Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.
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presented my daughter and her little boy to the old chief, and said they had come to live in his country; they were anxious to live in peace with them, and introduce among them the arts of civilization.
What follows is a conversation copied verbatim by Grannie B.:
Listening to these words of Judge Waiting, the chief said,--
"Brother, you ask much and promise much; what pledge can you give of your good faith?"
"The honor of a man who never knew deceit." said the judge!
_Sachem._--"The white man's word may be good to the white man, yet it is but wind when spoken to the Indian."
_Judge Waiting_--"I have put my life into your hands by coming hither; is not this a proof of my good intentions? I have trusted the Indian, and I will not believe that he will abuse or betray my trust."
"So much is well," said the chief; "the Indian repays trust with trust: if you will hurt him, he will hurt you. But I must have a pledge. Leave this boy with me in my wigwam, and I will bring him back to you in three days with my answer."
Judge Waiting:
"If an arrow had pierced the bosom of the young mother, she could not have felt a sharper pang than that which the Indian's proposal had caused her.
She flew towards her boy, who stood beside the chief looking into his face with pleased and innocent wonder, and, snatching him to her arms, would have rushed away with him.
A gloomy frown came over the sachem's brow, and he remained silent for a moment and then said:
"I knew that all their lives depended upon a right action at once; and following my daughter, who was retreating with her child into the woods,
I said to her, 'Stay, stay, my daughter; bring back the child, I beg of you! I would not risk a hair of his head, for he is as dear to me as to you,--but, my child, he must remain with the chief! God will watch over him, and he will be as safe in the sachem's wigwam as in your arms beneath your own roof.' "
Judge Waiting continued:
"She yielded, and her darling boy was left; but who can tell the agony of the mother's heart during the following days? Every night she awoke from her sleep, seeming to hear the screams of her child calling upon its mother for help. How slowly and heavily passed the hours away. But at last the third day came. The morning waned away, and the afternoon was far advanced, yet the chief came not. There was sorrow over the whole home, and the mother, pale and silent, walked her room in despair. I was filled with anxious doubts and fears, looked through the opening in the forest towards the sachem's abode.
At last, as the rays of the setting sun were thrown upon the tops of the tall trees around, the eagle feathers of the chief were seen dancing above the bushes in the distance. He came rapidly, and the little boy was at his side. He was gaily attired as a young chief: his feet dressed in moccasins, a fine beaver-skin thrown over his shoulders, and eagle's feathers stuck in his hair. He was laughing and gay, and so proud of his honors that he seemed two inches taller than before. He was soon clasped in his mother's arms, and in that brief moment of joy she seemed to pass from death to life.
"The white man has conquered!" said the chief; "hereafter let us be friends. You have trusted the Indian; he will repay you with confidence and kindness."
Judge Waiting:
"And he was true to his word. We lived many years, laying there the foundation of that flourishing community which has spread over a wide extent of western New York."
BIG THUNDER--A WINNEBAGO CHIEF.
Grannie B.:
“The winnebago indians migrated from belvidere, illinois, on de kish-wau-kie river, ter Minnesota, an' thence ter de omaha reservashun, in nebraska. at belvidere, dare is a moun' on whaich big thunder whaen yer man got away wus set up, 'is body supported by posts driven in de groun'. dis wus done at 'is dyin' request, an' in accord wi' 'is prophecy ter 'is tribe: "that dare wus ter be a deadly an' whitie scrap between de white an' red tren. an' whaen de red tren were aboyt ter be beaten in de battle, yer man wud cum ter life again, an' risin' up wi' a call, wud lead 'is people ter victory!" 'is tribe wud visit de spot once a year, wha 'is body wus dryin' away, an' leave tobacco as an offering; an' de white young tren wud surely go dare soon after an' stow de plugs away in their capacious pockets. as de town became settled, visitors wud shenanagans aff de bones as mementos av de auld chief. after they were al' gone, sum wags wud place de bones av sum dead sheep for relic-hunters ter peck up an' shenanagans 'um as de bones av a noble chief.
Translation:
(“The Winnebago Indians migrated from Belvidere, Illinois, on the Kish-wau-kie River, to Minnesota, and thence to the Omaha reservation, in Nebraska. At Belvidere, there is a mound on which Big Thunder when he died was set up, his body supported by posts driven in the ground. This was done at his dying request, and in accord with his prophecy to his tribe: "That there was to be a great and terrible fight between the white and red men. And when the red men were about to be beaten in the battle, he would come to life again, and rising up with a shout, would lead his people to victory!" His tribe would visit the spot once a year, where his body was drying away, and leave tobacco as an offering; and the white young men would surely go there soon after and stow the plugs away in their capacious pockets. As the town became settled, visitors would carry off the bones as mementos of the old chief. After they were all gone, some wags would place the bones of some dead sheep for relic-hunters to pick up and carry home as the bones of a noble chief.)
Grannie B. continuing:
“i 'av seen de stakes, whaich wus al' dat remained av big thunder, after yer man wus dried up an' blown away. de oneidas 'av a tradishun aboyt de deluge, whaich is pure singular. accordin' ter their scayle, an unlimited expanse av water covered de whole space nigh occupied by de warrld we live in. at dis time de whole 'uman family dwelt in a country situated in de upper regions av de air. everythin' needed for comfort an' pleasure wus foun'. de people did not nu waaat death wus, nor its attendant, sickness or disease; an' their minds were free from jealousy, 'atred, or revenge. at length it 'appened dat al' av dis wus changed, an' care an' trouble came ter dem. a certain youth wus seen ter withdraw 'imself from de circle av soshal amusements, an' yer man wandered away alone in de groves, as 'is favorite resort."
Translation:
(“I have seen the stakes, which was all that remained of Big Thunder, after he was dried up and blown away. The Oneidas have a tradition about the deluge, which is very singular. According to their story, an unlimited expanse of water covered the whole space now occupied by the world we live in. At this time the whole human family dwelt in a country situated in the upper regions of the air. Everything needed for comfort and pleasure was found. The people did not know what death was, nor its attendant, sickness or disease; and their minds were free from jealousy, hatred, or revenge. At length it happened that all of this was changed, and care and trouble came to them. A certain youth was seen to withdraw himself from the circle of social amusements, and he wandered away alone in the groves, as his favorite resort.)
Grannie B.:
"Care an' sorrow marked 'is countenance, an' 'is body, from long abstinence from grub, began ter make 'imself luk ter 'is lads loike a skeleton av a paddy. anxious looks cud not solve de mystery av 'is grief; an' by-and-by, weakened in body an' soul, yer man yielded ter 'is companions, an' promised ter disclose de cause av 'is trouble, on condishun dat they wud dig up by de roots a certain pine-tree, lay 'imself in 'is blanket by de edge av de 'ole, an' place 'is struggle an' strife by 'is side; at once al' 'ands were ready. de fatal tree wus taken up by de roots; in doin' whaich de earth wus opened, an' a passage made into de abyss below. de blanket wus spread by de 'ole; de youth lay upon it de struggle an' strife also (soon ter be a mother) tuk 'er sate by 'is side. de shower av savages, anxious ter nu de cause av such fierce quare an' unheard-of conduct, pressed close around; whaen, al' av a sudden, ter their 'orror an' surprise, yer man seized upon yer won an' thru 'er 'eadlong into de regions av darkness below! den, risin' from de groun', yer man towl de people dat yer man 'ad for sum time suspected dat 'is struggle an' strife