani-

310 John C. Reeve

zation and dissolution of the blood. This case was, then, I
was sure, a death by necraemia, although I did not dream, at
the time, that this decomposition of the blood could be pro-
duced by the poison of variola, nor have I found anything
since about it in the books. However, I have known of two
cases of sudden death in an epidemic, which took place before
the time for appearance of the eruption had arrived, but I
have never seen another such a case, nor another so well-
marked a case of death by necraemia.

A most singular fact, and one to me without explanation
or attempted explanation, is the great difference between the
virulence of smallpox in the early period of my practice and
that of later years. I have not known of it for a long time
other than as a mild disease, dreaded mostly for its contagious-
ness. This modification adds to the difficulty of control of
epidemics, from the greater difficulty of an early diagnosis;
it so nearly resembles varicella or chicken pox.

I may and very probably will expose myself to ridicule
by going back in history three hundred years to enter a con-
troversy as to the cause of death of a member of the royal
family of France. To attempt to draw a parallel between a
death in a village in the wilderness of Wisconsin and one in
the palace of Versailles is bold, perhaps an overbold attempt.
But I make the attempt and accept the consequence. My
warrant for doing so is that the death in France is one of
great historic interest; its cause has been the subject of con-
troversy between historians and still remains unexplained.
Its suddenness and the violence of the symptoms preceding
it gave rise to the belief of poisoning, casting grave suspicions
upon persons of the highest standing.2

The death was that of Henrietta of England, daughter
of Charles I, sister-in-law of Louis XIV. There is no im-
probability in the death being one from variola, the disease

JSee LittrS, "Henriette d'Angleterre, est elle morte empoissonnSe?" in
Medicine et Medecins, Paris, 1872.

A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin 311

prevailing everywhere in those times and sometimes with
great virulence. Too often had pale death (pallida mors) in
the hideous guise of smallpox entered the portals of the
palace, as history records. Then the facts sustain the argu-
ment. They furnish strong support: the sudden attack, the
excruciating pains, the violent vomiting, the early death, only
nine hours after the attack began — all these support my posi-
tion. Littre makes a labored argument in favor of simple
ulcer of the stomach, with perforation and resultant peritoni-
tis. I challenge a comparison of views. Bossuet's funeral
oration over the remains of the royal personage is one of the
masterpieces of French literature.

Toward the end of the second year of my practice I
encountered a case which put me on my mettle, which called
forth all my resolution, and the successful issue of which
exerted a powerful influence in shaping my future course and
in developing my powers. Called to a farm where the first
grain crop was being garnered, I found a stalwart Irishman
with an arm mangled to the elbow in the threshing machine.
Here was a situation and a dilemma. It was then nightfall,
the man nearest who had a reputation for surgery lived thirty
miles away. That was a journey requiring all the next day;
then a stay over night, and another day's journey back. Then,
too, the surgeon might not be at home, for he was in demand
over a wide range of territory. Meantime, what would be-
come of the patient? There was but one course to pursue to
save his life — immediate amputation. For this I was not at
all prepared. An improvised tourniquet is a simple matter;
for instruments I had only those of a pocket case. But the
operation must be performed and it was. I still have the
finger bistoury which I used, while a carpenter's sash saw
rendered service. For assistant I had a man who had been
sent for in another direction. He had never seen chloroform
administered, so when the patient began to snore under its
influence he became frightened, and I had to stop the operation

312 John C. Reeve

several times to direct him. The operation was successfully
completed, and the man survived. I am sure that if any pro-
fessional brother who reads this will reflect a moment he will
not envy me that night's repose on the puncheon floor of the
little cabin, my saddle-bags for a pillow. I had never per-
formed an operation on the cadaver nor assisted at one on the
living subject. I had never tied an artery in an open wound;
and I lay there, dreading every moment a call to arrest
hemorrhage.

I could relate many more dramatic incidents of my early
professional life, but what have been given must suffice. The
conditions prevailing at that period throughout a large section
of our country cannot but be of interest. These can best be
shown by giving the itinerary of a journey made in January,
1852. Called to Cleveland by the critical illness of a sister, I
left home on a Sunday morning in a sleigh, a private con-
veyance, and reached Milwaukee, about fifty miles away,
that night. From there, on runners, to Chicago. Thence,
some thirty miles by Michigan Central Railroad, and then by
vehicle across to the Southern Michigan at that time building
from Toledo to Chicago. The appointments of the road were
not yet made, so several times the train stopped, the passen-
gers alighted and chopped fence rails to make fuel for the
locomotive. From Toledo, on wheels, to a point on the rail-
road from Sandusky to Cincinnati, where a vehicle was taken
to the railroad from Columbus to Cleveland ; I think the place
was Galion. I reached my destination just at dark on Satur-
day night; I had traveled during the whole week, passing but
two nights in bed.

I made another journey to Cleveland in summer time,
took a private examination, and received my degree. My
diploma bears that date, 1853. By this I have no class affilia-
tion.

With pen and ink it is impossible to convey an idea of the
dreariness, the isolation, and the dullness of life in my chosen

A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin 313

village. Absolutely deprived of professional companionship,
and with little of any other kind, traveling over wretched
roads through the intense cold of winter and the storms of
summer, bearing as best might be the innumerable privations
of domestic life, the dreary time dragged slowly away, week
by week, month by month, varying only with the changing
seasons. The one enlivening ray of life was the ardently
looked-for, the eagerly-welcomed, weekly mail day. The
only connection I had with the professional world was a
medical journal from Boston. I subscribed for that — the
only one I then knew of — as soon as I was able, and in doing
so went directly contrary to the advice of my old preceptor.
He opposed the reading of medical journals by young practi-
tioners— it made them unsound in doctrine and variable in
practice! For reading, I had a small collection of medical
books procured on credit through the kindness of friends, and
there were the weekly newspaper and letters by mail, and I
received also the early numbers of Harpers Monthly, just
then making its appearance. I also read Uncle Tom's Cabin,
little dreaming the force the book would exert in promoting
a movement which should shake the structure of our govern-
ment to its very foundation.

The pleasure I experienced in having, in 1853, an oppor-
tunity to sell my practice needs no emphasis. I left for the
East in pursuit of further professional improvement — of
post-graduate instruction. Vain pursuit! I was chasing a
mirage, always attracting, constantly receding, ever elusive,
never attained!

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848
LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG

CHAPTER V— FOREIGN IMMIGRATION IN TERRITORIAL

TIMES

Wisconsin is noted throughout the Union as the home of a
large number of Americans of foreign origin. According to
the census of 1910 those of either foreign birth or parentage
outnumber the native-born more than three to one. During
the territorial period, however, Wisconsin was largely peopled
by the native-born. The census of 1850 showed 197,000 of
the latter to 107,000 born abroad. Moreover a large propor-
tion of the latter class arrived during the first two years of
statehood. It is, however, safe to estimate that during the
territorial period of Wisconsin's history at least 60,000 found
their way to her borders from the Old World. These were
almost entirely from the countries of northern Europe. Leav-
ing out of consideration the immigrants from Canada, most
of whom were but a few years removed from European resi-
dence, the Europeans who came to Wisconsin between 1836
and 1848 were almost evenly divided between English-
speaking and foreign-language groups. The British Isles
contributed about one-half of the foreign-born territorial
population ; among these fully one-half were Irish, a few were
Welsh and Scotch, and a large number Cornish.

The settlements of the English and the Irish are difficult
to trace, because as a rule they came as individuals or families
rather than as colonies. We have noted in a previous chapter
some English cooperative enterprises that brought groups
of settlers to the territory. Many English families settled
during the territorial period in the southeastern counties,
particularly in Racine, Kenosha, and Wai worth. They

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 315

came largely from the small proprietor class, bought land,
lived frugally, prospered, and soon blended indistinguishably
with the "Yankees" from New England and New York.26

The Irish were more clannish, and some distinct areas of
settlement may be traced. They belonged as a rule to the
Catholic Church ; thus the earlier organizations of that body
often afford evidence of Irish dwellers. The first Irish
residents of Wisconsin were those who came to the lead mines
either as miners or purveyors for the frontier settlements.
Thus many of the Irish families of the state are found in
Green and Iowa counties. As a rule, however, the people of
this nationality sought the lakeboard counties. Green Bay
had a considerable Irish population that came in early days,
while Rockland, Morrison, and Glenmore townships of
Brown County were almost wholly settled by Irish farmers.
Milwaukee was also a favorite residence for these immi-
grants; by 1847 there were 2,500 sons of Erin in the city, most
of whom lived in the Third, usually known as the Irish ward.
From Milwaukee a number of small Irish settlements
stretched northward along the lake coast to Washington,
Ozaukee, and Sheboygan counties. In the first was a town-
ship called Erin settled in 1841. A small settlement in Cedar-
burg Township was known as New Dublin; while Random
Lake, Russell, and Mitchell townships of Sheboygan County
were chiefly populated by Irish immigrants. Dane, Jeffer-
son, Dodge, and Columbia counties likewise secured many
Irish settlers. In Dodge there was by 1845 an Irish Catholic
church at Fox Lake. Emmet Township was named by the
compatriots of the Irish martyr, Robert Emmet, while in
Clyman and Lowell townships Irish farmers predominated
until after 1845. Watertown, likewise, was much liked by
the Irish, but here as well as in Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee,
and Sheboygan counties the Irish maintained a precarious

28 For a typical English family settlement in Wisconsin Territory see M. M.
Quaife, An English Settler in Pioneer Wisconsin, Wisconsin Historical Collections,
XXV.

316 Louise Phelps Kellogg

hold when once the great German immigration set in. In
Dane County the Irish have for the most part kept their
farms. Burke, Westport, Cross Plains, and Pitchburg town-
ships were largely settled by this nationality, while Medina
Township is the home of a group of Irish Protestants. Many
of these Dane County settlers were wealthy and prominent,
highly educated, members of the learned professions. Madi-
son has had a considerable Irish element of this kind since
early territorial days. In Walworth County, Lyons Town-
ship was first settled by the Irish, and numbers of that race
were found in Mukwonago Township of Waukesha County
and in the city of Racine. The Irish immigrants quickly
showed their capacity for political action. Both constitutional
conventions had members who were born in Ireland. They
also represented constituencies in every territorial legislature.
In 1850 there were 21,043 natives of Ireland living in Wis-
consin, of whom three-fourths or more came during territorial
days.

The Welsh element in Wisconsin's early population was
much smaller than the Irish. These people usually settled in
colonies and while not clannish or separatistic in feeling they
were very tenacious of Old World customs and even of the
language of their forefathers. Three well-defined groups
are to be noted outside of Milwaukee, where a considerable
number of the early Welsh immigrants gathered. One,
perhaps the largest of the three groups, was in Columbia
County, the northeast township of which was almost wholly
settled by the Welsh, who called their village center Cambria.
This colony has spread into the neighboring townships of
Dodge County, has a settlement at Elba, and a church at the
city of Fox Lake. In Cambria was celebrated for many years
the annual eisteddfod or musical festival of the Welsh race.
This settlement was begun in 1845, and most of its members
came from northern Wales. By 1843 a considerable group
of Welsh immigrants had taken up land in Genesee Town-

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 317

ship, Waukesha County, and in that year a Welsh Calvinistic
Methodist church was built. This settlement has since much
enlarged, overflowing into the southern part of Delafield
Township. The railway station which serves this group on
the Chicago and Northwestern road is called Wales. Most
of the Welsh of the lead-mining counties came from South
Wales and were miners in the Old World. They are scattered
over the three counties of Grant, Lafayette, and Iowa, being
especially strong in the latter near Mineral Point and Dodge-
ville. In the same county the river townships Arena and
Wyoming contain many Welsh. In 1850 there were 4,300
Welsh among us.

The sturdy Scotch stock has also contributed its share
to our commonwealth's growth. The largest and most
influential Scotch colony is in Milwaukee, where George
Smith, Alexander Mitchell, David Ferguson, and John
Johnston did so much from territorial days onward to build
up sound financial institutions.27 Scotch immigrants settled in
Kenosha and Racine counties; in the latter three townships,
Caledonia, Dover, and York, were largely farmed by them.
Green Lake County had a small Scotch colony, while the
name of Caledonia Township of Columbia County indicates
the nativity of its first settlers. In 1850 there were 3,527
Scotch-born in Wisconsin, many of whom came during the
territorial days.28

Very large and very important in its contribution to the
upbuilding of the commonwealth was the Cornish immigra-
tion, which began as early as 1827 but was of small proportions
until after the Black Hawk War in 1832. The cause of this
migration was almost wholly economic, small wages in the
Cornwall mines making it difficult for the heads of households
to provide for their large families. The rumors of the richness
of the Wisconsin mines and of large wages for operatives had

27 "Alexander Mitchell, the Financier," Wis. Hist. Colls., XI, 435-50.

28 James A. Bryden, "The Scots in Wisconsin," Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceedings,
1901, 153-58.

318 Louise Phelps Kellogg

a strong influence in Camborne, where tin mines were being
worked out and wages ranged from $13 to $15 per month.
There was also the hope of becoming proprietors in America,
which was quite beyond the possibility of any workman in
Cornwall no matter how industrious and frugal he might be.
The earliest Cornish immigrants settled near Shullsburg,
Mineral Point, and Dodge ville. After 1836 the stream of
these mining newcomers grew in volume, increasing with each
year until 1849, when it was diverted to California. In all
about 7,000 Cornishmen settled in Wisconsin and added much
to the growth and development of the southwest. Physically
sturdy, with large families, industrious, frugal, and religious,
their cramped circumstances in Cornwall had made them
illiterate and clannish, but in the New World they expanded
quickly. They patronized schools and churches; many of
their number filled the minor offices of local government ; while
their children have become leaders in education and progres-
sive politics. Several of their number represented the south-
western counties in the legislature, and when the test of
patriotism presented itself, they cheerfully enlisted in the
Union army. Of all the English-speaking foreigners that
came to Wisconsin during territorial days, none have been
more helpful in upbuilding the commonwealth than the
Cornish.29

The foreign-speaking Europeans that settled in Wiscon-
sin during the territorial era were from Germany, Holland,
Switzerland, and Norway. The first of these furnished the
largest share of the foreign-born population and in certain
portions of the territory constituted foreign communities
which have had much influence on Wisconsin's destinies.

Germans were induced to leave their homes in Europe for
religious, economic, and political reasons. Some of the
earliest German groups in Wisconsin were religious com-

29 Louis A. Copeland, "The Cornish in Southwest Wisconsin," Wis. Hist.
Colls., XV, 301-34..

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 319

munities which migrated to escape state persecution in the
Old World.30 These religious groups came from north Ger-
many to America under the care of their pastors. A bad har-
vest year throughout Germany in 1846, with the threat of
famine, sent many southern and Rhenish Germans to
America. The well-known political emigration did not occur
until 1848, after Wisconsin had become a state. Nevertheless,
the presence of a large body of compatriots in Wisconsin was
one of the inducements that brought the intellectuals of
Forty-eight into our midst.

Wisconsin was selected as a place of residence by the
emigrating Germans largely because its climate, products,
and natural features corresponded to their home environment.
Some of the earliest Wisconsin settlers were active in promot-
ing immigration thither, sending back letters and printed
pamphlets urging Wisconsin's claims. A few Germans
settled in Milwaukee during the first territorial years, but it
was not until 1839 that the first large colony arrived. They
brought gold to purchase lands ; and their arrival was a boon
to the community, which was still struggling with the
financial depression that had begun in 1837. This first
German colony bought a large tract of land in Washington
County, established a church, and cleared the soil for farms.
Others of the same faith, the Old Lutheran, soon followed
and settled in Washington, Ozaukee, and Dodge counties.
The Germans liked the hardwood tracts and took up the lands
avoided by Americans as difficult to clear. For this reason
they filled in the counties along the lake shore and back
towards the center of the state. By 1845, 250,000 acres had
been sold to immigrant Germans. The south and Rhineland
Germans began coming to Wisconsin about the year 1840,
settling west of Milwaukee in Milwaukee and Waukesha
counties and gradually filling in the vacant lands in Dane

80 Wm. F. Whyte, "The Settlement of the Town of Lebanon, Dodge County,"
Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1915, 99-110.

320 Louise Phelps Kellogg

and Jefferson counties. By 1847 Manitowoc, Sheboygan,
Calumet, Outagamie, Green Lake, and Marquette counties
had received large accessions of German population. In
Ozaukee seven-eighths and in Washington two-thirds of the
inhabitants are of German stock. During the early years it
is estimated that in the open navigation months from two to
three hundred Germans a week landed at Milwaukee, and by
1844 this number had risen to 1,000 or 1,400 per week.

Nearly all the early German immigrants to Wisconsin
were farmers, and their contribution to the state's agricultural
growth has been immense. The lands they bought they
improved by constant industry, women and children working
side by side with the men to develop the farms. They farmed
more scientifically than the average American, rotating crops
and conserving the land. They also appreciated the forests
and kept woodlands for the benefit of themselves and the
community. Few Germans sold any land they once possessed,
and the poor renters saved assiduously in order to purchase a
small piece for themselves. In manufactures the Germans
turned their attention chiefly to brewing and tanning. Many
of the large fortunes of Milwaukee have been made in these
industries that had their beginnings in territorial days. The
German contribution to the intellectual and social life of
Wisconsin has been characteristic. In music and some forms
of art they excel. They appreciate education but are tena-
cious of their old country ideals ; the church communities main-
tain separate schools and encourage the use of the German
language.81 In politics the early Germans were imbued with
democratic ideals; consequently they were almost all mem-
bers of the Democratic party. Not until the slavery issue
grew acute did the Germans enter politics as a factor; then
they were largely on the side of the Liberty, Free-soil, and
Republican parties.32 Three members in the first constitu-

31 Louise P. Kellogg, "The Bennett Law in Wisconsin," Wisconsin Magazine
of History, Sept. 1918, 3-25.

82 Ernest Bruncken, "The Political Activity of Wisconsin Germans, 1854-60,"
Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1901, 190-211.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 321

tional convention and one in the second were Germans. The
German press during the territorial period consisted of the
Wisconsin Banner published at Milwaukee in 1844 by Moritz
Schoeffler; and the Volksfreund^ an opposition paper begun
in 1847. In 1850 the census reported 36,064 Germans in
Wisconsin.

The Dutch element in Wisconsin was small during
territorial days, numbering but 1,157 in 1850. The largest
colony of settlers from Holland was in the southeast township
of Sheboygan County where in 1845 several Dutch families
settled. Upon their recommendation others emigrated in
1846; and in 1847 a considerable company came under the
leadership of the Reverend Peter Zonne. The principal
village was called Amsterdam. Father T. J. Van den Broek
came in 1834 as a missionary to Wisconsin; some time later
he settled at Little Chute on Fox River; in 1847 he made a
visit to his old home in Holland, where he induced a large
number of his friends and neighbors to emigrate. The first
arrivals came in the summer of 1848 and bought land in what
is now Holland Township of Brown County.33 The Dutch
are mostly agriculturists and have aided in the development
of the dairy interests in Wisconsin. Some add to their
support by fishing in Lake Michigan and by shipping their
cattle to the large cities.

Both French- and German-Swiss were among the immi-
grants to Wisconsin in preterritorial and territorial days.
French- Swiss came to the lead region before the establishment
of the territory, either directly from the old country or from
the Selkirk settlement on the Red River of the North.
Among these were the Gentil, Gratiot, and Chetlain families.
The Rodolf s, one of whose number had been president of the
Swiss republic, settled in 1834 in Lafayette County. Several
Swiss families settled during territorial days in southeastern

"C A. Verwyst, "Reminiscences of a Pioneer Missionary," Wis. Hist. Soc.
Proceedings, 1916, 148-65.

322 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Fond du Lac County and at Madison. One of the earliest
settlers of Buffalo County in 1842 was a Swiss, who was later
followed by others of his nationality. A number of German-
Swiss families came as part of Count Haraszthy's colony to
Sauk County; their descendants are now living in Troy,
Honey Creek, and Prairie du Sac townships. The largest
Swiss colony in the state is at New Glarus and in its vicinity in
Green County. This group was sent out in 1845 by the
canton of Glarus because of its overpopulation ; the passage
of those who emigrated was paid ; their land was bought by the
cantonal authorities. Although all organic relation with the
home country long ago ceased, the colony for many years
remained essentially Swiss, speaking the German- Swiss dia-
lect and maintaining the customs of the motherland.34 The
success of the settlers of New Glarus resulted in the emigra-
tion of more of their countrymen to Wisconsin, so that the
neighboring townships of Washington, York, Monroe, Mount
Pleasant, and Sylvester in Green County, and Primrose and
Montrose in Dane County are largely owned and farmed by
Swiss people. Dairying and cheese making are their principal
industries.35 Sheep, for their wool, are also pastured on the
hills of Green County. In 1850 there were 1,244 Swiss resi-
dents in Wisconsin; they and their descendants have con-
tributed to its wealth by their industry and thrift; they have
also aided the commonwealth in the maintenance of demo-
cratic ideals.

The migration of the men of Norway to America reads
like an epic from their early sagas. The earliest colony,
founded in New York State in 1825, was composed of those
who fled for conscience' sake to the New World. The first
Wisconsin Norwegians were the Nattestad brothers who ex-
plored Rock Prairie in 1838. However, before the colony

34 Several articles on the Swiss of New Glarus are in Wis. Hist. Colls., VIII,
411-45; XII, 335-82; XV, 292-337.

38 John Luchsinger, "History of a Great Industry," Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceed-
ings, 1898, 226-30.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 323

brought out by Ansten Nattestad in 1839 had arrived, another
group of Norwegians landed at Milwaukee, intending to
pass on to northern Illinois. At Milwaukee, however, the
colonists were persuaded to change their destination. They
bought lands on Muskego Lake in Waukesha County, and
although they removed the next year to Norway Prairie in
Racine County, the group has ever since been known as the
Muskego Colony. New accessions added to their number and
importance; in this locality was published in 1847 the first
Norwegian newspaper in the United States. When the Civil
War began the Norwegian regiment that took its place among
Wisconsin's ranks was commanded by Colonel Hans Heg,
son of the chief settler of Muskego Colony. In the meanwhile
the pioneers who had followed Ansten Nattestad to Rock
County settled in Clinton and Turtle townships. A few of
their number went farther west and chose land in Newark,
Avon, Spring Valley, and Plymouth townships, while others
crossed the state line into northern Illinois. The descendants
of this group now own about one-third of the land in Rock
County and are a prosperous and progressive people. These
two latter groups constitute the Jefferson and Rock Prairie
settlements.

The largest, strongest, and most prosperous groups of
Norwegian settlers in Wisconsin are found in Dane County ;
their migration to this region, beginning in 1840, continued
with accelerating numbers throughout the territorial period.
The first settlers bought land in southeastern Dane County
on Koshkonong Creek, and the entire area is thus known as
the Koshkonong settlement. It extends eastward into the
adjacent townships of Jefferson County and embraces most
of Albion, Christiana, Deerfield, Dunkirk, Pleasant Springs,
and Cottage Grove townships. Its earliest church, the first
Norwegian church in America, was built in 1844 in Christiana
Township. The city of Stoughton is almost entirely peopled
by Norwegians. The second Dane County area includes the

324 Louise Phelps Kellogg

northern townships of Vienna, Windsor, and Bristol, with the
northern part of Burke and the eastern edge of Westport.
The first settlers in this region came in 1844; after 1846 the
settlement developed rapidly. The commercial center is
called Norway Grove ; De Forest and Morrisonville are almost
wholly Scandinavian villages. In 1844 the western Dane
County Norwegians began coming largely from the older
colonies to Blue Mounds Township. This group occupies
Springdale, Blue Mounds, Primrose, Perry, and Vernon
townships and finds its commercial center at Mount Horeb.

Lafayette County has a considerable Norwegian popula-
tion near Wiota. A small group of miners settled there in
1840; the agricultural immigration began about 1842; and
two years later a Norwegian Lutheran church was built, which
is now one of the oldest in Wisconsin. In Jefferson County
Scandinavians are found in two localities. In Sumner Town-
ship on the western border a Norwegian family was the second
to open a farm ; during the territorial period the Koshkonong
settlement expanded over this and the neighboring Oakland
Township. A few Swedes likewise settled in this locality. In
the southeastern part of Jefferson County the so-called
Skoponong settlement expanded from Walworth County
through the southern part of Palmyra Township. This little
settlement, formed in 1844, was the childhood home of
Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota. Other groups in Wal-
worth County were on Heart Prairie in Whitewater, La
Grange, and Richmond townships, and upon Sugar Creek,
near Elkhorn and Delavan. All these settlements were begun
during the middle forties.

The Waukesha County settlement (aside from the early
Muskego group) of Norwegians began in 1841 on Pine
Lake when Gustaf Unonius settled there and when in 1843
fifty families came from Norway and bought homes in Dela-
field, Merton, Summit, and Oconomowoc townships. This
settlement was connected with Nashotah Seminary, several

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 325

of its young men becoming Episcopal clergymen. The entire
group was more rapidly Americanized than those of the other
settlements.

Columbia County received a considerable accession of
Norwegian immigrants during the middle forties, an over-
flow for the most part of the colony in northern Dane County.
In 1844 one family settled in Lodi Township, which within
three years received several additional families. Spring
Prairie in Hampton Township was settled in 1845; Bonnet
Prairie of Otsego Township was almost entirely purchased
by Norwegians, who came mostly from the Koshkonong
settlement. Leeds and Columbus townships have likewise
some Norwegian families. The large Scandinavian settle-
ments in Waupaca, Waushara, Portage, and Winnebago
counties were but just begun during the territorial period.
In 1850 there were 8,651 Norwegian residents in Wisconsin.

As appears from this record the Norwegians were almost
entirely an agricultural people upon their advent to Wiscon-
sin; their largest contribution has been in opening land for
cultivation. Mining, lumbering, and manufacturing were
for them casual occupations during the territorial period. In
more recent years their contribution to other industries, especi-
ally to manufactures, has been more marked. Their part in
the intellectual life of the commonwealth has been consider-
able, although they cling tenaciously to the language and
literature of their forefathers, in which many have a high
degree of culture. In politics the Norwegians have generally
been Republican ; they have had their share of state and local
offices, one of their nationality serving in the second con-
stitutional convention.36

The other foreign-language immigrants to Wisconsin-
Armenians, Belgians, Bohemians, Danes, Finns, Hungarians,
Icelanders, Italians, Poles, Russians, and Swedes — have come

86 Rasmus B. Anderson, "First Norwegian Settlements in America," Wis.
Hist. Soc. Proceedings 1898, 150-67; Albert O. Barton, "Beginnings of the Nor-
wegian Press in America," Ibid,, 1916, 186-212.

326 Louise Phelps Kellogg

in under the state government. Wisconsin as much as any-
other commonwealth of the Union has served as a melting pot
for the new American. It is perhaps significant that the first
professional chair of Americanization has been established at
our state university. Still more significant are the honor rolls
of Wisconsin men in the European War. Foreign names
are there in abundance, frequently in preponderance, but
their owners were inspired by a common ideal, serving a com-
mon cause, loving one flag and one country. Americans all,
they have offered their blood and their sacrifice for the coun-
try of their birth or of their adoption. Henceforth immi-
grants to Wisconsin may be "foreigners," but citizens of Wis-
consin are all Americans.

(To be continued)

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN
W. A. TITUS

II: THE FOND DU LAC TRADING POST AND EARLY

SETTLEMENT

On thy fair bosom, silver lake,

The wild swan spreads his snowy sail. — Percival.

It would be of interest to the student to know the name of
the first white man to reach the Fond du Lac region, but the
question must remain unanswered. It is not unlikely that the
early French explorers visited the farthest end of the lake of
the Winnebago to satisfy themselves as to the shape and
extent of so considerable a body of water. Perhaps away back
in 1634, when Jean Nicolet came to Wisconsin as an ambassa-
dor to the Winnebago Indians, he voyaged to the southern end
of the lake in his search for a navigable inlet, but if so, he left
no record of his observations. It is probable that early traders
frequently visited the Indian villages in the Fond du Lac
region, although it is not until 1787 that we find recorded the
names of these daring adventurers who were willing to push
on a few leagues in advance of civilization.

The Indian name for the Fond du Lac region was "Win-
ne-o-me-yah." When the traders first came the Winnebago
tribe had two villages in the vicinity: one on the east branch of
the river near the place where the malt house now stands, and
one on the west branch just below the Forest Avenue bridge.
The first trading post was located on the east bank of the
Fond du Lac River at the forks. Laurent Ducharme was the
first trader whose name has been preserved, the period of his
occupation being somewhere between 1785 and 1787. In
1788 a Spanish trader named Ace1 occupied the post at the
forks of the river ; with him were his wife and children and his

1 Recollections of Augustin Grignon in Wis. Hist. Colls., Ill, 264-65.

328 W. A. Titus

clerk. This is the first record we have of a white woman at the
Fond du Lac post. The Indians of the Winnebago village,
Sar-ro-chau, located where Taycheedah now stands, were
always friendly to the whites. The Winnebago of the Rock
River villages, however, were generally hostile. One day a
band of these under their chief, Pakan, came into the vicinity
and enticed Ace and the clerk some distance away from the
cabin, whereupon both were immediately slain by the savages.
The band then attempted to capture the trading post, but
Mrs. Ace, being well armed, defended her children and her
property until the friendly Indians from Taycheedah came to
her assistance and escorted her back to the Green Bay settle-
ment. Pakan escaped punishment for this crime; Augustin
Grignon states that he frequently saw the old chief around the
Fond du Lac post in 1801.

The next trader we hear of at this post was a Canadian
named Chavodreuil,2 who had with him two clerks. A Menom-
inee Indian named Thunder, who had his wigwam near the
post, became jealous of Chavodreuil, possibly with sufficient
reason ; consequently this trader soon met the fate of his prede-
cessor. Punishment was rarely meted out to Indian mur-
derers at this early day, as the whites did not feel strong
enough to apply either retaliatory or corrective measures. It
is probable that after the murder of Chavodreuil the post was
abandoned for a time.

In 1795 the post was reoccupied by agents sent out by
Jacob Franks, a Jewish trader of Green Bay. Franks never
lived here himself, but placed Jacques Porlier in charge. He
was succeeded in 1797 by John Lawe, who spent considerable
time in Fond du Lac as a trader. Lawe later became promi-
nent in the social and official affairs of Green Bay. During
the second war with England he entered the service of the
British army, but at the close of hostilities he became a citizen
of the United States and was eventually commissioned a

'ibid.

H

r*

-j t-i

o ^
s' O

g

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 329

judge in Brown County. Louis Beaupre was associated with
Lawe at the Fond du Lac post.

About 1800 the old post at the forks of the river, which
had been the scene of savage attacks and bloodshed, was
abandoned and never again occupied. Augustin Grignon
and Michael Brisbois, who were located at Fond du Lac for
two winters, one of which was 1801, established a new post on
the west branch of the river just below the first rapids at the
big bend and not far from where the Soo Railway bridge now
spans the stream. It will be understood that Fond du Lac
was not considered a settlement at this time nor for many
years thereafter because the post was occupied only during
the winter.

In 1815 Joseph Rolette, who had already established trad-
ing posts at the portage and at Prairie du Chien, opened a
post at Fond du Lac, but, more enterprising than his prede-
cessors, he did not depend entirely upon his post as a mart for
the fur trade. He states that he was in the habit of loading
his light draft canoe with merchandise, paddling up the east
branch of the Fond du Lac River, and then making a portage
of two miles in the present township of Oakfield to reach the
Rock River. As he floated down the Rock River he was
enabled to do a thriving business with the Indians at the
numerous villages situated on that stream.

From 1815 to 1819 we know nothing of the history of the
Fond du Lac region, but in the latter year Louis Grignon in
a letter to John Lawe wrote that there were many savages in
the Fond du Lac lodges of the Puants (Winnebago). In
1820 John Lawe was again in Fond du Lac, for he states that
few furs were brought in during the winter. In 1821 Charles
Grignon in a letter to his brother Pierre complains of his lack
of success in getting furs; and in 1825 Amable Grignon in
a letter to John Lawe states that although he has done his
best he has not been able to secure a single peltry. He also
mentions in the same letter that the savages burned his trading

330 W. A. Titus

post, which indicates that the Winnebago were again becom-
ing unruly. This tribe became more and more hostile until
the summer of 1827, when a number of settlers were massacred
along the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. Military forces
were then sent against the savages, and the uprising was
quelled, but for several years thereafter the Winnebago were
restless and ore or less dangerous. In 1829 Jaes D. Doty
passed through the Fond du Lac region on his trip from Green
Bay to the Four Lakes and found the Indians numerous in
the vicinity. On account of their known hostility, Doty made
a detour to avoid the Fond du Lac lodges. In 1833 the
savages ceded their title to this region and that fall and the
following spring removed to their new home west of the
Mississippi.

In 1835 a corporation known as the Fond du Lac Com-
pany was formed at Green Bay and received from the govern-
ment a grant of 3,700 acres of land at the head of Lake
Winnebago, which today comprises a part of the site of
Fond du Lac City. The first house was built by the company
in the spring of 1836 on lot 9 of block 9 of the original plat.
Its general appearance is familiar to almost every person
in Fond du Lac because of the numerous reprints and copies
of the painting by the late Mark R. Harrison which portrays
this historic building. The first actual settlers were Colwert
Pier and his wife, who arrived from Green Bay in June, 1836.
A few months later Edward Pier with his wife and two
children arrived to augment the little colony.

In 1837 Fond du Lac was visited by Captain Frederick
Marryat, the celebrated English author, who made a trip on
horseback from Green Bay to Prairie du Chien. In his Diary
in America, published soon after his return to England, he
presents a glowing description of the scenery from the ledge
east of Fond du Lac.

Gustav de Neveu, a native of France, came to Fond du
Lac in 1838 and built his log house on the high shore above

I!

5* n

ll

=To

- M
t» o u

O

-s

I

3 -.
ST 3

II

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 331

the beautiful lake that still bears his name. His father,
Francis Joseph de Neveu, was a soldier in the expeditionary
force sent out from France under the command of D'Estaing
to aid the American colonies in their struggle for indepen-
dence and was seriously wounded a little later in an engage-
ment with the British fleet.3 It is worthy of note that Lieu-
tenant Gustav de Neveu Wright, a grandson of Gustav de
Neveu and one of the most popular young men of Fond du
Lac, was killed on a French battle field in the autumn of 1918,
thus paying the debt to France for services rendered to
America by his brave ancestor of the eighteenth century.

Governor J. D. Doty and Governor N. P. Tallmadge
both located on farms just east of Fond du Lac in 1844; the
former was just completing his term as territorial governor
of Wisconsin, and the latter was succeeding him as the chief
magistrate of the territory. Governor Doty had for many
years prior to this time been prominent in the territorial and
preterritorial aff airs of Wisconsin. He resided in Fond du
Lac only two years (1844-1846) and then removed to Doty
Island at Neenah-Menasha. At the time of his death in 1865
he was governor of Utah Territory. 1ST. P. Tallmadge dur-
ing his second term as United States Senator from New
York resigned to become governor of Wisconsin Territory
where he had previously made extensive investments in lands.
He was one of the prominent New York statesmen of his
day, and when William Henry Harrison was nominated for
the presidency Senator Tallmadge was offered the vice presi-
dential nomination but declined it. President Harrison's
death soon after his inauguration showed how closely Senator
Tallmadge missed a place among the presidents of the United
States. He died in 1864 and sleeps on the topmost knoll of
beautiful Rienzi Cemetery which he generously set aside from
his farm as a resting place for the dead.

8 From data supplied by the De Neveu family.

FURTHER DISCOVERIES CONCERNING THE
KENSINGTON RUNE STONE

H. R. HOLAND

In the last issue of the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY
I presented an article on the Kensington Rune Stone. After
that article was in type certain important discoveries were
made confirming some of the arguments presented and adding
new light to our understanding of the circumstances under
which the events recorded in the inscription transpired. The
present contribution is for the purpose of recording these dis-
coveries and bringing the discussion down to date.

As I shall refer to the text of the inscription a number of
times in the following article, a translation of it is given below
for the convenience of the reader.

Eight Goths and twenty-two Norsemen on (an) exploration-journey
from Vinland through the western regions. We had camp by two skerries
one day's journey north from this stone. We were (out) and fished one
day. When we came home (we) found ten men red with blood and dead.
Ave Maria! Save (us) from evil!

(We) have ten of our party by the sea to look after (or for) our
vessels 14 day journey from this island. Year 1362.

In my former article I proved that the term "day's jour-
ney" in the Middle Ages represented a unit or measure of
distance of approximately eighty miles. Therefore, when the
rune master in the last sentence says that they were fourteen
days' journey from the sea, he means that they were 14X80
miles from the sea, or 1,120 miles, which agrees excellently
with the actual distance from Kensington to Hudson Bay, the
nearest "sea."1

1 Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 176-78. Since writing
the former article I find that William Hovgaard, professor of Naval Design and
Construction in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in discussing the
navigation of the Norsemen has also conclusively shown that a day's sail or day's
journey, commonly written dcegr, was used as a unit of distance as described
above. See his Voyages of the Norsemen to America (New York, 1914), 61-64.

Further Discoveries 333

If "day's journey" means about eighty miles in one part
of the inscription it must have the same meaning when used
elsewhere in the same inscription. Therefore, when the rune
master says that the two skerries (marking the camp where
the massacre of the ten men occurred) lie one "day's journey"
north of the rune stone, these skerries should be sought for
about eighty miles north of Kensington.

On learning the meaning of "day's journey" a few months
ago I became very curious as to the whereabouts of these
skerries. If they could be found approximately eighty miles
north of Kensington, the find would go far toward proving
the truth of the inscription in that it would prove that the new
and hitherto unguessed interpretation of "14 day journey"
was correct. A discovery of these skerries would also lead to
the discovery of the camp site where the massacre occurred,
where other remains might be found. In October, 1919,
therefore, I made a trip to Otter Tail and Becker counties,
Minnesota, and searched all the numerous lakes there for sker-
ries. I am very pleased to say that I found them.

The lakes of Becker County lie in the northern end of the
beautiful Lake Park Region of Minnesota, studded with
hundreds of sparkling lakes. I examined all the lakes of
Becker and northern Otter Tail counties to see if there were
any skerries. A "skerry" (Scandinavian, skjcer) is a very
small island of rock or gravel, void of vegetation and lying
low upon the water. This kind of formation is very rare in
the Lake Park Region, there being no place rock within the
entire area. In none of these lakes, except one, were there
any skerries to be seen. However, in Cormorant Lake, one
of the largest of them all and lying farthest to the northwest,
were two unmistakable skerries. No one who has stood upon
the high hill on the northwestern shore of the lake and has
seen these two remarkable skerries lying in a straight line
before him can doubt that these are the right skerries. Nor
could the rune master have found a better topographical mark
of identification to describe the location of his camp.

334 H. E. Holand

While the skerries can be discerned from different points
on the shore of the lake, there is only one place from which
they can be seen prominently. This is the large hill south of
John Johnson's farmhouse on the northwestern shore of the
lake. This hill was in olden times covered with an open grove
of very large trees and was used as a village site by the In-
dians. They told the first settlers that "this hill had always
been their home." Many Indian remains have been found
here. This hill was no doubt the camp site of the twenty
explorers who in 1362 visited this region. It is almost a hun-
dred feet high and rises steeply from the margin of the lake.
The shore is covered with thousands of granite boulders.

As we were about to leave the stony shore and climb
directly up this steep hill we noticed near the shore a particu-
larly large, flat boulder almost overgrown with bushes and
brambles. In the middle of this stone was a small hole which
plainly had been bored by human agency. The hole was an
inch in diameter and three-quarters of an inch deep. As we
stood pondering upon the significance of this hole another of
the party called our attention to another large stone close by
which also had a hole in the center. This second hole was seven
inches deep and was roughly triangular in shape. A triangu-
lar stick of wood, with the angles rounded off, seven inches
long, each side measuring one and a quarter inches, would
just fit the hole. Both of these boulders were about six feet
in length and somewhat less in width. Their surfaces were
flat and the insides of the holes were so weathered by the
action of the elements that they appeared to have been chis-
eled hundreds of years ago.

What is the meaning of these strange holes? They could
not have been intended for purposes of blasting, for the stones
lie in one of the most inaccessible spots on the shore and
thousands of similar boulders lie far more conveniently for
anyone seeking such. Moreover the weathered appearance of
the holes shows that they were made long before the first

Further Discoveries 335

white settlers came here. The holes are plainly prehistoric
in origin. These holes, bearing plain testimony of the presence
of man, would be worthy objects of speculation when found
in any desert place, but appearing as they do on the very spot
where these explorers of 1362 must have embarked and dis-
embarked upon the fatal fishing trip they are doubly signifi-
cant. As a memorial of then* presence these boulders are
second in importance only to the rune stone itself for they
speak in mute language of the presence of these pre-Colum-
bian travelers.

Being a mute testimony it is not easy to read the message

right, but I would like to make a surmise. Serious deductive

reasoning should be able to find the correct explanation of

this faint message of bygone times. My solution is as follows :

These explorers came to Cormorant Lake and there need

of food prompted them to go fishing. They had no boat but

for twenty experienced men the problem of making a raft or

punt would be simple. This must have been quite large as we

read that ten men went out fishing. They presumably desired

to use the raft more than once. The inscription reads "we

were (out) and fished one day" — which indicates that they

made a prolonged stay at this camp. Owing to its size they

could not easily pull the raft up on the stony shore. Some

other means was therefore needed for anchoring it. If they

carried no flexible ropes they could not anchor the raft in

the ordinary fashion ; moreover, the roundish boulders of that

region are unsuited for anchors. However, necessity is the

mother of invention. One of the men is set to work to bore

a hole in an immovable stone on the edge of the beach. He

makes unsatisfactory progress because some stones are harder

than others. He therefore leaves this stone after having made

a hole three-quarters of an inch deep and chooses another large

boulder near by. In this he chisels a hole seven inches deep

and, upon second thought, makes the sides triangular. A

flexible withy of some sort, a vine or birch root is then chosen

336 H. R. Holand

and securely wedged into the triangular hole. The other end
is then tied to the raft which is thus as securely moored to the
shore as any rope could do it.

The use of withies for cordage was very common among
the Scandinavians of the Middle Ages. Such withies also
entered largely into the construction of their vessels. Accord-
ing to Professor Hovgaard the heavier timbers of all their
ocean-going vessels, such as the keel, the frames, and the
bottom planks, were always fastened together with withies.2
This gave a greater flexibility to the vessel than was possible
with iron bolts. So deft were they in the manipulation of
withies that sometimes large ocean-going vessels were secure-
ly joined together without any iron bolts, nails, or rivets in
their construction, withies and wooden plugs taking the place
of these.3 Even at the present time the Norsemen make large
use of withies for binding purposes. I have before me a sheep
collar which a farmer of Norway fashioned for me out of two
birch twigs a few years ago in five minutes' time. The ends
are shaped into a very serviceable snap and ring; the collar,
which is very flexible, is so strong that I was assured that a
horse could not pull it in two with a straight pull. This sheep
collar shows that birch twigs one-quarter inch in diameter
when twisted can be bent to an arc of a radius equal to their
diameter without breaking.

These observations are sufficient, I believe, to show that it
would be a simple and natural thing for these explorers to
make a stout rope out of withies with which to tie their raft.
Nor would the problem of wedging these into the anchor stone
present any difficulty. The withies used in the construction
of their vessels were wedged in so securely that they withstood
the heaviest buff etings of the sea. The same principle is used
nowadays by builders in elevating large stones. A small hole

3 Op. tit., 52-53.

3 See account in Flatey Annals; also Annals Regii and Odda Annals under
date of 1189, telling of Asmund Kastanraste's vessel built in Greenland which
contained only one iron bolt.

Further Discoveries 337

is chiseled in the middle of the stone ; a wedge called a "lewis"
is inserted ; and the stone is safely lifted to the desired height.

These anchor stones are at present lying about five or six
feet above the level of the lake ; this indicates that the lake
level in 1362 may have been four or five feet higher than it is
at present. It could not have been much higher as this lake
at high water has an outlet both at the north and at the south.
Cormorant Lake happens to be the highest of all the lakes in
that region, being the uppermost source of Pelican River.
But even if the lake were only five feet higher than at present,
both of the skerries would be under water. Does this then
mean that in 1362, when the water presumably was five feet
higher than it now is, these skerries did not exist as
skerries but only as reefs? Not necessarily. The great mass
of boulders which are strewn around the shore indicates that
these skerries formerly were much bigger and higher than
now. The nature of these skerries is such that their height
above the water is determined by the moving ice which shoves
back and forth like a huge planer each spring. They consist
of boulders of all sizes which are cemented together with sand
and gravel. Let us assume that the skerries formerly were
five feet higher than now and that the water fell five feet.
Little by little as the water fell the rains would wash out and
erode the sand and gravel which bind the boulders together
until finally the moving icefloes would get a grasp upon them
and carry them away. In this manner, therefore, the tops of
the skerries would diminish as the lake level lowered.

Cormorant Lake is the first lake of any size that these
explorers would come to from the northwest, the probable
direction of their approach. After a very long and wearisome
march over the vast Red River Valley prairie, where game
would be scarce and hard to approach, the wooded hills and
beautiful expanse of Cormorant Lake would look very
pleasant to them and invite them to a long stay. This is also
one of the largest of these lakes, with many coves and head-

338 H. R. Holand

lands. This explains why the ten men who were out fishing
heard or saw nothing of the tragedy that had overtaken their
comrades until they returned and "found ten men, red with
blood and dead." Even in the brief words upon the stone we
can recognize the horrified surprise which met them and which
causes the rune master to exclaim, "Ave Maria! Save (us)
from evil!"

There can be no doubt that the survivors gave themselves
time to bury their dead in a decent fashion. The next step
in this investigation is therefore to find this burial spot. As
we stood upon the hill of the camp site, Mr. Johnson pointed
out a small knoll about sixty rods back from the lake and
said: "Someone is surely buried over there."

"Why?"

"Because there are several sunken graves on that knoll."

We went over to the knoll and found that there really were
a number of "sunken graves" on the knoll. They were not
hollows caused by uprooted trees, except in one instance, but
looked just like neglected graves. Whether these are of red
or white men's origin I do not know. The knoll has never
been plowed as it lies just inside the bounds of a piece of
stony woodland. I made no excavations and requested Mr.
Johnson not to disturb the mound until it can be excavated in a
scientific manner. This will probably be done next spring.

DOCUMENTS

A JOURNAL OF LIFE IN WISCONSIN ONE HUNDRED

YEARS AGO

KEPT BY WILLARD KEYES OF NEWFANE, VERMONT

On the second day of June in A. D. one thousand eight hundred and
seventeen, I, Willard Keyes, (being impelled by a curiosity, or desire
of seeing other places than those in the vicinity of my Native town,)
started from Newfane in Vermont intending to travel into the
western parts of the United States. —

Pass through Wardsboro — Stratton — across Green Mountain nine
miles entire forrest — Arlington — South road to Shaftsbury — 30
miles.

June 3d — through a corner of Bennington — Hoosick N. Y. — leave
the main road, pass Hoosick-falls — Pittstown, Fosters inn, 24 miles.
" 4th Detained by rain till one oClock muddy roads — Bruns-<
wick — Troy, Pattersons inn, rainy — only 11 miles to day —

5th Cross north river and ride to Albany 6 miles — 71 from
Newfane — ramble about the City till one oclock — grow tired of a
City life, dine in Washington St. — and start, taking the great Western
turnpike leading to Cherry Valley travel in company with a sociable
Dutchman — who gives me a ride in his waggon) muddy. Clay — a
sudden shower — lodging at Deprats, Dutch inn Guiteerland 14 miles
from albany —

June 6th Breakfast at Cheesmans — Princeton get a ride 20 miles,
through, Duanesburg, Schoharie-Bridge — Carlisle — 36 miles from
Albany conclude to leave this road and strike the Mohawk find com-
pany, agree to an evenings walk stop & rest at a Cave arrive at
Canaj oharry-bridge.
11 at night — 47 miles fr. Albany

June 7th Breakfast, and start late, being well jagged with yesterdays
travel — proceed up the Mohawk, on the south side, (the turnpike is on

1 For a short account of this journal see the Wisconsin Magazine of Historv
III, 268-70.

340 Documents

the north) — Mindon — German-Flats — Herkemer-Courthouse — Em-
mersons inn — 27 miles to day — the Grand Canal2 is staked out on and
near the road I traveled to day

" 8th Sabbath, day of rest — A dutch meeting — some young emi-
grants from Newhampshire came along, made some appology for
traveling on the sabbath, and invited me to accompany them, but I
declined

June 9th — Appearance of rain at hand — start for Utica 13 miles —
Breakfast at Frankfort — begins to rain — get a ride to Utica — a very
handsome Village rainy — towards night set forward for Whitestown
17 miles this day — large woolen factories in this vicinity but doing
very little buisiness

Fall in Company with a Gent, traveller who gives the following
account of himself.

"Constant A. Andrews by name, from Newyork City going to a tract
of land on the mississippi river called "Carvers Purchase, — has pur-
chased some of sd. land. — that the Proprietor, Dr. Samuel Peters,3
with agents from a Company of merchants in Newyork who have pur-
chased sd. tract of Dr. P. are coming on and will join him at Rome.,
or York in Canada.,.
June 10th Rainy — get a ride to Rome, about 100 miles from Albany —

put up at Merills, Stage hotel,

I must now sit down and determine what course to pursue — the
prospect is rather gloomy —

Swarms have been and are pouring from the "nation's hive" (New
England) to people the Western forrests; it seems they have over-
stocked the market; for I daily meet those who are retracing their
steps; they tell a discouraging story —

I have the choice of two ways before me, either to sneak back again like
a henhearted fellow, or boldly venture beyond the beaten track of
former adventurers, I have dissuasives from the former, and incen-
tives to the latter course. Mr. Andrews is solicitous to have me
accompany him ; and I am inclined to think I shall—

2 The Erie Canal, begun in 1816 and opened to traffic in 1825.

8 Rev. Samuel Peters was an Episcopal clergyman of Connecticut, who
because of Tory proclivities was driven out c F the country at the opening of the
Revolution and for thirty years resided in England. In 1805 he came back to
America and devoted the remaining twenty years of his life to vain efforts to
obtain ownership of the Carver Grant in western Wisconsin. Peters is perhaps
best known to posterity for his history of Connecticut, published anonymously in
London in 1781.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 341

May the Almighty God who rules the Universe be my Protector, may
he incline my heart to pursue that which will conduce most to his
glory, and my Eternal happiness.

June 11th — Wait the arrival of boats, intending to take passage
down to Oswego — Rome is situated on the Mowhawk where it is united
by a canal with Wood-Creek.

99 ^th Superior Court sits at Rome — a large number of criminals
indicted, among whom I recognised one familiar face, vis. Benjamin
Flint a native of Newfane Vt.
(for Counterfeiting.

13-14th Rainy — wait with impatience for boats — attend
court — several crininals tried and sentenced to hard labor, from 5 to
ten years — an Indian convicted of murdering his brother — Evening —
boats atlength arrive up the Mohawk — Write to my father — enclose
a ticket in the Washington Bridge lottery No. 9102—

99 i5th — Sabbath — take our passage down Wood-Creek, which is
very winding. Country flat and in many places inundated Arrive
at Oneida Lake, 22 miles by the Creek — a tavern without beds — take
lodging across 2 chairs —

16th — Windbound at the head of Oneida wait with great im-
patience— Eve. wind abates — 10 o clock start by rowing — I lend some
assistance — continue all night by rowing.

17th Fair wind for sailing — 7 oclock opposite Rotterdam
unfortunately run on a rift of rocks get of [f] with some difficulty —
28 miles across the lake — enter Oswego river — stop for the night at
"three river Point" — 18 m. fr. the Lake a bridge across the river
here — two or three houses — obtain lodging in one of them

18th take a pilot to pass the rapids — 12 miles to the falls — at
very high water, boats sometimes pass down but never ascend these
falls — one mile, land Carriage — by the falls — fortunately find a boat
ready to start. 12 miles to Oswego on Lake Ontario — a considerable
village — it was taken by the British in the last war — arrived here
about noon — Engage a passage to York Upper Canada in the
Schooner Morning Star — 140 miles for $3 —

June 19th — Wait a favorable wind — Sunset hoist sail with a light
breeze — the cargo consists entirely of passengers, about 40 in num-
ber, mostly emigrants from England, going to Canada.

342 Documents

June 20th Very little wind, therefore we make but little progress —
the water of the Lake is clear and cool.
" 2 11 A dead calm most of the day

June 22d — Sabbath — York light-house in sight — scarcely any wind —
4 oclock PM. cast anchor in the bay of "little York" (otherwise
Toronto.)4

23d — Mr. Andrews calls on Mrs. Jarvis, daughter of Dr. Peters,
and wife of the secretary of U. Canada and informs her that her
father is on the way here — she is transported with the news — requests
me to start with the information to his son Wm. B. Peters, Attorney,
in Dundass, near Burlington heights, 50 miles west — (now called
Hamilton) furnished with a good horse, and letters of introduction
arrive in Dundass late in the evening.

June 24th Esq. Peters, absent from home — am invited to tarry till
his return — am treated with much politeness — Mrs Peters and her
daughter, are very amiable in the afternoon walk out to view "Bur-
lington heights" the British headquarters during the late war.
June 25th — return to York — the country is newly settled principaly
by "Americans (or as they are called, Yankees") — the land is generaly
flat, heavy timbered, and clay soil, but appears to be fertile, their
farms tho — new, look flourishing — the road is mostly on a streight
line, called "Dundass street" 50 miles in length — with farms arranged
on each side — adjoining York I passed through a Pine forrest of 8
miles —

June 26th hire my board at a private house $3.50 per week — purpos-
ing to wait the arrival of Dr Peters

" 27 Write to my Brother Royal in Ellicott Ny.

28th this place is the seat of Goverment for Upper Canada, it
is handsomly laid out into building lots and will probably be a place
of considerable trade when the back country is well stocked with
inhabitants it was taken by the Americans under Gen. Pike who
lost his life by their blowing up the Arsenal —

By an act passed since the war if a citizen of the U. Stats purchases
land in this Province it is forfeited to the Crown it is said nearly half
of the inhabitants are natives of the States, and they begin to grow
jealous of them — Dureing the war any who were suspected of being

4 The parenthetical explanation was, apparently, added to the manuscript at
some later time.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 343

friendly to the Americans were persecuted with the greatest severity.
June 29th Sabbath — A meeting for religious worship is held in town,
but being a stranger, I did not attend

30th C. A. Andrews executes a deed of 100 hundred acres of
land in "Carvers tract" to me

July 1* Busy myself by making board rules — reading or sauntering
through the streets —

2d — Dr. Peters arrives — Accompanied by Messrs — Thos.
Taylor and John Tuthill — an affecting meeting of him and his
daughter, after 12 years abscence —

3d. Dr Peters is about 84 years of age,5 quite infirm, but says
he will pursue his object of obtaining "Carvers land till he obtains
it, or ends his life — he is very sociable — promises me good encorage-
ment, as do the other agents if I will go with them

July 4th American Indepependance — hear the Cannon at fort
Niagara which makes the royalists snarl Some American mechanics
imprudently ride through through the town with a flag hoisted —
some miscreants collected at night to mob them, but did not succeed —
July 5th — 3 oclock PM. After much trouble, we start in a waggon
for Lake Simcoe — distance 40 miles North — our company consists
of Taylor, Tuthill, Andrews and myself — Dr Peters stays till monday.
July 6th Sabbath. Have had entertainment and lodging in a town
Called "Volney" — our rout is through a Quaker Settlement — hand-
some farms though mostly new 3 oclock PM arrive at "Holland
Landing" "Gillington" — just escape a tremenduous shower — a Mr
Johnson keeps tavern here — and owns a small schooner that can come
up the river to this place

July 7th Walk out to Newmarket — Robinsons mills store &C — 6
miles —

July 8th — Indians are as thick as bees — the British have been dealing
out presents to them

9th Johnsons schooner sails — Andrews and Taylor take pas-
sage in her — Tuthill and myself wait with impatience for Dr Peters —

10th Dr- P. arrives — 12 oclock we start in a little Birchbark
Canoe, with a frenchman, his squaw, 3 children and several hundred
weight of baggage — tis astonishing how much these "eggshells" will

'Peters was born Nov. 20 (O. S.), 1735; he was, therefore, in his eighty-
second year at this time.

344 Documents

bear up on the water — the least movement of those unacquainted with
them will overset them — they are so light that an Indian will carry a
considerable one on his head across the portages — We paddle down
Holland River, 10 miles — enter Lake Simcoe 30 miles across — night
overtakes us about halfway — land — strike up a fire — and encamp in
the open air — a tough beginning for old Dr- P- but his courage holds
good

July 11th — start early — soon commences a heavy rain, that drenches
us to the skin — 11 oclock Arrive at Kempenfelt bay — west end of the
Lake — find Andrews and Taylor here the British have 3 store
houses here.

July 12th- Cross a portage of 8 miles, horrible road thro, woods and
swamps, to Nottowassauga Creek — Moscketoes beat all I ever met
with before — a few store houses here Dr P. Andrews, and Tuthill,
immediately start down the river in an Indian Canoe deeply laden
with baggage —

July 13th Sabbath — Taylor and myself proceed in our frenchmans
canoe — a very winding stream — the country flat, thickly wooded and
in many places overflowed so that we sometimes left the crooked
channell and sailed through the woods — 1 oclock arrive at Nottowa-
sauga, on Lake Huron6 — 40 miles by the Creek — a few houses here
the British had a considerable establishment at this place but have
lately transfered it to Pentanguechine

July 14th The Schooner we intended to have taken passage in, sailed
before our arrival ; therefore we are obliged to purchase a small boat,
$60 — it being calm we set of[f] by rowing — our Company consists of
10 persons viz. Dr Peters, Andrews, Taylor, Tuthill, our frenchman,
his wife and three children — 5 working hands, 4 at the oar and one at
the helm, at which we take turns — Intend to coast the N. E. shores of
Huron to Drummond island, and thence to Mackinaw — expect to be
out 10 or 12 days — stop to dine on a barran sandy shore — we regale
ourselves with a dish of tea, and mess of fish our course is about
N.W. — stop for the night on a small island inhabited, chiefly, by
gnats who recieved us gladly.

July 15th start by rowing — pass "Mackodash bay" at the head of
it the British have an establisment called Pentanguechine — the shores
and bottom of the Lake is solid rock.

' The travelers had now reached Nottawasaga Bay, which is at the south-
eastern end of Georgian Bay.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 345

" 16th — The Lake still and smooth the greatest curiosity we
have is the immence piles of rocks, islands of rocks innumerable —
encamp on one of them, — tormented by Mosketoes — sleep but little.
July 17th Start Early, row accross a large bay — high surf — after-
noon, another bay, wind and waves uncommonly high, our passage
dangerous among rocks that present themselves on every side the
billows breaking over them — Again pleasant sailing being sheltered
by islands 3 oclock, head West, wind against us — make our bed on
the soft side of a rock.

July 18th Start with the sun — wind ahead, surf high — row hard about
10 miles — stop on an island of rocks curiously broken into square
pieces as nice as if sawed — Juniper, and Goosbery bushes are the
principal vegetable productions — exercise our ingenuity in making a
goosbery Pie, have rare luck — 4 oclock PM. start again — very little
wind — sundown, encamp on rocks

19th Set of [f] at sunrise — wind strong ahead obliged to lie by
all day

" 20th Sabbath, rather cold, breakfast and proceed — the wind
still in our teeth — stop at 4 PM.

July 21* Free wind for sailing — pass an Indian village, at a place
called by the French "cloche" (Bell, in English7) they offer us a
Beaver skin for Skittewabaw (rum) — a long string of islands — sail
till near dark.

July 22d Dr. Peters quite sick with the Lumbago — sail by day-
light— 6 miles, the wind Comes ahead and compells us to lie by all day
high winds the foaming billows dash and break over the rocks with
great fury.

July 23d High winds from the west confine us still to our little island
of rocks — our fire overruns the most of it and burns both wood and
soil the principal timber that grows on these barran shores is stintid
pine, cedar and juniper.

July 24th Start by daybreak — still a westerly breeze — sunset en-
camp on a sandy shore thick woods — quite cool.

July 25th Wind against us by hard rowing reach an Indian encamp-
ment— 11 oclock A. M. stop — they are called Missasauges — a sandy
plain surrounded by high rocky mountains — tack to the SW. meet

7 Apparently Cloche Island, which lies between Manitoulin Island and the
Ontario mainland.

346 Documents

some Mackinaw boats laden with peltry — encamp on an island some
distance from land

July 26th Continue steering S. W. — wind ahead — Drummond island
in sight — and we begin to take courage — encamp on a small island.
July 27th — Sabbath — Rainy morning — the first we have had for 16
days — St. Joseph's, at the outlet of Lake Superior, in sight — 11
oclock AM. reach the settlement on Drummond's island a new estab-
lishment by the British8 this island is said to be about 45

miles long the settlement is on the south end, they keep a garrison
here commanded by a Col.

