CHAPTER
FOUR
BEGINNING OF THE END
In the summer of 1795, William Henry Harrison was present when General 'Mad' Anthony Wayne negotiated the Treaty of Greenville with the tribes inhabiting the Northwest Territory. This experience would later prepare and aid Harrison in the near future, for his training included the responsibility of seeing that the provisions in the treaty were carried out.
William Henry Harrison
(1804)
Early in 1800, Delegate Harrison, of the Northwest Territory, arose in Congress Hall to introduce a bill which proposed that Congress divide the Territory into separate political units--the Indiana Territory and the Northwest Territory. This bill was ratified, and a few weeks later President John Adams signed it, thus creating the Indiana territory.
The President choose the bill's sponsor as the first governor of the newly created Territory who was then only twenty-seven years old. Harrison had served in the regular army under the command of General Wayne and upon resigning his commission he went on to become the Secretary of the Northwest Territory in July, 1798. It was from this post that the voters of the territory elected and sent him on to Congress.
As
Governor, he was required to keep a close eye on the activities of traders and
proclivities of the Indians, and also deal with the constant spread of white
settlements on Indian tribal lands. It
took the wisdom of Solomon to deal justly with all three areas of
responsibilities and the friction they produced. Upon arriving at his new capital, Post Vincennes, he immediately
took up the reigns of leadership over a vast domain of some 265,878 square
miles that comprised the Indiana Territory.
The region held an estimated population of about 6,000 settlers, most of
them half-breeds, and many thousand of Indians (though
not included in the 1800 Census).
The
young Governor proposed to the Secretary of War, in 1802, that he begin
negotiating with the tribes in the Indiana Territory in an effort to draw up
permanent boundaries. Indian Nations to
be involved in the negotiations would include the Sac and Fox, Kickapoo,
Kaskaskia, Wea, Miami, Potawatomi and the Eel River tribes. He also proposed to the Secretary that the
Sacs be included in the Treaty of Greenville and as an inducement that $500.00
be granted to that tribe.
The lack of a treaty-defined relationship was a bone of contention between the Sac and Fox Nation and the United States. The Sac tended to ignore the Treaty of Greenville until it would place them on a equal footing with the other tribes. The rumors that were circulating about Sac holding captives also lent urgency in drawing up a treaty between this particular tribe and the United States.
It was during this period that President Jefferson purchased the vast Louisiana Territory which also embraced the Sac and Fox hunting grounds. In February, 1803, Governor Harrison received detailed instructions from Thomas Jefferson regarding the position he was to take in Indian affairs of the Indiana Territory.
The President was interested in keeping a friendly footing with all the Indian nations, and it was politically expedient, as long as the tribes held great tracts of fertile lands for which the settler-voters hungered. The government-run trading houses for the benefit of the Redman served as a means of separating the Indians from their tribal lands that might be more profitably managed by white settlers. Jefferson advocated the policy of encouraging important individuals of the various tribes to run up a sizeable debt as a means of speeding up the land transfer from the tribe to the government to pay off the debt.
The
frontier settlers were becoming increasingly alarmed, with ample justification,
by the established practice of the Sac and Fox tribesmen of visiting English
posts. During the American Revolution
this confederacy had aided the British against the colonies and the friendly
relationship had continued. The tribe
by its repeated visits in 1798, 1799 and 1803 merely wished to show goodwill
and continued fidelity to its English friends.
It was these visits coupled with other incidents that stirred suspicions
of the settlers, constantly reminding them of the hold the British had over the
Sac and Fox by their traders operating out of Canada.
About
this time the Lewis and Clark Expedition was being organized and stands,
incomparably, as our Nation's epic in documented exploration of the American
West. In 1804-06, it carried the
destiny as well as the flag of our young Nation westward from the Mississippi
across thousands of miles of mostly unknown land to the Pacific Ocean. This epic feat fired the imagination of the
American people and made them feel the full sweep of the continent on which
they lived. In its scope and achievements, the Expedition towers among the
major explorations of the world.
In
1803, the United States, while attempting to purchase New Orleans from France,
was unexpectedly sold the entire territory called Louisiana. This enormous, 838,000-square mile area
doubled the size of our national domain.
It included most of the lands drained by the western tributaries of the
Mississippi River, from the Gulf of Mexico to present Canada, and west to the
Continental Divide.
Although
Thomas Jefferson had previously proposed expeditions of western exploration,
the purchase of Louisiana now provided the impetus to move forward and Congress
authorized the Expedition. A primary
objective was to find a practical transportation link between the Louisiana
Territory and the ''Oregon Country",
claimed by the U.S. following discovery of the mouth of the Columbia River by
Captain Robert Gray in 1792.
However,
the Expedition was conceived as more than geographic exploration. Jefferson wanted information on the
resources and inhabitants of the new territory. The party was to scientifically observe and, if practicable,
collect plant, animal, and mineral specimens; record weather data; study native
cultures; conduct diplomatic councils with the tribes; map geographic features "of a permanent kind" along
their route; and record all important observations and events through daily
journal entries.
Assigning
high priority to the quest for knowledge, Lewis and Clark meticulously recorded
observations about the characteristics, inhabitants, and resources of the country
through which they passed. Not many
explorers in the history of the world have provided such exhaustive and
accurate information on the regions they probed.
Before
the Expedition, the Trans-Mississippi West was an unexplored, unmapped, virgin
land. The members of the Expedition
made their way through this vast country, living off its resources and adapting
themselves to its harsh conditions. They encountered primitive tribes and
menacing animals. On foot, on horseback,
and by boat they pushed over massive mountain ranges, across seemingly endless
plains, through dense forests, and against powerful currents of raging waters.
Meriwether
Lewis began the journey at Washington, D.C., on July 5,1803. At Pittsburgh, he gathered supplies of arms
and military stores from Harpers Ferry and Schuylkill(Philadelphia)
Arsenals. These and a wide assortment
of other items were loaded aboard a specially designed keelboat, on which Lewis
"with a party of 11 hands" departed down the Ohio River, August
30. Other men were recruited along the
way. At Clarksville, opposite
Louisville, Lewis was joined by his co-commander, William Clark. The party established its 1803-04 winter
camp along the Mississippi River, above St. Louis at Wood River(Illinois), opposite the mouth of the Missouri River.
After
a winter of diplomatic duties and final preparations, the explorers, on May
14,1804, headed their boats into the current of the river ''under a gentle
breeze." The party numbered 45 from Wood River to its 1804-05 winter
establishment at Fort Mandan(North Dakota), and
33 from Mandan to the Pacific and return in 1805-06. Lewis' Newfoundland dog, Seaman, accompanied the party throughout
its journey.
Ascending
the Missouri in 1804 proved arduous and slow as the men towed the keelboat and
two smaller more maneuverable craft, called pirogues (see page 103), against the swift current. Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only Expedition
member to die on the journey, succumbed to apparent appendicitis and was buried
near present Sioux City, Iowa. The
difficulties of the first summer and autumn forged the party into a hardened
"Corps of Discovery."
