HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
that end of the prairie, fringed with small trees, 
bushes and grass. They knew the custom of 
the Indians in going up stream to avail them- 
selves of all such side channels, as there was 
less current in them than in the broad river; 
and secreting themselves among the bushes, 
trees and grass, awaited their unsuspecting vic- 
tims.  When the Foxes came within point 
blank shot, they all fired upon them, killing 
their chief Kettle and several others.  The 
Foxes finding their chief killed, returned down 
the river to carry the news of their misfortunes 
to the tribe, while the Sioux and Menomonees 
returned home with the tidings of their victory 
and to dance over it. They passed through 
Prairie du Chien, and remained a short time 
here, but for some unaccountable reason no no- 
tice whatever was taken of it. 
The signs of several war parties of the Foxes 
were reported to have been seen on the opposite 
side of the river during the year; but they ef- 
fected'nothing until sometime, I think, in June, 
1831, when a considerable number of Menomo- 
nees had collected at Prairie du Chien, and en- 
camped on an island near the eastern shore of 
the Mississippi, about one-fourth of a mile from 
the old Fort Crawford. They had obtained 
whisky enough for all to get socially drunk up- 
on-and it is rare to find a Menomonee who will 
not get drunk when he has a chance-and they 
had carried their revels far into the night, until 
men, women and children were beastly drunk. 
About two hours before day a Fox war party, 
that had been watching their movements, fell 
upon them in that helpless state and killed 
about thirty of them. By this time some of the 
more sober of them were aroused, and com- 
menced firing upon the Foxes, who fled down 
the river, pursued a short distance by the Me- 
nominees. 
Thomas P. Burnett, the sub-Indian agent, 
was sleeping with me in my store. It being very 
warm weather, we had made a bed of blankets 
on the counter, when about two hours before 
daylight we were awakened by the cries o1 a 
 
Menomonee woman at the store door.    We let 
her in, when she told us of the disaster to the 
Menomonees. Mr. Burnett took my horse and 
went to inform Gen. Street, the Indian agent, 
who lived about four miles above this, and who 
arrived about daylight and gave the first infor- 
mation to the fort. Although there had been a 
great firing of guns and hallooing among the 
Indians, the sentinels had reported nothing of 
it to the officers; but on hearing of the affair, 
the commandant immediately dispatched a com- 
pany of men in boats after the Foxes, but they 
did not overtake them. The government de- 
manded of the Sauks to deliver up the perpe- 
trators of this deed. The Foxes fled to the 
Sauks, and their chief, Kettle, being dead, they 
remained among and amalgamated with them, 
and have not since continued a separate Nation 
or tribe. I have always believed this to be the 
origin of the Black Hawk War. There were, I 
suppose, other causes of discontent, butI believe 
that this transaction was the immediate cause 
of the movements of Black Hawk. 
III.-By John H. Fonda. 
The same year, 1830, the Fox and Sauk Indi- 
ans killed some Sioux, at the head of Cedar 
river, in Iowa. Capt. Dick Mason* started 
with a number of troops for the scene of dis- 
turbance, and I went along as guide. We ar- 
rived at the place of the fight, found every- 
thing quiet and all we did was to turn about 
and go back the way we came. 
Soon after, the Sioux and a number of Menom- 
onees attacked a party of Sauks and Foxes at 
Prairie du Pierreaux and killed some ten Indi- 
ans, among whom was Kettle, the great Fox 
chief.t 
The Sauks and Foxes were coming up to a 
treaty unarmed, and the Sioux, made aware of 
this through their runners, got the Menomonees 
*Richard B. Mason, a native of Virginia, was a 1st. Veu- 
tenant in 1817, captain in 1819; served in the Black Hawk 
War; major of dragoons ia 1833, lieutenant-oolonel in 1836 
and colonel in 1846. He comminded the forces in California 
and was ex-officio governor 1847-48; brevetted brigtadier-gen- 
eral and died at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., July 25, 1850. 
I This was in 1830. 
 
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