490 michelson: notes on the fox Indians 



With the exception of the first estimate, we have a series 

 that is entirely reasonable. The struggle at the Butte des 

 Morts easily accounts for the decrease in population after 17 14. 

 The estimates of Bouquet and Chauvignerie in 1764 and 1763, re- 

 spectively," and Buchanan^^ are too modest, as is that of Jno. Long 

 (about 1 780, published 1 79 1 ) . With the exception of Chauvignerie 

 (100), these range from 200-250. The statement of Charlevoix 

 that there were 3000 women in 17 14 is pure exaggeration. This 

 would make the number of women six times that of the men, 

 which does not accord with the proportions given by Pike and 

 Lewis and Clark. The extravagant figure of 3202 in 1819^'^ as 

 the total population must be considered as a deliberate inven- 

 tion. The figure of 2000 in 1822 (given by Marston and Morse) 

 is a simple exaggeration. The last separate enumeration of the 

 Foxes is in 1841, where 1600 is given. Here our real difficulties 

 begin. For by enumeration with the Sauks, we lose trace (for 

 a while at least) of the number of true Foxes. And what is 

 more, we are involved in the gross exaggerations in the enum- 

 erations of the Sauks. To make the matter clear, and at the 

 same time not to go into this at too great length as it is a side- 

 issue, it is necessary to state that the most reliable estimate of 

 the Sauks in the early days is that of Lewis and Clark, namely, 

 2000. That of Pike is 2850, that of the Ann. d. I. Prop, de Foi 

 (1830) is 2406. These are exaggerations of a comparatively 

 mild order; soon we see the wildest kind of guesses; in 18 19 we 

 get 3847, in 1822, 3000 and 4500, in 1823, 4800, which figure we 

 find again in 1837 and 1841, not counting the Missouri Sauks 

 (500, the percentage of Foxes among these cannot be determined, 

 but apparently was small). Drake in 1820 gives the combined 

 Sauk and Fox as about 3000 "one-fifth of whom may be war- 

 riors." The state of affairs can be seen by the remarks of 

 Marsh in 1834; we are told that the agent counted the combined 

 Sauk and Fox as 6400, but that others estimated the number 



" Schoolcraft, 5: 554, 559. 



^* Between 1 770-1 780, reported by HeckweIvDER- 



59 Wise. Hist. Soc. Coll. 20. 



