Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/70

40 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY the Missouri, mainly in one campaign led by Red Wing and "Wapasha. The Menominees were privy to the plans of the Sioux, but took no part in the war ; perhaps furnished canoes and horses. The Sioux marched by the headwaters of the St. Croix and Chip- pewas, down the Wisconsin, beginning the attack at McGregor. The Y-hanktons reinforced them on the upper course of the Minnesota. The Sioux undertook this war for the purpose of set- tlement in the country which they had always claimed to own since the expulsion of the Assinniboines. It was after Wapasha had received his red cap and commission as head chief of the British. Colonel AYilliam Colville once wrote: " Wapasha 's title as head chief not being allowed by Red Wing, Wapasha removed with the greater part of his band to Winona. Red Wing's titular name was Wacouta — 'The Shooter.' This was always the head chief 's title — the same as that of the chief who captured Hennepin, lie had the name of Red Wing, Koo-poodioo-sha, from the swan's wing, which he dyed scarlet and carried. Wapahasha had his name from his red "coupe stick," which was wound with scarlet ribbons and surmounted by a white horse tail, dyed a bril- liant red. This lie used to signal and direct his warriors in battle, sometimes as a standard to rally them. 'Red Wing and his contemporaries here retained their old custom of mound burial, such as is described by Carver in his account of the cave at St. Paul. His spring and summer camp was along the west bank of Jordan stream in this place. The Indians called the stream Cold Water creek. The upper end of the camp was ;i little above Main street. There was an oak grove a short distance behind the camp on slightly higher ground, and commanding a broad view of the river scenery. In this grove were a number of mounds when I came here — 1854 — mostly of small size, one conspicuous, over twenty feet across and three feet high. It was ;it the southwest corner of Main and Broadway crossing. In grading the street this was leveled, and along with very badly decayed bones was found a Jefferson medal of the year 1801. After Red Wing's time the Indians coffined and buried the dead same as the whites. Big Buffalo, his successor, was so coffined and buried, about 1820. Now Lieutenant Pike, on his return from the source of the Mississippi in 1806, stopped two days with Red Wing at this camp, and was very hospitably entertained. On his way down he had been reminded by Little Crow, at the mouth of the St. Croix, of his promised medals, promised at the treaty of the fall before at Pike Island. One of the head men of Red Wing's band signed that treaty; Red Wing, from old age, was not present. Red Wing was friendly to the Americans; AVapahasha had his