Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs
The Life of Chief Oshl(osh
BY SCOTT CROSS FOR THE OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM CopyrighL@ 2002 by the OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Printing or this publication was made possible in pan by a donation from Casile-Pierce Printing Co. Contents
Introduction .. ·· ··· ····· ···· ··· ·· ·· ··········· ····· ···· ·· v The Life of Chief Oshkosh The Menominee of Wisconsin ...... I Oshkosh tbe Brave ...... l War of 1812 ...... 2 Treaty of 1827 ...... 3 Winnebago War of 1827 ...... 6 The Murder Trial ...... 8 Council of I 830 ...... 10 Black Hawk War ...... 12 Cedar Point Treaty of 1836 ...... 14 Annual Payment ...... I 5 A Council Meeting in 1845 ...... 23 Lake Poygan Treaty of 1848 ...... 24 Murder of Oshkosh's Adopted Son ...... 26 Trips to Minnesota and Washington, D.C...... 27 Treaty of 1854 ...... 29 The Lost Partridge Child ...... 30 Treaty of 1856 ...... 33 Reservation Life and the Death of Chief Oshkosh ...... 33 Who's Buried in Oshkosh's Tomb? ...... 35 Recollections of Chief Oshkosh ...... 36 Conclusion ...... 39 Further Reading ...... 41 Images of Chief Oshkosh Paul Kane Sketch ...... 43 The Woodcut Engraving ...... 45 The Second Oshkosh Daguerreotype ...... 51 The Brookes Painting ...... 53 Notes . 55 Index .. .. 59
Ill ·~ . Introduction
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the Lake Winnebago region is familiar with the image of Chief Oshkosh in his tall beaver hat, coat with tails, and his steel-eyed gaze. The city of Oshkosh, a beer company, and numerous other business concerns have used his name and image. Even a bronze statue of a talJ muscular Indian stands in Menominee Park over his supposed grave. But who was the real Chief Oshkosh of the Menominee? Folklore concerning his raucous drinking behavior has come down over the last one hundred and fifty years and is sometimes difficult to separate from fact. He has been both vilified and praised for the treaties he signed with the federal government.
The only publication that attempts to give an account of his life is the Story of Oshkosh: His Tribe and Fellow Chiefs, written by local historian Publius V. Lawson about 1900. Lawson devotes a scant ten pages exclusively to Chief Oshkosh. Most state and local history books only include a paragraph or two concerning his life. Amazingly, there has never been any serious effort to fully document the life of this great man. Fortunately, there are clues to his life from many different and varied sources. Eady Wisconsin Historian Lyman C. Draper bad the forethought to conduct interviews with dozens of early pioneers. He also collected manuscripts and diaries, which were published in the Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. From these interviews and recollections came many accounts of the life of Chief Oshkosh. Travelers to Wisconsin Territory also recorded their observations. Among these published accounts are also stories of the Menominee Chief. It is from these and other sources that we hope to be able to compile a more complete picture of the real man.
v
Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs
The Life of Chief Oshkosh
The Menominee of Wisconsin
The Menominee are an Algonquian-speaking wood land tribe. Europeans first encountered them when French ex pl orer Sieur Jean Nicolet visited the mouth of the Fox River at Green Bay in I 634. Their domain included all the land between the mouth of the Fox River at Green Bay in the north, the Milwaukee River to the south, Lake Michigan in the east, and the Mississippi River in the west. The tribe lived primarily along the Fox, Wolf. and Wisconsin Rivers where they fished, hunted and gathered wild rice. There is no reliable record of the size of the tribe prior to the nineteenth century, but the highest estimate ranges to about 2,500 persons. 1
The tribe allied itself with the French at an earl y elate, as did many of the other northern tribes. The French occupied a post at Le Bay (now the city of Green Bay) from 1726 until 1761. This opened the way for French fur traders who became intimate friends with the Menominee. The bond was further strengthened when many of the French men married Menominee women. At the end of the French and Indian War, the post at Green Bay was occupied by a detachment of seventeen British soldiers and its name was changed to Fo11 Edward Augustus. The Menominee be friended the British and in 1763, when the post was threatened by attack, they escorted the garrison to the safety of Fort Mackinaw. This friendship continued through the War of 18 J 2 and in 1816 the Menominee signed a treaty of peace with the Untied States.2
Oshkosh the Brave
Oshkosh was the grandson of Chakauchokarna, also known as Shawano or the Old King. who was for many years the head chief of the Menominee tribe. Oshkosh was born in 1795 at Chakau chokama's village, located on the Fox River across from the seulement of Green Bay. Wisconsin. This had been the ancestral home of the Menominee since before the arrival of Nicolet in 1634.3 He would marry three times during his life and have fo ur survivi ng children. Hi s first wife Bambani bore him Akwinemi, Niopel, and Koshkanoq ue. Following her death he manied Shakanouiu. Hi s third wife was Tomokoum who had a daughter named Kinoke.4
War of 1812
The Menominee tribe sent a party of one hundred waJTiors under the command of Chief Tomah to join with the British Army during the War of 181 2. Among this group was a seventeen-year-old warrior named Oshkosh. Tomah, also spelled Tomau, was born Thomas Caron, the second son of a half-blood Frenchman and Menom inee woman.5 Hi s father was Claude Caron, a Menominee war chief also known as Chief De Karey or Decorah. Decorah's father was Sebrevoi r De Carie who had been a French officer. He died April 28, 1760 6 after being mortally wounded while fi ghting the British at Quebec. Tomah was not the hereditary chief of the tribe, but was considered the chief in authority. When the celebrated Shawnee chief, Tecumseh, had appealed to the Menominee in 18 10 10 join him in hi s confederation of tri bes and begin raiding white setllements, Tomah refu sed. However, he wou ld later all y hi mselr with the B1itish.
In July 18 12, Bri tish Colonel Robert Dickson led a force in the capture of Fort Mack in aw, Michigan from the Americans. Oshkosh and the Menominee were present at the surrender. Reportedly, it was during Lh is campaign against the Americans that Oshkosh came under the wi ng of Tomah. The following year General Henry A. Proctor and Colonel Roberr Di ckson led the Menominee in an unsuccessful attack against Fort Sandusky, Ob.io. The Menominee also participated in the 181 4 Battle of Mackinaw where the American Major Andrew H. Holmes was killed. The treaty that was signed with the Uni ted States in 1816 by the Menominee chiefs, including Tomah, gave permission to build Fort Howard at Green Bay.7
2 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Treaty of 1827
About 1825, the head chie f of the Menominee died without leav ing a male heir. As a result, the tribe was nol properly represented at the Prairie du Chjen Treaty of 1825. There was contention between the various bands over who should succeed him.8 The main purpose of this treaty was to establish tribal bound aries between the Menominee, Winnebago, and Chippewa tribes and the purchase of land, which is now the city of Green Bay.9 Conrinued disputes concerning the special land agreement of 182 1 with the New York Indians al so led to the lreaty meeting al Little Butte des Morts on August 6-11, I 827. One of the problems in the negoti ations with the Menominee was the fact that there was no recognized head chief of the tribe. At the opening of the meeting, Michigan Territorial Governor Lewis Cass addressed the tribe,
We have observed for some time lhe Menomi nee to be in a bad situation as to their chiefs. There is no one we can talk to as the head of the nati on. If anything should happen, we want some man, who has authori ty in the nation, that we can look to. You appear li ke a nock of geese, without a leader, some fly one way and some another. Tomorrow, at the openjng of the council, we shall appoint a principal chief of the Menominee. We shall make enquiry this afternoon, and try to select the proper man. We shal l give him the medal. and expect the Menomjnee to respect him.10 On the following day the head of the Indian Office, Thomas L. McKenney, spoke to the tribe,
Your great Father, who li ves in the Great Vill age towards the rising sun, has heard confused sounds from the lands where hi s Menominee children hunt. He thinks it is because there are too many mouths here and that all speak at once. He wants one mouth. that he may hear more disti nctly. and one pair of ears to hear through, and a pair of eyes to see for him. He said to
The life ofChief Oshkosh 3 your rather and me -GO, select from my Menominee children the best man and make him Chief. Give him good things. Put a Medal around his neck, and a robe over his shoulders, and give him a flag. Tell him his great Father takes him fast by the hand today - that this medal unites them. But they 'Nill be one no longer than he shall continue to be a good man, and listen to and obey hi s great Father's councils. Tell him the moment he linds he ca nnot walk straight, nor keep hi s people from going into crooked paths, the medal will disgrace him. It is only honorable, while he who wears it, continues to be a good man. The squaws and children would laugh to see a medal on the neck of a clog, they only respccl it, when it is on the breast of a man .... We told you yesterday, we would make a chief for you. We have selected two from among you, and we now give them these presents, and this medal and this robe. You [addressing Oshkosh I are now the great Menominee Chier. You will take care and act like a man and not like a cl og. And to the second man fCaron] we say the same things as to you, except you are to speak to your great Father through the mouth of your great Chief. Should the great Spirit put his hand upon him, you will. if you are a good man, take his place: if not. we will make another. You r great Father will have no bad or foolish Chiefs. Take these presents, this medal and thi s robe. and follow the advice of your great Father as we have spoken it in your ears Lhi s day. 11 The formal presentation of the Peace Medals was held on August 14, 1827. Once aga in, comnriss ioners Cass and M cKenney spoke to the new chief's,
We have hung medals around your necks and put new American hearts in you. You must now take hold of your American Fathers hand and keep fast hold. You must give your men good advice. You must drive away
4 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Obverse and reverse of the Peace Medal given by Governor Lewis Cass to Chief Oshkosh at Little Butte des Morts 011 August 27, 1827. With the presentation of this medal he was recognized as Head Chief of the Menominee Tribe.