When
Captain Meriweather Lewis and William Clark were on their way to the Pacific, a message was sent to the Sac and
Fox. Not having an interpreter among
them the tribe asked a British trader to interpret the message for them. The Trader complied, but in a way
unfavorable to the US Government. When
this interpretation became known to the military authorities, Captain Amos
Stoddard(then acting governor of the District of
Louisiana) had his own interpreter re-read the message.
Replica of a Keelboat
Before Captain Stoddard could inform Dearborn of this council to rectify the false interpretation that had been given earlier, the Secretary of War authorized Governor Harrison to begin negotiations with the Sac and Fox. The Governor's invitation to parley came on the heals of the heightened hostilities between the Sac and Fox against a neighboring tribe--the Osages. The Osages were long considered the favorites of the United States. The Americans, on the other hand, did nothing to dispel this impression and the galling news to the proud Sac and Fox that a party of Osages recently left St. Louis loaded with gifts and a puffed-up sense of their own superiority finally drove a small band to direct action.
In
the early spring of 1804, there was located on the west bank of the Mississippi
River, near present-day St Louis, at the mouth of the Cuvier(French for ‘copper’) River, a settlement of white
people. Its inhabitants were mainly
French who lived chiefly by hunting, fishing and farming small patches of
land. Women in these far-flung pioneer
settlements were few and whiskey was readily available; the stage was set that
would alter Sac and Fox relations with the Americans forever. The French loved to dance and because white
women were few, readily took Indian maidens as easy and graceful dancing
partners at their social occasions. It
was at one of these dances where whiskey freely flowed that trouble began.
A
dance took place at the log cabin of one of the white settlers, several Sac
Indians were present, one of whom was a relative of the Sac Headman at
Saukenuk, Quashquamme(Jumping Fish). He had brought his daughter to the cabin,
whereupon both proceeded to have a good time.
She was enjoying the dancing while the father became intoxicated with
the whiskey. After a few hours an intoxicated
young white settler took undue liberties, which the Sac maiden resented and
left the dance floor. The now drunken
father noticed this and in a threatening manner demanded an apology. The youth grappled and overpowering him
dragged him roughly to the door of the cabin and kicked him out, as one would
an offending dog.
To
the humiliated Sac, this was an insult and wrong that in Indian culture would
justify death. On gaining his feet the
father discovered the cabin door shut so he bided his time; waited and watched
for an opportunity to present itself.
Eventually the youth opened the door and stepped out. Then out of the darkness a tomahawk split
the young man’s head open and he dropped dead at the Indian’s feet. Afterwards the father took his daughter, by
canoe, back to their lodge at Saukenuk.
About
this time, reasoning that nothing would be gained from a peaceful attitude and
that it was only fear that induced the Americans to be generous to the Osage, a
warparty of Sac attacked a few settlements on the Cuvier River, a couple of
miles north of St. Louis. The Indians made
a grievous miscalculation, for the resulting American reaction to these
incidents was not the one the tribe had expected.
Outraged
by the premeditated murder of the youth and because it was a Sac Indian who’s
identity was known that had killed a white man; and on account of the other
recent attacks on neighboring settlements, this caused the local settlers to
plan retaliatory moves against the Sac villages nearest them. Major James Bruff did manage to calm the settlers
down with promises that justice would be dispensed to the guilty parties.
In
the meantime, the marauding Sac warriors had brought the scalps of three
settlers, unrelated to the dance incident, and threw them down at the feet of
their chiefs. Fearful of reprisals and
hoping to avoid an open conflict with the Americans, two of the chiefs traveled
to St. Louis, under the protection of a French trader. The Sac chiefs freely admitted that four of
their warriors were responsible for the murders but evaded repeated requests to
surrender the individuals who committed the acts to Major Bruff.
Finally,
Bruff released the two chiefs with a harsh demand for the surrender of the
guilty Sacs. Then warning his superior
officer, General James Wilkinson, that ". . . . .there is but one opinion
here--that is--unless those murderers are demanded: given up and examples made
of them our frontier will constantly be harassed by murderers and robberies . .
. . ."
While
the inhabitants of the Missouri area were doing sentry duty, expecting a full
scale Indian war at any minute, Governor Harrison arrived in St. Louis. Upon arriving he had accepted the invitation
to stay at the mansion of a wealthy landowner and fur trader, Auguste Chouteau. Civil affairs were uppermost in the
Governor's mind at the moment and aided by Judge John Griffin, they drew up a
civil code and reorganized the courts and local militia.
The
reorganization was deemed necessary as long as the administration of the
District of Louisiana was attached to the Indiana Territory. Just as he was finishing this work a
deputation of Sac and Fox had arrived in town with one of the guilty warriors
involved in the Cuivre River killings.
Auguste Chouteau
Fur trader and founder of the city of St Louis,
MO, and represented the US Government in the negotiation of Indian treaties
when the city became part of the United States, as a result of the Louisiana
Purchase (1803)
With the surrender of the Sac, guilty of defending his daughter’s honor, Harrison was forced to take a stand on the matter. First, he considered releasing the guilty individual on the technicality that the crime has been commited under Spanish law which was now defunct. Realizing the immediate effect such a course would have on the local inhabitants and because of Maj. Bruff's objections to it, he quickly discarded this idea. Finally he decided to best handle the matter by imprisoning the Sac Indian and then applying for a pardon from the President.
The
opportunist, Harrison, broached the subject of negotiating a treaty with the
Sac delegation to extract a land cessation.
Liberally interpreting his instructions from the Secretary of War, he
dealt with both tribes as one nation, thereby, making a joint treaty possible. The Indian delegation was in a conciliatory
mood and were ready to 'wipe away the
tears' of the relatives of the slain victims—as Indian custom
demanded. The Governor showered the
group with over $2000 worth of gifts and the Indian chiefs in return were
anxious to put the raids of the Cuivre River out of their host's mind.
The
appraisal written of Major Bruff does not ring quite true about the attitudes
of the Indian delegation that eventually signed the treaty. He described them as ". . . . . willing to
make a treaty that would shelter them from their natural enemies--the Osage,
now considered by them as under the protection of the United States . . . . .
Without hesitation, offered to cede an immense tract of country containing much
valuable lead and other minerals . . . . ."
The Treaty of 1804 is considered to be at the heart of all the
conflicts that would rage off and on till the matter climaxed at the end of
Black Hawk's War in 1832. The whole
controversy hinges upon this treaty and both sides depend upon it for their
justification in all subsequent matters of dispute and misunderstandings.
For if this treaty was valid then Black Hawk and his band
were intruders, trespassers and aggressors—in 1832. On the other hand, if invalid then Black Hawk was a
patriot and hero, and the actions of our government, both national, state, and
territorial was indefensible and oppressive.
I find it appropriate
to present it here so that the reader can get a better grasp of the events as
they developed later.
