|
|
|
|
EARLY HISTORY OF WAUPACA,
WISCONSIN BY FREEMAN DANA DEWEY The First Settler at Waupaca
Falls TO
MY READERS Upon my arrival at Waupaca, in 1849, I began recording the important events as they transpired in a book kept for that purpose. In 1855 some unknown person entered the house where I was stopping, broke open my trunk and made way with my book. Since that time I have rewritten it and have kept it fresh in memory by oft repeating it. The time has now arrived for the events of the early days to be commonly known, so I have decided to present the facts to you in book form. In compiling this volume great care has been exercised in giving facts, dates and places. Hoping this may be of interest to you
all, I am, Yours Respectfully, Dana
Dewey EARLY DAYS CHAPTER 1 HOW WAUPACA CAME TO BE THE
COUNTY SEAT In
a late issue of the Waupaca Republican the following article written from
Weyauwega, was published: THE “CORRECTION” CORRECTED. Mr.
Editor: In the Republican of the 4th
inst., I noticed an article headed “A Correction” over the signature of D. D.
which I think would bear a little correction.
He says the county seat of government of Waupaca Co. was established by
the legislature in Mukwa in 1848, and the first register of deeds was James
Smiley, elected in April, 1850, that all the voters of the county went to Mukwa
to vote, and at that time they voted to change the county seat to Waupaca, all
of which statements are incorrect. In
1850 Post Offices at Waupaca, Weyauwega, Lind and Greenwood were established,
and all were located in Winnebago County.
In February or March 1851, the law organized the town and county of
Waupaca: (covering the same territory)
was passed which, after describing the boundaries, provided “the county seat of
said county shall be temporarily established at the village of Mukwa and the
first election for town and county officers shall be held at the house of
Horace Ralph, in said village on the first Tuesday of April next, and that two
years from the next annual election, the electors of the county shall vote for
the permanent location of the county seat.”
In compliance with this law an election was held at the time and place
designated, and the county officers elected were David Scott, chairman; Tyler
Caldwell, Peter Meiklejohn, supervisors; Simon C. Dow, treasurer, W. G.
Taggart, surveyor; John M. Vaughan, sheriff, was voted for and declared
elected, but it was held that a county not organized for judicial purposes was
not entitled to a sheriff or clerk of court. At the annual town meeting in April, 1853 a few votes were cast at Waupaca, and a few at Little Wolf for removal of county seat to Waupaca, but as no notice of any such election was given, it was generally understood that the fall election in 1853, was the time contemplated by the organic law, no votes were given on that subject in any of the other towns. At the
first meeting of the county board in 1853, composed of one supervisor from each
of the seven organized towns in the county, a resolution was passed directing
the removal of the county offices in Waupaca, which order, not being promptly
obeyed by the Register of Deeds, James Smiley and Treasurer Simon C Dow, they
were arrested and sent to the Portage county jail. No other
vote was taken upon the location of the county seat till the fall election of
1855, at which election the proceedings were about as creditable or
discreditable to some of the towns a some of the occurrences of later days that
we read of in some of the Southern states. Respectfully, ONE WHO KNOWS. Everybody
seems to know exactly how the county seat of this county came to be located at
Waupaca, but many are mistaken in their knowledge. To correct such mistaken notions and to give the facts as they
actually occurred, I have written the following short history of the “county
seat” matter. Beginning at the
organization of the county under the organic act, I follow down to the time of
the building of the present Court House. In the
spring of 1848 Outagamie county was surveyed out and annexed to Brown county
for judicial purposes. At the same time
Waupaca was apexed to Winnebago county for judicial purposes. By the organic act the surveyors were instructed
to locate for two years only, the county seat at some point on the bank of the
Wolf river. All the towns now in this
county and five towns of range 10, in Portage county, joining Waupaca on the
west, and four towns of range 15, joining Waupaca on the east were formed as
one town called Waupaca. This town, as
I have said, was joined to Winnebago county for judicial purposes. The surveyors located the county seat at
Mukwa, at which place the electors of the town were to meet on the first
Tuesday in April, 1950, to vote for town and county officers who should hold
their offices for two years or until their successors were duly elected and
qualified. At the same place and at the
same time a vote was to be taken on the permanent location of the county
seat. On the first Tuesday in April,
the election before mentioned was held.
Most of us from this side of the county were obliged to walk or ride
after ox-teams. The polling place was
the tavern of Horace Ralph. As soon as
the meeting was called to order we proceeded to the election of officers. In order that the officer might be evenly
distributed throughout the county, combinations were made. After
considerable figuring we elected S. F. Ware, county judge; David Scott,
chairman; John Phelps, of range 10, and Tyler Caldwell, side supervisors; James
Smiley, register of deeds; Chas. Gumaer, clerk of court; J. M. Vaughan,
sheriff, and J. B. Hibbard, constable. As the county was not organized the
officers Gumaer and Vaughan were not needed.
Mr. Vaughan did not qualify but Mr. Gumaer was bound to have his office,
qualified and held on to it “like a puppy to a rock.” After
the election of officers was completed we proceeded to vote for the location of
the county seat. There were present
just one-hundred voters. Twenty of
these voted for Mukwa, the remaining eight voting for Waupaca. We had made Waupaca the county seat by sixty
majority. Both these votes were taken
in the forenoon and we were to remain there for dinner. The men of Mukwa were of course much
provoked that they had lost the county seat, and they went so far as to
threaten that we would not be allowed to eat at the first table at dinner. We had beaten them once and were determined
not to be cheated out of our dinner in that style. As soon as the landlord’s motions indicated that dinner was ready
we made a break for the tables and again came out ahead. While we were at dinner some unknown person
took the ballot-box and all records of the election and hid them under a tree,
so I learned some time afterwards. The
following is the act incorporating Waupaca county, AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE
COUNTY OF WAUPACA The
People of the State of Wisconsin represented in Senate and Assembly do enact as
follows: SEC.
1, That all section of country lying
and being within the following described boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the north line of towns
numbered twenty, at a point where the range line between ranges fourteen and
fifteen crosses said line, thence north to the north line of towns twenty-four: thence east to Wolf river; thence up the
channel of said river to the north line of towns twenty-five; thence west to
the line dividing ranges ten and eleven; thence south to the north line of
towns twenty; thence east to first mentioned point; shall be and is hereby set
apart and shall constitute a county with all the rights and privileges of other
counties and shall be known by the name of Waupaca county, and shall be, for
the time being, attached to the county of Winnebago for judicial purposes. SEC.
2, The county seat of said county
shall be temporarily established at the village of Mukwa, and two years from
the next annual election, the voters of said county shall vote for the
permanent location of the county seat, and that place receiving a majority of
all the votes cast shall be the county seat of said county. SEC. 3, The first election of all officers to which said county will be entitled shall beheld at the tavern of H. Ralph in the village of Mukwa, on the first Tuesday of April next, and all officers elected there-at shall hold their several offices until the first day of January next ensuing and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. SEC.
4, Said county shall constitute one
town, and for all town purposes shall be known as the town of Waupaca, and
under such name shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges heretofore
granted by law to other organized towns:
the election for town officers shall be held at the tavern of the
aforesaid H. Ralph, in the village of Mukwa, on the first Tuesday of April
next, and shall hold their offices for the term of 12 months thereafter, and
until then successors are duly elected and qualified; there shall also be
elected in said town at the election herein named a Town Clerk, Treasurer and
Assessors who shall hold their said offices for term of 12 months, and until
their successors are duly elected and qualified said town Supervisors herein
provided for shall hold their meetings at the tavern of the aforesaid H. Ralph
in the village of Mukwa until otherwise provided by law. SEC.
5, That the county of Waupaca shall
pay unto the treasurer of Winnebago all costs, fees, charges and expenses that
shall be paid by the county of Winnebago, that may accrue in consequence of any
prosecution, conviction, imprisonment or proceedings whatever against any
person charged with any crime or misdemeanor within said county of Waupaca; and
the supervisors of the county of Winnebago may sue and collect the same from
said county of Waupaca, in any court of competent jurisdiction. FREDERICK
W. HORN, Speaker of the Assembly. DUNCAN
C. REED, President protempore of the Senate Approved Feb 17, 1851, NELSON DEWEY After
the passage of this act in ‘51 the eastern part of the county receded from the
organization and formed a separate county organization for themselves. The line dividing these two parts, or
Eastern and Western Waupaca, followed:
starting at the north line of the county, south on the town-line between
Helvetia and Dupont and Union, south between St. Lawrence and Little Wolf,
thence east between Little Wolf and Royalton to the middle section-line running
south, thence south on said line to Weyauwega, thence west to Lind, thence
south, taking in a strip of Lind about one and one-half mile, wide, to Fremont. This last named town was left on the west
side and favored Waupaca. After this
division of the county no returns of election were made from the eastern side
to Waupaca, until they united in 1854. In 1852,
Western Waupaca re-elected S. F. Ware, Judge, and elected Myron Boughton,
chairman; Chas. Redfield, Register of Deeds; Wm. Thompson, Sheriff; J. H.
Jones, Clerk of Court; Wm. Hibbard, Justice of the Peace; J. B. Hibbard,
Constable. Phelps and Caldwell held
over. This set of officers held for two
years in Western Waupaca. I do not know
who the eastern officers were, with the exception of James Smiley, who as will
be seen by the following letter was elected Register of Deeds in ‘52. The following is a copy of the letter
written by Mr. Smiley to Mr. O. T. Hambleton in reply to the question as to
where he was elected Register of Deeds: Northport,
April 21, 1884 O. T.
Hambleton, Esq., Sir: I received yours
of the 15th, wanting to know what year I was elected Register of Deeds. On the first Tuesday of April 1851, the
election of county officers for Waupaca was held at Mukwa. W. G. Cooper was elected Register and
appointed me deputy, and I done the business of the office until the fall
election of 1852 when I was elected Register and held the office for two
years. At the same election one
Redfield from Waupaca run and was declared elected Register at Waupaca. We had a double set of officers in the
county. It was called the “Double
Barreled count.” When a deed would be
recorded at Mukwa they would take it to Waupaca and have it recorded there. Yours
Resp’ly, &c. James
Smiley Mr.
Smiley says that the spring election was held in ‘51 but as our officers were
elected in ‘50 and held for two years, we held no election until the spring of
‘52. They probably did have an election
in the spring of ‘51 but we knew nothing about it. In the spring of ‘53 the vote for the location of the county seat
was taken as required by the organic act.
At this election Waupaca received a majority for county seat. How large a majority we do not know. Mellen Chamberlain the only officer voted
for was elected clerk of court. James
was elected in ‘52 and would have held his office until ‘54 but we found out
that a scheme was laid to induce him over to the eastern part of the county to
make him sign papers to the effect that Weyauwega was the county seat. To break up this scheme we elected
Chamberlain, and as soon as he was elected Jones resigned and Chamberlain qualified. After Smiley was released from Portage
county jail, as mentioned by “one who knows,” he told his story to O. E.
Dreutzer, and got him to assist in securing the county books and records. Dreutzer induced Judge Ogden, then of
Ogdensburg, to secure the books and take them to Smiley. Under the pretense of looking up a record
Ogden got hold of them and took them to Smiley’s residence in Mukwa. This was the last Waupaca saw of the records
until Smiley was elected in the spring of 1854, when he brought them to
Waupaca. The books say that Dreutzer
was Register in ‘54 but he was not; the records were tampered with to make it
appear that he was Register. J. J.
Jones, (commonly called “Monkey Jones,”) was elected County Clerk in the spring
of ‘54. “One who
knows” would carry the idea that Simon C. Dow was put in jail at the
instigation of the western part of the county.
He would convey a wrong idea.
Dow was a resident of Eastern Waupaca, but favored Waupaca for county
seat. To make him sign papers declaring
Weyauwega the county seat, they had him arrested and sent to the Portage County
Jail. In 18564
the county was divided into towns as it now is, with the exception of Matron
which was attached to Shawano county.
The four towns in range 15 were taken from Waupaca by Outagamie when she
was made a county in 1850. The towns of range 10 now in Portage county
voted to come in to this county, but interested parties stole the ballet-box
and that ended their efforts to become part of Waupaca county. In ‘54 we elected David Scott member of
Assembly and Judge Alban Senator.
Weyauwega not being satisfied with the previous votes on location of
county seat, got David Scott to get an act through the legislature to the
effect that we take a vote on that question in the spring of ‘54. This he accomplished for them. The vote was taken at the spring election
and Waupaca carried the day by 60 majority.
James Smiley was elected Register of Deeds. Robert Meiklejohn ran for sheriff, opposed by Lyman Dayton. Dayton was declared elected, although there
is a record, undoubtedly from the eastern part of the county, which says that
Robert Meiklejohn received d117 votes to Lyman Dayton 9. This was signed by J. Fordyce. below his signature were the words for
removal of county seat, and against removal of county seat, but no figures
appear after these words. Anyway,
whether the returns were made out properly or not, the majority for Waupaca was
declared at 60. The result in favor of
Dayton was very disagreeable to the eastern part, but was well received in the
western part. Old sectional animosities
had not been completely eradicated, and at being beaten more profanity was
indulged in by the politicians of the eastern side of the county than has ever
been done since in the whole county. In
1854 the county board held an entire session at Weyauwega. After the board had adjourned James Smiley,
George Moore and some others sent a constable after, and with authority to
bring Mellen Chamberlain before them.
When the constable returned with his man they organized a meeting and
James Smiley was elected chairman pro tem, George Moore was elected permanent
chairman. This August assembly of wise
heads from the eastern side of the county, turned Mr. Chamberlain out of office
on no other pretext than that he was unfortunate enough to be a resident of the
western part of the county, and because they had heard that we intended to
remove Jones; this meeting was held and this business transacted on Dec. 24,
1854. In the spring of ‘55 we elected town officers
as usual, having elected our county officers the year previous. At this election Weyauwega voted on the
removal of the county seat, not having authority for so doing. She took particular pains to hide her acts
from us, but her scheme did not work.
Ezra Fortner happened to go to Weyauwega very early on election morning,
and, upon finding out their plan, hastened back to Waupaca, and informed us
that they were voting for removal of county seat. At this notice N. P Judson and Wm. Cameron took their teams and brought
in every voter they could find in the town. At night when the votes were
canvassed it was found that Waupaca had a handsome majority. Weyauwega had
again been left at her own game. As
cats cling to life, so did Weyauwega cling to the county seat matter. As soon as they found that their silent
scheme had been frustrated they declared in stentorian tones that the law
stated that the vote on county seat should be taken the next fall, and that it
made no reference to a vote being taken at the spring election. In the election returns for the spring
election Weyauwega gives no figures on the removal question, a fact not to be
wondered at. In the fall of ‘55 a
portion of the county board served notice on
Judge G. W. Cate to hold court at Weyauwega, the county seat as they
called it. At the time of the serving
of the notice Judge Cate was holding court in the old Methodist church of this
place. M. H. Sessions learning what was
in the air took the Judge for a pleasure walk up main street. During this walk he convinced the judge that
only a minor portion of the board had issued the order and that Waupaca was
rightfully the county seat. When, after
their return, the Judge called the court, he said, “Gentlemen, I have been
notified by the county board to hold my courts at Weyauwega; but such notice
coming only from a minor part of the
board, I shall not comply with the demand.”
Wm. Waterhouse with great bustle reached for his hat, left the room, and
was over heard to say as he left the building, “Sold by G-d.” Weyauwega was again foiled in her attempt to
steal the county seat. The
county board me again at Weyauwega and after transacting a small amount of
business adjourned to Waupaca, where it has since held its meetings. As will
be remembered we carried the election in the spring of ‘55, by a good majority;
but Weyauwega ever restless under defeat, unsatisfied by having been beaten so
many times must try it again. This time
all the cunning of the subtle statesman was combined with the vote of the seven
year old boy in the attempt to scoop
Waupaca. At this fall election of ‘55
Perry H. Smith was a candidate for State Senator opposed by Luther Hanchet. The latter was at Weyauwega on election
morning. He told the leaders at
Weyauwega that he would tell Waupaca of their tricks. Threats were freely made that should he divulge their game, he
would receive a shower of eggs (past their prime); and before he left the place
they carried their threats in execution.
When he came to Waupaca he said he would help us if we would help
him. After the agreement was made, he
told us that forty-five boys under ten years of age had voted at Weyauwega on
the removal of the county seat, before
seven o’clock in the morning. We
thought that that game might be played by two as well as by one; and set
ourselves about protecting our interests.
The place of voting in this town was at the old Exchange Tavern then run
by J. J. Jones. The polls were just
inside the front window and the ballots were handed through the window. The center pane of glass in the lower sash
had been removed and through this hole the ballots were handed. All the rest of the window was closely
curtained so that the only portion of voter seen was that visible through one
small pane of a window. According to
instructions men would step up and vote, the first time giving their real
names. In a few minutes they would
return and vote under an assumed name.
One man in particular, I remember to have voted eighteen times under as
many different names. Beginning with
John Oleson he ended up with Peter Hooper. About
noon ten of Weyauwega’s greatest bullies came by team to Waupaca for the
express purpose of destroying the ballot-box.
When they drove up, Big LaDow got out of the wagon near E. L. Browne’s
office and skipped over the river bank just across from the barrel
factory. His intention was to follow
up the river bank to the old Exchange Tavern and in the absence of the election board, to steal the ballot
box. We will soon see his success. The remaining nine drove up to the Higgins
Tavern. As soon as we heard of their
arrival, we rushed down Main street to receive the company. Some of the men stayed at the polls to guard
them. A solid man named Peter Mitchell
had charge of our crowd. They had
alighted before we came upon the scene, but Mitchell directed them to retake
their seats in the wagon. It would have
done you good to have seen them hurry back into that wagon. He
compelled them to stay there while he went to the hotel bar and brought out the
whiskey. After they had sampled
Waupaca’s strongest they were started toward home, accompanied by the Waupaca
martial band consisting of a fife and one drum. The tune played was very appropriate to the occasion, being “The
girl I left behind me.”. Soon after
they had gone I saw Charley Redfield standing on the river bank near the
northwest corner of the court yard square looking over the bank and talking
with someone. When I get to him I saw
Big LaDow down by the river. I heard
Redfield say to him, “you better not go up to the old Exchange Tavern, for old
Sesh. is there; Joe and Bill Hibbard and A. M. Guard are there, and you will
get hurt. The rest of your boys are on
the way home and desire your company.”
LaDow thought best to come up the bank, and after so doing was escorted
by Redfield and myself down east of the school house where the team had been
stopped to wait for him. On the way
down Redfield asked him, how many votes he thought Weyauwega would cast. He said he thought about five hundred. He told us that a big boat load came up from
Oshkosh and voted on the boat, and that they were voting at Gill’s Landing,
Little River and Fremont. Upon reaching
the wagon he was assisted in and the “big ten” started on their way. The music following them for a short
distance making things as entertaining for them as possible. In the afternoon
Perry Smith came up to find out why we were not voting for him instead of
voting for Hanchet, Mitchell told him that he had sold himself to Weyauwega,
and if he did not leave town in ten minutes he would get an application of tar
and feathers. It is not necessary to
say he left. Although frightened from
town he was elected senator. That
election day was an eventful one and in the evening when the votes were
canvassed excitement ran high - when they were counted it was found that
Waupaca could equal any of them - she had cast 612 votes to Weyauwega 556 and
thus had a handsome majority over all. LaDow
then notified Waupaca that the matter would be settled in the supreme
court. All the records of what had been
done in connection with the county in question, before ‘54, were given to M. H.
Sessions and he went to Madison to see what could be done. Weyauwega had employed two or three of
Milwaukee’s best council to assist in prosecuting the case, but after a hard
struggle between legal talent, the court decided that Waupaca was the county
seat and that circuit court should be held there. The Milwaukee Lawyers advised LaDow to go home and serve a notice
on Judge Cate, demanding him to hold court in Weyauwega. Upon receipt of such notice Judge Cate wrote
to Mr. Sessions sending the notice and requesting him to go back to Madison and
try the case over again. Further; that
he would hold court at Waupaca until further orders. After another big fight the court decided again that Waupaca was
the county seat; and they went a notice to Judge Cate to hold its court at
Waupaca. They also notified LaDow, if
he wished business done in court he should go to Waupaca. Soon after this matter was settled, the old
Court House was built - it was begun in 1855, and after its completion, was
used until 1881. The material was
furnished and the work done by subscription.
