Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Part II, Chapter XI

Red Rock Township continued - Moving the Indians - Bewildered - Kisk-ke-kosh Institutes a Reform -
Moving Pasishamone - Fast Traveling - A Religious Feast - Religious Services at a Death Bed -
Funeral - A Burnt Offering of Whiskey

In ‘45, as was stated in the introductory to this work, the Indian title to the western part of the “New Purchase” became extinct, and this was the year in which most of them moved away, seeking new homes and hunting grounds beyond the limits of civilization. But we have only two instances connected with this event worth relating, for which we are indebted to Mr. Mikesell, who assisted in the removal.

The first relates to the moving of Kish-ke-kosh and his band, consisting of about twenty mounted braves, and a wagon load of goods, such as blankets, saddles, beads, and the limited variety of household furniture in use among the Indians. These had been left in the care of Mr. M. during the summer, not being specially needed then, and somewhat inconvenient to carry about on the frequent removals that these unsettled people were in the habit of making.

At that time the main body of the tribe under the command of Kish was located on Skunk river, in Jasper county, and to this place the property was to be taken. With a yoke of oxen they succeeded in getting as far as the point of timber where Monroe now is, on the first day.

It being late in autumn, a heavy snow fell that night, and the Indians not being very well clad for the season disposed themselves upon the ground as close together as they could get, under blankets and skins, to keep warm. In this way they slept soundly, and did not appear to suffer any inconvenience from cold. On opening out next morning a perfect cloud of steam rose from the nest, suggesting the almost certainty of colds, resulting from the sudden transition from perspiring heat to frosty air; but these hardy creatures, accustomed to the exposures of their wild life, did not appear to be affected by it in the least.

Two unfortunate circumstances threatened to interrupt their further progress that day. Early in the morning it was discovered that the cattle had got loosed from the wagon to which they had been fastened, and had disappeared. Mr. M. immediately set out upon their trail, which the still falling snow had not entirely covered, but did not find them till he reached home. On returning he found the Indians at a loss as to what direction to go in resuming the journey. The bewilderment of an Indian is truly said to be an uncommon circumstance; but in this instance the cloudy weather and newly fallen snow, obscuring all trails, rendered the right direction quite uncertain. They were all more or less in a state of anxiety about the matter, and Kish, who, perhaps, felt the principal burden of responsibility resting upon himself, went out alone in search of the hidden pathway. After being some time absent he returned with a favorable report, and the journey was resumed in time to reach the town that night.

It is well known that among these people, as well as among all uncivilized races, the women are in a manner the slaves of the other sex. They are made to do all the drudgery of the camp; cultivate the corn; bring in the game after the hunter has had the sport of slaughtering it, no matter how far away it may be, (he being either too lazy, or deeming it beneath his dignity to bear the burden); procure the fuel to cook it with; catch the ponies for their masters to ride; pack up their tents and household goods when preparing to move, and set them up again when they relocate, &c., &c.

On the way and at the camp Mr. Mikesell had an opportunity to witness some of this kind of tyranny, and took occasion to lecture the chief on the injustice of it. Kish, with the good sense that he manifested in relation to such things, admitted the force of the argument. He had seen it practically demonstrated among the whites, and had reason to think it would do as well among the Indians. He regarded it as a false pride that kept the men from doing a fair share of the work that fell to the squaws, and they ought not to be ashamed of it. He would institute a reform in this matter among his own people; and he did set about it at once, ordering the men to work, and set the example by taking hold himself.

But it is not likely that this reformation was ever carried out to any great extent. The naturally lazy habits of the men, together with their long standing belief that hunting and war were the chief duties that nature had assigned to them, would tend to make such a change in their domestic life very difficult.

Poor Kish! Had he been treated as kindly as he deserved to be, and encouraged to a greater intimacy with the whites, his great, honest heart might have made him the example and leader of other reforms that would have resulted in the civilization and happiness of at least a portion of his race. But, coming in contact with white men whose intercourse with him was principally mercenary, he was shown but few examples in Christian civilization worth imitating.

At the time referred to by Pasishamone in his speech to the squaws, mentioned in the preceding chapter, he had together with the party over whom he held immediate command, also left the most of their goods in the care of Mr. Mikesell for the summer, whilst they occupied a temporary camp on Skunk river, in what is now Jasper county. In the meantime Pasishamone, with his suite of braves, had gone to Old Agency on a visit.

After spending the summer on Skunk, hunting, fishing and raising a little corn, the band moved to Four Mile creek, four miles below Fort Des Moines, where they took up their winter quarters, and awaited the arrival of their chief and goods. So, on his way up Pasishamone called on Mr. Mikesell for assistance in moving them. For this purpose he took two wagons, one drawn by an ox and the other by a horse team, and got as far as Timber creek the first day, and camped near where Mr. Prunty now lives.

