HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY

INDIAN STOICISM AND COURAGE

By W. R. McCormick

For the particulars of the following tragic story I am indebted to Hon. E. S. Williams. It occurred while he was trading with the Indians at Saginaw, some time before De Tocqueville's visit, and about two years before I came to the Saginaw Valley. The event was witnessed by Messrs. Williams, Judge Jewett, Colonel Stanard, and others, and strangely illustrates the peculiarities of frontier life and of the Indian character.

Neh-way-go was a young Saginaw brave, living, in his earlier life, at Green Point, which is at the mouth of the Tittabawassee River, and in his later years upon the shores of the Saginaw Bay. He is described as a model of native strength and grace. While living at the former place he killed a son of Red Bird, who lived on the Tittabawassee River. The relatives demanded satisfaction, and by Indian laws his life was forfeit. He presented himself at the chief mourner's wigwam, where the warriors of the family of the deceased had assembled, and informed them that he had come for them to strike at his heart. He bared his bosom and took his position for the selected number to pass by him and inflict the knife wound. They passed and inflicted, as they hoped,l the mortal thrusts. That done, and Indian usage being satisfied, he was making the best speed he could, with his streaming wounds, to his own wigwam, when he was struck in the back by a cowardly Indian, inflicting a sever stab, but, as it appears, like the other blows, not fatal. He was yet enabled to reach his own wigwam, some distance off, where his young wife was waiting, not expecting ever to see him alive again. She received him and bound up his wounds. He was restored after fearful suffering.

After this event he removed to Kawkawlin,k where he remained until his wounds were nearly healed. When he came up to Saginaw in a canoe, with his wife, to do some trading at the Indian trading post of the American Fur Company, which was then operated by G. D. and E. S. Williams, he was not yet able to get out of his canoe and go to the trading post, which was but a few rods from the river, without the aid of his paddle to lean upon. B. O. Williams, who was there at the time, describes him as a walking skeleton.

Some Indians were there at the time. They soon sent word to O-sou-wah-bon's band at Green Point, some two miles distant, that Neh-way-go had arrieved at the American Fur Company's trading post. The Messrs. Williams were well aware that if they met there would be a dreadful tragedy. They therefore placed persons to watch if any Indians came from that direction. It was not long before O-sou-wah-bon and two Indians were seen approaching, while Neh-way-go was still by his canoe standing on the bank of the river leaning on his paddle. He was told by the Messrs. Williams to get into the canoe with his family and go down the river. This he refused to do, saying he was no coward, but like a brave man patiently awaited the attack. E. S. Williams went and met O-sou-wah-bon and told him he must go into the store, as he wanted to see him. After he was inside the door was closed and he was told that they knew his business and that he must now give up his knives. He reluctantly drew his knife from his sheath and handed it to B. O. Williams. They asked him if he had any more, and if so to give them up or they would search him. He finally pulled out another which he had concealed down his back. They then asked him if he had any more. He said "No," when E. S. Williams said they would have to search him, which he refused to submit to. Mr. Williams clenched him, and with the assistance of B. O. Williams, now of Owosso, and some others, after a severe struggle, as O-sou-wah-bon was a very powerful man, they threw him on the floor. While B. O. Williams and some others were holding him, E. S. Williams commenced the search, and inside of his leggin they found a large knife, a very formidable weapon, and as sharp as a razor. When Mr. Williams drew it from his leggin he caught it by the blade and refused to give it up; the result was, before they could wrench it from his grasp it had nearly severed his hand in two. They then let him up and dressed his wound. While this proceeding was going on B. O. Williams and another person slipped out of the back door and found Neh-way-go still standing on the shore leaning on his paddle, awaiting the attack, while his wife was sitting in the canoe crying. They told him to get into his canoe and be off, which he refused to do, repeating he was no coward. They then took him by main force, put him into the canoe with his wife, and shoved it from the shore and ordered his wife to paddle him home, and not to come back again. He returned to his home on the Kawkawlin, where he soon after fully recovered from his wounds.

