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Oshkosh the Brave
Head Chief
Of The Menomonee,
Born In The Wilds When
many years ago Oshkosh, now the second city
in Wisconsin, was a hamlet of a few
scattered wooden houses along the beautiful
forest banks of the deep, wide Fox river, it
was known by the classic name of Athens. An
election being held to settle on a sure
enough name for the future city, the river
men, not so much in love with the ancient
glory of the city of Athens as they were
with the more appropriate name of the old
head chief of the Menomonee, came partly in
fun and some in earnest and casting the
deciding vote gave the budding city the name
that has made it known around the world.
Old Chief Oshkosh was entitled to the honor
as he was a very worthy man. His worst enemy
was his love for "fire water." He was born
in "The Old King's" village one-half mile up
river or south of the old French fort on the
west bank of the Fox river, opposite the
small settlement at Green Bay in 1795. Like
all papooses, after he grew out of the
basket cradle strapped to his mother's back,
he learned to fish and hunt with the bow and
arrows. He was the grandson of Old King, but
was not a chief until he became a warrior.
When he came into the world the country
about was owned by the Americans, but no
government had been established over these
tribes, except such as was accomplished by
the fur trading Englishmen from Canada. The
Americans had a small garrison in the old
fort at Mackinaw island at the outbreak of
the war of 1812.
Col. Robert Dickson organized a band of
Wisconsin Indians, including the Menomonee
under their chief, Tomah, with Oshkosh in
the party. They proceeded by boats and
canoes from Green Bay and easily captured
the stockade without any less to either
side. During the war the Americans could not
repossess the fort. Colonel Dickson, with
the Fox river Indians, including the
Menomonee under Tomah defended the fort in a
hard battle with the Americans to capture
the stronghold in 1814. Major Holmes was
killed by the Menomonee and a chief, Weekah,
of the Menomonee was killed near the same
spot. Oshkosh was with this garrison
defending the fort and it was not the first
real battle he had ever seen. Oshkosh went
on the war path to join Tecumseh against
Fort Meigs in 1813 and later under Proctor
and Dickson attacked the fort Sandusky, so
gallantly defended by Cropland; and every
where defeating the Menomonee returned home
to the Bay. Doubtless he was with the
Menomonee war parties who frequently went
out against the Chippewa in northern and
western parts of the state. "Oshkosh was of medium size,
possessed much good sense and ability, but is a great slave to strong
drink and two of his three sons surpass their father in this beastly vice"
(Grignon). It was because of a brawl, occasioned by too much drink that he
was laid up for a week and died at Keshena, August 20, 1858. The artist
Brooks, reached Keshena a day or two before his death, and painted his
picture, which hangs in the rooms o£ the Historical society at Madison.
The artist lacked good taste in perpetuating this noble red man in the
scarecrow clothing some wag had given him. Oshkosh in that plug hat and
high colored ribbons may do for a comic almanac, but does scant justice to
the supple form of the brave warrior of the Menomonee, who never raised
the tomahawk against the white man
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