One person furnished stone for the foundation, another laying said
foundation, &c. During
the first term of court held in the building, J. B. Strain, of Weyauwega arose
and addressing the Judge said, (not in the most pleasant manner), “I suppose
your Honor, you have got the county seat where you want it, now”? A smile and a nod were his only answer. In ‘81,
when this old building was decided to
be unfit for further use the county board accepted an offer from Waupaca of
$7,000, to assist in the construction of a new court house. Thus, thanks to some of Waupaca’s men; she
still holds the county seat, and it has become a proverb outside of Waupaca,
that if she wants anything she gets it by “hook or by crook.” INCIDENTS CHAPTER II AN INDIAN MEETING In
November 1849 an Indian, a member of one of the resident tribes, was taken
sick, so sick in fact that the chief of the tribe thought that he could not
live. The chief Marp, the sub-chief
Peter and Peter’s squaw, Nahkom, held a series of meetings at which prayers
were offered to their gods for the Indian’s recovery. Peter’s squaw alone was present at the meeting, for none lower
than the sub-chief and his squaw were allowed to attend and the chief was not
allowed a squaw. Peter was very
desirous to have me attend their meeting, and having obtained the chief’s
consent, he came to me and said:
“Indian very sick live no (counting up on his fingers until he counted
five) five days, chief say, you go to Indian meeting.” Wishing
to see what an Indian meeting was I followed him to a tent, standing on the
ground now owned by Mrs. LeGro.
Entering the tent I found the chief and Nahkom sitting before a fire
which flamed up steadily, it being considered by the Indians an ill omen if the
fire flickered during their meeting.
Peter seated himself between the two and I sat at the extreme left. When all were seated the chief took from
under his coat a box beautifully stained and varnished. This he unlocked and placed on the ground
before him. Out of it he took three small china idols, a bottle of whiskey, a
pipe and some tobacco. The whiskey of
course was the first thing to receive attention. The chief took a drink and handed it to Peter who, after sampling
it forwarded it to Nahkom who returned it to the chief. After they had done justice to the
“fire-water” they arose and sang in a most unintelligible manner, at least to
me, who never before had heard Indian singing.
While singing they kept heir arms swinging and their bodies swaying to and
fro. After reseating themselves the chief
set his little idol on the ground before him and prayed to it with apparent
fervor and devotion. When his prayer was ended he placed the idol near the fire
with its face toward the blaze; and again the whiskey went the round and again
they arose and sang. The chief then
placed the second idol or Peter’s god before him and prayed to that. As before he placed this by the fire near
the first idol. The bottle again passed
and singing done, the last idol or the squaw’s god was prayed to, and placed in
the line before the fire. After again
performing that oft repeated part of the service, i.e. that of drinking and
singing, the pipe was made the object of devotion. In like manner as he had prayed to the gods the chief prayed to
the pipe and placed it., bowl toward the fire in the sacred line. The tobacco was then prayed to and placed by
the pipe. When they had again tested
the “fire-water” and had sung, while singing, continually holding their hands
to their foreheads, their ceremony was completed. Hastily gathering their sacred objects into the box they
unceremoniously left, the chief taking the lead, the squaw last, and I, who had
watched their actions in amazement was left to care for myself as best I
could. I attended a meeting of this
kind each day for three days. Although
eloquently appealed to, the gods would not be propitiated and the poor sick man
died. Peter’s prophesy proved true as
the Indian died just five days after the first meeting. I will supplement this by an account of the
funeral services performed over this Indian who had been ushered into that sky,
where game is plenty and to which he takes his dog and gun. THE INDIAN’S FUNERAL The
Indian died and was buried at the Chain o’ Lakes. According to the Indian custom he was buried with his gun,
tomahawk, knife, dog and pony. A
quarter of venison, enough smoked ham to last him to the happy hunting ground,
and a bottle of whiskey to keep up his spirits were placed in the grave with him. The next day after the burial, which in
conformity to the Indian custom is always in the night time, the chief Peter
and Peter’s squaw Nahkom held the funeral services at the Falls. Peter wanted the chief to allow me to be
present but the old chief said “No, no smokiman go to Indian funeral.” But I got Peter to tell me what they
did. After he was gone I decided to se
the performance whether the chief would allow it or not, so I followed him to
the place and choosing a position where I would not been seen and one from
which I could see all that was going on, I viewed the whole thing from
beginning to end. Their usual grounds
for holding their funerals was on a small flat of ground near the river just
back of where Mr. Coolidge’s house now stands.
In a clear spot, a ring about twenty feet across had been formed, around
this the three ran. After a pull at the
whiskey bottle the chief, carrying a lightly loaded gun held horizontally in
both hands took the lead, and was followed by Peter who was followed by
Nahkom. After completing the circuit
three times all the time shrilly yelling yi, hi, hi hi, yi hi, the chief fired
the gun. This, so Peter told me was to
let the petite god know that the Indian was on the road to his future home. Twice more they ran the circle three times,
each time loading the gun heavier than before and each time taking a longer
pull at the whiskey bottle. The last
time the gun was heavily charged giving echo upon echo from its crashing
sound. This firing of the gun heavily
loaded was to let the “heap, heap god,” “know Indian on road to happy hunting
grounds, and be there in ten days.”
After completing the above ceremony and taking a fond lingering look a
the whiskey bottle, now empty, they silently stole away to their wigwams. FOURTH
OF JULY CELEBRATIONS In 1850 the firs celebration of the 4th of
July held in this county was held on Lone Pine hill in the town of Lind. About thirty were present coming mostly from
the Chandler settlement. They listened
to no history of the Grand and Glorious
Republic by a July orator, but enjoyed the time as well with their
picnic dinner and toasts and the
singing of patriotic songs.
Several started from Waupaca but the new reached them that Duane Ware
who was then carrying the mail between Plover and Waupaca Falls, was lost
somewhere between the two places. Of
course we all turned back to assist in the search. He was found on Session’s Prairie. Our celebration was spoiled but we thought it glory enough for
one day to find a lost boy. Those who
were at the celebration claim to have had an excellent time. In 1851
the celebration was held on what is now the Court House square, then a fine
grove of small trees. Rev. Silas Miller
was the chaplain, E. C. Sessions had the Declaration of Independence, David
Scott delivered the oration, N. P. Judson was toast-master, and Cranberry Jones
made an impromptu speech. With speaking
and excellent picnic dinner, and with the noise and bustle made, by discharge
of crackers, and by refreshment criers, the day passed off rapidly. The
ordinance used in arousing the spirits of young Americans was an anvil placed
on the bank near the river. In 1852
we celebrated on the hill at the head of Main street. Cutting Marsh was chaplain, David Scott moderator, S. F. Ware
read the Declaration, Dr. I. W. Thayer and Wm. G. Cooper delivered orations,
Wilson Holt declined to speak. John
Attsly was marshal. This was the first
celebration at which we had a marshal.
Our band, which furnished music for the occasion, consisted of a Mr.
Darling, Isaac and Azarial West. Dr.
Darling played the fife and the two Messrs. West played the drums. Just before noon we were formed in line and
headed by the band marched down to the old “Exchange Tavern” then run by A.
Vanduzee. We then marched back and partook
of a most sumptuous repast. After
dinner all felt so jolly good natured that it was decided to stay the rest of
the day. So we remained having our supper on the grounds. In the evening the air was enlivened by
“fire-works” and a burning barrel of tar which Erastus Putman fired for our
benefit. In 1853
we celebrated in the grove near the old Marsh place. Cutting Marsh again officiated as chaplain, Wilson Holt read the
Declaration, and Hon. E. L. Browne delivered an excellent oration. Doctor Heath was marshal. The choir for the occasion consisted of
Robert Hampson, Sarah and Katie Marsh and Mr. and Mrs. Horace Baldwin. After the exercises we marched back to town
for dinner. At the close of the day,
after the display of “fire-works”, all united in expressing pleasure for what
it had brought them. As I was to
chronicle nothing but what happened in the early times, and as there was no
celebration in 1854 I have considered it best to stop at the celebration of
‘53. It may not be improper to state
that when ever since that time Waupaca has tried to celebrate, that she has
made a success of it as she does in all her undertakings. EARLY
PREACHERS The
first man to dispense the word of God to the citizens of Waupaca was Silas
Miller, He was proprietor of Waupaca’s
first sawmill, which was situated near the present ruins of the city mill. He was a Methodist preacher, and came in
March 1850. There being no regular
place for holding meetings he preached around at private houses. On one occasion I remember he preached at
the house of E. C. Sessions. The house
was eleven by fifteen feet, log of course, as few board houses were here at
this early date. The cracks between the
logs were chinked with mud and bark. A
half window at the rear end let in the light while a blanket was used as a
door. The floor and roof were also of
bark. Later in
‘50 Mr. McIntosh came. He claimed what
is now the Judson addition in the city, and old it to n. P. Judson for two
hundred and fifty dollars cash, at that time a scarce article. With this he started the old Exchange
tavern. This Waupaca’s first hotel was
situated nearly where the old fire engine house now stands. He too was a Methodist. There seems to be some connection between a
preacher and a hotel landlord in those early times, but at the present time
there is no such connection between them - a fact much to be regretted. The next preacher, a Mr. Baxter, was also a
tavern keeper. He came in 1851 and was
the first Congregational minister in Waupaca.
He built a house on the ground now occupied by the alley back of
Peterson’s store. Picture a two story
house 22 ft. x 16 ft. the posts of which were peeled tamarack poles twelve feet
long; the outer covering rough boards placed vertically, and the cracks between
them covered by battens; the floors of rough pine boards; a small door at each
end hung on wooden hinges; four windows, two above and two below; the only
approach to the upper floor a ladder with five rounds; the apartments divided off
by sheets or blankets, the furniture to match and the whole surmounted by that
most enticing invitation; “Warm meals.”
Picture all this, and you see the Baxter House as it stood in 1851. In this house there was one religious
service, one dance and one wedding. Mr.
Weston Miller came in May 1851, to visit his father, Silas Miller. Stopping over a Sunday he preached in the
morning at the house of N. P. Judson, and in the afternoon at J. M. Vaughan’s. Samuel
Simcock, father of James and William Simcock of this city, was Waupaca’s next
minister. He came in ‘51. He was a Methodist and preached in the board
shanty of Henry Dieter situated on the east bank of the river just west of
where the old Barrel Factory now stands.
The benches were rough boards placed across blocks of wood; the pulpit a
dry-goods box; the door formed of two boards about six feet long and held
together by cleats at the top and bottom and fixed in its position by placing
the bottom out about two feet from the wall and leaning the top against the
wall. Mr. Simcock lived at Crystal Lake
and came over to preach rain or shine. In June
‘51 David A. Peck, a Baptist preacher, came and organized a church at J. M
Vaughan’s house. Seven presented their letters and became members. The following named persons joined at this
time, J. M. Vaughan and wife, Alonzo Vaughan, Mr. Dunham, Chas. Beadleston and
wife and Mr. Peck. Cutting
Marsh came on the fifteenth of December ‘51.
Arriving at about seven o’clock in the evening he made known his
business. He said he had been sent by
the government as an Indian interpreter to try and settle the dispute over the
stolen child, and wanted to be directed to the Indian wigwam without any noise
on the way. A. M. Gard told the elder
that Dana Dewey was the Indian man and that he would direct him. The elder found me and asked me to go. Says I: “I’m you man.” I led him to the
Indian wigwam and he performed his mission to the Indians. Before coming here he had been a missionary
among the Indians and was therefore familiar with their language. The dispute
was settled without bloodshed although at that time it seemed as if we would
have serious trouble. Elder
Hayward a local preacher came in ‘52.
The next, a Mr. Rorabacher, was the first sent by the Methodist
conference. Elder Yeocum was then
Presiding elder for the whole Indian land. THE
RISE AND FALL OF THE CLAIM LEAGUE CLUB Soon
after we returned from Mukwa, where we had been to vote at the election held in
April 1850, when the county seat was changed from Mukwa to Waupaca, some of us
thought that one hundred and sixty acres of land was not sufficiently large for
each, so we formed what the known as the Settler’s Claim League Club. The requirements for admission were, that
twenty-five cents be paid tot he treasurer, that each should sign the
constitution, and that each furnish himself with a club about the size of a
base ball bat. This club was to be kept
in a convenient place so as to be at hand in an emergency. At the late election S. F. Ware was elected
county Judge, David Scott chairman, and J. B. Hibbard constable. These we
induced to join with us. E. C. Sessions
was elected president, David Scott vice-president, S. F. Ware judge, and
justice, Winfield Scott secretary and J. M. Vaughan treasurer. The law of the club was that each settler
might claim forty acres more than the quarter section the law allowed him; and
that if anyone “jumped” this claim, it was the duty of each member to take his
club and club him off the claim, and those so doing would be protected by all
the members. This club enrolled many of
the best settlers from all parts of the country. Early in this year a young man had claimed a quarter section of
land on which the village of Plainfield in Waushara Co. now stands. He built a log house and in the spring
planted a small garden. Being out of
provisions and money he left his claim to work and get some. During his absence a man and his family
“jumped” his claim and when he came back the new comer claimed the land
although the young man protested that he had claimed it and had made the
improvements. Hard words ensued and the
young man was killed by the other. The
news of the murder spread like “wildfire” and the settlers soon gathered to
revenge this foul crime. They
surrounded his house. He finding
himself cornered swore that he would kill the first man who molested him. The settlers kept a close watch on the house
that night to prevent his escape. In
the morning they told him that if he
would surrender and prove himself innocent of the crime he would be allowed the
chance. He seeing that his chances for
escape had been cut off and thinking that it would be to his advantage, gave
himself up. The men disarmed him and
placing a rope around his neck, led him to a burr-oak tree that stood near the
present site of the Plainfield tavern.
Placing the rope over a limb they swung the murdered from the
ground. Soon he was dead. The lynchers not content with hanging him,
left his body hanging there for three days.
Thus speedily did punishment follow the first murder committed in the
country since the settlements began.
The news of the crime reached us in Waupaca on the 15th of June. The Claim League Club were considerably
frightened, thinking they might beheld responsible for the crime. For this reason we gave up our claim to the
extra forty, laid down our arms and disbanded on the same day the news reached
us. Thus did the settlers’ Claim League
Club come to an end after an existence of only two months. OLD
TIMERS CHAPTER
III EARLY
DAYS IN WAUPACA The three
forties on which the best part of Waupaca stands, including what is now known
as Bartlett’s addition were claimed by E. C. Sessions on the 15th day of June,
1849. Wm. Mumbrue made the preliminary
survey between the 12th and the 20th of August of the same year. The
nearest grist mill was at Ripon and the marshes between Waupaca and that place
were so miry that they could not be crossed
by a team until frozen. I came
to Waupaca in October, 1849, stopping at E. C. Sessions’ house at the head of
Main street. About that time Mrs.
Sessions informed her husband that they were about out of flour and something
must be done immediately, so I took a coffee mill and went to work. After
grinding the hoppers full I gave it up as a bad job and tried to grind corn,
but with no better success. Sessions
and myself then went up on the hill back of the Dane’s Home, cut a white oak
tree about two feet through, cut out a block two feet long, squared each end,
bored a hole in the center, and with a pair of compasses made a circle,
chiseled and burned a hole large enough to hold about a peck of grain. Then we made a hickory pestle about three
feet long and five inches through it; and with the aid of a coffee mill for
grinding buckwheat and this mortar and pestle for grinding grain, managed to
get along until the 25th of December, when a team went below and brought back
some flour ground in a regular mill. There
was no post office in Waupaca in those days; the nearest being Oshkosh. John Vaughan used to go down and get our
letters, inquiring for Tomorrow River Mills, Waupaca Falls, Green Bush and
Walla Walla mail. A Capt. Jack, ran a
sail boat from Oshkosh up the Wolf river to Gill’s Landing that fall, and his
boat finally froze up in Partridge lake.
He used to carry the letters for five cents each way, charging two cents
for newspapers. The letter for Tomorrow
River Mills were left with Henry Tetalot, at Weyauwega, Green Bush letters were
left with Simon C. Dow, between Waupaca and Weyauwega. E. C. Sessions did the duty of postmaster at
Waupaca. Henry Tetalot was the first
settler at Weyauwega, coming there about May 15th, 1849, and marrying a
squaw. He married so as to get the
position of Indian trader, but he managed to incur the enmity of the Indians
and the chief notified him that if he didn’t make himself scarce he would have
his scalp, and he left the next spring, taking his wife with him. Fremont
mail was left with a man named Mahew, who was either the first or second
settler in Fremont. On the 25th of
December, 1949, E. C. Sessions, W. B. Hibbard and myself started for Strong’s
Landing for provisions. We had to cut a
road through, and only went a little south east of where Pine River now stands,
the first day. That night we made a
wind-break of our wagon-box, cut some boughs, ate sparingly of the few
provisions we had and slept fairly comfortable until morning, when we ate the
balance of our provisions. The share of
each in bread and meat being about as large as a man’s three fingers. We
expected to get plenty to eat at Auroraville and thought we would get there by
noon, but we got there at night. A man
named Daniels had a sort of logging shanty and when asked for a supper said all
the provisions he had were on the table and the table was cleared. He expected provisions that night, but they
didn’t come and so we went without. We
stayed out of doors and walked all night to keep warm, after having cut brush,
filled up a creek and poured on water to freeze and form a bridge over which we
could get our oxen in the morning. It
froze hard enough during the night to hold them and in the morning we started
for Strong’s Landing. After crossing
the creek, Cooper saw a shanty and made a break for it to get something for
breakfast. Nobody was there but he
found a little bread and pork frozen solid; taking an ax he cut this into
pieces and distributed it among five men.
There was about three pounds of pork and a half loaf of bread. We ate it and were mighty glad to get it,
although it was a pretty cold dose for our stomachs. We then hurried on as fast as we could towards Strong’s Landing. When we got there all wanted some whiskey, I
wanted warm water instead, but a doctor there took a tumbler, filled it about
half full of hot water and then filled it up with something else, brandy I
suppose. I swallowed it and asked no
questions. It was mighty hot and it was
brandy. It was the first and last
liquor I ever drank. At any rate I found in about half a minute that it had a
good deal of power in it for twisting my legs.
A Mr. Strong kept a tavern at Strong’s Landing and also a grocery
stock. Sessions concluded to buy flour
of him, instead of going to Ripon, and purchased three sacks for which he paid
$1.25 per hundred. In Ripon it would
have cost him seventy cents per hundred.
I will give the prices on a few other articles he purchased so my
readers can compare them with present prices.
He paid $1 for 18 pounds of brown sugar, $1 for 16 pounds of loaf sugar,
$1 for 5 pounds of good tea, $3 for a good pair of boots, 4 to 5 cents per yard
for calico, 10 cents per yard for gingham, and a good suit of clothes which
will not cost $15, he purchased for $10, potatoes were purchased for 38 cents
per bushel, pork 12 cents per pound.
Strong’s Landing was changed to Berlin in ‘50. SOME
OF WAUPACA’S FIRST SETTLERS In this
connection I will note: Some of the
first settlers were E. C. Sessions, J. and Wm. Hibbard. They arrived on the 15th of June, ‘49. W. G. Cooper came in August, ‘49, Capt.
Scott came in Sept. ‘49, A. M. Gard came in Sept. ‘49. E. C. Sessions claimed the three original
forties of the village plat of Waupaca, and the forty in the third ward on which
M. R. Baldwin now lives. Joe Hibbard claimed 160 acres in the southern part of
the city. W. Hibbard claimed 80 acres
joining it on the east. Cooper claimed
160 acres on which the old fair ground stood.
Scott claimed what is now the Winfield Scott place. Gard settled in Farmington. I claimed the Chas. Wright place. O. E.
Dreutzer had a government contract to carry the mail from Plover to Green Bay,
by way of Waupaca in the spring of 1850.
He first came to Waupaca about the first of March that year, looking for
a place to locate. He liked the looks of the place and bought the square on
which Beadleston Bros. Masonic and Pinkerton’s block now stands, of E. C.
Sessions. About
this time Silas Miller came to Waupaca hunting a good location for a saw mill,
and made a bargain with Sessions for his entire claims paying him there for
eighty acres of land in Alto near Ripon, six head of cattle and six thousand
feet of lumber as soon as it should be sawed.
Sessions and myself went to Alto to sell the land and bring the cattle
home. A sale of the land was made, but
the cattle were sold before we reached Ripon.
Sessions then came home, went up on the prairie north-west of Waupaca
and “claimed” the Gibbons farm which gave the name Sessions’ Prairie to that
rich body of land. Miller
came on and built his mill and sawed one Norway log and part of another on the
10th day of September, 1850. W. C. Lord
and another man came on in March, 1851, and bought the mill site of Miller on
which the Star Mill now stands. Dr.