TREATY OF 1804
November 3, 1804
Treaty of Saint Louis, Louisiana District with
the Sac and Fox.
Articles of a treaty, made at
Saint Louis, in the District of Louisiana, between William Henry Harrison,
Governor of the Indiana Territory and the District of Louisiana. Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the said
territory and district, and commissioner plenipotentiary of the United States,
for concluding any treaty or treaties which may be found necessary with any
northwestern tribes of Indians, of the one part; and the chiefs and head men of
the united Sac and Fox tribes of the other part.
Article
1.
The United States receive the united Sac and Fox tribes into their friendship
and protection; and the said tribes agree to consider themselves under the
protection of the United States and of no other power whatsoever.
Article
2.
The general boundary line between the lands of the United States and of the
said Indian tribes shall be as follows:
Beginning at a point on the Missouri River, opposite the mouth of the
Gasconade River: thence, in a direct course so as to strike the River Jeffreon,
at a distance of thirty miles from its mouth, and down the said Jeffreon to the
Mississippi: thence, up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ouisconsin River,
and up the same to a point which shall be thirty-six miles, in a direct line
from the mouth of said river; thence, by a direct line to a point where the Fox
River(a branch of the Illinois) leaves the small lake called Sakaegan; thence,
down the Fox River to the Illinois River and down the same to the Mississippi. And the said tribes, for and in
consideration of the friendship and protection of the United States, which is
now extended to them, of the goods(to the value of two thousand, two hundred
and thirty-four dollars and fifty cents($2,234.50)) which are now
delivered and of the annuity hereinafter stipulated to be paid, do hereby cede
and relinquish forever, to the United States, all the lands included within the
above described boundary.
Article
3.
In consideration of the cession and relinquishment of land made in the preceding
article, the United States will deliver to the said tribes, at the town of
Saint Louis, or some other convenient place on the Mississippi, yearly and
every year, goods suited to the circumstances of the Indians, of the value of
one thousand dollars($1,000.00) (six hundred of which are intended for
the Sac, and four hundred for the Fox), reckoning that the value at the first
cost of the goods in the city or place in the United States, where they shall
be procured. And if the said tribes
shall hereafter, at an annual delivery of the goods aforesaid, desire that a
part of their annuity should be furnished in domestic animals, implements of
husbandry, and other utensils, convenient for them, the same shall at the
subsequent annual delivery, be furnished accordingly.
Article
4.
The United States will never interrupt the said tribes, in the possession of
the lands which they rightfully claim; but will on the contrary, protect them
in the quiet enjoyment of the same, against their own citizens, and against all
other white persons, who may intrude upon them. And the said tribes do hereby engage, that they will never sell
their lands, or any part thereof, to any sovereign power but the United States;
nor to the citizens or subject of any other sovereign power, nor to the
citizens of the United States.
Article
5.
Lest the friendship which is now established between the United States and the
said Indian tribes, should be interrupted by the misconduct of individuals, it
is hereby agreed, that for injuries done by individuals, no private revenge or
retaliation shall take place; but instead thereof, complaint shall be made by
the party injured to the other; by the man, said tribes, or either of them, to
the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, or one of his deputies; and by the
Superintendent, or other person appointed by the President, to the chiefs of
the said tribes.
And it shall be the duty of the
said chiefs, upon complaint being made, as aforesaid, to deliver up the person,
or persons, against whom the complaint is made, to the end that he, or they,
may be punished agreeably by the laws of the state or territory where the
offence may have been committed. And,
in like manner, if any robbery, violence or murder shall be committed on any
Indian, or Indians, belonging to the said tribes, or either of them, the person
or persons so offending, shall be tried, and if found guilty, punished, in like
manner as if the injury had been done to a white man.
And
it is further agreed, that the chiefs of the said tribes shall, to the utmost of
their power, exert themselves to recover horses, or other property which may be
stolen from any citizen or citizens of the United States by any individual or
individuals of their tribes. And the property
so recovered, shall be forthwith delivered to the Superintendent, or other
person authorized to receive it, that it may be restored to the proper
owner. And in cases where the exertions
of the chiefs shall be ineffectual in recovering the property stolen, as
aforesaid, if sufficient proof can be obtained, that such property was actually
stolen by any Indian, or Indians, belonging to the said tribes or either of
them, the United States may deduct from the annuity of the said tribes, a sum
equal to the value of the property which was stolen.
The United States hereby
guarantee to any Indian or Indians of the said tribes, a full indemnification
for any horses, or other property, which may be stolen from them, by any of
their citizens; Provided, that the property so stolen cannot be recovered, and
that sufficient proof is produced that it was actually stolen by a citizen of
the United States.
Article
6.
If any citizen of the United States, or any other white person, should form a
settlement, upon the lands which are the property of the Sac and Fox tribes,
upon complaint being made thereof, to the Superintendent, or other person
having charge of the affairs of the Indians, such intruder shall forthwith be
removed.
Article
7.
As long as the lands which are now ceded to the United States remain there
property, the Indians belonging to the said tribes shall enjoy the privilege of
living and hunting upon them.
Article
8.
As the laws of the United States regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, are already extended
to the country inhabited by the Sac and Fox, and as it is provided by those
laws, that no person shall reside as a trader, in the Indian country, without a
license under the hand and seal of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, or
other person appointed for the purpose by the President, the said tribes do
promise and agree, that they will not suffer any trader to reside among them,
without such license, and that they will from time to time, give notice to the
Superintendent, or the agent for their tribes, of all the traders that may be in their country.
Article
9.
In order to put a stop to the abuse and impositions which are practiced upon
the said tribes, by private traders, the United States will, at a convenient
time, establish a trading house, or factory, where the individuals of the said
tribes can be supplied with goods at a more reasonable rate, than they have
been accustomed to procure them.
Article
10. In order to evince the sincerity of their friendship and
affection for the United States, and a respectful deference for their advice,
by an act which will not only be acceptable to them, but to the common Father
of all the nations of the earth, the said tribes do, hereby, promise agree that
they will put an end to the bloody war which has heretofore raged between their
tribe and the Great and Little Osages.
And for the purpose of burying the tomahawk, and renewing the friendly
intercourse between themselves and the Osages, a meeting of their respective
chiefs shall take place, at which, under the direction of the above named
commissioner, or agent of Indian Affairs residing at Saint Louis, an adjustment
of all their differences shall be made,
and peace established upon a firm and lasting basis.
Article
11. As it is probable that the government of the United States
will establish a military post at, or near the mouth of the Ouisconsin River,
and as the land on the lower side of the river may not be suitable for that
purpose, the said tribes hereby agree, that a fort may be built, either on the
upper side of the Ouisconsin, or on the right bank of the Mississippi, as the
one or other may be found most convenient; and a tract of land not exceeding
two miles square, shall be given for that purpose; and the said tribes so
further agree, that they will at all times, allow the said traders and other
persons travelling through their country, under the authority of the United
States, a free and safe passage for themselves and their property of every
description; and that for such passage, they shall at no time, and on no
account whatever, be subject to any toll or exaction.