all bad words from your ears. These medals open the path to the great council fires. If at any time you want to say anything to your great Father, these medals are yom passports. 12 Eleazer Williams, an Iroqois Indian and Christian missionary to the New York Indian tribes in Wisconsin, related the story of the proceedings of August 7, 1827, "Oiscoss [Oshkosh] and Caron [the son of Tomah] were called before the council, and presented medals by Colonel [Thomas L.] McKenney. Oshkosh was made head chief of the Menominee Nation." I3 Colonel Charles Whittlesey, another participant at the Butte des Morts treaty meetings, also recorded his observations of Chief Oshkosh,
Oshkosh was at this time hereditary chief, and about twenty-one years of age [he was actually thirty-two]. He was a young chief, of strong sense, a murderer of one of his own tribe, and a lover of strong drink. In
The Life of Chief Oshkosh 5 council , he withheld his speech until late in the debate. but spoke with firmn ess and effect. 14 Paul Kane, a Canadian arti st from Toronto who visited the ttibe in J 845, te ll s another version of the selection of Oshkosh,
When Os-cosh aspired to the dignity of head chief, his electi on was opposed in the council by another chief [Caron], who insis1cd on contesting the post of honor wi th him. Os-cosh repl ied that as there could only be one head chi ef, he was quite willing to settle the dispute with their knives by 1he destruction of one or the other. This proposal was dccli necl, and his claim has never since been disputed. l5
Winnebago War of 1827
On June 26, 1827, a war party of Winnebago Indians attacked several setL lers in the town of Prairie du Chien. A band led by Red Bird, so named for the British uniform he wore, entered the home and store of James H. Lockwood, scaiing his wife, bur doing no harm. They then went to the home of Rijaste Gagnier, a mixed blood French-African, killing him and his hired hand , Solomon Lipcap, a retired soldier. Gagnier's one-year-old daughter was stabbed, scalped, and le l'I fo r dead, but survived the attack. The same day. a keelboat was returning from Fort Snelling in Minnesota when it was attacked by a large war party near the mouth of the Bad Ax Ri ve r. Two crewmembers were killed and four were wounded.
A great panic swep1 through southwestern Wisconsin (Michigan Territory) and northwestern Illinois. Mines and farms were deserted. Governor Lewis Cass arrived and assumed command at Fort Crawford on July 4. He then mustered a company of mil itia from the area and another from Galena, Illinois. Colonel Josiah Snelling arrived with two companies of the 5th Infantry and assumed command or the f'o rl. A force under General Atkinson arrived from St. Louis and proceeded up the Wisconsin River in
6 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs pursuit. A band of 300 Winnebago was trapped when a force from Green Bay appeared from the north at Portage. Red Bird was captured on September 3 and later d ied of d isease before stand ing trial. 16 Wekau and Chickhonsic were also imprisoned, convicted of murder by Judge James Duane Doty, and then pardoned by President John Quincy Adams.
Maj or Will iam Whistler, commander at Fon Howard, led the force from Green Bay that accepted the surrender of Red Bird. It was composed of two companies of the 2nd United States Infantry and a company of 120 M enominee and New York Ind ian Volunteers. 17 On the rolls o f these vol un teers appears the name "O 'skash, I st Chief, the Fingernail (Claw)." This is the first time that Oshkosh and the Menomi nee would take up anr1s in support of the United States Government. 18 This was also the fi rst opportunity for the newly appointed chief to show his all egiance to the American government.
Officer's gilt brass epaulet given to Chief Oshkosh by a United States Army officer at Fort Howard.
The Life ofChief Oshkosh 7 The Murder Trial
Charles Whit1lcsey's comment that Oshkosh wa a murderer is a reference to a murder trial held June 14. 1830. According to Brown County court documents. Chief 0 hkosh, Amable and Shawpetuck were accused or attacking Okewa of the Ottawa tribe on June 3. Oshkosh was specilicall y accused of stabbing Okewa in the side and back with a large kni fe, causing Okewa's immediate death. The three Menominee were indicted for felony murder and put on trial in the log courthouse presided over by Territorial Judge James Duane Doty. The three pied not guilty to the charges. A frontier jury found Oshkosh gu ilty of stabbing and killing Okewa, but they also acknowledged that on the same clay, Okewa had accidentally shot and killed Mak iweth, a member of the Menorr1inee tribe. Accordi ng to Menominee law and custom, Oshkosh had acted we ll within his rights. Oshkosh proclaimed during the trial that the White Man's law did nor apply to this circumstance. The jury decided that ii" the killing was premeditated, then Oshkosh was guilty of murder, but if he had acted according to tribal customs and law he was only guilty of rnanslaughter. The jury then referred the final decision to Judge Doty, who then acquitted Chief Oshkosh. Amable, and Shawpetuck of the murder charges. 19
In 1856 Lyman C. Draper recorded another ver ion of the killing given to him during an interview with Eleazer Williams. In thi s account, Okcwa, a half-breed and distant relative of Mrs. Marie Jourdain, was hunting along Hell Creek when he shot into the tal l reeds along the bank and accidentally killed Makiweth. He took the body lo Green Bay where Oshkosh and the Menominee were camped. When he informed the chi ef what had occurred, a drunken Oshkosh drew hi s knife and plunged it into Okewa and continued to stab him until he was dead. Jt is suggested that Judge Doty had him released because or his power and influence in the tribe. To avoid retribution from the family of the slain, Oshkosh went to Mrs. Jourdain, a powerful medicine woman who could have demanded his blood, and asked her forgiveness.20 It should be noted that Eleazer Wil liams was the son-in-law of Marie Jourdain.
8 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Top: Bowie kn.{fe blade found by Reginald Oshkosh buried in a shell mound and, according to oral tradition, used by Chief Oshkosh during the Black Hawk Wcu:
Center and bottom: This side kn~fe was used by Chief Oshkosh and was manufactured by Lamson & Goodnow of Shelburne, Massachusetts circa 1855. The leather sheath is homemade.
The Life ofChief Oshkosh 9 Council of 1830
Once again, a dispute arose over land that had been sold to the New York tribes of the Oneida, Stockbridge, Tuscarora, and Brothertown Indians by the Menominee and Winnebago tribes. A special land agreement had been signed in 1821. which granted lands to the New York tribes for cash and goods worth $2000, but the dispute lay over the boundaries for their respective reservations. The Winnebago and Menominee also believed that the disputed land had been loaned and not sold. President Andrew Jackson appointed James M ' Call and two other men as commissioners and sent them to resolve the dispute in 1830. M ' Call kept a journal of the proceedings and made observations of the tribes he met and the principal characters, including Chief Oshkosh. He observed at that time lhal the Menominee Tribe numbered about 1,500 individuals. Charles Augustin Grignon acted as interpreter for the Menominee when the council began on August 24, 1830 al Green Bay.21 On Friday, August 27, Chief Oshkosh spoke on behalf o f his tribe, as recorded by Grignon,
Accordingly Oushcosh arose and stated that they had not sold the Wappinackies [New York Indians] any land - they had given them the privilege to settle down among them but he knew of no writing nor had he signed any until the treaty of Butte des Mo1ts in 1827, by Governor Cass .... The Winnebago were called upon to speak. The head chief, Four Legs, answered that what had been said by hi s brother in behalf of the Menominee was agreeable to his opinion and the ·1ee" l'111 gs o 1·· 111 . s nall. on .... n-- Discussions bogged down when the Menominee and Winnebago refused a counter offe r from the New York tribes. The attorney for the Menominee, Judge James D. Doty, charged the New York tribes with fraud. The wording of the 1821and1822 treaties was vague and confusing and even puzzled the commissioners. With no agreement in sight, the Menominee requested clothing and passage to Washington to speak with President Andrew Jackson in person.