Brainard built a saw mill on his place in 1853. WAUPACA
GIVEN A NAME In
February, ‘51 we applied to the Postmaster General to have a post office
located here. He wrote Sessions that he
would have to have a name. Sessions forwarded
the name “Waupaca.” The Postmaster
General answered and said he had given the office located at “The Falls” that
name but that Tomorrow River (Weyauwega) had applied for the same name to be
given that office and he had written them to send him another and a few days
later we learned that office had been given the name “Weyauwega.” So if the Weyauwega men had been a little
sooner they would have had the name of Waupaca even if they didn’t get the
county seat. The name of the post
office at Walla Walla was about this time changed to Lind. Greenbush died out. David
Scott, (father of Winfield Scott of this city) was the first postmaster of
Waupaca; George W. Taggart of Lind, and Giles Doty of Weyauwega. The latter by some unknown means was succeeded
by Benjamin Birdsell who held the office a long time. A
SHARP CONTRACT I will
now go back to Waupaca. When Lord
purchased his mill site of Miller he contracted to build a grist mill 30 x 40
feet, two stories high, and bought the privilege of drawing water enough from
the pond to keep three run of stones going all seasons of the year. And the power still has the same right, or
did, until Baldwin & Bailey combined the two. In the
spring of 1851 after the purchase of the power for Lord’s grist mill as related
before, the scheme of building a grist mill fell through for a short time as
the man who came up with Mr. Lord to go into the mill business with him backed
out. Lord, however got Wilson Holt to
join with him in the enterprise and the mill was built that summer, the first
grist being ground on 19th of November.
We were all elated over the building of the mill, for flour was a mighty
uncertain commodity in Waupaca in those days.
When the mill was completed there was about one hundred people in
Waupaca. Land was plenty and cheap but
money scarce, who when we heard that there was a bill before congress giving
160 acres of land to each actual settler, we all felt considerably elated as we
were on the ground and ready to take up the land. The bill never passed, and we bought what land we got of the
government at ten shillings per acre.
Everything looked favorable in the spring of 1852, for a village to be
built on the site where Waupaca now stands, and buildings began to go up. N. P. Judson built a house on the corner
where Richard Lea’s house now stands.
O. E. Dreutzer built on Beadleson’s corner. Jake Dieter built the house back of Lytle’s, known as the “old
Dreutzer place,” now occupied by Mrs. Shumway.
Henry Dieter built a board shanty on the barrel factory lot, back of
Hansen’s wagon shop. Black and Johnson built the Rosche and Baldwin
houses. I put up a one story house on
the place now owned by Mrs. Charles Wright.
There was a row of buildings then up on the bank of the river where
Bailey’s harness shop now stands.
Vanduzee’s old hotel stood on the corner, where Hansen’s tin shop now
stands, and was known to the traveling public as the “Exchange Tavern” and a
lively old place it was, too. Main
street south of Beadleson’s corner was only a wagon track through the woods,
and the bushes and trees on the ground where Coolidge’s bank, Lea’s store and
the other buildings in that block stand, were so thick that it was hard for a
man to push through them. I went
down to Menasha in the fall of 1852 to enter my land, and tried to enter two
forties, but the south forty that I wanted, that I afterwards got, the receiver
told me was out of the market, so I did not enter any but filed an application
for the two. In the course of two or
three weeks afterwards the receiver began to sell the land in Waupaca county,
beginning with the town of Larrabee.
Dreutzer went down to Menasha and made a bargain with a man named
Fitzgerald, to bid off the land on which the village stood, agreeing to see him
through to a clear title, if he would make his title to Beadleson’s corner
good, but Spaulding, the receiver, wrote David Scott to send a man down to look
after the settlers interests, as Waupaca would be in the market in about a
week. Scott called a meeting of the
settlers and I was chosen to go down and take the minutes of the land taken up
by actual settlers and look after their interests, and bid off the three
original forties and the one on Sec. 20, laying directly north, for the parties
who were already on the land. These
forties were platted as a village and could not be entered as ordinary farm
land, but had to be bid off. I went
to Menasha as instructed, and happened to be in the land office when the
village of Waupaca was put on the market, the three original forties and the
forty on section 20, which I afterwards bought, being put up in a lump. Fitzgerald was there, ready to bid. He had heard somebody was down to bid
against him, and sized me up when I came in.
He probably thought he would scare me so he offered $2500 for the land
the first bid. I raised it to $3000, it
was then his turn to be surprised. He
bid over me and we kept at it until the land was struck off to me for $4650, I
settle my hotel bill, and started for home.
(By the way, the men who sent me down, raised about all the money they
could scrape together to pay my bill, and when I came to settle I was a dollar
short and had to borrow it.) When I got
to the post office, Judge Ware asked me how I came out, and when the crowd came
around I told them. There was a high
old time in Waupaca that afternoon, and Dreutzer kept in doors for over two
weeks. The climate outside wouldn’t
have agreed with him just then. Through
the efforts of Wilson Holt, congress passed an act that winter, authorizing
Judge Wheeler, of Winnebago county to come to Waupaca and sell the parcels of
land to actual settlers for government price.
This Wheeler did in February, 1853, and purchased the two forties north
of Chas. Wright’s, comprising the Chas. Wright farm, and also the parcel of
land described as lot 18 in section 19, on which I had built. E. L.
Browne accompanied Judge Wheeler to Waupaca, and acted as his clerk when
selling the land. The two made a rough
plat of the village, and this was recorded.
When they had sold all the lots that had then been settle upon for $1.25
per acre, the Judge put up the court house square and called for bid. As every man in town, nearly, had made a
purchase that day and put up all the money he had, there were no bidders as
there was no more money in town. As he
couldn’t sell it he gave it to the village or town for a public park. He was asked if the town had a patent for the
piece of land, and the judge answered that he was authorized by confess to transfer
the land and whatever he did would stand..
The square could have been bought for $2.50. On the 23d of Feb. 1853, I receive my deed at Judge Wheeler’s
hands and he left that day for home.
The sales were made at the old Gothic Hall, now owned by Mrs. Dr. Brown. AN
EARLY LAWSUIT In the
summer of 1852, I worked three months for N. P. Judson. The wages were sixty dollars. It will be
remembered that Mr. Judson was one of Waupaca’s early merchants. At that time the merchants brought their goods
from Milwaukee by team, no boats then running on the Fox and Wolf rivers. The stores had light trade and the merchants
did not always have money enough on hand to purchase their goods. On the 7th of July, Judson wanted ten
dollars to make out enough to purchase a decent load of goods, so I let him
take the money, he promising to repay it upon his return. I afterwards found that I had made a mistake
in not taking security. He said nothing
about returning my money until I settled with him in the fall for my work. Then he said he hadn’t time to look over
accounts. He paid me for my work, and I
thought I would sometime get my ten dollars.
The matter ran along in this shape until the 7th of the next July. On this day, just a year after I had loaned
him the money, he came to me and said: “Upon looking over my books, I find that
you are owing me seven dollars and a half.”
I told him, “that was the money I let you take a year ago to purchase
goods in Milwaukee; and I have taken up just two and one-half dollars, thus
leaving you my debtor for the amount you claim I owe you.” “You can’t prove it,” said he, “aid if you
don’t pay it I’ll sue you before night.”
“I guess you won’t,” says I. Now
says I, “look a here Judson, there is no one knows, that while I worked for you
last summer I carried eight pails of water for you to pour in a partly empty
barrel of whiskey, except yourself and I.
Now, if you don’t pay me that seven and one-half dollars, I’ll tell Gus.
Chesley, A. M. Gard, and Charley Bartlett, that you watered your whiskey.” Says he: “If you do tell them that, I’ll sue
you for slander.” When I
met him the next morning he said: “I have been to see Thayer (a lawyer) and he
said that he never heard such a slander in his life, and that, if you tell
those fellows that whiskey story he will make it cost you a hundred
dollars.” Says I, “all right, I’ll give
you until tomorrow morning to pay the bill.”
I had seen Justice Hibbard and had told him not to let Judson sue for
the money; and that if I couldn’t make Judson see his mistake I would give him
my note for six months without interest; and, if he would not admit within that
time that he owed me, he was welcome to the money. The next
morning I asked him what he was going to do.
“I have seen Thayer again, and he said that he had found a law that will
make it cost you one hundred and fifty dollars, if you tell that story,” was
Judson’s reply. “All right,” says
I. I then gave him my note for $7.50
payable in six months, without interest.
As soon as I had given the note I went over and told the men what I told
Judson I would tell them. They wanted
to know why I had kept it to myself so long.
I told them that he owed me over seven dollars and I wanted to get that
first. The four of us went directly
over to the store. Chesley walked up to
the counter and says, “See here, Judson, you have been putting water in your
whiskey, and we have come over to get the treats on it.” Judson saw but one way out of it, so he set
out a peck of apples and we stepped up to help ourselves. He grabbed the broom and was going to drive
me out of the store. “Are you going to
do it now, right off,” says I. Gard
told him to get behind the counter, and he got. We ate our fill of apples and left. Henry Dieter came to me about an hour later and said, “Judson
told me that he did owe you seven and one-half dollars and that he had your
note for that amount and when it is due, you must pay it and don’t you forget
it.” As soon as I heard that I went
over to the store and asked for Judson.
The clerk told me he had gone into the country, and would not be back
until Saturday. Says he, “Judson left a
note here against you which he wished me to collect.” Says I, “that note has been paid already. He has admitted that he owed me, and he
better give me the note and pay me the money he owes me or there will be a
rumpus.” When
Saturday came I went to see Judson.
Upon entering the store I said, “Good morning,” Says he, “Good morning.” Says I, “Good morning.” Says he, “I said that to you once.” Says I, “Say it again, louder.” To this he replied distinctly. Says I, “you do owe me seven and a half
dollars, and you have my note and when it is due, I must pay it and don’t you
forget it.” “You can have today to pay
that money and give me that note and if you don’t I will sue you.” On Monday morning he told me that he would
not pay me; and that he had seen Thayer again, and Thayer had told him that he
would make it cost me two hundred and fifty dollars.” I went directly to the Justice office which was situated where
Dr. J. O. Scott’s place is; and I swore out a writ on Judson. As I was walking back to town accompanied by
Mr. Hibbard, Judson hailed us at a distance.
“Her, her,” said he, “I see the mistake.” When we reached him he paid me the money and also paid Hibbard
seventy-five cents for issuing the writ.
I demanded the note, which he brought to me from the house. He then swore out a warrant on me to appear
the next Wednesday, at the Gothic Hall, to answer the charge of slander. I secured the assistance of E. L. Browne and
we were on hand at the time set for the trial.
Before the Justice called the case, I walked up to Judson, and says, “you
dasen’t tell Browne that I didn’t carry eight pails of water for you to put in
your whiskey. It will cost you like
fury, and you better own up.” Then
Judson said, “If it wasn’t for the law I’d lick you for twenty-five cents.” Says I, “wait until after the trial and I
won’t charge you a cent.” In the early
progress of the suit he owned up to having put six pails of water into his
whiskey. A non-suit was given, but
Thayer advised him to try it on again.
If he did he said he would make it cost me three hundred dollars. We remained in the office until the summons
was prepared and Sheriff Thompson served it on me. Then we went to the Waupaca Spirit office and told Redfield all
about the affair. In the next issue of
his paper he published a piece setting forth in glowing terms how I had nearly
broken my back carrying eight pails of water up the bank from the river to put
in Judson’s whiskey. A week
from that day we appeared before Hibbard again. This time Judson said he would thrash me if it cost him his
life. I told him I would meet him on
the bloody sands after the trial. As
before, he admitted that there was water put in his whiskey, but this time it
was seven pails instead of six. Again a
non-suit was granted. Says I, as we
went out of the office, “Judson sue me once more and you will own up to the
other pailful.” Judson seeing that he
had made a consumate mnle of himself,
let the matter drop where it was.. NARRATIVE CHAPTER IV THE INDIAN CHILD So many
of the people in and around Waupaca, both old settlers and those who have come
later, are acquainted with the fact, that a boy by the name of Partridge was
stolen by the Indians, and was taken from them with great difficulty, that I
have thought best to give the history of the trial as held in Oshkosh, also to
give an account of my connection in the re-taking of the child. At the time the boy was stolen, Mr.
Partridge lived about one mile from the banks of the Wolf river. Another settler had built himself a house
close by the river. Mr. Partridge and
this man found an old row boat in the river, and as they needed a boat to go to
Oshkosh to get provisions, they took it along.
When they returned Mr. Partridge told his friend, that if any person
called for the boat, to let them take it.
The very next day a man came along on this way to Oshkosh and asked for
the use of the boat. Shortly after he
had left an Indian chief put in an appearance, claimed the boat, asking where
it was. Upon being informed that Mr.
Partridge had permitted a white man to take the boat to go to Oshkosh, the
Indian became terribly angry. Like all Indians, treacherous by nature, he
waited for his revenge. Mr. Partridge
was working a sugar-bush at this time and had the boiling place near his house
so that his wife could assist him if it was necessary. One day about the 25th of April, ‘50, Mr.
Partridge took his little boy Casper, (then about three years old) with him
into the woods and left him at the boiling place while he went to gather up the
sap. While he was at work something
seemed to tell him that all was not well with the boy. He hastened back to the boiling place and
found no Casper. He became alarmed and
upon going to the house found that he was not there. Both father and mother then began the search. They looked high and low through the woods,
continually calling “Casper! Casper! Casper!” no Casper responded to their oft
repeated cries. He had been kidnapped
by the Indian in the absence of Mr. Partridge from the boiling place. from this time on until the fall of ‘51, the
boy was mourned as dead. Waupaca
must have had a peculiar attraction for the Indians for they spent much of
their time here. In the fall of ‘51,
some Indians were encamped on the hill just north of the rail road track back
of the Chas. Wright place. Among their
number was a boy who attracted much attention by his strange actions. He would leave the Indian children and play
with the young white children; and would talk the English language with them,
but as soon as a grown person came near he would speak Indian. When they had passed he spoke English
again. Many thought he acted strangely,
but nothing was done toward taking him, while the Indians remained encamped
there. Some were sure it was the stolen
child, yet others, although they thought the child acted peculiarly, did not
believe he was Partridge’s lost boy.
The fact of this boy’s peculiar actions was made known to Mrs. Boughton,
(Now Mrs. A. Humiston), a sister of Mrs. Partridge; and she thought from the
information she had that he must be her brother’s lost boy. In speaking to her one day about the boy, I
told her I thought I could get him away from the Indians, as he did not seem to
be afraid of me. She wished that I
would try, so I commenced work. The
Indians had left their former place and were now encamped on the present picnic
grounds at the north end of Shadow lake.
Mr. N. P. Judson then living on the corner where Mr. R Lea does now, had
a son named Urbain. The Indian boy came
up to play with Urbain on the grounds across the street west of the house. The same peculiarity was noticed by Urbain,
that the boy would speak English with him but would speak Indian in the
presence of grown people. While they
were playing there one day, I tried to get the boy. He would neither come to me nor let me approach nearer than a rod
of him. He did not seem to be afraid of
me but would not let me get hold of him.
If any other person stood and looked at him, he would run to the tent,
drumming on his breast and yelling every step of the way. For a week I did my best to catch him, but,
during that time came no nearer catching him that I did the first day. from the “picnic grounds” the Indians moved,
encamping on the land now owned by Mrs. LeGro and Mr. Ware. At this time Mr. J. Hibbard lived in the
wing of the house now occupied by Winfield Bemis. His son Henry was about five years old. As the Indians were encamped near Mr. Hibbard’s place, the boy
would come out and play with Henry. One
day Henry told his father that the boy talked English with him but when a person
came by he talked Indian. The actions
of the boy attracted so much attention, that it soon became known by all the
citizens around here. For a week or ten
days I tried hard to get him but did not succeed. I tried to steal him but that would not work. I had one more scheme to work and if that
failed the whites would have to go to the wigwam in a body and take the child
by force. When Sunday came I went to
hear Mr. Miller preach. After the
service was over Mr. Miller came to me and said, “I suppose you will let me
know how you are going to get the boy”
I answered him, that I could not tell that day but would the next day,
if my scheme worked. On Monday morning
I west to Mr. Judson’s store and asked for ten cents worth of candy. Judson says, “what in the world are you
going to do with so much candy.” “I am
going to see if I can’t get that boy,” was my reply. Mr. Judson after giving me the candy threw in some extra sticks,
so also did Mr. E. W. Churchill; and both wished me success. Thus armed with my material for work I went
directly to Mr. Hibbard’s house. In
these early times Mr. Hibbard had a horse-block just by the front gate. On this block the men used to sit and talk
and tell stories day in and day out. As
Henry and this boy were at play across the road, I took my seat on the block;
and as I did so held up three sticks of candy asking Henry if he wanted some
candy. He said “yes.” Says I, “come and get it.” He came, I took him on my lap and gave him
the candy. I took three sticks more and
held them up, telling Henry to ask the boy to come and get some candy, for I
wanted to talk with him. When Henry
called to him he stood and stared at me, but did not come. Henry asked him again but he only stared the
more. Then I asked him to come to me
for I wished to talk to him. At this he
yelled and ran to the tent as fast as his little legs could carry him. The old squaw who had charge of him, came
out of the tent and urged him on in the following language, accompanied by
clapping her hands, “Ah, sh, ha, ah, sh, ha.”
She then shook her fist at me and said, “old smok-i-man;” says I
returning the compliment, “you old black hag we’ll have it yet.” At this she growled out something
unintelligible to me and slunk back into the tent. I stayed around watching for a chance to get the child but the
squaw kept him in the tent. At noon
when I was starting for home to get my dinner, Mrs. Hibbard asked me to take
dinner with them for she thought the Indians mistrusted what I was up to, and
that the Indian who was hunting out west of the village might in my absence
return and they might move away.
Concurring with her opinion I stayed there. A few minutes after dinner I saw the Indian coming. I hastened out to meet him. Handing him some candy, I told him I wanted
to give that papoose some candy for I wished to talk with him. At this the Indian gave me three light taps
on the right shoulder and said, “smokiman take scalp off.” “Oh, no” said I, “good smokiman, no take
scalp off petite papoose.” He still
held that “smokiman talk scalp off papoose.”
“No, good smokiman, no take scalp of petite papoose” I again said. This conversation gave me to understand that
he knew that we thought the boy the stolen child and that I was trying to get
him. I made up my mind that something
must be done immediately. It so
happened that a few days after this conversation took place, that E. C.
Sessions, Judge Ware, Joe and Wm Hibbard, and myself were talking the matter
over, in Mr. Hibbard’s yard. While we
were talking Ward Lent came along. He
found what the subject of conversation.
Seeing the boys at play across the street he said, “Joe, call that boy
of yours and have him go back and ask that boy if he has another wigwam. If he has to come and tell you. When Henry asked him he pointed down the
river toward Vinland. Lent says, “this
is Partridge’s boy and I know it, for I looked him over yesterday.” Judge Ware then said “something better be
done about getting him.” Lent turned on
him saying, “suppose it was your boy what would you say then?” “Something must be done” was Ware’s
reply. The arrangements for the capture
of the boy were then and there made.
There were five of the Dieter boys in the village. One was sent down toward J. M Vaughan’s
place to notify the men to meet at Session’s and Dreutzer’s on the next morning
at ten o’clock, and be prepared to go to take the boy by force. Another of the Dieter’s was sent toward
Pinkerton’s, one south on the Berlin road, one towards Barton’s, and one toward
Parfreyville, Each one was to give the
settlers the above notification. I was
sent to Mr. Boughton’s, to have him go to Vinland that night to get Mr.
Partridge to come up, for we thought that unless haste was made, the Indians
would get word what we were up to and skip out, giving us no chance to get the
boy. I found Mr. Boughton near the
house plowing. Says I, “I guess we have
found Mr. Partridge’s boy, and Judge Ware wants you to go to Finland
tonight.” Boughton unhitched his oxen
from the plow and we went to the house.
Speaking to his wife he said: “wife, they think they have found
Casper.” She expressed surprise; I told
her that Ward Lent says: “he knows it is Casper.” Mrs. Boughton then said: “If there is a scar on the foot it will
never deceive me in the world.” The
sub-chief Peter thought a great deal of me.
We had had many a conversation in which I asked him the Indian word for
this and that English word. If I forgot
I would ask again until I could remember it.
By this means I learned many of the Indian words that I thought I would
need. This conversation with Mrs.
Boughton gave me something to do. I
must get the Indian words for the words foot and scar. Mr. Boughton and I came down to Mr.
Hibbard’s where Judge Ware gave him his orders. After Mr. Boughton had started on his mission I went over to the
wigwam and opening the canvas said: “Bashoo,” at which the old squaw replied,
“ah smokiman ah.” “Indian in wigwam?”
was my question. In answer to which she
replied, “ah smokiman ah” motioning toward the west to give me to understand
that the Indian was hunting up west of town.