Article
12. This treaty shall take effect and be obligatory on the
contracting parties, as soon as the same shall be ratified by the President, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States.
In
testimony whereof, the said William Henry Harrison, and the chiefs and head
men of the Sac and Fox tribes, have hereunto set their hands and affixed their
seals. Done at Saint Louis, one
thousand, eight hundred and four, and of the Independence of the United States
the twenty-ninth.
ADDITIONAL ARTICLE
It is agreed that nothing in this
treaty contained shall affect the claim of any individual or individuals, who
may have obtained grants of land from the Spanish government, and which are not
included within the general boundary lines, laid down in this treaty: PROVIDED,
that such grants have at any time been made known to the said tribes and
recognized by them.
L.S. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON
L.S. LAYOWVOIS, or LAIYUVA,
his X
mark
L.S. PASHEPAHO, or “The
Stabber”, his X
mark
L.S. QUASHQUAME, or “Jumping
Fish”, his X
mark
L.S. OUTCHEQUAHA, or
“Sun Fish”, his X
mark
L.S. HASHEQUARHIQUA, or
“The Bear”, his X
mark
In the presence of:
William Prince, Secretary to the Commissioner,
John Griffin, one of the Judges of the Indiana Territory,
J. Bruff, Maj. Art'y. United States,
Amos Stoddard, Capt. Corps of Artillerists.
P. Chouteau, Agent de la haute Louisiana, pour la department sauvage,
Ch. Gratiot
Auguste Chouteau
Vigo
S. Warrel, Lieut. United States Artillery
D. Delaunay
Joseph Barron sworn interpreter
H'POLITE BOLEN, his X mark sworn
interpreter
On
the 31st of December, 1804, Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United
Sates, submitted this treaty to the Senate for their advice and consent and it
was by this body duly ratified.
It
was true that the Sac and Fox asked for a treaty, as early as 1802, that would
give them an annuity. They were only
familiar at that time with the English practice of giving annuities as gifts,
without a land cessation or anything else being expected it return. When Harrison received authorization to
enter into a treaty with the Sac; the Indians were notified in due course to
send some of their chiefs to Saint Louis.
It
is very probable the Sac were never aware of the large land cessation about to
be undertaken. For all practical
purposes, they came to Saint Louis with the frame of mind that the matter to be
discussed would concern the Cuivre River affair which the Americans had been
pressing them about earlier.
Thomas Jefferson
3rd
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (1801-1809)
In the following words, Black Hawk gives his
recollections of the circum-stances surrounding the Treaty of 1804.
". . . Some
moons after this young chief (Lieutenant Zebulon Pike) descended the Mississippi, one of our people killed an American. He was confined in the prison at Saint Louis
for the offense. We held a council at
our village (Saukenuk) to see what could be done
for him. It was determined that
Quash-qua-me (Jumping
Fish), Pa-she-pa-ho
(The
Stabber),
Ou-che-qua-ha (Sun
Fish), and
Ha-she-quar-hi-qua (The
Bear) should go
down to Saint Louis, see our American father, and do all they could to have our
friend released.
By paying for the person
killed, thus covering the blood and satisfying the relations of the man
murdered This being the only means with
us of saving a person who had killed another and we then thought it was the same
was with the whites. The party started
with the good wishes of the whole nation, hoping they would accomplish the
object of their mission. The relations
of the prisoner blacked their faces and fasted, hoping the Great Spirit would
take pity on them returning the husband and the father to his wife and
children.
Quash-qua-me
and party remained a long time
absent. They at length returned and
encamped a short distance below the village, but they did not come up that day,
nor did any person approach their camp.
They appeared to be dressed in fine coats and had medals. From these circumstances, we were in hopes
they had brought us good news. Early
the next morning, the council lodge was crowded-- Quash-qua-me and party came
up and gave us the following account of the mission.
On
their arrival at Saint Louis they met their American father (Harrison) and explained to him their business urging
the release of the friend. The American
chief told them he wanted land, and they agreed to give him some on the west
side of the Mississippi, and some on the Illinois side opposite the
Jeffreon. When the business was all
arranged they expected to have their friend released to come home with
them--but about the time they were ready to start, their friend was led out of
prison, who ran a short distance and was shot dead. This is all they could recollect of what was said and done. They had been drunk the greater part of the
time they were in Saint Louis.
This
is all myself or the Nation (Sac and Fox) knew of the Treaty of 1804. It
has been explained to me since. I find
by that treaty, all our country east of the Mississippi and south of the
Jeffreon was ceded to the United States for $1,000 a year! I will leave it to the people of the United
States to say, whether our Nation (Sac and Fox) was properly represented in this treaty. Or whether we received a fair compensation for the extent of the
country ceded by those four individuals.
I could say more about this treaty but I will not at this time. It has been the origin of all of our
difficulties."
The
prisoner was shot dead but not the way Black Hawk was led to believe. The pardon reached Harrison from the
Secretary of War on February 12th, 1805--too late to defuse the situation.
In the following
letter, Harrison personally explains the circumstances surrounding the lone
warrior's death.
TO: Henry Dearborn .
Vincennes 27th May 1805
Sir
The
enclosed letter from Mr. Chouteau(1) I received
this day by a Special Messenger and have returned him an answer(2) of which the enclosed is a copy.
If the Indians should now go
forward to the seat of Government (Washington) I will dispatch them a quickly as possible---on their arrival at this
place I will have them inoculated with the vaccine disease that they may avoid
the smallpox which is at this time in Kentucky--I have directed Mr. Chouteau to
go on with them because he is better acquainted with their manners and their
wants than any other person that could be procured. A party of the Sioux of the Mississippi have lately visited St
Louis for the purpose of delivering up one of their warriors who had killed two
Canadians the servants of a trader in their country--but upon examination it appeared
that the Indian killed them in his own defense and that they were the
aggressors--He was accordingly permitted to return with his friends upon
condition of his being delivered up at any time hereafter when he should be
demanded—enclosed is a letter from a friend of mine (Benjamin Parke) on the spot which gives a particular account of the
transaction--the respect which has been
manifested toward the United States by this numerous and warlike tribe
and the favorable reception which Captains Lewis and Clark have met with from
the tribes of the Missouri augers well to our affairs in that quarter and forms
a striking contrast to the conduct of some of the more neighboring
tribes--which have been treated by our Government with the utmost tenderness
and indulgence--in my last letter I informed you that it was my intention to
set out for Fort Wayne unless the instructions I expected to receive from you
should otherwise direct--upon more mature deliberation I have been induced to
abandon my opinion of the propriety of that step—first from the probability
that my services will shortly be required here to hold a session of the
Legislature and secondly because I think it would be a sacrifice of that
dignity and authority which it is necessary to observe in all our transactions
with the Indians--we are not conscious of having done them any wrong--but as
they pretend to think otherwise they have been invited to come forward and
state their grievances--and every assurance has been given that for any injury
which may have unintentionally have been done them ample remuneration shall be
made--, as they have declined this invitation I think it would be improper for
us to discover too much solicitude to give them satisfaction lest they should
attribute that to fear which is purely the effect of justice and
benevolence--An error which the Indians above all the people in the world are
prone to imbibe--As it is very possible however that they may have been imposed
upon by false statements and misrepresentations I conceived it to be a matter
of importance to remove from their minds every false impression--to ascertain
whether the uneasiness and alarm really exists amongst them to the extent that
has been spoken of and to discover who the persons are (for that there are such
I am perfectly convinced) who excite their jealousy and feed their
discontent--For these purposes I have dispatched General (John) Gibson to the Delaware and Colonel (Francis) Vigo to the Miamis and Putawatimes upon their return
I shall be enabled to give you satisfactory information on every subject
connected with their mission--
In the course of this spring
I have seen all the Chiefs of the Weas one excepted--A large deputation from
the Kickapoos of the Prairie another from those of the Vermilion River, Almost
the whole band of Eel River Indians and the only Chief of the Delaware who was
not present at the late Treaty with that tribe in none of these have I
discovered the smallest signs of discontent and I am persuaded that if it does
exist it exists no where but in the immediate neighborhood of Fort Wayne and
the Indians there are no more affected by the Treaties with the Delores and
Plankishaws than the Mandans of the Missouri.