10 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Cat/inile pipe bowl and wooden stem given to Chief Oshkosh by ei1her Chief John 'W Quinney (Wcmnuaucon) or Chief Austin Quinney of !he Stockbridge Tribe at Lake Poygan in 1838,
The Life of Chief Oshkosh 11 In December, Indian Agent Samuel C. Stambaugh and repre sentatives of the tribe::; arri ved in Wasbington. The S tambaugh Treaty was signed on February 8, 1831.23 Oshkosh did not go to Washington to attend these meetings and hi s signature does not appear on the treaty.24 The tribe ceded two and a half million acres of land and received $ 125,000 in compensation. T he ceded land bordered along Lake Winnebago and the Fox Ri ver on the west. the Milwaukee River along the south, Lake Michigan along the east and Green Bay in the north.25 Another treaty on October 27. 1832 gave 500,000 acres to the 1 ew York Indians. Oshkosh did not sign thi s treaty either, but his brother, Oshkiq' hinaniu or Young Man. signed on his behalf.26
Black Hawk 'Var
The Menominee had long been traditional enemi es o f the Sauk and Fox tribes. As recently as 1830, a combined war party of Sioux and Menominee had atcacked and killed members of Chief Black Hawk·s ·'British Band:· ln retal iation. Black Hawk led a war party of one hundred Sauk waniors up the Mississippi Ri ver into Wisconsin in 1831. They attacked a group of fo rty Menominee men, women, and children camped on an island across from Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien. Twenty-fi ve Menominee were ki lled, scalped, and mutilated.27 Those killed included the wife, children and brother of Chief Caron.28
That same year. Black Hawk and his fo llowers were forcibly removed by the United States government from their vi llage of Saukenuk, located at the present city of Rock Island. lllinois. On Aptil 6, 1832, Black Hawk led hi s warriors in an aucmpt to regain their t1ibal lands in Illinois. As a result of this. Colonel Samuel C. Stambaugh, the former Menominee Indian Agent, was given authority to raise a group o f Menominee to fight against the Sauk and Fox. Tlu·ee hundred Menominee and mixed-bl ood troops were raised in Green Bay and formed into two compani es under American officers that July. Oshkosh and many other Menominee leaders joined the group. Augustin Grignon, Sr. commanded one of the companies, with Charles Augustin G1ignon (hi s son) and
12 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Robert Grignon (hjs nephew) serving as lieutenants. George Johnson commanded the other company, with William Powell and James Boyd as lieutenants.29 Cutting Marsh, a Scottish missionary to the Stockbridge Indians, noted the arrival of Oshkosh and the Menominee at Green Bay on July 27, Saw perhaps 50 of the Menominee who were on their way up the Fox R. on a war expedition to join the U. S. Army against the hostile Sacs .... Thei r painted faces, ornaments, drums, whistles, war clubs, spears, &c. &c. made them appear indeed savage and warlike. Their songs uttered from the throat, consisting in deep guttural sounds and very loud without distinction in sounds seemed most like the singing of frogs, and the occasional whoop was calculated to make one feel that death still broods over this region ....30 The group moved up the Fox Ri ver from Green Bay through Butte des Morts to Portage. They then continued down the Wisconsin River to Blue Mound, Fort Dodge, and on to Prairie Du Chien in only fo ur days.3 1 Prior to their arrival there, Lieutenant Ritner and a detail from Fort Crawford had encountered a group of twenty men, with many of the Sauk women and children who had been sent down the Wisconsin Ri ver on rafts to escape the pursuing arn1y. The soldiers fired into them, kjlling fifteen of the men, and captured thirty-two women and children. Approximately the same number drowned in the river and a few escaped into the country.32
Colonel William S. Hamilton. commander at Fort Crawford and son of Alexander Hamilton, led half of Grignon's force of Menominee down the shore of the Mississippi River in search of these Sauk Indians. Among Hamilton's group was Chief Oshkosh. That night they camped at Brunet's Ferry on the Wisconsin River. The following morning they started out and soon encountered a trail. About fifteen miles north of Cassville, they came to a camp of Sauk Indians composed of two men, an older boy, th ree or fo ur women and three or four children. The camp was surrounded and Colonel Hamilton gave the order to advance and take them prisoners. Augustin Grignon relates,
The L(fe of Chief Oshkosh 13 ... The Menominee were fierce for a fight, and killed the two men, and took the others prisoners. They !ired a volley at the l wo Sauk, and when they fell, they were riddled with bullets by those coming up who wi shed to share in the honor of having participated in the fig ht. In the melee. one or the children was wounded and died the next day. Lieutenant Robert Grignon was badly wounded in the side wi th buckshot .... He thought he was shot by the lndian lad, but I think it was quite as likely to have been by some of our own parry, firing as they were. in every direction.33 Oshkosh and the Menominee volunteers received high praise from George Boyd, United States Indian Agent; General Winfield Scott, and General Henry Atkinson for their willingness to take up arms on behalf of the federal government. lron ically, \vhile Oshkosh and the Menominee were lighting a war on behalf of the government. the U.S. Senate was altering the Stambaugh Treaty of 1831 to take away the most valuable Menominee territory and move the tribe onto a smaller reservation of inferior land along the Wolf River.34
Cedar Point Treaty of 1836
The federal government in 1836 appointed Territorial Governor Henry Dodge as Commissioner to the Menominee Indians. Once agai n, the government wanted more of thei r land. Henry S. Baird served as Secretary. A Council was held at Cedar Point on tbe Fox Ri ver on September 3. In the treaty that resu lted Chief Oshkosh and the otber Menominee chi efs ceded four million acres of land along the Fox River and the western side of Lake Winnebago.35 Thi s also included land east of Green Bay and a strip along the Wi sconsin Ri ver. The tribe agreed to move within one year to a location along Lake Poygan. The treaty compensated the t1ibe with $800,000. but it cancelled all previous compensations.36
Problems with annuity payments in I 838 and 1839 led Chief Oshkosh and fi ve other chiefs 10 file complaints against Indian
14 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Subagent George Boyd. Official criminal charges were eventually filed in Brown County court. In 1841 Chief Oshkosh led a delegation to Madison, the new territorial capital of Wisconsin , and repeated these and other complain ts to Governor Henry Dodge. Dodge recommended to the War Department that Boyd be removed. In May 1841, George Lawe was appointed Indian Sub agent to the Menominee.37
Annual Payment
Lake Poygan became the meeting place of the Menominee for their annuity payments. On one of these payment days an uniden tified Briton was present. In 1842 he published in London an account of his travels entitled, Life in the West. On one of his stops he was staying with Augustin Grignon and observed the fol lowing,
At sunset we were surpri sed by a loud shout, and running to the door, beheld a gaily-painted canoe, sculled along by four handsomely-dressed young men; they beached their boat handsomely, and sundry Indians, a white and a half-breed marched up to the house. All the Indians. half-breeds and traders, made a sort of humble salurati on to a dirry, mean-looking little Indian, with a large mouth, bandy legs, a quick eye, and mean looking brow; and while 1 was considering why this worshipful chimney-sweeper, in hi s dirty old blanket, was paid so much auenrion, my host's brother whispered in my ear- "C'est Osh Cosh le Brave, chief of the Menomenee Indians." Hi s pipe-bearer soon fixed the red stone calumet to a long flat stem, richly ornamented with red and green feathers, and the chief began puffing away like a Turkish bashaw. Observing that his course black hair hung down over hi s face, and his cheeks were covered with black dirt, 1 inquired if any accident had befallen his excellency, or royal highness. The answer was brief: "The chief is in decent mourning for one of his sons, lately deceased." I thought of the ancient custom of the Jews-how David
The L[fe ofChief Oshkosh 15 Hand blown liquor deca111er and blown mold wineglass used by Chief Oshkosh.
humbled himself in sackcloth and ashes, &c .... The chief was in a very bad humor. He had been to the payment ground, and was displeased because the whole tribe were not ready to receive him. He did not approve of the new mode of taking the census of hi.s tribe, wishing the chiefs to receive the money, and divide it as they thought proper. He therefore left hi s band to prepare his wigwam and lodges, and came down the river, thus slenderly attended, to consult with hi s old friend and stanch ally, G1ignon, the trader .... Osh Cosh
16 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs declined sitting at the table. He was served with wild duck stew, tea, and cakes, on a stool in the chimney corner. Tea over, Osh Cosh signified his intention to make a speech, and profound s ilence being observed, he stood up before the red embers of the fire, dropped his blanket from his shoulders round his loins, and raising his right hand, spoke in a deep, yet clear and somewhat sonorous voice, without stopping for al least half an hour, my friend the bluff Frenchman interpreting what he said, from time to time. The speech, from fi rst to last, was in a declamatory style, and against whis key. He said he had seen many barrels lying in the reeds, waiting to be broached when the payment was made; but he would set his face against any such underhand proceedings. Firewater (iscodaywabo) was the secret poison-the knife with which the Shemookmen (the Ame1ican or long knife) destroyed hi s young men. He would set his face against this firewater; he would tell the agent that he would rather see all his money thrown into the river than lose a single warrior by drunkenness and brawling. He then reverted to what had happened at the last payment: "a man, goaded to madness with fire water, killed two women, and fired at a man; the band to which the women belonged rose to a man, rushed upon the drunken madman, what they did you all witnessed, and, I shame to say, I witnessed also," said the chief. "They threw him on the great council fire, and he was burnt. The white men fled - the pale faces were filled with fear; it is not right that they shou Id bring back such evil reports. 1 am resolved to preserve order in the camp, and set my face against the whiskey traders. Caun whiskey- caun whiskey! " and Osh Cosh sat clown, in the midst of a loud, approving grunt. 38 An invitation to accompany them by canoe to the payment grounds was extended by Oshkosh to the Briton, who described the occasion, "Osh Cosh sported a white chip hat, and squatted himself down in the midst of the canoe, puffing his long calumet with great
The L~fe ofChief Oshkosh 17 Handmade, decoratively carved wooden canoe paddle used by Chief Oshkosh.
18 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs dignity and self-satisfaction, while two of the G rignons, a half breed, and myself, stowed ourselves upon the mats, back to back, and off we went like a streak of oiled lightning."
When they arrived at the payment ground the chiefs gathered at the tent of the Indian agent. The Briton observed, "Osh Cosh came in ; he had rubbed more charcoal on his face, and save and excepting a splendid pair of leggings and moccasins, looked dirtier and meaner than ever.'' As the agent announced the method of registration and payment, Oshkosh "stood up and , as usual, girded his blanket around his loins. He said , ' When their great father sent his servants to pay them fo r their lands, he knew very well bow shamefully they were treated. A chie f is the head of a band, he has his children to support-the band looks up to him. The chiefs alone should receive the money, they are the treasurers of the tribe, and are better acquainted with the wants of their people."'
After some discussion, which led to no conclusions, Oshkosh signified that the payment could conti nue. As the observer walked about the camp he noticed Oshkosh's wigwam. He described it,
Osh Cosh has hoisted the American flag over hi s long wigwam; therefore matters will go off more quietly, it is argued. l \Vas on the point of entering the chief's wigwam, when the loud and rapid enunciation of the grand medi.cine [man) arrested my progress. Another of the chief's sons was ill , and the grand medicine man, as in duty bound, kept up a perpetual harangue; it would have been considered an evil omen if a stranger entered the lodge without being formally invited on such an occasion. 39 As the registry of families continued at the Council Lodge, the Briton noticed that bigamy was acceptable and noted , "Osh Cosh has lately taken unto himsel f a thin young squaw, having already sons and daughters by two sisters; they al I live logether in the greatest harmony." In an attempt to curtail the flow of alcohol in the camp, Oshkosh and the Grignons were able to get the traders to remove all whiskey to across the river and hide it in bushes.
