Three Score Years and Ten | Page 3

expressive gestures: "My brother, do you see the calm, blue sky
above us? Do you see the lake that lies so peacefully at our feet? So
calm, so peaceful are our hearts towards you. Pass on!" With this full
permission so gracefully bestowed, after resting and refreshing
themselves among their newly-made friends, the troops left among
them a liberal supply of beads and trinkets and passed on to that point
on the river, least distant from the Ouisconsin, where they made a
portage, transporting their boats and supplies, by the aid of Indians
hired for the purpose, a distance of a mile and a half. This was a tedious
process, but was at last successfully accomplished, and the boats were
again afloat on the stream, called by the Indians the
"Nee-na-hoo-na-nink-a," (beautiful little river), and by the whites
"Ouisconsin," the French orthography for what we now write
"Wisconsin." The place of transit from one river to the other was
known for years as the Portage. At the point where the troops made
preparations for crossing it was afterwards built Fort Winnebago, and
directly opposite the fort, on a pretty knoll, stood for many years the
Indian agency occupied for a long time by John Kinzie, agent,
afterwards better known as one of the first owners of Chicago, and Mrs.
Kinzie's "Waubun," or early day, gives a very pleasant and reliable
account of that locality and the surrounding country. The point on the
Wisconsin where the re-embarkation of the troops took place has
grown into Portage City.
In spite of heavy rains and other discouraging circumstances, the
tedious descent of the Ouisconsin was at length successfully
accomplished, and at its mouth stood old Fort Crawford and a
settlement of French and half-breeds called "Prairie du Chien." This
fort was simply a rude barracks, and far from comfortable. The two
months' journey from Buffalo had been very trying, serious obstacles
and hindrances had been encountered and barely overcome, but instead
of reaching their final destination in June, as they confidently expected
to do, the troops arrived at Fort Crawford on the morning of the first
day of July, worn out and exhausted. It was therefore determined to

remain at this point some weeks for rest and renewal of strength, before
making the final plunge into the unknown wilderness, into the very
midst of savages, who might resist their progress and cause them much
trouble.
The transportation of their supplies had been attended with so much
difficulty that, notwithstanding all possible care, the pork barrels leaked
badly and the contents were rusty; the flour had been so exposed to
dampness that for the depth of three inches or more it was solid blue
mould, and there was no choice between this wretched fare and
starvation, for the miserable country about the fort afforded no
supplies.
Just at this juncture, scarcely an hour after her arrival, Mrs. Clark's
second child was born, and named Charlotte, for her mother, to which
was added by the officers "Ouisconsin." When one calls to mind all the
care and comforts and luxuries demanded at the present time on such
occasions, it is difficult to realize how my mother endured her
hardships, and when I add that almost immediately both she and my
brother were seized with fever and ague, which soon exhausted their
strength and made them very helpless, it would seem almost beyond
belief that she should survive.
The new-born infant was entirely deprived of the nourishment nature
kindly provides for incipient humanity, thus complicating to a great
degree the trials of that dreadful time. My dear father could never speak
of that experience without a shudder, and has told me, with much
emotion, how he scoured the whole country to find suitable
nourishment for mother and children, with wretched success; adding
that, but for the dear mother's unfailing courage, her wonderfully
hopeful disposition and her firm trust in God, he could hardly have
endured these heavy trials. The surgeon of the regiment at that time (I
think his name was Burns) was a man of science and great skill in his
profession, but an inveterate drunkard, and it was no uncommon
occurrence, when his services were needed, to find him so stupefied
with liquor that nothing but a liberal sousing in cold water would fit
him for duty, and I imagine that "soaking the doctor" became a source

of merriment which may have diverted their minds from heavier trials.
So long a time must have elapsed before the provisions could have
been officially condemned and fresh supplies sent from St. Louis, the
nearest base of supplies, for red tape was more perplexing and
entangling then than now, when it is sent back and forth by lightning,
that it was concluded to continue the journey with what they had,