I then asked her “Indian come in petite?” This is will the Indian come back soon. She said, “ah moon,” pointing toward the east. By this she meant that the Indian would be
back by the next sun-rise. As I came
back by Mr. Hibbard’s I told him to come up and tell me if the Indian came that
night so that I could go down and get the Indian words for scar and foot. If he did not come up I would keep watch for
him as he came down from the west in the morning. At half
past nine the next forenoon all those who had been notified to meet at Mr.
Sessions’ who could be present, were on hand.
Those who took part in rescuing the boy were the five Dieter brothers,
Joe and Wm. Hibbard, E. C. Sessions, Judge Ware, O. E. Dreutzer, Alfred
Woodward, Moses Buckman, Geor. W. Ross, Ward Lent, J. M. Vaughan, John M.
Dewey, Jas. Thomas, Granville Jones, A. B. Gee, A. Hitchcock, J. Taliday and
your humble servant. I left the company
which was collected at the north end of Main street where Mr. Sessions lived,
and took my stand near the present site of G. L. Lord’s house, to await the
return of the Indians. I had been there about fifteen minutes when I saw Peter
coming over the ill back of Judge Scott’s house. I ran down to meet him, coming to him in the hollow south of the
jail. After the usual salutation, I
said pointing to a scar on my hand, “we call that a scar, what do you call
it?” He told me and I wrote it down on
a piece of paper I had brought for the purpose. Then pointing at one of my feet I said, “we call that a foot,
what do you call it?” He told me, and I
wrote that word down. Then I told him,
“there are helps and heaps of smokiman up here and are going down to get the
papoose. You stole it when it was a
petite papoose, Winnebago two years in the sugar-bush, smokiman’s papoose,
smokiman coming, scar on the foot and we’re going to have it.” He raised his eye-brows and said, “oh! oh!
oh!” Says I “yes we are.” At this he ran for the tent as fast as ever
I saw a man run. I hastened to where
the men were but the Indian was out of sight when I got up to them. They wanted to know if I had the words. “Here’s the document,” said I, showing the
paper. I told them of the Indian’s actions,
and Ware and Vaughan said we better get down to the tent as soon as we
could. We did make quick time going
down, you better believe, for we thought they might skip out with the boy. When we reached there we found the Indians,
about forty in number, drawn up on a line the shape of an ox-bow. The ends of the bow pointed to the north and
the curve toward the south. Down in
this curve, and near the tent, was old Nahkom and the boy. The Indians were fully armed with guns,
knives and tomahawks, determined not to let us have the child. We were wholly unarmed, not having a gun
among us. It was a case where brain was
pitted against muscle. Dreutzer wanted
to do the talking with the Indians, so Judge Ware, our leader, told him to go
ahead. He tried to talk with the chief,
but the stood and laughed at him. Ware
then told me to talk with them. I
stepped up to Peter and said: “Look a’
here. The smokimen have come down to
take the papoose. You stole it when it
was a petite papoose. Winnebago two years
in the sugar bush. Smokiman’s
papoose. Scar on the foot, and we are
going to have it.” At this Peter became
excited and said: “Ah, ah, ah; no
smokiman; no fasta.” I repeated it to
him, saying, “If you don’t let us have him we are going right in after him.
You understand that, don’t you?”
Peter crossed over to the chief, touched hi, but kept pointing at me
with his finger. He then repeated what
I had said to him to the chief. Then I
said, “Yes, sir, we are.” The chief was
so made he jumped right up and down. He
took his tomahawk from his belt. (The
tomahawk was the handsomest one I ever saw; about six inches across the bit,
about the same to the eye, and had a handle about three feet in length. The handle was beautifully stained and
varnished.) This the chief took to the
squaw. Going to the wigwam he opened
the canvas and made a motion for the squaw to enter. When she did so he told her, “If any smokiman come to wigwam to
take papoose put tomahawk down through the head, heap, heap, heap,” motioning
out with his hands the way she was to serve us should we go to the tent for the
boy. After the squaw and papoose were, as he thought, safely lodged within the
tent, he came back to his place at the end of the line. He looked across the bow at Peter and then
at me, and made a cross with the first fingers on both hands. Peter returned the signal. Both drew long knives from their belts. These knives were made from files and had
handles of deer horn. The chief raised
his left hand in front of him about even with his breast, and raising the knife
with his right hand struck down three times over his hand, saying each time,
“Heap, heap, heap. Ah, squaw, smokiman
heap, heap, heap.” Peter repeated the
warning. Said I: “Smokiman no let you go away. If there is scar on his foot he is
smokiman’s. If no scar we give it right
up.” Again they went through their
warning to us to keep away. Dreutzer
said, “If any man will go in and keep the squaw from splitting my head open I
will take the child.” Said I, “come
right along with me.” So we went to the
tent. I opened the tent and stepped
in. As I did so the squaw raised the
tomahawk for the purpose of throwing it at me.
I told her: “If you throw that
at me there’s a dead squaw right here, for I’ll kill you in a minute.” I spatted my hands, made a spring at her,
grabbed her by the wrist and dub in my fingers as hard as I could. She had the tomahawk raised, but I pinched her
wrist so hard that she was compelled to drop it. The child was fastened to her by a belt. As the tomahawk fell she reached for it with
her left hand, which was free. I told
her: “If you get that tomahawk I will
bung your eye right out. Ah, sh,
ah.” I then told Dreutzer that I was
ready, and he came round from behind me and took the boy. After Dreutzer had taken the boy out of the
tent the squaw again attempted to get the tomahawk. I said to her: “If you
move there is a dead squaw right here.” From the
wigwam we took the boy to the men who were waiting. The Indians offered no resistance at the time but were terribly
excited. We found that the Indians had
tarred and greased and smoked the boy from head to foot, and had cut both
corners of his mouth about one sixteenth of an inch. They had branded him twice on the breast with a hot horse shoe,
which brand showed the full shape of the shoe in the flesh. We conveyed the child to Mr. Dreutzer’s
house (on the Beadleston corner) and there left him in charge of Mrs. Dreutzer,
Mrs. S. F. Ware, Mrs. Boughton and Mrs. Sessions. After they had removed the tar, grease and smoke (no small job)
they found a scar on his foot. Mrs.
Boughton said, “It is Casper.” At the
sound of his name the boy looked up and smiled. Mr. Partridge did not come that night, so Mr. Powers and I took
the child across the river to Elder Silas Miller’s house. Here we remained all night to watch him lest
the Indians should come and steal him again.
Once in the night he came near getting away, but we caught him and kept
him. The next day Mr. Partridge came. At first he did not recognize, in the black
begrimed boy, his child; but as soon as he saw the scar on the boy’s foot he
said, “Oh, it is my dear boy Casper.”
As before, at the mention of his name the boy looked up and smiled. Mr. Partridge in company with Mr. Boughton
took the boy home to Vinland that day. The
Chief Marp, Peter and Nahkom, with nine other Indians, went to Milwaukee to
interview Grewno, the head chief of the Menomonees, about the matter. He advised them to let the affair drop and
to have no war. Marp was not pleased
with this advice and returned to Waupaca with the same feeling as he
entertained when he left. They sent
messengers up north and got two tribes of Chippewa and one tribe of Sioux to
take the war path with them. At this time Congress was in session. Mr. Wilson Holt wrote to a Mr. Williams, the
representative from Fond du Lac county, that the Indians had stolen a white
child, that there was danger of war, and requested him to send an interpreter
immediately. In response to this
request Mr. Cutting Marsh, who had been for a considerable time previous to
this, a missionary among the Stockbridge, was sent to assist us in the
threatened difficulty. He arrived at
this village at about seven o’clock in the evening of December 15, ‘51. He found his way to Mr. Sessions’ house,
where I was stopping at the time, and made his business known. He said he had been sent by Congress as an
interpreter to the Indians, and that he wished to talk with them that
night. He wished someone to guide him
to the encampment -- someone who could keep his mouth shut on the way
down. Mr. A. M. Gard, who happened to
be at the house, said, motioning toward me, “He is the Indian man he will go.” Mr. Marsh turned to me and asked me if I
would go. “I’m your man,” was my
answer. I led the way to the tent,
situated, as I before described, on the grounds now owned by Mrs. LeGro, and
Mr. Ware. When we arrived at the
grounds he asked me which tent the chief was in? “That is the tent we took the child from,” said I pointing at the
tent, where but a short time before we had, had such an exciting time. Directed to take the lead, I opened the
canvass of the wigwam and said; “Bashoo” (how do you do),. They replied by the same salutation. We entered the tent and stood near the
door. Peter stood at my right, Mr.
Marsh at my left, the chief beyond Mr. Marsh.
The squaw was sitting across the tent in front of us. They were making the necessary arrangements
for the fight. I could hear them tell
what my fate was to be. I turned to
Peter and said; “Smokiman has come to talk with you.” Mr. Marsh asked me if Peter was the chief? “No” said I, “the chief stands at your
left.” He turned and began talking to
him. I saw the squaw draw a knife from
her belt and draw the back across her fingers, making the threat “Old smokiman
petite, petite,” meaning by this that I was to be killed by being hacked into
small pieces or by having small pieces taken off until dead. Says I, threatening her with my fist, “put
up that knife or I’m coming right over there.
Ah sh ah, now.” The knife went
up. I happened to look around and saw
that the chief was laughing at Mr. Marsh for what he had said. This
provoked Mr. Marsh, and he said to the chief “If you do have war with the
citizens, they will rise and annihilate every one of you.” At this the chief stood and trembled, he was
so frightened. The laugh was in the
other corner of his mouth. Peter gave
me three taps on the shoulder saying, “Indian kill no smokiman.” Says I, “heaps and heaps of smokiman are
coming from Strong’s Landing, and heaps and heaps gun-wagon coming and we will
kill every Indian in two days, if you do go to war.” He placed one hand on each of my shoulders and said, as the tears
coursed down his dusky cheek, “Good smokiman, Indian kill no smokiman.” Said I, “when the moon is up petite there
will be heaps and heaps of smokiman here with heaps and heaps gun-wagon, and we
will kill you all in two days.” The
chief directed Peter and Nahkom to saddle their ponies and take their wigwam to
Grand Rapids. He then went to the open
air and gave the most blood curdling war whoop I ever heard. At the sound the Indians gathered round the
chief. He ordered them to move to Grand
Rapids. Before they separated I
said: “Now look a’here. If there is a heap squaw, or a heap
smokiman, or a petite squaw, or petite smokiman killed or gone will kill you
anyhow.” The difficulty was peaceably
settled and the danger of a war averted.
The Indians left Waupaca in a hurry.
The chief Marp, Peter and Nahkom were never seen here since they left,
but some of the other Indians stayed about here for a long time. They always remembered me, but at no time
did I feel any anxiety about my personal safety. In what I have given on this chapter, I have stated the facts as
they occurred and have given parts of the conversation as it was spoken. On
Sunday the 4th of January, while the citizens of Vinland were assembled for
Divine service, it was announced by Mr. Boughton, to the congregation, that the
lost Casper was found. This joyful news
was received with the strongest manifestations of satisfaction by all, and
every one stood eagerly ready to go immediately for the boy. Mr. Boughton, although he had traveled on
foot forty miles, without rest nearly all night, instantly returned with the
two teams with which Mr. Partridge, his brother and six others, started for
Waupaca Falls. On their
arrival in the evening, they found the child together with its professed
parents, at Mr. Dreutzer’s house. The
other Menomonees had left, threatening to return with a force of two
hundred. The desire became intense to
know whether the father could identify the child. A brief examination was then made, after which the company
retired to rest, leaving the house well guarded in case of the threatened
return of the Indians. The next morning
the child was washed and again brought forward for inspection. It is not wonderful that the father could
not recognize the son, as delineated in his memory, in the dark, Indian
complexion, thick lips, swollen nose and emaciated form of the child now before
him. His brother, however, a careful
observer of phrenological developments, and who had been intimately acquainted
with Casper, after a critical examination, was induced to believe it the
identical child. Opinion
was very much divided, and no one was positive in his belief. It was finally agreed that the assumed
mother, step-father, and the two papooses, should accompany them, on their
return, as far as the residence of a Mr. Powell, a half-breed, and the United
States interpreter for that tribe. On
arriving at his residence Mr. Powell stated that he knew nothing of the child;
he only knew that Nahkom had some children by her first husband, and that she
had lost some, but how many he could not state. He proposed that the Indians should accompany the friends to Mr.
Partridge’s house, and that Mrs. Partridge should be allowed to decide the
matter herself; this was acceded to. The
agitation produced by the tidings, had collected a great number of persons at
Mr. P’s residence, who, with hearts beating with the deepest emotion, were
awaiting the arrival of the company. The mother, who was standing in the door,
as the child was brought in, raised the blanket in which he was enveloped, and
exclaimed, with great agitation: “This is not the one, show me the other.” “I took the child in my arms,” said Mrs. P.,
and drew near the fire. He wore a shawl
for a blanket, and had on an old shirt, a pair of linen pants, and thick
moccasins. His hair was very black,
stuck together, and braided and twisted up in a cue: which when combed, was
quite long. His mouth had the
appearance of being burnt, large scars being visible on either corner. I washed him thoroughly in warm water, with
soap, and warmed him by the fire. His
ears, his flat-noise, his hands and feet looked natural to her. I felt as though I must take him and run ‘I
remarked to Mr. Partridge, how natural his feet look! They are so white, and less colored than the rest of his
skin. Don’t you think, I asked, that
they look natural? They are square-toed
like yours.” “Yes” he
replied, and they are all I can see natural about him.” He kept
constantly pawing with his hands and crying to get to the old squaw, who cat
such glances at him, when least observed, as led us to believe, more than ever,
that she was not his mother. The crowd
did not disperse until twelve o’clock that night, and commenced to re-assemble
the next morning before breakfast was over; but none, alas! who had known
Casper, was able to positively decide that he was the brother of the little
girls then in the room, while others who had never seen him, detected
remarkable resemblance in the contour of their features and general form. Mr.
Powell having been sent for to act as an interpreter, arrived at the Mr. P’s
late in the evening: he said he had been to Poygan and learned the facts
concerning the child; that there were fifty persons there ready to take oath
that they had known the child for five years past. He mentioned several names, and among them, that of Mrs. Dousman,
whose testimony will be found in the trial evidence. He manifested great sympathy for Mr. Partridge, in his
afflictions, and being a man of easy address, he insinuated himself into the
confidence of Mr. P and succeeded in getting his consent to allow the boy to be
taken back to the Indians the next morning.
His conduct on this occasion go to prove that “The world may smile, and
smile, and be a villain still.” On the
evening of the next day, Frederick H. Partridge, who had accompanied his
brother on the trip to Waupaca for the child, and who was so decided as to its
real parentage, having been absent for the two days past on important business,
reached home, and was no little surprised to find that the boy was again with
the Indians. It was determined, at last
to take measures for the recovery of the child, that the affair might have a
candid investigation. No decisive
action was taken, until Friday, the 9th instant. On that day William Partridge, a brother of Mr. P., who had been
absent, started on the search for recovery, taking with him a friend who was
present at the time the boy was brought home from Waupaca, who could identify
the same child if seen. They
went directly to a Mr. Cowen’s, a half-breed Indian trader, concealing the
object of their visit by offering an exchange of commodities which they took
with them. During their conversation,
the affair of the lost child was indifferently alluded to, Mr. Powell, at that
time unknown to them, being present, took up the subject, referred to the
excitement throughout the country, and intimated that Partridge would have to
pay dearly for his outrage on the Indians, and said that he had reported the
whole matter to the Menomonee Agent, by whom it would soon be attended to. To their farther inquires he stated that the
boy had been taken to his home on the Waupaca, and that the Indians would soon
be moving to their sugar camp near Lake Poygan. Our adventurers went immediately to Waupaca, but found they had
been gone several days. From the
Waupacaian’s they learned that the Indians encamped there regularly, at the beginning
of the hunting season, which is about the last of November. The inhabitants were well acquainted with
that band - especially with all who had been there the previous fall, except
the boy in question. They had
never seen him before, and particularly noticed him, as he appeared to be
connected with no family of the tribe, but shared with any and every one as
opportunity offered. He showed a
decided preference for playing with the white children, used many English words
clearly; and at one time, being told by an offended play fellow that he was a
little Indian, he said, “I ain’t, I am smokiman’s (white man’s) papoose.” He was frequently heard to make similar
remarks. These accounts reached the
ears of a person acquainted with the
Partridge family, and the singular disappearance of the boy Casper. He went to the encampment, told his
convictions to several settlers near the spot, and with them proceeded to the
wigwam where the child was. After
observing him, and changing some remarks with the Indians, he left, more than
ever convinced that it was Mr. Partridge’s child. This led to the discovery as
before related; but a few particulars may be added here. The first child shown to Mrs. Boughton, at
the house of Mr. Hibbard, had a light complexion, squinting eyes, and hair
inclined to curl. At first sight she
concluded it was not the child; but being anxious to find something to agree
with the opinion of the community, she drew off his moccasins, and, after
washing his feet, vainly tried to find the scar which she knew was on Casper’s
ankle. After questioning him and receiving
only unmeaning grins for replies, showing his utter ignorance of what was asked
she concluded that there was some mistake.
In a short time another was presented in the same manner; and being
asked if she thought it her brother’s, she with no little surprise,
acknowledged that it might be possible, his general features, though swollen,
and disfigured, appearing quite like Casper.
She found the scar upon his ankle, though very dim, yet decided by two
medical gentlemen present, to have been made by an edged took and answering to
that upon Casper’s foot. He was
quite observing of things around him.
In reply to her questions whether he had certain uncles and aunts,
naming these with whom he had been best acquainted, he bowed his head - that
being his usual sign for an affirmative.
When she mentioned some who were not his relatives he shook his
head. She then inquired if he had an
aunt Maria, he bowed his head; was she present in the room? He turned and looked very closely at Mrs.
Boughton, but, being asked if she was the one, he, after some hesitation, shook
his head. Some one inquired what his
name was; Mrs. B., replied “Casper.” At
the mention of the name he looked attentively at her, although he paid no
attention to other names when repeated.
When asked if he had a sister Loretta, and if he had lived with Mr.
Partridge he gave his usual assent; but when asked if he wished to live with
him again, he shook his head, and commencing to cry started immediately for the
wigwam. Mrs. Boughton was perfectly
satisfied that it was her brother’s child, and insisted on its being instantly
taken from the Indians, lest they should run off and secrete it. The action made by the citizens has been
already related. From Waupaca the two
men proceeded in further search for the child.
They found the encampment, on Tuesday evening, the 12th instant, near
the road leading from Weyauwega to Berlin, about seven miles from Little River
Mills, and an equal distance from Pine River Mills. That night they stayed at the former place, intending the
following morning, to return to the encampment with a sufficient force to
recover the child by a legal process.
It was however, thought best, the next day, to go to the camp, and find out
how the Indians would feel and act, and ascertain if the child was there. Securing
the assistance of an interpreter, with two or three others, they then
returned. Some of the company took with
them articles to sell to the tribe, and were received as traders. It was soon found that the boy was not
there, but at the Pay-ground, or Poy-gannie, as the Indians termed it. On reaching the Pay-ground they found the
child in the keeping of an old squaw.
He had recently received a severe wound in the fleshy part of his leg,
just above the knee, and was consequently quite unwell. There were resident in the place, at that
time, an old trader, from Massachusetts, by the name of Webster, a Catholic
priest, (Bonduel) as missionary, who was also connected in the schools for the
Indians, with Mrs. Douseman, an elderly widow.
This place being fourteen miles from Vinland, was visited for several
days, by the friends of Mr. Partridge, and efforts made to get the child for a
short time, that a clear investigation of the matter might be had. Mr. Webster stated that he had known the
child from its birth, and had often given it bread while on its mother’s back.
Mrs. Dousman, too, was positive, and was indignant when it was intimated that
the child was a white man’s. Mr.
Partridge’s friends urged that if the Indians
were correct in their claims, an investigation could do them no harm; if
unjust, it would lead to a rightful settlement of the affair, and peace
restored to the community, and no unfriendly feelings kept alive, by imaginary
wrongs against the Indians. It was
proposed that the child should be given into the custody of Mr. P’s friends for
a few weeks, and the child then be permitted to decide the matter for
himself. After some time the consent of
all parties was given to this, except that of the squaw, Mahdom, who still
remained at the encampment in the woods before mentioned. The last time Mr. Partridge’s friends
visited Poygan, to obtain the consent of all to the proposition, Messrs. Powell
and Cowen were present. They acceded to
the overture offered; and volunteered their endeavors to accomplish an
adjustment, if the friends of Mr. P. would have Nahkom there on the morrow,
which they accordingly did. The next
day at the appointed hour, the friends of Mr. P. waited for Powell and Cowen,
at the Mission house. The priest
(Bonduel) expressed great sympathy for the afflicted family; wished that he
could see the poor mother, that he might console her, but concluded that the
child could not be hers. Mrs. Dousman
was very morose, when the matter was mentioned, declaring the requisition of
the child to be an outrage on the squaw, and high folly for the “Americans to
ask any such thing.” After some further
conversation, Powell and Cowen came in.
