Red Bird (; –16 February 1828) was a leader of the Winnebago (or

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

) Native American tribe. He was a leader in the

Winnebago War The Winnebago War, also known as the Winnebago Uprising, was a brief conflict that took place in 1827 in the Upper Mississippi River region of the United States, primarily in what is now the state of Wisconsin. Not quite a war, the hostilitie ...

of 1827 against Americans in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

making intrusions into tribal lands for mining. He was for many years one of the most friendly and trusted of the Wisconsin Native Americans. In the late 1820s Red Bird and his followers began to grow uneasy over the encroachments of

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

miners A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...

on Ho-Chunk land. The tribe had an uneasy relationship with the dominant culture's legal concepts and often continued to follow tribal practices of justice. This tension resulted in several incidents, including confrontations with Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun. One incident involved the mistaken information channeled to the tribe that two Ho-Chunk executions were conducted at

Fort Snelling Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint An ...

in 1826 for a murder they did not commit. As white miners continued to extract resources near Winnebago villages on the Rock River, the War Department sought to keep tribes from mining the same minerals, in fear that the land would become contentious. Near Prairie du Chien on June 28, 1827, Red Bird had become increasingly angered by treatment of the tribe. Encroachment on native lands, unfair incarceration, and increasing violence led to escalating tensions. Under pressure from the tribe to defend their interests, Red Bird set off with two others, Chickhonsic (The Little Buffalo) and Wekau (The Sun); eventually meeting a trader, John Lockwood and a former British soldier, Duncan Graham, who advised against violence. Upon arriving at the cabin of Registre Gagnier, the party was met with a friendly welcome and invited in for refreshment. Gagnier, feeling suspicious about the nature of the visit, reached for his rifle, thus setting off the following events. Chickhonsic shot Solomon Lipcap. Wekau attempted to shoot Mrs. Gagnier, but she and her son escaped and gave the alarm in

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien may refer to: Places *Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Prairie du Chien ( ) is a city in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second- ...

. On June 30, 1827, a band of Ho-Chunk fired on an American keelboat, the ''Oliver Perry,'' killing two of the crew and wounding several others. With an Indian war threatening, the militia was mobilized and Federal troops were dispatched to Prairie du Chien from

Jefferson Barracks, Missouri The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installatio ...

. The tribe was generally reluctant to rally to war, despite Red Bird's messages and he and his companions surrendered at

Portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

on Sept. 2, 1827. Although the chief expected the dignity of being put to death, he was instead taken to

where he died in prison on Feb. 16, 1828. Several months later the other Indians were pardoned. One of the most dramatic incidents in Wisconsin history, the surrender of the proud and handsome chief became the subject of stories, paintings, and plays.

Notes

*"For the story of Red Bird's troubles, see: Snelling (supposed author), Winnebago Outbreak of 1827, Wis. Hist. Colls., V, 143-154. Also: Moses M. Strong, Indian Wars of Wisconsin, Id., VIII, 254-265. Also: Col. Thos. L. McKenny, Winnebago War, Id., V, 178-204. Also: James H. Lockwood, Early Times and Events in Wisconsin, Id., II, 156-168. Also: Ebenezer Childs, Recollections, Id., IV, 172-174."

References

External links

Red Bird statueother views
overlooking the northeast end of Lake Winnebago, in

High Cliff State Park High Cliff State Park is a Wisconsin state park near Sherwood, Wisconsin. It is the only state-owned recreation area located on Lake Winnebago. The park got its name from cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, a land formation east of the shore of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Bird Native American leaders Native American people of the Indian Wars 1780s births 1828 deaths Deaths from dysentery Ho-Chunk people American people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in United States federal government detention 19th-century Native American people Native American people from Wisconsin People from pre-statehood Wisconsin