July 28th, Start for Mackinaw — 45 miles West the wind soon sets in
against us — with hard tugging at the oar we reach a small island
about half way.

29th One oclock in the morn — we start, by the light of the
moon — lake still and smooth — sunrise the wind helps a little — 9
oclock, fine breeze, Mackinaw in sight — the fort makes a handsome
appearance, standing on high ground and completely white-washed —
12, we sail up handsomely to the celebrated island of Mackinaw and
landed once more on American soil having coasted the Northern
shore of L. Huron about 400 miles — a chain of islands stretch along
near the shore most of the way — we were obliged to keep behind them
as much as posible with our little boat to avoid the roughness of the
lake — the island of Mackinaw is about 3 miles long and 1% broad
the fort stands on elevated ground and can command the whole island9
the town is on the south shore — a small plain just under the fort, the
houses are many of them built of logs and roofs covered with bark
however their appearance is better inside than out, many of them are
handsomely furnished the inhabitants are a mixture of Americans
French, British and Indians of all sorts and descriptions — the garri-
son consists of about 200 men commanded by Col. Me. Neil10 con-

8 The post on Drummond Island had been established after the British
withdrew from Mackinac in 1815. Although in fact within the boundary of the
United States, the establishment was maintained by the British as a center for
the control of the Indian trade until 1828.

9 The latter observation is incorrect, as the Americans learned to their
sorrow when the British attacked the place in the summer of 1812.

10 Col. John McNeil had distinguished himself for bravery and hard fighting in
the War of 1812. He left the army in 1830, having received from President
Jackson the appointment of surveyor of the port of Boston. He was one of the
commissioners who negotiated the Indian treaty of 1829 at Prairie du Chien; copies
of his journals on that occasion were later supplied the Wisconsin Historical
Society by the executors of his will.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 347

siderable trade is carried on here it being the general rendezvous of
Indian traders.

July 30th Write to my friends — Mr. Taylor concludes to return to
Newyork — the rest of our company prepare for a voyage to Prairie
du Chien, 600 miles, — where we expect to winter — were disappointed
of finding persons at Mackinaw with whom we intended to open our
buisness.

July 311 Taylor sails for Buffalo, about 700 miles
August 1* — About thirty bark canoes full of Savages arrive, part
Sacks and part Winnibagoes, or Peunt towards night they commence
a dancing frolic — it was a novel sight to me — they danced and sung
before almost every door in the village from each of which they expect
a present of Bread, tobacco, whiskey or something else — most of them
were nearly naked and were painted or daubed with black, red and
white, and decorated with quills, feathers, tails of wild beasts &C. so
as to appear horridly frightful.

Aug. 2d Two months since I left Newfane about sundown start for
Prairie du Chien having hired our passage in an Indian trading
boat, belonging to Mr John Dousman,11 our company consists of Dr.
Peters, Andrews, Tuthill and myself passengers, — Andrew Leiphart
master, 1 interpreter 1 clerk, and 6 french boatmen, proceed about
5 miles and encamp —

Aug. 3d — Sabbath Indians hooting all night — Breakfast and pro-
ceed— pass the Michegan streights — wind comes ahead obliged to
lie by

Aug. 4th A very heavy shower, with sharp Lightning and hard
thunder last night in the morning, cold and high winds — strike our
tent and remove into the woods for shelter from the wind

" 5th " 6th Wind high, from the west, the white caps roll and
break on the shore with violence —

Aug. 7th A calm — we proceed on our voyage encamp at the mouth
of a river — some indian graves in this place.

Aug 8th Warm weather — 12 oclock arrive at a place called by the
French Shuchwa (Shouchoio)12 25 Leagues from Mackinaw — a soft

11 John Dousman was a Pennsylvanian who had come west as an army sutler
some years before the War of 1812. He lived for a time at Green Bay, then at
Mackinac, and still later (1824) returned to Green Bay, where he died the
following year.

12 Point Seulchoix, in Schoolcraft County, Michigan.

348 Documents

kind of stone or marble is found here — on which we, as new comers
must engrave our names, and pay a customary treat to the boat-men —
encamp again at the mouth of the river.13

Aug. 9th We give the boatmen a treat, one of them turns down about
a pint and lies dead drunk — We keep on the North side of the Lake —
encamp on a stony flat —

August 10th Arrive at the entrance of Green Bay cross over to the
South side — numerous islands, with remarkable high precipices — one,
the French call Le De Pou (the Louse) — Pleasant weather — encamp
on an island they call "Petite Detroit" (little Streight) a band of
Indians reside here, they are employed in building Birch Bark Canoes,
and weaving flag mats.14 Sabbath —

August 11th Pass point "De Mort" (or point of Death) so called
from the many Indian canoes wrecked there in attempting to pass
the point which is perpendicular — rocks rising out of the water
August 12 Pleasant weather, fair wind for sailing encamp on a
white oak plain — Mosketoes troublesome

Aug. 13th Arrive at the head of Green Bay, enter Fox river steering
about south — 12 oclock arrive at Fort Howard — We had neglected
to obtain pasports at Mackinaw but after some difficulty have per-
mission to proceed — pitch our tents about 2 miles above the mouth
of the river the inhabitants are French and live on both sides of the
river — distant from Mackinaw 240 miles

Aug. 14th This appears to be a pleasant place and the land fertile,
though poorly cultivated — their crops of Wheat and corn look well
obtain garden vegetables, milk, &C. but at a high price A funeral on
the death of a frenchman — cermonies performed in the Roman Catho-
lic style — sunset — proceed about 2 miles and encamp — the river I
should judge is near l/o mile wide the water, very dirty occasioned I
believe principally by the Rice blossoms.

Aug. 15th Foggy morning — proceed about 2 m. stop at mr. John
Jacobs15 — Dr. Peters Baptises two of his children — our course is
S. W. the land on the N. W. Side has a beautiful appearance being

" The Manistique River.

14 For an interesting account of a visit to this village only a month after
Peters' party see Wis. Hist. Colls., VI, 165-66.

15 John B. Jacobs, a native of Canada, who settled at Green Bay about the
year 1800. About the year 1827 he returned to Canada and there spent the
remainder of his life.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 349

composed of gentle rises interspersed with vales of high grass — very
thinly wooded with scattering oak and hickory.

August 16th Start early, proceed to the rapids before breakfast —
6 Leagues from Green Bay they unload the boat and drag it near a
mle up the rapids — a frenchman16 lives here who transports the
loading in carts — here is an elegant seat for mills and will probably
be improved at some future day — the country looks beautiful and
inviting — the weather is warm — Lockwood17 with another trading
boat overtakes us — they hire Indian canoes to take part of the load
as the river is rapid for several miles

several of us walk 2 or 3 miles — meet two persons by the names of
"Gunn, and King"18 who have been out to gain inteligence respecting
Carvers land

Aug 17th Sabbath — The hands have to drag the boat most of the
way against a swift current sometimes perpendicular falls — a heavy
shower pitch our tent in a twinkling and just escape it — Start again
about noon — 3 oclock arive at some falls19 — they are about 5 or 6
feet, perpendicular a solid rock stretches from one shore to the other
the two boats double their team, mustering Indians and all, about 25
strong, and haul the boats up without unloading — encamp 1 m. above
the fals

Aug 18th Morning Cold — the river spreads out near % of a mile
wide — smoth sailing a short distance — more rapids — half unload, and
cary it at twice to Winnibago Lake — I proceed there by land — it
begins to rain — Indians bring us green corn, beans, and potatoes for
bread salt and tobacco

Aug 19th Rainy most of the day — Indians continue to supply us with
vegetables, ducks venison &C. they take out the boat and Caulk it —
Aug 20th Heavy shower with thunder & lightning last night —
cloudy — the men backward about starting — Lockwood started yester-

M Apparently Augustin Grignon, a prominent trader of Wisconsin. His
recollections are printed in Wis. Hist. Colls., Ill, 19T-295.

"James H. Lockwood, a prominent resident of Prairie du Chien in the
early part of the nineteenth century. Lockwood was a native of New York; he
came west as a young man at the close of the War of 1812 and engaged in the
Indian trade. His permanent residence at Prairie du Chien dates from 1819.
See his recollections in Wis. Hist. Colls., II, 98-196.

18 These men were grandsons of Jonathan Carver and were returning,
disappointed, from the same mission on which Peters was outward bound — to
gain the recognition of the Sioux chiefs of their claim to the Carver Grant.

u Known as the Grand Chute, where the modern city of Appleton has arisen.

350 Documents

day — we move about 12 oclock — the Lake is about 24 miles long from
N. to S. — and 6 broad — we steer S — 20 miles, then turn west and
enter Fox river again — 6 miles up we come to Dead Lake 9 m. long,
and in the broadest part about 3 — course through the Lake N. W.
till we arrive at (La Be des Mort) "the Bank of the dead" where we
encamp — a band of Menomine Indians live here — called by the French
"Folsavoine" (or Wild Rice) — the French in former days destroyed
an Indian village at this place for committing depredations on their
trade which gave the Bank its name.

Aug. 21* — Pleasant, but cool — proceed 2 miles and the river branches,
the one from the W. is called Wolf river — the Fox river turns S —
then E. and almost every point of the Compas but the general course
appears to be S. W. Extensive Prairies, or Meadows on each side
of the river covered with high grass, and interspersed with groves of
young trees — Wild Rice grows in great abundance — ducks and other
wild fowl are plenty the day is pleasant and the scenry is beautiful
beyond description — the river is about 6 rods wide, very smooth and
a serpentine course, winding to the S. and W. — Encamp on a white
Oak plain about 6 feet higher than the river — 40 m. from Winnibago
Lake — 90 to the Ouisconsin

Aug 22d — Some rain last night — cloudy and foggy — proceed 4 miles,
pass a place called "Yellow Thunder"20 — prospect of rain — steer all
points of the compass — 5 oclock PM. it begins to rain, encamp on
the W. side of river

Aug. 23d Heavy rain last night — 10 oclock arrive at a place where
one and half mile by land, equals 15 by the river — several of us walk
across the isthmus — shoot Pheasants, ducks and pigeons — the boat
in doubling the point steer west and then turn east again — they pass
some Indian Lodges, get green corn and mellons this, is said to be
midway between Winnibago Lake and the portage into the Ouisconsin
24 leagues each way — a few miles and we enter a Lake called by the
Indians "Pockwak" (Flag Lake) 9 miles long — 3 broad, course
through the lake S.W. — Rice, and flags, or bulrushes are in such
abundance as impedes our progress — some of it grows to the height of
6 feet above the water — pitch our tents on the N. side —

20 This was the village of the noted Winnebago chief, Yellow Thunder. He
died at an extreme age in February, 1874.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 351

Aug. 24th Sabbath — Pleasant weather — some of us take a trip on
land, but in pursuit of game we miss the point we intended to take the
boat, and wander over hills and through meadows near 6 miles —
arrive on the banks of "Lac la Beuf" (or Ox Lake) — some high hills
for this country — shoot a large speckled snake off a tree rattlesnakes
are said to abound through this country this lake is 9 miles long
but narrow — near night another portage of ^ mile, but the boat has
several miles, and is seen meandering through the meadows in every
direction, the river is concealed by the grass —

Aug. 25th — 24 miles to the portage — general course appears to be
near S. — 9 oclock pass a place where a girl was buried, said to be
poisned by a cruel stepmother — the grave enclosed with pickets on
the Cross at her head was an inscription in French to the following
import "Theresse Chappeau died Oct. — 1815 aged 10 years" — the
river grows narrow, 6 of us get out to walk, thinking to make a short
cut we wandred out of our way 6 or 8 miles, crossed a large meadow,
a termerack swamp &C. part of us joined the boat a few miles before
it reached the portage — they had passed a small Lake called Mud-
lake — the channel is narrow and full of rice and mud, in some places
almost impassable — arrived at the portage 4 oclock P. M.
the distance from Mackinaw to this place is, called 140 Leagues, or
420 miles — from Green Bay 60 Leagues — and from this portage to
Prairie du Chien 60 Leagues —

Fox river from Winnibago Lake has a very winding course, no rapids,
several small lakes and great quantities of Wild Rice — its general
course appears to be S. S. W.

On both sides of the river are large and extensive Prairies or meadows
covered with high grass — the upland is dry and sandy, principaly
timbered with various kinds of Oak The Indians inhabiting this
country are Winnibagoes and Menomines (called by the French
Puants, and Folsavoins) they are reported to be rather inimical to
Americans but I saw nothing unfriendly in their behavior — the only
domestic animals I saw among them were horses and dogs — they
cultivate corn, potatoes, turnips, beans &c.

Aug 26th — The portage between Fox river and the Wisconsin (or as
the French spell it Ouisconsin) is little more than a mile, low level
land, and free from wood, I think they might be easily united by a

352 Documents

canal — A Frenchman lives here and transports boats and their
cargo — he broke his carts and hindered us one day — encamp on the
banks of the Wisconsin — Saw a Rattlesnake the first I ever saw.
Killed by an American, Indian Trader named Lockwood
Aug. 27th More boats Arrive to the number of 6 12 oclock, our boat,
in company with two others, starts down the Wisconsin — rapid
current, sandy bottom, not very crooked, and no rice — about 50 or 60
yards wide though it frequently spreads out much wider — full of
islands and sand-bars this river is said to head 300 miles above the
Portage our course about S. W. — 25 miles, and encamp
Aug. 28th Rainy — frequent difficulty in dragging the boat over sand-
bars— the adjacent country is full of small hills that shoot up very
high and seem to terminate in a point, some are of solid rock, others
appear to be sand — the low land is thickly covered with wood — 4<
oclock PM. pass a perpendicular rock of considerable height —
Aug. 29th — Commences raining at day-break clears up at eight —
9 oclock pass the halfway place, 30 Leagues each way, the river turns
from S. to S.W. — the land uneven, precipices frequently occur of solid
rock — sand-bars numerous, and sometimes rocks — pass a place called
"English meadow"21 from an English trader and his son, said to have
been murdered there by the savages, 20 Leagues to Prairie du Chien
Aug. 30th — 9 oclock pass a large plain with high banks, called
"Prairie du Bay" — 11 Leagues from "Prairie du Chien" pass Blue
river, a small stream that comes in from the South between two high
points of land, said to be navigable 30 Leagues for small boats — a
few miles below another stream from the North called C[l?]ousy
river22 — 3 Leagues from the mouth of Ouisconsin several of us leave
the boats and proceed by land to Prairie du Chien about 6 miles, where
we arrive about 4 oclock P. M.

And here I am on the banks of the far famed "Missisippi" — the rout
I have traveled is about 2000 miles Three months ago I was in my
native town ; in the pleasing circle of youthful acquaintance beyond
which I had never ventured.

31 Probably English Prairie, on which the present town of Muscoda is
situated. The usual explanation of the origin of the name is that the English
troops under Col. McKay camped here in 1814, en route to the capture of
Prairie du Chien.

23 Evidently the modern Kickapoo.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 353

Since that time what varying scenes have been presented to my view !
Scenes of terror and disgust, of admiration and delight, have alter-
nately excited my attention. With admiration have I beheld the rare
productions of Nature in these uncultivated regions; the verdant
plains and varigeated hills and dales all clad in Nature's gayest livery
without the aid of art, have filled my bosom with delight — On the other
hand the tawny Savage of the wilderness, sculking in the thicket,
besmeared with paint of various hues, and otherways decorated to
render them frightful, thrill terror through the breast of those unac-
quainted with their manners ; and their mode of living and eating is
disgusting to those who have any sence of decency or cleanliness —
Aug. 31* Sabbath — A general muster of the garrison, being the last
day of the month about 200 riflemen commanded by Col. Chambers,23
they appear to be well dissiplined — the fort is about 50 yards square,
composed of barracks built of hewn logs, with two block houses at
opposite corners, mounting several small pieces of artillery — Called
Fort "Crawford."

The Prairie is an extensive plain 10 or 12 miles long and from 2 to 4
broad — the inhabitants are French who settled here from Canada
about 40 years ago — there is 20 or 30 houses in the vicinity of the
fort, besides several clumps in differant parts of the Prairie — the river
is said to be about a mile wide opposite the town, and full of islands —
the people are galloping about on French Ponys playing at ball,
billiards &c. so that the Sabbath appears to be a day of recreation and
amusement among them —

Sept. 1* — Rainy — Indians are numerous though they do not appear
so plenty as at Mackinaw — the French I believ have most of them
Indian wives

Sept. 2d — three months since I left home — Excessive warm — the
Thermometer 102 degrees in our tent —

28 Colonel Talbot Chambers was appointed to the army from Pennsylvania
about ten years before this time. At the close of the War of 1812 he was sent west
to command at Mackinac. In the summer of 1816 he accompanied the troops to
Green Bay to establish Fort Howard and commanded here for one winter. He
was transferred to Prairie du Chien early in 1817, remaining until the spring of
1818. At Prairie du Chien he acquired an unenviable reputation for despotic
conduct. He was dismissed from the army in 1826 — according to one account for
cutting off a soldier's ears — and entered the Mexican service, where he opposed
his former countrymen in the war of 1846-48.

354 Documents

Dr Peters and Tuthill visit Col. Chambers were politely received, and
promised his assistance in the prosecution of their object, he is com-
mander in chief here, there being no civil authority in the place
Sept 3d — Almost every thing bears an exorbitant price — we hire a
small room for $3 per week

Sept. 4th I engage to work for a few days for a Mr Shaw.24 who is
building a mill about 4 miles N. by E. from the fort — $1 per day
Sept. 8th agree to work for Mr Shaw as a carpenter at $26 per
month — Mr. Andrews as a millwright

Sept 14th Sabbath — visit the town on Sundays being at work other
days — it is the custom with many here to spend this day in riot and
drunkenness

Sept 20th Taken very ill expect the Fever and Ague coming on
Sept 21* Sabbath — Rainy — take a potion of Calomel and Jallap —
Sept. 22d Ague and Fever hangs on with great severity — commence
taking Peruvian bark, as a sure remedy —

Sept. 25th My disorder begins to abate and I commence work though
feeble

Oct 10th A second attack of the Fever and Ague — but after a few
days, by the Blessing of God and the use of proper medicine am enabled
to get rid of it

Oct. 17th Lord Selkirk25 a Scotchman passes the fort, from his settle-
ment on "Red River" on his way to the City of Washington—
Oct 19th Sabbath — Pleasant weather — At % past 8 in the Evening
a messenger at full speed gave an alarm that the Indians had attacked
the town directing us to make the best of our way to the fort — our
firearms were all absent, or out of order we immediately concluded
to flee — at the same instant the Indian whistle began to sound (the
signal for attack) we rushed out were fired upon, and the war-whoop
commencd we scatered retreted to the hills, finding ourselves not
pursued, collected our company together and found two missing —

24 This was Colonel John Shaw, whose recollections are printed in Wis. Hist.
Colls., II, 19T-232.

26 Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, in 1811 purchased 116,000 square miles
of land in the Canadian Northwest from the Hudson's Bay Company and devoted
the remainder of his life to establishing a colony there. He is the real founder
of the Canadian West. At the time of his visit to Prairie du Chien Selkirk was
en route to settled Canada to stand trial upon charges preferred by representa-
tives of the NorthWest Company, with whfch he had become embroiled. The story
of Selkirk's life and work is told by Louis A. Wood, The Red River Colony. A
Chronicle of the Beginnings of Manitoba (Toronto: 1915).

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 355

after a long consultation we, from various reasons concluded it to be a
false alarm, created by some evil disposed, drunken, lowlived persons —
we cautiously returned to our cabin, where we found one of our men
who in retreating a different way was driven back — and one man lay
in the woods all night

Oct 20th — The Indian exploit of last night was performed by the
officers of the garrison and some of the principal citizens, led on by
the Col. — who came up today to excuse the matter — to palliate the
unwarrantable act he said we were too earless in not being well armed,
and being too far from the fort for protection he had adopted that
plan as the only method of bringing us to our sense of duty —
Oct. 25th A snow storm — cold weather
Oct. 27th Warm — for the season —

Nov. 2 A sleight head ache — symptoms of the Ague returning
Nov. 3d — Finish working for Mr- Shaw by the month — Undertake,
in Co. with mr- Andrews to finish the mill for the use of it till the
first of June — expect likewise to build a horse mill for mr- Rolette26
Nov.4th Quite sick with the Ague though not so violent as at first.
Nov. 9th Write to my father and friends in Vermont —
Nov 11 Rainy day — thunder at night

" 12th Rig up our cabin and make it comfortable for the winter
Nov. 16 Sabbath — Seldom go to town on other days.
Nov. 18th Col. Chambers lends us some muskets

Nov. 23d Sabbath — take a walk several miles up the Creek — Snow is
about 3 inches

Nov. 28th An Indian Chief of the Fox tribe with his family takes his
residence near us — the Indian agent, Mr. Johnson,27 gives him a
written recommend to us for friendship and protection
Nov. 30th Sabbath ride to the village — pleasant — the Missisippi has
been nearly frozen over, but appears to be breaking up
Dec. 1* — a heavy rain —
Dec. 2d — A sudden change in the weather — high winds and cold —

28 Joseph Rolette was a leading citizen of Prairie du Chien in the early
decades of the nineteenth century. He was born in Canada in 1781, came to
Prairie du Chien in 1806, and died there in 1842.

"John W. Johnson was the factor in charge of the government Indian
trading house at Prairie du Chien. Before the War of 1812 he had served as
factor at Fort Madison, Iowa. On the abandonment of the factory system in
1822 Johnson removed to St. Louis. His wife was a woman of the Sauk tribe.

356 Documents

Dec. 5th A French Citizen confined and punished at the fort for

selling whiskey to hirelings and soldiers contrary to orders28

Dec. 10th Mild weather — take a walk to the village just at night —

Dec. 19th — Friday Severe cold Thermometer said to be below

cypher, or zero.

Dec. 21* Sabbath remain at home to keep garrison — several ladies

visit me29

Dec. 23d Moderate weather — rainy —

Dec. 25th Thursday — Christmas — the people here observed it with

great exactness some as a holy day, and some as a holiday

Dec. 28th Sabbath — take a walk across the Missisippi and thence

to town

Dec. 30th AD. 1817 Started the first mill by water in Prairie du

Chien — it is a great wonder to most of the people

Dec. 31* Col. Chambers and other officers visit the mill — bestow

many praises upon it

January the first AD. 1818

A new, and may it be a happy year

Farewell to AD. 1817 — another year is added to the thousands that

have rolled away since time began ! ----

A new year is ushered in with greetings of happiness — May I indeed

have reason to bless it as auspecious, for many years to come.

This, appears to be a proper time to pause and take a retrospect of

what is past. ----

In reviewing my conduct through the year that is past, with as much

impartiality as self is capable of doing, I cannot find a base or

unworthy action — A character fair — and conscience clear of inten-

tionaly giving offence, or doing an injury, to any of the Children of

men

And am I then so happy as to be in the "path of Wisdom", so perfect
as to need no amendment ? — Alas ! my consience tells me no ; it whis-

^Lockwood describes (Wis. Hist. Colls., II, 129) one such punishment at
the instance of Colonel Chambers. The culprit was "whipped, and with a bottle
hung to his neck, marched through the streets, with music playing the Rogue's
March after him." A similar aifair, wholly to Chambers' discredit, is described
in Ibid, 229-30.

29 "To see mill" has been added at this point in the manuscript, evidently at a
later time. Shaw's was the first water mill at Prairie du Chien, and hence may
well have been an object of interest to the townsmen. Before its erection the
people had had resort 'to "band mills" for grinding flour, the power being supplied
by a horse attached to a sweep.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 357

pers the words of Christ, "one thing thou lackest" — for notwith-
standing thy self righteousnes, thy soul is in the gall of bitterness and
bonds of iniquity! — 0! God, it is thou, and thou alone, can cleanse
the heart of sin, and draw it out in holy love to thee — suffer me not
to remain another year in the stupidity of sin — Save, oh save my soul
from endless torment, in Mercy give me grace for the sake of Jesus
Christ the Savior and Redemer of sinners, Amen !
Jan. 2d Write to Pardon Kimball and Lewis Newton, send by the
express — the gentry visit the mill again —

Jan. 4th Sabbath — Remain at home alone — am visited by about 20
indians and squaws returning from a hunt, give them a little food
and tobacco, they in return give me some venison —
Jan 5th commence cutting timber for Roletts mill — hire one man by
the name of Fisher —

Jan 7th Several Indians and squaws encamp about % mile above us
Jan. 10th — We had considerable sport in killing a large wolf that
had infested our doors for some time

Jan. 11th Sabbath — Ride to the village — Mr Johnson loans to me a
file of New[s] papers — Severe cold — the frost bites my ears in re-
turning—

Jan. 12th Our Indian neighbors visit often — we generaly give them
a little food they bring us some venison to day —
Jan. 13th Andrews leaves here for Roletts mill — some of the Neigh-
bors children come in the evening to learn to read
Jan 14th Weather more moderate
Jan. 19th Start the mill— but little water

" 20th — The water clears away the ice and finds the bottom of the
canal —

Jan. 21* — Pleasant weather — the mill run pretty well — Beautiful
evening — the moon at the full — let the mill run all night
Jan. 23d Cold, the mill freeses up — go to town, return in the evening
and find two lusty indians with Fisher, determined to stay through
the night but drive them off —

Jan 25th Sabbath Cold, squally — snow about 3 inches — ride to
town in a "cariole" (French Sleigh) on the Missippi — whiskey sells
at 6 dollars per gal. — but I am very clear of buying any — return in
the evening, and find Fisher very much alarmed by some Indians visit-
ing him and behaving rather uncivil —

358 Documents

Feb. 1* Sabbath. Write a letter to Moses Rice in, Vt.

Feb. 5th Keen Cold weather — Dr Peters makes me a visit

Feb. 7th High winds — take a skip across the Prairie to town
Feb. 8th Sabbath — As severe cold I think as I most ever witnesed
Feb 9th fair sun but piercing cold

Feb. 10th A duel fought this morning between Mr 0, Fallen,30 Indian
Agent and Lt. Shade31 of the garrison — the latter recieved the second
shot in his under jaw — 0, fallon unfortunately escaped without injury
Feb. 15th Sabbath — Col. Chambers lends me a bundle of news-
papers— Vt. news — Galusha reelected Gov. — A law about passing to
establish three banks — and an abortive attempt to rob, near Brattle-
boro

Feb. 20th been at work with Mr Andrews for several days, at Rolettes
mill—

Feb. 21 Mr J. Shaw's brother arrives from St Louis with several
men going to the Pinery for rafting timber

Feb. 22d Sabbath — Washingtons Birthday under pretence of cele-
brating it, some of the principal characters get notoriously drunk.
Feb. 27th — Shaw and his party start for the pinery — take Fisher
with them who has formerly lived with me.

Evening — Am now entirely alone my nearest Neighbors on one side
1/2 mile distant on the other a savage wilderness —

" 28th Pleasant weather — Cut out the canal and bring the water
on the wheel

March I1 Sabbath — After much hard work, start the mill this morn —
very warm weather — the People flock in to see the wonderous mill go
by water Evnings when destitute of company spend my time in read-
ing, writing, or mending my stockings — my library consists of a
Bible and "Baxter's Call" — two precious books — "Carvers travels"
an Almanac, and now and then a borrowed file of Newspapers —
My living at present is prety much as follows — Breakfast, Coffee,
Bread, dried Beef and Onions — Dinner, fried Pork, Venison, Potatoes,
Bread, &c. — Supper, Coffee — Flapjacks Beef and onions—

80 Benjamin O'Fallon was a nephew of George Rogers Clark of Revolutionary
fame. He seems to have shared Colonel Chambers' reputation for arbitrary
conduct, which may account for Keyes' observation upon the outcome of the duel.

81 William G. Shade of Maryland. He resigned from the service in Novem-
ber, 1818.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 359

March 6th Too cold to grind — dress the stones, they are poor things
for grinding

March 8th Sabbath Very warm — People anxious to have grinding, let
the mill run — thronged with visitors —

March 10th Rainy by spells all day — Evning steady rain — 10 oclock,
the flood breaks my waste-gate and stops the mill — My Cellar is full
of water and Potatoes drowned —

March 11th A heavy flood last night the dam swept away — Canal
broken in many places and a bridge across the Creek has gone down
the Missisipi

March 12th — Snow all gone — ground full of water — the Prairie al-
most impasable —

Eve. 10 oclock — Commences raining very hard

March 13th — Mr Andrews with several men come to assist mending the
dam — water very high — we do but little good —

March 14th Clear and cold — work hard at the dam — grind a little —
March 15th Sabbath — Quite Cold — ride to town — Missisippi rising,
and breaking

" 18th — Warm- — towards night get most of the water turned
into the Canal— start the mill. 10 oclock, water fails, stop the mill
feel unwell — a pain in my bowels, and sickness at my stomach —

" 19th — Pleasant — dress the stones — in the afternoon start the
mill — 12 at night commenced raining —

March 22d Sabbath Pleasant — the mill out of order which hinders
me from grinding

" 23d dress the mill stones —

" 26th Stop the mill for want of wheet

" 27th Sabbath — Snow and rain together

Sab. Eve. — have been reading "Baxters Call to the Unconverted" his
words cary Conviction to the Conscience, but alas ! how soon they are
forgotten

March 30th Warm and Pleasant-
April 1* People begin to plow their land and sow wheat —

99 ^th The mill out of order, by the works settling, Mr- Andrews
assists in regulating it

April 5th — Sabbath — Walk to the village — the Prarie quite dry —
green herbage just springing up — All Nature looks smiling and gay —

360 Documents

Surely if we have hearts susceptible of gratitude, they would at this
time teem with grateful love, to that Benificent Being who gives life

and animation to countless Millions !

April 8th Warm and Pleasant — quit the mill for want of Wheat, and
work with mr- Andrews
April 10th Return to the mill-
Mr- 0' Fallon, Indian Agent, starts for the falls of "St. Anthony"
and St Peters river, with two boats and 50 or 60 men, to visit and
council with the Souix —

" 12th Sabbath — beautiful weather —

" 14th Quit the mill again

16th Shaw and Fisher come down from "Black river" in a
starving condition — have had bad luck in getting their raft into the
Missisippi

April 19th High wind from the North for several days, and cold —
April 22d Col. Chambers orders 4 building lots to be laid off, below
the village on the river for the use of Americans — I obtain the 2
choice — purchase some rails and partly enclose it — the Menomine
Indians have a meeting or dance — it seems to be of the religious kind —
they performed a great many ceremonies the meaning of which I did
not comprehend — the speakers delivered their discourses with great
rapidity and vehemence some of them continue to harangue more

than two hours without intermision

April 24th — A Boat arrives from St. Louis 35 days — laden with Pro-
visions, Whiskey, dry goods also packets of letters and Newspapers —
Whiskey has been sold at 10 or 12 dollars the gallon — many other
articles exorbitantly high

April 25th Walk out into the Prairie to see an Indian game at Ball —
the Menominies and Winnibagoes play on opposite sides — they dis-
play great activity and address in catching and hurling the ball, and
mind neither broken bones nor bruises — indeed it is a most vigorous
and manly exercise — "Carver gives a particular description of it in

his travels the Menomines are victorious 3 times out of 5 and

win the prize —

April 26th Sabbath — Indian traders returning from St Peters river

and other places the celebrated Col. Dickson32 comes in with them —

83 Robert Dickson, noted British-Indian leader in the Northwest. Dickson
had great influence with the Sioux, having married the daughter of a Sioux chief.
An account of his career is printed in Wig. Hist. Colti., XII, 133-53.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 361

lately from "L. Selkerks settlement" he is detained on suspision of
transgressing our laws — the militia or "fensibles of Prairie du Chien"
mustered — A false alarm at the fort about midnight — to try the

spirit of the militia in turning out

April 28th O' Fallen returns from council with the Souix. (formerly
called Naudowessies)

May 1** — Warm — Andrews and myself cross the river in a canoe,
pass through a narrow slue between two islands — the river about
one mile wide — ascend a small stream opposite the town about 2 miles
to look for a mill seat — wind high in returning —
May 2 Rather cold — Northwest wind —

May 3d Sabbath Suddenly taken with the Crick, occasioned by tak-
ing cold —

A complaint is made to the Indian agent against the Winnibagoes
for stealing horses and shooting hogs — they are threatened with con-
finement and punishment at the fort unless they make restitution
May 4th — Write to my father — work at Roletts mill — Rolette sells
the whole of his property in this place to Mr Ayrd33 a fur trader for
$9000

May 5th Evning — have been grinding all day, and continue — the fire
is overrunning the country which is always the case here in the spring
and autumn — it is slowly decending the hills south of my cabin in a
column of more than a mile in length, enlightning the whole valley
otherwise dark and cloudy — it is a pleasing though solemn prospect.
May 6th Cool morning, with a little rain and snow — borrow some
Newspapers of Mr Johnson

May 9th Dissolve partnership with Mr.- Andrews by mutual con-
sent— raise my price from 25, to 37 % cts. per bushel for grinding

10th Sabbath Warm and Pleasant — visited by a number of
French people at the mill

11th — A smart thundershower in the morning — showry all
day — there has been no rain for some time before

" 12th Uncommon heavy thunder last night attended with rain —
from the best observations I have been able to make, there is not near
the quantity of rain falls here, there does in Vt., — but there is
generaly every morning a very large dew —

M James Aird, a Scotch trader who had located at Prairie du Chien in the
latter part of the eighteenth century. His trade was largely with the Sioux.

362 Documents

May 14th At the mill — beautifuly pleasant weather — Plum, and
Cherry trees in full bloom — here I live like a hermit among the
mountains, enjoying the Pleasures of solitude and retirement — tend
the mill, read and write, prepare my victuals, and work a little
May 15th People are planting their corn — it sells at $6 per bush.,
Potatoes, at $5 they are miserable farmers — but little better than
the Indians — have plenty of good land if they would but cultivate it
May 16th — Rolette, and Ayrd have had an arbitration of several days
about their bargin.

May 17th Sabbath — cool and likely for rain

May 20th Dr- Peters not being permited by the authorities here to
open his business is obliged tho reluctantly to return; but is still
confident he shall ultimately succeed having had private inteligence
from several sources that are encouraging —

Write to Mr Thos- Taylor of Newyork City Bowry — likewise to my
brother Royal, at Ellicott N.Y.

May 21l Mr Tuthill starts this noon — write to my sister Philinda —
am quite unwell — take a potion of Physic of Dr Peirsons — return to
the mill-
May 22d had a restless night — about noon just able to crawl to the
nearest Neighbors

May 23d — Growing better of my sickness close my business at the
mill and remove to the village — have made arrangements to commence
a school — limited my engagements to 3 months — 30 students sub-
scribed, at $2 per month each — 2 large Barges arrive from St Louis
May 24th Sabbath — Commence Board with Mr Fariboult34 $15 per
month

May 25th Commence teaching school have but 2 or 3 pupils, that
can speak much English
May 26th Rainy most of the day — the roof of my house leaky

M Jean Baptiste Fairbault, a native of Canada who came west in 1798 as an
employee of the Northwest Company. About the year 1806 he located at Prairie
du Chien, leaving here in 1819 to settle at Fort Snelling. From 1799 (when he was
stationed on the Des Moines River) on he was engaged in trade with the Sioux. A
county in Minnesota is named in his honor, and the city of Faribault in honor of
his son, Alexander, who was born at Prairie du Chien in 1806. An account of
Faribault's career is given in Minnesota Historical Collections, III, 168-79.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 363

May 27th A heavy rain last night clear and fair in the morn — have
about 20 scholars that attend — a few of them can spell considerably —
and form letters tolerably correct in writing

May 28th Quite cool for the season requiring a fire in my school —
At the mill I was nightly serenaded by Whipperwills — here, it is
Indian Powwows — the Copper coulered Natives, are as thick as
grasshoppers in a dry autumn —

May 29th Have a tooth rotting, that gives me much inconvenience at
meal time — borrow a Dictionary of the French and English Lan-
guage—

May 31* Sabbath — General muster of the garrison troops — being the
last day of the month — the militia are mustered every Sunday — I
have not mustered with them yet — nor will I, on the Sabbath if I can
avoid it — the Sabbath is used here as a leisure day, when those who do
not choose to work, amuse themselves with play and holiday recrea-
tions—

THE QUESTION BOX

The Wisconsin Historical Library has long maintained a
bureau of historical information for the benefit of those who care
to avail themselves of the service it offers. In "The Question
Box" will be printed from time to time such queries, with the an-
swers made to them, as possess sufficient general interest to ren-
der their publication worth while.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME "WISCONSIN"

Do you issue any literature on the subject of the origin of the name
"Wisconsin?" This subject of names is one of great interest to me and,
strange as it may seem, it is quite difficult to obtain reliable information
as to the origin of our states' names.

FREDERICK W. LAWRENCE
Brooklyn, New York

Wisconsin is named for its principal river, but the origin of that
name has never been satisfactorily determined. It had over twenty
spellings on the early maps ranging from "Miscous" to the ordinary
French form "Ouisconsin," Anglicized as "Wisconsin." An early
governor of the state insisted on the form "Wiskonsan" until the
present spelling was established by legal enactment.

The United States board on geographic names gives the signifi-
cance as "wild, rushing river" ; this is not accepted by our archeolo-
gists, however, all the more that the portion of the river first seen and
named was not of that character. A member of the Society's research
staff is working out a theory of the name, but is not yet prepared to
publish it.

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF SINSINAWA

I write you today for information which is of vital interest to us at
the present time. In March, 1918 among the Indian names given to
ships by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, "Sinsinawa" attracted our attention. At
our request and through the courtesy of an official of the United States
Shipping board, Saint Clara College was accorded the honor of naming

Historical Associations of Sinsinawa 365

the sponsor for this ship. The Sinsinawa was intended for war service,
but after the armistice the plans were changed to make it a cargo ship.
The ship was built between January, 1919 and the present date and was
scheduled to be launched on September 6, 1919. A member of our
alumnae was appointed sponsor and had the honor of christening the
vessel at the Hog Island shipyards on the date named. All of this has
brought the name "Sinsinawa" very prominently to our interest and we
are now desirous of celebrating the event in a particular way. For this
reason I am interested in obtaining all the information which your
records may be able to afford us ; below I am enumerating under separate
heads the details about which I should like to have special information.
I. A complete history of the name "Sinsinawa."

1. Whether name of a chief, maiden, or what.

2. The Indian dialect to which the name belongs.

3. The meaning in the Indian language.

4. Why applied to the mound which bears the name.

5. When first used.

II. Association of the name with events in the history of the
territory of Wisconsin.

III. Association of the name with events in the history of the
state of Wisconsin.

1. Association of the name with events in the history
of Grant County.

IV. Date of establishing the post office bearing this name.

1. Names of persons responsible for the establishing of

post office.

V. Local history of interest, if there is any.

VI. Names of citizens and legislators of the territory or state of
Wisconsin associated in any way with the history of the place.

VII. If there are any Indian traditions or recorded historical facts
relating to the place while this section of Wisconsin was still a part of
Michigan, we should be glad to have whatever your files may contain.

SISTER M. CLEMENTINE
Saint Clara College, Sinsinawa

The following report, taking up in order the several points noted
in your inquiry concerning the history of Sinsinawa, has been pre-
pared by Miss Kellogg of our research staff :

I. Bulletin of United States Geographical Survey, No. 197,
p. 239 gives the origin as "Sinsiawe," meaning rattlesnake. It does
not give the name of the tribe, but we incline to think it is a Sauk and
Fox word. All the region around there was the Sauk and Fox mining
ground. The mound took its name from the creek, and this name was
first applied to the former by Gen. George Wallace Jones when in
1827 he leased a thousand acres containing the mound. The creek

366 The Question Box

first appears upon a map of the lead mines drawn in 1829. It is there
spelled "Sinsineua." See Wis. Hist. Colls., XI, 400. Other spellings
are "Sinsinewa," "Sinsinniwa," and "Sinsinnawa." General Jones
states that the Indians accented the next to the last syllable.

II, III. During the early period of Wisconsin history Sinsinawa
was known as the home of General Jones. The best authority on his
career is Parish, Life of George Wallace Jones, Iowa Biographical
Series. The Jones manuscripts belong to the Iowa Historical Society.
You may secure additional information from them. The property
you now possess passed directly from Jones to Father Mazzuchelli
about 1844. The records of your institution must supply the local
history of the place in its later years.

IV. The first post office was established in 1835 when General
Jones was territorial delegate from Michigan. He was himself post-
master and his emoluments were $1.92. In 1837 William P. Ruggles
was postmaster. In 1839 no such office was reported. In 1841
Charles Swift was postmaster, receiving 76 cents, with net proceeds
$1.82. After that date there was no post office bearing the name
Sinsinawa Mounds until 1857 when Thomas L. Powers was appointed
postmaster and kept the place until 1865 when he was succeeded by
O. S. Brady.

V, VI, VII. The region of Sinsinawa Creek is that of the earliest
lead mining by the Indians that is known. See account in Wis. Hist.
Colls., XIII, 271-92. Old Buck, the Indian who discovered the Buck
lead, was living on Sinsinawa Creek in 1828. There is a local tradi-
tion that an American trader was killed at Sinsinawa during the
War of 1812, probably on some branch of the creek. All of the
Indians of this region were then in the British interest, and no "Long
Knife," as they called the Americans, was safe if his nationality was
known. This tradition may thus probably be true. In 1832 a log
fort was built at General Jones's place, and there on June 29 three
men working in a field without the fort were attacked by Indians and
after a brief skirmish two of them were killed. The names are given
differently by different authorities; some say John Thompson and
James Boxley ; others Lovell and Maxwell. It is possible all four were
victims of the war, since one authority (Wis. Hist. Colls., X, 192)
says four men lost their lives at Sinsinawa during the Black Hawk
War.

Old Trails Around Eau Claire 367

General Jones is the only man of prominence, so far as we know,
who lived at Sinsinawa. However, he had as visitors most of the
prominent men of the territory. In his autobiography, published
in Parish's book, he tells of visits from Henry Dodge, the Gratiots,
Jefferson Davis, and others.

OLD TRAILS AROUND EAU CLAIRE

As chairman of the National Old Trails Roads of the Eau Claire
chapter of the D. A. R. I have been advised by the state chairman to ask
you for help in securing information in regard to old trails in Eau Claire
County or vicinity. We are in our infancy as a chapter, having been
organized only a little over a year, and while we are most anxious to do
our part we are sadly in need of guidance by those of greater experience.

If you can give me any information in regard to the old trails or
advise me as to where I may secure such aid, I shall be very grateful.

IDA LINTON HAINER

Eau Claire

We are glad to make such suggestions as we can concerning the
early trails. The exact locating of these trails is, however, such a
local matter that we can only give general directions to be worked
out by recourse to old settlers and local authorities.

The valley of the Chippewa is, historically considered, one of the
most interesting and one of the oldest locations in Wisconsin history.
The lower part was the scene during one hundred years of the great
contest between the Chippewa and Sioux tribes wherein the former
gradually pushed the latter back to the Mississippi. If you can
secure Minnesota Historical Collections, V, you can read about it in
the account of the Chippewa historian, William Warren. His sisters
are still living near White Earth, Minnesota, and perhaps you could
obtain information from them. Address Theodore H. Beaulieu, and
ask him if Mrs. English or her sisters can give you any information.

The first English traveler in Wisconsin, Captain Jonathan
Carver, ascended the Chippewa in 1766. He says that about thirty
miles from its mouth the river branches and that between the two
branches ran the great Road of War between the Chippewa and the
Sioux. The boundary between the two peoples was settled at the
Prairie du Chien treaty of 1825. It began half a day's march below
the falls, thence to the St. Croix. It would be interesting for you to
locate that boundary. The half a day's march below the falls is said

368 The Question Box

to have been at the mouth of Mud Creek near Rumsey's Landing.
There was an overland trail from Lake Pepin to Menomonie and
probably on to the Chippewa, used by the early lumbermen ; probably
Mr. Henry E. Knapp of Menomonie could give you information about
that. The first mail route was opened in 1850. Some of your old
settlers might be able to trace that out for you.

Mrs. Hainer of this city has shown me your letter in which you state
your belief that the point on the Chippewa River established by treaty
as dividing the lands of the Sioux or Dakota Indians from that of the
Chippewa was at Rumsey's Landing at the mouth of Mud Creek.

We in Eau Claire have always believed that it was the rocky bluff in
our city near the Normal School and at the mouth of Little Niagara
Creek. This answers the description of being "half a day's march below
the falls of the Chippewa River" — about 12 miles by the trail. I also
feel sure that in some old work I have read that this point was "one mile
below the mouth of the Eau Claire River." A "day's march" was sup-
posed to be from 20 to 25 miles, carrying packs of moderate weight as
the Indians did on all ordinary journeys. Mud Creek would, I think, be
too far to answer the description as being "half a day's march."

I have taken some interest in such matters — such as the origin of the
name Eau Galle — or Ogalla — spelled in several different ways. I saw
a very old document written at that place which to my mind throws some
light on this name and its origin.

ROBERT K. BOYD

Eau Claire

The statement made in our letter to Mrs. Hainer concerning the
location of the Chippewa-Sioux treaty boundary was based on printed
sources. In 1875 T. E. Randall of your city published a series of
articles on the history of the Chippewa Valley in the Free Press.
These were collected into a volume and his statements form the basis
of later local histories, such as History of Northern Wisconsin
(Chicago, 1881), "Eau Claire County," 295; History of the
Chippewa Valley (Chicago, 1891-92), 38.

Your letter affords just the kind of reaction it is desirable to
invoke. We at Madison cannot decide on points of local history and
topography. We are desirous of having local interest aroused in
these matters. Perhaps you can find some early settler of Eau Claire
who can corroborate either your point of view or that of Mr. Randall.
Kindly keep the Society informed if you are able to obtain more
information on this matter. We shall also be pleased to have any
information you can give us on the origin of the word "Eau Galle."

Old Trails Around Eau Claire 369

I think Mr. Randall is mistaken in fixing the dividing point between
the lands of the Sioux Indians and the Chippewa "at or near the mouth
of Mud Creek near Rumsey's Landing." The treaty describes it as being
"half a day's march below the Falls of the Chippewa River." I came on
the river in 1868 and to Eau Claire in 1871, and the traditions at that
time were that the dividing place was the rocky bluff at the mouth of
Little Niagara Creek which is, in fact, half a day's march, 12 to 13 miles,
below Chippewa Falls. A day's march of ordinary travel, carrying packs
of moderate weight and on a trail, was from 20 to 25 miles.

This view is supported by the language of the much-talked-of Carver's
deed, which in giving one distance says, "going east five days' march
counting 20 English miles a day." From Chippewa Falls to Rumsey's
Landing is certainly a full day's march, as I know from experience,
having walked the distance on several occasions. Chippewa Falls was
often visited by Indians in the sixties and early seventies but none ever
came to Eau Claire; it was often said that they did not consider it safe —
that they were still a little afraid of the Sioux, who had a village at that
time on the Mississippi near Wabashaw.

An incident under my own observation will illustrate this point. In
1870 while going down river on a raft of lumber we approached Little
Niagara Bluff. In the crew were several of mixed blood; one of these,
Simon Chevalier was nearly a full-blood Chippewa and an odd character.
As we approached this bluff one of the half breeds called out in a mixture
of English, French, and Chippewa, "Hello Simon, prenez gar ah
Bwahnuk": "Look out for the Sioux" ("Bwahn," Sioux — "uk" plural).

I also remember reading in some old work, which I cannot now
identify, that this dividing point was "one mile below the mouth of the
Eau Claire River," and if this is true history, it would seem that our
traditions must be correct.

Mr. Randall speaks of Carson and Rand and of Capt. George C.
Wales who built a mill on the Eau Galle River. There have been many
conjectures as to the origin and meaning of the name Eau Galle, which
has been spelled in almost all possible ways.

Through the courtesy of Mr. C. W. Lockwood, whose wife is a
daughter of the late William Carson, I have been furnished with a copy
of a lumber contract, dated June 10, 1844, made by George C. Wales,
Henry Eaton, and William Carson, who sold a season's cut of lumber to
Benjamin W. Brunson. This contract, I think, gives a clue to the origin
of the name, which is spelled "Augalett" and also "Augallett." If this
was intended for Au Galet (pronounced o galay} the meaning of the word
seems plain. The word "galet" is denned as meaning what is known in
Scotland as shingle, a bed or ridge of course gravel or pebbles, usually
on the seashore. Many of our rivers were named by the French voyageurs
from Prairie du Chien, and so our Eau Claire River was called "La
Riviere de 1'Eau Claire." There is a heavy gravel bar at the mouth of
the Eau Galle River, and it seems natural that they should name the
stream "La Riviere au Galet," the River at the Gravel Bank. Mr. Lock-
wood has submitted this hypothesis to the present William Carson, and he
believes it to be the correct view. ROBERT K. BOYD

Eau Claire

370 The Question Box

WINNEBAGO VILLAGES ON ROCK RIVER

In Volume XX of the Wisconsin Historical Collections, p. 350, in an
official report of Mr. Brevoort, Indian agent at Green Bay, he mentions
the Winnebago village of Kuskawoinanqua and locates it one hundred
miles south from Portage, with a population of 200 persons. He also
locates a village of "Rock River Winnebago" sixty miles south from
Portage, with a population of 150 persons. The latter may have been the
village of White Crow on the west shore of Koshkonong Lake which in
fact is Rock River.

"Kuskawoinanqua" may have been the Turtle Village of the Winne-
bago, which was situated on the present site of Beloit Junction and occu-
pied that site at the date of the Brevoort report. I have sought in vain for
information concerning the village of "Kuskawoinanqua." No mention
is made of it elsewhere in the Collections. I believe no Winnebago
glossary has been published, although I understand Nicolas Boilvin a
century ago prepared and forwarded to the Indian Department a collec-
tion of Winnebago terms and definitions. Have you any memoranda in the
Historical Library throwing any light on the Turtle Village other than
what has been published? Can you suggest the probable meaning of
the noun "Kuskawoinanqua" ?

I would gladly visit the library to consult authorities that might
enlighten me.

CORNELIUS BUCKLEY,

Beloit

Miss Kellogg of the Society's research staff has prepared the
following report upon the subject of your recent inquiry:

The Rock River Winnebago villages are to me an insolvable
puzzle. I am inclined to think that Brevoort's information was at
fault, and that by "Kuskawoinanque" he was giving a form of Kosh-
konong, but certainly the distances do not carry out this hypothesis.
The vocabulary of Nicolas Boilvin has disappeared. We have had
every search made for it in Washington with no success. We have in
this library a manuscript Winnebago vocabulary compiled (or
rather written down) by Dr. L. C. Draper from information obtained
from Thomas J. George, an Indian trader, and from other sources.
This vocabulary gives the Winnebago word for Beloit as Ki-chunk-
ne-shun-muck-er-rah, Turtle Creek or River — not much like "Kuska-
woinanque."

We have another manuscript document that only adds to the
confusion, yet this latter must be considered authentic. It. was
written October 1, 1829 by John Harris Kinzie, Indian subagent at
Fort Winnebago. He gives the Kosh-ko-o-nong [s*c] village as

Winnebago Villages on Rock River 371

distant sixty miles from Fort Winnebago, with its chief as Little
Priest. On Turtle River sixty-five miles is White Crow's village with
600 Indians — the largest village he mentions. The next village is at
the mouth of Sugar Creek, sixty-five miles, then the Sycamore village,
seventy-five miles, and Sugar Camp, one hundred and twenty. He
mentions none at the distance of one hundred miles. Where, by the
way, can the White Crow village have been? The distance is all right
for Carcajou Point; if the trail led to the Koshkonong village in
Albion Township of Dane County, Carcajou Point was five miles
beyond, but why call it Turtle River village? Any village on Turtle
Creek would have been more than sixty-five miles from Fort Winne-
bago. I can assume that Brevoort was mistaken ; he lived at Green
Bay, had no dealings with Rock River Winnebago, but Kinzie in
1829 was their own agent. I have never been able to come to any
satisfactory conclusion on this subject. If you have any light thereon,
we would be glad to receive it.

COMMUNICATIONS
RECOLLECTIONS OF CHIEF MAY-ZHUC-KE-GE-SHIG

The brief account of Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig in your December
issue recalls the pleasant vacations that for some years I spent on the
White Earth Reservation. I there met many Indians of the Chippewa
tribe, for the most part of mixed blood, some of whom were well
educated and accustomed to the conveniences and some of the luxuries
of our twentieth century civilization. I remember with particular
pleasure John W. Carl (a nephew of the old chief whose passing you
record) and his charming wife. Mr. Carl was then residing in
Mahnomen, Minnesota, where he held the office of county auditor.
Educated for the bar, he never practiced so far as I know. He
retained complete mastery of his native Chippewa, and it was through
him that I met and talked with May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig. The Chief may
have known a little English, but, Indian-like, he gave no evidence that
he understood a word that I said. However, thanks to the skilful
interpreting of Mr. Carl, the interviews were entirely satisfactory to
me.

His nephew told me that the Chief had known personally every
president of the United States from Lincoln to Roosevelt. He quite
frequently went to Washington on behalf of his people, and more than
one president called him into conference on matters relating to Indian
affairs. His moderation, good judgment, and friendliness to the
whites were recognized by the federal officials. On some of these
trips to the Nation's capital he was accompanied by Mr. Carl, who
acted as interpreter. The old Chief always made a deep impression
wheresoever he went. On several occasions he attended the theater,
attracting more attention than any of the political notabilities.

And small wonder, in such a setting; even in old age he was the
finest specimen of his race that it has been my good fortune to
encounter. Fully six feet in height, he was of large frame and as
straight as an arrow. His noble head was a study worthy of a
master's brush. When I first met him he wore a neat frock coat,
flannel shirt, moccasins, and black felt hat. In much the same garb

General Porter and General Parker 373

he undoubtedly appeared in Washington in later life. President
Roosevelt, especially, took a great fancy to him.

The Chief, so Mr. Carl told me, possessed in a degree remarkable
even in an Indian the power of oratory ; and this gift was exercised
more than once to quiet the restlessness of the tribesmen. He was
the white man's friend and his memory should be suitably honored.

I like the photograph of May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig which I presented
to the Society some years ago better than the one you have reproduced
in your December issue.

JOHN THOMAS LEE

Chicago

GENERAL PORTER AND GENERAL PARKER

In the article entitled "General Grant and Early Galena" in the
September, 1919 issue of the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE, OF HISTORY oc-
curs an error which should not go uncorrected. I refer to Mr. Evans'
statement that among the friends of Grant at Galena prior to the
Civil War was "Colonel Porter, a West Point man, then superintend-
ing the erection of a postoffice at Galena" ; and, further on, the state-
ment that Porter, "who was partly of Oneida Indian blood," served
as an officer on General Grant's staff in the Civil War. It will
certainly surprise the many friends of General Porter, and General
Porter himself, to learn that he is of "Oneida Indian blood" or in any
way of Indian descent.

The mistake has probably arisen by confusing the name of Porter
with that of General Ely S. Parker, who served with Porter on Grant's
staff. General Parker was Grant's military secretary during the
later portion of the Civil War and in this capacity made the first
engrossed copy of the terms of capitulation of General Lee at
Appomattox. He was an Indian, a Seneca, the son of a chief, and
himself the last grand sachem of the Iroquois Confederacy.1 He
received an excellent education in the schools of New York and having
become a civil engineer was in the employ of the federal government
for several years prior to the war. In 1857 he was sent to Galena to
superintend the construction of a customs house and a marine hospi-

1 A life of General Parker has recently been published as Vol. XXIII of the
Buffalo Historical Society Publications. — ED.

374 Communications

tal ; here he remained several years and here he made the acquaintance
of Captain Grant, then employed in the family leather business at this
place. The career of General Horace Porter is too well known to
call for extended comment. He comes of a prominent Pennsylvania
family (his father was twice governor of the state) of Irish origin.
He graduated at West Point in 1860, like Parker served on Grant's
staff, won distinction by his service, and like Parker served later as
Grant's executive secretary. Unless Mr. Lacher made a mistake (a
thing which the similarity of the names would readily account for)
in reporting Mr. Evans' recollections, it seems evident that the latter
in old age memory confused General Parker, whom he doubtless knew,
with General Horace Porter.

J. S. ANDERSON

Manitowoc

THE PRESERVATION OF WISCONSIN'S FIRST CAPITOL

The state house at Old Belmont, which was moved from its original
site across the public highway about thirty years ago and used for the
main building of a barn, has been moved back to its former site and is
now in process of restoration.

A bill was introduced in the Wisconsin legislature of 1917 asking
for an appropriation to purchase two acres of land, including the
site of the old capitol, move the building back to its former site, and
restore it as nearly as possible to its original shape.

The bill asked for $12,000 ; had this sum been appropriated, the
park would have been enclosed with an appropriate fence, planted
with trees, a care-taker's lodge erected, and such other improvements
begun as would have made it one of the most attractive and interesting
places in the state. But so much interest was being centered on the
impending war that for a while it seemed doubtful whether any appro-
priation would be made. As finally passed the bill carried an appro-
priation of only $3,000. This sum was so much less than had been
asked for that the question of abandoning the project was seriously
considered. But the Commission felt assured that if the work was
begun and carried out as far as the money appropriated would allow,
future legislatures would appropriate sufficient funds to carry out
the plan originally intended.

Wisconsin's First Capitol 375

There was much delay in procuring a clear title to the land. It
was found that one David Wright, well known to the older citizens
of this locality, kept a saloon near the old capitol building, some
fifty years ago. The building in which the saloon was kept was burned
down many years ago. It appeared that he had some claim on the
lot on which his saloon stood, and when the farm was sold this lot was
excepted. It was also found that a number of Wright's heirs were
still living in different parts of the country, and it took over a year
to procure quitclaim deeds from them.

Considering the hard usage the old capitol has undergone since
it was built eighty-three years ago, it is still in a fairly good condition.
With the exception that the lower floor and the battlement had been
entirely removed and that a portion of one of the sills had to be re-
newed, the frame work was found to be as solid as on the day it was
first put in. It is said that the lumber used in the building was brought
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, down the Ohio and up the Mississippi
by steamboat to Galena and hauled by team to the site of the old
capitol.

The Belmont Capitol Commission, appointed by Governor Philipp,
composed of State Chief Engineer John G. D. Mack, Insurance
Commissioner Platt Whitman of Madison, and M. P. Rindlaub of
Platteville, held a meeting at the old capitol on October 17, 1919 and
took the necessary steps for restoring the building as much as the
small portion of the appropriation left will permit.

The building erected for the territorial supreme court is in the
immediate vicinity and is still in a good state of preservation. It was
remodeled somewhat and used for many years after the capital was
changed to Madison as a residence by the late Charles Dunn, who was
at that time chief justice of Wisconsin. It was in this building that
the first governor of the state of Wisconsin, Nelson Dewey, was
married to Miss Kate, daughter of Judge Dunn.

The present owner of the building has just completed a new
residence, and unless steps are taken by the state to procure the old
building and move it to the lot now occupied by the old capitol, it
may soon be torn down. It is to be hoped than an appropriation
may be made to procure title to this building before it is too late.

M. P. RINDLAUB
Platteville

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES
THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE

During the three months' period ending January 10, 1920 there
were sixty-seven additions to the membership roll of the State
Historical Society. Twelve of this number enrolled as life members,
as follows: John A. Bardon, Superior; Rev. Theodore A. Boerner,
Port Washington; John Charles, Denver, Colorado; Benjamin F.
Faast, Eau Claire ; Howard T. Greene, Genesee Depot ; Dr. Albert J.
Hodgson, Waukesha; Milton M. Jones, Racine; Major C. Mead,
Plymouth; John L. Osborn, Lawrence, Kansas; Wilbur A. Sisson,
Ripon; Morten M. Steensland, Madison; Monroe A. Wertheimer,
Kaukauna.

