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

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

147

missioner and his company. No other man could have been
so appropriately selected to meet the Commissioner's expectations
and aid him in the details of the enterprise.
"Mr. Campau yet survives, an aged gentleman, but with an
accurate memory, a fine representative of the better class of early
French pioneers; a liberal, public-spirited and worthy citizen.
Two Government vessels, laden with stores for the subsistence of
those upon the treaty ground, were sent around by Lakes St. Clair
and Huron. One of these was a company of United States
soldiers, commanded by Captain Cass, a brother of the General,
who had been ordered to the treaty ground for the protection of
those in attendance. By the time the Commissioner, with his
staff of interpreters, had arrived, Mr. Campau and his employes
had constructed the council house. It was spacious and commodious, extending several hundred feet along the bank of the river a
few rods back from the shore, and of the requisite width to accommodate the large number of natives who were expected to be
present. Situated nearly between the present site of the Webster
House and the river, but several rods farther down on the slight
ridge or second rise from the shore, its position was commanding
and pleasant. Trees conveniently situated furnished the columns
of the council hall, and boughs interlaced above made the roof.
The sides and ends were open. It was of an order of architecture
not recognized by Ruskin, Downing, Upjohn or any professional
writer upon that branch of science. It was doubtless more nearly
assimilated to that temple described by the great poet of nature,
Bryant, in the opening of his Forest Hymn,-' The groves were
God's first temples.' A platform made of logs, faced or evened
by the ax, was elevated about a foot above the ground, and broad
enough to accommodate company upon rustic benches. Commissioner Cass and the other officials occupied the central portion
of the council room. Huge logs in their native roughness had
been rolled in upon the other space to be used as seats by the
native lords of the soil when in common council. The bordering
woods were dotted with temporary wigwams, hastily and rudely
built bythe natives for the accommodation of themselves and families during the pendency of the negotiation.
Among other preparations, temporary but convenient additions
to his trading house had been made by Mr. Campau, sufficiently
spacious to make a good-sized dining-room for the large number
of officials present, and comfortable quarters for the Commissioner.
The number of Indians present at the time of his arrival was not
as large as was expected. Messengers or runners had been sent
among the different bands, some living quite remote from the
place of holding the council, to notify them of the proposed treaty,
and others out for like purposes after the fact became apparent
that some localities were not properly represented. The number
present upon the treaty ground on the day when the third council,
which was the fullest, was held, has been variously estimated from
1,500 to 4,000. They were mainly Chippewas, but not all.