The Life of Chief Oshkosh 19 Elk Tooth necklace composed Brass kellle used by Chief Oshkosh for cooking herbs used in medicines and hand car\led and decorared maple wood spoon used by Chief Oshkosh when processing maple syrnp. 20 like a Deer C!tased b • 11 rh e Do<'S¢> Several s1rands (~/" 1he cylindrical white bead with hexagonal black bead necklaces 1ha1 belonged to Chief Oshkosh. The L(/e of Chief Oshkosh 21 Cotton bunting thirty-one-star United States flag presented 10 Chief Oshkosh by 1he government between 1850 and 1858. He may have received this at the Treaty Negotiations of 1854 or the Treaty of'1856. The following day brought new problems as rnany Whites, Winnebago, Chippewa and Potawalomi , who had married Menominee women and had children, petitioned Chi ef Oshkosh to be placed on the registry. The debate continued be fore the agent in the Council Lodge. Finally Caron. Oshkosh ·s old rival, stood up and addressed the crowd. He rejected the claims of the half-breeds and accused Oshkosh of being che "tool of the Grignons and other traders." This is ironic, since Caron was of mi xed heritage and Oshkosh was pure-blood Menominee. The debate continued until it was finally concluded to pay the half-breeds that year and then no longer. The next day the traders and others submitted their claims against the tribe. Most of these were rejected, inc luding one agai nst 22 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Oshkosh and other chiefs for expenses accrued at an inn during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Oshkosh then advised the chiefs to g ive Augustin Grignon a half-dollar per head for services rendered to the tribe over the previous two years, which was agreed to. He again stood up and said, "There is a man here present to whom we are all indebted; he draws up our [legal] papers, and sees j usti ce done to us-he is our attorney, and in consideration of hi s services we will allow him fi fty doll ars." The attorney went into near shock when the pitiable amount of fifty dollars was doled out to him. There had been a mistake, for Oshkosh meant to say fi ve hundred dollars instead of fi fty and the error \:Vas soon corrected.40 A Council Meeting in 1845 Canadian artist Paul Kane was fortunate enough to attend a council meeting held along the banks of the Fox River in 1845. Ct was at this time that he made an excellent sketch of Chief Oshkosh [see page 43]. He also did drawings of several other prominent members of the tribe. In 1859 he published in London an account of his trave ls through Wisconsin which contains the following observations. Here we fo und abom 3000 Indians assembled anxiously awaiting the arri val of the agent with their money .. . . On the arri val of the Indian Agent a council was imme diately cal led in a place erected for the occasion .... I attended in compliance wi th an invitation I had received from the head chief Os-cosh, or, "The Bravest of the Brave." He opened the council by lighting a pipe, and handing it to all present, each person taking a whiff or two, and passing it. to the next .. . . After this ceremony the main business of the council began: it almost exclusively consisted of complaints to be forwarded to the government. After several of the minor chiefs had delivered their sentiments, Os-cash himself rose, and spoke fo r about an hour, and a finer flow of native The l ife of Chief Oshkosh 23 eloquence- seasoned with good sense - I never heard. than proceeded from the lips of this untutored savage . Although a small man. his appearance, wh ile speak ing, possessed dignity: his attitude was graceful , and free from uncouth gesticulation. He complained of numerous acts or injustice which he supposed their father. the Pres ident, could not possibly know, and which he desired might be represented to him. through the agent, accompanied with a pipe-stem or peace richly ornamemed. One of the grievances he specified was. that their money passed th rough too many hands before it reached them. and that a great part of it was lost to them. He wou nd up hi s long harangue by descanting upon the narrow limits in whi ch they were pent up, which did not allow them sufficient hunting grounds without encroaching on the rights or other tribes. He said that, like a deer chased by the dogs, they wou ld have to take to the water.4 1 The Lake Poygan Treaty of 1848 Chief Oshkosh has been criticized for signing away large an1ounts of Menominee lands. The most devastating treaty to be signed was the L ake Poygan Treaty of 1848, which ceded all M enominee land in Wisconsi n. In exchange they were to receive 600,000 acres i n M innesota and $20,000. A clause stating that the tribe could remain on ceded lands for two years would prove advantageous in rhe fu ture.42 What critics may not take into account is the enormous amount of pressure that was being brought to bear on Oshkosh and the other chiefs. An eyewitness to the proceedings in 1848 was Louis B. Parlier. Parlier was married to Sophia Grignon, the daughter of Augustin Grignon, Sr., and accompanied his father-in-law to the council meeting. The two men had prepared Lo set up a trading shanty at the end of the meeting when annuity payments were to be made to the Menominee. 24 like a Deer Chased by 1he Dogs Obverse and reverse <~f the Peace Medal given to Chief Oshkosh by Commissioner of lndion A.f/'oirs William Medill at rhe Lake Poygan Treaty o.f J8 48. While Grignon and Oshkosh attended the council, Porlier busied himself setting up trade goods. He overheard Shononee, or Silver, leaving the council meeting in disgust. Shononee related to the young men gathered about him that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Will iam Medil l, had come to take all of the Menominee Janel in exchange fo r land in Minnesota. The Menominee had rejected this proposal and Oshkosh led the debate. Four days later the commissioner was no closer to a nevv treaty than he was at the start. The Secretary to the Commissioner, Henry S . Baird, became so disgusted he saddled his horse and returned to Green Bay. Morgan L. Martin was appointed secretary and the council adjourned for the clay. Later in the day, Martin paid Parlier a visit in his tent. and according to Parli er, Mr. Martin came to our tent and said, "Mr. Parlier, I wish you would tell Mr. Grignon that he had better The Life of Chief Oshkosh 25 advise the chiefs to make a treaty while they have an opportunity. They ought Lo make the most advantageous one they can; for if they should persist in refusing to treat, the president can at his pleasure order their remova l, without giving them another chance to make a treaty, and then it would be optional with him vvhether to give them anything or nothing, because it is provided in the existing treaty, that whenever the president should want their lands, they should reli nquish their title-they only possessing such lands as hunting grounds. The president has now sent a commissioner to make a treaty, and they ought to embrace the opportunity to make the most favorable one they can; it is a matter of course that the commi ssioner cannot give beyond his instructi ons, but he can give to the utmost limit." Grignon and Parlier spoke to the chiefs and elders of the tribes and explained to them their predicamenl. Martin then spoke to Chief Oshkosh personally. The following day when the council met the new treaty was signecl .43 Accord ing to Menominee oral tradition Chief Oshkosh never intended to lead his tribe to Minnesota.44 l\tlurder of Oshkosh's Adopted Son During the treaty payments of 1848 and 1849, President Zachary Taylor appointed two Quaker commissioners to oversee these payn1ents. Thomas Wistar, Jr. and Alfred Cope were selected for these positions. Cope published hi s observations in a series of articles entitled "Visit to the Menominees" which appeared in The Friend, the literary journ al of the Society of Friends. At the June 15, 1849 payment in Green Bay, the adopted son of Chief Oshkosh made a striking appearance as recorded by Cope, A son of the Sachem, about 17 years of age, a tolerably stout and handsome youth. with smooth oval face. was the most of a dandy. Red, green, and white streaks 26 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs traversed his vi sage, and broad red knee bands, inwrought with whi te beads in cu1ious devices, edged with parti-colored fringes, drew the attention of the beho lder to a goodly pair of legs. On hi s muscular arms . were displayed g littering bracelets of tin, and a plume of dyed feathers surmounted hi s head, the raven locks of which were g lossy with grease.45 Tragedy struck Oshkosh's fami ly on New Year's Day of 1850 when his adopted son was stabbed and killed by Joseph Cayau in Grand Rapids, Portage County, Wisconsin. Cayau claimed that the youth fell on his own knife while the two struggled over it. The Menominee tribe almost went on the warpath when Justice Joseph Wood dismissed the case for lack of evidence on January 23, I 850. It was only through the calming efforts of Chief Oshkosh himself that a conflict was avoided. He sent his braves out into the country to hunt and waiL. 46 Oshkosh made an impassioned plea to the Indian Subagent in Green Bay, William H. Bruce, asking for justice. Oshkosh was bitter that a white man could kill an Indian foi: snatching a glass of whiskey from his hand and nothing would be clone about it. To hi 111 it was obvious that whites "think Jess of an Indian than a dog, for if a white man's dog would have been killed he wou Jcl have satisfaction for it, but as it is only a poor Indian, it is no matter." 