Much to the surprise of Mr. Partridge’s friends, and without stating any
reasons for so doing, Mr. Powell said he had determined that the child should
not go with the whites; that he had secured legal advice, and that Nahkom had
no right, though she should prove willing to surrender the child; Partridge, he
said excitedly, had better let the matter rest, or he should pay dear enough
for what was already done. Here this
attempt ended; showing, in its unvarnished detail, the malignant influence of
treachery, on the part of Powell, in prolonging a case which had made sorrowful
many a heart, and aroused an unusual agitation throughout the country. An
application was afterwards made to the Indian Agent, Mr. Sawyer but he gave no
satisfaction, further than a promise to meet the parties at Poygan, the next
Tuesday. On the next Tuesday morning, a
large number of friends, with the father, started in advance for Poygan, they
having taken the precaution to secure a writ of habeas corpus for the seizure of the child, in case the agent did
not satisfactorily settle the matter.
The agent, supposing they came without any legal authority to obtain the
child, refused to have anything to do with it, and told them they must look to
the assistance of the law. When,
however, Mr. Kimball, the constable of Oshkosh, (in whose hands the writ was
placed) together with Wm. Partridge, arrived and made their business known; the
agent concluded to send an Indian to the encampment, where Nahkom had gone with
the child, directing her to go to Oshkosh, the county seat of Winnebago, and take
the boy with her. This Indian was
accompanied by Mr. Kimball, Frederick and Wm. Partridge, and an Indian chief
named Lamont; and the child was taken to Oshkosh. By verbal order of Judge Brown, Mr. Kimball took the child in
charge and kept him until brought before the court. Many persons examined the child while there. Among these was Mr. Smalley, who had been an
Indian trader, and was conversant in the Monomonee language; but at that time a
practicing lawyer and Justice of the Peace.
He first examined the cheek bones of the boy unusually prominent from
emaciation, and pronounced him as certainly having Indian blood. He then awoke the child, who was asleep and
asked him questions in Menomonee. He inquired how many deer the child’s father
had killed that season, to which he made reply as also to the question how many
coons he had killed, and other s of a similar kind. When asked in English, why he did not talk in English, the boy
replied, that his mother would whip him if he talked English in a white man’s
house. A short time after, the boy,
with Mr. Smalley and others, stepped out of the house, when Mr. S. said: “You
are no Indian you are a white boy,” to which the child replied “I dare not
tell, that, for I am afraid of my
mother.” At this Mr. S. expressed great
surprise, still insisting that from his complexion and features he must be an
Indian. The next
morning a daughter of Mr. Partridge was brought to Oshkosh; Mr. Smalley, on
calling the second time and seeing the striking resemblance between the two
children, confessed that he had no doubt that the two were brother and
sister. These statements he denied in a
few hours. Many believed from his
conduct that he had been bribed by the Indians, but this he positively denied
to Mr. Partridge, but acknowledged that they were to pay him one hundred
dollars for his service as assistant attorney.
As the affair now assumed the form of a contested claim, the case on
Thursday, was put in the hands of the commissioner. This was done on account of the indisposition of Judge
Brown. When the child was brought into
his office for examination, such a crowd had gathered that they were obliged to
get the M. E. church, where they again met, when the case by consent of both
parties was continued over until Thursday, February 12th. The
child was in charge of the Sheriff, Mr. Cooley, to be free of access to both
parties. That impartial justice might the more effectually be accomplished, a
Mr. Stanley, who could partially converse in Monomonee, was employed, designing
that no secret conference should be had with the child. Mr.
Cooley the next day, declared, in a public manner, his conviction that the
child was Nahkom’s, and the following Monday, when Frederick and Wm. Partridge,
with a few friends called to see the boy, Cooley and Stanley went away with the
child and did not return until nearly dark.
It was requested then, that the child and its mother, in charge of
Stanley, might be allowed to accompany them home. To this Cooley flatly refused to accede, saying the child was the
squaw’s and she should have it. He
forbid the brothers of Mr. Partridge the privilege or again coming there,
asserting that they had no business to meddle in the matter. How differently the Indians were treated can
be seen from a few facts. They always
had free access to, and control of the child.
He was seen at different times, in the streets of Oshkosh, painted in
the Indian manner, with his hair, naturally a dark brown colored to a jet
black. Was this even-handed
justice? Will that mind to whom the
power is given, discriminate justly the right from the wrong? Let us hope for the best; and while we give
a plain unvarnished account of the trial, let the reader observe which party,
by evidence “Strong as proof of Holy Writ,” establishes in plain truth the most
sincere claim. Write of
habeas corpus ad se, issued by Jedediah Brown, Esq., County
judge of Winnebago Co., and sent to E. S. Butterick, Esq., court commissioner
for said county. On account of the ill
health of said Judge, and his inability to try the same, January 20, 1852, the
parties appeared before the court commissioner, at the court house in said
county, and at the instance of the respective parties, the hearing upon said matter was continued until the 12th day
of February, 1852, at which time the parties, by their respective counsel,
appeared and the following witnesses were sworn. William
Partridge called - Reside in Vinland with Wakeman Partridge. I am petitioner in this case. My brother lost a child two years ago; I was
not in the place at that time; was not acquainted with the circumstances,
particularly until this winter. Mrs. Lucia Partridge called - Reside in Vinland; was
29 years last July; have been married to Alvin Partridge nine years; have four
children; Loretta, a girl, was seven last July; Casper Appoles, the second, a
boy was five last May; the third Lucinda, a girl, was three last December; and
a babe. Casper was lost on the 19th of
April 1850; we were making sugar that
spring at a place five miles north of us; on Friday morning we started for the
camp, taking our children with us, after we had been in the woods about an
hour, the child was missing, lost; we made diligent search but found nothing of
him that day; the next day some tracks were found. The search was kept up six days; the neighbors turned out and
searched in every direction but nothing was found of him. I think the tracks found were his because he
had lost off one shoe in the morning, and the print of one shoe was plain; the
other track was that of a stocking foot; no tidings of said child until
now. I first heard on Sunday, 4th of
January last, that he was among the Indians; we started two teams with eight
men in search immediately, they brought him to our house; this is the child
brought; in my opinion it is my child, have not the least doubt of it; have had
some intercourse with him; think his color has changed in the time; his feet,
ears, nose and shape of his face appear natural; his face is much darker. I think he recognized a little dog, and a
toy dollar, which he had; kissed me when I gave him the dollar: the cloak he
wore the morning he was lost, and which had not been taken from the trunk from
that time until now, when shown to him, he said in Indian, (so interpreted to
me,) that he saw it at my house last spring; was pleased when I gave it to him;
another garment - a linen sack, he recognized; when presented to him he said
the same about it. I think he
recognized his grandmother, from the fact that, though afraid of others, he
went directly to her; he also recognized a girl who used to be his playmate,
Elizabeth Hober. These three children
before me, I think, are mine; I know no difference between them, would as soon
fight for one another; have no rational doubt but that they are all mine. I thought I detected a scar, but it was so
small as not to be seen plainly; I thought at first that his hair was very
thick - it looks now more natural; was brown when lost, since washing it is
lighter. When brought to me his hair
was long and braided; I oiled and combed it and it seemed much thinner than
before; it was much matted; it was very gummy and sticky; the water in which it
was washed was much colored - black, so black that the bottom of the vessel
could not be seen. I had not as much
recourse to him as I could wish. I
washed his feet, and they were white, not colored like other parts of his
body. He now has scars on each side of
his mouth, on his stomach, four under his chin, and one on his side; he said (so
interpreted to me) that they were made by something the size of his finger,
formed to make scars; he called it medicine. There was smoke seen the morning after he
was lost, supposed to be made by the Indians, on a little island. My oldest girl thought he was her brother
when first shown to her; she had no doubt about it; the school children thought
it the lost child. He said the white
folks wanted to skin him, and make a white child of him; he said that he dare
not tell that he was a white child. Cross Examined - I recognized him when
brought to my house; thought him my child when he got warm; at first, when he
came he was muffled up, and I exclaimed that he was not my child; when
unwrapped and armed I thought him my child.
I have heard him speak some English words He was four years old when lost; I have tried every possible
means to learn that he is my child. I
have not had his affections as much as I could wish; have not had as full
access to him as I desired. I can
recollect back to three years of age but at that time no important fact was
impressed on my mind. I can’t say I should have remembered it if I
had been taken by the Indians at that age.
II could recognize any marks on the child when lost, there was a small
cut which left a scar. This boy has not
a flat head behind, is round shouldered, and toed out; think he looks like his
grandmother. I told Mr. Powell I
thought it my child; he did not put the question, “do you and Mr. Partridge
claim that child.” Mr. Powell came to
our house late at night, after the child had been taken from his residence;
said he had been to the Pay-ground and found facts, and had come to satisfy us
that it was not our child; we let the child go back because we could not keep
the Indians; did not let the child go willingly; could not say I told Mr.
Cooley that I was afraid my affections were becoming too much centered on the
child; he told me not to let them and warned me against it. The child has not been in my possession at
all; have had no control of him since he has been in custody; he was at my
house about two days. I did not think
it my child at first, it being so disfigured, the Indian woman being with him,
and not having a good chance to see him.
Neither me, my husband, nor any one else made any propositions to buy
this child, when brought to our house, nor did I hear any one request Mr.
Powell to ask the Indians what they would take for him; when the child was
first brought in the room was quite full; requested that the child might stay
with me awhile, but did not want the Indians there; never heard a proposition
to pay fifty dollars for the child. I
told Mr. Powell that the Indians had better stay over night, do not recollect
that Mr. Powell asked if the child was ours. Alvin Partridge called - Reside in Vinland,
Winnebago Co., Wis., am a married man; Lucia Partridge here in court is my
wife; have four children, Loretta, Casper Appollos, Lucinda Amelia, and the
fourth, Caroline, a babe; the boy in court is Casper. A year ago last spring I made sugar on a timbered lot I have in
the township of Clayton; one day I west up to gather sap to make vinegar,
taking with me my wife and three children, (the youngest was not then
born.) We had been there about an hour
when Casper was missed; I immediately started in search, and after looking some
time called some neighbors to assist me; a dozen of s searched for a time, and
then sent out to raise a general alarm; the search was very general, as many as
a thousand being out at a time; the search was continued six days. We formed a line near the camp with horsemen
enough to keep it straight, and marched two or three miles and returned, those
on the outside marking the trees, so that the ground should be all covered; in
this way the country was searched for miles; all the marks found during the
search were three tracks on a little mound, some 40 or 50 rods from the camp;
it was reported that many Indian and pony tracks were seen; we designed to
examine every foot of the ground where the child could possibly stray; some of
the company remarked that not a foot of the ground, or a spot large enough for
a dollar to lie, was missed; I am positive the child could not have been in the
country searched either dead or alive.
The day after we gave up we heard the child was among the Indians; in
that particular case it was not true. I
employed Mr. Caldwell to make a general search among them; he told me he went
across Rat River, where the Indians were making sugar. On Sabbath, the 4th of January last, a
messenger was sent to me announcing that the child was among the Indians, at
Waupaca Falls. I west with two teams
and eight men for him; we found a boy there in possession of the whites, who
had detained him until my arrival, thinking was my child; I examined the
boy - did not look natural - I could
not make him; he was frightened and crying all the time; I told the people then
that his feet, hands, etc., looked natural.
The Indians were unwilling to give him up; so, with their consent, we
brought him, the Indian man and woman, together with two other children to our
house. This boy here in court is Casper
Partridge, the son of Lucia Partridge; I am his father, was present at his
birth - know it to be the child, and am positive of it as of any other fact
that I know, feel, or have seen. Cross
Examined - The country south of the spot where the child was lost, is openings;
on the north, timbered land; the mound was towards a marsh and a trail; I
cannot swear that three were any tracks of Indians; I can swear that this child
is mine: if I had known it to have
lived with an Indian woman from its birth I could have sworn to it. There are wild animals in the neighborhood -
gophers, badgers, etc.; know of no vicious animals, but have heard of gray
wolves in the country. I don’t know how
the child came out of the hands of the Indians at Waupaca; did not ask Mr.
Powell to send a runner among them to find the child; soon after it was lost I
asked Mr. Powell to go and see if it was among them; said he would send some
one; I did not ask him, when the child was brought to my house, if the Indians
would sell it, I had not the privilege of keeping the child; I took it next
morning to Mr. Powell; I put great confidence in him until I learned to the
contrary. I first saw the child, after
it was lost, at a house at Waupaca Falls; it was brought from thence to Mr.
Powell’s. I did not promise and none
was made, to my knowledge, that, if allowed to take the child I would return it
next day. I have offered as high as two
thousand dollars for the finding of the child.
I have seen Menomonee Indians, for the last five years; have never
traded only small trades, among them; have never seen a half-breed with blue
eyes; do not talk Menomonee; I am well satisfied the boy understands English;
have head him say “yes” and “no” and “don’t cut the skin;” at that time no one
was by who understood Menomonee - but I head a neighbor ask Mr. Powell if any
words in that tongue sounded like “don’t cut the skin;” he said there was
none;; know not where the boy has lived the last two years; do not know whether
he lived at Winneconne; he now talks what is called Menomonee - don’t talk
English to me; he has been gone a year from last April. Wm.
Partridge recalled - I first saw the child in a wigwam, near the Missionary
school, at the Pay-ground; did not go directly from Mr. Powell’s house to the
wigwam - it was nearly a week afterwards; do not know that it was taken from
the Indians until the Sheriff took it.
I was here in Wisconsin three years ago; cannot swear that this child is
my brother’s but do not doubt that it is; was not well enough acquainted with
it; saw it only a few times before it was lost. While the child was at Mr.
Kimball’s I was with it a good deal, and took pains to learn if he understood
English; he heard a pig squealing; I said: “Let us go and see the pig,” and he
led the way to the pen; I said to him, often, “let us go in and warm,” and he
would start for the house; he had money in a purse which he buried in a pile of
chips; I told him to take it out or some one would find it; he immediately did
so; he was fond of chasing the dogs, and when I mentioned different ones he
would chase them as directed. I spoke
in English; understood nothing of the Menomonee.
Frederick H. Partridge sworn - Reside in Vinland; am a brother of Alvin
Partridge’s; was intimately acquainted with Casper; the next I knew of him
after being found, was at Mr. Dreutzer’s house, at Waupaca; first saw him
there; examined him closely for half an hour and was convinced he was my
brother’s child; because his features, though black and dirty, corresponded so
exactly with those of the boy lost; no doubt was left in my mind that it was
the child; I thought best to take him, and the Indians claiming him, together;
this arrangement was made by signs, and their consent secured. In preparing the child to go, he plainly
said: “Don’t cut the skin,” as plain as any child could speak it. This child in
court is Casper Partridge; I no more doubt it, than I do the identity of my own
children; have heard him say repeatedly, “Yes, sir” and “No, sir.”
Elizabeth Hober called - I have lived in Alvin Partridge’s family; was
acquainted with his children - with Casper; have known him since he was born;
have no doubt this is the child; since he was found he has, satisfactorily, to
me, recognized me. Wm.
Dunham called - Am acquainted with Alvin and Lucia Partridge, also with their
children; have no doubt this boy is Casper, from seeing him before he was lost,
and now; have heard him speak English words. Philip
Hober called - Am acquainted with the family of Alvin Partridge; am a
connection; was quite intimate with Casper and think this is the boy. Wakeman
Partridge called - Am the father of Alvin Partridge; have known Casper since he
was an infant; the boy in court, I have no doubt is Casper; I believe it from
the way he acted when first found, and from the resemblance.
(Here the claimant rested, and the Defense opened). Edward
F. Sawyer called - Reside at Winneconne;
have many times seen the Indian woman who claims the child; have known her and
the child two years, and before the loss of Mr. Partridge’s. He was brought by Mr. Cowen, two years ago
this February, together with its mother, from his sugar camp on Rat River, to
his (C.’s) house; this boy looked like the one brought; have seen him from time
to time since; at the time it was brought down it talked nothing but Indian; I
understand Indian, somewhat; the woman, claiming this child, has lived about
Winneconne, most of the time for two years;
have seen the boy at different times; he has run among American
children; have no doubt that Menomonee woman is his mother, because she has
always taken care of it and always claimed it. Cross
Examined - Know it was two years ago that Cowan brought this child to his
house, because I came from Lake Shauwann then, and waited for him until he came
from Rat River; while there the child was there two or three days; we had much
sport about the child; called it a half-breed; no other half-breeds there but
Cowan’s; my attention was called to this child because its feature resembled a
white’s more than an Indian’s. I next
saw the child with the rest of the family, when coming from their sugar camp,
at Winneconne, was not particularly in its company; don’t know when next I saw
it, saw it last summer at Winneconne.
The child has been back and forth at Winneconne and Cowan’s, and I have
seen it; can’t tell how often; do not know of that Indian woman having another
child about the same age; first noticed the child in February; April following
came to Oshkosh to court; then news came in the paper that Mr. Partridge’s
child was lost. I looked and made frequent inquiry among the Indians; there was
sugar made that year in February by the Indians; have resided, mostly, with Mr.
Cowan for two years; this Indian woman resided during that time, to my certain
knowledge, in his vicinity; most of the band to which this Indian woman belongs
made sugar that year near Rat River, about six miles west of where the child
was lost,
Re-examined-in-chief - The child talked nothing but Indian when brought
to Cowan’s, two years ago; heard him speak; don’t remember what he said. George
Cowan called - Have known this Indian woman nearly eight years; have known the
child seven years; I heard when Partridge’s child was lost; I brought this boy
to my house the February before. I live
a mile above Winneconne; this woman for the last two years, lived about a mile
from my place; she has been at my house often; I have played with the boy; know
he is the child, because I knew it when it was born - have seen it growing,
though not often - have seen him at the Payments every day, and at other times
about twice in the summer. Brought him
from Rat River; the man and woman came with me; this is the boy - I know him by
the hurt on his breast, received before Mr. Partridge’s child was lost; it was
shown to my wife that she might cure it. Cross
Examined - The boy was born at Poygan just after Payment, in 1844; saw him in
his mother’s arms the winter after. My
wife told me he was hurt three years ago - never since; there was only one scar
on his breast. Mrs.
Rosalin Dousman called - Have know this Indian woman since 1847; have known the
child too; have known it at my house - the Mission House - have no doubt this
is the child; the woman called it son, and he called her mother; have always
seen it with her. I have often fed it;
it sometimes called me grandmother; this was before Mr. P’s loss; the grand-mother
of this woman lives in our yard, and her aunt is a servant in our house; the
Indians come and go while hunting, fishing, etc. Cross
Examined - He was between two and three years old in 1847; a delicate, but
smart child; have heard from its mother and uncle that it was hurt when an
infant. Alfred
Crosby called - Have known this Indian woman and this child since a year ago
last July; he then talked Menomonee; do not know if he could talk English;
could not tell who his mother is. Henry Stanley
called - Can talk Monomonee considerably, have been with the child since it has
been at Mr. Cooley’s; have tried every way to see if he could talk English; and
to all my questions he replied that he could not understand me. The Indian woman was at Mr. Cooley’s the
first night I was there; she went away - was gone nine days, and came back; in
that time the child had all possible liberty, and was indulged in
everything. I never asked him if he had
ever been stolen; but asked him if he had ever made sugar with white
folks. I have tried every way to find
out if he was a white child; am
satisfied he is the Indian’, from his telling circumstances that happened among
the Indians; have heard him speak some English words, pronouncing after the
boys, in the bar-room, which he seemed pleased to do. While the Indian woman was gone Mrs. Partridge called; I think
four or five days after she had been there, she told me she could not swear it
was her child. Cross
Examined - First saw the boy t Kimball’s; went home and told mother I thought
it was Partridge’s child; do not remember telling any other so. Sheriff
Cooley called - Heard Mrs. Partridge say the second or third day after she had
been there, that she was not positive it was her child; she was washing it at
the time; I told her not to let her affections become too much set on the
child; have had all possible chance to satisfy themselves. The Indian woman was not there after the
first until the ninth day, the child has been under no fear from her influence,
to my knowledge; have heard him speak many words in English. Joseph
Revior called - Have been acquainted with this woman seven years; have seen the
boy; have no doubt the child is hers. I was at work for the Government,
blacksmithing at Winneconne, and he came into the shop nearly every day; knew
him before Partridge’s was lost; first time saw him, he was tied up in
bonds. I have seen him growing up every
year. In February, three years ago, I
was discharged; in April I went with Mr. dodge across Poygan; saw the child
there; as I came back I met Mr. Partridge who said he had lost his child, and
was looking for it among the Indians; I know this child is the Indian’s; when I
saw him in the blacksmith’s shop he talked Menomonee; I cannot be mistaken in
him. Cross
Examined - Am well acquainted with him; do not know his name; when I was at the
sugar camp, two years ago, he cold talk good English. John L.