I received by express from
St Louis a long letter from Captain Clark,
the companion of Captain Lewis--The dispatches for the President (Thomas Jefferson) and for your department were not sent on which will delay their
arrival at Washington nearly a fortnight--They passed the winter with the
Mandans 1609 miles up the Missouri in Latd. 47 º21'47" North Longte. 101 º 25' and had met with no material accident—
Your letter of the 12th Feby (February) covering the President’s
pardon of the Sac Indian confined at St Louis did not reach me until near two
months after its date--it was immediately forwarded to St Louis--but
unfortunately it did not arrive until the Indian had effected his escape from
the guard house--he was fired on by the sentinel and the body of an Indian has
lately been found near St Louis with the mark of a buck shot in his head which
is supposed to be the prisoner
I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect and
Consideration
Sir,
your Humble Servant
Willm
Henry Harrison .
1. Letter from Pierre Chouteau that was forwarded to
Dearborn from Harrison.
FROM PIERRE CHOUTEAU St Louis, May 22nd, 1805
Mr. Wm. Hy Harrison Governor & c
Sir:
The
barge of Captain(Meriwether) Lewis arrived the day before yesterday he has sent
by this opportunity Fourty five chiefs or consideres(were 'the principal men, below the great chiefs,
of an Indian tribe' definition taken from John
McDermott's, A Glossary of
Mississippi Valley French, 1673-1850 St Louis: Washington University
Studies, 1941, p 55) of the Nations Ricaras, poncas, Sioux of the tribes on the missoury (Missouri River), mahas, ottos and Missourys in order that they may
be conducted from here to the federal city (Washington City), I send you an express to give you notice of their
arrival. They unanimously wish to
undertake this journey, but as my instructions, Whereof you have perfect
Knowledge do not permit the departure of any Indian for the Seat of government
without a Special permission, I think it is my duty to Wait your answer, before
I give them mine, and hope that in the Shortest time possible you Will transmit
to me your orders and Will direct my conduct on this occasion as minutely
as possible.
I Will observe to you that I
am ever in the Same opinion that the Warm Season is very dangerous for these
Indians, of Whom perhaps a great number Will fall Victims to So Long and
penible (i.e.,
painful) journey in a
climate so different from their own, and the
nations Should be certainly Dissatisfied and Would have a defavorable (i.e., unfavorable) idea of the government if the Indians now here
don't come back Safely amongst them. I
think that the autumn and Winter are the only proper season to undertake With
Security that trip. If you Were of the
same opinion it Would be convenient, I Believe, that these Indians Stay here or
not far from here in going from time to time to hunt in the neighboorood (i.e., neighborhood), What ever may be your opinion for the time of the
departure I think that it Will be necessary to call for Some chiefs of the
Sakias (Sac) and Foxes Who are called by
the government Which is already known to them, and also for Some chiefs of the
Sioux of the river des moens (i.e., DesMoines) Who are come here With Mr. (Lewis) Crawford and have asked for the Same journey, I promised to make them
Know the intentions of the government about it. As the expenses of the voyage Will be in proportion to the number
of the Indians Which Will amount to Sixty at least perhaps you Will find it
convenient to Send back to their nations Some of them to bring the news of the
departure of the others. Finally I Pray
you to give me Very particular instructions on every article, being desirous
that my conduct may be approved. Fix,
if you please, the certain epoch of the
departure, the number of the Indians to be conducted, if Some of them agree to go back, fix the road to be taken and
authorize me to expend Which Sums you Will judge necessary.
I Shall ever be ready to
Start With the Indians in all time and if I propose you Some objections on the
season it is only to avoid any reproach from the government or from the Indians
in the Supposition that Some unhappy event should arrive.
The party of Sioux Conducted
here by Mr. Dixon (Robert
Dickson) have Started
this morning Satisfied of the presents Which I have given them. As the Contractor is in the impossibility to
furnish me With the provisions Dayly Wanted, I Will be obliged to buy them and
I Believe that it Will be for his own account.
Mr. (William) Ewing, an interpreter, and
another man Wanted by him Will start in a few days for the Sakias.
I remain
with greatest consideration
Sir
Your humble and obed Servt
Pierre Chouteau
Agent
ADDRESSED: His
Excellency / Wm Hy Harrisson / Governor of the Indiana Territory and / District
of Louisiana / Post Vincennes.
©
© © © ©
2. Harrison's reply to Pierre Chouteau a copy that was forwarded to Dearborn.
TO: PIERRE CHOUTEAU .
Vincennes, May 27th,
1805
Sir.
I have this moment received your favor of the 22nd
instant The arrival of the Indians from the upper parts of the Missouri at this
Particular time is certainly an unfortunate circumstance After as full a consideration of the affair
as the time will allow I have determined as follows--You will please state to
the Indians the inconveniences that will attend their going on at present and
explain to them your arrangement (sic) for their spending the Summer in the Neighbourhood
of St. Louis--If they should readily agree to it that plan will be adopted If on the contrary they should express a
wish to go on you will proceed immediately to make the necessary arrangements
and set out for this place with all the expedition in your power--expedition is
the more necessary as the President (Thomas Jefferson) and the Heads of Departments will be absent from the Seat of
Government (Washington
City) after the
month of June--It is impossible for me at this distance to prescribe to you in
detail the arrangements necessary for your outfit in this Trip I must therefore leave it entirely to
yourself relying upon your Judgement and Economy that no expenses will be gone
into but such as the due execution of the object requires--I therefore hereby
authorize you to draw upon the Secretary of War (Henry Dearborn) for such Sums as may be required for the purchase
of Horses and other necessaries for the Trip,
On your arrival at this place you will receive more particular
instructions--If any engagement for interpreters has been made and no
particular objection can be made to their integrity or Capacity you will please
to employ them--An English interpreter will also be necessary--You will also
please to apply to Major (James) Bruff for an escort as far as this place when you will be furnished
with One to take you to the Ohio--I wish very much to send on a few of the
Sioux of the Demoin (DesMoines
River), and some of
Sacs and Foxes, and if you can get them ready to go on with the others do so--Every
exertion in your power must be made to deminish (diminish) the Number by sending back as many of those that
have down the Missouri as you Can get to go back--give them a few Articles that
will be acceptable and send them with a speech to their nations informing them
of the departure of their Friends for the seat of Government.