47 It is ironic that twenty years earlier Chief Oshkosh had fol lowed Menominee custom by having taken a life for a life and was tried fo r murde r. Now in a similar circumstance he submitted to the white courts and found no redress. Trips to Minnesota and Washington, D.C. In J ul y 1849, Oshkosh and the other chiefs were scheduled to visit their new home in Minnesota. They did not arrive at the appointed time to meet with the ir guide, Ebenezar Childs, to leave for their trip to the Crow Wing in Minnesota. They then requested that the ttip be postponed until the fo llowing spring.48 A delegation from the tribe was finall y sent LO examine the new lands and left the city of Oshkosh on June 7, J 850. The delegation, led by Oshkosh, was not impressed with what was to be their new home. The L[fe of Chief Oshkosh 27 Beaver lop har made by Drape1: Clark and Company. Ne~r York City. in 1/Je early 1800s and worn by Chief Oshkosh. The twenty-four men in the party were unable to feed themselves on the game they encountered and Chief Oshkosh was the on ly one to have even spotted a single Ii ve dee r. If game was scarce, the fish were plentiful. They spent time at the new Winnebago reservation where they saw well-tended fields of corn and squas h, but Oshkosh and the other Menominee had always lived by hunting.49 He and other representatives went to Washington, O.C. in A ugust to plead their case. On September 4, 1850 Chief Oshkosh spoke to President Millard Fillmore through his interpreter William Powell, who recalled how the ch ief addressed the issue, The Crow Wing Country was not what it had been represented .... The tribe did not Ii ke to move to that country because the Indians already there were continually engaged in intertribal war rsioux and Chippewa]. He preferred, he said, a home somewhere in Wisconsin, for the poorest region of Wisconsin was better than that of the Crow Wing. He said that the latter was a good country for the white man, for he was numerous, and cou l cl protect himself from those war! i ke tribes; but his own tribe was small, and he wished them to Jive in peace for the little time they have left to live.50 28 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs According to oral tradition, Oshkosh was auired in his black frock coat and his top hat adorned with ribbons.51 lt is possible that during th is trip Oshkosh acquired his frock coat and hat. A bill submitted by the group fo r their expenses incl uded $270.00 for clothing. 52 He also met General Winfield Scott at this meeting. When the two shook hands. the chief looked up at the general and said. ·'You arc like a tall pine tree and myself like a scrub oak, so 1 stand under your branches 10 protect my head fro m harm ." 53 Due to Oshkosh's impass ioned plea, the President gave permi ssion for the tribe to remain in Wisconsi n un til June 1, 185 1.54 As part of the tour the group spent a rcw days in New York City. While there they vis ited P. T. Barn um ·s museum on a daily basis. Oshkosh decl ined Barn um 's in vitation to hear Jenny Lind , " The Swedish Nighti nga le," perfo rm , bu t some of the younger chiefs attenclecl.55 Two more extensions to the date of removal were granted, one on June I, and anot her on October 1, 185 I. Petitions fro m Wisconsin residents were sent to Washington asking that the Menominee be all owed to stay wi thin the state. The tribe was fi nally granted perm ission to move to a temporary site along the Wolf Rivcr.56 In 1852 they moved from Lake Poygan to an area between the upper Wolf Ri ver and the Oconto River. This mandatory move was made late in the year on November 2 and was full of harclships.57 The Treaty of 1854 After two years or waiting, another treaty was made in May 1854. This treaty onicially granted the Menom inee the land that they had been temporarily occupying. The tribal lands had 1101,.v been reduced to approximately 250,000 acres. Fu rth er compensati on was given in annuity payments, schools, mi ll s, a bl acksm ith , and removal costs. Many were so unhappy with th is treaty that Oshkosh and Keshena refused to sign it. Although Congress ratified the treaty in August, an amendment stipulated that it would not become binding until Oshkosh placed his sign ature on ir.58 After the treaty had been amended to increase the monetary compensati on, both Osh kosh and Keshena signed the The life o/Chi~f Oshkosh 29 treaty.59 Menominee oral tradition states that Oshkosh spoke of his signing of the trea1y. ·· 1 do ii without my consent. My tii be compels me to sign i1:· 6o The Lost Partridge Child In 1846 Alvin and Lucia Partridge settled on a farm in Vinland Township just north or the city of Oshkosh. On April 19. 1850, while 1he fa mi ly wns making map le sugar on Rat Ri ver Creek. their fo ur-year-old son Caspar d isappeared. early a thousand volunteers searched the surrounding coumryside without ever finding the boy. In 185 1 near the town or Waupaca, a Menom inee boy named Oakaha was physically taken from his mother ahkom after he was mi stakenly identified as being Caspar Partridge. This confusion might be explained by the fact that Oakaha's father was a white man. The Partridges at rirsl relinquished the boy as not being theirs. But the fami ly, not bei ng totally convinced, had the boy seized through the courts in Oshkosh. The trial opened on February 12, 1852. Arter a lengthy hearing and del iberation, Comt Commissioner Edwin L. Butterick ordered that the boy be returned to Nahk.0 111, hi s mother, on March 27. The Partridges refused to surrender the boy and spirited him out of the state to Ohio. Iron icall y, a farmer out hunting near the place where Caspar Partridge disappea red discovered the skeleton of a child in May 1853. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs finall y tracked the Partridges down in Illi nois in November 1854 and returned with the boy 10 Milwau kee. The Partridges insti gated a second paternity tri al. this time in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Chier Oshkosh him self traveled to Milwaukee with Nahkom to auend the trial set for March 6. There would be no trial however. because on March 5 the Partridges had abducted the child once again. Th is time he was taken to Tennessee where not even the Pinkerton Detective Agency was able to locate him .61 30 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs The delegation from the Menominee tribe stopped at the offices of the Milwaukee Sentinel. They mer with the editors to plead their case. Oshkosh, as head chief of the t1ibe, spoke to them through his interpreters, Charles Augustin Grignon and Robert Grignon, We have called upon you and shaken hands with you, with a good heart. We have come to ask your aid. We want you to publish what we say. You sec that I am growing gray. I am an old man. I have seen many years. I was quite a young man when the Americans came to my place in Green Bay. It was I 8 l6. They shook hands with us and told us they had come to live among us, and make us happy and that if we followed their council we shoul d have no trouble. At a council we held in 1827. at little Butte des Morts, General Cass told u the same thing- that the Americans were our friends. and if we followed their advice we should always be happy. Again in 1836, at Cedar Point , we met Governor Dodge, who came from the General Government to treat with us and told us that whatever he promised, our Great Father, the Pres ident, would perform. Our Great Father, he said , was very glad we subm itted LO his wishes and made a treaty Lo cede part of our lands. And he promised our Great Father, the President, would always protect us like hi s own chi ldren, and would always hold our hands in his. Governor Dodge told us our Great Father was very strong, and owned all the country, and that no one would daJe to trouble us, or do us wrong, as he would protect us. He told us, coo, that whenever we got into difficulty or anything happened we did not like. 10 ca ll on our Great Father and he would have justice done. And now we come to you to remind our Great Father. through your paper, of his promise, and to ask him ro fu lfil it. Th e Life (?/Chief Oshkosh 31 We al ways thought much of Governor Dodge, as an honest man. and we thought more of him. when he came 10 us. on the part of the government. We believed all Lhat he told us. We have done what we agreed to do. We have been always friendly with the whites, and have even taken up aims wilh them against our Indian brothers. If any of our young men were foolish, the ch iefs were the fi rst to rebuke them and lo give them goocl adv ice. We have respected our white neighbors. And now we want Lheir help. IL was al the payment, at Lake Poygan, made by Colonel Jones, that th is boy was born. I then lived on the Wisconsin River, and was notified to come to the payment with my tribe. The roll had been all made up, and the payment was to be made the next day. During the night this boy was born. I was tol d of it in the morning, and asked Colonel Jones to put his name on the roll. The Colonel said this could not be, but if the ch ief"s were willing. the child should have his share. They were all willing-the boy's share was given to me, and I gave it to the mother. It was thi s same child the same one now taken from us. It is the truth I am te lling. Salt gla-::.e s1011ewore jug used by Chief Oshkosh. 