William s called - Have been acquainted with this Indian woman over five years;
have seen the child frequently; never, I think before Mr. Partridge’s was lost;
noticed it particularly in June last; it could then speak good Menomonee; the
boy is the same that I saw. John
Johnson called - Have never seen this woman until this winter; first saw the
child last October at the Pay-ground; he spoke good Menomonee. I was employed by Wm. Partridge, to
interpret for him as I understood the language somewhat - was with him two
days; he paid me some money; said he was short of funds and if the child was
not found it was a dead loss to him. Amos
Dodge called - Am acquainted with this woman but know no particular name for
her; think I have seen her for the last five years; I have tried and found the
child cannot speak English, though I think he could understand it a little;
speak Menomonee a little myself. Cross
Examined - I had some talk with this Indian woman; asked her who was the
child’s father; she refused to reply at first, but finally said Caldwell; I
stated that she said it was her husband’s; I asked her who her husband was,
and, at the time, she said Caldwell; I have never stated that she lied to me,
or contradicted herself, as to who was the child’s father; I never stated there
were marks on that child that never were, and never could be found on an Indian
child.
Re-examined in chief - Know but little of Mr. Caldwell; he lives on an
island below Neenah; has an Indian woman for a wife, and three or four
children; have seen his children - no resemblance between them and this child;
they are very light for half-breeds. William
Powell called - Have been acquainted with this woman ten or twelve years, and with the child since 1848; have seen it
frequently; know this child was with the Indian woman before Mr. Partridge’s
was lost; the same spring that the child was lost, not long after the search,
Mr. Partridge asked me to go up the river with him, to make inquiries among the
Indians; I told him I would, and started directly for the chief of the band,
then across the river, at Winneconne; he promised to send out runners; I saw
this woman in the same lodge with the chief to whom she belongs, also the child
in dispute; I wished to re-cross the river - I asked the boy (as none but women
were in) if he could take me across; I spoke to him in Menomonee, and he
answered in the same; he got a paddle and came down with me to the canoe; there
I found a larger boy; this was not long after Mr. Partridge’s child was lost.
When the child was brought form Waupaca to my house, and thence to Mr. Partridge’s,
Mr. P. promised to return the woman and child that day, but did not do it. I went up to Poygan, and, on my way back,
received a note form Mr. Partridge requesting me to go to his house; I arrived
after dark there met Wm. Cross and a good many ladies and gentlemen; they
wished me to call the boy up, and see if he could speak English; he said he
could not; some one, don’t remember who - think it was Mr. Partridge -
requested me to ask the Indian woman if she would sell the child and what she
would take; I replied that I did not like to, but if Mr. and Mrs. Partridge
requested it, I would and did; the reply was, “who ever heard of such a thing
as selling a child! that they had not enough, nor could give enough to induce
them to sell it.” I asked them if they
claimed the child; Mr. Partridge said he had never claimed it. Mr. P. said that when it was first brought
into the house, she knew it was not hers, that she was still looking for them
to bring in another boy; they, the Indians - were fixing up to go back that
night, but it was cold, and I asked Mr. Partridge to keep them that night, and
bring them over to my house next morning; he did so; he, himself, then
requested me to ask the Indian if she would sell the child; I said I had done
so once, and he did not insist; I am sufficiently acquainted with the child to
know that it is the Indian’s; it has always been claimed by her; I know
positively, it is the same child I knew in 1848. Sho
nah-a-nee (Catholic) called - (Mr. Wm. Johnson was here sworn as interpreter
for the Indians). Am acquainted with
the Indian woman who claims this child; she is my child, or my brother’s, which
is the same thing; I am chief of the band to which she belongs; have known the
boy since he was born - was born at Lake Poygan; she has lived with me since
that time; he is going on eight; the band, woman and child have lived in
Winneconne since its birth; I have no doubt it is her child, why should I doubt
it; do not remember children of like age with this are in my band; I am not
blind, the woman is my child, of course I can see her - have seen her nearly
every day since the child was born; the mother made sugar, spring before last
at Poygan, on the Indian, or west side of Wolf River, about twenty-one miles
from the Rat River; the woman and child were on the west side of Wolf River, at
Poygan, the entire time of spring before last; she did not make sugar at any
other place that spring. O-ah-ka-hah is
the child’s name; it is a name after the thunder; the marks on the corners of
his mouth were made by small-pox; the marks on his breast by another disease,
and that on his foot by the cut of a knife; no other scars on the child;
Pi-ah-wa-tah, its father, a full blooded Indian, is dead; Nah-kom, is a full
blooded Monomonee; the father was sick with consumption, at Payment; died in
the winter; at the next Payment, at Poygan, the child was born; Nahkom has had
no children die; the child was sick but a short time, with small pox; I know it
was that disease because I saw it, and had it the same time; I cannot talk
English; the child is too young to talk it - at his age he could not learn to
talk it so quick; he is my grandchild; I saw him when his foot was cut; have
had him in my arms and kissed him; why should I not know my grand-child? W. T.
Webster called - Have been acquainted with this woman and child since 1845; she
lived at Poygan and Winneconne; have know the child for five years; have seen
him with her often; should think him her child; she always had him with her,
when I saw her, until lately. Cross
Examined - Have never said I did not know, nor could identify this child, nor
swear that it was Nahkom’s; did say his eyes resembled the girl’s, but that it
could not be her brother. Carron
(Indian Catholic) called - Have known Nahkom eighteen years; have known the
child two years; it is Pi-ah-wa-tah’s child; when at my house, at Poygan, it
talked good Menomonee. Cross
Examined - Nahkom has got, I don’t know how many children; have seen this one
frequently, at Poygan; have never talked with her about the child; we never
talk of children only when they are sick.
Wah-she-won-na-ken called - Have known Nahkom, my niece, ever since she
was born; have known the child from his birth; I have no doubt that the child
is hers, and the Almighty hears me; I form my opinion from continued
acquaintance.
Kosh-kos-e-ka (not a Christian) called - I know the nature of an oath; a
falsehood would be killing my body and soul - will tell all the truth; am a
relative of Nahkom’s; was at Poygan when the child was born, the mother and
child were always with us in sugar making; ever since it was born Nahkom has
made sugar where I have made it; am satisfied he is her child. Cross
Examined - Stayed with Nahkom, after the birth of the child three or four days;
next saw it about the time we made sugar; Nahkom made sugar two years ago this
spring, on the west side of Wolf River.
Shau-ween-a-wona called - Am going to tell the truth, and God hears me:
was with Nahkom through her sickness when the child was born, at Poygan; when a
child is born we have a fashion of sticking a stick up; we did so then, and the
stick still remains; have seen Nahkom every fall at the Payment; this child has
been at my lodge, and I have fed it; the Almighty gave me eyes to see, and I
know it is hers. Cross
Examined - Have lived at Poygan since the first Payment; Nahkom has lived at
Winneconne since that time; I know she made sugar two years ago last spring at
Poygan. Nah-tum-pe-mo-na called - (Is not a Christian
woman). Does not believe the Great
Spirit will punish her for doing wrong.
Knows nothing of the sanctity of an oath. Am an older sister of Nahkom; we have lived together in the same
lodge since the child was born; I know this is Nahkom’s child; t’was born at
Poygan; I suckled it; it had the small-pox, two years ago, at Winneconne; the
mother and child were riding a horse, and, in crossing a slough, the horse
jumped and threw them both off, and the child got hurt on the breast. Cross Examined
- It was hurt before it had the small-pox; the marks at the corners of its
mouth, on the stomach and back, were caused by small-pox; its father looked
like a full blooded Indian. Lamote
called - Have lived at Poygan eight years; four years ago, Nahkom made a visit
at my house, and brought this same child; I noticed it particularly it was very
white; have often thought about the child since then, because it was a very
warm day, and it had on a blanket coat and a pair of leggings. When I heard of this white woman losing her
child, was very sorry; knew this child at the time; it was running about my
door. At that time it could speak good
Menomonee; have seen it frequently since, and know it is the squaw’s. Nahkom
called - (Is not a Christian. Believes
the Great Spirit will punish her when she dies, if she does not tell the
truth.) Am the mother of the child in
dispute. It was born at Poygan about
Payment time, seven years ago- in the spring it will be eight; I have lived at
Poygan always since the child was born; lived at Winneconne, summer before, and
last summer; but not long; stopped with my sister; live now at Poygan. I planted corn at Cowen’s, but not opposite
Winneconne; generally go with the hunters to the woods to winter; have made
sugar at Poygan for the last two springs; have lived at Poygan village at the
mouth of Little River for the last seven years; I mean where I plant is my
residence. Three years ago, when I went
on the Oconto River, I left my child with my father - this is the same
child. Was gone five months; when I
returned I went myself after the child, in a team of Mr. Cowen’s. My father’s name is Au-sheen; knew nothing
of a child being lot until some white man took this child from me. Cross
Examined - My husband was a full blooded Menomonee, and so am I. Pi-ah-wah-tah is the father of the child
here in court; I told Mr. Smalley that the child belonged to Caldwell; do not
know that Caldwell is a white man; have seen him at Winneconne; not acquainted
with him; never said the child was by my present husband. The marks on the corners of his mouth were
caused by small-pox; he fell from a horse while yet in an Indian cradle, which
caused the marks on his body; this occurred six years ago; he had the small-pox
two years ago; he has other marks on the back and breast, caused by the
small-pox; last fall he got cut on the foot, with a knife, which made the marks
- these are all the marks on him. I
have never struck or cuffed him for talking English; have two children by my
second husband; it will be eight years, in the spring since he died - he died
after the child was born. Joseph
Porlier called - Knew this Indian woman three years; first knew the child three
years ago, at Winneconne; he was at a wigwam on the west side of the river,
with his mother; noticed him particularly, as she considered herself some kind
of relation to me, and showed him to me - have not seen him from that time
until day before yesterday. Robert
Grignon, (French) called - (Mr. Johnson interpreter.) Have known Nahkom twenty years - first saw the child at Poygan,
six or seven years since; have seen it frequently - in its mother’s arms - in
her lodge - as she passed my house, and at my uncle’s, Augustus Grignon; was
well acquainted with the child before Mr. Partridge’s was lost, and am certain
he is the squaw’s child; never heard him talk English, though he might; he
talked Menomonee two or three years ago. Seymour Beauprey called - Have known this Indian
woman and child, intimately for five years - first saw them at Webster’s house
- knew them well enough to recognize them, at any time; have no doubt he is
hers, because I have always seen him with her; have seen him a great many times
before Mr. Partridge’s child was lost.
Au-ke-na-po-ah (Catholic) called - Have know this woman ever since I can
recollect, and the child since it could walk; saw him at Poygan over two years
ago; he then spoke good Menomonee: Cross
Examined - Have lived at Poygan the last five years - Nahkom has lived on the
other side of Poygan, near the mouth of Little River, during that time - have
seen her every spring, after sugar making; have seen the boy about the same
time.
Osh-ki-we-ah-nah-nee (Catholic) called - Am a brother of Oshkosh chief
of the Menomonees - have seen Nahkom, and the child here in court - first saw
the child, seven years since, at Poygan; at the time the list of Indians was
made out by Mr. Jones, I acted as interpreter - the child was born the night
after - saw it next day with its mother; an agreement was made to pay this
child out of the fractions of the money.
I have no doubt this is Nahkom’s child. Cross
Examined - Saw no mark on the child when I first saw him; Nahkom has lived at
Winneconne since the child was born; have seen her at Winneconne, Poygan and
Waupaca Falls. Nahkom’s wigwam was at
Winneconne, two years ago this coming spring - she made sugar that spring at
Poygan; the sugar ground was on the Indian land - I know where Rat River is; it
is not on the Indian land; Nahkom made sugar at Rat River, seven years ago - it
was the last time she made sugar there- it is fourteen miles from where Nahkom
made sugar two years ago, to Rat River, and nine miles to the nearest point on
that river.
Archibald Caldwell called - Reside three and half miles below Winnebago
Rapids; have lived in this section of country 22 years; my main business has
been trading with the Indians; got acquainted with Nahkom at Winneconne,
January 1844; she then had a husband, Pi-ah-wah-tah, who died that spring in
February; I made his coffin; traded with them that season; at Payment I saw
Nahkom with a child in the cradle; could not say whether this is the same child
or not, but it is the same I have seen with her since, at every Payment, and
frequently other times; my attention was first called to it by the boys joking
me about its being my child; this was in 1844; saw her next Payment in 1845; I
saw them on the Pay-ground in 1846-7 and 8; saw it there with its mother, in
1849 and ‘50; I did not trade with them, but saw them frequently; I heard of
the loss of Mr. Partridge’s child in April, 1850; went, at his request among
the Indians; do not know where Nahkom made sugar that spring; she was not with
that portion of the band that made sugar on Rat River. I recognized this boy as the same I saw at
Payment in 1848 and ‘50 with her; I am as positive that this is the child as I
am of the identity of the court; have seen children among the Menomonee’s that
looked more like white children than the one in court. Cross
Examined - Have had no conversation with Nahkom relative to this child; she,
nor anyone of her family ever told me who its father was. Wm Johnson called - Have lived among the Menomonees
twenty years; have made their habits my study; don’t know anything of their
habits in court; when an Indian answers a question once, and is requested to
answer it again he always gets excited and angry; they always expect to make a
speech, and know nothing of being interrogated. The
defense rested here, and the rebutting testimony was introduced. Mrs. Mary A. Partridge called - Have seen the boy in
court - was personally acquainted with him; he is Alvin Partridge’s child; his
name is Casper Appollos; saw him frequently.
I have had some conversation with him, in English, since he was found;
his mother gave him a pin t fix his attention while I observed him; I said,
“take the pin and pin your shirt collar;” he immediately raised his had to do
so, without any sign from me. I said,
“you can’t do it - hand it to me - I will do it for you,” he immediately handed
it to me. Cross
Examined - This happened at Mr. Cooley’s; have not seen him since then, until
her in court; saw him frequently the summer before he was lost; at that time he
spoke good English. I live three and
half miles from Alvin Partridge’s; I was often there, and the child was at my
house frequently. He was a fleshy
child, his head very full in front, but not so full back, and had dark hair. Mrs.
Polly Ware called - Reside at Waupaca, am not much acquainted with Nahkom; have
seen her and the child in Waupaca, and had some conversations with her; she
said the scars on the child were caused by “skeeta” which a gentleman present
said was fire; she pointed to the stove when she said it. I spoke to the child in English and she
cuffed him when he undertook to talk the same.
The child was taken to Mr. Dreutzer’s, when I washed him. Nahkom made some objection; he was very
dirty, his hair and body covered with what seemed lamp-black and grease; when I
touched him my wrist and hand were crocked very much; while washing him, he
said “Give me some water.” When washed
I called two physicians to see the scars on him - a scar on the ankle, one on
the breast the size of a shilling, perfectly round, and about an inch and half
from collar bone; threw under the chin of the same shape, but not so large; one
upon the left eye, an done on his side; he is quite round shouldered; there is
nothing peculiar about his breast; it is a regular as any child’s; one side is
a little fuller than the other, but this is quite common with children; I have
raised a number; I was with him one day, called him “Casper,” and he looked me
full in the face; called him so the second time; he drawed his head, and the
squaw cuffed him. Cross Examined - This occurred, I think
the third of January last; I washed him all over, and much cleaner that he is now.
I washed him so clean that the scars were visible; in two waters, for
the first was black as dye; after washing him first, I put a white shirt on
him; which got very much crocked while washing him the second time; at the
second washing, I discovered little places about the size of fish-scales, on his shoulders and back,
perfectly white; we were going to wash another child of the squaw’s but she
would not let us, she claiming more authority over it than over the boy. J. H.
Hibbard called - Have often seen the boy, in court; was teaching school at
Waupaca; one day the squaw and this child came into the school-room to sell
venison; I told her to puck-a-chee, (be off) and she left somewhat offended;
the next day, as I came back from dinner, I saw this child before the
school-house; I used the same phrase to him in a laughing way; he seemed to
know why I spoke to him thus and laughed also; he spoke of his own accord, and
said: “No good squaw,” I made no reply, and he further said: “I am no Indian
papoose,” adding, “Indians carry me off,” and made motions with his hands. I looked up surprised; he saw from my
expression, that I was surprised, and he then appeared surprised, I made
further remarks, but could get nothing out of him; came to the conclusion that
he had been off his guard. Cross
Examined - Came to Waupaca the 18th of September last; heard the boy make these
remarks some three or four days before he was taken to Mr. Dreutzer’s. Olive
Hibbard called - Reside in Waupaca; am acquainted with Nahkom; have had
conversation with her; she told me she had but three children; these she had in
my house frequently; the oldest was not the child in court - was a white, and
hair a little curly; he squinted a little; I used to see the child in court
sometimes three times a day; came to play with my children; he did not seem to
have any particular guardian; have seen him in several lodges, and fed by
different squaws: have heard him speak some English; he seemed to understand it
when we spoke to him;; have heard him
say “yes” and “no” and call my boy “Henry” as plain as I can. He was next brought to my house and
examined. Mrs. Boughton, sister of
Alvin Partridge was called in; she said she should like to see his foot, as her
brother’s child had a scar on his, and if this was the same, the scar could be
seen; his foot was washed and a small scar found. At the time the child was at Mr. Dreutzer’s, I went to see him
and found the scars; I asked the squaw what caused them, and she said he fell
into the fire. Cross
Examined - Do not speak Menomonee; never heard Nahkom speak English; the
conversation between her and myself was more in motions than language, when I
asked how many children she had she put up three fingers; I can swear positively, that Nahkom told me this
child, in court, was not her child;
she told me this more than twice, by signs , in the same way she told me a
thousand other things; if incorrect in
this I am incorrect in all; I think the boy understands Mrs. Boughton when she
asked him of his uncle - he appeared to. J. H.
Hibbard re-called - The child was taken to a Mr. Miller’s to be kept until Mr.
Partridge arrived; there, a gentleman called him “Casper” and the boy
immediately looked up, and the present husband of the squaw cuffed him for so
doing; he told them to call him again and see if he would look up; the child
had no particular wigwam; he took his meals at different ones, an uncommon
thing for their children; when the squaws go from one place to another, their
children frequently accompany them; but this child went with no one in
particular; never saw him with squaw but once.
J. B
Hibbard called - I have heard my wife ask Nahkom how many children, and by
signs said three; when asked which they were, she pointed to two small ones,
and to a taller one, and about the same complexion as this one; never heard her
designate this boy as one of hers. Cross Examined - Don’t understand Menomonee;
this information was obtained by signs; Nahkom pointed out the children which
she claimed. Simon S.
Moon called - Have seen Nahkom and the child in court; one time they were at my
house, and an Indian; the boy undertook to go out of doors, and the Indian
called him; I asked him if it was his papoose, and he said no - asked Nahkom if
it was hers and she shook her head; asked them how many papooses they had - the
Indian said three; the next time I saw this squaw, she came with a young
papoose to my house; got something to eat; my wife gave him five cakes; he
counted them over several times in English, as regularly as I could; a
gentleman present told him there was more than five, but he could make only
five; this is the boy in court; Nahkom told me the mother of this child was
dead. Cross
Examined - this took place at Waupaca; do not talk Menomonee; talked English to
them. Alfred
Woodard called - Have seen this child at Waupaca, and heard him talk a little
English; I was going by there with an ox-sled; he and several others got on to
ride; asked him if he could drive oxen; he said, “yes;” gave him the whip; he
took it and talked to the oxen and told the to “haw;” I called one of the oxen
“Bill,” and told him to “get up;” the boy spoke it after me; after that he was
at my house while we were eating dinner; when I asked him if he would have a
piece of bread he said “yes.” At the
time they took him from the Indians I heard him say “don’t cut the skin.” When Mr. Partridge went to take him from
them, he said he was cold, held out his hands and said he wanted to “warm”
them. When he was at Mr. Hibbard’s I
was there; heard them ask him several questions about Mr. Partridge’s
folks. I, with several others, followed
him to the wigwam. Mr. Dewey called him
“Casper,” and he looked right up at him, and the Indians present repeated it
after him. Mr. Dewey then told them it
was “smok-e-man’s papoose,” and one of the Indians said “dam fool - Casper -
smok-e-man’s papoose.” Cross
Examined - This was about the first of January; don’t think the name was
repeated to him until that time; think it was repeated to him three times in
the wigwam, and at each time he looked up. Wm. P.