The following fifty-five persons joined as annual members of the
Society: Rev. Joseph Allard, Arkansaw; George C. Astle, Baraboo;
Dr. A. E. Bachhuber, Mayville; Prof. W. G. Bleyer, Madison;
Robert K. Boyd, Eau Claire; Harry L. Butler, Madison; Rev.
Louis B. Colman, Neillsville; Harrison G. Davies, Watertown;
Charles J. Dexter, Milwaukee ; Stephen H. Dooley, Ladysmith ; Roy
Drew, Coloma; Eli E. Fischer, Watertown; Cameron W. Frazier,
Menomonee Falls ; Max H. Gaebler, Watertown ; William J. Gaynor,
Waukesha ; Frank L. Gilbert, Madison ; Joseph B. Goldbach, Milwau-
kee; George E. Haff, Red Granite; Robert W. Haight, Waukesha;
Rev. Floyd R. Harding, Black River Falls ; Rev. John W. Harris,
Portage; John A. Hazelwood, Madison; Joseph H. Hill, Menasha;
R. A. Hollister, Oshkosh; Rev. Ivor G. Hyndman, South Milwau-
kee; James R. Jensen, Janesville; Rev. Henry Johnson, Racine;
Miss Edith R. Jones, Hancock; Rev. William P. Leek, Fond du
Lac; Miss Katherine L. McLaughlin, Madison; Roujet D. Marshall,
Madison; Julius F. Melaas, Stoughton; George F. Peffer,
Waukesha ; Dr. Francis J. Pope, Racine ; Rev. Robert Pow, De Soto ;
Edward Premo, Coloma; James F. Prentiss, Watertown; Knut A.
Rene, Madison; Prof. H. S. Richards, Madison; Mrs. R. J. Russell,
La Crosse ; Mrs. Harriet C. Schultz, Osseo ; Rev. J. Graham Sibson,
Augusta ; Albert E. Smith, Madison ; James W. Smith, Osseo; DeWitt
Stanford, Elkhorn ; Elbert W. Stridde, Niagara ; Nicholas Thauer,
Watertown; Henry M. Thomas, Racine; E. Arthur Travis, Wauke-
sha; G. F. William Ungrodt, Medford; Ralph H. Volkman, Ojibwa;
Miss Jessie E. Warnes, Milwaukee; Prof. Allen B. West, Milton
Junction; Rev. Arthur D. Willett, Glenwood City; Oscar Wilson,
Menomonie.

The Society and the State 377

Figures presented at the annual meeting of the Society in October
showed that forty life and one hundred sixty-five annual members had
come into the Society during the year under review. This notable
increase was chiefly due to the labors of the special membership
committee directed by Curator J. H. A. Lacher of Waukesha. That
committee could have accomplished little, however, but for the fine
response to its appeals and cooperation in its work accorded by
scores of members of the Society during the preceding year. The
committee was continued by the board of curators, and in December,
1919 a renewed drive for new members was opened by it. The results
to date are shown in the figures and names recorded above. Since
the renewed membership drive began Mr. Lacher of Waukesha has
been responsible for adding seven persons to the membership roll, and
Dr. W. F. Whyte of Madison, five. Mr. W. K. Coffin of Eau Claire,
R. B. Lang of Racine, J. H. McManus of Coloma, and F. M. Smith of
Osseo have each turned in two new members. We propose to print
in the "Survey" from time to time the names of those members of the
Society who distinguish themselves by their zeal in procuring new
members. We shall be delighted to hear from any who are desirous of
displacing Mr. Lacher from his present position of leadership in this
matter.

The death toll of the Society for the quarter just closed numbers
six of its old-time members. Mr. R. G. Deming, one of our oldest
members and long a resident of Madison, died at Twin Bluffs, Decem-
ber 2, 1919. For many years Mr. Deming conducted the North-
western Business College at Madison, now known as the Capital City
Commercial College.

James G. Flanders, for half a century a leading Milwaukee
lawyer and for fifteen years a member of the Society, died January 1,
1920. Mr. Flanders was active in politics and a friend and supporter
of many educational and other community activities. He was for
many years a member, and for several years president, of the board of
trustees of the Milwaukee Public Library.

John E. Morgan of Spring Green, former state assemblyman and
University regent and for fifteen years a member of the Society, died
at his home December 30, 1919. Mr. Morgan was a native of Ohio
but had resided in Wisconsin since 1854.

Mr. A. E. Proudfit, president of the First National Bank of
Madison, died from a stroke of apoplexy, December 22, 1919. During
most of his life Mr. Proudfit had been a resident of Madison, where
his father had likewise been a leading business man and citizen. The
elder Proudfit was the builder of a large portion of the state capitol
which preceded the present structure.

378 Survey *of Historical Activities

Frank J. Finucane of Antigo died at his home early in December.
He had long been a leading lawyer of Langlade County and had served
as city attorney, president of the local library board, and member of
the board of education.

John Schuette of Manitowoc, leading business man and five times
mayor of his home city, died in December after a brief illness. Mr.
Schuette was a native of Germany ; he came to America in childhood
and achieved substantial success in the country of his adoption.

The Proceedings of the Society at its sixty-seventh annual meet-
ing, held October 23, 1919, was sent to the printer at the beginning of
the new year. The outstanding feature of the day was the annual
address before the Society, delivered by Major General William G.
Haan, commander of the Red Arrow Division in the World War. The
address was given in the University armory to an audience which filled
the large room and a special feature of which was a group of three
hundred Red Arrow veterans who had served with General Haan
overseas. At the business session of the Society held in the afternoon
Judge E. Ray Stevens of Madison was elected president for the
ensuing three-year term. The annual report made by the Superin-
tendent of the Society for the year ending September 30, 1919 showed
a greater accession of members and likewise a greater growth of the
Library than in any previous year of the Society's history. On the
suggestion of the Superintendent provision was made for an impor-
tant expansion of the Society's research and publication activities
through the creation of an editorial division, Mr. Quaife being elected
to the newly-created office of editor of the Society. The president
was directed to appoint a committee of five curators to nominate a
superintendent to succeed the present incumbent.

Bruce E. Mahan of the University of Iowa spent some days work-
ing in the Society's newspaper and manuscript collections during
December. Mr. Mahan is engaged upon a history of Fort Crawford,
which may eventually appear as one of the publications of the State
Historical Society of Iowa.

Willoughby M. Babcock, chief of the museum of the Minnesota
Historical Society at St. Paul, paid a somewhat extended visit to
Madison in December for the purpose of studying methods and
practices in vogue in the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Mr.
Babcock is the successor of Ruth Roberts who went from the Society's
museum to take charge of the Minnesota Historical Society's museum
a year or more ago. More recently Miss Roberts resigned this
position in order to take up the career of homemaker.

The Society and the State 379

The Society had the pleasure of a visit in the month of December
from Father Philip Gordon, missionary to the Chippewa Indians in
northern Wisconsin. Father Gordon was born at the town of Gordon,
named for his father's family. His mother is a Chippewa and he
himself is a member of the Bad River band of that nation. His
Indian name is Ti-bish-ko-ge-zick, which means "looking into the
sky," an appropriate term for a sky pilot, although he received it
when a child, before determining his profession. He was named in
honor of an uncle on his mother's side of the family. His grand-
father was born at the old La Pointe village on Madeline Island and
was interpreter for Father, later Bishop, Baraga, the early nineteenth
century apostle to the Wisconsin Indians. The name was originally
Gaudin, of French origin, but it has become Anglicized into Gordon.

Father Gordon passed his boyhood in the woods of northern
Wisconsin; at the age of thirteen he was sent to St. Paul to be
educated. Later he studied in Europe at Rome, Innsbruck, and Bonn.
Now in the prime of life he is devoting himself to the uplifting of his
people and to helping them to a fuller and richer life. When asked
if he was interested in the old Indian traditions he replied, "Yes, but
they must be preserved in books, not in men." Father Gordon makes
his headquarters at Reserve on Lake Court d'Oreilles; he officiates
however at six chapels : one at Reserve ; two on the Lac du Flambeau
reservation ; one at the mouth of Yellow River, for the St. Croix band ;
one on Mud Lake in Rusk County ; and one at the Old Post, so-called,
on the west branch of Chippewa River. This latter place is called by
the Indians "Pakwaywang," meaning "a widening in the river" ; it is
about fourteen miles east of Reserve in section thirty-two of township
forty, range six west.

Father Gordon ministers to the Court d'Oreilles band, the Lac du
Flambeau band, and the St. Croix band of Chippewa, the latter of
whom have no settled homes and many of whom are still pagans. He
is an ardent advocate of Americanization and of creating in the
Indians a desire for a better standard of life. Most of the Chippewa
can read and write, over ninety per cent being literate. In the Court
d'Oreilles band the oldest full blood is Anakwat (The Cloud), who
lives at the post. Both he and Gaw-ge-ga-bi of Round Lake are
much respected because of their age and wisdom. The orator of this
band is Billy Boy, who lives at Reserve and speaks beautiful Chippewa.
Father Gordon says there is as much difference between the common
language of the reservation and that of the orator as there is between
the slang of our street Arabs and the literary idiom of our best
writers. He says Billy Boy is a master of Chippewa ; his language
is sonorous and beautiful, full of original terms and lofty similes.

Father Gordon thinks prohibition will save the Indian race;
improvement in manners and morals has been noticeable since this

380 Survey of Historical Activities

measure became effective. He is very proud of his boys who served
in the European War, five of whom lost their lives on the battle fields
of France. He is collecting their letters and reminiscences for the
Wisconsin War History Commission and promises to write an article
on "The Chippewa in the World War."

Recently Father Gordon made a visit to the Potawatomi Indians
of eastern Wisconsin, who have been so long neglected both by the
government and by missionary agencies. At Soperton in Forest
County he met the representatives of this tribe, most of whom are
still pagan, and discussed plans for a mission. There are about three
hundred Potawatomi living in Forest and in northern Marinette
counties, some of whom have recently joined this band from their
Kansas home. Their only missionary to the present time has been
the Reverend Erik O. Morstad of the Lutheran missions. The
government recently acknowledged the claims of the Wisconsin
Potawatomi to a share in the tribal funds, and it is hoped that they
may be raised from the conditions of poverty and degradation into
which they have fallen. Dr. Carlos Montezuma of Chicago accom-
panied Father Gordon on his visit to the Potawatomi. The former
is a member of the Society of American Indians and, like the latter,
an enthusiastic advocate of making the Indians citizens and respon-
sible for their own development.

The diamond jubilee of the First Evangelical Church of Racine
was celebrated with appropriate services November 19-23, 1919. The
beginning of this church dates back to September, 1844, when an
Evangelical preacher visited Racine and preached to a small group
of Evangelicals gathered in a home on the site of the present high
school building.

The Catholic Citizen of Milwaukee celebrated its fiftieth anniver-
sary and the diamond jubilee of the establishment of the diocese and
archdiocese of Milwaukee by publishing on December 13, 1919 a
thirty-two page edition with many illustrations. A sixteen-page
historical section presented numerous articles on the history and
development of Catholicism in Wisconsin.

The movement initiated last summer jointly by the Wisconsin
Archeological and Historical societies and the Milwaukee Museum
looking to the public preservation of the site of ancient Aztalan gives
present promise of tangible results in the near future. The Historical
Landmarks Committee created by the State Historical Society at the
October, 1919 meeting has undertaken to stir up public sentiment on
the subject and during the early winter conducted a vigorous cam-

The Society and the State 381

paign, with a view to inducing the local county authorities to take
action for securing either part or all of the site for the public.

On October 24, 1919 a celebration and homecoming was held at
Mount Vernon, Dane County, to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of
the founding of the towns of Primrose and Springdale. Both towns
were first settled in 1844, and since the village of Mount Vernon lies
on the boundary line between them, it was decided to hold the joint
celebration there. Some years ago Honorable John S. Donald, a
native of Springdale, secured for the place Washington and Lincoln
elms. For the recent celebration he provided a General Pershing tree,
which he had brought from France. The homecoming proved an
interesting and enjoyable occasion to all who attended. Credit for
arranging the event and carrying out the program is due Albert 0.
Barton and John S. Donald of Madison.

In erecting a statue to Brigadier General Erastus B. Wolcott
Milwaukee does honor to one of Wisconsin's worthy pioneer citizens.
Born in New York in 1804, General Wolcott studied medicine and in
1836 became a surgeon in the regular army. In 1839 he resigned and
settled in Milwaukee where he continued to reside until his death in
1880. Appointed a surgeon in the territorial militia in 1842, he rose
by successive steps to the rank of major general and during the Civil
War and for many years thereafter held the important office of
surgeon-general of the state. He held also, at different times, numer-
ous other positions of public trust, among them regent of the state
university and vice president of the State Historical Society,. The
statue to General Wolcott was placed in Lake Park in November,
1919. Formal unveiling exercises will be held in the spring of 1920.

Edwin 0. Kimberley, a soldier of the Civil War and long a
resident of Janesville, died at Madison, December 24, 1919. Mr.
Kimberley was a good friend of the State Historical Society and twice
in recent months bestowed important gifts of historical material upon
it. His gift of the unique collection of the "blizzard" press of Dakota
is described in the March, 1919 issue of this magazine, pp. 331-32.
In the same issue (p. 370) is an account of the presentation of an
important collection of Civil War letters, while a few months earlier
Mr. Kimberley presented to the Society an interesting group of
pictures of members of the famous military band of which he was the
leader. If all citizens of Wisconsin were as mindful of the interests of
their Historical Library as Mr. Kimberley was, its collections would
soon increase to manyfold their present size and value.

382 Survey of Historical Activities

On October 23, 1919 the one-hundredth birthday anniversary of
Mrs. Philetta Bean was charmingly observed at the Wisconsin
Veterans' Home at Waupaca. Letters of congratulation were read
from Secretary Tumulty, General Pershing, ex-Governors Upham
and Scofield, Governor Philipp, Senator Lenroot, Judge Winslow,
General King, and others. A native of New York, Mrs. Bean came
with her husband to Wisconsin in 1843. They located at Stevens
Point when it was an obscure lumbering village, and most of Mrs.
Bean's life has been passed in this immediate vicinity. Two of her
sons were soldiers in the Fifth Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil
War.

Carl Quickert, whose plan for bringing out a history of Washing-
ton County was noted in a former issue of the magazine, writes under
date of December 17, 1919 that lack of space has prevented publish-
ing the history in his paper, the West Bend News. Accordingly
estimates are being awaited on the cost of printing the work as a
separate volume, the manuscript being now ready for the printer.
Mr. Quickert concludes : "I shall, of course, remember the Historical
Society with a copy of the work as soon as it comes out."

What role Wisconsin's German-born or German-descended citizens
would play in the World War upon which the United States embarked
in the spring of 1917 was for some time a matter of anxious specula-
tion on the part of many citizens and at least some officials of the
United States. Now, less than three years later, the effective answer
these same Wisconsin German-Americans made to the query finds
graphic illustration in an attractive volume from the Press Publish-
ing Company of Sheboygan entitled Co. C, 127 Infantry, in the World
War. For the information of the world beyond Wisconsin's borders
we note that Sheboygan is one of Wisconsin's lake-shore German
counties and Company C was the national guard company of Sheboy-
gan City; further, that its captain bore the Teutonic name of
"Schmidt"; and that scattered over its muster roll are such names
as Jerzewski, Bauer, Berndt, Bluemke, Bunge, Chieffo, Chudobba,
Demopoulos, Engelhardt, Knauf, etc. What these sons of Wisconsin
and their associates did to the followers of the German eagle on the
battle fields of France is thrillingly recorded in the company history
before us, the material, aside from official data, being furnished by
Captain Schmidt. What the German soldiers did to Company C is in
part tragically revealed by the long necrology roll near the close of
the volume. The fine record of achievement which Sheboygan's
favorite company made in the war is fittingly preserved in this volume.

The Society and the State 383

The civilization of the Indian, for which leaders like Father
Gordon and Carlos Montezuma are striving, goes on apace. An
interesting bit of local evidence to this effect may be found in a tomb-
stone inscription in the cemetery on the Oneida reservation near
Green Bay. It is as follows :

Nancy Skenandore. Born at Oneida, June 13, 1861.

Graduated from the Hartford, Connecticut Training
School for nurses in 1890. Practiced her profession in
Connecticut and as superintendent of the Oneida Indian
Mission Hospital until 1906.

Died September 2, 1908.

This memorial erected by the Connecticut Indian
Association, 1914.

In the Oneida church entrance is a bronze tablet which states that
she was the first Indian trained nurse in the United States.

THE BUISSON PAPERS

Captain Joe Buisson was a native son of the Northwest, an ardent
lover of the Mississippi River, on whose upper waters he was born at
Wabasha, Minnesota, in 1846. His father was a fur trader who came
from Canada as an employee of Joseph Rolette of Prairie du Chien
and married a daughter of Duncan Graham, the well-known Scotch
trader of the upper Mississippi and the Minnesota rivers. The
younger Buisson became a Mississippi pilot and steamboat master.
In his later life he collected material for a sketch of rafting and
steamboating on the upper river but died before he had made much
progress in his project. His papers have recently come into posses-
sion of the Historical Society by purchase through the kind agency
of Captain Fred A. Bill of St. Paul.

In point of age and of historical value the collection secured by
Captain Buisson from Alexis Bailly of Wabasha is the most interest-
ing portion of these papers. Bailly was born on the island of
Mackinac, where his father was a prominent fur trader. He was well
educated in eastern schools and upon his return to Mackinac was
rated as a youth of great promise. He soon entered the employ of
the American Fur Company and was sent to Prairie du Chien. There
his first upper river voyage was made in 1821 in company with
Duncan Graham, to carry supplies to the Red River settlement.
Afterwards Bailly was for several years at the mouth of the Minne-
sota, then called St. Peters, River, where he traded with Indians for
both the American and the Columbian Fur companies. While at this
place he married Lucy Faribault, whose mother was, like Captain
Buisson's, a daughter of Duncan Graham. Bailly in 1834 built a
home at Prairie du Chien; about ten years later he removed to

384 Survey of Historical Activities

Wabasha where he passed the remainder of his life, dying there
June 3, 1861. His papers cover the period of his fur trading enter-
prises from 1821 to 1850. They consist of about one hundred and
forty pieces, a typical fur trader's collection. The first paper is a
bill of goods dated November 19, 1821 at Pembina, indicating about
the time when Duncan Graham's caravan arrived in the Red River
settlement. In 1825 Bailly's partnership with James H. Lockwood,
the well-known Prairie du Chien pioneer, was dissolved, a notice of
dissolution being herein contained. Letters follow from Joseph
Rolette, one of especial interest on the famous Indian treaty of
Prairie du Chien in 1825. In 1827 letters appear from Mackenzie of
the Columbian Fur Company ; in 1833 Bailly was in partnership with
the noted Minnesota pioneer Joseph Brown. The letters of this
second period, 1833-40, are of especial value. During that time a
Winnebago treaty was negotiated at Washington, and commissioners
were sent to the Prairie to investigate tribal conditions. The whole
affair was a notorious swindle and as such was investigated and the
commissioners' findings were disallowed by the government. Some
letters in the Bailly papers give additional information concerning
this affair and the connection therewith of Samuel C. Stambaugh, a
former agent at Green Bay. Light is also thrown on fur trade
methods of the period. One letter from Hercules L. Dousman in
1835 reports that a hatter was coming to the Prairie from Kentucky
to buy skins, and it is conjectured that he would pay a better price
for them than could be obtained in New York.

The later Bailly papers throw side lights on the steamboat traffic
of the forties; bills of goods, consignments, etc., for the different
outfits show how dependent the traders were on the steamboats. In
1848 Bailly was operating on Chippewa River where George Warren
was his agent.

The remaining portion of the Buisson papers consists of the
material gathered between 1891 and 1914 for the history of steam-
boating. It is of a miscellaneous character, containing among other
things Buisson's recollections of the life of his grandfather Duncan
Graham, some notes on the early life of Ramsey Crooks, and Indian
biographies of prominent Sioux. Indian place names on the river,
the early history of the St. Croix region, lists of steamboats, and
names of pilots from 1823 to 1907 are included. Captain Buisson
also made a list of early sawmills on the upper river. A typical
sketch is that of Joe Perro (Perreault) from Kaskaskia, who became
a rafting pilot from the St. Croix region. It is asserted that he some-
times cleared $6,000 in two trips from the St. Croix to St. Louis.
There are also many letters from the descendants of early steamboat
captains and pilots with details of their lives, interesting stories of

The Wider Field 385

steamboating days, and the diary of a river trip in 1904. Included
in the collection are photographs both of the steamboats and of their
pilots, the whole illustrating the transition from fur trade days to
those of the heyday of the lumber and freight traffic on the upper
waters of the mighty Mississippi.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

M. M. Quaife ("An Experiment of the Fathers in State
Socialism") is superintendent of the Society and editor of its
publications.

Dr. William Browning ("The Early History of Jonathan
Carver") of Brooklyn, New York, is professor of neurology in the
Long Island Medical College. He is one of the country's eminent
specialists in his chosen field of work and has served as president of
the American Association of Medical Librarians. His special interest
in Carver grew out of a general study of physicians, who had dis-
tinguished themselves as explorers, published recently in the New
York Medical Record.

John C. Reeve ("A Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin") is a
physician of Dayton, Ohio, now in his ninety-fourth year. A self-
made man, Dr. Reeve has risen to eminence in his profession. He has
served as president of the Ohio State Medical Society and has been
honored by Western Reserve University with the degree of LL.D.
"for literary contributions to medicine."

Louise P. Kellogg ("The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848") is
senior research associate on the staff of the State Historical Society
of Wisconsin.

W. A. Titus ("Historic Spots in Wisconsin: II. The Fond du
Lac Trading Post and Early Settlement") presents in this issue of
the magazine the second in his series of articles under the general
title noted. Mr. Titus is a resident of Fond du Lac who makes a
hobby of archeology and local history.

THE WIDER FIELD

On December 10 and 11, 1919 an Indiana History Conference was
held at the state capitol. Three principal programs were held, the
dominant themes being : the importance of state history and how to
interest people in it; the study and teaching of state history; and
local history. The details of these programs evidence a most praise-

386 Survey of Historical Activities

worthy method of bringing about a general cooperation both of
official agencies and of individuals to the end of cultivating the
history of Indiana and making it of real service to the commonwealth
and its citizens. Our readers will be interested to note that Dr. John
W. Oliver, formerly a member of the research staff of this Society, is
director of the Indiana Historical Commission and delivered a talk at
the recent conference on "Cooperation among Historical Agencies."

Frank R. Grover, an enthusiastic student of local history, died
at his home in Evanston, Illinois, December 10, 1919. Mr. Grover
was vice president of the Evanston Historical Society from its
founding in 1898 until January, 1917; from the latter date until his
death he served as president of the society. Mr. Grover found time
in the midst of his law practice to write a number of historical articles.
These include a history of Les Chenaux Islands, "Our Indian
Predecessors, the First Evanstonians," "Father Pinet and his Mis-
sion of the Guardian Angel," "Antoine Ouilmette," and "Some Indian
Landmarks of the North Shore." So diligent a worker in the local
historical field can ill be spared by the Evanston Historical Society.

THE CENTENNIAL HISTOEY OF ILLINOIS

Illinois was admitted to the sisterhood of states in 1818 and in
less than a century had become third among the commonwealths of
the Union from the viewpoints of wealth and population and perhaps
the equal of any from that of general culture and of development in
the arts of civilization. Fitting was it, therefore, for the state
legislature to authorize the preparation, under public auspices and at
public cost, for the gratification of residents of the state and the
enlightenment of the world in general, of a centennial history of the
commonwealth. To all who are interested in the progress of historical
knowledge it is cause for genuine congratulation that Illinois, among
other progressive activities, maintains a state historical survey,
manned by competent scholars, chosen with particular reference to
their qualifications for the work in hand. To this group of trained
workers, therefore, under the general direction of the Illinois Cen-
tennial Commission, the preparation of the history was entrusted.
By them a six-volume work was planned, one volume to afford an
introductory survey of Illinois at the time of admission to statehood,
and the other five to comprise a comprehensive history of the state
from the beginning of white knowledge of the region to the present
time. Such a thorough-going history of a single American common-
wealth, produced under such auspices and by such professionally com-
petent direction, has never elsewhere to our knowledge been planned or
carried out. To its production a large amount of money and the

The Wider Field 387

labor of several years have been devoted. The significance of the
enterprise, particularly from the viewpoint of its influence upon the
further public support and conduct of historical work in the states of
the Middle West, cannot fail to be great. This magazine has hitherto
refrained from comment upon the enterprise because of a desire to"
have the completed work at hand before venturing upon a discussion
of its several parts. But from a number of causes — the prolonged
absence, through ill health, of the general editor, Professor Alvord,
the removal of certain of the workers to other fields of activity, the
exigencies of the Great War (one of the authors laid down his
manuscript, uncompleted, to lend a helping hand in the battles of
America fought on the soil of France), most of all, perhaps, to the
magnitude and laboriousness of the work undertaken — the centennial
year has come and gone and at the close of 1919 three of the six
volumes have still to come from the printer. We have concluded,
therefore, to present at this time some estimate of the three volumes
which are already before the public. The reviews which follow are
all by members of the research staff of the State Historical Library.
They have been written, however, at different times, over a period of a
year or more, and with a view to publication in different historical
periodicals. This circumstance will sufficiently explain any lack of
collaboration as between the several reviewers which may be in evi-
dence. For permission to reprint the first and second reviews
acknowledgments are due to the courtesy respectively of the editors
of the Mississippi Valley Historical Review and the American
Historical Review.

Illinois in 1818. By Solon Justus Buck. [Centennial History of
Illinois, introductory volume] (Springfield: Illinois Centen-
nial Commission, 1917. 362 p.)

With praiseworthy foresight on the part of those concerned
active preparations for the suitable celebration in 1918 of the cen-
tennial of statehood for Illinois were begun several years ago. An
important and commendable part of the preparation for the pro-
jected observance of the centennial was the preparation, under the
editorial supervision of Clarence W. Alvord, of a comprehensive his-
tory of Illinois from the earliest times to the present. The history
thus projected is to extend to five volumes, each devoted to the
exposition of a suitable section of the entire period covered. Pre-
liminary to this enterprise, yet logically a part of it, is the issuance
of the volume under review, the specific function of which is to make
clear to the reader of 1918 what were the several component elements
entering into the Illinois of 1818. Although the volume appears
under the auspices of the Illinois Centennial Commission the same

388 Survey of Historical Activities

group of men who control the publications of the Illinois historical
library are responsible for the present enterprise, and to them is due
criticism of it, whether laudatory or the reverse in character.

For the conception of this thoroughgoing historical undertaking
in the interests of the state of Illinois, only a commensurate degree
of admiration can be entertained. Except for the preliminary vol-
ume, the manner of its execution still remains to be revealed. My
present task is to evaluate, as correctly as may be, Illinois in 1818.
That unqualified commendation cannot be accorded the work is cause
for genuine regret ; that a useful and dignified volume has been added
to the lengthening list of mid-western local histories it is a pleasure
to record.

Physically considered, the book is well bound and presents an
attractive exterior appearance. Within the covers, however, the
characteristic workmanship of the public printer is sufficiently evi-
dent. Thus, the pagination is carried on the title-page of the volume
as well as elsewhere, a matter of trivial importance in itself but
indicative of an attitude on the part of printers of public documents
with which the reviewer, unfortunately, is all too familiar. The
numerous illustrations in the book are for the most part clearly exe-
cuted ; but if any principle governed their selection and arrangement,
a careful perusal of the volume has failed to disclose it. At page 138
occur views of a log tavern and of the ruins of Fort de Chartres;
the chapter is entitled "The Economic Situation." Facing page 80
are pictures of Gurdon S. Hubbard and Alexander Wolcott. Wolcott
was Indian agent at Chicago for a dozen years beginning in 1818,
but his name nowhere occurs in the history, and there is no discover-
able reason for presenting his picture. Hubbard is several times
mentioned in the first chapter, but almost fifty pages intervene be-
tween its close and the presenting of his portrait. Other similar
examples might be cited. Accompanying the chapter on "The Public
Lands" are views of a trapper, a flatboat, a keel boat, etc., while
a full page view of "a land grant" occurs in the chapter on "The
Convention Campaign," separated by over half the volume from the
chapter to which it seems logically to pertain. The view of Chicago
in 1820 should be credited to Mrs. Kinzie's well-known volume,
Wau Bun, from which it is in fact taken.

It is proper to add in this connection that the author is not
responsible for the illustrations or for much else that pertains to the
volume. Because of Mr. Buck's removal to Minnesota, nearly three
years ago, the completion of this work begun by him while at the
University of Illinois was subject to numerous difficulties. The effect
of these was heightened, doubtless, by the long illness of Mr. Alvord,
the editor-in-chief of the centennial history. These facts taken to-

The Wider Field 389

gether fairly account, perhaps, for the one general criticism which
the reviewer has to submit ; while a thoroughly creditable volume, it
does not realize the advance expectations which the work alike of
the editor of the series and of the author of the volume fairly justify
the historically-minded public in entertaining. That this judgment
will be acquiesced in by the author may be inferred from his state-
ments in the preface ; it is stated here merely for the benefit of those
who have not seen or examined the volume.

The three hundred sixty-two pages of the book comprise eleven
chapters, besides an appendix, index, and bibliography. The first
six chapters are primarily descriptive ; the remaining ones are narra-
tive in character. Chapter I, "The Indians and the Fur Trade,"
contains a useful account of these subjects which played so impor-
tant a role in the Illinois of 1818. Here, as usually throughout the
volume, the dominant note is economic, in marked contrast to the
line of interest displayed by such writers as the late Dr. Thwaites.
As compared with the latter's characteristic work the present narra-
tive may be equally useful but it is certainly far less inspiring to
the reader.

Chapter II deals with "The Public Lands"; chapter III with
"Extent of Settlement" in 1818. Useful maps compiled by the
author occur in connection with each. Chapters on the pioneers
and on economic, social, and political conditions follow in due order.
The latter chapter furnishes the transition from the descriptive to
the narrative portion of the book. The latter chiefly recounts the
political conditions and developments centering around the trans-
formation of the territory of Illinois into a sovereign state of the
Union.

No effort has been made to check or correct the author in matters
of opinion ; a few errors of precise detail have been noted, but since
a second edition of the book is improbable, no attempt has been made
to list them. The bibliography presented is uncritical and it does
not assume to be exhaustive. The style of footnote reference accords
well with the general conception of the volume as intended to be
scholarly in character yet designed primarily for popular reading.
The index seems to be well constructed and reasonably exhaustive.

M. M. QUAIFE

The Frontier State, 1818-1848. By Theodore Calvin Pease. [Cen-
tennial History of Illinois, Vol. II.] (Springfield: Illinois
Centennial Commission, 1918. 457 p.)

The second volume of the Centennial History of Illinois series
is in more than one respect a notable book. Appearing out of order
before the first volume has been published, it reveals the scope and

390 Survey of Historical Activities

plan of a cooperative enterprise so well conceived and thus far so
well executed as to indicate that the study of western history has
passed well beyond the backwoodsman stage. Following the pioneer
who first blazed a trail through the trackless maze of unassorted
source-material for the history of the West, there are now groups
of trained historians sharing a common viewpoint, conforming to
the same high standards of scholarly technique, working together in
close personal touch with each other in a spirit of cordial and sym-
pathetic cooperation. Such is the group of historians who have
undertaken the task of relating the events of a century in the state
of Illinois.

The plan of the series is distinctly cooperative, an individual
author being in the main responsible for each of the five volumes.
The preface to the second volume, written "somewhere in France,"
reveals the extent of the author's indebtedness to the general editor,
to members of the Centennial Commission, and to an assistant com-
petent to supply two entire chapters without marring the unity of
the whole. The result is a book which might very properly be
entitled A Full-Length Portrait of a Frontier State.

In the drawing of the outlines the perspective remains admirable
throughout. Although some tediousness of detail in recounting fac-
tional controversies of local politics or the bizarre experiments of
frontier finance could not always be avoided, the author nowhere
loses his perception of the vital relation between state politics and
the larger aspects of national affairs. Not only for an appreciation
of frontier problems and conditions but for a sympathetic under-
standing of the Jacksonian period as well, it may be doubted whether
the history of any state, unless perhaps that of its western neighbor,
Missouri, would prove so instructive as the history of Illinois. Situ-
ated at the crossroads between the East and the West, between the
North and the South, and having within its own boundaries both a
north and a south, the state was of necessity deeply affected by
national policies of finance and tariff, the counter-currents of the
slavery issue, and of those social, racial, and religious forces that
have at times exerted so decisive an influence upon local and national
development. Each of these topics is discussed in order, the arrange-
ment of the chapters being logical and consistent without arbitrarily
separating movements which could only be adequately presented in
relation to each other. Thus portrayed, the history of an individual
state, while still retaining its distinctive local character, sheds new
light upon many phases of national progress which have not as yet
been fully apprehended.

Throughout the book and especially in the admirable first chap-
ter the author manifests that true appreciation of frontier complexi-

The Wider Field 391

ties which can be attained only through the laborious process of
absorbing and digesting enormous masses of intricate and minute
detail. The one serious defect in the make-up of the book is the
lack of a satisfactory map showing roads, trails, rivers, and towns
upon which the reader might trace schemes of internal improvements
in which the state was interested. An unfortunate misprint on the
population map of 1840 reverses the legend, making the map read
as if the most densely settled area were that having the lowest per-
centage of population. A welcome addition in forthcoming volumes
would be an appendix showing the representation of the state in
Congress and the term of office of its governors.

MARTHA L. EDWARDS

The Era of the Civil War, 1848-1870. By Arthur Charles Cole.
[Centennial History of Illinois, Vol. III.] (Springfield:
Illinois Centennial Commission, 1919. 499 p.)

Although the author announces in the preface to this volume
that his theme is the transition of Illinois from a frontier community
to a modern commonwealth, none the less his method of treatment
throws into high relief the four years of the Civil War and makes
that event the pivot of his period. Both politically and industrially
he discusses Illinois before and after the war, in separate chapters
placed at some distance apart. For example, the agricultural con-
ditions before the war are considered in chapter three, "Prairie
Farming and Banking"; while chapter seventeen discusses "Agricul-
ture and the War." The railroad problems of the fifties are divorced
from those of the sixties. "Church and School 1850-1860" occupies
chapter ten ; "Religion, Morality, and Education, 1860-1870," chap-
ter twenty, near the end of the volume. By this method of treatment
continuity is lost and the process of the transition from a frontier to
a modern state somewhat obscured. This choice of method is in some
measure justified by the immense importance of the Civil War in the
history of the Prairie State. The war did actually bisect the epoch
Mr. Cole describes ; it did condition not only political but economic
progress to such a degree as to merit the "before" and "after" method
of treatment. More, perhaps, than that of the neighboring states
was the history of Illinois involved in the course of the Civil War. It
was the election of "the man from Illinois" that precipitated the
war; it was the generalship of the military leader from Illinois that
ended its fighting. The fortunes of the state were irretrievably bound
up in its prosecution.

Illinois was also during the period treated in this volume in its
divided opinions and sectional antagonisms an epitome of the nation.
Southern Illinois was practically a border state, and the "democracy

392 Survey of Historical Activities

of Egypt" so abhorred the "black republicanism" of the northern
counties that secession of the lower section was everywhere discussed.
Some of the most brilliant pages of this book describe how the
southern counties swung into line for the Union when the acid test of
recruiting for the Northern army occurred. They even exceeded
in their chivalric zeal the quota assigned to them and furnished more
than their share of fighting men. In that prewar sectional strife the
central counties of Illinois held the balance; from their midst came
Lincoln, the man of the hour. Neither in the extreme north nor in
the extreme south of his state was he thoroughly understood or
unwaveringly supported. Indeed, in the darkest hours before his
second nominaion it was military victory rather than political
enthusiasm that even in his home state turned the tide in the President's
favor. It is significant also that the convention which nominated
McClellan for the presidency in 1864 was held at Chicago, the scene
of Lincoln's triumph four years before. All the political activity
that led up to the declaration of the war, that carried it to a victory
for the North, and that followed as an aftermath of war conditions
Mr. Cole has portrayed with no unskillful hand. He has moreover
produced not merely a history of a single state or that of a divided
community in a death grapple with tremendous forces within itself;
he has given us a portion of the nation's history so intertwined with
that of the state that the telling of one involves that of the other.
The appearance of this volume, with that of the others in the Cen-
tennial series, marks a new departure in state histories. We have in
them not only the history of a state apart from other states, but of
a state within the nation, working out its own peculiar destiny, while
contributing at the same time to the progress of the federal republic.

In accordance with modern canons Mr. Cole relies very largely
upon contemporary newspaper sources. These he supplements by
letters from private collections, some of them now first brought to
light to aid in the writing of this book. His pages are a mosaic of
citations from the local press, skillfully matched, although at times
it is difficult to know where the author begins or the editors stop.
The author's own style is clear and simple ; frequently the impetus of
the narrative carries him along with it ; his wealth of material compels
him. Statistics are so woven into the body of the narrative that they
illuminate the subject rather than appall the reader. Upon the whole
the narrative is readable and brings back the flavor of public opinion
of sixty and seventy years ago.

In his handling of political forces and cross currents the author's
touch is more sure than in his treatment of economic and cultural
movements. The studies of these latter subjects do not compare for
thoroughness with those in the kindred work of Frederick Merk in his

The Wider Field 393

Economic History of Wisconsin during the Civil War Decade. We
are inclined to think that Mr. Cole has not grasped the full importance
of Illinois' railway history. There is no more significant feature of
his volume than the map opposite page 34 showing the increase of
railroads in the decade between 1850 and 1860. Had the war begun
in 1850, as the contest over the compromise of that year threatened,
the commercial allegiance of the Northwestern states would have been
with the Southwest. The Illinois cross-line railroads changed all
this and made possible in 1861 the solidarity of the North. These
facts Mr. Cole nowhere connects with the political situation. His
discussion of the movements of population is excellent and gives some
especially pertinent material, such for example as the westward
emigration from Illinois during the fifties and the filling in of the
farms in the central and southern parts of the state by the New
England element. Another interesting phase of this subject is the
movement during the war years into Illinois from the South. "Cairo,"
our author says, "was the Ellis Island for this immigration," made
up of Unionists and refugee whites from the secession portions of
the border states, also of free blacks and later of freedmen which
helped to give Illinois her large colored population. Meanwhile the
earlier Illinoisians had generously welcomed the refugee whites, who
quickly assimilated to the mass of the population and in a measure
replaced the Southern element drained away in the decade of the
fifties.

The most severe test which Mr. Cole had to meet was his presenta-
tion of the well-worn problems of the political power of Douglas, the
rise and election of Lincoln, and the origins of the Republican party.
With regard to the first of these we get some new light upon Douglas'
responsibility for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise from the
attitude of the senator's newspaper organ at Springfield. Mr. Cole
believes that the Illinois senator was actuated by "a spirit of
opportunism" and brands him as deliberately conscious of the effect
of his action on the Missouri Compromise, which he had described in
184<9 "as a sacred thing, which no ruthless hand would ever be reckless
enough to disturb."

In describing the rise of the Republican party Mr. Cole gives
credit to the early movements in Wisconsin and Michigan that
influenced the first "republican" mass meetings in Illinois. He shows
that Lincoln was at first lukewarm toward the new party, fearing it
was too strongly abolitionist; that he clung to "obsolete Whig
traditions"; and that it was not until 1855 that he formally allied
himself with the Republicans.

Concerning the Lincoln-Douglas debates Mr. Cole has little new
to offer. Perhaps he stresses a point when he says that Douglas

394 Survey of Historical Activities

"reluctantly" accepted the challenge of his competitor. Nor was it
quite true that Lincoln had "no opportunity" to reply to the Freeport
doctrine at the time of its promulgation, since he closed the debate
with a thirty-minute talk. It is probably a printer's error on page
180 that makes the vote for Lincoln in the Illinois senate forty-one in
place of the actual forty-six.

On the nomination and election of Lincoln to the presidency in
1860 Mr. Cole's careful study of newspaper sources sheds some
interesting light. After detailing the well-known events of the
Chicago convention, Mr. Cole declares that "the gay holiday atmos-
phere of the canvass makes it stand out as one of the most picturesque
of presidential elections" — a startling statement to those who con-
sider it in the light of its tragic denouement.

Over the actual military operations of Illinois troops during the
war Mr. Cole passes briefly ; he expresses state pride in the size of the
quotas and in the fact that they were large enough to avoid, in great
measure, the draft in the President's home state. The extent of the
disaffection and of copperheadism in Illinois is fearlessly revealed.
The plot of election day, 1864, to free the Confederate prisoners at
Camp Douglas and to begin an uprising is described, but not that
planned and thwarted the preceding August during the Democratic
convention at Chicago. Wisconsin may have a just pride in the action
of one of her sons, Colonel Benjamin J. Sweet, who as federal officer
in charge of Camp Douglas thwarted both plots by prompt vigilance.

In portraying personalities Mr. Cole is less able than in estimating
forces and tendencies. The great figures on his canvas — those of
Lincoln and Douglas — he wisely leaves to the reader's previous
knowledge. The men of lesser import, however, who throng the
picture, he might well have made more real by brief sketches of their
careers. As it is their outlines are vague and shadowy ; even United
States senators and governors seem incidental and transitory.

The book includes a comprehensive bibliography, an adequate
index, and good maps illustrating the several political campaigns, the
foreign-born population, and the density of the population on the eve
of the war. It seems to the reviewer that the volume fulfills the
promise made to the people of Illinois by the Centennial Commission
and justifies the production of state histories by trained historical
scholars, fostered by state action.

LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG

VOL. HI, NO. 4 JUNE, 1920

THE

WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY

PUBLICATIONS OF THE
STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY OF WISCON-
SIN. JOSEPH SCHAFER, Superin-
tendent, MILO M. QUAIFE, Editor

CONTENTS

Page

THE STORY or WISCONSIN, 1634-1848

Louise Phelps Kellogg 397

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE . . .

Rasmus B. Anderson 413

EARLY LIFE IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN

David F. Sayre 420

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN W. A. Titus 428

THE CAREER OF EDWARD F. LEWIS

Franklin F. Lewis 434

DOCUMENTS:

A Journal of Life in Wisconsin One Hundred
Years Ago : Kept by Willard Keyes of Newf ane,
Vermont 443

THE QUESTION Box:

The History of Florence County; Beriah Brown;
The Knapp- Stout & Co. Lumber Company; Cos-
tumes Three Generations Ago; History of Fort
Mackinac; Sioux War of 1862 at Superior 466

COMMUNICATIONS :

The Kensington Rune Stone; Birthplace of the
Ringlings; Captain Marryat's Tour 478

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES:

The Society and the State ; Some Wisconsin Public
Documents: The Wider Field. 481

The Society as a body is not responsible for statements or opinions advanced
in the following pages by contributors.

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN

00

CO
X

THE STORY OF WISCONSIN, 1634-1848

LOUISE P HELPS KELLOGG
CHAPTER VI— POLITICS AND STATEHOOD

TERRITORIAL POLITICS

Political action in early Wisconsin centered around the
choice of the Congressional delegate, the one office connecting
the territory with the federal government. George Wallace
Jones, the first delegate, was elected from that portion of
the territory of Michigan west of Lake Michigan when it was
apparent that its admission as a state was near at hand. He
took his seat as Michigan's delegate; upon its admission as
a state, Jones continued to represent Wisconsin until the
expiration of his term in 1838. His stand for reelection pre-
cipitated the first canvass in the new territory. Jones's record
was good and he was immensely popular in the mining district
of the southwest. He had, however, been a second in the
famous Graves-Cilley duel, an action which awoke conscien-
tious scruples in the minds of the New England element of
the territory's population. Taking advantage of this senti-
ment, the friends of James D. Doty in August, 1838 called
a convention at Madison and put him in nomination for the
office, to which after an exciting canvass he was elected. Doty
had to stand again for election in 1839 ; this time two conven-
tions, both calling themselves Democratic, met at Madison in
June. At one of these Byron Kilbourn was nominated ; at
the other, Doty, who was in September following reflected
for the term of two years.

Thus far all parties had called themselves Democratic,
and the national alignment had not affected the territory.
Such divisions as existed were sectional and personal rather
than political. In 1840, however, Wisconsin, although with-

398 Louise Phelps Kellogg

out the presidential vote, was much influenced by the national
campaign. As a result of Harrison's triumph the first Whig
convention was held in January, 1841 at Milwaukee. It was
expected that all the appointive offices in the territory would
become the spoils of the victorious party; the Whigs, who
were in a minority in the territory, now became an organized
party; Doty, who had previously called himself a Democrat,
allied himself actively with the Harrison machine. During
the campaign he published at New York the Voice of an
Injured Territory, in which, imitating the phraseology of the
Declaration of Independence, Van Buren's policy and ap-
pointees in "Wiskonsan" (as Doty always termed the terri-
tory) were vigorously arraigned. This pamphlet was received
with jeers of amusement among the people who were sup-
posed to be "injured" ; Doty's claim upon the administration,
however, was acknowledged by his appointment as governor
to succeed Henry Dodge, the Black Hawk War veteran.
The ntire official personnel, except the life-term judges, was
changed. This overturn alienated the major portion of the
territorial voters. A close Democratic organization was
effected, which in convention at Madison, July 19, 1841,
nominated the deposed Dodge for territorial delegate. The
Whigs put up Jonathan Arnold, an able Milwaukee lawyer,
but Dodge's popularity stood the test and he was trium-
phantly elected to Congress.

Meanwhile Governor Doty was coldly received by the
majority of Wisconsin people. His administration was
marked by constant dissensions with the legislature, which in
the second year of his administration nearly unanimously de-
manded his removal. His quarrel with the legislature was, in
great part, due to attempts to avoid investigation into his
connection with the building of the first capitol. By this effort
and by arbitrary appointments and acts of nepotism and
favoritism he exasperated and embittered the entire three
years of his administration.

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 399

Notwithstanding his great unpopularity and the serious
charges of corruption urged against him, Doty was not re-
moved from his office by the federal government. In 1843,
while the feeling against Doty was at its height, Dodge was
a candidate for reelection to the delegacy ; he swept the whole
territory, defeating the Whig nominee, George H. Hickcox,
by a great majority. Although the popular will was clearly
expressed in this election, President Tyler, upon the expira-
tion of Doty's term in September, 1844, appointed in his
stead Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, United States senator from
New York. Tallmadge was one of the best known political
characters of the United States and had narrowly escaped
becoming president. Having broken with Van Buren on the
subtreasury measure, Tallmadge was offered the nomination
for vice president on the ticket with Harrison but preferred
to remain in the Senate as chairman of the committee on for-
eign relations. It was rumored that he had also been offered
a cabinet position and a foreign mission and had declined
both. Tallmadge made the acquaintance of Doty while the
latter was Wisconsin's delegate and lured by his perfervid
description of Wisconsin Territory came West and bought
a large estate at Taycheedah, whither he proposed to remove
his residence. Since his senatorial term expired with the
Twenty-eighth Congress, he accepted the president's nomina-
tion as governor for the territory and arrived at Milwaukee
the last of August, 1844. As the friend and nominee of the
Doty party and as a stranger in the West Tallmadge was
not received with great cordiality; his first message to the
legislature as well as his past political record was the subject
of much acrimonious comment. The message, however, in its
recommendations for internal improvements and transporta-
tion facilities was a statesmanlike document, and the new
governor's determination to take no partisan position on past
conflicts soon cooled the heat of the opposition to his measures.

400 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Tallmadge's administration was very brief because of the
change in 1845 in the administration of the national govern-
ment; but it was more than a mere episode in territorial
politics. His skill, experience, address, and wide outlook
were valuable to the progress of the new territory.

His successor, appointed by President Polk at the urgent
request of the people of the territory, was their favorite,
Henry Dodge, who thus became the last, as he had been the
first, territorial governor. Dodge's successor as delegate was
Morgan L. Martin of Green Bay, one of the earliest and
ablest American pioneers of Wisconsin. Martin used his
influence to secure a federal appropriation for the Fox-
Wisconsin Improvement work. He also urged upon the
Twenty-ninth Congress the claims of Wisconsin to statehood.
Because of these and other services Martin and his friends
considered that he was entitled to a second term as Congres-
sional delegate. But the clamor for office on the part of
ambitious politicians led to his defeat in the Democratic
convention held at Madison July 21, 1847. The coveted
nomination was secured by Moses M. Strong of Mineral
Point. The Whigs put up John H. Tweedy of Milwaukee
as their candidate, while the growing Liberty party nominated
Charles Durkee of Kenosha. The campaign was the most
vigorous and the most extensive made during the territorial
period. The issues were complicated : personal, since Tweedy
was the more correct in private character, and Strong had
many enemies within his own party ; sectional, since Tweedy
represented the eastern and Strong the western portion of the
state ; territorial, since after the defeat of the first state con-
stitution Strong represented its partisans and Tweedy its
opponents ; and national, since the complicated interaction of
Whig, Democratic, and Liberty parties, increased by the ten-
sion over the Wilmot Proviso, was reflected in local affairs.
Strong took the stump and made speeches throughout the
territory; the Liberty candidate was also aggressive and
convincing. Tweedy, although he did not speak and expected

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 401

to be defeated, was elected by a considerable plurality; he
took his seat in the Thirtieth Congress as the last territorial
delegate from Wisconsin.

During the territorial period the community was organ-
ized politically; parties were formed, newspapers were
established, and machinery was set in motion. The tone of
territorial politics was acrimonious and personal. Charges of
the most disgraceful conduct were freely bandied about ; per-
sonalities were the current topics of the territorial press, and
bitter reprisals the usual political methods. None the less,
as within a large family, while there was much wrangling,
there was also much good-fellowship. Considering the low
political morals engendered by the spoils system, and the
depressed condition of national politics, the Wisconsin can-
didates for and holders of office were above the average in
ability and character. Most of them were men still young
and vigorous, many of whom had had political experience in
older communities. A very large proportion were lawyers
possessed of considerable education and statesmanlike acu-
men. One and all were imbued with a deep enthusiasm for
Wisconsin, a belief in its future greatness, and a desire to
serve in the progress and upbuilding of the new common-
wealth.

ATTAINMENT OF STATE GOVERNMENT

Like all territories Wisconsin had aspirations toward
statehood, complicated, however, in this instance by the ques-
tion of boundaries. The last of the states to be formed from
the Northwest Territory, both Michigan and Illinois had
encroached upon the territory originally allotted to the fifth
state by the Ordinance of 1787. It was the southern boundary
question, however, that was chiefly involved in the process of
attaining statehood. Notwithstanding the fact that for more
than twenty years Illinois had exercised jurisdiction over the
disputed tract, Wisconsin's claims received much considera-

402 Louise Phelps Kellogg

tion among its inhabitants and influenced the progress of the
territory towards the goal of admission.

In his annual message for 1839 Governor Dodge recom-
mended the legislature to consider the submission of the
question of statehood to the people at the next election. On
January 13, 1840 an act was passed in accordance with this
recommendation containing the proviso that a convention
should be held with delegates from northern Illinois to discuss
the inclusion of their territory in the proposed new state.
Only by such a proceeding would there be a sufficient popula-
tion to justify application to Congress for admission. Agi-
tation quickly sprang up in the Illinois counties, and the
majority of their people were eager to cast in their lot with
that of the northern territory. Public meetings held at
Galena and Rockf ord passed strong resolutions favoring the
measure. Wisconsin people, on the contrary, took alarm at
the proposal. Illinois was burdened with a heavy debt, and
the portion that must be assumed by the region desiring inclu-
sion in [Wisconsin staggered the financiers of the territory.
Politicians were also fearful that their share of the offices
would be diminished by the inclusion in the new state of a
developed and thickly-populated region like northern Illinois.
A meeting for Brown County held at Green Bay passed
forcible resolutions against both statehood and the inclusion
of any portion of Illinois. Wisconsin's meager population
was unprepared on its own part to assume the liabilities of a
state government. Therefore at a special session of the legis-
lature held in August, 1840 the act of the preceding January
was amended by a resolution that the convention therein
authorized should not have the power to adopt a state consti-
tution nor to declare the territory an independent state. The
territorial press opposed the calling of the convention, urging
the people to be contented with their fortunate situation
wherein all expenses of territorial government were met, not
by taxes, but by the federal authorities. The September vote
was, as may be supposed, very small and almost wholly against

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 403

the proposition for a convention or for statehood. In Dane
County, for instance, but one vote was cast in favor of the
proposal.

This decisive defeat put a quietus upon the statehood
movement for the next two years. Meanwhile the Whig
party succeeded in 1841 to the control of the federal govern-
ment, and one of its first measures was a law for the distribu-
tion to the states of the proceeds of the public lands. The
territorial Whig press thereupon began an agitation for state-
hood in order to participate in the benefits of the distribution.
Governor Doty, the Whig appointee, had been for many
years an enthusiastic advocate of Wisconsin's "original boun-
daries." In his first annual message in December, 1841 he
advised the consideration of statehood in order to secure the
advantage of the distribution law. At the same time he called
upon the legislature to assert the territory's right to the
region of northern Illinois. The legislature, under control
of the Democratic party, was bitterly hostile to the governor.
The leader of the Council attacked the entire proposition in
a partisan speech and a resolution was passed that "the time
has not yet arrived when it [the consideration of statehood]
is expedient." The Whigs thereupon called a meeting at the
capitol that discussed the matter favorably and passed reso-
lutions for a state government with the boundaries of the
Ordinance of 1787. The legislature, none the less, refused
to consider the subject, and the discussion went to the people.
Most of the newspapers of the territory, then numbering
nine, came out in opposition to statehood; about this time,
however, the Doty party secured possession of the Wisconsin
Enquirer at Madison, which began a series of editorials
favoring the state project. Doty even went so far as to send
an official message to Governor Carlin of Illinois requiring
him to desist from selecting state lands in the disputed Illinois
tract. Doty's opponents claimed that he feared removal by
the federal government and was providing a berth for himself
in the new state government he planned to establish. Be that

404 Louise Phelps Kellogg

as it may, on August 18, 1842 he issued a proclamation where-
in without legislative sanction he summoned the people to
vote at the September election "yea" or "nay" on the question
of state government and the original southern boundary. The
Democratic convention of the territory condemned this meas-
ure as executive usurpation. The vote at the September
election was negligible, the 619 votes for and the 1,821 against
proving indifference rather than active hostility to the attain-
ment of statehood.

The next year Doty was still more deeply embroiled with
the Democratic majority of the territorial legislature. Never-
theless in his message, delivered in March 1843, he reverted
to the proposition for a referendum on statehood. The legis-
lature refused to consider the question, but some of the mem-
bers suggested the advisability of such a movement in order
"to shake off Doty s tyranny/'

A new cleavage of opinion appeared about this time. The
southern counties bordering on Illinois began to favor imme-
diate statehood. Racine, for example, fast filling up and
establishing commercial connections with the northern Illinois
villages, adopted a memorial favoring a movement toward
statehood and the inclusion of northern Illinois. The northern
Wisconsin counties, however, were still oppressed by the dread
of being overpowered by the south in the event of annexation.
The Green Bay Republican, although a Whig organ, de-
clared that "Few, veiy few, can be found in favor of our
admission to the Union at this time." Meanwhile the Whig
convention, which met in July, discussed the advantages of
a state government and recommended the measure to its con-
stituents. Doty, following his precedent of the preceding
year, issued August 23, 1843 a second proclamation charging
the legislature with negligence in not providing for a refer-
endum on statehood and claiming a territorial population of
over sixty thousand inhabitants. These he once more sum-
moned to vote on the question of a state government, but

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 405

omitted all reference to the inclusion of Illinois. The vote
was again very small and except in Racine County was
adverse to the measure. That county gave a majority of 251
in favor; the entire vote was 541 for, and 1,276 against; less
in actual numbers than that of the preceding year. Ten
counties, however, made no returns at all.

Nothing daunted by this serious setback Doty returned to
the proposal at the December session of the legislature of
1843. Almost his entire message was devoted to a discussion
of the importance of statehood, and the righteousness of Wis-
consin's claim to "the integrity of her territorial boundaries"
and her ancient "birthright." The Milwaukee Courier re-
ferred to the message as "the same old tune on the same old
string," but none the less new forces were at work which
compelled the consideration of the question and removed it
from the domain of party prejudice. The growing size of
the population could no longer be ignored. All parties agreed
that the requisite 60,000 inhabitants would be available before
the territory could become a sovereign state. The approach
of a presidential campaign made the politicians restive in a
state of "babyhood and political vassalage." The large for-
eign population desired to secure the political privileges they
had come so far to seek, all the more that the Native American
or Know Nothing party was advocating their exclusion from
the polls. The advantages of statehood in stimulating immi-
gration and the influx of capital were held by many to out-
weigh the advantages of federal care for the territory.

A remarkable change in sentiment animated the legisla-
ture of 1843-44: the Democratic leaders who had stoutly
opposed the measure in 1842 and 1843 now spoke enthusias-
tically not only for state government, but for the maintenance
of the ancient limits. In the Council Moses M. Strong, chair-
man of the committee on the "infringement of boundaries,"
presented a long report covering the history of Wisconsin's
grievances. He declared that if these were not compensated

406 Louise Phelps Kellogg

Wisconsin "would remain a state out of the Union and possess,,
exercise, and enjoy all the rights, privileges, and powers of
the sovereign, independent state of Wisconsin, and if difficul-
ties must ensue, we could appeal with confidence to the Great
Umpire of nations to adjust them." The Democratic volte-
face was due to a desire to conciliate the foreign vote, which
the Whigs were alienating by a leaning towards Native
Americanism. About the time the Council report was deliv-
ered a large German mass meeting was held in Milwaukee,
which passed resolutions in favor of state government and
prepared a petition which secured 1,200 signatures for the
right to vote for delegates to a constitutional convention.
In January, 1844 two bills passed the legislature: one pro-
vided for a referendum on the subject of state government
and, if it carried, for the immediate calling of a constitutional
convention; the other provided that "all the free white male
inhabitants * * * who shall have resided in the said territory
three months" should be entitled to vote on the question of
statehood and for delegates to a constitutional convention.
The legislature also prepared a memorial to Congress recit-
ing the wrongs the territory had endured by the infringement
of its boundaries at the admission of Illinois and Michigan,
and under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty wherein (it was
claimed) 10,000 square miles of territory belonging to the
fifth state of the Old Northwest had been surrendered to the
British government. So belligerent was the tone of this docu-
ment that one representative remarked it ought to be entitled
"A declaration of war against Great Britain, Illinois, Michi-
gan and the United States." The memorial concluded by
agreeing to accept compensation from Congress in the form
of desirable internal improvements such as harbors, canals,
and a railway. It seems at the present time impossible that
a document, which one of its advocates admitted would arouse
in Congress nothing but a smile, could have seriously occupied
the attention of the territorial legislature. Nevertheless the

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 407

memorial was passed by both houses and presented by the
territorial delegate to the House of Representatives, where
it was speedily suppressed in the Committee on Territories.
Had the vote on the subject of immediate preparation for
statehood occurred in April, 1844 it probably would have car-
ried, and Wisconsin might have entered the Union before
her western neighbor, Iowa. Both the Democratic and Whig
press favored the measure ; the foreign population was eager
to exercise its rights; and the Liberty party element desired
additional northern members in both houses of Congress. In
the territorial press much attention was devoted to the subject.
The chief objections offered were constitutional and eco-
nomic. Some of the legal minds of the community contended
that a state could not be formed without the concurrent action
of Congress and that it was wiser to wait until an enabling
act could be secured to place Wisconsin on a proper footing.
The financial obligations of a state were much discussed, and
the belief was freely expressed that the necessary taxation
would prove a heavy burden to the young community, all the
more that the distribution act had been suspended. Local con-
siderations influenced other voters. The southwest was hostile
to political privileges for foreigners, since these would give
preponderance to the lakeboard counties. The new settle-
ments on the upper Mississippi and the St. Croix desired
delay until a new territory could be formed for their region.
By midsummer of 1844 interest in statehood had so waned
that the matter was seldom mentioned in the press, whose
columns were filled with the excitement of the presidential
campaign. The retirement of Governor Doty removed the
executive support of the measure. The Democratic press
repudiated the agency of their party in its favor and declared
that the executive junto had forced them to submit the meas-
ure to the people. Rejection was anticipated, and at the
September election only 1,503 votes were recorded in favor
to 5,343 against adopting a state government. Thus the

408 Louise Phelps Kellogg

fourth attempt to secure a referendum vote in favor of state-
hood for Wisconsin failed. Governor Tallmadge in his mes-
sage to the legislature of 1845 accepted the decision of the
people as putting the matter at rest for the time being, and
the project was not revived until 1846.

In the meantime political conditions had been reversed.
The Democratic party had secured possession of the entire
territorial government. During the summer and autumn of
1845 the press continually agitated for a new referendum.
Two causes operated to change public opinion: one was the
growing population, which was believed to be twice the pre-
scribed 60,000; the other was the penurious policy of Con-
gress concerning territorial appropriations. In May, 1845
the Madison Argus declared that Congress was trying to
drive the territory into a state government. A lesser influence
was dissatisfaction with the territorial judiciary and a desire
to control the choice of judges. By 1845 the question trans-
cended party differences. The Wisconsin Republican stated
that, whichever party succeeded at the fall election, statehood
would become an immediate issue. Scores and hundreds of
the inhabitants were ready to change their vote from the
negative to the affirmative.

Such differences of opinion as existed were concerned
with the method of attaining the desired goal. Some of the
more aggressive papers suggested that the time had come to
form a state government and present its claims to Congress.
"We need not," said the Madison Express, "stand like Iowa
hat in hand, we may go and demand admission not as a favor
but as a right." More moderate counsels opposed action
without Congressional consent. The northern part of the
territory preferred the slower or Congressional method;
the southern part desired immediate action by territorial
authority.