32 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs And now we want your help to get the child back. We still hope to fin d him. We cannot give up. We want you to satisfy the public that the child is ours. We hoped to take hi m home with us thi s time. We came from a great distance. Once before the child was carried off by force, after the law had decided in our favor, and now he is again carried away. We are grieved and di sappointed. This is why we ask your help.62 Altho ug h public opinion had swung to the side of the Menominee, Oshkosh's plea was in vain and Nahkom would never see her son again. Treaty of 1856 The Menominee were not alone when it came to having t1i bal lands reduced in size. In 1856 the federal government removed the Stockbridge and Brotherton t1ibes. The government also required the Me nominee to relinquish to the New York tribes two southwesterly townships, for which, in February .1856 a treaty was signed and the tribe was paid 60 cents per acre.63 On February 1 I, 1856 Chief Oshkosh and the other leaders of the tribe put their marks on the treaty.64 Reservation Life and the Death of Chief Oshkosh The Menominee settled on their reservation in 1852 and were distributed by groups according to religious practices and clan membership. The Bear Clan led by Oshkosh, Souligny, Chickeney, and Shawano lived in an open area on the western side of the Wolf River. The federal government then began to i111plement its policy of turning the tribe into farmers whi le they we ·e forced to subsist on gove rnment rations of pork and fl our. Dwindling game popu lations and crop failures pl agued the tribe and increased hardshi ps.65 On August 31, 1858 Oshkosh met his end at the age of sixty three. The Shawano Venture recorded the particulars of the event. The l ffe of Chief Oshkosh 33 One of the traders sold him whiskey. He went to his two sons. drank freely. and became intoxicated. Oshkosh, who is very cross when drunk, got to fighting with his sons-they getting exasperated, tied him and flogged him so severely that he di ed from the effects of it! He was buried last Tuesday. All the tribes atlended his funera l. also the traders of Keshena. He was buried in two coffins: the inner one was lined with black velvet, and tastefully trimmed with ribbon. He was painted with vermilion. The coffin had a glass fixed over the face. through which the sorrowing tribe got a last look WHi -417 1 Aquo11 a111 ay. 1he e!tles1 so11 rf Chief Oshkosh, and Paul Acke11 eboa. Aquonmnay was involved in !he brawl that led to Oshkosh's death. He succeeded hisfather as head chief, but was deposeclfollowing his co11victio11 for wahbi111-: a 111c111 in 1871. Photo courtesy of the State Historical Society 34 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs at their beloved chief. After the funeral, Kroran made a speech against the ruinous effects of whiskey, and how it had caused the death of their lamented chief. They danced their death-dance, and one by one, di spersed Lo their homes. Aquonamay, the eldest son, is expected to succeed him.66 Augustus D. Bonesteel, the United States Indian Agent at Green Bay, eul ogized Chief Oshkosh in his annual report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, The Menominee have recently met with a severe loss in the death of Oshkosh, their principle [sic] chief. ... The 3 1st day of August was a clay the like of which will never be seen again by Lhe Menominee nation- a clay on which not only the reel man, but the white man mourned the loss of a brave and noble hearted man, whose place wi ll never be filled with another as much respected and honored; as an orator his equal has never been known in the Menominee nation, and he would rank with many of hi s white brethren.67 Who's Buried in Oshkosh's Tomb? A popular movement began in the I 880s to disinter the body of Chief Oshkosh and move it to the city of Oshkosh. Local phi lanthropist, Alfred McComb, continued these efforts into the 1920s. Finally, in May of 1926, Chi ef Reginald Oshkosh, grandson of the first Chief Oshkosh, and tribal elders gave permission to exhume the body and move it to Menominee Park. a l.I fin anced by McComb who had given Regin ald an undisclosed amount of money. On May 9, a solemn ceremony was held in the cemetery at Keshena along the banks of the Wolf River. Offerings of tobacco and rice were made and a prayer offered by Chief Reginald. A grave, identified by Reginald as being Chief Oshkosh's, was opened. A human skeleton wi th beads, buckskin fragments, metal casket parts and twelve rings was found.68 There is no mention of Th e L~fe of Chief Oshkosh 35 a double casket with glass that Oshkosh was reported to have been buried in orig inall y. On May 25, 1926 the body was transported through the city of Oshkosh in a parade that included decorated fl oats. Another solemn ceremony was held at Menominee Park and the body was reinterred al the base of the statue of Chief Oshkosh. T he story does nol end here. In J 973 the Shawano Evening Leader ran a story that the Chief Oshkosh reburial was a hoax. It was further reported that Reginald Oshkosh had led Alfred McComb lo the grave of an unidentified woman and purposefully misiclenlifiecl it as be in g Oshkosh 's.69 Gary F. Ehlman, Communications Director for the Stockbridge-M uncie Tribe, revealed in an interview in 1998 that Chief Reginald had played a trick on the city of Oshkosh when he had sold the bones o r an unidentified woman to them.7° David .J. Grignon, Menominee Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. in a conversation with the author in preparation for the publ ication of this book, confirmed that it bas been common knowledge on the reservati on since 1926, that the body removed to Menomi nee Park was not the body of Chief Oshkosh. Recollections of Chief Oshkosh A man well acquainted with Oshkosh was Augustin Grignon, Sr. He was born in G reen Bay, Wisconsin in 1780. His parents were Pierre Grignon, S r. and Domitelle de Langlade. His father was a merchant of Montreal and a voyageur in the Lake Superior region who eventually settled in Green Bay in 1763. P ri or to his marriage to Domite lle, Pierre had married a Menominee woman with whom he had several children. Augustin married Nancy McCrea, whose mother \.vas a Menominee woman.71 The Grigno n famil y was intimately acquainted with the Menominee and had li ved, worked, and intermarried with them. Jn 1857 Augustin Gri gnon related the story of Chief Oshkosh fo r the State Hi storical Society of Wisconsin. At the time of his writing, 1855, Chief Oshkosh was sixty years old. Grignon described him as " ... only of medium size, possessing much good sense and 36 Like a Deer Chased by the Dog~ abili ty, but is a great slave to strong drink, and two of his tlu·ee sons s urpass their father in thi s beastly vice." 72 Many years later, Winnebago County pioneer Cyrus W. Thrall recalled, Chief Oshkosh was nol a drunkard. He was a good Indian ancl a shrewd businessman. People seem to have the wrong impression of Chief Oshkosh. Sto1ies to the effect that he was continually intoxicated are nor true ... he was fond of "Fire Water," but as I said, he was not a drunkard. OPM File #141. l l The reinterrnent of Chief Oshkosh at Menominee Park, 1926. The Life of Chief Oshkosh 37 Chief Oshkosh always wore a "Plug Hat" Ia low crowned fe lt hat wi th a short brim]. He wore a long coat, and he endeavored to imitate the white man in hi s dress as far as he coul d. Around the low crown or his WHi-..il70 Augustin Grignon was a /011 g-ri111e friend of Chief Oshkosh and 1he 1\lleno111inee tribe. Phoro courresy of rhe Swre Hisrorica/ Sociery of Wisconsin. 38 Like a Deer Chased by 1/J e Dogs hat, the chieftain always wore a crepe the ends of which fell upon his shoulders. 73 Another member of an Oshkosh pioneer family, L. H. Kimball, met Chief Oshkosh in Menoah Griffin's hotel, the Oshkosh House. He was with his father, and Mrs. Griffin had just presented the seven-year-old Kimbal l with a pair of red topped boots. In later years he recalled that first meeting. Chief Oshkosh was in the bar room (no offices in hotels in those days) at the ti me and a bystander dared me to go sit on the chief's lap. To the great surprise of Chief Oshkosh and all present, I walked over and climbed up onto his lap-boots and all. I might add that the chief did not have any "Plug Hat" on.74 Menominee oral history also includes sLOries of Chief Oshkosh. The ir tradition holds that the top hat worn by him was a gift from Governor Lewis Cass in 1827 and that Cass had later given him a bl ack frock coat. Oshkosh was a frequent visitor to the city that bears his name and he would don the coat and hat. He is also known to have worn it to Milwaukee during the Partridge boy case and to Washington, D. C. when he met with the President. One day as he donned his hat and coat and was about to leave for the city of Oshkosh, he presented himself to his family saying, "Don' t I look awful ? This is the way the white man's laws fit the Inclian." 75 Not all memories of Oshkosh that are preserved on the reservation are positive. Some believe him to have been resented by many tribe members, a pawn of the federal government, "wishy-washy," "a womanizer ancl a heavy drinker." Others believe him to have been a great chi ef who did the best he could to preserve tribal lands under extraordinary pressure.76 Conclusion To get a clear picture or the man and leader, you have to view things from his perspective. It is dangerous to look back over time and atlempt to judge a person by modern standards, and this is The L(/e ofChief Oshkosh 39 particularly true in the case of Chief Oshkosh. From most accounts he li ked to drink. It is eve n safe to say that alcohol led Lo his death. lt should also be noted that Oshkosh was keenl y aware of the adverse effect that alcohol had on his people. He spoke against whi skey on several occasions and attempted to keep it away from the tri be. It may also be easy to criticize Oshkosh for hav ing signed many rreaties that gave up the vast majority of Menominee land. In reality, Oshkosh did not sign every treaty and only reluctantly signed others. He and the other chiefs were lied to, threatened and inti mid ated in several si tuati ons. Even after signing away their land in Wisconsin, Oshkosh shrewdl y held on until he was fin ally able to obtain the ri ght for the tribe to remain. Regarding the accusation of him being a governmen t pawn and tool of the traders. it must be remembered that Oshkosh had fought against the United States during the War of 1812. 