About this record
Atwater was one of three commissioners appointed to negotiate with the leaders of the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomie, Ojibwe, and Ottawa nations. This treaty attempted to end the tensions that had flared up during the so-called Winnebago War of 1827. The tribes ceded most of the Lead Region in southwestern Wisconsin and northern Illinois to the U.S. for $500,000 to be paid over 30 years; the government also paid $30,000 in goods and $20,000 in damages for intrusions by squatters. In this excerpt from his report on the events, Atwater describes arriving at Prairie du Chien, the hostile reception given him by the Ho-Chunk, the conduct of the negotiations, and the countryside around Prairie du Chien. His entire book is linked elsewhere at Turning Points.Citation
Atwater, Caleb. "Notes on the 1829 treaty council at Prairie du Chien." In: Remarks made on a Tour to Prairie du Chien; thence to Washington City, in 1829 (Columbus, Ohio, Printed by Jenkins and Grover, 1831).