I
am very Respectfully
Your Humble Servant
William henry Harrison .
General James Wilkinson
The
explanation of that incident to the Sac delegation was assigned to the newly
appointed Governor of the Louisiana Territory, General James Wilkinson. Very shortly after his arrival from
Kaskaskia he was surrounded by a group of about 150 Sac and Fox representatives. In council he explained the situation to the
gathering by craftily telling them the late arrival of the pardon as a
manifestation of the ". . .will of the Great Spirit that he
should suffer for the spilling of blood on his white brethren, without
provocation. . ." Upon
learning the younger brother of the slain Sac warrior was present at the
council, he admonished the youth to ". . . receive and carefully preserve
it(pardon) in remembrance of his brother
and as a warning against bad deeds. . ."
Before
the Indian party departed for Saukenuk, there surfaced feelings of discontent
and regret over the treaty recently signed.
The Indians had always considered themselves as custodians of the land
and therefore possibly never realized the extent they were ceding to the United
States. Not having ever ceded land
before, they were ignorant of the land's value. In any case, The chief and three warriors deputized by the
council to ‘wipe away the tears’ of
the relatives of the slain settlers, were unauthorized to cede the vast tracts
of any lands that were specified in the treaty.
The
Indians now acknowledged they had made a bad bargain but now they permitted it
to stand. Their pride would not allow
them to take back what they had already given--their word.
An
Indian spokesman for the group representing the combined tribes addressed
General Wilkinson in a spirit of humility saying, "We hope our Great Father will consider our
situation for we are very poor, and that he will allow us something in
addition, to what our Governor Harrison had promised us". Thus Wilkinson
advocated to the Secretary of War an adjustment favoring the entire Sac and Fox
Nation, in order to secure their confidence.
The
United States was standing on shaky ground in the circumstances under which
this particular treaty was drawn up.
Historical researchers today on Indian affairs are in general agreement(on this point at least) that the United States
government in its negotiations with Indian delegations did not make it a
practice of investigating the individuals to determine how far the chiefs were
authorized to act by their own people, especially when the terms were favorable
to the interests of the United States.
Governor
Harrison was particularly careful to include in the 1804 Treaty a provision
entailing the cessation of hostilities between the Osage and the Sac and Fox
nations(Article 10). This did not go over well with the Sac since they were more
interested in canceling out the advantage their hated enemies might enjoy
rather than in having peaceful relations with them. To ensure peace in the upper Mississippi region, a fort was to be
erected at Prairie du Chien. Harrison
also protected the property holdings of his host, Auguste Chouteau, so that his
titles would not be invalidated by the land cessation.
In
the next three decades, winds of discord and distrust would swirl around the foundations
of the Treaty of 1804. Wise leaders on
both sides might try to establish mutual peaceful co-existence--but by 1832 the
bloody encounters, burnt settlements and leveled Indian villages would attest
to their failures.
General
Wilkinson, back in St. Louis, was probably the greatest villain in Early
American History. Before his appointment as Governor of Louisiana, he'd been
Commanding General of the United States Army.
Ambitious and politically-connected in the Original States, he was also very well-received by the Spanish in
Santa Fe.
In addition to his overtly treasonous communications with
the Spanish, Wilkinson was also plotting to create his own commercial and
political empire in the west. Pikes'
expeditions were sent out, partly as official American policy and partly as
Wilkinson's private espionage missions.
Playing the field, Wilkinson both helped 
and hindered his partner in the imperial scheme, Aaron Burr. The General eventually testified against Burr in court, and walked away clean. Burr was acquitted too, surprisingly, in 1807, by Chief Justice John Marshall, in the United States Circuit Court of Richmond, Virginia.
Wilkinson
went on to further unglory in the War of 1812, mishandling the campaign against
the English operating from Montreal.
After marching around aimlessly, the troops went into winter quarters
and the Lakes Erie-Chaplain frontier was left wide open to British and Indian
attacks. One successful major-general
under his command, future President William Henry Harrison, angrily resigned in
protest at the complete unraveling of his
victory over Tecumseh and the British in October, 1812.
It
was enterprising young officers who were to fight and win that war in 1812.
Harrison, Oliver Hazard Perry, Winfield Scott and Zebulon Pike led their men to
victory in spite of their leaders and the politicians in Washington. In fact, another future President, Andrew
Jackson, was purposely kept out of the field and ordered to return home in
early 1813 by Wilkinson, who feared a successful rival. Harrison's resignation allowed Jackson to
take command of the Military District that included New Orleans. Jackson's career-boosting battle there took
place after the Treaty of Ghent was signed.
Guilty
by association with the General, Pike was suspected in the scandals as
well. Soon cleared, he was able to stay
in the Army, but how deeply he may have been involved is not known. Pike originally met Wilkinson as early as
1794 when both served under General Anthony Wayne in Ohio. By 1799, Wilkinson was plotting with Burr in
a series of secret meetings in New York.
Pike's
notebooks had been confiscated by the Spanish on a later expedition (1807) when
he strayed into Spanish Territory, but were returned to the U.S. in 1910. These
notes deal only with that expedition, in which Pike's Peak in Colorado which
was first noted by him and today bears his name, and are no help in determining
Pike's knowledge or involvement with Wilkinson's schemes. Pike mentions the
Spanish in a letter to Wilkinson he wrote on his return, "Governor Herrara said
that the maliciousness of the world was such as to forbid his writing, but
begged to be sincerely remembered to you".
Zebulon Montgomery Pike
His
journal, "Expeditions",
written from memory and a few notes hidden in his gun barrels, was published in
1810. Unfortunately, Lewis and Clark's "Journals", published at the same time, and got all the
attention. While Pike's reports are
invaluable, his literary style and syntax were confusing at times and the modern
reader is left guessing where the subject went. The "Journals"
are a lot easier to read.
Pike
led no more expeditions but rose quickly to the rank of Brigadier-General. During the War of 1812, he commanded the
15th United States Infantry. At the
Battle of York(Toronto, Canada) he personally led them in an heroic attack,
successfully forcing the British from their positions. As they fled, the defenders lit off the
powder magazines. 40-some Americans, including Zebulon Montgomery Pike, were
killed in the resulting explosions. He
was 34 years old.