0 ·hkosh had proven himself as a warrior on the batt lefield and was even nicknamed Le Brave, but he also realized that righting against the United States mil itary woul d be fu tile and detrimental to his tribe. Os hkosh chose negotiation over warfare. He openly and strongly opposed the taking of Menominee land during treaty negotiations and constantly petitioned the government to address their grievances. He was generous with white traclers, considered them his strongest all ies and friends, and employed them as honest interpreters. Oshkosh did not aspire to the leadership of his tribe. but he took the weight of that responsibility seriously. He became a stalwart advocate of his people and did all that was hu manl y possible for them. Having proved himself as a warrior, he \.VO ul cl prove himself an even better politician. He became a powerrul orator, slu·ewd negotiator, and respected leader. He did not al ways have the full support of every chief and member of his tribe and was even opposed by other factions, but he did what he thought was best for the welfare of the Menominee tribe. 40 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Whatever Oshkosh's faults were, he led his people capably during one of the most difficult periods of their history and kept the t1ibe in their native Wisconsin. Further Reading For more information on the history of the Menominee tribe: Patricia K. Ourada, The Menominee Indians: A Histmy, Norman: University of Oklaboma Press, 1980. The Life ofC hief Oshkosh 41 Images of Chief Oshkosh Paul Kane Sketch The earliest known image of Chief Oshkosh dates to 1845 and is the work of Paul Kane, the Canadian artist who was on a sketching tour of the Great Lakes. He visiled many tribes and met with the Menominee when they had galhered at Lake Winnebago for their annuity payrnenls. Among the paintings and sketches be produced from this visit is an excellent proli le ::;ketch of Chief Oshkosh titled "Os-cosh." Kane described Oshkosh as "a small man of dignified appearance and graceful allitude. whose speech reOected hi s good sense and oratorical talent.'' 77 Thi s im age is in the collection of the Stark M useum of An in Orange, Texas and has only recently been published. 42 Like a Deer Ch ased by the Dogs Pencil Sketch of'Os-cosh by Paul Kane, 1845. (Slark Musewn ofArt, Orange, Texas) The L{fe ()( C/1ief Oshkosh 43 The Woodcut Engraving The first published appearance of an image of Chief Oshkosh was in 1856. In that year Martin M itchel and Joseph H. Osborn publi shed Geographical and Statistical History (f Winnebago County.78 Included in thi s book are twelve woodcut engravings. Each of these was engraved by Howland of New York and made "from a Daguerreotype by J. F. Harrison." Joseph T. and \Vi lliarn Howland were both established wood engravers in ew York City at chis cime.79 On page 27 of the Mitchel and Osborn publication is the very familiar image of Chief Oshkosh. He is wearing a dark tai lcoat with vest, shirt and tie. A beaded knife sheath is hung around his neck, and he sports his trademark tovepipe hat, decorated with ribbons. Over hi s right shoulder is a woolen blanket. This engraving has been used numerous ti mes over the years in articles, publicati ons, and even as advertisin g for Oshkosh Beer. Photographer James F. Harrison had set up a daguerreotype shop in Oshkosh above the A.H. Reads Store as early as November 1854. He was still located there on December 31. 1856.so It is most likely that Harrison is the artist responsible for rhe daguerreotype from which the woodcut engraving was made. 44 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs INDIAN CHIEF , OSHKOSH. From Dng11r;rrc<1typc hy J. F. llAnnrsoN . "Indian Chief; Oshkosh," published in Mitchel & Osborn's "Geographical and Statistical Histo1y of Winnebago Coul/fy" in J 856. Engra1'ing after a daguerreotype made by}. F. Harrison of Oshkosh in J 855. The L{fe of Chief Oshkosh 45 The Daguerreotypes In 1888 Joseph H. Osborn donated to the library of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin the original woodcut engravings that he had used to illustrate his 1856 book.81 Records show that in 1887 Osborn made "a gift of DagueITeotypes .. . ii lustrative of early scenes in Winnebago Coun ty." In the Iconography Collections or the State H istorical Society arc dag uerreotypes 54 and 55. Daguerreotype nu mber 54 is a half- pl ate vi ew o f the harbor at Oshkosh, Wisconsin showing the b1idge across rhe Fox River and the small, Jake steamboats W A. Knapp and Pey1011ia moored on the opposite shore . Daguerreotype number 55 is a half-plate view of the harbor showing the bridge over the Fox River. These exact same images, reproduced as woodcuts, are labeled "Oshkosh, showing the fl oati ng bridge over Fox River at Ferry Street in 1855'. and "FeTTy Street. Oshkosh, in 1855.'. These are two of the original daguerreotypes that were used to make the woodcuts for Osborn·. 1856 book. Tc is unknown whether Osborn donated any of the other daguerreotypes, including the one of Chief Oshkosh. It is very possible th at the society once held this daguerreotype o f Oshkosh. The Oshkosh Times ran an article in 1888 on the "History o r Oshkosh" by Reuben Golde Thwaites. the uperintendent o f the Seate Historical Society. ln the article Thwaites mentions. ·'The State Historical Society is also in possession of an excellent dagueffeotype of Chief Oshkosh, taken in 1855, during his visir to the city [of Oshkosh]:' 82 A recent request for a copy of thi s image reveals that this daguerreotype no longer exisrs. Many stories have spread concerning how Chief Oshkosh came to be photographed. One of the first newspaper accounts comes from an undated clipping circa 1892, dealing with the time when the town of Athens changed its name to Oshkosh in the 1840s. The article explains, Somecime afterwards che o ld chief was presented wiLh a plug hat and a modern coat of the white man's garb. and although he wore them with much pride and added a ribbon to the hat and a reel handkerchief about his neck, 46 Like a Deer Chased by 1'1e Dogs he still clung to hi s Indian blanket which he wore as an over-wrapper. When the first photograph gallery was started in the village, later by a man named Harrison, the old chief was induced to sit for his picture in this combination of plug hat, dress coat and blanket, and it is from this photograph, still preserved, that all the woodcuts and pictures of the old chief now existing, have been made .. .. It was taken in life by the camera, and is a truthful representati on of the old chief just as he appeared in life. This story agrees with what is known about the images used in Osborn 's book and that James Harrison was the artist who would have made lhe daguerreotype between 1854 and 1855. This is also the first time that Oshkosh's top hat is referred to as a "plug hat." Another story of how the daguerreotype was taken comes from a newspaper account from 190 I. A handwritten note on a c li pping of this article at the Oshkosh Publ ic Museum archive reads, "This is correct, W. W. Neff witness." Accompanying the story is the lithograph image of Oshkosh wearing a suit, blanket, and top hat with ribbons. The article states, The only likeness this city has of its namesake, Chief Oshkosh, is one whi ch represents the old Tndian wearing a plug hat, which has been referred to thousands of times as being very unusual headgear for a member of the Menominee tribe. But the picture is a correct likeness; taken from Ii fe and the only one the old chi ef sat for. The taking of the picture came about in this way: In the early part of the fifties, Chief Oshkosh was in the city on one or hi s periodical visits and chanced to fall in with a party of land hunters who were enjoying one of those notorious good times, which judged from the amoun t of money they spent, have never since been equaled in this locality. The Chief met "the boys" at the Oshkosh Hotel, located on Main Street about where the paint and oil store of Stroud & Thompson now stands. Menoah Griffin was the Th e L[/e ofCh ief Oshkosh 47 Phow courtesy of tlu• Sllltl' lli.worical Societ\' ofWi.w-011si11. \VHi(X3)24633 Photo courtesy of tl1t• State l/istorirnl Socief_\' of Wisco11si11. \VHi(X3)2463 5 48 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Floating bridge over the Fox River cu Feny Street, published in Mitchel & Osborn's "Geographical and Statistical History of Wi1111ebago County" in J856 . The engraving was made fimn .a composite of two daguerreotypes made by J. F. Harrison of Oshkosh in 1855 (shown. opposite) and now in the collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. proprietor. One of the party was "Well" Millard who always wore a plug hat and after the crowd had partaken of sufficient liquid refreshments, it was decided that Oshkosh must have his picture taken. He was hustled off across the street to a photograph gallery, owned, it is said, by the late Mr. Robinson, and with Millard's plug hat on his head the picture was taken. A few pieces of bright ribbon were artistically twined about the hat, calculated to please the fancy of the Indian. This was how residents of this city happened to be bequeathed a likeness of Chief Oshkosh.83 Captain William W. Neff had been a resident of Oshkosh since 1840 when he is listed in the census records as being fourteen years The Life of Chief Oshkosh 49 old. Menoah Griffi n appears in the 1850 census records as operating a hotel in Oshkosh on Ferry Street (earlier Pamachamit Street and now Main Street). The main problem with this story is that William Robinson did not open a photographer's studio in Oshkosh until about 1872 when he is first listed in the city di rectory. This story also refers to Chief Oshkosh's hat as being a "plug," when in actuality he is wearing a top hat or "stovepipe." Another account of how Chief Oshkosh had his image taken comes down through local family folklore. In 1933 Maijorie McLees wrote, My great-grandfather ... remembered seeing Chief Oshkosh have his picture taken. Grandfather was a boy of nineteen, who had just come to town. The old chief was wandering around, very tight, and an itinerant photographer had just set up a tent. Someone coaxed the chief in and got him co sit for his picwre. hat and all. 84 There are problems with this