As the event proved, both methods were simultaneously
employed. On January 9, 1846 Morgan L. Martin, terri-

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 409

torial delegate, obtained leave to introduce into the House
of Representatives an enabling act for Wisconsin. This was
referred to the Committee on Territories, and in June re-
ported by Stephen A. Douglas and passed. The Senate
concurred, and on August 6 the bill was signed by the presi-
dent. In the meantime Governor Dodge in his January mes-
sage of 1846 recommended to the legislature a statehood
referendum. That body favored the measure and advised
taking advantage of the federal situation. Florida and Texas
had both been admitted since any northern territory had
entered the Union. Iowa and Wisconsin were expected to
restore the sectional balance in the Senate. The chief ques-
tion was still one of boundaries. The idea of laying claim
to northern Illinois had been dropped, but as Texas was in-
tended to be divided into several slave states, the problem was
to secure as many northern states as possible. It was con-
tended that three states should be formed of the territory
north and west of Wisconsin and Iowa, east of Red River of
the North. This would denude .Wisconsin of a large part of
her northwestern region. The legislature in April passed an
act for the referendum without adverting to the subject of
boundaries. The benefit of a state government was the theme
of the legislative speeches ; control over finances, over school
and university lands, over the judiciary, and the advantages
of independency were the considerations urged. The chief
party difference was with regard to the foreign vote, the
qualifications for which had been amended in the preceding
legislature by the requirement of a six months' residence and
a declaration of intended citizenship. The Whigs wished to
repeal these liberal provisions and reduce the foreign vote to
a minimum, but the Democrats stood firm for the six months'
clause, and the referendum bill contained the provision as it
already existed.

After the adjournment of the legislature it was evident
that the statehood proposition would be accepted. All par-

410 Louise Phelps Kellogg

ties agreed that the territory would be the gainer by this meas-
ure. The vote was 12,334 in favor; 2,487 in opposition.
On August 1 Governor Dodge apportioned the territory for
delegates to a convention to prepare a constitution. All
political parties nominated candidates and much interest was
taken in their election, which took place on September 7.
One hundred twenty-five delegates were chosen, most of them
of the Democratic faith. The Whig members were few, but
their influence was important because of their talents and
ability. The entire convention was composed of the ablest
leaders of opinion in the territory. Organization was effected
October 5, by the choice of D. A. J. Upham of Milwaukee
for chairman, and Lafayette Kellogg of Madison as sec-
retary.

The convention was in session ten weeks and two days,
adjourning on December 16. The constitution it prepared
for the consideration of the people was radical and demo-
cratic. Its chief model was the constitution and political
practice of New York; but independence of thought and
readiness to experiment were marked characteristics of the
convention. The principal innovations were the banking pro-
visions forbidding all banks of issue; the judiciary arrange-
ments for an elective system and the nisi prius method of state
courts; the property rights of married women and the ex-
emption of the homestead from the creditor's claim upon the
debtor. The question of negro suffrage was left for a special
referendum, when the constitution's acceptance should be
determined.

During the convention personal and party differences
caused much friction. One of the leading members resigned
in dissatisfaction before the close of the session. The presi-
dent in his closing speech apologized for the lack of harmony
and hoped the constituents would consider the difficulties
under which the convention had labored. Several of its mem-
bers went away with the avowed purpose of defeating the

The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848 411

constitution at the polls. Petitions were presented to the
January legislature of 1847, urging the calling of another
convention in case the constitution should be rejected. During
the discussion of this measure strong speeches were made in
opposition to adopting the constitution.

The opponents of the instrument were of no one party,
but the Whigs as representatives of the moneyed and business
class disapproved of the banking and exemption clauses.
Ex-Governor Tallmadge was considered the commander-in-
chief of the anticonstitutional forces. The Liberty men op-
posed ratification because negro suffrage was not embodied
in the instrument. One faction of the Democrats opposed,
apparently because the other faction approved. The entire
territory was divided into pro- and anticonstitution groups.
The banking clause and the married women's property and
exemption clauses raised a storm of opposition. The people
were influenced by the impassioned oratory of the leaders.
Mass meetings were held by both the "Friends of the Con-
stitution" and the "Anti-Constitution" groups. Songs were
written, liberty poles erected, and the populace was stirred to
the pitch where blows succeeded words as arguments. Most
of the voters had slight understanding of the radical proposi-
tions embodied in the constitution, but influenced by party
leaders the majority went to the polls April 6, 1847 preju-
diced against the instrument and defeated its adoption by a
vote of 14,119 for, and 20,233 against.

Before the constitution had been defeated strong influ-
ences had been at work to prepare the way for a second
convention should the result of the first be rejected. The
territorial press agitated for a special legislative session ; peti-
tions bearing many signatures requested immediate action.
It was much desired that a constitution should be drawn in
time to permit Wisconsin to take part in the presidential
campaign of 1848. Accordingly on September 27, 1847
Governor Dodge issued a call for an extra session of the

412 Louise Phelps Kellogg

legislature which took place October 18-27. Its sole business
was to arrange for a new constitutional convention, and the
only difficulty was the apportionment of members. A strong
desire was evinced for a smaller convention, so that the num-
ber of delegates was finally fixed at sixty-nine, and the date
for assembling December 15. These measures met with gen-
eral approval ; nominations were quickly made, and the elec-
tion of delegates occurred on November 29. A few of the
local nominating conventions instructed their delegates; in
others candidates were closely questioned on the subjects of
banking, married women's rights, and exemptions. Few of
the first convention members were nominated a second time.
The choice resulted in a larger proportion of Whigs, twenty-
three of that party being chosen to forty-six Democrats. The
convention organized with the election of Morgan L. Martin
chairman and Thomas M. McHugh secretary. A new
constitution was prepared with some measure of unanimity.
The fundamental law was made to rest on general principles,
while most of the disputed features of the earlier constitution
were omitted. The elective judiciary was retained, exemp-
tions and married women's property rights were left to later
legislation, a harmless banking privilege was incorporated.
The convention finished its labors on February 1, and the
popular election was set for March 13. The Liberty party
was the only opposition element in the territory. All the
press advocated the adoption of the new constitution. One
of the members of the first convention attempted to secure
from the legislature the right for the people to vote for the
first constitution as well as for the second, but he was unsuc-
cessful. The election on March 13 gave 16,417 votes in favor
of the constitution and 6,174 against it. On April 10 the
Governor issued a proclamation declaring the result, and on
May 29, 1848 Congress formally admitted Wisconsin to the
Union. The constitution adopted in 1848 has stood the test
of time and still serves as the fundamental law of the state
of Wisconsin.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE KENSINGTON RUNE

STONE

RASMUS B. ANDERSON

When the so-called Kensington Rune Stone in 1898 was
brought forth from its sleep beneath the roots of a tree on a
farm near Kensington, Minnesota, it produced but a slight
ripple of sensation. A photographic copy of the inscription
on this stone was sent to me and to others supposed to be
somewhat familiar with the runic alphabet and with Old
Norse history, for our opinion, and I think I may safely say
that we all agreed in declaring it to be a rather clumsy fraud.
As a result the matter received but little further attention,
and Mr. Olaf Ohman, on whose farm the stone was found,
converted it into a stepping-stone to his granary. In course
of time Mr. H. R. Holand, now of Ephraim, Wisconsin, hap-
pened to visit Mr. Ohman and got possession of the discarded
rune stone, and how he ever since has been exploiting it is
presumably well known to my readers. The inscription is a
fraud on the very face of it, and the proofs of this fact are
most abundant.

I do not at present care to enter into a detailed discussion
of all the evidence against the genuineness of this runic in-
scription. I will, however, mention three facts that seem to
me quite conclusive.

( 1 ) The date at the end of the inscription is 1362. Now
it is a well-known fact that the runes were extensively used
in the north of Europe before the eleventh century, but with
the introduction of Christianity the people got ink, parch-
ment, and the Roman alphabet ; the runes very rapidly passed
into desuetude, and long before 1362 their use had been wholly
abandoned.

414 Rasmus B. Anderson

(2) In the very beginning of the inscription occurs the
word "opdhagelsefasrdh," and the word "opdagelse," which
means discovery, had not yet been incorporated into any
Scandinavian tongue.

(3) In the inscription we also find the word "rise," mean-
ing journey. The word "reisa" is found in the old Scandi-
navian languages, but there it invariably means to raise, to
erect: thus, in phrases stating that a son erects a memorial
stone on his father's grave. But "reisa," meaning a journey,
is a word of recent importation in Scandinavia.

If an inscription should be brought to the notice of the
public with a claim that it was say 200 years old and was found
to contain such words as automobile, telephone, bicycle, wire-
less, aeroplane, and so on ad libitum, the opinion of a learned
university professor would not be required to establish its
fraudulent origin.

Perhaps I ought to add that the fact that in the very first
line of the inscription eight of the supposed explorers are
described as Goths, that is, men from Sweden, is sufficient to
throw suspicion on its genuineness, for it is well known that
those who made voyages to Iceland, Greenland, Vinland, and
to the western islands, generally, came not from Sweden or
Denmark, but from Norway.

As is well known, Mr. Holand several years ago took this
rune stone to Europe and had it examined by experts in
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but these all declared it to
be without any historical value.

And now I have a short story to tell my readers of an
incident that occurred to me ten years ago. I made a state-
ment of it in my paper Amerika at the time, but as the interest
in the Kensington stone was then generally on the wane, my
story did not attract as wide attention as I had hoped.

These are the facts:

In 1910, on invitation, I delivered at Stanley, in the north-
western part of North Dakota, an oration on the seventeenth

Another View of the Kensington Rune Stone 415

of May, Norway's Fourth of July. Stanley was then a vil-
lage of about one thousand inhabitants. The weather was
fine; the speaking and music were from a platform erected
in the middle of the main street ; all business was suspended ;
and a large number of people had come from the surrounding
country and from neighboring villages, so that I was favored
with a large audience. In the evening there was a dance in
a large hall over a corner drug store. I was asked to attend
this ball, but as I was to take an early morning train for
St. Paul, I decided to retire early at my hotel. But I stepped
into the drug store where ice cream, soda water, and cigars
were sold. On entering the drug store I heard a man making
a vigorous speech in praise of the orator of the day. He told
the people how that gentleman had been a professor at the
University of Wisconsin, how he had served a term as United
States minister to Denmark, how he had perpetrated book
after book extolling the culture of the Scandinavians, and in-
sisted that he was entitled to far more appreciation than was
generally accorded him. This advocate of mine was attired
in the clothes of a workingman, more or less covered with dry
mud, but his speech revealed a man of more than ordinary
culture. If he had been an Irishman I should have been sure
that he had kissed the Blarney Stone. He could quote
Swedish poetry and Latin and Greek phrases with absolute
accuracy. He was well up in literature, history, and philoso-
phy. I admired him, not because he had showered compli-
ments on me and handed me a cigar, but because he was a man
of wonderful intelligence and of thorough education, and still
did not feel above doing common work.

In addressing him I said, "Who in the world are you,
anyway?"

He told me that he was a Swede, that his name was
Andrew Anderson, that in his younger days he had been a
student at the celebrated University of Upsala, and that in
1882 he had quit the University, packed his books, and emi-

416 Rasmus B. Anderson

grated to America, settling in Hoffman, Minnesota, where
he now owned a valuable farm. He had for years worked on
Jim Hill's Great Northern Railroad and was now acciden-
tally at Stanley as foreman in a dump on the great magnate's
road. In honor of Norway's independence day he had given
the men under him a holiday and with them he had come to
town to take part in the celebration and to hear me speak.

Hoffman, Minnesota! This set thoughts whirling in my
brain. I asked him if that was not near Kensington and
whether he knew a man there by the name of Olaf Ohman,
on whose land a stone with a runic inscription had been found.

"Of course I know Mr. Ohman. He is a neighbor of
mine, and he is my brother-in-law."

He unfolded to me that Olaf Ohman had come from Hel-
singeland in Sweden in 1875 and had settled as a farmer near
the village of Kensington.

Andrew Anderson added, "He is a man in easy circum-
stances. He was educated as a mechanic in Sweden and is
thoroughly skilled in the handling of all kinds of mechanics'
tools. He is not a college-bred man like myself, but he has
always been a great reader. His favorite books are Alexander
von Humboldt's Cosmos and a work in Swedish called the
Gospel of Nature."

At this point I invested in a package of Havanas and
compelled Andrew Anderson to go with me to the hotel where
I was stopping and on arriving there we went to my room
where I closed the door. I prodded him with all manner of
questions in regard to the rune stone and I found him very
familiar with its history.

In the course of our conversation he gave me an interest-
ing account of a deposed Swedish minister by name Fogel-
blad. This Reverend Mr. Fogelblad was a graduate from the
department of theology in the University of Upsala and for
some years he had served as a regular pastor of the national
church in Sweden; but he had grown so dissipated that he

Another View of the Kensington Rune Stone 417

had to be deposed. Having lost his position and standing,
he had emigrated to America and had found his way into
Minnesota, where he visited the various Swedish settlements
as a typical literary tramp, paying for his living at the various
homes where he stopped by giving entertaining and instruc-
tive conversations and writing letters to friends in Sweden
for people who were not themselves handy with the pen. On
these wanderings he came to Hoffman and Kensington and
fairly ingratiated himself with Andrew Anderson and Olaf
Ohman. Both of these men were deeply interested in cultural
topics and the tramp Fogelblad had a large storehouse of
knowledge to draw from. In fact Mr. Fogelblad made An-
drew Anderson's home his headquarters and there he died
about the year 1900. Andrew Anderson reverently closed
Fogelblad's eyes in death and took him to his final resting-
place. I may add that Anderson and Ohman and Fogelblad
had long since abandoned the Lutheran Church and by their
neighbors were classed as liberals in religious matters. The
Reverend Mr. Fogelblad, so Anderson told me, was well
versed in the subject of the Old Norse runes. Anderson, him-
self, had brought with him from Upsala, Fryxell's great his-
torical work which contains a full account of the runes with
facsimiles of the various runic alphabets. He loaned this book
to his brother-in-law, Olaf Ohman, and oftentimes Fogelblad,
Anderson, and Ohman spent the evenings or Sundays to-
gether discussing the runes. Fogelblad and Anderson would
write out long stories with runic characters and then read and
translate what they had written to Ohman. In further evi-
dence of Fogelblad's attainments, I may add that he wrote
an ambitious book called The Age of Learning (Upplysnin-
gens Tidehvarf). It has no important bearing on the subject,
perhaps, but I may add that the three were all very proud to
consider themselves wholly emancipated from the dogmas of
the Church.

418 Rasmus B. Anderson

So we now have here Olaf Ohman, who settled near Ken-
sington in 1875, and on whose farm the notorious rune stone
was found at the root of a young tree in 1898; Andrew An-
derson, who arrived from Sweden and settled there in 1882;
and the Reverend Mr. Fogelblad, who came to Minnesota
about the same time and spent much time at the homes of
Ohman and Anderson. All three were deeply interested in the
runes and had made a pretty thorough study of the subject.
Either Anderson or Fogelblad could prepare an inscription
on paper and the mechanic, Ohman, could readily give the
runes permanency by chiseling them out on a stone.

Mr. Anderson, whom I can best describe as a diamond in
the rough, did not, I must admit, in my long and interesting
conversation with him, confess that either one of the three
had had anything to do with the much advertised Kensington
Rune Stone, but I will add with emphasis that he did give
me several significant winks. When I pressed the question
whether he and Fogelblad had not concocted this runic
inscription hoax, he told me that under no law was a man
expected to incriminate himself and so far as Fogelblad was
concerned, he would be the last man to cast aspersions on the
memory of a departed friend.

The fact that Ohman, Anderson, and Fogelblad were all
three Swedes throws a flood of light on the first two words
of the inscription which begins: "Eight Goths." Considering
the high intelligence of Olaf Ohman and his deep interest in
literature, science, and history, can any of the defenders of
this rune stone explain how he put this wonderful find to such
sordid use as to serve as a stepping-stone to his granary?
Surely he would not be guilty of such vandalism, if he had
the slightest faith in its genuineness as an historical relic.
Would he not rather have given it a place of honor in his
parlor or library?

Andrew Anderson and I parted in the small hours of the
morning with a most cordial handshake and as the very best

Another View of the Kensington Rime Stone 419

of friends. This interview has served to solve in my mind
with entire satisfaction all the mystery surrounding this
much exploited rune stone, which, from whatever point of
view it is considered, is nothing but a poorly devised fraud.

How easy it would be for three cronies in Madison to carve
some words and figures on a slab of stone, then some dark
night bury it under a tree on the eastern shores of Lake
Monona, and finally, after a few years, bring it to the light
of day and claim that it must be a relic of pre-Columbian
times.

And now, my gentle reader, I leave the matter to you and
ask you to draw your own conclusions in regard to the true
origin of the Kensington Rune Stone. So far as I know
Anderson and Ohman are still living near Kensington. May
I not therefore suggest that anyone sufficiently interested
can make a pilgrimage to their homes and interview them
and so probe this matter further? I have no doubt that the
result would be a complete vindication of the conclusion I
have reached as to the authenticity of this runic inscription.
May I not also suggest that this fake has now been exploited
and written up far more than it deserves and that pen, ink,
paper, and brains may be employed to some better purpose?

EARLY LIFE IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
DAVID F. SAYRE

In writing a paper on the phases of a new life in a new
land one suddenly becomes convinced of the truth of an old
saying, that "many of the ills of life go where the white man
goes, and stay where he stays." Forty years ago one never
saw a crow in Wisconsin, and yet within but a year the super-
visors of Rock County passed an ordinance to pay ten cents
for each crow killed. In the fall of 1849 I rode eight miles,
at the request of a doctor, to find a weed which he needed for
one of his patients, a weed which covers the state today. The
first dandelion in this region was brought the same year
from Lexington, Kentucky, and planted in a garden in Sec-
tion No. 9 of Porter, for table use. The Indian papoose was
never stung by a honeybee until the white man brought this
maker of sweets to his country. But it was not all ill which
the white man brought. The Fourth of July and picnics
came with him, too. The Puritans tried to banish Christmas,
but Thanksgiving, at first, and afterwards the Fourth of July
they originated and handed down to the whole nation. The
Saints' days do not receive a cordial welcome. So the Fourth
of July and the picnic came to northern Rock.

Among the curious new sights which came to the eyes
of your fathers was the annual autumnal migration of the
Indians (Winnebago) from their reservation in the north
to the lakes at Madison, and thence down the Catfish River
to its mouth in the Rock, thence up the Rock to Lake Kosh-
konong, for their yearly supply of wild rice. Their trail
usually followed the river until it struck the northwest corner
of the south half of Section No. 13 of Porter, thence direct
to the Indian Garden where the Catfish empties into the
Rock. Of those Indians who came in canoes, the women and

Early Life in Southern Wisconsin 421

children almost always camped on Section 13, and then it
was that white husbands saw the primitive and proper condi-
tion of mankind. No sooner had they paddled their canoes
ashore than the women took the hatchets and began to build
the tepee — wigwam we called it. They cut down the poles
and planted them in the ground and covered them with mat-
ting, while the braves, their lords, seated themselves on the
ground to smoke, to talk — say politics — and fix their traps.
No one of us white men ever found our wives or sisters allow-
ing us to do that. The wigwam put up, the begging began.
Every family received a visit from one of the women. Every-
thing eatable was asked for : pork, flour, potatoes, butter and
bread, and all were thrown into their blankets, a motley mass.
The blanket probably had once been white, but soon took on
the color of the wearer. One visit of the wives of these "noble
red men" and all romance of Indian life was gone. The
strongest imagination could never conjure up a Hiawatha,
or even an old Nokomis. These parties came down the river
all through the fifties and sixties, but the fast coming settle-
ments of the white man and the failure of the wild rice in
the lake put a stop to them.

Rock County is today what the women and men of the
forties and fifties made it. You who see it now dotted with
pleasant houses and profitable farms can not see it as it was
sixty years ago, a great sweeping, undulating plain of rich
prairie land covered with the richest flowers, relieved with
trees along the river banks and in groves to give variety to
the picture. Today you see it as man has transformed the
beautiful, bounteous, unprofitable nature into money-making
houses and fields and smoking factories. Today you meet
with a public opinion which governs your houses, your farms,
your social manners, your eating and drinking, even your
dress, and everything which joins you to the world of your
fellow men. Mrs. Grundy has come in. Then every man
who came here was a law unto himself. He brought his old

422 David F. Sayre

habits and manners — habits and manners as different from
the other few incomers as the eastern society from which he
came differed. Everyone fenced his part of the section,
plowed his fields, and built himself a shanty without regard
to the ideas of his far-off neighbor, but always with due
regard to the few dollars in his purse. Even his few farm
animals wandered where they saw fit.

Every newcomer was a neighbor to everyone within miles
of his home. There was plenty of work to do, few to do it,
and everyone gave what he could to help. Those of you — I
am not talking to the ladies now — those of you who have
broken your acres during the last thirty years with three or
four horses and a narrow breaking plow can scarcely under-
stand the slow process of breaking land with six yoke of oxen
and a thirty-inch plow. I wish you could have seen the long
string of droning cattle — the biggest one always the leader
and always called "Baby." But they broke our ground and
fitted it for the wheat that was sure to follow. Everyone
raised wheat, and little else. How did we manage to live
through some of those years ? The first crop of wheat I raised
I sent to Milwaukee — that was the only market — and sold it
at forty-five cents a bushel and paid twenty-five cents to the
man who hauled it. It netted me twenty cents per bushel.
I am glad I was not married then. After I had been here
two or three years notice was given that a new machine, a
reaper, was to begin to cut the wheat on a neighboring farm.
As a matter of course we all turned out to see the sight — four
horses before the reaper, in appearance like the early Mc-
Cormick, but the machine dropped the unbound sheaves right
in the track of the horses. There were not binders enough,
so the onlookers had to turn in and bind so that the machine
could make the second round. It was a failure. And then
came the McCormick, the first one, one with the reel driven
by a belt. Oh, how arms and backs ached raking off that
heavy grain: two men on the reaper, five men binding, and

Early Life in Southern Wisconsin 423

two men setting up in shocks. Nine men day in and day out,
week after week, for our wives — those glorious women — to
cook for. You ladies of today, who have your well-appointed
houses to look after, may know whether your mothers were
worthy of the worshipful love of their husbands. And then
the necessary food for all these men. The hot saleratus
biscuit and dried apples. How constant they were. Beef
2y2 cents a pound by the quarter; 10 cents for a chicken, big
or little ; 5 cents a dozen for eggs ; 2l/2 cents for dressed pork ;
butter — every housewife made her own. I can remember no
price for it. Every farmer raised his own flour, although
some drove from fifty to seventy miles to Fulton to the mill
to grind their wheat, until Beloit and Stoughton started
their mills.

But the women of that day — how did they live such
work-a-day lives? I know they took their hours of rest. One
day in April of 1850 I was drawing logs to the sawmill in
Fulton. The snow was six inches deep and had been lying
for two days on the ground, with mud two or three inches
deep under it. I was using a pair of bobs, no box on it. As
I passed through the village, on the brightest of bright days,
I saw several ladies at one of the houses at an afternoon
party: young married ladies as full of fun as any young girl
needs to be. One of them hailed me, saying, "Won't you
give us a sleigh ride?" They could not be refused. Six or
eight of them came out and somehow seated themselves on
the runners, among them the only woman in the region who
had money, the wife of the proprietor of the village. He
had made four thousand dollars in his mill during the winter.
The wife, as in duty bound, had gone to Milwaukee and
bought a rich black velvet mantilla. I venture to say no such
thing had been seen in Rock County before. Arrayed in this
rich costume she seated herself on one of the crossbars of the
runners. The ride was perhaps a mile through the snow and
slush, the women laughing at the fun, as a true woman has a

424 David F. Sayre

right to laugh. At the end, say of a mile, I turned around
and thoughtlessly struck the horses slightly with the whip.
Oh, what screams! "Stop! Stop!" The horses stopped, and
looking about there sat the velvet mantilla with the owner in
it, in six inches of snow and slush. Was there ever such a
shamefaced driver? With no fault of his own, he knew that
that rich velvet mantilla could never look fresh and unsoiled
again. But the women had the fun. All the more so because
of the constant work of those days.

The young girls, where were they? I have been trying
to count them. I can remember but nine in a circle, the
diameter of which is fifteen miles. I do not think I have
missed anyone. I am not practiced in passing the girls by.
One of them you have in your town now; one who carried
joy and brightness to all within her reach. Permit an old
man to bring the tribute of his respect and lay it at the feet
of one whose young maidenhood threw so much sunshine over
the dreariness of a new country.

When I came to this beautiful land I had a wholesome
fear of two things : fever and ague, and rattlesnakes. You
can imagine that my anxiety in regard to the ague was not
allayed when I was told at my first call upon a neighbor that
"this was the healthiest place he had ever lived in; there had
not been an ague in that house for two weeks." But fifty
years have come and gone, and the dreaded disease has not
made its appearance yet. As for the snakes, not one was
seen for three months. One evening in the early gloaming,
in crossing the bridge at Stebbinsville, a peculiar sound was
heard, a sound which once heard is never forgotten. I stopped
and listened, and walked back and forth to see what made it.
As I passed a certain point of the bridge, it grew louder and
more constant. I fixed the point, and on looking over the
railing, saw coiled up on a brace a miserable little snake, say
fifteen inches long, rattling his threats at me with a snake's
venom. A little blow of a stick ended his threats, and fear
of rattlesnakes vanished.

Early Life in Southern Wisconsin 425

The first Thanksgiving in Rock County ought ever to be
remembered. Nelson Dewey was the first governor of the
state. He was not supposed to be a religious man, and
allowed his first year (1848) to go by without a Thanks-
giving. In his second year the month of November came,
and no proclamation. There lived in Janesville a constable
named Martin Dewey, and in the middle of the month the
Janesville Gazette published a proclamation of a Thanks-
giving signed "M. Dewey." Everyone supposed that the
printer had made a mistake in the letter "M" so the good
people made preparations and celebrated the first Thanks-
giving in the county. The day was just past, when the
Governor, ashamed as was thought, issued a genuine procla-
mation, signed "N. Dewey," and fixed another day, and so
we had two Thanksgivings, I think within a week of each
other. We did not have the turkey, nor the mince pies, but
we did have pumpkin pies, and as good a dinner as you can
have nowadays.

But to come to more serious reminiscences, Rock County
in the late fifties and early sixties had supported Mr. Lincoln
for the presidency, had seen him elected, and knew that he
was inaugurated into his office. Then it heard like a sudden,
awful peal of thunder the cannon at Fort Sumter. It had
but one thought, one desire — to hasten to defend the Union.
Our county needed no inducement to rally to Mr. Lincoln's
call to arms. The county's quota of men was on hand. Pub-
lic meetings were held in every township. In the town of
Porter the remembrance is very vivid with me of how one
of the most prominent Democrats stepped forward with the
strongest resolutions in the support of Mr. Lincoln, whom
a little while before he had warmly opposed. Need I tell
you that that very man advocated the levying of two taxes
each year in that town, which was done, rather than run into
debt in securing the money which was needed? Need I tell
you how the price of every necessity of life was doubled,

426 David F. Sayre

quadrupled? No one murmured. It was the price of our
Union and had to be paid. The balance was not always on
the wrong side of the sheet, either. A neighbor sold thirty
hogs for $900 — thirteen cents a pound — and they averaged
less than two hundred fifty pounds in weight. You ought
to have seen the presents which that man brought to the
Christmas tree in Fulton church.

In the time of the war one man, known to you older citi-
zens, bought a piece of land. The wife of the seller declared
that she would not sign the deed unless the buyer gave her
a dress. An old custom was that a married woman need not
sign a deed for her husband's land unless the purchaser gave
her a silk dress. In this case the buyer went to Janesville
and bought the dress, paying almost as much as a common
silk would cost today. When the woman opened the bundle
she found twelve or fourteen yards of bed ticking. She was
satisfied and signed the deed.

The soldiers went out from us bright and joyful, but oh,
the heart-breaking groans of the mothers and wives of those
who never returned. The remembrance of them is in evei«y
cemetery, and you see the memorial flags there on every
Memorial Day.

One of these boys — he was a mere boy from Fulton Sun-
day School — enlisted and after a long service was with Gen-
eral Thomas in the battle of Nashville. His health was badly
shattered, and when the battle began he was told by his officer
to go to the rear. But no; all the first day, and at night he
was repeatedly advised to keep to the rear; he refused and
was in the fight all the next day until Hood was driven back
and our troops shouted for victory. Then and only then did
Alonzo Sutton give up the fight, and was sent home to die
in our midst.

In conclusion I wish to say that I have never seen any
other county save one which I would exchange for this. And
that one is Chester County, Pennsylvania, where those Dutch

Early Life in Southern Wisconsin 427

farmers have piled up two hundred years of wealth. When
our children shall have seen two hundred years of service
here they will not even wish to go to that beautiful Dutch
county.

If I could call before you now the men and women of
fifty or sixty years ago, you think you would cry out, "What
dreary, heavy- worked lives they must have lived." Do you
think so? Their lives were as full of joy and healthy experi-
ences as you fair women enjoy today. When you look out
of your windows any day and see the earth all aglow with
sunshine your hearts are lifted up. Those fathers and
mothers of yours were looking forward to prospects as bright
as the sunshine on your fields. They came from the work
of eastern homes, which were stationary and gave them no
promise of any future; they came to homes here, bringing
brighter days, more light, more sunshine, and drawing them
more and more into touch with the world around them. They
fought a brave fight and victory was their reward.

HISTORIC SPOTS IN WISCONSIN

W. A. TITUS
III: TAYCHEEDAH, A MEMORY OF THE PAST

Yet it was not that nature had shed o'er the scene

Her purest of crystal and brightest of green;

'Twas not her soft magic of streamlet or hill,

Oh ! no — it was something more exquisite still. — Thomas Moore.

On the east shore of Lake Winnebago about three miles
in a northeasterly direction from the mouth of the Fond du
Lac River lies the decayed hamlet of Taycheedah. It is
credited with a year-around population of one hundred and
fifty and has a good public school, a Methodist church, a post-
office, and a small general store. It has a weather-beaten shed
where passenger trains stop on signal, but has no station agent
and no freight service. This commonplace description would
fit any one of a hundred small towns in Wisconsin, but Tay-
cheedah is not commonplace ; it has a history reaching as far
back as the first settlement of the Lake Winnebago region
and was once the social and cultural center of Fond du Lac
County with a commercial importance that eclipsed the
neighboring settlement of Fond du Lac.

The first white explorers found an Indian village on the
site of Taycheedah; in 1795 it is recorded that Sar-ro-chau
was the chief of the Winnebago band at this point. Grignon
speaks of Sar-ro-chau as "one of the best of Indians." The
old chief took part in the War of 1812 and died soon after
the close of hostilities. His son, Charatchou, better known
as The Smoker, aided the whites in the pursuit of Black
Hawk's warriors in 1832. The Taycheedah Indians were
long remembered by the early traders and settlers because of
their friendly attitude and their willingness to assist the new-
comers when other Indian bands became unruly.

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 429

In the years of exploration and early settlement all
travel routes from the Green Bay settlements to the Fond
du Lac region followed the east shore of the extensive inland
lake, and the travelers were sure to pass through Taycheedah
as a gateway to the prairie region beyond. These pioneers
were enthusiastic about the possibilities of this old Indian
camping ground as an ideal location for a village or a city.
A settlement was begun at Taycheedah in 1839 which soon
outstripped the earlier and rival settlement at Fond du Lac.
There was little to commend the Fond du Lac location at
this early day. The land on which it was built was marshy
and almost as low as the lake level; the drainage problem,
if it occurred to the early settlers at all, must have seemed
next to impossible. Inundations occurred every spring when
the snow melted on the surrounding hills. From a geo-
graphical viewpoint, however, Fond du Lac was the logical
place for a city. Situated at the upper point of the lake,
future railroad lines from both sides would necessarily con-
verge there, and this prospect must have gone far to overcome
the effect of the depressed and cheerless terrain. The harbor
facilities, also, were superior to those of Taycheedah.

From the sandy shore line at Taycheedah the level land,
covered by great groves of forest trees, stretched backward
for a full mile, and then came the picturesque ledge two
hundred feet high with another area of level wooded country
above. From the higher levels the view across the lake was
indescribably beautiful, and the entire topography seemed
to lend itself to the building of an attractive urban center.

These respective advantages and disadvantages caused
the rival settlements to contend for the supremacy for a num-
ber of years, although in the early forties Taycheedah was
by far the larger place. About 1848, however, Fond du Lac
began to attract settlers in such numbers as to establish its
supremacy for all time. The final result was largely due to
the foresight of Dr. Mason C. Darling, who having acquired

430 W. A. Titus

much real estate in Fond du Lac donated a site for the court-
house as well as for many of the new business ventures in
the struggling community. It is said that real estate in
Taycheedah was held at a high figure by speculators, but the
outcome was exactly the reverse of what these land-owners
expected. Money was scarce in the new country, and business
concerns located where lots could be secured free rather than
where they were held for fancy prices.

The first settler in Taycheedah was Francis D. McCarty,
who built his home there in 1839. The beauty of the location
attracted the better class of early settlers from the East, and
it was said that in the decade between 1840 and 1850 more
than half of the prominent men of Fond du Lac County, the
local aristocracy so to speak, lived in Taycheedah, and many
of these men were known throughout Wisconsin. The first
public schoolhouse in the county was built in Taycheedah in
1842. Governor James D. Doty assisted in the actual work of
construction, and the school bell, the first ever heard in Fond
du Lac County, was the gift of Col. Henry Conklin. This bell
was brought by Colonel Conklin from the dismantled steamer
Advocate which was wrecked on the Hudson River; it is in-
teresting to know that the old bell still calls together the juve-
nile population of the vicinity. Edgar Conklin was the
teacher of this pioneer public school, which served the people
of both Taycheedah and Fond du Lac. On its records were
inscribed the names of Darling, Conklin, Ruggles, Perry,
Moore, Carlton, and Elliott — families that later became well
known in Fond du Lac when the business interests of Tay-
cheedah were transferred to the more promising village at
the end of the lake. The first general store in Taycheedah,
opened in 1841, was owned by B. F. Moore and J. T. Moore.
This store served the entire region northward to Brothertown
and did a thriving business, the daily cash receipts often run-
ning as high as several hundred dollars. B. F. Moore kter
became the owner of the La Belle Wagon Works, one of the

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 431

leading manufacturing industries of Fond du Lac in the
seventies and eighties.

A hotel was built in Taycheedah village as early as 1840;
F. D. McCarty, who was later elected county sheriff, was the
first landlord. Later this hotel was owned by Nathaniel
Perry until the old building became inadequate to accommo-
date the many travelers who came to or passed through the
village. Mr. Perry then built a much larger hotel. This
hostelry under the Perry management was known from Green
Bay to Chicago for its genuine hospitality and the excellence
of its meals. The Perry family later moved to Fond du Lac
where one of the sons, J. B. Perry, was for more than fifty
years connected with the oldest bank of the city as bookkeeper,
cashier, president, and chairman of the board of directors.
He still lives in retirement in Fond du Lac, beloved by the
thousands of his fellow citizens whom he so courteously served
and assisted during his long career as a banker.

While the Taycheedah harbor was never a good landing
place for any except the smallest craft, it is a fact that the
first steamboat that ever floated on Lake Winnebago made
its maiden trip from Taycheedah. This vessel was the
Manchester, Capt. Stephen Hoteling, master. In 1843 Cap-
tain Hoteling brought the boat from Buffalo, New York,
to Taycheedah, where it was overhauled and repaired. For
a number of years Taycheedah was the southern and Neenah
the northern terminus of this steamboat line; Fond du Lac
and Oshkosh were intermediate stopping places for the
Manchester.

In 1850 there were in operation in Taycheedah a large
flour mill and a sawmill. The foundation of the flour mill
may still be seen near the lake shore. A tin shop, a dry goods
store, and two blacksmith shops were additional industries of
the thriving village during the period of its prosperity.

Colonel William J. Worth (later General Worth of
Mexican War fame) camped at Taycheedah village in 1840

432 W. A. Titus

with a regiment of regular troops. Mrs. Louisa Parker Sim-
mons, who was a resident of the vicinity at that time, gives
in her Pioneer Reminiscences of 1879 a very interesting
description of the event. Her husband supplied the troops
with milk and other food luxuries during their brief stay.

Among the early settlers of Taycheedah village, few had
the advantages of birth, culture, and education to such a
degree as did Colonel S. W. Beall and his talented wife whose
maiden name was Elizabeth Fenimore Cooper. Colonel Beall
was a native of Maryland and a direct descendant of the Ran-
dolphs of Virginia, the Carrolls of Carrollton, Maryland, and
the Singletons of South Carolina. He was educated at Union
College where he excelled as a classical student. Later he
studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1827 he married
Miss Cooper, who was a niece of James Fenimore Cooper
and of Governor Morris of New York, and a great-grand-
daughter of Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declara-
tion of Independence. In 1835 the young lawyer was
appointed Receiver of Public Lands for Wisconsin and
Michigan and with his young wife came west and located
at Green Bay. This appointment was obtained through
the influence of Chief Justice Roger Taney, who was a close
friend of the Beall family in Maryland. In 1837 the
B calls returned to Cooperstown, New York, where their
luxurious and hospitable home became the rendezvous for the
literary celebrities of the time, among whom were Washing-
ton Irving and James Fenimore Cooper. In 1840 Mr. Beall
again brought his family to Green Bay and two years later
built a comfortable pioneer home in Taycheedah village where
he resumed his law practice. With a few temporary inter-
ruptions, Taycheedah was the home of the Beall family for
many years. Mr. Beall was chosen a delegate to both consti-
tutional conventions, the one whose instrument was rejected
by the people and the one which framed the present consti-
tution of Wisconsin. In 1850 he was elected lieutenant gov-

Historic Spots in Wisconsin 433

ernor of the newly-formed commonwealth. After his term
of office expired he went into the Rocky Mountain region,
largely because of his love of adventure ; while on this expe-
dition he with others located the city of Denver, Colorado.

When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Beall enlisted as a
private, although he was at that time fifty-four years of age.
He was rapidly promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel
of the Eighteenth Wisconsin Volunteers. Colonel Beall fell
severely wounded at the battle of Pittsburg Landing but
recovered sufficiently to reenter the service and was placed in
command of a prison camp. After the war ended he went
to Helena, Montana, then a rough border town, where in
1868 he was shot and killed during a political altercation.

Mrs. Beall devoted the later years of her life to Christian
work and to a broad charity that knew neither class nor creed.
She died in 1879 and is buried in the little Protestant cemetery
above Taycheedah. The foundations of the old Beall home
in Taycheedah still remain, but the grounds that surrounded
the old house are now used as a pasture.

As before stated, the decline of Taycheedah became ap-
parent before the Civil War, and nearly all of the old families
removed to Fond du Lac or elsewhere, taking with them in
many cases the business in which they had been engaged. The
site still remains, beautiful as ever, but the glory of the once
prosperous village has long since departed, and its present
moribund condition attracts the attention of even the casual
visitor. However, the lake shore is no longer untenanted,
for a continuous line of summer homes fringes the water for
miles, and lake front lots have a value never dreamed of in
the old days of Taycheedah's prosperity.

THE CAREER OF EDWARD F. LEWIS

FRANKLIN F. LEWIS

Edward F. Lewis was born July 16, 1821 in Groton,
New London County, Connecticut, where his early boyhood
years were lived. When he was nine years old his parents
moved to Cortland County, New York. Here at the age of
sixteen he was bound as an apprentice to a shoe manufacturer
for a term of three years. He had served two years of this
apprenticeship when in 1839 his father, Abel Franklin Lewis,
returned from Wisconsin, where he had developed a water
power and built a sawmill, and announced that he had decided
to remove with his family into that section. Not wishing to
leave his son Edward behind, he procured his release from
the apprenticeship contract by the payment to the master
shoemaker of one hundred dollars.

Abel Lewis returned to Wisconsin with his family in the
spring of 1839, the overland trip having been made with an
ox team and covered wagon. The water power and mill were
located on Turtle Creek in what is now known as the town of
Turtle, Rock County. The mill was on the southern side of
the creek, the home directly across the creek near the end of
the bridge which was located at this point. This bridge has
since been replaced by a steel structure. A year or two later
the mill was converted into a flour mill. My father has told
of the hours he tended to the grinding in this mill, often at
night, when it seemed he could scarcely keep awake.

Here he was working when Deacon Stephen Barrett with
his wife and nine daughters came from Ashtabula County,
Ohio, and settled in Clinton, the adjoining town on the west.
Of course the young people soon became acquainted. For
Edward this acquaintance ripened into an engagement of
marriage with Betsy L. Barrett, the second oldest daughter.

The Career of Edward F. Lewis 435

The wedding ceremony was performed April 19, 1841 by
Elder Henry Topping of the Baptist Church, of which both
young people were members. After the wedding feast the
bridegroom took his bride to the home of his father in Turtle,
where he had made arrangements to live and continue his work
in the mill. Here the young people lived for eight years, and
here their first three children were born to them ; the second of
the three boys died in infancy.

In the fall of 1848 when the California gold fever was at
its height the imagination of the people of the Middle West
was so stimulated that parties were formed in almost every
section to make the trip across the plains on the approach of
the coming spring. Among these enthusiasts was the "Lewis
Party" as it was later called, which was organized with its
headquarters in Milwaukee. Mr. Abel Franklin Lewis be-
came a member of this party and was later elected its captain.

It will be readily understood that Edward also became
interested in the project, as the subject was a matter of com-
mon discussion about the family table. He did become so
imbued with the spirit of the venture that he proposed to my
mother that he, too, join in the "quest for the Golden Fleece."

"Husband," she replied, "You may go if you think best;
but if you do go, you must take me and the children with you.
We cannot be left alone in this strange land."

My father replied to the effect that they would keep to-
gether and would establish themselves in a home of their own
on the Government lands then being opened to settlement in
the interior of Wisconsin.

About the first of June the following year, 1849, he put
their household goods into a covered wagon and with his wife
and two little boys, Judson six years old and Stephen ten
months, with a yoke of oxen at the front for motive power and
a cow, which my mother's parents had given them, tied at the
rear to furnish milk by the wayside, they set forth to find that
new home which was to be "their very own."

436 Franklin F. Lewis

In due time they arrived at the portage between the Fox
and the Wisconsin rivers, at the lower end of which stood Fort
Winnebago. Here my father learned that desirable lands
could be had northwest of that vicinity so he decided to look
in that direction. The next afternoon in making the ford
across the Big Slough, as it was called, about five miles from
the. portage, his wagon became stalled in the middle of the
stream. He unhitched the oxen and took them to the shore
he had just left and turned them loose to feed; he then built a
fire under a large tree at a camping place near by and carried
mother and the children to the shore where he had decided
that, by force of circumstances, they must remain over night.
A flock of blackbirds attracted his attention and taking his
gun he soon had enough of them to give the whole family a
blackbird stew for their supper. The following afternoon
found them on the farther bank of the little stream known as
Beaver Creek, so called because of a dam the beavers had built
across the stream, which the little animals were still using.
That evening as they were preparing their supper a couple
of teamsters who were returning from the pineries farther
north stopped near them and asked if they might join them
in the evening meal. In the morning they insisted upon pay-
ing for the service they had received and advised my parents
to remain where they were and open a wayside hotel for the
accommodation of the travelers who were passing back and
forth between the lumber mills farther north and the source
of their supplies farther south. They called attention to the
fact that this was one of the favorite camping places on the
line.

This suggestion was adopted. The wagon box was placed
on the ground under the tree, and the family made their home
therein while the contemplated house for home and hotel was
being built. After six weeks of chopping in the woods near
by, sufficient logs were cut and prepared for the purpose, and
a building bee was announced. Invitations were extended to

The Career of Edward F. Lewis 437

the settlers within a radius of five or six miles, and at the
appointed time the "raising" was begun. Before noon the
logs were all in place. Lumber and shingles having been pro-
vided, the roof and floors were soon laid, and the family
moved into their new home — "their very own." A signpost
was set up in front and a crescent-shaped crosspiece attached
to it upon which the name selected had been painted — "The
Pinery Exchange." Into this home a little more than a year
later the writer of this article was born. Upon the organiza-
tion of the township, which was effected November 18, 1852,
the name Lewiston was selected in honor of Postmaster Lewis,
who was the third settler in the town and in whose house the
meetings preliminary to the organization were held.

Edward F. Lewis was living in this home in the town of
Lewiston in the fall of 1856 when he was elected to the office
of sheriff of Columbia County. The first of the January
following he entered upon the duties of the office and moved
his family into the residence portion of the jail building which
was located in Portage City, the county seat. The main por-
tion of the building, which was constructed of sandstone
blocks, wras about thirty-eight or forty feet square, two stories
in height, with a flat roof. In the rear was an annex con-
taining dining room and kitchen with sleeping rooms above.
The main entrance was at the center in front. Directly
opposite this entrance, guarded by a heavy oak door with
strong locking device, was the stairway leading to the second
story in which was located the jail proper. In front of the
entrance door was a porch platform about six feet square from
which two or three steps led to the ground.

The location of the jail was at the east side of the city
overlooking the low grounds comprising the portage between
the Fox and the Wisconsin rivers ; between these rivers a canal
had been constructed and owing to the difference in the level of
the waters between these rivers locks had been placed at
either end of the canal to control the flow of water. A flour

438 FrankUn F. Lewis

mill was built just below the lower lock near the Fox River,
the power to operate it being taken from the head obtained
there.

Several houses had been erected on the higher ground
across the river from Fort Winnebago on the south shore.
One of these houses belonged to Jean Baptiste Dubay, a
half blood Indian, who lived there with his Indian wife.
Dubay had located there some years before and opened
trade with the Indians, the American Fur Company furnish-
ing him with goods. This house was erected by him under the
impression that he had the right of "squatter's privilege" to
claim and occupy the land.

Later the flour mill was sold to Reynolds and Craigh.
They commenced erection of another house on land to which
Dubay felt he had prior right; he therefore made earnest
protest, but without avail, as the workmen continued with
their construction. One evening after the workmen had re-
tired, Dubay took his ax and chopped down the studding that
had been erected during the day. Mr. Reynolds learned of
this action and came over immediately to look into the matter.
He returned to the Dubay home and the two became engaged
in a heated discussion. Dubay's wife came out and joined in
the discussion. Reynolds resented this intrusion and made
remarks to her which Dubay considered insulting. Dubay
then went into the house and returning with his gun in his
hand ordered Reynolds off the premises. Dubay claimed
Reynolds was under the influence of liquor and that a piece of
board which he had in his hand was raised in a threatening
manner. The gun was then fired, killing Reynolds instantly.
Dubay went back into his house and closed the door; but no
one ventured to follow him.

My father's version of the continuation of the affair was
substantially as follows:

One evening as I was sitting on the steps in front of the
jail a wagonload of men came from the city and called to me

The Career of Edward F. Lewis 439

as they drove rapidly by the jail: "Dubay has shot Reynolds
and we are going out to lynch him !" My team, attached to a
light buggy, stood at the hitching post near the corner of the
building; into the seat I sprang and drove rapidly to the scene
of the shooting, passing the other men on the way. I found
a crowd of people about the house, Dubay being inside.
Entering at once I told Dubay to hurry with me to avoid the
mob that was coming out to lynch him. He seemed glad to
accompany me; and the men at the door offered no hindrance.

My own team being winded by the fast drive out, I com-
mandeered a rig standing near, helped Dubay, who was a very
large man weighing over three hundred pounds, into the
buggy, and taking the tie strap in my hand ran along ahead of
the horse, not daring to trust the rig to carry the two of us.
The road which I had decided to take was only a wheel track
along the north side of the canal ; it had never been worked
and was so rough I was sure that the men of the mob would
not try to follow us. It was direct, however, and considerably
shorter than the regular road on the south side ; by taking this
road I had planned to avoid meeting the mob that was bent
on lynching my prisoner.

We hurried in this way as best we might till the buggy
broke down under the excessive strain; then we ran side by
side, reaching the jail safely. Hurrying up the stairway I
locked my prisoner in an inner cell, locked the door to the outer
cell room, ran down the stairs, closed the door at the foot, and
was just in time to close and lock the outer door behind me and
turn and face the angry mob as it approached the steps. For
when they reached the scene of the shooting and saw that their
quarry had flown and by what route, they sprang into their
wagon and hurried back the way they had come, hoping to
intercept me at the bridge crossing the canal near the jail.

As I turned the key in the door behind me and faced the
mob of madly excited men whose one thought was to avenge
the violent death of a fellow citizen and friend by a deed of

440 Franklin F. Lewis

even greater violence on their part — a reversal to a condition
of lawlessness in concerted action — with the thought in mind
of responsibility to my prisoner as well as the protection of
society against its own self, I undertook to speak to the men
before me : But Mason, the leader, shouted to his followers,
saying, "Come on, boys; let's finish our job!" and started for
the door at my back. As he reached the porch level he put out
his arm to brush me aside. I had in my right coat pocket the
pair of handcuffs I had taken with me to the arrest of Dubay ;
involuntarily these were in my hand and I gave him a blow
on the side of the head which knocked him back into the crowd.

Then, in the lull which followed I addressed the men say-
ing, "Men, do you realize what you would do? This man,
Dubay, is defenseless ; he is under the care of the law. It is
my duty to protect him to the full extent of my power and
to call upon every one of you as law-abiding citizens to aid
me in the discharge of this responsibility which you yourselves
have placed upon me. I implore you as you value the peace
and protection of society for yourselves and for your families
that you go quietly to your homes." I further called their
attention to the fact that my wife was lying in the room at
their left with a babe scarcely twenty-four hours old. I urged
them, as they loved their own, to give heed to the urgency of
the situation.

The greater part of them did retire, but a number remained
about the building all night. The next day, leaving a guard
at the jail, I went to town to call a posse to aid me in the
further discharge of my duty as custodian of the peace of the
community; I also secured a half bushel of revolvers and a
number of guns.

While making these arrangements my friend Mason, of
the evening before, addressed me saying, "What are you go-
ing to do with these?"

I replied that I intended to protect to the full extent of
my ability those whom the law had placed in my keeping.

The Career of Edward F. Lewis 441

He said, "You don't mean you would go so far as to use
these on your friends?"

I replied that I certainly would do so if the occasion re-
quired it. I further said it was very lucky for him that I did
not have one of these weapons in my hand when he approached
me as he did last night.

These weapons and a number of long-handled pitchforks
were taken to the jail. Ugly rumors were in circulation that
made it obligatory upon me to prepare against extreme
emergency. A number of men were sworn into service as
special deputies ; and a force was kept on guard in the jail day
and night till the excitement had passed away. Guards with
weapons in their hands were maintained on both first and
second floors of the building as well as upon the roof. The
long-handled pitchforks were to be used to throw down scal-
ing ladders should any such be set against the building.

Word came to me later that after I had made the plea to
the mob the leaders held a consultation and decided that they
must give attention to the extreme family situation men-
tioned; that when Dubay came to trial he would have to be
taken to the court room and that would be their time to get
him.

As I remember my father's version of the appearance of
Dubay in court it was as follows :

The trial of Dubay was listed on the calendar of our court
for its fall session. I arranged with the judge that informa-
tion should not be given the public of the day Dubay would
appear before the court to answer to the charge against him
and to make his plea thereto.

Upon the date arranged I took Dubay and with a couple
of deputies as guards we entered a closed carriage and were
driven by a circuitous route to the court building. Upon our
entrance into the court room several men arose to go out; but
they were stopped by deputies whom I had placed in the room

442 Franklin F. Lewis

with orders that no one should be allowed to leave the room
or to pass any signals through the windows while Dubay was
present.

He was presented to the court, the charge against him was
read, and his plea made. He was then hurried into the car-
riage and rapidly driven back to the jail, where he was held
pending the issue of the trial. I have no remembrance of a
second trial. There is, however, an impression in my mind
of arrangements for getting Dubay to the state prison at
Waupun ; this impression may have been due to certain plans
my father had developed through which to get Dubay safely
to Waupun in the event of prison sentence having been pro-
nounced against him. However, Dubay was finally acquitted.

At the close of my father's term of office as sheriff he
engaged in mercantile trade in Portage; after two years he
closed out this business and went back to his homestead in
Lewiston. During the Civil War he served as deputy provost
marshal. Of the trying times of those days he used to relate
many incidents that were full of human interest. In 1870
he virtually founded the business later known as the Lewis
Knitting Company.

Mr. Lewis died in his old homestead in Lewiston in 1885.
By his ready comprehension of situations about him, his
capacity to adapt himself to meet them, and through the
sterling qualities of his character he commanded the respect
and esteem of those who knew him. This is evidenced by the
fact that there was scarcely a year in all his residence in the
county when his name did not appear upon the official list of
town or county. He was a worthy representative of that
pioneer element which laid the foundation for the present
success and prosperity of our state.

DOCUMENTS

A JOURNAL OF LIFE IN WISCONSIN ONE HUNDRED

YEARS AGO

KEPT BY WILLARD KEYES OF NEWFANE, VERMONT1

June 2d One year since I left Newfane, Vermont — at that time little
did I think of wandering thus far — Where I shall be one year from
this, God only knows — whether in time, or in Eternity! What an
awful thought — Yet true it is, my journey through time is already
commenced — the distance of the way is unknown to me; but the
valley of Death I must surely pass, and then comes a never ending
Eternity !

A boat arrives from St. Louis — Lt. (now Cap1.) Hickman arrives,
and takes the command here — Col. Chambers starts immediately for
Bell-Fontaine —

June 3d Mr- Shaw arrives with a boat laden with whiskey, Pecans, &C.
June- 4th A third boat arrives, heavy laden

June 5th A hard shower with thunder and lightning, last night — a
fourth arrival from St. Louis — Whiskey being plenty, drunken
people are, likewise —

June 7th Sabbath- — horseracing and boxing are the order of the
day —

June 8th Very warm — Mosketoes begin to be troublesome — a canoe
arrives from Mackinaw in 10 days — brings no news worth remark-
ing—

June 10th Several boats start for Mackinaw — forward a letter to
Dr Peters —

June 11th A remarkable heavy shower last night, thunder and light-
ning— morning cool and pleasant — mid day another shower — my
house leaky — it stands about 8 feet higher than the brink of the
river and 6 rods therefrom —

June 14th Sabbath — the militia muster several delinquents tried by
a court-martial — I have not been called upon yet Mr. Nathaniel
Shaw starts on his [trip] to the state of Newyork — expects to pass
through Ellicott —

1 Continued from the March issue. For a short account of this journal see
THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, III, 268-70.

444 Documents

June 15th Green Peas and ripe strawberries — Evning — a large

Schooner like boat comming in under sail — said to be 80 or 100 tons

burthen —

June 19th Rolette starts for Mackinaw — Write to Dr. Peters — we

have his buisness, to appearance, in a favorable way —

June 21* Sabbath — very warm — Indians dancing through the streets

this is common — they are mostly naked except a breech clout — and

painted all colours

June 28th Sabbath — Refreshing wind A fleet of Winnibago Canoes

arrive — from the "Wisconsin" — they encamp on the island opposite

the town —

June 29th high wind and cool —

" 30th General muster of the troops the Winnibagoes have a
screaming dance or powwow through the streets
Eve — Lt. Armstrong returns from St. Louis —

July the fourth — Anniversary of American Independence, announced
by the discharge of Cannon — the troops march out and fire a Federal
Salute by plattoons — they make a handsome appearance — the French
citizens refuse to celebrate the day, saying it is no holiday for them —
which draws many reproaches on them by the Americans —
July 5th Sabbath — Commence boarding with Mr St. Cyre — very
warm weather

July 7th Remove my school to Mr. Johnsons store —
July 9th Lt- Shade starts for Bell Fontaine

July 11th Yesterday and today uncommonly warm — the mercury in
Mr- Johnsons thermometer arose to 103 and 104 a band of Souix
Indians come in, and dance what is called the "Buffaloe dance" they
wear on their heads large Buffaloe pates with the horns, and shaggy
wool or hair more a foot long giving them a hedios appearance
July 12th Sabbath — rather cooler — some wind thunder and appear-
ance of rain —

July 13 Lt. Fields starts from hence — there is but two commissioned
officers left, and about one hundred and fifty men
July 25th two months since I began school have about 20 pupils —
several who have subscribed have never sent — not considering they
are obligated to pay their subscription
July 26 Sabbath Cucumbers for the first time

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 445

" 28th Rise early and go into the river to bathe, practice it twice
or thrice a week

July 30th Remove to the schoolhouse, just finished it stands about
12 rods back of the main street — people begin to harvest their wheat
August 1* Several showers of rain, my new habitation roof leaky —
speend my leisure hours in reading borrowed books or Newspapers —
Sabbath morn — August 2d Rise at Revilee about day break — pro-
ceed to the river and bathe — read in the Bible till Breakfast — Walk
into the country to Mr Ayrds mill Mr Andrews has it nearly ready
for running — Eve — read the Scriptures — O! that one spark of
heavenly love might kindle in my breast the flame of pure devotion
Aug. 6th Rise at day break — had a tremendous shower last night —
thunder and lightni[n]g remarkably sharp and heavy — sudden
change in the weather from hot to cold. . . . People are in anxious
expectation of boats from Mackinaw

Aug. 8th Being Saturday keep school but half of the day — clouday
and rainy — dull times at present —

Aug. 9th Sabbath Pleasant and Cool — Gambling, horseracing and
dancing are the order of the day

How frail is human Nature ! when we resolve to be pure before God,
then quickly comes some vice or earthly vanity, breaks the specious
charm of virtue and shews our real character

Sabbath Eve. finish reading my Bible through by course, which I
commenced just one year and three months before
Aug 10th People are very busy in harvesting
Aug. 13th A Boat from St Louis — for mr- Botillia2 — A few News-
papers

Aug. 16th Sabbath — Borrow some Newspapers of Mr Boilvin,3
Indian Agt. Read in the Western Monitor several Pieces of Reli-
gious inteligence calculated to awaken the stupid sences to the con-
cerns of immortality —

a Francois Bouthillier, an early resident of Prairie du Chien. In 1819 he was
an associate judge of Crawford County. In 1832 he removed to Fever (Galena)
River.

3 Nicolas Boilvin, a native of Canada, came to Spanish Louisiana in 1774.
In 1806 he was appointed assistant Indian agent to the Sauk at the Des Moines
Rapids of the Mississippi; two years later he removed to Prairie du Chien to
assume the duties of John Campbell, agent at that place, who had been killed in
a duel. In the War of 1812 Boilvin sided with the Americans, for which course
he was forced temporarily to abandon Prairie du Chien. But for this interval
he resided there until his death in 1827.

446 Documents

Aug. 17th Maj- Morgan* arrives and assumes the comand of this

place

Aug. 19th Mr Findleys5 boat arrives

Aug. 21* — Another Canoe from Mackinaw Mr Henly of St. Louis —

Aug. 20th Cool morning — Mr Warner arrives in a canoe from

Mackinaw

23d — Sabbath — five or six Indian trading boats from Mack-
inaw— they immediately proceed for St Louis, and intend going up
the "Missouri" river

Aug. 24th three months since I commenced school keeping — conclude
to keep a few days longer, as some of the inhabitants are anxious to
make arrangements for the continuence of the school —
Aug. 27th Finish my school this day

" 28th After Breakfast, Walk into the country — two men in
company with me having their fowling pieces for diversion of shoot-
ing birds, happened to fire within a short distance of the fort — were
overtaken by a serjt. and file of men, and taken to the fort, for vio-
lating a late order prohibiting any one firing within 600 yards of the
garrison — they were soon released and rejoined me — in high spirits
about their frolic

Aug. 30th Sabbath — One year since I arrived at Prairie du Chien —
How differently does the Past appear, when viewed in contrast with
what our flattering hopes had taught us to expect from the Future ! —
This, was full of high hopes and expectations — That, is plain reality,
in which we behold few transactions worthy of being remembered, and
fewer that have equaled the anticipations of our fertile imagina-
tions— still we continue in the same pursuit of ideal happiness —
Disappointed in one object, our fertile minds fix upon another equally
fallacious, and pursue it with equal ardor, till some fairer phantom,

* Major Willoughby Morgan was a native of Virginia who entered the army
in 1812. At the close of the war he took over Mackinac from the British and com-
manded it for a few months. In the summer of 1816 he commanded the detach-
ment of troops which reoccupied Prairie du Chien and began the construction
of the first Fort Crawford. Here he was relieved by Colonel Chambers early
in 1817, but returned later as noted in the diary. Most of his remaining years
were passed as commander at Fort Crawford, where he died in April, 1832. He
was succeeded by Colonel Zachary Taylor, of Mexican War and presidential fame.

