soldiers came up in keel boats, encamped a short distance above the
head of the Des Moines rapids, and commenced cutting timber and
building houses. The news of their arrival was soon carried to all
our villages, to confer upon which many councils were held. We could
not understand the intention, or comprehend the reason why the
Americans wanted to build homes at that place. We were told that they
were a party of soldiers, who had brought great guns with them, and
looked like a war party of whites.

A number of people immediately went down to see what was going on,
myself among them. On our arrival we found that they were building a
fort. The soldiers were busily engaged in cutting timber, and I
observed that they took their arms with them when they went to the
woods. The whole party acted as they would do in an enemy's country.
The chiefs held a council with the officers, or head men of the party,
which I did not attend, but understood from them that the war chief
had said that they were building homes for a trader who was coming
there to live, and would sell us goods very cheap, and that the
soldiers were to remain to keep him company. We were pleased at this
information ad hoped that it was all true, but we were not so
credulous as to believe that all these buildings were intended merely
for the accommodation of a trader. Being distrustful of their
intentions, we were anxious for them to leave off building and go back
down the river.

By this time a considerable number of Indians had arrived to see what
was doing. I discovered that the whites were alarmed. Some of our
young men watched a party of soldiers, who went out to work, carrying
their arms, which were laid aside before they commenced. Having
stolen quietly to the spot they seized the guns and gave a wild yell!