Here our informant witnessed a feat of speed and power of endurance on foot, that we think would be hard to surpass by any of the boasted pedestrians of the present day, who walk for a wager. Just at sundown, when the movers were preparing their supper, a strange Indian entered the camp and asked for food and permission to rest there for the night, saying that he was very tired and hungry. His request being granted, he sat down by the fire to await his supper, and in reply to Mr. M.’s inquiries, stated that he was on his way to the Fort to get the dragoons to help recover some stolen horses; that he had started from a place ten miles below Brighton that morning, distance about seventy-five or eighty miles. He was asked how he had managed to travel so far in one day, and only answered that in the morning he would show how it was done.

In due time the weary footman was supplied with corn and meat, of which he ate like a hungry Indian, ravenously and abundantly, till sleep gradually overcame him, and he sank back upon the ground and remained motionless as a log till morning. Then, no sooner was he awake than astir, with limbs not the least stiffened by the previous day’s exercise, and ready to renew the journey. When ready to start he told Mr. M. that he might now see how it was done, and immediately set off on a run, making long, easy strides, which speed he kept up with no apparent variation till out of sight, and perhaps, till he reached the Fort. He was afterwards heard from, that he was quite successful in his mission, as he undoubtedly deserved to be.

At the close of the second day the party reached their destination, and camped on the east side of the creek, some distance from the village. Soon after dark a great noise was heard in the village. It somewhat resembled singing, interspersed with shouts and other loud voices, making a commingling of sounds strange and weird-like. And this uproar continued with very little intermission till morning.

Mr. M. was much surprised at this, and early in the evening signified to the chief his intention to go over and see what was the matter. But Pasish, who had just arrived from the scene of the mysterious noise, shook his head gravely, and added, “White man better not go - Indian drunk - hurt white man.”

This explanation satisfied “white man” for the time being. He thought it quite probable that the whole village was on a grand spree, and it would not be advisable for him to get in their way. But he noticed that Pasishamone and his braves were astir all night, going and coming at all hours, without showing any signs of drunkenness, but rather demeaning themselves with more than usual sobriety.

All this lent a doubt as to the truth of Pasishamone’s statement and tended to deepen mystery. So in the morning our informant endeavored to risk an attempt to solve it at all events. Seeing the chief come over from the village, and stealthily put a couple of wooden bowls under his blanket, with which he immediately set out on his return, Mr. M. concluded to follow him unobserved. On reaching the village he saw a long wickeup, which appeared to be the place of meeting, from the number of persons about it and going in and out. Seeing no evidences of drunkenness or carousal, he ventured to the door of the hut to see what was going on within. In the centre was a row of kettles hung over a fire, and in each kettle was corn soup and a piece of meat, some of the pieces consisting of the ribs and back-bone of what proved to be a couple of fat dogs. The animals had been skinned except the heads and feet, and these had been scalded or singed to remove the hair, and then nicely roasted or baked to a beautiful brown, emitting a savory odor. They occupied a wooden bowl at each end of the row of kettles, and were reserved for the old men, who regarded them as the choice part of the feast.

The food now seemed to be ready and in waiting for those who were to partake of it; but the preparatory ceremony which seemed to be of a religious character, was not yet quite completed. Around on each side of the wickeup were seated rows of men, singing a jargon that sounded like some of the senseless fal-da-ral that serves as the chorus of a comic song, most of the time keeping their eyes turned upward with a devout expression. At length the singing ceased, and an old man rose to his feet, and in a low, solemn tone, made what appeared to be a prayer. No sooner was it concluded than every Indian was on his feet, having their bowls in readiness, and began an indiscriminate dipping into the soup and dog, and to feast like men who had been undergoing a fast.

This was evidently a thanksgiving feast, made partly as a sacrifice to the Great Spirit, in whom all unchristianized Indians entertain a crude belief, and partly as a feast of welcome to their chief, who had been some time absent from his people. The slaughtering and dressing of the dogs and other preparations were performed during the night, attended by the noise that was heard. During the ceremony no one seemed to notice the presence of the white man, but after it was all over Pasishamone approached Mr. M. with an apology for having lied to him the evening before: “White man no like dog. Tell white man Indian drunk; he stay away."

Before closing this chapter we shall take occasion to relate an incident to show further that these people were far from being devoid of a religious sentiment; that they believed in the presence, power and mercy of God, and in the immortality of the soul, though their ideas about these matters were not according to the revealed Word.

