139 



After the Chijjpewas had gained a foot hold upon the Magdalene Island, their 

 fii-st move " inland" was towards the head branches of the Chippewa, and resulted 

 in planting a colony at Lake Flambeau. As early as 1659, the Chippewas were 

 near Green Bay, and west and north-west of it to the Wisconsin and Lake 

 Superior, from which the Flambeau colony probably received accessions. And 

 by degrees they extended their conquest down the Chippewa, until the battle 

 field between them and the Sioux was between the falls of Chippewa and Lak^ 

 Pepin. 



In the meantime, this warlike and conquering people extended their excursions 

 to, the head of the Lake, and up the St. Louis River; and passing the falls by a 

 nine mile portage, they continued to ascend that river, and the Savannah branch 

 of it, — and by a five mile portage reached the waters of Sandy Lake, on the Mis- 

 sissippi, where they planted a colony. And this region became the battle ground 

 betweei>ithem and the Sioux in that direction, until the line was pushed down 

 the river to the Sauk rapids. In 1825, when General Cass, as Governor of Michi- 

 gan and Superintendent of Indian affairs, had a general congress of Indian 

 nations at Prairie du Chien, to settle the boundaries of their respective lands, a 

 dispute arose between the Sioux and Chippewas, as to the line between them. 

 The latter claimed to the St. Peter and the Mississippi rivers, while the former 

 claimed to Lake Superior, and averred that their fathers had always occupied 

 and owned the country to that point. General Cass inquired of the Chippewas 

 " on what ground they claimed the country, the Sioux having occupied it before 

 the Chippewas came to it." Upon this Hole-in-the-day, then but a young man, rose 

 and said, " we claim it on the same ground that you claim this country from the 

 King of England — by conquest.'' "Then," said Governor Cass, "you are entitled 

 to it." One of the most sanguine battles fought between these tribes was at the 

 mouth of the Crow Wing River, as near as I could learn, from Indian tradition, 

 about the year 1768. The battle lasted four days between 70 Chippewas and 400 

 Sioux, the most of the latter being killed. In 1843, the remains of the fortifica- 

 tions, such as holes dug in the ground, and breast works thrown up by the Chip- 

 pewas, were plainly visible; and the affair was explained to me by William 

 Aitkin, Esq. 



The next Indian occupants of a portion of the soil in this orig-inal county, 

 seem to have been the Sacs, (Sauks or Saukies) and the Foxes, the latter called 

 Ottigaumies by Carver. At what time they commenced their occupation is 

 uncertain. In 1673, and for some time before, they lived on Fox River, not far 

 from Green Bay. But in 1766, Carver found the Sauks at Sauk Prairie, and 

 the Foxes at Prairie du Chien. And, according to his account of the time of 

 building their village— it being thirty years previous to his reaching the place — 

 it must have been as early a^ 1736, and perhaps eariier. These confederated 