8 Probably John L. Findley, who had been engaged at Prairie du Chien as
sutler's clerk and as an independent trader. He was made clerk of the court
on the organization of Crawford County in 1818. In 1821 he was killed by Indians
in the vicinity of Lake Pepin.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 447

seizes our imagination, or till it comes to naught. All the human
race are naturaly inclined to seek for happiness. But many, very
many continue through life "grasping at a shadow and in the end
lose the substance"
"How vain are all things here below,
"How false, and yet how fair ;
"Each pleasure hath its poison too,
"And every sweet a snare.
"The brightest things below the sky
"Give but a flattering light ;
"We should suspect some danger nigh,
"When we possess delight."— Watts-
September I1 Engage to work for a few days with Mr. Mann
[Munn?]6 house carpenter.

Sept. 2d Four boats from Mackinaw — 2, intending to go up the
St. Peters river the other 2 down the Mississippi —
Sept. 6th Sabbath — A meeting for religious worship at the school-
house Exercises performed by the reverend Mr- Mann — his text
from the last chap, of St. Mark "Go ye into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature ; he that believeth and is baptised shall
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned !["] — the first
meeting of the kind I have attended since I left Newfane —
Sept. 10th Commence boarding with Mr. Mann, $20 per month, he
is about opening an American tavern in this place
Boats arriving daily from Mackinaw, — no news —
Sept. 11 Mr Forsyth7 Indian Agent for the Misouri territory ar-
rives— also a Mr Tanner in search of a brother8 who has been 28
years among the Indians — being taken when 9 years old

8 Of this man we have learned nothing other than the items presented by
Keyes in the diary before us. From these it appears that he was a preacher as
well as a carpenter. He went with Keyes down river in 1819 and seems to have
located at Clarksville, Missouri.

7 Thomas Forsyth was Indian agent at Fort Armstrong (now Rock Island,
Illinois) from 1819 to 1830. Back of the earlier date lay a long period of credit-
able activity on the Northwestern frontier. Forsyth was a half brother of John
Kinzie of Chicago, and from 1803 to 1812 the two were partners, Kinzie with
headquarters at Chicago, Forsyth at Peoria.

8 This was John Tanner, one of the most tragic figures in the history of the
Northwest. About the close of the Revolution a Chippewa squaw in the Saginaw
River region lost a son. To quiet her grief, her husband led a raiding party to
Kentucky and there stole young Tanner, a boy of nine years, and presented him

448 Documents

Sept. 12th Read late newspapers at mr Johnsons
Sept. 13th Sabbath Attend meeting — very few of the French at-
tend— as their "Catholic" Priests have made them believe it is certain
damnation, to go [to] a "heritic" meeting
Sept. 14th Rolette returns from Mackinaw with two boats —
Sept. 17th Afflicted with the tooth ache Mrs- Mann trys to draw
my tooth without effect — apply various remedies to no purpose
Sept. 19th the surgeon in the garrison makes three fruitless attempts
to extract my troublesome tooth — each time was like the shock of a
little earthquake — he then attempts to burn the marrow — but all to
no purpose, it will ache —

Sept. 22d — Agree to work one week for Mr Ayrd, at tending his new
horse mill lately put in opperations with two run of stones —
Sept. 27th Sabbath — Meeting as usual

" 29th Walk out to Roletts mill (formerly Shaws) Mr An-
drews is hanging a new pair of stones — they appear likely to do
considerable buisness —

Sept 30th Out of business at present — am calculating to try one
hard winters work in getting lumber from the Pinery provisions
scarce is one obstacle to my undertaking —

Oct. 1* have cured my tooth ache by filling the hollow with cotton —
Oct 3d Cold, and high wind

Oct. 4th — Sabbath — Meeting at the schoolhouse as usual — but few
people attend, except soldiers, who behave very orderly and decent —

to his wife as a substitute for the child who had died. Notwithstanding the
motive for the abduction, the child was fearfully abused by his captors and
eventually was sold to an Ottawa squaw near Petoskey. By her he was kindly
treated and with her migrated to the Red River country. Here he lived for many
years, his presence being noted by several travelers from 1801 on. He performed
some useful service for Lord Selkirk in the latter's contest with the Northwest
Company, and when Selkirk visited the United States in 1817 he proceeded to
advertise for Tanner's white relatives. As a result the long lost relative was
found and returned to civilization. But he had become too thorough an Indian in
habit and breeding ever to be at home among the whites. After a stormy career
at Mackinac and Sault Ste. Marie he disappeared in 1846 as mysteriously as when
stolen from his parents in boyhood. The brother of Henry R. Schoolcraft was
assassinated from ambush, and at the same time Tanner's hut (where he lived
alone) was found burned and its owner missing. A vigorous search was made for
him on the supposition that he had committed the murder, but he was never found.
Years later an officer of the garrison at Fort Brady, who had directed his men
in the search for Tanner, confessed on his deathbed that he himself had been the
assassin. Tanner was known as the "white Indian." Dr. Edwin James wrote his
life story, Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner (New York,
1830).

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 449

Oct. 5th Walk into the country — take a range on some of the high
hills — have a beautiful prospect of the Prairie and adjacent Missis-
sippi— gather a few hickory nuts and return —
Oct. 6th Spend the day in writing and reading —
Oct 25th Sabbath — the Weather warm and dry — high wind — the
fires are performing their accustomed autumnal rout over the hills —
have been engaged some time in small jobs of Carpenter work, and
neglected journalizing —
Oct 28th Birth Day—

26 years have rolled away since first I drew the vital air ! and what
has been the result, may with propriety be asked? Surely 26 years
must have produced something worthy of remembrance. — To pursue
the question, What have I been aiming at these many years ? or have
I run thus far at random without an end in view! Nature, Reason
and Revelation, all tell me I had my Being from some Superior
Power; he has placed me here on Earth — and for a limited time is
certain from what I see of others of my fellow mortals who are daily
quitting the stage of action! — He has endowed me with Reason,
which is a certain proof I am intended for some end, superior to that
of the Brute Creation —

I will now take a retrospect of the 26 years (and perhaps the greatest
part) of my life; that have flown to Eternity —
I was born among the ruged mountains of Vermont — whose robust
inhabitants are mostly cultivators of the soil they posess in inde-
pendence and peace —

Where Luxury and Dissipation, those deadly foes of Religion and
Liberty are hardly known —

My Father removed from Shrewsbury Mass, to Newfane Vt. about
the year 1788 and entered on a small farm entirely new, and a soil
as rough and heavy timbered as most any of the Vermont mountains
produce ; but by industry and perseverance, has succeeded in bring-
ing it under a tolerable state of cultivation, and with the products
thereof, has been enabled to support a numerous family, and bring
them up in habits of soberness and industry.

Being thus erly accustomed to look upon labour as no disgrace, but
rather a necessary Blessing for the promotion of health and happines
I was contented to toil with unremiting diligence towards acquiring

450 Documents

a livelihood. The country being new I had but a slender chance of
getting instruction at school ; however I was erly taught that learn-
ing was better than riches, that without an Education I should be
liable to repeated embarrassments, and must expect to rank among
the dregs of Society. These erly precepts ; and a natural disposition
thereto, excited me to learning and reading soon became my ruling
passion — I read with avidity all kinds of books, but those of mere
amusement engrossed my chief attention — indeed I indulged myself
to excess, and every leisure moment was occupied in poring over some
musty author —

at 8 years of age I was put to reading the Bible, but by frequent
delays it was 4 years before I finished it. At 11 years of age I lost
my mother, a misfortune I was too young to realize in its full extent. —
My memory still retains many a useful precept I learnt from her lips ;
She was a professor of Religion, and, as I hope and trust, a sincere
Christian. —

Days, and weeks, and years glided away with little variation ; reading
continued to be my chief delight which rendered me more dull than
otherwise, in company with my juvenil companions — I generaly
attended Christian Worship every Sabbath; but the pious impres-
sions there made were mostly transcient, and soon gave place to
visionary schemes of worldly happiness In my 20th year I was
drafted from the militia to hold myself in readiness to march at a
moments warning, in consequence of the war between American and
Britian Orders soon came for us to proceed to the frontiers, but
the war being unpopular ; this was considered as an artifice to wheedle
the militia into Canada, to assist in the conquest — therefore most of
the men chose to risque the consequenc and abide at home —
Although I was naturaly of a quiet disposition, yet I was pleased
with the prospect of seeing the world as I thought, (having scarcely
been ten miles from home before). I resolved to go, my friends sup-
posing it to be a gone case with me; not expecting I should ever
return, however, after nine days tedious march we arrived at Bur-
lington Vt. on the east side of Champlain Lake, where we encamped
3 weeks then crossed the Lake to Plattsburg N. Y. and remaind 4
weeks, from from thence we removed to Champlain near Canada line,
we were soon joined by about 6 or 8000 regular troops. — Both threats

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 451

and flattery were tried in vain, to induce the militia to assist in carry-
ing war, and devastation among the inhabitants of Canada — the
regulars soon after returned to winter quarters and the militia were
disbanded. From this little excursion I returned well sated with
military Honor, and was happy to again enjoy the sweets of a
rural life

On the 28th of Oct. 1813 I arrived at 21 years of age. I then con-
sidered I was just commencing to act for myself, — the wide world
was before me, and though I had long anticipated this day, and in
imagination planned many a scheme for wealth and fame, I found the
road not so smooth and easy as I had imagined. — The ensuing winter
I engaged to teach the school in my native village, — the ensuing
spring I went to Northfield, Mass, and hired to a farmer, but not
liking my situation I soon returned, and farmed for an old neighbor —
in the winter I again commenced school keeping this was irksome
business, but not so laborious as farming —

on the first day of April 1815 I made an unfortunate blow with an
axe and split my left foot this disabled me for four months and at
times is still troublesome in Sept. I agreed with a Clothier to serve
two seasons of four months each to learn the art of dying and dress-
ing woollen cloth — in January I again commenced my school in the
same district as formerly —

the following summer, 1817 [1816], I hired at farming in a neigh-
boring town, the succeeding winter I completed my apprenticeship
at the Clothing business, and in the latter part taught school as usual
two months in an adjoining town —

I began to grow tired of the way I had passed my time for several
years — to work hard for other people, and gain little — I had flat-
tered myself with the hope of gaining a little property, uniting myself
with an amiable female, and enjoying the unrivaled pleasures of a
rural and domestic life. The prospect of a profitable employment
was precarious, all kinds of business seemed at a stand in this situa-
tion of affairs I bid adieu to the [some words crossed out here] and
my other friends and connections and started on the journey with
which this journal commences —

Nov. 15th Sabbath, It has been remarkable pleasant for some time
past. — Mr Mann discontinues preaching for the present

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A boat arrives from St Louis, for the Sutler —

Nov. 18th Work for Mr Ayrd making a bolting chest — Mr- Botillia
arrives from St Louis lost his boat on the rapids of the river
Du Moine with considerable property for himself and others —
Nov 22d Sabbath — A Funeral on the death of Madam La Point9 —
ceremonies performed in the Roman Catholic form —
Nov. 26th Continue working at Ayrds mill — Pleasant for the
season —

Nov 27th Ride to town in the evening — about a dozen recruits or
reenlisted soldiers frolicking on their bounty money of 6 dollars
per mon —

Nov. 30th Take my gun and go a hunting find no game — explore
Prairie de Souix one or two handsome farms might be cultivated
here — Cut my name on a small oak at the upper end of the Prairie
opposite a high bluff of rocks it being the extent of my travels up
the Missisipi —

Dec. 1 Remove to town — Commence boarding with Mr. Findly 15
dollars per month

Dec. 4th Snow fell about one inch the first this season —
Dec. 5th Pleasant —

Dec. 6th Sabbath — Cold and windy ice floating down the Missippi
in large quantities —
Dec. 7th the river frozen over

Dec 22 Commences snowing — at night snow about 3 inches deep
Dec. 23 Cloudy moderate weather

Dec. 25th Christmas — Observed by the people as a religious day —
some as a drunken day —

Dickson and Music arrive with a large drove of cows and oxen —
recieve a letter from Shaw — in the evening, get entangled with com-
pany at the tavern, who have a drinking frolic — Findly breaks his
jaw and that breaks up the scrape
Dec 26th have entered into engagements with Mc. Nair.10 to go to the

9 This was Josette Antaya, wife of Charles La Pointe, a pioneer of Prairie
du Chien. Her father, Pierre Antaya, was one of the founders of Prairie du Chien,
locating there in 1781. Her mother was a woman of the Fox tribe.

10 Apparently Thomas McNair, who had come to Prairie du Chien in the
capacity of clerk in the sutler's store of his uncle, Alexander McNair of Missouri,
who was later (1820-24) to become first governor of the state of Missouri. The
younger McNair married a daughter of one of the French residents of Prairie du
Chien, whereupon the uncle is said to have concluded his business was not being
attended to with sufficient assiduity and sent out Wilfred Owens to take charge
of it.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 453

pinry of Black river to cut lumber he furnishes himself and one
man I furnish my self and an horse —

January I1 1819 a day of feasting and revelry among all ranks of
people — it is the custom with the French to salute the females with
a kiss, the males by a shake of the hands, to signify that they bury
old animosities and make friends —

January 7th 1819 Start for Black river — 7 trains or sleds with one
horse to each and 15 men in company, part are indian traders, the
others are going to cut pine timber — my horse proves refractory in
starting but after getting on the ice he goes well — encamp 3 miles
from town when part of our company go back to get ready, and take
a fair start —

Jan 8th — Our company rejoins us and we start in good season — the
snow is about 3 inches deep, but thawing the ice is good
Jan 9th Before night the snow is mostly converted into water and
runing top of the ice — however we make a good days travel —
Jan. 10th Sabbath — the water about 2 inches deep on top of the ice —
proceed with caution, and pass with difficulty several places where
the river is open —

Jan 11th Change in the weather, cold the ice clear and smooth —
drive briskly — enter Black river about 90 or 100 miles from Prairie
du Chien drive a few miles on Black river, and we find a place open —
encamp —

Jan. 12th Hold a consultation how to proceed, after searching some-
time drag our loads % mile on bare ground, find ice and by shifting
and turning arrive at Morans trading house —

Jan. 13th Spend most of the day in cutting trees & stubs that will
probably obstruct our rafts in the spring — the traders go no farther
with us — we proceed a short distance

Jan. 14th Drive briskly all day — the ice smooth and good — the
weather severe —

Jan. 15th Start early — getting impatient to find good pine — see
enough that is not good —

Jan 16th Make Black river falls about noon — after searching some-
time, conclude to retrace our steps 2 or 3 miles to a noble pinry but
some distance from the river examine the situation of the place,
and, commence cutting timber for our cabin —

454 Documents

Jan 17th Sabbath. Build our house commences snowing near
night —

Jan 18th "Cache" or conseal part of our provision to prevent the
Indians robing us — prepare to enter the pinery tomorrow —
Jan. 19th Snowing — Commence cutting pine — the parties are three
as follows 1* Lupiere, St. Martin, DuPlisie and Charlow — 2d Bau-
ritt and Seymore — 3 McNair, Spaniel and myself —
Jan. 20th Select the best and streightest pine, and hew it square
from 12 to 15 inches — the longest we intend cutting is 27% feet
the other lengths 12% or 25 feet

Jan. 24th Sabbath Agree not to work on Sunday — the hired men
work for themselves

Jan. 26th A party of four men arrive to cut timber for Rolette
Jan 27th Greene, a frenchman, starts for Prairie du Chien —
Roletts men commence cutting timber — we object to to their falling
any, among ours that is down
Jan. 29th Me Nair hunts today and kills a Buck.
Jan. 30th we cut timber near the first rapids *

Jan. 31*. Sabbath Early in the morning take a range to the east-
ward see some good pines, nothing else of importance —
Me Nair and myself go up to the falls — about 3 miles, I judge the
river decends in 20 rods 25 or 30 feet — We searched out a seat
for a sawmill — put our names the day year and native place on a
piece of lead, placed it under a stone at the foot of a tree cut the
initials of our names on the tree &C — and returned
Feb 2d Pleasant weather — Write to Mr. Findley by one of Rolets
men who starts to morrow for the prairie

Feb. 4th Cloudy and rainy — Evening fair and pleasant — Walk out
and survey the beauty of the Heavens — the moon is litt?e past the
first qr — the stars bright and sparkling — in contemplating; the won-
derful works of Creation, the mind is soon overwhelmed in infinite
variety, and endless extent, and returns unsatisfied to ruminate on
things within its reach — My thoughts are turned to my native
home, — I fancy my fathers family sitting in a circle around a Cheer-
ful fire Oh what happiness should I enjoy to return once more and
see them thus in health, and in the paths of Virtue — But alas ! thou-
sands of miles intervene and a thousand obstacles may obstruct my

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 455

wishes — My hope is in the mercy and goodness of God — my heart is

stuborn and rebelious but my sincere and earnest prayer to God is,

that he would soften and subdue it to his holy will, through the merits

of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ —

Feb. 5th Have a misunderstanding and high words with Me. Nair

who denys one bargin and wants to make another more to his own

interest — however we compromise the matter in the evening —

Feb. 6th appearance of colder weather — an Indian and his squaw

comes to our camp they beg some corn and promise to hunt

Feb 7th Sabbath — Warm and rainy — the most uncomon weather I

ever recolect for the time of year — no snow and the ground thawing —

Feb. 8th Snow in the morning — it soon dissolves — clears off warm —

A gang of Winibago Indians arrive and encamp near us — they are

begging and wanting to trade — tell them we have nothing to give or

to sell but they must hunt for a living, as we work for ours, however

we give them somthing to eat

Feb. 13th No snow — gear our horses and try to haul timber one

horse proves contrary — beat him severely —

Feb. 14th Sabbath — Snow last night 3 or 4 inches — Me Nair kills

a deer the indians kill 3 —

Feb. 16th More snow — hire Seymour to haul with my horse —

Feb. 18th finish hauling for the present

Feb 19th Snow falls about 6 inches

Feb 21* Sabbath — Pleasant— lay the bottom of our raft—

Feb 27 Finished hauling all we have hewed.

Feb 28th Sabbath Snows 3 inches — Pleasant

March I1 Severe Cold — saw shinglestuff —

March 2d Colder — Commence making a skiff of two large trees more

than 3 feet through — our indian neighbors leave us.

March 3d Snows all day attempt hauling our skiff trees but find

them too heavy

March 5th Snows very fast — work at shingles

March ^ 2 months since we left Prairie du Chien — squally

weather —

March 21 * Sabbath, for three or four days past it has been most

severe cold weather — indeed it has been cold and snowy most of the

time since March commenced — snow is about 20 inches

456 Documents

March 24th Moderate weather, bind up 7 thousand shingles — com-
mences snowing before night —

March 28th Sabbath Snow about 2 inches last night — very pleas-
ant saw a Robin symptoms of returning spring — the men are all
at work making Canoes or paddles — I turn out and cut 9 setting poles
have hard work in hacking them through the snow
Sabbath Eve. Clouds up — thunder, Lightning rain and hail —
March 29th Snow and blustering weather Roletts men coming short
of provision 2 of them start for a trading house of his to get some —
March 30th Set fire to our tarpit.

31* Our pit burst out in the night which made us scamper in
our flaps, cold as it was
April 1* South wind — warm —

April 3d Work hard loading our raft three men to help us — pros-
pect of the river breaking soon

April 9th The Catholic french observe a fast in remembrance of the
Crucifixion of our Saviour — we the Americans join with them in
observeing the fast.
Ice floating — and the river rising

April 10 Rainy till noon — the wind shifts N. W. — Geese Ducks and
pigeons plenty

April 11th Sabbath this day is kept sacred by the french in remem-
berance of the Resurection of our Saviour Jesus Christ
April 12th Pleasant — ready to start only wait for high water and
the rest of our company to get ready

April 13th Start our raft and move them down a mile or 2 to anchor
in deeper water encamp on board them at night —
April 14th Our Company all ready, 8 rafts in number — start about
10 oclock AM. run 2 or 3 miles, and we have the misfortune to run
our raft on an island in a very bad situation — as we had previously
agreed to assist each other in trouble, they all stopped as soon as
posible, and came to our assistance — take our raft in 3 pieces and
with much hard lifting in the water as cold as it could be without
freezing we succeed in getting off — before night two other rafts run
aground —

April 15th The river rising the rafts fast yesterday one got off
without much difficulty — Roletes men leave 2 of their rafts — Me Nair

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 457

undertakes to manage our small raft, Spaniole and myself manage
the other two together, we outfloat all the other rafts — rainy — stop
before night on account of their hallooing from behind
April 16th Start early — go pretty well with constant rowing till
near night when we strike several times with violence against the
shore which shatters our raft Bauritt sticks on a sawyer and is
obliged [to] leave a part of his raft — after much trouble we anchor
in a good harbour — it rains hard — build up our shelter, cook our
supper and go to sleep contentedly.

April 17th Cold and wet — commences snowing — the river rose only
one inch last night — overtake Bauritt who parted his cable last night
and drifted till he struck a sand beach — all hands stop to help him
off — afternoon, we run foul of another raft that turns our course
into shallow water — obliged to wait for assistance — evening, anchor
a little above the upper snie (or channel) that leads to the Mis-
sisippi — from this place, intend to double man our rafts, and make
2 trips as the navigation is difficult.

April 18th — Sabbath — Long shall I remem[ber] this day — the
dangers and difficulties we have escaped by the mercies of God, I
think I shall not soon forget — Seated on a bunch of shingles, after
the toils of the day are over, my thoughts are turned to my native
home, my friends and relations I hope and trust are attending the
worship of God in a proper place, while I am here in an uncivilized
land tugging with the oar and handspike

We started erly from our encampment a little above the upper snie
or channel that leads to the Missisipi, with part of our rafts, double
manned — run a short distance very well — then come to short bends
in the river overhung with trees, whose tops frequently brush the
water, the current rapid, our raft became in a manner unmanageable,
and we dashed from shore to shore and raked by the trees that seemed
to threaten us with immediate destruction ; 2 horses were swept over-
board, but swam ashore, we had an elegant skiff and canoe broken,
lost several pieces of timber and our raft almost a wreck — however by
the Providence of God we escaped with our lives, and less loss of
property than we had reason to expect, and anchored at a place
called "le Chepoie" a little below an old Indian trading house, find
2 of Rolettes men here who had been in quest of provision hear of

458 Documents

the death of old Mr Ayrd at the Prairie du Chien, — Refresh our-
selves, and return for the other rafts — hard rowing against the cur-
rent— come down with the other rafts in saf ty being better acquainted
with the best channel — encamp for the night —

April 19th Cloudy, and prospect of rain — the bottoms are all over-
flowed for many miles. — the river is still rising — the Missisippi is
no more than 1% mile distant but we have 20 to go before we enter
it We have another difficult passage to effect and start with only
2 rafts to look out the best channel — get fast with one raft, the other
succeeds in finding a passage —

April 20th After much trouble and perplexity, by cutting some rafts
in two, and part unloading others we succeed in getting all through
about sunset this day — the current is very gentle, but the river
spreads into many different channels, and these again are obstructed
by old trees, stumps and sand-bars which rendered it difficult to find
a channel large enough for our rafts to pass.

April 21*. Fair weather — start some small rafts to try the passage
a few miles further — the people return and report favorably, get our
horses once more on board, and set forward — 11 oclock A. M. enter
the Lake, where we consider ourselves past most of our dangers and
hardships; and I have reason to render thanks to an ever Merciful
and Benificent God, who has protected us, unworthy Beings, thus
far in safty.

April 22d. Get under way very early — float slowly, as there is but
little current in the lake, the feathered choir are tuning their melo-
dious notes, as a prelude to a beautiful day, and vegetation, which,
but lately appeared in the cold embrace of death, is now breaking
forth into life and animation ! — enter the Missisippi about 10 oclock
A. M. — a large horde of indians encamped on the point 12 oclock
pass the River "Racine" it comes in on the West, its water is said
to be very clear ; it has quite a green appearance at a distance, — pass
the River O'shaw12 a little before sunset it comes in on the east —
April 23d Loose our cables at daybreak and float away — sunrise,
meet old Mr. Grosler returning with provisions to the assistance of
Roletts party — as we had relieved their necessities in Black river, he

11 Modern Root River, in Houston County, Minnesota.
"Modern Coon River, in Vernon County, Wisconsin.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 459

now testifies his gratitude by tendering whatever he has that he thinks

will refresh us, as salt fresh Bread, old spirits, pass the loway River

on the west — in the afternoon pass a high bluff called by the French

Cap' o' lie,13 from garlicks that grow at its base. — Mc.Nair, Lupiere

and Bauritt leave us in a canoe intending to meet their wives before

they sleep sunset — pass a party of French cutting timber.

April 24th Expect to reach Prairie du Chien by 12 oclock — morning

rainy — 8 oclock arrive at Prairie de Souix —

11 Me. Nair and a party meet us to aid us in soon heave in sight

of the town — the wind contrary, we are obliged to anchor a few miles

above, bring in our raft in the evening

April 25th Sabbath Commence boarding with Mr. Man — he intends

to go down the river with me. —

26th Divide timber with Me. Nair. prepare to move down
the river in a few days — Dickson, Andrews and Owens,14 are pre-
paring an expedition up Black river to build a sawmill at the falls
April 27th Warm weather — the river rising — A trading boat arrives
from St. Peter's river they have made a bad trade — having but little
peltry to what they usuly got — Dr. Wiley is dead, he was the prin-
cipal manager of one of the trading companies — several of their men
have died, others are sick — an epedemical disorder has visited them
April 29th South wind for several days, which prevents me starting
with my raft.

25 or 30 canoes of Indians, of the Sack Nation arrive — Also a
Band of the Souix these nations have been at war they hold a
Council at the Indian Agents and agree to make Peace — but they
generaly break it when they have an oportunity —
April 30th Leave "the Prairie du Chien" as I expect forever, was
obliged to sacrifice considerable property.

2 oclock, Mr Man and myself having bid adieu to our friends, push
off our raft and float pleasantly down the river —

M"Cap o' Lie," from the French "Cap £ 1'Ail," meaning Cape Garlic, was
later transformed into the town name "Capoli." Garlic Cape is a bold headland
on the Iowa side of the river, which was commented upon by most early voyagers
on the Mississippi, e. g., by Long in 1817.

14 Wilfred Owens was a Kentuckian who came to Prairie du Chien as a partner
of Alexander McNair. He was one of the early probate judges of Crawford
County. In August, 1821 he committed suicide by cutting his throat, the act being
supposedly due to mental derangement.

460 Documents

Mr Man sleeps, while I watch our motions, and note down these
remarks. —

I have spent near two years at Prairie du Chien, with little satisfac-
tion to myself; and perhaps as little acquisition of property how-
ever it is folly to mourn mispent time.

Pass "Pike's hill," nearly opposite the mouth of the Ouisconsin;
selected by Gen. Pike as a suitable scite for a fort.15 — the evening
pleasant — we conclude to run all night, and watch alternately. — the
latter part of the night we both get to sleep awake in the morning
and find all safe —

May 1* Beautiful morn. Arrange our affairs in complete order —
build a place for cooking, and live away in great style the river
takes a long stretch without turning Pass the Lead Dubuque mines
about 5. PM. let the raft run all night — both of us sleep a great
part of the time — escape in safty — although very earless —
May 2d Sabbath — the wind shifts to the East — a perogue passes us
for Rock river my canoe breaks loose — save it by jumping in the
river, and swimming ashore, the wind against us — ly by in the after-
noon start out of our harbour by hard pushing — 9 oclock in the
evening strike on a sawyer and lie all night — high wind.
May 3d Work most of the day in getting off the sawyer — the wind
too high for starting — a heavy shower at night — thunder lightning
wind and rain —

May 4th Start at day break, frequent showers — the wind against us
lie by most of the day

May 5th Start early — 9 oclock pass Boutilles [Bouthillier's] trad-
ing house, also an Indian village at the head of the rapids — the river
is rapid 22 miles to Rock island on which stands fort "Armstrong"
the country most of the way looks beautiful, gently sloping towards
the river, covered with the greenest verdure and blossoms of spring,
go down the West channel of rock island arrive at fort Armstrong
5 oclock P. M.

this fort is handsomly situated on the lower point of an island, the
shore on which it stands is rock rising 12 or 15 feet above the water —
at present there is only a Lieutenant and 12 men in the garrison —

M At the time of his expedition up the Mississippi in 1805.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 461

stay about an hour and push off float all night — take turns in keep-
ing watch have a pleasant run — the moon about the full.
May 6th We have a side wind that keeps us rowing constantly to
avoid running ashore — stop before night — Prospect of rain
May 7th A shower last night — Breakfast and conclude to start, with
a head wind — a shower the wind changes West and drives us under
the East shore — strike on a sawyer, unload the hind part of our raft
and get off — Evening pleasant — 1 oclock morn I being on the watch
find myself among sandbars — endeavour to avoid them and stick
fast — work hard in the water 2 hours then lighten the raft and get
off — run well the rest of the night

May 8th Chilly morn. — several showers thunder Lightning wind and
rain —

May 9th Sabbath — Passed old fort Madison16 10 oclock last Eve-
ning, had a fine run last night — enter the rapids 18 miles long — ten
oclock A. M. arrive at fort Edward [s]17 opposite the River des
Moine — the garrison left the fort this spring Mr. Belt,18 the Indian
Factor, the Contractors Agent, and a few hirelings are all that re-
main— we dine with Mr Belt this fort is small, but handsomely
situated on a point of land that overlooks the river on the East or
Illinois side

3 oclock — start again — meet a boat under sail for Prairie du Chien —
also a gale of wind that lays us by — sunset pass the end of Fox Slue
so called 9 miles long — Mr Man unwell goes to bed. I have to watch
alone Pleasant Evening (Pass the site of Quincy May 10 1819)™

18 Fort Madison was established in 1808 on the site of the modern Iowa city
of the same name. In the summer of 1813 the fort was besieged by Indians for
several weeks; the garrison finally escaped by night, burning the fort as they
withdrew.

17 Fort Edwards, opposite the city of Keokuk, Iowa, was established in the
summer of 1816. A factory was established here two years later. The fort was
abandoned in 1824.

18 Robert B. Belt of Maryland, who came to Fort Madison in 1812 as assistant
to John W. Johnson, the factor. Belt was with Johnson for a time at Prairie du
Chien and then received the position here noted.

18 The italicized words were evidently written at a later time. Two years
later Keyes, on a horseback journey through the wilderness, camped for the night
on this spot. He was so taken with it that he resolved "if God would give him
a foothold here" he would make it his permanent dwelling place. This resolution
was responsible for the first log cabin, built on the site of Quincy in 1823, the
home of the first three settlers, Keyes, Rose, and Wood. See Keyes family
genealogy (Brattleboro, 1880), 7-8.

462 Documents

May 10th Pleasant, the wind in our favor 11 oclock pass Two
Rivers so called — 2 oclock, P. M. arrive at Bay Charles, I take the
Canoe and explore it — two islands lie high up it — pass round them,
see an Indian grave recently set up — Suppose it to be that of an
Indian lately killed by the Whites, of which we heard the news at
fort Edward — a little further at an old Indian encampment, I find
a rod peeled and painted Red, stuck in the ground, and on the top
of it was tied a piece of Scalp, bring it away — 3 oclock Pass Mis-
souri20 Bear Creek here the Indian was killed, a town Hanniball20
was commenced, but the inhabitants have left it. 26 miles to Louisi-
ania Mo the first settlement on the river — Sunset, arrive at Gilberts
Licks. A man formerly from Vermont lives here of the name of
Hubbard — a town has been lately laid out by the proprietors called
Saverton — we stop here for the night — a man promises us a deer by
sunrise

May 11th The man brings in a deer according to his promise — Salt
works are established at these Licks tho not at present in oppera-
tion — have 32 kettles, and allow they can make 10 bushels per day —
purchase some fresh Butter, milk &C — and start — 10 oclock we were
met by a most violent squall of wind — which drove us into the river,
and finaly quite across it. its violence was so great that every
moment it seemed the raft would break in pieces the waves dashed
over it with fury, and washed many things overboard —
I lost my hat in the scrape, and our canoe broke loose, but I fortu-
nately catched it. towards evening, being busy in adjusting our
things we ran on a Sawyer that stopt us for the night.
May 12th Unload part of the raft — find the snag, and cut it off —
arrive at Louisiania village 12 oclock

this town is 2 miles below the mouth of Salt river, and was lately
appointed the seat of Justice for Pike County

Not fancying this place very well, we soon pushed for Clarksville,
12 miles below the wind was unfavorable but the current pretty
strong arrive at Clarksville about sunset —

this looks like a village in the wilderness.21 however I like the situa-
tion better I think than Louisania —

20 Apparently later interpolations.

21 According to the local history the first cabin on the site of Clarksville was
built in 1816. At the time of Keyes' visit, therefore, the place was still a new
settlement.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 463

May 13th A Public sale of lots in this village is to be held, on the

15th ins*, we conclude to await the result.22

A thunder shower, the wind sudenly changes N. W. — cold and high

winds.

May 14th Saunter about and examine the town site, there is but one

frame house, and half- a dozen of hewed logs — tis said to have a fine

settlement back of respectable and wealthy farmers

May 15th They commence the sale of lots, — sold about 50 lots this

they varied from $100 to $240 — the people who come in from the

country appear mostly like respectable farmers, I conclude to tarry

in this place a while

May 16th Sabbath a meeting for religious worship preaching by

the Rev. Mr. Riddle, Baptist. Acts XIII. 32. 33

May 19th Go in Company with R. Burns to some deer licks to watch

for deer 7 miles down the river 1% back in the country kill one

deer, tormented by mosketos

May 20th return in the afternoon, find an other canoe work hard

in taking them both up the river —

May 21l Attend a rolling bee this morning Mr. Ewings23

— 22d help Mr. Burns plant corn.
May 23d Sabbath, read most of the day

May 24th Go a hunting, find no game — ascend the highest summit
have a prospect of the river and adjacent country it looks beau-
tiful on the other side of the river —
June 1* work for mr Man carpentering —

June 13th Bargin with Col. Millar for a lot in Clarksville price $180
June 16th bargin with Col. Miller to lathe a house at st. Louis price.
June 24th Mr. Man's family arrives from St Louis
July 4 Sabbath. Mr Phelan's infant died last evening, buried to day
Juty 5th Ride 4 miles in the country, to raising a grist mill for Mr
Mulheron the country through which I passed rolling, wood land,
mostly good farming land the farmers appear to be thriving
July 6th Mr. Man taken with the Ague and Fever several people
sick in town — uncomon warm.

22 The town was laid out by Governor John Miller; this was the first public
sale of lots to be held.

88 James Burns and Samuel Ewing were the two first settlers of Clarksville.

464 Documents

July 9th A heavy shower, I got caught in the rain in the highest

perspiration — take cold with symptoms of the ague —

July 11th Sabath I have been quite sick people are taking sick

daily.

July 18th Sabbath it still continues sickly, myself among the rest —

July 29th Continue weak and feeble, with much bodily pain — very

sickly throughout the country

Here I discontinued writing in my journal, that is from July 29th
1819 to August 1821 and now I conclude to take it up again if not
too Lazy. I will put down some of the principal events of the in-
termediate time, as my recollection serves me, so as to make it hang
together —

Sickness raged to a greater degree than was said ever to be known
in the country before — many died particularly new comers — I con-
tinued in a weak and debilitated state, just able to crawl and help
myself or I should have been badly off — as I had a predeliction for
settling in the state of Illinois, in sept. (1819) I made out to get
down about 20 miles on the other side of the river to a place called
"Salt Prairie" the highest settlement then on that side of the river. —
in the latter part of Oct. I commenced a small school, of 10 or 12
pupils ; more however sometimes than I knew how to attend however
my disease gradualy wore away, and my strength returned, in Nov.
wrote to Father — I got my raft from Clarksville and started for
St. Louis the last of Nov. — saw Seth Kidder in St Louis wrote to
Brother, Royal — the river was very low, and I had bad luck and lost
part of my timber in going down — sold the remainder for $200
return to Salt Prairie and spend the winter there.
AD. 1820. Feb. I went to Edwardsville the seat of Justice for Madison
County, it is a considerable town, tho of but few years growth,
about 12 miles East from the Missisipi river I obtained many num-
bers of soldier lots offered for sale by speculators there.
Feb. 19th — started out to view the Bounty Lands, four others in
Company; viz; Capt. J. Nixon, Mr. D. Button, Mr S. Gates, &
Mr John Wood being all well mounted and equipt for the woods

# * # 24

84 The portion omitted comprises notes on the lands viewed and marked by
the party for possible future entry.

Life in Wisconsin One Hundred Years Ago 465

March 1820 John Wood and myself form a partnership to go on
to the frontiers and commence farming together accordingly pre-
pare ourselves with provisions farming utensils &C as well as our
slender means would permit 2 small yoke of steers a young Cow &
a small though promising lot of swine : our whole amount of property
was did not probably exceed $250. paid 50 & 60 dollars per yoke
for small 4 year old steers $17. for small heifer. 6*4 cts per Ib.
for fresh pork. 75 cts per bushel for Corn or potatoes $8 per
barrel for flour $4. per bushel for salt and other things in proportion

THE QUESTION BOX

The Wisconsin Historical Library has long maintained a
bureau of historical information for the benefit of those who care
to avail themselves of the service it offers. In "The Question
Box" will be printed from time to time such queries, with the
answers made to them, as possess sufficient general interest to
render their publication worth while.

THE HISTORY OF FLORENCE COUNTY

Could I obtain through you a tract, bulletin, or book containing the
history of Florence County, Wisconsin? I am connected with a large
colonization company which will soon begin active colonization work in
that county. I wish to obtain as complete a history of the county as
possible and will certainly appreciate any assistance you can give us in
this matter.

HOWARD I. WOOD

Marinette

Florence County was erected by the legislature of 1882 from
portions of Marinette and Oconto counties; the former had been
set off from the latter three years previous. Oconto County was
originally a part of Brown County, from which it was set off in 1851.
Brown was one of the two original counties erected by the legislature
of Michigan Territory in 1818. The region composing Florence
County was but little known to early white men. There was a portage
route from Keweenaw Bay by way of Michigame River which was in
use very early, during the French regime; but so far as known no
record of any voyage by this route is in existence. The first white
man who has left any description of his journey along the streams
that bound Florence County is Captain Thomas Jefferson Cram,
United States army officer, who surveyed the northeast boundary of
Wisconsin in the years 1840 and 1841. Cram reports that the
Brule River (Indian name We-sa-co-ta) had a rapid current and
varied in width from eighty to one hundred twenty feet. It had a
rocky bed and was quite shallow. It took six days in high water to

The History of Florence County 467

ascend from its mouth to Lake Brule; one may descend in two and
a half to three and a half days with a lightly loaded canoe. There
was but one portage at the mouth of Paint River (Indian name
Me-squa-cum-me-se-pe) ; and one "decharge" a half a mile above.
The banks were overhung with white cedar, through which a passage
must often be cut for a canoe. Fir, poplar, tamarack, white birch,
and pine lined the banks, which seemed at first to be lands of inferior
quality. A few hundred yards back, however, was a rich upland
with good hardwood timber. There were many Indian camping
grounds along the stream, but no Indians were encountered until
Cram's party reached Bad Water village. The whole stream formerly
abounded in beaver and otter, which were nearly trapped out when
the surveyors passed. The Pine River (Indian name Mus-kos-se-pe)
was a low stream, the valley abounded in deer, and the Indians hunted
along it very frequently. The whole region belonged to the Me-
nominee tribe ; but the Chippewa mingled with them. The Menomi-
nee River (Indian name Me-ne-ca-ne-se-pe) was desolate because of
devastation by fire. At the Bad River village the Indians cultivated
only potatoes ; it was so far north that corn could not ripen before
frost. In his report of 1841 Captain Cram said he had surveyed
the entire Brule River, which was 54 miles 950 feet long, and con-
tained 59 islands.

Florence County remained a region for hunting and trapping
until in 1877 iron was discovered therein. The iron mines of the
Michigan side of the Menominee were discovered in 1873 by N. P.
Hulst and other mining engineers. In 1876 The Menominee Mining
Company was organized and the Chicago & Northwestern officials
began the building of the Menominee River Railway which in 1877
was extended to the Vulcan mine. The Florence mine was discovered
in October, 1874 by H. D. Fisher. Work there was begun in the winter
of 1879-80 when 30,000 tons of ore were taken out. The summer
of 1880 the railway reached the mine. This railway was incorporated
with the Northwestern system on July 1, 1882. The Florence mine
was named by Dr. Fisher for Mrs. N. P. Hulst. In 1880 Florence
Township of Marinette County had a population of 267. In 1890
Florence County numbered 2,604 persons.

468 The Question Box

BERIAH BROWN

I want a brief biographical sketch of Beriah Brown to whom you
allude in The Movement for Statehood, 181+5-1+6. From other sources I
knew he was one time editor of the Wisconsin Democrat; aside from that
he was somewhat of a notable character in the early political life of
Wisconsin.

I also know that he came to the Pacific coast about 1862 and soon
became editor of a paper called the Democratic Press; that his strictures
upon the government's conduct of the Civil War were very severe — rabid,
I should say — he was classed as a rank copperhead at that time ; that his
printing office was gutted on April 15, 1865, because his attacks upon
Lincoln were so violent; that he fled to Mexico at once; that he came
to Portland in the fall of 1866, and was editor of the Oregon Herald,
democratic, for about two years ; that he was connected with other papers
to some extent, but in no case did he stay in any one place very long.

The last I knew of him was when he was living in Seattle, and was
being taken care of by his son, A. N. Brown, and died a number of years
ago. At present I do not know where young Brown is.

I knew him in person in 1866-68, and frequently as a compositor
placed his manuscript in type. He took a great deal of pride in his
editorial career and often had a good deal to say of his "powerful influ-
ence" in the early legislative days of Wisconsin; also was eager to let
it be known that he "frequently measured lances with Greeley, Bennett,
Weed, Dana, Raymond, Bryant," etc., and did not come off second best.

GEORGE H. HIMES
Curator and Assistant Secretary
% Oregon Historical Society

Beriah Brown, third son of Beriah and Martha Ashmun Brown,
was born at Canandaigua, New York, February 21, 1815. In 1829
he was apprenticed as printer in the office of the Batavia (N. Y.)
Advocate. The following year he assisted in the establishment of
the Erie Observer where he met Horace Greeley, then an apprentice
in another office; an intimacy was formed between the two boys which
lasted through life. He assisted in the publication of the Batavia
Advocate for a time and in 1835 removed to Michigan where he estab-
lished the Tecumseh Democrat. In 1839 he joined his brother,
John A., in the publication of the Niles Intelligencer. In 1841 he
removed to Iowa County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in mining and
was made county clerk in 1844. He resigned this position in 1845
and purchased the Mineral Point Democrat which he removed to
Madison in 1846 and changed to the Madison Democrat. He made
his paper the organ of the "Tadpole" or "Progressive" Democracy
and waged war against the Argus, styled "Old Hunker." The radical

The Knapp-Stout <$ Co. Lumber Company 469

measures which his paper advocated were adopted by the first con-
stitutional convention and resulted in the rejection of the constitu-
tion. The factional warfare which centered in these two papers con-
tinued for some years, but in 1852 the Argus and the Democrat were
united with Beriah Brown as editor. In 1855 the paper was sold,
and after various changes, in 1860 Brown established the People's
Press in Milwaukee and purchased a half interest in the News.
In the winter of 1862 he removed to Stockton, California, where he
was engaged as editor of the (Stockton) Republican, the only Demo-
cratic paper in the state. The establishment was removed to Sacra-
mento in 1863 where the material was subsequently broken up and
thrown into the street by a mob. After this Brown removed to San
Francisco and established the Democratic Press. This establishment
also was totally destroyed by a mob in 1865, and the editor was
forced to flee for his life. After a few months in Mexico he returned
and became joint publisher of the Santa Rosa Democrat. In 1866
he accepted a call as editor and general manager of the Oregon
Herald at Portland; in 1869 he established the Democrat Press at
Salem, Oregon. Repudiation of the state debt in 1870 caused him
to leave that state and his party. He edited the Standard at Olympia,
Washington Territory for a year and in 1871 established the Puget
Sound Dispatch at Seattle, which was merged in the Intelligencer in
1878, of which he was senior editor.

In 1879 and 1880 Mr. Brown was mayor of Seattle. The next
year he retired from active life, and died February 8, 1900 at the
home of his son, A. N. Brown, at Anaconda, Montana.

THE KNAPP-STOUT & CO. LUMBER COMPANY

Can you tell me something about when the Knapp-Stout Company
located at Menomonie, the number of men they at times employed, in-
cluding their camp crews, and their use of printed duebills? Is it true
that they had the largest sawmill in Wisconsin?

H. R. HOLAND

Ephraim

In the spring of 1846 Capt. William Wilson was ascending the
Mississippi on a steamboat when he was told of the great stand of
white pine on the Chippewa and its tributaries. He left the steamboat
at Nelson's Landing and went across country on foot to the Red
Cedar, where on the site of the present city of Menomonie he found

470 The Question Box

a small mill operated by the firm of Black and Green. The latter was
eager to sell his share and leave the pineries. Wilson hired a canoe
and with an Indian guide went fifty miles up the river to examine the
timber. Satisfied that there was a great amount of timber he went
back to his home in Fort Madison, Iowa, to secure money to buy out
Green. He interested John H. Knapp, a young man of twenty-one
just home from an eastern college, with some money to invest.
May 19, 1846 Knapp and Wilson drew up a copartnership agree-
ment and bought out Green for $2,000.

The mill began operating June first under the new name of Black
and Knapp. That autumn David Black died, and Knapp and Wilson
arranged with his executors for his share of the mill, paying in all
$2,400 for his half interest. In August, 1850 the firm took in Andrew
Tainter, their foreman. In 1853 Henry L. Stout of Dubuque bought
a quarter interest, when the firm became Knapp, Stout and Company.
The firm now expanded very rapidly. Stout's capital permitted it
to enlarge operations. May 1, 1854 Thomas B. Wilson, oldest son
of Captain Wilson, became a member of the firm. March 18, 1878
the company was incorporated with a capital stock of $2,000,000.
In 1886 John H. Knapp retired from the presidency and two years
later died. William Wilson died in 1892.

With regard to your question concerning the largest sawmill in
Wisconsin, we have seen no such statement but it is not improbable.
In 1878 the company had many mills: a water power and a steam
mill at Menomonie; mills at Downsville, Rice Lake, Prairie Farm,
Chetek; others also at Dubuque and St. Louis. The company was
by 1878 the largest manufacturer of lumber in the United States and
was said to be the largest lumber corporation in the world. In 1873
there were 1*200 men on the pay roll; in 1878, 2,500 were reported.
At the semicentennial of the founding of the company, celebrated in
1896, it was announced that for the past fifteen years the pay roll
had averaged 2,000 men. Eighty-five million feet of lumber per year
was the average for twenty-five years (1871-96).

With regard to your question concerning printed duebills, we
have no definite information but think it probable they were employed.
The company owned many stores and farms, built and operated six
steamboats, and did a considerable banking business. In all proba-

History of Fort Mackinac 471

bility no other agency was more valuable in opening up, settling, and
developing central western Wisconsin than the Knapp-Stout & Co.
Lumber Company.

COSTUMES THREE GENERATIONS AGO

I am in search of details in the matter of dress of the American
people, both male and female, during the period between 1825 and 1840.

Also I wish exact information as to the manner in which French-
Canadians and fur traders, trappers, and voyageurs of the Northwest
Territory dressed during the eighteen thirties.

W. S. HOFFMAN

Campion College

The Americans of the period which you mention dressed in the
fashion of the times, as imported from Europe. Traveler after trav-
eler speaks of the fashionable mode, especially of the women's dress.
Any book of fashions for that period will give you the general style.
If you desire, we can lend you such a book.

As for the French-Canadians, voyageurs, etc., their dress was
quite different. Almost without exception the men wore hunting
shirts, either of linen in summer or of deer skin or blanket material
in winter. Some few wore pantaloons, but the majority dressed like
the Indians in long leggings and a breechclout. Moccasins were
nearly universal. For exterior garments they wore a capot, that is
a big cape with a kind of peaked hood to be drawn over the head.
This was made of a blanket, or sometimes of skins. Ordinarily a
large kerchief was twisted around the head. Some trappers pre-
ferred a skin cap with the animal tails dangling. The sash or girdle
was one of the most important articles of dress. It was a long,
straight piece of cloth or silk twisted around the waist two or three
times. Into it was thrust the hunting knife and in its folds were car-
ried small articles like the pipe, tobacco, etc. The hunting shirts
and moccasins were frequently adorned with bead work. Fringes of
dressed skin adorned the leggings and the bottom and front seam of
the hunting shirt.

HISTORY OF FORT MACKINAC

Will you inform me as to the date when the old Blockhouse on
Mackinac Island was built? I would be glad to receive any information
that you can give me regarding its history or incidents connected with it.

WILLIAM H. DIMICK
Boston, Massachusetts

472 The Question Box

There are three old blockhouses on Mackinac Island at the east,
north, and west ends of the oldest fort. The west blockhouse is the
most conspicuous, the one commonly pictured. These are among the
oldest military structures in the Northwest, having been built by
the British between 1780 and 1782, when the fort was removed from
Old Mackinaw, lying on the mainland to the south of the island. The
occasion for the removal of the post was the success of the American
forces under Col. George Rogers Clark of Virginia. Early in 1779
he captured the British commandant of Detroit, then at his advanced
post at Vincennes, Indiana. By this blow all British officers in the
Northwest were alarmed. Captain Patrick Sinclair felt it would be
safer to remove his post to Mackinac Island. He began in the winter
of 1779-80 to draw plans for an island post, which was finally com-
pleted in 1782. May 12, 1781 he bought the island from the Chippewa
Indians. The deed of transfer, with the totem signatures of the In-
dian chiefs, is reproduced in Michigan Pioneer and Historical Col-
lections, XIX, 633. When the British garrison was first removed
to the island, the blockhouses seem to have been used as barracks.
They are three stories high, and on each floor is a large fireplace,
much needed in the winter days of this northern post.

To write a history of the blockhouse it would be necessary to
recapitulate the history of the Northwest for over a century. Not
until 1796 was the British ensign pulled down from the fort and the
Stars and Stripes run up in its place. Twice thereafter the fort
changed hands as an outpost during the War of 1812. When that
war was declared, the British garrison some forty miles eastward
received the news before it arrived at Fort Mackinac. Summoning
his resources of regulars, fur traders, and Indians, Captain Benjamin
Roberts advanced upon Mackinac, took post behind the fort, and
summoned Lieut. Porter Hanks, the young American officer, to sur-
render. To avoid massacre of the inhabitants of the village the young
officer yielded the post without firing a shot. A description of this
event may be found in Wisconsin Historical Society Proceedings,
1912, 124-45. It is said that after the capture of the post Captain
Roberts arrested all the men and larger boys on the island and con-
fined them in the basements of the blockhouses. Those who took the

Sioux War of 1862 at Superior 473

oath of allegiance to His Majesty King George were set free; those
who would not were shipped off to Detroit on parole.

Two years later an American expedition attempted to recover
the post. The British garrison was warned, and the attack failed.
During the blockade by the American troops and the brief but sharp
battle on the island the women and children of the village were kept
for safety in the blockhouses of the fort.

After the treaty of Ghent was signed it was eight months before
arrangements were completed for the evacuation of Fort Mackinac
by the British troops. Their commander, Colonel Robert McDouall,
was especially anxious that no Indian disorders or massacres of the
inhabitants should occur upon his retirement. He waited, therefore,
until the American squadron of four vessels hove in sight upon the
morning of July 18, 1815. Within thirty minutes after landing,
Colonel Anthony Butler, the American officer in charge, took over
the post; for the last time the cross of Sts. George and Andrew
came down, and the American flag arose upon the flagstaff of Fort
Mackinac.

The entire history of Mackinac is replete with romance. One
of the officers who came with the detachment of Americans in 1815
was Captain Benjamin K. Pierce, brother of Franklin Pierce, later
president of the United States. Captain Pierce fell in love with
a young half-breed French-Chippewa girl living on the island; she
was beautiful and well-educated, and the wedding was a notable one,
the mother and aunt of the bride appearing in full Indian costume.

At the time of the Civil War the fort had been ungarrisoned for
some time. May 20, 1862 a detachment of troops arrived there as
escort for several prominent officials of Tennessee who had wished
to deliver their state to the Confederates. They were detained in
honorable captivity for some months at Fort Mackinac. The post
is now part of a state park belonging to Michigan.

SIOUX WAR OF 1862 AT SUPERIOR

Have you any record of the Sioux War of 1862 as far as it related
to Wisconsin points ? We belonged to the Home Guards, built a wooden
stockade on the bay front in Superior, and families went into the stockade
nights, etc.

474 The Question Box

The Home Guards were supplied with Springfield rifles and ammuni-
tion by the state, and under its control. The United States sent us a
company of soldiers taken prisoners at Shiloh, and not exchanged. Cap-
tain Dixon was the commander. I think the company belonged to the
Eighteenth Wisconsin Regiment.

There must be some record of the Home Guards, with lists of officers
and privates, etc. If you cannot find any record in the state departments,
would I be likely to find anything through the information bureau at
Washington, D. C. ?

I belonged to the Home Guards ; so did my brother, James Bardon of
Superior. We drilled, did guard duty, etc. Only a few of us are now left
of the company.

THOMAS BARDON

Ashland

The following report upon your inquiry has been prepared by
Miss Kellogg of the research division of the Society :

Your query interests us, and we have been going through the
adjutant generals' and governors' Civil War papers in our custody
to obtain information concerning frontier defense, particularly at
Lake Superior points during the disturbances of 1862. The news of
the Indian massacres in Minnesota reached Superior about August 25.
There was much alarm for fear the Chippewa might likewise assume
a hostile attitude. The citizens of Superior at once formed a com-
mittee of safety consisting of Washington Ashton, Thomas H. Hogan,
and R. G. Coburn. August 31 they issued Public Order No. 1 for an
organized guard to parole from nine P.M. to five A.M. ; every male
person from eighteen to sixty to be called on to perform service; all
families to sleep between St. John and Thompson avenues, Fourth
Street, and the Bay ; all venders of ammunition or liquor to Indians
to be summarily dealt with ; neighboring towns requested to concent
trate at Superior.

The panic was so great that when the steamer Neptune left on
September 3 thirty people went away in her. More would have gone
in the Planet, but she was delayed in arriving. There was a company
called Douglas County Home Guards in Superior which had been
enrolled the preceding January at the suggestion of James S. Ritchie
for fear of troubles with Indians or English. The officers were Wash-
ington Ashton, captain, Daniel Waterman, first lieutenant, August
Zachau, second lieutenant, who received their commissions in June.

Sioux War of 1862 at Superior 475

Under the decree of the committee of safety on September 18 every
able-bodied man was requested to enroll in the Douglas County
Guards until relieved by United States soldiers. The committee at
this date had been enlarged to six members ; Thomas H. Hogan had
been replaced by H. T. Holcomb; Thomas Clark, H. W. Shaw, and E.
C. Clarke were the new members. Meanwhile the committee took an
inventory of all the firearms in Superior and found there were sixty
shotguns, rifles, and pistols, all told. At the tap of the bell all women
were ordered to go to a certain warehouse on the docks ; E. C. Clarke
was dispatched to Madison to procure aid from the state government.
The governor, meanwhile, had sent Captain Maurice M. Samuels of
the First Wisconsin to visit the border communities and the Chippewa
camps and report conditions to him. August 30 he was at St. Croix
Falls where he met A-que-en-zee, a Chippewa chief, who wished Samuels
to accompany him to Superior and then to the different payments.
September 30 Samuels was at Odanah and reported that the Chip-
pewa were peaceful. He found Home Guards being organized at all
the frontier communities. Before the middle of September the
governor had sent what state arms he could secure to the threatened
towns. Hudson received 200 rifles ; Superior's captain on September
16 gave bond for 192 rifled muskets and equipment for the Douglas
County Guard. On the preceding day James S. Ritchie, draft com-
missioner at Superior, wrote the adjutant general that Captain
Samuels' arrival, his uniform, and his arrest of whisky sellers had
cleared the situation. He requested, however, a loan of cannon and
advocated cutting down the forest as far as Tenth Street and building
two or three blockhouses at Superior.

When E. C. Clarke reached Madison the governor was ready to
listen to his pleas. He sent a special message to the legislature
asking for a new militia law and an appropriation for the defense of
the frontier. By personal application to the United States authori-
ties the governor secured 2,000 stand of arms and 40,000 rounds of
ammunition. Clarke went to Milwaukee to get this material shipped
to Lake Superior and eventually it was sent up. October 18 Clarke
gave bond for these arms and wrote that upon his return to Superior
shortly before that date he found the guard kept every night and that
immediate trouble with the Chippewa was feared. Meanwhile General

476 The Question Box

John Pope had been ordered to St. Paul to control the Sioux and to
cooperate with the governors of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to
protect the frontier. Several regiments fitting for the front were
detained; the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin was sent up the river to par-
ticipate in the Sioux campaign. So pressing was the need, however,
for these men at the front that Pope was constantly being urged by
the War Department to release them for service. He was promised
paroled prisoners to take their place. They did not however reach
him until early in October when he sent two companies to Lake
Superior — one to Bayfield, one to Superior. The company for
Superior had come up from St. Louis to Madison towards the end of
September. It was composed of Wisconsin troops that had been
captured the preceding spring at the battle of Shiloh and was known
as Company B of the Eighteenth Wisconsin. The governor made
requisitions of warm clothing for these troops and embarked them on
the steamer Sea Bird (probably at Milwaukee). Their officers were
not Wisconsin men, but appointed from United States volunteers.
The captain was John L. Dickson, first lieutenant, Samuel Drake,
second lieutenant, George W. Gordon, surgeon, I. M. Winn (a
Minnesota legislator). Captain E. B. Carling went with the troops
to arrange for quarters, etc. It was some time in November before
this company of paroled men reached Superior. The Chippewa
about this time were showing signs of restlessness. Judge McCloud of
Bayfield visited General Pope at St. Paul early in November to
represent to him the danger. Apparently the appearance of the
troops (about sixty in each company) sufficed to overawe the
aborigines and keep them from an outbreak.

We have not been able to ascertain how long the paroled com-
pany remained at Superior. Nor is the list of the Douglas County
Home Guards forthcoming. It may yet be found among the adju-
tant generals' papers, which are quite voluminous. We will keep it
in mind and report to you if we find it. From Washington you can
no doubt obtain information about the officers of the paroled com-
pany and the length of its stay at Superior.

The citizens of that frontier town had a long period of anxiety,
which was heightened by fear of the draft. James S. Ritchie was
draft commissioner, but upon news of the danger from the Indians

Sioux War of 1862 at Superior 477

Governor Salomon suspended the draft for both Douglas and La
Pointe counties. The prompt measures taken first by the local, then
by the state, and finally by the federal authorities saved Wisconsin's
frontiers from danger of such a massacre as befell those of Minnesota.

I am much pleased to receive Miss Kellogg's research of the Sioux
War troubles at Superior, etc., in 1862. There is not a soul living that
she mentions. I was a private in the Douglas County Guards and of
course very familiar with the situation.

I wish I could get one of the old rifled muskets. Would like a copy
of the governor's proclamation on the call, etc.

THOMAS BARDON

Ashland

COMMUNICATIONS
THE KENSINGTON RUNE STONE

I have read with very great interest in the March number of the
WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY the article on the Kensington
Rune Stone. I read it and reread it in order better to understand
the author's line of argument. I wonder what the next article will
bring. It looks strange to think that at an age when all Sweden was
Catholic, when the Popes had resided at Avignon, in France, for
seventy years, that at that remote period some Swedes and Norwe-
gians found their way to Minnesota. But the Northmen were of a
roving disposition, more so than any other nation of Europe, and
so it is not impossible that they found their way to America, as it
is not far from Norway to Iceland and from there to Greenland.

One thing Mr. Holand seems to mistranslate — "A. V. M." If
those words stand for Ave Maria they mean "Hail, Mary !" the words
the angel Gabriel used in saluting the Blessed Virgin, as we read in
the Bible, St. Luke, chapter II, — not "Ave Maria! Save (us) from
evil!" In the Catholic Church, after saying the "Our Father," we
commonly add "Hail Mary!" — a salutation to Mary. "Save us
(deliver us) from evil!" are the latter words of the "Our Father,"
and in no connection with the words "Hail Mary." I wonder whether
the initials "A. V. M.," as I think they are, really stand for "Ave
Maria." May they not be the initials of the name of the man who
engraved the Kensington Stone? If the man wanted to express in
Latin "Save us from evil," he would have said, "Libera nos a malo,"
not "A. V. M."