The Upper Mississippi
River Expedition of 1805-1806
Young Lieutenant Pike commanded a party of 20 men from the First Regiment of the United States Infantry and left St. Louis on September 9, 1805. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 made most of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers' drainage areas the property of the United States. William Clark and Meriwether Lewis were already out on the Northern Plains by now, on their epic adventure. Pike had the same sort of basic exploratory mission, with an edge. His objectives were to reconnoiter British fur trade operations, establish a military post north of St Louis, and develop treaty relations with tribal leaders. The forts were needed to control potential enemies from outside and the growing trade, from inside.
Pike's
expedition of discovery was commissioned in May of 1805 by Governor James
Wilkinson, now of the newly created Louisiana Territory, whose motives were
mixed, at best. It seems that Wilkinson
actually talked Jefferson into letting him, Wilkinson, plan and order the
mission. The trip was delayed and
suffered from the effects of exposure but the group's notes and journals were
considered valuable descriptions of the geography, the Native Americans and the
variety of traders.
Most
of the early expeditions to the west and north left from St. Louis because it
was centrally located and had a large support structure. Already an established center of the fur
trade, it had a growing civilian population and a military presence at Fort
Bellefontaine, just north of town. St.
Louis also had a tradition of river navigation and there were plenty of
potential guides available. Many of
these guides and interpreters achieved fame for their skill, courage and personalities.
At
the mouth of the Des Moines River, he was met by William Ewing, then an
instructor of agriculture among the Indians, and along with him was an
interpreter and 19 Sac to assist Pike's party in navigating the rapids. In accordance with his instructions, Pike
held a council with the Sac, distributing the usual gifts and liquor with
explaining the nature of his journey among them. The promise came up in council about the factory among the Indian
Nation, as specified in the Treaty of 1804.
The chiefs indicated that they could not speak for the entire Sac Nation
but did provide Pike with a Sac messenger to explain his mission to the other
Sac villages along his route.
It
was not until the party passed the Rock River that they intercepted the first
Fox village. The inhabitants were
friendly and impressed Pike with their behavior while supplying provisions for
his party.
Prairie
du Chien, 400 miles up the
river from St. Louis, was the edge of the frontier then. An active trading
center, Prairie of the Dog was settled in 1781 on the east side of the
Mississippi. In early September Pike scouted a bluff a few miles south of
Prairie du Chien, on the west side of the River, 500 feet straight up. Pike
recommended this spot as a potential site for a fort, but an Army garrison here
would have been very difficult to supply and extremely easy for an adversary to
isolate.
The
recommendation was considered, but Fort Crawford was eventually built down on
the Prairie in 1816. The Prairie du
Chien region was covered with the mysterious landscaping of the previous
inhabitants. The 'mounds' were aboriginal, but the local Dog band of
the Fox Nation had no traditions about them.
Pike substituted the keelboat at Prairie du Chien for several bateau or batteaux, as they were sometimes called.
These versatile watercraft were easier
to handle than the keelboat but were harder to keep watertight. The
party paddled up the River, past the mounds and Dakota villages, under the bluffs
and through the backwaters. It was getting colder and the steep bluffs along
the Upper River were capped by undulating prairie. The equally steep ravines
and soggy bottomlands made safe land travel along the Mississippi a very real
problem. Trails developed across the tops of the bluffs, following bison paths
and trade routes. Traders and others
used the ravines and coulees to reach the landings and settlements.
Bateau
On
an island where the Mississippi meets the Minnesota River, Pike signed his
treaty. In 1805, the Minnesota River was known as St. Peter's River. The French trading post on the north end of
Lake Pepin back in the mid-1700s was known as, Fort Beauharnois; and it was
finally abandoned after the Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave the area to the
British.
Actually,
France cut a secret deal in 1762 and ceded its' possessions west of the Mississippi River to the Spanish, but now
it was officially the property of the United States and Pike was there to prove
it. On September 23, 1805, he bought
155,520 acres of Upper Mississippi land and water for $200 worth of presents
and 60 gallons of whiskey, on the spot, and a further promise of $2000
later. It breaks roughly breaks down to
about a dollar and a quarter an acre. Pike's treaty was a little more costly than Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase,
which worked out to 14 cents an acre. The government finally paid off on the
treaty, in 1819, to traders in exchange for Indian debts and as incentives for
further treaty signings. Signing for
the Dakota was Le Petit Corbeau, leader of the Kaposia village of Mdewakanton.
In
late September, Pike spent several days at the Falls of St. Anthony, portaging around the Falls, taking the
established route on the east side of the Mississippi. Most of the men were
ill; those that couldn't handle the batteaux
followed along on shore. Travel by land was considerably easier above the
Falls. The imposing bluffs were replaced by open prairies stretching endlessly
on either side of the River.
Winter
hit the expedition hard in early October near Little Falls. Pike's notes
indicate a relatively mild winter, with no temperatures recorded below 0° F.,
but that was irrelevant to men stranded on the open prairie and ice-bound
River. In mid-October the group erected
a stockade shelter south of Little Falls on the west side.
North West Company Logo
The North West Company had a post at nearby (Lower Red) Cedar lake
in the late 1700s. The site is just four miles west of present-day Aitkin. On
January 2, 1806, Pike and his men encountered a party from the Cedar lake post.
This was Pike's first
contact with British trade operations during the expedition. The meeting caused
some tense moments for both parties, as Pike's journal states:
" Jan.
2d. - Fine warm day. Discovered fresh
sign of Indians. Just as we were
encamping at night, my sentinel informed us that some Indians were coming full
speed upon our trail or track. I
ordered my men to stand by their guns carefully. They were immediately at my camp, and saluted the flag by
discharge of three pieces; when four Chipeways, one Englishman (Mr. Grant), and a Frenchman of the N.
W. Company, presented themselves. They informed us that some women, having
discovered our trail, gave the alarm, and not knowing but it was their enemies,
they had departed to make a discovery.
They had heard of us and revered our flag. Mr. Grant, the Englishman, had only arrived the day before from
Lake De Sable, from which he had marched in one day and a half. I presented the Indians with half a deer,
which they received thankfully, for they had discovered our fires some days
ago, and believing it to be the Sioux, they dared not leave their camp. They returned, but Mr. Grant remained all
night."
While
wintering over at Little Falls, Pike pushed on. He and a smaller group of men set out to the north, arriving at
Sandy Lake on January 8 and Leech Lake on February 1, 1806. He was commander of the expedition, but he
was now also the astronomer, surveyor, clerk, spy, guide and hunter. Nobody else in the party was capable of
anything more than pulling the sleds they'd built. By now, he was in pretty bad
condition himself, almost unable to walk.
This seems to have been the norm, given the appalling circumstances.
When the party arrived at Sandy Lake a month earlier, Pike was accompanied by
one man; the rest of the detachment limped in over the next five days.
