Surrender spot?

[Robert Braun]

The surrender of Red Bird is memorialized on a bronze tablet near the Surgeon's Quarters outside present-day Portage, WI.

However--- was this actually the spot of the surrender? How did Red Bird come to be at this location?

Your insights and comments would be appreciated.

Bob Braun

[pshrake]

As far as documentation goes, concerning the actual location of the surrender site we have two eyewitness accounts. John H. Kinzie in a letter to E.A Brush on September 4, 1827 identified the spot as the "Ouisconsin portage," but unfortunately does not elaborate to any great detail on the specific spot.

The best description comes from Thomas McKenney. His acount can be found in Volume 5 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS pages 178-204. McKenney describes Whistlers detachment establishing a encampment "on a high bluff which overlooks the country for a great distace to the south and west."

At noon the next day as McKenney recorded, a large crowd was seen decending a mound on the portage. Within a half hour the group was near enough to the encampment for someone to recognize Red Bird. Barges were sent across the river to pick up a select number of the croud and bring them across to the Army's side.( it must have been considerably wider than today, the Fox at that point is not that wide)

McKenney again notes "and now the advance of the Indians had reached half op the acent of the bluff, on which was our encampment." Eventually Red Bird was led into the encampment on the top of the bluff where he was formally taken into custody.

I wish there was more corroborating evidence. Indian Agent John Marsh was there but I have yet to find a letter or memoir from him describing the incident. And to great frustration if have never come across the report of Major Whistler, though for some reason I can not fully rationally explain, I believe it is out there.

Secondary evidence of the site location can be found in Vol 14 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS, page 100. In "The History of Fort Winnebago by Andrew Jackson Turner. Turner noted that Wistler's troops were "encamped on the bluff opposite the portage where Fort Winnebago was subsequently built" I have recently noticed in a recent research trip to Madison that Turner's research papers are on file so there might be additional material pinpointing the exact surrender site.

So to sum up and make a long post longer and more tedious, According to Kinzie the surrender was at the portage. McKenney places the surrender in Whistler's encampment on the top of a bluff on the side of the Fox River opposite the portage. A.J. Turner years later states that Whistler encampment was the approximate site of Fort Winnebago. So based upon the available sources, the surrender site was very near the monument, on top of the hill, perhaps somewhere inside the modern day farm currently on site.

[pshrake]

Bob raises another good question regarding the surrender of Red Bird,

“How did Red Bird come to be at this location?”

This has always been a difficult question because after the attacks at Prairie du Chien there is almost no record of the activities of Red Bird until he surrenders himself at the portage.

If I might be allowed to speculate though, there is some circumstantial evidence that might suggest one of three reasons for his presence at the portage.

There were several Ho-Chunk villages in the portage area. Two very prominent leaders of the tribe also lived in the immediate vicinity, Nawkaw Caramaunee and Old Grey head Decarrie.

According to Helen Tanner’s ATLAS OF GREAT LAKES INDIAN HISTORY Nawkaw Caramaunee had a village along the Baraboo River on or near the site of the modern day the City of Baraboo. Nawkaw was very influential in the surrender of Red Bird. Some accounts claim it was he who persuaded the chief to give himself up. Nawkaw was also with him at the time of the surrender, going as far as pleading with the American authorities for leniency on Red Birds behalf.

Grey Head Decarrie’s village was on the west bank of the Wisconsin River at the portage. The old leader had been taken hostage, along with a few others as a means to insure the good conduct of the tribe, at Prairie du Chien shortly after the Keelboat attacks.

So I would stipulate that Red Bird was at the portage for one of several reasons. One- he was on the run and there were a number of villages in the portage area to take refuge. Two- he was surrendering because of the influence of Nawkaw and happened to be in Nawkaw’s village when Whistler’s detachment arrived at the portage. Three- he was making an apologetic or symbolic gesture to the people of Old Grey head Decarrie by going to his village and surrendering himself near the village site.

