Wisconsin. Nine years later the Act of April 18, 1818, admitted Illinois into the Union; and the " leavings " of the northwest territory, part of Iowa, all of Minnesota, and part of the Dakotas were " bunched " into the territory of Michigan. But as yet the settlements were only a few trading-posts of French and English and half-breeds. Green Bay, on the bay of that name — La Baye Verte — and Prairie du Chien, at the mouth of the Wisconsin, on the Mississippi, were the principal settle ments; and there was small need for courts and judges for many years. The jurisdiction of the United States over this region was at first more nominal than real. The English settlers were really the rul ing element till after the War of 18 12. In 1 8 1 6 the first American vessel laden with troops arrived at Green Bay, and Fort How ard, at the mouth of the Fox River, was soon after established; and this part of the then territory remained substantially under mili tary rule until 1824, when civil authority was fairly established. From 1816 to 1824 a few justices of the peace and judges of the county courts of Brown and Crawford Counties exercised a limited authority, divi ded, as it appears, with military comman dants, who dispensed justice according to their own notions in the range of their au thority. The first to represent the judiciary in Wis consin, so far as known, was Charles Reaume, of Green Bay, who came from La Prairie, near Montreal, in 1/92. He acted'for many years as justice of the peace, but by what authority or whose commission is not defi nitely known. It is said he had a commission from Gen. Harrison. He presided over his primitive court with pompous dignity, dressed in an ancient British uniform, red coat and cocked hat. He had once served as an officer in the English army in Canada. In making arrests he issued no warrants, but handed his buckhorn-handled jackknife to the constable as a token of judicial power,
with verbal authority to arrest and bring persons before his august court. His was virtually the supreme court of the country during his official career, as there could be no appeal, except by going to Vincennes, in Indiana, some hundreds of miles distantMany stories are told of his quaint rulings. He did not stand much on law, of which he knew but little, but his decisions rested on a sort of natural justice that gave general satisfaction. He would fine men, and sen tence them to work out the fine on- his own farm, or to bring wood and hay for his own use. He would enforce specific perform ance of contracts to labor, compel deserting laborers to return to their employers, and adapt his judgments to the most practical solution of a controversy. One of the most pleasing of his official duties was to attend the weddings of the French settlers. He drew up lengthy marriage contracts, had them signed by the parties and some sixteen witnesses, and finally by himself, " Charles Reaume, Juge de Paix, de la Baye Verte." Then followed the festivities and the dance to the music of the violin. The feast was of venison smothered in wild rice and maple sugar, stewed sturgeon, fat ducks; and the jug of strong waters was by no means a neglected part of the good things served. The traditions of Green Bay and the histori cal collections of the State contain many anecdotes of this unique character. He was fond of brandy and water, and of an Indian dish called pe-we-ta-gah (prepared in oil), composed of dried venison pounded fine and cooked in maple sugar and bear's oil. Some of the "Judge's" legal papers are extant, and show a crude notion of legal formalities. It is said that in one case brought before him for seduction and breach of promise of marriage, he gave judgment that the seducer purchase the woman a calico gown, two dresses for the baby, and that the constable pay the costs by splitting a thousand rails for the Judge. The old justice lived alone in his later days and was found dead in his
