History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
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commissions, and silver medals—one side of which was the king's head, and the British coat of arms on the other, presented to them, through the Indian department, from Gen. Haldimand and Lord Dorchester, and other early Canada governors. In those days the Indians were strong, but yet treated the Eng¬ lish with kindness, and placed full confidence in them. Do we reciprocate their friendship and liberality now that we are strong and they weak ?
Ice gone and boat loaded, good-bye forever to the Yankton band of Sioux Indians, now des¬ tined to the Mississippi, Prairie du Chien and Mackinaw. While at Mackinaw this year (1810) in passing through Robert Dicksons room one day, I saw several books on his table, among which were two copies of the Bible. Recollect¬ ing the interest my parents appeared to take in this book, I at once concluded I must have one of them. To ask Mr. Dickson for one would be useless; and my good friiend Parson Stuart, the old Mohawk missionary, had so impressed upon my mind that stealing would be a breach of one of the commandments—therefore I dared not take it. My conscience was quieted with the sug¬ gestion that I could borrow it, which I did, faithfully returning it the next year; but like many other things I have left undone, I did not read it with the attention I should have done.
The remainder of my Indian trading years was spent with the Lower Sioux Indians. One season at Lake St. Croix (1810-11). This year the much-respected Sioux Chi,ef Onk-e-tah En- du-tah, or Red Whale, while spending part of the summer (of 1810) with many of his people at Prairie du Chien, lost his only daughter there. He determined to take her remains up to his village and bury them with those of her relatives—a distance of about 200 miles, and in the burning hot month of August. He placed the corpse in his canoe and started, two other families following in their respect¬ ive canoes. When they had accomplished about    half    their    journey    on   the   eighth
day, they reached lake Pepin; he landed, and threw the putrid body into the water, say¬ ing: "I cannot carry my child's body any far¬ ther; but her bones must be buried with her mother and sisters. Will any one help me sep¬ arate the bonefs from the decayed and decaying flesh." No one responded. He threw oft' his covering; and sitting down on the beach, went to work and cleaned the flesh from every bone, throwing the decayed parts into the lake. He then got some grass, tied them up carefully, placed them in his canoe, and renewed his jour¬ ney. During this operation, as well as occas¬ ionally when on his route home, he would sing the death song, accompanied with loud wail- ings and tears, producing an indescribable mel¬ ancholy, and echo from the surrounding hills, well calculated to turn the most joyous heart into mourning.
I have much to say about the Red Whale, and his strange story of his origin—an inven¬ tion by- which he acquired the most, if not all, of his popularity over his superstitious follow¬ ers. He was a great orator, as well as success¬ ful war chief, and a friend of the whites.
When he was about twenty-five years of age, so I was informed, he made a feast, and invited the principal men of his tribe, and thus addressed them: " My friends, you all know that as soon as I could use the bow and gun w^ell, I placed myself under a warrior and a medicine man, to learn all they knew ; I blackened my face ; I fasted many days, and dreamed many dreams. I then followed you on the war path.- Few of you, on our return, made the women and children dance and sing more than I have done, for coming home with even one scalp, causes days of dancing and rejoicing." Then referring to his trophied head, he added: "You know how I got this hair and these feathers from your enemies' heads. I love the Sioux, and will now tell you where I came from, and how I became one of your people.
" When this world was small, and only a few camps upon it, a long way from here I was born