Page 193 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

weeks. All the members had to travel by land on the west
side of the Mississippi. There were then but few settlers
from Burlington to Dubuque; we had to camp out on the
prairies, when the weather was intensely cold. It was the
20th of January, 1838, we adjourned. I was on a committee
to investigate the affairs of the old Dubuque Bank. There
was then but one public liouse in Dubuque, and some five hun-
dred inhabitants. I remained there two weeks on this busi-
ness, and then started alone for Green Bay. At Mineral Point
I met n, brother of Col. A. A. BIRD, of Madison, who had
recently come from there; I waited for him to return, and
accompanied him. We started, and went as far as my old
Worcester County friend, Col. E. BRIG~IAM'S, at tho Blue
Mounds, with whom we staid all night. The next day we
started for Madison, but lost our way and traveled all day
and most of the night, when we came to a log shanty, where
we tarried the remainder of the night, without, Iiowever, any-
thing to eat.
In the morning we renewed our journey, and went to hIadi-
son. We found Col. A. A. BIRD there; his mother was quite
ill, and attended by the army surgeon from Port Winnebago.
The house or shanty that BIRD lived in was a miserable cold
affair. There were then but three other families in Madison.
The doctor from Fort Winnebago designed to return the next
day, and wished mo to wait for him. I concluded to do so,
and crossed Fourth Lake to its head, near Pheasant Branch,
who
and spent the night with Col. W. 13. SLAUGHTER, then
hod on the west bank. of the Lake. The next morning the
doctor came over. We started for the Fort, between SLAUGH-
TER'S and which, there was not a single house. I had my
conveyance; and the doctor had his, with a dri-rer. When
about half way, I asked the driver how the doctor stood the cold
-for it was a stinging cold day; the doctor, who was com-
pletely covered up with buffalo robes, made no reply, and the
driver, of course, could not answer for him. I drove past
them, and on reaching e grove of timber, I stopped and made