account. First, the story had been passed down through four generations. Stories tend to change with the passage of ti me, and in this case over seventy-fi ve years had passed. The second problem is the "itinerant" photographer setting up a tent. In 1849 Professor T. L. Kennan had a studio and gallery over Cottrill and Ames' store. By 1853 A. B. Parsons and B. F. Langworthy had established thei r studio. James F. Harrison had also set up a daguerreotype shop as early as 1854.85 It doesn't seem practical for an itinerant photographer to set up a tent in a town that already has several well-established photograph p The Second Oshkosh Daguerreotype Hanison's daguerreotype was not the only one that was made o f Chief Oshkosh. In 1906 Mrs. Harriet Hayward Whitney Lewis o f Fayetteville. Arkansas presented a daguerreotype of Chief Oshkosh to Charles W. Radford, one of the board members of the Oshkosh Public Library. The Whitney family was one of the oldest 50 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Sixth plate daguerreotype in full case of Chief Oshkosh taken in Green Bay by an unknown photographer circa 1855. Th e L{/e of Chief Oshkosh 51 in Green Bay, Wi sconsin , where the image was taken. Mrs. Lewis wrote to Radford, I send you by regislered mail the old daguerreotype or Chief Oshkosh. I know my father took him to a man who was taking pictures and Oshkosh was suspicious and woul d not sit down before the camera. Fina ll y Father sat cl own and had his picture taken and then Oshkosh was deli ghled and sat clown. Father wanted him to keep his blanket on, but father had given him a coat and he wore it. He was so pleased wi th the picture he wanted lo have a number taken and he did soon after. . . . I do not remember when this picture was taken.86 Harriet Whitney Lewis' father was Daniel Whitney, the fo under of the city of Green Bay. He first came to the area from New Hampshire in 1816. He was a pioneer Wisconsin merchant, lumbennan, rriili tary supplier, and Indian trader. Harriet was born in 1842 and was alive when Oshkosh and her father had the ir daguerreotypes macle.87 Thi s dagueneotype and other arti facts originall y made up the M useum Collection of the Oshkosh Public Li brary. T he daguerreotype became accession # 53. W hen the Oshkosh Public Museum was formed in 1924, these arti facts were transferred to the Sawyer Foundation. The Brookes Painting When wo rd of Chief Oshkosh's impending death was learned , the State Historical Society of Wisconsin dispatched the artist Samuel Marsden Brookes Lo obtain a portrait of him. He arrived at Keshena only clays before Oshkosh's death.88 Brookes, a nati ve of England, had come to Chicago with his family in 1832. In 1848 he was li ving in Milwaukee where he had earned a reputati on as a portrait painter. Brookes had previously received commissions from the society to pai nt portraits of other prominent individuals in the state. 52 Like a Deer Chased by the Dogs Oil on canvas portrail of Chief Oshkosh by Felicia Krance. in the collection of the Oshkosh Public M11se11m, after the original by Samuel Marsden Brookes which is in 1he collection of the Stale Historical Society of Wisconsin. The Lf/e ofChi ef Oshkosh 53 Interestingly, Brookes' record book of hi s paintings enters his Chief Oshkosh portrait in the month of October, two months after the death of Oshkosh. He does not list it as a commission so he may have simply presented it to the society. It is unclear if Brookes actually went to Keshena and made sketches of Oshkosh or if he simply based his pa inting on the published woodcut of the chief. The simil arities between the two are striking. It seems highly unlikely that Brookes could have rushed from Milwaukee to Keshena and painted the portrait just before the chief's death .89 This painting was added to the society's Pi cture Gallery in 1859.90 54 Like a Deer Chased by t/1e Dogs Notes 1 Frederick Webb Hodge, Handbook ofAmerican Indians North of Mexico. Pan 2. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 19 l 0, pp. 842. 2 Walter James Hoffman, The Menomini !udians. in 14th Annual Report 1>.f the U. S. Bureau of £1/111ology, \\lashington: Government Printing Office, 1892, pp. 17-18. 3 Ibid., pp. 160. HolTman, pp. 47-48. Ibid. pp. 160, 775. 6 Jo Ba rtels Alderson & Kate Alderson Rennert, Wisconsin's Early French Habiranrs. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1998. pp. 99-IOl. 7 Hodge. pp. 775. ll Ebe nezer Childs, Recollections of Wiscomin Since 1820, Collec1ions of 1he S1(1fe !-lisrorical Society of Wisconsin; \lo/11111e 1\1 reprint of 1859, Madison, Wi sconsin Stai e Historical Society, 1906, pp. 168. 9 George E. Fay, Trearies Between rile Indian Tribes {Jf Wisconsin and the Un ired Smes Th e life of Chief Oshkosh 55 19 /11e Trial t~f Chit'.{' Oshkosh ./(ir 1/w M1urler of Oke1ra. Green Bay Hi storical Bullcl in, Vo lume 3. No. 2. M;1rch- Apri l. 11 . d. 20 Lyman C. Draper, Colleuio11.1· 1if 1/ie S1111e llis1nrirnl Socie1y JO Culling Marsh, /V/11r.1·/i '.v l?e/)(J/"/ 10 1/w Srn11ish SociN1·. The Swl'kbriclge Mission: Collections 38 Anonymous. II Merry Bri1tm i11 Pioneer \Vi.1·co11s i11. Madison: State Hi storical Socic1y of \\li scon~ in. 1950 rcpri111 of I 8.t2. pp. 70-72. 39 Ibid. pp. 7-+-79 . .io Ibid. pp. 80-89. 4 1 Kane. pp. 22- 23. 56 like a Deer Chased by the Dogs 42 Fay. pp. 28- 30. 4 1 · Loui s B. Porlier. Capwre cf /l'locki11011·. I 763: ColleCTions qf The SwTe Hiswrical SocieTy 4-' Ourada. pp. I I 0. 46 Ourada. pp. 114. •17 Kat harine C. Turner. Red Men Calling m1 The Great White Father. Norman: Un ive rs ity of Oklahoma Press. 1951 . pp. I 03. 48 Ourada. pp. 113. 4"Turnc r. pp. 106- 108. so Tlw Proceedillf?S of The Su11e Hislorical Socie1y of Wisconsin. 1912. Madison. pp. 175. 51 Nichols. pp. 26. 52 Turne r, pp. 112. 53 Ibid. pp. I 13 . 54 Kecsin g. pp. 14 1. 55 Turne r. pp. 11 4. 56 Ourada. pp. l 18-l 20. 57 Nicho ls. pp. 27. 5X Kccsing. pp. 142. 59 Fay. pp. 3 1- 35. 60 Nichols. pp. 30. 6 1 Wi lli am Converse Haygood, Red Child. Whire Child: The STran&e Disappeoronce of' Cuspur Partridge, in Wisconsin 1\llogazi11e of History, \/olwne 58. Nw11{1er 4. Summer. 1975, pp. 259-299. 62 Mi/11•1111kee Sentinel, March 8, 1855. 63 Kcesing. pp. 145. <>4 Fay. pp. 36- 38. 65 Kccsing. pp. 151 - 157. 66 Kwwsa City Paper. December 23. 1858. 7 <> Hoffman. pp. 47. 68 Oshkosh Jou m a I. May I 0, 1926. 69 l?im· Courc1111, March 27. 1973, Issue 8, pp. 3-4. 70 0 .1''1/wsli Norrlnvesrem, Saturday, May 30. J 998. pp. C 2. Th e L(fe of Chief Oshkosh 57 7 1 Alderson, pp. 14 1- 143. 7 ~ Grignon. pp. 285. 73 Oshkosh North we.1·tern , August 26. 1903. 7 ~ Oshkosh Daifr No rth11·e.1·1<'rn. June 15. I 9 11. 75 Nichols. pp. 22. 76 Interview with Irene M. Pyawasit and Gary F. Ehman, Oshkosh Northwes1em, Saturday, May 30, I 998. pp. C 2. 77 Sylvia S. Kas pycki. Image and !111agina1io11 : Menominee Porrmits. 1825- 1860. ln Archiv jitr Volkerk111ufe. 44, 1990, pp. 65-105. 78 Martin Mitchel and Joseph H. Osborn. Geographical and Swtistical History of th e Co 11111y of Wi1111 eba1<0. Tb Which is fJrejixed a General View of the State of Wisconsin , Oshkosh: Markham & Felker Book and Job Printers, I 856. 19 Kaspycki. pp. 103. 80 T11 e Osf1 kosh Democrat, November I 4. 1854-December 31 , 1856. 81 Annie Susan IVkLennegan, "Pioneer Life in the Fox River Valley," Proceedings r~/ 1he Stwe /-/iswrical Sociely al it.1· 53rd An1111al 1Wee1i11g, Madison: State Hi storical Society o f Wisconsin, 1906, pp. 265-292. 82 The Oshkosh '//111es. Tuesday. June 3, I 888. 83 The Oshkosh Time.v. Tuesday, December I 7, 190 I. 84 Marjorie Mcl ees. Early Oshkosh as Mv Family Knew It, May I, 1933. From a typescript copy in Oshkosh Public Museum In formation File # 141. I I. R.'i The Oshkosh Oe11wcmt, July 5. 1849-June 16. 1857. 86 From a newspaper c li pping wi1h a hand written dare of 1906, in the clipping file of the Oshkosh Public Museum. 87 Co111111e111oratit•e Biofirap hicol Record of the Fox \1<11/ey: Counties of Brown. Ouwgamie and Wi11 11 e/Ja~o . Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1895, pp. 83- 87. 88 Repon of the Picture Gallen -. CofleCliom of 1he State Historical Society of Wisco11si11; Vo/11111e I V. reprint of 1859. Madison. Wisconsin State Historical Society. 1906. pp. I Cl3 . 89 Kaspycki, pp. 106- 107. 9°Fijih A111111af Repor1'!l1he Exern1it·e Co111111iuee. Collections of the Swte Historical Socie1y of Wisconsin; Vo l11111e I V. reprint of 1859. Madison, Wisconsin State Historical Society. 1906, pp. 62. 58 like a Deer Chased l~y the Dogs Index Akwinemi: 2. 34, 35 Oshkosh, Chief; birth of: I ; cedes Aquonamay. See Akwinemi land: 12, 14 - 15, 24-26, 40; chosen B lack Hawk War: 12, 23 as Chief of' th e Menominee: 4; death Caron, Chief: 4. 6, 12, 22 of: 33; in the War of 1812: 40; in Cass, Lewis: 3, 6, 39 the Winnebago War: 7; leads Cedar Point Treaty of 1836: 14-15 delegation to territorial capital : 15; Chakauchokarna: I murder of adopted son: 26-27; on Council of 1830: 10 trial for murder: 8; speaks LO ediwrs Dickson. Colonel Robert: 2 of the Milwaukee Sen tinel: 31- 33; Dodge, Governor Henry: 14, 15, 3 l - 32 speech against firewater: 17; trips LO Doty, James Duane: 7, 8, 10 Minnesota and Washington D.C.: Draper. Lyman C: v 27-29 Four Legs: 10 Osh kosh. Reginald: 36 Grignon. A ugustin: 12, 13, 15, 16, 23, Oushcosh. See Oshkosh 25. 26. 36 Partridge, Caspar: 30 - 33 Grignon. Charles Augustin: I 0, 12, 31 Red Bird: 6. 7 Grignon, David .I.: 36 Shawano: I, 33 Kane, Paul : 6, 23. 42 Stambaugh Treaty: 14 Lawson, Publius V.: v Stambaugh, Colonel Samuel C.: 12 McKenney, Thomas L. : 3, 4 Tecumseh: 2 Murder Trial: 8 Tomah: 2 Nicolet. Jean: I Treaty of 1827: 3 Niopet: 2 Treaty of 183 I : 12, 14 Menominee: I; and the French and Treaty of 1848: 24 -26 J.nclian War: I ; auacked by Sauk Treaty of 1854: 29 warriors: 12: choosing a chief: 3-6 Treaty of l 856: 33 O'skash. See Oshkosh Warofl812: 1.2.40 Os-cosh. See Oshkosh Winnebago War of 1827: 6 OshCosh. See Oshkosh The l[/e of Chief Oshkosh 59