However all this is but guesswork and I hope we will get more
solid proofs for the most wonderful fact — that men of the North came
to Minnesota in 1362. I am somewhat inclined to believe in the
genuineness of the Kensington Stone, but still humbuggery is a very
common thing in America, and as the saying goes, "The Americans
like to be humbugged." Maybe in those graves at Cormorant Lake
some implements, relics of ancient Scandinavians, may be found that
would be the real proof of the truth of said Kensington Stone and

Captain Marryat's Tour 479

will convince more than any learned reasoning as to the real fact
of Norwegians and Swedes having been in Minnesota five hundred
and fifty-eight years ago. ^ -

FATHER CHRYSOSTOM VERWYST 0. F. M.

Bayfield

BIRTHPLACE OF THE RINGLINGS

In the December issue of the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY
you say — "In the September, 1919 American Magazine John Ring-
ling tells the life story of the seven brothers, who were born at
McGregor, Iowa, across the river from Wisconsin," etc. I venture
to observe that John Ringling never said the seven brothers were
born in Iowa ; because they were not, — at least three of them were
not. Albert, the oldest, was born in Chicago; Otto, next, the only
member who never married, was born in Baraboo; and A. G., gen-
erally called Gus, in Milwaukee.

The four born at McGregor were Alfred T., the last to die,
Charles E., John, and Henry. Charles and John are sole survivors
of the brothers. An only sister, Ida, now Mrs. Harry North, was
born at Prairie du Chien, in Wisconsin, just across the Mississippi
from McGregor. She lives at Baraboo. Charles resides at Evanston,
Illinois, John in New York, but both have winter homes in Florida.
The parents, besides living in the various places where their eight
children were born, passed short periods at Stillwater, Minnesota,
and Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and possibly elsewhere. All deceased mem-
bers except Alfred T. sleep with their parents in the Baraboo ceme-
tery. Alfred T., who died last October in New Jersey, is to rest in
a mausoleum at White Plains, New York. In order of age the eight
children run thus : Albert, A. G., Otto, Alfred T., Charles E., John,
Henry, Ida, — seven sons in succession, then a daughter.

O. D. BRANDENBURG

Madison

CAPTAIN MARRYAT'S TOUR

W. A. Titus of Fond du Lac, writing in the WISCONSIN MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY for March, errs when he says that in 1837 "Captain
Frederick Marryat, the celebrated English author, * * * made a

480 Communications

trip on horseback from Green Bay to Prairie du Chien." He made
the trip, though not on horseback, but in wagons or on foot to Fort
Winnebago with a detachment of troops, and in a keelboat down the
Wisconsin. His boat, as Captain Marryat described it himself, was
about one hundred twenty feet long, "covered in to the height of six
feet above the gunnel, and very much in appearance like the Noah's
ark given to children, excepting that the roof was flat." It was an
"unwieldy craft, and to manage it, it required at least twenty-five men,
with poles and long sweeps." A swift current, snags, and prostrate
trees caused almost unending trouble. At nightfall the boat was tied
to the shore, but the passengers never wandered far away "on account
of the rattlesnakes, which here abounded," and Captain Marryat adds
that "perhaps there is no portion of America in which the rattlesnakes
are so large and so numerous as in Wisconsin." The boat was un-
manageable, being "continually twisted and twirled about, sometimes
with our bows, sometimes with our stern foremost"; and so, on the
fourth day from Fort Winnebago, "after nothing but misfortunes,"
Captain Marryat got into a dugout with two "Menonnomie" Indians
and paddled to "the landing place," got a horse, "mounted somehow,
but without stirrups," and set off for Prairie du Chien, within sight
of which he came after riding "about four miles."

So apparently there was no "horseback" about the whole trip, —
at least Marryat himself says nothing of such means of transpor-
tation.

O. D. BRANDENBURG

Madison

SURVEY OF HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES

THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE

Pursuant to action taken at the last annual meeting of the State
Historical Society of Wisconsin, Dr. Joseph Schafer assumed the
position of superintendent on April 1, 1920, and Dr. M. M. Quaife
became editor. Dr. Schafer was born in Wisconsin and educated at
the state University, where he took the degrees of B.L. in 1894 and
Ph.D. in 1906. He has been professor of history in the University
of Oregon since 1900. He is the author of The Origin of the System
of Land Grants in Aid of Education (1902), the History of the
Pacific Northwest (1905, 2d edition 1918), The Pacific Slope and
Alaska (1905), The Acquisition of Oregon (1908), and The British
Attitude Toward the Oregon Question (1911). During the war
Dr. Schafer was in Washington as vice chairman of the National
Board for Historical Service. Since March, 1919 he has served as
chairman of the Committee on History and Education for Citizen-
ship in the Schools, a body representative of the American Historical
Association, the National Board for Historical Service, and the
Committee on Social Studies of the National Education Association.
He was also joint editor with F. A. Cleveland of a volume published
in 1919 called Democracy in Reconstruction. — F. L. P.

During the three months' period ending April 10, 1920 there
were one hundred and ten additions to the membership roll of the
State Historical Society. The Waukesha High School became an
institutional member of the Society. Sixteen enrolled as life members,
as follows: Leo T. Crowley, Madison; Ona A. Crume, Prairie du
Chien; Harriet P. Humphrey, Shawano; Mrs. V. S. Keppel, Holmen;
John A. Kittell, Green Bay ; Peter Lamal, Ashland ; J. H. G. Lieven,
Hartford ; Martha E. McCoy, Chicago Heights, Illinois ; Frank E.
Noyes, Marinette; George E. O'Connor, Eagle River; Solon Louis
Perrin, Superior; H. B. Rounds, Eau Claire; G. C. Sellery, Madison;
E. B. Trimpey, Baraboo; F. A. R. Van Meter, New Richmond;
Robert Wild, Milwaukee.

Ninety-two annual members were added, as follows : H. W. Adams,
Beloit; David W. Agnew, Waukesha; A. H. Anderson, Noonan,
North Dakota; H. J. Antholz, Shiocton; Edward L. Baker, Lake
Forest, Illinois ; John Bartenstein, Green Bay ; V. L. Beggs, Friend-
ship; Theo Beufy, Sheboygan; Alma Bridgman, Mondovi; Louis

482 Survey of Historical Activities

W. Bridgman, Madison; J. D. Brownell, Ashland; A. D. Campbell,
Waukesha; T. H. Cochrane, Portage; Claude J. Colburn, Hiles;
W. P. Colburn, Rhinelander ; Otto B. Dahle, Mt. Horeb; G. Holmes
Daubner, Waukesha ; C. W. Dodge, Mondovi ; Dr. Frank I. Drake,
Mendota; Ethel S. Dyson, Burlington; H. F. Eames, Egg Harbor;
Belle Fleek, Brodhead; Charles J. Furset, Clinton; J. H. Gaines,
North Crandon; Mrs. W. A. Gillmore, Durand; Moulton B. Goff,
Sturgeon Bay; O. P. Graham, Racine; Ralph Gutheil, Waukesha;
A. J. Hardy, Waukesha; Wm. H. Hardy, Jr., Waukesha; Grant D.
Harrington, Elkhorn; Mrs. Paul A. Hemmy, Juneau; Robert Lin-
coln Holt, Waukesha ; Mrs. Rose Bowen Howard, Greenwood ; Merlin
Hull, Madison; C. E. Hulten, Washburn; Charles H. Karch, Lake
Mills ; Mrs. Grace W. Kinnear, Florence ; Howard W. Lee, Janesville ;
Henry C. Leister, Sheboygan Falls; Henry Lockney, Waukesha;
J. K. Lowry, Waukesha; Calvin E. McClelland, Rice Lake; L. W.
McKibbin, Spring Green; Arthur A. McLeod, Madison; Mrs. Norma
R. McNab, Black River Falls ; Cathie C. McNamara, Washington,

D. C.; S. S. McNelly, Lancaster; J. H. Martin, Racine; Earl W.
Messinger, Mishicot; Dr. Forest C. Middleton, Madison; Eben R.
Minahan, Green Bay ; Alfred D. Mueller, Cashton ; Henry Mulberger,
Watertown ; A. P. Nelson, Washington, D. C. ; D. Newberry, New
London; Warren S. O'Brien, Waukesha; J. E. Ostrum, Norwalk;
Ralph A. D. Owen, Mayville; William Herbert Page, Madison;
Rev. A. E. Pflaum, Chilton; O. H. Plenzke, Menasha; O. A. Reetz,
Bloomer; G. B. Rhoads, Waukesha; O. S. Rice, Madison; Richard
Roll, Hustisford; C. A. Rubado, Plymouth; Mary Rutherford,
Cambridge; Herbert Sanderson, Sturgeon Bay; Edward G. Saun-
derson, Montello; Carl H. Sawyer, Waukesha; Maude Shelton,
Kenosha; C. E. Shomo, Madison; C. W. Simonson, Stevens Point;
C. J. Smith, Janesville; Ira E. Smith, Bradley ; P. E. Stark, Madison;
Miss Frank D. Stewart, Silverlake; J. C. Stubbs, Weyerhauser;
John Swenehart, Bayfield ; A. L. Tarrell, Platteville ; E. B. Thayer,
Wausau; Lyle G. Thomson, Turtle Lake; J. P. Tiffault, Marsh-
field ; William Urban, Sheboygan ; Caroline W. Voswinkel, Tomah ;
Edmund D. Walsh, Waukesha; Carl E. Warn, Cameron; A. E. Way,
Sarona; Alexa Weber, Theresa; Eugene M. Wescott, Shawano;

E. R. Williams, Oshkosh; Louis Theodore Williams, Clinton;
William H. Zuehlke, Appleton ; Edith A. Zufelt, Sheboygan.

Three annual members, J. W. Benn of Medford, R. J. Diekelmann
of Minneapolis, and Mrs. H. P. Greeley of Madison, changed to the
life membership class.

Of the one hundred and ten new members thus added to the
Society, eighteen, or almost one-sixth of the total number, were
secured by Mr. J. H. A. Lacher of Waukesha. For the six months'

The Society and the State 483

period ending April 10, Mr. Lacher has turned in twenty-five new
members in a total of one hundred and seventy-five additions to the
roll during this period. His nearest competitor in this effort to
build up the Society remains, as three months ago, Dr. William F.
Whyte of Madison, with five memberships to his credit.

At the time of going to press the Society had three considerable
forthcoming publications in the hands of the state printer. The
second volume of the series on the constitution of Wisconsin has
reached a point where its completion by midsummer seems fairly
probable. The third volume in this series is somewhat further ad-
vanced and its delivery by the printer is confidently promised for the
month of June. The Proceedings of the Society at the annual meeting
in October, 1919 is in galley proof stage.

For a year or more Secretary M. E. McCaffrey of the Board of
Regents of the University of Wisconsin has been laboring to complete
a collection of portraits of all regents in the history of the Univer-
sity. Pictures of all but four are now in hand. Those still lacking
are Godfrey Aigner, publisher of the Milwaukee Banner, Wisconsin's
pioneer German paper; Alexander T. Gray, secretary of state of
Wisconsin in the fifties; Hiram A. Wright, lawyer and superinten-
dent of public instruction; and Thomas W. Sutherland, first secre-
tary of the State Historical Society. Any information which may
lead to the acquisition of pictures of any of these men will be grater
fully received by Mr. McCaffrey.

A visitor at the Historical Museum in early April was the Rev-
erend Joseph Meier, M. S. C., who for the past sixteen years has been
stationed in Nakanai, New Pomerania, South Sea Islands, as a mis-
sionary. The Reverend Mr. Meier is an ethnologist of wide repute
and has devoted much attention to studying the language and customs
of the natives of these islands. He is the author of many scholarly
contributions, published in Anthropos and other scientific journals.
He has been at Sparta for some months and is soon to leave for
Germany.

Miss Eunice Anderson, state historian of Wyoming, spent a day
at the Historical Library in February, intent on learning whatever
might be of use in the upbuilding of the historical department of her
own state, which is now in the period of its infancy.

A notable visitor to the Historical Museum on March 23 and 24
was Dr. W. H. R. Rivers, the distinguished ethnologist of Cambridge,

484 Survey of Historical Activities

England. He manifested interest in the Society's archeological col-
lections and especially in the native copper implements. While in
Madison he was taken to see the Indian effigy mounds on the State
Hospital grounds and in other places about the city, which he con-
sidered marvels of aboriginal earthen sculpture.

An interesting and interested visitor at the Historical Library
in February was Francis Rawle of Philadelphia. Mr. Rawle's ances-
tors located in Pennsylvania in 1686, and from that time until the
present the family has been worthily representative of the best citi-
zenship of the Keystone State. William Rawle, grandfather of our
visitor, was one of the leading lawyers of America in his day, the
author among other things of A View of the Constitution of the
United States, published at Philadelphia in 1825. Mr. Rawle is
himself a distinguished lawyer, editor of Bouvier's Law Dictionary,
former president and for many years treasurer of the American Bar
Association, and an overseer of Harvard University.

Mrs. G. W. Dexheimer of Fort Atkinson, chairman of the Old
Trails Committee for the state D. A. R. visited the library in March,
and presented to the Society the maps and reports prepared by sev-
eral local committees on the subject of Indian trails and early roads
in their respective counties. These contain interesting local history
on the site of Indian villages, the reminiscences of pioneers, and the
early routes of travel. The reports for Brown, Columbia, Eau Claire,
Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Milwaukee, Rock, She-
boygan, Walworth, Winnebago, and Wood counties were most com-
plete. Mrs. Dexheimer is ambitious to secure such reports from every
part of the state and to make an accurate and reliable map of the
trails and travelways of the first days in Wisconsin.

Dr. N. P. Jipson of Chicago, a life member of the Society, comes
frequently to the Library to continue his researches concerning the
Winnebago Indians, especially the family of chiefs known as Winne-
shick. Dr. Jipson gives an account of the group recently organized
in Chicago known as the Indian Fellowship Club, of which M. G.
Chandler is the president and ruling spirit. The Club includes about
twenty Indians of various tribes who are living in Chicago and from
thirty-five to forty members of the white race, who are especially
interested in the history and ceremonials of the native American race.
The Club meets bimonthly for a camp fire, at which various rites of
aboriginal America are performed. Recently the members of the
Sioux tribe resident in Chicago performed a child-loving ceremony
for the three year old daughter of the president, Mr. Chandler. Dr.

The Society and the State 485

Jipson is interested in obtaining a vocabulary of the Winnebago,
and in this effort he is being aided by a chief of that tribe from Black
River Falls, who is spending the winter in Chicago.

Two guests of the Historical Society in mid-February who stand
in no need of Americanization were James Wamegesako and Simon
Kahquados, chiefs of the Forest County band of Potawatomi. North--
eastern Wisconsin was the habitat of the Potawatomi when the first
white men came into the Great Lakes region two and one-half cen-
turies ago, and the ancestors of Wamegesako and Kahquados were
no doubt members of the reception committee which welcomed Jolliet,
Marquette, and other of our earliest explorers to Wisconsin. The
pathway of royalty has been thorny in recent years, however, alike
in the New World and in the Old, and these men, descendants of a
long line of chieftains, have not escaped the common lot of the class
to which they belong. Wamegesako is unable to speak English
although he understands it. Kahquados is a linguist, familiar with
four Indian tongues in addition to English. Although he "never saw
the inside of a schoolhouse," like Abraham Lincoln, by native wit
and self application he has made himself a surveyor. In the State
Historical Museum are numerous interesting objects pertaining to
the Wisconsin Potawatomi, which have been procured by Dr.
Alphonse Gerend of Cato largely from these two men. They include
a flag presented to their grandfathers by Andrew Jackson, a George
III medal, and numerous items of native manufacture and significance.
The two chiefs were en route to Washington to lay before the Great
Father certain economic grievances to which their people are subject.

Heman H. Smith, assistant church historian of the Reorganized
Church of Latter Day Saints, visited Madison in March to consult
the Society's collections on Mormonism. Mr. Smith is a great-
grandson of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church ; also
of Lyman Wight, one of Smith's apostles, who headed a Mormon
settlement in La Crosse County for a time. From there Wight went
to the Texas frontier and made himself the leader of a faction of the
Saints in the endeavor to plant the headquarters of the Church in
the Lone Star State. The connection of the Reorganized Church
with Wisconsin has always been intimate. The church was founded
chiefly by Wisconsin men, and the initial steps in this connection
took place in Iowa County. The most spectacular Mormon activities
in Wisconsin were those connected with the Strangite colony of
Voree in eastern Walworth County; but the far-reaching conse-
quences of the work of the little group of founders of the Reorganized

486 Survey of Historical Activities

Church far outweigh all the activities of the Strangite group. The
latter is now but a memory (and even this to but few people), while
the Reorganized Church is a vigorous organization with upwards of
100,000 members, several thousand of whom live in Wisconsin. In
contrast to the Utah branch of Mormonism and to the church in the
lifetime of Prophet Smith, the Reorganized Saints have always lived
on terms of harmony with their gentile neighbors. Asked the reason,
in his opinion, for this contrast the present church historian stated
that he supposed it to be due to their attitude with respect to land
holding. The Reorganized Saints have carefully eschewed the earlier
doctrine that God had given them certain lands, from which non-
believers might properly be expelled by violence. We venture to add
as contributory causes of the peaceful career of the Reorganized
Saints their abstention from politics and from plural marriage. We
think the career of Strang at Voree and (later) at Beaver Island
illustrates this statement. At Voree he refrained from building up
a political organization and condemned polygamy and spiritual
wifery as abominations in the sight of the Lord. He likewise lived
on terms of peace and harmony with the surrounding gentile com-
munity. At Beaver Island he involved himself deeply in local and
state politics (he even aspired at one time to determine a presidential
election) and almost from the first he both preached and practiced
polygamy. Coincident with these developments was a state of war-
fare with the surrounding gentiles which continued practically with-
out intermission until the "king" was assassinated and his colony
razed and destroyed by a turbulent gentile mob. Gentile readers (we
presume this magazine has no other) may be interested to know that
the Reorganized Church has twice in civil contests won court decisions
upholding its claim to be the true successor of the original Mormon
Church (notably in the Independence Temple lot case, decided by
Judge Philips of the United States Circuit Court), thus by clear
implication branding the Utah church as an apostate body.

Plans are announced for the celebration during the summer of
1920 of the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the city of
Manitowoc. The celebration is expected to take the form of a home-
coming, to be held probably in early July.

An initial meeting looking to the formation of a Wisconsin
Society of Friends of Our Native Landscape was held at Madison,
February 21, 1920. Mr. Jens Jenson of Chicago, famous landscape
gardener, addressed the meeting on the subject of the activities of
the similar Illinois society, which was organized in 1913. The object
of the society is to promote the preservation in various parts of

The Society and the State 487

the state, for the enjoyment and instruction of the public, of examples
of the different types of native landscape that existed before the
advent of the white man and which are fast vanishing before the
encroachment of industry. The Illinois society has been instrumental
in having set aside, by state or municipal action, typical examples of
the prairies, streams, bluffs, flood plains, woodlands, and dunes.
It is to be hoped that the new Wisconsin society may before many
years point to a similar record of achievement.

A Sunday opening of the State Historical Museum the afternoon
of March 28 attracted over five hundred visitors to view the collec-
tions and special displays on exhibition. The latter included among
other things an exhibit of oils brought to Madison by the Art Asso-
ciation and a competitive exhibit of United States and foreign
postage stamps in which about fifty boy and girl collectors from eight
to twelve years of age took part. The exhibits were judged by a
committee of local philatelists, and prizes of packets of stamps were
awarded by Mr. Brown. This was the second philatelic exhibition
for children held in recent months. Both were largely attended and
productive of much interest to all concerned. Not only do the chil-
dren come but they bring their parents to visit the Museum, inducing
thereby a greater interest in and use of its extensive collections.

At its annual meeting, held in Milwaukee March 15, the Wisconsin
Archeological Society elected Lee R. Whitney of that city as its
president for the ensuing year, and Mr. Charles E. Brown of Madison,
who has long been secretary of the Society was reelected to that
position. Mr. Whitney is a student of Wisconsin Indian archeology
and ethnology of more than local repute. He was one of the founders
of the Society and has been its treasurer for the past eighteen years.
The forthcoming number of the Society's quarterly magazine will
be devoted to articles designed to promote the movement for saving
ancient Aztalan. Several archeological surveys are being planned
for the summer and autumn of 1920.

As we go to press plans are being perfected by the Fort Atkinson
chapter D. A. R. for the public dedication in June of a bronze tablet
on the famous Indian intaglio effigy, located on the outskirts of
the city. This peculiar Indian earthwork is the only remaining
example of the intaglio type in the United States, of which eleven
in all have been known formerly to exist. It was discovered by
Increase A. Lapham in 1850. Some years ago, in response to
the urgings of the Wisconsin Archeological Society the land was

488 Survey of Historical Activities

purchased by the local chapter, and thus the permanent preservation
of this unique earthwork was insured. Members of the State His-
torical and State Archeological societies are invited to attend the
dedication. It is hoped that the gathering may be comparable in
interest and pleasure with the meeting held at Aztalan last September.

The annual picnic supper and meeting of the Sauk County His-
torical Society was held at the home of Mrs. Frank Avery early in
March. A number of historical discussions were listened to, and a
number of new members voted into the Society.

The Winnebago County Archeological and Historical Society
was organized at Oshkosh in December, 1919 and has affiliated with
the State Historical Society. The new society has begun its career
in a spirit of great enthusiasm which augurs well for a career of
future usefulness. Mr. Arthur C. Kannenberg is secretary and
treasurer of the society, and Mr. Clarence T. Ollen president.
Monthly meetings are held. Plans are under way for commemorating
with a suitable tablet the 250th anniversary of the first mass, said
on the shores of Lake Winnebago by Father Allouez, the early
Jesuit missionary.

The Reverend John Peterson writes as follows from Clinton,
Wisconsin: "On September 21, 1919 the Jefferson Prairie Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of
the beginning of church work in this settlement. It was here that
the first Norwegian settler in Wisconsin, Ole K. Nattestad, settled
in July, 1838. A son, Mr. H. O. Natesta, is an active member of the
church and has been for twenty-five years its treasurer. A grandson
of the original settler, the Reverend C. O. Solberg, preached the
festival sermon on the occasion of the anniversary services. The first
Norwegian Lutheran church service was held here, February 4, 1844
at the house of Thore Helgesen. A daughter of his, baptized at that
time, attended the anniversary services seventy-five years later."

A drive was begun in February, 1920 for $25,000 to be used in
erecting at Madison a statue to Hans Heg, colonel of Wisconsin's
Civil War Norwegian regiment. Colonel Heg, who is regarded as
the most noted Norwegian- American soldier in the war, was mortally
wounded while leading a brigade at the battle of Chickamauga, in
September, 1863. A biographical sketch of his career is promised
for an early issue of this magazine.

The Society and the State 489

John Cohanski of Ironwood, Michigan, and Adam Blazikowski
of Milwaukee were the captors of the first German soldier taken by
the American army in the World War. One guess will be allowed
the reader as to the racial origin of these sons of America who thus
distinguished themselves in the great conflict. The long roll of deeds
such as this to the credit of our soldiers of alien descent may well
induce any American to think twice before casting any reflection
upon the name another chances to bear. Roosevelt's definition of
an American as any person who wishes to be one cannot easily be
improved.

During the spring of 1920 the Madison Wisconsin State Journal
published a series of historical articles on the several towns of Dane
County. The articles were compiled by Henry E. Schuldt.

The Mauston Chronicle began the publication in February of
the war diary of Gaylord Bradley whose life was ended by the same
German shell which killed Henry Chamberlain of Mauston and Cap-
tain Arnold of Sparta. The diary was begun at Camp McArthur,
January 1, 1918 and continues until the death of the writer.

The Platteville Witness published during the winter and spring
an interesting series of articles on early Platteville, contributed by
Hon. J. W. Murphy.

The suburb of Nakoma, located at the western end of the city of
Madison, has begun publication of a community magazine known as
the Nakoma Tomahawk. Nakoma occupies in part an ancient Indian
village site. Its single store is known as the trading post, and all
the streets, the prominent hills, and the public park bear Indian
names, some of which were suggested by the State Historical Society.

The Janesville Gazette is celebrating its seventy-fifth year of life
by publishing an extensive series of articles on the history of the
vicinity and of southern Wisconsin in general. As one feature of
the series, publication was begun in March of Black Hawk's auto-
biography. A history of the Black Hawk War, written by Orrin
Guernsey of Janesville in 1855, will also be reprinted.

The story of Ansel N. Kellogg's Civil War-time device of a
"patent" inside for country newspapers is told by O. D. Brandenburg
in the Madison Democrat of March 21, 1920. Mr. Kellogg was the
proprietor of the Baraboo Republic in 1861. Moved thereto by the
scarcity of labor occasioned by the war, he devised the "patent"

490 Survey of Historical Activities

which made him a millionaire and has for over half a century exerted
a powerful influence upon the character of the rural press of America.

"Little Journeys in and about Baraboo," is the title of an inter-
esting series of articles in the Baraboo News from the pen of Editor
Cole. Mr. Cole abundantly demonstrates that even in a small mid-
Western town there are charming historic and human associations
in plenty for one who has the disposition to look for them.

Racine County in the World War, a 600 page volume compiled
by Captain W. L. Haight, came from the press in March, 1920.
This book was financed by the taking of advance orders, largely from
ex-service men, and no donations or advertising were solicited or
accepted ; nor did any foreign commercial organization reap a hand-
some profit from the enterprise. The example set by Racine County
in this respect might well be made the subject of general imitation
over the state. We write this note without having seen a copy of
the book; hence the absence of comment upon it.

We copy with pleasure from the Baraboo News the following item
concerning a former president and present curator of this Society.
Only those who, like Mr. Wight, have devoted years of patient toil
to the upbuilding of a collection of books are likely fully to appre-
ciate the worth of his gift to the University of Louvain. Most of
our readers are doubtless familiar with the story connecting the lost
heir of the House of Bourbon with Wisconsin's pioneer Indian mis-
sionary, Eleazer Williams. Any who are not would do well to look
up Mr. Wight's masterly discussion of the subject.

"Attorney William W. Wight of Milwaukee has sent the cream
of his library to Louvain in order to do what he can to assist in
replacing the storehouse of learning destroyed by the ruthless Ger-
mans in 1914. For years and years Mr. Wight made a specialty
of collecting books bearing on the life of Louis XVII, the Dauphin
of France. He was the son of Louis XVI, king of France, and of
Marie Antoinette of Austria, his queen. The child was born at Ver-
sailles, March 27, 1785, and in 1789 by the death of his elder brother
became the Dauphin of France. He was a prisoner with his parents
in the Temple tower and history says he died there in 1795. In later
years rumors became current the Dauphin was not dead but had been
spirited away. Twenty-three impostors appeared in various parts
of the world, one of whom was Eleazer Williams of Green Bay, Wis-
consin. The literature on the subject was so voluminous that Mr.
Wight collected nearly 500 titles, not all books, but many of them
interesting volumes. The library made a rich storehouse of history

The Society and the State 491

and required many years to bring together, a majority of the works
being in the French language.

Not long ago no less than twenty-nine nations were represented
at a meeting at Paris, looking toward the restoration of the Univer-
sity of Louvain. The international committee named national com-
mittees, and for its share the United States proposed to undertake
the erection and equipment of a new library building at an estimated
cost of half a million dollars. This building and equipment will be
presented free to the University of Louvain as a contribution toward
the reestablishment of this illustrious university and as a permanent
memorial of the heroic services of the people in defense of human
liberty.

While in Madison a few days ago Mr. Wight told the writer
what he had done and explained that in each volume was an engraved
inscription stating the books and articles were a gift from himself
and family. The library was the result of years of effort, the finding
of a rare volume, no doubt, at times making Mr. Wight happier than
a king. Now, willingly and gladly, he sends his treasures across
the sea to become part of a new storehouse which should never be
sacrificed to the god of war, it matters not whether ruthless conquest
or necessary defense send forth the conflicting armies."

In the history of Wisconsin during the century and a half prior
to the beginnings of American occupation the allied tribes of the Sauk
and the Fox Indians played a large role. Living near Tama, Iowa,
in the heart of the magnificent farm lands of our greatest agricul-
tural state are still to be found a few hundred descendants of these
ancient warlike Wisconsin tribes. From the January Iowa Journal
of History and Politics we take this account of the death, last autumn,
of their chief, Push-e-ton-e-qua.

"Push-e-ton-e-qua, the last Indian chief in the United States
recognized as such by the government, died at his home on the reser-
vation near Toledo, on November 6, 1919. He was buried on a hill
overlooking the Iowa River, with funeral rites due a chief. The
funeral oration was delivered in the Indian language by John Jones,
one of the younger men of the tribe.

"Push-e-ton-e-qua was born near Marengo — probably in 1842,
the very year the Sac and Fox Indians ceded their Iowa lands to
the whites. In 1847 he went to Kansas with the other members
of the tribe, but returned to Iowa about 1858 with some of the
homesick Indians who had determined to live in their beloved Iowa.
In 1882 he became the chief of the Meskwakis and has continued in
that position until his death, although his right to the office has been
contested by other claimants. Push-e-ton-e-qua was acquainted with

492 Survey of Historical Activities

many of the influential men of the locality and at Washington. Pro-
gressive in some things, he was yet steadfastly attached to the Indian
customs, and his death removes one of the picturesque figures in
the history of Iowa."

Not in many years, if indeed ever before, has there been such
evidence of a widespread interest in Wisconsin in the preservation
of our important historic monuments and scenic spots. The acqui-
sition of Perrot State Park and of Martin Pattison Park, the move-
ment for the preservation of the earthworks of ancient Aztalan, the
formation of the Society of Friends of Our Native Landscape — these
are some of the more conspicuous current manifestations of interest
in these subjects. Our readers should be interested, therefore, in
the following letter from William C. Mills, curator of the Ohio
Archeological and Historical Society, upon what Ohio has been doing
in recent years in the similar field of activity. Friends of the move-
ment in this state for the preservation of our historic sites should
gain encouragement from this record of achievement by our elder
neighbor :

"In Ohio we have been taking care of various archeological land-
marks for some years and we find that their preservation has been
quite a success. The largest one is Fort Ancient. This is a park
of something like 300 acres and we are keeping it in fairly fine condi-
tion. The state appropriates about $360 per year for help and
about the same amount for improvements each year, so that we are
able to keep the park in fair condition. The next largest is Serpent
Mound Park ; this is in excellent condition. The state appropriated
sufficient money to complete our shelter house and museum. At this
park we have put a museum in place, and the people take great
interest in coming to the park to view the collections as well as to
see the wonderful serpent. Logan Elm Park is another one of our
interesting places. It is noted because of Logan delivering his won-
derful speech at this place. It is my idea to make our parks self-
sustaining, and I am satisfied that this can be done with a little effort ;
at least I am going to try to bring this about. We are trying at the
present time to secure the second Serpent Mound, located in Warren
County, and also the large mound at Miamisburg. We hope to have
the Miamisburg Mound within the next few months. Several other
sites are contemplated. The great earthworks at Newark are in the
hands of the city and we do not feel inclined to interfere with their
care, especially when we can supervise it without expense.

"I have in mind that all of these earthworks can be cared for
without expense to the state if the park is made sufficiently large to
enable the caretaker to pay for the privilege of living there and the

The Society and the State 493

rent will pay for the care of the property. Up to the present time
we have not attempted this but I believe that a change will now come.
I may say that no other member of the committee agrees with me
as to the possibility of making it self-sustaining but I know that
it can be done.

"We have a number of historical places, also, in the state, such
as Big Bottom Park where the great massacre took place, Campus
Martins (Marietta), old Fort Laurens (Tuscarawas County), the
estate of the late President Hayes, the battle ground of Fallen Tim-
bers, and we also have several other places in view which we hope to
secure."

PHOTOGRAPHING WISCONSIN'S EFFIGY MOUNDS

Wisconsin was a favorite haunt of the builders of effigy mounds,
the southern portion of the state containing numerous examples of
these curious products of the brain and hand of primitive man. For
many years students of our native archeology have wished for pho-
tographic reproductions of these remarkable earthworks, but until
recently no attempt to photograph them has met with much success.
The mounds are commonly of large dimensions, their elevation is
slight, and the presence of trees frequently adds to the photogra-
pher's difficulties. A Wisconsin boy, George R. Fox, has at length
brilliantly solved the problem of photographing these mounds.

Mr. Fox was originally an employee of the postoffice at Appleton.
There he became interested in Indian archeology and began his studies
with an investigation of the Indian remains of that vicinity. He soon
gave indication of the possession of marked abilities in the field of
his new studies. He joined the Wisconsin Archeological Society and
working under the direction of Mr. Brown, chiefly in vacation time,
conducted archeological surveys in a number of Wisconsin counties.
The results of these investigations are recorded in the issues of the
Wisconsin Archeologist from 1911 onward. Several years ago
Mr. Fox resigned his position in the postoffice and after a brief
course of instruction entered the field of museum work, being chosen
curator of the museum of the Nebraska Historical Society. His
work here attracted the attention of Edward K. Warren of Three
Oaks, Michigan, founder of the Chamberlain Memorial Museum at
that place. Mr. Fox was chosen curator of this museum and later
was made director of the Warren Foundation, which includes, in
addition to the museum, extensive preserves of forest and lake shore
dune lands.

While living in Wisconsin Mr. Fox experimented with photo-
graphing some of the effigy mounds of the state, taking pictures of
several on the northeast shore of Lake Winnebago. Last spring he

494 Survey of Historical Activities

returned to Wisconsin to resume this work, taking photographs of
typical effigy mounds near Beloit, Lake Koshkonong, Fort Atkinson,
Lake Waubesa, Madison, Baraboo, and other points. The one we
reproduce, of the Frog effigy in Fuller Woods, Madison, affords a
good idea of the measure of success achieved by Mr. Fox. His
photographs are the first really successful pictures which have ever
been made of these aboriginal monuments. They were taken from
the tops and limbs of trees, the mounds being first outlined with
powdered lime applied with a large brush. The camera and lens
used are especially adapted for this work. The Wisconsin Archeo-
logical Society hopes finally to publish many of the photographs
taken by Mr. Fox.

THE GEORGE B. BURROWS BEQUEST

Members and friends of the Historical Society have heard from
time to time of the bequest made to it some years ago by Senator
George B. Burrows. Mr. Burrows was long a curator of the Society
and manifested a deep interest in its welfare. At his death he left
one son, George T. Burrows, who later married and in October, 1916
died, leaving a widow but no children.

Senator Burrows made various bequests to relatives and an im-
portant one to the city of Madison. The will then provided that
the son should receive an annuity and in the event of marriage he
and his wife should receive a $2,000 annuity. If he should die leaving
a widow she should continue to receive $2,000 a year until death or
remarriage. In the event of the birth of children who should survive
their father the entire residue of the estate was to go to them. If no
surviving children were left, the residue of the estate was to go to
the Historical Society. Trustees were appointed to carry out the
objects of the will.

After the death of George T. Burrows without issue in 1916 the
Society was advised by Mr. W. A. P. Morris, its veteran legal adviser,
that the estate vested in it, and Messrs. Jones and Schubring were
employed to have the question determined by the court. The sur-
viving trustee made no contention that the trust should be continued
for his own benefit but the question before the court was whether
the trustee should continue to act until the death or remarriage of
the widow. The Society claimed that the estate vested in possession
upon the occurrence of the event which had happened. The trustee
claimed that it only vested in interest and that the will required him
to execute the trust until the death or remarriage of the widow. The
Society held that it ought not to be deprived of the use of the property
for an indefinite time, and that the estate ought not to be subjected

The Society and the State 495

to the expense of administration by a trustee when nothing remained
to do but take care of it and pay the annuity of $2,000.

The case was tried first in the autumn of 1919 before Judge
Wickham in the Dane County Circuit Court, who held that it was
not the intent of the testator that the trust should terminate before
the death or remarriage of the widow. The Society thereupon ap-
pealed the case to the state Supreme Court, which early in April
gave its decision reversing the judgment of the lower court and
holding that the estate vested in the Society in possession upon the
death of George T. Burrows without issue.

The practical consequences to the Society of this decision are
of great importance. The value of the estate at the time of the trial
was found by the court to be $381,000. It consists of lands in
northern Wisconsin valued by the trustee at $160,000, and of per-
sonal property amounting to $221,000, all of which will shortly
come under the control of the Society, subject, of course, to the
continuance of the $2,000 annuity to Mrs. Burrows. The cost to
the Society of administering the estate will be much less than the
cost of administration by the trustee. It will thus be saved a very
material annual expense for an indefinite term of years. Of greater
importance, perhaps, is the fact that the income of the estate now
becomes available for the historical uses for which the testator gave
it, instead of being indefinitely tied up awaiting the termination
of the trusteeship. In its seventy years of life hitherto the Society
has accumulated private funds to the amount of about $125,000.
The receipt of the Burrows estate quadruples this amount at a single
stroke, bringing the total to approximately half a million dollars.

THE FRANK A. HASKELL PAPERS

Among the papers recently received at the Library is a collection
of material made by the Wisconsin History Commission. In addition
to an extensive correspondence by Charles E. Estabrook concerning
the Forty-third Wisconsin Regiment, with reports, memoranda, and
historical sketches of the Sixth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, and
Twenty-eighth regiments, it contains the letters of Frank Aretas
Haskell, author of the brilliant story of the battle of Gettysburg.

These letters form an important addition to the Society's collec-
tion of manuscript material on the Civil War, especially to that
relating to the work of the Iron Brigade.

Frank Aretas Haskell was commissioned first lieutenant of Com-
pany I of the Sixth Wisconsin Infantry June 20, 1861, and served
as adjutant of his regiment until April 14, 1862, when he was made
aide-de-camp to Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the Iron Brigade.
He served in this capacity until February, 1864, when he was pro-

496 Survey of Historical Activities

moted to the colonelcy of the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin, which he
commanded until his death at Cold Harbor June 3, 1864. He was
with the Iron Brigade in all the campaigns of the Army of the
Potomac, at the battles of Gainesville, Bull Run, South Mountain,
Antietam, Sharpsburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.

His letters, written from the field to his brother at Portage,
cover the period of his entire participation in the war. They are
filled with the spirit of genuine courage and unselfish devotion to
the cause for which the Union was fighting, and breathe a contempt
for all that savors of cowardice or place seeking. In a series of
rapid sketches, written often just after the heat of action, he describes
the several campaigns, the successes and reverses of the Union troops,
particularly describing the part taken by Wisconsin soldiers, as for
instance when his regiment marched into the heat of action "without
dodging or ducking and learned later that respectful obeisance to
a cannon-ball is no indication of cowardice."

Lieutenant Haskell attributed the first defeat of Bull Run to
McDowell's incapacity, the second to McDowell's and Pope's to-
gether. "They both," he wrote, "enjoyed the cordial hatred of all
their men and deserved it." McClellan, "the only man fit for the
place," succeeded Pope, and according to the writer's opinion, "a
general now leads the army."

In a letter written September 22, 1862 Lieutenant Haskell re-
views the year just passed, in a tent on the banks of the Potomac;
he notes the soldier's suffering, his cheerfulness and hope. Graphi-
cally he pictures the army spread over a hundred hills showing by
night the gleam of its camp fires. He also tells of the deep disap-
pointment of his division at being left behind by General McClellan,
the "idol of the army," when he set out for the Peninsular Campaign.
Concerning the action at Sharpsburg he wrote that Gainesville,
Bull Run, and South Mountain were but skirmishes compared with
it — "a great enormous battle, great tumbling together of all heaven
and earth." Awed by what he had just passed through, he describes
the closing scenes of this battle — the thinned ranks, the faces of
the men, in which you saw only the shadows of the "light of battle,"
the furrows ploughed on cheeks, smooth the day before, and narrates
the uprising in his heart of the deep affection that drew him to them.

His description of the effects of war upon one of the loveliest
valleys human eyes ever saw, with farms and homes, hill and dale,
now desolate, remind us of recent conditions in Belgium and France.
"Those who are responsible," he wrote, "must pay the penalty, must
be taught how sacred a thing is the Constitution, how terrible the
wrath of the offended Republic."

The Society and the State 497

As the spring of 1863 came on, Haskell, in common with all the
Northern army, looked forward to a great battle to be crowned with
decisive victory. He had not long to wait. The second battle of
Fredericksburg came in May, and Gettysburg in July. In the first
instance, notwithstanding General Gibbon's success in taking the
town, Fredericksburg was lost to the enemy by the sudden arrival
of Longstreet. Bitterly Lieutenant Haskell complained of this mis-
fortune. General Hooker received his scathing criticism. "Why did
he recross the Rappahannock?" was the query running through the
army. Hooker's insincere congratulations to the army upon its
success in the late operations caused him to wonder whether war is
not after all a farce and all the sacrifice of brave men merely a
delusion to feed the vanity of the generals, and to prove who had
committed the most blunders.

But the battle of Gettysburg gave Haskell and other true soldiers
their great opportunity; in that victory the mistakes and disap-
pointments of the past were largely forgotten. Soon after its close
he wrote, "I am full of it, was in it, saw it, and felt the sacred rage
of battle as never before." At Gettysburg Haskell was compelled
to take the place of General Gibbon, after he was wounded. In this
command he showed all the qualities of a good general and his action
won merited praise. This opportunity was the climax of Colonel
Haskell's career. "Rather one great hour of Gettysburg," he wrote,
"than the long period of inactivity that followed."

When, November 19, 1863, the field of Gettysburg was conse-
crated, Haskell and Gibbon represented the Army of the Potomac.
In the letter that follows, the former describes minutely the flag of
the Iron Brigade and deplores the fact that the bones of those who
fell on the field might not lie where they fell — in consecrated ground ;
but he makes no mention of the speeches of Everett and Lincoln that
have made the day historic. This is eloquent of the fact that to men
who participated in that battle no words could convey its meaning.
As he had written before: "Pen and canvas are poor for that
great epic."

In January, 1864 Haskell's brother wrote that if he desired
promotion he must come home at once. He replied that whatever
reputation he had gained had come not from being away from the
field of duty, but by being always in his place; that to seek office
for himself, to importune, to urge his claims was a thing so uncon-
genial to his sense of propriety and so repugnant to all his instincts
that nothing would ever induce him to stoop to it. Because of such
a spirit rather than in despite of it, he was the following month
chosen colonel of the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Regiment and was

498 Survey of Historical Activities

on the eve of an appointment as brigadier-general when he was
killed in battle.

The literary quality of many of these letters is exceedingly fine.
Charming descriptions of the quiet of a summer night, with the army
asleep on the eve of a great battle, are followed by others full of
the intensity and tumult of battle itself. His keen human sympathy,
his grief at the loss of a favorite horse shot under him, his indigna-
tion at unjust criticism or commendation, his scorn for self-seeking,
his loyalty and admiration for his commander in chief, and his affec-
tion for his beloved General Gibbon, — all these enable the reader to
share the writer's experiences and affect him with the vivid emotions
of a great story.

KATE E. LEVI

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Louise P. Kellogg ("The Story of Wisconsin, 1634-1848") is
senior research associate on the staff of the State Historical Society
of Wisconsin.

Rasmus B. Anderson ("Another View of the Kensington Rune
Stone") of Madison is the veteran editor of America and a widely-
known scholar in the field of Scandinavian literature and history.

David F. Sayre ("Early Life in Southern Wisconsin") came to
Rock County in 1849, where he continued to reside for seventy years
until his death at an advanced age a few months ago. The present
article has been adapted by the editor from two addresses delivered
by Mr. Sayre before the Janesville Woman's Club in October, 1905
and October, 1908.

W. A. Titus ("Historic Spots in Wisconsin: III Taycheedah,
A Memory of the Past") presents in this issue the third in his series
of articles under the general title noted. Mr. Titus is a resident
of Fond du Lac who makes a hobby of archeology and local history.

Franklin F. Lewis ("The Career of Edward F. Lewis") is a native
of Wisconsin who has been for over thirty years a resident of
Janesville. Another article by Mr. Lewis is promised for a future
issue of the magazine.

SOME WISCONSIN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

The Wisconsin Free Library Commission in leaflet number eight
of its traveling library department announces as its basic purpose

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 499

that no person in all the state, whether old or young, in cities or towns,
or in the most remote rural community, shall be without books for
education, inspiration, and recreation. The need for these is supplied
by public libraries in the larger centers, by books by parcel post for
individuals in remote regions, and by traveling libraries for small
communities. A traveling library consists of fifty books — fifteen for
children, fifteen nonfiction, twenty adult fiction; it may be obtained
by any responsible person in a community who will agree to certain
conditions. There are also libraries for special groups, for Boy
Scouts, students of home economics, foreign language users, and
people interested in agriculture, etc. Wisconsin's traveling library
system has been the prototype for those in other states ; its usefulness
in our own state continues unimpaired.

The State Department of Public Instruction fosters reading
circles through the State Teachers' Association, whose annual for
1919-20 shows that the young people's reading circle has an increased
membership, numbering in all 61,645, of which 51,187 are county
members. Upon finishing the reading arranged by the circles, diplo-
mas are issued by county and city superintendents. Circles for
teachers, with lists of professional books, have been organized with a
membership of 3,528. Last year a school patrons' circle was begun
with books on social and educational welfare as the prescribed read-
ing. By these means the Department of Public Instruction is
cooperating with the Library Commission in fostering the desire for
more and better books.

A new hope for education is expressed in strong and vital language
by the pamphlet issued by the University Extension Division entitled
Your Home Town: An Idea and a Plan. The danger of ignorance
has been revealed during the years of the war as never before. The
casualty lists of preventible disease, incompetence through disabili-
ties, the promotion of poverty and crime by ignorance have startled
the world. The amount of illiteracy within our own borders was
revealed by the draft and shows as a menace when over five million
Americans cannot read or write English. Wisconsin bears the
responsibility for about sixty thousand of these illiterates. From a
population of two and a half millions only 21, 214 graduated in 1916
from all the schools. University extension is organized to aid com-
munities to raise their standards of education. Let the protective
impulse of the mothers devote as much time and effort to the little
boys and girls at home as was freely poured forth for the grown-up
boys in service during the war; let the fathers give as freely to
educate and prepare for the battle of life as they did for arming
and maintaining our soldier boys, and more American lives will be
saved in a year than the entire war cost. Now that the barrage of

500 Survey of Historical Activities

war is lifted, let us break down the barricades of ignorance and
unconcern. Each community should organize for this service;
councils should be appointed. The University will send its repre-
sentatives to visit and to advise. The newly awakened consciousness
of the nation and of each community must be taken advantage of for a
forward movement in universal education.

A pamphlet issued in January by the State Board of Education
is entitled Education as War's Reward: A Wisconsin Contribution.
The first portion offers congratulations to the Supreme Court upon
its clear and prompt decision in the educational bonus case. Judge
Vinje in announcing a favorable decision writes of the act: "Its pur-
pose was to show by material means * * * the deep gratitude of the
state to those who so signally and heroically performed the task that
called them into action * * * to demonstrate that such defense is
appreciated — that republics are not ungrateful." He continues as
follows: "A free government's best guaranty of continuity and
security lies in the enlightenment of its people." Thus the stimula-
tion of both patriotism and enlightenment "becomes not only a public
purpose but a public necessity." The educational bonus act was an
unexpected by-product of the war ; it grew out of the desires of the
service men themselves. Questionnaires answered by twenty thousand
Wisconsin men showed that over ten thousand wanted an educational
opportunity. Since the act went into effect, on January 26, 1920,
4,282 were receiving instruction in various institutions both within
and without the state. The private colleges have seen the opportunity
and have offered their cooperation. Larger numbers will take advan-
tage of the chance when more time allows adjustment to the oppor-
tunity. Bonus students may enter schools at any time prior to
July 1, 1924. One of the first to take advantage of the act was a
private of Russian birth who at thirty-one years of age entered the
high school of the State University to prepare for a college course.
A sergeant wounded at Chateau-Thierry entered Beloit College in
the fall. At the University there were in January 1,829 bonus
students.

In cooperation with the extension agency the state board of
vocational education issues a monograph on Citizenship. This is a
tentative outline intended for experimentation to correct the desultory
manner in which civics is taught in our schools. A concrete course
for three years is worked out, which uses history as a background and
gives a broad outlook by a wide survey of the progress of civilization.
The first year should be devoted to the contributions to civilization
of the prehistoric and classic people, those of the Middle Ages, and
those involved in the development of nationality, in the industrial and
political revolutions. The immigrants from Greece, Italy, and other

Some Wisconsin Public Documents 501

European countries should be encouraged to present the contribu-
tions made by their countries to the progress of civilization and to
discuss present-day aspirations and needs of their home countries.
They will thus be the better prepared to appreciate the growth of their
adopted country. The second year should be given to a review of
United States history, of the industrial and political development
of recent years. The third year should be devoted to the practical
problems involved in governmental regulation, the forms of govern-
ment;, administrative machinery, and the reconstruction problems we
now are facing.

For the information of the public, the State Board of Control
has issued the facts and decisions on State Aid to Dependent Chil-
dren, usually known as the mother's pension law. The administration
of this aid is vested in the judges of the counties, or, where they exist,
in the juvenile courts. In several instances a board of child-welfare
has been appointed to aid the judge in his administration. The state
distributes $30,000 pro rata to the local units ; this reimbursed the
counties last year seven and a half per cent of their expenditure,
which in 1919 was $406,302.09. The aid was extended to 2,386
families of 7,288 children. In sixty-nine per cent of the cases the
mother was a widow ; in eight per cent the father was permanently
disabled. The purpose of the law is to take children out of the
pauper class and to obtain for them a normal home life and a mother's
care. The decisions of the attorney-general have interpreted the law
on a broad and humanitarian basis, so that its beneficence may work
in the largest number of desirable cases.

Wisconsin has come back as a wheat growing state. Before and
during the Civil War wheat was king in Wisconsin. Its production
began to decline about 1870, and not until the food demands of the
late war grew insistent did Wisconsin farmers consider wheat as other
than a side issue. In view of the new demands E. J. Delwiche and
B. D. Leith of the Agricultural Experiment Station issue Bulletin
305, full of practical and valuable suggestions to wheat growers. This
crop, the authors assert, is not hard on the soils if grown with proper
rotation. It thrives better on heavy than on light soils, is best
adapted to the two southern tiers of Wisconsin counties, to the
region around Lake Winnebago, along Fox River and the Lake
Michigan shore, to parts of Barron, Polk, and St. Croix counties, and
the red clays of Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, and Iron counties.
Winter wheat is to be preferred for Wisconsin, the danger of winter
killing to be obviated by pedigreed seeds of resisting quality. Prac-
tical hints on preparing the soil, on the diseases of wheat with their
remedies, and on types of rotation are included in this pamphlet.

502 Survey of Historical Activities

The seventh annual report of the Citizens' Committee on
Unemployment and the Public Employment Bureau of Milwaukee,
issued by the Industrial Commission, brings its data to the end of
June, 1919 and shows how the demobilization of industry proceeded
after the armistice and how soldiers and sailors were reabsorbed into
the industrial life. The state officials acted in concert with the
federal employment service ; the federal government paid the salaries,
while the local government furnished office expenses. The bureau
comprised women's, railroad, juvenile, soldiers' and sailors', skilled
help, and handicap divisions. Unemployment did not at any time
become serious, nor were women thrown out in large numbers upon the
labor market. The demand for farm labor was greater than the
supply. The following are the statistics: Applications for work,
86,855 ; applications for workers, 99,392 ; referred to places, 84,628 ;
placed, 58,878.

The State Division of Markets, whose director is Edward Nord-
man, issued January 15, 1920 Bulletin No. 2, to explain the purpose
of the law creating this division and to familiarize the people with
its working plans. The division was organized in 1919 with the fol-
lowing broad powers : First, to promote economical and efficient dis-
tribution of farm products including public markets. Second, to
locate farm products and furnish information on the location of
markets. Third, to cooperate with producers, distributors, and con-
sumers in devising economical and efficient systems of marketing,
grading, standardizing, and storing farm products. Fourth, to aid
in determining proper shipping routes. Fifth, to aid in reducing
expenses and waste in marketing farm products. The law also pro-
vides that the methods of the director shall be fair, just, and reason-
able ; he is given power to investigate unreasonable practices and to
fix reasonable rules for the protection of both the producers and the
consumers. The methods proposed are as follows : a market news
service not to duplicate the federal service but to supplement it for
specific Wisconsin products ; cooperation with federal and state de-
partments already organized in collecting information, formulating
grades and standards, inspection service, and in the formation of
cooperative buying and selling associations. The division also pro-
poses investigational work into the entire procedure of marketing,
the various elements that make up the consumer's price, etc. The
director warns the public not to expect that the activities of the mar-
keting division will be a cure for the evils justly complained of; it
will, however, be prepared to examine fundamental causes of injus-
tice and to discuss these in the press and from the public platform
in so far as they relate to a single state.

The Wider Field 503

THE WIDER FIELD

THE CHARLES L. GUNTHER COLLECTION

Members of the Wisconsin Historical Society will be interested
to learn of a notable piece of good fortune which has befallen one
of our oldest mid-western contemporaries, the Chicago Historical
Society. In all its years of useful service it is probably safe to say
it has been the recipient of no other collection even remotely approxi-
mating in importance the one built up by the late Charles L. Gunther,
which through the public-spirited generosity of a number of leading
citizens of Chicago has recently come to the society.

To paraphrase the poet, "man moves in a mysterious way his
wonders to perform." Mr. Gunther was a plain, unassuming man,
of ordinary education, as unpromising a worker in the historical
field, apparently, as one could have found in a long day's search.
He possessed, however, a genius for making and marketing candy,
and for this service the world rewarded him liberally. The money
which poured in upon him it was his delight to spend in the acquisi-
tion of historical objects. Through fifty years of such effort he built
up a collection whose variety is no less amazing than its bulk is
impressive. On the latter point it is sufficient to say that over sev-
enty truck loads were required to transport it boxed from the ware-
house to Mr. Gunther's building. As to variety, it may be noted that
the writer, after spending four days surveying the collection, came
away feeling that he had not gained as yet a bird's eye view of it.
There are seemingly thousands of prints and other thousands of
autographs and other manuscripts. While chiefly devoted to Ameri-
cana there are many items of European origin and some even from
other continents. One might write almost endlessly concerning indi-
vidual items in the collection, but we content ourselves with mention-
ing a few of the more interesting specimens. Even such mention will
suggest to some extent the widespread net which Mr. Gunther set
for historical treasures. The Father of his Country is represented
by a duplicate copy of the famous will, authenticated by the signa-
ture of Washington on each page ; of equal interest to many is the
seal with which he closed his letters. The first patent ever issued in
America ; the farewell order of General Lee to his army ; the letter
of Grant to Pemberton proposing terms for the surrender of Vicks-
burg; the manuscript copy of the negotiations of the treaty of
Greenville; the document transferring Louisiana from Spain to
France, and the similar one transferring it from France to the United
States; the pass given by Benedict Arnold to Major Andre when
he was seeking to betray West Point to the British, together with
its sad sequel, the report of the board of officers to Washington rec-

504 Survey of Historical Activities

ommending that Major Andre be put to death — all these and hun-
dreds of other papers rouse the envy of the collector. Of museum
objects we note the table on which Grant drafted the terms of sur-
render at Appomattox; the bed on which Lincoln died, and the
coach in which he was wont to take the air; the compass used by
Washington, his camp dishes, and some of his Mount Vernon pewter;
the compass used in laying out the streets of down-town Chicago.
Mr. Gunther was not particularly noted as a collector of books, yet
he succeeded in acquiring some surprisingly interesting volumes. In
his collection may be seen Waldseemiiller's Cosmographiae Intro-
ductio, wherein the name America was first proposed for the New
World. Probably the oldest existing specimen of an American book
may be seen here, followed by many others dating from the sixteenth
century. Some of our readers may learn with surprise that these
books were being printed in the city of Mexico half a century before
John Smith came to Jamestown, and full seventy-five years before
the Pilgrims cast anchor in Plymouth harbor. The acquisition of
this collection by the Chicago Historical Society can hardly fail to
promote the historical interests of the entire West.

Two leading articles are found in the January number of the
Iowa Journal of History and Politics. Cyril B. Upham presents a
"Historical Survey of the Militia in Iowa, 1865-1898"; while Pro-
fessor Louis B. Schmidt of the State Agricultural College discusses
"The Internal Grain Trade of the United States, 1850-1860."

To the famous Rainbow Division of the American army in the
World War Wisconsin contributed three companies. Friends and
relatives of these men will be interested to know that The Story of
the Rainbow Division, by Raymond S. Tompkins, has now been
published.

The first issue of The Canadian Historical Review made its ap-
pearance in March, 1920. The Review is an outgrowth of The Review
of Historical Publications Relating to Canada, an annual survey of
Canadian historical literature which has been in existence nearly a
quarter of a century. The new quarterly devotes large attention to
the review of current publications relating to Canadian history. In
addition the first issue contains two important original historical
articles and two source documents. We greet with pleasure this new
publication which gives promise of adequately supplying for Cana-
dian history the role long performed for the historical interests of
our own country by the American Historical Review.

The Wider Field 505

Major Robert Rogers, commandant at Michilimackinac in
1766-67, was one of the most picturesque characters in American
colonial history. His valuable journal, kept during this period, has
been for some time the property of the American Antiquarian Society.
The journal has now been published in the Transactions of the
Society for October, 1918. It constitutes a valuable source for the
Indian life of the Northwest a century and a half ago.

"Fort Atkinson, A Pigsty" in the Iowa Magazine for September,
1919 deals not with the beautiful Wisconsin city made famous by
Governor Hoard and Milo Jones, but with the site of the Iowa fort
of three generations ago some sixty miles or so west of Prairie du
Chien. The history of the Iowa Fort Atkinson (succeeded, as in
Wisconsin, by a town of the same name) is intimately connected with
the history of Fort Crawford and the Indian regime in Wisconsin.
The author of the article presents a brief history of the fort, with
illustrations of its buildings as they appear at the present time.

"Ice-cream, Ice-cream Parlors, and Confectionery in Three
Oaks," is the suggestive heading of an interesting paper in the Three
Oaks (Michigan) Acorn for February 26, 1920. Among other things
we learn that there is no direct mention of sugar in the Bible, although
Jeremiah speaks of a "sweet cane from a far country." By the time
of Alexander (330 A. D.) sugar was well known in the Orient, but
not until the return of the Crusaders from the East was a knowledge
of it spread abroad in western Europe. Candy as we know it today
dates from about the beginning of the nineteenth century — a develop-
ment of the practice of eighteenth century physicians of tempering
their nauseous doses by enclosing them in a sweet covering. Candy-
making was well developed in our eastern cities by 1816, although
no machinery was used in its manufacture prior to 1845. At that
time the first revolving steam-pan was perfected since which mechani-
cal processes have so gained upon hand work that today the entire
process, even to packing the boxes, is performed by machinery. The
article concludes with a history of the candy and confectionery trade
in the town of Three Oaks from the early day to the present time.

STATEMENT

of THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTOEY, published quarterly at
Menasha, Wis., required by the Act of August 24, 1912.

Name of — Postoffice Address

Editor, M. M. Quaife Madison, Wis.
Managing Editor, none.
Business Manager, none.

Publisher, George Banta Menasha, Wis.
Owners, The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.

President, E. Ray Stevens Madison, Wis.

Superintendent, Joseph Schafer Madison, Wis.

Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders,
holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages,
or other securities:

None.

George Banta, Publisher.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of March, 1920.

[SEAL] Gertrude W. Sawyer,

Notary Public.
(My commission expires March 16, 1924.)

INDEX

ACE, fur trader, 327-28.

Adams, — , Confederate soldier, 80.

Adams, Capt. Joseph, distributor, 295-
96.

Adams County, lands in, 15.

Advocate, steamer wrecked, 430.

Agriculture, department of, 27-28.

Agry, David, at constitutional conven-
tion, 91.

Ahrweller (Germany), army of occupa-
tion at, 241.

Aigner, Godfrey, regent, 483.

Aird, James, fur trader, 361-62; owns
mill, 445, 448, 452; death, 458.

Albany (N. Y.), in the Civil War, 78-79 ;
Keyes visits, 339.

Albion Township, settled, 323; Indian
village in, 371.

Alexandria (Minn.), settled, 174.

Alf, Bishop, in Greenland, 169.

Allouez, Claude, missionary, 236, 488.

Alvord, Clarence W., editor, 387-88.

American Antiquarian Society, Trans-
actions, 505.

American Bar Association, 484.

American Board for Foreign Missions,
205.

American Fur Company and the fac-
tory system, 286-88; employees,
383-84, 438.

American Historical Association, com-
mittee, 481.

American Historical Review, 387, 504.

American Home Missionary Society,
205.

American Magazine, cited, 479.

American Revolution, in the West, 30,
472.

Americanization, early view, 89, 92;
professorship of, 326; plans for,
500-501.

Amerika, cited, 414.

Amsterdam Handelsblad, and emigra-
tion, 6.

Amsterdam (Wis.), settled, 321.

Anaconda (Mont.), Brown dies at, 469.

Anakwat, Chippewa chief, 379.

Anderson, Dr. — , on Stefansson's expe-
dition, 170.

Anderson, Andrew, interviewed, 415-19.

