HISTORY OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY - CHAPTER 7


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Transcribed and contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Timm
Severud Ondamitag@aol.com

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

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Faithful Record of all Important Events, Incidents, and
Circumstances that have Transpired in the Valley of the
Chippewa from its Earliest Settlement by White People,
Indian Treaties, Organization of the Territory and State;
Also of the Counties Embracing the Valley, Senatorial,
Assembly and Congressional Districts, and a Brief
Biographical Sketch of the Most Prominent Persons in the
Settlement of the Valley. BY Thomas E. Randall 1875.  Free
Press Print.  Eau Claire, Wisconsin

CHAPTER 7

Some of my readers in this city having intimated that a more
extended statement, or description, of the terrible freshet
spoke of at the close the preceding chapter would be
desirable, I will endeavor to give some idea of it by
comparison and otherwise. Having carefully noted every great
rise in the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers, since that time,
I hesitate not to say that in all places where their waters
were confined within their banks, within ordinary limits,
they were a full six feet higher than the highest freshet
that has since occurred. All the way from the foot of the
Dalles down to the present Chippewa bridge, the water poured
over the west bank of the river into the depression beyond,
in sufficient depth to float the largest logs; and from
Reverend Mr. Kidder's residence down to the present Pioneer
block, logs and driftwood lay high upon the slope, being
checked by the trees, while the entire flat between that
bank and the river was many feet under water. The mark on
some, which I noticed at one time during the ensuing summer,
indicated that they were out of the Eau Claire River. The
ground, on which Shaw and Galloway's foundry and machine
shop now stands, was at least ten feet under water. The
entire farm of Mr. Yates, opposite the Blue Mill, was
inundated, six to ten feet.

Some of the heaviest timbers, and heavily ironed wheels
belonging to the mill that was carried away at Eau Claire,
floated across the bottom and lodged high upon the slope of
the hill back of Potterville, the whole country from bluff
to bluff being underwater.

The Indians will now claim our attention. Many of the
collisions between the hostile band of Sioux and Chippewa,
during the time covered by this history, have created so
little interest among the white settlers, that it is
difficult to obtain definite and positive information in
regard to them. In most instances, too, these encounters are
utterly unworthy the name of fighting. Nothing can be more
dastardly, or better calculated to induce a mean, cowardly
disposition, than their mode of conducting war,
assassination or murder, better defines their treacherous,
stealthy, fiendish butcheries than any other terms. In 1840,
a party of Sioux were thus waylaid near the Red Cedar River,
and entirely cut to pieces; and in November of the same
year, a party of six, belonging to the opposite belligerent,
was cut off in the same way. The following year, a large
party of Sioux came up by invitation of the Chippewas to Eau
Claire, where they held a treaty of peace with their
hereditary foes. Among them were the great chiefs, Wabasha,
Red Wing and Big Thunder. Their first meeting took place at
the Falls, about sunset, and was a rather informal, owing to
some misunderstanding as to the place of the meeting. The
writer was present and heard part of the Reception Address,
and subsequently learned from Ambrose - one of the
interpreters - the substance of what was said on both sides.
The Sioux remained mounted on their ponies during the entire
interview. The Chippewa Chiefs and braves were painted after
their mode indicating peace, and the head Chief advanced
towards their guests with a large red pipe, made of stone
from the Pipestone Mountain, in one hand, and in the other a
hatchet, which was thrown with considerable force so as to
partially bury it in the earth; then raising the pipe to his
mouth and taking a whiff or two and turning the stem towards
the Sioux Chief presented it for his acceptance. All this
was done in silence; the Sioux Chief received the emblem of
peace also in silence, smoke a few whiff's, bowed
respectfully as he handed the pipe, reined his pony one step
to the right, and waited the next salutation. The substance
of which was, "Friends we are glad you have come, we are
anxious to make peace with the Sioux nation. As you have
seen us throw down and bury the hatchet, so we hope you are
inclined to make peace." The Sioux Chiefs then threw down
whatever arms they held and declared their purpose to
maintain permanent peace. They said their Great Father, the
President, with whom they had never been at war, had
requested them to conclude a lasting peace with the Chippewa
Nation; and although they had sold their lands on the east
side of the Mississippi, they still wanted to hunt there,
and were glad that in the future they could do so without
fear. This was all done through interpreters; several of who
were present on each side, and closed every sentence they
repeated with the expression of 'That's what we say.'