Cooper called - Nahkom was at Waupaca in the fall of 1840 without the child -
am well convinced that he understands English; hear him say at Mr. Dreutzer’s
house, “mamma, come here.” It was
generally conceded by the people of Waupaca that he is a white child - the
ladies first took up the matter, and caused their husbands to look into
it. From the reports of the children,
relative to the child’s speaking English, this feeling ran along about two or
three weeks - the child was then taken to Mr. Hibbard’s, and Mrs. Boughton
called in - the child’s foot washed and the scar discovered - so convinced were
they,, that Mr. Boughton started, after dark, to go down to Ball Prairie, a
distance of forty miles, to Mr. Partridge’s - means were taken to secure the
child, a physician got, and Rev. Dr. Marsh procured to act as interpreter - we
went where the child was, and then to the supposed chief, whom we called
“Peter” who, we thought, the most candid of the Indians; when the facts of scar
&c. were stated, the chief denied there being any scar on the child’s foot;
this made us more determined, as we knew
there was such a scar. They said they
were going to Poygan next day - that it would be inconvenient to stop for Mr.
Partridge’s arrival; they finally compromised on three dollars a day - the
child was then taken to Mr. Miller’s - by lack of guard, it got away next
morning, and returned to the wigwam; the Indians refused then to fulfill their
agreement, and the child was taken, by force, to Mr. Dreutzer’s, and kept there
until Mr. Partridge took possession of him. Henry
Stanley re-called - The boy never told me had had lived with Mr. Partridge - he
said he had been there, with his mother, in the spring - that he lived in a
shanty, but were building a new house - he described it as a large house - he
said he had but one mother, and that was Nahkom; he said the scars were made by
what he called medicine - that those
on his mouth were made with a “mee-te-quap” which I understand as something
belonging to a bow and arrow; he mentioned what he called “Wiscosa,” (what the
Indians call Wisconsin) he spoke of dog “Watch,” by seeing a watch in a
bar-room, at Mr. Cooley’s, he asked what it was, I told him a “watch;” he said
he knew a man once who had a dog by that name. Dr.
James LaDow called - Reside at Oshkosh; my profession, for the last fourteen
years, has been practicing medicine. I
have examined the boy in court - have examined the scars upon the child, and my
opinion is, they were not made by small-pox; many things might have caused the
scars; I have examined the scars about the mouth, and never saw an instance of
such marks caused by small-pox - think they are not caused by that, because
poc-marks are usually in groups, when but few exist - these on the boy are not
so, I think I am sufficiently acquainted with my profession to judge between
the physiological developments of the Indian and white race. The difference between nations is shown by
national characteristics of brain and feature.
By denition we cannot form an exact opinion of the age of a child - have
examined this child’s denition; it is my opinion he is even years old - the
bicuspids have been shed, but I don’t know how long - the child may be less
than seven, or more than eight. This
morning I found a scar about half way between the heel and toe, on the instep -
scars on children frequently go down, that is change places as the child grows
older. In the examination, two girls of
Mr. Partridge, the boy in dispute, and the child Nahkom carries in her arms,
were brought together - I designed to ascertain if the child understood
English, and said to him, “bub, whereabouts is the scar on your leg;” he
immediately put his finger on the spot afflicted. It is common to observe a resemblance between the toe and finger
nails of parent and child, and member of the same family - there was a striking
resemblance between those of the older girl and the boy - none between the
boy’s and Nahkom’s child; I saw a partial analogy in the temperament of the boy
and girl - much less between the boy and Nahkom’s child. I do not believe the child a full blooded
Indian. Cross
Examined - It is my opinion that the scars were caused by external injuries, or
might have been from internal eruptions, growing out of extreme injuries -
applications of caustics, or the like, bound on, might produce such scars - a
deep burn, extensive over the surface, could produce a shriveling of the
skin. On one side of the breast-bone,
the chest is much higher than on the other - it might have been caused by an
injury, or by hereditary descent - had it been when very young, it would be
come partially obliterated, as the person grew older - such an injury, by
weakening the muscles of the stomach, might have had a tendency to make the
person round shouldered. Dr.
Cutting Marsh called - Have resided among the Indians nearly nineteen years,
particularly among the Stockbridge’s - while I lived at Stockbridge there were
some Monomonee Indians, more or less, encamped there; am somewhat acquainted
with the Chippewa language, which I consider the mother tongue of the
Menomonee. ON Saturday evening, the
fore part of January last, I was sent for, by the people of Waupaca, to
interpret for them with the Indians, as they wished to get the child until Mr.
Partridge could be sent for. I then
called for the chief, and “Peter” came forward - after long persuasion, no
threats, and a promise to give three dollars a day for the detention, Peter
gave his consent that he child should go with Nahkom, her husband, and two
young men. During our conversation
Peter denied a scar being on the child’s foot, and when I went to the other end
of the lodge, to have the child taken to the house, I found that Nahkom had
been listening, and understood me, for she said, by signs, that there was no
scar on the child’s foot - she and her husband said they would not talk with
me, because I could not talk straight - next saw the child at Mr. Dreutzer’s. a
few minutes after Mr. Partridge had arrived - I first looked at the ankle for
the scar, and found it - his hair was unlike a full blooded Indian child. I have been in the habit of noticing the
modulations of the Indian voice - when the boy answered questions, it appeared
tome, that his mother tongue was English - I asked him a question in Indian,
his reply was in English, “No sir,” as promptly and fully as I ever heard it
pronounced by an English child in my life - I have never heard an Indian child
make a reply in that manner, among the Menomonees, Sacs, Foxes, Ottawas, or
Chippewas - people repeatedly asked it, in English, “where is you mother?” Nahkom being in another room, and as quick
as was asked, would point to Nahkom, as though he perfectly understood what was
said. I fully concur in Dr. LaDow’s
statement, as regards the examination, yesterday - I don not think the scars on
the child, the result of small-pox - there is a striking similarity between the
foot and toes of Mr. Partridge’s little girl and those of the boy. while examining the right foot yesterday, I
found a scar, which the boy said, was caused by his little brother cutting him
with a knife; when he went into another room, at Mr. Dreutzer’s, where Nahkom
and her husband were, she pointed to the corners of the boy’s mouth, and said
the scars were made by the “mis-qua-sho” - small-pox. I understood her to say that its father died with small-pox -
that the child and father took it about the same time at the Payment; I am a
physician; have practiced the last fifteen years. Cross
Examined - I speak Chippewa; the Menomonees understand it - when they speak to
me in Menomonee I cannot understand all they say; I do not know whether the boy
was cut with a knife by his brother - the boy so stated yesterday. Alvin
Partridge re-called - Have an affection of the breast - like that described by
Dr. LaDow - think it natural - one side is out farther than the other. Lived in
a small shanty, at the time the child was lost; live in a large frame house
now. Father had a dog resembling an
Indian dog, that used to be at my house - the child was very fond of it; the
dog’s name was “Watch.” Cross
Examined - At the time the child was lost his hair was dark brown; had a full
round face and was quite fleshy; the marsh was directly west of the sugar camp
- the tracks found were leading toward the big marsh; they were on an ant
mound. Mrs.
Catharine Armstrong called - Am acquainted with Mr. Partridge - the Indians
said they knew where the child was - knew the squaw that had it; they
threatened his life if he made known that he was a white child; they said the
squaw was angry because Mr. Partridge had taken a canoe that belonged to her,
and that was the reason she had taken the child; they said I had better not
tell Mr. Partridge anything about it, for, if I did the child would be killed,
and thrown into the bottom of the creek near Mr. Partridge’s house; Perote’s
wife told me this and Perote assented.
This took place at our house, nine miles form here, on the lake shore,
south, about a year ago. I know two
Indians; one of them could speak good English - I think they will tell lies for
bread - if the lied then, they have told lies here in court. Dr.
LaDow re-called - Dr. Wright called my attention to the condition of his hair -
I thought from the appearance of the hair and the skin, that it had been colored
and stained. The skin is composed of
three layers; the middle layer gives color to the skin, - black to the black
man, and white to the white - make an application to the substratum, under the
scar-skin, and a stain so communicated, will last for years - it is a
physiological fact, that a stain once communicated to this lower layer,
although it may have been done in a short time will sometimes remain for a
lifetime - if the arm be bared to the sun for six weeks, a stain is sometimes
produced which lasts for yours: there are many agents to produce this; a change
of habit - an application of nitrate of silver will make a white man almost as
dark as a negro; I have seen some cases of this when the application was taken
inwardly: I conclude that the boy’s hair had been colored, from the fact that
the skin on the head had a different appearance from that on other parts of his
body - when I found the scar on his ankle, I remarked with earnestness, “There
is the scar - it is plain to be seen,” and the child burst right out a crying -
he was powerfully surprised that it had been discovered; I noticed the heads of
Indians that day - I thought there was a similarity between the skin of the
head and other parts of the body. J. H.
Smalley, called - Have seen Nahkom - called on her the first evening she came
into town - inquired of her who was the father of the child; she said “My
husband, of course,” and explained it as meaning her “other husband;” I said
“Don’t lie to me, this is a half breed child:”
she looked up surprised, and said it was Archibald Caldwell’s - I asked
the child, the first night he was brought here, where he first learned to talk
English - he replied in Menomonee, “I don’t understand you:” he never told me
he could talk English. At Mr. Kimball’s, I spoke to him sharply in Menomonee,
“Why don’t you talk English?” he answered, “My mother will whip me if I
do.” I told the boy he was smokiman’s
child, and he answered “Kon” (no). Cross
Examined - Never asked him any questions in English which he appeared to
understand - have head him say “yes” “no” and answer some simple questions.
Sylvester Watch called - I heard Mr. Webster’s testimony; the last time
we went for the child, I was at Mr. Webster’s I asked him whose it was - he
said he did not know, and made strange about it - said he had fed and knew the
child, but could not identify it as she might have swapped it away.
Washington Manuel called - I heard most of Mr. Powell’s testimony - was
at Mr. Partridge’s when Powell came there - was there all the while he was
there; he stated that Nahkom had three children on the Payment roll, and from
that supposed this must be her child, though he was not particularly acquainted
with the family; he could not swear that this was her child. I suppose I heard all the conversation that
took place there, but I did not hear him ask Mr. and Mrs. Partridge if they
claimed the child: I think I should have heard it had they done so - think the
boy in court is Casper Partridge, was acquainted with him for three years
before he was lost. Ward
Lent called - Was acquainted with Casper before he was lost; think the boy in
court is Casper - I was among the first to discover him - went to the wigwam
with Mr. Hibbard - I asked the boy his name and he looked up as if he was going
to answer, when the squaw shook her head at him and he did not; she gave him
some potatoes to eat and I asked him if he like them and he said “yes.” Samuel
F. Ware called - The first day of January last, I went to the Indian’s camp at
Waupaca, with one or two men, who pointed out the child - I spoke out “Casper,”
and he instantly looked at me in the eye; the squaw, seeing this, cuffed him,
and apparently scolded him again; I left the camp convinced that he knew his name, and that that was Casper - when taken, a second time from the camp, I heard
him say in English, “yes,” “no,” “warm,” “cold,” “water,” “mamma,” “papa,” I
heard the squaw tell two different stories about the scars on his mouth and
breast; one was that it was burned, and the other that it was done by medicine
- Mr. Dreutzer, understanding Indian, said that was what she said; it is my
belief that I saw Nahkom two years ago; she did not have the child then. Mrs. Ann
Atchiv called - First saw this boy last spring - saw him often - heard him say
English words. His mother and other
squaws came with strawberries - I bought them and they left in ten or fifteen
minutes this boy came with a pint full
of berries: I asked him what he wanted
and he said distinctly, “There is a pint of berries and I want a quart of
flour.” Cross Examined - This occurred in Winneconne. I saw him before and since; he frequently
came and said in plain English, “I
want a piece of bread and butter.” Geo. W.
Partridge called - Reside in Vinland; have known Casper since November 1846; am positive this is Casper Partridge. Mrs.
Rebecca Barnes called - Reside in Oshkosh; this boy was at my house - he came
to the table and reached his fingers nearly into a dish of apple sauce and
said, “I want some of that:” I then
went into the pantry and he followed me and said, “I want some tater.” Miss
Mary Barnes called - Heard the boy say “I am tired” and when playing with
children with some money he said; “I will get it.” This was at our house, he was there an hour - Mrs. Partridge’s
little girl was there, and they went to play; they had a string and were
playing horse - she was driving him and he said, “I am tired,” she told him to
drive her, and he went behind her. Everlin
B. Hamlin called - Reside at Winneconne; first knew this boy last summer; had
some talk with him and played marbles with him; he said: “let me take your
marbles;” he would come into the house and say, “I am hungry; I want something
to eat,” I was shooting with my
brother, and the boy said; “Let me take the bow;” at first my brother refused,
and he said “Oh, do;” in court, this afternoon, while we were at the stove he
pulled me over to him, and said: “You got handkerchief?” very plain. Cross
Examined - I used to see him nearly every day - none of the Indian boys could
talk English as well as he; he used to play with all the boys - he went around
to the houses begging for both clothes and food. Wm. Swan
called - Was at Mr. Partridge’s the day Mr. Powell was there - Powell said he
had been over the river, which made him so late in coming. He stated the names
of many who could testify to this boy from four to six years - one who could
from his birth; said he could not identify the boy himself, but could sear that
the squaw had three children; did not hear Mr. Partridge ask to buy the child -
I was so near Mr. Powell all the time that I could have kept my hand on him -
he did not ask the privilege of the Indian woman and child staying all night. Alvin
Partridge re-called - Heard Mr. Powell testify here in court, to what took
place at his own house; when I got there I asked him if he knew anything about
the boy; he said he knew the squaw; thought she had three children - that she
had lost part of them, he did not know but all - that he did not know her
children - he inquired the boy’s age of Nahkom, and the reply was, that it was
born at Poygan, at the first Payment, in the fall of 1843; he gave it as his
opinion that this boy could not be as old as that. The next evening, at my house, he said he did not know, himself,
that the child was the squaw’s; there was nothing said by any one about asking
Nahkom what she would take for the child; neither did he ask us if we claimed
the child. Cross
Examined - My team took Nahkom up to Mr. Powell’s the next morning, when I took
the woman and child from Mr. Powell’s the agreement was, that I should return
them, if we were satisfied he was not our child. Wm
Partridge re-called - I was at Mr. Webster’s when the child was taken by Mr.
Kimball. Mr. Webster stated definitely,
and a good many times that he could not swear, positively, the child was the
squaw’s, though he thought so, nor could he identify it, in our conversations. I heard Mr. Powell say, that we, referring to himself and Cowen, were
not personally acquainted with the child, but they knew form the roll that she
had such a child. Mrs.
Lucia Partridge re-called - At Mr. Kimball’s I told him that he was my boy, and
if he wanted to live with me, he might put his arms around my neck and kiss me;
and he did so, since, he calls me “ma;” I think he knows me as well as my other
children. At Mr. Kimball’s, I took a
picture book, in which was a picture of a knife, and asked him what it was; he
said, “knife;” I pointed to the picture of a fork, and he went to the table and
took up a fork; I told him I could not talk Menomonee, that he must talk
English; he then said “fork;” I told him Loretta was his sister and he might
talk as much English as he pleased to her; he smiled and said “good morning
Loretta;” last evening he wanted Amelia to sleep with him; he said “Amelia
sleep;” she did not lie still, and he said, “lie down, Amelia;” then he said,
“Amelia, say stove;” I went out of the parlor into the pantry, and he said “ma,
come her;” I asked what he wanted, and he said, “some water.” At the supper table we were speaking against
Mr. Smalley, and the child said: “Be still your noise;” Mr. Kimball said he
meant the children in the other room, but the boy replied, “No - Smalley,” and
shook his head; when asked what he would have on his plate, he said “gravy,
potato, milk, butter;” he talked a good deal of English to the children in bed. Re-examined in chief - Did not have full access to
the child at Mr. Cooley’s; it was frequently in the bar-room; Mr. C. frequently
took him away riding; when Mr. Partridge’s brother came down Mr. C. took him
away riding. Neither Mr. P. nor I have
Indian blood in our veins. I had very
little access to him at Mr. C’s. The
Indian mother had free access to him; she came Sunday afternoon; I did not see
him until next morning; and then he was painted up. Cross
Examined - I never asked to have access to the child and was refused, but did
not have the opportunity I desired of being with him; have had no conversation
with him to direct his attention to his early childhood. Mrs. Kimball, this morning, was talking over
the circumstances of his being lost, and while doing it the child burst into
tears, and she could not quiet him. Mrs.
Mary Kimball called - I heard the conversation between Mrs. P. and the child,
as related. Some ladies called to see
him; I said to him, “come into the other room;” he replied “No, sir;” I said
“O, yes, do;” he replied “No sir-ee;” I once said to him, “you must talk in
English;” he then exclaimed, “Oh, squaw!” placing his fingers on the corners of
his mouth, and then on his back. (By
Mrs. Partridge,) “No sir-ee” was a favorite expression of Casper’s before he
was lost. Alvin
Partridge re-called - Do not remember positively
on which foot the cut was - it was not a bad cut, and left a small scar; we
frequently spoke of it, thinking if he was ever found we could tell him by it;
my sister said, before he was found that she was positive it was on his left foot, near the ankle. Here the complaint closed. The
hearing of testimony had taken six days, from Thursday, February 12th, to the
Wednesday eve following. The interest
he manifested was greatly increased on the last day. Public opinion pronounced the child to be no other than Casper
Partridge. Up to the 4th day of the
trial the child was brought into court presenting a very different appearance,
very dirty, and his ears some of the time filled with Indian jewelry, and
looking, in the least manner possible like a white child. The friends of the child demanded that he should be placed in
impartial hands; accordingly the child was taken and washed, and when returned,
so changed was his condition, and appearance, indicating his English origin,
that a most marked sensation was manifested by the spectators. On the following Saturday the agreements of
the counsel - Mr. Crary, for complainant, and Mr. Whitney, for Defense - were
heard. Commissioner Butterick stated,
at the close of the trial, that his decision would be given before the next 6th
of March. But Mr. Partridge was repeatedly assured by Mr. B. that the
case would be referred to the Circuit court.
With this understanding Mr. Partridge pledged himself in bond of $2000,
for the appearance of the child, when called for, and the child was given into
his possession. The affair thus
remained unsettled. =========================== APPENDIX A
sufficient opportunity had not been had before the trial, to fully test the
child’s recognition of things and places with which he had been familiar before
he was lost. Enough however, was observed of his recognition of persons with
whom he had been acquainted, as is evident from the testimony to establish in
the minds of all his friends the firm conviction that he had a distinct
recollection of their names; and from a description of Mr. Partridge’s “popple
shanty” and the “new house,” as given by Mr. Stanley as told to him by the boy,
it was as clearly evident that his recollection of the old homestead was no
less distinct. Below are given the
different depositions of his friends concerning his recollection of things,
persons, and places, on being taken to his early home. Mr. Partridge utterly refused to give up the
child, and on the sheriff declaring that it should go, Mr. P. said he must go
with it, and preceded to harness his team.
The sheriff followed him out and told him the child must go to Mr.
Cowen’s, but Mr. P. replied, that if it went it would go to Oshkosh. Some altercation ensued between them on the
point, and very soon some twelve neighbors gathered in. Mr. P. then stated, as was the case, that
the child had worried and become so excited that he was sick and unable to go,
and that the sheriff had better leave him until Monday morning. The sheriff glancing around on the persons
assembled, replied that there were so many there that there was no use for him
to try to do anything,” and immediately left.
Until the present the child remains in Mr. Partridge’s possession. Alvin Partridge, being by me duly sworn,
desposes and says; On our way from Oshkosh, we stopped at my father’s over
night. Shortly after the child entered
the house, he was asked if he would not like to see his grandmother, who was
lying ill in another room. He refused, but as soon as an opportunity, without
being seen was afforded, he rain into her room, put his arms around her neck
and kissed her acting as though he had always known her. This he did several times during the
evening. He played with a little girl
living there, with whom he was acquainted before he was lost, telling her, “I
knew you and Loretta once.” In the
course of the evening I asked him if he had ever been there before; after
looking around him, he said “yes.” I
asked him when; he said, “I don’t know - way up” (meaning a long time
before.) On getting home the first
things he knew were little chair and stool; these he looked at and handled over
and over, saying, “Ma this is mine, this is mine.” (They were his before he was lost.) He remembered a horse that I had, and which before he was lost, he
called his, saying, “This is my horse,” and would have nothing to do with the
others in the stable. He recognized the
old [note: line appears to be missing] him if he remembered where his bed used
to stand; he immediately pointed to the exact place and said, “there.” He also told correctly the shanty in which
we had lived. I went with him into it,
and asked where his mother’s bed, and the stove used to stand, and also told
where the clock stood. I tried to make
him think he was wrong, but he insisted that the place was right. When asked where the buttery used to be,
he went to the door which opened into it, looked carefully around, then turned
and said, “here.” There was nothing
there to show that a pantry had ever been there, for that part of the shanty
had been torn down. This was asked him
again in a few days, with the same result.