Anderson, Eunice, visitor, 483.

Anderson, Judge H. A., report, 258.

Anderson, J. S., letter, 373-74.

Anderson, Rasmus B., "First Norwe-
gian Settlements," cited 325; "An-

other View of the Kensington Rune
Stone," 413-19; sketch, 498.

Andre, Maj. John, pass for, 503-504.

Andre, Louis, missionary, 237.

Andrews, Constant A., in Wisconsin,
269-70; Keyes meets, 340; accom-
panies, 342-44, 347; dissolves part-
nership, 361; deeds land, 343; mill-
wright at Prairie du Chien, 354-59,
361, 445, 448; lumbering, 459.

Annals Regm, cited, 336.

"Another View of the Kensington Rune
Stone," by Rasmus B. Anderson,
413-19.

Antaya, Pierre, Prairie du Chien pio-
neer, 452.

Anthropos, contributor to, 483.

Antietam, battle of, 496.

Antislavery movement in Wisconsin,
207-208.

Appleton, site, 349.

Appomattox, surrender of, 504.

A-que-en-zee, Chippewa chief, 475.

Archeology, collections, 124-25 ; in north-
ern Wisconsin, 146-47; at Aztalan,
260-61, 380-81, 487, 492; mounds
photographed, 493-94; intaglio, 487-
88, 494. See also Kensington Rune
Stone; and Wisconsin Archeologi-
cal Society.

Arena Township, settled, 317.

Argard, M. J., commissioner of Immi-
gration, 17, 19.

Argonne Wood, battle of, 261.

Arkansas, fur trade factory in, 281.

Armstrong, Lieut. William, at Prairie
du Chien, 444.

Arndt, Charles C. P., shot, 90.

Arnold, Bishop, of Greenland, 169.

Arnold, Capt. — , killed in European
War, 489.

Arnold, Benedict, pass to Andre, 503.

Arnold, Jonathan, candidate, 398.

Ashland, road to, 150; site of, 151.

Ashland County, routes in, 150-52.

Ashton, Washington, militia officer, 474.

Atchison (Kans.) Freedom's Champion,
file of, 264-66.

Atlanta (Ga.), in Civil War, 266.

Atwood, David, historical articles, 255.

Augusta, road near, 144.

Avon Township, settled, 323.

Aztalan, pilgrimage to, 260-61, 488;
preservation of site, 380-81, 487,
492.

Index

BABCOCK, Kendric C., Scandinavian Ele-
ment in the United States, 3-4, 26.

Bad River, route via, 149, 152.

Bad River Indians, band of Chippewa,
139.

Bad Water, Indian village, 467.

"Badger," origin of term, 35.

Baetz, Henry, secretary of board of im-
migration, 20; in the Civil War, 72.

Bailly, Alexis, papers, 383-84.

Baird, Mrs. Elizabeth, reminiscences, 88.

Baird, Henry S., letter, 89-92; sketch,
88.

Baird, Louise, letter to, 89-92.

Baker, Newton, secretary of war, 226.

Balsams, in northern Wisconsin, 149.

Banks, Gen. N. P., in the Civil War,
53, 64.

Banks, in territorial Wisconsin, 202-203,
248; constitutional provision con-
cerning, 410-12.

Baptists, in Wisconsin, 206, 435.

Baraboo, residents, 479; "Little Jour-
neys," 490; Indian mounds near,
494.

Baraboo News, articles in, 490.

Baraboo Republic, proprietor, 489-90.

Baraga, Rev. Frederick, missionary,
204, 379.

Bardon, James, in Home Guards, 474.

Bardon, Thomas, letters, 474, 477.

Bardsen, Ivar, visits Greenland, 165-67.

Barker, Samuel B., lumberman, 41, 44-
51.

Barrett, Betsy L., married, 434-35.

Barrett, Dr. S. A., archeological work,
260-61.

Barrett, Stephen, Rock County pioneer,
434.

Barren County, lumbering in, 44; pipe-
stone quarry, 145.

Barstow, Gov. William A., letter to, 10.

Earth, Laurent, at the portage, 186.

Bartholin Mss., cited, 165.

Barton, Albert O., "Norwegian Press,"
325.

Basel (Switzerland), immigration agent
at, 22-23.

Baseler Zeitung, and emigration, 6.

Batavia (N. Y.), Advocate, 468.

Battle Creek (Mich.), camp near, 210.

Bauritt, — , lumberman, 454, 457, 459.

Bayfield, during Sioux War, 476.

Beall, Col. Samuel W., Wisconsin pio-
neer, sketch of, 432-33.

Bean, Mrs. Philetta, hundredth birth-
day, 382.

Bear Creek, in Missouri, 462.

Beardsley, Col. — , medical officer, 219.

Beaulieu, Theodore H., aid acknowl-
edged, 264, 367.

Beaulieu (Minn.), settlers, 263.

Beaupre, Louis, fur trader, 329.

Beaver Creek, tavern on, 436-37.

Beaver Island, Mormon colony on, 262-
63, 486.

Beavers, dam rivers, 148, 436; abun-
dant, 149.

Becher, J. A., aids immigration, 18, 23.

Becker County (Minn.), archeological
search in, 333.

Bees, follow white settlers, 420.

Beetown, settled, 34.

Belgium, emigration from, 6; pamph-
lets published in, 18.

Bell, Ovid, letter, 254.

Belle Fontaine (Mo.), fur trade factory
at, 281; abandoned, 282; garrison
at, 443, 444.

Belle Plains (Va.), camp near, 70.

Belmont, first state capital, 195-96 ; old
buildings at, 374-75.

Belmont Capitol Commission, 375.

Beloit, Indian mounds near, 494; Indian
village at, 239, 370-71; grist mill,
423.

Beloit College, founded, 206 ; student at,
500.

Belt, Robert, factor, 461.

Bennett and Ullman, Milwaukee attor-
neys, 253.

Benton, Senator Thomas H., opposes
factory system, 283, 286-89.

Berge, Richard, folklorist, 182.

Bergen (Norway), bishop of, sends
Bardsen, to Greenland, 165;
commerce with, 167-68, 177; plague
at, 168, 181-82; royal residence,
165, 169, 172.

Berlin (Germany), advertisements at,
22.

Berne (Switzerland), advertisements at,
22.

Big Bottom Park, in Ohio, 493.

Big Slough, near Portage, 436.

Bill, Capt. Fred A., river captain, 260;
aid acknowledged, 383.

Billy Boy, Chippewa orator, 379.

Birches, in Northern Wisconsin, 148.

Bird, Augustus A., capitol commis-
sioner, 196.

"Birthplace of the Ringlings," by O. D.
Brandenburg, 479.

Black, David, lumberman, 470.

Black Earth valley, route via, 240.

Black Hawk, Sauk warrior, 38-39, 239;
plan, 188; captured, 40; Auto-
biography, 40, 489.

II

Index

Black Hawk War, described, 37-40,
188, 489; tradition concerning, 230-
31; forts during, 366; Indians aid
whites in, 428.

Black River, crossed, 141-43; lumber-
ing on, 201, 269-70, 360, 453-57.

Black River Falls, route to, 141-42;
sawmill at, 201, 454, 459; lumber-
men, 269-70, 453; Indians, 485.

Blake, S. L., Separatists of New Eng-
land, 303.

Blazikowski, Adam, in European War,
489.

Blegen, Theodore C., "The Competition
of the Northwestern States for Im-
migrants," 3-29; sketch, 128.

Bloomer, site of, 144.

Blue Mounds, fort at, 39, 239; road to,
189.

Blue Mounds Township, settled, 324.

Blue River, affluent of Wisconsin, 352.

Board of Immigration, activities, 11-12,
16, 20, 23, 27; reports, 20, 23, 28.

Boethius, — , philologist, 163.

Bohemia, emigration from, 21.

Bohuslaen (Sweden), speech, 160.

Boilvin, Nicolas, Winnebago vocabu-
lary, 370; Indian agent, 445; sketch,
445.

Bond, Judge Daniel W., sketch of Car-
ver, 291, 293, 297-99.

Bonner, John, miner, 33.

Bonnet (France), in European War,
243.

Bonnet Prairie, settled, 325.

Boston Gazette, acquired, 116.

Bouthillier, Francois, Prairie du Chien
merchant, 445, 452; trading house,
460.

Boxley, James, killed in Black Hawk
War, 366.

Boyd, George, Indian agent, 231.

Boyd, Robert K., letters from, 368-69.

Bracklin, James, "A Tragedy of the
Wisconsin Pinery," 42-51; sketch,
128.

Bracklin, John L., aid acknowledged, 42.

Bradley, Gay lord, diary, 489.

Brady, O. S., Wisconsin postmaster, 366.

Bragg, Gen. Braxton, Confederate com-
mander, 79-80.

Brainerd, L. B., letter, 10.

Branch, in Manitowoc County, 52-53;
men from, in the Civil War, 57-58,
65.

Brandenburg, O. D., communications
from, 479-80; article by, 489.

Brandy Station (Va.), battle at, 251.

Bremen, United States consul at, 6.

Bremer Auswandungzeitung, and emi-
gration, 6.

Brigham, Ebenezer, pioneer, 39.

Brighton, settled, 193.

Brisband, Lieut. Col. — , commands de-
tachment, 60.

Brisbois, Michael, fur trader, 329.

Bristol Township (Dane County), set-
tled, 324.

Bristol Township (Racine County),
settled, 193.

British Temperance Emigration Socie-
ty, 208.

Brittnacher, E. J., letter, 233.

Brodhead, site, 249.

Brotherton Indians, remove to Wiscon-
sin, 235; habitat, 430.

Brown, — , Galena merchant, 85.

Brown, A. N., residence, 468-69.

Brown, Beriah, Wisconsin editor, sketch,
468-69.

Brown, Charles E., "Hamilton Collec-
tion," 124-25; museum chief, 487,
493-94.

Brown, John A., editor, 468.

Brown, Joseph, fur trader, 384.

Brown County, organized, 195, 466;
foreigners in, 315, 321; judge, 329;
protests Illinois annexation, 402.

Browning, A. A., cited, 303.

Browning, Dr. William, "The Early
History of Jonathan Carver," 291-
305; sketch, 385.

Brule Lake, headwaters of the Menomi-
nee, 467.

Brule River (We-sa-co-ta), tributary
of the Menominee, 466-67.

Bruncken, Ernest, "The Political Ac-
tivity of Wisconsin Germans," 320.

Bruns, Col. Earl H., medical officer, 210.

Brunson, Rev. Alfred, appointed Indian
agent, 139; describes trail, 139-52;
Western Pioneers, 139.

Brunson, Benjamin W., pioneer lumber-
man, 369.

Brunson, Ella, cited, 142.

Bryant, Frank H., donor, 266.

Bryant, General George E., papers, 266-
67.

Bryden, James A., "The Scots in Wis-
consin," 317.

Buck, Sauk Indian, 366.

Buck, Sara E., relates experiences in
European War, 241-44.

Buck, Solon J., Illinois in 1818, re-
viewed, 387-89.

Buckley, Cornelius, letter, 370.

Buckmaster, Ethel, letter, 231.

Ill

Index

Buell, Capt. — , at Fort Winnebago, 187.

Buffalo (N. Y.), Historical Society
Publications, 373.

Buffalo County, foreigners in, 322.

Buffalo dance, by Sioux Indians, 444.

Buffalo (Ox) Lake, crossed, 351.

Buisson, Captain Joe, papers, 383-85.

Bull Run, battle of, 496.

Bunner, J. C., editor, 88-89.

Burke Township, settled, 316.

Burlington (Iowa), legislature at, 196.

Burlington (Iowa) Saturday Evening
Post, 260.

Burlington (Vt), in War of 1812, 450.

Burlington Heights, battlefield, 342.

Burns, James, at Clarksville, 463.

Burns, R., hunter, 463.

Burnside, Gen. Ambrose E., with Army
of the Potomac, 67-68, 70, 72; in
the West, 80.

Burrows, George B., bequest, 494-95.

Burrows, George T., legatee, 494-95.

Bushnell, Col. George E., medical offi-
cer, 214.

Butler, Col. Anthony, garrisons Macki-
nac, 473.

Butte des Morts, a rendezvous, 231.

Butte des Morts Lake, crossed, 350.

CABEZA de Vaca, Alvar Nunez, explorer,

156.

Caledonia Township, settled, 317.
Calhoun, John C., secretary of war, 234,

286, 289.
California, discovery of, 156; emigration

to, 318, 435.

Callaway County (Mo.), history of, 254.
Camborne (England), emigration from,

318.

Cambria, Welsh settlement, 316.
Cameron, Simon, secretary of war, 56.
Camp Bowie, in the European War, 224.
Camp Chickamauga, during the Spanish-
American War, 218.
Camp Cobb, in the Civil War, 53.
Camp Custer, in the European War,

210-13, 215, 217-18, 220-21, 224.
Camp Dix, in the European War, 216,

223-26.

Camp Douglas, railroad to, 142.
Camp Greenleaf, in the European War,

218-20, 222.
Camp Griffin, in the Civil War, 57, 59,

61, 64; cemetery at, 60.
Camp Kinzey, at Portage, 231.
Camp McArthur, in European War, 489.
Camp Randall, in the Civil War, 52-53.
Campbell, B. H., Galena merchant, 85;

marshal, 86.

Campbell, John, Indian agent, 445.
Canadian Historical Review, first issue.

504.

Cannon, F. A., letter, 234.
Canterbury (Conn.), Carver records in,

292-303.

Cap a 1' Ail. See Capoli.
Cape Farwell, settlement near, 164.
Capitol, first of Wisconsin, preservation,

374-75; first at Madison, 398; view

of, 395.

Capoli, origin of the name, 459.
"Captain Marryat's Tour," 479-80.
Carcajou Point, village at, 371.
"Career of Edward F. Lewis," by

Franklin F. Lewis, 434-42.
Carl, John W., Chippewa Indian, 372-73.
Carlin, Thomas, governor of Illinois, 403.
Carling, Capt. E. B., at Superior, 476.
Carlton family, pioneers, 430.
Carpenter, Matt H., as attorney, 253.
Carroll College, founded, 206.
Carron, Menominee chief, 233.
Carson, William, pioneer lumberman,

369.
Carter, George B., in the Civil War,

121 ; at Platteville, 253.
Carter, Capt. Richard E., Civil War

letters, 121-22.
Carter, William E., in Union army, 121 ;

home, 253.

Cartwright, site of, 146.
Carver, Abigail, daughter of Jonathan,

297-98.
Carver, Benjamin, baptized, 294, 299;

inheritance, 295-96; guardian, 295,

303.
Carver, Ensign David, career, 292-300;

ancestors, 300-303.
Carver, David, Jr., brother of Jonathan,

295; birth record, 299; sketch, 302.
Carver, David, III, birth, 302.
Carver, Hannah, inheritance, 295-96;

birth, 299.
Carver, John, governor of Plymouth,

301.
Carver, Jonathan, in Wisconsin, 30, 185,

367; early history, 291-305; birth,

299; Travels, 358, 360; portrait, 274.
Carver, Mary, daughter of Jonathan,

297-98.

Carver, Robert, emigrant, 300-301.
Carver, Samuel, brother of Jonathan,

294-97; son, 302.
Carver, Sarah (Hannah), mother of

Jonathan, 294, 299, 302.
Carver, Grant, in Wisconsin, 269-70, 340,

343, 349, 369.
Cashton, road near, 141.

IV

Index

Cassville, founded, 37, 189.

Castle Garden, immigrant landing place,

Castle Williams, in New York harbor,

76.

Caswell, Lucien B., obituary, 115.
Catfish River, Indians on, 420.
Catholics, in Wisconsin, 204-205, 236-37,

315; history of, 380.
Cedar Point, treaty at, 235.
Cedarburg Township, foreigners in, 315.
Central Village (Conn.), records, 292.
Centre ville (Va.), in the Civil War, 63.
Ceresco, built, 208.
Chamberlain, Henry, killed, 489.
Chambers, Col. Talbot, commands Fort

Crawford, 270, 353-56, 358, 360, 446;

leaves, 443.
Chancellorsville (Va.), battle of, 72-73,

496.
Chandler, M. G., president of Indian

Fellowship Club, 484.
Chapman, William W., district attorney,

195, 240.

Chappeau, Therese, grave, 351.
Charatchou (The Smoker), Winnebago

chief, 428.

Charles Bay, on the Mississippi, 462.
Charleston '(S. C.), blockaded, 61.
Charlow, — , lumberman, 254.
Chateau-Thierry, Wisconsin man at, 500.
Chattanooga (Tenn.), camp near, 219.
Chavodreuil, — , Fond du Lac trader,

328.

Chequamegon Bay, route to, 160; mis-
sions on, 204-205.

Cherokee Indians, factory for, 280.
Chester County (Pa.), 426-27.
Chetek, village of, 146; lumbering at,

470.
Chetek Lake, Indians on, 44; lumbermen

at, 46, 48 ; described, 146-47.
Chetlain, A. L., Galena merchant, 85;

in Civil War, 86.

Chetlain family, in Wisconsin, 321.
Chevalier, Simon, rafting, 369.
Chicago, Indian treaty at, 190, 235 ; fur

trade factory, 281-83; trail from,

190, 237; road to, 191, 312; stage

lines to, 199-200; pioneers of, 447;

survey, 504; immigration activity,

9, 12,' 16, 20.
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad,

extension, 467.
Chicago Historical Society, bequest, 503-

504.
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and

Omaha Railroad, 142, 151.
Chickahominy River, camp near, 65.

Chickamauga, battle field, 218, 488.

Chickasaw Bluffs, fur trade factory at,
281.

Chickasaw Indians, factory for, 280.

Chippewa Falls, post at, 144; road from,
145 ; boundary marked from, 367-69.

Chippewa Indians, habitat, 44, 467;
hostilities with Sioux, 367-69; chief
dies, 263-64, 372-73 ; captive among,
447-48; agent for, 139; land ces-
sions, 32, 36, 190, 263, 472; his-
torian of, 144; during Civil War,
474-76; European War, 119-20;
present conditions among, 379-80.

Chippewa River, forests on, 143; posts,
144, 150, 379; lumbering, 202, 267-
68,469-70; trails along, 367-69 ; fur
trade on, 384.

Chippewau Territory, proposed, 37.

Choctaw Indians, fur trade factory for,
281.

Christiana Township, settled, 323.

City of Four Lakes, platted, 240.

Civil War, letters, 52-83; Rock County
during, 425-26; participants, 433,
488; papers concerning, 495-98.

Claimants' unions, for land purchases,
193-94.

Clark, Col. George Rogers, captures
Vincennes, 472.

Clark, John, early missionary, 205, 237.

Clark, Orlando E., obituary, 114; pa-
pers, 122.

Clark, Capt. Temple, of Fifth Wiscon-
sin, 53.

Clark, Thomas, committee of safety,
475.

Clarke, E. C., secures arms for Superior,
475.

Clarks ville (Mo.), settler, 447; de-
scribed, 462-63; lumber raft at, 464.

Cleveland, F. A., editor, 481.

Cleveland (Ohio), lake port, 191; jour-
ney to, 312.

Clinton Township, settled, 323, 434, 488.

Cloche Island, in Georgian Bay, 345.

Clyman Township, settled, 315.

Coburn, R. G., committee of safety, 474.

Codding, Ichabod, editor, 208.

Cohanski, John, in European War, 489.

Cole, Harry E., editor, 490.

Columbia County, foreigners in, 315-17,
325; sheriff, 437.

Columbia Fur Company, employees,
383-84.

Columbus Township, settled, 325.

Comet, lake steamer, 52.

Commissioner of Emigration, for Wis-
consin, 4-8, 10; reports, 6-10, 13, 16.

Index

Commissioner of Immigration, in Wis-
consin, 16-19; reports, 17-23.
Communications, 249-54, 372-75, 478-80.
Communistic enterprises, in early Wis-
consin, 208.

"Competition of the Northwestern
States for Immigrants," by Theo-
dore C. Blegen, 3-29.
Congregationalists, in Wisconsin, 205-
206, 256.

Congress, establishes Wisconsin Terri-
tory, 195; Iowa Territory, 198;
grants lands for improvements, 197;
grants mineral lands, 201; terri-
torial delegate to, 194, 397-401, 408;
appropriations, 408; admits Wis-
consin, 408-409, 412.

Conklin, Edgar, early teacher, 430.

Conklin, Col. Henry, Fond du Lac pio-
neer, 430.

Connecticut Historical Society, records,
292.

Conover, Frederic K., obituary, 114-15.

Constitutional Convention, letters from,
88-93; suffrage provisions of, 227-
30; president of, 246-48; foreigners
in, 316, 320-21; discussion of, 402,
406; organized, 410-12; member
of, 432; work of, 469.

Cooke, Chauncey H., obituary, 114.

Coon River, affluent of the Mississippi,
458.

Cooper, Elizabeth Fennimore, married,
432.

Cooper, James Fennimore, romances,
38; niece, 432.

Copeland, Louis A., "The Cornish in
Southwest Wisconsin," 318.

Copenhagen (Denmark), immigration
agent at, 22 ; manuscript collection,
165.

Copper mines, on Lake Superior, 139.

Copperheads, during the Civil War, 71,
75, 78-79.

Corinth, battle of, 86.

Cormorant Lake, in Minnesota, 333, 335,
337, 478.

Cornish, in Wisconsin, 35, 314, 317-18.

"Costumes Three Generations Ago," 471.

Cothren, M. M., candidate for judge, 75.

Cottage Grove Township, settled, 323.

Cotton, Capt. John W., Green Bay resi-
dent, 91.

Court Oreilles Lake, route to, 148-49;
party left at, 150; land route from,
150; reservation at, 119-20, 379.

Craigh, — , Portage miller, 438.

Cram, Capt. Thomas J., surveyor, 466.

Cranberry Creek, log jam at, 44.

Crawford County, organized, 195; offi-
cers, 445-46.

Creek Indians, factory for, 280.

"Critic and a Certificate of Character,"
94-112.

Croissant, George, in the Fifth Wiscon-
sin, 58.

Crooks, Ramsey, fur trader, 287-88; life
of, 384.

Crory, John, clerk of probate, 295.

Cross Plains Township, settled, 316.

Crows, follow white settlers, 420.

DAILY, Thomas, Dane County resident,
91.

Dairying, in Wisconsin, 322.

Dakota Territory, immigration activi-
ties, 26-27. See also North Dakota
and South Dakota.

Dalarne, Swedish district, 161-63.

Dale, ship of war, 247.

Dalecarlian theory of rune stone origin,
160-63.

Dandelions, brought to Wisconsin, 420.

Dane County, settlement in, 208, 256;
foreigners, 315-16, 319, 322-24; vote
of, 403; history of, 489.

Daniels, Josephus, secretary of the navy,
226.

Darling, Mason C., Fond du Lac pio-
neer, 429-30.

Darlington, settled, 34.

Daughters of the American Revolution,
in Wisconsin, 237; study trails, 484;
erect tablet, 487.

Davenport, George, trader, 31.

Davis, E. Page, immigration agent, 25.

Davis, Jefferson, president of Confed-
eracy, 65, 81, 251; at Fort Winne-
bago, 187; visits General Jones, 367.

Death's Door (Porte des Morts), on
Green Bay, 348.

Decorah, Bill, killed in France, 261.

Decorah, Foster, killed in France, 261-
62.

Decorah, John, in European War, 261.

Decorah (Iowa), college at, 256.

Deer, in northern Wisconsin, 148-49.

Deerfield Township, settled, 323.

De Forest, settled, 324.

Delafield Township, settled, 317, 324.

Delavan, founded, 206-207; foreigners
near, 324.

Delisle, Guillaume, map, 30.

Deming, R. G., obituary, 377.

Democratic party, in territorial times,
397-401, 403-412; factions in, 468.

Democratic Review, cited, 228.

VI

Index

Denmark, emigration from, 10, 21-22,
25-26; pamphlets distributed in, 18;
philologists, 159, 414; minister to,
415.

Denver (Colo.), founded, 433.

Des Moines Rapids, agency at, 445 ; boat
lost in, 452; described, 461.

Des Moines River, mouth, 461.

De Soto, Ferdinand, explorer, 156.

Detroit, lake port, 191, 193, 250; capital
of Michigan, 194; fur trade factory
at, 281; abandoned, 282; during
British regime, 472-73.

Dewey, Martin, practical joke, 425.

Dewey, Nelson, governor's addresses,
264; marriage, 375; proclamation,
425.

Dexheimer, Mrs. G. W., on old trails'
committee, 484; letter, 237.

Dickson (Dixon), Capt. John L., at Su-
perior, 474, 476.

Dickson, Col. Robert, fur trader, 360-61 ;
452; lumberman, 459.

Dimick, William H., letter, 471.

Dixon (111.), stage line to, 199.

Documents, "Letters of a Fifth Wis-
consin Volunteer," 52-83; "Keyes
Journal," 339-63, 443-65. See also
Public Documents.

Dodge, Grenville M., builds Union Pa-
cific, 266.

Dodge, Henry, emigrates to Wisconsin,
207; enlists rangers, 33, 39; com-
mands rangers, 239-40; in lead
mines, 34; in Black Hawk War,
39, 398; territorial governor, 195,
240, 367, 400, 402, 409-12; council
with Winneb ago, 239; Congressional
delegate, 398-99.

Dodge County, representative in con-
stitutional convention, 92; wheat
raised in, 200 ; pioneer physician in,
306-13; foreigners in, 315-16, 319.

Dodgeville, founded, 34; growth, 37,
317-18.

Donald, John S., tree planting, 381.

Dorfzeitung, and emigration, 6.

Doty, James D., judge of United States
Court, 37; promotes Madison, 196;
journey of 1829, 238, 330; home,
331, 430; territorial delegate, 397,
399 ; governor, 398-99, 403-405 ; re-
tires, 407; Voice of an Injured Ter-
ritory, 398.

Doty Island, occupied, 331.

Douglas, Stephen A., in Congress, 409.

Douglas County (Minn.), railroad to,
174.

Douglas County (Wis.), draft sus-
pended, 477.

Douglas County Home Guards, en-
rolled, 474-77.

Dousman, Hercules L., fur trader, 384.

Dousman, John, fur trader, 347.

Dover Township, settled, 317.

Downsville, lumbering at, 470.

Drake, Lieut. Samuel, at Superior, 476.

Draper, Lyman C., prepares vocabulary,
370.

Draper Manuscripts, consulted, 254.

Drummond Island, Keyes visits, 346.

Dubay, Jean Baptiste, attempted lynch-
ing of, 438-41 ; trial, 441-42.

Dubuque, Julien, mining operations, 30.

Dubuque (Iowa), site, 31; bank at, 202;
lead mines, 460; sawmill, 470.

Ducharme, Laurent, fur trader, 327.

Duckelow, Richard, in the Fifth Wis-
consin, 58.

Dundass (Can.), Keyes at, 342.

Dunkirk Township, settled, 323.

Dunn, Charles, justice, 195-96, 240;
residence, 375.

Dunn, Kate, married, 375.

Du Plisie, — , lumberman, 454.

Durkee, Charles, member of Congress,
208 ; nominated, 400.

Dutch language, pamphlets published
in, 5-6, 11; words in, 160. See also
Holland.

Dutton, D., searching for lands, 464.

Dyer, Eliphalet, in Continental Con-
gress, 303.

Dyer, John, Carver's guardian, 295-96,
302^303.

Dyer, Thomas, descendants, 303-304.

Dyer, Col. Thomas, brother of Mrs.
Carver, 303.

"EARLY History of Jonathan Carver,"

by William Browning, 291-305.
"Early Life in Southern Wisconsin," by

David F. Sayre, 420.
East Koshkonong, celebration at, 256.
Eastman, route via, 141.
Eaton, Henry, pioneer lumberman, 369.
Eatough, Jane, mentioned, 65.
Eau Claire, site of, 144, 367-69.
Eau Claire River, crossed, 144; mouth,

368-69.

Eau Galle, origin of term, 368-69.
Ecuador, minister to, 246.
Editorials, 94-112.
Education. See Schools.
Edwards, Martha L., review of Pease's

Frontier State, 389-91.
Edwardsville (111.), visited, 464.

VII

Index

Effigy mounds, photographed, 493-94.
See also Intaglio Effigy.

Egilsson, Thord, merchant, 165.

Eighteenth Wisconsin Infantry, lieuten-
ant colonel of, 433; during Indian
disturbances, 474, 476.

Einerson, Odd, bishop of Skalholt, 166.

Eisteddfod, in Wisconsin, 316.

Elba, Welsh settlement, 316.

Elections, in the army, 75.

Elkhorn, settled, 324.

Elliott, Robert, artist, 41.

Elliott family, pioneers, 430.
1 Ellis, Kenneth M., letter, 232.

Emigration. See Immigration.

Emmet Township, settled, 315.

Enert, Jules, of the Fifth Wisconsin, 69.

England. See Great Britain.

English, W. C., letters, 230-31.

English Prairie, origin of name, 352.

Episcopalians, in Wisconsin, 205, 324-25.

Ericson, Leif, discoverer of North
America, 154.

Ericsson, John, inventor, 249.

Erie (Pa.) Observer, 468.

Erie Canal, begun, 340; completed, 191.

Erie Lake, post on, 282.

Erikson, Magnus, Norse king, 169.

Erin Township, settled, 315.

Eskimos, in Greenland, 165-66; of blond
type, 170.

Estabrook, Charles E., papers, 495.

Estaing, Charles Hector, count d', in
the Revolution, 331.

European War, medical arrangements,
209-26; woman worker's experience,
241-44; Indians in, 119-20, 261-62;
aliens, 489.

Evans, George T., Wisconsin pioneer,
84.

Evans, Henry Clay, of Chattanooga, 84.

Evans, Jonathan H., recollections, 84-86,
253; corrected, 373-74.

Evans, T. Elwood, Iowa pioneer, 84.

Everest, Kate A. See Levi.

Everett, Edward, Gettysburg address,
497.

Ewing, Samuel, at Clarksville, 463.

Exemption provision, of first constitu-
tion, 410-411.

"Experiment of the Fathers in State
Socialism," by M. M. Quaife, 277-90.

FABIUS rivers (Two), affluents of Missis-
sippi, 462.

Factory system, as an experiment in
socialism, 277-90.

Fair Oaks (Va.), battle field, 66.

Fairfax County (Va.) camp in, 55.

Fairfax Court House, foraging near, 60.

Fall Creek, road near, 144.

Fallen Timbers (Ohio), battle at, 493.

Falls Church (Va.), battle at, 55.

Faribault, Lucy, married, 383.

Farnham, Russell, trader, 31.

Farnsworth, Samuel, at Marinette, 237.

Farrar, Amos, trader, 31.

Farwell, Gov. Leonard, letter to, 8.

Faust, Albert B., The German Element
in the United States, 9, 23; Guide to
the Materials for American History
in Swiss and Austrian Archives, 23.

Felch, John, distributor, 295-96.

Felt, L. S., Galena merchant, 85-86.

Fergus Falls (Minn.), resident, 182.

Ferguson, David, Milwaukee banker,
317.

Fever River, lead mines on, 32; resi-
dent, 445.

Fields, Lieut. Gabriel, at Prairie du
Chien, 444.

Fifteenth New York Infantry, in Army
of the Potomac, 72.

Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry, colonel,
17.

Fifth United States Infantry, crosses
Wisconsin, 184, 186.

Fifth Wisconsin Infantry, letters from,
52-83; colonel resigns, 70.

Findley, John L., at Prairie du Chien,
446, 452; letter to, 454.

Finucane, Frank J., obituary, 378.

First Massachusetts Infantry, sup-
presses draft riots, 76.

First United States Infantry, builds
Fort Winnebago, 187.

First Wisconsin Infantry, in Civil War,
266.

Fish Creek, tributary of Chequamegon
Bay, 150-51.

Fisher, — , at Prairie du Chien, 357;
goes to pinery, 358, 360.

P'isher, H. D., discovers iron mines, 467.

Fisher's Coulee, near Prairie du Chien,
141.

Fiske, Frank, The Taming of the Sioux,
235.

Fitchburg Township, settled, 316.

Flanders, James G., obituary, 377.

Flandrau, Charles E., History of Minne-
sota, 235.

Flaten, Nils, Minnesota pioneer, 173.

Flatey Annals, 164, 167, 336.

Flateyarbok, 164.

Flint, Benjamin, counterfeiter, 341.

Floamanna Saga, 164.

Flom, Prof. G. T., attacks authenticity
of rune stone, 160-61.

VIII

Index

Florence County, history of, 466-67.

Florida, admission of, 409.

Fogelblad, Rev. — , Swedish immigrant,

416-18.

Folklore of Indians, references, 232-33.
Fond du Lac, stage line to, 199 ; physi-
cian at, 306; early settlement, 327-

31 ; rival village, 428-33.
Fond du Lac Company, formed, 330.
Fond du Lac County, settled, 193, 429;

foreigners in, 322 ; village, 428 ; first

school in, 430.
Fond du Lac River, post on, 327, 428;

view of, 330.
Foreigners in territorial Wisconsin, 314-

26; 405-407; suffrage for, 406-407,

409. See also the several nationali-
ties.

Forest County, Indians in, 380, 485.
Forest tract, *in Wisconsin, 143-46. See

also Pineries.
"Forgotten Trail," by James H. Mc-

Manus, 139-52.
Fornvaennen, 161, 163.
Forsyth, Col. Thomas, Indian agent,

447.

Fort Ancient, in Ohio, 492.
Fort Armstrong, on the Mississippi, 32,

460; agent at, 447.
Fort Atkinson (Iowa), site, 505.
Fort Atkinson (Wis.), Indian effigy at,

487-88, 494.
Fort Benjamin Harrison, during the

European War, 209-11, 213, 219-21.
Fort Brady, officer at, 448.
Fort Columbus, in New York harbor, 76.
Fort Crawford, at Prairie du Chien, 32,

189, 238, 446, 505; garrison removed

from, 33; Jefferson Davis at, 187;

described by Keyes, 353.
Fort Edwards, in Illinois, 461-62.
Fort Hamilton, reenforced, 76.
Fort Howard, garrison at, 33; road to,

189, 238; church service at, 205;

Keyes at, 348.
Fort Lafayette, in New York harbor,

251.

Fort Laurens, in Ohio, 493.
Fort Mackinac, history, 471-73. See also

Mackinac.
Fort Madison, fur trade factory at, 282,

355; residents, 267-68, 470; sketch,

461.

Fort Niagara, cannon at, 343.
Fort Oglethorpe, in the European War,

221-22.

Fort Osage, fur trade factory at, 282.
Fort Snelling, location, 33.

Fort Sumter, fired upon, 62, 244, 251,
425.

Fort Wayne, factory at, 281.

Fort Winnebago, site, 436, 438; built,
34; described, 187-88; road to, 189,
237, 480; Indian agent at, 370; view
of, 184.

Fossum, Prof. Andrew, cited, 158-59.

Fostbraeda Saga, 164.

Foster, Mary S., prepares map, 140.

Four Lakes, in Black Hawk War, 39,
188; early history, 238-40, 330; Indi-
ans revisit, 420.

Fourth Lake. See Mendota Lake.

Fourth of July, at Madison, 196-97; at
Niagara, 343; at Prairie du Chien,
444.

Fox, George R., archeologist, 493-94.

Fox Indians, with Keyes, 355; married,
452; war with French, 185. See also
Sauk and Fox Indians.

Fox Lake, Irish at, 315.

Fox River, route via, 139, 184-86, 231;
described, 348-52; road along bank,
189; Indians on, 190, 233; Indian
missions, 205; improvements on,
197; settlements, 321; locks from,
437-38.

Fox Slough, on the Mississippi, 461.

Fox- Wisconsin waterway, historic im-
portance of, 184-86; 190, 198, 231;
improvement plans, 197, 400, 437-38;
Keyes voyage on, 347-52.

France, emigration from, 6, 21; sells
Louisiana, 503. See also French.

Franchise. See Suffrage.

Frank, Michael, services for education,
207.

Franking privilege, 88.

Franklin, Benjamin, and the fur trade,
278.

Franklin County (Mass.), home of Car-
ver, 297.

Franks, Jacob, fur trader, 328.

Fraser, Rev. M. E., aid acknowledged,
141.

Frazer, William C., justice, 195, 240.

Fredericksburg (Va.), in the Civil War,
68-70, 73, 81, 497.

Free West, emigration paper, 25.

Fremont, Gen. J. C., in the Civil War,
54, 56; emancipation proclamation,
56.

French language, pamphlets published
in, 11, 16, 18.

French regime, in Wisconsin, 30, 184-85,
250, 327.

IX

Index

French-Canadians, at Prairie du Chien,
444; observe Good Friday, 456;
dress, 471.

Friends of Our Native Landscape, Wis-
consin branch, 486-87, 492.

P'riesian ports, 160.

Frome (England), advertisement at, 22.

Fryxell, Anders, historian, 417.

Fugitive Slave Law, in Wisconsin, 232.

Fulton, mills at, 423; church, 426.

"Further Discoveries Concerning the
Kensington Rune Stone," by H. R.
Holand, 332-38.

Fur trade, in early Wisconsin, 184-86,
191, 238, 327-30, 438, 459; connection
with lead mining, 31; factory sys-
tem for, 277-90; papers on, 384.

GAINESVILLE, battle of, 496.

Galena (111.), rangers at, 33; General
Grant, 84-86, 373-74; lead miners,
189; stage line terminus, 199; rail-
road to, 253; church at, 205; lum-
ber, 267 ; favors annexation to Wis-
consin, 402; view of in 1856, 84.

Galesburg (111.), visited, 268.

Garlic Cape, on the Mississippi, 459.

Gates, S., searching for lands, 464.

Gaw-ge-ga-bi, Chippewa chief, 379.

Gehon, Francis, territorial officer, 240.

Genesee Township, settled, 316-17.

Gentil family, in Wisconsin, 321.

George, Thomas J., Indian trader, 370.

George III, Indian medal of, 485.

Georgia, during the European war,
218-20.

Georgian Bay, voyage on, 344-45.

Gerend, Dr. Alphonse, aid acknowl-
edged, 485.

German language, pamphlets published
in, 5-7, 11, 16, 18, 21; press, 92, 321,
483.

German-Americans, in the Civil War,
63, 72; attitude on education, 92;
in the European War, 382; mass
meeting, 406.

Germany, consul to, 246; emigration
from, 4-7, 9, 18, 20-23, 29, 306, 316,
318-21; decreases, 10; war with,
119-20, 209-26, 261-62, 489; army of
occupation in, 241-44.

Gettysburg, battle of, 495-97; field con-
secrated, 497.

Gibbon, Gen. John, in the Civil War,
495, 498; captures Fredericksburg,
497.

Gibson, Aaron, in the Civil War, 57, 72,
82.

Gibson, Sarah, mentioned, 83.

Giddings, David, in first constitutional
convention, 229.

Gilbert's Licks. See Saverton.

Gjessing, Helge, philologist, 178, 180.

Glenmore Township, settled, 315.

Glidden, site of, 150.

Glode, Menominee chief, 233.

Glory of the Morning, descendants,
261-62.

Gondrecourt (France), in European
War, 242.

Goodenow, Mrs. — , sends supplies from
Manitowoc, 63.

Goodwin, Serg. Joseph, of Fifth Wis-
consin, 69.

Gordon, Lieut. George W., at Superior,
476.

Gordon, Father Philip, missionary to
Chippewa, 379-80.

Gorgas, Gen. William C., in the Euro-
pean War, 224.

Goshen (N. Y.), troops quartered at, 77.

Gotha (Germany), advertisements at,
22.

Gothland. See Sweden.

Gould, Martha, married, 52.

Governors Island, New York harbor, 76.

Grace, Thomas, bishop of Minnesota,
264.

Graham, Duncan, fur trader, 383-84.

Grand Chute, on Fox River, 349.

Grant, Gen. U. S., before Vicksburg,
72, 503; Western army, 80; before
Richmond, 82; at Galena, 84-86,
372-73; Platteville, 253; at Appo-
mattox, 504.

Grant County, lead mines in, 33; river
ports, 189; foreigners, 317-18; early
history, 365-67.

Grasshopper plagues, reports of, 20.

Gratiot, Henry, lead miner, 33-34; In-
dian agent, 38-39, 239; comes to
Wisconsin, 207, 321, 367.

Gratiot, Jean Pierre Bugnion, miner,
33-34, 367; comes to Wisconsin, 207,
321.

Gratiot's Grove, settled, 33; in Black
Hawk War, 38-39.

Graves-Cilley duel, effect of, 397.

Gray, Alexander T., regent, 483.

Great Britain, and the Civil War, 63,
76; War of 1812, 186; pamphlets
distributed in, 18; emigration from,
6, 9, 21, 139, 208, 314-17.

Great Northern Railway, route, 174.

Great Slave Lake, discovered, 156.

Greeley, Horace, editor, 468.

Greely, Gen. A. W., cited, 170.

Green, — , lumberman, 470.

X

Index

Green Bay, route via, 139; settlements
on, 198; in French regime, 250;
Keyes voyage on, 348.

Green Bay (city), as a port, 189, 191,
197; roads to, 189-90, 237, 429; stage
lines, 199-200; journey from, 238,
480; fort at, 33, 37, 189, 283; troops,
184, 186; settlers, 315, 328; land
office, 190, 432; council meets at,
194-95; bank at, 202; churches,
204-205; school superintendent, 52;
described, 348.

Green Bay and Lake Pepin Railroad,
opened, 19.

Green Bay Republican, cited, 404, 408.

Green County, foreigners in, 315, 322.

Green Lake, trail from, 238.

Green Lake County, foreigners in, 317,
320.

Greene, — , lumberman, 454.

Greenland, Norse expeditions to, 163-70,
336, 414; inhabitants visit America,
170-72; distance from Iceland, 178.

Greenman, Frank, in the Fifth Wiscon-
sin, 58.

Greenville, treaty of, copy, 503.

Griffith, Lieut. Alberto, naval officer,
247.

Grignon, Amable, fur trader, 329-30.

Grignon, Augustin, at the portage, 186;
at Fond du Lac, 329; home, 349;
"Recollections," 327-28, 349, 428.

Grignon, Charles, fur trader, 329.

Grignon, Louis, frir trader, 329.

Grignon, Pierre, fur trader, 329.

Grindell, John L., aid acknowledged, 41.

Grosler, — , lumberman, 458.

Grosse Point, on Chicago Trail, 190.

Grover, Frank R., obituary, 386.

Guernsey, Orrin, local historian, 489.

Gunn, — , Carver's grandson, 349.

Gunther, Charles L., collection, 503-504.

Guttormson, Jon, Icelandic chief, 167-
68.

HAAX, Gen. William G., address before
Society, 255, 378.

Haertel, Herman, commissioner of emi-
gration, 6-8, 16; successor, 9.

Haight, Capt. W. L., Racine County in
the World War, 490.

Hamilton, Mrs. Alexander, visits lead
mines, 35.

Hamilton, Henry P., collection secured,
124-25.

Hamilton, William Stephen, in lead
mines, 35; fort at home, 39; presi-
dent of council, 195.

Hampton Township, settled, 325.

Hancock, Gen. W. S., in the Civil War,
63, 66.

Hancock Brigade, in the Army of the
Potomac, 73.

Hanks, Lieut. Porter, surrenders Mac-
kinac, 472.

Hannibal (Mo.), site, 462.

Hanover (Germany), advertisements at,
22.

Haraszthy, Count Agoston, in Wiscon-
sin, 322.

Harney, Capt. William S., at Fort Win-
nebago, 187.

Harpers Ferry, in the Civil War, 53.

Harrison, Mark R., artist, 330.

Harrison, William H., nominated for
president, 331, 399; election, 398.

Hart, Charles F., assemblyman, presents
petition, 97-99; rejoinder for, 99-
103.

Hartford (Conn.), records at, 292.

Haskell, Frank A., papers, 495-98.

Hatfield, site of, 143.

Hayes, Pres. Rutherford B., home, 493.

Hazel Green, mining at, 33; geologist,
86.

Heart Prairie, settled, 324.

Heg, Hans C., colonel of Fifteenth Wis-
consin, 17, 323; monument for, 488.

Helena (Mont.), in early days, 433.

Helgesen, Thore, Norwegian immigrant,
488.

Helsingeland (Sweden), emigrants
from, 416.

Henderson, Knud, donor, 264.

Henly, — , at Prairie du Chien, 446.

Hennepin, Louis, at the portage, 185.

Henni, John M., bishop of Milwaukee,
205.

Henrietta of England, cause of death,
310-11.

Hey worth, Lawrence, founds colony,
208.

Hickcox, George H., candidate for dele-
gate, 399.

Hickman, Capt. Llewellin, at Prairie du
Chien, 443.

Hildebrandt, Dr. William, United States
consul, 6.

Himes, George H., letter, 468.

Hineman, M. L., on investigating com-
mittee, 95, 111.

"Historic Spots in Wisconsin," by W. A.
Titus, 184-88, 327-31, 428-33.

Historical Fragments, 84-93, 241-48.

"History of Fort Mackinac," 471-73.

Hoffman, W. S., letter, 471.

Hoffman (Minn.), resident, 416-17.

XI

Index

Hogan, Thomas H., committee of safety,

474-75.
Holand, H. R., "The Kensington Rune

Stone," 153-83; "Further Discover-
ies," 332-38; cited, 413-14; letter,

469; sketch, 271, 385.
Holcomb, H. T., committee of safety,

475.

Hole-in-the-Day, Chippewa chief, 263.
Holland, emigration from, 6-7, 21, 26,

318, 321.

Holland Landing (Can.), 343.
Holland River, route via, 344.
Holland Township, settled, 321.
Honey Creek Township, settled, 322.
Hood, John Bell, Confederate general,

426.
Hooker, Gen. Joseph, commands Army

of the Potomac, 74, 80; criticized,

497.

Horn, Frederick W., emigration com-
missioner, 9-10; letter, 10.
Horner, John Scott, acting governor,

195; secretary, 195, 240.
Hospers, Henry, Iowa immigration

agent, 26.

Hotchkiss, W. O., geologist, 175, 234.
Hoteling, Stephen, steamboat captain,

431.
Hovgaard, William, Voyage of the

Norsemen to America, 332, 336.
Howe, Timothy O., Senator, 267.
Hoyt, Maj. — , medical officer, 210, 213.
Hubbard, — , Missouri pioneer, 462.
Hudson, arms sent to, 475.
Hudson Bay, and Norse expedition, 158,

170-71, 176-77.

Hudson River, steamer wrecked on, 430.
Hudson River Railroad, transportation

on, 6.
Hulst, Mrs. Florence, county named for,

467.

Hulst, N. P., miner, 467.
Hunters Mills, skirmish at, 60.
Huron Lake, voyage on, 344-46.
Huron Territory, proposed, 37.
Hustisford Rapids, Black Hawk at, 188.

ICELAND, sagas of, 164; manuscripts
found in, 166; commerce with
America, 167-68,414; with Norway,
177.

Ihre-Gotlin, philologist, 161-62.

Illinois, sobriquet for, 35; fort in, 461;
lead mines, 30, 32, 36; Indian hos-
tilities, 38-39 ; boundary controversy
with, 401-407; settlements, 190-91;
centennial history, reviewed, 386-94.

Illinois State Historical Society, Trans-
actions, 161.

Illinois University, Studies, cited, 4.

Illustrations :

Theodore Roosevelt, frontispiece;
James H. Leonard, 52;
Galena in 1856, 84;
Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig, 136;
The Forgotten Trail, 140;
The Kensington Rune Stone, 155;
Dalecarlian runes, 162;
View of Fort Winnebago, 184;
Jonathan Carver, 274;
John Charles Reeve, 306;
Fork of Fond du Lac River, 330;
The First Capitol at Madison, 395;
Old Village of Taycheedah, 428;
Frog Effigy, Fuller Woods, Madi-
son, 494.

Immigration, agencies to induce, 3-29;
to territorial Wisconsin, 190-94,
214-26.

Indian agent at La Pointe, 139; at
Prairie du Chien, 445.

Indian Fellowship Club, in Chicago, 484.

Indian Garden, site, 420.

Indiana, settlements in, 190-91.

Indiana Territory, Wisconsin a part of,
32.

Indians, agriculture, 467; mining, 30-33;
lumbering, 42-51; treaties with, 32,
35-36, 40, 190, 201, 233, 239, 367-69;
council, 39 ; reserve for, 234-35 ; fac-
tory system, 277-90; franchise, 229;
missions, 205, 379; customs, 119-20,
420-21, 444, 462; hostilities with,
33-34; 37-40, 239, 327-30; relics of,
260-61, 380-81, 487-88; in American
army, 380. See also the several
tribes.

Intaglio effigy, at Fort Atkinson, 487-88.

Internal Improvements, in Wisconsin
Territory, 197.

I-om-e-tah, Menominee chief, 233.

Iowa, immigration activities, 10-11, 18,
26; lead mines in, 30-31; part of
Wisconsin, 196; becomes a state,
407, 409; during Sioux war, 476;
Indians in, 491-92.

Iowa County, seat, 37; settlement in,
208; organized, 195; immigrants to,
315, 317, 468; Mormons in, 485.

Iowa Historical Society, papers, 366.

Iowa Journal of History and Politics,
cited, 491-92, 504.

Iowa Magazine, 505.

Iowa River, affluent of the Mississippi,
459.

XII

Index

Iowa Territory, organized, 198.
Iowa University, professor of, 170.
Ireland, Archbishop John, cited, 181.
Ireland, emigration from, 6-7, 9, 21,

314-16.

Iron, mines in Wisconsin, 467.
Iron Brigade, in the Civil War, 495-96;

at Gettysburg, 497.
Ironwood (Mich.), soldiers from, 489.
Irvin, David, justice, 195.
Irwin, A. J., Green Bay resident, 91.
Islandske Annaler, cited, 157.

JACKSON, Pres. Andrew, appointments,
195, 346; gives flag to Indians, 485.

Jackson, Andrew B., letter to, 88, 92-93;
letter, 244-46.

Jackson, "Stonewall," death, 74.

Jacobs, John B., Green Bay pioneer,
348.

James, Capt. David G., honored, 118-19.

James, Dr. Edwin, Captivity and Ad-
ventures of John Tanner, 448.

Janesville, settled, 193; stage lines to,
199-200.

Janesville Gazette, cited, 425; articles,
489.

Jarvis, Mrs. — , at Toronto, 342.

Jefferson, Thomas, favors factory sys-
tem, 281.

Jefferson Barracks, troops at, 33.

Jefferson County, settled, 193; wheat
raised in, 200; foreigners in, 315,
320, 323-24.

Jefferson Prairie Church, celebrates an-
niversary, 488.

Jenks, J. W. and Lauck, W. Jett, The
Immigration Problem, 7, 9-10, 19.

Jenson, Jens, landscape gardener, 486.

Jessamine County (Ky.), Circuit Court,
proceedings, 252.

Jesuit Relations, mention the portage,
184; on early missions, 237.

Jipson, Dr. N. P., Winnebago studies,
484-85.

Johnson, Colonel James, lead mining
operations, 32.

Johnson, John, Minnesota settler, 334,
338.

Johnson, John W., factor at Prairie du
Chien, 355, 357, 361, 444, 461.

Johnson, Ole C., commissioner of immi-
gration, 17-19.

Johnston, Gen. Albert Sidney, wounded,
67.

Johnston, John, Milwaukee banker, 317.

Jolliet, Louis, crosses the portage, 185.

Jones, Lieut. Catesby ApR., commands
Merrimac, 249.

Jones, Mrs. Fay, nee Leonard, 52.
Jones, George Wallace, in lead mines,

34; territorial delegate, 194, 240,

397; home at Sinsinawa Mounds,

365-67.
Jones, J. Russell, Galena merchant, 85;

minister to Belgium, 86.
Jones, John, Sauk Indian, 491.
Jones, Richard Lloyd, donor, 117-18.
Jones, Thomas ap Catesby, admiral,

sketch, 247.

Jonsson, Prof. — , philologist, 159.
"Journal of Life in Wisconsin One

Hundred Years Ago," by Willard

Keyes, 339-63, 443-65.
Judd, Stoddard, in constitutional con-
vention, 92.
Judiciary, in territorial times, 195, 408;

constitutional provision for, 410-12.
Juneau, Solomon, fur trader, 190-91;

lays out Milwaukee, 192.

KA-CHA-KA-WA-SHE-KA, Menominee
chief, 233.

Kahquados, Simon, Potawatomi chief,
485.

Kaiserlautern (Germany), advertise-
ments at, 22.

Kalkars Ordbog over det Danske Sprog
i Middelalderen, 160.

Kandiyohi County (Minn.), settled, 24.

Kannenberg, Arthur C., secretary,
Winnebago County Society, 488.

Kansas, immigration activities, 18; edi-
tor from, 265-66.

Kastanraste, Asmund, Norse voyager,
336.

Keelboat, described, 480.

Kellogg, Ansel U., publisher, 489-90.

Kellogg, Chauncey, letters, 88-89; 92-93.

Kellogg, Lafayette, secretary of first"
constitutional convention, 410.

Kellogg, Louise P., research replies,
365, 370 ; review of Cole's Era of the
Civil War, 391-94; "Sioux War of
1862 at Superior," 474-77; "Story
of Wisconsin," 30-40, 189-208, 314-
26, 397-412; "Woman's Rights in
First Constitutional Convention,"
228-30; "Bennett Law," cited, 320;
sketch, 128, 271, 385, 498.

Keltic, Capt. — , medical officer, 220.

Kemper, Jackson, bishop of the North-
west, 205.

Kennan, K. K., immigration agent,
22-23.

Kenosha, settled, 192; stage line to, 200;
churches at, 205-206; school, 207;

XIII

Index

temperance society, 207; Phalanx
at, 208; residents, 400.

Kenosha County, settled, 193, 314, 317.

"Kensington Rune Stone," by H. R.
Holand, 153-83; "Further Discov-
eries Concerning," 332-38; "Another
View," by Rasmus B. Anderson,
413-19; communication concerning,
478-79.

Kentucky, slaveholder in, 252-53; during
Indian wars, 447.

Kerr, Prof. Alexander, obituary, 258.

Keshena, Menominee chief, 233.

Keweenaw Bay, portage to, 466.

Keyes, Royal, letter to, 464,

Keyes, Willard, diary described, 268-71 ;
printed, 339-63, 443-65.

Kickapoo River, affluent of Wisconsin,
352.

Kidder, Seth, at St. Louis, 464.

Kilbourn, Byron, Milwaukee pioneer,
192; nominated for delegate, 397.

Kimberley, Edwin O., obituary, 381.

Kind, Maj. Good, medical officer, 220.

King, — , Carver's grandson, 349.

King, Gen. Rufus, at Washington, 244.

Kinzie, John, Chicago pioneer, 447.

Kinzie, John H., Indian agent, 370-71.

Kitchin, Claude, cited, 224.

Knapp, Gilbert, Racine pioneer, 192.

Knapp, Henry E., aid acknowledged,
42-43, 368; donor, 267.

Knapp, John Holley, lumberman, 470;
diaries, 267-68.

Knapp family, library of, 144.

Knapp-Stout & Co. Lumber Company,
officers, 42; operations, 267; forma-
tion of, 469-71.

Know Nothing party, influence, 405-406.

Knutson, Paul, expedition to Greenland,
168-72.

Kock, Prof. — , philologist, 159.

Koellnische Zeitung, and emigration, 6.

Koshkonong Creek, settlement on, 323.

Koshkonong Lake, in Black Hawk War,
39; Indian village on, 239, 370-71;
wild rice in, 420 ; Indian mounds on,
494.

Kossuth (Wis.), school at, 79.

Krokodokwa, Chippewa chief, 48.

LA BELLE Wagon works, at Fond du

Lac, 430-31.

Lac du Flambeau, reservation, 379.
Lacher, J. H. A., aid acknowledged, 84,

377, 483.

La Crosse, railway port, 174.
La Crosse County, Mormons in, 485.
La Crosse River, sources, 141.

Lafayette County, mining region, 33;
first capital in, 196; foreigners, 317,
321, 324.

La Grange Township, settled, 324.

Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad,
opened, 19; immigration policy, 25.

Lancaster, growth, 37; visited, 85, pio-
neers, 121, 253.

Lands, Indian cessions, 32, 35-36, 40,
190, 239; opened for settlement,
435-36; leased, 32,36; titles to, 201;
speculation in, 191, 193, 430; claim-
ants' unions, 193-94; prices, 15-16,
194, 200; grants, 238; distribution
bill, 403, 407.

Lapham, Dr. Increase A., publications,
12-15; services for education, 206;
notes archeological remains, 487.

La Pointe, Charles, wife, 452.

La Pointe, Josette Antaya, funeral, 452.

La Pointe, agency at, 139, 149 ; villagers,
144; mainland near, 151.

La Pointe County, draft suspended, 477.

Lawe, John, fur trader, 328-29.

Lawrence Institute, founded, 206.

Lawson, Publius V., criticisms, 94-99,
103-107, 111-12.

Layton, Frederick, obituary, 257.

Leach, E. W., letter, 251-53; Racine
County Militant, 252-53.

Lead mines, in Wisconsin, 30-40; set-
tlers in, 189, 201, 315, 317-18, 365-66;
roads, 189, 237; map of, 366; poli-
tics in, 397.

Le Chepoie, anchorage at, 457.

Lecuyer, John, at the portage, 186.

Lee, Isaac, survey at Prairie du Chien,
141.

Lee, John Thomas, cited, 291, 298, 305;
letter, 373-74.

Lee, Gen. Robert E., in the Civil War,
67, 74, 80; farewell order, 503.

Leeds Township, settled, 325.

Leephart (Leiphart), Andrew, master
boatman, 347.

Leesburg (Va.), in the Civil War, 60, 64.

Lemon, James, Dane County resident,
91.

Leonard, James H., Civil War letters,
52-83; sketch, 52; portrait, 52.

Leonard, Stephen, sea captain, 52.

Leonard, William Ellery, author, 261.

Le Roy, Francis, at the portage, 186.

Le Sueur, Pierre Charles, at the port-
age, 185.

"Letters of a Fifth Wisconsin Volun-
teer," 52-83.

Lettsom, John, biographer of Carver,
300-301, 304.

XIV

Index

Levander, — , philologist, 163.

Levi, Kate Everest, "How Wisconsin
Came by Its Large German Ele-
ment," cited, 9, 15; "Early Adver-
tising Policy of Racine Advocate,"
87-88; "Frank A. Haskell Papers,"
495-98.

Lewis, Abel Franklin, Wisconsin pio-
neer, 434-37.

Lewis, Edward F., career of, 434-42.

Lewis, Franklin T., "The Career of Ed-
ward F. Lewis," 434-42; birth, 437;
sketch, 498.

Lewis, Judson, removes from Rock
County, 435-36.

Lewis, Stephen, removes from Rock
County, 435-36.

Lewiston, named, 437; settled, 437, 442.

Liberty party, in Wisconsin Territory,
207, 229-30, 400, 407, 411-12.

Libraries, in northern Wisconsin, 144;
traveling, 498-99.

Licenses, for the fur trade, 279.

Liljegren, — , philologist, 161-62, 181.

Lincoln, Abraham, inauguration, 62 ^
call to arms, 425 ; relation to troops,
56-57, 61, 81; clemency, 251; criti-
cized, 468; visited by Indian, 372;
Gettysburg address, 497; relics of,
117-18, 504.

Lisbon, road to, 199.

Little Black, Winnebago chief, speech,
239.

Little Chute, settled, 321.

Little Niagara Creek, affluent of Chip-
pewa River, 368-69.

Little Priest, Winnebago chief, 371.

Liverpool (Eng.), emigrants from, 208.

Livesey, James, pioneer, 240.

Livesey's Springs, camp at, 240.

Lockwood, C. W., aid acknowledged,
369.

Lockwood, James H., fur trader, 349,
352, 384; "Recollections," 356.

Lodi Township, settled, 325.

Log cabins, erected, 203, 436-37.

Logan Elm Park, in Ohio, 492.

London, advertisements at, 22, 25.

London Times, and emigration, 6.-

Long, Stephen H., on the Mississippi,
459.

Long Lake, described, 148; trail from,
149.

Longstreet, Gen. James, Confederate
commander, 497.

Louis XVII, pretenders, 490-91.

Louis Napoleon, and the Civil War, 76.

Louisiana province, transfer of, 503.

Louisiana (Mo.), settled, 462.

Louseburg, lumber camp at, 44-45, 47-

51; Indians near, 46.
Louvain, University of, 490-91.
Lowell, — , killed in Black Hawk War,

366.

Lowell Township, settled, 315.
Luchsinger, John, "History of a Great

Industry," 322.

Ludington, U., lumber company, 237.
Lumbering, on Black River, 142-45,

453-57; on Red Cedar, 469-71; meth-

ods, 141, 145, 148, 267-68; in terri-

torial times, 201-202, 269-70, 358,

360.