Pete

[Robert Braun]

Pete brings up an interesting point. Red Bird may have been at the Portage location for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that he and his entourage may have been "on the run."

The militia movements lead by Col. Dodge that flanked the Wisocnsin River do not seem to be reconnaissance operations, as much as a "deer drive in force." Since American leadership apparently did not know Red Bird's location, was this a "drive" designed (perhaps) with the hope and intent to flush him out?

Or did a curious set of circumstances coincide to bring Reb Bird east from PDC towards the Regulars?


Bob Braun

[Larry Koschkee]

As Pete Shrake has pointed out, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of Red Bird's surrender, however I believe the bronze tablet serves as a valuable reference point.

For the sake of board viewers that may not be familiar with the portage referenced herein, the portage is a strip of land that seperates the north flowing Fox River with a connection to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waterway from the south flowing Wisconsin River with a connection to the Mississippi-Gulf of Mexico waterway.

Jonathan Carver's expedition portaged here in 1766 and subsequently described the feature.

Arrived at the Great Carrying Place between the Sacs River and the Quisconsin. This portage wants a little of being two miles from one of thes rivers to the other. One half of the way is a marsh which makes the carriage much more difficult. The other part is very good going, being a sort of oak plain. The Sac River from the Winnebago Lake upwards has many windings and turnings, some places a hard current but no rapids. Its length about 200 miles in its course, the breadth from five yards at the carrying place to forty rods where it falls into the Bay.

An interesting note found within this quote that I have pondered at times, is the width of the Fox River "at the Great Carrying Place" which, according to Carver was only five yards (or 15 feet) wide.

Pete accurately reported Whistler ordered barges to be sent to the west side of the river to pickup Red Bird and others and commented "(it must have been considerably wider than today, the Fox at that point is not that wide)." Perhaps the river's breadth has not changed much since 1766.

I do not know what the length of the barges used in 1827 were but it may have been feasible for Red Bird to step in a barge from the west bank, walk the length of the barge and step onto the east bank. Off the subject here... sorry.

"How did Red Bird come to be at this location?"

The first part of an answer is -- it was the honorable thing to do. We must remember Red Bird and other Winnebago were duped by the Sioux and Red Bird's misguided act of retaliation conducted at Prairie du Chien must have been an extreme source of humilation for Red Bird. To avoid further bloodshed and tribual member hardship, Red Bird deliberated that his life as he knew it was over.

Second part of an answer is -- the portage was the safest and closest place on the frontier to surrender. After commiting murders at Prairie du Chien, I am sure Red Bird calculated that a surrender there was risky at best. Most likely he could have been shot on sight or strung up with a rope around his neck. No chance for a ceremonial surrender under those circumstances.

As it turned out he was able to make a spectacular and dignified surrender at the portage that was captured on canvas by James Otto Lewis and through the words of McKenney.

Having said all this, I disagree that Red Bird was "on the run," hiding out, yes. When we read the events leading up to the actual surrender it shows Red Bird picked the day and the time of surrender. He sent runners well in advance to Whistler announcing his intentions. He was in total control.

My view is that Dodge's action in concert with Atkinson on the Wisconsin was nothing more than a show of force, (shock and awe) driving deep into the heart of Winnebago land. This show of force certainly may have played a part in Red Bird's decision to surrender, but not the sole reason.

[isaac]

I am replying late (a good 5 years so) and will likely not be read, BUT with Mr. Bob's question #1
According to the mentioned sources, this would be very likely. The only "bluff" in the immediate area is the location of the later Ft. Winnebago. IF, Red Bird would have shown at the Portage and needed to cross the river, it would be roughly at the location of the Surgeon's quarters that he would have been (or VERY near by and the quarters works for the sake of having "public" forum to display said signage).

#2 Why portage? This could as much be asked of why pick the portage as a location for Ft. Winnebago. It is the heart of Hochunk country and is EASILY accessible from multiply locations due the various trails and rivers that "intersect" there (or at least that the portage links).

Isaac