HOFFMAN] osh'kosh 47 



found an Indian in his canoe, which was half drawn on shore, drooping 

 lifelessly over the side of his hark, with a shot through his head. As the 

 deed was accidental, he had no wish to conceal it, and putting the body 

 iu his canoe, paddled down to Green Bay, to the encampment of Oiscoss, 

 as the Indian killed belonged to his party. On landing, he weut straight 

 to Oiscoss, and informed him of what had happened, when Oiscoss, who 

 was drunk at the time, drew his knife, aud plunging it repeatedly into 

 his body, continued stabbing him till he was dead. He was arrested for 

 murder, but as he was a man of great influence among the Indians, was 

 acquitted. But though he had escaped the law, there was another tri- 

 bunal, of a different kind, to which he was still exposed. There is a tra- 

 ditional institution among the Indians, very similar to the avenger of 

 blood. Mrs. Jourdan, as the relative of the slain, and a medicine woman , 

 had only, according to the custom of the nation, to take a pipe and a war- 

 club, aud lay them down at the feet of any of the chiefs of the Menomouees, 

 and pronounce the name "Oiscoss/' in order to insure a just and immediate 

 retribution. When the day appointed for the council at Butte des Morts 

 drew near, fearing that unless he was reconciled with her, his life might 

 he taken, he proceeded to her house, acknowledged the murder, threw 

 himself on her mercy, and implored pardon. It was granted, and the only 

 puuishmeut he received was the fierce invective which the eloquent tongue 

 of an indignant woman can bestow. 



Concerning the death of Osh'kosh, the following is from A. D. 

 Bonesteel, United States Indian agent at Green Bay agency, 

 Wisconsin, who in his report to the Commissioner of Indian 

 Affairs, 1858 (page 31), says: 



The Meuomonees have recently met with a severe loss in the death of 

 Oshkosh, their principal chief [which occurred onAugust31]. . . The31st 

 day of August was a day the like of which will never be seen again by the 

 Meuomonee nation — a day on which not only the red man but the white 

 man mourued the loss of a brave and noble hearted man, whose place will 

 never be filled with another as much respected and honored ; as an orator 

 his equal has never been known in the Menomonee nation, and he would 

 rauk with many of his white brethren. 



Nio'pet, son of Osh'kosh, and at present head chief of the 

 tribe, says that Ma'qkata'bit acted as regent during Osh'kosh's 

 minority. Several years since a scheme was proposed to 

 removt the remains of the chief to the city of Osh'kosh, and 

 there to erect a monument; but at present the matter is in 

 abeyance. Osh'kosh died, and was buried near Keshena, the 

 village on the present reservation. 



Osh'kosh was married several times, his first wife being 

 Bamba'ni ("Flyiug-aboiit-the-sky") of the In;i'maqki'u v , or 

 Thunder doda'mi, by whom there were three children — 



(5) I. A'kwine'mi, 



(6) II. Nio'pet, 



(7) III. Koshka'noqnt^'. 



On the death of Bamba'ni, Osh'kosh married Shaka'uom'u T 

 ("Decorated-with-plumes"), by whom there was no offspring. 