Lupiere, — , lumberman, 454, 459.
Lutherans, Norwegian churches, 256,

323-24, 488; German churches, 319;

Indian mission, 380; Swedish mem-

bers, 416-17.

Lyell, Alexander, diary, 160.
Lynching, attempted, 438-41.
Lyon, Lucius, surveyor, 37; map of

Prairie du Chien survey, 141.
Lyon, Gen. Nathaniel, death, 54.
Lyons Township, settled, 316.

, M. E., secretary of board

of regents, 483.
McCall, Gen. George A., in the Civil

War, 60, 62.
McCarty, Francis D., Taycheedah pio-

neer, 430-31.
McClellan, George B., in the Civil War,

53, 56, 58, 66-67, 496; removed, 70;

orders, 65.

McCloud, Judge John, of Bayfield, 476.
McCormick reapers, first used, 422-23.
McDouall, Col. Robert, British officer,

473.

McDowell, Gen. Irvin, ability, 496.
McGregor (Iowa), residents, 479.
McHugh, Thomas M., secretary of sec-

ond constitutional convention, 412.
Mack, Edwin S., "The Founding of Mil-

waukee," 192.
Mack, John G. D., letter, 249; on Bel-

mont Capitol Commission, 375.
McKay, Col. William, captures Prairie

du Chien, 186, 352.
McKenney, Thomas L., Indian commis-

sioner, 231.
Mackenzie, Kenneth, fur trader, letters,

384.
Mackinac, during the fur trade period,

30, 282-83, 444; Keyes visits, 346-47;

boats from, 443, 445-48; command-

ants, 446, 505; Tanner at, 448; fort

at, 471-73.

XV

Index

Mackinaw boats, on Wisconsin waters,

189; on Lake Huron, 346.
McManus, James H., "A Forgotten
Trail," 139-52; on historical com-
mittee, 256; sketch, 271.
McNair, Alexander, governor of Mis-
souri, 452; partner, 459.

McNair, Thomas, at Prairie du Chien,
452; lumbering, 454-57, 459.

McNeil, Col. John, at Mackinac, 346.

Macomber, Lieut. James, resigned, 70.

Madeline Island, agency on, 139 ; village,
144; chapel on, 204.

Madison, Indian mounds near, 494; dur-
ing Black Hawk War, 39; becomes
the capital, 196, 240; roads to, 198;
stage lines, 199-200; foreigners at,
316, 322; conventions, 397-98, 400;
during the Civil War, 52-53; sub-
urb of, 489.

Madison Argus, cited, 408; history, 469.

Madison Art Association, exhibit, 487.

Madison County (111.), seat, 464.

Madison Democrat, cited, 97; editor,
468-69; unites with Argus, 469; ar-
ticle in, 489-90.

Madison Express, cited, 408.

Madison State Journal, cited, 52-53,
489; historical articles in, 255.

Madison Wisconsin Enquirer, pur-
chased, 403.

Magnusen, Finn, translator, 167.

Magone, James, in first constitutional
convention, 230.

Maltby, J. A., Galena merchant, 85; in
Civil War, 86.

Manassas (Va.), in the Civil War, 64-65.

Manchester, Lake Winnebago steamer,
431.

Man Eater, Winnebago chief, 239.

Manheimer Journal, and emigration, 6.

Manistique River, passed, 348.

Manitowoc, settled, 192; plan to cele-
brate founding, 486.

Manitowoc -County, settled, 193; in the
Civil War, 52, 59, 63-64, 72, 82;
foreigners in, 320.

Manitowoc Guards, in the Fifth Wis-
consin, 57.

Manitowoc Pilot, criticizes administra-
tion, 56.

Mann, — , at Prairie du Chien, 447-48,
451, 459 ; goes down the Mississippi,
459-61; at Clarksville, 463; sketch,
447.

Manufactures, in territorial days, 320.

Maple Bluff, quarry at, 197.

Maps, of trail route, 140; of early Wis-
consin, 238.

Marathon County, lands in, 15.

Marietta (Ohio), campus martius at,
493.

Marinette, mission at, 236-37; letter
from, 466.

Marinette County, Indians in, 380;
county formed from, 466-67.

Marketing, state aid for, 502.

Markland, early name for America, 167.

Marquette, Jacques, voyage of, 185.

Marquette County, foreigners in, 320.

Married women's property rights, in
first constitutional convention, 228-
30, 410-11.

Marryat, Capt Frederick, visits Wis-
consin, 330, 479-80.

Marshfield (Mass.), records, 301.

Martin, John A., editor, 265.

Martin, Morgan L., preempts Milwau-
kee site, 192; journey of 1829, 238;
letter to, 246-48; territorial dele-
gate, 400, 408-409; president of sec-
ond constitutional convention, 412.

Marye's Heights, battle at, 73.

Maryland, emigrants from, 432.

Mason, — , Portage mob leader, 440-41.

Mason and Slidell incident, in the Civil
War, 61.

Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the fur
trade, 277-78.

Matchedash Bay, on Lake Huron, 344.

Mathews, Lois K., The Expansion of
New England, 191.

Mattson, Hans, secretary of Minnesota
board of immigration, 24-26; Remi-
niscences, 24-25.

Mauston, soldiers from, 261, 469.

Mauston Chronicle, publication in, 489.

Mauvage (France), entraining point,
242.

Maxwell, — , killed in Black Hawk War,
366.

Mayflower, descendants of emigrants,
144.

Mayo-Smith, Richmond, Emigration
and Immigration, 3, 8, 19, 28.

May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig, obituary, 263-64;
information concerning, 372-73;
portrait, 136.

Mazzuchelli, Father Samuel, buys Sin-
sinawa Mounds, 366.

Meade, Gen. George C., commands Army
of the Potomac, 80, 82.

Medina Township, settled, 316.

Meeker, Dr. Moses, in lead mines, 32.

Meeker County (Minn.), settled, 24.

Meier, Rev. Joseph, ethnologist, 483.

Mellen, site of, 149-50, 152.

Memphis (Tenn.), Grant at, 86.

XVI

Index

Menasha, land office at, 244.
Mendota Lake, trade post on, 238-39.
Menecanesepe River. See Menominee.
Menominee Indians, habitat, 37, 350-51,

467; land cessions, 190, 201, 233,

235; in Black Hawk War, 230-31;

murder by, 328; dance, 360; guides,

4-80.
Menominee Mining Company, organized,

467.
Menominee River, missions on, 236-37;

Indian name for, 467.
Menominee River Railway, built, 467.
Menomonie, lumber company at, 42, 44,

49-50, 54, 267, 368, 469-71.
Merrell, Rev. Edward H., papers, 122-

23.
Merrick, George B., Old Times on the

Upper Mississippi, 260.
Merrillan, route via, 142-44.
Merrimac, battle with, 249.
Merton Township, settled, 324.
Meskwaki Indians. See Sauk and Fox

Indians.

Mesquacummesepe River. See Paint.
Methodists, in early Wisconsin, 35, 205,

237, 268, 317, 428; historical society,

256.

Metz, in European War, 241.
Mexican Gulf, watershed, 185.
Mexican. War, officer in, 431, 446.
Mexico, border troubles, 217; exile in,

469; early printing in,- 504.
Miarnisburg (Ohio), mound near, 492.
Michigame River, on portage route, 466.
Michigan, boundary line, 145, 401, 406;

settlements, 191; admitted as a

state, 194, 397; during European

War, 210, 217; iron mines, 467;

newspaper, 468 ; state park, 473.
Michigan Central Railway, in early

days, 312.
Michigan Lake, route via, 139; islands

in, 262-63; as a boundary, 32, 37,

190, 234, 397.

Michigan Pioneer and Historical Col-
lections, 472.

Michigan Territory, Wisconsin separ-
ated from, 193-94, 206; delegate,

397; erects counties, 466.
Military Bounty Lands, in Illinois, 464.
Military Ridge, in Wisconsin, 189-90,

238.
Military roads, in Wisconsin, 189-90,

237-38; to Chicago, 191; cost of,

198.
Militia, mustered at Prairie du Chien,

361, 363, 443.
Mill Coulee. See Fisher's Coulee.

Miller, John, lays out Clarksville, 463.

Mills, Simeon, signature, 266.

Mills, William C., curator of Ohio So-
ciety, 492.

Mills (grist) in Rock County, 423, 434;
in Fond du Lac County, 431; at
Portage, 437-38; at Prairie du
Chien, 355-62, 445-52.
For Sawmills, see Lumbering.

Milton Academy, founded, 206.

Milwaukee, origin of name, 250 ; fur
trade post at, 190; American settle-
ment, 191-92; foreigners at, 315-17,
319-21, 323, 406; immigrant agent
at, 12, 16; roads to, 196, 198-99, 237,
312; stage lines, 199-200; as a port,
18, 20-21, 196, 476; wheat market,
422; banks at, 202-203; churches,
205-206; schools, 206-207; governor
arrives at, 399; election at, 208.

Milwaukee and Northern Railroad, im-
migration policy, 18-19.

Milwaukee and Rock River Canal pro-
ject, 197.

Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, im-
migration policy, 18; line of, 142.

Milwaukee Banner, established, 92, 321 ;
publisher, 483.

Milwaukee County, settled, 193, 319;
claimants' union, 194; organized,
195; wheat raised in, 200.

Milwaukee County Old Settlers' Club,
semicentennial, 119.

Milwaukee Courier, cited, 405.

Milwaukee Journal, cited, 111.

Milwaukee News, 469.

Milwaukee People's Press, 469.

Milwaukee Public Museum, archeologi-
cal work, 260-61.

Milwaukee River, Indian lands on, 190;
settlements, 192.

Milwaukee Sentinel, founded, 246.

Mineral Point, early history, 34-35, 37;
land office at, 36, 190; stage line
terminus, 199; bank at, 202; church,
205; foreigners, 317-18; residents,
6, 400.

Mineral Point Democrat, editor, 468.

Minerals of Wisconsin, 201. See also
Copper, Iron, and Lead.

Miners, emigration of, 129, 317-18; in
Florence County, 467. See also
Lead Mines.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste.
Marie Railway, 153.

Minnesota, archeological remains in,
153-54, 174, 333-38, 478; boundary
line, 145; immigration to, 11, 18,
20-21, 23-26, 416-18; Sioux war in,

XVII

Index

235-36, 474-76; railroads, 19; crop
failure, 20.
Minnesota Historical Collections, 144,

158, 173, 175, 235-36, 367.
Minnesota Historical Society, report on
rune stone, 157-58; has lists of
Sioux victims, 236.
Minnesota River. See St. Peters.
Mississauga Indians, Keyes meets, 345.
Mississippi River, watershed, 141; as a
boundary, 195; affluents, 250, 458;
discovery, 30, 185; mines near, 31-
32; fur trade on, 288, 447; traffic
on, 189, 259-60, 384-85; lumber rafts,
201,457-59; voyage, 458-62; settle-
ments, 407; during the Revolution,
186; Winnebago War, 33, 330;
Black Hawk War, 38, 40; Civil
War, 61, 72; ice forms in, 452.

Mississippi Valley Historical Associa-
tion, annual meeting, 135.

Mississippi Valley Historical Review,
19, 387.

Missouri, lead mines in, 30, 36; in the
Civil War, 54, 56, 266; emigrants
from, 207.

Missouri River, post on, 281 ; fur trade,
446.

Mitchell, Alexander, banker, 202-203,
317.

Mitchell Township, settled, 315.

Mohawk Valley, journey through, 339-
41.

Monitor, invention of, 249.

Monroe Township, settled, 322.

Montague (Mass.), Carver at, 298.

Montana, immigration activities, 27.

Montezuma, Dr. Carlos, visits Wiscon-
sin, 380.

Montreal, port of entry, 24.

Montrose Township, settled, 322.

Moore, B. F., merchant, 430.

Moore, J. T., merchant, 430.

Moorhead (Minn.), resident, 182.

Moran, — , fur trader, 453.

Morgan, Gov. — , in Y. M. C. A. service,
242.

Morgan, Appleton, letter, 250-51 ; recol-
lections cited, 252-53, 256.

Morgan, John E., obituary, 377.

Morgan, Maj. Willoughby, at Prairie du
Chien, 446.

Mormon Riffles, on Black River, 143.

Mormonism, collection on, 115-16, 262,
485-86.

Mormons, in Wisconsin, 142-43, 208, 485-
86; on Beaver Island, 262-63, 486.

Morning Star, schooner, 341.

Morris, Lewis, descendant, 432.

Morrison Township, settled, 315.

Morrisonville, settled, 324.

Morse, Rev. Jedediah, at Green Bay,

205; in Wisconsin, 234-35.
Morse, site, 149.

Morstad, Rev. Erik O., missionary, 380.
Mothers' pensions, in Wisconsin, 501.
Motts Battery, in the Civil War, 60.
Mount Holly (S. C.), in the European

War, 225.

Mount Horeb, settled, 324.
Mount Pleasant Township, settled, 322.
Mount Sterling, route via, 141.
Mount Vernon, celebration at, 381.
Mud Lake, in Fox River, 351.
Mud Lake, in Rusk County, 379.
Muir, Dr. Samuel C., trader, 31.
Mukwonago, settled, 193, 208.
Mukwonago Township, settled, 316.
Mulheron, — , at Clarksville, 463.
Munch, Peter Andreas, Det Norske

Folks Historie, 169.
Munsee Indians, remove to Wisconsin,

235.

Murphy, J. W., local historian, 489.
Muscoda, site, 352.
Music, — , at Prairie du Chien, 452.
Muskego, settled, 193.
Muskego Lake, settlement on, 323.
Muskossepe River. See Pine.

NAKOMA, suburb of Madison, 489.
Namakagon River, sources, 150.
Nancy (France), in European War, 241.
Nashotah Seminary, organized, 205, 324-

25.

Nashville (Tenn.), battle of, 426.
Natchitoches (La.), fur trade factory

at, 281.

Natesta, H. O., pioneer, 488.
National Board for Historical Service,

chairman, 481.

National Education Association, com-
mittee of, 481.

National Geographic Magazine, 170.
Native American party. See Know

Nothing party.

Nattestad, Ansten, immigrant, 322-23.
Nattestad, Ole, immigrant, 322-23, 488.
Nauvoo (111.), Mormons from, 142.
Nebraska, immigration activities, 18.
Nebraska Historical Society, museum,

493.

Nederlandsch Woordenbock, 160.
Neenah, lake port, 431.
Negroes, suffrage for, 208, 227, 229-30,

410-11.
Neill, Edward D., History of Minnesota,

235.

XVIII

Index

Nelson, Senator Knute, settles in Min-
nesota, 174, 324.

Nelson River, tributary of Hudson Bay,
171, 176.

Nelson's Landing, on Lake Pepin, 267,
469.

Neptune, Lake Superior steamboat, 474.

Neveu, Francis Joseph de, in the Revo-
lution, 331.

Neveu, Gustave de, Wisconsin settler,
330-31.

New Diggings, lead mines at, 33.

New Dublin, settled, 315.

New Englanders, in Wisconsin, 144, 190-
94, 199-200, 397, 434; in the West,
340.

New Glarus, settled, 322.

New Mexico, sanitarium in, 217.

New Orleans, commerce with, 189.

New York (state), emigrants from, 190-
94, 199-200, 206, 443; Indians from,
205; foreigners in, 322; precedents
from, 410.

New York Emigration company, at
Kenosha, 192.

New York and Erie Railway, emigra-
tion agency, 5-6, 25; during the
Civil War, 78.

New York City, immigrants land at,
5-12, 24-25; draft riots in, 75-77.

New York Tribune, articles in, 6.

Newark (Ohio), mounds at, 492.

Newark Township, settled, 323.

Newfane (Vt), Keyes' early home, 339,
347, 443, 449.

Newspapers. See Press.

Nicholasville (Ky.), court case at, 252.

Nichols, Maj. Estes, medical officer, 219.

Nicolet, Jean, explorer, 156, 327.

Niles (Mich.) Intelligencer, 468.

Nixon, Capt. J., searching for lands, 464.

Noggle, David, in first constitutional
convention, 228.

Noreen, Prof. — , philologist, 161, 163;
Ordlista Ofver Dalmalet, 163.

North, Mrs. Harry, birthplace, 479.

North Dakota, immigration activities,
27; visited, 414-15.

North Dakota Historical Collections,
235.

North Lake, meeting at, 257.

North Prairie, founded, 208.

North West Company, of fur traders,
354.

Northfield (Minn.) Norwegian- Ameri-
can, 158-59.

Northwest Territory, states formed
from, 401, 406. See also Ordinance
of 1787.

Norway, early voyagers from, 414, 478;
emigration from, 4-7, 9, 18-22, 25-26,
29, 154, 256, 318, 322-25, 488. See
also Kensington Rune Stone.

Norway Grove, settled, 324.

Norway Prairie, settled, 323.

Norwegian language, pamphlets pub-
lished in, 5-6, 11, 16, 18, 21.

Nottawasaga Bay, in Canada, 344.

Nullification, in Wisconsin, 231-32.

OAK openings, described, 306.

Oakfield Township, portage in, 329.

Oakland Township, settled, 324.

Oakley, Maj. Frank W., curator, 256.

Oaks, pin, scattered, 142-43; in northern
Wisconsin, 148; on Fox River, 351.

Oberlin (Ohio), founded, 191.

"Observations of a Contract Surgeon,"
by William F. Whyte, 209-26.

Oconomowoc Township, settled, 324.

Oconto County, set off, 466.

Odanah, Indian village, 152, 475.

Odda Annals, 167, 336.

Oddson, Bishop Gisle, in Iceland, 166.

O'Fallon, Benjamin, in duel, 358; coun-
cil with Sioux, 360-61.

Oftelie, Torkel, folklorist, 182.

Ohio, archeological remains in, 492-93;
settlements in, 190-91; boundary
difficulty, 194; Wisconsin immi-
grants from, 306, 434.

Ohio Archeological and Historical So-
ciety, activities, 492.

Ohman, Olaf, finder of rune stone, 153-
54, 173, 413, 416-19.

Old Mackinaw, site, 472.

Old Turtle, Winnebago chief, 239.

Oliver, John W., on Indiana commission,
386.

Ollen, Clarence T., president Winnebago
County Society, 488.

Olympia (Wash.) Standard, editor, 469.

Oneida Indians, remove to Wisconsin,
234-35; in Civil War, 86, 373-74;
obituary of, 383.

Oneida Lake, route via, 341.

Orange County (N. Y.), dairying in, 77.

Ordinance of 1787, boundary provi-
sion, 401, 403.

Orebro (Sweden), advertisements at, 22.

Oregon Board of Immigration, 27.

Oregon Historical Society, query, 468-
69.

Oregon University, professor, 481.

Orton, Judge Harlow, 114, 256.

Orton, Philo A., obituary, 114; correc-
tion concerning, 256.

O-sau-wish-ke-no, Menominee chief, 233.

XIX

Index

O'shaw River. See Coon River.

Oshkosh, lake port, 431; historical so-
ciety organized at, 488.

Oswego (N. Y.), Keyes at, 341.

Oswego River, route via, 341.

Otsego Township, settled, 325.

Ottawa Indians, land cessions, 32, 36,
190; captive among, 448.

Otter Tail County (Minn.), archeologi-
cal search in, 333.

Outagamie County, foreigners in, 320.

Owen, Robert, followers, 208.

Owens, Wilfred, at Prairie du Chien,
452, 459; sketch, 459.

Ozaukee County, foreigners in, 315,
319-20.

PAGE, Col. Henry, in the European War,

220.
Pain, Sarah, sister of Jonathan Carver,

295-96, 303.

Pain, Solomon, executor of Carver's es-
tate, 294-96; sketch, 303.
Paine, Elisha, clergyman, 303.
Paine, H. D., Paine Family Records,

303.
Paint River (Me-squa-cum-me-se-pe),

portage at, 467.
Pakau, Winnebago chief, 328.
Pakwaywang, on Chippewa River, 379.
Palmyra Township, settled, 324.
"Panic at Washington after the Firing

on Fort Sumter," 244-46.
Paris Township, settled, 193.
Parish, John C., Life of George Wallace

Jones, 366-67.

Park, Lyman, in European War, 242.
Parker, Gen. Ely S., on Grant's staff,

373-74.
Parkinson brothers, in lead mines, 34;

fort at home, 39.

Patent insides, of newspapers, 489-90.
Patent medicine advertisements, 88-89.
Patrick, Lewis S., papers, 236-37.
Pattison Park, given to state, 492.
Payne, Albert, of the Fifth Wisconsin,

63.
Pease, Theodore C., The Frontier 8tate,

reviewed, 389-91.
Pecatonica River, as a boundary, 35;

skirmish on, 39.
Peck family, at Madison, 196.
Pelican River, source, 337.
Pemberton, Gen. John C., at Vicksburg,

503.

Penetanginshene, British post, 344.
Peninsular Campaign, of McClellan, 496.
Pennsylvania, miners from, 19; Indian

trade in, 278.

Penokee Gap, described, 149, 152.

Penokee Hills, line of, 151.

Peoria (111.), trade at, 447.

Pepin County, forests in, 145.

Pepin Lake, landings on, 267, 469; trail
from, 368; murder on, 446.

Percival, James Gates, geologist, 86.

Perkins, — , Galena merchant, 85.

Perkins, Dr. Elisha, Connecticut physi-
cian, 305.

Perkins, Dr. Joseph, Connecticut physi-
cian, 305.

Perro, Joe, steamboat man, 384.

Perrot, Nicolas, in lead mines, 30.

Perrot State Park, given to state, 492.

Perry, J. B., banker, 431.

Perry, Nathaniel, inn keeper, 431.

Perry family, pioneers, 430-31.

Perry Township, settled, 324.

Peters, Rev. Samuel, interest in Carver,
298; proprietor of grant, 340; visits
Wisconsin, 269-70, 343-54, 358, 362 ;
baptizes children, 348 ; daughter of,
342-43; letters to, 443-44; sketch,
340.

Peters, William B., in Canada, 342.

Petersburg (Va.), in the Civil War,
81-82.

Peterson, Rev. John, letter, 488.

Pewaukee, settled, 193.

Pe-wau-te-not, Menominee chief, 233.

Phelan, — , at Clarksville, 463.

Phoenix Brothers, temperance promo-
ters, 207.

"Physician in Pioneer Wisconsin," by
John C. Reeve, 306-13.

Pier, Colwert, Fond du Lac pioneer,
330.

Pier, Edward, Fond du Lac pioneer,
330.

Pierce, Capt. Benjamin K., at Mackinac,
473.

Pierce, Henry M., of Minnesota, 264.

Pierce, Mrs. P. J. See Sheldon, Mary.

Pierce, Timothy, probate judge, 294.

Pierre (S. Dak.), pamphlet printed at,
27.

Pike, Gen. Z. M., Mississippi voyage,
460 ; killed, 342.

Pike County (Mo.), seat, 462.

Pike River, settlements at, 192-94.

Pike's Hill, on the Mississippi, 460.

Pine Lake, Norwegians on, 324.

Pine River (Mus-kos-se-pe), in Flor-
ence County, 467.

Pineries, travel to, 436-37; Keyes in,
453-57; company formed in, 469-71.
See also Lumbering.

XX

Index

Pipestone quarry, in Wisconsin, 145-47?

in Minnesota, 174.

Pittsburg Landing, battle, 433, 474, 476.
Place names, of Indian origin, 233-34.
Plainfield (Conn.), records, 292, 294,

296, 302.

Planet, Lake Superior steamboat, 474.
Plank roads, discussed, 199, 248; built,

200.
Platte Mounds, in western Wisconsin,

196.
Platteville, pioneers of, 34, 84, 238, 253;

growth of, 37, 85; in the Civil War,

86; history of, 489.
Platteville Academy, founded, 206.
Platteville Witness, articles in, 489.
Plattsburg (N. Y.), in War of 1812,

450.

Pleasant Prairie, settled, 193.
Pleasant Springs Township, settled, 323.
Plumb, R. G., edits Leonard letters,

52-53; sketch, 128.
Plymouth colony, records, 301.
Plymouth Township, settled, 323.
Pocahontas, descendants, 251.
Pokegama Creek, headwaters of, 145;

banks, 147.

Pokegama Narrows, Indians at, 44.
Poland, emigration from, 21.
Polk, James K., appointments, 399.
Pond, Peter, fur trader, 156.
Pont-a-Mousson (France), in European

War, 241.
Pope, Gen. John, in the Civil War, 68,

496; commander of the Northwest,

476.

Porlier, Jacques, at Fond du Lac, 328.
Port Royal (S. C.), captured, 61.
Port Washington, trail at, 190; settled,

192.
Portage, crossed, 139; road to, 189;

canal at, 197; camp, 230; fort, 34,

37, 187-88, 436; Red Bird surren-
ders at, 33-34, 187, 231 ; jail at, 437-

41 ; sheriff, 437, 442 ; resident, 496.
Portage County, foreigners in, 325.
Porter, Gen. Fitz John, in the Civil

War, 60, 62.
Porter, Col. Horace, at Galena, 85; in

Civil War, 86, 373-74.
Porter Township of Rock County, 420,

425.

Portland (Ore.), editor, 468-69.
Post offices, in the territory, 198.
Potawatomi Indians, in Black Hawk

War, 38; land cessions, 32, 36, 190;

in Dodge County, 306; present con-
ditions among, 380, 485.
Potomac, Army of, 496-97.

Potomac River, in the Civil War, 53, 64,
496.

Potter, John Fox, at Washington, 245;
characterized, 250.

Powers, Thomas L., Wisconsin post-
master, 366.

Prairie de Sioux, near Prairie du Chien,
452, 459.

Prairie Dubay, on the Wisconsin, 352.

Prairie du Chien, during French regime,
250; fort at, 32, 37, 186, 283, 352;
treaty at, 35-36, 346, 367-69, 384;
trail to, 139, 141, 189-90, 238; jour-
ney to, 238, 268, 270, 352, 480; In-
dian hostilities, 33-34, 187; church
at, 204; school, 362-63, 444-46;
mills, 354-58, 361-62, 445-52; land-
mark at, 118; diary at, 352-63, 443-
53, 459-60; resident, 479.

Prairie du Sac Township, settled, 322.

Prairie Farm, lumbering at, 470.

Prairieville. See Waukesha.

Presbyterians, in Wisconsin, 205-206.

Press, in territorial days, 403-405, 407,
411-12, 483; foreign language, 92,
321, 323, 483; additions to collec-
tion, 116-17, 264-66.

Pressey, Edward P., History of Mon-
tague, 298.

Preston, Dr. Abram W., in Sixth Wis-
consin, 72.

Preus, President, sermon, 256.

Prices, for lands, 15-16, 194; for lead,
36; for transport at portage, 185;
for wheat, 422; for farm products,
423, 465; during Civil War, 425-26.

Prim, Gen. Juan, visits Army of Poto-
mac, 67.

Primrose Township, settled, 322, 324;
anniversary of, 381.

Princeton, invention of, 249.

Proudfit, A. E., obituary, 377.

Proudfit, Gen. James K., letters, 267.

Pryor, Roger A., characterized, 251.

Public Documents, 128-33, 499-502.

Public lands. See Lands.

Puckaway Lake, crossed, 350.

Pullen, A. J., on investigating commit-
tee, 95, 111; new member, 113.

Push-e-ton-e-qua, Sauk chief, death,
491-92.

QTJAIFE, Milo M., appointed editor, 378,
481; rejoinder to legislature, 99-
103; edits Black Hawk's Autobiog-
raphy, 40; Lapham article cited,
13; "An Experiment of the Fathers
in State Socialism," 277-90; review
of Buck's Illinois in 1818, 387-89.

XXI

Index

Quakers, in Canada, 343.

Quebec, emigration agent at, 9; port of

entry, 24.

Queen, Joe, lumberman, 45, 49-50.
Question Box, 227-40, 361-74, 466-77.
Quewezance, Chippewa chief, 263.
Quickert, Carl, editor, 382.
Quincy (111.), founders, 270, 461.
Quinebaug River (Conn.), 295, 305.

RACINE, origin of name, 250; trail near,
190; settled, 192; stage line to, 200;
churches at, 205, 380; foreigners,
316.

Racine Advocate, and patent medicine
advertisements, 88-89; editor, 246.

Racine Aegis, published, 207.

Racine College, closed, 256.

Racine County, settled, 193; foreigners
in, 314-15, 317, 323; desires Illinois
annexation, 404-405; wheat raised
in, 200; Liberty party in, 207; in
World War, 490.

Rafting, on Black River, 456-57; on
Mississippi, 457-59.

Railroads, and emigration agencies, 3,
5, 6, 18-19, 22-24; policies, 25;
change line of settlement, 84; char-
tered, 197, 199; built, 200; in Ohio,
312.

Rainbow Division, in European War,
241, 504.

Raleigh (N. C.), editor, 246.

Ramsey, Alexander, governor of Minne-
sota, 264.

Rand, — , pioneer lumberman, 369.

Randall, Gov. Alexander, visits the
front, 61.

Randall, T. E., local historian, 368-69.

Random Lake Township, settled, 315.

Rappahannock River, in the Civil War,
68, 497.

Rappahannock Station (Va.), battle at,
52.

Rattlesnakes, in Wisconsin, 351-52, 424,
480; Indian word for, 365.

Rawle, Francis, visitor, 484.

Rawlins, John A., Galena lawyer, 85;
chief of staff, 85-86.

Reapers, first machines for, 422-23.

Records of the Past, cited, 159.

Red Bird, Winnebago chief, 33-34, 187,
231.

Red Cedar Lake, described, 147-48.

Red Cedar River, forests on, 143, 145,
469-70; crossed, 147; west fork, 148.

Red River, fur trade on, 281.

Red River of the North, settlement on,
3, 321, 354, 384; settlers from, 35;

conditions among, 337; as a boun-
dary, 409; Indian captive on, 448.

"Red Tape at Washington in the Good
Old Days," 446-48.

Reeve, John C., "A Physician in Pioneer
Wisconsin," 306-13; sketch, 385;
portrait, 306.

Regen (Germany), advertisements at,
22.

Reorganized Church of Latter Day
Saints. See Mormons.

Reserve, resident, 150.

Rexford, Eben E., biography, 259.

Reynolds, Gov. John, in Black Hawk
War, 38.

Reynolds, William S., killed, 438-42.

Ribeaucourt (France), letter from, 241-
44.

Rice Lake, Indians on, 44, 48.

Rice Lake (city), quarry near, 145;
road to, 146; lumbering at, 470;
residents, 479.

Richards, L. S., History of Marshfield,
301.

Richmond (Va.), in the Civil War, 65,
68, 82.

Richmond Township, settled, 324.

Riddle, — , Baptist preacher, 463.

Rindlaub, M. P., on Belmont Capitol
Commission, 375.

Ringling, John, career, 259.

Ringling family, birthplaces of, 479.

Ripon, beginnings of, 208; celebration
at, 119.

Ripon College, papers concerning, 122-
23.

Rising Sun, route via, 141.

Ritchie, James S., at Superior, 474, 476.

Rivers, W. H. R., ethnologist, 483-84.

Roads, in pioneer Wisconsin, 307-308;
military, 189-91, 237 ; state, 141, 150-
52, 196, 198-200; plank, 199-200,
248. See also Trails.

Robbins, Abigail, wife of Carver, 297-98.

Roberts, Capt. Benjamin, British offi-
cer, 472.

Robertson, Judge — , Kentucky slave-
holder, 252-53.

Rock County, settled, 193, 434; wheat
raised in, 200; foreigners in, 323;
pioneer days in, 420-27.

Rock Island, in the Mississippi, 460.

Rock Prairie, settled, 322-23.

Rock Rapids, described, 460.

Rock River, Indians on, 31, 328-29, 370-
71, 420-21; canal to, 197; roads,
238; settlers near, 193; fort at
mouth of, 32; trade on, 460.

Rockdale, Lutherans at, 256.

XXII

Index

Rockford (111.), stage line to, 199; fa-
vors annexation to Wisconsin, 402.

Rockland Township, settled, 315.

Rodolf family, in Wisconsin, 321.

Roethe, H. E., chairman investigating
committee, 95, 111; new member,
113.

Roethel, Herman, on investigating com-
mittee, 95, 111.

Rogers, Maj. Robert, journal published,
505.

Rolette, Joseph, fur trader, 329, 383-84;
builds mill, 355, 357-58, 361, 448;
sells property, 361-62; starts for
Mackinac, 444; returns, 448; lum-
bering, 454, 456-59 ; sketch, 355.

Rome (N. Y.), Keyes at, 340-41.

Roosevelt, Theodore, portrait of, fron-
tispiece, 41 ; popularity, 226 ; Indian
visits, 372-73; cited, 489.

Root River, affluent of Lake Michigan,
250.

Root River, affluent of the Mississippi,
458.

Rose, Jeremiah, first settler of Quincy,
461.

Rosecrans, Gen. William S., in the Civil
War, 79-80.

Rostock (Germany), advertisements at,
22.

Rountree, John, miner, 34; Platteville
pioneer, 86; entertains General
Grant, 253.

Rowan, Wallace, fur trader, 238-39.

Rowley, W. R., at Galena, 85; in Civil
War, 86.

Ruggles, William P., Wisconsin post-
master, 366.

Ruggles family, pioneers, 430.

Rumsey's Landing, on the Chippewa,
368-69.

Rune Stone. See Kensington Rune
Stone.

Rush, Henry, aid acknowledged, 150.

Rusk, Mrs. Jeremiah, obituary, 257.

Rusk County, post in, 379.

Ryan, Edward G., in constitutional con-
vention, 228.

SACRAMENTO (Cal.), editor at, 469.
St. Anthony Falls, council at, 360.
St. Cloud (Minn.), railroad to, 174.
St. Croix band of Chippewa Indians,

379.
St. Croix County, lumbering in, 43;

murder, 43-45.
St. Croix Falls, route to, 150; during

Sioux hostilities, 475.

St. Croix River, lumbering on, 201; as
a boundary, 367; history of, 384;
settlements on, 407.

St. Cyr, — , at Prairie du Chien, 444.

St. Cyr, Michel, trader, 238-40.

St. Louis (Mo.), Indian treaty at, 32;
barracks, 33; troops, 184, 444; com-
mercial entrepot, 84, 189, 267, 360;
British attack on, 186; fur traders
at, 286, 446; boats from, 443, 445,
452; lumber sold at, 464, 470.

St. Martin, — , lumberman, 454.

St. Marye. See Marye Heights.

St. Michael mission, in Wisconsin, 237.

St. Mihiel (France), in European War,
241-42.

St. Paul (Minn.), railway from, 174;
Indian battle near, 263.

St. Paul (Minn.) Dispatch, cited, 181.

St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, immigra-
tion policy, 25.

St. Peters (Minn.) River, council on,
360; fur traders, 447, 459.

Salem (Ore.) Democratic Press, 469.

Salem Township, settled, 193.

Salomon, Gov. Edward, letter to, 10;
suspends draft, 477.

Salt, process of making, 462.

Salt Prairie, in Illinois, 464.

Salt River (Mo.), passed, 462.

Samuels, Capt. Maurice M., governor's
agent, 475.

Sandusky (Ohio), fur trade factory at,
282, 284.

Sanford, Albert H., letter, 253.

San Francisco (Cal.) Democratic Press,
469.

Santa Clara College, at Sinsinawa
Mounds, 364-65.

Santa Rosa (Cal.) Democrat, editor,
469.

Sar-ro-chau, Winnebago chief, 428; vil-
lage of, 328.

Satterlee, Marion P., compiles list, 236.

Sauk and Fox Indians, grant to Du-
buque, 31; own lead mines, 31-32,
365; war with, 37-40, 188, 238-39;
cession of, 190; at Mackinac, 347;
at Prairie du Chien, 459; village,
460; agent for, 445; present con-
ditions, 491-92.

Sauk County, foreigners in, 320.

Sauk County Historical Society, annual
meeting, 488.

Sault Ste. Marie, end of Lake Superior,
139; Tanner at, 448.

Savannah (Ga.), blockaded, 61.

Saverton (Mo.), laid out, 462.

Sawyer, Henry, lumberman, 48.

XXIII

Index

Sawyer, Josephine, letter, 236.

Sayre, David F., "Early Life in South-
ern Wisconsin," 420-27; sketch, 498;
obituary, 115.

Scandinavians. See Denmark, Norway,
and Sweden.

Schafer, Joseph, elected superintendent
of the Society, 481.

Schoeffler, Moritz, in constitutional con-
vention, 92; editor, 321.

School lands. See Lands.

Schoolcraft, James L., killed, 448.

Schools, first in Wisconsin, 35, 444-46;
in Fond du Lac County, 430; in
territorial days, 206-207.

Schuette, John, obituary, 378.

Schuldt, Henry E., local historian, 489.

Schwaebische Merkur, and emigration, 6.

Scotland, emigration from, 7, 21, 214,
217, 317.

Scott, Gen. William S., in the European
War, 226.

Scott, Gen. Winfield, criticized, 56; re-
tires, 58.

Sea Bird, lakes steamer, 476 ; burned, 52.

Seattle (Wash.), editor at, 468-69;
mayor, 469.

Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, earl, at Prai-
rie du Chien, 354, 448; sketch, 354.

Selkirk settlement, on Red River of the
North, 35, 321, 354, 361.

Seneca, trail passes, 141.

Seneca Indians, in Civil War, 373-74.

Serpent Mound Park, in Ohio, 492.

Seulchoix Point, passed, 347.

Seymore, — , lumberman, 454-55.

Shackelford, Mrs., Madison resident,
90-91.

Shade, Lieut. William G., at Prairie du
Chien, 358, 444.

Shake-Rag. See Mineral Point.

Shaw, H. W., on committee of safety,
475.

Shaw, Col. John, at Prairie du Chien,
354-55, 443.

Shaw, Nathaniel, at Prairie du Chien,
358, 360; departs, 443; letter from,
452.

Shawano, railroad to, 18.

Shawano County, lands in, 15.

Sheboygan, settled, 192; stage line to,
200.

Sheboygan County, settled, 193; for-
eigners in, 315, 320, 321.

Sheldon, G. M., letter, 235.

Sheldon, George, History of Deerfield,
291.

Sheldon, Mary, letters to, 52-83.

Sherman, William T., march to sea, 266.

Shiloh, battle of. See Pittsburgh Land-
ing.

Shippee, Lester J., "The First Railroad
between the Mississippi and Lake
Superior," cited, 19.

Sholes, C. Latham, monument for, 258.

Sholes, E. C., editor, 208.

Shot, manufactured, 36.

Shove, Lieut. D. A., in the Civil War, 59.

Show-ne-on, Menominee chief, 234.

Shull, Jesse, trader, 31.

Shullsburg, growth, 37, 318; stage line
to, 199.

Silver, Winnebago chief, 239.

Simcoe Lake, route via, 343-44.

Simmons, Mrs. Louisa Parker, Pioneer
Reminiscences, 432.

Sinclair, Capt. Patrick, commandant at
Mackinac, 472.

Sinipee, river port, 189.

Sinsinawa, battle ship, 364-65.

Sinsinawa Mounds, settled, 34, 194 ; his-
torical associations, 364-67.

Sioux Indians, hostilities of 1862, 235-36,
473-77; battle with Chippewa, 263;
and Carver grant, 349 ; council with,
360-61, 459; boundary of territory,
367-69 ; dance described, 444 ; cere-
mony, 484-85.

"Sioux War of 1862 at Superior," 473-
77.

Sixth Maine Infantry, in the Civil War,
60, 74, 76.

Sixth Wisconsin Infantry, in Army of
the Potomac, 72; historical sketch
of, 495.

Skalholt (Iceland) manuscripts de-
scribed, 166-67; Annals, 164, 167.

Skerries, location of, 333-38.

Skoponong settlement, of Norwegians,
324.

Skuleson, Bishop, copies annals, 164.

Skunk Grove, in Racine County, 190.

Slashing, described, 145.

Slaughter, William B., territorial secre-
tary, 195; plats town, 240.

Slavery, in Wisconsin, 37, 207.

Sloan, Judge A. Scott, visits the front,
61.

Smallpox, in the Virginia army, 60; in
pioneer Wisconsin, 308-309.

Smith, George, Milwaukee banker, 317.

Smith, John E., Galena merchant, 85;
in Civil War, 86.

Smith, Joseph, founder of Mormonism,
485-86.

XXIV

Index

Smith, Mary L. P., Eben E. Rexford,

259.

Smith, Heman, visits Society, 485.
Smith, Gen. William F., in Civil War,

55, 57, 62-63, 66.
Smoker. See Charatchou.
Socialism, early experiments in, 277-90.
Society and the State, 113-28, 255-71,

376-85, 481-98. See also Wisconsin

Historical Society.

Sodervall, Prof. — , philologist, 159-60.
Solberg, Rev. C. O., sermon, 488.
Somers Township, settled, 193.
Sons of Temperance, in Wisconsin, 207.
Soperton, Indians near, 380.
Sorenson, Rasmus, emigration activities,

10.
South Dakota, immigration activities,

27.
South Dakota Historical Collections,

235.

South Mountain (Va.), battle of, 496.
Southport. See Kenosha.
Spaniel, — , lumberman, 454, 457.
Spanish, in North America, 156; in

Louisiana, 30-31, 186, 503; as fur

traders, 327.
Spaulding, J. D., pioneer lumberman,

201.

Spotted Arm, Winnebago chief, 239.
Spring Prairie, settled, 325.
Spring Valley Township, settled, 323.
Springdale Township, settled, 324 ; anni-
versary of, 381.
Stafford, H. S., letter, 238.
Stage lines, in Wisconsin Territory, 199-

200. See also Roads.
Stambaugh, Samuel S., and Winnebago

Treaty, 384; report, 231.
Stangeland, Elias, emigration agent, 9.
Stanley (N. Dak.), visited, 414-16.
Stanton, Edwin M., secretary of war,

251.

Stark and McMullen, Milwaukee attor-
neys, 253.

State sovereignty, in Wisconsin, 405-406.
Steamboats, on Wisconsin waters, 189;

on Great Lakes, 250; on the Mis-
sissippi, 259-60, 383-85.
Stebbinsville, in Rock County, 421.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, explorer, 170;

My Life in the Arctic, 170.
Stephens, Mrs. M. S., donor, 264.
Stevens, E. Ray, president of Society,

378.

Stevens County (Minn.), settled, 24.
Stevens Point, immigrants at, 23; war

worker from, 241.

Stillwater (Minn.), lumbermen at, 43,
49; Indian battle, 263; residents,
479.

Stockbridge Indians, remove to Wis-
consin, 234-35.

Stockton (Cal.) Republican, editor, 469.

Stoll, Capt. — , medical officer, 210.

Storm, Prof. Gustav, editor, 157; cited,
169; Studier over Vinlandsreiserne,
169, 172.

"Story of Wisconsin," by Louise Phelps
Kellogg, 30-40, 189-208, 314-26, 397-
412.

Stoughton, Norwegian settlement, 323;
grist mill at, 423.

Stout, Henry, lumberman, 470.

Stout, James H., lumberman, 267, 470.

Strang, James, Mormon leader, 262, 485-
86.

Strong, Marshall M., editor, 88; resigns
from constitutional convention, 229.

Strong, Moses M., and woman's suf-
frage, 229-30; candidate, 400; re-
port on boundaries, 405-406.

Stuttgart (Germany), advertisements
at, 22.

"Sucker," origin of term, 35.

Suffolk County (Mass.), records, 300.

Suffrage for negroes, 208, 227, 229-30,
410-11; for women, 227-29; for
foreigners, 406-407, 409.

Sugar, history of, 505.

Sugar Creek, settlements on, 324.

Summit Township, settled, 324.

Sumner, Gen. Edwin V., in the Civil
War, 68; death, 71.

Sumner, road through, 145, 147.

Sumner Township, settled, 324.

Superior, during Civil War, 473-77.

Superior Lake, railroad to, 19; route
via, 139; affluents, 149; during
French regime, 250; during Civil
War, 474-76.

Survey of Historical Activities, 113-36,
255-71, 376-94, 481-505.

Sutherland, Thomas W., regent, 483.

Sutton, Alonzo, in Civil War, 426.

Sweden, emigration from, 4, 6, 19-22,
24-26, 29, 156, 324, 414, 416-18, 478;
philologists of, 157-60.

Swift, Charles, Wisconsin postmaster,
366.

Swift County (Minn.), settled, 24.

Switzerland, emigration from, 6, 35, 318,
321-22.

Sylvania, letter from, 93.

Sylvester Township, settled, 322.

Symra, cited, 178.

XXV

Index

TAIXTER, Andrew, lumberman, 267, 270.
Tallmadge, N. P., governor, 199, 390-

400 ; Wisconsin home, 331 ; message,

408; opposes first constitution, 411.
Tama (Iowa), Indians at, 491-92.
Taney, Roger, chief justice, 432.
Tanner, Edward, searches for brother,

447.

Tanner, John, Indian captive, 447-48.
Tatnall, Capt. Josiah, in Confederate

service, 249.

Taverns, on military road, 190 ; in terri-
torial days, 200; for lumbermen,

436-37.
Taycheedah, early history, 328, 428-33;

resident, 399 ; view of, 428.
Taylor, Thomas, accompanies Peters,

343-44; returns East, 347; letter

to, 362.
Taylor, Col. Zachary, at Fort Crawford,

446.
Tecumseh (Mich.) Democrat, founded,

468.
Telemarken (Norway), folklorist in,

182.

Telesoga, cited, 182.
Temperance reform, in Wisconsin, 206-

207.

Tennessee, in the Civil War, 80, 473.
Texas, constitutional provision, 228; ad-
mission of, 409; Mormons in, 485.
Thanksgiving, proclaimed, 425.
The Medical Pickwick, citation from,

306.
Third United States Infantry, crosses

Wisconsin, 186.
Third Vermont Infantry, in the Civil

War, 60.
Third Wisconsin Infantry, in Army of

Tennessee, 80.

Thirty-first New York Infantry in Vir-
ginia, 69.
Thirty-seventh Massachusetts Infantry,

suppresses draft riots, 76.
Thomas, Gen. George H., in the Civil

War, 80, 426.
Thomas, Marcia A., Memorials of

Marshfield, 301.
Thompson, John, killed in Black Hawk

War, 366.
Three hundred and fifty-second United

States Infantry, in European War,

241-44.
Three hundred and tenth Engineers, in

European War, 212.
Three Oaks (Mich.), museum at, 493;

Acorn, 505.
Thunder, Menominee chief, 328.

Thwaites, R. G., "Black Hawk War,"

cited, 40.
Tipperary Free Press, and emigration,

Titus,' W. A., "Historic Spots in Wis-
consin," 184-88, 327-31, 428-33;
sketch, 271, 385, 498.

Toledo (Ohio), railroad to, 312.

Tomah, route to, 141.

Tompkins, Raymond S., The Story of
the Rainbow Division, 504.

Topping, Henry, Baptist minister, 435.

Toronto. See York.

Tortvei, Olaf, sends folk song, 182.

Toul (France), in European War, 241-
42.

Townsend, Thomas J., immigration
agent, 8; report, 8-9.

Tracy, Mrs. Clarissa Tucker, memorial,
123.

Tracy, Solomon, distributor, 295-96.

"Tragedy of the Wisconsin Pinery,"
42-51.

Trails, in northern Wisconsin, 139-52;
Chicago to Green Bay, 190, 237; in
Chippewa Valley, 367-69; to Four
Lakes, 238, 420; marking of, 237-38,
484. See also Roads.

Trappists, from Illinois, 204.

Treaty of Ghent, negotiations, 282-83,
473.

Treaty of Paris, 1783, 282.

Trempealeau County War History Com-
mission, 258.

Troy, stage line to, 199.

Troy Township, settled, 322.

Tuberculosis, examinations for, 209-26.

Tubingen, Der Volksfreund aus Schwa-
ben, cited, 22-23.

Turtle Creek, Indian village on, 370-71 ;
Indian word for, 370 ; water power
on, 434.

Turtle Township, settled, 323, 434-35.

Tuthill, John, accompanies Peters, 343-
44, 347, 354; returns, 362.

Tweedy, John H., Congressional dele-
gate, 400-401.

Twelfth Wisconsin Infantry, colonel,
266.

Twentieth Indiana Infantry, suppresses
draft riots, 76.

Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Regiment, his-
torical sketch of, 495.

Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry, in
Sioux war, 476; historical sketch
of, 495.

XXVI

Index

Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry, offi-
cer, 72, 496-98; historical sketch of,
495.

Twenty -two Mile Ford, road via, 50.

Twiggs, Major David, builds Fort Win-
nebago, 187.

Two Rivers (Mo.). See Fabius rivers,
462.

Two Rivers (Wis.), trail at, 190.

Tyler, President John, appointments,

College, graduate, 432.

Union Grove, celebration at, 256.

United States Bureau of Ethnology, re-
ports, 233.

United States Bureau of Immigration,
17.

United States Geographical Survey,
Bulletin, 365.

United States land offices. See Lands.

United States Rangers, at Four Lakes,
239-40.

Unonius, Gustaf, immigrant, 324.

Updike, Rev. Eugene G., papers, 123-24.

Upham, D. A. J., president of first con-
stitutional convention, 410.

Upham, Dr. Warren, describes rune
stone, 175.

Upper Telemarken, in Norway, 160.

Upsala, University of, 415-19,

Upsi, Bishop Eric, voyages to America,
167.

Utah Territory, governor, 331; Mor-
mons of, 486.

Utilitarian Society, settlement, 208.

Utley, Col. William L., episode with
slaveholder, 252-53; signature, 266.

VAKT BUHEX, Martin, policy arraigned,

398, 399.

Van den Broek, Father T. J., mission-
ary, 321.
Van Steenwyck, Gysbert, commissioner

of emigration, 5-6.
Varnum, Jacob, United States factor,

284.

Verdun (France), described, 242.
Vermont, journey from, 339.
Vernon Township, settled, 324.
Verwyst, C. A., "Reminiscences," cited,

321 ; letter, 478-79.
Vicksburg (Miss.), in the Civil War,

72, 86, 266.
Vienna (Austria), advertisements at,

22.

Vienna Township, settled, 324.
Vincennes (Ind.), captured, 472.

Vineyard, James R., in constitutional

convention, 90.

Vinje, Judge Aad J., cited, 500.
Vinland, discovered by Leif Ericson,

154; name for America, 170-71,

414; on rune stone, 155-56, 171.
Virginia, during the Civil War, 55-74,

77, 251.

Viroqua, route via, 141; resident, 257.
Volksfreund, published, 321.
Voree, founded, 208, 262, 485-86.
Vroman, Charles E., obituary, 258.

WABASHA (Minn.), Indian village at,
369; natives, 383.

Waldo, Capt. C. E., recruiting officer,
59.

Waldseemiiller, Martin, Cosmographiae
Introductione, 504.

Wales, Capt. George C., pioneer lum-
berman, 369.

Wales (Wis.), settled, 317.

Walker, George H., Milwaukee pioneer,
192.

Walker, Lieut. Horace, in the Civil War,
57.

Walker, L. P., Confederate secretary of
war, 57.

Walk-in-the-Water, first lakes steam-
boat, 250.

Walker's Point, on Milwaukee harbor,
192.

Walworth County, settled, 193, 314;
wheat raised in, 200; temperance
society, 207; Liberty party, 207-
208; Mormons, 208, 485-86; for-
eigners, 316, 324.

Wamegesako, James, Potawatomi chief,
485.

War of 1812, fur traders in, 282; In-
dians, 428; in New England, 450-
51; on the Great Lakes, 342, 346,
472-73; in Wisconsin, 186, 328, 366,
445.

Warner, — , at Prairie du Chien, 446.

Warren, Edward K., archeologist, 493.

Warren, George, fur trader, 384.

Warren, William Whipple, fur trader,
144; historian, 367.

Warrior, Mississippi steamboat, 40.

Washburn, C. C., candidate for senator,
85.

Washburn County, lakes in, 148.

Washburne, E. B., at Galena, 85; po-
litical career, 86.

Washington, George, favors factory sys-
tem, 279-80; will, 503; relics of,
504.

XXVII

Index

Washington (D. C.), at opening of Civil
War, 244-46; Indians visit, 372,
485; during European War, 481.

Washington County, foreigners in, 315,
319-20.

Washington Township, settled, 322.

Washingtonians, in Wisconsin, 207.

Waterman, Daniel, militia officer, 474.

Watertown, stage line to, 199; freight
from, 200; foreigners at, 315.

Watson, Wingfield, Mormon, 262.

Waubesa Lake, Indian mounds on, 494.

Waukesha, settled, 192-93; stage line to,
199 ; church at, 206 ; college, 206.

Waukesha American Freeman, pub-
lished, 208.

Waukesha County, settlement in, 208;
foreigners, 316-17, 319, 323-24.

Waukesha County Historical Society,
report, 118; meeting, 257.

Waupaca County, foreigners in, 325.

Wau-pa-men, Menominee chief, 234.

Wau-pe-se-pin, Menominee chief, 234.

Waupun, state prison at, 41, 442.

Wausau, lumber town, 201.

Waushara County, foreigners in, 325.

Wayne, Gen. Anthony, in Indian war,
279.

Weaver, William L., "History of An-
cient Windham," 303.

Webster, S. R., on investigating com-
mittee, 95, 111.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty, and boun-
dary claims, 406.

Week, Mrs. Nelson A., letter to, 241-44.

Wee-kah, Menominee chief, 234.

We-kaw, Winnebago Indian, 187.

Welsh, in Wisconsin, 314, 316-17.

Welsh language, pamphlets published
in, 11, 16, 19.

Wesacota River. See Brute.

West Gothland, Swedish province, 156.

West Point (N. Y.), betrayal of, 503.

West Point (Wis.), on Mendota Lake,
early history, 238-40.

West Wisconsin Methodist Conference,
annual meeting, 255-56.

Westrop, Mrs. Sarah, of Madison, 84.

Weymouth (Mass.), records, 299-300.

Whalan (Whealan), James H., in the
Fifth Wisconsin, 58.

Wheat, in territorial Wisconsin, 200,
421, 445; at present time, 501.

Wheatland, settled, 193.

Whigs, in Wisconsin Territory, 208,
403-409, 411-12; organized, 398;
nominations, 399-401.

Whipple, Henry B., bishop of Minne-
sota, 264.

Whistler, Col. William, receives Red
Bird's surrender, 34, 231.

White, Philo, editor, 88; letter, 246-48.

White Church (Va.), camp near, 69.

White Crow, Winnebago chief, 370-71.

White Earth (Minn.), reservation at,
263, 367, 372.

White Oak Church (Va.), camp near,
72.

White Oak Springs, settled, 34.

White River, sources, 150; watershed,
152.

Whitestown (N. Y.), 246.

Whitewater Township, settled, 324.

Whitman, Platt, on Belmont Capitol
Commission, 375.

Whitmarsh, Ruth, married, 302.

Whitney, Daniel, builds lead tower, 36.

Whitney, Lee R., president Archeologi-
cal Society, 487.

Whyte, Lieut Malcolm, in European
War, 212.

Whyte, William F., "Observations of a
Contract Surgeon," 209-26; cited,
319; aid acknowledged, 483; sketch,
271.

Wickham, James, judge, 495.

Wider Field (The), 135-36, 272-73, 385-
94, 503-505.

Wight, Lyman, Mormon elder, 485.

Wight, William W., gift, 490-91.

Wild rice, in northwest Wisconsin, 44;
on the Upper Fox, 185, 350-51; har-
vested, 420; failure of, 421.

Wilderness (Va.), battle of, 73.

Wiley, — , fur trader, 459.

Williams, Eleazar, missionary, 205;
career, 490-91.

Williamsburg (Va.), battle of, 73.

Willimantic (Conn.), records at, 292,
294.

Wilmot Proviso, and territorial politics,
400.

Wilson, Eliza T., daughter of Fifth Wis-
consin, 54.

Wilson, Thomas B., lumberman, 470.

Wilson, Capt. William, lumberman, 44,
49-50, 267, 469-70; daughter, 54.

Winchell, Prof. N. H., endorses the rune
stone, 157; describes rune stone,
174-76.

Windham County (Conn.), records, 292,
294-96; residents, 303.

Windsor Township, settled, 324.

Winn, I. M., surgeon, 476.

Winnebago County, foreigners in, 325.

XXVIII

Index

Winnebago County Archeological and

Historical Society, organized, 488.

Winnebago Indians, habitat, 31, 184,

238, 327-30, 351, 370-71, 428, 454;
vocabulary, 370, 485; games and
dances, 347, 360, 444; hostilities
with, 33-34, 187, 231, 330, 361; in
Black Hawk War, 38-40, 230-31,
238-39; land cession, 35-36, 190, 235,

239, 384; removal, 239-40; revisit
old homes, 420-21; in European
War, 261-62; studies of, 484.

Winnebago Lake, Indian mounds on,
493; crossed, 186, 349; road along
shore, 189, 429; visited, 327; land
grant on, 330; village, 428; steam-
boat, 431; first mass on shore of,
488.

Winnebago War, in Wisconsin, 33-34,
187, 231, 330.

Win-ne-o-me-yah, Indian word for Fond
du Lac, 327.

Winneshick, Winnebago chief, 484.

Wiota, foreigners at, 324.

Wisconsin, origin of name, 364, 398;
boundaries, 232, 249, 401-407, 409,
466-67 ; topographical description,
13-15; archeological remains in,
260-61, 380-81, 487-88, 493-94; pin-
eries of, 42-51; an Indian reserve,
234; French regime in, 30, 184-85,
250, 327; historic sites, 184-88; first
capitol, 374-75; becomes a state,
400-12; pioneer conditions in, 306-13,
420-27 ; state sovereignty of, 231-32,
405-406; immigration to, 4-29, 190-
94, 214-26; story of, 30-40, 189-208,
314-26, 397-412.

Wisconsin Archeological Society, publi-
cations, 233; pilgrimage, 260-61, 380;
officers, 487; celebration, 487-88;
photographing mounds, 493-94.

Wisconsin Archeologist, 493.

Wisconsin Central Railroad, completed,
18; immigration agent, 22-23.

Wisconsin Conference, of Methodism,
205.

Wisconsin Historical Society, legislative
investigation of, 94-97, 108-11; an-
nual meeting, 255 ; new superintend-
ent, 481; new members, 113, 255,
376-77, 481-83; pilgrimage, 260-61,
380 ; bequest to, 494-95. See also
Society and the State.

Wisconsin History Commission, papers
collected, 495.

Wisconsin Marine and Fire Insurance
Company, incorporated, 202-203.

Wisconsin Phalanx, organized, 208.
Wisconsin River, watershed, 141, 189;

mouth, 250 ; mines near, 30 ; Indians

on, 39-40, 330, 444; route via, 139,

184-86, 480; crossed, 189, 239-40;

settlements on, 198; lumbering, 201;

shot tower, 36; description of, 352.

See also Fox- Wisconsin Waterway.
Wisconsin State Board of Control, on

mothers' pensions, 501.
Wisconsin State Journal. See Madison

State Journal.
Wisconsin Territory, organized, 37,

194-97; growth, 197-208; delegates,

194, 397-401, 408; population, 195,

198, 201; first capitol, 196; politics

in, 397-401.
Wisconsin University, graduate, 481;

regents, 483; bonus students at, 500.
Wisconsin War History Commission,

report, 125-28.

Wisconsin Woman's Suffrage Associa-
tion, query, 227.
Wise, Gen. Henry A., in Confederate

service, 251.

Wolcott, Gen. E. B., statue for, 381.
Wolf River, mouth, 350.
"Woman *Y* Worker's Experiences,"

241-44.
Women, suffrage for, 227-30; of pioneer

days, 423-27.

Wood, Howard I., letter, 466.
Wood, John, first settler of Quincy, 461 ;

Keyes' partner, 464-65.
Wood, Louis A., The Red River Colony,

354.

Wood County, lands in, 15.
Wool, Gen. John E., in the Civil War,

56.

Wooster, Park, information from, 252.
World War. See European War.
Worm, Ole, Danish scholar, 178-79.
W0rterbuch der Ostfriesischen, 160.
Worth, Col. William J., in Wisconsin,

431-32.

Wossingen, file presented, 264.
Wright, David, Belmont pioneer, 375.
Wright, Lieut. Gustav de Neveu, killed

in European War, 331.
Wright, Hiram, regent, 483.
Wright County (Minn.), settled, 24.
Wyocena, tradition of battle at, 230-31.
Wyoming, state historian, 483.
Wyoming Township, settled, 317.

YELLOW River, Indians on, 48, 379.
Yellow Thunder, Winnebago village,

350.

XXIX

Index

York (Can.), Keyes visits, 341-42. Youmans, Theodora W., letter, 227.
York Township (Green County), settled,

322. ZACHAU, August, militia officer, 474.

York Township (Racine County), set- Zonne, Rev. Peter, emigrates to Wiscon-

tled, 317. sin, 321.

Yorktown (Va.), in the Civil War, 66-67.

Wisconsin magazine of
history

v. 3

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