The incident relates to the death of a child belonging to one of Keokuk’s braves. The child had been severely scalded, and the party stopped at Mikesell’s to nurse it; but it was evident that it was even then in a dying condition, and the Indians made preparations to hold such religious services over it as they supposed would secure it happy admission into the spirit land. For this purpose they set up a large tent at the foot of the hill, near the house, in the center of which they placed the little sufferer, on a bed. Seeing there was no hope of its recovery, and that it must soon die, Keokuk and a number of his braves seated themselves on the ground in a circle about the death bed, where they performed with appropriate solemnity a series of religious exercises till the child died. These exercises seemed to be principally singing and prayer. The singing was somewhat monotonous in tone, and a constant repetition of certain words or notes like “la, ha, ha, la, la, ha,” and was accompanied by the rattling of a gourd of beans over the head of the child by one appointed to that duty. This was said to have been intended to soothe the spirit in its exit from the body, and waft it happily away. When the singing ceased the worshipers bowed themselves forward, their heads between their knees, covering their faces with their hands, and thus remained for some minutes in silent prayer, audible only in an occasional sigh or groan; but the rattling was continued without intermission. At the proper time the chief would resume the chant, and the others would rise to a sitting posture and join in it. Thus they continued to do for several hours, with great earnestness and patience, and until the spirit of the little one had taken its departure. So intent were they in their devotions that they appeared to take no notice of visitors, several of whom came to the door of the tent to witness the strange performance.

Who will say that such sincerity, such faith, though unattended by the light of Christianity, will not be rewarded by Him who knows the heart, and who, we have reason to believe, will make due allowance for the errors of unavoidable ignorance?

After the child was dead immediate preparation were made for the funeral. It was the intention of the friends of the deceased to dispose of the body after the singular custom frequently practiced by the people in the burial of their dead, that is by tying it in the top of a tree. Observing that this was their intention, Mr. Mikesell interfered, and finally induced them to put it in the ground. He told them that the crows and buzzards would find it, and it would eventually fall down and its bones would bet scattered. So they concluded to take his advice and give it a white people’s burial. For this purpose Mr. David Worth, who lived in the neighborhood, furnished a coffin, and the few toys that belonged to the little fellow were put in with him, and he was buried a short distance north of the house where Mr. M.’s orchard now is.

When all that remained of his child was hid away from him the grief stricken father gave vent to the sorrow of his heart in a prayer of faith that might well become a Christian in behalf of a living child. Though uttered in the Indian language, it was well enough understood by our informant to warrent him in giving at least the substance. He was very sorry to give him up, “but,” said he, “you, God, know best, and I know he’ll be happy with you.”

It was the custom of the Indians to regard such articles of food and drink as they were particularly fond of themselves as worthy articles to sacrifice to the Great Spirit, and to offer to the spirits of their departed friends. Whisky, in spite of the baneful effects its use had upon them, was regarded as a very acceptable offering.*

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*The fondness of the Indians for strong drinks was so universal, and in some instances so intense, as to lead to the belief that it was more natural than acquired. Such was the intensity of their appetite for this stimulant that they would sacrifice almost any thing to obtain it. We give an instance:

An Indian came to Mikesell’s and begged for a drink of whisky. He said if he could get one more drink he would be willing to die. Mr. M. thought he would test the sincerity of this statement, and told the suffering applicant that he would give him a drink if he would let him hang him. With the utmost coolness the poor fellow agreed to the proposition, and a rope was looped on his neck, and passed over a joist ready for the execution. He then received his liquor, drank it with great satisfaction, and closed his eyes in confident expectation of dying. Mr. M. then pulled on the rope till the poor wretch was nearly choked; still he showed no opposition to the painful process, and when let down and sufficiently recovered to speak, expressed surprise that the bargain had not been fully carried out on the part of the hangman. He said he supposed it was the last drink of whisky he should need in this world.
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On one occasion the noted chief Keokuk obtained a quart of whisky from Mr. Mikesell, expressly to make an offering of it to the Great Spirit, and a treat to the souls of some of his friends who had been very fond of the beverage during their life-time. Having received the liquor in a bottle, he sat down by the fire and mumbled a prayer, which may have been a formal dedication of it to the sacred purpose intended, and an invitation to the Great Spirit to accept the offering. Pretending to have received a favorable answer, he poured a quantity of the whisky into the fire and the blue blaze flashed up the chimney. He then asked the Great Spirit if he might treat some of his spirit friends. Permission being granted, he turned out about enough for a dram, naming the person for whom it was intended; then another, and another, till the whole quart of bad spirits was consumed in a succession of blue blazes, and a pretty large company of good spirits had each enjoyed a drink.

To some readers this story may seem highly improbable, and even blasphemous, but when we take into account the fact that these ignorant creatures, like some of their more enlightened white brothers, regarded whisky as one of God’s blessings, they deemed it their duty to make burnt offerings of it, as the Israelites of old did of their cattle. Tobacco, much valued by the Indians, was frequently offered in the same way.

Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, 12/06, reformatted by Al Hibbard 12 Oct 2013.