History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

134

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

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 and 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 carefu.l
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 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 decl;ned 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
thus 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 arose 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 from 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."
O-SAW-WAH-PON.
This chief of the Saginaws was born in the Indian camp which
once occupied the site of Saginaw City. His birth took place in
1798. It is said that his mother's name was the almost unpronounceable Ke-ne-wah-nah-ah-no-quay, and that the name which
she bestowed upon the infant savage, was Kay-pay-yon-quod.
While bearing this extraordinary title he was generally ill, and,
believing that its change would lead to good results, he cast it
aside in regular Indian form and adopted that of his father, O-sawwah-pon. He was very much attached to General Cass, and, on
his account, principally, used his great oratorical powers in
defense of the American. It is even said that he urged Tecumseh