Pike
spent little time exploring Leech Lake. He assumed he'd found a source of the
Mississippi and let it go at that. Pike
exchanged courteous letters with the administration of the British Northwest
Company. He reminded his hosts that
duties on goods have to be squared away at Mackinac and that American laws were
now in effect here. In addition, there
were to be no more political dealings with the tribes.
The
British agreed; reasoning correctly that the area would remain in their control
for many years. They also recognized
the dangers of withdrawing without leaving somebody in charge. So they told Pike what he wanted to
hear. The highlight of the week came on
the 10th of February, when Pike had the local Ojibwa men shoot the Union Jack
right off the post's flagpole. The flag
went right back up, of course after Pike had left the vicinity, most Ojibwa and
northern Indian tribes, and many of the Dakota, were solidly pro-British in the
coming War of 1812.
Pike scouted north to Cass Lake area and decided he'd found another source of the Mississippi. On February 16 Pike made a speech to the local Ojibwe leaders advising peace with the Dakota, less reliance on the British, prompt settlement of debts to traders and the avoidance of liquor. The same speech he delivered to the Mdewakanton back on Pike's Island on September 23rd. The difficult winter continued and caused the expedition to break off the trip and return. They left Leech Lake on February 18 and arrived in St. Louis on April 30, 1806.
An
interesting cultural exchange took place on this trip. Pike carried a pipe from the Dakota leader
Wabasha to the Ojibwe, who consecrated the event and sent Pike back with their
own pipes. A similar ceremony took
place when Pike returned on April 11, on the bluff where Fort St. Anthony(renamed later as Fort Snelling) was to be built. The smoking of the pipe sanctified a
promising new era of peace and harmony on the frontier. .
Meanwhile
President Jefferson, in order to quell the continuing disturbances between the
Osage Nation and the Sac and Fox Nation, decided that a show of force was
necessary and ordered Governor Harrison to proceed and join with
Wilkinson. Both governors dispatched
messengers to all the tribes of the upper Mississippi region to meet in council
at St. Louis and by September, 1805, the tribal representatives started
gathering from the surrounding area east and west of the Father of Waters.
Governor
Wilkinson had received reports from Pike indicating a general dissatisfaction
stemming from the 1804 treaty and the related incident of the warrior's
death. These and other reports added to
the governor's uneasiness. Reports came
also confirming the fact that the Sac had attempted to form a confederacy among
the other tribes to attack settlements; fortunately, it had never
succeeded. This fact provided little
consolation for Wilkinson, for while the Sac were participating in the council
here at St. Louis, the tribe had a warparties out against the Osage.
To
further complicate matters, the British traders were capitalizing on the Sac
and Fox discontent about their annuity payment. Unfortunately, the goods that were promised had arrived in St.
Louis in such poor condition and unsuited for the Indian's needs that both
governors decided to sell them for what they would fetch and from the proceeds
purchase more appropriate and better goods from the local St. Louis merchants.
Regardless
of the adverse conditions that both governors worked under, a treaty was ironed
out and agreed upon by all the following Indian nations attending the
council: Sac and Fox, Potwatomie,
Kaskaskia, the Sioux of the Des Moines River, Iowa, Kickapoo, Delaware, Miami,
and Osage. On October 18th, 1805, a
treaty of peace was signed for whatever the parties cared to make of it.
Reporting
to the Secretary of War, both Harrison and Wilkinson advocated a show of
military might near Prairie du Chien to check British influence and stem
possible Indian attacks. The
possibility of an Indian visit to Washington might be both timely and overawe
the Indians with visions of American strength.
This in turn, could lead to improving the relationship between the Indian Nations and the United States. As part of a program put together by President Jefferson, the Secretary of War authorized Governor Harrison to form a deputation of tribal chiefs and send them on a visit to Washington.
In October, Captain Amos Stoddard set
out for Washington with a specially selected delegation comprised from the
following tribes: Oto, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Pawnee, and Osage(west of the
Mississippi), along with Sac and Fox, Miami, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi
chiefs(east of the Mississippi). The
deputation was limited to 26, among whom the Sac and Fox chiefs made up a third
of the entire group.
Traveling
by horse to Louisville, Kentucky, up the Ohio River by boats and then overland
by carriage from Wheeling to Washington, they arrived at Washington around the
first of the year (1806). In the course of their Washington trip,
President Jefferson singled out the Potawatomi and the Sac and Fox
representatives with appropriate ceremony and delivered a speech to them.
During
the autumn of 1805, when the delegation was enroute to Washington, Sac
warparties were constantly leaving their villages in search of rival Osage
bands. Rather than returning to their
villages empty handed, from time to time they lifted white scalps. The Sac were accused of killing a man
working at a salt works about seventy miles above Portage des Sioux and
attacking another salt works along the Missouri River. This one was operated by the son-in-law of
the famed Daniel Boone, William Hays.
Fearing the possibility of general war, Governor Wilkinson took
immediate steps to end the incidents.
On
the 10th of December, 1805, Wilkinson assembled a deputation of Sacs warning
them of the dire consequences that would result if they continued in their
warlike conduct. In the spring of 1806,
the reports of Captain James B. Many and Lieutenant Pike indicated an
increasing hostile attitude of the Indians toward American settlers. These attitudes were attributed to the
discontent arising from the Treaty of 1804 and the growing influence and
interference of the British North West Company, who operated among the tribes.
The
officials in Washington, after the departure of the Indian deputation, were
formulating plans to strengthen the American position among the Indian Nations
living in the Mississippi River region.
Accordingly, The Secretary of War, Dearborn, appointed Nickolas Boilvin
as Indian Agent at the Sac village located at the lower rapids of the
Mississippi. A Canadian by birth and
now a resident of the Illinois frontier, he had served under Pierre Chouteau as
interpreter.
William
Ewing, the agriculturist Boilvin replaced as official agent to the Sac, was a
thoroughly despicable individual.
Governor Wilkinson, himself, called Ewing 'utterly unqualified'. Despite such observations, Ewing had somehow
managed to retain his position. It was
William Clark, now Brigadier-General of the militia of the District of
Louisiana, who enlightened the Secretary of War about this contemptible character. In a letter to Henry Dearborn, he accused
Ewing of unauthorized purchases in the name of the government, then trading the
purchased whiskey for Indian guns--later reselling the firearms back to the
warriors at considerable profit.
Pierre
Chouteau, Clark and Boilvin turned out to be excellent choices during the first
three years of official relations between the Sac and Fox Nation and the United
States. These three individuals acted
well to countercheck the growing influence of Robert Dickson, the British
trader at Prairie du Chien, in combating English intrigue among the tribes.
So
while the Sac and Fox chiefs were in Washington visiting President Jefferson;
their fellow tribesmen were scalping an occasional white settler while hunting
rival Osage bands. A new shining star
was rising in the heavens of the Red World--he was known as, Tecumseh !
Last updated on NOVEMBER 09, 2002 by J.D. Tipfer