Afterwards, finding upon his hunting ground the coward who had inflicted upon him the wound in the back, he summarily visited him with Indian vengeance,==death. Soon after the Indians were assembled in large numbers at Saginaw at an Indian payment, when an altercation ensued between Black Beaver, an Indian of considerable note, and the brave Neh-way-go. The former reproached him with the outrage he had committed upon the Indian who had struck him in the back. Neh-way-go defended the act as just and brave; the reproof was repeated, and upon the instant he slew Black Beaver.

This was at the upper end, where the city of East Saginaw stands, near where the upper bridge crosses the river, in the vicinity of the old Curtis-Emerson mill. Black Beaver and his band were here encamped. On the west side of the river, on the open plain near where the residence of E. J. Ring now stands, Neh-way-go and his band were encamped.

After the bloody deed Neh-way-go crossed over to the west side of the river amongst his own people. A warrant was at once issued by Colonel Stanard for his arrest, acting as justice. Neh-way-go fled back to the east side of the river, and accompanied by a friend, secreted himself in the woods upon what is now the site of the city of East Saginaw. He preferred to trust himself on the same side of the river with the tribe whose leading warrior he had stricken down than to endure the mortification of arrest and punishment of the white man's law.

He sent word to ttwo of his white friends, Antoine Campou and Ephraim S. Williams, desiring them to cross the rier and come to the woods in which he was secreted, when by giving a signal he would come to them. They did so and he soon made his appearance. He informed them that he had sent for them for advice; that the white man's punishment(imprisonment) was only fit for cowards; death by the hands of his own race was glorious in comparison, if any relative of Black Beaver should choose to make it a cause for vengeance.

They advised him to cross back to his own camp, present himself to his people and let the affair take the course warranted by Indian usage. The arrest by the officer was waived and he presented himself at his own camp openly.

T The hour for the burial of Black Beaver arrived. An immense number of Indians, from two to three thousand were present—as it was Indian payment at Saginaw at the time—as mourners and spectators. The place of burial was just below the old Campau house on the brow of the hill, west of where A. W. Wright's planning mill now stands and near where Neh-way-go and his band were encamped. The body had been placed in the coffin. The relatives, with their faces streaked with black, had gathered about it. The few white settlers then in the valley were all there as spectators. The fearful outrage so near their own doors had absorbed the engrossed the attention of all.

While the solemn Indian rite was in progress over the remains of their favorite warrior, Neh-way-go was seen approaching from his camping ground. He was dressed in full and careful costume, tomahawk and knife in his girdle and a small canteen of whisky at his side, his whole appearance imposing and gallant. He made his way with a lofty and majestic step to the center of the mourning group. Walking with a measured step to the side of the coffin, he placed upon it his tomahawk and knife. He filled his calumet with kinakanick, composedly and with dignity. After smoking from it himself first, he passed it to the chief mourner, who declined it. He passed it to the next, and the next with the same result. He passed his canteen of whisky with the same formality, and with the same result. They declined to partake.

He then undid the collar of his hunting shirt, and bared his bosom, seating himself with calm dignity upon the foot of the coffin. He turned his face full upon the chief mourners, and addressed them:

"You refuse my pipe of peace. You refuse to drink with me. Strike not in the back. Strike not and miss. The man that does dies when I meet him on our hunting ground."

Not a hand was raised. Upon the dark and stoical faces of that cloud of enemies by whom he was surrounded, no feeling found expression except that of awe; no muscle moved.

He rose from his seat on the foot of the coffin, and towering to his full, fine height, exclaimed, "Cowards! Cowards! Cowards!"

As composedly as he had taken them out, he restored, unmolested, the tomahawk and knife to his girdle, and, with his canteen at his side, walked away from the strange scene as lordly as he came. He had awed his enemies, and was evidently master of the situation.

Removing soon after to the bay shore, away form the scene of his early feuds and fearful exploits, he fell ultimately upon the hunting ground in a personal encounter with a relative of one of his victims.