The delegation met a much larger number of Chippewa Chiefs
and braves the next day at Chippewa City where the
ceremonies were still more imposing, and a diner was served
of which both parties partook. The demonstrations were so
earnest, and seemed so sincere, that outsiders really
supposed the hitherto mortal enemies had become fast
friends. But in the summer of 1849, an event occurred that
showed that one party to this treaty reposed very little
confidence in the faith of the other. It will, however, be
necessary to relate some intervening circumstances, before
we reach this.

During the summer of 1848, a wealthy merchant of Galena, by
the name of Bloomer, sent some agents up the Chippewa to
select a site for a sawmill, and immediately came on with a
large force and commenced operations. The site fixed upon
was the lower chain of the Eagle Rapids, on the site of the
present dam. The men brought along to execute the work, were
mostly form the Wisconsin River, and at their head was the
reckless and notorious Timm Hurley, and another hard case by
the name of Tim Inglar, and several others of like
temperament. To secure hay for the winter, some of these men
were sent up on the meadows in the neighborhood of Vanville,
and hence the name of Bloomer was given to the prairie and
town.

Before winter came on, Mr. Bloomer got discourage and sold
the whole thing out to H.S. Allen at the Falls, and the
project of building the mill on the Eagle Rapids was
thenceforth abandoned.

Bloomer himself returned to Galena, but his men were all
turned over with the teams and supplies to Allen, that is if
they chose to stay, which most of them did. Hurley was
married and built a house and saloon at the Falls, the first
ever started in this valley, which soon became the
headquarters of every gambler and hard case, in the upper
valley, amongst others, a Frenchman, named Martial Caznobia,
who on the 4th of July, of this year 1849 with a crowd of
these fellows having imbibed pretty freely of 'benzine,'
repaired to the wigwam of an Indian then camping near the
Falls, wherein the Frenchman attempted some liberties with
the Indian's squaw, which was promptly resented, and drawing
a dirk-knife, he instantly drove it to the handle in the
body of the would be violator of his home.

The wound was a very dangerous one, bleed profusely, and was
thought the next morning to be positively fatal. It was
Sunday morning, a great crowd assembled around, and at the
Hurley House, where Caznobia was supposed to be dying, when
some one raised the cry, 'let's hang the d____d Indian,' and
no quicker said than done. A rope procured, and headed by
Tim Inglar a rush was made for the Indian's residence, a
noose formed around his neck, the rope thrown over the limb
of a pine tree, standing near the site of the Union Lumber
Company's store, the weight of several of these desperate
men was thrown upon the other end of the rope, and the body
of the Indian soon dangled between heaven and earth, a
lifeless corpse.

Mr. Allen remonstrated in vain against these outrages, well
knowing it would involve the whole settlement in danger; and
threatening demonstrations were very soon made by the
Indians who assembled to the number of 1,500, determined to
burn the place unless the murderers of their brother were
surrendered to them. And only the commanding influence over,
and great esteem in which Mr. and Mrs. Allen were held by
their Chiefs restrained them. After much delay and full
explanations had been made in which the offenders disclaimed
any intentional wrong against the Chippewa Nation, that it
was caused by whiskey, and they were sorry, now, the Chiefs
and braves became somewhat mollified, and agreed that the
ring leaders only should be molested, and they might be
tried and punished according to our laws; upon which Tim
Inglar, and three others surrendered themselves prisoners,
and were placed on board of a boat to be taken to Prairie du
Chien for trial. Eight Chippewa braves volunteered to escort
them down the river.

As the party approached that point on the Chippewa, 'half a
days march from the Falls,' alarm and terror seized the
brave escorts, and nothing could induce them to go another
rod, in such constant dread were they of the Sioux, who
twenty months before had promised eternal friendship.

The prisoners however continued their journey to Prairie du
Chien, and surrendered themselves to the Sheriff of Crawford
County, to await an examination, but as there was no one to
appear against them, they were discharged. They took good
care, however, not to be seen on the Chippewa River again.

To the credit of 'Hole-in-the -Day' and all the chiefs and
braves assembled at the Falls on this occasion to obtain
redress for a flagrant wrong done to one of their people, it
must be said they behaved with great moderation. All the
young braves were forbidden under sever penalties to taste a
drop of whiskey during their entire stay in the Falls, more
than a week, and no predations upon any of the whites were
permitted, the only levy being for sufficient food to
subsist them until the difficulty was amicably settled, when
they retired peaceably to their several abodes up the river,
dinner having been served, and a few cheap presents
distributed among them, by Mr. and Mrs. Allen.

Caznobia recovered and also left the country for the
country's good.