I asked him “where is it now?”
He smiled and pointed to the new house, saying, “up there got another
one.” These questions were often asked
him, and as often answered correctly.
When asked what made the scars on the corners of his mouth, he said,
“Indian.” How? “With horse-shoe; they put in the fire and
done so,” pressing one on the corners of his mouth to show how it was
done. One day while at play, he picked
up a small piece of chain and brought it to his mother, saying, “Indian whip
me,” repeating it several times, and motioning to show how it was done. He would often run to his mother exclaiming,
“Julia! Julia!” as though fearful they would get him again. Once, when with me at chore time, I asked
him if he had an aunt Maria, he said “yes.” And when did you see her? “At Oshkosh,” he replied. ALVIN
PARTRIDGE Sworn to
this 18th day of June, 1852, before me, JEDEDIAH
FITCH, Justice
of the Peace. After
the child was given to us, we stopped the first night at Casper’s
grand-father’s. He warmed himself by
the fire, then went to his grand-mother, put his arms around her neck and
kissed her. I asked him if he ever saw
her before; he dropped his head and replied “yes.” Almira , a little girl who had lived with us, was playing with
him, and he said, “I know you and Loretta.”
I asked him when; “I don’t know - a long time ago,” he replied. After getting him, he saw his little chair,
spring to it, turning it over and over, saying, “This is mine,” he then drew it
up to the fire and sat in it, keeping the other children away. He picked up a little stool that used to be
his, but then was covered, and turning up the curtain, ran to me and said, “ma,
ma, this is mine, this is mine!” I went
with him to the shanty and asked him if I ever slept there; “yes” said he. Where?
He went to the place and showed me how we used to pull out his bed; he
then went to the other side and said, “Ma, stove fire,” pointing the correct
place. Another time I asked him if we
had a clock, “yes,” said he. Where was
it? He studied a moment, then showed me
the exact place. At one time I asked him how the Indians got him, he
replied, “they cotch me just so,” seizing my dress, “they done just so, and
just so,” putting his hand over one eye and then over the other, they carry me
way up to a house.” I asked him if
Casper cried, “yes,” said he, “and the e
Indian’s cried.” I asked him how the
scars came on the corners of his mouth; he placed his thumb on one corner and
his finger on the other, and stretched it open, saying, “Indians done it just
so with a horse-shoe.” I did not
understand him, and he went and got a horse-shoe, held it in the fire and
showed me how they did it. A lady
was at my house, named Scott, and while we were sewing, he came to the stand,
when she asked him what the Indians done with his clothes; he said that they
burned them. When questioned concerning
the cap, handkerchief, apron and pants he had on when lost, he replied, “they
put them in the fire.” “then what had you on?” she inquired. He pointed to a dark dress I had on and
said, “It was like that,” motioning to us how it was made. When asked what he had to eat, he replied
“meat;” it was good Casper? “No,” said he, “It was nasty.” LUCIA
PARTRIDGE Sworn
and subscribed to this 6th day of April 1852, before me. WATSON BROWN, Notary Public. ------------------------------------------------------------
Note: At the conclusion of the
trial at Oshkosh, Mr. Partridge move to Illinois, taking his son with him. Soon after their arrival there, one day as
the children were going to school, a man drove up in a buggy and asked them if
they would like a ride. The girl said “yes, if my brother can ride.” The main said “yes,” and grabbed the boy and
drove toward Chicago with him. The girl
was left near the school house. The
teacher would not allow her to go home to tell her father that her brother had
been stolen. Someone heard it and
informed him. Immediately a man was put
on the track of the kidnapper. He was
overtaken before he reached Chicago, and brought back. The teacher was arrested on the suspicion
that she was an accomplice in the deed.
The two were finally liberated.
Mr. Partridge took advantage of the situation and moved his family to
Indiana, where he now resides. H was no
further molested and his son has remained at home. A few years ago he visited his aunt in this place, and lived over
in his memory his childhood days among the Indians. REMINDERS CHAPTER
V The First Schools On the 5th of June, of the year 1851, I began the first school ever taught in this county. The settlement about four miles southeast of Waupaca city, known as the Chandler Settlement, was the first settled and earliest developed part of the county. Of course there were children who should be sent to school, so a school was organized and I was engaged as teacher. The school had to be begun in June so as to complete three months (for that was to be the length of the term) in time to draw the state money for that year. The school house was in process of construction, but had not been finished, so I commenced the school in the original part of the house now on our farm. One room constituted the whole house, and that one room was enclosed only by rough boarding, the studding protruding into the room; one window had been put in, but a blanket was used for a door. The seats were rough boards placed across blocks of wood. Scholars
to the number of twenty, ranging from five to seventeen years of age, came from
the surrounding country within a radius of one and one half miles. About three weeks after the school began the
school house was made serviceable, and we moved to that. The wages paid was two dollars per week and
I boarded myself. Some of this I took
in winter wheat at two dollars per bushel; some in pigs at one and on-half dollars
a piece, and some I never got. Among my
pupils were, Mr. and Mrs. O. D. Vaughan, of Portage, Mr. H. M. Vaughan, of
Racine, Mrs. A. Cormican, Mrs. T. M. Paine, Mrs. M. R. Baldwin, Mrs. D. Yarns,
Mr. C. Beadleston, Mr. W. Thomas, and S. S. Chandler Jr. all of Waupaca. Mr. J. B. Vaughan, of Marinette, Mrs. B. F.
Dorr, Antigo, and Mr. Carmi Beadleston of British Columbia. Three
have been called to their reward.
Pierson Cass died at his home. Henry Chandler and Charlie Cass gave
their lives for their country in the late war.
Others of my pupils who were in the war, were Charles and Carmi
Beadleston, Omar and James Vaughan, and S. S. Chandler Jr. Another of my pupils went to the war and in
a battle when the federals were overcome by superior numbers of confederates
and the order given to retreat, he remembering the warning, “not to be shot in
the back, for that was a sign of cowardice,” retreated sideways. At another battle his company were fighting
in a forest, and while his comrades had taken shelter behind the trees, he
stood in an open space and after every few shots would stop firing and swab out
his gun. When asked what he did that
for, he said he always swabbed out his gun, when he shot duels. When wishing to register his name at school,
I asked him how old he was; he said he did not know; I told him to ask his
mother and tell me the next day. When
he came the next morning, I says, “well how old did your mother say you are.” Looking me square in the face shouted “ma
says I hain’t got no old.” All books
were abandoned and a general titter ran round the room. I afterwards learned that he was seven years
old. RESPECTFULLY S.
W. CHANDLER ------------------------------------------------------------ In the summer of 1851, Miss Thodora Thompson, (Mrs. C. W. LeGro) taught the first school in the village of Waupaca. The building used was know as the Baxter House, (and was used for school the next winter.) There were twenty-one scholars in attendance. Wages one dollar twenty-five ($1.25) cents per week, each patron paying their proportion according to the number of pupils sent. Among the scholars were the entire family of Judge S. F. Ware, one son (Thomas Scott) of Captain David Scott, first P. M. of Waupaca. Henry and Mary Hibbard children of J. B. Hibbard, Lucius son of W. B. Hibbard, and one Deiter boy etc. RESPECTFULLY MRS.
T. LeGRO ------------------------------------------------------------ WEYAUWEGA’S
FIRST SCHOOL I taught
Weyauwega’s first school in the summer of 1851. The first of the term we occupied a board shanty, with only one
window and a few benches in it. About a
month later we moved to a larger building having more windows and some desks,
as well as benches. The desks were made
by fastening a board up against the side of the room. Long benches were placed in front of these desks when a class was
called, all the scholars had to do was to raise their feet and swing around on
the bench, and there they were in class.
One of the striking features of the school was the variety of books
used. One I remember was an old English
reader. It often took so long to hear
the recitations that school did not close at the appointed time. There were thirty-four pupils enrolled. Three were in attendance from Goetchsius’
family; Theresa and Byron Beele, Marion and Henry Pray, Rachel Russel, Emily
Billington, Phebe and Sarah Fortner and Adelade Jenny are all that I now
remember. Mr. Barns engaged me to teach
the school, but I do not remember his title.
Simon C. Dow gave me my certificate, but whether he was superintendent
or not I can not say. I received ten
shillings per week for my services besides by board, which I got by going
around, staying from a week to three weeks in a place. MARY
C. DEWEY ADENDA Since
the chapter on the county seat went to press, I found, in looking over my
records, some few facts which may throw some more light on the question. At the spring election of ‘51, as “one who
knows” says, and as I do not deny, the
officers were elected. The law which
the eastern part had been influential in passing, stated that the vote for the
location of the county seat should be taken in two years. We of the western part considered the notice
of the law a sufficient notice, so, when the spring election of ‘53 came we
voted on the change. Probably the
voters of Weyauwega thought that there should be printed circulars sent to each
voter. If notice of the election was
not given, which party was in the wrong?
Certainly not the western. “One
who know” says James Smiley was county clerk.
Whose business but his was it to give notice of such election? And Mr. Smiley was an officer in the eastern
district. The fact then that no notice
was given by the officer but had been given by the law, and that Waupaca and
Little Wolf, the two places of voting in the county, both cast ballots on the
question, leaves Waupaca free from censure.
When Weyauwega found that she had been beaten, she immediately concocted
a scheme by which she hoped to lay hands on the county seat. On the eastern part, seven towns were
organized and a meeting of the “county board” as they styled it, was
called. Members were present from the
following towns: Larrabee, Bear Creek,
Lebanon, Mukwa, Dupont, Union and Little Wolf.
At this meeting the officers were asked to sign a paper which declared
Weyauwega the county seat. Simon C.
Dow, county treasurer, refused to put his name on such a paper. So they had him arrested and sent to the
Portage county jail. “One who knows”
says that we of the western part had Dow arrested. I think he better look up his records and review them more
thoroughly, perhaps then he will be able to state the facts as they were. We admit that the western part was
influential in the arrest of Jas. Smiley.
It was because he refused to deliver the county books to the legally
elected officer, Mr. Redfield, that we used coercive measures. The towns were not organized until ‘54, so
it will be plainly seen that the eastern part was in a very big sweat to obtain
something that honestly they were unable to get. EARLY
NOTES The first claim in Waupaca was made on the 15th of June, ‘49. The
first Surveyor was Wm. Mumbrue in August, ‘49. The
first house built in June ‘49. I
came in October ‘49. The
first preacher was Silas Miller, March ‘50. The
first notary public E. C. Sessions, March ‘50. The
first child born, Mary Hibbard, May ‘50. The
first death, Joel Deiter, June ‘50. The
first July celebration in the county in ‘50. The
first saw mill, September, ‘50. The
first lawyer, O. E. Dreutzer, March ‘50. The
first school in the county in ‘50. The
first election at Mukwa, in April ‘50. Three
deer were killed in the river below the Star Mills in ‘50. A
wolf was killed in what is now the city, May ‘50. Boy
stolen by Indians, April ‘50. I
helped rescue stolen child, fall, ‘51. The
first store, Wilson Holt, April ‘51. The
first Hotel, Baxter’s spring of ‘51. Gothic
Hall built in spring of ‘51. The
first doctor, Cutting Marsh, Dec. ‘51. The
first grist mill, Lord’s Star Mills, fall of ‘51. The
first wedding, Alvin Billington to Mary Baxter, fall of ‘51. The
first school in the village, summer of ‘51. Waupaca
whiskey watered by Judson in July ‘52. Lawsuit
over watered whiskey, June ‘53. The
first deed of land Oct. ‘52. The
first lime burned in the county, in Dayton, by Morgan in ‘52. The
first church, M. E. in ‘53 A
bear killed on the bank of river opposite court house in ‘53. Another bear was killed the same day near the school house. The
first newspaper, Waupaca Spirit in ‘53. A
son of Peter Mitchell drowned in ‘53. The
first forest fire after settlements in
‘50. The
first building burned in ‘54. The
first Assemblyman David Scott, ‘54 The
first Senator, Judge Alban, ‘54. The
first term of circuit court, in the M. E. church in ‘54. Lime
made from Shadow lake marl, by D. Moon, in ‘55. Weyauwega came to break the ballot box in the fall of ‘55. Old
court house built in ‘55. The first and only fraud in the county seat
elections, as pointed out by “one who know,” was the vote of the forty-five
boys at Weyauwega in the fall of ‘55.
Which fact he says, was as uncreditable as some of the acts of the
Southern states. The first steam boat ever run on Winnebago waters,
was the “Little Manchester” built on the east shore. She made her first or trial trip in 1844. She remained the only steam boat on these
waters until Capt. Estes built the “Pegtona” and run but part of the summer of
‘49. ======================================= COUNTY
OFFICIALS 1850. County
Judge, S. F. Ware; Register, James Smiley; Clerk, Charles Cumaer; Sheriff, John
M. Vaughan. 1852. County
Judge, S. F. Ware; Register, Charles Redfield; Sheriff, William Thompson;
Clear, J. H. Jones. 1853. Clerk,
Mellin Chamberlain. 1854. Sheriff,
Lyman Dayton; Register, James Smiley; Clerk of court, J. J. Jones; Clerk of
Board, Mellin Chamberlain; Treasurer, C. Brown. Member of Assembly, David Scott; Judge Alban. 1855. Member,
L. Bostedo; Clerk of Court, J. H. Jones; Clerk of Board, Mellin Chamberlain;
County Judge, S. F. Ware. 1856. Sheriff,
Barney Brown; Treas. C. O. Brown. 1857. Member,
A. J. Dafur; Register, E. I. Putman; Treas. Evan Townsend; Clerk of Court, D.
M. Coffin; Clerk of Board, A. Sorenson; County Judge, A. K. Osborn; Coroner, L.
C. Dayton. 1858. Sheriff,
Asa Worden; Dist. Atty. C. S. Ogden; Surveyor, Ira Sumner; Member, W. C. Carr. 1859. Member,
M. B. Patchen; Register, C. L. Gumner, Treas. Evan Townsend; Clerk of Court, W.
Scott; Clerk of Board, M. F. Sornsen; Coroner, Fred Street. 1860. Member,
C. D. Combs; Sheriff, O. Worden; Dist. Atty. J. W. Carter; Surveyor, Welcom
Hyde; Coroner, W. Shambeau. 1861. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden; Member, C. D. Combs; Superintendent of Schools, J. Wornley;
Treas. E. Townsend; Register, W. B. Mumbrue; Clerk of Court, W. Scott. 1862. Member,
A. K. Osborn; Sheriff, C. M. Fenelon; Clerk of Board, M. F. Sornsen; Dist.
Atty. J. W. Carter; Surveyor, R. O. Pope; Coroner, R. M. McGill. 1863. Member,
A. K. Osborn; Superintendent of Schools, J. Wornley; Treas. E. Coolidge;
Register, W. B. Mumbrue; Clerk of Court, W. Scott. 1864. Member,
R. Doud; Clerk of Board, M. F. Sornsen; Sheriff, Selah Cornwell; Dist. Atty. J.
W. Carter; Co. Surveyor, Ira Sumner; Coroner, J.J. Jones. 1865. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden; Member, A. K. Osborn; School Supt. J. K. McGregor; Treas.,
E. Coolidge; Register, E. I. Putman; Clerk of Court, L. J. Perry. 1866. Member,
E. P. Perry; Sheriff, G. W. Taggart; Dist. Atty., C. C. Kinsman; Clerk of
Board, M. F. Sornsen; Surveyor, Ira Millard; Supt. of Schools, E. G. Furlong;
Coroner, A. B. Phillips. 1867. Member,
J. W. Carter, Supt. of Schools, J. Burnham; Treas. E. Coolidge; Register, C.
Caldwell; Clerk of Court, L. J. Perry. 1868. Member,
M. H. Sessions; Sheriff, L. S. Townsend; Dist. Atty., J. B. Strain; Surveyor,
Ira Millard; Coroner, W. B. Hibbard. 1869. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden; Member, A. V. Balch; Treas. G. L. Lord; Clerk of Board, W.
D. Carr; Register, E. Selleck; Clerk of Court, Chas. Churchill; Supt. of
Schools, C. W. Packard. 1870. Member,
G. E. Ware; Sheriff, John Gardinier; Dist. Atty. J. Wakefield; Surveyor, D. D. Hewett;
Coroner, Norman Baker. 1871. Member,
A. D. Smith; Clerk of Board, W. D. Carr; Treas. C. M. Fenelon; Clerk of Court,
Chas. Churchill; Register, Ole R. Olson; Supt. of Schools, W. B. Mumbrue. 1872. Member
South Dist., C. Caldwell, Member North Dist., C. L. Rich; Sheriff, J. W.
Bingham; Dist. Atty. , O. F. Weed; Surveyor, E. P. Morton; Coroner, L. S.
Townsend. 1873. Member
Dist. No. 1, C. Caldwell; Member Dist. No. 2,; Supt. of Schools, J.
Burnham; Clerk of Board, A. J. Perkins;
Treas., C. M. Fenelon; Clerk of Court, Chas. Churchill; Register, Ole R. Olson;
Coroner, P. A. Chesley. 1874. Member,
Dist. No. 1, G. H. Calkins; Member, Dist. No. 2, F. M. Guernsey; Sheriff, S.
Cornwell; Dist. Atty., F. F. Wheeler; Surveyor, Frank Dorr; Coroner, W. C.
Isbell. 1875. Member,
George H. Calkins; Treas. W. J. Chamberlain; Clerk of Board, A. J. Perkins;
Register, Ole O. Hole; Clerk of Court, Chas. Churchill; Supt. Schools, C. W.
Packard. 1876. Member
1st Dist., Asa L. Baldwin; Member 2d Dist., H. S. Dixon; Sheriff, A. J. Van
Epps; Dist. Atty., E. J. Goodrick; Surveyor, H. Cleaves; Coroner, W. C. Isbell. 1877. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden; Member 1st Dist., L. L. Post; Member 2d Dist., F. M.
Guernsey; Treas., W. J. Chamberlain; Register, Ole O. Hole; Clerk of Court,
Chas. Churchill; Clerk of Board, S. T. Ritchie; Supt. Schools, L. L. Wright. 1878. Member
1st Dist., L. L. Post, Member 2d Dist., J. Scanlon; Sheriff, O. H> Rose;
Dist. Atty., E. J. Goodrick; Surveyor, H. Cleaves; Coroner, L. W. Bliss. 1879. Member
1st District, S. A. Phillips; Member 2d Dist., Nels Anderson; Treas. W. J.
Chamberlain; Clerk of Board, S. T. Ritchie; Register, J. H. Woodnorth; Clerk of
Court, Chas. Churchill; Supt. Schools, L. L. Wright; Coroner, Fred Fischer. 1880. Member
1st Dist., S. A. Phillips; Member 2d Dist., C. A. Davis; Sheriff, H. P. Briggs;
Dist. Atty., J. F. Dufur; Surveyor, A. W. Johnson; Coroner, W. T. Ward. 1881. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden; Member 1st Dist., J. Wakefield; member 2d Dist., C. A.
Davis; Treas., N. L. Nelson; Register, J. H. Woodnorth; Clerk of Board, O. T.
Hambleton; Clerk of Court, W. R. Binkleman; Supt. Schools, O. E. Wells. 1882. Member
1st Dist., E. W. Brown; Member 2d Dist., George Warren; Sheriff, O. H. Rowe;
Dist. Atty., J. F. Dufur; Surveyor, A. W. Johnson; Coroner, W. Masters. 1884. Member
1st Dist., A. G. Nelson; Member 2d Dist., A. S. McDonald; Sheriff, W. Carroll;
Register, H. Geibel; Treas., N. L. Nelson; Dist. Atty., F. C. Weed; Clerk of
Board, O. T. Hambleton; Clerk of Court, J. M. Hatch; Surveyor, A. W. Johnson;
Supt. of Schools, O. E. Wells. 1885. County
Judge, C. S. Ogden. 1886. Member
of 1st Dist., Wm. Masters; Member of 2d Dist., A. S. McDonald; Sheriff, Ole
Sether; Register, Henry Geibel; Treas., Hans Benlick; Dist. Atty., A. L.
Hutchinson; Clerk of Board, G. A. Murray; Clerk of Court, J. M. Hatch;
Surveyor, A. W. Johnson; Coroner, G. R. Dale; Supt. of Schools, Wm Fowlie. |